They said it was a showstopper, and only $648.
Thursday, July 9
Sinfully Ugly
I haven't done one of these for a while. Marilee's reaction was just like mine.
They said it was a showstopper, and only $648.
They said it was a showstopper, and only $648.
Christmas Creep
No, not that mall Santa who reeks of booze and who may be a pedo.
Christmas Creep is the phenomenon where retailers start putting Christmas items out earlier and earlier each year.
The Creep has begun. Here, in the middle of July.
At Sears' home page is the following graphic:
Take a stroll down Sears' Christmas Lane here.
Jeebus.
Christmas Creep is the phenomenon where retailers start putting Christmas items out earlier and earlier each year.
The Creep has begun. Here, in the middle of July.
At Sears' home page is the following graphic:
Take a stroll down Sears' Christmas Lane here.Jeebus.
Contact Us
...or not.
Had to call Comcast this morning. While details aren't particularly important, finding their number was a bit of a hassle.
Now do you think that going to their website would supply the necessary information? Probably, except I couldn't get to their website; the cable modem was doing weird things and I couldn't get onto the internet in the first place.
No problem, I'll just grab an old bill and get the number from that.
1-800-COMCAST is of no use - the phone I was using has only numbers - no letters. Businesses who generally realize this fact will also supply the numbers for those who either haven't a clue or a phone without letters.
And though I no longer use a BlackBerry, this keypad makes things even worse:
That telephones prior to the digital age even had letters may be a mystery to some of you whippersnappers. Old Man Talk indeed. For those of you who have forgotten the golden age or didn't live through it, telephones had letters associated with numbers so as to remember what your exchange was, or to call someone else's exchange. Don't believe me? Consider the following image:
Those aren't pushbuttons, sonny. The image is from 1931 at a secretarial school in which the instructor is demonstrating how a rotary dial telephone works.
And what are these exchanges I referred to? I found a neat reference that shows the phone company's "Officially Recommended Exchange Names" here. From that list, maybe you'll recognize your old phone number from childhood.
And what of Comcast's number?
While there's no exchange number involved, the letters on the "dial" correspond to the numbers you "dial".
And I'm filing this one away for posterity: Comcast's toll-free number is 800-266-2278.
Had to call Comcast this morning. While details aren't particularly important, finding their number was a bit of a hassle.
Now do you think that going to their website would supply the necessary information? Probably, except I couldn't get to their website; the cable modem was doing weird things and I couldn't get onto the internet in the first place.
No problem, I'll just grab an old bill and get the number from that.
1-800-COMCAST is of no use - the phone I was using has only numbers - no letters. Businesses who generally realize this fact will also supply the numbers for those who either haven't a clue or a phone without letters.
And though I no longer use a BlackBerry, this keypad makes things even worse:
That telephones prior to the digital age even had letters may be a mystery to some of you whippersnappers. Old Man Talk indeed. For those of you who have forgotten the golden age or didn't live through it, telephones had letters associated with numbers so as to remember what your exchange was, or to call someone else's exchange. Don't believe me? Consider the following image:
Those aren't pushbuttons, sonny. The image is from 1931 at a secretarial school in which the instructor is demonstrating how a rotary dial telephone works.And what are these exchanges I referred to? I found a neat reference that shows the phone company's "Officially Recommended Exchange Names" here. From that list, maybe you'll recognize your old phone number from childhood.
And what of Comcast's number?
While there's no exchange number involved, the letters on the "dial" correspond to the numbers you "dial".
And I'm filing this one away for posterity: Comcast's toll-free number is 800-266-2278.
Our Version Of Musical Chairs
Potty breaks for the dogs goes something like this:
Up at ungodly hour, Lexie takes the first potty break. Lexie ready to come in, now Bambi needs to go out. Bambi comes in, now Princess needs to go. Lexie sneaks out in the process.
Bambi goes back to sleep under the covers in the bedroom.
Princess barks to be let back in. Open door, and a period of time sufficient for her age and mobility later, gets up the stairs and in. "Lexie! Come here!"
Lexie then rolls over in a submissive posture for a tummy rub.
Walk over to where she's laying.
I've left the door open, and Princess is again making her way out the door.
Bambi? Still in the bedroom.
I go back inside.
Lexie now barking at the neighbor on the other side of the fence.
"LEXIE!"
Lexie comes in.
Princess, seeing Lexie saunter to the back door, likewise makes her way to the door. Eventually.
Just now, the whole process started anew; Bambi just got up from her nap. Same players, slightly different process.
I shudder to think what they'll do when I go back to work on Monday.
Up at ungodly hour, Lexie takes the first potty break. Lexie ready to come in, now Bambi needs to go out. Bambi comes in, now Princess needs to go. Lexie sneaks out in the process.
Bambi goes back to sleep under the covers in the bedroom.
Princess barks to be let back in. Open door, and a period of time sufficient for her age and mobility later, gets up the stairs and in. "Lexie! Come here!"
Lexie then rolls over in a submissive posture for a tummy rub.
Walk over to where she's laying.
I've left the door open, and Princess is again making her way out the door.
Bambi? Still in the bedroom.
I go back inside.
Lexie now barking at the neighbor on the other side of the fence.
"LEXIE!"
Lexie comes in.
Princess, seeing Lexie saunter to the back door, likewise makes her way to the door. Eventually.
Just now, the whole process started anew; Bambi just got up from her nap. Same players, slightly different process.
I shudder to think what they'll do when I go back to work on Monday.
Wednesday, July 8
Schematics For The Human Body
In my chosen profession, wiring diagrams are what I live for. Seeing an overview of how things are put together is paramount in understanding how everything works. So, too, the human body. Muscles, ligaments, bones, you name it. All are put together in such a way that boggles the mind.
Not being one to self-diagnose, I never would have imagined prior to my spinal surgery just how much goes on in ones' spinal cord. Admittedly, I never even knew how the spine works. As an example, I had always believed the spinal cord traveled through the discs, leading to herniated discs. That's not the case. Rather, the spinal cord travels through the vertebrae, and the discs are located behind the spinal cord:
In the image above, the spinal cord passes through the "Vertebral foramen", while the disc is located in the oval shaped depression at the top of the image. The nerve bundle attached to the spinal cord passes through the transverse foramen.1
In my case, enough degeneration had occurred in the disc between my C6 and C7 vertebrae (C7 is shown above) such that the disc had herniated and was pressing against the right-hand nerve bundle.
So far so good, but just how does one know - from a layperson's perspective - where that nerve bundle goes? And how does it affect the body?
I knew what my symptoms were, and was a bit surprised that the doctor knew exactly what the problem was without seeing my MRI. After meeting him and again explaining what my symptoms were, he stopped me before I got too far ahead of myself, and basically explained "I know how you're wired and you don't."
At that point, I put my neck - literally - in his hands.
In my exile these past months (I return to work the 13th), I frequently wondered about the wiring diagram; surely this information would be available somewhere. Not to self-diagnose myself, since I'd already had my surgery, but just to see if I could find that elusive wiring diagram. And finally found the term that I'd been searching for. As is often the case, you know what you're looking for, you just don't know what it's called.
Friends, it's called a dermatome (click the image for a larger view):
From Wikipedia: "Dermatomes are useful in neurology for finding the site of damage to the spine."
I only wish I'd known about dermatomes long ago; I'd had a dull pain in my hand for several years, and the whole time it had been a herniating disc, exacerbated by the events of a couple months ago.
And now you, too, have a reference point for finding out how you are wired.
1 Disclaimer: I am NOT a physician. Nor will I ever be. This information is not to be construed as legitimate medical information. The opinions presented here are my own. If you are experiencing life-threatening symptoms, don't contact me - call a doctor. Really. If you're having a major problem, getting on the internet isn't in your best interest.
Not being one to self-diagnose, I never would have imagined prior to my spinal surgery just how much goes on in ones' spinal cord. Admittedly, I never even knew how the spine works. As an example, I had always believed the spinal cord traveled through the discs, leading to herniated discs. That's not the case. Rather, the spinal cord travels through the vertebrae, and the discs are located behind the spinal cord:
In the image above, the spinal cord passes through the "Vertebral foramen", while the disc is located in the oval shaped depression at the top of the image. The nerve bundle attached to the spinal cord passes through the transverse foramen.1In my case, enough degeneration had occurred in the disc between my C6 and C7 vertebrae (C7 is shown above) such that the disc had herniated and was pressing against the right-hand nerve bundle.
So far so good, but just how does one know - from a layperson's perspective - where that nerve bundle goes? And how does it affect the body?
I knew what my symptoms were, and was a bit surprised that the doctor knew exactly what the problem was without seeing my MRI. After meeting him and again explaining what my symptoms were, he stopped me before I got too far ahead of myself, and basically explained "I know how you're wired and you don't."
At that point, I put my neck - literally - in his hands.
In my exile these past months (I return to work the 13th), I frequently wondered about the wiring diagram; surely this information would be available somewhere. Not to self-diagnose myself, since I'd already had my surgery, but just to see if I could find that elusive wiring diagram. And finally found the term that I'd been searching for. As is often the case, you know what you're looking for, you just don't know what it's called.
Friends, it's called a dermatome (click the image for a larger view):
From Wikipedia: "Dermatomes are useful in neurology for finding the site of damage to the spine."I only wish I'd known about dermatomes long ago; I'd had a dull pain in my hand for several years, and the whole time it had been a herniating disc, exacerbated by the events of a couple months ago.
And now you, too, have a reference point for finding out how you are wired.
1 Disclaimer: I am NOT a physician. Nor will I ever be. This information is not to be construed as legitimate medical information. The opinions presented here are my own. If you are experiencing life-threatening symptoms, don't contact me - call a doctor. Really. If you're having a major problem, getting on the internet isn't in your best interest.
Tuesday, July 7
More From Taylorsville Dayzz
THIS was a once-in-a-lifetime shot. Totally unexpected. All I wanted and expected was the parachute and flag:
Jumping over the Moon? Priceless.
Jumping over the Moon? Priceless.
More Fireworks
If you're wondering just how to take fireworks photos, rule number one: get a tripod.
Rule two - learn how to use your camera. The rest will come naturally.
Rule two - learn how to use your camera. The rest will come naturally.
On The Boob Tube This Morning
Elephants shown going into the Staples Center - Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey is in town.
What with the traffic jam that has occurred because of the Michael Jackson memorial at the same venue, Los Angeles truly is becoming a three-ring-circus.
What with the traffic jam that has occurred because of the Michael Jackson memorial at the same venue, Los Angeles truly is becoming a three-ring-circus.
New Family Members
...of the four-footed variety.
Meet Sebastian and Scuttle! Sebastian's the tuxedo, and while the other looks all gray, Scuttle is beginning to show tabby markings.
Ask anyone who has ever been involved in an animal rescue organization if they ever thought they'd have this many animals, and you'll get the same answer. Hell, I never thought I'd have even one - now we've got a three-ring circus of three dogs and five cats.
Scuttle came to us from one of Marilee's friends, while Sebastian is a CAWS kitten. Suffuce to say, Marilee was smitten with this kitten.
Bambi, our Rat Terrier, pretty much leaves Sebastian alone, but is far more interested in Scuttle. Pay no attention that Scuttle looks like a rat. Lexie is a bit too hyper around both; she's visited a bit less.
Sundance is declining comment.
Meet Sebastian and Scuttle! Sebastian's the tuxedo, and while the other looks all gray, Scuttle is beginning to show tabby markings.
Ask anyone who has ever been involved in an animal rescue organization if they ever thought they'd have this many animals, and you'll get the same answer. Hell, I never thought I'd have even one - now we've got a three-ring circus of three dogs and five cats.Scuttle came to us from one of Marilee's friends, while Sebastian is a CAWS kitten. Suffuce to say, Marilee was smitten with this kitten.
Bambi, our Rat Terrier, pretty much leaves Sebastian alone, but is far more interested in Scuttle. Pay no attention that Scuttle looks like a rat. Lexie is a bit too hyper around both; she's visited a bit less.
Sundance is declining comment.
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