"If you cannot write well,
you cannot think well,
and if you cannot think well,
others will do your thinking for you."
------George Orwell
------George Orwell
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Lady Jan and the songs we sing to annoy!
This is a little ditty is what I use to sing to irratate my daughter, when ever I saw a dead skunk in the road.
Road Kill stew
(Sung with a deep voice, and a heavy southern accent.)
Dead skunk in the middle of the road.
Dead skunk in the middle of the road.
Dead skunk in the middle of the road.
Sure taste good to me, it's road kill stew for t-h-r-e-e!
(Second verse--almost--the same as the first.)
Dead skunk in the middle of the road.
Dead skunk in the middle of the road.
Dead skunk in the middle of the road.
Sure tastes good to me, it's road kill stew for S-a-r-a-h!
But I can't sing it any more (deep sigh), because my daughter now threatens to sing The Killer Tomatoes theme song.
Dead skunk in the middle of the road.
Dead skunk in the middle of the road.
Dead skunk in the middle of the road.
Sure tastes good to me, it's road kill stew for S-a-r-a-h!
But I can't sing it any more (deep sigh), because my daughter now threatens to sing The Killer Tomatoes theme song.
Friday, August 25, 2006
Lady Jan asks--"Skunk verses Febreze--who won?"
It was late and I was trying to sleep (alone with out my husbands snoring in my ear), and thought I detected the smell of burning hair? Then it changed to the smell of burning rubber, the worse the smell got the more convenced I became that there was a skunk lurking nearby.
Yuck!
Can anything smell worse than skunk?
I rolled over and smelled skunk, I covered my nose and still I smelled skunk. I got up and went to the bathroom, and still I smelled skunk!
I couldn't open the front door and let the smell out, because that's where the skunk was eating my cats food. And I didn't need to spook the skunk into letting anymore aromatic skunk scent loose.
So I remembered I had just bought some febreze, and went to working febezing my bedroom. Apparently it was just my bedroom, which of course is the forward facing room with the most windows, that got the skunk stink. And I had the window open to catch a cool night brease, but I caught skunk stink insteed.
So, I febrezed the curtains.
I febrezed the bed.
I febrezed the carpet.
And I didn't forget to febreze my pillows where I lay my little head.
I febrezed everything!
So can you guess?
Who won that stink round?
Febreze verses skunk?
Who do you think won?
Post your answers in the comment section.
Then I'll tell you which one won!
Yuck!
Can anything smell worse than skunk?
I rolled over and smelled skunk, I covered my nose and still I smelled skunk. I got up and went to the bathroom, and still I smelled skunk!
I couldn't open the front door and let the smell out, because that's where the skunk was eating my cats food. And I didn't need to spook the skunk into letting anymore aromatic skunk scent loose.
Ew!
So I remembered I had just bought some febreze, and went to working febezing my bedroom. Apparently it was just my bedroom, which of course is the forward facing room with the most windows, that got the skunk stink. And I had the window open to catch a cool night brease, but I caught skunk stink insteed.
So, I febrezed the curtains.
I febrezed the bed.
I febrezed the carpet.
And I didn't forget to febreze my pillows where I lay my little head.
I febrezed everything!
So can you guess?
Who won that stink round?
Febreze verses skunk?
Who do you think won?
Post your answers in the comment section.
Then I'll tell you which one won!
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Lady Jan introduces our New Kitty!
My daughter was sick with the head cold that is going around, and missed two days of school earlier this week. .
I picked up YGF from school and took her home with me for a while to visit with my daughter, then when I took YGF home we saw--Kitties.
I said to YGF "Did you see that kitty?"
And she said "Yes, I did and I'm gonna catch it!"
I picked up YGF from school and took her home with me for a while to visit with my daughter, then when I took YGF home we saw--Kitties.
I said to YGF "Did you see that kitty?"
And she said "Yes, I did and I'm gonna catch it!"
.
She chased it around her dad's truck then behind his other truck too. And didn't catch that one, but caught the one in the photo above and gave it to me. Then she turned around and the first kitten that was mostly white came running to her and she picked that one up too.
We took the one she gave me home and YGF gave it to my daughter
and said, "Happy Birthday!" It cheared my daughter up a great deal even if you can't tell by the picture.
.
So far YGF has found three kitten total and has two of them in the house with her, and she is looking for more. She believes they are from her former cat Orion that just showed up a month and half ago pregnate, but then disappeared again.
YGF's dad who was home earlier that day we found the kittens, told YGF, "(he) thought he saw Orion with something in her mouth earlier."
She chased it around her dad's truck then behind his other truck too. And didn't catch that one, but caught the one in the photo above and gave it to me. Then she turned around and the first kitten that was mostly white came running to her and she picked that one up too.
We took the one she gave me home and YGF gave it to my daughter
and said, "Happy Birthday!" It cheared my daughter up a great deal even if you can't tell by the picture.
.
So far YGF has found three kitten total and has two of them in the house with her, and she is looking for more. She believes they are from her former cat Orion that just showed up a month and half ago pregnate, but then disappeared again.
YGF's dad who was home earlier that day we found the kittens, told YGF, "(he) thought he saw Orion with something in her mouth earlier."
(He didn't know she was transporting kittens.)
My daughter decided to call her new kitten Checkers.
YGF is helping with the kitten posing. I think the kittens are either five to six weeks old.
This is why I thought we needed a new cat.I don't think our fifteen year old cat Pookey cares anymore.
But at least our Nine year old cat Sparkles still does, and she caught this one.
And she usually dines alfresco on my welcome mat.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Lady Jan Has organized Her E-mail!
I just finished organizing all my e-mail!
I have everything, and I mean everything placed into Individual files!
And my In-box actually says empty!
Yay!
My E-mail had dated back three years, and ironically it took three hours to organize it all!
Now for my over flowing desk!
Er. . . . .On second thought maybe later.
I have everything, and I mean everything placed into Individual files!
And my In-box actually says empty!
Yay!
My E-mail had dated back three years, and ironically it took three hours to organize it all!
Now for my over flowing desk!
Er. . . . .On second thought maybe later.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
We Won! Solar Bill Now State Law--Yay!!!!
Hi Janice,
We Won! Our Million Solar Roofs bill, SB 1, is now state law. This
victory comes after four years of hard work from our staff and activists
like you -- thank you! The new law, along with the Solar Initiative
passed by the Public Utilities Commission in January, will jump start our
program to build a million solar roofs in ten years, making California a
world leader in solar power.
Please take a moment to send an email to Governor Schwarzenegger
thanking him for being a solar champion. Then share the good news with your
friends and family and ask them to do the same.
To take action, click on the link below or paste it into your Web
browser:
http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/action/energy/thank-gov?id4=ES
Background:
Four years ago, Environment California launched a first-in-the-nation
campaign to change the way people think about solar power and, in so
doing, make California a world solar power leader. We wanted Californians
to no longer think of solar as an expensive technology for the
backwoods cabin or Malibu mansion but rather see its potential for becoming
cost-effective and commonplace.
Over these past four years, we've worked with state Senator Kevin
Murray (D-Los Angeles), Governor Schwarzenegger and other state leaders on a
number of bills, the highlight of which was SB 1, aimed at
incorporating solar power into new homes, giving consumers and businesses the
financial incentives they need to invest in solar power, and ultimately,
growing California's solar market to the point where economies of scale
can be reached and prices can drop.
In January of this year, we won a major victory when the Public
Utilities Commission (PUC) adopted the California Solar Initiative. Mirroring
legislation authored by Senator Murray and sponsored by Environment
California and the Schwarzenegger Administration, the California Solar
Initiative created the nation's biggest program to build a million solar
roofs in ten years.
Specifically, the Initiative created a multi-billion dollar fund for
consumer rebates to lower the cost of solar and grow the market. The goal
of the Initiative is to install 3,000 MW of solar power--the equivalent
of six giant power plants -- on a million rooftops throughout the
state. Achieving such a goal would grow California's solar market 30-fold,
cutting the cost of solar power in half, and ultimately phasing out
subsidies altogether.
As historic as this PUC program is, there were several other necessary
policies that only the state legislature could adopt. These policies
are contained in the Solar Roofs bill, SB 1, which was signed into law by
Gov. Schwarzenegger this Monday, August 21.
To watch the video of the bill signing, go to www.gov.ca.gov.
Specifically, the new law will:
1. Require that all new homebuilders offer solar panels as a standard
home feature.
2. Lift the cap on net metering -- the policy that allows an owner of a
solar system to get a credit on their electric bill for any excess
energy generated by their solar panels -- so that new customers could
benefit from this policy.
3. Require the state's municipal utilities to set up their own Million
Solar Roofs programs locally.
This victory comes after four years of hard work from our staff and
activists like you -- thank you! But we never could have accomplished as
much as we did were it not for the leadership of Senator Murray and,
ultimately, the championship of Governor Schwarzenegger who promised to
make solar power a top priority of his governorship and who has stuck to
this promise by all measures.
Take a moment to send an email to Governor Schwarzenegger thanking him
for being a solar champion. Then share the good news with your friends
and family and ask them to do the same.
To take action click on the link below or paste it into your Web
browser:
http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/action/energy/thank-gov?id4=ES
Sincerely,
Dan Jacobson
Environment California Legislative Director
DanJ@environmentcalifornia.org
http://www.EnvironmentCalifornia.org
P.S. Thanks again for your support. Please feel free to share this
e-mail with your family and friends.
-------------------------------------------------------------
We Won! Our Million Solar Roofs bill, SB 1, is now state law. This
victory comes after four years of hard work from our staff and activists
like you -- thank you! The new law, along with the Solar Initiative
passed by the Public Utilities Commission in January, will jump start our
program to build a million solar roofs in ten years, making California a
world leader in solar power.
Please take a moment to send an email to Governor Schwarzenegger
thanking him for being a solar champion. Then share the good news with your
friends and family and ask them to do the same.
To take action, click on the link below or paste it into your Web
browser:
http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/action/energy/thank-gov?id4=ES
Background:
Four years ago, Environment California launched a first-in-the-nation
campaign to change the way people think about solar power and, in so
doing, make California a world solar power leader. We wanted Californians
to no longer think of solar as an expensive technology for the
backwoods cabin or Malibu mansion but rather see its potential for becoming
cost-effective and commonplace.
Over these past four years, we've worked with state Senator Kevin
Murray (D-Los Angeles), Governor Schwarzenegger and other state leaders on a
number of bills, the highlight of which was SB 1, aimed at
incorporating solar power into new homes, giving consumers and businesses the
financial incentives they need to invest in solar power, and ultimately,
growing California's solar market to the point where economies of scale
can be reached and prices can drop.
In January of this year, we won a major victory when the Public
Utilities Commission (PUC) adopted the California Solar Initiative. Mirroring
legislation authored by Senator Murray and sponsored by Environment
California and the Schwarzenegger Administration, the California Solar
Initiative created the nation's biggest program to build a million solar
roofs in ten years.
Specifically, the Initiative created a multi-billion dollar fund for
consumer rebates to lower the cost of solar and grow the market. The goal
of the Initiative is to install 3,000 MW of solar power--the equivalent
of six giant power plants -- on a million rooftops throughout the
state. Achieving such a goal would grow California's solar market 30-fold,
cutting the cost of solar power in half, and ultimately phasing out
subsidies altogether.
As historic as this PUC program is, there were several other necessary
policies that only the state legislature could adopt. These policies
are contained in the Solar Roofs bill, SB 1, which was signed into law by
Gov. Schwarzenegger this Monday, August 21.
To watch the video of the bill signing, go to www.gov.ca.gov.
Specifically, the new law will:
1. Require that all new homebuilders offer solar panels as a standard
home feature.
2. Lift the cap on net metering -- the policy that allows an owner of a
solar system to get a credit on their electric bill for any excess
energy generated by their solar panels -- so that new customers could
benefit from this policy.
3. Require the state's municipal utilities to set up their own Million
Solar Roofs programs locally.
This victory comes after four years of hard work from our staff and
activists like you -- thank you! But we never could have accomplished as
much as we did were it not for the leadership of Senator Murray and,
ultimately, the championship of Governor Schwarzenegger who promised to
make solar power a top priority of his governorship and who has stuck to
this promise by all measures.
Take a moment to send an email to Governor Schwarzenegger thanking him
for being a solar champion. Then share the good news with your friends
and family and ask them to do the same.
To take action click on the link below or paste it into your Web
browser:
http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/action/energy/thank-gov?id4=ES
Sincerely,
Dan Jacobson
Environment California Legislative Director
DanJ@environmentcalifornia.org
http://www.EnvironmentCalifornia.org
P.S. Thanks again for your support. Please feel free to share this
e-mail with your family and friends.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Lady Jan steps into the Cellar age and trips!
I finally have a cell phone!
I have been dragging my feet about getting one, because they were just too darn expensive! I know people that have had to turn theirs off because the bill just got too high. So I though, Oh darn, we got too many bills to as it is, so that's just a luxury we can't afford!
But the prices have come down in recent years, and there are now pay as you go phones that you can buy. So--We bought the T-mobile pay as you go phone, because it was cheap and we wouldn't have to sign our lives away for two or so years. And I can buy minutes any time and ad them on by phone or (as I just found out) by the internet. We also got our daughter one too, mostly because she is on the tennis team, and she may need to get in touch with us after a meet or tennis practice.
The next day after getting our new phones I was talking to YGF about the new cell phone on our regular house phone, then my cell phone suddenly came on and played a jaunty little tune, then repeated it.
Me, "My cell phone just came on and started talking to me, and I'm not sure what it is doing?"
YGF, "It's ringing! It's probably Sarah--answer it!" her voice went high and excited.
Me, "Hello? Sarah?"
Sarah, "Yes, it's me mom. How did you know?"
Me, "The phone told me it was you."
Sarah, "Oh, that's right it can do that. Okay, here's why I called. . . . . . . ."
After that I kinda felt stupid. Well, duh of course it was ringing it just didn't register in my mind that that was what it was doing. Later when my husband and I went to the school to drop off our daughter tennis racket that she had asked us to bring to her, the cell phone rang again.
Me, "What is that noise?"
My husband, "Your cell phones ringing!"
Me, "It is?"
It was our daughter again wondering where we were.
My husband took the phone, and said, "Turn around sweetie, we're right behind you." And we were too.
Next time I'll be ready, and I'll know it's the cell phone ringing.
Really I will!
I have been dragging my feet about getting one, because they were just too darn expensive! I know people that have had to turn theirs off because the bill just got too high. So I though, Oh darn, we got too many bills to as it is, so that's just a luxury we can't afford!
But the prices have come down in recent years, and there are now pay as you go phones that you can buy. So--We bought the T-mobile pay as you go phone, because it was cheap and we wouldn't have to sign our lives away for two or so years. And I can buy minutes any time and ad them on by phone or (as I just found out) by the internet. We also got our daughter one too, mostly because she is on the tennis team, and she may need to get in touch with us after a meet or tennis practice.
The next day after getting our new phones I was talking to YGF about the new cell phone on our regular house phone, then my cell phone suddenly came on and played a jaunty little tune, then repeated it.
Me, "My cell phone just came on and started talking to me, and I'm not sure what it is doing?"
YGF, "It's ringing! It's probably Sarah--answer it!" her voice went high and excited.
Me, "Hello? Sarah?"
Sarah, "Yes, it's me mom. How did you know?"
Me, "The phone told me it was you."
Sarah, "Oh, that's right it can do that. Okay, here's why I called. . . . . . . ."
After that I kinda felt stupid. Well, duh of course it was ringing it just didn't register in my mind that that was what it was doing. Later when my husband and I went to the school to drop off our daughter tennis racket that she had asked us to bring to her, the cell phone rang again.
Me, "What is that noise?"
My husband, "Your cell phones ringing!"
Me, "It is?"
It was our daughter again wondering where we were.
My husband took the phone, and said, "Turn around sweetie, we're right behind you." And we were too.
Next time I'll be ready, and I'll know it's the cell phone ringing.
Really I will!
Friday, August 18, 2006
Lady Jan and the Mouse
Just a quick post for tonight.
I was hanging up some clothes on my side of the closet, and end up poofing a rotten smell into my face. Okay, I know what that rotten smell is. . . .It's the smell of rotten mousy!
So then all I have to do is find it!
Ah Ha! There it is!
I didn't have to look far, it was on a sticky trap right under where I had hung up my clothes, hence the poof of rotten mouse!
I think it the same mouse that was running all over my bedroom a week or so ago, and tried to get in bed with me. If so, it was awfully small to be causing that much trouble, as it looked about half grown.
Well it won't be doing that again!
Good bye mousy!
I was hanging up some clothes on my side of the closet, and end up poofing a rotten smell into my face. Okay, I know what that rotten smell is. . . .It's the smell of rotten mousy!
So then all I have to do is find it!
Ah Ha! There it is!
I didn't have to look far, it was on a sticky trap right under where I had hung up my clothes, hence the poof of rotten mouse!
I think it the same mouse that was running all over my bedroom a week or so ago, and tried to get in bed with me. If so, it was awfully small to be causing that much trouble, as it looked about half grown.
Well it won't be doing that again!
Good bye mousy!
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Lady Jan is Worn out!
I had a tiring week, and it is only half over!
I've been getting up earlier to take my daughter to school, then on Monday and Tuesday, and after I had picked her up--I had to go to the store to get her more supplies for school.
Ugh, too much driving!
My daughter's first day of school was Monday the 14th and she had to be there early! School starts at 7:55 am, which means she and I have to get up earlier, and leave from here earlier too!
And here I haven't been able to sleep because my husband is working nights, and I seem to need someone snoring in my ear in order to catch some ZZZZZ's!
And. . .So we had to leave here at 7:30 after hardly any sleep on my part, and the high school is 4.9 miles from my house (I check on map quest), and luckily there is only two bad four-way-stop's in my way to getting there. I made it in time for my daughter to sprint across a very large school campus to the other side, where her fist class is.
And the traffic is as terrible as I expected it to be, but next week I think will be better with the kids more use to getting up earlier, and maybe not bugging their parents so much to take them to school because they miss the darn bus!
I can hope can't I?
School's out at 3:15 or 3:20, and my daughter still isn't sure which, and she even told me yesterday that she thought the school let out at 4:00.
So, I'm a little confused.
Please Sarah don't confuse your mom, her mind isn't very good right now, because she isn't getting any sleep with your dad is on graveyard shift and not snoring in her ear at night.
Since my daughter is on the tennis team she will have to stay after school till 6:00 pm, and that makes a long day starting at 7:55 am and going clear to 6:00 pm.
So my daughter actually gets free tutoring along with the free tennis lessons!
I'm good with that!
I picked Sarah up early today because she had a eye doctor's appointment, and she had to miss her tennis practice. This week it's conditioning anyway, and that means conditioning the girls muscles to play tennis, and no practice with the tennis rackets until next week. My daughter was glad of the brake because her muscles are still sore from yesterday's practice.
The eye doctor visit went well--exempt I got miffed because they don't take our insurance! But I'm the one who forgot to ask when I set-up the appointment, but in my own defense I've never had a problem with an eye doctor not taking our insurance before. The winery where my husband works is one of the biggest employers here in our small town, so if you want a lot of business for your practice it really is a smart thing to take our insurance.
So. . . .Because of that I had to write a check! And because my daughter wants contacts the eye exam was more.
My daughter is now wearing her temporary contacts for a week, then we have another appointment, so the doctor can check and see how her eyes did with them. (luckily we wont be charged for that visit.) Then when we get the okay--and the prescription--I can take it and run! To where they will actually take our insurance, and order some contacts for her.
And my daughter wants color contacts, because she wants green eyes like her mommy!
Aw!
I've been getting up earlier to take my daughter to school, then on Monday and Tuesday, and after I had picked her up--I had to go to the store to get her more supplies for school.
Ugh, too much driving!
My daughter's first day of school was Monday the 14th and she had to be there early! School starts at 7:55 am, which means she and I have to get up earlier, and leave from here earlier too!
And here I haven't been able to sleep because my husband is working nights, and I seem to need someone snoring in my ear in order to catch some ZZZZZ's!
And. . .So we had to leave here at 7:30 after hardly any sleep on my part, and the high school is 4.9 miles from my house (I check on map quest), and luckily there is only two bad four-way-stop's in my way to getting there. I made it in time for my daughter to sprint across a very large school campus to the other side, where her fist class is.
And the traffic is as terrible as I expected it to be, but next week I think will be better with the kids more use to getting up earlier, and maybe not bugging their parents so much to take them to school because they miss the darn bus!
I can hope can't I?
School's out at 3:15 or 3:20, and my daughter still isn't sure which, and she even told me yesterday that she thought the school let out at 4:00.
So, I'm a little confused.
Please Sarah don't confuse your mom, her mind isn't very good right now, because she isn't getting any sleep with your dad is on graveyard shift and not snoring in her ear at night.
Since my daughter is on the tennis team she will have to stay after school till 6:00 pm, and that makes a long day starting at 7:55 am and going clear to 6:00 pm.
I miss her already!
My husband and I have already met the tennis Coach, and he said that Sarah has to keep her grades up to keep playing tennis. But the good news is that as soon as the girls arrive at his class room they have to do their homework, and he helps them! And he (the coach) is very good at math, so she will get help there. And my daughter has two--count them two--math classes. Well, algebra actually, and she she can use all the help she can get!So my daughter actually gets free tutoring along with the free tennis lessons!
I'm good with that!
I picked Sarah up early today because she had a eye doctor's appointment, and she had to miss her tennis practice. This week it's conditioning anyway, and that means conditioning the girls muscles to play tennis, and no practice with the tennis rackets until next week. My daughter was glad of the brake because her muscles are still sore from yesterday's practice.
The eye doctor visit went well--exempt I got miffed because they don't take our insurance! But I'm the one who forgot to ask when I set-up the appointment, but in my own defense I've never had a problem with an eye doctor not taking our insurance before. The winery where my husband works is one of the biggest employers here in our small town, so if you want a lot of business for your practice it really is a smart thing to take our insurance.
So. . . .Because of that I had to write a check! And because my daughter wants contacts the eye exam was more.
My daughter is now wearing her temporary contacts for a week, then we have another appointment, so the doctor can check and see how her eyes did with them. (luckily we wont be charged for that visit.) Then when we get the okay--and the prescription--I can take it and run! To where they will actually take our insurance, and order some contacts for her.
And my daughter wants color contacts, because she wants green eyes like her mommy!
Aw!
Monday, August 14, 2006
Rice-a-ronie The San Francisco treat!
My husband and I use to almost live on this stuff when we first got married 26 years ago, and I still serve it or it's sibling noodle-roni at most of the dinner I prepare. There is just something about the stuff, when you get it just right it smells so good cooking, and it tastes just wonderful. And it's the best rice I've ever eaten, and even YGF couldn't believe it came out of a box, and I was surprised that she had never had any before. Hasn't everyone?
Ann has a better link and has been posting about it. So I was walking don't memory lane and decided to post something too. In the above link is to a web site about the San Francisco treat! Ding ding!
Ann has a better link and has been posting about it. So I was walking don't memory lane and decided to post something too. In the above link is to a web site about the San Francisco treat! Ding ding!
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Lady Jan's daughter to start High school
I forgot to mention in the earlier post that my daughter will be starting high school on Monday the 14th, and tomorrow is freshman orientation day!
I placed an link to the Madera tribune in the above title for a brief article telling about orientation day. But my daughter is going to south campus high school, and their orientation day is earlier at 8:30 till 11:00 or 11:30 am.
My daughter is excited but nervous!
I placed an link to the Madera tribune in the above title for a brief article telling about orientation day. But my daughter is going to south campus high school, and their orientation day is earlier at 8:30 till 11:00 or 11:30 am.
My daughter is excited but nervous!
Lady Jan's Harvest
The squash plants aren't producing very much, so I have only got one or two every now or then. The tomatoes are doing only so so, the beefmaster not at all, but the romas always do well and that's them in the photo. And the yellow pear that are not in the photo are gone as soon as I pick them. The long skinny purple things are Japanese eggplant. And my egg plants are doing fantastic! Does anyone have a good Eggplant Parmesan recipe?
These are my purple potatoes called Blue Peruvians. Yes, potatoes do come in purple or blue, neat huh?
I should have dug them up earlier, as it looks like I've had some problems with something in the soil. Also a damn gopher was lunching down on some of them.
***
An update on us
My dog has recovered from the heat stroke she suffered from a a couple of weeks ago, and is doing fine. Though she still does stagger but she did that before, mostly because she is elderly being 18 and a half. Occationally she still does the splits with all four legs.
.
My daughter's ear is better and no longer hurts her, but she is still on her antibiotics. She isn't suppose to go swimming but yesterday she did when she went to YGF house, but she did wear ear plugs.
.
My husband is now on the graveyard shift as night crash foreman at the winery where he works, so I am trying to get use to sleeping alone at night. Apparently I don't sleep well unless I'm being spooned, and someone is snoring in my ear.
.
We still don't know if we are going to Sunny's funeral or not, as there will be a lot of people there and lots more will be coming from out of town, and neither my husband or I do well in crowds.
Friday, August 04, 2006
An E-mail on "Save Our Internet!"
Dear Janice,
Today, Congress begins its August recess while legislative debates continue to heat up that will shape our media for generations. Here's an update on where things stand.
Over the past three months, our SavetheInternet.com campaign has elevated the crucial issue of Net Neutrality from obscurity and thrown a wrench in the phone and cable giants' plan to overhaul our telecommunications laws behind closed doors.
While on its face Net Neutrality - along with most policy issues - are wonky, at the end of the day they are about getting critical, independent journalism into living rooms in every state - red and blue. It's about limiting the undue influence and control of the largest media conglomerates, and creating vibrant and fearless noncommercial media that provide a real alternative to commercial media.
The unprecedented http://www.SavetheInternet.com campaign has brought together more than 750 groups from across the political spectrum. More than a million of you signed petitions and flooded Congress with calls and letters.
Tens of thousands of bloggers and MySpace users have linked to SavetheInternet.com - many of them posting free ads to counteract the multi-million-dollar misinformation campaign launched by astroturf (fake grassroots) groups like Hands Off the Internet. Creative people have submitted their own videos and songs about Net Neutrality -- and no corporation paid them to do it. (http://www.savetheinternet.com/=videos)
A bad telecom bill passed the House in June. But the Senate is split over Net Neutrality - as seen in the 11-11 tie vote in the Senate committee that oversees the Internet. The phone and cable lobbyists don't yet have the votes to move their bill forward - and chatter in Washington says it may not be voted on until after the November elections.
If we can keep the pressure up, it is believed that Net Neutrality could derail the entire bill and force Congress to start from scratch from next year. As always, we'll be tracking this and asking for your help.
On our other fronts...
Media Ownership
You couldn't paint a clearer picture of how media policy gets made in Washington than this photo from Details magazine of FCC Chairman Kevin Martin literally in bed with industry lobbyists.
Chairman Martin: Why not get in bed with the public?
Such slumber parties might explain why Martin recently launched his latest attempt to remove the last remaining media ownership limits. Acting under pressure from powerful media corporations, Martin seems determined to let one company swallow up three TV channels, eight radio stations and the daily newspaper all in the same town.
Martin's indifferent to the impact such changes would have on localism and diversity - not to mention the fact that 95 percent of public comments received by the FCC oppose weakening the rules.
The current timeline puts any actual vote at the FCC after the November election. Before then, Martin has pledged to hold "a half dozen" public hearings - but he hasn't yet scheduled a single one.
However, Free Press and our allies continue to organize a series of Town Meetings on the Future of Media. And along with staunch opponents of media consolidation such as FCC Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein, we're gearing up for a fight this fall that will require all hands on deck. Check out http://www.StopBigMedia.com for the latest updates.
Public Broadcasting and Noncommercial Media
You probably remember Ken Tomlinson's crusade to counter "liberal advocacy journalism" at PBS and NPR. Public pressure forced him to resign as chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) amid charges that he misused power and injected his personal politics into the agency. But the partisan attack on public broadcasting continues.
Last month, President Bush nominated Warren Bell to the CPB board. He's a television sitcom producer who has described himself as "thoroughly conservative in ways that strike horror into the hearts of my Hollywood colleagues." Brazen partisanship - on either side of the aisle - has no place in the governance of public broadcasting. In fact, the CPB was established specifically to provide a firewall from political interference. We will challenge the confirmation of any brazen partisans nominated to the board.
Meanwhile, the House recently voted for a 23 percent cut in funding for the CPB. The Senate approved full funding, but the two bills will be reconciled in December behind closed doors. We will need to raise the volume and ensure that public broadcasting is protected. At the same time, we are working toward long-term reform that gets public broadcasting away from running the annual funding gauntlet.
The Big Picture
That's where things are in a nutshell. Together we have managed to stop nearly every major threat from Big Media during the last three years. Together, we can not only stop the next attack, but advance a vision: more investigative, critical journalism; smarter entertainment, less commercialism - a media system that supports and nourishes democracy, rather than one that undermines it.
Thanks so much for being part of Free Press and the movement for media reform.
All the best,
Josh Silver
Executive Director
Free Press
www.freepress.net
P.S. Here are some links for more information, and a few laughs:
-- Check out all the amazing SavetheInternet.com videos - and find links to The Daily Show's hilarious take on the topic -- at http://www.savetheinternet.com/=videos
-- Read this article about the state of the telecom bill in Congress http://www.freepress.net/news/16856
-- You can find information on the upcoming Town Meetings on the Future of Media here: http://www.freepress.net/future/
-- Read about the letter on media ownership to Chairman Martin from 84 members of Congress here: http://www.stopbigmedia.com/blog/
-- See the full story on the nomination of partisan operative Warren Bell to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting here: http://www.freepress.net/news/16512
-- You can keep up on the latest news on media issues and activism by signing up for Media Reform Daily here: http://www.freepress.net/news/subscribe.php
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today, Congress begins its August recess while legislative debates continue to heat up that will shape our media for generations. Here's an update on where things stand.
Over the past three months, our SavetheInternet.com campaign has elevated the crucial issue of Net Neutrality from obscurity and thrown a wrench in the phone and cable giants' plan to overhaul our telecommunications laws behind closed doors.
While on its face Net Neutrality - along with most policy issues - are wonky, at the end of the day they are about getting critical, independent journalism into living rooms in every state - red and blue. It's about limiting the undue influence and control of the largest media conglomerates, and creating vibrant and fearless noncommercial media that provide a real alternative to commercial media.
The unprecedented http://www.SavetheInternet.com campaign has brought together more than 750 groups from across the political spectrum. More than a million of you signed petitions and flooded Congress with calls and letters.
Tens of thousands of bloggers and MySpace users have linked to SavetheInternet.com - many of them posting free ads to counteract the multi-million-dollar misinformation campaign launched by astroturf (fake grassroots) groups like Hands Off the Internet. Creative people have submitted their own videos and songs about Net Neutrality -- and no corporation paid them to do it. (http://www.savetheinternet.com/=videos)
A bad telecom bill passed the House in June. But the Senate is split over Net Neutrality - as seen in the 11-11 tie vote in the Senate committee that oversees the Internet. The phone and cable lobbyists don't yet have the votes to move their bill forward - and chatter in Washington says it may not be voted on until after the November elections.
If we can keep the pressure up, it is believed that Net Neutrality could derail the entire bill and force Congress to start from scratch from next year. As always, we'll be tracking this and asking for your help.
On our other fronts...
Media Ownership
You couldn't paint a clearer picture of how media policy gets made in Washington than this photo from Details magazine of FCC Chairman Kevin Martin literally in bed with industry lobbyists.
Chairman Martin: Why not get in bed with the public?
Such slumber parties might explain why Martin recently launched his latest attempt to remove the last remaining media ownership limits. Acting under pressure from powerful media corporations, Martin seems determined to let one company swallow up three TV channels, eight radio stations and the daily newspaper all in the same town.
Martin's indifferent to the impact such changes would have on localism and diversity - not to mention the fact that 95 percent of public comments received by the FCC oppose weakening the rules.
The current timeline puts any actual vote at the FCC after the November election. Before then, Martin has pledged to hold "a half dozen" public hearings - but he hasn't yet scheduled a single one.
However, Free Press and our allies continue to organize a series of Town Meetings on the Future of Media. And along with staunch opponents of media consolidation such as FCC Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein, we're gearing up for a fight this fall that will require all hands on deck. Check out http://www.StopBigMedia.com for the latest updates.
Public Broadcasting and Noncommercial Media
You probably remember Ken Tomlinson's crusade to counter "liberal advocacy journalism" at PBS and NPR. Public pressure forced him to resign as chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) amid charges that he misused power and injected his personal politics into the agency. But the partisan attack on public broadcasting continues.
Last month, President Bush nominated Warren Bell to the CPB board. He's a television sitcom producer who has described himself as "thoroughly conservative in ways that strike horror into the hearts of my Hollywood colleagues." Brazen partisanship - on either side of the aisle - has no place in the governance of public broadcasting. In fact, the CPB was established specifically to provide a firewall from political interference. We will challenge the confirmation of any brazen partisans nominated to the board.
Meanwhile, the House recently voted for a 23 percent cut in funding for the CPB. The Senate approved full funding, but the two bills will be reconciled in December behind closed doors. We will need to raise the volume and ensure that public broadcasting is protected. At the same time, we are working toward long-term reform that gets public broadcasting away from running the annual funding gauntlet.
The Big Picture
That's where things are in a nutshell. Together we have managed to stop nearly every major threat from Big Media during the last three years. Together, we can not only stop the next attack, but advance a vision: more investigative, critical journalism; smarter entertainment, less commercialism - a media system that supports and nourishes democracy, rather than one that undermines it.
Thanks so much for being part of Free Press and the movement for media reform.
All the best,
Josh Silver
Executive Director
Free Press
www.freepress.net
P.S. Here are some links for more information, and a few laughs:
-- Check out all the amazing SavetheInternet.com videos - and find links to The Daily Show's hilarious take on the topic -- at http://www.savetheinternet.com/=videos
-- Read this article about the state of the telecom bill in Congress http://www.freepress.net/news/16856
-- You can find information on the upcoming Town Meetings on the Future of Media here: http://www.freepress.net/future/
-- Read about the letter on media ownership to Chairman Martin from 84 members of Congress here: http://www.stopbigmedia.com/blog/
-- See the full story on the nomination of partisan operative Warren Bell to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting here: http://www.freepress.net/news/16512
-- You can keep up on the latest news on media issues and activism by signing up for Media Reform Daily here: http://www.freepress.net/news/subscribe.php
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Lady Jan's Bad Day
I didn't get a lot of sleep because I think there is a mouse in my room, in fact I know there is!
The sucker kept rustling around the room on every bit of paper, or sack it could find jump on, or in. And then took a turn trying to get in bed with me, as it repeatedly jumped on the sheets hanging off my legs near the edge of the bed! I kept shaking it off, and finally tucked the sheets in around my knees, so that ended that.
I then got woke at 5:30 after a nearly sleepless night by my daughter who had a bad ear ache. That meant I had to drive my husband to work by 6:45 so I could have the car, so I can then take my daughter to the doctor.
When I arrived back home hoping to get a little shut eye before the doctor visit, so I wouldn't look so haggard--like the walking dead. But the roar of a crop duster let me know that wasn't going to happen any time soon. After the the repeated roaring finally faded away, I heard a new sound that was of hammering coming from the barn behind my house. It was my Land Lord fixing something or other. Later on he was talking very loudly in a big booming voice, as he hauled away the bits of the dead orange tree that he had cut up the day before--Ugh more noise.
At 9:45 I got a call from my husband-- First he yelled at me for being asleep and not at the doctors, and I yelled back that our daughter who hadn't gotten much sleep the night before either had been asleep too. Then his voice changed and he said "I know I woke her up with my phone call." Then he admitted that the reason he called was that he had the check book. So after a that bitter exchange that actually masked worry over our daughter's ear, we arranged a time so that I could pick the check book up from him.
Then later at the doctor's I found out that the ear ache was a very bad case of swimmers ear, and the doctor teased my daughter saying:
"Hi Sarah, how are you today."
"Okay, but my ear hurts."
"Which ear hurts?"
"This ear."
"Is this your right ear?
"Yes."
"Are you sure this is your right ear?"
"Which is your right hand?"
"This one."
"Which is your left hand?"
"This one."
"Then this is your left ear not your right ear!"
"Huh?" The doctor laughed and hugged my daughter.
At 12:00 I picked up some taco bell, and took it to where my husband works at the winery. My daughter and I ate our lunch as we waited in the parking lot for my husband. He finally showed, and I exchanged a kiss, and some tacos, and a grilled steak burrito for my check book.
Then I had to go fill two prescriptions one for ear drops and one for antibiotic at a new pharmacy, as our insurance company just decided to change the RX part of our policy starting that very day. And according to this new part of our policy we couldn't go to the old pharmacy any more. Ugh, more complications!
Much later that day after picking my husband up from work my small family and I ended up at Home Depot, where I got to walk through the nursery. And there is just something soothing about plants. I love looking at the different colors of the flowers, and all the variety of the shape and texture of the leaves. My shoulder dropped and my head ache went away, and I relaxed.
My daughter excitedly called to me to "come see," she had found some large pretty flowers in pots. I thought they were lovely, and the flowers where as large as my hand. Then my husband bought them for me, and I ended the day happily planting them in my big round planters at home.
My bad day then ended in a feeling of contentment.
The sucker kept rustling around the room on every bit of paper, or sack it could find jump on, or in. And then took a turn trying to get in bed with me, as it repeatedly jumped on the sheets hanging off my legs near the edge of the bed! I kept shaking it off, and finally tucked the sheets in around my knees, so that ended that.
I then got woke at 5:30 after a nearly sleepless night by my daughter who had a bad ear ache. That meant I had to drive my husband to work by 6:45 so I could have the car, so I can then take my daughter to the doctor.
When I arrived back home hoping to get a little shut eye before the doctor visit, so I wouldn't look so haggard--like the walking dead. But the roar of a crop duster let me know that wasn't going to happen any time soon. After the the repeated roaring finally faded away, I heard a new sound that was of hammering coming from the barn behind my house. It was my Land Lord fixing something or other. Later on he was talking very loudly in a big booming voice, as he hauled away the bits of the dead orange tree that he had cut up the day before--Ugh more noise.
At 9:45 I got a call from my husband-- First he yelled at me for being asleep and not at the doctors, and I yelled back that our daughter who hadn't gotten much sleep the night before either had been asleep too. Then his voice changed and he said "I know I woke her up with my phone call." Then he admitted that the reason he called was that he had the check book. So after a that bitter exchange that actually masked worry over our daughter's ear, we arranged a time so that I could pick the check book up from him.
Then later at the doctor's I found out that the ear ache was a very bad case of swimmers ear, and the doctor teased my daughter saying:
"Hi Sarah, how are you today."
"Okay, but my ear hurts."
"Which ear hurts?"
"This ear."
"Is this your right ear?
"Yes."
"Are you sure this is your right ear?"
"Which is your right hand?"
"This one."
"Which is your left hand?"
"This one."
"Then this is your left ear not your right ear!"
"Huh?" The doctor laughed and hugged my daughter.
At 12:00 I picked up some taco bell, and took it to where my husband works at the winery. My daughter and I ate our lunch as we waited in the parking lot for my husband. He finally showed, and I exchanged a kiss, and some tacos, and a grilled steak burrito for my check book.
Then I had to go fill two prescriptions one for ear drops and one for antibiotic at a new pharmacy, as our insurance company just decided to change the RX part of our policy starting that very day. And according to this new part of our policy we couldn't go to the old pharmacy any more. Ugh, more complications!
Much later that day after picking my husband up from work my small family and I ended up at Home Depot, where I got to walk through the nursery. And there is just something soothing about plants. I love looking at the different colors of the flowers, and all the variety of the shape and texture of the leaves. My shoulder dropped and my head ache went away, and I relaxed.
My daughter excitedly called to me to "come see," she had found some large pretty flowers in pots. I thought they were lovely, and the flowers where as large as my hand. Then my husband bought them for me, and I ended the day happily planting them in my big round planters at home.
My bad day then ended in a feeling of contentment.
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