From the Mountains to the Flatland

In the Nick of Time

cityboy — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 23:37:29 +0000

I did my good deed for the year yesterday. A co-worker and friend of mine about my age has floaters and occasional flashes in her eyes as I do. Yesterday she complained that she was only seeing about 20% out of one of her eyes. She described it as something like having a piece of cardboard covering that 80%. She planned to see an opthamologist on Thursday (2 days away). I told her to forget that and to get her tush into the hospital immediately to see a retinal specialist as I suspected her retina was detaching. I spooked her enough that she finally called and they told her to get over there now. A few hours later they were doing surgery on her.

Had she waited, she would have probably lost the vision in that eye. As you get older, if you get floaters and especially flashes of light (electrical impulses from vitreous gel tugging at your retina), be aware if you get that “curtain” effect, your retina is probably detaching and you don’t have a lot of time to spare. Some people laugh cause I devote a lot of time to understanding all of my “health issues”, but sometimes it pays off in spades. Moral of the story – know thy bod, cause nobody else is going to give a hoot.

All In Ones

cityboy — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:26:52 +0000

I’m always a bit surprised at how many people who use instant messaging, Facebook,Twitter, and Email fail to take advantage of programs such as Digsby or Tweetdeck. They would have the best of all worlds with a little icon sitting in their bottom tray. Just a click on one of the icons for example in Digsby brings up all the Facebook posts, my email, my Twitter feeds. It even pops up a little window every time a new post comes through, no matter from what program. Heck, Digsby even shows what music I’m listening to and you can click on the link and listen to the music I’m listening to via Amazon. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t get the idea that many folks I’m conversing with take advantage of this. Makes life simpler, that’s for sure. Check it out if you’re feeling adventurous

HBO’s – The Pacific

cityboy — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:43:33 +0000

In case you might have forgotten, HBO’s The Pacific starts tonight at 9 eastern. If it’s anywhere close to as good as Band of Brothers was, then we’re in for a great miniseries. I’m relying on Mr. Hanks to come through again, and I don’t have much doubt that he will. I suspect those few folks who are still alive from that campaign will appreciate this, as they are so often forgotten in all the Hitler/WWII buzz.

Omega 6 / Omega 3 ratios

cityboy — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:13:18 +0000

For the health/science nuts out there (obviously I wouldn’t be posting this, if I weren’t one. ) , Here is an interesting software program for evaluating the amount of Omega 6′s vs Omega 3′s in many foods. As most of you know, Americans are swimming in the pro-inflammatory Omega 6′s and need to bring that ratio under control. The program takes a while to figure out, but even if you don’t use the program to set up meal plans, you can still analyze over 9000 different foods, so you can learn to pick the healthier ones for yourself. Kudos to David Mendosa at Healthcentral.com for pointing this out. Even though you may take fish oil capsules to get your Omega 3′s, you still need to lower the amount of Omega 6 in your diet, as it competes with Omega 3 and lowers its effectiveness.

Google Latitude

cityboy — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 03:36:03 +0000

Wanna keep tabs on your kid? Check out the new features of Google Latitude. Hide and Go Seek at it’s best. I have to wonder why people need to know so damn much about each other – I still don’t get the constant cell phone/texting thing. Do I really need to know you just picked your nose? Don’t think so!

I told him to clean up!

cityboy — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 18:56:25 +0000

I told him to clean up!

Originally uploaded by Capa12.

Ya gotta love this picture!

Secret Life of Bees Movie – Two Thumbs Up

cityboy — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 04:28:27 +0000

Went to see the Bees movie tonite. As this is one of my favorite books of all time, I was somewhat skeptical that it could live up to the book and figured that the casting of Alicia Keys, Queen Latifah would be too much star power and detract from the story. I had no concerns about Dakota Fanning filling the part of Lily – I knew that was a perfect fit the first time I heard she had the role. I was impressed with the job Paul Betany did playing Lily’s father – nailed it. I thought all the sisters were good, particularly May and thought Jennifer Hudson played her part very well. The setting was much as I had imagined it, although I don’t recall that the house was a two-story, but perhaps so.

If you haven’t listened to or read the book yet, do yourself a favor and get a copy of the audiobook narrated by Jenna Lamia – she puts the perfect voice to Lily.

All in all, I give it up two thumbs up – great acting, great production.

Too late – you lose.

cityboy — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 03:11:27 +0000

Seeing lots of ads tonight on the eve of the election by www.goptrust.com trying to scare people by linking Obama to Rev. Wright. Seeing these ads repeat over and over again on CNN and MSNBC and probably overwhelmingly on FOX. Disgusting – they can’t win on their own good ideas for the country so they have to keep tossing out the same ol’ tired rhetoric of divisiveness and hate. Not gonna work this time boys and girls. I predict a landslide for Obama, which I think is great, because it signifies a repudiation of the past 8 years and everything that has gone haywire in this country.

Is this the best you can do John?

cityboy — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:37:07 +0000

Is John McCain hard of hearing or is he just unable to comprehend Obama’s statement that for 95% of Americans there won’t be a tax increase? Why do the Republicans trot out this tired mantra (Dems will tax and spend, tax and spend) over and over again? Did we really have such a terrible 8 years under Clinton? Hell, I actually prospered during that period – how could that possibly be if the Dems are taxing and spending us to death? Look who the hell has been spending us down the toilet the last 8 years? And then the Republicans have the gall to blame Pelosi and gang for that – lordy.

I’m telling you some Americans scare the diddly out of me – how can you listen to McCain and even more so – Palin and think that they have the intelligence, thoughtfulness, and composure to run this country in comparison to Obama/Biden ? Have you ever listened to them talk? Sorry, the choice is obvious for me – I want someone who can understand complex issues. I don’t want another Bush surrogate who has to turn to his advisors for answers and then failing to understand them, implements them and sends the rest of us down the drain. I also want to think that the President of the United States has a few more jellybeans bouncing around up there than I do – it’s pretty scary when I start thinking that I could grasp the issues better and make better decisions. Here’s a thought – wipe any political persuasion out of your mind and listen to Obama/Biden vs McCain/Palin – who sounds like they have half a brain? Case closed.

I find it interesting when I look back at previous presidents – the Dems seem to attract the students of history, the Republicans the blowhards. I still have not figured out why so many thought Ronald Reagan was the great communicator – seemed more like a buffoon to me. Thought it was interesting how Thomas Friedman told Tavis Smiley last night that the reason the Iron Curtain came down wasn’t because of Ronald Reagan – it was because the price of oil dropped so severely back then, leaving Russia powerless. Sorry, I’ll take folks like Carter, Clinton and Obama and I think Obama will go down as the best of them all. Can’t say I thought much of the Bushes, Reagan or Nixon.

I really love the Joe Plumber story – how ludicrous is it that McCain can say that Dems are just going to take the money from hard working people and give it to bums? Karl Marx, socialism. Geez, does he really hold such a low opinion of the American public that he thinks they will believe that? (Possibly he has as much faith in them as I do). What puzzles me more is how hard working poor folks from the red states can’t comprehend that the Democratic party is the only one that would really care about them – how do they figure the Republican party represents their values? Because they wave a flag around and shout about pro-life and thump the bible for a few months during election season? I wonder if the hard working folks of the Red states notice how much they have advanced during the past 8 years after falling for that little con game? Take another look at which party’s platform really represents you. If you’re hard working and poor, the Republicans just want your vote and then you can shut up and stop whining.

So all you fence sitters out there (please tell me there can’t possibly be 1 out 7 who are undecided still!), get off of your doofus – if you don’t know who to vote for by now, just go vote for Obama/Biden. At the very least you can figure they’re smarter than you are. Hopefully you’re smart enough to wonder if McCain/Palin are.

Moyers and Galbraith

cityboy — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 19:44:01 +0000

Have recently started subscribing to Bill Moyers Podcast via iTunes. Perfect hour for my usual 3 1/2 mile walk. Heard a very interesting conversation with James Galbraith (son of John Kenneth Galbraith) on our current economic crisis.

Galbraith argues that modern America has fallen prey to a wealthy, government-controlling “predatory class”:

Today, the signature of modern American capitalism is neither benign competition, nor class struggle, nor an inclusive middle-class utopia. Instead, predation has become the dominant feature — a system wherein the rich have come to feast on decaying systems built for the middle class. The predatory class is not the whole of the wealthy; it may be opposed by many others of similar wealth. But it is the defining feature, the leading force. And its agents are in full control of the government under which we live

Don’t stop there though as Moyers follows up with an interview with Mark Johnson and his ambitious Playing for Change:Peace through Music project. Some great music there. Moyers is easy to listen to – worth subscribing to.