US Representative and Staff Expenses and salaries

Ever wonder which representative spends the most, earns the least? Staffers as well? That information can be found here. Apparently not the same ranges as private citizens. No wonder they fight so hard to stay in office.

Debased Currency

If you are wondering how monetary history repeats itself - here is a great video link that explains it.

Pay the Rent

The Landlord with Will Ferrell and Pearl. Good Cop Baby Cop is pretty funny too.

Smart Cars, Smart Phones - What is Next?

Smart Medicine!! Not only is Big Brother watching you on the outside through Video Surveillance Cameras (CCTV), Stop Light Cameras - now it seems Big Brother wants to watch you inside too. If "Big Brother" wants to turn the surveillance outward, The citizenry should demand video surveillance in all public places as well - with PUBLIC access. NO closed door congressional sessions, no backroom deals. Though it may sound like a security risk - what about the freedom to live without being watched. Take a look - in almost every place of business, street corner, even some parks. The watchers need to be watched.

Interesting Events

A sinkhole in Germany swallowed a car. These are popping up all over, like in Texas. Why do sinkholes happen? Apparently they can occur anywhere at anytime.

So much for income increase. This article states earnings quintupled until the numbers were corrected. 

US Federal Reserve: Fed Easing May Mean 20% Dollar Drop: Gross - CNBC

US Federal Reserve: Fed Easing May Mean 20% Dollar Drop: Gross - CNBC

Politics and Thanksgiving

Politics are in the air again. I emailed my congresswoman Judy Biggert (actually the person who responds to her emails) on October 2nd of this year. My wife and I want to actually meet her in person (rather than in a public forum  or have competition for a conversation) to discuss things that are important to my family and of concern to us about the job climate, business opportunities in Illinois, and a few other items. I got a return email  from one of her staffers on October 4th regarding topics. I responded immediately on October 4th with the requested information. To date - no reply. I understand - the election was coming up and all, the schedule is tight, but I would have thought a courtesy "working on it" type email reply should have been sent. A colleague of mine and I discussed this - he said frankly "Since you are one of the little guys and not a contributor/big contributor to campaigns or are not providing money, you can wait". Ad Infinitum? It brings into question my faith in ANY politician - ANY political party actually doing any representation of their constituency and listening to the little guys at all. Otherwise - Business As Usual. I understand that politics runs on money, but I also realize the Congressional job depends on votes. If I get a response (it has been almost a month now) or a posted reply I will provide an update. *********Update 11/12/2010. I had a 1 on 1 personal discussion with Judy Biggert in her office earlier today. She was pleasant and informative. Somewhat different and more helpful than I had expected. It was a very positive experience. Her staff was helpful as well. Maybe all politicians are not the same.

Thanksgiving has very many traditions - the most important F's - Food, Family, Friends and Football.There are also parades and Black Friday. If you ever wondered why the day after Thanksgiving is called black Friday, the reason can be found here. Definitely one of the busiest times of the year.

Free Website Blocker Software

I received an email today from a friend who had children. They are not quite of the age to use the computer, however my friend wanted to block inappropriate websites. Surprisingly enough, there is a website with a FREE website blocker called Family Shield. I set it up in less than 3 minutes, rebooted all my computers, and it worked immediately. No fees, credit card or anything. Since I just started using this software, I cannot say anything about the long term functionality, but the initial setup is working as advertised. They do not require your email address to set up the software. You can skip that option. All in all - it seems to meet up to it's description.

Phone and Online Fraud and Scam Information

Today, I got a call from a person asking what my name was, trying to verify my address and other things. He said I had a "refund package" that was to be delivered by UPS, but I was not home. He wanted to know what time I would be home. I gave him no information. I later found out my wife had a call from the EXACT same phone number with a different area code for the same thing. Upon tracing the numbers, I found one number was close to where I live, and is a legitimate cellular number, while the other one is a legitimate land line number of a business in New Hampshire. I used this website to trace the numbers. It may or may not work anywhere. The trace is free, the owner information has a fee. This is definitely a phone phishing scam. Simply hang up and do not call them back as some of the scams charge your cell phone if you return the call.

For online scam reference and information, some useful websites are by McAfee, Snopes, and this Email scam website. There are many others available as well so be sure to be well informed and keep one step ahead of the scammers.

Camping and Nostalgia

In an early weekend excursion, I had the pleasure of going on an overnight camp out at LOMC with one of my sons. The cabins are decent, the activities are of interest to children. The cabins are up a literal cliff with a steep trail that leads to the mess hall (the food was not all that bad either). The kids love the nature/game trail hiking. The activities for the children were fun and educational.  They went canoeing, did archery, and many other things on the overnight trip. No bugs since the temperature was down. Be sure to check the weather forecast and prepare appropriately. Most of all - have fun with it! Great memories for my son.

Music has changed  quite a bit in the last 50 years, but an old ballad still is worth listening to. It is The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Ligtfoot. Joe Walsh's Life's Been Good To Me is another oldie but a goody. 

Restaurants and Eateries

I have had many great steaks in the Chicagoland area. One of my personal favorites is Morton's Steak House in Schaumburg, Illinois. Formal and semi formal dining. The waiters were excellent and the food was prepared exactly like you request. For a bigger variety, a Brazilian Steakhouse such as Texas de Brazil, coincidentally also in Schaumburg, Illinois. Texas de Brazil is an excellent spot to get steak, chicken and pork overload. Prices are reasonable for the quantity. If you are not in a "steakey" mood and prefer seafood, then I would recommend Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen. I have visited this restaurant in many states and locations for many years. Their food has had consistent quality and flavor at every location. The cuisine is Cajun style - so they also they serve alligator, crawfish and boudain for those who want a authentic Louisiana taste. Definitely worth a try.
Some other personal favorites are Grandy's (awesome potato rolls), AQ Chicken in Springdale, Arkansas, and the Hungry Horse Restaurant in San Antonio, Texas. All of these have been in business a long time and have maintained their quality value and flavor for a very long time. For dessert, if you happen to be in NewOrleans, I would recommend Cafe DuMonde. Stop in and have a Beignet or two or more. All I can say is "YUM"

Bon Apetit!

I was wandering aroung the Internet one day

And I happened upon this song. Normally I am a rock and roll kind of person, but these ladies can sing better than most people I have heard in my life. They sing awesomely. Maybe they should go on "Ireland's got Talent"? Nah - they are already evidently professionals.

Movies are a stress relieving pastime for some. I personally watch the movies for their stories, sometimes even the action,  but occasionally there is one that has an intriguing scene location. There is a website that can help you to find movie locations which might be of interest to you as well. This website covers movies from the 70's, 80's and 90's.

Something I Learned About Elderly People

I had visited the local emergency room and had the chance of discussing elderly people with the triage nurse. The conversation came up as there was an elderly man (70-80 years of age) being wheeled by me on a gurney. He had an IV bag on and the attending RN was discussing how he had a fracture complicated by severe dehydration. I asked the nurse if it was really difficult for elderly people to recover from a fracture and she told me it is possible, but the biggest issue with a great percentage of the elderly is simple dehydration. They do not drink enough water. Not wine, fizzy soft drinks or tea -  SIMPLE PLAIN WATER. The nurse also told me it can be as much an unintentional omission of water as it could be a non favored beverage. Something so simple yet overlooked. I admit I am headed toward that end. I think I will drink some water now - then take a shower - just to be sure I have gotten enough water.

A Windows (VISTA) process I saw on a PC

Mscorsvw.exe.The process uses a lot of resources IMHO. The Process name is CLR_Optimization Service (BOTH 32 and 64 bit in my case). Research provided a website with helpful information.  It does NOT mean all processes that use large amounts of resources are bad. Discretion should be used before altering Windows from its factory state. The information website for this process can be found here.  This process came up while updating a Windows VISTA PC. I have seen nothing like that on the XP Computers - it may or may not be applicable there as well. 

 On another note, here is a link for a company that creates artificial intelligence programs. Using real intelligence to create artificial intelligence is the way to go. The company's web site refers to the software as Human Assistance Technology. To visit this website, click here. 

Things to Do in Autumn

The cooler weather is an indicator that winter will soon be here. You do not need to take all your activities indoors. In St. Charles, Illinois there is the Scarecrow Festival. There is something to do for the entire family. On a historic and somewhat frightening note, there is a famous or maybe infamous bed and breakfast - the Lizzie Borden House. For those who may never have heard the rhyme about Lizzie Borden - It is as follows:

Lizzie Borden took an axe

And gave her mother forty whacks,

When she saw what she had done,

She gave her father forty-one.

 What October Halloween season would be complete without all the proper accessories? For all your "Final" and Pre-Final needs, an interesting place is full of all things funeral. Pushindaisies.com. From Hearse stick pins to put the FUN back in funeral t-shirts, they have it.

Lasers and Their Uses

About 10 years ago, I had my vision corrected via LASIK laser surgery. Although I stayed in the same chair, they charged me per eye as though I had gone in twice. That was the facility. The doctor's charge per eye sounds reasonable to me. Prior to having the surgery, I had visited one of the offices of the physician. We discussed at length what was involved, and I was also given a free eye exam with a machine that measured the shape and all in my eye. It was a very pretty color picture. I had medium astigmatism and some small vision problems, and we went over that as well. I had the same glasses prescription since I was a child, never changing. Contacts were a pain (Hard lenses gave me dry eye and the TORIC contact lenses made me have to open my eye to what seemed like twice the ability I was able to. Back to the LASIK surgery. I was given VALIUM (thankfully) to relax before the surgery. I opted to have both eyes corrected (they will do one at a time in case there is an "oopsie" apparently) at the same time. I was taken to the operating room and seated in a chair. The doctor greeted me and put drops in my eye. Then they put a sort of speculum in my eye (looks worse than it is). then, as memory serves, it seemed like they pulled my eye up to what felt to me like Pluto. All the while I was focusing on a dot that dimmed out. They cut the cornea I believe (painless - totally) and made a flap. Then they went zap with the laser - which was NOT guided by human hands but was guided with a machine. Thankfully there were no power surges (joking). That was done for booth eyes. LITERALLY a 20 second procedure for each eye. They put the corneal flap back and I could see immediately at 20/20 no astigmatism (except for a slight halo/blurriness) that did not last long. I never missed contacts or glasses. Since I had gone my whole life with glasses, the irises of my eyes were not used to focusing. I got an occasional headache from that. I also had to wear protective lenses over my eyes for a week, and could not swim or get water in them. I was given antibiotic and anti inflammatory eye drops along with artificial tears to use for a week. 6 months later my vision was as as good as it was going to get - 20/20. 10 years later I still have 20/20 vision, no night blindness issues or anything. I would recommend this or the modern equivalent of this surgery to anyone who can have it done. It is worth the money. I have also purchased various lasers that are non medical for business purposes. One I got recently was from Wicked Lasers. They may seem like fun but they can hurt people or may be illegal (felony) if you shine them on a plane or other things. The website has some examples of people who found that out the hard way. The company is in China, but I got my pointer within 3 days of ordering.

A Pain in the Neck

Just when I thought aging wasn't too big of an issue I get introduced to this on a personal level - Cervical Radiculopathy . This condition can also cause pain induced high blood pressure, limb weakness, elevated blood cortisol levels from nerve irritation (causing fluid retention weight gain) and a general pain in the neck. Oh well. At least I haven't had to have Knee Surgery yet, or Hip Replacement Surgery.  **This statement is not designed to help diagnose or treat any disease or condition. If you have any medical concerns or questions you should always consult your physician.

US Government Websites

For current events from The White House , the US Senate and the House of Representatives click on the appropriate links. I wonder what happened to the American Flag on these websites, not being displayed prominently. If you are not sure what you are looking for, here is an alphabetical listing of agencies of the United States Government you can contact. The US Department of Defense also has it's own website for ease of contact. Keeping in touch with those who govern is important to any citizen concerned with the well being of his country. One more link, the US Department of Justice . Where is the old patriotic Red White and Blue, which has been replaced by stark black and white? The quotation at the top of the website is from C. Wilfred Jenks , from the 1930s. Decide for yourself the reasons why.

Jeep Madness

Jeep Forums for discussion and help can be found HERE. A Jeep enthusiast forum can be found at Jeeps Gone Wild. A lot of this information relates to most every four wheel drive vehicle.

A Good Thought

Often I think of the beautiful town
That is seated by the sea;
Often in thought go up and down
The pleasant streets of that dear old town,
And my youth comes back to me.
And a verse of a Lapland song
Is haunting my memory still:
"A boy's will is the wind's will,
And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts."

I can see the shadowy lines of its trees,
And catch, in sudden gleams,
The sheen of the far-surrounding seas,
And islands that were the Hesperides
Of all my boyish dreams.
And the burden of that old song,
It murmurs and whispers still:
"A boy's will is the wind's will,
And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts."

I remember the black wharves and the ships,
And the sea-tides tossing free;
And Spanish sailors with bearded lips,
And the beauty and mystery of the ships,
And the magic of the sea.
And the voice of that wayward song
Is singing and saying still:
"A boy's will is the wind's will,
And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts."

I remember the bulwarks by the shore,
And the fort upon the hill;
The sunrise gun, with its hollow roar,
The drum-beat repeated o'er and o'er,
And the bugle wild and shrill.
And the music of that old song
Throbs in my memory still:
"A boy's will is the wind's will,
And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts."

I remember the sea-fight far away,
How it thundered o'er the tide!
And the dead captains, as they lay
In their graves, o'erlooking the tranquil bay
Where they in battle died.
And the sound of that mournful song
Goes through me with a thrill:
"A boy's will is the wind's will,
And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts."

I can see the breezy dome of groves,
The shadows of Deering's Woods;
And the friendships old and the early loves
Come back with a Sabbath sound, as of doves
In quiet neighborhoods.
And the verse of that sweet old song,
It flutters and murmurs still:
"A boy's will is the wind's will,
And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts."

I remember the gleams and glooms that dart
Across the school-boy's brain;
The song and the silence in the heart,
That in part are prophecies, and in part
Are longings wild and vain.
And the voice of that fitful song
Sings on, and is never still:
"A boy's will is the wind's will,
And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts."

There are things of which I may not speak;
There are dreams that cannot die;
There are thoughts that make the strong heart weak,
And bring a pallor into the cheek,
And a mist before the eye.
And the words of that fatal song
Come over me like a chill:
"A boy's will is the wind's will,
And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts."

Strange to me now are the forms I meet
When I visit the dear old town;
But the native air is pure and sweet,
And the trees that o'ershadow each well-known street,
As they balance up and down,
Are singing the beautiful song,
Are sighing and whispering still:
"A boy's will is the wind's will,
And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts."

And Deering's Woods are fresh and fair,
And with joy that is almost pain
My heart goes back to wander there,
And among the dreams of the days that were,
I find my lost youth again.
And the strange and beautiful song,
The groves are repeating it still:
"A boy's will is the wind's will,
And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts."