Blogging away....

I spend quite a lot of time on the computer these days -- it's too hot to go out. I'm mostly working on Ask Geneva (about Macs).
I keep adding suff, answering questions, welcoming new member (yes, there are some), and searching for lolcats to put on it. If you haven't seen it lately, there lots of new stuff, including "Definitions" and "Tips & Tricks."

Sometimes I find a lolcal that really says the right thing, like this one.

New Web Site !!

Just started a new web site -- Guy's guide to how to understand women. Have a look --> click here <--

Be sure to look at the comments -- they are the most important part (added by Robin).

Britain's Got Talent

So, Diversity won over Susan Boyle. I rather like that outcome for 2 reasons: 1 - there are several of them, so more people get to win 2 - they can use the extra boost of winning, Susan doesn't need it. I therefore wanted either Diversity or Flawless to win. I don't know how to choose between them, they are equally good for me. But Susan will always be my favorite of all time.

Flocking away

Just put this blog on my Flock home and using Flocks blog poster to post this.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Added later: see this article http://tinyurl.com/ysvyo5 about blogging for $$

Trying out something..

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

This is what happens if you don't have a Mac. :-)

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Working on the wiki

I've been spending a lot of time adding to the wiki for Mac newbies. I've also changed the front page, and scattered around a few lolcats to lighten it up. Have a look: Ask Geneva (about Mac) Robin and I are working on ways to make some money from our blogs. See his: Horsemanship blog. Seems some people are making a very good income from blogs, but many others are trying unsuccessfully. If readers 'go to' any of the ads on these blogspot blogs, the 'owner' gets paid something, but not on wetpaint where I have my wiki. I have to move it to a place that pays.

This cat looks just like the one we had in Port Renfrew, Fritz.

Videos of great auditions for BGT

Susan Boyle -- sing

Diversity -- dance

Shaheen Jafargholi -- sing

Flawless -- dance

Sue Son -- electric violin

Jamie Pugh -- sing

Stavros Flatley -- dance

Gregg Pritchard -- sing

Julian Smith -- soprano sax

Holly Steel -- sing

Click the links (blue words after the names) to see the YouTube videos. You'll be glad you did.

Fantastic quilts

A lady who's connected to the Victoria Mac Users Group (VMUG) makes the most fantastic quilts. Here are a few samples:

To see more, visit her website:

http://bentpincreations.com

Who killed the electric car

I just saw the 2-hr documentary (on a Canadian TV network) called "Who Killed the Electric Car", specifically the GM EV1. Well, actually, its demise caused other EVs that were in the works to be killed, also. It was a great little car, quite fast, charge it up at home, drive 100 miles, everybody who had one loved it. They were only leased, though, not sold. GM took them all (several hundred) back and destroyed them all. Even though people begged to be able to buy them, GM insisted there was no demand. Etc., etc. Then they start touting the hydrogen car, which could never be viable, and even if it was, would be way less efficient than a straight electric. One knowledgeable person called the hydrogen car the mechanical rabbit at a dog race track. See the film summarized & reviewed in Wikipedia. It was only released on DVD.

This show would not be aired on US TV, unless things have changed a lot. And this is the company that people want to save from bankruptcy. Hmph.

Kids can cut power use

On Huff Post, Ariana had an article about how she's getting greener. This is a post I put on it:

Here's a chance to tell folks about a cool trick about saving electricity, for people who have young kids.

When our family of 4 lived in Malaysia, in the 70s, electricity was relatively expensive, and we had a 9-yr-old son who never turned off anything. So we told him that we were going to change his allowance. Instead of getting $3 per week (a normal allowance for his age), we would give him $100 per month. When he had gotten over some of the shock, we told him about "the catch" -- that he would have to pay the electric bill out of his allowance! And the last electric bill had been $118, so, if he couldn't cut down on power-usage, he would be in the hole.

The next month, the electric bill was $67, and never again went over $75.

How did he do it? He prowled the house, looking for things to turn off. He took cold showers. When my husband and I were both reading, he moved our chairs closer together so we could share the same lamp. He "helped" the cook wash the dishes, to make sure she didn't use too much hot water. He changed the light bulbs, even getting fluorescent lights for his room and the front porch. He studied power usage in a library book (no internet then). He stopped watching TV and, if his brother started watching TV, he would get him to play a game or do something else instead. There were probably other things that I have forgotten, but you get the idea. .

Helpful financial media

Here is the Jon Stewart (Daily Show) video showing how the TV financial newspeople reported in 2008: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTAk54c8tFQ

New Web Site

I have been working on a new web site to show the renovations we did to the house in Georgia. .I was gathering up photos to send to a friend and decided to put them on a wiki-blog instead of just on Face Book or My Space.

-- Please, go and have a look --

on the sidebar, click "House Renovation" on the "Links" list or under "Wiki Web Sites". If you click on "House Renovation" on the "My Blogs list" you will get the "What's new" page, click on "Home" to get to the first page.
Since it's a wiki, comments or questions are welcome. :-)

2009 -- still here

Another year has come & gone and we are still at the same address:
406-855 Ellery St.
Victoria BC V9A 6X6 Canada.

I put this in because there are still some things that must go by snail mail. The building has been painted since this photo, the balconies are light brown now, and the walls are light tan.

This is the 3rd day of the Obama Presidency. He's already done some very good things about foreign policy (order to close Gitmo, appointed special envoys, etc). I still don't like HRC.

His inaugural address was better than it sounded. It didn't contain the quotable gems that the press was looking for, but it spoke as much to foreign peoples and governments as to the American people, and was a clear repudiation of the Bush policies. I wonder if Bush understood it at all--he had his blank look throughout.

Michelle's inauguration outfit was great, but her ball gown was not. (I'm still very "into" costumes for public appearances--especially skating costumes).

Pictures from Port Renfrew

First, is what happened to the road that connects the two parts of Port Renfrew. It is now just 1 lane.

(Click photos to enlarge.)

Second, is the house we used to live in there, it was a dirty, ugly grey color, but now it's all new. I think I would have found a better green.

Third, is Ted & Loretta's house. Now those are great colors. Manfred says the two houses should be together -- apples & cinnamon. It's the house just above the landslide.

Ted sent us these photos. Thanks, Ted.

Merry Christmas

We are still in Victoria, not doing much of anything. Manfred is cooking a turkey.





This is the Parliament Building here, in Victoria. We are actually having a white Christmas this year, the first in Victoria since 1965! It almost never snows here, but this year it did.

Ask Geneva (about Mac)

The new wiki I have been working on, for Mac beginners. Have a look -- I need some feedback.

Can't let GM fail???

Can't let them fail? ... . Yes . we . can! . ... Giving them $25B is not saving them -- it is starting an ongoing, open-ended subsidy. It is rewarding the industry for doing wrong. Rewarding executives for bribing the government to allow them to continue to make gas-guzzlers. Rewarding the UAW for pricing their members out of the market. Rewarding auto workers for demanding exorbitant pay for producing unsellable old technology.

If you give them more money now, you will have to continue doing it forever, because they will NOT change. Never, as long as you keep them in business doing business as usual. Don't whine about the 3-4 years-- if they didn't see this coming 5 years ago, what makes you think they have even common sense, let alone the smarts to run a company? These are the people that dumped their electric car in the desert!

Use the $25 Billion to help tide over the workers and suppliers that are hardest hit. Even if 1 Million workers were out of jobs (which would not happen), $25,000 each would be a nice compensation. Or to assist startups of other businesses. Or put the out-of-work workers to work on fixing the infrastructure, or developing green technology, or making trains. Bankrupcy does not mean total disappearance. The worst thing would be to use it to "bail out" one company. Like giving a $50 bill to one beggar when there are others watching. And they all know where you live.

In Germany, "green technology" has surpassed their auto industry(!) in size and impact. They are the world's biggest producers of solar panels, Denmark is the world's biggest producer of wind turbines, Spain is reaching its goal of a high-speed train station within 2 km of every citizen. They don't do it for ecological reasons -- they do it for economic reasons. (It's the economy, stupid.) Come on, people, the US is being left in the dust. Get with the 21st century.

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Of course, he won.

Why ever not?? But now what? It could be a chance for great things to happen. Or not.

Election Day !!!!

OMG!
-- I haven't said anything here for such a loong time. We have been trying to follow the election "news" but it's all so phony -- pundits quoting rumors quoting hate mail and passing as "news". And all the earnest predictions, based on polls that are not reliable in a situation like this.
The more I see of McCaine & Palin, the sadder I am that there are earnest and caring people so misguided as to believe them. I guess we shall see, after today, how many of those people are out there, in la la land. I hope McP turn out to be just a hoot.
What we may not see is how much voter fraud is going to be happening and what impact it will have. It's something we may never know.
As for the Messiah, I am still disappointed that he accepted that
. ridiculous bailout without question (questioned only the mechanics, not the principle),
. . . plus the pork that was added.


But the alternative candidate is, of course, unthinkable.

What gives me hope is:
(1) the fact that he has raised an enormous amount of money from regular people -- the first candidate bought & paid for by the people, instead of corporations?
(2) the organization that he was able to establish -- amazing. If he can do that as prez... ?

Notice, my color is blue
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Neat quotations

I'm gonna put a few quotations here, when I see one I like, starting with:

If, at first, an idea is not absurd, then it has no hope at all. --Einstein

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Take heart -- truth and happiness will get you in the end. You can't lose in this game. Have fun. It goes on too long to be taken seriously all the time. -- John & Lyn St.Clair Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Men are disturbed, not by things that happen, but by their opinion of the things that happen -- Epictetus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Be realistic: Plan for a miracle. -- Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .