ChasUFarley

Lisa, My deepest sympathy to you and your family. Your father was an independent person, it seems, but he spoke about you in his post in his thread "I'm Dying". I'm sure that your coming here today to share this sad news with us was very painful for you, but we appreciate you letting us know. I'm very sorry for your loss. He spoke about how you were a wonderful support for him - he was very, very proud of you and loved you very much. I thought it might be appropriate to bring up George's first post on that thread... remembering George... I went by “long gone” for years, and have been going by “LG,” but I want to introduce myself by my real name now. I’m George Ferguson. I’m 52 years old. I’m a native Texan and have lived in Texas all my life, except during a little over two years of my TWI involvement. I don’t want to go into much medical detail but I had cancer in my right mandible (jawbone). Early this year, I had surgery to remove the bone and some surrounding soft tissue and reconstruct what was removed using bone and tissue from my leg. I later underwent radiation treatment, once I’d recovered enough from the surgery. I made it through that and seemed to be recovering nicely. I still faced plenty of difficulties, including the burden of knowing that I might have a recurrence of cancer, but had reason to be at least cautiously optimistic that I would resume a normal and hopefully long life. Unfortunately, that’s not to be. Other tumors have turned up and they are incurable and essentially untreatable. There’s a chance that further treatment might buy me a little extra time but it would make me so sick that I’d lose out on the quality of the time I have left. After discussions with my doctors and my 23-year-old daughter, I decided to forgo further treatment, except for palliative care. That was about a month ago and, at the time, the doctors said they thought I had maybe six months to live. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be fully capable of caring for myself and conducting my own affairs, but I’m only counting on another couple of months. Of course, I’ll be glad for anything longer than that, and hope that I’ll remain capable until near the very end. This has raised many emotional and other issues that I’m dealing with. It’s not pleasant, but I’m doing okay. So is my daughter, Lisa, whom I raised as a single father since she was seven. Her mother, Dee, had all sorts of problems for many years, but has improved greatly over time and she and Lisa have built a good, though mostly long-distance, relationship. In recent years, Dee and I had managed to again become friendly with each other, but not really friends. She came to Texas to visit and to pitch in with Lisa to help me after my surgery. She stayed at my house for three weeks and during that time, we became friends again. I wouldn’t trade the years of life I’d been expecting for that, but it’s nice to have her friendship again, and comforting to know that she is strong enough to be a support` for Lisa when I am gone and that there are no remaining ugly issues between her and me that might in any way interfere with that. I also have a brother who can be a big support, and some sisters who probably can’t. I have plenty of regrets but I can also draw much satisfaction from the life I’ve led. Perhaps the most satisfying thing is that I know that I will leave behind a daughter who is a more whole and stable person than I was at her age, who will be able to get along well without me, and who seems to be developing into a better person in almost every way than I am. I’m naturally occupied with making preparations for my death, but I still enjoy many of the same things I have, including reading and occasionally posting here. I’m usually fairly reserved and hesitant to talk about myself, both in real life and on the Internet, but I’m thinking of opening up a bit and posting more, possibly on a variety of topics, while I still can. It occurs to me that some folks here at GS might wish to discuss various topics associated with death, whether our own or others. I took me a while to decide to post this and I don’t yet know what I might like to post or how far I’d like to delve into this, but I’d be interested in reading what others have to say and willing to respond straightforwardly to any comments or questions, including personal ones. (They won’t offend me and if something does come up that I don’t want to get into, I’ll politely say so.) I’m not a theist, so I probably won’t be interested in delving too deeply into Biblical or religious discussions, but I don’t consider them completely off limits for myself and I wouldn’t dream of suggesting any topical limits for others. I would, however, appreciate it if anyone who might be so inclined would avoid trying to convince me to accept their religious beliefs. I don’t pray but I understand that some will want to pray for me and I appreciate the heart behind that. Also, I won’t be looking for pity or comfort, but for good conversation that hopefully can get past some of the discomfort that seems to hinder such discussions. I don’t know where this will lead, or how long I’ll be able to post. Except for some severe headaches that I can control with pain medication, I feel pretty good right now and hopefully will for some time to come. I may not post for a few days here and there, but if I go for more than a week or two without posting, I’ll probably not be back.

Yes and no. It's interesting to speculate - I enjoy seeing how other people think and what ideas they have that might come up. After the book comes out, I won't go anywhere near a fan site because I want to experience the book for myself first. It's a very safe bet that no one will guess everything about the last book... I also doubt that all the loose ends will be neatly tied up. WordWolf writes: SS has been constrained by owing James Potter his life-which was compounded when he passed on part of The Prophecy-not realizing he facilitated James' death. Some other people keep guessing he was sorry to see Lily Potter killed, but I think it was JAMES, for the reasons I just gave. SS thus still owes Harry for that. HOWEVER, James put SS in the line of danger by giving him information about the tunnel under the Wamping Willow - James saved SS to save his own neck because if SS had been hurt because of James' careless prank, it would have been James' hide on the line... Just my thoughts...

Jim says: If something is broke, I get compulsed to fix it. PLEASE come to my house. I have a ton of broken toys, things that need new batteries, and other projects lined up that I simply can't keep up with. Then, there's my computer.... which a whole Geek Squad City can't seem to figure out how to fix...

Dot - I have a friend who will NOT use ketchup out of a ketchup bottle at all UNLESS its brand new and she gets to pop it open for the first time. Otherwise, she will ask for ketchup packets at a restaurant... for the same reason you use a napkin to hold the bottle.

I use a computer mouse left handed at work and right handed at home. This is to keep my right handed boss out of my computer at work because she will move files on me and I will waste tons of time looking for them. At home, I share a computer with my husband and son, but they have different user names and passwords, so they can't touch my files. I don't take socks off, other then to change them and to shower, from October until May. If the socks are wool - all the better. I hate cold feet, especially my own. If someone touches the food on my plate without my invitation to take something, I will immediately be "DONE" with it. I refuse to eat after anyone. I really hate to see people handle food with their hands when there is a serving utensil available they could use to serve themselves. I will not use someone else's earphone - like iPod earphones. No way, Jose! Crumbs, splatters and food residue on counter tops are a distraction. I can't stand it when the kitchen counters are dirty or cluttered. I absolutely have to sleep with a fan or white noise machine - I can not sleep without it. (Mainly because I listen to the ringing in my own ears when there's no white noise in the room - I have tinnitus and sometimes its worse than others.) And what do your cats think of this practice?

Welcome Exie! Yeah, 96 pages on gee-tars... and it can't be all bad cuz I see there's like 20 guests and 3 members reading the thread as I post this. ...errr... make that... 97 pages! -------------- Mr. Miller - that is an exquisite instrument you have there - WOW - I love the wood inlay on it. It's beautiful! I honestly don't remember ever seeing something that detailed before. Thanks for the pics!

...THERE WAS A FARMER WHO HAD A DOG... ...and BANGO was his NAME-O. ...B - A - N - G - O ... ...B - A - N - G - O ... ...B - A - N - G - O ... ...and BANGO was his NAME-O. :biglaugh: you know I'm just messin' with ya, CK :biglaugh: I couldn't resist... I'm done some doozies myself, so I appreciate a good fat finger moment on the keyboad! Now, about that Mark Knopfler and EmmyLou Harris Yummy stuff CK... I just saw Esteban on the HSN (Home Shopping Network), as he was pawning his driftwood... and thought about this thread and how far its come... (And hubby was laughing because someone called in to say he wanted a 12-string Esteban gee-tar....HA!)

Sudo, you complain about the Sunday night part of this, but at least you're an hour behind us. Generally, the game finishes up around 11-ish here for us on Eastern Standard Time... and 5am comes pretty early.

The chilling title of the last book of the Harry Potter series has been unveiled. However, a release date for the book has not been unveiled. I've heard some rumors that 07/07/07 is the release date, but who knows. The net is now abuzz with stories, theories, wild guesses and excitement about the upcoming book. Check out what MUGGLE NET has to say... or listen to my favorite podcast MuggleCast. And... what are your theories? Is Snape good or bad? How is the story going to end? Will Harry live or Voldemort? What news have you heard about it?

SLIGHTLY Rocky -- On a side note about the electronic medical records... That's going to be a hard program to integrate into healthcare mostly because there's many non-profit hospitals out there, like the one I work at, where we're still using Office 97 and Windows 98 and working on PCs that are over 10 years old. Technology is low on the cost agenda - finding more physicians, especially those who specialize in geriatric medicine, is a much higher priority for us right now. We've only just begun looking at barcoding for patients - where the barcode would be on the ID bracelet and would have to be scanned every time a medication would be given (where the medication would also have a matching barcode) or perhaps a dressing change would be done on a surgical site - and that package would have to be scanned as well. Barcoding would be the bigger picture of less medical errors, with electronic medical records following closely behind it. Electronic medical records would do so much more than eliminate errors but would improve continuity of care - patients couldn't hop from ER to ER seeking pain medication, for example. Getting an accurate medical history from a patient would mean no longer relying on their memory or their spouse or family to provide what they "think" might be the history. It would help doctors provide a faster diagnosis and treatment, plus you would have something as important as knowing the patient's allergies, right at your finger tips. There's a great movement going on in healthcare right now called the 100,000 LIVES CAMPAIGN - if you have a moment, check it out. My hospital is a part of this program. It's made a HUGE difference for us already. I would say that we've probably saved over 40 lives that might not have made it, if we hadn't implemented this at our hospital - and that's within the year we've been doing it. (My hospital is a small rural hospital - 90 beds.)

My husband, Mathman, wrote this letter to the National Mathematics Advisory Panel for the US Dept. of Education. I wanted to share it with you all because I felt it was a very well written letter and I know there are several educators in this mix who might find this interesting. Your input is welcome. ------------------------------------------------------------- My name is Xxxxx Xxxxxxx. I work as a mathematics teacher and department chair at a high school of about 500 students in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. I graduated from the University of XX in 19XX having taken courses up to Complex Analysis. I have worked in various NH districts before settling in to my present position for the last nine years. The reason I am writing to this distinguished panel is to give my perspective on the alarming changes that have transpired since the late 1980's. The current trend in education has over emphasized pedagogy over content. Misguided principals and superintendents have pushed constructivist methodologies on teachers and evaluated them on how well they adhered to them. Content has taken a back seat. It is rare and unusual to find a math teacher under 30 years old who has deep knowledge of any math beyond high school. One of my colleagues had to have me teach him what a logarithm is - he is certified in Secondary Math. Mathematics as a discipline has suffered as a result of a fanatic emphasis on real-life, hands-on activities. Proofs have been de-emphasized. It used to be that students would learn to prove the square root of two is irrational or do a proof by induction for the Binomial Theorem. Learning math for its own sake is discouraged. Respect for rigor in mathematics has fallen by the wayside; most current geometry texts introduce the Distance Formula before developing the Pythagorean Theorem. It is sad because I have seen a fair share of students who get a thrill out of seeing the beauty of pure mathematics( taboo among education elitists ). Yes, students still like being able to derive the Quadratic Formula or seeing the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus for the first time. Now that's just high school, what has happened K-8 ? I can tell you that with each successive year students are less and less fluent in computation. There has been an undeniable erosion of skills. I find it hard to blame the students or the teachers. They did not ask for the programs that were adopted by their district. They did not write standards that said paper and pencil computation was not important or that quick recall of math facts was not necessary. They did not concoct a pedagogy that said one should just hand students a calculator so that their lack of computation skills does not get in the way of their critical thinking, problem-solving skills. High school teachers can not continue to sustain this largesse of incoming ninth graders who are incompetent in fractions, integers, decimals, percents, ... . We need balance in curriculum overview, teacher training, state standards or dare I say-we need national standards and national competency tests. Please put more mathematics back into Math Education.

Rocky, I work in healthcare quality management, which includes the contracts we have with all the big health insurance providers, including Medicare and Medicaid. To the patient, there might not be much redtape. To the hospitals and providers, there's a TON of it. We have to gather and report statistics, make sure patients meet the criteria for their stay - which isn't always black and white, as Medicare or Medicaid try to dictate, and bill within the parameters of the program. We have to have special inspections to make sure we meet the standards of their program, etc., etc., Those are the broadstrokes of the program. There's much more to it. [A side note about the VA system - it's better than it used to be. I don't mind one bit that it's tax dollar driven - those military folk put their lives on the line for my freedom. The least I can do is pay for their health care! However, I have a brother who's a Vietnam vet who won't use the system because he can't understand the forms and redtape. He won't be bothered with it, I'm sorry to say.] Part of my job includes being a patient advocate - that's the part I love. I'm the person who reads and responds to the letters that patients and/or families write when they have problem with their hospital stay or a provider in our network. I research the complaint and respond. The letters that rip my heart out are the ones where people with no insurance, just Joe Doe, who has a wife and kid, no medical insurance, has a little accident at work and ends up in the ER, and with a huge medical bill he can't afford. I try to hook him up with as many programs as possible and refer him to a social worker to help them, etc. - but I know it won't be enough. Chances are, he'll end up in bad debt because of the bill - and he doesn't deserve it. Our hospital has a policy where if you pay $1 per month they won't report you to collections - even if your bill is $20,000. I'm glad for that, but on the other hand, the hospital has costs of it's own, doesn't it? It has employees to pay, insurance and benefits to pay for those employee, plus operating costs, etc. If hospitals don't get their money, then they have to figure out how to collect it. Bad debt accounts can really hurt a hospital - I've seen it. We had a huge layoff about four years ago because we were so in the red - think about it - a hospital? with layoffs? And it wasn't the office staff they were cutting, either.... And guess what? I'm also a business owner. If I ever had enough work where I could take on an employee, I wouldn't be able to afford health care for that person, most likely. The costs of my services would have to go way up for that. Then what? It would create quite a problem if it was manditory The problem with insurance companies is that they have stockholders - and EVERY year they turn a profit over to those stockholders. Every year, insurance costs go up. Insurance companies call the shots in healthcare more than you might think. It is NOT consumer driven, like you might think. No, I don't have all the answers - I never did - but I think if hospitals billed at a better rate for self-pay patients AND perhaps if there was a health insurance Co-Op - where MANY people could buy insurance as a group - in a package - then, perhaps, that would help. -------------------- Templelady - I hope you don't think I was taking a shot at your initial post. I mean it when I hear what you're saying - I really do. I agree with your point about how people who should have benefits don't have them but I also wonder if there's not a way that it could be provided without putting small businesses out of business. I understand BOTH sides of the coin - from the providers' to the insurance companies' positions - and add the patients' point of view to it. It's painful when you see someone slip through the cracks who really could use the help. The tough part about your plan would be getting providers to accept the contract, to be honest. I'm not saying its a bad idea - but I am simply offering information about the field I've worked in for several years now, and perhaps showing ways other cuts can be made to make the WHOLE thing better for all. It all comes back to something has to change, doesn't it? This country is amazingly backwards when it comes to healthcare. It's an embarassment. Peace, Krista

IT'S A DEBBIL SPIRIT! I don't care what anyone says about the cravings going away - there's times when you will want it MORE than other times. A very stressful situation will make me crave a cancer stick - then I could go months without touching it. There will be triggers to the cravings - you just learn how to push yourself past them. It can be the most frustrating thing and rewarding thing all at once.

Starting with your first statement, "SO what happens if we enact a bare bones minimum for all employees of all companies no matter the size or hours worked..." What happens is... Who is going to pay for it? The business owner? The government? Who? That being said... If you made the business owner pay for it, then you could expect most small businesses would not be able to provide the service AND keep up with their other overhead costs. If you made the government pay for it, then you could expect a lot of red tape and other administration inefficiencies, plus an increase in EVERYONE's taxes, etc. for it . Although I'm not knocking your idea in one iota - I hear what you're saying, my friend - I do believe there's another more effective way we can go about it.... I have GREAT health insurance - I'm married to a school teacher and that's one of the perks. The INSURANCE COMPANY was charged about $10,000 when we had a baby a couple of years ago. It was a standard labor and delivery, with no complications, and two nights stay in the hospital for mother and son. The INSURANCE COMPANY paid only $2,000 of that bill and the hospital wrote off the rest of it because that is the agreement they have with the insurance company. The hospital will accept pennies on the dollar and call it "PAID"... Now, what if we had SELF-PAY patients who had the same sort of buying power? They would be allowed to pay the same rate that insurance companies pay - like one-fifth of the bill - and the hospital would still call it "PAID". However, the reality of it is that a self-pay patient who also had a standard labor and delivery, with no complication, and a two night stay in the hospital for mother and baby would pay $10,000 out of her pocket for the service. It's the SELF-PAY patients who can usually LEAST afford the services and yet they are the ones who get stuck with the ENTIRE bill. Something has GOT to change - no doubt about it.

I took the thing in and dropped it off a couple of days ago. I was told that reinstalling XP would be $99 - I almost went postal. I kept my cool but promptly asked for the manager and then asked him for his manager's name and number. I was ready to crawl up the chain of command on this one. I had my paperwork in my fist and said, "This is NOT what I paid for!" Then I explained the whole saga to the guy. I never raised my voice or got rude - I was very in control but there was no mistaken that I was not happy. I told them this was their PROBLEM and they never should have shipped it back like that. I told them they were going to fix the problem and it was not going to cost me any more because it was already costing me a lot of time and trouble - A TON OF TIME AND TROUBLE. Yeah, I was sorta the customer from hell that day. They said it would take about 3-4 hours to reinstall XP, so I'd have to make another trip to get it back, and they'd do it for FREE. Good answer. Well, today I got a call from Geek Squad. It might be my processor or the hard drive now, but the thing won't let them install XP. I started bucking for a new computer pronto. I don't know how far that will go, but they promised to expedite this - yaddy, yaddy, yaddy. All I can say is IT BETTER BE RIGHT THIS TIME... YES I AM!

scrambritch (noun) skcram' burr it CH' 1. A sandwich made of with scrambled eggs, western style eggs, or omlet like filling. "We had a scrambritch and an apple for lunch today."

IF that bill passes, then the jails will be maxed out in days and the fines will surpass any taxes that were levied that year. I've gone as far as to give one of my boys a firm but meaningful swat in public even, when nothing else would get their attention. I saw a look of approval from several older folks but didn't really care if anyone disapproved. Sometimes its the only thing that works. I would much rather reward them for good behavior and certainly take into account when they might be over tired, hungry, or other aspects of what might cause them to act out. Those symptoms not being part of the problem and the boys not getting their act together.... Has anyone heard that story in the media lately about the family who was asked to get off a plane just before takeoff because they couldn't get their 3 year old daughter under control? She was in the midst of a major temper tantrum - she tried to crawl under seats, she yelled, screamed, and hit her parents. She was totally out of control. They were given 15 mins. to get her settled down and in a seat with a seatbelt. When the time was up, they were taken off the plane and given FREE tickets to their destination and another set of FREE ROUND TRIP TICKETS and an apology from the airline. Yet they still got the media involved with the issue. I have to wonder what the outcome would have been if they spanked that girl in the first place...? Had she been my kid, that tantrum would have lasted a moment and she would have had a quick warning to get it together and then a smack where God had placed so much padding. It's there for a reason!

Yep... we'd be up for chipping in on the portapotty rental. (Although Andreas is still in diapers and Kristopher would be tickled to pee on the rocks...) And I'm psyched about canoing - it's been ages!

AYUH! I like Onion's idea - Clams and Lobsta! Let's do a Lobsta Bake! Count in Chas & Mathman & Kristopher & Andreas. After school is out - mid June - would be best for us. We'd also be up for anytime there's a school vacation or long weekend, but wouldn't be able to sleep outside if its too cold, since we have some young 'uns. Let us know...

*bump* Anyone check out Rocco Deluca? This is cut from the VH1 site: Coming across like a cross between Beck's casual mastery of various musical idioms (minus the surrealistic sarcasm) and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion with a much stronger take on the music's history, Rocco Deluca plays a decidedly modern take on traditional blues-rock. Born in Southern California in 1976, Deluca claims to have largely grown up on the R&B touring circuit, the son of a single father who was one of Bo Diddley's backing guitarists. Exposed to the blues both on the tour bus and in family living room jam sessions, Deluca picked up the guitar at a young age, and eventually settled on the Dobro (a resonating metal-top guitar that was a key part of Delta blues in the age before amplification) as his primary instrument. After several years continuing the vagabond lifestyle of his childhood, Deluca settled back in Los Angeles and started a weekly residency at the Gypsy Lounge, a well-known blues and country bar in Orange County. While opening for bluesmen like Taj Mahal, Deluca caught the attention of an A&R representative for Ironworks Records, a new independent label started by '80s pop singer Jude Cole and actor Kiefer Sutherland, and in 2004 became the label's first signing. During sessions for Deluca's first album, produced by Cole, the pair put together a full-time backing band for Deluca's vocals and Dobro, consisting of bassist Dave Beste, percussionist Gary Velasquez, and drummer Ryan Carman. That debut album, I Trust You to Kill Me, was released in March 2006, coinciding with a DVD documentary by the same title that featured Sutherland shepherding Rocco Deluca & the Burden on their first international press tour. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide

I'm a seller on eBay (I do some buying, but mostly selling)... What happened? I remember you scoring on them around Christmas time....

She's got more shows than that - I subscribe to a couple of shows like this. Do a Google on "Fiona Richie podcast" and see what you come up with. I also like All Songs Considered, off the www.npr.org site. Certainly worth checking out!

Funny you should mention Linux... I was talking to hubby last night about how tired I was of Microsoft coming out with a new OS every 5 years that made most people's old PCs obsolete instantly and required more and more memory all the time. We started tossing around OS options. So... I understand that it would clean off my harddrive, most likely... is that true? That's no biggie - I just got everything - and I mean EVERYTHING - on DVDs all backed up nicely. What else should I know? I'm in such a rebellious mood after this rash of problems that I'm tempted to do it just to get away from Microsoft (but still have Office... sigh...) Whadda ya think?

Well, getting it fixed isn't going to cost more $ because I had bought an extended warranty but it will cost me time and travel (the nearest Best Buy is almost an hour away). It's been painful because all the software on it that I usually use for work is on THAT computer. I've gotten way behind and buried in work. There is certainly some loose parts in that thing rattling around - I can't see them when I open the case but can hear them when I gently rock the thing. One rattling noise is coming from inside the power supple box (the NEW power supply... sigh...)... Hopefully, I'll be able to get it there today, depending on the roads (it snowed last night a bit and its still snowing.)

Great one liner from Kristopher this morning. He saddled up next to his pudgy little brother and said, "On your mark. Get set. GO!" and sprinted through the kitchen and livingroom. "Hey Mommee! I'm faster than the light of speed!"