You Can Now Lend Your Kindle Books to Friends for 14 Days

You Can Now Lend Your Kindle Books to Friends for 14 Days: "Amazon has quietly launched book lending for Kindle ebooks. On participating titles, you can lend books to anyone for 14 days. Here's how it works:"

News Times Room with a view

News Times Room with a view: "Room with a view

Posted: Wednesday, Dec 29th, 2010



Oregon Department of Parks & Recreation Whale Watching Spoken Here volunteer Larry Bordner scans the ocean from Don Davis Park in Newport for signs of migrating gray whales.


Winter Whale Watch Week runs through Jan. 1. Trained volunteers at 26 sites along the coast educate visitors about whales and with luck, help them spot a blow spout or even one breaching or sticking its head out of the water in what is known as a “spy hop.” About 18,000 gray whales migrate from the Bering Sea to their breeding grounds around Baja, Mexico every December and January. For more information on whale watching, go to www.whalespoken.org"

Kingsley Dennis, Ph.D.: An Age of Radical Seeking (Part One)

Kingsley Dennis, Ph.D.: An Age of Radical Seeking (Part One): "The modern world has witnessed a different type of consciousness emerging over the past 150 years, a post-Industrial Revolution cognitive mind. New technological innovations that helped to alter our perceptions of the dimensions of space and time in the world began to birth a psychological consciousness; a consciousness that wanted to look beyond the borders and horizons of the physical frontier."

News Times Fire displaces residents in Newport

News Times Fire displaces residents in Newport: "The Newport Fire Department is investigating the cause of a fire Monday night at a residence in the 6200 block of NE Evergreen Drive.

At approximately 9:15 p.m., 18 firefighters responded to a report of a residence filled with smoke. Upon arrival, crews found fire toward the back of the house and were able to knock down the fire from the doorway. Extinguishing the flames took about 15 minutes. Personnel remained on scene for an additional 90 minutes, securing the structure and ensuring that the fire was out.

For the complete article see the 12-24-2010 issue."

Ron's excellent Knee Jerk

 ron thomas


On Nov 8th I was preped at Samaritan Lincoln City  Hospital. Time to replace a worn out part and get my body up to operating specs again. The left knee had deteriorated from Osteoarthritis to the point it had no cushion left to protect the joint from the jarring effects of everyday life. Loss of this cushion also gave a Texas style bowlegged appearance to my gait. It was uncomfortable to say the least. I went to my Dr. and he referred me to a specialist in Lincoln City ... I'll call him Dr. Steve. 


After his examination and some xrays, Dr. Steve confirmed the diagnosis above and while he was at it he also said the right knee might be even worse, certainly as worse. The upshot was I needed two knees. I chose to get one at a time. So when this one is up and running fine I will go in and get the other one done.


I have a friend in CA that has a nightmare story about her knee replacement and her now permanent disability as a result of that and to be fair an airplane crash she unwillingly participated in the wilds of the Saw Tooth mountains in Idaho. On the other hand I have a friend here at Long View Hills and she had both of her knees replaced... Her simple statement that she feels as if her life has been given back to her. That rang a chord in my soul as I have physically  been deteriorating as this osteoarthritis has robbed me of even the most basic day to day living things like a walk on the beach or a stroll around the park. To get it all back and then even more is what Bev Garvey told me about. I wanted that operation and maybe I would gain back those lost abilities .... Maybe even improve in some areas.


So, that is the beginning of this series on the phun of the knee replacement... tune in later for the next installment... If you are contemplating this operation you can follow along and see how it is going.

Dis my favoritist baby

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At the Nelscott Reef Big Wave Classic, it looks like a return to the soul of surfing | OregonLive.com

Image via WikipediaAt the Nelscott Reef Big Wave Classic, it looks like a return to the soul of surfing | OregonLive.com: "The Nelscott Reef Big Wave Classic is over now and if you were there or you care about surfing, you probably know who won, who got barreled and the rest of it. But, if you've never been to a surf contest and/or you want to read an account that attempts to be as honest as possible, well, here we go.
I'm here in Lincoln City to watch surfing and write about it, but I'm surprised whenever I meet someone here purely to watch. Surfing is not a spectator-friendly sport, least of all at Nelscott, where the wave breaks a quarter mile offshore."

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A Random Act of Culture

Like this costume?

Cat burglar

Study: Researchers Crack the Mystery of AIDS�Immunity – TIME Healthland

Image via WikipediaStudy: Researchers Crack the Mystery of AIDS�Immunity – TIME Healthland: "Bruce Walker, an AIDS researcher at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital, has long been trying to understand why some people with HIV can remain untreated for decades and never progress to AIDS. On Nov. 4, Walker and colleagues published research that helps explain these HIV controllers: genetic variations that change key proteins in their immune systems."

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• Genetic Secret to AIDS Immunity Found (technologyreview.com)

Archaeologists Discover World's Oldest Axe - Science News - redOrbit

Archaeologists Discover World's Oldest Axe - Science News - redOrbit: "An international team of archaeologists, led by Bruno David of Australia's Monash University, have uncovered a 35,500 year-old stone axe--the oldest tool of its kind ever discovered."

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• 35,000-year-old axe head places Aboriginal ancestors at the cutting edge of technology (theage.com.au)

Seagull Fun

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Creating Roads From Sand and Bacteria Instead of Oil | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World

Creating Roads From Sand and Bacteria Instead of Oil | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World: "Improving America’s infrastructure has been a major priority for the Obama Administration, with a lot of money going into repairing the country’s roads and bridges. The problem is that currently most roads are constructed from asphalt, a material made from oil that increases national fossil fuel usage, is expensive, and is damaging to the environment. However designers Thomas Kosbau and Andrew Wetzler have come with a plan for a greener alternative — a “biologically treated and processed paving material” that uses a common microbe to transform loose grains of stand into stable, road-worthy sandstone."

See more funny videos and Music Videos at Today's Big Thing.

See more funny videos and TBT Videos at Today's Big Thing.

Jack Scherer

This just in from Ed Scherer.......................

Everyone,

It is with sadness that I report my Dad’s passing last night.  He held you all close to his heart.  At his request, there will be no services, however, I will send to all of you a flyer that will show where remembrances can be made if you so choose.

Dad was a people person and he now has more folks to share his stories with!

I can be reached at:

Eddie9691@earthlink.net

206.719.6167

I will keep my Dad’s e-mail account open until the end of November.

Tracking cookies

A tracking cookie is a device put on your computer when you open some web pages. Sometimes they ask you if it is all right and sometimes not. Your computer then sends them information about what you are looking at when you surf the web and they generally use that information to sell to advertisers that then bombard you with stuff they have to sell that you might like to buy... called spam.

If this doesn't appeal to you... it doesn't to me... Follow the above link to learn which ones are all ready on your computer and how to opt out if you so like.

These cookie purveyors are the more conscientious ones at least they own up to what they are doing and give you a choice whether to use them or not. I like that.

If you have a problem send an email to teckron@gmail.com and I will try to help you out.

Storm dumps snow on Oregon Cascades, heavy rain in lowlands | NWCN.com | NWCN - News

Storm dumps snow on Oregon Cascades, heavy rain in lowlands | NWCN.com | NWCN - News: "High Surf on Oregon Coast
A high surf warning was also in effect Sunday through 6 p.m. Monday. A strong offshore storm will create swells 25 to 30 feet Sunday evening, continuing through Monday afternoon.
The Coast Guard has closed the Columbia River and Tillamook Bay bars and the Siuslaw River mouth at Florence because of hazardous storm conditions.
'A high surf warning means that dangerously high surf will batter beaches in the advisory area producing deadly rip currents and minor beach erosion,' officials said. 'This is not a time to be near the water.'"

NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - NOAA: Another Winter of Extremes in Store for U.S. as La Ni�a Strengthens

NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - NOAA: Another Winter of Extremes in Store for U.S. as La Ni�a Strengthens: "The Pacific Northwest should brace for a colder and wetter than average winter, while most of the South and Southeast will be warmer and drier than average through February 2011, according to the annual Winter Outlook released today by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center."

Pacific Northwest: colder and wetter than average. La Niña often brings lower than average temperatures and increased mountain snow to the Pacific Northwest and western Montana during the winter months, which is good for the replenishment of water resources and winter recreation but can also lead to greater flooding and avalanche concerns;

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Grant's Getaways: Crabbing 101 from Travel Oregon on Vimeo.

Kill the Lazer!

Coyotes in Newport

sent in by Marlene Crites


In a telephone conversation this morning Marlene wanted to tell everyone that she heard that coyotes are running in packs with several sightings on Agate Beach and along Hwy 101. Marlene is an animal advocate and wants to warn our community to keep close tabs on our pets lest they become coyote lunch.

Sent in by Lori Thomas

Grant's Getaways - Tualatin River Afoot and Afloat from Travel Oregon on Vimeo.

Google Reader (83)

Google Reader (83): "Photo via the Telegraph Whether or not the anti-science crowd wants to believe it or not, global warming is happening. This year is shaping up to be the hottest in the global temperature record, and weather events in line with scientists' climate models have wracked the globe. And, yes, sea levels are rising. And when you can actually mark sea level...Read the full story on TreeHugger"

Coos Bay man has close encounter with great white shark | OregonLive.com

Coos Bay man has close encounter with great white shark | OregonLive.com: "The instant David Lowden felt the object slam against his surfboard, he knew exactly what it was: Shark.

'I've felt it before, and there's no question,' said Lowden, 29, of Coos Bay. 'It feels like a big rock coming up under you. Almost like all the water dropped out of the ocean and you hit the bottom.'"

CORVALLIS, Ore. - One minute, it was just another Friday afternoon with students milling around the Memorial Union Quad on the Oregon State University campus.
Then, Neha Neelwarne started dancing.

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Image via Wikipedia

If you get caught with up to an ounce of marijuana, you'll be in big trouble. In fact, you can get fined as much as $100. No kidding!

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill into law on Friday that reduces possession of that amount of weed from a misdemeanor to an infraction. So if you've got enough on you to make three or four joints, then you're going to get into as much trouble as you would if the California Highway Patrol gave you a speeding ticket.

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/10/04/while-you-were-weekending-california-makes-pot-an-infraction/#ixzz11PgOMQU1

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• Pot possession in Calif now like speeding ticket (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• California Governor Signs Marijuana Decriminalization Bill (alternet.org)

works as smooth as it looks in this preview video, Google TV could provide the kind of seamless web-on-TV experience many have been looking for. Dedicated apps, a Chrome browser, easy picture and music viewing, and more are shown off.
Google TV was announced in May, but the only evidence of how it could work was provided in a simple stage demonstration, and a cartoon-styled video. It seemed like a really web-savvy DVR, perhaps, or maybe a set-top box that had a little more Google juice.

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Los Angeles thermometer back up and recording temperatures after meltdown - latimes.com

Los Angeles thermometer back up and recording temperatures after meltdown - latimes.com: "It was so hot Monday in downtown Los Angeles that the thermometer broke -- literally.

But don't worry, the official National Weather Service thermometer was back up and running as of 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, said weather service meterologist Ryan Kittell.

The thermometer is part of a weather station in a grassy shaded area of the USC campus, and it is designed to work even during blackouts using battery backups. Monday's record 113-degree heat, however, caused an electrical component to fail and cut off the station's power supply, Kittell said."

Copied from Family Life

Today, my husband asked me to get some cigarettes for him. I decided that paper and tobacco would be a cheaper solution. Later, he went to the store, and I asked him to get me tampons. He came home with a ball of string and cotton balls. FML

TAPPED Archive | The American Prospect

TAPPED Archive | The American Prospect: "Give taxpayers a receipt. Something like this:"

Rat Annoys Two Kittehs - watch more funny videos

Study Shows That Men Are Most Attracted To Women With Long, Shapely Arms - TIME NewsFeed

Study Shows That Men Are Most Attracted To Women With Long, Shapely Arms - TIME NewsFeed: "Ladies, have you ever agonized over what exactly it is men are looking for in a woman? Right, neither have we. But if you have, the time to agonize is over; men are most attracted to women with great arms.

Now before you cry out in disbelief, 'Arms? Are you kidding me?', take a minute to think about it. After all, arms are functional, good for hugging and are usually more exposed than other areas of the body, making them much more ogle-able (men appreciate the little things). But even if that doesn't convince you, perhaps research published in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology will."

Ig Nobel prizes awarded for bat fellatio, whale snot sampling, more

Ig Nobel prizes awarded for bat fellatio, whale snot sampling, more: "Each year, just ahead of when the folks in Sweden announce the Nobel Prizes, Boston plays host to the ceremony at which the Ig Nobel Prizes are handed out. These awards are intended to 'make people laugh, and then make them think,' and are handed out in a variety of nontraditional categories, presumably because the people involved pick the amusing research first, and then decide on a category to put it in.

The awards ceremony is rather elaborate, featuring a variety of honorary positions, some of them filled by Nobel Prize winners—Roy Glauber (physics, 2005), for example, is the official sweeper, charged with keeping the stage free of paper airplanes. The ceremony also typically features musical performances. This year, it played host to the first performance of The Bacterial Opera. The composers Verdi, Offenbach, and Arther Sullivan are all given posthumous credit for their contributions to the work."

Sent in by Bev Garvey

Home Ridden folks

 ron thomas


 Having been with the team that helped care for Bob Abbot when he lived here and then again when a friend told me about the "singles", plight of not wanting to leave Longview Hills if a dilibating surgery or illness happens to them. surveying my own situation as I approach pending knee surgery I had an idea. I'm going to put it here and see what happens.


My daughter lives in Sunnyvale, CA., alone and she has occasionally needed to shop for groceries but is unable to do it because of an injury or illness of some sort. Fortunately, for her, Safeway Market has a program that does the shopping for her and delivers and puts them away in her home for a $5 service fee.... then they give you a coupon worth $5 on your next purchase. This program would be a real boon for our disabled folks or those with little time to shop. It isn't here because the demand is not high enough to make it profitable, I suspect. 


Their service is well thought out and and includes a website that shows each item the store carries and the prices of each item along with a picture of it. Just click the item you want, enter the quantity and it is entered on your shopping list and a running total is there for you to see what you've spent. Over time each shopping list is saved and you can simply say you want shopping list #4 and don't have to even search out you purchases. You can pay with your credit card on line and then pick a delivery time and date.


Pretty slick, no? Jacky has been after them for years to start here but to no avail. Maybe we could suggest an alternative that would work for them here? You bet, I have one. 


The problem for them is cost effectiveness. We are a town of 10,000 plus or minus a few. To hire people to do this and provide transportation, insurance, etc., is not cost effective. Here is our idea...


Recently, Safeway decided to become a 24 hour store. That means someone(s) is there at night doing a full time job. What say, we ask them to use that person to pull a grocery order, bag it, put it in a cart and store it in one of their coolers (we already have paid on line)? They then call or email that the order is ready. You or a friend then drive to the store and call them on your cell phone when you get there and ask for a bag person to bring it out to your car with your lights turned on. They load it up (tip the guy a couple of bucks) and you or your friend drive it home and unload.


Benefits Safeway by giving them the business for little effort and no cash outlay and seriously should be considered in view of the possibility that a Super WalMart with a full grocery store may soon be part of the local scene. 

The Incredible Art of Carved Leaves : TreeHugger

The Incredible Art of Carved Leaves : TreeHugger: "Some art is extraordinarily delicate work, and it's rare to see a form as delicate as that done with these leaves. The work by Nature's Art is amazing -- it is a 6-step process to manually remove a leaf's surface to produce a scene. You can just imagine how steady an artist's hands have to be to accomplish this kind of work."

Killer whales attack humpback off Oregon Coast, say experts | NWCN.com | NWCN - News

Killer whales attack humpback off Oregon Coast, say experts | NWCN.com | NWCN - News: "NEWPORT, Ore. – Oregon researchers have been studying a large humpback whale that died and washed up on the coast near Newport just hours after they believe it was attacked by a group of killer whales.
The 35-foot adult, male humpback had rake marks and teeth marks on it, which appeared to match the telltale signs of killer whale attacks, according to Jim Rice with the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport.
Rice said researchers collected samples of the whale, took photos and measured it. Then, it was buried by Oregon State Parks. It had washed up near Lost Creek State Park, about seven miles south of Newport."

In Praise of Government - BlueOregon

In Praise of Government - BlueOregon: "Seems like this is a great time to mention that now, perhaps more than ever, we need to recall just what exactly our government does for us and why--far from being a malignant tumor--it is the beating heart of the country."

Turning Welch's Into Wine In 48 Hours

Image via WikipediaTurning Welch's Into Wine In 48 Hours: "I'm taking the last sip of home-brewed purple liquid. It's sweet yet balanced, fizzy yet quenching, smooth yet these words look a bit blurry. It tastes like a dangerously well-mixed drink. And just 48 short hours ago, it was Welch's.
Yes, good old Welch's Concord Grape Juice. And something about enjoying the beverage in such an adult manner makes my inner child weep."

Optimize Your Computer for your age

ron thomas says:


There are things that can be done to your computer to make those letters an icons big enough for you to see without glasses. I am reminded about the great ingenuity of our generation when I visited one home and found the person had overcome this very problem in a very unique way. When I asked if making the display bigger would help the person said it wasn't necessary because they had bought a pair of those jeweler goggles that have the magnifying glasses in them. You usually find those in a workshop where attention to the very finest detail is needed... Problem....solution.


Now the above may tickle your funny bone but I see it as a possible solution for people who have Macular Degeneration and those cloudy things that start appearing in eyeballs as we age.


That aside... I can change the settings on your computer to make everything bigger to the point it is specialized just to your tastes. The people whose computers I have worked on around the park generally, will not attempt to do these changes on their own primarily because they are afraid of messing up their computers. I will help you and I work for $0.00 an hour. I can come to your home and work on your computer and set it exactly to your tastes.


On the down side... for you... getting me to your computer when you want... well that's a problem. I'm still a bit of a free spirit and penning me down to an appointment time is hard to do. I usually call those that want me when I am available and try to come right then.... Pretty flakey, I know but free does have a price you know?


In your favor, having been married for 50 years I respond well to nagging :) Which is good for you.


If you would like to have your computer set up for your eyes just call me at my Google phone # 541-351-8896. It gives me a voice mail and an email too and is tied to our regular home and cell phone also.

The Great Larry & Ginger Dale Hwy 20 Adventure

Image via WikipediaIn an email from Ginger Dale to Jacky Thomas we see, yet again, why living in Newport is just about the best place on Earth to live:

Well Hello there, we are still alive and finally on our way home.  We left the family today, it has been quite a visit.  Nonstop with friends and realatives, so I never even checked my email.  It was pretty exciting weather wise.  We stayed in our trailer at the city park where Larry's sister lives (town population - 250).  Nice little park and full hookups.  The first night there was a huge thunder, lightning and wind storm, and 3" of rain.  Did not get much sleep, thought we were all going to drown, blow away or get hit with lightning.  A trailer like this is not the place to be in a storm like that.  The weather was great until we hit Nebraska and has been awful ever since.  After the big storm, the temp went up to around 90 and the humidity up to about 120%.  And the wind has been blowing about 90 MPH besides.  Can't wait to see the Oregon Coast again(I thought we had alot of wind there, had forgotton what nebraska can be like).

We have seen tons of things so far - stopped at some old forts and trading posts in N. Dakota, some Lewis and Clark spots, Glacier national Park(the Going to the Sun Road), Theodore Rossevelt National Park, Lawrence Welks homesite, Johnny Carson's homesite.  We were even camping in a Walmart parking lot one night.

Now we are headed west on Highway 20 all the way to Newport.  Plan to stop at Fort Robinson, NE, Yellowstone Nat. Park and some other places.  Be home in about 7-10 days.

   Can't wait to get home and play again.

  See ya, Ginger

Grant's Getaways - Beaver Creek State Natural Area from Travel Oregon on Vimeo.

That's a Mearcat lyin wit the Lion

Good Savings Deal!

Yesterday, Jacky and I went to breakfast at the Shilo Cafe which had been a favorite mostly because of the view and Senior discounts. They did away with the discounts over a period of time and then axed the Senior menu and the food wasn't, "all that" to rave about.. Portions were spare and it was getting to be a bit pricey so we just quit going.

Yesterday, we went for a late breakfast which is served anytime, once again, and it was different. The food was ok, the view always good. There is no Senior Menu but they have a 20% Senior discount on all their items now... which is a very good deal and it is everyday. Service was pretty good too. We ate for around $13 for two.

The Unseen Sea from Simon Christen on Vimeo.

BEAVER CREEK STATE NATURAL AREA – Just as Oregon prepares to dedicate its newest state natural area – 374 acres of wetland, forest, and meadows, including a quiet creek that is a paddler's dream – comes news that outdoor enthusiasts may have yet another reason to celebrate: a new campground to go with it.

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How to enlarge printing on articles you read

ron thomas

So, the old eyes ain't what they used to be Bucky? You can enlarge or make smaller the print on your computer screen by using two keys on your keyboard (the thingy mit the letters and numbers on it). Here's how....

On your keyboard look for the CTRL (Control key)... It is on the lower left corner of the keyboard... Now find the key with the symbols (=) on the bottom and (+) on the top.... Right next door to this key is one with the two symbols: minus (-) on the bottom and dash on the top ( _ ).... Got em? Look for them until you know right where they are before the next step.

Want larger print? Hold down and don't release the Ctrl (Control key)... Then with your right finger, press and release the plus- equal (+ =) key. Take your fingers off the keyboard...

You saw the size increase? (you answer yes here). You can make the size increase as much as you need by doing CTRL (+) over and over until it is just right. Whoa! It's way to big? Easy, hold down the CTRL key and tap the (- _) key to take it down to the size you like.

Questions? email me.. teckron@gmail.com

Thesis - Rough Cut - V1 from Henry Harrison on Vimeo.

A favorite story about Gandhi....

I’ll close with a metaphor attributed to Gandhi that illustrates the difference between posture and performance.

Imagine the scene in some remote village in India. Gandhi is in a small hut with a single table and the village people are lining up in the square to have a moment with him to tap into his wisdom and to make some sense of the challenges they face.

Eventually, a mother and son made their way to his table and the mother pleaded with Gandhi, “Can you please stop my son from eating sugar. It is affecting his health and I am worried.”

Gandhi got up from his chair and thought for a moment. He then said to the mother, “Come back with your boy to see me in two weeks.” The woman agreed and then she and her son left the room.

Two weeks later the woman returned with her son. Gandhi then spoke with the boy and the boy agreed. The mother, confused, asked Gandhi, “Why did you make me and my son wait to hear something you could have said two weeks ago?”

Gandhi then said, “You don’t understand. Two weeks ago, I too was eating sugar.”

Mt. Hood has a visit from a UFO

Sent in by Jim and Bonnie Rose

Sent in by Jim&Bonnie Rose

Outside England 's Bristol Zoo there is a parking lot for 150 cars and 8 buses. For 25 years, its parking fees were managed by a very pleasant attendant. The fees were 1 pound for cars ($1.40), for buses (about $7).
Then, one day, after 25 solid years of never missing a day of work, he just didn't show up; so the Zoo Management called the City Council and asked it to send them another parking agent.
The Council did some research and replied that the parking lot was the Zoo's own responsibility. The Zoo advised the Council that the attendant was a City employee.. The City Council responded that the lot attendant had never been on the City payroll.
Meanwhile, sitting in his villa somewhere on the coast of Spain or France or Italy ... is a man who'd apparently had a ticket machine installed completely on his own and then had simply begun to show up every day, commencing to collect and keep the parking fees, estimated at about $560 per day -- for 25 years.
Assuming 7 days a week, this amounts to just over $7 million dollars ...... and no one even knows his name.
I think this is my favorite E-Mail ever!

IKEA turns 100 cats loose in a flagship store

Bucket List

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

ron thomas

Have you seen the movie,"Bucket List"? Has it sent you down a wishful thinking path? I have been thinking about it lately and maybe, on a long daydreaming trip I will try to come up with my own personal list.

At any rate I wonder if you have some items that are on your list? It might be interesting to see what others are thinking about. To help me build a list for everyone to see email your list (I won't publish your name with your list) teckron@gmail.com

or to remain totally anonymous just put your list in our mailbox at the clubhouse... pigeon hole #18.

This could be interesting and maybe the community can even give ideas about how to accomplish things for you once we have a list up and going.

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Time Lapse Photo of Earth

So You have read the internet story about our oil shale saving the day? THE REST OF THE STORY....

Huge emerald pulled from North Carolina farm | NWCN.com | NWCN - News

Huge emerald pulled from North Carolina farm | NWCN.com | NWCN - News: "The emerald compares in size and quality to one surrounded by diamonds in a brooch once owned by Catherine the Great, who was empress in the 18th century, that Christie's auction house in New York sold in April for $1.65 million, said C.R. 'Cap' Beesley, a New York gemologist who examined the stone."

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Aging's Misunderstood Virtues - NYTimes.com

ron says, "an interesting read".

Aging's Misunderstood Virtues - NYTimes.com: "When I asked Lars Tornstam, a Swedish sociologist, for an example of the state he calls gerotranscendence, he described a hypothetical daughter planning a cocktail party. Her elderly mother usually attends the affairs and enjoys herself, so the daughter invites her as usual — but this time, the mother declines. Naturally, the daughter worries. Is her mother ill? Depressed? This is not like her.

But perhaps there’s nothing wrong, said Dr. Tornstam, who has been investigating aging for more than 25 years."

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Worldchanging: Bright Green: Hygroelectricity: A Prospective New Energy Source - Electricity Pulled Out of Thin Air!

Worldchanging: Bright Green: Hygroelectricity: A Prospective New Energy Source - Electricity Pulled Out of Thin Air!: "Recent scientific advancements have led to one innovation that can extract potable water from atmospheric moisture and another that produces synthetic fuel feedstock by removing atmospheric carbon dioxide. Science Daily now reports of cutting-edge clean energy developments that are poised to harvest the electrical energy produced naturally in the atmosphere."

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• Hygroelectricity: A Prospective New Energy Source - Electricity Pulled Out of Thin Air! (worldchanging.com)

Rednecks Can Be Tree Huggers (And Vice Versa) : TreeHugger

Rednecks Can Be Tree Huggers (And Vice Versa) : TreeHugger: "Redneck Yacht Club member. Image credit:Redneck Village, 'These R My People.'

Proper treehuggers follow Lloyd's admonition to keep living space down to just what you need to get by. The owner of the pictured 'house boat,' officially a member of the Redneck Yacht Club, gains easy entry to treehugger-dom - at least on vacation. I just hope the center of gravity is low enough to handle any bow waves that come along. Otherwise, second story passengers are going to spill their brewskis. Doing your part to combat invasive Asian carp also might qualify you as a double agent: a treehugger /redneck."

Electronic Newspaper

ron thomas

Most mornings I get up and get a pot of coffee going and then turn on my computer and then read my email. After that, back to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee then back to the computer to read the newspaper. A lot of you might not know how to do that and it is one of the great joys of owning a computer... getting the morning news, and only the news you care about.

Google news literally searches the world for news stories in every paper and then brings to your computer the stories that the most people have clicked on and it does it as soon as those papers are published. It gives you a synopsis of the article and then lists under it links to what other papers have written. This is handy because maybe you do not like the paper that has the synopsis and want to see what another more trusted source is saying.

Off to the side of every story is a timer that shows you how long ago a story has been published. That is a means of getting your news "Hot off the press".

When you configure the news to your taste you can specify general topics like World News, Sports, Afghanistan, knitting doilies or any broad or narrow subject you like and you can have it fetch stories from your home town... Literally, any article published anywhere, any time. You have a whole range of categories you can put on or you can make your own up.

This the best newspaper I have ever had. It brings me the stuff I want to know about and none of the other stuff.

Want to set it up on your computer? I can do it with you step by step or you can do it yourself. Let me know.... teckron@gmail.com

Happy Birthday 19th Amendment

Computer Idea sharing

r. thomas

For a long time I have been helping folks understand their computers and advocating the change that comes with that knowledge. Mostly, I am concerned with those that were not caught by the computer revolution in their preretirement employment. These folks have slipped through the cracks and have become information starved and remain so because it seems so overwhelming a task to learn how to use one of these new fangled machines.

I tried teaching classes at the clubhouse but that was not the formula that was needed. Probably, because folks start out by wanting to do one thing on the machine and didn't want to use up precious retirement time having to learn all the basics.

So, we had an informal group that met to talk about (show and tell) what we had learned.. That was interesting from a hobbyist point of view. But it only attracted a few people that had laptop computers that they could bring with them to the clubhouse for "show and tell" sessions. That was fun for me and I learned a thing or three too. Wayne Hill (resident) has asked if we could start up such a group again. Sounds like fun but only for some.

Once a lady came to the meeting without a laptop and she wanted to learn how to just do one thing on her home computer... collect and organize recipes. We all spent a lot of time showing her the ropes and I'm not sure we did not confuse the heck out of her in the process. But, she left with the knowledge that what she wanted could be done. Later, much later, the lady asked if I could come to her house and show her how to do something on the computer... I did and apparently, she got it and I haven't heard from her again.

Time marched on and to date I find myself going to neighbors throughout the community and helping them understand the one thing they want to know about their computer. Others have computer glitzes and we try and help get them out of trouble and back on track. Sometimes we offer advice over the phone.

The thing is there seems to me to be 3 kinds of learning about computers here epitomized by the following statements:

• I just want to know how to do....
• Hey, let's meet and find out new things to do on the computer.
• Can you come and fix.....?

I am thinking right now about the long rainy season ahead and wonder if there is interest in having an informal group of laptop people meet at the clubhouse to drink coffee and help each other understand new stuff and folks that just want to know how to do one thing?

On the right side of this page is a poll... Please mark it up to show your interest. The questions are in black and hard to read so I want to know how to fix that.. :)

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