Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Windstorm Rips Through Rochester and Buffalo Closing Thruway


Rochester got slammed today with high winds, and damage. It started at 5:30 A.M with rain, then sleet, and snow. We didn't get much snow, but it was a slippery mixture, and white outs. Temperatures plunged 20 degrees. Winds up to 72 mph. Unlike the brief windstorm that hit 3 weeks ago this has been an all day event. Buffalo got the brunt of it, see links below.

* A 55 Mile section of the Thruway has been closed from Henrietta to Buffalo due to icy roads, and "white outs".

* Nearly 17,000 without power in Rochester.

* Two-dozen of outlying schools are closed or delayed.

* Many accidents have been reported.

* Debris - downed trees and limbs, downed wires.

* Some streets close down.

* 15 foot waves on Lake Ontario.

Buffalo got hit harder then Rochester- Floods occurred, Most schools closed, 70,000 without power, down trees and much more. See link below.

The Buffalo News

Democrat and Chronicle News

NYS Thruway Closes

Monday, January 28, 2008

Syracuse rally for Hillary Clinton

There will be a rally today in Syracuse for Sen. Hillary Clinton, but the Democratic presidential candidate won't be there.

Read more at... The Post-Standard

ETC - Electroconvulsive Therapy or Shock Treatments

This Video is an Overview of Electroconvulsve Therapy

The following story has been changed due to confidentiality. Names, situations, certain facts, etc. have been altered. This topic may not be appropriate for children.

My cousin Julie told me a story that scared the crap out of me. She is a C.N.A like me, and works at a psychiatric hospital. She hates it. This is her story...

Awake, you wouldn't believe what goes on there. I took care of a 17 year old girl name Diane. She was attractive, personable, a straight-A student. Her parents are well off, and her mother is a doctor. Diane wants to be an MD like her mother. She has been accepted into a prestigious college. She had everything going for her. Yet, she tried to committee suicide. Diane slit her wrists.That's why I was assigned to watch her.

They started giving her ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy). It uses to be called Electrical Shock Treatments, or Shock Treatments. They just made it better sounding, but it's still horrible! They anesthetize a patient, and shock them with an electrical current, causing a seizure. As a result some patients can have permanent long term, and short term memory loss. It's a modern day Lobotomy. Ok, maybe it's not as bad, but not that far off from it. It's archaic. And Doctors admit that they don't even know how it works!

She only had 2 treatments, and she couldn't even remember what she had for breakfast that morning. And they were scheduling her for 6-12 treatment! Can you believe it?

I've seen this before Awake. Sometimes the patients, (or victims), are better for a short while, but when they start to remember. All the problems come back full force. And some of them never act like themselves again. I believe it can do permanent damage.

I feel so sorry for that girl. I can't help but think that they just ruined her life. When she goes back to high school, she probably will have forgotten most of her studies. She might be delayed, maybe put back a grade. Who knows if she will still have the brain power to become an MD. That's her dream. She wants to be like her mother.

I can tell you so many stories. I have a friend. She had 3 kids, a good marriage. Then she had ECT treatments. Oh, my God! What a nightmare! She couldn't remember much for the longest time. Her kids were in a school play, and she forgot to take them to the performance. She had taken her clothes to a new cleaners. She couldn't remember the name of the cleaners, and didn't know what she did with the ticket. So she lost some clothes. She forgot many things like that. At first her depression was somewhat better. Then with all new problems concerning her memory, she quickly got worse. Her husband soon divorced her because she was a "burden". That was the word he used,"burden". Its years later, and she still has memory problems. And she just doesn't act right.

I could tell you more. But it's all the same. They lose their memory, so they temporarily forget their problems. The doctors say they are better. Then they get their memories back, (IF they are lucky), and back to the same point they were, or worse. Because their memory problems caused missed opportunities, loss of jobs, marriages problems, etc.

Also if you are suicidal and admit it, you can become a "ward of the state". In other words, your ass belongs to the state. They can lock you up. Give you experimental drugs, ECT, whatever they want to do to you. You have no choice! And you can't leave until the state says so!

Awake, you know that I have suffered from depression. Well, I will never tell any therapist how bad I am. When I first started therapy, my therapist asked me if I was suicidal. I lied. I said, "no". She actually said, "good"! Stupid therapist believed me! You would think that someone with a master degrees would be smarter. Truth is, I'm not good, not at all. Maybe I will tell her that I mildly suicidal, just to get some help. But no way will I tell her how bad off I am. There are some things worse then death!

So readers, what do you think? I would be interested in hearing your point of view, even if it is an opposing one. Also I have posted a Pole on this topic.

Feds slam Oregon State Hospital " Norton said...the electroshock therapy was painful, terrifying and "totally unnecessary."

BBC: Use of shock therapy restricted

Psychiatric treatment a human rights issue

The Cognitive Effects of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Community Settings

1st Person Project

Tampa News: Lobotomy: Proceeding Without Caution

PBS Documentary The American Experience: The Lobotomist(Transcript at bottom of page)

Related Posts: Therapy and Me
And: Are You Gay OR Straight? (Part 1)

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Studying - Things to come


1 Corinthians 13 (The Love Chapter), Quantum Physics - Entanglement, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama. I'm studying them all.

My favorite chapter in the Bible is 1 Corinthians 13, also known as the Love Chapter. When I feel the need to adjust my spiritual focus, I sometimes study this chapter. Now is such a time.

Studying the Love Chapter, led me to study the Quantum Physics entanglement phenomenon. Which leads to the theory that we are all connected. Therefore, what I do to others effects me. These concepts are shown in the movie "What the Bleep Do we know?" and it's follow up, "What the Bleep Down the Rabbit Hole". I would highly recommend both movies, however, I didn't appreciate some of the negative comments that were made about God.

I'm also studying Hillary, and Obama because I will have to vote in 10 days! I'm still not positive who to vote for. Ever since I saw Hillary on, "Meet The Press", I switched my vote to her.

I've been posting quite often, about 3 posts a day. I am going to cut back a little. I will still be posting, but not as often until I'm finished with my studies. I hope to share with you the results of my studies of 1 Cor. 13, and Quantum Physics. I think it will be a series of about 4 posts.

Friday, January 25, 2008

John Lennon and son, uncanny resemblance!


On the left side is Sean Lennon with girlfriend Kemp Muhl. On the right is his father John Lennon with Yoko Ono in 1969. Holy double Batman!

Read more at... Daily Mail

Oh, It's Not Me!

I know that a Pal of mind is ticked off at me for something. It's the type of thing were she sees things one way, and I see them another.

At any rate. She was talking about someone in her blogs, kind of cryptic. I thought it was me. Now that I read another post, it sounds like she is talking about someone else. Oh, it's not me? I'm not the only one that she is pissed at?

Sounds like someone is giving her a hard time. I was sorry to read that.

Even though Blogs are public domain, and anyone is free to comment in them, I have not commented in hers lately. I thought that she wouldn't want me to. Now, I don't know.

Well, I'm a bit relieved. Apparently I wasn't the one that she was very upset with. I'm the one that she is mildly to moderately upset with. Phew! Confusing!

I'm not good at understanding abstracts, and cryptic messages, (I lost my decoder ring). So it's difficult to second guess what's going on. I wish that she would stop being so ambiguous, and deal with people directly. It's so perplexing!

At any rate. I will concentrate on other things. Life goes on. The beat goes on. She knows where to find me if she wants to get in touch. The line of communication is open, at least at this end.

I hope that things work out for her.


YouTube Video: Sonny and Cher - The Beat Goes On.

Awake For President!


Representative Dennis J. Kucinich is dropping out of the Presidential race. He plans on running for re-election in his Ohio Congressional district.

The picture is of his wife,Elizabeth Jane (Harper) Kucinich WOW! What is with these old politicians marring young, beautiful, women? That settles it! (Stomping foot) I'm running for president!


Read more... New York Times:Kucinich to Drop Bid and Focus on Re-election

And about the Mrs. at... Wikipedia

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Blogging Tip: Deleting A Post

I recently deleted a post entitled, "An Immature Response". It was deleted from my blog, however, it is still on my RSS reader. I contacted RSS, and left them an e-mail concerning it. Hopefully they will tell me how to delete it from the reader. Live and learn.

I believe that I have figured out how to circumvent this problem in the future. Next time I want to delete a post, I will change the content first. First I would erase everything. Then I would key in "This post has been deleted", or something similar. Then I would wait until I saw the change in my RSS reader, (takes hours sometimes), THEN delete it.

Blogging is certainly a craft to be learned. And so much to learn! Networking in itself is an art of it's own. Also I am in the process of finding blogs to add to my blogroll. I have found a few, and should be adding them soon, but it's taking much more time then I thought it would.

I signed up for "Google Alerts" about 2 weeks ago, but have not received anything yet by e-mail. I signed up a second time listing more categories, but still nothing. So I go to Google Alerts, and do it manually. Not sure what I'm doing wrong. Hopefully I will figure that out soon.

Mitt Romney - Prank Call

This is a good one... Mitt Romney got a prank call from his son, who pretended to be Governor Schwarzenegger.

So Long Fred


Former senator Fred Thompson dropped out of the Presidential race. I guess he read the writing on the wall.

The news that I read about him was boring, so try this...

The Spoof

And this... Fred Thompson Drops Out of GOP Race to Star In 'Rambo 5'

Oh, the photo? Well, that's Jeri Kehn, Fred's wife. She's NOT boring!

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Peace


I am a peaceful person. I'm not into war, and don't want to even be in some kind of blog war. Even though someone is trying to provoke me by having posts written about me on their blog. I don't want to feed into it. So I'm not going to play this internet war game. I have deleted my post about her. .

I will always have very fond memories of our relationship that we had years ago. Nothing, and no one, not even her today, can mutate, tarnish, or take those fond memories away.

I'm not angry with her. I don't have resentment. I don't have any ill feelings towards her.

The door of communication is open.

Therapy and Me


I'm not sure if therapy is for me. I have had problems since my father's death, with anxiety, and depression. I have never seen a therapist on a regular basis. It's a big deal for me since I am a privet person, and it's difficult for me to pour out my heart to a total stranger.

Recently, I have been contacting friends, and lovers from the past. I guess that I am that age. I have heard of others my age doing this. (I'm in my 40s).

I have contacted many people. Two of them that responded back are both working as therapists. I have gotten to know them both again thorough e-mails. I don't want to go into personal details about them.

They do have several things in common...


Both people have graduated from college with degrees in therapy related studies.

Both have been working as therapists for many years.

Both are my age or older, so I'm not talking about young adults.

Both have been in therapy themselves for many years to receive help.


The thing is that they both seem worse today then when I knew them years ago! This is highly disturbing to me. These people are educated therapist themselves, who have received therapy for many years, and are worse. How can this be?

I can relate to both of them because I have problems too. I knew them both years ago, so there is a connection. My heart goes out to them both. I'm devastated! I'm devastated and sad for them, and myself.

I was going to look for therapy myself, but apparently conventional therapy does not work. Why should I go to a therapist, and pour out my soul when it doesn't work? Why should I go to a therapist for years, maybe decades, if I'm going to get worse anyways?

I have been searching for a therapist for about 6 months now. It has been difficult since I don't have health insurance, and can't afford to pay $60 an hour, or whatever the rate is. So I have called, and called, and searched, and searched. Finally after 6 months, 3 therapists are calling me back wanting appointments with me. But I have not returned their calls. I don't know if I will. If conventional therapy doesn't work, why should I go to a therapist?

Now the question seems to be... If conventional therapy does not work, then what does?

Related Posts: ETC - Electroconvulsive Therapy or Shock Treatments
And: Are You Gay OR Straight? (Part 1)

Monday, January 21, 2008

Cold As Ice !

BRRR!

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Oswego NY Pounded: 1 to 4 Feet of Snow!


The County of Oswego NY is getting pounded with heavy snow. 1 to 4 feet of snow is expected to fall before it's over. Police in Fulton have declared a snow emergency, towing cars, and offering shelter to stranded motorists. Snow emergency has recently been lifted.

* Fulton has received 18" of snow since midnight, with more on the way.
* Fair Haven in Cayuga County received 26" of snow.
* Hannibal 14" of snow.
* Martville in Cayuga County reported 12 " of snow.

Numerous cancellations were reported. See first link below for details.

It's not over. The National Weather Service says that several bans of heavy snow are yet to come. The heaviest could hit Tug Hill region in northern Oswego County, leaving up to three feet of new snow by sunrise Monday.

The National Weather Service snow forecast for Oswego, NY is as follows...

Sunday night- Snow showers could be heavy at times. Low around 10. Wind between 13 to 20 mph. Total snow accumulation of 11" to 17" possible.

Monday- High near 22. Breezy, winds 16-23 mph. New snow accumulation 1 to 3 inches.

Note- Oswego and Cayuga Counties are near Syracuse, about 75 miles east of Rochester. I hope that you stay home, and stay safe!

Read more at... Fulton Daily News: Winter Comes Back Hard

And..... WSYR Syracuse: More Heavy Lake Effect Snow Tongiht

And.... National Weather Service

Baby It's Cold Outside!

Today will be the coldest day so far this year in Rochester, and many other places. The high will be 13 F, low tonight will be about 5 degrees. Windy, with gusts up to 45 MPH. Frankly I'm disappointed. We get this kind of cold just about every winter. No big deal. Only about a trace to 2" inches of snow, and up to 4" on the lake shore. 4 to 8 inches of snow in Wolcott.

By the way the cold comes from Siberia where it will be as low as minus 67 degrees F! Several deaths have already occurred. Some schools have closed. See link below for more.

Read more at... Deep Chill Sets Across U.S. From Fargo to Florida
And... Siberia Braces For Cold

Here's a wonderful song- "Baby It's Cold Outside", song by Doris Day & Bing Crosby.

Candidate Comparison Tool & Fact Check


I have been looking for something like this for sometime now. I found this candidate comparison tool. You can pick any two presidential candidates, and see a side to side comparison of them. Cool! Yes, I will be comparing Hillary, and Obama.

Candidate comparison tool

How do you know if a candidate is telling the truth? Go to this next site and you can check into it.

Fact Check

The Winners- McCain, Romney and Clinton







McCain's win in South Carolina was an important one. Historically, the Republican winner of S. Carolina for the last 28 year has become the GOP presidential nominee. With 93 percent of the precincts reporting last night, McCain was leading Huckabee 33 percent to 30 percent. Fred Thompson's apparent third-place finish in South Carolina, barely ahead of Romney, could be a fatal blow to Thompson's campaign.

For Republicans, the Nevada results followed the poll predictions: With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, Romney had about 51.1 percent of the vote to about 13.7 percent for Representative Ron Paul and 12.7 percent for McCain.

Clinton won 51-45 percent over Obama. Edwards came away with a disappointing 4 percent of the vote. Clinton showed her strength among two significant voter groups. She carried a 3-1 margin with Latinos, and did nearly as well among women and white voters. Obama carried African American voters by a 5-1 margin, and also appealed to younger voters. Voter turn out was very good.

Read more at... CLINTON, ROMNEY VICTORS IN NEVADA; S.C. TO MCCAIN

and.... McCain edges Huckabee in S.C.: Cinton, Romney capture Nevada.

This link has the best stats... McCain, Clinton, Romney Claim Victories.

McCain- GOP Presidential Nominee?


When I hear it announced that Senator McCain won the South Carolina Republican primary, I found myself shouting for joy. I'm still going to vote for Hillary, (Obama was last week), but I was glad for McCain. I also realized that for the last 28 years, the winner of the South Carolina Primary has been the GOP presidential nominee. McCain deserves it!

I believe McCain is a good, honorable, honest, man. He is known for being his own man, a maverick, and bipartisan. He is a war hero. He was imprisoned by the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam war. He stayed about 2 years longer then he had to because he refused to leave his men. His arms are still damaged due to the torture that he suffered in prison. That's why he has limited range of motion in them.

After my initial outburst of joy, I though, Oh, no! This guy could win! I like the man, but not his politics. I believe that the Bush administration has made such a mess of things, that we need a democrat in the White House to swing the pendulum back towards the middle. McCain's stand on the war in Iraq is similar to President Bush's. If he becomes president, God only knows how long that war will last, and if he will lead us into war with Iran. Like I said, I like the man, not his politics.


Read More ... McCain Has Big Win in S. Carolina; Huckabee Falls Short

And.. "Watch It, Democrats. You Could Still Slip Up"

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Bump Me - RSS

I reset my "Bump Me" RSS. long story. I'm unclear if I had to, but thought I did. So if you were kind enough to bump me before, then please bump me again. If you never have, I hope you do.... Click.

Good new in Rochester, NY!

Many good things have been happening here in Rochester, N.Y. I will start with the most recent, and go backwards.

1) Gov. Spitzer promises that Rochester will get a big chunk of money for revitalization.

Governor Spitzer's State of Upstate address was given on Wednesday in Buffalo, NY. In his address he elaborated on how he wants to spend the $1 billion Upstate Revitalization Fund he proposed last week.

Rochester would get a big chunk of the money:

* $65 million for the demolition of Midtown Plaza
* $50 million for a new building at the University of Rochester to house the Clinical and Translational Science Institute
* $2 million in grants for developers who are transforming aging downtown Rochester buildings into loft apartments and condominiums
* More state police patrols in urban areas as part of Operation Impact
* More direct aid to distressed upstate cities, including Rochester

You can read more at... 13 WHAM
Here is the full text of the Governor's speech... The Albany Project

2) Three of the areas hospitals plan to expand. The U of R, RGH, and Unity Health.

U of R .... The University of Rochester plans on having a new building constructed, where it will house research for clinical and translational science. Therefore, more great scientists, and great researchers, and great students will come to the U of R. It's a science that will develop treatments, care and cures for common illnesses. With that comes business. The Clinical and Translational Science Building is expected to bring 600 jobs to Rochester, along with another 800 in construction. Governor Spitzer promise $50 million in state funds, on top of $40 million from the feds.

You can read more at... 13 WHAM

RGH... Rochester General Hospital gave details of plans to expand. It would add 70 beds to the hospital in a new six-story addition that would be built where the main entrance is now located. The existing inpatient facility would be modernized to double the number of private rooms.

Rochester General's proposal differs from those at Strong Memorial and Unity Health, and what it could mean for people seeking treatment. RGH's proposal is the smallest of the three hospitals’ expansion plans.

You can read more at... 13 WHAM

Unity .... State Approves Unity's plan for homelike nursing facility

Unity Health System officials are set to build the area's first cottage-style skilled nursing home when the state approves. Part One of its $144 million expansion plan.

Unity officials announced Tuesday that they've received approval to replace the 35-year-old Park Ridge Living Center, located on the hospital's third floor. By next year, residents in the facility will be moved into four freestanding duplexes, each with 20 private rooms and baths, family-style dining areas and a courtyard. Construction of the $23 million duplexes behind the old center should begin this summer.

You can read more at... Unity Health

3) Bravo to Mayor Duffy, (former police chief), for activating "Zero Tolerance" against crime in Rochester.

In October 2007 Mayor Robert Duffy cracked down on crime by activating "Zero Tolerance". Since Zero Tolerance started October 5, only five people were murdered in Rochester, (as of Jan 1st). The total number of homicides were reduced slightly in 2007. Recently Duffy received funding to continue Zero Tolerance until March.

You can read more at.... MSNBC
And.... WHAM 1180

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Awakes Rice and Beans with Fruit Salsa

I will be the first one to tell you that I'm an average cook, but once in awhile I come up with a good recipe. I threw this new recipe together tonight, and it was very tasty. I would give it 4 out of 5 stars. It only took me about 15 minutes to make!

Awakes Rice & Beans with Fruit Salsa

Updated on Jan 28th

* Cook 1 cup of cooked brown rice. Any rice is fine.
* Sauté ¼ cup of onions.
* 1 cup chili beans very well rinsed, (adds a zing to it). Any beans will due.
* 1 cup of diced tomatoes to taste.
* 1 cup of corn. Or half cup creamed corn and half of reg corn, (sweetens it more).
* 2-3 heaping tablespoons of fruit salsa to taste. I added "Tropical Mango Fruit Salsa" by Savory Collection. Any fruit salsa is fine.
* Salt and pepper to taste.
* 2 to 4 tablespoons of water, just enough so it doesn't burn.


Place the cooked rice, and all the other ingredients in a pan. Mix very well, and heat until hot, (about 5 minutes). Then serve. You can top with a drizzle of Olive Oil if you want, or graded cheese.

Makes about 2 servings.

Serving suggestions- Serve with bread, (corn bread is especially good), and fruit. Maybe some cheese wedges.


If you can't fine fruit salsa in a jar at your local market, these links will take you to some suggested recipes at the Food Network. The first recipe only takes 5 minutes to make. That's my kind of recipe!

Mango Salsa

Peach-Mango Fruit Salsa

Guess who?


I just had to post this. I just couldn't help myself.

Hillary on The Tyra Bank show

Catch Hillary Clinton on the Tyra Banks show this Friday the 18th.

Read about it in the New York Times.

Hey, put that camera away!

Monday, January 14, 2008

Staff Infection Superbug MRSA Hits Gay Men

This news article is scary. The Superbug MRSA invading the public more and more.

"A new variety of staph bacteria, highly resistant to antibiotics and possibly transmitted by sexual contact, is spreading among gay men in San Francisco, Boston, New York and Los Angeles, researchers reported Monday.

The study released online by the journal Annals of Internal Medicine found the highest concentrations of infection by the drug-resistant bug in and around San Francisco's Castro District, and among patients who visit health clinics that treat HIV infections among gay men in San Francisco and Boston.

The culprit is a form of MRSA, or Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a bug that was once confined to hospitalized patients but, since the late 1990's, has been circulating outside medical settings, afflicting anyone from injection drug users to elementary school students. A strain called USA300 has been a leading cause of MRSA infection in this decade, and an exceptionally drug-resistant variant of it is now on the loose.

The study estimated that one in 588 residents living within the Castro neighborhood Zip code area is infected with that variant, which is resistant to six types of commonly used antibiotics. The risk of contracting this difficult-to-treat bug is 13-fold higher for gay men compared to the rest of the city's population, researchers found...."

Read the rest in the San Francisco Chronicle

Read more about MRSA at WebMD

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Blogging Tip: YouTube video on RSS reader

This YouTube video gives a good explanation of the RSS reader. The two basic steps which are explained is...

1) Sign up for a reader like-
www.google.com/reader
www.bloglines.com
www.newsgatator.com
www.my.yahoo.com

2) Go to your favorite websites click on the icon and subscribe.

Blogging Tip: Blogger- Change Web browser to Foxfire

I tried to change my Photo on Blogger many times without success. I was very frustrated, and finally went to the help menu. I read how one person changed their web browser to (Mozilla) Foxfire, and had no problems for then on. So I did the same, and it worked great! In fact I prefer this browser to my old one.

Mozilla Foxfire browser free download

Windstorm Aftermath & Palmyra Water Warning

Palmyra town & village is boil the water for a lest a minute before drinking it. It could be contaminated.

About 5,000 residence are still without power. RG&E says that all should have power restored by Saturday. Meanwhile RG&E is making dry ice available to keep refrigerators cold, see 1st link. Most traffic lights have been restored.

Read much more in the following links.

Democrat & Chronicle

13 WHAM

Friday, January 11, 2008

Rochester, NY- Breaking News- 3 Stabbed In Mall

This just in... 3 persons were stabbed at Greece Ridge Mall, it was not life threatening.

Blogging And Future Posts About Blogging


I am a new blogger. I have two library books that I am reading on blogging, (book review coming soon). I have asked some advice from my Pal Beth, (BethAllenII.com) concerning how to get others to read, and comment on my blog. I have used the Google & Yahoo search engines to find information on these topics.

Phew! There is so much more to blogging then just writing in a blog! I have heard of terms that I am not familiar with, and about social networks, readers, tags, etc. This is a whole new world! I imagine that there are other bloggers in my position. Bloggers trying to learn this new business, or craft quickly, and get more traffic to their blogs.

Therefore, I am going to have a series of posts on information that I have learned. I hope to have some of the very basics online quickly, but I am sure that this will be an ongoing project. I hope that the posts will help others.

If any of you have advice on blogging please feel free to e-mail me, or comment. Also if you have a good media recommendation on blogging, (book, website, Youtube, etc.), I would love to hear from you.

I want to thank Beth, (BethAllenII) for her advice, and for recommending Google Blogger to me!

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Which candidate should you vote for?

This is cute. Take this fun little quiz and find out which candidate best suits you.

QUIZ

Attention Rochester Readers

Remember to be careful on the roads. There are still at least 25 traffic lights out, and some streets are closed. RG&E says 23,000 are sill without power. Of course this is all the result of the Windstorm that we had yesterday.

Tips for Winter Power Outages


The following is from ... WHAM.com
Photo is of some recent damage due to the Windstorm.

Rochester
, N.Y. - The Red Cross offers helpful advice from years of experience dealing with calamaties.

When power goes out

  1. Don’t use candles.
  2. Use only a flashlight.
  3. Turn off electrical equipment you were using when power went out.
  4. Do NOT run a generator inside a home or garage.
  5. If you do use a generator, connect items that need power directly to the outlets on the generator. Do not connect a generator to a home’s electrical system.
General cold weather tips

1. Mittens are warmer than gloves.
2. Wear a hat.
3. Hypothermia can be serious. Signs are confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and severe shivering. Get medical attention immediately.
4. Get out of any wet clothes immediately and warm the body core temperature with a blanket or warm fluids.

I'm Going Though Withdrawal


T.V withdraw that is- Gray's Anatomy, Brothers and Sisters. This writer strike is really kicking my butt. I'm in a financial crunch so no Cable TV. So I have to rely on local T.V. I miss my favorites! Fortunately new ones will be on. Gray's tonight will be new, as will Brothers and Sisters on Sunday. Finally! Meanwhile PBS has helped to keep me sane. I greatly miss good Sit-coms!

Happy Anniversary J-Mac!

It was about one year ago that this amazing young man with autism scored big in basketball making national news. Since then he met with Pres. Bush, was guest on Oprah, met Earving "Magic" Johnson, received awards, and much more. J-Mac your an inspiration to us! See what started it all in this ESPN video. (J-Mac lives in the Rochester, NY area).



You can read more about Jason McElwain (J-Mac) in... Wikipedia

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Windstorm Pounds Rochester NY- 75 mph


The windstorm was so server that many thought it was a tornado. It was official the 3rd worst windstorm in Rochester history. Up to 75 mph winds. It hit around 5:00 this morning bring down wires, poles, trees, and roof, leaving about 33,000 RG&E customers without power. Some may not have power restored until Sunday. Airport officials pulled the air traffic controllers out of the airport tower for 15 minutes due to high winds.There were several cancellations and delays with flights. The Red Cross has opened up several shelters in the area. The west side of Monroe County appears hardest hit with damage stretching through Gates, Chili, Greece, Pittsford, Penfield and Southeast Rochester, and down through Geneseo and Mt. Morris. Many traffic accidents accrued. 1 death due to a car crash because some traffic lights were disabled.

I was lucky my power remained on.

You can read more, including a slide show at- 13 WHAM TV

The More I See Her, The More I Like Her

Ah, Who am I voting for?


Frankly, I'm confused. I'm usually more decisive then this, but I don't know who to vote for. For me, it's a choice between Hillary, and Obama. At first I wanted Hillary, then Obama, now.. I just don't know. Is anyone else as confused as me?

I like Hillary. The more I see her the more I like her personally. I also think that she does a very good job, she is presidential, intelligent, wins debates, more experienced. I think that overall she has done a better job, and is more qualified then Obama. I like the thought of a women President, and love the thought of Bill imparting pears of wisdom to her.

BUT... IRAQ!

Hillary voted for the war, and never really changed her mind. Oh, she softened her stance, but never denounced her vote. As a very peaceful person I have a huge problem with that. There were no WMD's. Yet, I feel that she would have voted for the war even if she had known. It's not just Iraq, but if she becomes Pres she will have to deal with other counties like Iran, and N. Korea . For that reason I'm thinking of voting for Obama.

I'm an issues person, and might have to do more research. Just confused tonight. Who to vote for?

It's A Horse Race!

Just when everyone thought they had it pegged, things changed again. Hillary Clinton won an upset in New Hampshire. Polls showed Obama as the clear projected winner. On the GOP side McCain won. I can't ever remember a primary so close, and so exciting.

BBC News Report

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

I've Decided To Vote For...

BBQ Recipe For The Heat Wave


?Are the ribs done yet?


Melt-In-Your-Mouth Barbecued Ribs
Recipe courtesy Robin Miller
Show: Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller
Episode: Slow and Steady Wins the Race
Melt-In-Your-Mouth Barbecued Ribs

2 sides pork spareribs (about 6 pounds), separated
1 (28-ounce) can chunky tomato sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Place the spareribs in the bottom of a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Reserve 6 tablespoons for BBQ Pizza.

Pour the mixture over the spareribs. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.

Reserve 1/2 of the ribs and pull the meat from the bones for the BBQ Pizza recipe.

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Yield: 4 servings


User Rating4 Stars
From: Foodnetwork.com

The Beatles: Here comes the sun


And The Heat Is On



We smashed the record on Monday with 62 degrees as our high. We are expected to break the record on Tuesday about 68 degrees! I'm just getting a little sunbathing & swimming in while I can. ;0) (Ah, photo is not of me.... I wish).

Are You Gay OR Straight? (Part 1)


It's not a question that I recall anyone asking me in person. Oh, I'm sure that I've had conversations where someone was curious, and hinted at it. But to put it so bluntly when you first meet? Nice to meet you, are you gay or straight? No! No one asked me like that. So why is it that I am expected to put something like that in writing for total strangers?

I have been having difficulty with anxiety and depression, and was suppose to fill out an "intake survey" for a therapist I had not yet met. Among other personal questions, it asked concerning my sexuality. I am semi out of the closet. Some of my family knows, some friends, so on. Still, writing down that information to total strangers on the same paper as my name, address, phone number, Social Security number, just doesn't set well with me. I tore it up, and decided not to get therapy there.

Awhile ago, the government was taking a census, and I got the dreaded long form. Same question was facing me in black and white. This time the paper was to go to the GOVERNMENT! I panicked. I was under the impression that filling it out was mandatory. I am aware that Hitler used the information in a census to round up Jews during WW2. I know that this is not Nazi Germany, (although the Bush administration makes me wonder sometimes. Plus, I didn't want V.P. Dick Cheney coming at me with his shotgun.).

I'm not paranoid, but felt very uncomfortable putting it down in writing for the government. By this time I was receiving phone messages on my voice mail urging me to fill out the census. So I called the police. No, not 911, but 311, a line for general questions and non-emergencies. (I'm depressed, not stupid). They told me that I didn't have to fill out the census. It was voluntary. They did say that I might get bothered by phone calls, and people pounding at my door. So, relived that it wasn't mandatory, I discarded it.

I think that at least one of the surveys didn't have "bisexual" written down as a choice. As I understand, there are twice as many bisexuals as homosexuals. Maybe? Well, that topic is for another day.

It is said that somewhere between 3% and 10% of the population is gay. If it is based at least partly on written surveys, do you think that all gays are writing it down? Some might lie, or might refuse to answer, (for various reasons). So maybe the stats of 3% to 10% are low. And if twice as many are bi, then that's quite a few people who are... Then there is another way to look at the stats... To be continued.

Related Posts: ETC - Electroconvulsive Therapy or Shock Treatments
And: Therapy and Me

Monday, January 7, 2008

Pat & Stanley - The Lion Sleeps Tonight

This is just tooo cute.

Weather: Rochester, New York

Hey, Rochesterians get out your bathing suits. We might break the record for daily highs on Monday, and Tuesday. Mid 50's, and Mid 60's receptively. Anyone for Iced Tea?

Mango Iced Tea
Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay
Show: Boy Meets Grill
Episode: Grilling Tandoori Style

1 1/2 quarts cold water
6 high quality black tea bags
2 cups mango nectar
Sugar
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
Thinly sliced mango
Bring water to a boil, turn off heat add tea bags and steep until tea is dark, about 5 minutes. Remove bags, add mango nectar and add sugar, to taste. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Place in pitcher and add mint leaves. Pour over ice and garnish with mango slices.

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Bobby Flay
User Rating5 Stars

From: Foodnetwork.com

Bazarr Death In Rochester, New York- Part 2

This is a follow up to yesterdays posting. I thought that the story sounded fishy. Here is an update...

Sister says Deputy's Horse Trampled Woman who Fell at Mall


Sean Carroll (Livonia, N.Y.) -- The sister of the woman who died after falling at Marketplace Mall on Saturday said she was trampled by a Monroe County Sheriff's deputy's horse and the family is considering legal action.

Pamela Banker said her sister--Susan Banker, 51, of Lima--fell after trying to pet a mounted deputy's patrol horse outside of the mall where she was shopping with her family.

"She was standing on the sidewalk; she reached out to pet the horse, and the horse moved away. That caused her to reach out farther, and she lost her balance and fell underneath the horse,. Pamela Banker said.

Banker said the horse was startled and the deputy tried to bring it under control.

.It appeared that he was trying to get the horse away from and he dismounted after the horse was away from her and off her," she said.

But in the commotion, Pamela said, her sister was helpless.

"The horse started like dancing around and stepping all over her,. she said. "It happened so quickly...It stepped on her several times, on her chest and her stomach area."

Susan Banker was rushed to Strong Memorial Hospital where she later died. Pamela Banker said instead of allowing the family to go to the hospital immediately, authorities questioned them several times about what happened.

The sheriff's office says there were no obvious signs that Susan Banker had been trampled. However, Banker said, her parents now plan to speak to an attorney about possible legal action against the sheriff's office.

The results of a weekend autopsy are expected to be released Monday.

From: www.13wham.com

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Book: The Temujin Loop, by Bruce Bennett


I am very proud of my cousin Bruce Bennett who is now a published author! He wrote "The Temujin Loop". The book is in hardcover as well as paperback, and can be purchased at Barns & Noble, Borders, Target, and other stores. This book is a must read for fiction, and adventure lovers. Read more below.

From Bookstore Xlibris

My Mother's Piano Playing

My mother was a piano teacher, and had her studio in our house when I was a kid. She had aspirations of being a concert pianist when she was young, but was in a car accident that affected her back, so she never realized her dream. I never appreciated the rich musical up-bring that I had. Nor did I realize how good my mother was until I recognized that she played remarkably like a concert pianist. Here is one of my father's and my favorites that my mother use to play. I love listening to it. It sounds just like my mother playing, and transports me back in time. For the record, I never learned how to play much more then chopsticks. I wish she had made me.

Ritual Fire Dance compesed by Falla

Bazaar Death In Rochester, N.Y. Area

I was reading blogs when I heard the news. It was so bazaar that I ran to the T.V to make sure I was hearing correctly. The following is the story. Keep in mind that the woman was only 51 y.o. It sounds a bit fishy to me.

Woman Dies at Marketplace Mall

(Henrietta, N.Y.) - A 51-year-old woman died Saturday afternoon, after trying to pet the patrol horse of a Monroe County sheriff's deputy at Marketplace Mall.

According to authorities, as the woman reached over to pet the horse, she slipped and hit her head on the curb. She had been asked to step onto the sidewalk, moments before she fell.

The woman was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital, where she later died. Her name has not yet been released, pending family notification.

The official cause of death has not been determined, and an autopsy has been scheduled.

(From WHAM News)

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Savings Tips: Energy Savings

Here are some good energy savings tips forms my local heating company RG&E.

RG&E Energy Tips



This is a beautiful video of Lake Ontario

Savings: $40 Coupons For TV Converter Boxes

"Beginning Feb. 18, 2009, anyone who does not own a digital set and still gets their programming via over-the-air antennas will no longer receive a picture." You will need a Converter Box. It will cost about $40 to $70. You can get two $40 coupons per household toward the box. You can read more via the link.


TV Converter Box Coupons

Hangover Remedies

Um, I've been celebrating the New Year, and might need this in the morning. The hangover remedies are from Health 911.com


Hangover Remedies


Happy New Year!




I liked this medical joke.

Pretty Bad News

Doctor: Well, I have good news and bad news.

Patient: Go with the good news first.

Doctor: You have 24 hours to live.

Patient: What?! How about the bad news?

Doctor: I forgot to call you yesterday.


That's from ... Cool and Funny Jokes

My Favorite Chinese Restaurant

This is an article from my local newspaper reviewing my favorite Chinese restaurant Golden Dynasty Chinese Restaurant. It's a bit dated, but the food is just as good.


Democrat and Chronicle restaurant review.

The Impatient Server


I was in my favorite Chinese Restaurant. The server took my order, but before I could tell him that I wanted chop sticks with my meal, he turned in a flash, and was gone. It was a slow day, not too many tables were occupied. What was the rush? “Ug, this guy acts so impatient”, I thought. Soon he returned with soup. “Do I get this too?” I asked. “Yes”, he said, turned tail and zoom, was gone. Now I was worried. I had ordered Beef with mixed vegetables many times before, and knew that it don’t come with soup. Did I order the wrong thing? He was already on the other side of the room. I continued to worry. "If I get his attention, maybe I can change the order, I must have messed up", I thought. I flagged him down, by waving my hand. He came over from the opposite side of the room. “I think that I got my order wrong”, I said. “Beef, with mix vegetables?” he replied “Yes, but the soup?” “Don’t worry about it Honey, its fine”, he said. Later when I looked at the check, I was not charged for the soup! Turns out that the impatient server was a generous person! I had eaten dozens of meals at that restaurant, but never was given free soup.You never know about people. You can have a negative first impression of someone, but if you look deeper you will see there positive traits. We all have positive and negative traits. In our rush, rush, society of instant coffee, fast food, and speed dating, we need to take time with people. Not to judge so quickly. We shouldn’t get turned off by someone just because we see a negative aspect, or two of there personality. They might actually have many terrific traits; we should take our time.

Savings Tip: Coupons- Read Label


When the laundry detergent "Wisk free and clear" was discontinued I was disappointed. I have allergies, and have to purchase the hypoallergenic kind. Wisk also does a good job at getting out stains. So I looked at my almost empty bottle of Wisk, and found a phone number on the back. I called to complain, hoping that many others would, thus eventually get back the product back on the shelves. Instead they said that they had a similar product... "All, free clear". They sent me a $2 coupon to try it, plus another $6 in coupons for other products that they sell, $8 total. So if you have a favorite product, read the label and call. Ask if they can send you some coupons. You can also go to there website, but I have gotten more coupons by calling.

Friday, January 4, 2008

Recipe: Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

The Cookie Monster is coming out in me.
This is from the Food Network.

Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Show: Everyday Italian
Episode: Tree Trimming Party

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 ounces English toffee candy (recommended: Heath or Skor bar), finely chopped
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, and chopped
1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Line 2 heavy large baking sheets with parchment paper. Finely chop the oats in a food processor. Transfer the oats to a medium bowl. Mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Stir in the toffee, hazelnuts, and chocolate chips.

For each cookie, drop 1 rounded tablespoonful of dough onto sheet, spacing 1-inch apart (do not flatten dough). Bake until the cookies are golden (cookies will flatten slightly), about 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. (The cookies can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 dozen

User Rating5 Stars






Weather: Christmas Day In Rochester, N.Y.

On Christmas the high was 34 degrees, with snow flurries in some areas. Most areas had several inches of snow on the ground from the huge storm that we had a week and a half ago.

Merry Christmas!


I hope that all of you enjoy the holidays! Right now I'm eating the Cordial Cherries that I bought for my Aunt. I won't see her until after new years so I have time to buy her more. I just love chocolate, especially during the holidays. ;o)

WELCOME!

Welcome to my new blog. I found this video on youtube.com It has some beautiful footage of my home town Rochester, NY. I have been thinking of what to discuss in this blog. I plan on talking about topics that interest me such as .. Religion, Christianity, mediation, gays, romance, politics, savings tips, anxiety, recipes, jokes, Rochester, N.Y weather & news, and more. I did have another blog, but didn't like the name, so transferred it over to this blog. That's why the dates might seem odd to you.