Timeline notes

TIMELINE

Inventions and technology are shaped by self interests: economic, political, and social, for example, big companies, manufacturers of competitive technology, personal greed, and th consumers’ perception of the new gadget.

Many ancestors of Kentuckians wore both colors during what was later called “the recent unpleasantness.” The story is told about one ancestor, a Union man, who came to his beliefs late in the war. He heard that Confederate General Zollicoffer had bragged he would take Kentucky. Not liking this seeming arrogance, this fellow’s great-great-grandfather signed on to wear the blue. Another ancestor is buried under the gravestone of a Confederate cavalryman. He may well have fought for what would be judged politically incorrect reasons by today’s standards. The Eastern Cherokee fought alongside the Confederates, as did many free blacks and non-slaveholders. Before the no-so-civil war, West Point cadets were taught that the states did indeed have a right to secede. Maybe this concept played a part in so many of the best officers of the Union resigning their commissions and donning the gray. (Barry Bright, Lebanon, KY)

Story Ideas

Story Idea:
He’s leaving -- without goodbye, since he doesn’t notice her. She runs after him and catches up to him while he’s waiting at the elevator. He’s listening to headphones and has his eyes closed in enjoyment. She sneaks up and plants a big kiss right on his mouth, vowing to keep kissing him until she feels a reaction. His lips remain motionless, face expressionless until a look of total abject horror comes over his face.
She wakes up, suddenly afraid -- once again -- of his rejection should she say anything about her love for him. She doesn’t even know if he has a girlfriend or a spouse. If he’s married and she comes on to him and he responds positively, would she really want a man who is unfaithful to his wife?


Story Idea
Write a “You Choose” story and let the reader make the plot decisions (like those books for tweens).
Story
A or B
1 or 2 3 or 4
etc.


Story Idea
The journey is the destination.
A long, strange trip
The last mile
distance race
competition
gaining ground
get off the ground
squabbles between factions
the powers that be
the road less traveled
finances are a roadblock
stay in the game
reasonable profitability
variety of problems
bad weather
crashes and burns
the shortest distance between two points

Emergency Supplies List

Emergency supplies
Expenses
Gasoline
Food
Car insurance
Car upkeep
Rent plus deposit
Utilities plus deposit

Important papers
car title
Life and auto insurance
Last three years tax forms
Genealogy
Pictures
Resume and work history
Birth certificate
Passbook savings
Divorce papers
Stories and notes
B info

Overnight bag
Makeup
Washup
Toiletries
Nightie and slippers

Cooking

FURNISHINGS
LIVING ROOM
Tv set
Home theatre system
Dvd player
Vhs player
Cd player
Tv entertainment unit
Couch
Chair or recliner
End and coffee table
Lamps

OFFICE
Desk and chair
Vacuum cleaner
Sewing machine
Digital camera
Laser, color, or ink jet printer
Computer
Laptop

KITCHEN
Toaster
Coffee maker
Crock pot

BEDROOM
Towels sets
Storage boxes
Sheet sets
Twin bed
Alarm clock
Full-length mirror
Chest of drawers
Nightstand

OFFICE
File cabinet
Paper shredder

Food
Soups, veg. Beef, chicken noodle
Pears, peaches, mixed fruit
Corn, green geans
Coffee
Tea
Bisquik Pancake mix
Maple Syrup
Hotdogs and buns
Bread
Mashed potato mix
Quick oats
Flour
Sugar
Vegetable oil
Powdered sugar
Brown sugar
Cake mix
Icing
rice
Peanut butter
Chili
Crackers
cheese slices
Cheese whiz
Baked beans
Butter
Eggs
Diet dew
Macaroni and cheese
Noodles
Tv dinners
Frozen pizza
Tuna
Mayo
Pickle relish
Deviled ham spread
Corn flakes
Snack crackers
Cheese curls
Ice cream
Hot cocoa mix
Instant coffee
Instant tea
Creamer
Preserves or jelly
Beef stew
Doritoes
Cheese nips
Baked beans
Spices
Canned salmon
Spam
Canned peaches
Canned pineapple
Canned fruit cocktail
Applesauce
Peas
Carrots
Corn
Green beans

Perishables
Meats
Ice cream
Frozen pizza
TV dinners
Milk
Margarine
Eggs
Lunchmeat
Fruit juice
Pop
Cheese slices
bread

Cleaning Supplies
Pine sol
Lysol
Scouring powder
The Works cleaner
Toilet cleaner The Works
Toilet brush
Mop
Broom
dustpan
Pail (mop bucket)
Scouring pads
Dishwash soap
Laundry soap
Fabric softener
bleach

toiletries
shampp
conditioner
toothpaste
toothbrush
deodorant
perfume
hairbrush
cosmetics
hair gel
liquid soap
toilet paper
paper towels
multivitamins
vitamin C
calcium
sanitary pads

Clothing:
t-short
blouse
skirt
pants
jeans
dress
pantyhose
socks
slippers
shoes
panties
bra
girdle
chamise
slip
nightie

Kissing

Male lipstick stimulates passion
It could be the most lip-smacking invention ever. A lipstick for men developed by NBRI, Lucknow reportedly delivers a huge sexual kick when applied.
According to Dr Shanta Mehrotra, Deputy Director of NBRI's Enthnopharmacology Division: "The male lip colouring was developed primarily as a mood enhancer and anti-depressant. The fact that it works just as well as a potent sexual stimulant is something of a bonus for us."
Scientists say that the effect is something akin to that induced by Viagra. Its anti-impotency properties, they say, are likely to benefit those with arousal problems. With the need for any other tablet, potion or cream removed, lovemaking is expected to become a much more pleasurable experience.
Laced with the subtle aroma of rose and jasmine, its makers are sure that the lipstick will in time become an essential passion accessory.
Despite the general incredulity that has greeted the invention, Dr Mehrotra insists the concept itself is nothing new. "Cosmetics for men have been around since ages. For example, the men of ancient Greece and Egypt used to bathe in rose water as a matter of routine. The fragrance was widely believed to enhance sex appeal," she says.

How to Kiss
Since women's lips are their number one erogenous zone, it's very important for men to leave a lasting, eroticized impression with women. Remember that if you French kiss her like no other, you'll probably get to kiss something else soon afterwards...
The skill of kissing does not simply consist of knowing how to maneuver your tongue inside a woman's mouth without hitting her tonsils. Rather, it involves the entire mouth - the lips, tongue, teeth, and the rest of the body.
Give the lady a hand
Positioning your hands on her body while kissing her is especially important too. Holding her face firmly but gently while you slip your tongue inside her mouth and suck on her lips will definitely make her toes curl.
As well, pulling her hair back from the back roots or slightly squeezing the part of her body that is located right under her breasts (her ribs) could make for some very tantalizing kissing sessions.
There is almost nothing in this world that beats those long, slow, juicy, and very enticing kisses.
Slip of the tongue
Since kissing your partner is probably one of the most important parts of lovemaking altogether, here are some fail-safe ways to ensure that your woman will want to French kiss you for life.
Since people often give out what they would like to receive, pay attention to the way she kisses you - that's probably the way she wants you to kiss her. Does she bite on your lips or try to gently suck all the saliva off your tongue? Well there's nothing in the world like the gift of reciprocity!
The tricks of the trade
Does your loved one kiss you like she's trying to suck the life out of your body? Or does she kiss too fast, too slow, or without tongue, period? First off, don't tell her what you don't like, but rather what you do like. That way you won't hurt her feelings at all.
Control her mouth
The next time you're kissing her, hold her face with your hands and kiss her the way you'd like to be kissed. If the fact that you're taking control doesn't turn her on, then your sensual tongue will surely do the trick.
Play a little game
Tell her that kissing her gets you so excited and then suggest that you guys switch roles and ask her to kiss you the way you kiss her because you want to know what it feels like. She'll be more than happy to cater to your request.
Make it last... long
There is almost nothing in this world that beats those long, slow, juicy, and very enticing kisses. Your woman will definitely feel your passion through one of those prolonged succulent kissing moments. Kiss her hard and deep.

Miscellaneous thoughts on a rainy day

The National Sex Offender Public Registry is at www.nspor.gov, and it provides real-time access to public sex-offender data to help parents safeguard their children.

In 2038, Leo Laporte stated that UNIX, which runs the internet, will be unable to read the date. Will this end up being worse than the Y2K false scare?

The three greatest burdens I have in this life are me, myself, and I.

Have you heard the story about NASA spending millions of dollars to develop a pen that could write in zero gravity? The Soviet Union simply used pencils.

GOOD hackers are FAMOUS.
GREAT hackers are ANONYMOUS.

The surest sign of a thriving trade community is a thriving trade community. (Procurement = exchange)
Exchange
Supplies Financing Logistics Settlement
Buyers Sellers Shipping


vit·ri·ol n.
1. a. See sulfuric acid.
b. Any of various sulfates of metals, such as ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, or copper sulfate.
2. Bitterly abusive feeling or expression.


“The devil always overplays his hand.” -- Henry Bosch, founder of Our Daily Bread,


Best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, nonaddictive, gender neutral, winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most joyous traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, and with respect for the religious persuasions of others or their choice not to practice a religion at all; a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the generally accepted calendar year 2007, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to our society have helped make America great, without regard to the race, creed, color, religious, or sexual preferences of the wishees.
(This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others.)
© 1993, Dan R. Greening. Non-commercial reproduction allowed.

Entropy requires no maintenance.

Anyone who trusts in luck is taking a chance.

Prediction is difficult, especially when it involves the future.

Computers, Google, and Work

Pathetic calls for computer help:
Why do you turn off your computer by going to “start”?
I can’t see the cursor through the smoke.
Is it safe to use a fire extinguisher on a computer?
My laptop was working before I went through the car wash.
Do you remember that Trojan horse you warned me about last week?
My thingy is broken.
I thought that drawer was a hideaway cup holder.


Ten Google Tricks
Within quotation marks, type your phone number (use dashes, not periods) and hit Enter. On the resulting page, select MAP, and presto, you know where you live – and so will everyone else who knows your phone number.
Wildcard - When you place a * (asterisk) in your query, Google will match any word in between. For example: apple * player matches apple ipod player, apple mp3 player, etc.
Fuzzy Search - Search for ~music player, and Google searches for music player, mp3 player, audio player, and other words that have similar meanings to music.
You can find synonyms of words. E.g. when you search for [house] but you want to find “home” too, search for [~house]. To get to know which synonyms the Google database stores for individual words, simply use the minus operator to exclude synonym after synonym (they will always show as bold in the SERPs, the search engine result pages). Like this: [~house -house -home -housing -floor].
A quote/ phrase search can be written with both quotations ["like this"] as well as a minus in-between words, [like-this].
To see a really large page-count (possibly, the Google index size, though one can only speculate about that), search for [* *].
You can use the wildcard character without searching for anything specific at all, as in this phrase search: ["* * * * * * *"].
Google has a lesser known “numrange” operator which can be helpful. Using e.g. [2000..2005] (that’s two dots inbetween two numbers) will find 2000, 2001, 2002 and so on until 2005.
Google’s define-operator allows you to look up word definitions. For example, [define:css] yields “Short for Cascading Style Sheets” and many more explanations. You can trigger a somewhat “softer” version of the define-operator by entering “what is something”, e.g. [what is css].
There a “sport” called Google Hacking. Basically, curious people try to find unsecure sites by entering specific, revealing phrases. A special web site called the Google Hacking Database is dedicated to listing these special queries.




Work thoughts
Productivity drops after the first ten hours of a working day.
So does judgment. That’s why people who work really long hours won’t (and can’t) admit that their productivity has dropped.
When one works that much, the rest of the world fades away. One acquires a pathologically narrow perspective.

Random thoughts on love

You say, 'If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.' You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled. ~C.H. Spurgeon

I found the poetry below on a website for e-cards, authors unknown.

I've fallen into you;
into the heart that loves me
as no other has before...
or ever will again.
Into the love that holds me
in the arms of forever.
I've fallen into you;
and I will never ask why.



Your fragrance intoxicates me...
your eyes sparkle with the blue of the sea;
heart as pure as the white dove
body as smooth as stones in the tide.
As I stand by your side,
I can't help but wonder
if you are of my world...
but I know you are of my dreams,
and I surrender my heart to you ~
sweet mystery.


LOVE: The irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired. - Mark Twain


Hell is . . .
. . . never knowing a woman’s next move. (Body Language, 1995)

Timeline

The Year Was 1853
The year was 1853 and in the U.S., Franklin Pierce took the oath of office, succeeding Millard Fillmore. The inauguration was a sad one for President Pierce and his wife Jane. A couple months before the family was in a train wreck in Massachusetts and their eleven-year-old son Ben was killed.
Another train wreck that year was considered the first major railroad disaster when a New Haven train plunged through an open drawbridge into the Norwalk River. Forty-six passengers were killed and many more injured.
Railroads were connecting the country and making it easier to move westward. Southerners hoped for a transcontinental railroad that would take a southern route and at the end of 1853, the Gadsden Purchase was signed defining the U.S./Mexican border west of El Paso, Texas. While the transcontinental railroad took a more northerly route, the purchase for the sum of $10 million dollars did add more than 29,000 square miles in what is now southern New Mexico and Arizona.
In Cincinnati, Ohio, progress was being made in the field of firefighting. Prior to April of 1853, firefighting crews mainly consisted of volunteers. As they began receiving payments from insurance companies and private parties, competition heightened. That changed on 1 April, when the Cincinnati Fire Department became the first full-time professional fire department in the country. )
In New Orleans, Louisiana, that year "Yellow Jack," or yellow fever, wreaked havoc killing more than 7,800 people. If you have an ancestor that you believe may have died in New Orleans that year, check out the Louisiana USGenWeb Project, Orleans Parish Archive, which includes an index to the burials in New Orleans that summer--"The Epidemic Summer, A Review of the Yellow Fever, Its Causes, etc., and An Interesting and Useful Abstract of Mortuary Statistics, Published by the Proprietor of the True Delta, 1853."
In other parts of the world, tension over holy sites in Palestine erupted into the Crimean War. By the end of 1853, France, Britain, and Turkey had formed an alliance that pitted them against the Russians in a war that would last until the Treaty of Paris in 1856.
Around the world in China, a bloody civil war was raging. At the heart of the rebellion was Hung Hsiu-ch'uan, a Cantonese student who had visions in which he believed he was visited by God the Father and his son, Jesus Christ. He began a movement that turned into a full- blown rebellion when the government began targeting them. By that time, the movement had a large army and had built up a treasury. The Taiping Rebellion is largely considered to have been one of the bloodiest conflicts in history with casualties estimated at around 20 million.
To end on a lighter note (if you don't count the calories), 1853 also marks the birth of the potato chip. They were the brainchild of George Crum, an American Indian working at a resort in Saratoga Springs, New York, after a guest rejected his french fries for being too thick. French fries had been introduced to America by Thomas Jefferson, who served them to rave reviews at Monticello.

The Year Was 1863
The year was 1863 and the U.S. was embroiled in the Civil War. Notable battles that year included those at Chancellorsville, Vicksburg, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, and Chattanooga. One of the most well-known battles of the Civil War, 1-3 July 1863, the Union Army, led by General George G. Meade met General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Virginia at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to engage in one of the largest battles to ever take place on American soil involving more than 160,000 men.
The battle would result in more than 23,000 Union casualties and between 20,000 and 25,000 Confederate. Later that year, President Abraham Lincoln was invited to speak at the consecration of a cemetery where he would deliver his famous Gettysburg Address, on 19 November 1863.
Earlier that year, on 1 January, Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that all slaves held in Confederate states were to be free, and further declared that they "be received into the armed service of the United States." Following this proclamation, the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer infantry became the first northern all-Black Union regiment.
Not all of the Civil War soldiers of 1863 were volunteers. In March of that year, the National Conscription Act began a draft registration for men between twenty and thirty-five. The conscription process allowed for wealthy men to hire substitutes or buy exemption for $300. The process angered those who couldn't afford to get out of service, and following the news of devastating casualties from Gettysburg, when a list of draftees was listed in New York papers, rioting ensued. Mobs attacked the armory and then took to the streets, targeting blacks and abolitionists in a horrific manner. Federal troops, many of them fresh from the fields of Gettysburg, had to be called in to quell the riots.
In partitioned Poland, Lithuania, and Belarus, another protest of a draft, in this case into the Russian Tsarist army, resulted in an insurrection known as the January Uprising. After the uprising failed, the Russian government executed hundreds, and more than 18,000 people were exiled to Siberia.
Another proclamation by President Lincoln would be of a more peaceful nature. On 3 October, he issued a proclamation calling for a national day of Thanksgiving to be held on the last Thursday of November. (The full-text of the proclamation appeared in the 13 October 1863 issue of the "Adams Sentinel," which can be found on the blog entry for this article and in the Ancestry Historical Newspaper Collection.
In other U.S. news in 1863, Arizona and Idaho were organized as U.S. territories, and West Virginia was admitted as the 35th state.
The International Committee of the Red Cross was founded in 1863, inspired by a book written by Henry Dunant, a Swiss man who had visited an Italian battlefield and asked "Would it not be possible, in time of peace and quiet, to form relief societies for the purpose of having care given to the wounded in wartime by zealous, devoted and thoroughly qualified volunteers?"
In London, crowds gathered in January hoping for a ride on the first underground train, a project aimed at cutting down on the congestion on London streets.

Jesse James was killed, telephone lines connected New York and Chicago and international time zones were set. This all occurred during the term of President Chester Arthur, who died this day, November 18, 1886.

Writing Thoughts

There are only a limited number of simple plots with situational variations. Your strategy depends upon where you want to go, what changes should occur, and what you want to stay the same. Define the problem and goal, the past, the present, and the future. These changes are important.

There are always several different workable strategies to achieve a goal. Often they are most dependent upon timing. If you’re in a timelock and have antagonists outflanking you, your strategic options differ vastly from a situation where you are in control and have ample time. Give your protagonist perspective so s/he is aware of the situation.

The messenger is as important as the message. The realism of your story, the manner in which you present it, the language you use, and your reputation as an author all come together to support or degrade your credibility. Remember the three H’s: humanity, humility, and humor.
Be sure your characters’ motivations are believable. The reader must believe your message, believe this could happen to them, and believe it is important. Generating true motivation and belief is one of the most challenging aspects of writing.

Clarify the relationship between ends and means. Don’t change character behavior unless there is an incentive to change. No character (or human being) will undergo change without strong motivation. Incentives change behavior when characters have stakes (emotional or monetary, tangible or intangible) that are either threatened or increased. In other situations, a solution will collapse if it is pushed too fast. Certain steps may be involved.

If you’re having problems with your story, ask yourself if you have chosen the right problem FOR your story.

Human beings are hardwired to see the world through stories. To grab their attention, you need to add a touch of entertainment mixed with information. The right mix of the two elements is powerful. The emotional narrative of song and dance passed down the liturgy of the tribe in the ancient world. A tribe’s survival depended upon the shaman’s storytelling prowess. This was not soulless information but memorable experience.

The same thing is true today. Not much has changed since the days of that flickering campfire. It’s not the 0s and 1s of the digital revolution, but the oooh’s and aaah’s of the heart.

All great films are nothing more than manipulated changes in state. They create a gap in consciousness between where the audience enters and where it leaves. These giant interruptions to the pattern remove us from the mundane to a promising energetic, imaginative, and passionate experience! Faith, passion and emotion are the key ingredients of the journey to alter the emotional landscape of the moviegoer.

The poets, not the engineers, are responsible for the bonding of human beings. Success depends upon the never-ending search for a link to other human beings. Let go of aversion to risk and capture the zeitgeist of an entertainment-hit mentality. It’s not a journey for the faint of heart. The chance of touching a reader is worth whatever the cost. The rewards are beyond imagination. The secret is to create a compelling, emotion-based story.

Emergency! Rescue Me!

My mind is dull. I can't remember anything. I can't concentrate.

I'm not supposed to "get lost" writing any more. I promised I wouldn't. Why shouldn't I fail at that, too? I fail at everything else.

I feel powerless and out of control of my life. I can't do what I want to do. I take no pleasure in anything anymore.

I worry about how I'm going to survive. Will I have to get a job? Will I be able to get a job at my age with my meager skills? I'm afraid to strike out alone. I'm comfortable with my sitting on my butt doing nothing, living off of a retirement and disability that will not go with me. (living off a man)

There's no one I can talk to -- no one I can turn to to help me through my problems. It'll always be this way. I turn men into abusers, the enemy, hitters and destroyers of my self will, self assurance, self provision. It's my fault I keep picking the same kind of man every time. God didn't do the choosing; He only allowed me to make my own mistakes once again.

I don't understand or have any insight. I'm stupid, slow and worthless. Anything I try will fail. Every job I've had I've lost due to putting the company out of business. Not really, but it seems that way because several in the last few years have.

Nobody wants me. I'm useless. I'm unprepared and ready to make a stupid rash decision that will affect drastically my future. (like getting the "h" outta here and just driving off to -- ? Florida ? -- Flagler Beach or maybe Fort Myers)

This is the best I've ever had it. Why throw it all away just so I can dream and write fantasies?

I am so apprehensive of the future. Are my expectations unrealistic? I suppose I equate true love with never fighting, never arguing, never disagreeing, and always being there for each other -- which I am not there much for him -- so it's back to being my fault.

I feel as though I'm slowly crumbling from the weight of my burdonsome life as it is now. I have memories of some happy childhood times, naturally, and a desire to share my life in a happy family, yet I am left unfulfilled. I'm depressed over my unachieved expectations.

I feel sad and lonely. I cannot let go of the past. I still harbor hatred.

I am one messed up writer.

Don't guess I'll eat a bullet just yet. Terrible way to meet one's maker, IMHO.

Emergency Household Items

storage containers
can opener
iron
ironing board
coffee travel cup
household tool kit
toilet paper
paper towels
TV
VCR
DVD
CD player
The Works
Comet
scour pads
sponges
dust pan
broom
mop
pail
cutting knife set
peeler
toilet brush
dishwash soap
laundry detergent
softener
bleach
sewing machine
prescriptions
vitamins
eyeglass case
makeup
hair supplies
dental supplies
food supplies
cooking supplies
dishes and glasses, cups, mugs, silverware
cleaning supplies - mop and broom
sheets, pillowcases, blanket
feather pillow
towels, washcloths
personal papers and bookkeeping
writings
genealogy and pictures
music

Psalm 50:15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

REFUGEE BASIC KITCHEN
1 set of dishes for 4
1 set of cooking bowls
1 set of pots/pans
4 drinking glasses
1 container of comet
1 set of cooking utensils
scouring pads/sponges
1 dustpan
1 cleaning brush
1 set of silverware for 4 people
1 set of cutting knives
1 box of laundry detergent
1 bottle of dishwashing soap
1 can opener

REFUGEE PERSONAL SUPPLY
blanket
sheet set and pillow case
pillow
bath towels
washcloths
bar soap
shampoo
tooth brushes
toothpaste
disposable razors
deodorant

HEALTH KIT
hand towel
washcloth
comb
metal nail file
bath size bar of soap
toothbrush
toothpaste
6 band-aids

SCHOOL KIT
1 pair scissors
spiral notebooks
12" ruler
pencil sharpener
pencils with erasers
large eraser
colored construction paper
24 crayons
cloth bag to pack in

Emergency BUDGET

Projected budget
rent $500
phone $30
electric $75
insurance $20
gasoline $80
groceries $80
lunches $15
TOTAL $800/month to barely survive

extras for later
cable or satellite TV $30
internet service (high speed) $40 ?
clothing etc. $50
automobile maintenance $50
miscellaneous $30
TOTAL $1,000/month to be "middle class"

Words to google or use for idea starters:

Church
Wildwood
Unity
Serenity
Applause
Vengeance
Stones
Wound
Rival
Bitterness
Bitter
Confession
Fear
Baptism
Marriage
Funeral
Death
Birth
Wreck (car, train)
Fall down
Falling
Secret
Rainstorm
Storm
Snowstorm
Rage

In difference languages:
Love
Kiss
Embrace
Hug
Intimate

Genealogy Notes

Know your family history. Talk with your relatives and take careful notes, especially about health problems that seem to run in your family. Then you can develop prevention plans with your own doctor. There is a free My Family Health Portrait tool from the US Surgeon General at https://familyhistory.hhs.gov/. You can use it to create a family health record. Then share this information with others in your family and your doctor.

Since My Family Health Portrait is Web-based, no additional software needs to be downloaded or installed. The health information you provide is stored only on your computer and not on a U.S. government server. You own the file and can choose what to do with it at any time.

With My Family Health Portrait, you can:
Edit or update your health information at anytime.
Save your health information to a disk and take it with you if you are using a public machine (e.g., at the library).
Decide with whom you want to share your health information.
Decide how to share your health information (e.g., mail it to someone).

If you do not know all the details about everyone in your family, the health information you do enter into the tool will be sufficient and useful. When used in consultation with a doctor or a healthcare professional, My Family Health Portrait can be a valuable tool for assessing your risk for disease and identifying strategies to prevent disease.

My Family Health Portrait is part of the U.S. Surgeon General's Family History Initiative. For more information about the U.S. Surgeon General's Family History Initiative, please go to:
U.S. Surgeon General's Family History Initiative
Frequently Asked Questions: Family History Initiative

Bio-Optic Organized Knowledge device

I found this online not too long ago, but I failed to record where. If you know, let me know and I'll be glad to give you credit.

The Bio-Optic Organized Knowledge device (BOOK)

Introducing the new Bio-Optic Organized Knowledge device, trade named: BOOK. BOOK is a revolutionary breakthrough in technology: no wires, no electronic circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or switched on. It's so easy to use, even a child can operate it.

Compact and portable, it can be used anywhere--even sitting in an armchair by the fire--yet it is powerful enough to hold as much information as a CD-ROM disc. Here's how it works:

BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of paper (recyclable), each capable of holding thousands of bits of information. The pages are locked together with a custom-fit device called a binder, which keeps the sheets in their correct sequence.

Opaque Paper Technology (OPT) allows manufacturers to use both sides of the sheet, doubling the information density and cutting costs. Experts are divided on the prospects for further increases in information density. For now, BOOKS with more information simply use more pages.

Each sheet is scanned optically, registering information directly into your brain. A flick of the finger takes you to the next sheet. BOOK may be taken up at any time and used merely by opening it.

Unlike other display devices, BOOK never crashes or requires rebooting, and it may even be dropped on the floor or stepped on without damage. However, it can become unusable if immersed in water for a significant period of time. The "browse" feature allows you to move instantly to any sheet and move forward or backward as you wish. Many come with an "index" feature, which pinpoints the exact location of selected information for instant retrieval.

An optional "BOOKmark" accessory allows you to open BOOK to the exact place you left it in a previous session--even if the BOOK has been closed. BOOKmarks fit universal design standards; thus, a single BOOKmark can be useed in BOOKs by various manufacturers.

Conversely, numerous BOOKmarkers can be used in a single book if the user wants to store numerous views at once. The number is limited only by the number of pages in the BOOK.
You can also make personal notes next to BOOK text entries with an optional programming tool, the Portable Erasable Nib Cryptic Intercommunication Language Stylus (PENCILS).

Portable, durable and affordable, BOOK is being hailed as a precursor of a new entertainment wave. Also, BOOK's appeal seems so certain that thousands of content creators have committed to the platform and investors are reportedly flocking.

Look for a flood of new titles soon.

Words for Ideas or Bounce-Off Points

Narcistic
Lover of self
Slanderer
Covetous
Boaster
Proud
Blasphemer
Profanity
Profane
Without natural affection
Fierce
Incontinent, without self control
Brutal
Despiser of the good
Reckless
Pleasure lover
Captivity
Held captive
Lustful
Corrupt
Reprobate
Persecutor
Seducer
Deceiver
Liar
In peril
Dishonor
Spirit
Ghost
Apparition
Phantasmal
Beheaded
Abominations
Sodomy
Emasculated
Lewdness
Wicked
Horror
Fury
Furious
Anger
Violent
Wailing
Crying
Gnashing of teeth
Iniquity
Wrath
Pestilence
Famine
Starvation
Weak
Detestable
Pollute
Defiled
Destruction
Desolation
Creeping things
Weeping
No escape
Pitiful
Destroy
Slaughter
Slain
Full of blood
Wild
Wasted
Consumed
Dead
Uncaring
Mean
Wretched
Vile
Burned
Cursed
Groaning
Terrors
Feed on him/her
Perception
Restricted access
Arduous
Penchant
Irrational exuberance
Contrarian
Exploit
Gutted
Trumped up charges
Shaking in their shoes
Squared off
Intimidating
Lifeblood
Modernize
Reckless abandon
Discretion
Penetration
Galore
Jeopardy
Extensive
Appealing
natured
Usher
Philosophy
Early
Hammer
Saloon
Quite
alternative
Magnified
Incongruous data
Awry
sparkin’
fervent
Kissin’ cousins
Your intended
Dress chemise pantalets
Beholden
Obliged
Incompatible
Jurisdiction
Controversy
Disguises
Sharpshooter (sniper)
Neutrality
Clamor
Hunt
Bridge
Boots
Delivery wagon
Exciting
Suit
Vigilant
Preponderance
Fraudulent identity
Collaboration
Sabotage
Organized crime
Vouchsafe
Vantage ground
Equivocation
Coruscation
Miasma – cloud, steam, haze, fog, murk
Breviary
Apposite
Erudition
Aphorism
Cover story – front page or clandestine
Early departure
Devote
Ambitious
Analysis
A cut above
RFID track and trace in pharmaceuticals
Equity
Worm, virus, spybot, adware, Trojans, backdoor Trojan, phishing, spam
Dexterity
Pitfalls
Feedback
Piracy
Confidential
Snort
Popularity
Venture capital
Hidden agenda
Cutting edge
All in one
Deployment
Ditched the witch
Blunt
Mediocre
Adept
Intrusion
Security begins with people
Proprietary
Surveillance
Prototype
Reputation
Recrimination
Demanding
Taken for granted
Acquisitions and divestitures
Expertise
Diminished
Innovation
Need your John Hancock.
Leveraging
Procurement
Strategy
R & d
Mistakes were made
Logistics
Major proponent
Counterfeiting
Deployment
Eponymous
Lehnivare
Quiltings
Fraktur
Notorious highwayman
Arrogance, haughtiness, smug conceit
Military planning
Scientific research
Government decision making
Sexually transmitted disease
Herpes
Aids
Relationship turmoil
A highly trained, well equipped operative
Vulgar jokes
government corruption
internal affairs
attitude problem
Sator
Arepo
Tenet
Opera
Rotas
Metonym
Semiotic
Montage
Ostensible
Hamlet – the fatal consequences of procrastination
Disconcerting
Abject
Horrid
Excruciating pain
Unrelenting
Unbearable
Vertiginous
Down and dirty
Hairy knuckles
Guttersnipe
Subliterate
Misty-eyed
Tender-hearted
Verisimilitude
Lowlife, slippery character
Quilt
Quilting bee
Bone-handled utensils
Handcuffs
Iron bed
Horse race
Buggy race
Turkey shoot
Baseball? Check date
Ice cream check date
Croquet check date
Efficacious
Caveat emptor
Gerrymandered
Inchoate (primitive, random, obscure)
Milieu
Ludicrous
Ichorous
Sesquipedalian
Auctorial
Smote
Shrewd but diplomatic
Despicable
Jealousy and anger
Looks, personality, and lifestyle
Rich and famous
Material contentment
Poor and run of the mill
Torment
Horrific
Suffering
Unimaginable
Unspeakable agony
Dubious
Whim
Adversity
Thoughtless
Paralyzed by fear
Wrestling with forces beyond your control
Money, social status, achievements and acceptance
Tumultuous storm
Dishonesty
Slander
Disillusionment
Discouragement
Doubts and fears
Sinfulness and rebellion – all – punishment
Grace – gift – ransom
Salvation – receive – faith
Security
Prayer
Chosen
Redeemed
Justified
Reconciled
Forgiven
Give thanks
God, Jesus and Holy Spirit
Heaven and hell
Satan and his angels

October 2006 Peacemakers Fan Fiction 50-Word Challenge

WORD LIST

velvet
together
wife
horse
corset
frustration
view
boardwalk
desperado
think
ripple
undertaker
house
silver
control
peacemaker
Fight
position
complained
lunged
Chinese
Dictionary
Burden
Chemical
Project
Sensitive
Warrant
Threaten
Rank
Loyalty
Message
File
Handpick
Aim
Sophisticated
Telephone
Opportunity
Mayor
Experience
Holster
Stable
Knee
Hat
Saddle up
Gasp
Dream
Hitching post
Smart
Protect
Convince

October Word Challenge Submission

Peacemakers Fan Fiction http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/peacemakersff
October 2006
50-Word Challenge
Nightmares and Dreamscapes (*see note at bottom)
by Aimee DuPré
© October 31, 2006
“And a Very Happy Halloween to You!”

Katie Owens rubbed her horse’s muzzle, as soft as velvet. Together with Larimer Finch, she had ridden out here to the lake to do some fishing and enjoy the peak of the fall foliage.
At least Detective Finch didn’t continually bother her about why she had never become some man’s wife. He seemed to understand things one would not expect, although she had to laugh as he attempted to ride his horse English style on a Western saddle.
She discreetly pulled and tugged at a metal stay in her corset that poked her right in the ribs. There certainly was a lot of frustration involved in being a woman these days, and she probably should never have worn the silly thing knowing as she did that it would never impress the stoic detective. In her view, women were at least equal to men and should be treated as such, and Lord knew no man would ever be caught dead in such a binding device around his waistline!
Meanwhile, back in Silver City, a stranger dressed in black, his hat pulled down obscuring his face, walked the wooden boardwalk from Isaac’s stable towards the Owens Mortuary. He was, in the broadest sense of the term, a desperado, although it was an out-of-date expression in the modern society of 1889. Who would think that technology could make such changes in the west? It was a ripple effect, causing multiple unintended consequences.
“Undertaker?” he called as he rapped on the locked glass-windowed front door of the funeral home.
After getting no answer, he went to the Owens’ house and tried the kitchen door, which was unlocked.
Silver City’s resident had yet to feel the necessity to keep their house doors locked. U. S. Marshal Jared Stone had crime under control in the growing little mining town that was prematurely attempting to be a big city. He and his sidearm could both be called peacemakers, and he had been able to convince most business owners to lock up when they were absent. A fight seldom lasted very long while the marshal patrolled the city streets.
The new arrival took his unwelcome position in Katie’s unoccupied house.
Meanwhile, Finch complained of the poor fishing in the lake, although he was appreciative of the opportunity to take a break from investigating and solving dangerous crimes. Suddenly, Katie lunged for her fishing pole as a largemouth bass threatened to take hook, line, sinker, pole and all to the bottom of the chilly depths.
“The Chinese word for crisis and opportunity are the same,” Finch told her, quick witted as always.
“I will be sure to check Marshal Stone’s new Chinese dictionary when I get back to town,” Katie replied, just to tease him.
Finch continued, “Katie, I have been meaning to ask you, is the mortuary a burden to you? You know, I could help you with the embalming chemicals, as I know quite a bit about apothecary. I have this project I am working on. I am developing a light sensitive film material much like Kodak’s, only having a backcoated layer which is then sufficiently subjected to antistatic treatment.”
“I will warrant an invention like that would be welcomed technology,” Katie said, unsure of why the film would need to be antistatic and not wanting an hour-long lecture on the matter.
Soon, skies that might threaten an early snow drove the two carefree fishing companions back to Silver City.
A terribly rank smell coming from the embalming/autopsy room nearly overcame Finch and Katie when they arrived at the funeral parlor. Loyalty took precedence over safety as Finch pushed ahead of the young woman to enter first.
“I believe some sort of a message has been left,” he said as he saw a dead rat on the autopsy table. Kneeling down, he picked up a bloody metal file that had been dropped on the floor, and he determined it to be a rasp used in the shoeing of horses, although that would not explain the blood.
The two handpicked forensics experts were baffled by this evidence.
From his hiding place in the storage closet, the stranger dressed in black took aim with his firearm. His methodology was not sophisticated, but it was quite effective.
Just then, the telephone rang out – two long, one short – which meant Katie’s number on the party line.
He had missed his opportunity, and his chance to mete out his revenge might never come again!
The Mayor had telephoned to tell Katie to beware of Halloween pranksters.
“I think I have already had experience with one,” she told him.
“Holster that weapon!” Marshal Stone roared from the doorway, startling both Katie and Finch.
He purposefully walked to the closet door and threw it open to reveal the man he had followed from the stable – the man who had killed Isaac with the rasp that Finch had discovered.
The murderer’s knee sought Stone’s groin and missed as the lawman disarmed and slammed the stranger to the floor. His low-fitting black hat was knocked off his head to reveal the face of Will Johnston, the boy who was supposed to have been hanged in Central City for the murder of Cole Hawkins.
“Saddle up and get on out of here,” Stone told him, “’cause this is the last Halloween prank you’ll be pullin’!”
Katie gave an audible gasp, scarcely believing either Stone’s leniency or the fact that somehow the young man had escaped his fatal destiny.
With a start, Katie Owens awoke from her afternoon dream drenched in sweat and trembling uncontrollably.
As she slowly recovered her composure and her heartbeat returned to normal, she looked outside to the hitching post where she saw both Finch’s and Stone’s horses patiently awaiting their return from their all-too-infrequent afternoon repose in The Velvet Cushion.
Maybe, she thought, it would be smart to start locking her doors when she was gone – or even when she laid down for a nap. Her faithful friends might not always be around to protect her, especially from nightmares and dreamscapes*.
It didn’t take much to convince her that this was the wisest thing to do – not after such a frightening Halloween nap.


* Private joke – Nightmares and Dreamscapes was the most recent Tom Berenger TV sighting. He starred in The Road Virus Heads North. – A.D.