A REALLY COOL CHRISTMAS TOY.

For Christmas, my son gave his mother (and in this day and age I'm forced to add, she is also my wife, thanks "MODERN FAMILY", a Canon Flatbed color scanner. I had an HP scanner many years ago. It was huge, loud, slow and very finicky.

As a testimony to Canon and their new, light-weight modern technology, My wife and I became quickly enamored of this toy tool.

It's quiet, fast, easy to use. Easy to install & configure. And it gives fantastic results, as shown in these images copied from some prints we have in 1 of the dozen or so photo albums we have collected during 29 years of our marriage.

KPK

This is my son Kyle. Now 24, when he was celebrating his 3rd Christmas.

Good looking kid. Must be something to that heredity stuff, huh?

ABK

This is the little girl, for which no mortal will be good enough to suite her dad.

Amanda, just into the terrible 2s, and 20 years later, still in that phase.

This is how I picture my children, much to their chagrin, when I think about them.

NASTAD MAULERS

And this is a group photo of the 1979, 1980, 1981 

NTC, 

&

FLEASWTRACENPAC

&

NETSCPAC

League Softball Champions.

(Can you spot me in there?)

 tell me what cool thing showed up under your tree.

My #1

A Christmas Carol

by Charles Dickens

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my introduction to the story came about from an old cartoon version, Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol.

the story intrigued me, and the book by Charles Dickens was actually one of the first classes I read before I was 10 years old. I have loved this story since my early youth. And although I had to go the library to get a copy, you can read it online for free:

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Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about.register at his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it: and Scrooge's name was good upon change for anything he put his hand to. Old Marley was dead as a door nail.

CLICK TO READ THE ENTIRE STORY HERE

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over the years I have made a tradition to watch that movie, it has many versions as I can find. The store had been reprised so many times it's almost impossible to keep tabs on every version of it. The latest version released last year 2009 start Jim Carrey as Ebenezer Scrooge. I have yet to see that version, as I am not a very big Jim Carrey fan. Outside of Liar Liar, and how the Grinch stole Christmas, his perpetual overacting bothers me to no end.

And since I gauge the entire story on the performance of the actor in the lead role, I have very little enjoyment from comedic knockoffs, such as Scrooged starring Bill Murray. There's even a version Where Tori Spelling plays a leading role (couldn't stand it).

my favorite Ebenezer's are:

Henry Winkler,

An American Christmas Carol

a very passable portrayal that does not make you think of Fonzie.

Patrick Stewart

A Christmas Carol

not the best bad guy Ebenezer, but very enjoyable transitioned, good guy Ebenezer.

George C Scott

Scrooge

an excellent bad guy Ebenezer. However, did not transition well into the good guy Ebenezer.

Alastair Sim

A Christmas Carol

usually the critics choice, and for many years it was my choice. This portrayal of the scratching, clawing, nose to the grindstone miser, gave me chills in my youth. And for years when I heard about the bogeyman, this was who I thought of. And his transition portrayal is sheer genius when he actually stands on his head, scares the cleaning woman screaming out of the room.

But recently I have found a new favorite Ebenezer:

Michael Caine

A Muppet Christmas Carol...

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 MERRY CHRISTMAS

BUSY BUSY

Tomorrow, I'm going to visit my old workplace, to attend the annual Christmas pot-luck. I'll be sure to bring back lots of pictures to share. But in the mean time, I'd like to share some of the photos I recently took on one of my neighborhood excursions. Once before, the kind lady from THIS OLD HOUSE asked me to show what a typical SoCal Suburban neighborhood looks like. Well Karen. I don't know how typical it is. But this is the views of & from our house.

This is the North West corner of my house, and the front porch where I watch the grass grow.

Facing due South from the North West corner of my Frontyard.

Due South from the street

Same Southerly view, looking up.

We live on top of a hill overlooking the city of Santee, California.

My next-door neighbor (North from my house).

Facing due West, my neighbor Dale lives here.

Facing WNW from the bottom of my driveway.

The wild fire of 2003 came over those hills and right up to the rear of those and my house. We did not evacuate, as the neighbors and I took a defensive posture and kept our property safe.

Front Porch (zoomed)

From the bottom of my drive, facing ENE.

My green Dodge 1500 RAM SPORT

Note: Lawn is not drought tolerant.

Hibiscus blooms in December, in SoCal.

Closer

Drought tolerant, low maintenance.

More of the above, Tighter shot.

____________________________

____________________________

Dale's Propane powered Toyota ORV

CREEPYTOY

CREEPYTOY

 Karen, still trying to figure out how to move this bling

My custom hand painted SKULLS air breather

Onto this! 

and

JUST IN CASE I DON'T SEE Y'ALL BEFORE THEN

have a very

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I'll Be Right Back.

A SHORT UPDATE

Things have been very busy for me lately. Doing double sessions of  PT (Physical Therapy) and OT (Occupational Therapy) at the San Diego VA hospital. The sessions are 1 hour for each. But because I am using the VA wheelchair transport system, I'm forced to go and return by their schedule. And so far a trip from home and back to get 2 hours of therapy, is averaging 7-8 hours.

I am not complaining. Just letting you know where I've been.

And I wanted to share a little video, that was created by one of my

FACEBOOK
FRIENDS

PAULA GRIMALDI-REARDON

MORE FAMOUSLY KNOWN

TO THE

MOTORCYCLING WORLD AS

PULSATING PAULA

 

SHE'S A BIKER CHICK FROM THE OLD SCHOOL

AND SHE USED TO BE A STAFF WRITER FOR

MOTORCYCLE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

AND

A STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

FOR EASY RIDER MAGAZINE.

HER FACEBOOK PHOTO ALBUM

BELONGS IN A MUSEUM

AND I COUNT MYSELF BLESSED FOR

HAVING MET HER.

IF YOU HAVE FACEBOOK,

AND

ANY INTEREST

IN

MOTORCYCLING

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU

FRIEND REQUEST

PULSATING PAULA.

I CALL HER VIDEO

"GET YOUR BEARD ON."

MAIL CALL

GOT THIS TODAY

 _________________________________

WALK NAKED IN AMERICA DAY

Don't forget to mark your calendars.
As you may already know, it is a sin for a Muslim male to see any woman other
than his wife naked and if he does, he must commit suicide.

So next Saturday at 1 PM Eastern Time, all American women are asked to walk out of their

house completely naked to help weed out any neighborhood terrorists.
Circling your block for one hour is recommended for this anti-terrorist effort.

All patriotic men are to position themselves in lawn chairs in front of their houses
to demonstrate their support for the women

and to prove that they are not Muslim terrorist sympathizers.

Since Islam also does not approve of alcohol, a cold 6-pack at your side is further proof of your patriotism.

The American government appreciates your efforts to root out terrorists

and applauds your participation in this anti-terrorist activity. 
 
  God Bless America!!

AN ISSUE OF FRIENDSHIP

I recently had a discussion with the person I consider to be my friend. But since our relationship was still in the beginning stages, I was not sure about their religious beliefs. I do know that she had asked me to pray for someone, but I get similar requests from people that I know who have no belief in God whatsoever. But for some reason, maybe they're hedging their bets, they reach out to me for help.

She and I were discussing her feelings that she was experiencing at the loss of a lifelong friend who had died recently. And throughout this discussion I felt a pressing need to share the gospel with this person. I'm not your average stand on the corner, Bible thumping preacher. I really hate those guys. Always telling you, "you have to accept Christ, or you'll burn in hell!" Fear mongering never brought anybody closer to the Lord. But the truth of the matter is, I believe there's going to be a day, with everyone will stand before the creator and be required to make an accounting of their lives. But, when someone is trying to go to the grieving process the last thing they want to hear is some Bible thumper: how they need to get right with the Lord. It doesn't work, despite what people tell you. The love of Christ may be a great comfort when believers experienced loss. But I have been that unbeliever in my past that I remember how angry it used to make me when believers try to save my soul while I was grieving the loss of a family member.

What to do? What to do? I could ignore it. Save for another day. I mean, there is always been another day. Isn't there? Actually there is not. In cases of salvation and eternity, time is of the essence. No matter what your religious beliefs, no one can guarantee that you have three more heartbeats left. Your next one may be your last.

So loudly declare my version of Judgment Day. You, my friend, and I are standing in line waiting our turn before the judgment seat of God. This whole thing is new to you, you never believe any of this stuff. But at this point would you believe your life has a consequence. Actually it's paradoxical. When you consider the fact that in life you thought that if you could disbelieve that would be enough to avoid this situation. When in actuality your disbelief has placed you firmly in jeopardy path. And as we move closer to the head of the line and becomes evident that you are in danger.

The absolute last thing I want to happen, is for you turn to me, looked me straight in the eye, and ask, "if you knew about this, and you are really my friend, why didn't you tell me?"

I DON'T WANT TO SAY "I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO TELL YOU."

DOES ANY BODY REALLY KNOW

___________________________

Waiting for the break of day
Searching for something to say
Flashing lights against the sky
Giving up I close my eyes
Sitting cross-legged on the floor
Twenty-five or six to four

Staring blindly into space
Getting up to splash my face
Wanting just to stay awake
Wond'ring how much I can take
Should I try to do some more
Twenty-five or six to four

(solo)

Feeling like I ought to sleep
Spinning room is sinking deep
Searching for something to say
Waiting for the break of day
Twenty-five or six to four
Twenty-five or six to four

__________________________

Ever since this song broke in 1970, I have wondered at the meaning of the title and the lyrics. The writer of the song said in an interview, the meaning is not mystical at all. It's a reference to the time of day he was writing the song. (3:35 or 3:34 am = 25 or [2]6 to 4 am).

Ref:

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1842/what-does-the-chicago-lyric-25-or-6-to-4-mean

However, last Friday, while in transit to the VA for Physical Therapy, when this song came on the radio, I was immediately reminded of  my curiosity and I said out loud "What is this song about?" And the VANPOOL driver said, "I know the answer. It is a reference to chemical ratio needed in the synthesis of LSD25. And he went on to explain how molecular and covalent bonding... blah blah blah " 

To which I replied, "Oh, really?"

And the driver explained that he had been a Chemist in his prior life and that the meaning of the title was never a mystery to him.

Does anybody really know? Does anybody really care? 

_____________________________________

Let me know what you know about this...

THANKFUL THURSDAY

ADRIE KOVIC

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PLEASE ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE THIS WEEKS

RECIEPIENT OF MY

THANKFUL THURSDAY

AWARD

MS ADRIE KOVIC

I know you're used to finding Military Heroes under this banner.

But wait until you know a little more about Adrie, before you judge my choice.

GLEANED FROM HER FACEBOOK INFO

Political Views:    Independence Party of America
Religious Views:    Born and raised Catholic that loves God...just not fond of His fan club...
__________________________________________-
Activities   
MMA, Muay Thai, Jiu Jitsu, Music, Reading, Texting, Dreaming, Hoping, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, Cooking, Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning the Devil says, "oh crap she's up!", you're six, why do you have a phone? who are you going to call?
-----------------------------------
Interests   
MMA, Music, Reading, Criminal justice, Military history, Video Games
------------------------------------
Books   
Anything Having to Do With Criminal Justice or Military History

_______________________________________________

KNOCK OUT

SHIFTING THE GUARD

Pretty enough to be a model.

Tough enough to be a fighter.

Smart enough to do,

whatever she chooses.

____________________

But if that were enough to get

on my

THANKFUL LIST

IT WOULD CHEAPEN THE AWARD. AND DISHONOR

ALL THOSE WHO SACRIFICED SO MUCH

AND GOT THIS AWARD ALSO.

___________________________________

ADRIE'S CIVIC PRIDE. DEVOTION TO OUR 

TROOPS

AND

MANY SACRIFICES IN HER PERSONAL LIFE

TO HONOR, SUPPORT AND UPLIFT

AMERICA'S WARRIORS

PUT HER

IN THIS SPOT LIGHT

 ADRIE ACTIVELY PARTICIPATES IN THESE

ORGANIZATIONS

____________________________________

http://soldiersangels.org/
Soldiers' Angels is a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit with hundreds of thousands of volunteers providing aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, veterans and their families

_______________________________

 

http://www.greenbeanscoffee.com/coj/index.php
In our travels to see the Troops, many share with us their sense of loneliness, isolation and feelings of being forgotten. Their commanders tell us that some Soldiers never receive mail from home. In response, Green Beans Coffee has launched Cup of Joe For A Joe to let anyone, anywhere in the world, say thanks to our troops through the simple act of buying a cup of coffee and having it delivered along with their own personal note of encouragement into the hands of a deployed Soldier.

Please join Green Beans in honoring our Troops. It only takes a few moments plus the spare change in your pocket to say thanks. Simply choose a purchase of any amount and we'll do the rest!

______________________________________________________

http://www.operationhomefront.net/
MISSION: Operation Homefront (OH) provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of our service members and wounded warriors.

VISION: Through generous, widespread public support and a collaborative team of exceptional staff and volunteers, we aspire to become the provider of choice for emergency financial and other assistance to the families of our service members and wounded warriors. Where there is a need we do not provide, we will partner with others for the benefit of our military families.

VALUES:
- Honor Patriotism and Service to Country: We believe those who wear our country's uniform do so with a sense of duty, knowing they support the causes of freedom. We serve by serving them and their families.

- Do What's Right: We are committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct in all that we do. We believe that honesty and integrity engender trust, which is the cornerstone of providing our services. We are careful stewards of the resources provided by our donors. We strive to be good citizens and we take responsibility for our actions.
_________________________________________________

http://www.nleomf.org/
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is the nation’s monument to law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. Dedicated on October 15, 1991, the Memorial honors federal, state and local law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the safety and protection of our nation and its people.
________________________________________________

If you are fortunate enough to be friends with her on 

FACEBOOK

the first thing that will strike you about her is;

her postings consist of 

"BAKING COOKIES TO SEND TO AFGHANISTAN"

AND

"PREPARING PRESENTATION

FOR

SOLDIERS ANGELS"

AND

"CARE PACKAGES READY TO SHIP.

TAKING NINTENDO BREAK"

________________________________________________________

For her unwavering support and devotion to our troops, consistently displaying admiration for, and loyalty to, all members of the US ARMED SERVICES, while sacrificing her personal time and resources in said support. And while tirelessly writing and sending  letters and cards to service men who are deployed in foreign battlefields, in the hope of letting them know that they are cared for and appreciated. Essentially becoming a one woman USO tour de force.

I take great pride in awarding

the

KRIPPLEDWARRIOR

GOLD STAR

TO Ms ADRIE KOVIC

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PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING THIS YOUNG LADY

FOR DISPLAYING HER LOVE

FOR OUR TROOPS

IN SUCH MEANINGFUL WAYS, BY VISITING HER BLOG

AT

http://adriescorner.blogspot.com/

THANK YOU ADRIE. FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. AND FOR ALL MY BROTHERS IN ARMS.

THANK YOU AND MAY GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU

______________________________________________

WHO ARE YOUR CHILDREN'S ONLINE FRIENDS?

CYBER SECURITY INFO

YOU NEED TO KNOW...

Who’s watching your child on her or his PC Webcam -- just friends? Don't be too sure.
Age-old crimes take on a new twist in the cyber-world of today. Not least of these is “sextortion,” where in a recent high-profile case, the FBI uncovered 200 victims in just one incident, many of whom were young or even underage.

As a term, sextortion has been around longer than most of us probably realize and way before the Web was around. An early use of the term was in a headline of a 1950 article, but no one can be in any doubt that sexual extortion itself has even older origins.

In the cyber-world of today, however, sextortion appears to have reached a whole new level. It is perpetrated through a form of social engineering, wherein enough information can be gathered about an individual to hold that victim to ransom.

Social networking makes compromising situations easily available to those searching. In the FBI case, the hacker used spear phishing techniques, an email spoofing fraud that targets a specific person, seeking unauthorized access to confidential data. This kind of spoof is accomplished by the hacker posing as a trusted source of the intended victim, such as a FaceBook Friend.
 
Once tricked into opening an attachment from the “trusted source,” a virus in the FBI case compromised the recipient’s computer, including its Webcam, microphone, and every keystroke. In examples of sextortion, the hacker, successfully reaching his target, is then able to spy on his victim through his or her own Webcam. In the case under discussion, the hacker was only discovered when he contacted one victim in an attempt to obtain an explicit video in exchange for not telling her parents. Luckily, the intended victim told her parents, who contacted their local FBI.

WARNING:

THIS IS CURRENTLY ACTIVE

 ON FACEBOOK

There are numerous viruses around that can take over Webcams. It is not new technology at all. Probably the best known virus of all is W32/R-bot-GR, which has hundreds of variants. Viruses such as this can actually turn on the Webcam remotely and the victim doesn’t even know she is being watched. Over the last 10 years cases have regularly popped up.


Perhaps one of the most worrying related cases was earlier this year in the Robbins v. Lower Merion School District case known as "WebcamGate." This is where spyware was installed on laptops issued by the school in what was a misguided attempt to oversee Web activities by students. Of course, this spyware could have been used by a hacker as well. Lower Merion District was accused of installing spyware on laptops used by its students, and recently settled with the school district by agreeing to pay $610,000 in compensation.
Around the same time was the case of a Wisconsin 12th grader sentenced to 15 years in prison after a high school sextortion scandal. The boy pretended to be a girl on FaceBook and used naked pictures fellow students sent him to blackmail the boys into having sex with him.

More recently, a mixture of sextortion and cyber-bullying led to tragic consequences. When a young student found that his roommate had allegedly plastered a live streamed video of him in a sexual encounter, he posted a message on Facebook and then deliberately plunged to his death off the George Washington Bridge.
So can we escape the clutches of the seemingly ever-present video recording of our every movement, be it Webcams, CCTV, or even that seemingly innocent little add-on gadget that may be the choice of someone close to you for Christmas this year? There are several of them around, they can easily move in any direction, come complete with a WiFi-enabled robotic Webcam, speaker, and microphone. They enable you -- or perhaps that friendly hacker and sextortionist just down the road -- to access your home from anywhere in the world.

Not wishing to put the damper on anyone this Christmas, but perhaps a little additional PC security may be a good idea, to prevent the spear phishing in the first place.

However, the obvious comes to mind in most of these cases: Do you know who your children are conversing with online? And, even more importantly, can they approach you if there is a problem? 

IT'S THE 21st CENTURY VERSION OF:
IT'S 11:00 pm.
DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR CHILDREN ARE?

FOOTWARE FOR CHRISTMAS???

FOUND THESE 

AND THOUGH

THEY MIGHT MAKE

GREAT STOCKING STUFFERS.

OR MAYBE

A

CLAPPER

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OR

A

CHIA PET

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______________________________________________

57 CHRISTMASES DOWN, AND I'VE MANAGED TO DODGE THE CLAPPER, CHIA PET BULLET. BUT THIS COULD BE THE YEAR.