Review: Skype for iPhone - Technology Live - USATODAY.com

Review: Skype for iPhone - Technology Live - USATODAY.com
Tomorrow skype will have an application for the I phone, I really wish I could use the I phone but it is not very quadriplegic friendly. I use a pencil in my brace as a stylus and the I phone requires the user to use his or her finger. It also accepts a pogo stylus which I have tried, but it's not very realistic to use every day. For those of you with the I phone, how do you like it?

Thank you Google gods

This morning I tried to open my google bookmarks and it was blank...... Imagine the panic of all your bookmarks suddenly disappearing! I quickly figured it out by hitting the refresh button and like magic my bookmarks were all there. The phrase thank you Google gods popped into my head..... It's funny how much I rely on the Internet and especially google services.

I use google to keep my calendar, for document storage, chat and many other features. If google would suddenly crash I would certainly be in trouble to say the least. Are there certain programs or sites that you cannot live without? For me it's definitely google, Yeah definitely google....

Saturday Sports Talk

The Penguins play early this afternoon against the New York Rangers here at home and the Pitt mens team plays tonight at 7:00 PM. Hopefully they both win, the penguins need the two points and it would be great to see Pitt move on in the tournament.

The Steelers are busy designing their Super Bowl ring. The news just reported that Hines Ward is working on the design with a local jeweler. It should be interesting to see what they come up with. The city has had its share of championships, but winning the Super Bowl five times is something only Pittsburgh can claim.

Braille silver dollar goes on sale -

Braille silver dollar goes on sale - CNN.com
This is a nice coin, but all US Money should have braille on it !

Hugs with Lions

We will be reading about this guy very soon..... can you guess the headline ?
My guess... Man killed by lion over sandwich. Your guess ?

Thursday Already

I can't believe it's Thursday already, this week is really going by quickly. The Pittsburgh penguins hockey team played a fantastic game last night against the Calgary flames. The penguins won 2 to 0, with two defensemen scoring the goals. Once again my friend Dave was at the game, I bet he was loving it !

I've had my new chair a few days and I'm really enjoying it so far. I'm actually sitting a little straighter, which makes breathing a little better due to the lateral supports. I have a tendency to lean to the right (that used to mean a whole different thing) which was hard on my right lung. The lateral supports help with better posture. The other great thing is the battery charger is super quiet, which makes falling asleep a lot easier (no earplugs necessary).

Steve Earle - Six Days on the Road (Live)

Wow what a Poor Example

Check out this Goalie what a poor example of sportsmanship... Something tells me this goalie will have a very difficult time breaking into the NHL !

If you're looking for a good example, once again follow the Pittsburgh penguins. Several of the players delivered pizza to the construction workers yesterday who are building the new arena... I think it's a class organization from the top down.

Sweet 16

Both the men and women's Pitt basketball team's have advanced to the sweet 16 ! That's quite an accomplishment in itself, but I hope they both make it much further. I'm not really a basketball fan but it's always good to see hometown teams do well, especially when you're an alumni.

I know Ohio Buckeye will be watching every game... What's your final bracket look like?

My New Wheelchair Is Finally Here

I say finely but that is really a joke, the chair was delivered in less than one month which is unheard of! I'd really like to thank all the people involved that made this happen so quickly, the chair is everything I thought it would be. The speed package gets me up to 7.5 miles per hour which feels like 200 in a chair. I hope the weather holds up tomorrow, I really wanna take this Baby out for a long run. Check out the video below !

C 500 Permobil

Seeing Eye Horse ?

Having a service dog the last eight years has been a fantastic experience ! Nala gives me so much more independence, safety and companionship. But a seeing eye horse ? Give me a break.... I do not believe exotic animals or horses should be trained as service animals. It's difficult enough to have business owners and the public support service dogs let alone horses etc. Just my opinion, but leave the horse in the barn !

Wheeling Nailers Hockey Game

After watching the penguins lose yesterday to the arch nemesis Philadelphia flyers, I went down to Wheeling West Virginia and watched the wheeling nailers play a team from Reading Pennsylvania. The nailers lost in the last 22 seconds 5 to 4, but it was an exciting game.

While at the game a good friend of mine Kelly let me try her new Kindle 2 reader. It was really surprising how clear the screen was and I was even able to manipulate the tiny joystick with my pencil. It could be a little more quad friendly, but all in all a nice electronic reader with the ability to access the Internet.

Going to the minor league hockey game in wheeling is a fantastic time. It's a cheap afternoon out with friends and I'm looking forward to doing it again soon. If you have a minor league team in your town why not give it a try?

Uncle Kracker - Drift Away

Sunday Sports And Seafood

What a weekend it's been already.... Lent always brings great sales on seafood and yesterday was no exception at giant eagle. Muscles and scallops were on sale, two of my favorites, who am I kidding all types of seafood are my favorites... So I had my fill of muscles and scallops Saturday for dinner!

Today I opened the observer reporter newspaper to find out they published my letter in the sports section on integrity and Chris Kunitz. Speaking of the penguins they play the crybaby Philadelphia flyers today at 12:30 PM. Pittsburgh is favored which is no surprise to me. Pitt plays Oklahoma today in the second round, hopefully they play a little better than they did Friday.... And the wheeling nailers play today at four. It's a big sports weekend here in the burgh.

4 Berries

On a trip to sam's club yesterday we were able to pick up a four pack of berries:
Raspberry, heritage red
Raspberry, royalty
Blueberry, blue crop
Blackberry, triple crown thornless

I'm looking forward to getting them in the ground as soon as possible. Hopefully this summer I will have bowls of berries to eat on the deck along with some delicious strawberries!

Jimmy Buffett - Bama Breeze

900 Blog Post Winner

Today's post is number 901 and we have a random comment winner.... Tamma13 I have a $10.00 Starbucks card with your name on it, well figuratively speaking. If you e-mail me your address privately I will put it in the mail this week.

I printed off everyone's name who made a comment the last month and tossed a penny on the paper to determine a winner.... Very scientific huh? Congratulations to all who played even if you did not realize you were playing, lol

Obama Special Olympics, My Opinion

I think there is a reason that President Obama was the first sitting president to appear on Jay Leno. A casual conversation can quickly become not too Presidential. I think Obama was trying to make fun of himself but clearly offended a lot of people in the process. If you look at his face he Realizes that very quickly, and he bites his lip !

Do I think that Obama needs sensitivity training? No, he made an offhand remark that was not politically correct or sensitive. Do I think that special Olympics will be receiving a heavy donation from the Obama camp, absolutely...

I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, just stay off of the late night talk shows Mr. President. I actually prefer my President to be a little more Presidential.

Obama's Special Olympics on Leno

What do you think of this?

Gardening Season Begins

Yesterday it was around 70°here in Pittsburgh and a beautiful day to say the least. The garden received some much needed spring cleaning / weeding and leaf lettuce was planted in two rows.

The daffodils are about 4 inches tall so the weatherman must be right, spring has made it to Pittsburgh in 2009. I'm really looking forward to having the Garden started. I plan on planting radishes this year, which is new to me along with tomatoes, peppers, parsley, basil, sage, and chives. I'm sure additional plants will make their way into the garden as well, any suggestions ?

I also enjoy berries around the yard. I have had strawberries, red raspberries and blackberries the last several years. This year I would like to add an additional raspberry bush or two through cloning. They're very easy to start and the berries are delicious. I may also put in a few grape plants along with some climbing trellises. At least that's my ambitious gardening schematic in my head.

Rescue Me

Rescue Me is finally on Hulu, here is the first episode. I'm looking forward to the season starting in April. I like a lot of the shows on FX how about you?

Pittsburgh Is Hockey Town

If you're not a hockey fan you may want to stop reading about now... How about that game last night at Mellon arena ? The Pittsburgh Penguins crushed Atlanta 6 to 2, with Malkin getting five points (two goals and three assists) for the second time in his career. He also went over 100 points for the season last night, no small accomplishment there.

The power play scored three points out of six tries.... Oh yeah baby Pittsburgh is on fire ! Along with that game the Philadelphia cry babies lost to Mel's Red Wings, I hate the red wings but I hate Philadelphia more.

The Penguins have only played on four Saint Patrick Day's, and last night was one to be remembered for a longtime. The Penguins style of play does not change no matter who they are playing, the best or the worst, it's a shooting gallery. Bring on the Los Angeles Kings Friday, the Pens will be ready.

DROPKICK MURPHYS - BOYS ON THE DOCKS

Dropkick Murphys -

Kiss My Irish Ass - Keltic Cowboys

I'm Shipping Up To Boston - Dropkick Murphys

Dropkick Murphys -

St. Patrick's Day IS a Holiday!

lol this made me laugh !

The Scotsman

Happy Saint Patrick's Day ! I always liked this song and thought I would share it with all of you. The big question of the day is are you wearing green? I am and plan on having a Guinness later on today. Breakout your tartan and let's see those smiling Irish eyes.....

Mac or Pc

A friend of mine just got a new Mac and was telling me how great it is. I have never used a Mac and thought I would ask your opinion.... Are you a Mac or a PC user, and why?

I use Windows Vista on my laptop and XP on my desktop. For all the complaints about Windows Vista, I have never had any issues and really like it... Go figure.

With a new Mac costing $1100 it's pretty hard to justify on my assistive technology budget. Plus I'm not very familiar with the assistive technology features for a Mac.

Integrity

In professional sports I rarely see personal integrity anymore. That is until yesterday, and it's no surprise that it came from a Pittsburgh Penguin. In yesterday's game against the Boston bruins, Chris Kunitz was credited with a goal off a shot from Sergei Gonchar. Later in the third period Kunitz scored again and the hats hit the ice for his second career hat trick.

Immediately after the penguins win, Kunitz went to the referees to make sure Gonchar received credit for the goal, negating his hat trick. In an era when you only hear about steroid scandals, run ins with the law etc. It's nice to see a professional athlete with some integrity. Kunitz is a great addition to the Penguins line up.

Penguins take down Bruins, 6-4

Penguins take down Bruins, 6-4 Kunitz gets the hat trick....the Pens get 2 points, it's a great day in hockeytown!

Great New Blog

A very good friend of mine Dr. Rachel is down in Miami Florida and started a new blog . She is also trying to raise some money for the challenged athletes foundation, stop over at her blog and check out what she has to say. Rachel is one of the most determined people I have ever met and she is so much fun to be around.

She really help me make it through a statistics class at the University of Pittsburgh... Which is no easy task for which I will be eternally grateful. As far as athleticism goes she is a lot like Lance Armstrong only she is a quadriplegic.... Just don't let her mix the margaritas, she has a tendency to go heavy on the tequila.

Sunday Morning Joke

I will never hear church bells ringing again without smiling . . .

Upon hearing that her elderly grandfather had just passed away, Katie went straight to her grandparent's house to visit her 95-year-old grandmother and comfort her.

When she asked how her grandfather had died, her grandmother replied, "He had a heart attack while we were making love on Sunday morning."

Horrified, Katie told her grandmother that 2 people nearly 100 years old having sex would surely be asking for trouble. "Oh no, my dear," replied granny. "Many years ago, realizing our advanced age, we figured out the best time to do it was when the church bells would start to ring. It was just the right rhythm.

Nice and slow and even . . . nothing too strenuous, simply in on the Ding and out on the Dong."

She paused to wipe away a tear, and continued, "He'd still be alive
if the ice cream truck hadn't come along."

Labrador puppies playing - Very Cute!!

Pawsabilities March 14 and 15th

For those of you in the Harrisburg Pennsylvania area, remember to stop by Pawsabilities today at the Farm show complex. For the rest of us that are unable to make it to Harrisburg, Susquehanna service dogs has a live link to the action HERE .

And they have a great new blog that you can follow along with all the service dog news. Check it out Here

IC Light Super Bowl Cans

The new IC Light Super Bowl Champion cans are going out today. It's not my brand of beer but the cans make a great addition to any Steeler fan's bar...

900 Blog Post

It's hard to believe that I am coming up on my 900th blog post quickly. I should easily reach 900 by the end of the month, and thought I would celebrate with some type of giveaway.

So here's the contest, all you have to do to enter is leave a comment between now and my 900th post. Make sure I have a way to contact you through your blog or e-mail and the winner will be picked randomly. I will contact the winner for his or her address and a small prize will be sent!

Thank you all for making this blog successful and giving me a great way to express my feelings, thoughts and issues... I look at my blog as my window to the world, I've met some very interesting people, learned a lot about myself and about others. Good luck to everyone that enters!

Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Pen 3 goals from the Pens / CBJ game 3/12/09

Although the Penguins lost last night in Columbus 4 to 3 in a shootout, it was still a fantastic effort. The Penguins were losing 0 to 3 going into the third period and were able to score 3 times in three minutes 25 seconds to force overtime. One thing about the Pittsburgh Penguins they played all 60 minutes! They did not make it an eight-game winning streak, but they did come away with a much-needed point in the playoff race.

Military Order of the Purple Heart, Governor Palin, Senator

Military Order of the Purple Heart, Governor Palin, Senator
As you all know, I'm no fan of Palin but this is a great program to match disabled vets with service dogs ! Every state should be doing more for our troops.

Pa RX Drug Price Finder

Looking to find the cheapest price on your RX prices in Pa ? Check out this new state website

WVU's win sets up 3rd game with Pitt

WVU's win sets up 3rd game with Pitt
I know many of you around Pittsburgh and my friends from West Virginia will be glued to the TV tonight at 7 p.m. watching this backyard brawl. But I will be over at FSN watching the Pittsburgh Penguins play the Columbus blue jackets.

I was never really into basketball that much. It seems like to me if you watch the last two minutes you get the whole game. Now hockey, that's a whole different ball of wax. 60 minutes of action! So what will you be watching, basketball or hockey?

For those of you saying basketball, what's wrong with you? The Penguins are on!

Joke

I got this from John... it's too funny !

So there's this man with a parrot. And his parrot swears like a sailor, I mean he's a pistol. He can swear for five minutes straight without repeating himself. The trouble is that the guy who owns the parrot is a quiet, conservative type, and this bird's foul mouth is driving him crazy. One day, it gets to be too much, so the guy grabs the bird by the throat, shakes him really hard, and yells, "QUIT IT!" But this just makes the bird mad and he swears more than ever.

Then the guy gets mad and says, "That's it. I'll get you." and locks the bird in a kitchen cabinet. This really aggravates the bird and he claws and scratches, and when the guy finally lets him out, the bird cuts loose with a stream of invective that would make a veteran sailor blush. At that point, the guy is so mad that he throws the bird into the freezer.

For the first few seconds, there is a terrible din. The bird kicks and claws and thrashes. Then it suddenly goes very quiet. At first the guy just waits, but then he starts to think that the bird may be hurt. After a couple of minutes of silence, he's so worried that he opens up the freezer door.

The bird calmly climbs onto the man's outstretched arm and says, "Awfully sorry about the trouble I gave you. I'll do my best to improve my vocabulary from now on. "The man is astounded. He can't understand the transformation that has come over the parrot. Then the parrot says, "By the way, what did the chicken do?"

Energy Saving Fluorescent Light Bulbs

I really like having these energy saving bulbs and try to use them whenever possible. I say whenever possible because the types of light switches ( X-10 ) I have do not always support fluorescent bulbs. If I try to replace multiple light bulbs in a fixture with fluorescents, I get a weird buzzing noise. Or the light will not turn off all the way. I can get away with replacing 50% of the light bulbs with fluorescents. I like the idea of using less energy but I do not want to replace all of my X-10 switches for newer models just yet.

Pens win Their 7th Straight !

Last night's game showed a lot of character! The penguins came back from a 3 to 1 deficit to defeat the Florida panthers 4 to 3 in a shootout! Their playing like a team that knows they can win which is such a difference from last month's team. The next game will be against Columbus Thursday night, I'm hoping we make it eight in a row!

Tyler Kennedy Licks Hockey Stick

Ok this better never happen again ! I know Talbot spits on his stick.... but Kennedy, never do this again in public !

Word Verification

I'm having a Mr. Monk moment.... I hate Word Verification when leaving comments. I can use voice to text on everything but word verification, and it always seems like I have to type in the word twice, the first time it never accepts my comment. I would leave a lot more comments on blogs if it was not for word verification. Is there a way to turn this off ? I don't believe I have it on mine, do I ?

Deep Fried Pickles

I recently discovered a new appetizer at the local tap room, deep fried pickles! I know they sound crazy, but they are actually very good. What is your favorite appetizer?

The Pittsburgh penguins finally have a home game at Mellon arena against the Florida panthers tonight. My good friend Dave is going and once again I'm jealous of his tickets... I know I'm better looking than him, so I have that going in my favor! Hopefully the penguins continue to play in the offensive zone, we could really use an additional two points.

In a few weeks I will be going to the wheeling nailers hockey game. I'm really looking forward to that with some good friends. Especially since a few penguins had migrated down to the nailers. $13.00 tickets and $3.00 to park how can it be a bad time?

With the weather getting warmer (73° one day and 38° the next) I need to start thinking about the garden and what plants I would like to have put in. I always do a few different varieties of peppers, tomatoes, herbs etc. Looking outside today the strawberry plants are starting to come alive. I really get a lot out of gardening even though my hands never touch the dirt.

Gadget Show Web TV: Disintegrator Rubber Band Gun

I need one of these....lol

Questions On Dogs and Cats: ANOTHER DAY (YEAR) OLDER....

Questions On Dogs and Cats: ANOTHER DAY (YEAR) OLDER.... I have my last guest blog up over at Questions on dogs and cats, please check out Davids great blog!

Safelink Wireless

Lifeline Assistance is part of a program that was created by the government to provide discounted or free telephone service to income-eligible consumers. To help bring you this important benefit, SafeLink Wireless is proud to offer Lifeline Service. Through our Lifeline Service you will receive FREE cellular service, a FREE cell phone, and FREE Minutes every month! SafeLink Wireless Service does not cost anything – there are no contracts, no recurring fees and no monthly charges.

Any Minutes you do not use will roll-over. Features such as caller ID, call waiting and voicemail are all also included with your service. If you need additional Minutes, you can buy TracFone Airtime Cards at any TracFone retailer Walmart, Walgreens, Family Dollar, etc).

This is a great service for individuals that need it, and provides a free cell phone at absolutely no cost! If you receive Medicaid, SSI or meet their income guidelines please apply for this free service.

Obama to restore stem cell funding

Obama to restore stem cell funding
After 8 years of having our head in the sand, scientist will be able to work again ! Why limit our ability to help so many people?

Mahnahmahnah!

It's finally Friday, I've been putting off writing a appeal letter to security blue but I'm going to bang it out today. My afternoon is pretty sweet, my massage therapist is coming to work on my neck and shoulders. A nap is in my future and then a little harmonica playing.... I hope you enjoy your Friday!

Change

Change can be good or bad but it does happen, sometimes without our permission. As I get older I realize it's how we deal with the changes that defines our character. Now before this gets too deep I'm talking about hockey... lol

When the Penguins made a coaching change I was not sure that was the answer. That just goes to show I know absolutely nothing about hockey. The Penguins have been on a terror, winning the last five games in a row. They made personnel changes and these changes paid dividends right away. It seems like they are hitting their stride at the perfect time, when they are fighting for a playoff position.

Last night's game against the Florida Panthers was another 4 to 1 victory. I'm really looking forward to Sunday's game against Washington. Go Penguins!

Wings

Last night the weather was warm so I ventured out of my cave and went out for wings. I had 10 hot Parmesan and they were delicious! A little spicy, and I could feel the heat in the back of my throat. The only thing that could have made it better was if the hockey game was on.... the Penguins play the Florida Panthers tonight, I'm looking for a big win in Florida!

What's your favorite Wing sauce?

Bloomberg.com: Politics

Bloomberg.com: Politics
When I read this last week I was pretty upset that we were going to give $900 million to help rebuild Gaza. After all, these individuals cannot stand the United States 99% of the time. The article points out that Hamas will not receive any of this money.... Give Me a Break! Hamas is a terrorist organization that controls Gaza, nothing goes into or out of the area without Hamas getting their taste.

Today I read that rockets are continuing to be fired into Israel. The cease-fire is obviously not working. I do not pretend to have any answers when discussing Middle Eastern peace. I do not believe giving $900 million of our tax dollars is the answer.

Certifications and Trainings

Beth pointed out a very interesting web site this morning, Manure Trader.org where you post offers to buy or sell, give away or request, manure... And here's the catch, in order to broker or transport said manure you have to be registered! I don't mean fill out a website registry, I mean take a class and a written test through the state of Pennsylvania, to be a certified manure broker or transporter. Think I'm kidding? Check out this web site for all you kids out there thinking you don't really need to finish your education, just remember today's blog, you even need a certification to shovel shit....

Blankets, Braces and Boxing

Getting ready for bed requires some decision-making. Do I wear arm braces that lock my arms at the elbow and do I put my arms under the covers? Each decision has ramifications.... If I wear the arm braces, I cannot scratch my face very easily. If I don't wear the arm braces my muscles pull up, and my arms hurt worse. If I leave my arms uncovered I get cold, under the blankets I'm trapped....

I generally try some type of compromise, one arm brace on under the covers, with a free arm to scratch. Last night was cold, so I tried one arm brace and both arms under the covers. It turned out to be not a very good decision. My face and shoulders were itching and I tried to ignore it for a good 20 minutes. Have you ever tried to ignore an itch for 20 minutes? Eventually I had to box my way out of the covers like I was going nine rounds with Mike Tyson. After that I was too keyed up to sleep... Another night of insomnia.

Dropkick Murphys- The Spicy McHaggis Jig

The Friars BCE 07 - Another Irish Drinking Song

Lets get ahead start on Paddy's day...

Monday's Meandering

First of all I have to say I hate FSN (fox sports network)... Yesterday at 3:00pm I was all set to watch the Pittsburgh Penguins play the Dallas Stars on FSN. About 1 minute into the first period FSN went blank ! And continued to be a blank screen for almost the entire first period.

So what's a hockey fanatic to do? I went online and watched it in Russian, muted the sound and turned on the radio ! Fortunately I have a 22 inch monitor so it was not the end of the world, get it together FSN, you guys really suck.

The good news is the penguins won 4 to 1, the great news is they moved into the playoff hunt capturing eighth place! Face offs and first downs does a great job recapping the game and even has some great video, check their blog out.

I'm also guest bloging this week over at Questions On Dogs And Cats it's really great that David let's me talk about service dogs on his blog. As a retired veterinarian he provides great information for our four legged friends.

Paul Harvey dies at 90 :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: News

Paul Harvey dies at 90 :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: News
I used to listen to Paul Harvey when I would travel for business in the car. I always liked his stories and think he was the original blogger. I especially liked his human interest stories and his signature sign off, Paul Harvey good day!

I think the only one that comes close to his type of broadcast is Charles Gibson at world news ABC. I usually try to watch his broadcast nightly. What are your favorite news programs?