Monday, August 31, 2009

Wristwatch


I started wearing my wristwatch again this weekend. It's been a little over 10 years since my accident, that's the last time I wore a watch every day.

Being the obsessive compulsive that I am, I naturally went to the atomic clock online to set the time. You never know when we may have to synchronize our watches for an upcoming Quad event....

I'm feeling more like my old self just looking down and seeing the watch face. I don't think I'll be going Diving today, but at least I'll be ready.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Steelers Preseason 2009

I watched the Pittsburgh Steelers play the Buffalo Bills last night here in Pittsburgh. It was a beautiful evening for a football game and Pittsburgh shutout Buffalo 17 - 0 .

The starters played the first half and I think they played pretty well. I liked the new kick returner Logan, he is only 5 foot 6 inches tall. But he certainly plays much bigger. I look for him to make some big plays this year.

The only downside of the game was listening to Edmond Nelson, the announcer for channel two. I really cannot take his play by play commentary, I think anyone would do a better job...

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Adventure


In the early 1980s I started reading Outside Magazine. If you're not familiar with the magazine, its similar to National Geographic. Except it concentrates on outdoor activities (hiking, biking, kayaking etc.) and adventures.

I looked at both magazines on line this morning and I'm still amazed at the photography and stories. My adventures these days are much different than in the past. I prefer a comfortable hotel room to a week backpacking. I still carry a poncho in my backpack, but it is necessary to protect my electronics. My Swiss army knife is also there, some habits never change.

As Jimmy Buffett said " I woke up dry beneath the African sky, just me and my Swiss army knife". There's very little you cannot accomplish with that one essential tool.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Fall Television Shows


I can't believe it's getting to be the end of August already. The good news is the fall television lineup is just around the corner. I'm looking forward to watching the second season of sons of anarchy, bones, the big bang theory and house. What are some of your favorite television shows this fall?

Thursday, August 27, 2009

5 seconds

(Nala as a puppy)

My service dog Nala must think I am faster than a speeding bullet. Whenever I leave her outside she comes back to the door and sits. Then she paws once on the door and waits approximately 5 seconds then paws a second time.... like hey, I'm out here.

When I do open the door she waits to be invited in... Seriously, you have to call her in like Dracula. Her training taught her not to go through doors without a command.

I know she thinks of me as her service person, I probably would not have it any other way.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Dell V305 all in one Printer


Last night I set up my Dell V305 wireless printer, scanner and copier. I really do not use a printer very often but this one is going to come in handy. It's so easy to scan and print from my laptop now. The printer was fairly inexpensive ($49.00) and will meet all of my needs.....

PC magazine gave it a good review, if you're looking for a wireless printer, scanner, copier I don't think you can go wrong with this one.

Ted Kennedy 1932 - 2009

Ted Kennedy lost his battle with brain cancer last night. He had a lifetime of service to this country and changed the lives of millions of Americans.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Tuesday's thoughts

Well the weatherman says it's going to be a beautiful day here in the Burgh, sorry for the meltdown yesterday. I'll try to keep my rants to a minimum the rest of the week.

I plan on enjoying the day and getting out a bit with my friend Mark today... Grabbing some lunch and setting up my new wireless printer. It should be a pretty productive day. Hopefully you get to enjoy the day as well!

Monday, August 24, 2009

Third Head or Just really Handsome?


I realize I'm quite handsome and will get the occasional stare.... But this morning at breakfast a man nearly walked into a table as he stared at me while walking away.

Often children will look at me and try to figure out what's up with the wheelchair, that's normal, children are curious. What really bothers me is adults who are so obvious I want to say " Have you been living in a cave all of your life, have you never seen a wheelchair before?".

This is going to sound really arrogant, but I want to say I'm probably happier than the looker, better educated, have more hair, traveled the world, make more money and have more friends than he ever will. Yes I use a power wheelchair to get around in.... I'm still doing better than you.... stop looking at me.

And I should add.. my dog is smarter, my laptop is faster, my van is cooler, my house is better, my penis is bigger.... ok I may be going to far with this.

Can you tell I'm having a little disability meltdown today?

Kensington Expert Mouse


I bought a new mouse over the weekend and it's been working out great. It is a Trackball mouse, specifically a Kensington Expert Mouse. The Trackball is a little larger then my previous mouse (logitech) and this one has four buttons instead of two.

The top left button enables a scroll and the top right button goes back. These can be pretty useful features. I will keep you informed of how this mouse is working out, so far I'm pretty impressed with its performance.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

You Have To Be From Pennsylvania

A guy was traveling through Mexico on vacation when, low and behold, he lost
his wallet and all identification. Cutting his trip short, he attempted to
make his way home, but was stopped by the Customs Agent at the Tijuana
border.

'May I see your identification, please?' asked the agent.

'I'm sorry, but I lost my wallet,' replied the guy.

'Sure, buddy, I hear that every day. No ID, no crossing the border,' said
the agent.

'But I can prove that I'm an American!' he exclaimed. 'I have a picture of
President Obama tattooed on one butt cheek and a picture of Vice-President
Biden on the other. '

'This I gotta see,' replied the agent..

With that, the man dropped his pants and bent over in front of the agent.

'By golly, you're right!' exclaimed the agent. 'Go on home to Pennsylvania.

'Thanks!' he said. 'But how did you know I was from Pennsylvania?

The agent replied, 'I recognized the picture of Governor Rendell in the
middle.'

Friday, August 21, 2009

Court Decisions This Week

In the last few days there have been two court decisions that I'd like to talk about today. One I agree with and the other I feel is completely wrong.

First let's talk about Scotland's decision to free the Lockerbie bomber. He served eight years of a life sentence for killing 270 people..... And Scotland released him to a hero's welcome in Libya. It's disgraceful and a slap in the face to all the victims of this terroristic event. This judge's decision could not have been more wrong.

In New York, Plaxico Burress accepted a two year plea agreement for criminal possession of a weapon which carries a mandatory 3 1/2 year sentence. We really do not need new gun laws, we just need to enforce the laws already on the books.

I'm glad the judge made the right decision and sentenced Burress. He was obviously guilty of the crime and should pay the penalty. This should also be true for all the other individuals who carry a firearm illegally. Whats your opinion?

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Thursday's Thoughts

Today is starting off really well, my order from Joseph A Bank came today. I was able to purchase two dress shirts and three pairs of dress pants for around $56.00 not that I dress up that often, but it was just too good of a deal to pass up. The holidays are coming and at least I'll be prepared with some proper attire.

I really do not miss wearing a suit and tie every day. I almost never wear a necktie anymore. Going to catholic school 12 years and another 10 years in business equaled 22 years of ties.... I figure that's enough for any guy.

From now on it's mostly polo shirts and tee shirts. I do like to wear Dockers when I go out, but mostly I wear sweatpants. There are no seams, so it is butt friendly clothing. Hockey season is just around the corner and I'm prepared with a few game jerseys.

I'd better stop with the fashion blog... I'm sure to lose a few readers if I continue.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

The Paraplegic Chef

Check out the great recipe for salmon and mango salsa over at The Paraplegic Chefs Web Site. Tell me that doesn't sound Delicious with a nice bottle of wine outside on the deck one evening.

I do eat more than beef jerky ya know !

Meatcards.com


OK, I don't know why I did not think of this over the last 40 odd years. I love beef jerky! A couple of guys over at Meatcards.com came up with the idea of lasering your business card information on beef jerky. As soon as this company gets this up and running I am ordering business cards!

As they say, if the apocalypse ever comes you can eat your business cards... I love this business plan, were can I invest?

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Too funny

Blond Mortician

A man who just died is delivered to a local mortuary wearing an
expensive, expertly tailored black suit.

The female blonde mortician asks the deceased's wife how she would
like the body dressed. She points out that the man does look good in
the black suit he is already wearing.

The widow, however, says that she always thought her husband looked
his best in blue, and that she wants him in a blue suit.
She gives the Blonde mortician a blank check and says, 'I don't care
what it costs, but please have my husband in a blue suit for the
viewing.'

The woman returns the next day for the wake. To her delight, she finds
her husband dressed in a gorgeous blue suit with a subtle chalk
stripe; the suit fits him perfectly .

She says to the mortician, 'Whatev er this cost, I'm very satisfied .
You did an excellent job and I'm very grateful. How much did you
spend? To her astonishment, the blonde mortician presents her with the blank
check. There's no charge,' she says.

'No, really, I must compensate you for the cost of that exquisite blue
suit!' she says. Honestly, ma'am,' the blonde says, 'it cost nothing. You see, a
deceased gentleman of about your husband's size was brought in shortly
after you le ft yesterday, and he was wearing an attractive blue suit.

I asked his wife if she minded him going to his grave wearing a black
suit instead, and she said it made no difference as long as he looked
nice.'

'So I just switched the heads.'

Dealnews.com

A friend of mine, Mark turned me on to this web site a few weeks back. They offer some incredible deals and I thought I would pass along this one.

They are offering dress shirts from Joseph A Bank for $9.99. If any of you know Joseph A Bank, you know they sell a quality product. I took advantage of this offer today and picked up two new dress shirts for $26.92, including shipping.

Monday, August 17, 2009

The Site That Breathes

I have been following The Site That Breathes for a while now. Jenni is a very talented artist and she has a very interesting blog, stop by and check out her site, I think you will be glad you did. She's a young woman who has a lot to offer.

Hot Peppers


On Sunday we picked some hot peppers from the garden and made sausage and peppers. They were really delicious with just the right amount of heat. You never know with hot peppers just how hot they will be. Last year they were almost uneatable...

My garden has not been very productive this year and I really have no idea why. Just this week my tomatoes are starting to get ripe enough to pick, it's hard to believe it's the middle of August and I'm just now getting tomatoes.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Second Chances

Crimes against animals are despicable and it's very difficult to move on. Sentencing laws need to be changed to increase the penalty for these heinous crimes, that being said. He did serve his time in Federal prison and should be able to pursue his chosen profession, which is football.

Make no mistake the NFL is a business. If you feel strongly about Michael Vick, don't buy Philadelphia eagles tickets, merchandise etc. I know I will never be a Michael Vick fan.... Or an eagles fan for that matter. But I do think he can spend the next 40 years trying to make up for his crimes... It's up to him what he does with this chance.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Michael Vick Heads to Philadelphia

Michael Vick just signed a two year agreement with the Philadelphia eagles. From what I know about Philadelphia, he may not be the only ex felon in the locker room...

I'm really glad he went to Philadelphia, I dislike most team's from Philadelphia ( hockey and football) except their baseball team. Living in Pittsburgh any baseball team that wins I'm all for....

I hope Michael Vick takes this opportunity as a second chance and plays by society's rules again. He did his time, let's move on.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

G 20 Pittsburgh 2009

On September 24 and 25th Pittsburgh will play host to the G 20 Summit . 19 of the world's most powerful economic countries and the European Union will have representatives here in the Burgh.

President Obama chose Pittsburgh to show off the city to the world. Our universities and Medical Centers are some of the best in the country. Pittsburgh has numerous certified green buildings, our unemployment is low, and housing cost are reasonable. All in all it's a great place to live.

So why am I Dreading September 24 and 25th ? The city will be invaded with thousands of protesters, thousands of tourist etc. Traffic will become a nightmare, storefronts will be boarded up, barriers will be set up.... Does Pittsburgh really need this? Will the benefits outweigh the cost?

Schools and universities are closing for several days that week. If you work in the city my advice to you is; take your vacation late this year, get out of town and avoid the anarchist, protesters and clueless drivers.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

First Wi-Fi Pacemaker in U.S. Gives Patient Freedom - ABC News

First Wi-Fi Pacemaker in U.S. Gives Patient Freedom - ABC News These came out in July and should help a great many people. I love to see Tech. improve the lives of individuals !

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Eunice Kennedy Shriver dies at 88 - CNN.com

Eunice Kennedy Shriver dies at 88 - CNN.com The disability community lost a longtime advocate... At least her good works live on.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Average dog has mental abilities of 2-year-old child

Average dog has mental abilities of 2-year-old child I'm not sure if Nala has the intelligence of a two year old child or not, but I do know she is one smart dog... And I take exception to poodles being smarter then labrador retrievers, I mean really just look at them.

What are your thoughts on the intelligence of dogs? For those of you with small children, is your dog smarter then a two year old?

Friday, August 7, 2009

Friday's thoughts

If you have been watching any news this week I'm sure you all have heard about the tragic shooting here in Pittsburgh. George Sodini killed three women and wounded nine others at LA Fitness here in Bridgeville Pennsylvania at the great southern shopping center. My nephew belonged to that gym, but thankfully was not there.

Pittsburghers have experienced several tragedies like this already this year... In the aftermath, what bothers me is the sick fascination with the killers life. We have read his ramblings from his blog on the news, seen his you tube videos and given him his 15 minutes of fame. I would much rather hear about the women who lost their lives or who were wounded by this homicidal maniac...

Five things

From face book: What five things could be used as bait in order to catch me in a trap?

1. Beef jerky....... I'm seriously addicted

2. My laptop computer... Again I need a 12 step program

3. Earl grey tea

4. My cell phone, Palm Centro

5. Black labrador retriever

What would be your bait?

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Casino


A few nights ago I went to a local casino / horse racing track with a few friends. It was the first time I was ever at The Meadows and have to say it was very nice.

We started out at the horse racing track. Although we bet several races ($2.00 and $3.00 bets) none of us were winners. It could be the fact that I knew nothing about horse racing and was merely betting on the names of the horses... It was still fun watching the horses go around and cheering for our favorites.

Then we all moved upstairs to the casino and tried our hand at gambling....

Pa does not allow table games, only slot machines and video games. I'm not really into slots or the one arm bandits as I like to call them, so I concentrated on video blackjack....

Although I needed assistance hitting the buttons, it was a lot of fun! I managed to win back the money I lost on the horses and figure I broke even for the night. It's not something I would do very often (I'm just too cheap) but I did have a really great time. I can see how people can get the fever.... But that's one addiction I don't think I need to worry about.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Joke

Three mischievous old Grannies were sitting on a bench outside a nursing home When an old Grandpa walked by.

And one of the old Grandmas yelled out saying, "We bet we can tell exactly how old you are."

The old man said, "There is no way you can guess it, you old fools."
One of the old Grandmas said, "Sure we can!
Just drop your pants and under shorts and we can tell your exact age."

Embarrassed just a little, but anxious to prove they couldn't do it, he dropped his drawers.

The Grandmas asked him to first turn around a couple of times and to jump up and down several times.Then they all piped up and said,
"You're 87 years old!"

Standing with his pants down around his ankles, the old gent asked, "How in the world did you guess?"

Slapping their knees and grinning from ear to ear, the three old ladies happily yelled in unison...

"We were at your birthday party yesterday

Wheelchair Survival Backpack


Survival Backpack

Everyone's spinal cord injury is different; there are no perfect lists to prepare you for your individual journey through life. That being said, here is my Survival Backpack (items I never leave home without).

1. A high quality backpack securely attached to my wheelchair.

2. Distinct zipper pulls on the backpack. This enables me to direct assistants when retrieving items out of my backpack.

3. A poncho, your choice (a cheap throw away or a quality packable). It's always important to keep your electronics dry.

4. Sunscreen

5. Sunglasses

6. Swiss army knife

7. Eating utensils, cup holder (I use a fork that is bent and goes into my brace).

8. Long straws in a PVC container (prevents breaking).

9. Zip ties, Velcro and duct tape.

10 Business cards to exchange e-mail addresses etc.

11 Urinary supplies

12 Small pillbox, extra medication

13 Service Dog supplies (bottled water, bowl, extra food, ball, plastic bags)

What's in your Survival Backpack?

Kurzweil 3000

I just finished a free 30 day trial of the software Kurzweil 3000. This software is for individuals with Learning Disabilities such as Dyslexia or people who have difficulty reading and learn more effectively through listening.

It also provides several dictionaries, language translations and the ability to pull vital information from a document into an outline form in order to complete assignments. The software also contains word prediction which can be very useful. It's an expensive software, but I believe well worth it for individuals with disabilities. You can download your own trial at their website.

PPUT Senator Al Franken Introduces New Legislation for Funding to Train Service Dogs to Assist Veterans Wounded in the Line of Duty

PPUT Senator Al Franken Introduces New Legislation for Funding to Train Service Dogs to Assist Veterans Wounded in the Line of Duty Here is legislation that I can totally get behind. This would provide funding to train service dogs for veterans. The training would be provided by inmates. It seems like a win win situation any way you look at it. Check out the article for yourself and let me know what you think.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Skype Phone

In today's economy everyone is looking to save money so I thought I would pass along this information. Skype has unlimited calling computer to computer for free and unlimited computer to phone for $2.95 anywhere in the United States and Canada.

For me it's much easier to place calls through my computer and the $2.95 that I spend each month, saves me much more than that on my cell phone bill... It may not be for everyone, but I find the phone service to be excellent quality and very cheap.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Netflix

A good friend of mine was down this week and connected my computer to my television and suggested I check out Netflix . Mark said that I could instantly download movies and watch them on the big screen and also suggested the show Dexter .

Dexter is a serial killer but only kills other killers. He is also a crime scene technician ... Since I mostly watch television programs that revolve around homicide investigations, CSI, or cops this is right up my alley.

Yesterday I watched about 8 hours of Dexter ...if this keeps up I may need a 12 step program for Netflix.