Laptops vs. Desktops

I'm going to get a lot of crap for posting this blog, but hey, it's how I feel.
I just learned that I have to do away with my PC at the office (AND AT HOME) and use a laptop. UGH. I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate laptops. Did I say I hate them?
-My office MADE ME use them about 4 years ago. The first brand new MAC laptop had a harddrive failure and I lost everything. The replacement had a harddrive failure 3 weeks into using it - I again lost everything. The THIRD replacement had a harddrive failure (and NO, I never removed them from the office, beat them tossed them against the wall or abused them). The store that provided them said "just a bad batch." That was enough to permanently OFF me from Macs and Laptops. I've been using a GREAT PC by DELL since then, in both the office and at home. They work wonderfully, and NO hard-drive crashes.
- NOW I learned that the gov't WANTS me to use a laptop. UGH. HATE IT!! I don't want to lug this thing to and from the office. I don't want to have to worry about leaving it in my vehicle to run an errand to avoid having it melt or freeze (OH, I also had the misfortune of having a laptop stolen from my truck many years ago..forgot about laptop #4). I want my PC. I want my DELL. I hate Apple. I hate MacIntosh. They're NOT INTUITIVE. They're cumbersome and awkward. Now I have to relearn everything and use something I can't stand. Plus, I'm sure after a month the damned harddrive will CRASH. At least I have everything on a memory stick now. SIGH.

Too Hot to Enjoy the Outdoors /Tom's Grandma

We went from one of the coldest winters in decades, and the snowiest winter on record (since records started being kept in 1889) to the hottest summer ever recorded in the mid-Atlantic.
Just like that old great country song by Mark Chestnut called "Too Cold at Home," its too darn hot to do anything outside!
HERE ARE THE LYRICS: Well, it sure feels good to come in here
And just pull up a seat. A frosty mug of a cool one, Helps to beat the heat. These old dog days of summer Lord, I'll be glad when they're gone. It's too hot to fish, too hot for golf and too cold at home.
A TRIBUTE TO TOM'S GRANDMA - This weekend would have been Tom's grandmother Grace's 100th birthday. She passed 4 years ago, however, but remains strongly around Tom today. Grandma has been tossing Tom pennies and other change since she passed. Today we drove to eastern Virginia with our dogs, Dolly and Franklin and went to her gravesite to pay tribute to her. She's in a nice, peaceful place.
As usual, Rob received some messages at the cemetary. I got my tell-tale headache indicating there were some spirits or ghosts present. Now, cemetaries aren't "haunted," until living people come there with feelings of love and other emotions to "power up the spirits." If there were earth-bound ghosts there, negative energy would power them up, but love powers spirits who have crossed into the light. Grandma gave me several messages and one was her telling me how she would go out in the backyard kitchen (separate from the house) and bring ice cream to Tom when he stayed there as a kid. Tom confirmed that one for me. There were other images, some of which we're still trying to understand.
Grandma Grace was really funny. I only knew here about 6 months before she passed and 5 of those she spent in a nursing home. She had a good wit about her, and was loved by many people in the town. She did a lot of sewing for people, and Tom tells me she was a good cook, too, always canning and preserving something. She's very loved and missed.
I sensed some other spirits that were able to "power up" when we were there- one leaning against a tree, another sitting on his gravestone. I didn't get their messages though (we didn't stick around a long time as it was too hot!).

Always "Stumpin'" Doin'

We had a cedar tree taken down in our backyard this weekend, bccause it was growing into the powerlines, and BGE (power company) was going to come and hack it down (and likely leave all of it for us to cart to the landfill. So, we hired someone who did it all. We're going to replace it with smaller trees when the blistering heat lets up (likely October!)

Today's Maryland Earthquake

There was a small Earthquake northwest of Washington, DC today. There was no damage reported, as it was 3.7 on the richter scale. It occurred at 5:04 a.m. EDT, and it was centered about 40 miles northwest of Bowie, Md. in Gaithersburg, Md. (that's about 20 miles north of Washington, DC.)at 39.167°N, 77.252°W.
I didn't feel it (I was at home with the dogs while Tom was enroute to work in his car) but our dachshund Franklin let out a yelp when it occurred! I remember looking at the clock and saw that it was around 5:04 a.m. Animals always sense earthquakes.
The quake originated about 3 miles deep. It just shook things from Virginia to New Jersey. Above is the map of where the quake was felt (Intensity Map created by the U.S. Geological Survey who monitors earthquakes). the star represents the point of origin (we're east of Washington, DC). The last time we had a small quake in this area was May 2008.

Superhero Movies in the Works!

GREEN LANTERN MOVIE - SUMMARY: Ryan Reynolds stars as Hal Jordan, a cocky test pilot who becomes a ring-wearing intergalactic superhero in this massive sci-fi epic from director Martin Campbell (Casino Royale). Though Reynolds has prior experience in the superhero realm from his role as Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, playing Green Lantern involved some major challenges, like getting hurled through the air on a wire at up to 60 feet per second to create the illusion of flight. “The first time you do it, you’re seriously considering an adult diaper,” Reynolds says. Still, he couldn’t resist the chance to play the beloved DC Comics hero, whose power ring can conjure virtually anything he can dream up.
**ROB'S TAKE ON IT - I'll watch anything with Ryan Reynolds...he's hot!**
GHOST RIDER 2 - Nicolas Cage also confirms his own return for the comic book sequel
Nicolas Cage will return for a Ghost Rider sequel helmed by Neveldine/Taylor, the actor confirmed tonight on The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
ROB'S TAKE ON IT - Tom and I loved the first Ghost Rider, and look forward to #2!
THOR - FeaturesChris Hemsworth as Thor and Anthony Hopkins as Odin in Marvel Studios' Thor, coming to 3D and 2D theaters on May 6, 2011.
ROB'S TAKE ON IT - Never a fan of Thor, but have always loved Norse mythology. May be interesting.

2 Articles of Interest Today: Judge Judy and Vitamin D

We take Vitamin D, and we love Judge Judy (we watch her every night), so I found these articles interesting from USA Today.
Study: Exercise, tea and vitamin D to ward off dementiaBy Mary Brophy Marcus, USA TODAY
Improved living and diet habits — including lots of physical activity, regular tea-drinking and sufficient vitamin D levels — could reduce the risk of brain decline, according to three studies. FULL STORY: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-07-12-alzheimerslifestyle12_ST_N.htm?POE=click-refer


Judge Judy: No one gets the best of her in court, in ratings
By Scott Bowles, USA TODAY
LOS ANGELES — The defendant has stepped in it now.
"I never lie!" he says, raising his voice and a finger Judith Sheindlin's way.
The courtroom goes quiet as spectators realize the man is done for. Sheindlin —Judge Judy to anyone who owns a television set — stiffens in her seat, not sure what she just heard. "Excuse me?" she asks, raising an eyebrow, giving that look like you just interrupted her putt. "I said I never ..."
"God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason!" Sheindlin bellows at the man and his wife, who standaccused of defaulting on a loan. "Time to use the ears. When you lie as long as he has, it just gets to be a habit, doesn't it? Don't look at your wife. She's not going to help you. Look at me!"
Sheindlin brings the gavel down. "Judgment for plaintiff. You're paying your debts." She leans over to longtime bailiff Petri Hawkins-Byrd. "Get rid of them," she whispers. "I'm through with them." Sheindlin is up and out the door. FULL STORY: http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2010-07-14-judgejudy14_CV_N.htm

Where is the News?

I'd like to know what happened to television news... This week, there are about 3 stories that are running over and over, Lindsey Lohan goes to jail (WHO CARES), Mel Gibson spewed obscenities to his girlfriend -with whom this "devout" Catholic didn't marry, but had a child with (that's another rant)- (WHO CARES), and the oil spill (we all care).
If you look at the state section in USA Today's newspaper, you'll notice there are a TON of things happening in all 50 states, some of which impact people everywhere, or affect people outside the state who know someone that resides there. I would rather get a quick "state-by-state news snapshot" than hear about Mel Gibson for 15 minutes!
Here are some stories from various states that I found in newspapers from major cities in them. These stories could be relevant to the rest of the U.S.!
From ARKANSAS: More than 600 Entergy customers are without power Tuesday morning after storms rolled through Arkansas overnight.
From OREGON: Oregon lawmakers in 2011 may ban plastic bags, charge for paper bags in 2012 (*This is sure to spread around the U.S.)
From OREGON: Oregon State University entomologist looks to uncover what's killing honeybees (*Much needed study for the entire U.S.)
From MINNESOTA: Minneapolis weighs adding fee on unfinished buildings - Minneapolis advanced a proposal to extend an annual $6,550 penalty on vacant buildings to new properties. (*This could catch on elsewhere, too)
I did a quick scan of the front pages of newspapers from these 3 states, and this news could be relevant to EVERYONE. So, why isn't it reported? SAD.

GOOD CANINE NEWS FROM USA TODAY - I didn't know that USA Today has its own news page on-line devoted to dogs! It's a great page, and I've bookmarked it. Take a look.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/pawprintpost/index

Need Hay? We have lots of it!

The typical summer-time drought in the mid-Atlantic killed our lawn on June 1. The summertime climate has become one where June, July and August have blistering hot temperatures with very little rain. Our lawn is evidence of that- it's all browned and looks like hay (This photo was taken on July 11). We've lost quite a number of trees, shrubs and other plants, despite watering. It's just too hot. In fact, June almost tied the all-time heat record for the month, and the first 2 weeks of July are breaking records. So, if you're in our neighborhood, and riding through on a horse, come on by- we can feed him!

Great Book All Ages-"There's a Dead Person Following My Sister Around"

I recently went to a Scholastic book warehouse sale with a good friend who found the paperback "There's a Dead Person Following My Sister Around" by author Vivian Vande Velde.
I just finished the book (142 pages) and although its written for kids and young teens, I LOVED IT!
I learned the Ms. Vande Velde has written others like it, which I intend to read (even though we have no children). The Publisher's Website says of the book "Vande Velde continues her string of historical ghost stories, this time focusing on the Underground Railroad. The first-person narrator, 11-year-old Ted, is certain that his house in Rochester, NY, can't be haunted because it has been in his family for generations and there have been no secrets to speak of in its past. Then his five-year-old sister Vicki's imaginary friend Marella and the "bad lady" who seems to be chasing her prove themselves to be all too real. Ted decides to get to the bottom of the mystery and finds a journal belonging to one of his ancestors that recounts the tragic story of two runaway slaves, a mother and her five-year-old daughter, who drowned in the Erie Canal, which used to run through the family's backyard."
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book. It was a fun and enjoyable read.

IRONIC: From PeopleofWalmart.com

(Thanks to Mom F in Maine for another hilarious email) - This gem of a photo is from "PeopleofWalmart.com" and as the person who posted it says:
The irony here is overwhelming. I’m just going to sit back and let you soak it in.

Shaping into a Record Hot July/ Why??

The cold front passed through yesterday, so we went from highs near 100 to highs in the lower 90s. That's not much of a "cold front." This morning, after a 1 hour dog walk this morning and despite the lower humidity, it's still hot. It was 80F at 10am, and going to 92F today.
This is already shaping up to be the HOTTEST July on record in the Baltimore/Washington, DC area. Right after the 2nd hottest June on record (since records began in 1889). We missed tying the record by an average of 1/10th of a degree over the 30 days in June. Big deal!
And, after the COLDEST winter in 2 decades (that lasted 5 months), no springtime, and the hottest summer on record, you ask - What has happened to middle ground?
The answer: It was an El Nino winter and we've not got a La Nina summer. That's the reason for the extreme seasons and this weather madness. SIGH!!!

What Comics Does Rob Read? Recommend?

Recently a friend of ours asked what comic books I (Rob) still read today. Mostly, I prefer the DC comics line of superheroes.
Superman, Batman and Robin, Batgirl, Red Robin (formerly Robin), Green Lantern, Flash, Action Comics (another series that includes Superman), Justice League of America, Justice Society of America, and the only Marvel Comics series I read is Captain America. Right now, I'm also reading the entire DC Comics "Brightest Day" storyline, which is the follow up to "Blackest night." I'm also trying out the brand new Zatanna comic line, which is pretty good!
RECOMMENDED GRAPHIC NOVELS - Graphic novels are extremely popular. They're simply compilations of monthly comics that depict complete storylines, and they're more for patient people (unlike me when it comes to superhero comics).
I recommend the new DC graphic novel of the "Blackest Night" storyline out of the Green Lantern series. This is one of the BEST storylines in comics history. So, what's that storyline about? Blackest Night involves a personified force of death resurrecting deceased superheroes and seeking to eliminate all life and emotion from the universe. Geoff Johns has identified the series' central theme as "emotion."[2] The crossover was published for eight months via a limited series, as well as in both the Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps comic titles. FOR VIDEO:http://www.dccomics.com/sites/greenlantern/

"Blackest Night' is right up there with DC's Infinite Crisis, and Crisis on Infinite Earths (from the mid-2000s and 1984). AVOID "Final Crisis." That was a stupid waste of time.
Tom just read the graphic novel of "1602" by Marvel comics, where the characters (superheroes of today) are placed in that time period. He said its a great story.