IM

is it weird that i have a section in my list titled 'ppl i hate'?

note - if you say it is, i will put you on it
note note - i'm hungry
note note note - these note things don't quite work like a ps
note note note note - i'm a bit bored

good to know

apparently the last four days of dizziness were not just me being crazy, but real and true vertigo.  and my pulse is crazy fast, who knew?

here's my version of what the doctor said and hence what vertigo is:
inside your ear there's this area, which he represented by making a rounded triangle kinda shape over his fist.  in it is thick liquid, i think, and maybe some thinner liquid?  anyhow, somewhere in there is some calcium, too.  the liquid is what tells your brain where you are in space.  if the calcium things are in the wrong place, the liquid bit can't tell where you are, and you feel motion sickness effects any time you move your head.

now i'm going to look up vertigo online and tell you what really is going on, and we can see how well i pay attention.
"Vertigo is a symptom, not a disease. The term vertigo refers to the sensation of spinning or whirling that occurs as a result of a disturbance in balance (equilibrium). It also may be used to describe feelings of dizziness, lightheadedness, faintness, and unsteadiness. The sensation of movement is called subjective vertigo and the perception of movement in surrounding objects is called objective vertigo.

Vertigo usually occurs as a result of a disorder in the vestibular system (i.e., structures of the inner ear, the vestibular nerve, brainstem, and cerebellum). The vestibular system is responsible for integrating sensory stimuli and movement and for keeping objects in visual focus as the body moves.

When the head moves, signals are transmitted to the labyrinth, which is an apparatus in the inner ear that is made up of three semicircular canals surrounded by fluid. The labyrinth then transmits movement information to the vestibular nerve and the vestibular nerve carries the information to the brainstem and cerebellum (areas of the brain that control coordination, balance, movement, blood pressure, and consciousness)."

ok, not bad for not so fully listening...  my ears are still bugging me, but at least now i can FUNCTION!

well

goodbye to the olympics!  thanks for the entertainment.

hello to regular programming returning!

and a big old happy to having yummy cider and my best friend with me right now  : )

unaware much?

while i've never been a big fan of julianne moore (something about her looks annoying), she has actually taken a step into the realm of sheer stupidity.

she's in a new movie called freedomland in which she plays a single mom.  to make the point of how pathetically alone the character is, she said in an interview that you could see this woman shopping at wal mart ...

darling ms. moore.  where do you think most of your fans shop when they need something cheap?  are you kidding?  wal mart shopping is now a sign of being poor, alone, and disenfranchised?

hang your head in shame.

XX

having not had TV this past week i uncharacteritically have not seen a lot of the Olympics.  So here I am at 7 am, watching hockey - germany and switzerland, two countries i care little about.  but it's sports, on ice, in italy, so it's on.  hopefully curling in 20 minutes will be more entertaining.  : )

i want more luge!

from my momsie

It's been awhile since I've had a really juicy credit card scam to 
warn you about, so I suppose it was inevitable that one would show up. 
This particular scenario is so sophisticated that I can see how a 
person might think it just has to be legitimate. But don't believe it. 
Here's how it goes.

The person calling says, "This is (name), and I'm calling from the 
Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge number is 12460. Your 
card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling 
to verify. This would be on your VISA card, which was issued by (name 
of bank). Did you purchase an anti-telemarketing device for $497.99 
from a marketing company based in Arizona?"

When you say "No," the caller continues with, "Then we will be issuing 
a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and 
the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase 
pattern that flags most cards."

It goes on. "Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to 
(gives you your address), is that correct?" You say "Yes." The caller 
continues, "I will be starting a fraud investigation. If you have any 
questions, you should call the 800 number listed on the back of your 
card and ask for security. You will need to refer to this control 
number." The caller then gives you a six-digit number. "Do you need me 
to read it again?"

Here's the important part of how the scam works. The caller says, "I 
need to verify you are in possession of your card." He'll ask you to 
turn your card over and look for some numbers. There are seven numbers; 
the first four are part of your card number, the next three are the 
security numbers that verify you are in possession of the card. These 
are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove 
you have the card.

The caller will ask you to read the three numbers to him. After you 
tell the caller the three numbers, he'll say, "That is correct, I just 
needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that 
you still have your card." "Do you have any other questions?" After you 
say "No," the caller then thanks you and states, "Don't hesitate to 
call back if you do," and hangs up.

You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the 
card number. What the scammers want is the three-digit security code on 
the back of the card. Don't give it to them.

Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or MasterCard directly for 
verification of their conversation. VISA will never ask you for 
anything on the card, as they already know the information, since they 
issued the card.

If you give the scammers your three-digit PIN, you think you're 
receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement, you'll 
see charges for purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost too 
late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report." (End of 
report)

thank you cable guy!

quick update before i light -

my uncle's surgery was successful; he's in ICU being watched.

 

thanks to everyone who got in touch - i'll update again when there's more news.

shabbat shalom

Still no internet at home, but

ever wonder why. at 5 am, when all you want to do is go back to sleep, instead you have crappy jingles playing in your head?  such as: The PEN-syl-VA-nia LOT-ter-RY!!!!!! (you'd know it if you heard it)

Sorry, but this isn't a fun post

Hey.  As some of you may have heard today, my uncle had a heart attack yesterday and is in pretty serious condition.

 

He's having an operation tomorrow where they're going to attempt to put a new stint in his heart - it's pretty scary and really serious, especially as he has a history of heart problems.

 

If you're so inclined, it would be very sweet if you could dedicate your learning to him or pray for him - whatever floats your boat - while he's going through it.  His name is Amichai David ben Liba Ahuva.

 

Thanks.

 

I'll be blogging again when we get teh internets hooked up to our new (!) apt

I am, I am

You Are a Boston Creme Donut

You have a tough exterior. No one wants to mess with you. But on the inside, you're a total pushover and completely soft. You're a traditionalist, and you don't change easily. You're likely to eat the same doughnut every morning, and pout if it's sold out.

What Donut Are You?

so

ever have to deal with immensely self-centered people?  how do you handle it?  especially when you love them (or at least one of them)?

when a good friend asks too much of you and never steps back to appreciate it or say thank you, when that person continues to be wrapped up in their own lives - do you at a certain point just step back and remove yourself from the damage network?  if not, how do you stand there without it killing the friendship?

stuff and things to think about

Amalah linked to this great article about food for kids, whic is apparently being rethought.  which is cool, cause i always kinda hoped that at about 6 months, i could cuisinart whatever we were eating and feed it to Baby.  that way Baby gets to eat the kind of food it will have later, and Baby gets to really be part of our meals.

Anyhow, i recommend reading it: Experts seek to debunk baby food myths

!!!

bad pictures just came my way from israel.  really scary, bloody, and violent.

as always, what reaction is this supposed to illicit?  sadness?  anger?  a call to action?  all i see are comments left in the email forwards that only serve to further drive israeli society apart.

i'm not saying that the pictures shouldn't be sent, just that i don't know that it's generating anything positive.