Ankle fusion

The operation was a success. 6 1/2 hours in surgery. Now I have a monster cage around my foot and ankle. Hurts like hell! Now in a rehab facility for 20 days ( no one to look after me)

america's cup

I'm sorry. I just can't get used to a trimaran winning the America's Cup. After all the years of admeasuring, monohull design (with a thought to the teardrop design at the bottom of the keel, etc.) We are now watching the race among a couple of tri designs - trimarans have always been faster - lower wetted surfaces, etc. But, do they do justice to the competition? Think of a baseball game that allows aluminium bats, spitballs, steroids etc. I've done a lot of sailing, racing and cruising; but, give me a monohull anytime. O.K. I'm not a multihull fan. However, I am somewhat of a traditionalist and want to see the return to real big boat racing, where the skill of the helmsman and crew are more important than the go-fast over the top boat design.

olympics, Rio

Hell-u-va way to start the festivities - Luge guy from Georgia (the country) had an accident and died at the hospital. Rio has legislated a very toned down Carnival this year. Going to be known as the no-fun city of South America from now on, I guess. I realize that there is a fine line between crime (with a capital C) and party goers letting it all hang out. I doubt that anything will really be accomplished by the new ordinances.

Charlie Wilson, snow

Charlie Wilson died. He as the guy that backed the funding of the Muhajine's (sp?) guns, rockets, ammo, etc. The evil empire Commies that were overrunning the worlds largest growers of opium poppies - now you remember him? (Hint: Tom Hanks played him in the movie 'Charlie Wilson's War'. Anyway, I wonder if it is now the time for the Russkies to fund the Taliban against the US of A? Turnabout is fair play, or so they say. 'Course Charlie wasn't into heroin and dark haired Afgan ladies - he preferred cocaine and blondes.

I wonder what the Dems are thinking about global warming in Washington now? Betcha some redneck Republican will use the snowstorm (worse in history) as proof that global warming is not an issue - funded by the coal coalition, of course. And, might as well throw in the theory of evolution while we're at it. Nothing could evolve in such terrible cold . . .

personal stuff - went to get a new tire for my truck today - took 4 1/2 hours for a lousy tire. Don't ask.

congressional twits, snow, surgery

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow . . . Midatlantic snowstorm shuts down congress. Obama relieved at the respite from those who oppose making sure that all Americans get health care. And there is even problems with tryibng to create jobs for Americans. I just don't get it! Is politics more important than the people that are supposedly being represented? 

On a smaller and more personal issue. I am having surgury on my right ankle next week. That's OK. However, the surgeon asked me if I didn't mind if salespeoplke from various drug and ortho appliances, etc. were in the operating room when I have my surgery. That seems a bit off the chart for doctors to be chatting with salesmen while operating on me. What do you think?

The other news in the world is sort of slow this morning. Which is OK?  People being killed and maimed in the 'war zones of the East and Africa, Trusted car maker Toyota has more recalls. But, will profit from the current probs. BTW, GM and Ford still have history's largest recalls. Go figure.

blushwood, Danica, Haiti

I kinda like the way that the internet gets things to one's personal computer faster than the speed of rumors. The research on the fruit of the blushwood shrub being a possible cure for cancer has a bunch of sites reporting the finding - this is an Australian bush and research.

The snows of Washington only elicited a footnote from the fact that the supreme court let employees go home early on Friday.

Iran and the rest of the world (excluding maybe China and Russia) are still at odds about their nuclear ambition. Gates is calling for 'stronger' sanctions.

Danica Patrick's new ad that was banned on the networks as being too racy will be shown on the GoDaddy site Sunday. I predict that probably the hits will be higher than the game itself.

The news usually has a lot of questioning stuff in it, no matter how strange it seems. Haiti is one example: as I mentoned yesterday - Clinton is the special ambassador to Haiti. Why is the country one of the poorest in the world? Drug use is rampant, gangs control the streets, with his influence? Hmmm With the child trafficing (politely called indentured servitude work) so high both internally and worldwide from Haiti, why has there been a blind eye turned toward toward this practice. And, why has an estimated only 24% of the people in need actually receiving the food?

school lunches, Palin, mo' bombings in Iraq

Seems the USDA is cracking down on school lunch programs - more inspections, etc. Now, how many years have we endured the lunch lady stuff thrown on our trays? When I was in school, incoming ;} food - burger, cheese and who-knows-what came in large brown boxes marked, "government surplus" - army rations left over from WWII. I suspect that school lunchrooms today are still getting those same boxes . . . I wonder when the government people are going to name that stuff a bio threat and have color coded signs that change with the menu of the day - from salad (green), to cheese mac (red).

Seems that the Alaska first dude has had his e-mails published - the guy tried to influence almost every branch of the State's government. More Sarah woes, I guess, if the publication nails her for inappropriate use of government funds.

More bombs kill folks in Iraq. I am still for a fence around the country and let them sort it out internally. (Remember the 'Escape from ------" movies?)

coffee filters

had to post this list that I received from my friend Rich


Coffee filters .... Who knew! And you can buy 1,000 at the Dollar Tree for almost nothing even the large ones.
1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.
2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome... Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.
3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.
4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.
5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.
6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.
7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.
8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.
9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.
10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.
11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.
12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters..
13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. It soaks out all the grease.
14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers."
15. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics.
16. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.
17. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.
18. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.
19. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.
20. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies.. Saves on having extra bowls to wash.
21. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.
22. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.
23. Use them to sprout seeds.. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a plastic baggie until they sprout.
24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book..
25. Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc

More Toyota, child kidnapping and market

 Wonder if Toyota will ask for a bailout? Since they hav mfg plants here in the US - why not? I still bet that the company will make money on the whole thing. The ten Zealous Baptist folks who snatched the kids in Haiti have been indited. Wonder how it will turn out? Market dumped out today. Looks like the volitile nature of world economics is still a real force.Or the recovery isn't really on track. More on Haiti. If Clinton has for years been the special envoy to this corrupt little poverty enclave of the world . . . (Let you fill in the rest.)

coffee, Iran, Toyota

Though I'd talk about coffee this morning. I have had my own blend for more years than I can count. I (obviously) put it in the excellent category. Reason for my choice of lead things to talk about is that Consumer Reports doesn't have much to say that is good about the coffees commercially available. My blend, by the way, is 6 oz Italian, 6 oz Viennese Roast, and 2 oz Sumatra. Yum. Years ago a specialty food chain carried my mix as Captain Ev's Blend. My 15 minutes of fame, I guess.

In other news, seems Iran has announced a rocket launch into space carrying a mouse, two turtles and some worms. I wonder what the worms do. Mouse - captain, Turtles - flight engineer and copilot. Worms ??? The Iranian press is mum on the purpose of the flight, except to say that it will put a satellite into orbit next year.

Toyota has new problems: seems the Prius is in trouble because of its brakes. Hari-Kari time for CEO Toyoda-san? Seems Wozniak of Apple has declared that the problem is not with the pedals, but a software problem - but, noone at Toyota will listen to him. Wonder if the problem he describes could be solved with every Toyota getting an IPad on the dashboard?

swine flu

Seems like the little piggy flu has gone to market. The Telegraph reported this morning that the 'pandemic' is nothing more than a plot by big pharma companies to make billions of dollars. They have, according to the article, raised the fear of the H1N1 to great levels when  the flu itself is no more deadly than the regular seasonal flu. I love conspiracy stuff, don't you???

money, gold, suicide bomber

Throw money at the economic crisis (that is claimed to be over). I am always awed by the off-handed way that Presidents announce the budget - $3.8 Trillion - yes, with a 'T'. It's like God is playing Monopoly or the devaluations that turn a buck into a billion whatevers in some of the undeveloped dictator ruled countries. We are still stock piling a huge amount of gold. I am wondering whether or not as to when the Chinese world economic status will get to a position that it no longer needs the U.S. for its principle export needs - consider the growth in India, Brazil, Europe, etc.Will our gold reserves be tapped to pay off the debt we are incurring to overseas interests? Beats the you-know-whats out of me.
In other news John Edwards' sex tape seems to be on top of everything else (no pun). Pity Nancy Kerigan or Monica L. or Brittany and Madonna aren't in it as then it could claim a cast of characters that everyone would want a piece of (no pun #2).

Woman blew herself up in Iraq killing 41 Iraquis. I wonder what she gets when she gets to heaven? To be one of the virgins for the unwashed male bombers? Sorry, it just doesn't make a lot of sense to me.