Today’s Business: 2011-02-16
Today’s Activities
- Shower. DONE.
- Cat duty. DONE.
- Do all (3) loads of pending laundry (fuzzy blankets, sheets, and curtains). DONE. 29 loads done in the new washer so far.
Log
08:05 AM: I’m up.
08:45 AM: Received a call from a neurologist surgeon that Mom was supposed to see to day, to have a nerve biopsy in her leg performed. Apparently, this appointment was scheduled for this afternoon. But Mom said yesterday that she doesn’t want to go through with it. So I’m hoping to get hold of her this morning to make sure that she understands that this is a biopsy and so, is far less invasive than a spinal tap, which she absolutely refuses to subject herself to. I trued calling her just now, but no answer. Perhaps she’ll answer in a couple hours when she gets up and about.
12:30 PM: Posted the Tom’s Love Quest –> Childhood Foot Fetish piece.
01:30 PM: Watched the 2011-02-11 episode of Dr. Phil; his Competing for the Title offering, in which he advises parents and siblings who push too hard for their children or brothers and sisters, to be beauty queens. Not a new topic for this venue, as McGraw has treated this subject several times (at least) in prior episodes.
03:20 PM: Watched today’s episode of The Young and the Restless on the DVR.
03:25 PM: Just heard that Borders Books has filed for bankruptcy protection. Surpirsing in a way, because they were doing so well just ten years ago as the premier place to purchase books. I’ve spent many an hour and many a dollar in several of them myself, in places like Dayton and Philadelphia. Borders was perhaps the biggest book store I’ve ever visited, and amazed me with their depth of coverage of computer technology. But unfortunately, it appears that hard-bound books are going the way of the blue-glowing vacuum tube, especially with the emergence of electronic book delivery systems via the Internet. Sales of the Kindle and Sony’s reading devices are going through the roof; revenue that at one time not so long ago, Borders enjoyed. Oh well. I do hope that Borders can reposition themselves as an eBook seller, and that it’s not too late for them.
03:30 PM: I noticed on KDKA’s PIttsburh Today Live lately, that the female hosts still say that they’re substituting for Kristine Sorensen. Sorensen used to host this show nearly every day, but left it to fill in the vacancy in the news department left by Patrice King Brown when she retired a few weeks back. That leads me to think that Sorensen’s position as co anchor on KDKA’s evening local news broadcasts might not be permanent. At least, it’s not permanent yet, as they still are holding a place for her at Pittsburgh Today Live. Sorensen clearly has the skills, looks, personality, and depth as a reporter to fill Brown’s position, and I am confused as to why KDKA hasn’t made her their primary female news anchor yet.
03:40 PM: Speaking of news personalities, I’m stunned that Rick Sanchez hasn’t resurfaced on some other major news network yet, as it’s been several months since CNN left him go for spewing some bigoted comments last October. He was indeed a great reporter, and though I do not condone what he said, and fully admit that he shouldn’t have said it, I also feel that complete banishment from the national news scene is far too harsh a punishment for Rick. I’m eager to seem him get past this and back on his feet again as a national news reporting celebrity. I don’t watch CNN much in the afternoons these days, now that his show, Rick’s List is no longer on the air. Hmmm. It’s curious that CNN would fire Sanchez yet hire Elliott Spitzer; a New York politician who was forced to resign in disgrace due to a sex scandal in which he allegedly cheated on his wife with prostitutes. Oh well. I suppose that in the news business, timing is just about everything, even more than integrity.
05:00 PM: Added more content and a comment to the Tom’s Views –> My New Maytag Bravos Washing Machine piece. In these, I discussed a couple small problems I’ve discovered about the machine. It’s still a great washer however.
05:10 PM: Nap time. Back later.
06:00 PM: I’m awake again.
07:00 PM: Watched tonight’s edition of KDKA TV’s Local News at Six.
07:45 PM: Watched the 2011-02-14 episode of Dr. Phil, his Teens Obsessed With Love episode.
08:05 PM: Skipped the 2011-02-15 episode of Dr. Phil, his Dr. Phil Family series. There’s just too much crazy drama in that family for me; it almost seems contrived because there’s so much. Drug-addicted babies, teenage pregnancies, addict mothers, lying, cheating. This one family embodies so many of the nastiest human imperfections that it’s hard to believe that they really exist. Indeed, if not for my belief in Dr. Phil’s high degree of credibility, I’d have tuned away from this series long ago. While there may be lots of helpful information in this set for other families like the Dr. Phil Family, I’m different enough from all that, that I see little benefit in continuing to watch. There are other programs to see that I can learn what I need to learn, and without all that difficult stuff to watch.
08:10 PM: On Mom: In addition to the spinal tap, mom has now also declined the nerve biopsy that was scheduled for today. Apparently, she heard some horror stories about how painful that surgery might be. Plus, she seems to be responding to the immunoglobulin infusions she finished up this week at Altoona Hospital. So perhaps a biopsy at this point really is not necessary. That would be just one more leg sore she’d have to cope with.
09:25 PM: Watched today’s episode of Dr. Phil, the Is this A Cult? episode. While the episode itself was all new, Dr. Phil has covered cults and the hardships and divides they create within families numerous times before. I found this episode to be not too different from the ones he’s already aired.
10:20 PM: Posted the Tom’s Views –> Hospital Bed Side Rails Are Safe Enough piece.
10:30 PM: Listened to some of the Penguins hockey game with [Emmy]. But this game is going to run late and we’re both too tired tonight to see if through to the end. So we hung up our phones at the end of the second period.
12:00 AM: Finished just now, listening to the full length version of Mike Oldfield’s hit Tubular Bells, recorded in 1973. Love that piece, that was perhaps the most progressive electronic music of the time. See what else I’ve written about this song here.
12:10 AM: Reviewed the daily stats for my web sites. As of this moment, over the past thirty days, 256 different searches (key words) have driven people to my blogs. I’m working to achieve 260 key word based hits in the next week or so.
12:15 AM: I’m going to bed now, but never fear. I’ll have plenty more to say in less than twenty-four hours.
Received Mail and Shipments
- Weekly coupon mailer.
- Analog Science Fiction magazine; the 2011-03 edition.
- The Writer magazine; the 2011-02 edition.
- Life insurance offer from United of Omaha. No thanks.
- Offer from AT&T Wireless. Not at this time, thanks.
- Triple A VISA credit card offer. No thanks.
- An offer to write a testimonial for our financial planning firm. Perhaps.
- Misc. banking papers.