*more* press... Kiwanis International blog

So recently, I blogged about joining Kiwanis.  Turns out a fellow that works for Kiwanis International uses a service that lets him know most times the word "Kiwanis" shows up anywhere on the web.  It led him to my post saying that I'd joined Kiwanis and was liking it so far.  (this post)  He sent me a message asking me to write a thingamabob for the Kiwanis International blog.  OK, so I did, and it recently went up!  Check it out-- http://sites.kiwanis.org/kiwanis/en/blog/10-12-24/New_member_finds_hope_in_Kiwanis.aspx
(there's probbly nothing in there you didn't already know, just sharing...)

happy holidays, y'all

And let us make sure the soldiers who are risking their lives and living halfway across the world from home know that their home appreciates the service.  Send a holiday card.  It's free, it takes about half a minute, it helps them remember that we appreciate it.  letssaythanks.com  Look, I'm more of a pacifist than the next guy, which is why I appreciate the ever-loving heck out of our soldiers; they signed up for this, which means I didn't have to.  Thanks!

DETERMINATION: injured runner crawls to finish line to honor coach

So it's been said that my determination in beating this coma/TBI thing mimics this girl.  I don't know about that, but I do applaud the effort here, this is astounding:

Injured Runner Crawls to Finish to Honor Coach

for my 32nd b-day, I got a sense of humor

Read this first: http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/11/30/passenger.drops.cruise.anchor/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn

Now my "headline":

A Regal Caribbean cruise ship tragically slipped to the bottom of the ocean recently on it's maiden voyage, losing all of it's passengers & crew in a very bizarre incident. There was a lifeboat for every cabin, controlled by a button in that cabin that would release that lifeboat into the water 1 minute after the button was pressed, to give the cabin's occupants time to board the vessel. It was known around the world as "the ship that was most prepared for disaster". But the ship's alarm clocks had been inadvertently wired to the lifeboat launcher for each cabin by a construction crew who spoke only pig-English.


It was a still, peaceful first night, cruising away from the shore... then the morning came, and the passengers were roused from sleep by a buzzing alarm, which was supposed to have been silenced by pressing the button on the wall... that silently launched that cabin's lifeboat. No one was aware that as the ship slid silently forward through the water, an inflatable flotilla had just been launched in her wake instead. Alright, not a big deal.

Except for when a pelican threw up a young spotted Southern ocean herring into an exhaust pipe at 11:52am, which then caused the engine, in the words from the bridge's flight recorder, to go "all wacky." So when the passengers were told to man the lifeboats, that would have been a great safety plan... if there had been lifeboats. Panic ensued, and in the melee that followed, a member of the crazed bridge crew accidentally hit the "SHIP STAYS AFLOAT" button, turning it off. That button should normally stay on, except for safety drills and the occasional "crazy Friday." Forever recorded by a waterproof tape recorder, the brave captain's last words as his ship slid under the crests for the last time were "Well this sucks."

A Regal Caribbean spokesperson has been pushed forward to nervously stammer out "Uh, we uh, aren't going to let that happen again-- right guys? The new safety-improved plan is... is... um... to have all passengers wear a watch with an alarm, and then we'll simply ask them to pay no attention when the ship's clock starts beeping. Yeah, yeah, that's the ticket. Then in the mornings, they silence the alarm on their watches once they're awake, and never, under penalty of death, touch the ship's alarm. There, problem solved. That was easy-- next?"

Bill Cosby, meet a native South Carolinian

Ha!  Just an amusing 6:39 clip: http://www.casttv.com/video/72dkchn/bill-cosby-understanding-southern-video  And I'll be doggoned, those are two real towns-- see?  Oh, I get prouder and prouder every day of this state.

TODAY WAS A GOOD, NAY, A *GREAT* DAY

     So, months ago, I randomly made it a goal to get into running form.  (I keep wanting to say "back into running form", then I realize it has been over a decade since I ran anywhere, except to the restroom)  True, I haven't run since high school cross country and track & field days, but hey, I don't want to just "get better"-- it's my goal to raise the "disabled" standards, to push myself to see what I'm capable of.  Sure, I could have had this goal before the wreck, nothing was stopping me, but I didn't care enough to even make it a goal; now, I'm going to show the world what is possible.


     Back in August, I got hooked up through my gym with Dr. Moss at Furman University, to talk about getting back into running form-- I mean into running form, see what I mean about this "back into" funny business?  (back in August, I was like "Dr. Moss?  Dr. Ray Moss?"  I musta had him for health and exercise science 101 in '97-- I'm just tickled pink I remembered that one insignificant detail)  He videotaped me on a treadmill, closely analyzed my gait, and said I should work with my gym more and come back and see him when they feel I'm more ready.  And by "they", I really mean one personal trainer, Ginnie Conley, who was in school for EIGHT YEAR to get this job, and it shows-- I've been working with her two days a week for many months almost purely on my gait and that clearly shows: I hyper-extend my right knee much less, and I have less dorsi-flexion going on with my right toes-- you follow? <snicker, snicker, I'm just repeating words that I think I overheard>

     So the day that Ginne felt we should revisit Dr. Ray Moss was today.  Ginnie got leave from work to meet me & my folks at Furman this afternoon, where we met with Dr. Ray Moss again.  He had me do some warm-up stretches, then just lightly jog about 30 yards and back several times to observe where I'm at now.  HOLY COW.  Dr. Ray Moss said he'd never expected me to do some of the things I can do now, and some things he did think I'd be able to do, but he just thought it would take much longer.  And the best news was that everything I have left to work on, he says is definitely correctable.

     He was very impressed with what we've accomplished thus far, and he works with world-class athletes!  Remember, I don't want to just "get better"...

Oh this is gonna be such the right career, working with kids

This afternoon was my first day volunteering at the Frazee Center-- man was that wild.  At some point I found myself helping one child.  First we read a book together, each of us taking one page.  Then it was time for his math homework.  I gotta admit-- I was struggling at first.  I would look at the problem, and just know the answer, but have no clue how I got there, or how to explain it.
Me: "Um... uhh... no that's not right..."
Him: "Don't you know math?  Did you flunk out of high school?"
Me: "I didn't-- three years ago, I took a brain injury.  I really thought I could do this stuff, I just aced a college course in elementary math."  (yeah, I can do it, just didn't have to explain how to do it)  Then after mulling the problem over for awhile, it suddenly clicked.  And we cruised through the rest of that problem.  The next one, he turned and asked the volunteer sitting on his other side a question.
Me: "I can do this, I got this now."
Him: "Yeah, I was just giving you a break."

HA!  Fair, thanks.  And honest.  I am so gonna love working with kids-- sorry, "young adults."  And then, as I walked home (after a stop at the bus station), I walked into the local gelato store to ask a question, and immediately heard "Hi Jeff!"  (from a child)  "Um, hi, sorry, do I know you?"  "Yeah, you just helped me with my math homework."  "OH, hi K.J.!"  (he wasn't the only child I'd been talking to at Frazee, and my brain was still talking to the transit authority)  But it's just cool to see your pupils elsewhere!  Yeah, I'm gonna enjoy a career with children.

man this is so cool-- people can be GOOD

So I joined the Kiwanis Club 4 days ago (the local young professionals group-- don't tell 'em I'm not a professional anything), and through them I learned about the Frazee Dream Center.  I met with the Frazee folks 2 days ago to see how our schedules can mesh together-- I need to make a few changes in my weekly schedule to be available after school hours, and I'm working on that.  It's appearing that the Frazee Center is run mostly by volunteers and may run mostly off donations.  It's "free preschool, after school & summer program for under resourced children."  Cool!  And they have a monthly workday to help clean the facilities that I just went to.  MAN WAS THAT GOOD FOR ME.  I learned so much about how other folks can be good.  I was sweeping the corners of the gymnasium, and a fellow came over and asked if he could help.  Yes, thanks much!  So we got to talking while sweeping, and as is often the case, I don't steer the conversation that way, but just naturally as a part of getting to know me, the "hit by a drunk driver" story comes out, as it explains so many other things about me.  And after hearing it, and how hard I work to "rise above" the TBI/coma thing, he said "You're an inspiration."  Alright, cool, thanks!  Not trying to step on anyone's religious toes here, but I am trying to be Jesus 2, only this time minus the "dying" bit, we can do without any of that.

Also on the subject of people surprisingly being good, let's go back the Kiwanis Club folks.  So the first meeting I went to, I got a ride home from the vice-pres. Emily, and she dropped me off at the end of the alley behind my apartment. This alley is maybe 75 feet long, and once I cross it, there's my elevator.  She watched me walk those 75 feet, saying "I'm just making sure you make it OK."  I was so wowed by that, I went over the top ga-ga over her for a few days-- I either asked her out or proposed marriage.  (I forget which-- I have a problem with both, memory and flingin' marriage proposals)  And then I got a ride home last night (from a dance they held at Frazee) from the Kiwanis young professionals chapter pres. Meghan, and she took it a step further.  I was again surprised when she also waited until I'd walked those 75 feet!  It's not far, believe me, sheesh!  And she asked "Do you need any help with the stairs or the elevator?"  It was the elevator that caught me-- I would hope it's kinda obvious that neither stairs and especially not the elevator is a sweat, but that really just shows how much concern these folks have for the well-being of other folks.  I mean, yes, if all you knew about me was my background story, I can see there would be some general concern-- if you're a good, caring person.  (yeah, I checked quickly, both of these kind female souls have boyfriends, so The NeverEnding Story continues...)

This is somewhat new, to meet other kind-hearted folks, and it feels great to start meeting good, caring people!  Here and I thought my folks & I were the last pocket of sanity around here-- turns out I just wasn't hanging with the right crowd!  I'm liking me some Kiwanis Club action!

I'm liking smallish towns (like this one) more & more

So it's been brewing in the back of mind for a long time now to maybe just cut my losses and move to a bigger town. When we were in Hotlanta for summer break this year, I learned that it's possible for public transportation not to suck-- ooh, alright, let's look more into Atlanta... and I found they don't have anywhere near the same level of "green things" as Greenville.  (can't believe I didn't figure that one out)  It's a concrete jungle-- yech.


But today I got many reminders one right after the other about why I live in a "small" town. (population ~62K)  


It started when I boarded the bus after being at my gym this afternoon.  Saydet (the Haitian bus driver) didn't start the bus going forward until I was seated, which I was very appreciative of, especially since I was moving somewhat slow and sat in the back row.  (can you tell I'm in the new habit of constantly introducing myself to strangers?)  I was writing a note to myself to talk to the transit authority about the fact that not all of their drivers do this-- some start the bus rolling before you sit down, which is "hold on to whatever you can find quickly"-- grrr.  As I was writing my note to myself to recommend Saydet to his bosses as a good driver, someone else boarded the bus and Saydet started the bus rolling forward before this last passenger could sit down.  Huh, OK, never mind about this note saying that it's good that Saydet always waits-- apparently, he only does it for me.  So when we ended up downtown, I went up front and asked Saydet, and that's correct, he does just wait for me, as when it was just me & him on a bus a few months ago, I told him my background, as I'm wont to do as a "don't drink & drive" warning.  And that's why he waits to start the bus moving until I sit down.  Alright, cool!  And it's actually useful that I'm going around preaching my tale of almost-sorrow.


Then, walking home from the bus station, I passed Sushi Murasaki and saw Natalie through the window.  Jeff 1.0 knew Natalie somewhat well when she used to work at Barley's Pizzeria and I would spend more than a little time there.  I stopped in to say hi, and a guy at the counter said "Hi Jeff".  I was like "I either know you or have met your doppelgänger, as you look familiar, but..."  Turned out I do know him, it was Wes, manager of the Sticky Fingers downstairs, who I've nicknamed Smith & Wes. (think guns)  I asked if it'd be OK to take a decaf drink from the coffee shop next-door into his restaurant across the street-- "Yes?  OK, great, thanks.  I really want to avoid caffeine, I don't drink sugar, and I just don't want water right now."


I walk into the coffee shop, Liquid Highway, and Julia, a barista I know fairly well, says "Hi Jeff.  I think this is your hat you must have left here before."  YES IT IS, thanks, been looking for that.  So then I take my decaf sugar-free sweetness to dinner at Sticky Fingers.
The guy who brings my food out is Gary, who used to work at Barley's and knew Jeff 1.0 very well.  So we chat for a bit.

Then I had just finished my dinner when a man pops around the corner and says "Hi Jeff."  Turned out to Fred, a local pastor I know from the coffee shop, and we've had a few spirituality discussions.  And as I walked back through the coffee shop after dinner on my way home, I stopped to have a chat with Fred.


So a small town may not ever get really good public transportation, but in Atlanta would I run into SIX people I know decently, in the space of a few hours?  Greenville wins.

one-liners

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/07/weekinreview/07laugh.html?_r=1

WE ALL PASSED!!!

Riley is now an official therapy dog, and we are all certified as her handlers!  YAY!!!

as writ by THE author

I was reading my book on the bus the other day, The Small Bachelor by P.G. Wodehouse-- probably the greatest literary comic ever-- and came across a phrase that, if I do say so myself, just fits me.


"As I drained the glass now, new life seemed to burgeon within me. I remember Jeeves, who, however much he may go off the rails at times in the matter of dress clothes and in his advice to those in love, has always had a neat turn of phrase, once speaking of someone rising on stepping-stones of his dead self to higher things. It was that way with me now. I felt that the Bertram Wooster who lay propped up against the pillows had become a better, stronger, finer Bertram."  


"rising on stepping-stones of his dead self to higher things"... Jeff 2.0.  Need I say more?  Gawrsh that fits well.

incredibly simple neat Google tricks

Just ran across this and thought "Everyone should know this."  A quick simple guide to useful Google one-liners:

http://www.google.com/intl/en/help/features.html

(I've probably blogged this before, but in case I haven't...)

step one of "pay it forward"

AWESOME.  Y'all may or may not know this part of the Jeff Knox story, but rewind back to May of 2007.  So there I am, in a coma, hadn't done anything for five weeks-- hadn't talked, hadn't voluntarily moved, hadn't breathed.  The future did not look bright, in fact it was a dim shade of dark.  Then on July 1st, a pet therapy volunteer brings in Cassie the Golden Retriever to come see me.  She settles in and lies down next to me.  Then it happened.  I reached out and began petting her.  It was the first signal anyone had that I was "in there."  So I'm alive thanks to doctors, but I'm awake due to Cassie the therapy dog-- at least, the way I see it.  This was a major part of why my first college major post-wreck was to become a veterinary assistant.


Fast forward to 6 months ago.  My parents adopt Riley, a very sweet ~2 year old mix between a Golden Retriever & a basset hound.  Early in having her in the family, my folks and I both expressed desires to try to coach her into being a hospital therapy dog like Cassie.


For the last few months, Riley has been a therapy dog on weekly visits to a local nursing home's Alzheimer's unit, where the residents just love on her and love on her.  So it's a good deed, but it's still not a hospital.  


Fast forward to yesterday, 10/23/10.  Riley got her Canine Good Citizen certificate recently, but yesterday... STEP 1 OF 3 TO BECOMING A HOSPITAL THERAPY DOG!  We went to a place where they do the first round of 3 days of testing.  And they're not just testing the dog, they're training/testing the dog's handlers.  So dad went first with the Ri-meister, so mom & I could both observe the test & gain more confidence.  The test included the following:  

• walk  in a pattern around some cones
• walk up to a guy in a wheelchair and have Riley stand next to him and get petted
• walk up to a guy with a walker and have Riley get petted
• walk up to a guy with crutches and have him drop both crutches next to Riley so see if she got scared
• have someone open up an umbrella in Riley's face to see if she got scared
• have someone toss a ball to make sure Riley didn't go after it
• have another dog walk around Riley to make sure she didn't go after the dog
• have someone touch her tail, ears, feet, etc. to make sure she didn't get scared

And Riley AND dad both passed!  She did awesome!  (oh yeah, and dad was there (snicker snicker))  So then I got to go-- Riley and I passed!  Then mom-- both passing!

Following the test, the whole graduating class went to a mental hospital for our first observation-- we each have to be observed handling Riley 3 times and pass before she gets officially certified as a therapy dog.  And Riley loved her first visit-- she laid down on the floor and got belly rubs from some of the patients!  She loves a good belly rub-- I love this dog.

Duck & Cover

Wow.  WOW.  My folks got some device a long time ago (I forget what it was), and it came with a DVD that included this 1950 public safety message.  Last night we popped it in and were subjected to learning all about Duck & Cover.  First watch the video (it's 4:48), then come back to see my commentary.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixy5FBLnh7o

     "We all know the atomic bomb is very dangerous.  If it may be used against us, we must get ready for it, just as we are ready for many other dangers that are around us all the time."  OK, so, when teaching Isaac (my ~11 mo. old first cousin once removed, for those who don't know) the basics to ensure a good life, ensure he understands early:

1. don't talk to strangers
2. don't play with sharp objects 
3. always be prepared for a nuclear attack

     "It is such a big explosion, it can smash in buildings and knock signboards over and break windows all over town.  But, if you duck, and cover, like Bert, you'll be much safer."  OK, so let me see if I'm following the train of thought here... this force can knock buildings down, but if I just lay down and cover my head with my arms, I'll be safe?  IT'S THAT EASY???  Then why all the concern?  
     "... and her teacher is explaining there are two kinds of attack, with warning, and without warning."  Or, put another way, you'll die scared, or you'll die happy.
     I just love the guy who is so amazingly prepared for a nuclear attack, that at a moment's notice, he can jump off his tractor and lie face-down.  That'll keep him safe.  He's been hard at work preparing for this.
     "The next important thing to do after that is to stay covered until the danger is over."  Which'll be roughly 24,000 years or 4.47 billion years, depending on whether the bomb used plutonium or uranium as the radioactive source.  And we don't mean at all that you'll be safe at that time, that's just about how long it'll take to roughly cut the effects of the radiation in half.  Why, you gotta be somewhere?
     Wow were we dumb in 1950.

And can anyone click on first cousin once removed and tell me who my first cousin once removed actually is?  How dumb is that-- a term that could mean this person, but it could also mean this totally other person...  I mean, if they're gonna do that, why not have "dad" mean your father, but also mean the guy down the street?

back... to the future, thanks to Google

Oh man is this gonna be oh so slick.  And who else would be ushering in the next big wave of the future but my ever-beloved Google?  ROBOTIC CARS!  Seriously!  This will make DUI's a thing of eras past.  Well, sorta, now the term might morph into Don't Uninstall Ingine.  Or maybe Dell Unabashedly Imagines.  Or (ooh, this is good) Driver Unobtainable, Ignite?  Or... OK, OK, I'll stop, geez.  But you gotta check it out:
http://news.google.com/news/more?pz=1&cf=all&cf=all&ncl=dmuhWSd1A1APFYMQz5Ptzv3lruhRM
I don't know yet if Google's single, but I'm gonna try to get the laws changed so that a person can marry a company... ... ...  oh wait, they're in California, where it's already legal.  Sweet!

Ever heard of Rin Tin Tin?

I wonder how he'd like 10/10/10...

MAN I like this President

Obama to Put Solar Panels on White House Roof, Chu Says - BusinessWeek

Posted: 05 Oct 2010 07:06 AM PDT

FOXNews

Obama to Put Solar Panels on White House Roof, Chu Says BusinessWeek Oct. 5 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama will have solar panels put on the roof of the White House, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said. “The White House will lead by example,” Chu said today at a conference in Washington. ... White House Going Solar — AgainNew York Times (blog) Solar panels heading to White House roofThe Hill (blog) Report: White House to install solar panelsCNET ABC News (blog) -CrunchGear -13wmaz all 283 news articles »

I am *so* on the right path in school, finally

So to gain more experience with young adults (any experience, really), I've been volunteering in my local church's children's ministry once every 3 weeks.  This morning was my shift, and I learned that the early child development path is the right path for me to be on.  We were mostly just doing playtime activities, the boys congregating to the Lego's, and the girls flocking to draw colorful pictures. (a good portion of which were portraits of yours truly, and as long as I hold my arms up in a Y, they were accurate)  But I actually got to teach two concepts:

1. forgiveness: one boy was telling me about how yesterday, he went to an orchard to pick apples.  He said someone meant to throw an apple into the basket, but it hit him in the head.  He said "But I got 'em back-- I threw one right at their head."  So we had a talk about how they didn't mean to, and how forgiving is better than losing a friend.  He finally agreed, but I don't know that it sunk in.
2. This one I do know sunk in-- sharing.  I heard a commotion in the corner, and when I came to investigate, three boys were all simultaneously saying "He took my Lego man."  So we discussed how with only one Lego man, and three kids who want him, the only way this is going to work is if they share.  To my total amazement, they all agreed.  So I said "Okay, so I'll set my watch timer for one minute, and Trip will get the Lego man for that whole minute.  Then when my watch goes off, Trip will give the Lego man to William for a whole minute.  Then when my watch goes off, William will give the Lego man to Korbin."  And, surprisingly again, they agreed.  And I figured I'd have to be persistent in saying "The watch has gone off, so..." but no.  The watch would start beeping, I'd put my hand where they could hear it and mostly without direction, they'd find the right child and hand off the Lego man.  How cool is that?  

So where I learned recently with the sitting-by-the-roadside incident that people are generally good, I'm beginning to learn that it's somewhat innate, at least in these kids.  Or maybe it was more that once we had a plan or a rule, they stuck to it... whatever, it worked.  It was a good morning.

White Men Can't... Dance

     So, for the first time in my life (probably including all that Jeff 1.0 funny business), I went dancing. (not ballroom, but contemporary stuff)  I think a long time ago my driving therapist suggested I go dancing, for some odd unknown reason-- I pretty much blew off that suggestion.  But I got to thinking today, you know, it's not like I'm meeting people anywhere else that I talk to, since my classmates are almost all around a decade younger, mostly just finished high school.  So I walk down to this restaurant that has Friday night dancing.  I figure I'll just go and at least observe, see what it's all about.  So I walk in, and stand at the edge of the dance floor, idly twiddling my fingers while digging a hole through the floor with my toe, feeling somewhat like a schoolboy. (hey wait, I am  a schoolboy)  Seemingly, everybody's with a partner, no one's just out there by themselves, apparently you just don't do that.  Also kinda makes it hard for me to find a dance partner, since they appear to be all paired up.
     So feeling like a key without  a lock, I walked out, forget this.  I got about 100 feet, halfway down the grand staircase outside by the river, and stopped.  "Hmmm... well, you know... ah shoot, just go try again."  So I climb back up the staircase, walk in, stand by the edge of the dance floor for a few minutes, and come rapidly back to the same conclusion.  But I stay a bit longer, as there's this cutie dancing her fool head off-- I mean, she's my type, and she's got very fluid moves goin' on.  Yeah, but that's not gonna happen, at least after she sees my moves-- again, I'm not sure if I've ever danced before.
     So I leave again, and this time I make it down the staircase, along the river, and then halfway across the bridge I stop & have a long talk with myself.  "You know, this is what was wrong with Jeff 1.0.  Not putting himself out there."  Back to the dance floor I go.
     And this time, I figure, heck, it's not like I've got anything to lose.  So I step onto the floor and start "shakin' my groove thing." (I wish you could have seen it, it would have made your year)  And then, El Cutie-o (as she's known in Spain, La Cutie-o in France) come dancing over and says over the music "I've seen you before."
     Ooh, ah, cool, an on-ramp to conversation-- ever the endless repository of quick light-hearted wit, I cock my head jauntily to one side while I snappily retort with "Um, okay."  That'll melt her heartstrings...
     ... time passes, I continue what I call "dancing"...
     She works her way back over toward me.  "I know!  It was contra dancing!"  Drawing back on my humorous college days (at the uni, as the British say, right Janet?), I summon up a "Yes it was."  (I can't have a clue if it's true since you have about 50 dance partners in contra, but that's conceivable, who am I to argue and why would I, so yes it was indeed, oh yeah, glad you brought it up, have you seen any of the old gang?)
     ... time passes, I continue what I call "dancing", and I work my way over to her and in a break in the music, heartily squeak out "I don't have a clue how this works... can I see you again?"  To which the reply (heavily muffled by hip-hop) was EITHER "I'm seeing somebody" OR "I'd rather lie in pig vomit", you know how those two phrases sound exactly alike while "Ice Ice Baby" is playing loudly.  One of those two, but they amount to the same thing really, when you think about it-- I rolled a gutterball, but it's not necessarily the tenth frame. (for all the non-bowlers, that would be the end of the game)
     So, it mostly just signifies a drastic change-- I'm almost positive Jeff 1.0 wasn't a dancer.  But it's like anything else, keep trying different things until you find a solution to your problem, which peg will fit that hole.  Yeah, OK, so a dance floor is apparently not where to meet people to talk to, whoops, wrong peg, live & learn.  And at least I tried.  I may even try that again someday...

holy heck (nothing important, just random)

Wow.  Check this shot out.
http://sports.break.com/hole-in-one-golf-trick-basketball-shot
And he was using a four iron.  That's the impressive part-- that shot was clearly framed for a two iron.

I'm slowly learning that much of the public is composed of good people

Since I've been royally screwed over by people I thought were friends, I've been having a hard time the last few years believing that most people are basically good.  But I got a lesson in that today.


So I was at my gym this afternoon.  Yeah, big deal, I'm there 4 days a week.  Since I wanted to catch the 5:02 bus (class is 3:30-4:30), I was out at the bus stop by four forty-something.  And seeing as how the shade from the trees was way far back away from the road where the bus driver might not see me, I sat in the thin slice of shade provided by the street light wooden pole that the bus stop sign is attached to.  And to get in that thin slice of shade, I sat on the ground with my back against the pole, facing away from the road.  But as I very slowly was lowering myself to sit on the ground (I did just come from my gym, where I always bust some serious butt), I saw a car stop in the turn lane, and the young guy came running over.  "Are you alright?"  "Yes, I'm fine, many thanks, this is my bus stop and I'm just moving slow since I just went to my gym.  Many thanks again, I appreciate your concern very much."  Cool, someone who wants to help others.  Alright, alright...


And then, since the 5:02 bus must have been at least 15 minutes early (grrrrr),  I had an hour to kill at the bus stop with some lady in a wheelchair, that surprisingly rolled her wheelchair right over the grassy uneven ground. So then this high school girl parked across the field next to us and came walking a long way to see if we were alright.  "Yeah, we're fine, this is a bus stop and we're both waiting for the bus."  Huh, people ARE good... that was at least a four minute walk to cross the field.  I mean, if it was only three and a half minutes to cross the field, people are back to be jerks in general, but it was at least a four minute walk.  ;-)


AND THEN, a very cute cop stopped & made sure we were OK.  (she had a boyfriend, I checked, the cute ones always do-- go figure)  I was like "Ma'am, we're just waiting for the bus at a bus stop, why would you get a call?"  Cutesy packing heat: "Someone saw the wheelchair in the grass and was concerned."  Back to me: "Aaah, great!  That's awesome.  And by the way, thank you very much for doing this job."  (it's been a habit of mine the last few years to go out of my way to thank cops, firemen, ambulance crew, anyone in public service, even if it's as minor as a salute while I stand at attention as they drive by-- hey, their job is to keep you safe, aren't you appreciative?)



OK, OK, explanation for the bus being so freakin' late...  I got on the bus and said "Dennis the Menace [he's the bus driver on this route most often], it's 6:05.  I've been here since 4:45!!!  What the h3ll?" (that whole 'no cussing' rule went right out the window, whoops)
"I had a problem with the bus, so while we worked on it, we sent a van instead.  Didn't you see the van?"
"OHHHH, the only shade I could find was to sit down with my back against the light pole, thus facing away from the road."  On asking him later why the van didn't stop for a guy sitting with his back against the bus stop sign, he thought maybe they thought that since I wasn't standing, I was just resting.  Hmmm... I'll buy that, but that tells me the Greenville Transit Authority isn't picking their apples from the highest branch, hmmm...?


OK, well, it's been an afternoon... but this may have been my first lesson (in the last 3.5 years, so I'll say it's the first lesson that I remember) that there are good people out there, it just seems that my path through life, especially in the last few years, has wandered past all the worthless & thieving ones.  If you want anything immoral done in Greenville, S.C., gimme a call, I'm almost positive I'll know just the guy for the job.  His practice warm-up job probably cost me something, be it money or self-esteem or trust.  (even though I'm referencing that some of my "friends" have screwed me in one form or another, I won't say publicly who they are or what they've done (or not done when they should have), as that may cause later problems I don't want to deal with.  I guarantee they never look at this blog, but you never know, so if they do, you know very well who you are and why I hate you, if not then don't worry about it)
Okay, it's 9:11pm & I have yet to shower or eat dinner.  Enough of this blogging junk.  Signing off...

my story gets more "press"-- The Waterline

Yeah, alright, so it's not as big a deal as making the Greenville News, but my sailing club (KSC) has a monthly publication called The Waterline.  A regular feature in there is "Meet a Member", and the October issue features yours truly.  The thing I liked about this one is that it actually printed that she was drunk when she hit me-- something the G-News couldn't man up enough to do by press time. (chickens)  And where the news article wasn't worth a chuckle, this mentions several humorous (and true) bits from my recovery.  Alright, enough yakkity yak, have a gander at pages 5 & 6 of this:
https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B5nKqFuFRFukYzhlODQ2N2EtODdhZi00ZDA5LWFiYzMtMGRmZGM2OTVmYTQy&hl=en&authkey=CJurtc8I

whoops, NEVER MIND about the plank record

NEVER MIND.  Turns out that was due to a massive caffeine overload after I bought an "energy drink" from a street vendor, on top of my daily dose of Provigil, which is a caffeine overload by itself.  I discovered this since my vision all of a sudden got incredibly jittery, and I got freaked out, got a neighbor to verify if my eyes were shaking, talked to dad, and when I told dad about the energy drink, he pieced it together.  After about 6 cups of water and milk and some protein bars, everything returned to normal as far as my vision goes.  Explains the SIX minute plank... and I thought I was all He-Man and stuff.  I think I'll go back to my 2.5 minute planks, on good days.

www.usacyclingchampionships.com & PLANK RECORD

So the USA cycling championship is being held here today.  I thought they'd be going right by my porch, but after sitting here for 10 minutes with traffic still rolling by, I went for a walk.  OH, aha, a block south of here.  So I watch... alright cool.  Well, cool as far as clapping and hollering for 30 seconds then waiting for at least 15 minutes more before another 30 second spurt.  OH OKAY, I'm now sitting on my porch an hour after that, posting to my blog, and here come the leaders.  So in a bit... OK, there's 4 more... waiting on the pack... yep, there they went.  Cool!

But they aren't the only champions today.  So back in my earlier recovery, I made it a goal to get very good at planks.  I was doing them morning and night, every day, for as long as I could hold it.  I know that the owner of my gym holds this position daily for over 5 minutes.  I made it my goal to beat that, did them morning & night for months, and I held it for barely over 5 minutes twice.  But then I realized, "You know what?  I'm in good shape.  Quit trying to push the envelope."  So I stopped doing them for a few months.  Much later I thought "Well, yeah, so I'm not gonna be a superstar, but it's still good to do, when I think of it, just general fitness."  And I've been sporadically holding planks as long as I can for the last few weeks, nowhere near the level I was at.  I mean, last night I only could hold a plank for 2:30, half my old goal.  Yeah, well, whatever, it still keeps your ab muscles fit, works off my milk gut. (which replaced my beer gut)

But then I was bored while waiting for the cyclists to come around again the circuit today, so I found a shady spot on the sidewalk and dropped to my elbows & toes.  I must have been inspired by the cyclists and the disabled cyclists pedaling like mad with their arms and then just being in public probbly helped, because I held it for...

6:01.  Darren, I know you're going to see this because I'm gonna send it to you.  I just owned you.  And I've said that I wouldn't claim I've recovered until I could beat the owner of my gym at his own game.  So I have done what I set out a year ago to do.  God that feels good.  Now, I almost certainly won't do that next time, but still... I've done it.  Next?  (and please don't say 7 minutes)

jobs I do NOT want to do

So early in my TBI-recovery, I was trying to determine what job I wanted to do.  As a part of that process, I listed the jobs I do NOT want.  Maybe I figured a process of elimination would be best.  My folks just found this stashed away, and I just died laughing when I saw it.  Item 4: "...especially not my own"?!?!?  Item 11: "... for the masses?"  What the heck?  Item 19 oughta just be assumed.  Number 29-- "In fact, anything involving..."
(the zoom button is conveniently located in the upper-right for the hard of hearing)
page 1
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Riley is now a canine good citizen!

My folks' pup recently aced the final exam to become a good citizen!!!  She had to pass this.  Step 1 of becoming a hospital therapy dog, and without hospital therapy dogs I would not be writing this-- or any-- blog posts.
YAY RILEY!

interesting: the REAL ‘Stuff White People Like’

Doggone interesting: http://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/the-real-stuff-white-people-like/

learning to run, step 1: learn to walk

So one time a couple of months ago, I saw a bus come early up ahead and ran to catch it.  I caught the bus at a traffic light.  But when I mentioned this offhand, everybody (= mom & dad) rightfully flipped out over it.  If I have any other head trauma, it's going to be worse than last time, way worse.  So have said all my docs since day 1.  (that must have been a nice welcome to my parents at my hospital, "Where's our son, he was just in a car wreck"... "He's in a coma in ward 4, and if he ever takes another head trauma, it's going to be way worse."  Okay, so maybe not since day one)  And I'm ever so slowly realizing that if I miss the bus, there are these things called "taxis".
But anyway, I made it a goal to get into running form.  So that's something we're working on much at my gym, A.S.I. (attending a gym owned by the hospital allows you to fool with such nonsense... safely)  We spent a whole day just on how the foot hits, rolls, and comes up.  Apparently, I've been doing it wrong the last few years, and would've had major skeletal system "issues" later in life.  "You're telling me I can't even walk right?"  (and I pay them for such abuse)
And on top of the ongoing work at A.S.I., I'm going to start training at the FIRST institute (Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training).  (A.S.I. set that up) ("Furman" sound familiar?  That was my first college, back in the last century-- oh god does that make me feel old)  FIRST is a program designed to train folks to run marathons-- huh, maybe, that's an excellent goal, but I've got a lot of ground to cover first.  (wait, I've got a lot of ground to cover before I start running to cover a lot of ground?)  I showed up for my evaluation last week.  I was told to meet with a Dr. Moss.  I was like "Dr. ... Ray Moss?"  Weird how little snippets of memory come back.  I don't remember it, but Jeff 1.0 must have taken a class from him.
It turned out to be Dr. Ray Moss indeed, and he greeted us, and said "I already know your medical history, let's get down to work."  After watching me on a treadmill for about 10 minutes, he had my number PEGGED.  Wow.  Knees weren't coming up enough, right arm didn't swing.  And a lot more other stuff I can't think of right now.
He really brought home "Gotta learn to walk right before you can run."  So... we shall see... he's building a hanging harness for me to walk/run in while my gym and I try to mold my gait to make it look pretty.  But this is pretty sweet-- FIRST has never done therapeutic work before, apparently my gym sweet-talked 'em into it!


(by the way, just so I know folks are listening to these ramblings, please shoot me an email if you read this, I'm pretty sure you just gotta hit Reply)

whoops, my bad

In the last post about Google Voice<--->landlines, half of the link wasn't set right.  It all good now if you visit the blog post, but if you're getting this blog by email, I can't modify an email already sent, so make sure you click on "ON THIS JUICE", not "CLICK HERE FOR THE SCOOP".

THANK GOOGLE FOR FREE CALLS IN THE U.S. (& CANADA) (in 2010)

OH MAN this is so cool!  So when Google Voice opened, I had to sign up.  I blogged earlier about the many nice features that the Google Voice service provides.  As of today (8-25) (-2010), if you have a Google Voice account, to the right of your Gmail Inbox is a link that says "Call phone" and lets you put in a phone number to call.

So why is that special?  Isn't that what Google Voice, or for that matter, phones do?  Well, sorta... except this time, NO PHONES NEEDED!  The voice part of the call comes out of your computer speakers, and your computer microphone picks up your voice.  You can call either a phone (for free in the U.S. & Canada, at least free for 2010) or have a free video conference computer-to-computer!

So why is that special?  Because I only have a cell phone, which currently gets 1,000 minutes a month (with no additional charge, at least).  That's roughly half an hour total each day.  So even though I'm stingey with the length of my phone calls, I bump up pretty close to the limit every month, like above 90% usage.  So yes, I use the heck out of my Google Voice account... for 1,000 minutes a month and no more, since I'm using my cell phone to access Google Voice, I mean it is my only phone. BUT WITH THIS NEW HOTNESS, YOU ARE NO LONGER TIED TO A PHONE!!!  I just had Gmail open, and used MY LAPTOP to call my parents' home phone!  WHOA!  Then, for a coup de grace, my folks & I had a video conference!  PC-to-PC phone calls have been around for a while, a la Skype.  But the new hotness is PC-to-phone calls!  I don't believe this has ever been done before!  The PC-to-PC video conferencing, yeah, sure, that's Skype all over again.  But since home phones are unlimited minutes, this amounts to calling home phones AS MUCH AS YOU WANT!

CLICK HERE FOR THE SCOOP

ON THIS JUICE

Asheville vacation, cont'd

Didn't have at the time this video of us on Segways.  They were so easy and fun.  I can't wait until they cost less than a million dollars.  [Jeff Googles...]  Oh, they only cost "$6,000 to $7,000 depending on what model and what package is purchased."  Okay, cool.  Anyone know of a bank that does fourth mortgages?  Sheesh...

yay, celebrate like a bearded hippie... well, like me. :-)

US withdraws military from Iraq - The Guardian

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 06:39 AM PDT

Globe and Mail

US withdraws military from Iraq The Guardian After seven-and-a-half years, the final US combat troops have pulled out off Iraq – two weeks ahead of Barack Obama's 31 August deadline. However, around 50000 US service personnel remain in the country in an 'advice and assist' role,... US troops leave Iraq: A local's viewBBC News Time to tally cost as US combat troops exit IraqSydney Morning Herald ANALYSIS-Will Obama keep US troops in Iraq beyond 2011?Reuters AFP -TIME -The Australian all 1,677 news articles »

BUT "around 50,000 US service personnel remain in the country in an 'advice and assist' role, primarily responsible for training Iraqi security forces."  What happened to "the final US combat troops have pulled out of Iraq"?  Oh yeah, right, we also left some fighter planes, and jet fuel, and bombs, and all the stuff we'd need as if we were in a war, which I'm telling you we're not, so look away now please.  We may continue to choose to bomb a few targets, but that's part of operation Promote Peace and has been on the books for years, nothing to worry about.  Even though the soldiers are here, just as they were yesterday, I'm telling you that today, they've been instructed NOT to kill people.

We'll see... it may be legit, it may be politics-- only time will tell.  Not that I'm a skeptic or anything.  

And to the servicemen and women, THANK YOU.  It is a habit of Jeff 2.0's to thank every public service person I run across-- firemen, ambulance crew, police, and armed forces.  I believe everyone should get into this habit-- it's their job to watch your back, even though in some cases it may be hazardous to their health.

that was cool-- a trip back to Asheville

So I've got a week's break from schooling, and we took a 2-day trip up to Asheville, where I grew up.  It turns out, I like Asheville!  It was a very cool trip.

We took a Segway tour for a couple hours, which was very cool!  The only time any of the three of us had ever been near a Segway was on the last vacation in Hotlanta.  There was a Segway dealer, and we only went as far as trying them out in the store.  But this time, we were zooming along streets & sidewalks.  And the coolest part for me was something else-- so our tour guide was in front, then me, then dad, then mom.  So when I wanted to say something to dad, I would turn my head until I was looking over my left shoulder.  One time, I did that, and that caused my to accidentally veer left some... until I hit a curb.  BAM!  Everything came to a sudden stop, throwing me off.  Now here's the cool bit-- my reflexes actually kicked in.  I fell sideways, but the important thing is that I threw out my hand & prevented (another) head injury.  3 years ago, I didn't have that reflex, I'd just fall like a timber tree.  But I was able to react correctly, and get up laughing after a minute.  Whew!  Sweet...

Then we drove by the house I'd grown up in, 42 Springwood Dr.  We'd visited once before in the last few years, but only to look at the driveway.  But I wanted to see the inside, so we did a reverse lookup to get the phone number, and it was disconnected.  Phooey.  "Well guys, why don't we just knock on the door and ask?  The worst they can do is say no."  So we drove up and knocked, and the guy was the one who bought the house from my folks 6 years ago.  Surprisingly, he immediately knew who we were and invited us in.  It was just cool to say "... and I think there was a table here..." and be right!  Slick!  I'm realizing more and more that although 3 years ago, I'd say I'd lost all my memories from pre-May of '07, I didn't lose them, they were just submerged to slowly resurface over time.

And we had dinner at The Fiddlin' Pig, a really cool new restaurant that features live bluegrass while you eat barbecue.  Cool!  And they had a dance floor, which only the kids were using.  It was a good chuckle to watch one girl do only ballet moves to bluegrass, and one 2-year-old who thought that "dancing" meant "run very fast in large circles."  Heh.

And it was very cool to see that right of the heart of downtown, they've made into a nice park with a stage for concerts, and water fountains shooting water straight up for the kids to run through... called Splashville!

well, it's official now, I've moved

That was a big move, big indeed.  How big?  Well, my new address has the same state as my old address, so nope, I didn't change states, I like South Cackalacky, even though we were the first state to secede.  (everybody makes mistakes, it's how well you learn from them that counts)  So not the state then, the city?  No, no, same city, love this city.  Street address?  No, no, exact same street address as before.  So what DID change?  


Well, where before my street address ended in "apt. 2E", it now ends in "apt. 2C".  Yeah, that's just across the hall.  Big whoop, right? Why did I pack up all of my furniture and clothes and stuff just to move across the friggin' hallway?  Well it is a big whoop for me since this apartment has only one bedroom, and half the bedrooms equals half the cost.  I can dig THAT.  Now the cool part about this studio is that the balcony is RIGHT ON MAIN STREET.  I CAN DIG THAT TOO.  Christmas parade, I've got front-row seats, on the deck if it's warm or through the bedroom window if it's cold.  It's just like Navin R. Johnson once famously (or not) said, "Things are going to start happening to me now..."

a quick (well, 3:56) chuckle

Someone just sent me this, and it's always good to share a laugh: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsIMAYphxY4  (BTW, when they refer to Kevin Bacon randomly, it's a reference to this game, which led me here)

good comic: Rubes Cartoons

I loved the Far Side growing up.  I've found one that's somewhat similar: Rubes Cartoons.  You can read up to 8 at a time here.

fascinating resource: Google Gapminder

Google Gapminder is a very cool way of making data about the world we live in more accessible and easily visualized.  It is so freakin' cool & easy.

Here's an example of the kinds of things you can do with it. (click on the X or Y axis to change what each represents, you can also change each axis from linear to logarithmic scale)  MY GRAPH: www.bit.ly/cbe3Bf-- hit "Full screen" in the upper-right of the graph area, then Play in the lower-left.  That graph's the income per person plotted against the life expectancy at birth, which as you'd expect, ends up showing a direct correlation such that as income rises, so does life expectancy-- access to better health care.  It has -=all kinds=- of nifty features: click on one or several bubbles (or choose the country names from the list on the right) to select them.  Once you've selected at least one (note the "Deselect all" in the lower-right), A) there's an opacity slider for the non-selected countries in the lower right to make your selected ones easier to follow, and B) a "Trails" checkbox that shows each bubble's path as you play the animation you made.  Also in the lower-right in the Size: box is the way to set which indicator controls the size of the bubbles-- you can even click and drag both sides of the gray bubble to set scale.

That's just my one quick graph I made-- make sure you watch "How to use" above my graph (a two-and-a-half minute video), and make your own goodies.  Click on either axis to just see how many possible indicators you can choose from.  Once you've got a cool graph, click Share at the top and send it to me please.

And if you think they're just making up the numbers, you can click on the Data tab at the top to SEE the raw data and where they got it from.  This is a very neat way to understand the world.

fake bus stop

This story was just so doggone clever, I had to share it.  Wayward Alzheimer's patients foiled by fake bus stop.  Very clever solution.

creatively constrained writing exercise

“The devil he lived!  I left him in the forest, so it follows that the doof is ergo ogre food.  I'm glad I had high-octane coffee before my task this morning-- don't believe I could have faced it with decaf.  Taking a prisoner to be eaten, sure I reviled being charged with it, but you know me, I always deliver.  And the king's best sweets were my payment-- sure I was stressed, but the desserts!  It sure beats getting some stinkin' wooden drawer as a reward!  Word on the streets is that the king was considering as a form of punishment either a flog or a round of golf-- whew, no thanks either way.  Well, it beats being a street performer anyway, when I used to get spit for tips.  Hey, get away from that curtain!  The secret behind the curtain won't keep if you peek!  And get away from my knits, you stink!  If you're going to mess with all my stuff, I'm going to draw a close to this ward.  Keep snooping, and I'll make sure you're repaid with a used diaper!  You're only going to bring about your own doom with this crazy mood.  Hey, put my phone down!  If I find out you laid one finger on that dial...”

PALINDROMES: http://www.google.com/search?aq=f&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=define:+palindromes

SEMORDNILAP: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=define:+semordnilap&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

that was AWESOME

So I just saw The Sorcerer's Apprentice.  (info)  Man oh man was that good.  It's got 1 part action, 1 part humor, and 1 part good storyline.  A very good recipe for a movie.  At least I thought it tasted good.

But that wasn't the best part.  I had about 45 minutes to kill afterward while I waited for the next bus.  I was walking by a restaurant called Just Dogs, and although my waistline thanks me for refraining from excess, for some reason I thought I'd pop in and look around.  Glad I did, as I found out they have a "BBQ dog" that's just BBQ on a hot dog bun.  Huh!  Think I'll try that!  I mean, you know us Southerners... you say "barbecue" and we're scrounging for a wedding ring.  (not that we're easy or anything)  So then on the way out, several employees were just chillin' by the front door.  (it was absolutely dead in there)  One of them stopped me and asked "What kind of shoes are those??"

I have on my pair of Z-Coils.  (there's stores in all over, use the store locator) So I ran through my spiel about how after I took a bad injury on my right side, I would lean back some and to the right lots while walking and walk with my right foot pointed to the right to prevent falling that way, not straight ahead like "normal people."  They were able to put inserts in these shoes that pushed me in the opposite direction of my unnatural lean, and after a few months of being pushed to not lean & have both feet pointed straight ("hyper-evolution", but I'm currently still working on not dragging my knuckles), I just walked with both feet pointed straight forward naturally, even when I had regular shoes on.  Even though they did their job, I wear the Z-Coils occasionally still, as I look at it this way: pay an expensive chiropractor later in life, or wear shoes now that are somewhat expensive, but relative to the chiropractor, way cheaper.  And they're way comfy.

THE POINT

Ah, right, so the whole point of this Yakety Yak is that the fellow who asked about the shoes said some relative of his took a traumatic brain injury 3 months ago.  And he said "But it looks like you're doing well."  

That was enough to set me into a speech of hopefully inspirational anecdotes.  I've waited 3 years for this opportunity.
Basically, after every injury, there are going to be some new limitations on what you can do.  I can't fuse the image from each eye into a single image, thus double vision ("diplopia").  Because of that and my slower reflexes, I don't drive anymore-- I maybe could enter driving therapy, but my conscience survived intact.  By which I mean that in the event that I was to get a driver's license and drive again with the double vision and slowed reflexes, IF I was ever in an accident, one possibility is that I survive unharmed and I put someone else in the shoes I was in in May of '07.  THAT would be beyond unbearable.
So, anyway, back to the point-- I was telling this fellow to pass these words on: you've always got to TRY to see where your new limits are.  Once you've found one, it may be movable.  And always push your limits under controlled supervision, so someone responsible can say "Whoa, you're about to go too far."  In my case, my recovery was all about taking back what had been ripped from me-- the ability to walk, speak clearly, do my own taxes-- but even if that's not your case, the principle still applies.
Anyway, the guy was obviously inspired, and that made 2010 a darn good year already.