Prayers answered!

  Sorry I'm a day late on this, but Reno got hit with a storm yesterday afternoon and it took over an hour to make the 15 minute trip home. Then, after dinner we were both tired and went to sleep - Anne lay down in bed for a nap and I at my computer!   The news from the scan & examination is that the tumor has shrunk even more! It's now 1cm in size and the oncologist thinks it may be a good idea to do more radiation. So, he's going to meet with her radiation oncologist before deciding what will happen next. Although, he did say that they (the two doctors) will be doing a biopsy wherein Anne would be under anesthesia.   Anne would like to just remove the cervix, tumor and all, so as to be done with it. But, Dr. Lim is the expert and she'll do whatever he thinks is best. After all, he's been right so far. What he doesn't know is the power that comes from beyond at the direction of you, our dear family and friends, which is magnifying the healing process to such an amazing degree!   Thank you; bless you; God keep you, Don and Anne  

---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

Prayer request

  Anne is having her PeT scan Thursday morning at 8:30am (Pacific). This will reveal how (hopefully) minimal the surgery might be. We'd really appreciate it if you could pause for just a moment and send her a prayer, healing thought or just some positive energy.   Thank you! Don and Anne     ---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

The very last text

If this doesn't break your heart, you don't have one...

Amplify’d from www.youtube.com

See more at www.youtube.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/jx5e

What did you expect? Rubber buiscuits???

Stop deluding yourselves. Criminals are smart, too. Believing otherwise leaves you wide open for attack. Get smart and cover your assets!

Amplify’d from news.cnet.com

McAfee: Smartphones, Apple top 2011 crime targets

Security firm McAfee expects malicious activity in 2011 to target smartphones, geolocation services like Foursquare, URL shorteners, and Apple products across the board, according to a new report released Tuesday.

"We've seen significant advancements in device and social network adoption, placing a bulls-eye on the platforms and services users are embracing the most," Vincent Weafer, senior vice president of McAfee Labs, said in a release announcing the report's debut. These platforms and services have become very popular in a short amount of time, and we're already seeing a significant increase in vulnerabilities, attacks and data loss."

In other words, the security infrastructure surrounding hot new services and devices, and more importantly public awareness of potential threats that people may face when using them, may not be up to par with better-established technologies. Take URL shorteners, for example: Since it's so easy to mask longer URLs with them and yet Twitter users have grown accustomed to clicking them without much thought, McAfee expects that they will continue to be targets for spam, scammers, and viruses.

Social networks will remain hotbeds of malicious attacks, McAfee predicted, but geolocation services like Foursquare and Facebook Places will see new prominence. "In just a few clicks, cybercriminals can see in real time who is tweeting, where they are located, what they are saying, what their interests are, and what operating systems and applications they are using," the release Tuesday explained. "This wealth of personal information on individuals enables cybercriminals to craft a targeted attack." Read more at news.cnet.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/jto1

Take it back, Texas

Not really... just take it back to your grocer

Amplify’d from www.cnn.com

Salmonella found in U.S., Canada prompts cilantro, parsley recall

(CNN) -- A Texas produce distributor has recalled nearly 7,000 cases of cilantro and curly parsley after samples in Quebec, Canada, and Michigan tested positive for salmonella, the company said Monday.

The latest recall comes days after dozens of people fell sick after consuming bacteria-tainted alfalfa sprouts in an apparently unrelated situation. Read more at www.cnn.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/jqla

Catch up time

  We''re in kind of a "holding pattern" these days. Anne finished her radiation and hasn't had anything going on regarding her cancer for a couple of weeks now. She does visit the physical therapist twice a week for her back pan and it's been helping a lot.   Last Saturday we took Justus, Heather and the boys to Red Robin for lunch. We'd had a late breakfast, so she and I ate light. Anne had a chicken salad and I ordered the French onion soup with a side salad.   Then we took them to see the movie Yogi Bear. It was just as funny as I remember the cartoons; perhaps more so. The combination of live acting with modern computer generated graphics really brought Yogi and Boo-boo to life. The boys laughed throughout the movie and had a great time.

  Monday, while Anne napped, I snuck out and ran across town to a store where I'd ordered Anne's big Christmas present. After closing the deal on that I arranged for them to deliver it (since it won't fit in my car) and then scooted back home.

  Tuesday I set up Netflix on the Wii (only 7.99/mo) and watched a couple of videos. If you're interested in folk lore I can recommend Jim Henson's The Storyteller. It's a series of tales from various countries, as you can imagine, but not the same ones that everybody has heard. Also, the only "muppet" I've seen is the storyteller's dog; the rest is live acting.

  Yesterday Anne woke up with some bad pain in her lower back. (something that I can identify with!) We talked about how old our mattress is and how neither it nor the previous one had made it past their warranty periods. In fact, we've been through three of them since moving into our home 16 years ago! And these were top of the line mattresses...

  So, the decision was made to replace it. Checking with Consumer Reports we found that the best mattresses were Tempur-pedic (%60 buy again), but they were very expensive. More acceptable prices were for Original Mattress Factory (%52), Denver Mattress (%43), and Serta (%31).

  Next we looked up the highest rated stores: The Original Mattress Factory and Sleep Train were both Eastern enterprises, but Mattress Discounters had a local store fairly close to us. Looking up their web site we found that they carried the Serta and Tempur-pedic lines.

  So, we jumped in our cars and went to see them. Arriving at the store, we looked at the Serta and then went straight to the Tempur-pedic displays. Chad, our salesman, was very helpful and encouraged us to try any and all of their beds, mentioning how he couldn't believe that some people will buy one without even laying on it first. This is where you're going to spend 1/3 of your life!

  Well, after discussing the differences in construction with him between the various brands (did you know that the Sleep Number units have a %50 failure rate?) we narrowed it down to the Tempur-pedic. Although these units are the most expensive beds made, they also have a 20 year warranty! That speaks well of the quality and explains why customers are most likely to re-purchase them.

  We take delivery this afternoon. I'll send a full "review" after we actually spend a few nights sleeping on it. By the way, Chad says that when most of his customers buy a second one it's for the guest bed, instead of for themselves and putting their old set in the guest room like other mattresses!

  Bless you and yours with the spirit of love and sharing,

Don and Anne

 

 

PS

What if Jesus was born in today's tech world?

 

 

---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

Carities with the highest admin cost

Unfortunately, there are some unscrupulous people out there. Fortunately, there are people who are willing to point the finger at them!

Amplify’d from www.mainstreet.com

A favorite saying in business is that you have to spend money to make money. Charitable organizations, on the other hand, have to spend money to give money, and it turns out that some are woefully inefficient at channeling donations to the people they're supposed to help.

Whether it be rent on prime office space, generous pay and benefits for the board of directors, or the high fixed costs of running a summer camp, overhead like this reduces the impact of a charity no matter how that money is being spent. Donor beware… Read more at www.mainstreet.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/jb6e

Desperate breast-feeding moms reveal secrets - CNN.com

URL:  http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/12/23/breastfeeding.secr...

I remember my mother, who taught breast-feeding after she retired, talking about some of these issues. I remember how she'd say it was the most beautiful and loving thing a mother can do for her baby and with many, many benifits to both of them. But mostly I remember re-counting how she once told a class that "it comes in such cute containers!" and they all had a good laugh. She was a true "people person" and taught me real compassion.

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/jaz5

Real time translations!

This thing is FAST and it goes "backwards", too! Crazy!

Amplify’d from www.youtube.com

Introducing Word Lens

See more at www.youtube.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/j2qv

If you missed it

A total lunar eclipse on the winter solstice will not happen again until 2094

Amplify’d from www.youtube.com

Winter Solstice - Total Lunar Eclipse 2010 - TIME-LAPSE

See more at www.youtube.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/j2pr

YEAH! It's about time someone locked up this monster!

Congratulations to Florida for having the cajones to take him down. it's unbelieveable that people like this are allowed to hide behind the freedom of speech. When what you're talking about endangers others, you've crossed that line and the repurcussions should be swift.

Please, Florida, keep him for as long as you want!

Amplify’d from www.cnn.com

Man who wrote 'how-to' for pedophiles arrested

"You cannot engage or depict children in a harmful relationship," said Polk County, Florida, Sheriff Grady Judd as he described the Florida obscenity statute that officials used to charge Phillip Greaves with distribution of obscene material depicting minors engaged in harmful conduct.

The self-published author was arrested in Pueblo, Colorado, on a Florida felony warrant after undercover detectives in Polk County purchased and received a copy of the book through the mail. He will have to be extradited to Florida to face charges. Read more at www.cnn.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/izh3

Just how easy is it?

I line of code and a single click!

Amplify’d from www.readwriteweb.com

Facebook Makes Big New Move to Capture More User Data

Facebook today unveiled an incredibly simple new service that will allow any website owner to hand over user registration for their site to Facebook, undoubtedly something countless independent sites have considered since seeing the disaster that resulted from the hacking of Gawker's user account info earlier this month.

I'm not here to criticize Gawker. On the contrary, I'd like to thank them for illustrating in broad, bold relief the dirty truth about website passwords: we're all better off without them. If you'd like to see a future web free of Gawker style password compromises -- stop trusting every random internet site with a unique username and password! Demand that they allow you to use your internet driver's license -- that is, your existing Twitter, Facebook, Google, or OpenID credentials -- to log into their website.

That's exactly what the new Facebook Registration tool will make it easy for websites to do. In some cases, with a single line of code. Read more at www.readwriteweb.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/ikkh

Hide your face!

It was only a matter of time before this happened. So many people unconcerned about their privacy that now we have this! You will be horrified within the next couple of years to see news stories about stalkers, pedophiles, and all manner of "well intentioned" people using this information in ways that you never dreamed of.

Check your security settings NOW and make sure that you're not sharing your pics and that you're being warned whenever someone else does.

Amplify’d from news.cnet.com

Facial recognition comes to Facebook photo tags

Taking yet another step in the ongoing process of upgrading its photo-sharing service, Facebook announced today that it will soon enable facial-recognition technology--meaning that when members upload photographs and are encouraged to "tag" their friends, they will be able to choose from a list of suggestions.

Thanks to its treasure trove of user photos that have already been tagged, not to mention personal profile photos, Facebook has built up a huge base of data for gauging exactly who's in what photo. There are now 100 million photo uploads per day, according to Facebook, and 100 million "tags" each day as well. Tagging is also a hallmark of Facebook's photo product, which was otherwise bare-bones, difficult to use, and lagged behind competitors at its launch. Being able to annotate each photo with friends' names was largely what propelled Facebook Photos forward.

Of course, there will be someone out there who cries foul with regard to how Facebook handles users' personal information or wonders whether this is a sign that Facebook knows too much about us all. Cox explained that there will be an opt-out for the new feature so that if a member does not want to show up in his or her friends' tagging suggestions, they won't. Read more at news.cnet.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/ihgt

Tales2Go

http://www.tales2go.com/schoolpromo/

Calling all teachers and educators! Tales2Go is a service which streams children's audiobooks on-demand to iOS devices. From now until January 15, 2011, you can sign up for a free six-month Tales2Go subscription for your school or educational program.

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/ifaz

It's about time!

This will make my life so much easier...

Amplify’d from mashable.com

Google Launches Site for Teaching Tech to Your Parents

Ever go home for the holidays, and find your parents asking you to help them out with “techie tasks” like uploading photos to the Internet?

You’re not alone. A bunch of folks over at Google find themselves in this situation nearly every time they visit their families around this time of year. That’s why they’ve launched TeachParentsTech.org, a “tech support care package” that’s meant to help kids teach parents about computer basics.

According to a Google blog post, the site allows users to select more than 50 basic how-to videos they could send to parents — or frankly, anyone else who might need a little tech help. The videos cover topics from copying and pasting to sharing large files. The recipient will receive a message from the sender, along with a link to the selected videos. Read more at mashable.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/ibhc

Auto-Shopping

  This just in! A reader writes in to a security newsletter I get:  

I have a story to relate. Recently I was reading my Email (I have Gmail and use Google Chrome for my browser). Anyway, I got an Email that had a link to Facebook with the name that I thought was a friend of mine. Well, when I clicked on the link, all of a sudden my browser started acting "wonky". The print got large, I later found out the zoom had been set to 125%, and my mouse had trouble tracking. When I went shopping, unbeknownst to me, a couple of days later, my browser "saved" my credit card number and security code. It went shopping on its own, while I wasn't home, but had left on my computer. The virus, when I found it, was called Adware.ShopMe something or other (I don't have the full name), but what was weird the virus was only resident in memory and not on my hard drive, which I don't understand.

I won't go into the whole clean-up story, but the virus only did about $30 worth of damage, before which I am grateful. So I can affirm your admonition. "Be careful when you click on those links." -JR

 

  Forewarned is fore armed! Think before you click!!!

 

 

---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

What to say/not say

Depression is serious stuff. If you know someone who suffers from depression, you should read this: http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20393228,00.html?pkw=outbrain-ha

 

---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

10 car buying mistakes

This a good MSN article for anyone considering a car purchase now or in the future. Great tips to keep things on your side!

Amplify’d from editorial.autos.msn.com

10 Common Car-Buying Mistakes

Walking onto a car lot can feel like a train wreck in slow motion: At every turn you get a little more derailed, until finally you're off the tracks entirely and the dealership has what it wants: your entire bank account.

Part of the problem is the sheer number of variables involved in negotiating the sale: the price, the options, the financing, the monthly payment, maybe a trade-in. You should methodically research and consider every conceivable scenario before setting foot on a dealer's lot. Otherwise, dealers will do everything they can to tilt the transaction in their favor. Read more at editorial.autos.msn.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/hyic

Holding pattern

  Since finishing up her round of radiation treatments, Anne has had some time off. She's been to see a couple of "regular" doctors (boy, I never thought I'd have THAT paradigm shift) and is doing some physical therapy.   Other than that, she's just enjoying the break from being poked, prodded (sorry, "palpated". LOL), irratiated, infused, etc.. She'll check Skype at some point during her day and, perhaps, do some online holiday shopping.   I'm counting down the days to my Christmas vacation (the week of the 20th) and the day that Santa arrives! My new guitar arrived the other day, but she won't let me see it. "It's a Christmas present" she says. That's fine, because I love surprises and she knows the anticipation will make it that much sweeter.   I only hope that she's as happy with her gift. But, I've still got eighteen days of shopping available to me! Hahaha... (or should that be Hohoho...?) *wink*   May the spirit of the season grab you by the heart strings, Don and Anne     ---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

We need more of this!

The world is such a small place these days. Technology has interconnected nations and peoples to such an extent that our lives interweave on a daily basis. Adults may think nothing of it, but the culture shock a child feels can stop them in their tracks. That's when they turn to the experts in their world. Parents! Remembering that children learn with they live, it's important for thier future success that they not only hear, but see how to properly handle these interactions with consideration and understanding.

Amplify’d from www.babble.com

How to explain other cultures to kids

During a recent stroll around our local children’s zoo, my four-year-old son came to a halt. He stared at the family in front of us. “Mommy … what’s that woman … what’s she wearing?” He stood stock still, brazenly pointing at a woman dressed in a full burka.

As you might imagine, I was mortified. I figured I had two choices. I could stop right there and answer his question, completely objectifying the woman, or I could try to pretend he was pointing at the emus, whisk him off to the next exhibit and put off explaining until I figured out how.

But how do you explain to kids about cultures that aren’t your own? It can be really uncomfortable, especially right in front of a member of the culture in question. Read more at www.babble.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/hr8h

Wake up call

When are the global warming deniers going admit they're wrong? Most of them are in a position to help, or even do something directly, to slow or reverse this trend! Too bad it doesn't cost them money. That would get their attention...

Amplify’d from www.cnn.com

Oceans failing the acid test, U.N. says

(CNN) -- The chemistry of the world's oceans is changing at a rate not seen for 65 million years, with far-reaching implications for marine biodiversity and food security, according to a new United Nations study released Thursday.

"Environmental Consequences of Ocean Acidification," published by the U.N. Environmental Program (UNEP)," warns that some sea organisms including coral and shellfish will find it increasingly difficult to survive, as acidification shrinks the minerals needed to form their skeletons.

Lead author of the report Carol Turley, from the UK's Plymouth Marine Laboratory said in a statement: "We are seeing an overall negative impact from ocean acidification directly on organisms and on some key ecosystems that help provide food for billions. We need to start thinking about the risk to food security." Read more at www.cnn.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/hbdk

Finally!

  We received some great news about Anne today: the tumor is now only 2x2 cm! It started out oblong at over 7cm and, then, the chemo took it down to 3cm. The latest shrinkage is thanks to the radiation therapy she'd been receiving.   Anne will be having another PeT scan the end of the month and then surgery will be scheduled for January. Keep them prayers, thoughts and well wishes coming. You're performing a miracle in the here and now and Anne is walking proof of that!   Love and hugs and smiles by the miles for you, Don and Anne     ---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

I knew that

This is why friendly people are smarter than "loners".

Amplify’d from io9.com

Why dogs have bigger brains than cats

Being sociable has its advantages, including giving you - or at least your species - a bigger brain. Across more than 500 mammal species, animals that lived in social groups had bigger brains than those that lived by themselves. Read more at io9.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/gzvn

Big Fat Fiasco

URL:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exi7O1li_wA&NR=1&feature...

Humor with a backing of science. More than just thought provoking... this guy actually scared me! What if he's right? With all of the studies he cites, it's very possible we've all been had. Even more frightening is the question of what profits corporate America is making at the cost of our health!

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/gzuh

We're back!

  I hope that everyone had a good holiday. We certainly did. Thursday evening Justus, Julie, Anne and I went to the Nugget for dinner. While the others ordered turkey with two side dishes, I was able to get all the sides in place of turkey!   The place was full, but the wait wasn't too bad. Our waitress was very busy and a bit slow on the refils (understandably). Then, while she was setting the entrees down for us, she dumped the cranberry sauce in my lap!   She was just horrified and very apologetic, but most attentive after that! LOL. Anne suggested that I have a glass of wine and Justus remarked that she should buy. So I asked for some house wine and requested that it be on the house and she comp'd it! Cool.   Friday Justus called from Best Buy (he was up at 4am) and said they had several items I was interested in. After breakfast I went over to the nearby store and they were out of one of them. Heading to the North store I found what I was looking for (no, Anne, I'm not going to spill the beans here!).   Saturday Justus and I went to see Harry Potter with Anne. This time on the new (Cinemark XD) giant screen. It was even better that the first time, but we had to pay for the priviledge this time.   Sunday I received a call from one of Tim's sons telling us that he'd passed away that morning. I called the other friends I knew that would want to know and then retired for a few minutes.   Movies tonight: Grown Ups and Disturbia. Grown Ups had a cast of great comics and was truly hilarious. Disturbia was real thriller in the Hitchcock style of Rear Window.   Death is unavoidable, but life can pass you by. (Theo Mestrum) Be here now, Don and Anne     ---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

Smoother than a baby's behind

Except for the snow and freezing temps, that is! Hahaha...   Those of you who don't like the cold can be glad you're not North of the Mason/Dixon line these days. Those of you in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio and we here in Northern Nevada are getting into winter (whether we like it or not). Currently, half the country is below freezing!   Tonight and tomorrow night we expect it to be below 10 degrees here in Sparks. Those of you in Southern California and Florida... please send us some heat!   Anne went to get her PICC line dressing changed yesterday. but, besides that, has been holed up in the house the last two days. She and Lady are happy to just stay inside, reading a good book. I can't say I blame them as I'd be doing the same if I had a choice! Which I will Thursday and Friday (I think).   Thursday we're going to sleep in (no surprise there) and, later that day, to the Nugget for dinner. Anne's decided that the big Thanksgiving buffet they always put on is too much for us. It'd cost $25 each (mostly because of the shrimp and crab legs) to do that one. Since we rarely have seconds, we're better off in a regular restaurant.   Rosie's will be serving the standard fixin's at half that price and that includes a piece of pumpkin pie. This, and my love across the table from me, is all I need for a nice meal.   The day after Thanksgiving and the Day after Christmas ComputerLand is traditionally closed. However, I haven't heard the official word just yet. Friday, Anne wants to fix a small, pared-down version of Thanksgiving just for the leftover factor!   Well, it's off to a bed with extra blankets! Anne just brought the weather report and low tonight will be 7; high tomorrow expected to be 24. Ack! But, this is Reno and it won't last. (I hope!)   Cuddle up and stay warm. Love will see us through, Don and Anne       PS For those who love science and music: http://www.symphonyofscience.com/

 

 

---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

The last three days

No... not the movie. That'd be "The Next Three Days".   Friday was a good day for Anne. Relaxing; reading; Skyping. I think she's practicing for retirement! LOL. I went to play with Dave's Garage band after dinner and she watched some television shows. We had a guest guitar player join us who said he'd been in several bands and was currently a studio musician. This led us to believe that he was going to leave us amateurs in the dust. But, by the end of the night we politely bid him farewell. Each of us totally shocked at his lack of skill! I guess we're not that bad after all. Hahaha...   Saturday she woke earlier than I did. When I got up I had to run to the doctor's for some lab work. Standard stuff: thyroid, cholesterol, PSA, etc... After breakfast Walt showed up and we started playing some music. Then Shane showed up with his acoustic and we played the two songs he knew. Then Steve, Shane's dad, showed up and I showed him a basic 12-bar in G on his bass so that Walt could solo over it. Too much fun!   Then Anne and I did some running around because she was getting cabin fever and just wanted to be out of the house for a while. "You remember what that's like!" she prodded me. Boy do I and I'm more than willing to get her out and about when she feels like that.  So, we went to see the tree lighting at the Legends At The Marina (our newest shopping mall) and to try and catch Santa. Anne wanted to ask him to bring her healing for Christmas! Unfortunately, we were a bit late and only caught the tail end of the ceremonies. I had to force my way past a couple of witches who thought they were some sort of guardians of the space in front of the stage in order to get Anne a view. They were an a-capella group of four gentlemen singing pop songs. Nice harmonies and real troupers for being out in freezing temps.   Then we wandered a bit around the mall, which we'd never actually done. They have some HUGE open fireplaces and really neat lighted coffee table/cube things with bench seats around them. Then it happened... Anne spotted a Skechers store!   She's been after me to get rid of my favorite tennis shoes for months (because one has a hole in the side) and before I knew it we were shopping for shoes. There was a "2nd pair for half price" sale going on and we took advantage of it. I bought a pair of brown sport shoes and she picked up a pair of slipper/shoes with an interesting strap and sparkles across the toes. Not really winter wear, but she wanted them that's all that matters to me. Before leaving I bagged the old shoes and asked the girl to please dispose of them.   After getting home we settled in for some TV and some chai tea. While watching 48-hours Mystery she got hit with some bad cramping. I ran and got the heating bad and massaged her shin muscle until it relaxed. (damn, I hate seeing her in pain like that)   After breakfast today I was determined to track down Tim. Whether he was at home, in the hospital, living with his kids, or whatever. First stop was the Veteran's Hospital and, unfortunately, that's where I found him. He'd been released two weeks ago because he wasn't sick enough to need their services. Four days later he was back. It seems he's had a stroke because he could move his left arm or leg. He'd, also, pulled out his "J-tube" (for feeding) while thrashing around in his sleep.   The doctors said that he wouldn't survive the surgery to replace the tube and, so, he hasn't had sustinance for about two weeks now. He's getting morphine every hour to control his pain, but this has left him unable to communicate. His ex-wife and sons are keeping 24-hour vigilance now and don't expect him to last much longer.   Dodie, his ex-, asked me to call his musician friends and tell them in the hopes that some of them would come and visit before the end. I spent some time this afternoon calling the few that I knew and asked them to put the word out and to go by if they could.   After making the calls, I took Anne out for a run to the banks. After dinner at Quizno's we headed home and watched a ouple of movies that Justus had loaned her: Nothing To Lose with Tim Robbins and Martin Lawrence and The Island withEwan McGreggor and Scarlett Johansson. Nothing To Lose was some serious, crazy fun and The Island was edge-or-the-seat suspense.   Be thankful for the love you have and be loving to those you are thankful for, Don and Anne     ---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

Please, sir, can I have some more?

Nothing enriches your life like being exposed to some culture.

Check out the joyful faces in the crowds as they are taken by surprise!

Amplify’d from www.knightarts.org

Random Acts of Culture

Have you experienced a Random Act of Culture? Think Mozart at the Food Court. A little tango in an airport terminal. A “Hallelujah” in the shoe department – of the Handel variety, that is. Read More +

Knight Foundation is helping produce 1,000 of these Random Acts of Culture over the next three years, bringing classical artists out of the performance halls, into the streets – and our everyday lives. Performances are taking place through a variety of partners in Akron, Ohio; Charlotte, N.C.; Detroit, Mich.; Macon, Ga.; Miami, Fla.; Philadelphia, Pa.; San Jose, Calif.; and St. Paul, Minn. Read more at www.knightarts.org

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/fshc

Warning!

Although these people don't believe they should obey the law or pay taxes, etc. they believe that their families deserve to be educated, that their streets should be paved, that their house fires should be put out and many other amenities that those taxes pay for.

But, don't tell them they're wrong because wrestling with a boar only gets you sweaty and the boar enjoys it. Besides, if these people actually believed everything the say they do (not just the convenient parts), they'd be living with the Native Americans on their reservations where they get minimal support from the government. Although, suffice it to say that they'd be checking their mailboxes every month for that check. You betcha!

Amplify’d from www.splcenter.org

With ‘Sovereign Citizen’ Movement Growing, New SPLC Video Promotes Law Enforcement Safety

The so-called “sovereign citizens” movement — men and women who believe they are exempt from most state and federal laws, regulations and tax codes — is spreading like a prairie fire. While many of these are tax resistors or perpetrators of “paper terrorism” – the filing of nuisance liens and such – some sovereign citizens have demonstrated a willingness to resist police and government authority with violence.

The unique danger posed by this movement exploded May 20 when two West Memphis, Ark., police officers met a father-son team of sovereigns, Jerry and Joe Kane, during a routine late-morning traffic stop. As officers Brandon Paudert and Bill Evans puzzled over the incomprehensible paperwork presented by father Jerry, son Joe, 16, emerged from the vehicle with his AK-47 blazing and fatally shot both officers. The Kanes fled, but were tracked and killed in a shootout with police an hour later in a Wal-Mart parking lot after wounding two more officers.

Read more at www.splcenter.org

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/fr6x

Keep that stuff away from me!

Mercury builds as it works its way up the food chain. Have you seen The Cove?

Amplify’d from www.ageofautism.com

Study Linking Mercury with Alzheimers Coming Out Read more at www.ageofautism.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/fnl8

Planned nothign

  Wednesday was a whole day that Anne had planned to do nothing and actually got to do it (or... not, depending on how you look at it). Tuesday, as you know, wasn't quite that day because of the trip to the credit union. But Wednesday WAS!   Today she ran some errands, went to physical therapy for her back, and picked me up at the car dealership while they worked on my car. This ended up just being lunch at a Thai food restaurant, as they called half-way through saying it would be ready in a few minutes. My Saturn needed an oil change and new serpentine belt. I thought it was the belt that had started squeeling, but it turned out to be the power steering pump. They've ordered it, along with a seat belt buckle (because the dash light never turns off) and a clutch switch so that the car won't start without the clutch pushed in.   I didn't even know it did that but the mechanic said that he'd reached in the window and started the car while he was working on it, having forgotten it was a stick, and it started.   Shortly after we got home, Justus came and picked me up for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1. He'd gotten two tickets to the sneak preview before it was going to be shown anywhere else in town! Justus wanted to take Anne, but she can't be in with crowds of people until her immune system recovers. So, she suggested that I go in her stead. How could I say no to that?   The movie tonight was (guess)... Harry Potter!!! Hahaha... It was great! In fact, it was the best one so far, and rightly so. All the usual ne'er-do-wells were there and the usual multiple attempts on Harry's life by ol' noseless. Highly recommended. (Anne is jealous and I've promised to take her to see it ASAP)   Be sure to use the Lumos spell to light up your loved ones hearts, Don and Anne     ---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

How many times do I have to tell you?

The Chinese government is a communist regime! The are NOT our friends!

Amplify’d from www.cnn.com

Report: Chinese company 'hijacked' U.S. web traffic

Washingtom (CNN) -- Internet traffic from several U.S. government agency sites was briefly diverted through servers in China in April, congressional investigators reported Wednesday.

For 18 minutes, about 15 percent of all web traffic was redirected through China, including traffic to and from the sites of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, the office of the Secretary of Defense, the Senate and NASA, according to a report delivered to Congress by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.

Investigators say the web traffic was diverted by China Telecom, a state-owned enterprise.

They do not know whether the diversion was intentional, whether the government of China played any role, or whether any sensitive data was compromised. Read more at www.cnn.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/fijb

Overseas food isn't safe? Who'd have thought?

Come on, people! These countries aren't our friends. Most of them are communist-ruled and would gladly poison us given the chance. Well, apparently we've given them just that...

Amplify’d from today.msnbc.msn.com

Could your seafood contain toxic chemicals?

When you think of tainted seafood, you may think of the Gulf oil spill. But 80 percent of the fish and shrimp Americans eat actually comes from overseas — and a TODAY investigation that aired Tuesday found that some of that seafood may contain toxic chemicals that can cause serious health problems.

Footage taken by a U.S. advocacy group of seafood being raised in Vietnam, for example, showed fish in dirty sewage water, pumped with toxic antibiotics and banned drugs just to keep them alive, boosting production and driving down costs.

‘Disturbing number’ Ron Sparks is commissioner of the state Department of Agriculture in Alabama — one of the few states that tests imported seafood for drugs like chloramphenicol, nitrofurans and malachite green, chemicals so toxic to humans that they’re banned in all food. “In some cases, between 40 and 50 percent of our tests will come out positive,” Sparks said. “That’s a disturbing number.”

State tests in Oklahoma, Mississippi and Georgia show similar results, all targeting seafood with the worst record of contamination: shrimp, catfish, crabmeat and tilapia imported to the U.S. from China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia — ending up in American restaurants and grocery stores in many cases, officials say. Read more at today.msnbc.msn.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/fguk

Online flirting or more?

Apparently there are a lot of people out there that can't keep their pants on!

Amplify’d from www.msnbc.msn.com

Pastor to church leaders: Thou shalt not Facebook

NEPTUNE, N.J. — A New Jersey pastor is telling his married church leaders to delete Facebook or resign.

The Rev. Cedric Miller says much of his recent marital counseling has included infidelity stemming from the social-network website.

Miller already had asked married couples among his 1,100 congregants to share their Facebook passwords with each other. He says the reaction to that request was mixed. Read more at www.msnbc.msn.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/fgub

Peaceful easy feelin'

  Anne had a very quiet day today. She's been looking forward to having a nice, relaxed, nothing-special-to-do day and she sure enjoyed it!
 The one thing that she did was go to the credit union. Let me start at the begining on this one:
 The weekend before last, if you remember, we went out to lunch and had some Mexican food. For some reason I pulled out my ATM card for the joint account. Realizing my mistake I quickly stuffed it back in and gave the cashier the joint Visa.
 Fast-forward to Sunday afternoon when, for some reason, I discovered an ATM card in the front slot of my wallet. Figuring that I was still carrying the old one for some reason (because it was in the correct position for that card) I diligently took the scissors to it and put the pieces in various trash cans around the house.
 Punch the fast-forward button once more to last Friday at work, where I'm desperately looking for the joint ATM card. I call Anne and ask if I'd given it to her with the receipt from the other night and, after searching her purse, she informs me that I didn't. I check the car after work, but it's dark and I don't see it. So, I figure I'll have better luck in the morning.
 Saturday morning a more thorough search fails to turn up the card. Now we're both panicked because these days the Visa logo on your ATM card is as good as a credit card and, if use judiciously, you can use it many places in those counter-mounted self-swipe machines without being asked for ID!
 Then, yesterday I called Anne from work and told her "I found the card (in a manner of speaking)!" Which, at first puzzled her. But then, after I explained, we were both relieved and laughed at my version of "chemo brain."
 So, today she got to tell the story to a manager at the credit union and they got a kick out of it, also! But, in the end Anne got another card on its way and all is well that ends well. Hahaha... (embarrassed, though I am)
 Bless you & yours and hold them tight lest you lose them,
Don and Anne

 

---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

Crowning

  Anne went and got a crown on one of her teeth today. She said it was amazing because they did it all in one day. They have some new technology that lets them create the crown right there in the dentist's office!
  She followed that up with a visit to the infusion clinic for a dressing change and to get her PICC lines flushed. They asked when she'd be having them removed, but we don't know right now. That will be decided by her doctor and predicated upon the need, or lack there-of, for more chemo treatments.
  This afternoon she was doing her email and what should appear? No, not eight tiny reindeer, but Jane on Skype! They chatted for a while and Jane told her about the 10" of snow they had last weekend. Not just any snow, mind you, but a very wet and heavy snow!
  After dinner I took a nap and when I awoke I joined Anne in her office watching The Event. Does anyone know what the point of this show is? It seems to be another one of those never-ending series full of unanswered questions. I've watched it twice now and just don't get it.

  Something I do get is the love that's available just for the asking. Open your heart and let it flow into your life and, through you, to those you love. Now THAT'S a true mystery!
 Don and Anne

 

 

---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

Stew

 Anne made her stew today! It was built around buffalo meat and included potatoes, parsnip, carrots, rutabaga, onion, celery, and turnip. Everything but the kitchen sink! Of course, that's what makes it so good! And, yes, it was delicious! Heck, I had three helpings, giving Anne the cubes of beef that snuck into my bowl!
  While Anne was doing all the peeling, chopping, slicing and dicing I was picking up after Lady, cleaning up the leaves in the back and front yards, and changing out the incandescents over the sink in both bathrooms for compact florescent lights. The old bulbs I gave to Sun and Amy, next door, to use in their three bathrooms. Sun said that they've changed several of the bulbs in the past and it was a welcome gift to have spares.
  After dinner Anne wanted to watch a movie. She had three that Justus had loaned her and we settled on "How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days" with Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. It was a fairly cute movie and Anne seemed to like it, but I left her to it about 20 minutes in and ended up plunking on the guitar in my office instead.
  After the movie, Anne came back into her office and found the Kennedy Center celebration of the Mark Twain award for Tina Fey on PBS. I joined her and we laughed at many of the clips from Tina's days at Second City and Saturday Night Live.
  Then the news and it was off to bed for Anne and Lady. I, on the other had, had work to do. Putting out this email was preempted by a video on my iGoogle home page about "Living On One Dollar-A-Day". This was intriguing and, as I suspected, it was about the impoverished. But, what I hadn't expected was that it's setting is Guatemala!
  Check out the videos and see (or remember) where Anne's family grew up and the life-style of the people they were attempting to help. Notice, also, that despite their abject poverty these people are still happy! It makes you wonder why so many have so much and, yet, cannot seem to find happiness within themselves.
  Hold someone you love and feel way it lifts your spirits,
Don and Anne
 


http://www.pbs.org/mark-twain-prize/
http://onedollaraday.weebly.com/

 

 

---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

Are we there yet?

  Last week was the final course of radiation treatments for Anne. This morning we woke briefly to take meds and let Lady into the bedroom. Then all of us went back to sleep. That is until Lady had an upset stomach at 7:15!   I heard her making noise and jumped up, shooing her off the bed and running her out the back door where she got sick. A few minutes later all was well and we bedded down again, not rising until after eight.   Then it was a leisurely breakfast before starting our day. Anne wanted to get some veggies for a stew she wanted to make. I went to Whole Foods and bought some stew meat just for this project. Now she was needing a rutabaga and other fixin's.   While she did that, I went to see Tim. But, his car wasn't there and there was a case of protien drinks on the porch swing. (not a good sign) I rang the doorbell, but to no avail. So, I called Walt and Joe in the hopes that one of them had either the Veteran's hospital phone number or hos sons'. But they weren't home either.   Heading back into town, I went by to see Dave and pick up some Gold dog food for Lady. It's the best we can get and, since Dave is the distributor, the price is right.  

---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

Take a break

  Anne's been having good days this week and is looking forward to tomorrow's radiation treatment. This will be the last of her treatments for a while. Her radiation oncologist has posited that there could be more treatments, albiet of a different type. But we haven't gotten anything firm from her gyno-oncologist as of yet.   Anne'll be calling a make a follow-up appointment after Thanksgiving weekend. If there are more ratiation treatments, they may start fairly quickly. However, if not, and the next consideration is for surgery, there will be a healing period prior to this procedure.   Until then, we plan to relax and enjoy sleeping in a bit in the mornings to follow. Something that we have not been able to do for a while now.   Say a prayer that the healing will continue, Don and Anne

 

---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

Where's my boy?

  I can't seem to get ahold of my brother or my son. Since Josh is currently roosting at Woody's abode, if may be safe to assume that they are both be too busy to answer my calls or respond to my emails. But, I doubt it.   Josh works nights and sleeps during the day. So his alibi covers normal waking hours.   Woody is attending to his horse business and taking classes (last I heard) wich fills his time.   But, in the past there's always been some response, however much later it may have come. And, since both of them have time for Facebook, we're left to wonder if California split apart from the main land and the news forgot to cover it because of all the political ruckus.   Somebody call me and let me know what's going on!   Please?

 

---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer