There are Yahoo Groups for seniors, religion, politics (don't join a political Group if you are easily offended), and if you don't find a Group for the subject you are looking for, well you can create a Group for that subject.
Yahoo Groups have so much to offer folks. If you have a hobby, there is probably a Yahoo Group for that hobby. You can join the Group and converse with people who have the same hobby.
There is a large number of computer help Yahoo Groups. If you have a computer problem of almost any kind, there are members who can help you solve your problem. All of this help is available to members totally free of charge. You can 'lurk', (meaning you don't post) and learn lots of stuff about computers, or you can post questions if you have a specific problem. Sometimes it takes awhile to get the answer you need, but usually you will get the answer fairly soon.
Now for my warning. When you join a Group, check to see if it is public or private. If you want to contirbute to the Group by posting messages, DON'T join a public Group. Why not? Because everything you post could end up on a very public blog or website. This includes your email address, all nicely displayed for (gasp) spam harvesters! In case you don't know about spam harvesters, it is a program that scans the web for email addresses to add to spammer lists.
I don't know about you, but I don't need any more spam!
Martha
Monday, January 28, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Blobs, Giant Spider Webs and UFOs
What's going on here in Texas? Last fall I posted about a Strange Blob at one of the area lakes. Later there is a post about a Huge Spider Web is East Texas.
Now there are UFOs! Lots of people claim they have seen strange lights over Stephenville, a town west of Fort Worth. Some of the sightings include objects like 'flying plates' and objects as big as football fields. Nobody knows what they are, but there are UFO buffs from all over the world going to Stephenville!
Some of the folks in Stephenville are having lots of fun with all of the furor over 'UFO sightings'. Alien masks, tinfoil hats to prevent mind control and other strange paraphernalia can be seen about the town. Others seem to think the sightings are signs the world is coming to an end.
So far I have yet to see a blob, a huge spider web (thank goodness!) or a strange thing in the sky. I sometimes think I might like to see a UFO, but I don't think I would tell anyone. Everyone I know would just have confirmation 'She's nuts!'
Could it be a conspiracy? All those UFO folks coming to town will surely jump start the economy in Stephenville. I am just waiting for someone to start a UFO business. Of course some are probably already selling 'I saw a UFO' T-shirt.
I am still wondering what's going on here in Texas.
Martha
Now there are UFOs! Lots of people claim they have seen strange lights over Stephenville, a town west of Fort Worth. Some of the sightings include objects like 'flying plates' and objects as big as football fields. Nobody knows what they are, but there are UFO buffs from all over the world going to Stephenville!
Some of the folks in Stephenville are having lots of fun with all of the furor over 'UFO sightings'. Alien masks, tinfoil hats to prevent mind control and other strange paraphernalia can be seen about the town. Others seem to think the sightings are signs the world is coming to an end.
So far I have yet to see a blob, a huge spider web (thank goodness!) or a strange thing in the sky. I sometimes think I might like to see a UFO, but I don't think I would tell anyone. Everyone I know would just have confirmation 'She's nuts!'
Could it be a conspiracy? All those UFO folks coming to town will surely jump start the economy in Stephenville. I am just waiting for someone to start a UFO business. Of course some are probably already selling 'I saw a UFO' T-shirt.
I am still wondering what's going on here in Texas.
Martha
Friday, January 18, 2008
Bed Sheets
Seems like a trivial subject, bed sheets. However, if you have shopped for sheets recently, you know it is no trivial thing.
When I was first married, it was a simple enough thing to shop for sheets. There were two kinds of sheets, muslin and percale. Muslin was soft and inexpensive and percale was smooth and required no ironing. Percale was a little more expensive, but worth the difference.
Today it is an entirely different story. I guess somewhere they may sell muslin sheets, but I don't know where. I have seen percale sheets in a few places, but you have to really look to find them. The big thing in sheets today is 'thread count'. The higher the thread count, the more expensive the sheet. According to one website, thread count refers to the number of horizontal and vertical threads in one square inch of fabric.
Theoretically, the higher the thread count the softer the sheets. Sounds good, eh? Really soft sheets! But there is a huge drawback here, they wrinkle. They wrinkle a lot! Wrinkled sheets look terrible! And they cost a lot of money. A really big lot of money!
Now I don't know about most folks, but this old woman is not about to iron sheets! And IF I were foolish enough to pay the high price for these high thread count sheets (I have seen over $400), I would expect them to change the bed when dirty, throw themselves in the washer and dryer, press themselves and make the bed. Since I know they won't do any of that, I ain't buying these suckers! So there.
A Consumer Reports issue some time back reported anything over 400 thread count is a waste of money and 200 thread count will last just as well and provide all the comfort needed. Good Old Consumer Reports, I will follow their advice and I won't sleep on wrinkled sheets. I will also have more money to spend on other things, like software. I do have my priorities straight!
Martha
When I was first married, it was a simple enough thing to shop for sheets. There were two kinds of sheets, muslin and percale. Muslin was soft and inexpensive and percale was smooth and required no ironing. Percale was a little more expensive, but worth the difference.
Today it is an entirely different story. I guess somewhere they may sell muslin sheets, but I don't know where. I have seen percale sheets in a few places, but you have to really look to find them. The big thing in sheets today is 'thread count'. The higher the thread count, the more expensive the sheet. According to one website, thread count refers to the number of horizontal and vertical threads in one square inch of fabric.
Theoretically, the higher the thread count the softer the sheets. Sounds good, eh? Really soft sheets! But there is a huge drawback here, they wrinkle. They wrinkle a lot! Wrinkled sheets look terrible! And they cost a lot of money. A really big lot of money!
Now I don't know about most folks, but this old woman is not about to iron sheets! And IF I were foolish enough to pay the high price for these high thread count sheets (I have seen over $400), I would expect them to change the bed when dirty, throw themselves in the washer and dryer, press themselves and make the bed. Since I know they won't do any of that, I ain't buying these suckers! So there.
A Consumer Reports issue some time back reported anything over 400 thread count is a waste of money and 200 thread count will last just as well and provide all the comfort needed. Good Old Consumer Reports, I will follow their advice and I won't sleep on wrinkled sheets. I will also have more money to spend on other things, like software. I do have my priorities straight!
Martha
Friday, January 11, 2008
Romancing the Omelet
I like omelets, but I can't seem to make one without making a big mess when it's time to flip it. I haven't made one is a very long time for that reason. Besides, scrambled eggs are just as tasty with all of the omelet ingredients added.
Back to omelets, have you ever noticed how many people make omelets on TV and in the movies? It seems as though every guy dating a girl for the first (or second) time, takes her to his apartment for an omelet. He doesn't have anything else to eat, but miraculously has everything needed for the omelet like cheese, onions, peppers,etc. Of course the omelet turns out wonderful. Occasionally the guy is all thumbs and the girl takes over the making the omelette. Sometimes it's the other way, the girl can't cook but the guy is a real genius at making an omelet.
Sometimes it's the girl's apartment and she is cooking the omelet to perfection. One thing leads to another and the first thing you know, well, you know! It is definitely because of the omelet! (it seems that way.)
So what is it about romance that inspires omelets? Or is it the omelet that inspires romance? (This reminds me of 'which came first, the chicken or the egg?')
More than likely the omelet has nothing to do with the romance, but it makes a nice addition to the story!
Martha
Back to omelets, have you ever noticed how many people make omelets on TV and in the movies? It seems as though every guy dating a girl for the first (or second) time, takes her to his apartment for an omelet. He doesn't have anything else to eat, but miraculously has everything needed for the omelet like cheese, onions, peppers,etc. Of course the omelet turns out wonderful. Occasionally the guy is all thumbs and the girl takes over the making the omelette. Sometimes it's the other way, the girl can't cook but the guy is a real genius at making an omelet.
Sometimes it's the girl's apartment and she is cooking the omelet to perfection. One thing leads to another and the first thing you know, well, you know! It is definitely because of the omelet! (it seems that way.)
So what is it about romance that inspires omelets? Or is it the omelet that inspires romance? (This reminds me of 'which came first, the chicken or the egg?')
More than likely the omelet has nothing to do with the romance, but it makes a nice addition to the story!
Martha
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
What is Average?
The average temperature as told by the weatherman on the news is very misleading to me. For instance, he may say the average temperature for a certain date in November is 65 high and 45 low. How do they come up with that average? Do they add up all the temperature readings for that date as long as they have kept records and divide it by the number of days? They don't say how they figure it.
The average size of families in the USA is 3.20. So they say. I don't know any families that are that size, but somewhere there may be one.
An average person in my state is 33.1 years old, according to the US Census information. So does this really mean anything? Nearly everyone I know is older than 33.1 and a lot of my family and friends are a good deal older than that.
Shopping for clothes is a really fun experience too. Just when you think you are an average size, you will get that thought totally out of your head when you try on a few articles of clothing marked 'Average'. Some of them might fit your ten-year old daughter. A few of them may fit your 200 pound Auntie. However, if you are lucky some of them will fit. If you are not average size, but small, large or even extra large, the same thing applies. I recently saw a top marked 'Large' that would have been too small for most skinny ten year old girls. It was on a closeout rack and I suspect part of the reason for it being there was the size marked on the label.
I think average is a misused term. No one I know is 'average'. Some are certainly above average intelligence; I won't mention if any are below average intelligence. However I think there are a number of public officials and school administrators (think zero tolerance) who may fit the below intelligence category.
The next time someone asks me how I am doing, I will just say 'Oh, average'. That should cover everything, from rotten to great. After all, average could be anything based on what I see about 'average'!
Martha
The average size of families in the USA is 3.20. So they say. I don't know any families that are that size, but somewhere there may be one.
An average person in my state is 33.1 years old, according to the US Census information. So does this really mean anything? Nearly everyone I know is older than 33.1 and a lot of my family and friends are a good deal older than that.
Shopping for clothes is a really fun experience too. Just when you think you are an average size, you will get that thought totally out of your head when you try on a few articles of clothing marked 'Average'. Some of them might fit your ten-year old daughter. A few of them may fit your 200 pound Auntie. However, if you are lucky some of them will fit. If you are not average size, but small, large or even extra large, the same thing applies. I recently saw a top marked 'Large' that would have been too small for most skinny ten year old girls. It was on a closeout rack and I suspect part of the reason for it being there was the size marked on the label.
I think average is a misused term. No one I know is 'average'. Some are certainly above average intelligence; I won't mention if any are below average intelligence. However I think there are a number of public officials and school administrators (think zero tolerance) who may fit the below intelligence category.
The next time someone asks me how I am doing, I will just say 'Oh, average'. That should cover everything, from rotten to great. After all, average could be anything based on what I see about 'average'!
Martha
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
My BS Meter
There are meters for lots of things. Nearly all of them are for charging something for us to pay.
There's the electric meter. (Ouch!)
The water meter. (Ouch again!)
The gas meter. A lot of us don't have one of these because our home is all electric. But if you have one of these, it's in the Ouch category!
A parking meter if we have to go to the business area of our city/town.
There are meters in taxicabs to figure how much the rider has to pay for his or her ride.
I am sure there are other meters for things I haven't thought about.
A meter generally requires someone to read it so the bills can be sent to customers. Parking meters usually are read by the local law enforcement and will cause a parking ticket if there is no time left on the meter when the meter reader comes around. Those are put under the windshield wipers so the driver will be sure to see it.
Last, but not least, there is the BS meter. This may not be in evidence until someone somewhere starts a tall tale. This usually goes off for me when viewing commercials on TV. It really went off when I saw an ad for this product, Detox Foot Pads and another site who seems to debunk but just wants you to buy their product.
Since I first saw this ad on TV I have done a bit of research about these detox foot pads.There are quite a few other products of the same nature, each claiming to 'detoxify' your body by putting a special patch on the bottom of your feet. You can even buy these products at t some of your local drug stores.
I know there are some strange things in this world that apparently work wonders, but my 'meter' is still making loud sounds because I just don't see how this could work. (There is truth in calling Missouri the 'Show Me State'; I am from Missouri!)
If you have tried the detox foot patches and it worked for you, how did you know it worked?
Martha
There's the electric meter. (Ouch!)
The water meter. (Ouch again!)
The gas meter. A lot of us don't have one of these because our home is all electric. But if you have one of these, it's in the Ouch category!
A parking meter if we have to go to the business area of our city/town.
There are meters in taxicabs to figure how much the rider has to pay for his or her ride.
I am sure there are other meters for things I haven't thought about.
A meter generally requires someone to read it so the bills can be sent to customers. Parking meters usually are read by the local law enforcement and will cause a parking ticket if there is no time left on the meter when the meter reader comes around. Those are put under the windshield wipers so the driver will be sure to see it.
Last, but not least, there is the BS meter. This may not be in evidence until someone somewhere starts a tall tale. This usually goes off for me when viewing commercials on TV. It really went off when I saw an ad for this product, Detox Foot Pads and another site who seems to debunk but just wants you to buy their product.
Since I first saw this ad on TV I have done a bit of research about these detox foot pads.There are quite a few other products of the same nature, each claiming to 'detoxify' your body by putting a special patch on the bottom of your feet. You can even buy these products at t some of your local drug stores.
I know there are some strange things in this world that apparently work wonders, but my 'meter' is still making loud sounds because I just don't see how this could work. (There is truth in calling Missouri the 'Show Me State'; I am from Missouri!)
If you have tried the detox foot patches and it worked for you, how did you know it worked?
Martha
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