Random Musings of a Curious Mind

Lacy Afghan - 2009 Christmas Special

Thank you friends, for all of your interest in our first-ever Seasonal Afghan Special Offer. Unfortunately, the offer is no longer available. You can, as always, take advantage of our normal order options, as listed below.

JMark Afghans, etc. is offering - for a limited time - our favorite Lacy Afghan at amazing prices!

This offer is available only to readers of "Random Musings of a Curious Mind" who order before December 10th.

(To ensure that your order is completed in plenty of time for Christmas, we are offering only 3 sizes and a limited number of yarn colors.)

Ordering couldn't be easier! Simply pick a size, a yarn color, and click {Buy}. For your convenience, we offer PayPal or Google Checkout to complete your order. (No personal information is required, until you place your order through our secure options.)

As always, if you have any questions or problems - Contact Jules - for more information.

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God Bless!

Jules

I'm Thankful For ...

... making it through another Thanksgiving orgy of food. Truly, I don't know why we go to so much trouble every year. By the time everything is cooked and set out, the cook (in our case, cooks) are too worn out to enjoy it.

We were up until after 4:00am Thursday morning, baking pumpkin pies, cheesecakes, and cookies. Then, back up at 9:30am to get the bird ready. I'm not sure I actually had any sleep. (I know Mark didn't.) And, sadly, we managed to enjoy one of our newer Turkey-day traditions, again this year ...

Our lovely, beautiful, sat-in-the-fridge-for-a-week bird was still half frozen!

I try to tell myself that, with a refrigerator that freezes the pickles on the back of the shelf, we know our food isn't going to go bad overnight. But, it's really tough to remember that, when you're trying to get dinner in the oven. Too bad you can't fit a turkey in the FlavorWave - that thing'll cook anything from frozen-to-table in record time.

Oh, well. We had our family together. The food was good, if several hours later than we'd planned. And no one had the flu.

All in all, it was a day to be thankful.

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God Bless!

Jules

Update Your Office

It's been five months, give or take, since we moved into the new apartment. With something akin to desperation, we managed to arrange and organize our piles of stuff and mounds of furniture into a functional system. There would be no more stubbed toes and banged shins. Then, Frankie moved back in.

Don't get me wrong - it is absolutely wonderful having him home. But, our interior design plan didn't leave a lot of room for more stuff. (It takes an act of Congress to get into my dresser these days.) The monster of a computer desk, which we have banged into and stumbled over for years, (the one that I keep threatening to replace) is eating up space that we could really use for other things. Like it or not, I really think it's time to rethink our office furniture set-up.

Frankly, we would do better with a much (much) smaller desk and a 4-drawer filing cabinet. Maybe, a desk with a 2-drawer filing cabinet on each side. Then, we could shift everything else we own around and make room in my closet! Hey, I like that idea!

Just one - not so small - problem: Everything I like is bigger that what we have now! Oh, boy. Back to the drawing board - oooh, I need one of those, too!

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God Bless!

Jules

Greeting Cards for the Holidays

This year I'm going to do it! Seriously! I'm going to send out holiday cards to everyone I know.

If I start now, it won't be too much of a project. Just a couple of cards every day and, before long, I'll have them all sent out. That will give me time and energy to add a personal note to each card. And, because I'm not trying to do everything at once, it will be easy to keep the notes from being tedious and redundant. Hopefully?!

The other alternative, of course, is a holiday newsletter. Though I used to hate getting them, I can understand just how much they simplify the process. One creative page, detailing a year's worth of our lives. But then there's the supremely difficult decision:

What, exactly, have we done this year that would be interesting to anyone, other than us?

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God Bless!

Jules

Order Now to Guarantee Christmas Delivery

Just a quick reminder that JMark Afghans, etc. doesn't crochet your afghan - or hat, scarf, or shawl - until you order it.

For some of the larger, more involved designs, that means that it takes at least a couple of weeks to finish your order.

If you've been thinking of a special, one-of-a-kind gift for your loved ones - please be sure to order now.

All of our items ship second-day, but - the closer we get to Christmas Day - even the USPS can't guarantee timely delivery.

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God Bless!

Jules

Santa!? Please Fix My Truck!

Well, there are only 33 days until Christmas. Therefore, I do believe that it's time to start my list for Santa. Don't want to miss the please-send-me-this deadline since, after all, I have been very good this year. No really - I have!

Everyone knows that Santa is extremely busy, so there's nothing wrong with cutting out pictures or bookmarking websites - just to help out, you know. For example, there are specific Mopar parts involved in repairing a Dodge truck. Can't just slap any old head gasket onto a Dakota Sport (from 1995, 2.5L engine, standard 5-speed transmission), and expect a Christmas miracle. Well, one can hope, but how practical is that?

No, it's important to get the specifics just right when sending a request to Santa. And if, by chance, there are a couple of elves with mechanical expertise who would like to spend a little time with us - we wouldn't complain. In fact, we'd be willing to pay handsomely - with all the hot chocolate and sugar cookies they can hold!

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God Bless!

Jules

Getting Ready for Turkey Day

Okay, the bird is out of the freezer and into the fridge. After trying to thaw a frozen bird last year, we're taking no chances. It wasn't really our fault, you know.

The refrigerator had a tendency to freeze anything that even approached the back of a shelf. And, operating under supreme optimism, we didn't take the bird out until about 3 days before the big day. Little did we know that it would still be a brick, long after the oven was preheated and we were envisioning the perfect turkey.

This year - new apartment, new fridge - we are positive that a week will just about do the defrost perfectly. If nothing else, 'cuz this baby is almost as frosty as the one next door, we know that it won't go bad. Now, for the rest of the menu.

Obviously, mashed potatoes and gravy, and pumpkin pie. No one (but me) likes stuffing, so that's off the list. Ditto with green bean casserole. Cranberry sauce is borderline, with corn-on-the-cob a huge favorite. (Must be a throw-back to Indian maize.)

Rumor has it that French-onion soup is required. A first in our house, but it sounds good to me. The addition of chocolate-chip cookies and cheesecake have me a tad baffled, especially since I don't have a really good cheesecake recipe at my fingertips.

Guess it's time to start the recipe hunt.

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God Bless!

Jules

Appetite Suppressants

With the recent recall of a long list of supplements, designed to build muscle-mass by reducing fat production, I am just waiting for the other shoe to drop. So many products contain ingredients which, in and of themselves, are probably fairly safe. But, to my mind, when manufacturers throw a variety of appetite suppressants together in one capsule, the potential for problems just magnifies.

As I've mentioned on several occasions, one of the most common functions of weight loss / fat-burner supplements is called thermogenesis. Thermogenic products work to increase fat burning by increasing heat production in the body. It's a natural process, in and of itself; which is why exercise is a benefit to weight loss. However, artificially increasing that natural function, also tends to artificially increase the internal temperature of the body.

Participating in exercise or sports programs that already elevate body temperature while taking these supplements can magnify the chances of collapse from heat-exhaustion. Without knowing the exact levels of thermogenic ingredients in products that simply list 'proprietary' blends, it's virtually impossible to determine an individual's risk factors. Living in a place like Arizona, already increases the risk.

Normal exercise and a balanced diet are always the best weight-loss plan.

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God Bless!

Jules

Hand Dryers and H1N1: Part II

Just a few days ago, I posted information that I received in an email from a friend about hand blowers spreading germs. At the time, I was less than impressed with the scare tactics and questionable details. However, I couldn't find definitive information on any of my hoax-busting sites.

As of this writing, the jury is still out. But there is a bit more information available on Snopes. It appears that paper and air drying each have advantages, and disadvantages.

For what it's worth, it seems that I wasn't too far off. Poor handwashing practices are the biggest contributor to the spread of germs. With, sadly, many people not bothering to wash - at all - after performing their potty-room functions.

Just gross!

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God Bless!

Jules

Employee Background Checks

Being a one-person operation has its drawbacks. I have no one to blame if something goes wrong, for example; except myself. And, if I'm feeling particularly lazy, I have no one to whom I can pass the workload.

At the same time, I don't have to worry about pre-employment screening, background checks, employee theft, or dealing with someone who refuses to do the work for which they were hired. After 20-plus years in corporate America, I have seen some amazing (and I don't mean that in a good way) employee behavior. Ranging from TVs on their desk and sleeping on the job, to coming to work higher than a space shuttle in orbit, to disappearing for hours a day at the local movie theater - nothing is surprising to me anymore. Under the right conditions (or wrong conditions) everyone is capable of making poor choices. Everyone.

Having spent time on both sides of the interview table, I can see the necessity for independent evaluation of potential employees. Everyone I interviewed seemed fine to me. Great people; lots of energy. Would love to work with them. But, very few were actually as 'terrific' as they seemed. In the end, skills and personality were almost always at odds.

And, truthfully, how many people are completely honest about their histories? I know that - naturally - I'm going to put the best face on everything I tell a potential employer. Short of out-and-out lying, which I never would do, it's in my best interest to present myself as the best possible employee for any company at which I want to work.

Would a search of my background agree with what I say? Probably. What about the next person sitting in that interview chair? Don't guess; make sure.

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God Bless!

Jules

Do Not Insult the Cell Phone!

For whatever reason, (I just don't ask anymore) Mark decided to inventory all of the cell phones that we have used, stopped using, and saved over the years. Hey, it keeps him off the streets and out of my hair, so who am I to complain? Not to mention, detangling the charger cords keeps him occupied for hours.

We have discovered, much to our surprise, that it is in no one's best interest to insult the quality of a Samsung cell phone.

The first phone that Mark pulled from the abyss that is his junk drawer was a recently purchased, but less than welcome, addition to the collection. (Both of our sons love Samsungs. Dad does not.) In response to the phone lying quietly in his hand, he expressed a personal opinion that the phone was a piece of {fill-in-the-blank} and tossed it back in the drawer.

After some time spent organizing the remainder of the drawer's contents, he went back in for the Samsung. It was nowhere to be found! Nowhere at all!

We have now determined that either the phone or our personal gremlin took serious offense to the derogatory comment. I wonder if the phone will ever reappear.

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God Bless!

Jules

Insurance For Your Business

Well, here is something I didn't think about. Probably because I have no employees, no actual store-front, no company cars, and don't need to be bonded. But business insurance is a critical purchase decision for anyone whose enterprise is more than one person.

There are so many types of coverage that have to be considered, it boggles my mind. At the very least, General Liability coverage is a must-have. This will protect against most of the basic risks of having a brick-and-mortar store. It doesn't cover transportation of goods or people, but it will offer protection if someone slips and falls walking into the store.

Or if they're beaned by falling inventory, climbing up the display racks to get to the last 'color-me-silly' doll on the top shelf. (Hey, people do crazy things in the name of shopping and saving money.)

Whatever the type of business, it's foolish to operate it in these litigious times without adequate protection.

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God Bless!

Jules

Fitness Equipment

As many of you know, I have been window-shopping for fitness equipment for some time now. It's not been an easy process. I have to, first, find something that I'll actually use. Second, if it doesn't fit in the little spare room that we have, what's the point? Finally, it has to be something that we can afford.

Being less than enthusiastic about doing anything that makes me sweat, finding an appropriate piece of equipment is never easy. Then add in two bad knees and it gets really challenging. On top of all that, I really don't want to give up my recliner or - worse yet - my bed to fit in a machine that I may or may not use several times a week. Anything that costs in the neighborhood of a month's rent and doesn't come with a kitchen and bathroom, is just not even realistic.

Much to my surprise, there are places that sell used equipment. You know, the treadmill that's been used as a clothes rack for the last 3 years until the spouse says, "Get it out of here! Now!" The variety was better than I expected, and so are the prices.

Now, I have to get serious about this. Darn it!

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Jules

Protecting Montana's Grizzlies

The Alliance for the Wild Rockies (AWR) filed a lawsuit, on Monday, in a challenge to "the U.S. Forest Service's decision to go forward with three road-building and logging projects in occupied habitat for the endangered Cabinet-Yaak grizzly bear. According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Cabinet-Yaak grizzly bear is almost certainly going extinct and roads pose the most imminent threat to these bears."

Do these government departments / bureaus ever talk to - or listen to - each other?

Here you have the FWS - part of the Department of the Interior - whose "... mission is, working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats ..." stating that building roads through the Cabinet-Yaak area is contributing to the decimation of the grizzly population. A population, by the way, that is limited to only 5 areas in the western United States and is estimated (April, 2007) to number less than 50 individuals in what is known as the Cabinet-Yaak Recovery Zone. This zone consists of the Cabinet Mountains and Yaak Valley.

Now, we add the USFS, part of the Department of Agriculture - but funded through the Department of the Interior. Their mission "... is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations." Doesn't sound incompatible to me? And yet, in practice, the left hand certainly has different goals than the right hand (non-politically speaking).

The USFS projects, which AWR is challenging, include:

• Commercial thinning on 780 acres, regeneration harvest on 398 acres, prescribed burning only on 691 acres, 5.5 miles of new permanent roads, and 2 miles of temp roads in Little Beaver Drainage;
• Commercial timber harvest on 2,506 acres and prescribed fire on 3,148 acres in Miller West Fisher; and
• Timber harvest, prescribed burning, pre-commercial thin, and access mgmt changes in the Grizzly Planning Subunit.

The full complaint (PDF file) can be found on the AWR website.

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Jules

Barcode Scanners

The history of barcodes and the barcode scanner goes back much further than most people realize. I was recently reminded that my kids (born in the late 70s) are younger than barcodes and scanners. But what truly shocked me is that I, too, am younger than this technology. And I'm barely younger than dirt!

It was in 1948 that the owner of a local food chain in Philadelphia approached the Drexel Institute of Technology, asking about a method of reading product information automatically during check-out. In October 1949, the first patent was filed for a "Classifying Apparatus and Method." The new-and-improved version of the barcode holds U.S. Patent 2,162,994, issued October 7, 1952.(Quite amazing, when you consider that the store where I buy my chips and cigarettes has only started scanning products in the last year or so.)

An early version of barcodes were used at a Cincinnati Kroger store in 1966. They were not printed on product labels, but applied manually by store employees. The industry realized that, without standardized coding, this was impractical and would never be approved for widescale use.

By 1970, a company called Logicon Inc had been asked to develop an industry-wide system. They came up with the Universal Grocery Products Identification Code (UGPIC), which would evolve into the UPC (Universal Product Code). That same year, Monarch Marking in the United States and Plessy Telecommunications in Britain developed barcode equipment for retail and industrial use, respectively. By 1973, an IBM employee - George J. Laurer - had developed the UPC system and the rest, as they say, is history.

By way of interesting trivia: In June 1974, the first barcode scanner (made by NCR Corp.) was installed at Marsh's Supermarket in Troy, Ohio. On June 26th, the first barcoded product was scanned during checkout. It was a 10-pack of Wrigley chewing gum (the first item the shopper removed from the cart) and is on display at the Smithsonian.

I was also reminded that, when these codes and scanners started becoming more prevalent, there was a segment of society (as always) preaching doom and gloom. We were all going to end up barcoded and our every movement would be recorded with scanners! Big Brother had arrived!

I think I'll just skip that little tattoo shop, if it's all the same to you.


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God Bless!

Jules

2010 Arizona Scenery Calendars

Can you believe it?! 2009 is almost over! And, frankly, I am looking forward to the new year!



In honor of what simply has to be a better year, JMark Afghans, etc. is offering 2 new calendar designs for 2010.


Jules pulled out some of her favorite Arizona and Grand Canyon pictures, just for these calendars. Each month is a trip to another beautiful scene from the Grand Canyon State. These images are only available on JMark Afghans, etc. products at Zazzle. No other place has them!


So, don't wait until the last minute! Beat the rush and get yours today! And spend 2010 in Arizona!


Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans

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God Bless!

Jules

FDA Recall of Bodybuilding Products

As I am constantly on alert for weight-loss / fat-burner supplements, I immediately paid attention to an FDA Recall from today. Bodybuilding.com Is Conducting a Voluntary Nationwide and International Recall of 65 Dietary Supplements That May Contain Steroids.

The list of products most of which are already being removed from supplement-selling sites:

• 4Ever Fit D-Dro
• Advanced Muscle Science Dienedron
• Advanced Muscle Science Liquidrone UTT
• Anabolic Xtreme Hyperdrol X2
• APS (aka Advanced Muscle Science) Mastavol
• APS (aka Advanced Muscle Science) Revamp
• APS (aka Advanced Muscle Science) Ultra Mass Stack
• APS (aka Advanced Muscle Science) Ripped Stack
• Better Body Sports Finadex
• Black China Labs Straight Drol
• Black China Labs Straight Phlexed
• Body Conditioning Solutions TestraFLEX
• Bjorklund Methyldrostanolone
• BOSC Enterprises Epi-Tren
• BOSC Enterprises Magna Drol
• Chaparral Labs Epivol
• Chaparral Labs Pheravol-V
• Competitive Edge Labs M-Drol
• Competitive Edge Labs P-Plex
• Competitive Edge Labs X-tren
• Diabolic Labs Epio-Plex
• Diabolic Labs Finabolic 50
• Diabolic Labs Revenge
• Ergopharm 6-OXO
• Ergopharm 6-OXO Extreme
• EST (aka Engineered Sports Technology) MethAnstance
• Extreme Labs Susto-Test Depot
• Fizogen ON Cycle II Hardcore
• G.E.T/ (Genetic Edge Technologies) SUS-500
• G.E.T/ (Genetic Edge Technologies) Tren-250
• Hardcore Formulations T-Roid
• I Force Nutrition 1,4 AD Bold 200
• I Force Dymethazine/Reversitol Combo Pack
• I Force Reversitol
• I Force Nutrition 17a PheraFLEX
• I Force Nutrition Dymethazine
• I Force Nutrition Methadrol
• IDS (aka Innovative Delivery Systems) Bromodrol
• IDS (aka Innovative Delivery Systems) Grow Tabs TR
• IDS (aka Innovative Delivery Systems) Mass Tabs
• IDS (aka Innovative Delivery Systems) Oxodrol Pro
• IDS (aka Innovative Delivery Systems) Ripped Tabs TR
• IDS (aka Innovative Delivery Systems) Rapid Release Ripped Tabs
• Kilo Sports Massdrol
• Kilo Sports Phera-Mass
• Kilo Sports Trenadrol
• Monster Caps Monster Caps
• Myogenix Spawn
• Nutra Coastal D-Stianozol
• Nutra Coastal H-Drol
• Nutra Coastal MDIT
• Nutra Coastal S-Drol
• Nutra Coastal Trena
• Performance Anabolics Methastadrol
• Performance Anabolics Tri-Methyl X
• Purus Labs E-pol Inslinsified
• Purus Labs Nasty Mass
• Rage RV2
• Rage RV3
• Rage RV4
• Rage RV5
• Redefine Nutrition Finaflex 550-XD
• Redefine Nutrition Finaflex Ripped
• Transform Supplements Forged Extreme Mass
• Transform Supplements Forged Lean Mass

Interestingly enough, some of these products contain the "all-natural" testosterone boosters that I mentioned in an earlier post.


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God Bless!

Jules

Latest FDA Recall Notices - 10/26/09-11/01/09

Following are the FDA recalls / notices / alerts listed for the week ending November 02, 2009:

• San Link Inc. Issues an Alert on Uneviscerated Vacuum Pack Dried Krasnoperka (Fish)
• San Link Inc. Issues an Alert on Uneviscerated Vacuum Pack Dried Lesh (Fish)
• Mars Snackfood US Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Peanuts In Dove Caramel Pecan Perfection Ice Cream
• Pop's Bakery Inc. Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Whey (Milk) in all Flour Tortillas
• Qualitest Pharmaceuticals Issues a Voluntary Nationwide Recall of All Accusure® Insulin Syringes
• Mrs. Rios Corn Products Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Whey in Flour Tortillas
• Morningstar Foods Issues Allergy Alert on Possible Undeclared Soy Protein: 32-ounce Great Value Half & Half, 32-ounce Great Value 36% Heavy Whipping Cream, 32-ounce Kroger-brand 36% Heavy Whipping Cream, and 64-ounce Wholesome Farms Chocolate Ice Cream Mix
• Pointe Scientific, Inc. Expands Nationwide Recall of Liquid Glucose Hexokinase Reagent (G7517)
• Alexia Foods Issues Nationwide Allergy Alert and Product Recall Due to Undeclared Pine Nut Allergen: Alexia Olive Oil, Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Pesto Oven Reds Frozen Potatoes

Please visit the above links for additional information on lots, codes, packaging, product IDs, and returns.

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God Bless!

Jules

The Importance of Security in Difficult Times

One recurring theme these days, on TV and on the Internet, is the need for security. In tough economic times, it's not surprising to hear that crime is on the rise. Crime against businesses and crime against individuals now make the news several times a day. (I know that we've heard the police helicopter, searching the neighborhood, a lot more in the last few months.)

One benefit of living where we do is the cctv security system. A few years ago, when Mark's daughter and son-in-law were visiting, someone ran into their car in the parking lot. Happily, it took no time at all to get the make, model, and license number of the vehicle that sideswiped the new SUV. Sadly, it was one of our neighbors who, as we saw in the tape, hit the car - not once, but twice.

These days, our complex is also gated. People attempt to climb over the gates on a regular basis and are caught on the security cameras, on a regular basis. Personally, we don't wait for the cameras to catch these trespassers. After all, once they're over the gate, we aren't that many steps away.

In addition to wooden blocks in the windows, for the last several months, we've kept a chair shoved under the front door. We know that it won't stop a determined intruder. It will slow them down and, hopefully, encourage them to bother someone else.

Our neighborhood is not the best. And - honestly? - our neighbors are not the most law-abiding. With a little attention to security, we do sleep pretty well at night.

Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans

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God Bless!

Jules

National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month

November is National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month. A time when we stop and consider the quality of our lives and the lives of our loved ones. What type of memory loss is a normal part of aging? And what memory changes may be a sign of something more serious?

To help answer those important questions, the Alzheimer's Association offers
The 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimers:

1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life
2. Challenges in planning or solving problems
3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure
4. Confusion with time or place
5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
6. New problems with words in speaking or writing
7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
8. Decreased or poor judgment
9. Withdrawal from work or social activities
10. Changes in mood and personality

The information on these pages also explains the difference between typical age-related memory changes and the changes that may signal the onset of Alzheimer's Disease.

Another health issue, related to Alzheimer's or any disabling condition, is Caregiver Stress. Unless you are/have been a caregiver for a seriously ill friend or loved one, it is difficult to imagine the range of emotions and stress that caregivers experience. To that end, the Alzheimer's Association has provided a short quiz to help caregivers determine their stress level and find the resources they need to care for themselves.

I have been a caregiver and I have worked with support groups. The first piece of advice we give to those caring for seriously ill or disabled relatives is: "Don't forget to care for yourself!"

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God Bless!

Jules