10.31.2002
Happy Halloween! is my 2-page greeting to you! I feel so good today... The lake association newsletter - promised by yours truly this past summer - was mailed out to all residents and property owners around the lake! What a wonderful crew! Thanks to Sarah for delivering to the publisher, and to Sarah, Jane, and Sandy for "stuffing, stamping and mailing!
Also received "The Last (?) Bike Ride" from our friend, Dale. He completed his bicycle trip around the world last month, then spent some vacation time with his wife, Ruth, in Japan before coming back to Michigan. I got his last journal entry up this week. You must visit and read about his last bike ride! He brought back some photos and you'll find the link to them on his latest entry. If you've been following his journey, you'll really appreciate the photos.
What else? Oh yes! Granni39's WebBuilding Tutorial has a total new look... and new emphasis! The "old" tutorial is archived for anybody who might want to use the information, but new emphasis is on website building resources. Instead of details, I'm sharing the tutorials I use and my sources for graphics, HTML and javascripts. What's next? Granni's KidsPage needs a November page! Gotta get on that!
Also received "The Last (?) Bike Ride" from our friend, Dale. He completed his bicycle trip around the world last month, then spent some vacation time with his wife, Ruth, in Japan before coming back to Michigan. I got his last journal entry up this week. You must visit and read about his last bike ride! He brought back some photos and you'll find the link to them on his latest entry. If you've been following his journey, you'll really appreciate the photos.
What else? Oh yes! Granni39's WebBuilding Tutorial has a total new look... and new emphasis! The "old" tutorial is archived for anybody who might want to use the information, but new emphasis is on website building resources. Instead of details, I'm sharing the tutorials I use and my sources for graphics, HTML and javascripts. What's next? Granni's KidsPage needs a November page! Gotta get on that!
10.30.2002
Bloggin' Problem... This morning I received an email from a fellow blogger - telling me that that when she went to her blog, she got a sign-in sheet asking for name and password to get into a place called blogblog.com! I just went to her blog - and then to my blogs - and in all cases I got a sign-in sheet also! only this was to get into something called buttons.blogger.com. DO NOT SIGN IN! I'm not sure if it could be a "blogger bug" or an "msn bug" but i'm pretty sure it's not good! Both of us have XP. A friend with Win98 didn't have similar problem! hmmmmmmm.
and I don't have a blogger button on any of those pages where i get the signin popup!
Could it have something to do with the new BlogSpot Plus feature - the "password protect" thing? ... perhaps the hacker that went after Blogger last Friday? I've notified Blogger guys! Will keep you posted.
By the way, did you know blogger gives us a place to check on current blogging problems? It's at http://status.blogger.com/
and I don't have a blogger button on any of those pages where i get the signin popup!
Could it have something to do with the new BlogSpot Plus feature - the "password protect" thing? ... perhaps the hacker that went after Blogger last Friday? I've notified Blogger guys! Will keep you posted.
By the way, did you know blogger gives us a place to check on current blogging problems? It's at http://status.blogger.com/
10.25.2002
Alley is running free... perhaps she has met Spike. He used to love running too and we were always afraid to let him because his favorite passion was trying to catch those big metal things on wheels that run past our house all the time at horrific speeds! I know that my God has a special place in his/her heart for those precious critters that fill our lives with contentment.
The stock market... It goes up... it goes down. Mission accomplished, Big Boys! You've crushed "the little guy" especially the little guy who's already retired and tended to have his pittance of a 401k and IRA's invested in the nice "safe" security of the stock market! For most of our working years IRA's and 401k's were not even an option! At least the poor working stiffs are still earning money and can try to do a little rebuilding, but we don't even have that!
Much as it might look like 9.11 crashed the market it was already headed in that direction. I don't think it was even politics that caused it. Aren't there may out in our world who want to blame it on the current presidency if not on the 9.11 disaster? The biggest factors, in my humble opinion, were automated computerized trading and individual online trading. Feds were trying to get a handle on the computerized thing by establishment of "curbs" on trading. There's been a great deal of that in the past two weeks - sometimes to curb the upside and sometimes to curb the downside. That's why I think the big factor in the market's downfall was the "little guy" trading online!
Yes, I firmly believe that individuals CAN make a difference! There were many many "hotdoggers" out in our cyberworld using the stock market like a big old casino! Ask any of the old-timer individual investors, many of whom made a comfortable nest egg by merely investing wisely. There is no longer any such thing as a "wise" investment, since those boys were living on the edge all the time... and some still are. You win big... you lose big! That's how they thought... no more "buy a good solid blue-chip company and hang on. It will only grow.
People in the business of selling stocks to "us" and "advising us" didn't like the hotdogs doing their gambling and said so loud and clear. I think they started changing their strategies in buying and selling stocks. After all, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right? Well, are you happy boys... and girls? You did it. You've got the old level-headed investors scared off, but I'm willing to bet you that the gamblers are back at it!
Then of course, making money out of mostly hot air made the "big boys" in the stock market get greedy! What the heck; if Joe Sixpack can get rich on nothing more than fast wheeling and dealing, just think what big old CEO in a fancy suit could do! Voila! You've got Enron.... and of course now the SEC and their buddies want to point fingers at every company in our wonderful capitalist society... but back to the subject.
Now the money handlers in the market... the ones handling mutual funds are playing the game. Big ups! Big downs! No matter what we, the small investor invest in, it will be wrong because the professionals in the stock market have got us running scared. If we want to invest, we have to see a stockbroker. There is no sense to the current market and will not be as long as the gamblers keep going at it, so why don't all you "hotdoggers" go to Vegas and let the stock market get back into the business of selling "a little piece of a good business" to people like you and me?
Much as it might look like 9.11 crashed the market it was already headed in that direction. I don't think it was even politics that caused it. Aren't there may out in our world who want to blame it on the current presidency if not on the 9.11 disaster? The biggest factors, in my humble opinion, were automated computerized trading and individual online trading. Feds were trying to get a handle on the computerized thing by establishment of "curbs" on trading. There's been a great deal of that in the past two weeks - sometimes to curb the upside and sometimes to curb the downside. That's why I think the big factor in the market's downfall was the "little guy" trading online!
Yes, I firmly believe that individuals CAN make a difference! There were many many "hotdoggers" out in our cyberworld using the stock market like a big old casino! Ask any of the old-timer individual investors, many of whom made a comfortable nest egg by merely investing wisely. There is no longer any such thing as a "wise" investment, since those boys were living on the edge all the time... and some still are. You win big... you lose big! That's how they thought... no more "buy a good solid blue-chip company and hang on. It will only grow.
People in the business of selling stocks to "us" and "advising us" didn't like the hotdogs doing their gambling and said so loud and clear. I think they started changing their strategies in buying and selling stocks. After all, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right? Well, are you happy boys... and girls? You did it. You've got the old level-headed investors scared off, but I'm willing to bet you that the gamblers are back at it!
Then of course, making money out of mostly hot air made the "big boys" in the stock market get greedy! What the heck; if Joe Sixpack can get rich on nothing more than fast wheeling and dealing, just think what big old CEO in a fancy suit could do! Voila! You've got Enron.... and of course now the SEC and their buddies want to point fingers at every company in our wonderful capitalist society... but back to the subject.
Now the money handlers in the market... the ones handling mutual funds are playing the game. Big ups! Big downs! No matter what we, the small investor invest in, it will be wrong because the professionals in the stock market have got us running scared. If we want to invest, we have to see a stockbroker. There is no sense to the current market and will not be as long as the gamblers keep going at it, so why don't all you "hotdoggers" go to Vegas and let the stock market get back into the business of selling "a little piece of a good business" to people like you and me?
10.20.2002
...and more on the subject of birds! Got a 22 pound turkey in the freezer just waiting for Thanksgiving, our six pack and their families. We're looking forward to meeting number six's friend Susan, too! Windy and I have both "instant messaged" with her and decided we like her already, so Susan, you will be among friends, I promise ;-)
10.18.2002
It's a beautiful thing... the Osprey. We saw this one sitting atop our flagpole at the lake. Didn't know what kind of bird until we got home and checked Roger Tory Peterson's "A Field Guide to the Birds." Another thing we didn't know... until we looked at the photo on a computer... it was banded. Not sure... does that mean he's an endangered species? All I know is that somebody is keeping track of the bird and it's migratory habits when it's banded. We see a lot of migratory birds in Michigan this time of year. It's the first time we saw this fellow and at first - and until we identified it in the bird book - we thought it might be a bald eagle.
We learned that the Osprey is the only raptor that plunges into the water - feet first! Maybe he actually lives around our lake. Could be we haven't seen him before because he's shy! The wonders of nature are marvelous, are they not?
10.14.2002
My baby daughter had a sad experience Sunday. She lost a precious member of her family. Okay, she's over forty... she's still my baby... number six of our six-pack! Her loss was Alley, her little girl... a beautiful dog she adopted a couple of years ago, even though she really didn't need another dog. Alley frequently hung out at the Plantation, where my little Bug taught English to business people from other countries. Alley was a frequent visitor to the Plantation grounds where one of Jan's students took a liking to the aggressive little beast.
Jancie already had Bravo, a mostly Rottweiler mutt, and didn't need another dog, but soon enough Alley stole her heart and the student convinced her that she should adopt the pup! With her little family, my baby bought her first home... a brand new single-wide mobile home and five lovely wooded acres in her adopted state of Georgia. The Plantation closed down after September 11, 2001 - foreigners decided it was safer to learn English in their own countries - and her family was her comfort during the trying experience of unemployment. Unfortunately, Alley loved to run free! Her blog, Alley's Thoughtful Spot, tells the rest of her story. (I think Jancie helped her write it.)
Jan with her "kids" Bravo and Alley...
Jancie already had Bravo, a mostly Rottweiler mutt, and didn't need another dog, but soon enough Alley stole her heart and the student convinced her that she should adopt the pup! With her little family, my baby bought her first home... a brand new single-wide mobile home and five lovely wooded acres in her adopted state of Georgia. The Plantation closed down after September 11, 2001 - foreigners decided it was safer to learn English in their own countries - and her family was her comfort during the trying experience of unemployment. Unfortunately, Alley loved to run free! Her blog, Alley's Thoughtful Spot, tells the rest of her story. (I think Jancie helped her write it.)
Jan with her "kids" Bravo and Alley...
10.08.2002
My kids! They just keep on making me proud! Otto, for instance is a fabulous photographer - you must see the latest photos she added to her blog! Our youngest granddaughter is a cheerleader; had a parade last weekend... and her mom, OttO, took photos of the parade..... Despite a driving rainstorm she got some awesome pictures! (Alex, we will get to some of your events... and soon, so beware of your camera-bearing grampa!) ;-)
The Bug's going to Hawaii for Christmas! Wow! Don't worry girl, if I had that op, I'd be there in a flash. Sounds like a wonderful way to spend a holiday. (I've always said if I won the lotto, my first Christmas after that would be a trip - with ALL the family - to some warm wonderful place!) Problem is... since I'm not a gambler, I don't buy lotto tickets. Oh well.... already threw our life savings away in the stock market anyway. ;-(
Windy, enjoy the leisurely life of a "part-time" teacher while you can. I foresee you in a full-time position again in your future. You always land right side up!
The Bug's going to Hawaii for Christmas! Wow! Don't worry girl, if I had that op, I'd be there in a flash. Sounds like a wonderful way to spend a holiday. (I've always said if I won the lotto, my first Christmas after that would be a trip - with ALL the family - to some warm wonderful place!) Problem is... since I'm not a gambler, I don't buy lotto tickets. Oh well.... already threw our life savings away in the stock market anyway. ;-(
Windy, enjoy the leisurely life of a "part-time" teacher while you can. I foresee you in a full-time position again in your future. You always land right side up!
10.03.2002
Hey! Has anybody seen the "old-timey" pictures in celebration of f'ns 47th anniversary? If you haven't you probably haven't clicked on the hyperlink under the photo on this page!
Been updating stuff lately and have come to a conclusion. I really must narrow down the number of websites I have! Main reason there are so many is because I like to try out new web hosts and see how user-friendly they are. Now I'm thinking some of them have to go! How do you choose which of your "children" to get rid of?
Been updating stuff lately and have come to a conclusion. I really must narrow down the number of websites I have! Main reason there are so many is because I like to try out new web hosts and see how user-friendly they are. Now I'm thinking some of them have to go! How do you choose which of your "children" to get rid of?
