Thought Patterns

From CripHumor:

[thanks to Sissy for this one…]

Patients call the pathology group where I am office manager to discuss their medical bills. One irate woman demanded that I describe every laboratory test on her statement.

Of course, I complied. Starting with the first test on her bill, I read, "Number 1, urinalysis…"

She interrupted me at once. "I'm a what?"

From ARRL News:

Emergency Communications Bill Includes Amateur Radio as Interoperability Agent

NEWINGTON, CT, Jul 27, 2006–A bill to enhance emergency communication at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) includes Amateur Radio operators as part of an overall effort to provide interoperability among responders. The 21st Century Emergency Communications Act of 2006 (HR 5852), an amendment to the Homeland Security Act of 2002, passed the US House this week on a 414-2 vote and has gone to the Senate. Its sponsor, Rep David G. Reichert (R-WA) — who chairs the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Science and Technology — says his legislation is designed "to improve the ability of emergency responders to communicate with each other" — interoperability.

(snipped)

His measure also would require the DHS to strengthen its efforts to improve emergency communications. HR 5852 calls for Amateur Radio operators to be part of a "Regional Emergency Communications Coordination Working Group" (RECC Working Group) that would be attached to each regional Department of Homeland Security office. The RECC Working Groups would advise federal and state homeland security officials.

Membership in the RECC Working Groups would include state and local officials; law enforcement, first responders such as fire departments; 911 centers; hospitals; ambulance services; communications equipment vendors, telephone, wireless satellite, broadband and cable service providers; public utilities; broadcasters; emergency evacuation transit services; state emergency managers, homeland security directors or representatives of state administrative agencies; local emergency managers or homeland security directors, and "other emergency response providers or emergency support providers as deemed appropriate."

(snipped)

According to the bill, the RECC Working Groups would function to assess the survivability, sustainability, and interoperability of local emergency communications systems to meet the goals of the National Emergency Communications Report. That report would be developed by the Assistant Secretary for Emergency Communications "to provide recommendations regarding how the United States can accelerate the deployment of interoperable emergency communications nationwide."

full article

So in other words, this will make it so FEMA can't stop hams from doing what they were trained to do.

I sent the ms back to Jane yesterday. I finally got up to where she had stopped. I sent it to her so she can see how I am doing. I've not heard back but I'm assuming it is because of the weekend. How dare she take time off!

I still really love this story. I've liked it from the beginning (NaNoWriMo 2004).

I've been thinking about why this book is so good from the beginning while the other BG books stink. One thought is that I started with a title and wrote a book around it. These others are writing a book without much thought to a title.

Lorna and I used to do a lot of things on our own. Like fix cars and lawnmowers and move heavy things. When we did something we thought was not possible (as in we couldn't do it), we would do a little ditty called "Butch Girls Can Do Anything" (aka BG1). That's all the words, by the way. So, I decided to use FIX instead of DO and wrote a book about a fix-it lady.

In the process of writing that book, I developed some way cool characters and decided to give them their own books. So I have the characters, but not a title. Harri is a mechanic. Butch Girls Can Drive Anything? Blech. BGs Are Classic? Love the Classics? (Harri renovates old vehicles). BGs Like the Fast Lane? Arrrgghh!

Harri is the butchest of them all, in terms of stereotypical. So Classic kinda fits there too which is why I keep leaning toward that. Stereotypical, despite being such a long word, has very few synonyms: stereotype, stereotypic, unimaginative (according to WordWeb). Not much help there.

What about you other writers? Do you start with an idea? A title? A character? What?

From CripHumor:

The famous movie star, Henry Fonda, was making a film in New Orleans years ago and took a liking to the local spirit called absinthe. He drank quite a bit every evening upon completion of the film's daily shooting. After several weeks of film making [and drinking], Mr. Fonda started having pains in his chest. He was immediately rushed to a local hospital. They took his medical history and gave him a full screening of tests. The diagnosis was that he had an enlarged heart.

Since the condition was a new one and of concern, he queried the attending physician. The doctor responded his patient shouldn't be surprised about the situation. "Your condition is obvious," the physician told him,"because absinthe makes the heart grow, Fonda. "

[from GROANERS]

I got Lorna an MP3 player. While I was at it, I got me one too.

I originally ordered her one from Amazon but they took two weeks to tell me the shipping date would be Aug. 22nd or so. I cancelled the order and went elsewhere.

I got us the Creative Labs Zen Nano Plus. Hers is blue and mine is red. They hold 1GB of music which, frankly, is probably about the right size for us. Our tastes in music is quite eclectic. I have 8 CDs on mine and still have close to 700MB left. The gadget is also a digital voice recorder and FM radio receiver. Don't think we'll use the radio much but I like the voice part.

I did some research and found that the Zen is very user friendly as well as is from a well-established audio company. Since Lorna is in her car a minimum of 4 hrs a day, she wanted a way to listen to the music she wanted, rather than whatever was on the radio. She also wanted to shut out her co-workers while at the post office.

The best thing about this toy is that it is small. The worst thing about this toy is that it is small. And I do mean small. It is about the size of a cigarette lighter which means it weighs next to nothing. It fits in small pockets. Yet the sound is unbelievable! And it is oh so easy to lay it down and not see it.

Got this in an email from my friend Elena.

To all: Since prayer, to whichever Deity you prefer, seems to be the only hope for the nation, I am sending the following to be used in your service of choice.

Bush is my shepherd;
I dwell in want.

He maketh logs to be cut down
in national forests.

He leadeth trucks
into the still wilderness.

He restoreth my fears.

He leadeth me in the paths of international disgrace
for his ego's sake.

Yea, though I walk through
the valley of pollution and war,
I will find no exit, for thou art in office.

Thy tax cuts for the rich
and thy media spinning,
they discomfort me.

Thou preparest an agenda of deception in the presence of thy religion.

Thou anointest my head with foreign oil.

My health insurance runneth out.

Surely megalomania and false patriotism shall follow me all the days of thy
term,

And my jobless child shall dwell
in my basement forever.

Amen

Yesterday, Lorna told me of a report she heard on All Things Considered. The report was about how humans go from hearing speech to speaking.

Study Illuminates How Babies Learn to Speak
Michelle Trudeau

July 24, 2006 · A high-tech machine that monitors infants' brain cells as they listen to speech reveals a key element in how babies go from hearing sounds to speaking them.

From birth, babies' brains are bathed in the sounds of language. But how do they get from hearing those sounds to speaking them?

That's what University of Washington neuroscientist Patricia Kuhl is studying: What happens in the brain that prepares a baby to move from speech perception to speech production?

full article

I like this image they used to link to an interactive multimedia presentation titled "What Lies Beneath".