I Ain't Afraid of No Daleks

My state is in financial melt-down. After years of spending a budget surplus like it was water, the state blindly ignored all the signs of a pending recession, and kept spending, until one day--oh dear, they ran out of money. Surprise, surprise. Only to politicians, conservatives and others of the upscale set--the rest of us saw it coming ages ago.

Thing is, Americans such as myself, with little-or no, health care already sometimes must decide between buying food, and buying medicines. New Yorkers lose their homes, go hungry, go without heat even, thanks to unreasonably high costs in regards to medical care and medicine. Even those of us on state or federal health care plans for the poor, elderly and disabled, often have to--and I'm being 100% literal here-- choose between getting medical care and medicines, and keeping a roof over their head and/or food on the table.

I think that arts are hugely important. I think parks and recreational activities are important, as well---but sorry, I would rather see a cut in an theater or music programme, or in a parks or sports programme, than see someone get sicker or suffer pain, or even die, because some fat-cat politician didn't have the guts--or the basic sense of human decency, not to cut any health care programmes. They say that aid to health care will be okay--but what does "mostly" mean? That "mostly" makes me very, very nervous....it tells me that someone, somewhere is still going to suffer. Because even one cut to health care, to a poor and vulnerable person, is one cut too many.

And, what about food and community programmes? Heating assistance? How many will die this winter from lack of heat, in a part of the world where temps can get to as much as minus 20 to minus 40 C, for days--or even weeks on end?

Here's part of an article in my local paper:

ALBANY -- The New York Legislature agreed late Tuesday on a plan to cut state spending by about $1 billion over the next few years.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said negotiations continue.

Cameras wait silently near the steps of New York's capital building in Albany, while journalists await the outcome of an important legislative vote.

A legislative session in progress:

...doing pretty much nothing. I hate that. But, not much I can do when my body decides to shut down. I've been drinking lots of juice and water, as per the doctor junior's instructions and resting, but now I'm out of water, and nearly out of juice, so I will have to make a short walk to the store, to get some more, I suppose.

I can't drink the water in my city, 'cos quite frankly, it basically tastes like it's been filtered through mud. Even the cats aren't crazy about it--they drink it, but not very enthusiasically. They grew up on artesian well water, that was surprisingly pure (had it tested), and also town water orginating from a lake, not a river. Until I moved here, I'd never had treated river water--even tho' I grew up less than a mile from the Hudson River. Bleh!!!! It's tastes like poo! (Not that I actually know what poo tastes like, but I imagine it wouldn't be much different than this city's water supply, ha-ha).

There is some pollution along almost the entire 315 mile stretch of the Hudson River. Beginning in the far north, as the charmingly named "Lake Tear in the Clouds" High on a mountain in the Adirondacks, the Hudson winds and twists through the southern Adirondack mountain region, before straightening out on it's long journey through the Upper-Hudson, Mid-Hudson and Lower-Hudson valley's, all the way to New York City and the Atlantic Ocean.

There is some pollution near old mills in small Adirondack towns like Warrensburg and Corinth, to be sure. But, it's not until you hit the city of Glens Falls and it's opposing neighbour, South Glens Falls, with their two papermills bordering each side of the river, the waste treatment plant soon thereafter, followed by a closed highly dangerous former mill site--full of heavy metal pollution, that has yet to been cleaned up, ten years on--that the pollution begins in earnest. Despite the fact that the Hudson water used to supply this city is "treated," and supposedly okay--desptite scares in the past that have caused illnesses with something known as "beaver fever," I don't trust this city, when it comes to pollution. They are more interested in the jobs and funds provided by the mills, than in the health of its residents. The cancer rate here is enormously high, I've been told.

THE HUDSON LOOKING SOUTH FROM COOPER'S CAVE BRIDGE, ABOUT A MILE FROM WHERE I LIVE--Finch Pyrne paper mill on the left, SCA Tissue on the right bank. Sewage plant and toxic waste dump just a short ways downstream.

Here is a website worth visiting.

http://www.swimforcleanwater.org/swims/hudsonriverswimdiary.html

There was a local gent, several years back, who swam the ENTIRE course of the Hudson, in order to raise awareness for the need for clean water. As recent as ten years ago, issues were being raised about how this planet is running out of clean, safe water. Unfortunately, the "trendiness" of the global warming issue, has overshadowed the real, serious issue of the fact that we are---REALLY, REALLY WE ARE--running out of clean water.

Global warming won't mean a thing, if we have no clean water to drink. But, no one seems to get that, and so the global warming debate--which I concede is hugely important as well, keeps the water issue out of the picture.

and, I'm not talking water in places like Africa or Asia, I'm talking about in the US, Europe, pretty much all over the entire globe.

I really could use some expert advice.

When I downloaded Mozilla 3.1, I instantly lost all my ability to hear audio on the net.

Mozilla is washing its hands of the problem, blaming everyone but themselves, naturally.

I've noticed that browser providers are not run by responsible parties--I've found that the "help" people at Mozilla's forums rather immature--spending more time defending Mozilla, than actually trying to address the issue-- and abolutely no help whatsoever.

Anyway, I've tried downloading this, and downloading that--updating Quicktime, realplayer, etc.

The "new" Mozilla suddenly has decided that it doesn't recognize Realplayer, and Mozilla's response is for users to "take it up with Realplayer." ---I sense that Mozilla has an issue with Realplayer, as the that response was quite terse....and, in light of the fact that Mozilla HAD NO PROBLEMS with Realplayer six months ago, this only adds to my suspicions.

Anyway, there has got to be SOME WAY for me to get my plug-ins to work again!

It's not my speakers--I can still play CD's and DVD's on my realplayer and Windows media player.

I've updated most things--still can't get the Windows 7 version, but I'm working on that.

I've run a discheck, which solved some of the bigger issues, but it's maddening.

I'm back with Mozilla--after switching to Opera--which didn't bring back my audio.

I tried getting rid of Mozilla, also tried switching to an older version of Mozilla, NOTHING WORKS.

I've downloaded different flash versions, updated flash versions--zip. Nothing.

Someone suggested installing EZPro Backup Mozilla, or something like that, I did download it, but I'm leery of running it, as it's not from a group that I am familiar with, and am thinking of uninstalling it, out of worries of more viruses. Has anyone heard of this EZPro Mozilla backup? Would it work to restore my audio, or should I stay clear of it?

I am totally at my wits end, I simply cannot fathom what else to do, and every single suggestion I've found on the internet has proved worthless.

IS THERE A SINGLE HUMAN BEING ON THE PLANET OUT THERE, WHO KNOWS HOW TO FLIPPIN' GET BACK MY SOUND THAT WAS TAKEN AWAY BY STINKING MOZILLA?

For a regime--erm, I mean a Presidential party that is constantly blowing the "democracy" and "freedom" horn, why aren't we boycotting the Chinese olympics?

China has blatantly shown itself to be a bunch of lying, shallow, dishonourable and cowardly low-life's, all throughout the Olympics.

They outright lied about allowing protests during the games--arresting a British journalist who was NOT breaking any rules or laws, and detaining two elderly women and threatening them with a year of hard labour--their only "crime:" applying to protest in the designated protest zone during the Olympics. The cause of these two 70 year old's: Being evicted by the government from their homes.

China has given us false audience members, false fireworks, false singers and who knows how many "fake" things?

What happens to Chinese athletes who don't measure up during the games, after the games are over? What will their government do to those who fail their nation? Do our republican leaders ask this? NO.

In the end, Bush and his neo-con buddies, with their feeble "protests," are just as big a mob of dishonourable cowards, as the Chinese authorities are.

There's money invested in the Olympics, and of course, in a country that's steadily turned from an average free capitalist nation, into an extreme capitalist--and not quite as free- nation, a boycott of the Olympics? Even a small one? No, let's not show that we really do care about democracy. His dad wimped out about the Tinnemen Square protest as well, if you recall.

I've noticed that America's conservatives act like Rambo when it comes to smaller nations like Iran and North Korea, but when China and Russia do something...they turn into some skinny, wimpy guy on the beach, being taunted by a bully.

THE 2008 OLYMPICS: CHINA GETS THE GIRL, WHILE "DEMOCRACY" EATS SAND.

Just got back from the doctors a while ago.

Other than my blood pressure being a little high and my blood count slightly low--not unusual for me, and my blood sugar being slightly elevated--not surprising after the ice cream last night--the doctor junior's response was, "erm--I dunno'."

I "might have" a stomach bug, she suggested. I'm not running a fever, thankfully. Tho' she said I did look a bit "run down," and told I should take it easy for a few days. Changed one of my meds, but I couldn't get it, 'cos I'd only brought enough cash to pay for the cab, so I'll have to go back and get that.

So, lying down in a bit, after I make myself some soup and a sandwich...I was chastised for not eating "a good breakfast." Yeah, I'm going to stand over a hot stove while I am feeling light-headed and dizzy? Riiiight.

Ah well, so it goes.

Well, I'm up, but I have to dress and walk to the phone.

I rang up the store where I usually buy my phone's top up cards from, from the office yesterday, to find out if they had any phone cards in yet. And, after a long wait, they said, they had them in, but only have the really expensive ones, and not the $20 one's so, nuts to that. There's a Target at the mall, but the mall bus stops running after a certain hour, and I've only got about a couple hours leeway to use it--and it only runs on the hour, and so far I've missed it twice. The only other store that sells my phone cards locally, is K-mart--and it's $12 round trip cab fare to go there and back, 'cos there's no bus there--well, there is, but it has a wonky schedule that's just...impossible.

Bugger!

I mean, really bugger--'cos I seem to be quite ill this morning and need to go to a doctor, pronto. But, I have to use a phone to ring up sick to work and also to ring up a cab.

I've been fighting sweats and chills all night, and woke this morning literally shaking all over. Even now I have tremors in my fingers making typing a bit difficult. But, I have to walk 10 minutes to a telephone, so I'm wondering if I should just sod it, and go to work anyway--'cos then I'd have to either work a double shift tomorrow, or work on my day off, Friday, to make up the time. I don't know....maybe I'm not that sick. Maybe it's just...something I ate?

Whoa, just had a dizzy spell for a sec. Well, doesn't that just take the biscuit? So, no hope for it, need to see someone. Thought about going to the ER, but last time I went I was in there for 9 hours, hooked up to a very big IV bag, with an incredibly slow drip. No thanks, think I'll pass on the ER.

Well, hope you lot have a good day. See 'ya.

Wow. So, now I've got this blog tool, that tells me exactly what brought/brings people to my blog....whoa. This is only the third time I've looked at it--and really, the first time I've bothered to really read the information....needed to do something while I was eating...huh, this was sort of an eye-opener.

A good portion of my hits are from Google images--so if you're looking for more hits, copy and paste stuff from Google, I guess? Of course, this means, that probably most of my visitors aren't actually reading my posts--which is fine. Whatever floats their boat, I always say.

Nearly 45 percent of the searches, by my guesstimation, seem to be for David Tennant, at least a full quarter of those--or perhaps more, are in relation to him and sex: David Tennant nude, David Tennant sex, David tennant having sex, David tennant sexual, David Tennant gay, David Tennant Dr Who porn, etc....

Haven't had a "David Tennant Penis" yet, but I'm sure it's going to happen, sooner or late.

Also searches for the man's hair, of all things. And the DT hosiery model joke it my #1 blog post of all time--more than a quarter of my hits are for that one old post from last year.

Wow, that's....scary. Geez, the poor guy. I'm sure being a man, he doesn't mind, but I kind of feel sorry for him anyway, 'cos if it were me, personally it would sort of creep me out, knowing thousands of people from literally all over the world, want to have sex with me . Who knew? I'm sure it doesn't bother him--or maybe he chooses to ignore it, not for me to say.

Not me, by the way. I'm an old maid to stay, I'm afraid.

Another popular subjects/pictures that bring people here are food, with cats being a close third. Well, fellow bloggers, what d'ya think?

Han and Leia Go to the Secret Rebel Base Shopping Mall, so Leia can show off her new silicon titties.

I will have a sandwich, but this is what I really am craving right now--only I know that I can't have everything I want, and the sandwich is better for me, health-wise (well, if I leave off the bacon), than the pizza..well, that and I can't spare the cash for a pizza right now, if I want a day out, next week. But...ahhhhh! I have this horrible craving...that wasn't helped when some guy walked by me on the bus, with a pizza box in his hand, the smell of the hot cheese, and fresh hot crust....gah, I better go make my sandwich, ey?

It's going on to quarter past ten at night here, and I just got home a while ago from Lake George. Yes, I went and had my ice cream--yummy. Watched the big multi-deck cruise boat "Lac Du Saint Sacrament" come down the lake in the twilight, all lit up, and then stood there against the railings, as she came into dock.

Facinating watching a big boat dock. Not something I get to see that often. I've been on boats before, of course, including the Lac Du Saint Sacrament. I've been on board river cruise boats of varying sizes, a rowboat, a raft, motorboat, a wooden sailboal, a wooden sloop, a banana boat (freighter) and even an old navy sub, but some of them were tied up at the dock (the sloop, freighter and sub). I really like boating, a lot, even tho' in reality, it's a pretty rare thing for me to do. Generally I only go out on a boat once every three to five years, on average.

Sailing was a blast, tho' I've only sailed two days in my whole life, it was two days I'll certainly never forget--especially the second day, when we went out in a moderate gale--wow, that was way cool! Okay, at first it was a bit disconcerting, having the boat tip up almost parallel at times--but very cool, once I got used to it, better than an amusement park ride. Strangely, I've gotten travel sick on a bus and plane (not bad, thankfully), but I've never been seasick at all. Considering how little I've sailed or boated, I sometimes wonder why the motion of the ocean has never bothered me.

I was watching a pretty little white sailboat tacking to and fro on Lake George, yesterday, while at the beach. Looked like they might have been new sailors, 'cos they seemed to have a spot of bother with their sails at times, and when they came into short, I watched them take down the front sail (is that the "jib," I wonder?), and they guy was having a deuce of a time getting it down--there was only a little breeze, maybe about, I'm guessing, between 5 and 10 knots, at most, so that may have been a factor. I'm not knowledgable enough about sailing. I do know that that boat tipped badly at one point, in about a 10 knot breeze--it probably was only 5 knots where I was, but I know enough to know the breeze out on the wide lake will be stronger than the shore. And his front sail didn't seem to want to cooperate, whichever way he tacked, especially as he drew closer to the shoreline.

I want to do something this summer that's totally fun--a day out, more or less. Next week is the official last week of the tourist season here--after next weekend, most places close up the first week of September, until next May or June, and others are only open on weekends, until mid-October.

There's the pizza cruise on the paddle-wheel steamboat, Minne-ha-ha, the one with the steam calliope on board. For $17 you get a one-hour night cruise on Lake George, two slices of pizza and a soda. Meh. How 'bout I save 13 dollars and buy two slices and a soda, and watch the boat from the dock?

STEAMBOAT CALLIOPE

Well, I'm actually hungry, tonight. I've not been hungry in a couple of days, missing meals because of it, so I suppose I should strike while the iron is hot (old blacksmithing phrase, I believe), and have something. I'm thinking a bacon roll, but perhaps I'll make a turkey, bacon and lettuce sandwich. Or maybe, a bacon and egg sandwich. Meh, I guess I will figure out what I'm in the mood for when I go in the kitchen.

Have a great Wednesday, everyone.