AtomicMrX

My Mom sent me this and I’m trying a new method of posting videos. I would like to figure out how to make my own .mov’s into Flash based - but unfortunately my Flash application keeps crashing on me when I attempt it. So here is one via YouTube.

I’m not always impressed with the compression and quality of YouTube movies. YouTube puts the uploaded movie through the wringer to make it small and compact and the final product really shows that.

I don’t think I’ve seen Dad move that quick in years! Thanks Mom!

Enjoy!

“Merry Christmas!” 5.8 MB (00:38)

I tried to make this into a Flash movie so it would be a little more cross platform friendly but it kept crashing my Flash application for some reason. Go figure. So it is in a Quicktime format and hopefully no one has a problem viewing it.

In the picture (and movie) Shannon is on the left, I am in the center and Jaki is on the right (our Toy Fox Terrier).

Here’s the link to make your own! ElfYourself!

Happy Holidays everyone!

I heard all the ice reports Saturday and didn’t think twice while I walked out onto the concrete front steps. The first step was onto our door mat and the second was on the concrete step just below that slanted downward because of the house shifting. So I stepped onto it and immediately was thrown into the air. Yes I was thrown up into the air and basically did a body slam (on my right side) down onto the front side walk. Everything that looked “wet” was actually ice.

In those fleeting milliseconds I thought; “God, I’m going to hit my head and be unconscious laying in the front yard while Shannon gets ready for work and he won’t even know I’m out here.” and “I hope I don’t break anything and this doesn’t mess up my back!” - all this before I hit the ground. It’s weird how much thought can fit into a tiny space of time.

So I hit the ground and out spew some naughty words. Unfortunately, I am in my robe and slippers laying on the ground and the neighbors across the street are just stepping out of their house as I do my landing and see it all. I was so embarrassed along with hurting pretty bad. I wasn’t sure if anything was broken so I carefully get onto all fours and crawl up onto the top step and get back up and into the house. I don’t think anything is broken (but my pride) but I am sure I’ll have some killer bruises. My ankle, hip, inner thigh, neck and shoulder, all hurt like crazy.

I had to walk around with a cane all day Saturday. It’s much better today but I’m still very sore all up and down my right side. Let’s just say I did not go back outside all day Saturday!

Today looks even worse outside! We have ice pellets raining from the sky. Hoo ray! We don’t have any ice melt either. I need to get to the store so I have something to eat this week and pick up some ice melt so we don’t kill ourselves on our drive or sidewalks. I finally did my checkbook and I’ve overspent my Xmas fund so I’m in trouble and will have to do some fancy foot work to get all the big bills paid this month. I think I’ll be able to do it but I’m going to have to eat very cheaply the rest of the month and not spend any money if at all possible. I’m hoping to have enough money to make some kind of soup for lunches and maybe sloppy joes for dinner or something. Otherwise it’s top ramin the rest of the month.

I got to talk with my friend Alston in New York yesterday so that was a nice surprise on an otherwise crapy day.

Yesterday I went over to Jim’s to help him with his new Color Laser Printer. He needed a cable to hook it up and wasn’t sure which kind of cable and if it would work on the back of his laptop docking station. That was an easy fix and we hopped over to Office Depot and fixed him up with a USB 2 cable and his new printer was smelling up the house in no time. Laser printers can have a nice toner smell when they first start up. I had a black and white laser printer a long time ago with my first Mac - I loved it.

With the printer connected and working great we were off to eat. Jim had a great idea of a restaurant he had been at once before and I had never been to. So we went to Pizza Bella, downtown Kansas City on Baltimore. It’s only been open for a month or so and it was very cool looking inside and out. Jim ordered Crispy Brussels Sprouts and I told him I didn’t like Brussels Sprouts but I would try them. Wow were they good. I apparently had a bad first experience with them and I thought I would not like them - probably how they were prepared. We each ordered the same pizza (they come dinner plate size) - Prosciutto and Arougala with fresh parmesan cheese.

After dinner we went to the Power & Light District downtown. It’s still in progress of being completed but they have come a long way and should be done this next Summer is my guess. We went to a very fancy (but not too pricy) restaurant for a glass of wine. We sat at the bar and talked. The restaurant has only been open for two weeks so it is as new as can be. We’ll have to go back and have a dinner there sometime. We had a glass of Merlot each. Jim was tempted to have a second but I was doing good to finish the one I had and didn’t want another. I don’t really drink anymore - so a little is a lot for me.

I took a few pictures of the evening and here they are. Click on them to see them larger and you can navigate through them buy clicking on the left or right sides of the picture once enlarged.

Afterwards we stopped at Starbucks in Westport for some coffee. Jim was experimental and ordered some Latin version of an espresso and water and it tasted like watered down espresso and wasn’t very good but Jim persevered and drank it anyway (well most of it). I had the White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha but with less of the syrups than usual because I was afraid it would be sickening sweet. It was just right.

Here is the Wikipedia definition of World AIDS Day:

World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. AIDS has killed more than 25 million people, with an estimated 38.6 million people living with HIV, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history. Despite recent, improved access to antiretroviral treatment and care in many regions of the world, the AIDS epidemic claimed an estimated 3.1 million (between 2.8 and 3.6 million) lives in 2005, of which more than half a million (570,000) were children.

The concept of a World AIDS Day originated at the 1988 World Summit of Ministers of Health on Programmes for AIDS Prevention. Since then, it has been taken up by governments, international organizations and charities around the world.

From its inception until 2004, UNAIDS spearheaded the World AIDS Day campaign, choosing annual themes in consultation with other global health organizations. In 2005 this responsibility was turned over to World AIDS Campaign (WAC), who chose Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise as the main theme for World AIDS Day observances through 2010, with more specific sub-taglines chosen annually. This theme is not specific to World AIDS Day, but is used year-round in WAC’s efforts to highlight HIV/AIDS awareness within the context of other major global events including the G8 Summit. World AIDS Campaign also conducts “in-country” campaigns throughout the world, like the Student Stop AIDS Campaign, an infection-awareness campaign targeting young people throughout the UK.

It is common to hold memorials to honor persons who have died from HIV/AIDS on this day. Government and health officials also observe, often with speeches or forums on the AIDS topics. Since 1995 the President of the United States has made an official proclamation on World AIDS Day. Governments of other nations have followed suit and issued similar announcements.

Here is a small portion of the list of friends I have lost to AIDS:

• Steve Lansing 1993
• Carl Woodford 1994
• Quience Sykes 1994
• Yul Stell 1996 (?)
• Paul 1997 (?)
• Darrin 1998 (?)

There have been far too many of my buddies at the bars that have been lost to AIDS as well. Unfortunately I can’t remember all their names and years of passing. I’ve never been good with names but I always will remember their smiling faces, conversations, and fun times dancing at the bars.