Kiesel sent this to me. I have a printed copy somewhere. It never fails to crack me up. Ah, the HP memories...

http://www.addelement.com/techPreview_cm/

But that's enough.
Seriously.

Finally, it feels like January. Coming from New Hampshire as I do, I was having a really hard time dealing with the complete absence of snow so far this season. I like my Christmas white, thank you very much. Actually, Thanksgiving doesn't even feel normal without some snow on the ground. And green grass with Christmas lights is just too much to bear.

Granted, it's only a dusting -- only about an inch. But I'll take what I can get at this point.

Let it snow!

This web site has some really bizarre items up for grabs from unusual Action Figures to finger hooks and everything in between.

Wish I'd seen this before the holidays. And I always wondered where to go to get pink lawn flamingos.

And I think this is the ultimate cube toy of all time:

First saw this years ago and had completely forgotten about it until my buddy Pete reminded me. Speakers on, please.

http://www.badgerbadgerbadger.com/

It's been a lousy couple of weeks. I've been trying to get a doctor -- any doctor -- to come to my brother's house to evaluate him and provide a prescription for some kind of pain medicine without success. It is so difficult to fathom that people who could help won't -- for fear that they will be another victim of the "war on drugs." What's worse, is that in some cases, I don't even think it's that. I think it's just an unwillingness to make any exceptions in how they do business. A reluctance to inconvenience themselves to help someone who is suffering. I don't know why certain people decide to go into medicine. I suspect it must be for the ego trip in some cases and not from the desire to help the sick.

The many phone calls and e-mails have led me nowhere and left me feeling pretty sick myself.

On a whim, I decided to post a message to the "Bluestone Rocks" Yahoo! group that Dave Hunt established for former employees of Bluestone Software. I didn't give it any thought beforehand, I just sent a message briefly stating the situation and asking for suggestions, leads on good docs, etc. To be honest, I wasn't expecting all that much. Not because people didn't want to help, but because the situation is a sticky one and there aren't many options.

The response was incredible. People had great ideas and even did some research on their own into agencies and hospitals that might be helpful. Some people told me of their own health problems and passed along their success stories and doctor contact info. Others had no suggestions but offered to pray and gave me emotional support. And many more contacted family members who are in the medical profession and passed along their advice. I even received the contact information of a neurologist in Jefferson Hospital who is willing to speak with me -- the cousin of a former colleague.

The compassion that was extended to me and my brother from these "Bluestonians" was amazing. It's too soon to know if any leads or ideas that were presented will pan out. But it's already done a lot to put the wind back in my sails.

People are fundamentally good. Sometimes I can forget that fact. Today some very good people helped me to remember.

Anyone who knows me knows about my brother Paul's situation. For those of you who don't, he has been suffering from an undiagnosed condition for over ten years. The main feature has been constant muscle pain and extreme susceptibility to injury. He also has severe osteoporosis such that he is at risk of a spontaneous stress fracture of the pelvis and low back. He can no longer drive, sit, or walk except for teetering around his house like a 90-year old man. He is 48-years old.

Bad enough, but it gets worse. We can't find a doctor willing to come to his house -- even once -- to evaluate him and prescribe pain medication.

You can thank the war on drugs, I suppose. That combined with indifference on the part of his primary care physician. It's hard to imagine that anyone would who could help would allow my brother to live in agony rather than do something slightly out of the ordinary.

I've begun reaching out again to organizations and hospitals in an attempt to find some help. If anyone has any ideas or contacts, please let me know.

May it beat the pants off of 2004.



Not the best year for me. I'm very happy to see it fade into memory. I celebrated the evening with my best buddies Nancy and Zane. We decided to do a repeat of last year's festivities with a trip to New Hope, PA. Only this time, we got a hotel so we could all make merry and no one had to be the designated driver.

We had a great dinner which included Caribou (yeah, that's right. The big deer-like things that run around in Maine). Surprisingly tasty. Not too gamey. Kind of like venison, but better.

We want hopping from bar-to-bar including Triumph Brewery (which was my favorite Philadelphia-area brewery until Traci and Dean turned me on to Yard's).

Yesterday was a complete wash. I felt like I'd eaten a caribou and drank one too many. I barely got out of bed long enough to watch Goldmember for the third time. I can't even look at Mike Meyers in character as Goldmember without laughing.

Today I've done some work on the site. I now have a silly theme switcher deal. I don't know... I needed something to do. I've also added a couple of new pics of Karma Kitty and the house.

And now, it's dinner time. I have some goodies from Trader Joe's to prepare and some POM juice to imbibe. (Man, I love that stuff.)

Over and out.