Matt's Place

Happy 23rd Birthday Chris!,

Tonight Karen & I took Chris & Jennie and Jennie’s parents Matthew & Susan

out to Lonhorn Steakhouse to celebrate Chris’s birthday.

His bday is not until the 10th, but he is heading back to Summer school and

work until August.

Small World Department: Matthew Harris and I worked together at Lincoln

Land Community College as audio visual technicians for the Library. That

was over 30 years ago. Yikes!

Now our worlds are coming back together through our children.

* Sent from my Palm Treo 650

Chris & Jennie,

My son and my future daughter-in-law, his bride-to-be.

The Ring!,

What does this mean?

My brother Nick has an article which will be published in an Arlington, VA newspaper Thursday, April 27, 2006 on his struggles with Lyme Disease. Joe Stirt, M.D. “The world’s most popular blogging anesthesiologist” will publish this article on the following Saturday. Here is an email my brother sent me when I asked him for links on Lyme Disease. Take all caution to prevent this from happening to you while outside enjoying nature.

—–
Matt,

Thanks for helping get the word out.

nick

Washington has its own Lyme organization:

National Capital Lyme Disease Association
natcaplyme@natcaplyme.org
www.natcaplyme.org
Phone & fax: 703-821-8833

At Nat’ Capital Lyme, on this page they have links to a wide range of supportive into.

It astounds me that a doc can look someone in the face and tell them, “you don’t have this because you’re not experiencing it.”(!) I’d heard that Lyme diagnosis and treatment is very ‘political’ in the medical community, but I’m mystified by docs who sit there and tell you, “you don’t have pain or mental confusion.” How the hell would they know that, since I’m the one living in my body!

We missed this conference – – in which Dr. Zackrison participated. The site has mucho info on the conf and what it covered.

The article below is testament to the hell the medical establishment puts on docs, such as Drs. Jemsek & Zackrison, who recognize chronic Lyme and attempt to treat it. Jemsek is one of the foremost docs in treating chronic Lyme. Dr. Zackrison has referred to him more than once in my office visits. He was one of the speakers at a DC Lyme conference I noted above (hope to heal).

The Latest Update on Dr. Jemsek. This is a must read for all of our members. ABC, Channel 11
Raleigh – Durham – Fayettesville, North Carolina
April 14, 2006

Dr. Disciplined Over Lyme Disease Treatments

(04/14/06 - HUNTERSVILLE) - Nearly a quarter-century ago, Dr. Joseph Jemsek was the first physician in the Charlotte area to diagnose a patient with AIDS.

He became known for devotion to patients often marginalized because of the illness’s association with homosexuality and drug use.

Today, the 56-year-old Jemsek is known for treating patients he believes suffer from chronic Lyme disease, a form of the illness the medical establishment doesn’t believe exists. When given the standard blood test for Lyme disease, many of his patients test negative.

The dispute could cost Jemsek his license to practice. In December, the North Carolina Medical Board charged him with improperly diagnosing Lyme disease and treating it via long-term courses of intravenous antibiotics, which violates the care standard set by the Infectious Diseases Society of America, or IDSA. The state board will hear the case in June.

“That would be one of the greatest injustices in the history of the state,” Jemsek said. “I don’t shoot drugs – I just prescribe too much tetracycline.”

It’s not just tetracycline that’s gotten Jemsek in trouble, but a whole array of antibiotics, administered in varying doses, combinations and schedules, both orally and intravenously. His patients say the treatment is the only thing that provides relief of their joint pain, fevers,
headaches and mental confusion – a series of symptoms they say other doctors struggle to diagnosis and treat.

But many say Jemsek is on a dangerous path. “There’s not a great deal of published evidence that supports prolonged antibiotic treatment,” said Dr. Paul Mead, based in Fort Collins, Colo., and the leading Lyme expert for the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “There is,
however, evidence that these treatments can be harmful.”

Doctors who diagnose patients with Lyme disease without solid evidence risk missing a correct diagnosis, said Dr. Eugene Shapiro, a pediatrics professor at the Yale University School of Medicine who helped draft the treatment guidelines Jemsek is accused of violating. Long-term
antibiotic treatment also carries risk of infection with resistant bacteria and fungi, high costs and encourages the development of antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” that endanger the entire population.

“It’s not that the people diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease don’t have problems,” he said. “It’s that chronic Lyme disease is not the problem.”

RoseNote: You can also read other people’s comments. The comments I have read are very interesting and very informative, and are written by fellow Lyme patients.

****
LymeInfo Note: More info from a differnt news organization below. LymeInfo has deleted the parts that were nearly identical.

MyrtleBeachOnline.com

Lyme disease is named after Old Lyme, Conn., where it was first described in 1975. Its most common symptom is a skin rash that appears around the site of a tick bite, and it can be accompanied by fatigue, as well as pains in the joints, muscles, head and neck. In the disease’s later stages, it can affect the nervous system and the heart, and cause swelling of joints.

The Lyme bacterium is passed to humans by bites from infected deer ticks; the bulk of cases are concentrated in the northern United States.

In 2005, the most recent year for which data was available, there were more than 21,304 cases reported to the CDC - but just 49 cases in North Carolina. “There is Lyme disease in North Carolina,” said state epidemiologist Jeff Engel. “It’s just rare.”

The IDSA’s care guidelines, set in 2000, call for a clinical examination of a patient, followed by lab tests that confirm a Lyme diagnosis. Prolonged intravenous antibiotic treatments should last at most for four weeks - and only for patients with significant complicating neurological symptoms.

The IDSA also found no known cause of symptoms exhibited by patients who remained unwell after standard Lyme treatment, concluding there was no evidence they could be helped by long-term treatment with antibiotics and adding that “chronic Lyme disease” is not an appropriate diagnosis.

“In study after study, when patients who carried the diagnosis of chronic Lyme were re-evaluated in university medical centers, over 50 percent had no credible evidence of ever having had Lyme disease,” said Dr. Gary Wormser, a member of the IDSA panel, in an e-mail interview.

The guidelines are being revised, but Shapiro said few major changes are expected. During the revision process, Shapiro said, an IDSA panel looked at letters from Jemsek urging reconsideration of the group’s view of chronic Lyme disease.

“It’s not like his letters were burned,” he said. “Everyone read them.”
—
Jemsek admits there are no studies that prove long-term antibiotic treatment is effective. The only major study was stopped by the lead investigator, Boston University’s Dr. Mark Klempner, because data showed no difference in the outcomes for patients who received antibiotics and those who received a placebo.

The study, according to Jemsek and chronic Lyme advocates, is flawed and unreliable. Klempner declined to be interviewed, but Shapiro and other Lyme specialists do not hesitate to cite his findings, published in 2001 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Jemsek said he has seen his own trial-and-error methods - different drugs, different combinations, different treatments - work with too many patients to stop what he is doing. He is not bothered that in many cases his patients’ blood does not test positive for Lyme disease.

“We’re too married to our tests,” he said. “Doctors just don’t have time any more to think for themselves. … I do the test, but I recognize the fallibility of the test. What’s most important is how they (patients) respond to various therapies.”
Doctors like Shapiro and Wormser take a dim view of Jemsek’s reliance on anecdotal evidence and his sweeping assertions that the CDC and others are trying to sweep a burgeoning epidemic under the rug. While the number of cases reported last year was up 1,500 from 2004, the number of reported cases was lower in both years than the 23,764 cases reported in 2002.

“They’re scared to death at the CDC, I think, that it’s going to get out of control,” Jemsek said. “I think the CDC fears they’re going to have a mass hysteria, which they will because this is just getting bigger and bigger.”

Jemsek’s patients, many of whom are referred to him after seeing doctor after doctor without a diagnosis, swear by him. When he spoke to a crowd of nearly 100 at a March seminar on Lyme disease held in Raleigh, he was greeted with a standing ovation.

“He’s honest, compassionate and definitely not afraid to stand up for what he believes to be true and right,” said Beth Jordan, a Raleigh veterinarian and head of the N.C. Lyme Disease Foundation, an advocacy group she founded.

Jordan estimates she saw between 20 and 30 doctors in North Carolina and Virginia after falling ill in 1999.

“They would run the Lyme antibody test, it would come back negative and they would tell me I didn’t have Lyme,” she said. “I finally self-diagnosed. … I could remember a tick bite I had eight months before. My symptoms were very characteristic. I just really believed I had this illness.”

She started seeing Jemsek in 2002. “He’s taken my health to a new level,” she said.

Geri Brower, a 42-year-old Asheboro accountant who said she fell ill after a 2001 tick bite, has seen Jemsek for nearly four years. Jemsek said it took months of treatment and three or four kinds of antibiotics to find a combination that addressed Brower’s palsy and severe mental confusion.

“We couldn’t get her brain working,” Jemsek said. “She had all kinds of co-infections.”

Dr. Sharon Grundy, a general practitioner in Telluride, Colo., has referred multiple patients to Jemsek. She said Lyme is too new a disease for doctors to start drawing firm conclusions, adding she believes Jemsek’s treatments are responsible.

“I don’t think he’s doing anything negligent. He checks labs appropriately, none of the antibiotic doses have been out of proportion to what’s recommended,” she said. “He’s doing something out of the norm, and I think sometimes the medical establishment, they’re not pro that.”
—
In Rhode Island, a Lyme epicenter, lawmakers passed a bill in 2002 to shield doctors who treat Lyme patients with long-term antibiotics from punishment.

The bill’s author, Rep. Peter Ginaitt, D-Warwick, is a registered nurse and medical technician and said he understands why the establishment is leery of people like Jemsek.

“But when it comes down to Lyme disease, I am very much convinced from medical professionals and other people who have seen the benefit from a long-term antibiotic regimen,” he said. “Sometimes you have to trust the gut of people who are seeing the benefit of something.”

In North Carolina, which has no such law - and no immediate prospect of one - Jemsek awaits his date with the medical board.

“I’ve been open about this, I’ve never been clandestine,” he said. “I knew I was at risk. We’re doing things that make a difference. It’s not like a renegade operation.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
National Capital Lyme Disease Association
natcaplyme@natcaplyme.org
www.natcaplyme.org
Phone & fax: 703-821-8833
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The man himself!,

Had a birthday party at Tom Ford’s for his son Conor’s 11th birthday.

Lots o fun. Good Pizza - Joes! Good Cake.

Watched the games (final 4).

Good conversation and family.

Conor was saying “limberger” instead of cheese.

Johanna At Rest,

Sitting in my chair, Johanna sometimes lay on the foot rest.

This day, she went into this pose.

Imagine that.

2006_03122-22-060038,

My great-neice Cora.

What a beauty.

Such poise.

Such grace.

Such a proud Great-Uncle!

IMG_2244,

From his place in Bolivar, MO, Chris took this and some others.

They got the same tornados which Springfield, IL got.

The tornados went around the town and caused much havoc in the surrounding areas.

I was glad he was safe.

More Photos Here,

Happy 50th birthday to our good friend Pat Kennedy!

Her dad took some great photos and the family had two of them put onto the cakes. Nice.

Family and friends gathering together to celebrate. We had a good time with old friends and new friends.

Click here for more photos

Wow!

I didn’t see this when I took it.

I was shocked when I opened this up on my computer tonight.

Thank you Chris & Jennie, for the gift of the Red Dot Sight.

I could not have taken this without it.

More Photos Here

I love the light at the end of the day.

This duck loves the water.

We shared some time together on Saturday.

Grandpa Nick & Harmond share a laugh

I spent a joyful evening with my brother Nick, his love Mary Ann, their children Anna & her friend Elana, Rebecca & her husband Bret and their two boys Harmond and Warner.

I am the great uncle of Harmond and Warner! - I’m so proud to be a great uncle.

This is one of 269 shots I took that evening. I’ve posted 19 (at this writing) on my Flickr site - which is linked here.

I loved sharing the family celebration of Harmond’s 4th birthday. He and we all had much fun.

“One Step Ahead Tour” of Gary Fong.

Great photographer and marketing genius.

Karen and I went.

This photo was taken by the man himself - Gary Fong.

Can you tell I’m gushing with celebrity wow coursing through me?

I used Monica and Matt’s Fuji F10. No flash in any of the shots I took, including the one below and those linked to it.

Here’s Gary:


Gary Fong Hisself!

Jennie checks out the loft

Nice photo of Jennie, Chris’ girlfriend. Not much room up there, and don’t roll out of bed!

We had a nice weekend of visiting, and sharing.

That’s Chris as a blur! “Don’t take my picture!”

Check out this fun with Thermite.

I liked the part where they burn through the engine of a car.

I always did enjoy playing with fire as a kid.

Burning large piles of tree limbs and stuff with kerosene was a hoot!

Ah those were the days.

These are the days too!

RDS Bird 15

Took this during my first session with my Red Dot Site - used to take pictures of moving objects.

Took about 200 shots and only a very few came through without blur - I’m learning!!

I like the effect on this one.

Karen, Matt, Jennie & Chris

Had dinner and took the annual family Christmas picture tonight.

I like the results.

Nice smiles all around.

Fair notice: I had shoes on, Chris did not!

Christmas Tree Zoom

Visited the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum today.

During a break, took a series of photos doing the zoom thing at the same time.

Nice effect.

Enjoy!

Tom & Russ Birthday 2005

This is a collage that I put together of photos taken at a birthday party for my Father-in-law Tom and my nephew Russ.

I was trying out my external flash and the light difuser - Gary Fong’s Light Sphere Photo Journalist II with Dome Difuser.

The difuser gives great lighting effects. Very natural. I’m still learning, as I surely can tell.

The nice thing about doing a collage, is that it puts all the photos that tell the story in one place.

I’m learning the collage software also.

Lots to learn in life.

My brother Dennis, his wife Kieran and my neice Alyssa (that’s them in the upper left of this montage) have been working with this organization “Healing the Children” for many years. They’ve opened their lives to many children with severe medical needs. The children become part of their family, and part of mine.

Take a moment to look through this website and if motivated and able, make a donation to keep the mission of healing moving forward, touching more lives.

Happy New Year!

Austin & Brennah

Check this out!

Karen’s sister Lisa came for a Christmas visit with Austin and Brennah. Kyle stayed behind to help out his Dad, Mike.

They had fun over at our house one night.

I liked this series of pictures and put them together.

Katrina Artists - Giving Life to Those Who Have Given Their Live to Art

My fellow blogger, bon-vivant and connoisseur of all that is interesting Shawn Zehnder Lea , has put up a website where artists from the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina can show their work and hook up with folk like you and me.

Why?

Because these folks cannot wait until their home towns and venues are rebuilt. They need to connect with their audience and continue supporting their lives with sales of their art.

Shawn stepped up and created the marketplace for artists to present their work.

Get on over there and see what might float your boat.

Thanks for looking and Y’all come back, hear?

Matt, the gear geek

I was like a kid at Christmas.

There it was.

My Gary Fong, Light Sphere Photo Journalist II Dome.

I’d jumped at ordering it, the moment it was released.

Looking for things to take pictures of, I saw this antique mirror, and viola!

Picture of a man with his toy.

Audubon Newhall Trail - 12

Funny how a picture tells a story.

When I captured this photo, I was exploring the Audubon Newhall Trail in warm Hilton Head Island, SC.

All by myself.

And various flora and fauna.

I had the whole place to myself.

No interpreter, no guide, no fellow trail hikers.

I loved it.

It reminded me of my time growing up on 13 acres of land with a pond, a bit bigger than this one.

I loved to explore that land.

I enjoyed being with Nature.

Here, I was able to do the same from my present age.

I was floored by the beauty, and the care with which the trail is kept alive.

This is just one of many photos I took on that afternoon.

All by myself.

And Nature.

Johanna - Her Eye’s On Me

Of the many looks that my cat gives me, this one makes me wonder what she’s thinking.

“If I stare at him long enough, perhaps he’ll give me a treat.”

Naaah.

Emily flipping her hair. Quicktime Required

Sarah, Mary, Andrew, Charlie play charades. Quicktime Required

Carrie gives Louis “Rugga Didda Di Do” with Kieran. Quicktime Required

Louis brings me my shoes while Andrew and Mary play. Quicktime Required

Katherine gueses Alyssa’s drawn clue while playing the Cranium game (Alyssa has to have her eyes closed to draw!). Quicktime Required

Karen, Mary, Tom, Matt - Travelers

This is the final shot of our travels to Hilton Head Island last week. We took Karen’s Mom and Dad along.

We all had a good time together. At 79, Tom and Mary traveled well.

Side trips were made to Beaufort,SC, Savannah, GA and Charleston, SC.

Mr. Squirrel

As I was getting up from a session in my comfy chair the other day, I spied my neighbor, Mr. Squirrel.

He was as enthralled with me as I was with him.

He was gracious enough to stick around for my wife to take his portrait.

A view outside our sunroom window.

One of the reasons for being here.

This is a picture of a sunset this past Saturday at Lake Sangchris in Central Illinois.

Karen and I happened upon a couple of park benches which overlooked this scene.

What a delight!

This is a link to a Quicktime movie of about 5 seconds duration, taken with the same camera.

Fun Stuff!

Warning - The movie is just under 8 meg. - for you dial-up folks.

Sangamon County Barn

I captured this photo on a Saturday, near my home.

At the crossroads of a State Route, and the road to Capitol Airport, this is the remnants of a farm.

Nearby, tractor-trailors and speeding cars as well as F-16 fighters and commercial aircraft pass by without noticing this bit of history.

My sister-in-law suggested I come back and take it’s photo in the next 3 seasons.

It would look nice in a grouping.

Perhaps.

Cora and Monica

My great neice Cora and her mom Monica.

She’s being held by her dad, Matt.

While I was on a conference call with folks around the USA, on business, they dropped in to say Hi!

I, being quick on the draw, pulled out my camera and took a few snaps.

Family Hugs!

Jennie

Chris took this shot a couple of weekends ago.

He loves photography as much or more than I do. He learned a lot taking a class from a teacher of the old school - film. Learned to develop and enlarge in black and white.

He’s got quite a good eye for composition, much like his mother. Of course, he loves his subject, and it shows in this shot. BTW - He bought her the outfit for her birthday.

Matt & Karen at Lincoln Memorial Garden

Karen and I went out to Lake Springfield late this afternoon.

We were scouting out the lighting and location for taking photos of a friend’s children.

Taking test shots and getting more familiar with the camera and flash.

We had lots of fun, but wished we could have started earlier.

This picture is of us at one of our favorite Springfield locations: Lincoln Memorial Gardens.

Just about getting to good Fall color, don’t you think?

Full Moon from Matt’s Place

I took this from our deck tonight.

Hand held.

What a camera!

Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ-30.

Worth every penny.

Look at the Panasonic forum on DPReview.com for more happy Panasonic camera owners.

Go to Flikr.com and search for FZ-30 tagged pictures for more interesting photos.

The world is an amazing place.

I’m glad to share this with you.

Sunset

Can you believe this photo? Wow! Karen took this one. What an eye for composition she has.

We had fun at Jim Edgar State Park this evening. A pleasant drive. Saw 3 sets of deer running and jumping into the woods.

Took over 300 shots. These are the best, at my first glance.

It takes a lot of poorly taken photos to get a few good ones.

Thank God for the digital camera! Don’t like it, delete it and take another! Never-ending film!!!!!

Glowing Trees

Took this shot a few days ago. Trying out my new camera. Tripod shot, 10 second exposure. Not bad at all.

Sets a contemplative mood.

Fall trees lit by parking lot lights.

Empty church.

I really like the glow of the trees.

How about you?

Johanna Cat

Using my new camera. Learning it and the Sunpak 383 bounce flash and the Gary Fong Lightsphere Photojournalist II difuser.

The more photos I take the more I learn.

I sure need to take more photos!

Our cat, Johanna, is about 15 years old. Still feisty. She wants to be loved on her terms for sure. She hisses and lunges at Karen, but will only sit in her lap, not mine. Does not hiss or lunge at me, but lasts about 5 seconds in my lap.

Cats.

I prefer the independant love of a cat to the dependant love of a dog.

In my view.

Your milage may vary. YMMV.

Love my camera.

Love my bride of 27 years (as of yesterday).

In fact, I’m more in love with her now, than when first married. I know her more and can appreciate her entire self more now with those 27 years experience.

All this from a cat photo.

Imagine that.

A guest post from my Sister-in-Law, Deb Penning
I was so moved by her encounter, I asked her permission to post this.

On August 9th, 2005 I was in New Orleans on business staying in a hotel on Canal Street. The city was alive well into the morning hours! (I wasn’t on the streets! I had to go to the bathroom at 0330! Come on now! Be nice!)

On August 25th, 2005 I took pictures of Hurricane Katrina from the comfort and safety of Melbourne, Florida. Strong breezes and frequent downpours followed by blistering sun were the only evidence that I was in a hurricane! As I left the hospital where I was working, I was told that I could now say I had survived a hurricane! Quite a statement having grown up in a corn field in Central Illinois!

On Thursday, September 1st, 2005, a business trip to Houston ended.

Outside the airport I saw a site so moving I couldn’t look away.

It wasn’t something you see everyday waiting for a flight. I sneaked a few pictures of this man feeling guilty but at the same time, not guilty enough to stop.

Here was a gentleman attempting to dry out his legal papers and other documents by draping them over the bench outside the airport terminal.

The luggage carts told me they had just arrived in Houston. His family was inside enjoying the air conditioning, toilet facilities, food and water.

His granddaughter came out and tried to get him to go inside but he could not be persuaded to leave.

Separating sheet after sheet of saturated paper, he laid them carefully over the slats in the bench. Some were legal documents. Some had the logo of the State of Louisiana.

They used to pink, white, yellow and blue. The shades had run and some were white AND blue.

The color didn’t really matter. They all were wet. Water droplets actually formed and fell to the sidewalk as the paper hung from anything he could find!

He methodically separated each individual sheet of paper from stacks of soaking tree pulp.

Desperately wanted to say something to him, but what?

It was pretty obvious that the life he had built was gone. These papers were probably his certifications, insurance and memories.

Everything he had in his life that was associated with those documents was, for now, a soggy memory.

Again, I tried to walk away to go to my plane, but I couldn’t.

Easing over to him words escaped me, but I kept going anyway!

What do you say to someone who has just left his home submerged in flood waters over 300 miles away?

As I attempted to express my sympathy I told him that the word ‘sorry’ just didn’t feel strong enough.

What are the words for a situation like this? I couldn’t find them!

Told him that my heart went out to him. Confessed that I had been watching him working with his papers.

He seemed eager to talk. He quietly told me some of the details of his ordeal, shaking his head frequently.

His legs were bruised and gashed

They had lived in the City Park Neighborhood. Found a picture of this area on the web. It is attached.

When the levee broke, he had waded in water up to his neck collecting what he could of his “pre-Katrina” life.

He then gathered his family and they left New Orleans. I have no idea where they went after they left the city, but they wasted no time leaving Louisiana.

As I left for my flight I noticed that his wife was in a wheelchair. His children and grandchildren were eager to go to their Houston hotel for some rest.

This man’s Hurricane Katrina story is not one of living in the horror that was the Superdome with 30,000 strangers, corpses and no food or fresh water.

His story is in no way related to the destitution we now see on TV with looting, snipers and pleas for help.

At the same time, this man’s life has changed forever. The papers drying on that bench represent his past, his pride, his life and their importance tells me they will play a part in his future.

I hope it is bright and that he finds joy and happiness.

On September 6th, 2005 my business travels will take me to Missoula, Montana.

I want to take pictures of cloud formations, trees and mountains.

Copyright 2005 - Deb Penning

Neat idea supporting the freedom of expression, you know, the First Amendment of the United States of America Constitution. The one which says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." That’s the one.

I’m not much on public doodling, or expression, or maybe I am? After all, what’s a blog all about? Kind of public, don’t ya think? Well, I do support anyone’s public doodling or expression and this is one very creative way to support a free expression of ideas by the community.

Check out this site: Masters of Deception
The movies of artists such as M.C. Escher either discussing their work or showing their work are spellbinding to me. My favorite ones are the pile of forks, and spoons which project a shadow of a motorcycle, but look nothing like it without the shadow, and the drawing which looks like a lot of nothing, but when a mirrored cylinder is placed in a particular spot, it shows a portrait of M.C.Escher in the reflection of the print. 

Courtesy of Kevin Kelly’s Cool Tools site.

MattCarrieDadNickMaryAnn1970

I look really interested in this photo. Just look at the look of intense envolvement on my face, even at age 16. Carrie is playing Indian, Nick is looking Nick-like and Mary Ann is saying “I married into this family?” Dad is just happy that everyone is healthy and not fighting!

A blast from my past

Herald & Review Newspaper Website - Decatur, Illinois

mattp9

Originally uploaded by Mattp9.

Matt Penning

How to build your own HDTV PVR - MythTV

Want to control your TV viewing? Don’t want to let TV Broadcasters prevent you from fast forwarding through commercials? Do ya?

Take control of your viewing habits (or just read -a great alternative, by the way). Build your own PVR and watch when you want and how you want.

This is a very detailed method of building your own PC based PRV. Not for the faint of heart, but very do-able.

Rasterbator is a neat tool.

Online and there’s a download also.

Browse the cool pictures which folks have blown up!

This site is a great place to keep your bookmarked web sites.

Sign up, and start linking.

It’s fascinating to see what you have in common with other folks in the webverse.

Using tags, you can see what other’s have linked to with that same tag.

“Wikipedia is a Web-based free content encyclopedia designed to be read and edited by anyone, with editions of varying sizes in 190 languages. 16,000 registered users collaboratively edit and maintain the English edition Wikipedia, which has allowed it in less than four years of operation to become the world’s largest encyclopedia, containing 460,000 articles (growing 3000 per day) and 77 million words. In all language editions combined, Wikipedia contains over 1.3 million articles.” (From the website)

I love this site. Check it out if you want to inform yourself!

Recipes at Food Down Under Recipe Database

I got this from my brother Larry - the gourmand of my siblings. I had sent him a link to a new site: Wikipes.com which is a fledgling database of recipes. He replied “I tried the site with “runzas” and “risotto” and got zip.” and gave me the Food Down Under site, which is his current favorite recipe site. He thinks they have over 260000 recipes. That’s a lifetime without repeating! Enjoy.

Do You Want to Live Forever? is the title of an in-depth article in Technology Review on a subject I find fascinating.

This fellow is worth keeping track of if you want to live many productive years.

Quality of life is utmost important to me, but that being said, my perception of that quality has changed as I’ve grown older.

How would my days be filled as a 120 year-old?

Perhaps I’ll find out!

The Human Clock

Woah!

I love this clock. Something new all the time.

Courtesy of Boing Boing

Self-Portrait of My Karen and I at Hilton Head. We forgot to bring a
tripod (remedied later at Walmart), and I just propped up the lens on
my trusty Olympus 2100 UZ with Karen’s book. Viola! A self-portrait of
the two of us at Hilton Head.

StuffBak

I love this idea. I’m getting one for my new Treo 650 (when I get it).

Great for those items which are easily lost.

Apple’s Give Page shows links to organizations which are helping those affected by the Indian Ocean Tsunami. Give if you can. Pray. Weep. Hug the ones you love, life is precious and fragile. - Matt

Merry Christmas From Matt, Karen, Chris & Jennie

Check this monument to excess capital!

Samsung is building this thing in Dubai for the locals.

One Half a Mile High.

Imagine the elevator ride and the view from the top.

Imagine swaying in the wind.

Hard to imagine.

Looks a bit like the Frank Lloyd Wright Mile High Building intended for Chicago which was never built.

This letter to the Linux community from the vice-president of engineering for Palmsource took me entirely by surprise.

I can read the tealeaves here and imagine countless innovating ways that Linux developers could put the best of Linux and the best of the Palm OS together which would lead to extremely stable and endlessly variable intellegent devices.

Translated: This could mean my Palm applications could run on almost any computer; desktop, laptop, cell-phone, watch (who needs one when the cell has the atomic-syncronized time?), television (don’t laugh - there’s a might big movement to converge PC and TV already happening), ad infinitum.

I love my Palm. I read all my books on it. It’s my preferred method of reading books. I syncronize my calendar, to-dos and contact list with my business computer. Lot’s of other uses.

The Treo 650 is my next Palm device. One device for Cell, organizer and for the most of my needs, a laptop replacement. See this article for a short list of the wonders one can do with a Treo device.

What’s not to like except the price ($600 without cell company subsidies)?

The point of this article that caught me by surprise is that “The average speed on Los Angeles freeways has dropped to 32 mph from 45 mph in 1984. By 2020, this is projected to drop to 24 mph.”

Woah! Big-time Woah!

I’m glad I live in a mid-sized Midwest city and not LA.

A lot of people “Love LA” but do they love the Urban Crawl?

I’ll take the cultural deprivation (What deprivation - I have a window on the World right here!) over the smog, population density and the commute.

Eek!

A Great and Inexpensive Pocket Light

I love this pocket light. I use them as gifts for family and friends. An easy thing to carry on a coat zipper or keyring and worth while to have when light is needed.

This website has a bunch of great gadgets, if you like that kind of thing like I do.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is dedicated to protecting our digital rights. I support their efforts, take a moment to learn what they do, and maybe you’ll appreciate their support of individual freedoms in the electronic world.

The Electoral College Predictor is an interesting page to check out in these last few days before the election of the new President of the United States of America. Polls taken are translated to potential electoral college votes. Back and forth, the daily polls change the totals.

Very interesting.

Treonauts.com is a good information site for my next phone which will double as a PDA. I have been lusting longingly for the current Treo 600 since before it came out.

Now that it looks like the new model will be out soon, I’m going to take advantage of Sprint’s 18 month rebate ($150 every 18 months for a new phone) and plan on getting this bad boy in my pocket for Christmas.

One device. PDA, Cell phone, Email, Web surfing, eBook reader, MP3 player, camera, photo album, etc. I will be in geek heaven.

Let’s hope I don’t drop it!

SPC Autumn Grimsley’s September 2004 Letter Home

No matter how you feel about the War in Iraq, there are real people on both sides.

SPC. Autumn Grimsley, whose link I show on the right of this page, is one of those real people.

Autumn is just trying to do her job, in a very difficult environment.

Take a moment to read up on her latest letter home. It’s worth your time.

Green Car Congress site looks like an informative site on emerging technologies in automotive efficient designs.

I love the Toyota approach with their Hybrid electric-gas system found on their Prius cars. Soon to be found in the Highlander and a super fast sports car.

Maybe my next car will get 70 MPG. Wouldn’t that be nice.

bookofjoe is a wonderful site.

A beautiful minimalist design where words have time to soak in.

Joe is the “world’s only blogging anesthesiologist.”

His observations have captivated me for a while.

Give bookofjoe a whirl.

You just might be captivated too.

This is a awe-inspiring picture of the Earth as viewed from Space at night. Courtesy of NASA.

Scramjets integrate air and space - The Industrial Physicist

I’ve always been fascinated by Space and Speed.

Check out this article on Scramjets, which might be whisking you to far places in the next 6 years.

I hope to get a ride on one of these! What a thrill!!!

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Check out Robert X. Cringley’s column of last week.

One in 12 African-Americans are behind bars .

Over 2 Million Americans behind bars.

Why has the prison population grown at a much faster rate than the whole population over the past 20 years?

Read on for one person’s thoughts on the subject.

Deterrence or Punishment, which works better to reduce crime?

Before heading to your local pharmacy or grocery store in search of a solution to those sore muscles, or stuffy nose, or even a urinary tract infection, try this site for some of the remedies using items found in your home.

Elmer’s glue to remove a splinter?

Formula 409 as an insect spray?

Preparation H for puffy eyes!!!!????

Check it out

Computergeeks is a great place to find new and refurbished or used computer equipment. I’ve purchased a laptop for my wife from them and many other items to my total satisfaction. Give them a try if you want to save some money.

Skype is a great way to keep in touch for less. Download the software, put on your headset, plug into your computer and you can talk from one Skype-connected computer to another for free. Yes, I said Free. If you want to call a regular phone or a cell phone, you can upload your Skype account with money and call out for about 2 cents per minute. I got interested for my son and his friends at various colleges. Keeps down the cell bills. Self preservation on my part. I love it myself! Give it a whirl.

Remember Alvin and the Chipmunks? Take a bizarre walk down memory lane and listen to this slowed-down version of the Chipmunk song. Woah! Alvin, your voice has changed!

Props to site for the fun!

Wow! What a fun ride this looks like.

Here’s an interesting site that helps get people signed up for voting. Fark The Vote is a great site which gives a ton of information on how to register to vote. Send this link to someone who isn’t registered to vote yet. Every vote counts, as we found out four years ago. I don’t care who you vote for, but I do care that you do vote! Flex your freedom this November. Vote.

I came across this site while reading one of my science links. I agree with this fellow. Living until I’m 1100 may not be possible for me, but perhaps my future grandchild. Take time to at least read the lecture. Not a whacko folks. This is real research happening now. - Matt

Kurt Wenner is an artist like no other which I have come across. His most famous work washes away with the rain. The picture above is one from his site. It was painted with chalks - which Mr. Wenner creates himself - on a sidewalk in Santa Barbara, California. Don’t go looking for it. It’s long gone. Washed away by the elements. Spend a minute or two looking at the fabulous creations of this immensely talented artist.

Last evening, Karen and I attended a fundraiser for the St. John’s Hospital Fund for Nursing Excellence. The last of this season’s Toast of the Town party was held at the Illinois Governor’s Mansion. The highlight of the evening was a dance demonstration - complete with musical consort - by the Central Illinois English Country Dancers which gave a demonstration of dances from colonial times. Instead of sitting and enjoying it, the whole audience - including Karen and I - were cajoled into joining in the dancing! I had fun and learned a couple of things. If you get a chance to see these folks, do go, it’s sure to be a fun time. Even though I was on my two left feet, I was welcomed and helped along the way to keep the dance going. A good way to work off the delicious dinner too!

My brother Dennis sent me an email with pictures of this tractor-trailer rig which has a tribute to those killed on 9/11/01. Lest we forget.

This is a great speech given by Cory Doctorow of the Electronic Freedom Foundation and science fiction writer, to Microsoft’s Research Group. It really explains why DRM is bad for invention and innovation. I was fascinated and educated. - Matt

MoMA Online Store Looking for that just right gift for someone? I always try to find unique gifts, it says “I spent time and thought to find this for you!” Try the Museum of Modern Art online store. Many items which dazzle the eye and delight the receiver. - Mat

I love this son of mine! He is a delight to know and to cherish. God Bless him every day of his life. Hugs forever - Dad

Via Timothy McSweeney’s wonderful website, you can read of the above topic and literally (and that word has real meaning here) hundreds of published writings. Some delight, some enrage, some engage, some are humorous, some are touching and tragic. The one’s I’ve read so far are not ordinary, and that is a gem in this universe of verse. - I found this through BoingBoing Always full of interesting items. - Matt

Found this today via Boing Boing - another interesting site to visit. It’s a piece from a freelance journalist currently on assignment for NBC, Kevin Sites, on the effect of War on those of our troops in the front lines. The site, Kevin Sites Blog , is his own ” Dispatches from a life in conflict.”

Derek Ellyson says his memories have already hardened, fixed in his mind. “You never forget the faces. I can describe to you every dead person I’ve seen out here. What their faces looked like, the position they were laying in.”

Sorokin agrees, “War brings a lot of ugly things, you see a lot of ugly things you see other people dead and sometimes when you see somebody dead you see the face of death–the way the guy died. It could be an enemy it could be an ally it doesn’t matter.”

Yet living with those images of death is part of the job–the same one that requires them to pull the trigger. Before going to war soldiers have always had to ask themselves if they’d be willing to die for their cause. But there is a second part to that question which for some, is more difficult to answer: would they kill for it?

For most if not all in the 3rd Platoon–the question is already moot.

If you’re looking for the lowest local prices on that next trip to the gas station, check out Gasbuddy and search by zip code. When I checked it out today, there were prices up from this afternoon! - Matt

This is the daughter of a co-worker. She’s spending a year - or more - in Iraq as a member of a National Guard unit. SPC Autumn Grimsley has become like a member of my family as I’ve helped her chronicle her tour in pictures, and text on my website. Take a moment to see our front-line troops and how they live and serve in Iraq. - Matt

Wow! He’s gone and done it! My brother Nick is now up on the web. His new website - Penning Thoughts is up and running. He’s always a good read. Congratulations Bro! - Matt

I’m currently going to start my 4th 12 week session going through the Pathway Journals of The Solution. Working through the Solution Kits with a local Solutions counselor has changed my life. I look forward to continuing my journey to find my sweetest fruit: integration and being able to handle life’s ups and downs with grace and compassion, becoming responsible for my Health & Happiness. Sounds like drivel, but believe me, it works. Click on the above link to find out more. - Matt

I love this site: The Refdesk - For all the reference sites anyone would need. - Matt

Try Freshnews.org

I enjoy this site to get the latest information on all things flashlight-like. Anything that emits a photon is here - Matt

Candlepower forums

Howdy to all who read this. This is my first post to this web log - or blog of mine.

Here’s a picture of my bride and I on the beach at Kauai for our 25th wedding anniversary last October