WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN YOU ASK?

Life has been doing me in! Between reformatting my hard drive and being sick (fibromyalgia) I've been at home...lol

I do intend to contribute more regularly in the near future.

Thanks for being here.

Take care of yourself - I care.

FLICKR - Web Page to Store Your Pictures

If you don't have a web page or server where you can place your pictures to link to your blog - here's one that Evan Williams, who thought up blogger.com, uses called Flickr.

Bliss

You can upload your pics to it in a very simple manner, anyone can do it, share them with everyone or just friends or no one...it's up to you.

This is so kewl and easy! Check out the girl on the right - the picture is from another blogging page called Blogthings. Thanks Mini for the link!

I posted it right off my Flickr page...if you click on the girl or Bliss it will show all my pics (there's none yet) or you can surf around and look at other people's pics (that are marked public).

p.s. if you're having problems with it go here

All you amateurs - don't quit

A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit. Richard Bach

Official launch of Blissy's Blog to the world!

I have never posted this to anyone other than hubby before but I felt some of you might find it interesting . . . or NOT . . . LOL.

Blissy's Blog: Wednesday, February 11, 2004

Click on the link above to see how it all started - if you dare.

If you want to start your own blog - and believe me you only need to know how to type to do it! - see the link at the very top in the blue border - Get Your Own Blog. Notice Next Blog? You can randomly look through other people's using that link.

Some of these musings are FUNNY, some SILLY, some SERIOUS. There's a place you can leave comments as well (at the end of each day's entry - and don't be shy!). Also, you are free to email them to anyone you wish and they may make comments as well.

p.s. if you have a blog I'd love to see it and link your blog to mine, if you wish. Who knows, maybe BOTH of us will become published authors.

Spyware Page to Check Out for Help: CASTLE COPS.COM

Castle Cops

The link above is a very useful one for all kinds of problems: spyware, foistware, malware, viruses, trojans.

These volunteers will help you out or if you're brave enough (or stupid enough like myself)...lol...try and do it yourself!

Foistware, Malware, Spyware - No More!

O.K. I've had it with these browser hijackings, trojans, worms, viruses, popups, malware (malicious stuff you would never download yourself), and foistware (that's where it downloads automatically and you have no say - just like the government about your money when you pay your taxes and they spend billions on something like a study of fruit flies copulating in summer - another crime!).

This is a free country but unfortunately (or fortunately sometimes) the internet was never controlled originally and even if they had laws how the hell would they even enforce them? No way on earth they could.

Is it just me or what? I downloaded (as Microsoft recommends - it has a signed certificate etc. so you can trust it) Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP and it's apparently good for blocking popups and certain sheeeeeeeeet like I mention above.

I currently run Ad-ware & Spy Sweeper (both remove crap no one in their right mind wants running on their system) as well as the updated XP (SP2) that prevents popups etc. in the firewall it has attached to it.

Now, somehow these brilliant minds that create all this turmoil in my daily life, have figured out a way to bypass the programs and once removed they'll reinstall themselves again as the programs go to web sites you don't even see opening in your browser!

The fact that you don't see them opening is extremely friggin' frustrating so now I've resorted to using my Content Advisor within Internet Options (never felt the need before to block certain sites from being viewed but I see this as possibly one way of avoiding this predicament).

So I basically have to become smarter than the companies trying to get into my computer and figure out where I surf, what I search, what I buy, when I'm on my puter, and God knows what else they're able to acquire without MY permission.

Have you ever tried removing this stuff? Well I have and it used to be easy. Go to Symantec or some other techie page on puters and they give you step by step instructions. They even tell you how to edit your registry (that's the part of your system that actually runs everything kind of). I was brave enough to do the reg edit and remove the programs so they wouldn't come back. And I was able to really do it - I know some of you might find that intimidating but I love to learn.

Well they (brilliant minds who wish to rape our computers) have managed to make some pretty sophisticated software (as far as I'm concerned) so now there's P A G E S of instructions to get rid of this garbage. So don't be fooling around with your registry unless you are a computer geek as it can seriously make things worse. Always do a restore point or backup your registry before you attempt anything. Basically, don't try this at home kids!

I have spent ages (hours and hours) trying to get it out of my CPU (box that has the brain that runs the puter that lets you surf, im, chat, and all those wonderful things we love to do on the Net) then these vile programs manage to download themselves without my invitation again, for the upteenth time in a day.

Now you can just picture me at my desk tearing my hair out right? I'm losing hair as it is (is that a peri-menopausal symptom I wonder - that's another rant you'll want to read!

I can't afford to be trying to eliminate all this data collection they (brilliant minds that probably paid some 12 year old hacker to write these convoluted programs) are doing.

I have one program that was downloaded that calls itself "Home Page Protector". Sounds good right? You think it prevents these creeps from changing your home page as some web sites attempt to do.

Well what it can do for people who design, create and publish their pages on the Net are some really good things. Here's the blurb on their site describing how wonderful a program it is:

Why use Web Page Protector:

1. Encrypt and Protect everything within HTML web pages;

2. Prevent Web site plagiarism ;

3. Disable offline use ,disable web printing, and Save functions;

4. Prevent downloading of pictures, movies, files, texts, links or other data from your web site;

5. Prevent harmful Links, hide files and link address data;

6. you can bypass any web content Filter and "Fire Wall" and get more visitors to your site;

7. Stop junk mail and spam...

@ @* @**@ @* @** @*@ * *@ *@** @* @** @

This sounds great right? If you design web pages you want to keep things copyrighted and not let people steal your ideas (plagiarism) or your images.

Check out number 6 above - (also notice it's the only one that doesn't start with a capital letter in the description) to me this sounds like they're trying to disable my firewall and my Content Advisor. That's not playing fair.

I forgot to mention the MOST annoying thing all of these programs do - they take up all your CPU causing your computer to run slower than the original Commodores or Tandy somethingorothers (first home computers).

Well it's getting late and you're probably nodding off now reading this particular post (I know I am....lol). . They're not always so boring I assure you.

I need to get my butt into bed so ... beotch at ya later. Please comment if you're having these problems because I hate to think that "it's just me". lol

What on God's earth possessed us to have kids????

My daughter and I are fairly good friends. As much as the two of us can be & still adhere to the usually well calculated discipline & rules that hubby & I attempt to set out. As you know this is extremely difficult to manage in this day and age.

We're friends now - but she's only 11! I want to maintain that positive relationship - but not @ the expense of what is important in the job of parenting. I know she will benefit immensely if I maintain my ethics, rules & disciplinary style as she matures.

Guiding children is a challenge & thank God I have only one for if I were to have been blessed with more, I could never keep up with everything one needs to stay on top of - homework, keeping track of who her friends are, making sure she completes each chore as directed (that's a whole other topic) etc.  I'm sure she'll probably think I'm being a bitch but that's life.

I'm heading towards meno and she's almost at menstruation! OMG two women under the same roof that are totally hormonal and PMSing at various times and stages.

{Living with TWO loonie females will definitely be a challenge as well for hubby - for he's probably going through his own male meno...hehehehehe.}

** (Honey, when you read this - just remember I love u!) **

I figure the next 4-5 years will be the ultimate & major challenge of our guiding responsibilities as parents. After that, upon her driving debut and her increasing freedom she will hopefully make carefully considered choices. She is a child and I'm fully aware of how the teen years felt - to this day. Maybe not every issue as there are many more complicated situations than when I was a kid, however, enough to remember the really confusing things. Like boys.

Now this is a nightmare that I just can wait forever to be saddled with. Let me ask you dear readers who have children in their teens & pre-teen years or have raised same - what on God's earth possessed us to have kids????

Just kidding.

Martha, Martha, Martha

Click here for an update to my Martha Stewart comments

Why the heck would you willingly go to jail instead of appealing your sentence if you were innocent ...... I sure the hell wouldn't!

Martha says it's for the benefit of her company. I still wouldn't. She has enough money 10 times over to retire and have her entire family taken care of for life - what's up with her WANTING to go to jail now? Seems odd to me.

If I was found guilty of a crime I did not commit, they would have to drag me kicking and screaming to the heavens, into a jail cell - but not before I tried everything possible to exonerate myself. What do you think?

Is she guilty?

Tell me what you think about it - click on the comments tab below or email me at the envelope link.

O.K. So we know the "New Plan of Action" right?

Well it's another day in the city and it's September already.
Time flies when you're sick....and tired .... and sick and tired...

Fibromyalgia is not my friend - it was easier to be in pain and have the ability to do things than now - since I've started on Celebrex the pain is virtually non-existent unless I'm over tired. The downside? There is always one of those isn't there? I am so fatigued I can't do diddly.

O.K. So we know the "New Plan of Action" right? It's the same one that we take up every September (harking back to the first day of school I imagine) and the one we also adopt on New Year's Day. Well actually, I stopped trying to do the resolution thingy on New Year's - it never worked anyway.

Plan to get into shape, eat right and be perfect. There that outta do it for this year.

D'you think Martha Stewart is going to be taking emails in jail?

I sure could use some advice on just about every friggin thing known to man (or woman).

Been feeling rather perimenopausal lately

Been feeling rather perimenopausal lately - it's even worse than when you're pregnant and the fetus sucks the grey matter from your brain!

Now I'm just plain beotchy about everything - for example I know hubby doesn't like to go shopping and it's daughter's birthday so we need to actually buy something - at the end of the trip we're arguing. I don't want him to be irritated so I try and get the shopping done as soon as possible and he thinks that I'm rushing so that he can't buy what he wants! I just can't win anymore...

Now having looked into perimenopause over the past few years and finding it can last 10 friggin years - it's just another one of those things women have to put up with hormonally.

First you begin bleeding at about 11 or 12 usually (and most girls weren't told about it when I was young) and think that you're dying or something.

Then you get to enjoy the wonderful experience of it (your period) taking a few years to become "normal" and you end up soiling more white pants in high school than a whole school of judo students go through in a year.

Ah then you become "regular" and I must say, luckily I was pretty much so even after going off the pill - my periods could be guaranteed to be 28 days no more, no less. That was definitely a good period (no pun intended).

Then at 40 when they became as irregular as in my early teens it was the same thing - now I went through Super size tampons every half an hour and still leaked- soiling some pretty good underwear in the process!

Sometime in my 40's a gyno decided that I probably needed a D & C so I went through that exciting experience - never again!

Here I am approaching 50 (well I have about 2 1/2 more years to go) and I've become so beotchy and miserable I can't even stand myself - womanhood - 'oh what a feeling, what a rush'.

So if we calculate that I began peri-meno at about 40 when my body totally changed I only have another couple of years of being the hag from hell before I'm finally finished with it.

Then I get to look forward to more hair on my face, hot flashes, vaginal dryness and night sweats possibly - and here's the kicker ladies - even after 1 year of no periods and being officially "menopausal" - you can apparently still become pregnant- oh the wonders of nature!

I finally have what I'd always wanted - Yes!

For the first time in over 30 years I finally have what I'd always hoped to have:

- loving husband & terrific marriage; and
- a child I can love and guide through life.

Unbelievably what I wanted most is what most women want NOT to have these days - independence. It’s a lot more than that though as I had the independence and what I considered a ‘career’ although these days it wouldn’t be considered a career.

I left home at 18 and ventured out into the world. Almost pushed out of the nest actually. My father had always been very strict with me and on New Year’s Eve 3 months before my 19th birthday (legal age here in Canada) he’d given me a curfew of midnight.

Well let me tell you that at that time (1976) I had friends in high school that didn’t have such limitations – even then 28 years ago, most adolescents were given freedom – possibly too much but that’s another story!

From that time in 1976 to 1998 I was independent by supporting myself and trying to work through a multitude of family pressures, problems, feelings, and basically, growing up.

It took me longer than most of my peers I think because of dysfunctional issues in my life and the way I’d been brought up. I worked though it all and realized that my parents were doing the best they could. I forgave them for what I perceived as ‘abuse’ and in this day and age, it would be illegal to do what my father did. However, I love him very much and have a great relationship with him now. Both my parents live near us and are in good health – thank God.

Now I am able to be the parent I wanted MY parents to be. I have broken the cycle because I’m intelligent enough to change myself, which we all know is what needs to be done as we cannot change those around us.

I am now the woman that stays home and takes care of her family – a housewife!

Since 1998 when I stopped working fulltime I’ve been a ‘stay at home mom’ who found my passion (career wise) was creating web pages. I lost that passion along the way, due to various reasons – mostly related to my fibromyalgia.

Once again, I realize that I love to be creative in a computer type of occupation but have to balance everything else in my life and take things extremely slowly due to my health. It is frustrating at times to realize how aging and health can change a person. I look around at everyone in the world (people I know and celebrities, etc.) and realize – everyone was good looking in their youth!!

So here I am at a defining moment in my life (as Dr. Phil puts it) and I need to work towards my goals – long term.

It’s so hard to stay on track for me with regard to goals. My hubby and I had a particularly productive conversation with regard to our future recently. It felt great!

Now I feel really good about when my daughter comes home from school and I’m able to be there for her but you know I want to find that passion that will drive my life to become more financially enhanced.

I know that I can find that and through setting goals and making little steps for each goal that I will accomplish something in my life.

Knowing the course of action to take and following through on it to get to the final outcome have always been hard for me.

Just wanted to let hubby know that I love him very much and don't tell him enough

- I LOVE U....

Do you ever feel useless? I know how that can be!

I used to be someone who could be counted on constantly and worked full time from the age of 18 until moving to a smaller city to enter our daughter in Kindergarden at which time I became “retired” so to speak. You know of course that a housewife is never “retired”!

I learned how to build web pages and it gave me such joy. For once I was able to do something artistic as I could never draw or paint.

Recently I attempted to go back to work full time as our daughter is now in grade 5, however, I found I was unable to do it full time because of my fibromyalgia (sort of like having arthritis in your muscles). It’s very frustrating. I know, “woe is me”.

I went from being a civilian member of a large city police department with high level security clearance and responsibilities to a housewife.

I am attempting to get back into web site creation with the hope that I can do it part time at home.

Just getting past the fatigue is a struggle in itself.

I have a FABULOUS husband who toils away daily at a job he doesn’t particularly like, just to put food on our table. He also was saddled with a affliction in 2000 when a woman ran a red light and t-boned him. He now has a “post concussion migraine” which he’s had 24-7 since the accident in October that year. I honestly don’t know how he does it every day and I am so very proud of him for doing what he does daily.

So, now you’re probably not feeling that useless are you? Didn’t think so.

In this life we are all given challenges. Some people might say they are from God but I feel that it is just fate that has deemed our lives proceed in a certain manner. How we proceed is the real test of our courage for some people will give up to the easier way – drugs, alcohol, sexual addictions, etc. (believe me, I’ve been there too).

Proceed onward and hope for the best every day. One must remain positive and forge ahead through the quagmire that we are all saddled with.

Martha Stewart - never liked the woman.

Martha Stewart - never like the woman, in fact was jealous of her: perfect, smart, crafty and all the rest. Until she went through her divorce and all that has followed her since.

I have changed my opinion of her.

Now she's the scapegoat for all that is wrong in America, as well as the world -when it comes to women getting to the top!

I am so appalled at what is going on in the court system in America. As John Small says on his web site:

"How is it that OJ Simpson was found innocent of murder, and Martha Stewart was found guilty of lying about a crime she was not even charged with?"

 Martha Stewart could not be charged with insider trader so was found guilty, in fact, of charges including obstruction of justice when she apparently could have taken the 5th and avoided all the court bullshit and the jail time.

I do not personally believe in lying and she should have initially just said... "yes I made the stupid mistake of trying to falsify an email, I was dishonest but there was no insider trading motive behind it" or admit she was wrong.

In fact, if Martha Stewart had taken the stand in her own defense people would have probably liked her...I do now.

Martha Stewart has risen from which is apparently the "American Dream". She came from average means and has created a multi-billion dollar empire.

Women can admire what she has accomplished and for that Martha I now am 100% behind you and will be, for the first time as a matter of fact, purchasing your magazine to show my support.

In this life we are all given challenges. Some people might say they are from God but I feel that it is just fate that has deemed our lives proceed in a certain manner. How we proceed is the real test of our courage for some people will give up to the easier way – drugs, alcohol, sexual addictions, etc. (believe me, I’ve been there too).<

Proceed onward and hope for the best every day. One must remain positive and forge ahead through the quagmire that we are all saddled with.

My Andy Rooney Post

Another new day...spent the night listening to everyone in the house snoring and talking in their sleep...including the darn cat! I swear it'd be nice to be able to sleep properly. My fibromyalgia causes sleep disorders - sometimes I do nothing but sleep and then sometimes it causes insomnia.

My monitor frizzed out on me last week...not even 2 years old...they don't make things the way they used to .... never thought I'd hear myself saying that shit... after all when I grew up everyone over 30 was really old...they were known as born in the "olden age" so now it's me that's there...way over there as a matter of fact! LOL

I'd love to be able to do a post like Andy Rooney...you know the ones...

"Have you ever wondered why ..." etc.

Usually I can think of some pretty witty things but put fingers to keyboard and all of a sudden I become totally illiterate...is this what writers call "writer's block"?

Working on my very own web page the other day...have made some for other people but never for myself...talk about artist's block...it looks like a piece of crap! Why is that? Have you ever wondered why it's easier to do something creative when you're really in the mood?

Notice how when I write I never put "I was" in front of things? Just seems to shorten everything...you know...in emails when you want to say it quickly and get it off your desktop? and you say things like:

"wondering how you're doing" instead of "I was wondering how you're doing"

or

"hoping to hear from you soon" instead of "I'm hoping to hear from you soon"

as if those few letters here and there saves a lot of time in the overall writing of emails...

I bet if someone (one of those "they" type people) were to do some government sponsored study "they'd" find that you save .13 seconds per sentence or something or another by leaving out "I was" "I am" etc.

So much drivel...so much time to do it in...

(So) now (that) I've done one of those Andy Rooney type columns...(gotta love it...he and George Carlin sure know how to put all our thoughts into concise and expressive language!) I guess I'll go on with the mundane things in life like laundry, working on my non-expressive web page and complaining to my cat Patch ...he always listens!

What do people go on and on about anyway?

Well it's been a week now I think and damned if I can't think of anything to put here....what do people go on and on about anyway?

Sheeeesh...I'm a talented, intelligent, 40's something woman who thought she had a lot to "blog" about...now I'm finding that perhaps I don't want every little thing published on the web...mind you, I would like to be published...so I guess this is where one starts that.

Just did a search on Google...for b(itch)log...and I can't believe I didn't have an original idea...

Check out another b(itch) log called My Bitch Log http://mybitchlog.com (this blog no longer exists)


It just goes to show you...just like in those commercials about patents...I can't even have 1 idea that someone hasn't thought of yet.

Who needs a shrink if you have a Bitch Log

Quote: " ** WHO NEEDS A SHRINK IF YOU'VE

GOT A ** B (itch) LOG? ** "

After a sleepless night I was surfing the Web…hadn’t for eons…the above line attracted me to a blog yesterday.

Once I started surfing the Web and OMG no wonder “they” (those darn people who just know-it-all…or just quote stats for the heck of it . . . nothing is really news anymore is it? Isn’t it all made up?).

Wow . . . I'm diverging here . . . as I was saying

“They” estimate 5 million or so new web pages daily on the WWW…so there must be a sh*tload of blogs.

I guess the thing about a “blog” (does that mean B(itch)LOG or whaaaaaaatt?) is you shouldn’t edit it and that's hard for me. I like to make things "perfect" and so, slightly anal retentive I realize, it will be a challenge.

I did note that a lot of these blogs were people voicing their opinions and hence could it be that rather than "blog" meaning "weblog" the more appropriate term may be b(itch)log?

Well stay tuned and we'll see where this one goes.