Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)

It isn't fair to hold other people more accountable than I hold myself. (Larsen and Hegarty, Believing in Myself, 6 April)

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I'm about ready to extract the internal cascading style sheet (CSS) I'm working on from the HTML of my test page. The next steps will be to upload the CSS to the genealogy website and then write some HTML code to test it.

I'm reading about how to use CSS to print a web page without all of the graphics and formatting seen on the screen. That's another interesting project to work on. There's always something to learn, if one is up for the challenge.

Mr. Dickie
30/Apr/2011 7:34

Horizontal Rules in Color

Obstinacy and heat in sticking to one's opinions is the surest proof of stupidity. Is there anything so cock-sure, so immovable, so disdainful, so contemplative, so solemn and serious as an ass? (Michel de Montaigne in The Book Of Choices by Mike Magee, M.D., p. 231)

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I spent two or three days trying to understand how to draw horizontal rules in red, blue and black using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). Right now I have at least a half dozen books available from my own collection and the library. None of them described how to do this. I also tried looking at some of the sample code available online. Most of the examples were quite complicated and the ones I tried didn't work. This morning I finally succeeded. I used information from two different sections of a book by Elizabeth Castro. She didn't actually illustrate how to do it.

Here's the Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) Code.

p {color: black}
p.hr {border-top: 5px; border-style: solid; padding: 0px;}
p#black {color:black}
p#red {color:red}
p#blue {color:blue}

Here's the HTML Code (enclose each line in <>)

p class="hr" id="red"
p class="hr" id="black"
p class="hr" id="blue"

Mr. Dickie
29/Apr/2011 9:37

Knowledge and Wisdom

Knowledge is proud that he has learned so much; wisdom is humble that he knows no more. (William Cowper in Chapter-By-Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren W. Wiersbe, p. 297)

Anyone who stops learning is old whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young. (Henry Ford in The Book Of Choices by Mike Magee, M.D., p. 236)

The proud man has a mirror in which he sees himself; the humble man has a window through which he sees others. (Warren W. Wiersbe, Chapter-By-Chapter Bible Commentary, p. 275-76)

What comes with age and wisdom is acceptance of our imperfections. (Karen Casey and Martha Vanceburg, The Promise Of A New Day, 1 April)

******

Yesterday I experimented with writing Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) rules for pre-formatted text. The idea was to control background color, text color, text-size, and font-family for text output by the Descend program I used for many years. I seem to be making progress. I got everything to work.

Mr. Dickie
28/Apr/2011 8:17

Unnecessary Baggage

... most people carry a large amount of unnecessary baggage, both mental and emotional throughout their lives. (Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth, p. 140)

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Melva and I went for a four-lap walk at Schrom Park yesterday afternoon. The temperature got up to 87 degrees, the hottest day of the year so far. Melva spotted a four-foot long black snake on the side of a tree about twenty feet from the trail.

I continued to work on my Cascading Style Sheet project. I finished installing the Table of Contents code and examples of all of the available graphics in my test page. Next I'll attempt to install font controls with some preformatted text.

Mr. Dickie
27/Apr/2011 8:39

Good Old Days

[On the voyage of life] ... one must have fixed points from which to take a bearing. (Selwyn Hughes, Every Day Light, Day 83)

The past can be a heavy burden we carry around in our minds. (after Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth, p. 139)

Yesterdays have no value except as experience, to be used in making today and the future more fruitful. (One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 13 April)

The good old days are often a combination of a bad memory and a good imagination. (Warren W. Wiersbe, Chapter-By-Chapter Bible Commentary, p. 293)

We are not only possessors of the present, we are also the trustees of the future. (after William Barclay, The Letters to Timothy, Titus and Philemon, p. 161)

******

Nothing to write home about today.

Mr. Dickie
26/Apr/2011 8:22

Awareness

There is a proper balance between not asking enough of oneself and asking or expecting too much. (May Sarton in The Book Of Choices by Mike Magee, M.D., p. 187)

And true humility comes when we face ourselves and see our weakness, our selfishness, our failures in work and in personal relationships and in achievement. (William Barclay, The Letters to the Ephesians, p. 136)

Awareness is the greatest agent for change. (Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth, p. 99)
25/Apr/2011 7:49

Too Much Information (TMI)

We're drowning in information and starving for knowledge.
(Rutherford D. Rogers in The Book Of Choices by Mike Magee, M.D., p. 230)
24/Apr/2011 8:22

Silence

"I have learned silence from the talkative; tolerance from the intolerant and kindness from the unkind. I should not be ungrateful to those teachers." (Kahlil Gibran in Sand and Foam found in One Day At A Time in Al-Anon, 27 March)

Silence sometimes is louder than speech. Know when to speak and when to be silent. (Warren W. Wiersbe, Chapter-By-Chapter Bible Commentary, p. 333)

Occasionally refrain from expressing your opinion when someone else is expressing his, and see what that feels like. (after Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth, p. 217)

What makes you think, if I ask for your opinion, that I'll listen to it? (Richard E. Henthorn, 16 March 2011)

We need a reason to speak, but none to keep silent. (Pierre Nicole in The Book Of Choices by Mike Magee, M.D., p. 101)
23/Apr/2011 17:37

Hard Drive Salvage Project

Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there. (Will Rogers in The Book Of Choices by Mike Magee, M.D., p. 146)

If you really do put a small value upon yourself, rest assured the world will not raise your price. (Anonymous in The Book Of Choices by Mike Magee, M.D., p. 1138

When I am focused on what I am for, rather than what I am against, I am empowered. (Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, Real Magic, p. 315)

Today, I will take one concrete action to further one of my goals. (after Eric V. Copage, Black Pearls, 5 March)

******

Yesterday I didn't post to any of my blogs. I'm also behind in my daily reading.

Eileen, my longtime genealogy friend from England, friended me yesterday on Facebook. We had a nice long chat which brought back fond memories of the many chats we used to have on AOL. I also made friends with Larry, a boyhood friend from our days in Bellevue, Nebraska.

I went to the computer club meeting. Dan Lee gave a very nice presentation about how he removed the hard drive from my old Dell laptop and got it working with his adapter kit and the Senior Center's laptop. This was a demonstration the club had attempted earlier. This time everything worked. At the end of the talk I opened a folder with a genealogy report I created with Ancestral Author. Dan had prepared some photos that he used during the talk. I thought it went well.

Mr. Dickie
22/Apr/2011 8:00

Life Has To Be Lived

It probably takes an idiot or a saint to be consistently positive in this world of cynicism, cruelty, and corruption. (Casey and Vanceburg, The Promise of a New Day, 4 April)

Life has to be lived - that's all there is to it. At seventy, I would say the advantage is that you take life more calmly. You know that 'this too shall pass!' (Eleanor Roosevelt in The Book Of Choices by Mike Magee, M.D., p. 81)

******

I checked out ten CDs from the Crofton library. Then I bought eleven more CDs during the last week. Now I have so much music on hand I'm having trouble listening to all of it. I'm in music heaven.

Yesterday I made some progress learning about how to use Cascading Style Sheets to layer what the webpage viewer sees on the screen. Often the books and online samples I'm reading seem to leave a lot to be desired. I suppose they are assuming I know something that I don't. I want to tile a background, then add a logo, table of contents buttons, regular text and italic text. Now I'm working on placing the various elements on the webpage.

Mr. Dickie
20/Apr/2011 8:03

I Could Have, I Should Have

There are those who would mis-teach us that to stick in a rut is consistency - and a virtue, and that to climb out of the rut is inconsistency and a vice. (Mark Twain, The Book Of Choices by Mike Magee, M.D., p. 76)

Far better to have tried than ever hear your lips repeat, "I could have, I should have." (Mike Magee, M.D., The Book of Choices, p. 224)

Do some of our toxic thoughts and behaviors not have a poisonous effect on ourselves and the people around us? (Larsen and Hegarty, Believing in Myself, 14 April)
19/Apr/2011 9:17

Education

As I grow older, part of my emotional survival plan must be to actively seek inspiration instead of passively waiting for it to find me. (Bebe Moore Campbell in Black Pearls by Eric V. Copage, 17 September)

Learning is forever in my control. The decision is personal and perhaps must be made each day anew. The choice is mine. (Casey and Vanceburg, The Promise Of A New Day, 25 March)

If you think education is expensive - try ignorance. (Derek Bok in The Book Of Choices by Mike Magee, M.D., p. 230)

******

Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who was impacted by the severe weather this weekend. These events are a constant reminder of how dangerous life on this planet can be. Also in our thoughts and prayers are family and friends who are dealing with serious illness in their own life or the lives of their loved ones. Which reminds all of us that each day of good health is a blessing, not to be taken lightly.

We are also grateful to the company that offered a job to our nephew who has been looking for work for quite a while. We are praying for friends and family who are looking for work. Don't give up! Remain engaged in the process. Don't take "no" for an answer, call back, write again, drop in. Network, tell other people you are looking for work, give them a copy of your resume. Maybe they will pass it on to someone at the place where they work. I once got a job because I stood at the front of the Greyhound shuttle from Laurel, MD to Washington, DC and told everyone I was looking for work.

I'm interested in relearning what little I knew about Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). I can't find the CSS I created years ago. I suppose it is on the hard drive of the laptop computer that stopped working. Rather than fret about it, I'll start over and create another style sheet. I have one book I like which has several good chapters on the topic. There's also lots of good information online. This morning I've been looking at the library catalog to see what's available. Many of their books on HTML and CSS are checked out. There seems to be lots of interest in the subject. Creating a style sheet for the genealogy society website could be a big help when we want to create a new page.

I'm having a hard time keeping up my plan for daily reading. In recent weeks I have been struggling to read from each book every day. Once I get behind I have a difficult time getting caught back up.

Over the weekend I bought three new CDs. I don't purchase new CDs very often. I bought one at the Bluegrass show in Virginia and two at Target yesterday. I got Wayne Taylor, Alison Krauss and K.D. Lang. The CDs by the ladies received nice reviews in the newspaper. This morning I remembered to do my weekly download of three free MP3 files from the county library system. I selected three songs from a guitar album by Los Indios Tabajaras.

Mr. Dickie
18/Apr/2011 9:13

DC Bluegrass Union Show

There is always room for knowledge, for each of us harbors ignorance of some sort which knowledge could displace. Always be at peace with the words, "I do not know." Holding fast to ignorance is proof of stupidity... (Mike Magee, The Book Of Choices, p. 228)

The best learners want the knowledge badly, need it, and pursue it with deliberate yearning. (Mike Magee, The Book Of Choices, p. 193)

******

The DC Bluegrass Union show yesterday left something to be desired. The tickets I printed out stated that cameras and recording devices weren't allowed. They didn't enforce this rule. The day was quite rainy with cool temperatures. When the show started the air conditioning vents in the ceiling of the auditorium were blowing cold air down on everyone's head. I enjoyed listening to the two sets performed by Wayne Taylor. I was somewhat disappointed that he sang several songs from the latest CD in both sets. The sound crew wasn't very good. Apparently they didn't have communication between the stage crew and the folks manning the sound board. This resulted in lots of problems which culminated in a very long set-up time for the next-to-last band. This was followed by more attempts by the band members to get the monitors adjusted after the first or second song. At that point I bailed. Cyndi called me right after I went out to the hallway. She came to pick me up about twenty minutes later and we started for home early. I'd think twice before attending this event again if they are able to pull it off for a third time.

Mr. Dickie
17/Apr/2011 9:00

Negativity

Unhappiness or negativity is a disease on our planet. (Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth, p. 213)

Our society allows people to be absolutely neurotic and totally out of touch with their feelings and everyone else's feelings, and yet be very respectable. (Ntozake Shange in Black Pearls by Eric V. Copage, 5 April)

A person can freely choose to become so dependent on drugs or alcohol, so bound to a certain habit that he can no longer freely choose whether to give it up or not. (Harold Kushner, To Life)

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I've been looking forward to this day for a couple of months. For the first time in a long time I am going to attend a Bluegrass concert. Cyndi bought us two tickets for nine-hour show at Langley High School in McLean, VA. Rain and bad weather is predicted but it shouldn't make any difference since the performance will be inside.

Mr. Dickie
16/Apr/2011 8:30

Monuments

Simply wishing it does not make it so.
(The Upper Room Disciplines - 2008, 27 March)

Make no impulsive decisions about significant matters. (Warren W. Wiersbe, Chapter-By-Chapter Bible Commentary, p. 178)

Are you leaving behind monuments to victory or to defeat? (Warren W. Wiersbe, Chapter-By-Chapter Bible Commentary, p. 180)

******

I've started a project to review what I know about creating and using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). I recall that I created one for use with my AOL genealogy website near the end of the time AOL was making that space available. So far I haven't been able to find the CSS that I created.

I'm also reading about how Pay Pal can be installed on a website. The genealogy society would like to be able to sell their publications from their website. It doesn't look too complicated. It's my intention to let the other webmaster work on this project.

Yesterday I went for a sixty-five minute walk at Schrom Park. I walked five laps in that time. It was a perfect day for walking. I enjoyed listening to Diana Krall on my Oasis while I was walking.

Mr. Dickie
15/Apr/2011 8:42

In My Opinion

If a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do. Think up something appropriate and do it. (Edgar Watson Howe in The Book Of Choices by Mike Magee, M.D., p. 146)

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I spent a good deal of time yesterday working on my project to seize control of the management of our money from banks that are no longer serving our best interests. It's shocking how much time I'm spending on these projects. I'm trying to keep in mind that the effort will reap long-term benefits.

All of the contradictory talk coming out of Washington continues to be very upsetting. It's becoming more and more evident that our failure to insist that the members of Congress and the Administration carry out the duties they were elected to perform is now coming home to roost.

In my opinion it's time to:

• provide affordable health care to everyone,
• more tightly regulate health care, banking, real estate and stock market business,
• revamp tax law,
• install term limits,
• eliminate earmarks,
• give the President the line-item veto
• insist that no wars be started unless debated and approved in Congress.

As I once asked my immediate supervisor, "Do you know when Hell will freeze over?"

Mr. Dickie
14/Apr/2011 7:59

Truth and Lies

The bold take action in words as well as deeds. They say what others think, disrupting, disturbing, not out of harm or by intention but by simply telling the truth. (Mike Magee M.D., The Book Of Choices, p. 232)

... truth is not only something which a man accepts with his mind, but is also something which he translates into action in his life. (William Barclay, The Letters to Timothy, p. 36)

Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant: they too have their story. (Max Ehrmann in The Book Of Choices by Mike Magee, M.D., p. 189)
13/Apr/2011 7:50

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I didn't post anything to my Google blogs yesterday.

It Goes On

In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life, "It goes on." (Robert Frost in The Book Of Choices by Mike Magee, M.D., p. 207)

If you don't want anyone to know it, don't do it. (Chinese proverb in The Book of Choices by Mike Magee, M.D., p. 216)

Today recall some of the people who have profoundly influenced your life. (Helen Steiner Rice, From The Heart, 7 April)

******

Melva worked in her garden yesterday. She was planting the canas which have been in the house in buckets all winter long. This morning I spent nearly one hour in the basement watering all of the plants. I'm trying to develop the habit of watering everything heavily on Monday.

Mr. Dickie
11/Apr/2011 8:55

Success

It is nonsense to say there is not enough time to be fully informed... Time given to thought is the greatest timesaver of all. (Norman Cousins in The Book Of Choices by Mike Magee, M.D., p. 195)

It takes twenty years to become an overnight success. (Eddie Cantor in Believing In Myself, Larsen & Hegarty, 19 March)

But success stories are full of tales of rejection slips and bankruptcies and years of unrecognized work and thwarted ambition. (Eric V. Cogape, Black Pearls, 19 March)

******

Yesterday I went for a nice five-lap walk at Schrom Park. I usually walk four laps.

I received additional photos of the computer classroom ribbon cutting from Vic. I added them to my Picasa photo album. which instantly made them available on the club's website. Vic also shared photos he took during Eric's recent talk on file shredders. I created another album for this photos. Then I installed a running slideshow of the photos on the club's Meetings webpage. Thanks Vic, for sharing.

During the evening I watched two very nice music shows. There was a tribute to George Strait on GAC channel. He was named Country Entertainer of the Decade by some group. The guest performers sang many of his songs. Later, on MPT our Maryland PBS station, I watched a show about the Troubador nightclub. There were many interview clips and lots of music clips. In particular they focused on James Taylor and Carole King.

This morning I'm listening to the PBS radio classical station. I have one of those radios that straps to the upper arm. This is cool because it allows freedom of movement. I often listen to music and television while wearing headphones. That way I don't disturb anyone else with what I'm listening to or with the volume I need.

I used to spend quite a bit of money purchasing plastic floor mats to use under the chair I sit in while at the computer. It wasn't take long before the material would become brittle and break. I finally solved the problem at the thrift store. I bought a piece of floor paneling that looks like wood on one side. It was just the right side for placing in front of the table where I have the computer. Now I can move the chair in any direction without resistance. I'm still asking myself, "Why didn't you think of this years ago?"

Mr. Dickie
10/Apr/2011 9:18

Nothing To Celebrate

You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm. (Colette in The Book Of Choices, by Mike Magee, M.D., p. 201)

Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experience. (Ralph Waldo Emerson in The Book Of Choices, by Mike Magee, M.D., p. 233)

Unease, restlessness, boredom, anxiety, dissatisfaction, are the result of unfulfilled wanting. (Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth, p. 47)

When I open a book, I try to approach it with a willingness to grow and change in the process of reading it. I always hope that by the time I finish reading it, I have become a better person, even if I don't remember all I read, I can always go back and browse through my notes and remember the lessons I learned. (Leticia A. Guardiola-Saenz in The Upper Room Disciplines - 2003, p.11)

******

This morning I'm listening to Brooks and Dunn on my Oasis player while the rest of the family catches up on sleep.

Yesterday I uploaded the modified Publications page to the MCC of OGS website. The most significant change I made to the page was to add a Table of Contents and Table of Contents buttons that will facilitate movement on the page. In the course of this project I learned more about how MS Word creates webpages. My next project will be review of the Letters page. It's also a good candidate for the installation of a Table of Contents.

In the course of studying how MS Word works I discovered that I have a copy of the MS Word Art program on my old computer. It might be fun to learn how this program works. There's always something to learn, if I am willing.

There's nothing to celebrate this morning. Last night the House of Representatives failed again to approve the budget for the current year even though we are now more than six months into the fiscal year. At midnight, just before the government would have been compelled to shutdown, they passed another continuing resolution which will keep the country operating until sometime next Thursday. The Republicans, and their Tea Party members, claim this domestic terroism happened because both sides can't agree on money issues. This is a blatant lie. All major money issues were decided some time ago with the Democrats agreeing to cut the budget by thirty-nine billion dollars. At the end of the day they were debating whether to stop or reduce funding to Planned Parenthood and the EPA. They'd already attacked NPR and stripped them of their funding. The truth of the matter is that the entire country is being held hostage by the new Tea Party members of the House of Representatives who certainly don't speak for the majority of the American people. Sometimes when you get your wish, "you get more than you bargained for." Enough is Enough!

Mr. Dickie
9/Apr/2011 7:56

Living On Purpose

Knowing and living out our purposes has a powerful, transforming effect upon our lives. (Larry Ousely in The Upper Room Disciplines - 2003, 12 February)

People in pain think that their suffering is worse than anybody else's, so do not argue with them. (Warren W. Wiersbe, Chapter-By-Chapter Bible Commentary, p. 287)

When a man takes the wrong way, his first instinct is to find justifications and excuses for himself. (William Barclay, The Letters to Timothy, Titus and Philemon, p. 61)

Opinions are worth fighting for, but not at the cost of another's right to state an opposing point of view. (Mike Magee, M.D., The Book of Choices, p. 107)

******

I am still trying to understand how MS Word creates webpages. This morning I realized that all of the graphics in a particular webpage are saved in a folder that MS Word creates. This accounts for all of the folders on the MCC of OGS website that contain duplicate copies of the graphics used on the website. The graphics are given meaningless names such as, image001.gif. This works but I don't think it is a good idea. When it comes to website maintenance it's confusing to deal with so many folders containing the same file names. I still don't understand how the extra folder gets created on the website. I suppose the webmaster needs to create it and upload the graphics there. To me this is one more reason to avoid using MS Word to create a webpage. You lose too much control.

Today, I'm planning to upload the modified Publications page to the MCC of OGS website. I made many minor format edits and installed Home buttons at the top and bottom of the page and created a Table of Contents linked to the various sections and buttons to return to the Table of Contents

This morning I'm listening to Kenny G - I'm In The Mood For Love.

Mr. Dickie
8/Apr/2011 8:28

Enough is Enough

You're worried and troubled about everything,
Wondering and fearing what tomorrow will bring.
You long to tell someone, for you feel so alone,
But your friends are all burdened with cares of their own.
(Helen Steiner Rice, A Collection of Blessings, p. 125)

******

Last night I had the air conditioner set to operate. This morning it was so cold there was ice on the top of the minivan. I had to turn the furnace back on.

I'm ready to start a project to install a Table to Contents on the genealogy society "Publications" page. There are ten sections on the page. There's no Home button at the top of the page. I found a nice TOC button to use at the end of each section. There are many minor typesetting issues. I printed out and highlighted the problems on the page. I expect to spend several hours working on the project. I can use my "genmenu" page from my old website to guide me.

As of this morning there is still no budget agreement even though the Democrats have met or exceeded most of the budget cut demands of the Republicans. This work should have been accomplished more than 180 days ago. There is a very real possibility that the GOP will achieve what they seek, a shutdown of the government at the end of the week. They ought to be working on the budget for next year now. I'm advocating for a nation wide recall effort to remove all members of the House of Representatives. Enough is Enough!

Mr. Dickie
6/Apr/2011 8:01

Doers

Doers stand out not for the brilliance of what is done but for their courage in stepping into the unknown, in daring to lead and mark the way for others, who in seeing it done, might find the inner strength to take their first steps. (Mike Magee, M.D., The Book Of Choices, p. 144)

******

Yesterday I filled the 1Gb SD card I installed in my Oasis player. I have another 2Gb card ready to receive more music when I have time to work on music projects.

I worked on a project to edit the MCC website "Links" page yesterday. I added some category titles, checked and repaired the broken links, installed a "Home" button at the top and bottom of the page which fixed one that wasn't working, ordered the links under the new category titles, and removed one link that I couldn't fix. I'm planning to uploaded the modified page today.

Mr. Dickie
5/Apr/2011 9:01

Prophet

For peace of mind, resign from being the general manager of the universe. (Anthony de Mello in The Upper Room Disciplines - 2003, 11 February)

If you keep on saying things are going to be bad, you have a good chance of being a prophet. (Isaac Bashevis Singer, in the Book Of Choices by Mike Magee, M. D., p. 212)
4/Apr/2011 8:05

Memory

Memory opens wide the door on a happy day like this, and with a sweet nostalgia we longingly recall the happy days of long ago that seem the best of all ... (Helen Steiner Rice, A Collection of Blessings, p. 81) 3/Apr/2011 18:51

Generosity, Honesty, Trust

• Generosity without prudence is foolhardiness;
• Honesty without compassion is ruthlessness;
• Trust without discernment is masochism.

(Larsen and Hegarty, Believing in Myself, 15 February)
2/Apr/2011 13:14

Letdown

It is a hard but easily forgotten lesson that a goal completed is always followed by a letdown. The joy resides in the process. (Karen Casey and Martha Vanceburg, The Promise of a New Day, 22 March)

******

I started a review of the MCC of OGS webpages to determine if all of the links are working. Quite a few of them need work. Some pages don't have a "Home" button and some "Home buttons don't work. I tested one Email address to make sure it is still active.

I'm still waiting for the tax preparer to correct the error they made on our taxes. I'm miffed because I wrote about the problem on the worksheet and spoke about it during the interview. It's typical Washington, DC business service.

College classmate, Jim Rowe, called me from Renton, WA last night. We had a nice long talk.

Mr. Dickie
1/Apr/2011 7:41