In the 21st Century, United States Postal Service and Junk Mail
You know, the kind of junk mail we all receive day to day.
For instance: The Political mailers, Sales ads,Credit Cards  Apps..... and the like.
What I received was the be all that ends all for junk mail:









I am accustom to junk mail but a box from Scott...Hmm I wonder what is inside the box:






A free roll of toilet paper...not sure if this a comment on my daily life or the S!@# is going to hit the fan?!
What's the catch?
Is there a tracking device embedded in the roll, to measure how much you use or if you use it at all?
Are you placing the roll right-side up on the holder or upside down?
Is there a penalty if you choose the paper to hang down and touch the floor?
With the modern plumbing we have, who is NOT using Toilet Paper? (I know a few that chooses to use wash clothes, to save money and be green)
There are quite a few commercials entailing the special needs to each brand of toilet paper, I personally would not want to choose a toilet paper that is strong enough for a family of Bears to use....I am sure my time spent in the Toilet Room needs that strong enough paper...It is not like i am eating enough fiber that was a tree at one point.....
With all the kidding aside, I understand the marketing strategy " Purchase our Brand"
But really...shipping a roll of toilet paper to all in my zip code area.....
That is taking the crapper by hand and say" Our brand of toilet paper can handle your type of CRAP!

In the 21st Century, I am having troubles with the pronunciation of this word:






Yes, IMPROVISE.....Apparently I can not Improvise with the pronunciation of this word today.....

There seems to be a block in my brain pertaining to this word......I ask myself, WHY? and the resulting response is laughter from my brain...... Yes, my brain is laughing at me today....go ahead make fun of the fact
I can pronounce almost any word in the English Language but IMPROVISE!

I don't know if this is an early warning sign of Alzheimer's or I have a mental block.

I have sat here and listen to the pronunciation of this word over and over and every time I say IMPROVISE, It sounds weird to me....
I took the time to say it phonetically and it is still weird sounding to me.....

My Motto for today is"

"I will ADAPT and OVERCOME the inability to pronounce IMPROVISE!

In the 21st Century, When I am sick:

I want to heal rather quickly, say in less than 5 minutes.
I do not like to be sick, take pills, meds or see a doctor, I want a hypospray, as in Stark Trek...a fast and no pain type of cure...Where is the hypospray? Where is Bones or Beverly when I am sick?



I am the type of person who does not becomes sick easily or often...it take something bad to take me down, I can work and focus with a cold, sinus infection, ear infection and the such. But when a 24 hour bug invades my body, I do stupid things.... For example, I have a twitter account (@marychampion), I thought I was sending out funny sayings but in fact, they did not make sense to anyone let alone myself, I reread what I posted a few moments ago and I was a appalled at what I tweeted.....so much for interacting with people outside my family when I am sick. No one un-followed me over this, THANK YOU FOLLOWERS!
One tweet was to Wil Wheaton, I blamed him for getting me sick , he tweeted he was sick...I thought it was a funny tweet but alas it was not........Not good Sorry WILL WHEATON! :)

Now that I am on the road to recovery...I promise not to do anything stupid today.

In the 21st Century, On this date 19th of August 1920, Women were given the right to vote by the passing of Amendment 19. HAPPY 93RD BIRTHDAY 19th AMENDMENT!
Up to that point ALL men had the right to vote but not women.......There is a book that i highly recommend for ALL to read :
Founding Sisters and the 19th Amendment


I was inspired by this book and I will in detail share my experience with this book and the right to vote.


 Since finding this book many years ago  I started a tradition to bring this book with me every time I vote.

When Barak Obama was running for the Office of President of The United States of America in 2004, I stood in line to cast my ballot, I had my book open and reading the pages when the poll manager came to me and question what I reading. I showed her the cover of the book and she deemed this book as a Campaign Material. I asked how could this be and she informed me it was of voting, I stated it was of the history of Alice Paul and Lucy Burns and the 19th Amendment. I asked the poll manager if she knew what the 19th Amendment was and she stated she did not, I was astonished. I informed her the 19th Amendment gave the Women of the USA to vote. She then stated if I wanted to vote, I had to put the book away and out of sight of the other voters. I said NO. I stood my ground and explain there is no difference in this book than a newspaper or magazine or any type of reading material that others in line had.
Across the room, a poll watcher, noticed the interchange between myself and the poll manager and interjected himself into the conversation, he asked to see the book and then stated it could be considered campaign material, I said it could not and stayed in line.

The poll manager called her contact at the main voters registration headquarters and informed them of the situations and would they send an investigator to the polling place.
When the investigator arrived, she was brought to me by the poll manager and was told, I was not in compliance with the rules of the polling place. The investigator asked to see the book. She informed the poll manager and the poll watcher, the book was NOT of campaign material and I was in the right.
I requested a public apology from the poll manager and the poll watcher, the investigator asked the poll manager to apologize, she did. The investigator asked the poll watcher to apologize he declined. I asked for the name of the person he was working for and informed them of his infraction, he declined again.
The investigator applauded my actions and for taking a stand. I felt great in my actions and reactions of that day.I did not raise my voice, I did not reaction with anger but with questions and stubbornness.
I did get his information from the investigator and contacted his boss and the candidate wanted to informed me his poll watcher was no longer working for him and the candidate ask for the name of the book.

I felt proud for taking a stand for my right to vote and to read whatever I wanted.

I left the polling place with a HUGE smile on my face knowing I did my part to further the right for women to vote and to enlighten people on the history of the 19th Amendment.
I am not inferring I am as great as Alice Paul and Lucy Burns but I am glad I did my part on that day.

To this day, I take my little book of history and read and smile at anyone in power at the polling place...
I dare them to say any thing to me other than Hello and please take your place in line to vote.

In the 21st Century, This is what i have learned so far:
NEVER EVER TAKE 2 pills of Melatonin at night.


The dream i had, scared the boogie man out of me.
The dream:
I was living in the house i am in now but as a child of 6, the youngest of 7 kids and the only daughter.
Across the street was a little girl named Violet Krissler, she was of the same age as I was but she had Down Syndrome. My older brothers watched out for her in our neighborhood and in school. No one bullied her or made fun of her while they lived at home.
In the dream, I was twelve and it was my turn to watch over her, as the days turn into months, we became closer and one day, I lost Violet, I could not find her at any of the usual spots we visited daily.
I finally found her, with some older bully, mean type boys, they were trying to hurt her....I stood my ground and got her out of there and told her Mom what had happened. Then next day, I returned to the spot where i found her and harnessed one of the boys with a Horse Harness, I tied him to his 2 brothers, their Father came in and said he was going to call the police on me and I said, " Go ahead" your sons were trying to harm Violet in the most painful and violent manner that could happen to a girl. He stated, the police would believe him that i was harming his sons, I said, They will not I am MacCalister and my family is in good standing in this town. The Father was shocked that his boys were doing that and said, " I told you boys not to touch her, she was mine". I told the Father, he and His boys better leave town or I will have my brothers come home and have them take out the trash that they are...They were gone by the next day......

I sat straight up in bed, I could not catch my breath, I was trembling and shaking my head and yelling " I lost Violet, I have to find her, It was my job to look out for her, VIOLET, WHERE ARE YOU?!" It was such a real image, I believed it had happened...My husband was very concern.
I woke up..... I still had the feeling it happened...
It is after noon and I still have the feeling it happened......

So, my lesson of the 21st Century, is to never to take more than 1 pill of melatonin in a 12 hour period!

End note:
(In my family I have 1 brother and no other siblings and my last name is not MacCalister and i do not know a Violet Krissler)

In the 21st Century, It is scary out there!







 Just watched a video pertaining to photos that are shared through cells to social media sites are now able to be manipulated into showing the gps of the person(s) in the photos and all information pertaining to that person's identity.
I turned off the gps ability on my cell to insure that could not happen to me..
But are we safe?
My home PC is protected by a firewall, router and by IT GEEK of a hubby.
But what about all of the other devices in your home or workplace that are reliant on a wireless connection?
There is a video about a baby monitor being hacked and how that hacker is tormenting a child through the use of baby monitor. SCARY!
My question is: Could any camera that is using a wi-fi signal to transmit images be manipulated?
The answer is YES!
Street cameras
Laptop cameras
Web cams
Baby monitor with cameras
Home security cameras
The list goes on and on.....

On a personal side note:

Our baby monitor was analog and i was able to listen to my neighbors phone conversations....
My laptop camera, i thought was off , was making a clicking sound every time i opened it...I put black tape to cover the camera and disable the damn thing.....
In November of last yea, in my State, The Department of Revenue was hack and 4 million residents personal information was taken.....now have to have all of our personal identity watched and protected for years to come...
If this is what is it like to live in the 21st century, I do not want to live in this "NEW" century.....unplug me please!

In the 21st Century...Why are we still repairing appliances?

Where is my  HAL (Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer)?

Last week my 9 year old dryer broke down.....ordered the parts, the belt, new idler pulley and a replacement bulb (not needed for the workings just wanted to see inside the dryer)...now the dry is working but a few days later my 6 year old dishwasher stopped working.
Ugh! this will be the third electronic control board in 6 years.

Thankfully, I married a geek, handyman, grease monkey of a man. He can fix anything around the house as well as my 17 year old Jeep :) That is why i married him.....LOL
Not like myself, I have duct tape, I will fix it!

From the movie and novel of the same name : 2001: Space Odyssey, they had sentient, Hall 9000, He would foretell of a break down in the ship's communication ( but of course that was not case).

I want a Hal 9000, not a murderous one but one that will foretell of a break down among all of the appliances and electronics in my house .
I want advance notice of a break down so that i can ensure of parts being ordered or set up an appointment with a repairman ( hubby or an actual one).

It can not be that hard to invent a Hal 9000 for the home.
I know Microsoft has a home of the future but i can not wait nor can i afford the price tag. I do not need my kitchen counters to light up and tell me how to cook...that should be already be completed by the virtual chef and on the table...LOL

I want a little Hal 9000...not a VW size as in the movie.
I would gladly dedicate a full wall to a Hal 9000 in my house.

Check it daily as I drink my coffee and smile, all is okay for today, go on and enjoy your day!

Hubby, when you read this, please implement this, have a wall in the kitchen with nothing on it...start laying those wires and writing the code for the Hal 9000 or in my case Mar 21st Century :)

In the 21st Century, I found this video collection about "The world of Tomorrow" by Tex Avery
ENJOY!

http://vimeo.com/32889552
Have to copy and paste this link

In the 21st Century, where is my self cleaning house?


Where is my self cleaning house?

As I look around my house this morning after having 2 cups of coffee, I sigh.

I wish there was a button that would empty my house out from the dust, crumbs and clutter, instantaneously.
I know there is the robot-vac and a self cleaning cat ( i have two of those) but what about a self cleaning house?
I have a self cleaning oven but I still have to wiped that out after the cleaning cycle is complete.
I have an automatic dishwasher, I have unload then reload with dirty and used dishes.
I have a working washer and a dryer ( finally had that repair last night) but to load and unload, fold and put away is too much.
I have a Dyson vac, it works great on the wood floors but I too, would have to push that around.
I could go on and on but why bother?

This is what I want my house to be:

Clean of all the dust bunnies
Clean of all the crumbs that humans and pets leave behind.
Clean of all the clutter that multiplies over night.
Not much to ask for, is it?

How to implement my ideas.

Train the hubby, again?
Train the kid, again?
Even train the cats and the dog to clean?
I could tie cotton mop heads to the cats and the dog but I think the SPCA would take issue with that idea.
Attached a upside down cone shape bib to the hubby and kid might work...they may balk at that idea.
Or maybe just move to a new place :)

I am not an anal retentive, clean freak person mind you but I would love to have a clean house when friends and family drop in unannounced....or just for me to admire.
It has become a daily battle to clean and I am losing the war rather quickly.
The only sane solution to my problem is to encapsulate all living animals ( hubby, kid and the pets) in plastic bubbles.
I would be free of all the dust bunnies, crumbs and clutter!

Yes, I am a complaining, lazy person today.
I would rather sit at this computer and dream of one day in the 21st Century, someone will invent a self cleaning house or if not in this Century, maybe in the 22nd.
NOT!
Time to clean
I rarely complain about anything or about anyone but toady is the day I start.

In the 21st Century, Grocery Shopping is the worst of all the chores i have.

Those people in the photo are too DAMN happy to be grocery shopping. I have never ever been that happy about it.
I trudged and dread shopping for food.
To make my life easier I installed some apps from the stores I patron. What a mistake that was...UGH! The amount of texts i receive from each store is unbearable.
I used one this morning at Target and the cashier informed me, it was invalided, WHAT?! I just received it this morning. The date on it started yesterday. I purchased the quantity and the brand name of the products. Your company sent me the text that is why I am shopping in your store.....UGH! The cashier relented and gave the coupon off as an over ride. (so overly dramatic, a writer choice and poetic licensing :) )
Am I the only person that uses app coupons from stores?

I did not seen anyone this morning using the app. coupon in place of paper coupons.
There was a lady behind me in line with a handful of paper coupons, I hope the cashier was ready for her.

I know the marketing department for the stores keep track of the app. coupons that are being used and how frequent.
Paper coupons verse the app.coupons.
What is the difference other than stop using paper, save the trees.
More tracking of when, by whom and how much is spent by using these app coupons.

This part of the 21st century, I detested. I am going back to paper coupons.

I will only used copy paper that has a high percentage of used consumer products in making of the paper.
Have to save the trees for the politicians to use for their many unwanted solicitations.

In the 21st Century, it is full of Murphy's IRONIC law!
 "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong"
UGH!



I am going back to bed! 
I am giving up today...I am surprised that i am able to post to my blog this morning after all that has transpired in the last 24 hours......I am not complaining, i am glad to be alive and experiencing Murphy's Law. I am happy to be here but sometimes it is better to give up and try again at a later time or date.
Maybe tomorrow Murphy's law will take a day off or better yet a week off.
I could list everything that went and still is going wrong from yesterday until early this morning, but i do not want to pass the contentiousness of Murphy along to any reader of my blog.
So go out and have a wonderful, great. fun filled day :) :/

In the 21st Century, SOYLENT  green is a reality!




Rob Rhinehart, the creator of Soylent powder formula, has not had a meal for a month other than his soylent.
His powder from a biochemical  level is made up from — a drink mixture of vitamins and minerals which includes calcium, potassium, zinc, vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K.(cited from www.news.com.au)
The article states that Rob has replaced 90 % of food intake with Soylent.
I can see this being a supplement as in daily vitamins not a food replacement.
You will feel better with these vitamins and minerals in this powder but how is this better than what is out on the market today?
He has a website and has raised a large sum of monies, but just because he didn't have the time or the wiliness to make the time, Per Rob's ideology: "By taking years to spoil, dramatically reducing cost, and easing transportation and storage, soylent could have a dramatic effect on hunger and malnutrition".( cited from his website: https://campaign.soylent.me/soylent-free-your-body)
That is a bold statement to make.
I did my own fact checking pertaining to world hunger:

There are 5 reasons to world hunger, they are: (cited from 2013 World Hunger and Poverty Facts and Statistics, http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/world%20hunger%20facts%202002.htm ).

1. Poverty is the principle cause of hunger.
2.Harmful economic systems are the principal cause of poverty and hunger.
3. Conflict as a cause of hunger and poverty.
4.Hunger is also a cause of poverty, and thus of hunger.
5. Climate change.

How does he plan to overcome all of the obstacles of world hunger?
 
I read his website and all that he has put into detail, but what concerns me the most, no one on his team is a nutritionist or dietician.

Could this be the "Be all, End all" solution?

When i read the article all i could see was the movie with Charlton Heston "Soylent Green" and the line
"Soylent Green is People".

Not my cup of Soylent Green Tea....

I do not endorse this product nor philosophy.

In the 21st Century, Why are still reliant on washers and dryers?
 



On Saturday Morning, I loaded the last of the laundry for the week into my 9 year old dryer, i set it and forgot it until the buzz sound alerted me the drying process was complete, but alas, that was NOT the case....... The belt broke......The clothes were wrinkled but dry, had to pull out the iron and board to DE-wrinkle the clothes, another ancient device to chain you to laundry.....
I could not find the belt, the idler pulley in my local home improvement stores, online was the only recourse i had. I order what i needed, $44.00 is more affordable then a new dryer at $500.00.
Side not: Thank you , 21st Century for the ever expanding uses of online services. :)

But as i iron my wrinkled clothes,shaking my head, holding a wrinkled shirt, thinking out loud "should we not have self cleaning clothes by now??????"

Why, in the 21st Century are clothes are not self cleaning? Why hasn't  Science/Technology come up with a solution?
Is it because the laundry institutions have lobbyists at WASHINGton, D.C? (pun intended)
Are they keeping technology from inventing a self cleaning materiel for us to wear?
Are the Laundry Lobbyists so afraid that no one will purchase laundry units anymore or use laundry detergents?
Are the dry cleaners involved with this as well?
Are Laundromats involved as well?
How far does this go?
Yes, I am grateful, that the washers and dryers of our time are automated VS. the manual and deadly machines of the past.

I believe at this point in this century, we should have materials that are self cleaning and self deodorizing clothing.
Star Trek (never saw a laundry room on a star ship or space station in any episode) had the technology why not us, come on NASA, MIT, maybe even the average Joe geek. help us out, disregard the laundry lobbyists ( if they do exists) invent the material for the human race. :)

Speaking of another ancient device, Iron and Board.....I will use it when needed.
Not a fan of the iron, had a HOT iron fall on my leg as a child, have the burn scar to prove how dangerous a hot iron is.
I hope the washer doesn't get any idea of dying any time soon, it is only 8 years old....

In the 21st Century, i thought i would take a step farther inside this century by paying bills via apps and etc apps..
OMG!!!!!

 


One piece of advice to anyone who has not done this....make sure you know what you are doing!.....installed my financial bank's app......I forgot to register/verify the cell BEFORE i input my information to gain access to my account, well, needless to say, I LOCKED MYSELF OUT of my accounts....:/
Had to wait until the next morning to talk with a human being to have all reset....I was not a GEEK that day.

Later that morning, i got a bright idea, why not go all the way and........install more apps.....REALLY?! Why did my brain turn on me, why did i allow myself to do that, why, why , why? ( banging head on the desk)
I installed some retail apps, you know the kind, Target, Dunkin Donuts and the like....GOOD LAWRD!!! my cell was buzzing and whistling and vibrating, i dropped it, not knowing it was notification alerts...thought the cell was going to explode.....still not a GEEK on that day....The hubster looked at me as if i was having a conniption fit... my cell on the ground me looking at it as if it had grown arms and legs to jump out of my hands to run to someone that knew what they were doing.....I mean come on, I am smart, intelligent and all knowing...(sure i am, but not on that day) I have the ability to deduce the problems i face as well as to help other with theirs but not on that day.....It seemed like all of my GEEKNESS had left me, my brain had switched to a 2 year old mode.....I was like WTH is going on......Did i load a Trojan virus, a piece of Malware...WTH did i do?????
As all of this was going on, i was imaging this visual situation, if the hubster could do this, would he (All the while, the hubster laughed to the point of having to squat down to the ground and point at me, he was making sure all around us, near us, even in the same city, look at my wife, he was pointing at me and laughing)....grrrrrrrrr HE NEVER DID!!!! That was my brain on overload of the lack of GEEKNESS.

YES! I am a GEEK maybe not on the same level as the hubster or anyone else in the 21st century but i am GEEK and I AM PROUD!

 Update: They took my money and i got a receipt! No Murphy's Law will come and kick me in the butt in the future over this! HAHA



In the 21st Century, Technology has screwed me over!




Yesterday decided to shop at Sam's Club, picked out what i wanted/needed.went to check out and the cashier was doing her thing, i swiped my card all was approved at POS (Point of Sale) and then the computer system did a reboot while the transaction was being completed......The cashier was dumbfounded and spastic, she called for her supervisor and the supervisor acted in the same manner.....OMG!!!! was said over and over again by these two ladies.....i am thinking to myself "Has the world ended? Has the zombies attacked the sever room and took down the system? Will i ever be allowed to leave?

Needless to say, It took an hour to resolved this quagmire...... What follows next is a step by step of an hour of torture.
So, I was taken to the Customer Service Desk and was told the have to find the history of the transaction before i could leave.....Am i being held hostage at a Sam's Club, I paid for the items but could not leave with the items.....So, one of the many employees came up with a brilliant idea, we will do a price scan, get a NON-receipt and let me leave with the said items.......REALLY?!
The employee in charge informed me it was take up to 48 hours to this to clear up.....i asked cleared up as in refund or another charge to my account? No answer was given.......UGH!
I am walking out with $107.66 worth of items without an actual register receipt.....I called my bank and yes indeed the money was withdrawn but the store had no history of the transaction....what to do...should i be honest and return to the store to pay for the items or wait and have someone from the store call me and ask for the money?
By the time i return home, the $107.66 had been refunded to my account.

I decided to be honest and call them, this is what has transpire since 9AM this morning:

Called the store was transferred to accounting and the phone rang and rand rang, no one is in the office at 9
Called the store again was transferred to accounting, phone rang in a continuous manner this was at 9:30
Called again at 10:00 same results....phone rings no answer....UGH!
Called at 10:15AM.....OMG! they do have human beings that work in the accounting department.....Explain the situation and as of 10:15AM this morning, they do not have any history of anything connected to my name for shopping on 07/31/2013.....Still going to be honest, heading to Sams' to pay them the $107.66.
I wonder if i will get a halo or earn my wings over this? Nah, I am too evil for a halo or wings :)