Break In At My Buiding

Black Hole, my artwork.

Just as I thought things were starting to calm down in life, Murphy's law went into action and showed me this was not to be. My apartment building had a break in on Tuesday before noon and the place that got broken into was only 3 doors down from mine. In broad daylight too! I wasn't home like I usually am either so it freaked out.

For those of you who don't know what Murphy's Law is, here is the definition: Murphy's Law is an adage or epigram that is typically stated as: "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." It's a true set of rules that have been around for decades that I learned about when I went to school for electronics.

Between 11 and 11:30am I left to go pick up my monthly medications. As I walked out to my car I looked at the other apartment doors (just a habit I have) and didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, not that I expected to. I got to my car and noticed a strange car parked next to mine.

First I thought to myself; "Oh no, I hope they didn't ding my car door." So I proceeded to check my car to make sure (just in case I could get the license number) that there were no new dents. I wasn't seeing any and when I stood up all of a sudden there was a black teen in the passenger's seat of the car. He had been slumped down talking on a cell phone so I didn't see him at first and we both startled each other. I told him what I was doing and we laughed because we had scared each other.

I walked around to get into my car and saw a larger older black man going through our garbage bin. He was even opening bags and he looked like he had lost something the way he was going through them but he didn't live here. I didn't know him.

So many people go through our garbage bin anymore that it's not unusual to see strangers doing this, especially for cans. I just took note of him, figured the boy was waiting for him and went on my way.

I got back around 12:30PM and my roommate James was home for lunch. He was parked in my spot and when I ran in and asked him why he said just park on the street for now because something was going on. So I did and when I was walking back to my place I saw both our building managers and some neighbors outside and they were talking in a group. Something had to be up!

When I got inside my place James told me when he got home from lunch he saw the door to #5 had been kicked in and the kitchen window was even pried open. He couldn't get the managers to answer him so he called the police. I told him about the strange guys and that the door was fine when I left so we decided it must of happened between those hours. I told him the managers were out there now and James said the police were coming soon.

I went outside and told the managers about the strangers and a couple of other people said they had seen the older black man also and some said they had seen two young black men on another day. I told them when the police came if they wanted to speak to me I would be here.

The police eventually knocked on my door and asked me all kinds of questions. I could certainly ID the younger man if they caught him and they were glad to hear that. Otherwise, I told them all I could and they left to question other residents.

I spied some of my neighbors still talking outdoors so I went to ask them if I missed out on anything. As we chatted I came to the conclusion that since it was rent time (and the apartment wasn't really tossed) it seemed like they knew what they wanted and it may have been someone they knew. They only took the money and a few other items and seemed to know where to look. Of course, that's up to the police to figure out. We're all hoping they don't come back for more.

I was so blessed it wasn't me because if someone broke in here they would have had a field day finding things to take. Still, it was awfully close, too close for comfort as I had cash hidden then.

When I was still living in San Francisco I had a white female crack addict cat burglar (say that 3 times quickly) break into my apartment and I was home. She was on the fire escape coming in my kitchen window and we came face to face. I fought with her until she got away from me out of my front door. I picked her out of a lineup and they got her but the courts (even though this was her 3rd strike for cat burglary) gave her a month in jail with no drug rehab. (They had promised she'd get rehab but that's the way things go these days.)

Still, you only have yourself to blame if you're not careful about your place. Always keep your eyes peeled when you are around your home or property. Most people do not because at home is where we feel the safest and most comfortable. If anything happens out of the ordinary or you find some strangers on your property or at your door be vigilant! They may be dressed up and have the Watch Tower with them but that doesn't mean they aren't faking it to have a look around. Don't tell anyone where you keep your valuables or even if you have them. Use your common sense, these are hard times with even more hard up people.

Keep your eyes opened these days. Stay safe and stay blessed my friends!

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Too Many Guns

Do we really need another kind of gun?

Pirates are bad and we need to stop them. Now the Pentagon has an excuse and the headlines to contract Lockheed Martin and Teledyne Scientific & Imaging to make a .50 caliber rifle that can kill from a mile or more away. The money put into it so far? Altogether, 21.8 million dollars for a start and voiding technical difficulties it could be done by 2015.

The military needs the right tools for the job and I don't have a problem with them having the guns they need to protect themselves and our country especially during war although I'm against violence. I have 2 uncles whom were proud Marines so I know what they went through and I respect the military because of them. Unfortunately even military weapons of all types have filtered down to be had by the general public through illegal means and that includes sniper rifles.

President Kennedy's death comes to mind and he isn't the only one to die from a sniper. All you have to do is look at the news reports. Guns and the stupid people using them are causing more deaths of innocent people in the U.S. then ever before. Most states are practically handing them out to the public and countless non-military people even obtain permits to carry that gun until it is pried out of their cold dead hands.

Even if you don't own a gun I bet you know someone, a family member or friend (not in a job that requires a gun) that does. There are more guns than people to shot them. With a permit to carry a person can take their gun on airplanes, buses, trains anywhere they go in this country in any public venue.

I personally know many gun-totting Americans. Not only are they proud of it they have more than one gun to their name and most of them have never went to a shooting range to practice shooting these guns. My father was one of these people and he died by his own hand gun in 1990 after which the Indiana police were quick to hand that same gun over to my brother who took it back to Florida. The Indiana police should of destroyed that gun.

If a gun is just handed over to another person where is the gun control? Criminals have been caught with all kinds of illegal guns with silencers and guns that have been altered. The police (who are sometimes the problem) can't keep up and the murder rate caused by guns has gone up alarmingly. Hand guns can be bought very cheaply on the street with the serial numbers ground off, ready for a new crime.

If the military need this supergun and it saves solders lives I'm all for it but a supergun isn't going to stop bombs and other terrorism in our modern day world. We have so many weapons at our disposal already I just feel like that much money could be better spent.

So many have so little and we already have an expensive war that (along with oil prices) has brought our economy down even more. The people making guns and bullets still have their jobs and are making good money at it.

There was a plan to stamp serial numbers on bullets for more control and although I haven't heard anything about it lately it would sure make it harder to commit crimes with all guns. Better yet if there were no guns then people would have to fight hand to hand and I feel it would be a lot more fair. Maybe one man would think twice about attacking another and the death rate from shootings would go away. Or maybe I'm just dreaming of a better less violent world without guns and the people who almost worship them.

What a beautiful dream that would be, without guns! What do you think about guns?

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Just In Case You Weren't Feeling 'Old Enough' Today ♥

• The people who are going to college this year were born in 1993.
• They are too young to remember the space shuttle blowing up.
• Their lifetime has always included AIDS.
• The CD was introduced four years before they were born.
• They have always had an answering machine.
• They have always had cable.
• They couldn't imagine life without their cell phones.
• Jay Leno has always been on the Tonight Show.
• They have never been without microwaves and can't cook without them.
• They never took a swim and thought about Jaws.
• They don't know who Mork was or where he was from.
• They never heard; "Where's the Beef?", "I'd walk a mile for a Camel. ", or "de plane Boss, de plane."
• McDonald's never came in Styrofoam containers.
• They don't have a clue as to how to use a typewriter.
• They use calculators, computers and the Internet in college to do all of their lessons.
• They have always had 'personal' computers.
• Search Engines have taken the place of a set of good Encyclopedias.
• Email and texting has taken the place of writing personal letters and mailing them.
• Notice the larger type? That's for those of us who have trouble reading cause we're getting 'old.'

P.S. Save the earth. It's the only planet with chocolate.

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What Is Up With The DMV?

Just in case anyone thought I was ignoring them this week that wasn't the case! I was really busy with some legal problems for my upcoming trial and I'm FINALLY done with the incompetent DMV about my drivers license.

Of course it's not just the DMV, the whole government is a horrible mess and along with our backward economy it's hard to keep up and keep your rights at the same time. In this cause I was trying after 41 years of having a good driving record with the DMV to keep my record and driving privileges after being taken to the hospital last July.

It should of been easy, at the time they had thought I had a seizure on the way to the hospital. (I was fighting for my life for God's sake!) After finding no reasons for me having seizures or any other problems before they released me they did tell me that for legal purposes they had to tell the DMV I had a seizure.

If things would of worked out the way they were suppose to, when I got the papers filled out by my doctor for the DMV it should of been over with. The Safety Division of the DMV didn't think that was good enough so they required me to have an eye and physical driving test. What’s funny is I had never had a driving test proper. I took Health & Safety in high school and Indiana didn’t require a physical driving test if you took and passed that class.

I went for the test and got a very young Asian man as my tester. He wasn't very friendly and made me nervous. Then I made the ONE stupid mistake I could of to fail the test immediately. When I made a left hand turn onto a street that was one way on one side my car tire went over the bumps on the yellow straight lines for a second. It was enough and he failed me.

No problem, I was told I could reschedule another. So I called and did so for Dec. 9th (which was the next week) so I thought I was lucky to be getting such an early appointment. I had called the DMV at their number like I was told so was I surprised! I went for the new drivers test and waited forever and finally they told me it wasn't in the computer so I didn't have a test to take.

I was so angry I had my roommate film me ranting about it in front of the DMV. I was going to get them. Gosh I was mad. They were careful not to say I was lying to them about calling the DMV for this, yet they WERE calling me a liar because they said I didn't speak to anyone or it would be in the computer. OMG!

Then I got another test date after that in the mail telling me to show up in Daly City which isn't the DMV I go to which is right by my house. I don't even know my way around Daly City. With that test date they also restricted my drivers license (which I was told wouldn't happen) to only being able to drive with someone over 24 years of age and only during the daylight. So I had to call and tell them I needed an appointment for San Mateo.

So I got my appointment in the mail for San Mateo but it wasn't until Feb. 24th at 8:45am, a long time to wait! This paperwork said my license was not restricted like I was told in the first place. Can you believe, much less follow this mess?

I was still driving my car and it's lucky I didn't get stopped because then I would of had to explain the DMV's paperwork to a cop. I can imagine how that would of went trying to explain the inefficacy of an agency that they have to back.

I am now ecstatic because yesterday I got up and took my test and passed it. They also said there were no restrictions on my license. (Hey, they are suppose to know.) Also I did really well! You can get up to 20 things wrong (unless it's a huge mistake) and my score was a low 5! I really am an excellent driver after all.

Before my test I was driving around the neighborhood and I was going through an intersection with two stop signs and two through streets. I had the right of way (it was sprinkling rain too) and a huge pick up truck (for any of you who read my dream blog) ran his stop sign and we almost had an accident. Luckily I put on my brakes gently (because it was slick) and I stopped right before I hit him. All he did was shrug his shoulders, laugh and take off. Leaving me to contemplate my upcoming drivers test and what would of happened to my test today if we had gotten in an accident.

I'm just glad this week is over and I'm done with anyone questioning me about driving my beloved car where ever I wish, anytime I wish! Our freedom to drive is only contingent to what the state we live in has to say about it and they are underfunded and understaffed. And most of them are idols besides.

It was a hectic experience but I'm done with it now and things should be back to normal with me still being able to drive legally.

DMV = Dumb Men and women, hassling you about your Vehical.

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Migraines And Migraine Art Drawn By Patients

By Sarah Chapman

Those of you that have experienced real migraines know that the terrible side effects can make normal functioning in daily life hard, if not impossible to deal with.

Classic migraines start with a warning sign called an aura. The aura often changes the way you see things. You may see flashing lights, or temporarily lose some of your vision, such as your side vision.

This is what an aura is like to one migraine sufferer.

You may also feel muscle weakness on one side of your body. You may have trouble talking or feel depressed and irritable. You could feel restless.

Auras last about 15 to 30 minutes and may occur after, before or even overlap the pain of a migraine itself. The head pain of a migraine may occur on one side of the head or both sides.

Common migraines don't start with an aura. They last longer and interfere with daily activities more than classic migraines. Usually, these are on one side of the head. The pain can last from 4 to 72 hours.

A person having a migraine may have trouble eating normal foods they usually like or keeping food down during an attack. Light and sound bother them. If you want to know more Migraine Action is a good place to start and get help if you need it.

Lewis Carroll, who wrote Alice In Wonderland had classic migraines. He also had a syndrome named after him because he suffered from a very rare type of migraine aura called Alice In Wonderland Syndrome.

Now doctors are finding out that by looking at drawings done by patients having classic migraines they can learn a lot about these terrible headaches and get an insight into what migraines might be like to each patient. These stunning pictures are from different artists who experience migraines.

 

Classic migraine art takes place during the aura which changes the way a patient see's and feels things. Doctors are continuing to study this type of art to better understand migraines and how patients feel when they have one. This way new and better migraine medicines are being made to relieve the side effects of auras and migraines.

Only 1% of us escape headaches altogether. 16 to 17% of people get a migraine headache sometime in their lives. There are over 20 million migraine attacks happening every day. Some migraines are mistaken for sinus headaches. (These numbers change each year.) 

People with migraines will look at these pictures with recognition, as they know how they suffer. I hope migraine patients get some relief from these studies that are being done. New therapies are being discovered every day.

I find the art troubling yet it's beautiful too. One can pick out similar threads that each patient feels in the artwork.

I am lucky to be in the small percentage of people who don't have headaches often and I've never had a migraine that I know of. When I do have one it makes me miserable. Mine are usually from my sinuses.

The holidays are here and there's no escaping them so I hope no one is having headaches of any kind right now! Enjoy your Friday!

One more example of aura's from a patient's point of view.