http://www.stevis.net/raven Where Stevis Hangs Out http://www.stevis.net http://www.stevis.net/graphics/logo.gif en-us stevis@stevis.com 2012-02-06T13:12:04-05:00 hourly 1 2012-02-06T13:12:04-05:00 http://www.stevis.net/raven/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=54

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But the United States Public Health Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that the communities that stop adding fluoride to the water supply are misguided. The government continues to recommend the practice, which began in the 1940s and has had its share of recent successes, including San Diego’s move to fluoridate water this year after a long delay. Some 72 percent of the population in the country drinks water with added fluoride.

Keeping fluoride in water is especially important today because many people cannot afford dental care, public officials say.

“We have had big wins and significant losses,” Dr. William Bailey, chief dental officer for the Public Health Service and acting director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s division of oral health, said about the skirmishes over fluoridation. “Fluoridation helps people of all ages and income groups. And it helps people who can’t get in to receive care.”

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Specifically, it strongly implies that if I go to the Dentist, I would get all of the flouride I need. However, my expensive dental insurance doesn't cover flouride...and my dental office tells me that practice is typical. So, in other words, insurance companies don't think it's important for me to have flouride, so why doesn't the government do something about that instead of giving grief to small communities that don't have enough money to provide basic, necessary, services?]]> 54@http://www.stevis.net/raven miscramblings 2011-10-13T19:30:21-05:00 Posted by Admin http://www.stevis.net/raven/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=53
Light The Night Walk is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's annual fundraising walk to pay tribute and bring hope to people battling cancer. Hundreds of thousands of participants raise funds for lifesaving research and patient services.

For more than 60 years, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has been solely focused on people with blood cancers. Presently, we have more than $250 million committed to research across the United States and in ten other countries. Every dollar is provided by concerned donors. We invest in the best, outcome based science:

Anywhere, with no geographic or institutional boundaries

Without profit incentive

To meet unmet Medicare needs of people with blood cancers

And LLS funded advances are helping patients beyond those for whom they were originally developed, including people with solid tumors and auto-immune diseases. In the past decade, nearly 50% (19 out of 39) of the cancer drugs approved by the FDA were approved as treatments for blood cancer patients. Twelve are already approved for people beyond those for whom they were first developed. With your help, we are saving lives.

A donation of $25 provides patients and their loved ones with FREE booklets that contain up-to-date information on their disease and help them make informed decisions about their treatment options.

A donation of $50 makes possible a Family Support group with a trained facilitator where comfort can be found and experiences can be shared among patients and family members.

A donation of $100 helps supply laboratory researchers with supplies and materials critical to carrying out their search for cures.

A donation of $1,000 makes possible one- on-one conversations with health care specialists who provide patients with information about their disease, treatment options, and helps prepare them with questions for their health care team.

Please make a donation to support our participation in the Light The Night Walk and help save lives. Be sure to check our web site frequently to see our progress, and thanks for your support!
]]> 53@http://www.stevis.net/raven miscramblings 2011-10-04T13:43:28-05:00 Posted by admin http://www.stevis.net/raven/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=52
We had our first real emergency at the new house a couple of days before we were scheduled to move in. A one-inch sprinkler pipe came lose from an elbow joint and started filling up our back yard with water. Luckily, it was only doing that for a few hours before we discovered it. I was able to dig it up and replace the leaking pipes in only a couple of hours. Special thanks to the old gentleman at Home Depot who gave me tips on the best way to repair it!

Aside from that, we've painted a few rooms, installed a new double-oven in the place of the old wall oven/microwave combo, installed an over-the-cooktop microwave, replaced a light or two, and installed some safety gates to keep Zoe and the puppy in (and out of) the right places.

I still have a new garage door opener to install, but I'm expecting that to be a good Saturday afternoon activity.Thanks to the practice Jason and I had in doing that with our first house, I think I'll be able to handle it. Of course, my Little Giant will come in very handy with that, as it has with a number of projects so far.

On a related note, the popcorn ceilings are still around...sadly. It turns out that ours have all been painted over. This makes it more difficult to remove, as the water you spray on the ceiling to loosen the popcorn doesn't actually do it's job when paint is involved. So, due to the number of other projects I had on my plate, I scrapped the popcorn removal plans for now. I will eventually resume the project.]]> 52@http://www.stevis.net/raven miscramblings 2011-07-26T08:58:28-05:00 Posted by admin http://www.stevis.net/raven/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=51 Little Giant 10126LG 300-Pound Duty Rating Ladder System, 26-Foot

So far, I haven't used it much except to check the gutters in our current rental house, but it should be just the thing to help me do the work I need to do on our new house. My first task is to remove the popcorn ceilings (I hate the stuff) and we have a vaulted ceiling in the living room, so I had to go with the big version of the ladder.]]> 51@http://www.stevis.net/raven miscramblings 2011-06-30T17:25:59-05:00 Posted by admin http://www.stevis.net/raven/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=50
One of the ways we can all help is to support people like Douglas Craig, who is taking time out of his life to walk across the United States to raise money for cancer research. I applaud his efforts, and encourage anyone who is able to donate to his worthy cause.

You can find more information on his web site:

http://www.craigresearchlabs.com/cancerwalk.html]]> 50@http://www.stevis.net/raven miscramblings 2010-07-15T15:24:45-05:00 Posted by admin http://www.stevis.net/raven/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=49
Under the heading "Sixth, the most important reason", the second paragraph reads as follows:

"We know from painful experience that letting a third party layer of software come between the platform and the developer ultimately results in sub-standard apps and hinders the enhancement and progress of the platform. If developers grow dependent on third party development libraries and tools, they can only take advantage of platform enhancements if and when the third party chooses to adopt the new features. We cannot be at the mercy of a third party deciding if and when they will make our enhancements available to our developers."

I find it curious that Mr. Jobs decries third party software that prevents developers from being able to take advantage of platform enhancements. He even goes so far as to say that Apple "cannot be at the mercy" of these third parties. However, if memory serves, doesn't AT&T, a third party the last time I checked, cause a similar situation to exist for iPhone users?

Specifically, aren't there "enhancements" that Apple has made to the iPhone that AT&T has not made "available" to the end users (tethering and MMS) until a much later date? Or does Mr. Job's commentary only apply to developers?

Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but it seems to me that the "most important reason" why Flash isn't allowed on the iPhone is something that AT&T, the iPhone's exclusive carrier, is equally guilty of perpetuating.
]]> 49@http://www.stevis.net/raven miscramblings 2010-04-29T11:41:04-05:00 Posted by admin http://www.stevis.net/raven/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=48
As of yesterday, my 10 month diet anniversary, I'm down 72 pounds. I'm "officially" trying to lose an additional 24 pounds, but I'd actually prefer to lose more like 30. It's been a long road, and the holiday's certainly didn't help, but having Zoe has definitely increased the amount of physical work I do at home.

I'm hopeful that I can hit my goal by my 1 year mark (coincidentally, the day after my next birthday), but if not by then, then I'll settle for a month or two later. I'll post again when I do reach the goal.]]> 48@http://www.stevis.net/raven miscramblings 2010-04-27T16:06:44-05:00 Posted by admin http://www.stevis.net/raven/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=47
]]> 47@http://www.stevis.net/raven miscramblings 2010-04-09T19:26:46-05:00 Posted by admin http://www.stevis.net/raven/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=46
So, I am now the proud owner of a 2010 Honda Fit:


P.S. These pictures were taken with my Droid and edited on my Droid via Photoshop Mobile.]]> 46@http://www.stevis.net/raven miscramblings 2010-04-05T22:39:23-05:00 Posted by admin http://www.stevis.net/raven/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=45


Isn't this taking things a bit far?]]> 45@http://www.stevis.net/raven miscramblings 2010-03-25T17:38:50-05:00 Posted by admin