End of Scott's Notes week of 10/31/03:

Note: <888> 10/31/03   Friday  10:20 P.M.:  I ate a low fat Jif peanut butter sandwich and a Quaker low fat white cheddar cheese corn cake with a glass of iced tea.  I put together an envelope to mail to a relative.  I will now send out my weekly notes.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/31/03   Friday  9:50 P.M.:  I put away the laundry.  I am in the process of making up a batch of ice tea www.geocities.com/mikelscott/icetea.htm .  This time, I used one each of the five different Twinings teas in the five type package, eight America's Choice orange pekoe tea bags, four Salada green tea bags, and three Bigelow orange pekoe tea bags for a total of 20 tea bags in the mixture.  I chatted with a friend.  I ate about two dozen sugarless jelly beans.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/31/03   Friday  8:45 P.M.:  I went out after the last message.  I went by the Arnold Bread outlet in Byram, and I bought a loaf of Arnold 12 grain bread for .99 and two 5.5 ounce boxes of Arnold Homestyle Zesty Italian larger cut croutons for .99 each box less 10% senior discount of .30 for $2.67 total.  I then went by Putnam Trust Bank of New York on Mason Street.  I next went by the Greenwich Hospital Thrift shop, and I bought a "C" enterprises 14 foot RJ 45 LAN cable for $2 in its package.  I then went by CVS, and I bought a eight roll package of Scott paper towels for $4.99 and a 14 ounce bag of Starburst sugarless jelly beans for $2.49 plus .45 tax for $7.93 total.  On my receipt I got $4 bonus bucks, so I bought two 12 ounce cans of lightly salted mixed nuts less than 50% peanuts for $1.99 each can and another 14 ounce bag of Starburst sugarless jelly beans for $2.49 less the $4 bonus bucks coupon for $2.47 total.  I then drove down to central Greenwich Avenue, and I went to the central Greenwich Post Office, and I obtained a money order at .90 cost to pay my GEICO automobile insurance payment.  I then walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue, and I sat out at various locations.  On the way down Greenwich Avenue, I stopped by the Greenwich Hardware store, and I bought from the 70% off rack a Master Mechanic 43 piece homeowner's tool kit regularly $14.99 for $4.50 plus .27 tax for $4.77 total.  It contains a pair of pliers, a set of 6 small Allen or L wrenches, five jewelers screw drivers, a handle ratchet driver with 18 small sockets and 11 bit drivers and a zippered case.  Once I completed my walk, I drove down by the waterfront.  I then went by the Greenwich Library, and I read the Greenwich Times.  I next went to the Stop and Shop, and I bought a four pack of four six ounce cans of Bumble Bee solid white albacore tuna fish for $4.59 for the four pack, four 10 ounce bars of Stop and Shop Vermont extra sharp cheddar cheese for $1.50 each bar, a package of Quaker low fat white cheddar cheese corn cakes for $2.19, four six ounce dry cans of California medium black pitted olives for .99 each can, a pint of Monari balsamic vinegar for $1.99, 10 ounces of fresh spinach for $1.50, a 16 ounce bag of baby carrots for $1.69, a quart of plum tomatoes for $2.99, and a bar of President low fat feta cheese for $2.82 for $27.73 total.  I then returned home, and I had a glass of iced tea.  I put one of the bags of jelly beans in the Steuben like dish on the right side of the living room mahogany bureau next to the Nantucket ash tray.  I then started two loads of laundry, and I have 5 minutes to go on the dry cycle.  I put clean linens on the bed in the bedroom.  I also put $5 on my laundry card.  I put the new tool kit underneath my computer tool kit on the wicker rack to the left of the primary computer.  I disconnected the blue 7 foot LAN cable from the router, and I plugged in the 14 foot LAN cable, and I strung it out part way along the copper French restaurant sculpture, so it is available from the left side of the green couch or the dining room table to use with a laptop should anyone ever need to use one.  I put the blue 7 foot LAN cable in the package, and I put it on top of the envelope boxes to the right of the primary computer CPU.  

Note: <888> 10/31/03   Friday  1:25 P.M.:  I made and ate the same salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm , which I had with a glass of iced tea.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will clean up, and I will go out soon.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/31/03   Friday  12:10 P.M.:  Happy Halloween.  I was up at 6 A.M., and I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, pineapple orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I went back to sleep until shortly before noon.  I checked the mail.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/30/03   Thursday  10:05 P.M.:  I chatted with another relative.  I just received this email notification from Weather Bug NOAA alert  "The Housatonic River with be at near flood stage tonight from the Massachusetts border South to Stevenson, Connecticut".  I guess I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/30/03   Thursday  9:05 P.M.:  I ate two more low fat white cheddar cheese corn cakes, and I chatted with a relative.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/30/03   Thursday  6:45 P.M.:  I relaxed a bit.  Last night before going to bed, I ate a Quaker low fat white cheddar corn cake, and I just ate another one.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/30/03   Thursday  5:20 P.M.:  I went out after the last message.  I drove down by the waterfront.  I then made my 3 P.M. appointment.  I next sat out downtown for a while.  I then returned home, and I had a glass of iced tea.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/30/03   Thursday  1:35 P.M.:  Well, I went after the last message.  I went downtown, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue.  I sat out at various locations.  I used the bathroom at the senior arts center, which I regularly do since I occasionally have to go to the bathroom when I am downtown, and I do not always mention it in my notes.  I drove down by the waterfront, and somebody had broken a Heineken beer bottle down there, and another local waterfront observer picked it up, and threw it in the trash can.  I then went by the Greenwich Hospital thrift shop, and it was not too busy since it is towards the end of the month, and not many people have money.  I then went by the Greenwich Library, and I read the Greenwich Times.  I next returned home, and I had a glass of iced tea.  I then went made up a fresh batch of homemade hummus http://www.geocities.com/mikelscott/hummus.htm , and then I used some of it in my regular fresh salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm .  I had the salad with a glass of iced tea.  I guess since it is a nice day, I will go back out and enjoy the weather.  I believe today is somebody's birthday whom prefers to remain inconspicuous.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/30/03   Thursday  7:50 A.M.:  I ate two bowls of wheat thins with a glass of iced tea.  I chatted with a friend.  I guess I will now shut down the computer, and I will go out after I clean up.  I have a 3 P.M. appointment today.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/30/03   Thursday  7:05 A.M.:  Speaking of Exxon Yahoo! News - Wall Street Seen Flat Ahead of Exxon, GDP .  CIO

Note: <888> 10/30/03   Thursday  6:55 A.M.:  There was an interesting story from Greenwich Village in 1973 and the Harriman political network.  About that same time where the old Astor residence was at Astor place in Greenwich Village, there was an old hotel that was used for artist's lofts.  Apparently the old hotel in its heyday was the location where the Union Pacific railroad charter was signed.  Well, about 1973, from all the vibrations from subway traffic and street traffic at that location, the hotel simply collapse in upon itself much to the chagrin of the old guard establishment in Manhattan.  Since long term residents and investors in the town of Greenwich, Connecticut not to be confused with Greenwich Village in Manhattan know a lot more about the history and development of the town, more than likely also since the town of Greenwich, Connecticut area wise is the size of Washington D.C., there is a lot that goes on in this town that the house wives shopping on Greenwich Avenue never seem to take notice of.  Beside the town infrastructure, the residents also have a lot of housing stock and both the residents and the town have a lot of vehicles all of which take quite a bit of maintenance, not to mention the other businesses and community organizations.  I would assume some item like the dam at the Greenwich reservoir also costs money to maintain, and thus when one looks at the Greenwich Times, which no longer seems to publish the town budget anymore, one does not really know where all the money goes anymore.  I think in the case of the Connecticut American water company, it is now owned by a British water company, so they are in fact one of the largest land owners in town, although it is the nature of reservoir property, it can not be developed, since it is generally assumed the town will continue to consume water unless some Arab buys up the town and starts selling it by the liter instead of the large amounts that we seem to consume.  Locally I am getting weather alerts the various Connecticut river basins are at flood stage up steam.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/30/03   Thursday  6:00 A.M.:  I went through my email.  When I was down on the waterfront on Steamboat Road the other day, I reminded a group of people driving a big red Cadillac Escalade www.cadillac.com that the waterside area of the parking area around the pier in the southeast corner is in danger of collapse, and they just laughed at me, and thought I was kidding.  Having observed the waterfront for most of my life and having observed that location from all sides for 20 years or more besides the time I lived here before, I have observed that as the wave and tide action hits the parking area foundation of masonry stone, it has undermined the stone work over the years.  When one adds the continual freezing and thawing in the winter, more than likely in the next ten years or sooner it will collapse, although to the untrained eye it looks secure.  Much could be said of the town of Greenwich, since we have so many fancy paint jobs and other attractive cosmetic details that are readily apparent, but how safe are the integral foundations of our over all infrastructure.  One can remember slightly over 20 years ago when the Mianus River bridge collapsed, so what has happened once in the past, similar events can happen in the future.  Thus capital maintenance will probably continue to take up the lion's share of the town budget, since we are an older town, and maintenance tends to cost money.  Maybe to increase the traffic flow for local business, we should extend the pier on the end of Steamboat Road over to Long Island, so more people can enjoy our side of the Great Divide better know as Long Island Sound.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/30/03   Thursday  5:25 A.M.:  Well locally the local political election is heating up.  I guess it must be a close election.  I always encourage people to vote republican since most of the time Greenwich is a republican town, except for when large numbers of republicans are away on other business.  I suppose they could vote absentee ballot.  Thus when the republicans are busy elsewhere the democrats try to move in and profiteer.  Since one of the more established families in town is republican affiliated with the Exxon oil corporation, I have always considered Greenwich to be an Exxon company town, so what is good for Exxon is good for Greenwich, Connecticut.  Of course since the town of Greenwich is quite established and since established businesses always have predators trying to undermine their business, the established majority in the republican party in town tends to  keep track of whom supports their republican politics or not. Thus if one works for such an established group or one of their many business affiliates, and if one voted or supported the other democratic party, one more than likely would find themselves no longer employed by the republican establishment, and one would only be left with the alternative of seeking employment elsewhere in whatever minor fields the democratic party seems to earn their income from.  Having researched both groups extensively, the republicans seem to be far more successful in business, so they can afford to live here.  Since the position of First Selectman only pays about $40,000 a year, people try to get the job, so they can control the town agencies such as the police force and town municipal contracting which is probably quite lucrative for the sub contractors the town employs.  Also the town of Greenwich has a quite large retirement fund, so various individuals and groups fight to control it.  Thus there is real money at stake, and the republicans seem to be more conservative at managing money and keeping a close fiduciary eye on the financial budgets and funds.  A great many of the democrats only seem to be capable of throwing interesting cocktail parties, but whether they actually have fiduciary responsibility is still up to question.  In my extensive research, a number of them were involved with fiduciary mismanagement that preceded the 1929 stock market crash, and they actually managed to profiteer and escape prosecution because of their elected political positions.  I think the world is a bit smarter today, and although there are a lot more investors out there today, individuals whom have suspect track records of fiduciary misconduct should be questioned no matter what their current public relations are.  However, more than likely since they are semi public individuals, other parties of unknown repute and unknown political connections could more than likely be pulling their political strings.  In my simple research a lot of the established money people in America got their start by barrowing the money from the Rothschild Bank in Europe whom in turn barrowed money from the Kaiser of Germany, so it would be safe to say they are German agents of financial influence.  However, like wise other agents were able to barrow money from the House of Morgan, and more than likely both parties were in collusion in terms of domestic and international finances.  There is real money in this town and in the United States, and there are real investors from all around the world, and how they invest in the political spectrum of matters frequently determines how their investments perform and whether they will continue their investments.  Thus although some of the local foreigners do not vote in local elections, they are certainly involved in the financial affairs of the town and the area in general.  More than likely off shore financial institutions are also pulling some strings.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/30/03   Thursday  4:05 A.M.:  I had a call from a friend about 9 P.M., but I did not answer the telephone because I was tired.  I was up at 3 A.M..  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, pineapple orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I watched some television briefly.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/29/03   Wednesday  4:35 P.M.:  I will now shut down the computer.  I will go to bed soon.  I enjoyed a quiet day inside for a change.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/29/03   Wednesday  4:10 P.M.:  When I was chatting with a local yesterday down on the waterfront on Steamboat Road, I told the other person what another local had told me, which was that in February 1982, when it was 24 degrees Fahrenheit below zero here, Greenwich Harbor was frozen all the way out to Island Beach, not Long Island which would be another ice age.  Of course in the good old days at Lake Forest College www.lfc.edu where it is a bit colder, the shore of Lake Michigan would freeze out a bit further and would look a bit like the artic.  I had one roommate whom claimed to be a White Russian prince whose family had escaped from the Bolshevik revolution, and it was that same roommate that I visited in St. Thomas in the fall of 1972.  I recall he went to Beloit college, and I think his father attended Yale college, so his family was known back east.  Of course, like a lot of people at Lake Forest in that neck of the woods, there were a lot of cold weather people.  I think Lake Forest College must have had some Finnish people, since the architecture of the gymnasium was laminated hard wood beams, and it had a about a dozen Finnish sauna baths.  It was more of a Nordic college such as St. Olav's college in Minnesota, which is a bit colder.  Thus when I got the chance to visit Europe in the winter of 1972, it was considerably warmer, more like the Manhattan area.  Of course in a colder climate, one tends to do a bit more studious since one spends more time inside reading and writing in the colder temperatures.  However, sooner or later, one has to go out for a walk or to see if the car starts.  I recall on some of the colder days, we did enjoy a nip or two of alcohol.  I use to carry a flask to the outdoor hockey games at the outdoor skating rink at the Winter Club.  I also helped the student volunteers build the new indoor ice rink by helping level the freezing pipes with Lincoln pennies.  I recently wandered if the steel pipes and the copper Lincoln pennies and the welding material might have created some sort of catalytic effect  over time.  Still, the rink pipes were suppose to be level, so when they froze the ice it was a uniform density.  As I recall they poured cement over the pipes to create a base which after it set they added the water for the ice.  I actually missed the old days of standing on the snow banks outside nipping from my flask while I watched my friends fight it out at the skating rink in a typical game of ice hockey.  Actually Lake Forest College was good enough at ice hockey that they actually played Notre Dame in their league.  Of course over the years, as I became involved with other activities after I moved away from the Boston area, I lost interest in ice hockey, but I certainly spent enough time out in the cold weather.  I only ice skated a few times in my life.  I think I originally ice skated on the pond at Baldwin Farms here in Greenwich, a couple times at the Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut, once at Lake Forest College, once at the Omni Rink in Atlanta, Georgia, and as I recall the last time I ice skated was at Rockefeller Center before I went to Norway in the winter of 1983.  I did occasionally take a couple friends over to the local ice rink in my back yard, but I do not recall ever skating there.  Still, if one has a pair of strong legs and a bit of coordination, it is not too difficult.  Also once at Lake Forest College, I jumped through a hole in the ice in Lake Michigan, and I briefly splashed around in the water before climbing out which can be very dangerous, since one can quickly go into shock.  Of course most all the years up north, when ever I went outside I usually had wet hair from showering to clean up, so I frequently would have frozen hair in the winter which quickly freeze dried.  I have never really worn a winter cap, except on the coldest days.  I have visited a number of mountain resorts over the years, and if one is from up north, they really are not much colder, but they frequently are a lot more expensive.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/29/03   Wednesday  3:35 P.M.:  It was reported in the Greenwich Times last week that Tod's Point beach will still require auto permits for entry until December 1, but any visitors walking or riding bicycles will now be allowed entry free.  Of course, I believe starting December 1, it is open to the general public in vehicles and of course the dog walkers.  Of course any people coming out on the train from the city to Old Greenwich to walk to the beach, I would say it is about a two mile walk from the train station to the beach, and then another three miles around the park perimeter, and then it would be another two miles back to the train station, so it would be basically about a seven mile excursion.  Of course the sidewalks only run about 60% of the way, and the last 40% of the way to the entrance is a rather narrow road, so one would have to be traffic cautious.  Of course November and December are suppose to run 4 degrees colder than normal with increased snow fall according to www.almanac.com , so I am not sure how much beach traffic there will actually be, except for a few Canadians and Nordic people thinking this is the tropics and maybe the stray wolf.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/29/03   Wednesday  3:20 P.M.:  I went through my email.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/29/03   Wednesday  3:10 P.M.:  I did not rest.  I chatted with a relative.  For my last meal of the day, I had the same salad as usual www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm .  I just chatted with a friend.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/29/03   Wednesday  12:40 P.M.:  I gave a copy of the November and December Greenwich tide charts to a neighbor.  I put the other copy in the back seat of the Hyundai.  I guess I will now put the computer back on standby and rest a bit.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/29/03   Wednesday  11:55 A.M.:  I rested a bit.  I finished off the container containing three scoops Edy's low fat strawberry swirl frozen yogurt.  I do not drink liquor except for a little bit of wine occasionally, but I do keep it around for entertainment purposes, which means it never gets used, and it is kept in reserve for special occasions and colder weather like Red Cross emergency supplies.  I know when people come from warmer climates into colder climates, they frequently need an alcoholic drink to feel warmer, which is not really the case, because one actually is still just as cold.  However, for those of you whom do not drive automobiles are use mechanized equipment, and still feel free to use and consume alcoholic beverages, I noticed a bargain the other day.  Across the street from Smokes for Less in Byram on the north side of the street on the corner, I noticed in the liquor store window a sign advertising Captain Morgan 1.75 liter bottles of Puerto Rican rum for $21.95.  I checked with VarMax liquor pantry across the border on U.S. 1 in Port Chester, New York at 1-914-937-4930, and they sell the same bottle for $28.95 thus it is pretty good deal on the Buyrum side.  A few years ago, I noticed because of the tax structure between New York and Connecticut, wine is cheaper in New York and hard liquor is cheaper in Connecticut.  Since it is suppose to downpour rain soon, I am staying inside because with my arthritis, I am not very good in rainy weather.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/29/03   Wednesday  10:15 A.M.:  Well, I chatted with a relative.  I had three 1/4 inch by 1.5 inch by 1.75 inch pieces of Vermont extra sharp cheddar cheese along with some iced tea.  I will now put the computer on standby, and I will rest a bit.  The rain showers are suppose to lighten up about 3 P.M. this afternoon and be become mostly cloudy around 6 P.M. this evening.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/29/03   Wednesday  8:55 A.M.:  Basically one can not do much of anything in the United States without money except read and walk.  Local families here in Greenwich became successful in politics because the allied themselves with more private families whom seem to have money because they were successful in the private enterprise system in the United States of America and International Business.  The Bush family a small few of whom remain locally were involved in business with the Harriman family of railroad fame whom also went into politics.  However, in book on W. Averill Harriman, it says the Harriman's primary responsibility was taking care of business maters that the Rockefellers did not want to get involved with.  When a couple of friends of mine were able to afford to spend a few thousand dollars to take me along with them to former President Bush's inaugural, I saw how many tens of thousands of people spend that kind of money to attend such events.  I guess one of the people whom spent the most money was Happy Rockefeller former vice president Nelson Rockefeller's second wife whom was sitting up on the platform at the inaugural with the Bush family.  My two friends whom I attended the inaugural with were not to enthusiastic, since for some odd reason they did not feel comfortable in the large crowds, so we simply had lunch in the basement of the Old Dutch Inn now the Thomas Jefferson Inn, and we watched the event on a small television enjoying cocktails with lunch instead of actually standing out in the cold January weather at the actual event.  Since both of the friends were extremely cold weather people, I found it amusing they did not want to stand out in the cold, but we had a good time anyway.  That same day, we did visit Connecticut representative Christopher Shay's office, and I was enthused to see the statue of Abraham Lincoln in his office while we were sitting there.  I do recall Chris walked into his office, and tried to figure out whom we were, and what we were doing there, but there were so many other guests in the building, that he did not object.  Thus when on vacation in Washington D.C. one can occasionally relax instead of being swept up in the fast pace of U.S. government business.  I was amused that whomever was also staying at the Dutch Inn at the time that there was a limousine in the basement garage that only fit lower size vehicles that had Washington D.C. license plate number "1", which apparently belongs to a private party in the city and not the President.  Since Washington D.C. is basically a southern town during the colder weather which frequently occurs when I happen to visit, they seem to drink alcohol to stay warm.  Of course, on a cold winter's day after standing out in the cold for a good part of the day, I suppose people need to have a "Pick Me Up" to get their systems going again from the bone chilling cold outside during the January month in Washington D.C..  Locally here the Greenwich Times says Barbara Bush visited again yesterday Greenwich Time - Bush tours Greenwich Red Cross building , and I recall seeing a lot of people whom I had not seen in a while, but I just thought simply they were out trying to get out the vote for our upcoming local election, since I had seen a great many of them around other political events.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/29/03   Wednesday  8:20 A.M.:  I ate three bowls of triscuits along with a glass of iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/29/03   Wednesday  7:15 A.M.:  I changed the font in my notes to 10 point, but I am not sure what it was coming up as, since I had my web browser font set to larger viewed font.  I also cleaned up spaces in the text of the current note.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/29/03   Wednesday  6:35 A.M.:  On my first trip to California in October of 1978, I had first hand experience with the Santa Anna winds and the California brush fires which tend to happen when ever the brush builds up too much and in the dry spells with the Santa Anna winds, the brush catches fire and burns over, which is part of the natural cycle of the area.  I heard in the news reports out here that the chaparral has not burned at Camp Pendleton in 20 years, so thus it has been a disaster waiting to happen for a long time.  At one particular time, while we were driving from the San Diego area up to the Santa Cruz area, the fires back then were coming right down to the coast road in Malibu.  I guess that is why Ronald Reagan use to spend so much time clearing brush on his ranch in Santa Barbara having known about the fire threats from too much brush.  At the time the Getty Museum was in danger of catching on fire in Malibu, so there was some concern in the art world.  I guess 12 years ago Laguna had similar brush fires.  Since the Las Angeles area has significantly built up more in 25 years since then, I would imagine a lot of the newer areas are are in areas which were more forested and had more brush.  Still, it is part of the natural Californian ecological cycle, and once the brush has burned over, it tends to be safer for a renewed period of time.  Thus the old time Californians whom are familiar with these events tend to live in adobe buildings with tile roofs which tend to be more fire proof, and they do not plant a lot of landscaping near the buildings which can dry out and become a fire hazard.  One of the oldest buildings in California still standing is the mission church in Santa Barbara, and even when I was there 25 years ago, I thought they had too much landscaping around the building.  Of course shade trees to provide a certain level of comfort on hot California days.  I will now read some of the news stories on the internet.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/29/03   Wednesday  6:10 A.M.:  For many years, I have been walking around Greenwich Avenue in the rain with an umbrella from a Mount Baldy golf course that I bought at the ELDC thrift shop for about $3.  I always thought Mount Baldy was up in the mountains of Vermont.  Apparently it out in the Angeles National Forest and is presently part of the fires on the west coast, and Mount Baldy is currently on fire too.  Their web www.mtbaldy.com does not work.  Since I found a Mount Baldy umbrella here, I suppose it is evidence that people from the west coast of America have infiltrated the Greenwich, Connecticut community and the surrounding area.  I suppose some of them originally came here with the original Reagan group in 1980.  Well, I still have the Mount Baldy umbrella in the back of the Hyundai.  They might try cloud seeding in California to make it rain, but that only works if one has clouds with moisture in them.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/29/03 Wednesday 5:50 A.M.:  I went through my email.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/29/03   Wednesday  5:40 A.M.:  I received email that my Minolta Laser Printer $70 rebate is eligible and being processed.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/29/03   Wednesday  5:00 A.M.:  I was up at 3:30 A.M. this morning.  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, pineapple orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  Yesterday I saw a part time resident who also lives down in Coral Gables, Florida in the winter where the National Hurricane Center is, so one should remember to check www.geocities.com/mikelscott/weather.htm .  For the colder time of year up north, when Florida is not threatened by tropical weather, there is also in Coral Gables, Florida the Biltmore Hotel http://www.biltmorehotel.com/ one of those Vanderbilt Hotels that have been restored for the traveling public.  If one were driving down south, one could also check out www.biltmore.com one of those Vanderbilt homes that now accept paying guests in Ashville, North Carolina.  Of course locally here in Greenwich, Connecticut the Vanderbilts were involved in the founding of the Greenwich Country Club, 1-203-869-1000, but alas that is still a private club, but they have held many community events there over the years.  About 11 years ago, I helped organize a party for the United States ski team there which I did not attend, since I was not invited, but I hear tell, it was quite festive.  Of course the Vanderbilts seemed to have been able to also afford homes in Manhattan, Shelburne, Vermont, Newport, Rhode Island, Palm Beach Florida, and they also are related to Winston Churchill's family the Duke of Marlboro and Consuela Vanderbilt's family in Spain were one of the largest landowning families in Spain, and I think they also had a place called the Eagles Nest out on Long Island, so there is quite a bit of heritage behind that old Steamboat family or whatever business they happen to be involved with today.  Possibly since they were in the railroad business in the westward expansion of the United States, they might be involved with the Wells Fargo Bank or Bank of America and probably also involved with some New York financial institutions which shall remain nameless, since they are too numerous to list at the moment.  For republicans whom are staunch Ronald Reagan supporters, I also found this link http://www.boycottcbs.com/ for the people against CBS for trying to publish anti Reagan propaganda.  Since CBS is the mouth piece for the Jewish left wing socialist conspiracy, I do not think with all the different media organizations anymore, anyone takes CBS seriously anymore, and more than likely people will just dump their CBS or Sumner Redstone Viacom stock.  C.B.S. must be really hurting if they are actually trying to attack the Reagan legacy.  Recently, I have been watching Fox News since it is suppose to be conservative, but I actually find it too liberal.  Ultimately if the voter gets fed up with what they see on the cable television networks, they can quit spending their $50 a month on cablevision, and they can donate the same money to whatever republican or conservative political party they might chose to do so, or if they were truly conservative, they would just save it in a conservative bank for a rainy day fund.  Then they could read conservative books or other education literature, which we actually pay more money to support here in Greenwich than the televised media that is so prevalent.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/28/03  Tuesday  7:40 P.M.:  I will now shut down the computer.  I will go to bed soon.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/28/03  Tuesday  7:20 P.M.:  I chatted with a relative.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/28/03  Tuesday  6:50 P.M.:  I have had two no answer phone calls in the last half hour.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/28/03  Tuesday  6:25 P.M.:  I enjoyed the dinner.  I printed out two copies of the November and December 2003 Greenwich, Connecticut tide charts http://www.maineharbors.com/ct/tidectw.htm .  I will leave one on top of the dining table laser printer and another in the back seat of the Hyundai.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/28/03  Tuesday  5:50 P.M.:  I am baking in the Farberware convection oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit six Stop and Shop frozen fish cakes and 16 frozen America's Choice onion rings and 16 America's Choice mini potato pancakes or tater tots for 10 minutes on each of two sides for 20 minutes total.  I mixed three tablespoons of chilled horseradish with a half cup chilled Heinz ketchup, which I will use for a seasoning with the cooked items.  I will have it all with a glass of iced tea.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/28/03  Tuesday  5:15 P.M.:  I went out, and I went by the Greenwich Hospital Thrift Shop.  I then drove down by the waterfront.  I next drove over to Old Greenwich to Tod's Point, and I took the 2.5 mile walk around Tod's Point.  I then stopped by the Old Greenwich First Congregational Church Rummage Room Thrift Shop.  I bought a pair of small framed tortoise sunglasses with plastic lens and tortoise and brass frames for $2 and a grey EMS glasses case for .50 plus .15 tax for $2.65.  The pair of sunglasses are imitations of the stylist sunglasses that the old guard types such as Commodore Vanderbilt and Joe Kennedy Senior wore in Palm Beach, Florida in the old days.  Many old time celebrities were photographed in similar types of sunglasses.  They are sort of studious looking.  I next sat out for a while in downtown Old Greenwich.  I noticed they have a shop there that sells Church vestments for the clergy and other church attendees.  I then returned to central Greenwich, and I went by the Merry Go Round Mews thrift shop, and I bought an eight inch steel with wood handle wire strainer for $1.  I put it on my pot rack with the six inch strainer and the plastic strainer.  I then sat out for a while.  I next went by the Greenwich Hardware store, and I bought four 5/8 inch flat sheet metal washers for .13 each plus .03 tax for .55 total.  I then walked back down Greenwich Avenue, and I then walked back up to the top with another local walker.  We stopped by CVS.  I then departed at the top of Greenwich Avenue from the other walker, and I returned down to my car, since the meter was due to run out soon.  I sat out briefly.  I then went down by the waterfront.  I gave the set of tide charts in my Hyundai good through December 2003 to a former neighbor.  I chatted with a local from Florida.  I then went by the Greenwich Library, and I read the Greenwich Times.  I next went by the Stop and Shop, and I bought a 10 ounce box of mushrooms for $2.19, and I made a mistake and only paid them $2.19 when they are suppose to be $2.29.  I then returned home.  I received a Christmas gift via United Parcel Service from a relative along with some hand towels.  I put the Christmas gift unopened on top of my old laptop computers in the bedroom.  I took one of the 5/8 inch sheet metal washers, and I opened up the AMD backup computer in the bedroom, and I used it to more securely fasten the Diamond Stealth video card in it.  Since some times PCI cards do not always line up with the case, the 5/8 inch sheet metal washers tend to bridge the gap and secure them more evenly, and they have a smaller hole unlike regular washers, so the computer case screw does not go through it.  I left the other three 5/8 inch sheet metal washers inside my computer tool kit, which I keep on the wicker rack to the left of the primary computer.  I put the new pair of sunglasses on the HP LaserJet IID laser printer on the dining room table with the other sunglasses.  I also have some other glasses in the bedroom on the mahogany bureau to the left of the Lindbergh radio.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/28/03  Tuesday  8:30 A.M.:  I made and ate the same salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm , which I had with a glass of iced tea.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will clean up.  I will then go out.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/28/03  Tuesday  7:15 A.M.:  The audio quality on the Apple Itunes is very good.  I just noticed this today The Advocate - Stamford officials hope Wal-Mart will bolster downtown .  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/28/03  Tuesday  6:40 A.M.:  I just downloaded, and I will now install http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/ .  CIO

Note: <888> 10/28/03  Tuesday  6:15 A.M.:  I am just finishing running the updates on the Dell backup computer.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/28/03  Tuesday  5:50 A.M.:  I went through my email.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/28/03  Tuesday  5:25 A.M.:  I got email that the Ronald Reagan library is all right, and the fire did not hurt it.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/28/03  Tuesday  5:20 A.M.:  Of the three Glade Plug-in refills that I refilled, the only one that went down was the one in the kitchen that happened to be 50% English Leather cologne and 50%  English leather after shave.  Since English leather after shave seems to have more alcohol in it.  I refilled all three Glade refills with 50% English leather cologne and 25% of 70% isopropyl rubbing alcohol until each Glade refill was 75% to 80% full leaving air at the top, since they seem to need a bit of air in the container for them to work effectively. I put the tops on, and I shook the refills to mix the solution.  I put all three in the Glade plug-in holders, so hopefully they will work now.  I guess one could use English leather after shave filled to about 75%, but since I do not have any, I tried it this way.  I will let you know in the future notes, if it works and if the refills go down.  At least I know the refill with 50% English leather cologne and 50% English leather after shave did work.  Of course the one that did work had not been permitted to dry out before refill, so possibly the two that did not work had dried out, and thus they did not work.  It would seem though that once they were remoistened with fragrance that they would work again.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/28/03  Tuesday  4:40 A.M.:  I ate a bowl of Edy's low fat strawberry swirl frozen yogurt before going to bed about 3:15 P.M..  I had a telephone call from a friend about 9 P.M..  I was up at 12:30 A.M., and I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, pineapple orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I went back to bed until 4:15 A.M., when I just got up now.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/27/03  Monday  2:45 P.M.:  I will now shut down the computer.  I guess I will go to bed soon.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/27/03  Monday  2:40 P.M.:  Gates trots out Longhorn CNET News.com .  CIO

Note: <888> 10/27/03  Monday  2:25 P.M.:  Oyster Bay, Long Island Masonic Hall Burns Down .  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/27/03  Monday  1:30 P.M.:  For Bush family information and memorabilia George H.W. Bush Museum Store and George Bush Presidential Library and Museum .  Apparently the Ronald Reagan Library is in danger of catching on fire Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Library and Reagan Library and Museum  and http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/West/10/27/california.wildfire/index.html .  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/27/03  Monday  12:15 P.M.:  I watched the transfer of the International Space Station on NASA TV http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/nasatv/ .  CIO

Note: <888> 10/27/03  Monday  11:20 A.M.:  I updated www.geocities.com/mikelscott/scotwork.htm .  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/27/03  Monday  10:10 A.M.:  I finished going through www.geocities.com/mikelscott/scotwork.htm .  I went outside briefly.  At the moment, it is not raining.  I am making a cup of coffee, which I will drink shortly.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/27/03  Monday  9:10 A.M.:  I chatted with a friend about 6:45 A.M..  I finally got up about 8:45 A.M..  I ate two bowls of tricuits along with some iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/27/03  Monday  5:50 A.M.:  I did a test send email message with the key words in the subject and text, and the message was deleted before it was received.  However, some email with the same key words still gets through, so they must use some sort of way of beating the Rules setting in Outlook Express.  I will now put the computer on standby, and I will rest for a little while.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/27/03  Monday  5:35 A.M.:  I made and ate the same salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm as usual.  This time I put Vermont extra sharp cheddar cheese in it for the cheddar cheese part along with all the other usual ingredients.  I had the salad with a glass of iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/27/03  Monday  4:35 A.M.:  I went through my email.  In the spam blocker and email rules feature of Outlook Express, I had marked a number of key words in my email to delete, but it was not working, so I entered the same keywords with lower caps, caps, and first letter cap.  I also changed my Kensington Wireless mouse to channel 2.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/27/03  Monday  3:35 A.M.:  I installed and selected the defaults for PCWorld.com - CacheMan v5.50 and I also installed and ran PCWorld.com - RegClean v4.1a .  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/27/03  Monday  2:45 A.M.:  Since I am not using the Microsoft Internet Pro keyboard on my primary system anymore, I removed the Microsoft Intellitype 2.1 keyboard drivers.  I still have the Kensington wireless keyboard drivers on my primary computer.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/27/03  Monday  2:45 A.M.:  I ran Norton Win Doctor.  I also ran Ad-aware and Spybot.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/27/03  Monday  2:25 A.M.:  The Kensington Wireless mouse seemed to be a bit sluggish.  I tried uninstalling the Microsoft Intellipoint driver which seems to have been version 2.1, and then I installed version 5.0.  For the Kensington wireless mouse, I selected Wireless Optical Mouse 2.0.  However, it still did not work better.  I then changed both the sending station and Kensington wireless mouse to channel 2 and the mouse disappeared on the screen.  However, when I changed both the sending station and Kensington wireless mouse back to channel 1 again, the Kensington mouse started working properly again.  Well, at least it is not sluggish anymore.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/27/03  Monday  1:40 A.M.:  According to Weather Pulse, we will have rain in Greenwich, Connecticut until this Tuesday morning, so one might as well do a little bit of computer work.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/27/03  Monday  1:30 A.M.:  According to this www.kbb.com  my 1999 Hyundai Accent L with 38,000 miles in good condition as a private party is still worth $2,750 , so it has held its value for a year.  However, they seem to be more in demand, since www.bargainnews.com  lists them now for considerably more.  Of course, with new Michelin tires and dealership maintenance, I have put in close to $1,000 into the car since I have owned it for 14 months and driven it for 6,000 miles, not to mention about $700 a year in insurance coverage from www.geico.com .  I have collision and comprehensive on the Hyundai along with liability and towing.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/27/03  Monday  1:10 A.M.:  I have seen quite few Mini Coopers in this area, and their license plate frames have a web address that does not come up on the internet search engines.  They used to have a dealership on U.S. 1 the Boston Post Road on the Stamford and Darien, Connecticut border.  It is strange there is no Mini web site that lists all of their dealerships in the U.S.A., just www.miniusa.com that does not tell one anything much at all.  Of course they cost close to $20,000; so they are not cheap.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/27/03  Monday  12:20 A.M.:  While studying http://www.21club.com/ , I found this link http://www.opentable.com/home.asp for your dining pleasure.  It says an A La Carte meal at the 21 Club is $51 per person plus tip and probably drinks too are additional.  However, for tourists in Manhattan, I always found the cafeteria at the Metropolitan Museum http://www.metmuseum.org/ was very reasonable, but I am not sure if it is there anymore.  A friend told me, they had turned it back into a sculpture gallery.  I think the same friend said they have a new dining facility on the basement or ground or street level floor now.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/26/03  Sunday  11:30 P.M.:  I had a telephone call from a friend about 9:00 P.M..  We chatted for a while.  I was up at 10:30 P.M., and I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, pineapple orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/26/03  Sunday  2:15 P.M.:  I did some routine computer work.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/26/03  Sunday  1:40 P.M.:  I had two 3/8th inch by 1.5 inch by 1.75 inch pieces of Vermont extra sharp cheddar cheese along with a glass of iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/26/03  Sunday  11:40 A.M.:  I went through some more email.  I had two bowls of Wheat Thins.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/26/03  Sunday  9:35 A.M.:  I went out, and I mailed the letter at the central Greenwich Post Office.  I then walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue.  I sat out at various locations.  I then drove down by the waterfront.  I next sat outside at the Greenwich Library.  I then went by the Exxon gasoline station next to the Greenwich Library, and I bought $5.47 or regular unleaded gasoline at $1.859 a gallon for 25 miles per gallon.  I then went by Smokes for Less in Byram, and I bought a carton of Seneca Ultra Lights 100s for $31 total.  I next returned home, and I drank some iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/26/03  Sunday  6:15 A.M.:  I made and ate the same salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm .  This time I forgot the artichoke heart quarters, and for the cheddar cheese, I used Vermont extra sharp cheddar cheese along with all of the other regular ingredients.  I had the salad with iced tea.  I will now shut down the computer.  I will clean up and go out for some morning activity.  It is warmer this morning, since it is 61 degrees Fahrenheit right now.  I guess Florida fans showing up for the World Series that the Florida Marlins won temporarily brought up this warmer weather.  Remember, the Old Farmer's Almanac www.almanac.com says that it is suppose to be a colder November and December with more snow than normal, so one should be prepared for colder weather soon.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/26/03  Sunday  5:15 A.M.:  I went through my email.  I printed out the information on the Minolta QMS PagePro 1250W laser printer from this article http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,112472,00.asp , and I also included a copy of the rebate information, all of which I put with the manual print out that I have on top of the scanner on top of my primary computer CPU.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/26/03  Sunday  4:35 A.M.:  I wrote a letter to a relative, and I have it all set to mail.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/26/03  Sunday  3:00 A.M.:  I just noticed that the 6 foot Belkin Pro Series USB 2 F3U133-06 cable that I bought at Walgreen's for $17.99 plus tax is $21.99 plus tax at CompUSA and $20.99 plus tax at Staples and $9.99 at Amazon.  Thus one can save money by ordering Belkin cables over the internet, but then one has to pay shipping and handling, and if one is in a rush, one does not want to wait for shipping.  I have always maintained the most profitable items in the computer stores are the Belkin accessory items.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/26/03  Sunday  2:25 A.M.:  Daylight savings time has ended, so one falls back this morning from 3 A.M. to 2 A.M..  Of course most computers do it automatically.  I had calls from a friend yesterday afternoon from 1 P.M. to 1:30 P.M., and the friend was testing his Cingular cell phone, which seemed to be going off line around the reservoirs in Weston, Connecticut, but works fine on the Redding, Connecticut and Bethel, Connecticut border.  I had another call from a relative about 9:15 P.M..  I was up at 12:30 A.M. this morning, and I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, pineapple orange juice, vitamins, and supplements.  I watched a bit of television and rested until now.  It is a bit warmer this morning at 59 degrees Fahrenheit.  I set back all my clocks and watches.  I still have to adjust the Hyundai dashboard clock.  Locally, it is suppose to be cloudy this morning and rainy this afternoon, so I guess I will go out at first light at 6:18 EST http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=06830 .  CIO

Note: <888> 10/25/03  Saturday  12:05 P.M.:  I ate a bowl of wheat thins, which I had with some iced tea.  I did some regular computer work.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/25/03  Saturday  10:55 A.M.:  I went out, and I walked the lower section of Greenwich Avenue, and I sat out at various locations.  I then went down by the waterfront.  I next went by the Greenwich Hospital Thrift Shop.  I then went by the Greenwich Library, and I read the Greenwich Times.  I next went by the Stop and Shop, and I bought a 10 ounce bag of fresh spinach for $1.50 and two red Bermuda onions at $1.29 a pound for $1.20 for $2.70 total.  I then returned home, and I had a glass of iced tea.  I then vacuumed the apartment.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/25/03  Saturday  7:50 A.M.:  I will now put the computer on standby, and I will go back outside.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/25/03  Saturday  7:30 A.M.:  I finished reading the Minolta laser printer manual.  I ate a bowl of wheat thins with some iced tea.  It is 31 degrees Fahrenheit outside, and it is about 72 degrees Fahrenheit inside, although as usual it is a bit drafty.  I just recalled when I was active in the young republicans at Lake Forest College, after I graduated I tried briefly campaigning for Richard Nixon on the streets of Chicago during his fall 1972 campaign, but I was intercepted by a democrat, and we drove down to Jacksonville, Florida and from there I visited a roommate from college at St. Thomas, the Virgin Islands, and I then returned to living downtown in Chicago for a few months, and then I returned home to Boston, and after the first of the year in 1973, I moved in with my sister and her fiancée to the upper east side of Manhattan, and it was quite difficult dealing with all the democrats in Manhattan on a limited budget, so I moved back home to Greenwich around July, 1973, when my parents moved down here from Boston.  Thus I learned very quickly that this area tends to be a bit warmer than Chicago, which basically has ten months of winter and two months of summer.  Basically, somebody that I knew went to quite a few republican events, but since I was on a limited budget, I could not afford to go to them.  I did learn when one heads down south and into the Caribbean, there tend to be more democrats.  I suppose I could have returned back to my paternal grandparents hometown in Champaign, Illinois where down state republicans tend to rule, but I had majored in Economics, so I initially wanted to go into business and finance.  However, around May through July of 1973, I worked briefly at the Columbia Broadcast Company's CBS's broadcast center on West 57th Street as a clerk typist, so this peaked my interest in keeping a keener eye on the news.  I learned while there, by 7 A.M. in the morning, the C.B.S. news stand sold out of the New York Times, so as Walter Cronkite use to say, a half hour C.B.S. news broadcast use to be only two and a half columns of the New York Times.  I kept up my interest in the news by going into Manhattan regularly about 11 P.M. to pick up a copy of the New York Times at the news stand at East 54th Street and 2nd Avenue where it first came out.  Well, once I started traveling a bit, I would still try to keep up with the news, and in Nantucket, Key West, and around the New York area, I would try to read the New York Times until about seven years ago when I got on the internet.  Thus once I had mastered computers and their operating systems and programs, I went back to reading the news, but with more focus on technology.  Thus I have changed with the times, but reading the stories on the internet, I do not get the in depth coverage that I use to get out of the printed media.  Still, I am instantly aware of what is covered compared to the days when I did not even have a television or when I subscribed to the Economist magazine, and its news was two to three weeks old.  I use to read the New York Times in the Key West and the Nantucket libraries, and I did read it in the Greenwich Library, until I got on the internet.  One of the regular fishermen in this area in the summer use to deliver, the New York Times in this area, and he gradually took up more fishing and the internet, when fewer and fewer people subscribed and bought the printed edition.  Still, with access to the Greenwich Library, I have more than enough ample reading material.  I think this Sunday morning, we fall back an hour from 3 A.M. to 2 A.M. ending daylight savings time, so it will be lighter earlier in the morning.  The sun is up, so maybe I will go out in a little while and check out the morning activity.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/25/03  Saturday  5:05 A.M.:  I will now study the manual for the Minolta QMS PagePro 1250W laser printer http://www.minolta-qms.com/products/monochrome/pp1250W/index.asp .  CIO

Note: <888> 10/25/03  Saturday  4:40 A.M.:  I had the same salad www.geocities.com/mikelscott/salad.htm along with a glass of iced tea.  As you can see, I made up a salad page, and I slightly modified the homemade hummus www.geocities.com/mikelscott/hummus.htm page.  I printed out two copies of the two recipes, one of which I will put on the kitchen cork board.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/25/03  Saturday  3:00 A.M.:  I finished going through my email.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/25/03  Saturday  2:55 A.M.:  Microsoft Money contest http://www.microsoft.com/insider/balance/entries/ .  CIO

Note: <888> 10/25/03  Saturday  2:40 A.M.:  I finished my house cleaning except for vacuuming.  I had some iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/25/03  Saturday  12:50 A.M.:  I went out, and I went by the Stop and Shop, and I bought a six ounce can dry of black California medium pitted olives for $1.39.  I then went downtown, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue.  I also walked the train station area, and I sat out at various locations.  I then drove down by the waterfront.  I then stopped by the office plaza at the train station dumpster area at the lower southeast parking area.  They have now dumped there three computer monitors.  I retrieved a steel keyboard drawer, four power cables, and a ten foot parallel port cable for a parallel printer.  I then returned home.  I put the keyboard drawer underneath the left backup IBM Cyrix monitor on the left side of the bedroom sideboard.  I also put the mouse pad with mice on the right side of the keyboard drawer.  However, the keyboard is too thick, and it does not fit in the drawer, so I left it on top of the monitor.  However, one could put the keyboard on the extended drawer, once it was opened, but not close it with it.  I put the parallel cable and power cables in the black plastic box underneath the right side of the bedroom desk.  I will now eat two Quaker low fat butter flavored popcorn cakes with a glass of iced tea.  I will then start my house cleaning and watering the plants.  I will not do the vacuuming until later in the morning when my neighbors are awake.  This will take about two hours and fifteen minutes to do.  CIO 

End of Scott's Notes week of 10/24/03:

Note: <888> 10/24/03  Friday  9:35 P.M.:  I chatted with a relative.  I will now send out my weekly notes.  I will then put the computer on standby.  I will then clean up and go out for a walk.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/24/03  Friday  9:00 P.M.:  I woke up at 7:30 P.M..  I had a call today from a former neighbor at 1 P.M., and the neighbor wanted me to drive him somewhere to get help for taking his boat out of the water.  However, since I am on a later schedule, I was not able to help out.  I also turned the living room thermostat up to 76 degrees Fahrenheit, and it is now 72 degrees Fahrenheit in the living room part of the apartment.  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, pineapple orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/24/03  Friday  9:15 A.M.:  I finished going through my email.  I think I might rest a bit, so I will put the computer back on standby.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/24/03  Friday  8:25 A.M.:  I am in the process of going through my email.  I chatted with a friend.  I ate the same salad as I have been regularly eating, and I had it with a glass of iced tea.  I put away the ice tea in the refrigerator.  It is sad to find out that Madame Chiang Kai-shek a long time friend of the United States of America and a resident of East End Avenue in Manhattan, New York has passed away at age 105 Madame Chiang, 105, Chinese Leader's Widow, Dies .  However, there is nothing about it in http://www.taiwanheadlines.gov.tw/ , which seems unusual.  I suppose they will bury her with her husband at the Chiang Kai-shek Pagoda http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/taipei/shekmemorialindex.htm or home http://taipeitimes.com/News/local/archives/2000/07/17/44049 .  Madame Chiang Kai-shek passing away marks the end of an era, and she is probably the last of the old guard officials that organized the resistance in World War II.  I guess since so much of the internet technology comes from her homeland, more than likely her people would like some time off to pay their last respects.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/24/03  Friday  6:20 A.M.:  I made my bed.  Earlier, I charged up the Slaymaker million watt rechargeable lantern.  I now keep it on the left most computer monitor on the bedroom sideboard to have it near the charging transformer.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/24/03  Friday  6:05 A.M.:  I resorted and refolded the sweaters and other items in the sweater closet in the hallway.  I also refolded the polo and other shirts that are too small on the top closet shelf in the bedroom closet.  I refamiliarized myself with my winter and colder weather outer gear in the right living room closet, and I have quite a sufficient amount of it.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/24/03  Friday  5:20 A.M.:  Of course I still have two pairs of blue jeans that still fit.  I am now starting to make up another batch of iced tea www.geocities.com/mikelscott/icetea.htm .  This time I am using one bag each of the five types of Twinings tea in the five different type package, eight Master Choice tea bags, four Salad green tea bags, and three Bigelow orange pekoe tea bags four 20 different types of tea bags with the usual mixture of other ingredients.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/24/03  Friday  5:00 A.M.:  I think most all of the pairs of shoes are about size American 9 1/2 C, but some might be size 9 C that have stretched out a bit.  One pair that have never been worn are in the bedroom are a pair of medium brown custom made English dress tie shoes that were made in England, and I bought them about 14 years ago for about $20 in the Greenwich Hospital Thrift shop, and I would dare say today, they would cost over 200 English pounds sterling if one had them custom made in England, but when I found them they happened to fit me.  Of course since I have put on so much weight in recent years, although in the last six months, I have lost 25 pounds, and I am currently about 200 pounds, until I lose about another 20 pounds, most of my more formal country preppy clothes will not fit me, but I do have a black charcoal grey pin stripe Swedish double breasted suit and a Ralph Lauren Polo blazer that fit me at the present weight, but I am not sure if I have any dark trousers or corduroys that fit me at the present weight, but I do have plenty of shirts and khakis that do fit me at the present weight.  Of course, my sweaters might be a bit tight, but I have a couple of polar fleece pullovers that do fit with a great many flannel shirts that also fit.  Still at the moment, I am at my belly button 44 inches and a slightly lower, I am 42 inches around the waist, so I dare say I have a ways to go, until I fit into my waist 32 to 36 inch clothing, thus although I have lost 25 pounds in six months, none of it seems to have come off my waist.  However, I do seem to fit into waist 40 inch clothing now.  I do have a number of pairs of casual summer linen and cotton slacks that do fit me, and one never knows what one will find in one's closets that one has forgotten about that might fit.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/24/03  Friday  4:30 A.M.:  I wiped with a damp cloth and saddle soaped and brushed with the dark shoe brush 18 pairs of the darker shoes, and I wiped with a damp cloth and saddle soaped and buffed with a dry cloth 9 pairs of the white or light shoes for 27 pairs of shoes that I conditioned, which I do on an annual basis usually before winter when the conditions are damper to protect them in the damper weather.  I also have  two pairs of house slippers, espadrilles, canvas sneakers, and flip flops for more casual use, which do not require cleaning, thus I have 33 pairs of shoes.  On of the dark pair of shoes is a pair of Alpine snow boots one shoe with a faulty side zipper which come in handy for snow.  I have a great many pairs of walking shoes and sneakers along with dress shoes and dock shoes and casual shoes and a new pair of Bass Clark dock shoes that I have never worn, so I am well prepared in the shoe department, but I frequently wear the same shoes all the time, because in the rush to get dressed, I frequently forget to rotate the shoes that I wear, and the few pairs that I frequently wear are quite comfortable, and a number of pairs of shoes that have not been broken in tend to be uncomfortable, so I will have to try to rotate the shoes that I wear more often.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/24/03  Friday  2:40 A.M.:  Well, I have three dozen or more pairs of good quality shoes that I will now wipe with a damp cloth, and then clean and polish with Kiwi saddle soap which should take the better part of two hours.  I apply the saddle soap with a damp cloth and after it is dried in fifteen minutes to a half hour, I buff them with a shoe brush.  Well, I will put the computer on standby, while I get to work on the shoes.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/24/03  Friday  2:30 A.M.:  Of course the town motto of the town of Greenwich is "frugality and fortune" which when translated into the English speaking language mean "Penny Thrifty and Pound Foolish".  I suppose some people are so thrifty, they do not have any garbage, and thus they do not need to throw out anything.  However, having known some people whom have been hired to work for people organizing their lives, they frequently end up throwing out a lot of items that are hazards in the household environment.  Thus if one does not watch the liberal television medium too much, one can always find ways to keep busy around one's own household and environment, until one happens to stumble across more instructive media on the television receiver.  Of course some people have to learn from experience, so thus some people do not know where to even begin.  Even on the computer, I spend so much time reading and writing on it that I frequently forget other equally important household routines.  Well, it 36 degrees Fahrenheit outside, and I seem to be up for the day, so I can either work on the computer or try to figure out other ways to keep busy in the morning.  I use to write a relative a letter every week or two, but since I chat with that relative regularly now, I have not been writing much in the last ten months.  I noticed today when I was in the Merry Go Round mews thrift shop, which is one of those typical New England colonial farm houses, it was very warm and comfortable, unlike the drafty environment that I have become accustomed to living in currently.  Of course a cooler environment is suppose to be healthier.  Of course since it is towards the end of the month, I am lower on disposable income, so I will have to figure out ways to keep busy without spending too much money, which is much the case at the end of every month.  However, if one happens to still have funds available, one frequently finds more bargain items in the thrift shops at the end of the month, when the general public tends to be less affluent.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/24/03  Friday  1:45 A.M.:  I was up at 12:30 A.M..  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I was just remembering some simple facts about the Lake Forest College www.lfc.edu young republicans group while I attended Lake Forest College.  It only consisted of seven people, and we only met for a small cocktail party about once or twice a year.  We did not keep minutes or records, we would just have informal discussions.  In terms of security, we were sort of secret group like the Skull and Bones club at Yale.  Although there were seven members, every member only knew the name of two other members, so no one member of the Lake Forest College young republicans knew more than two members or for that matter all of the other members.  Of course each member could organize sub chapters of the club, and I recall that one of the members that I knew held a lot of subchapter young republican activities.  The other member I knew was friends of the Howard Hughes group, since Howard Hughes attended his sister's wedding.  He supposedly died about 17 years ago, but like anyone knows with Howard Hughes network, he could be living in seclusion somewhere not wanting to be bothered.  Of course before attending Lake Forest College I was active in republican functions such as stuffing envelopes and attending meetings.  The local republicans here in Greenwich do not think I am very important, since I did not attend a Ivy League college, but having attended a prep school named after the Taft family of President Taft fame, more than likely there were a couple of republicans there whom I do not want to bother, since it would be considered a departure of school decorum to mention their names.  In other words, we try not to name drop.  I do recall knowing all of the members of the Lake Forest College republican group from other school functions, which might have surprised other members.  I vaguely recall two brothers were also in the group.  Of course since we frequently had guests at the functions, not all of them were regulars.  I recall once one of the twin brother's of a primary member showed up at a republican function, and it created quite a bit of confusion, since he tended to be more of a playboy when his brother was more of a scholar.  Whatever, the case since the Midwestern people work so hard on the east coast supporting the people on the east coast of privilege whom seem not to have to work, frequently the Midwestern republicans do not have time or inclination to organize any functions in this area, but I am sure they are informally networked.   I recall in the 1978 period when the Bush family were becoming more active in politics, everyone in Kennebunkport whom lived there had Kennebunkport dump stickers on their cars, so on Saturday morning they would get together at the dump and talk politics, and frequently the guy that was elected was the one that attended the most Saturday morning dump meetings regularly.  However, here locally I am usually doing my house cleaning on Saturday, and I do not generally need to go to the dump, since we have a dumpster outside of our building.  I do know of one conservative old guard gentleman in Old Greenwich whom still takes his garbage to the dump on Saturday mornings with a little trailer that his grandson built for him.  Maybe his grandson will go into politics some day.  Of course it is the nature of a dump with all the debris and dangerous items around, one could more than likely end up with a flat tire, and not end up going anywhere until one obtained some sort of assistance.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/23/03  Thursday  5:05 P.M.:  I had 15 triscuts earlier.  I went back out, and I went downtown.  I went by the Merry Go Round Mews thrift shop, and all of their clothes are half price.  I then went by the Greenwich Hospital Thrift shop, and it was quite busy.  All of their art work and books are half price.  I next made my 3 P.M. appointment.  I then returned home.  I had a glass of iced tea and ten triscuts and thirty wheat thins.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/23/03  Thursday  1:25 P.M.:  Well, it is a brisk 41 degrees Fahrenheit outside right now, but since it is a clear dry day, I think I should go back out and enjoy it.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go back out to the great outdoors of commerce.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/23/03  Thursday  12:50 P.M.:  This article on the new anti spam legislation FOXNews.com - Politics - Senate Votes for Tough Spam Limits .  I get about 50 to 100 spam email messages a day, which are quite an annoyance, and although my internet service provider www.optonline.net tries to block spam that many still get through.  I also set up my Microsoft Outlook Express Email program to filter out the spam by keywords in the text of the messages, and it does not work, so obviously the spammers have figured out how to bypass that system.  I do not consider my weekly notes spam, since I only send them to 17 individuals, and I actually work quite hard to produce them, and anyone whom wants me to remove them from the list, I will cheerfully oblige.  I just keep the log of my notes, since it was useful when there were a lot of technical problems in the old days.  Now it is more a commentary of my every day ordinary existence in a rather spectacular suburb by American standards on the working side of town to prove that although I do not hold a steady job, I have always managed to keep busy.  Thus it is my own way of volunteering on my limited budget on my hours, which frequently are nocturnal.  Although, I might recommend bargains I find, I am personally not selling any products or services on the internet, and since I have a limited inventory of items in my apartment, I am not trying to sell anything on Ebay either, since anyone can find the same general merchandise in thrift shops and tag sales in their own locatons without having to send it around the world and increase the revenues of the United States Post Office, United Parcel Service, and Federal Express.  Possibly if one tried to gain access to the high security area nearby me called the Holly Hill waste disposal center, one might find a larger variety of items, but I think one needs a residence disposal permit to gain access, and I am personally afraid of going there because I really do not want to bring any more items into my apartment.  The HP 133 Mhz computer sold today at the Greenwich Hospital Thrift shop for $10, but I bet there are better ones at the dump, but they might be missing parts, since frequently people salvage parts out of old computers before throwing them away.  One odd item for sale at the Greenwich Hospital Thrift shop today was a Microsoft wireless keyboard for $15 and a Microsoft Wireless mouse for $10, but the ground station for both items combined was not marked, so it is hard to see how one could buy one or the other items.  Since last week, I got my new Kensington wireless keyboard and mouse for $10 both, I told the fellow looking at them to go to Staples, so hopefully he found a better deal.  Of course the Greenwich Hospital Thrift shop has paid staff along with volunteers and they also have to pay about $8,000 a month rent, so they have to keep their prices a bit higher than flea markets and tag sales and less expensive thrift shops.  Still over time, I have found a large variety of items there without having to drive all over tar nation which can also be expensive in the search for bargains.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/23/03  Thursday  12:25 P.M.:  I watched a bit of television.  I heated in the microwave in a microwave proof container the contents of a 18.5 ounce can of Progresso New England clam chowder, which I had for a midday meal with a glass of iced tea.  I have a 3 P.M. appointment this afternoon.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/23/03  Thursday  11:40 A.M.:  I went out after the last message.  I sat outside downtown for a while.  I then went by Putnam Trust Bank of New York on Mason Street.  I next went by the Greenwich Hospital Thrift shop.  I then drove down by the waterfront.  I then went by the Greenwich Library, and I read the Greenwich Times, P.C. World magazine, and P.C. Magazine.  I then went by the Food Emporium, and I bought a 13 ounce box of Nabisco Triscuits for $2.50, two eight ounce containers of Stop and Shop fat free grated parmesan cheese for $2.49 each, a 17 ounce Boston Market home style chicken and noodles meal for $2.99, a 16 ounce bag of Stop and Shop baby carrots for $1.99, and a quart jar of Smuckers strawberry jam for $2.99 for $15.45 total.  I then went by the Arnold Bread outlet, and I bought two 5.5 ounce boxes of Arnold regular size garlic and herb croutons for .99 each, and a loaf of Arnold 100% Natural Whole Wheat bread for .99 less 10% senior discount of .30 for $2.67 total.  I next returned home, and I had a glass of ice tea.  CIO   

Note: <888> 10/23/03  Thursday  7:55 A.M.:  I sent out some email.  I chatted with a friend.  I will now go out for some cooler morning activity.  I will shut down the computer.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/23/03  Thursday  5:20 A.M.:  I finished going through my email.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/23/03  Thursday  4:55 A.M.:  This concept Wired News: It Came From Beneath the Sea was mentioned in Simon Winchester's book on Krakatoa.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/23/03  Thursday  3:55 A.M.:  I made and ate the same salad as last night.  I am making a cup of cappuccino which I will drink shortly.  I opened up a 36 ounce bag of Food Emporium hazelnut coffee, which I use to fill the Braun coffee grinder and two and a half mason jars which I keep underneath the left side of the dining room table.  I also have three more 36 ounce bags of Food Emporium hazelnut coffee which I bought when they were on sale about 6 weeks ago.  I think I paid about $4.99 a bag for them on sale, about $3 off.  I make the cappuccino by putting about 10 ounces or a full beaker of water in the water part of the right Braun cappuccino espresso machine.  I also have an older model Braun on the left. I fill the coffee holder with about 1/4th ground Italian espresso beans and 3/4th of ground Food Emporium hazelnut.  I heat the water, until the green light comes on.  Then I run about a half of beaker of coffee into the beaker, and then I froth about four ounces of cold milk on the side in the metal frothing pitcher, then I finish running the coffee into the beaker to fill the beaker.  I heat the cup on top while making the coffee.  I then add about two teaspoons of sugar to the cup.  I fill the cup with the coffee from the beaker.  I then add the frothed milk and lightly sprinkle the top with cinnamon, and stir it all lightly.  I will now have it.  One has to remember to clean the frothing attachment every time with water after use, so it does not build up pressure if it is clogged.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/23/03  Thursday  2:20 A.M.:  I ate about ten tricuits before going to bed.  I was up at 5 P.M., and I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I fell back to sleep until about 8:30 P.M..  I watched the Barbara Bush special on CNN from 9 P.M. to 10 P.M. about her new book "Reflections".  I chatted with a friend.  I chatted with a relative.  Since it is 34 degrees Fahrenheit outside right now, I turned on the electric heat in the living room, and I set the thermostat at 74 degrees Fahrenheit, which generally keep the apartment at 70 degrees Fahrenheit.  I just now put the Lasko box fan in front of the air conditioner, and I set it on low speed to blow the heat away from the outside wall window area into the room, which also saves about $20 a month in electricity bills and makes the apartment more evenly heated.  I generally do not turn the heat on the bedroom, until it gets colder.  I moved the model of Buckingham Palace from in front of the air conditioner to the left in front of my paternal grandparents' pictures.  I moved the blue round Swedish glass globe to the left of the two miniature palms on the window sill.  I put the Texas steer horn to the right of the fan and to left of the Queen Elizabeth II coronation picture.  I put the brass framed picture of relatives on top of the Dell backup computer CPU.  I took the blue summer blanket off the bed in the bedroom, and I put on the heavier light blue electric blanket which I do not use the electric feature on because one of the controls is defective.  I still have on the orange bed spread, and I took out the heavy comforter, and I folded it up on the end of the bed, with the light blue summer blanket and the orange and light orange afghan.  I do not turn on the heat in the bathroom ever, since the electric heater uses a lot of electricity for the amount of heat that one gets.  I do leave the bathroom door open, so the heat flows in from the living room.  If it ever gets extremely cold which it does occasionally, I have the two oil filled DeLonghi radiators and two grounded orange extension cords that I can use to connect them up.  I keep the DeLonghi oil filled radiators stored underneath the sideboard in the bedroom.  I ate a Quaker low fat buttered flavored popcorn cake with iced tea.  I cleaned up, and I went out.  I wore a cap to keep warmer.  I took my four snow brushes from the rear hatchback area of the Hyundai, and I put them on the floor of the back seat to have them readily available.  I also keep a towel there for removing moisture from the windows, when I can not see.  I went downtown, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue.  I sat out at various locations.  I then drove down by the waterfront.  There is a 17 inch Dell computer monitor in the dumpster area hidden in the back corner area in the southeast lower section of the lower level train station parking area.  It does not have its power cord, and I do not need it.  I then went by the Food Emporium, but they are closed at the moment, but the staff seems to be there, maybe they are on break.  I just now returned home, and I had a glass of iced tea.  The outside window wall thermometer now reads 70 degrees Fahrenheit and the Barometer thermometer by the hallway reads 72 degrees Fahrenheit, so my usual heating setup seems to be working.  Last night, I also adjusted the Nvidia color setting on my display, so the colors look a little bit more even and brighter.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/22/03  Wednesday  7:50 A.M.:  Well, I am a bit tired, so I guess I will shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  Have a good day.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/22/03  Wednesday  7:20 A.M.:  I chatted with the same friend again.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/22/03  Wednesday  7:00 A.M.:  I went through my email.  I did some regular computer work.  I relaxed a bit.  I just chatted with a friend.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/22/03  Wednesday  2:55 A.M.:  I changed my Windows settings from Best Performance to Let Windows Decide, so the system looks a bit more jazzy, and since I have an AMD XP Athlon 2000 Processor with 768 megs of memory, I guess my primary system is speedy enough to handle the enhanced settings.  I ate 30 triscuits.  When I chatted with a friend today, I mentioned something that had crossed my mind recently concerning the terrorism threat in this area.  The three Ben Laden pronouncements in the last five months have threatened the next time, the terrorism will be a 100 times worse.  However, I frequently do things by second sight or intuition, and in the last news story on the last pronouncement about a week ago, they said his video was 31 minutes long which seems curious, since the Arabs started the concept of mathematics and tend to be precise, more than likely they could have made the videotape an even 30 minutes instead of 31 minutes unless it was a way of sending a hidden message that something would happen on the 31st day which could be a week from this Friday or New Years Eve somewhere in the supposedly threatened areas.  Since the date 911 seemed chosen by design maybe 31 minutes would mean the 31st day.  I am not an expert, but I have no intension of being in Times Square on New Years Eve.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/22/03  Wednesday  1:20 A.M.:  I ate the same salad as last night, and I had it with a glass of iced tea.  This evening when I started my walk about 9 P.M., as I was about to cross the street from the west side of Greenwich Avenue at Arch Street east towards the Senior Center, I stopped like I usually do and waited for any traffic to come to a complete stop at the Stop sign.  However, I was fortunate that I stopped since a blond lady in a 10 year old grey Volvo with New York License plate starting in "AG" came down Greenwich Avenue at about 30 miles per hour and did not stop at the stop sign and continue on through the intersection.  Thus I would have been in some duress, if I had assumed the driver would stop.  I would generally recommend from my 20 years of walking on Greenwich Avenue that pedestrians wait for the traffic to pass by or come to a complete stop before attempting to cross at any of the intersections with just Stop signs, which people frequently do not see them at night.  I have had similar experiences two times before in 20 years.  I sent out this email to various parties, the text of which follows. 

October 22, 2003
 
To numerous parties:
 
As a resident of Greenwich, Connecticut on and off since 1961,
and continually since 1983, I have seen Greenwich Avenue change
much for the better.  I have regularly walked Greenwich Avenue for
the last 20 years mostly for exercise walks.  Thus I have a bit more
experience around Greenwich Avenue than the average resident,
although I no long live in the vicinity anymore.
 
Tonight once again, for about the third time in 20 years, I was almost
run down by a vehicle which did not stop at the stop sign coming down
Greenwich Avenue at Arch Street.
 
I agree with the town policy that having the traffic officers in the
daytime is useful for additional security, however once they are
gone the local residents and walkers on Greenwich Avenue are left
with an increasing dangerous situation as the area becomes rapidly
more and more commercial and the back country area also has more
traffic coming down Greenwich Avenue along with the large number
of drivers whom are not familiar with the area.
 
I would recommend keeping the traffic officers in the daytime, but
once they finish in the evening, there should be stop lights and
pedestrian stop and go lights to control the traffic flow and of course
on Sundays too.
 
I know of one individual whom is near sighted that has been hit
four times.  Also there are a great many elderly people whom live
in the downtown area, along with increasingly large numbers of visitors
and shoppers.
 
Since Connecticut is suppose to be the insurance state, it would seem
that at this point of the town of Greenwich, Connecticut's development,
we have become derelict in not installing traffic lights and pedestrian
walk and do not walk lights on Greenwich Avenue, which could be activated
once the usual traffic officers finish their shifts.  The younger generation
seems fast and swift enough that it is not too much of a problem for them.
 
I am expressing my opinion based on 20 years of walking and observing
on Greenwich Avenue.
 
Sincerely Yours,
 
Michael Louis Scott
71 Vinci Drive
Apt. # 206
Greenwich, Connecticut
06830-2902
U.S.A.
203-531-6754
 
Michael Louis Scott
mailto:mikescot@optonline.net
http://www.geocities.com/mikelscott/
Greenwich, Connecticut U.S.A.

End of email: CIO

Note: <888> 10/21/03  Tuesday  11:25 P.M.:  I had a call from a friend at 2:30 P.M. this afternoon.  I then had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.   I fell back to sleep until 8 P.M..  I ate two Quaker low fat buttered flavored popcorn cakes.  I then cleaned up,  and I went out.  I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue.  I sat out at various locations.  I then drove down by the waterfront.  I then went by the Stop and Shop, and I bought two 14 ounce boxes of Nabisco Wheat Thins for $2.50 each, and two 14 ounce boxes of Nabisco Tricots for $2.50 each, two four packs of six ounce cans of Chicken of the Sea solid white albacore tuna fish for $2.99 each, a quart jar of Smucker's strawberry jam for $2.99 for $18.97 total.  I then returned home, and I had a glass of iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/21/03  Tuesday  8:05 A.M.:  Well, I will shut down the computer shortly.  I will eat two low fat butter flavored popcorn cakes along with drinking some iced tea.  I will then go to bed soon.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/21/03  Tuesday  6:10 A.M.:  I was also sent this link http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/events/officesystemlaunch/ .  CIO

Note: <888> 10/21/03  Tuesday  5:35 A.M.:  Earlier, when I got back from the grocery store and my walk, I ate two Quaker low fat buttered flavored popcorn cakes along with a glass of iced tea.  Of course in the old days, I recall knowing someone that grew popcorn, so popcorn use to be a lot cheaper.  Of course, I broke two teeth about a year and a half ago munching on nuts or popcorn, so I quit eating popcorn and nuts regularly, and hopefully it will help me lose some weight too.  I like the Quaker popcorn cakes, since they do not have the hulls in them, which are easier on the teeth.  One of these days, I will have to make it to a dental clinic or dentist that can service my teeth under my current medical plan.  Of course that probably would require me to get back on a day time schedule.  I suppose with up to a million people working at night in the New York area, they could open a centralized area for night time people to use various services and such, but I am not sure there would be much profit in it.  One could just imagine driving into Manhattan at 3 A.M. to get one's car service or to have a medical appointment or some other service that night time people are not always able to find, unless they go back on a day time schedule.  Of course, if one were not careful, one might be attended by the janitor or whomever happened to be around.  I once called up the White House in the early morning hours about seven years ago when the President was away, and I chatted with a fellow with a distinct African accent, and I asked him where he was from, and he told me he was from Uganda, so I guess even in D.C. when the Chief of State goes out of town, other people show up and take over.  It seems rather curious they can not get full time help from the United States to keep an eye on the place, when the rest of them are away traveling.  I guess like the business world, the modern government is "Laptops Up Up and Away".  Since they changed the flight path for Westchester County airport now that former president Clinton is out of office, one does hear the airline traffic as much, so one can not tell from this location whether there is busy aircraft traffic in the area or not.  I guess the Microsoft people are use to it, since a lot of them live at the end of the Boeing runway beneath the Boeing flight path.  I have a theory a lot of the younger engineers at Microsoft are the children of Boeing executives, just like some of the engineers at IBM might be the children of General Electric executives.  Well who knows, all we get from this perspective is the public relations.  I received this invitation again Microsoft Invitation POPstick.com - Face Your Customer  from Microsoft inviting me to a presentation they are offering in the New York metropolitan area, but alas I do not travel easily around the New York metropolitan area in the day time anymore or even at night anymore.  It would seem more economical with high speed internet connections that they could have the presentation over the internet and be a little eco friendly, but I guess since the Microsoft engineers will travel all the way across country, they feel we should be able to show up for their presentation.  I recently chatted with a fellow on Greenwich Avenue that had the same look as Al Gore, and he was wearing a red Microsoft TechNet polo shirt.  Since he avoided me after I approached him as a customer, I guess Microsoft tends to want to control the environment when they deal with their customers.  However, since I live in IBM's backyard, I have to go by the usual protocols and procedures our local business community has established over the years, so I would imagine in this particular situation, I could be like Ronald Reagan and delicate authority.  If I had attended, I could have worn my Microsoft Windows XP T-shirt they gave me last time.  Alas, I gave my IBM T-shirt to one of IBM's original stockholders whom probably found it amusing.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/21/03  Tuesday  4:15 A.M.:  I went through a recent pile of weekly local newspapers and periodical literature, and I sorted out the supermarket fliers and weekly newspapers, and I organized the recent periodicals that I will keep.  I threw out the supermarket fliers and the weekly newspapers, which I do not read all the time, since the Greenwich Times frequently carries the same news.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/21/03  Tuesday  3:20 A.M.:  Back in the period from 1968 to 1972, I use to run the Lake Forest College www.lfc.edu  Young Republicans, which consisted of about seven like minded individuals whom would throw cocktail parties for like minded individuals and discuss politics.  We were a modest social gathering whom were staunch Richard Nixon supporters attending the college and some of us worked modest jobs in the community.  Suddenly the Lake Forest College young republicans became more influential when one wealthy individual named W. Clement Stone http://www.combined.com/about/business/history.asp  and http://www.suntimes.com/output/savage/cst-fin-terry021.html  whom ran Combined Insurance http://www.combined.com/ attended one of our small gatherings with some conservative older ladies.  I thought he was a billionaire, but he actually sold a billion dollars worth of insurance in a five year period at that time, so for that time he was a well known business man.  If W. Clement Stone is alive today, he would be about 101 years old turning 102 around May 2, 2004 and would be regarded as an old guard conservative.  Unfortunately this article says W. Clement Stone died September 4, 2002, so unfortunately, he is no longer with us http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/CarolASThompson/Stone.htm .  I guess the Reuters news service does not cover much Midwestern news.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/21/03  Tuesday  2:50 A.M.:  I went through my email.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/21/03  Tuesday  2:20 A.M.:  I went out, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue.  I sat out at various locations.  I drove down by the waterfront.  I then went by the Food Emporium, and I bought a half gallon of Florida Natural orange juice for $1.99.  I just now returned home.  As usual Monday nights are pretty quiet.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/20/03  Monday  11:15  P.M.:  I made and ate the same salad as I have been eating recently, and this time I put a six ounce can of solid white albacore tuna fish and four quarters of artichoke hearts along with all the other usual ingredients.  I had the salad with iced tea.  I did not get my walk in today, and since I am use to cooler weather, I will go out shortly for a walk.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/20/03  Monday  10:15  P.M.:  I chatted with a friend and a relative.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/20/03  Monday  8:50  P.M.:  I put away the laundry.  On the day bed, I use for a mattress pad a fitted flannel sheet, which I left on unwashed since it should be cleaned.  I then put on two clean fitted cotton sheets, the top one with a blue and white flower pattern.  I then put on a clean top sheet of a regular yellow and white flower pattern.  Then I put on a summer weight light blue blanket.  Then I put on the thick  heavy medium bright green silk damask comforter that a friend gave me.  Next I put on the white and brown wool patterned Mexican poncho that my parents bought me while visiting Mexico about 37 years ago.  I then put at the foot of the day bed, a folded white summer weight blanket and on top of that the folded blue and grey afghan a relative knitted for me.  At the head of the bed, I put two older feather pillows with clean pillow cases, and on top of those, I put the four foot long beige and rose round bolster pillow, the two 2 foot square large burgundy and blue Navaho pattern throw pillows with the gold and green and beige linen 2 foot by 2 foot large throw pillow on top of those.  Thus the day bed is made up with clean linens should I have a guest or new it to use it for myself, if I had guests using the full size bed in the bedroom.  I have friends in Manhattan, I have offered hospitality too, if they should become uncomfortable in their current Manhattan residence due to any emergency.  I occasionally also have friends whom use the day bed.  I took the black comforter from the end of the day bed, and I spread it out lengthwise along the back of the long green sofa for winter comfort in the colder winter.  I took the light patterned black and white checked comforter from the end of the day bed, and I spread it across the back side of the blue sofa for winter comfort on cold days.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/20/03  Monday  7:35  P.M.:  I put the new WaterPik on the left side of the bathroom sink where the old one like it was.  I left on the red tip, and I have the blue tip in the reserve slot.  I also have a green tip on the left bathroom toothbrush holder.  I cleaned the old WaterPik with an old toothbrush which I keep in the left top bedroom mahogany bureau drawer and Ronson lighter fluid, paper towels and Lysol Island Breeze disinfectant, and dishwashing detergent and hot water.  I did not submerge it in water though.  The used WaterPik looks like new, and it still has the user red Pik in it.  I put it in the box that the new WaterPik came in, and I put it on the right side of the second drawer from the bottom of the mahogany bureau in the bedroom.  I also have an older WaterPik for four missing some Piks on the right side of the lowest drawer of the Mahogany bureau in the bedroom.  Of course the used WaterPik is a bit noisier, since it has been used about four to five years.  Also, since I once a fixed the oldest WaterPik, I know the tubes inside can collect a scum film from the water over time.  I thus use a couple of ounces of yellow mouthwash with the water every day in my WaterPik to keep it cleaner inside over time, but it is good for cleaning the gums and the teeth.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/20/03  Monday  6:55  P.M.:  I was up at 8 A.M., when a relative called who was back home from Europe.  Apparently Europe was very expensive.  The relative had dinner at the Royal Automobile Club in London along with seeing the other sights in London and Paris.  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I went back to sleep until 1:30 P.M..  I ate two Quaker low fat butter flavored popcorn cakes along with a glass of iced tea.  I cleaned up, and I went out.  I went by Putnam Trust Bank of New York on Mason Street.  I then went by the Greenwich Hospital Thrift Shop.  I bought a new four year old model like I already have that I present use two person WaterPik for $12.50 orignally $40 new at Walgreens.  I will put the new WaterPik in my bathroom, and I will clean and save the current one.  They were just putting out a HP 133 MHz computer for $10, which I did not need.  I next made my 4 P.M. appointment.  I then walked the center area of Greenwich Avenue.  I then went by the Stop and Shop, and I bought a package of Quaker low fat cheddar flavored popcorn cakes for $2.19, a 10 ounce box of mushrooms for $1.72, a quart of plum tomatoes for $2.99, a package of President low fat feta cheese at $4.69 a pound for $2.42, 10 ounces of fresh spinach for $1.50, and two Bermuda red onions at $1.29 a pound for $1.72 for $12.54 total.  I then went by Smokes for Less in Byram, and I bought a carton of Seneca Ultra Lights 100s for $31 total.  I then returned home.  Before, I left I put clean linens on my bed in the bedroom.  I am now doing two loads of laundry including washing the sheets from the day bed in the living room.  I have 50 minutes on the day cycle.  I had a glass of iced tea.  CIO 

Note: <888888> 10/20/03  Monday  12:45  A.M.:  I will now shut down the computer.  I will go to bed soon.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/20/03  Monday  12:35  A.M.:  I went through my email.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/20/03  Monday  12:25  A.M.:  I fell asleep until just now.  I ate a few handfulls of jelly beans.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/19/03  Sunday  10:05  P.M.:  I was up at 1 P.M. today when a friend called.  The friend came down to visit an hour later.  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  My guest and I went out, and we drove down by the waterfront.  We then drove over to Tod's Point in Old Greenwich and we drove around Tod's Point.  We then walked around Tod's Point for the 2.5 miles around.  We then sat out briefly downtown.  We then returned back to my apartment.  My guest had just bought new Cingular Wireless http://www.cingular.com/ cell phone service, and he had a new Nokia http://www.nokia.com/ cell phone which came with the service for $40 for 800 minutes a month including free weekend time and free weekdays after 9 P.M..  Apparently Cingular has better and clearer coverage because they use satellites for their coverage.  My guest had a cappuccino.  We chatted a while.  For dinner we each had the same salad as the last few nights, but  this time between the two salads, I split a six ounce can of solid white albacore tuna fish, a six ounce can of pink crab meat, and a tin of sardines, and each salad had seven artichoke heart quarters.  We had the salad with iced tea.  From 8 P.M. to 9 P.M., we watched the special on CNN on George Herbert Walker Bush's military experiences during World War II.  My guest left about a half hour ago.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/19/03  Sunday  7:15  A.M.:  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  The cruise ship the Queen Elizabeth II arrives in Manhattan today after visiting Newport, Rhode Island yesterday http://www.qe2.org.uk/itinerary.html for any of you wharf rats in Manhattan.  CIO   

Note: <888888> 10/19/03  Sunday  6:45  A.M.:  I photo enhanced and enlarged the Reagan's and Bush's picture, and I printed out a copy in black and white, which I put in my photo album, and I printed out another copy in color, which I put in a clear plastic frame, and I put it above the kitchen entrance to the left of the brass marlin.  Thus I have another picture of a famous pilot in the apartment.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/19/03  Sunday  6:00  A.M.:  Academy of Achievement George Herbert Walker Bush and Academy of Achievement Photo Credit Reagans and Bushs 1980 .  CIO 

Note: <888888> 10/19/03  Sunday  5:40  A.M.:  Old computer problem Greenwich Time - Garbage in, garbage out: It's not easy -- or cheap -- to trash an old computer ?  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/19/03  Sunday  5:05  A.M.:  I ate 10 jelly beans.  I also have two Swiss flag on top of my primary computer monitor to reflect the origins of the World Wide Web as we know it today http://www.w3.org/ .

Note: <888888> 10/19/03  Sunday  4:40  A.M.:  I went through www.geocities.com/mikelscott/scotwork.htm .  This story says President Bush is going to England to meet the Queen in November Telegraph | News | No palace parade for Bush as Blair gets cold feet .  For any old guard republicans whom remember whom started this republican political movement in the recent decades, one might want to shop at http://www.reaganfoundation.org/store/ .  I should have gone to the thrift shops in Santa Barbara, California when I was out there during the fall from 1978 to 1980 and looked for some collectables.  However, at the time I was on a limited budget, and I only recall buying a sleeping bag which came in handy up in the mountains by Hidden Valley near the Danish town of Solvagne, California which is known for Split Pea Soup.  Speaking of Ronald Reagan, I still have only read about a third of his book, and I am presently one chapter into Billy Baldwin's autobiography.  Well, now that it is cold, I guess I will not being seeing the occasional California license plate around here.  I suppose if one want to keep up with a well networked group of Californians, one could study http://www.hourofpower.org .  When I met Robert Schuller about 17 years ago at the Stamford Town Mall at a book signing, he prayed for me, and life has been getting better, so I guess if I ever get ahead in the world, I could try sending him a few dollars or prayers, but at the moment, I am still involved with a lot of expenses in maintenance, since my life has become more complicated.  It is certainly not like living in the Great Outdoors or when I had a simple six foot by ten foot basement room in Nantucket up the street from Billy Baldwin with a bunk bed made out of a few two by fours and one chest of drawers and a old TV with nothing on it, but "No Time for Sergeants" and "Our Miss Brooks".  Thus life seems to have become more complex even on my present low budget status in Greenwich.  Although I pay $46 a month for the Cablevision Optimum package, I usually only watch it while having my breakfast coffee.  I tend not to watch too much television, thus I figure out other ways to keep busy with minor chores.  CIO 

Note: <888888> 10/19/03  Sunday  3:40  A.M.:  I went through my email.  I tried to setting up some rules in the email to eliminate some of the spam.  I also blocked some email addresses of spam senders, which is probably not effective since they change their email addresses all the time.  I also used the remove option in some of the email that had that option.  I will see if the spam decreases.  I finished off the 9 ounce can of Walgreen's smoke almonds, and I also ate 20 jelly beans, so I guess I had a late night feeding frenzy.  CIO 

Note: <888888> 10/19/03  Sunday  1:45  A.M.:  I ate 25 smoked almonds.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/19/03  Sunday  1:20  A.M.:  Well, it has been about 6,000 miles since I had the new Michelin tires installed on my Hyundai a year ago on Labor Day.  I have the original receipts and a copy of them.  I will put the copy in the glove compartment, but I might already have one set there.  I will need it to show to Sears for the free tire rotation which one is suppose to do every 7,000 miles according to Michelin www.michelin.com , which would be in about another thousand miles.  I tested my battery the other day by starting the Hyundai with the lights turned on, and the battery still seems very strong.  Since the battery is original about four and a half years old, and since new batteries are suppose to last 4 to 5 years, and since the most wear and tear on a battery is running them when they are hot, and since I have not driven that much in hot weather, my battery could easily last another year, so I will not be replacing the battery any time soon, unless I should end up needing one.  I still have the Slaymaker Jump Start system fully charged ready to jump start my car should I need to do so.  I noticed that since I looked at it about six months ago, the Sear battery recommended for my 1999 Hyundai Accent has gone up in price from $60 to $100 for their new International Battery model Batteries at sears.com .  Autozone www.autozone.com sells them for my car from $70 to $30 depending on how long one wants them to last, and Wal-Mart had one supposedly for my Hyundai for $40, but it did not seem to be the same size.  Thus I figure since Sears is pretty much everywhere in the USA, I will go to them in about a year when I need a new battery and in about two months, when I need my tires rotated, I will head over to the Sears Automotive Service Center in White Plains, New York.  When I had my new tires put on a year ago Labor Day, the technician did not put one of the hub cabs on properly, so when it fell off and rolled on to the sidewalk across the street from the Galleria just before the White Plains, New York public library, I had to park and go retrieve it across busy traffic.  I was lucky a neighboring driver told me it had come off.  I now have two spare hub caps similar that I bought in the Darien, Connecticut thrift shop in case I ever need them.  Thus when one has one's tires serviced, one should double check one's hub caps are properly seated.  Also, when I got the new tires, they did not put on long valve stems, which is a slightly extra cost.  It never made sense to me why the shorter valve stems are even used if they are too short.  I think I could buy screw on adaptors to make them more easily accessible, but I am not sure if they would affect the tire balance or not.  I guess when I get my $70 rebate on the Minolta laser printer in December around Christmas time, I could go to Sears in White Plains, New York to get my tires rotated and maybe have them check out my Hyundai battery.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/19/03  Sunday  12:15  A.M.:  I ate five more jelly beans.  I will try to keep from consuming them too fast.  In the old days when the automobile race from the garage on East 54th Street in Manhattan to Malibu that was parodied in the movie the Cannonball Race, they used to the code word "gumball" to signal the race would be on, by deductive reasoning the real code word must have been "Jelly Bean".  Well, anyway I plugged the Minolta PagePro 1250W laser printer USB 2 cord into the Microsoft Internet Keyboard on the Dell backup computer, which keyboard has two USB 1.1 ports in back.  It did not work initially since I had the keyboard USB cable plugged into the LAN slot instead of the second USB slot.  It worked plug and play, and I installed the Minolta drivers and status monitor.  I also ran some updates on the Dell backup computer.  Basically the USB 2 cable just reaches the Dell keyboard USB ports, if one slides the keyboard to the far left of the keyboard drawer.  Thus the Dell backup computer is now setup for the Minolta laser printer, but I will leave it plugged into the primary computer unless needed on the backup computer.  I also put the Dell backup computer Ezonics USB camera on top of the monitor to the right a little bit between the Swedish and Danish flags which also are to the right of the Canadian, Scottish, and Norwegian flags on the monitor to show our cold weather outlet on the world.  Of course, I still keep the good old USA flag flying in two locations in the apartment as well as two Union Jacks and a Dutch flag and a French flag.  I have a Saudi Arabian Flag that I keep stored in the living room mahogany bureau drawer, which I bought for $10 at the Greenwich Hardware store from the 75% off rack, but I never display it too much, since this winter climate is not really hospitable to Saudis, but they did use to fly the Saudi flag at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan in the old days, since I guess it was warmer there for them.  CIO 

Note: <888888> 10/18/03  Saturday  11:20  P.M.:  I made the same fall salad that I have been eating since the end of June.  I first took 12 fresh chilled spinach leaves, and I ripped them into two to three inch pieces, and I put them in the lettuce spinner, and I rinsed them underneath cold water.  I then spread them across a dinner plate.  I next sliced lengthwise into quarters eight chilled baby carrots, and I spread them across the plate.  I then sliced into 1/8th inch thick slices a chilled plum tomato, and I spread the slices across the plate.  I used a serrated knife for slicing the plum tomatoes, since it seams to work better.  For the other items, I just use a standard chef's knife.  I then put three double tablespoon dabs of the chilled homemade hummus on the plate in three evenly spaced locations.  I then put eight black chilled pitted California olives evenly spaced across the plate including one each in each dab of hummus.  I next diced a quarter of a chilled red Bermuda onion, and I spread the pieces across the plates.  I then sliced into 1/8 inch thick slices four chilled medium washed in cold water mushrooms, and I spread them across the plate.  I then added about 20 Pepperidge Farm fat free generous cut Spicy Italian croutons.  I then opened a chilled six ounce can of solid white albacore tuna fish, and I rinsed it with its lid on underneath cold water squeezing out the water about a half dozen times.  I then flaked it with a fork into small pieces about 1/8th inch to 1/3 inch in a bowl, and I spread it across the salad.  I then added six chilled artichoke heart quarters evenly spaced.  I next sliced with the cheese slicer from a chilled bar of Kraft Cracker barrel 2% low fat extra sharp cheddar cheese four 1/4 inch by 1.75 inch by 1.25 inch pieces, which I then sliced into 1/4 inch wide strips, and I spread them across the salad.  I then cut from a bar of chilled President feta cheese two 1/4 inch by 1 inch by 4 four inch pieces, which I broke into 1/4 inch or smaller chunks with the cheese slicer, and I spread the pieces across the salad.  I then spread around about two tablespoons of chilled Stop and Sharp low fat grated parmesan cheese topping.  I next spread across the salad about 1.75 ounces of room temperature Italian balsamic vinegar and about 1.75 ounces of Italian olive oil.  I then seasoned the salad with ground black pepper and salt.  I had the salad for dinner with iced tea.  After dinner, I opened the 14 ounce bag of Starburst sugar free jelly beans, and I put them in the Steuben like bowl with the silver rim just to the left of the Nantucket ashtray on the far right front of the living room mahogany bureau.  I ate three of the jelly beans.  I forget which colors.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/18/03  Saturday  10:00  P.M.:  I went out after the last message.  I went to the Exxon gasoline station next to the Greenwich Library, and I bought $7.15 of regular unleaded gasoline at $1.879 a gallon for about 25 miles per gallon usage.  If anyone happens to be Royal Dutch Shell customers, I noticed the Texaco station on East Putnam Avenue at Sherwood Place across from the shopping center next to the YMCA is now a Shell station.  I think the Exxon station and that station are owned by the same owners.  I next went downtown, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue including the train station area.  I sat out at various locations.  I stopped by CVS, and I bought eight six ounce cans of Star Kist solid white albacore tuna fish at .88 a can and a 14 ounce bag of Starburst sugar free jelly beans for $1.99  plus .12 tax for $9.15 total.  After I completed my walk, I drove down by the waterfront.  I then went by the Stop and Shop, and I bought two packages of 100 each of Salada orange pekoe tea bags for $1.99 each box, a 28 ounce can of Goya chick peas for $1.09, a 10 ounce bar of Kraft Cracker barrel 2% low fat extra sharp cheddar cheese for $2, and two boxes of fives types of Twinings tea bags each box containing 25 bags total for $2.69 each box for $12.45 total.  I then returned home.  I put the Salad tea bags on my right living room closet shelf and all the other items in their usual places.  I had a glass of iced tea along with four Walgreen's smoked almonds.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/18/03  Saturday  6:35  P.M.:  I filled out the Staples Rebate information on the Minolta 1250W laser printer for the $70 mail in rebate.  I have it all set to mail with the needed information.  I also made two copies of the rebate information, which I placed on my laptops by the bedroom desk.  It says it takes about eight weeks, but Staples rebates are generally very quick.  I also filled out the Staples Business Rewards Services form, and I have the card in my wallet.  I also registered the Minolta 1250W laser printer online.  The new Minolta 1250W laser printer works quite fast even with graphics.  It is like I have been living in the dark ages as far as printing for quite a while.  I put the Minolta laser printer box in the false ceiling above the bedroom bed.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will have to two Quaker low fat butter flavored popcorn cakes with iced tea.  I will then clean up, and I will go out.  CIO 

Note: <888888> 10/18/03  Saturday  5:45  P.M.:  I was up at 2:30 P.M., and I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I just finished my house cleaning and watering the plants.  I also cleaned the stove fan filter and the area underneath it, since it all gets dirty when I smoke cigarettes by the stove with the stove fan on for ventilation.  CIO

End of Scott's Notes week of 10/18/03:

Note: <888888> 10/18/03  Saturday  7:35  A.M.:  I will now send out my weekly notes.  I will then shut down the computer, and I will go to bed.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/18/03  Saturday  7:15  A.M.:  I chatted with a friend.  I left the IEEE 1284 non bidirectional parallel cable attached to the parallel port on the primary computer to have handy should I ever need it.  I am microwaving a Marie Callender 13.6 ounce Beef Tips in mushroom sauce dinner, which I will have shortly with iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/18/03  Saturday  6:55  A.M.:  I went out, and I drove to Walgreen's in Old Greenwich.  They have a number of computer supplies on the left wall as one enters the store.  They had a 10 foot USB 1.1 cable for $17.99, but I bought the Belkin 6 foot USB 2 cable for $17.99 and a 9 ounce can of Walgreen's smoked almonds for $2.99 plus $1.08 tax for $22.06 total.  I then returned home.  I started up both computer and the Minolta PagePro 1250W laser printer, and then I connected the USB 2.0 cable to the printer and the front USB 2 port.  The printer is not USB 2.0, but I figured it might be handy to have a USB 2 cable for the USB 2 port.  The printer was recognized plug and play, and I installed the drivers from the CD.  I then ran the CD program to install the drivers again including the Status monitor.  The status monitor showed the printer was online.  Just to be sure, I rebooted the computer, and the printer was still online.  I printed a test page, and it all seems to work just fine.  The page count on the printer is 128.  The USB 2 cable is just long enough to reach the keyboard USB port on the Dell backup computer, and of course one could also use it for a device such as a camera.  My Epson Color Stylus 880 printer is also USB, so technically I could use it with it too, but I will keep it on the Siemens port for now.  Walgreen's did sell a bidirectional IEEE 1284 parallel cable too for the same price, but the USB 2 works just fine.  I will fill out the rebate paper work and register the printer later on today after I wake up and after I do my house keeping.  I will wait until then also to send out my weekly notes.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/18/03  Saturday  5:10  A.M.:  When I rebooted the computer, the Minolta PagePro 1250W laser printer driver would not load.  I tired uninstalling and reinstalling it a number of times.  I also tried configuring the Ports in the CMOS and in the Hardware Port Device Properties.  Although I have the LPT1 port working with EPP and ECP with an IRQ and DMA selected, the printer still would not work.  I could get it working by changing ports and then changing back to LPT1, and it would work, which is not a practical solution.  I think the problem is that although I have a fairly new parallel cable with IEEE 1284, it might not be a compliant type B connector.  Thus I need to use a USB cable.  I uninstalled the Minolta Laser Printer software.  While, I had it working, I printed out the 110 page manual which I put in an Oxford Clip binder.  I will now shut down the computer and disconnect the parallel cable.  I will then go out, and I will check Walgreen's and CVS to see if they have a USB cable.  I will have a couple of Quaker low fat butter flavored popcorn cakes with ice tea before I go out.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/17/03  Friday  11:00  P.M.:  I had two Quaker low fat buttered flavored popcorn cakes this morning before going to bed about 1 A.M..  I was up at noon, and I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I cleaned up, and I went out.  I went by Putnam Trust Bank of New York on Mason Street.  I then drove over to the Oil Star oil change place in Riverside.  I had my oil and oil filter changed along with their other service.  I was charged $31.95 for the basic service and $3.25 for the Castrol GTX 10W30 oil plus .97 disposal charge plus $2.10 tax less a $3 coupon for $37.02 total.  They also replaced my drain plug which had been over tightened the last time last spring it was serviced at Hyundai.  I then went by the Greenwich Hospital Thrift shop.  I next went downtown, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue.  I sat out at various locations.  I then drove down by the waterfront.  I then went by the ATM machine at Putnam Trust Bank of New York on Mason Street.  I then drove over to Staples in Old Greenwich.  I bought the Minolta PagePro 1250W affordable personal laser printer http://www.minolta-qms.com/products/monochrome/pp1250W/index.asp for $159.98 plus $9.60 tax for $169.58 total.  They credited the points to a Staples card that I will fill out the form for and mail in.  More importantly the Minolta laser printer has a $70 mail in rebate from Minolta, so it will eventually cost me $99.58 once I receive the rebate back.  I returned home, and I had a glass of iced tea.  I then moved the Epson C60 printer which is out of ink to the bedroom window.  I put the Epson Color Stylus 880 printer on two stacks of four books to the left of the Dell back computer facing away from the left side of the desk.  By having it on the books, I can have it more securely placed.  I then turned the table around 90 degrees where the Epson 880 printer was, and I left the printer stand on it.  I unpacked the Minolta PagePro 1250W laser printer, and I placed it on the table to the right of the primary computer with its face facing towards the Dell backup computer, with its left side switch within easy reach from the primary computer.  I connected the power cords for both printers to the power strip on the floor in between both printers underneath the table in between the two facing each other.  I stacked up the spare IBM inkjet paper and the legal quality paper underneath the table containing the Minolta laser printer.  I opened a new package of HP LaserJet paper that I had bought a couple of months ago.  I put HP LaserJet paper in the Minolta laser printer.  It takes up to 150 sheets, and one is not suppose to refill it, until it runs out of paper.  Then one refills it.  I have it set to feed the paper faced down, so it will stack them in order.  It holds about 100 sheets of printed paper.  I put the spare HP LaserJet paper in a box in a plastic bag to keep it dry on the dark oak table in between the two printers.  I put my four inches of used paper with various printouts over the years in the space underneath the printer stand underneath the Minolta laser printer.  I plug the up to date parallel cable like the instructions says it requires into the Minolta laser printer and the primary computer ECP parallel port.  The Minolta laser printer also works with a USB cable, but I happened to think parallel might be faster, and I do not have a USB cable.  I turned on the Minolta laser printer with the switch on its left side within easy reach of the primary computer.  I booted the primary computer, and Windows XP recognized it plug and play, and I installed the CDrom with the drivers, and they installed properly.  I am using the LPT1 port on the primary computer, since I could not get the Minolta laser printer to work with the Siemens printer ports on the LAN cable, and also the Minolta laser printer status monitor only works with the LPT ports.  I printed out a couple of test pages, and it works just fine.  It takes about 20 seconds to power up, and it will power down if left unused while turned on from which it takes about 7 seconds to resume.  The printouts were virtually instantaneous.  I still have the HP LaserJet IID and the Epson Stylus Color 880 printers on the Siemens printer ports, so they will also work from the other computers, and all three printers work from the primary computer.  This took a bit of time because I fiddled with the Siemens printer port for a while before deciding to use the primary computer ECP parallel port for the Minolta laser printer.  The Minolta PagePro 1250W printer comes with a half full toner cartridge good for 1500 pages.  A new cartridge good for about 3000 pages costs about $80,  and I mentioned last night that the drum needs to be replaced at a cost of $100 about every 20,000 pages.  Of course at my rate of usage, it will be some time before I reach either of those needs.  I will thus be able to print out more and faster, and I will be able to use all the Windows fonts and rapid printing of graphics.  I will save the Epson Stylus Color 880 inkjet printer which is much more expensive to operate for more special uses.  The Minolta PagePro 1250W laser printer came with a multi language setup guide, but I will have to print out the manual when I have time http://www.minolta-qms.com/support/current_printers/pp1250w_sup.htm#GB .  I have the latest drivers.  I still need to register it online, and I need to prepare the rebate information to send in along with the new Staples point card request.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/16/03  Thursday  11:40  P.M.:  Well, I am a bit tired this evening, since I only had about six hours sleep last night and this morning.  I will now shut down the computer, and I guess I will watch some television briefly before going to bed.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/16/03  Thursday  10:20  P.M.:  I had the same summer salad as last night along with a glass of iced tea.  Before the meal, I chatted with a relative, and I just finished chatting with a friend.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/16/03  Thursday  8:15  P.M.:  I had two Quaker low fat butter flavored popcorn cakes before going to bed.  I was up at 11 A.M. this morning, when I had a telephone call from a relative.  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I watched President Bush's speech from California on television.  I cleaned up, and I went out.  I went by the Arnold Bread outlet, and I bought a loaf of Arnold Multigrain bread for $1.59 less 10% senior discount of .16 for $1.43 total.  I then went by the Greenwich Hospital Thrift shop.  I made my 3 P.M. appointment.  I had the follow up appointment with an intern at the Greenwich Hospital for my cholesterol.  My cholesterol is back to normal with the Lipitor, so the intern wants me to stay on the Lipitor.  He recommended me to quit taking the Niacimide in my daily supplements, which I will do.  I will have a follow up blood test in 6 weeks, and then I will see the intern again a few days after that.  I next walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue.  I sat out at various locations.  I then drove down by the waterfront.  I then went by the Greenwich Library, and I read the Greenwich Times.  I returned home, and I received in the mail my annual renter's rebate which will come in handy for expenses.  For some odd reason, I thought today was Prince Charles' birthday, but he was born November 14, 1948.  I stumbled across this web site which seems to have to do with him and his family http://www.teamhighgrove.com/ , but I am not sure it is royally sanctioned.  I studied the Minolta 1250 W laser printer which is on sale locally at Staples Staples Special Savings Minolta 1250W laser printer $160 less another $70 mail in rebate for $160 less a $70 mail in rebate http://www.minolta-qms.com/products/monochrome/pp1250W/index.asp .  It is both parallel port and USB connected.  It comes with a half full toner cartridge good for about 1,500 pages.   A new cartridge for 3000 pages costs about $80, and every 20,000 pages one need to replace the drum for about $100, so it costs to operate.  This article recommends it http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,112472,00.asp .  However since after the rebate with tax it would only be about $100, but I am not sure how fast Minolta rebates arrive.  Thus since I have the HP LaserJet IID laser printer, which is heavy duty with a fairly new laser cartridge in it, and since I do not actually print out that much except my Scott's Notes every four months, I guess I do not need a new laser printer, and I think I will save the money from my renter's rebate, although I might consider a new Hyundai car battery at Sears when I get my Michelin tires rotated for free at Sears in White Plains, New York in about another thousand miles.  I also need to have my oil and filter changed in about 150 miles at Oil Star.  CIO 

Note: <888888> 10/16/03  Thursday  2:50  A.M.:  I put the ice tea in the refrigerator.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will do some reading before going to bed.  I have a 3 P.M. and 3:30 P.M. appointment today at the same location.  CIO 

Note: <888888> 10/16/03  Thursday  2:30  A.M.:  I went through www.geocities.com/mikelscott/scotwork.htm .  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/16/03  Thursday  2:15  A.M.:  Internet Public Library http://www.ipl.org/ .  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/16/03  Thursday  2:10  A.M.:  PC Magazine: Top 100 Web Sites .  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/16/03  Thursday  1:35  A.M.:  Connecticut emissions testing begins again http://www.ctemissions.com/ .  I am do to have my Hyundai tested starting January 4, 2004.  I guess I will take it to Greenwich Exxon next to the library where I get my gasoline regularly.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/16/03  Thursday  1:10  A.M.:  I finished going through my email.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/16/03  Thursday  12:40  A.M.:  I made up a batch of homemade hummus http://www.geocities.com/mikelscott/hummus.htm .  This time I used the regular ingredients along with two 4.25 ounce cans of crushed California black olives, 1/4 teaspoon of Red Cayenne pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning, and instead of 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder, ground black pepper, and celery salt, I used 1/4 teaspoon of each.  For dinner I had the same summer salad with a can of flaked solid white albacore tuna fish, along with 6 artichoke heart quarters, and instead of Vermont extra sharp cheddar cheese, I used 2% low fat cheddar cheese along with all the other regular ingredients.  I am making up a fresh batch of iced tea http://www.geocities.com/mikelscott/icetea.htm , and this time I am using one each of the five different types of Twinings five type package of tea, 6 Master Choice tea bags, five Salada green tea bags and four Bigelow orange pekoe tea bag along with the other usual ingredients.  I am just about done with the updates on the backup computers.  CIO 

Note: <888888> 10/15/03  Wednesday  10:35  P.M.:  I run the updates on the primary and the Dell backup computers and the AMD backup computer.  I am in the process of running the updates on the HP backup computer, and then I will run them on the IBM Cryix backup computer.  I washed my Icelandic white and brown knit cap with CVS cold water wool washing shampoo, and I rinsed it out, and I hung it out in the shower stall to dry.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/15/03  Wednesday  9:35  P.M.:  I was up at 5 P.M. this evening.  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I cleaned up, and I went out.  I went by the ATM machine at Putnam Trust Bank of New York on Mason Street.  I then went downtown, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue.  I sat out at various locations.  While, on my walk, I stopped by CVS on Greenwich Avenue, and I picked up a prescription at a dollar cost.  I completed my walk.  I then drove down by the waterfront.  I then drove over to CVS at the Riverside shopping center, and I bought two 1.5 liter bottles of CVS yellow antiseptic mouth wash for $4.19 each and a 16 ounce container of CVS cold water wool wash for $1.99 less a $2 CVS store coupon plus .50 tax for $8.87 total.  I then went by the Greenwich Library, and I read the Greenwich Times, and I returned the book on Krakatoa.  I then went by the Food Emporium, and I bought three half gallons of Tropicana pineapple orange juice with calcium for $2.50 each for $7.50 total.  I just now returned home, and I put away my purchases.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/15/03  Wednesday  8:40  A.M.:  I adjusted the color settings on my Vibra web cam.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/15/03  Wednesday  7:55  A.M.:  I installed the Kensington 6.0.2 mouse driver for Windows XP, and it uninstalled the Logitech cordless mouse driver.  I then installed the Kensington cordless mouse driver that came with the mouse, and it still does not resume mouse activity from standby.  However, one can put it back in standby with key strokes and then resume immediately and the mouse works.  I decided to install the Microsoft http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/downloads/default.aspx Microsoft IntelliPoint driver, and I set up the Kensington Wireless mouse for the Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse 2.0, and it all works just fine in resuming from standby.  I would assume Microsoft has better mouse drivers than the Kensington 6.0.2 download, so I will use the Microsoft driver.  However, I can not use the menu scroll box item which I did not use anyway, but I have it setup to scroll, and I can not set the frequency which is not a problem since the mouse runs fine.  I also ran the updates on the Dell backup computer.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/15/03  Wednesday  5:55  A.M.:  I was able to resolve the mouse error when resuming from standby mode for the Kensington cordless mouse.  I tried updating the driver, and it installed the old Logitech PS/2 mouse driver.  Although, I do not have the menu items in the mouse center wheel options now, which I did not use, the mouse and cursor now works when resuming from standby.  I also do not have the settings option to choose the frequency, but the Kensington cordless mouse seems to be working better.  The mouse driver update selected it as the better driver.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/15/03  Wednesday  5:15  A.M.:  I finished reading "Krakatoa, The Day the World Exploded August 27, 1883" by Simon Winchester.  I ate two Quaker low fat pop corn cakes with butter flavor, which I had with iced tea.  I changed a few CMOS settings.  The mouse cursor still does not work when the computer resumes from Standby, so one has to reboot.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/15/03  Wednesday  12:35  A.M.:  I ate a dish of three scoops of Edy's low fat strawberry swirl frozen yogurt.  I will now do some reading.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/15/03  Wednesday  12:05  A.M.:  I watched a bit of television.  I ate three Quaker low fat butter flavored popcorn cakes.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/14/03  Tuesday  10:20  P.M.:  I chatted with a relative.  I noticed last night when I went out and mailed the mailing envelope, I went down by the waterfront afterwards.  I noticed a large brown heron, which some times means tropical storm activity is about to happen.  Thus, although the tropical storm season is not too active at the moment, there are two small tropical disturbances right now, so keep an eye out on http://www.geocities.com/mikelscott/weather.htm .  CIO 

Note: <888888> 10/14/03  Tuesday  9:40  P.M.:  I had the same summer salad as I have been eating regularly with a six ounce can of flaked tuna fish and eight quarters of artichoke hearts along with all the other usual ingredients.  I had the salad with iced tea.  I also drank a 50% Folgers' decaffeinated instant and 50% Folgers' regular instant coffee.  I watched some television.  I chatted with a friend.  CIO 

Note: <888888> 10/14/03  Tuesday  8:00  P.M.:  I had three scoops of Edy's low fat strawberry swirl frozen yogurt before going to bed this morning.  I was up at 2 P.M., and I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I fell back to sleep until 5 P.M..  I ate two Quaker low fat butter flavored popcorn cakes with a glass of iced tea.  I cleaned up, and I went out.  I went by the ATM machine at Putnam Trust Bank of New York on Mason Street.  I then went by CVS on Greenwich Avenue, and I picked up a prescription for a dollar cost.  I then walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue.  I sat out at various locations.  I then drove down by the waterfront.  I next went by the Greenwich Library, and I read the Greenwich Times.  I then went by the Stop and Shop, and I bought a package of Quaker low fat buttered flavor popcorn cakes for $2.19, a 28 ounce can of Goya chick peas for $1.09, two 10 ounce bars of Kraft Cracker Barrel 2% low fat sharp cheddar cheese for $2 each, three 4.25 ounce cans of Stop and Shop crushed black California olives for $2 all, a package of President low fat feta cheese at $4.69 a pound for $2.82, a 5 ounce box of Pepperidge Farm fat free Caesar croutons for $1.49, a 10 ounce package of Stop and Shop baby carrots for $1.50, 10 ounce bag of fresh S&S spinach for $1.99, a 10 ounce box of fresh mushrooms for $2.29 for $19.37 total.  I then returned home, and I put away my purchases, and I drank some iced tea.  I have lost about 25 pounds on my summer salad diet with canned fish such as tuna fish, and I am now down to about 200 pounds, so I plan to keep on the diet.  I exchanged the full Glade Plug-in refill with English Leather cologne  from the bathroom to the kitchen Glade holder, and I put the half filled one in the bathroom.  I guess since the kitchen Glade plug-in has a small fan, it uses up the scent faster.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/14/03  Tuesday  5:10  A.M.:  I worked a bit on editing my volcano favorites.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/14/03  Tuesday  3:45  A.M.:  I finished going through my email and the volcano reports.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/14/03  Tuesday  2:50  A.M.:  I went out, and I mailed the envelope at the Valley Road Post Office.  I then sat out downtown briefly.  I then drove by the waterfront.  I next returned home.  I put the Kensington cordless keyboard and cordless mouse box underneath the left front of the day bed on top of the IBM typewriter.  When I brought the computer out of Standby the mouse cursor did not work, so I had to reboot.  I put it in Standby again, and the mouse cursor worked when I brought it out from Standby.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/14/03  Tuesday  1:35  A.M.:  I did some regular computer work.  I put a mailing envelope together to mail.  I will go out and mail it shortly.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/13/03  Monday  11:40  P.M.:  I had the same summer salad as last night with a six ounce can of flaked solid white albacore tuna fish, but I did not add the artichoke heart quarters.  I had the salad with iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/13/03  Monday  10:40  P.M.:  I put four scarves on the rack behind the entry door to the apartment along with a pair of tan brown leather gloves and my Icelandic brown and white knit ski cap that I bought for $40 in Toronto, Canada 20 years ago, when I was up there before I moved back to Greenwich.  I also put two salmon colored hand towels out, one each to put on the primary computer keyboard and the Dell backup computer keyboard when not in use to keep them a bit cleaner.  On the right brass hook as one enters the bedroom, I put two long underwear tops and three long underwear bottoms to have available for when it gets colder soon.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/13/03  Monday  10:20  P.M.:  I installed the software and drivers for the Logitech cordless mouse and the Microsoft Internet Pro Keyboard on the Dell backup computer.  I put a thin book on skiing with a yellow mouse pad on top of it on the right top most desk drawer to the right side of the Dell computer, so one can easily switch the Logitech cordless mouse from side to side.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/13/03  Monday  9:50  P.M.:  I went out, and I went by the ATM machine at the Bank of New York in Port Chester, New York.  I then went by Smokes for Less in Byram, and I bought a carton of Seneca Ultra Lights 100s for $31 total.  I then drove over to Tod's Point in old Greenwich, and I walked out to the southwest picnic area.  I then stood out for a while at the southeast beach area.  I then went by Staples, and I bought the Kensington Wireless Keyboard and Wireless Mouse combination package for $9.94 plus .60 tax for $10.54 total.  I next walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue.  I sat out at various locations.  During the walk, I stopped by Zen stationary, and I bought for a dollar a scratch card number 28 Tee Time Tripler, but I did not win.  I then drove down by the waterfront.  I then returned home.  I had a glass of iced tea.  I then installed the Kensington Wireless Keyboard and Wireless Mouse on the primary computer, and I installed the software for it.  It all seems to work just fine.  I installed the Logitech wireless mouse on the Dell backup computer, and I also installed the Microsoft Internet Pro Keyboard with USB ports on the Dell backup computer.  I put the Microsoft PS/2 keyboard with the HP backup computer along with the Microsoft PS/2 scroll mouse.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/13/03  Monday  3:05  P.M.:  I rested some more.  If one looks at www.staples.com at their current circular, they have a number of good deals including some free items after rebates.  I will now have two Quaker low salt low fat rice cakes with iced tea.  I will shut down the computer, and I will clean up.  I will then go out.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/13/03  Monday  1:05  P.M.:  Well, I was up at noon.  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I guess since I have invested in Microsoft software, I will continue to use it, although both Microsoft and IBM do not seem to like republicans.  I guess it is the socialist nature of the computer and software industry that most computer and software personnel tend to be liberal socialists.  I have a feeling the traditional land and property owning glass are a bit more conservative.  Obviously they all seem to have a separate liberal agenda, and I suppose much might be the same with AOL.  Basically I do not watch much television either, since it seems to be too liberal and too far out in left field.  Basically the republicans must be doing something right, if the democrats are making such a big stink.  I have a feeling the individuals whom own the telecommunications lines that the internet functions on tend to be a bit more conservative.  It is the nature of private property ownership that people have the right to manage it any way they see fit within the local ordinances of a given community as they are determined by the voting public.  CIO 

Note: <888888> 10/13/03  Monday  1:45  A.M.:  I went through my email.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/13/03  Monday  12:20  A.M.:  Wired News: Open Access? Not Anytime Soon .  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/13/03  Monday  12:20  A.M.:  BW Online | October 8, 2003 | So Much for Michael Powell's Net Vision .  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/13/03  Monday  12:10  A.M.:  I subscribed to some free computer magazines at http://www.freebizmag.com/ .  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/12/03  Sunday  11:30  P.M.:  I chatted with Optimum Online technical support about my recent communications with Microsoft and about the fact that they sent me a virus as a email attachment.  I suggested that maybe somebody is spoofing Microsoft's email server address.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/12/03  Sunday  10:45  P.M.:  The day before I received email from Microsoft Security using a Microsoft email address from an individual whom used to work for the Taiwan government, I received email from another Microsoft address that contained a virus that the Optimum Online email program intercepted and deleted.  Since I consider myself a loyal United States of America citizen, I will let the citizens of the United States of America make up their minds on Taiwan and China.  Personally when I am on the internet, I keep the two small Swiss flags flying on my primary computer monitor, since when publishing to the world, it is better to be neutral.  From what I know about computers, a lot of the computer parts are assembled by the Taiwanese from Chinese parts, so they must have some sort of communications and contacts.  I do know that Ming whom I use to deal with in more expensive computer parts was from Taiwan http://hmcomputer.techgather.com/cgi-bin/shopzone30.cgi/st_index.html and he sold parts in Hamden, Connecticut just north of New Haven, Connecticut.  However, locally here in Greenwich, Connecticut; for about two decades Prescott Bush the brother of former President Bush the father of the current President has been involved in public relations with China and involved in building a country club there.  He recently opened the new Greenwich, Connecticut American Red Cross headquarters here.  I personally once met the head of the International Red Cross from Geneva, Switzerland in Athens, Greece in April, 1972 while traveling with an Anglo American citizen.  I personally can not tell the Taiwanese from the Chinese, so I just take them on face value whenever I deal with them.  However, generally the Taiwanese have more money, and they are more self assured, where the more traditional mainland Chinese tend to be more reserved and less westernized.  Whatever, the case I do not think the Taiwan government is running Microsoft, but they certainly have a lot of influence over inexpensive computer systems and other electronic parts.  I chatted with a Swiss citizen today who occasionally reads my computer notes, but he did not give me any advise, but I do know the same Chinese or Taiwanese or Asian computer parts here are considerably more expensive in Switzerland.  It would seem to me that whomever is sending me email messages from Microsoft does not know about the volumes of information and legal laws in the United States of America Federal Communications systems operations that govern individuals and corporations doing business in the United States of America.  It would seem to me off hand that Microsoft or agents unknown to them whom might be spoofing their email address are trying to get me to drop Optimum Online cable modem access and to subscribe to Microsoft MSN internet access, which is impossible since the high speed Cablevision cable only carriers Optimum Online as far as I know.  This would be considered an unfair competitive practice, and it could lead into more antitrust legal action by the United States of America government against Microsoft if this was indeed the case.  Since Microsoft sends me a lot of email, I would assume it would be legally accepted that one would expect them to hear back from me, since generally communications is two way.  Maybe they should be more precise in their communications redirecting inquiries to one email address to another email address.  Basically since I have purchased their product, and I am an enthusiastic user, they should possibly be more precise as to what their concerns are.  About three weeks ago, I had three telephone calls from Microsoft in one day wanting me to visit a presentation in New Jersey, and since I am officially a Microsoft OEM, I think they should be more precise in their communications as to what their interests are visa a vie myself.  Originally about 12 years ago, when I was going to pubs in White Plains, New York trying to make contacts with IBM personnel, a good friend of mine whom I went with regularly was given a videotape made by the Seattle, Washington chamber of commerce trying to promote their area, and thus although I still live in Armonk, New York's backyard, I have kept a close eye on Microsoft's development and used their products that I could afford regularly, and I do not recall ever being negative.  However, I know Bill Gates and Paul Allen are both liberal democrats as are the Watson family of IBM, but I do not intend to change my republican politics which I favor in voting, and I will remind any democratic computer people that republicans frequently have political influence, and they can use that influence in determining whom the United States Government buys its products and services from.  Thus at the moment, I am more monkey in the middle for no other reason than there must be a problem somewhere as it relates to computers and software that I am unaware of.  Maybe we should go back to carrier pigeons since the birds tend not to talk back.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/12/03  Sunday  9:45  P.M.:  Well for those of you whom do not have any friends or contacts to email, one can always try this list of Lonely Hearts http://www.addresses.com/celebrity_email.php .  I had the same summer salad as last night with flaked tuna fish and a glass of iced tea.  I chatted with a friend.  CIO 

Note: <888888> 10/12/03  Sunday  8:15  P.M.:  I went out, and I went by the Exxon gasoline station next to the Greenwich Library, and I bought $7 of regular unleaded gasoline at $1.899 a gallon for about 22 miles per gallon.  I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue.  I sat out at various locations.  I stopped by briefly at CVS.  I drove down by the waterfront.  I then went by the Stop and Shop, and I bought two 16.9 ounce bottles of Monari Italian balsamic vinegar for $1.99 a bottle and a 34 ounce bottle of Italica extra virgin Spanish olive oil for $4.99 and a bulb of garlic at $2.69 a pound for .40 for $9.37 total.  I then returned home, and I had a glass of iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/12/03  Sunday  4:15  P.M.:  I did some regular computer work.  I ate two Quaker low salt low fat rice cakes, which I had with a glass of iced tea.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will clean up, and I will go out afterwards.  CIO 

Note: <888888> 10/12/03  Sunday  3:25  P.M.:  I was up at 11:30 A.M., and I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I just finished my house cleaning and watering the plants.  The TEAC DVD player for some reason would not turn on by its switch, but it turns on with the remote control.  I listened to some vintage music while doing my house cleaning.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/12/03  Sunday  12:25  A.M.:  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO 

Note: <888888> 10/11/03  Saturday  11:50  P.M.:  I did two loads of laundry.  I put clean linens on the bedroom bed.  I had the same summer salad as last night, but this time I put chopped sardines with the oil in it instead of tuna.  I had the salad with a glass of iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/11/03  Saturday  9:10  P.M.:  I was up at 11 A.M. this morning.  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I cleaned up, and I went out.  I sat downtown for a while.  I then parked my Hyundai opposite the Delamar Hotel on Steamboat Road, and I walked over to the Greenwich Train station outbound platform from New York, and I met my two guests coming out to visit at 2:40 P.M., when the train arrived late by 11 minutes.  We then walked over to the Arts in the Park festival at the Bruce Museum.  We got in for free, because one of my guests had a museum pass good for free entrance to all the museums in the world including accompanying guests.  We toured the art work, and then we toured the Bruce Museum http://www.brucemuseum.org/  which had an exhibit of John Fitzgerald Kennedy memorabilia including Andrew Wyeth's portrait for JFK.  They also still have the collection of minerals and rocks which to someone interested in geology would be very interesting.  I did not see any gyroscopes for sale in the museum store.  We then walked over to Maneros and ordered two steak sandwiches with onion rings and cheese.  While our order was being readied, one of my guests and I looked at the lobby of the Delamar Hotel http://www.thedelamar.com/ .  We then ate our steak sandwiches on the harbor side steps of the Royal Bank of Scotland http://www.rbs.co.uk/ of Greenwich Capital http://www.gcm.com/ .  My guests treated me to a steak sandwich.  We then drove over to Old Greenwich to Tod's Point, and we walked the 2.5 mile walk around Tod's Point.  We then returned to downtown Greenwich, and my guests returned to Manhattan on the 7:12 P.M. train to Manhattan.  I then returned home, and I had a glass of iced tea.  I chatted with a friend whom wanted to come out and visit, but I explained that I was tired, so the friend said he would visit some other time.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/10/03  Friday  11:40  P.M.:  I chatted with a friend.  I watched some television.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/10/03  Friday  9:45  P.M.:  I chatted with an in law.  CIO 

Note: <888888> 10/10/03  Friday  8:45  P.M.:  I chatted with a friend.  My friends are coming out on the train at 2:29 P.M. tomorrow afternoon to visit.  I took about ten chilled spinach leaves, and I ripped them into two to three inch parts, and I rinsed them in the salad spinner underneath cold water, and I put them on a dinner plate.  Then I quartered lengthwise eight chilled baby carrots, and I spread them across the plate.  I then sliced into 1/8 inch thick slices two chilled Roma plum tomatoes, and I spread them across the plate.  I then added three double tablespoons of homemade chilled hummus http://www.geocities.com/mikelscott/hummus.htm  to the plate.  I then added eight chilled black pitted California olives including one in each dab of hummus.  I then diced one quarter of a chilled red Bermuda onion, and I added it to the plate.  I then added about 15 Arnold Zesty Italian Homestyle larger size croutons.  I then opened a six ounce can of chilled solid white albacore tuna fish, and I left the lid on, and I rinsed it a half dozen times underneath cold water squeezing out the water, and then I flaked it in a bowl, and I added it to the salad plate.  I the added three chilled 1/8th inch thick sliced mushrooms.  I next took four 1/4 inch by 1.75 inch by 1.5 inch slices of chilled Vermont extra sharp cheddar cheese, and I sliced them into 1/4 inch thick strips, and I spread them across the plate.  I then added six chilled artichoke heart quarters.  I next took two 1/4 inch by four inch by one inch strips of President chilled feta cheese, and I chopped them into small quarter inch pieces, and I spread them across the salad plate.  I then spread across about two tablespoons of Stop and Shop low fat parmesan cheese.  I next added about 1.5 ounces of Italian Balsamic vinegar and about 1.5 ounces of Italian olive oil, and I seasoned the salad with salt and ground black pepper.  I had the salad for dinner with iced tea.  CIO  

Note: <888888> 10/10/03  Friday  7:15  P.M.:  I went out after the last message, and I went by the ATM machine at Putnam Trust Bank of New York on Mason Street.  I then went to the Presbyterian Church tag sale which is also on tomorrow too.  I bought a extra large J. Crew 100% cotton made in Portugal grey blue and white checked flannel shirt for $4.  I also bought a Chinese blue and light blue eight inch high vase for $2 and a seven inch high Steuben type vase with a dove imprinted on it slightly chipped on the back inside for $2.  I then drove down by the waterfront.  I next walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue.  I sat out at various locations.  I the went by the Greenwich Library, and I read the Greenwich Times.  I then returned home.  I will put the two new vases on the power control panel on the living room window shelf that also holds the lamp with the Victorian type lamp shade.  CIO 

Note: <888888> 10/10/03  Friday  2:40  P.M.:  I ate a Stouffer's Lean Cuisine chicken Florentine dinner, which I had with a glass of iced tea.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will clean up and go out.  Today and tomorrow they have the tag sale at the Presbyterian Church at the top of Greenwich Avenue until 4 P.M..  CIO 

End of Scott's Notes week of 10/10/03:

Note: <888888> 10/10/03  Friday  1:30  P.M.:  I received email from billg@microsoft.com , carlmo@microsoft.com and privacy@microsoft.com asking that they be deleted from my email address book, so I have deleted them from my email address book.  They will not be receiving any email from me anymore.  I will now send out my weekly notes.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/10/03  Friday  1:20  P.M.:  I was up at 7 A.M., and I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I went back to sleep until 11:30 A.M..  I worked a bit on my email.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/09/03  Thursday  10:10  P.M.:  Well, I relaxed a bit.  I had a Quaker lightly salted rice cake and some iced tea.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/09/03  Thursday  8:50  P.M.:  I chatted with a friend.  I chatted with a relative.  I received email that my Net2Phone account was charged up with the $25 money order that I sent them last week, so I now have $57.70 credit on my Net2Phone account.  CIO 

Note: <888888> 10/09/03  Thursday  6:55  P.M.:  I was up at 9:30 A.M. this morning.  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I then cleaned up, and I went out.  I went by the Greenwich Hospital Thrift shop.  I then went downtown, and I went by the Merry Go Round mews thrift shop, and I toured the shop.  I then walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue, and I sat out briefly at various locations.  I stopped by Saks Fifth Avenue, and I looked at the store's interior.  Since Federated Department stores is a Canadian Business, I guess Saks Fifth Avenue is now a Canadian Business along with other businesses like Brooks Brothers.  After I completed my walk, I drove down by the waterfront.  I then made my 3 P.M. appointment.  I then toured the Greenwich Hospital Thrift shop again.  I then went by the Greenwich Library, and I read the Greenwich Times.  I then went by the Stop and Shop, and I bought two half gallons of fresh Tropicana orange juice with calcium for $2.50 each half gallon, a 10 ounce box of fresh mushrooms for $2.19, four 14.5 ounce wet weight cans of Rienzi artichoke hearts for $1.50 each, a 28 ounce can of Goya chick peas for $1.09, two 10 ounce bars of Sargento Vermont extra sharp cheddar cheese for $2 each, a 10 ounce bag of fresh spinach for $1.50, Roma plum tomatoes at .99 a pound for $2.79, two Bermuda red onions at $1.29 a pound for .85 and .84, a bar of President low fat feta cheese at $4.69 a pound for $2.69, three 4.25 ounce cans of Stop and Shop chopped crushed black California olives for $2 all for $28.95 all.  I then returned home, and I put away my purchases.  I had the usual summer salad, but this time I did not add tuna fish, but I did add three sliced mushrooms and six artichoke heart quarters.  I had the salad with a glass of iced tea.  CIO 

Note: <888888> 10/09/03  Thursday  12:55  A.M.:  Well, I did a little bit of regular computer work.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/08/03  Wednesday  11:25  P.M.:  According to email I received today from Carl Mountain carlmo@microsoft.com at Microsoft, he is now working as a security analyst at Microsoft according to his web site at http://www.mountaingroup.net/ and http://www.bodyguardnetwork.com/carl_mountain.htm and http://www.onlocationsecurity.com/cm.htm , so he must be professional in his field.  Out of respect for privacy, I will not include my reply to him and his employer.  However, since the news reports that Bill was up in Montreal, Canada; they must have touched based with all those tall Canadian security people whom I have not seen in close to 20 years.  Basically, as I have said before, spending too much money on security when diplomacy does not work seems to be pointless.  Basically, since Bill's family was involved with Boeing, I would imagine his father has a far more extensive network than Bill.  Needless to say, if one wants to work with the Wright Brother's invention these days, more than likely one will have to come to Fairfield County,  Connecticut for General Electric aircraft engines, unless they are still using the ones with rubber bands made of balsa wood.  Of course, if I am not mistaken, I believe Air Bus in Europe might still be using Rolls Royce aircraft engines.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/08/03  Wednesday  9:30  P.M.:  Wine Story TCPalm: Food & Dining .  CIO 

Note: <888888> 10/08/03  Wednesday  9:15  P.M.:  Well even though the next few days might be warm, if one is in New England and looks at this http://www.almanac.com/weather/region1.php , one should expect much colder and wintry conditions in November and December from the friendly folks at http://www.almanac.com/.  Of course since we are on the edge of Region 2 http://www.almanac.com/weather/region2.php , more than likely it applies.  It basically seems like what we are usually use to.  I have seen people from colder areas arriving in this area to spend the winter.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/08/03  Wednesday  8:05  P.M.:  I chatted with another relative.  I am baking in the Farberware convection oven a box of six America's Choice frozen fish filets, 14 America's Choice mini frozen potato pancakes, and 14 America's Choice frozen onion rings for 12 minutes on each side for 24 minutes total at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  I also put three tablespoons of horse radish with a third of a cup of ketchup, which I mixed together, which I will use to season the meal, which I will have with iced tea.  I had a bag of ice in the freezer that I keep for the summer that I melted in the sink.  I still have ice trays in the freezer.  CIO

Note: <888888> 10/08/03  Wednesday  7:20  P.M.:  I chatted with a relative.  I found an extra piece of Plexiglas that was in my right living room closet, and it was the width of the left opening to the left of my air conditioner and about four inches less the height, so I used duct tape, and I taped it over the piece of Plexiglas already installed, and there is a slight air gap, which should provide better insulation in the winter, plus the Styrofoam is over the Plexiglas.  CIO 

Note: <888888> 10/08/03  Wednesday  6:10  P.M.:  There are two volcanoes on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia on ORANGE alert which means in the volcanology terminology that they will erupt http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/ .  This would more than likely mean a colder winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and it would also effect airline traffic from the Western Hemisphere to Asia that flies near the path of potential volcanic eruption.  I sorted through my email.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/08/03  Wednesday  3:50  P.M.:  The Greenwich Times mentions this web site http://www.mari-cha4.com/ in this story Greenwich Time - Greenwich man nears record in trans-Atlantic sailing trip .  CIO

Note: <888> 10/08/03  Wednesday  3:40  P.M.:  I threw out some garbage.  I emptied out the floor level of the three closets in my living room, and I used two cups of Clorox Ultra concentrated bleach and about a gallon of hot water in a pail, and I washed the mold off the walls in up to a three foot level in all three of the closets and the floors.  There was a light dusting of mold in the two left closets up to about 18 inches.  I then put all the items back on the closet floors.  The bedroom closet seems to be all right.  I guess the mold came from the boxes in the left two closets getting wet when the apartment flooded, and since the boxes took longer to dry, there was some mold.  There does not seem to be mold underneath the carpet, since I dried it thoroughly, and I used Bissell pet odor deodorizing shampoo on the rugs when I cleaned them after they dried.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/08/03  Wednesday  2:05  P.M.:  I was up at 6:30 A.M..  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I cleaned up, and I went out.  I dropped off the eighth plate at the Greenwich Hospital thrift shop for the china service that I gave them yesterday.  They had already sold it, so maybe the buyer will show up again to fetch it.  I then drove downtown, and I sat out for a while.  I next went down by the waterfront.  I then drove over to Old Greenwich, and I went to CVS, and I bought a 32 ounce container of CVS drain cleaner for $2.99, two 35 ounce containers of Lysol Island Breeze All Purpose Cleaner for two for $4.99, two 14 ounce containers of Ajax Bleach cleaner for 2 for .99, a CVS bleach toilet bowl cleaner tablet for $1.99, and two 6.4 ounce Colgate fluoride toothpastes winterfresh gel for .99 less a $2 CVS coupon from the mail for $10.94 plus .66 tax for $11.60 total.  The CVS mail circular coupons for $2 off each week of October are only good at the Riverside and the Old Greenwich stores.  I then used the ATM machine at Putnam Trust Bank of New York in Old Greenwich.  I then went by the Old Greenwich Rummage room thrift shop.  I next went out to Tod's Point, and I took the 2.5 mile walk around Tod's Point, and I sat out at various locations.  I then returned home.  I made up a fresh batch of homemade hummus http://www.geocities.com/mikelscott/hummus.htm , and this time I used 1/4 teaspoon of red cayenne pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning, along with two 4.25 ounce cans of crushed California black olives along with all the other regular ingredients.  For lunch I had the same summer salad as yesterday along with a glass of iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/07/03  Tuesday  8:55  P.M.:  I chatted with a friend.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/07/03  Tuesday  7:55  P.M.:  News about Penguins Top Story - ANTARCTIC PENGUINS THRIVE IN OCEAN "OASES" - October 07, 2003 .  CIO

Note: <888> 10/07/03  Tuesday  7:50  P.M.:  I put the ice tea in the refrigerator.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/07/03  Tuesday  7:25  P.M.:  Actually the set of china that I have never used is 12 place setting of dinner plates, salad plates, cups, and saucers which is Churchill china made in Staffordshire, England.  I had the same summer salad as the last few nights, but this time I did not add hearts of romaine leave.  I had it with a glass of iced tea.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/07/03  Tuesday  6:30  P.M.:  I went out, and I stopped by the Greenwich Hospital Thrift Shop.  I gave them about 40 shopping bags.  I also gave them the box of the Cordella Collection of Hand Decorated Stoneware china made in Japan.  It contained a set seven dinner plates, eight salad plates, eight saucers, and eight cups.  I bought them when they were a promotion item at the Grand Union about 12 years ago, and I have had them stored for about three years, after I quit using them.  They are a very nice flower pattern, but I got tired of looking at the plates, and I really do not have room to store them.  I have two other sets of china including one that I have never used.  I still have one plate that I forgot to give them, which I will give them tomorrow.  They are microwave proof which my present set of orange striped Dalton from Japan is not.  I also have the old China New England pattern which I have never used, which was also a promotion item at either the Stop and Shop or Grand Union, I forget.  I probably should not have given them away, but since no relatives ever stop by to see what other spare items I might have, I just gave them to the Hospital Thrift shop.  I next drove down by the waterfront.  I then walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue, and I sat out at various locations.  I then went by the Greenwich Library, and I read the Greenwich Times and P.C. World magazine.  I then returned home.  I am making up a fresh batch of iced tea www.geocities.com/mikelscott/icetea.htm .  I used one each of each of the five types of Twinings five type box of tea bags, four Salada green tea bags, six Master Choice orange pekoe tea bags, and four Bigelow tea bags.  It has an hour or more to steep before I dilute it.  I checked out Billy Baldwin's autobiography, which I will try to read.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/07/03  Tuesday  2:05  P.M.:  I did a bit of house keeping.  I threw out all the electronic and computer boxes from my left living room closet shelf.  I am going to donate a box of old dishes to the Greenwich Hospital Thrift shop along with a shopping bag full of shopping bags.  I took out all the manuals, warranties, and various electronic parts from the boxes, and I put them in a plastic bag underneath the right front of the bedroom bed.  I put a number of spare kitchen appliances such as the Hamilton Beach juicer, the Krups steamer, the Welbilt bread machine, and the Hamilton Beach blender on the left closet shelf along with some computer disks in plastic cases.  I found my beach bag with beach towels that had been missing for about 14 months, and I put it on the same shelf on top of the kitchen appliances.  I also threw out two pairs of old shoes, but I rediscovered about two dozen or more almost new pairs of shoes.  I lined the shoes up on the floor of both closets without anything but shoes on top of them, so they are handy for fetching to use.  I put an orange 25 foot extension cord on the left closet top shelf too, and I have another one like it underneath right side of the day bed.  I found an old General Electric iron and a new Black and Decker iron that I have never used.  I also have an ironing board on the right side in the right living room closet.  I left the Simac pasta machine with its bag of parts for it on the right side of the floor of the left living room closet.  I have a suit case with a suit case in it on the right side of the floor of the living room closet with some plastic sheeting on top of them, and also on the right side of the left closet, I have my snow shovel, which is actually a sqaure tipped spade or coal shovel.  I will now clean up, and I will go out after I clean up.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/07/03  Tuesday  12:05  P.M.:  I am microwaving a Marie Callender chicken parmesan dinner which I will have with iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/07/03  Tuesday  11:30  A.M.:   I ran the updates on all four backup computers, and I also installed this update http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-040.asp on all four backup computers.  The CD drive on the IBM Cyrix backup computer is an older 24X CD drive, and it does not work for my newer data CDs, but it does work for software installation.  I took off the old duct tape off the Plexiglas in the opening to the left of the air conditioner, and I put new duct tape along the edges to seal the Plexiglas against drafts in the winter.  I also have pieces of Styrofoam placed over the Plexiglas opening to add a little bit of insulation.  I guess, I could get a piece of plywood cut to size for the opening that might be a tighter fit, but since I have already sealed up the Plexiglas edges with new duct tape, I guess it is set for the winter.  The duct tape needs to be replaced once a year, since it deteriorates.  I once took the air conditioner out for the winter, and it was not any warmer in the apartment, and my heating bill was the same.  Since I have the General Electric Profile 15,500 BTU air conditioner which is a larger unit with support brackets, and since it weighs about 85 pounds, I leave the air conditioner in during the winter, since it would be a rather cumbersome procedure to remove it every year.  One basically would have to slide the unit out from its case, and then one would have to remove the case and the outside brackets, and then one would have to reinstall the unit in its case and put it in the storage area.  The interior of the air conditioner has insulation to prevent cold air from coming in during the winter, so if the edges around it are sealed, it tends to be all right to keep in year round in this climate.  I also cleaned the air filter on the air conditioner, and I also cleaned the external filter on the Honeywell air purifier.  I cleaned both filters by rinsing them with soapy water.  I used the Gonzo dry sponge to clean all five computer monitors.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/07/03  Tuesday  8:05 A.M.:  I was up at 7 A.M. this morning.  It is a bit nippy this morning at 36 degrees Fahrenheit.  I guess Nanook of the North is visiting us earlier this year.  Well usually during the third week of October, we get a bit of Indian summer where it warms up a bit.  I generally do not turn the heat on until November, and at the moment it is 64 degrees Fahrenheit in the apartment.  One can usually buy inexpensive long underwear at CVS if they have stocked it already.  The Presbyterian Church at the top of Greenwich Avenue is having their annual tag sale this Friday and Saturday, and they usually have very reasonable prices.  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry jam, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  It looks to be another cool day.  They high today is suppose to be 60 degrees Fahrenheit, but it is suppose to warm up a little bit the next few days.  I guess one should use this nice weather to get ready for another long cold winter.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/06/03  Monday  9:20 P.M.:  I chatted with a relative and a friend.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/06/03  Monday  7:20 P.M.:  I went out after the last message.  I went by Putnam Trust Bank of New York on Mason Street.  I then went by the Greenwich Hospital Thrift shop.  I next went by CVS, and I bought a 24 roll package of Charmin soft toilet paper for $4.49 plus .27 tax for $4.76 total.  I then went by the Greenwich Hardware store, and from the 70% off rack, I bought a Gonzo dry sponge computer screen cleaner for $1.20, and a package of three OOK 20 pound picture hangers for $2.49, and a package of four OOK 10 pound hangers for $2.49 plus .37 tax for $6.55 total.  I then walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue including the train station area.  I next made my 4 P.M. appointment.  I then drove down by the waterfront.  I then went by the Arnold Bread outlet, and I bought a loaf of Arnold Healthy Classics Healthy Multi-Grain bread for .99 and a 5.5 ounce box of Arnold Homestyle Zesty Italian croutons for .99 less 10% senior discount of .20 for $1.78 total.  I then went by the Smokes for Less outlet in Byram, and I bought a carton of Seneca Ultra Lights 100s cigarettes for $31 total.  I then returned home, and I made and ate the same summer salad as the last couple of days, and I had it with a glass of iced tea.  Somehow I spent an extra $3.81, which I can not account for.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/06/03  Monday  12:20 P.M.:  I read a bit.  I rested a bit.  I ate three Quaker low fat lightly salted rice cakes, and I had two scoops Edy's low fat strawberry swirl frozen yogurt and some iced tea.  I checked the mail.  I watched President Bush's press conference with the President of Kenya, and they are going to throw their fourth state dinner at the White House, since President Bush became president.  The other three were for the heads of state of Mexico, Poland, and the Philippines, so I guess the White House will be a little bit more festive tonight.  Well, I guess I will clean up, and I will go out.  I have a 4 P.M. appointment.  It is 46 degrees Fahrenheit outside, so I guess fall is with us, but we usually get an Indian Summer toward the end of October, when it warms up a bit, before it finally gets cold.  I have a half sister my father's oldest daughter by his first marriage who has a PHD degree in nursing from New York University whom set up a number of hospitals and clinics for the World Health Service including a number of them in Kenya and Jordon.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/06/03  Monday  8:55 A.M.:  I think I will read a bit.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/06/03  Monday  8:35 A.M.:  I was up at 7 A.M., and I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  While looking at some morning television, I noticed that Steve Forbes www.forbes.com has his own show on CNBC in the morning.  A friend told me that Donald Trump finished building apartment blocks on the upper west side where I use to live, and that Trump's new apartments block the view of the Hudson River for the older apartment buildings that use to be there.  I have seen stories that they want to build high rises in the meat packing district too.  Whatever, the case judging by the local real estate activity in Fairfield County, it is just as busy out here, but a friend tells me the Greenwich Real Estate http://www.geocities.com/mikelscott/gwreal.htm is slow, because they have over priced themselves out of the market, but there still seems to be a large number of people either living here or hanging out here, so I guess the simpler village people of the hamlet of Greenwich, Connecticut will manage to survive.  With all the golf courses, maybe they are making extra money from all the golf balls in the ponds, which was one of my original businesses before I branched out into a Kool Aid stand.  I guess, since I have been awake so many night over these past 35 or more years, I might know about business activity at night, since a lot of the people I have dealt with seem to be awake at night.  In the old days in New York, there use to be a million people awake at night to service the City, so like Citibank which is now CitiGroup http://www.citigroup.com/citigroup/homepage/ use to say, "The City Never Sleeps".  Well, I use to end my nights in Manhattan by having a meal at the Brasserie in the basement of the Seagram's Building next to the CitiGroup Plaza, and I believe it was with them, that I had one of the first ATM cards in Manhattan back in 1973, but for lack of funds, I let it elapse, when I was hanging out around business operatives of the Morgan bank.  I guess instead of spending money and going out today, I could hang around my home office apartment, and pretend like I am doing business.  Still, since I like outside activity, I might get out sooner or later.  I think I also had an account at the Chemical Bank near Carnegie Hall when I worked at the CBS broadcast center too.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/05/03  Sunday  10:00 P.M.:  I ate a peanut butter sandwich with a glass of iced tea.  There have been a couple of tiger stories recently Yahoo! News - Magician Roy Horn Gives Thumbs Up After Mauling and Police Subdue a Tiger in Harlem Apartment , so I guess one should not forget one of the original internet links I use to advertise http://www.savethetiger.org/ .  I guess with so many wealthy eccentric people in the world, some of them probably keep big cats for pets, and they could even be in this area.  Who knows with the tiger being a symbol of Exxon, maybe they even keep them around North Tarrytown, New York.  I once knew somebody who kept a baby lion in their house in Fort Lauderdale, Florida back in 1976, and I warned him, it might be trouble in the future.  The person wanted to make talking pictures, and he fancied himself like Louis B. Mayer, so whatever the case, I will keep a keen eye out for any unusual wildlife.  Of course this time of year the Mountain Lions or the Cougars or other migratory cats could be heading south down the ridges just to the north of us.  I suppose with coyotes in this area, we might even get the occasional gray wolf or mixed breed.  I suppose if one keeps a dog, and it barks, it usually means that something has come to the attention of its senses, which are frequently better than man's.  I have had fairly could luck with wildlife most of my life, but I generally do not take chances.  I just chatted with a friend.  I just finished chatting with two other friends.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed directly.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/05/03  Sunday  8:10 P.M.:  I went through my email.  I installed the "Q828750" update for Internet Explorer http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-040.asp .  CIO

Note: <888> 10/05/03  Sunday  7:20 P.M.:  I chatted with two relatives and a friend.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/05/03  Sunday  5:45 P.M.:  I went back out, and I stopped by the Exxon gasoline station next to the Greenwich Library, and I bought $3.01 of regular unleaded gasoline at $1.899 a gallon for about 32 miles per gallon.  I then went downtown, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue, and I sat out at various locations.  On my walk, I stopped by CVS, and I bought two seven ounce Gillette Series shaving gel for sensitive skin with a free .85 ounce Gillette series after shave gel sensitive skin for $1.49 each, buy one get one free of four light bulb packages of General Electric extra soft white 40 watt light bulbs for $2.99 for both packages, two 14 ounce containers of Ajax with bleach cleaner for two for .99, and three six ounce cans of Bumble Bee solid white albacore tuna fish in water for .99 each plus .42 tax for $10.35 total.  I then completed my walk.  I then went down by the waterfront, and there were only two fishermen, but the Greenwich Times headlines was that the bluefish are running in large numbers, because the bunker are coming in close to shore.  I then went by the Greenwich Library, and I read the Sunday Greenwich Times.  I then returned home, and I drank a glass of iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/05/03  Sunday  2:15 P.M.:  I ate the same summer salad as yesterday along with a glass of iced tea.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go out.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/05/03  Sunday  1:20 P.M.:  I rotated my summer shirts with my winter shirts, so the winter shirts are in the center left of the bedroom closet, and the summer shirts are in the far left out of the way.  I went out, and I went by the ATM machine at Putnam Trust Bank of New York on Mason Street.  I then drove over to the Express Car Wash in Old Greenwich, and I got my car washed for $5.  I did not towel dry it, and I drove back directly to my apartment.  I then waxed my Hyundai with Nu Finish car wax.  I used up about 60% of a container.  I then buffed the car with a towel.  I then used Turtle Wax Extreme 2001 Protectant to clean and preserve the interior vinyl.  I next vacuumed the car with my old Electrolux vacuum which I connected out the side door with an extension cord, and I pulled the car up to the side door to reach the vacuum.  I then used glass cleaner to clean the windows inside and out.  I then buffed with a paper towel the dried Turtle Wax Extreme 2001 Protectant .  Thus the car looks quite nice, and it is ready for another winter season.  I came upstairs, and I had a glass of iced tea, and I chatted with a relative.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/05/03  Sunday  9:00 A.M.:  I finished running the utilities and programs mentioned in the previous note, and I also ran Norton Anti Virus on the C: and D: drives.  I did some minor system configuration on the Dell backup computer.  I ate a Quaker low fat low salt rice cake which I had with some iced tea.  I showered and cleaned up.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go out.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/05/03  Sunday  5:35 A.M.:  I was up at 4:30 A.M..  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I will now run Ad-aware 6.0, Norton Win Doctor, Norton Disk Doctor, and then I will do a C: drive to D: drive backup in seven parts.  I will then run Norton Speed Disk on the C: drive.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/04/03  Saturday  6:55 P.M.:  I ate a 10 ounce can of cashew nuts, which I had with a glass of iced tea.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will relax a bit before going to bed.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/04/03  Saturday  5:50 P.M.:  I finished the updates and the monitor configurations on the four backup computers.  I put the Microsoft serial mouse on the backup IBM Cyrix computer, and I put the Compaq PS2 mouse on the HP backup computer.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/04/03  Saturday  4:40 P.M.:  I took three chilled hearts of Romaine lettuce leaves, and I ripped them into smaller 2 to 3 inch pieces, and I broke about eight chilled spinach leaves into two to three inch pieces, and I placed them all in the lettuce spinner, and I rinsed them underneath cold water.  I then put them on a dinner plate.  I then sliced ten chilled baby cut carrots length wise into quarters, and I spread them across the plate.  I then sliced one regular chilled plum tomato into 1/8th inch slices, and I spread them across the plate.  I then put three double tablespoons of chilled homemade hummus equally spaced across the plate.  I then added eight chilled medium black pitted olives across the plate including one in each dab of hummus.  I then diced one quarter of a chilled Bermuda red onion, and I spread the pieces across the plate.  I then added about 20 regular Pepperidge Farm garlic and onion croutons across the plate.  I then opened a chilled six ounce can of solid white albacore tuna fish, and I left the lid on, and I rinsed it underneath cold water a half dozen times squeezing out the water, and then I flaked it with a fork in a bowl.  I then spread it across the salad.  I then sliced three 1/4 inch by 1.5 inch by 1.75 inch slices of chilled Swiss cheese, and I cut them into quarter inch wide lengths, and I spread them across the salad.  I then added about three tablespoons of chilled crumbled feta cheese.  I then added about two tablespoons of chilled low fat grated parmesan cheese, and I spread it across the plate.  I then added about 1.5 ounces of Italian balsamic vinegar and about 1.5 ounces of Italian olive oil, and I spread it around the salad.  I seasoned the salad with salt and ground black pepper.  I had the salad for dinner with iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/04/03  Saturday  3:10 P.M.:  I had two Quaker low fat lightly salted rice cakes before I went out.  I went out after the last message.  I went by the Greenwich Hospital Thrift shop, and all merchandise was half price.  I bought a Dell 17 inch E770s monitor for $10.  It was manufactured in 2000.  I then went downtown, and I went by CVS, and I bought a 52 tablet box of Tide tablets for $4.99, a CVS Clorox bleach toilet tank tablet for $1.99, a 10 ounce can of Gold Emblem cashews for $2.49, a can of Gillette series moisturizer shave gel with a small container of after shave conditioner for $2.39, and a package of 10 CVS twin shaving razors with two free razors for $3.69 plus .78 tax for $16.33 total.  I then walked lower Greenwich Avenue.  It was starting to rain, so I did not walk anymore.  I then went by Stop and Shop, and I bought a package of Quaker low fat popcorn cakes for $2.19, two eight ounce containers of Stop and Shop low fat grated parmesan cheese for $2.49 each, a box of Pepperidge Farm onion and garlic regular size croutons for $1.49, a 16.9 ounce bottle of Modenaceti Balsamic vinegar of Modena, Italy $2.99, a 6 ounce can dry of Stop and Shop black pitted jumbo California olives for $1.39, three 4.25 ounce cans of California chopped black olives for $2 all, a package of President feta cheese at $4.69 a pound $2.32, a 28 ounce can of Goya chick peas for $1.09, two package of four 6 ounce cans of Star Kist solid white albacore tuna fish in water for $3.99 each four pack, 10 ounces of fresh spinach for $1.99 for $28.42 total.  I then returned home.  I put away my groceries, and I had a glass of iced tea.  I put the new Dell 17 inch E770s monitor with the Dell backup computer in the living room, and I configured it.  I then put the Dell D 1028 L monitor with the AMD backup computer in the bedroom, and I am now running updates on it.  I put the two DeLonghi oil filled radiators on the floor back side of the bedroom side board.  Then on the floor front side center, I put the HP with IBM Cyrix CPUs stacked on top of it, and I connected them up using the Royal 17 inch monitor for the IBM Cyrix and the NEC 17 inch monitor for the HP backup computers.  I have them connected up, and I have about 10 inch space between the two monitors on the sideboard with the Royal monitor on the left in which space, I put a double layer mouse pad with the two mice on them.  I still have to configure the two CPUs for their respective monitors.  One can easily disconnect the LAN cable from the back of the AMD backup computer and plug it into the back of either of the two CPUs underneath the sideboard, if one wanted to use either of them.  I have the keyboards sitting on top of the monitors.  I will run updates and configure the monitors shortly.  I put the Compaq laptop computer case and another tan case underneath the left side of the bed along with some  used mailing envelopes that can be reused with labels and some extra mouse pads.  I have the two waste baskets in front of the mahogany bureau.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/04/03  Saturday  10:30 A.M.:  I was up at 6 A.M..  I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I did my house cleaning and watering the plants.  I just finished showering and cleaning up.  I just installed some Windows updates.  I also ran Norton update.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go out.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/03/03  Friday  10:35 P.M.:  I am tired.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO 

End of Scott's Notes week of 10/03/03:

Note: <888> 10/03/03  Friday  9:50 P.M.:  I put away the laundry.  I had the same summer salad as last night along with a few tablespoons of crumbled feta cheese along with all the other usual ingredients.  I had the salad with iced tea.  I will now send out my weekly notes.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/03/03  Friday  8:20 P.M.:  I called Northeast Utilities before going out, and I had them put my electricity back on the budget average plan again, and they told me my monthly average should be about $95 a month.  I tend to keep the apartment a bit cooler in the winter, but I seem to get use to it.  I went out after the last message, and I went by Putnam Trust Bank of New York on Mason Street.  I then went downtown, and I went to the central Greenwich Post Office.  I obtained two money orders at .90 cost each to pay my Verizon and my Northeast Utilities bills.  I also bought twenty 37 cent antique automobile stamps for $7.40, since they were back ordered on USA flag stamps.  I then walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue.  I sat out at various locations.  I stopped by the Greenwich Hardware store, and I bought a white electrical face plate for .99 plus .07 tax for $1.06 total.  I paid an extra penny by mistake.  When I have to go to the bathroom, I use the men's room on the ground floor of the Senior Arts center, and when it is closed, I use Starbucks, and if they are both closed Thataways is usually open late, and if everything is closed, there is always the Glory Days diner across from the YMCA, or number 1 in the Greenwich Common behind a tree.  I use to use the bathroom late at night at the Old Showboat or Greenwich Harbor Inn, but since the new Delamar five star hotel is very plush, I do not think they would want me coming in their late at night to use the facilities.  Of course late at night, I can usually make it back home in about five minutes, if I am near the car.  After I finished my walk, I went down by the waterfront.  I then went by the Greenwich Library, and I read the Greenwich Times.  I next went by the Stop and Shop, and I bought five pounds of S&S sugar for $1.79, a 28 ounce can of Goya chick peas for $1.09, a 10 package of quart packs of S&S dry milk for $6.99, a quart of S&S lemon juice for $1.99, a 8 ounce container of S&S low fat grated parmesan cheese for $2.49, a quart of S&S strawberry preserves for $2, three four packs of six ounce cans of Star Kist solid white albacore tuna fish in water for $3.99 each four pack, two Bermuda red onions for at $1.29 a pound for $2.19, a 16 ounce bag of baby cut carrots for $1.69, a package of President plain feta cheese at $4.69 a pound $2.56, three 4.25 ounce cans of Stop and Shop chopped black California olives for $2 all, a five ounce bottle of House of Tsang pure sesame seed oil $2.99, a 16.9 ounce bottle of Modenaceti Balsamic vinegar of Modena, Italy $2.99 for $42.74 total.  I then returned home, and I use my cart to bring up the groceries.  I put away the groceries.  I had a glass of iced tea.  I started two loads of laundry, and I am on the dry cycle with 25 minutes to go.  I put the electrical socket face plate on the center socket in the kitchen.  I put clean linens on the bed in the bedroom.  I also washed my yellow Gortex wind breaker, which I have now drying over the bath tub.  If is nice not having the beeping sound in the apartment.  I put the General Electric microwave manual on the small shelf on the left side of the left hallway bookcase with the other manuals and instructions.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/03/03  Friday  3:10 P.M.:  I emptied out the extra water in the Chinese bowl on the dining room table that holds the large golden pathos plant.  I thought about the beeping sound.  I took the wall telephone off the wall in the kitchen, and it still continued.  I hung the spoon rack above the wall phone in the kitchen higher, so the telephone comes off the receiver easier.  I put the wall phone back on the wall.  I took the General Electric microwave oven out of the kitchen, and I put it in the bathroom with the bathroom door closed, but the beeping sound continued in the kitchen.  I cleaned out the DeLonghi toaster oven.  I put the bug zapper in the bathroom, but the beeping noise continued in the kitchen.  I put the General Electric sensor microwave back on the blue bureau in the kitchen, after cleaning the bureau.  I reconnected it to the power, but the beeping sound continued.  I finally remembered that about a year and nine months ago, when I put two new smoke detectors in the apartment, I put the old ones in the blue bureau.  I opened up the right top door on the blue bureau, and I took out all the various items.  I found two smoke detectors, and one of them still had its old battery in it, and it was beeping to show the battery was worn down.  I took the battery out, and the beeping sound was finally ended.  I guess I should have thought about it sooner, but as one gets older, one becomes more forgetful.  I found an old General Electric food processor in the side cabinet of the blue bureau, and I will put it out by the dumpster when I go out.  I have two CuisineArt food processors, so I do not need it.  It is dirty, so I do not think the Greenwich Hospital Thrift shop would want it.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will clean up, and I will go out.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/03/03  Friday  1:55 P.M.:  I turned off all the power in the apartment with the circuit breakers behind the mirror in the living room to the left of the left closet.  Still the beeping noise persisted.  I had lunch of two peanut butter sandwiches with iced tea and a 50% Folger's decaffeinated instant and a 50% Folger's instant coffee.  I read the General Electric sensor microwave oven manual, and there is nothing about a beeping noise.  I do not think the beeping noise is coming from the microwave oven.  However, I unplugged it at the wall socket to leave it off for a longer time to see if it resets itself.  Whatever, the case at the moment I can not figure it out.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will clean up, and I will go out.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/03/03  Friday  12:40 P.M.:  I finished printing out the General Electric sensor microwave oven manual, and I put it in a clip binder.  I left it out on the blue sofa for now.  I took the non ground four plug adaptor off the left most kitchen counter plugs, and I put on a face plate from the center counter plugs, and I then put on a three grounded plug adaptor onto the left most plugs.  I then plugged in the plugs including the grounded extension cord that plugs into the General Electric sensor microwave oven.  There is still a beeping noise in the kitchen, and I am not sure where it is coming from, it does not seem to be coming from the General Electric sensor microwave oven, so perhaps it is coming from elsewhere.  I put the IBM six plug grounded adaptor back on the center kitchen plugs without a face plate.  I will have to get another face plate.  I am just finishing up the paper work.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/03/03  Friday  11:55 A.M.:  I had to reinstall the Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.0.  I am printing out on the HP LaserJet IID laser printer the 40 page General Electric sensor microwave oven manual, since I can not find my original manual.  I got two other bills ready to pay.  I am doing some other paper work.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/03/03  Friday  11:25 A.M.:  I went downstairs, and I checked the mail.  I had the building custodian come up to my apartment kitchen and check the beeping sound.  We unplugged everything, and we could not figure out where it was coming from.  I decided to check with General Electric 800-626-2000 about the Sensor Microwave Oven, and they said to unplug it for 30 minutes, and it will reset itself when plugged in again.  I thus have it unplugged now.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/03/03  Friday  10:00 A.M.:  I had a call from a friend about 9 P.M..  I was up at 7 A.M., and I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I went back to bed until about 9 A.M..  I finished off the can of cashew nuts.  There is an annoying irritation in the apartment kitchen.  A beeping sound goes off about every minute for a second.  I unplugged the microwave oven and the bug zapper, but it still makes the sound, and I can not figure out where it is coming from.  There is a toaster oven and telephone in the same location.  I have had the same noise before, but this time it is more persistent.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/02/03  Thursday  8:30 P.M.:  I chatted with a relative.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/02/03  Thursday  7:45 P.M.:  I relaxed a bit.  I am just about ready to eat a 16 ounce Stouffer's Home-style hearty beef pot roast dinner, which I will have with iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/02/03  Thursday  6:50 P.M.:  I have a folding wicker chair in the bedroom.  I opened it up, and I set it beside the bath tub.  I put the bath mat down on the floor of the bath tub.  I put in about a half cup of Epsom salts in the Rubbermaid basin, and I filled it close to the top with hot water.  I sat in the chair, and I soaked my feet for about fifteen minutes, until the water was no longer hot.  I then emptied out the basin, and I rinsed it off.  I put it on top of the bathroom garbage can.  I stood in the bath tub, and I rinsed my feet underneath the faucet, and I towel dried my feet, and after I got out of the tub, I put the bath mat suction cups up over the side of the bath tub.  I did this in my shorts, so my pants would not get wet.  Thus my feet feel a bit more comfortable.  I left the folding chair folded in the bathroom.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/02/03  Thursday  6:10 P.M.:  I went out after the last message.  I went by Putnam Trust Bank of New York on Mason Street about 1:40 P.M..  I then went downtown to the central Greenwich Post Office, and I obtained two money orders at .90 cost each to pay my Cablevision and Optimum Online Bills.  I mailed them, and I also mailed a letter.  I said hello to a local business person.  I parked at that time at the Board of Education Parking lot at about 1:55 P.M., and I departed the parking spot about 2:20 P.M..  I drove up Mason Street to the Greenwich Hospital for my appointment.  I then made my 3 P.M. appointment about 2:35 P.M..  I next went by the Greenwich Hospital Thrift shop.  I then went back by Putnam Trust Bank of New York at 3:20 P.M., and they were closed for the rest of the day because of technical difficulties Greenwich Time - Bank robber strikes again .  I asked some of their personnel what the problem was, but they would not tell me.  I used the ATM machine outside instead.  I then went downtown, and I walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue.  I sat out at various locations.  I stopped by the Greenwich Hardware store, and I bought a Rubbermaid Smart Solutions Dish Pan 15.25 quarts 15.3 inches by 13 inches by 9.125 inches in a milky plastic with handles and with a plug at the bottom for $7.99 plus .48 tax for $8.47 total.  I next used the ATM machine next door at Putnam Trust Bank of New York on Greenwich Avenue.  I then completed my walk.  I next drove down by the waterfront.  I then went by the Greenwich Library, and I read the Greenwich Times.  I then returned home.  I had a glass of iced tea.  I put the Rubbermaid basin in the bathroom to have available for soaking my feet in hot water, which I will do with about a half of a cup of Epsom salts and putting the basin in the bath tub, so it does not splash.  I will now do it for about fifteen minutes.  I also put $10 on my laundry card.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/02/03  Thursday  1:25 P.M.:  I made and ate the same summer salad as yesterday, which I had with a glass of iced tea.  I will now put the computer on standby.  I will go out.  I have a 3 P.M. appointment.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/02/03  Thursday  12:35 P.M.:   I went back out, and I went by the Vitamin Shoppe in Port Chester, New York.  I exchanged the Vitamin B-2 for a 100 tablet bottle of Vitamin B-12 500 mcg for the equal price of $4.77.  I then went over to Odd Job Trading, and I bought a 64.6 ounce container of Bissell glass cleaner for $1.79, four blank RCA videotapes for .99 each, three My Helper 3 outlet wall plug converters with ground for $1.19 each, and a package of two outlet adapters ground to regular .99, and a 1.41 ounce container of Encore parsley flakes for $1.50 plus .72 tax for $12.53 total.  I then returned home.  I will put the glass cleaner underneath the kitchen sink with the other cleaning supplies, and I will put the blank videotapes by the stereo system, and I will put the plug adaptors in the top mahogany bureau drawers in the bedroom.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/02/03  Thursday  11:05 A.M.:  I tried to fix a zipped on a pair of white Farah slacks that I had bought at Wal-Mart, but I did not succeed, so I put them in the blue laundry hamper by the end of the day bed that I have the other pairs of slacks that are too small for me.  I then cleaned up, and I went out.  I went by the ATM machine at Bank of New York in Port Chester,  New York.  I then went by the Vitamin Shoppe at the Port Chester, New York shopping center.  I bought a bottle of 100 tablets of Vitamin C-500 complex for $4.77, 100 Capsules of B-Complex 100 for $11.37, 100 capsules of E-400 iu for $9.57, 100 capsules of Garlic 500 for $5.37, a 100 Capsule of Niacinamide 500 mg. $4.77, a 100 capsules of no iron multivitamins one daily for $12.57, and by mistake 100 capsules of B-2 100 mg. instead of B-12 for $4.77 less $5 store discount coupon for $48.16 total.  I guess I will have to go back and exchange the B-2 for B-12.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will go out again.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/02/03  Thursday  8:55 A.M.:  I watched some television.  I ate a peanut butter sandwich, and I drank a glass of iced tea and a cup of coffee.  I will now put the computer on standby, and I will clean up, and I will go out.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/02/03  Thursday  8:05 A.M.:  The system is back up and running fine.  I had reinstall MSN 7.0 from the Windows XP Professional disks.  The MSN 9 beta will not run on my computer, perhaps one needs MSN 8 to get it to work, and I am not going to pay Microsoft for using MSN, since I already bought MSN 7.0 with Windows XP.  Well, the system seems to be running just fine, so one has to be careful about RegSupreme which seems to remove a registry entry that keeps the system from starting.  I finished off the can of smoked Almonds, and I ate about 20 cashews.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/02/03  Thursday  7:25 A.M.:  After the last message when I rebooted, the system did not work again, so I did a reboot with F8 and I started Safe Mode again selecting to do a System Restore from the backup yesterday morning, and after doing the System Restore the computer booted properly.  I guess the problem is not with the Microsoft Beta MSN 9 at www.betanews.com, but it must be with a registry entry removed by RegSupreme.  It seems strange since before it removed over 600 registry errors, and now after running the system a few days, it removes a registry setting that causes the computer not to work.  Well, the computer is running just fine after a second reboot.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/02/03  Thursday  6:50 A.M.:  I ran RegSupreme, Ad-aware 6.0, Live Update, and Norton WinDoctor, and System Restore Backup.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/02/03  Thursday  6:35 A.M.:  I went to www.betanews.com , and I found the Microsoft Beta for MSN 9.0.  I tried installing it, and it totally corrupted my system, and the computer would not start.  I did a F8 safe boot, and I selected the option for System Restore, and I restore the last System backup that worked from yesterday morning.  I rebooted after restoring the system, and the system is back up and running fine.  It was the first time that I ever had to use System Restore, and I am glad that it works, and it sure saved my butt this time.  I reinstalled MSN that came with Windows XP Professional, so now the system is up and running fine again.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/02/03  Thursday  5:10 A.M.:  I ran RegSupreme, Ad-aware 6.0, and SpyBot.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/02/03  Thursday  4:30 A.M.:  I went through my email.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/02/03  Thursday  3:45 A.M.:  I chatted with a couple of relatives recently, and they told me that prescriptions and pharmaceuticals tend to be cheaper at Costco www.costco.com than other chain drug stores.  However, one would have to pay a $45 annual membership at Costco.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/02/03  Thursday  3:35 A.M.:  I had a call at 9 A.M..  I was up at 1:30 A.M., and I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast with strawberry preserves, orange juice, vitamins, supplements, and coffee.  I rested briefly.  I made up a list of vitamins and supplements I have to get at the VitaminShoppe.  I will now do some regular computer work.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/01/03  Wednesday  7:30 P.M.:  I am a bit tired, so I will now shut down the computer, and I will go to bed soon.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/01/03  Wednesday  6:40 P.M.:  I ate one scoop of Edy's Boysenberry sorbet finishing off the carton, and I also ate one Quaker lightly salted rice cake, and a glass of iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/01/03  Wednesday  6:05 P.M.:  I found another partially opened container of Woolworth epsom salts underneath the kitchen sink, which I put on the floor by the bathroom sink.  I now have about 14 pounds of epsom salts.  I took my cleaning bucket from underneath the sink, and I put in about a half cup of epsom salts, and I filled it in the bath tub with hot water.  I then soaked my feet and ankles in the bucket of hot water and epsom salts for about 15 minutes, and then I dried my feet, and I poured the mixture down the drain.  My feet feel much better, although I am a bit tired.  I left the bucket by the bathroom trash can to have available for soaking my feet until I get a larger soaking type container.  The container of Woolworth epsom salts the same size I just bought only cost $1.99 about ten years ago, so epsom salts have not gone up too much in price in the last ten years unlike everything else.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/01/03  Wednesday  5:30 P.M.:  I went back out after the last message.  I went downtown, and I parked in central Greenwich.  I then walked over to the Wachovia Bank of North America on Benedict Place, and I paid my rent.  I then walked up Greenwich Avenue.  I stopped by CVS, and I bought two half gallon four pound containers of epsom salts for $2.69 each container for $5.38 total.  I then walked up Greenwich Avenue.  At the top of Greenwich Avenue, I ran into another regular walker, so we walked down Greenwich Avenue, and we stopped at J. Crew and Grannicks Pharmacy.  I put the epsom salts in my car, and then we walked back up Greenwich Avenue to the Greenwich Hospital where the other walker's car was parked.  The other walker drove me down Greenwich Avenue back to my car.  I then sat out for a while.  I used $1.50 parking downtown today, which was an expensive parking day.  I then drove down by the waterfront.  I next went by the Greenwich Library, and I read the Greenwich Times.  I then went by the Exxon gasoline station, and I bought $8 of regular unleaded gasoline at $1.939 a gallon for about 28 miles per gallon.  I next went by the Stop and Shop looking for a plastic Rubbermaid type large soaking bowl that one could soak one's feet in, but they did not have one.  I then went by Val's Liquor, and I bought a 10 ounce bottle of Angostura Bitters for $9.30 total with tax.  I then returned home, and I had a glass of iced tea.  I put the epsom salts on the floor by the bathroom sink.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/01/03  Wednesday  1:10 P.M.:  I will now put the computer on standby, and I will go back out.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/01/03  Wednesday  12:50 P.M.:  I am microwaving a 13.25 ounce Stouffer's Lean Cuisine Chicken Florentine meal, which I will eat shortly with a glass of iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/01/03  Wednesday  12:35 P.M.:  I went out, and I went by Putnam Trust Bank of New York on Mason  Street.  I then went downtown to the central Greenwich Post Office, and I obtained two money orders at .90 each to pay my GEICO automobile insurance, and I also sent in $25 to add to my Net2Phone account.  I then walked the entire length of Greenwich Avenue.  I sat out at various locations.  I stopped by CVS, and bought two Harvest Accents cooking mitts in a green fruit pattern for $1.99 each, but they only charged me for one.  I also bought buy one get one free of CVS 20 bag 13 gallon handle top large kitchen bags for $2.99 both boxes, and a 10 ounce can of Gold Emblem cashews for $2.49 for $7.47 plus .30 tax for $7.77 total.  I then completed my walk.  I next drove down by the waterfront.  I then went by the Greenwich Hospital Thrift shop, and I bought a 18 inch high about 6 inches to 4 inches in diameter tapered stein with a relief pattern that is sort of renaissance looking for $5.  I then went by the Arnold Bread outlet, and I bought a loaf of Arnold Bakery light  100% whole wheat low in fat 40 calories per slice for .99 less senior discount of .10 for .89 total.  I then went by Smokes for Less in Byram, and I bought a carton of Seneca Ultra Lights 100s for $31 total.  I returned home, and I had a glass of iced tea.  I just chatted with a relative.  I put the new stein on the right top side of the bookcase in the living room with the other big stein on the left side, and I moved the smaller capped stein to the left of the television on the window shelf.  I will hang the new cooking mitts on the refrigerator door, and I guess I will store the old ones with the holes somewhere else like the blue bureau drawers in the kitchen.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/01/03  Wednesday  8:05 A.M.:  I got a couple of bills ready to pay.  I will now shut down the computer, and I will clean up.  I will then go out.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/01/03  Wednesday  7:45 A.M.:  I uninstalled and reinstalled the Microsoft Journal Viewer and the Adobe Reader 6.0.  The Adobe Reader is now working properly, and I read Epson's tech support files, and it seems the Epson Stylus C60 is either out of ink or it has some sort of paper jam that I can not seem to fix.  The last time I recall using it was to print out a test page, and several pages fed at one time, which I cleared.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/01/03  Wednesday  6:55 A.M.:  My Epson Stylus C60 printer that I bought for $7.50 at the Greenwich Hospital Thrift shop, and which worked, but I only used it a few times, now does not seem to be working.  The green and red lights are both on.  It seems to have ink, but the cartridges have electronic information contacts, so maybe they are giving error messages to the printer.  I printed out 3 Net2Phone check paying forms and envelopes to have ready in the future.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/01/03  Wednesday  5:45 A.M.:  I checked my mail, and I received a fund raising letter from the Greenwich Hospital http://www.greenhosp.org/ which is a very good institution.  I can not afford to give any money to the Greenwich Hospital, but I try to volunteer in my own way.  I made up a fresh batch of homemade hummus www.geocities.com/mikelscott/hummus.htm .  This time I used two 4.25 ounce cans of chopped black California olives, 1/2 teaspoon of red cayenne pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning, and 4 ounces of lemon juice along with the other usual ingredients.  I made the same summer salad which I had with a tin of chopped sardines along with the oil, two 1/8 inch thick sliced plum tomatoes, and five 1.75 inch by 1.25 inch by 1/4 inch slices of Swiss cheese which I cut each slice into five smaller lengthwise slices along with all the other usual ingredients and a glass of iced tea.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/01/03  Wednesday  4:30 A.M.:  If I were making up an airline food parcel, I think I would include a can or a jar of nuts, two peanut butter sandwiches, since peanut butter tends not to go bad, a piece of fruit such as an apple or a pear, since oranges tend to be messy, and a bottle of non sparking water since sparkling water can be messy with pressure changes.  One would also include a couple of napkins or moist towelette packages.  One could vary the sandwiches with different types of nut butters such as sesame seed butter cashew butter or whole wheat bread.  I guess one could include some snack packages of different types of crackers or granola bars, but I would recommend against cheese, since most countries do not like one to bring cheese into their borders without inspection.  I guess one could also have a after meal mint or other such sweet.  Of course if one were flying a higher rate airline, they might include the food, but from what I hear about low cost air travel anymore, some of them are cut to the bones.  Of course one could always include a book or a paperback novel for reading.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/01/03  Wednesday  4:00 A.M.:  Of course I enjoy standing in line to obtain money orders at the central Greenwich, Connecticut post office to pay my bills, since I know if there is any problem, the investigative resources of the United States government tend to be far more extensive than the central banking system, however I pay a 90 cent charge for each money order, where online bill pay at Bank of America would be free, if one managed the account properly.  However, if one's computer broke down, one would have a problem paying bills.  At the moment, I seem to know how to manage a computer, and I seem to be able to afford to maintain one with four backup computers in reserve.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/01/03  Wednesday  3:55 A.M.:  I think the reason they use different types of toilet paper in Europe is that in Europe they have much older sewer systems, and the paper they use is compatible with their older sewer systems, whereas here in the United States of America, we are suppose to have more modern sewer systems, so we use a different type of toilet paper.  I think United States of America toilet paper tends to clog European sewer systems, so they tend not to use it there and maybe vice a versa.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/01/03  Wednesday  3:40 A.M.:  I ate 25 smoked almonds.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/01/03  Wednesday  3:15 A.M.:  Last night I saw a Bank of America http://www.bankofamerica.com/ office in Riverside next to exit 5 of the Interstate 95.  Their web site does not mention it, but if it were a commercial regular banking office, I might consider opening a small account there, so I could use their online banking services which are suppose to be free http://www.bankofamerica.com/onlinebanking/ .  From what I know of Bank of America and Wells Fargo http://www.wellsfargo.com/ they are west coast of the United States of America banks which probably were started by the old railroad families which were involved in the westward expansion of America.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/01/03  Wednesday  3:00 A.M.:  Debate in Greenwich continues as to what to do with Greenwich Time - School board wants a park kids can use .  They originally when they acquired the land about 10 years ago planned to build low cost housing for elderly and disabled people in that location and that was part of the agreement of the State of Connecticut giving the town the property for free, but they seem to have dropped the plan.  I guess in the winter, it would be too cold of a location with it opened to the winds off of Long Island sound, and also it tends to be a noisy location with Interstate I-95 running near by.  Recently in town politics, there does not seem to be any debate about what the town of Greenwich does.  We are suppose to have a representative town meeting type of government, but the Greenwich Times never covers the debate progress, but instead they just occasionally print the outcome of the results of the town meeting.  Thus Greenwich is not truly a representative town government anymore, it is just a corporate town carrying out company business policy.  I think they should carry out the original plan for the Cos Cob power plant sight to build low cost affordable housing for seniors and elderly and disabled individuals which was the state of Connecticut's original intention in giving the property to the town of Greenwich in the first place.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/01/03  Wednesday  2:40 A.M.:  Article about the filming of the movie "Empire Falls" in Kennebunkport while I was there a couple of weeks ago For movie extras, it's lights, camera, but little action and what they're doing now Movie officials alter schedule for town businesses , and when I was there two weeks ago, they told me that they would also be once again filming more modern scenes in Kennebunkport in October.  I finished going through my email.  CIO

Note: <888> 10/01/03  Wednesday  2:15 A.M.:  I ate 20 smoked almonds.  In the old days on the Chemstrand company airplanes in the south eastern United States, they use to only serve beverages and Planters nuts.  Occasionally they would have boxed lunches.  When I moved up north, and I got around to traveling on public airlines, they had meals like Stouffer's lean cuisine meals.  When the airlines began to experience financial problems, they went back to only serving nuts usually Blue Diamond California smoked almonds with beverages.  Since I have not been on a plane or a jet in about 12 years, but since I keep track with the media, I think they are now serving box lunches with a few extras which one pays extra for now, so if one does not want to pay extra for food, I guess one could bring an apple or a package of granola bars or one's own boxed lunch or lunch box, but they might consider it extra carry on luggage, which they would charge for.  I think they still give away free toilet paper in the transportation business, so one does not usually have to bring it, but the five times that I have been to Europe, the toilet paper was sort of like waxed paper.  CIO 

Note: <888> 10/01/03  Wednesday  1:35 A.M.:  I rested some more until 1 A.M., and then I watched a bit of television.  I had two Quaker lightly salted rice cakes with some iced tea.  CIO