SEARCH ENGINES, PORNOGRAPHY & COMMERCIALISM

Well the world and the search engines and the internet have degenerated into slimier and slimier levels. Porn people and spammers have now devised a way to latch on to content on your website or blog, have it show up on what seems to be an innocuous web site and then drag you into some scam or pornography. What a shame. Maybe there's something we can figure out what to do about it but the problem seems to be that search engines are no more interested in cleaning up their act than is the Mafia. The slimeballs can now, and do, take "good" words like USNS BARRETT or NATIONAL GATELEY REUNION and drag you off to miserable sites. Sorry about that. I guess the only way to stop it would be to close all your websites and blogs and just get off the internet completely. Let me know if you can think of some way to stop this. All of these search engines are less and less reliable and more and more likely to waste your time, lead you to offensive material, or, worse, lead you to something that will harm your computer. I'm going to try reporting this to Clusty and see what response I get. I already have the feeling that I know that their response will be one of "great concern" and a desire to see such conduct stopped but that, alas, that they are as "helpless" as we, the users, are.
1 JUL 2007: Well, I didn't even get that. They just didn't respond at all.

INTERNET SHOPPING

I have had good luck shopping for things on the internet with the exception of digital cameras. There seems to be a family of some sort of "gypsies" out there that do business under different names but using the same business plan. From their accent, I would say they are Middle East gypsies. The camera you are looking for will be hundreds of dollars cheaper on their site than anywhere else. BUT their site does say that the order is not complete until it is approved by the sales department. Then you will get a call from someone or else an email directing you to call someone. You will never get that camera unless you also order a whole bunch of extra accessories. They never quite get around to saying that but they delay and frustrate you to the point of saying "Nuts! Just cancel my order!" That is followed by them saying "Certainly", and the phone goes dead! But one of your worries now is that they have all of your credit card information and your personal information!
These are not the kind of people that you want to have this kind of information. Now those price comparison sites that you use and where you found these people in the first place, are in on it also. They also know what is going on but they don't particularly care since if you buy something from these "gypsies", then they get paid something for their assistance. And their rating systems are a joke also since they are created out of what the sellers tell them, not what the buyers tell them. If your seller does not have some sort of rating input system from buyers, sort of like Amazon does, that sellers or listers can't edit and sanitize, then you can bet that all the glowing reports are fakes (although, once in a great while, there might be a buyer who was quite happy). If I ever find one of those low-ball camera sellers that really does sell the camera at the price advertised, without trying to sell you a whole lot of more stuff, I'll praise them and list them by name. And If I ever find one of those price comparison sites that I think is really good and honest, and has your best interests at heart, I'll list them also. In the meantime you are probably better off buying your digital camera locally or from one of the internet sellers whose price is about the same as the local seller.
20 APR 07: Found ResellerRatings.com. Good place to start to get an idea of who is honest and who isn't.

"FREE' SEARCH ENGINE RESULTS

Remember how not long ago a lot of the stuff on the internet was truly free? The sites got their income from advertising icons that you could click on and the advertiser would pay the site a buck or two (or more). You used to be able to get social security information, genealogical information, names with telephone numbers, addresses and email addresses, and the like for truly "free". But not anymore! But, nevertheless, the search engines, parroting the language from the site itself, trumpet 'FREE SEARCH", "FREE THIS", "FREE THAT", "FREE - FREE - FREE"! BALONEY! Or is it bologna? But that's the only part that is free. The Baloney, that is. If you are trying to find an old friend or long lost relative, once you get to the site you find out that the "search" is free BUT.... You find out that there is or was a Robert Redford in Vail, CO; that there is or was an Abraham Lincoln in Illinois, or that there is or was a Deedar Schimding in Grover City. (Yes, there really was a Deedar Schimding in Grover City. That wasn't his real name but that's what he liked to call himself so we all called him that also!) But that is probably information that you already knew. Then they tell you that they have all the information you want on that person but it will be $7.95 to get it. Or, for $19.95 you can get a 24 hour unlimited search privilege! And for $39.95 you can get a criminal history of Deedar as well. Free, indeed! So you waste an immense amount of time trying to find a truly free site but to no avail. Do any of you know of any truly free sites that actually give you information without having to pay for it? Search engines should be required to list these sites under a category called something like "So-Called Free" (or something like "Commercial" or "Fee required") and the other sites as "Really, really free", if there are any such sites remaining. Should we be writing to search engines to complain about the way they list these "free" sites? I think so. I'm going to try it anyway. If enough of you join in, maybe we'll get something done. It's easy. Just copy this blog and mail it to them in an email. These blogs are great. They give you a chance to gripe about anything. But I'm not sure anybody looks at any of them. At least not at mine. Oh, well.
23 OCT 06: Another thing that I just discovered, quite by accident, is that a lot of these porno and other rip-off people are hi-jacking legitimate search names and words and somehow "hiding" them in their website but listing them many times in their site, so that when you go to look for something you will find this site that looks like it is has the info you want. When you "click" on it, you'll wind up on one of these porn or scam sites with no reference whatever to what you are looking for. If I discovered that, surely the search engines must know about this practice but I think that all of them are a bunch of bums also (some worse than others) and they don't care because all they want to show to advertisers is "traffic" or "clickers" so that they can get people to buy advertising on their site. And I find that the "big name" search sites are worse than the lesser names but they're all bad. I can't tell you one really good, reliable, trustworthy one. They all will try to tell you how much they have your best interests at heart. That's true but you and I only come in at about third or fourth place in priority of best interests. We are definitely not first! What a shame, huh? It's worse than listening to a bunch of politicians trying to get your vote for something except that none of them seem to be exposing any of the others. They can't afford to. Remember something about people who live in glass houses? Don't rat on me and I won't rat on you!
27 OCT 2006: I'm starting to see some newspaper articles appearing on the subject now. It's called "search engine optimization", a phrase that I have heard before. And there are many web sites that have been available for years that teach you how to do that and how to generate traffic coming to your site. It seems to be quite prevalent now in the field of politics. (Wouldn't you know it?) It's also called "bombing" and involves something like "imbedding" (hiding is what I think this means) hyperlinks in your website to make your site look highly relevant with respect to the information that you are searching for. The search engines do know of this practice. A Google spokesman is quoted in the newspaper today as saying "We don't condone the practice of Google bombing, or any other action that seeks to affect the integrity of our search results." Typical corporate or political "spin" (i.e. horse manure). Noticeably absent is any statement concerning what they intend to do about it to put a stop to it. My analysis of it: They intend to do nothing but "condemn" the practice and say that they do not "condone" it. That should take care of the problem.

SPAMMERS!

I guess that we all get spammed at least once a day in our email. It's an unfortunate fact of e-life, I guess. But I never thought that spammers spammed blogs also! But they do, under "comments"! Incredible, huh? But blogger.com has tools to put a stop to that. A computer club that I belong to feels terribly strong about and against spammers. They always say, "Never, ever do business with a spammer". Sounds like a good idea. Spammers are, by nature and definition, unscrupulous and rude. They know that servers don't want their stuff going through their server and they know that recipients don't want their stuff coming through to their "In" box. But they send their stuff anyway. Getting this stuff in your "In" box is like someone spitting chewing tobacco in your eye. No amount of cuteness, unctiousness or "concern" for your welfare should cause you to forget that you have just been assaulted. Do you really want to reply or order from somebody like that? And if you reply, they know that they have a "good" email address so that after they have "taken" you, they can sell or trade your information to someone else who may have even worse things in mind, like identity theft or virus damage. Think of spammers like a rat that has the plague and protect yourself accordingly!

DRX 9000 SPINAL REPAIR

I'm going to try to do something about my back. I have always had back problems even as far back as when I was only 16 years old. (And that was way back in 1952!!) Sometimes it's worse, sometimes it's better. I marvel at the fact that I did make it through my entire Navy enlistment. I didn't have any trouble in boot camp which is where you would expect something like this to act up. I did have a few serious bouts in my last year of service but I was in a position then where I could stay in bed for two or three days if I needed to. I can't say that my back is really bad but I can't say that it's really good, either. It does seem to drain my battery a bit most days. Anyway, I'm going to try this new DRX 9000 magic machine. You can see a picture of it and get some idea of what it's all about at http://www.vitalityhealthcare.com/page.asp?page=spinaldecompression. I'm going to get an MRI today (30 JAN 2006) and may get started on the actual program by next week at the latest. They do have a machine conveniently located in Oxnard but the machine that I need is in their Simi Valley office. So, I guess I'll be trekking to Simi Valley. The program is three times a week for six weeks. I can quit any time I don't think it's doing any good. I'll let you know how it turns out. It's not cheap, of course, but if you have some fairly good medical insurance that will pay some or all of it, it's worth a try.
30 JAN 2006, 3:56 P.M.: MRI completed! Nothing to it!
7 FEB 2006: First treatment today. 17 more to go. Rating: Well....maybe. Too early to tell anything.
Here's a picture of what the machine looks like. "Click" on it once to enlarge it.



12 FEB 06: Three treatments done now. Fifteen more to go! I think that I do feel some improvement but still can't be sure. There are six cervical disks. Four of mine have "severe disk space narrowing". That's the medical term for flattened, dried out and worthless! There are other smaller problems also noted. Given the objective state of my cervical structure, I have to stop and give thanks that I still feel as well as I do and that I can still function as well as I do. BUT the MRI also noted a 13 millimeter tumor growing on my right lower thyroid gland and they recommended a thyroid ultrasound examination. So I am waiting to hear from my doctor about what I should be doing and when. I'm hoping that it is not going to amount to anything much but, if you pray, say a few for me. The neck problem I can live with with painkillers, etc. But the thyroid problem may be something else.
13 FEB 06: Fourth treatment today. All's well. Ultrasound examination of thyroid gland on the fifteenth.
21 FEB 06: Ultrasound done and interpreted. Nothing to worry about. Just some grouped but unconnected nodules that are fairly common in thyroid glands! Will be watching blood tests and other indicators over the next several years to see if anything further is needed. Also going to see a endocrinologist on April 6th for a second opinion. Thanks for the prayers.
2 MAR 06: Eleven treatments done. Seven more to go. I do feel better. I have less pain, more energy, and I'm sleeping much better. It's still too early to really evaluate the program but the results, so far, are good. I'm looking forward to reporting overall very good results and lasting improvement. These machines and treatment centers are franchised so there is probably more than one in your area. It might pay to shop around a bit for the best price. I didn't and I still haven't made a price comparison. I just saw the ad, was impressed with the picture of the machine, made the call, and made an appointment to get started.
8 MAR 06: Four more treatments to go. There's no question but that the treatment works well. I feel much better, have more energy and am sleeping very well. I have little or no pain during the day. I'll post again after the last treatment on St. Patrick's Day, March 17th. Now the interesting question will be: "How long will the good results last?".
17 MAR 2006: Last treatment today. Eighteen in all. I don't really feel significantly better or different than I did after about the fifteenth treatment. Now, to see how well I hold up. I'll post about a month later with an update.
26 MAR 2006: It's still too soon to evaluate the lasting effect of this treatment but my results may not be helpful in your case. My main problem was cervical. I do have lumbar and thoracic problems as well, but it was my cervical area that was giving me the most trouble. The other problem areas are, so far, rather minimal. And my prolem was degenerative disk disease and arthritic spurs rather than a ruptured disk with material protruding that is pressing on a nerve. Degenerative disk disease is, I think, "just" a drying out and shrinking of the disk. Given a choice, I think I would rather have that and arthritic spurs than a herniated disk. I went down to my local pharmacy that has a lot of orthopaedic stuff and got a neck traction device. It has a harness that goes around your head attached to a rope that run up to pulleys that hang on a rack that fits over the top of a door and is hooked on to a water bag that weighs about twenty pounds when full. This seems to help but I haven't been using the water bag. I had been tying the rope to one leg of a heavy couch and then "scooting" down to try to get more pressure on my neck. I don't think this particular traction device would be enough help for herniated disks at the lumbar or thoracic levels.
6 APRIL 2006: Saw the endocronologist today. She recommends a thyroid biopsy. No way! Will wait six months, get another sonagram, then decide what to do if it appears that these nodules are growing.
21 APRIL 2006: Alas, the news is not good. There are little or no lasting effects from my treatment. While I was getting stretched three times a week I was feeling better but four or five weeks after the last treatment, I'm back to pretty much where I was to begin with. So: A waste of time and money. But one has to try some of these things and I'm glad that I tried it. I am going to go back for one or more "tuneup" treatments but I'm not expecting anything lasting to come of that either. And I did learn, indirectly, that the leading orthopaedic surgeon in our area does not think the treatment is worthwhile. How did I learn that? Some of his patients were there getting stretched at the same time that I was.
23 OCT 06: I did one follow-up treatment in April or May but it just wasn't worth the effort in continuing.
11 APR 08: Have been to chiropractors, pain clinics and the like. Even tried Celebrex. That's a scary drug. Read the warnings on it. But I figured that if it was all that powerful, it would at least take away the pain. Did it? Nope. But it did make my stomach queasy/uneasy so I quit it. What's coming up next? May get facet injections with cortisone and then, if that is successful, a rhizotomy which destroys nerves and nerve endings and leaves you with some numbness. Well, I can handle some numbness if I have to. In the meantime I take vicoprophen every six hours. I don't have too much trouble with that and it does seem to help with the pain considerably. I don't usually have to take four a day but I do always take one a day. My usual dose is two or three a day. I've got to make it until 2036 because that's the date I have on my tombstone and I don't want to have to spend money to change it!
21 APR 08: Eureka! I found my problem. Not the doctors, but me! It's that blasted Boniva that I have been on for about eight months. Beware! I'm quitting it. I hope that its side effects will wear off quickly and that I have not caused any permanent damage. Check it out on this great site and check your other meds also. You may be "stuck" with whatever you are using, whether you like it or not, but this site will make you far more knowledgable! This URL is the Boniva part of the site but you can easily search for most any other medication. Copy and paste it in your browser. Good Luck! http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug
=21455&name=BONIVA
And watch for my new book out soon. The title is "How Sally Fields Tried to Kill Me and I Didn't Do Nothin' To Her". My publisher wants me to shorten the title and correct the grammar but I said "No Way".
14 OCT 09: Man, have I neglected this narrative! In between here and last time a lot of water has flowed. All in all I have had four CAT scans, four MRI's, a bone scan, two trips to Cedars-Sinai and a whole lot more that I can no longer remember. Guess that I'm going to get on Twitter or Facebook one of these days. Guess that if Elizabeth Taylor can do it, so can I. Do you think that she really does it herself? Anyway, the pain and vicodin have continued all this time and the cause and solution for my problem has continued to elude all the experts. BUT tomorrow morning I go in for surgery for gall bladder removal. Between friends, anecdotes, internet searching and prayer I think that the local medical people are now convinced that the pain is caused by gall bladder problems. Had a sonogram of the bladder on 5 OCT that showed stones, cysts and then some. I hope they are right but, in any event, it has to come out before I really get hit with one of those awful gall bladder attacks. Here goes. Bye for now.

NATIONAL GATELEY REUNION

28 JUL 2006: The National Gateley Reunion has been a biennial affair for more than thirty years now. The 2004 reunion was in Memphis, TN at the end of July. The 2006 reunion will be held in Oklahoma City, OK, July 28-30. For over thirty years now I have been planning on attending but have never made it. This may be because it seems to be always held in Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas and the like in the middle of summer! I don't think I'm going to make the 2006 reunion either. My cousin in Texas, Jim Hampton, has never been either. I talked to him a while back about both of us going to this one because he and I "ain't" gettin' any younger or stronger. He said: No. He said that after you discover that you and a bunch of the others are direct descendants of Henry Chambers Gateley, what else is there to talk about? Maybe he has a point. But if any of you are interested and need more information, let me know and I'll tell you who to contact. I do have the reunion in my electronic calendar and may show up at the very last minute. Who knows?
30 JUL 2007: I have encouraged them to get a good website going but so far they have not had the right people to get that done. I thought that they might make it this summer but, so far, no progress. I "own" GateleyFamily.org and have offered that to them for free.

AP TROOP TRANSPORT GROUP REUNION

8 JUNE 2006: I have belonged to the AP TROOP TRANSPORT GROUP for several years now but have never attended one of their reunions. In 2006 they are having a reunion in Virginia Beach, VA, June 8-11th. I'm definitely going. My flight and other reservations are already made. While there, we will also go to Williamsburg, once again, and then, on the way back, we'll be stopping off in Dallas for a few days to visit with relatives there. We are going to arrive in Virginia Beach on June 5th and will be leaving on the 11th. These guys are Navy and some Merchant Marine. I'm not sure of the mix ratio. I don't know anyone but I think that we have a lot in common to revisit when we get together. As far as I know, membership and attendance at the reunion is open to anyone who served on a transport, traveled on a transport, had a friend of relative who served or traveled on a transport, or is just interested in the history and memories of the transport era. (Note to residents of Rio Linda: That means membership and attendance is open to absolutely anybody who wants to join or come! Even if you are a resident of Rio Linda). More info on this on my usnsbarrett.com website on the page marked "Bulletin Board" or something like that. Also on my website (www.usnsbarrett.com) I have a "Link" page that takes you quickly and easily to other interesting sites but mostly to "yesteryear". (Nope, nothing on the Lone Ranger!).
Sometime on June 7th, 2006, the all-volunteer Ventura Liberation Navy will board the BARRETT, seize control, liberate her, and then sail her back to Port Hueneme, CA. At present, the "Navy" consists of only one volunteer who holds the rank of Fleet Admiral. The BARRETT is presently at anchor in the "Ghost Fleet" at Fort Eustis, VA on the James River. (Failing in that, and since the Admiral really doesn't know how to start the engines or navigate her, I'm going to try to get them to give me the glass out of the porthole in my old room!)
UPDATES: 21 FEB 06: Still running into bureacratic stonewalling by the Maritime Administration but I'm determined to get back on board. I'll be appealing to a couple of congressmen and a Senator soon for help. (No, not either of the California Senators!) The two California senators would only help me get back aboard if I agreed to go down with the ship!
8 MAR 06: Saints be Praised! It now seems very likely that I will be allowed back aboard in early June of this year! I'm still lacking the "official" air-tight approval but it seems to be just a matter of some paperwork now! It was fifty years ago that I left that ship to be discharged and I have never even seen it again, much less be aboard it. It will be a momentous occasion for me!
13 APR 2006: EUREKA! Bingo! I just this moment received official approval for my visit to the BARRETT for picture taking. I have yet to arrange the details with MARAD onsite people. I'll post those when I get them settled. I will also be sending out individual "Thank You's" to all who helped and to my MARAD contacts!
6 MAY 2006: It now seems as assured as anything can get. I will be on board on June 7th barring any major problems. But, of course, anything may go wrong at any time. My GPS receiver says that the ship lies on a true course of 073 degrees from my office at a distance of 2390 miles!
22 MAY 2006: I'm all ready for my BARRETT reunion and my AP TROOP TRANSPORT GROUP reunion. See my "official gear" below. You can "click" on each photo to make it larger. There are a lot of good sites now where you can get good photos, hats, shirts, jackets, mugs, etc. I got the hat from seaweed.com and the shirt from navalshopping.com. Both were OK to deal with and fairly reasonable. The BARRETT silhouette is so unique that neither of the silhouettes looks much like the BARRETT but they're not too bad.





27 JUN 06: OK, I've been there. I'm trying to get these photos available with my limited ability and knowledge. So I'm starting at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonsan. Check that out. It will be a while before I get them all on and even longer before I get the "comments" sections done. I think that I'm done trying to get them in a photo album on classmates.com that many of you are prevented from viewing. Next year the reunion will be in Jacksonville, FL, May 31 to June 1st, 2007. Be there.

2006 OCEANO REUNION

15 JULY 2006: A multi-class reunion for the Oceano Elementary School "kids" from the '40's & '50's is planned for the Oceano Depot on July 15, 2006. A bar-b-q is in order. More info and specifics as they become available. Mark your calendars and plan to attend. More info also will be posted on the Message Board at classmates. Here's the url: http://group.classmates.com/user/mboard/?group_id=2218610&type=hs. Classmates changed their rules for a time and did not allow basic members to view photo albums but they fairly quickly saw that was going to be a big mistake so they changed the rule back again.
23 JUN 06: Well, Classmates may be about to outsmart itself. There are other, even better sites coming on line now where you can post photos and that are even better than classmates and that don't require a membership. See http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonsan/ As soon as I get the time and get better and quicker at it, I may move or duplicate all my classmates photo albums on to a site like flickr.com. It just doesn't pay to try to rip people off on these on line sites because just too much new and better stuff is coming on line every day.
15 JUL 06: Well, it's history. But it was great. Great weather. Great bar-b-q. Great company. I'll try to get more information on here later. The cooks put out over 250 plates and were looking for more so I don't know exactly how many were there but for a rinky-dink school in a podunk town, the turnout was stupendous!
15 AUG 06: Here are some good photos of the reunion: http://www.pictage.com/214796. Be sure to click on the "View all Images" link up in the top right area. I also put together a list of my "favorites" shown as "Jon's favorites". These just show people that I knew or went to school with. (I tried the "favorites" albums and they don't work well so it's best to use the "View all Images").

OCEANO DEPOT

16 OCT 2005: We were at the Oceano Depot for a dedication and "mini-reunion". I have added some photos and comments in my photo album on classmates.com at the Oceano Elementary School site. The url to get there is: http://photos.classmates.com/user/photoalbum/album.tf?album_id=132403. Check out the Message Board also.
1-12-06: Those "rotten coyotes" at classmates.com have changed the rules just recently. You used to be able to view the photo albums without being a paid ("gold") member but now they have changed that. You have to buy at least a limited "gold" membership now to see the photos. Other than reading some of the postings there is no point in going to classmates.com unless you are already a paid member or are willing to pay to be one. It seems that everybody is now moving toward requiring money for everything. I haven't been to Vegas in a long, long time since they raised the prices on everything and I don't think it's likely that I will ever be there again. The last time I was there, New York, New York was just starting construction.
23 JUN 06: Well, Classmates is about to outsmart itself. There are other, even better sites coming on line now where you can post photos and that are even better than classmates and that don't require a membership. See http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonsan/ As soon as I get the time and get better and quicker at it, I'll probably move or duplicate all my classmates photo albums on a site like flickr.com. It just doesn't pay to try to rip people off on these on line sites because just too much new and better stuff is coming on line every day.
8 FEB 08: Classmates seems to have wised up. You can now, once again, view the photo albums without being a Gold member.