"And I Love You So"

MIKE'S COMMENTARY
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE
NEWS & NOTES BY SUE FOUST

MIKE'S COMMENTARY AND SOME BITS OF WISDOM

Happy Birthday Dr. V. Frye

You Are Sixteen  (Reprise) A bell is no bell 'til you ring it, A song is no song 'til you sing it, And love in your heart Wasn’t put there to stay - Love isn’t love 'Til you give it away. ~ Oscar Hammerstein ~ Sound of Music

 
 

The History and Meaning of Saint Valentine's Day The origin of St. Valentine, and how many St. Valentines there were, remains a mystery. One opinion is that he was a Roman martyred for refusing to give up his Christian faith. Other historians hold that St. Valentine was a temple priest jailed for defiance during the reign of Claudius. Whoever he was, Valentine really existed because archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine. In 496 AD Pope Gelasius marked February 14th as a celebration in honor of his martyrdom. The first representation of Saint Valentine appeared in a The Nuremberg Chronicle, a great illustrated book printed in 1493. [Additional evidence that Valentine was a real person: archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine.] Alongside a woodcut portrait of him, text states that Valentinus was a Roman priest martyred during the reign of Claudius the Goth [Claudius II]. Since he was caught marrying Christian couples and aiding any Christians who were being persecuted under Emperor Claudius in Rome [when helping them was considered a crime], Valentinus was arrested and imprisoned. Claudius took a liking to this prisoner -- until Valentinus made a strategic error: he tried to convert the Emperor -- whereupon this priest was condemned to death. He was beaten with clubs and stoned; when that didn't do it, he was beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate [circa 269]. Saints are not supposed to rest in peace; they're expected to keep busy: to perform miracles, to intercede. Being in jail or dead is no excuse for non-performance of the supernatural. One legend says, while awaiting his execution, Valentinus restored the sight of his jailer's blind daughter. Another legend says, on the eve of his death, he penned a farewell note to the jailer's daughter, signing it, "From your Valentine."

 
 
 

The History and Meaning of Cupid, God of Love While not a real person, Cupid was the God of Love to ancient Romans, and many Italians believed in his powers. Even in the modern world, references to Cupid and his bow and arrows of love are found everywhere on Valentine’s Day. Cupid was not initially the cherubic, happy little angel that we think of today. In his original incarnation, he was a very mischievous, sometimes dark god of love and desire who enjoyed matching 'odd couples' and seeing how they worked out. Cupid eventually fell under his own spell of odd matches. He fell in love with Psyche, a mortal. In the Greek language, Psyche means "butterfly" and also means "soul". In many ways, what Psyche goes through is symbolic of the path of each woman’s soul in life. Cupid had actually been sent by his mother, Venus, to punish Psyche for her beauty. Instead, he was captivated by her. He arranged to have her brought to his mountain home to live with him, but he hid his identity from her, only visiting her at night. Their time together was so tender and full of gentle talk that Psyche fell in love with Cupid, without ever seeing him. Psyche’s jealous sisters were angered by her wealth and love, and convinced Psyche that her lover must be a monster to so hide himself. The sisters persuaded her to sneak up on him after he left her one evening, armed with a knife. He awoke and saw her there, and said sadly, "I inflict no other punishment on you than to leave you forever. Love cannot dwell with suspicion." Psyche realized how foolish she’d been, and decided the only way to be with Cupid again was to go talk to Venus and ask for her blessing. Venus was delighted at having Psyche kneeling down before her, and set forth many tasks for Psyche to perform to prove her worthiness. Each task was more than Psyche thought she could manage, but in each case a God stepped in to assist her. Finally Psyche and Cupid were allowed to be married. They were very happy together, and had a child, named Pleasure.

 
 
 

Bill Puts Seniors at Risk  Written By: Attorney Jeffrey A. Marshall , CELA* This article is written by an elder law expert.  The subject content affects young and old. Even if you are not stimulated into reading all at least take a glance at the red print.  (Mike) Congress is about to pass a new law that will make it harder for frail seniors to pay for long term care. Senate Bill 1932 includes changes to the Medicaid program that will make seniors ineligible for government financial assistance if they have given anything away over the past five years. Since few individuals have insurance that covers nursing home care, most people in nursing homes are on Medicaid.  Medicaid pays for needed care for people who have limited financial resources.   The proposed law attempts to save the Government money by shifting more of the cost of long-term care to families and nursing homes. Most harmful is a provision in the legislation that will change the way gifts are treated. Giving assets away makes the donor ineligible for Medicaid help for a period of time.  Under current law, the penalty period starts to run when the gift is made.  Under SB 1932, the penalty period will not begin to run until the donor needs nursing home care and has run out of money to pay for it.  This means that our nursing homes will soon be filled with residents who need care but have no way to pay for it. Regrettably this is not a joke.  Congress is about to pass this law.  The grandparent who helped pay for a grandchild’s education, the church supporter who contributed to the church building fund, the parent who helps a child with medical bills, the family farmer who passes on the farm, will all be caught by this law if they get sick within 5 years of making the gift.  AARP, the Alzheimer’s Association, the Catholic Health Association and over 40 aging advocacy organizations oppose these changes.  They believe the new law will put the health of many older Americans at risk.  The nursing home industry also strongly opposes the change in the calculation of the penalty period, since nursing homes will have to provide care to residents who have no source of payment.  The penalty start date change is particularly significant in Pennsylvania since the Pennsylvania Legislature recently re-enacted a law that makes children liable for the financial support of their indigent parents.  Nursing homes, stuck with residents who have no means to pay for care, may seek reimbursement from the residents’ children. Litigation between nursing homes and children is likely to flourish.  Nursing homes will sue children who will counter-sue for sub-standard care.  The change in the transfer penalty is not the only provision of the legislation that will harm seniors.  Spouses of nursing home residents will also be hard-hit. States, like Pennsylvania , will no longer be allowed to let low-income community spouses keep additional financial resources to avoid later spousal impoverishment.  Farmers may be required to sell their farms to pay for their long term care costs.  Individuals owning annuities may be required to name the state as a beneficiary.  Unfortunately, the legislation does nothing to address our country’s growing long-term care crisis. Its provisions don’t even cut much government spending.  It certainly doesn’t address our desperate need to find ways to provide older Americans with affordable means to pay for long-term care. SB 1932 is yet another example of Congress passing laws that diminish the ability of seniors to live a modest and safe life.  There are many more articles about financial planning and state and federal laws pertaining to elder care at this site.  You can register free for the Elderlaw Newsletter.  http://www.paelderlaw.com/

 
 
 

This will happen again and again and...  Will your child/grandchild be the victim or the perpetrator?  KCnet is doing something about this.  Read the program KCnet is offering.  The description of the program is in the "February Offerings" the next green box on this page.  Police: Former Student Admits To Killing Internet Date Authorities Say 22-Year-Old Led Investigators To Woman's Body POSTED: 5:18 pm EST February 8, 2006 UPDATED: 7:22 pm EST February 8, 2006  BALTIMORE -- Baltimore County police said an Internet date ended in homicide, and they have a suspect in custody. The body of Josie Phyllis Brown was found off an Interstate 95 exit ramp in Arbutus Tuesday night, and by the next day, her alleged date remained in police custody. WBAL-TV 11 News reporter Tara Mergener reported Brown disappeared last December.  Brown, of Baltimore's Hampden neighborhood, was reported missing from Baltimore City. Police said John Christopher Gaumer, 22, told them that he killed the 27-year-old victim while he and Brown were on a date on Dec.  28, 2005. "They got into an argument.  They pulled over on the side of the road, on the ramp, and the argument became physical," Baltimore County police spokesman Bill Toohey said. According to police, Gaumer admitted to leaving Brown near the highway ramp before he returned and allegedly beat her with a blunt object and threw her down an embankment. Police said Gaumer led officers to Brown's body Tuesday night. Authorities said Brown met Gaumer on the Internet Web site MySpace.com.  While details of the relationship are unknown, police said Gaumer was a student at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, where he lived on campus.  Police said he has no criminal history. "We had no problem with John, we had no reference to him on our file as to someone who made a complaint or someone had made a complaint about him," UMBC Police Chief John Cook said. Campus police told 11 News Gaumer withdrew as a student from the university on Wednesday.  He remains held in police custody without bail.

 
 
 

Special February Offerings at KCnet If you read Mike's Commentary or the Tech Tips in the Lock Haven Express a few weeks ago you got a view into the seedy side of the Computer Blogging World designed to encourage our  Middle Grade through High School students to browse and communicate by posting text and pictures on line.   Little or no effort is made by the site owners to filter out young or mature predators.  (http://www.seniorcenter.net/netlearnernews/archives06/srspg2_01_156.html)  The KCnet Education Committee has been studying the problem of internet predators and have designed some awareness programs for adults and kids in our user area.  KCnet is taking the lead in Internet safety for children in our user area by teaming with i-SAFE, a nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping children safe while online. I-SAFE is a national organization that has worked with the FBI, the US Criminal Justice Department, educators, concerned citizens, parents, and students, to make children aware of the dangers of the Internet, and how to safely avoid them.   The main goal is to bring Internet safety awareness to the community.  On Feb. 13 and 15, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm KCnet will host an informative presentation including a Q&A session about Internet Safety.  Sessions will be held  in the KCnet Learning Center located at 18 East Main Street in Lock Haven.  KCnet encourages parents, grandparents, guardians, students, and community members to attend.  All will be given information that can help them understand and deal with the situation.  This is a free event, and the public is encouraged to attend. There will be childcare available to a limited number of people, so please plan to register early if you need this service.   Call KCnet at 893-8111. Did you know that over 80% of USA kids spend at least an hour a week online, 11% spend more than 1½ hours per day online, 55% of our kids have given out personal information (age, gender, location, etc.) while online and  52% of our kids want to be alone while online. Even more astounding, 10% of our kids have met an on-line acquaintance, face-to-face.  Those are scary statistics. They become especially scary when you consider that 52% of parents think that their ability to monitor their child’s online activities is limited.  23% of our kids say that their parents have no idea what they’re doing online, or how often they are using the Internet.  92% of parents say that they have set rules for Internet usage, while 34% of our kids say they have no rules for online activity. And most scary of all is the fact that  40% of our kids say that they have never discussed Internet safety with their parents.  KCnet wants to help change those numbers in Clinton County. Please join KCnet and i-Safe to safeguard our children’s online experience. i-SAFE America Inc. is the worldwide leader in Internet safety education. Founded in 1998 and endorsed by the U.S. Congress, i-SAFE is a non-profit foundation dedicated to protecting the online experiences of youth everywhere. i-SAFE incorporates classroom curriculum with dynamic community outreach to empower students, teachers, parents, law enforcement, and concerned adults to make the Internet a safer place. http://www.isafe.org/    KCnet is offering an eight week workshop that will help you learn the basics of computer usage, as well as how to create and use spreadsheets, databases, presentations, and more. The Full ICDL Workshop will begin on February 16, and runs every Thursday until April 6. This class meets from 6-9 PM. There is also an opportunity to come in on Tuesday evenings for tutoring or practice sessions. The fee for this workshop is $175; advance registration is required. The ICDL (International Computer Driving License) certification program is designed to show employers that a potential or existing employee has the basic computer skills necessary to perform daily computer tasks. ICDL is comprised of seven modules that demonstrate competency in the following areas: Fundamental Concepts of IT, Using the Computer and Managing Files, Word Processing, Spreadsheets, Databases, Presentations, and Internet and Email. Upon completion of each training module, the candidate will take a proctored exam. Failed tests may be retaken. Once all tests have been passed, the candidate receives ICDL certification. The ICDL is an internationally accepted certificate. It can simplify employment procedures and assures the employer that the applicants and/or staff have the necessary level of knowledge and competence to use common computer applications. This workshop counts as 42 credit hours of ACT 48 continuing education credits. ICDL certification is worth 7 credit hours transferable to almost any college or university (for an extra fee of $250). ICDL is also approved for CareerLink short term training opportunities.   TechnoSavvy Computer and Internet Safety will begin February 27. This class is offered with either a two or four session option. The first two sessions will be on how to protect your home computer from viruses, pop-ups, spam, identity thieves, etc. The last two sessions are more focused on how to protect children by setting up an administrative account on a home computer to control access, setting up filtering software like NetNanny to block adult materials, and more. There will be an Officer from the State police to talk about Internet crimes during this set. Those who don’t have children can sign up for just set 1; those with children can sign up for either set one, set two, or both. Set One is February 27 and March 01 from 6:00 -8:00 PM. Set Two is March 06 and 08 also from 6:00 - 8:00 PM. The cost for one set is $20, or both sets for $35.    Internet and Email Course   KCnet will again offer another 4 session Internet and Email Course.  Sessions will be held on February 21, 23, 28 and March 02 from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM.  Topics include using the browser to find information on the Internet, web and email addresses, sending and receiving email, forwarding and replying to email, bookmarks, using the address book, and more. There is always time for questions and general exploration. Class sizes are limited to 10.  Advance payment and preregistration are suggested.  You may register by calling (570) 893-8111 or visit www.kcnet.org/class.  Additional KCnet courses are constantly in the development stages - so return here every week for updates. KCnet Helpdesk is available  Please call 893-8111 for a technician.  Monday through Thursday from 8:30 am -7:00 pm Friday from 8:30 am - 6:00 pm Saturday 9:00 am - Noon

~HMMM~  One of the keys to happiness is a bad memory. ~ Rita Mae Brown ~ Love may not make the world go round,  but I must admit that it makes the ride worthwhile. ~ Sean Connery ~ It's not the men in my life that count -- it's the life in my men. ~ Mae West (1892-1980) ~

 
KCNET CLASSES

NEWS AND NOTES WITH SUE FOUST:

In the 1960’s, I took some Polaroid pictures that meant a lot to me.  One was of our baby daughter and her great grandmother (my grandmother).  My grandmother died shortly afterward.  I was so glad to have that picture.  Later, I framed a collage of pictures.  That one was among the selection.  The collage hung in our hall for years.  One day, I realized that the Polaroid picture of my grandmother was so faded, it was impossible to identify her.  I removed all the pictures from the frame and today, that white piece of card-weight paper is in my album.  I know what it is, but in 40 years, the image is gone.   We are in the day of digital images and printing our own pictures.  Do you want them to last more than 40 years? How long your prints of digital images are going to last depends on the technology used to print them. That includes both ink and paper. Most people use inkjet printers to produce images, and two primary technologies are used. One is based on organic dyes, and the other is based on pigments. Loosely speaking, the first is like coloring your clothes, and the second is like painting your house. The problem with organic dyes is that they fade. Your clothes fade with washing (and fade really fast if you hang them out in the sun to dry). Chemicals in the environment and ultraviolet radiation are the enemies of organic dyes. This is especially true for red dyes. You may have seen posters that have hung in the window of a store for a long time, and most of the colors other than blue have faded away. Finding a UV-stable red dye is the holy grail of commercial organic chemistry. Canon printers produce glorious output but do so using organic dyes, so they can't be counted on to last unless you keep them in the dark, and then, what's the point? The paint on your house, however, can stand up to a lot of UV punishment. It tends to lose flexibility, and flakes off, before it loses much color. This is partly because paints use pigments rather than dyes. Epson has several pigment-based printers and estimates that they will produce output lasting for decades to centuries before there is significant loss of color. You might ask why everyone doesn't use pigments and one reason is that it is harder to prevent pigment-based inks from clogging the holes in the print head. Epsons, in fact, have something of a reputation for this problem. You might also ask how anyone knows that a print will last a century when digital printing technology hasn't even existed for that long. Laboratories do accelerated aging tests -- for example, shine very bright UV light on an image for a short period of time, measure the effect, and extrapolate the results to ordinary situations using some sort of scaling assumptions. In other words, they don't really know. They have an educated guess, based on related data.  It is also worth noting that ink is not the only factor in the equation. Ink sits on paper, and there is a complex and not fully understood chemical interaction between them. What we do know is that the longest lifetimes are obtained by using both ink and paper produced by the same company that made your printer. According to tests, some of the recent HP's achieve lifetimes on the order of 60-70 years even though they use dye-based technology. But that is only for HP ink on HP paper. So what do you, as a consumer, do? For what it is worth, the most frequently used printers among photography enthusiasts seem to be Epsons, at least judging from their websites. Your best preservation for color photo images is in a form of stored data. It is wise to keep a backed up, working copy of your digital photo files in your own possession for the near term; this can be on the best media currently available now, optical or magnetic, but remember that any physical media is subject to deterioration, so you want redundancy. Keep more than one copy and keep the copies on different types of media.  Be careful to use data formats conformant to widely accepted, non-proprietary standards. Do not count on your digital camera's native format to be around for long. Get those images copied from the camera manufacturer's file format into some well-known open-standard format. For color prints, there are a number of high quality processes from the photographic industry as well as the commercial printing world. These prints can be made from digital files just as easily as from traditional photographic negatives or positives.  In recent years, makers of inkjet, dye sublimation, and color laser printers have claimed archival permanence for their inks (toners). It remains to be proven, but such prints might be a good, low-cost way to keep your photographs at least for a decade or two. The bottom line is this: Get your photos into open-standard-format digital files.  You may even want to put those files on servers operated by reliable companies. Make some more temporal copies for your own use (magnetic and optical media) and keep those as working copies. Make prints from time to time, when you (or your descendants, or the future legal owners of the images) need them. Let's hope that there will be humans around in a few hundred years who have leisure time to enjoy your images. Until next week... ! KCnet Board Of Directors Officers:   President Bill Raco, Vice President Bob Rolley, Secretary Jon Ahrens,  Treasurer Don Miller and Past President Judy Yoho.   Other members of the board:  Carolyn Carl, R.  Keith Kelly, Paul Korn, Donna Lannan, Amy Lapriola, Tom Livingston,  Ray McGill, and Rich Wykoff.

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