We had a storm 2 August 2015. A local pizza place was destroyed. A local high school had it’s roof ripped off. Trees are down and power is out. Lollapalooza was cut short and evacuated in Chicago. In Wood Dale, IL a tent at a festival collapsed and killed one person and injured others. Here’s my video of the light show from my front porch. It was eerily quiet. Lots of light, very little sound, mostly wind.

The phone just rang. Caller ID said it was 911 calling from phone number 1911.

The caller left a message. The automatic transcript follows:

“I guess your name and your social security number. Unless you receive this message I want you to call the attorney generals office State of Florida to attorney Sam Wilson. 1-850-308-6061. Repeat again it’s 850-308-6061. Don’t disregard this message. Now we got arrest warrant. I guess some fraudulent charges on you. You only got 30 minutes. If you want weeks for 20 samples inviting(?) 30 minutes today evening. You are gonna be arrested by the police officers of your local County Sheriff’s office and will be held behind the jail for six months. Goodbye.”

These types of calls are SCAMS. Don’t answer, don’t return the calls.

July 15 will be Amazon Prime Day. I love my Amazon Prime. It’s so worth it.

The words “feminine” may not spring to mind when you picture a cowhide rug. It’s time to reconsider. Cowhide rugs can add a needed boldness to a room that is otherwise quite pretty. Picture a room filled with light, crystal accents, flowers, and classically elegant furniture. Now picture a bold and beautiful cowhide rug tying it all together. It is one of the great design strategies: take a style that works on its own, and then juxtapose it with an unexpected piece to really give the room its own character. A piece like this can also serve to help bridge the gap between the different tastes of the users of a space, whether it is a home or business.

A cowhide rug is a statement piece that adds charm and warmth. It is exotic, and at the same time it is earthy and practical. The natural cow skin material is extremely durable and will hold up in even the most high traffic areas of your home or office. These rugs are exceptionally easy to spot clean. The durability and ease of use are just a few of the great qualities of cowhide rugs. It’s also worth noting that bold accent pieces such as cowhide rugs can be the difference between a boring room and an exciting room.

You need not feel compelled to surround your cowhide rug with decor reminiscent of the Old West. The ways in which you can incorporate this design concept are limitless. It can seem at once whimsical and sturdy. A cowhide rug would be adorable in a child’s room or in a cozy home library or den. A kitchen designed with very simple, clean color schemes and lines would only be enhanced by a cowhide rug in a corner, or in the entryway.

These soft and stylish cowhide rugs are just the thing to tie together a whole room. They can be used as traditional rugs under a chair or in front of a couch, or you can use your imagination and use them as you would any other tapestry or throw blanket. This extreme versatility makes a piece like this a much better choice than a traditional rug. A traditional rug would stay on the floor in its place. A cowhide rug can be moved around from floor to wall to the back of a couch, allowing you to really express your creativity and keep your space feeling vibrant.

Allergens can be a major factor when purchasing a rug, but rest assured that cowhide rugs are not likely to harbor mold or mildew or other allergens.

Whatever your design challenge, you cannot go wrong with a classic, versatile, and bold cowhide rug.

We received a call tonight from (646) 595-4784. Caller ID said BLOGTALKRADIO. I answered. It was someone saying he was from Microsoft and my Windows computer was downloading malicious software.

I told him we were IT professionals and that we weren’t downloading any malicious software, thank you very much, good bye. Click.

He tried to keep me on the line. Didn’t work.

Microsoft will NOT call you to help you with malicious software downloads. They don’t do customer service like that for free. And they don’t call YOU.

Oh so much fun. The Little Guy and I dressed up for it. The Little Guy was Foxy the Pirate Fox from Five Nights at Freddy’s – a video game. He was recognized all over the con. Lots of kids wanted to take their pictures with him. Continue reading →

Nine years ago I quite smoking. I went to have laser acupuncture done and it was like a miracle. Halfway through the treatment I tossed the few cigarettes I had left in a pack and the lighter in the trash. And I’ve never gone back. That was a very worthwhile investment. Today cartons are costing almost what I paid for three cartons when I was smoking.

Passover starts Friday (on Good Friday) 3 April, 2015. Over on Facebook a friend a asked (for a friend) if Rice Krispie treats were Kosher.

They can be, if you use vegan marshmallows and use a butter substitute so you don’t have to worry about a butter and beef issue.

For me, with my egg, milk, and wheat allergies, if I use coconut oil and the vegan marshmallows, I can eat Rice Krispie Treats!

The vegan marshmallows are available at Whole Foods and can also be ordered online from Chicago Vegan Foods. They’re Dandies Vegan Marshmallows. They make mini marshmallows too.