...a little smudger59kes is a powerful thing.

Are People that use the Internet Ill?

I found this story on the Yahoo home news page this morning. It would appear that some of the more “focused” internet users may well be suffering from some Cyber world based malady.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/19122006/323/photolurking-blog-streaking-cheesepodding-new-internet-addictions.html

Photolurking, blog streaking and cheesepodding:

The new Internet addictions Tuesday December 19, 07:43 PM     

PARIS (AFP) - The Internet has given birth to a quirky range of modern addictions and maladies, the British weekly New Scientist says in its Christmas issue published this Saturday.

They include these:

- EGO-SURFING: When you frequently check your name and reputation on the Internet.

- BLOG STREAKING: "Revealing secrets or personal information online which for everybody's sake would be best kept private."

- CRACKBERRY: "The curse of the modern executive: not being able to stop checking your BlackBerry, even at your grandmother's funeral." (A BlackBerry is a popular handheld device that can be used for phoning, emailing and web-browsing).

- GOOGLE-STALKING: Defined as "snooping online on old friends, colleagues or first dates."

- CYBERCHONDRIA: "A headache and a particular rash at the same time? Extensive online research tells you it must be cancer."

- PHOTOLURKING: Flicking through a photo album of someone you've never met.

- WIKIPEDIHOLISM: Excess devotion to contributing to the online collaborative encyclopaedia, Wikipedia. (Wikipedia even has a page where you can test whether you're an addict: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Are-You-a-Wikipediholic-Test)).

- CHEESEPODDING: Downloading of a song "so cheesy that you could cover it in plastic wrap and sell it at the deli counter." Cheesepodders are especially vulnerable to soft-rock favourites from the 1970s

Maybe things will now get back to normal .......

Today is going to be the very last day before I go back to work.

The saga of the elbow still goes on, to some extent, but I will cover that later. But, as I type this I have already seen the Hospital Consultant (Tuesday to be precise), the GP (less than an hour ago) and also the Boss (yesterday).

Bar the visit to the Physio this afternoon, I'm back at work tomorrow.

How do I feel?

Do you know - I don't really know.

I'm bored at home. There is only some much you can do, and then guard your arm. There are only so many episodes of City Hospital you can put up with.But going back to proper work?

I shouldn't feel nervous, but, to some extent, I do.

Not frightened, nervous.

The elbow saga continued ....

As I mentioned above, the saga (if saga is really the right description) goes on. The Consultants' House Office took this particular Clinic. He checked the operation and wound site. Move the limb. Flexed the elbow. Asked the questions.

He checked and then advised.

All was now well and the operation had been completed successfully.

I did find out, however, that the discomfort may well carry on for a few months yet. Everything has to settle back to something like normality, so the Doctor did confirm what I already suspected. The elbow will ache and "twinge" for a wee while yet.

The discomfort level will diminish over time - but we will have to see. 

 UPDATE - Smudger strikes again - he "saves" his draft text, thinking of coming back and completing it the same day, to find that he finishes his missive several days later (this is being finished off on Sunday Morning).

Well just a couple of quick observations:

1. It's an odd feeling going back to work - with one thing and another, it's been nearly two months since I've actually done any real work. And I felt so lost. It was almost like being on my very first day.
2. It looks like the Archery club is on the move. We have been looking for a new location for some time now, and it looks like we may well have now found it. But I will let you all know when I know something more substantial.
3. and, possibly the strangest thing of all - if I look out of our kitchen window, into the back garden, you can see at least six or eight Paper Airplanes. Where have they come from?     

Today is going to be important ...

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 35,744 people with the name David Smith in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

First off, I saw this "How Many of Me?" query in my Xanga Subscription Email. This little gem came via Zimbo, and it did make me smile.

I know I'm not American, but I thought I would give it a go anyway.

The more indicative thing wasn't just how many people have my full name, but how many Americans also share the individual components of my name. Those components break down as follows:

David :

• There are 3,553,128 people in the U.S. with the first name David.
• Statistically the 7th most popular first name.
• 99.75 percent of people with the first name David are male. (  HUH ???? )
• Names similar to David:
  • Dave

Smith :

• There are 3,017,684 people in the U.S. with the last name Smith.
• Statistically the 1st most popular last name.
• Famous people with the last name Smith:
  • David Smith
  • Alex Smith
  • Anna Nicole Smith
  • Antowain Smith
  • Bessie Smith

  click to see 31 more

I tried a few of the above links the site gave for "Famous" Smith's, and I only knew a handful - what does that say?

---

Before I go on to the main text of this entry - has anyone else been unable to use some of the features of the Xanga Editor with the new Internet Explorer 7 (I'm typing this via FireFox). It would seem that I'm unable to switch to "Edit HTML" mode - any suggestions ?

---

Today is going to be important in the continuing saga of the injured elbow.

Shortly I will be hopping onto my bike, and heading off for the second appointment with the Hospital Physiotherapist (09:00 to be precise). I have been lead to believe that today will be the first real chance to assess the elbow post the given exercise regime.

And I'm slightly concerned.

If anything, the dis-comfort has been increased, not diminished. I  am told that this shouldn't be such a great surprise - the "it'll get worse before it gets better" scenario. What I do suspect is that the Physio will say the arm, as a whole, will still not be strong enough for me to get back to work.

Will let you know what happens when I get back.

---

UPDATE

 

Have not long since returned from my appointment with the Physio. The elbow was,as I suspected, not getting well as quickly as I would like. The weeks worth of exercises have, in some ways, taken us back a few steps.

What I found more worrying was the reaction of my arm and elbow to the Ultra Sound treatment. Carl, the Physio, suggested we try Ultra Sound as a way of encouraging the bodies repair systems to skip along. What we didn't expect, and the look on his face said it all, was the way that my eblow and arm reacted to the treatment.

Whilst the treatment was being carried out - it was quite nice. But then, the forearm and thumb went numb (and still is to some extent).

The upcome of the whole thing is that is that my arm is still not strong enough to go back to work - it just isn't stromg enough at this point in time.

I wonder how the boss will react?

God .... I'm so bored

Morning everyone

I hope everyone is feeling better than I this morning.

As a general rule, there have been patches of "entertainment", but for most of the time I'm seriously bored. I'm encouraged still to rest the said operated elbow - whilst at the same time carry out certain required Physiotherapy type exercises.

These exercises are causing more dis-comfort than the original injury - I know they are supposed to be for my benefit - but I am wondering.

•         Firstly I'm a bit annoyed - the text above this comment was "saved safely", but the remaining text that I have spend quite a few minutes "painfully" typing in has now vanished - and we are talking of around 10 to 15 minutes of typing and consideration, even though I thought I'd saved it a couple of times - thanks a lot technology (Xanga servers??????)    

• I was going to retype the whole of the missive that I had previously entered, but, as the discomfort in substantial at the moment, I shall precis it:
1. Laura has been invited to training/receive coaching from the Regional Archery team
2. Liam, and the Park Tigers U16's won their Football (Soccer) match yesterday. They were playing Kirton Junior FC U16's, winning 2-0. There was a third goal which was disallowed for being off side (yes - right, I don't think so) 
3.     Have just been watching the BBC Breakfast TV program, and they were attempting to interview the famous Meatloaf. It was hilarious. "What do we call you?"came the first question, and from then on you could see that this was going to be good.
• My reason for logging on is really point you at a fellow xangain who has put a lot of work , and information, into his recent weblogs

Zimbo has been running a series of entries as regards the Battle of Hastings re-enactment. He really has some nice images of both his Xanga Site, and also his flickr site . I know that this may well be of limited interest to some people, but, if you have some interest in history, and more to the point, how we celebrate history now, it is well worth the visit.

Worlds biggest blog .....

A big Hi to you all from "Old One Arm"  (the elbow is getting better)

 Just a quick entry that you all maybe interested in - particularly those of you here in the UK,

Having just watch the BBC Breakfast News, they have just run an item of interest to anyone who blogs, and particularly those of us who wants to leave something behind for history.

The National Trust, through the History Matters Website, want as many people as possible to leave their thoughts and blog type comments on a Diary page newt Tuesday ( Tuesday 17th October) - but only that day.

The idea is that they are trying to obtain a social commentary, a reflection of the British populous on a single day at the beginning of the 21st Century.

I don't know about you - but I will give it a go (if I remember - )

Cheers for now