Milt Reynolds: Thinking Out Loud

Residents of long-term care facilities sometimes have little or no contact with the outside world. Many feel they lack control over their lives. A friendly volunteer who visits regularly can be a bright spot in an elderly resident's day. Many residents are alone and would be very happy to have your visits. This may also help ensure they get good care if someone from the community is looking in on them regularly. Long-Term Care Ombudsman are advocates for residents of nursing homes, board and care homes and assisted living facilities . Ombudsmen provide information about how to find a facility and what to do to get quality care. They are trained to resolve problems. If you want, the ombudsman can assist you with complaints. However, unless you give the ombudsman permission to share your concerns, these matters are kept confidential. Our local ombudsman's office investigates complaints and advocates for the rights of long-term care residents in Milton-Freewater, Heppner,

Today, more than ever, our daily life depends upon electronic, digitized text. Looking at the tremendous variety and number of computer devices that surround each of us, how can paper-based information be at all relevant, much less vital? I believe information that is published with ink on paper (or parchment), is much more reliable, and long-lasting than any other medium we know of. First issue: long-lasting Although metal, or glass, or pottery could be considered more durable, the practical and realistic characteristics of paper and ink most likely provide longer-lasting archival documents. The technology and energy to create, store, and retrieve information based on metal or ceramics, including glass, requires much more time and intelligence and care than a simple graphite or ink mark on a notecard. That basic notecard can be kept in a dry environment, even one found in nature, with no human intervention, without degradation. Second issue: reliability Because paper-bas

The best stories in life (and film) have simple plots and complicated, inspiring and intriguing characters. Disregard your preconceptions, look past the simple plot, and go see "The Blind Side". A wealthy, white mother and career woman takes in a homeless, hopeless, black teenager from a gang-ruled housing project in Memphis. Although she knows nothing about him, and fully expects him to steal what he can carry, she breaks through his wall of silent despair and begins to care for him as her own child. He completes high school and wins a scholarship to play football for University of Mississippi, "Ole Miss". The film is based on a true story told by author Michael Lewis in his book, "The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game", 2007, W. W. Norton & Company . I want to see the film again, and I want to buy the video when it becomes available. Here are two reasons: I Don't Like Football I've never understood the strategy, except "thro

My decision to grow my hair long has been relatively recent, perhaps only three or four years ago (sometime in 2006 or 2007). For most people who have known me for a long time, my decision was surprisingly out of character: I have always been outwardly "good" or "nice", quite conservative in social and political preferences, born and raised in a small, rural western town, and a Christian since 1976. So, why the decision to grow my hair long? And, perhaps more importantly, why write about my decision to grow my hair long? Let me start with my conclusion, just so we can relieve the suspense and get on with the interesting stuff: My hair is long because I like it long and I can grow it long and I'm free to grow it long. I can see at least four major influences, or assumptions, that have shaped my attitude towards long hair: I don't like getting my hair cut. Long hair for men, in my mind, has ALWAYS been associated with a rebellious and reckless lifesty

I can easily see this happening in our part of the country. Be very careful when responding to internet advertisements that seem too good to be true, too easy to fake. The Portland Police Bureau's White Collar Crime Detail was recently contacted by American Airlines alerting investigators to a possible scam that might be occurring in the Portland area. The Portland Police Bureau has since taken several reports of victims being targeted by this scam. The scam is an advertisement on Craig's List or Godaddy that American Airlines is hiring a customer service representative. The ad includes an application and they ask that the person fill out the application and fax it back. After receiving all of the applicant's personal information, including date of birth, social security number and home address, an appointment is set up. When the applicant is gone attempting to attend the appointment, their residence is burglarized and also all of their personal information is now compr

A Christian mission whose purpose is to feed, clothe and shelter those in need, and to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in words and actions. Our vision is to serve the less fortunate by providing material needs for today, and helping to build skills for a better tomorrow. Read more: http://voluntary-reward.blogspot.com/2009/12/agape-house.html

What a great way of cooking turkey! Moist and flavorful. Cooking time not reduced, but it allows cooking it the day before without sacrificing moistness and flavor. We needed a bigger roasting pan, however...the boiling liquid overflowed, spilling into the oven and igniting! We had family over and had a great dinner! Can't wait for next year!