Well, Joeusers, I am back, albeit through library internet access. It will most likely be a couple of months before we can set up our home account again. I will give you guys the sordid details of our trip and settlement in blogs to follow shortly, but wanted to let you know first that we are alive and well. Sincerely, Gideon MacLeish

Now, I don't know exactly what's been going on in my part time absence, and, frankly, I don't want to know, though this article will likely draw it like flies to dung! I DO know, however, the wonderful nature of some of my fellow bloggers, as they have proven themselves to be true friends to myself and my family. And I can't help but notice that some of those bloggers are the target of the latest round of JU crap! And it ticks me off. We all have differences of opinion, mature adults learn...

When I came to Joeuser, it was in the middle of a time of conflict. I didn't realize it, and stuck my foot in my mouth a time or two, causing me to get off on rather rought footing with a few fellow bloggers. But, I stuck it out, and, to me, I am forever grateful I did. Many people here on Joeuser came to help us out in no small way (some in ways I really can't say here, out of respect for their privacy), and I am truly indebted to ALL of you who have contributed in one way or another, through r...

Well, being the shameless points whore that I am, I was well pleased to see that my blog has gone back to the number 21 spot. Mind you, this has been no easy task, with "part time" internet access, plus the fact that I seem to have hit a rather dry spell as far as my articles are concerned (I'm wondering if that isn't partly true of the rest of JU as well, though, what with the holidays and the recent wave of drama). I have missed the more regular banter with you guys as well as keeping up wi...

I'm seriously contemplating taking a JU break. Nothing towards anyone, or anything, but it just doesn't feel the same. I will try to keep blogs going just to inform anyone of any recent developments, etc, but I might be rather slow to respond. Don't be offended, do't worry about me, I'm as good as can be expected for this time of year, it's just that I have a lot on my mind and much of it is too personal to add to the blogs. I do hope each and every one of you has a truly happy holiday se...

I wanted to write a Christmas message to all of you on JoeUser, to hopefully give each of you a little holiday cheer. This past year was a year of ups and downs for us. I started out the year 760 feet below the surface of Death Valley in the colemanite mine, while living in Pahrump, Nevada. As the year progressed, I moved on to a brief stint as a plumber, through a horrible period of unemployment, and onto my current "career" as a paper carrier/handyman. I discovered JoeUser during the sum...

Well, I was glad I posted my Christmas message when I did. I was unaware until the end of the day on Dec. 22 that the library was closed Dec 23 (Thursday), so this is the first time in nearly a week that I've been able to get online. I wasn't able to get a morning paper route with the Amarillo paper; such a route would have given us a little extra where the current route puts us just about square with bills, so we have to get on with selling our Olds with the broken transmission (I had origin...

So, I come back on today to see that, to my surprise, my articles are still on the "recent articles" list. While this may be an issue with cookies (I am on the same computer I was on yesterday), I am hoping it does not signal a serious downward trend of blogging on this site. I have seen too many excellent bloggers head for greener pastures, and this has been a less than enjoyable transition for me. Many times, fellow bloggers give my muse a good shove in the right direction, and they contrib...

I love blogging, and I really DO blog for myself (no, really). Some of my blogs are basically personal notes shared with the general public for my later use. But, all in all, it's stuff I find interesting. But, on the bigger screen that is Joeuser, these articles make little more noise than a butterfly fart. I love them, but the articles themselves are dud articles, the bane of a point whore's existence. Most of my third party platforms pre-election qualified (although one of them made...

I have spent the majority of my online time over the past week or so doing research, some of it which I have shared here. And I'm loving it. Sure, initially I felt silly as I brought forth the subject of an "essay" I'm working on to individuals in conversation who are well aware that I am not currently enrolled in school. But now that I have found a rhythm, things have flowed, and most of my research has been pretty fruitful. Sure, I will have to come back later for source citations. Sure,...

For those of you who have been following this story, I have been working to repair my "pimped out ride"; that is, my 86 Chrysler Fifth Avenue with the cool shiny hubcaps (yes,hubcap number 4 DID get restored to me, thanks for all your thoughts and prayers). The problem is a blown head gasket, and two days of work prior had resulted in little more than the removal of peripheral components (alternator,smog pump, air conditioner, etc...the air conditioner is NOT going back on the car...). Today,...

One head is off! Ten more bolts, and both head gaskets will be free of the engine! This has been a hard fought battle but I am beginning to believe I may have a running car again in my lifetime. I am a little anxious about reassembling the engine, but my confidence has grown the further down in the engine I have gotten. I had to borrow a bigger breaker bar to break the head bolts, but I did it! And in my mind, I am counting up the hundreds of dollars I am saving.

I meandered through the featured articles today to find that one author had disabled comments (fair enough), but had picked chosen responses (out of context, no less) to post to the article. His comment after my entry (in which he left my username intact) was, "I'll deal with you later, peewee". I'm inclined to ask (as I couldn't on his article) what this means. Is it a threat? In which case, it should be removed from the featured articles as it is a violation of TOS. At any rate, this megalo...

This sentence, at the beginning of an article is essentially part of the thesis. If I am advancing an argument, I will begin here by stating my thesis and setting the tone for what is to follow. Throughout the remainder of the article, I will introduce you to the basic structure of an article that is meant to persuade or inform, and hope it will make your articles a little more coherent. Following the thesis is the body of the article. Pretty much anything goes within the body, but the b...

I was reading a blog asking when the Democrats would work with President Bush. One response asked when Bush would work with the Democrats. Both sides were right, and yet, both sides were horribly wrong. One of the values I have instilled in my children is that someone has to be the mature one. When one is being cantentious, the other can't justify their response by the other's actions. What happens around us, how other people act and interact, is beyond our control. All we can control is how ...