Gas Station Fragrance Video Warnings!

 I came across this at a gas station in New Mexico, but I'm pretty sure they are all over. I wonder how many people actually pay attention to the message?

Entertainment, Part Ten: My Computer, My Playground

How did I ever live without a computer?

Living just beyond civilization without radio or television or even a telephone, my computer is my only contact with the real world. It's how I communicate with people, pay bills, balance my checkbook, keep up on news, get weather updates and all manner of general day-to-day life management and business. It also keeps me from going insane with isolation and boredom. Here are some of the ways I entertain myself using my computer:

Email  Who needs a phone? No one writes letters anymore. This is my primary mode of correspondence with friends, relatives, business associates and even complete strangers. The greatest thing about email for someone who is chemically sensitive is it's communication without human contact! I can't imagine having MCS twenty years ago without the technology that makes our lives easier. I would have found ways to survive, but not as efficiently as I am able with all this assistance at my fingertips (literally!).

Writing Remember typewriters? White out? Mimeograph copies? Carbon copies? Wow. Times have changed. I love to write. Journal entries, letters, short stories, magazine articles, websites, discussion groups, comment sections, online activism, and blogs. Attach the document to an email and who needs snail mail?

Reading  I read blogs, websites, short stories, magazine articles, comment sections, discussions on lists, recipes, and research information on various subjects. I could download a fictional ebook on my computer, but I still love holding a book in my hands and curling up in a comfy chair. Well, as long as it doesn't stink of print dye or someone else's perfume.

Library  I can do all my library business online, order through interlibrary loans, see what's available, put items on hold. Before I even check out the item, watching my hold numbers is fun for me. Strange, I know.

Art by Danny Roberts

Art  There are all kinds of art software for computers like Sketchpad, iPaint, Photoshop, etc. Lately I've been having a blast using my scanner to scan pictures and my digital camera to download photographs. Incredibly fun. There are many artist websites, videos, and galleries for viewing as well as museum and gallery sites. My latest favorite artist: http://dannyroberts.com/

http://dannyrobertsartstore.blogspot.com/

Games  I have to admit, I'm not a game player, but I know they are available to those who enjoy this type of entertainment. Also, virtual worlds and other fantasy games are in abundance.

Music Music may be downloaded for listening or purchase and your favorite CDs may be played right on your computer. Nearly any song you've ever heard is now available on YouTube often accompanied by photo montages or video clips created by music fans. Radio stations are even online.


Videos  YouTube is spectacular. Unfortunately, I can sit around all day watching footage of concerts, music videos, movie trailers, clips from movies, clips from television shows, animals doing cute things, animals doing not so cute things, people doing really stupid things, babies laughing, memorial montages, news briefs, comedy routines, people talking about anything or nothing, etc. You name it, there is a video out there for you to watch.



Movies  Hulu.com is the best website for free movies, old and new. I have also watched old movies through YouTube, one scene at a time. Many local libraries have movie downloads for patron home use and most computers now accept DVDs to be watched right on the computer screen. Every now and then I consider buying a big-screen TV so I can hook it up to my computer. Maybe someday. 

Warning:  I once had a friend tell me about a movie site you could download recently released movies for free. Yeah, it sounded fishy, but this was the same friend who told me about Hulu so I thought he knew what he was talking about. It was an illegal site, and I got my first virus. Do be careful and unless you know the site, don't be downloading anything.



Television  Hulu.com, again. Before Hulu came on the scene, I never watched TV. Now I'm a television junkie. My current favorite shows are: Smash and Once Upon a Time, although I'm growing fond of New Girl, Touch and Missing. And yes, on occasion I watch The Vampire Diaries. It's my guilty pleasure. Ian Somerhalder is dreamy. I am rather fond of checking out whole seasons of television shows from the library and watching them on the computer. No commercials! The only thing missing is awards shows like the American Music Awards, Academy Awards, Tony Awards or Grammy Awards are never online. Darn.



Stalking & Lurking  I love reading Facebook and Twitter posts.  There is something sleazy and stalker-ish about reading someone's inner thoughts and seeing their private photos without them knowing. Celebrity stalking is really fun and it keeps me updated on pop culture. I really hate it when people make their social networking accounts private.  Social media is like going to a party without the stink.

Although I am a huge fan of computer technology, I do worry about EMFs (electromagnetic fields) and radiation with all the electronic devices available these days. Those of us chemically sensitive are susceptible to becoming overloaded with EMF exposure creating many symptoms we already experience plus a few other health concerns: chronic fatigue, joint pain, nausea, brain function issues, heart problems and cancer. I can't imagine what I would do if ever I became sensitive to my computer!

As it is I have two computers and two screens on my desk in an office located away from my sleeping area. In hopes of alleviating some exposure and more importantly, because I'm a bit of a non-materialistic minimalist, I'm way behind with most technological advances (other than computers) and getting farther behind with every passing year, sorry to say. I don't use cell phones or smartphones, Kindles, microwave ovens, electric blankets, hair dryers, answering machines, or cordless appliances. I do have home wiring, an electric clock and a digital camera, but I'm not living under power lines and I avoid getting radiated at the doctor's and dentist's offices.

Does this help? I doubt it. With all the EMFs created by all the technological junkies, I don't think my minimalist approach matters. We are doomed!!  I think in time society will pay with technology-related health issues we have not yet imagined, and as the canaries, we will be the first in line.

What have I forgotten? How do you use your computer for entertainment?

Entertainment, Part Five: Movies

Pre-MCS, when I lived in the city I used to go to a movie nearly once a week. There is something tantalizing about sitting in a theater packed to the rafters with popcorn-munching movie-goers. It's like a microcosm of humanity and as one entity, we laugh, cry and scream together in unison. I'll never forget the scene in The Sixth Sense when the little boy is up in the middle of the night peeing and as the ghost shadow passes in front of the camera, everyone in the whole audience screamed. HA! So fun .

             

In the city I'd often get free tickets to an opening night showing with guest speakers, special events and prizes. I even loved the smell of fake popcorn butter and never missed a chance to eat large-sized bags of M&Ms. Not only could I tolerate the junk food, but perfumes, colognes and shampoo smells didn't even register.

Chemical sensitivity forced me to movie-going during the week,  the first matinee when few people were out of bed let alone buying popcorn. At some theaters I'd check in advance which movie was showing in which theater unit as the larger-sized theaters had better air ventilation. This usually worked, but all it took was one smelly person to contaminate the air space and I'd be forced to sacrifice the cost of a ticket and leave. After a while, I stopped trying.

This last Christmas I went to a movie theater for the first time in about eight years! It was located at a theater complex in a small, neighboring town. I went to the first show, and surprisingly, there were quite a few people in the theater on Christmas Day.  No smell! Not even the popcorn smell bothered me.  I was thankful small-town folk don't use much perfume. OR I wondered if living in the country has made me less sensitive? This single treat at Christmas made me feel like a real person again! It was thrilling.

My movie theater days are pretty much over. Instead, I'll get DVDs or videos from the local video store or library. The video store is off my list as the last DVD came covered with the owner's perfume stench. This can be a problem with library-owned items as well as you never know who will check it out or handle it before you.

The new technology of downloading programs makes movie watching exceptionally convenient. Click, click and watch the movie right on your home computer. No stink at all! Some library systems have added this option to their services.

I had Netflix for a short time. These days you can have the DVDs mailed to your home or download them on your computer. After a while I felt addicted and with this addiction I was watching far too many bad movies. Also, with the mailed DVDs, I was getting too many discs that were damaged which is very frustrating.

Regardless of how I get them, I've gotten really used to the convenience of movies in my home. As thrilling as the Christmas Day movie attendance was, I could hear every candy bar wrapper and every crunchy popcorn kernel. Damn if the guy behind me wasn't tapping his foot on the back of my chair and WOULD YOU ALL JUST STOP TALKING WHILE THE MOVIE IS ON???? I thought I would climb out of my skin with all the distraction!

How is your movie experience?

What is your favorite movie?