Some Holiday Cuteness...

Oh Tannenbaum

This weekend, many people will be Christmas tree shopping.

Just the words conjure up scenes from the movie A Christmas Story, which is mandatory of you have not seen it yet.

It has been many years since I bought a tree. I own a fake tree that I don’t always put up , But I do have memories of tree shopping as a child.

My father had a friend who sold Fireworks in the summer, Pumpkins in the fall, and Christmas trees in the winter. My father is the consummate salesman, (he can sell snow to an Eskimos) so he was always paid a few bucks to help out selling sparklers or pumpkins or fir trees.

My mother would bundle up both me and my sister and turn us over to my father. I will always remember the excitement of getting there after dark, the trees all in rows, with white lights criss-crossing above each column, illuminating the area and setting off the pungent smell of pine with the heat of their bulbs.

Since my father worked there, we got the choice place by the fire and drank hot apple cider until we were ill.

Our dad would then dress his arm with a 2 inch thick glove and start holding up trees for us to look at. Of course as kids they all looked great to us, but he always found the “bald spot” and rejected one after the other. After 20 or so trees, he would get tired and find one that was perfect, except for the bald spot, which did not matter since the tree went in the corner anyway. Usually it ended up being the first or second tree we had looked at in the beginning. So the new house guest was carefully tied to the top of the car and brought home, to live out the rest of its life being loved and adored. Not a bad way to go.

Things are a little different today. I never got around to having kids of my own and have had too many semi permanent lives to create any sense of family or tradition for any of the holidays. Therefore, I have spent many a Christmas at other relatives’ homes, the welcome observer to their traditions, listening to their Christmas tree excursions by the fire, which keeps the cold at bay for a while.

May you all keep your traditions close to your hearts, and find that perfect tree this year, bald spot and all.

A Fun Little Respite

Whew! FINALLY finished moving all the stuff into Hilda's house and even have it organized. Yes, I managed to fit the elephant into the shoebox, at least that is what it is like here, though it is kind of interesting, it feels like a dorm room in a way.

Tom still has to find a home for the Mustang and is working on that right now so I thought I would take a little breather and do something that makes me feel normal again...create a post! Unfortunately, my creative juices are not flowing too well as of late, but I found this kinda cool personality thing the other day and thought it might be a fun thing for you to look at during your 5 minute respite. I think it is pretty accurate, at least for me (I am a Poplar Tree). Please email me if you wish, and let me know what tree you are and if it describes you accurately or not. I will not post any mail I get, and you can always comment and I will not post that either, if you ask me to keep it private.

WHAT TREE DID YOU FALL FROM?


Find your birthday and then find your tree. Scroll down for a description of the tree. This is fun and somewhat accurate. Then send it to your friends, including the one that sent it to you, so they can find out what tree you fell from, but don't forget to change the subject line to your tree.

> Dec 23 to Jan 01 - Apple Tree    
> Jan 01 to Jan 11 - Fir Tree
> Jan 12 to Jan 24 - Elm Tree
> Jan 25 to Feb 03 - Cypress Tree
> Feb 04 to Feb 08 - Poplar Tree
> Feb 09 to Feb 18 - Cedar Tree
> Feb 19 to Feb 28 - Pine Tree
> Mar 01 to Mar 10 - Weeping Willow Tree
> Mar 11 to Mar 20 - Lime Tree
> Mar 21 (only) -Oak Tree
> Mar 22 to Mar 31 - Hazelnut Tree
> Apr 01 to Apr 10 - Rowan Tree
> Apr 11 to Apr 20 - Maple Tree
> Apr 21 to Apr 30 - Walnut Tree
> May 01 to May 14 - Poplar Tree
> May 15 to May 24 - Chestnut Tree
> May 25 to Jun 03 - Ash Tree
> Jun 04 to Jun 13 - Hornbeam Tree
> Jun 14 to Jun 23 - Fig Tree
> Jun 24 (only) - Birch Tree
> Jun 25 to Jul 04 - Apple Tree
> Jul 05 to Jul 14 - Fir Tree
> Jul 15 to Jul 25 -Elm Tree
> Jul 26 to Aug 04 - Cypress Tree
> Aug 05 to Aug 13 - Poplar Tree
> Aug 14 to Aug 23 - Cedar Tree
> Aug 24 to Sep 02 - Pine Tree
> Sep 03 to Sep 12 - Weeping Willow Tree
> Sep 13 to Sep 22 - Lime Tree
> Sep 23 (only) - Olive Tree
> Sep 24 to Oct 03 - Hazelnut Tree
> Oct 04 to Oct 13 - Rowan Tree
> Oct 14 to Oct 23 - Maple Tree
> Oct 24 to Nov 11 - Walnut Tree
> Nov 12 to Nov 21 - Chestnut Tree
> Nov 22 to Dec 01 - Ash Tree
> Dec 02 to Dec 11 - Hornbeam Tree
> Dec 12 to Dec 21 - Fig Tree
> Dec 22 (only) - Beech Tree


TREES (in alphabetical order)

 > Apple Tree (Love) -- quiet and shy at times, lots of charm, appeal, and attraction, pleasant attitude, flirtatious smile, adventurous, se! sensitive, loyal in love, wants to love and be loved, faithful and tender partner, very generous, many talents, loves children, needs affectionate partner.
> Ash Tree (Ambition) -- extremely attractive, vivacious, impulsive, demanding, does not care for criticism, ambitious, intelligent, talented, likes to play with fate, can be very egotistic, reliable, restless lover, sometimes money rules over the heart, demands attention, needs love and much emotional support.
> Beech Tree (Creative) -- has good taste, concerned about its looks, materialistic, good organization of life and career, economical, good leader, takes no unnecessary risks, reasonable, splendid lifetime companion, keen on keeping fit (diets, sports, etc.).
> Birch Tree (Inspiration) -- vivacious, attractive, elegant, friendly, unpretentious, modest, does not like anything in excess, abhors the vulgar, loves life in nature and in calm, not very passionate, full of imagination, little ambition, creates a calm and content atmosphere.
> Cedar Tree (Confidence) -- of rare strength, knows how to adapt, likes unexpected presents, of good health, not in the least shy, tends to look down on others, self-confident, a great speaker, determined, often impatient, likes to impress others, has many talents, industrious, healthy optimism, waits for the one true love, able to make quick decisions.
> Chestnut Tree (Honesty) -- of unusual stature, impressive, well-developed sense of justice, fun to be around, a planner, born diplomat, can be irritated easily, sensitive of others feelings, hard worker, sometimes acts superior, feels not understood at times, fiercely family oriented, very loyal in love, physically fit.
> Cypress Tree (Faithfulness) -- strong, muscular, adaptable, takes what life has to give but doesn't necessarily like it, strives to be content, optimistic, wants to be financially independent, wants love and affection! n, hates loneliness, passionate lover which cannot be satisfied, faithful, quick-tempered at times, can be unruly and careless, loves to gain knowledge, needs to be needed.
> Elm Tree (Noble-mindedness) -- pleasant shape, tasteful clothes, modest demands, tends not to forgive mistakes, cheerful, likes to lead but not to obey, honest and faithful partner, likes making decisions for others, noble-minded, generous, good sense of humor, practical.
> Fig Tree (Sensibility) -- very strong minded, a bit self-willed, honest, loyal, independent, hates contradiction or arguments, hard worker when wants to be, loves life and friends, enjoys children and animals, few sexual relationships, great sense of humor, has artistic talent and great intelligence.
> Fir tree (Mysterious) -- extraordinary taste, handles stress well, loves anything beautiful, stubborn, tends to care for those close to them, hard to trust others, yet a social butterfly, likes idleness and laziness after long demanding hours at work, rather modest, talented, unselfish, many friends, very reliable.
> Hazelnut Tree (Extraordinary) -- charming, sense of humor, very demanding but can also be very understanding, knows how to make a lasting impression, active fighter for social causes and politics, popular, quite moody, sexually oriented, honest, a perfectionist, has a precise sense of judgment and expects complete fairness.
> Hornbeam Tree (Good Taste) -- of cool beauty, cares for its looks and condition, good taste, is not egoistic, makes life as comfortable as possible, leads a reasonable and disciplined life, looks for kindness and acknowledgment in an emotional partner, dreams of unusual lovers, is seldom happy with its feelings, mistrusts most people, is never sure of its decisions, very conscientious.
> Lime Tree (Doubt) - intelligent, hard working, accepts what life dishes out, but not before trying to change bad circumstances into good ones, hates fighting and stress, enjoys getaway vacations, may appear tough, but is actually soft and relenting, always willing to make sacrifices for family and friends, has many talents but not always enough time to use them, can become a complainer, great leadership qualities, is jealous at times but extremely loyal.
> Maple Tree (Independence of Mind) -- no ordinary person, full of imagination and originality, shy and reserved, ambitious, proud, self-confident, hungers for new experiences, sometimes nervous, has many complexities, good memory, learns easily, complicated love life, wants to impress.
> Oak Tree (Brave) -- robust nature, courageous, strong, unrelenting, independent, sensible, does not like change, keeps its feet on the ground, person of action.
> Olive Tree (Wisdom) -- loves sun, warmth and kind feelings, reasonable, balanced, avoids aggression and violence, tolerant, cheerful, calm, well-developed sense of justice, sensitive, empathetic, free of jealousy, loves to read and the company of sophisticated people.
> Pine Tree (Peacemaker) -- loves agreeable company, craves peace and harmony, loves to help others, active imagination, likes to write poetry, not fashion conscious, great compassion, friendly to all, falls strongly in love but will leave if betrayed or lied to, emotionally soft.
> Poplar Tree (Uncertainty) -- looks very decorative, talented, not very self-confident, extremely courageous if necessary, needs goodwill and pleasant surroundings, very choosy, often lonely, great animosity, great artistic nature, good organizer, tends to lean toward philosophy, reliable in any situation, takes partnership seriously.
> Rowan Tree (Sensitivity) -- full of charm, cheerful, gifted without egotism, likes to draw attention, loves life, motion, unrest, and even complications, is both dependent and independent, good taste, artistic, passionate! , emotional, good company, does not forgive.
> Walnut Tree (Passion) -- unrelenting, strange and full of contrasts, often egotistic, aggressive, noble, broad horizon, unexpected reactions, spontaneous, unlimited ambition, no flexibility, difficult and uncommon partner, not always liked but often admired, ingenious strategist, very jealous and passionate, no compromise.
> Weeping Willow (Melancholy) - likes to be stress free, loves family life, full of hopes and dreams, attractive, very empathetic, loves anything beautiful, musically inclined, loves to travel to exotic places, restless, capricious, honest, can be influenced but is not easy to live with when pressured, sometimes demanding, good intuition, suffers in love until they find that one loyal, steadfast partner; loves to make others laugh.

My Cursed LIfe: The Series

Well, never a dull moment around here!

Tom and I were in the middle of tearing apart the behemoth that is my entertainment center and packing up all the movies, etc., that were stored within, when the doorbell rang. I answered it (since Tommy has more of a "Who Can It Be Now" mentality than I do at times) and who should be standing there in all his glory but a woman's dream fella...the UPS man. My palms began to sweat in anticipation of the pleasures he was about to bestow upon me. But alas, the elusive Man In Brown was empty handed as he darkened my doorstep.

"Yes?" I virtually snapped at him, his empty arms mocking my anticipation.

"Good afternoon Ma'am, I just wanted you to know you have a water main break."

"WHAT???" I cried, temporarily dismissing the sting of being called the dreaded "Ma'am" by a young whippersnapper.

I slammed the door behind me and raced out to the front yard and there is was, like Old Faithful, spewing out fresh clean water all over the cul-de-sac. Waves of water began to look like dollar signs as I wondered whether it was our water or the neighbor's that was moistening the weeds for the block.

By this time Tom had come out and the polite yet disappointing UPS man dismissed himself among a flurry of appreciative word from both of us.

Tom's engineering instincts kicked in and I swear he grew a slide rule from one knuckled hand and a calculator from the other, in true Wolverine fashion. Adequately prepared, he began the mental calculations required to figure out what happened, how it will be fixed and who will have to pay for all this damn water bleeding onto the pavement.

My concern, as usual, was the germ factor. Was E. Coli and salmonella swimming its way into our inside plumbing as I stood there, poised to threaten all living creatures within?

Quickly I went inside and filled containers with water from the hot water heater (since no new water had been pumped into there so it was clean) and filled the tub as well. I washed the make-up off my face and watered the animals in case there was no water tonight. Seems like I had done this before. Oh yes, the last hurricane scare a couple of weeks ago. Gotta love the coastal south.

The calvary has arrived as I type my epic tale,and thank the heavens it is not our water, it is the neighbors, which means we do not have to pay for it and, best of all, it is CLEAN water. Still, I plan on keeping my reserves in tact since I have visions of the wrong main being shut off, or of ours being damaged in the process of theirs being fixed.

So that was today's crisis, brought to you by our fair city's deteriorating water system.

Hope you enjoyed it, and please come back for the next installment of My Cursed Life.

The Worker's Plight

In case you have been asleep or living on the moon, things ain’t so great here in the US right now, or anywhere in the world for that matter. We seem to be stuck in this mega-recession, which I think is a depression at this point, but we wouldn’t want to scare people now would we?


The political aspects of all this are so complex and volatile that I am not interested in commenting on them, something I am sure brings a sigh of relief to Dear Reader’s lips.
I am simply making a few observations and posing a possible solution to part of the problem. Since this is a blog for musing, the culmination of my thoughts has no more meaning than this.

I have given up on following in-depth news coverage of national events because, with the rest of the stress going on in my life, I choose to ignore the things I cannot control. This is a big part of my feeble, if not well intentioned stress management strategy. But I do hear the meat of the news and read the occasional newspaper or news magazine article. I also talk to people and hear first hand what is going on, especially on the job front since Tom and I have been out of work longer than it takes a body to get through middle school.
What I am hearing is disturbing. The Dow yesterday was over 10,000, a healthy number, there are no signs of rampant inflation taking over, we are ramping down our overseas military operations, hence freeing up some money to (hopefully) use domestically, and reports keep telling us we are in a recovery, though the talking heads are calling it a “jobless recovery”.
A family member who works in land acquisition recently told us that developers are buying up land again, which is good, it means new houses will soon be built and the problem at the heart of this recession will soon begin to recover, plus it means more jobs, from engineers to construction workers to carpenters to landscapers to administrative personnel to accountants. Or will it?
The people that I know who still have jobs are complaining about long hours (60+ a week), double and triple workloads, being treated with disrespect, and working in an environment thick with fear. The young are afraid they will be let go because of their inexperience and the older workers are afraid they make too much money to be kept on the payroll. Vacations are being denied and if they are given, employees are expected to be “on call” during them. Meanwhile, the employers are reaping the benefits of this Ebenezer mentality. Why hire another employee when you can work the one you have to death, without rewarding him and certainly without fear he will quit? This strategy saves money and certainly helps keep some jobs in tact and many companies in business during hard times.
But by many accounts, hard times are ending. Apparently, things are going along swimmingly yet no one wants to part with a buck to hire people. Employers are saying they do not want to hire until they see more people dumping their money in the economy, yet who is going to spend when they are either unemployed or in constant fear of becoming so?
So I think it is time once against to unionize. Now before you begin stoning me to death, hear me out. I am not a big fan of the modern workers union. I believe they have done much to ruin many industries, most obviously the US auto industry. I am sorry Detroit, but no one deserves $28 an hour to stand around watching a machine build a car. But think back to the genesis of the union and how important it was to the formation of the middle class. Unions gave workers a voice, gave them the power to demand vacations and fair wages, clean, safe and secure working conditions, things that our present day workers are complaining they do not have anymore. We have employed people, with college degrees and decades of work experience, being silently clocked when they use the rest room. We have parents with small children coming home at nine every night instead of five or six, too exhausted to spend time with their kids, many not getting paid overtime wages since they are on salary. Hospitalizations for stress related illnesses are growing, as much for the employed as for the unemployed. We have a troop of tired, stressed, scared employees who endure it all and are thankful they still have a job. May I have another crust of bread please?

Meanwhile, their employers cry the blues and yet are reaping the production rewards of 15 workers out of 9 employees.

So I say unionize. How else will the employee’s voice be heard? Without the backing of a union, today’s employee has no leverage, nothing to back him up if he wants his regular hours back, or his workload restored to normal, or even his health insurance coverage partially paid for again, if he still has it at all.
If this “jobless recovery” is prolonged, as workers use up their savings and retirement to make ends meet and the unemployed lose all benefits, we will quickly see the death of the middle class in this country, and are in fact beginning to see it now. Housing is a great example. The wealthy are now buying up the foreclosed houses at a sinfully low price and renting them out at high rates to the people who lost those houses to foreclosure. So you have the rich owning the houses that the now poor used to own, and renting them back to them at a price that is higher than the average mortgage. And for the dramatized version of this reality, please rent “It’s A Wonderful Life”.
So maybe unionization is pie-in-the-sky thinking, but the point is that something must be done. At some point this depression will lift and you will see employers scrambling to find more workers, and workers presenting choice fingers to the companies who treated them so badly during the hard times, at which point Mommy and Daddy will be home by six again, after the family has a two week Disney vacation.

One can dream you know.

Helping The Gulf

  The media has covered the BP oil “spill” since the first day. I am tempted to write about everything from the folly of former President Bush, who allowed BP to omit mandatory safety equipment that would have prevented this incident, to the possible catastrophic global implications of this event. But instead I have chosen to do something more constructive.

  Once the photos and footage start bombarding our TVs with the images of dead and dying wildlife, most of us will feel some form of grief and probably guilt for these creatures. This spill has the potential to destroy everything from the tiniest shrimp and birds to the majestic dolphins, whales and sea turtles. These images will be profound and heartbreaking. But the one thing you do not have to feel is helpless.   Below I have posted things we can do to help, and not all of them involve money. Please start your donations early so these wonderful volunteers can begin their work immediately. Even if you cannot help, please pass this on to anyone you know who might be able to.  Let's get a chain going.

DONATIONS

• Oxfam International -Working closely with local residents and community groups to immediately mobilize for recovery efforts and to help vulnerable communties prepare for the coming challenges. Donate to Oxfam International.  
•   • Matter of Trust is collecting hair from barbershops and salons, as well as old pantyhose, to create booms that absorb oil, preventing it from reaching the shore. Find out how to donate here.

  • The National Wildlife Federation has sent a team of wildlife experts to assess the devastating impact of this unfolding tragedy on the region’s communities, wildlife, marshes, and wetlands. They are taking donations to help rescue otters, loggerhead sea turtles, brown pelicans, and 400 other species that live in the region.

    • The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana is looking for volunteers for a variety of jobs, from oiled wildlife recovery to monitoring and photographing oil movement. Anyone with experience in dealing with wildlife handling, rehabilitation, or hazardous materials clean up is strongly encouraged to register as a volunteer here.        Donate to the coalition here.

  • Mobile Baykeeper is an environmental group focused on mitigating the spill’s impact in the Mobile, Alabama area. mailto:%20Email%20info@mobilebaykeeper.org if you can volunteer time or access to a boat. Donate to the group’s spill relief efforts here.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

  Angela Perkey wrote a great piece for the Huffington Post, which I have excerpted from here:

  · Keep eating seafood from the Gulf. Louisiana seafood officials are constantly monitoring quality levels to make sure that all products are safe. By still eating fish, you can support the bruised economies of the Gulf States. Fishermen, seafood processing facilities, and restaurants that serve local seafood will all lose money and may have to lay off employees or close.

  · Don't buy gas from BP stations until they stop the oil spill and pay the total cost of cleaning up the Gulf of Mexico. BP is the corporation responsible for this environmental disaster. As a consumer, your purchasing decisions combined with those of other Americans will effectively deliver the message that these atrocities cannot go unpunished.

   · Consider taking a vacation in one of the states affected by the oil spill. By spending your vacation savings in these areas you can help jump-start the local economies that have been negatively impacted. Plus, even if your vacation is planned for later this summer, the cleanup process will likely still be ongoing. You can choose to volunteer for one or two days and help restore beaches and rehabilitate wildlife. Go to the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana website to sign up.

  Finally, if you would like to suggest your favorite charity, or ways we can all help, please email me at loungemuser@aol.com and I will include it in a future post. Please let me know if you want your name posted or not. It is still early in this ordeal so I am sure many more charitable organizations will be making their efforts public soon.

  Thank you everyone.

The Loss of A Friend

I go the news yesterday that my lovely cousin Laurel lost one of her best friends this week.

Mick, her floppy, beautiful Irish Setter, went to a better place, hopefully to find companionship with Holly Belle, who we lost a few months ago.

When our animal friends pass away it can be so difficult, especially when others do not understand that these animals are our family. Mick and Laurel went through so much together. I know he will be missed.

I chose this photo because Laurel, I want you to picture him running free in green clover, chasing squirrels and being happy. I also want your spirit to feel that same joy, for you gave Micky many years of happiness…his age alone testifies to the love he felt from you.

I wish I were there to hug you.

The Truth About Cell Phones

The debate over the safety of portable communication devices such as cellular phones and the Apple iPhone have been going on since the inception of these conveniences. It seems that, as soon as one study tells us they are dangerous with long-term use we hear of another study that says they are safe, allowing us a sigh of relief that we do not have to give up our now essential cell.

As a former smoker, I completely understand this mentality. Your common sense tells you that inhaling smoke into your lungs is probably not a healthy thing to do, just as that same sense tells you that blasting EMR (electromagnetic radiation) into your skull is probably not too safe either. But, like a smoker, the typical cell phone user has allowed this device to become such an integral part of life that it becomes easy to dismiss the evidence, dismiss you own common sense, when a scientific study tells you your phone is safe.

But this is wrong.

For now, let’s look at some basics. If your interest is piqued, you can always google for more info, there is a lot out there.

 First, let me say that, as wonderful a device as it is, the iPhone is probably the most dangerous of the communication devices. Even when off, your iPhone works as a base station. This means that, if you are anywhere between another iPhone user and a base tower, that user’s signal goes into your phone and then is transmitted back out and to the tower, so your iPhone is never really off. You can remedy this by simply putting it in “airplane mode”. In this mode, it cannot be used as a base station. Of course, it cannot be used for anything else either. But at least it is truly off.

There are two types of cell phone radiation. The first type of radiation waves are used to transmit and are measured in gigahertz, in the high range, which makes them completely safe. The second waves, the data carrier waves, carry your voice and/or computer data. These waves penetrate deep into your skull, affecting the microtubule in your brain cells. This disrupts intercellular communication and leads to serious health problems, from headaches and high blood pressure, to Alzheimer’s, brain tumors, brain cancers and more. Using cell phones for 10 years or more doubles your risk of brain cancer. Even a two-minute call alters the natural electrical activity of the brain for up to an hour after usage. Children and teenagers are the most susceptible. A humans skull is not fully developed until around age twenty, which means children’s skulls are not nearly as thick as adults, and the younger the child the thinner the skull, so the more devastating the effects of the EMR.

The development of cancers and tumors associated with cell phone use are going to be very similar to what we saw with smoking and lung cancer decades ago. It will take years and years before the cancer appears, while in the meantime everyone can lie to themselves by ignoring the negative studies and grasping on to the positive ones that show no health connections. Unfortunately, many scientists, researchers and physicians believe that, like lung cancer, many people will have to die before the rest take notice.

______________________________________________________________________

70% of the energy emitted from a cell goes into your brain.

Japan has banned cell phones on trains to cut down on “second –hand radiation”

France has made it illegal to advertise cell phones to children.

_______________________________________________________________________

The FCC recently required that a link to a statement from them be included with every new cell phone sold. Here is the statement:

 “Keep wireless devices away from your body when they are on. Do not attach them to belts or carry them in pockets. Use the cell phone speaker to reduce head exposure. Consider texting rather than talking”

It is no secret that, when it comes to the pleasures and conveniences we hold dear, our government has not always had our best interest at heart. Usually the corporations’ bottom line is first and foremost, to the benefit of our economy, of course. If we could truly trust the media and government to protect us, cigarettes, alcohol and most prescription drugs would be illegal (for more on prescription drugs, look up what “black box” means) As much as I would love to go on a diatribe on this subject, but I will refrain and encourage you to really think about what you can believe and what information you can trust. It IS a matter of life and death.

HELPFUL INFO AND FACTOIDS

•  The less bars on the phone the weaker the signal so the more energy the phone emits. Keep the number of bars as high as possible to produce the least amount of radiation.
•  Use the speaker phone and put it on a table next to you. Holding it still exposes your hand to radiation. 7-8 inches away is good. The waves travel no more than 12 inches from the device.
• Do not keep your phone on and in you pocket. Your genital area absorbs radiation much more quickly than your head. Turn it off if you put it in your pocket.
• Wait for a call to connect before pressing the phone to your head.
• Though not as powerful, Bluetooth headsets are just as bad since they deliver the EMRs deeper into the skull.

The best solution is to wear an airtube headset. These are the cheapest ones I found today:

For more in-depth information, this is a great report.

Here is a quick study on the NIH website.

Here is another good article.

Personally, I have seen so many people I care about die from complications of smoking. The cigarette ads, the denial of danger and false studies funded by the tobacco companies, the tobacco lobbyists who owned our representatives…all played a part in allowing smokers to fool themselves into thinking smoking was not harmful. We can see this pattern happening again with cell phones. Listen to the experts this time, not he ones who profit from these devices. A decade from now, I don’t want to bury another person I love from a preventable disease.

 ___________________ 

Sources(incomplete list):

 http://www.independent.co.uk/

http://www.emf-health.com/
http://www.mercola.com/
 http://www.psychologytoday.com/
http://www.nih.com/

Lock and Load Baby!

I do not write about Sarah Palin often. I firmly believe speaking the Devil’s name gives her power. But occasionally I get so upset I must say something. (Mostly I just call her ugly names and hope Tina Fey is on SNL again).

After several Democratic lawmakers who voted for the healthcare bill had received threats to their personal safety, Sarah Palin still believes her statement to her Tweeter groupies, “"Don't Retreat, Instead - RELOAD!" is appropriate. Geez, and I still can’t yell “FIRE” in a crowed movie theater. Now, Palin has said this is just an expression, a metaphor for her zombies to get ready at the polls. Still, someone who proudly posed for this photo while holding public office makes me a tad nervous. (Even though we know she was just preparing to hunt those pesky wolves, you know, the ones that look like the puppy worshipping you at your feet right now?)

Then there is the infamous Facebook map. I have hunted one down (pun intended) for you to see, though I cannot find one large enough to really give you the feel of how militaristic and just plain scary these crosshairs look, especially with the names of the intended “targets” at the bottom. And what do the scary red ones mean? Once again, we are belittled by Palin when we ask her the significance of this; while she is being defended in the background by, oh, whoever that guy was that ran for president with her.

In a country with a relatively recent racially violent past, in a country with its first African American President, where African American congressmen are currently being spat upon and angry white men carry guns to political rallies, this behavior is unacceptable.

Here is some advice you for Sarah Palin; with the current sociopolitical climate being what it is, and you being what you are, if you mix in the thinly veiled violent undertones of The Tea Party Movement you are so instrumental in, I would say you are one gunshot away from being accused of inciting violence. And that is a federal offense.

If anyone thinks I am over reacting here, take a look at http://teapartypatriots.ning.com/, the official website for the Tea Party Movement. You will see lots of flags, lots and lots of flags, many eagles, guns, baseball caps and flannel shirts, and oh yes, there is a photo of Hitler and Mussolini that begins a video scaring us into thinking the constitutional amendment that limits presidential terms is about to be repealed. Don’t worry, it is not, this issue comes up every time a new party takes over the white house and it never makes it to second base. I found it interesting on many levels that this bit of fear mongering propaganda was produced by Native Americans Against Obama. Think about the irony for a minute.

So as I step off my soap box, let me leave you with this photo (admittedly, a partially Photoshoped magazine cover image Palin was furious about, which makes it oh so much sweeter)as a reminder of who these intellectual giants are idolizing.

.

5 Simple Steps to Being Happier

MSNBC.com reported five steps to happiness the other day.
Being the consumate pessimist, I of course do not believe it is this simple, but I decided to post it here today since I have done a couple of these things in the past and yes, they did make me feel better. Give it a try. In todays world, things are so crummy it cannot hurt. Oh, and one extra I would add: Connect with the spiritual on a daily basis, whatever your belief system is. So Here they are:

Be grateful -- People who were asked to write letters of gratitude to people who had helped them in some way reported a lasting increase in happiness -- over weeks and even months -- after implementing the habit. Even when people wrote letters but never delivered them to the addressee, they still reported feeling better afterwards.


Be optimistic -- People were asked to visualize an ideal future and describe the image in a journal entry. After doing this for a few weeks, these people too reported increased feelings of well-being.

Count your blessings -- People who practice writing down three good things that have happened to them every week show significant boosts in happiness. The act of focusing on the positive helps people remember reasons to be glad.

Use your strengths -- Another study asked people to identify their greatest strengths, and then to try to use these strengths in new ways. This habit, too, seems to heighten happiness.

Commit acts of kindness -- It turns out helping others also helps ourselves. People who donate time or money to charity, or who altruistically assist people in need, report improvements in their own happiness.

The Biz

WARNING: Shameless marketing ploy ahead.

I have had my online store, Shoppe Unique, for a while now and was doing fairly well for  a new store at first, until the economy went to hell. I have a website that links to the store and to a blog, where I post photos and a little info on the newest pieces I make. I have upped my designs a bit, using only 14k gold and sterling silver metals, plus genuine stones. But all that is on my website. So, if anyone is interested in taking a look (and you can subscribe to the blog like you have this one, I only post every couple months) You can see the website at: http://www.shoppeunique.com/.  There are buttons under the logo that will take you to the blog or to the shop directly. You can also see some of my older items (and cheaper) at http://www.chloesnook.etsy.com/. Lastly, might as well tout my other site, http://www.paranormalportals.com/ which also has a button for the paranormal shop (though not much in it yet) Shameless plugging complete, with sincere apologies. And I promise my next blog will be way more entertaining.

Its All Relative

Here is a cool bit of history for all my paternal relatives.
This photo came from an auction book. The item being auctioned was a very worn out string of pearls, enclosed in its original box from the Litschert jewelry store in Indiana. This is a real find too. I have been hunting all over for any kind of memorabilia from that store and so far this photo is all I have found. I would have loved to have discovered this in time for the auction, especially considering the pearls and box went for under $40.00. Opportunities missed.

Another interesting bit I found is this photo of a Litschert scope, a once popular riflescope that was invented by an R.A. Litschert, possibly around the beginning of the 20th century. He eventually sold the business in the 1960s. These scopes are apparently now collector’s items and start in the $250 range. I do not know who R.A. is, but I would bet the farm the “R” is for Robert, which seems to be the first name of choice for males in the family.


If anyone has any more info on any of these things, please share.

A Great Loss

I got the news tonight that a dear member of our family passed away today.


My sweet baby cousin Leigh’s Dachshund Holly Belle had to be put down today due to incurable heart disease. Just like the loss of any family member, the grief is crippling, for Leigh and for those of us who love her and feel her pain with her. You are not alone Leigh, we are all hugging you in spirit.

As for Holly Belle, she is running in green pastures, the wind flapping her ears up and down, with Frances and Bob taking good care of her. She is happy and at peace now and I am sending all my love to Leigh that she will find peace soon too. Please join me in this.

Southern Snow

Got snow today.


I did not move to the beach for this.

Here are some pics, as I promised. I know this is nothing compared to what most of you have had, but we each have our own hell to conquer. Besides, the palm trees look pitiful.

Combat quotidien avec Chloe

My best friend (and cat) Chloe will be 10 years old April first. Please do not make any April Fools jokes if you value your flesh. She KNOWS what you are thinking, and I have proof.


Recently I had a bit of a health scare with her but it turns out to be something not too serious but that does require daily medication. This wonder drug, especially for my cat’s unique problem, is Pepcid AC. Yes, the little pills you get at the drugstore. The vet said, :Oh, just give her half a Pepcid each day, she will be fine.”

Now, I have owned a few cats in my life, I have even helped with other people’s cats before, but Chloe is no ordinary cat. I tired the usually methods for “pilling” a cat. Nope. I tired Pill Pockets, an ingenious invention that is simply a hollowed out treat that you stick a pill in. The dog falls for it every time, but the cat…pill pocket injected, pill in a slobbery mess on the floor. Dog eats pill.

SO then the vet suggests I crush up the tablet, put it in an empty capsule, lubricate it with a bit of butter, and try to get it down her that way. Once again, the dog wins the round.

At this point even the vet had lost her compassion for Chloe and gave me a 9 inch long syringe-like contraption. You put the butter-rubbed, crushed pill filled capsule in the end of this thing, hold open the cat’s mouth, and shoot it into the back of her throat. Would have worked fine if Chloe had not shot it right back out of her mouth onto the floor where, of course, the dog ate it.

Last try. Chloe gets shots. I have to act like some competent nurse on E.R. and hold the bottle of liquid Pepcid upside down, fill the syringe, flick out the air bubbles, and stick the cat. Interestingly, the vet said that cats do not possess the pain receptors for a needle-type stick pain (only in their faces) so Chloe feels nothing, which is too bad for my sense of justice.

Seems Chloe first associated the syringe with the shot, which is expected I think. But now she has associated the post-shot treats with the shot itself, so she runs from the treat bag as soon as I open the cupboard. Sometimes she hides when I just THINK about the shot. Damn ESP cat.. At first I could not figure out why, if she did not feel the sticking, did she hate the shots? My guess is now that the medication has to be refrigerated and, though she may not feel the needle, she will certainly feel the icy cold liquid going into her skin. So the next step? Put the treat in front of her to eat while giving her the shots, and letting the syringe of Pepcid warm up a bit before administering. (She also gets B-12 once a week).

What prompted me to write this boring tome? Here is Chloe, the master huntress, hiding from the shot:

But really, can you blame her?

Superbowl Ads

I wasted an entire evening of my glamorous life watching the superbowl last night, for two reasons. One, it was my first time playing some sort of football squares game that had to do with the score and the possibility of winning a fair amount of cash. I won nothing but chicken wing and meatball heartburn.


The second, and most important reason I watched was for the commercials, but like last year, I was sorely disappoint and at times outraged. Those who know me know I certainly am not a hardcore feminist, but a couple of these commercials boiled even my blood.

The most innocuous was yet another Go Daddy commercial staring Dana The Driver and someone who could have been Heather Graham, but I did not have my glasses on for this bit of TV gold so I am not sure. You have a pool in a spa-like setting, Dana draped in nothing but a sheet waiting for her massage, and the possibly Heather Graham ready to give her the massage. The next thing I see is something bordering on mild softcore porn. The Heather-thing takes down her hair and she and Driver Dana exchange brief kudos about GoDaddy.com in subtly sexy voices as Possibly Heather then rips her bodice open. I would like to know why GoDaddy.com thinks it needs to use nothing but sex to sell it's services. With the gazillion hosts out there, you would think they would at least toss in a fact or two as to why I should choose them as my web host over all the others. Is Dana or the Heatheroid gonna give me a massage too? Ick. Which brings me to the second reason this ad is crappy. I am a woman. Many women have websites. Why was George Clooney not half naked on a table for me, with Brad Pitt (from the 90’s, not the bewhiskered freak we see now) tearing open his shirt? But my biggest gripe (and really this is with all GoDaddy commercials) is Dana herself. Look, this woman could be the idol of so many. She is smart, sexy, and she can drive the hell out of any race car (as she proved this weekend). So why is she stooping to doing these insipid, sexist commercials for the Chuck E. Cheese of web hosts?

The other commercial that boiled my blood was for some car, the new Charger I think, or maybe the Challenger. It was one of those classic car remakes, those pathetic new cars with styling vaguely reminiscent of their superior grandfathers. Charger, Challenger, I am not sure, but it was as ugly as the rest of those wannabes. The commercial consisted of quickly moving headshots of various men, each speaking a line or two like "I take out the trash and separate the recycling"..flash to next head..."I pretend to listen and nod at the appropriate places"...flash to the next head that laments its dreary, controlled life with you. This goes on for a few more seconds, listing enough parts of life that tell women that men merely put up with us, and for what?...last head..." I do all these things so I can drive the car I want to drive". The Ugly Classic Car Wannabe. I was actually surprised when I felt the gnawing in my stomach begin. I had not been offended by a commercial in that manner for a good 25 years. Yes, many commercials are derogatory towards women (and more, I believe, are derogatory toward men) but anyone with a dab of self-confidence and a drop of humor can at least tolerate, at best enjoy, these sophomoric ads. This one, however, was too much. I felt unappreciated and invalidated. And the woman sitting next to me had the same horrified look on her face too, so I am not the only one. So friends, if your Toyota is driving alone sans pilot right now and you need a new set of wheels, remember this commercial if you want to pick up chick. Don’t buy that car.

Many of the other commercials were just stupid and/or mildly icky. Why all the physically unattractive humans partially clothed? That just does not go well with hot wings, ya know? The animal commercials were cute, but I expect more than cute if I am to tolerate 4 hours of football. There was one exception to the animal ads, which brings me to my vote for best Stupidbowl ads.

This year the second place winner is Doritos with this ad:



My favorite this year has to be the Snickers ad. Weird, funny, familiar yet scarce faces, violence, it has it all and is just plainf funny:

New Video

At the bottom of this page is the cutest video I have seen in a long time. So cute, I have made it a permanent part of my blog. Please scroll to the bottom and click the arrow to start playing. It is only a few second long and no, it is not some mean joke video with a scary screaming face, it truly is adorable.

For the Lounge's Language Lovers

This was too good not to post:

Subject: Washington Post article Mensa Invitational

Subject: Mensa Invitational

Here are the winners of the Washington Post's annual Mensa Invitational, which once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.


Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.

Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole.

Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

Bozone ( n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.

Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the Person who doesn't get it.

Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

Decafalon (n.): The gruelling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

Glibido: All talk and no action.

Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

Caterpallor ( n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.



The Post also published the winning submissions to its yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words. And the winners are:

Coffee, n. The person upon whom one coughs.

Flabbergasted, adj. Appalled by discovering how much weight one has gained.

Abdicate, v. To give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

Esplanade, v. To attempt an explanation while drunk.

Willy-nilly, adj. Impotent.

Negligent, adj. Absentmindedly answering the door when wearing only a nightgown.

Lymph, v. To walk with a lisp.

Gargoyle, n. Olive-flavored mouthwash.

Flatulence, n. Emergency vehicle that picks up someone who has been run over by a steamroller.

Balderdash, n. A rapidly receding hairline.

Testicle, n. A humorous question on an exam.

Rectitude, n. The formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.

Pokemon, n. A Rastafarian proctologist.

Oyster, n. A person who sprinkles his conversation with yiddishisms

Frisbeetarianism, n. The belief that, after death, the soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.

Circumvent, . An opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men.