August 3, 2008

The girl in the window.

Quite possibly the most heartbreaking story of child abuse and neglect, in the St. Petersburg Times, on their Tampabay.com website on July 31st.
The article was titled, The girl in the window.

The family had lived in the rundown rental house for almost three years when someone first saw a child's face in the window. A little girl, pale, with dark eyes, lifted a dirty blanket above the broken glass and peered out, one neighbor remembered. Everyone knew a woman lived in the house with her boyfriend and two adult sons. But they had never seen a child there, had never noticed anyone playing in the overgrown yard. The girl looked young, 5 or 6, and thin. Too thin. Her cheeks seemed sunken; her eyes were lost. The child stared into the square of sunlight, then slipped away. Months went by. The face never reappeared.

Child Protective services had been there twice in just a few short months in 2002.
They never took the child, and what's even more disturbing is that they never even interviewed her.
If they had, they would have found that the 4-year old girl couldn't speak at all, warning bells would have sounded.
But DCF never spoke to her, they offered the mother child care help, but it was refused, and they went away.
If only they had investigated further, if only they had kept the case open longer and made more visits to the home over a few more months.
Maybe Danielle, now known as Dani, wouldn't have ended up as a feral child.
When two Plant City police offers entered the house on July 13th 2005, one of them came back out and vomited in the tall grass of the yard that hadn't been cut in months.
Things crunched under their feet.
Large German cockroaches were everywhere, under foot, on the walls, in the lampshades, in the freezer.
There was trash everywhere, dirty laundry, broken curtain rods holding up tattered and yellow stained curtains from years of smoking.
The house was full of, and smelled of feces from cats, dogs, and humans.
It was in the carpet, on counter tops, splattered on the walls.

The police were there to find and remove the little girl that neighbors had reported as being abused and neglected.
She had never been outside, she was only ever seen wearing a diaper.
She was 7 years old.
Detective Holste looked around at the filth, he asked the woman living there, the mother, where the little girl was.
She pointed down the hallway, and he went down the dark, dirty and moldy hallway, turned the handle on a door, and he found her.

First he saw the girl's eyes: dark and wide, unfocused, unblinking. She wasn't looking at him so much as through him. She lay on a torn, moldy mattress on the floor. She was curled on her side, long legs tucked into her emaciated chest. Her ribs and collarbone jutted out; one skinny arm was slung over her face; her black hair was matted, crawling with lice. Insect bites, rashes and sores pocked her skin. Though she looked old enough to be in school, she was naked - except for a swollen diaper. "The pile of dirty diapers in that room must have been 4 feet high," the detective said. "The glass in the window had been broken, and that child was just lying there, surrounded by her own excrement and bugs." When he bent to lift her, she yelped like a lamb. "It felt like I was picking up a baby," Holste said. "I put her over my shoulder, and that diaper started leaking down my leg." The girl didn't struggle. Holste asked, What's your name, honey? The girl didn't seem to hear. He searched for clothes to dress her, but found only balled-up laundry, flecked with feces. He looked for a toy, a doll, a stuffed animal. "But the only ones I found were covered in maggots and roaches." Choking back rage, he approached the mother. How could you let this happen? "The mother's statement was: 'I'm doing the best I can,' " the detective said. "I told her, 'The best you can sucks!' "

The little girl has been permanently taken away from her birth mother, she's been adopted, but she's never spoken a word, she doesn't know how to speak. No one ever held her, talked to her, sang to her, played with her. She was left alone in that room, in dirty diapers, in a room full of dirty diapers and filth. You have to read that story, the whole thing.

I was ok reading it, not crying but my heart was just breaking, and then Sebastian came out and asked me what I was reading.
I lost it.
I just completely fell apart.
I sobbed barely breathing, trying to explain to him what I had read, I could barely speak.
I simply can't fathom how someone could do that to a child.
To just place her in a room in the dark, in dirty diapers, with more dirty diapers around her, bugs eating her skin, in her hair, never ever speaking to her, never loving her.
My heart just broke in a million pieces for Dani, and I am so glad she has found wonderful new parents who are loving and patient, and a 10 year old brother who is the most awesome little boy.
His heart is huge, it's amazing the sacrifices he's made for his new sister.
Really, you must read that story.
Just get your kleenex ready, you're going to need them.

---

June 20, 2008

Pregnancy pact?!

17 girls at Gloucester Massachusetts high school, entered into a pregnancy pact, and only one of them is above the age of 15. She's 16 years old.

17 girls at the high school have become pregnant this year, with half of them sophomores who had entered into a pregnancy pact. All but one of the seven or eight girls who set out to become pregnant are 15 years old; the other is 16. Most got pregnant by their boyfriends, but one father is reportedly a 24-year-old homeless man.

In Mass, it is considered statutory rape to have sex with a 15 year old, so not only are all of these young fathers and the homeless man, now on the hook for child support, most of them will be charged with rape even though the sex was consensual and initiated by the girls.
Is it the Juno effect?
Teen girls in movies getting pregnant, or teen age celebs like Jamie Lynn Spears, having a baby at age 17, does have an effect on impressionable young girls.
I loved the movie Juno, I thought it was quite good and funny, but even as I watched it I thought to myself, 'Here we go, teen pregnancy in a positive light. The parents were not angry at all, as matter of fact, they were rather accepting of the whole thing and never once yelled at her for doing this. Saying to her they didn't think she was that kind of girl, wasn't exactly admonishment of what she had done.'

"Gloucester is a very, very proud community," she said of the heavily Roman Catholic and insular town that is accessible only by a bridge from the mainland. "It has a long tradition of fishing industry that has really gone away in recent years. Jobs are not there anymore. The jobs that these young people thought they were going to have are disappearing."
The kids, she said, can't see a way out. "None of them have a very strong life plan," Kingsbury said. "Being a mother became something they can do, gave them an identity: 'I can be someone. I can be a mother.' They didn't really have an alternative. Nobody offered them a better life."

Sure, they can be mothers, but at their ages?
I know teen pregnancy happens, it's not abnormal, lots of girls get pregnant while young, but in this place they live, there is no hope, there are no jobs, the boys who impregnated them could serve jail time for rape, so there goes the child support they thought they would get.
All of these girls were thrilled when they learned they were pregnant.
I can't wrap my head around it.
Not only are they teen moms, they are single teen moms.
Heck, I was married and 21 years old when I had Mark. I was scared shitless!
I had no idea what I was doing, I must have called my mother a dozen times a day to ask her questions, I worried all the time that I would break him or not feeding him enough, was he hot, was he cold, was I doing any of this at all the right way?
It was rough, it still is rough.
I've been a single parent for 15 years now, and it's still scary, I still wonder if I'm doing this right.

Then there's the 24-year-old homeless man whom one girl chose to father her child. What to do with him?

Yes, what do they do with him?
And why the hell did this girl have sex with a homeless man?!
Was she so desperate to keep her part of the pact, that she figured any man who would have sex with her was good enough?!
This whole thing just blows my mind.
Some of these girls said things like "I think my parents will help me with the baby."
What if they don't? What if they can't afford to? What if their parents lose their jobs?
This community while proud, has no jobs, the shops are closing, and now there's all these teen girls who are expecting their parents to help them raise this baby.
Did they think they'd all have like a little babysitting co-op because they're all friends?
This is just crazy, and as a single parent, I'm really just blown away by the stupidity of this whole thing.
I really hope that when NBC airs the Baby Borrowers, it isn't sugar coated, that it's a slam to the face reality check for teen aged girls and their boyfriend/potential baby daddies, that want to have children.
Teen girls in this country need a frigging wake up call.

---

June 18, 2008

You have no 4th amendment rights in a natural disaster.

Wake up Americans!
What is happening in parts of Iowa from the flooding, is just as bad as the water itself.
Government "strike teams" are invading people's homes, harassing the owners, and threatening them with arrest, for being in their homes and questioning the illegal searches of property.

Cops break down doors, threaten residents who question them as part of martial law conditioning, authorities prevent people from re-entering their homes

Shocking footage out of Cedar Rapids Iowa shows cops and government employee "strike teams" breaking into houses of flood victims and threatening anyone who questions their actions in complete violation of the 4th amendment right that protects against unlawful search and seizure.
No warrant, no knock home invasions are being carried out on the flimsy pretext of "checking for structural damage" as cops harass and threaten with arrest people who refuse to have their homes ransacked by thugs in uniforms.
Cedar Rapids police chief Greg Graham promised residents over the weekend that "Law enforcement officers are not entering homes," and that firefighters would only enter homes through unlocked doors and windows yet the video clearly shows locked houses being broken in to.

People, this is some serious shit.
You need to wake up!
Your 4th amendment rights are and will be violated in times of any natural disaster under false pretexts.
Just as they did during Katrina, law enforcement are breaking into homes, forcing lawful homeowners to leave their homes, and illegally seizing lawfully owned weapons.

The 4th amendment states, "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

They are breaking into homes, forcing people to leave, threatening them, and when people question what the hell is going on, why their home and properties are being violated, the "officers of the law" are telling them to shut up, go back inside, or face arrest.

Just because a natural disaster happens, does not give ANY government office the right to declare martial law, invade our homes and property, seize our legally owned and obtained weapons, for any reason.
They must obtain a warrant which states their reasons for the search and seizure of our personal effects.
A lot of these "strike teams" are made up of law enforcement officers, fire fighters, and utilities workers.
Excuse me?
When did all these people become structural engineers, and be able to legally determine whether or not a home is safe?

Even if there was a legitimate reason to inspect homes, why on earth do they not even bother to knock on the door?
Cops immediately attempt to break in or climb through windows uninvited because this procedure is all about sending a message - when a crisis unfolds we are the bosses and you - the peasants - will yield to our tyranny.

This is bullshit people.
There are police barricades set up preventing home owners from even re-entering their neighborhoods.
When questioned, no answers are being provided, they are simply being told to stay behind the lines, or go to jail.
Reports are sneaking out that a group of home owners pushed their way past the barricades and ran to their homes where they then barricaded themselves in.
Once in their homes, they hope to be able to stay put, but the police with all their illegal break ins, could force these people back out by breaking in, breaking down their doors, and taking them to jail in complete violation of their 4th amendment rights.
The Mississippi river is being reported to soon overflow it's banks.
If that happens, more neighborhoods will flood, and the possibility of more illegal strike teams being created, is inevitable.
This stuff is just crazy.
I really thought we may have learned something from the complete clusterfuck that happened during Katrina.
People were forcibly evicted, even if they lived miles away from the flood zones on high and dry ground. Their homes were invaded, they were forced to leave, and their legal guns were ripped from their possession, with no receipts given to them to get their guns back.
Many people were told "Too bad, hire a lawyer to get it back, if it can be found and proven."

What I think the government learned, was that declaring an illegal martial law, illegally removing the lawful weapons, and removing people from their homes, worked out so damn well in New Orleans, we might as well do it during every natural disaster.

---

June 16, 2008

On my mind all day.

It's been a super quiet summer day here.
The teens and I haven't done much at all, we have been playing some games, watched Clerks II again, and for dinner I'll be making enchiladas.

This news story has been on my mind all day.

TURLOCK, California (AP) -- Police killed a 27-year-old man as he kicked, punched and stomped a toddler to death despite other people's attempts to stop him on a dark, country road, authorities said.

The child was somewhere between 1 and 2 years old, and he was beating it, kicking it, and stomping the poor baby to death before police shot him.
Now that the man is dead, we'll never know why he was doing that to the child, but I'm glad the police shot and killed him.
He didn't deserve the kindness of being arrested and getting a fair trial, he beat a small defenseless baby to death.
People stopped and tried to make him stop, he just shrugged them off and continued.
The police officer ordered him to stop and step away from the baby and he didn't, he deserved to be shot and killed in my opinion.
I don't understand people like this, I don't understand people who kill children.
What could the child have possibly done to deserve what happened to him?
Cry?
Soil himself?
What could he have done?
It just broke my heart to hear about this today, people like this make me sick.

---

June 13, 2008

Tim Russert, 1950-2008

I just heard the news that reporter Tim Russert has died.

WASHINGTON - Tim Russert, NBC News' Washington bureau chief and the moderator of "Meet the Press," died Friday after being stricken at the bureau, NBC News said Friday. He was 58.
Russert was recording voiceovers for Sunday's "Meet the Press" broadcast when he collapsed. He was rushed to Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, where resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, said Russert's physician, Michael Newman.
Newman said the cause of death was not immediately known.

This is such an unexpected loss.
Russert was an incredible reporter.
He knew his stuff, you could tell he loved his job, he loved reporting the news and loved politics the most.
I'll never forget his incredible sense of humor on the eve of the 2000 elections, "Florida, Florida, Florida", and his little white board where he kept adding up all the votes and delegate votes, and just so alive and energized by the whole process.

He has an extensive and impressive background from being a senate staffer before going to into journalism, he received an Emmy for his coverage of of President Reagan's funeral, 48 honorary doctorates, countless awards for excellence in his career, member of the broadcasting hall of fame, and on the board of the baseball hall of fame.
He was a trustee of the Freedom Forum's Newseum and a member of the board of directors of the Greater Washington Boys and Girls Club and America/s Promise - Alliance for Youth.
He was also named father of the year by several different organizations over the years.

This is just a shock and tragic loss of a man I admired.
My heart and thoughts are with his wife Maureen and his son Luke.

---

June 11, 2008

Truck driver's family need your help.

The family of the truck driver, Raymond Neumann, who was killed last week in that crash on the interstate, needs your help.

Raymond was a loving and devoted father of three children, he worked as hard as he did to provide for his family that he loved so much.
His oldest son David, has built a website in remembrance of his father, and they are in need of any sized donation that you can give them.
Donations can be made at any Suntrust ATM or Banking center, and must be made out to David or Karen Neumann, account #1000076140832.
You can go to the site and read about Raymond, his life and his family, and see pictures of him and his children.

When David contacted me about the site, I could tell this was a young man grieving for the loss of a man who meant the world to him, and by the way David spoke, I could tell that Raymond was the devoted and loving father that they say he was.
David is a well spoken and articulate young man, his words touched me and brought me to tears, as I read about this so very tragic and unexpected loss.
I think Raymond would be very proud of his son David, for stepping up and trying to do everything he can to help take care of his mother, and his younger siblings in this very sad time.
Instead of just being able to grieve the loss of his father, he's trying now to help take care of his family in his father's absence.

If you are able to help out, any sized donation, or even help by spreading the word on your blog, please help spread the word local Florida bloggers , please give or do what you can to help.

---

June 7, 2008

Truck driver of the crash on 301, has died.

Source

MANATEE COUNTY - Raymond A. Neumann, the tanker truck driver critically injured when his rig plunged from a bridge and exploded on U.S. 301, died this afternoon at Tampa General Hospital, a family member said.

Neumann, 54, was driving south on Interstate 75 on Wednesday when he swerved to avoid a pickup truck that authorities say spun out after merging onto the highway from U.S. 301. Neumann's truck, carrying 8,000 gallons of fuel, struck the vehicle before plunging over a bridge and exploding in a fireball that damaged the bridge.

Construction crews are working to rebuild the section of the bridge that was damaged in the crash and fire.
Southbound traffic on Interstate 75 is expected to be diverted Monday onto the northbound lanes of the highway.

Zep Construction of Fort Myers, was the lowest bidder for the reconstruction of the damaged bridge, and the state Saturday awarded a six-week contract for $1.7 million.

I'm saddened to hear he has died, it was a tragic accident and probably avoidable if the driver of the pickup truck that Neumann was swerving to avoid, had been driving more carefully on the rain slicked roads.
That driver, Fernando Aguilera, is not facing any criminal charges, but has been cited for careless driving.

75 and 301 is pretty much the way I need to go on Friday to get to Tampa to see my surgeon, Doc M.
I'm sure we could take US41, but even that will be packed.
In order to make sure I get to his office by 11:15am, we will need to leave no later than 9am, possibly even earlier depending on how the traffic reports say things are going all week.
I'll be paying close attention to it all week, that's for sure.
75 is the fastest way to get from anywhere north, to anywhere south in this state, so having an entire section of the southbound lanes closed off and rerouted to merge with the northbound lanes, is really an awful huge mess.
But my thoughts are with Mr. Neumann's family and friends, he was just trying to avoid hitting the other driver.

---

December 12, 2007

Drew Peterson wants your money.

Seriously.
Drew Peterson, the man suspected of killing his fourth wife Stacey, has a website where you can donate money and help him defend himself against these charges.
Check out the Official Drew Peterson Defense Fund.
This is crazy.

Drew and his children risk losing their life savings, house, automobiles and may end up impoverished, all by simply defending himself against allegations.

*UPDATE*
The website has been taken down.

---

December 11, 2007

Santa's runway is melting.

The climate changes are causing the runway which Santa uses to take off and deliver toys from, is melting.
He's not sure if he'll be able to make it this year.
Check it out at Green Santa.

---

December 4, 2007

No evidence of pepper spray for beauty queen.

On November 28th, I posted about the Today Shows coverage of the beauty pageant queen who said she was sabotaged with pepper spray, and how they made it like one of the top news stories that day.

Police now say there's absolutely no evidence of pepper spray in her clothing.
"Police probing the alleged sabotage of Miss Puerto Rico Universe Ingrid Marie Rivera's clothing during the Nov. 23 competition said tests showed no traces of capsicum, the pepper spray's active ingredient, Reuters reported."
"I guess she has a lot of explaining to do," police spokesman Stephen Alvarez said on Saturday.
"Police Superintendent Pedro Toledo said his department now would focus it's investigation on whether anyone lied to his detectives, which would be a felony."

So the beauty queen lied?

---

December 4, 2007

Light a candle for the children who have passed on.

My friend Leslie emailed me about the 2007 Worldwide Candle Lighting which takes place this Sunday December 9th at 7pm your time.
At 7pm where ever you live, light a candle in remembrance of the children who have died.

Held annually the second Sunday in December, this year December 9, The Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting unites family and friends around the globe in lighting candles for one hour to honor and remember children who have died at any age from any cause. As candles are lit at 7 p.m. local time, hundreds of thousands of persons commemorate and honor children in a way that transcends all ethnic, cultural, religious, and political boundaries.

I have a few friends who have lost children, so I'll be lighting a candle in honor of all of them, and for "Busy Lizzy", Leslie's daughter.
A tragic accident took her far too soon. I think about her and her family often, my heart broke the day I heard the news. I can only imagine the grief a parent feels at losing a child, and so by joining Leslie and my other friends in lighting a candle on Sunday night, I will honor and remember each child and the light they each held and brought into the lives of those who knew them.
Join us Sunday night at 7pm and light a candle to honor their memory.

---

November 28, 2007

Beauty pageant sabotage?

Why is this such major news?
The Today Show spent like 10 minutes talking to this girl like it was a major catastrophe, a huge disaster, tragic!

"Pageant organizers said they hope to catch and expose whoever was responsible for dousing Rivera's evening gowns with pepper spray and spiking her makeup, causing her to break out in hives."

She won anyway, but beauty pageants are just so outdated in my opinion, and there have been rumors of them being rigged for years, other scandals like sex, nude or inappropriate photos, and now pranks bordering on sabotage.
But really, was this a major news story?
I've been up since 5:45am, watched all the local morning news, and have been watching the Today Show since it started this morning at 7am.
They had this story in the top 10 minutes of the show, as a major news item.
But is it really?
The contestants are getting more and more catty every year, blackmailing each other, attempting to tarnish each other, and some of these girls are just dim witted twits, so why is this stuff making the mornings breaking news?
I don't get it.
Yes horrible, her gowns and makeup were supposedly doused in pepper spray, but pageant officials aren't even totally sure it happened as the girl claims.
I just find it totally ridiculous that this made the top news stories of the day.
Did nothing else really important happen anywhere in the world?

---

October 28, 2007

It's the end, better be prepared.

I was going over my Amazon stats just now, and came across several orders for survival books.
I'm not sure if the same person bought one of each that is being sold, or if several people are all preparing for something bad to happen.
But this one, The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Extreme Edition, sold 4 copies in the last 24 hours.
Odd.

What will you learn in this book?

Imperiled readers will learn immediate, hands-on strategies for surviving an elephant stampede, a 16-car pile-up, a mine collapse, and a nuclear attack. Discover how to take a bullet, control a runaway hot air balloon, break a gorilla's grip, endure a Turkish prison, and free a limb from a bear trap. Whether stranded on an iceberg, being chased by a pack of wolves, spinning out on a motorcycle, or being buried alive, The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Extreme Edition has all the right stuff for those times when everything goes wrong.

Interesting. I especially like the part about teaching you how to endure a Turkish prison.
Who would need that?
But the book does look very interesting, and it must be halfway decent or else there wouldn't be all these orders for it and the other titles in the same line, all written by author Joshua Piven.

There's even one for parents, The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Parenting.
I may have to check both of these titles out.
Ya know, I am a parent, and who knows, there may come a day when I need to be living off the grid and end up crash landing in my hot air balloon in a zoo in Turkey, and get thrown in prison, because I broke the gorillas arm when I broke free of his grip after being chased by the pack of wolves whose cage I landed in.
Hey, it could happen.

---

October 20, 2007

Get away, get away from it all.

Sebastian and I took a walk tonight, I just really needed to get out of the house, de-stress myself. The more I sat here, the more I kept thinking about all the things that haven't happened yet, may not happen.

While we were out walking, it started raining but we kept going anyway.
Sebastian and I can walk and walk, and just spend that whole time talking about everything and anything.
We talked about video games, he's so excited for GH3, and taking a vacation.
I said I wanted to get far away from everything and everyone, I'm so tired and stressed out, go someplace deep in the woods of another state, like get a Pigeon Forge cabin rental in the Smoky Mountains.
It's in Tennessee, and I hear it's beautiful. I have a friend from the local Tampa message boards who just moved up there, said the houses are so affordable and it's just gorgeous.
She invited me up there if I could ever get up the money to go. Take a bus or plane and stay with her and her hubby, and believe me, I would.
I desperately need a vacation, a get away from everything.
I'm sitting here now just thinking about going away from it all, and getting stressed again. hahaha

Sebastian did talk to me about the possibility of the surgery, and like I said earlier, I still have guilt from 2 years ago, and man, he made me feel bad about this possible one and it hasn't happened yet.
He's scared.
That first surgery scared the crap outta him. The day after the first surgery when I was in ICU with the tape over my eyes and a breathing tube down my throat, he thought I was dead.
He was just 12, he's a mommas boy, my baby, he was traumatized by that image, he said he can't handle that again.
I know he can't, it was so hard for him to see his "super mom" unable to even get in and out of my bed on my own, he's frightened about this even though it will be a way smaller surgery.
He started crying tonight, he asked if there is anyway that I don't have to do it.
I honestly don't know.
If they say I have to, and I refuse, that is my right, but how will refusing affect me later on in life?
It's all too much for him, and me, to be honest, and I keep trying so hard to put it out of my mind, but it's difficult to do.
I think the people who have had this surgery, Brandi and Chris, they know what that surgery was like, and the thought of having to do it again, or a revision surgery, is like the last thing any of us want to do, and every visit to see the surgeon for follow up visits, all you hope for is for the doc to say it's a solid fusion, looks great, come back in 6 months, come back in a year, don't come back.
I don't want to think about this, and I'm sure the few posts I've made since yesterday that you have all read, you can tell I don't want to do it or think about it, but it's stuck in my mind.
Stuck and making me worry, and I won't stop thinking about it until doc tells me one way or another if we're doing this.

I don't want to drive you all away either with my worry filled posts about this, I need to stop talking about it. You all are important to me and the last thing I want to do is drive you guys away cuz I sound like I've gone nuts with worry and talking about it.
I really think once I have a yes or no on it, I'll be fine, make my plans, be able to cope with it, but it's in the air and that is where my mind is.

---

September 11, 2007

9/11/01 =7

I think the same thing is on all of our minds today, and some of us have different reasons for those thoughts.
No matter where any of us stand, we all look back and recall the loss of life.
They are who we should never forget.

---

August 10, 2007

They really are biodegradable!

I received a small box early this evening with a nice product in it, but it was packed with those styrofoam peanuts.
I hate having to dispose of them, especially if they are not the kind that degrades, because then I have to bag them up, feel guilty, etc.

So as I was unpacking the box and getting ready to bag up the peanuts and then break down the box, Sebastian tells me these are the kind that degrade.
I'm all no way, how?
"Like this!" he says.*

Step 1, dump peanuts in the sink like so.

Step 2, start running water over the peanuts.

Step 3, watch as peanuts completely dissolve in water. (hot or cold, doesn't matter)

I thought that was pretty cool indeed.

Continue Reading �

---

August 10, 2007

The Boobiethon has a new coordinator!

Melissa, has taken over the Boobiethon after Robyn and Lisa could no longer do it.
They all assure us that the goals and ideas of past years will continue, and I am proud to say that once again this year not only will my rack be on the site, but I'll be helping by donating my time to do photo editing during the thon as well.

For the last 5 years, the Boobiethon has raised over $35,000 for breast cancer research. That's amazing!

Melissa is looking for volunteers folks. She needs the following help for this years thon coming up in October;
1. People who can record donations in real-time (you'll get pledge amounts and names / e-mail addresses e-mailed directly to you during 2-3 hour shifts and will then pass along your data to the donation coordinator at the end, which will be added to our donation totals and donor names pages on the site)

2. People with Photoshop experience to edit submission photos (sorry but guys edit guy submissions - girls edit girl submissions - no crossovers for safety-reasons - even though the guys whine about this not being fair every year) - then you'll pass these photos along to photo coordinators.

3. Schedule coordinators for donations and photo editors to help fit the volunteers into the daytime, evening and overnight shifts that work best for them - requires making the schedules and sending out shift-reminders.

4. Donation coordinators responsible for collecting all donation records from donations editors and posting donor lists and donation totals to the site at least 3-4 times per day

If you can help out, please get in touch with her by clicking on her name above, and help a great cause.

---

August 10, 2007

Missing kids screensaver.

Source
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has developed a screensaver to help find missing kids.

Developed in partnership with a private software company, Global Software Applications, the rotating screens display a missing child's picture and profile, tailored according to the region of the United States where the computer user is located.

Ron Koning, Global Software's vice president, hopes the screensaver will be used everywhere from police stations to office buildings and "any area with high traffic," he said. "Where it will catch the most eyes."
Since the milk carton advertising of the 1980s, the organization has tried working with private companies who fax and regular mail the pictures. Any method to get the pictures to the public works. One in six children featured has been found as a result of someone seeing their picture.

The screensaver is available free at www.missingkidsaver.com.

It's incredible to think that the milk cartons and the mailers you get in your mail box, are actually helping to find missing kids, so yes, do anything that it takes to get their pictures out there and bring home missing kids.

---

May 23, 2007

The list of asexual species grows.

Sharks can have virgin births.

"The joint Northern Ireland-U.S. research, being published Wednesday in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters, analyzed the DNA of a shark born in 2001 in the Henry Doorly Zoo - in a tank with three potential mothers, none of whom had contact with a male hammerhead for at least three years.

Analysis of the baby shark's DNA found no trace of any contribution from a male partner. Shark experts said this was the first confirmed case in a shark of parthenogenesis, which derived from the Greek means "virgin birth."

Asexual reproduction is common in some insect species, rarer in reptiles and fish, and has never been documented in mammals. The list of animals documented as capable of the feat has grown in line with the numbers being raised in captivity - but until now, sharks were not considered a likely candidate."

"Before the study, many shark experts had presumed that the Nebraska birth involved a female shark's well-documented ability to store sperm for a lengthy period of time. Doing this for six months is common, while three years would be exceptional, they agreed.

The lack of any paternal DNA in the shark ruled out this possibility."

Evolution in progress.

---

April 16, 2007

Tragic loss.

While I'm just now getting around to talking about this, I have been following it all day.
The very tragic loss of life at VA Tech.
These shootings are just horrible and I can't even imagine what it was like being there, having friends there, still not knowing if those friends are ok.
The families of students flooding phone lines to find out where their child is, only to find out they can't get through.

A student at VA tech named Bryce, has been posting to his live journal all day while it was happening.
People are being mostly supportive, offering condolences and words of support.
But then there are the media vultures posting comments asking for interviews, people posting comments about how it's like Iraq, that soldiers die every day for our freedoms, that Bryce is just dramatizing his role.
He's simply posting what happened, how it's affecting him. 33 people have died on his campus today, it's affecting him, death effects people.

My heart goes out to all of the students at VA tech and to the families of the deceased.

---

March 19, 2007

Ciao my bella!

One of the other many places I want to visit someday, is Italy. I'd love to be able to rent Villas in Italy, and spend a few weeks to a month touring all over.
I'd love to go see the Colosseum in Rome, Sicily and Venice.
I love the old art cities.
I'd love to walk the same streets as Da Vinci and Galileo once did.
Someday, I'll get there.
_________________
Terry, smarty pants. ;)

---

March 19, 2007

You may need more insurance.

Anywhere you go in the US, your auto insurance will cover you should you get into an accident, but did you know that if you take a trip to Mexico and plan on driving, you will not be covered under your own US insurance?
That's right, it's not recognized.
You would need to purchase some Mexican Auto Insurance.
If you get into an accident while driving in Mexico, it's technically
a felony, and the authorities will hold you until payment for damages
you are deemed responsible for are paid to the injured party.
They can legally hold you until you pay in full.
If you don't have insurance, you better have cash.
They can and will put you in jail if you can't pay for it.

Mexican Insurance Store, has been in business for 29 years, so you can trust them to make sure you are properly covered while there.
Policies can be purchased daily, weekly, 6 month or annually.
They've sold literally thousands of policies for people vacationing in Mexico.
You can get some answers to some of your questions here, and get some truths about Mexican insurance here.

This is good to know. Not that I'm planning a trip down there any time soon, but I know people who have gone, and are planning more trips, so this information should help them out when planning a trip.
Wouldn't it suck to get rear ended and be blamed for it, then end up in a Mexican prison?
Ack!

---

February 8, 2007

Anna Nicole Smith is dead.

Dead at 39

February 8, 2007)— One-time Mexia chicken restaurant waitress turned Playboy model turned heiress turned reality TV star Anna Nicole Smith died Thursday afternoon after she was found unconscious in her hotel room at the Hard Rock Cafe and Casino in Hollywood, Fla., a law enforcement source told CNN.

The source told CNN Smith was dead on arrival at Memorial Regional Hospital.

Wow. Maybe that Trimspa had something to do with it. All that crap can't be good for your heart.

---

January 8, 2007

Time to go stock up on canned food and stuff. Um, yeah.

Seriously people, what the hell is going on with the strange smells all over the place?
Mystery smells over Manhattan, and something in the air killed a bunch of birds in Texas.
And Arizona.

Someone on a forum I frequent, said occasionally the government likes to test various chemicals on us and then they tell us later, it was a gas leak, and just mercaptan. Kinda like what happened in Manhattan.
"Oh, it's just a small gas leak, that smell you smell is mercaptan. It's what gives gas a distinguishable odor. Nothing to worry about, you'll all be fine."
Unless of course you're those birds in Texas.

*calmly adjusts my tin foil hat and prepares to write up a list of non-perishable food items that could survive a nuke*

---

November 2, 2006

“A Soldier’s Reflection”

If I could see your face

Just one more time
to crystallize your beauty

In my mind
to freeze the smile

That wars erase
and rob the Memories

Of your face

for what I see

Is death and hate
the twisted thoughts

Hostile hands of fate
The mindless mores

Motivate to maim
for senseless cries

Of victory to proclaim

That I could hear

The softness of your cry
The thought that war

Had sentenced me to die
To hear your sobs

See teardrops fall
reminders that

Love transcended all

For what I hear

Voices raised in pain
Another death

Considered someone's gain
A baby's cry

A mother's screams
The sounds that echo

In my dreams

If I could smell

The scent of your skin
To comfort my emotions

From deep within
Autumn leaves fall

Without a sound
The scented breeze

Guides them to the ground

For what I smell

Comes from the fray

Of burnt-out homes

Bodies in decay
The stench of human flesh

Engulfed in flame

The smell that drives

A man's mind insane

If I could touch

My son’s heart
to give him hope

While we're apart
and feel his childlike

Hand in mine
an eternal imprint

On my mind

For I have touched

The hand of death
And sensed the coldness

Of its breath
I have felt it

Terrorize this land
And stalk the dunes

Of desert sand

If I could taste

The turkey breast
that's basted in

Your sweet caress
and savor deep

Within my soul
the joys of life

I've put on hold

For what I taste

Is stale and sour
the fear of death

From hour to hour
the bitter sweet

Of love and pain
Please tell me that

It’s not in vain

Written by: Crowell Christopher S SGT 303rd MI BN CASE
My cousin, serving his second term in Iraq.

---

September 11, 2006

9/11/01

Not forgotten.

---

September 10, 2006

I don't have an earthquake category.

We had a 6.0 earthquake in the Gulf of Mexico this morning at 10:56am.
They are saying it's not strong enough to cause a Tsunami. This is good.
For a few minutes there, I panicked. The quake happened 250 miles west of Bradenton Beach which is basically even with where I live on the map.
I called my sis and asked her to check the weather channel or the news or something. With no cable, all I get on Sundays is football or people selling shit on every channel I pick up.
I guess people felt it as far north as the Carolina's.
Kinda freaky.

---

February 7, 2006

You know damn straight

if any of "us" normal everyday people did this, child protective services would be at our doors within hours of the incident.
Is anthing going to happen to her? Probably not.

Bullshit.

---

September 1, 2005

This is madness.

I don't want to keep watching but I can't help it.
I can't believe that people are shooting at the very people that are there to help them ya know?

I can't understand this shit. I mean, I sorta can. It's basic instinct to survive and take care of your own first but they are killing people and law officers and shooting at medical people.
This is just plain insane.
I'm so sad and angry at the same time.

---

September 1, 2005

Animal rescue and help links.

Lone Star Equine Rescue

ASPCA

E.A.R.S.

Noah's Wish

Humane Society of Northwest Louisiana

American Humane Association

For a list of more places to help animals, go here.

---

September 1, 2005

Give a buck or two.

For constant coverage, Michelle is right on top of everything.

Salvation Army

Wizbang

flood aid
Hurricane Katrina

Matching the good

I donated what I could this morning. Please help out by donating to your charity of choice.

---

July 7, 2005

London

The Command Post - Global Recon - Explosions in London Underground; Casualties Reported [Updated continuosly]

---

January 5, 2005

De-lurk for donations.

Lisa will donate $1 for every comment she gets up to $100 and her company that she works for will match it all for the tsunami victims.
So get on over there and comment.

---

December 29, 2004

Tsunami help and paypal.

Yesterday I asked if anyone knew of a way to help out with paypal because not all of us have credit cards. Michele answered my question this morning and this is the site where you can go to donate through paypal. WritersCafe.net - Tsunami and Earthquake Relief Fund.
I will be making a donation on Friday after I take care of the jewelery order that I have to do. All I have in there right now is $3 but I want to send more because as I said, any time I needed help, I got it.
So as soon as I place the supplies order, my profits from two jewelry orders will be donated to help.
If you have a few bucks sitting in your paypal account, think about donating to help the victims in Asia.
The numbers of dead are staggering and continue to rise. I simply can't grasp that entire generations of people are gone or missing.
Thank you.

---

December 28, 2004

I've been so wrapped up in my own misery

Click for larger*
Looks an awful lot like Florida after the hurricanes just on a much larger, far more damaging scale.
--------------------------------
that I didn't post about the huge loss in Asia.
I watched it on the news. I sat there slack jawed in disbelief. Talked about warning systems with my kids because they asked so many questions. Talked about it with my mom on the phone last night but because I was so miserable and feeling bad for myself, I didn't talk about it here.
Maybe that's a good thing because in the early hours of the tragedy, there weren't ways to help set up like there are now, there wasn't a central blog with tons of information on the tsunamis and ow it affected each country it touched and more ways to help.
The only problem I can see with all the donations being accepted is I have seen no way to donate through paypal. Every site wants a credit card and some of us don't have those.
I don't have much in there, just a few dollars but every time I've needed help, I've gotten it and if I can send a few bucks through paypal to help, I'd like to but I can't find a way. If anyone knows if any of those accepting donations take paypal or if someone out there knows another way or place, could you please let me know?
Thanks.

---