2435 Willow Creek Dr Evansville IN
MLS #184698
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Saturday, July 30, 2011
Bible Lesson on dating
A friend shared this & I had to pass it on.
For you single ladies: Quick Bible Lesson...in the Bible, Ruth patiently waited for her mate Boaz. While waiting on your Boaz, don't settle for ANY of his relatives. Brokeaz, Poaz, Lyinaz, Cheatinaz, Dumbaz, Downlowaz, Fakeaz, Cheapaz, Lockedupaz, Goodfornothinaz, Lazyaz, Gayaz, or Marriedaz! And especially his third cousin Beatinyoaz. Please...wait on your Boaz & make sure he respect Yoaz! hahahah!!!
I'm terrified of my teen
I'm not terrified of him physically, but I find myself constantly on edge...wondering when his mood will swing for the worse. He's like most other teens I guess...one minute he loves me and the next he hates me. What I can't stand is the speed at which these feelings change.
I often wonder if there is something wrong with his mind but then worry that I might be imagining an illness that isn't really there. He's already on meds for ADD and that helps his impulse control to a certain extent. What I can't seem to fix is his attention span and his ability to control his anger when his moods swing to the "dark side". It's such a nightmare to deal with and he doesn't always recognize when he is out of control.
I hope he begins to grow out of the childish behavior that is displayed when he gets in a funk. He has to learn to deal with life eventually, right?
I hope we aren't to the point where I give up & make him learn from his mistakes & poor choices. That's not what any mother wants to do but sometimes, you have no choice.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Google +, what do you think?
Honestly, it's not a bad network but it does take some getting used to. Right now, my biggest issue is that there isn't any way to integrate FB & Twitter with google + so I have to update multiple social networks. Also, google+ still doesn't have that many people on it...most of my friends are on FB and I'm not sure how quickly they will all decide to give google+ a try. For that reason, there isn't as much interaction on my end because there aren't that many people out there that I find all that interesting! LOL
I'm still trying to remember to use it but not sure how much longer I will want to update multiple sites. If Tweetdeck could integrate google+ into their settings that would be fantastic. I'll keep my fingers crossed that this happens some time soon...before I give up on it entirely.
They do have a mobile app for android already so that is a big +.
If you aren't on google+ and want an invite, give me your email address and I'll send you an invite.
I'm still trying to remember to use it but not sure how much longer I will want to update multiple sites. If Tweetdeck could integrate google+ into their settings that would be fantastic. I'll keep my fingers crossed that this happens some time soon...before I give up on it entirely.
They do have a mobile app for android already so that is a big +.
If you aren't on google+ and want an invite, give me your email address and I'll send you an invite.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
OMG, Michelle Obama ate a cheeseburger
So the Globe ran a full page story about the hypocrite Mrs. Obama was because she preaches healthy eating but dared to eat a cheeseburger, fries and a milkshake. Heaven forbid she EVER dare to eat something other than carrots and celery sticks. I mean, nobody that promotes healthy eating would ever eat a cheeseburger, right?
Come on folks, she's human and she is going to want to eat fattening foods every once in a while. Their story said she has done this more than once...that doesn't mean every day or every meal so get off your high horse and find something real to report on. I know you're just a trashy tabloid that would rather die than report the truth so I don't know why I'm wasting my blog space. It's not like she is "pigging out" in any of the pictures that were posted. I sure haven't seen any pics where she has eaten so much that her "clothes felt tight" as stated in the story.
I think it's great that she is trying to teach kids how to eat healthier. I don't expect anything she does to stop anyone from wanting to eat a burger now and then. That's life and you should let her live it like the rest of us do.
I hope Michelle is sitting in the White House laughing about their stupidity! You still look great, Michelle...don't listen to them!
Come on folks, she's human and she is going to want to eat fattening foods every once in a while. Their story said she has done this more than once...that doesn't mean every day or every meal so get off your high horse and find something real to report on. I know you're just a trashy tabloid that would rather die than report the truth so I don't know why I'm wasting my blog space. It's not like she is "pigging out" in any of the pictures that were posted. I sure haven't seen any pics where she has eaten so much that her "clothes felt tight" as stated in the story.
I think it's great that she is trying to teach kids how to eat healthier. I don't expect anything she does to stop anyone from wanting to eat a burger now and then. That's life and you should let her live it like the rest of us do.
I hope Michelle is sitting in the White House laughing about their stupidity! You still look great, Michelle...don't listen to them!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
R.I.P. Papaw - 1 Year Ago 7/27/10
My papaw was a character
You would tinker and fuss with any motor you found
Using twist ties and stockings to make things go round
Your truck was a mixture of rust, paint and steel
And you smoked a cigar when behind that big wheel
There's no way around it, you were often quite rude
But could laugh & tell jokes when in a good mood
You were grouchy and gruff and set in your ways
But you loved to watch kids from the daycare at play
An ornery cuss you became, that's for sure
But that sassiness just made me like you much more
And no matter how mean you got there at the end
You will always be papaw, fixer & friend
You would tinker and fuss with any motor you found
Using twist ties and stockings to make things go round
Your truck was a mixture of rust, paint and steel
And you smoked a cigar when behind that big wheel
There's no way around it, you were often quite rude
But could laugh & tell jokes when in a good mood
You were grouchy and gruff and set in your ways
But you loved to watch kids from the daycare at play
An ornery cuss you became, that's for sure
But that sassiness just made me like you much more
And no matter how mean you got there at the end
You will always be papaw, fixer & friend
Another day, another rejection
Is it possible that employers are afraid of people that appear over qualified for a position? I am so tired of being ignored and rejected for jobs that I know I can do. I have 12 years of financial services experience, some of that as a supervisor in a call center but I cannot even get a job as a bank teller or at the registration desk at the hospital.
- Do they suppose I won't be happy and I'll leave soon after being trained? You would think my 12 years with the same company would show that I'm not a job hopper.
- Do they think I would come in and try to change things? Change isn't always bad. :)
- Do they think I want too much money? They might be surprised at what I'm willing to accept.
Maybe I should clean up my resume and make it look like I did almost nothing at my last place of employment. If they think I'm just interested in entry level jobs, maybe I can at least get my foot in the door.
Perhaps I should take a different approach going forward. When I receive a rejection letter, I should respond and ask them for more specifics. Did I not interview well, am I over qualified, did they have someone internal in mind all along? What am I doing wrong that is keeping me on this train of unemployment?
I'm really starting to get frustrated and I don't like it. I have seen the people that are currently working at some of these places I've applied (and been rejected) with. It's a huge blow to my ego knowing some of these people are able to get and keep a job but I can't.
- Do they suppose I won't be happy and I'll leave soon after being trained? You would think my 12 years with the same company would show that I'm not a job hopper.
- Do they think I would come in and try to change things? Change isn't always bad. :)
- Do they think I want too much money? They might be surprised at what I'm willing to accept.
Maybe I should clean up my resume and make it look like I did almost nothing at my last place of employment. If they think I'm just interested in entry level jobs, maybe I can at least get my foot in the door.
Perhaps I should take a different approach going forward. When I receive a rejection letter, I should respond and ask them for more specifics. Did I not interview well, am I over qualified, did they have someone internal in mind all along? What am I doing wrong that is keeping me on this train of unemployment?
I'm really starting to get frustrated and I don't like it. I have seen the people that are currently working at some of these places I've applied (and been rejected) with. It's a huge blow to my ego knowing some of these people are able to get and keep a job but I can't.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Update-Lana
The doctors found a small bowel obstruction and decided to do surgery this evening to remove it. Several hours later and we are still waiting for updates.
We are driving down tomorrow to visit.
Medical History Update
Still have 2 folks in the hospital and 1 that is borderline. Will probably be making a trip to Nashville this weekend to visit and help out where we can since 2 of the sick folks are down there.
Aunt Lana: No concrete details, possibly virus, stomach blockage, currently draining her stomach through a tube in her throat (gross). Will probably be in 2 more days or more because they can't figure out what is/was blocking her stomach from emptying.
Aunt Leah: Possible virus that is making her throw up, even with anti-nausea medication. She is still trying to get back on the transplant list from being removed in error. They removed her and never told her and then her case working lost her test results and she has to do it all again. I think she did her final test to get back on the list this week so hopefully they can get her going and get a new liver. She can't take much more of this.
Uncle Ken: Now on dialysis daily, waiting for a kidney transplant, had a 3rd heart attack a couple weeks ago and is not doing very well according to my aunt. She is still working and they have 2 kids to care for with no family close by.
Will be able to better assess the situation when we get there...I hope!
Aunt Lana: No concrete details, possibly virus, stomach blockage, currently draining her stomach through a tube in her throat (gross). Will probably be in 2 more days or more because they can't figure out what is/was blocking her stomach from emptying.
Aunt Leah: Possible virus that is making her throw up, even with anti-nausea medication. She is still trying to get back on the transplant list from being removed in error. They removed her and never told her and then her case working lost her test results and she has to do it all again. I think she did her final test to get back on the list this week so hopefully they can get her going and get a new liver. She can't take much more of this.
Uncle Ken: Now on dialysis daily, waiting for a kidney transplant, had a 3rd heart attack a couple weeks ago and is not doing very well according to my aunt. She is still working and they have 2 kids to care for with no family close by.
Will be able to better assess the situation when we get there...I hope!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
TSA scanners can be very slimming...
Well, they will be soon. The TSA announced the implementation of new scanner software that will no longer reflect the accurate body shape of the person being scanned. Instead, a "default" body image will appear on the screen and any metallic substances will be reflected on the "body double".
Click here for the article from MSNBC.
With this new software, I might actually volunteer to be scanned, just so I can be thin for once in my life. Instead of the camera adding 10 pounds, the scanner could take off 50+. Maybe they could take screen shots and sell them as souvenirs for folks to buy. Like they do on amusement park rides. If they do, make sure you are making an appropriately freaky face to commemorate the moment.
Sounds like this will improve the process and make things move more smoothly. Let's hope this is a comfort to all the people that are so upset about their invasion of privacy with the current scanners. I would not want to go through the process but still feel that safety is more important than convenience. If you don't like the safety procedures find another way to get to your destination. Your comfort is not worth the sacrifice of my safety.
Click here for the article from MSNBC.
With this new software, I might actually volunteer to be scanned, just so I can be thin for once in my life. Instead of the camera adding 10 pounds, the scanner could take off 50+. Maybe they could take screen shots and sell them as souvenirs for folks to buy. Like they do on amusement park rides. If they do, make sure you are making an appropriately freaky face to commemorate the moment.
Sounds like this will improve the process and make things move more smoothly. Let's hope this is a comfort to all the people that are so upset about their invasion of privacy with the current scanners. I would not want to go through the process but still feel that safety is more important than convenience. If you don't like the safety procedures find another way to get to your destination. Your comfort is not worth the sacrifice of my safety.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Extreme Parenting & Birthdays
Josh has a friend that lives around the corner. We'll call him B. Today is B's 13th birthday but we won't be celebrating it with him. Why? Because his parents don't allow non-family birthday parties. In addition, they have refused to let him leave the house today because it's his birthday.
This poor kid is never allowed to do anything. He isn't allowed to come out on the weekends because his cousin (same age) comes to visit and he has to stay there and entertain him. Why they can't both come out and play with the other kids is beyond me. I guess the rest of our kids are heathen and not worthy to interact with them.
He has to be home by 6pm on the rare occasions that they do let him leave the house and rarely do they let him back out after that. It's not even close to being dark til at least 8pm and we live in a quiet neighborhood where you can yell from your porch and the kids can hear you.
He is a relatively good kid but when he gets grounded...watch out! The last time, he was grounded for an entire month for getting bad grades. If I grounded Josh for poor grades he'd never leave the house. :)
I can understand wanting to shelter and protect your children but this is borderline cruelty as far as I'm concerned. Ground them for grades if you want but let them have the opportunity to make friends and what is up with no birthday party?
This poor kid is never allowed to do anything. He isn't allowed to come out on the weekends because his cousin (same age) comes to visit and he has to stay there and entertain him. Why they can't both come out and play with the other kids is beyond me. I guess the rest of our kids are heathen and not worthy to interact with them.
He has to be home by 6pm on the rare occasions that they do let him leave the house and rarely do they let him back out after that. It's not even close to being dark til at least 8pm and we live in a quiet neighborhood where you can yell from your porch and the kids can hear you.
He is a relatively good kid but when he gets grounded...watch out! The last time, he was grounded for an entire month for getting bad grades. If I grounded Josh for poor grades he'd never leave the house. :)
I can understand wanting to shelter and protect your children but this is borderline cruelty as far as I'm concerned. Ground them for grades if you want but let them have the opportunity to make friends and what is up with no birthday party?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY B!
Monday, July 18, 2011
You're all evil, there's no hope, that's it!
I just had to share this again. Saw this at church over a year ago but it cracks me up every time. Watch all the way to the end...if you can make it through the creepy Jesus voice!
Too bad that fool that posted this has such an atrocious screen name. :(
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Bye Bye Blackberry, Hello Thunderbolt (My Intitial Review)
I've been waiting for this day for nearly a month. The charging port on my blackberry had given up on me and you had to tape the cord in just the right place or the phone wouldn't charge. Even then it would take over night to completely charge.
Today was the day that I could finally upgrade at a discounted rate. I did all my research and decided on the HTC thunderbolt. Would have loved to stay with blackberry but the options of touchscreen keyboards was almost non-existent.
First, let me say that the bigger screen is fantastic. Wasn't it just a few years ago that they were trying to see how small they could make cell phones? This baby is a really good size...actually, a little bigger than I'm used to so it'll take some time to get used to the feel of it.
In preparation for my purchase I ordered the otter box case because there is NO WAY I want to take the chance of breaking this phone when it cost me so much money. I've been playing with it for several hours and here are my pros & cons.
CONS:
* There are WAY TOO MANY apps pre-installed and you can't uninstall them.
* There are WAY TOO MANY apps available in the market place...overwhelming.
* I can't find a way to hide or remove widgets/icons from the home page. There are many I don't want/need but I can't find a way to remove them, or even move them to a lower priority.
* The silicone sleeve of the otter box case doesn't stay attached to the phone as well as the BB case did and it is difficult to get the phone in and out of the holster.
* You cannot watch Netflix movies on your phone...apparently it's not compatible with the thunderbolt model. :(
* The keys on the virtual keyboard seem to be a little bit off from a normal QWERTY keyboard so that is taking some time to get used to.
* The spell check/predictive text is annoying and gets in the way when you are typing.
* There isn't any spellcheck feature that will simply correct the words and not try to predict what you are typing. I want spell check only.
* Transfering songs to your phone is not a straight forward process. You have to download V Cast with Rhapsody, sync the songs to that program from your library and then drag and drop them into your phone queue. Not horrible but not as clean as my BB was.
* Not all apps work in portrait and landscape mode
* The main menu screen only works in portrait...it will not rotate to landscape.
* The manuals tell you absolutely nothing about the phone other than the basics that all Verizon phones include. Just figured out that all the icons at the top are not open apps, they are notifications of things that I need to read from apps such as facebook and then clear off the screen,
PROS:
* The display is a very good size
* It has a kick stand so if you ever actually get any movies loaded you can watch them hands-free.
* You can use songs from your phone as ring tones without downloading an app to create them.
* The sound quality is good when playing music, videos, etc
* There are tons of apps (I know, it's on both lists). :)
* The built in wallpapers and such are pretty good. Nice options and there are even some animated choices.
* Sound quality for calls seems to be very good, although the first call I took sounded like it was on speaker even though it wasn't (it was really loud).
* It has Wi-Fi although I've gone this long without it, I doubt I will ever use it.
* The phone can become a mobile hot spot. Haven't had a chance to use it so I'll have to reserve judgment on that too.
* The keyboard works in portrait and landscape.
* Apps downloaded really quickly
* You can do other things while apps are downloading
* It says you can talk on the phone and do other things as well. I've not tried it yet...we'll see if I'm coordinated enough.
I'm reserving judgement on the battery. I charged it fully and it was dead in less than 3 hours. Granted, I was playing with it almost non-stop so that's probably to be expected...hence my reason for refraining from making a judgment call at this time. I plan to give it a couple weeks and if it's not any better I plan to buy an extended battery. That means I'll also have to give up the otter box and go without or buy a Seidio as that is the only case I've seen that will accommodate the extended battery.
That's all I've come up with in the last few hours. I know, you are thinking THAT'S ALL?!?!?! I'm sure there will be more. If you have this phone and/or know of any ways to resolve some of the items on my cons list, please let me know!
Today was the day that I could finally upgrade at a discounted rate. I did all my research and decided on the HTC thunderbolt. Would have loved to stay with blackberry but the options of touchscreen keyboards was almost non-existent.
First, let me say that the bigger screen is fantastic. Wasn't it just a few years ago that they were trying to see how small they could make cell phones? This baby is a really good size...actually, a little bigger than I'm used to so it'll take some time to get used to the feel of it.
In preparation for my purchase I ordered the otter box case because there is NO WAY I want to take the chance of breaking this phone when it cost me so much money. I've been playing with it for several hours and here are my pros & cons.
CONS:
* There are WAY TOO MANY apps pre-installed and you can't uninstall them.
* There are WAY TOO MANY apps available in the market place...overwhelming.
* I can't find a way to hide or remove widgets/icons from the home page. There are many I don't want/need but I can't find a way to remove them, or even move them to a lower priority.
* The silicone sleeve of the otter box case doesn't stay attached to the phone as well as the BB case did and it is difficult to get the phone in and out of the holster.
* You cannot watch Netflix movies on your phone...apparently it's not compatible with the thunderbolt model. :(
* The keys on the virtual keyboard seem to be a little bit off from a normal QWERTY keyboard so that is taking some time to get used to.
* The spell check/predictive text is annoying and gets in the way when you are typing.
* There isn't any spellcheck feature that will simply correct the words and not try to predict what you are typing. I want spell check only.
* Transfering songs to your phone is not a straight forward process. You have to download V Cast with Rhapsody, sync the songs to that program from your library and then drag and drop them into your phone queue. Not horrible but not as clean as my BB was.
* Not all apps work in portrait and landscape mode
* The main menu screen only works in portrait...it will not rotate to landscape.
* The manuals tell you absolutely nothing about the phone other than the basics that all Verizon phones include. Just figured out that all the icons at the top are not open apps, they are notifications of things that I need to read from apps such as facebook and then clear off the screen,
PROS:
* The display is a very good size
* It has a kick stand so if you ever actually get any movies loaded you can watch them hands-free.
* You can use songs from your phone as ring tones without downloading an app to create them.
* The sound quality is good when playing music, videos, etc
* There are tons of apps (I know, it's on both lists). :)
* The built in wallpapers and such are pretty good. Nice options and there are even some animated choices.
* Sound quality for calls seems to be very good, although the first call I took sounded like it was on speaker even though it wasn't (it was really loud).
* It has Wi-Fi although I've gone this long without it, I doubt I will ever use it.
* The phone can become a mobile hot spot. Haven't had a chance to use it so I'll have to reserve judgment on that too.
* The keyboard works in portrait and landscape.
* Apps downloaded really quickly
* You can do other things while apps are downloading
* It says you can talk on the phone and do other things as well. I've not tried it yet...we'll see if I'm coordinated enough.
I'm reserving judgement on the battery. I charged it fully and it was dead in less than 3 hours. Granted, I was playing with it almost non-stop so that's probably to be expected...hence my reason for refraining from making a judgment call at this time. I plan to give it a couple weeks and if it's not any better I plan to buy an extended battery. That means I'll also have to give up the otter box and go without or buy a Seidio as that is the only case I've seen that will accommodate the extended battery.
That's all I've come up with in the last few hours. I know, you are thinking THAT'S ALL?!?!?! I'm sure there will be more. If you have this phone and/or know of any ways to resolve some of the items on my cons list, please let me know!
Thou shalt not covet...
This is such a hard one. Normally, I feel fortunate to have a roof over my head, a decent car, and a job to help pay for things. I try not to worry about what other people have because there are things that I will never be able to afford and it's not worth the time to wish for things that can never be. Lately, it's been a lot more difficult not to feel envious of others and what they have.
I often look at the happy pictures of friends online and wonder what they did so much better than me to enable them to have great jobs, extra money, vacations, well behaved children. :)
I don't want a huge house, I don't need a fancy sports car and I don't need to go on a European vacation several times a year. I just want to be able to afford to take Josh on a nice vacation once in a while. Something that doesn't require we drive and stay within a 4-6 hour radius of home. I'd love to have the peace of mind that comes from knowing you can afford to pay for repairs should something happen to your house, you get ill, etc.
It's those times when I see how happy and full the lives of others are when I wonder...what did I do so wrong to deserve to struggle like this? Was I such a horrible person over the last 35 years that I can't catch a break and have some security in my life?
I'm not a person prone to depressive thoughts but the last 7 months have been really hard and I'm ready for something good to happen. Even if it's just one thing right now...I'd settle for finding a decent job making enough money for us to live on. I just need someone to give me that chance.
I often look at the happy pictures of friends online and wonder what they did so much better than me to enable them to have great jobs, extra money, vacations, well behaved children. :)
I don't want a huge house, I don't need a fancy sports car and I don't need to go on a European vacation several times a year. I just want to be able to afford to take Josh on a nice vacation once in a while. Something that doesn't require we drive and stay within a 4-6 hour radius of home. I'd love to have the peace of mind that comes from knowing you can afford to pay for repairs should something happen to your house, you get ill, etc.
It's those times when I see how happy and full the lives of others are when I wonder...what did I do so wrong to deserve to struggle like this? Was I such a horrible person over the last 35 years that I can't catch a break and have some security in my life?
I'm not a person prone to depressive thoughts but the last 7 months have been really hard and I'm ready for something good to happen. Even if it's just one thing right now...I'd settle for finding a decent job making enough money for us to live on. I just need someone to give me that chance.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Weigh In 07/16/11
Finally got back on the wagon this week. Did lots of yard work and such to burn calories, tried to stay under my calorie goal (which was mostly successful) and walked around the neighborhood several times. Looks like it worked because this week I lost 4.4 lbs.
Now, I just have to keep up this momentum and don't stop tracking and working out as much as possible. I really want to get back to where I was in 2009, or lower. That would be awesome. Took me a year to do it last time. It's taking a lot longer this time because I can't seem to stay focused. Must get to it and stop being lazy about it.
Now, I just have to keep up this momentum and don't stop tracking and working out as much as possible. I really want to get back to where I was in 2009, or lower. That would be awesome. Took me a year to do it last time. It's taking a lot longer this time because I can't seem to stay focused. Must get to it and stop being lazy about it.
Airport Security vs The 4th Amendment
I get the fact that airport security has gotten a lot more drawn out and intrusive at times. What I don't understand is all the people that are freaking out about the new procedures. I admit that I have never had to go through this new process and do not fly very often. That being said, I prefer my safety over convenience and would suffer through the process to ensure I'm not flying with someone that is carrying any sort of weapon.
I've seen pictures of the scanned images and they are not always flattering; however, it's better to be safe than sorry. Would you rather they let a questionable person get on the plane and then die because you didn't want everyone to be inconvenienced?
I found this site via Twitter and find it to be a rather asinine idea. They even have items for kids that say "Read the 4th amendment, pervert". Really? Terrorists are always adapting to blend in...who is to say they won't use children or "normal" looking people to achieve their goals?
Folks that wear these articles of clothing are just asking for the additional steps to be taken. In my opinion, they are just looking for a way to cause delays and trouble and get attention for a procedure that is trying to keep us safe.
Do some agents go too far at times? Of course...there will always be people, in any line of work, that step over the line. Those people should be reported and dealt with. However; purposely causing trouble during a check point is a huge red flag. If I was a TSA agent and you did this on my shift, I'd make sure you didn't make that flight.
Don't mess with my safety. You and your agenda are not worth it!
I've seen pictures of the scanned images and they are not always flattering; however, it's better to be safe than sorry. Would you rather they let a questionable person get on the plane and then die because you didn't want everyone to be inconvenienced?
I found this site via Twitter and find it to be a rather asinine idea. They even have items for kids that say "Read the 4th amendment, pervert". Really? Terrorists are always adapting to blend in...who is to say they won't use children or "normal" looking people to achieve their goals?
Folks that wear these articles of clothing are just asking for the additional steps to be taken. In my opinion, they are just looking for a way to cause delays and trouble and get attention for a procedure that is trying to keep us safe.
Do some agents go too far at times? Of course...there will always be people, in any line of work, that step over the line. Those people should be reported and dealt with. However; purposely causing trouble during a check point is a huge red flag. If I was a TSA agent and you did this on my shift, I'd make sure you didn't make that flight.
Don't mess with my safety. You and your agenda are not worth it!
Friday, July 15, 2011
I hate children...
Seriously, there have been times in the last couple weeks that I have felt that way and had the intense urge to strangle some of them. I used to think that my son (13) was the most ill-mannered, rude child in the neighborhood. This past week, he has appeared (almost) saint-like compared to some of the hooligans that live here.
These kids have no respect for anyone else or their property and are allowed to roam the neighborhood until 1am or later. I can't count the number of red juice stains that I've found on my counters, carpets, etc. Josh's toys always seem to get broken when the other kids are here. They leave electronics and other breakable items laying all over the floor. And they leave the door standing open when the A/C is running. I even put a sign on the door and they still don't close it.
This morning, one of them egged my house because he was mad at Josh. This afternoon, they tried to convince me to take 7-8 people in the back of my car that only carries 5. They swore they would all hide in the back. We aren't going anywhere unless everyone is buckled. Tonight, a group of them came looking for Josh close to 10pm. They knocked once, twice, three times...then opened the screen door and started banging on the glass. If I'd been asleep I would have gone even more ballistic on them than I did.
Seriously, if you knock twice and the door isn't answered, GO AWAY! Especially when all the lights are off. You rude, inconsiderate piece of...sorry! I'm still extremely irritated at how they have behaved today and I'm about to ban them from the house entirely. I don't know how much more I can take.
These kids have no respect for anyone else or their property and are allowed to roam the neighborhood until 1am or later. I can't count the number of red juice stains that I've found on my counters, carpets, etc. Josh's toys always seem to get broken when the other kids are here. They leave electronics and other breakable items laying all over the floor. And they leave the door standing open when the A/C is running. I even put a sign on the door and they still don't close it.
This morning, one of them egged my house because he was mad at Josh. This afternoon, they tried to convince me to take 7-8 people in the back of my car that only carries 5. They swore they would all hide in the back. We aren't going anywhere unless everyone is buckled. Tonight, a group of them came looking for Josh close to 10pm. They knocked once, twice, three times...then opened the screen door and started banging on the glass. If I'd been asleep I would have gone even more ballistic on them than I did.
Seriously, if you knock twice and the door isn't answered, GO AWAY! Especially when all the lights are off. You rude, inconsiderate piece of...sorry! I'm still extremely irritated at how they have behaved today and I'm about to ban them from the house entirely. I don't know how much more I can take.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Dear Politicians....Dumb It Down!
I'm not a complete moron. I graduated from high school. But I don't understand a thing that the politicians are talking about these days. That's probably the way they want it. Keep the majority of the population confused enough to be herded into the voting booths like sheep so they can blindly vote for whoever "their party" has endorsed.
I'm not an eloquent speaker and I don't have mass quantities of knowledge about anything that I "learned" in high school, I didn't go to college because I knew I wasn't cut out to buckle down and pay attention. Instead, I continued to work & pay taxes, which I have done since I was old enough to legally do so. However, I've never been able to fully embrace the chaos that is politics.
I never even registered to vote until I was over 30 and still haven't voted to this day. Why? Because I don't feel like I know enough about any one that is running for any office to make an informed, educated decision. I want to weigh the facts and make that decision on my own. Unfortunately, I can't do that because I don't understand most of what the politicians are talking about. They waste so much time and effort trying to speak in big words to make themselves look smart that the average Joe can't keep up, not to mention those of us with attention span problems. I can't make it through any of their debates or speeches because it makes me want to slit my throat 2 minutes in.
If you want us to really understand what is going on and make informed decisions, sit down and speak to us like you would you kids or your friends. Don't try to impress me with your fancy speeches, that just makes you look like a pompous ass.
If your point is to keep us so confused that we don't know who to believe and vote for, you are doing a fantastic job. People complain about the government because they don't understand what or who they voted for. Why does the president need a speech writer? Can he not think and speak for himself? If not, I don't want him running the country.
All I'm asking for is that they behave more like human beings and talk to us like the average American. Not some CEO with 3 Masters degrees that's running some big company and knows all the fancy butt kissing terms. You want my vote, be "normal". I'm sick of feeling like an idiot after hearing you speak!
I'm not an eloquent speaker and I don't have mass quantities of knowledge about anything that I "learned" in high school, I didn't go to college because I knew I wasn't cut out to buckle down and pay attention. Instead, I continued to work & pay taxes, which I have done since I was old enough to legally do so. However, I've never been able to fully embrace the chaos that is politics.
I never even registered to vote until I was over 30 and still haven't voted to this day. Why? Because I don't feel like I know enough about any one that is running for any office to make an informed, educated decision. I want to weigh the facts and make that decision on my own. Unfortunately, I can't do that because I don't understand most of what the politicians are talking about. They waste so much time and effort trying to speak in big words to make themselves look smart that the average Joe can't keep up, not to mention those of us with attention span problems. I can't make it through any of their debates or speeches because it makes me want to slit my throat 2 minutes in.
If you want us to really understand what is going on and make informed decisions, sit down and speak to us like you would you kids or your friends. Don't try to impress me with your fancy speeches, that just makes you look like a pompous ass.
If your point is to keep us so confused that we don't know who to believe and vote for, you are doing a fantastic job. People complain about the government because they don't understand what or who they voted for. Why does the president need a speech writer? Can he not think and speak for himself? If not, I don't want him running the country.
All I'm asking for is that they behave more like human beings and talk to us like the average American. Not some CEO with 3 Masters degrees that's running some big company and knows all the fancy butt kissing terms. You want my vote, be "normal". I'm sick of feeling like an idiot after hearing you speak!
The Netflix Rate Hike
I have Netflix, we watch it a few times a week. Seems like a waste of $10.69 when you aren't using it daily, right? Well, I think it's worth the cost because I don't have a video club membership elsewhere and I don't want to drive to the store every time I want to rent a movie. I have to remember to return it and burn gas driving there and back...twice. We currently have unlimited streaming and 1 DVD at a time per month. This rate was actually increased within the last 12 months but only by about a $1 or so and I didn't really mind too much.
Now, Netflix has announced a new price hike that is around 60% more if you want to keep the same type of plan. Frankly, my last physical DVD sat on the console for over a month and we never did watch it. I returned that yesterday and went online to change my plan to streaming only. At $7.99 a month, I'm actually going to be saving money thanks to their pricing plan change. :)
Even if I left my plan as is and paid the $16 a month it would still be more convenient than renting from a video store in town. The price of gas & potential late fees, as well as the inconvenience of driving there and back twice per rental is enough to keep me with Netflix.
Yes, their selection is not the best and it can take forever for new releases to actually be available on DVD; however, this never really bothered me. If I liked a movie well enough at the theater, I'll just buy it when it's released on DVD for $15 and then I have it. I usually only watch older movies on Netflix anyway. Things I haven't seen in a while but don't like well enough to buy.
At any rate, I will stick with Netflix and downgrade my account. I didn't expect their plans to remain the same forever. It's no different than cable and internet companies. They are in it to make money, if they stop making money, they have to increase the prices. Unfortunately, that is the way of the world...get used to it!
*Might give Redbox a try one of these days. There is one less than a mile from my house so that might be a good option too!
Now, Netflix has announced a new price hike that is around 60% more if you want to keep the same type of plan. Frankly, my last physical DVD sat on the console for over a month and we never did watch it. I returned that yesterday and went online to change my plan to streaming only. At $7.99 a month, I'm actually going to be saving money thanks to their pricing plan change. :)
Even if I left my plan as is and paid the $16 a month it would still be more convenient than renting from a video store in town. The price of gas & potential late fees, as well as the inconvenience of driving there and back twice per rental is enough to keep me with Netflix.
Yes, their selection is not the best and it can take forever for new releases to actually be available on DVD; however, this never really bothered me. If I liked a movie well enough at the theater, I'll just buy it when it's released on DVD for $15 and then I have it. I usually only watch older movies on Netflix anyway. Things I haven't seen in a while but don't like well enough to buy.
At any rate, I will stick with Netflix and downgrade my account. I didn't expect their plans to remain the same forever. It's no different than cable and internet companies. They are in it to make money, if they stop making money, they have to increase the prices. Unfortunately, that is the way of the world...get used to it!
*Might give Redbox a try one of these days. There is one less than a mile from my house so that might be a good option too!
My Twitter Rules
I'm sure there are "official" rules about how to follow people and get followers on twitter but I haven't read those and don't intend to. I have my own simple set of rules for operating on Twitter and I'll share them below. If you are interested, keep reading. If not, farewell! :)
1. I do NOT auto follow...I check previous tweets and if you aren't interesting or informative you won't make the cut.
2. If I don't know you, don't bother sending me a link. I won't open it...and that will not make me want to follow you. Report Spam & Block!
3. If I follow you and you turn out to be uninteresting, vile or morally reprehensible...you will be gone.
4. I don't follow people that have over 20K tweets in less than a year because they reply to every tweet that shows up in their timeline. If you want to have a conversation, go do so on Facebook or in a chat room. That's not really what Twitter was intended for.
5. I usually block RT's from personal users in my timeline. If I wanted to see what Joe Schmoe tweeted I'd be following him myself. Thanks for not sharing. :)
6. People that tweet every 30 seconds while watching TV or sports drive me crazy and may be un-followed. It clogs up the timeline and I don't like it.
7. I don't follow celebrities just because they are celebrities. I've followed many because I thought they would be interesting only to un-follow them after a week due to one of the other rules above.
You can probably see a theme in these "rules". I like to keep my timeline as clean as possible so I can catch as many tweets as possible. Too much going on and I might miss something important.
People that follow thousands of accounts amaze me. I don't know how you ever get to see half the tweets that they post because they'd be constantly refreshing. If you are working a business account, that's fine. But on a personal level, I want to actually read what people are posting...all of it!
1. I do NOT auto follow...I check previous tweets and if you aren't interesting or informative you won't make the cut.
2. If I don't know you, don't bother sending me a link. I won't open it...and that will not make me want to follow you. Report Spam & Block!
3. If I follow you and you turn out to be uninteresting, vile or morally reprehensible...you will be gone.
4. I don't follow people that have over 20K tweets in less than a year because they reply to every tweet that shows up in their timeline. If you want to have a conversation, go do so on Facebook or in a chat room. That's not really what Twitter was intended for.
5. I usually block RT's from personal users in my timeline. If I wanted to see what Joe Schmoe tweeted I'd be following him myself. Thanks for not sharing. :)
6. People that tweet every 30 seconds while watching TV or sports drive me crazy and may be un-followed. It clogs up the timeline and I don't like it.
7. I don't follow celebrities just because they are celebrities. I've followed many because I thought they would be interesting only to un-follow them after a week due to one of the other rules above.
You can probably see a theme in these "rules". I like to keep my timeline as clean as possible so I can catch as many tweets as possible. Too much going on and I might miss something important.
People that follow thousands of accounts amaze me. I don't know how you ever get to see half the tweets that they post because they'd be constantly refreshing. If you are working a business account, that's fine. But on a personal level, I want to actually read what people are posting...all of it!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Squeezing through 'Da Skinny Gate'
A while back I was singing at a women's conference and the speaker had a bible called Da Jesus Book. It includes several books of the New Testament, all written in Hawaii Pidgin dialect. I immediately went online to find myself a copy because it can be fun to read if you can get the right accent.
By far, the best thing we have found so far is 'Da Skinny Gate' from Matthew 7:13-14. Get your bible and look up the "regular" verbiage if you don't quite get the idea.
Fo go inside God's place, go inside thru da skinny gate. Get one nodda gate dat stay wide an get plenny room. Dass da gate fo da road fo take you to Hell, an get plenny guys going dat way. But da real gate stay skinny and da real road mo smalla. Dass da one fo bring you to God who goin make you live fo real kine, an ony litto bit guys goin pick dat road.
*You know my spell check just blew up on this passage! :)
My first thought was, how in the world am I going to fit my big old butt through 'da skinny gate'? Are they saying all fat people are going to hell? It kinda sounds that way, doesn't it? Guess this could be good motivation for some folks to stick to their diet and lose weight!
At any rate, it's fun to read if you can stumble through the spelling and dialect and add a little accent to it.
By far, the best thing we have found so far is 'Da Skinny Gate' from Matthew 7:13-14. Get your bible and look up the "regular" verbiage if you don't quite get the idea.
Fo go inside God's place, go inside thru da skinny gate. Get one nodda gate dat stay wide an get plenny room. Dass da gate fo da road fo take you to Hell, an get plenny guys going dat way. But da real gate stay skinny and da real road mo smalla. Dass da one fo bring you to God who goin make you live fo real kine, an ony litto bit guys goin pick dat road.
*You know my spell check just blew up on this passage! :)
My first thought was, how in the world am I going to fit my big old butt through 'da skinny gate'? Are they saying all fat people are going to hell? It kinda sounds that way, doesn't it? Guess this could be good motivation for some folks to stick to their diet and lose weight!
At any rate, it's fun to read if you can stumble through the spelling and dialect and add a little accent to it.
The apple doesn't fall...Lord Help Me!
My child has been doomed from the start. With only me as a parental influence, he has picked up all of my crazy habits and more. Anyone that has known me for any length of time knows that I have a strange sense of humor and I often say things without truly thinking.
Josh shares my love of laughter and is working on improving his comedic timing. He never fails to make me laugh but some times he fails to ensure the surroundings and audience are appropriate. He can recite just about every line from any Jim Carey movie and knows the comedy routines of Tim Hawkins and Jeff Dunham verbatim. He's even mastered the voices and facial expressions in many scenarios. It's a bit scary at times. He does this one (Subway), including the moves, perfectly!
Instead, I'm already having talks about sex, girls and body hair. Heck, we were talking about body hair when he was 10.
<----- Thank goodness he hasn't progressed to this point yet. I pray he never does or we will be having the "waxing" conversation as well.
Yesterday, he decided to shave (apparently to impress a girl) and I got the pleasure of watching his reaction the first time he applied aftershave. It.was.hilarious!
There are many times that make me question my sanity and my abilities as a parent but then he throws out a "skit" or impression that makes me laugh so hard I could cry. Although crying is a normal emotion when you are raising teenagers, is it not?
Guess I'll keep plugging along and hope for more of these moments of hilarity! They are much more fun than some of the "other" stuff!
Josh shares my love of laughter and is working on improving his comedic timing. He never fails to make me laugh but some times he fails to ensure the surroundings and audience are appropriate. He can recite just about every line from any Jim Carey movie and knows the comedy routines of Tim Hawkins and Jeff Dunham verbatim. He's even mastered the voices and facial expressions in many scenarios. It's a bit scary at times. He does this one (Subway), including the moves, perfectly!
Of late, he has been more "body concious" and today he asked me if a mani-pedi was something that had to do with a mans private parts. He didn't word it quite that delicately but, you get the point. I'm thankful he feels able to speak freely to me but somethings...I just don't want to know. Frankly, I could have gone my whole life without him ever knowing what other purposes his penis was created for. :)
<----- Thank goodness he hasn't progressed to this point yet. I pray he never does or we will be having the "waxing" conversation as well.
There are many times that make me question my sanity and my abilities as a parent but then he throws out a "skit" or impression that makes me laugh so hard I could cry. Although crying is a normal emotion when you are raising teenagers, is it not?
Guess I'll keep plugging along and hope for more of these moments of hilarity! They are much more fun than some of the "other" stuff!
Could your network be hacked?
Wi-Fi Hacking Neighbor from Hell Sentenced to 18 years
Read this article on Wired today and found it extremely concerning. I believe that I will no longer be storing any passwords on my home PC, just in case I have some disgruntled neighbors that are actually technically inclined.
Wonder what else we should be doing at home to ensure this doesn't happen. It did take some time for him to get into their system but it's scary that things like this can actually happen.
Any tech savvy folks have suggestions for ways to counteract or detect this kind of intrusion?
Read this article on Wired today and found it extremely concerning. I believe that I will no longer be storing any passwords on my home PC, just in case I have some disgruntled neighbors that are actually technically inclined.
Wonder what else we should be doing at home to ensure this doesn't happen. It did take some time for him to get into their system but it's scary that things like this can actually happen.
Any tech savvy folks have suggestions for ways to counteract or detect this kind of intrusion?
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Business Consultants-Helpful or Harmful?
Overall, I'd say consultants are a good thing to have because they can offer an unbiased view of your company and help you think of ways to improve that you may never have thought about. They may also suggest changes that will not work as they envision and could cause more damage than good. Just because they make a suggestion doesn't mean it's the best idea for your company.
That being said, I wish consulting firms weren't so driven to provide some sort of suggested improvements. It's very possible that the current procedures are working the best for all involved and there is nothing wrong with saying that you have no suggestions. Consultants don't always know what's best for each company.
Case in point, the purchase of CMC by 5th 3rd Bank.
BACKGROUND: 5th 3rd purchased CMC in January 2006. In July 2009, Fifth Third sold 51% of the CMC/Fifth Third Processing Solutions brand to Advent International. In 2011, the new company became known as Vantiv.
We were assured at the beginning that nothing would change and this was being done to provide CMC with more capital so it could continue to function effectively, as is. Boy, did that change fast.
5th 3rd decided to bring in an outside consulting firm, The LoBue Group, to review the processes in the CMC office and the OH office where similar jobs were being performed. The goal was to see how we could mesh our servicing so we could help each other leverage call center coverage, skills, etc. At least, that's what we thought the goal was.
During every visit from a LoBue consultant we were told how impressed they were with our people, our processes and our technology. Even saying that ours was better than the OH office on several occasions. We expected that our servers would merge and both sites would begin to handle the activities of the other to provide the needed back up in the event of disasters, vacations, etc. We were in for a rude awakening.
Instead of being told we were going to start learning new systems to prepare for the merge, we were told that our jobs were being sent to OH and we would have to go there to train our replacements. Imagine our surprise as many of us had been with the company for 10+ years and loved our jobs. Most of us were in no position to relocate our families so the majority of us are now unemployed. Some for over a year and some since the end of 2010.
As far as I know, none of us have been able to find a replacement job. We've been blackballed, it seems, because of our affiliation with Fifth Third Processing Solutions and the amount of time we stayed with the same company. Seems odd that tenure would be considered a bad thing but there is no reason why any of us should have been rejected for call center positions unless some black cloud was hanging over our heads. Several of us have been flat our rejected for bank teller jobs, which would be a piece of cake with our experience, without even getting a call.
The blame for this cannot be placed entirely on the consulting firm; however, their suggestions led us down this path and I can't help but be a little jaded against them.
That being said, I wish consulting firms weren't so driven to provide some sort of suggested improvements. It's very possible that the current procedures are working the best for all involved and there is nothing wrong with saying that you have no suggestions. Consultants don't always know what's best for each company.
Case in point, the purchase of CMC by 5th 3rd Bank.
BACKGROUND: 5th 3rd purchased CMC in January 2006. In July 2009, Fifth Third sold 51% of the CMC/Fifth Third Processing Solutions brand to Advent International. In 2011, the new company became known as Vantiv.
We were assured at the beginning that nothing would change and this was being done to provide CMC with more capital so it could continue to function effectively, as is. Boy, did that change fast.
5th 3rd decided to bring in an outside consulting firm, The LoBue Group, to review the processes in the CMC office and the OH office where similar jobs were being performed. The goal was to see how we could mesh our servicing so we could help each other leverage call center coverage, skills, etc. At least, that's what we thought the goal was.
During every visit from a LoBue consultant we were told how impressed they were with our people, our processes and our technology. Even saying that ours was better than the OH office on several occasions. We expected that our servers would merge and both sites would begin to handle the activities of the other to provide the needed back up in the event of disasters, vacations, etc. We were in for a rude awakening.
Instead of being told we were going to start learning new systems to prepare for the merge, we were told that our jobs were being sent to OH and we would have to go there to train our replacements. Imagine our surprise as many of us had been with the company for 10+ years and loved our jobs. Most of us were in no position to relocate our families so the majority of us are now unemployed. Some for over a year and some since the end of 2010.
As far as I know, none of us have been able to find a replacement job. We've been blackballed, it seems, because of our affiliation with Fifth Third Processing Solutions and the amount of time we stayed with the same company. Seems odd that tenure would be considered a bad thing but there is no reason why any of us should have been rejected for call center positions unless some black cloud was hanging over our heads. Several of us have been flat our rejected for bank teller jobs, which would be a piece of cake with our experience, without even getting a call.
The blame for this cannot be placed entirely on the consulting firm; however, their suggestions led us down this path and I can't help but be a little jaded against them.
Bringing Up B_______
I've been trying to get a clear idea of what he wants to do because I want him to be involved and I think sports would be a good place for him to learn teamwork and discipline but I don't want to force him to do something that he isn't going to enjoy. There is no sense in forcing him to do something that will make us both miserable in the long run.
He said maybe he would play basketball instead but I think that's a stalling tactic because it won't start til later in the school year and he won't have to deal with the commitment right now. I think he's also worried about getting good enough grades to play sports. He's always had a really rough time in school and struggles greatly with his ADD (even on meds) so his grades are always poor. He also said he doesn't want to play with the 7th graders because they are so little...which is true. He's actually bigger than most of the high school players we saw...and some of the coaches! LOL
He has asked me on several occasions which sport I would like for him to play and I'm not sure I answered correctly. I told him that he had to make that decision because he had to do what he liked the best. Maybe I should have told him that he needs to play football and that he was going whether he liked it or not.
What is the best approach? I don't want to force him to do something but I don't want him to not play because he's scared and then regret it later. He's only in the 7th grade so he still has time to play later but I just worry about making the right decision.
I have mixed emotions. He's big for his age and football is probably the sport his build is most suited for. I'd love to see him excel & have something to be proud of. However, I'm also very concerned about the physical aspect of the sport and would constantly be paranoid that he would hurt himself, get overheated, etc. I went to school with a boy that had a serious injury after playing football and has been partially paralyzed and brain damaged since high school. I'm not gonna lie, that scares me to death. It's also a bonus that I won't have to worry about how to get him to practices and games during football season. Nor will I have to sit outside in bad weather to watch him play.
I just hope I'm doing this right and that he doesn't turn out to be a felon.
Prayers Needed
If you are the praying sort, please add these folks to your prayer list and spread the word to others. If you don't believe in that sort of thing, please just keep these folks in your thoughts.
- My uncle Ken is diabetic, on dialysis while waiting for a kidney transplant & had a 3rd heart attack yesterday. He now has at least 2 stints in his heart. He is the father of 2 pre-teens and husband to my aunt. They live in Tennessee and don't have any family closer than 3-4 hours away.
- My aunt Leah is in the midst of stage 4 cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis C and is waiting for a liver transplant. She is in and out of the hospital every month because her ammonia levels get elevated and she becomes delirious. She was erroneously taken off the transplant list several months ago and the doctors have pretty much written her off. They admit her til her levels are closer to normal and then send her home to wait. She retains lbs of fluid that must be drained monthly and is in constant discomfort. This weekend, she also broke her foot in 2 places.
- My cousin's 18 month old baby girl is battling cancer and is on her 2nd round of intense chemotherapy. She is too young to have to go through all this.
- My uncle Earl was in the ICU last week due to an unknown illness. They still aren't sure what caused him to be so sick but the doctor said "If I didn't know any better, I'd think he had cholera".
- My cousins grandmother is in the hospital with cardiac issues as well.
- My uncle Ken is diabetic, on dialysis while waiting for a kidney transplant & had a 3rd heart attack yesterday. He now has at least 2 stints in his heart. He is the father of 2 pre-teens and husband to my aunt. They live in Tennessee and don't have any family closer than 3-4 hours away.
- My aunt Leah is in the midst of stage 4 cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis C and is waiting for a liver transplant. She is in and out of the hospital every month because her ammonia levels get elevated and she becomes delirious. She was erroneously taken off the transplant list several months ago and the doctors have pretty much written her off. They admit her til her levels are closer to normal and then send her home to wait. She retains lbs of fluid that must be drained monthly and is in constant discomfort. This weekend, she also broke her foot in 2 places.
- My cousin's 18 month old baby girl is battling cancer and is on her 2nd round of intense chemotherapy. She is too young to have to go through all this.
- My uncle Earl was in the ICU last week due to an unknown illness. They still aren't sure what caused him to be so sick but the doctor said "If I didn't know any better, I'd think he had cholera".
- My cousins grandmother is in the hospital with cardiac issues as well.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Electronic Meth Tracking
The meth problem in Indiana has gotten really bad. There has to be a way to stop it. What can be done? 1 step in the right direction is a new law that will track ephedrine & pseudoephedrine purchases electronically. This article talks about the changes taking place effective January 1st, 2012.
This is a big improvement over the manual, paper records that were only compiled at the pharmacy level. It should make it easier for pharmacies and law enforcement to track and harder for meth makers to purchase large quantities of this drug within the state of Indiana.
What about those that cross the state line to Illinois or Kentucky which is a short drive away? Is the electronic system only being used at stores within the Indiana state line? This will help alot for those meth users that are too lazy to cross the border but most of them will eventually "get smart" and go elsewhere.
Also, the max limit per 30 day period is 240 pills. I can't think of any legitimate need for that many pills per month. Shouldn't this limit be much lower? I know this is lower than the previous limit but it's still too much for me. I'm not sure how many pills it takes to make meth but we need to lower this limit.
What else could be done to prevent the meth making problem?
- Lower the number of pills allowed per month
- Require a prescription for products containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine
- If a purchase is attempted that is over the monthly limit, contact police immediately
I'm not sure how they plan to log these folks into the system but I sincerely hope they require a valid state issued ID and are logging them based on several factors that can be cross-referenced in the event someone has multiple ID's with different information.
There have been way too many labs and explosions in the state over the last year and something needs to be done. Police officers should not have to risk their lives for this sort of foolishness.
On a lighter note, check out the Faces Of Meth - Before & After pics. Here is one of my favorites.
This is a big improvement over the manual, paper records that were only compiled at the pharmacy level. It should make it easier for pharmacies and law enforcement to track and harder for meth makers to purchase large quantities of this drug within the state of Indiana.
What about those that cross the state line to Illinois or Kentucky which is a short drive away? Is the electronic system only being used at stores within the Indiana state line? This will help alot for those meth users that are too lazy to cross the border but most of them will eventually "get smart" and go elsewhere.
Also, the max limit per 30 day period is 240 pills. I can't think of any legitimate need for that many pills per month. Shouldn't this limit be much lower? I know this is lower than the previous limit but it's still too much for me. I'm not sure how many pills it takes to make meth but we need to lower this limit.
What else could be done to prevent the meth making problem?
- Lower the number of pills allowed per month
- Require a prescription for products containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine
- If a purchase is attempted that is over the monthly limit, contact police immediately
I'm not sure how they plan to log these folks into the system but I sincerely hope they require a valid state issued ID and are logging them based on several factors that can be cross-referenced in the event someone has multiple ID's with different information.
There have been way too many labs and explosions in the state over the last year and something needs to be done. Police officers should not have to risk their lives for this sort of foolishness.
On a lighter note, check out the Faces Of Meth - Before & After pics. Here is one of my favorites.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Best Flash Mobs
I still think this is one of the best flash mobs I have ever seen! Not only was it nicely executed but they sound fantastic!
Love this one from the Oprah show too!
I love watching the faces of the spectators! You can see that some of them are so genuinely happy! AWESOME!
Subliminally...I hate AT&T!?
I like commercials. They don't usually sway my decisions but I do find them entertaining and amusing. I'm sure that isn't exactly what the marketing departments hope to achieve but, that's life. Here is one that I like and chuckle every time I see it.
Unfortunately, there are many more that are memorable for the wrong reasons. These make me want to throw a 10 lb weight through my television screen. It seems these are all AT&T related. Wonder if I just really hate AT&T or if their marketing team really just sucks that badly?!?!?!
Unfortunately, there are many more that are memorable for the wrong reasons. These make me want to throw a 10 lb weight through my television screen. It seems these are all AT&T related. Wonder if I just really hate AT&T or if their marketing team really just sucks that badly?!?!?!
Diet Food Review - Lean Cuisine Asian Style Pot Stickers
This is another one that I will keep on my list of staples. I was very excited when they changed the recipe and included peas instead of green onions. There were so many green onion pieces in the previous recipe that I spent 10+ minutes picking them all out. They added no flavor to the dish and ended up leaving a weird texture in my mouth...like eating tissue paper.
Could use a little more sauce to mix with the rice because the rice has no flavor on its' own but overall, this is a good choice when you are looking for a lunch that is quick, easy and under 300 calories!
Could use a little more sauce to mix with the rice because the rice has no flavor on its' own but overall, this is a good choice when you are looking for a lunch that is quick, easy and under 300 calories!
10 Random Pet Peeves
I've had more time to analyze the things around me during my 6 months of unemployment and I've decided to compile a list of 10 random pet peeves. Once I started thinking about them, I actually had a bit of a struggle to come up with 10. The first 5 were easy.
1. People that use poor spelling and grammar. Unless you are texting, please spell the words completely so I can understand what you are saying.
2. Driver's that don't pay attention to the road. Stop texting, get off your phone, use your signal and pay attention. I don't want to die because you had to check your facebook account.
3. People that are late to everything. It's very rude and unprofessional to be late for a schedule appointment or meeting. Even if it's family or a personal meeting, be on time!
4. People that feel the need to best everyone around them. Can't you just be happy for someone when they get something new? Why do you have to try to prove that what you have is better? It's not all about you!
5. People that litter. I cannot stand seeing people throw trash out their car windows. Especially cigarette butts...that is a fire hazard. I used to do this when I smoked and I can't believe I was ever that inconsiderate. I wish someone had said something to me at the time.
6. People that do not try their best at work. If you don't like your job and don't want to be there...quit. There are several other people that would be happy to take your place.
7. People that are blatantly rude to other people...even if it's behind their back.
8. People that "live" on welfare and assistance, do drugs, drink and can't take care of the multiple children they just keep having.
9. Parents that drop their small children off at the playground, park or pool and leave them unattended. That is grounds for neglect charges. Lifeguards are NOT babysitters.
10. Putting on warm pants from the dryer only to find that as they cool down, the band is still wet! :)
Now that I thought of #10 I bet I could think of a lot of little things that drive me crazy! Boy, that might be a long list! :)
What are some of your pet peeves? Other than people who blog about their pet peeves?? LOL
1. People that use poor spelling and grammar. Unless you are texting, please spell the words completely so I can understand what you are saying.
2. Driver's that don't pay attention to the road. Stop texting, get off your phone, use your signal and pay attention. I don't want to die because you had to check your facebook account.
3. People that are late to everything. It's very rude and unprofessional to be late for a schedule appointment or meeting. Even if it's family or a personal meeting, be on time!
4. People that feel the need to best everyone around them. Can't you just be happy for someone when they get something new? Why do you have to try to prove that what you have is better? It's not all about you!
5. People that litter. I cannot stand seeing people throw trash out their car windows. Especially cigarette butts...that is a fire hazard. I used to do this when I smoked and I can't believe I was ever that inconsiderate. I wish someone had said something to me at the time.
6. People that do not try their best at work. If you don't like your job and don't want to be there...quit. There are several other people that would be happy to take your place.
7. People that are blatantly rude to other people...even if it's behind their back.
8. People that "live" on welfare and assistance, do drugs, drink and can't take care of the multiple children they just keep having.
9. Parents that drop their small children off at the playground, park or pool and leave them unattended. That is grounds for neglect charges. Lifeguards are NOT babysitters.
10. Putting on warm pants from the dryer only to find that as they cool down, the band is still wet! :)
Now that I thought of #10 I bet I could think of a lot of little things that drive me crazy! Boy, that might be a long list! :)
What are some of your pet peeves? Other than people who blog about their pet peeves?? LOL
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Get off your lazy arse!
Daily, I am amazed at some of the suggestions I see for My Fitness Pal. It's a free, online calorie tracking tool and I highly recomend it for anyone trying to lose or maintain their weight. Anyway...back to the story.
I'm all for automating things if you can so life can be easier, faster, etc; however, I have to laugh at some of the ideas that people come up with. Yes, it would be great if the system did everything for you but how do you expect to function as a normal human being if you can't make any decisions on your own? That's the point of the site, to give you the tools to learn how to eat better and make better choices. Not for the system to tell you what to eat and when.
Here are a couple suggestions I saw on their site today.
1. I think it would be awesome if you could convince places like restaurants, sub shops, pizza joints, and anyplace that people go to get food to incorporate a bar code on their receipts so we can scan the receipt and get all of our calorie info inputted. If that's to hard, maybe allow us to take a picture of a receipt, and use Optical Character Recognition to detect the Restaurant Name, and the items we bought.
A. Based on the feedback I've seen from folks using the scanner portion of the app, it takes twice as long to scan a bar code and have it added to your food log than to just search the database manually. Seems like this is a good idea but getting close to the edge of complete laziness. Not to mention that there isn't a chance most restaurants are going to want to mess with that type of technology.
2. I would like an option that will suggest healthier food options if I log something that is bad for me.
A. Seriously? I get the concept but the point of this program is to track calories...not to do all the work for you. As adults it is our responsibility to make choices for ourselves and suffer the consequences, if you will. Not to mention that I don't eat 100% healthy, can you imagine if the system prompted you to "eat something better" every time you logged a splurge (or normal) food? How would they decide what foods were considered "bad" for you? Not an idea I can support!
3. I want the system to suggest a meal to me based on the number of calories I have left for that day so I don't eat too much.
A. This falls in the same category as #2. Maybe it's just because I don't like people (or computers) telling me what to do. I want to be free to eat whatever I want...that's how real life is going to be. You can't expect to eat nothing but grilled chicken and veggies to lose weight and then go back to eating normal food and be able to maintain. You can lose weight eating anything you want, it just has to be in moderation.
I'm all for automating things if you can so life can be easier, faster, etc; however, I have to laugh at some of the ideas that people come up with. Yes, it would be great if the system did everything for you but how do you expect to function as a normal human being if you can't make any decisions on your own? That's the point of the site, to give you the tools to learn how to eat better and make better choices. Not for the system to tell you what to eat and when.
Here are a couple suggestions I saw on their site today.
1. I think it would be awesome if you could convince places like restaurants, sub shops, pizza joints, and anyplace that people go to get food to incorporate a bar code on their receipts so we can scan the receipt and get all of our calorie info inputted. If that's to hard, maybe allow us to take a picture of a receipt, and use Optical Character Recognition to detect the Restaurant Name, and the items we bought.
A. Based on the feedback I've seen from folks using the scanner portion of the app, it takes twice as long to scan a bar code and have it added to your food log than to just search the database manually. Seems like this is a good idea but getting close to the edge of complete laziness. Not to mention that there isn't a chance most restaurants are going to want to mess with that type of technology.
2. I would like an option that will suggest healthier food options if I log something that is bad for me.
A. Seriously? I get the concept but the point of this program is to track calories...not to do all the work for you. As adults it is our responsibility to make choices for ourselves and suffer the consequences, if you will. Not to mention that I don't eat 100% healthy, can you imagine if the system prompted you to "eat something better" every time you logged a splurge (or normal) food? How would they decide what foods were considered "bad" for you? Not an idea I can support!
3. I want the system to suggest a meal to me based on the number of calories I have left for that day so I don't eat too much.
A. This falls in the same category as #2. Maybe it's just because I don't like people (or computers) telling me what to do. I want to be free to eat whatever I want...that's how real life is going to be. You can't expect to eat nothing but grilled chicken and veggies to lose weight and then go back to eating normal food and be able to maintain. You can lose weight eating anything you want, it just has to be in moderation.
Diet Food Review - Lean Cuisine - Chicken Enchilada Suiza
I know these are high in sodium and really not all that great for you but they are cheap and easy and that is what I'm looking for right now. Moving on...
I really like the flavor of the sauce that comes with this variety, although the rice is really bland. If you mix the sauce into the rice, it helps tremendously. The enchilada is decent and the entire meal can be eaten with a plastic fork, meaning it's not too hard and chewy to cut through.
At only 290 calories, it's a great quick lunch and I will most likely keep this one on the list of keepers. I also added a side of dole tropical fruit in juice for a total of 360 calories for lunch. Not too bad and I'm not hungry.
Note: This item is cooked at 50% power, unlike most of the Lean Cuisines which are cooked on high power.
I really like the flavor of the sauce that comes with this variety, although the rice is really bland. If you mix the sauce into the rice, it helps tremendously. The enchilada is decent and the entire meal can be eaten with a plastic fork, meaning it's not too hard and chewy to cut through.
At only 290 calories, it's a great quick lunch and I will most likely keep this one on the list of keepers. I also added a side of dole tropical fruit in juice for a total of 360 calories for lunch. Not too bad and I'm not hungry.
Note: This item is cooked at 50% power, unlike most of the Lean Cuisines which are cooked on high power.
The wagon ran over me
Read an article that says losing weight and maintaining weight loss are 2 different things. NO KIDDING?!?!?!
It said that variety is needed for losing weight but a diet of low fat foods and consistent exercise is needed to maintain weight. Guess that makes sense because my consistency of late has not equated to weight loss.
I've got to get out from other this wagon I fell off of over a year ago and stop letting it drag me around. Today is a new day and I really need to get back to working out. Even if it's just walking around the neighborhood...something has to be done. I've even got a treadmill but I can't tell you the last time I used it. The time to start (for the 10th time) is NOW!
I want to lose at least 100 pounds. I lost 88 lbs the last time I really buckled down and focused.
If anyone wants to look at my online food diary go here and enter 2031 as the code.
I CAN DO THIS!
It said that variety is needed for losing weight but a diet of low fat foods and consistent exercise is needed to maintain weight. Guess that makes sense because my consistency of late has not equated to weight loss.
I've got to get out from other this wagon I fell off of over a year ago and stop letting it drag me around. Today is a new day and I really need to get back to working out. Even if it's just walking around the neighborhood...something has to be done. I've even got a treadmill but I can't tell you the last time I used it. The time to start (for the 10th time) is NOW!
I want to lose at least 100 pounds. I lost 88 lbs the last time I really buckled down and focused.
If anyone wants to look at my online food diary go here and enter 2031 as the code.
I CAN DO THIS!
 |
To lose weight...keep your ass out of the fridge! |
Friday, July 8, 2011
You don't blame anyone???
Maybe I'm reading too much into this but it sure seems like this person is disgruntled against someone for allowing Casey Anthony to go free.
Original Post:
Original Post:
Job interview, speed dating style
Today, I had the strangest experience ever during an interview. Yes, they even had a bell after each round.
When we arrived, we were asked to complete a short form that requested the last 3 positions we held, basic responsibilities and what we liked best about each. The form had very limited space and didn't even have a place to put your name. I wondered if that was a test to see who was paying close attention.
For each session the company invited 10 applicants at a time to show up for, what they called, a mass interview. On the stage were 5 tables with 2 interviewers each. Each applicant was allowed 3 minutes per table to "interview" for the various open positions this company has to offer. At the end of the 3 minutes they rang the bell, just like in a speed dating session, and we got up and moved to the next table.
The first 2 ladies were supervisors in their respective areas and the discussion revolved around what hours I was looking for and what types of jobs they had open. Still very little detail about the actual jobs and they forgot to give me the packet of job descriptions that they had until 3 rounds in. Precious time was taken from each session when the interviewers had to complete their comments for the previous applicant. 3 minutes dwindled to 2 1/2 until the last interview seemed to end before I was even fully seated.
We also lost precious time because none of the interviewers had been given a chance to review my resume or questionnaire before we met. 4 of the 5 groups used generic interview questions that didn't give them a chance to really get to know me at all. Here are some examples:
- Name a time when a coworker did something unethical and how did you handle it?
- Tell me a creative solution you came up with to solve a problem at your previous job.
- Name a time when you had to handle a customer with unreasonable expectations.
I honestly can't even remember the others because it all happened so fast...it was a blur! And then, we were done and told we could go. No details about how many people they were hiring, when they thought they would be making additional calls, etc.
I understand they are a huge company and probably have no choice but to do things differently but I don't understand how they can get a good feel about someone in less than 3 minutes. I thought perhaps they were trying to find out who stood out in the crowd of applicants. Perhaps if I had spilled something or tripped on my way up the stairs they would remember?!?!
At any rate, I'm back to the waiting game. Waiting on 2 post-interview responses from 2 very different companies. Let's hope the perfect job comes along soon...and that I don't miss it!
When we arrived, we were asked to complete a short form that requested the last 3 positions we held, basic responsibilities and what we liked best about each. The form had very limited space and didn't even have a place to put your name. I wondered if that was a test to see who was paying close attention.
For each session the company invited 10 applicants at a time to show up for, what they called, a mass interview. On the stage were 5 tables with 2 interviewers each. Each applicant was allowed 3 minutes per table to "interview" for the various open positions this company has to offer. At the end of the 3 minutes they rang the bell, just like in a speed dating session, and we got up and moved to the next table.
The first 2 ladies were supervisors in their respective areas and the discussion revolved around what hours I was looking for and what types of jobs they had open. Still very little detail about the actual jobs and they forgot to give me the packet of job descriptions that they had until 3 rounds in. Precious time was taken from each session when the interviewers had to complete their comments for the previous applicant. 3 minutes dwindled to 2 1/2 until the last interview seemed to end before I was even fully seated.
We also lost precious time because none of the interviewers had been given a chance to review my resume or questionnaire before we met. 4 of the 5 groups used generic interview questions that didn't give them a chance to really get to know me at all. Here are some examples:
- Name a time when a coworker did something unethical and how did you handle it?
- Tell me a creative solution you came up with to solve a problem at your previous job.
- Name a time when you had to handle a customer with unreasonable expectations.
I honestly can't even remember the others because it all happened so fast...it was a blur! And then, we were done and told we could go. No details about how many people they were hiring, when they thought they would be making additional calls, etc.
I understand they are a huge company and probably have no choice but to do things differently but I don't understand how they can get a good feel about someone in less than 3 minutes. I thought perhaps they were trying to find out who stood out in the crowd of applicants. Perhaps if I had spilled something or tripped on my way up the stairs they would remember?!?!
At any rate, I'm back to the waiting game. Waiting on 2 post-interview responses from 2 very different companies. Let's hope the perfect job comes along soon...and that I don't miss it!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
It only comes off when I shower
I'm sure you had preconceived ideas of what this topic is about and the subject could apply to many different things. Glasses, rings, makeup, cell phone...in this case I'm talking about my brassier.
I know, the men are thinking...why are we talking about women's undergarments? Because, I just realized that I have come to a point in my life where I only take mine off to take a shower. I keep several on hand so I can switch them out each day and wash them but I cannot stand to be without one.
Why?
1st, it provides tremendous support. Just imagine walking through life with 2 sandbags hanging off your shoulders...some of you know what I'm talking about.
2nd, I just never know when Josh is going to walk in the house with a friend and nobody wants to see me without support.
3rd, the most important reason is because I never know when I'm going to have to jump up and go chasing after a petulant teenager who is having a temper tantrum and slamming out of the house. There have been times when I thought I was going to end up as a tweet on @EvansvilleWatch and I do not want to end up on film without the proper support.
What strange habits have you picked up since you have had kids and/or gotten older?
I know, the men are thinking...why are we talking about women's undergarments? Because, I just realized that I have come to a point in my life where I only take mine off to take a shower. I keep several on hand so I can switch them out each day and wash them but I cannot stand to be without one.
Why?
1st, it provides tremendous support. Just imagine walking through life with 2 sandbags hanging off your shoulders...some of you know what I'm talking about.
2nd, I just never know when Josh is going to walk in the house with a friend and nobody wants to see me without support.
3rd, the most important reason is because I never know when I'm going to have to jump up and go chasing after a petulant teenager who is having a temper tantrum and slamming out of the house. There have been times when I thought I was going to end up as a tweet on @EvansvilleWatch and I do not want to end up on film without the proper support.
What strange habits have you picked up since you have had kids and/or gotten older?
If 1 weiner = scandal...2 weiners = ????
A man from my hometown recently won an unemployment case against Dillard's because they fired him without just cause. Their reasoning? He ate 2 left over hot dogs from a company wide 4th of July picnic that were intended to be saved for Labor Day.
Here is more detail of the case...I almost couldn't stop giggling as I read this. It seems so frivolous for, what amounts to, about $0.50 worth of food.
I have to wonder...the manager gave instructions to put the food in the freezer but the opinion clearly says the employee took the hot dogs out of the refrigerator. This leads me to believe that the original instructions the manager gave weren't properly carried out by the other employees, or the fired employee was actually eating one of the cooked left overs and not the items that had been put in the freezer.
I mean, seriously...who is going to take a hot dog out of the freezer and eat it? Seems a little odd to me. I'm sure there is more to this story but I'm glad this guy won his case. I have never been in a Dillard's, nor will I ever at this point.
Here is more detail of the case...I almost couldn't stop giggling as I read this. It seems so frivolous for, what amounts to, about $0.50 worth of food.
I have to wonder...the manager gave instructions to put the food in the freezer but the opinion clearly says the employee took the hot dogs out of the refrigerator. This leads me to believe that the original instructions the manager gave weren't properly carried out by the other employees, or the fired employee was actually eating one of the cooked left overs and not the items that had been put in the freezer.
I mean, seriously...who is going to take a hot dog out of the freezer and eat it? Seems a little odd to me. I'm sure there is more to this story but I'm glad this guy won his case. I have never been in a Dillard's, nor will I ever at this point.
Stop the mooching!
My son and his friends are eating me out of house & home. I don't know how many times I have said to them that I cannot afford to keep buying food for the neighborhood but they still continue to ask for food and drink every time they are here. I'm going to have to put up a sign that says:
They obviously don't understand the concept of being unemployed and food being expensive. And Josh is no help because he tells them yes. I've got to get him trained...maybe if I just tell him he can't eat dinner because he let his friends eat lunch he'll eventually get the point.
"If you are thirsty, have some water. If you are hungry, walk home & get something."
They obviously don't understand the concept of being unemployed and food being expensive. And Josh is no help because he tells them yes. I've got to get him trained...maybe if I just tell him he can't eat dinner because he let his friends eat lunch he'll eventually get the point.
Time off for good behavior
Let me just start by saying, I do not believe in time off for good behavior. It is my opinion that you should complete your full sentence, regardless of your crime, and no options for parole or early time off should even be considered.
It shouldn't be that difficult to behave well when you are incarcerated and limited to certain activities. Not to mention that a short period of "good behavior" in no way cancels out whatever crime you committed that put you behind bars in the first place.
Perhaps if the laws were more strict the crime rate wouldn't be so high and we wouldn't have repeat offenders out on the street so quickly.
In Indiana, there is a "law" that gives a 1/2 day of credit for every 1 day of "good behavior". Therefore, if you are deemed to have "good behavior" each day, you could potentially be released only serving half of your sentence.
That is NOT acceptable. I understand the situation with over crowded jails and such; however, early release is only a temporary solution. Most likely, those folks are going to re-offend and end up right back where they started. Punishments need to be more harsh and they should be completed in full. None of this time off for good behavior!
Good behavior is what we expect of you when you are incarcerated...you don't behave, we should add on to your sentence. Not give credit for doing what you should have done in the first place...be good.
It's like a job...I shouldn't have to reward you for just showing up and doing the basics but I'm definitely going to punish (fire) you if you don't do that.
It shouldn't be that difficult to behave well when you are incarcerated and limited to certain activities. Not to mention that a short period of "good behavior" in no way cancels out whatever crime you committed that put you behind bars in the first place.
Perhaps if the laws were more strict the crime rate wouldn't be so high and we wouldn't have repeat offenders out on the street so quickly.
In Indiana, there is a "law" that gives a 1/2 day of credit for every 1 day of "good behavior". Therefore, if you are deemed to have "good behavior" each day, you could potentially be released only serving half of your sentence.
That is NOT acceptable. I understand the situation with over crowded jails and such; however, early release is only a temporary solution. Most likely, those folks are going to re-offend and end up right back where they started. Punishments need to be more harsh and they should be completed in full. None of this time off for good behavior!
Good behavior is what we expect of you when you are incarcerated...you don't behave, we should add on to your sentence. Not give credit for doing what you should have done in the first place...be good.
It's like a job...I shouldn't have to reward you for just showing up and doing the basics but I'm definitely going to punish (fire) you if you don't do that.
Here's who's playing video games
On Twitter, I found an article from Time that reflected an average age of 37 for video game players today. Do you think that number is accurate? I don't know that I agree with their findings because I don't believe a lot of kids aren't buying their own video games. In our house, I buy the games and they are all registered online with my information...not my teens.
I do know "older" folks that are playing video games, my brothers & brother in law for example, but they are all under 30 so that doesn't really explain a 37 year old average.
Check out the article and see what you think. I guess it really doesn't matter in the overall scheme of things but it was interesting to see some of their statistics. Especially the one that says kids get their parents permission before buying a game 86% of the time. I think that number is a little high! :)
I do know "older" folks that are playing video games, my brothers & brother in law for example, but they are all under 30 so that doesn't really explain a 37 year old average.
Check out the article and see what you think. I guess it really doesn't matter in the overall scheme of things but it was interesting to see some of their statistics. Especially the one that says kids get their parents permission before buying a game 86% of the time. I think that number is a little high! :)
The trial results were fair but unfortunate
I've been reading the enraged comments online about how unfair the outcome of the Casey Anthony trial was and I'm sickened by the stupidity and closed minds.
Yes, most people think Casey killed her daughter. At the very least I believe she was negligent in not reporting her missing sooner; however, you cannot convict someone of a charge that they were not charged with. The prosecution chose to pursue 4 charges: murder 1, manslaughter, child abuse & lying to police. They did not include NEGLECT as a potential charge so the jury could not choose to convict her on that charge.
It seems to me that the prosecution is to blame for this injustice because they chose to prosecute on charges that they couldn't prove without a reasonable doubt. It's been said many times that they were never able to determine when or where Caylee was killed, the duct tape didn't have Casey's prints on it, and there was just no physical evidence to prove what happened.
Yes, it's unfair to Caylee that her murderer has not been brought to justice.
No, the justice system as a whole didn't fail...the prosecution did!
Before you start bashing the decisions made by the jury and judge educate yourself on the laws, the trial and the facts. I won't say put yourself in their shoes because the people making these crazy comments would most likely NEVER be chosen for a jury of this nature. Think before you start to judge someone that you don't know. They followed the law, we can't ask for anything more.
Yes, most people think Casey killed her daughter. At the very least I believe she was negligent in not reporting her missing sooner; however, you cannot convict someone of a charge that they were not charged with. The prosecution chose to pursue 4 charges: murder 1, manslaughter, child abuse & lying to police. They did not include NEGLECT as a potential charge so the jury could not choose to convict her on that charge.
It seems to me that the prosecution is to blame for this injustice because they chose to prosecute on charges that they couldn't prove without a reasonable doubt. It's been said many times that they were never able to determine when or where Caylee was killed, the duct tape didn't have Casey's prints on it, and there was just no physical evidence to prove what happened.
Yes, it's unfair to Caylee that her murderer has not been brought to justice.
No, the justice system as a whole didn't fail...the prosecution did!
Before you start bashing the decisions made by the jury and judge educate yourself on the laws, the trial and the facts. I won't say put yourself in their shoes because the people making these crazy comments would most likely NEVER be chosen for a jury of this nature. Think before you start to judge someone that you don't know. They followed the law, we can't ask for anything more.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Can You Help Me Find A Job? Yes You Can!
This morning I saw a post on twitter about getting help on your job hunt. The link took me to a facebook page that promises to help several lucky users find a job. All you have to do is post your story and get people to like it to be in the running. Read a few sob stories and some inspiring ones but wasn't sure if my story would really generate enough interest to be a contender.
Quite honestly, I'm more afraid I might get chosen and then end up being paired with a job that I didn't like. I have no idea if they will commit to choosing potential jobs in the home area of the winner or if they just search the entire country for something that might fit your profile. Reading other stories should make me feel much better about my situation, right? I think I'm going to submit the following and see what happens. If you wouldn't mind following this link and click "like" on my post that will help get me in the running for this helping hand!
After 12 years with my previous employer, my job was relocated & I was not in a position to move w/it & I became unemployed for the first time in 20 years on January 1, 2011. Happy New Year, right?
I thought that finding a new job would be relatively easy with 12 years of financial services experience. Sadly, my previous jobs involved responsibilities that financial institutions outsource to other companies. I knew starting over was inevitable but it appears that I'm overqualified as a bank teller but under qualified for anything else w/out a degree.
As a single mom I'm trying to remain hopeful about the future while training my 13 year old that "extras" will be no more. Guess my dream job would be something that allowed me to review the service and performance of employees, processes, etc & offer suggestions on ways to improve things. Kind of like the consulting firm that reviewed my company and decided my job should go to Ohio...isn't it ironic?
Had a little more detail and better info but the limit to post is 1000 characters so I had to cut it down quite a bit.
Quite honestly, I'm more afraid I might get chosen and then end up being paired with a job that I didn't like. I have no idea if they will commit to choosing potential jobs in the home area of the winner or if they just search the entire country for something that might fit your profile. Reading other stories should make me feel much better about my situation, right? I think I'm going to submit the following and see what happens. If you wouldn't mind following this link and click "like" on my post that will help get me in the running for this helping hand!
After 12 years with my previous employer, my job was relocated & I was not in a position to move w/it & I became unemployed for the first time in 20 years on January 1, 2011. Happy New Year, right?
I thought that finding a new job would be relatively easy with 12 years of financial services experience. Sadly, my previous jobs involved responsibilities that financial institutions outsource to other companies. I knew starting over was inevitable but it appears that I'm overqualified as a bank teller but under qualified for anything else w/out a degree.
As a single mom I'm trying to remain hopeful about the future while training my 13 year old that "extras" will be no more. Guess my dream job would be something that allowed me to review the service and performance of employees, processes, etc & offer suggestions on ways to improve things. Kind of like the consulting firm that reviewed my company and decided my job should go to Ohio...isn't it ironic?
Had a little more detail and better info but the limit to post is 1000 characters so I had to cut it down quite a bit.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Isn't it ironic...don't you think?
Aside from being lyrics to one of my favorite songs ever, it's also the theme of the evening.
Josh has been on the fence about playing football for over a month. I believe he is just scared because he doesn't know everything and he doesn't like that. I've been trying to convince him that now is the time to start because nobody at the 7th grade level knows that much and now is the time when it's ok to still be learning.
Tonight, he finally decided that he was going to go to the Football Fundamentals session tomorrow morning and he said if he tried to get out of it I should "make him go". Just to make sure I was correct on the time and location, I checked the football website and could only find a date for next week listed (there were originally 4 sessions scheduled).
I've got to confirm with the coach but it appears the session for tomorrow was cancelled due to a statewide moratorium...there are no football activities this week.
Sure hope he is this definite about joining the team when the next session is scheduled...next week!
Josh has been on the fence about playing football for over a month. I believe he is just scared because he doesn't know everything and he doesn't like that. I've been trying to convince him that now is the time to start because nobody at the 7th grade level knows that much and now is the time when it's ok to still be learning.
Tonight, he finally decided that he was going to go to the Football Fundamentals session tomorrow morning and he said if he tried to get out of it I should "make him go". Just to make sure I was correct on the time and location, I checked the football website and could only find a date for next week listed (there were originally 4 sessions scheduled).
I've got to confirm with the coach but it appears the session for tomorrow was cancelled due to a statewide moratorium...there are no football activities this week.
Sure hope he is this definite about joining the team when the next session is scheduled...next week!
What the heck just happened? #CaseyAnthony
I admit it, I didn't watch the Casey Anthony trial because it was worse than watching paint dry; however, based on the reports of evidence that was discovered I cannot understand why the jury found her not guilty. She lied through the majority of the investigation and purposely covered up the fact that her daughter was missing. How in the world does that not warrant something worse than 4 counts of false information?
I find it extremely sad that the jury didn't feel there was enough evidence to convict her of something more than providing false information. I would love to know what the jurors were thinking. Do they think she is guilty but just didn't feel they had enough proof or do they really think she is innocent? If they don't think she did it, then who do they believe was involved?
A friend (@emtziggy45) said this is the worst verdict since the OJ trial and I have to agree.
There are going to be so many people negatively effected by this verdict.
1. Casey Anthony because everyone still thinks she did it and she will probably never be able to get a normal job again. Unfortunately, she will probably get rich selling her story for books and movies.
2. The jurors because they will be blamed for this horrible injustice, even if the burden of proof was on the prosecution team. I hope they do not have to experience the hatred that I'm sure will be displayed from some members of the public.
3. The parents/grandparents because they already said they thought Casey did it so they have now lost their daughter as well as their grand-daughter.
The statement from Jose Baez was a load of crap, full of gloating under tones and then some sort of Spanish portion that was completely uncalled for considering we are in the US. He might need to be watching his back as well because I've not seen any online comments that speak favorably of him.
It'll be interesting to see if she gets any additional time at sentencing on Thursday. I bet she walks with "time served" and there will never be justice for that poor little girl!
I find it extremely sad that the jury didn't feel there was enough evidence to convict her of something more than providing false information. I would love to know what the jurors were thinking. Do they think she is guilty but just didn't feel they had enough proof or do they really think she is innocent? If they don't think she did it, then who do they believe was involved?
A friend (@emtziggy45) said this is the worst verdict since the OJ trial and I have to agree.
There are going to be so many people negatively effected by this verdict.
1. Casey Anthony because everyone still thinks she did it and she will probably never be able to get a normal job again. Unfortunately, she will probably get rich selling her story for books and movies.
2. The jurors because they will be blamed for this horrible injustice, even if the burden of proof was on the prosecution team. I hope they do not have to experience the hatred that I'm sure will be displayed from some members of the public.
3. The parents/grandparents because they already said they thought Casey did it so they have now lost their daughter as well as their grand-daughter.
The statement from Jose Baez was a load of crap, full of gloating under tones and then some sort of Spanish portion that was completely uncalled for considering we are in the US. He might need to be watching his back as well because I've not seen any online comments that speak favorably of him.
It'll be interesting to see if she gets any additional time at sentencing on Thursday. I bet she walks with "time served" and there will never be justice for that poor little girl!
Fonts & Your Blog
Have you ever visited a blog that you can't even read because the font is so strange? I've often given up on reading a post simply because the words were too hard to look at in their current font. How do you feel about the multitude of fonts available on blog sites today? Do you love or hate the fancy designs that some folks use?
Seems like different fonts show up differently on my PC than others as well. For instance, if you pick a fancy font that I don't have, it might show up as some random font on my end which may cause the original effect to be lost.
I've chosen a non-traditional font on this blog and often wonder if it shows up differently for other people. So, let me know what you think.
I could use a standard Times, Tahoma, Verdana but those just seem a little boring to me. Right now, I'm using Puritan...which I had never heard of but liked the look of.
Is this font hard to read?
Does it make you want to close the blog and never come back?
Seems like different fonts show up differently on my PC than others as well. For instance, if you pick a fancy font that I don't have, it might show up as some random font on my end which may cause the original effect to be lost.
I've chosen a non-traditional font on this blog and often wonder if it shows up differently for other people. So, let me know what you think.I could use a standard Times, Tahoma, Verdana but those just seem a little boring to me. Right now, I'm using Puritan...which I had never heard of but liked the look of.
Is this font hard to read?
Does it make you want to close the blog and never come back?
Monday, July 4, 2011
Fireworks-Episode 2
Had a great time with some friends tonight, talking, eating, watching the kids play & fireworks. Got some decent pictures this time...playing with the new camera...still not entirely sure how the fireworks setting operates.
The kids had even more fun playing with water balloons and an obstacle course.
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| Bobby gives the course a try. |
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| Jess and the spinning bat of death. |
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| The kids playing games |
In this video, one of the dads decided to give it a try.
Recipe-Cranberry Pumpkin Bread (picture)
Here is another recipe that I've made for several years that goes over well no matter what time of year. It was originally meant for winter holidays as it's really good warm but I've made it year round and it's always received well.
If you are looking for a healthy version of this, forget it. There is no way to substitute enough items to make this healthy and it really compromises the flavor and texture. Just make it as written and eat a smaller portion. It's worth it.
Ingredients:
2 cups of cranberries (buy in season & freeze for year round use)
3 cups of sugar
3 3/4 cups flour
4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup walnut pieces (optional)
4 eggs
1/2 cup of oil (vegetable or canola is fine)
15 oz canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 tsp salt
Instructions:
Add flour, sugar, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix eggs, oil and pumpkin. Combine wet & dry ingredients til just mixed. Fold in cranberries and walnuts. Split between 2 loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 70-80 minutes.
Serve warm or room temperature.
If you are looking for a healthy version of this, forget it. There is no way to substitute enough items to make this healthy and it really compromises the flavor and texture. Just make it as written and eat a smaller portion. It's worth it.
Ingredients:
2 cups of cranberries (buy in season & freeze for year round use)
3 cups of sugar
3 3/4 cups flour
4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup walnut pieces (optional)
4 eggs
1/2 cup of oil (vegetable or canola is fine)
15 oz canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 tsp salt
Instructions:
Add flour, sugar, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix eggs, oil and pumpkin. Combine wet & dry ingredients til just mixed. Fold in cranberries and walnuts. Split between 2 loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 70-80 minutes.
Serve warm or room temperature.
Recipe-Cornbread Salad w/picture
There are many variations of a cornbread salad recipe but I've got to say I like this one the best. My mom has been making this recipe for some time and I love it. The ingredients sound like an unlikely combination but it is fantastic. We've made this for several get togethers and people always talk about how good and unusual it is.
Ingredients:
1 box jiffy cornbread mix, prepared, crumbled
8 strips of bacon, cooked, drained, chopped (can use pre-cooked)
1 green pepper
1 purple/red onion
3-4 tomatoes (I take the seeds/middle out if they are really juicy)
1/2 cup sweet pickles
> Chop veggies and combine in a bowl.
Dressing:
1 cup mayo
1/4 cup sweet pickle juice
2 tbsp sugar
> Mix these 3 ingredients til well blended
> Add dressing to veggies and toss til combined
Assembly:
> Layer half the cornbread crumbles in a dish
> Layer half veggie/dressing mixture
- Repeat
Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight if desired.
Ingredients:
1 box jiffy cornbread mix, prepared, crumbled
8 strips of bacon, cooked, drained, chopped (can use pre-cooked)
1 green pepper
1 purple/red onion
3-4 tomatoes (I take the seeds/middle out if they are really juicy)
1/2 cup sweet pickles
> Chop veggies and combine in a bowl.
Dressing:
1 cup mayo
1/4 cup sweet pickle juice
2 tbsp sugar
> Mix these 3 ingredients til well blended
> Add dressing to veggies and toss til combined
Assembly:
> Layer half the cornbread crumbles in a dish
> Layer half veggie/dressing mixture
- Repeat
Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight if desired.
The fireworks heard round the world
First of all...HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!
We have plans tonight so we decided to shoot off our fireworks on Sunday night and invited over some of Josh's friends and our family. This year, I went way overboard on the fireworks. I can't even tell you what I spent but we had a big pile of stuff and it was BIG, booming stuff. Awesome, right?
Well, one of my neighbors didn't think so.
If you follow me on twitter or facebook, you may know that I've had some "issues" with a certain neighbor and the kids lighting bottle rockets & firecrackers. To make a long story short, she was having a fit because some of the bottle rocket sticks fell in her yard and she didn't like the noise...even though we never shot them off after 9pm.
The stuff we shot off last night was probably 50 times worse. I did an evil laugh inside as I loaded up my cart with stuff I knew would probably rattle the windows! I couldn't help it...that little devil inside took over and I just wanted to blow their minds with a really great show.
Anyway, about 8:20pm we got assembled and started with some small stuff, fountains, spinners, etc. Then came the big guns...lots of stuff that shot straight up and exploded...like smaller versions of what most cities do each year. After every 5-6 items I'd go out and sweep down the street so there wasn't any debris if the cars came through and we made sure we were in the middle as far away from trees, cars and houses as possible.
About 30 minutes into the show and just after I lit the last BIG box one of my other neighbors comes running out of the house screaming "you're gonna burn our house down". Keep in mind, we were 3 houses away from her and the fireworks were going straight up. Guess the huge booms that came out scared the crap out of here but you'd think she would have known in the first 30 minutes that we had some loud stuff!
I'm also proud to say that we were done by 9:10pm, I had all the debris swept out of the street and bagged up and we were in the house, sitting quietly in front of the TV. Some people just need to loosen up a little. :)
Have a great holiday!
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