"Why I hate Barack Obama"

Strong words, right? Only thing is they're not mine. This was the title of a sermon conducted by a pastor in Phoenix, Arizona. Pastor Steven Anderson is standing by his sermon and urging parishioners to join him in praying for the president's death. I can't even re-cap the specifics. It's absolutely incomprehensible. You may read it here.


*UPDATE* What's even more unsettling is some of the comments left by readers of the article

Why didn't somone tell me about the Fox??

Since my first session on the internet, I've always used Internet Explorer. I felt comfortable with it and I really had nothing else to compare it to (or chose not to). Well a few days ago...to make my Entrecard dropping easier, I bit the bullet and downloaded Firefox - the only platform that's compatible with the Entrecard toolbar. It is so much faster...so much more user friendly. The difference for me is really unbelievable.

If anyone out there has been thinking about trying it out, I can assure you - you'll be glad you did. I don't even use IE anymore!

Why do you blog...

When I'm up at 3am dropping Entrecards or perusing the internet scavenging for the latest Blogger hack tricks or the most lucrative and ingenius method to generate a little income...I often wonder what the motivation is for me. Why do I blog?

Is it the need to share with others my most personal accomplishments or most heart-wrenching defeats. Is it the thought that I might possible earn a check from Google Adsense for $14.53 (wow, wonder what it'll be next month). Surely, that couldn't be the reason. So, what is it that draws me here.

I've ventured into the blogosphere on 3 separate occasions. First, I was just doing something to kill time. Boredom...is the invention of many wonderful things. But once you're not bored anymore...your inventions and new solitary hobbies quickly fall into that not so important anymore arena.

My second time around I felt like my blog was too topic specific. I focused completely on politics, politics and more politics (which was great during our last presidential campaign).
Once Palin had gone back to Alaska, McCain had gone back to the Senate, and Obama was heading for the White House, I found myself completely "lost". So, I just shut the site down. A site that had over 200 readers and a google PR of 5!

But I'm back! And this time my entire outlook is so very different. I'm newly divorced and feeling a freedom I haven't experienced in my adult life. So, it's basically like letting your hair down and allowing your mind to take your fingers where ever you want to go. I can be me - no matter how silly or trivial or sarcastic or inconsequential that may be. Blogging is a reflection of me...

....now let me see...what shall I post about today?

Distracted...

Hijacked from Everyday Living. Too cute...

7 Types of Intelligence

They are Linguistic, Spatial, Musical, Body-Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Logical/Mathematical - I was INTERPERSONAL...

My interview with a Homeland/Cyber Security Officer

Felix Skinnered, the new Homeland/Cyber Security enforcement officer for the Obama Administration wants to make it perfectly clear that our nation's security is more important than any scare tactics stoked by the Drudge Report or any other right-winged uber-conservative websites.

In a phone interview I conducted with Mr. Skinnered late yesterday afternoon, he explained that the cyber security issue was included in a bill introduced this past Spring (with bipartisan support) and is critical to protecting everything from water and electricity to banking, traffic lights and electronic health records.

Didn't sound any different to me than the Bush Administration's authorization to tap every freakin' phone in America ...all in the name of our nation's security, a decision that lead to an inquiry that George W. blocked!

As far as rumors of Obama having an alleged "kill switch" that virtually shuts down online traffic, Skinnered assured that some revisions were being made. Anyone with any concerns or fears about the proposed bill should visit Skinnered's official website or access the FAQ page - video responses provided by a friendly staff member.

Problem solved...

He really knows his sh!t...

Found this gem at Mighty Optical Illusions. It's a pretty neat site. Don't look too long...some of the pics made my head hurt.

Can you find him?

Doctors have concluded that if you find the man in the coffee beans in three seconds, the right half of your brain is better developed than that of most people. If you find the man between three seconds and one minute, the right half of the brain is developed normally. If you find the man between one minute and three minutes, then the right half of your brain is functioning slowly and you need to eat more protein. If you have not found the man after three minutes, the advice is to look for more of this type of exercise to make that part of the brain stronger!!!
And, yes, the man is really there!!!

Thanks (Superficial Gallery)

10 Blog Traffic Tips

In every bloggers life comes a special day - the day they first launch a new blog. Now unless you went out and purchased someone else's blog chances are your blog launched with only one very loyal reader - you. Maybe a few days later you received a few hits when you told your sister, father, girlfriend and best friend about your new blog but that's about as far you went when it comes to finding readers.

Here are the top 10 techniques new bloggers can use to find readers. These are tips specifically for new bloggers, those people who have next-to-no audience at the moment and want to get the ball rolling.

It helps if you work on this list from top to bottom as each technique builds on the previous step to help you create momentum. Eventually once you establish enough momentum you gain what is called "traction", which is a large enough audience base (about 500 readers a day is good) that you no longer have to work too hard on finding new readers. Instead your current loyal readers do the work for you through word of mouth.

Top 10 Tips

10. Write at least five major "pillar" articles. A pillar article is a tutorial style article aimed to teach your audience something. Generally they are longer than 500 words and have lots of very practical tips or advice. This article you are currently reading could be considered a pillar article since it is very practical and a good "how-to" lesson. This style of article has long term appeal, stays current (it isn't news or time dependent) and offers real value and insight. The more pillars you have on your blog the better.

9. Write one new blog post per day minimum. Not every post has to be a pillar, but you should work on getting those five pillars done at the same time as you keep your blog fresh with a daily news or short article style post. The important thing here is to demonstrate to first time visitors that your blog is updated all the time so they feel that if they come back tomorrow they will likely find something new. This causes them to bookmark your site or subscribe to your blog feed.

You don't have to produce one post per day all the time but it is important you do when your blog is brand new. Once you get traction you still need to keep the fresh content coming but your loyal audience will be more forgiving if you slow down to a few per week instead. The first few months are critical so the more content you can produce at this time the better.

8. Use a proper domain name. If you are serious about blogging be serious about what you call your blog. In order for people to easily spread the word about your blog you need a easy to remember domain name. People often talk about blogs they like when they are speaking to friends in the real world (that's the offline world, you remember that place right?) so you need to make it easy for them to spread the word and pass on your URL. Try and get a .com if you can and focus on small easy to remember domains rather than worry about having the correct keywords (of course if you can get great keywords and easy to remember then you've done a good job!).

7. Start commenting on other blogs. Once you have your pillar articles and your daily fresh smaller articles your blog is ready to be exposed to the world. One of the best ways to find the right type of reader for your blog is to comment on other people's blogs. You should aim to comment on blogs focused on a similar niche topic to yours since the readers there will be more likely to be interested in your blog.

Most blog commenting systems allow you to have your name/title linked to your blog when you leave a comment. This is how people find your blog. If you are a prolific commenter and always have something valuable to say then people will be interested to read more of your work and hence click through to visit your blog.

6. Trackback and link to other blogs in your blog posts. A trackback is sort of like a blog conversation. When you write a new article to your blog and it links or references another blogger's article you can do a trackback to their entry. What this does is leave a truncated summary of your blog post on their blog entry - it's sort of like your blog telling someone else's blog that you wrote an article mentioning them. Trackbacks often appear like comments.

This is a good technique because like leaving comments a trackback leaves a link from another blog back to yours for readers to follow, but it also does something very important - it gets the attention of another blogger. The other blogger will likely come and read your post eager to see what you wrote about them. They may then become a loyal reader of yours or at least monitor you and if you are lucky some time down the road they may do a post linking to your blog bringing in more new readers.

5. Encourage comments on your own blog. One of the most powerful ways to convince someone to become a loyal reader is to show there are other loyal readers already following your work. If they see people commenting on your blog then they infer that your content must be good since you have readers so they should stick around and see what all the fuss is about. To encourage comments you can simply pose a question in a blog post. Be sure to always respond to comments as well so you can keep the conversation going.

4. Submit your latest pillar article to a blog carnival. A blog carnival is a post in a blog that summarizes a collection of articles from many different blogs on a specific topic. The idea is to collect some of the best content on a topic in a given week. Often many other blogs link back to a carnival host and as such the people that have articles featured in the carnival often enjoy a spike in new readers.

To find the right blog carnival for your blog, do a search at blogcarnival.com.

3. Submit your blog to blogtopsites.com. To be honest this tip is not going to bring in a flood of new readers but it's so easy to do and only takes five minutes so it's worth the effort. Go to Blog Top Sites, find the appropriate category for your blog and submit it. You have to copy and paste a couple of lines of code on to your blog so you can rank and then sit back and watch the traffic come in. You will probably only get 1-10 incoming readers per day with this technique but over time it can build up as you climb the rankings. It all helps.

2. Submit your articles to EzineArticles.com. This is another tip that doesn't bring in hundreds of new visitors immediately (although it can if you keep doing it) but it's worthwhile because you simply leverage what you already have - your pillar articles. Once a week or so take one of your pillar articles and submit it to Ezine Articles. Your article then becomes available to other people who can republish your article on their website or in their newsletter.

How you benefit is through what is called your "Resource Box". You create your own resource box which is like a signature file where you include one to two sentences and link back to your website (or blog in this case). Anyone who publishes your article has to include your resource box so you get incoming links. If someone with a large newsletter publishes your article you can get a lot of new readers at once.

1. Write more pillar articles. Everything you do above will help you to find blog readers however all of the techniques I've listed only work when you have strong pillars in place. Without them if you do everything above you may bring in readers but they won't stay or bother to come back. Aim for one solid pillar article per week and by the end of the year you will have a database of over 50 fantastic feature articles that will work hard for you to bring in more and more readers.

I hope you enjoyed my list of traffic tips. Everything listed above are techniques I've put into place myself for my blogs and have worked for me, however it's certainly not a comprehensive list. There are many more things you can do. Finding readers is all about testing to see what works best for you and your audience and I have no doubt if you put your mind to it you will find a balance that works for you.

This article was by Yaro Starak, a professional blogger and my blog mentor. He is the leader of the Blog Mastermind mentoring program designed to teach bloggers how to earn a full time income blogging part time.

To get more information about Blog Mastermind click this link:

www.BlogMastermind.com

Add-a-beads, huraches and more!

I'll never forget when these shirts hit. It was around Christmas back in 1985 or 1986. They came in all sizes, colors and everybody HAD to have one. Mine was blue instead of this cool yellow. These shirts went perfect with your favorite pair of 501 blues.

Wow! These really bring back memories. I guess I had about 10 pair. You know you had to have a pair to match whatever color the blouse was you were wearing. I always hated how once they got old and worn...my pinky toe would poke out...lol.
When the "wings" got a bit too long...the fashion hair comb to the rescue! Every color, every design, every style. This was definitely another must have!
Now this was a cherished gift...because it kept on giving! I remember starting out with one big gold bead in the center and my mom, grandmom, aunt or whoever would add to it for special occasions.

I have no clue where any of these items that I once cherished are. But it sure was fun seeing them again.

What were some of your favorite wardrobe pieces from the 80s. Join in. Add your name and blog and post about it on your site. This is a theme for Saturday. All Things 80s!

Happy Birthday MJ

A true and genuine talent. Regardless of what he was or what he wasn't...he will be missed.

Awards

In any business, one of the highest accolades one can receive is recognition from his/her peers. This page is dedicated to awards and other forms of "showing the love" to this blog from members of the blogosphere


The Bee Blog


Regina's Family Seasons

The End of the Rainbow

After 26 years on the air the Reading Rainbow makes it's final curtain call today. It was the 3rd longest-running program in PBS history. I guess Hannah Montana, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and Spongebob Squarepants were too much competition. OMG....our children's brains are being sucked out slowly by NICK....

School Supply Lists? WTF

After just about sleeping the entire day away yesterday, I woke up this morning around 3am. I needed to pick up a few items from one of my favorite places, Wal*Mart. So, I threw on a pair of shorts, t-shirt and my one and only baseball cap and headed out the door. I love shopping in the wee hours of the morning. You don't have to use half a tank of gas looking for a parking space, the store isn't crowded and there are tons of stockers, cashiers, managers, etc. to help you find whatever you can't quite put your fingers on.

As I was heading down the main aisle, I noticed the "School supplies" list for some of the area schools were still available. I would hope by now everyone has gotten the items their children needed...and that's when I remembered something.

When I was attending school the only thing we needed to start the year off successfully were a couple of new outfits, pencils and/or pens, notebook and loose leaf paper and a nice binder (remember those neat Trapper Keepers?!).

In a word, the school supplies list is SHAMEFUL! The items listed below were on a list for local area 5th graders:

1 - BOX of #2 pencils
1 - PKG. red pens
2 - PKG. wide rule loose leaf paper
4 - 1-subject notebooks
2 - PKG. computer paper
2 - BOXES Kleenex (family size)
1 - BOX Ziploc bags
1 - Refill Baby wipes!
1 - ROLL paper towels
1 - PKG. Colored pencils
1 - PKG. Crayola markers
1 - Pair Scissors - Blunt edge
1 - BOX 24ct. Crayons
1 - Bottle of glue or glue sticks
1 - Pencil sharpener - not battery operated
1 - PKG. (100ct) 3x5 lined white index cards
1 - black Sharpie Marker
1 - small box of bandaids
Dictionary - Blue Webster - Intermediate
1 - bottle foaming liquid soap
Excuse me but what are the schools furnishing these days.

Just say a class has about 20 students. If each student actually brought all this crap, there wouldn't be any room in the class to sit! 2 boxes of (family size) Kleenex. That's 40 freakin' boxes of facial tissue!!! And what's up with this foaming liquid soap and baby wipes. I thought chalk, markers, reams of typing paper and things of that nature required to conduct an efficient class were the responsibility of the school district...not the child. And to add insult to injury they've got the nerve to specify certain name brands - Kleenex, crayola, webster...

It's amazing to me that the quality of a public education as been on the decline for years and now you've got to supply the school system with necessities I feel should be available to children without parents having to pay for them....

Website Promotion

Doing my usual perusing this morning and I stumbled across an article I wrote THREE years ago! Thought it might be helpful to someone. Has Anyone Seen My Website.

Michael Jackson's death...my 2 cents

This week the enquiring public was made privy to what authorities feel caused Michael Jackson's death. Last I heard the conclusion was that a lethal dose of Propofol - lethal in that it was given in conjunction with Ativan and Versed - administered by Dr. Conrad Murray either contributed to or actually caused the entertainer's death....Does this make Dr. Murray solely responsible or can others be held as accountable as I'm sure he'll wind up being found guilty of.

Having a relatively decent understanding of the drugs involved tells me 3 things:

1. a Pharmacist/Pharmacy somewhere needs to be criminally prosecuted

2. Dr. Murray's practices were TOTALLY unethical

3. Michael Jackson played Russian Roulette with his life and LOST

Michael's drug cocktail consisted of Valium, Ativan, Versed and Propofol! Some of these drugs should never...NEVER be administered outside of a hospital. The others are often prescribed for moderate to severe anxiety. One of the major side effects is sedation/drowsiness. These medications are highly addictive and are abused frequently.

INSANITY

Remember the last surgery you had? Everyone's busy in their little seafoam green scrubs and cute little paper caps getting the operating room prepared for you. The room is bright, sanitized and the coldest FREAKIN' place you ever wanna be. This fact is magnified x 10 when you feel the air rush in through the gown that's exposing your backside to every member of the surgical team.

Someone tells you that they're giving you something to relax you. You're asked to count backwards from ten or a few other bogus verbal requests that give the anesthesiologist an idea of just how quick your lights go out. Those very drugs that turn your lights out and render the entire procedure a complete blur are the medications MJ was having administered to him on a daily basis.

These meds can be called many things but "milk" they are not!

An addict is a sad individual...and yes, it's apparent that the King of Pop was an addict with enablers like medical doctors, friends, pharmacists and the list goes on and on. These people willingly complied to Jackson's deadly requests.

Is money and stardom powerful enough that you're willing to risk your integrity and someone's life to please them....Sad.

Apparently Jackson's fans valued his life and legacy far more than he or any involved in his accidental murder. What a complete waste.

One thing's for certain....the uninterrupted amnesia-like sleep he sought...he finally achieved. Sleep well Michael...

Another mystery solved

As a little girl, my great grandmother always referred to what's affectionately known today as the va-jay-jay....as the "pocketbook". I can hear her now yelling to me as I bathed..."Make sure you wash your pocketbook!"...Lol or warning me constantly about "not letting those little piss-y boys touch my "pocketbook".

Now I know why...she had to have secretly owned one of these purses or at least had the prototype...Thanks Failblog.org for clearing things up for me.

Forensic Science, DNA and Double Ds

A beautiful couple meet, have a worldwind 2 month courtship and tie the knot in Vegas. Wow! Stuff dreams are made of, right? Ryan Jenkins once described himself as the "luckiest guy in the world!" What could have gone so terribly wrong to cause this guy to allegedly murder his wife, Jasmine Fiore. Jenkins, who has since committed suicide, pulled every tooth from his lovely bride's mouth and cut off her finger tips in an effort to render the body unidentifiable. Investigators eventually I.D'd Ms. Fiore by the serial numbers on her breast implants!

So now it's official....nobody can ever proclaim again that women with breast implants are FAKES. This may have been one of the only REAL ways this poor soul's crime could have been solved.

I am sick of it!!!

Excuse me if I come across a little flat and insensitive this morning but I've just got to ask this question...Why would a complete loser that stumbles into my triage area with a complaint of penile discharge want to know if I'm married or not? Do I have an "L" on my forehead that matches his? It never fails. At least one or two of these idiots will attempt to make goo goo eyes and lick their crusty lips (oh..I'm sorry was that your trying to be sexy look....I thought you needed to pass gas!)....

Excuse me sir do I need to remind you that YOUR JOHNSON IS ROTTING OFF!!!!!!!!!!

For those guys out there who have it twisted, let me clarify a few things for you -

1) If you're seeking medical attention for an STD, DON'T try to hook up with the nurse.

2) If I can drive a Hummer across the skidmarks in your tidy whities, DON'T ask me for my number after you've received your shot.

3) If you wind up being admitted into the hospital and 3 different women show up at different times during the day all claiming to be your fiance, DON'T ask me out to dinner...(I'll never be that hungry).

Just a sleep deprived rant about one of the many things that have pissed me off in the past. Blame it on stupid guys, too much coffee and far too little sleep.

I was attacked by a grandmother!

It's often difficult to make younger mothers understand why their babies have to be poked and prodded when they're being seen by nurses and doctors. Lab work, x-rays, injections and other invasive and uncomfortable procedures are a necessary part of arriving at a valid diagnosis of the problem.

Many times the grandmother of the child comes to the ER with them. An extended family can be a valuable means of moral support for young inexperienced mothers. On the other hand, not allowing the actual mother the opportunity to be "the mother" can be a negative. In my opinion, this behavior sometimes is the catalyst of the "grandmother raising grandchild" cycle.

So, last night while attempting to start an I.V. on a 14-month old, I wasn't surprised when the grandmother asked her daughter, who was crying hysterically, to leave the room.

Performing I.V. insertions on infants/children usually is a team effort - the technician, the muscle and the nurturer.

The Technician - the nurse performing the actual procedure. Nerves of steel and steady hands are crucial attributes this person must possess. Distractions from noise, crying, or hovering family members are no problem for this team member. Her priority is establishing a means to get medication to this very vulnerable patient quickly and efficiently.

The Muscle - usually another nurse. The brawn of the team. She keeps the child as still as possible. Her grip and take down maneuvers must be precise. Her presence helps prevent accidental or purposeful dislodging of the I.V.

The Nurturer - this can be family or staff. A sweet voice in the child's ear providing words of comfort to soothe the child; distraction through coaxing and praise often work well.

In spite of this team approach, it's usually always a stressful situation.

.....but back to my story...

Unfortunately the first nurse wasn't able to get the I.V. started. Now the roles must change. She became the muscle and I transitioned into the role of the technician.

With skill, determination and an answered prayer, I started the I.V. NOW comes the part that can be more difficult than the needle stick - SECURING IT!

And it was during this critical period that the grandmother went bonkers.
She came flying across the room toward me crying and screaming "STOP IT! STOP IT! LEAVE MY GRANDBABY ALONE!" I'm thinking...I must be dreaming. This old woman in this house coat and slippers with these curlers in her hair can't be serious. But she was.

Once I realized I wasn't dreaming...the UNTHINKABLE happened. SHE SLAPPED ME ACROSS MY SHOULDER...not once but twice. Mind you...I'm trying to secure this screaming, fighting infant's I.V. and this IDIOT is hitting me.

At this point, the only thing I'm seeing is RED...BLOOD RED. Before she could land another blow, I shared the following with her without ever looking her way..."Don't hit me again. We are here to help your grandchild. Calm down NOW!

I really wasn't that upset with the little old lady. I sat and talked with her after the episode and stressed to her the importance of being a "good" support system for her young daughter and grandchild. She apologized and seemed ashamed of her behavior...Needless to say...I was the butt of many many jokes for the remainder of the shift.

I wonder what's in store for me tonight.......

Where the hell is Dora when you need her!

Everything was going absolutely crazy. Patients were falling over each other in the emergency room last night. The doctor was barking out new orders before we had a chance to carry out the one's he'd told us about 2 minutes prior. The one phlebotomist that works in the hospital just clocked out. There's no respiratory therapist assigned to the emergency room.

So in other words you've got to be the nurse, the lab, and respiratory all wrapped into one neatly packaged body...UGHHHH!!! Just when you think things couldn't possibly get any worse....the ambulance is on the phone needing to give report on a patient they're bringing in. A middle aged Hispanic male that's been involved in some sort of altercation. The EMS guys are frustrated and so is the patient. He doesn't speak English and they don't speak Spanish!!! Well guess what? Neither do any of the nurses in our ER.

Oh sure, I took my obligatory 2 years of Spanish in High School...but c'mon...how far is Como estas...Que hora es....and Vaya con dios really (which is just about all I can remember) gonna get me? WHERE'S DORA WHEN YOU NEED HER?!! Prior to last night, I thought I would be somewhat prepared for the day a Spanish speaking patient rolled in without the neighborhood translator. Just a few months ago I downloaded an English to Spanish translator for my Blackberry. Great idea, right? Only problem is...once I type in what I want to ask the patient....I have no freakin' way of knowing what his responses are!

The poor guy had been beaten up pretty good. He actually ended up with two vertebral fractures and an assortment of contusions just about everywhere.

Luckily the doc spoke some Spanish and a few things I thought I'd forgotten came back to me. The guy knew just enough English and we knew just enough Spanish to accomplish the task at hand - take care of the patient. However, in observing his behavior we concluded that it's his knowledgeable lack of knowledge of the English language that gets him in trouble.

With the Hispanic population on the rise, healthcare workers and any other groups that have to interact with the public should at least attempt to learn Spanish as their second language. Hell, at the rate things are going...it may very well become THE LANGUAGE!!!

And if you think that's an impossibility...pay attention to some of the instruction manuals that come with different items these days. It takes forever to find the section that's in English!!

So, here's your Spanish lesson for today. I'm exhausted. My feet hurt and I've got 4 more nights to go. Here's my remedy:

Estoy a punto de tomar un helado frío Heineken y dormir.....Buenos días amigos!

Getting acquainted with mortality...

Years before becoming a nurse, wife and mother I tried my hand at selling insurance. I was an absolute horror. When people said no I didn't have that inate skill that great insurance agents and other door-to-door salesmen have. The ability to turn no into yes. I think it's called the Power of Persuasion. So to drum up some business I harrassed my friends endlessly. I was in my early twenties and thought friends and acquaintances would be sure fire ways of getting new business.

The only problem was...the type insurance I was selling. I worked for a company that sold burial insurance. And like a wise old man once told me - people don't actually realize their own mortality until their mid twenties or later. So, when my friends would see me coming with my briefcase and cute little notebook chugged full of photos of the latest and most sleekly designed caskets, the closest exit was the direction they were headed.

Fast forward to nearly twenty years later. By now I think those same people including myself are realizing just how mortal we are.

I've had the misfortune of losing childhood friends due to circumstances beyond their control - car wrecks, shootings, etc. But when you begin to lose people in your own age group because of things like heart disease, diabetes, kidney failure...it's an eye opening experience.

Just this past week a young man that was only a few months older than I am died after having a massive heart attack. Oh my God have I actually reached the point in life were news of a person only 40 years old dying becomes a realistic part of life as opposed to the shocking news it would have been if the same thing had happened to him twenty years ago?

Is it time to start scanning the obits to see if anyone I know has shaken off the cloak of mortality? The whole thing has been a very sobering experience to say the least.

Importance of Positive Reinforcement

Recently I joined a social network group Positive Thinking for Life. It was more of a way to reconnect with the super cool chick that started the group, Carol King. I met Carol online last year. She's a gifted writer and a truly beautiful person.

After facing the things I've dealt with over the past year...being surrounded by positive energy (online or in real time) certainly couldn't hurt.

Even knowing (first hand)the effects stress and negative thinking can have on your body and mind, I still allowed myself to slip into that deadly trap where the walls are built on hopelessness and the automatic ceiling that mechanically drops lower everyday is composed of 100% helplessness.

It's only when you realize that YOU can rise above this self-made prison and be the person you know exists in there somewhere that you begin to conquer whatever obstacle put you there in the first place.

So, whether it's a family member, friend, social group, spiritual revelation or whatever the case may be...take positive help in any form you can get it....because stress kills...with it's bare hands!

LIVE...LAUGH...LOVE!!!

A bird's eye view

Amazing what you can find in your neighbors back yard. Just follow the trees. Check out the cool "Tree Man" in the background on the left!

Another view of this birdcat combination oddity

I personally have my own bird catcher!

When reality becomes actuality

I love truTV. My favorite shows are Forensic Files and those awful Most Shocking Caught on tape episodes. I'm usually alone when I watch the stuff...thank God. This video reminded me of how my grandmother loved to scream and yell (her futile attempt to save the woman the stalker was inches away from strangling with his razor wire) at the actors. Wonder what she would have done if they'd looked directly into the camera and said..."Hey lady...I ain't supposed to run. Shut up and finish your prunes...

Dealing with a sour puss at 4 am

When my eyes popped open this morning I was unusually hungry. I'm really not a breakfast person. So, the rumbling sounds coming from my stomach that were sending S.O.S. messages to my brain requesting emergency nutrients was surprising.

I hopped out of bed and stumbled blindly to the bathroom for a quick shower. I certainly wasn't planning on cooking but I had to find something to quiet my stomach. I decided to head to the nearest fast food joint I could find.

As I left home, I couldn't help but notice how quiet it was. What else was I expecting at 4 in the morning?

I pulled into Burger King...french toast sticks...yeah...that sounds good. I could see one person behind the counter and NO other cars in the parking lot. This was going to be quick and easy enough.

As I approached the drive thru speaker, I waited patiently to place my order...and waited.....and waited...and waited. Finally, someone with a voice as nasty as venom blurted out "CAN I TAKE YOUR ORDER PLEASE?". I placed my order and then followed the instructions given by Queen Medusa..."DRIVE UP".

When I reached the window someone who appeared to have just ingested a box of nails slid the glass open and gave me my total. No smile, no good morning...only a person with a look of contempt and completely devoid of any type personality was staring down at me.

I handed her my debit card which she took and walked away. I let my window back up to keep the flying creatures of the night out of my car and outside where they belonged. I must have been fumbling with something when I heard something tapping on the window of my car..(or was it the sound of long talons scraping down the side of the glass)...kinda fearful at this point of what I was going to look up and see...I slowly turned in the direction of the noise. It was that same horrible face that had greeted me earlier. I rolled the window down and she handed me my card only saying "PULL UP AND I'LL BRING IT OUT TO YOU".

I followed her instructions and as I sat there waiting on the french toast sticks that I really had lost my appetite for I began to think. Was this person always this way? Hadn't she been through some type of customer relations training? Was she having a bad morning? Did she hate her job or just the world? Whatever her problem was I realized I wasn't going to be able to solve it.

When she brought my order out I smiled and said "Thank you". She made some sort of gutteral noise deep in the back of her throat and turned and walked away.

There are so many different ways to deal with such rudeness from someone working with the public. Do you attempt to make small talk....do you tell her she's rude....do you call in and report this type behavior or do you hope she was just having a bad day and pray that once the sun rises she won't turn to ashes from the ultraviolet rays.

The Twouble with Twitter

You know this video sums up what I've kinda been thinking for a while. Although I jumped on the twitter bandwagon like many other people....at some point everyone in Twitterville has got to ask themselves...What's the point?...Ummm...but you can still follow me if you wanna....

Remember When...

1. Your dream car in high school was a Yugo

2. Most families had a station wagon

3. You could smell the ink and feel the coolness coming from the copy paper when the teacher got back to the room (ink was a smudgy blue)

4. YOU were the remote control (no matter where you were in the house)

5. Every new car came with an 8-track tape player

6. The only real name on a pair of sneakers was "Chuck Taylor"

7. Shag carpet was IN

8. Cartoons could only be watched on Saturdays and the ABC afterschool special was the highlight of your day

9. The gold snake belts were a must have wardrobe item

10. You could go to a drive-in movie

11. You were proud to wear your Girl Scout uniform

12. Judy Blume taught you everything you know

13. You were selected by the teacher to "take names" when she left the room

14. Bell bottoms were cool

15. Everybody wore a belt

16. All a Nike had was a "swoosh"

17. Television signed off for the night

18. A window fan was the only air conditioning for miles

19. People stayed up late and talked for hours

20. Soft porn on HBO was the most outrageous thing on TV

21. There were NO reality shows

22. There were no microwaves - how ever did we survive

23. A VCR weighed a ton

24. You wanted to be a Solid Gold dancer

25. You boogied late Saturday night with the guests and dancers on Soul Train

26. You couldn't wait to see the dance contest on American Bandstand

27. Luke married Laura

....just feeling a bit nostalgic

Bandaids, Stethescopes and my 9mm

Being sick isn't a pleasant experience. Coming to the Emergency room makes matters even worse. You're not feeling well, you've dragged yourself out of the house or either been rushed there by ambulance seeking the best medical attention possible.

The environment is cold, loud, and smells like alcohol and other disinfectants (if you're lucky). Hopefully, you're greeted by a caring healthcare professional which definitely can make your visit just a bit more pleasant.

With all that said, as a nurse, I understand why people often times come across as rude or abrasive. They're sick for pete's sake. Plus, they lose their ability to "control" the situation. Doctors are barking orders, people in pretty little scrub uniforms are poking at every orifice with needles or objects that look like water hoses. Fear can cause strange things to happen.

Still, the most precious life in the ER is MINE which makes the news of a patient being shot and killed in the Emergency room after pulling a gun on a police officer really frightening.

You just never know. In our Emergency room, there are no metal detectors and how would that really work anyway?

I've had patients come in and tell me..."I've got a knife in my pocket" or "I've been thinking about killing myself. I've got some razor blades in my shirt". We've even had gang related injuries with the fellow gang members showing up to "see" what's going on. Fortunately nothing violent or extremely bizarre has ever occurred in these situations but....what if?

It really makes me nervous.

I'll Skip My Bath...Thank you

Although the ad is vintage, the message to me is clear. If you bathe with "this" soap...this soap right here...you're gonna get f###ed up! In advertising, sometimes the message meant is definitely not the message conveyed. No wonder you have to threaten children within an inch of their life to bathe. Did they see this ad somewhere? Is it on a things to avoid list at Stork Central warning the little rug rats prior to arrival. Oooh...BTW..if you're interested in trying out this product visit the company's website. They're still making soap....Believe it or...not

Sharing is Hard to do

They say you're blessed with good luck when your son looks exactly like you and vice versa when the daughter looks like the father. Well Jacob's entrance into the world 8 years ago certainly should have bestowed the best luck ever upon his dear sweet mother.

He's an absolute jewel - even tempered, bright, athletic, full of life, sensitive (beyond his years) and a pleasure to be around. That's what makes his not being here with me so painful.

My ex and I share joint custody of Jacob. Although we had come to the end of our season together, our love for both our boys is immeasurable. The oldest is currently in Basic Training (Ft. Sill, Ok - paying for college) which leaves Jacob here with us.

The schedule isn't ideal. We spend one week at a time with Jacob. On Sunday evenings he comes to me and breaks my heart one week later when he's dropped off to spend the week with his dad.

Since his father and I have been separated for so long, we've never formally told Jacob that we're divorced but I know somehow he knows. He showers me with kisses and tells me every second that he loves me more than anything in the world. Knowing my son the way that I do...I know he tells his dad the exact same thing which definitely makes me happy. He doesn't say that as much as he used to. I think in his own way he was letting us both know how much each of us meant to him.

I want him to understand it's okay to love us both equally and I want him to know that we love him dearly as well. Although we can't love him as a family unit, we certainly can love him as individual parents.

We have a little "love affirmation" that we constantly say to one another throughout the day: I say "I love you Jacob." He says "I love you more". I say "I love you most". He says "I love you more than most". I say "There's nothing 'more' than most". He says "Yes there is". I say "What?". He says "My love for you."

I hope he's getting the best of both of us. My greatest fear is that this back and forth will somehow taint him in some way. But it's the best of the worst case scenario. I certainly can't imagine being away from him longer than one week at a time.

Sharing is hard to do...

"Pets" Peeved

Bored on a Sunday afternoon...nothing to do but harrass the kitty cats. After escaping to another room for one of their many cat naps, I invade the peace and tranquility of a leisurely cat coma with the clicking and blinding lights of the wretched camera. Maybe I'll pull out some of those ugly outfits and dress them up for Sunday dinner.

I'm sure they'd rather be tortured by Jacob than the thought of wearing those humiliating dreadful wardrobe malfunctions also known as pet clothes. Quick...I'd better hurry before they read my mind...

Here kitty kitty kitty!!!