Favorite Zazzle Products
These are some of our favorite, fun products on our pages at Zazzle.com. Won't you come by and check them out?
2008 Arizona Scenery Calendar
by JMarkAfghans
Get this custom calendar at Zazzle
Each month has one of our favorite Arizona photographs. Why not spend a year in Arizona?!
I don't have to choose paper or plastic.
by JMarkAfghans
Get this custom bag at Zazzle
Living Green? Use these recyclable bags, instead of adding more trash to your local landfill.
Of all the things I've lost . . .
I miss my mind the most!
by JMarkAfghans
Get this custom mug at Zazzle
This morphing mug is a nondescript black when cold. The magic happens when you add a hot beverage and the image appears.
Relax Like A Cat
by JMarkAfghans
Get this custom card at Zazzle
Front: "If Humans could relax like this. . ."
Inside Top: "There would be no wars and no need for anti-depressants.
Of course, the price of catnip would skyrocket!"
Inside Bottom: "Wishing you Peace and Relaxation!
(You'll have to get your own catnip!)"
Don't forget to visit
JMark Afghans and
My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on
Squidoo that supports the
Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your
Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!
Jules
Family Lawsuit Against MySpace.com
I don't recall an original story about this lawsuit, but this 'new round'
definitely grabbed my attention. After some serious thought, I had to side
with the courts. This is, in my opinion, an attempt by parents, who were
unaware of / not monitoring their child's behavior, to blame MySpace for
what happened to their daughter.
MySpace has guidelines and does
monitor, to the best of its ability, the users who have pages. I know,
personally, that many IDs and pages have been removed for violating
policies. But this little girl, also violated MySpace policies by lying
about her age in order to acquire a login and create the page.
At
that young age, in a place as potentially dangerous as a social networking
site, parents need to closely monitor what their child is doing on the
computer. They need to - repeatedly - talk to their children about how to
safely use the Internet. Many experts recommend keeping computers out of
kids' bedrooms, so that it's easier to keep an eye on surfing habits.
Links to information for kids and parents about Internet Safety
(alphabetically):
Parental
Guides and Information for Kids on BOTW.org
Internet
Safety for Kids and Teens on DMOZ.org
World-Wide-Web
Safety on Yahoo!Kids' Directory
Yahoo!Safely
Internet Guide
The rules for virtually all interactive websites are the same - no one
under 13, don't give out personal information, and don't physically meet
someone you only know online. Even sites designed for kids, and there are
some great ones out there, require parental approval before kids under 14
can create accounts/logins. But no site account set-up includes a lie
detector.
If kids don't tell the truth, the website certainly can't
be held responsible. And, personally, I'm getting a bit weary of people
making everyone, but themselves, responsible for the misbehavior /
behavior of their children.
Don't forget to visit
JMark Afghans and
My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on
Squidoo that supports the
Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your
Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!
Jules
Environmental Phase Out
Bush to Phase Out Environment by 2009 This 'article' is posted in
the Humor section of Yahoo!News. As with all good humor, there is a grain
(in this case a silo-full) of truth running through it.
Species
after species, habitat after habitat, this administration has acted in the
worst interests of the country and the planet. It's easy to tell from
where Bush and Cheney come. Big business and the oil industry, in
particular, have their full support and concern.
Who needs clean
air and water? Apparently, not Americans or the rest of the world, since
the administration refuses to sign Kyoto. What value are animals that
can't be found in the meat department of the local supermarket? Obviously
no value, especially if their natural habitat happens to exist within 5
miles of 5 gallons of oil.
They are good little autocrats who
deserve the disdain of all Americans. The world already sees them for the
fools that they are.
Don't forget to visit
JMark Afghans and
My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on
Squidoo that supports the
Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your
Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!
Jules
Earth Hour
What an interesting, global idea! Did you turn off your lights at 8:00pm?
Or, like us, did you hear about 'Earth Hour' about 2 hours too late?
As
they say, it's not like one hour without lights is going to reduce global
warming or seriously reduce a city's, or country's, carbon footprint. But
it is an amazing show of concern and a willingness to get involved, all
around the world. Made me wonder if this was something that could be seen
from space.
Can you imagine watching whole sections of the world go
dark, one hour after another? Now that would be something to see.
Don't forget to visit
JMark Afghans and
My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on
Squidoo that supports the
Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your
Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!
Jules
Cell Phone Amplifiers
Now, here is something -
cell
phone amplifiers - that Mark and I have been wanting for a very long
time. Over the years, we have spent a great deal of time in hospital
rooms, doctors' offices, and ER waiting areas. There is nothing more
frustrating, at 3:00am, than being unable to sleep and unable to distract
yourself by surfing the 'Net on your phone.
I remember, more than
once, sleeping in the waiting room that was down the hall from the ICU.
Unlike the wards, I couldn't stay the night with Mark, so I had to use a
really old reclining chair in a brightly lit room. No matter how tired one
gets, it's nearly impossible to sleep when someone you love is in a coma.
Reading
is a wonderful option and, believe me, I have worked my way through dozens
of novels since 2004. One amazing thing about the VA are the kiosks, all
over the place, with a huge selection of books. Believe it or not, a few
months ago I picked up a book to keep me entertained while we waited to
meet the oncologist, only to find I had read it before Mark's transplant
in 2004.
Still, nothing beats being able to send and receive
emails, IM your family and friends, and surf the web when you are
desperately trying to not think about where you're at and why you're there.
Don't forget to visit
JMark Afghans and
My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on
Squidoo that supports the
Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your
Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!
Jules
Give Me Strength!
Did you ever have one of those days where you throw up your arms, turn
your face to the sky/ceiling/heavens and cry
Give Me Strength!? If
not, I want your life! Otherwise, you know what I'm talking about.
You
are faced with or being bombarded by situations that are just too much.
It's not that they - individually - are that difficult. Not at all. The
problem is, they've all been waiting in the wings, chatting amongst
themselves, and biding their time until your guard was down. Then
all
of the insanity jumps out at you - at the same time.
Or maybe
you've had a situation here and a situation there that has weakened your
immunity to craziness. You aren't really poised over the sanity precipice,
waiting to fall into the dementia abyss; you're just a little stressed.
Suddenly, several crazy happenings appear out of nowhere, waving their
arms, screaming wildly, and charging directly at you and you realize the
only direction you can go is . . . over the edge.
Welcome to My
Life! Not just today or this week, month, or year - but for
nearly 5
years! I actually counted - in 61 days, my grip on sanity will have
been attacked, sometimes from several directions at the same time, for
1,825 days.
Don't forget to visit
JMark Afghans and
My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on
Squidoo that supports the
Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your
Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!
Jules
House Hunting
Just the other day, I saw a cute little house for sale. The location was
perfect: within walking distance of several local stores, a heartbeat from
Michael's school, and about 1/2 block from the freeway. It had a huge
paved area in front, nice yard in back, and chain-link fence surrounding
the property.
Before I even called the realtor, I was imagining
teak
patio furniture, desert landscaping, tearing off the hideous 'lean-to'
on the south side, and getting a puppy for Michael and Mark. My
imagination saw a huge kitchen with tons of counter space, 2 bedrooms, and
- blissfully - 2 bathrooms. Then, I talked to the realtor.
Suffice
it to say, the patio furniture and puppy are not in our immediate future
and that is one
delusional property owner.
Don't forget to visit
JMark Afghans and
My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on
Squidoo that supports the
Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your
Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!
Jules
Possible Identity Theft
I got an interesting letter in the mail this week. It seems that the
company I worked for, back in 2003, got hacked recently. Still
investigating the extent of the incursion, they wrote to warn me that my
personal information may have been stolen.
If that were the extent
of the letter, it probably would have been sufficient to alert me and I
could have taken steps to monitor my credit records. But my former
employer went far beyond a simple notification. They set up a
free,
one-year credit monitoring account for me - on their dime - that
includes $25,000 identity theft insurance and a team of fraud resolution
representatives, should there be a problem.
One of the reasons I
really liked this company was the way they treated employees. It's nice to
know that hasn't changed.
Don't forget to visit
JMark Afghans and
My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on
Squidoo that supports the
Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your
Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!
Jules
Faucet
I have got to find out where our apartment complex buys their fixtures. We
have had, at least, 4 different shower handles installed in the 4 years
that we've lived in our unit. For a couple of reasons, they have to be
buying really, really cheap.
First, the average price of a quality
bathroom
faucet would almost
prohibit them from affording so many frequent replacements. Second, if
they were buying quality, they wouldn't be doing so many replacements.
Mike
is tough on shower handles, but come on!
Don't forget to visit
JMark Afghans and
My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on
Squidoo that supports the
Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your
Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!
Jules
Bodybuilding Supplements
Years ago, my younger brother grew up - really, really grew up. Seemingly
overnight, he got tall and very muscular. So, after high school, he
decided to get into bodybuilding.
I remember that he took
bodybuilding
supplements, some sort of protein powder to help him build muscle.
Heaven only knows what was in it, but it certainly made a difference. Of
course, he lifted weights and worked out constantly, too. At one point,
his biceps were about as big as my thighs.
After all this time, I
don't recall if he ever competed. I do know that buying a suit became a
real challenge.
Don't forget to visit
JMark Afghans and
My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on
Squidoo that supports the
Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your
Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!
Jules
Swan Loses New Love, Returns to Old Love
Well, ladies and gents - it appears that our lonely, lovesick young lady
has been jilted. These fickle white swans. I tell you! It's just not
right! Get a woman's hopes up; start her thinking about a nest and little
cygnets - then, poof!
Luckily, the zoo in Muenster still had the
'address' of Petra's former love, who was faithfully 'pining' away on the
lake where they met. The two 'lovers' will be reunited on Friday.
Don't forget to visit
JMark Afghans and
My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on
Squidoo that supports the
Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your
Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!
Jules
Man Flees Mouse
Years ago, living in a small apartment with
zero closet space and a
huge kitchen with
zero counter space, I acquired a number of
non-rent-paying roomies. It's funny. I'd always thought that mice, in a
cage nibbling on a piece of carrot, were really cute.
They tend to
become less adorable when they're sharing your pillow and pulling at your
hair. Not my personal preference for an alternative wake-up alarm,
especially since the little critter had been crawling around in the wall
with the fiberglass insulation. I spent days trying to get the fiberglass
out of my arm and the side of my face.
An urgent call to my
landlord garnered me
very, as it turned out, useless advice - "Get
a cat!" The little black fur-ball with the angry gold eyes had only one
phobia. He was terrified of mice! Just the sound of scratching under the
sink would send him flying in the opposite direction.
Briefly, I
went the mousetrap route. Yecchh!! You've not lived until you've heard
that
'snap' and
'squeak' at 3:00AM. Trust me - it is not
conducive to sleep or peace of mind!
At a friend's suggestion, I
crammed steel wool in every gap, around every pipe in my kitchen - to no
avail. (Probably, given my luck, just trapped them all in the apartment.)
After spending an entire summer (without air conditioning) sleeping with
the oven and burners on high to discourage my 'roomies' from wandering in,
and watching my feline protector cower in a corner or cry to go outside -
I moved.
Don't forget to visit
JMark Afghans and
My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on
Squidoo that supports the
Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your
Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!
Jules
Budgeting
I read a headline, recently, that made me shake my head and laugh.
Apparently, people are now going to have to try this odd concept -
budgeting. Really? Well, some of us have been doing that our entire lives.
Growing
up in households that could barely make ends meet, Mark and I understand
the concept of stretching a dollar until it hurts. In my case, no matter
what my income was - or wasn't - able to cover, I still managed my
finances with a fairly strict budget. It's amazing what you can do.
For
example, I paid off a 60-month car loan in less than 48 months by
budgeting a few dollars extra each month and making the payment a few days
early. I didn't miss an extra five or ten dollars, and it made a HUGE
difference in the loan. It's almost embarrassing the collectibles and
sci-fi movies I was able to buy -
after covering rent (on a
2-bedroom-with-den apartment), utilities, food for 2 people, food and vet
bills for 4 cats, and car payments - while making less than $30K per year.
Do
you want to live a comfortable life? Learn to live within your means by
budgeting and choosing wisely.
Don't forget to visit
JMark Afghans and
My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on
Squidoo that supports the
Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your
Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!
Jules
Label World USA
One item that product-oriented businesses need is labels. Whether that
product is food, beverages, cosmetics, computers, appliances, or
furniture, labeling is critical to each business. A unique label sets a
company's products apart and, when it is designed well, grabs the
consumer's attention, resulting in increased sales.
Label World
offers a wide range of labeling options for a wide range of businesses.
Their
wine
label options, for example, have moved the industry from "glue and
apply" to pressure sensitive labels, allowing wineries to design labels
that spark customer interest. Different colored foils and
auto-application help a winery to differentiate individual wines and
speed up their production process.
This is a high-volume
production process, focused on businesses that need the flexibility to
design and create a truly customized product.
Don't forget to visit
JMark Afghans and
My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on
Squidoo that supports the
Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your
Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!
Jules
Sticker Shock
Slowly, over time, many of the items we purchase on a regular basis have
risen in price. By and large, with the exception of gasoline, not in
huge jumps; just pennies here and nickels there. One becomes blind to
the changes.
Today, I stopped by the old "dollar store" that I
frequented for years - before they moved down the street - and was
shocked by the changes. They still carry
some of the items that I
used to bring home on a regular basis - but at a 20% price increase.
Many of the things that I knew I could buy for less, aren't there
anymore. Probably because it's impossible for the owner to get them at a
price he can afford.
Our president claims that the economy
might
be in trouble.
Hey, George! Come shop with me on my budget!
Don't forget to visit
JMark Afghans and
My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on
Squidoo that supports the
Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your
Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!
Jules
Drug Treatment
Some of the more effective
drug
treatment programs go far beyond managed withdrawal and the
simplistic, Reagan-era "Just Say No" concept. They teach about the
nature of addiction; that it's not a product of an immoral nature,
weakness, or even personal choice. Addiction is a disease, with physical
and psychological roots.
One doesn't tell someone with Muscular
Dystrophy or Diabetes that if they tried harder or if they were a better
person, they wouldn't be sick. (Religious cuckoos, notwithstanding.)
It's critical to understand a disease, before attempting treatment.
Doctors don't put band-aids on compound fractures or give aspirin to
patients with ulcers, because they understand broken bones and bleeding
stomachs.
Successful drug rehab requires that patients and
clinicians understand - and appropriately treat - all of the underlying
causes and triggers. It takes time for bones to mend and ulcers to heal,
and it takes time and support to overcome addiction.
Don't forget to visit
JMark Afghans and
My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on
Squidoo that supports the
Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your
Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!
Jules
Performance Reviews
Whether you use
performance
reviews as an HR tool or as a part of product development, the process
can be a real pain. Designing and generating effective questionnaires,
distributing them to applicable employees and/or customers, tracking and
following up on completion and return, and compiling the responses into a
usable report is a lot of work. Arguably, more work than the information
is worth, in many cases.
What if there was a way to quickly
compile, distribute, and track such reviews without killing a forest or
manually setting and sending reminders? Well, there is. Take a look at
Halogen e360, ready-to-use straight out of the box, or fully customizable
to fit any situation.
Don't forget to visit
JMark Afghans and
My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on
Squidoo that supports the
Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your
Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!
Jules
Swan Finds New Love
This is just the sweetest story. A black swan at the zoo in Muenster,
Germany developed a fondness for a swan-shaped boat and refused to leave
its side. Rather than traumatize the swan, zookeepers brought her and the
boat in for the winter and let them continue to spend time together.
Sadly,
this spring, the boat has been jilted in favor of a male white swan, with
whom the young lady is building a nest.
Don't forget to visit
JMark Afghans and
My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on
Squidoo that supports the
Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your
Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!
Jules
Exercise Equipment
It's not that I'm, necessarily, against working out or getting in better
shape. I just don't like to sweat and, living in Arizona, that's not an
easy thing to avoid. Then, there's the fact that I tend to jump into
things with both feet and overdo.
Years ago, I had a set of free
weights (marketed as 'smart-bells') that constitute the only
exercise
equipment I have ever owned. Eventually, after spending several days
telling my youngest "Mommy can't pick you up, honey. Her arms don't work
anymore." I did manage to improve the condition of my upper torso and arms.
It
was, truth be told, not too bad. We had a flat coffee table that was the
perfect height and width to substitute for an exercise bench. I'd work
flat for the first few reps. Then, with a couple of books under one end
I'd work several reps head up and several reps head down.
I really
miss that coffee table.
Don't forget to visit
JMark Afghans and
My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on
Squidoo that supports the
Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your
Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!
Jules
Arthur C. Clarke
Sadly, we have lost a great scientific mind, as well as an amazing
science fiction writer today, with the death of Arthur C. Clarke.
Battling post-polio syndrome since the 1960s and often being forced to
use a wheelchair, Clarke's mind carried him out into space.
I was
familiar with many of his works of fiction, but didn't realize that "his
landmark technical paper "Extra-terrestrial Relays" in which he first
set out the principles of satellite communication with satellites in
geostationary orbits - a speculation realized 25 years later. During the
evolution of his discovery, he worked with scientists and engineers in
the USA in the development of spacecraft and launch systems, and
addressed the United Nations during their deliberations on the Peaceful
Uses of Outer Space." from
The
Arthur C. Clarke FoundationRest in peace, Sir Arthur.
Don't forget to visit
JMark Afghans and
My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on
Squidoo that supports the
Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your
Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!
Jules
Online Car Insurance
There are a lot of insurance companies that offer
online
car insurance quotes. Some even provide quotes from other companies on
their website. The TV ads assure consumers that they can save a bundle by
switching to this company or that. Yeah, right.
If I'm going to
shop and buy online, I want to use a site that has no vested interest in
my choice of company. How do I know that 'XYZ Insurance' is giving me a
valid quote from 'BCD Auto Coverage' and 'RU Insured, Inc.'? Yes, I could
go through the application process for each site, or call each company -
but isn't that what I'm trying to avoid?
Luckily, there are more
and more sites available that don't sell insurance themselves. They simply
provide a location where one can compare coverage and rates and, if
desired, purchase insurance. Much better.
Don't forget to visit
JMark Afghans and
My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on
Squidoo that supports the
Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your
Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!
Jules
If You Can't Play Nice . . .
Suffice it to say, I've seen a lot of candidates run for President in my
lifetime. Rarely have I seen the juvenile name-calling and outright
immature behavior that is characterizing the current election season.
Frankly, it's just ridiculous.
Does the media have to publish /
broadcast every single comment made by every single staffer for the
Democratic candidates? Just how much is too much information? My opinion
is that what we're getting now is far too much.
I certainly
wouldn't want to speak to the press, if I were a Clinton or Obama aide.
Don't forget to visit
JMark Afghans and
My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on
Squidoo that supports the
Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your
Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!
Jules
And This Was A Good Idea Why?
My heart breaks for this poor guy. He bought his fiance a $12,000
engagement ring. In an attempt to create a truly unique proposal, he had
the ring put into a helium balloon - thinking as he popped the question,
she'd pop the balloon.
Great concept, right? Except that, as he
left the store, the wind took the balloon out of his hands. Can you
imagine watching several thousand dollars just sail away on a breeze?
Even
better? Can you imagine finding a balloon with a diamond ring inside?
Because eventually the balloon will come down - somewhere.
Don't forget to visit
JMark Afghans and
My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on
Squidoo that supports the
Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your
Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!
Jules