As I have mentioned before, we changed webhosts and had some problems with our forms. I believed that everything was fixed - the subscription form works and the information request form works. (I know, because someone has been regularly spamming both forms!)
However, there is another form that may not be working. I've been getting blank messages, supposedly sent from a form on the website.
We offer a Reminder Service ~~ give us a list of your most-often-forgotten occasions and we'll send you timely reminders, along with (if you like) appropriate gift suggestions. This, being the only other form I can think of on the site, may be the one that has a problem. And I am looking into it.
If you use this form - or any of our forms - and don't receive a confirmation email from me, would you please let me know?
It's not often that I write about hunting. I do not believe in the indiscriminate, mindless (read: Sarah Palin) killing of furry creatures. But, I'm also a meat-eater and am quite fond of venison stew.
For those of you who do hunt, you know how important long-range vision is; not just for accuracy, but for safety. Unlike Dick Cheney, the average hunter isn't gunning for his fellow hunters and a good rifle scope (plus, common sense) can help reduce the risk of targeting something without an 8-point rack.
In honor of the beginning of bargain hunting season, take a gander at the Nikon Black Friday Promo. It's a tremendous deal on great equipment. And, just for this weekend, Nikon is extending the gift card promotion to their incredible line of binoculars.
If you're in the market, you really can't beat this offer.
Depending on where you live - rifle deer season is upon us. Do be careful out there!
I've worked for some good companies over the years. Some were fun and some were generous. None were as generous as this Illinois company.
In the midst of the stories about Wall Street and corporate greed, it was heart-warming to read about Peer Bearing Company's support of their employees. They are not the first company to pay year-end bonuses. But, I'm pretty sure, that no non-executives are lucky enough to get a check like these people did.
We used to call it profit-sharing, when I worked for a computer leasing company. But I can assure you - no organization I know has ever taken the term quite so literally.
There has been a lot in the news lately about complications from the use of various types of pain medication delivery systems. You've probably heard about the recall of Fentanyl pain patches. (Many of the patches had cuts, exposing patients to direct contact with the gel and magnifying the risk of overdose.)
Have you heard about the issues surrounding the use of a pain pump, common following shoulder surgery? Me, either.
Apparently, following arthroscopic shoulder surgery, a pain pump is routinely used to deliver controlled amount of local pain relievers, which are generally safer and offer fewer side-effects than narcotic anesthetics. The excessive release of medication by the pump is now being blamed for deterioration of the tissues in the shoulder joint, causing permanent pain and mobility loss.
I am forced to question why, after so many years of safe use, we're hearing about a 63% rate of over-medication and joint damage.
Everyone has their favorite Christmas-season movie - It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, some versions of A Christmas Carol, and White Christmas. Not to mention, the animated stories of Rudolph, the Grinch, and Charlie Brown that I've been watching since I was almost as small as the Peanuts gang.
At our house, we watch all of those (most years). But we have a couple that we - traditionally - have to see or it just isn't Christmas.
One of my must-see movies is Scrooged the manic remake of 'A Christmas Carol' starring Bill Murray and a cast of dozens. It's funny and, at the end, always makes me a little verklempt. If you haven't seen it - I won't spoil the ending. Suffice it to say that their take on 'Tiny Tim' always gets to me.
Now, Mark likes most of these movies. But his must-see is A Christmas Story. When I say must-see, I mean MUST-SEE!
We missed it one year and the holidays just weren't the same. I've gotta find a copy of that movie - this year!
I have designed reusable shopping bags at Zazzle, and own several myself. This is something I strongly believe in - fewer plastic bags being 'born' and 'dying' every day.
Today, I found a site that offers reusable promotional bagsmade from recycled materials! Isn't that amazing!? Not only are they not adding plastic to the dump heap, they're actually pulling some of the debris out and creating eco-friendly products.
It's easy to talk-the-talk. I appreciate a person - and a company - that walks-the-walk. (Not to mention, the bags look great!)
This is something that's peaked my curiosity - not enough to try it yet, but I'm curious nonetheless. A colon cleanse!
Now Wait! Before you run away - think about it.
For years, the story has been that the body doesn't completely or effectively eliminate toxins. Hence, the recommendation for fiber-rich diets, to keep things . . . ahem . . . moving along.
In these days of fast, highly-processed foods, we get less and less of the fiber and nutrients we need from our diet. I know that. You know that. So, what's wrong with swallowing a couple of pills to help nature take its course? Well . . .
No one is quite sure just how safe these 'cleansing' products are, to start with. Then, you have to look at the ingredients. One, for example, uses a shellfish extract. If you're allergic, you're going to lose more than toxins with that one.
Why not do what we did for years - eat a bowl of split pea soup, munch on some broccoli, or grab a handful of raspberries. They're all good sources of fiber.
I get emails from the Folgers Wakin' Up Club periodically. It's my favorite coffee, though I'll drink anything strong and coffee-like. ;-)
If you buy Folgers, you know that the resealable lid is the best - easy to open and close, and great seal. Now, what more could you ask for in a cookie jar? Okay, something that doesn't say Folgers on the side? Problem solved!
Check out these great design ideas: Snowmen, Ornaments, Sledding, Holiday Icons, Banners, or Bows. Not happy with any of those? Download a blank template and create your own design!
I already use my Folgers canisters for flour, sugar, and corn meal. Now I can put great stuff on the outside, too. Cool, huh?
It's something I keep threatening to start, in between everything else I've got going at any given moment. But, I'm lacking in inspiration - or I was.
Years ago, I had an idea for putting together all of the boys' stuff from school - menus from culinary trips, Valentine's Day cards, report cards, awards. You get the idea. But I didn't know where or how to start. I would imagine that's a common problem for beginners.
I'd also like to do something for Mark with all of the pictures from the hospital, before and after his transplant. We go through the pictures a lot, but it would be nice to have a book with notes and remembrances that he could pull out or show to friends.
Happily, I found a place with tons of supplies and, luckily for me, some great ideas. Who knows? I may get those books done one day, after all.
I was working, at BOTW.org, trying to find information about endangered species. There are a number of good pages and quite a number of bad pages. But there are not many that scream at me to share them with everyone I know.
The information is absolutely amazing! I found links to what they call, alternately, flagship species and umbrella species. It explains ecoregions, projects, and ways for us average peeps to take action.
But, what I just had to share was the section on, what they call, Camera Traps. These are places, around the world, where cameras with infrared sensors capture animals in their natural habitat. See incredible images from the Amazon, Sumatra, Cambodia, Indonesia, Costa Rica, and Panama.
So many species are in so much danger - thanks to humans. It's time to look these beautiful creatures in the eye and commit to their future, in any way we can.
After all, man is primarily responsible for the threats to their habitats, their food sources, and their - need I say it - lives.
Have you ever heard of an HDMI switch? I hadn't before today, but now I want one!
This is the coolest piece of hardware I've seen in a long time - and I do a lot of searching. In a nutshell, what it does is allow users to connect three sources of hi-def video and audio to a single display unit. Not impressed? Wait!
Imagine having your hi-def cable, gamestation, and DVD (or Blu-Ray) player all connected to your television. Wanna play a game? Switch (via remote) to the PS3. Ready to watch a DVD? Switch to the player. Wanna watch . . . Well, you get the idea.
I'm sure that there are other uses for an HDMI Switch, but - for me - this works!
I know that it's difficult to find reasons to be thankful this year. So, I decided to see what greater minds than mine had to say.
Can you see the holiness in those things you take for granted--a paved road or a washing machine? If you concentrate on finding what is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.
~ Rabbi Harold Kushner
May we never let the things we can't have, or don't have, or shouldn't have, spoil our enjoyment of the things we do have and can have. As we value our happiness let us not forget it, for one of the greatest lessons in life is learning to be happy without the things we cannot or should not have.
~ Richard L. Evans
I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and new.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
I am thankful for (in no particular order):
A loving man who makes me sandwiches when I forget to eat;
A fuzzy friend who rubs on my legs and purrs when I pet him;
Family that IMs me at 2:00am when I'm up and can't sleep;
Friends who send me wonderful email messages - just because;
Running water and indoor plumbing;
A soft bed and clean sheets;
Rain and sunshine;
and blessings too numerous to count.
May you - for at least this one day - know only the Blessings!
One of the problems we have with our computers is computing speed. With limited RAM, pages don't load as quickly; not to mention, running a couple of programs at the same time brings everything to a crawl.
We use a utility that recovers RAM and helps things run a bit quicker - for a while. To say the least, we need to upgrade our computer memory. How, in the world, do you do that? I started looking.
Oh, boy! what a mistake! Both the desktop and the laptop are 'previously-owned'. I had no idea what memory either one has or even how to find out. Then, I found a great site!
Simply download a temporary file. It reads the settings on the computer and presents 100% guaranteed-compatible options.
Zoo handlers in Northern Japan brought in a 'friend' to mate with their female polar bear. The two animals got along well, but the zookeepers started to notice some odd similarities.
After two DNA tests and a physical exam . . . oops! Apparently, although determined to be a male from the age of three months, Tsuyoshi just wasn't going to be that-kind-of-friend, after all.
Note to zookeepers: might wanna check these things out - early?!
As an active blogger, sometimes I really need a picture to break up the stream-of-consciousness writing in a post. You know what I mean - the perfect blog photo to create or enhance a mood or a thought.
Until recently, I had to already have the picture or stop what I was doing to hunt down what I wanted, save it to my computer, modify the size or quality, and upload it to my website. Then, I could - finally - add it to my post. Only to find out that the site where I found it didn't have the legal right to distribute the image and it had to come down.
At that point, the entire thought process was interrupted, at best; totally lost, at worst. Not even remotely a practical way to work. (And, make no mistake, some days blogging is a lot of work.)
Apparently, I'm not the only one who feels the need to streamline this process, because there is a site that has done all of the hard work for us happy bloggers. Just find the picture you want, copy, and paste. Voila!
Just look at these pictures! Aren't they amazing!? Even if I could take images of this quality - I don't exactly have access to polar bears in Arizona. Nor am I guaranteed flamboyant sunsets when I need them. Why try to do it all myself, when I can take advantage of someone else's skills?
I just did a quick browse on topics that I like - landscapes and animals - found the pictures that appealed to me; selected the alignment I wanted (left or right); picked an appropriate size; and clicked for the code. A quick Ctrl-V and the photo was added to this post.
Now, without further ado, I have three great pictures! And . . . it actually took less time to do it than it did to describe it.
True to their word, our wireless provider got my phone back up within 24 hours. I was pleasantly surprised - for about 20 minutes. Then, I got angry.
For years, we have had unlimited access (through what they call T-Zones) to online information. If our phones could support the set-up, we could get to it. Once I cancelled and reinstated my phone, we could no longer get thtis access.
Don't believe the T-Mobile commercials! Ever since Deutsche Telecom came in - value went out the window.
We've got two computers - a used Dell laptop (mine) and a rebuilt desktop (Mark's). You've probably read that parts of the laptop don't quite work - battery doesn't charge, AC connection is loose.
Well, the desktop has a couple of issues, too. Hence, I've been shopping for (among other things) video cards. Little did I know, many games don't work well unless the video card can support the speed of the graphics. I play games, you might have guessed, that aren't exactly graphics-intense, so it's never been much of an issue for me.
Sitting here, staring at a page of video card options, I'm glad that my needs are simpler. It's going to take me a while to figure this one out.
I can honestly say - for now at least - I've heard / seen it all!
There is a diet pill, just for women, that apparently can change more than your weight. This amazing bit of chemical technology not only helps you slim down, it can increase your bust size and improve your libido. All with just 2-3 pills, a couple of times a day.
Frankly, I used to wonder - looking at those before-and-after photos - how women managed to lose inches everywhere, while their bust got bigger. Not just bigger, either, these bustlines were - for lack of a better word - 'perkier', too!
Guess they knew something that I just learned - you can (apparently) do both!
I am a sucker for a funny story. What can I say? I love to laugh. Not a little laugh, either. I need, on a regular basis, one of those tears-rolling-down-your-cheeks, gonna-wet-my-pants belly laughs.
Today, I found Peter McKay and I haven't stopped laughing since. Okay . . . maybe while I was trying to catch my breath about 20 minutes ago. But that's it!
It's the little, commonplace occurrences in our lives that are the most aggravating. Waiting - anywhere - in line; the moron - in front of us - who waits until the light's turning red to make that left turn; telephone customer service reps - for the most part - who don't think and don't care. You get the idea.
However, if you turn your head to the side a little - gain a different vantage point - there's humor to be found in almost anything. (Well, anything where you have no major bleeding or loss of body parts.) I'm not above a little slapstick, either; like watching the cat try to turn and run on the newly waxed floors. Never fails to make me giggle.
I get this great newsletter from Care2.com: Healthy & Green Living. It's filled with great ideas for, you guessed it, healthy and green living. There are natural remedies, cleaning ideas, and great recipes - among other things. I highly recommend it.
Friday's issue included a link to a fantastic site. If you're worried about the food that you're feeding your pet, worry no more! Pet Promise has the answer to all of your questions. I was seriously impressed.
They promise (good word, eh?) no animal byproducts, no added growth hormones, no antibiotic-fed meat sources, no factory farm meats or poultry. Pet Promise also promise natural meat, chicken, or ocean-caught fish; and they know where the meat comes from, because they only work with ranchers who can guarantee that their animals were raised without hormones and antibiotics.
What's even more impressive - to this niece and granddaughter of family farmers - is that Pet Promise didn't intend to be a pet food company. The original goal of their work was to support family farmers and ranchers; the people committed, for generations, to standards of quality and sustainability and humane treatment of animals. You just don't get that from corporate - grow everything with chemical-enhancements in a cage - farms.
I grew up watching my cousins show cattle at the local fairs and helping my aunt collect eggs from the chicken coop. (If you've ever collected eggs, you know that hens don't share well with others.) Not to mention, steak-and-eggs (or fried chicken) dinners that were the best on the planet. My uncle grew corn for the cattle, that lived in the barn and roamed at will. The chickens were in a large coop, with a nesting area that had more room than the bathroom of our old studio apartment.
This is something that means a lot to me - supporting family farmers, healthy foods for us and our pets, and reducing the market for products that flood our systems with growth-hormones and dangerous additives.
For those of you who don't know the song from my Anniversary post, here are the lyrics:
I'll always remember the song they were playin',
The first time we danced and I knew,
As we swayed to the music and held to each other,
I fell in love with you.
Could I have this dance for the rest of my life?
Would you be my partner every night?
When we're together, it feels so right.
Could I have this dance for the rest of my life?
I'll always remember that magic moment,
When I held you close to me.
'Cause we moved together, I knew forever,
You're all I'll ever need
Could I have this dance for the rest of my life?
Would you be my partner every night?
When we're together, it feels so right.
Could I have this dance for the rest of my life?
Or, listen to the original - by Anne Murray from "Urban Cowboy":
Seven years ago I quit my job, sold my car, and moved to Arizona.
For those of you who didn't know - Mark and I met on UPOC in June of 2001. Over time, we fell in love and decided that we wanted to be together. But a lot of things happened before we managed to do more than just talk on the phone.
Mark's daughter got married in September 2001 - at the same time as the funeral for his oldest sister. I remember asking him to have a dance, with a tall blonde woman, and pretend it was with me. There was a country song, "Could I Have This Dance?", that made me cry each time I heard it, because I wanted to be the one dancing with the man I loved.
It wasn't too many days, or so it seemed, and we woke up to the Twin Towers being attacked and falling down.
As a pet owner, okay as a person owned by a pet, I live in fear that my baby will have an emergency that I cannot afford. (Given that I can only occasionally afford food, this is a pretty safe assumption.)
Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission
If your pet had an emergency, would you be able to pay for it? Veterinary emergency care can be very costly and most emergency hospitals require payment up front. Lack of sufficient funds can leave an owner faced with euthanasia for a beloved companion. The Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission (VEFM) helps locate these funds.
A 'friend' of mine, with years of veterinary experience, understands the fear that many of us face. In 2004, our cat 'Bear' developed a bowel blockage that eventually, painfully, killed him. If we had been able to have him fixed, we would have reduced the probability that he would develop this condition.
If you need help - or if you can help - please visit VEFM.org.
I love this site - I get to pick a game every month for $6.99 - since I joined the Game Club.
Before you complain that it's a lot - consider that most websites, including BigFishGames, charge a standard $20.00 per game, outside a club membership. And, I haven't noticed any great clubs at the other sites I love. Oberon Media and GameHouse, where I used to buy games, don't have any more games. And . . .
I would be willing to guess, because of the volume of members, BigFish has some great games that I haven't been able to find anywhere else.
Gotta run! There's a new game just waiting for me to download and play!
Recently, I posted about websites touting diet pills and the questionable information that some of them offer. If you missed the post, my biggest gripe - and major concern - is the sites that say "you should take diet pills" without also recommending consultation with a physician.
I'd like to tell you about a site that discusses safety, testimonials, money-back guarantees, weight loss potential, and overall value. There's a best diet pill page that covers all of these issues, by product. It is better than a number of other sites. But . . .
Like many people, I have an issue with any item that has a name similar to Anorexia or that contains any of the phen... ingredients. The links to product sites provide rather frightening claims and statistics.
One claims that a user lost 12 pounds in 72 hours - an extremely (if true) unhealthy weight loss. Generally, losses in that range are mostly water, but - given my experience with diuretics - it is still far too much, far too quickly. If the balance isn't right, the body can suffer severe potassium / sodium imbalances.
Another touts its primary ingredient as a mood enhancer and appetite suppressant, that is legal - as of right now. Not the most encouraging recommendation in my book.
Be careful! Five years ago, I almost lost Mark to excessive weight loss due to overprescribed diuretics.
And, please, understand that healthy weight loss - as described by most physicians - does not exceed 2 pounds per week. If you need or want to lose more than that - please consult a physician.
Now, this is fun. I've been in and out of the Las Vegas Greyhound station many times, traveling to see my kids. It's not the greatest neighborhood in Vegas, to say the least. Honestly, I have always wondered where the bus station is located in comparison to the Strip and all of the famous casinos.
Today, I found a great map of the Las Vegas strip and finally got my answer - many, many miles north of the 'fun stuff' on the boulevard. Not surprising, given what I saw in and around the station.
What did surprise me was the number of casinos - almost on top of each other - in the few short miles that make up the Strip. Some day, I'm going to head south and get a good look at all of the casinos. Like my mother, I'm not interested in gambling. But I can't resist the glitz and lights.
Can you imagine how many hundreds of thousands of communities would be able to survive for years on the electricity expended on any given day in Las Vegas?
If you're like me, the first time you heard of Plantar Fasciitis was in one of several really odd scenes from "The In-laws". In a nutshell: To escape a murderous criminal, Albert Brooks' character - a mild-mannered podiatrist - grabs and applies pressure to the heel of the bad guy (who suffers from Plantar Fasciitis), effectively bringing him to his knees in excruciating pain.
Okay, it was a really bad movie; no question. But it did make me curious about this condition. Oddly enough, I think that I had a minor case in my youth - standing for hours on concrete floors for different jobs and wearing extreme heels - I developed an incredibly painful foot condition in the heel and arch area of both feet. Some of the products I've seen online look as though they would have helped me a great deal.
One of the things I had to do, frequently, was hyperextend the front of my foot in order to relieve the tension and pain at the heel. I see that there are a number of splints available that do the exact same thing, allowing the sufferer to relax and sleep. It's difficult to rest when you're trying to keep a foot (or both feet) flexed.
It doesn't really matter where we learn, as long as we learn.
I cannot believe that I forgot to post this! We have a new bathroom faucet! And it's beautiful! (to paraphrase Stephen Sondheim)
The manager came through a few weeks ago - inspecting the condition of the apartment - and I mentioned that we were thinking of getting a new bathroom faucet; would that be a problem?
If I'd known what was about to ensue, I'd have kept my big mouth shut.
She ensured us that they could replace it, though it was a low priority. Honestly, it probably wouldn't have happened at all, except . . . we developed a leak under the kitchen sink and, while they were messing with that, it was a good time to replace the bathroom faucet . . . except it wasn't.
Apparently, the building and it's fixtures are older than Methuseleh. (We weren't surprised.) When maintenance attempted to turn the water off under the kitchen sink, they found other problems.
No big deal - they'd just replace the bathroom sink faucet and the shower handle, and come back in a couple of days - after they alerted the complex that the water would have to be turned off for an hour or so. Nope - not gonna happen!
Amazingly, the same plumbing problem with the kitchen sink existed under the bathroom sink -- and in the shower!
To make a long story shorter, all of the plumbing problems were resolved; we got our new bathroom faucet and shower handle! All is right with the . . .
Oh, crap! The kitchen sink is still leaking!
Maintenance (and Mark, in whom I have much more trust) are quite sure it's the kitchen faucet. An order is placed; in a few days the faucet will be replaced.
Ummmm. We're still waiting.
Perhaps - when our kitchen falls into the kitchen below us - they'll remember us. Who knows?
It's shopping season, so it's time to find the perfect gift for everyone on that shopping list. Not so easily done. Which is why I'm always on the lookout for something a little different; something special.
I stumbled across a sports gifts site and got really excited. When I moved to Arizona, I left behind all of my Minnesota Vikings paraphernalia. I really miss my jackets!
Well, the site wasn't what I expected, but I'd be willing to bet that these blankets, pillows, towels, and wall hangings are just what a lot of people are looking for. Personalize items for your local team or your favorite PeeWee player. They even have items for Curling fans! Way cool!
I did find the NFL items and - knowing me - will probably be back. Can't have enough Vikings, Bengals, and Buccaneers goodies!
In all fairness, those aren't afghans. Blankets, yes. Afghans, no.
I've made no secret of the fact that I thought Sarah Palin was a poor choice and, as we watched, proved that she couldn't function well under pressure; that she had limited knowledge of the structure of our government; and just really doesn't get it. 'It' covers a lot of ground.
What bothers me most is Sarah Palin's minimal acquaintance with veracity. Take the issue of the clothes - I find it impossible to believe that she wasn't involved in the selection and purchase of all of this clothing. The items that she (and possibly her family) were wearing after a certain point required fitting. This means that Palin, at least, was present when the clothing was purchased so that she could try on the outfits.
Sizes are not the same from one clothing line to another. Trust me! What I could wear in a size 8 from one designer might be a 10 in another. (And if you believe I've worn a size 8 in the last 35 years, then I have a great career in politics!) At the very least, clothing was taken from stores on consignment, Palin tried them on, and the ones that didn't fit were returned.
This is a minor matter about which to be untruthful. What, heaven help us, is to come if she is allowed out of Alaska?
There are a number of sites which have devoted themselves to exploring what Sarah Palin says, versus the truth. Google "Sarah Palin Truths" and read on.
We all have shopping stories - confessions, if you will. For instance, I used to tell my second husband, when he asked if an outfit or piece of jewelry was new, that "I have had this forever! You never notice anything!"
Now, confession is not only good for the soul; it's good for the wallet!
eBillMe, the company that offers the convenience of online shopping without credit, is sponsoring the Shopping Confessions Contest! It couldn't be easier - just get creative, publish your shopping confession, and you could win part of the $1,500.00 in monthly prizes.
Get Creative! Friends and family can help, but only one person can register each video or text story. Upload your video or post your text to YouTube. Register at the Contest site, follow the directions, and post your confessions.
Shop a lot? Have a lot of confessions? Not a problem! Hollywood thrives on sequels, and so can you. Video or write about all of your guilty (or not-so-guilty) shopping pleasures - the only restriction is that each entry must be entered and registered separately.
Don't forget to check the rules! There aren't that many, but there are a few must do's.
While you're registering - let's show the blogging world that JMark Afghans, etc. has the greatest readers anywhere and everywhere! When you register, just add http://www.jmarkafghans.com/pages/blog.htm to the "URL" field and let everyone know how you found the contest.
Who knows? Maybe we'll all win! Heaven knows - we all shop a lot!
I've been writing about weight loss pills quite a bit lately. In the beginning, because I was researching ways to lose weight. More recently, because I found that there are some questionable sites out there, masquerading as help.
My suggestion would be to read - carefully - the information provided on any website. Ideally, it should be objective and unbiased. For me, alarms go off when I read recommendations that people of a certain weight should take weight loss pills. Many times this advice isn't coming from medical professionals; nor does it include advice to consult with a physician before starting any drastic weight loss program.
The sites that say - This is what this pill claims. This is what it contains. This is what customers have experienced. These are the known side effects and risks. - give me confidence that they aren't trying to push me in any particular direction.
Any site which states, for example, that you should take Hoodia - without any additional information on contraindications and the need for medical consultations isn't doing their job. Individuals with diabetes, high blood pressure, a bleeding or clotting disorder, or an eating disorder are strongly advised to see their physician before taking this supplement.
Any site which insists broadly "our products work" - strikes me as less than honest and reliable. Many items do work, for some people; many items don't work, for some people. If the site that you're exploring doesn't mention that - clearly and plainly - question their motives.
Me? I'm taking a good long look at my diet and activity levels. Still haven't found a pill that doesn't make me a little nervous.
Honestly, I don't eat chocolate (or any sweets) on a regular basis. It's a habit I developed years ago when I was having serious problems with my blood sugar levels. My pancreas works a bit too well and overcompensates for sugary foods. But brisk walks? Maybe for nicotine cravings, although . . .
First, I'd have to take a shower, which generally involves a 3 hour wait for hot water and a mad scramble to finish before the warm water does. This exercise in frustration is followed by 40 minutes detangling my hair, 30 minutes lotioning 6 feet of arms and legs, and . . .
aw hell! I just lit a cigarette!
Then, I have to dig through the closet to find something to wear - something that's clean (eliminate 50% of the closet), that fits (there goes another 40%), that suits the weather (kiss 8% goodbye). Now . . .
aw hell! I just lit a cigarette!
See? Brisk walks are just a bad idea! And I haven't even found my shoes, yet.
If you've been following this blog, you know that I recently changed webhosts. There was a brief adjustment period where I had to learn how to make my forms and pages work with the new host. I'm still learning - or should I say, unlearning.
But, minor disconnects notwithstanding, I am much happier with GoDaddy.com than I was with my previous host. For a number of reasons:
I don't have to use a stand-alone FTP program to manage my files and folders. GoDaddy provides a good one with my account. And, unlike many other programs, I can move files from Folder A on my hard drive to Folder B on my website, without having to change global settings. Most of the time, I need to upload/download to the same folder name. But when I want to move the files within non-matching folders, I can - easily.
GoDaddy allows me to specify which folders are visible and accessible on the Internet. If someone goes looking at my directories, they can only see what I want them to see. There's even an option to password protect those directories, for further security against outside changes. Gotta love that!
My account email options are huge! I can have a slew of domain-related email addresses and specify how messages are routed. For example, if someone sends an email to customer_service@jmarkafghans.com, which doesn't actually exist, I can have the email routed to customerservice@jmarkafghans.com and send an automated response to the sender that alerts them to the correct address. Once it's set up, I don't have to bother with it again.
Another goodie that I just love - Google Webmaster Tools are included. Now, I don't have to use separate software and login to generate sitemaps and update Google on my site content. I'm lazy - this is great!
Probably the best thing about my new webhost is the price and flexible payment options. With my previous host, I couldn't pay early; I couldn't pay for 2 or more months at a time, if I wanted to; and I payed more per month for the inconvenience.
GoDaddy.com has a variety of packages for individuals and businesses, at highly competitive rates. And - right now - you can even save $5.00 !
I am posting the Defenders of Wildlife MySpace Bulletin in it's entirety (you'll have to click the link to see the comments) because I just can't say it any better than they do.
Please stop this Bush/Cheney (might I add Palin) insanity:
In its last throes, the Bush/Cheney Administration has launched yet another attack on wolves in Greater Yellowstone -- re-packaging a proposal that could lead to the slaughter of as many as 1,000 of America’s most iconic wild animals.
Tell the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that our wolves deserve a lasting future in the American West.
Take action now at http://action. defenders. org/1008nrwolvesact
After several bloody months of wolf killing in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, a federal judge ruled that the Bush Administration’s original proposal to remove Endangered Species Act protections for the region’s wolves was flawed and reinstated federal protections until the Administration came up with a better plan.
Now the Bush Administration is launching a last-ditch attempt to re-package and ram through a plan that could lead to the slaughter of as many as two-thirds of the wolves that live in the Greater Yellowstone area.
Don’t let them get away with it.
Urge federal officials to come up with a plan that ensures responsible and balanced management of our wolves.
In the last two years, caring people like you have sent tens of thousands of messages, made thousands of calls, and donated to help us fight the Bush/Cheney Administration and their allies in court, educate the public and support wolf-saving efforts in the field.
We need your help again now more than ever and we don’t have much time.
The Bush Administration is only accepting public comments until Friday, November 28th, so please take action now to stop this audacious 11th-hour sneak attack on our wolves at:
I've been playing around on FaceBook recently. It's actually a great way to keep up with friends, as long as they have pages. Even better, it's a great way for You to talk to Me - about JMark Afghans.
As much as I love all of the pages and sites that I've developed for JMark Afghans, I think the FaceBook page is a great deal of fun. I just created a few topics for the discussion board and can't wait to see who stops by with comments and questions.
Even if you don't have questions, stop by and become our Fan, post a Review, or just leave a Comment! We can't wait to see you!
If you'll recall from my last post, I mentioned that we are short on floor space. What I didn't explain is that we are overrun by computer desk. This thing is huge!
A couple of nights ago, Mark crossed his legs and snapped the keyboard shelf out. He's got it fixed, but it tends to pop out rather easily now. So - you know me - I went shopping. (After all, we need to come up with a Christmas gift for the house, don't we?)
Personally, I love shopping for office furniture! There are so many great things in a wide range of styles and prices.
I'm thinking that a smallish desk, plus filing cabinet and wall-hung storage unit would give us the same size work area, but with a much smaller footprint. Just what we need. Not to mention, it would be wonderful to have a desk that the boys haven't torn apart.
Realistically . . . I'll probably just replace the keyboard tray. For now.
Well, it's Fall and I've got the urge to rearrange, redo, and clean-up. Since we have absolutely no room to change where the furniture goes, I started looking at webpages.
It all began with a music playlist on our MySpace page. The silly thing took forever to load and then - much to my dismay - listed the same song 5 times, instead of listing the 5 songs I'd chosen. While I was fixing that problem, I started looking at the format - which hasn't been updated in forever. Unfortunately, I lost the contact tables that I had on the old page. But I do like the new look.
As I was cleaning and sprucing up the MySpace page, I ran across a template for Random Musings that I'd started a while back, but never implemented because IE doesn't play nice. Flushed with confidence from MySpace, I decided to update this blog format. Foolish, foolish woman!
The Firefox version was, pretty much, a piece of cake. And I was congratulating myself when I realized that IE is never that easy. Sure enough - my little rearranging project turned into a serious remodel. It's done now, but until I develop magical powers - I am not messing with multiple columns . . .
I don't know if you've been reading the election follow-up stories. There are a lot of them; from both sides.
McCain supporters are desperately searching for a scapegoat, without actually looking too closely at the Republican party and eight years of bad choices. It's easy to blame Bush, but members of the GOP didn't question or challenge him at the time. So, suck it up people. You had your chance.
What has actually amazed me, in what I've been reading, is the common theme; one word repeated over and over again. Relief!
I first heard the word from my daughter, shortly after we listened to the concession and victory speeches. We both cried that night. I'm not sure why I was moved to tears; it started with McCain's speech and just grew through Obama's. Looking back, it makes sense.
We have been living on the edge of a precipice - financial struggles, two unwinnable wars, and a two-year high-pressure presidential campaign. Inundated with speeches, media hype, lies and half-truths was nothing compared to the fear that McCain/Palin would be given 4 years to complete the destruction of our country. I, like millions of Americans, was terrified by the possibilities.
Seeing the numbers come in, slowly and steadily putting Obama in the White House, one could hardly feel anything but relief.
God Bless America and God Help Obama. He's gonna need it.
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With all that I've heard in the news recently about the non-existence of the Holocaust, this is a post that I felt compelled to publish.
If you've seen "The Sound of Music" - Germany annexed Austria in March, 1938. Germany had not yet allied with Italy or attacked Poland. Those events happened in 1939.
May 3, 1938: The Flossenbürg concentration camp opens in Bavaria, Germany, near the Czech border.
May 24, 1938: The German Nuremberg Laws are extended into Austria, with the effect of having all Jew-authored and remotely anti-Nazi books removed from Austria libraries and bookstores.
July 2, 1938: Nearly 40,000 Austrian Jews are taken into protective custody.
July 21, 1938: Legislation is passed in Germany requiring identity cards for Jews.
October 27/28, 1938, the family of Herschel Grynszpan and more than 15,000 other Jews (originally from Poland) were forcibly transported out of Germany in boxcars and left at the Polish border. Grynszpan and his family end up in Paris.
November 7, 1938: The 17-year-old Grynszpan shoots a member of the German Embassy staff, Ernst vom Rath, in retaliation for the treatment of his family at the hands of the Nazis.
November 9, 1938: Ernst vom Rath dies of his wounds.
1938 WWII timeline
This was a perfect opportunity for the Third Reich. In response to the killing, (this was also used as a way to blame Jews for what happened) orders were issued throughout Germany (and other Nazi-controlled areas) to incite, encourage, and not interfere with attacks against synagogues and Jewish-owned properties.
KRISTALLNACHT – THE NOVEMBER 1938 POGROMS
Seventy years ago, on November 9–10, 1938, the Nazis staged vicious pogroms—state sanctioned, anti-Jewish riots—against the Jewish community of Germany. These came to be known as Kristallnacht (now commonly translated as “Night of Broken Glass”), a reference to the untold numbers of broken windows of synagogues, Jewish-owned stores, community centers, and homes plundered and destroyed during the pogroms. Encouraged by the Nazi regime, the rioters burned or destroyed 267 synagogues, vandalized or looted 7,500 Jewish businesses, and killed at least 91 Jewish people. They also damaged many Jewish cemeteries, hospitals, schools, and homes as police and fire brigades stood aside. Kristallnacht was a turning point in history. The pogroms marked an intensification of Nazi anti-Jewish policy that would culminate in the Holocaust—the systematic, state-sponsored murder of Jews.
Explore the Online Exhibition » (Reprinted from: The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)
Orders were given:
From Heinrich Müller to all Gestapo offices - transmitted at 11:55 p.m., November 9, 1938:
1) Actions against Jews, especially against their synagogues, will take place throughout the Reich shortly. They are not to be interfered with; however, liaison is to be effected with the Ordnungspolizei to ensure that looting and other significant excesses are suppressed.
2) So far as important archive material exists in synagogues this is to be secured by immediate measures.
3) Preparations are to be made for the arrest of about 20,000 to 30,000 Jews in the Reich. Above all well-to-do Jews are to be selected. Detailed instructions will follow in the course of this night.
4) Should Jews in possession of weapons be encountered in the course of the action, the sharpest measures are to be taken. Verfugungstruppen der SS as well as general SS can be enlisted for all actions. Control of the actions is to be secured in every case through the Gestapo. Looting, larceny etc. is to be prevented in all cases. For securing material, contact is to be established immediately with the responsible SD...leadership. Addendum for Stapo Cologne: In the Cologne synagogue there is especially important material. This is to be secured by the quickest measures in conjunction with SD.
This is just one early example of the intent and practice of the Third Reich against Jews. If you look at the timeline link, you'll see that Britain and France and the United States were informed and aware of the activities of the German military. By and large, their response was to offer Hitler territories around the world in exchange for his not attacking closer targets. History tells us how well that worked.
If you are not familiar with this period in history - please review the links provided. If you are familiar with the early Hitlerian years, please share with everyone you know.
As long as we allow people - anywhere in the world - to claim that it never happened, the chances that history will repeat itself increase exponentially!
Well, for another year - we had zero goblins grace our door. In fact, over the 7 years that we have lived here, we only had any Halloween visitors one year - and that was management's kids.
There are quite a few youngsters - judging by the noise level out my front window - living here right now. So I was surprised to hear no knocks last night. Of course, the fact that we are now gated and it would take Houdini to get in here after hours might have a little something to do with it!
Guess I'll just have to share the candy with . . . ME! Yum, yum, yum!
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