When I glance at my gallery!

 

I take such pride in my gallery of pictures from Picasso. It's such fun for me to select the one I want and insert it into my blog. It's so much more interesting for me to look at my own pictures of people in my life than going to a museum.

Everyone one of these pictures have deep meaning for me and it makes me feel good just to look at them.

I'm never quite sure how it'll look on this page but this computer is just amazing.

Jeff and Donna adopt Lucy

 
I had no idea

I had no idea that adopting a pet from Animal Shelter entailed such scrupulous researching. You must make application for a pet and then if they think you're a good candidate, they come and interview you and inspect your home and yard.

I guess if you fail this exam you don't get a pet. But luckily Jeff and Donna passed with flying colors...and the day finally arrived for them to meet with 60 beagles to see which one they would really bond with.

Well, you see Lucy's picture and she is now a member of the family.

I love a beagles sad eyes...like begging you to love them.

I know in my heart of hearts that Lucy has found a wonderful home with my grownup children...and many wonderful hours will be spent bonding with Lucy and training her.

That is a tremendous job that requires tons of patience but she looks intelligent....so, Jeff and Donna, have fun

 
The Man In My Life-Henry!
After reading my heading, anyone who knows me is really curious by now. Is Hilda leading a double life.

Fact is Henry is my constant companion who speaks to me, and he's very controlling. He tells me where to go and I'm under his spell, so I take direction from him.

He's a friendly enough fellow until you get him riled up and he has to recalculate.

Okay, enough cutsy stuff. Henry's my GPS that I carry in my car because I'm directionally-challenged.

Only thing is, whenever I go out, my friends always want to do the driving. First thing when we move from A Court to Nesting Way, his distinctive voice is bossing us whether to go left or right.
My friends, for some eerie reason, always do the opposite of what he tells them to...and we're off to a bad start.

When we get on to Military Trail, his agitated voice is still whining that we're to turn around...going the incorrect way.

Now, if I were behind the wheel, I would obey him. I try to tell my driver friend that she should really give Henry a chance to prove himself but to no avail.

My friends have minds of their own....so does Henry! I'm the only one who doesn't.

I have yet to venture out into the world with just my little robot friend and listen intently to what he has to say. Ruth and I were going to Two Jays a deli for dinner. It's very new so it hasn't even been entered into Henry brain cells. When I programmed the directional, I had no address so I just put in Congress and Old Boynton Beach. Well, when it finally realized we weren't following a word...it just gave up.

It uttered in a quarulous tone...fine any place you want to park and drive safely. Then it shut down! Nothing more heard! Rejected! I felt so badly that I stuffed him in my purse to hide and sulk!

If I get lost...it's not my fault. It's all on his shoulders...and I'll think..so much for technology. Not my problem.



.

A stick horse!

I'm reading a book and it mentioned this poem. It conjured up a lot of childhood memories. Whoever is readI'm reading a book and it mentioned this poem. It conjured up a lot of childhood memories.

Whoever is reading this, I wonder if you had to learn it too.

It talks about an old lady...maybe in another life I was that 'old lady'. This was written back in the 1600's..........and this silly verse has lasted all these many years.
Somewhere in my house, I do have a picture of it....if not, it's in my mind.

Jeff could not possibly remember this...probably his first homemade toy.

Thanks for the memories. I guess our minds our kind of like a computer, stored up information, much of it useless, but every so often, it just pops to the surface and a memory flashes and it makes me feel good.
ing this, I wonder if you had to learn it too. It talks about an old lady...maybe in another life I was that 'old lady'. This was written back in the 1600's..........and this silly verse has lasted all these many years. Somewhere in my house, I do have a picture of it....if not, it's in my mind. Jeff could not possibly remember this...probably his first homemade toy. Thanks for the memories. I guess our minds our kind of like a computer, stored up information, much of it useless, but every so often, it just pops to the surface and a memory flashes and it makes me feel good.

Getting ready!

Yesterday the tree surgeons were around...very busy! They were chopping down any low hanging branch that may come swinging or break off during a hurricane.

This morning I went out to put my trash near my car and this massive truck with many parts came to not just pick up all these tree-branches...but to demolish them in this state-of-the-art truck...3 different parts to it.

The men fed the enormous branches in...it chewed it up...and then spew it into the main truck.

A massive meat grinder...or on a modern level a paper shredder. So..everything that goes around...comes around. Originally the paper was made from wood products...and now it's being ground up and it will make wonderful compost....or furniture.

When I was young we had to recite this poem...Irving Berlin takes credit for writing it...but this was written long before he came along.

It's called "Woodman"

More about GPS

Our ancestors had to go to pretty extreme measures to keep from getting lost. They erected monumental landmarks, laboriously drafted detailed maps and learned to read the stars in the night sky.
Shopping for a GPS receiver?Compare GPS receiver prices at Consumer Guide Products before you buy.
Things are much, much easier today. For less than $200.00, you can get a pocket-sized gadget that will tell you exactly where you are on Earth at any moment. As long as you have a GPS receiver and a clear view of the sky, you'll never be lost again.




If you're lost, a GPS reciever can help you find your way back. Watch as Marshall Brain explains how GPS recievers work.
-->
When people talk about "a GPS," they usually mean a GPS receiver. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is actually a constellation of 27 Earth-orbiting satellites (24 in operation and three extras in case one fails). The U.S. military developed and implemented this satellite network as a military navigation system, but soon opened it up to everybody else.
Photo courtesy NASANAVSTAR GPS satellite
Each of these 3,000- to 4,000-pound solar-powered satellites circles the globe at about 12,000 miles (19,300 km), making two complete rotations every day. The orbits are arranged so that at any time, anywhere on Earth, there are at least four satellites "visible" in the sky.
Photo courtesy U.S. Department of DefenseArtist's concept of the GPS satellite constellation
A GPS receiver's job is to locate four or more of these satellites, figure out the distance to each, and use this information to deduce its own location. This operation is based on a simple mathematical principle called trilateration. Trilateration in three-dimensional space can be a little tricky, so we'll start with an explanation of simple two-dimensional trilateration.
Shopping for a GPS receiver?
Compare GPS receiver prices at Consumer Guide Products before you buy.

. As long as you have a GPS receiver and a clear view of the sky.
So...I ordered a home phone charger (thanks to Virginia's help) and I found out it takes 7 to 8 hours to fully charge. Then I program it to where I'm going....and I'm in business.

Where oh where shall I venture!!!!! As long as I have gas in the car and a credit card...and oh, it's charged....I can go..go..go!

I'm giving up too soon!

Our ancestors had to go to pretty extreme measures to keep from getting lost. They erected monumental landmarks, laboriously drafted detailed maps and learned to read the stars in the night sky. NOw this thing works with about 8 satellites which I can't fathom. I'll have to do more research.


Virginia phoned the company and they said it takes about 7 or 8 hours to charge....but we could order a charger on line for $20 plus $5.00 shipping. So...now all my problems are solved.

Just waiting for the UPS man to deliver it!-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Are compasses becoming obsolete?

My kids came to visit recently and they brought with them a new toy...and boy was I ever impressed.

It was a GPS....a directional with a voice actually telling you which way to go..what turns to make...even if you've gone too far to turn back.

They wanted me to show more of an interest in this while they were here...but they were also giving me classes on my computer...and the old brain can only absorb so much...and then I reach my capacity.

So..it's been a few weeks since they left, and since I'm directionally-challenged, I figured this is a 'must have' for me. Maybe I'll get more courage to venture out into the world...and maybe even go to Boca.

So, my friend Virginia and I trot off to Circuit City where they have them for $200. They had many other models...but I just needed basics. How to get where I'm going...and then to get me back home again.

Jeff's had 2 extension cords. One for charging inside the house...and the other to put in the used-to-be cigaret lighter.

The salesman programmed it for our return trip....and we were both duly impressed. Then in the evening when I went to inspect my purchase and study on usage, I discovered it only has one cord for the car...nothing for the house.

So..I took a half hour drive to charge it up...and it barely charged...died immediately.

Does this mean that I would need to drive 100 miles somewhere to find out where I'm going...so I can get it charged.

I don't think so. I never ever return things....but tomorrow is return day at Circuit City. I think they charge a fee for returns...but it's no good the way it is.

I still love the notion of it though!

And I thought it was going to be a bad day!

When I glanced out my sliding door onto my patio today, I noticed that the hose holder had pulled away from the stucco wall. It held for 19 years and how did it happen to fall out now. I wasn't using my hose even...and so it just gave!

Then as I was emptying my dishwasher, I noticed that a plastic juice glass had fallen thru the rack and melted onto a rod in the back. I tried jiggling it but to no avail. It's glued there. I wouldn't even mind if I thought that it wouldn't affect the washing of the dishes.

But I really won't know until I try to wash another load of dishes.

Then I had an appointment to have my teeth cleaned...and I know that things fall into a pattern of 3 so I was deep in thought as I walked from my car to the dentist's office...and all of a sudden a young man who had just gotten off a motorbike spoke to me. He said what a pretty color you're wearing. My pant suit is a fluorescent green and against my very dark skin, I guess I must have had a shocking effect on him.

Anyway, I told him he made my day....and he really did.

And everything went great in the dentist's chair. Nothing unexpected.

The Circus Comes to Town

Why do I write this blog? For me...yes, when you live alone and you have lots of thoughts in your mind, sometimes it's good to put
the words down. It used to be you'd write it in a notepad with a pen. Today, I can type it effortlessly on my computer.

I'm reading a number one best seller "Water for Elephants" and it's sure bringing back a lot of memories. I guess that's what good reading is all about...triggering thoughts.

This is about a circus and I recall when the circus came to town...and the schoolchildren would be dismissed so that we could watch the parade with the elephants leading. This had a sadness to it also. Featured would be people who were born with deformities...dwarfs...people with 2 heads..fat lady..tallest person.


When they were born, their parents knew that this was the only way they could make a living the rest of their lives.

Anyway...all these years later I'm remembeing a highlight of my childhood...and that's good too!

So this is how it all began...interesting!

Today when we want to hear music..we either sing in the shower...turn on a CD...or listen to video which I still enjoy. When I was a young depression-age child, we used to take a piece of toilet paper on a comb and make harmonica sound music. Also if you were very gifted, you would take a thick blade of grass and make music. YOu can actually hear the music below. Just click on the picture. What magic



But there had to be a beginning....a start....and here it is.

LIsten! It's not exactly a synthesizer. I'm sure that back then many cavemen enjoyed this.

I consider myself so lucky for having been born in this time slot.

clipped from www.ponderabout.com

The Oldest Musical Instrument

check out the video below to see and hear
the bone flutes

the world’s oldest intact, playable, multi-note
musical instrument is a bone flute, carved from
the wing bone (ulna) of a red-crowned crane

six such flutes were found in 1999 at the
early Neolithic excavation site of Jiahu,
located in China’s Henan province

using carbon-14 dating, scientists at the
Brookhaven National Laboratory estimated
the flutes’ ages to be in the range of
7,000 to 9,000 years

more detailed information, from Nature Magazine,
can be found here

If you were born in the 1960s or 70s, you remember the Etch-A-Sketch®. It was the cool, amazing, must-have drawing toy for kids. It seemed like every kid had one. Today the Etch-A-Sketch has a retro feel. You would think it would have been replaced by the PC - given a choice, would a kid rather see the scratchy black line of a etch-a-sketch or the color of a digital crayon in a paint program? There are also things like Magna Doodle® that are a lot easier for kids to use. But the Etch-A-Sketch hangs on with a surprisingly large audience. There's something about those two here. If you would like to see just how amazing an Etch-A-Sketch can be in the hands of a pro, click

reading...so much fun!

Even with all our television...tivo in case we don't wish to watch commercials or have missed the program....there is nothing better than reading a good book.

If the author can really write...we become part of the plot and join in the family (the characters) in this manuscript.

IN our minds we try (while we're reading--unbeknowest to us--we're imagining what the author had in mind--or we're actually re-writing it in our minds--so anxious to enter into the mindset of this book.

Sometimes I can't bear it to end....simply because I'm not ready to part with it.

Other times I feel an anger toward the author because I feel that he should have gone into a different direction. I guess that why groups have formed bookclubs all over the world....someone to discuss it with.

Once I get settled with a good book, it's like eating potato chips, I simply cannot put it down.

Actually when you go to the library you'll find there are more authors than ever before....such a bouquet of reading before us.

WHICH TO PICK...WHICH TO SELECT. A decision that I'll live with for the next 14 days. If it's extra good, I try to pass it along to a friend, selfishly so that I'll have some to talk to about it.

When I have something worthwhile reading, I feel a sense of elation ...of happiness within me. And I can honestly say that I've never peeked at the back of the book to see how it ends. That would be cheating myself out of a good time.

I hope that everyone has these same good feelings. I also feel that way about music.

I believe that many of us suffer from phobias. Some of mine are dancing with someone with the fear that I may not be able to follow him (or her) women have asked me to dance too.

Another is fear of bugs which is probably very common...and I've always had a fear of roller coasters...and, of course, a fear of the hereafter, which none of us know about so we try to live a good life here.

Anyway I came across this article and I thought it very worthy so I included it my blog. How far we've come with technology.

Unbelievable....yet here's another area!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How Virtual Medicine Works
Millions of people suffer from phobias that limit their activities and negatively impacting their lives. Many seek psychological treatment in order to manage or conquer their fears. For years, a popular form of treatment was exposure therapy, in which a therapist would expose a patient to stimuli related to his fear in a controlled environment. In many cases, patients would learn to manage their anxiety through repeated exposure coupled with encouragement from a therapist.
Exposure therapy is time consuming. Often it's also expensive and inconvenient, and it can compromise patient confidentiality. For example, treating a patient with aerophobia, or the fear of flying, usually involves a trip to the airport. It might take several visits for a therapist and patient to make their way through security to a gate. Eventually both have to get on a plane and fly to a destination. Now that you have to be a ticketed passenger to pass through security at airports, it can be prohibitively expensive to treat a patient with exposure therapy. Because patients and therapists travel together, the patient's confidentiality is compromised because the public has the opportunity to see the therapy in action.
Virtual Reality Image Gallery
Photo courtesy of Virtually Better, Inc.Virtually Better, Inc. uses virtual therapy to treat a patient's fear of flying.One alternative to traditional exposure therapy is virtual reality exposure therapy. This kind of therapy uses a virtual reality unit to simulate situations that cause anxiety in phobia patients. It has several advantages over traditional therapy. Doctors don't have to leave their offices. Scheduling treatment is easier. It's less expensive in the long run. And patients are often more willing to participate in a program they know will allow them to deal with their fears in a nonphysical setting. Since patients can undergo therapy inside the doctor's office, confidentiality isn't an issue.
Dr. Larry Hodges, a virtual reality computer scientist at the University of North Carolina -- Chapel Hill, became interested in a possible therapeutic application of VR technology in the early 1990s. He approached Dr. Barbara Rothbaum, a professor of Psychiatry at Emory University, and together they collaborated on a project that would test VR technology's efficacy in recreating patients' fears. They decided to design a simulation for patients suffering from acrophobia, or a fear of heights. Dr. Hodges felt that it would be relatively easy to create a program giving the illusion of height compared to other, more complex fears.
Thank YouThanks to Dr. Larry Hodges of the University of North Carolina -- Chapel Hill for his help with this article.
Dr. Hodges and his team worked with Dr. Rothbaum and volunteer patients to determine what stimuli were particularly powerful. Volunteers would wear a head-mounted display (HMD) that would create the illusion that they were on a tall ledge. Going into the project, Hodges and Rothbaum weren't certain that they would get the same reactions from volunteers in a virtual environment as they would a real one, nor were they sure that by treating someone using virtual environments that progress would translate into the real world.
Video Gallery: Using Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality is not only used to help people get over their phobias or play games in a more realistic setting. Check out these videos on HowStuffWorks to see some other uses of virtual reality.
UC Davis has built a virtual reality cave; researchers don't have to look at flat, 2-D maps anymore. Using a radar scanning technique called Lidar, geologists can better measure earthquakes at a distance. See how virtual reality and earthquakes work in this video from UC Davis' NewsWatch.
The Chaim Sheba Rehabilitation Hospital, near Tel Aviv, Israel, has developed a virtual reality system to aid in the physical rehabilitation of its patients. Using a life-sized video game, patients are forced to use atrophied muscles to heal injuries or disorders. See how virtual reality reahbilitation works in this video from Reuters.

Doggy days

Jeff and Donna, my grown up kids came to visit me the July 4th week....and I was excited about their visit.

I wanted so much for them to have a wonderful time because this was their vacation..

They told me in advance not to make any plans because all they wanted to do was relax.

Jeff was content to stretch out on his large excercise mat and do his stretching excercises for his back.

Donna was thrilled to be writing programs for my computer to make my life easier .

But I didn't believe them and I went overboard. Sometimes these things backfire.

So...I learned now that I am not in control of anyone's life. They take care of each other and have a good marriage and are very happy.

Which, of course, makes me happy too.

I won't worry again.

Their agenda this week is to adopt a puppy and they're both very anxious about this.

Our dogs always bolted out the front door...barked and aggravated the neighbors...and was a thief and took Jeff's socks....

They claim that they are going to train their own dog...and he will never put them to shame.

We shall see what we shall see! Good luck.

Jeff and Donna

My grownup children came to visit me over the July 4th week. I anticipated this visit with excited feelings...but I knew that this was their vacation and I wanted it to be so special.



They told me countless times that I don't have to knock myself out...all they want to do is visit me and help me with the computer that they bought me.



I have a tendency to go to extremes...and I try too hard...and sometimes it backfires and you feel that maybe that's not what they really wanted.



Next time I will just listen. Jeff is satisfied to roll out his exercise mat and do a lot of stretching exercises. It makes his back feel better.



Donna who was just recovering from a heart procedure was still healing from being zapped in her heart.



For some reason in this life I have always felt that I had to take control.



And now...after all these many years of my life, I realize that Jeff and Donna will take care of each other and I don't have to worry any more.



It's out of my hands....so I should just relax and be content that they're so much in love with each other and make each other happy..



So...now that the vacation is over, and my house feels empty but with very pleasant memories, I am fulfilled also.



I guess all we want in our lives is for our kids to be happy...because when they're happy...then I am too.



They are moving on.....their next adventure in life is to get a good dog that bonds with them and that they can train.....they're really looking forward to this. We always had a dog...but untrained. If the screen door opened..the dog would bolt. He also b



rked a lot and annoyed neighbors...and he was a thief...he stole Jeff's socks.



Well, Jeff and Donna claim that their dog will be trained by them and he won't have any bad manners.



We shall see what we shall see. Good luck, trainers!

carbon paper

I think if you were to ask kids today what carbon paper is they would be baffled. I certainly knew what it was....got my hands all messy...if you put it in the typewriter wrong side out...it just didn't work!

Why am I thinking about that now! I had a dream last night that I had just gotten my job at the radio station.

This little skinny girl who knew nothing...and boy when I was hired...I was all fired up....thinking I was somebody.

I must have been pretty boring in those days because all I could think about and talk about was that station.

What kinds of music we played on the 33 l/3 rpm's....who was running the board...who was writing the logs....and just who was...

I recall going into our big studio...our Stephen Collins Foster studio with a magnificent piano. Our bookkeeper could really play...and my boss had a fantastic tenor voice.

I just couldn't get over my good fortune....and so I enjoyed it for 9 years when I became very pregnant with Jeff.

I knew then that was a chapter closed in my life....but a better one was to open.

It was no competition!

My job was parttime program director and writing all the commercials....hence the carbon paper.

I had never heard of a Zerox...or for that matter an electric or electronic typewriter....or a word processor. Didn't exist in 1944. How primitive it was and I didn't even know it.

Leni who is sooo smart!

Going back about 7 years in my life, I was introduced to a new medium in my life...and a new lady!

Both shot up my adrenelin and added such a bonus to my life.

The chicken or the egg...I don't know who was more important...Leni Cohen who runs a school for webtv...or the webtv itself.

Truth to tell ...they ran together...a winning team.....and I joined it.

I threw away my encyclopedia...my dictionary...and my telephone book...it was all contained in this little gadget....but Leni taught us how to use it.

If I had just walked into Best Buy and bought it myself....I know that I would not have gotten the same effect of it.

Her enthusiasm was so contagious that I couldn't wait to enter her classroom that was originally held in Weight Watchers building.

Then I discovered Pagebuilder...and I became published. Me....hilda...a published author.....wow! In my little schettel here, I was important.

Well, today, I saw Leni once again....and the magic was back. She exudes love of anything she's involved with...be it her dog...family...technology....or health insurance.

Today is a good day!

When is it enough!

It's June in Florida and this is when I enjoy it most.

The 'snowbirds' have fled and have gone back to either the house they left or smooch off some of the relatives for awhile.

Years ago multi-generational homes worked because the world was a different place. Families ate together and sat around and enjoyed each other's company. Dementia and senility weren't as frequent as they are now simply because folks didn't live that long.

Same as with hips, knees and backs. Surgery was a rarity because of life expentency.

So...is this good! I don't really know. I do know that it scares the heck out of a lot of us wondering what's going to become of us.

Life is good.....God meant it to be good......but have some of us reached the satiation peak.

I say again to my kids....no heroic measures. I've lived one heck of a good life.....and whatever fate has in mind is fine.

I'm not being morbid....just factual. Thank you my loved ones!

Serenity

This is a most unusual face...beautiful...like she's very comfortable in her own life.

Virginia has carved her own life every bit of the way...and it shows.

She's a very good person...I believe the kind that our G-d had in mind when he created womankind.

She's kind, compassionate and will go out of her way to do a good deed for which she likes to remain anonymous.

Her kids are very lucky they have her as their 'mom'.

Monkey See--Monkey Does...speaks for itself!

Meet Virginia on the left, the kind friend who writes generously in my blog almost everyday.

My support!

Then her first cousin Nancy and Virginia's daughter Joey.

It's a fun picture and I was trying so hard to get a picture of Virginia...and she's a monkey! What do you call this????

Anyway....thanks, Virginia!

A l little family I'm so proud of!

These 4 people are very important in my life. They are Gary, Arthur, Alek and Sue.

Gary happens to be the son of my best friend in New Kensington, who passed away.

However, through the years, Gary and I have always kept in touch with one another.

Sue is a nurse and also, I might add, is very beautiful and was voted "Miss Kittanning" in Pennsylvania.

Gary from the time he got out of college was interested in newspapers.

He started out in classified in Leader Papers. He graduated many times and I believe that now he might even be in publishing.

I live in Florida and I was going to Virginia to visit my kids. When the Siegel family heard this, they said they were coming also to visit.

I was thrilled and excited....they really wanted to see me and my family....stay at a hotel and drive a lot of miles.

Before they came Gary told me some news about Alek, this darling boy who just graduated.....he has some autism.

Oh my....I felt so badly. I could never tell by all the pictures he had sent over the years.

When I first met Alek in his hotel, he asked me how old I was! I answered kiddingly that I was 1000 years old.

He didn't like that answer. He said ...' is that the truth'. I had to confess and then I realized he doesn't like to be teased.

Anyway, I received this picture today....and I am so thrilled and so proud...and so would Sonja Gary's mother.

Whatever Alek will do to finish growing up....I know that his parents and brother had a lot of Faith....and so do I......so good luck!s

The person riding this bike is my nephew Paul!

I'm so proud of Paul. He rides for enjoyment...for his health...and just for the well-being of the earth around him. HE enjoys seeing the trees and the bike trails....and he concentrates on his breathing and feels that all's well with the world.


Paul has participated in bike marathons and rode 100 miles for MS and I can't even imagine it.

Even when I was young!

When I was 9 my father bought my sister and me a used powder blue thin tired bike. That's when everyone was riding with balloon tires.

Anyway, I fell in love with that bike and kept it long after I was married....so I really got my father's money's worth!.

It took me everywhere. In Southwestern Pennsylvania, there are lots of hills and when I would be riding upstream it required quite a bit of strength from a skinny little girl.

There were no gear shifts....you just pedaled.

I did have an upgrade though that I was so proud of...a rear few mirror and sometimes I think I looked behind me more than I looked ahead.

Very fond memories...and I'm proud of you, Paul.

Is he just stubborn or is he right!

He was just released from prison yesterday and has had a lot of time to think.

What do you think????

Unrepentant ‘Dr. Death’ still favors right to die
Dr. Kevorkian also asserts other physicians help ill patients commit suicide
NBC News video


Jack Kevorkian: Death is a 'natural right'
June 5: In an exclusive interview with TODAY's Ann Curry the doctor talks about being a free man and if he'd do assisted suicides again.
Today show


Web extra video

Kevorkian walks out of jail
June 1: Jack Kevorkian walks out of a Michigan prison and gets into a vehicle.
NBC News Web Extra


People on
iVillage: The new Weddings channel!
An iVillage Exclusive Q&A with Maroon 5
Quiz: What's Your Erotic Personality?
Condoleezza Rice: You Asked, She Answered
Stars Behind Bars!
By John Springer
TODAYShow.com contributor
Updated: 11:20 a.m. ET June 5, 2007
Eight years in prison hasn’t changed physician-assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian’s opinion that legislatures can prohibit doctors from helping chronically ill patients end their lives, but no man-made rule can ever take away a person’s “natural right” to decide whether they wish to live or die.

“It is one of our natural rights that we are born with, the right to control the circumstances of one’s own death,” Kevorkian, 79, told TODAY’s Ann Curry on Tuesday during his first live television interview since being released from a Michigan prison last week.

“It can’t be controlled by external forces and be a right,” he told Curry. “The law can block your use of it. That doesn’t mean they destroy the right.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I happen to agree with him....he's right!

interesting picture

x

ain't he something!

This is Paulie my nephew who rides a bike everywhere.

He just loves it and he takes all these bike trails and sees nature at it's very best.

He rides for hours and doesn't ever seem to get tired.

I have to add that Paul is a diabetic but he keeps it under control by riding.

He doesn't need to take shots. He does it the pleasurable way. This man is sooo special to me...he's my sister's son and I dote on him.

When he came to visit he set up a whole sound system for me and he also burned a lot of cd's and tapes so that I never run out of the kind of music that I grew up with.

Thanks, Paul!

Delray mom, daughter to kick off first leg of 40,000-mile bike trek -- for fun

By Mike Clary
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Posted June 7 2007


Delray Beach -- In search of exercise and a little fun, Rosemary Taugher and her 22-year-old daughter Chelsea plan to head out Monday on a bike ride. They'll be back in three years.

Between departure and return, the pair expect to pedal some 40,000 miles, roll up and down the coastlines of the United States and Mexico, zip through Central America, do the length of South America all the way to Tierra del Fuego, and then island hop through the Caribbean on their way back home.



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It's an adventure so ambitious and arduous that even friends shake their heads in disbelief.

"Rosemary knows that I think she's nuts," said Kathy Whalen, a close friend of the Delray Beach family. "But that's Rosemary. She has grandiose ideas. But unlike most of us, she follows through on them."

Indeed, last summer the pair warmed up with a zigzag cross-country trip to California. Over three-and-a-half months, they racked up a total of 4,280 miles as Alex Taugher-Dias, 19, Rosemary's son, drove ahead in a van with their clothing and camping gear.

Their route took them from St. Augustine to Louisiana, then north to Illinois and west across the middle of the continent to San Francisco.

After the twisting mountain roads of Tennessee and the heat and wheat field expanse of Kansas in August, Chelsea Taugher-Dias admits she entertained the notion of never climbing on a bicycle again. But once home for a few weeks, a daily jaunt up State Road A1A to the Boynton Beach Inlet seemed too tame.

"We got addicted to the travel," said Rosemary Taugher, 57, who with her daughter makes a living as a business management and Web site consultant. "On the road we meet new people. Every day is a new beginning, each day somewhere different."

Jim Sayer, executive director of the 42,000-member Adventure Cycling Association, said the Taughers are part of an explosion of interest in bicycle travel. "It's a great activity that people are becoming more aware of, from young people to the Boomer generation," he said. "But three years is an extraordinarily big plan."

Eleven years ago, any mother-daughter adventures for the Taughers outside a hospital room seemed improbable. While living in the Czech Republic, then 11-year-old Chelsea nearly died after being overcome by carbon monoxide from a faulty heater.

She was on life support for weeks, suffering brain damage that showed up in loss of motor control and short-term memory along with debilitating headaches. After the family moved to South Florida -- an older sibling, Paul Mahoney, lives in Fort Lauderdale -- Taugher home-schooled her younger children while both she and Alex worked with Chelsea on her rehabilitation.

Now completely recovered, Chelsea said, "Brain injury no longer defines me."

For this cycling trip, no one is following in a car or van. Alex is staying home. Both women will pull about 50 pounds of belongings, including a laptop computer, in Burley Nomad trailers behind their Dolce bicycles. They will keep working from the road.

The first leg will take the pair from Key West to Bar Harbor, Maine. From there the Taughers plan to rent a car, drive to Vancouver, British Columbia, and then continue cycling down the West Coast into Mexico and Central America. They expect to be at the Mexican border by November.

The budget for the trip is about $2,000 a month for expenses, including food and occasional lodging. Along with working online, the pair hope to sell photos, video and articles along the way. Taugher is also writing a book on the virtual office.

Following detailed U.S. road maps produced by the Adventure Cycling Association, the Taughers plan to stay most nights with friends or camp out. With five or six hours of peddling, they expect to average about 50 miles a day.

Once out of the United States, the bike routes are less clear, and general information on safety and support sketchier. But Internet sites such as crazyguyonabike.com serve as clearinghouses for cyclists who travel the world.

"As the site has grown," said Crazyguy founder Neil Gunton of St. Louis, "it has allowed people to realize what can be done. You don't have to be Superman, but you do have to have perseverance."

Mark Carrera, a cyclist who became friends with the Taughers three and half years ago when he worked in a Delray Beach sporting goods store, said he has concerns about two women on the road for such an extended time.

"But the adventure side of me says, `Go for it,'" he said from his home in Dover, N.H., where he is a student. "And when Rosemary says she's going to do something, then get the hell out of the way."

"We are doing this to celebrate life," said Taugher, who will blog about the trip on her Web site, www.compassroseint.net. "I would love to be an inspiration to anybody, women especially.

"We're not bionic. There is nothing special about us. We just get up every day and go ride."




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My 80th...old lady!

I couldn't get over it then...and I can't get over it now...I'm an old woman!

Time is such an abstract. I think it's divided in 4 segments....wonderful childhood...your career and I had a wonderful one at the radio station...your married life and giving birth...and raising offspring....and then when you're alone again to face "The Golden Years"

But Allen had a few good years in Florida and he just loved our little house and the pool....so I'm very grateful for this.

So this is my little family...and I adore them all. P.S. I wasn't always this short...time has a way of altering our height.

This picture was taken at a very exclusive woodsy restaurant and it was such a privilege to dine there.

Emypty nest syndrome

When the chicks have flown the coup....but the Burger's realized this before, so they got these two adorable pets before.

Baby is the black and white dog and keeps them very busy wanting them to throw his toys so that he can retrieve.

There's a small opening in their door so the dogs can do what doggies do and they're very happy until 5 p.m. when they remind Barbara that it's dinner time. Baby actually starts to shake.

Greta the brown one is old by people years..91 to be exact and is really starting to slow down.

Paul and Barbara bought a set of stairs so that the pets can climb more easily into their bed at night...so all four sleep together.

Barbara thinks it's so adorable when Baby snores..that she phones me from Va. to Fl. to listen to this great symphony.

I can be in the middle of the best tv show...but she makes me listen. When she reads this she will laugh out loud.

Anyway...I'm jealous. I just wish we were able to have pets here. It would make me much happier...and actually slow down my blood pressure....so they claim.

Get re-acquainted with Paul and Barbara

Paul is my nephew and 35 years ago he and Barbara got married in Baltimore. On their wedding night they flew to Germany because Paul was in the Navy and he took a week-end leave to get married.

I think, at their reception, was the first time I had ever heard from Fiddler..."Where is the Little Girl" when they were doing their final bridal dance and were getting ready to take their leave to begin this big journey of theirs.

You've all heard me speak of Eric and Ryan, the two great guys in their lives. Paul is having a 60th birthday this week and he'll celebrate by riding his bicycle. Last year for M.S. Paul rode 100 miles which seems incomprehensible to me. He raised a lot of money and he also did it for other charities.

I'm so proud of both of these over-achievers...Barbara with her "Party Troopers" and Paul just changed his job which is not an easy feat to do when you're celebrating another birthday...but Paul moved up.

Thanks for being in my life!

P

Anyone must know this is Paul and Barbara!

My cousin and nephew???

We don't have incest in our family. However, my first cousin Henny's mother married my father. In other words, after 10 long years, my father married my mother's sister Helen.

So Henny's daughter is Davria and Allen, my husband, had a sister and she had a son named Steve.

So Steve married Davi....and we're kinda inter-related but not really.

I received this very newsy email from Davi today and I thought it so interesting I decided to incorporate it into my blog...so here goes....


Steven and Davria Cohencbr /\>
//-->
I've been enjoying your blog. I love the photos,especially the one of Jeff and the Irish setter. Iremember how terrified I was of Boots and Herky, andam thankful that I've gotten over my fear of dogs. Iremember when Allen had to turn around and drive meback to Squirrel Hill because I was so afraid! Phobiasare sometimes rational, sometimes not, but they causeus to miss out on some good things in life. I'm glad Ihad gotten over my dog phobia by the time I was datingSteve - it would have been a long ride back fromPhiladelphia when I first encountered Tippy!Steve and Phill are out playing golf, so I am takingadvantage of having the computer to myself. One ofthese days I'll get my own . . . I'm not completelyalone though. Phill's birds are chirping away and onecat is sleeping on the desk and the other is on thefloor, at my feet. They are very loving. Schrodie isabout the size and color of a loaf of honey cake, withwhite markings. He is very ditzy and talks almostconstantly, sometimes even in his sleep. Mensch issomewhat larger than Shro and beige with the samewhite markings. He was improperly named though - he'sdefinitely not a mensch! When things aren't going wellin his world, he thinks the solution is to bite hisbrother on the neck. Schrodie squeals and gets away;in the end he has the upper paw!As much as Steve and Jeff love dogs, it's hard tobelieve either one of them took to cats. Steve reallydotes on the boys, often letting them get away withthings they shouldn't get away with.I guess I'm a fancy lady too! I also got trapped intogoing to Chico's when two women I was riding withdecided to stop there one fall day. At first I didn'tlook at anything, but then I saw a beautiful jacket ofblack, orange and brown, with beading, size 1 or maybeit's 0! It was a hundred dollars, and that's after thecoupon that one of the women gave me! I never spendthat much on clothes! That was about five years ago,and I've only worn it twice; I'm just not a jacketsort of person. It is beautiful, though, and for abouta week after I bought it I would go to the closet justto stare and it and feel the texture of the fabric andbeading.

I was very disappointed in our Fl. lottery

We were all given to understand that the lottery money was going for education. It wasn't broken down into any particular category.

We trusted! Ha.....and then we had a half percent increase in our sales tax to help education.

I'm all for paying teachers well...providing adequate classroom...and hiring the best of instructors....but here's what I read in our Sun Sentinel.

Most people figured public education meant K-12 schools.The Legislature, in its finite wisdom, decided to direct most of the slots revenues to higher education.Now some people are spinning mad. Which is fine.But let’s remember to direct our ire at the right target: the legislators, not the pari-mutuels.Yes, the pari-mutuels milked the image of needy schoolchildren and wanting classrooms during the slots campaign.But it’s not their fault the Legislature has siphoned money to college kids.The Legislature should put all the slots money toward public K-12 education.And let’s not get revisionist about Broward schools getting a tiny fraction of the state's bite despite all the machines being here. Going into the election, most voters knew that the revenues would be divided up statewide.It still made sense. The big picture: Taxed and regulated slots are better than untaxed, unregulated slots, which are found at the Indian tribal casinos and cruises-to-nowhere.Now that the pari-mutuels have real Vegas slots, the tribes have been negotiating with the state to get them, too.That's a good thing.


Okay...I'll go with that.

Which Jeff...then or now!

When I look at this picture, my memory does crazy images, and I see Jeff sitting on the floor in New Kensington, with his own dog, either Boots or Herky.

Only the doggie has changed and Jeff's a tad older.

This isn't Jeff's dog. They're visiting a friend but Jeff still loves dogs, particularly this Irish Setter.

I knew Jeff the child more, but since they bought me this computer, I'm discovering all over the traits that I fell in love with when he was just a little boy. He always felt very comfortable lying on the floor...reading..watching tv...or playing with his toy soldiers that he would line up. Always lots of patience even when the soldiers went to battle and all toppled over.

I don't know what I enjoy more...then, the actuality....or now, the memories...because now I'm also getting lots of good stuff besides.

I'm not the protector or the guardian any longer...Donna has taken over and also Jeff is his on man.

I can sit back and enjoy it all.

What happened to all those gas wars!!

When I was young, there was usually a gas station on all 4 corners of the street and everyone had a marquee with gas prices posted....and it was a gas war...everyone trying to compete. This was long before they became 7 to 11 stores where you can buy lots of things.



This is when they sold only gas and maybe a soft drink. They also gave away free maps and not just to one in a car...to all the children to look at.



What a waste that was. I never even learned to fold it back correctly....and I still can't read a map. I'm not bragging....I'm ashamed...very embarrassed.!



These were the days also when they checked your tires for free and washed your windshield....and by the way, gas was only 25 cents a gallon ....and most of these stations were open till very late in the evening.



I might also add we were greeted with a smile...and we'd say 'fill er' up'.



Needless to say...it wasn't self serve. They put the gas in your car for you...and also checked under the hood if you asked them to.



Would I want to go back to those days. NO...I don't think so. Those were depression days and everyone was hurting.

























































most of the rest of the nation above the $3 a gallon benchmark for the first time.
New Hampshire's average price crept up to $3.005, up from $2.99 Monday, while South Carolina rose to $3.007 from $2.991.
New Jersey, with an average price of $2.947, is also creeping toward that threshold, as it rose almost a penny from $2.938 on Monday. Ironically, New Jersey is one of only two states - along with Oregon - where the law mandates full service at every pump.
Illinois moved ahead of California for the dubious distinction of the state with the most expensive average price, as the price reading there rose to $3.481 from $3.457, while California's average price slipped slightly to $3.449 from $3.454 on Monday. South Dakota saw the biggest jump in prices, rising 3.5 cents to an average of $3.38 a gallon.
Even California's modest decline of a half a cent was rare when looking at the full range of state averages, as it was joined by Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon and Washington as the only states showing declines. Motorists there will probably be hard-pressed to notice any relief as the average price fell by less than a penny in each of those states.
Why gasoline prices are rising while oil isn't
The AAA national average now shows prices up 3.9 percent over the course of the last week, along with an increase of 12.4 percent over the last month.
And higher prices could be on the way as Americans get ready to hit the road for the Memorial Day holiday weekend and the start of the summer driving season.
AAA warned in congressional testimony last week it believes prices will approach $3.25 a gallon over the next 60 days.
Even with the record gas prices, AAA is predicting a record number of Americans will be hitting the road during the holiday weekend, with 38.3 million expected to be traveling 100 miles or more, up 1.7 percent from a year ago. And most of those - 32.1 million - will be driving, according to the motorist group.

Even when they go away--they're still around!

Pat and Mike live across the road from me. We all live at High Point3 and we all live on Nesting Way. But Pat lives in Court A across the way from me.
I feel really comfortable having them live so close...because I know that I can count on them and vice versa.

This is the email Pat sent me





...Nicholas is a chatterbox and doesn't shut up!!!....weather is cool, sunny justbeautiful....have we had any more rain? I wanted to tell you before we left....(maybe I did) I had goneto a cocktail reception at La Cigale downtown Delray one night....it was a fundraiser for "forgottensoldiers"....they pack up goodies to send to our boys and girls overseas....anyway....half of the proceeds from that night went to that organization...there were quite a lot of politicians there and I metMary McCarty, one of the commissioners for Palm Beach County....my sister knows her....she is quitenice....also I met Arthur Anderson, the new election supervisor and his wife, who happens to be aDr....she is very elegant and very friendly.....some of the politicians took turns bartending....anotherman there was Sid Dinerstein, head of the Republican party and there were many Democrats theretoo....It was nice to mingle with them and see who's "real" and who isn't.....I met a young man whomay be running against Klein or Wexler, not sure which one....anyway, he seems nice.....They hadsome sampling of their food, passing it around as hor de hoevres......Didn't care too much for thefood.....I thought it would be French...silly me....it's more of a Moroccan flair and quite electic.....notfor me....but it was an interesting night......I wanted to post this on your blog but never got the chance.anyway....that's it from N.J..........talk to you soon...................Pat


So I thought that was nice and newsy and now I know all about our politicians. I do feel we have a good governor...but time will tell.

Am I high tech or what..my kids sent me a TiVo!

I used to poke fun at people who needed a remote to control their television. I'd say if I can't get up and change channels, I have no business watching. They'd say they need the 'mute' button so that they wouldn't have to see all the commercials.



I'd sound off and say if it wasn't for the sponsors, we wouldn't have such good shows....they're paying the bill....and it's like cheating using the mute button for that.



Well, have I changed my tune. My kids sent me a TiVo....and I let the program run maybe half an hour before I air it so that I can eliminate all those 'annoying' commercials.



Mind you, this is what I did for a living 9 years of my life. I worked at a radio station and wrote copy and that's what paid the bills.



I guess it all depends on what side of the counter you're on. Now I'm on the watching side...not the selling side...so I can do this.



But....it it really fair??? Is it the right thing to do????



I dunno !!!!















1997, a company changed the way people watch television. It promised its customers that they wouldn't have to worry about television schedules or learn to program their VCRs. Instead, the company claimed that





customers would be able to record shows -- even entire seasons of shows -- using a simple interface. Then they could watch the shows whenever they wanted.
The company was TiVo, the pioneer in commercially-available digital video recorders (DVR). In its 10-year history, TiVo has sold millions of DVRs and service subscriptions. In this article, we'll look at how the typical set works and the services TiVo provides.
Several manufacturers make TiVo sets, including TiVo itself, but they all have one thing in common -- a hard drive. The hard drive is connected to the outside world through a variety of jacks on the back of the set, usually the typical RCA connections that you would use to hook up, say, a cable box or a VCR.

The Old Fuse Box

In our basement, like other homes, we had a fusebox near a high window.

In over 30 years, I never touched it. I've always been deadly afraid of electricity...not to use it...but to change a fuse. That was considered a 'man's job'.

Back then when a fuse blew, we usually had an extra in our house. If not, we'd march to the hardware store where we would explain what we wanted, and it would be brought to us with a smile.

Today, I think these maybe no longer exist. We have a modern 'circuit breaker'.

Mine is great if you're 6 feet tall. Since I'm short, I have trouble holding a flashlight to read the writing on the different breakers. If I have a problem, I usually just move each one separately until I find the culprit.

In July, Jeff and Donna, and Harriet and I will be going to Ft. Myers to visit Thomas Edison's home....the primitive beginning of electricity. I think if he were to see how far we've come with this, it would (not meaning a pun) blow his mind.

I'm so glad I'm living now. Don't have to light a kerosene lamp...or read by candlelight.

I'm not talking about the romantic sweet scented candles put around today for ambiance...but just to be able to see and to read
If Thomas Edision were to see the computer, and it's all because everyone has stood on his shoulders.

Burger King

Famous for it's "Big Whooper' and it does taste soo good. But is it good for us? I see many senior citizens there gobbling down their delicious burgers and they don't seem any the worst for it.

But I don't know what their cardiologists have to say. Are they clogging their arteries. Is it worth not spending a lot of money...no tip and fast service...plus it tastes good.

Burger King sued over trans fats
Wed May 16, 2007 2:24PM EDT
var storyKeywords = "US BURGERKING LAWSUIT";



Email This Article Print This Article Reprints
[-] Text [+]
By Nichola Groom
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A nutrition advocacy group sued Burger King Holdings Inc. on Wednesday over the hamburger chain's use of frying oil that contains artery-clogging trans fats.
In court papers filed in Washington, D.C. superior court, the Center for Science in the Public Interest said Burger King is the only leading restaurant chain that has not yet committed to eliminating trans fats from its menu.
"Burger King not only sells food cooked with this harmful ingredient, it does so without warning its customers about life-threatening consequences," the suit said. "Consumers have no way to guard against the risk of consumer trans fats."
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Antique Roadshow

On PBS we have the Antique Roadshow....and one of my joys is to watch the expressions on eager faces as they're told what their 'collectible' is worth.    Now this is obviously something that has had to be dusted for maybe l00 years by many hands.

It seems old furniture brings in the most money and if it's all scratched up and seen bad times, its value escalates...and the bringer-in-er is oh so thrilled that I'm fearful they may suffer heart failure.

I'm a very poor judge.  If it's a manuscript, I think it must be worth a lot of money.  

For instance and we all know this one...Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.   Everyone is familiar with this saying.   Well, someone brought in the original letter...and the worth was only $6,000.  Maybe it's because words are worth more than things to me.

 IF  the roadshow were to come here to Delray Beach...what treasure in your house would you grab to have appraised at some fantastic figure.
Remember... . all these years, you've been holding on to it, because you were told it's 'valuable'.

Keep in mind, it must be at least 100 years old....and we're not youngsters who live here....so if it belonged to your parents or grandparents....and you were able to schlep it to the roadshow....how would you re-act.

Also, if you were told it was worth between 60,000 and 70,000 would you want to sell it on the spot.....or hand it down to your children????  `Also that's a big spread on the appraisal amount.   

Lots of food for thought

Two young guys in my life!

Two brothers who genuinely like each other. They are Eric on the left and the other is Ryan. From the day Ryan was born, Eric kept constant vigil on his brother.

When Ryan was an infant and nobody could understand his 'gibberish' because he was tongue-tied, Eric understood every word.

These boys are the sons of Paul and Barbara. Paul is the son of my sister who we lost when she was only 36 years old.

I do believe that my sister and and Leonard, her husband, who also died young, would be so proud of these boys. I know ... I am!

They phone me...they visit me....and they're very important in my life.

This helped to pay our rent!

This is a Lego brick. My husband Allen and I had a toy store in New Kensington, Pa. I would say that about 25%

of our store was allocated to Lego...motorized and manuel. We carried a complete line, in fact, the only toy we ordered direct from the manufacturer...and it was made by the Samsonite people.

One brick fit inside the other and a child's imagination could conquer anything he wanted to create.

People would walk into our store and say....I have a 6 year old who has no attention span, although he's brilliant. What would you recommend I buy him.

We were considered the specialists. That's why they came to us instead of K-Mart. We gave individual attention even though our prices were competitive.

Well, we ushered them right to Lego...and weeks later, that same customer would return just to give us rave revues.

Actually we were such a good customer that the Lego People put a big motorized windmill in our big front window. It almost caused accidents.

People did a double take....was that really moving around???

Downtown Orlando has a massive building called Legoland....and it's really magical.

All this was a long time ago, in my life, but the memories are all so very clear.

I just loved that part of my life ... making kids happy~

Is this a more humane way?

Are we becoming too sophisticated? Maybe this isn't such a bad idea? At least they're not throwing their babies away and putting them in a trash bag to die. Or is this like returning a library book?


When I was very young, a mother would put a baby on someone's front porch...ring the bell...and then run. She also would put a note saying------- that she wasn't able to keep the baby and please please see that he or she has a good home.

This is what I read today..... and there's nothing more exquisite than a Japanese baby.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- A Japanese hospital opened the country's only anonymous drop box for unwanted infants Thursday despite government admonitions against abandoning babies.
The baby drop-off, called "Crane's Cradle," was opened by the Catholic-run Jikei Hospital in the southern city of Kumamoto as a way to discourage abortions and the abandonment of infants in unsafe public places. The hospital described it as a parent's last resort.
A small hatch on the side of the hospital allows people to drop off babies in an incubator 24 hours a day, while an alarm will notify hospital staff of the new arrival. The infants will initially be cared for by the hospital and then put up for adoption.
"We started the service but hope it won't be used," head nurse Yukiko Tajiri said. "I hope it is seen as a symbol that we are always here for parents to share their difficulty."
But government officials warned the service might only encourage more abandonments.
"In principle, parents should not abandon their babies anonymously," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters Thursday. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki meanwhile said it was "fundamental for parents to raise their children with their own hands."
Similar baby drops exist in Germany and South Africa. Some U.S. states, such as Alabama and Minnesota, also have programs protecting identities of women who give up their babies.
The drop box was set up after a series of high-profile cases in which newborn babies were abandoned in parks and supermarkets, triggering a public outcry.
Abortion is readily available and widespread in Japan where restriction against the measure is loose and there are no clear religious taboos.


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There are so many couples who cannot have a baby and would love to adopt. This isn't such a bad idea. At least they're not killing them. Circumstances won't let them keep this new soul.

Cherish a life! That's why we're put on earth!

They lived right here in Delray Beach!

Mother's day is coming up and I'm thinking about the mothers of terrorists.

Maybe they don't even celebrate this day...but how do they feel on any other day. Do they grieve for their sons and daughters who have thrown their lives away !! Did they ooh and ahh when their children took their first steps. Did they think their children weren't socially acceptable.

Or do they rejoice!! They are human which makes them have feelings. Did they pin all their hopes and aspirations upon these new souls born to them. Did they have 'separation anxiety' when their children entered first grade. Did they try to cook all the favorite dishes so that the family would be so satisfied.

Around the dinner table, did they speak of what they learned in school...what they're planning for vacation time...that they're trying out for soccer and whatever?

What was going on in their minds???? What?? What?? Did they think maybe they should have had an abortion instead!.
.
We feel such joyfulness. It's the most miraculous thing to happen~ A miracle! And to take lives so frivolously when they bomb including their own miserable lives.

I can't ever forgive a terrorist !!!!

Jews and Christians try to live a good charitable life here on earth. We're taught this from very early on.

How are the Muslims taught? Do their mothers dote upon them and show their pictures to everyone. Do they feel pride? Or do they wake up in the morning and think what a monster they gave birth to.
This is from Ruth Fagan
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I have a devil of a time getting on to your blogs, it takes forever. Ihave trouble answering the blogs too, so here goes.Maybe the mothers of terrorists who blow themselves up don't haveMother's Day and they seem to be (from my readings) happy about theirblown up sons being martyrs. They get money, you know.
Ruth

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Iraqi Teen on Becoming a Terrorist
One of the questions often asked in discussions about terrorism and terrorist groups is why anyone would join up for their causes. Why would anyone voluntarily become a terrorist? The reasons vary, but in many cases heavy doses of indoctrination are good tools in the hands of capable fanatics.
Tom Lassiter writes for Bradenton about the experiences of Ali, a 14-year-old boy who joined Ansar al Islam, a radical Islamic in Iraq, between the summer of 2001 and the winter of 2002:
The Ansar members accused Ali of being a spy, of being an infidel. They shouted at him. They beat him. They threatened to kill him. For two hours, the threats and screams continued. Then an older man walked in the room and in a calm, kind voice began to speak about Islam. ... "He told me about paradise, about virgins, about Islam," Ali said.
The imam told him that, as a Muslim, Ali was part of a brotherhood that stretched back hundreds of years. He had an important role to play in the world, one that would bring prestige and glory. There were 70 virgins waiting for him in a promised land, a paradise just for him.
The conversation lasted for hours. At the end, Ali was taken to a little room and given some food and a blanket. The next morning, an Ansar official came by and said that while Ali wasn't a prisoner, they wanted to keep him for a few days to make sure he wasn't a spy. Ali was invited to attend religion classes.
After 15 days of nothing but his cell and religious classes, they had him - instead of dreaming of studying in France, his dreams turned towards fulfilling his "duty" as a Muslim. The concept of "duty" was, naturally, determined by the leaders of Ansar al Islam. A young man without much direction and purpose was offered both. It's no surprise that the lept at the opportunity.
Ali left the group in 2002, but he doesn't regret his membership and would consider joining again. Is there anyone in Iraq who can offer him something better for his life and his future? If not, then we should expect a lot more Alis to rise up. There are plenty of people like the Ansar imam who are willing to take advantage of such young men. Read More:
Recent Books Iraqi Teen on Becoming a Terrorist
One of the questions often asked in discussions about terrorism and terrorist groups is why anyone would join up for their causes. Why would anyone voluntarily become a terrorist? The reasons vary, but in many cases heavy doses of indoctrination are good tools in the hands of capable fanatics.
Tom Lassiter writes for Bradenton about the experiences of Ali, a 14-year-old boy who joined Ansar al Islam, a radical Islamic in Iraq, between the summer of 2001 and the winter of 2002:
The Ansar members accused Ali of being a spy, of being an infidel. They shouted at him. They beat him. They threatened to kill him. For two hours, the threats and screams continued. Then an older man walked in the room and in a calm, kind voice began to speak about Islam. ... "He told me about paradise, about virgins, about Islam," Ali said.
The imam told him that, as a Muslim, Ali was part of a brotherhood that stretched back hundreds of years. He had an important role to play in the world, one that would bring prestige and glory. There were 70 virgins waiting for him in a promised land, a paradise just for him.
The conversation lasted for hours. At the end, Ali was taken to a little room and given some food and a blanket. The next morning, an Ansar official came by and said that while Ali wasn't a prisoner, they wanted to keep him for a few days to make sure he wasn't a spy. Ali was invited to attend religion classes.
After 15 days of nothing but his cell and religious classes, they had him - instead of dreaming of studying in France, his dreams turned towards fulfilling his "duty" as a Muslim. The concept of "duty" was, naturally, determined by the leaders of Ansar al Islam. A young man without much direction and purpose was offered both. It's no surprise that the lept at the opportunity.
Ali left the group in 2002, but he doesn't regret his membership and would consider joining again. Is there anyone in Iraq who can offer him something better for his life and his future? If not, then we should expect a lot more Alis to rise up. There are plenty of people like the Ansar imam who are willing to take advantage of such young men.

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

I went to see a movie last week "The Namesake". It was different in the fact that it was Indian...(not American) and the characters were very into their own culture.

However the young man who was seeking a bride to take to America was screening her, along with his family, to see if she would be able to make this transition.

They asked her a question about whether she felt she could fit in...and she arose, looked at the bridegroom right in the eye, and recited this poem.

I had to learn it in elementary school. Maybe you, dear readers, did it.

This is how it went.

I WANDERED lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the milky way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: 10 Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazed--and gazed--but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, 20 They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.
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Did any of you have to learn this...and if you did, it sure brings back good memories and the days when we had to memorize.

I think I focused on that more than on the movie itself!

Talk about VIRTUAL ... wow!

My kids phoned today and I didn't even give them a chance to say anything...I blurted out the computer isn't the same way they left it~

Jeff said...not to worry. He found a way to be able to navigate my computer from Manassas with my permission.

I'm soo frustrated here because when I had a new monitor installed, the guy messed me up and now I can't even find my homepage without a struggle ... and 15 minutes later.

Jeff was able, along with Donna, to tell me just to click one thing giving permission to do this.

Well, I was much more than willing....so I sat 'mouseless' on my end...and watched him move his mouse around reprograming my computer.

This is a major miracle to me...because he can teach me 'hands on'...long-distance....the workings of this computer.

The conversation left me very light-hearted and happy....ready to explore some more what the delicate technology can do.

Thanks, Jeff and Donna. I appreciate.

I Won !!!! I Lost !!!

These are the two sentences we hear when we go on a ship to gamble...3 miles out...a bus that takes us right to our destination...or we drive our cars.

We all get the fever~ We're enticed to go for Free! The casinos not only provide us a delicious lunch...but also money to gamble with.

Now we all know you can't give away the store...the mathematics is....we play with the money we also brought with us.

We have fun....the lights...the stools...the sounds...all part of the gambling life.

As we feed the machines....we do win some. Then greed takes over and we put back and then some.

Then it's time to go home.

Many of us lost....but we don't care. We're happy. We had a good time.

We were with friends....that was our entertainment

We can't wait to go back.......

Does this make me a fancy lady???

I did a first today. I bought something at Chico's. Went to dinner with Phyllis and Sol...and they insisted we go to Chico's in Boca.

I wasn't even dressed for this occasion...didn't even wear earrings and had shorts on. We were just going to a little Italian restaurant around the corner.

Well, I was a captive audience and I was riding in their car...so what else could I do!!

Phyllis knows the salesclerk there who is her next-door neighbor.

I had mentioned to Phyllis earlier that I can looked in the flea market for a little cotton capri thing to just refresh my wardrobe.

I found nothing at the flea market....and I didn't look earnestly at Chico's because I'm very short and a petite....but the clerk brought out a little pair of capris...and the size was 1 which shocked and amazed me.

What kind of measurements are these. Anyway, I tried them on...and they fit. A lot more than I usually pay....but now I can say I shopped at Chico's.