Recently in Emotionally Speaking Category

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't people who go to college -- especially a university like Tulane, one of the most highly regarded and selective independent research universities in the United States -- supposed to be at least moderately intelligent? Yeah, I thought so. So what's up with the incredibly stupid and irresponsible Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity???

Did you hear about what 10 frat bothers did? Here, read this:

Ten fraternity members at Tulane University face criminal charges in an alleged hazing incident in which pledges were repeatedly burned with hot water, cayenne pepper and vinegar, police said.

Two pledges were treated at a hospital for severe burns resulting from the April 25 incident at the Pi Kappa Alpha house, authorities said.

Seven students made their first appearance in court Wednesday and were released on their own recognizance, said Dalton Saywoir Jr., spokesman for the Orleans Parish District Attorney's office. It was unclear whether the three remaining students had been arrested or surrendered to police.

New Orleans attorney Frank D'Amico Jr., who represents one of the two pledges severely burned, said it happened at a "Hell Night" ritual involving the 10-member pledge class.

"What they were doing was burning the young men," he said. Fraternity brothers were said to have used boiling water containing pepper spray and a "crab boil" seasoning mixture containing cayenne pepper. The water was poured on the pledges' backs, he said.

"The ones who screamed first didn't get burned as badly," he said. But as the evening wore on and the water grew hotter and hotter, the ones who had not screamed were severely burned.

D'Amico said his client, who was attending Tulane on scholarship, suffered second- and third-degree burns to his back, chest, buttocks and genitals. He is "bandaged up," D'Amico said, and must have twice-daily burn treatments. The young man is unable to travel or take his exams and is attempting to negotiate with Tulane on postponing them, he said.

The young man is "obviously extremely traumatized," D'Amico said.

read more here

OK, here are my two questions: What kind of stupid do you have to be to LET someone do that to you, all in the name of joining a fraternity, and what kind of stupid do you have to be to actually feel alright about doing that to another human being?!?!

WHY in God's name would you let someone burn your genitals or any other part of your body?!?! The only way I'd let someone do that to me is if my family was going to die if I didn't! Who wants to "belong" so badly that they'd allow themselves to be injured and scarred for life??? I mean, come on!

And what kind of SICKO would think it was OK to burn the skin off of another person??? And actually think it was fun! Damn! It just leave me shaking my head in bewilderment. WTF?

Tulane University, Fraternities, Hazing

Today holds a lot of meaning for me. It is four years ago today that my mother passed away. It has been a very difficult four years to get through. Most of the time I felt like I was climbing uphill the whole way without much of a handhold. I'm stronger now, though. I feel like I am finally beginning to get myself back. I miss her more than I can say, and I talk to her every day. I know she hears me. I feel her all the time.

I was absolutely determined to make today a day of positivity. There has been enough sadness and negativity, ya' know? And I know Mom was with me on that idea, because when I went to the courthouse to pay a stupid ticket I got for having expired tags on the car (we truly didn't realize they had expired!), they told me there was no record of the ticket ever having been submitted to the court, so it would be dismissed. When I turned to leave I looked up to the sky, gave a sly little smile, and said "thank you, Mom". :)

I then went out to lunch with my daughter and her best friend and had a fabulous sandwich and salad with some yummy raspberry iced tea. It was completely perfect. :)

So here's to my Mom -- gone, but always here.

My daughter and I watched Idol Gives Back the other night, and we were either bawling or cheering through the entire show. It was SO good, and SO heartbreaking. We loved watching the magnificent talent showcased on the American Idol stage, but cried hot tears at the sight of so many people suffering around the world. It really made us feel bad for bitching about stupid stuff. In fact, it moved us to make a deal with each other: if either of us is moaning, groaning and/or complaining about something going wrong in our lives, we will remind each other that we should be grateful instead for what we have and everything that is actually going right! It is so easy to feel sorry for ourselves, isn't it? We lose sight of how lucky we really are in the bounty we have. How dare we complain about such things as not having the right shoes or clothes or car. Shame on us! Next time you go out to buy yourself those new shoes or that new outfit, buy something slightly cheaper and give the rest to a worthy charity. You'll be amazed at how good you'll feel. :) Oh, and yeah, you can click that link up there and make your donation to Idol Gives Back! ;)

Idol Gives Back, American Idol, Charity

Police have identified the little girl known as "Baby Grace", whose body washed ashore in a box last month near Galveston, Texas, and have arrested her mother and stepfather. Authorities believe she is actually 2 year old Riley Ann Sawyers who, according to her grandmother, Cheryl Sawyers, has been missing since June.

According to CNN.com:

The child's mother, Kimberly Dawn Trenor, 19, and a man identified as her boyfriend, Royce Clyde Zeigler II, 24, were arrested Saturday on charges of injuring a child and tampering with physical evidence, the sheriff's department said.

The couple lives in Spring, Texas, a Houston suburb about 75 miles north of Galveston.

Their bonds were set at $350,000 each.

The arrests followed searches conducted Saturday after a November 7 tip, the sheriff's department said.

What I want to know is why are they not charging those two monsters with murder??? At the very least it should be child abuse resulting in death! What's with the "injuring a child" crap? She was a lot more than just injured! Maybe they're waiting for all the other evidence, including DNA evidence, to be confirmed before adding more charges. I'm thinking perhaps they used those far-too-lenient charges as a way to place them in custody. I hope those two get what they deserve -- and it ain't just life in prison!

Baby Grace, Baby Grace Identified

Those of you who have been reading Thoughtprints for a long time know very well how much I love my dogs. I've never made a secret out of how much I value the friendship of a dog. In my opinion, dogs can make better friends than a lot of people I know. They love unconditionally, are loyal to a fault, and are completely and wholly devoted to the humans who love them. The following is a story of such devotion.

Gary Lorenz was a 1967 graduate of the Air Force Academy here in Colorado, and was a skilled F-4 pilot. He had flown missions over Vietnam, and then returned to the Academy in later years to be a squadron commander. Over the following years he had been promoted to colonel and had served as the vice-commandant of cadets. Then the most cruel of diseases struck: Alzheimer's.

On September 24th, Gary went missing. No one had seen him wander away from his home, but they knew he wasn't alone. His two Golden Retrievers, Merry and Pippin, were with him. The search for Gary started only a few hours later in the hills north of Cotopaxi after he disappeared that day, but days and weeks of searching had turned up nothing.

Gary's daughter, Deanna, was sitting in her Dad's livingroom when, on October 20th, the neighbors knocked on the door. They were there to tell her a hunter had found her father's body. But that wasn't all they had found. "And the dogs" they said, "the dogs are alive".

Eventually, the news from the coroner arrived; the news about the time and date of Gary Lorenz's death. That's when they put it all together. The dogs were with Gary when he died. And they had stayed with him for another three weeks, guarding his body from who knows what. They had never left his side.

When the hunter came upon Gary's body back in October, it was Pippin who was the most protective. "Pippin was right by dad and wouldn't allow anyone close to him," said Deanna. These days Pippin appears to be the most changed by the entire experience. He used to be a little aloof, says Deanna, now he's more stoic, more disciplined.

Sandee Lorenz, Gary's widow, calls the two dogs her "angels".

"I truly believe that had the hunter not found them, the dogs would have stayed (with Gary) until they had taken their last breath," she said.

So that, my friends, is the devotion of a dog. So much more than just an animal. The next time you hear that a dog is "man's best friend", remember Gary and his service to this country, and his two best friends and their service to the human they loved most.

Dogs. Man's best friend, indeed.

Gary Lorenz, Dogs, Man's Best Friend, Golden Retrievers

Did any of you watch the Democratic debate the other night? I did. In fact, Hubs and my daughter watched with me. Yes, my 15 year old daughter watched the debate -- voluntarily. LOL Not too many kids her age realize the importance of politics and knowing the people who want to "work for us". When I asked her why she wanted to watch the debate, she told me it was because she'll be 18 in less than three years and able to vote, so she better have an understanding of what she'll be doing. Is she cool or what? :)

Anyway, getting back to the debate itself, it was very, very interesting. The people with whom I was most impressed were Barack Obama, Dennis Kucinich (very impressed with him, especially when he called for the impeachment of Bush!), Bill Richardson and Joe Biden. There's just something about John Edwards I don't like, even though I can't put my finger on it yet, and of course Hillary is as dishonest as the day is long. Her husband was "Slick Willie" and she is quickly becoming "Slick Wilma". Her performance (and I use that word literally) was ridiculous in the debate a week prior to Las Vegas, followed by the announcement of the college student who came forth with the information that she was spoon-fed a question for Hillary at one of her open forums. Soon afterward a man stepped forward and had the same story to tell. Aside from that being highly deceptive, doesn't it completely destroy the whole idea behind an open forum? And then to hear her staffers' explanation as to why that happened, well, it was absolutely mind-blowing! The aide who did it was dyslexic??? WTH?? She was supposed to prepare Hillary with the answers, but because she is dyslexic she gave the questions to audience members instead??? Do they think we're all idiots??!! They couldn't come up with a better cover than that?? Who do YOU think the idiots are?!

Someday a woman WILL be president of this country, but Hillary is NOT that woman! I implore all women NOT to vote for her simply because she is a woman. That would be such a horrible mistake! Her being a woman is no more a reason to cast your vote for her as is casting one for Barack Obama because he's African American, or for Bill Richardson because he's Latino. Ones ethnicity or gender is NOT what makes a good president! As much as I absolutely do NOT want another Republican in the office of President, I will have no choice but to vote Republican if Hillary is representing the Democratic ticket. Of course, if Ron Paul were the Republican on the ballot, I would race to the polls to vote for him! HE is the person for the job! Without a doubt!

PLEASE take a long, hard look at ALL the candidates before you cast your vote next year. We still have plenty of time in which to do so. There are a few candidates, whom I named earlier in this post, who would be very good for the job.

Now, in closing I want to talk about something I consider to be of the utmost importance. Out of ALL the candidates, both Democrat and Republican, there are only FOUR people who did not vote Yes in support of the invasion of Iraq in 2002. They are Barack Obama, Dennis Kicinich, Mike Gravel and Ron Paul. To the rest of them I would say this: Until you can show the American people you truly are as deeply appreciative as you say you are of the men and women who went to Iraq to do your bidding, and swiftly take a stand to completely overhaul the VA's 62-year-old disability ratings system, which is now causing countless American servicemen and women to have to FIGHT for benefits when they return home -- like Ty Ziegel -- because medical advances in the battlefield have outpaced the home front, then don't even try to convince me or anyone else in this country how much you support our troops! It is UNCONSCIONABLE what these brave men and women are having to come home to. No American soldier should EVER have to fight for their rightful benefits after serving our country and leaving parts of their bodies in Iraq! Nor should they not be readily compensated for the horrible mental and emotional anguish their time in Iraq has caused them. Please, read Ty's story linked above. You'll be shocked and angered. MAKE THE CANDIDATES WHO VOTED FOR THIS HORRENDOUS WAR ANSWER FOR IT -- AND CHANGE IT!

Las Vegas Democratic Debate, Democratic Candidates, VA Benefits, War

My grandmother was an amazing woman. She was strong and proud and smart, and extremely loving and generous. She was, without a doubt, the matriarch of our family. She taught me many, many lessons that live with me yet today.

The place where she taught me most of my lessons was in her big, heavy, red upholstered rocking chair, with me on her lap. She taught me simply by talking to me, or I'd lie down in her lap and she'd rock me while singing me hymns. She also let me play horsie on it by straddling the big stuffed arms and rocking wildly back and forth. :) It had been her mother's chair before her. It's the same big, heavy, red upholstered rocking chair which is sitting no more than three feet from me as I type this. Its color clashes with every other piece of furniture in my livingroom, but you know what? I couldn't care less. It is much, much more than just a chair. It represents the wisdom of the ages.

One of the lessons I vividly remember her teaching me while sitting in that chair was the lesson of Matthew, Chapter 6, verse 3. Back then, though, I didn't know it was Matthew 6:3; I simply knew it as something important my grandma was telling me. She said, "But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth". When I asked her what it meant, she told me it meant that when you do something good, or something generous and giving, don't brag about it. Let it be a secret; it's more meaningful that way. It wasn't until later that I found out what the following verse was. Matthew 6:4 reads "That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly".

I took that lesson and have held it close my entire life. I've held that humility is very important, and have tried to live my life that way always. And not just because I believe God sees me when I'm humble or that it's the right thing to do, but because it actually feels good. It's an amazing feeling to do something good for someone and tell absolutely no one.

All of this was brought back to me tonight in a big way when I read that someone only wishing to be known as "Anonymous Friend" gave $100 million to the Erie Community Foundation, and all of the charities would receive a share. Some of those charities include a homeless shelter whose previous largest donation was $25,000; they will be receiving $2 million. Another is the Achievement Center, which provides physical therapy and other services to children. The center, which serves 3,200 children a year, will also get $2 million. Those are only 2 of forty-six charities which will benefit from this anonymous friend's amazing generosity.

Mike Batchelor, president of the Erie Community Foundation, has been sworn to secrecy and will allow only that the donor worked with the organization for years to identify deserving recipients before the announcement over the summer. That, my friends, is the lesson my grandmother taught me, personified. It is exactly how we should all give, regardless of what it is we are giving. It should come from our hearts, with true sincerity and love, not so we can get recognition and/or advance our social standing. Can you imagine a world like that? I can. And it is truly beautiful.

Erie's Anonymous Friend

Hey peeps, I wanna pass along something I consider very important, OK? Kate over at Electric Venom posted some extremely useful, timely and enormously important information over the last few days on how we can support our troops during this holiday season. I can't even imagine how it must feel to be so far away from all your loved ones at such a special time of year. Actually, I can't imagine what it would be like to be separated from them at any time of the year!

So please go read this and this, then decide in which way you would like to support our brave and beleaguered troops. She has listed some really great ways in which we can do so. I've chosen mine! After all, it's the least we can do. Right?

Supporting our Troops, Electric Venom

I got a call from my oldest son yesterday. He asked if Hubs had called me (Hubs and both sons work for the Railroad). When I told him no, he proceeded to tell me the story himself. What story is that, you ask? Only one of the scariest things a locomotive engineer can face, that's all.

He was coming out of Denver, heading home, when he and his conductor both saw a semi-truck up ahead at a crossing with his trailer hanging over the tracks. Ryan started blowing his horn -- incessantly. The trucker didn't budge. Getting closer and closer to the truck, and not knowing if the idiot driver was going to move or not, he plugged the train (set the emergency air brakes). The trucker must have FINALLY seen the train, because he pulled forward about two feet at the last minute, leaving the train barely enough room to pass by without hitting him. Ryan said he and his conductor both were getting ready to duck under the desk and take cover. So, scared shitless and totally furious, he got the truck's license number and called it in to dispatch, who would then call the proper authorities with the information. Then of course he has all the reporting and paperwork to do because of plugging the train (they always have to tell the RR why they had to do that). His conductor told him later that what Ryan hadn't seen was the four lanes of cars stopped at the crossing, which the semi's trailer would have slammed into if they had hit him. I think that's what shook up Ryan the most.

After waiting the few minutes it took for the air to build back up in his brakes, he continued ahead. About four crossings later, a car with stupid teenagers played chicken with him. ARE THEY CRAZY??? Are they really too dumb to know how dangerous that is??? Damn! Then later, at yet another crossing, a guy on a bicycle was heading toward the tracks, so Ryan began blowing the horn yet again, but the guy didn't even look up. He had a hood over his head and Ryan assumes he was listening to music or something and that's why he didn't hear the train, but when he finally saw the train, he was about 2 feet from hitting the engines when they went by! Geesh!

It was completely understandable when he said it was his worst trip ever. All of those things are the worst nightmare of both a locomotive engineer and a conductor. He and hubby are both engineers; my other son, Dave, is a conductor. I think about that stuff all the time when they leave for trips. I guess I'm not really scared they, themselves, will get hurt, because it would take something really huge to actually hurt the engineer and conductor, but can you imagine not being able to stop and hitting someone else, possibly ending their life? I don't think my kids or my husband could take that mentally and emotionally. And believe me, it happens much more often than you might think. There are idiots out there doing stupid things on railroad tracks all the time!

The moral of this story? Be careful at railroad crossings, people!!!

Train Wrecks, Railroad Crossings, Railroad Engineers, Railroad Conductors

I don't know if there ever has been such a thing as a truly honest administration in this country, but it sure used to be a helluva lot more honest than it is now, or has been in a very long time. The government is supposed to be there for us, the people, right? Ha. I haven't believed that in a very long time.

If I haven't said it before, let me say it now in no uncertain terms: I can't stand Bush or his administration! In my humble and only somewhat politically-educated opinion, he has done nothing good for this country. Nothing. I can hardly wait for the next year to go by so his presidency will finally end forever!

With that off my chest, let me continue on to what this post is really about -- Michael Mukasey. Late Thursday night the Senate approved the former judge's nomination for Attorney General with a 53-40 vote, despite weeks of controversy over his views on waterboarding. According to CNN:

The nomination had been considered at risk after a number of Democratic senators opposed Mukasey because of questions that arose from his views on the terror interrogation technique known as waterboarding and the president's power to order electronic surveillance.

Mukasey, a former federal judge in New York, told senators he considers waterboarding "repugnant," but he could not categorically say whether the technique amounts to torture, which U.S. and international law bans.

Waterboarding is a technique that involves restraining a suspect and pouring water on him to produce the sensation of drowning.

That makes me sick. I can NOT believe that someone -- anyone -- could and would say that waterboarding is repugnant, but not go as far as ADMITTING it is absolutely torture! I think they said it best at freep.com:

It really shouldn't be tough for Michael Mukasey to admit that waterboarding is torture. When you pressure someone to cooperate with an interrogation by tying them to a board with their head lower than their feet, covering their face with a cloth and then pouring enough water into the cloth to make them think they're drowning, what else would you call it?

But Mukasey, whose nomination to be the nation's next attorney general was approved Tuesday by a key Senate committee, has called it everything but, including "repugnant." But Mukasey says going any further would be rendering a legal opinion about a "hypothetical" technique, and he's uncomfortable doing that.

Hypothetical? Are you kidding me??? As if!! But here's the best -- and what I consider the most important -- part of the story (emphasis mine):

That's a disappointing nonstand, to be sure. But Mukasey's equivocations are not all his fault. Most of that responsibility lies at the feet of the Bush administration, which has taken the 9/11 attacks and the war on terror as an invitation to rewrite the nation's moral code.

Now THAT is the truth!

It goes on to say:

Mukasey's caginess is what you get after six years of waterboarding and talk of the "quaint" Geneva Conventions governing the humane treatment of captives, and efforts to debate the indefensible in the name of national security. This is what happens when those who are charged with upholding American values instead try to find ways around them.

That doesn't let Mukasey completely off the hook. It would be wonderful if our attorney general could fess up that tactics embraced by Cambodia's atrocious Khmer Rouge are indeed torture. But the Bush administration's insistence that the law and human rights are fungible certainly explains his reluctance to speak so boldly.

Thanks to George W. Bush and his administration, we as a country and a military, have been forced to a level we have abhorred and denounced in others for decades and decades. It is pathetic, pitiful and criminal. It is shameful.

Oh, and in case there are some of you out there who don't know what waterboarding is, you can go here and watch a 25 minute uncut video of correspondent Kaj Larsen receiving the TORTURE tactic from hired professional interrogators, but I warn you, it is very, very difficult to watch. In fact, I only made it through 2 minutes before I had to shut it off. I was left feeling literally sick to my stomach. I can't believe there are people out there who actually are able to do that to another human being and don't consider it torture. It's incomprehensible to me. What's even MORE incomprehensible is how our very own President can condone such tactics and NOT call it torture! Oh sure, he says he hasn't "been briefed" about it and doesn't know exactly what it is. What horse shit! Giuliani says the same thing! According to Blah3, Giuliani said:

"If you take a simplistic position on it, you're probably irresponsible. I should not take a position on waterboarding until I know precisely what we're talking about. If we're talking about what the media says constitutes waterboarding, I have said that I think that's repulsive. But I've also said that I have not been briefed on precisely what we do. I would want to keep an open mind until I heard that."

How can they possibly plead ignorance??? For God's sake, Bush is the president and Giuliani wants to be! Isn't it their JOB to know?! Oh well, I guess it's nothing new. We've come to expect it, haven't we?

Yeah, I'm mad as hell about this, and believe me, I can hardly wait until Bush is out of office, and I pray a Democrat wins the election! Or better yet, Ron Paul!!!!

Bush, Waterboarding, Michael Mukasey, freep.com, CNN, Rudy Giuliani, Ron Paul

Human beings are fascinating animals, aren't they? I mean, we can do such amazing things with our hearts, minds and bodies. We're so unique in that we have the capacity to be enormously giving, loving and compassionate, but also hurtful, deviant and evil. In fact, the depth of evil humans can reach is staggering and unimaginable.

I'm sure by now most of you have heard of Baby Grace, right? If not, then be prepared when you read the story. When I first heard about her yesterday, it literally took my breath away and I instantly began crying. How someone can do something so sick and demented to a child is beyond any normal person's comprehension. My heart is absolutely breaking for Baby Grace. The sketches they've done in hopes of identifying her depict a lovely, adorable little girl, completely innocent of the evil this world can hold -- until it came and ended her life. Whomever did this to her deserves to die. In fact, they deserve the same kind of death they dealt her. An eye for an eye, ya' know? Child killers don't deserve anything humane, least of all the manner in which they die.

Bob Smither, co-founder of the Laura Recovery Center For Missing Children, has launched a web site in hopes of generating more leads in identifying who this precious child is and who did this to her. I encourage all of you to visit, learn what you can do, and then post something -- anything -- about Baby Grace on your own blogs so that she can be identified and laid to rest with the name she was given, and the perpetrator of this horrific crime can be caught. You all know how powerful the blogging community is! Perhaps we can play a part in helping law enforcement find justice for Baby Grace.

I want to share with you a press release given by Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo of the Galveston County Sheriff's Office:

I don’t often make an appeal of emotion, choosing to stick with the facts of cases as we should. However, a case such as this draws out emotions in all that touch it – even us cynical old cops. I ask that you “buck the system” and include the emotions you, like me, are experiencing in looking at this case as a parent, a child, one who has children as part of your life, or just as a human being. The emotion in this case is strong – likely stronger than many I’ve seen in my 20+ years in this business, and we need your help to make this case break.

You must admit this case tugs at your heartstrings, just like it does mine. I hide behind the façade of the stoic cop – and you behind your “just the facts” media approach. It’s going to take more than “just the facts” to make this one work, and I appeal to your (and your heartless editors!!!) sense of humanity to give this case a face – and a heart.

I think Chau (the alleged short timer) said it well – “This case makes me sick to my stomach.” Cynthia had a comment something to the effect this was a sad case. They’re both right.

I cannot help but emphasize we are dealing with a little girl, not just unidentified body. To us, she isn’t unidentified – we simply don’t know her name. She has an identity to the lives she touched – and there are likely more than just a few of those, including every one of us involved in this case and has come to know her, in our own way, during the past couple of days. There is someone out there that is missing her in both the literal and emotional sense, and it is absolutely critical that we hear from that someone. That’s where you come in, getting that message to that some.

Feel free to quote me on any of the comments above…I’d appreciate it, and I would hope our little girl would as well.

Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo
Galveston County Sheriff's Office
601 54th St., Suite 2100
Galveston, TX 77551
409-766-2369
fax: 409-765-3100
ray.tutt@co.galveston.tx.us

Don't you think bloggers are part of the media? I do! So come on, people, let's do our part in helping to "make this case break". Do it for Baby Grace.

Baby Grace

Unless you live under a rock or haven't paid attention to the news, you probably know that a school board in Maine has voted to make birth control pills available to middle school children as young as 11 through its health center -- WITHOUT parental consent! What in the hell is wrong with those people?!?! I'm sorry, but unless you are a DOCTOR whom I have consulted myself, you will NEVER be the one to decide to give my child medication, ESPECIALLY something as personal as birth control pills!!! Not to mention that prolonged use of birth control can have serious and life-long health implications! Condoms are one thing -- they can't affect anyone's health by using them and can actually save lives -- but an oral medication that alters a body's natural cycle? I think not!! Those people might reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies, but do they really think it's going to stem adolescent sex? And what about sexually transmitted diseases? Do they really think that an 11 year old girl is going to stop to think about using a condom, too, in order to protect herself from STDs??? Hell no she isn't! All she's going to be thinking about is that the danger of pregnancy is out the window and she can now have at it! Even 14 and 15 year olds are going to think that way! What's next? Are they going to start offering free abortions at school? This is just wrong, people. Wrong, wrong, wrong! I think those long, cold winters in Maine have caused those school officials to have frostbite of the brain!

What do you think about this??

Maine, Middle School in Maine, Birth Control Given in Maine School, Birth Control

CNN is running a story on their web site about self-doubt and the affect it has on so many of us in varying degrees. While the article was interesting and enlightening, what I found profound was the poll on CNN's front page asking people if they think self-doubt limits their ability to live their lives to the fullest. I voted yes. So did 80% of the people who voted. At that time -- about 10 minutes ago -- almost 60,000 people had already voted. Eighty percent of sixty thousand people doubt themselves. That is ... an amazing statistic, don't you think? Staggering, really.

What about you? Do you think self-doubt keeps you from living your life to the fullest? Apparently most of us do. Why is that? Why do you think the major majority of us doubt ourselves to the degree that we feel we aren't living to the fullest? That is just so sad. Is it a societal issue in that the expectations we put on ourselves based on what society deems successful are realistically unattainable? Is it because we try to live our lives based on others' expectations of us? What is it that makes us doubt who we are as contributors in this world? What is it that makes us feel we don't measure up? And what is it that we are trying to measure up to, anyway? How much do television, movies and magazines impact our idea of what and who we think we should be? Is it a subliminal invader that make us feel "less than"?

I realize I'm asking questions which can't be answered easily or simply with a few words. It's just something that really struck me when I read it. I mean, how disheartening is it that so many of us doubt ourselves in so many ways? But more importantly, what can we do to change it?

CNN, Self-Doubt

I want to send a very big and deeply heartfelt THANK YOU to all of you who have sent such kind and comforting words of support to my family and me on the loss of Daisy. It has helped to soothe the pain. Believe me, your friendship is more appreciated than I can say. ((((((((HUGS))))))))

Today has been tough. Especially at feeding time and snack time. Oh my how she loved food! LOL It's heartbreaking not seeing her eager face in the group of hungry dogs. Not being able to take her with us on our walks in the park will be hard, too. She was such a good "walker". She always stayed right with us and always obeyed what she was told. We never had to use a leash with her. An extraordinary girl, she was.

Again, thank you all so much for your support.

My family and I are devastated and heartbroken. About 26 hours ago we found our beloved Daisy dead. It was a shock beyond belief. She was only 2 years old.

The dogs had all gone outside into the back yard for a while to potty and play. When we let them back in, Daisy wasn't with them. I was in the shower. My daughter said she was afraid something was wrong because Cheyenne, our Lab, was acting really weird and had gone back outside and wouldn't come in. She got her Dad's railroad flashlight and went out back to take a look around. Next thing I heard was my daughter running into the bathroom, telling me through sobs that Daisy wasn't moving, and she thought she was dead. My husband heard what she was saying and immediately took the flashlight and went out to see what was going on. Callie was right, she was dead. Tony examined Daisy all over her body to see if he could find a wound or broken bones or something, but found nothing. We're assuming she may have had SAS that went undetected, and simply laid down and died. That's the only feasible explanation we can come up with for why a 2 year old Golden Retriever who was in seemingly excellent health would suddenly die. She was lying in her spot under the bush where she would always sleep. If we had had any idea whatsoever that something like that had happened, we certainly wouldn't have let Callie go out there alone to be the one who found her. Daisy was her favorite out of all the dogs. She was planning on taking her with her when she moved out of here in a few years. It is torture thinking of her lying back there dying all alone. That is what haunts me the most. And then I look around my house at all the places in which she would sleep, and I burst out crying. I can't believe she's gone. I just can't believe it.

Our hearts are completely broken. The shock is beginning to wear off, and deep grief is taking its place. Our sweet, beautiful, amazing Daisy is gone. The sweetest, most loving dog ever. She absolutely lived for being touched. It didn't matter if you were touching her with your hand, your leg, your foot -- anything -- as long as you were touching her she was happy. She loved us so well. I am very grateful for having been blessed with her for 2 1/2 years. I just wish it had been much, much longer.

Run free, sweet Daisy. We'll see you again someday. Until then, you and Mom can keep each other company.

Dogs, Golden Retrievers, SAS, Losing a Pet

God rest their souls and heal the hearts of their loved ones. May it never, ever, ever happen again.

September 11th, 9/11, Anniversary of 9/11