Thoughtprints

Traveling and Migrating, but Not at the Same Time

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 12:50:51 -0800

I don't know if you've noticed, but you've been unable to comment on the last few blog entries, thanks to my web host migrating their accounts to a new platform, which totally screwed up my blog. When I called tech support -- and I must admit here they actually did try to help -- they ended the conversation with the never-before-uttered phrase "We don't support Movable Type, only Wordpress". Ugh! Oh well, I've been wanting to change this blog over to Wordpress for a while now, anyway, so I guess the time really has come. I will be attempting that monumental task this week sometime. Keep your fingers crossed for me! Meanwhile, back to my life in the real world, my family and I have been traveling, taking a couple of trips over the last two weeks. It's been so much fun! Our first trip was to Estes Park here in Colorado, which is one of our most favorite places to go. This time, however, I would have to say it was the best one ever -- except for the fact that our daughter came down with the flu the first night we were there. The next day she was feeling better, so we managed to still salvage a good time! I took a bunch of pictures and have posted them to my flickr, so please go and enjoy! I've added a little of the history of Estes in there for you, too. ;) Oh, and just wait until you see the pictures of those beautiful Elk that walked through our "back yard"! Our other trip was to Lake McConaughy in Nebraska (in my opinion, the only thing that redeems Nebraska -- sorry Nebraskans. GO BUFFS!). We LOVE this lake! To begin with, it's huge and has a sand bottom so there's no muddy mess like a lot of lakes/reservoirs, and the beaches are beautiful white sand! The closest thing to the ocean near us, that's for sure. LOL I don't have the pictures downloaded from my camera yet, but when I do I'll post the link. We took our daughter's best friend with us, who had never been there, along with two of our dogs -- the tiniest, Riley, and the biggest, Cheyenne. Now, Cheyenne is a Lab through-and-through and adores the water, so she had a FABULOUS time. Riley, on the other hand, is terrified of water, so I thought bringing him was a mistake, but Hubs insisted. Well, much to my surprise, he really enjoyed the beach and playing ball with us. What he didn't like, of course, was ALL THAT WATER! He got on Callie's back while she was on the tube and she took him for a little ride, but he hated it. LOL Later I got in the water which, by the way, is still very cold, and started making those kind of noises you make when you dip yourself into cold water, you know? lol Anyway, Riley heard me and thought I was in trouble, so he mustered up all his courage and jumped down the little "cliff" alongside the water and was all set to come rescue me. He jumped onto Callie's back once again and she began paddling toward me. The whole time he was staring at me with this "I'm coming! I'm coming!" look in his little eyes. It was SO CUTE! I couldn't believe he would face his worst fear to save little old me. He is absolutely my hero! All seven pounds of him! :) I best get a move on and see about all this changing over to Wordpress thing. It makes me shudder to think of importing all of what's here, but a gal has to do what a gal has to do for the love of her blog. ;) Oh, and by the way -- HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all of you fathers out there! :)

Linda, Linda, Wake Up and Take a Look Around!

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 19:27:02 -0800

People make me angry. Maybe I should say some people make me angry. VERY angry! But I'm not self-righteous enough to sit here thinking I am never guilty of the very same behavior which pisses me off in others -- I know I do. Believe me, I chastise myself, too. My daughter and I have an agreement that when one or both of us is complaining about something utterly stupid, shallow, superficial and/or greedy and are being completely short-sighted, we say, "You know, some people don't even HAVE 'fill in the blank'". We remind each other about how blessed we really are. So what's got my panties in such a bunch right now? Well, people like Linda Bollea, who has the nerve to announce to the press, as if it's breaking news, that she wants her soon-to-be ex Hulk Hogan jailed because -- now get this -- he hasn't paid his share into the purchase of a 4.2 million dollar condo in Vegas! WTF??? There are people DYING in this country and losing everything they own due to floods, tornadoes and heat waves, and she's pissed because he hasn't kicked in his 2.1 million bucks! Oh no, what a freaking tragedy! NOT! There are men and women being killed in Iraq and families living on the streets right here in the good ol' USA, and SHE wants her condo! Well heaven forbid Linda shouldn't get her condo in frickin' Vegas! Stop the presses, people, this is BIG news! Hulk hasn't shelled out his promised amount of money to his skanky wife who is now dating a NINETEEN YEAR OLD! I say good on'ya, Hulk! Linda, get over yourself already. We don't care!

Hulk Hogan, Terry Bollea, Linda Bollea

Twisted Logic of the Law

Wed, 28 May 2008 03:14:12 -0800

In Durango (here in Colorado), police are telling a liquor store owner to give shoplifters the boot, the shoe, and any other footwear he's acquired from shoplifters. You see, Gabe Fidanque was tired of losing $1,000 worth of merchandise every month, so he started telling shoplifters he caught in the act of stealing from him that they had two choices: Give him one of their shoes or he'd call the police. Well, a handful of them gave up a shoe. But Durango police have told Fidanque to stop the practice, or he could find himself facing felony robbery charges. Felony robbery charges???? Yep, felony charges for taking footwear from the people who were blatantly stealing from HIM! Shoplifting, in contrast, is a misdemeanor. Now what kind of twisted logic is that? A person stealing from a hard-working, honest person is charged with a misdemeanor, while said hard-working, honest person is charged with a felony for making them leave their shoe! Unbelievable. Authorities ordered Fidanque to return the shoes to their owners - if he can find them. He says his method of keeping shoplifters out was working, because people were too humiliated to return and ask for their shoe back. Frankly, I don't see the problem.

Durango, Colorado Law, Shoplifting

Do You Have a Book Inside You?

Tue, 27 May 2008 21:33:31 -0800

I'm sure many of you don't know that I'm a poet -- albeit a muse-less one at the moment. I've written well over a hundred poems over the last eight or ten years. I went through a rather prolific time five or six years ago, but ever since my mother passed away I've been very blocked when it comes to writing. I think in order for one to write well, one must be in touch with all of their emotions on a very raw level. That's something I have been unable to do since experiencing mom's passing. I've thought about taking all of my poems and publishing them. I've thought about that many times in fact. Not recently, though. Back when I did think about it, the prospect was rather daunting. Now, however, the internet offers us amazing services such as DIY (do-it-yourself) Online Publishing. Wordclay is one such place where you can publish your own book, and a very good one at that! They are an excellent service and are extremely user-friendly, taking you step-by-step through the process -- everything from planning the size of your book to designing its cover and formatting the interior. I'm definitely going to think about gathering all of my poems together and giving this a try!

Online Publishing, Wordclay

Harrowing Tales

Mon, 26 May 2008 22:13:55 -0800

I spoke with my lifelong friend on Friday -- thankfully. You see, she lives in Greeley and two of her grown daughters and their families and her own mother all live in Windsor, where the tornado was on Thursday, the 22nd. I'd been trying to get a hold of her since Thursday and was getting very worried when it took so long to reach her. When I finally spoke to her, I listened to a very harrowing story, indeed. She sounded exhausted and in shock, beginning her story with the words "You just wouldn't believe it". The tornado tracked toward Windsor by way of Greeley, Gilcrest and Platteville. It first skirted the western edge of Greeley, which is precisely where she lives. She said she was watching the weather channel when they announced "an enormous and deadly tornado heading towards Windsor, Colorado". Of course she freaked and immediately went to the phone to call her daughters and mother, but oh no, she couldn't get through to them! The storm had already taken down electrical and phone lines, rendering her helpless in her quest to warn her family. She said that I had no idea how horrific it is to know something potentially deadly to your family is heading straight for them and you can do nothing to warn them. I agreed. I have no idea how horrible that would be. I can only imagine, and even that scares me to death. Well anyway, knowing my friend as I do, it did not surprise me in the least when she told me what she did next: she got in her car and drove to Windsor, only to be stopped by police and told she could not enter. Yeah, right dude. You obviously don't know my friend! She took her car and found a place where she could leave it, locked it up and began walking. She walked for miles, crossing fields, a stream and even a river to get to her kids! She snuck in behind police lines without being detected. Yep, that's Kathy! Now, she's not in the best physical condition (severe back and neck problems), but like any mother, nothing was about to stop her. She finally got there and found her daughters together at the younger's house, because the older's house was destroyed. She told her mother her own harrowing story of only having mere seconds to grab her 2 1/2 year old and her dog and run downstairs to a closet before "a freight train went through my house". She was crying very hard, as you can imagine. She and her son are both very traumatized, as is her 12 year old daughter who was in school at the time and thought her family had been killed. Her husband, when racing home from his workplace, was immediately put to work by the police and National Guard (because he's a Guardsman himself), and wasn't allowed to even go home for a few minutes to check on his family. It was a while before he could get to Katie's house (the younger sister) to check on everyone. As you can imagine, it was very difficult for him to concentrate on his work without knowing exactly how his own family was! No one had power and were living with candles and, if they were lucky enough, generators. They were all just very thankful they were alive. I have not spoken with her since Friday. I asked her to please keep me updated when possible. I can only imagine how busy they have all been trying to clean up and find even a few of their belongings strewn about, if they can. They have to board up the house as best they can. One wall is completely gone, and her kitchen cupboards and refrigerator completely disappeared. It's just so unbelievably amazing. I've put together a few of what I consider to be the best videos of the tornado and its aftermath for you, if you haven't seen any already. I think you'll agree that it is utterly amazing. Mother Nature definitely has a temper.

Tornadoes, Windsor Tornado, Colorado Tornado

Devastating Tornadoes

Thu, 22 May 2008 18:15:52 -0800

I imagine by now a lot of you have heard about the tornadoes in Colorado today. Not all that unusual, given that May is typically our severe weather month, but the tornado which hit Windsor, Gilcrest and Platteville today absolutely was unusual in that it was so HUGE and hit so early in the day. Tornadoes like that are normally found in Kansas and Oklahoma, not Colorado. The damage done in today's confirmed 6 tornadoes is devastating. Thankfully the loss of life was limited to one man whose RV in which he was camping was taken by the monster tornado. My heart breaks for his family. Today our town was lucky. The terrible storms flanked us all day, but we were left alone. We had high winds and cloudy skies, but that's all. We're still under a Tornado Watch for another hour and a half, but I don't think anything is going to happen *knock on wood*. You should definitely check out this video on CNN -- it's awesome, and will show you exactly what I'm talking about. They have a good article about it, too. Springtime in Colorado is nuts. Today we had tornadoes in and around the front range; severe thunderstorms and tornado watches on the plains; flooding due to rapid snow melt up by Steamboat Springs; and snow advisories at and around the Continental Divide. Yep, that's Colorado for ya'. ;)

Colorado Tornadoes, Colorado, Northeast Colorado

Just What is Colloidal Silver?

Fri, 16 May 2008 16:32:39 -0800

How many of you have heard about the "The Blue Man" fraud? You know, the one where a man supposedly turned blue from taking colloidal silver? Yeah, it never happened. Although the news media has continually said that he was taking colloidal silver, nothing could be further from the truth. The Blue Man story became a major media disinformation event which was produced by a public relations firm and paid for by a pharmaceutical interest. The purpose of this campaign was to scare the public away from using colloidal silver products. The tactic was to claim that the Blue Man's condition was caused by his use of colloidal silver thus implying that anyone who uses colloidal silver would suffer a similar fate. The entire story as presented is a study in blatant misrepresentation. The fact is that Paul has a condition called argyria, which turns the skin a blue-gray color. He got this condition by taking his homemade silver compound that was mostly a highly concentrated ionic silver solution. When he prepared the solution he believed he was making colloidal silver. He was not making colloidal silver. To make the solution even more dangerous, he added salt to the brew and then used electrolysis to make a high concentration of silver chloride with large particles which is well known to cause argyria. He further applied the compound to his skin causing him to become an internal and external photographic plate. To finish himself off, he used a tanning bed to "fix" the silver in his body. The moral of the story is to know the difference between true colloidal silver and ionic silver or silver proteins, and don't try to make either at home! (True colloidal silver cannot be made at home.) So, just what is colloidal silver? Well, colloidal silver is a liquid suspension of microscopic particles of silver. A colloid is technically defined as particles which remain suspended without forming an ionic, or dissolved solution. The good news about colloidal silver is that it appears to be a powerful, natural antibiotic and preventative against infections. Acting as a catalyst, it reportedly disables the enzyme that one-celled bacteria, viruses and fungi need for their oxygen metabolism. They suffocate without corresponding harm occurring to human enzymes or parts of the human body chemistry. The result is the destruction of disease-causing organisms in the body and in the food. Mesosilver is the most effective colloidal silver on the market today. It is 0.9999 pure silver in colloidal form, a true silver colloid. Many products are advertised as being colloidal silver, but in fact are mostly ionic silver solutions. A true silver colloid consists mostly of silver particles. Mesosilver has the highest percentage of its silver content in the form of sub-nanometer silver particles, not silver ions. I know all of that sounds confusing and complex, but it's really not. I find it very, very interesting. There's tons of information on their site about colloidal silver, so if it interests you, too, I highly recommend you visit them and read what's there!

Colloidal Silver, Mesosilver

Strange Events in Austria

Fri, 16 May 2008 16:09:58 -0800

So there's been some really strange and tragic events happening in Austria lately. I don't know why it always kind of surprises me when brutal crimes occur somewhere other than the U.S., but it does. I suppose it's because brutality and tragedy fill our newspapers and airwaves on a daily basis, but we don't hear about the crimes in other countries unless they're extreme, just like the stories coming out of Austria. For example, the man who killed 5 of his family members with an ax to spare them from financial ruin. Really? How bad is it that money has become so important that you'd rather see your family dead than poor? Wow ... I just can't imagine. Then of course there's the the completely crazy man who held his own daughter captive in a cellar for 24 years and repeatedly raped her, resulting in the birth of 7 children! Now that guy is just plain old evil to the core! You should read all of the articles relating to this story. UN-believable! And now, today, I read an article about the former Austrian kidnap victim Natascha Kampusch, saying she has purchased her captor's home. Her lawyer, Gerald Ganzger, says she became the owner of the house and yard in the quiet Vienna suburb of Strasshof earlier this year. She is not thought to live there, though. So my question is this: why would anyone who had been held captive for eight long years want to own the property on which they were held??? Is it that Stockholm Syndrome thing? Perhaps a sense of empowerment taking the house and land away from him? I don't know. I just think that I would never want to see that place again if it were I, let alone own it! What do you think?

Austria, Crimes in Austria, AustrianManHoldsDaughterCaptive

More Reality

Thu, 08 May 2008 21:57:10 -0800

Speaking of Reality Shows (see previous post), I just found a very cool site where you can get all kinds of Reality TV Updates. I admit it, I'm a reality TV junkie. Shows like Deadliest Catch, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, Paranormal State, Hell's Kitchen ..... yes, I watch them all. There are more, but I won't bore you. LOL Anyway, if you're a reality junkie, too, and need to get caught up on some of them, be sure to check out RealityBug.com!

RealityBug.com, Reality Shows, Reality TV Updates

The Biggest Boneheaded Move Ever!

Thu, 08 May 2008 21:51:19 -0800

I don't know how many of you watch Survivor, but I almost fell out of my chair tonight when Erik actually believed what the evil women told him and was STUPID enough to hand over his immunity necklace to Natalie! Didn't he learn anything from watching the last three or four voted off the island be completely blindsided by those same women? What a friggin' idiot! He's sweet, though. ;) OK, I feel better now that I got that off my chest. lol

Survivor

Personalize It!

Thu, 08 May 2008 15:30:54 -0800

Well, we all know Mother's Day is Sunday, right? As much as I enjoy my children fawning all over me, I also become sad because my mother is no longer living. I used to love to fawn all over her, too. :) But there are other holidays and events coming up in the immediate future, as well. Graduation and Father's Day! And of course all of the other gift-giving holidays throughout the year. Call me a sap, but I really love giving Personalized Gifts to my friends and family. There's just something about a personalized gift which tells the recipient that you really put some thought into their gift. At PersonalizationMall.com you can find all kinds of gifts which can be personalized. And guess what? Personalization is FREE! You don't find that very often. All the stores around here charge per letter! They also ship your order quickly -- usually within 1 to 2 days. They have this beautiful pocket watch which I would really love to give to my oldest son. He's always loved pocket watches so much, and a lot of the Engineers on the railroad have them. I hate to wait for Christmas, and his birthday has already passed. Maybe I'll just have to give it to him for being such a good son. :) The price is great, too! Next time you need to buy a gift, remember PersonalizationMall.com!

Personalized Gifts, PersonalizationMall.com

Tulane Terror

Thu, 08 May 2008 15:10:34 -0800

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

The Beauty Which is Vietnam

Wed, 07 May 2008 21:51:16 -0800

I have distinct memories of seeing images of the Vietnam war on the news when I was a kid. I remember the gunfire, bombs, helicopters, and of course, the soldiers. I also remember feeling quite perplexed and very sad. As we all know, the war raged on for a very long time and the country of Vietnam was ravaged. That, too, was very sad. But that has all changed now! Have you seen any pictures or video of what Vietnam is like today? It is absolutely beautiful! Stunning, in fact. I can honestly say that it is a place I would definitely love to visit. I think now, finally, Vietnam is rising above the stigma of war, and people are realizing it is one of the most exciting new destinations in South East Asia. One of the most gorgeous places I'd love to visit is Halong Bay. Oh man! It is breathtakingly beautiful! You really should google pictures of it -- it looks almost mystical. The Halong Bay Hotels are equally as beautiful, too. And have I mentioned how affordable they are? Well they are! I can hardly believe it, actually. Four star hotels with guestrooms for under $100 per night! The next time you're trying to think of a great place to visit on vacation, remember Vietnam. I don't think you would be sorry.

Vietnam, Halong Bay, Halong Bay Hotels

They Finally See the Light -- Years Later

Wed, 07 May 2008 15:03:18 -0800

CNN has just decided to report on what all of us who having been blogging for a while already know: Your Blog Can Be Group Therapy. Duh! LOL According to the aricle, "Blogging can create an instant support system, especially at a time when you might not have the energy or resources to seek out people who've shared your experiences." Amen to that! I've been using my blog for therapy since day one. It's nice that everyone else is finally catching up and realizing how valuable blogging can be! Blog on, boys and girls! :)

CNN, Blogging, Blogging as Therapy

Access and Share Data While On the Move

Tue, 06 May 2008 23:49:55 -0800

When my daughter and I were visiting with my friend and her husband over the weekend, we discussed how far technology has come in such a short time. The conversation came after my first game of bowling with their Wii. Who would have thought, eh? Well, my mind has been boggled once again. I think a lot of us already realize that IBackup is a leading Online Storage and backup, but guess what they offer now? Now you can actually access and share data from your iPhone and other handheld devices! They provide you the flexibility of accessing data stored on your IBackup account with handheld devices such as iPhone, Blackberry, PocketPC and Treo. How great is that? Couple that with the fact that you can get a variety of plans starting with 10 gigs of storage for only $9.95 a month and, well, you can see for yourself what a fantastic deal that is! Who woulda' thought. :)

IBackup, Online Storage