Oldman's Cantankerous Point of View™

Red Solo Cup ~ Toby Keith

2011-10-15T09:03:00.001-04:00

I just Love this new song!!!

PLEASE Read. Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Your Help is Needed!

2011-07-29T08:55:00.000-04:00

My friend's 19 month old granddaughter needs your help. Her name is Alexis Harding. Here is her story.

I am 19 months old and I have a seizure disorder which has not yet been diagnosed. I started having seizures at 24hrs old, I am hypotonic, developmentaly delayed and also failure to thrive. My seizures are a variety of different ones. My head and eyes deviate to the right or left and I have clusters which last sometimes for hours. I also have staring and drop seizures. After I have a seizure I cannnot use my right arm sometimes for minutes, sometimes for days. I have been on 8 meds that have not worked and the ketogenic diet. The meds that failed to work are phenobarb, lamictal, topimax, kepra ,clonopin, clobazam, acth and trileptal. I am currently taking 3 of these meds all at once to try and get some control on the seizures without any success. Because of my size and age the doctors are limited on what they can give me. My seizures used to come once in a while but the older I get the worse they get. I am having anywhere from 5 to 30 seizures a day for periods of 4 to 5 days in a row. Sometimes they will stop for a few days for whatever reason and then they will start again. I have been hospitalized once a month since I was born, this month being the worst I have been in the hospital 16 out of 24 days so far. I have had 6 MRI's, a spect scan, pet scan, spinal tap and tons of genetic testing all of which has come back normal. I have been through weeks of video EEG's which have showed spikes coming from the left side of my brain and they have captured 3 of the 5 types of seizures I have. If anyone has any information that might help us find out what is wrong with me please comment or email us. Please help my Mommy and Daddy help me.

How You Can Help

First, if you do have an answer or any helpful information her email address is alexisharding01@yahoo.com

Second, leave your supportive and encouraging comments and prayers in the comment section below. Her parents and grandparents will appreciate it.

Finally, share this story with others. Everyone knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone... You can click on the share button and share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter, etc. Also, you could post her story in a blog post of your own.

Thank you so much for taking the time to help this child.

Pool Trick Shots

2010-07-20T17:34:00.006-04:00

I really enjoy watching this guy, Rick at Prayingmnantis72, shoot his trick pool shots. In the first video you see a trick shot never seen before because its never been created.. until now!!! Cue balls hit each other and bank back three rails and pocket matching balls in opposite pockets!!

Here's a couple more I like

Be sure to visit Prayingmantis72 YouTube Channel.

Crop Circles ~ An Elaborate Hoax?

2010-07-19T18:44:00.004-04:00

Tiny House

2010-07-17T17:10:00.002-04:00

Ten years ago, Jay Shafer downsized to an 89-square-foot house and reinvented both his lifestyle and career in the process. I love this idea! I want one!

What Do You Look Like in the Morning?

2010-05-29T19:51:00.003-04:00

Hi, this is just to have a little fun. Post a video showing what you look like in the morning on Oldmanblurts YouTube using the new YouTube Moderator between now and July 5, 2010. It can be a video you've already made or just one showing us what you look like. (please nothing inappropriate)

Then vote for your favorite video. The winner will be featured on my channel and on one of my blogs.

Check out my video to see what I look like and for some fun random thoughts. Have a good time with it. Good luck and God Bless.

Art Linkletter dead at 97 || 1912-2010

2010-05-27T21:28:00.001-04:00

Dr Craig Venter Announces First Synthetic Living Cell

2010-05-21T20:59:00.005-04:00

Scientists in the US have succeeded in developing the first synthetic living cell.

The researchers constructed a bacterium's "genetic software" and transplanted it into a host cell.

The resulting microbe then looked and behaved like the species "dictated" by the synthetic DNA.

The advance, published in Science, has been hailed as a scientific landmark, but critics say there are dangers posed by synthetic organisms.

The researchers hope eventually to design bacterial cells that will produce medicines and fuels and even absorb greenhouse gases.

The team was led by Dr Craig Venter of the J Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) in Maryland and California.

He and his colleagues had previously made a synthetic bacterial genome, and transplanted the genome of one bacterium into another.

Now, the scientists have put both methods together, to create what they call a "synthetic cell", although only its genome is truly synthetic.

Dr Venter likened the advance to making new software for the cell.

The researchers copied an existing bacterial genome. They sequenced its genetic code and then used "synthesis machines" to chemically construct a copy.

Dr Venter told BBC News: "We've now been able to take our synthetic chromosome and transplant it into a recipient cell - a different organism.

"As soon as this new software goes into the cell, the cell reads [it] and converts into the species specified in that genetic code."

The new bacteria replicated over a billion times, producing copies that contained and were controlled by the constructed, synthetic DNA.

"This is the first time any synthetic DNA has been in complete control of a cell," said Dr Venter.

'New industrial revolution'

Dr Venter and his colleagues hope eventually to design and build new bacteria that will perform useful functions.

"I think they're going to potentially create a new industrial revolution," he said.

"If we can really get cells to do the production that we want, they could help wean us off oil and reverse some of the damage to the environment by capturing carbon dioxide."

Dr Venter and his colleagues are already collaborating with pharmaceutical and fuel companies to design and develop chromosomes for bacteria that would produce useful fuels and new vaccines.

But critics say that the potential benefits of synthetic organisms have been overstated.

Dr Helen Wallace from Genewatch UK, an organisation that monitors developments in genetic technologies, told BBC News that synthetic bacteria could be dangerous.

"If you release new organisms into the environment, you can do more harm than good," she said.

"By releasing them into areas of pollution, [with the aim of cleaning it up], you're actually releasing a new kind of pollution.

"We don't know how these organisms will behave in the environment."

Dr Wallace accused Dr Venter of playing down the potential drawbacks.

"He isn't God," she said, "he's actually being very human; trying to get money invested in his technology and avoid regulation that would restrict its use."

But Dr Venter said that he was "driving the discussions" about the regulations governing this relatively new scientific field and about the ethical implications of the work.

He said: "In 2003, when we made the first synthetic virus, it underwent an extensive ethical review that went all the way up to the level of the White House.

"And there have been extensive reviews including from the National Academy of Sciences, which has done a comprehensive report on this new field.

"We think these are important issues and we urge continued discussion that we want to take part in."

Dr Gos Micklem, a geneticist from the University of Cambridge, said that the advance was "undoubtedly a landmark" study.

But, he said, "there is already a wealth of simple, cheap, powerful and mature techniques for genetically engineering a range of organisms. Therefore, for the time being, this approach is unlikely to supplant existing methods for genetic engineering".

The ethical discussions surrounding the creation of synthetic or artificial life are set to continue.

Professor Julian Savulescu, from the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics at the University of Oxford, said the potential of this science was "in the far future, but real and significant".

"But the risks are also unparalleled," he continued. "We need new standards of safety evaluation for this kind of radical research and protections from military or terrorist misuse and abuse.

"These could be used in the future to make the most powerful bioweapons imaginable. The challenge is to eat the fruit without the worm."

Candle Lovers Dream Contest

2010-05-18T17:41:00.003-04:00

Mike and Michele are running a contest on their new blog, Candle Lovers Dream. Please drop by and become a follower of their blog. Just click on the pic above for all the details and Don't forget to leave them a comment and let them know I sent you. Thanks and have a great day!

New Film ‘Machete’ Evokes Race War

2010-05-13T18:50:00.006-04:00

In an article by Alex Jones & Aaron Dykes at Infowars.com on May 9, 2010 they warn the new film 'Machete" has the potential to ignite a race war here in the United States. They write, "Director Robert Rodriguez’ new film ‘Machete‘ has created controversy after a promotional trailer released online makes provoking comments about Arizona– namely its new immigration laws– before depicting a machete-wielding vigilante who leads an uprising and massacre against Texas authorities. The filmmakers called it a ’special’ Cinco de Mayo message to Arizona, inviting viewers into a violent on-screen race war with red-saturated 70s exploitation violence and endless killing."

Here is a video of Alex Jones discussing this film.

In this related video a Los Angelos Teacher Calls for Mexican Revolt in the U.S.

This is MACHETE’S “ILLEGAL” TRAILER – A ‘CINCO DE MAYO MESSAGE TO ARIZONA’

To read the entire article click here.

Six Tricks to Double Your Calorie Burn

2010-05-08T10:00:00.001-04:00

For more Health and Fitness videos visit Oldmanblurts YouTube.

Hot Horseradish

2010-05-07T12:09:00.002-04:00

A minister who was very fond of pure, hot horseradish always kept a bottle of it on his dining room table. Once, at dinner, he offered some to a guest, who took a big spoonful.The guest let out a huge gasp. When he was finally able to speak, he choked out, "I've heard many ministers preach hellfire, but you are the first one I've met who passes out a sample of it."

National Day of Prayer

2010-05-06T11:46:00.005-04:00

Please join me in remembering to pray for these United States of America today on the National Day of Prayer.

Who Knew? Cinco de Mayo is NOT a Well-Known Holiday in Mexico

2010-05-05T10:29:00.001-04:00

More Cantankerisms

2010-05-03T09:08:00.004-04:00

A group of chess enthusiasts had checked into a hotel, and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the office and asked them to disperse. “But why?,” they asked, as they moved off. “Because,” he said, “I can't stand chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.”

I hate the country, all those animals walking around un-cooked.

Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they won't come to yours.

Drugs may lead to nowhere, but at least it's the scenic route.

It's a little known fact that the Dark Ages were caused by unresolved Y1K issues.

Statistics are like bikinis. What they conceal is more important than what they reveal.

Support bacteria - they're the only culture some people have.

The economy depends about as much on economists as the weather does on forecasters.

Time is the best teacher. Unfortunately, it eventually kills all its students.

A ship carrying blue paint collided with a ship carrying red paint. The crew are believed to be marooned.

Bessie stopped giving milk the other day. She's an udder failure.

Chopped cabbage - not just a good idea, it's the SLAW.

How do you get holy water? Boil the hell out of it.

Inquiring gnomes want to mine!

Two guys sitting in a kayak were chilly, but when they lit a fire in the craft, it sank - proving once and for all that you can't have your kayak and heat it, too.

What do you call a boomerang that doesn't work? A stick.

Why are there so many Smiths in the phone book? They all have phones.

Why aren't fishmongers generous? Their business makes them selfish.

Some people are going to leave a mark on this world, you might leave a stain.

E=mc2. - Written underneath it: Very nice, Albert. Next time show your work.

I suffer from chronic apathy, I was going to go see a doctor about it, but I didn't really care.

We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.

A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.

Don't trust reality. After all, it's only a collective hunch.

If the #2 pencil is so popular why is it still #2?

Most books now say our sun is a star. But how does it know how to change back into a sun in the daytime?

People are more violently opposed to fur than leather because it's safer to harass rich women than motorcycle gangs.

War doesn't determine who's right but who's left.

Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward.

Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

Never let a computer know you're in a hurry.

The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.

I'm afraid of the dark, and suspicious of the light.

Did Noah keep his bees in archives?

Does the Little Mermaid wear an algae-bra?

If man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have monkeys and apes?

If you mix milk of magnesia with vodka and orange juice, do you get a Phillip's screw driver?

If you throw a cat out a car window, does it become kitty litter?

If you lost your left arm, your right arm would be left.

Never use the words 'Evil Diabolical Plan' on your resume.

If Israelites come from Israel, then what come from Paris?

The difference between British and Americans is, Americans think a hundred years is a long time and the British think a hundred miles is a long drive.

I like angles, but only to a degree.

BREAKING NEWS - Poland media UNVEILS assassination of its WHOLE government

2010-04-27T09:18:00.001-04:00

Yom HaShoah ~ Holocaust Remembrance Day

2010-04-12T07:45:00.000-04:00

Today is Yom HaShoah. According to Jennifer Rosenberg, "It has been over 60 years since the Holocaust. To survivors, the Holocaust remains real and ever-present, but for some others, sixty years makes the Holocaust seem part of ancient history. Year-round we try to teach and inform others about the horrors of the Holocaust. We confront the questions of what happened? How did it happen? How could it happen? Could it happen again? We attempt to fight against ignorance with education and against disbelief with proof."

Today is the day we make a special effort to remember the Holocaust, those that suffered, those that fought, and those that died. Six million Jews were murdered. Many families were completely decimated.

In remebrance I offer this prayer.

Lord, remember not only the men of good will, but also those of ill will. But do not remember all the suffering they have inflicted upon us. Remember rather the fruits we have brought, thanks to this suffering: our comradeship, our loyalty, our humility, the courage, the generosity, the greatness of heart that has grown out of this. And when they come to judgment, let all the fruits we have bourne be their forgiveness.

For more information about Yom HaShoah click here.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-03T23:03:00.000-04:00

Create a free digital greeting

The Amish and the Elevator

2010-03-22T10:08:00.001-04:00

An Amish boy and his parents were visiting a mall. While the mother looked for cotton fabric for a new apron, the father and son stood around, amazed by almost everything they saw. They were especially amazed by two, shiny silver walls that could move apart and then slide back together again.

The boy asked, "What is that, father?"

The father (never having seen an elevator) responded, "Son, I have never seen anything like this in my life. I don't know what it is."

"Could it be a time machine?" asked the boy. “I heard about this movie picture show where people leave the earth in shiny vehicles.”

"Praise the Lord", said the father. "There sure are miraculous things in the city."

While the boy and his father were watching with amazement, an old lady in a wheel chair rolled up to the moving walls and pressed a button. The walls opened and the lady rolled
between them into a small room. The walls closed, and the boy and his father watched the small circular numbers above the walls light up. They continued to watch until the last number was reached, and then the numbers began to light in the reverse order.

Finally, the walls opened again and a gorgeous 24-year-old woman stepped out. The father, not taking his eyes off the young woman, said quietly to his son, "Go get your mother."

Imagination

2010-03-18T09:31:00.021-04:00

Some people have an incredible imagination.

While others have way too much time on their hands..

A friend sent me the pics below in an email. I don't know where they came from but some of them are hilarious. I numbered them where you can make up your own captions and put them in the comments. I will comment back with some of my captions later. Have Fun! I did the first one. I had a hard time with it, maybe I'll do better on some of the others. Let your imaginations soar!

1 You call that a knife? This is a knife.

2

3

A Wee Bit of Clean Irish Humor

2010-03-17T08:04:00.003-04:00

Here are a few jokes you can share with the children on this St. Patrick's Day.

Q: Why did St. Patrick drive all the snakes out of Ireland?
A: He couldn't afford plane fare

Q: What do you call a fake stone in Ireland?
A: A sham rock

Q: Why do frogs like St. Patrick's Day?
A: Because they're always wearing green

Q: What does a leprechaun call a happy man wearing green?
A: A Jolly Green Giant

Q: What did one Irish ghost say to the other?
A: 'Top o' the moaning!

Q: How can you tell if an Irishman is having a good time?
A: He's Dublin over with laughter!

*************

Knock, knock!
Who's there?
Irish.
Irish who?
Irish you a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-16T20:18:00.005-04:00

Looking for a great place to celebrate the holiday. Well, You have probably waited too late to get a room at the second largest St. Patrick's Day Parade in the United States. Living in Georgia and being of Irish decent, I am well aware The St. Patrick's Day celebration in Savannah, Georgia is the city's largest annual celebration and the second largest St. Patrick's Day event in the United States. It is compared by some to a Mardi Gras celebration. The St. Paddy's Day festivities in Savannah go on for several days, attracting roughly 500,000 visitors both of Irish and honorary Irish decent each year in addition to locals. The comparison to Mardi Gras ends when it comes to displays of public nudity, however, which in Savannah will "get you arrested."

Many believe this celebration stems from the city's Irish Catholic roots. However, there really wasn't a large Catholic community to speak of in 1824 when a Protestant group known as the Hibernian Society held the first parade. Their mission was to celebrate Irish culture to raise money for poor immigrants. By the mid-1800s, many of the immigrants fleeing the Great Famine in Ireland settled in Savannah where they found work in the ports. By 1860, the Irish community made up 22 percent of Savannah's white population.

It has been several years since I have attended the parade but it is well worth the trip to the coast. But wherever you celebrate this St. Patrick's Day be sure to check out this video on How to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day Like an Irishman where you can commemorate St. Paddy's Day like they do in the old country.

I leave you with a clip of Monday night's concert at the Cathedral by Carrigbyrne Pike Choir.

Please read my poem, Irish Old Man, on Oldman's Poetry Corner.

Georgia Rhythm

2010-03-16T08:40:00.004-04:00

~ Atlanta Rhythm Section ~

recorded Live at the Capital Theatre
in Macon Georgia on May 18th, 2007.
This is the first song of the encore,
and includes an introduction of the
band members and band by Kevin Dockrell.

Review: Best in Atlanta Radio

2010-03-14T11:00:00.007-04:00

So what do I think is the best station in Atlanta. Well, I really do like all kinds of music, I can get into most genre of music but I have to admit, I grew up in the 60's, 70's and 80's and one of my favorites has to be Classic Rock n Roll. I love it with a southern flavor with songs like "Best Dressed Man" by ZZ Top and some ARS and let's not forget Skynyrd and Marshall Tucker. Throw in some Beatles and Don McLean singing "American Pie" and I am one happy old man.

~ BEST CLASSIC ROCK STATION IN ATLANTA ~

~ BEST IN ATLANTA RADIO ~

AWARDS GOES TO

CoxMedia Group's

97.1 The River

I award them TEN

fLAmInG8bAllS

The Highest Award which can bestowed on any Review of mine.

If you want to take a trip down memory lane
visit their site. Click on the 97.1 Logo
to be taken to their site
or check out the widget in the side bar.

Fed. appeals court upholds 'under God' in pledge

2010-03-11T22:39:00.000-05:00

TERENCE CHEA, Associated Press Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A federal appeals court upheld the use of the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance and "In God We Trust" on U.S. currency, rejecting arguments Thursday that the phrases violate the separation of church and state.

Click here to read the Full Story at the Associated Press Website.

My 50th Birthday Party

2010-03-03T08:11:00.000-05:00

Here are some pics from my birthday party. We had a great time! My sister did all of the planning and decorating and my mom served a delicious meal. It was an uplifting party and I really do appreciate all of the effort they put into it. The first pic is me and my nephew enjoying the treats we found in our goodie bags. Yes, we had goodie bags made by my sister. Even the balloons had my name on them.

Here are a couple of pics of my son and daughter.

Aww, they love each other.

Below is a pic of my son with his girlfriend.

Next we see my dad relaxing after a Fantabulous meal.

Once dinner was over it was time for the festivities.
We started by playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey.
Here I am running away before the donkey gets me for sticking him in the ribs.

My niece missed the donkey all together. At least she got it on the paper.

My daughter didn't fair much better.

I guess my son didn't want to make his sister feel bad cuz he missed it too.

My mother did a little better.

And so did my dad.

My sister missed it too which obviously her daughter thought was hilarious.

But the winner was my nephew who hit the right spot.
It's nice to see the youngest of the clan win.

Next we moved on to decorating balloons.
I just couldn't make up my mind on how to decorate mine.

My mother sure had a good time.

Everyone looks so serious trying to make the perfect face.

As you can see we had lots of stuff to choose from.

My brother's eldest son is holding him back from taking my balloon.

My niece's turned out beautiful.

From left to right My daughter, my brother's youngest and my sister's oldest.
They did a great job!

And here's my creation. Do you think it looks like me?

Don't you love the third eye. It matches my hair going all a mess.

And here's the fab trio. My son is the one in the middle between his cousins.

Then it was time for CAKE!
They used the number candles because there was not a Fire Marshall available
and they didn't want the cake to melt.

Hoping my wish comes true.

Wait, don't take it away.
I started not to post this pic because of my belly but then
I noticed how it is no longer covering my thigh completely
and I felt good about the 150 pounds I have lost thus far.

Then finally I opened my presents and cards.
I am very thankful for the gifts I received.

You can't really see it but the buttons I was wearing had flashing lights.

I loved this one! It was a megaphone which read:

Over the Hill

*Easy to use
*Zero maintenance

*No Batteries Required

Never Fail

Hearing

Enhancer

Super-Duper

Acoustic

Booster

We all had a Fantabulous time!

How Old Is Grandpa?

2010-03-02T08:34:00.000-05:00

Stay with this -- the answer is at the end. It will blow you away.

One evening a grandson was talking to his grandfather about current events. The grandson asked his grandfather what he thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in general..

The Grandfather replied, "Well, let me think a minute, I was born before:

' television
' penicillin
' polio shots
' frozen foods
' Xerox
' contact lenses
' Frisbees and
' the pill

There were no:

' credit cards
' laser beams or
' ball-point pens

Man had not invented:

' pantyhose
' air conditioners
' dishwashers
' clothes dryers
' and the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air and
' man hadn't yet walked on the moon

Your Grandmother and I got married first, .. ... ... and then lived together..

Every family had a father and a mother.

Until I was 25, I called every man older than me, "Sir".
And after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every
man with a title, "Sir."

We were before gay-rights, computer- dating, dual
careers, daycare centers, and group therapy.

Our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments,
good judgment, and common sense.

We were taught to know the difference between right
and wrong and to stand up and take responsibility for
our actions.

Serving your country was a privilege; living in this country was a bigger privilege..

We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent.

Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along
with your cousins.

Draft dodgers were those who closed front doors as the evening breeze started.

Time-sharing meant time the family spent together in the evenings and weekends-not purchasing condominiums.

We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CDs, electric typewriters, yogurt, or guys wearing earrings.

We listened to Big Bands, Jack Benny, and the President's speeches on our radios.

And I don't ever remember any kid blowing his brains out listening to Tommy Dorsey.

If you saw anything with 'Made in Japan ' on it, it was junk

The term 'making out' referred to how you did on your school exam..

Pizza Hut, McDonald's, and instant coffee were unheard of.

We had 5 &10-cent stores where you could actually buy things for 5 and 10 cents.

Ice-cream cones, phone calls, rides on a streetcar, and a Pepsi were all a nickel.

And if you didn't want to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail 1 letter and 2 postcards.

You could buy a new Chevy Coupe for $600, . .. . but who could afford one? Too bad, because gas was 11 cents a gallon.

In my day:

' "grass" was mowed,
' "coke" was a cold drink,
' "pot" was something your mother cooked in and
' "rock music" was your grandmother's lullaby.
' "Aids" were helpers in the Principal's office,
' " chip" meant a piece of wood,
' "hardware" was found in a hardware store and
' "software" wasn't even a word.

And we were the last generation to actually believe that a lady needed a husband to have a baby.

No wonder people call us "old and confused" and say there is a generation gap. and how old do you think I am?

I bet you have this old man in mind...you are in for a shock!

Read on to see -- pretty scary if you think about it and pretty sad at the same time.

Are you ready ?????

This man would be only 60 years old.

The End of an Era?

2010-02-25T22:29:00.000-05:00

Today was my birthday therefore marking the end of living half of a century for me. This has led me to think of my past and how I could change my future, hopefully for the better. I believe many positive things are happening in my life but I want to do so much more with my life. I know I am not having a mid-life crisis because I went through that 10 years ago however it has started my thinking process as to where my life is heading. My faith is strong and I look to Him for guidance along my journey. I know what I must do to accomplish my goals but do I have the strength and wisdom to follow His direction. Do I have the courage to face my fears and overcome them? Only time will tell.

FTC Cracks Down on Con Artists Who Target Jobless Americans

2010-02-19T11:15:00.000-05:00

FTC Press Release 02/17/2010

Scams Prey on Victims of the Recession With Bogus Job, Money-Making Schemes

The Federal Trade Commission today announced a new crackdown on con artists who are preying on unemployed Americans with job-placement and work-at-home scams, promoting empty promises that they can help people get jobs in the federal government, as movie extras, or as mystery shoppers; or make money working from their homes stuffing envelopes or assembling ornaments.

With the U.S. unemployment rate just under 10 percent, the FTC is redoubling its efforts to put a stop to these schemes, which make life even more difficult for hundreds of thousands of Americans already wrestling with the economic downturn.

As part of the law enforcement sweep announced today, dubbed “Operation Bottom Dollar,” the FTC has filed seven cases against the operators of deceptive and illegal job and money-making scams and announced developments in four previously filed job scam cases. In addition, the sweep includes 43 criminal actions by the Department of Justice, many involving the substantial assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, as well as one additional civil action by the Postal Inspection Service and 18 actions by state attorneys general.

During a joint press conference today at the FTC, David C. Vladeck, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, was joined by Tony West, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division of the Department of Justice; Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray; and a Grandview, Texas, job seeker who lost money to a company that made false promises of full-time work with benefits. The FTC also announced partnerships with the online job placement service Monster.com, the search engine Bing, by Microsoft, and the centralized network of online communities Craigslist, to help job seekers recognize job scams so they can avoid being victimized. Monster, Careerbuilder, Bing and Craigslist will display FTC consumer education material to people who are using the companies’ Web sites to look for jobs.

“Federal and state law enforcement officials will not tolerate those who take advantage of
consumers in times of economic misfortune,” Vladeck said. “If you falsely advertise that you will connect people with jobs or with opportunities for them to make money working from home, we will shut you down. We will give your assets to the people you scammed, and, when
it’s appropriate, we’ll refer you to criminal authorities for prosecution.”

“Employment and business opportunity fraud causes terrible hardship to those who are suffering the most in these difficult economic times,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney General Tony West. “The Justice Department is committed to prosecuting those who defraud through false promises of employment or financial success.”

To help consumers avoid being conned by employment scams, the FTC has produced a new consumer education video in English and Spanish. Still shots from the Web sites of some of the operators charged in this law enforcement sweep, as well as video footage of FTC Consumer Protection Director Vladeck, and Monica Vaca, an Assistant Director in the FTC’s Division of Marketing Practices, will also be available. To view them, go ftc.gov/jobscams and youtube.com/ftcvideos. For access to higher resolution versions, visit aperturefilms.com/ftc or contact the FTC’s Office of Public Affairs.

Operation Bottom Dollar: FTC Law Enforcement Actions

The FTC announced seven new cases against promoters of the job and money-making scams, including one that victimized more than 100,000 people. This brings to 11 the number of cases the agency has brought since last spring challenging these types of operations. In each case, the FTC got a court order temporarily barring these operators from continuing their deceptive, illegal tactics and freezing their assets. The FTC also is asking the courts for permanent orders that would allow the agency to try to get money back to reimburse victims. In two of the matters announced today, criminal authorities executed search warrants, and arrested the two operators of one of the businesses.

In the law enforcement actions announced today, the FTC charged that:

Government Careers Inc. and three principals preyed on job seekers since at least March 2009 by running deceptive ads on job Web sites. Government Careers claimed it could help people get postal, border patrol, and wildlife jobs as well as administrative support and clerical positions with the federal government. It told people they could get these jobs if they paid $119 for study materials, which would allow them to pass any required test with a score of 95 percent or better. But according to the FTC complaint, those who paid the fee found that there are no exams for the positions they sought, or that the supposed job vacancies did not exist. The company also hawked career counseling services, charging $965 for services like resume editing and employment exam preparation. Although the defendants said that consumers would not have to pay the fee until they got a government job, the defendants demanded payment before consumers obtained the promised jobs. The Arizona Attorney General’s Office is the FTC’s co-plaintiff in this case, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. After the court issued a temporary restraining order, the defendants agreed to an interim order that prohibits any alleged misconduct pending resolution of the case.

Real Wealth, Inc. and its principal allegedly conned more than 100,000 people by selling them booklets that supposedly explained how they could earn money by applying for government grants and working from home mailing postcards and envelopes. Using direct mail campaigns that sometimes targeted the elderly and disabled, Real Wealth lured consumers, according to the FTC complaint, with deceptive solicitations such as “Collect up to $9,250 with my simple 3 minute form” or “All I do is mail 30 postcards everyday and I make an extra $350 a week!” Real Wealth also claimed that consumers could “rake in up to $1,500+ per week or more in solid cash” by learning “secrets” about the “$700 billion banking industry bailout.” This case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. After the court issued a temporary restraining order, the defendants agreed to an interim order that prohibits any alleged misconduct pending resolution of the case.

Darling Angel Pin Creations and two principals allegedly claimed on the Internet and in newspaper advertisements that by purchasing a starter kit, consumers could earn up to $500 per week assembling angel pins, and that no experience, special tools, or sewing skills were required. Consumers paid between $22 and $45 to get started, and sometimes paid hundreds more for the supplies they would need to make the pins. However, according to the FTC’s complaint, there was a catch: Consumers were required to have one of their assembled angel pins approved by the company before they could make any money – but the company rejected nearly all the angel pins consumers submitted, no matter how well-made. The FTC charged that the defendants made false and baseless claims that consumers could earn substantial income from angel pin assembly, when in fact they could not. This case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division. After the court issued a temporary restraining order, the court issued interim orders with regard to all the defendants in the case prohibiting further misconduct.

Abili-Staff, Ltd., two principals, and a related entity sold supposed work-at-home opportunities online. Billing itself as a “scam free” and “legitimate” job search service, Abili-Staff sold supposedly pre-screened lists of jobs, telling consumers they could access the lists after paying a fee ranging from $29.98 to $89.99, according to the FTC’s complaint. The FTC alleged that defendants falsely told consumers they would have unlimited access to more than 1,000 work-at-home job listings, and that they would get their money back if they did not get a job. This case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division. The court issued a temporary restraining order pending a preliminary injunction hearing held February 16-17, 2010.

Entertainment Work, Inc. and two principals marketed memberships in a Web site that was supposed to list jobs as movie extras, jobs on television, or jobs in print media. By telemarketing and placing advertisements on Web sites and in newspapers across the country, the defendants sold trial memberships for $19.95 to $24.95, and automatically converted those into annual memberships for an additional fee of $80 after two weeks, according to the FTC complaint. The FTC charged that Entertainment Work deceptively claimed consumers would
find entertainment and media jobs near where they lived, without regard to their experience, skills, or appearance. The complaint also charged that the company failed to disclose that to cancel their membership, people would have to pay an additional fee or undertake a burdensome process. This case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The defendants have agreed to an interim court order that immediately halts the alleged misconduct.

Independent Marketing Exchange, Inc. and its principal allegedly made false earnings claims, and additional misrepresentations in the course of selling a smorgasbord of work-at-home opportunities, including an envelope mailing opportunity, a postcard mailing opportunity, and a mystery shopper opportunity. Their deceptive practices have injured numerous consumers, including stay-at-home and single mothers. The FTC’s complaint alleged that the defendants falsely represented to consumers that they could make substantial amounts of money. The case was filed in the U.S. District Court in the District of New Jersey. After the court issued a temporary restraining order, the defendants agreed to an interim order pending a further hearing.

Preferred Platinum Services Network and the husband-and-wife team who owned and operated it allegedly marketed a work-from-home scheme in which consumers were told they could earn significant sums by labeling postcards describing a non-existent product promoted by Preferred Platinum called “mortgage accelerator.” Advertised in local pennysavers and newspaper classified sections, and at the defendants’ Web site, the scheme touted earnings of up to $1 per postcard, as well as a 60-day money-back guarantee. Consumers paid an enrollment fee of $80 to $90, and they typically did not learn until later that they would have to pay $40 more for each additional batch of 100 postcards, according to the FTC complaint. At the same time this matter was filed, criminal authorities executed search warrants on the business and arrested the husband-and-wife team, charging each of them with one count of mail fraud. This case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. The court issued a temporary restraining order, followed by a preliminary injunction on February 16, 2010. Both individual defendants also have been indicted by a grand jury.

In addition to the seven cases announced today, since last summer, the FTC has settled or litigated four law enforcement actions stemming from employment and work-at-home scams:

Job Safety USA. Principal Wagner Ramos Borges allegedly systematically offered phony jobs to people seeking maintenance and cleaning work. The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland Greenbelt Division, issued a default judgment ordering Borges to pay $414,900 – which is the estimated amount of his profits during the period covered by the FTC complaint. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/07/shortchange.shtm

Career Hotline, Inc. Career Hotline took money from job seekers by guaranteeing them jobs that paid at least $25,000 per year, according to the FTC complaint. The federal court in the Middle District of Florida issued a default judgment against Career Hotline ordering the company to pay $75,000, which is the estimated amount of money job seekers lost to this scam. In addition, the company’s principal, Susan Bright, reached a settlement with the FTC that prohibits her from deceiving consumers about job availability, salaries, access to interviews, job listings and refunds. The settlement order also includes a suspended judgment against her because she is financially unable to pay, but the full judgment will become due immediately if Bright misrepresented her financial condition. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/08/hotline.shtm

Penbrook Productions. The FTC complaint alleged that in this online scam, principal Michael Allen Brooks used fictional spokesperson “Angela Penbrook” to entice consumers to become “certified” rebate processors, supposedly earning as much as $225 per hour. A settlement approved February 10, 2010 by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California requires the defendants to pay $125,000 within 10 days, plus a significant additional amount from assets they own that are to be liquidated. The settlement bars the defendants from making or assisting others to make deceptive claims in connection with work-at-home, franchise, or business opportunities. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/07/shortchange

International Marketing and principal Zolio Cruz Carrion falsely promised Spanish- speaking consumers substantial income for stuffing envelopes, and was charged in an FTC complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico in 2008. The court granted the FTC’s motion to hold Cruz in contempt for failing to comply with an earlier order and briefly jailed him for contempt. It also prohibited him from marketing any business, employment, investment or work-at-home opportunity. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/12/intermarketing.shtm

The FTC would like to acknowledge the assistance of: AARP’s Legal Counsel for the Elderly; United States Postal Inspection Service, Tampa Field Office; Better Business Bureaus of Southern Arizona, West Florida, New Jersey, the Southland (Southern California), and Coastal, Central, & Southwest Texas; U.S. Attorneys for the Southern District of New York, New Jersey and Western District of Missouri; Attorney General’s Offices of Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania; Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service; Washington State Department of Financial Institutions, Securities Division Los Angeles County Department of Consumer Affairs; Ocean County New Jersey Department of Consumer Affairs; and the Tucson Police Department.

The enforcement actions announced today named the following defendants: Government Careers Inc. – Jon Coover; Richard Friedberg; and Rimona Friedberg. Abili-Staff, Ltd. – Pamela Barthuly; Jorg Becker; and Equitron, LLC. Darling Angel Pin Creations, Inc. – Shelly R. Olson and Judith C. Mendez; d/b/a/Angel Pin Creations. Entertainment Work, Inc. – Jason Barnes and Racquelle Barnes; d/b/a Resource Publishing Co. Independent Marketing Exchange, Inc. – Wayne Verderber, II, d/b/a as National Data Management, N.D.M., Global Mailing Services, G.M.S., Independent Mailing Services, Independent Mailing Services, Inc., I.M.S., Independent Shoppers Network, Independent Shoppers, Success At Home, Success-At-Home Mailing, IMEX, IMEX, Inc., and Continental Publishing Company. Preferred Platinum Services Network – Rosalie Florie; d/b/a Home Based Associate Program and PPSN, LLC. and Philip D. Pestrichello, individually. Real Wealth, Inc. – Lance Murkin; doing business as American Financial Publications, Emerald Press, Financial Research, National Mail Order Press, Pacific Press, United Financial Publications, Wealth Research Group, and Wealth Research Publications.

NOTE: The Commission authorizes the filing of complaints when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. A complaint is not a finding or ruling that the defendants have actually violated the law. Stipulated final orders are for settlement purposes only and do not constitute an admission by the defendants of a law violation. A stipulated final order requires approval by the court and has the force of law when signed by the judge.

Copies of the documents related to these cases are available from the FTC’s Web site at http://www.ftc.gov and also from the FTC’s Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,700 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.

Happy Ground Hog Day!

2010-02-02T14:50:00.000-05:00

And the verdict is...

Another Quake Hits Haiti

2010-01-20T07:05:00.000-05:00

An aftershock of 6.1 has hit Haiti this morning. This is almost as large as the original quake. Please keep them in your prayers.

They Walk Among Us!

2010-01-18T06:17:00.000-05:00

One day I was walking down the beach with
some friends when someone shouted.....
'Look at that dead bird!'
Someone looked up at the sky and said...'where?'

They walk among us!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
While looking at a house, my brother asked the
estate agent which direction was north because
he didn't want the sun waking him up every morning..
She asked, 'Does the sun rise in the north?'
My brother explained that the sun rises in the east
and has for sometime. She shook her head and said,
'Oh, I don't keep up with all that stuff.....'

They Walk Among Us!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My colleague and I were eating our lunch in our cafeteria,
when we overheard an admin girl talking about the
sunburn she got on her weekend drive to the beach.
She drove down in a convertible, but said
she 'didn't think she'd get sunburned
because the car was moving'..

They Walk Among Us!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was hanging out with a friend when we saw a woman
with a nose ring attached to an earring by a chain.
My friend said, 'Ouch! The chain must rip
out every time she turns her head!"
I had to explain that a person's nose and ear
remain the same distance apart no
matter which way the head is turned...

They Walk Among Us !
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I couldn't find my luggage at the airport baggage area and
went to the lost luggage office and reported the loss.
The woman there smiled and told me not to worry
because she was a trained professional and
said I was in good hands. 'Now,' she asked me,
'Has your plane arrived yet?'...
(I work with professionals like this.)

They Walk Among Us!

Mark McGwire Admits using Steroids

2010-01-11T15:44:00.000-05:00

CNN reports: Former Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire admits using steroids in 1998 when he broke Roger Maris' home run mark. This came shortly after McGwire fell short of Hall of Fame this past week.

Former A's slugger failed in his fourth year as candidate to be voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday. McGwire received 128 votes (23.7 %), 10 more than last year and matching the total from his first two times on the ballot. Eighth on the career list with 583 homers, he has been stigmatized since evading questions from Congress in 2005 about steroids use.

McGwire, who broke Roger Maris' single-season home run record while with the St. Louis Cardinals, was hired in October as the Cardinals' hitting coach. He is a member of the 500-HR club, finished his career with 1,414 RBIs and .394 career on-base percentage.

Rare coin fetches over $3.7 million

2010-01-09T08:25:00.000-05:00

Rare coin fetches over $3.7 million in auction
MIAMI (Reuters)

MIAMI (Reuters) – A rare 1913 U.S. coin once owned by an Egyptian king and later featured in a famous U.S. TV detective series was sold for more than $3.7 million (2.3 million pounds) in a public auction in Florida, the auctioneers said on Friday.

The so-called Liberty Head nickel, one of only five known of that specific date and design, was sold "in spirited bidding" to a private East Coast coin collector in Orlando late on Thursday, said Greg Rohan, president of Dallas, Texas-based Heritage Auctions. The buyer wished to remain anonymous.

The $3,737,500 price for the five-cent coin included a 15 percent buyer's premium.

"It is probably the most famous United States rare coin," Rohan said in a statement.

Once part of the coin collection owned by Egypt's King Farouk, who was deposed in 1952, the Liberty nickel changed hands several times and featured as part of the plot in a 1973 episode of the well-known CBS TV series "Hawaii Five-O."

The value of the rare coin, which was made at the Philadelphia Mint with the Miss Liberty design, crossed the million dollar mark in 2003.

(Reporting by Pascal Fletcher; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

Truth and Honesty

2010-01-07T14:13:00.000-05:00

This little humorous story was sent to me by a friend. There is so much ironic truth, it's astounding.

Being a teenager and getting a tattoo seem to go hand and hand these days. I wasn't surprised when one of my daughter's friends showed me a delicate little Japanese symbol on her hip. "Please don't tell my parents," she begged.

"I won't," I promised. "By the way, what does that stand for?"

"Honesty," she said.

New Laws for a New Year

2010-01-02T19:13:00.000-05:00

According to CNN, Legislatures in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico met in 2009, leading to the enactment of 40,697 laws, many of which take effect January 1.

New laws cover a variety of areas, from texting and tanning beds to human trafficking and seat-belt safety.

New Hampshire, Oregon and Illinois join 16 other states that prohibit motorists from sending text messages while driving.

In Oregon a new law requires children under the age of 16 to wear a seat belt on an all-terrain vehicle or in a car while on public property.

Beginning January 1, same-sex couples will be able to marry in New Hampshire, the state joins Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and Iowa in legalizing same-sex marriages.

A California measure that limits trans fat in restaurant food also takes effect January 1. Enacted in 2008, it requires restaurants to use oils, margarine and shortenings that have less than half a gram of trans fat per serving. A similar provision will apply to baked goods in 2011.

In North Carolina, a statewide smoking ban in bars and restaurants will take effect, the nation's biggest producer of tobacco, has drawn mixed reactions.

Auld Lang Syne

2010-01-01T01:11:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!!! 2010 is Here!!!

Lyrics:

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne

For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne
We'll take a cup o'kindness yet
And days of auld lang syne

Don't forget the Blue Moon tonight. Just click on the link on the sidebar under December and read all about it.

Blue Moon on New Year's Eve

2009-12-30T13:12:00.000-05:00

According to Associated Press, a blue moon will occur New Year's Eve. A blue moon is the second full moon in a month but is not really the color blue. A full moon occurred on December 2, 2009 and will arrive again on Thursday in time for your New Year's celebration.

Assuming there is no cloud cover in your area, the blue moon can be seen in the United States, Canada, Europe, South America and Africa. In Australia and Asia, the full moon does not show up until New Year's Day, making January a blue moon month for them.

"However," according to Chang, "the Eastern Hemisphere can celebrate with a partial lunar eclipse on New Year's Eve when part of the moon enters the Earth's shadow. The eclipse will not be visible in the Americas.

A full moon occurs every 29.5 days, and most years have 12. On average, an extra full moon in a month — a blue moon — occurs every 2.5 years. The last time there was a lunar double take was in May 2007. New Year's Eve blue moons are rarer, occurring every 19 years. The last time was in 1990; the next one won't come again until 2028."

You can read the entire Associated Press article here.

Wishes That Won't Last

2009-12-30T11:22:00.000-05:00

A bus carrying only ugly people crashes into an oncoming truck, and everyone dies. As they stand at the Pearly Gates waiting to enter paradise and meet their maker, God decides to grant each person one wish because of the grief they have experienced.

They all line up, and God asks the first person what the wish is.

"I want to be gorgeous." God snaps his fingers, and it is done. The second one in line hears this and says, "I want to be gorgeous, too." God snaps his fingers again and the wish is granted.

This goes on for a while, with each one asking to be gorgeous. When God is halfway down the line, the last guy in the line starts laughing. When there are only ten people left, this guy is rolling on the floor, still laughing.

Finally, God reaches this last guy and asks him what his wish will be.

The guy calms down and says, "Make them all ugly again."

2009-12-24T08:43:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

AMAZING ANAGRAMS

2009-12-19T10:10:00.000-05:00

These have got to be some of the most clever anagrams I've seen. Someone out there must be "deadly" at Scrabble.(Wait till you see the last one)!

PRESBYTERIAN:
When you rearrange the letters:
BEST IN PRAYER

ASTRONOMER:
When you rearrange the letters:
MOON STARER

DESPERATION:
When you rearrange the letters:
A ROPE ENDS IT

THE EYES:
When you rearrange the letters:
THEY SEE

GEORGE BUSH:
When you rearrange the letters:
HE BUGS GORE

THE MORSE CODE:
When you rearrange the letters:
HERE COME DOTS

DORMITORY:
When you rearrange the letters:
DIRTY ROOM

SLOT MACHINES:
When you rearrange the letters:
CASH LOST IN ME

ANIMOSITY:
When you rearrange the letters:
IS NO AMITY

ELECTION RESULTS:
When you rearrange the letters:
LIES - LET'S RECOUNT

SNOOZE ALARMS:
When you rearrange the letters:
ALAS! NO MORE Z 'S

A DECIMAL POINT:
When you rearrange the letters:
I'M A DOT IN PLACE

THE EARTHQUAKES:
When you rearrange the letters:
THAT QUEER SHAKE

ELEVEN PLUS TWO:
When you rearrange the letters:
TWELVE PLUS ONE

AND FOR THE GRAND FINALE:

MOTHER-IN-LAW:
When you rearrange the letters:
WOMAN HITLER

Did you know I was Santa Claus?

2009-12-13T11:42:00.000-05:00

Here are an assortment of photos of me as Santa with a couple of my elves and a few of the people who came to visit.

Send a Christmas Card to Our Troops ~ click the orange circle lower right

2009-12-12T20:28:00.001-05:00

By clicking on the orange circle on the lower right it will bring up a link to send a card. Thank you.

The Island of Trid

2009-12-08T08:38:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time, in the middle of the ocean, there was the Island of Trid.

It seems that most of the Island of Trid was covered by a large mountain. On this mountain lived a Giant. The Giant did not allow Trids on his mountain. If a Trid dared to climb onto the mountain, the Giant would kick him into the ocean. Trids are notoriously bad swimmers, and frequently drowned when kicked into the ocean.

The Trids were a very sexual people, and the population had grown quite large. Every square inch of the island, except the mountain, was crowded with Trids.

The Trids spent their days crowded together, dreaming of the open space available on the ever visible mountain. Every few days, a Trid would decide he couldn't stand the crowds any more. He would start to climb the mountain, and the Giant would kick the Trid into the ocean.The Trids were a very depressed people.

One day a traveling Rabbi visited the Island of Trid. Despite their overcrowded conditions, the Trids were extremely generous to this man of God.

The Rabbi decided to return the favor, and to go plead the Trid's case to the Giant. "Surely the Giant can be convinced to share some of the mountain with you," the Rabbi explained.

The Trids were horrified. "Please don't go, Rabbi", the Trids implored. "The Giant will kick you into the ocean, and you will surely drown."

The Rabbi was stubborn, and insisted that he talk to the Giant. The Trids sent out every boat they had. They formed a ring around the island, so that they would be able to rescue the Rabbi.

The Rabbi started walking towards the mountain. No sign of the Giant.

He walked through the foothills, and there was no sign of the Giant.

He started up the slopes of the mountain, further than any Trid had ever been. Still no sign of the Giant.

Finally he reached the summit of the mountain. There the Giant was waiting for him. The Rabbi asked "Tell me Giant, why have you allowed me to climb to the top of the mountain, without kicking me off the moment I started climbing?"

And the Giant replied, "Silly Rabbi, kicks are for Trids!"

Oldman's Inspirational Thoughts™: Death in the Family

2009-12-02T22:21:00.000-05:00

Oldman's Inspirational Thoughts™: Death in the Family
Click on the link for details.

Home Security Helpful Advice

2009-11-29T23:02:00.000-05:00

THINGS YOUR BURGLAR PROBABLY WON'T TELL YOU:

1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.

2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.

3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste ... And taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.

4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it.

5. If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.

6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy.

7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom-and your jewelry. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.

8. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door-understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather.

9. I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don't take me up on it.)

10. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.

11. Here's a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.

12. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.

13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at faketv.Com.)

8 MORE THINGS A BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU:

1. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.

2. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.

3. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.

4. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?

5. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.

6. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address.

7. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an invitation.

8. If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.

Sources: Convicted burglars in North Carolina , Oregon , California , and Kentucky ; security consultant Chris McGoey, who runs crimedoctor.Com; and Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, who interviewed 105 burglars for his book Burglars on the Job.

A Bit of Thanksgiving Humor

2009-11-26T16:00:00.000-05:00

A Thanksgiving Meal Blessing

A hungry little boy was beginning to eat his dinner when his father reminded him that they hadn't prayed.

"We don't have to," said the little boy. "Mommy is a good cook!"

Thanksgiving Blessings

All the grand kids were visiting for Thanksgiving. Before dinner, Grandma made a lengthy speech about being thankful for her extra-special blessings, her four grandchildren.

Two seconds after she stopped speaking, all hell broke loose and the kids were yelling and grabbing for the home-made rolls.Grandma sat there, eyes closed with a tight squint on her face.

When asked what was the matter, she replied, "I'm just praying for a little patience to handle all these blessings."

Thanksgiving Prayer

A 4-year-old boy was asked to pray before Thanksgiving dinner. The family members bowed their heads in expectation.

He began his prayer, thanking the Lord for all his friends, naming them one by one.

Then he thanked the Lord for Mommy, Daddy, brother, sister, Grandma, Grandpa, and all his aunts and uncles. Then he began to thank the Lord for the food. He gave thanks for the turkey, the dressing, the fruit salad, the cranberry sauce, the pies, the cakes, even the Cool Whip.

Then he paused, and everyone waited -- and waited.

After a long silence, the young fellow looked up at his mother and asked, "If I thank the Lord for the broccoli, won't he know that I'm lying?"

Please visit Oldman's Poetry Corner for my newest poem, Thanksgiving Reflection.

Mischievous Youngsters

2009-11-19T07:45:00.000-05:00

Where is God?

A couple had two little boys who were always getting into trouble. Their parents knew that if any mischief occurred in their village, their sons were probably involved.

The boys' mother heard that an elder in town had been successful in disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak with her sons. The elder agreed, but asked to see them separately.

So, the mother sent her youngest son first, in the morning. The elder, a huge man with a booming voice, sat the boy down and asked him sternly, "Where is God?" The boy's mouth dropped open, but he made no response.So the elder repeated the question in an even sterner tone, "Where is God!!?" Again the wide-eyed boy made no attempt to answer.

The elder raised his voice and bellowed, "WHERE IS GOD!?" The boy screamed and bolted from the room, ran directly home and dove into a closet, slamming the door behind him.

When his older brother found him hiding, he asked, "What happened?"

The younger brother, gasping for breath, replied, "We are in BIG trouble this time. God is missing, and they think WE did it!"

Advice for Women Concerning Men

2009-11-17T08:48:00.000-05:00

Here are 10 pieces of advice for your mom, daughters, granddaughters, mieces, aunts, girlfriends, etc....

1. Don't imagine you can change a man - unless he's in diapers.

2.. What do you do if your boyfriend walks out? You shut the door.

3. If they put a man on the moon - they should be able to put them all up there.

4. Go for the younger man. You might as well, they never mature anyway.

5. Men are all the same - they just have different faces, so we can tell them apart.

6. Best way to get a man to do something is to suggest he is too old for it.

7. Love is blind, but marriage is a real eye-opener.

8. The children of Israel wandered around the desert for 40 years. Even in Biblical times, men wouldn't ask for directions.

9. If he asks what sort of books you're interested in, tell him cheque books.

10. Remember a sense of humor does not mean that you tell him jokes, it means that you laugh at his.

Assistance from Above?

2009-11-15T09:02:00.000-05:00

A devoted and religious man was riding his horse one day hurriedly down the road, trying not to be late for church because he did not want to miss a single word of the pastor's sermon that morning. Suddenly, his horse stumbled on a stump in the road and threw him to the ground.

As he was lying in the middle of the road, his body bruised and scraped and his back wrenched in extreme pain, he called out to the heavens, “Please Lord, send me all your angels in heaven to help me get back up on my horse!”

With extraordinary strength, he leaped onto the horse’s back however his force was so extreme he fell off the other side.

Again on the ground he called out, “All right, just half of you angels this time!”

Kids Are So Clever

2009-11-12T20:23:00.000-05:00

This was reported as a true story. If so, these kids are quite inventive and will probably be the next great entrepreneurs.

A policeman had a perfect hiding place to screen speeding drivers. But one day, everyone was under the speed limit, the officer investigated : a 9 year old boy was standing on the side of the road with a huge hand-painted sign which said "SPEED CAMERA AHEAD."

A little more investigative work led the officer to the boy's partner in crime, another boy about 200 meters beyond the speed camera with a sign reading "TIPS" & a bucket at his feet full of coins.

History of Veterans Day

2009-11-11T22:55:00.000-05:00

World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"

An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

The Uniform Holiday Bill (Public Law 90-363 (82 Stat. 250)) was signed on June 28, 1968, and was intended to ensure three-day weekends for Federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. It was thought that these extended weekends would encourage travel, recreational and cultural activities and stimulate greater industrial and commercial production. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holidays on their original dates.

The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on October 25, 1971. It was quite apparent that the commemoration of this day was a matter of historic and patriotic significance to a great number of our citizens, and so on September 20th, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97 (89 Stat. 479), which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11, beginning in 1978. This action supported the desires of the overwhelming majority of state legislatures, all major veterans service organizations and the American people.

Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

Exerts taken from The United States Department of Veterans Affairs

For more Veterans Day Pics visit Oldman's Inspirational Thoughts.

Cantankerous Minds Want to Know

2009-11-10T18:18:00.000-05:00

Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?

Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are dead?

Why do banks charge a fee on "insufficient funds" when they know there is not enough?

Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?

Whose idea was it to put an "S" in the word "lisp"?

What is the speed of darkness?

Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake up every two hours?

If the temperature is zero outside today and it's going to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold will it be?

Do married people live longer than single ones or does it only seem longer?

How is it that we put a man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?

Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, "I think I’ll squeeze these pink dangly things here, and drink whatever comes out?"

Who was the first person to say, "See that chicken there... I'm gonna eat the next thing that comes outta its bum."

Why do toasters always have a setting so high that could burn the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?

Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?

Why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but don't point to their bum when they ask where the bathroom is?

Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're both dogs!

If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?

If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, then what is baby oil made from?

If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?

Why do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune?

Stop singing and read on……. Yes, it caught me too!

Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?

Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him on a car ride, he sticks his head out the window?

Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive faster?

Tearing Down of Berlin Wall

2009-11-09T08:30:00.000-05:00

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the tearing down of the Berlin Wall.

Here is President Ronald Reagan's speech challenging Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the wall.

Here is the celebration of actually tearing down the wall.

Helpful Blogger Award

2009-11-08T18:43:00.001-05:00

Wow! I am proud to say Oldman's Cantankerous Point of View has received another award. I am very honored indeed. This award was presented to me by Rebecca at Living a Life of Writing. You should go and check out her blog because in my opinion it is a great and helpful blog in its own right.

According to the rules I must:

-Link to post where you received the award.
-Nominate seven blogs that you feel are helpful to others.
-Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
-Let them know they've received the award by commenting on their blog.
-Share one thing that no one knows about you & quote a sentence from your favorite book.

Here are seven blogs who truly deserve this award passed on to them.

Michelle at the Big Black Dog has a Fantabulous blog offering delicious recipes, helpful household hints and much more.

Christy Pinheiro, EA ABA is a non-fiction writer who offers many wonderful tips on writing and publishing. Be sure to check out her other blog as well.

Linda at Counseling in Santa Barbara is writing many inspirational articles on her blog which will challenge you to be all you can be and leave you with feelings of joy and peace.

Tim at Live Smart offers many articles on health and fitness. He has taught me a few things about my health which have really helped me achieve a happier and healthier lifestyle.

Michael Najarian has it right when he says on his blog he offers information and inspiration to enhance the quality of life. I always go away from his blog with a good feeling. It is hard for me to express how his writings have moved me.

Simon at The Rainbow Bank writes many historical and inspirational articles. I always leave there learning a thing or two.

De Lly Dilettante at The Trail of Bread offers inspiration for all. I recently discovered this blog and although she doesn't post there often, when she does it is well worth the wait.

One thing about me is I have been blessed with a good singing voice.

Quote: I really don't have a favorite book but I will leave you with this quote because I believe these people do a great job of shining their light upon the world. "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under a bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16

Thanks again Rebecca and thanks to all of my followers for your continued support and encouragement.

FBI Agents and Pizza Man

2009-11-07T12:33:00.001-05:00

This is reported as a true story.

FBI agents conducted a raid of a psychiatric hospital in San Francisco that was under investigation for medical insurance fraud. After hours of reviewing thousands of medical records, the group of agents got quite hungry. The FBI was taping all conversations at the hospital, this is what was recorded when the agent in charge called a nearby pizza delivery service to order.

Agent: Hello. I would like to order 20 large pizzas and 70 cans of coke.

Pizza Man: And where would you like them delivered?

Agent: To the psychiatric hospital please.

Pizza Man: The psychiatric hospital?

Agent: That's right. I'm an FBI agent.

Pizza Man: You're an FBI agent?

Agent: That's correct. Just about everybody here is.

Pizza Man: And you're at the psychiatric hospital?

Agent: That's correct. And make sure you don't go through the front doors. We have them locked. You will have to go around to the back to the service entrance to deliver the pizzas.

Pizza Man: And you say you're all FBI agents?

Agent: That's right. How soon can you have them here?

Pizza Man: And everyone at the psychiatric hospital is an FBI agent?

Agent: That's right. We've been here all day and we're starving.

Pizza Man: How are you going to pay for all of this?

Agent: I have my checkbook right here.

Pizza Man: And you're all FBI agents?

Agent: That's right. Everyone here is an FBI agent. Can you remember to bring the pizzas and cokes to the service entrance in the rear? We have the front doors locked.

Pizza Man: I don't think so. Click.

Stephen Wiltshire

2009-11-05T18:45:00.000-05:00

This is amazing! He draws FROM MEMORY detailed landscapes of places like New York City and San Francisco. Stephen appeared on ABC News Good Morning America in February 2008. Stephen wowed the viewers with a quick sketch of Piccadilly Circus after a 10 minutes glimpse of the landmark. Stephen has also been named as Person of The Week on ABC World News with Charles Gibson. Nick Watt and Olivia Sterns reports.

Kitchen Wisdom

2009-11-01T20:13:00.000-05:00

Martha Stewart and Maxine offer their words of wisdom on various tips to help you out in the kitchen.

Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of an ice cream cone to prevent ice cream drips.

Just suck the ice cream out of the bottom of the cone, for Pete's sake! You are probably lying on the couch with your feet up eating it anyway!

To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.

Buy Hungry Jack mashed potato mix. Keeps in the pantry for up to a year.

When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won't be any white mess on the outside of the cake.

Go to the bakery! Hell, they'll even decorate it for you!

If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato and it will absorb the excess salt for an instant 'fix-me-up.'

If you over-salt a dish while you are cooking, that's too bad. Please recite with me the real woman's motto: 'I made it, y ou will eat it and I don't care how bad it tastes!'

Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.

Celery? Never heard of it!

Brush some beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.

The Mrs. Smith frozen pie directions do not include brushing egg whites over the crust, so I don't.

Cure for headaches: take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.

Take a lime, mix it with tequila, chill and drink! All your pains go away!

If you have a problem opening jars, try using latex dish washing gloves. They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy.

Go ask that very cute neighbor if he can open it for you.

Don't throw out all that leftover wine. Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

Leftover wine??????????? HELLO!!!!!!!

Oldman's Pumpkin Carving

2009-10-31T22:06:00.000-04:00

Here they are!

I carved my pumpkin tonight while handing out candy

to all of the Trick or Treaters.

We had lots of lots of children in great costumes visit our door.

The kids looked really good this year.

We gave out lots of candy and sugar free gum.

The first bowl was empty in less than 5 minutes with the very first crowd.

Afterward, we gave out all of the candy to the neighbors kids

when we were finished so we never ran out.

I hate those years when you run out and have to turn the light off early.

This is my attempt at a Veggie Tale face.

I got the idea for this one on a video I posted on

Oldmanblurtsout: My Journey to a Happier and Healthier Life

You can view this video of How to Carve an Award Winning Pumpkin

by clicking on this first photo.

There you will also find the

Tale of the Jack o Lantern and

Directions for Roasting Pumpkin Seeds.

We still haven't roasted ours yet, but I will try to remember

to let you know how they turn out.

I like this one the best.

(Sorry I could not do the Falcon's logo, too complicated)

Here's my simple side.

This took all of maybe 5 minutes to carve.

Here's me holding my masterpiece. Don't I look thriller. LOL
I had a busy day so I was pretty tired after I finished carving.

Click on the image below to Follow Me on Twitter

SUPERSTITIONS

2009-10-31T14:52:00.000-04:00

Here are a few superstitions to keep in mind through this Halloween season.

Do not sit under a Hawthorn tree on Halloween if you do not want to be enchanted or carried away by faeries, but to release a person from ghost or faerie possession, throw dust from your footprint at them.
To prevent ghosts coming into the house at Halloween, bury animal bones or a picture of an animal near the doorway.
It is told that owls ate the souls of the dying by swooping to earth on Halloween.
A clear moon on Halloween means fine weather ahead. Clouds racing across the face of the moon mean storms are on the way and the wind at midnight indicates the prevailing wind for the coming season.
Seeing a spider on Halloween means that the spider could be the spirit of a deceased loved one who is watching you.
On Halloween Don't: Go hunting.
Go to a crossroads at Halloween and listen to the wind, you will learn all the most important things that will befall you during the next twelve months.
Halloween babies have the gift of second sight.
At Halloween all family members should put an ivy leaf without spot or stain into a glass of water overnight. If the leaf is still spotless in the morning, the person is assured of life for another year but if the leaf has spots on it, the person who put it in the water will die within one year.
You should walk around your home three times backwards and counterclockwise before sunset on Halloween to ward off evil spirits.
Like at anytime, bells ward off evil spirits.
If a candle flame turns blue there is a ghost about.
On Halloween Don't: Watch your shadow in the moonlight.
When bobbing for apples, or when apple snapping, it is believed that the first person to bite an apple would be the first to marry.
On the morning of November 1st throw a silver coin through the front door of the house. The coin has to remain where it has fallen in order to bring financial luck.
On Halloween Don't: Turn around to see who is behind you.
Unless you were born in October, the wearing of an Opal will be very ill-fated.
It is lucky to catch the falling leaves from trees in autumn; for every leaf that you catch before it hits the ground, you will have a lucky month the following year.

Happy Halloween!!!

The Spectacular-Tongue-Tacular Contest

2009-10-29T23:21:00.001-04:00

Here's a photo of Fergy, our Lab mix, with her tongue hanging low.

Anna the GSD is having "The Spectacular-Tongue-Tacular Contest"

Click the logo below to check it out!

Things My Mother Taught Me

2009-10-28T23:03:00.000-04:00

A humorous look at life's lessons. Of course, In reality my mother never taught me these things in this way.

Things My Mother Taught Me
Author Unknown

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
'If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning.'

2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
'You better pray that will come out of the carpet.'

3.. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.
'If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!'

4. My mother taught me LOGIC..
'Because I said so, that's why.'

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.
'If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me.'

6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
'Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident.'

7. My mother taught me IRONY.
'Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about.'

8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
'Shut your mouth and eat your supper.'

9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM.
'Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!'

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
'You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone.'

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.
'This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it.'

12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.
'If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!'

13 My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
'I brought you into this world, and I can take you out. '

14.My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
'Stop acting like your father!'

15. My mother taught me about ENVY.
'There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do.'

16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
'Just wait until we get home.'

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING.
'You are going to get it when you get home!'

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
'If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way..'

19. My mother taught me ESP.
'Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?'

20. My mother taught me HUMOR.
'When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me.'

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT..
'If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up.'

22.My mother taught me GENETICS.
'You're just like your father.'

23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.
'Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?'

24. My mother taught me WISDOM.
'When you get to be my age, you'll understand.'

25. And my all time favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE.
'One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you.

If you know who the author is please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due.

A Flying Car?

2009-10-26T19:57:00.000-04:00

Meet the Jetsons. I guess the reality of everyone having a flying car like in the cartoon the Jetsons or the movie Back to the Future is not too far down the road.

Terrafugia has developed a street-legal airplane.

Terrafugia has completed flight testing of the Transition POC (Proof of Concept).

Introducing the Transition®.

Simply land at the airport, fold your wings up and drive home.

Fly a distance of 725 kilometers at speeds of 115 km/hour;

requires a special license to drive and fly.

The time required for the transition from plane to car takes less than 30 seconds. Vehicle speed 185 km/hour, range is 724 km on highways Vehicle is fueled with gasoline, and the price of the car is expected to be around $200,000. The first shipment will be in 2011

The Terrafugia Transition took flight for the first time March 5, 2009.

Be sure to reserve yours today at the Terrafugia website.

Also, don't forget to tell them to send me my commission check. LOL

I hope you enjoy the video of its first flight below.

Lost Generation

2009-10-24T16:11:00.000-04:00

This brief video is something everybody should see.
Romancing Your Soul, Absolutely Brilliant!

Lost Generation
by Jonathan Reed

It's up to you to make a difference.

Bottle Bank Arcade

2009-10-22T17:17:00.000-04:00

The question, how can recycling bottles be fun? Some people had a very successful idea. This concept of making things fun in order to get someone to recycle their bottles or like in my post yesterday of making putting trash in a trash can fun, I find quite remarkable. I also posted one on Oldman's Blurts and Rants where they changed a staircase into a working piano keyboard in order to encourage more people to takes the stairs, in other words make it fun. You can find it in my article named Pranks, it is the third video down, although I know it really wasn't a prank per se.

thefuntheory believes that the easiest way to change people's behaviour for the better is by making it fun to do. They call it The fun theory.

Do you have an idea that uses fun to change behaviour? Enter now for the chance to win €2500. http://www.thefuntheory.com/.

Having Fun is Way More Productive

2009-10-21T17:36:00.000-04:00

thefuntheory believes that the easiest way to change people's behaviour for the better is by making it fun to do. We call it The fun theory. A special thanks to a friend of mine who posted this video today on Facebook and I wanted to share it with everyone. It is really cool!

Do you have an idea that uses fun to change behaviour? Enter now for the chance to win €2500. http://www.thefuntheory.com/

Wedding Ring - Why the Ring Finger

2009-10-20T10:34:00.000-04:00

Why do we wear a wedding ring on the ring finger and not the middle, index or pinkie or even the thumb? Well here is an interesting viewpoint which kinda makes sense. No matter whether it is the truth or not, it is a really cool legend and a neat experiment. I've heard it told a few different ways so you may recognize parts of it from all of those trillions of emails we all get now. How about snail mail? Does anybody, anybody, ever, ever send a real letter anymore? Does anyone receive anything besides bills and ads in their mail? If you do consider yourself among the lucky ones. If you want to do something special for this holiday season. Write a real sit down pen and paper letter to your loved ones. But I digress, boy how did I get so off of the subject? Oh, ok I didn't rant for too long. Here's that viewpoint I was talking about when I first began this paragraph...Try this little experiement it is pretty cool.

Thumb represents your Parents

Second (Index) finger represents your Siblings

Middle finger represents your-Self

Fourth (Ring) finger represents your spouse

& the Last (Little) finger represents your children

First, open your palms, face to face, like you were praying holding the tips together,

Bend the middle fingers (representing your-Self) down pointing back to You and hold them together, back to back. while still holding the remaining three fingers and the thumb - tip to tip.

Now, try to separate your thumbs (representing the parents)...,

they will open, because your parents are not destined to live with you lifelong, and have to leave you sooner or later.

Please join your thumbs as before and separate your Index fingers (representing siblings)....,

they will also open, because your brothers and sisters will have their own families and will have to lead their own separate lives.

Now join the Index fingers and separate your Little fingers (representing your children)....,

they will open too, because the children also will get married and settle down on their own some day.

Finally, join your Little fingers, and try to separate your Ring fingers (representing your spouse).
You will be surprised to see that you just CANNOT.....,

because Husband & Wife have to remain together all their lives - through thick and thin!!

Please try this out......... ISN'T THIS A WONDERFUL THEORY?

Work Day

2009-10-19T12:35:00.000-04:00

Today is a work day for me.

This is my first day of work at my new job.

I know,

what do you mean, you say?

You thought I started my job months ago.

Well,

yes I did,

but after training for three weeks and

numerous communications problem

between computers

yes me,

am starting to actually do the job I was hired for today!

Yippee!

For complete details about my first day at work visit Oldman's Blurts and Rants later today.

Look for my New Poem coming soon at Oldman's Poetry Corner!

Our First Pumpkin

2009-10-19T00:33:00.000-04:00

Today we carved our first pumpkin for this Halloween. I think it came out pretty good. Now I say we but really I had little to do with it unless you call sitting back and saying you can do this or that counts. My son and his girlfriend really did the work. We, oh there I go again, they bought three pumpkins in all and are talking about going and getting another one. They say one of them is mine to carve so I guess I will try my handiwork. It has been a long time since I carved a pumpkin but I'm going to try to do one of those fancy ones, not too fancy though. I will post the pics once it's done. Here are the pics of the first one. They did do a nice job.

To learn more about pumpkin carving, roasting pumpkin seeds and the legend of the Jack-o-Lantern see: Blurt: Pumpkin Carving & the Jack-o-Lantern Story

Letter of Recommendation

2009-10-18T11:35:00.000-04:00

To whom it may concern:

1 Trevor Adams, my assistant programmer, can always be found
2 hard at work in his cubicle. Trevor works independently, without
3 wasting company time talking to colleagues. Trevor never
4 thinks twice about assisting fellow employees, and he always
5 finishes given assignments on time. Often he takes extended
6 measures to complete his work, sometimes skipping coffee
7 breaks. Trevor is a dedicated individual who has absolutely no
8 vanity in spite of his high accomplishments and profound
9 knowledge in his field. I firmly believe that Trevor can be
10 classed as a high-calibre employee, the type that cannot be
11 dispensed with. Consequently, I truly recommend that Trevor be
12 promoted to executive management, and a proposal will be
13 executed as soon as possible.

Addendum
The idiot was standing over my shoulder while I wrote this report.
Kindly re-read only the odd numbered lines.

This was sent to me in an email by a friend of mine and I thought it was funny. Thanks my friend. The above artwork is one of my original cartoons using the Paint program. I know it's not great but what do you think? Any suggestions for a caption for the cartoon?

#beatcancer Please RT

2009-10-17T21:23:00.000-04:00

eBay/Paypal and MillerCoors are donating a cent per hashtag (via tweet, Facebook update, or blog post) for cancer research. The campaign is aiming for a Guinness World Record “for the distribution of the largest mass message through social media” in one day.

For those of you who do not do the Twitter thing, a couple of explanations:

Hashtags (#) are used on Twitter to highlight a topic of discussion. One can click on a hashtag like #beatcancer and see all of the tweets which carry that particular hashtag. This is useful for some people if they are trying to follow the news about a topic and for marketing.
Tweets simply are messages someone sends out kinda like a text message on a cell phone or like updating your status on Facebook. You are limited to 140 characters per tweet.
RT stands for Retweet. This means to send the message out again. When someone Retweets your Twitter message then their followers can see the message. If enough people RT your message it could be seen by the entire Twitter community. This is done by copying their message including their username putting RT in front of their username and message. For example: RT @oldmanblurts My mother #beatcancer (This assumes my message was My mother #beatcancer)
A follower is someone who follows your tweets. When you send out a tweet it appears on your followers home page.
The @ symbol is used in front of a person's username so the message being sent will appear on their Twitter home page. Also if they are using a cell phone for their tweets the @ symbol will send the message to their phone as a text message. I only use the web page so I am not too familiar with how Tweets work on a cell phone.

I hope that clears up a few things about Twitter. I enjoy using it myself. So sign up for Twitter and start tweeting to the world. You can follow me on Twitter. My username is @oldmanblurts. Just click the link and it will take you to my profile page and then click the follow button.

Happy Tweeting and Thanks for supporting #beatcancer.

Everything's Amazing Nobody's Happy

2009-10-16T16:51:00.000-04:00

This is one of the funniest videos I've seen! Conan hosts the comedian Louis CK who is talking about the spoiled generation. A friend of mine posted it on Facebook and I just had to share it. I can relate to what he is talking about; it is so true!

Image was taken from Louis CK's website; you can check out his website here for all of his most recent updates and live performance dates.

Blog Action Day 2009

2009-10-15T22:12:00.000-04:00

I apologize for the late posting of this post on Blog Action Day 2009. Blog Action Day was founded by Collis & Cyan Ta'eed in the summer of 2007. With the support of their team at Envato in Australia as well as numerous volunteers, they recruited over 20,000 bloggers to write about the issue of Environment on October 15, 2007 - making the first Blog Action Day an immediate and quite unexpected success. To learn more about Blog Action Day follow this link to their website.

This year the Topic is Climate Change. This is being done to limit the amount of greenhouse gas pollution. According to their website, "More than any other country, action taken by the United States to limit greenhouse gases and build a clean energy economy is needed to achieve a sustainable solution to our global climate crisis. This December world leaders will gather in Copenhagen to negotiate a global response to climate change. As a world leader in greenhouse gas pollution as well as clean energy technology, the United States needs to take bold action by implementing comprehensive clean energy policies to curb emissions. President Barack Obama has said that climate change is an urgent threat, and that he wants to restore America's responsible leadership in the world."

Today I ask you what you personally can do to affect the amount of greenhouse gas pollution. My ideas include:

Ride a bicycle to work at least one day a week.
Walk to the corner store for that loaf of bread.
Turn off your lights and appliances when not in use.
Think green in all you do concerning the environment.
Recycle, Reuse, Reduce.

Those are five of my ideas, what do you do to help the environment and reduce greenhouse gases.

Customer Service

2009-10-15T21:09:00.000-04:00

Do you get tired of being on hold waiting on customer service? Do you hate those automated systems you have to key all of your information into and can never get a actual live person on the line? Well, as many of you know I have started working from home in the customer service industry for a call center.

Because of my handicap I needed to find something which I could do at home which was not a scam. If you have ever tried looking for a real job to do from home you know it is not easy to find something which isn't a scam or one which does not cost you money to start. I mean if I had the money to start my own business would I be looking for employment? Then why do people who are selling their wares prey on the unemployed and post their advertisements in the job listings as if they are offering work when really they want to sell you something. If it is a business opportunity then advertise it as a business opportunity, not a job!!! For those of you who have a business opportunity for me, don't bother, I already have a business opportunity in mind and once I can afford to begin I will but first I need some steady income.

OK, well I got sidetracked there with my rant. I am happy I finally found a real job which is with a company which Clark Howard recommends. I had some communications issues between my computer and theirs which have been resolved and now I am ready to begin work. Today I ran across this poem which I found amusing and relates to my future job. Hope you enjoy.

The Customer

by Frank Halliwell

"Good morning! Thanks for calling us!

We're pleased to hear from you!

Your call's important to us

So we've placed you in a queue.

Please find your account number and

Be sure it is correct..

It's twenty digits long and if you

Mis-type, I'll reject.

I'll lead you through the whole routine

Please use your touch type phone.

Press eight and follow with the hash

After you hear the tone.

If you are a new client here..

Press two, ..if old, press three.

Press four in case we've done something

With which you disagree!

You have pressed four, please wait a moment

While I transfer you..

And please enjoy, while we play you

A symphony or two!

Our staff are all too busy now

To talk to such as you

Your call is so important that

We've placed you in a queue."

Time passes and the music lingers

On, and bye and bye..

My cheek and ear go fast asleep,

My wrist gets R.S.I.

But wait! It may be there is hope!

I hear a ringing sound,

At last a human voice is heard

After the runaround!

"Good morning, this is Ladies wear

And may we help somehow?

Complaints?.. Oh! Just hang on a tick

I'll transfer you right now!..."

"Good morning! Thanks for calling us!

We're pleased to hear from you!

Your call's important to us

So we've placed you in a queue."

Movie Review ~ Death Sentence

2009-10-15T01:45:00.000-04:00

Death Sentence starring Kevin Bacon is a movie about a man, Bacon, who gets caught up in a personal vendetta type gang war. I won't go into many details for those of you who haven't seen it, though I'm sure many of you have since I am usually a little behind the times as far as watching movies and this was from 2008.

Basically, his hockey star son gets killed by a gang initiation and instead of pointing the guy out who did it he decides to take matter into his own hands and go after the gang member who killed his boy. Later in the movie, Bacon, his wife, and his other son gets shot but somehow he survies; wakes up in the hospital, goes in to see his boy who is in a coma and sneaks out of the hospital to avoid the police not knowing his son shows signs of improvement. This is the part where the movie goes off into a fantasy world because Bacon goes back to his home, changes his bandages and clothes, goes out buys guns, then comes back home again to get all Rambo'd up, loading guns and the like. How stupid is that? Like the police would not have looked for him at his house. Hell, they would have been waiting for him there. If not on the first trip home, certainly by the time he got back from buying guns. Give me a break.

I won't tell you the rest of the movie but if you like action and suspense it is definitely worth your time. It has some good twists in it and Kevin Bacon is the perfect actor for this part. Overall I would give it on My Cantankerous Scale, a 8 fLaMiNg 8bAllS. A good movie, better than average, not excellent nor orgasmic but good. A good solid 8 fLaMiNg 8bAllS.

Here's the trailer for Death Sentence.

So, what's your opinion about my first movie review. Agree or Disagree? Too much info? Not enough info? Should I write more movie reviews?

Top 10 Reasons God Created Eve

2009-10-14T10:22:00.000-04:00

Top 10 Reasons God Created Eve

Author Unknown

10. God worried that Adam would always be lost in the garden because men hate to ask for directions.

9. God knew that Adam would one day need someone to hand him the TV remote.

8. God knew that Adam would never buy a new fig leaf when his seat wore out and would therefore need Eve to get one for him.

7. God knew that Adam would never make a doctor's appointment for himself.

6. God knew that Adam would never remember which night was garbage night.

5. God knew that if the world was to be populated, men would never be able to handle childbearing.

4. As "Keeper of the Garden," Adam would never remember where he put his tools.

3. The scripture account of creation indicates Adam needed someone to blame his troubles on when God caught him hiding in the garden.

2. As the Bible says, "It is not good for man to be alone!"

1. When God finished the creation of Adam, He stepped back, scratched His head and said, "I can do better than that."

Robin Williams as the American Flag

2009-10-13T00:00:00.000-04:00

This video is Fantabulous! Robin Williams at his best.

The History of Columbus Day

2009-10-12T09:53:00.000-04:00

To most in the United States, Columbus Day is a day when the banks and the post office are closed. However, it is also a day celebrated by many nations and is considered a symbol of patriotism in the United States. The first Columbus Day was celebrated on October 12, 1792 in New York City. This was organized by The Society of St. Tammany in a celebration of the 300th anniversary of Columbus discovering the New World.

Many developments occurred in the Nineteenth Century. Italian-Americans began observing the holiday as a celebration of their heritage in New York City in 1866 and in San Francisco in 1869. In 1892, President Benjamin Harrison called upon the citizens to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the event. During this celebration, politicians, preachers, teachers and other citizens used the holiday to promote and teach patriotism. It was the first time the Pledge of Allegiance was recited in public.

In 1905, Colorado was the first state to officially observe the holiday largely due to Italian-Americans successfully lobbying in Denver to establish it as an official holiday. It wasn’t until 1934 that President Franklin Roosevelt officially proclaimed it Columbus Day. This occurred as a result of lobbying before Congress by the Knights of Columbus. The Knights of Columbus is an organization originally started by Catholic immigrants who took on the name to fight discrimination and support their right to citizenship using Columbus as a fitting symbol since he was a fellow Catholic who had discovered America.

It is only a coincidence that today is 12th day of October because the holiday was officially declared the second Monday of October in 1971 by President Richard Nixon as most holidays have been moved to fall on a Monday. Coincidently this is also the day Canada celebrates Thanksgiving.

So have a Happy Columbus Day! Or if in Canada, Happy Thanksgiving!

Image taken from Wikimedia Commons.

BASIC Programming

2009-10-11T23:18:00.000-04:00

I ran across this story and thought it was cute. I remember learning BASIC programming years ago and at the time found it useful to make my dinosaur of a computer do fun and useful functions. I hope you enjoy.

Run

Author Unknown

I was teaching a very basic class in BASIC programming to a group of adults. Adults who have never been around computers before are very nervous and much harder to teach than children, however I am a patient person so I enjoy their successes.

However, I must share the following:

After putting a short program on the board, I told the students to type "R," "U," "N" and press return to see the program execute.

A hand went up in the back of the room, waving to get my attention, and the person attached to the hand said, "I did what you said and it didn't work." Knowing full-well that all of us make mistakes when typing at the computer, I suggested she retype "R," "U," "N" and press return. A few seconds later, the lady's hand goes up again. "It still doesn't work," she said.

So... I went back to see what the problem was ... only to find that instead of typing RUN, she had typed in the following: ARE YOU IN !

Do you remember 5.25 inch floppy disks?

Water on the Moon Update

2009-10-11T09:10:00.000-04:00

NASA in their effort to confirm reports of water on the moon launched a rocket on October 9, 2009 to crash into the lunar surface. Although the lunar explosion was not visible to the naked-eye it is obvious from the Today Show video below the results were still deemed successful by NASA's equipment. Water is the critical element which makes it possible to live on the moon for extended periods of time and could be the stepping stone to other planetary exploration. Also, the water’s molecules can be broken down to Hydrogen and Oxygen to make rocket fuel. It will take time for NASA to analyze the results but if it is found that the moon does indeed have the water and ice they expect to find this could mean huge savings in dollars spent on space exploration. This is great news especially considering recent budget cuts.

For more information and videos follow this link to my earlier article, Water Found on the Moon.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Working at the Zoo

2009-10-09T22:09:00.000-04:00

Since I used to work for the zoo, when I ran across this story I found it amusing and figured I would share it with you. I hope you enjoy it.

Zoo Job

Author Unknown

One day an out of work mime is visiting the zoo and attempts to earn some money as a street performer. As soon as he starts to draw a crowd, a zoo keeper grabs him and drags him into his office. The zoo keeper explains to the mime that the zoo's most popular attraction, a gorilla, has died suddenly and the keeper fears that attendance at the zoo will fall off.

He offers the mime a job to dress up as the gorilla until they can get another one. The mime accepts.

So the next morning the mime puts on the gorilla suit and enters the cage before the crowd comes. He discovers that it's a great job. He can sleep all he wants, play and make fun of people and he draws bigger crowds than he ever did as a mime. However, eventually the crowds tire of him and he tires of just swinging on tires. He begins to notice that the people are paying more attention to the lion in the cage next to his. Not wanting to lose the attention of his audience, he climbs to the top of his cage, crawls across a partition, and dangles from the top to the lion's cage. Of course, this makes the lion furious, but the crowd loves it.

At the end of the day the zoo keeper comes and gives the mime a raise for being such a good attraction. Well, this goes on for some time, the mime keeps taunting the lion, the crowds grow larger, and his salary keeps going up. Then one terrible day when he is dangling over the furious lion he slips and falls. The mime is terrified.

The lion gathers itself and prepares to pounce. The mime is so scared that he begins to run round and round the cage with the lion close behind. Finally, the mime starts screaming and yelling, "Help me, help me!", but the lion is quick and pounces. The mime soon finds himself flat on his back looking up at the angry lion and the lion says, "Shut up you idiot! Do you want to get us both fired?"

Lungs4Joeseph Update

2009-10-07T22:42:00.000-04:00

If you remember back in August I wrote an article about Joseph who suffers from Cystic Fibrosis and was in need of a lung transplant. Thanks to everyone who has prayed for him and has donated their time and money. Today Joseph received his lung transplant. He experienced some problems after the surgery. They were having a difficult time getting the lungs to oxygenate and the bleeding to stop. They had to take him in for a second surgery and
GREAT NEWS!!! Joseph is OUT OF SURGERY NOW!! He is doing MUCH BETTER!! They were able to stop the bleeding and his blood is clotting much better now! His oxygenation is much higher as well! Thank you SO MUCH for your prayers and support!!! Please continue to pray as Joseph goes into recovery.

To read the original article I wrote in August click here.

Follow this link to the Lung4Joseph blog for complete updates, history, videos and information for donations.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers. God Bless You.

The History of All Hallow's Eve

2009-10-07T01:45:00.000-04:00

October brings in a season of harvest and with it comes the beautiful landscapes of Autumn leaves, the celebrations of Oktoberfest, pumpkins, hayrides, crisp morning air, and of course All Hallow's Eve or Halloween as it has come to be known. Today I offer a few videos. The first is a video from National Geographic on the history of Halloween. The remaining videos are from the History Channel offering a series on the Haunted History of Halloween. I hope you enjoy.

Is anyone still hungry? Seconds Anyone?

2009-10-05T23:52:00.000-04:00

WOW! Look at these photographs. Have you ever seen portions any larger than this? The Waldgeist XXXXXL Restaurant in Hofheim offers gigantic portions. I say gigantic because Super-Sized does not even begin to describe these portions. You can visit their website here. I received these photos in a PowerPoint presentation in an email from a friend. I also added a video at the end. If you ever decide to visit be sure to bring your appetite. What do you think? Can you see yourself eating all of the meal?

The Worlds Best Kept Auto Secret

2009-10-05T12:04:00.000-04:00

Wow! I never knew. I had to share this important information with everyone. A friend of mine sent this to me in a email today, I'm not sure why no one ever mentions this BUT it's probably because it's NOT true. According to The Perrin Post at Concierge.com the gas gauge pump icon's handle does not represent which side of the car your gas cap is on. There are some vehicles which have a little triangle next to the pump icon which points to the side your gas cap is on. Here's the email.

I have been driving (legally) for over a decade. One would think I would have noticed the little secret on my dash that was staring me right in the face the whole time. I didn't and I bet you probably haven't either.

Quick question, what side of your car is your gas tank? If you are anything like me, you probably can't remember right away. My solution is to uncomfortably stick my head out the window, strain my neck and look. If you don't do this in your own car you definitely have done it in a borrowed or rental car.

Well ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to share with you my little secret so you will no longer look like Ace Ventura on your way to the gas station or put your neck at risk of uncomfort or injury.

If you look at your gas gauge, you will see a small icon of a gas pump. The handle of the gas pump will extend out on either the left or right side of the pump. If your tank is on the left, the handle will be on the left. If your tank is on the right, the handle will be on the right (see photo above). It is that simple!

I don't know how you feel right now but when I found out this morning I felt cheated!

Why don't the dealers share such important information with car buyers? I don't understand why this isn't in the drivers ed manual? I don't get why any mechanic I have ever been too or know has even thought of mentioning this to me? The only possible explanation can be that all these people probably don't even know!

Go out and share the worlds best kept auto secret with your friends as this is information is way too important to be kept secret.

High Rise Hotel

2009-10-04T22:55:00.000-04:00

Hope this story brings a bit of laughter into your Monday morning.

Bill, Jim, and Scott were at a convention together and were sharing a large suite on the top of a 75 story sky scraper. After a long day of meetings they were shocked to hear that the elevators in their hotel were broken and they would have to climb 75 flights of stairs to get to their room. Bill said to Jim and Scott, let's break the monotony of this unpleasant task by concentrating on something interesting. I'll tell jokes for 25 flights, and Jim can sing songs for 25 flights, and Scott can tell sad stories the rest of the way. At the 26th floor Bill stopped telling jokes and Jim began to sing. At the 51st floor Jim stopped singing and Scott began to tell sad stories. "I will tell my saddest story first," he said. "I left the room key in the car!"

Author Unknown

Extra, Extra, Read All About It!

2009-10-02T23:41:00.000-04:00

Announcing Oldman's Poetry Corner. Today I have posted my newest poem on my new blog. Please follow this link to Oldman's Poetry Corner. While you are there please click and become a follower using Google Connect. I enjoy writing poetry and wanted a place to publish all of my poems together. I will begin posting all of my poems on this new blog. I may from time to time post poems on my other blogs if the topic is appropriate, however, I will still post it on Oldman's Poetry Corner because it will include all of my poems. You will find my old poems from other blogs there as well. So stop by and take a look. I hope you enjoy today's poem. Thanks for your continued support and encouragement.

Tattoos – Yes or I Don’t Think So?

2009-10-02T00:47:00.001-04:00

Today let me take a moment to discuss tattoos. Many people have them and my son’s hobby is being a tattoo artist. He is very artistic and I think he does good work. All of the tattoos in this article are samples of his work. But for me, I have never gotten a tattoo. When I was younger the only people getting tattoos were people in the military, bikers or biker chicks. Now I did have my days of glory riding down the highway with a bike between my legs doing well over 100mph. But my days of rebellion never led me to getting a tattoo.

I have thought about getting one from time to time. Then I think about, do I really want to live with this for the rest of my life? Do I really want to sit and have someone poke me with a needle over and over again? Also, there was the consideration of being looked down upon by prospective employers. And, how drunk does one have to be to get a tattoo? I have been falling down drunk many times with the opportunity to get one and decided no. Of course, my parents were against it.

It still crosses my mind to get one even now though. It is more socially acceptable to have one now. Of course, from what I am told once you have one you want another so I’m not sure I’m in for that kind of a commitment. I would end up looking like the Illustrated Man in Ray Bradbury’s book with tattoos all over my body and then they would come alive and illustrate stories; I don’t think I can handle tattoos coming to life on my skin. No, that’s not for me.

However, I still consider having one. If I was to get one I would do like I have been advised by someone who has many tattoos. First, I would make copies of the tattoo and post them everywhere, on the computer, the refrigerator, the mirror, the car, the door, the wall, the microwave and just about any flat surface which I could find. Then, if after a month I am not thoroughly sick of looking at it I might get it. Also, I would not get something stupid which I will regret for the rest of my life like a heart with an arrow through it with some girl’s name on it. Now that may be okay for you but I think it’s stupid. I would make sure it has meaning to me and was something I found important. I would not get something because I thought it was cool. Cool is a relevant term which usually wears out as the seasons pass. The last thing I would do is make sure the artist is safe, has good hygiene, and does good work. You know the old saying; you get what you pay for.

I know your curiosity is peaked as to what kind of tattoo I would get. There are a few things I have considered as designs for tattoos. Probably the top two would be either a thunderbird similar to the one at the top of this article or a dragon. There are many different dragons I like so I do not have a picture of one of them posted. I am not going to go into the reasoning behind these choices just suffice it to say they do meet my criteria though I have not posted them everywhere and probably would get sick of looking at it.

So, what are your thoughts about tattoos? Do you have one and where is it? Now I don’t want to hear about your Welcome Aboard tattoo on your penis, that’s a joke from that movie which had sailors in it and the captain supposedly had one there. Does anyone remember the movie I’m talking about? Also, do you think I should get one and which one do you think I should get? Not that I really care because I will make up my own mind but I welcome your opinion. Finally, as long as we are talking about the general subject of mutilating oneself, LOL, what do you think about body piercing? Please leave me your thoughts and comments. Take care and have a great day!

Birds

2009-09-30T19:47:00.000-04:00

This cinquain style poem was inspired by a photograph taken by Lee at Photographing the Days. I did not want to steal Lee's thunder so I used the picture above from MorgueFile as an illustration only. Please click through and take a look at the photograph Lee took here, it is simple but moving. Thanks Lee for the inspiration.

Birds

by Brian, the old man

Birds

Feathered, Black

Waking, Sitting, Singing

Majestically sharing morning sky

Birds

Jeff Dunham and Walter

2009-09-29T20:57:00.000-04:00

Alone at Sunset

2009-09-26T22:59:00.000-04:00

I offer this poem to all of those who are alone.

Alone at Sunset
By Brian, the old man

As I sit beside the ocean’s shore
And watch the setting sun
I ponder things about my life
Am I the only one?

Not a soul in sight that I can see
I sit here all alone
The emptiness of God’s green earth
Not a thing to hear me moan.

What can I do to make me whole
And make things seem alright
I turn to God and cry to Him
Why can’t You see my plight?

I know it’s wrong to question You
About these things I fear
Help me let go and trust in You
Give you the wheel to steer.

I look upon the setting sun
In awe of Your great scene
The colors are so beautiful
The water looks so clean

You help me know, You’re there with me
My faith grows more each day
I give to You my heart and soul
For All these things, I pray.

Atlanta Flood - Red Cross Relief Telethon

2009-09-26T09:49:00.000-04:00

The American Red Cross is seeking donations for their Disaster Relief Fund for Atlanta flood victims. More rain is expected in the area today. My thoughts and prayers go out to those families in need.

You can participate in 11Alive News Red Cross Relief Telethon to make your donation over the phone at 678-422-8466.

You can donate online by following this link to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

You can also visit 11Alive News for donations and continuing news and coverage.

School Scenarios 1957 vs 2007

2009-09-25T23:55:00.000-04:00

Scenario: Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck's gun rack.

1957 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.

2007 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

Scenario: Johnny and Mark get into a fight after school.

1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up mates.

2007 - Police called, SWAT team arrives, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it.

Scenario: Jeffrey won't be still in class, disrupts other students.

1957 - Jeffrey sent to office and given a good caning by the Principal. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.

2007 - Jeffrey given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADD. School gets extra money from state because Jeffrey has a disability.

Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his neighbour's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.

1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normally, goes to university, and becomes a successful businessman.

2007 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. Psychologist tells Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their Dad goes to prison. Billy's Mum has affair with psychologist.

Scenario: Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school .

1957 - Mark shares aspirin with Principal.

2007 - Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.

1957 - Pedro gets extra tuition, passes English, goes to University.

2007 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. Class action lawsuit filed by anti discrimination commissioner against Education Dept and Pedro's English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro given diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers, puts them in a model aeroplane paint bottle, blows up an ant bed.

1957 - Ants die.

2007 - Local police & AFP called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, parents investigated, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated, Johnny's Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario: Johnny falls while running during morning tea and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.

1957 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.

2007 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in prison while Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.

Water Found on the Moon

2009-09-25T11:39:00.000-04:00

What was once thought of as a ball of dust and desolation, the surface of the moon has more water on it than anyone ever knew. Water is the critical element which makes it possible to live on the moon for extended periods of time and could be the stepping stone to other planetary exploration. Also, the water’s molecules can be broken down to Hydrogen and Oxygen to make fuel.

The samples which were brought back from past lunar missions had trace water amounts but everyone assumed this was due to the seals on the containers. However satellites orbiting the moon have found ice on the surface amounting to billions of gallons of water. This is a phenomenal breakthrough since each gallon of water costs $80,000 to launch into space.

The distribution of water is at high latitudes toward the poles. The terrain of the moon makes it difficult to get to the water. This means that NASA will have to complete and have a successful land rover to be able to traverse the surface and be able to drive long distances. You can learn more about this in the National Geographic video below.

In a few weeks, NASA plans to crash a rocket into the moon where a satellite can measure precisely what it kicks up.

Today’s NASA image is a Mineralogy Mapper of the Moon and can be found in the sidebar at the end of this page.

Oldman's Cantankerous Words of Wisdom II

2009-09-23T20:18:00.000-04:00

Today I offer some more of my sarcastic, cantankerous, ironical, cynical, contemptuous words of wisdom I have collected from various places.

Talk is cheap because supply exceeds demand.

Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much leave me the hell alone.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and leaky tire.

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.

It's always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.

Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.

Always remember that you're unique. Just like everyone else.

Love is grand; divorce is a hundred grand.

Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

Politicians and diapers have one thing in common. They should both be changed regularly and for the same reason.

Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

There is always death and taxes; however death doesn't get worse every year.

I am having an out of money experience.

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

It's easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them.

If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.

Anything free is worth what you pay for it.

Some days you're the bug; some days you're the windshield.

Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

I always wanted to be a procrastinator, never got around to it.

The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.

Brain cells come and brain cells go, but fat cells live forever.

A closed mouth gathers no foot.

I am a nutritional overachiever.

Duct tape is like 'The Force'. It has a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe together.

There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works.

If marriage were outlawed, only outlaws would have in-laws.

Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are moving.

Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right time, but also to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.

Never miss a good chance to shut up.

One of life's mysteries is how a two pound box of candy can make a woman gain five pounds.

Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night

Conscience is what hurts when everything else feels so good.

Stupidity got us into this mess - why can't it get us out?

Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.

An optimist thinks that this is the best possible world. A pessimist fears that this is true.

People will accept your ideas much more readily if you tell them that Benjamin Franklin said it first.

I don't mind going nowhere as long as it's an interesting path.

Indecision is the key to flexibility.

It hurts to be on the cutting edge.

I don't get even, I get odder.

In just two days, tomorrow will be yesterday.

Dijon vu - the same mustard as before.

My inferiority complex is not as good as yours.

I plan on living forever. So far, so good.

Not afraid of heights - afraid of widths.

Practice safe eating - always use condiments.

I have kleptomania, but when it gets bad, I take something for it.

Life is an endless struggle full of frustrations and challenges, but eventually you find a hair stylist you like.

You're getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster.

It's frustrating when you know all the answers, but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.

Age doesn't always bring wisdom, sometimes age comes alone.

Once more if the idea of not having an even 50 bothers you please remember to take a chisel tip marker and cross out the ones you like the least. But don’t blame me if the line doesn’t move as you scroll your mouse. hAv a Gr8 dAy!

Bottles, Pirates, Cast-Aways and Genies

2009-09-23T16:20:00.000-04:00

Treasure Along the Beach

by Brian, the old man

As I search for treasure
Along the ocean shore
I run across a bottle
I hoped for something more

It looks so old and dirty
And has a simple form
I wonder where it came from
When dragged in from the storm

I wonder if a pirate
Had used it for his rum
Or placed a map within it
Pointing to a king’s ransom

I try to see inside it
The glass is full of fog
Could be from a lost sailor
Got hung up in the bog

Or maybe if I clean it
From swimming with the fish
I will find a genie
To grant my every wish

My fantasy is over
I’ll set it on my shelf
The skull looks good next to it
If I do say so myself

Thanks to my friend Carrie at Prompt Romp for inspiring me with the Image from Wikipedia Commons above.

Atlanta Flooding: Gov. Purdue Declares State of Emergency

2009-09-22T10:16:00.000-04:00

Governor Sonny Purdue has declared a State of Emergency for 17 Georgia Counties. He reports three major Interstates were closed, one has been reopened. Asks citizens to stay home and keep safe. Seven residents have been confirmed dead including one little boy. Though President Obama has been unavailable, Governor Purdue has asked for President Obama for a Declaration of Emergency. This will guarantee victims have a place to go as there homes are repaired or replaced where the people will not be displaced. He reports seeing some homes with water up to rooftops stating that homes can be replaced but we can never reclaim the lives that were lost. He reported seeing a house burning while the fire trucks there to help were submerged. He states that there is a huge state wide effort to handle this emergency. There is a water supply shortage in several counties, Stevens County water supply should be back on today. Carrol County is still under a water boiling order. Governor Purdue stated to keep safe and asks Georgians to rise to the occasion. He again reminded everyone to stay safe and stay secure. He thanked neighbors for helping neighbors and communities for helping communities.

The Battle of the Sexes

2009-09-22T02:03:00.000-04:00

I could no longer put it off sharing these humorous points in the battle of the sexes.

I hope this puts a smile on your face and a giggle in your heart.

Maturity:
Women mature much faster than men. Most 17-year-old females can function as adults. Most 17-year-old males are still trading baseball cards and giving each other wedgies after gym class. This is why high school romances rarely work.

Comedy:
Let's say a small group of men and women are in a room, watching television, and an episode of "The Three Stooges" comes on. Immediately, the men will get very excited; they will laugh uproariously, and even try to imitate the actions of Curly, man's favorite stooge. The women will roll their eyes and groan and wait it out.

Handwriting:
To their credit, men do not decorate their penmanship, they just chicken-scratch. Women use scented colored stationary and they dot their "i's" with circles and hearts. Women use ridiculously large loops in their "p's" and "g's". It is a royal pain to read a note from a woman. Even when she's dumping you, she'll put a smiley face at the end of the note.

Bathrooms:
A man has at most six items in his bathroom - a toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of Dial soap, and a towel from the Holiday Inn. The average number of items in a typical woman's bathroom is 437. A man would not be able to identify most of these items.

Groceries:
A woman makes a list of things she needs and then goes to the store and buys these things. A man waits till the only items left in his fridge are half a lemon and something turning green. Then he goes grocery shopping. He buys everything that looks good. By the time a man reaches the checkout counter, his cart is packed tighter than the Clampett's car on Beverly Hillbillies. Of course, this will not stop him from going to the 10-items-or-less lane.

Going out:
When a man says he is ready to go out, it means he is ready to go out. When a woman says she is ready to go out, it means she will be ready to go out, as soon as she finds her other earring, finishes putting on her makeup...

Cats:
Women love cats. Men say they love cats, but when women aren't looking, men kick cats.

Mirrors:
Men are vain; they will check themselves out in the mirror. Women are ridiculous; they will check out their reflections in any shiny surface--mirrors, spoons, store windows, toasters, and Joe Garagiola's head.

Menopause:
When a woman reaches menopause, she goes through a variety of complicated emotional, psychological, and biological changes. The nature and degree of the changes varies with the individual. Menopause in a man provokes a uniform reaction--he buys aviator glasses, a snazzy French cap and leather driving gloves, and goes shopping for a Porsche.

The Telephone:
Men see the telephone as a communications tool. They use the telephone to send short messages to other people. A woman can visit her girlfriend for two weeks, and upon returning home, she will call the same friend and they will talk for three hours.

Directions:
If a woman is out driving and she finds herself in unfamiliar surroundings, she will stop at a gas station and ask for directions. Men consider this to be a sign of weakness. Men will never stop and ask for directions. Men will drive in a circle for hours, all the while saying things like, "Looks like I've found a new way to get there", and, "I know I'm in the neighborhood. I recognize that White Hen store".

Admitting Mistakes:
Women will sometimes admit making a mistake. The last man who admitted that he was wrong was Gen. George Custer.

Offspring:
Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and soccer games and romances and best friends and favorite foods and secret fears and hopes and dreams. A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

Dressing up:
A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the garbage answer the phone, read a book, get the mail. A man will dress up for: weddings, funerals.

Laundry:
Women do laundry every couple of days. A man will wear every article of clothing he owns, including his surgical pants that were hip about eight years ago, before he will do the laundry. When he is finally out of clothes, he will wear a dirty sweatshirt inside out, rent a U-Haul and take his mountain of clothes to the Laundromat. Men always expect to meet beautiful women at the Laundromat. This is a myth.

Weddings:
When reminiscing about weddings, women talk about "the ceremony". Men talk about "the bachelor party".

Socks:
Men wear sensible socks. They wear standard white sweat socks. Women wear strange socks. They are cut way below the ankles, have pictures of clouds on them, and have a big fuzzy ball on the back.

Toys:
Little girls love to play with toys. Then, when they reach the age of 11 or 12, they lose interest. Men never grow out of their obsession with toys. As they older, their toys simply become more expensive and impractical. Examples of men's toys: little miniature TV's, car phones, complicated juicers and blenders, graphic equalizers, small robots that serve cocktails on command, video games, anything that blinks, beeps, and requires at least six "D" batteries to operate.

Plants:
A woman asks a man to water her plants while she is on vacation. The man waters the plants. The woman comes home five days later, to an apartment full of dead plants. No one knows why this happens.

The Man's Remote

These images and antidotes were taken from various emails I have received. If you know, Please let me know of their origin and I will gladly give them credit.

Driftwood Horses

2009-09-20T18:39:00.000-04:00

These pics are incredible! These sculptures are done by Heather Jansch who lives and works in Westcountry of England. She builds horses out of the scrap driftwood they find. Not only are they beautiful but they are using what Mother Nature has left behind to create another form of art. She has a wonderful talent. Visit her website here.

Blue Roses

2009-09-19T10:58:00.000-04:00

Why do I always have to be the one that starts to do laundry and there's no detergent? Well, I guess it was time for me to do my store run, which included light bulbs, paper towels, trash bags and Clorox. So off I go.

I scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies, and headed for the checkout counter only to be blocked in the narrow aisle by a young man that appeared to be about sixteen-years-old.. I wasn't in a hurry, so I patiently waited for the boy to realize that I was there. This was when he waved his hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice, "Mommy, I'm over here."

It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged, and also startled as he turned and saw me standing so close to him, waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened and surprise exploded on his face as I said, "Hey Buddy, what's your name?"

"My name is Denny and I'm shopping with my mother," he responded proudly.

"Wow," I said, "that's a cool name; I wish my name was Denny, but my name is Hal."

"Hal, like Halloween?" he asked.

"Yes," I answered. "How old are you Denny?"

"How old am I now, Mommy?" he asked his mother as she slowly came over from the next aisle.

"You're fifteen-years-old Denny; now be a good boy and let the man pass by."

I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Denny for several more minutes about summer, bicycles and school. I watched his brown eyes dance with excitement because he was the center of some one's attention. He then abruptly turned and headed toward the toy section.

Denny's mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked me for taking the time to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldn't even look at him, much less talk to him. I told her that it was my pleasure and then.

I said something I have no idea where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow and pink roses in God's garden, however, "Blue Roses" are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness. You see, Denny is a Blue Rose and if someone doesn't stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they've missed a blessing from God.

She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she asked, "Who are you?"

Without thinking I said, "Oh, I'm probably just a dandelion but I sure love living in God's garden."

Please the next time you see a BLUE ROSE don't turn your head and walk off, take the time to smile and say Hello. Because by the grace of GOD this mother could be you. This could be your child, grandchild, niece, nephew.

What a difference a moment can mean to that person or their family.

From an old dandelion!!!

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

Leave the rest to God.

I received this from a friend in an email. It brought a tear to my eye and I just had to share it with you. If you know who is the original author please let me know so I can gladly give credit to them.

Image is taken from Wikipeida Commons attributed to Noumenon here.