PHA's...

I have been thinking that I am going to need a new roof on my house. It's my understanding that my homeowner's insurance premium will drop if I get high-impact shingles.

You know... the kind of shingles that can possibly withstand an Oklahoma hail storm.

Well... I got to thinking. How good are high-impact shingles?

For example, have they been tested against PHA's?

(A PHA is a "potentially hazardous asteroid".)


Did you know that there are 775 known PHA's?


Then I got to thinking some more.


Maybe I had better check my homeowner's insurance and make sure that there isn't a PHA exclusion in my policy first.

later...

Details, Details, Details...

This evening I have completed all the necessary forms and have supplied the requested information for the kids' trip.

Vaccination records, personal info, telephone numbers, health insurance, and more. A bunch of stuff x's 2.

I've signed the forms, the kids have signed; we've all been signed, and we are signed up.

The paperwork part of this annual event has been completed.

Carrie's photography entry was completed and is RTG. (Ready To Go) While it took longer for her to get her pictures taken, she didn't have near the trouble in picking out her photo as Parker did. That right there is a big eye-opener on the differences in their personalities.

The photo I have posted tonight is Carrie's convention entry for the black and white photograph category.

We still haven't gotten every little item taken care of yet, but the light is beginning to shine at the end of the tunnel.

By the way...

I got a call this afternoon from the sewing machine repairman. He says that it is going to cost $150 to fix my machine. And it won't be ready until next week.

If he had told me that before I had gotten Carrie's outfit completed, I don't know what would have upset me more...

The timeframe for the return of my sewing machine, or the cost of the repairs.

As it stands, I am only upset about the cost. Once again, I am so thankful for having the use of my neighbor Sue's sewing machine last night.


Well... all of the kids at the school certainly have done a lot of work on their projects. Carrie is entered in a vocal competition too and has been practicing with a mixed quartet. And then there's the track events that I have been coaching. I still haven't gotten any pictures taken of Parker's science project so I can show it to you guys. I hope to get those taken pretty soon.


I hope they have a lot of fun at the convention.

I wish I could go and watch them all run, sing, and compete...

But I'll be there in my heart.

later...

My List...

I was able to check some things off of my list this afternoon.

While my list is still quite long and far from being completed, at least it appears to be more manageable for the moment.

I am enrolled for the next two semesters at school.

I diagnosed my sewing machine problem and it is currently at the shop to be repaired.

I got my 2007 tag sticker for my van.

I sewed Carrie's garment that she needed for convention...

Sue's sewing machine did a very good job. I also noticed that it appears to be made of metal parts. *hmmpf*

Thank you so much Sue for letting me use your sewing machine! I really, really appreciate it.

I was able to get Carrie's outfit sewn in just over two hours. While I was sewing I again was reminded about how long it has been since I have done any type of needlework.

I have crocheted a bit in the last several years and have also done some other types of 'crafty' projects. But I haven't worked at all with needle and thread for a very long time. I would venture to say that it has been around 15 years?

Surely it hasn't been that long ago.

Where has the time gone?

Well, I realized something that has changed quite a bit in the last 15 years or so...

I had to use my drug store reading glasses.

I can't see well enough to thread a needle.


This is sad...

disheartening...

and quite humbling.


Well folks, I am tired.

So I guess I'll just take my poor aging body to bed.

later...

Ups and Downs...

We had track practice this afternoon. The kids are getting geared up for their trip and competitions.

Afterwards, Carrie went with some of the kids to study on their Quiz Bowl questions.

Then Parker and I went home and he made his final selections on his pictures.

Thanks everyone for your input!

We uploaded his photos to Walgreens and then went and picked them up. Even though they were ready we had to wait for another print.

The black and white photo had a line across the bottom of it. So the guy changed out the cartridge in the automatic processor and printed us another picture. It didn't take that long, but I just don't seem to have the luxury of "time" right now.

We then went to Hobby Lobby to look for mattes for the pictures. We took some time and finally came up with three that we liked.

*Fortune*... The pre-cut mattes were 1/2 off!

The girl there attached the pictures to the mattes. I also asked her if she would cut and apply a backing to them since they weren't going to be framed entries.

*Blessing*... She said she wasn't going to charge us for the backing!


I was able to locate my sewing box and my sewing machine this evening.

I got the pattern laid out and the fabric cut.

But the sewing machine isn't working right.

It's been so long since I have sewn anything with my machine...

There's no telling what's wrong with it.

*Frustration*


Tomorrow I have an appointment with my university counselor. I need to enroll in my summer classes. It's always hard for me to do something like that since I still haven't completed this semester yet.


*Irritation*

You know, don't start any new projects until you've finished the ones at hand.


I think that is one of the things that is really bothering me right now.

I really don't like loose ends!


*Positive*

Parker's photography entries are finished. YEAH!



I'm really disappointed that my sewing machine isn't working.

*Solution*... I have to come up with one.


I just can't work on it any more tonight. I'm too tired to anyway.


I'm going to say my prayers, go to bed, and sleep on it.


Surely things will look better in the morning.

later...

These Kids of Mine...

I just don't know what I am going to do with these kids of mine.

Parker went through his pictures again today.

He has decided that he wants to submit an entry in a couple of more photography categories.

Not only that, he located this little jewel in his b-jillion kb's of photos.



Isn't there some kind of DEADLINE here?

If there isn't, I am going to have to create one myself.


And then there's Carrie. Evidently she needs something SEWN for one of her events.

Like when did she find this out?

It's been so long since I have sewn a garment that I don't know if I can even find my sewing machine, or my box of sewing notions!

Why do you think I haven't sewn on those buttons of mine?


So this evening, after basketball practice, Carrie and I went on a hunt for a pattern and material. I went ahead and picked up a few items for them to take on their trip.

We left Parker at the house... going through more of those pictures of his.


We didn't get home until about 8pm.

I was tired.

I was irritable.

I was hungry.

And I wasn't looking forward to fixing dinner.


We walked in the door and the first thing I said was, "What's that smell?"

We walked into the kitchen and Parker was standing there acting a little odd.

Then I saw it.


He had made dinner for us all.


Pancakes.

Big, giant, humongous, skillet sized pancakes.


And I was thankful.


I just don't know what I am going to do with these kids of mine.

later...

Please Vote...

The kids will be going to their annual "Regional Convention" one week from tomorrow.

They will be gone for five days competing in various events ranging from basketball, volleyball, track, science projects, singing, academics, and photography.

There are a lot of last minute details.

Both Carrie and Parker have several last minute 'issues'.

Right now, I need your help.


Linda in Norman has reviewed about 500,000 kb's of photographs for us and has picked her favorites.

And I have mine.

Of course, Parker has his favorites.


But this "short list" has to be culled down to one (favorite) photograph.


Parker can only enter one photograph and we have narrowed it down to four.

And we are having a difficult time making up 'our minds'.


The category is simple: Nature and Animals.

Parker and I thought that maybe you guys could help him out a bit in picking out the best entry.


Would you guys please vote for your favorite picture?

Maybe that would help 'us' some more?

Or make us more confused?


Either way, a decision must be made and very soon. Once we have the 'best entry' chosen then we must get it printed as an 8x10 and get it matted and prepared for the competition.

Here are the favorites:

Photograph #1



Photograph #2



Photograph #3





Photograph #4



If Carrie and Parker win first place in any of their areas of competition, then they will get to advance to nationals.

Anybody want to buy some candy??

Thanks guys!!

later...

Busy...

I am home now and it's late again. I need to get to bed as I have to be at work in the morning. I am teaching an ultrasound class all day tomorrow and I hear that my class is full. So I really need to be at my best.

I had a busy day today that's for sure.

This morning I took a two hour test.

*stress*

I worked with Parker on one of his entries for a school convention that he and Carrie are going to next week. He decided he would enter a photograph.

*more details*

I worked on my powerpoint presentation a little bit. I hadn't looked at it since my last ultrasound class.

*last minute*

I went to work and did 'work' there.

*tired*

I came home and microwaved some leftovers. I think everyone in this house would die if it weren't for leftovers.

*starved*

I am really getting anxious for spring to decide to show up, but then I got to thinking about whether or not I will have the time to enjoy it.

*anxious*

I really want to get in my flower beds...

*wishful*

For right now I guess I will have to 'imagine' my spring.

*dreaming*

later...

It's Saturday Morning...

Home from work.

Another taxi run.

I'm going to bed.

Good night.

Sweet dreams.

later...

A Midnight Snow...

A midnight snow last night left a rich thick blanket over the landscape. The morning chill did not dampen the cheerful spirit of the birds.

The earth was happy.

By midday, much of the crystal treasure had melted, releasing its precious moisture to the earth below. The sun broke through revealing the rich blue sky, accented by the sticcato of white puffy clouds.


Psalm 148
1 Praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD from the heavens,
praise him in the heights above.

2 Praise him, all his angels,
praise him, all his heavenly hosts.

3 Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars.

4 Praise him, you highest heavens
and you waters above the skies.

5 Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for he commanded and they were created.

6 He set them in place for ever and ever;
he gave a decree that will never pass away.

7 Praise the LORD from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,

8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
stormy winds that do his bidding,

9 you mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,

10 wild animals and all cattle,
small creatures and flying birds,

11 kings of the earth and all nations,
you princes and all rulers on earth,

12 young men and maidens,
old men and children.

13 Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

14 He has raised up for his people a horn, [b]
the praise of all his saints,
of Israel, the people close to his heart.
Praise the LORD.

(New International Version)


later...

Desensitization... The Program

The Program:

Destroy the institution of marriage, sex is recreation, relationships are cheap.

Desensitization Short List:

Sex on prime time television, soap operas with illicit and glorified affairs, lowered standards in movie ratings, encouragement of a divorce mentality through no-fault divorce laws, recognition and support of non-marriage relationships.


The Program:

Destroy our youth, their innocence, their emotional well-being, and fail to give them the basis for a healthy, moral, and productive life. Gray the areas of right and wrong.

Desensitization Short List:

Sit-coms with child actors who portray that it’s cool to have poor attitudes and to be disrespectful to authority figures. Movies portray childhood sex as an acceptable norm. Develop a systematic destruction of the parent role model through our public school policies, government selection of subject matter, and the removal of prayer in school. There is a promotion of sexy teens through mainstream advertising and the idolization of immoral pop stars. Support for the lack of (moral) censorship of our public libraries which makes all material available for young readers.


The Program:

Sex crimes are not serious or detrimental to our society.

Desensitization Short List:

Debra Lefave


The Program:

Devalue human life.

Desensitization short list:

Kill as many people as possible via movies and video games and make it glorious and fun. The legalization of abortion and the use of abortion as acceptable birth control. Ending human life is acceptable socially and medically.




D.T. Devareaux has posted another one of his drawings. It is about abortion. Once again, he has made a graphic depiction of the subject at hand.

If you aren’t shocked by his art, then maybe you have been desensitized also.

Systematic desensitization has been going on in this country, the United States of America, for decades now. There are hidden barbs in many, seemingly benign, areas of our lives. Indiscriminately sitting in front of a television with or without cable access, for a couple of hours each day, is enough to lull you into a toxic coma.

What I have touched upon in this post is certainly only an elementary approach to the subject; the tip of a very large and deadly iceberg.

I pray that the United States doesn’t view herself as the Titanic…

and believe that she is unsinkable.

later...

Technical Difficulties...

Blogger seems to be ill tonight.

Again.

My pictures don't want to load and the program itself keeps freezing up.

And my poor computer seems to be running a fever also.

sigh

You know that Microsoft has pretty much stopped its support for Windows 98. They'll have washed their hands of the OE by this summer.

I know, I know. You can't believe that someone is still operating off of Windows 98.

Well, you can tell your friends and family that you know someone who still is.

It seems that most everything these days just doesn't want to cooperate with Win98.

And yes it's a pain in the...


But I guess that I need to keep things in perspective.

My belly is full of homemade spaghetti.

I have heat in my house for tonight's below freezing temps.

I have unlimited internet access.

And I do have a computer, even if it is only a facsimile thereof.


I'm sure that Mr. Abdul Rahman doesn't have near the comforts that I do, and yet, he is still clinging to his Christian faith.

I hope that he got to eat dinner and that he is warm.

There is no telling how he is being treated since he is considered an infidel and is considered to be worse than a dog.

We all know how the Islamists reacted concerning those Dutch cartoons. They considered it a personal attack worthy of murderous acts and rampant destruction.

"We are not against any particular religion in the world. But in Afghanistan, this sort of thing is against the law," the judge said. "It is an attack on Islam."

He still has two months before there will be a hearing on his case.

I wonder if they'll let him live that long. Or if he will survive their prison.

"He would have been forgiven if he changed back. But he said he was a Christian and would always remain one," Wasi told AP. "We are Muslims and becoming a Christian is against our laws. He must get the death penalty."

There doesn't seem to be much hope for the man. He will be used as an example, whether he is executed or not. It seems that his arrest could cause trouble on both sides of the fence.

Hakim, the human rights advocate, said the case would attract widespread attention in Afghanistan and could be exploited by Muslim conservatives to rally opposition to reformists who are trying to moderate how the religion is practiced here.

"The reformists are trying to bring about positive changes," he said. "This case could be fertile ground for extremists to manipulate things."

...Hakim said that if Rahman was acquitted, it would be a propaganda win for the Taliban rebels, who have stepped up their insurgency in the past year.

Mr. Rahman needs our prayers.

He needs our technology.

We can make telephone calls and send e-mails that are supportive of him and his faith.

The really tormenting part of the whole thing is that I really don't know what would be best in this situation.

I certainly know what would be right.


I wish that I could speak with Mr. Rahman.

I would like to ask him how he feels about all of this.


Is he scared?

Are there Angels there comforting him and giving him strength?


It's evident that he is prepared to die.


Does he feel peace?


If I could speak to him then I think that I would be able to reconcile this problem that I have in my mind.

The "technical difficulties" of the entire situation...

The fact that he may have to die in order to help pull the nation out of the dark ages.


Once again, we are left with a trust issue.

We will have to pray for Mr. Rahman and trust that the outcome is in the Lord's Hands.

We will have to trust that God is certainly in this situation and is in control.

If any of you feel compelled to do so, please write a letter, or send an e-mail to the Afghanistan Embassy.

You could even call if you wanted to...

Embassy of Afghanistan
2341 Wyoming Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008
Tel: 202.483.6410
Fax: 202.483.6488

Email: Info@embassyofafghanistan.org



One more thing. There's another marginalized Christian group that is in Iraq.

ChristianIraq.com is run by an open ended group of ChaldoAssyrian Christians, American independent journalists, Iraqi freelance journalists and supporters of a new Iraq.

They could use our prayers and support too. Because what is currently happening in Afghanistan could very easily happen in Iraq.

later...

Scientifically Proven...

Oklahoma weather has started 'happening' again. Now it seems that we are getting back to the weather patterns that we are all familiar with.

Today, within the state of Oklahoma, we had snow, thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail, and rain. I don't think I forgot anything did I?

Anyway... it seems that we might be getting back to a more normal weather pattern.

Or maybe nature is just going through one of its cycles, and is regaining its equilibrium.

At least it is something that we are more accustomed to.

Either way, it's proof that we definitely aren't in charge of things around here.

And that God designed this world to work with...

or without us.


I have a few theories about things like this that roam around in my head. Just like I have little sayings and rules that I live by; I also have different approaches to the mysteries of life and situations in general.

One of my theories is that kids should be allowed to get dirty.

Every child picks up dirt and tries to eat it.

Kids like to play outside and get horribly dirty while doing it.

Dogs lick kids in the face.

And running around barefoot is a whole lot of fun.

I have seen a lot of mothers get horribly upset when their children do things that are deemed dirty.

Things like picking up food from the floor and eating it.

While I don't condone eating off the floors, I certainly have never had any 'hissy fits' over it either.

I also have been quite liberal in allowing my children to run barefoot, play in the mud, and just plain get dirty in general.

My theory is that God designed our bodies to protect us, and that our immune systems have to be challenged in order for it to know how and what to protect us from.

Well, this evening I ran across an article that finally proves my theory.

Here's the new wisdom: Early exposure to pets, peanuts and intestinal worms might actually be good for you, because they program the developing immune system to know the difference between real threats, such as germs, and Aunt Millie's cat.

Why is this considered "new wisdom"?

I have always considered this idea as common sense.

It all makes sense.

Within my lifetime I have noticed a sharp increase of other people's kids being sick more often and with higher incidences of asthma and other similar ailments.

Asthma alone accounts for 500,000 hospitalizations a year, including 2 million admissions to the emergency room, says a study in the May 2005 Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Since 1980, adult asthma cases have risen by 75% and childhood asthma by 160%, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

What is making these children and adults so much more susceptible?

Could it be that everyone in the United States has become 'germphobic'?

Have you guys noticed that an entire grocery aisle is dedicated to hundreds of household cleaners and toilet bowl disenfectants?

"What we've learned is that it may, in fact, be important to be exposed early on to a sufficient quantity of allergy-causing substances to train the immune system that they are not a threat," says Andy Saxon of the University of California-Los Angeles.

I have also been a big supporter of breast feeding too.

..."When you're born, Day Zero, your immune system is like a new computer. It's not programmed. You have to add software," says Joel Weinstock of Tufts New England Medical Center. "Between the ages of zero and 12, you're learning to read, you're learning to write, and your immune system is learning to react to things. Part of that is learning to limit reactivity."

And I have also claimed that living on a ranch or a farm is the best and healthiest way to live life.

The new approach to allergy prevention and treatment arises from a paradox. Known as the hygiene hypothesis, it suggests that growing up in cities and suburbs, away from fields and farm animals, leaves people more susceptible to a host of immune disorders, including allergies and asthma.

...Weinstock says the divide between developed and undeveloped countries is still evident today. "Hay fever is the most common allergy in the developed world," he says. "Yet, there are some countries in the world where doctors don't know what hay fever is."

What is the most intriguing about this research though is the effect of worms on the human immune system.

This is where things get a little gross and makes you feel a little squeamish...

even for me.

But hey... when was the last time you have heard of a child having pinworms or any other type of intestinal worm?

...some doctors say worms might do something that allergy-causing substances won't do — broadly reset the immune system so that it no longer reacts to allergy-causing substances or attacks the body's tissues, as it does in Crohn's disease and Type I diabetes.

Weinstock, Elliott and other researchers believe that a low-grade infection with intestinal worms — pig whipworms because they can't reproduce in people — can restore the immune system's natural balance. A small-scale study in which 29 people with Crohn's disease drank whipworm eggs in Gatorade found that 23 responded to treatment and 21 of the 23 experienced complete remission.

Although worms haven't been directly tested in allergic patients, researchers point to a study by Maria Yazdanbakhsh of Leiden University in the Netherlands, which found that treating schoolchildren in Gabon for worms, so that the worms were expelled from their bodies, doubled their risk of becoming allergic to house dust mites, a common allergen.

While there are good things about hygiene that prevent the spread of disease and also helps to keep large communities healthier, we must not forget about the common sense things of nature.

Being overly 'hygienic' could actually be detrimental to our health.

So... I propose that instead of enforcing the 'two second' rule on a wayward M&M that's found its way onto the floor...

Maybe we should just go ahead and extend it to three or four seconds.

later...

Short-Circuiting a Cat Allergy

Eggs-a-ronious...

It didn't rain much at all the first half of today, mostly sprinkles and mist. This afternoon though we have gotten some fairly constant rain, some of it was heavy rain.

I got involved in my schoolwork today and forgot to put on my pot of brown beans. I went ahead and started them though; believing in the prospect that we will be eating again tomorrow. But needless to say, for tonight, I had to come up with an alternative for dinner.

I have been known to invent things in the kitchen. At times it is due to necessity and what resources are available in the refrigerator and kitchen cabinets.

Some things are tasty and some things are...

not so tasty.

When I invent tasty things the kids would tell me to 'remember how you did it', so that we could enjoy it again. Unfortunately, there has been many a meal that has been eaten that was created with ingredients that were to be rarely available again.



Living in town means that I miss a lot of things. One of the things that I really miss are my chickens. I love having a hen house, a rooster, and fresh eggs. I also love raising baby chicks.

With your own hens you will go through periods of famine and plenty. The egg laying cycle is directly affected by the time of year as well as the weather. When you have an abundance of eggs you are looking for ways to use as many of them as possible.



Things that affect how and what you cook are directly related to availability of ingredients as well as time and effort. Tonight, I didn't want to spend the time or put out the effort.

One of my dishes that I have invented is called eggs-a-ronious. It was named by my oldest son a very, very long time ago.

We haven't had eggs-a-ronious in quite some time. I was short on time and lacked motivation to cook...

Cooking this dish always takes me back to the night that I created it, and tonight I got another flash back as I was cracking one of the eggs.

I had an egg with a double yolk! I couldn't believe my eyes. It has been quite some time since I have had the pleasure of cracking a double-yolked egg.

I used to have a couple of hens that were notorious for laying eggs with two yolks. What surprised me the most was that it was a 'store bought' egg.


We live in a pasteurized and shrink-wrapped world. Oblivious to many of the oddities and realities of life.


Take for instance, Christian persecution.


Most Americans don't have a clue about Christian persecution and consequently don't think a thing about it.

There are probably a lot of people that don't believe that it even exists.

Just like some people don't believe there is such a thing as double-yolked eggs.

I know that religious persecution exists, but I have to be honest and say that I have never suffered from it.

I have never witnessed a single act of Christian persecution.

So I don't really know what it would be like.

What if we were to face the death penalty for pronouncing our Christian faith?

How strong would we be?

How strong would I be?

Could I stand firm in the face of death?

There is a Christian man who is in an Afghanistan jail. He used to be a Muslim. He has since converted to Christianity. His Muslim relatives turned him in.

Christian Convert Faces Execution in Afghanistan-

March 19, 2006

KABUL -- An Afghan man faces the death penalty for converting to Christianity, an Afghan supreme court judge said on Sunday.

...the man could face the death penalty if he refused to revert to Islam as Sharia law proposes capital punishment for any Muslim who converts to another religion. Afghanistan's constitution states: "No law can be contrary to the sacred religion of Islam."


So you think that this couldn't possibly be true. The new Afghan government isn't the Taliban.

These people are 'moderate Muslims', not extremists. Right?


Afghan Man Faces Execution After Converting to Christianity

Abdul Rahman, 40, was arrested last month, accused of converting to Christianity.

Under Afghanistan's new constitution, minority religious rights are protected but Muslims are still subject to strict Islamic laws.

And so, officially, Muslim-born Rahman is charged with rejecting Islam and not for practicing Christianity.


Ahhh... a legal loop-hole.


CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) has published some poll results.

Two New Polls Show Negative Image Of Islam In U.S.

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/9/2006) – Two polls released today indicate that almost half of Americans have a negative perception of Islam and that one in four of those surveyed have “extreme” anti-Muslim views.

...An independent survey by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) shows that some one-fourth (23 to 27 percent) of Americans consistently believe stereotypes such as: “Muslims value life less than other people,” and “The Muslim religion teaches violence and hatred.” Those with the most negative attitudes toward Islam tended to be older, less-educated and politically conservative. (The results released today confirm those of a similar CAIR poll taken in 2004.)

I can't imagine how such stereotypes could have been fostered.

Obviously CAIR is none too happy about this.

But, hey...

Surely this could all be changed by a fancy New York public relations firm. Right?


So we're back to my double-yolked egg. Eggs with two yolks are laid much more often than people think. It is a natural ocurrence.

But due to marketing, and the fact that people like to have things in neat little packages...

And folks don't like to eat/face things that aren't considered 'normal'...

These little "oddities" of nature are plucked out, screened, censored if you will and thus... over time aren't even considered as having existed.



Many generations of Christians have come and gone since the founding of this country.

Having been spoonfed homogenized and pasteurized news that is controlled by a liberal media...

We have forgotten that Christian persecution really does still exist.

As Christians, we cannot continue to be passive.

later...

Whispering Rain...

A refreshing and cleansing rain is good for the soul.

Prayers of thankfulness can be heard from everyone. Even a local radio station has been airing a spot about the rain. The spot closes with the statement...

"Praise be to God"



Joel 2:21-24 (King James Version)

21Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.

22Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.

23Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.

24And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

Rain...

It's raining.

It might rain for three days.

Everybody is happy.

I don't feel real well, so I am going to bed...

I will sleep in tomorrow... while it is raining.

It will be soooo nice.

later...

Entrance Exams and Exit Interviews

The Dutch have now developed a test, of sorts, before you can come to the Netherlands and become a citizen there.

Anti-immigration sentiment peaked with filmmaker Theo van Gogh's murder by a Dutch national of Moroccan descent in November 2004.

I'm sure that the Cartoon Wars had something to do with the recent passage of this newly required test. There has been a growing dissent among the Dutch concerning immigrants to their country which has been mostly directed at those of the Islamic faith. And probably for good reason too.

Dutch Islamists have refused to integrate into their host culture.

The test involves a film that the applicants have to watch.

The camera focuses on two gay men kissing in a park. Later, a topless woman emerges from the sea and walks onto a crowded beach. For would-be immigrants to the Netherlands, this film is a test of their readiness to participate in the liberal Dutch culture.

If they can't stomach it, no need to apply.

Despite whether they find the film offensive, applicants must buy a copy and watch it if they hope to pass the Netherlands' new entrance examination.

The test — the first of its kind in the world — became compulsory Wednesday, and was made available at 138 Dutch embassies.

I was wanting to get the address for the Human Rights Campaign who is one of the nation's largest gay and lesbian political organizations, and see if I could get a copy of the exam sent to them. They might really like living in the Netherlands since they don't like it when organizations such as Catholic Charities of Boston have to shut the doors to their adoption agency after 100 years of service.

They're closing the adoption agency because they refuse to denounce their Christian beliefs. Catholic Charities of Boston refuses to let homosexual couples adopt children through their agency.

The state of Massachusetts has forced Catholic Charities of Boston's hand... and I applaud them for sticking to their religious 'guns'.

I was hoping to get seven year old Autum Ashante's address too. She is really unhappy with her life here in the United States and really, really doesn't like white folks. She pretty much told everyone that with the public recitation of her poem.

But something tells me that she probably wouldn't even consider moving to the Netherlands...

Complaints from shocked students and parents led to a tape-recorded apology sent to all parents apologizing for the performance. Autum's father condemned white district officials as "racist crackers." Autum defended her poem by explaining to the Westchester Journal News that white people are "devils and they should be gone. We should be away from them and still be in Africa."

So I got to thinking that maybe we should start an "Autum goes to Africa Fund".

If we could get enough money together for an airplane ticket to Africa for her and her dad, maybe we could save the seven year old from her unhappy childhood here in the United States before it's too late...

Before she turns into a bitter and *hate-full* adult.

You know, the Dutch may really be on to something here.

If every country had a similar examination for their citizens, then we could require everyone in the world to take the exam for the country of their residence. If the test results didn't match up with where they were living, then a computer program would be able to select - through the results of their test - the best country for that person to live in.

Well... It's at least worth a try.

later...

My 25 Cents Worth...

Is anyone collecting the state quarters?

I wasn't aware that it was taking 10 years to complete the minting and the release of the quarters. But with 50 states in the 50 State Quarters Program, I guess that would make sense.

2008 will be the last year for minting, and Oklahoma has yet to have their official quarter minted.

Has it already almost been 10 years? This is hard for me to believe.

Here's something that I stumbled upon this evening:

The state of Oklahoma is accepting 100 word essays from those who want to submit their design ideas.

What do you think should be on the back of the Oklahoma quarter?

Write your essay, but remember, no pictures or drawings can be submitted... Just your idea.

Why haven't I heard about this on the news or something?

Or did I snooze during this newscast too?

Maybe you missed the announcement, just like I did.

I thought that there would be a lot of you who would be interested in submitting your ideas. Or maybe you probably know someone who has a great idea for the Oklahoma quarter.

By the way... you don't win a prize or anything like that.

So, in case you didn't know about it, here is the
link where you can get more information and submit your essay.

I submitted my 100 words, which I'd say was worth about...

.25 cents.

later...


History of the Quarter

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy... aka Mad Cow's Disease

The third case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) has been diagnosed in a cow in Alabama. The infected cow did not leave the farm where it was discovered and has not entered into the food supply. The cow's history and origin is currently being traced.

This is the third cow that has been tested positive in the United States since December 2003. There were approximately 95 million cattle in the United States in 2004. To put this in perspective, the cattle that have tested postive are only a fraction of one percent.

One thing to keep in mind is that cattlemen across the United States are committed to protecting the beef supply from this disease. This latest Alabama cow was discovered because the rancher had called his veterinarian.

BSE is not found in the beef or dairy products and it isn't spread from animal to animal. It is found in the tissues of the brain and spinal cord and is passed through contaminated feeds. Feed production has since been strictly regulated here in the United States and it is expected to resolve future BSE issues. Because the disease is slow to emerge, sometimes years, the cattle that have been tested positive for this disease were more than likely exposed to BSE infected feed several years ago.

I am one of those people who thinks that knowledge is power.

More specifically, knowledge is power over fear.

I have several links here for those who are interested:

Commonly Asked Questions About BSE in Products Regulated by FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

USDA Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) Page

BSE Fact Sheet







Below is the official statement from the USDA:


Statement by U.S. Department of Agriculture's Chief Veterinary Officer John Clifford (DVM)

Regarding Positive BSE Test Results
March 13, 2006

“We received a positive result on a Western blot confirmatory test conducted at the USDA laboratories in Ames, Iowa, on samples from an animal that had tested “inconclusive” on a rapid screening test performed on Friday, March 10.

“The samples were taken from a non-ambulatory animal on a farm in Alabama. A local private veterinarian euthanized and sampled the animal and sent the samples for further testing, which was conducted at one of our contract diagnostic laboratories at the University of Georgia. The animal was buried on the farm and it did not enter the animal or human food chains.

“We are now working with Alabama animal health officials to conduct an epidemiological investigation to gather any further information we can on the herd of origin of this animal. The animal had only resided on the most recent farm in Alabama for less than a year.

“We will be working to locate animals from this cow’s birth cohort (animals born in the same herd within one year of the affected animal) and any offspring. We will also work with Food and Drug Administration officials to determine any feed history that may be relevant to the investigation. Experience worldwide has shown us that it is highly unusual to find BSE in more than one animal in a herd or in an affected animal’s offspring. Nevertheless, all animals of interest will be tested for BSE.

“Under USDA testing protocols, surveillance samples are sent to contract laboratories for screening tests. If the sample is found to be inconclusive on the screening test, it is then shipped to our National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa, for an additional rapid test and two confirmatory tests: the immunohistochemistry (IHC) test, which is conducted by APHIS scientists, and the Western blot test, which is conducted by scientists with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. USDA considers an animal positive for BSE if either of the two confirmatory tests returns a positive result.

“In this instance, the inconclusive result from the contract lab in Georgia was confirmed through a second rapid test at NVSL. Now, the Western blot test has returned a positive result, and that is sufficient for us to confirm this animal to be positive for BSE, which is why we are making this announcement today. The IHC results are still pending and we will release those results as soon as they are available, which we expect to be later this week.

“I want to emphasize that human and animal health in the United States are protected by a system of interlocking safeguards, and that we remain very confident in the safety of U.S. beef. Again, this animal did not enter the human food or animal feed chains.

“While epidemiological work to determine the animal’s precise age is just getting underway and is ongoing, the attending veterinarian has indicated that, based on dentition, it was an older animal, quite possibly upwards of 10 years of age. This would indicate that this animal would have been born prior to the implementation of the Food and Drug Administration’s 1997 feed ban. Older animals are more likely to have been exposed to contaminated feed circulating before the FDA’s 1997 ban on ruminant-to-ruminant feeding practices, which scientific research has indicated is the most likely route for BSE transmission.

“By any measure, the incidence of BSE in this country is extremely low. Our enhanced surveillance program was designed as a one-time snapshot to provide information about the level of prevalence of BSE in the United States. We have conducted surveillance in the United States since 1990 and following the initial positive in December 2003, we developed an enhanced surveillance program. Since June 2004, all sectors of the cattle industry have cooperated in this program by submitting samples from more than 640,000 animals from the highest risk populations and more than 20,000 from clinically normal, older animals, as part our enhanced BSE surveillance program. To date, including the animal in today’s announcement, only two of these highest risk animals have tested positive for the disease as part of the enhanced surveillance program.

“As we approach the conclusion of our enhanced surveillance program, let me offer a few thoughts regarding surveillance going forward. I can assure you that we will continue to base our maintenance surveillance testing on international guidelines. Though the nature and extent of maintenance surveillance has not yet been finalized, the incidence of BSE in this country remains extremely low and our interlocking safeguards are working to protect both human and animal health and we remain very confident in the safety of U.S. beef.

“As we move forward with the epidemiological investigation that has been initiated today into this case of BSE, we will continue to be very transparent in sharing information with the public and with our trading partners around the world.”


later...

Don't Fence Me In...

I ran across this bit of information this evening called the
"American Community Survey".

Do any of you guys know about this? I sure didn't.

It is a program (looks more like a division to me) of the U.S. Census Bureau.

The American Community Survey is a new nationwide survey designed to provide communities a fresh look at how they are changing.

It will replace the long form in the future censuses and is a critical element in the Census Bureau's reengineered 2010 census plan.

Sounds benign enough...

I looked up Oklahoma County's stats...

Interesting, and sad at the same time.

I ran across the U.S. Census Bureau's Fact Finder.


*Note: Must remember this for research projects and papers.


But what I wasn't expecting were the questions that this rather long form is asking.


According to Phyllis Schlafly:

Person 1 must answer 25 questions about his residence and the size of the property. What kind of home, apartment or condo do you live in, when was it built, when did you move in, are you operating a business in your home, how many rooms and how many bedrooms do you have, what kind of bathroom and kitchen fixtures do you have, and what is the market price of your residence?

The survey asks how much you pay each month for electricity, gas, water, rent, real estate taxes, fire or flood insurance, plus six very specific questions about your first and second monthly mortgage payments. There are questions about your telephone and automobile, and about how many months of the year you and others occupy the residence.

The survey then gets really personal, seeking the answers to 42 questions about you and about every other person who resides in your household. Person 1 is used like a private investigator to extract the information from everybody else, and warned that if anyone doesn't want to answer your nosy questions, you must provide the name and telephone number of such person so Big Brother can follow up.

She is none too happy about this new census to say the least.


Where have I been? I didn't know anything about this.


John W. Whitehead wrote about it in his article,
The Thought Police and the American Community Survey on September 13, 2004.

But there are supporters of this census stating that it will be key to local and state economic development.

The Brookings Institution's
Pari Sabety thinks it's a good thing:

And high quality, up-to-date information is key to improving market efficiency, identifying potential investment opportunities, developing effective public policies, and efficiently allocating scarce public resources.


I'm still mulling this thing over in my head. While I haven't seen the "actual questions" on this survey, it really makes me wonder...



Isn't the IRS good enough to provide income info?

Isn't the County Tax Assessor's office good enough for property values?

Can't the insurance companies show the government some of their datamined reports?

Can't the mortgage companies share a bit of info too?



Does someone really need to know if I use Charmin or Northern to wipe my...


Okay... That's enough.


later...

Glad to see you!
It's me, T.J.

Nice Week-End... But the Neighbors are Weird.

I wore shorts and a t-shirt this entire week-end.

Nice...

Weather was very warm, 80's, but no rain.

Sad...

A cold front is expected tonight, so back to long sleeves and a jacket for tomorrow.

Ran the water sprinkler both days. (I have a big yard.)

What is it about water sprinklers that makes you want to sit and watch them?

They're quite soothing to me.

I was able to get some schoolwork completed and work in my flower beds a bit.

Some of my hostas are beginning to peek through!

*Proud*

My bulbs have survived the drought for the most part (I am missing a tulip) but my grass...

*So Sad*

It has been raining in the eastern part of the state but not here. A tornado watch that was issued for here has been cancelled. I am so sorry for the people who were killed in the tornadoes over the week-end.

The evils of spring in the heartland...

With the cancelling of the tornado watches here where I live, does this now mean no chance of rain?

*sigh*

Oklahoma is wanting rain so badly that even the businesses are posting statements on their billboards saying things like, "Pray for Rain". There are even local businesses that have it on their banners on the internet.

I only went in to work one time this week-end. I went in this afternoon for an echo, so that was good.

The people who own the house next door had built themselves a new house out in the country and moved out. They have been renting out their house that is next door to me.

This is the second group of renters in there now, and they are a group of young adults. College age kids. I dont' have it quite figured out yet, there seems to be like... more than one group of people living there?

Anyway, shortly after they had moved in they brought in a trampoline and were jumping off the roof onto the trampoline. Yep, they had put a ladder against the house and were climbing up it taking turns jumping off the roof. There was a young child doing it too. I think she was around 8 years old or so?

I was sitting in my breezeway early this evening, before dark, just relaxing and watching my sprinkler. A couple of the neighbor "kids" came out and started shooting some hoops.

Then suddenly, one of the guys got on the roof of the garage. Why? I don't know. The other "kid" was getting the ball to him and he was shooting hoops from the roof for a little while.

Then he saw me. A couple of more hoops and then he jumped down.

What is it with them and the roof of the house and the garage? There's plenty of trees around here for them to climb if they are so inclined.

I was upset about the little kid jumping off the roof onto the trampoline. Everyone else was certainly of legal age, but she wasn't. As far as I know, they haven't done that again, but...

I don't know if I will be able to tolerate another expose` with a little kid on the roof jumping onto a trampoline again.

My early spring flowering bulbs are so pretty. Some of the hyacinths aren't so full, but I am sure that it is due to the lack of rain. I just can't wait for things to really green up around here. Even if I have to water it.

All in all, I have had a nice week-end. Very enjoyable...

And entertaining.

I hope that you have had a nice week-end too.

later...



**The picture is from last year.

Various Thoughts...

Linda in Norman has picked up a new hobby.

She has started beading.

Linda sent me some pictures of her work and I am impressed.

Very, very pretty.




Moof added that page she was talking about. She now has a Blogtionary.



I have reading assignments to complete.

But I didn't get them done today.


I fell asleep in my chair.



Kitchen Tip:

I was putting some groceries into the refridgerator and got a little off-balance. I stepped back to regain my balance and felt my heel sink into something soft. I looked down and saw the bright green insides of my carefully selected avocado that I had just bought.

I opened the produce bag and inspected the contents...

Stepping on avocados actually saves you a lot of preparation time. You don't have to peel or mash them...

They're virtually ready to eat.

later...

Don't (over) Feed the Animals...

Millions of Americans love their dogs and cats…

to death.

Obesity in American pets is a significant problem and poses major health risks for our little friends. There are approximately 65 million owned dogs in the United States and approximately 40% of them are overweight.

Most obesity in pets is caused by overfeeding, but there are other factors which can make your pet at risk. Breed type, age, sex, spay/neuter status, and activity level are just a few factors that may predispose your pet to obesity. Physiological factors such as hyperadrenocorticism and hypothyroidism can also play a role in obesity. But let’s look at the reason why most pets are overweight which is overfeeding.

Pet owners like to share their lives with their pets. In doing so they also have a tendency to share their food, which is a major component of why our pets are overweight. Feeding our pets out of the refrigerator, off our dinner plates, or even from the drive-in windows at fast food restaurants is bad for their health. High fat diets are particularly dangerous for dogs and can cause life threatening conditions such as pancreatitis and hemorrhagic gastroenteritis. At the very least, both of these conditions could mean a lengthy stay at the veterinary hospital with intravenous lines and IV medications. Overweight pets are also at greater risk for developing diabetes. If you don’t feed your pet “people food”, then I applaud you.

There are some common mistakes people make when feeding their dog or cat.

Here are a few that I frequently run across:

1.) Owners estimate how much a “cup” is. You should always use a measuring cup and measure out your pet’s food.

2.) Pet owners don’t take into consideration how many treats or biscuits that they give their pets. If you give your pet additional treats you have to remember that these calories are in addition to what you are measuring out for your pet’s meals. If you are giving a lot of treats, then you must subtract this volume of food from your pet’s daily rations.

3.) Owners don’t know how much their pet should weigh. If you have a chubby pet you must feed it according to how much your pet should weigh. In other words, if you are following the directions on your label for a 30 pound dog, but your pet should weigh 25 pounds, then you are feeding your pet too much food.

4.) Pet owners don’t understand their pet’s life cycle. When your pet becomes mature their caloric needs decline. As pets become older, many are also less active. We are all familiar with the term “middle-aged spread”. Pets reach middle-age much more quickly than we do. Humans tend to forget that many pets are considered geriatric by the time they reach seven years of age. You need to feed your pet the appropriate food for its age.

4.) Pet owners aren’t aware that their breed has a tendency to become obese. Certain breeds of dogs and cats do not match up with the feeding guidelines on the suggested feeding schedules. If you have a breed that has a tendency to be overweight then you will more than likely have to feed less than what is recommended on the label. Remember: Feeding guidelines provided by food manufacturers are just that, they are guidelines. Each pet must be assessed as an individual, and this may take a little time and a little trial and error.

5.) Some pet owners don’t realize that their pet is overweight. Assessing your pet’s body condition isn’t something that everyone really thinks about. A body condition score (BCS) will tell you if your pet is overweight or not. Your veterinarian will be able to tell you what your pet’s BCS is if you have difficulty in this area.

If you don’t fit in any of these categories and your pet is still overweight, then you should consider taking your pet to a veterinarian. There could be serious reasons why your pet is overweight and some diagnostic testing would be recommended.

We all enjoy our pets, and we want our pets to live a healthy and long life. What and how you feed your pet is a key component in your pet’s life. An improper diet and obesity increases the risk for disease. Pets experience many of the same diseases that humans do such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. Obesity causes many problems and creates unnecessary health risks, many of which could be avoided.

We show our love to our pets by feeding them tasty and yummy morsels. Our dogs and cats show such great excitement and joy over these treats, and it gives us pleasure to make them happy. We need to find different and healthier ways to give them joy. Instead of a treat why not play ball with them or go for a walk. Many of our cats enjoy a new toy, while some love catnip. Either way, we must learn other ways to show our pets that we enjoy and love them… without killing them.


The "End"...

Sexual Predator Update...

Oklahoma Senate Bill 1747 could become law very soon. If it does it will be effective July 1st of this year.

Under this law, juries would have the option of sentencing repeat child molesters to life without parole or the death penalty.

The author of the bill, Senator Jay Paul Gumm states, “We allow the death penalty for those who kill the body,” he said. “Why wouldn’t we have the same penalty for someone who kills a soul?”

I have another list of sexual predators tonight with links to their record that’s posted at the Oklahoma Department of Corrections website.

I had a visitor stop by who had googled an offender’s name. I don’t know if they were surprised or not at their findings, I only hope that they were duly warned and are now aware.

If it was the offender who had googled his own name, well…

Now he knows that everyone else can do the same.

Amanda Rae Howard Alias: Amanda Rae Williams

Robbie Eugene Cribb

Bill Scott Cutter

Forrest Allen Draper Alias: Trees

Curtis Brian Gregory


Attention “Politic Bots”:

I support this bill.

later…

dogscatskidslife: Close to Home...


dogscatskidslife: Watch Your Neighborhoods...


dogscatskidslife: Head's Up... It's a Free Service!

It's a Scam...

I received a phishing e-mail today. Mom didn’t know what a phishing e-mail was and she does a little bit of internet surfing… mostly shopping. So I feel obligated to shed a little light on the subject.

Take into consideration, I am not an expert on this subject and my sole purpose here is to warn the unsuspecting of real and true dangers that lurk on the internet.

A phishing e-mail can take various forms. It will usually appear to come from a sender that will be familiar to you. The names of the senders can be the same as your bank, your credit card, or an online store. The name of the sender is to establish trust on your part.

The true e-mail address will be hidden behind a false one and appears to really come from the proclaimed source. The subject line and body of the text will also have a ring of truth to it. Within the body of the text will be information that will compel you to take action.

The action will usually require you to go to a website. A link will be provided within the e-mail. Once you get to the website several things could happen while you are there.

Your computer could be scanned for information that is saved on its hard drive, hidden programs could download onto your computer and send information back to another computer without your knowledge, or you could actually be required to enter personal and critical information, such as credit card and account numbers, as well as passwords, on the website itself. And these are just a few examples.

Most of these websites will look authentic and be finished out with the appropriate logos and language, but the phishing web page is just a cover page hiding its true purpose. A phishing e-mail’s purpose is to rob you, whether it is your money or your identity.

So how did I get this phishing e-mail? More than likely someone who has my e-mail address picked up a virus that sends an e-mail to everyone in their address book. It is also possible that my IP address (my computer’s internet address) was picked up by a pop-ad, or maybe it was scanned while I was on a website. I really despise pop-up ads because they seem to always download spyware (small information collecting programs) onto your computer, most are benign, but not all of them. Mind you, I always take note of who is “supportive” of pop-up advertising. The chances that they will sell me anything are slim because of these underhanded practices.

Since a lot of people have my e-mail address, and because I do all of my research on the internet, it is hard to tell where I could have been compromised. Even though I have a firewall and a program to prevent pop-up ads, it seems that I am not 100% ‘clear’ of this pestilence.

The e-mail that I received today was supposedly from:
"Visa Security Department"

With the e-mail address of:

noreply@visa.com

The body of the text said:

Visa Security Program
Dear client,

The VISA company informs you that in result of a failure in the Verified by Visa system, the sum of 414.95$ was taken from your card.

If you haven't made any purchases during the week, then please register in the Verified by Visa system so that the money can be recovered.

This system fully protects you from unauthorized use of your card.

If you are already registered in the Verified by Visa system, then you have to register one more time to activate your account.

Follow the link to continue the registration process.


Please note that there is a familiar name, a compelling reason for action, and a piece of truth. In this instance, there really is such a thing as a “Verified by Visa” program.

Here are a few legitimate links for you to go to in case you would like more information:

Visa Security Program, “Verified by Visa”

Visa’s Common Frauds Web Page

Contact Visa:

If you have received an email that appears to be from Visa requesting financial information or other personal data, please email phishing@visa.com to notify Visa of the specifics of the fraudulent email.

Here’s Visa’s information concerning identity theft.


I have called Visa and also sent them the offending e-mail.

Here’s the e-mail response that I have received:

Thank you for contacting Visa and questioning the email you received.
It is likely that you received what is known as a "phish", which is a
fraudulent email that attempts to collect your personal information.
Please do not reply to the suspicious email or attempt to contact the
web site mentioned within the email.

Visa has many safeguards and detection systems in place, but prompt
action by alert cardholders remains a very important method of stopping
deceitful activities. Should you receive further communication that you
deem questionable, please feel free to contact us immediately. For more
information, you may also visit our web site by entering the following
address into your browser: visa.com/security.

If you provided information to a fraudulent web site, please contact
your Visa card Issuer at the number listed on the back of your Visa
card or on your bank statement.

We appreciate your bringing this matter to our attention.

Visa Security

I had asked some specific questions in my e-mail because the person I had talked to on the phone didn’t have any answers for me. I was hoping to get more information about this problem, but all I received was this “canned” response.

Oh well… they probably thought that I was ‘phishing’ for information.

later…

I'm Still Working On It...

I'm still working on that *enormous* paper.

OMG!!

Betty from Tulsa, Oklahoma, is on David Letterman right now with her "stupid human trick" of whistling the Andy Griffith Show's song with her toes...

Yes... it looks as gross as it *sounds*.

ahem...


I really need to get to bed. This late night entertainment stuff is too much for me.


Just a note here...

Okiedoke posted a link to a news article that is about a Cushing, Oklahoma, woman who has been notified that a cadaver bone put into her neck during surgery appears to have been an illegally harvested body part.

I'm telling you guys...

This story is a lot deeper than the "6 feet" that it appears to be.

later...


dogscatskidslife: It's Not Beyond the Realm of Possibilities...

dogscatskidslife: Dr. Frankenstein is... ALIVE!

It's Not Beyond the Realm of Possibilities...

I'm still working feverishly on my paper. It seems to be sooo involved.

*sigh*

I'm tired and need to get to bed but as chance would have it, during my research, I came across this op-ed (opinion-editorial).

I hung onto the link so that I could share it with you guys.

Do you remember my post about the multi-million dollar underground ring that had been busted for chopping up dead bodies and selling body parts?

Well, some of the 'stolen parts' came from the body of the late PBS host Alistair Cooke.

His daughter, Susan Cooke Kittredge, has been dealing with the emotions that she has experienced since she was told that her father's body had been sold in bits and pieces.

Her article, "Black Shrouds and Black Markets", is very good.

Thanks to advances in technology, the tissue-processing industry has expanded to make use not only of donated organs but also of muscle, bone, tendons and skin for research and transplant. But now prosecutors say that some people who desperately needed help were given diseased tissue and body parts. Already there are patients who say they have contracted syphilis and hepatitis from these transplants. Imagine for just a second, if you can bear it, being told by your doctor — as thousands of patients have been — that in retrospect they aren't exactly sure where the tissue they put in you came from. How could you run away from yourself fast enough?



Her father died of cancer which had progressed into the bone. His leg bones had been taken and sold.



Maybe that's why the tissue transplant industry is so poorly regulated. The criminals in my father's case were apparently able to pull off multiple frauds. They forged his death certificate, medical history and family consent forms. A simple phone call to his next of kin would have revealed that these documents were false, but at no point in the chain did anyone audit them. Although it is illegal to buy and sell tissue, those involved may have managed this by exploiting a loophole that allows harvesters to charge an unspecified processing fee. And although the Food and Drug Administration forbids the transplant of tissue contaminated with malignant cancer, the tissue bank in question may not have run the mandatory tests.


It would be very naive of us to believe that this isn't happening elsewhere.

Could body-snatching and the selling of body parts be going on here in Oklahoma?

People have stooped to doing a lot "lower things" for a lot less money.

I would be surprised if we have escaped just such corruption within the biological industry as well.

How could we figure out if something like this was going on here in our state?

later...


dogscatskidslife: Dr. Frankenstein is... ALIVE!

Working on My Paper...

I am behind schedule and have been furiously working on a rather large paper for my government class.

Needless to say, it is time to save my word document and call it an evening...

But I couldn't shut everything down without saying something other than just g'night to you guys.

I just want everyone in Oklahoma to take into consideration the feelings that all of those people and families in Stillwater have been experiencing since the OSU Board of Regents vote, on March 3rd, to go ahead with their expansion plans.

The Oklahoma State University athletic village, and other improvements, will take a very large number of homes and property from their current owners. If the property owners refuse to sell, OSU will resort to eminant domain and 'take' the properties away.

According to an AP story, out of 279 parcels only 61 have been purchased by OSU or are under contract.

I would say that this is a significant holdout.

You don't hear much about any of this on the news, and I don't live in Stillwater; so I don't know how much coverage and support these citizens have received. All I can say is that it appears to me that they are silently suffering.

It is from reading their personal letters, their pleas to the OSU President, Dr. Schmidly, and the letters to the local newspaper editor where one can see, hear, and feel the heart rendering pain that the long-time residents are going through.

It is from their viewpoint that you can witness the helplessness that they are experiencing while a very large and wealthy entity consumes comparatively small and minute lives.

I know, the numbers are huge when it comes to what the expansion will bring economically, and all the trappings that come with it...

But who is going to benefit the most? The people who have had to give up their modest homes, or the people who already have big bank accounts.

All I can say is, if they cannot stop this expansion, and all of these people have to give up their homes because of progress... I just hope that they are duly compensated for it.

And by the way... it's people like these, the people who 'are the community', that really get noticed and are important to us, not the big bankers, lawyers, or school presidents.

later...

dogscatskidslife: Should You Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth...

dogscatskidslife: Update on the Oklahoma State University Expansion...

dogscatskidslife: Eminent Domain...

The Mysterious Ways That God Works…

This morning I woke up to the telephone ringing. I lay in bed trying to come back to a ‘conscious state’.

Being partially deaf, I could only hear the muffled sounds of a message being left on my answering machine along with the coinciding sound of my cell phone ringing.

“It must be work”, I thought, since that happens often, both phones ringing in near unison, when they are trying to contact me.

I got up, started my coffee, and let the dogs out.



Time for prayer…



As I watched the birds at my feeders, and listened to their songs, one of my former foster children came to my mind.

God wanted me to pray for her.

Dang.

“I still haven’t written her a letter back. How much time has past?”

I determined that I would write her a letter today.

Time to get busy and take care of business; I booted my computer.

Check my e-mail. Respond to work e-mails. Pay my bills. I’ll take a moment to check on my ‘blogger friends’.



Emotion.



As I read Moof’s entry I was struck by a wave of emotion. Memories of a time past flooded my mind and the vision of that same foster child from this morning came to the forefront… along with another emotional upheaval.

The memory of a beautiful stillborn baby girl…

A beautiful 14 year old child, giving birth to a child…

The hurt and the anger that I had felt…

And my conversation with God on that tragic day…



Another phone call.



My friend who had called to thank me for saving children who lived next door (and within the neighborhood) to a sex offender, wanted to give me an update on the situation. She continued to thank me again for the alert.

She reports that the police have subsequently gone to the public school where the children attend and have interviewed them all. From the findings of that investigation, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services was notified, and the sex offender’s five children have been removed from his home.



Relief.



Now the children will be safe.


Encouragement.



God still works through us…

Through our hands… ‘extended’.

Thank you for continuing to use me Lord…

And thanks, God, for understanding me and loving me…

Even when I don’t understand Your Ways; or when I get mad and argue with You.


The picture is one of my first daffodils of this year.

Spring is almost here; bringing with it a renewed ‘hope’.


He has planned my day for me.

I had better get busy.

later…


dogscatskidslife: Close to Home...


dogscatskidslife: Watch Your Neighborhoods...


dogscatskidslife: Head's Up... It's a Free Service!

Formosan Termite in Louisiana Mulch – An Urban Legend?

I received an e-mail today entitled Mulch Alert.

Here’s what the e-mail said:

If you use mulch around your house be very careful about buying mulch this year. After the Hurricane in New Orleans many trees were blown over. These trees were then turned into mulch and the state is trying to get rid of tons and tons of this mulch to any state or company who will come and haul it away. So it will be showing up in Home Depot and Lowes at dirt cheap prices with one huge problem; Formosan Termites will be the bonus in many of those bags. New Orleans is one of the few areas in the country were the Formosan Termites has gotten a strong hold and most of the trees blown down were already badly infested with those termites. Now we may have the worst case of transporting a problem to all parts of the country that we have ever had. These termites can eat a house in no time at all and we have no good control against them, so tell your friends that own homes to avoid cheap mulch and know were it came from.
Hopefully this info will help avoid you avoid expensive termite repairs.

The e-mail made sense to me, but so have a lot of other forwarded e-mails. I decided to check it out so that I wouldn’t be a participant in the propagation of any urban legends.

What I have found out is that there is a really big problem with this ‘always hungry’ termite which was introduced into the United States after World War II, and that it is found mostly in the southern states.

Louisiana in particular has a significant termite problem with damage costs in the millions of dollars annually. The state of Louisiana subsequently recognized the potential spread of this pest due to the damage caused by hurricanes Rita and Katrina. Consequently, a quarantine was put into effect in October of 2005.

To try to prevent moving termites to other areas, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry on Oct. 3 imposed a quarantine for the Formosan subterranean termite in Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington parishes.

… the quarantine has three objectives – to prevent spreading the Formosan subterranean termite to locations not currently infested, to prevent infesting existing structures that are not currently infested and to prevent infesting new and reconstructed structures.

There are several bulletins and information sheets that have been published on the Louisiana State University Ag Center’s web pages. The quarantine is still in effect.

Yes, Formosan subterranean termites are found in the parishes affected by the hurricanes and will get in mulch. However, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) in Louisiana imposed a quarantine for the Formosan subterranean termite on October 3, 2005, in Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington parishes (the parishes affected by the hurricanes).

The provisions of the quarantine are here.

They also have a fact sheet entitled, “Do not spread Formosan subterranean termites!”

This link is kind of like LSU’s Formosan subterranean termites home page.


If you want to find out whether something is an urban legend or not, Snopes.com is usually a good place to go.

The body of the e-mail that I had received was virtually duplicated on their page, and Snopes.com states that this e-mail’s status is false. The article also gives pertinent information as to how they have come to their conclusion.

However, although particular scenario described in the message quoted at the head of this page might be possible, it isn't likely because the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry imposed a quarantine on several parishes back in October 2005 specifically to prevent the accidental movement of Formosan subterranean termite to other areas.

…Entomologists we've contacted also generally have said they doubt that termites could survive the mulch shredding, packaging, and transportation (in shrink-wrapped bags that expose them to high temperatures with a limited air supply and limited moisture) process in the first place (and in any case, there are a number of mitigating factors that could halt the spread of Formosan subterranean termites transported to other areas, such as the fact that they are rarely found above 35° N latitude because the colder temperatures typical of higher latitudes prevent their eggs from hatching).


I’m thinking, “Okay, I read the stuff that they read and it all reads the same.”

So instead of leaving it at that, what did I have to go and do?

I had to do one more search on this thing and I came up with an article from Texas A&M’s Ag News dated March 3, 2006, that was entitled…

Take ‘Mulch’ Care When Spring Gardening

And what did this article have to say?

COLLEGE STATION – If wood mulch is being shipped into Texas from hurricane-ravaged areas of Louisiana – as a recent flurry of e-mails alleges – it is being done so illegally, said a spokeswoman for the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry.

…"TDA [Texas Department of Agriculture] inspectors in our road stations along the Texas border are keeping their eyes out for any quarantined articles and will turn back any shipments that do not meet our rigorous entry requirements,"

…[Dr. Roger] Gold recommended that consumers be wary of generic or unlabeled wood products – including railroad crossties – even though they appear to be a good deal. Care needs to be taken through inspections or treatment of these materials before they are placed around structures in Texas, he said.

"This may be a situation where it is better to look a gift horse in the mouth because of the cost of a poor decision for the average homeowner if these materials were infested with these wood-destroying insects," he said.

…any material moving illegally out of Louisiana needs to be reported to the pesticide division of that state's department of agriculture at (225) 925-3763.


Do you get this feeling that there is some sort of trust issue here?

Can you imagine why?


So is the e-mail entitled, “Mulch Alert”, an urban legend or is it a valid warning?


(Insert Jeopardy music ... *here*.)


I guess that I will have to disagree with Snopes.com on this one. Their assumption that the e-mail is false is wholly based upon moral ethics.

hmmm…

From what I have seen, concerning Louisiana’s political and local ethics…

as well as the ethical actions of their elected and appointed officials…


I think I’ll just forward that e-mail on.

later…