October -- month for celebrations.....

October is a full month... breast cancer awareness month.... so get them checked, save the girls.

This past week was National Coming Out Day, when all come out and not be afraid to be themselves.

Easy if you fall within society's definition of "normal"

But seriously, it's not easy being yourself when you may lose some of the friends you have if they knew who "yourself" really was. Although if that's true, then maybe the ones you lose maybe aren't really your friends anyway.

And then there is PA Week...

And don't forget Christopher Columbus...after all, he sailed the ocean blue back in 1492, right?

Fire Prevention Week is from 7th -13th...so check those fire detectors and furnaces, get your chimneys cleaned all ready for the cool weather.

Also that same week (7th-13th) is "National Carry A Tune Week". I didn't make that up. (I think I could more creative than that!)








And then there's Oktoberfest (I think that's the correct incorrect spelling) Depending on where you are, that can go from mid-September through mid-October, although most places in the US only celebrate for a few days at best (darn).

There are plenty of other days and weeks in October for celebrating this or remembering that (such as Reptile Awareness Day, National Mole Day [is that the animal or the growth you have removed at the clinic?], Internet Day, National Newspaper Week, No Salt Week, and of course the all important Getting The World To Beat A Path To Your Door Week ... next month must have Stay The Hell Away Week. But seriously...how many pay attention to even the government recognized holidays?

Halloween finishes out October, and starts the fall madness of holiday shopping and before you know it, 2012 will be just a memory. So lets celebrate October!!!

If you're having a tough time ... keep your chin up!

These two songs by Rascal Flatts have helped me at a very tough time in my life. The first was sent to me annonymously after I had left all that I knew and was starting a new life 1200 miles from family and friends. And the second really helped me climb out the very low place I was in instead of sinking even deeper. Listen with your heart and hope they help as much as they did for me.

Focus on the future ...

Sometimes we wish we could change the past ... and we all have done

 the shoulda woulda coulda once or twice   

Our past is what brings us to the present and makes us who we are.

So it is our future we should focus on ... not our past to regret.

I just wish life was as easy as cute sayings friends post on Facebook, although my brain

does appreciate the occasional snack (food for thought)  

Don't waste time when there is a sunset to be sitting under ...

Definition of a boy ...

Home Remedies

AMAZING, SIMPLE HOME REMEDIES:

1. Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold the vegetables while you chop.

2. Avoid arguments with females about lifting the toilet seat by using the sink.

3. For high blood pressure sufferers - simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure on your veins. Remember to use a timer.

4. A mouse trap placed on top of your alarm clock will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button. 

5. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives. Then you'll be afraid to cough.

6. You need only two tools in life: WD-40 & duct tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

7. If you can't fix it with a  hammer, you've got an electrical problem.


THOUGHT for the day:
Some people are like SLINKIES - not really good for anything... But they bring a smile to your face when they're pushed down the stairs.  
     

Thanks to Mark Parisi/offthemark.com and Thanks for the email, Hema :-)

Let's get ready for stick folks!!!

Got this in an email ... it's cute, and will give you something to do if you're bored.
So, check this website out and have fun ....

http://www.drawastickman.com/

Two cheers for moms out there!!!

In the light of kids being taken away from parents and being put in foster care, which isn't much better in some instances ... There are times when moms feel kids try to take advantage of magnifying glass being put on parents these days. A good swat to the behind never harmed me. But I like this mom's solution even better .... (Moms, have your grins ready)

 

 

Don't Mess with Mom
====================

My son came home from school one day,
with a smirk upon his face.
He'd decided he was smart enough,
to put me in my place.

"Guess what I learned in Civics Two,
that's taught by Mr. Wright?
It's all about the laws today,
The "Children's Bill of Rights."

It says I need not clean my room,
don't have to cut my hair.
No one can tell me what to think,
or speak, or what to wear.

I have freedom from religion,
and regardless what you say,
I don't have to bow my head,
and I sure don't have to pray.

I can wear earrings if I want,
and pierce my tongue & nose.
I can read & watch just what I like,
and get tattoos from head to toes.

And if you ever spank me,
I'll charge you with the crime.
I'll back up all my charges,
with the marks on my behind.

Don't you ever touch me,
my body's only for my use,
not for your hugs and kisses,
that's just more child abuse.

Don't preach about your morals,
like your mama did to you.
That's nothing more than mind control,
And it's illegal too!

Mom, I have these children's rights,
so you can't influence me,
or I'll call Children's Services Division,
better known as C.S.D. "

Of course my first instinct was
To toss him out the door
But the chance to teach a lesson
made me think a little more.

I mulled it over carefully,
I couldn't let this go.
A smile crept upon my face,
he's messing with a pro.

The next day I took him shopping
at the local Goodwill Store
I told him, "Pick out all you want,
there's shirts & pants galore.

I've called and checked with C.S.D.,
who said they didn't care
if I bought you K-Mart shoes
instead of those Nike Airs.

And I've canceled that appointment
to take your driver's test.
The C.S.D. is unconcerned
so I'll decide what's best."

I said "No time to stop and eat,
or pick up stuff to munch.
And tomorrow you can start to learn
to make your own sack lunch.

Just save that raging appetite,
and wait 'til dinner time.
We're having liver and onions,
a favorite dish of mine."

He asked "Can I please rent a movie,
To watch on my VCR?"
"Sorry, but I sold your TV,
for new tires on my car.

I also rented out your room,
you'll take the couch instead.
The C.S.D. requires
just a roof above your head.

Your clothing won't be trendy now,
and I'll choose what we eat.
That allowance that you used to get,
will buy me something neat.

I'm selling off your jet ski,
dirt-bike & roller blades.
Check out the "Parent's Bill of Rights,"
It's in effect today!

Hey hot shot, are you crying,
and why are you on your knees?
Are you asking God to help you out,
instead of C.S.D.?"


~Author Unknown~

KNOCK KNOCK ...

KNOCK KNOCK

Who's there?

HIPAA

Hipaa who?

I CAN'T TELL YOU!

OK, that was meant for those in tune with medical terms -- either medical professionals, or those somehow involved (perhaps a recent patient)

The world says good-bye to Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

Memorable Quotes from Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.

Innovation comes from people meeting up in the hallways or calling each other at 10:30 at night with a new idea, or because they realized something that shoots holes in how we've been thinking about a problem.

The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it.

You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "no" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

Death is the destination we all share, no one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be because death is very likely the single best invention of life.

The ULTIMATE motivational speech ...

Love all the inspirational and motivational posters ... here's a few:

Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become.

Inspiration - It doesn't pay the electric bill.

As far as motivational speeches go -- this is the world's greatest.


And, then there's the posters like this one ...

Thank you to JR and to those that didn't make it home ...

JR Martinez taking part in Dancing With The Stars ... dancing his tribute to others that didn't make it back. He has endured so much defending our nation and our freedom...
A beautiful performance done with honor --

Taylor Swift ... yeah, and Ellen :-)

What more can you say except here's Ellen with Taylor Swift ... hilarious!

How 'bout those Dawgs, saving the world again. Go Dawgs!!!

The sky's the limit - University of Washington at it again!

Online gamers crack AIDS enzyme puzzle

Online gamers have achieved a feat beyond the realm of Second Life or Dungeons and Dragons: they have deciphered the structure of an enzyme of an AIDS-like virus that had thwarted scientists for a decade.

Photo by AFP

The exploit is published on Sunday in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, where -- exceptionally in scientific publishing -- both gamers and researchers are honoured as co-authors.
Their target was a monomeric protease enzyme, a cutting agent in the complex molecular tailoring of retroviruses, a family that includes HIV.
Figuring out the structure of proteins is vital for understanding the causes of many diseases and developing drugs to block them.
But a microscope gives only a flat image of what to the outsider looks like a plate of one-dimensional scrunched-up spaghetti. Pharmacologists, though, need a 3-D picture that "unfolds" the molecule and rotates it in order to reveal potential targets for drugs.
This is where Foldit comes in.
Developed in 2008 by the University of Washington, it is a fun-for-purpose video game in which gamers, divided into competing groups, compete to unfold chains of amino acids -- the building blocks of proteins -- using a set of online tools.
To the astonishment of the scientists, the gamers produced an accurate model of the enzyme in just three weeks.
Cracking the enzyme "provides new insights for the design of antiretroviral drugs," says the study, referring to the lifeline medication against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
It is believed to be the first time that gamers have resolved a long-standing scientific problem.
"We wanted to see if human intuition could succeed where automated methods had failed," Firas Khatib of the university's biochemistry lab said in a press release. "The ingenuity of game players is a formidable force that, if properly directed, can be used to solve a wide range of scientific problems."
One of Foldit's creators, Seth Cooper, explained why gamers had succeeded where computers had failed.
"People have spatial reasoning skills, something computers are not yet good at," he said.
"Games provide a framework for bringing together the strengths of computers and humans. The results in this week's paper show that gaming, science and computation can be combined to make advances that were not possible before."

America's got talent ... these dummies prove it!

The world is full of dummies... To some of them - that's not an insult. This one loves to sing as well as some of Terry's other buddies. Terry Fator, one of the finest to ever emerge from "America's Got Talent" -- Here he is guest-starring last night...


Here he is from his own winning season of AGT...






And he is one of the reasons I could be convinced to go to Las Vegas ...


Terry Fator with Shawn from the audience performing Sonny & Cher's "I've Got You Babe"


And performing for MDA Telethon ...


Yes, America ... ventriloquism is alive and well.

God bless our troops and those that are taking care of them ...

The story is about Spc. Channing Moss, who was impaled by a live RPG during an ambush while on patrol. It gives meaning and substance to the term "Band of Brothers". Army protocol says that medivac choppers are never to carry anyone with a live round in him. Even knowing the risks, the flight crew flew him to the nearest aid station. There at the aid station protocol said that in such a case the patient is to be put in a sandbagged area, away from the surgical unit, given a shot of morphine and left to wait until others are treated or until the live round exploded -- whichever came first. Again, the medical team ignored the protocol.
For them, there was only one choice.

Here's a short video put together by the Military Times, which includes actual footage of the surgery where Dr. John Oh removed the live round with the help of volunteers and a member of the EOD (explosive ordinance disposal) team. Thanks to the brave men around him, Spc. Moss did survive that day and has since undergone six operations and is doing well at home in Gainesville, GA.

I think you'll find the video absolutely remarkable. (Warning ... some of the following footage is graphic)

                                                                                  Thanks to Military Times & to Suz

Dude, did you see that?

 

I can imagine the story this guy comes home with... really dude! This gnarly shark jumped right over me and my board when I was out there. He was trying for my head, dude, but I ducked down just in time. He was a man-eater! He was as long as my board. Really, you must have seen him, you were right next to me! How could you NOT have seen him ... Duuude!!!

Hopefully he saw the video on the net or TV .... See dude, yeah ... told you!!! Right over me!!! Well, they couldn't see what kind of shark he was from the shore, but they did see him jump me, dude!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

Thanks to Moms everywhere for their undying patience. Moms and kids alike should recognize at least parts of this video.



So get some rest ... tomorrow will be here before you know it!!!

PERFECT ....

Along the same theme as last post, and per a request from one of my readers, I am adding another song that has the same message ... YOU ARE PERFECT JUST THE WAY YOU ARE!
Remember, God makes no mistakes, and that includes you. Don't put yourself down, because you're putting down His perfect creation!

BORN THIS WAY .....

I've had teens come into my office near suicide-- unhappy with the way God made them. Bullies at school can be so detrimental to the way kids see themselves. I wish there was a way to stop all the bullying that goes on in schools. Many schools have taken steps to put a stop to it, by educating students and parents alike.
What I wish I could get across to teens everywhere is that God makes no mistakes ... He made you perfectly. Saw this on a recent episode of Glee. Hope this song gets that same message to kids and adults alike.