Talk, Talk, Talk

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Yada, Yada, Yada. That is what you do on forum boards. I have recently taken a stab at PPP and have yet to check out the PayPerPost boards. I plan to register soon and check in. I have scanned them and there is some really good information there. A lot of frequently asked questions are there so many questions we newbies have can be answered. The fog swimming around our heads will thin and clear to sunshine.

Another good thing about the boards is that it is a place to network and come together in a friendly, community atmosphere. New friends and aquaintances can be met there. If we are really lucky maybe a little romance. Not on the boards, of course, but being exposed to new people, some can be come true friends or soulmates. If you are totally lost there are people there to help your touble shoot your problem. After reading quite a few things in the forum, there are some very lively discussions going on there. Thinking about joining? Jump right in...the water is fine at the boards!

There was even a post where some had spent over $3000.00 in a very short time. I went back to try to find it and I must have missed it. I did not see it. I wonder if that was all PayPerPost money?

No Longer Borderline Trailer Trash

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Britanny is no longer borderline trailer trash. She is...full fledged with no way back. Now I thought she was out of control when she began to party with Paris. Now I have seen those pictures of Britanny showing everything with her legs open. Disgraceful and skanky! What are those kids going to think when they get old enough to attend school. What will those other kids say? "I saw your mommies coochi in a picture!" How do you explaine that to a small child? What is this world coming too. What happened to the days when stars were elegant and graceful and carried themselves with dignity? Where is her mother!

Jello Christmas Cake

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

This cake is quick and easy and makes a wonderful presentation. I have been making this recipe for many years and I never get tired of it at the holidays! It looks very festive and it a refreshing dessert.

Ingredients:
1 small package red jello (Cherry, Strawberry etc)
1 small package green jello (Lime)
1 package white cake mix (enough for 2 layer cake)
1 16oz container CoolWhip
Sugared red and green gundrops--the christmas spice ones

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Make white cake mix per box instructions, using two 9 inch round cake pans. After baking, let cakes cool for 10 minutes - then pop out of pans, clean out cake pans and return cakes back to pans. Using a fork, poke holes into cakes at various points to receive jello. Make up the red jello with hot water only and pour evenly as possible over one of the cakes. Then make up the green jello with just hot water and pour over the other round cake. Put both cakes into the frig for several hours. Place the bottom of the cake pans in hot water to help in removing the cakes from their pans. Spread the top of one cake with CoolWhip. Place the other cake on top and spread the remaining CoolWhip on top and sides. Cut green gum drops in half lengthwise and red ones widthwise. Arrange on top of cake to make groups of holly. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.<

Cat Fish Issues!

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Okay! He has issues! It is amazing what people will do to become internet stars. I have often thought of posting something but the fear that people I know would come across it keeps me reigned in. I think that might be a good thing. More power to those people who take the opportunites from PayPerPost that require a video. If there was someway I could ne anonymous, I would do it. I see that Diane Saywer on Good Morning America...she is always featuring some video they found on You Tube.

I think that if I ever wanted to transform myself into something it would not be a catfish. Growing up I was taught by my mother that the catfish were the scavengers of the ocean. They were not to be eaten. Now a whole new world has been opened up with catfish farms. I do eat catfish now. This video? This video takes catfish to a whole new level of wierd and crazy! It is creative thought. I will at least give him that. What would I be? A cat. They live the best life. Sleeping all day, demanding to be petted when they want and guess what? They eat catfish!

Office Guilt

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

I am so tired today I cannot think. I am not sure why. I just know that if I sit still for too long I can fall alseep on the spot. That realy sounds like sleep deprevation. This afternoon we have two people in our office retiring. The party is at 3:30. They have worked for over 30 years. The office collected money for a gift from the employees which is separate from what the company is giving. It was volunteer as far as the office. I did not give. I thought about it long and hard and I though why? These two people have not alwasy been the nicest to me, nor have they been helpful for the 8 years I have been there. Some of their meaness has been as recent as last month. So now I should give money to peopel who I know could care less about me? I was torn. I should be the bigger woman...let bigones be bigones?

Well, I it had been in the back of my mind the entire day. I had decided I would run out at lunch and get them each a card. Then I said no! Did they ever give me a card on a birthday of mine? Or send me a get well card when I was sick or when I had my gall bladder out and was in the hospital? No. Not a look my way or a call. I am one who really cannot give for the sake of the group. I give to people because I want to. So here I am, no card. I will wish them well at the party today and have a good time eating cake and having punch.

Do we really have to give just because it is a group thing? Now if it was the boss that is different. That is almost an obligation, bosses day, birthday, Christmas. But just another co-worker on the same level as you, who has been mean on and off throught the years? No. I will not give money to them for a gift. Well, what do you think? Would you have given money?

My Cars

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

My first car was a used car. I was in college at the time and it was our 3rd car...my mom had her car...new, my father had his , also new and I had the 3rd car. The ford falcon. It was a very old car as I was in college from 1979-1983. That little car could go and go and GO! It never broke down. I would pile friends in it on the weekends and off to the clubs we would go.

You would think that I would be ashamed to drive it , but I was not. I did not have to buy my own car. My parents just let me drive this one. That was good enough for me. My last year in college it began to give a little trouble. I was not sure what. If I had any car problems at all, I would simply call my father and he would take care of it for me.

I never did not have any problem with Used Cars. I have had other used cars or programs since then as well as new ones. I did not have the advantage of looking them up ahead of time. In those days, you took the car to a mechanic before you finalized the deal, he gave you the okay and you crossed your fingers and left with a used car. Used car shopping has definitely been kicked up a notch. On LemonFree, you can actually search for any kind of car you want to find, by state and even country. There are actually reviews of cars so that you can research the manufacuter, the make and find out all the details you need to know about the cars you are intereted in. Check out this review of the 1999 Suzuki Grand Vitara. This site makes it easy and it even provides links to other car related sites that you may need to check out as well.

I think the best page of all is the page on how to avoid being scammed when buying that used car. Avoid Scams & Fraud. We all need to read this. It provides some very useful information.

My last year of college, my parents bought me a brand new car. My falcon was traded in for a few hundred dollars. All the time we had that car my father was constantly being approached to sell it. It was a collectible car due to the age. I got my new navy chevy cavalier and the falcon was gone. I hated to see it go. About a week after the sale, my mother heard that a man had bought the falcon and had had a serious wreck in it. I guess that car left just in time. I was kind of sad, sad of course for the man and sad that my beloved ford falcon was no more.

Paris Out of Control!

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Paris Hilton is way out of control. She seems not to care how low she goes. The last thing I heard, which I really thought was some sort of urban legend was that Paris puked on stage when trying to sing. That story can't be real. Can it? Well it was. She is such an embarrassment to herself yet she does not seem to know it. With this incident she was out attending a performance and drinking straight vodka all night. When the performance was over she had the club put on her record so she could lipsink. She was so intoxicated that she got up on stage, took the night and vomited right there in front of everyone. Time to get out of the limelight Paris because your light is turing to rotten tomatoes. The full story about singing and vomiting is here.

Hasn't she already done enough embarrassing things on her own already? What about this? And this? As skanktabulous as she is she just keep going. Now I saw a blurb on the news about Paris and Brittany Spears being best friends now. Please! Those two were cosmically meant to be friends. Celebrity does not mean to keep doing embarassing things over and over. The only thing I can figure is that it does not matter to Paris what she does. She has so much money she can do anything in the world without any thought whatsoever. Then get right up and do it all over again the next day.

14 Year Old Dies At Bootcamp

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Eight former employees of the Bay County Sheriff's Office were charged Tuesday with aggravated manslaughter in the death of a 14-year-old at a Florida boot camp for juvenile offenders.

State Attorney Mark Ober of Hillsborough County said seven former guards and a nurse are accused of causing the death of Martin Lee Anderson by "culpable negligence."

If convicted, each could face up to 30 years in prison.

"This feels like a brick lifted off my shoulders," the teenager's father, Robert Lee Anderson, said at a Panama City press conference Tuesday afternoon. "Tonight I might get me some rest."

Tears welling in her eyes, Anderson's mother, Gina Jones, told reporters Thanksgiving had been especially difficult without her son.

Asked how she would feel on Christmas, Jones said, "just like I felt Thanksgiving. No Martin, no Christmas. My daughter and I went out and dressed up his grave for Christmas. That's Christmas for Martin."

"Today is a good day for me. I'm finally getting justice for my baby," Jones said.

The teen collapsed January 5 at the sheriff's office boot camp in Panama City, which was operated under a contract with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.

Anderson was arrested in June 2005 for stealing his grandmother's Jeep Cherokee in Panama City. He was ordered to the boot camp for violating his probation after he trespassed at a school, according to the Miami Herald.

As part of the entry process on his first day at the facility, Anderson complained of breathing difficulties while running around a track. He was taken to a hospital and died early the next day.

Video: Teen forced to the ground

Videotape of the incident showed Anderson being forced to the ground by various methods, including knees to the thigh, pressure points to his ear and punches to his arms.

Later, another camp staff member hit him from behind, causing his body to lurch forward. A nurse stood by and on at least one occasion determined his vital signs were normal.

An initial autopsy, conducted by Dr. Charles Siebert in nearby Panama City, showed Anderson died a natural death caused by complications of sickle cell trait.

A second autopsy, conducted by pathologist Dr. Vernard Adams, showed the teen was suffocated by guards who were restraining him.

To reach his findings, Adams studied the video, including having it enhanced by engineers at NASA. The intake process at the facility is videotaped as a matter of policy.

Afterward, the staff prepared a report detailing the techniques used on Anderson, including ammonia capsules under his nose, knee strikes, a straight arm-bar takedown, bending his wrist and pouring water over his head.

To explain the use of force, one staff member wrote, "I ordered [the] offender to stop resisting and relax his arms. Offender refused to comply with those instructions."

Some experts on juvenile justice called it excessive force. The sheriff's office said Anderson was restrained for being "uncooperative." After the incident, he was taken away on a stretcher and died later that day.

Anderson's family accused the employees of killing the teen and demanded an independent investigation.

Besides Helms and Walsh, the charging document filed by Ober in Bay County Circuit Court identifies those charged as Henry Dickens, Charles Enfinger, Patrick Garrett, Raymond Hauck, Henry McFadden Jr. and Kristin Smith.

They are described as "being caregivers of Martin Lee Anderson" who caused his death.

Anderson's family had accused county and state officials of attempting to cover up what happened.

Ober said "there is no evidence by any public official or agency to undermine or improperly influence this investigation."

The Catholic Show

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

I attended a private catholic high school, wearing all plaid of course, where most of the instructors were priests or nuns. We had a handful of layteachers. By the time I had reached my junior year, I was part of a very close group of friends consisting of 5 girls and 2 guys. We were all best friends and did lots of things outside of school together.

Specifically we all loved to go to the local clubs and dance. Not drink as we were all good catholic kids. But dance. We would clear a dance floor OUT with our dancing. People would stop dancing just to look at us dance. We were that good. At that time, girls and germs, Dicso was king! We were all about Dicso. We loved for Disco. We were the Disco dancers. Noone could do the hustle like we could. Noone could do the pretzle like we could, or shag like we could either. We were up on all the latest songs and dances to do at clubs.

Those were the days. When I think of those days in school , they were fun. We had some very memorable nuns. We had a nun for Spanish who was the strictest person in the school. She was really awful now that I look back. If your skirt was too short, she would make you come to the front of the class and she would measure your skirt with a ruler. too short, she would rip out the hem with her scissors. If you had doctored the hem yourself and the hem was really way to short, she would send you to the office to rent a skirt for the day. No money to rent? Well, you had to call your parents to bring you a proper uniform to wear before your could go back to class.

I learned a lot about religion by going to Catholic schools. Almost more than what I was learning at my church as a Presbyterian. I learned different things I had never really faced before...like demons really are real. The whole excorcist thing terrifies me to this day and that each diocese has their own demonologist priest who can cast out demons. Freaky! Scary.

I have just heard about the Catholic Show. There is a push to revitalize the Catholic faith in America. Now I know there is a general reduction of all christians going to church or even being affiliated with any church at all. The world has changed so much that church in mainstream America is declining. The bulk of Christians now are overseas. They might be sending missionaries to save us eventually.

The decline of the Catholic church is as follows.

• 75% of Catholic families do not attend Sunday mass
• Average age of a Catholic priests and nuns is over 60 years old
• Almost half of all Catholic high schools have closed since 1965
• Catholic marriages have fallen by one-third since 1965
• In 2002, only 450 new priests were ordained
• Since 1965, two-thirds of seminaries have closed

Those were details I did not know about. Check out the podcasts for more information about what is going on with. The websites is really a place to locate and network with Catholics, former Catholics, and those interested in the Catholic Church to link to and blog about our new podcast (and website). If you listen to the first few minutes of the first podcast (available here http://catholicshow.com/Show/) you will quickly understand the mission to invite former Catholics back to the church and to support a Church vibrant and growing as never before.

After Midnight

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Remember Thanksgiving night I was in the Countdown to Midnight to go shopping? Well I was a shopping fool! I went to the Tangier Outlet and I was in very good company. First stop was the Coach Store. The line just go get in the door was about 100 people deep. There were about as many in the door. They would only let in the same number of peopel who came out. The sale was worth it. Soms of those bags were 50% off. Once I got in I had to swim the sea of people just to look around. I was able to get three lovely purses and asked were to check out. I was told that the crazy line that wrapped around the INSIDE of the store twice was the line to check out. I had to wait in that line for an hour just to get to the register. I did not leave that store until 1:45. From 12:15-1:45 just to buy three purses. It ws crazy.

After that I headed to the Converse outlet and got a pair of crazy hightops. I could not pass up the price. Everywhere I looked it was a sea of people. There were some crazy people there also. Have you ever noticed that at holiday time all sorts of peopel come out of the wood work and you wonder what cup of crazy they drunk from ? Wierd! Really wierd peopld are everywhere! Was it worth it? Yes. The same was worth it. The holiday craze was worth it as well. I was able to get about 1/2 of my shopping done. I am very happy about that! The rest of the shopping I will have to do in the next two weeks. I hate to be waiting until the last minute to do shopping. All the good stuff is picked over.

Where is Mr. Right?

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.


My mother thought that the world was made up of different classes of people. There were only two. Low class and Appropriate Class or I guess High Class. While she tended to place everyone she knew, met or worked with in a category, I could never see the world that way. My mother could just look at someone and knew instantly what class they belonged to. She felt that I needed to do this too when I made decisions about friends or people to date.

Well I was a very late bloomer being very shy and quiet. Dating was quite an experience. I did not date until my junior year of high school. Before anyone could go out with me they had to pass the test my mother gave them. Before the date was even sanctioned, the unsuspecting boy had to come over to my house for an interview by my mother. If they did not EVEN pass the interview the date would never happen.

So...said boy would show up to meet my parents. Setting was the formal living room not the comfortable den. My mother and father would sit on the sofa and he would sit in the chair. I was sitting at the formal dining room table watching. It was all that I could do. It was totally out of my control.

Plesantries were exchanged and the interrogation would begin. My mother did all the talking. She would ask all of the following questions:
1. Who are your people and what are their names?
2. Where do you live?
3. What do your parents do for a living?
4. How long have your parents worked at those jobs?
5. How old are you?
6. What grade are you in?
7. Do you plan to attend college?
8. If so where do you plan to attend college?
9. Do you smoke?
10. Do you drink?

Those were the basics and depending on the answers, those questions could be expanded upon. Well, even if the boy passed the test, the grilling he got was severe and he most likely would not want to go out. Imagine a bug under a magnifying glass. That was how I felt just listening and I was not even my potential date. I did go out on less than 5 dates my entire high school career. Once the news got around that any boy I wanted to see or who wanted to see me had to interview with my mother, boys steered clear.

I am still looking for Mr. Right. I just do not know where to find him. I was almost talked into posting a personal ad at Yahoo Personals. I have been fearful to do that with any internet dating program. It does seem to be the way to go. I have lots of friends who do that as the mainstay of their dating activity. Some men have been good, some have been duds. Same as meeting someone in person. Some of my friends have even met people on line and have gotten married. Now I am looking at that again...looking on line. There are many sites out there and you really need to check them all out to see what will work best for you and who is out there.

You may want to broaden your horizons and even find love in the UK. Why restrist yourself to one country? You true love or mine might not be in America. Loopylove is a free site which is a large scale, established online dating business based in the UK. Like many sites you really have to use your head and be sensible. You need to take your time and be safe. Do not rush into meeting anyone in person right away...that would be my approach. Safety is key in online dating. I think that privacy is something else any woman would need to check on with online dating as well. After reding about the site, you do have the option to be anonymous. Once all those things are too your liking, the begin the search for your Mr. Right! He has to be out there.

Looking for Mr. Right has to be the age old search of every woman. To find the one man who just wants her. That has been my search and trust me I have been unsuccessful. I do not know where the monogamous men are. I sure would like to know where they are hiding. Or maybe they are hiding from me? When I look back there has not been one person I have dated who was ever faithful. But me, I always was. That is the way of women. To be faithful and loyal and to stand by our men. Unfortunately they do not stand by us. If anyone knows where the monogamous men are, please send me an email! Leave me a comment!! Just tell me where they are!

Count Down to Midnight

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

There will be a sale that begins at midnight at our local Tangier Outlet Mall. I will be there with bells on. I have to catch those sales. I just saw on the local 11 pm news that there is already a line with about 100 people there waiting for midnight to come. I guess I am late as there are already so many people there. I plan to get in the christmas buying craze that is "black Friday" in about 40 minutes. I will be completing this post or two and heading out the door. Credit cards in hand!

Wish me luck! The Coach store and Banana Republic awaits me! Christmas time is here!

Game Night

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

About two saturday nights 'ago,'(if that makes any sense) some friends invited me for game night at their house. Now I have never been a card player and do not even know how to play any cards. Whenever I tell people I cannot play they always ask me why I did not learn that in college. It seems that was the place to learn to pay cards. Spades and hearts and all those other games I never learned. I was ready to be the cheerleader for game night and just watch but as it turned out I did learn some games I had never heard of before. Spoons which is a card game, kind of like musical chairs with spoons and cards. That was a lot of fun. People were fighting each other over those spoons! It was hilarious.

The other game we played that was a gard game was Moose in the House. It was fun once I got the hang of it. We also played Apples to Apples. That was a fun game as well. The only other kind of cards I have ever played is War, Uno and Old Maid. And Fish.

Now some of my coworkers are really into cards. The guys mainly. They have poker parties and even suggested that we play poker at one of the company picnics. ( That was axed quickly as it was gambling on company time.) It seems that poker has made a big comeback in the past 2 years. It is still a mystery to me. I would have to have a teacher. I could never be a
VegasPokerPro, but I would at least like to maybe be invited to some of those parties. No telling what sort of corporate talk is being discussed away from the office over the poker chips. I know it happens. It happens when those same office guys play golf together. They talk and plan and discuss things.

For me to even begin to get started I would have to read about some of the strategies and moves and learn the terminology. VegasPokerPro.com. VPP is a great resource for poker strategie. It tells about starting hands, controlling your ego and everything for a novice, like me. I do not know if I would ever be really good at this game, since I do not play any sort of cards. But for those who are and needs tips and pointers and really want to connect with other poker players, there is even a poker forum to join. There you can talk with other poker players "in the know." That entire site features an active community forum, free poker tournaments, reviews of online poker sites, and free poker gift promotions.

Be sure to check it out. It might just put some extra game in your game night!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

I hope everyone had a great Thanskgiving. I went to mom and dad's again this year. Normally I do not always cook but this year I did too. When I go to mom's and eat, I normally have nothing at home to eat or I have to go grocery shopping so this year I cooked a turkey too so that I will have food for the rest of the week.

I found a great recipe for a beer and butter injection marinade that I used for my turkey. It is wonderful. Here is the recipe. You will not be dissapointed if you use it. It can be used on chicken as well. I like the injection way to marinade. It makes the meat so much more tender. Enjoy!

Use this marinade to reach deep into the meat of poultry, especially turkey to deliver loads of flavor before you cook. Make sure the mixture is warm to keep the butter liquid.

INGREDIENTS:

· 1/2 pound butter

· 1/2 can beer

· 2 tablespoons salt

· 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

· 2 tablespoons Tabasco

· 1 tablespoon soy sauce

· 2 teaspoons garlic powder

· 2 teaspoons onion powder

PREPARATION:

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan over a low heat. Stir and heat until salt is dissolved and the sauce is even and runny. Keep warm (but not hot) to inject.

Now the one thing I did not have time to do today was make my sides for me. I just made the turkey and then went to mom's . I will have to make the macaroni and yams and vegetables on tomorrow for dinner. I will be set. The only bad thing is that the turkey I got was way too big. Costco turkeys? Well of course everything at that store seems to be industrial sized. My turkey was 19 pounds. Yes, it will be cut up and put into the freezer. It is a massive bird. Almost mutant looking, those legs are so big. Yummy! Gooble Gooble!

Fencing For Dummies!

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

I have only known one person in my life who actually fenced. He was a co-worker of mine at a part time job I used to have. He was a ex-police officer and his hobby was fencing. We worked at a store at the local mall and he used to claim all the body mannequins from our department when they were worn out. He used them for fencing. He always beat me to them and it made me mad. I wanted the mannequins to use for clothing I would sell on EBay. He always worked an earlier shift than I did, so he always beat me to those mannequins.

I only saw him fence once. It was on a saturday a few years ago. He had just come from the Highland Games in his kilt no less and he was on his way to meet his fencing partner. He had his swords in the car. I am not sure what type they were. They looked similar to the Royal Musketeer Sword. A couple of us went with him to see. We all planned to go out to eat afterwards. I must say it was interesting to watch. I did not know a lot about the sport at all. Just the bare bones. I have found out a few things about the sport of fencing. Here are a few facts.

1. Fencing is one of only four sports to be included in every modern Olympic Games, since the first in 1896. Fencing was also a sport in the original Olympic Games in ancient Greece.

2. Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic Games, was a fencer.

3. The tip of the fencing weapon is the second fastest moving object in sport; the first is the marksman's bullet.

4. Fencing is conducted on a 14m x 2m "strip" or "piste" to replicate combat in confined quarters such as a castle hallway. The end of the fencing strip represents the line drawn in the earth by duelists' seconds: to retreat behind this line during the duel indicated cowardice and loss of honor.

5. The 750 gram weight test used to ensure a touch is scored with sufficient force is based on the amount of tension required to break the skin. In a duel, honor was done when blood was first drawn -- even if from a minor wound such as a blister.

6. The target area in sabre, originally a cavalry weapon, is from the waist up because it is contrary to the rules of chivalry to injure an opponent's horse.

7. There was originally no time limit on a fencing bout, until a Masters Championship bout in New York in the 1930s lasted for seven hours. Thereafter, bouts were limited to 30 minutes. Today, the time-limit has been reduced to just 3 minutes for 5-touch bouts and 9 minutes for 15 touches.

8. Fencers wear white uniforms because before the advent of electronic scoring, touches were recorded on the white surface with a wad of ink-soaked cotton on the tips of the weapons.

9. Famous Fencers: Bruce Dickinson, the lead singer of Iron maiden - foil. Neil Diamond, entertainer - sabre. Prince Albert of Monaco - sabre. Andrew Jackson fought a duel of honor with swords. General George Patton, competed in fencing in the 1912 Olympics and once owned a riding crop with a blade in the handle made by Georgio Santelli, New York fencing instructor and equipment manufacturer. Most recently, movie star Jerry O'Connell - saber.

10. The New York Fencers Club, founded in 1883, is the oldest continuous running club devoted exclusively to fencing in the U.S.

11. The first electronic scoring machine for fencing was invented in 1936 by Alfred Skrobisch, an engineering student at Columbia and a future U.S. Olympian.

12. In April 2003, Men's Saber Keeth Smart became the first United States Fencer to acheive a Number 1 World Ranking. He was quickly joined by Sada Jacobson, who claimed the Number 1 spot in Women's Saber, and still holds that spot going into the Athens Games.

13. Mariel Zagunis (Beaverton, Ore.) is the first fencer in the world to hold four World Championships titles in one season: 2001 Cadet World Champion, 2001 Junior World Champion, 2001 Junior Team Champion, and 2000 Women's Sabre Team World Champion.

14. Women's Foil was added to the events at the Olympic Games in 1924. Women's Epee was added in 1996. The 2004 Olympic Game in Athens, Greece will be the first time that Women's Sabre is an official part of the Olympic program.

15. Athens will mark the 20-year anniversary of the United States' last Olympic medal in fencing - Bronze won by Peter Westbrook in Men's Saber.

You think, where would you buy swords if you wanted to fence? This site has all swords for all sorts of uses. Not only do they have swords for fencing, they have swords for martial arts, medieval swordplay and even fantasy swords and weapons. I did not realize there was such a large market. What every your need is for swords, you will find it at Extrememly Sharp Swords.

If I Did It: O. J. Simpson

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

NEW YORK -- One of the nation's largest superstore chains, Borders Group Inc., expects O.J. Simpson's widely condemned new book to have "strong sales," but will donate profits to charity.

The nation's other large bookstore chain, Barnes & Noble, Inc., will also sell Simpson's "If I Did It," but has no plans to donate proceeds.

"Barnes & Noble will carry O.J. Simpson's new book, 'If I Did It,' just as we do every book in print," spokeswoman Mary Ellen Keating said Friday in a statement to The Associated Press. Keating said Barnes & Noble had not seen the book and did not know how it would be promoted.

Bill Nasshan, Borders' senior vice president of adult trade merchandising, said in a statement to the AP: "As always with publicity books like this, we prepare for strong sales, but ultimately it is up to the customers' reaction to the publicity."

Borders spokeswoman Ann Binkley said Friday that the book will have "easily visible" placement in stores, but there would be no special promotion and any profits will be donated to a charity that benefits victims of domestic violence.

"We believe it's the right thing to do. Period," Binkley said.

Numerous independent stores, appalled by Simpson's book, in which the former football star speculates how he would have killed his ex-wife, have said either they won't sell it or will offer limited copies and give away the proceeds.

"We probably won't stock the book, but if somebody comes and asks for it, we'll order it for them and then donate the money," said Lise Friedman, manager of Dutton's Brentwood Books, located in the Los Angeles County community where Simpson lived at the time of the murders.

"If I Did It" comes out Nov. 30, following a two-part interview on Fox Broadcasting, and interest appears strong, but not overwhelming. Since the book's announcement late Tuesday, it has steadily climbed on the best seller list of Amazon.com, reaching No. 20 as of Friday afternoon.

According to an official of the Mystery Writers of America, Simpson's book will essentially be treated as "true crime," a genre that traditionally sells best at superstores, with independent sellers preferring purely fictional works. Reed Farrell Coleman, executive vice president of MWA, also said independent stores had more reason to worry about anger against the Simpson book.

"An independent store depends more on a faithful clientele, which it can't afford to offend. Superstores are more likely simply to respond to public demand," Coleman said.

Earlier Friday, publisher Judith Regan of ReganBooks, a HarperCollins imprint, said she took on "If I Did It" because she was a victim of domestic violence and thought any proceeds would go to Simpson's children.

In an eight-page statement, Regan said Simpson approached her with the idea for the book, in which he hypothesizes how he would have committed the killings of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman.

"I didn't know what to expect when I got the call that the killer wanted to confess," Regan said in the statement titled "Why I Did It." "But I knew one thing. I wanted the confession for my own selfish reasons and for the symbolism of that act. For me, it was personal."

Although Regan has acknowledged that Simpson does not directly say he killed the pair, she said she considers the book to be his confession.

"My son is now 25 years old, my daughter 15," the publisher said in her statement. "I wanted them, and everyone else, to have a chance to see that there are consequences to grievous acts. ... And I wanted, as so many victims do, to hear him say, 'I did it and I am sorry.'

"I didn't know if he would. But I wanted to try. I wanted his confession."

Regan, known for such tabloid best sellers as Jose Canseco's "Juiced," said she did not pay Simpson for the book. "I contracted through a third party who owns the rights, and I was told the money would go to his children. That much I could live with.

"What I wanted was closure, not money," she wrote.

Regan's statement did not identify the "third party" or say what she would do with any money made from the book. Phone and e-mail messages from The Associated Press were not immediately returned.

My Thoughts On the Above:

Well I had always given O.J. the benefit of the doubt. Now I am not a big fan of his as I am not a real sports kind of girl. I just never believed he killed them. The stalker type personality that he has, the domestic violence...those type of killers do it quick and fast. Guns, hands, a knife with just a stab or two. Not all those stabbings. Plus I was always questioning that drug connection that his ex-wife and boyfriend had. They were into drugs. Could have been some sort of deal gone wrong. Anyway, I never believed that O.J. killed them. I always stuck to that, that he was found not guilty.

My mother and I always argued that point and of course we have been arguing it again this past week. She thinks he did it. With this book and interview I really thought it was in poor taste but it seemed to lend credibility to the fact that he did NOT kill them. Why would Fox publish a book and do an interview with him IF he had really killed them? I cannot see that. They must have thought he was innocent as well. They would be taking a huge risk with that. Do I still think he is innocent. Yes, I do. Think of his kids. They had to be told that this project was going on and they had to be okay with it. The money was put into their bank accounts. I know that if O. J. as a father had gone to his kids and todl them about this and they rejected it, I could not see him proceeding so all must have been a "GO!"

I did have just a little respect for him..just a little left. That now is gone. I still do not think he killed them, but he is ridiculous and ignorant in my eyes now.

Ebay Bid Wars!

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

I have not been on EBay in about a year. It is too addictive and I was bidding and buying on all sorts of things I did not need! It was the joy of winning an auction. Now it was hard to wait till teh lat minute to bid but that is what I used to do. I would add the item to my watch page and when that auction was seconds from ending I would bid a high bid. One that noone else would bid and I would win. I won most of the time. Others I just did not have the timing on bidding right and I would loose out on some very wanted items. I think I had the timing right about 50% of the time.

It really was a "high" to win. I would tell my coworkers who sat next me what I won. "Did I need that thing?" they would ask. The answer was normally no. It was the winning of the bid at the last second. I think there needs to be an intervention for that!!! :) I talked to some other friends who said they do the same thing. We all have EBay Bid Addiction! LOL!

Well, there is some assistant with that now. Not on assisting those of us with "bid-at-the-last-second-itits" kick the habit. It is something that will assist us with getting that item that we really want. It is the sniper! I am excited. What can it do? Let me tell you!

It helps users in the following ways:
-Protects your bid until the last seconds to avoid bidding wars.
-It stops your competition from searching by bidder to see what you are bidding on.
-Users don't have to be at their computer to bid.
-Many more on site.
The service is free to try for 15 days to see how it works.

It sounds like it does all the things I was staying up till 2am or whatever wee hour of the morning for. With Bidnapper, you don't have to be at your computer at all hours of the day and night when the auction ends. You can sleep right through it. No more late nights. The Bidnapper service keeps watch over your auction bidding 24/7, whether your computer is on or off. Now that is something. I wonder how that works. When it is time to bid, Bidnapper submits your bid at precisely the right moment, so there is no time for your bid to be countered. Now that sounds like a winner!

I have stayed away for awhile and with Christmas coming, I have done a few searches for things I want to get for gifts for others. I just might download this program. It sounds like it might be my helper when it comes to shopping on EBAy! Try it! Get to bidding---quick! I bet you will not be sorry!

Never ask a drunk

 A woman was shopping at her local supermarket, where she selected:

A half-gallon of 2% milk,
A carton of eggs,
A quart of orange juice,
A head of romaine lettuce,
A 2 lb. can of coffee,
A and a 1 lb. package of bacon.

As she was unloading her items on the conveyor belt to check out,
a drunk standing behind her watched as she placed the  items in front
of the cashier.

While the cashier was ringing up her purchases, the drunk calmly
stated, "You must be single."

The woman was a bit startled by this proclamation, but she was 
intrigued by the derelict's intuition, since she was indeed single. She
looked at her six items on the belt and saw nothing particularly unusual
about her selections that could have tipped off  the drunk to her marital
status.

Curiosity getting the better of her, she said "Well, you know
what, you're absolutely correct, but how on earth did you know that?"

The drunk replied, "'Cause you're ugly.”

Lending At Zopa

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Zopa! Have you heard the news? This is a totally new concept that I had not heard of before. Now, well, if you think about it, this seems remotely, and I mean remotely, similar to money lenders. Things here are on the up and up. It is a place where borrowers and lenders, as individual people, are put together. No banks, corporations. People who have money to lend are connected with those who need to borrow. There are stipulations of course. Here are a few. Check out this page on online loans for the full picture.

We look at the credit scores of people looking to borrow and work out whether they're an A*-, A-, B- or C-rated borrower. If they're none of these, then Zopa's not for them.

Lenders make lending offers – 'I'd like to lend this much to A-rated borrowers for this long and at this rate.'

Borrowers size up the rates offered to them, and snap up the ones they like the look of. If they don't like the rates today, they can come back tomorrow to see if things have changed.

To reduce any risk, Zopa lenders only lend small chunks to individual borrowers. A lender lending £500 or more would have their money spread across at least 50 borrowers.

Borrowers enter into legally binding contracts with their lenders.

Borrowers repay monthly by direct debit. If any repayments are missed, a collections agency uses the same recovery process that the high street banks use.

Zopa earns money by charging borrowers a 0.5% transaction fee and lenders a 0.5% annual servicing fee.

And everyone's happy – lenders get great returns, borrowers get great rates, and there's not a bank or a bank manager in sight.

Zopa is currently only available in the UK. They are getting ready to launch in the United States and is set to revolutionise money lending and borrowing. There are some people who have had some very good results with Zopa. Check out their program praises here.

Zopa is a new concept to me. I personally am used to going to a bank. You might think a bank is safer. There are things in place that make Zopa safe as well. They even work with some very strong financial entities to do so. Here are a few of the safeguards in place to safeguard both the lenders and the borrowers.

• We use a company called Equifax to do an identity check on all potential lenders and borrowers
• Everyone looking to borrow is credit-checked and risk-assessed. Anyone who we feel is not creditworthy will be prevented from borrowing at Zopa
• People we're happy to let borrow at Zopa are put into either the A*, A, B or C market. This allows borrowers to get a rate that's right for them, and means lenders can manage their risk level
• We diversify risk by spreading lenders' money across a range of borrowers. When a person lends £500 or more, his or her money is spread across at least 50 borrowers
• Our underwriters individually assess each borrower's ability to repay before any loans are approved
• A collections agency chases any missed payments on each lender's behalf. This is exactly the same process that banks and other financial institutions use
• As thorough as we are, we always respect our members' privacy

There is also a team of people making sure that things go well. It is an alternative to the faceless institution that is the bank. It is real people helping other real people who need financial assistance.

Condoleezza Rice Names Kwan Diplomat

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Michelle Kwan, the American figure skater who owns nine national championships and five world titles, is about to become a non-salaried U.S. diplomat.

On Thursday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice plans to name the 26-year-old Californian and daughter of Chinese immigrants from Hong Kong as a public diplomacy ambassador, said a senior U.S. official who spoke anonymously pending the formal announcement.

Kwan will represent American values especially to young people and sports enthusiasts and is expected to travel widely, the official said.

Condoleezza Rice~Politics

Pass the Eel, Deer and Cake!

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

"Pass the deer and eel please!" Are these words you would expect to hear around your Thanksgiving dinner table?

When most people think of a traditional U.S. Thanksgiving dinner, they think of turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and maybe apple pie. The original American Thanksgiving dinner in 1621, however, was very different. In the fall of 1621, 52 Pilgrims and 90 Native Americans came together in Plymouth, Massachusetts, for meals celebrating the harvest. Although Thanksgiving did not become an official holiday until 1863, most Americans consider the Plymouth feast as the first Thanksgiving.

The food that these early Americans shared was not what most people would expect. Pilgrims and Native Americans probably ate turkey. Mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and apple pie, however, were not on the menu. In 1621, potatoes were not part of the Pilgrims' diet. Potatoes grew only in South America until the late 1600s.

The Pilgrims and Native Americans may have eaten cranberries, but certainly not cranberry sauce. Sugar, an important ingredient in cranberry sauce, had probably not yet traveled to the New World. But the Pilgrims must have eaten apple pie? Surprisingly, they did not. Apples do not naturally grow in North America. The fruit didn't come to the United States until years later.

So what, then, did people eat at the first Thanksgiving? The meals and festivities lasted for three days. During that time, the early Americans ate a lot of food. They probably had deer, clams, dried berries, corn, wild turkeys, and fish such as cod, sea bass, and eels. And the meat did not come in packages from the grocery store.

Animals were often cooked with heads and feet still attached. The 'humbles' (what we would call guts) were cooked and eaten as well. This Thanksgiving, as you dig in, be thankful you're eating turkey and pie—and not baked guts!

Thank goodness these days we haveThanksgiving Treats. I would hate to remember a Thanksgiving only by the memory of the best deer head or eel head I ever had. Now cake! That is something else. We do tend to remember special desserts we have at special occassions. I know I do. This year I might try out something new. You might too. This eggnog cake seems just the thing. Eggnog signifies the holidays to me. The brandy pumpkin cake looks divine. These cakes would be great for Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Christmas.

I am sorry that the original pilgrims only had deer, eel and innards to eat. I know they would pass that all up for cake.

After Election Day

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

GOP is GO-OUT!

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Democrats rode a wave of anger at President Bush, sweeping to victory in the House last night and threatening the GOP's hold on the Senate.

In a stunning rebuke to the President, the Iraq war and the scandal-plagued GOP, voters even in deep-red Republican states like Indiana, Kentucky, Kansas and North Carolina - and in upstate New York - decided to throw the bums out.

Democrats shocked the GOP by picking up at least 30 seats - twice what they needed.

"This is looking like the first 20 minutes of 'Saving Private Ryan,' " said a top aide to a Republican governor.

In the Senate, they appeared to have clinched at least a tie but were leading in enough states early this morning to possibly control there, too.

Full Story

Bush~Politics~~News

Donald Rumsfeld? He's OUT!

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld stepped down as defense secretary on Wednesday, one day after midterm elections in which opposition to the war in Iraq contributed to heavy Republican losses.

President Bush said he would nominate Robert Gates, a former CIA director, to replace Rumsfeld at the Pentagon.

Asked whether his announcement signaled a new direction in the war that has claimed the lives of more than 2,800 U.S. troops, Bush said, “Well, there’s certainly going to be new leadership at the Pentagon.” Bush lavished praise on Rumsfeld, who has spent six stormy years at his post. The president disclosed he met with Gates last Sunday, two days before the elections in which Democrats swept to control of the House and possibly the Senate.

Last week, as he campaigned to save the Republican majority, Bush declared that Rumsfeld would remain at the Pentagon through the end of his term.

Rumsfeld, 74, was in his second tour of duty as defense chief. He first held the job a generation ago, when he was appointed by President Ford.

My Disclosure Policy

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Have you ever thought about a disclosure policy for your blog? I had not, but I have seen similar things or manifestos on other blogs. I think it is a good thing. Check out mine! There is a link to it in my blogroll in the sidebar.

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog accepts paid insertions or other forms of compensation at times.

The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content.

Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for ads or posts, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.


To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org

Lisey's Story

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.


Lisey's Story: A new book by Stephen King

Lisey's Story is a new book by my most favorite author...Stephen King. There is no one who can writer horror like Stephen King. I have evey book he has ever written in mainly hardback. Some I have in novel form. I do not have this book yet, but I will by this weekend! I can hardly wait to get it. Here is a plot summary of the book.

Lisey Landon lost her husband Scott two years ago, after a twenty five year marriage of the most profound and sometimes frightening intimacy. Lisey knew there was a place Scott went -- a place that both terrified and healed him, could eat him alive or give him the ideas he needed in order to live. Now it's Lisey's turn to face Scott's demons, Lisey's turn to go to Boo'ya Moon. What begins as a widow's effort to sort through the papers of her celebrated husband becomes a nearly fatal journey into the darkness he inhabited.

books~reviews~horror

Home Improvement in Reverse

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Can you have home improvement in reverse? That is what I did. I started a home improvement in reverse when I tried to make some egg salad. Let me tell you how. When I was in middle school I decided to make egg salad for lunch the next day. (This is a true story. Nothing is made up on my blog.) The time was about 7pm. I put 2 eggs on to boil. I was tired. I leave the kitchen table and collapse on my canopy bed just to rest my eyes. I will get up in just a few minutes and finish my egg salad.

Later, my eyes open to pitch blackness with a hand covering my mouth tighly so that I could not scream. It is my mother. She is whispering. What I do not know. I just woke up and do not know what is going on. She whispers some more and will not remove her hand until I understand the whispers. The whispers are orders... over and over again orders--to get up, to not speak, to tiptoe and come with her. I get up and follow her out my room into the hallway. There is my father with the shotgun aimed ahead of him. There is my brother as well. My mother places us in the correct order. She gets behind my father, I am behind her and my younger brother is behind me. We all tiptoe down the hall toward the kitchen.

I hear sounds now and we are all terrified. Sounds like someone is moving in the kitchen and looking for something. We got to the entrance of the kitchen and my father fired that shotgun blindly into the night..into the kitchen. I grabbed my brother and tried not to scream. I think my father fired all the bullets. I heard a click and no more firing from his gun.

We only heard silence from the kitchen. We all stood frozen in the hallway for what seemed like an eternity. We still only heard silence. My mother whispered for my father to turn on the light. He did. I was expecting to see dead bodies. I saw gunshot holes in the walls, gun shotholes in the cabinets and more on the floor.

The only thing of any great notice in the kitchen was just my pot sitting on the stove, black from heat. It was devoid of water and devoid of eggs. The burglar sounds we thought we heard was the sound of eggs exploding right out of their shells. They had burst wide open and yoke and egg white was strewn all over the cabinets and the floor. My parents turned to look at me. My legs turned to jelly. My father had shot up the kitchen for the love of egg salad!

That is what is called a home improvement in reverse. As a result of that crazy episode my parents had to use Local Contractor Services to undo the damage I had done. They started with the cabinets that were all shot to hell! Our house had a kind of galley kitchen and the house was kind of old, so there was no way to replace and make things look uniform. They had to remove the old cabinets and get new ones. Maybe if they had painted? Maybe they could have salvaged the old ones that were not damaged.

The flooring had to be replaced as well. There was no way to just take out a section and replace. The color would not match. One wall had to have some new sheet rock and the entire kitchen was repainted. While everyone was really mad at me for a long time, my mother's anger seemed to be diminishing. In fact, she seemed downright happy whenever my father was not in view. She was getting a whole new kitchen.

Back then it was before the age of the internet. Why the internet was not even a twinkle in Al Gore's eye at that time. My parents had to do everything the old fashion way...by telephone. To day we have the web and it makes things so much easier. With a click of a mouse all your home improvement needs can be found on Residential Contractors. Everything from A to Z, from architects to demolition, to home security to pools can be found there.

My advice to you? Don't do what I did. Do home improvement the right way. Don't do home improvement in reverse. You might end up like me...no allowance for the next year and with a mother who is secretly happy because she got a new kitchen! And for goodness sake, never leave boiling eggs unattended.

humour~home improvement~odd

Jonathan Littell

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

American writer Jonathan Littell won France's top literary honor, the Goncourt Prize, on Monday for a 900-page novel narrated by a Nazi SS officer -- and written in French.

"Les Bienveillantes," or "The Kindly Ones," has won wide attention in France both for its subject matter and the nationality of its author. The Prix Goncourt is France's most prestigious literary prize.

The 38-year-old Littell was not in Paris when the award was announced, but in Barcelona, Spain, where he lives, according to his publishing house Gallimard. Littell won the Academie Francaise's top literary honor last month.

Antoine Gallimard, Littell's editor, said the author was "very happy" about the prize but preferred to remain out of the limelight.

The book, which has topped French best-seller lists for weeks, will be published in the United States in 2008, following an extensive bidding war won by HarperCollins.

It has sold 200,000 copies since it was released in late August, according to Gallimard.

Littell was born in the United States, but later lived in France and wrote the book in French as a tribute to two of his favorite authors, Stendhal and Gustave Flaubert. Littell's father, Robert Littell, is known for such spy novels as "Legends" and "An Agent in Place."

The 103-year-old Prix Goncourt guarantees literary acclaim and high sales for an author. Past winners include Marcel Proust, Simone de Beauvoir and Marguerite Duras.

The Goncourt jury members, following tradition, announced the winner after voting in a restaurant near Paris' Opera Garnier.

Goncourt jury member Jorge Semprum, a Spanish author who was part of the anti-Nazi underground in France and was imprisoned in the Buchenwald concentration camp, called it "THE book about this period."

"It's the book at least the last half-century," he told LCI television.

The second-highest French literary prize, the Prix Renaudot, was given Monday to Alain Mabanckou for "Memoires de porc-epic," or "Memoires of a Porcupine."

Reviews~books~Writing

An American Haunting

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

I rented An American Haunting from the video store on Sunday. It was expecting a little more "fear factor," given the previews. It looked almost as horrifying as the Exorcist. It was not. It was good as you spent a lot of time not knowing how it all began or what was happening, really. Once the secret was out, I guess it was more like a poltergeist that the girl calls in to help her. Well, I guess it was The Bell Witch that was helping her. The way it ended in present day time, you know there can be a sequel. The pedaphile fathers raping their daughters will all get killed in the end. I am kind of glad I did not see it in the movie theatre. I would have been disappointed. It was more on the scale of "B" grade horror. Good to see at home on a dark and creepy night.

Here are some things on the Bell Witch. Be sure to check out the link to the website. Creepy! wikipedia has some info on The Bell Witch as well.

halloween~movies~Reviews~Entertainment

Are You Ready For Some Rodeo!?!

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

I am. Can't you tell by my boots? I love these boots. I got them last summer and haven't looked back yet. My co-workers can't get over them! They are always looking at me like I am crazy. Last year someone did ask me if I was going to the rodeo. I wish I could. I want to. It sounds like it would be a fun thing to do.

I would love to go the the Houston Rodeo and Livestock Show aka rodeoHouston. My boots would fit right in and would most likely be well respected. I could hold my own against any cowpoke there! The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo takes place at Houston's Reliant Stadium every March. The rodeo events, also known as RODEOHOUSTON™ are sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA)/ProRodeo and the Women's Professional Rodeo Association and all Houston Rodeo participants are members of the ProRodeo or the WPRA. The HoustonRodeo is ranked as the world's largest rodeo with over 1 million spectators each year. I bet all those people are wearing cowboy boots, but I bet they are not as pretty as mine!

Now I always thought that most rodeos were made up of just men. I was surprised to check out the women's rodeo page and discover that it started in 1948 by a group if women who wanted to add a little color and femininity to the rough and tumble sport of rodeo. Since 1948, the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association has worked to chip away the huge barriers that separate men and women in the sport of rodeo. Specifically, their goals were to gain equality in the rodeo arena while simultaneously proving that women are a force to be recognized and appreciated.

RODEOHOUSTON is a family affair. After the rodeo is over there is now a huge concert event after that normally features a variety of music which includes some of the biggest names in country, latin, rock and hip hop. To be sure you have a chance to partake in the festivities you really do need to get your Houston Rodeo concert tickets in advance. Check out some of who is in the lineup! George Strait, Clay Walker, Lee Ann Rimes and Lonestar, just to name a few. Dust off your 10 gallon hats! Brush up on your linedancing. It's going to be a shindig if ever there was one.

Order tickets early as you want to get a good seat. Now most of the seats are good ones as the stage rotates but there are some very coveted seats...the Action Seats! They are the first seven rows closest to the rodeo ring. And did I mentioned free food and drinks in that section? My boots are made for walking so I will have to walk all over you just to get there.

I want to get to that rodeo. Jessica Simpson is not the only one with boots and a miniskirt made for walking. I have them too. One day I will get to that RODEOHOUSTON! I hope to see you there. Be sure to save me a seat. Look for me. You will recognize me by my boots!

rodeo~houston~Texas

The Eyes Play Tricks

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Eel Fish and Sinks!

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

When I was in middle school there was a time when I had a parade of animals from cats, dogs, mice and hampsters to fish and birds. I had a lovely eel fish that I loved dearly. He was about four inches long and was beige and brown striped. Very pretty.

I was cleaning out his aquarium before school one morning and an awful thing happened. He slipped down the kitchen sink into the drain. I instantly became hysterical. I was crying like the world was coming to the end. Only a little water went down the drain with him so I was sure that he was still alive in the hook part of the pipes under the kitchen sink. My father and mother thought he was already gone.

I refused to go to school until something was done to get him out of the drain. I had to know he was gone for good. Finally when my parents realized my hysteria was not ending , but was in fact increasing. My father said he would take apart the kitchen sink and see if he was in the hook of pipe under the sink. He got out his tools and began to wrench and turn and unscrew and presto! The pipe came off. My father looked inside and there was just a little water still in the hook. In that little bit of water was my eel fish.

My father plopped him back in the the clean tank and I stopped the crying and eventually the hitching in my chest began to subside. My eel fish was safe and seemed none the worst for the wear. I was a happy girl. My eel fish was alive!

Now the sink was another story. The house we lived in was an older house with just an ordinary kitchen sink. It was a double sink. I am not sure if it was one of those Stainless Steel Sinks . My father was able to get it put back together but he was late. It came apart very easily, but it did not want to go back together with the ease that it came apart. My parents still have that house with all of its ordinary sinks.

When I think of sinks that I would want I think of pretty sinks. There has to be more than just the plain kitchen sink. I think I want the gold knobs for my home. (One of ladies at my church has the gold fixtures and it really makes a difference) I have always wanted that in my dream house...gold faucets for my sinks.

Who really thinks about sinks? Where did they originate? This is a fasicnating bit of info about the origin of sinks.

Probably the first sinks ever created were stone sinks. Ancient civilizations, including the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians had sinks made from stone. Although the materials are ancient, the designs are current and more popular than ever.

Have you ever thought of an exotic sink made of gemstones? Who would have thought? The thought of this amber sink thrills me. I love amber!

Exotic Stone Sinks

For your bathroom, choose a stone vessel sink made from a gemstone. Who else can say they have a sink in their home that is carved from amber and holds the remains of terrifically ancient insects? What better way to dazzle anyone who enters your bath by including a stone basin made from delicious turquoise or exotic lapis? Although these options are certainly not friendly for the budget, they are certainly one way to add a unique impact to your space.

More about stone sinks here. Other sinks making trends in home design are copper sinks,
pedestal sinks and vessel sinks. No matter what the sink or new trends in home design and sinks, the sink for me has got to be able to accomodate the occasional eel fish safely!

Odd~Humor~Funny

Saddam To Die By Hanging

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Many Iraqis reacted with jubilation to Saddam Hussein's death sentence Sunday, while others took to the streets in protest.

The Interior Ministry closed two Sunni satellite TV stations accused of inciting sectarian violence, a ministry official told CNN.

Iraqi police and soldiers ordered the employees of First Channel [Zawra] and Salaheddin TV to leave their offices in Tikrit, Hussein's hometown.

That is where as many as 2,000 people protested Sunday's verdict and sentence against the former Iraqi leader, defying the government's curfew.

Earlier in the day, a witness said the protesters in Tikrit carried posters of the former president and were shooting into the air. The numbers of demonstrators grew after the sentence was announced.

There have been no reports of widespread violence, and the measure to close the two TV networks is largely precautionary.

A complete movement ban -- both people and vehicles -- was imposed on Sunday in the provinces of Baghdad, Diyala and Salaheddin, where Tikrit is located.

Meanwhile, gleeful Iraqis took to the streets in celebration in predominantly Shiite areas, including Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood, southern towns in Wasit province, and the southern city of Najaf.

Some carried pictures of Muqtada al Sadr's grandfather -- a cleric who was murdered by Hussein in the '80s -- and shot their guns in the air in celebration.

Witnesses said people shouted "the killer deserves to be killed" and set pictures of Hussein on fire.

Bush~Politics~News~9-11

Got Apogee?

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Paid Search Advertising seems to have take off. Pay Per Click Advertising is a service offered by Apogee Search designed to quickly place a website in the listings of Internet search engines. You only pay if someone clicks to your site. Check out all the details here: Search Engine Marketing For web designers and businesses, it is a great way to immediately boost your performance overnight and drive qualified traffic to your website. Pay Per Click metrics also provide a fast, accurate way to test and refine which keywords or keyword phrases are best for your online marketing. I have tried this myself and it does work. It is slow and steady, but eventually you will win the race.

Apogee Search, the largest pure play Search Engine Marketing firm in the Southwest, announced recently that it has decided to endorse and support the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO). Founded in 2002, SEMPO's purpose is to educate, and foster awareness of SEM and its role in marketing. Key sponsors include search engine giants like Google and Yahoo.

One of the main requirements is that you must have customers and not just clicks. They are interested in driving revenue and not just having click thru. If interested, you can have a analysis done to determine how your site is doing within the major search engines. Check here for the analysis.

Paid search advertising with Apogee has many benefits but a few of the key ones are:

• Rapid gains in leads and sales within your target markets
• A professionally managed search engine advertising campaign that maximizes the return on your monthly paid seacrch investment
• Dramatic increases in qualified visitors to your site
• World-class search engine advertising management to create more revenue, faster

Consider joining Apogee. With Apogee, you'll have a trusted partner who can help you get the most from your marketing dollar and quickly raise your search marketing revenues to the next level.

Extreme Green Cars of the Future

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Car makers are looking to the future for cars that will be environmentally friendly. Check out these prototypes. Cool!

This fuel-cell powered Hummer would produce oxygen. Agae-filled body panels could break down C0₂, a greenhouse gas, releasing oxygen into the atmosphere. When parked, body panels would fan out to catch more light, speeding the process. The 0₂ would be constructed from 100-percent post-consumer recycled aluminum.

Conceived as "the ultimate recyclable California roadster," the RECY would be powered by a four-cylinder clean bio-diesel engine. Damaged panels can be easily removed and replaced.
"And yes, you can use those old panels to create that perfect campfire!" according to designers.

The Biomoke is a futuristic version of the Mini Moke, a Jeep-like offroader produced by the original Mini in the 1960s. It would be produced in a kit car form. It's body could be constructed from a single sheet of biodegradable paneling impregnated with palm tree seeds. At the end of its five-year life cycle, its body parts could be composted to grow palm trees.

The two-seat Extreme would have a honeycomb polycarbonate chassis that could accommodate various body styles. The owner could easily change the body panels. As with all of the concepts in this competition, the chassis could be recycled at the end of five years.

Check out the full story here: Extreme Green Cars of the Future~

Odd~Science~Environment

Diamonds For Christmas

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Christmas is coming! What better time to get engaged, what better time to get an online deal? Christmas is a romantic time. Its also a time when some of the best deals are on offer. Diamonds USA offers all year round deals on Engagement Rings, Loose Diamonds, and many times of Diamond Jewelry. Get the best online deals, get the best information from the experts. Check out their Engagement Rings.

The second time I was engaged I had the diamond of my dreams. I only wish I had it now. It was a beautiful 2.5 carat oval diamond..almost perfect clarity, no flaws. It cost about 8k at the time. It was a serious rock! I wore it proudly for 2 years. I love oval diamonds. Check out this oval diamond!

Last christmas I asked my "friend" for a piece of jewelery for Christmas. I wanted a diamond. He told me to go to the store and pick out something I liked and let him know what store to go to and cost and size. So I did just that. I went to the mall and found a beautiful cocktail ring. On sale. I got the sale price, got a business card with the sku number on it and gave the card to him. He told me he would just go pick it up for me. What could go wrong with that plan? I even picked out 2 rings, one a little less money than the first so that if one was not in his budget, the other would. How perfect was that?

The rings I picked out were both 1 carat diamond weight. He went to the mall and I thought he would have the ring. He did not get the ring...at first. I was very disappointed and asked why. He was having cold feet. After a big fight, with both of us mad and slamming down the phone I ignored him for a week. Then he just popped up one day at the door with the ring. Beautiful and sparkly and it was the expensive one.

All you guys out there, get ready. Diamonds are a girls best friend! Christmas is coming. Be sure to check out Diamonds-USA.com. They have a great selection and not only that. There is great information on diamonds as well. Check out the Diamond Tutorial. You can even design your own ring.

International Museum of Women

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Be sure to check out the International Museum of Women. What is it all about? Check it out!

The Museum was founded as the Women's Heritage Museum in 1985. For over 10 years, the Women's Heritage Museum operated as a museum without walls, producing several exhibits, hosting public programs, sponsoring an annual bookfair, providing teacher resources for Women's History Month, honoring unknown women from our local history, and recreating historic events.

In 1997, in response to growing support, the Museum’s Board began plans for a single destination museum in San Francisco and changed the name to the International Museum of Women. From 1997 – 2004, the Museum organized seven major exhibits, created a speaker series drawing world-class speakers, offered special events and public forums, and educational curricula to the local student and teacher community.

In 2005, the Museum embarked on a global strategy to reach women around the world leveraging advanced technology, collaborative strategic partnerships, and a physical presence in San Francisco and in key regions around the world. This unique model will allow the International Museum of Women to reach millions of people around the world through an online and physical presence. In 2006, the Museum launched Imagining Ourselves, A Global Generation of Women, the Museum’s first interactive, multi-lingual online exhibit designed to reach a global audience.

They are still moving forward and calling for submissions of work well into 2007. It is women reaching, teaching and thinking globally.

International Museum of Women

A Home Again?

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

I bought my first home back in 1990. I was thrilled. I was living alone and was dating a guy who was in the construction and real estate business. Ultimately we did not make it as far as a relationship, but he did help me get my first house. What I bought was through a government foreclosing auction. We had to bid on a house and jump through a lot of hoops. Thank god he was there to navigate me through the entire process. He knew everything. He knew all the financial ins and outs and after several months I was in a house in a gated community with a 15 year mortgage with a very low payment.

Now it is years later and I am in a townhome that I do not owe. I am now in the market to buy. Unfortunately I do not have a "mister right" to assist me, so I will have to do a lot of research on my own.

Luckily with the WWW everything that you could possible want to find out about home mortgages and a mortgage loan can be found with the click of a mouse. There are wonderful sites out there to provide all sorts of information. For instance, Personal Home Loan Mortgages.com. They have every bit of information you could possibly want.

PersonalHomeLoanMortgages.com provides borrowers with all of the information and resources they need to make smart home loan decisions. Quality editorial provides insight into mortgage refinancing, home equity loans and other complicated loan products. I will need the basics and will need to read it all to get an understanding. Here is MY list of things from the site I will need to get started:

• Home Mortgage Basics
• Mortgages 101
• Understanding Home Equity Loans

Other benefits of the site include the fact that they protect customer data through SecureTrust which guarantees compliance with FTC, DoNotCall & Can Spam regulations. Not only do they have all the informational content you could ever need, they also have extensive mortgage directories and forums.

Looking to buy a new home and don't know where to begin? Begin where I am. They have the information that helps consumers fully understand the ins and outs of borrowing intelligently.

news~mortgages~Home Buying~Real Estate