Beautiful Card

I received a Christmas card from my friend Rachel in England today. When I first opened the envelope and looked at the card, I thought I was looking at one of those expensive folksy designer cards. This photo doesn't do justice to the card; it's hard to photograph the full 3-D effect of the star and the angel.


Imagine my delight when I discovered that Rachel designed the card herself. I knew she said she was an artist, but WOW! If you were to hold the card in your hands and look at it, you could tell that she put a lot of work into making it. It is truly a gift I will treasure for a long time. Thank you, Rachel!

Brief Thoughts: Execution of "Tookie" Williams

The last thing I want to do is piss off anyone, but I am a death penalty proponent and believe Stanley "Tookie" Williams should have been executed years ago. I am sick and tired of endless appeals convicted murderers are allowed to make to try to avoid being executed. They didn't give their victims the same courtesy, so why should they be allowed to tie up public funds over and over?

I know Gov. Schwartzenegger is catching hell for his decision, but he did not make this decision lightly ... he put a lot of thought into it and weighed both sides of the argument before making his decision. Even if he granted clemency, I would have respected him and his decision because he had access to Tookie's prison records and could weigh all the good and bad behavior presented. Many of William's supporters had not been made aware of his past bad behaviors in prison or were against the death penalty anyway.

It's a sad ending to an already tragic situation. Four people died because of Williams, and now he's dead, too. I truly hope he had found redemption and made his peace with God. He leaves behind a mixed legacy: the Crips gang is still alive and well, yet William's anti-gang books are helping kids get out of and/or stay away from street gangs.

New Oven

Three weeks ago, I was baking a center-cut pork loin in the oven. In the middle of baking, the oven stopped working (found out it died). I ended up having to cook the roast on top of the stove. It was a large roast in an even larger roasting pan, so I had to use two burners to do it. It turned out okay despite the setback, but it was an experience I would not like to repeat again.

Last week, we got a new oven installed. It's nice ... very nice. During the weekend, I baked some cracklin' corn bread, and it was wonderful. Tonight, we baked a chicken. It tasted as good as it looked:





I'm baking a pork shoulder roast for Thanksgiving. I'll let you know how it turns out.

WMD: Do They or Do They Not Exist?

http://www.freedomagenda.com/iraq/wmd_quotes.html

I'm posting this link because I'm sick and tired of people saying that President Bush lied about the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. I do not believe he lied. In fact, I believe they still exist but have been moved and hidden in another country. Has anyone checked Syria?

Now, I think both the Democrat and Republican parties are corrupt and need new blood. I'm tired of the Bush-bashing by the media and the political left, I'm weary of hearing only bad news coming from the War in Iraq, and I'm sick of the finger-pointing. Then people wonder why I hate politics.

Vin Diesel and Praia: There Are Two Sides to the Story

This entry was updated 5/12/2006

Something is bugging me.

Normally, I don't get into the business of celebrities from Hollywood. My usual beef with them is that some of them feel they have to tell me how to vote or go above and beyond the vulgar to diss people that I either like or respect. I have no problems with differences of opinion as long as they are expressed respectfully and civilly. But I digress ...

Back in late September 2005, an alleged incident took place between Vin Diesel and an architectural student named Marianny Pimentel Orde at Club Praia in the Dominican Republic. If you Google "Vin Diesel Praia," you'll find several sites that basically say the same thing: "Vin Diesel had Marianny Pimentel Orde kicked out of the Club Praia when she refused to go back to his hotel room with him," all quoting the same source: DominicanToday.com. As of this writing, none of these sites seem to know or want to acknowledge that there are two sides to this story, and they're being irresponsible in not telling it.

In the spirit of fairness and full disclosure, I admit that I'm a Vin Diesel fan. I'm not one of those lovesick, obsessive fans who stalks the poor guy just for a picture. I am, however, an admirer of his acting and the fact that he does have a reputation for being a sensitive, friendly person and a gentleman who tries to do the right thing. There are printed articles in which he rescued people from a car that caught on fire, he stood up for a wheelchair-bound woman who was being spoken to threateningly by a man in line at a grocery store, and he stood up for Kirstie Alley when a few young men were heckling her about her weight problem and made them apologize to her (that one really hit home with me).

When I first read those articles about the Club Praia incident, admittedly, I was very disappointed in Diesel, almost to the point that I felt like he previously lied. I've seen his interviews on The Tonight Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Entertainment Tonight, The Early Show, and some foreign talk shows. He gave me and other people the impression that he was a sensitive guy and a gentleman. The Club Praia incident reflected Diesel as a complete opposite of that impression.

Then I started thinking about how the media is quick to publish bad news about people and events. Wanting to know more, I started searching the Internet for anything to show that Diesel gave a rebuttal. Galatta.com claims that "Diesel's publicist has declined to comment on Orde's allegation." Well, that can be taken two ways. Many experts in Hollywood believe that untrue press should not be commented on. Fair enough. However, many of those who have "misbehaved" don't want to talk about their shenanigans either, so their responses are also, "No comment." Speaking for myself, I think an official denial goes a long way toward thwarting further bad press.

Now, let's say for the sake of the argument that the allegations are true. The best thing Orde and her friend should have done was take it as a learning experience and walk away. The fact that she ran to the press to tell her story of being snubbed by a celebrity doesn't say much about her. The more I thought about it, the more suspicious I became of her claim. If she was truly "not that kind of girl," then she would have also avoided the cheap and tawdry publicity brought about by her tale. I mean, think about it ... why would you want have anything to do to a business establishment that allegedly caters to the whims of people who are so supposedly self-important? Why would you want to have any association, whether in person or in a news story, with someone who allegedly disrespected you? In my opinion, she contradicted herself. So he supposedly tried to bust a move on her and she said no, then allegedly had her thrown out! Big fat hairy deal! She's in her early 20's and is supposed to be an adult! She should have acted like one by realizing, "Okay, he's a jerk. I deserve better, so I'll forget about him," and go elsewhere, not run off and tattle, bent on revenge for being rejected.

From everything I've read, Orde seemed more upset with Vin's alleged treatment of her and having her kicked out rather than the fact that she was kicked out of Club Praia itself. Orde is supposed to be a college student, an educated person. To me, it seemed like her feelings got hurt, so rather than do the adult thing by chalking up the situation to a learning experience, she went to the press and made a big issue of being snubbed by a celebrity that she liked. If Vin had laid a finger on her, it would have been a completely different story, but then she should have called the cops before calling the press.

As it turns out, there are at least two sources on the Internet in which a rebuttal was given. Valentino Morales, Diesel's longtime friend, spoke to Diariolibre.com and Elcaribe.com.do a day after the story broke in the Dominican Republic and denied Orde's claims. Now, I don't know Spanish, but the interpretation I got from the articles using Google's "Language Tools" was that Morales said that Orde's ex-fiance showed up and an argument ensued, (which may explain why Orde and her group were "invited to leave," the club, although this is strictly my opinion). Morales also claimed that he nor Diesel ever intended to leave with Orde or her female friend, that the ladies hung around the lobby for hours and pursued them. When Orde decided to go to the press, she had the help of Luisín Jiménez (a local celebrity) as a "witness." Morales believes that Jiménez did this to get publicity at the expense of Diesel. Morales (at the time of the interview) had not told his friend about the negative press his friend was getting. Morales was very concerned for his friend Diesel because Diesel was wanting to make a movie and invest in property and the economy, and the negative publicity might make Diesel not want to return to the Dominican Republic.

I'm sure if you look at any of the gossip rags in print and on the Internet, you've seen stories about how photographers and the media literally hound celebrities for their picture or for a statement. Vin Diesel is so popular that he has to use bodyguards just to go out to a club, a premiere, or other places in which there will be a crowd. He's mentioned in interviews how he's become more reserved in the last few years because of how he's now pursued by so many people (many with questionable motives, I strongly suspect). Is our fascination with celebrities gotten to the point that people like Diesel are not able to be in public without being stalked and hounded by the media and the fans? What kind of life is that? It makes me wonder what the motives of Orde and her friend were that night when they met Diesel and Morales at Club Praia. Why was her ex-fiance not mentioned in her story?

Rather than take my word for it, go to Google's Language Tools page, then open another browser window and visit the two above-listed links, copy and paste the text, then go the the Language Tools windows, paste the text in the "Translate Text" box, then select "Spanish to English." Then click on "Translate." It maybe a little hard to follow at first, but you'll get the gist of what was said. If you'd rather, you can also download this Wordpad file in which I copied and pasted the literal Google translation of both those articles. I also included the literal Google translations of the articles describing the original allegations.

Whatever the case may be, there is another side to this story ... and more people need to be aware of it. I want to believe that the alleged incident isn't true. I wasn't there, so I honestly don't know what really happened. All I know is that Diesel better appreciate Morales' friendship because Morales shouldn't have had to say anything. As someone who wants to give Diesel the benefit of the doubt, I suggest that he may want to rethink the "no comment" stance on something like this. When allegations like this happen in the same week that the premiere of his new movie Find Me Guilty is postponed for five months for "problems," it doesn't look good for the actor, even if it was purely coincidental.

Speaking for myself, if someone accused me of what Orde accused Diesel of doing and it wasn't true, I'd be seeing a lawyer about slander and libel. I'm not a litigious person, but don't muck with my reputation with stuff that's not true.

Gasoline Savings

Back on October 2, I paid over $60.00 to fill my gas tank. Since then, the price per gallon of gasoline has come down. Now when I fill up my gas tank every week, I subtract the total of the fill-up from $60.00 and put that in savings. It's adding up. I don't know how long that will last, but I can at least try to pocket some money before the prices go back up again.

My family told me that whenever they got a raise at work, they'd put the extra from that raise into savings. I started doing that about two years ago. It's amazing how quickly it adds up and saves your butt for when you suddenly need some cash (like when your vehicle needs repairs).

I still say there's price gouging going on in Georgia. I do not believe gasoline should be $2.799 a gallon. I also wish there was a law to stop this 9/10ths cost on the damn price! Just make the charge $2.80 and be done with it, for crying out loud!

Titanium Turbo: Don't Waste Your Money

It arrived here today, and it does not work like it claims. It seems to somewhat shave the hairs on your face (I had a couple of whiskers). However, I ran this thing over my arms and legs, and none of the hairs seemed to have been affected. Even if it was only ten dollars, I expected better.

Speaking of razors ...

Has anyone seen those commercials where they're now advertising FOUR blades for each disposable razor? Come on! How many blades to you need to cut one hair? Two blades, I could understand TO SOME EXTENT. I thought they were pushing it with three blades. Now I think they've gone overboard with four blades for each razor.

I know it's not an earthshaking matter. It just bugs me that these manufacturers think they're creating a better product when they're not; it bugs me more when they lie or insult my intelligence.

National-Brand vs Generic (medications)

The argument has gone on for years about the cost benefits of generic or store-brand medications versus national-brand medications. The two main arguments are: "Why pay more money for a name when the generic has the same ingredients?" and "National-brand medications have higher-quality ingredients whereas generic brands don't have to live up to the same standard."

I'm one of those people that will buy generic unless I find that a national brand is better. I recently discovered that Afrin versus Equate (Wal-Mart's store brand) nasal sprays are now another example of that exception. Afrin costs three times as much Equate, but Equate's version has more side effects (burning, sneezing, bleeding, nasal soreness). The last bottle of Equate nasal spray wrecked havoc on my already-sensitive nose. Yes, I know; I shouldn't be using them long-term to begin with. However, it is one of those necessary evils those of us with sleep apnea have to deal with.

I've had similar experiences with generic aspirin when I was a teenager. I couldn't understand why I got no relief from my menstrual cramps, even when I took four aspirin (this was before ibuprofen was available). I kept suffering until I read that many generic aspirin tablets weren't dissolving like they should. Needless to say, I was angry. Generic or not, I expected the medication to work.

Sometimes, the protective coating on most tablets and caplets prevent it from dissolving or working as quickly. One thing I have discovered in the last few years that helps pills dissolve better is for them to be cut in half or in quarters. Pill cutters are great for this, and it is worth having a couple on hand. For example, my dad has arthritis in his back really bad. He stopped taking his Propoxy (generic for Darvocet) because it wasn't working; even two pills weren't giving him any relief. I suggested to him to break the pill into two pieces. Dad thought I was crazy, but he was desperate and was willing to give my suggestion a try. He cut two Propoxy tablets into 4 pieces. Forty-five minutes later, he came into the room where I was working on the computer and thanked me for the advice. I could tell by the look on his face his back was feeling MUCH better.

My HMO requires a higher copayment for national-brand prescriptions. No problem; I can understand that. However, there may be times that the generic version just doesn't do as well. For example, because of my generalized anxiety disorder, I take Paxil Cr 25mg once a day. It works great! A few months ago, the manufacturer had to temporarily halt the production of Paxil Cr, so my doctor switched me to regular Paxil 20mg once a day. I was given Paroxatene, the generic version of Paxil at the pharmacy. No, it didn't work as well. As soon as Paxil Cr was back on the shelves, I called my doctor and begged him to me put back on it. Yes, there was that much of a difference.

Each person is different and metabolizes medications differently. If you think or suspect your medication is not working like it should, talk to your doctor about cutting the pills in half or switching to another brand. You can also go to Drugstore.com's drug checker and see if any of your medications, vitamins, herbal supplements, or food may be adversely interacting with each other. For example, did you know that if you take birth control pills, you should avoid St. John's Wort? Did you know those who are on a daily aspirin regimen might need to avoid Evening Primrose Oil? Did you know that Darvocet may not be as effective for people who smoke? I found out that I cannot take cough syrup with dextromethoraphan because it has a major adverse interaction with Paxil Cr. Be sure to print out the results and take it to your next doctor's visit. You can never have too much information when it comes to your health.

Bandwidth Theft

You would think people would quit being so stupid as to post a picture on their site, but hotlink it from someone else's site.

As I was surfing the net tonight, I was a witness to a site blatantly doing that. I was also made aware that the webmistress of the offending site also stole content (nearly word-for-word) from a similar web site. What bothers me is that the offending site was recently nominated for an award. You know, that is pathetic.

Now, I would LOVE to post the web address and expose the webmistress for the contemptible thief she is. However, I am a firm believer that what goes around comes around. It also helps to send an e-mail to the webmistress of the site her bandwidth is being stolen from, giving her all the web addresses for her to go check for herself. It will be her decision as to whether to pursue further action or not. After all, I'm just following what the Good Book says, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In other words, I would want someone to tell me if my bandwidth was being stolen by another webmaster. It's theft, and it's wrong. You can't hide it because your HTML codes will give you away, so why do it?

Am I being a tattletale? You call it what you want. I'm reporting a crime and letting the victim decide whether to take action.

Damn Lucky

Once again, my hometown has been spared from the ravages of a tropical storm/hurricane. This time, her name was Tammy. At this point, I don't know whether to consider it an act of kindness from God or worry that the worst is yet to come.

Our society has become so modernized, the absence of electrical power can paralyze a community. Just the absence of running water can render useless the simple things we take for granted. Take one or both of these things away, and the impact felt is immediate. You could have all the money in the world, and it will not help you one iota while you're in an area devoid of these two things unless you can leave to get what you don't have. Hope you have enough fuel in your vehicle; without electricity, you can't fill your gas tank at a gas station. Am I getting your attention now?

I've seen enough damage from past storms and hurricanes to have respect for them when they threaten our area. It perturbs me to hear people refer to these tropical sytems as "a little hurricane," or "a little storm." Tell that to someone who lost his home or loved-one to a flood from the excess rain brought by the storm. Tell that to someone who lost his home or loved-one to a tornado spun off from one of these tropical systems. Hey, I love watching a good thunderstorm, but even I know to do it from the safety of shelter.

I remember when then New York City mayor Ed Koch made the remark, "We scared the hell out of that hurricane!" back in October 1985. I don't remember the name of that hurricane. At 20 years of age, I was familiar with seeing the results of past storms because of where I lived and what I've seen on television. Instead of making smarta$$ remarks like that, he'd should have counted his blessings and thanked God that it didn't hit the New York/New Jersey area.

As foolish as Ed Koch's remark was, I'll still take him over New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin. If the people of New Orleans reelect him as their mayor, then they deserve him. He needs to quit grandstanding and get stuff done. Is he doing anything at all?

Some questions have remained unanswered in my mind:

1) Incarcerated inmates were released rather than transferred to other jails/prisons. Why weren't they put to work preparing the city for evacuation, then later help with the clean up?

2) Why were all those school buses still sitting in the parking lots before Katrina hit? I can't seem to get a straight answer from the press.

3) Why has the media been focusing on New Orleans and not report more on the devastation east and north of that city?

I hope all the elected officials everywhere take notes on what NOT to do the next time any-sized tropical system threatens our coastlines. In my observation of the incompetence shown by the mayor of New Orleans and the governor of Louisiana, it takes the feeling of helplessness to a new level and makes the arrival of future tropical systems even more frightening.

In the meantime, I'm counting my blessings and thanking God for sparing us from yet another storm.

OK Cupid Politics Test

These were my results:

You are a Social Moderate (55% permissive) and an... Economic Moderate (55% permissive) You are best described as a: Centrist Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

OUCH! Gas prices!

I spent $60.00 this morning filling up my gas tank. I've never had to spend that much on gasoline before. It's a good thing my truck will be completely paid for next month. At the rate things are going, what went for truck payments will soon go for filling the gas tank.

One of those situations in which I wish I worked closer home. At least my bosses were nice enough to let me go to a four-day ten-hour work schedule. I had been asking about changing my work schedule for almost six months but really pressed for it when gas prices shot up after Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana and Mississippi. Of course, now since Hurricane Rita hit Texas and Louisiana, the new schedule is temporarily mandatory to help save the department money. I feel for those who didn't want to go to a 10-hour work day for four days a week. It could be a rough adjustment, depending upon your job and after-work schedule.

I still strongly believe price gouging is going on in Georgia. I only hope that it will be investigated and those responsible get fined and sanctioned.

Intellivision Lives!!

Anyone will tell you I'm a lady of the 80's.

When I received my very first paycheck from working at Pic N Save back in 1983, the first thing I bought was an Intellivision console. By the time my console gave up the ghost in 1998, I had acquired: Poker and Blackjack, Horse Racing, BurgerTime, Triple Action, Checkers, Chess, and Night Stalker. Of course, some of the cartridges stopped working (this is what I get for allowing friends to borrow them) before my console's demise. I figured I would never be able to play the Intellivision versions of those games again.

Guess what?

I was surfing the net one evening and found an official web site for Intellivision games, including its history, information about the programmers, and other trivia. Imagine my delight when I found out that I can buy the CD that included all the games I used to own (with the exception of BurgerTime). The CD arrived last night.



The first game I played was Horse Racing. Up to six people can play this game. Each player gets to choose from eight colored horses (pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, white, and violet) in ten races with three different tracks (dry, turf, and muddy).


Of course, I had to play Poker and Blackjack, too. I still chuckle every time the dealer frowns.

Ahhh ... trips down memory lane.

Patience Has Its Rewards

Four years after Xena-Warrior Princess, one of my favorite shows of all time, went off the air ...

Four years of kicking myself for not recording the episodes to keep and watch later ...



... I finally managed to aquire the entire series on DVD ...

... for less than $200.00

Now, if they'll put Alien Nation the series and the movies made after the series into a boxed set ...

Tiffany and the Skunk

Okay, I finally am getting around to telling this true story of what happened to my sister's dog a few years ago. My sister could tell this story better; it was an unpleasant experience, but she tells it in such a way as to make you want to howl with laughter.

My sister Pamela had a border collie named Tiffany that she had let out the front yard one night to "take care of business." It was 30 degrees below zero, but that didn't phase Tiffany.

Pamela was waiting at the doorway when she heard a muffled yet abrupt sound, like a cross between a whine and a low howl. She took a few steps out to investigate when she noticed "the smell." All that ran through her mind was, "Oh no ... no! no! no! ..." By then, Tiffany had trotted back to her, looking for comfort and relief from her obvious attack. Pamela's dread was a reality: Tiffany got skunked.

The smell was so bad that she briefly considered hosing Tiffany off outside, even though it was 30 below. Pamela's compassion overrode her desperation to minimize the overpowering skunk odor. However, she had to run her heater at full blast for the next few days as all the windows in the house were open to keep the odor to a minimum. Tiffany received numerous tomato-juice baths over the next few days.

Pamela never told me how much higher her fuel bill was that month.

To learn more about Tiffany, click here.

What's All The Fuss?

I had received an e-mail entitled "What's All The Fuss?" that I had agreed with 100 percent and posted it here on my site back on August 11, 2005, thinking it had been written by Pamela Foster of Atlanta, Georgia. I have since then found out the real author of the essay was Doug Patten and where it was originally published.

I have removed the article in order to avoid infringing on any copyrights. However, you can click on the link below to read the article in its entirety:

http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/dpatton/2005/dp_0606p.shtml

I appreciate the people at Snopes.com for their continuing hard work debunking urban legends and doing the research to clarify the origins of various e-mail submissions. Click on the link below to read their findings about the above-listed article.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/foster.asp

Crab Shred Salad

This is the perfect salad for someone who doesn't like lettuce or salads in general. I added equal parts of shredded lettuce and broccoli slaw (consisting of shredded broccoli, carrots, and red cabbage), shredded monterrey jack cheese, and imitation crab meat cut into small strips. I eat about a two cups of this mixture with zesty Italian salad dressing (with extra vinegar) and a diet soda like Diet Dr. Pepper or Fresca. Not only is it a satisfying lunch, my blood sugar comes down considerably afterward.



I don't know how to shred lettuce, so I buy a bag of Fresh Express "Shreds!" shredded iceberg lettuce. The broccoli slaw is also in a similarly-sized bag. You can find them both in the bagged lettuce section of the produce aisle. I prefer to use either Monterrey Jack or a very mild cheddar cheese for these salads. I've used canned tuna, pepperoni sliced and cut into strips, or leftover chicken at different times.

Strakalogue 7/19/2005

When you have a chance, read this week's Strakalogue by Mike Straka of FoxNews.com. Reading his Grrr! column is delightfully satisfying. He hit the nail especially hard this week describing Britney Spear's husband Kevin Federline. I had to look up the word he used, but when I read the description, I was rolling on the floor laughing. Read his column, and you'll see what I mean. Watch his videos "The Real Deal" while you're at it. Straka is not only intelligent, but a damn good-looking guy ... trust me! (insert evil grin here)

Blogger's Start Page

I like the changes that Blogger has made to their start page, like a continually scrolling list of "blogs updated" and the "blogs of note" being easier to see. However, I have yet to see "The Mundling Zone" show up on the list of "blogs updated" yet. Hmmmm ... no big deal really; I'm just curious.

Volunteeers Create Website for Local Humane Society

by Amy Roundtree
Waycross, Georgia

Everyone knows where the Okefenokee Humane Society is, but people don’t usually go there unless they’re getting rid of an unwanted litter of kittens or puppies.

Now, locals don’t even have to make the trip out Blackwell Street to see the animals that are available for adoption.

A new web site, www.okefenokeehumanesociety.org, was created by a group of local volunteers who, coincidentally, got together on another website, an Internet message board named “The Green Screen.”

The Humane Society web site is only one of many community service projects the “Greenies” have completed, which doesn’t surprise the man behind the local news and opinion site at www.wareopednews.com.

“The traffic at Ware Op-Ed & News has steadily grown each year since we launched on Aug. 20, 2001. The Green Screen is probably the most popular page. A lot of heated discussion breaks out there sometimes; a lot of trivial stuff, too. But there’s a surprising degree of camaraderie among posters also even though, in many cases, they have no idea of who each other is. Consequently, it’s not uncommon now for every body to come together to support a charitable cause. You never know what’s going to set it off,” said David B. Shields, owner and administrator of Ware Op-Ed & News. “We’ve pitched in to pay vet bills for a stray dog, found homes for animals, helped a few individuals down on their luck and the like. Now we’ve come together to help out the local Humane Society. This is the kind of thing I like best about our web site.”

Greenies have also given money to support the Okefenokee Humane Society, having chosen the shelter as the recipient of funds raised for a fish fry dinner.

While several board participants helped with the project and raised money, two “Greenie Gals” in particular, Lori Sands and Michelle Mundling, worked on the website.

Sands took photos of animals available for adoption and also organized the fish fry dinner, and Mundling designed the website. They both spearheaded the project out of love.

“My dad instilled a love for animals in me at a very early age,” said Sands. “It didn’t matter what kind of animal it was or how sick it was, my daddy would take it and make it better. We would set wild animals free back into the woods when they were healthy and we would find homes for abandoned dogs or cats.”

She said that her love for “pound puppies” also developed after she and her husband picked out their first dog at the animal shelter.

“I can’t hardly stand looking at all those perfectly healthy friendly animals whose only crime is not having a home that wants them,” said Sands. “I’m getting involved for the purpose of helping them find homes that are perfect for them and for their new owners. There is a perfect dog or cat out there for anyone who is willing to open their heart to a pet. I hope a few hours and clicks from a camera will change the lives of these pets and their owners.”
Photos taken by Sands are featured on the website, and also are displayed in the Wal-Mart pet department.

Mundling also said love was her inspiration for designing the website.

“Being an animal lover, the Humane Society is an organization near and dear to my heart,” said Mundling, who is an employee of the Department of Corrections and who owns and operates a web site named “The Mundling Zone” in her spare time. “It takes more than money to find homes for the abandoned and unwanted animals that are brought to them on a daily basis. I like working in web design, and they needed a web site, so I volunteered. It’s deeply satisfying to know that I’m helping those who can’t speak for themselves.”

Humane Society Director Kaye Thompson said she’s already seen a good response from the new website, and she was exceptionally thankful for the additional publicity.

“Sometimes people don’t want to come out here to volunteer or see what they can do to help because they think they’ll want to take an animal home, or they think it’s too sad,” Thompson, who has been in charge at the shelter since its inception nearly 20 years ago. “For so long I felt that nobody was helping and I wondered if anybody cared. Turns out there were a lot of people who care, they just didn’t know what to do. Really any help we get is appreciated.”

Thompson said that four animals have been adopted since the website went up in mid-June, and she’s gotten several phone inquiries as well.

“We have to euthanize so many animals because there are so many that come in here every day of the week,” she said. “If it keeps one animal from getting euthanized, I believe it’s a success. I just want to have a better life for these sweet little animals.”

Reprinted from the Thursday, June 30, 2005 edition of the Waycross Journal-Herald. The Journal-Herald edited out the text in red above before printing it.

Note from Michelle: Amy Roundtree is a fellow greenie and is married to Eric Roundtree, president of Prinux LLC and Prinux Design. Mr. Roundtree is the same one who repaired my computer and has generously donated the domain name and web space for the Humane Society web site. One thing Mr. Shields left out of his statement is that we greenies have collected money to buy gifts for nursing home residents for Christmas.

Proof of Forgiveness

Remember the entry about Munchkin biting my sister's finger last December. I have proof that all was forgiven.




... until Munchkin nipped at my sister's toes last week for standing too close to her dog food :-P

Communicating with Critters

My sister Pamela is back in town! I'm so excited! She says she's going to be here for a couple of weeks. It's going to be the quickest two weeks of my life.

She brought Maizy again, but I don't know how she'll interact with Munchkin. Munchkin is so jealous that she runs Maizy off. We always know when Maizy enters the room because Munchkin starts wimpering. That's right, I said wimpering. She'll wimper before she does the 100-yard dash chasing Maizy back into the red room. For someone with an arthritic hip, Munchkin can still take off from a dead stop.

Maizy has learned the fine art of hiding under the bed in the red room, especially when it comes to avoiding Munchkin or the kitty carrier. Last time, it required removing the mattress and box springs to get to the cat. Yes, we tried food; it didn't work. Somehow, most animals know when they're being tricked and won't go for the food bait.

This was proven again when I tried to get Munchkin in the bathroom for a bath one morning by tempting her with a slice of bolonga; She didn't fall for it. That meant only one thing: chasing and picking up a 60 lb dog who doesn't want to be picked up. The only thing worse than that is trying to trim her toenails. We have to muzzle her; she's feral to the point of foaming at the mouth when Dad and I try to trim her nails. We've just about decided to let the vet deal with her ... they sedate her before doing her nails!

It's going to be fun, although I'm not sure how the critters will cope.

Cool Aprons

I bought a couple of aprons for about $9.95 each. One had a pre-printed graphic and the other was a custom job.





They've been the least-expensive aprons I've found on the web so far. If you want to check out the web site, go to http://www.coolaprons.com.

Poetry Moved/Love of Writing

I decided to take advantage of Blogger's template for ease of publishing my poetry.

Someone asked me if I was going to stop creating web graphics since I seem to be using Blogger for more things. The answer is no. It's just that Blogger has made it easy for me to write my thoughts then upload it to my site with just a click of the mouse. Using the older method, that meant finding the right photo/picture graphics, deciding what color to use, which PSP mask to use, creating the textured background, yada yada yada ... you get the point. I love creating web graphics, but I've gotten to the point that the more I've learned, the pickier I became. Besides, who's to say it how antiquated it may look in a few years? I mean, after all, look how far web design overall has come in just five years? I don't even know how to do shockwave flash yet.

My first loves have always been writing and photography. My interest in computers (both programming and operation) grabbed me in high school, although reality bit me in the butt a couple of years later about what was involved with computer programming. Now at age 40, I'm able to combine my love for writing, photography, and computer operation. The icing on the cake is that computers can be used for so much more than just photos and writing essays: entertainment, communication, problem-solving, reasearch, artistic expression, etc. To say I love my computer would be an understatement.

My poetry is not earth-shaking by any means, but they all mean something to me. If they can comfort, inspire, or otherwise help another person in a positive way, the high I get from that is just indescribable. Of couse, I know I can't please everyone and not everyone is going to like my work, and that's fine. But my poems are uniquely mine and are a true expression of me and my feelings.

Have I thought about writing stories. Yes, all the time. I get story ideas, but they'd be short stories. Usually they hit me after a weird dream or while I'm in my truck on the way to or from work. In either case, by the time I get to a keyboard, my inspiration fades back into obscurity. I did try to write a novel back in 1991 -1993 and got about 3 chapters written. However, I wrote myself into a corner and never could resolve the sub-plot to make it fit the story and be believeable. I finally decided it was a lousy story after the word processor tore up and the specialized data disks wouldn't work in another machine.

Do I have dreams of becoming a "published" author? Not really. To me, blogging is not really so much "publishing" as a means to express thoughtful opinions. I've had people approach me and tell me I should have my poetry published to make money. Maybe later, but not now. I'm not ready for the obligations that come with that. Maybe when I retire from my job and can devote more time.

Spamcop Account Closed

I know it's been over a month since my last entry, but I've been having to deal with issues at work and at home. I will have more to add by this weekend, but for now, this will have to suffice.

I do want to make an official announcement that I have closed my Spamcop e-mail address. GoDaddy allows me up to 500 e-mail addresses, and it has a spam filter and anti-virus scanner. It doesn't make sense to pay $30 a year for an e-mail account. I do believe in what Spamcop is doing, and I wish the company continued success.

Terri's Thirst by Dr. John Shea

TORONTO, April 5, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The following poem on the death of Terri Schiavo was submitted to LifeSiteNews.com by Dr. John Shea

Terri's Thirst

For those who were not by her side
For those who were not there
How was it then that Terri died?
She died of 'comfort care'
She found no aid
No remedy
In her resort
To any court
A world which kills
Within the womb
Will waft the weakest
To the tomb
A court that contradicts God's word
Becomes at once the tyrant's sword
And all who live
But for the hour
Have put themselves
In Satan's power
The first who would not serve
Terri was among the throng
Whose death is masked
And hurried on
Of those who cannot
Earn their keep
From loved ones torn
And from true caring shorn
Abandoned to their final sleep
Can no one hear that distant bell
Now warning us
That all's not well
That just as in Augustine's day
When Rome was falling in decay
We too
Consumed with self and pride
Have come to terms
With homicide?

Fake Friends

I loathe people like this.

These are the kind of people who treat you one way when they're alone with you, but treat you differently when other people are around. They make fun of you behind your back, make fun of you when others are present, then act like a very good friend when you're the only one around. If they're in a position superior to you, whether as a family member, boss, landlord, God forbid if you openly disagree with an opinion of theirs, or if you say or do anything to make them believe you are making them look bad!!!

People like that are not trustworthy.

I've known several people like that in my lifetime. I've just realized this weekend that I'm having to deal with yet another one. I'm going to call this person Danielle. What's bad is that I trusted Danielle to be honest with me. I trusted her to be fair, open-minded, and respectful of my feelings and opinions like I have of her opinions and feelings, even if I disagreed with them. You know, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Danielle professes to be a Christian -- regularly attending church, paying her tithes, studying the bible -- but is a little too quick to lecture people. I'd like to tell Danielle to shut her mouth until she removes the splinters in her eyes and apologize to those who she has hurt, starting with me. I'm not holding my breath, though. She isn't the kind of person to apologize. I have been loyal to Danielle for years and have not betrayed her. Can she say the same about herself? After her behavior toward me for the last five months, the answer to that question is a blatant "no."

I kept giving her the benefit of the doubt, despite what some other people have told me about her: people that went to school with her, people who have befriended her in the past, people who used to work with her at one time or another. The thing that really gets me is when she thinks no one can give her any attitude, but she's quick to give attitude to anyone else who disturbs her version of right and wrong. I keep asking myself what in the world have I done to end up on her sh!t list.

Despite everything, I need to pray for myself to remain above the pettiness of her behavior. I need to pray for Danielle to see the error of her ways and change them before she angers the wrong person and has to deal with the ugly backlash of retaliation.

Meanwhile, I'm keeping my distance from Danielle.

Poem: Visible Christian

This poem has been moved to http://www.mundlingzone.org/2005/03/visible-christian.html

Hands Off My Lock!

I know this is petty, but I've got to share this.

I go to the YMCA three to four times a week to use the weights and for water aerobics. I put my belongings into a locker and use a combination lock to keep my stuff from getting stolen and/or plundered through.

I set it to a particular number when I leave the locker room. When I come back, it is never, I mean NEVER, where I set it when I get back. It's not just a couple of digits ... I mean it's overtly obvious someone has been messing with it. What is it about the lock that someone just has to play with it or try to figure out the combination? Geez!!

I learn more about human nature every day. :-(

Soup using Zatarain's Black Beans and Rice

I finally got a picture of a bowl of soup using Zatarain's Black Beans and Rice mix.



This is what I do to create the soup that my family thoroughly enjoys:

1 box Zatarain's Black Beans and Rice
1 family-sized can Campbell's Tomato Soup
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 1/2 cups to 2 cups meat of choice*
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp minced onion

Add all ingredients to 3 quart pot. Take empty tomato soup can and add two more cans of water to pot. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Turn burner to medium and allow mixture to bubble, stirring occasionally. Turn burner to low and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes 6-8 servings.

*I've used ground beef, ground pork sausage, diced smoked sausage and stew meat. They all have worked well with this recipe.

Killed Another CD Burner

Another CD-RW drive bit the dust. It's only been my third burner since I bought my computer back in November 2001. I didn't like being without my computer, so I was hesitant to take my computer to a shop. I probably could have replaced it myself, but I honestly don't have the time nor the energy to do it right now at this point in my life.

Luckily, many posters of the Green Screen have used the services and knowledge of Eric Roundtree to work on their computers, and they have had nothing but glowing remarks about his work. He offered to help, so I decided to take him up on it. Not only did he do the job in less than two hours, he also increased my computer's memory from 384 MB to 512 MB. The icing on the cake is that he charged less for the burner, memory, and labor than Radio Shack charged to replace the burner on the same computer back in April 2003.

Eric runs Prinux LLC. Anyone who lives in the Waycross area should look him up as he did great work on my computer and charged less than other places I've patronized.

Thank you, Eric.

Oriental Noodles with Swedish Meatballs

Not a bad combination if I do say so myself. I used Lipton Asian Sides Teriyaki Noodles, frozen Swedish meatballs, garlic powder, and minced onions (all can be bought at Wal-Mart).



Now, the Lipton Asian Sides were not originally created to be soup noodles, so the extra seasoning and a little corn starch was needed to make the "soup" have more flavor. It wasn't a bad dish made "on the fly." I did neglect to add enough salt, so that's something I'll have to remember to use next time. As a side dish, I do like these Asian Sides Teriyaki noodles as they go well with beef, chicken, and pork.

My Zatarains black bean and rice soup still kicks butt and has become a family favorite. It always hits the spot, I'll post the recipe as soon as I can get a picture of the finished result.

Perhaps I need to explain why I'm using side dish mixes as soup mixes. When you live with elderly people, soups are much easier to digest. I'm not really a soup person, so I've been playing in the kitchen trying to create meals that are soupy enough for them but still chunky and flavorful enough for me. Tonight's soup was definitely on the bland side, but at least they enjoyed their meal. Thank God for tabasco :-P

Oh no! 4-0 !!!!

Yep. Yesterday was my birthday. I hit the big 4-0. Feel like it, too. But at least I got this awesome cake, combining two of my favorite things: pink roses and chocolate.



I also got some pretty flowers. I'm not normally a daisy person, but even these caught my eye. I guess they got colored the same way carnations are colored.







I'm always thrilled at receiving flowers on my birthday.

Thank You, Hollywood

This is one of two billboards bought by citizensunited.org, who plan to have one prominantly displayed at the Kodak Theater on the night of the Oscars.

Gonna be interesting to see how this is handled by the Hollywood celebrities on Oscar night. Of course, denial is a powerful drug, so they probably won't even acknowledge it.

Now, whether you're a liberal or a conservative, you have to admit the message on the billboards make you think. I will not elaborate further.

Ward Churchill is Wrong

By now, everyone has heard about the controversy concerning the remarks made by Colorado professor Ward Churchill. Many people are calling for the man to be terminated from his job. Churchill's credentials are now in question. Churchill, for the most part, seems recalitrant about his remarks and opinions. According to Bill O'Reilly's Talking Points Memo tonight, over 1,000 people attended Churchill's speech Tuesday night, many of them supported him. I don't know whether they were in support of his remarks or his defiance to "the establishment."

My opinion on the matter is that he is dead wrong about the victims of 9/11. No one, and I mean NO ONE deserved be attacked, much less killed, by the Al-Queda terrorists. NO ONE in our country was responsible for initiating those attacks. To refer to any person alive or dead who was affected by the attacks as "Nazis," "little Eichmanns," or other World War II terminology that refers to the evilness of that time is irresponsible, reprehensible, dishonest, and disrespectful. In my opinion, his remarks continue to be a slap in the face of those who lost loved ones in the attacks. As I listened to Bill O'Reilly tonight, I got the distinct impression that Churchill seems to be one of those aging Baby Boomers with radical views left over from the Vietnam conflict. Being as the case may be, I denounce Ward Churchill's comments about the victims of 9/11 and the comments about Americans deserving to be attacked and killed.

So what happens now?

I have mixed feelings about having Churchill terminated. This isn't a question of revenge, but a question of what's right. Yes, it would make a lot of us (including me) feel good to see this guy lose his job for his offensive opinions. However, has he broken any rules or laws? Just because this guy has an unpopular opinion, should he be penalized for it by terminating him from a job that he seems to otherwise be performing satisfactorily? Of course, the situation changes if he's using his opinion to penalize his students who don't agree with him; then he'd be crossing the line. By the way, Churchill is also incorrect to state that he doesn't work for the state of Colorado. If he is employed by the University of Colorado, that means taxpayer funds are used to pay his salary. That means Ward Churchill works for the state government of Colorado. That is not an opinion; that is a fact.

I also have reservations about the scrutiny Churchill is being put through to "find something on him" that could give justification to his potential job termination. Does having an unpopular opinion or making unpopular remarks justify a witch hunt? Even though some say it would be justified, my concern is that it would set a precedent for future incidents that were not nearly as controversial. Clear boundaries should not be blurred by those who push the limits or are swayed by mob rule.

In this country, we have the right to freedom of speech without fear of retribution from the government. However, with this freedom comes responsibility and the understanding that we have to take the bad with the good. That means allowing Churchill to express his opinions, even it if means angering and/or offending a large majority of people. It was stated by some in the media that Colorado tax money should not fund his controversial views, but that is a decision only the citizens and government of Colorado can make. In any case, Churchill's opinions are protected by the first amendment.

However, we also have the freedom and right to express our opinions about his opinions; have they ever! Many in the media have denounced Churchill's remarks about the victims of 9/11. It is a topic hotly debated on every news program, Internet web log, and print media. There are other ways to express views on the matter. Parents and students could express this dissatisfaction by transferring to or choosing another college in light of Ward Churchill remaining at University of Colorado. Alumni and sponsors of the University of Colorado could refuse to donate any more money so long as Churchill remained on the payroll.

What do I think should be done to Ward Churchill? Well, I keep thinking what my dad said about similar situations. He said, "If you openly say anything that aids or abets the enemy against this country, then you are guilty of treason." This is coming from a man who served 32 years honorably in the United States Navy. Sometimes, it's hard to see that fine line between making an honest criticism about the perceived faults of this country and making remarks that do nothing but demoralize the citizens and/or those in the military. However, the line is still there and should never be crossed. If Churchill's remarks are how he feels about the United States, then he should leave and establish a citizenship elsewhere. That is what I think Ward Churchill should do.

Only time will tell just how strongly they feel on the matter as actions speak louder than words. Right now, talk is cheap and plentiful. The proof will be in what actions are taken by anyone affected by Churchill's opinions.

Special Feature on FBOFW.com

Soul Sister's daughter is featured on the Official Web Site of Lynn Johnston's comic strip For Better or For Worse. Check it out!!!

Ingrown Toe Nails (Ouch!)

You know it's time to see a professional when an ingrown toe nail interferes with water aerobics.

I had been managing to remove the ingrown part for years, but it got to the point that it was coming back faster and faster. It became too sensitive to the touch, and being in the pool for longer than 20 minutes made it even more sensitive. This was truly a time when the phrase "no pain, no gain" would be painfully proved wrong.

Yesterday morning, I overslept and arrived late to the podiatrist's office. The staff was really understanding and kept me at ease. As scared as I was of taking a needle in my toe (I hate needles), much less having it cut on, I was determined to have it done.

The nurse was sly all right. She sneaked the syringe by hiding it in her pocket. I needed to call my friend I work with at my job to check and see if some paperwork had been submitted to our office. She asked me where I was at, and I told her I was in the doctor's office getting ready to have my toe stuck with the anesthetic. By then, the nurse had sprayed something called "skin freeze" to deaden the sensation where she would be injecting the needle. After I got off the phone, she told me she was trying to keep from laughing because when I made my remark, she had already stuck me with the needle. All I can say is, "Damn, she's good."

The procedure was much quicker than I anticipated ... and painless, too. Oh, I do love painless! They wrapped my toe in gauze and then used this stretchy sticky outer wrap. I saw they were using red, so I jokingly asked her if the color was to hide the blood. She chuckled then responded that they had several colors and didn't think to ask because I was wearing a red outfit that morning.

By the time it was okay for me to get down from the reclining chair, my big toe, second toe, some of the middle toe, and an inch of flesh below the toe bases were numb. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I didn't anticipate the difficulty I had driving home. You see, it was my driving foot that was operated on. Although there was no pain operating the pedals in my truck, I had absolutely no sensation when I touched the accelerator and brake pedals. I had no idea how hard or how little I was pressing on the pedals. The podiatrist's office was less than five miles from my house, and it was an adventurous trip to say the least. I ran a stop sign, nearly rear-ended two different vehicles, and scraped the chain link fence that separates the front yard from the back yard. I had planned to go to work after the procedure but changed my mind when I got home. My job is 32 miles away; you think I'm going to attempt the trip after my near-mishaps? Uh-uh!

I don't know what kind of anesthetic they used on my toe, but it sure lasted a good few hours. Even when it wore off, my toe still didn't hurt.

This morning, I took off the bandage and got a good look at my toe. The area in which the nail was ingrown was still sensitive, but not like it was earlier. I need to soak the foot twice a day in warm water with epsom salt. He told me that if the toe felt okay, I could resume water aerobics Monday. I'm ready!

Below are three different views of my foot: with the protective bootie, the bootie removed and the red bandage showing, and then the toe after the bandage was removed. Trust me; it doesn't feel as bad as it looks.



Folks, there's no need to suffer with an ingrown toenail. There are effective and nearly painless treatments out there.