Changes to The Mundling Zone

No, it's not your imagination. I've got several posts backdated to January 2001. I have transferred the following to my blog Journal of the Tempered Storm:

What's New? and archives
Soapbox
My Struggle with Sleep Apnea
Did You Know ...
and all essays from Count Your Blessings website

I'm merging Count Your Blessings with The Mundling Zone so I can delete that Tripod account and be completely finished with Tripod once and for all.

Civil Unions and Gay Marriages

With an emphasis on live and let live

The ideal American family has always been perceived as a man and woman, married, with the average of two children. Most of these children are born into the family while the rest are adopted. As a family, they have responsibilities and privileges as specified by law (religious and/or civil).

There are homosexual couples in our country who live in similar fashion. Many have been monogamous and productive members of society. Some have even gone so far as to have/adopt children and make the effort to raise them responsibly, with morals and respect for their fellow human beings. They live and function as a family, but the only difference is they are same-sex couples. Why can't those couples who work and live like responsible families have legal access to similar privileges that traditionally married couples have?

I have thought long and hard about this. I know there are those that believe homosexuality is such a terrible sin and they should not be allowed any marital privileges at all. First of all, sin is sin. For example, those that are quick to preach the evils of homosexuality or promiscuity but will gossip or tell "little white lies," even for good intentions, are hypocrites. Someone who demonizes people who openly fornicate but will take work supplies home without thinking twice is a hypocrite. Yes, it is in the book of Leviticus that clearly states that no man is to lie down with another man as he would a woman. However, in the book of Exodus, two of the Ten Commandments are "You will not steal," and "You will not falsely testify against another." You can't denounce one sin as more repugnant than the other.

As for homosexuals, many are not the obnoxious, cross-dressing publicity whores that they are stereotyped as. Most are not the evil, lurking pedophile many imagine them to be, either. I know many that are basically good people. They have many friends and have productive lives. Many do volunteer work or have charitable causes they contribute to. Why should they be penalized just because some of us don't agree with their lifestyle? Shouldn't we be rewarding a citizen's good behavior regardless of skin color, sexual orientation, physical appearance, or some other insignificant thing that has nothing to do with a person's character?

Having said that, I believe that they should be allowed to have civil unions. It would be a legal acknowledgement (without any religious implications) that two people wish to live as a single-family unit. It's not a marriage, but it would let them have access to (for example): filing their taxes jointly as do married couples, and have access to health, life, fire, and auto insurance coverage as a family.

I've heard the argument from the homosexual community that they want to be able to "marry" their life partner. Speaking for myself, I do not believe there is such a thing as a gay marriage. If I'm not mistaken (and I'm sure someone will correct me if I am), don't most religions reference a marriage as a union between a man and a woman? Don't these same religions also discourage homosexuality (if not outright forbid it)? That's why I believe a civil union would be a compromise between gay people and the laws of society. It would be a non-religious status that would respect the unity of the relationship without changing the original definition of the word "marriage." If a homosexual couple still wishes to have a religious marital-type ceremony, that will be a decision between them and an official of their religious faith. However, unless their religion specifically allows homosexual marriages, their ceremony will not be a true marriage, no matter how bad they want it to be one. This is a consequence of their choice to pursue their orientation. I'm not saying their orientation is a choice; I believe it is hereditary. However, the pursuit of that orientation IS a choice.

Now, I'm sure some Christians are probably thinking that I've flipped my lid and need an exorcist for my views about this. I keep thinking about what Jesus would do. I keep seeing the scenario as referenced in the Bible about a mob that caught a woman in the act of adultery and brought her to Jesus for judgment. They said, "The law says she is to be stoned to death. What do you say?" Christ said, "He who is without sin may cast the first stone." One by one, each person in the crowd dropped their rocks and left. They knew Christ was right. Here the mob was eager and ready to end the life of someone they chose to scapegoat, and He gently reminded them that they had no right to judge; they were just as guilty of other sins as the adulteress they openly condemned. We all need to remember that! Christ told the woman not to sin anymore, but He did not condemn her.

Remember Mary Magdelene? She was a former prostitute and shunned by everyone in the community. Mary, mother of Jesus, welcomed her into her home and treated her with love and respect. Having Ms. Magdalene in her home did not mean Christ's mother had to act like a prostitute or condone prostitution. It meant that Mary, mother of Jesus, could show Ms. Magdalene how a person should treat another person, simply by her own actions. Following that course of logic, just because someone is homosexual doesn’t mean we can’t treat him/her like a human being.

Not everyone in our country adheres to a religious faith that denounces homosexuality. If we want our faith (or lack thereof) to be respected, we have to be willing to acknowledge and respect those of other people. If this must include the enactment of civil unions in our country, then so be it. God gave us all free will, and we are not responsible for what other people do. Ultimately, we are only responsible for our children and ourselves.

Old Tripod Location is No More

Well, I did it. I logged into Tripod and deleted my mundlingzone account. The website location of http://mundlingzone.tripod.com is no more. I figure a year and a half was long enough to forward people to my site's current location.

Migraines suck eggrolls!

This one was pretty bad. It has finally eased off some, but I'm sitting here in the livingroom with the drapes closed and wearing sunglasses. Even my computer screen has been darkened. I know how Gizmo in Gremlins must have felt: Bright light! Bright light! Bright light baaaaaaaad!

I sleep with a fan on at night, but not since early this morning. Even the sound of my fan hurt. And let's not go there about the attitude, when I feel like the bitch from hell. You know the feeling ... when your upstairs neighbor walks around in those clickety high heels and you want to break her legs just to stop the noise.

I hate having to call in sick for a migraine. I'm not eating anything to trigger one, so I'm wondering if it's hormonally triggered (and I strongly suspect that). If that's the case, I dread menopause.

To hell with it; I'm going back to bed.

Watch Those Shipping Charges!!

Got my t-shirts from KingSizeDirect.com this evening (yes, I'm a woman who wears oversized t-shirts from a men's catalog; got a problem with that?) The colors are: forest green, burgundy, rust, and navy blue. I do love their shirts -- soft and comfy and loose and long.

I do have one beef with the company about how they calculate their shipping charges. As of this writing, the site is offering free upgrade to express shipping if your order is $75.00 or more; "OR" you may qualify for a $10.00 discount if your order is $75.00 or more. What the site doesn't tell you is that your shipping cost jumps $10.00 when you hit the $75.00 mark. I was originally going to buy four shirts at $18.00 a shirt; the shipping came to $9.99. I decided to add two more shirts, making the cost $102.00; then I saw my shipping cost jumped to over twenty dollars. Can you say "sticker shock?" I took one of the shirts off, and the shipping was still too high. I then took off one more shirt to bring my subtotal back down to $72.00. The shipping dramatically dropped back down to $9.99. That's when it occurred to me that the sudden jump in shipping was to offset their "free upgrade" and "instant discount" on people's orders.

It would be in the best interest of King Size Direct to cease and desist what I call a very deceptive way to make money. It is only because I love their t-shirts that I will continue to shop there until I can find another source. Then they can kiss my big fat butt.


Another super bargain (puhleeze!)

Some of these online merchants really think we're stupid as online customers. Well, some of us are, but I'm not.

Got an e-mail advertisement through Arcamax.com advertising a digital camera worth $439.98, but they're offering it for the low low price of only $79.99! Now, this reminds me of a similar e-mail advertisement through Arcamax.com that I mentioned in my April 20, 2003 blog entry in which I made a comparison of the Vivitar Vivicam 10 between "Leading Innovations (and the ad is still there as of this writing)" and Wal-Mart. But I digress...

This particular advertisement is for the Vivitar Vivcam 55 in the e-mail ad. In this e-mail, it advertised:

* A "3 in 1" camera, meaning you can use it for still photos, as a web camera, and as a video camera (like those spy cams!)
* Comes with a case, wrist strap and cradle
* Includes batteries and all the cables you need to hook it into your computer
* Photo software
* PLUS $200 worth of additional free software
* Warranty

Total Value: $439.98
Your Price: Just $79.99!

I didn't bother to click on the link; I've been down this road before. Instead, I did a search on the internet using Dogpile.com As of this writing, this camera is available at BHPhotovideo.com with everything for only $49.95. It is also available at hotbuyselections.com for $44.98. I'm not in the market for another camera. I just like to prove those wrong who try to lie to me and act like they're doing me a favor. Puhleeze!

Am I on a roll or what???

Flu Shots

I decided last week to get a flu shot. Originally, it was to get my mother off my back. However, the news of the Colorado flu epidemic had me rethink my feelings on the matter. First of all, I hate needles, so I was not looking forward to getting this shot. Second, I've heard from so many people how they got a flu shot once and came down with the flu (seems that's not true, according to the medical experts). Well, I'm happy to report that I'm not sick with the flu. However, I spoke with Soul Sister the other night, and she's sick with the flu. Now, she's an LPN, and she told me she's had flu shots and still caught the flu. Now I'm wondering if my shot was for naught.

Michael Jackson (again)

Since my last blog entry, I've been following the Michael Jackson case. My personal feelings on the matter is that I hope he's not guilty. I do not condone the outlandish things he's done over the years. However, it's his life, and he can do whatever he wants so long as it's legal and doesn't hurt anyone. If he wants to bleach his skin, have a million plastic surgeries on his face, live in a fantasy world like Neverland, that's his choice. I admit I tend to root for the underdog, and he's getting my sympathy simply because of the media hounding him. In addition, The Smoking Gun website has obtained a memo about a secret investigation by child welfare officials and the Los Angeles police from last February. It seems that the claim made by the teachers of the 12-year-old cancer patient were determined to be unfounded. Click on the above link and read the article at The Smoking Gun website. Between that and the GQ article from 1995, it's looking more to me like Michael Jackson is being extorted for money.

Trial by Media: The Right to Know vs The Right to Privacy

The latest news of accusations against Michael Jackson for child molestation is the latest in a series of public accusations against celebrities and/or sports figures. By now, I'm sure everyone who didn't know Kobe Bryant existed are now aware of who he is, what he does for a living, and which team he plays for.

Unless you are a law enforcement officer or a lawyer working on these cases, or the actual accused, all you know is what has been broadcast by the media. That might not be a bad thing except that for every grain of truth, there are 10 times as much speculation by so-called "experts" and "insiders." There is so much type about these two cases that real news is being overshadowed in favor of accusatory speculation.

CNN Crossfire's Tucker Carlson has a monthly column in Reader's Digest called "It's Outrageous." In that column a few months ago, he spoke about his book, "Politicians, Partisans and Parasites. " In that book, he talks about his own experience with being falsely accused of rape. He spent thousands of dollars trying to defend himself. His accuser lived in another state and claimed he raped her in a city in which he had never visited. While working to defend himself, it was discovered that his accuser had serious mental problems. Carlson used to think that there had to be a basis of truth to any sex scandal; he has since then changed his mind. Howard Kurtz of Washingtonpost.com has a similar article about Carlson that can be read here.

Wendy McElroy of Ifeminists.com recently had an article "False Rape Charges Hurt Real Victims." In it, she quoted a study that tracked reported rapes within a nine-year period. During that period, 41 percent of the rapes reported were false. Ms. McElroy goes on to clarify how lives can be destroyed from being falsely accused.

It's easy to be accused, especially of child molestation.

I know a lot of people are already rushing to judgment about Michael Jackson and Kobe Bryant. Personally, I do not know if either are innocent or guilty. I do know that the public spotlight being shined on them in the accusatory manner that it has been is not journalistically ethical. Michael Jackson is being portrayed as a self-made freak while Kobe Bryant is being portrayed as a deceitful, unfaithful man.

Despite how you feel about either one of them, for the sake of the argument, consider these two distinct possibilities: What if Michael Jackson IS innocent? What if Kobe Bryant IS innocent? With the way the media is portraying them, their reputations are forever ruined even if they are later acquitted. People will forever remember that these two were publicly accused of these crimes. It's been nearly 19 years since Vanessa Williams' nude photos in Penthouse caused her to lose her Miss America crown, and it's still in the back of everyone's mind ever time her name is mentioned. People don't forget stuff like that.

Put yourself in this place: Let's say you've been accused of molesting a teen, but you know you're innocent. Think about all the people who claim to be your (former) friends or confidantes coming forward for their fifteen minutes of fame saying things about you that may or may not be true, just to feed the media's lust for dirty laundry. Does any of it need to be printed in magazines or broadcast on the news and tabloid shows? Now, you might argue, "I don't do the outrageous stuff like he does; my behavior is not the one coming into question. " That doesn't matter. All it takes is one public accusation. The more popular (or unpopular) you are, the more likely the accusation will take on a life of its own.

Consider the case of Richard Jewell. He was a private citizen working as a security guard during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. On the night the bomb went off in Centennial Park, he was working to keep people away from a suspicious duffel bag he noticed minutes before the bomb detonated. Later, he worked to comfort victims of that bomb. He was regarded as a hero.

One week later, he was accused of being the Centennial Park bomber. For four months, Jewell and his mother were subjected to the media hounding them and recording their every move. Former employers and so-called acquaintences came forward to denounce Jewell as an insecure and sub-standard employee. The media jumped on the "trash Jewell" campaign with anything they could get their hands on, even making comments like, "... and he lives with his mother...." as if something was wrong with him for that (as someone who is currently living with her parents AND paying rent, I especially take serious offense with the media about that remark.).

It was not until October 1996 that the FBI begrudgingly acknowledged that they made a mistake targeting Richard Jewell in their investigations. Richard Jewell later made a public statement that day about the hell the FBI and the media put him through for something he did not do. He didn't stop there. He proceeded to file lawsuits against various media companies for their statements about him ... and won.

Some accusations come right out of the blue, and some you can see coming. A few years ago, I had a cousin who brought her son with her to Waycross to escape what she claimed was an abusive boyfriend. We had an aunt who took her and her son in and let her stay in one of her rental apartments. As time went on, my cousin started getting restless and homesick (understandable feelings). From the first night she arrived, some of the things she was telling me didn't seem kosher, but I promised not to say anything to anyone else. The longer she stayed, the more outrageous her stories got. Then I noticed that some of those claims turned toward child abuse. Then it became sexual child abuse. I was becoming more uncomfortable around her.

The final straw was when she took a statement I made and twisted it around to make it look like I was the one making the claim. I finally called my aunt and asked her to come over to the house so she and I could have a talk. I told her everything. I also warned my aunt not to be with my cousin's son by herself because she might get accused of child abuse if my cousin became angry with her.My cousin and I haven't spoken since. I still love and care about her, but she needs help, and until she gets that help, I can't have anything to do with her.

The bottom line is this: despite how you perceive someone who is accused of a crime, there are three sides to every story: the accuser's version, the accused's version, and the truth. Regardless of who the accused is, there are some things we the public do not need to know and do not need to have broadcast to us. In this country, the accused is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, not trial by media. We need to start keeping that in mind the next time the media broadcasts, "Coming up next ...Michael Jackson goes to the bathroom. How will this affect the investigation? Film at 11."

Betrayal and Denial: The Plight of Terri Schindler-Schiavo

The family of Terri Schindler-Schiavo are in the fight of their lives for the life of their daughter Terri. On October 15, 2003, the feeding tube keeping Terri alive was removed as ordered by Judge George Greer. Even as Florida Governor Jeb Bush stepped in on behalf of Terri's parents to try to stop the order and has just about exhausted every legal maneuver available to him, the order was commenced Wednesday afternoon, and Terri's feeding tube was removed.

Friends and family of Terri have a website detailing the trials and tribulations of their daughter since her collapse in 1990. Terri's website, as empassioned as it is in it's plea, is only one family's viewpoint on the matter. I have read articles about Terri's situation on other news websites. There is a lot more that has been going on than what is currently being broadcast by the mainstream media.

On the site are videos of Terri in Real Media format showing her reactions to different stimuli and interactions. I have viewed all the videos. I admit I'm not a medical expert, but it looked obvious to me that Terri was responding appropriately to the different situations depicted. In one video, Terri smiles and her eyes widen when her mother gets close to her and speaks to her. In another video, Terri shows revulsion and resistance to a cotton swab around her mouth. In yet another video, Terri is instructed to open her eyes. She blinks slightly several times before she opens her eyes fully, then opens them wide. If you listen carefully to three of the six videos, Terri tries to speak. It may come out as grunts or moans, but they are made in response to yes/no questions or reactions to specific stimuli. After viewing these videos, I cannot understand how she can be diagnosed as being in a constant vegetative state.

Gina Locke wrote an article about Terri and her husband Michael, ranging from shortly before Terri's collapse in 1990 to November 2002, plus she lists the legal pleas and arguments from January 2000 to November 2002. Ms. Locke does NOT paint Michael Schiavo in a positive light. As a matter of fact, she portrays him as an abusive two-timing husband trying to end his wife's life so he can inherit her money. Granted, it is just one person's viewpoint, but other news websites mirror the legal battles that seem to only reaffirm the suspicions against Michael Schiavo.

World Net Daily.com has reported that Michael is engaged and has fathered a baby with his fiancee, but that he would not divorce Terri. In this same article, Michael Schiaavo's lawyer George Felos stated about Michael's adulterous affair, "Most people would say that it's understandable that a healthy spouse shouldn't be sentenced to life without companionship." The problem with that statement is that Michael reportedly had a girlfriend at the time of Terri's collapse. This same girlfriend is later mentioned in the April 27, 2001 timeline of Ms. Locke's beforementioned article, except by then she was Michael's EX-girlfriend. Excuse me, but what part of Michael's wedding vows "for better or for worse, let no man put asunder" does he not understand?

If that's not enough, George Felos was on the August 13, 2003 broadcast of Hannity and Colmes on the Fox News Channel. The transcript of that broadcast shows Sean Hannity's question, "All right. If that's the case and he doesn't want this to happen, and he wants to be done with this in the sense that he wants to pull off the life support. And the parents and the sister want it, why wouldn't he at least give them that wish and if they want to take care of her now and they want to take over the medical care of her, why can't they just say, ‘OK, this is important to you, I disagree but if it's important to you, it's your daughter. It's your sister, I loved her once. Let me give her to you.’ Why doesn't he just have the graciousness to do that for them?"

George Felos answered, "He didn't love her once, he loves her now ..." Excuse me, but something's wrong with this statement in my opinion. One thing I will say about Sean Hannity and Alan Colmes: they rarely agree on anything. However, in the case of Terri Schiavo, they both agreed that she should be allowed to live and both agreed that her parents should be allowed to take care of her.

Now let's get to the judge, as in Judge George W. Greer. He has consistently ruled in favor of Michael Schiavo and has consistently ruled against all motions filed by Terri's family. Judge Greer has allegedly granted Michael Schiavo permission to use the $1.2 Million malpractice awards originally slated for Terri's rehabilitation to be used for Michael's legal expenses. Judge Greer has allegedly ignored evidence presented to him that could save Terri's life and allow her to be medically treated and rehabilitated.

Jeff Johnson of CNSNews.com has been following the saga of Terri Schiavo. In one article dated 9/17/2003, Johnson reports that Terri's family have filed motions to have Judge Greer removed and another judge assigned to the case, have Michael Schiavo removed as Terri's guardian, and even against George Felos for alleged civil rights violations against Terri. In another article dated 9/10/2003, three former caregivers filed affidavits alleging abuse, altering and/or destruction of medical records, and denial of medical care ... all by Michael Schiavo.

The more articles I read, the angrier I got. The Florida Supreme Court has refused to intervene. The U S Supreme Court refused to intervene. Based on what I've read on the internet and heard broadcast in the news, the documentation and sworn testimony proves that Michael Schiavo is not working in the best interest of his wife and should be be removed as Terri's guardian. The motions filed against Michael Schiavo, Judge Greer, and George Felos for civil rights violations have been filed, but as of this writing, I do not know the outcome.

Right now, the immediate need is to have the court order stopped so that Terri's feeding tube can be reinserted. No point in trying to win a battle if you're going to lose the war. Yes, the "courts (read: Judge Greer)" have determined that Terri is in a constant vegetative state. Keep in mind that if the courts officially declared the sky to be pink, legally speaking, the sky is pink until a higher court overturns the beforementioned sky color ruling. It's an exaggeration, I know, but sometimes you have to exaggerate the truth to make people see the truth. If Terri is legally declared a vegetable even though she's alive and responsive, isn't a dangerous prescendent being set? Keep in mind that starvation and dehydration are progressively painful to the body. Starvation is one of the methods of torture used against prisoners by sadistic captors. Remember what I wrote earlier about Terri's reaction to the cotton swab in the video?. If she can feel that cotton swab and react to it, can you imagine what she'll be feeling as she is slowly starved to death? She is not a vegetable and she does not deserve to die. I am a euthanasia supporter, but only for terminally ill patients who face prolonged suffering. Even then, each decision should be made on a case by case basis and not by blanket policy. Terri is not terminally ill.

I've been following the story of Terry's plight for some time now, even before it became national news. I am in complete disbelief at what appears to be flagrant attempts at ending someone's life under the guise of "following the loved-one's wishes." If nothing else, we all learned that we need to have Living Wills written so that there will be no doubt or debate as to what we want should be no longer be able to speak for ourselves.

The Quality of Some Children's Shows

Having spent the last seven days with a twelve-year-old, I've seen a lot more shows from Nickelodeon than I have in the last few years. Boy how things have changed, and not necessarily for the better.

I grew up during the time that we had Bugs Bunny, Gumby, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Mr. Rogers, Zoom, and The Electric Company. The worst thing I saw as a kid was Wile E. Coyote falling off a cliff and hitting the ground without getting seriously hurt.

Then in the late 80's, Ren and Stimpy debuted. There had been some talk about other cartoons on other networks being controversial because of the battle violence depicted or because they seemed more like 30 minute commercials for children's toys. In my opinion, Ren and Stimpy crossed the line with regular references to used kitty litter, dried nasal mucous, and flatulence. Obviously, it hasn't stopped there.

During this time, Nickelodeon came out with the Dare programs that had people covered in harmless "green slime." It didn't look the greatest in the world, but at least it (I'm assuming) it was clean. Now they've got a show featuring the cast from All That having other kids do really disgusting things like drinking a gallon of human sweat. The twelve-year-old watching the commercial for the show also reacted with an "ewwwwww," while giggling at the same time. This is supposed to be children's entertainment? When did grossing people out become a spectator sport?

Like other programs that focus on the gross-out factor, I do exercise my right to change the channel or turn the television off. Because I was with other people, I tried to keep my mouth shut. However, I finally had to respectfully speak up and state that the commercial and some of the cartoons were revulsing me. I'm not a prude, but I do draw the line at gross-out humor featuring bodily functions and fluids.

I admit I have no children, but if I did, I would be very concerned with them watching cartoons and shows of this caliber. I know people say that kids are fascinated with this kind of entertainment, but they'd be fascinated with "tamer" entertainment if it was more readily available. I wish there was a wider variety of programming available instead of the current genre being cranked out by a select few in Hollywood.

sigh Where's Gumby when you need him?

Pop Up Ads: Killjoys of the Internet

I'm sick of deceptive pop-up ads that trick people into downloading spyware and junkware on their computers. People who are not computer savvy are having their internet enjoyment dampened if not outright ruined.

Soul sister told me today that her father no longer gets on the internet because pop up ads have taken over his computer. I went over to her parents house one time before to clean his computer; it seems Precision Time and Date Manager from Gator Software did a number on his internet browser.

Because of his previous experience with this software, all pop up ads have made him paranoid and have diminished any enjoyment he used to get from surfing the internet and communicating with his family via instant messenger. It's sad that a few bad companies in the name of free speech and the almighty dollar have given the more responsible advertising companies a bad name.

Music Sharing Lawsuits

Okay, let's get down to it. The RIAA had lawsuit papers served on over 280 people in this country for sharing music files on the internet. They claim they are losing money because people are freely sharing copies of music instead of purchasing the albums.

I can understand why the RIAA wants to stop sharing the music files, but I do not agree with their handling of the situation. I predict this will be a case in which they'll win the battle but lose the war. The customer backlash will negatively affect sales further. Music sales in second-hand or consignment shops will increase because the money used to purchase the music in those places will NOT go to the RIAA. CDs, cassettes, and vinyl records can be sold over and over again, but the RIAA will only get their money on the first purchase.

It's going to be interesting to see what happens. Because of all this hoopla, I won't be purchasing any audio CDs anytime soon.

The Mundling Zone turns "4"

I know! I know! It's been a month since I made an entry! I've had a lot going on; nothing bad, just busy.

My website ... my "baby" is 4 years old today. I think about all the changes it had gone through since the Planet Xanadu days. My site has had more facelifts than Dolly Parton. This site is my heart, a reflection of the real me.

I updated my recipe links page. I had to remove 10 dead links. One link kept giving me a timeout error. I'll recheck it in a couple of weeks. I'll zap it if it's not back up by then.

Misc ...

The last two weeks have been rough on me.

On July 10, 2003, I had to be taken to the emergency room. I had a blood pressure reading of 171/95, my heart rate was 124, and I had some shortness of breath. For me, they were extremely high. Fortunately, it was an anxiety attack and not a heart attack or stroke. My blood sugar tested at 153 that morning, but the follow-up test a week later showed that I was not diabetic (whew!). Nothing was said about my oxygen level; maybe I'll find out next month.

The following weekend, I went to see my soul sister. I discovered Monday evening that I got her cold. It moved to my chest Tuesday. By Wednesday evening, I had trouble breathing (a chest cold should not leave you short of breath). It felt like my lungs were filling up; I couldn't sleep laying down. I should have stayed home Thursday, but I forced myself to go to work. I later went home early, got some antibiotics that were called in for me, and stayed home for the rest of the week. I was better by Monday, but as of this writing I still have a little chest congestion, and I'm still not feeling great.


But, on to other things ...

I've acquired a screen-capture program that is fairly easy to use, and doesn't cost much ($10.00). Now I can take capture my Aquazone fish tanks and display them on my site or send via e-mail.

I've opened up an account with Yahoo! to let everyone access my calendar. Not all my entries will be made public. Some may display as just "busy" or some may not display at all (like my friends' birthdays). It will be interesting to see if it generates any interest at all.

I met one of my former classmates yesterday that I have not seen since high school. It was good to see Brenda, and I am so glad she's been doing well for herself. She was basically a good person in bad circumstances, and I'm looking forward to catching up with her. She told me that I've always been on her mind. I've always wondered how she was doing. It's surprising how in school, I always assumed that I didn't matter to people. It still stuns me to hear people like Brenda tell me just the opposite. I mean, I just had no idea. I had another childhood friend tell me he had a crush on me one time. I know he was being honest with me; it's just that it never occurred to me that he or anyone else could see me in that light. To quote Keanu Reeves, "Whoa!"

Beer for the Homeless!

No joke! There really is a website called Beer for the Homeless. As I kept browsing over it, looking for the word "parody," I realized that it's not a parody, it is for real.

The site claims that a Chattanooga, Tennessee, talk radio host and his show's producer are the masterminds behind the website. The host is known locally for speaking for those who, for societal or prejudicial reasons, cannot speak for themselves. The site is designed by a local webmaster who has worked on several websites based in the Chattanooga community.

Whether or not you agree with the website's message, you can't help but agree that it is something you don't see everyday.

All I can say is "only in America."

Fourth of July Weekend (misc.)

I've got a Greenie Gal Get-Together tomorrow evening at my house, and I'm nervous as a cat. I want the ladies to enjoy themselves. I hope it goes over without a hitch.

This weekend, I have got to get working on Dan's site. I've had to put it off for either being out of town or doing things around the house. To raise the bar a bit, FoxNews.com is reporting that there is going to be massive hacker attacks this weekend, so I'm wondering if maybe I need to put it off a little while longer. I've already backed up The Mundling Zone so I should be able to re-upload it if necessary.

I wrote a new poem a couple of weeks ago called Torn. Even if the decision seemed simple and easy, the impact of that decision on my heart was not.

One Great Weekend

I just got back from spending the weekend with Soul Sister. It was just her and me: no husbands, no kids, no parents. And it was a very nice change of pace. It reminded me of when we were roommates in Atlanta. Back then, we didn't have much, but that was okay because we had each other as friends and the energy and imagination to make the best of the situation. Well, 16 years later, we don't have that energy, but we still have the creativity to keep things interesting. This was one of those weekends in which you come back feeling good.

I'm working on an article; I will post it soon.

(update 7/27/2003: I've given up on the article for now. I need to carry a mini tape recorder to record ideas as they hit me so I don't forget them later).

Being Appreciated

It feels good to be appreciated, and I'm going to leave it at that.

Arrogant Christians

I wish people who claim to be Christians would stop pushing the rhetoric of "no excuse" for someone not accepting Christ as their Savior. Last Friday, a friend of mine lost all credibility with me because of that attitude. In trying to convince/convert me, he blew it big time. His words smacked of "my way or the highway." Excuse me, but that is how a couple of so-called Christians pushed me into renouncing Christianity back in 1993. It took seven years for me to come back, and this friend almost pushed me into renunciation again.

He said that if someone is presented with the Word of Christ and he/she rejects it, then he/she is not going to Heaven. I would try to ask questions like, "What if someone was born and raised a certain religion and taught that Christianity is bad? " or "What if this person had only bad experiences with the Christian faith," or "What if he was never exposed to the Christian faith at all?" But he didn't want to hear them; he kept saying, "There's no excuse." I wouldn't accept what he was saying. I don't know if that frustrated him or not. When I tried once again to ask another question, but he sharply interrupted me with, "No excuse! There's no excuse, Michelle!" Needless to say, I clammed up; my anger growing in my heart as I wanted to tell him so bad, "Who the hell do you think you are to make judgments about people like that? Only God can decide who's going to Heaven or Hell; NOT YOU!!!! The Bible is not 100 percent accurate; it was written by men based on stories that have been verbally passed down to them. I really don't think any of us know what God wants, but we sure do push our own agendas veiled as God's Word, don't we?

I still consider myself a Christian. However, someone has been removed from my list of people to listen to about the Word of God. I'm sure he's probably thinking, "Well, she's going to get her feelings hurt more because that's just the way it is, whether she likes it or not." My response to that would be, "That's your arrogance shielding your ego from the fact that you're message has been rejected and that maybe it's time to look within yourself to find out why."

Dean's World

The owner of the blog Dean's World has an open offer to anyone sick of Blogspot's alleged quirks and bugs (I say alleged because I don't use Blogspot). I left a comment (with a couple of questions) on it; I hope he contacts me. Troll site?