Is Your Cell Phone a Telemarketing Target?

Have you seen any e-mails like this?

Greetings To All of My Friends and Family

In just 4 days from today all U. S. cell phone numbers will be released to telemarketing companies and you will begin to receive sales calls. You will be charged for these calls! Even if you do not answer, the telemarketer will end up in your voice mail and you will be charged for all of the minutes the incoming (usually recorded) message takes to complete. You will then also be charged when you call your voice mail to retrieve your messages. To prevent this, call 888-382-1222 from your cell phone. This is the national DO NOT CALL list; it takes only a minute to register your cell phone number and it blocks most telemarketers calls for five years. In case you have friends other than me, pass this on to them.

According to Snopes, this is FALSE. Read up on it here: Celling Your Soul

E-mail petitions

They don't work. Here's one my Aunt Lu sent me today. You may have seen it before:

Our Granddaughter in Ca. was turned down for a teaching job, because she only had one yr. of Spanish. She got a job at a private school. She now teaches in Rancho Cucamonga, second grade.

Had an interesting conversation with a lady of Hispanic origin last week. She told me that she planned to come down to St. Mary's and get a job in Admissions (where I work). When I pointed out that we didn't have any openings, she advised me that "soon" current employees will have to be fired to hire bi-lingual employees. According to this lady, the Spanish speaking people of the US are going to demand that all public facilities - like hospitals, courthouses, etc. - be staffed by people who read, speak and comprehend Spanish. We hear about the silent majority but I think we are going to have to speak up or find ourselves a conquered country. That would be an interesting historical note - greatest land in the world conquered by Mexico without ever firing a shot! Think about it.

Not a citizen? NO BENEFITS!
Petition to Require citizenship to be eligible for social services in the United States
No amnesty and No free services for illegal immigrants.
Agree or Delete: Instructions to sign are at the bottom.
PETITION FOR PRESIDENT BUSH If you don't forward the petition and just stop it, we will lose all these names. If you do not want to sign it, please forward it to everyone you know. Thank you!!! To add your name, click on "forward". You will be able to add your name at the bottom of the list and then forward it to your friends.
THE 2,000TH PERSON - SEND IT ON TO THE FOLLOWING E-MAIL ADDRESS: President@WhiteHouse.gov


See what Snopes has to say about this petition and e-mail petitions in general:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/immigration/petition.asp

Sunday Tidbits

Love this pic! I'm going to start posting it to people who blog too deeply for me :) So, here's some life tidbits to catch you up on. Missed a few days. I'll see what I can remember.
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I've been totally bummed about the death of Steve Irwin all week. They had a private funeral for him yesterday and buried him in his Australia Zoo. I finally understood yesterday why I and so many around the world were so saddened by his passing. If you watched his shows for any length of time, you felt like you knew him. He was always so open, so passionate, so welcoming, like you were part of his adventures. I watched his Crocodile Hunter series starting in college in the mid-nineties, and in his series, I saw his conservation and his FAMILY evolve. He shared every aspect of his life. You would often see his mom and dad on the show, his wife from the start, then his kids--they even had episodes with their births. Check out his Crocodile Hunter website--pics and bios of his family. They share their lives with the world, so the world knows them all . He didn't film dry animal documentaries. He filmed his life, and was so filled with it, that it is just hard to think of him dead. So, that's where I am with that. Moving on, but will still be sad for a while. No one can replace that guy.
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Labor day weekend. Went to a birthday party for daughter's friend. Pool and pizza. Too cold for the pool, and it rained a bit, but good party. Went to visit family later in the day. Ate out at a good restaurant way out in the boonies in Green County, KY (I think) late that night to celebrate belated birthdays (brother in law and mine, 40 and 30 respectively). Had car show in Adair County on Labor Day and did a little shopping at the booths on the square. The bad news: Found out my brother and his wife are splitting up--for the record, I think my brother has problems handling responsibilities of relationships and doesn't want to put the work into it that it deserves, and some of his choices stink. Sorry, need to vent, but I do love him and am praying that he and his wife will work it out still. God has changed harder people than them.
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Joy today--finally started my scrapbook of our summer vacation. Day 1 is chronicled. It is terribly amateur, but I had fun experimenting with different things. I like glue.
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Poor hubby is overworked and overtired. Having back problems. He's spent a good deal of time working on wiring a friend's new house, and much more time working on wiring up A/V stuff for our church. He spent the entire morning sermon on his back under the console hooking up stuff to try to get it working, and the whole Sunday school hour carting stuff from the new sanctuary to the old for the second service, because they haven't enough duplicate equipment and for some reason, won't do both services in the new building. We still have a bathroom that we have had torn apart since February. We have a toilet and sink in our bedroom. I want my bathroom done--we're now starting to move on working on it again. A 4x4 bathroom...February...*roll eyes*
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Babysat a little girl for some friends from Lexington this past Saturday. Nice having a little girl here for Meg to play with. We usually have our little guy here--nice to see a girl in the dress up clothes this time :) Got up about 5 am to make breakfast--a good "Overnight Breakfast Casserole" that I mixed up the night before and just had to get up and bake. They arrived at 6 am, and everyone loved my breakfast--oh, blueberry muffins too (last frozen blueberries from my bushes for the season). I love feeding people. It's a sickness. They went with Bryan to a golf tournament, so I kept the girls and entertained them all day. We painted, watched cartoons, played in sand, play-dough, and dressed up. I was bushed. I was late for church this morning....as usual.
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Started regular exercising again. Going to start walking with a friend this week. Looking forward to getting some fresh air. Did treadmill 3 days last week, and picked up 8 minute abs again. My abs were quite sore for a couple days. Makes a difference when you miss it for a few months.
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Going to the dentist with hubby on Tuesday. Haven't been for 2-3 years. Shame on us. Have a wisdom tooth that is hurting a bit. Will probably have to get it out. Scared to death--hope they knock me out or gas me so I won't care. Never had dental work before.
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That's it for now. I have pics to post of our Labor Day trip, and I'll try to get pics of my amateur scrapbook too. I will also try to post updates on the "Intimate Issues" Bible study and do a piece on healthy dinners. Stay tuned for more....."Tales of Interest!!!" (*if anyone can pinpoint this reference--I'll give you FIVE dollars, I promise!--except Bryan--he knows")

Life is beautiful?

My Aunt Lu sent me this one today. Good example of a hoax about a computer virus. This one has been circulating for a while--if you get a "warning" like this, please check it out on Snopes before you forward it on, which only propagates the hoax. Then, let the sender know it's a hoax, so we'll all be educated. My mission--educating the public about hoax e-mails!

See the Snopes article here: Life is Beautiful

Remembering the "Wildlife Warrior"

Though most people thought he was a bit crazy and figured he'd get taken down by an animal some day, what most people didn't know--and what the media ISN'T focusing on--is that Steve Irwin was a dedicated conservationist. Most of the money he made from his "Crocodile Hunter" program went into conservation efforts around the world. I'm still very saddened today, as are millions around the world, by his tragic loss and I'm tired of the media focusing on him holding his baby in the croc exhibit. They tell so little about all the good things he was involved in. Here's a good article about it. Whatever you thought or didn't think of Steve Irwin, let's keep his family in our prayers as they try to move on and keep things going without him.

Read the article here: Irwin Was a Self-Made 'Wildlife Warrior'

A truly sad day

Steve Irwin, the Australian "Crocodile Hunter" who made "Crikey!" a catch-phrase died in a freak accident yesterday off the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. He was stung in the heart by a sting ray. Very unlikely and unlucky accident. I would not have been as shocked to hear that he was decapitated by a crocodile or bitten and died by a poisonous snake. But a sting ray? Right through the heart? Totally shocking. He was filming a documentary at the time that he was also planning on filming with his 8 year old daughter--who was not there, thank the Lord. His wife and kids (Bindi-8 and Bob-2) were in Tasmania on vacation at the time and flew back there yesterday. I am so saddened because the world has lost such an enthusiastic "wildlife warrior", as he called himself. He excited lots of folks about wildlife of all kinds and educated us about creatures that have been villified over the years. I just wonder where all his work will go from here. Read the Discovery News article here:

Steve Irwin dies from stingray


*Edit: Steve's wife and kids were in TASMANIA on vacation, not the states.

Book Memes

I don't know exactly what a meme is, but "Maggie" had this post on her blog the other day. I was "tagged", which is the cyber-space equivalent of being "it" in a game of answering questions about a particular subject, in this case, books. Here is what I posted in the comments:

What is a tag? Does that mean I need to answer those questions?

If so, here goes–it will be short

One book that changed your life:
The Bible–how could it not? And possibly “Plant Anatomy” by James D. Mauseth–mainly because I just looked at it on my bookshelf and thought, “Why not?” I learned more about plants in that class then the average joe knows. Did you know that pears contain cells called brachysclereids that give them their gritty texture? Well, now you do.

One book that you’ve read more than once:
The Bible again, actually–read it twice through when I was younger, though I’m sure I didn’t get the meaning out of it that I can now. Oh, and I read some good kids’ books a few times too. One was “Silver Wolf” by Paige Dixon, which tells a wolf’s story from his point of view, and “The Wolves of Willoughby Chase” by Joan Aiken and Pat Marriott which tells the story of two little girls who become orphaned and must escape from an abusive orphanage. Very good story of overcoming adversity for kids.

One book that you’d want on a desert island:
Wow, that’s a really hard one, but probably a puzzle book to keep my mind occupied until rescue arrived. Plus, when I was finished with it, if I was still stranded, I could use it to start a fire, maybe.

One Book that made you laugh:
“Dave Barry Hits Below the Beltway”–hilarious

One book that made you cry:
None that I know of–I’m not very emotional that way, but I almost cried when reading Stephen King’s “It”–crying for it to be over already!! Gees, that book was over 1000 pages–way too much detail to even be scary. You can only describe a freaky clown so much before you say, “Shut up! I don’t care. Get on with it”

One book that you wish had been written:
The manual that came with my kids when they were born.

One book you couldn’t put down:
“Salem’s Lot” by Stephen King–I had a Stephen King phase in my younger years. Very scary story about vampires and I couldn’t read it alone, it was so scary–had to be in the same room with my parents. It really was that scary.

One book you are currently reading:
“Intimate Issues” by Dillow and Pintus. Christian Bible study about sex. I’ll update new chapters on my blog soon–stay tuned!

One book you’ve been meaning to read:
No idea–I’ll surprise myself.

Five people to tag:
No idea–just anyone who reads go on and have fun. Come on now–whatcha waiting for?

You can read the whole discussion here: Magnanimity's Book Memes post

Now, if anyone wants to jump in, just comment it or e-mail me and I'll post it right here in cyber-space. Consider yourself tagged if you have read this *ha-ha (evil laugh)*

The Trans Am Nationals

We attended the 22nd annual Trans Am Nationals in Dayton, OH over the weekend. We competed with our 30th anniversary Trans Am--1999 by the way, if you didn't know. This is six years in a row for us. We've been before any kids, during pregnancy with kid #1, with Meg as a baby, with Meg as a toddler, and during pregnancy with kid #2 while kid #1 was at grandparents'. This time, we were alone again while both kids were with the grandparents, and I'm not even pregnant! I was able to do my interior/exterior detailing without a pregnant belly or toddler to worry about. We were able to stay in the Airport Hotel for the first time, which meant we didn't have to drive back and forth, and could sleep in just a bit, eat lunch in our room and cool off, and just hang out when we got tired. So nice--we've already pre-registered for next year, though I may be with child again :) The best part--we won 2nd place in our class again. Quite a feat, really, since the number 1 car for two years in a row has less than 10,000 miles and is trailered in an enclosed trailer and has virtually no wear. And there were around 40 cars in the class--many of which were very competitive. And we had a stain on our white leather front passenger seat. So, we were feeling grateful. That makes 2 second place trophies now--we'll get 1st one of these days :)

I have to say I never was that much of a car enthusiast, but I've gotten more into it over the years we've been attending. Boy, can I clean a car. I mostly just enjoy being with my hubby, especially this time being alone, and I like being enthusiastic about his interests. Really good bonding there. I posted pics below, so enjoy!

I'll begin with this pic, because it's my favorite part of the whole trip. We have a cruise-in to Tipp City, just north of Dayton on Saturday night of the show each year. It's a great little town with Victorian style homes and wonderful antique and specialty shops. I absolutely love to eat here at the Coldwater Cafe. So cozy, such good food--I always get whatever shrimp and pasta dish they offer--it changes a bit each year, and it's always delicious. I wish we didn't have to wait a whole year to go back. 

Singing the national anthem on main street during the Tipp City cruise in. Awesome how the wind picked up. 

A shot I took inside the Coldwater Cafe. I love that place--such good dishes. 

Standing by all my hard work. I'm getting this detailing down pat. 

Some of the cars in our class--see ours with the blue wheels?  

Some nice third generations--the "classic" TA look. 

A 1970's 455 H/O--or so hubby says :) Lovely car. 

One of the many "Bandit" cars--remember the movie? 

White flame graphics on a black TA--I really thought these were unique. 

Some cool flame graphics on a black TA. 

Bryan getting our trophy during the awards ceremony, which actually seemed shorter this year--probably because it wasn't 98 degrees :) 

Hubby and me and our hard-earned 2nd place trophy. 

Some car show friends who reside in Louisville, KY. They are such a sweet couple and have a BEAUTIFUL 2002 black Trans Am--immaculate. They won 4th place this year. 

Our car and our trophies--we're going to get one of those first place ones one of these days. 

Contentment

Why is it so hard to grasp sometimes? Most of us have seasons in our lives where we perpetually are NOT content. We're waiting for life to slow down, for things to get quieter, for the kids to get to the next stage, for the next vacation, the next project to be over. Then, we tell ourselves, THEN we'll be content. But, we find ourselves back in the waiting game again.

I'm not talking about contentment with things and acquiring wealth. Just contentment with life in general. Life is so busy, so hectic, we are just waiting for it to slow down, but we lack the ability to be content in the current circumstances.

Paul said, "11I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:11-13)

In the book of Job, it is written, "If they obey and serve him [God], they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment." (Job 36:11)

Proverbs 19:23 reads: "The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble."

My conclusion is that contentment takes concentration. We must make ourselves slow down enough to stop and consider our circumstances and look heavenward for our perspective, to "stop and smell the roses", so to speak. When we are bogged down by the poopy diapers, wishing the toddler could use the potty, let's look at her little smile, and how she "talks" to you while you're changing her. When that deadline is looming on that big stack of paperwork at the office, and you've got a papercut for the 13th time today, consider how blessed it is to have an occupation, how nice it is to have lunch with colleagues. When you're stuck in traffic for an hour again, listen to that talk radio station you never get to hear, that Christian radio broadcast you miss most of the time.

I think you can see where I'm going with this. The secret of contentment is to change our mindset, to live in the moment, to squeeze out the goodness of each day--thankfully, prayerfully consider our situations and the good in them. We can still look forward to the future, even to hope it will be better than today, but let's not forget to look forward to today, because before we know it, we'll be asking, "Where did it go?" We'll be saying, "If only I could go back to yesterday...".

Another water myth

You may have seen this one before. Thanks to "Maggie" for sending this one my way.

Drinking Cold water after meal = Cancer!

For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this "sludge" reacted with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

For the rest of this article, click here: Cold Comfort

Are you living a legacy?

Labels... Great for food products. Not for people. Why do we as human beings try to label everyone? Is it prejudice, brought forth by observed actions, or a natural human phenomena--or maybe all three. I'll bet Adam, when given the task of naming all the animals, put them into groups--things that fly, things that swim, things that crawl, etc. There's a whole science now of naming living things--taxonomy. But people--we are all so unique, but we are categorized into races, nations, religions.

The labels that bother me most are the not-so-nice ones. Rednecks, white-trash, trailer trash, hillbillies, hicks, the "n--word", snobs, goody-two-shoes. My deep thought about this started yesterday as I was cleaning. Thoughts seem to hit me when I'm doing menial tasks. Anyway, I happened to think about that movie, Joe Dirt. Though not meant as a thought-provoking movie, I'm sure, I am struck by the extreme labels that Joe lives up to. He's living out a legacy of "white trash", though he tries to go on despite it, but keeps on being pulled down by his past.

Are you living a labeled legacy? Does it seem like you're stuck with a label from the past? Maybe you've tried to pull away from that, but you're getting sucked back in. Why do you think people remain under the thumb of labels? Do they remain there because they don't know a way out? Is it stubborn pride? "I don't care what anybody thinks!" Are they just afraid of change?
I often wonder why people don't or can't make better choices in life, especially when it's clear that some of their actions aren't right. I think that's where some of the not-so-nice labels come from--from seeing people live out the labels.

I don't want to live out a labeled legacy. I just want to be me. I hope that I can make good choices and not be stuck under any label. I want to live up to the legacy of the One without labels. Our God doesn't even need a name--He is the great "I am". Perhaps if more "Joe Dirts" looked to Him, then He could pull them out of their labeled legacy.

What are your thoughts on labels? Jesus himself was labeled, "that Nazarene" in Mark 14:67. Should we try to rise above labels, live with them, or live despite them?

Funny of the Day

Home Security System:

HOW TO INSTALL A HOME SECURITY SYSTEM IN THE SOUTH

1. Go to a second-hand store and buy a pair of men's used size 14-16 workboots.
2. Place them on your front porch, along with a copy of "Guns & Ammo"magazine and your NRA magazines.
3. Put a few giant dog dishes next to the boots and magazines.
4. Leave a note on your door that reads:
Hey Bubba, Big Jim, Duke and Slim,
I went for more ammunition. Back in an hour. Don't mess with the pit bulls -- they attacked the mailman this morning and messed him up real bad. I don't think Killer took part in it but it was hard to tell from all the blood. Anyways, I locked all four of 'em in the house. Better wait outside.

*Thanks to my Aunt Lu for this one!

Seasons of Change

Our first Women's Conference was held today at our church. An all-day event with women from lots of different places. The theme was the seasons of our life and how God uses those to His glory. Four speakers compared life seasons to calendar seasons. Summer harvest, fall letting go, winter emptiness and heartache, spring rebirth. Lunch was provided, and drinks, and snacks. There were a few "men in black" serving throughout the day. The men's restrooms were converted to women's rooms for the day, and for kicks, the urinals were decorated with silk ivy with witty signs that read, "Caution, poison ivy, do not sit!" and "Please don't water the plants".

I was inspired hearing about how other women have struggled through seasons of their lives. Our keynote speaker was Cheryl McGuinness, whose husband was a pilot on the first plane to crash into the World Trade Center on September 11. She has a ministry now, called Beauty Beyond the Ashes, and speaks to others about hope after crisis. I've included pics below to summarize the day. Thanks to dear hubby for shooting those from the A/V booth.

As for what I learned, I have to say, I didn't get as much from it as I had hoped. I think that is because I have discovered my own season. It isn't a very defined season. It's called the Foggy Season. I think this is a common season. But since I've had kids, especially after Zoe, my mind is in a total fog. Oh, I enjoyed the day, loved the speakers and especially the worship, lunch was tasty, even bought a couple Veggie Tales movies and a t-shirt, but instead of being enraptured during some of the speaking, I found myself nodding off. Mostly because of all the travel we did this week, but also, when I get still in a dark place, I just want to zone out. I feel as if I'm in a season where joy comes in tidbits, where I'm overwhelmed just by getting behind with some housework, where I can hardly pray for more than 5 seconds at a time. It's just foggy, feeling my way through, hoping there is some light on the other side, hoping I won't miss important landmarks on the way.

There's my deep thoughts about the day. I'm pooped, so I just ate some pie and I'm going to get ready for bed. Ain't even 9 pm yet, but I'm bushed. Church again tomorrow at 8:31--why on earth they moved it back almost 15 minutes still confounds me. I'm sure I'll be late as usual, but maybe I won't forget the diaper bag this week :)

Our choir--what great praise songs they sang today--really got us moving. 

My friend, "Maggie" singing some praise.  

Our drama team director, who is also our pastor's wife, and another team member performing a dramatic sketch. Great job. 

Our first speaker, Marie Washington. She and her husband have a ministry in the inner city of Louisville and serve people who really, really need God's love. Great lady. 

Our second speaker was Laura Carlisle, a paster's wife from Lumberton First Baptist Church in Mississippi. Their home and town were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, and they pulled through to minister to so many in need there. Awesome story. 

Our third speaker, a dear, wonderful lady who also attends church here, Jan Anderson. She is a talented artist and once owned a local art business. She battled breast cancer and survived to minister to others with her testimony.

Our keynote speaker, Cheryl McGuiness. Cheryl's husband was a pilot on the first airplane to crash into the World Trade Center on September 11. Powerful testimony of hope and healing after tragedy.

Our busy week

We traveled to Cinncinnati, Ohio this past Wednesday night so Bryan could do a presentation at an energy conference on Thursday. The girls and I tagged along. We spent the night in a businessy hotel on the 15th floor. We ate at a Mediterranean restaurant there for dinner. First for me--didn't care for it much. The kids didn't even eat the chicken strips and fries. After dinner, some doses of Benadryl got us all in a nice sleepy mode, and Megan was actually the first asleep. The next day, I took the girls to the Cinncinnati zoo by myself. What a feat! I only managed a few pics in the petting zoo before I got tired of lugging the camera bag around and took it back to the car. The zoo was nice, but it was almost too hot a day for it. The indoor exhibits felt good! The petting zoo only consisted of goats, so not much variety in my pics. Anyway, we went back home Thurs night and we were all bushed.

Friday, after lunch, headed to Louisville to a Louisville Bats game. Hubby's company has a box there and each power plant location gets to use it once during the season. So, we headed up and left the girls at our friends' house. They have two girls the same age as ours, so they had a good play date. We went on to the ballpark and thoroughly enjoyed the catered food and a semi-date, then had to pick up the girls and head back home for some much-needed sleep. We both had to be up early for our Women's Conference at our church. I'll post about that next.

Me sitting in a giant baseball glove in the lobby before we left. That's a first for me. 

The San Diego chicken--the comedy relief at the Louisville Bats games. Not sure why they couldn't get a Kentucky chicken.