Friday, December 29, 2006

to grill or shovel?





First off......I have to admit......I think my lack of association with EFX2 and all its crap is finally wearing off. I no longer find the need to keep checking crap there or even want to. I do not miss all the drama between the so-called friends in the shoutboxes and comments. I am really getting into this smaller, more down-to-earth posting again.....and it takes up far less REAL LIFE time.

Anyway...I found it interesting. The weather here has been unseasonably warm. So much so that tonight when I went to get my mail out of the box.....someone was grilling out! IT smelled heavenly and if I had my grill unpacked I would be tempted to do the same thing!

ALSO......my former town in Colorado is getting more snow dumped on them. It is amazing. They have about 40 inches now so far......28 from before...and about 12 inches so for now. Some areas have over 60 inches! Usually even though Colorado gets a lot of snow......down in the foothills where I lived it does not always last long because the temperatures are more seasonable and mild and the sun is almost always shining! Lately however it has been cold and cloudy and the snow is not going anywhere!

The grass here is green in spots. You can walk outside without a coat on. I wonder if I will even really have to use a winter coat much this year. So far all I have needed from time to time is my jacket!

Enjoy the pics....

To explain autism a bit better from an autistic's point of view

Cause for Celebration - Honoring Everday Life

December 29, 2006
Cause for Celebration
Honoring Everyday Life

We all know someone who keeps plastic covers on his or her couch in order to protect it. The irony is that many of these people may live their lives without ever having actually made contact with their own furniture! This is a poignant and somewhat humorous example of the human tendency to try to save things for special occasions, as if everyday life weren't special enough to warrant the use of nice things. Many of us have had the experience of never wearing a particular piece of clothing in order to keep it nice, only to have it go out of style in the meanwhile.

It's interesting to think of what it would mean to us if we let ourselves wear our nicest clothes and eat off the good china on a daily basis. We might be sending ourselves the message that every day we are alive is a special day and a cause for celebration, and that we are worth it. There is something uplifting about treating ourselves to the finest of what we have. It is as if we rise to the occasion when we wear our best clothes and set the table beautifully, as if for a very special guest. We are more mindful of where we place things, what we are eating, and who is with us. Using the good china, eating in the dining room, and taking the plastic off the sofa might be an invitation to be more conscious of the beauty and grace inherent in our everyday lives.

If there are things you've stashed away for a special occasion'a bottle of special wine, a gorgeous pair of shoes, an antique lace tablecloth'consider taking them out of their hiding places and putting them to use tonight, just because you are alive now to enjoy them, and that's a great cause for a celebration.

Happy 8th Birthday Noah!! I love you!




just something I slapped together after work this morning....I did not have time to go through and grab really old pictures of Noah so I just tried to use what was handy on my hard drive...

Happy Birthday Noah....I love you........I could not find a picture of you and your daddy.....I will have to do that next time round I guess!

mommy :X

Thursday, December 28, 2006

manifesting?

so.........after re-reading a post I had made days ago......about things I would like to have happen.......I get an email about this year's HGTV's DREAM HOME sweepstakes. I thought to myself......wow....wouldn't it be great if it were in Colorado....and it was a log home...MY DREAM HOME.........and I COULD WIN IT???

SO I clicked the link.........and guess what? IT IS in Colorado.......and IT IS a log home......and the house comes fully furnished....you also win a new GMC Acadia.......and 250,000.00 cash.......so much...

now I just have to win it! (of course now I think Noah would prefer living or staying in Ohio.....and I would miss my family.....)...but .......Here is a link to check it out:

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dream_home_tour_2007/text/0,,HGTV_28177_55076,00.html

AND........this house has WOLF APPLIANCES!

this would definitely fit all my earlier requests and then some......amazing.......this house is beautiful and would very much be a dream

Christmas morning in Colorado 2006

Christmas morning sunrise in Colorado 2006......thought this was a beautiful picture....this is from the balcony of where I used to live

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

me and noah at christmas 2006





winterberries

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staring contest

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up close and personal

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1 GB SD memory card for 19.99......






Walgreens had it on sale for that price......normally 60.00. I stopped and got one of the last 2 today....finally can take more than 7 pictures at a time now! AND movie clips.....

Noah and I went to the park today for a bit....just to sit and eat a bite of lunch and check out the ducks and geese. Here are a few shots I got from the truck. This one goose and I connected. Yeah I know.....but she/he kept staring....looking me directly into my eyes over and over. I think it was posing for me! haha

Beyond the Juggling Act to Living in Balance

Beyond the Juggling Act to Living in Balance


"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by
the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.
So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour.
Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover" - Mark Twain

If tennis balls represented areas of your life, how many balls are you currently juggling? Too many? Which ones are you dropping daily -- is it spending quality time with your family, working out, planning for your business, or doing what you love to do? In today's world, we are constantly juggling our priorities and trying to make everything fit. How does one maintain balance and still be a juggler? Most people find this aspect of life both exhausting, and stressful. You don't have to live your life on the edge of collapsing. You can create a balanced life where you have time and energy to do what is really important to you.

How balanced is your life?
Exercise: Take a blank sheet of paper, and write down the words Health, Relationships, Career, and Spiritual life. Then rate these areas of your life on a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being absolutely perfect and 1 being in the royal dumpster (absolutely terrible). Convert these ratings into centimeters, and draw a box with four lines that are the length of the rating you gave each of these categories. For instance, if you gave yourself a 3 in the area of health you would draw a straight line 3 cm long. Then, if you gave yourself a 7 in the area of Career you would draw another line 7 cm long . This will give your a clear picture of how your life looks. What does your box look like? Is it lopsided? Is it a rectangle? Does it have a big opening or gap because the lines don't connect? If you had a balanced life, your life would look like a perfect square.

Develop a vision of each area of your life.
Life is not a dress rehearsal. You only have one shot at designing a life that is perfect for you. In order to create a balanced life that supports you, you need to have a vision of what you want to create. A vision is something that you stand for happening in the future that orients all of the decisions that you make. Having a vision allows you to consciously channel your energies and time into avenues that will ultimately result in your dreams.

Ask yourself these questions to help illuminate your vision.
- What is really important to me?
- What do I want to create in every area of my life?
- When I look back on my life at the age of eighty, what do I want to have experienced or accomplished?
Turn over the sheet of paper, and write down the category where you scored the lowest. Then, write down your vision for this area of your life by asking yourself the above questions. For instance, in the area of health, a possible vision could be that you want to be completely fit and trim, and be able to run a marathon. Lastly, write down two action steps that would help you achieve your vision. For instance, two steps could be exercising 5 days a week, and eliminating sugar from your diet. Continue this exercise with each of the categories.
Create space in your life for what is important.
How can you begin implementing the actions steps that you have just written down on your paper. Most people have trouble adding new commitments because their life is too full of things that must get done. The first step in designing a balanced lifestyle is to clear out some space for new activities that support the hitherto ignored areas of your life. Here are two ways that you can begin to create space for what is important:

a. Eliminate activities that are no longer supporting you.
What are you doing out of obligation or habit? Make a list of all of the activities that you do. Then ask yourself if each activity is bringing you joy and helping you create your vision. If the answer is no, delegate it or drop it. For instance, if you dread cleaning the house every week, hire a maid instead. With the time you save, you can go to the gym and begin actually developing your vision of physical health.

b. Under-promise and Overdeliver.
Over-promising can throw you off balance. A sense of urgency causes you to ignore certain parts of your life in favor of one specific task that must be completed immediately. When you under-promise, you give yourself ample time to do the task which
* allows you to keep your commitments in the other areas of your life.
* eliminates rework due to mistakes (an all too common time waster).
* enables you to deliver ahead of schedule, resulting in the respect and admiration of your clients and thus attracting more business opportunities to you.

Where are you over-promising in your life? I challenge you to begin to under-promise today, and see how dramatically this new habit can change your life. In fact, one coaching client used to get in trouble for finishing projects behind schedule. She began to under-promise by giving herself 3 extra days to do a project. After a few months' time, her boss promoted her because he was so impressed with the way that she was now finishing projects on time. Go ahead and see how this
new technique can work for you.

Schedule your big rocks into your life first.
Your big rocks are things that are a priority to you, and that positively impact your life. Some examples of big rocks could be going to the gym, writing a book, learning French, meditating, etc. What are your big rocks? Sand and pebbles are the things that naturally fill in your day and that you tend to do automatically out of habit or necessity (i.e. eating, watching TV, going to work). Most people have trouble finding time for their big rocks because their life is filled up with sand and pebbles. In other words, they are so busy just keeping up, and doing everyday things that they don't have time to do what really matters (i.e. the big rocks). However, when you schedule big rocks into your agenda first, the sand and pebbles of life can easily fit in between the big rocks. This technique will help you reorient your life around your priorities and re-establish more balance.

There are two important keys to making this work:

- Honor your appointments with yourself as you would an appointment with your most valuable client. You will be more effective and productive if you take the time out to do things for yourself.

- Set strong boundaries. Be vigilant about people asking you to give up your plans in favor of their needs. Write down your boundaries so that you know where you stand. Then, begin saying "no" when people ask you to give up your big rocks.

online threats and harassment- QUITE informative

Article II: Non-Sexual Crimes Against Persons
§ 2.02.2 Online Harassment, Threats and Non-Sexual Stalking – Prohibited Activities

(A) It shall be unlawful for any individual or group of individuals through a pattern of computerized communication to engage in harassing, threatening or stalking any person or group of persons via a computer.

(1) A "Pattern of Computerized Communication" [PCC] requires the over act of a person or group of persons being on a computer and consists of the following predicate crimes, of which a violation of only one constitutes a Pattern of Computerized Communication:

(a) Harassment, §2.02.2 (B)

(b) Threats, §2.02.2 (C)

(c) Non-Sexual Stalking, §2.02.2 (D)

(d) Intimidation, §2.02.2 (E )

(e) Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress, §2.02.2 (F)

(B) A person or group of persons commit the crime of harassment when he/she uses electronic communications for any of the following purposes:

(1) making any comment, request, suggestion or proposal with an intent to offend, which may or may not be obscene and/or

(2) transmitting to any person, with the intent to harass and regardless of whether the communication is read in its entirety or at all, any file, document, or other communication which prevents that person from using his or her telephone service or electronic communications device and/or

(3) transmitting, for no legitimate purpose, a message which contained frightening, intimidating, abusive, or alarming content and resulted in repeated harassment of the recipient by other subsequent readers of the message.

(C) A person's or group of persons' speech constitutes a "true threat," when

(1) the following elements are met:

(a) a person makes a statement, which he/she knowingly or purposely transmits to someone and, in context, a reasonable recipient of the communications would interpret as communicating a serious expression of an intent to inflict or cause serious harm on or to the recipient and

(b) the person intended that the statement be taken as a threat that would serve to place the recipient in fear for his/her personal safety, regardless of whether the person actually intended to carry out the threat.

(2) True Threats are not protected under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

(D) A person or group of persons commits the crime of non-sexual stalking when:

(1) without lawful authority, a person or group of persons, willfully or maliciously engages in a course of conduct that would cause a reasonable person to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated or harassed and

(2) with the intent to place the reasonable person to fear for his/her safety, or the safety of his/her immediate family and

(3) all of which actually causes the victim to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated or harassed.

(E) A person or group of persons commits the crime of intimidation when he/she purposely sends a message or messages with materially fraudulent information in an attempt to hinder, discourage, encourage, or otherwise influence the recipient's behavior.

(F) A person or group of persons commits the crime of intentional infliction of emotional distress when a person or group of person acts either purposely, knowingly, or recklessly.

(1) Degrees of Culpability:

(a) A person or group of persons acts purposely when he/she has a conscious object to engage in a type of conduct and has knowledge that such a type of conduct will cause such a result

(b) A person or group of persons acts knowingly when he/she is aware of his/her conduct and is practically certain that his/her conduct will cause such a result.

(c) A person of group of persons acts recklessly when he/she consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the material element exists or will result from his/her conduct. The risk must be of such a nature and degree that, considering the nature and purpose of the actor's conduct and the circumstances known to him, its disregard involves a gross deviation from the standard of conduct that a law-abiding person would observe in the actor's situation.

(2) Elements necessary to establish a prima facie case of the crime of intentional infliction of emotional distress depends on whether a person or group of persons:

(a) sends a message or messages that threaten to cause physical injury or property damage to any person and the messages are of such an outrageous content or nature as to cause severe emotional or mental distress to the recipient; and/or

(b) sends a message or messages that threatens to cause physical injury or property damage to the recipient, the recipient's family or to the recipient's property and that the content of these messages is of such an outrageous nature as to cause severe emotional or mental distress to the recipient; and/or

(c) sends a message or messages that contain obscene, lewd, vulgar, or profane language as measured by constitutional standards, the content of which is sufficiently outrageous as to cause severe emotional or mental distress to the recipient; and/or

(d) sends a message or messages containing the frightening, intimidating, threatening, abusive, or alarming content which is sent repeatedly to the intended recipient and which causes the recipient severe emotional distress.

Commentary

§2.02.2 (B) Harassment

Prior to technology, harassment could reach only a limited number of people. Word of mouth, mail, and even publication in a newspaper pale in comparison to the potential numbers of people one can reach through cyberspace. The Internet allows an individual to create an online persona with little relationship to his or her real life identity. This "facelessness of cyberspace" lends itself to extreme forms of expression and allows people to say things that they might never say face-to-face. This certain sense of removal does not absolve people who harass, threaten, or stalk others in cyberspace of legal responsibility.

A possible scenario that may be addressed by §2.02.2 (B), Harassment by electronic communications, may be the following case of Will County, Chicago. [FN1] In this case, an individual proficient with the use of a computer used the Internet to post a child's (or adult's) name and telephone number on sexual explicit Internet sites. This posting invited visitors to call and inquire about the named individual, who was a child. As a result, the named individual was subjected to consistent, harassing and possibly sexual explicit telephone calls every day of the week, at any and all hours. The repeated inquiries caused the recipient of the calls and/or messages to become fearful for his/her safety and the safety of their family. The Boehle family decided that they had to move outside of Will County in order to protect their daughter, who was the subject of the postings, telephone calls and messages, from any potential harm they feared might occur as a result of such harassment. [FN2]

The theory is that harassing someone in cyberspace is just as illegal as doing it through the mail and/or via the telephone. The purpose of this section of the statute is to open the doors of cyberspace to the legal consequences of online harassment. Without such a section, if a state is not one to have a law regulating electronic harassment, the victim must wait until the harassment takes on an off-line form. [FN3] Such a "waiting period" can be dangerous to the victim, thereby, this section of the statute allows a victim to see help before the harassment can escalate to a potentially harmful result.

§2.02.2 (C) Threats

Under the common law and many statutes, a threat was only one of the elements of the offense of extortion or blackmail, and the prosecution must also show that the purpose of the threat was to obtain money, property, or some other thing of value. [FN4] The crime of threatening another individual has evolved from the use of mail, telegraph and telephone as subscribers began to use the Internet to reach their intended victims. Online threats are perhaps the most complicated offense of this statute. The nature of the offense is serious because the law must determine which transmissions are "true threats" rather than protected speech. [FN5] While it is important to prohibit threats, it is also important not to chill free speech in cyberspace by too broadly defining what speech equals a "threat." [FN6] However, "true threats" are not protected by the first amendment and therefore they can be prohibited without violating the United States Constitution. [FN7]

The Internet functions as a vast marketplace of ideas, and as such, it is extremely important that it receive the highest level of First Amendment freedom of speech protection possible. Many people use e-mail, posting to newsgroups and bulletin boards, chat rooms and web pages, or any combination to send threats to others. [FN8] The consequences of this behavior are two-fold: 1) threats are harmful to their victims and 2) threats are harmful to the freedom of speech in cyberspace, because individuals fearing retaliation may cease to express their opinions or even enter the forum at all. The purpose behind prohibiting threats is to prevent the harm that would come of their actual execution and to prevent the harm that comes from the mere threat itself, such as the anxiety and fear that are created by a threat of harm.

The "True Threats" standard that is encompassed in §2.02.2 (C)(1)(a-b) is one which contains both an objective and subjective standard. [FN9] The objective part of the test asks whether a reasonable person would construe the defendant's speech or statement as a threat, given the context in which it was made. To have a test only with an objective element is very restrictive on free speech because the "reasonable person" standard can be problematic. It invites a jury to consider the unique sensitivities of the particular recipient. For instance, a defendant's speech may be prohibited in one instance, where the recipient is unusually sensitive, while it would not have been prohibited if the "threat" if had been directed at a less sensitive recipient. As a result, the drafter added a subjective element to this test, which looks at the speaker's intent in making the statement. The subjective element increases the burden on the prosecution and thus makes it less likely that speech that is not truly a threat will be attacked for the sole purpose of silencing the speaker. It is the threat itself that, simply being uttered, causes the harm the statute aims to prevent: the victim's sense of fear. No further "over act" is needed. To date, the Supreme Court of the United States had not spoken directly on the issue of a "true threats" test. [FN10]

The United States v. Baker case illustrates the reluctance of the Courts to punish all but the most egregious of threats under this "true threat" standard. [FN11] While a student at the University of Michigan, Baker began to write sexually graphic and explicit stories depicting the rape and torture of women. In these stories, Baker used the name and physical description of a classmate as a main character in one of these stories. After these sexually explicit stories were posted on the Internet, several individuals read these postings and reported Baker out of concern for the named female student in these stories. [FN12] Mr. Baker was charged with five counts of violating 18 USC §875(c). The district court dismissed the charges against Baker by ruling that the threatening messages were "only a rather savage and tasteless piece of fiction" and without more evidence, was entitled to First Amendment protection. [FN13] The Court of Appeals in the Baker case held that to constitute a "true threat" under 18 USC Section 875(c), a communication must be such that a reasonable person 1) "would take the statement as a serious expression of an intention to inflict bodily harm (mens rea) and 2) would perceive such expression as being communicated to effect some change or achieve some goal through intimidation (the actus reus)." The Court of Appeals held that while Baker's stories and messages were offensive, they did not constitute "true threats" because they were sent through private e-mail to a friend. In other words, threats made in a private e-mail, to an individual who is not the target of the threats, and made about an indistinct, undefined group will not likely meet the "true threat" standard.

A scenario that may be addressed by §2.02.2 (C) is that of a person sending messages directly to a specific victim. A nineteen year old St. John's University student was charged with aggravated harassment for terrorizing an Indianapolis family. [FN14] He allegedly sent the family threatening e-mail that promised "to hunt then down, rape their 12 year old daughter, and kill them." [FN15] In another case, a fourteen year old boy was charged with threats to commit murder and civil rights violations for making anti-Semitic death threats to his teacher via the Internet. [FN16] The differences in these cases to Baker is that these perpetrators threatened violence against specific individuals intending to cause fear in their victims. These victims took these threats seriously and thus these two perpetrators could be prosecuted under §2.02.2 (C).

Hate groups and extremists have found a new forum in the Internet to spread their propaganda. The Internet allows these groups to reach impressionable audiences with an ease that they have never been able to accomplish. However much people might disagree with these views, the First Amendment forbids silencing speech because of its content. The First Amendment protects the materials published in these hate sites just as it would protect the same information spoken or published in a book or a newspaper. [FN17] As a result, it is important to note that this section of this statute does not make uttering derogatory comments illegal. It is only when a person "crosses the line" by directing his/her hate-filled message at another person in the form of a threat. A prime example would be the case of Richard Machando, a former college student at the University of California at Irvine. [FN18] Mr. Machando sent racist death threats to fifty-nine Asian students at the University. Mr. Machando blamed the Asian students for lack of campus quality. His e-mails stated: "I personally will make it my life career to find and kill everyone of you personally." He signed the e-mail "Asian Hater." As a result of transmitting these messages, Mr. Machando was sentenced to one year in jail. [FN19]

§2.02.2 (D) Non-Sexual Stalking

Non-Sexual Stalking is an electronic version of the real world crime: unwanted, obsessive pursuit of an individual by another individual. "The architecture of cyberspace might make it more common because you can do it all from your chair...without going to the trouble of tracking [a victim] down, going to their house and leaving a note." [FN20] Therefore, the drafter created non-sexual stalking to contain the same elements as physical stalking: willfully, maliciously and repeatedly following or harassing another person.

A possible scenario that may be addressed by §2.02.2 (D), non-sexual stalking, is the Dellapenta case. [FN21] The alleged stalking began when the victim rejected Mr. Dellapenta's romantic advances. The victim and Mr. Dellapenta were both members of the same church, a place where they first met each other. [FN22] Mr. Dellapenta unrelentlessly pursued the victim, to the point where she asked church members to intervene, which they did. Mr Dellapenta told men the victim's name, address, phone number, a her physical description and how to bypass her home security system. Mr. Dellapenta's later posted an ad on the Internet which contained the following message, in addition to the victim's personal information: "I am into rape fantasy and gang-bang fantasy." [FN23] The victim, who didn't even own a computer at the time, began receiving phone calls and had men showing up at her apartment saying that they were responding to her online personal ads. The non- sexual stalking section of this statute is partly modeled after California's Stalking law, of which Mr. Dellapenta had been charged with violating.

§2.02.2 (E) Intimidation

Intimidation can be considered a lesser included offense of online threats, §2.02.2 (C). However, there are situations where a person might not necessarily intent to threaten a victim, but rather intimidate the victim to do something he/she might not otherwise do before the intimidation. This is why the drafter felt that a section on intimidation still be part of the Online Harassment, Threats and Non-Sexual Stalking statute.

A possible scenario that may be addressed by §2.02.2 (E), intimidation, is witness intimidation. A fifteen year old girl claims that her uncle sexually abused her. As a result, she brings criminal charges against him. In an effort to keep the abuse victim from testifying, the accused posts messages on the Internet claiming that the fifteen year old abuse victim is interested in sexual encounters. [FN24]

Another possible scenario that may be addressed by §2.02.2 (E) is political intimidation. Tara Newell, an undergraduate student at McGill received several threatening and obscene messages at the beginning of the election period for President of the Student Society of McGill Undergraduates. [FN25] By reading Newell's saved messages, the perpetrator learned personal details about his/her victim. The perpetrator threatened to continue harassing her until Newell dropped out of the election.

§2.02.2 (F) Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress

Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress is often referred to as the Tort of Outrage in the civil realm. [FN26] This section is meant to address behavior that is caused by "ill will or wickedness of the heart." [FN27] This section's degrees of culpability are modeled after the general requirements of culpability in the Model Penal Code, §2.02.2 (2)(a-c). The drafter decided to created degrees of culpability to better define the behavior of the perpetrator and to allow for more precise prosecution. Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress can be categorized as a lesser included offense of harassment and threats. As a result, a Prosecutor has lesser standards or elements to prove in these types of cases. For example, a prosecutor may not be able to meet the elements for threats, however, he/she might be more able to prove the elements of emotional distress. This allows the victim a sense of justice, without letting the perpetrator escape criminal liability.

A possible scenario that may be addressed by §2.02.2 (F)(1)(a), purposely inflicting emotional distress, is that of virtual rape. "The heretofore unknown crime of "virtual rape" has emerged as an issue with the rise of cyberspace and the Internet, because it is now possible to simulate a sexual attack and thereby cause psychological and emotional, though not physical, injury to the victim(s)." [FN28] The drafter recognizes that the harm in a case of virtual rape is not the physical harm, because there exists no physical contact that is part of the crime of "rape." [FN29] An act that would be considered a virtual rape would include the following scenario. A perpetrator videotapes a female neighbor without her consent. He takes the video image that he obtained and uses computer equipment to "metamorphize" the image of his female neighbor on to another individual's body who is being physically assaulted and raped. The perpetrator then takes the images he created and disseminates them on the Internet. He also sends his victim a copy of what he created. The perpetrator informs the victim as to where she may find these metamorphized images on the Internet. [FN30] Such actions clearly have the intent to purposely inflict emotional distress on the victim. These actions can also be argued that they constitute "true threats" under §2.02.2 (C) because the perpetrator sent the video tape to the victim, with sites that she should also view to see "herself" on the Internet. Such actions go beyond the Baker test of being pure fantasy stories between two email correspondents. The perpetrator actually contacted the victim with material she would view as threatening and the perpetrator intended her to view the material and thus fear for her safety.

Under §2.02.2 (F)(1)(c), reckless infliction of emotional distress, a potential perpetrator must be aware of the high risk of emotional harm that his/her actions may cause, but still grossly deviate from behavior that the society or community considers reasonable. The case of Jake Baker could be prosecuted under this section. One can argue that Mr. Baker (real last name is Alkhabaz) acted recklessly in writing a story that included the name of an actual student at the university he was attending at the time, who just happened to have the same physical features of the woman in his story.

Footnotes

1. See Stanley Ziembhca, Joilet Man faces Cyber-Harassment Suit, Former Neighbor Seek 3 Million for Alleged Posting of Home Number, Chicago Tribune, March 25, 1998.

2. Id.

3. Maryland, Michigan, Alaska, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and Illinois are among the several states that have adopted electronic harassment statutory provisions.

4. See American Jurisprudence, Second Edition, Extortion, Blackmail, and Threats, Volume 31A, §3 Threat.

5. See Sally Greenberg, Threats, Harassment, and Hate On-Line: Recent Developments, Boston Public Interest Law Journal, Spring 1997.

6. Id.

7. See Watts v. U.S. 4 U.S. 705 (1969).

8. See Anne Bevilacqua, Electronic Harassment, May 2, 1997 on the Computers & Law Homepage, http://wings.buffalo.edu/Complaw/CompLawPapers/bevilacq.htm

9. The "true threats" utilized in §2.02.1 (C)(1)(a-b) is Justice Jones' definition of what a "true threat" is. This test is located as a footnote in the Planned Parenthood of the Columbia/Willamette, Inc. v. American Coalition of Life Activists (also known as the "Nuremberg Files case") See 23 F.Supp 2d 1182 (D.Or. 1998).

10. For a history of the different "true threats" standards, See Watt v. U.S., 394 U.S. 705 (1969), Rogers v. U.S., 422 U.S. 35 (1975), U.S. v. Kelner, 534 F.3d 1020 (2nd Cir. 1976), and Roy v. U.S., 416 F.2d 874 (9th Cir. 1969).

11. See the Jake Baker case, U.S. v. Alkhabaz, 104 F.3d 1492 (6th Cir. 1997)

12. See Heather Brooks-Szacha, U.S. v. Jake Baker: The Role of Unique Features of Electronic Mail in a "True Threat" Analysis at http://www.libraries.wayne.edu/~jlitman/pbrooks.html

13. United States v. Baker, 890 F.Supp 1375 (E.D. Mich. 1995).

14. See Sally Greenberg, Threats, Harassment and Hate On-Line: Recent Developments, Boston Public Interest Law Journal, Spring 1997.

15. Id.

16. Id.

17. Brandenburg v. Ohio, 395 U.S. 444 (1969).

18. See Courtney Macavinta, Prison Time for Email Threats, CNETnews.com, May 4, 1998, http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-328979.html?tag=st.cn.1.

19. Id.

20. See Brooke A. Masters, Cracking Down on E-Mail Harassment, Washington Post, November 1, 1998 (Quote from Jonathan Zittrain, Executive Director of Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet and Society).

21. See California Presses Cyberstalking Case: Man Accused of Impersonating Woman Online, APBnews.com, January 22, 1999, http://www.apbnews.com/newscenter/breakingnews/1999/01/23/22/ stalk0122_01.html

22. Id.

23. Id.

24. See Stanley Zienbhca, Will County Focusing on Internet Criminals, Chicago Tribune, May 26, 1998.

25. See Darcy Doran, McGill Student a Victim of High-Tech Harassment.

26. See John L. Diamond, Lawrence C. Levine, and M. Stuart Madden, Understanding Torts, Matthew Bender & Co, Inc. (1996).

27. Blacks Law Dictionary (West 1996).

28. Quote from Professor Susan Brenner, via e-mail to drafter, Noel Ann DeSantis

29. See MSCCC §3.04.1
30. See Brenner, Susan Professor (visited December 4, 1998)

Animal Spirits Oracle Readings

That Which is Behind You

Green Man
Green Man peers out of the foliage to remind you that not all of life's mysteries have logical solutions. Be open to magical opportunities, spirit allies, and unconventional paths. Get out into the wilderness, ground yourself in meditation, and listen for Green Man's wisdom. You may just catch sight of him eyeing you in his leafy camouflage.

Your Current Place

Opossum
You've heard the expression "playing possum"? It means to play dead and is derived from Opossum's ability to act in whatever way the situation demands. If it's practical to play dead, so be it; if it's to Opossum's advantage to be aggressive, watch out! Take your cue from this master actor toda - and play the role that will serve you best.

That Which is before You

Badger
Badger is a ferocious opponent, unwilling to back down over any issue. Unfortunately, this unwavering stance leads some Badgers to their demise. If Badger has dug into your reading, he is asking whether you are fighting the right fight. Is this issue the hill you're willing to die on, or are you fighting for no other reason than pure stubbornness? Think about it.

get your Animal Spirits Oracle reading

http://www.coffeytalk.com/games/animalspirits/animalspirits/index.php

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

a visit to see grandma C.

Noah and I stopped over to see Grandma C. today. We took her a plate of homemade buckeye candies and some sugar cookies.....and a plate mom had sent home with me from yesterday....and we took her a Christmas present. She was very excited to see us and we had a really nice visit! Noah entertained himself with his camera and new RR crossing signal that he took there.......and all in all we had a very good time. Grandma fed me one of her famous ham sandwiches.......and we had a nice talk while eating. We will have to head back for another visit soon.

Walgreens has 1 GB Sandisk memory cards on sale......I need to get there and get one before they are all gone! I am not sure they would give out a rain check for that. The sale just started today and I was going to stop.....but figured I should come home first and check my camera and owner's manual to make sure what I get is the correct one. Looks like it would work.....I will have to get it tomorrow as I do not want to go back out again tonight and neither does Noah. So tomorrow it will be another trip!

It started to snow last night around 1:00 or so......and my hammered metal snowman kept getting weighted down and blown over out front .........He bobbles...and is big.....so he can do this!

anyway.......sort of moody...I need to start work in about another hour....

finally............

figured out how to reset to make my TITLE option reappear......good

but not sure I like it....I need to change the color.......this is crappy staying with a white background! If it were orange like my banner above that would be pretty cool.......now to figure out how to do that!
Mom is back at the surgeons........having too much leaking from somewhere after her surgery.......guess I will find out more details later.

Off to shower and then head to grandma C.s for a bit.....visit with her...take some Christmas goodies to her and a present. Noah does not want to leave......he is too busy playing with his new Christmas stuff....but I bet we can manage some time away for a bit.

it snowed last night....thick, heavy wet snow. Back in Colorado at the condo where I had lived that city got 28 inches of snow.......it is still hanging around because it is remaining cold there.

Dreary day makes for dreary feelings I suppose..........and makes me sleepy. I have to be ready to work more later....so I better get busy!

um.......I am working up to doing a YEAR REVIEW post sometime before New Years......will be cathartic I hope.......




Well Christmas has come and past again. We had a good time. I think. Everyone seemed a little more mellow this year. I am sure we have all had our share of stressors...some more than others......but they all end up being stressors.

YEAR IN REVIEW.........is enlightening........and could be considered a bit depressing I suppose.

Anyway.....I cannot believe Christmas is over and we are heading into a New Year! Noah still have to complete opening his presents. I don't mind...he can take all the time he wants! Next up is his birthday party...and then New Years......finally I can get the house back in order......complete it......maybe rest a bit......doubtful as it will all just begin again.

Hope everyone had happy holidays.......otherwise I don't really have a lot to say tonight.

Sunday, December 24, 2006






Well I am sick of cookies and candy already and I have only had like ONE Christmas cookie! Noah is in bed...anticipating Santa's arrival. He left Santa 2 chocolate chip cookies out on the Santa plate......and we put the magical Santa key on the outside door knob of the front door for Santa to get in since we have no chimney. I told Noah I would put the milk out later for Santa so it would not be warm.

Anyway.......a few more things to do tonight and then I am going to go to bed. I am fighting off a migraine...seems it happens nearly every Christmas....I think this time it is my own fault.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Saturday, December 23, 2006

so much to do here...or maybe not. Maybe I will keep this blog strictly for writing and a few photographs from time to time. No eye candy and stuff along the sides.......maybe later for that.

Well..........today has been another very enlightening day to say the least. It is no wonder I have felt sort of sick to my stomach all day long......I think one's nerves can only take so much.

Mom seems to be doing pretty well. I talked to her tonight for a bit as well as my grandma C. Hard to imagine Christmas eve is tomorrow already and Christmas the day after that. It just is coming up too fast.

Tonight I made my buckeye candies......I had thought about taking a picture and posting here.....maybe another time. I am in a weird mood......not really feeling like doing too much.......though there is always stuff needing done around here. I muddle through it all somehow....

Tomorrow Noah and I will decorate some cookies......I will make dessert to take to Mom's on Monday.......tonight I am wrapping presents while Noah sleeps.......cleaning up the kitchen a bit.

Noah and I watched the Polar Express again tonight. We need to just buy that movie if someone has not gotten it for us for a Christmas present...we both really like to watch it a lot. I guess I must be emotional as I cried at the end of that and I have seen it HOW many times now? haha

oh well......I better get with it or I will be up all night and this is one night I am off work and I could actually sleep if I wanted to.
was there ever any fast way to delete crap from EFX2? your old posts? I have tried clearing crap off there........and now...magically......it all seems to NO longer be deleting my posts.

any former or current EFXers there have any shortcuts --because for whatever reason KEITH refuses to take the time to delete my accounts after asking him for a few days now
well here is the latest lashing I have received from my comments to KEITH on EFX2.......from Jeffro......
Jeffro Wrote ..
Alot of people get their buttons pushed and very few allow those buttons to be pushed continuously over time. Apparently Keith was sick of seeing misconstrued statements pushing his buttons and decided to try and end it by publishing the post above.

I have embarked on a journey to personally attack you ohplease using my blog. I will include nothing but lies and conspiracy theories. I will post things you never thought possible. You have two choices. Ignore me or allow all of my falsely stated dribble to affect you and your buddies and really get you revved up to the point where your defending yourself. Oh but when you defend yourself your going to look like an ass simply because your defending yourself.
and one more thing about the entire EFX2 thing.......then I am letting it go completely.

Keith...the grand POOPAH.......is living up to his title.

First off......I have to wonder if he realizes how obssessed he makes himself appear with Cyn's posts and comments and blogs? I mean I among MANY MANY other EFX2ers would NEVER have even KNOWN any of the stuff happening behind the scenes or publicly elsewhere had he not drawn our attention to it. NEVER. AND to KNOW that someone else SOMEWHERE else is posting 14 posts about you or your BLOGGING system in 12 days tells me he is spending a lot of time apparently reading Cyn's blog (when he is telling us he could care less what she is saying or doing or it does not bother him....etc...gee...I would say that really would not appear to be the case in this instance). I did not see Cyn going around trying to HANG onto crap or still stirring the pot of shit. IF she did she at least had the class to do it elsewhere.....and NOT on EFX2. Had Keith NOT pointed out publicly via COMMUNITY WIDE NOTIFICATION on his blog a link to Cyn and what she reportedly had said......NO ONE WOULD BE THE WISER.

So..in my book.......regardless of what was being dished out where and when and by whom......he is the official shit stirrer because he refused to let things go. When you are in CHARGE of a blogging system........whether it be hobby or not.....you DO place yourself at a higher level of authority than the average BLOGGER. OR YOU SHOULD. Whether you want to admit it or not Keith.....you ARE or SHOULD have enough common sense to realize that you would want to appear as NEUTRAL and unbiased as one can in regards to your CUSTOMERS (for lack of better wording here as we never paid for anything at EFX2 and that is so obviously clear now). BUT....you should at all times remain NEUTRAL and separate from bashings online within your own community. THAT is why I suggested he take it elsewhere......Cyn did.......that was classy. He remained there....linked to her.....bashed her and it continues days later!

I think that says a lot about what TYPE of person that is. For someone to seem to derive so much enjoyment from the bashing....and the continued bashings...(oh I know Keith.....it is NOT YOU who are making fun of her or bashing her......we know....we know....you keep telling us that as you continue to drive the stake down a bit further cause you don't think it has been driven far enough yet). What amazes me is this......IF none of this is or was true about you........why play into the entire thing yourself? WHY give it any time of day? Why go off the deep end and eat, sleep and breathe this? That is how it appears.........If it is all just ENTERTAINMENT to you......I think that says a lot ......what kind of sick person derives enjoyment from such things as you are doing NOW?

You wanted to clear some things up. Gee.....the stuff CYN was posting that you addressed here was NEVER even posted here at EFX2. Again....except for YOU posting it here.......your fellow bloggers would never have known.......except for some who followed Cyn regularly. Most of those were still making appearances at EFX2 as neutral however.......what she said had not changed their opinions of you any.....no one but you seemed to find it necessary to CLEAR anything up! AND I was never a follower of Cyn. I never even had access to her EFX2 blog. I never knew what she was writing or saying about you or EFX2. I am capable of making my own opinions and judgements. I have to admit your behavior here has made my latest decisions quite easy. You have made yourself look like a desperately obssessed immature person......who wants everyone to like them. If EFX2 is doing so well..........and you are nothing like what Cyn or others spout off about....why not let your credentials speak for themselves? Why not let who YOU ARE speak for itself? There should not have been a need to defend yourself. No one attacked you here! By participating in this circus of events....you are now showing us who you truly are. I for one can't stomach it.

The ad crap. WHO GIVES A SHIT ANYMORE? And yet you Keith continue to send out community wide notifications to link us to a fellow blogger who has posted something about how they SUPPORT the ads....and more importantly YOU. Why do you find a NEED to try to make your own self continue to look good to all of us out here? remember.....you said you did not care anyway? I don't get it and frankly it is giving me a headache trying to figure it out. WHY? Because in the grand scheme of things no one really gives a shit anyway Keith.

Life is too short. We all have way too many more important things going on to worry about your drama or to keep up with it. This reminds me of shit that used to happen when I was in high school? OR YOUNGER!

You always prided EFX2 on its sense of "community." Well....I have to wonder if you truly cannot see how your behavior here is destroying that sense of community? I guess you do not see it that way because the crap continues to pour out.

You have you buds supporting you.......believing any dribble that comes out of your mouth just because it does. You say the same happens with Cyn's supporters. MOST do not really care one way or the other! MOST......I think ALL......just want it to all stop. CYN TRIED to let it all go....she took her complaints elsewhere.......I had no idea there was a CORRECT way (according to you) to leave a blog........Was that something in the TOS I missed? I guess YOUR correct way is to say something nice and just go? NO fuss or backlash I think you said? I think CYN tried to do that. She was making a fuss at her own NEW PLACE......which was her right. YET YOU FOLLOWED HER there..........snooping around and reading and brewed up this latest fiasco! You linked others to her new place which again......they would likely NOT have even known about had you NOT posted it here! AND FOR WHAT PURPOSE? You say to defend your name....EFX2......what a load of crap!

This does not defend anything......other than the fact that somewhere along the way your head got bigger than your britches and you think any of us out here give a crap.
I found some interesting stuff over at:

http://jebus.bloggityboo.com/

talk about manifesting! Listening to the universe....some excellent posts! This snippet really spoke to me and sums up EXACTLY what I experience when I make choices in my life....I had to share......

There is a very interesting mechanism that the universe has to help you make spontaneously correct choices. The mechanism has to do with sensations in your body. Your body experiences two kinds of sensations: one is a sensation of comfort, the other is a sensation of discomfort. At the moment you consciously make a choice, pay attention to your body and ask your body "If I make this choice, what happens?" If your body sends a message of comfort, that's the right choice. If the body sends a message of discomfort, then it's not the appropriate choice.
For some people the message of comfort and discomfort is in the area of the solar plexus, but for most people it's in the area of the heart. Consciously put your attention in the heart and ask your heart what to do. Then wait for the response - a physical response in the form of a sensation. It may be the faintest level of feeling - but it's there, in your body.
okay.......I am back to my roots. I have officially closed my multiply account.........and my EFX2 accounts........well..they have been disabled. I have asked that they be deleted.....hopefully that will happen soon.

There is only so much drama and crap I can stand. I started blogging many years ago because I love to write and it was a great way for me to get my thoughts out of this brain of mine as fast as I could type them. I could keep up with my thoughts because I could type as fast as I was thinking them. It was and still is very therapeutic and a great way to vent feelings and frustrations, hopes and dreams...etc.

BUT when blogging becomes a chore....more like a JOB and not enjoyable....I know it is past time to move on. At multiply I would receive so many alerts.....it became IMPOSSIBLE and NOT enjoyable to even go there any longer......trying to keep up.....I could never read the posts..never respond...knowing I had to check that crap every day and MANY times daily was a pain in the ass.

EFX2 is the other place I had found after ModBlog died off. I had been at EFX2 a little over a year. LOTS has happened there recently that leaves a very sour taste in my mouth. I am not going to waste my energy, time or breath let alone my fingers in typing out all the details.

BUT........going there also was nothing but angst....sick in the pit of my stomach feeling. ALL the crap being tossed around in there to members was flat out wrong. IT went TOTALLY against what I believe in...my integrity.

I also am pissed at the number of people who perpetually try to portray themselves as something they are not. OR think they know my family better than I do.

ALL in all I am sick of the crap.....the crap that supposedly went along with all the"community". If community equates with cliques......I don't want any part of it.

Back to writing solo.........riding solo...........hoping my attitude gets better soon.

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Dear Santa:

They say you do not get anything unless you ask for it......so I am going to ask:

1) I would like my rent to be paid for 1 year up front.
2) I would like my credit cards to be paid off in full.
3) I would like my car to be paid off.
4) I would like to have help in setting up an actual classroom for Noah with a work space to work on arts and crafts projects......music......etc. If this requires moving again.....obviously we would need help with that.
5) What would be ideal Santa......since I am sounding like a greedy needy thankless soul.........would be to have our own HOME somewhere.......completely paid for...........that is large enough to supply us with the rooms and space needed to live. For Noah to have an actual therapy room......classroom.........etc. DO you think it could be made to be mostly solar powered so as to save on any gas and electric bills? Do you think you could toss in an annual income for me doing something so I don't have to worry about trying to work and take care of my autistic son full time?

and this is all shit.

anyway......not that it matters........but......I noticed my dad will make comments on my siblings' blogs......and on at least 2 he will always tell them he loves them. I think even the third one he does. I have noticed a trend on mine.....he never says it. You can go back a long ways.......he just does not say it to me anymore. um.........wonder what that means? This has all happened since the big blow up between him and my son Noah......but things have since been patched up......a bit I thought. I am not sure anymore......maybe he thinks I don't notice? That no one notices? Maybe I notice too much.

and you know what. I really don't care anymore. It is his loss he is so unwilling to get to really know or spend time with my son Noah. No one really seems to be overly concerned or willing to spend time to get to know Noah.......to really want to spend time with him......enjoy it......etc. Mom does more than she did.....grandma C. does. My sister Angela does........but everyone else is too busy or they really can't handle the "stress level" that sometimes goes along with Noah. That is just part of the deal. Well...I guess that is not fair. They have their own lives too......and are busy with it. My one sister has had a lot to deal with as her partner had cancer to deal with this year. AND my other sister is also a struggling single parent. So they are all stretched thin like I am. I can understand that. BUT when we are together......few really seem to take much time in wanting to spend time with Noah or do things with him.

okay.......I am remembering to breathe.................in..................out..............deeply.................

Friday, December 08, 2006

so much is happening.

My friend's brother passed away unexpectedly from a blood clot following surgery to remove a brain tumor....or part of one.

My mom found out she has recurrence of breast cancer in her left breast this time after 9 years of being cancer-free.

My head is swimming.......so much emotion. Wonder what that does to you after awhile?

I also have to wonder where I have lived for the past x number of years of my life as I cannot seem to recall some big details about specific things that I am sure I would have known at one time.

Like my friend's brother. He was the SAME age as me and my friend or his sister. Now this would seem to make them TWINS. HOW IN THE HELL could I have ever forgotten that? Especially when he also graduated with us????? I used to spend a lot of time at her house....their house......overnight even. I was involved. I don't think I went through it all only semi-present.

BUT from the things I am recalling from my past...there are times I feel like I am someone else who was placed in this family and life as I either do not recall any events or cannot remember people...........specific major events....etc. WHY would it appear that I would block so much from my memory? Why would it appear I was trying to apparently protect my mind?

or am I not who I think I am? my head is a mess.........

Friday, September 29, 2006

Fall is definitely here. Low of 37 last night.....chilly again this morning. Lots of rain and dark clouds. I LOVE IT!

fresh air but there seems to be something in it that bothers me and Noah. We get sinus headaches and weird noses and such when we even crack the windows inside the house.

I heard ragweed was really bad this year......

I hope my yard dries enough I can mow it today.

I need to concentrate on work......which has been very difficult for me to do lately.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

NaNoWriMo is starting again soon.....are ya game?

http://www.nanowrimo.org/

Friday, September 08, 2006

more on Sacred Sex

To many people the words sacred and sex do not belong in the
same sentence. To others they may imply sex used for
purposes of procreation. To the mystic, sacred sex is a way
to improve our health, strengthen our energy bodies and help
manifest our heart's desires, with the ultimate goal of
communing with God.

Human sexual energy is among the most potent energies found
on earth. The drive to mate is innate in human beings.
Marketers use this drive to sell just about every product
imaginable, from luxury goods to simple grooming items. You
do not have to be a marketing wizard to recognize a long
sports car sliding on a rain-slicked road hints at the
sexual satisfaction you will derive from owning that
vehicle.

The Law of the Triangle states that when two opposing
energies come together, there is the potential to create a
third energy. When a man and a woman come together, the
potential is to create a child. But this energy can be used
to manifest whatever you desire, as well as to commune with
God.

Kundalini energy is the name given to this energy that
usually lays dormant at the base of the spine. Upon
activation by yoga, breathing exercises, meditation, natural
spiritual development, or by a partner whose kundalini has
already awakened, it rises along the spine through two
channels called nadis. Like two intertwined snakes, the
energy crosses at each of the lower six chakras. The seventh
chakra represents enlightenment. The medical caduceus, the
symbol of the American Medical Association, is a graphic
representation of kundalini energy rising.

In many sexual encounters, only the lower two chakras are
involved. This can produce a brief flash of pleasure
followed by a void because the other chakras are not
involved. It can be tiring, as the sexual energy has been
disbursed. Sleep often follows such encounters.

On the other hand, when a man and a woman engage in foreplay
as a part of a sacred sexual experience, they act as
catalysts for each other, encouraging the energy to rise in
their partner. Over time, and sometimes spontaneously, this
energy releases blocks in the chakras and burns off
impurities in your energy bodies. As the energy rises, it is
possible for both men and woman to experience multiple
orgasms. Distinctions between male and female can disappear
and the identification of whose orgasm is being experienced
becomes blurred, as the two partners become one.

Far more sexual energy is produced by such an encounter, and
aside from the obvious potential for pleasure, sacred sex
strengthens the etheric body and opens passages to higher
consciousness. The etheric body contains the blueprint for
your physical body. A stronger etheric body can improve your
health, while magnifying your desires and increasing the
likelihood of their manifestation. This is especially true
for thoughts you hold at the point of orgasm.

For best results, a woman must feel completely safe, loved
and protected in order to release fully the energy contained
within her being. This is an understandable basis for
certain religious beliefs that people should only have sex
within the context of marriage. The issue is not whether you
have a society-approved license, but that the woman feels
loved, protected and adored.

Sexual energy can also be produced by same sex relationships
or by an individual alone, but in these cases you don't have
the opposite polarities or the mixing of the male/female
hormones and body fluids that augments the energy and brings
it to its fullest expression.

Remember, each sexual encounter results in a transfer of
energy. You want to be careful as to what and whose energy
you're taking into your own energy bodies. Negative or low
vibration energies are not conducive to becoming enlightened
and will inhibit your getting closer to God. These low
energies merely add to the discordant energies that must be
burned off if you are seeking spiritual advancement. This is
even truer for women as they are the receptacle for the
male's energy.

In a committed relationship the two partners act as mirrors
for each other, intensifying the purification process. The
goal of our spiritual evolution is to eliminate all
impurities from our energy bodies. Sacred sex intensifies
the process and allows couples to eliminate the negative,
while experiencing higher levels of consciousness than
either partner could attain on his or her own.

When all the benefits are considered: improved health,
release of impurities, strengthened etheric bodies to
manifest your desires, not to mention the pleasure derived,
it's a wonder more people do not pursue this ecstatic
activity. Especially, when it contributes to our ultimate
goal of communing with God.
Tribute to 911-let us never forget.....the anniversary is coming up

http://attacked911.tripod.com/

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Steve's death really bothered me a lot so I decided to do a slide show...sometimes that helps me feel better about things. I tried to keep this as simple as possible cause I felt though he was larger than life....he was still also just "one of us".

http://media.putfile.com/my-tribute-to-Steve-Irwin

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

I feel like crap still today though MAYBE (and it is a huge maybe)..a tiny bit better.

I watched Kyle XY last night...anyone else into that show?? I have really enjoyed it. Too bad it will only be on during the summer. BUT it will be worth the wait.

While watching it on FAMILY channel I discovered they WILL BE SHOWING EVERWOOD on the FAMILY channel on Monday nights again! YEAH!!!!!!!!! as I loved that show. I doubt they will do new ones but even the reruns will be nice to see again.

Got to finish work for now...my head is about to pound off my shoulders and neck! MIGRAINE again!

Monday, August 21, 2006

still feeling pretty crappy. Amazing how the older you get the worse little things like a cold or allergies can make you feel. And WHY do those things make you feel sooooooo crappy anyway?

not that any illness makes you feel good.

well i am too crappy to even think straight today let alone accomplish any serious writing here

Friday, August 18, 2006

well I got a nice reimbursement of the entire 50.00 delivery charge from Lowes.....that was great. THEN I got a nice 125.00 gift card for my MAJOR purchases a few months back. SO Noah and I went shopping today. We got a few things there on sale....we needed a weed whacker and I got one. A NICE cordless one like I wanted......so that will be nice to be able to trim around here finally! We also got some other things on sale. All in all it was a worthwhile trip to Lowes.

I am signing off.....tired...my nose is bothering me too

Friday, August 11, 2006

Mike Douglas

Mike DouglasAKA Michael Delaney Dowd, Jr.

Born: 11-Aug-1925
Birthplace: Chicago, IL
Died: 11-Aug-2006
Location of death: North Palm Beach, FL
Cause of death: unspecified

Gender: Male
Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Talk Show Host, Singer

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Host of 1970s Mike Douglas Show

Military service: US Navy (WWII, served on V-12 program, Oklahoma)

At 15, Mike Dowd was already a professional singer, earning free room and board plus $35 a week for singing pop standards on a cruise ship that sailed between Cleveland and Buffalo. Douglas served in the Navy during World War II, then signed with Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge. It was Kyser who gave Dowd his new name, without warning, by introducing him one night as Mike Douglas. When Walt Disney heard Douglas' singing, he asked him to croon as Prince Charming in Cinderella. Douglas later worked as a "staff singer" at NBC, before being offered his own show at a Cleveland TV station. It started in December 1961, but was quickly successful and syndicated, and relocated to Philadelphia from 1965-78, then Burbank from 1978-82. It was the top-rated daytime talk show during most of its run.

On one program, Barry Goldwater played his trombone, and on another, a 3-year-old golf prodigy named Tiger Woods putted on stage. Douglas often had co-hosts who would spend an entire week on his show, everyone from Barbra Streisand to Sammy Davis, Jr. to Joan Crawford and Joyce Randolph. Co-hosts helped interview guests in exchange for spending an entire week -- instead of just a few minutes -- plugging their latest projects.

In 1972, John Lennon and Yoko Ono co-hosted for a week, with guests including Bobby Seale, Jerry Rubin, Ralph Nader, and George Carlin. Douglas squirmed and his staff struggled to keep political discourse to a minimum, and Lennon was told he could not perform the song "Gimme Some Truth" because it included an unflattering allusion to President Richard Nixon. In addition, he had to sit through Douglas' syrupy renditions of "Michelle" and "I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends." It was acclaimed as Douglas' finest week, and drew huge ratings. Backstage, though, producers and staff remember it as "a week everyone was very relieved to see end." The Mike Douglas Show was not normally a comfortable place for newfangled 1970s perspectives; its producer was a young Roger Ailes, who went on to craft Fox News as a right-wing TV beacon.

Douglas's legacy may be seen in the next generation of talk show hosts. Rosie O'Donnell was a big fan of The Mike Douglas Show, and has said that she admired and tried to emulate his warm and seemingly sincere attempt to make every guest feel truly welcome. Others have suggested that David Letterman's heightened insincerity and occasional iciness -- almost a parody of the standard-issue talk show -- was originally intended as mockery of Douglas' style. After a lengthy retirement Douglas died on his 81st birthday in 2006.

Father: Michael Delaney Dowd
Mother: Gertrude Smith
Brother: Robert
Sister: Helen
Wife: Genevieve Purnell (m. 1944, three daughters)
Daughter: Michelle (twin)
Daughter: Christine (twin)
Daughter: Kelly Anne

University: Oklahoma City University

Hollywood Walk of Fame 7001 Hollywood Blvd (television)

TELEVISION
The Mike Douglas Show

FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTOR
The Incredible Shrinking Woman (30-Jan-1981) Himself
Nasty Habits (10-Oct-1977) Himself
Gator (20-Aug-1976)
Cinderella (15-Feb-1950)

Noah had a temporary meltdown last night before bed. Always a bit stressful even now when it happens though I should be used to it after this many years.

Been raining all night. I think we will likely have an early fall...it reminds me of fall outside now except it is too hot and muggy. To just take a quick glance out the window however...it reminds me of fall! It won't be long and it will be fall.....smell of fires in fireplaces and leaves crunching under our feet. The air crisp and cool. I love it!

Much to do here. Still not completely settled into the new house we are renting. STILL need some serious furniture and to finish putting things away. I desperately need some bookshelves and such to put the books away and finish my office area. Noah and I both could still use some bedroom furniture as we are still sleeping on air beds. We also still need living room furniture.

I sort of wish I had like 100,000.00. I could pay off any bills I have which are few....finish buying the furniture Noah and I need for the house....pay in advance for rent and power..etc.....BUY some insurance and medical coverage so I can get out from under my ex's help for that...and so we could have coverage that actually covers someone in our area since we moved out of state. I could then put money in the bank as a buffer....would be nice. Would mean I could keep working part-time if I wanted so I could have more time for Noah and homeschooling. I would not have to even contemplate worrying about things even a little bit (which I try NOT to do now about anything but it is difficult). Course if I had a ton of money I would want to help so many people and do so many things. I am so thankful for what I do have...don't get me wrong.

well...time for another cup of coffee.....and making breakfast...while I also work.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

wow it has been a long long time since I posted anything in here. Figured I would come back and start up again. Since this appears to be a place few frequent I could get away with posting a little more personal crap in here from time to time

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

I am so in love with you. I breathe, feel, see, hear, touch, all with you in my mind's eye. I have waited for you for such a very long time. I was beginning to think it would never come to be in my lifetime.

I love to hear you sleep. Silly yeah...but I love it just the same. Your breath is so restful....so peaceful. I wish I could have such deep restful sleep as you do with mind at total ease.

I want to rest in you...now....and forever.

I know you.

Sunday, January 22, 2006

I am finding I rarely come here myself anymore let alone post things here. I am posting mostly in my Dear Noah blog and EFX2 blog...............I guess when I hit this one I rarely have anything left to say or I duplicate what I have already said in the other blogs so I don't bother.

Anyway...for updates or current posts you can check my out at

http://blog.efx2.com/user/ohplease/

Thursday, January 12, 2006

figured I should at least make a new post for 2006. Nothing really to say....without repeating things probably in my other blogs...so check them out at:

http://blog.efx2.com/user/ohplease/

or

www.dearnoah.blogspot.com