Intention........your thoughts.......and what you can do with them...The Institute of Noetic Science..quantum physics......our brains!

This fascinates me.......I really started to get into quantum physics about 3-4 years ago....and I must say....considering this was a topic I always thought would NOT interest me let alone intrigue me.....I now wonder how I survived all those years not knowing a damn thing about the subject.

Our mind fascinates me. What we are capable of doing with our minds and thoughts alone is unbelievable.....and unfortunately few of us really ever use much of a percentage of our brains and what they are truly capable of.

Our INTENTIONS and what they can accomplish are incredible as well. OUR THOUGHTS.....we have only started to scratch the surface of the Law of Attraction and manifesting....with our thoughts and intentions......belief......faith.....prayer.

I could go on and on but I am really trying very hard to NOT be too much a typical woman in that respect because if I were I would start at Point A and keep rambling on and on with filler till I reached Point Z....completing what I have affectionately labeled "THE CIRCLE".....which is only of interest to women and something only women seem compelled to do.....as most men usually tune/zone out somewhere between Point A-B.......and do not un-zombify till you are already completing Point Z. Crap I think I just did it again here anyway!

Anyway......I am trying to be much more direct and to the point...matter of fact......saying everything better with less.....yeah.....well.....as you can see I have a long way to go.

Check these links out for some fascinating material on the latest scientific research and studies on the aspects of what I have talked about above.




http://www.livingthefield.com/

http://www.noetic.org/research.cfm

Institute of Noetic Science

The institute's work is dedicated to transforming contemporary worldviews on the relationship between consciousness and matter. The implications of their empirical research and community education efforts extend far beyond the laboratory and the lecture hall. Indeed, their work speaks to a shift involving humanity's deepest knowing and understanding of ourselves and our universe.

This is my next read and it looks extremely fascinating to me:

THE HOLOGRAPHIC UNIVERSE

another one I am set to read:

Science and Human Transformation, Subtle Energies, Intentionality and Consciousness

another one I am set to read:

Science and Human Transformation, Subtle Energies, Intentionality and Consciousness

This is a MUST read:

The Hidden Messages In Water

another excellent start:

Molecules Of Emotion, The Science Behind Mind Body Medicine

Candace has some excellent reads:

Your Body Is Your Subconscious Mind

Friday before New Years...

I found this article very fascinating.....

REBORN

It is quite chilly today....and damp...calling for rain which being this cold I would imagine it will end up being snow. Working.....getting ready for a dual birthday party on Sunday here at my house for my grandma and son. SO this means I will need to be whipping up 2 cakes after while...and then decorate them on Saturday. I have plenty of ingredients so I may as well make my own and I have not decorated any cakes for a long time so that should be fun.

I guess I need to think about decorations if any.....maybe a game or two...party favors...etc., but no time now. Nothing like the last minute.

So hard to believe we are winding up another year and heading into a new one. Time is a very funny thing....it can be moving so quickly and yet seem like it is not moving fast enough all at the same time.

Well.....I need to get back to work.

Christmas has come and gone again....

I am thankful to have gotten through it intact.

I realized today I love big, white, fluffy, clean-smelling towels and sheets.

I realized I am really getting into the CLEAN smell....like BLEACH ......AND I have come to realize how soothing sweeping and dusting and cleaning is to me. (I must be weird.) When I rub a dusting cloth or cleaning cloth over a piece of furniture or an appliance or counter top.....it is immensely soothing to me......the repetitive motions of moving the cloth back and forth......I don't know. I can feel the furniture underneath my fingertips.....it is an actual EXPERIENCE now....(I wonder when that happened?)

I enjoyed some new lip shine my sister got me for Christmas......peppermint and double chocolate shake.....felt so very good on my lips and was so deliciously yummy I could have just opened my mouth and squeezed the contents of the tubes inside my mouth! YES....they are THAT good! I thought Bath and Body Works Liplicious flavors were good...these are too....C.O. Bigelow lip shine...wow. AND I prefer this over lipstick....I have NEVER been a fan of lipstick. I DO NOT like having crap all over my lips and then possibly smearing it on someone else's lips or cups or anything they touch never appealed to me. THESE are like an expensive chapstick......lip balm.......clear ....and very flavorful!

I realized that having a cat makes one want to take their Christmas tree down as soon as possible after the holidays. I think if I could have I would have taken it down today......something I HAVE NEVER EVER DONE in my entire life. BUT it is up.....and I am going to try to hang in there till it is time to take it down. I do enjoy it....though the bottom branches are looking more and more disheveled with each passing day.

Goodnight.

WISHING YOU ALL A VERY MERRY, JOYOUS CHRISTMAS!

IT'S HOW MANY DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS OR WHAT HAPPENED TO DECEMBER??

It seems like this month has flown past. Isn't that always the case for November and December? BUT especially December! WOW........no wonder I have been fighting off migraines nearly every day....my head has been spinning too fast!

Our snow is slowly melting. I found it very amusing that our local weathermen are calling our upcoming temperatures "balmy!" Anything in the high 30s to lower 40s now is considered BALMY!

Christmas is almost here. It is rather odd but I feel very relaxed this year about it all. I am not stressed out and keep wondering what's wrong. I also wonder if any stressed out mode will be kicking my ass any moment now when I least expect it. I don't believe it will.....I feel very cool, calm and collected and know everything will get done that needs to still be completed or bought or wrapped or baked. Part of the reason for me knowing this is because I have greatly simplified my Christmas this year. That has made a huge difference. I am not overly stressed about present buying anymore..realizing the best gift we can truly give to each other is our love and time.

Remember what you give out, project to others, look for in others, you receive back at least tenfold.

We have had a lot of snow this weekend.....

It started early Saturday morning....and did not let up till Sunday afternoon.....here are a few shots out my front door and window to the backyard.








I have been fighting a half migraine all day. This weather made me want to roast a turkey so I did. I thawed it out last night and enjoyed it today! WOW was it so good and juicy!

Tomorrow Noah's school is on at least a 2-hour delay and they may end up canceling. It is to only be about 14 degrees and windy tonight so that means drifting snow out on the roads in the country where the buses have to drive...so he may get a day off yet.




Are you ready for Christmas yet?

my local Humane Society personnel won't do her freaking job!

acts like everything is a pain in her ass! I AM SO UPSET!

I have called about a dog that a neighbor of my grandma has...penned up in a too-small pen consisting of poop/standing water/mud for the floor. He has no place to get in from the elements and can be found outside even when we had a blizzard last year. He walks around in standing water all the time that is mixed with his own poop and mud because any grassy floor got washed away a long time ago and because the owners refuse to go out and clean anything up. He never seems to have fresh water anywhere unless we give it to him. His old igloo dog house is now too small for him and it stands over a HUGE HOLE in the ground that also fills up with shitty water. He has a sore on his right front lower leg that is slowly becoming infected. They do feed him..but that is about it.

I go see my grandma all the time so I have befriended this poor dog. I take him treats and other family members along with me pay attention to him and pet him and try to lighten up his sad life somewhat. However there is only so much we can do. If I had a place where I was allowed to have a dog this dog would have already been removed from his crappy hell hole and taken to a good place to live.

I have about had it with our local Humane Society. The woman working there acts like everything is a pain in her ass to do. I have called a few times now about this dog. She did finally come out and told the owners they had to at least put straw down for him and keep it clean and provide Joe with fresh water. Have they done it yet? NO. I called the Humane Society back..yes.....I am slowly becoming a big thorn in this woman's backside. She said she went back out but no one answered the door. BULLSHIT! These people are always home because they work from home. Grant it...they may have chosen to NOT answer the door but holy crap.....they do not have to answer a door to be served a citation.....which would then require them to go to court to PROVE they have done what they are supposed to do...etc.

NEXT step is court. I called again today complaining that about 2 weeks or so have passed and still nothing has been done. I told the woman working at the Humane Society that I KNEW no one had to be home in order to be served a citation correct? SHE said no they did not. SO...she has no excuse....but what ticks me off even more....is the fact that she acted like it was going to be a big pain in her ass to go back out there and write them up a citation. I told her about the conditions and the dog's sore getting worse.....and she said she would go back out. I told her I would CONTINUE TO FREAKING CALL HER UP until something was DONE about this because this neglect regarding this dog has gone on for too long. SOMETHING has to be done!

She was not happy about me saying I would continue to call.

MY complaint is this. Either shit and do your f'n job or get off the pot and get a different job. I asked WHO WAS ABOVE HER.......which she totally misinterpreted and thought I meant what was the next step if nothing is done from these owners with this poor dog. I actually meant WHO WAS above her..HER supervisor...HER boss.....which I WILL f'n find out and send MY pictures of this dog's conditions and the fact that nothing is being done to help this dog if she doesn't do her job!

I am sorry for my language and attitude but enough is enough. I pray JOE will stay safe and at the very least be removed from this crappy home and placed in a good loving home as he is a wonderful dog and so lovable even through his obviously suck-ass life thus far.

Here is Joe...and some pics of his living conditions and a movie clip I posted separately...it is enough to make you sick.











here he is last year after the blizzard......after most all of the snow had melted.....again....he was outside....the entire f'n time.







the people who have this dog have had it since it was a puppy...and they put him outside....and that is where he has been left. He never gets out of the pen......never do they spend time with him or play with him or even visit/talk with him. He does get some food from them....but they never clean him up or clean his pen up. They never do squat for this dog. This past summer the pen was completely engulfed by overgrown weeds that stood higher than the fence of the pen. Joe could not get any air through the fence.....or even see out of the pen. MY UNCLE climbed into the pen and cut all the weeds down...NOT the owners of this dog.

The poop has been there from day one......only reducing in quantity by the natural elements and rain and snow washing it away. The owners NEVER clean up the poop.

Once something falls into the pen......that is where it remains. The owners never clean the trash out. They do not make sure Joe has adequate shade in the summer or fresh water. They do not make sure he has adequate shelter in bad weather. He is left out back by himself in this pen all the time.

Meanwhile these owners have another dog they keep inside with them all the time.....they also have a cat or two. Poor Joe remains outside......no one but us seem to ever pay attention to him.

Here is a clip of his conditions now....they have been this way the entire fall and early winter thus far.....

Click here to watch 'neglect-of-a-petpoor-Joe'

Larkin Step...

Lyrics:

God he turned and walked away
I couldn't think of what to say
when plane engines fall through your roof
and I broke my knee while walking down the street that I live in
While no one was passing by

Chorus:
Life moves along and it trickles down the cheeks of every beautiful boy
Time comes along and it breaks every bone in your spine

Into the flight of night
Insomnia strikes and hopes alight
We set ourselves up to fall
So we stargaze and we write down all the things that we'll do
Fall into the river our pockets full of stones
Full of stones..

Chorus, etc.

Copyright, 2007
ling86 (less)

I can't get this song out of my brain!

I was listening to Christmas music on the radio last night and this song came on "I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas" and now I cannot get that crappy song out of my head!!!!!!

Have you heard it? By Gayla Peevey........holy crap......I cannot stand it....it freaks me out!! It has the creepiest sounding voice on the song......reminds me of a Munchkin singing it....it is just creepy.

AND once you have heard it.......it is near impossible to remove it from the soundtracks in your brain.....

I have been listening to "I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas" marathon since I heard it last night.

It is very much like Chinese water torture.....slow.......relentless........persistent......inescapable.

AND NOW ......to SHARE the insanity........go ahead......I triple dog dare you to give it a listen!

CLICK THE ATTACHMENT BELOW IF YOU DARE!

Song Lyrics: I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas(1953)
Words and music by John Rox
performed by Gayla Peevey

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
Don't want a doll, no dinky Tinkertoy
I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
I don't think Santa Claus will mind, do you?
He won't have to use our dirty chimney flue
Just bring him through the front door,
that's the easy thing to do

I can see me now on Christmas morning,
creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise
when I open up my eyes
to see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles, no rhinoceroses
I only like hippopotamuses
And hippopotamuses like me too

Mom says the hippo would eat me up, but then
Teacher says a hippo is a vegetarian

There's lots of room for him in our two-car garage
I'd feed him there and wash him there and give him his massage

I can see me now on Christmas morning,
creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise
when I open up my eyes
to see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles or rhinoceroseses
I only like hippopotamuseses
And hippopotamuses like me too!

Click here to listen 'I-Want-A-Hippopotamus-For-Christmas---Gayle-Peevey'

Sunday......and I am incredibly tired.......

I did not get a lot of sleep last night. I did not sleep in today and woke up with a migraine. BUT I am thankful for so many things......and counting my blessings in my life.

WHAT happened to Katie Couric??

I happened to catch Katie on the evening news but it no longer resembles the Katie I remember. Her face now looks so tight....almost harsh......and just looking at her can make my eyes start to hurt and burn. I think someone raised something too high or tight on her. She was adorable before...why did she feel it necessary to go to this extreme? OR maybe she did not know it would turn out this way and she herself is less than happy about the results?

This is very much how I felt when Jennifer Grey got a nose job and totally changed the way she looked or I remembered her looking.....I thought she was beautiful just the way she was before!

I had pics to post......then decided not to post them. I don't want it to appear I am saying bad things about anyone because I am not. I am disappointed....and sad for some weird reason.

AND with that.......time marches on. Won't be long before Christmas is here and we will be into another year!

Do you have someone who loves you no matter what?

SNOW DAY- December 5, 2007....first day school closed due to the snow!

it was beautiful....it is beautiful.....very cold today....only 7 degrees......with an expected HIGH of 28! F-R-I-G-I-D!!!

I love waking up after a snowfall. Yesterday I woke up right before 4:00 a.m. to get up for work and I glanced over at the window and saw all this light ...almost like it was daylight. At 4:00 a.m. I knew this was not possible so I KNEW IT HAD SNOWED!!!! It was very white outside! I climbed out from underneath my cozy, warm flannel sheets and looked outside and it was a winter wonderland. On days such as that I love to climb BACK into bed......and snuggle up! I am not sure what there is about it.....but it seems much more peaceful. The air smells like snow......the sheets feel warmer and cozier....and I am sure it all reminds me of something from childhood. I LOVE the snow and wintertime. I love to watch it snow. I love to be outside SMELLING the snow.....I love to walk in the snow....I love to play in the snow...I love to SHOVEL snow.....

I guess this would make me officially weird to most everyone else then.

I woke up with a migraine in the making...

so I took some Excedrin Migraine pills which are about the only thing that usually helps my migraines. I RARELY get them now so I am thankful.......and after I put something in my stomach and take a couple of Excedrin migraine pills......I usually am okay. IF the headache persists I follow up with 3 Extra Strength Tylenol and that usually kicks it. My headache cleared pretty fast this morning but now it is trying to return. SO I guess it is Tylenol time. Soon to be bedtime soon as 4:00 a.m. comes mighty early....

I did get all my work done today again......yeah! I can do full-time workload now. It's about time.

Feeling very strange tonight. I cleaned some more today. I am now tackling my office area. I imagine I can have it organized and functional by tomorrow or Monday. I am thrilled.

I have some things to go through but basically it will be moving stuff around and making the room more aesthetically pleasing and functional for now.

I am tired. Cookies are baked and iced....more later.

REVELATION.......I'm not just a collector but a hoarder...packrat......something! OH NO!!!

At least of certain things.....some making no sense at all. AND I realize while this
came somewhat as a revelation to me....it is doubtful it is anything new to my family....as I am sure they knew this all along.

My motto for years was one is nice but 2 is better and 3 well....you have a spare in case you need it!

I have been setting some new goals for myself....and I am filled with such determination finally....FINALLY.....did I say F-I-N-A-L-L-Y????......I am actually accomplishing things I have put off for years.

I set a new goal for me for work as I need to increase my income and reduce my monthly monetary outflow.....and I actually met my goal and pretty easily I might add even with some downtime from work. THIS IS HUGE FOR ME!

I ran some errands during the downtime from work saving me time doing it later....

After work and making Noah some supper I decided to start tackling the hall closet...a project I had never entirely finished. This is a fairly large walk-in closet....and I could not believe all the stuff I had shoved in there. I have to say I have enough candles for a lifetime. WHAT WAS I THINKING??????? And this is after giving away a ton of them last Thanksgiving to my sisters when they came over for dinner. We all sat around after dinner and went through the closet that day too and I let them all take BOXES of candles home with them. NEW candles too.

Tonight when I was looking at some of them I had to wonder what I was thinking when I bought them?? I love candles and occasionally burn a couple.....but the MAGNITUDE of candles I have BOUGHT over the past few years has been incredible to say the least. Now I want to keep a few but just get rid of the others. Especially if I think I will not burn them. I mean I have not burned some of them now. I could probably light up the entire block along the curb with my candles. Somewhere I think I went out of control....duh Melinda do you think??? SELLING the next batch is probably the best idea since they are all very new and nice sets.....yeah....keep the "few" I want and sell the rest.

CONTROL......DISCIPLINE.....new words for me I thought I new the meanings of but I am finding out I did not. I have to admit I LIKE this newly rediscovered sense of control and discipline. I can accomplish ANYTHING when I make up my mind anyway.....anyone who knows me knows this to be true. BUT adding control and discipline in the mix has given me incredible results!

SO....after I pulled all the crap and boxes out of the closet I realized my closet would be basically empty once I go through the closet again and pick out the candles to part with. I had debated on a garage sale but this time of year might not be favorable. I am not sure I would want to mess with EBAY although I could let someone else do it for me for a small fee. SO until the holidays are over or I decide what I am doing for sure.....I sorted and put the boxes back into the closet.

Guess what I discovered??? I had BAGS of BRAND NEW Christmas tins and boxes for gift giving I bought last year after Christmas. This would be great if I ran a gift basket shop or something like that. I mean I have MANY......I did not stop at 1 or 2....I apparently felt the need to buy a FEW of EACH kind they had. And we are talking dozens of different kinds. Holy crap! I apparently lost my mind last year!

Don't get me wrong. I am thankful for my blessings and abundance......but in a way this type of abundance can become very stagnating. SO.....I am going to let some of this stuff go. Guess what my family will be getting gifts in this year??? I have to admit part of me does not want to give them away they are so gorgeous.......but why not? Isn't that what I bought them for?

I think there is something wrong with me! Apparently at that time in my life I was trying to fill a void with THINGS. So NOW what do I do?? haha

I have already taken BAGS of stuff to Goodwill the other day. My bedroom actually looks like a bedroom again! I love that.

Next will be this office area. I may lose my mind for a bit on that project. I am limited in what I can do and there is no sense unpacking more stuff as I will be moving again soon. SO it will call for sorting and deciding what to get rid of and then creative storage and cleaning so I can make this space more functional and appealing to my body, mind, and spirit.

I looked at some of the boxes of crap I moved across country and now I wonder why. SOME of it made no sense. I guess I never took the time with the last few boxes to really sort the stuff figuring I would do it later.

ALSO......I am a catalog freak. While that is okay if you TOSS the catalogs once finished with them.....I NEVER seem to be finished with my catalogs. I have stacks of crap to sort through.

This is exhausting and stifling to my soul and freedom......as all this stuff has been hanging over my head for so long.

PURGING is another new word I have added to my vocabulary. I have to admit it feels good to PURGE and make more space to stretch! This also opens the door for NEW things to fall into my life.

Okay....back to it. My break is over!


AND after talking with someone I love very much.....I have decided to DONATE all this stuff.......to the needy....shelters.....anyplace that have people in need who can use anything I have. After all.....this time of year especially is about giving.....and I love to give.....RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS I love....

This makes me very excited....like a kid all over again....to be able to be in a position where I CAN give these types of things away. Christmas feels very much like Christmas again!

well......another day and it will be December already...

this year has flown past so quickly although at times not all that fast it seemed.

I stopped by Kroger's today to do pick up a few things and they had some fresh turkeys all marked down. OF COURSE I grabbed another one for 6.00 who could refuse? I have him roasting in my oven now! This one is a Honeysuckle White.

I am finally much more focused....I just hope not too late. I know this makes no sense to anyone other than me reading it but that is okay.

Have to get back to work.

Thanksgiving .......

has come and gone again already. It won't be long before Christmas will do the same. At this time of year sometimes it seems like a button gets pushed to fast forward and life can easily become a blur. AND at the same time in other cases it does not seem to pass fast enough. BOTH of these can actually occur at the same time....and what the crap am I talking about?

It is to drop to 27 degrees tonight. I have my Christmas tree up and the outside decorated a little bit. Nothing too drastic and only candles in the windows this year. I will add some lights in Noah's room and my room.......and I have a few little things around.......and other lights...but that is is. I have to admit it has been a lot less stress this year already for some reason. Even putting the tree up was stress-free. I cannot remember the last time that happened.

I have been enjoying watching Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel and other channels at night and in between I listen to Christmas music or old radio shows. This time of year I think we all become a bit nostalgic.

I have much to do tonight so I need to get off here for now.

More of the tree......a little CLOSER look...video 2

Our Christmas Tree 2007

Thanksgiving Day......2007...

and I think I am fighting a losing battle with the cat and the tree. I love Christmas and love decorating my tree and enjoying it all lit up at nighttime......and this cat keeps getting inside the tree....and now on the bottom branches where he has bent them all down......not sure I can fix them back up to where they should be. Short of penning him up the entire month of December I am not sure what I can do. I have tried orange peels and pepper and spraying from a water bottle. All nothing but short, temporary fixes. AND I love tinsel on my tree...and I know cats and tinsel do not mix. SO......at this point.......I don't know what I will do. The tree looked great starting out....not looks like it has been attacked a few times.

And it just exhausts me and depresses the hell out of me.

Enough said....shit.

a stormy night before Thanksgiving...

and all through the flat.....all were busy with chores......except for the cat!





yep....there he sat.....the cat in the tree.....I think he thought he was hidden from me!

two movies to watch this Thanksgiving...

two days before Thanksgiving......

Last night I made the party mix.....one batch for Noah and one to take to my mom and dad's for Thanksgiving. I also whipped up the cheese ball. Tonight or tomorrow I will make the fudge that was requested and Thursday morning the hot rolls I am to take to their house. I try to do as much ahead as possible so I am not so stressed or rushed the MORNING OF, especially since I have to work.

We decided since I was off work yesterday to forgo the real tree this year as it might be too tempting for the cat and to instead put up the artificial tree to see how the cat would respond. Well......unfortunately this kitty is a bit too interested in the tree. I have found him numerous times INSIDE the tree lying on the branches. I am trying to do some serious behavior modification before I decorate it......and I am so thankful the tree has remained upright during this time.

So the holiday season this year may have an entirely new level of angst it never had before...but we will deal with it. It will all be over so quickly.

Today is a dreary day outside. The kind where you just want to sleep in all day. Noah did not make it up early either. This is a great movie day or snuggling up with a good book day or better yet someone you love.....or......decorating the Christmas tree.....if we can.....which is doubtful at this point. Maybe the lights would be a good next move.

I have a ton of work to do and I want to do it while I have it because with the holidays midweek we will likely run out on my account....oh....and THE BACHELOR did exactly what I sort of thought he would do on the show. He decided to choose NO ONE for his fiance. He is getting dogged big time from all sides and while he may have led some of the women on......unfortunately he was just following the rules of this most bizarre tv show....and was playing along like all the women were. I think you have to give him credit for NOT choosing someone he was NOT in love with. THAT is something you cannot make happen at the snap of your fingers......and I am thankful he is not just SETTLING and trying to make something work that obviously would not last.

AND early this morning I was watching Illinois play Northwestern and I have to admit....Illinois is a pretty good team. I have been impressed by what I have seen this year......sorry they beat our asses ......but they are a good team.

okay......back to it!

Monday......the week of Thanksgiving already!

GO BUCKS! LET's KICK SOME ASS TODAY!!

think twice before agreeing to the GARDASIL vaccine series...

[PROVE Note: Judicial Watch recently reported that through several Freedom of Information Act requests, they have discovered 3,461 adverse reactions including eleven deaths reported to the FDA and CDC's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System for the HPV vaccine. You can read Judicial Watch's report and documents at the link posted below.

Additionally, I'm including two recent articles on two different HEALTHY ALTHLETIC teenage girls becoming very seriously injured by the HPV vaccine. We'd like people to think about the fact that this is the same vaccine that is being pushed for mandates by misinformed or conflict-of-interest ridden legislators around the country.

As political races continue to heat up, be aware of the candidates from the presidential level down to your county officials and where they feel the government's role should be in health care. Experience shows that the more control the government has over your health care, the less freedom you will have, period. Don't forget that WITH OUR TAX DOLLARS - our FDA approved the HPV vaccine, our Congress gave the vaccine maker liability protection from the harm caused by this vaccine, and some of our state legislators and governors have tried to FORCE this vaccine on our young daughters. Look at these articles and ask yourself how much more you want the government deciding for you what you must do to be healthy. Find some candidates you believe in and help them. Our lives depend on it.

Mom Says HPV Vaccine Caused Paralysis in 12-Year-Old

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=95517

By Jackelyn Barnard

First Coast News

11/12/2007

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Brittany is a twelve-year-old girl who doesn't like to sit still. She's played softball. She ran cross country. The plan was to stay on the team and get a college scholarship, but two months ago, those plans drastically changed.

"She was walking through my house and collapsed. She told me she couldn't feel her leg. We went right to the hospital," says Christina Bell, Brittany's mom.

Bell says there were no answers at first, but then she started to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Two weeks before her daughter's collapse, Brittany received her first injection of a vaccine called Gardasil.

"The doctor recommended we get the Gardasil shot and I'd been thinking about it because I've seen it on TV all the time," says Bell.

The vaccine, produced by Merck, is to help prevent contracting the Human Papillomavirus or HPV.

The virus causes 70 percent of cervical cancer.

Over the last year, the vaccine has been the center of moral controversy, but little has been mentioned about the number of vaccine reactions reported to the FDA.

Recent news reports link an association with paralysis and death with the vaccine.

"The reason I'm skeptical with this is this isn't a virus," says Dr. Guy Benrubi, an OB/GYN with Shands.

Dr. Benrubi says the HPV vaccine is one of the safest and he recommended it to his own child.

"The immediate risks are minimal. The FDA looked at those. We have not seen any major catastrophes," says Dr. Benrubi.

Benrubi says the majority of complaints are patients fainting during or after the shot.

So far, more than four million vaccinations have been done and nearly 4,000 adverse reactions have been reported.

"Even the worst case scenario, if you have four thousand in four million that is a one to one thousand potential adverse effect," says Dr. Benrubi.

The list of complaints range from temporary blindness, blurry vision, convulsions, seizures and numbness in arms and legs that won't go away.

"If you know something is happening why do you let it continue?" asks Bob Giuliano, Brittany's grandfather.

Giuliano and his daughter want answers as to how they didn't know paralysis could be a possibility for Brittany.

"I am very angry," says Brittany's mom. Two months later and after hours of physical therapy,

Brittany still has no feeling in her left leg.

Getting around is difficult. It's hard for Brittany to walk and balance and she often needs a little help.

"She's mad. I can tell she's mad," says Brittany's mom. A little shy, Brittany did not want to talk to us, but she did want her story told so parents and young girls know how her life has changed.

Now she is learning to cope with braces, crutches and a walker. "It's changed everything for us," says Bell.

Brittany's doctors have diagnosed her with Acute Demyelinating Encephalomyelitis or ADEM.

It is an inflammation of the brain that has been associated with a vaccination.

"I think there is a little cart before the horse going on here. I'm not saying this is not a good vaccine, but anyone who is going to have their daughter or child have this shot, they need to be fully informed of risks or potential risks associated with it," says Sean Cronin, Brittany's attorney.

Cronin says he can't go after Merck with a lawsuit because Gardasil is now part of a federal fund which pays out to those injured from vaccines.

First Coast News has learned, Gardasil was added to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund just months after it hit the market. "The Federal government would not put it on the list without medical scientific justification," says Cronin.

Brittany's family is filing an injury claim with the government.

They are also on a mission to spread the news of what they say can happen with the vaccine.

The family also holds out hope that one day, old Brittany will be back walking and running like she did once before.

"I do wish the doctor would have known and would have said there is a chance that this could happen. If he would have said, I would have never done it," says Bell.

The FDA told First Coast News the adverse reaction reports are not a good indicator of a direct cause or relation with an incident. The FDA also says they have investigated several deaths but did not find any association with the vaccine.

Merck told First Coast News it is unaware of Brittany's case. Merck also says it actively monitors the adverse reaction reports and other databases throughout the world.

As for the vaccine being added to the government vaccine fund, Merck says it is their understanding that all new vaccines are added to the fund.

The Pharmaceutical giant says the latest numbers show that ten million HPV vaccines have been given in the United States.

---------------------------

Teen falls ill after vaccine injection

Reported by: Larry Seward

Email: seward@nbcactionnews.com

Last Update: 11/13 9:08 am

http://www.nbcactionnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=fabcbaad-8971-4db0-8ed1-42ccbc106f20

LAWRENCE, Kan. - A Lawrence couple is furious over a new government-approved vaccine designed to prevent a type of cancer. They say it almost killed their daughter and significantly altered her life.

15-year-old Marissa Omon is an athlete. The daughter of a Nigerian soccer player she played basketball, volleyball and track, until now.

Surgeons put a defibrillator inside her chest Monday night fearing her heart could stop at any moment.

"HPV cost my daughter. It almost cost her her life," said Edem Omon.

Edem Omon is convinced his healthy, athletic teenage daughter Miranda almost died because of a vaccine doctors gave her to prevent cervical cancer.

Three weeks ago Miranda took a physical. Edem said he reluctantly allowed a doctor to give her the HPV vaccine.

"He convinced me the drug was safe," said Edem.

Less than three hours later, while practicing basketball at Free State High School, Miranda suddenly collapsed. Her heart stopped. Paramedics needed a defibrillator to revive her. Miranda was rushed to Children's Mercy where she spent several days unable to walk or talk.

Doctors ran a battery of tests, CT scans, x-rays and biopsies. They could find no explanation for Miranda's sudden heart problem.

They say they do not believe the HPV vaccine has anything to do with it.

"I do believe it's safe," said Dr. Scott Dattel.

Dattel is not Miranda's doctor but said he's never heard of any major side effects caused by HPV, only soreness and fever.

"HPV vaccine was thoroughly tested before the FDA approved it and I do think for that reason it is safe," said Dattel.

Miranda is still in Children's Mercy. If all goes well she could go home this week but doctors will not allow her to play competitive sports that she loves.

-----------------------------

Judicial Watch Uncovers New FDA Records Detailing Deaths in 1,824 Adverse Reaction Reports Related to HPV Vaccine

http://judicialwatch.org/judicial-watch-uncovers-new-fda-records-detailing-deaths-1-824-adverse-reaction-reports-related-hpv-

Judicial Watch Sues FDA for Producing "Partial Response" to FOIA Request

(Washington, DC) -- Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today released new documents obtained from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, detailing 1,824 reports of adverse reactions to the vaccination for human papillomavirus (HPV), Gardasil, including as many as eight deaths related to the vaccine. Judicial Watch had previously obtained 1,637 reports relating to Gardasil on May 15, 2007, bringing the known total to 3,461 adverse reactions including eleven deaths since FDA approval. Among the new information uncovered by Judicial Watch:

"20-Jun-2007: Information has been received - concerning a 17 year old female who in June 2007 - was vaccinated with a first dose of Gardasil. During the evening of the same day, the patient was found unconscious (lifeless) by the mother. Resuscitation was performed by the emergency physician but was unsuccessful. The patient subsequently died."

"12-Jun-2007: Information has been received - concerning a 12 year old female with a history of aortic and mitral valve insufficiency - who on 01-MAR-2007 was vaccinated IM into the left arm with a first does of Gardasil. On 01-MAR-2007 the patient presented to the ED with ventricular tachycardia and died."

"28-Aug-2007: Initial and follow-up information has been received from a physician concerning an "otherwise healthy" 13 year old female who was vaccinated with her first and second doses of Gardasil. Subsequently, the patient experienced paralysis from the chest down, lesions of the optic nerve. At the time of the report, the patient had not recovered."

From May 10 to September 7, 2007, the 1,824 adverse vaccination reactions reported to the FDA via the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) included 347 serious reactions. Of the 77 women who received the vaccine while pregnant, 33 experienced side effects ranging from spontaneous abortion to fetal abnormities. Other serious side effects continue to be reported including, paralysis, Bells Palsy, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, and seizures.

"In light of this information, it is disturbing that state and local governments might mandate in any way this vaccine for young girls," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "These adverse reaction reports suggest the vaccine not only causes serious side effects, but might even be fatal."

Judicial Watch filed its request on August 20, 2007, and received the adverse event reports from the FDA on September, 13 2007. (On October 3, 2007, Judicial Watch filed a new lawsuit against the FDA for its failure to fully respond to Judicial Watch's FOIA request as required by law.

SOME FACTS ON THE GARDASIL VACCINE:

How safe is Gardasil? ( extracted from the Immunise Australia literature)

It is a frustrating time when our young girls and women are being lined up and jabbed with a vaccine that has the potential to affect their future fertility - HPV (Gardasil) vaccine - and that may be the least of the problems. Anyone with a HPV infection (and they are common), who is given the vaccine risks immune system shutdown or autoimmune disease. "Purpura vaccinatoria" - an abnormal immune system response has been recorded following vacination with smallpox and other vaccines when the vaccine recipient is already incubating the same infection. They are not testing for wart virus infection prior to vaccination. In the trials for this vaccine they were careful to exclude anyone with a wart virus or who developed a wart virus infection. They chose women who were not likely to have more than one sexual partner, thereby minimising this risk. THIS IS AN UNKNOWN RISK FACTOR but when you read the reports already in from overseas you will see that once again vaccination is not rocket science, unless you equate it with the ones that explode and obliterate!
Please pass on the following information and contact VISA for articles and flyers

"Your daughter may experience minor side effects such as redness, pain, swelling at the injection site and mild fever. (and the rest?)
She should not have the HPV vaccine if she is pregnant or if she has had a serious allergic reaction to yeast or any other vaccine components (aluminium phosphate, sodium chloride, L-histidine, polysorbate and sodium borate)."

*exposure to borax may impair fertility or cause damage to an unborn child. (there were 5 reported cases of babies born with congenital birth defects to women who had the vaccine within 30 days of becoming pregnant.
*aluminium is implicated as a cause of brain damage, a suspected factor in Alzheimers Disease, dementia, seizures, comas, allergic skin reactions.
* polysorbate is known to cause cancer in animals.

Imunise Australia literature also states:

*Cervical cancer is not common in Australia
*Most women who have HPV, slowly clear the virus naturally and do NOT develop cervical cancer
*(HPV) is so common that four in five people will have had genital HPV infection at some time in their lives. Most genital infections with HPV do not cause any symptoms and people do not know they have the infection. (* girls will not be screened for any HPV infection prior to vaccination)

On the subject of safety, as usual the promotional brochure that states "This information is correct as at March 2007", (re-enforcing my belief that carrier pigeons are exceptionally slow between the US and AUS) makes no mention of the myriad of adverse events already being reported at an alarming rate after 6 months of vaccinating in the US.

See the NVIC website for the full story but - “Out of the 385 individual GARDASIL adverse event reports made to VAERS, (Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting Sysytem) two-thirds required additional medical care and about one-third of all reports were for children 16-years-old and under, with nearly 25 percent of those children having received simultaneously one or more of the 18 vaccines that Merck did not study in combination with GARDASIL. NVIC is calling on the FDA and CDC to warn parents and doctors that GARDASIL should not be combined with other vaccines and that young girls should be monitored for at least 24 hours for syncopal (collapse/fainting) episodes that can be accompanied by seizure activity, as well as symptoms of tingling, numbness and loss of sensation in the fingers and limbs, all of which should be reported to VAERS immediately.”

"There are twice as many children collapsing and four times as many children experiencing tingling, numbness and loss of sensation after getting a GARDASIL vaccination compared to those getting a Tdap (tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis) vaccination. There have been reports of facial paralysis and Guillain-Barre Syndrome. And doctors who give GARDASIL in combination with other vaccines are basically conducting an experiment on their young patients because Merck has not published any safety data for simultaneous vaccination with any vaccine except hepatitis B vaccine."(Barbara Loe Fisher)

Also -
*Merck only studied GARDASIL in fewer than 1200 girls under age 16 in pre-licensure trials
*Merck has not published any safety data for simultaneous vaccination with any vaccine except hepatitis B vaccine
*There were several VAERS reports of HPV infection, genital warts and cervical lesions after GARDASIL vaccination. It is unknown if the girls were infected with HPV before being vaccinated or if GARDASIL failed to protect them. One case of HPV infection occurred in a 22-year-old girl who had participated in a Merck GARDASIL trial in 2003 when she had shown "strong conversion to all 4 vaccine types" but "tested positive for high risk HPV" in 2006, according to the VAERS report.

“There have been estimates that fewer than 10 percent, even as low as 1 to 4 percent, of adverse events which occur after prescription drug or vaccine use are ever reported to government adverse event reporting systems.”
"If only 1 to 4 percent of all adverse events associated with GARDASIL vaccination are being reported to VAERS, there could have been up to 38,000 health problems after GARDASIL vaccination in 2006 which were never reported," said Fisher. "How many girls are really having short-term health problems associated with getting this vaccine that could turn into long-term neurological or immune system disorders? And how many will go on to develop fertility problems, cancer or damage to their genes, all of which Merck admits in its product insert that it has not studied at all? We just don't know enough to be mandating GARDASIL for anyone, much less vulnerable 11 to 12 year old girls entering puberty."

http://www.nvic.org/

But wait! There's more!

"Diane M. Harper, a lead researcher in the development of the humanpapilloma virus vaccine, says giving the drug to 11-year-old girls "is a great big public health experiment." Not only that, she says it's not been tested for effectiveness in younger girls, and administering the vaccine to girls as young as 9 may not even protect them at all. And, in the worst-case scenario, instead of serving to reduce the numbers of cervical cancers within 25 years, such a vaccination crusade actually could cause the numbers to go up.

"It is silly to mandate vaccination of 11- to 12-year-old girls There also is not enough evidence gathered on side effects to know that safety is not an issue."

“HPV is not just spread through sex. We have multiple papers where that's documented. We know that 3-year-olds, 5-year-olds, 10-year-olds, and women who have never had sex have been found to be positive for the cancer-causing HPV types."

More Information by Patricia Bohackyi - PDF : Cervical Cancer Vaccine Deception

http://www.vaproject.org/

AND the vaccine costs 120.00 a shot and you have to get THREE and it is ONLY GOOD FOR FIVE YEARS meaning boosters would be needed.

Can everyone see that this is ONE BIG GOVERNMENT APPROVED possibly soon to be mandated experiment using our kids? I would never recommend it to anyone......male or female.......and some say boys would really need the shot too in order for this to be truly effective but MERCK does not yet know if the vaccine is effective in boys. They are currently doing their silly studies on that now. Personally I think everyone should steer clear of this....especially if someone tells you to give it to your little girl. AND by that I mean anyone under 13 years of age.....which is the next targeted range they are after. They want to immunize kids now with Gardasil as young as possible. I hate to think more kids would have to die or suffer long-term physical consequences because of playing around to see what will or won't happen with this vaccine. ALL the docs I work for are PUSHING this vaccine left and right to all their female patients and those patient's daughters! It has become a mandatory offering for them...and they push it big time. I know how the system works with drug companies and our docs.......and the government who "quietly" tells many what they have to do and not do. I KNOW this has been laid on the docs to PUSH this vaccine to all their patients and it happens over and over every day. AND IT DOES NOT PROTECT AGAINST ALL STRAINS OF HPV......only a couple......so the so-called 100% effectiveness of this vaccine in preventing cervical cancer is BULLSHIT!

Here's more:

There is a lot of discussion around the blogosphere right now about the HPV vaccine, because Texas has made it “compulsory.”

In fact, in most states, to include Texas, exemptions are available to parents for religious, philosophical, conscientiously held, or personal reasons. Here is exemption information from NVIC, the National Vaccine Information Center:

Legal Exemptions to Vaccination

Medical, philosophical or personal belief exemptions are worded differently in each state. To use an exemption for your child, you must know specifically what the law says in your state.

Philosophical Exemption:

The following 18 states allow exemption to vaccination based on philosophical, personal or conscientiously held beliefs: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

In many of these states, individuals must object to all vaccines, not just a particular vaccine in order to use the philosophical or personal belief exemption. Many state legislators are being urged by federal health officials and medical organizations to revoke this exemption to vaccination. If you are objecting to vaccination based on philosophical or personal conviction, keep an eye on your state legislature as public health officials may seek to amend state laws to eliminate this exemption.

Religious Exemption:

All states allow a religious exemption to vaccination except Mississippi and West Virginia. …

Complete information here. In point of fact, all you have to do is assert a religious exemption in order to get it. Nobody has to vouch for you, sign for you, anything like that. Most parents don’t realize exemptions are available, that’s not information that is widely publicicized or that, for that matter is widely known, but exemptions are available in almost every state, and parents who choose not to immunize should take them. It’s a matter of simply filling out a line on the Immunization Record which states that parents have taken a philosophical/religious/personal/conscientious/medical exemption to immunization for their children. That’s all that’s required in most states.

The HPV vaccine is not safe, despite the claims of Merck:

The early reports of potential safety problems with GARDASIL raise concerns and questions that need to be addressed by government regulators, manufacturers and prescribing physicians. Specifically, the following concerns need to be addressed

Syncope, seizures and Guillian-Barre Syndrome have now been reported with hours to a week after GARDASIL vaccination. GARDASIL manufacturer, Merck, should add these serious adverse events to the product manufacturer insert.

Considering that over 20 girls have experienced syncopal episodes sometimes combined with seizures and serious injuries, physicians should consider only giving GARDASIL when the patient is safely laying down on the examining table. Because there seems to be syncopal reactions up until 15 minutes after vaccination, patients should be asked to lie down for 15 minutes after receipt of GARDASIL.

The information provided by Merck indicates that it is safe to administer GARDASIL with Hepatitis B vaccine. The prescribing information states, “Results for clinical studies indicate that GARDASIL may be administered concomitantly (at a separate injection site) with hepatitis B vaccine (recombinant). Co-administration of GARDASIL with other vaccines has not been studied.” [4] Due to the small number of girls aged 9 to 15 who appear to have been evaluated for GARDASIL safety in Merck clinical trials (fewer than 2,000) and lack of publicly available information about how many of these girls were given GARDASIL and hepatitis B vaccine simultaneously, the safety of administering GARDASIL and hepatitis B vaccine to all pre-adolescent girls is uncertain.[5]

Aside from Hepatitis B, Merck does not state that it is safe to simultaneously administer GARDASIL with any other vaccine. Considering that there are ongoing evaluations of a reported association between Menactra (meningococcal vaccine) and Guillain-Barre Syndrome, and Merck does not explicitly indicate that it is safe to administer to administer GARDASIL and Menactra simultaneously, consumers and clinicians should question whether administering both GARDASIL and Menactra at the same time is safe.

Similarly, adverse reactions were reported when GARDASIL was administered with eight other vaccines: Hepatitis A, MNQ (?), MEN (Menactra), TD (Tetanus and Diptheria Toxoids), DPP (Diptheria/Pertussis/Polio), PNC Prevnar (Heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate), DTaP (Diphtheria And Tetanus Toxoids and Acellular Pertussis Vaccine), and TDAP (Tetanus, Diptheria and Pertussis). Because Merck does not state that it is safe to administer simultaneously GARDASIL with any vaccine other than Hepatitis B, consumers and clinicians should question whether co-administration of GARDASIL and other vaccines is safe.

Most, if not all, of the reactions reported to VAERS were in response to the first of the three doses of GARDASIL. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Vaccine Information Sheet (VIS) developed for HPV vaccine states that severe reactions include “any unusual condition, such as a high fever or behavior changes. Signs of a serious allergic reaction can include difficulty breathing, hoarseness or wheezing, hives, paleness, weakness, a fast heart beat or dizziness.” [6] The CDC also states that “anyone who has ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to yeast, to any other component of HPV vaccine, or to a previous dose of HPV vaccine should not get the vaccine.” Which of the reactions reported to VAERS constitute a “life-threatening allergic reaction” and which, if any, of the children and young adults who experienced reactions should receive additional doses of vaccine? At the October 2006 ACIP meeting, CDC staff stated that only “three serious reports were reported to VAERS after HPV vaccination in females 14 and 16 years of age. One of these patients had vasovagal syncope and was hospitalized overnight for observation.” [7]CDC’s summary of the first 76 VAERS reports suggests that CDC doesn’t regard the remaining reports as “serious.” CDC needs to clarify which of the reactions reported to VAERS constitute contraindications to further vaccination with GARDASIL and make this information available to the public and to prescribing physicians.

What were the short and longer-term outcomes for the individuals who experienced the reactions reported to VAERS? Is there information available that would help to predict the characteristics that predispose one to be at greatest risk of experiencing a serious reaction?

The CDC’s Vaccine Information Sheet indicates that allergy to yeast is a reason to avoid taking GARDASIL. Merck notes that contraindications to the vaccine include “hypersensitivity to the active substances or to any of the excipients of the vaccine. Individuals who develop symptoms indicative of hypersensitivity after receiving a dose of GARDASIL should not receive further doses of GARDASIL.” The prescribing information provided by Merck does not specifically note that yeast allergy is a contraindication to taking GARDASIL. Government regulators and the manufacturer need to address the discrepancy between these documents and clarify the issues related to yeast allergy and make this information readily available to the public and prescribing physicians.Additionally, Merck notes that vaccine ingredients include 225 mcg of aluminum (as amorphous aluminum hydroxyphosphate sulfate adjuvant), 0.78 mg of L-histidine, 50 mcg of polysorbate 80, and 35 mcg of sodium borate. These ingredients are not listed on the CDC’s VIS sheet. The public needs this information so that they can identify whether they have “hypersensitivities” to any of the ingredients and whether they are at risk of experiencing a serious allergic reaction. Hypersensitivities and known allergic reactions are critical pieces of information that need to be communicated to prescribing physicians in order to make the safest possible vaccination decisions…

Footnotes and entire article here

LOWES HAS APOLOGIZED about the family trees....

and said there was a mistake in their ad and they advertise CHRISTMAS trees in their store and on TV and elsewhere as it should be......not family trees. They say someone made a boo-boo before the ad went out.

Lowes refuses to call them Christmas trees but calls them Family trees instead...

Lowe's refuses to call them "Christmas trees," chooses to call them "Family trees"

In an effort to avoid the use of the term "Christmas tree," Lowe's has renamed their Christmas trees and are now calling them "Family trees."

In their Holiday 2007 catalog, containing 56 pages of Christmas gifts, Lowe's advertises hundreds of gift items, including scores of "Family trees." In fact, the word "Christmas" only appears two times in the entire holiday catalog. The ads mentioning "Christmas cover only 12 square inches of the 5236 square inches available.

Lowe's even has one of their Family trees turned upside down on a stand. We are not sure what the significance of that is.

Lowe's evidently did not want to offend any non-Christians, therefore they replaced "Christmas tree" with "Family tree." Of course, if Christians are offended that is evidently ok.

An on-line search of Lowe's does reference some "Christmas" items. In fact, a word search of their Web site gives the exact same number 174 of the word "Christmas" as it does the word "holiday." Most of the items mentioning Christmas appear to use the promotional line given by the manufacturer.

Their Holiday 2007 catalog features scores of products, including lights, wreaths, trees, and yard decorations. Most people would associate these items with Christmas, but not Lowe's! Except for two obscure references, they refer to everything in their catalog as "holiday."

Click here to see the front cover of the catalog and a page featuring their "Family trees." catalog ad.


here is a pic of one of the upside down trees...this one is in a stand.......I guess if the shape is correct......they might resemble a cross ......but most trees are not shaped in that manner and it looks very odd upside down...







this one is made specifically to be HUNG upside down and has more of a shape of a cross...

I am shaking my head on this one...especially the UPSIDE DOWN Christmas tree?????? That was an old 12th Century tradition in Central Europe.......apparently Target is also offering or displaying some trees upside down in some areas (NOT in my area thank the Lord)......but to me there is something very WRONG with the upside down tree.

The Christmas tree is symbolic......the top pointing to HEAVEN....something HOLY......

**Hanging fir trees upside down goes back to the Middle Ages, when Europeans did it to represent the Trinity. But now, Christmas trees are shaped with the tip pointing to heaven, and some think an upside-down Christmas tree is disrespectful or sacrilegious.

The trees were recently introduced to retailers for in-store displays, so more ornaments could be displayed at eye level to the buying public. And they left more floor space to hold extra stock of decorations.

But the upside-down Christmas trees have caught on, and are being sold to the public as a novelty piece. Target.com has a version that sells for $399 and comes pre-lit. Hammacher Schlemmer’s website has not been able to stay in stock.

Upside-down Christmas trees are either hung from a bracket on the ceiling like a chandelier, stood upside-down on a stand, or mounted tip-down on the wall.

and here is more:

By the 12th century it became a custom, especially in Europe to hang the Fir trees upside down from the ceilings to symbolize the Holy Trinity. The Upside down Christmas Trees was also considered to be the symbol of Christianity. But the real history behind the hanging of the Trees upside down still remains vague. Presently the trend of hanging a Christmas Tree has changed, because nowadays the tip of the Christmas Tree is made to point towards Heaven, as many think that an upside down Christmas tree is a sign of contempt. Christmas Carnivals offers information on the History of the upside down Christmas Tree.

Of course it is not like I WORSHIP the tree because I don't....but it still bothers me. While it is only a symbol to me I cannot imagine hanging one upside down.

this makes me sick to my stomach....

A Roman Catholic nun pleaded no contest yesterday to two counts of indecent behavior with a child in connection with accusations from the 1960s when she was a principal and teacher at a Catholic school in Milwaukee.

The nun, Norma Giannini, 79, faces up to 20 years in prison for what prosecutors say was sexual abuse of two male students.

Although dozens of nuns have been accused of sexual abuse, often in civil lawsuits, Sister Giannini is one of the first to face criminal charges, said Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of Bishope Accountability, a group that compiles reports about abuse in the Roman Catholic Church.

Mary Pat Fox, president of Voice of the Faithful, a lay group formed in response to the Catholic sexual abuse scandal, said she hoped the case would encourage more victims of nuns to come forward. “I think this is the tip of the iceberg,” Ms. Fox said.

According to a criminal complaint filed by the Milwaukee County district attorney’s office, Sister Giannini repeatedly assaulted the two boys while they were in middle school at St. Patrick School. The complaint said the assaults included intercourse and occurred in numerous locations, including a convent and a classroom.

The men who say they were abused, Gerald Kobs and James St. Patrick, now in their 50s, attended Monday’s hearing in Milwaukee.

“This is just a tragic situation for everyone involved,” said Sister Betty Smith, president of the Regional Community of Chicago of the Sisters of Mercy, the religious order to which Sister Giannini belongs.

Sister Smith said Sister Giannini had been removed from work with minors after one of the men came forward with accusations in 1992. She will be sentenced on Feb. 1.

We have heard a lot about priests sexually abusing others....this report says MANY nuns have been accused of sexual abuse....but I have to say this is the FIRST case I have ever read about in the public regarding a NUN. Not that I am naive enough to think for a moment it does not happen. BUT look how much time passed in between her actions and finally being charged and her facing those charges. Did she think she could be forgiven by God and keep this secret forever and not have to own up to it and face her charges? What made everyone wait so long and why did her guilt not cause her to come forward prior to now? I guess I would like to know what she was thinking and how she could keep going living her NUN life as if everything was okay. Something is very wrong here.

I am sorry but this entire story makes me sick to my stomach. It says her assaults included intercourse and occurred in numerous locations...including a CONVENT and CLASSROOM????????

REPEATEDLY? Will she be labeled a SEX OFFENDER and besides going to prison....if she gets out....will she have to do all the crap all the other sex offenders have to do such as register each quarter...etc......FOR LIFE??????

Veterans Day.....giving thanks to those who have served....

is what today is all about. So I want to give my personal thanks to all who have served our country in the military...and remember those who sacrificed their lives in the process.

AND let us not forget those stuck in Walter Reed Army Medical Center....especially with the holidays coming up. When making out your Christmas cards or just to drop a note...please send a card or letter to:

A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20307-5001

what the crap happened yesterday with Ohio State?

I am still sitting here stunned about that one.....

Christmas cupcake ideas.....they are cute and yummy!

they certainly make my mouth water......




and aren't these snowman cupcakes adorable??

the holiday season has begun.....just an FYI...

The Wizard of Oz will be on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights on TBS and TNT.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas will be on Saturday night on TBS prior to the Wizard of Oz starting at 8:00 EST.

The Bachelor...

I have to admit I watch little television these days......but one Monday night my television was on the channel "THE BACHELOR" tv show came on. Now I have no desire to watch this absurd show......but I did catch some of it as I spoke with someone on the phone. The episode I saw last really bothered me.


Basically if you don't know what THE BACHELOR is all about......it is about MILLIONAIRE MEN who for whatever reason....cannot seem to find themselves a woman to marry. HUM......I find that rather odd right there. Perhaps they are not finding the RIGHT woman ...someone who is able to see past the dollar signs and get past hearing the chachings going off in their ears?

I don't know....but the latest bachelor is BRAD WOMACK from Texas.....and he is to the segment in the show where he has narrowed his choices down from 25 women to just 3. What bothered me about the last episode was this.
Basically...this was the night of the OVERNIGHT DATES......which means BRAD gets to drink the milk of all three women before actually buying the cow......and one of those women.....well in fact two will actually end up going home eventually. ONLY ONE will end up being a woman he reportedly will propose to.

NOW......what I cannot imagine is this. WHAT woman in her right mind would sleep with Brad knowing he was going to be sleeping with these other two women as well....apparently one night right after the other???? YUCK YUCK YUCK!!!!! Not even 36 hours passing in between trysts?? DO they all have to subject to physicals to prove they have no communicable diseases? What does this show say to any young viewer out there? I mean it bothered me for crap sake...but maybe I am weird. Maybe my morals are higher than most?

Maybe the women really did not care and fell for his looks or charm and of course let's not forget the MILLION buckos in the bank? Maybe they wanted a one-nighter to risk it all to hopefully CATCH him and prove to him they were his match? HIS SOUL MATE?

Is it possible to find a soul mate on a TV show called THE BACHELOR? I mean the show selects 25 women at random I hear......and what....he has to spoon the cream from that crop? WHAT IF HE FINDS NO MATCH? THAT would be a show! What if he said "you know what.....NONE of you are for me!"

Personally....if I was falling in love with someone as these women have all professed of dear Bradley......why would any of them not apparently mind if he was dipping his honey spoon into the other nectar pots? AND perhaps even one right before their turn? That makes me want to vomit.

yeah...I do think too much.

Oh...and Brad's comment that he was going to KEEP AN OPEN MIND and focus on the woman he was with at the moment struck a chord with me. I mean he is reportedly looking for the love of his lifetime...yet remains open to sleeping with all three women....going through the motions of sincere care and affection for each one....I guess what....to be SURE he picks the right one? Sounds more to me like keeping an open ticket to the ballpark!

and why do I suddenly hear the song "LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH" playing in my mind?

How To Get Your Ass Kicked by JC Penney!

A JC Penney catalog from 1977. It's not often blog fodder just falls in my lap, but holy hell this was two solid inches of it, right there for the taking. I thumbed through it quickly and found my next dining room set, which is apparently made by adding upholstery to old barrels:




Also, I am totally getting this for my bathroom:



There's plenty more home furnishings where those came from, however I'm not going to bore you with that. Instead, I'm going to bore you with something else. The clothes.

The clothes are fantastic.

Here's how to get your ass kicked in elementary school:



Just look at that belt. It's like a boob-job for your pants. He probably needed help just to lift it into place. The belt loops have to be three inches long. And way to pull them up to your armpits, grandpa.

Here's how to get your ass kicked in high school:




This kid looks like he's pretending to be David Soul, who is pretending to be a cop who is pretending to be a pimp that everyone knows is really an undercover cop. Who is pretending to be 15.

Here's how to get your ass kicked on the golf course:


This "all purpose jumpsuit" is, according to the description, equally appropriate for playing golf or simply relaxing around the house. Personally, I can't see wearing this unless you happen to be relaxing around your cell in D-block. Even then, the only reason you should put this thing on is because the warden made you, and as a one-piece, it's slightly more effect ive as a deterrent.

Here's how to get your ass kicked pretty much anywhere:



If you look at that picture quickly, it looks like Mr. Bob "No-pants" Saget has his hand in the other guy's pocket. In this case, he doesn't, although you can tell just by looking at them that it's happened - or if it hasn't happened it will. Oh yes. It will. As soon as he puts down his matching coffee cup.

Here's how to get your ass kicked at the beach:


He looks like he's reaching for a gun, but you know it's probably just a bottle of suntan lotion in a holster.

How to get your ass kicked in a meeting:


If you wear this suit and don't sell used cars for a living, I believe you can be fined and face serious repercussions, up to and including termination. Or imprisonment, in which case you'd be forced to wear that orange jumpsuit.

How to get your ass kicked on every day up to and incl uding St. Patrick's Day


I don't believe that color exists in nature. There is NO excuse for wearing either of these ensembles unless you're working as a body guard for the Lucky Charms leprechaun.

In this next one, Your Search For VALUE Ends at Penneys.


As does your search for chest hair.

And this -- Seriously. No words.


Oh wait, it turns out that there are words after all. Those words are W... T.. F... I'm guessing the snap front gives you quick access to the chest hair. The little tie must be the pull tab.

Also, judging by the sheer amount of matching his/hers outfits, I'm guessing that in 1977 it was considered pretty stylish for couples to dress alike. These couples look happy, don't they?





I am especially fond of this one, which I have entitled "Cowboy Chachi Loves You Best."



And nothing showcases your everlasting love more than the commitment of matching bathing suits. That, and a blonde girl with a look on her face that says "I love the way your junk fits against that fabric."




Then, after the lovin', you can relax in your one-piece matching terry cloth jumpsuits:




I could go on, but I'm tired, and my eyes hurt from this trip back in time. I think it's the colors. That said, I will leave you with these tasteful little numbers:




Man.....that's sexy!