The Pups' New Home

It's been almost a month since moving from an apartment to a house. We all love the extra space, but I sort of tossed myself back into the routine of yard work. There are lots of undergrowth that needs to be cleaned up, and the weekly debris pickup by the city is clearly getting its money's worth(On the first week they had to make a second trip due to me filling up their truck). Plus, as the first pictures shows, the fence needs a little fixing. But...Polly & Penny now have a yard to call their own and bark it up even more for no reason.

Paul Tripp: What Makes Bad Language Bad?

I appreciate what is stated here in the following video. It's straight forward & biblical. Enjoy.

Engagement Snaps

This past weekend, Shannon & Company traveled with me to China Grove to set in place many details for our special date, May 22nd. On Sunday afternoon before we headed back to Fayettenam, I asked Shan's mom to shoot some pictures for me to edit later. Check them out...

Should the motto "In God We Trust" be removed from U.S. currency?

To cast your vote, visit MSNBC for the poll. Your options will be:
• Yes. It's a violation of the principle of separation of church and state.
• No. The motto has historical and patriotic significance and does nothing to establish a state religion.

Three Year-Old Girl Buys Earth Mover Online

A New Zealand girl toddler, Pipi Quinlan, stunned her parents by buying a full-size excavating digger on an auction website. Forgetting to log off the computer could have cost the family 20,000 New Zealand dollars ($12,200 US), The Times reported Friday.

The small girl woke up earlier than her parents, and not wanting to disturb their slumber went to play with the computer. Without any idea on what she was doing, the girl soon found New Zealand’s online auction web site Trade Me which her mother had already logged on to. After a couple of clicks on pretty pictures, little Pipi placed a top bid for a Kobelco digger.

Mum Sarah Quinlan learned about her pricy purchase when she came to the computer to check the e-mails. "I saw an e-mail from TradeMe saying I had won an auction, and another e-mail from the seller saying something like 'I think you’ll love this digger'," The Times quoted the stunned mother as saying.

That she couldn’t remember having bought anything of the kind, Sarah Quinlan assumed it was a Lego digger for her kids. But when she saw the price – 20,000 New Zealand dollars ($12,200 US) she "got the shock of her life."

She asked her husband Reid what a Kobelco was and if he had bought a digger. But the answer was negative. The only other possible variants were the kids, one of them a boy aged 18 months. The parents realized it was Pipi, who uses the computer to play toddler games.

Reid and Sarah Quinlan had a talk with their small daughter having explained how her unawareness cost her family a huge sum of money, enough to buy 20,000 ice blocks. This impressive example made the girl realize her mistake. Sarah rushed to call TradeMe and the seller to tell them that a mistake had happened and refused the purchase.

After realizing that three-year-old Pipi was smarter than her parents thought, they now keep the computer logged off and out of her reach.

Same-Sex Marriages Creeps Closer

It's been covered immensely and argued about everywhere, but eventually, the fact is that legallizing this abomination will happen. Read more in this article. I don't agree with what is said and facts discussed. However, the outcome is something that this sad nation is heading towards at a quick pace.

H1N1 Flu Tracker Update

The recent post concerning the flu tracker has been moved due to high traffic volume. It has now been moved to http://flutracker.rhizalabs.com/ to bare the internet traffic. It also has more detail on each confirmed case. If the site doesn't load, try it again later. Apparently the new site is getting visited just as hard as the last outbreak map.

Tea Party Anyone?

Most of these pictures were forwarded to me in an email last week. Enjoy the protests against our radically changing government. Visit this site to see the 10 Most Offensive Tea Party Signs.

Food Portion Sizes Study

[ABC Note]Last year I posted an article on today's food portions compared to past portions...here is some more in depth information on why most Americans are blind into what they are eating:

Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill analyzed three government surveys taken over two decades and reviewed answers to the average portion size consumed for specific foods, such as snacks, desserts and soft drinks. They also looked at whether the eating was done at home or out.

"Between 1977 and 1996, food portion sizes increased both inside and outside the home for all categories except pizza," Samara Joy Nielsen and Barry M. Popkin write in the Journal of the American Medical Association. According to the study, Americans are eating per portion, on average:

* 93 more calories from salty snacks, such as potato chips, pretzels and popcorn.
* 49 more calories from soft drinks.
* 97 more calories from hamburgers.
* 68 more calories from French fries.
* 133 more calories from Mexican food, such as burritos, tacos, enchiladas.

"The most surprising result is the large portion-size increases for food consumed at home - a shift that indicates marked changes in eating behavior in general," the researchers reported.

Americans' waistlines are keeping up with the portion increase trend. Nearly 60 percent of the country is overweight, with the numbers growing, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Clearly the problem is that Americans are eating too much food," Popkin said. "The shifts in where we are eating, as well as the types of food and how much, are critical."

Food Portion Sizes - Distortion
Nutrition experts said the study confirmed what many thought: Americans aren't aware of how much they're eating.

"We're getting so used to eating out and used to (restaurants') portion sizes," said Lisa Drayer, a registered dietitian and director of nutrition services with Dietwatch.com. "We're getting a distorted view of what portion sizes are. We're not likely to make a distinction between restaurant sizes and real sizes when going home."

Food Portion Sizes - Effects of Supersizing
"An extra 10 calories per day translates to one pound gained per year," Drayer explained. "So you can see how all of these calorie increases combined can translate to weight gain over the long-term." The most important thing, according to Drayer, is to be able to eyeball portion sizes and know how much you are really eating. They key is to relate portion sizes to every day objects.

For example, the USDA food pyramid recommends an average American consume 5-7 servings of vegetables. But just what is a serving? Drayer says if you remember that a fruit serving looks like a tennis ball, you can get a better idea of what you're putting away at the table.

According to a 2002 American Dietetic Association survey, Americans tend to overestimate the recommended serving sizes for many foods. Fewer than half of the respondents accurately estimated the recommended serving sizes of pasta, meat or vegetables.

Food Portion Sizes - Supersizing Restaurant
Also, watch out for the "more is better" mentality, especially at fast food restaurants.

"We're often encouraged to buy larger-sized portions and 'value meals' because they provide a better value for our money," Drayer says. "But while these oversized portions may be good for our wallets, they are not necessarily good for our waistlines or our health."

Portion Control
What are other ways to avoid portion distortion? Here are some other tips to slim down portions at home, according to Drayer and the American Dietetic Association:

* Beware of unconscious eating. "This is where we're not aware of how much food we're putting in our mouths," Drayer said. "We snack more, we're eating by ourselves, in front of the TV or talking on the phone."
* Use smaller plates. You won't be tempted to fill up all the space of a big platter with extra food you don't need.
* Serve yourself what you would normally dish out, but then cut everything in half and save the rest for lunch the next day.
* "Kill the plate," or make whatever is left on the plate unavailable to nibble on, whether it's a napkin across the food, or, in an extreme move, pouring salt over the leftovers.

[ABC Note] Check out the book above, Mindless Eating, for reasons on why we eat like we do. It should clear our thoughts on food and change our eating habits.

Man Stabbed For Passing Wind

Waco, Texas — A man was stabbed after causing a stink, literally, in a motel room while eating with a friend, police said. Five men from the Houston area were sharing a Waco motel room Tuesday night, and two were inside the room eating when one had a flatulence problem, Waco police Officer Steve Anderson said. One man was so upset about the gas that he threw a large knife at him, cutting his leg, and then stabbed him in the chest, Anderson said.

The 35-year-old man was transported to a Waco hospital, where he was treated for what appeared to be non-life threatening injuries, Anderson said.

Jose Braule Ramirez, 33, of Houston, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, police said. He was arraigned Wednesday and was being held in the McLennan County Jail on $15,000 bond and placed on an immigration hold, according to jail records. He cannot be released, even if he posts bond, until authorities verify he is in the country legally.

A jail spokeswoman who declined to give her name said she was not allowed to release information on whether Ramirez had an attorney.

[ABC Note] It would probably be a good investment for the victim(stabbing, not gassed) to invest in the Under-Tec's "Under-Ease" underwear to knock out any future uncomfortable moment while company is nearby. If you are for some reason interested, you can visit the Under-Tec Website for more information. It's either that or make sure your friends leave their weapons at the door.

The Stunning Consequences of Not Getting Enough Sleep

Nothing feels worse than hearing your alarm clock ring in the morning when your body is screaming for a few extra hours of rest. Given the opportunity, who wouldn’t get more sleep? If I had a choice between a year of unlimited Easter candy and a year of unlimited sleep, I’d say “Bye-bye Cadbury” and “Hello, bed!”

Many people don’t get as much sleep as they should. Since the invention of the light bulb, people sleep about 500 hours per year less than they used to. Whether we’re kept awake by our partner’s snoring or we stay up too late watching TV, we wake up tired, groggy, and cranky. No wonder the coffee industry does so well. Unfortunately, sleep deprivation has some side effects and they can’t all be remedied with a little extra caffeine.

This Is Your Brain on Sleep

While the mechanism of sleep isn’t fully understood yet, doctors and scientists do know that it’s one of our body’s most important processes. Studies show that sleep is important for cellular renewal, helping to replace muscle tissue and dead cells throughout the body. Studies have also shown that sleep is a key time for the brain to process and archive information, including memories. Deep, restorative REM sleep, the kind associated with dreaming, seems to stimulate regions of the brain used in learning.

Every night without adequate rest is like adding to a sleep debt—eventually it will have to be repaid. Even after one sleepless night, we can feel the first effects of sleep deprivation—irritability, memory loss, and drowsiness. Continued sleep deprivation can result in trouble concentrating, blurry vision, impaired judgment, and even more severe mental effects. After just a few days without any sleep, people can begin to experience hallucinations, mania, and nausea. Luckily, if you repay your sleep debt right away, those effects vanish immediately.

Short-Term Side Effects

Sleep deprivation doesn’t just cause mental deficits; our physical abilities are diminished too. Studies have demonstrated that not sleeping can reduce glucose metabolism by as much as 40 percent. We use stored glucose for energy and sleep deprivation can interfere with how the body stores and processes it. Sleep-deprived athletes also experience high levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, as well as lower levels of human growth hormone, which is important for muscle repair. The immune system is also thought to be maintained while asleep; people who don’t get enough sleep tend to be more susceptible to infections and have slower healing times.

Sleep deprivation also has an effect on how the brain stores information. A study at the University of Pennsylvania showed that mice who were taught a task and allowed to sleep afterward remembered what they had learned better than mice that didn’t sleep. Among school-aged children, those who get even one less hour of sleep than their peers have shown to perform more poorly on tests of memory and attention.

Some of the effects of short-term sleep deprivation can be very similar to the effects of being drunk. In 2000, researchers in New Zealand and Australia found that people who drive after being awake for seventeen to nineteen hours performed worse on tests than people with a blood alcohol level of 0.05 percent, almost the legal limit for drunk driving. In fact, the U.S. Department of Transportation reports that as many as 100,000 sleep-related auto accidents occur every year.

One study found that sleep-deprived medical interns working on the night shift were twice as likely to misinterpret patients’ test results. There is even evidence that sleep deprivation may have played a part in some major disasters, including the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

Long-Term Consequences

It’s easy to erase the short-term effects of sleep deprivation—get more sleep. However, when people don’t sleep well for weeks, months, or even years, it can have cumulative effects on their health. Sleep has shown to be important in regulating blood sugar levels and people who don’t sleep can become increasingly resistant to insulin. Long-term insulin resistance puts extra burdens on the pancreas to produce more, and eventually can result in type 2 diabetes.

Recent studies have also linked chronic sleep deprivation to obesity. Sleep has an important effect on the hormones ghrelin and leptin, which control hunger and appetite. When we don’t sleep, these hormones can go out of balance, causing us to eat more than we need. Heart disease, high blood pressure, and depression are other diseases that can result from long-term sleep deprivation.

Get Forty Winks … At Least

It’s common to feel a bit tired in the morning, but how do you know if you’re truly sleep-deprived? Sleep experts say that if you feel groggy or tired during the day, feel the urge to nap, or if you fall asleep within five minutes of lying down, you could possibly be sleep-deprived. Another symptom of severe sleep debt is the occurrence of “micro-sleeps,” short bursts of sleep that can happen without a person even realizing it.

Although most people think they need to sleep for eight hours a night, the amount actually varies from person to person; some are fine with five, others would do better with ten. If you feel like you need more sleep, simple lifestyle changes can help you get more. Missing a few hours of sleep on occasion isn’t the end of the world, because it’s easy to make up the sleep with no lasting side effects. Many people are psychologically adjusted to constantly feeling tired, and in the short-term, their bodies may be able to adjust too. But the long-term consequences of sleep deprivation should be enough to convince anyone to hit the sack.

Duke's Senior Night Ruined

Oh the place where I watched the game was in uproar for the same reason as last year. UNC, again, spoiled Duke's senior night at Cameron Indoor...the toughest place to win a basketball game in the NCAA. Enjoy...yes this picture is from last year, but states all the necessary disrespect against Duke basketball.

Fight Freedom of Choice Act Petition

The Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) would eliminate every restriction on abortion nationwide.

* FOCA will do away with state laws on parental involvement, on partial birth abortion, and on all other protections.
* FOCA will compel taxpayer funding of abortions.
* FOCA will force faith-based hospitals and healthcare facilities to perform abortions.

Barack Obama believes this legislation will "end the culture wars." To him, "ending the culture wars" means eradicating every state and federal law on abortion — laws that the majority of Americans support.

Man Gets Arm Stuck in Train Toilet

This is pure genius...who is really attached to their phone this bad? If you are, please let know so I can hang around just to knock your phone down something just as disgusting. It's all for a good laugh, you'll see. Enjoy the read...

Here's something you don't read about happening every day. The BBC has this story about a man traveling on the TGV in France Sunday who got his hand sucked down the train's toilet.

Apparently the man's cell phone had fallen in and he was trying to retrieve it.

The train had to stop for two hours while rescue crews responded, cutting through the train's plumbing to free...the toilet [and the retard that was attached to it].

That's right: The man was taken off the train with the toilet still attached to his hand (or, his hand still stuck in the toilet). A witness tells the BBC that emergency responders had to saw the toilet in half to free the man's hand.

Probably a good thing this happened on the TGV, whose toilets are typically in a little better shape than, say, the toilets on an overnight train in Ukraine.

British Columbia Man Paralyzed after Flu Shot

A New Westminster man is raising a warning flag after he contracted a rare and debilitating condition linked to the flu shot that left him paralyzed for almost five months. Every fall, health care workers across Canada distribute 10 million influenza vaccinations, and for the vast majority of people, the flu shot causes no major problems.

Within two weeks of getting his annual flu shot in 2007, however, Richard Ryan, 44, went from being happy and healthy to being in excruciating pain. At first, Ryan thought he had injured his back, and he checked into the local hospital emergency room, he told CBC News on Wednesday.

But Ryan was also suffering some numbness, and when a neurologist tested his reflexes, he found Ryan had none, he said. "The doctor asked me what was going on in my life. And as soon as I said I was feeling ill after getting a flu shot, he said, 'Stop right there, I know what you have,'" Ryan said.

The neurologist diagnosed Ryan with Guillain-Barré syndrome, an autoimmune disease that attacks the nervous system. According to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, the chance of developing that particular disease from a flu shot is one in a million.

But as Ryan learned the consequences can be severe. By the time the emergency room exam was over, he was unable to get up. He spent the next 10 weeks recovering in hospital, including three weeks in intensive care, barely able to breathe or eat for himself. "My face was paralyzed. I had no feeling inside my mouth. I couldn't feel my tongue. My left eye wouldn't close so it had to be taped shut to sleep," he said.

The illness progressed into a lifelong condition known as chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), and a year later he remains heavily medicated, unable to work, and has memory problems. Although the disease is in remission, he is not expected to make a full recovery, and the chronic condition could return at any point in the future.
Worth the risk?

Now Ryan say he is concerned that public health officials are promoting the flu vaccine while most people are not fully aware of the risks. However, Dr. Danuta Skowronski, an epidemiologist at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, says the benefits of the flu vaccine still outweigh the risks for the vast majority of people.

"Nothing is completely risk-free," she told CBC News. "It is always a matter of weighing the benefits and the risks." Medical information provided with flu shots does mention the one-in-a-million chance of getting Guillain-Barré syndrome.

But it is especially important for people with heart and lung problems, the elderly and the chronically ill, to get the influenza vaccine because it could save their lives, Skowronski said. "Influenza itself can be life threatening, and it's those groups that we want to make sure are not put off from receiving influenza vaccine unnecessarily," said Skowronski.

There are more than 2000 flu-related deaths in Canada every year. Seniors, people with weak immune systems and some children are at highest risk. More common possible side-effects of vaccinations can include fever, muscle pain and weakness.

For his part, Ryan maintains that he's a good example of the fact that the benefits of the vaccination don't always outweigh the risks. "I think if people knew how serious the illness is, they would think twice about the flu shot," he said.

Oh by the way, I just got my shot this morning. Slight chance of risk...take the risk already!

The Daily 11

1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for.

2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.

3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.

4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.

5. Every night, someone thinks about you before they go to sleep.

6. You mean the world to someone.

7. You are special and unique.

8. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.

9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.

10. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take another look.

11. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.

Stop Paying: 15 Free Services

With rising prices for services or for the need to save money, here are some helpful resources to cut back at monthly costs. Everyone needs to spend less, period.
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Free Television
Cut that cable bill and use Hulu.com for your movie and television viewing pleasure. Hulu offers full episodes of your favorite current and classic TV shows, full-length movies and thousands of clips– all for free!

Free College Fund
Upromise offers a great way to beef up Junior’s college fund without costing you a penny. Upromise puts a percentage of the money you spend on every day purchases into a special 529 Plan. It’s completely free.

Free Kids Meals
Want to go out to eat at a restaurant that doesn’t charge you for your little one’s meal? Simply plug in your zip code at KidsMealDeals.com and you’ll get a list of nearby eateries offering free food for youngsters.

Free Invoicing
Here’s a tip for small business owners. Check out BillingBoss.com for an easy (and completely free) way to create, send and track invoices.

Free Business Cards
Snag lots of free stuff at VistaPrint.com. We’re talking business cards, address labels, sticky notes and much more for free.

Free Computer Software
If you need software for word processing, spreadsheets, graphics, and presentations, check out OpenOffice.org. It’s a completely free download for anybody.

Free Directory Assistance
Need a number? Rather than tacking on more to your phone bill, try 1-800-Free-411. Get the digits you desire without spending a dime. You may have to listen to a short advertisement but, hey, it’s free.

Free Photo Processing
At Snapfish.com you won’t pay for prints– at least not right away. The first 50 are completely free when you register on the site. After that they're $.09 each.

Free Recipes
Rather than pay for a cookbook, find free recipes on the Internet with sites like Epicurious.com and AllRecipes.com.

Free Landscaping
Need to spruce up your garden? Order some free trees at FreeTreesandPlants.com . It’s a non-profit charity that utilizes the help of disabled employees to process orders.

Free Credit Report
Once a year you are allowed free access to your credit report. Check out AnnualCreditReport.com to check your credit and stop identity theft.

Free Diet Help
Can’t afford a personal trainer or a dietician to help you stay healthy? Try visiting SparkPeople.com for free meal plans, fitness tracking and exercise demos. You can also download a free printable tape measure to measure your success.

Free DVD Rentals
Rather than subscribing to a movie rental service or visiting your neighborhood video store every Friday night, try visiting your local library. Their selection of DVD’s might surprise you, but it won’t come as a surprise that it’s completely free. After all, it is the library.

Free Music
Save money on your music fix by trying out free online streaming radio. Sites like Pandora.com and Free Napster let you decide exactly what you want to listen to. Hear the latest hits or your old favorites for free.

Free Lodging
Hotel stays can cost big bucks, but thanks to CouchSurfing.com you can find a couch to crash on in just about every city for free.

Room to Move

This past week was the first to be in my new house. So far, things have went fairly smoothly. Some new furniture will be here this week hopefully, and maybe some time will be there to make it look more like a place. I do want to thank everyone who helped me out with the short move, the heavy lifting, cleaning, house-sitting, etc. It is all greatly appreciated. And yes, I will get some pictures up after the furniture arrives. Then, the visiting starts!

Renting Finished!

As of yesterday, the renting has stopped. I am now in my own home...pictures may come later, depending on when I get everything unpacked.

Homeowner, almost!

This past weekend, I took the final look at three houses that made it past all other listings. Afterwords, I made an offer on the house, we agreed on some terms, and now the process starts with an overabundance of paperwork. So, hopefully in just four weeks I'll be done with renting and living in a house that I can tear up, fix, and do whatever. It's nifty.