Another Semster Almost Done!

This last week of the semester is always full of stress and anxiety!  I know I get test anxiety, I think now that it is finals week we all will have it.  The easiest way that I have found to get over this anxiety stricken sickness is to realize at the end of finals you and I have accomplished something that no one else can take away from us, ANOTHER SEMESTER OF COLLEGE!  Some of us are burned out to where we are counting down the days until summer break, some of us are counting down the days until we graduate.  What ever you are counting down for, you made it.  You made it through another semester of college, or you have made it to the finish line and are graduating from college.  So whatever it may be,  Good luck on your finals. Take time to breathe and take time to relax.  Finals will be over before you know it.  So I wish all of you good luck and hope all of you have a wonderful summer.

Tanning goes to a new level of CRAZY!!!

I do not understand what is WRONG with some people these day! All I can say is this woman hit the new level of WHACKO!  To allow or put you 5 year old child in a tanning bed is outrageous, not to mention dangerous!  Little kids are not meant to be in tanning beds.  I tan for about a month a year and that is hard enough on me, much less a little person. Patricia Krentcil who is now known as the N.J. tanning mom or New Jersey's "famous tanorexic" mom, bring tanning to a whole new meaning.  She was arrainged on thursday for allegedly putting her 5 year old little girl in a tanning bed.  She is charged with child endangerment.
This is from the article!
"Court officials say the Nutley mom accused of taking her then-5-year-old daughter into a tanning booth is no longer on probation.
Patricia Krentcil is free on $2,500 bond, charged with child endangerment following her arrest last month in Nutley.
The arrest got the attention of authorities in Camden County. That's where Krentcil was sentenced to five years' probation in 1999 for credit card theft, forgery and theft for writing bad checks. In 2001, a bench warrant was issued for her failure to appear at a probation hearing.
Court officials in Camden County today said her probation had been terminated and she would not be required to appear in court.
Krentcil is due back in court next month to face the allegation of causing skin burns to her daughter."

As a mother, it is our job to make sure our children are safe and taken care of. Not to put them in a tanning bed!

To Blog or not to Blog???

This is my last paper that I submitted to Mrs. Chism about us having to do a blog for our English class.  I hope you all like it!

         Like most of us, the very thought of starting a Blog at the beginning of the semester had me stumped.  I had heard about blogs, just had never read one or for that matter wrote one.  For the first two weeks, my blog posts were not showing up. I had no idea what was wrong or what I had done.   This only added to the anxiety of having to do the blog in the first place.  Therefore, I emailed Mrs. Chism I do not know how many times, until her and I finally figured out what I had done wrong.  When we were setting up our blogs at the beginning of the semester, I had gotten side tracked somehow and had set up a blog with my personal email address.  After about two or three days of being completely dumbfounded and not understanding what was going on, I noticed at the top of the blog homepage in all caps my personal email address.  I had set one up also under my student email, which is the one that I had sent to Mrs. Chism.  Yes, I had been doing my blog posts all along, just on the “wrong” blog page. 

               During this semester, I have learned how writing can be therapeutic. Even if it is not done exactly how it is supposed to be wrote, or in the exact format.  Being able to voice your opinion or thoughts through your blog posts has been a new way for me to open up to more people.  When we starting writing one post a week about something going on in our personal life or something that we were interested in,  I think that with all of us being able to do this, it helped us to know a little more about the person on the other side of the computer.   Being in an online class, we do not know much about the other students in our class, so being able to read their blogs every week, and reading about something or someone in their lives, helps you realize that we are all in the same boat at times. Whether it is a sick child, or a husband driving you crazy, a graduation, a new baby, it makes the class a little more personalized.  You know that you are not alone, and that the other students in your class are going through some of the same things as you might be.  We all have anxiety about writing in some way or another, and with having to do this blog; it has helped me out a lot. 

               With everything leaning more towards technology today, I think having to do a blog in class will start being the normal thing to have to do as a part of the class.  I know that for me, having to write a blog every week has helped me be more open and creative.  I hope that more classes, especially online classes start having students do blogs.  It helps!

Just needing to RANT AND RAVE!!

I know that now days, teens think that they know it all.  Just like we all did when we were teenagers. This is not directed at all teens, just some in general that have NO respect for anything or anyone.  Not all teens are like this, just a few.  One of them that is in the NO respect category would be my step son.  His Dad and I did not raise him to be rude and disrespectful to people. He was raised to respect his elders and use his manners. He thinks now that he is 19 that he is a "man" and does not have to respect anyone.  He tears his car up and thinks that it is still his Dads responsiblilty to have it fixed. He thinks everyone owes him something.  His Dad lets him walk all over him and treat him like dirt.  The only time he treats his Dad halfway good is when he wants something.  His Dad lets it happen repeatedly and does not understand why his son is the way he is. He enables him to do whatever he wants. Then complains when he treats him badly.  I am sorry but if you allow your child to walk all over you and not put your foot down about how they treat you, then it is your own fault that they are the way they are! Just saying!  We have a 3 year old son that is watching his older brother treat people like this and at times he thinks it is ok too to act like that.  Needless to say, I have nipt that in the bud.  I was raised to respect my elders and most definelty my parents.  I was taught that you treat people with respect and you will get it in return. You also take care of you belongings and do not expect your Dad or Mom to run and jump at your beckon call when you have torn up you car, etc.  All I know that if my husband doesn't put a stop to his son treating people this way that he is going to end up in a lot of trouble. Thanks for listening!

When a child is being bullied by their school staff or teacher?

Lately we have seen a lot about bullying in the news.  Kids used to be the only ones that I knew of that "bullied" other kids. Now it is not just kids that are bullying other kids, it is teacher too.  We send our children to school to be taught, not to be mistreated. Teachers are supposed to protect your kids and make them feel safe, not bully them like the bully on the playground does.  This teacher in New Jersey was caught on audio bullying a child that is autistic.

The former teacher said this: " CNN) -- The former teacher of a schoolboy diagnosed with autism, who is accused by the child's father of mistreating the student, has called the allegations "disingenuous," saying she wasn't there when the alleged classroom incident took place."

"The father, Stuart Chaifetz, said he put a recording device on his 10-year-old son, Akian, and recorded school staff in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, making what he described as inappropriate comments during class."

Chaifetz launched a website and a YouTube video on Monday to publicize portions of more than six hours of recordings of what he says are teachers and aides talking about alcohol and sex in front of the class, punctuated by yelling at his son to "shut your mouth."

School authorities said in a statement Friday that they are "continuing to investigate what occurred in the classroom in question."

"Since the evidence presented is audio only, it is imperative that the improper conduct identified on the recording is correctly identified to the person(s) who committed the conduct," the statement said."

I am still somewhat in disbelief that a teacher who is supposed to teach children and help them from being bullied, is a bully herself!

Mariah Cary and Nick Cannon renew Vows!

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon renewed their wedding vows at the Eiffel Tower in France as a part of their 4 year wedding anniversay celebration.  Here is a couple that no one thought would make it together, much less be together.  They have one-year old twins that are the apple of their eye.  Maria Carey is known to not like her private life to be publicized.  She likes to keep her private lifet to herself and her family.  I think that now days when any one renews their vows or even makes it past the 3 year mark they are doing good. For celebraties to make it past that mark you know that they are really in love with each other and wanting their marriages to work.
 This is what the couple had to say:
"Tonight was an incredible night," the singer Tweeted. "I can't express how amazing it was to renew our vows in Paris at the top of the Eiffel tower."

The couple have much to celebrate beyond their four-year anniversary, which falls on Monday. Along with enjoying nearly 1-year-old twins, Cannon appears to be on the mend from frightening health problems, including kidney disease.

After leaving the hospital in January, Cannon called Carey his "hero" and "the virtuous person who is my angel." Carey returned the compliment by telling him he was her "incredible husband" who, despite his struggles, was still "all strong and healthy and big."

Finals approaching!

I do not know about you, but with finals coming up, my stress level rises!  I know that a lot of us are ready for a break from homework and the hectic schedule of homework.  I can not believe how fast this semester has flown by.  I have really learned a lot from all of my classes this semester. One thing being that I need to slow down take the time to read "all" the directions entirely and not to get a head of my self.  I hope that all of you with finals right around the corner, take the time to relax a little and not over stress your selves.  The one final that is already stressing me out is my math final.  After spring break, I began working with a tutor, because Math was seriously kicking my 35 year old butt.  Now with the help of my amazing tutor, I can do it without stressing myself out.  But I know that the final is coming and it is a major stressor for me.  With all the hard work that I have been doing, I think that I will do fine.  I just have to relax.  So I hope that with finals fastly approaching that all of you do amazing.

Zimmerman's Apology!

In Zimmerman's apology to the family of the teen that he shot, people think that it was an act just to get his bond set.  It may or may not have been.  In reading his apology, I feel that he was trying to be a sincere person.  I understand how Trayvon's family must feel towards this man and his apology.  They probably think he is full of it.  I know that if  I were in their shoes, I would be hesitant about it. In the article is has an excerpt of George Zimmerman's apology for the incident that caused Trayvons death.

"I wanted to say I am sorry for the loss of your son," Zimmerman said in an unusual appeal directly to Martin's family before he testified in the Seminole County Courthouse in Sanford. "I thought he was a little bit younger than I was, and I did not know if he was armed or not."

Zimmermans attorney also stated the following: " Mark O'Mara, said after the hearing that his client was responding to an interview in which Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, said she wanted to hear from the man who shot her son.

"He didn't want to defend himself, he didn't want to discuss the facts of the case. He heard the request of the family, and he wanted to respond to it," O'Mara said, adding that an attempt to apologize to the family in private was rebuffed."

Dick Clark dies at 82

I can remember when I was little every year we would watch Dick Clark on New Year's Eve every year.  It was tradition in our house to watch him.  I can also remember watching the 100,000  pyramid with my Grandma and her always saying how handsome he was.  All I could think of was he is old, but whatever! 
After Dick Clark suffered a major stroke in 2004 people did not think that he would come back from it.  Even though his speech was slowed and slurred, he never allowed the symptoms of his stroke get the best of him.  The following is from the article.

"Some people felt that it was bad taste on the network's part to have him return in that condition. The network got a lot of criticism for that," said Robert J. Thompson, director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University. "People said, 'This is supposed to be a celebration for the new year, I don't want to see someone in that condition.'

"But I was really glad to see him do it," Thompson said of Clark, who had attended Syracuse and was a frequent guest speaker there. "Dick Clark announced to the world that people can have strokes and still continue to function."

In doing so, Clark became a symbol of hope to the millions of Americans currently struggling in the aftermath of what's known as cerebrovascular incident. Many of those stroke victims grapple with depression and become withdrawn because they feel self-conscious about the lingering side effects, experts said.

"We lost a champion and a voice for stroke," said Jim Baranski, chief executive of the National Stroke Assn., said Wednesday."

New Year's Eve will be a little different, now that the man that so many of us grew up with and watching the ball drop together is no longer with us.

Bad Weather!

Storm season is here unfortunately.  Forcasters across the country are warning people of the life threatening storms that are in the forecast for the next few days. 

"In an unusual move, national weather forecasters have issued an early warning that conditions are ripe for violent tornadoes to rip through the Midwest this weekend.

According to a story by the Associated Press, the expected weekend storms will stretch from Texas to Minnesota and could be a "high-end, life threatening event."

People in this area are still horrified when the sky becomes cloudy or dark clouds move in.  With the weather forecasters predicting bad weather, it really puts the fear in people.  If  Joplin would have had the prediction of the bad weather and storms, like we are getting now.  Things would have been very different.  People would not have lost their lives, homes may have still been destroyed, but people would have been prepared.  We would have known what to "expect" or at least be able to get to safety. 
According to the article," the warning issued Friday covers parts of Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas."

"The Storm Prediction Center advises residents in those areas should be aware of warnings and alerts and seek shelter in a safe place should severe weather hit."

So everyone stay safe this weekend. 

Mr. Chamberlain was going about his day like any other day.  He did not know that he had accidentaly pushed his life alert button.  He was as this home in White Plains, N.Y. going about his day, when his day totally was turned up side down and ended up to be his last.  The West Plains Police responded to what they thought was a medical emergency call.  When Mr. Chamberlain responded that he was fine and did not know what or why they were there is when it turned bad.  The Police reportedly said that Mr. Chamberlain had a  hatchet when he opened the door and repeatedly told them that he had been in the Marines.

" THE POLICE who arrived at the door of Chamberlain's apartment in a White Plains housing project at 5 a.m. weren't responding to reports of a crime in progress, but a possible medical problem. Chamberlain, who suffered from heart disease, wore a life alert pendant that he apparently set off the pendant in his sleep. When the medical monitoring company failed to get a response from him immediately, they notified police of a possible medical emergency.
A device in Chamberlain's home that the pendant transmitted to recorded what followed. The family was permitted to listen to the recordings, which is why we know that the police description of subsequent events were a lie.
When police arrived at his home, Chamberlain told them through a closed door that he was fine. The monitoring company also called police to tell them this was a false alarm, and to request that the call be cancelled. The police dispatcher responded, "We're not cancelling anything."
Police at the scene continued to demand entry, and refused to allow Chamberlain's niece, who lived upstairs in the same building, to speak to her uncle. According to the family, when Chamberlain said he was fine, an officer responded, "We don't give a f*%#@." An officer is heard referring to Chamberlain as "n*@!$r" and making a mocking reference to his Marine service."

This is a very sad story.  Here was a man that was probably mordified that the police were "coming" in to his home even when he had said that he was fine and had no idea why they were there. 

Grandma got busted!!

The 73 year old Grandmother, was busted with 4 pounds of marijuana and approximately $270,000.00 in cash.  Darlene Mayes is now known as a drug trafficker.  She had been under investigation for the last two years.  She was not just the run of the house drug dealer, I guess you could say.  She was not the "neighborhood" dealer, her operation was spread over the four states area. 

"Investigators say the elderly woman supplied about 40 percent of the pot circulating in the area, including the city of Tulsa and parts of nearby Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri. …

Mayes first tried to tell officers that the money was her retirement fund, [Vinita police chief Bobby] Floyd said. He said Mayes may have been trafficking marijuana for as long as two decades."

WOW!  I can understand elderly people needing to make an extra income, but this was shocking.  I understand that millions of elderly people live on amounts that are below the poverty level and often go without medications or food because their checks do not cover everything that they need.  This lady was making a killing selling marijuana, and she even tried to tell the police that the money that they found in her house was for her "retirement fund."  This had to have shocked her family, her neighbors, people that she has known for years.  You have to laugh at the very thought of this Grandma being known as a major drug dealer and supplier of at least 40% of the pot in this area.  She really does not fit the "image" of a drug dealer. I guess you never know what some people will do to make money.  I do not know what I would do if that were my Grandmother.....I think I would still be in shock,

Anniversarys!

Ten years ago today, I married my best friend.  Brad and I have been married for ten loooong years.  Now days if you make it past two years you have accomplished a lot!  When people ask you how long you have been married, and you answer ten years, the are shocked by your answer.  Now days, marriage is not the "in" thing to do for many couples and I do not see anything wrong with that.  My husband and I still think of marriage as a life long commitment that takes HARD work.  Anyone that says marriage is easy they are full of it.  Marriage is probably the hardest relationship you will ever be in.  We still have our moments where we definitely do not see eye to eye, but some how we always seem to work things out to suit both of us.  We still have very different opinion's but we value each others opinion.  I would not trade my husband for anything.  Some days it is easy to take him for granted, but I thank God for him everyday and cherish every single moment we have together.  He and I have ten years together that we worked hard for, hopefully we will have many, many more years to share.

Diabetes drug fight cancer????

If this dirt cheap diabetes drug that has been on the market since the 1990's might also have a anticancer product in it,  If this drug does work to help fight cancer, think of all the people that it would help and save.  According to the article," The first hint that metformin might also have anticancer properties came a decade later, when two research teams separately reported that diabetes patients were less likely to develop cancer, and less likely to die from the disease, if they were taking the drug.  This news wasn't entirely surprising: Metformin treats diabetes in part by lowering insulin levels, and several types of cancer -- such as those of the breast, colon, and prostate -- have been linked to high levels of that hormone."
If this drug really does help fight cancer, then it will be a dramatic life line to thousands of cancer patients worldwide.  My mom has had colon cancer, and thankfully she is in full remission.  Yet some people that have had the same cancer have not been as lucky.  If this pill that has been used to help diabetics can help cancer patients.  Think of how much money people will save.  This pill in its generic form is not expensive at all as the article states: "the generic form cost pennies a pill."  People that have had to cut corners or not take specific medications for cancer will hopefully in the near future not have to.  They will be able to take metformin and the other medications that they have to take and hopefully save a lot of money in the long run.

100 years later, Titanic's allure still alive!

I think that it would be amazing to take the Titanic Memorial Voyage.  The ship will actually take the exact same route that the Titanic took 100 years ago.   It is a little on the morbid part to be in the same spot at the exact time that tragedy struck and took so many peoples lives. The Titanic Memorial Cruise will follow the route the Titanic took, and is scheduled to be in the exact spot at the exact time the Titanic struck an iceberg close to midnight on April 14, 1912, sending it to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean a little less than four hours later. More than 1,500 people lost their lives, and about 700 -- mostly women and children -- survived.   Titanic Memorial Cruise will set sail on this memorial cruise from Southampton, England with around 1300 fanatics.
 "There is a little bit of excitement and a little bit of trepidation to be on the ship outside at night with the chaplain conducting a Christian ceremony to honor the deceased that came from all walks of life," Tom Byron says.

"To be out there and know that 100 years ago, they were not doing what we will be doing; that they were wondering how much longer they had left to live ... it's overwhelming actually."

While not everyone would go to these lengths to mark a historic disaster, it's human nature to be interested.

While I think the Titanic's story is just an interesting as the next person. I do not know how I would feel about being at the exact spot at the same time that the ship hit an iceberg and so many people lost their lives.  History is very interesting, but if for some odd reason history was to repeat itself. I for one do not want to be a part of it.

As you all know by reading my info section on my blog, I have an amazing little boy.  He is the greatest part of my life.  He is only 3 years old, yet he thinks he is much bigger.  He proceeded to tell me over spring break that he "wants" a Xbox 360 for his birthday.  I about feel over, when he was telling me this.  I am thinking to myself you are only going to be 4 on your birthday and you really do not need this.  We have a Wii and he can play some of the games, but they are really hard for little hands to play, especially when you have to use two controllers on a game.  So I was telling my husband about this huge request that our son had made for his birthday.  Unknowning that this is what I fixing to tell him, he said that he had been looking at getting and Xbox 360 so that he and Brayden could play more games together.  So I told him what Brayden had said and Dad is planning on getting this for him for his birthday. 
I am still on the fence more or less about this.  Getting a four year old and Xbox for his birthday seems a little to much.  I understand that today some games are aimed towards toddlers and younger kids.  I just do not really want my son to be one of those kids that is stuck to a video game or to the tv all the time.  I know that the Xbox kinnect is supposed to be good for helping kids stay in shape and they have to be up and moving around to play certain games.  So we will see how this truns out and how my little boy reacts when he gets this for his birthday!

FDA and BPA in baby bottles!

I know that when I found out that I was pregnant with my son. I researched all the new and organic top of the line baby stuff.  When it came to bottles I only wanted the best.  The new BPA bottles had just came out on the market, I really did not know much about them.  Yet, I wanted the best for my son.  So all of his baby bottles and pacifiers were all BPA free.  The bottles were a little more expensive than the regular bottles that have been on the market for years.  I do not know really what the difference is supposed to be, I just knew that it was supposed to be a healthier choice for my baby. 
 

"BPA is a toxic chemical that has no place in our food supply," said a statement from Dr. Sarah Janssen, a senior scientist in the council's public health program.

"The agency has failed to protect our health and safety in the face of scientific studies that continue to raise disturbing questions about the long-term effects of BPA exposures, especially in fetuses, babies and young children," the statement said.

"The FDA is out of step with scientific and medical research. This illustrates the need for a major overhaul of how the government protects us against dangerous chemicals."

The Natural Resources Defense Council says the FDA's approval of BPA for use in packaging food "results in human exposure" to the chemical and is "dangerous to those who use the products."

It says studies have linked BPA exposure to a number of dangerous side effects, including defects in newborns, harm to the central nervous system, increased rates of prostate and breast cancer, and metabolic changes in the body that lead to obesity and insulin resistance, which are the main causes of diabetes."

Also, a growing body of research looking at subtle effects of low levels of BPA exposure has led the National Toxicology Program at the National Institutes of Health and the FDA to announce it has "some concern" about the potential effects of BPA "on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants and young children."

When I saw this article and saw the report on the news,  I went through all of my sons sippy cups and the ones that said BPA free went in the trash.  So when you are buying baby things for yourself or for someone that is expecting it is not always the best to go with the newest and supposed "best" product on the market until you know for sure that it is safe for you new little one or someone else's new little one.

Mega Millions Craze!!!

Did you get your lottery ticket bought today? I know I did! I know some people that went crazy buying their Mega Millions Lottery Tickets! Some people spent a couple dollars while others spent thousands of dollars on these tickets. I understand that it is every ones wish to be rich or even hit the lottery. I understand that the odds are quit huge. Seriously, though, people spending their entire weeks pay on these tickets are taking it a little over board!

If there is now winner of this $640 million prize, the jackpot will end up being worth an estimated $975 million. This jackpot has people from Juarez, Mexico crossing in to the United States just to buy these tickets for this jackpot.

"Mexicans from Ciudad Juarez were crossing the Rio Grande on Friday to buy tickets in El Paso, Texas.”I would divide the money among my children and buy them a house here in El Paso, and we would come from Juarez (to) here to live in peace," said one man.

The odds of winning the jackpot are about one in 176 million, which means a person would have a better chance of being struck by lightning.

Richard Lustig, a seven-time lottery winner who has written a book about lottery strategies, said it is good to buy tickets as part of a group, to increase "buying power." In addition, while the urge to take a chance on such a big jackpot may be alluring, Lustig said to guard against getting too enthusiastic.

"Don't go crazy with this," he said. "Don't get what's called lottery fever. Do not spend grocery money. Do not spend rent money."

Therefore, to all my fellow classmates, if you bought one of these tickets, Good Luck!

The World's Richest Pets!!!!! Seriously!!!

When you think of your pets I bet you never thought about leaving them your savings?  I umderstand that pets are your freinds and that they are comforting to have around.  But to leave your dog $5 million when you die, that is just crazy! Your dog is not going to be able to spend it.  Yes, I know that you can have someone that is responsible for taking care of you beloved pet when you pass on.  Seriously, leaving millions of dollars to your pet seems a little crazy. BettyWhite's dog is the one pet that is going to inherit $5 million when she passes.  I know from articles that she loves her dog very much and he is a constant companion to her.  I love my dog and cat just as much as any other animal lover.  I am not going to leave them my savings when I pass on. 
Pet: PontiacTo inherit: $5 million
Owner: Betty White

At 90, actress Betty White is busier than ever. When she's not shooting her TV Land sitcom, "Hot in Cleveland," or promoting her latest memoir, "If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won't)," you'll find her kicking back at her Los Angeles home with her beloved golden retriever, Pontiac. White has reportedly set up a $5 million trust fund to care for Pontiac and her other pets.




Pet: TommasoNet worth: $13 million
Owner: The late Maria Assunta

This 4-year-old stray alley cat was rescued from the streets of Rome by Maria Assunta, the wealthy, childless widow of an Italian property tycoon. When she died in December 2011, Tommaso inherited her entire estate, including cash and real estate in Rome, Milan and Calabria, Italy.

When to say Goodbye!

This post is not about any famous actor or actress, its about an amazing man that I call Uncle!  Today, my family had to make the hardest decision in our entire lives.  We had to tell the doctors to let my Uncle Ray go.  He has been on a respirator for the last week and under heavy sedation.  Two weeks ago he had surgery to have three stints put in his heart or valves and a pump to keep him alive.  Last friday he was rushed to the hospital in major pain, only to find out that two of the three stints had not held.  It is astonishing to watch someone that has played such an important role in your life fade away.  He was in the Navy for over twenty years, worked for a major eletronic company for the last twenty years.  Has an amazing family and life.  Now as we have all gathered to be around him to make this horrible decision, we all know that it is in the best interest for him to allow him to be free of all the machines keeping him alive.  But my question still is, how do you know when to say goodbye to someone that has been such an important part of you life?  My Uncle Ray helped me through this very ordeal with my Daddy 7 years ago and now we are at the same place with him.  I think that having to make the choice to let a loved one go is the hardest most devastating decision anyone ever has to make.  We as a family we all know that he does not want to be hooked up to machines that are breathing for him, and that is the only way he is staying alive.   So today, we have all made the decision to let him go home.  He will be greatly missed from so many people.  He has touched so many peoples lives.  So today as you look around at your family, hug them and let them know just how very much you love them.  Call your family and let them know your thinking of them and love them.  Because you never know what tomorrow will bring.....

A life cut short!

Trayvon Martin's murder has been in the headlines all over the world.  This young man had done nothing wrong, yet the man accused of killing him thought otherwise.  The only reason was that he was a young teenage black male.  He was shot down in cold blood by the neighborhood watch captain.  You can not tell me that this man did not know that Trayvon lived is this neighborhood.  That he had not seen this young man around.  For God sake, this kid had a bag of candy and a cup of tea or soda.  What was he going to do spit the candy at George Zimmerman? I just do not understand how someone could do this to another human being!  This has caused a new fear in the hearts of black teenagers and their families. 
There was a Justice For Trayvon Rally that drew members of all different organizations.   Al Sharpton, Among others joining them at the rally were": activist and comedian Dick Gregory; Martin Luther King III, eldest son of the late civil rights leader; radio talk-show hosts Michael Baisden, Joe Madison and Mark Thompson; NAACP national President Benjamin Jealous; former New York governor David Patterson; television's Judge Greg Mathis; relatives of the late civil rights icon Rosa Parks, and Trayvon's parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin. "
As you read the articles that surround this case, it is beyond heartbreaking.  Why should any parent have to live in fear that their child will end up in harms way just because of the color of their skin?  I guess I was just raised differently.  I was raised to see the person, not their color!  I think that this young man's parents deserve justice for what has happened to their son.  This man murdered their son in cold blood.  Plain and simple.  Trayvon Martin's life was cut short for what reason?  Because of a man that did not see that he was a human being, someones son, brother, grandson and friend.  I pray that Trayvon's family gets the justice that the deserve for their sons murder.

Amazed!

For christmas this last year I purchased a Vtech Innotab for my 3 year old son!  For those of you that do not have children, it is a learning tablet for little kids ages 3 to 7.  At first, I did not think that he would be able to do some of the games  that they have available for them.  I bought him games that help him with learning the alphabet and numbers, one has simple math like addition and subtraction.  On the Vtech website you can register their tablet and you can track their progress on the games by simply plugging the usb cord into you computer.  I hadn't checked his progress on any of his games since the middle of January.  I checked it this week, and I was totally amazed with his progress!  He can spell words at a beginning first grader.  I was pretty impressed!  I have worked with him off and on with spelling, never thought that this little tablet would help him so much.  He can add 2+2, and 3+3, easy addition.  But for a 3 year old, I thought this was pretty amazing!

Feds Grant permit Native American tribe to kill Bald Eagles for religous purposes!

Bald Eagles being our national bird and supposedly protected from being killed for sport, yet it is OK to permit them being hunted for religious purposes!  I think this is outrageous!  The Feds gave this tribe a permit to hunt our national bird, the symbol of our country, because they said it was their religious right!  This is very disappointing!  I understand that Native Americans have several animals and amongst other things that they consider a part of their religous practices.  Yet, if you or I as an everyday American citizen filed for a permit like this it would get denied in an instance.  This tribe has been granted this permit until February 2013, they are responsible for notifying the U.S. Fish and Wildlife department within 24 hours of them killing a bald eagle.  I may be over thinking this or being overly dramatic about this, but I think this is totally WRONG!  If some everyday person went out and killed this "federally protected" bird, they would end up in jail and be fined an outrageous amount.  I just think that this is total crap! Just because someone says it is a part of their religious practices doesn't mean that they should be allowed to break a law that was put in to place for the simple fact to protect this species from being extinction!

Fat the new ugly on the Playground!!!

I stumbled across this article and found it sad that little kids that do not even know what the word "fat" means are calling other little kids fat!  In today's society and world, if your not a size 2 or 4 then your considered FAT!  The way children see themselves now, is because of how their parents talk about weight or what they see on TV.  In this article it said children as young as 5 years- old are worrying about their weight and what they look like.  This is just down right sad!  Children should not have to worry about going to school and being called names of any kind.  Unfortunately, the society we live in today is all wrapped up in what we look like, if we are thin enough!  I know that I am not a skinny mini and I never will be.  I wish that we could all just be happy with how we are and how we look.  But I know this will never happen.  It is sad that our children are learning at very young ages that it is not normal for you to have a healthy body, that your not going to amount to anything if your not skinny like the girls on the magazine cover or the girls on TV.  Children should not have to worry about their weight at the age of 5, coming home and telling their siblings that if they eat that they will get fat.  This should not even be anywhere near their little worlds or minds.  They are children that are learning from everything that they are seeing around them and some of the things that they are seeing is going to affect their lives for years to come.

Talent!

Last weekend I had the great opportunity to watch my niece Cassie in her High School musical GUYS and DOLLS!  I am not one to go to plays or musicals at all!  I have to say though to my amazement this was a great show.  The kids in this musical were amazing.  The singing in this show was amazing.  These kids have put in months of hard work. The orchestra was kids from the ages of 13 to 18, the talent in this school is extraordinary.  This school has won numerous awards for their music department, the orchestra teacher won the national title for Outstanding Orchestra Conductor.  My niece Cassie who was one of the Hot Box Dolls, has won numerous awards for her involvement in the Arts.  I think that it is great that kids still find it "cool" to be in drama or musicals.  I am glad that my niece is at a school were the music department is this amazing.  She has had voice lessons, dance lessons all given by the school.  I know that in some schools that kids have lost their music departments due to funding.  This musical that Cassie was in was amazingly done. The costumes, sets, music, singing, you could tell that the whole cast had put their hearts and souls into this production.  My niece, I know had put in over 100 hours of dance rehearsals, on top of her soccer practices and games, and being a straight A student.  Kids now days, I think do not realize that there is more to life than watching tv or playing video games! I am so thankful that my niece has opportunities like this, and that she takes advantage of them!

Snooki is having a baby!!! YIKES!

Snooki is having a baby! I have to sadly admit that I have watched Jersey Shore one time to many! I think that it caused irreversible brain damage from watching it! Yet this show has millions of fans world wide.  Hopefully this baby will help Snooki grow up and be a responsible person.  Her family is ecstatic about the future Snooki or Snookette!  She is obviously going to use her pregnancy to the fullest and get everything out of it that she can.  While she is pregnant she" will not be filming anymore Jersey Shore this summer,"  but she might visit!  Her and her fiancee did not find out she was expecting until after one of their wild nights out on the town.  She won't be walking down the aisle for at least a year, because she wants to lose all of her baby weight before she gets married. 
I really do not know what to think about today's celebrities!  I know that growing up I was taught that you get married first then have kids!  Or if by chance you do get pregnant, you get married before hand.  I guess I am just a little old fashioned still!  I understand that in today's world it is acceptable to do it backwards! I wish Snooki all the best and hope she has a great pregnancy!

Nick Cannon on the fight of his life!

We all know Nick Cannon as a happy go lucky kind of guy!  He is married to one of the most talented singers of all time Mariah Carey, they have beautiful twins a boy and a girl. His life is pretty much perfect, until now.  Recently he thought that he was just suffering from a horrible cold, and was over doing it at work(He is the co host to America's got Talent).  He finally went to the doctor and was immediately admitted to the hospital for exhaustion.  It wasn't until the doctors ran tests that they found out what was actually going on with Cannon. His kidneys were shutting down, the reason was he has lupus nephritis,  a rare form  that is a very serious condition.  His lupus is only attacking his kidneys and makes him more prone to blood clots.  
This was a very saddening article to read.  Here is a guy that is living a healthy happy life, and wham! Gets slammed!  Even with all the technology today, these rare diseases affect thousands of people daily. Some are fortunate enough to be able to afford the medicines to control the symptoms, while there are others that can not!  According to Cannon his doctors told him that he has to get at least 6 hours of sleep a night, eat healthy and take all his medications and he should be able to keep this under control!

Great Imaginations!!!

If any of you have read my profile, I have an amazing three year old little boy named Brayden.  Everyday with him is a adventure in itself!  Just to be able to watch him take in the world around him is amazing.  He loves books and I love reading to him.  Today, as I was sitting in the recliner in our den reading my geography homework , I hear him reading out loud to himself.  He has one of his Thomas the Train books, just talking up a storm.  Unfortunately I know the book that he his "reading" by heart because I have read it a thousand times to him.  He is telling the trains about his day, he asks Thomas how is your day? Of course Thomas replied I am a busy train today.  This conversation with the "Trains"  went on for at least thirty minutes.  I guess my whole point to this, is that it is amazing that even at three years old, my son has an amazing imagination and makes up stories to his books.  I think today most kids are so wrapped up in cartoons and video games, that they don't use their imaginations anymore. 

Sugar makes up 16% of kids' daily diet

That is a lot of sugar when you think about it! " By sugar the report means sugars in processed foods like soda, cakes and ice cream. It also includes sweet substitutes like corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, malt syrup, fructose sweetener, honey, molasses, anhydrous dextrose, crystal dextrose and dextrin." All these ingredients can be found in almost everything your child eats or drinks.  Soda, juice, cookies, snack paks, you name it.  "Boys consumed about 362 calories from added sugars compared to 282 calories for girls. The sugary consumption increased with age, beginning at 218 calories for boys between the age of two and five, which increased to 442 calories for teens ages 12 through 19.
White males were more likely to consume the largest percent of sugar, compared with black or Hispanic males. The same trend was true for white females, although the differences in the percentages were lesser than those seen among boys."
This was oustounding to to me.  I try and watch how much sugar intake my son gets. If he gets too much he bounces off the walls.  He does not really eat sweet stuff very often though, he love his chocolate milk though.  Guess I better start paying closer attention to what is in the snacks that I buy for him.

School Shooter Suspect charged with murder as victims' parents speak out!

T.J. Lane the 17 year old shooting suspect is being charged with murder,  the charges state that the teenager "purposely and with prior calculation and design" fatally shot three people while at Chardon High School. In addition to this charge he faces two counts of aggravated murder and one count of felonious assault.  This is Lane's first run in with the law other than juvenile troubles. This young man fatally took three innocent boys life's for absolutely no reason.  These young men will never graduate from high school, or college, get married have children.  He took these three boys from their families in a rampage of hate, dislike? No one really knows why!  T.J. Lane had issues with assault before, his own aunt called the police on him after he started a fight with his uncle. On another occasion she called the police again because of him assaulting her husband again, when the police arrived her husband was knocked out on the floor bleeding from his mouth.  According to the article Lanes' friends said that he had a troubled childhood.  His father and mother both had been in trouble with the law. His father served prison time for assaulting a law enforcement officer, and also charge with felonious restraint for holding a woman against her will holding her under running water and bashing her head in to a wall. 
All I can think of is WOW!  There are several kids out there that have "troubled" childhoods, and have parents that have or are doing time, but they don't go ballistic on  there school.  His grandparents had custody of him, they should have been able to see that this kid was having issues. Either that or they just turned their head the other way and didn't want to worry about it.  Because they did not take the time to notice that this kid was having issues, three families lost their sons this week.  Three boys lost their futures, and why?  I think as a parent or grandparent regardless of the situation, pay attention to what  is going on with your kids. " One of the victims Danny Parmertos brother Dominic said that his brother was going to change the world!  He always smiled and my brother was the happiest kid on the earth." 
For some reason this article really struck me.  I can not imagine losing my son like this, or at all.  As parents we send our children to school thinking that this is a "safe" place for them.  Phyllis Ferguson whose son Demetrius lost his life also stated:  "No matter what you're going through ... you grab your children, you kiss them and tell them you love them."

Taylor Swift asks a studen with cancer to the AMA's!

This story shows you that there is still people (even celebrities) that care about others!  Here is a

famous  country star with a crazy hectic schedule, but still has the time to show compassion to

others.  Knowing that she could not make it to Kevin McGuire's prom she is still making his dream

come true.  It is so awesome that she invited him to be her date for the AMA's!  Kevin, who was

diagnosed withLeukemia when his was 13, who has battled this horrible disease and until recent was

in remission is getting the once in a life time opportunity to go to the AMA's.  If it was not for

Kevin's sister setting up a Facebook page about asking Taylor Swift to her brothers senior prom this

would not have happened, and ultimately catching Taylor Swifts attention to this page.  Taylor took

the time to actually look at her schedule to see if she would be able to be his prom date, knowing that

she couldn't she asked him to be her date to the AMA's! This goes to show you that there are still

people even celebrities that still have a heart and can still take the time to be a normal person!

Seriously...Nike cancels All-Star shoe release after a near riot!

I like Nike shoes just as much as the next person.  These grown adults at the Nike shoe release in Orlando took it to a new level.  This new shoe that Nike was releasing at the Orlando Foot Locker at midnight took on a face all of it own.  The workers inside the store were hard at work getting ready for the midnight unveiling of this must have glow in the dark shoe.  I can't imagine why any grown man or woman would want with a pair of glow in the dark shoes, but that is just me.   The police actually
had the crowd barricaded across the street from the store to keep them in line.  There is always that one
person who has to try and ruin it for everyone.  This lone person made a made dash towards the store
and prompted others to follow.  Since the police were already there, they got the situation under
control promptly.
This bought shoe shopping to a whole new level for several people. Most of the people wanting to purchase these shoes, did not want them to wear, but to actually keep and resale.  There are a pair of these glow in the dark Nike's on eBay where the high bid is over $30,000.00.  I guess these glow in the dark basketball shoes will make you do things you never would have done before. Like being able to see your shoes in the dark!  All I can say is WOW!

Gas Prices On the Rise AGAIN!

Poeple think that the unleaded gas prices right now are crazy, just wait!  According to this article gas

prices are already up by 11% just from the beginning of the year.  Why you ask? Hmmmm, lets see

why!  Because good ole' Iran peeved at the sanctions that the United States has put on them.  I

understand that the U.S.  is watching them closely because of the threat of the nuclear bombs they

have.  I understand that we as a nation totally depend to much on foreign oil, when we have reserves

here. If our politicians would get off their high horses and actually start working together and stop

working against each other then maybe we would end up with a solution to the rising gas prices.

Until this happens, we will end up paying over $4 a gallon for gas. Iran has already cut off exports

to the United Kingdom and France,  whose to say we are not next. 

Snickers Candy Bar going on a Diet

I know shocking! As I was came across this article I was completely amazed! I think that it is crazy

that all we seem to worry about is weight and diets anymore.  I am not skinny or thin by any means,

but I am trying to get back in shape.  I think that it is crazy that Mars will not allow any of their

candybars to be shipped out if they are over 250 calories. Snickers and Twix and any other candy

bars thecompany produces are all going on a diet. This is totally bizarre to me.  But I understand why

they are putting the candy bars on a "diet" due to the fact that Mars signed an agreement with First

Lady Michelle Obama.  According to the agreement, Mars is not the only company that tends to do

thiswith their products.  Kellogg, Pepsi-Co., Coca-Cola and Kraft and a few other companies are

going to be doing this too.  Why you ask?  In the agreement these companies plan to "reduce a

combined 1.5 Trillion calories by 2015."  Wow, that is a ton of calories!

Another Recall On Infant Tylenol

I was not really shocked when I read this article about the recall of Infants Tylenol.  Over the last few

years there have been numerous recalls, just in the last 3years, Infant Tylenol has been recalled twice.

I don't think that it shocks the American public anymore when this happens.  Although I watch the

recalls more closely now since I have a child.  Before I had my son,  I really never paid that much

attention to them. But if you are a parent, Infant Tylenol is a normal thing to have in your diaper bag

for when you little ones is not feeling good, or is getting shots, or teething.  I think that this company

is in too big a hurry to mass produce this product to make sure that it is safe for the infants' that will

be recieving it.  According to the article the U.S. Government took over three Tylenol plants last

year for not complying with Federally-mandated maufacturing guidelines.  To me that means they

were trying to cut corners and not do what they were supposed to be doing.  The people that work

there should think about all the damage or hurt this could cause an infant.  As a parent this makes

me pretty angry that they are playing with infants lives, not knowing if the recalled Infant Tylenol

will or will not harm the infant if given to them.  I know that I will not purchase any Tylenol product

again.

Stevie Wonder on Whitney Houston, Not a time to be Cynical!

This article is about what some writers are afraid to say.  Stevie Wonder lost two of his dear friends

this week.  He and Whitney had been friends for years.  While we as a public put celebraties like

Whitney Houston to a  different standard, all in all she was a person just like you and I.  Yes, She had

an amazingly beautiful voice, and people adored her.  She was a person first and foremost, she had a

family life just like you and I do,  she also had everyday problems just like we all do.  Unfortunately,

she also had a drug problem that had haunted her life for years.  stevie-wonder said it best ,Those of

you who are the media and press," Wonder began, "this is not [the] time to be cynical, and not [the]

time to talk about what one did and the tragedy that happened. They were American treasures.”

We as a society put these people on pedalstool and make them live by a certain standard.  Just

because they are a singer, actor/actress, author, racecar driver they are not really that much different

from you and I.  What happened to Whitney Houston is horrible us, but has anyone really stopped

to think about how horrible this is for her family.  Her daughter lost her mother, her mother lost her

daughter, Stevie Wonder lost one of his dearest friends.  I guess what I am trying to say is that I think

it is sad that all we can do is look at the negative things that Whitney Houston had done over the last

few weeks, months or years.  I think that it is very sad that while she did some amazing things with

her life, recorded some amazing songs, and made some great movies, all that the media tends to want

to talk about is the negative things that had happened in her last days.

Skin Cancer Drug reverses Alzheimers in mice!

This is an amazing discovery.  Having lost my Grandmother to this sad disease, this is a great

breakthrough.  With this discovery, there is know telling how many people they will be able

to help. Families will not have to go through the heartbreak of watching their loved ones fade

away in to their own minds.  Having watched my Grandmother slowly disappear  as the person

I knew, was the hardest thing that I have ever done.  One day you would see her and she would

know you, talk to you about everything she had done that day.  Then you would go see her a

couple days later, and she would not even know your name.  I hope that this discovery will

work on humans the same way as it did on the mice.  Because it would have been an amazing

find to have had when my Grandmother was still alive. We could have had her a little while

longer.




Mice -- and humans -- with Alzheimer's have high levels of a substance called amyloid beta in their brain. Pathology tests on the mice showed bexarotene lowered the levels of amyloid beta and raised the levels of apolipoprotein E, which helps keep amyloid beta levels low.
Landreth said he hopes to try the drug out in healthy humans within two months, to see if it has the same effect.
Those participating in the trial would be given the standard dose that cancer patients are usually given.
Researchers tested the memories of mice with Alzheimer's both before and after giving them bexarotene. For example, the Alzheimer's mice walked right into a cage where they'd previously been given a painful electrical shock, but after treatment with bexarotene, the mice remembered the shock and refused to enter the cage.
In another test, the scientists put tissue paper in a cage. Normal mice instinctively use tissues in their cage to make a nest, but mice with Alzheimer's can't figure out what to do with the tissues. After treatment with the drug, the Alzheimer's mice made a nest with the paper.
Carrillo said one of the major advantages of bexarotene is that it's already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in humans, which means the researchers can move into human trials sooner than if it were a completely new drug.



http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/09/health/us-cancer-drug-alzheimers/index.html?hpt=he_c2

Contraception Control and Politics? WHAT?

I know that my calendar says the year 2012 on it.  I know that we are not in the dark ages any

longer.   I also understand that some people still think that women do not have the right to choose

what happens to their bodies.  There will always be some organization, religious group that will

always be against contraception.  I am sorry, but if I work at a company or organization whether it be

religiously affiliated or not, if I pay for my insurance out of my paycheck, then how does that give

the company I work for the right to decide whether or not to give me the coverage needed for my

choice to take a contraceptive?  I understand that this topic will always be a topic of dismay for the

church and other religious organizations, but I am a person and I have the right to decide and choose!



Washington (CNN) -- Congressional Democrats and Republicans escalated their rhetorical war Thursday over a pending federal rule requiring religiously affiliated employers to provide full contraception coverage to women -- one day after hints emerged of a possible compromise between the White House and conservative religious critics





http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/09/politics/contraception-controversy/index.html?hpt=us_mid

Heartbreaking!

I am really new at the whole blog concept so bare with me.  As I was watching Nancy Grace

tonight, my heart sank.  This man had been the key suspect in his wife's 2009 disappearance, and lost

custody of his children on 2011 to her parents.  He had been undergoing counseling ,other measures

set up by the court to try and get his custody restored.  Yet, early last week or the week before he had

not be granted custody yet again. The courts did not think he was fit to have custody restored. Then

when his boys that he was supposedly fighting so hard to get back came for their scheduled visit with

their caseworker, he grabs them and slams the door in her (the caseworkers) face.  Just to have his

children die a horrible death at his hands.

As a parent this is just mind boggling to me.  My heartbreaks for these innocent children that their

parents have lost their minds.  These little boys had no idea that this was the end for them.  Another

life gone, at the hands of their own fathers hands.


"Days earlier, in an affidavit seeking custody of the children, Powell said that he had proven himself as a "fit and loving father who provides a stable home even in the face of great adversity."

,http://nancygrace.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/06/missing-mom-hubby-blows-up-home-kills-self-2-boys/?hpt=ng_bn1

Stressed Over Classes!

Starting my fourth semester of college, you would think that my nerves would not still get the best of me.  Is it ever going to get easier?  Getting all stressed out about my classes, and homework. Being thirty-five, a mom to a very ornery three year old little boy, a full-time college student, also have a full-time job, one would think that I have totally lost my mind.   As a student, over thinking and stressing out over the easiest assignment seems crazy to some.  When you actually stop and take the time to look at the directions and take the time to follow the steps, it really becomes second nature to you.  I have to say though, that the main class that I have always stressed out over the worst is English, it really should not worry me so bad.  That is what taking chances are all about. Even if a class scares you to death, the anticipation of a good outcome is always worth it in the end.