The Lion and the Mouse

The big Lion was walking along and came across a Mouse. He picked up the mouse about to eat it, when the Mouse said, "Mr. Lion, please do not eat me. I am just a small morsel that would not make much difference to a big Lion like you." The Lion thought about it and decided not to eat the Mouse. From that day forward, since the Mouse and Lion lived in the same forest they would often see each other. One day, the Mouse came across the Lion. He had been caught in a woven trap that hung from a tree. The Mouse climbed up the tree, across the branch and began chewing at the ropes. He chewed the ropes until he was able to free the Lion.

You never know in life when you will make a friend or when you will need help. No matter how small you are or how small you think you are, you can probably still help someone.

Link your Webanswers Account with your Google AdSense Account

I received an email inviting me to create a Google AdSense account. I selected the option to use my Webanswers login. It will not permit me to login. Can you help?

Can you hang curtain panels at different heights in same room?

Click here for the answer: Can you hang curtain panels at different heights in same room?

Need Help - Dawn Marie Orchid White Bumps

A friend asked me to watch her orchid while she went away. A couple days later I noticed white "things" on the top of the root ball and the leaves look slightly wilted. Can someone help identify this, on this Dawn Marie(X Den. Lori Tokumaga) orchid. They remind me of the parasites that attack hornworms on tomato plants.

Do you know what these white "things" are?

My Favorite Day of the Year!

Winter Solstice - my favorite day of the year. No I'm not a skier, not a snowboarder and not a snowmobiler. I love the first day of winter because the days will now start to get longer. I hate when the days get dark by 4:30 pm. In the summer, it seems the days are just starting at 4:30 pm. Happy First Day of Winter!

Backup your iPhone/iTouch/iPod to Computer Program

Cucusoft iPhone/iTouch/iPod to Computer Transfer is an easy to use iPod/iPhone utility designed to help you backup all your files from your iPod/iPhone/iTouch. Recover lost or missing music or backup and restore all of your iPod/iPhone/iTouch content; including your favorite songs, videos, photos, Play Lists and more. If you have any iPod/iPhone device, this software is a 'must have' utility to keep your iPod/iPhone safe.



Features:

* Top-rated iPod transfer software - Easy and simple to use, powerful as well.

* Supports all iPod/iPhone/iTouch models.

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* Auto-searches by Album/Artist/Genre/Type.

* Simple to install and operate.

* Advanced settings supports Backup Folder Rule.

* Index by Album/Artist/Genre/Type.

* Easily and quickly backup your songs, videos, photos, playlists, podcasts and more from your iTouch/iPhone/iPod to any folder on your PC.

* Supports manage iPhone/iTouch/iPod content, import and export files between devices and computer.

* Supports not only iPod/iPod Nano/iPod shuffle, also iPhone and iTouch.

* Supports play media file directly in our program without third party player.

* Supports manage your iPod device on any computer.

* Supports transfer photos from iPhone/iTouch/iPod to computer.

* Supports locate music or video by ablum/artist/genre easily.

* Supports multiple languages. (English, Spanish, Deutsch, Japanese, Chinese...)

* Good value for money.

CLICK HERE:

Accuchef

AccuChef is a full-featured recipe organizer that starts you out with a collection of recipes and lets you add as many as you want (thousands available for free from our web site, millions available on the Internet). AccuChef can perform a nutritional analysis (including exchanges) of your recipes using the included USDA SR16-1 database and resize your recipes for up to 999 servings. Features include a spell checker (with support for over 20 languages); an e-mail utility that supports MAPI, SMTP exchanges and built-in PKZIP/WINZIP compatible compression. Search for recipes based on any element, even type in some ingredients you have on hand and let it suggest recipes you can make. A menu planner lets you add recipes for a day's meals and snacks then creates a shopping list of required ingredients in store aisle order (supports the Pocket PC shopping list program VOShoppingList too)! Before you head to the store, let it check the built in coupon database to see if you have any applicable coupons. AccuChef will import Meal-Master, MasterCook, regular text, or you can paste in recipes from any web site. Export Meal-Master, MasterCook, comma separated value or text. Export to individual text files using the recipe name as the file name, copy them to your PALM or POCKET PC and take them with you! You can sort recipes alphabetically by name, category, or main ingredient or jump to the area of interest using alphabetical tabs. Personalize your printouts by adding pictures of the recipe (BMP or JPG). You can print in formatted layout on plain paper, 3x5 and 4x6 index cards or any other sized paper your printer will support, print nutritional labels or completely design your own output! You can generate a web cookbook and upload it to the Internet to share your creations with the world! You can even print out double sided cookbooks of your recipes complete with a table of contents for sharing with the family, creating heirlooms or as a fund raiser for your Church or school!
Click here:

Which Came First? The Chicken or the Flu Egg?

We go through the entire spring and summer - no influenza. Early in the fall, the flu shot is offered and most people I know get it. Some time a little later in the fall, the flu is rampant. What exactly is the evolution of the flu? Which came first - the chicken or the egg? Was it the flu shot that caused it or did it just evolve?

I guess I don't understand the evolution of the cold either. Where does it come from? This summer I've known quite a few people who had colds. Typically though, we go through the whole summer without any until fall.

Hmmm.....

Added note: According to Doctor Oz, the flu starts in Asia. I wonder why...would it have anything to do with Asia being a little over-populated?

The Rattlesnake Story - Author Unknown

A friend of mine just told me this interesting "story":

A man was walking and came accross a rattlesnake.
The Rattlesnake said to him, "I'm cold. Can you please pick me up and put me in your coat?"
The Man said, "Oh, no, you are a rattlesnake, you will bite me."
The Rattlesnake said, "No, I will not bite you."
The Man said, "Yes you will."
The Rattlesnake said, "Please, I am cold. I promise I will not bite you."
The man picked up the rattlesnake, put him in his coat and the snake bit him!
The man said, "You promised you wouldn't bite me!"
The Rattlesnake said, "But I'm a rattlesnake, I do what rattlesnakes do."

Obviously the moral of this story is we need to be careful and discerning of what people say because they are not always looking to do good.

Your or You're

So what is it with people, both children and adults, not knowing whether to use "your" or "you're"!!!!! You're is the contraction of "you are". Simply put, just read the sentence, replace it with "you are" -- it either fits or it does not. If "you are" fits, use "you're"!!! I think EVERY facebook page I go to, "your" is used when it should be you're!!!

High Fructose Corn Syrup

Be on the lookout! According to Doctor Oz, "high fructose corn syrup" might be called "corn sugar" in the near future.

Tennessee Firemen Watch House Burn

Is it possible I actually live in the same country as the Cranicks, whose house burned down while firemen WATCHED!!!!!??????

According to ABC news, the Cranicks forgot to pay their $75 annual fee. The fee is assessed to those who live outside the city limits. I think there is something seriously wrong when citizens do not volunteer to help their neighbors who are in trouble!!!!!

Wouldn't it just make more sense to assess an additional $75 tax to each house in town and call it a day?

I guess I'm lucky that my rural town includes a full-time firefighter and truck in our taxes, but we have lots of volunteer firefighters who pitch in. Surrounding towns also help each other when necessary.

James Jones - Flordia Man Who Stormed School Bus

James Jones was obviously outraged when he entered the Florida school bus his daughter was on to confront his daughter's bullies. The media hasn't said if Mr. Jones first tried contacting school officials or the bus driver to clear up the bullying before he entered the bus. Clearly that would have been the right thing to do. Regardless as to whether he handled things correctly, it is nice to see a parent stick up for his child. GMA aired a segment with Dr. Michael Bradly who thinks Mr. Jones should not have handled things the way he did. We all agree steps should have been followed to clear this up, BUT I totally DISAGREE with his comment that we are supposed to "help them feel a sense of control and something like this makes them feel defenseless if they don't always have their bodyguard with them."

Let's get into the real world here. There are lots of incidences when even we, as adults, need to enlist the help of other people or the police department. Kids should learn that it is okay to recruit help and they don't need to handle everything on their own. IT'S OKAY TO ASK FOR HELP!

Shame on the parents who say, when talking about wrong-doings at their child's school, "I know I need to pick my battles." HUNHHH??? Can anyone tell me where that type of thinking comes from? What kind of parent are we if we don't stick up for our children when they obviously deserve it, as was the case in Florida!

Let's remember: Children learn what they live. When parents don't step up to do the right thing, their children won't step up to do the right thing either.

Eclipse

I haven't had a chance to see Eclipse yet. Also haven't heard from anyone who has seen it. Is it any good? Would love to hear from those of you who have seen it.

Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson - "Sells" her ex-husband

The Duchess of York reportedly "sold" her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, to an English tabloid in a "Royal sting." Personally, i think if enough money is offered, anyone would have a hard time sticking to their scruples! Although this is a public relations nightmare, Fergie always impressed me as someone who "pulled no punches" - I like that! Could it really be true that Fergie only receives $21,000 a year per her divorce settlement and Princess Diana's was a flat 32 million as reported by E Entertainment? Fergie - I still love you!

Survivor - Heroes vs. Villians

It is nice to have finally figured out why Russell has only ever made it to the final three not one by two times! He is the dumbest player ever. It's obvious the producers show us what they think we want to see or what will successfully boost the ratings. I admit it - I probably tuned in each week to root for Russell to be voted off. And every night after the show I'd say, "why didn't they vote him off?" I love how ironic it is that the only person they showed us, who WAS willing to vote him off was Sandra, who won the million dollars! Congrats Sandra for a game well played! I loved it when you acted dumb and said, "I'll take the $100K." I must admit, at that point, I didn't really think you had much of a chance at winning the million.

I have to keep reminding myself that it is a TV show and it's all about ratings. Through the entire last season I thought Russell was smart and played a good game. Seeing him at the Reunion Show this year made me realize he is the dumbest player ever. For him to think he made it to the final three because he is smart, is just plain stupid! It's now obvious that the behind-the-scenes strategy was to keep Russell and let him think he was in control. It was genius to take him to the final three; a guarantee that only the other two were in the running for the million.

Dumbest survivor moves I've seen so far:
4. James going home with TWO immunity idols in his pocket.
3. JT and his infamous letter to Russell and giving him the immunity idol.
2. Erik being duped into giving the idol to another player.
1. Russell stabbing everyone in the back, aligning with each and every player and STILL thinking he might be voted #1 survivor, all while some were playing him like a fiddle!

On a lighter note, congratulations to all the players for giving us yet another good season of Survivor. I don't know if I could ever sign myself up to go through what you have all gone through...or could I....?

Definition of "Lady" and Sandra Bullock

I just heard Sandra Bullock referred to as a "lady" on GMA. It seems lady and woman are used interchangeably these days, when they really shouldn't be. Although in this case, I think he may have really meant "lady". Sandra is a true class act. More should follow in her footsteps! A "woman" is an adult female and a "lady" is a woman who conducts herself in a refined manner. I constantly hear something like, "see that lady over there"? I sometimes ask, "how do you know she's a lady"? I get a look as if I have three heads!

Thanks Andy Rooney

Thanks Andy Rooney for grooming those unruly, distracting eyebrows! This is the second time I've seen the groomed eyebrows -- they are awesome! I have not seen the segment that explains WHY you groomed them, but I'm willing to not question it. I do remember seeing a segment, however, where you said you would NOT trim the eyebrows as many viewers had requested -- glad you changed your mind! I've always enjoyed your segment on 60 Minutes. I have to say, it's much more enjoyable without the distacting eyebrows!

Rachael Welch

I've recently been seeing Rachael Welch in a sunglass commercial. She is an amazingly beautiful woman! It is disturbing though, that someone who is going to turn 70 this year looks to be around 50. Barbara Walters is in the same boat. If my math is correct, she will be turning 81 this year! Barbara doesn't look a day over 60. It would be nice if Hollywood would give aging gracefully some consideration so the rest of us would not look so bad! It is just wrong to not be able to be yourself and feel comfortable with gray hair, wrinkles and a little sagging -- especially at 80!

I just googled "stars who have not had plastic surgery" and this page came up Pop Crunch Celebrity Before and After . I wouldn't normally promote a page that gives us laughs at the expense of others, BUT the commentaries did make me LOL, especially the one under Val Kilmer's. I have to say, Jack Nicholson looked scary forty years ago and still looks scary today!

Charlie Sheen - New Buzz Cut

I try to refrain from saying mean or nasty things, because as you know, my motto is "It's just as easy to be nice as it is to be mean and rotten!" Sometimes as hard as I try, it just doesn't work. And you must admit, it's not like Charlie Sheen doesn't know he has a big honker...right?...or does he? Two and a Half Men is my favorite show, but if you've ever watched the beginning where the "2 1/2 men" are singing the theme song, then you already know it shows an unflattering profile of Charlie's nose. Actually, I never realized how big his nose was until seeing that side shot. Today, if you happened to see Charlie proudly showing off his new buzz-cut on the Comcast homepage , well what can I say but "YIKES!!! Charlie, what WERE you thinking?" Did someone say Ebenezer Scrooge? did he put his teeth in his pocket for that shot?

Need Help - Pre-thirteen Using Facebook - What Do You Think?

I could really use some help. I feel like I'm in a "moral" dilema. I've seen people allow their underage children to use OHRV's without required helmets and illegally drive them down public roads. I've seen parents allow kids in a boat without the required life jacket and of course we all know parents who allow their under-twentyone to drink. I'm someone who is immensely annoyed to see adults allowing their children to openly break laws. When is it ok to bend the rules and laws?

I realize we're in an electronic age where everything is done via cell phone or computer. Pretty soon our computers will be brushing our teeth. Here's my dilemma: I've been "friended" by a pre-thirteen-year-old. Do I accept or decline?

I know most of you would say "all the kids are doing it, why not?" or "if the parents allowed it why shouldn't you?" Part of me feels like - oh, just do it and the other part of me feels like I would be condoning something I shouldn't be. What do you think?

Congratulations to the Emmons Family

I've been out of the news loop again. I hadn't heard about the diplomat who smoked on a commercial flight, that Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey had broken up or about the couple who did not know she was pregnant. How did I miss all this?

Congratulations (I think) to Carri and Ryan Emmons who just welcomed a baby boy. I say "(I think)" because if he had a vasectomy, they probably wanted to be done having children. Hopefully they have adjusted to this new member of their family. Wishing them the best and hoping that all is well!

Dr Richard Besser - Weight Loss and Exercise

Dr Richard Besser FINALLY said what I've been saying for years -- That people think exercise is important for weight loss, but it really isn't. He said how we eat is much more important and that a better reason to exercise, is for good health. This is exactly what I've been saying for years! Sorry I can't quote him exactly, as I can't find the segment online.

This is a nice article on KitchenTableMedicine.com that explains it a little more.

Donna Simpson - wants to weigh 1,000 pounds

I only want to know one thing about Donna Simpson (you know the one who weighs 600 pounds and would like to weigh 1,000 pounds so she can become the number one heaviest woman at her age rather than the 43rd heaviest). My one question - "What is her IQ?"

It's Official...The First Day of Spring

It's official. I'm declaring today as the first day of spring! In the last two weeks, I've seen lots of American Gold Finches, Starlings and several Canada Goose --all birds I never see in the winter. Today I saw House Finches (or maybe Purple Finches they were too far away to properly identify) and Red-Winged Black Birds. To me, these birds are all signs of spring. I know it is not supposed to offically start until this coming Sunday (March 21), but I'm starting my spring now!

And this brings me to "Canada Goose". Since the species name is Canada Goose, how do we make that plural? If we call them Canada Geese or Canadian Geese or even Canadian Goose, aren't we changing the name of the species? Is it just a Canada Goose -- plural and singular? Anyone know the answer to this?

Pelosi Keeps Amazing Me...

Speaker Pelosi just keeps on amazing me. I happened to come accross this clip and had to stop everything I was doing to include it in my blog for you to see
Pelosi on the Health Care Bill



My head just keeps going back and forth, left to right. Can't seem to stop it. My lower jaw is hanging down just a bit, too. Stunned, that's all I can say.

Public Service of New Hampshire - THANKS!

Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH) should be commended for their quick recovery efforts after the horrific windstorm of last Thursday evening, February 25, 2010. Within a couple days, they had 90% of their customers up and running. Thanks to all those employees who worked crazy hours to get us going again!

Some pictures of the damage in our area:

School Spying Through Laptops

A Pennsylvania school is now looking at a lawsuit for spying on kids through school-issued laptops. What was this school thinking????? Isn't it against the law to record a conversation without informing the person who is being recorded, never mind recording someone with a video camera! This is an interesting article about people who have been arrested for video taping police situations (I remember the one in New Hampshire). Newsvine.com

The first word that popped into my head when I heard about this was "pedophile". I can't think of any other reason an adult (excluding parents) would want to spy on children in their homes or bedrooms. I think the people who were responsible for activating the webcam should be arrested (as the people in the above article were)! What do you think?

After buying a new laptop a couple years ago, the first thing I did was to put tape over the webcam. If you have a webcam connected to your computer, you most likely have the software needed to run it. If hackers can access your computer to steal important information, they surely can activate a webcam! Think about putting a small piece of masking tape on that camera.

Tiger Woods Apology and Aiesha Steard-Baker

I think I'm going to scream if I hear on TV one more time, Tiger saying "...I was unfaithful, I had affairs, I cheated. What I did was not acceptable and I am the only person to blame..." I've heard enough of it, let's get back to golf!

I have to say though, Tiger's not the only one who did something wrong. Even though it's none of my business he should only be taking 99% of the blame. What about the women he cheated with. Are they blameless? Sure, they didn't break any commitment to Elin, but they did break the human commitment -- to be a decent person. Sure Tiger may have been the one who was "more wrong", but they were still wrong. Society needs to stop accepting those who cheat with cheaters!

and speaking of the human commitment...what about those security guards at Macy's that wouldn't help the 15-year-old Aiesha Steward-Baker? I heard on GMA that the security guards at Macy's are instructed to only call the police and not get involved. Again, what about the codes of being human? No matter what your job capacity, you don't just stand there and let something like that happen! Would they have let a cute, little puppy get kicked around?

Bus video

Hopey Changey is Not Working for Me

I admit it - I'm not a Sarah Palin fan. In fact, I believe if the Republican party backs her in the next presidential election, it will guarantee President Obama another term. I believe Sarah Palin helped Barack Obama become president. BUT I have to say her recent comment at the Tea Party Convention, "How's that hopey, changy stuff workin' out for ya?" (said of course in her "Fargo" accent) was pretty funny. That hopey, changy stuff IS NOT workin' for me!

Facebook - Please Check Your Profile

I guess it is just me, but I hate Facebook! No, it's not really Facebook I hate -- it's the things I see posted there. Personally, I'm only willing to share a certain amount of information with "friends," but I can see there are some who share EVERYTHING! I think everyone should check their settings to make sure they're not set up for "friends of friends" to see their information. Ooops...I better check mine! I think people post waaaaaayyyy too much information. Once I actually had to ask a friend to remove a post they made that degraded a thirteen-year-old's mother. I knew the thirteen-year-old was a "friend" and could see these unfavorable comments about his mother. It was very disturbing! If you are reading this, you probably have a Facebook account. Please be careful about what you post, keeping in mind that anyone in cyberland could be watching. You might also want to question whether or not it is a good idea to post where you're going. Maybe a better idea might be to post where you've been.

Sunrise / Sunset Moon Phase

I just found a really cool website that allows a search of your own area for sunrise and sunset and which phase the moon in in. Check this out: SUNRISE/SUNSET

On this website CIVIL TWILIGHT is defined as "In the morning before the beginning of civil twilight and in the evening after the end of civil twilight, artificial illumination is normally required to carry on ordinary outdoor activities." There is more information on that site that explains it even further. It explains why we usually see "daylight" about a half hour before sunrise and a half hour after sunset.

That reminds me...has anyone noticed how bright this winter has been? I'm in the northeastern US and almost all winter, any time I've gotten up during the middle of the night, I look out my window and am not surrounded by complete darkness. Something seems different this year. Can anyone explain that for me?

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

I'm very disturbed about the Army possibly lifting the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. It's really the "Don't Ask" part that bothers me. I do not feel it is anyone's business to know what people do in privacy, especially when it relates to sex. ANYONE'S sexual orientation - homosexual or heterosexual - is nobody's business!

The Don't Tell part, well I do think that should be lifted. There should be no unfavorable consequence for being or admitting to being gay and especially should not be grounds for dismissal!

Since we are unfortunately a country not yet exempt from hate crimes, I would worry that lifting the policy could be detrimental to the safety of gays. I sincerely hope I'm wrong!

Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy - Help Spread the Word!

I found out today there are still lots of people who do not know about or understand what bio-identical hormones (BHRT) are! We need to spread the word! Ok, here is my understanding of them. They are also referred to as "natural hormones". The word "natural" seems to be misconstrued and misunderstood. Something that is "natural" should be an earthly substance that has had minimal processing. Cyanide and arsenic are "natural". Black cohosh is a "natural" herb. Gasoline is made from a "natural" substance. I guess everything is natural or is made from a natural substance since we are not yet importing from Mars. A tomato picked from a garden should be "natural" if the seed it was grown from had not been genetically altered.

This brings us to "natural hormones" which are also known as bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT). "Natural" in this instance does not quite mean what we are used to it meaning. It does not mean it was picked in a garden and you eat it like a vegetable or take it like a pill. Natural hormones are made from plants to exactly replicate the hormones in our bodies. The "bio-identical" in the phrase bio-identical hormone replacement therapy means biologically identical to the hormones that the human body makes.

Unfortunately, no studies have been done or reported involving BHRT. We also might ask if a study is even necessary. If we are replacing the hormones our bodies used to make with something that is exactly identical, isn't the risk exactly the same as it was our whole lives when our bodies were producing those hormones?

I think one of the issues is that we've been misled to believe that hot flashes are normal and we just need anti-depressants. Should we really think life is supposed to be over at 50?

Another good one that doctors tell women who have had hysterectomies, "You don't need progesterone because you've had a hysterectomy - you don't have a uterus." Progesterone may play a part in uterine bleeding, but doesn't it also plays a part in making other necessary hormones like estrogen and testosterone? So just because someone does not have a uterus, does that mean they no longer need all the other hormones that progesterone contributes to making? Check out my other blog about bio-identicals BHRT (And don't forget that progesterone helps us sleep.)

Just as with anything else, get a doctor's advice before starting any new medications. A naturopath or gynecologist would be good places to start.

Scott Brown Defeats Martha Coakley!

Congratulations to Scott Brown on his astonishing win yesterday! A big "hurray" to the residents of Massachusetts. I believe the state of Massachusetts has sent a message to Washington - "we are tired of having politician's hands in our pockets!"

I happened to catch press secretary, Robert Gibbs this morning on Good Morning America, talking of course, about the Brown victory. A reporter said, "a lot of Americans are now attaching their frustration with Washington to President Obama and what he's doing." Gibbs reply was, "I think there is a certainly some attachment to us." Hmmmmm....ya think?

When will the economy be turning around? When will the unemployment numbers start going down rather than up? When will the housing market start booming again? Unless the democrats in Washington can effect changes in these areas, my guess is there will be a huge shake-up in the fall elections.

Coakley - Brown Senate Race Massachusetts

I'm curious to see how the Coakley/Brown race turns out. If my information is correct, Massachusetts has already mandated health insurance for all residents. Considering that Obama's health care reform will more than likely cost Taxachusetts residents even more, will that prove positive for Coakley or Brown?

Magic Wings - South Deerfield Massachusetts

This butterfly REALLY wanted to have its picture taken!

Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory and Gardens in South Greenfield, Massachusetts, is a great place to spend an afternoon or morning. We started our visit with lunch in the Monarch's Restaurant.


Entering the conservatory, we were surprised at the tropical temperature. We should have known to wear summer clothes or at least to wear "peelable" layers. Even though it was a beautiful January day in the forties, it was nice to be met with such warmth. If you have an aversion to butterflies this is not the place to be. The butterflies were everywhere - even on my head.

Be certain to visit their website MagicWings to get a $2 discount on admission.