Catching up!

I've intended to post just about every day, but something always comes up, but now is the time!


Last Friday, "Stand Up To Cancer" aired on the three major networks plus E! TV. It raised over $100 million to help fight cancer. I'm very proud to say that my favorite, Patrick Swayze, opened the show and received a standing ovation. I was practically in tears. I know how much that meant to him, and I'm so proud of him for participating in the event. He's still fighting pancreatic cancer and is a bit thin, but he looks healthy and is continuing to film his new A&E TV series, "The Beast", in Chicago.

There was no announcement that Patrick was going to participate. I'd known about the event for quite a while and though I hadn't said anything to anyone, I really wanted him to go. Patrick fights his battles in his own way, but he needed to put his face on this battle. I'm sure it wasn't easy for him, but he did it. He stayed for the entire show and was clapping and swaying to the music at the end of the hour-long broadcast.


Thank you, Patrick, for standing up and in doing so, helping others to stand up, too.

It's been a long weekend for the victims of Hurricane Ike. It was so sad to see the how wide spread the damage has been thus far. It's regrettable that more didn't heed the warnings to evacuate. Human nature kicked in for too many, I fear. We always think it won't happen to us. On the flip side, for others, all they have are their homes, so why leave? I wish there was an answer, but it's a question this world isn't prepared to answer as yet. Maybe some day, though.

Also, I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention the passing of 9/11. I spent much of the day watching special programming on the History Channel and MSNBC that were aired without commentary and mostly without commercial interruption. MSNBC began with the remark that many say we must never forget, and I agree. That's why I watched. We can't forget the horror of that day, when America was attacked on *our* land. It's painful, seeing people jumping to their certain deaths, watching the twin towers crumble into a murderous debris field, seeing the faces of firemen as they headed in to rescue the people in the World Trade Center, faces of men who wouldn't ever be seen alive again. Painful - hard - difficult. Tears were shed and my heart ached, but it is necessary not to forget and to pay tribute to those people.

This is why I watched "United 93" and various documentaries during this past week for those of the fourth hijacked aircraft. Those passengers were heroes. Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham, Tom Burnett, Jeremy Glick, and so many others. Names I've never forgotten. They were people I never knew, but they did what we hope we could do in similar situations. They died, but they did so bravely and heroically.

I believe each of these people deserve declarations. There was talk about something for a while, but I've never heard any follow up to it. I just paused my writing and did some research, and it looks like while many bills have been brought up in the Houses in the past several years, they've never passed one. Shame on political men and women who can't come together to award an honor that is now long overdue for these brave people of Flight 93. They banded together and prevented more deaths, not to mention physical destruction, at the Capitol or the White House. Get your acts together, Congress Persons. This is exactly the reason why I'm not fond of any of you right now. This one should be simple.

With all due respect and in the spirit of unity for our nation and those who belief as we die, as we move forward to a new week, I say, let's roll and let's make it count!

It's a crazy and sometimes sad, world!

Yesterday, Matt Garcia, a city councilman for the nearby community of Fairfield was shot in the head. Today, he was taken off of life support and died fairly quickly. What is particularly tragic about this loss is that the councilman was just 22 years old. I remember hearing about him last year during the elections, the young man who had always wanted to give back to his community, particularly dealing with crime. He was so young, too young, to have his life snuffed away in a split second. Some pretender of being a human being got out of his car last night, though, and fired multiple shots at Garcia. Our governor has already put in place a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the killer. They really don't know much and believe it could be a gang member. After all, Garcia's platform for election was crime prevention. I don't know much about Matt Garcia, but this news stunned me. I remember that young, determined face clearly from the election news. It's just so sad, and it's such a crazy world that we live in.

For the first time in many years, I watched the Jerry Lewis MDA telethon on Sunday night/Monday. I grew up watching the telethons religiously, but when my finances became such that I couldn't give, I sort of felt guilty for watching. Plus, local channels weren't carrying the entire thing for a while. I'm not sure what got me to turn it on this year, but I'm glad I did.

Billy Gilman was on, and I remember him from when he was a kid with a hit country song ("One Voice" about a kid with a gun; it got a tremendous amount of airplay and attention). I haven't seen him in years, but there he was, the national youth ambassador for MDA this year apparently. Wow, what a showman. No wonder Jerry likes him. Billy knows how to put on a show. Each number he did reminded me of the old days, when the real performers took center stage. I checked his website; he's 20 now. Well done, Billy ... and don't be ashamed of those tears you shed and tried to cover up. You're a good kid, er man!

I've created a new yahoo group called SwayStar. If's for anyone who wants to be notified when I have a new review on Review Stream, new article on Helium, or whatever other ventures I have in the future that helps me get by financially. Some folks like the email delivery option instead of having to come to the blog or having it sent to lists that have another focus. The link for SwayStar is on the right hand side of this blog, towards the top.

Ideal Bite and Kibbling Onward!

Good Afternoon!

As I wait for today's NASCAR race (go Jeff go!), I wanted to take a moment to tell you about two new ads you'll see on the right side of my blog. When you scroll down, you'll see a widget for Ideal Bite. This is one of those things I came across during my GPT work. It's a great source for going green. There's nothing in it for me, except maybe helping the environment a tad by spreading the word. They have a list you can subscribe to, if you want. It's just full of neat little things. Check it out.

The other new ad is for Bow Wow Trivia. Again, I get nothing out of it except spreading the word and hopefully feeding a few hungry pups! This is not an involved trivia game. Answer one little question, and you've done your part for the day. Please help the doggies! If you're a kitty fan, they have a cats version, too!

Onward until the next post!

Good Evening America!

A few ramblings and tidbits from the last few days beginning with I can't believe how idiotic some parents can be. A local news story from a nearby neighborhood yesterday when it was about 103 degrees. This was before noon when it was somewhere between 90 and 100 degrees out. A mother pulls into a supermarket and leaves her two young children, a 4 year old and a baby, in her locked car, windows rolled up. Do you know how hot a car gets inside? This, in addition to the fact that young kids can't adapt to heat like this as quickly as adults do.

Fortunately, the car next to the woman had a man with his children. His wife was inside doing her shopping. When his wife came outside, she immediately noticed the children, and they agreed they should call the police. Apparently, the woman came out before the police arrived because the man got out and stood behind her car so that she couldn't leave.

The police got there shortly thereafter. They asked the woman for her license. Oops, she didn't have one -- outstanding warrants. The woman claimed she was only in the store for 5 minutes to get water and donuts. That is what she got, but the man said it was more like 15 minutes.

The woman was arrested for the warrants and child endangerment. What the heck was she thinking? The man said he was prepared to break open the window if he had to. I just don't understand parents who don't think about what they're doing!

Then there are the intolerant people who only know black and white. I'm on several local Freecycle lists. The other day a parent sent out an email because her child was missing. She didn't provide a lot of detail, but she was very upset. The next thing we get is an ADMIN from the moderator ranting about the post being off topic and out of line. Not only that, she went on about what's next -- lost pets and such.

There was a lot of discussion on the list, arguing the merits. The majority seemed to think it wasn't that much of a sin, but there were a few supporting the ADMIN. Soon enough, the moderator came back again, criticizing the post for not having all the specifics and wondering why there wasn't an Amber Alert and why it had been so long between the child going missing and the email. More discussion.

In the end, the moderator came back with this long diatribe about the list is the list and only for the purpose of the list, that all discussion was to cease or anyone who dared to reply would be put on moderation. She then again launched what I call an attack on the nerve of the parent to send the off topic post to this particular list, adding that the parent told them privately that she just wasn't thinking clearly, etc. Apparently, this moderator has no heart because she just doesn't care. She even launched an attack on the parent for being a bad parent, listing all the things that she would have done to make sure the child wasn't missing in the first place.

I'm a fairly new member, so my post never did make it to the airwaves, deleted by the moderator. I'm going to publish it here. I'm on a lot of lists and some have little tolerance for anything off topic. I understand it, but I also ask, where's the humanity?

It amazes me that this is such an issue for folks. Yes, rules are rules, and guidelines are in place, but what's the big deal people if you get an occasional 'odd' or off topic email from someone in distress? It's not like it's spam where they are trying to sell something. Hit the delete button. May none of us ever be in that state, distressed about our child or pet, but if we are, I challenge anyone to say they wouldn't do everything in their power to help find that child/pet, including bending the rules of a freecycle list. Have a heart, folks, and thank your lucky stars you aren't the ones having to write that 'illegal' email.

Has anyone ever heard of putting Baby Powder on your dog to kill fleas? I just read that one today. It's really weird, but my youngest dog seems to have fleas, but not my oldest. They're only a year apart. There must be something in their genetics. The Frontline didn't seem to do the trick this month for Tessa; she's been scratching a lot, so today I thought I'd try it. I have no clue if it's worked or not. Of course, when Cassie saw me rubbing down Tessa, she insisted on her own rubdown. Equal doggie rights and all.

I also read about spreading salt, of all things, on your carpet, or Borax, which I don't have, so can't use. Salt on the carpet? According to everything I read, it kills the fleas dead, dead, dead. That's a cheap way to rid yourself of the flea problem, if it truly does work.

Finally, Amazon has a new shoe division, and they're having a sale to celebrate! Remember, if you use this link to go to Amazon, I will get a percentage, and that's for anything purchased from clicking on this link.

Carl Edwards - That's What I'm Talkin' About!

Very early this morning, I added the latest reviews of mine to be published at Review Stream. One of these was on Carl Edwards, who is my #2 favorite NASCAR driver. In my review, I mentioned that one of the neat things about Carl is that he gives away the majority of his racing trophies, keeping just a few very special ones in his personal collection. Today, I just read this over at Jayski.com and had to share it in support of how wonderful I think Carl is to keep passing on his trophies in ways that are good for the world.

Edwards gives MIS trophy to wheelchair-bound teen: A wheelchair-bound Michigan teen got a special gift from one of his heroes over the weekend. Pat and Teresa Byrnes took their son Cody to the Michigan International Speedway so he could see his favorite driver, #99-Carl Edwards, race. "Carl happened to be walking by and we gave him a thumbs up and Cody gave him a thumbs up and he saw his flag waiving on the back of Cody's chair. And so he stopped, turned around and came back and he came over and he signed his wheelchair and he signed his shirt," said Teresa Byrnes. The Byrnes were already excited that Cody got to meet his hero, but they weren't prepared for what Carl Edwards told Cody next. "He looked at him and he said, 'Hey buddy, I'll tell you, if I win that trophy today, now that's if I win, I'll give you that trophy'," Teresa recalled. The Byrnes say they began to realize Edwards could win the race when he moved from the 27th spot to first place in about 60 laps. Pat Byrnes says that's the most nervous he's ever been during a race. Edwards did win that race. Carl Edwards signed the trophy for Cody with the initials NGU, which means never give up. "Cody, everyday he wakes up and sees it. It's like he's realizing it's really his and he'll get excited and squeal, for someone to work so hard to get that trophy and then to say, 'Here, you can have it'. That is the kindest gesture anybody has ever done," said Teresa.

Just touching bases ...

Should I say Good Morning or Good Evening? It's just after midnight here, and I figured I'd say a few things since I just added to my list of Review Stream articles (see the long list on the right hand side of this column).

I had a great time watching the Olympics, though I still believe there was some big time fudging with the ages of the China gymnastics team. That aside, I had a blast with beach volleyball and several other sports. I still hate all the tape delay business, but I'm apparently in the minority on that.

Now it's back to regular TV. Saw the newest reality show on NBC -- America's Most Dangerous Jobs, or something like that. As an animal lover, I had a hard time watching the poor crabs being suffocated, but the premise of the show is interesting. However, I see bullfighting is coming up, and if they show the murder of a bull on TV, they're going to hear about it from me, that's for sure. That's one of the cruelest and most disgusting so-called sports out there.

As for real sports, loved Carl Edwards giving it back to Kyle Bush during the big NASCAR race Saturday night. Kyle is such an immature, cocky baby. He can't take what he dishes out, and Saturday night, Carl dished out some of Kyle's own stuff. It was terrific! The best part? Carl didn't apologize. He was straight forward and honest about his 'bump and run'. Go Carl!

My #1 fave, Jeff Gordon, finished fifth. Hang in there, Jeffy! Three more races to the Chase. What's frustrating is that without this dang chase format, Jeff would have won two titles in the past four years. He'd be a 6-time champion. Well, he is to me, anyway.

We're gearing up for another heat spell. Our mid to high 90's are going to reach 103 by Wednesday, so goes the forecast. I'm not happy about that. I'm not a sun person, if you know what I mean.

Onward I go. Have a terrific week, Folks!

Review Stream verified

Hey all ---

Just a quick note to let anyone looking to make extra cash that I can now verify that Review Stream is a winner. You can write reviews about anything -- people, websites, food, pets, TV shows, phones, clothes -- you name it, you can review it. They pay out at $50 for the reviews (this is separate from the vote earnings). Just a half hour ago, I wrote the review that took me to $50. I emailed them, asking for payment, and it's here! I received payment through PayPal almost immediately. I highly recommend them. If you've read my reviews, you know they are easy to do. Go here and write your first review today!

Whoa! Did y'all see Michael Phelps win his 7th gold medal just now? I was sure he was second behind Cavic. His mom looks like she was gonna pass out. Unreal. He was behind the whole way. Phenomenal! One-hundreth of a second -- just wow!

Hunkilicious!

Hot! Hot! Hot! Michael Shanks' appearance on "Burn Notice" last night was just that -- steaming hot! He was great as the crazy bad guy, "Victor". This is a recurring role, and boy am I looking forward to the next episode!
There was the New York accent for a moment, the little Danny Dance, the evil cackle, the snark, and just lots of zany, wonderful moments! I love this bad guy!

I'd never watched "Burn Notice" before. It's a little MacGyver-like, but that's not necessarily a bad thing because I love "MacGyver".

If you missed it, catch one of the reruns! It's a must see! To see more photos of Michael on "Burn Notice", go here.

Happy Birthday to NASCAR's Carl Edwards, driver of the 99 car in Sprint Cup and the number 60 car in the Nationwide series. Carl's a great guy and just loves to race. This year, he's racing for the Sprint Cup championship, too! Today, Carl is a whopping 29 years old. "I've never been this old before," he told a reporter earlier today. That's Carl -- full of humor!

Wow, what's with these new extra innings rules for baseball in the Olympics? You start each half inning with two men on base. Well, I guess that's one way to avoid multiple extra innings.

Congrats to the ladies of the US gymnastics team. Nascia and Shawn did a great job last night as they won gold and silver in the all around competition. Super floor routines wrapped up their evening, and it a lot of fun to watch!

By the way, I had some clarification this week on how I get paid for your votes at Review Stream. The payment qualifies when each review reaches minimum payout, which is essentially 50 votes. So, when an individual review reaches 50, then I can get payout for it. I had thought it was the cumulative total of all reviews, but that's incorrect. Thus, I really could use your help to vote for each of the reviews when you can. The most votes as of yesterday was for the Bayer Aspirin, at 31. My Michael Shanks review had 21 votes. Under the Mistletoe has 18, Crystal Geyser and The Ark of Truth both have 14. Every thing else is less than that.

I'm really needing this income, so please, when you can, vote for reviews. It does have a timer to it, so if you get the 'please take time to read the review' line, just wait another minute and resubmit.

To vote, go to the review page (all my reviews are listed on the right hand column of this blog) and about 2/3rd of the the way down, in the center, you'll see the 'was this review helpful' question. Click the round circle and then hit the 'submit' button. The page will refresh, and you'll see the number of votes increase by one.

Thank you to everyone who helps with this!

From Trial Offers to the Olympics to Taunting Cats

Good Afternoon!

First up today, a look at doing trial offers for products on the internet. This comes up every now and then so just thought I'd pass on a very basic couple of do's anytime you decide to participate in a trial offer on any website.

The first rule -- read the TOS (terms of service). This is VITAL. You need to find out whether or not you are required to return something, if you'll need a RMA (authorization number to return), and when they will charge you (some trials may last 30 days, but the charge comes in 14). Do not just accept what is printed at the 'order now'. Sometimes it's complete, but if you haven't read the TOS, you're making a mistake. That's why you have to check that box all the time signifying that you've read it. Also, you want the phone number to cancel and any email addresses. What is on the order page isn't always what is in the TOS.

The second rule -- which I do sometimes, but not all the time -- do a google search for the company. Sometimes you'll see 'rip off' reports or complaints. Don't assume because you see a complaint that it's valid. It may just be someone who didn't read the TOS and are angry. Well, read the TOS. However, if you see a large number of complaints, with varying issues, you may then want to avoid that trial. Even if you decide to go ahead with the trial, you'll know to be on guard for potential problems.

The third rule, and this is vitally important once you sign up for a trial, check your credit card daily. Actually, I check mine three times a day to stay on top of it. Verify the name of the company and the trial charge. Keep checking and be aware. Just this week, I had a charge pop up for something I'd canceled on July 23rd. I had to call and have them remove it. If I see a fraudulent charge, the first thing I do is notify my bank. Then I deal with the company. That way, my bank knows up front there could be a problem. Companies don't really want banks going after them, either.

The fourth rule, keep records. Just like you do for all offers completed, it is very, very important to document your information. I *always* cut and paste the appropriate part of the TOS and the copy of the final sales page. Even though they may send you that page in email, you won't have the TOS. You want to always have reference to what *you* signed up for. I had to invoke this last week with a company. I read them what was on their website and in their TOS. I was right, they were wrong.

If you decide not to keep a trial, you want to always write down the name of the person you talked to when you call to cancel, their associate or ID number, the date and time you talked to them, the confirmation number for the transaction if there is one, and you want to ask them if you need to return something or not. Even if the TOS says you have to return, if you ask the operator and they say 'no', you don't, but you have to be able to back that up if an issue arises.

I've had to use each of these rules with trials, so just read and make lots of notes!

Next on the agenda, the Olympics. I don't know about anyone else, but I was absolutely stunned when the news came out that the little girl singing the national song for China was lip synching. Actually, it's not that, but it's that it wasn't her voice. The real singer was deemed not cute enough for the camera. I'm really angry about this. It is not what the Olympics are about. China lost the admiration I had for their opening ceremonies when I learned about this. In addition, it turns out that some of the fireworks were 'enhanced' for broadcast. This begs the question, what else was fake that we don't know about?

Not only that, but I do not believe those gymnasts are 16 years old this year. There has been huge speculation that at least one member of the male team and two of the girls are under 15. In fact, even the English official paper of China earlier in the year listed their ages as 13 and 14.

China is lying in their quest to be the biggest medal winner. You know what? Let them, but they will pay a price. I believe in karma, and it will come back and haunt them. They'd better have those kids' true ages buried and burned -- someone will find the proof. Besides, a passport is so easily faked. Why don't these kids have birth certificates to back up their claims?

So, we've got a little girl who was given the shaft for not being cute enough, images that weren't what we thought, and kids illegally adding to China's medal count. China has marred its own Olympics, and that's too bad. They didn't need to do it. Totally ridiculous and stupid.

The other day a cat was taunting my dogs. I swear, it was so funny to watch. My girls were in the house, looking out the screen door, and here sauntered up this cat. Honestly, the cat moved one paw forward, then another, and then another, staring right at my barking dogs. This cat wasn't the least bit scared; it was taunting my dogs. That cat knew the girls couldn't get out. The cat kept moving forward a step at a time, until it got bored and turned around, walking away casually. My poor babies. They're used to squirrels teasing them, but not cagey felines!

On the financial front, I received my latest payment for forum posting and content writing. This is decent pay for extra income, so if you like to chat online, please use the link to sign up and apply to be a forum poster, and if you have a forum in need of help, use this link to find out more information on how ForumBoosters can help you.

Please continue to check out my writing at Helium and my reviews on Review Stream (links on the right side of the blog). There are a couple of new reviews since the last blog update.

Tonight is Michael Shanks' first appearance on "Burn Notice" on the USA channel. I'm really looking forward to that. He'll be a bad guy, but a cute one! More after I see it!

Olympic Fever!

It's Olympics time! I've always loved the Olympics. My family watched both the summer and winter games religiously, and it's something I still do and enjoy. Last night, NBC aired the Opening Ceremonies in China, and wow, what a show! It was pretty incredible. All the news folks are saying it may never be matched; it was just that grand.

However, the most poignant moment for me was when China's basketball star Yao Ming entered the stadium with a 9-year-old boy who had survived the earthquake there a few months back. This little boy managed to free himself and pull out another of his classmates to safety. Then he went back and saved another of his peers. They were just 3 of a few who survived. Twenty of their fellow students weren't so lucky.

When asked why he went back, this youngster explained that he had to, because he was a hall monitor and it was his job to help his friends. He was a leader.

Wow. Even typing it, I'm tearing up. I watched that giant of a man, Yao Ming, take excellent care of that little boy throughout the ceremonies. That impressed me, too, but that little boy is really what life is about. How brave of him. He's a leader all right!

By the way, if you love the Olympics and enjoy talking about it, you might want to check out the forum for it.

On another subject, I was happy to see Marcos Ambrose of Australia win his first Nationwide race today. He's such a nice, affable guy, and he's come so close a few times before. I'm especially happy that he beat out Kyle Busch (the bratty whiner) and Jimmie Johnson (the cocky non-team player) in doing so. Go Marcos!

Well, back to my work. Gotta go earn those pennies so I can pay the bills! Have a great weekend!

Just rambling ...

Good evening, almost morning! It's been a long day because it's so hot. It's only the low to mid nineties, but my house is just burning up. I really need a tree in the backyard to block some of the heat. Even though it's nice outside right now, my house is just hot. 83 degrees where I'm sitting, with two fans on. Outside, it's 67. I know it's bad when the dogs' tongues are hanging out all the time. It's just very stuffy. Part of it is just that this computer creates so much heat. It's horrible, but I have no solution, unfortunately.

I read a little bit more about Patrick and Lisa Swayze going out on the town over the weekend in Chicago. Reportedly, they danced quite a bit. Now that's a good sign!

Just heard that Beijing is worried about terrorist attacks for the Olympics which start tomorrow. I love the Olympics and watch most all of the coverage. It should be a great event, as always, but there are the concerns about the air there and now this terrorist issue. The news said China had missiles ready to go at any unauthorized aircraft. My first thought upon hearing this -- "And they'll use them, too."

Spent the day doing some of the brand new offers over at GPTCashcow. I do love this site, and it's really helped me a lot to pay the bills. Oh, and thanks to the person who joined Vindale Research, per my request a couple of days ago. I appreciate it. I still need 3 people to join so I can cash out by the 15th, which is my goal. Please consider it!

For my fan fic readers, I'm trying to make some progress on the next story, which will pick up with those nasty leftover morsels from "The Wicked Witch of Bloadmoor Bluffs". This one might take a while, though, or not. I just never know!

Also, for those looking for extra money, I've been paid again by Forum Boosters. They pay once a week so that's really nice. This is a great way to make some cash, just chatting on various forums. I've actually learned quite a bit too in the process. It's fun to get paid for posting. Check out the link on the right side of the block if you want to try it!

I'm still trying to sell my office desk set. The eBay buyer flaked out on it, and I've no luck. I actually put it on Craig's List today, and that scares me, simply because you never know who will respond. Still, I'd rather someone bought it than just watching the thing rot. It's such a nice set, in super condition. I keep worrying that it's gonna rain one day out of the blue (which isn't unheard of) and damage the set.

Okie dokie, gonna stretch and play with the dogs for a while. Have a good one!

Just a quick stop by the blog to pass on this bit of humor. Isn't it just the truth, though?

Dog Rules

1. The dog is not allowed in the house.

2. Okay, the dog is allowed in the house, but only in certain rooms.

3. The dog is allowed in all rooms, but has to stay off the furniture.

4. The dog can get on the old furniture only.

5. Fine, the dog is allowed on all the furniture, but is not allowed to sleep with the humans on the bed.

6. Okay, the dog is allowed on the bed, but only by invitation.

7. The dog can sleep on the bed whenever he wants, but not under the covers.

8. The dog can sleep under the covers by invitation only

9. The dog can sleep under the covers every night.

10. Humans must ask permission to sleep under the covers with the dog.

It's August and it's hot!

Good morning! It's August, and it's hot, though not as hot as it normally is in August. Still, mid-nineties isn't my idea of fun.

For GPT folks, I am happy to say I received my check for the month of June from GPTCashcow. That's gonna help me pay the bills thankfully, especially since the A/C bill was $125. Ugh. I wasn't happy about that, but we had some really hot days in July, and I just couldn't keep it off as much as I have been trying to.

If you've been looking for a way to make some extra cash, please try it out. It's great fun, and there are several contests going on in August, too.

Also, I'm hoping to get four more folks to sign up at Vindale Research so I can reach cashout by the 15th. Four newcomers will do it! If you've been thinking about it, now would be a good time.

I heard on the news that Jet Blue is going to charge $1 for those little pillows. What's next? A charge for the seatbelt? This is getting out of hand. If the airlines can't afford to fly, they need to cut back their flights. Maybe it's time people used telecommuting and videoconferencing devices, rather than fly back and forth. Do we really need all these flights?

Considering I've never seen High School Musical 1 or 2, I'm surprised that I've been watching this show on ABC for the next High School Musical star. It's been nice to see this process unfold and see some of the young people growing as the audition(s) continues. I haven't heard about the ratings, but it's a winner in my book.

Tuesday is a busy day so have to scoot, but wanted to touch bases with anyone who might be reading this. There's a new review over at Review Stream to read (on the "Viva Las Vegas" DVD), for anyone who'd like to. Please vote for it as being helpful, too!

Have a great day!

I'm on the bubble!

Just a quick afternoon note to share this photo that is over on the sci-fi site. It's obviously in between takes on the SG-1 set while filming, "Continuum". This photo is one of a few really good production shots that is part of a blog by Martin Wood, the director. Go here to read the blog and see the photos. In the meantime, enjoy Richard Dean Anderson and his bubbly!

Just another day!

Howdy,

I never got around to telling everyone about my Monday. Keeping in mind that I'm only working a couple of days per week now because of problems, I get in my car and turn the key and ....

You guessed it -- nothing! Battery is dead. I call in and tell them I'll keep them advised. It took 75 minutes for the AAA guys to their thing, and another 75 minutes for Les Schwab to do theirs. I got to work and worked a whopping 70 minutes and then it was time to go home. lol oh well - it's only money I lost right? Four hours of much needed per hour pay gone. The battery was still under warranty, but not for long, so it still cost me just under $64 for a new one. On the bright side, Les Schwab is always great to deal with. They got me handled and out quicker than some others.

One of my articles at Helium sold, which was great, and I got my payment for doing my first two 'content pieces' over at Forum Boosters. I really love Forum Boosters. They pay really fast; I'm impressed with that. I'm also learning alot as I research these articles and visit the various forums. Don't forgot to use my links to the right if you want to try this for yourself.

We have a section of fence that is disconnecting. My sister is going to try and fix it, but we're not sure if she's going to be able to. I don't even want to think about what that might cost me to have fixed, but with my dogs, it has to be fixed.

Stargate fans, have you seen Amanda Tapping with her brown hair? What a switch, but I actually like it. I think she looks terrific.

California has another big fire going on, this one by Yosemite National Park. That's just so very sad. More destruction of our nature's wonders. Hopefully, they'll keep it away from the park itself. I've actually only been to Yosemite once. It was absolutely breathtaking!

My brain is so zonked, I can't even remember what else I was going to write about, so I'll stop for this day. Anything special you'd like my thoughts on, please feel free to let me know!

Have a great Wednesday!

Isn't He Gorgeous?

It's been a day, and I'll be back later to chat, but right now I had to share one of the photos released today of Patrick and Lisa on the set of "The Beast". I said a 'thank you' to God while looking at these photos. He looks good. I know that doesn't mean a whole lot necessarily, but he's a wonderful person, and I'm pulling for him to be one of those survivors!

This and That

I read the other day that Utah has adopted the four-day work week! There you go! That's a way to help everyone, as long as you don't mind ten-hour workdays. There was a time I wouldn't have minded that, but not right now. I'd much rather work at home!

**

When I first started trying to find things I could do to earn money on the internet besides GPT sites, a gal told me about two websites. Both have proven valuable to me, so if you are looking for alternatives, check these out.

The Rat Race Rebellion
Work at Home Mafia

**

Cassie's been going nuts the last few nights. Apparently, there's a skunk outside somewhere, and she keeps trying to find it. It was really funny to watch her, moving ever so slowly in search of her prey. No clue where that skunk is hiding, but its out there somewhere!

**

It's Indy time for NASCAR! Go, Jeffy, go!

Later folks!

Rockin' the Stargate!

Just have to share this. Emma Nisbet wrote a poem about "Stargate" and now her husband has put it to rock music. It is loud, and it is rock, but it's so much fun to listen to. My favorite verse is in the middle:

Daniel Jackson was a geek
Twenty- three languages did he speak

If you'd like to hear it, just use the console below!

More information and Mark's profile can be found here.

Hello, World!

I'm still so psyched about how good Patrick looked while heading for Chicago last weekend. When compared with a photo of him at the Lakers game in May, you can really see how much better he looks now. He says he's a miracle man, and I have no doubts about it.

I've been busy searching for some internet ways to make money, in addition to what I'm doing with the offers at GPTCashcow and Vindale Research. I'm still writing articles at Helium and doing the reviews at Review Stream, and now I'm also starting to do some content writing. It's not all that easy, but I'm going to give that a shot. Content writing is basically doing marketing plugs or blog type writing specified by an advertiser. Pay varies, but it's something I can do here at home, and that's important.

While watching the news this week, I was left just shaking my head at the way our nation responds to financial distress. A local school district is now going to implement a $180 *per child* fee for busing children to school. For a family with three kids, that's almost $600. Who can afford that these days?

The district says that if the family qualifies for it's lunch program, they will be exempt from the charge and that they'd work with other families who had a hard time. Parents are outraged. The school is too far for their children to walk to it with safety, and these are working people. I am sure there are a lot of middle of the road families out there who don't qualify for the lunch program, but who can't afford $180 to send their kids to school.

What's the solution? The district says it's all budget cuts. I'm sure it is, but where do they expect the average family to come up with this money when gas is $4.50 per gallon?

There is just something incredibly wrong with our system.

On that mind-boggling note, I'm tuning back into "So You Think You Can Dance" to see the dancers do their thing.

Oh, by the way, if you are a forum owner for anything on the net, check out the banner at the bottom of the page. If you need help or want to get some activity there to stir things up, click on the ForumBoosters banner for information!

Have a great evening!

The man is hot, hot, hot!

This is the latest photo of Patrick Swayze, and I just had to share it here. The man is looking so good, thankfully so. He's beating the odds as he battles pancreatic cancer.

The story and more photos can be found at:

Celebrities-portal

They were taken July 20 by Splash News.

Keep it up, Patrick!

Latest Review

Howdy, everyone!

My latest review is up at Review Stream, and it's for Michael's movie, "Under the Mistletoe". Sure wish I had that on DVD. I'd be watching it over and over again, if I did. It was on again last week. Last night, "Judicial Indescretion" was on, but I didn't realize it and missed it. Wish that would come out on DVD, too.

Under the Mistletoe review

Remember to look for the box below which is always after the reviews and the series of google ads -- click the circle and press the 'yes' button and then you'll see the number by 'votes' go up after the page refreshes. I get paid 10 cents per 'yes' vote. It may not seem like a lot, but it adds up quick! You do have to be on the page long enough for them to think you've read it :}

Every vote pays !
Did you find
this review helpful?

VOTES :

I also was approved to join up with Pay Per Post, which sounds like a neat way to earn some money by blogging for various sponsors. I didn't really see any good opportunities for a newbie there last night, but I'm remaining hopeful and will chart my progress here, as I do all of my attempts at working at home to earn money to pay those pesky bills and buy the groceries.

I'm also excited because I'm just 39 cents away from my very first affiliate check from Amazon! Thanks to all my supporters who are using my link here on this blog to shop from Amazon. One more order should give me that first pay out. I'm very grateful!

Have a great Sunday!

Happy Friday!

It's been a day, and I'm glad it's Friday!

As an update on my GPT fortunes, I did receive another check from Cashcrate today for my participation there. That's two. It is a proven site, so if you are interested in GPT, please don't hesitate to try them out.

Of course, my favorite is still GPTCashcow. We're in the middle of our second weekly team race there, which just adds to the fun. The forum there just hops, and I'm really hoping people will continue to try it out.

Two more reviews up at review stream. Remember, I get 'paid' here when you answer the question 'yes' to 'Did you find this review helpful?' You click the button and press the 'yes' box. You will then see that the number has gone up. That's how you know your vote went through.

http://www.reviewstream.com/reviews/?p=40605

http://www.reviewstream.com/reviews/?p=40590

Articles #10 and #11 are up at Helium. Here, I get credit by traffic, meaning people who go and are on the article page. There is no voting.

http://www.helium.com/items/1117886-should-mlb-allow-their-athletes-to-play-in-the-olympics

http://www.helium.com/items/1103049-miracles-and-hockey

I've also been making the rounds at various work at home forums, trying to find something to bring in some money. It seems like that's my main focus anymore. I miss writing as much as I was for my SG-1 fandom. I've had to cut back on that a little to try and bring in cash. I did just publish a new story last night - "Lifesigns", based on the "Lifeboat" episode.

Right now, Cassie and Tessa are outside, playing, even though it's late. I continue to be so grateful that Cassie has recovered for the most part. Her stool is still loose a bit though. I'm thinking I might get her some more rice and see if that helps. It made a huge difference last week. Too cute -- just as I am typing this, here comes Tessa, looking in the window. I think that's the 'let us in now' request, so I suppose it's time.

"Zero Hour" was on for the 6pm Sci-Fi showing. It's a nice episode featuring Richard Dean Anderson when his character adjusts to becoming the general. I have issues with the final scene, but mostly, Rick shines in it. His presence was so missed when he left the show to be with his little girl.

Patrick Swayze continues to improve, from what I'm hearing, and unless a strike by SAG prevents work for going on, "The Beast" will start filming in Chicago soon. I'm so glad Patrick is beating his cancer. It's still very scary, and certainly no guarantees, but he's a strong man. If anyone can beat this pancreatic nightmare, it is Patrick!

I love using the name Orry Main as my 'handle' at most every site that I sign up for. People recognize it. In fact, just this week, I sold an old Philco radio to a man who brought up North and South (the mini-series where the name comes from). It's a great conversation starter, and I like honoring Patrick by using this name as my handle.

We've had two good air days in a row, so now if my knees would just cooperate, maybe life can get back to normal. I really overdid things when Cassie was ill, and boy, can I tell. It reminds me of my mom years back. She couldn't carry a box, but one time, when visiting her hometown in Oklahoma with her twin sister, who has MS, a tornado was coming. Her sister fell, and my weakling mother, picked her up and carried her to the shelter. It was a life or death thing. That's what I keep thinking about right now. Cassie is my baby, and I did what I had to do. It was fine then, but now my body is rebelling.

I added a Technorati banner on the right side of this page. If you like my blog, please click there to vote for it. Thanks!

Onward to tomorrow!

Latest Review

Just one quick note -- I have another review up at Review Stream. All of my reviews, including this one, are listed on the right hand side. Please go to *each* review and when towards the bottom, in the middle, it asks 'Was this review helpful to you?', click on the dot and press the 'yes' button. You should the number below that box increase in number. That's all you have to do -- vote 'yes', click, and see the number increase.

Thanks -- here's the latest -- Vornado Desk Fan

More GPT fun, Cassie and my knees, and This 'n' That

Good Evening Campers!

The latest team race is ongoing at my favorite gpt website -- GPTCashcow. Last week for the first time, players who signed up in the forum for the race were assigned to teams. At the end of the week, $200 was split up as a reward for the three teams, depending upon how they finished. It was just a little extra something given out by the admin there to make it more fun to do offers and to build the comraderie among those in the forums.

The competition was very close, and it was actually a tie for the winners. Now we're in at the start of a new race. It's not a whole lot of extra money when divided among all the players, but it is extra, and it sure is fun!

If you haven't tried a GPT site yet and are looking for extra money for Christmas or something extra, if you apply yourself, you can easily make $200 in a month. See my GPT guide in this blog for step by step instructions.

Before I head on back to the Cow to work some more on offers, I woke up this morning just hating my knees. When Cassie was so sick, I really did a lot of movement that I shouldn't have been doing. You know how it is. When a family member is sick, you come second. I had to check on her outside all the time and see what she was doing, 'bathroom' wise, and then just really tend to her in the house. I knew I was doing a lot of up and down the steps, and it was hurting. Boy oh boy, this morning, I think it all set in. I couldn't wait to take the pills the doctor gave me. It's helped, but I can tell my knees are rebelling against the last several days of activity.

Cassie, obviously, is doing so much better. She's running around, driving me crazy again as she and her sister run circles around me! Crazy dogs -- and I love 'em both so much!

The heat has come down to more normal temps, and the smoky haze that has engulfed the area is finally ebbing. I let the girls stay out longer today as a result. It's nice not to look out the window and see a foggy mist where nothing but bright light should be!

The latest edition of Big Brother has started, and, yes, I'm watching it. Too early to know if I'll love or hate it, or if I'll even care. I'm still very attached to season 1. It's become cut-throat since that golden season. Anyone watch The Singing Office? That's a fun show on The Learning Channel, a more gentle reality show.

Have a great evening and Onward!

Cassie and Review Stream

Good morning world!

It's been a long three days. My black lab, Cassie, was very sick and scared the living daylights out of me. We narrowed it down to one of four things, including the new dog food I had just purchased (Purina). I called Purina, and they said they hadn't heard about any problems, but they did recommend discontinuing the food. I did, and since I had it delivered, I had Safeway come and pick it up, which they did because it was the manufacturer's recommendation.

The concern about the food on my part wasn't ingredient based, but storage based. As has made national news, our hot temps and smoky conditions has made it very unsafe. Safeway does not use air-conditioned vehicles. My delivery was at 8pm at night, and they load those vehicles at 6am. I believe something could have happened either then, or somewhere else in the storage process, considering regional conditions. The bag itself says the food should be stored in cool areas.

I was suspicious because Cassie only ate half her food. Not only that, but Tessa didn't eat all of her dinner either. Now that's a first. My dogs are not finicky eaters. They both run to their food and gulp in down in one swoop; no exceptions, so for both of them to do that at the same time, well, it got my attention.

However, my sister also just cleaned out our pool and retrieved a large rawhide bone that they dogs had apparently knocked in there. It's been there for months probably, and in that time, she's put a lot of chemicals in the pool, including algae killer. When she got the bone out, she just let the dogs have it. We've thrown it away now, but it's possible that the rawhide was infected with the chemicals, and eating a part of it could have made her sick.

It could also have just been the heat and particulates in the air because of the fires. They had just said that even the healtiest of folks could start getting sick if out and about.

Regardless of the reason, she was really sick, and it scared me because of how sluggish she was. Tessa has seemed fine, though. Anywho, lots of good vibes, prayers, Gatorade, and rice later, Cassie has rebounded and is almost 100%. Tessa is outside eating grass at the moment, but she has been okay.

The two related downsides to all of this is that my knees are really hurting more this week. I had to move quickly and do more than usual in caring for Cassie over the past three days, and it's made an impact on my poor knees. Ouch!

Then there's the A/C that I've kept on and low because it's so hot in this part of the house anyway, and Cassie was lying there with her tongue hanging out. I had to keep it cool for her. I'm soooo afraid of the next A/C bill. Not sure I'll be able to pay that one.

So that's been my dog trauma and why I haven't updated this.

On the 'I'm so excited' front, I mentioned in a prior post about Review Stream. This is so great! You can review everything and get paid for it! In addition to that, there is a reader vote. If you read the review(s), at the end of each, towards the bottom of the page (you have to scroll down past the google ads), there's a square box that says:

Every Vote Pays!

Beneath it, it says:

Did you find this review helpful?

Goodness, click yes! That's *more* money. This one doesn't pay pennies; it actually does add up. I have 7 reviews there already, and you can see them listed on the right side of this blog. Please click on each of them, read them, and vote. Also, you can just go to http://www.reviewstream.com on a regular basis and in the search box type in "by Orrymain" and that will get you all of my reviews, too.

PLEEEEEEASE do this regularly and frequently. Keep supporting my Helium articles, but these reviews are super fast, super easy, and pay soooo much better!

Also, if you want to write reviews, click here: http://www.reviewstream.com/writereview.php/?inv=t7r5flYxCY7N
Referrers get a percentage of what their referrals make. This is really a simple way of making some cash fast! Check it out!!

Smoky Days Continue

Good afternoon from smoky Northern California! It's unbelievable how smoky it still is here. Fortunately, I'm not right in the thick of the fires, but the smoke has gone on now for about three weeks. Whereas there were once over 1700 fires, our heroic firefighters have gotten the number down to 300, but they are tired.

Our governor has just ordered a second batch of National Guard personnel to be trained in firefighting. Our heroes need relief.

The heat of July, with the humidity tacked on, finally resulted in a death in our area. A woman, a senior citizen, died in Modesto yesterday. The air conditioning in her mobile home had stopped working. While her husband did his best with fans to cool the place, even at night it was 85 degrees. They said she died of heat stroke.

People are still being advised not to go outside much. My poor dogs love to run and play, but they are being kept inside more and more. The health watches last night said this prolonged situation could start to affect even the healthiest people. Those not using central air were warned that their swamp coolers could actually bring the smoke and dangerous particulates inside their homes.

The sky is just a long, dull haze of smoke, and that's pretty much how it's been since the last week in June. We've been in the 107/108 temp range this week. We're supposed to get a little relief this weekend -- high 90's.

So that's the situation in Northern California. I hope the President heeds the call for support. The firefighters are exhausted; they need help.

Now it's back to my Stargate SG-1 marathon on the Sci-Fi network. Good shows today. Right now one of my favorites is on - "Red Sky". There's a blooper of sorts in it that always makes me giggle.

Onward!

Scam Phone Call

Today, I had a strange phone call from someone saying they wanted to interview me for a job, based on my online resume. Well, I don't have an online resume. In searching the internet, I found a nifty website -- 800Notes where you can input a phone number and see if anyone else has reported it as a suspicious number.

As it turns out, this call has been on the list for a long time. It was a gal named Jeannette from American Life, giving a phone number of 888-252-3550 x227. It's amazing what was on the website about this.

I've bookmarked the 800Notes webpage for future use. What a neat site to have available for folks!

Heat and GPT Update

Good evening! It is hot, hot, and did I say hot here in California. 107 degrees -- just unreal! I'm just not a heat person at all. I'm so afraid to see my bill next month for the A/C because I've had it on so much. I know it's gonna be high.

I updated my GPT Hints and Tips, which I should probably call a 'step to step' guide on how to do GPT sites. You can see it listed on the right hand side, under the listings for posts this month. I'll have to figure out how to make that link always stay accessible. I don't want it to get lost in the archives. If you're curious about GPT sites, my guide would be a good place to start, and once again, I want to highly recommend my favorite site -- GPTCashcow. We just started a team race competition for the week, something that is making doing offers extra fun, and this weekend, we'll be playing Family Feud, GPT style, for cash. Can't beat that!

Went a round with the Safeway delivery guy today. I'm so tired of this. With certain physical limitations right now, it's often just easier for me to pay the delivery fee, especially because the big items I'm ordering are dog food for the girls and bottled water. I've always asked the drivers to put the dog food (big bags, usually forty pounds or more) in the container right on the patio, and then to put the water in the kitchen, stacked.

Numerous times over the last few years, I've gone over with the store manager, the 800 number people, and others, exactly what we, customers, are allowed to ask the drivers to do. Each time, I've been well within the scope of what we are allowed to ask. Every now and then, I get a rebel hot shot who thinks they don't have to do anything. I'm sure they are surprised when I follow through and report them.

So, tonight, I get another one. He wasn't totally rebelling, but he'd had a long day, and I was the last customer on the route. Believe me, I understand -- 107 and eight hours of doing this. Unfortunately, I need his assistance, and that's what I'm paying for. It was more of a verbal volley than combat, like some of them have been, but, geez, it's just too hot. Just do it and you can go! lol He did, and he did.

I saw Stargate SG-1 -- Continuum, the new movie last night. It's all over the internet, even though it doesn't come out on DVD until August. I was disappointed that Richard Dean Anderson was a minor player in it, though his few scenes were very good. I was pleased, on the other hand, that the "Vala" character was also minor. The less of her, the better. Likewise, I was pleased that the much-touted injury to our beloved Daniel was relatively brief and handled before the movie ended. It was far less painful to watch than I thought.

So, just like Ark of Truth, this direct to DVD movie, gets a thumbs up from me, with a few reservations. For example, Colin Cunningham is seen at the beginning, but doesn't utter a word that I can recall. The late Don S. Davis is wonderful to see, but he has just one, curt moment with SG-1. I would have liked to have seen more of him with the team. The story had him basically with William Devane's character (the President). I wasn't impressed with the musical score, either.

On the plus side, the cinematography is awesome. Seeing RDA again -- priceless! There is a very quick Jack and Daniel 'insiders' moment if you can catch it. I love Daniel's line to Jack about being his best friend in their timeline (finally, the phrase is used). Best of all, there is no 'ship' in this movie. It's all team, and, at the end, it is team -- Jack and SG-1. Vala, thankfully, stays behind. Too bad it's not forever. She really needs to go be with her husband and leave Earth behind.

That's it for now. I have a lot of email to catch up on, and I want to get back over to the Cow to see if there is anything new!

Have a good one!

Crazy Dog and Dang it, I thought he was gonna win!

I just have to share what my little one, Tessa, did last night. Yesterday, I moved the dog crate. It's always been by the window, but it makes it very difficult to get between my bed and a bookshelf because the large crate sticks out so far. I also wanted to give this room the appearance of more space.

So, after doing some rearranging, I put the crate up against two other pieces of furniture. It's relatively in the middle of a large room now, and it's directly to my right when I'm at the computer, so they actually have a better view of me all the time, which they like.

The hard part, though, was doing a bit of re-training. Both Tessa and her older sister, Cassie, had to sniff around where the crate had been and then where it is now, investigating to make sure it's still their home.

Here's the funny part. When I need them to go inside, I just say, "Crate," and they know exactly what I mean. Well, we've had to deal with them going to where the crate used to be. So, very late last night, with the lights out, I'm trying to get settled and the dogs are acting up a little. I call out, "Crate!"

Cassie immediately goes inside the crate, but Tessa goes over where the crate used to be. I call out, "Tessa, crate!" sternly. Well, the next thing I know, she's sitting as polite as can be, right in the middle of the space where the crate used to be.

I couldn't help it. I laughed. She's associating the word with a place, rather than with a thing.

Training to be continued. :}

Then there was the NASCAR race this evening. OH, man. I really thought Jeff (as in Gordon, driver of the #24) was gonna win it. He was in command and then made a bad choice, as he calls it, to go to the outside lane instead of staying on the bottom. A caution later, with just laps to go, he's #2 to Kyle 'bad boy' Busch, and what happens? My #2 favorite driver, Carl Edwards, gets into Jeff's rear and the 24 car goes for a spin. One lap to go. Dang, I just hate it when that happens.

I don't even know where they put him in the finals -- down at 30th or something. He held his place in the top 12, though, so it's not a total loss, but geez. It was his turn to win. I just knew it.

Dang it!

Oh well -- onto the next race, and tomorrow! By the way, added two more articles on my Helium page, so be sure to check those out!

Have a good one!

July 4th, Twilight Zone, NASCAR,and this and that

What a day! I'm zonked, and it's not because we did anything to celebrate Independence Day. On the contrary, I mainly cleaned today, moving things around, trying to clear space.

One of the things I did was to move the dogs' crate, toy box, and water bowl. I actually think they'll like it better where I have it now, but I had to spend some time helping them to adapt to the change. A few treats helped with that ('really, it's the same crate; here, have a treat' - lol).

Along with moving things, which I really shouldn't be doing, but if I don't do it, no one will, I cleared out some junk. Trust me, I have lots of junk. I did achieve my goal, but, yawn, I sure am tired now.

Played around on the computer a bit today and did a few offers. Cashcrate went a bit anal because in my first few messages to try and help newbies, I listed another website. I should have checked the TOS, but didn't so my fault there, but when someone else mentioned it was a no-no, I changed it just to reference my how-to post.

Their actions just reinforced for me how crazy that site is. They are finally adding a few things, I noticed, for the first time in ages, but they really do have 'attitude' there. They gave me a infraction and removed my 'email me for tips' signature. I suspect one of the powers that be there must pose as newcomers to see what folks are sending out, or they just snooped and read the messages, which any site with a message setup can do.

Ironically, I've received lots of good feedback because unlike most tip communications, mine really does take you through the process, step by step. For a newbie, it's what they need. Oh well. It was fun helping the folks, though. I still wish I knew in my first couple of days what is in my guide.

Jeff Gordon didn't do very well in qualifying for the big race tomorrow night, but it's Daytona, and starting position doesn't really mean much. At Daytona, things change every turn. It's wild! He's due for a win, so I'm hoping he gets the checkered flag. If not, I just want another good finish. He's 6th in points now as they get closer to the Chase (the final 10 races of the year that the ultimate champion emergences from), and that's a good place to be.

Also watched some of the Twilight Zone marathon over on Sci-fi. Those never get old. I so prefer the classics of yesteryear to almost everything that is on today.

Published another of my happyfics, a silly thing called "No Yes No" so fan fic folks, check your email!

Onward!

Patrick's Still Got It!

Gotta love it! Just saw this story online and had to share it here:

National Kissing Day 2008 - Patrick Swayze voted top big-screen kisser of all time

• Submitted by: Lawton Communications Group
• Wednesday, 02 July 2008

---

National Kissing Day 2008
Patrick Swayze voted top big-screen kisser of all time

Britain’s all-time favourite screen kiss has been revealed as Patrick Swayze kissing Demi Moore in the 1990 blockbuster film, Ghost.

To celebrate the 13th annual National Kissing Day, its founder Denplan commissioned the survey to ask people to name their top three favourite screen kisses. Second most popular rated kiss was the Disney classic Lady and the Tramp, where pampered pedigree pooch Lady shares a surprise spaghetti kiss with loveable rogue Tramp (36%). In third place was Swayze again, this time with Jennifer Grey in the 1987 blockbuster Dirty Dancing as they kiss in public for the first time (35%).

Swayze’s still got it
Swayze was the clear favourite with the females surveyed, who voted Ghost (50%) and Dirty Dancing (43%) as their top two. The star of both blockbusters, who turns 56 this year, clearly remains a heartthrob for many.

Surprisingly more in touch with their feelings than previously given credit for, men voted for Ghost first (40%), Lady and the Tramp romped in second with 36% and one of the greatest romantic tragedies of recent time, Titanic, received 33% coming in third.

--

entire story is at this website.

Fires, MacGyver, eBay, NASCAR, and SG-1!

Top of the Mornin' to Ya!

Yesterday was a bit smoky around here again. These California fires have been just dreadful. Fortunately, I'm not in the middle of the fires, but the air quality here has been in the red zone for two weeks. I can't imagine what it must be like to live in the thick of these wildfires.

I've been watching the season 1 episodes of "MacGyver", thanks to a good friend who got it for me a while back. It's so nice to see the episodes complete and whole and without commercial interruption. Always loved to see Mac, especially that first year. The opening gambits that they did were wonderful. I hated that they had to stop doing them, but I remember reading at the time how the gambit that had nothing to do with the main plot actually cost as much as, if not more, than the main part of the show, so they had to stop doing them. They sure were fun, though.

My eBay auctions had a little bit of success; sold a few pieces of furniture and one of the coats (sable, I think it was). I'm completely anti-fur since I'm in animal lover, but it belonged to my grandmother or my aunt, and it's just been hanging in the closet for decades. It was time to do something with it. Have a couple other faux furs that didn't sell, unfortunately. There's always next time before they end up tossed.

Today is the beginning of another NASCAR weekend. The big rumor recently has been that Tony Stewart will defect from his Gibbs racing team and join up with the fledgling Haas team. That rumor heated up when Hendrick Motorsports announced that they weren't going to resign Casey Mears at the end of the season. As a result, everyone began talking about Tony joining Hendrick. Can you picture a team of Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, and Tony Stewart? Oh, geez.

More realistically, it looks like maybe Mark Martin is going to drive the 5 car after Mears goes. I really wish Martin would just go home and retire. I lost all respect for him the year he flipflopped from wanting to go truck racing to resigning for a full year again. I know he's well liked and such, but I'm tired of his whining and his flip-flop nature. Either stay home and be the husband and father you say you want to be, or just shut up and race full time.

Hey, gas was only $4.39 when I added some fuel to my car the other day. I was in complete shock -- that was a drop from the $4.52 it had been the last time I put gas in the tank.

Oh, had an email about a pathetic attempt by some of the Jack and Sam shippers to get that supposed 'romance' acknowledged in the third (if there is one) Stargate SG-1 movie. It's so funny. Years ago, there was a highly successful 'Save Daniel Jackson' campaign after Michael Shanks left the series. It was all very public. By contrast, this thing is underground, hidden in a forum that has a warning not to enter and to just go away if you aren't a Jack and Sam shipper. Ridiculous!

These folks are pleading with the producers for their acknowledgment, whining about their years of frustration. Geez, they should think how the Jack and Daniel fans feel. Talk about being brushed aside.

One thing is sure. I have little, if any, respect for the producers of SG-1 because they ruined a wonderful show with their soap opera attitude. However, ole RCC (Robert C. Cooper) has never quite crossed the line. Everything has still been vague illusions and alternate realities. Should he actually cross the line for anything more real, he will completely alienate the J/D fans, and that's a huge part of the fan base. He's not stupid.

As long as there is the hope of making more SG-1 movies, RCC won't cross that line. Doing so, would be the final and permanent end of the franchise. My fear is that if he ever knows 'this is the end' for absolute sure, that he might do it because he is a shipper, sadly, which, of course, is why he ruined a great show. However, they'll lose money if they do it. I know a slew of folks, including myself, who would never buy it if any 'ship' was done.

The one thing I take great solace in, is that everything from the end of Season 8 on is AU. By putting in a fish in Jack's pond, which by canon has never had any fish in it, and by having Jack himself say 'close enough', an acknowledgment that things weren't 100% in the supposedly restored universe, RCC gave us, and himself, actually, a big out. Considering what he did to Daniel after that, I hang on to fish with reverence.

It's all AU! Long live that fish!

That's it for right now. I'm about to revise my 'GPT Hints and Tips' slightly. Hope it's of help to anyone interested. I'm still having fun and thankfully bringing in some cash.

Have a good one!

Review .... Everything!

Hey, guess what I found? A website for reviews. They aren't complicated or involved, but just every day reviews, as if we were all sitting around at the table talking. It's great! The place is called Review Stream. Click here to start writing your own reviews and getting paid!

Don S. Davis, rest in peace

With tears in my eyes, I pass on the news that is spreading like wildfire all over the internet to those in Stargate SG-1 fandom -- Don S. Davis, perhaps better known as General George Hammond, has died. The report says he passed on the 29th.

Don came to Sacramento a few years ago to attend a convention. I was fortunate enough to have lunch with him with some other fans, and later to just stand around and talk with him before we were all leaving. He was a nice, sincere, interesting, entertaining, caring, and friendly person. He generated warmth. We all just couldn't wait to talk with him and get to know him better.

Don has performed in numerous TV shows and movies. Even if you don't know his name and never watched SG-1, I guarantee you've seen him. Check out his credits at the imdb.

Please take a moment and pause to remember a very sweet man.

Thanks, Don. I already miss you!

Stargate SG-1 on Helium

Just another quick note that my latest article on Helium deals with Stargate SG-1 and a topic of controversy -- to ship or not to ship. Of course, anyone who knows me is quite aware of my opinion. I believe ship ruined the show. Anywho, I wrote out a few opinions, and they are posted here --- http://www.helium.com/items/1096186-romantic-relationships-on-television

... and now I'm watching "MacGyver". He's in a tux -- mmmmm mmmmm good! :}

July Fourth Article

Quick note ..... It's a contest, and I decided to do a last minute entry on the Fourth of July. The direct link is http://www.helium.com/items/1095939-july-4th-holiday so go now! lol Tell your friends! Winning, placing, or showing equals cash!

Thanks!

Nascar, Gas, and Saturday afternoons!

Hello World!

I had to work this morning, and I almost forgot my keys. Egads, I only just found them after losing them. What a start to the day!

On the way to work, I noticed that gas prices had actually dropped! Wow! I couldn't believe it. The other day it was $4.57, and today it's 4.49. What did I miss to cause a dip? I'm not complaining, especially since I need some of that fuel, but I was surprised. I'm sure it won't stay at that price, either.

On the flip side, there's Wendy's. Honestly, just a year ago, I could get a combo with drink for $4.34. Every couple of months, the price has gone up. This week, it's up to $5.15. That's a huge jump in less than one year. I really love their burgers and fries, especially the bacon cheeseburger, but I can't afford that. When the price jumped to over $5.00 for the combo a few months ago, I started just getting the burger and a small fry. Now, I'm about to downsize again and just get the value menu fry, which is a dinky thing, but $5.15 is ridiculous for just the burger and fry.

After work, I came home and turned on the end of the Nationwide race; that's the 'minor league' of NASCAR. I was shocked to hear Steve Letarte's voice. Steve is Jeff Gordon's crewchief. Apparently, he was doing a little freelance today as an expert for the broadcast on ABC. While only seeing the last 70 laps or so, the race must have been unusually incident free. Their wrap up lasted an hour, which you just never see on network TV. Normally, they're cutting off the interviews to get to the next show! It was nice, actually, to hear some extended post-race coverage.

I went through my email -- discovered more offers that had verified from GPTCashcow, and that translates to money in the bank eventually. I was disappointed with an email saying my blog didn't quite qualify yet for a sponsored blogger program that I wanted to sign up for. I'm doing everything I can to earn some cash, and doing some paid blogging seemed like another good possibility. When my blog reaches 'of age', I'm going to try again. Wish me luck!

The best part of my regular mail was my check from Global Test Market. That's another survey site I use a lot. If anyone wants to join up, just send me your name and email, and I'll be glad to refer you. It'll get a few points. I didn't realize how much my points there were worth --- it was a really nice surprise.

I'm still struggling with my SG-1 fan fiction muse. She wants to come out, and she's toying with me, but nothing is quite forming yet. Last month when things seemed so hopeless, the muse went into hiding. That hurt, because my fic writing has really been my sanity for many years, and my readers are the best! They are so loyal and true! I hate not having anything new to share with them. It's been a long road, recovering from the depth of despair that I was in. With the future uncertain, it's still hard to move forward, but I am trying, that's for sure. The muse will reemerge! We are both determined!

Now that I almost just choked on a milk dud, thereby waking them up from their naps, the dogs are clammoring for some Mom-time, so off I go!

Later all!

New article, ad promos, and unwanted critters!

Evening Readers!

It's been a long couple of days. I've had an interview to try and get some assistance for survival, and I'm hoping that goes through. Odds are slim, but I am staying positive. My financial situation is such that, when combined with certain physical problems, just make this necessary, or I'm gonna have major problems by the end of the year.

This is one of the reasons you see all the ads on the right side of this blog. They are there because every time a reader clicks on them and either buys or joins up, whatever the case may be, it helps me. I'll be rotating these ads periodically. Please try and use this as a jumping off point for these places; and don't forget to check out my writing at Helium.

Tonight on Helium, I added my position on the subject of whether or not texting is ruining communication. It certainly is popular, that's for sure.

I had a lot of offers verify today over at GPT Cashcow, which is always good news. I hope you've joined, or will consider doing so. That and Vindale Reasearch are the two sites I believe in so much. The Cow is a place where you can earn money and have lots of fun in the forum, and Vindale is a great way to try out products and evaulate websites while being compensated. Their links are on the right side of this blog.

Yesterday, while some friends were helping me to put the garage sale items back in place, we discovered hints of a ... grrrr, rat. Two boxes had been chewed. This is so not good news. I haven't heard anything, though, which is definitely good news. I had to have the pest control guys come out and do their thing today. They'll be back to check it next week.

It's possible the critter hasn't been around in recent times. The gnawing on the boxes appeared to be fairly new, but it's impossible to tell just how recent. I sure hope the little fella is long gone.

I recall as a young girl we had a huge rat infestation, caused by a home nearby where someone had died. When folks went in to finally clean the place out, rats spread out everywhere. It was horrendous. Everyone in the area had problems. Anywho, one rat got in the house and ended up locked in the cupboard with the ironing board. My sister and I actually stuffed little bread crumbs through the holes. What can I say -- we're animal lovers. Yes, it died, but I made sure I wasn't around for that.

During that same time, I'll never forget this one rat event. We fed our beagle, Tammy, outside at the time. She hadn't eaten all of her dinner, though. Well, here came this huge rat. I swear, he looked around, moved slowly, sauntered up to the dog bowl, peeked in, sniffed around, then walked away. A minute later, he returned -- with mama rat and three baby rats. The five of them took their positions on the dog bowl and ate the dog food.

Tammy was never again fed outside! Oh my! It was a crazy scene, but we all stood in the dining room, watching it happen outside.

It took a long time to get rid of all those rats, but we finally did. It was calm until just a few years ago. Apparently, we had a rat or two in the attic that devoured part of the central air piping and whatnot. Fortunately, never saw them. I don't want to, either.

So, apparently, it's rat time again, but I'm hoping he's already gone. I don't intend to spend much time in the garage until after pest control returns next week. Yeah, I'm chicken! Did I mention I recall the time when my mom and sister chased a rat through the house? Happily they closed my door and handled it on their own, somehow chasing the thing outside. Eeeeeewwwww!

On that note, gonna watch part two of "New Order," an episode of Stargate SG-1. I love certain scenes in this one, although it's an episode that triggers the beginning of the end for the series I love so much.

Have a good evening!!

Coats, Anyone?

Hello Bloggerites!

I've spent the day uploading some furniture items for sell on eBay. Most of it is local delivery, so if you're in the Sacramento area you might want to check it out. However, there are also a couple of nice women's coats on there that ship anywhere.

Check it out -- Orrymain's items

More later!

Money, SG-1, Bugs, and whatnot

Happy June Evening!

Happy feet here! I just received my $50 bonus check from GPTCashcow. This was from a special contest to see who could get the most milkshakes in a fifteen-day period. Woo-hoo! Love the extra! What a great way to earn cash. Reagan, the admin, continues to add contests and share the rewards from her site. Check it out, folks! It doesn't take long to achieve some extra cash! I can't wait for my regular check next month. That'll be exciting!

Sitting here watching "Stargate SG-1", an episode called "Birthright." Michael Shanks shines in this one, and he and Richard Dean Anderson are just so funny together. There's a great moment with a power bar that I just can't describe on this blog.

Don't forget to check out my ramblings over at Helium (link is on the right side of this page). My pets as family article is still number one in its category when I looked earlier.

Had a bug infestation in my house and had to have pest control come out. It was driving me crazy. I'll bet I killed twenty of these little gnats or whatever they were. Don't know where they came from or where they've been hiding, but I wanted them gone, gone, gone! Put some frontline on Cassie and Tessa (my dogs), too, just to try and help out a bit.

The fires are the big news here in California, and the fires can't be missed. We've had smoky haze for the last few days. They've been telling people to stay inside. I've been fortunate not to feel the effects, but my sister hasn't been so lucky.

Time to get something to eat and settle in for the evening. Actually, gonna hop back over to GPTcashcow and see if I can pick up a few more milkshakes (they convert to fifty cents each, and they do add up). Wish they had chocolate shakes to go, though!

Have a good evening!

Helium, hot days, and NASCAR

Afternoon All!

Just taking a quick moment to say 'hello' and catch you up on the latest.

I've just added two more articles over at Helium, one on making money while working at home, and the other on reflections of a parent who has died. Please use the link to the right to go to my page and find the articles I've written and visit them. Feel free to let me know your thoughts.

After two days of horrid 100+ degree days, today is looking to be a cooler 95. Oh, I hope. I'm still recovering from yesterday's garage sale.

I'm about to head back over to GPTCashcow and complete some more offers, while watching the NASCAR race at Sonoma.

I'm a huge Jeff Gordon fan, and I'm hoping today will be the day he gets his first win of the season. It was a year ago this week that his baby daughter, Ella, was born, so it's a pretty special time for him. I'm hoping the magic spreads over into the race.

The dogs are outside, barking at something, probably a squirrel. They do love to do that.

Have a great day, and I'll be posting again very soon.