Trick Or Trick Update.

Happy Halloween to goblins, ghosts, monsters, and all my friends here, there, and everywhere.

Last week was kind of a busy week. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday nights and Thursday morning was at Mom's. I made the time there pretty light. We went out for a couple of meals, cooked a couple of meals at home, ran errands, and played a lot of Scrabble. Thursday evening was rest and relaxation. Friday was the movie HEREAFTER and scheduling my new roof.

On the agenda this week is lunch today with Mom and then the trick or treat little ones tonight. Monday is paying bills and doing my books, then dinner out with the family. Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday morning is at Mom's. I am sure one of those days Mom and I will go see the movie Life As We Know It. Friday is my new roof day.

The entertainment update. Much to the Mondo's fans' chagrin Gretchen won Project Runway. It is the third time someone from the Portland-Vancouver metro area won Project Runway. On The Amazing Race the doctors, Nat & Kat, finish first and the volleyball playing team, Katie & Rachael, finished last and were eliminated. On Dancing With The Stars there was a surprise elimination. Tony & Audrina were eliminated despite having one of the highest scores the night before. I'm really hoping that Bristol goes this week.

That is it for the day. The blog is now yours. Let me know what is going on your lives, what went on last week, and what will go in next week. Vent if you want to. Celebrate friends and family if you want to. Celebrate yourself if you want to. And if you have been reading the blog and not posted yet we would love it if you share your life with us.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN.

To help you celebrate here is a link to Halloween jokes:

http://holidays.kaboose.com/halloween-games-jokes.html

Slow Saturday.

This has been a slow day. I've had a really hard time getting going today. I'm usually up and on the move doing things by five in the morning. This morning I didn't even finish the newspaper until nine. Therefore, you are getting the groggy me today. If there are typos and poor wording just remember I am writing this in my sleep.

On sleepy days it always helps to start with a good story:

http://www.oregonlive.com/tigard/index.ssf/2010/10/teens_grow_job_skills_at_supa_fresh_farm_on_durham_elementary_campus.html

I would really like to wakeup by five tonight so I can watch the Oregon Ducks vs. The USC Trojans football game. Sometimes a little reality on a sleepy day can wake you right up:

http://www.oregonlive.com/hillsboro/index.ssf/2010/10/domestic_violence_phillip_hubbard_anastacia_papadopulos_washington_county_courts_nose_jeff_lesowski.html

If that doesn't work getting mad at the way things are in the world can do the job:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/29/money-first-questions-later_n_776135.html

That's all for the day. Your comments are appreciated.

PS

Answers to yesterday's Who Am I were Lian Dolan and Prospect Park Media. The owner of Prospect is Colleen Dunn Bates who is a breast cancer survivor. Before you decide if you want to purchase Helen Of Pasadena you can read the first chapter here:

http://hometown-pasadena.com/talk-of-our-towns/helen-of-pasadena-chapter-1/#comments

Celebrating Authors, Independent Publishers & Books

Today's post is all about authors, books, and publishers.

I'm going to start out with an interesting article about a local bookstore that some of you have visited.

http://www.oregonlive.com/books/index.ssf/2010/10/powells_buys_anne_rices_person.html

Powell's has a really neat rare book rooms in its Cedar Hills store and its downtown store. Never visit Powell's without checking the rare book room!

According to Wikipedia one hundred and seventy-two thousand new titles are published each year in the United States ranking them second among countries in the number of books published. You can read the stats here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Books_published_per_country_per_year

I tried to find out how many of the one hundred and seventy-thousand books published were from first time novelists or first time authors. I couldn't find any official statistics on the subject but my guess is probably not many books came from first timers. I'd bet less than five percent of books published each year are published by first time novelists or authors. I would also venture to guess that most of the books published that were written by first time authors were written by A-list celebrities capitalizing on their fame and not to bring well-written books to the public.

Editor, author, and friend DanRae and I have had a few conversations about books and the kinds of books published each year. Included in the conversations were the number of books that didn't get published that should have been and the number of books published that shouldn't have been. As an editor DanaRae has seen many books that she thought were valuable enough to be published. In a creative writing class that I attended a couple of years ago I was surprised by the quality of writing by writers that will never be published. Both DR & I have decided that if either of us win the lottery we would start a small publishing house and concentrate on two areas: nononfiction books that help others and well-written fiction. With just think there is a thirst for good and helpful literature out there.

As an example of a book that should never have been published but will hit the bookstores Tuesday is the first book written by Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino. Here is an example of the drivel that will be in the book:

"The best sex is often with a grenade because she is so grateful." A grenade is his term for an woman he thinks is ugly. His version of the serenity prayer: "God grant me the stamina to satisfy hot chicks, the courage to deny grenades, and the wisdom to know the difference."

On to books that should be published. In a recent comment section on the blog DR mentioned a manuscript she was editing that was very informative about gangs and had information on how to prevent kids from joining them. Publishers have told her there wasn't a market for it. I also think her "When Someone You Love Has Cancer" would find a market because so much of it is about caregiving and so many are now caregivers. Maybe a title change to "When Someone Becomes A Caregiver" and some changes in the book to fit the title.

If you didn't know by now I am a strong supporter of independent publishers and first time novelists. The rest of today's post is to celebrate one of each.

We can't name the independent publisher that I have in mind to celebrate today because it would give away today's Who Am I? Let's just say I admire both independent publishers and risk takers. This Los Angeles area publisher fits both descriptions. They have went against their history and outside their comfort zone to publish their first novel. I wish them success!

Your comments are appreciated. Since we are celebrating authors, books, and publishers please share your favorite authors and any good books you have read lately.

TODAY'S WHO AM I?

Rather than buy The Situation's book Bill thinks you should spend your money on my first novel when it appears in bookstores everywhere on Monday November 1, 2010. I have a degree in classics and have won many awards co-hosting a popular radio show with my sisters. Unfortunately the radio show went of the air in 2009. I currently write a blog for mothers that has over fifty thousand hits in an average month. I am a writer, producer, podcast pioneer and social media consultant. I write weekly for Oprah.com as a parenting expert. I’m also a mother, wife, and the youngest of five sisters. I often talk and write of everything that goes on in a house with two boys, one man, one big dog and much laundry. My writing has appeared in many national magazines, including regular columns in O, The Oprah Magazine and Working Mother and essays in such anthologies as Chicken Soup for the Sister’s Soul. My TV appearances have included The Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning and The Oprah Winfrey Show. If you don't know who I am you might be able to find my name on Bill's Facebook Friends' List or you could find a HELEN OF PASADENA. That would help answer the question, Who Am I? Extra respect if you can name the publisher of my book.

Whistleblowing & Magic Transportation

The answer to yesterday's Who Am I was the amazing Jane Austen.

Before we get into magic transportation I wanted to share with you an article about a whistleblower that was substantially rewarded.

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/ex-worker-cheryl-eckard-wins-96-million-for-blowing-whistle-on-glaxosmithkline/19691456?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl1%7Csec4_lnk1%7C180523

I was a whistleblower once. Instead of money I quit and got bad references. I couldn't find for about a year which led to me starting my own CPA practice. It worked out for me. When I was a whistleblower I was the VP Of Finance for a publicly held company. The President of the company was in a scheme to take the public company private. He was stealing inventory and using the inventory to purchase shares of capital stock. To make matters worse the company was borrowing from the bank using the inventory as collateral. They would fill out reports listing the value of their inventory (substantially overstated because the inventory that the president had stolen was till on the books) and then borrow eighty percent of the value of the inventory. Signing false reports submitted to a bank is a federal offense. I signed the reports before discovering the scheme. The minute I discovered the scheme I quit, alerted the outside accountants, the company attorney, and the bank. None of them did anything.The banker was in it with the president, the attorney couldn't do anything because of privileged communication, and the outside accountant followed the Enron plan for accountants. Once the banker quit the bank the scheme failed. Within two years of me quitting the company went broke. The person that replaced me went to jail for filling out false bank reports. The president of the company? He started up another dental manufacturing company under another name using the stolen inventory, screwing creditors in the process. Nothing happened to him. Well there was this quote in the local newspaper from a former friend of the president that went something like this "If they found the president in a garbage dump with a bullet in his head they would never solve the case because there is to many people standing in line wanting him dead." Yup that was the man I once worked for. I really wish I would have gotten some money for standing up for my principles but I kept my reputation and pride. That is priceless.

Do you think the whistleblower got to much?

Now the magic transportation. Both come to us from China. First up:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101028/ap_on_hi_te/as_china_eu_driverless_vehicle;_ylt=Asom9DupQyneKsmV0MSGexGs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFoOTVjbTV1BHBvcwMxMjcEc2VjA2FjY29yZGlvbl90ZWNobm9sb2d5BHNsawN3aXRob3V0ZHJpdmU-

Would you ride in a driverless bus? I have to give it more thought.

Next up:

http://translogic.aolautos.com/2010/10/27/magic-bus-could-ride-above-u-s-roads/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl10%7Csec4_lnk2%7C180675

Do think you we will see this in our lifetime?

Your comments are appreciated.

Bullying

One of the hot topics lately is bullying. When you combine the loss of civility with teen pranks awful cases of bullying surface. When parents treat others rudely without any care in the world the children pickup on that and the transition to them embarrassing their peers is an easy one.

Looking back on my teen years I might of been bullied. In high school we had two walkways up to the doors of the school. The walkway on the left was the Junior and Senior walkway. The walkway on the right was the Freshman and Sophomores. Separating the two walkways right before the stairs to the school was a bell. The bell hang down from a really high cement cover. If a freshman or sophomore walked on the junior or senior walkway before their time their were severe consequences. Their pants were removed from them and they were lifted on top of the bell and left their until the janitor had to come get them down. While I will admit to walking on the junior and senior walkway before my time, I refuse to admit of ever being on the top of the bell without my pants.

There is a lot of advise out there about what to do if one of your kids is bullied. The following writer thinks a lot of that advise is wrong:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20101012/cm_csm/331177

I agree completely with the writer that you are not to ignore it. It only makes matters worse.

Her is another view:

http://www.parentdish.com/2010/10/18/opinion-sometimes-its-ok-to-let-your-kid-be-bullied/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl9%7Csec1_lnk3%7C179584

I'm not sure I can agree with this one. I don't think it is every a good idea to let anyone be bullied. That just encourages the bully to not only continue his bullying but to expand it.

What is your take on bullying? Your comments are appreciated and will be read before I go to bed tonight at Mom's.

WHO AM I

I was born in 1775 and died in 1817. My works of romantic fiction set among the gentry have earned me a place as one of the most widely read and most beloved writers in literature. I lived my entire life as part of a close-knit family. I was educated by my father and older brothers as well as through my own reading. My works critique the novels of the second half of the eighteenth century and are part of the transition to nineteenth-century realism. During my lifetime my works brought me little personal fame and only a few positive reviews. My parents were members of substantial families. My immediate family was large with six brothers and one sister. My sister was my closest friend and we both died unmarried. Private theatricals were also a part of my education. From when I was seven until I was thirteen, my family and close friends staged a series of plays. As I grew into adulthood I continued to live at my parents' home, carrying out those activities normal for women of my age and social standing. I practiced the fortepiano, assisted my sister and mother with supervising servants, and attended female relatives during childbirth and older relatives on their deathbeds. Later in life I began to feel unwell. I ignored my illness at first and continued to work and to participate in the usual round of family activities. By the middle of that year, my decline was unmistakable. My physical condition began a long, slow, and irregular deterioration culminating in my death the following year. If you know that ELINOR AND MARIANNE are friend, that should help you answer the question, Who Am I?

Making Heroes Of The Sick & Sick Hackers.

The answer to yesterday's Who Am I was Sara Paretsky.

While I found the following column interesting it really left me with more questions than answers. Do you think we expect ill people to be heroes? Or do you think we make them heroes?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-copen/is-being-brave-in-the-fac_b_769943.html

Sian, DR, and I have all recently been victims of cyber attacks. The following article is meant to be both informative and as a warning:

http://www.aolnews.com/tech/article/five-new-frightening-types-of-cyberattacks/19678404?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl5%7Csec3_lnk2%7C178643

Before you all go out and buy your Halloween candy, I thought maybe you should check out this article:

http://www.thatsfit.com/2010/10/19/halloween-candy-nightmares-10-worst-choices/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl3%7Csec1_lnk3%7C179487

The article didn't do me any good since I've already bought my candy. I always hand out full sized bars. It is cheap security. Every year my house in the neighborhood is the only that avoids pranks like being toilet papered.

Keeping this short as I am at Mom's today. Your comments will both be appreciated and read before I go to bed tonight.

Magic.

I thought it would be good to start out the week with magic. Here is a story about a lady that is bringin magic to other people by honoring her mother in the most unusual way.

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/10/portland_woman.html

What if I told you that other parts of your body besides you mouth can taste, would that be magic? What if I told that lungs can taste and this could lead to better treatments for Asthma would that be magic?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101024/ap_on_sc/us_sci_bitter_lungs

How would like to go for a ride on a magical mushroom?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101022/od_nm/us_germany_hotel_odd

Your comments about anything and everything are appreciated. May this be a magical week for you.

WHO AM I

This week the Who Am I will be celebrating women authors. As a strong supporter of independent publishers and first time writers Friday will be a celebration both..

OUR FIRST AUTHOR

I was born in Iowa in 1947 and raised in Kansas graduating from the University of Kansas with a degree in Political Science. I would later do community service work on the south side of Chicago before returning there to work. I ultimately completed a Ph.D. in history at the University of Chicago; my dissertation was entitled "The Breakdown of Moral Philosophy in New England Before the Civil War." I also earned an MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. I married a man that was a professor of physics at the University of Chicago. I had the same protagonist in all but two of my novels. The protagonist is a female private investigator whose eclectic personality defies easy categorization. She drinks Johnnie Walker Black Label, breaks into houses looking for clues, and can hold her own in a street fight, but also she pays attention to her clothes, sings opera along with the radio, and enjoys her sex life. I am credited with transforming the role and image of women in the crime novel. If you are not sure who I am you should go to GHOST COUNTRY or BLEEDING KANSAS. That will help you answer the question, Who Am I?

An Update On Explosive Odors.

Hope things are going well with everyone, that your past week was better than mine and that next week will be great for you. I'm not sure if I will be able to post everyday next week as there will be a lot of days at Mom. Sis has a cold and the caregiver is on vacation which leaves yours truly. Last week was something like this:

A memorial that was very emotional. A concussion. An email scam. A leaky roof. A gas odor in my house so strong that I called the gas company (it turned out to be a furnace problem). Then I got stopped by the local law enforcement for doing something I never do, talking on my cell phone. I was having a crappy day when the phone rang and it was Mom. I thought that the way the day was going it was most likely an emergency. It wasn't and the cop took pity on me so my driving record is unscathed.

On the agenda this week. Today a little me time as I go out to breakfast with the boys. Tomorrow the furnace guys are coming out to fix the furnace. I'm going to schedule a new roof. Then at least four nights at Mom's and probably more.

The entertainment update. On Dancing With The Stars Florence Henderson went home. I really thought it was a week early for her. Bristol Palin should have went home. However, Florence's partner is just so weird that I wasn't all that upset. On The Amazing Race the annoying Ivy League singers went home. On The Apprentice the men won so Kelly went home. I didn't like her anyway but the bad thing about the women losing is having to suffer the obnoxious David for another week. He is so bad that his teammates asked Trump to kick him off even if the men won. Not in the rules so David stayed. I'm also kind of getting tired of the board room where nobody is allowed to finish what they say because either Trump or their teammates interrupt them or everyone is talking at the same time.

Before closing I thought I would share a couple of articles with you. The first one answers the question that I'm sure you have asked yourselves many times. Does the moon smell like cheese?

http://www.aolnews.com/weird-news/article/astronauts-and-artists-agree-the-moon-stinks-of-gunpowder/19682179?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%7C179688

Are you on a bowling team? Need someone to fill in? Here is the guy. Or the girl. I'm really not sure of its gender:

http://www.switched.com/2010/10/22/earl-robot-bowler-beat-by-chris-barnes/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl7%7Csec3_lnk3%7C179718

The Blog is now yours. Update me on your lives. Fill me in on what happened with and to you last week. Share with me what is on the agenda for next week. Ask me any question you so desire. Post anything you darn well please. The blog is now yours.

Help! My Husband Beats Me! Go Ride The Bus.

The answer to yesterday's Who Am I was a woman ahead of time Donella Meadows.

From previous posts you know that on 10-28 my niece begins as the morning news anchor on Channel 11 from 4:30 AM to 7:00 AM. This is the thirty second promo that will playing on Texas TV before then:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3esAS5O-Yo

My niece is a very cheerful person but I think I would need a lot of coffee to accept this much cheer at 4:30 AM. Am I being to critical? Good promo or bad promo You decide.

This article in Today's Oregonian did cheer me up almost that early:

http://www.oregonlive.com/gresham/index.ssf/2010/10/foster_grandparent_volunteers.html

I love the quote at the end of the article. "It almost seems immeasurable how small it is," Letorneau said. "But to the child, it's such a big step."

Following is an example of an article that I need to drink a pot of coffee before reading because it isn't anywhere near being cheerful. Imagine you have been in an abusive relationship for years where you husband beats you. You finally get up enough courage to call an abusive women's hot line. What do they tell you to do? Ride the bus all night.

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/10/help_for_domestic_violence_vic.html

The sad thing is I don't think Portland or Oregon is the only place this is happening. I'm guessing it is taking place in every city and every state across the U.S.

Your comments about today's post or any post for that matter are appreciated.

Good-Bye Mel.

The answer to yesterday's Who Am I was the very interesting Agnes Baker Pilgrim.

I'm sending my compliments to the cast of HANGOVER TWO. They asked that Mel Gibson not be allowed to be part of their movie. Over the past few years Gibson has made anti-Semitic statements, chauvinistic statements, and been accused of wife beating. Good for the cast for saying we don't want to be a part of what he stands for. Here is the article:

http://www.popeater.com/2010/10/21/mel-gibson-hangover-2-dropped-fired/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl2%7Csec3_lnk2%7C179361

Following is an opinion piece suggesting that the System we live under is rigged for the rich. The author makes some interesting points.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20101018/cm_csm/329606

Following is a column that suggests empathy is dying in the social media world.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-10-20-column20_ST1_N.htm

Do you support the cast of HANGOVER TWO? Is the American system skewed to the rich? Is empathy dying? Your answers and any other comment you wish to make as always will be appreciated.

Who Am I?

I was born in 1941 and went on to become a pioneering American environmental scientist, teacher and writer. I received a B.A. in chemistry from Carleton College i and a Ph.D. in biophysics. After a trip to Sir Lanka and back I became a research fellow at MIT. I also taught at Dartmouth College for 29 years. Among the many awards I received I was honored both as a Pew Scholar in Conservation and Environment and as a MacArthur Fellow. I also received the Walter C. Paine Science Education Award and posthumously received the John H. Chafee Excellence in Environmental Affairs Award. My work is widely recognized as a formative influence on hundreds of other academic studies, government policy initiatives, and international agreements. I was the founder of the Sustainability Institute, combining research in global systems with practical demonstrations of sustainable living. If you are not sure who I am maybe you should think about the LIMITS TO GROWTH or maybe you should go BEYOND THE LIMITS for a GLOBAL COLLAPSE OR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE. Then you can answer the question, Who Am I?

The Long Way Home.

I am much better today but do have still have a little bit of a headache so am resting today. I am not going to write a lot today, just three articles and you can comment on any or all of them.

First up is a column from one of my favorite columnists, Craig Wilson of The USA Today. If anyone told me that I write like him it would be flattery to the nth degree! I have no reason to share this with you other than I like his writing and like me he has more women friends then men.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/finalword/2010-10-20-final20_ST_N.htm

The next article is kind of frightening. Can you imagine how different history would have been if the agent had pulled the trigger?

http://www.aolnews.com/surge-desk/article/secret-service-agent-reveals-how-he-almost-shot-lbj-after-jfk-assassination/19681750?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%7C178943

Last but not least is a law firm that hasn't reached the twentieth century. I can understand requiring a nice pants suit or maybe you could convince me that the firm is OK to require women employees to wear skirts. Requiring high heels is so last century:

http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2010/10/19/secretary-forced-to-wear-heels-trips-on-office-carpet-sues-for/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl4%7Csec3_lnk2%7C179022

Your comments. Off to take some aspirin and rest a little more.

WHO AM I?

I was born in 1924. I am a Native American elder from a city not to far from where Bill went to college and close to one of his favorite towns. When I was born I was brought into the world by a midwife, my grandmother. We were a poor family and survived the depression with no electricity. I would go on to marry three times and have three daughters and three sons who gave me eighteen grandchildren, twenty-seven grandchildren and a great great great grandchild. I am the oldest member of my tribe, and the granddaughter of the first elected Chief of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz. I have had a rich and varied working life ranging from working for the Indian Health Service as a physician's Assistant, an alcohol and Drug Counselor, a Scrub Nurse, a Logger, a Singer, a Bouncer, a Barber in a Jail and a Stock Car Racing Driver. Through my work as an indigenous elder stateswoman I gained international recognition as the Elected Chairperson of the International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers - a group of spiritual elders, medicine women and wisdom keepers. When I was seriously ill with cancer I asked the Creator to let me live as I had lots of friends and family who relied on me and I had a lot left to do in the world. Since my request was granted I have had a transformation and gravitated to a very spiritual type of life. In ancient times, Western Oregon Indian Tribes would hold a ceremony to welcome and bless the returning salmon each year. For 140 years, due to the loss of traditional ways because so many had died on the reservations, the ceremony was not continued. My late husband and I brought back the ceremony. I am now known as the 'Keeper of the Sacred Salmon Ceremony. While studying psychology and Native American studies at the college Bill graduated from I co-founded the Konanway Nika Tillicum (All My Relations) Youth Academy. Later I was approached by The Center for Sacred Studies to serve on the International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers. These thirteen Grandmothers are internationally known Keepers of Wisdom, Medicine Women and Shaman and come from all four directions of the world. The Council has been active in protecting indigenous rights and medicines, promoting ancient wisdom. The Grandmothers have also petitioned the Roman Catholic Church to revoke a 15th Century Papal bull and related edicts which brought about a culture of 'rape and run' culture when new lands have been discovered. The Grandmothers have visited the Vatican City in order to hand-deliver their request. However, these medieval decrees still are yet to be revoked. I believe the International Council of 13 Grandmothers to have not come together by accident coming at the eleventh hour to be "a voice for the voiceless." Who Am I?

At The End Of The Day

Tomorrow and Friday there will be a Who Am I. It hasb een a really long trying and sometimes twenty-four hours. Starting last night here is what my day was like:

I was at Mom's last night and she told me that most likely the caregiver is not coming back. She definitely won't be there the next two weeks because she is going on a long planned vacation. Both Mom & I will be surprised if she is back in two weeks. At the same time my Nephew's last day is Thursday night. That means until we find someone else I will be doing four to seven nights a week at Mom's.

Then when I left Mom's to come home to get ready for the memorial as I was getting out of the car I fell and hit my head and had a pretty severe headache for a couple of hours. I didn't lose conscience and I didn't get blurred vision and my blood pressure was pretty normal so I didn't go to the emergency room. I still have a little headache and am monitoring my blood pressure and making sure I don't go to sleep for more than two hours. If the headache is still there tomorrow I will call the doctor.

Then I went ahead and went to the memorial and it was very emotional. It really wasn't a memorial, it was a viewing and I had never been to one before. I said my peace with Katie but I just couldn't get Mom out of my mind and just had a vision of mom there. I just couldn't get the thought out of my mind that was Mom lying there.

After the memorial I took off to head home and my cell phone rang. It was Mom so I answered it even though talking on your cell in the car is against the law. She wanted to know how I was doing, in the middle of the conversation I looked in the mirror and red lights were flashing. I hung up on Mom without saying good bye. While the officer was getting my driver's license, registration, and proof of insurance the phone kept ringing. Using better judgment then the first call, I didn't answer it. The officer took pity on me and didn't give me a ticket or even a warning. Apparently when he ran my driver's license it came back clean and showed the last ticket I had was twenty years ago. I lucked out and thanked the officer profusely,

Then I pulled over in the next parking lot and checked my voice mail. To say Mom was in extreme panic would be an understatement. She was sure that I had passed out when I disconnected from the phone. Fortunately, I got back to her before she had called out the troops. When I told Mom I was fine she broke down crying. She kept repeating; "nothing can happen to you, I couldn't take, I wouldn't live." I guess I learned how really honestly important I am to her. In some ways that flatters me, in some ways that scares me, and in some ways it feels like to much responsibility.

I'm off to rest now and will return tomorrow with a new blog entry. How was you day?

PS

I forgot the part about getting an email from USPS Global that I had a package to pickup. When I went to the post office to pickup the package I was informed it was a scam they hoped I didn't download the file. I didn't.

Old bread, New Codes, & Honest Boys.

Just a heads up that tomorrow there may or may not be a post. If there is a post it will be later in the afternoon. I am at Mom's tonight and tomorrow morning. Then tomorrow afternoon I have to attend a memorial. My friend Susan's mom died Monday after being injured in a car accident on Sunday. When I actually had an office outside my home Susan's office was a few doors down from mine. I became good friends with her and her husband, who died several years ago, and the friendship has continued. She was the first one to bring a nice food dish over when we lost dad. She has visited mom on several occasions. Her mom was eighty-nine and had Alzheimer's. Susan was an RN and cared for her mom in Susan's home.

What happened in the accident Sunday? Susan paid for her mom's granddaughter, her sister's daughter, to come visit her Mom. They hadn't seen each other for a while. After Susan and her Mom picked up the granddaughter at the airport they decided to go to lunch and take in some Columbia Gorger sightseeing. On the way home back Susan was driving on a mountain road and took a curve a little to fast. The car tipped on its side and her Mom hit her head on the car's window causing head injuries. She died the next day in the hospital.

I'm asking for prayers, positive vibes and good thoughts for Susan. I know they will be appreciated.

Now on to today's post. The answer to yesterday's Who Am I was Val Plumwood. First up, I would like you to know that I don't have bread this old in my fridge.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101018/india_nm/india522760

You are walking down the aisle of your favorite grocery or department store and you hear over the loudspeaker "code yellow, code yellow", and you wonder what exactly does that mean. You can find out by reading the following article:

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/10/13/what-secret-loudspeaker-codes-mean-at-department-stores/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl8%7Csec3_lnk1%7C177421

I really think the boy in the following article is a hero but I waver back and forth on whether or not he did the right thing:

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/police-north-carolina-fifth-grader-takes-pot-to-school-turns-in-parents/19678196?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl1%7Csec4_lnk2%7C178639

How old is the bread in your refrigerator? Are you surprised that bread has been around that long? Are you glad you now know when you hear code brown to duck or code blue to get the heck out of there? The five year-old boy, did he do the right thing?

The Good.

It was sure nice to see Dona, Symply, & Mary Z check in with us yesterday. We are like family here and when any member of the family disappears for a while we miss you. If you haven't posted for a long time please do so anytime, any day, and on any thread.

Today we are all about the Good. First up is the good woman:

http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2010/10/after_hair_stylist_becomes_sus.html

Next up are good teens at work:

http://www.oregonlive.com/tualatin/index.ssf/2010/10/tualatin_high_school_teens_grant_wishes_with_5k_race.html

Now on to good trends in the military:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101016/ts_alt_afp/usmilitarywomenuniform;_ylt=AmRTASrm1adcvwW.Q9vPo3Ss0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFpOXVpc2htBHBvcwMzOQRzZWMDYWNjb3JkaW9uX21vc3RfcG9wdWxhcgRzbGsDZmluYWxseXVzYXJt

Your comments are appreciated.

WHO AM I?

I was born in 1939 and died in 2008. I was an Australian ecofeminist intellectual and activist, who was prominent in the development of radical ecosophy. I was active in movements to preserve biodiversity, halt deforestation and helped to establish the trans-discipline known as ecological humanities. I married a philosopher and separated from him later. At the time of my death I was Australian Research Council Fellow at the Australian National University, and in the past had held positions at North Carolina State University, the University of Montana, and the University of Sydney. I was found dead a day after I died from what was originally thought to be from snakebite or spider bite but my death was from natural causes. In my writings I identified the human/nature dualism as part of a series of problematic, gendered dualisms, including "human/animal, mind/body... male/female, reason/emotion, and civilized/primitive." I argued for abandoning these dualisms, and correspondingly the traditional Western notion of a rational, unitary, Cartesian self, in favor of an ecological ethic based on empathy for others. From a near death experience that had me crawling two miles away from a crocodile I gained a perspective that humans are part of the food chain as well, and that our culture's human-centric view is disconnected from the reality that we too are food for animals. If you aren't sure who I am maybe you should be PREY TO A CROCODILE. Or maybe you should see the connection between FEMINISM AND THE MASTERY OF NATURE. That should help you answer the question, Who Am I?

A Clean & Colorful Update.

One of the reasons that I started Update Day was so that I could learn more about you. I really want to get to know you. Who you are, what you are, what you believe in, and what is going on in your lives. If you haven't posted yet you are missing the opportunity to meet some outstanding women friends. Like DanaRae who stepped who to plate yesterday and offered her help on how to support loved ones suffering from cancer.

Do the words to the song, "getting to know you, getting to know all about you", come to mind? Besides knowing what is going on in your life I also want you to take the following two quizzes. Then I will know your cleaning style and color personality.

http://www.shelterpop.com/2009/11/24/whats-your-cleaning-style/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl3%7Csec3_lnk2%7C178247

I'm an easy breezy cleaner and you? Now what color is your personality? Find out here:

http://www.gagirl.com/quiz/color-personality.html

Here is mine:

Deep Black: "You always get noticed, even though you don't care if you get attention. That's because you naturally ooze charm and sophistication. Black personalities love their solo time and are huge fans of quietly observing others. But... you tend to be a little shy, and people can mistake that for being secretive or antisocial. Let people in on the fact that you're naturally pretty curious."

Some of it is right but I ooze charm and sophistication? Does the charm come from when I tell the telemarketer on the phone that those decisions are made at the office and then give them the number of the local police station? The sophistication certainly must come from when I wear two different colored shoes to the foot doctor.

What is you color personality? Is it accurate?

I really haven't go a lot to update you on that I haven't already shared with you. Next week, sister returns Wednesday morning. Mom seems to be doing really well. Her pain wasn't as intense yesterday. She also has been sleeping a little better. I played three games of Scrabble with her yesterday (don't tell anyone but I lost two out of three), fixed her lunch, and cooked her and the caregiver dinner (cooked dinner= going to Albertson's and getting their chicken.). Looking forward next week to finalizing my letter to the IRS, taking Mom to a movie, a night at Mom's, and some writing.

The entertainment update. No elimination on The Amazing Race. The Father-Son team knowing they were last still finished all their tasks. Their no give up attitude was rewarded when this turned out to be one of the non-elimination segments. On Dancing With The Stars, The Situation was put of his misery or at least us fans were put out of our misery. I'm guessing the order of the next to go is Bristol and then Florence. On The Apprentice the men team stunk so badly that they kicked two team members off. The one I've wanted to go since week one is the very abrasive self-centered David and he is still there.

It is now your turn. The blog is yours. Post whatever you darn well please.

Going Pink To Honor Loved Ones.

The answer to yesterday's Who Am I was Sally Ride.

For today I am going pink. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. Today is all about women. Well not really because men suffer from breast cancer too. One of our good friends dad had breast cancer. Over nineteen hundred men each year are diagnosed with breast cancer. One percent of the twenty thousand annual breast cancer patients are men. That means nineteen thousand women are diagnosed each year with breast cancer. To many of either gender. Today is women's issues with a little men thrown in.

What is Breast Cancer Awareness Month?

http://www.nbcam.org/

What is the history of the pink ribbon?

http://www.syl.com/articles/informationonthebreastcancerpinkribbon.html

There was a ton of information on both those web sites. Pass on the links if you desire.

One of the hard things for all of us when someone has cancer is how we best can support them. Do we even bring up the subject? What can we do to help? We are lucky to have in our midst the author of When Someone You Love Has Cancer, DanaRae Pomeroy. When I was donating my time at a cancer research center we gave the book to the relatives of patients. While it is out of print there are copies available on amazon.com. Here is a link to the page where you can order it:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=danarae+pomeroy

There is also one copy in stock at powells.com. They are also noted for ordering out of print books. Here is the link to the order page:

http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780425151297-2

A reader's review of When Someone You Love Has Cancer: "The author does a marvelous job of taking a compassionate journey through a family that has a member with cancer. This is a book that should be on the table of every oncologist in America. The book is written from the heart by a non-medical professional that speaks to a family in the way a doctor seldom can. I give it a 10."

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month I am going to let today be a day where you honor friends or relatives that suffered from any form of cancer by posting their names in the comment section. They can be those you lost, those that survived, or those currently suffering. No rules other than to honor loved ones.

Besides honoring your friends and relatives any other comments are always welcome.

Kickback Day

Friday is a day to kickback and relax. A day for inspiring and fun stories. The Chilean miners story was one of the most inspirational stories in history. So many facets of the miner's story was inspiring. There is so much we can learn by how the miners survived. One of the most inspirational parts of the miners' story from my perspective is how well they worked together. They united and bonded. They didn't complain or become divided. Instead they put what was best for the group ahead of what was best for themselves. Can we hope that the folks in Washington D.C. will learn from them?

In honor of the miners lets start the day with another inspirational story:

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/10/15/20101015grand-canyon-hike-by-blind-hikers.html

Next is a little bit of an advise story. If you are going to rob Wal-Mart and don't want to go to jail right away then rob it when you are nine months pregnant.:

http://www.lemondrop.com/2010/10/13/woman-robs-walmart-while-in-labor/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl3%7Csec3_lnk1%7C177604

Since the previous story kind of shuts me out, the next story is pretty inclusive. I certainly felt better knowing I wasn't the only one that spent a billion hours on a day or two waiting for the repair guy:

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_16343914

Your comments are appreciated. May this be the start of a great weekend for you!

TODAY'S WHO AM I?

I was born in 1951 and even Bill and Pat have heard of me. I received a BA in English and a Masters and PHD in physics from Stanford. I was the eldest child of parents with Norwegian ancestry. One of my sisters is a Presbyterian minister. I attended Portola Middle School and Westlake School for Girls on a scholarship. In addition to being interested in science I was a nationally ranked tennis player. Before Stanford I attended Swarthmore College. I was one of 8,000 people to answer an advertisement in a newspaper seeking applicants for a special program. As a result I joined the program. During my career I served as an on the ground communicator. I helped develop the robot arm. I would later be the first American woman to be on a crew that accomplished an amazing feat, I was preceded in being out of this world by two Soviet women. I was the first woman to use the robot arm that I developed but I didn't use it on the ground. I married a man that has been in outer space but divorced him after five years. When I left this special program I became a professor of physics at the University of California San Diego and Director of the California Space Institute. I'm currently the President and CEO of a science company that I founded that creates entertaining science programs and publications for upper elementary and middle school students with a particular focus on girls. I have written or co-written five books aimed at children with the goal of encouraging children to study science. I have received many awards including the Theodore Roosevelt Award. I have been inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. I have twice been awarded a special flight medal. I am the only person to serve on both of the panels investigating Shuttle accidents. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver inducted me into the California Hall of Fame. Who Am I?

You & Your Little Red Wagon.

May Theilgaard Watts was the answer to yesterday's Who Am I. I really haven't got much to write about today. Things are happening fast here. My nephew who has been staying with Mom three nights one week and four nights another week took a job in his hometown. He lives about two hours from here and this really is best for him. He can spend more time with his wife and children. We are very happy to have had him as long as we have but we also want what is best for him. We will survive. At the same time the caregiver that quit and then decided to come back for the next two weeks is considering staying on for good. There really was a misunderstanding between her and a nameless someone amongst us. The caregiver was told she couldn't talk about some things which I think hurt her and lead to her quitting. We are in the midst of getting that solved. If she stays on four nights a week then we have to cover the other three nights. I can do one, sister can do one, and Mom can stay alone one night. That shouldn't be to difficult for any of us.

We haven't had a good story for a while. Here is one for today:

http://backporch.fanhouse.com/2010/10/12/high-school-football-player-in-wheelchair-scores-touchdown/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-sb-n%7Cdl5%7Csec1_lnk1%7C177314

I wouldn't call the next story a good story but I kind of think it is a fun story. I had a little red wagon growing up, didn't you? I always appreciate adults having fun and staying young:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_red_wagon_for_adults;_ylt=AvzKtih7feJhXtys2sc_7zus0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNydTVhMDZrBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAxMDEyL3VzX3JlZF93YWdvbl9mb3JfYWR1bHRzBGNjb2RlA21vc3Rwb3B1bGFyBGNwb3MDOQRwb3MDNgRwdANob21lX2Nva2UEc2VjA3luX2hlYWRsaW5lX2xpc3QEc2xrA2FsYXNrYWNvdXBsZQ--

Do you love the car? I think I do. I'm betting when they are out driving around they get more than few people asking about the car. I think they should loan it to a charity that could use it in fundraising events.

Next up is an interesting article but I find it a little troubling:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101013/ap_on_he_me/us_school_lunches

It just seems wrong to me to fool kids into eating healthy.

Any comments you have about anything written on the blog or any article posted on the blog are always appreciated! Off to Mom's for the day.

Taphophobia

I find it ironic that the day that we are watching the most incredible rescue taking place in Chili that it is also Face Your Fears Day. What are the chances that thirty-three men stuck in the ground for sixty-nine days would not only be rescued but be rescued alive? Personally, it would scare me to be underground. I have Taphophobia which is the fear of being placed in a grave while still alive. As each miner is rescued I celebrate them and their strength. The spirit and courage each one of the miners show as they are rescued is truly inspirational and heartwarming. I wish them and their families only the best and that the miners live rewarding healthy lives from now on. May they overcome all their fears.

Now since this is Face Your Fear day the rest of the blog is about fears. Before reading the following article I didn't know Arachibutyrophobia was the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth and can be treated with psychotherapy, relaxation or medication. Did you know that?

http://hot.aol.com/2010/10/13/its-national-face-your-fears-day/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl9%7Csec1_lnk3%7C177226

Do you know what hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is? Ironically it is the fear of long words.

Do you have athazagoraphobia I sometimes fear being ignored, forgotten, or forgetting.

I often avoid the number 666 does that mean I have Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia?

While I don't have Nomophobia I can't help but wonder if a lot of people in today's world fear being out of mobile phone contact.

I am pretty sure I don't have Keanuphobia because I've been to several Keanu Reeves
movies.

When I was in my self-discovery period being wild in the Los Angeles area there were some people that would swear I suffered greatly from cenosillicaphobia, the fear of an empty glass.

I am working hard on overcoming Aviophobia, the fear of flying, but I love clowns so take that coulrophobia. I hope if I someday need an operation my doctor doesn't suffer from ergasiophobia, the Surgeon's fear of operating.

Inspired by the rescued Chilean miners I am off to face my fears. What are you fears? Which ones would you like to overcome? Do you suffer of any of the fears mentioned today?

WAY TO GO CHILI!

WHO AM I?

I was born in 1893 as the daughter of Danish immigrants. I grew up Chicago and later began a teaching career in a one-room schoolhouse outside of the city. I attended college during the summer at the University of Chicago, studying botany and ecology. I graduated Phi Beta Kappa. As a scientist I worked as a staff naturalist. I produced scientific studies as well as flower and tree identification guides. I authored several books and guides that helped nonscientists to interpret the landscape. I described places ranging from backyard gardens to the Indiana Dunes to the Rocky Mountain timberline. I extended my knowledge of the natural world to the public in a column I wrote and also had an educational horticulture program on public television. I led efforts to establish the Illinois Prairie Path on an abandoned railroad line. Maybe when you are done READING THE LANDSCAPE you can continue on with READING THE LANDSCAPE OF EUROPE to help you answer the question, Who Am I?

Health News.

The answer to yesterday's Who Am I was Ellen Swallow Richards

Today a lot of news on the health front. Today The USA Today had a full page of articles on eye care and the improvements that they are making in how to cure different eye diseases. You can read the main article here:

http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/health/medical/2010-10-12-newvision12_ST_N.htm

I'm really encouraged by the article and they strides they are making in health care.

My dad had a stroke. His stroke brought on his dementia full force. I've always resented the doctor that cared for him. We took dad to the doctor on a Friday and the doctor basically didn't do anything even though dad was having signs of a stroke. The doctor diagnosed it as the flu. By Monday my dad couldn't walk and we called 911 to take him to the emergency room. He never recovered and was never the same after that. If only. If only the doctor would have sent him to the hospital on Friday would things have been different? I think so. My Mom has had four strokes. Her mind is still sharp. She has trouble getting around because of physical ailments caused by the stroke but she can get around. She can also do most things for herself. Each time she had a stroke, I was with her. It scared the Holy Hell out of me. However, each time I knew the symptoms and each time I called 911 immediately. Mom got treatment within in an hour for each one of her strokes. Would have things been different if Mom had been with someone else that didn't know the signs of a stroke and didn't act as fast? I think so. I think it is extremely important that all of us here know the signs of a stroke. A quote in the next article "New research is targeting those underserved populations to better spread the word that "time is brain" — the faster you move the more brain you save."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101012/ap_on_he_me/us_med_healthbeat_stroke_care

The article wasn't real clear about what the symptoms of a stroke are so I am sharing them with you. This is from The American Stroke Association. Warning signs of a stroke:

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body

Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes

Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination

Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

In addition American Stroke Association advises you to be prepared for an emergency by:

Keep a list of emergency rescue service numbers next to the telephone and in your pocket, wallet or purse.

Find out which area hospitals are primary stroke centers that have 24-hour emergency stroke care.

Know (in advance) which hospital or medical facility is nearest your home or office.

You are all free to pass on the information in today's blog to your friends, relatives, co-workers and associates. Help spread the word about strokes and how we can minimize the damage from them.

Do you know what dengue fever is? I didn't until the next article peaked my interests. Dengue fever is a virus-based disease spread by mosquitoes. Dengue fever begins with a sudden high fever, often as high as 104 - 105 degrees Fahrenheit. A flat, red rash may appear over most of the body 2 - 5 days after the fever starts. A second rash, which looks like the measles, appears later in the disease. Infected people may have increased skin sensitivity and are very uncomfortable. The following article catches us up on the research they are doing for dengue fever and how they are using the cause, mosquitoes, to find a cure.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101011/ap_on_sc/as_malaysia_dengue_fever;_ylt=AvFbL5vzQKMw5wimNzDCekes0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFlcDVrdWw1BHBvcwMxMTUEc2VjA2FjY29yZGlvbl9zY2llbmNlBHNsawNtYWxheXNpYXRvdXM-

Have a very healthy day! Your comments are always appreciated.

Dying To Celebrate Holidays In Outer Space.

"I hate those holidays that fall on a Monday where you don't get mail, those fake holidays like Columbus Day. What did Christopher Columbus do, discover America? If he hadn't, somebody else would have and we'd still be here. Big deal." John Waters

In 1492 he sailed the ocean blue and now five hundred and eighteen years later we are still celebrating him in the form of a holiday. Today is Columbus Day. Read all about it here:

http://www.wilstar.com/holidays/columbus.htm

Now here is an article you are probably not dying to read:

http://www.aolnews.com/weird-news/article/happy-coffins-make-funerals-less-grim/19656424?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl5%7Csec3_lnk3%7C176695

This comes from sometime poster Snugpug's hometown. I'm not sure what to think about the article except that anything to make grieving easier is just fine with me.

I've met people that thought I was from outer space. I've met people that I thought were from outer space. Maybe there are people out there wanting to send me there. There are some people I wouldn't mind sending there. Now according to the following article we aren't that far from being able to do that:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101011/ap_on_sc/us_space_tourism

The questions for the day. Do you agree with John Waters? (No). Are you going to look into purchasing a happy coffin (No, I'm being cremated.) Would you like to travel to outer space? (Not really.) Would you like to send someone else to outer space in your place. (As long as they couldn't come back the Reverend Fred Phelps and his ilk that protest at soldiers' funerals.) You don't even have to answer the questions today if you don't want to, if you would prefer to just comment on the articles feel free.

Enjoy the holiday and remember no mail today.


TODAY'S WHO AM I?

I was born in 1842 and died in 1911 and am considered the foremost female industrial and environmental chemist in the United States in the 1800s, pioneering the field of home economics. I graduated from the second oldest secondary school in the state where I was born. I was the first woman to be accepted into any school of science and technology. I was also the first female instructor at the college I chose to attend and the first American woman to earn a degree in chemistry. I was a "pragmatic" feminist, as well as a founding "ecofeminist" who believed that women's work within the home was a vital aspect of the economy. I was born into a family of modest means which prized education. I taught, tutored, and cleaned for years, finally saving $300 to enter Vassar College earning my bachelor's degree two years later. After failing to find suitable employment as an industrial chemist after graduation I continued my education. When I entered the new school it was stated "it being understood that my admission did not establish a precedent for the general admission of females" I would have been awarded the college's first doctoral degree but the institution balked at granting this distinction to a woman, and did not award its first doctorate until several years later. After I was married with my husband's support I remained associated with the institution volunteering my services as well as contributing $1,000 annually to create programs for female students. My interest in the environment led me to introduce into English the word ecology which had been coined in German to describe the "household of nature". If you don't know who I am by now I'd be surprised but just in case you should think about FOOD MATERIALS AND THEIR ADULTERATIONS. That should answer the question, Who Am I?

The Angel Dance Update

I don't really have a lot to update you on this week. The caregiver that we thought quit did come back for this weekend and next weekend. Then she will leave. I'm really fine with that because next week my sister and her husband are going to Utah to help my niece relocate to Dallas. If you remember my niece was awarded the morning news anchor position on Channel 11 in Dallas and starts October 28. I have no doubt that I posted this press lease before but an uncle can be repetitive, no? Here is the column announcing her appointment:

http://unclebarky.com/dfw_files/6abd6485c7799c30f21d820816112618-1736.html

Without the caregiver coming back there would have been five nights at Mom's. I could have handled that but it is better that I don't have to.

Last week there was one night and two days at Mom's. Dinner out with the family. The movie Secretariat. Wrapping up recovering data from my computer crash. Fortunately I was able to recover my book. Now I have every darn document on my computer on a stick and have been faithfully backing up whenever I change a file or a document.

Next week starts today with breakfast with the guys. Then tomorrow I am taking Mom to a movie. Tuesday is a family dinner. Wednesday the beginning of wrapping up my IRS problem. First, I amend the return. Second, I wait forever for the IRS to accept it. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are open but I'm sure something will come up to keep me occupied.

On the entertainment front. The mother-daughter team was eliminated from The Amazing Race. It was kind of a touching story because the Mom had given up the daughter at birth when she was a teen mom. They had recently reconciled and decided to compete on the race to get to know each other. On Dancing With The Stars Margaret Cho was sent packing. Now if The Situation will go home this week I will be in seventh heaven. The highlight of the week for me was Michael Bolton's triumphant return on The Results Show. Susan Boyle was supposed to perform but was ill and the doctor ruled her out. Michael Bolton filled in and as you can see by the following video he was amazing. His singing combined with "The Angel Dance" by Jonathan and Anna is one of the reasons I watch this show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCdwitFz4TY

Wouldn't it be great to be able to dance like that, let alone sign like that?

Next up is an update on a story I reported on several months ago. It was about a twelve year-old girl that hid from burglars and called 911 when they invaded her house. The young girl just continues to impress me with her bravery:

http://www.oregonlive.com/gresham/index.ssf/2010/10/troutdale_12-year-old_wants_bu.html

Now it is your turn. I really love to learn about you and what is going on in your lives. The blog is now yours to post anything you damn well please

You're Grumpy But You Still Look Nice.

The answer to yesterday's Who Am I was Faith Ringgold. You can see her stunning quilts at the following link, just click on any title.

http://www.faithringgold.com/ringgold/collect.htm#public

Are you grumpy? If you are over fifty-two you are according to the following article:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101008/od_nm/us_grumpy_odd

I'm having a hard time agreeing with the above article. At work the receptionist and I battled it out for the most cheerful person there. I'm over fifty-two and while I have my moments I'm not grumpy damn it. Are you grumpy?

If I wasn't grumpy the next article would make me grumpy:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101007/ap_on_he_me/us_med_arthritis_toll

Back on my diet. I'm wondering how grumpy not eating is going to make me. Does anything about the article surprise you? I guess the link to obesity surprises me. I can't say for sure yet because I just need a little more time to digest the article.

Enough grumpiness now something that will make you happy. Compliments. You are all intelligent wonderful supportive posters and readers. Now I said that and sincerely meant it. The best part is it didn't cost you a cent. However, check out the following article:

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/10/08/flattery-will-get-you-everywhere-and-now-you-can-pay-for-it/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl4%7Csec4_lnk1%7C176333

Five bucks a compliment. Pretty cheap. Well maybe not. What's next coupons for discounts on flattery? Would you use their service? I don't think I would unless there was just no other way to apologize for something dumb that I had the misfortune of doing.

That is it for the day. I'm waiting to hear if you are grumpy, are going to pay for compliments or are surprised at the relationship between arthritis and obesity.

Have a great weekend!

CPR & Marriage.

Someone passes out in front of you so you immediately start CPR. You haven't been to a CPR class for a while so you do it the old fashion way and start breathing into their mouth. According to the article that may are may not be a mistake but it isn't necessary:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101006/ap_on_he_me/us_med_hands_only_cpr

Now that we helped save some lives Marlo Thomas, Dr. Dale Atkins and I would like to save your marriage:

http://marlothomas.aol.com/2010/09/15/top-10-myths-about-marriage-and-how-to-get-over-them/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl10%7Csec3_lnk1%7C175510

There are a couple of the myths that I think really aren't myths. The last one bothers me the most because it indicates it is ok to at times take your spouse for granted and don't think that is ever a good idea.

Now that you have saved a life and a marriage want to know how to determine if you and your number on person are perfectly matched?

http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/10/05/perfectly-matched-couples-do-this/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl3%7Csec3_lnk2%7C175491

I honestly don't think it is how you talk to each other, I think it is more about how you talk to your spouse and how well you listen to them. But what do I know, I'm still single. Your comments about the articles of the day or anything else on the blog are greatly appreciated.

WHO AM I?

I was born in 1930 and best known for my painted story quilts. Bill has promised be that tomorrow he will post a link to where you can see my work. I have been a professor emeritus at University of California at San Diego. I was raised in Harlem and received an MA from City College of New York. I learned fabric when I worked at mom with my fashion designer mom. I have influenced some of the greatest African American artists. My work is at many museums including Guggenheim. In addition to my stunning quilts I have illustrated seventeen children's books. My writer daughter and I were founding members of the National Black Feminist Organization. I was also a founding member of the "Where We At" Black Women Artists, Inc., a New York-based women art collective associated with the Black Arts Movement. If you don't know who I am by now maybe your should visit TAR BEACH. That might help you answer the question Who Am I?

Injustice.

The USA Today has been doing a series of articles on the justice system. Yesterday the series focused on whether or not prosecutors should be sued. Currently prosecutors have immunity from lawsuits. As it stands now if a prosecutor wrongly goes after you, causes you to lose your fortune defending yourself, and then wrongfully sends you to prison you can't sue him or her. The reason for that is that if prosecutors were subject to lawsuits that might deter them from filing charges against someone and the guilty would go free. What happens if the prosecutors oversteps their bounds and the innocent go to jail?

A quote from yesterdays article, "Short of pointing a gun at a prisoner and pulling the trigger, the prosecutor can get away with just about anything," said Patrick Regan, an attorney for two Washington, D.C., men who spent decades in prison before a court overturned their convictions because prosecutors never turned over evidence that pointed to other suspects. The men sued, but a court ruled the prosecutors had immunity and threw out their case."

You can read the complete article here:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/judicial/2010-10-05-federal-prosecutor-immunity_N.htm

Just a side note, if you want to read the related and previous articles in this series click on "in this series" above the article.

Here is a follow-up to the above article:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/judicial/2010-10-06-prosecutors_N.htm

I read somewhere that the Supreme Court will reach a decision in December. The questions for the day. Should prosecutors be sued? Should the prosecutors have more training? Your reaction to the articles of the day?

PS

The answer to yesterday's Who Am I was Minnie-Jean Brown-Trickey.

Crime & Bad Habits.

I wanted to thank DR for her contributions to yesterday's post. DR is an author and an editor and has researched, written, and edited books on panic attacks. How lucky we are to have such an expert amongst us. She has graciously offered to answer any questions any of you have about panic attacks. If you have questions you can either post them anywhere on the blog or email them to me at williamjdahn@aol.com and I will pass the questions on to her.

Tomorrow we may be talking about justice again but today we are talking about crime.

The following article lists the most dangerous neighborhood in America:

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/10/04/25-most-dangerous-neighborhoods-2010/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-sb-n%7Cdl3%7Csec1_lnk3%7C175324

Leading the way were four in Las Vegas and four in Georgia. I was surprised there weren't any in California, Oregon or Washington. Does anything about the list surprise you?

The neighborhoods that had high crime rates should adopt the game plan mentioned in the following article:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101005/od_nm/us_britain_surveillance_odd

Think you could win a prize solving a crime? I don't think I could but I'd give it a hell of a shot.

Bad habits aren't against the law but they sure are expensive. Check out the following article to see just how expensive:

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/10/01/are-your-bad-habits-costing-you-a-financial-future/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-sb-n%7Cdl3%7Csec3_lnk2%7C175324

If I quit drinking coffee, quite eating, and quit play the lottery I could save over four hundred thousand dollars. How much could you save?

That's all for the day. Thanks for you support yesterday, I feel so fortunate to have you all as friends! As always your comments and thoughs are appreciated.

WHO AM I?

I was born in 1941 and went on to be on of the nine teenagers made famous on 9-25-1957. I was later suspended from high school for dumping my bowl of chili on a white boy who blocked my way in the cafeteria, and then late I was expelled for calling a girl “white trash” after the girl taunted me and hit me with her purse. As an adult I would continue to be an activist for minority rights. I lived in Canada for a number of years and was involved in First Nations activism and studying social work at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario. I received the Congressional Gold Medal, the Wolf Award, the Spingarn Medal, and many other citations and awards. I served for a time as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Department of the Interior responsible for diversity. I have been featured in a documentary and was played by Regina Taylor in one made for television movie and by Monica Calhoun in a Disney Channel Movie. If you don't know who I am by now remember there was a CRISIS AT CENTRAL and you will be HIGH enough to answer the question who am I? Ernest Green knows who I am and you should too.

Am I Dying?

The answer to yesterday's Who Am I was Victoria Woodhall.

I am posting today's entry hoping to help others that may have had the same problem. This is one of the most personal blog posts I've done and it is really hard to share some of my weaknesses but if it helps someone then it is worth it.

It was my parents fiftieth anniversary. My sister was going to arrive from Utah to be part of the celebration. When she got on the plane and the doors shut she kind of went out of it. Thought she was having a heart attack. She wasn't, she was having a panic attack. I'd be lying if I didn't say I wondered why she just didn't suck it up and fly. For a while the panic attacks moved into other areas of her life. There was never any warning of when they would come on, they could happen anywhere. At home, in a grocery store, in a car or in many other areas of her life. I'm really proud of her now because she has overcome the attacks and hasn't had one in years.

Not long after my parents fiftieth anniversary my brother and I flew to Las Vegas for some rest and recreation. We had a nice time. When we got on the plane to go home and the doors on the plane closed my brother kind of flipped out. I talked him down and into staying on the plane. We made it safely home. Again I'd be lying if I didn't say I thought my brother was a little weak that day. But the truth is he was strong just by staying on the plane. To the best of my knowledge that although my brother hasn't flown since he has never had another panic attack.

Stress is like building blocks. A little stress is easy to handle. Then something else comes along and the little stress becomes just a little bigger stress. In the last seven years my Mom has had four hearts attacks and four strokes. Dad had a stroke that brought on dementia full bore. After the stroke dad ended up in the hospital maybe ten or eleven times from falls. The last fall led to Dad's death. I had a cancer scare which lead to the sale of my business. I had a heart scare. I had been to the emergency room so many times during that period of time that I was on a first name basis with the doctors and nurses. I lost a loved pet that had been faithfully at my side for seventeen years. There was a bad investment that I knew was bad but invested anyway to help a relative. The money died. We went through numerous caregivers trying to find a suitable one for dad and then Mom. The economy tanked and my retirement funds took such a gigantic hit that I had to go back to work. The stresses of everyday life didn't help. As a lot of you know caring for an elderly is very difficult and stressful. For me it just never ended, first dad and now Mom.

If you all remember there was a time when Mom tried out an assisted living center to give me a break and free me up to travel. After she was safely in the center I went on two trips. The first trip was to one of my favorite places, Ashland, Oregon. The trip was great. I took in a play, went on several walks in a nice park, and relaxed and rested. The second trip was to the town where I went to high school, Klamath Falls, Oregon. The second trip was a nightmare. Those weaknesses that I couldn't understand about my brother and sister? I found out that I had them. I can even remember the exact moment I discovered that I had those weaknesses. From Portland to get to Klamath Falls you take Interstate 5 South to a cutoff a little south of Eugene, Hwy 58, which goes to a town called Oakridge. Oakridge sits at the bottom of the Willamette Pass and it is a little over half way to K. Falls. I was driving along listening to music, kind of enjoying the drive and just as I entered Oakridge it hit me. I have never known such fear. My whole body shook. My pulse went up. I couldn't breathe. My chest was pounding. I thought I was dying. I pulled over at the McDonalds in Oakridge. Sat in the car and took a deep breath. It went away. Then I had to decide whether I should continue the trip or turn around and go home. I continued the trip. The rest of the trip I wasn't sure if I had control of the steering wheel or if some other force did. The fears kept popping back into my head. After I got to Klamath Falls I checked into the hotel and the fears went away. Until I had to take the return trip home. Then the fears started all over again. All the way home the fears would enter and leave, enter and leave. I did stop a couple of times to rest and take some deep breaths.

When I got home I started doing some research and determined what I had on the road were panic attacks. Knowing what they were didn't help. I started to have them in other areas of my life. I would have trouble at seminars or in movies. Never at home. Never at Mom's. However, I would go to a movie and about half way through the movie my heart would start racing, I'd start sweating, the fear would be out of control and I would have to leave. Went I went to seminars after a couple of hours the walls would start to close in, my heart would pound, the fears would overtake me, I couldn't breathe, and I just couldn't complete the seminars. Some days when I had a seminar I just couldn't get out the door to get to one. We have to have ten seminars in a two year period of time with a minimum of three of them in any one twelve month period of time. I always try to take five seminars every twelve months, it just seems easier. Because of the problems I was having I was only able to do the three in a twelve month period, leaving seven in the following twelve months. With my back to the wall I started trying to figure out how to heal. I read about self-hypnosis. I talked to my sister. I read books about how to overcome your fears. What finally worked for me is doing the same thing over and over again. Each time the fears came on I snapped the rubber band I was wearing on wrist and the fears went away. It also helped that some of the stresses went away. I got a job which helped me recover some of my economic losses. My sister moved up and that took away some of the stress of care giving.

Where I am at now is half way recovered and I think I am well on my way to living a full life with the panic attacks under control. I have went to at least eleven movies and didn't have a single problem. I completed seven consecutive seminars with nary a problem and am even actually looking forward future seminars. I'm still a little uncomfortable with other than short trips on the Freeways but as I extend the trips I am getting more comfortable with the trips. I have to confess that when my uncle and cousin were here I went the back roads to the airport. Next time the freeway!

There you have my gut spilling confession about something I've been dealing with for over a year. Do you have panic attacks? What are you fears? What are your suggestions? Any comments are appreciated.

Booze, Plants, or The Mall?

I found the following article kind of startling. I always assumed that men did most of the drinking. Check out the following article:

http://www.lemondrop.com/2010/10/01/binge-drinking-statistics/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl8%7Csec3_lnk2%7C174720

Maybe because more women are out in the work force there are more opportunities for them to drink. Maybe also in many cases because women are not only the main breadwinner in the family but still have the responsibilities of the households they are under more stress. Or maybe they are just drinking to forget or drinking to be happy. I think the following article gives us a better alternative than drinking to get us happy:

http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/10/01/study-to-look-at-plant-believed-to-lift-moods-ease-stress/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl3%7Csec3_lnk3%7C174708

I'm not sure about eating something I can't pronounce but if it would make me happy maybe I would give it a shot.

You know what makes my happy? Shopping. I am one of those few men that likes to shop. Maybe because I am really good at it. Mom says since I only fill in on the shopping once in a while now that her grocery bill has gone up a hundred bucks a month. Give me a coupon, I'm in seventh heaven. I also like to hang out at malls. Get up early in the morning, do the mall walk, have a leisurely breakfast while reading the paper or a good book, and then take in a movie. A good day. Now the mall has become a place where you can get married at, have a baby there, and even die there:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ac/6885252_for_birth_death_and_everything_in_between_american_malls_expand_shopping_experiences;_ylt=AjdpE4CBum1CM8Mq3PFcLm.s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTYwbW91dDBnBGFzc2V0A2FjLzIwMTAxMDA0LzY4ODUyNTJfZm9yX2JpcnRoX2RlYXRoX2FuZF9ldmVyeXRoaW5nX2luX2JldHdlZW5fYW1lcmljYW5fbWFsbHNfZXhwYW5kX3Nob3BwaW5nX2V4cGVyaWVuY2VzBGNjb2RlA21vc3Rwb3B1bGFyBGNwb3MDOQRwb3MDNgRwdANob21lX2Nva2UEc2VjA3luX2hlYWRsaW5lX2xpc3QEc2xrA2ZvcmJpcnRoZGVhdA--

Your comments about the articles of the day are always appreciated. I'm heading out to the mall and taking in the movie The Social Network. I'll respond to all comments when I return.

WHO AM I?

Because I am a rerun you won't get as many clues. I not only share a first with George Washington as one of each our genders to seek the big prize, I was one of the first Who Am I(s) on the blog. Born in 1838 I became a colorful and notorious symbol for women's rights, free love, and spiritualism as I fought against corruption and for labor reforms. I died in the same year the Bambino set a home run record in baseball. I was part of the common working class fighting against the corrupt business elite. Together with my sister I was the first woman to operate a brokerage firm on Wall Street. My father was a con man, arsonist, snake oil salesman and often a fake doctor. My two brothers were printers but I was associated most of my life with my younger sister. I was married at age fifteen to a real doctor. We had two children, one disabled. I was quoted as saying "To woman, by nature, belongs the right of sexual determination. When the instinct is aroused in her, then and then only should commerce follow. When woman rises from sexual slavery to sexual freedom, into the ownership and control of her sexual organs, and man is obliged to respect this freedom, then will this instinct become pure and holy; then will woman be raised from the iniquity and morbidiness in which she now wallows for existence, and the intensity and glory of her creative functions be increased a hundred-fold." Who Am I?

Religion, Entertainment, & Your Updates

Since I've updated you most of the week on what I have been up to I will leave it up to you on whether or not you want to update me on your lives and just do regular blog entry combined with an entertainment update.

Getting the entertainment update out of the way first. Kicked off Dancing With The Stars was Michael Bolton. Terrible dancer but I still wanted him to stay on because I just don't like The Situation and wanted him to go. Cho and the Thug should go next. Rumors have stated that Sarah Palin, who was in the audience watching her daughter dance, had such a great time that she has told Dancing With The Stars producers that she wants to be on next season. The Amazing Race started last Sunday and I thought it was one of the best opening weeks ever for the show. The women doctors finished first and the movie business friends got eliminated. The Good Wife started last week and a phone call was hidden from the wife that could have changed the entire storyline. I have been trying to watch The Event but have had a hard time getting into it. I do like The Defenders.

Since this is Sunday I am going to share a couple of articles about religion today.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101002/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_druids_recognized;_ylt=AgyURQwQwPLa36CbBQQ.dnWs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFpcDNwZ2lyBHBvcwMzNwRzZWMDYWNjb3JkaW9uX21vc3RfcG9wdWxhcgRzbGsDZHJ1aWRzcmVjb2du

Druids are now an official religion in England. I really didn't know what Druids were until I read the article. Do you agree with the decision to accept Druids as a religion? I'm not sure how I lean, I think I need more information before agreeing or disagreeing.

I was kind of surprised at the following article. It seems we really don't know much about religion. And who knows the most? Atheists and agnostics. You can read the article here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100928/ap_on_re/us_rel_religious_literacy_poll

I took the quiz and got an embarrassing sixty percent. At the end of the article is a link to the quiz, take it if you want but if you take it you have to tell me your score. I told you mine, you tell me yours.

If the link in the article doesn't take you to the quiz then try the following link:

http://features.pewforum.org/quiz/us-religious-knowledge/

Questions and assignments for the day: Update me on your life, Share your thoughts about the entertainment world, =tell me how much you know about religion, and answer the question, should Druids be a religion?

Strange Saturday

The answer to yesterday's Who Am I was Yoshiko Uchida.

I wanted to continue the light news of yesterday so labeled today Strange Saturday. I was kind of worried about finding enough strange stories to share. Not a worry. Now I am having trouble deciding which strange stories to share. I eliminated the story about the woman that fought off a bear with a zucchini because it has already been told in several other places. I didn't really get past this headline to read the story: "Viagra in rats slows jet lag." I mean flying rats with woodies just might not by appropriate for the blog. I also ignored in your pants arrest stories. One man was arrested for hiding string cheese in his pants. Now if he would have gotten together with the guy who got arrested with chicken wings in his pants they might have had a good dinner.

I decided to go with a boat ride. One that I most likely will not be taking:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1316517/Ice-boat-sinks-sea-BBC-presenters-ship-melts.html

Because of most of today's stories today are short I'm going with more than three today. The following two stories are self-explanatory:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39445945/ns/us_news-weird_news/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39425369/ns/us_news-weird_news

I kind of feel a little empathy for the following story.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101001/od_nm/us_cereal_sexline

For me the rest of today is lunch with Mom and then off to do her grocery shopping. Afterwards I will be participating in one of my occupations, future lottery winner. Then it will be continuing the recovering the data process from my computer crash. I want to be done by five so I can watch the football game between the undefeateds, The Oregon Ducks vs. The Stanford Cardinals.

Your comments are wanted, welcome, and always appreciated. Hope your day is filled with fun tasks and happy events.

Another Fun Friday.

We need a break from serious subjects so today we are having our second consecutive Fun Friday.

There really is nothing more fun than not letting a valet park you car. According to the following article we will no longer have to worry when that valet squeals away from the curb:

http://www.switched.com/2010/09/29/robotic-garage-eliminates-parking-and-subsequent-aimless-wanderi/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl5%7Csec3_lnk1%7C174156

Fairy tails are always fun. One of my favorite fairy tales was Goldilocks & The Three Bears. The following article states that while Goldilocks may be out of this world she is also down to earth.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100930/ap_on_sc/us_sci_new_earths;_ylt=AlIEwN1sCVI_5388CRXxrbSs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNsdWhocTc1BGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwOTMwL3VzX3NjaV9uZXdfZWFydGhzBGNjb2RlA21vc3Rwb3B1bGFyBGNwb3MDOARwb3MDNQRwdANob21lX2Nva2UEc2VjA3luX2hlYWRsaW5lX2xpc3QEc2xrA2NvdWxkZ29sZGlsbw--

I don't really know whether to laugh or cry at the following story. Certainly it wouldn't have been boring to be in this judge's courtroom.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/sep/27/complaint-details-allegations-misconduct-against-j/

Your comments are always appreciated.

WHO AM I?

I was born in 1921 and died in 1992. I am most known for my writing. I was born in America the daughter of immigrants. After my early graduation from high school I went to the University of California. During my senior year in college Pearl Harbor was attacked. Soon after all those on the West Coast of my nationality were rounded up and imprisoned in internment camps. Thousands, regardless of their U.S. citizenship, lost their homes, property, jobs, civil liberties and human dignity. My family was not spared. We were interned for three years, first at a racetrack in Califirnia and then in Utah. In the camps, I taught school and had the chance to view not only the injustices which the Americans were perpetrating, but the varying reactions of Japanese Americans towards their ill-treatment. In 1943 I was accepted to graduate school at Smith College in Massachusetts and allowed to leave the camp. Over the course of my career I published more than thirty books, including nonfiction for adults and fiction for children and teenagers. I became widely known for my autobiography. I am quoted about my writing, "I try to stress the positive aspects of life that I want children to value and cherish. I hope they can be caring human beings who don't think in terms of labels--foreigners or Asians or whatever--but think of people as human beings. If that comes across, then I've accomplished my purpose." I was a PICTURE BRIDE and had A JAR OF DREAMS. If you still don't know who I am, I can loan you my BRACELET. Who Am I?