Support the USA

Wasn't it last Christmas that Target refused to let the Salvation Army ring their bells in front of their stores?

Dick Forrey of the Vietnam Veterans Association wrote:

"Recently we asked the local TARGET store to be a proud sponsor of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall during our spring recognition event.

We received the following reply from the local TARGET management:

" Veterans do not meet our area of giving. We only donate to the arts, social action groups, gay & lesbian causes, and education."

So I'm thinking, if the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall and veterans in general, do not meet their donation criteria, then something is really wrong at this TARGET store. We were not asking for thousands of dollars, not even hundreds, just a small sponsorship for a memorial remembrance.

As a follow-up, I E-mailed the TARGET U.S. Corporate Headquarters and their response was the same.

That's their national policy.

Then I looked into the company further.
They will not allow the Marines to collect for 'Toys for Tots' at any of their stores.
And during the recent Iraq deployment, they would not allow families of employees who were called up for active duty to continue their insurance coverage while they were on military service. Then as I dig further,

TARGET is a French-owned corporation .

Now, I'm thinking again. If TARGET cannot support American Veterans, then why should my family and I support their stores by spending our hard earned American dollars!

And, have their profits sent to France.

Without the American Vets, where would France be today?

"They, most likely would be speaking German and trading in Deutsch Marks"

Sincerely,
Dick Forrey
Veterans Helping Veterans

(This was sent to me in an e-mail. Check it out. If you are interested, copy it and plug it into an email and forward it on.)

Having Problems With Landlords?

In the State of Texas there are protections for tenants in dealing with difficult landlords. You just have to know what you are doing.

If you are having problems, start now documenting everything. That includes keeping a copy of every letter you send, every conversation you have, lots of pictures, repairs requested, repairs not made, etc.

I have another blog dedicated to Texas Tenant's Rights.

I had a very difficult landlord who refused to make repairs over the space of 1.5 years. Due to his negligence, I was bitten by a venomous spider and spent time in the hospital, and lost wages.

Fortunately, I have a plethora of evidence, and have become well educated on how to deal with a difficult landlord. I'm taking this landlord to small claims court, suing for $9,995.00. Of course, he is counter-suing.

If you would like to go through my journey with me, check out my new blog dedicated to this issue. Again, you can find the link on the side of this blog, Let's Talk About Texas Tenant's Rights.

My Sweet Puppy -- Maxx

My sweet little puppy -- I should say, he's 90 pounds of pure white fluff, and 10.5 years old. Maybe not so much a little puppy, but so very sweet.

I want to tell a story on him. Last spring break (3/07) my youngest son and I went to Florida leaving my puppy in the capable, kind hands of my neighbor. She also had a dog and worked as a home care provider for animals. Very qualified. I never worried once about Maxx being in her care.

What I did worry about was how Maxx would respond with us being gone. Before we left, he would eat hard food from his bowl. Always had. I left bones for Ashley to give to Maxx, and his pills for the arthritis in his hips and legs.

We were gone ten days. We had a great time. Not so good for Maxx. When we got home Maxx was not eating, and hadn't the entire time we had been gone, except for the bones Ashley had given him.

For the following three weeks, he continued his fast. Until, he began throwing up bile. It was no longer a matter of who was in control here - me or my puppy. He had to eat. So, I bought soft food, he wouldn't touch it. Then I tried canned dog food and put it in a bowl, thinking he would eat.

No. He turned his nose up at that too. I had one option left. Hand feeding. Since April 2007, I have been feeding my sweet little puppy canned dog food (which, by the way, he changes his tastes on an almost daily basis), from a fork. Not just any fork. It had to be a plastic fork. He didn't like the feel of a metal fork in his mouth, so plastic it was.

There is a picture of him on the side. Imagine a 90 pound Great Pyrenees 10.5 year old dog eating off a plastic fork! Needless to say, there won't be any more vacations for quite awhile - unless of course, we can take my puppy along.

As he has gotten older, he has become even more particular about what he will and will not do. This morning was a great example of that.

It has been raining for the last four days. He will not go outside in the rain. If it's a small sprinkle, that doesn't bother him, but this morning it has been anything but a small sprinkle. He sits in front of the window and looks outside, barks at whatever seems to catch his attention, lays down, goes to the window again, and may even go to the door.

I've opened the door for him to show him the rain pouring down, and he will simply walk away. Now, you should understand he has a fur coat so thick it would keep any rain from getting to his skin, but, no, he won't go outside. He won't step in the puddles, and he doesn't like the rain in his face.

I can't say I blame him. I don't like it either, but today I had to go to work. But, I couldn't go. So, I had to call in. What could I tell them but the truth.

"I can't come in today because my dog won't go outside in the rain."

You should have heard the laughter on the other side of the phone. I'm so glad my circumstance was the source of so much joy.

It's a day of lost wages. I can make up the money. That's not what's so important. Taking care of my sweet little puppy. At his age, I never know when his last day is going to be, and he's been a part of my life since he was six weeks old.

Then there's the way he looks at me. He has these deep pools of black eyes. He sits in front of me and implores me to read his mind - and somehow I do. We communicate so easily. Who could possibly look in his face, his eyes, and not want to hand feed him with a fork?

Presidential Election - BEFORE You Vote --

From Dreams of My Father:'I ceased to advertise my mother's race at the age of 12 or 13, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites.'

From Dreams of My Father : 'I found a solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mother's race.'

From Dreams of My Father:'There was something about him that made me wary, a little too sure of himself, maybe. And white.'

From Dreams of My Father: 'It remained necessary to prove which side you were on, to show your loyalty to the black masses, to strike out and name names.'

From Dreams of My Father:'I never emulate white men and brown men whose fates didn't speak to my own. It was into my father's image, the black man, son of Africa , that I'd packed all the attributes I sought in myself , the attributes of Martin and Malcolm, DuBois and Mandela.'

And FINALLY the Most Damning one of ALL of them!!!

From Audacity of Hope:'I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.'

* If you have never forwarded an e-mail, now is the time to Do so!!! We CANNOT have someone with this type of mentality running our GREAT nation!! I don't care whether you a Democrat or a Conservative. We CANNOT turn ourselves over to this type of character in a President. PLEASE help spread the word.

Ethics Test

I recently came across this ethics test given to a group of high school students. The questions are straight forward, and should be simple enough to answer. Did you note the key word there, "simple"?

Here are the questions:

1. Would you sell a story to the tabloids for $5,000,000.000, knowing it will ruin the life of a celebrity you don't know personally? YES / NO

2. Would you receive too much change from the Wal-Mart clerk; would you return the money to her? YES / NO

3. Do you agree with the following statement? "If drugs were legal, I'd totally do them." YES / NO

4. You accidentally run over a litle dog with your car. Do you:
Keep driving;
Contact the owner and explain the situation;
Contact the owner, but say somebody else did it;

5. Your best friend tells you they stole $10,000.00 from a charity. Do you turn them in? YES / NO

6. Do you agree with the following statement? "It's okay to steal from huge corporations, because they're inherently dishonest themselves." YES / NO

7. Would you exaggerate your losses on an insurance claim? YES / NO

8. You have the opportunity to obtain the answers to a test in your most difficult class. YES / NO

9. You find out that your friend cheated on a test, would you turn them in to the teacher if there was no possibility of them finding out? YES / NO

10. You work for a business and have an employee discount at that business. Your friend comes in and asks you to purchase a product for him/her using your employee discount. Would you make that purchase? YES / NO

How do you think your student would respond to these "simple" questions? The test I came across, and I'm not going to tell you who the test belonged to, revealed the following answers:

1. YES
2. YES
3. NO
4. Contact the owner and explain the situation;
5. NO
6. YES
7. YES
8. YES
9. NO
10. YES

I found the responses interesting. When I questioned the respondent as to the answers, I was told, "It was all a joke."

I'm sure the teacher asked the students to consider the questions because of the ethics involved. The students were not to turn the papers in, and evidently there was no class discussion. Maybe, there should be a semester specifically on ethics.

If students don't learn ethics at home, and school is their next primary environment, perhaps - as the above answers indicate - ethics have not gotten a home in some high school students heads.

Perpetuity

The Internet is a wonderful tool. Used properly it can be a great resource and, the benefits can be enormous as a tool for income.

But, if you forget, or don’t recognize that whatever you put on the Internet is always, and I do mean always, it can and will come back to haunt you. Not in the supernatural way, of course, however, it can be just as haunting.

In my own naiveté, as a newbie on the Internet, and I confess to just not considering what I was doing, I have placed things on other peoples web sites, and they are coming back on me now. I have asked that they be removed, but, to no avail. It would seem when my name is now Googled, their sites are now coming up and that makes it good for them.

It is unfortunate for me, but it is what it is.

I am learning an excellent lesson here. Not only am I using more wisdom on what I place on the Internet, but, I am using more discretion on where I place what I write. As a writer that limits my venues, but it also makes me more discerning on my choices.

I have also discovered that I am not the only “Debby Willett” in the world. Who knew?! One is a realtor, one is a belly dancer, one is a college teacher, and I’m not exactly sure about the others. It has been an interesting search.

I have considered changing my name. To what exactly I’m not sure, and that may seem a little extreme.

So, my warning to you, as you surf the web and leave messages, or pictures, here and there. Consider how you may feel two years from now, or even five years from now. Will you still have the same opinions? Or even more, will you want the world to read what you wrote five years ago, not realizing that the seemingly innocuous message you are writing now, will be available for perpetuity. That is, forever, and ever. It will never go away. Someone at one point may Google your name, or your picture, and it will come up.

That may not be your concern now, but your concerns will change as you get older. I guarantee it. When you do, as I am now reconsidering what I wrote then, I wish I could go back and change it, or even better, just delete it.

Hate Mail

I received in the mail today my first piece of hate mail.

It was rather benign -- but still, I would classify it as hate mail. This is how it read:

"THEY ARE CALLED THE RAT (underlined)
PACK,,,,,NOT THE BRAT (underlined) PACK

LOOKS LIKE YOU NEED TO DO A
LITTLE MORE RESEARCH"

There was no signature and it was delivered in a plain #10 envelope with simple computer printed address, that was outdated and the post office had to forward it to me.

There was also no reference to what the writer was referring to, and the most important, there was no signature. That makes the writer, a COWARD.

If you really believe in the conviction of what you are writing, have the strength, the intestional fortitude, the guts, to put your name to it. Or else, your opinion really doesn't have much merit.

Not only that, this writer doesn't understand the use of ellipsis. When writing,
"THEY ARE CALLED THE RAT
PACK,,,,,NOT THE BRAT PACK,

the writer should have written,
"THEY ARE CALLED THE RAT
PACK, NOT THE BRAT PACK.

Ellipses are reserved for text, "to indicate an omission or suppression of letters or words (Dictionary.com)."

The second sentence:
LOOKS LIKE YOU NEED TO DO A
LITTLE MORE RESEARCH

The writer didn't pay any attention to the indent of the first line or the punctuation, again.

If you want to send me hate mail, please be accurate, and at least reference what you are talking about. Sending me an anonymous letter with poor punctuation and no indication of what you are referring to does no good to get my attention other than to tear your letter apart.

Comments

I covet your comments.

Really I do. If you have read anything I have posted and want to make any comment regardless of whether you liked what I posted, or disliked what I posted, I covet your comments.

However, please don't send your comments to my email addy. They WON'T be opened. Your comments must be made on this blog only. If you have the conviction of your opinion, then put them on the blog.

Those of you who have sent emails to my personal addy, I apologize. But, I have had far too many viruses, and I am avoiding them like the plague.

If you post your comments on my blog, I will read them, and if you want me to respond, I will. Simply leave me with an addy.

Random Thoughts

The article below was written by syndicated columnist, Thomas Sowell, a black man. He wrote it in a humorous way this past week in a column titled "Random Thoughts" and published it in newspapers nationally, so maybe you've already seen it. If not, be my guest:

Senator John McCain could never convince me to vote for him. Only Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama can cause me to vote for McCain.

After long and serious thought, I have decided to endorse Senator John McCain for President.

I have always voted for the person and have not voted for anyone because some political party was telling me who I should vote for.

We all know the choices by now and, that said, I do believe that the process of selecting a chief executive is deeply flawed. The words "money" and "special interests" come to mind, among many others.

Here's the way I see it:

Barack Obama, you are a fine public speaker. You are also an extremely liberal Senator from the State of Illinois, which has a long and rich history of political corruption of the first magnitude. You are indeed a child of that system.

You have finally insulted my intelligence far beyond my capacity to tolerate your insults. It has nothing at all to do with your skin color.

As a matter of fact, it would be so COOL to finally have an African-American for President. What a great statement that would be to the entire world that we are indeed the greatest country on earth!

But, unfortunately, General Colin Powell is not running, and YOU are NOT the man for this job!

Barack baby, you want me to believe that you have never heard the sermons of your own pastor, the Right Reverend "God Damn America" Jeremiah Wright. It is a matter of record that this has been your church for over 20 years. It is a matter of record that you were married there by this very pastor, and that your children were baptized there.

The good Reverend saw fit to visit Khadafy in Libya with you and to give a lifetime achievement award to Louis Farrakhan, of all people.

We have all now seen excerpts of his sermons all over the airwaves by now. And you have publicly stated that this man IS your "spiritual mentor."

BUT, your pastor is NOT the reason I am NOT voting for you. His words were disturbing enough, but it is your own HUGE church congregation, seen jumping, hooting and howling to his words in the background that disturb me the most. And please don't tell me you attended church there and never once heard a "discouraging word" in the 20 years you attended there.

Don't tell me, that in addition to the good reverend, that you are now not having anything to do with all those other people seen hooting and howling out in the audience in the background of his fiery tirades.

Even Oprah Winfrey got disgusted and walked out on your campaign. I am no Oprah fan, but still she did the right thing.

Now you look me in the eye and ask me to believe that you never heard such language in all the years you attended there! This is like me telling you that I attended dozens of Klan rallies and never once heard the "N" word.

Yep. And Bill Clinton "did not inhale."

Yes, Mr. Obama, we all have friends who have said stupid things that embarrassed us, but NOW you have asked me to believe something that is so incredibly stupid that you are telling me that I am just stupid enough to believe you. THAT is the main reason that I will never vote for you.

I am deeply sorry, that in a country teeming with enormously talented African Americans who would make a good President, that the political system has chosen YOU. You are a pathetic and plastic excuse for an American, who will not even salute the flag during the Pledge of Allegiance. God forbid you ever get near the Oval Office.

Which leaves us with Senator John McCain.

John, you are a flawed man. You are a bit old, a bit loony, and you have a notoriously bad temper. This perfectly qualifies you, in my humble opinion, to lead us for the next eight years. I WANT your trembling hand on the nuclear button.

Think about it.

We have Kim Jong IL, Chavez and Ahmadenijad all running around like lunatics, threatening America and threatening to plunge the world into nuclear Armageddon. We have Putin and the Chinese blustering and rattling their sabers at us. I want John McCain in the Oval Office and I want him to be really ticked off at all these other nut jobs around the planet.

John, once you are elected, I want you to go into the Oval Office and throw one of your perfect FITS. Jump up and down and throw something through a plate glass window. Rip the drapes down and foam at the mouth a bit.

And I want the whole thing on camera so that Ahmadinejad can see it. I want ALL of these "world leaders" to lay awake at night and to break out in a cold sweat every time they think of messing with the United States of America.

I want the nuclear button sitting right next to the alarm clock on your night stand. I want pictures of this to be sent to Iran, Russia, China, Venezuela, Cuba, Libya, Syria, Pakistan, and those other dopes in the sheets, the Saudis.

On the domestic front, poor John did try and reach across the aisle to the opposition in a desperate effort to compromise and to get the Congress to do something. You may not agree with his efforts, but at least he TRIED.

For all his efforts, all he got handed to him was his head in a basket.
The liberals are ticked at him and the conservatives are ticked at him. Just my kind of guy.

I predict that John will select Senator Joe Lieberman as his running mate. Good choice. I want a Jew whose memory of the Holocaust is still fresh in his mind and who is royally ticked off at all of these towel-headed morons in the Middle East to be the next in line if something should happen to John. Shalom, Vice President Joe. One heartbeat from the Oval Office.

Finally. John McCain knows on a most personal level what it is to suffer horrible torture for years and to see others die, right in front of you, for their love of America. When you ask him about it, he will tell you that what he did was "nothing special."

Even more incredibly, he states that ANY American who truly loves his country would do exactly the same as he did in that situation. You and I will have a hard time believing that, but the real point is that John McCain believes that about the "average American," and that, dear friends and neighbors, is why I will cast my one poor ballot for on election day for John McCain -- warts and all."

Do You Know Where Your Gold Jewelry Comes From?

I read something today that has startled me so much I am ready to bury every piece of gold jewelry I own. That's right. Bury it. Not sell it, not melt it down, not give it away -- just bury it.

There is an article written by AP journalists, RUKMINI CALLIMACHI AND BRADLEY S. KLAPPER, that details the life of children who mine for gold in the three west African countries. Some of these children are as young as four years young.

The title of their article, AP IMPACT -- Kids working in African gold mines, is searchable and easily found. I hope you take the time to find it and read it and then do the right thing.

Don't buy any more gold.

Don't sell the gold you own.

Don't wear it, and don't melt it down. Don't give it away. Just put it so far away in your closet that you will never remember where it is.

These children - perhaps you have a four year old child at home - are being exposed to liquid mercury to fetter out the gold from the mud. They are inhaling the fumes from the mercury and their lungs and their skin are being irreversibly damaged.

Is your gold jewelry worth a child's life?

This is not the time to be passive. This is not the time to sit back and say, "Let someone else step up to the plate and do something."

This is YOUR time. Save these children. Stop buying gold.

Integrity

Integrity. Defined by The New Merriam-Webster Dictionary as a strict adherence to a code of incorruptible values, the honesty of which is completely undivided.

When it comes to people, it's very difficult to expect that kind of adherence to a code of incorruptibility of values. We are, after all, human and subject to weakness. That doesn't excuse a lack of integrity, it simply give a reason why a person's character may be lacking.

However, when it comes to business, integrity becomes so much more important. A business must always run with the highest degree of integrity. When a word is given, regardless of the cost, that word must be followed through. Integrity should be the mainstay of any business, if not, the business will surely begin to suffer. Integrity begins at the top and flows all the way to the bottom, whatever that may be. The integrity of the staff will only be a reflection of the integrity of the leadership.

It's interesting, how comparisons can be made across so many different venues: politics, business, relationships, and even employment. Character of a business is a direct reflection of the character of the people employed. If the business doesn't follow through with a sound adherence to a code of values (INTEGRITY), it certainly cannot expect employees to have a better adherence to a code of values (INTEGRITY). It's the trickle down method, and it works.

ONE MINUTE EACH NIGHT

I received this in an email earlier this evening. As Christians we need to be more aware than ever before what the consequences of this election will mean if the wrong candidate is put in the White House.

Please, take a moment and read this, and feel free to copy and paste and this post and email it on. Thank you.

“Received this from some friends...not only is it biblical, it is something we all can do.
No curse if you don't pass it on; no promised blessings if you do; just a suggestion.”

ONE MINUTE EACH NIGHT.... 9:00 PM Eastern Time.

“Received from a friend and it is true, this is the scariest election we as Christians have ever faced and from the looks of the polls, the Christians aren't voting Christian values. We all need to be on our knees.

Do you believe we can take God at His word? Call upon His name, then stand back and watch His wonders to behold. This scripture gives us, as Christians, ownership of this land and the ability to call upon God to heal it. I challenge you to do so. We have never been more desperate than now for God to heal our land. This election is the scariest I remember in my lifetime!

2 Chronicles 7:14 -- “If my people, which are called by My name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

“During WWII, there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every night at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace. This had an amazing effect as bombing stopped. There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America. The United States of America and our citizens need prayer more than ever!!!”

“If you would like to participate, each evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central, 7:00 PM Mountain, 6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States: our troops, our citizens, for peace in the world, the up-coming election, that the Bible will remain the basis for the laws governing our land, and that Christianity will grow in the U.S.”

“If you know anyone who would like to participate, please pass this along.”

“Someone said if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have.”

“Thank you. Please pass this on to anyone whom you think will want to join us.”

Would You Hire Me?

If I only had 143 days of experience:

Would you hire me to fix your car?

Would you hire me to run your company?

If I only had 143 days experience would you hire me to run the country?
Something America might want to think about.

Just how much Senate experience does Barack Obama have in terms of actual work days?
Not much.

From the time Barack Obama was sworn in as a United State Senator, to the time he announced he was forming a Presidential exploratory committee, he logged 143 days of experience in the Senate.

That's how many days the Senate was actually in session and working.

After 143 days of work experience, Obama believed he was ready to be Commander In Chief, Leader of the Free World, and fill the shoes of Abraham Lincoln, FDR, JFK and Ronald Reagan.

143 days -This isn't taking into account the days he has missed.

In contrast, John McCain's 26 years in Congress, 22 years of military service including 1,966 days in captivity as a POW in Hanoi now seem more impressive than ever.

At 71, John McCain may just be hitting his stride.

Think about IT!!!

(This was sent to me by email -- please feel free to copy and paste and send this post on.)

My Coke Rewards.com

This is just a quick note to anyone who is collecting those annoying red caps from the coke products to enter the codes to the mycokerewards.com web site hoping to collect enough to actually earn something. Whew.

I had probably well over 60 that I had been collecting thinking that at some point I would be able to find a way to read the almost indecipherable code printed at the top of the Coke Cola caps.
How many times I struggled to read that code and I missed one of those letters or numbers and got it wrong and the web site would finally kick me out because I fouled up too many of the entries. I suppose the system thought I was there illegally.

Anyway, unbelievable I just happened upon the solution and within a week I entered all the code numbers and have a tidy sum of points in my account on the mycokerewards.com.

You may be asking how it could suddenly have become so easy after having been such a struggle. Well, I'm going to tell you. I had a desk lamp sitting behind my laptop and I read each bottle top so the light reflected through just perfectly.

Now, you can only add ten codes a day, but once you've added a tidy sum there are an assortment of options available to you from sweepstakes to purchases. So, if you've been collecting these red caps and getting frustrated because they are so hard to read, now, you can read them, post them, toss them, and then collect the points!

Have fun spending the points.

Sleep .... Naps ... REM

Everyone of us is alloted the same 24 hour period - yet, somehow the 24 hours doesn't always last as long as it does for some of us as it does for the rest of us.

For an example. One who requires several naps during the day accomplishes less during their day as one who may require no nap. Now I'm not adverse to taking a nap. Anytime I have a short nap during the afternoon I always awaken feeling refreshed and ready to start my task with a fresh eye and a recharged brain. But that's not what I'm talking about.

You know someone who never seems to get their act together -- they are always taking naps. That is, unless, there is something they want to do that meets their specific needs.

Then there are those people who seem to never require sleep. Of course that can't possibly be true. Everybody needs sleep. The experts say we need six to seven solid hours of sleep every night - and that's for adults. Children and teenagers need even more. But, I'm not talking about children and teens.

I've seen fellow employees falling asleep at their computers/desks because they didn't get enough sleep the night before and so they struggle to do their jobs. There are cultures around the world that enjoy an afternoon siesta before going back to work. The quality of work seems to improve when the brain has an opportunity to get an increase in oxygen and rest.

Getting enough sleep at night may or may not be enough in the long run. All I have to do is see someone yawn, and my eight hours has gone to the wayside. That yawn becomes contagious and the only thing I'm thinking of is a nap and where the closest pillow is. Sorry, but someone just yawned on the the TV and I've gone hunting ...

Learning At Every Age

I've decided to go back to graduate school.

My undergrad is in education and although I earned 41 hours towards a master's a few years ago, it all blew away - just like the wind - when I started having challenges with my health. After so many years, the credits I earned, the time and effort I put out, was for naught.

Now, I'm attending university online. The hours can't be beat -- if I wake up in the middle of the night or my insomnia is giving my problems, I can attend class. I don't have to deal with driving in bad weather, finding a parking spot in an overly stuffed parking lot or having to walk long distance from a street parking spot find. Nor do I have to carry heavy books around, or carry my laptop around for taking notes. If I had younger children at home, online education would be a nobrainer.

The school has great credentials, and an infrastructure designed to support the students. I'm very impressed. If you are interested in furthering your education and have ever considered an online school, check out WaldenU.edu. They have a varied degree program and you're sure to find something that interests you.

Most of my blogs will relate to my online education from this point on --- with of course my writing always included.

On another note, as a parent, I would like to also tell you about my youngest son's update to his appearance. Mind you he is 17, a real cutie (am I prejudiced?) and is - of course - trying to find his own "look". He's a good kid, and not a trouble maker. I love it when other parents -- tell me what a great kid he is -- don't we all as parents?

He has a great head of hair and has gone the gamut from quasi-long locks, to down-right long (middle of his back) locks. He's taken a hair iron to his bangs to flatten them as much as possible. Bless his heart, he'll always have the waves. Unless .... he has his hair cut very short on the sides somewhat on the top. Then asked me to bleach the top so he could have the top colored blue or red.

Not only that, I was given the the task of purchasing the the hair dye! Fortunately I knew exactly the shop to go to. Did I say bless his heart before? He wanted blue and red right? His hair was bleached, not once, but twice -- the second time with a aluminum foil covering. Then the blue was applied not once, twice, or even three times; but four times. The last time, the blue was left on his hair for over an hour. The color looked exactly like it was supposed to - real blue.

No sooner did it get washed, then most of the color came out and he was left with a greenish green yellow. Now, this is the end of spring break for him and we have no idea how his high school is going to feel about his creative spin to his hair. Won't it be awful if we have to go through the whole bleach process once again and redye his hair with an acceptable color??

Too bad I'm not attending cosmetology school online.

Red Ribbon Skits Available in PDF format & More

There are at least six Red Ribbon skits now available on my website. All are pdf format and are paid through PayPal. Very easy. I'll be adding more all the time.

Also, homeschool workbooks are available, and free. That's right, FREE homeschool workbooks are available if you'll just pay the postage. Which should just be a nominal amount given I'll be shipping them out on media mail. Plus a $1.00 for the envelope to put the workbook in.

I'm just wanting to eliminate my stock, so please if you know of anyone who homeschools, or if you do, please go to my website, debby-willett.com, and check out my homeschool catalog. I'll have the workbooks up on the shopping cart in the next day or two. Also, I have a Saxon Math book set that will be up on my website with all the details on the version.

If you have kids, I have a joke book coming - it used to be three separate books but I have combined them into one. It's available in pdf format, with nothing but wholesome, silly jokes you'll want to share with your kids and whole family. These are the kind of jokes you remember from the "good-old-days" when clean fun was the norm.

Me On This DVD ---? NEVER!!!!!!!!!

It has come to my attention that there is another woman out there with the same name "Debby Willett" who does a striptease and has now put that on a DVD. First and foremost, that is NOT me!!

Please understand that there are more than one "Debby Willett" on the web, and just because this one has this ... talent, does not mean that her talent has anything to do with me. By the same token, my talent doesn't have anything to do with her.

So, please, when you Google me, and you come across "Debby Willett" with the tag, striptease, please, remember there are more than one of us with the same name and I am not the one on the DVD. Thanks.

The Price of Vanity

I admit it. At my age I'm finally beginning to show a few wrinkles here and there. So, I succumbed to a TV ad to help me get rid of them.

The ad is Broadspring - Ageless Woman, and the model who gladly spoke for the product was Cheryl Tiegs. She is older than me, and she looks younger than me, so I took the bait.

The product is advertised as a "deep wrinkle relaxer, HydraFusion technology with clinically proven results!"

The literature gave me 30 days from the date of shipment to try the product and decide whether I wanted to keep the product or call the customer service number or email them and they would cancel my membership and issue a RMA number for the return of the balance in the current bottle. After the 30 days they would charge my credit card with the $59.95 after the 30 day trial period.

After trying to call them - and receiving the message that no representatives were available at this time to take my call and then finally, after 8 1/2 minutes on hold, I was hung up on, and sending them the email within the required 30 day time limit, they still charged my credit card $59.95!

So, since I've had no response from them other than to have my credit card charged, they've really given me no other choice but to take it to my blog. This is the first time a manufacturer has not responded to my request to cancel my membership and not offered a return number for the product currently in my possession.

I would suggest you stay away from this product and this company and find another way to get rid of any wrinkles you may have. Believe me, the frustration of dealing with companies who don't perform according to their own words are just not worth dealing with.

Their guarantee is that "You will NEVER be billed and you risk absolutely nothing. That's what Free Trial is all about."

What they don't tell you is that they don't answer the phones and they don't respond to the emails telling them you don't want any more of their product -- all of this within the required 30 day period.

So, once again, when you see Cheryl Tiegs promoting AgelessWoman, unless you're prepared to committing your credit card to the $59.95 after the "FREE TRIAL" is over, don't participate in the offer. Put your money somewhere else.

LOOK A LITTLE DEEPER

Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines perspective as, "the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance; to view your own task in a larger framework." Relative importance. What an interesting concept.

Examine the thing -- or things -- that irritates you the most today, and ask yourself this question. One year from now, will it still be so important? Five years from now, ten years from now? Or, even six months from now? How much energy do you spend on something with little relative importance?

Now look at what brings you the most joy and pleasure. This could be relationships, activities, achievements -- the list has many possibilities and is particular to only you. How does it rate on your personal relative importance scale? Do you savor the moments? Do you look beyond the immediate to see the now?

We make choices everyday that define our relative importance scale. What does your scale say about you? When life takes a wrong turn -- as it will inevitably do -- do you desire to make the best of it, or do you moan over "what could have been"?

On a daily basis, we all have the opportunity to make lemonade. Only we decide whether the lemonade will leave a bitter taste in our mouths, or whether we mix in a little of life's sweetness.

Take for example a young comatose woman who was hospitalized in New York. One of the attendants assigned to care for her, took advantage of her helpless state and violated her. He raped her. The end result was not only an unplanned pregnancy, but a pregnancy that involved a mother who would never know the joy of those prenatal kicks, who would never hear her baby's heart beat, whose arms would never hold her precious child.

The parents of the comatose mother had some difficult, and painful decisions to make. Just to name a few -- would the pregnancy greater endanger the fragile life of their daughter? If they allowed the baby to be born, what would become of him or her? Could they possibly love this child?

The most popular option available to them was to destroy the life that was growing in their daughter. Yes, abortion. If there had ever been a case that could draw sympathy from even the most conservative, it would have been this one.

Adoption was a consideration that no one could have found fault with. Better to spare the innocent baby's life, and make the choice to give the baby a chance for a future with a family whose love was not shadowed by the attack.

Raising the child themselves was a choice that would invoke joy and pain. The joy of, course, because they would see their daughter in every facial expression, every mannerism. The memories of their daughter's adolescence would flood back and be a poignant reminder. The pain because their daughter's attacker would also be reflected in their grandchild.

Such choices. In the end, no one could make the decision for them. No one else would live so intimately with the consequences of their choice.

What would you choose? There would be no easy out. There would be no one who could magically reverse your decision if you later regretted your choice.

Now, I am in no way suggesting that your child will walk the same path their daughter did. But I am suggesting that each one of us needs to examine our personal relative importance scales and make every effort to attend to the things that have the exclusive places in our lives and our hearts.

When you next start your day, give thought to your relative importance scale -- your perspective. Will you devote attention to the things that are really important in your life? Will the valued relationships receive the attention and care they need? Or, will you waste time and energy on things that have no enduring importance?

Examine your relative importance scale. Keeping your perspective in line with what is truly significant goes a long way towards decreasing the stress in your life and increasing your joy. We can all benefit from that.

Technology -- Sometimes It Is My Folly

Several years ago I wrote an article about the wonderment of technology and how addictive I personally had become.

Certainly, through the years nothing has changed. My cell phone is attached to my hip, and my lap top is on 22/8, I mean 21/6, or 23/7 ... at any rate, it sleeps little. Fortunately, it needs little sleep as opposed to me.

As I get older, gently so, it becomes harder to sleep for longer periods of time, which is why my daily naps have become so, important. After about five hours I am up and ready to do something and there sits my faithful lap top waiting on me.

My browser is Firefox -- which seems to perform so much better for me than IE. This day, though, Firefox (hereafter known as "FF") performed some updates, (as technology is want to do), and all of my settings - that I relied so heavily on - were gone. Whiff of smoke, gone. Rude. You can't do that to a brain cancer survivor who also has epilepsy. You just can"t.

It was not a moment of peace with FF. Every setting on my blog was gone -- which may not be a problem for some of you, but for me it represented months of work. Not something I was especially interested in applying myself to at this time. However, perseverance prevailed.

It's interesting to me that even at this point in my life and all the people that I have taught to use different computer programs, a simple update should put a crack in my fragile eggshell. Several attempts at one sitting, taking a break, coming back, and repeating the same process many times over simply to find it was a simple change in the settings.

Reminds me a little of the great inventors and minds of our times. Failures only represent lessons learned. If you really give up then it is truly a failure. As long as we - in this instance it was me - keep going, then it is a lesson, and I truly learned it.

I hope I never feel that I am above learning, that there is not something left for me to learn. Have a good day, and I hope you keep learning too.

Predators And Their Signs

“I can’t get away from it. It makes me feel ashamed. My life has been ruined by this.”

Okay, so it’s a paraphrase. The spirit of what was said comes through, though. This person felt like a victim. Like a grievous wrong had been committed against him, and he felt helpless, and hopeless, like his future had been blighted.

I say, too bad. I want you to be uncomfortable, to loose sleep, and to live as if you don’t feel safe. I want you to look over your shoulder ... to be accountable, to feel as if you are being punished ... every day, every moment.

By this point you’re probably wondering what I am referring to. I watched the 20/20 segment about registered sex offenders in Corpus Christi having to place signs in their yards, and in their vehicle windows, and bumper stickers on the back bumpers of their vehicles. These signs are doing a service ... everyone -- adults and children alike -- have the right to know when predators are in their midsts, in their neighborhoods.

The victims of these offenders didn’t have the choice of being sexually assaulted. The victims will --- for the rest of their lives -- carry the debris of what their offenders left them.

I know just how their victims must feel, and wish that they (the victims) could have been forewarned of their (the offenders) perversion. One offender said the sign brought him shame, and he couldn't get away from what he had done ... I have news for him ... his victim can't get away from it either.

Victims should have no internalization of shame. A definition of victim is one who is subjected to oppression, hardship, or mistreatment. The victims of these offenders have become the epitome of hardship and mistreatment. If the offenders are feeling shame or embarrassment, then that is how it should be.

It is not enough to convict these predators. Innocent, potential victims must have the ammunition to stay safe. If that means these predators are uncomfortable, that their security is jeopardized, and they don't sleep well, so be it.

It alarms me that after committing their attacks on children, predators are being protected by those who think their civil-rights have been violated. Doing jail or prison time for preying on innocent children is simply not enough. Yard signs and vehicle signs are an excellent source of further identification for those who would defile our children. The offenders should have no rights.

One of the predators said it was the sign and not the crime that made him feel too humiliated to go out. I say if he’s too humiliated to go out, then the sign is doing it’s job ... by way of keeping him in, children are being kept safe from him.

When danger is present, it is expected that warnings should also be present. For example, railroad crossings and trains, drinking and driving, drinking while pregnant, drugs, and, well, you get the idea. It is not inconceivable that innocents should be protected from that which strives to bring them harm.

It’s too bad that Corpus Christi appears to be the only city where sex offenders are required to have danger signs in their yards. Every town, every city, every county, every state should make protecting children from predators such a high priority that signs should begin popping up everywhere. Tell me who to write to. Tell me who to talk to. If it will help, I’ll campaign for it.

Predators - Youth Can Be Cloaked By The Law

This is for parents, grandparents, teachers, pastors, caregivers, people who come in contact with and love children.

Predators don’t wear flashing signs that declare their intentions. Predators don’t even have true criminal profiles. Once the profilers think they know who the predator is, something changes, and they have to change with it. That doesn’t mean the profilers are wrong. It just means the predators are very evil and always evolving.

Would it surprise you to know that predators can be in kindergarten? Or even in your child’s Sunday school class? Of course, these predators would never show up on the national or state registers that are easily accessible. These predators are usually protected by their families because they don’t want the local Child Protective Services to get involved. Usually there are other children in the family the parents don’t want to jeopardize losing.

Once the brain of a predator has been changed, they no longer think like your or me. Their main thought is control of a future victim, how that is going to be accomplished, and what they will do once they get control. If you think it’s any different because of their young age, you’re wrong.

Predators don’t care whether you are kind, compassionate, or understanding. They will use any virtue you have against you. You see, predators are quick to learn the soft spots - what you and I would call virtues.

In fact, predators thrive on our virtues. Why? Because the more virtuous we are the more inclined we are to give the predator a chance, an opportunity to be in our lives, to get close to the people we love.

Who do you love? Why your children of course. The predator has no interest in going after the adults in your life, just your children, the innocent ones who don’t have a voice yet, who don’t know how to verbalize what happens to them. The one’s who are too afraid to rationalize the threats from predators and process them into reality. That’s who the predators want.

I mentioned earlier that predators could be in kindergarten. It’s not as unbelievable as you might think. Actually, when a child has been incested or abused at a very early age, they are more prone to act out at an early age themselves. Kindergarten has a wealth of possible candidates. Playing “doctor” used to be considered a somewhat innocuous activity among children, not anymore.

In this age with all the technology available, it is so important we use wisdom and discernment when it comes to our children. It is more important than ever before that not only you know who your children’s friends are but also their parents.

It would appear that it is even possible when a child has been caught and convicted through the juvenile court and put on the registered sex offender list, that after a period of time, that same predator, due to the age, will be able to get off the list. Does that change the fact that she or he is still a predator? Of course not. It just means the predator can offend under the cloak of the law until they are caught once again.

Here are some links to get you started:
www.missingkids.com
www.ice.gov
www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/cac/states.htm

So Who Knew the Mind Was the First Thing to Go?

There comes a time in every one's life when they begin to realize that the gray in their hair, and the wrinkles on their faces are not just the result of sleeping on a bad mattress. Indeed, the aging process has begun to catch up.

For me, the realization was not so subtle. Mind you, I am 48 and while most people think I am in my 30's, I have always been aware of the changes in my body. A muscle that used to be flexible, no longer is; a joint that bent freely, now slows with arthritis. Aging happens, sometimes gracefully, sometimes not so kindly.

Remember the week when all my technological conveniences began to crash, one by one? Well, I didn't tell you everything. I had a muscle crash. No, not literally, but it was a crash all the same.

I'm going to tell you my secret, but you must not tell my neighbors. They already think I'm a little ... different.

It was a Saturday evening when my son and I, and one of his friends, had returned from being out. Our arms were full of McDonald's 42 cent drinks, a bag or two of groceries, and of course my portable kitchen sink. Ladies, you and I both know that the older we get the more room we want in our purses. Though not to carry everything we can get our hands on from home, but more to have the room to bring home some special finds that we don't want to have to carry separately.

I digress. We alit from my van, I took the keys out to unlock the front door, realized I wanted to relieve my water challenged plants, and set my purse down on the front porch to keep it from getting wet and dirty. Heaven forbid something should happen to it.

My plants were thirstier than I realized, and the watering took longer than I intended. By the time all the pots were overflowing, my mind (remember the muscle crash) had taken a leave of absence.

I went inside, prepared dinner, worked on laundry, read the paper, and sat down to relax. Michael and his friend immersed themselves in the Nintendo, and didn't come out except to see if the friend could spend the night. Not a problem. We'd just drop him off on our way to church.

The sandman visited and soon we were all in la-la land. The morning came, and as we prepared to leave, I looked everywhere in the house for my purse. It wasn't where I normally left it, so I commissioned my son to begin a search. He's really good at finding things I lose. I stay in one spot and he finds and retrieves. Anyway, my purse was no where to be found.

I opened the front door to check the van and sitting right where I had left it -- in full view of the street, was my purse. It had been light outside for several hours. It was a wonder that no one had taken it, because I would never have known.

This is where God takes care of those of us who are farther along in the aging process than we realized. My wallet, my money, credit cards, everything was just as I had left it. There must have been angels slapping their knees with amusement when they saw my folly.

Have you ever gone to bed and left the keys in the front door lock? Me too!, and more times than I care to share. But this time, leaving my purse on the porch over night was more than I could gracefully accept. The brain had drained, and needed to be renewed. If anyone out there knows of technological advances that take care of drained brains, please let me know. I don't think the angels would be so amused a second time.

Garth Brooks ... Still Has It

I couldn't be in LA for the Garth Brooks benefit concert for the firefighters and the victims of the south California wildfires this past season, so, TV had to be my choice of venue.

I remember Garth when he first came flying across the auditorium and sang from the middle of the ceiling high above the audience. What a performance that was! He has always been the quintessential performer and I have been to a lot of concerts in my day: Sonny & Cher, Beach Boys, Blood, Sweat, & Tears, Elvis (2 times), BJ Thomas, Three Dog Night, and so many more.

None of them had the performance value that Garth has -- even tonight - on TV - years after he has retired from the music business. His wife, Trisha Yearwood, made an appearance, which was a very sweet addition to the concert. But, Garth had the attention - the night of all those who were in attendance at that huge auditorium.

Like always, he put on a great show. It made my Friday night and I didn't have to go out to the local video store and get a rental. So, thanks Garth, & Trisha. I waited all week and the payoff was GREAT!!


I don't suppose you'd like to come for dinner next week and bring your guitar?

Musing At 2 AM

Thoroughly whipped, the moistness of the freshly combined egg, milk, and flour heavily lay on the edge of the spoon loosing a drop here and there on it's way to the welcoming heat that would sizzle and crack, eventually pulling the thick, liquid into a hot, soft mattress receptacle for the steaming liquid from the fruit of the maple tree.

Now what would that be? I don't know about you, but I'm starting to crave pancakes!!

Sleeping -- Kinda Sorta ...

I've been sleeping. Kinda sorta like the fella who slept for so many years and woke up with a long, long gray beard. Still the same me, sans the gray beard.

But, I've been sleeping. I don't do well in the cold winter months. The Texas panhandle has been brrrr cold, and I've been brrrr cold to the nth degree. It's been like a hibernation for me - just trying to stay warm. Knowing that Florida looms in my future is the warmth that keeps me going.

Have you ever tried to type with gloves on your hands?

Have you tried to eat an ice cream cone with gloves on your hands and tried not to brrrr at the same time as the freezing cold ice cream went down your warm throat making your insides temporarily as cold as your outsides were? It's hard to do!

Have you ever thought about how cold the toilet seats are on cold brrry mornings when the toilet backs up to the outside and the outside cold temperatures are in the teens? Now think about sitting down on that cold toilet seat and try not to slide off from the brrrr.

Have you ever thought about all those people who paid all that big bucks to get rid of the allergens living in the filthy carpets only to wind up with brrrr tile floors that don't hold heat?

When I get to wonderful-warm-Florida, I will want tile floors, and I will use area rugs so I don't have to walk on brrrr tile, but, here in brrrry Texas I refuse to give up my allergen filled carpet that keeps my little toes warm.

This past December and the first half of January I have consumed more coffee and hot tea than the previous months combined. Anything to keep warm.

On the positive side, I have discovered a myriad of coffee and tea flavors!