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Friday, July 30, 2010

Friday Funny

An older gentleman had an appointment to see the urologist who shared offices with several other doctors. The waiting room was filled with patients. As he approached the receptionist's desk, he noticed that the receptionist was an ugly looking, unfriendly woman. He gave her his name.


In a very loud voice, the receptionist said, "YES, I HAVE YOUR NAME HERE; YOU WANT TO SEE THE DOCTOR ABOUT IMPOTENCE, RIGHT?"
All the patients in the waiting room snapped their heads around to look at the very embarrassed man. He recovered quickly, and in an equally loud voice replied, 'NO, I'VE COME TO INQUIRE ABOUT A SEX CHANGE OPERATION, BUT I DON'T WANT THE SAME DOCTOR THAT DID YOURS.'

The room erupted in applause!

DON'T MESS WITH OLD FOLKS.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Friday Funny


A woman decides to have a facelift for her 50th birthday.

She spends $15,000 and feels pretty good about the results.

On her way home, she stops at a newsstand to buy a newspaper.
Before leaving, she says to the clerk, 'I hope you don't mind my asking, but how old do you think I am
'About 32,' is the reply.'
'Nope! I'm exactly 50,' the woman says happily.

A little while later she goes into McDonald's and asks the counter girl the very same question.
The girl replies, 'I'd guess about 29.'
The woman replies with a big smile, 'Nope, I'm 50.'
Now she's feeling really good about herself... She stops in a drug store on her way down the street.

She goes up to the counter to get some mints and asks the clerk this burning question.
The clerk responds, 'Oh, I'd say 30.'
Again she proudly responds, 'I'm 50, but thank you!'

While waiting for the bus to go home, she asks an old man waiting next to her the same question.
He replies, 'Lady, I'm 78 and my eyesight is going. Although, when I was young there was a sure-fire way to tell how old a woman was.

It sounds very forward, but it requires you to let me put my hands under your bra.
Then, and only then can I tell you EXACTLY how old you are'

They wait in silence on the empty street until her curiosity gets the best of her.
She finally blurts out, 'What the hell, go ahead.'

He slips both of his hands under her blouse and begins to feel around very slowly and carefully.
He bounces and weighs each breast and he gently pinches each nipple.
He pushes her breasts together and rubs them against each other.
After a couple of minutes of this, she says, 'Okay, okay...How old am I?'
He completes one last squeeze of her breasts, removes his hands, and says, 'Madam, you are 50.'

Stunned and amazed, the woman says, 'That was incredible, how could you tell?'

The old man says, 'Promise you won't get mad?'

'I promise I won't' she says.

'I was behind you at McDonalds'

Monday, June 14, 2010

BP buys Google ads for search term "oil spill"

BP buys Google ads for search term "oil spill"

BP/Google is trying to block the following page:

http://renergie.wordpress.com/2010/05/25/bp-is-not-the-only-responsible-party/

An Ongoing Battle:

This page is ranked No. 1 or No. 2 when it appears. However, for no apparent reason, it is being completely removed from Google search on a continuous basis.

Brian J. Donovan - Introduction below, click on < BJD link if you are interested in this entire story ... very interesting!  It is very long, however well worth the time.

 BP is Not the Only Responsible Party


By Brian J. Donovan

May 24, 2010

INTRODUCTION

The U.S. Coast Guard has named both BP (owner of the well) and Transocean (the owner and operator of Deepwater Horizon) as “responsible parties” in the oil spill that resulted from the explosion on April 20, 2010 and subsequent sinking of the oil rig Deepwater Horizon on April 22, 2010. Cameron (the company that manufactured the blowout preventer that failed to function after the explosion) and Halliburton (which performed drilling services like cementing) may also be found to be legally responsible. Since April 20, 2010, “BP is the responsible party” has been repeated so many times by President Obama, Secretary Salazar, Secretary Napolitano, Admiral Allen, and NOAA Administrator Lubchenco that it has become the truth. The truth is, in addition to Transocean and possibly Cameron and Halliburton, the Minerals Management Service (MMS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) are also responsible, although not legally liable, for heavy crude oil entering the Louisiana wetlands and the loop current.

Recently Renergie, Inc. submitted unsolicited proposals to U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), the Governor of Louisiana, and the USCG for the purpose of: (a) collecting the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico with three Panamax crude tankers; (b) separating the oil and water onboard the tankers; and (c) transporting the separated crude oil to a shoreside facility. The three tankers employed by Renergie, Inc. would be capable of collecting 1,419,000 barrels of the BP oil spill; and, via a series of onboard skid-mounted three-stage oil/water separators, be able to separate a combined total of 432,000 barrels/day of the BP oil spill.

To date, U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) has not responded.

The Office of the Governor of Louisiana forwarded Renergie’s proposal to BP and the USCG for their review.

The USCG response, sent via three emails, stated, “The Coast Guard is not currently hiring contractors. BP, the responsible party, continues to handle all contracting requirements.” and “Unfortunately, the Coast Guard does not currently have a mission and is not hiring contractors. However, if BP requests names, I will recommend and forward your company.” As the BP oil spill continues to wash ashore in Louisiana, USCG futher explained, “I am the POC for unsolicited proposals for the Coast Guard. A valid unsolicited proposal must be an innovative and unique product or service that is not commercially available to the Government. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.603 provides the specific criteria that must be met before an unsolicited proposal can be submitted. It appears that your product better fits the description of a commercial item offer, which is therefore not suitable for submission as an unsolicited proposal. We appreciate your interest in U.S. Coast Guard requirements.”

This article briefly discusses how MMS, NOAA, and USCG have abdicated their responsibility; reviews current oil response efforts; presents an overview of the Oil Pollution Act; and suggests a viable strategy for moving forward.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

From a long lost EtsyBlogger ....

The following is scheduled to be installed by the end of this week. Hope to be back to ?normal? by next week. I sure miss everyone!

Good news is that DD come home for a visit and we are having loads of fun together!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Tuesday's Tip

Drivers License Search Warning!! DO NOT DELETE!!!


Hey Everyone,


This is upsetting, thought I should pass it along. Check your drivers license... Now you can see anyone's Driver's License on the Internet, including your own!
I just searched for mine and there it was...picture and all! Privacy, where is our right to it? I definitely removed mine, I suggest you all do the same..... Go to the website and check it out. Just enter your name, City and state to see if yours is on file.
After your license comes on the screen, click the box marked "Please Remove", this will remove it from public viewing but not from law enforcement.
http://www.license.shorturl.com

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Follow Beaded Tail's ... tails ...





Today is a very Thankful Thursday in honor of the selfless assistance of Theresa Thompson of TiLT Creations, who helped me by improving my blog!



I suggest you hurry on over to her shop... why? 
Because look at her banner below!


Sunday, May 23, 2010

Sunday Morning May 23, 2010 South Lido Beach Park ...

Where have I been?

My Studio
after carpet & glue removed

View of the hall. 
That's my Studio doorway on the left.
The two open doors down the hall are "her's" & his".

My Studio
View from the front door, after contractor
installed that window.

See the paint swatches on my wall...ugh!


We decided to have our Wednesday
Bead Group at The Studio's "as is".
With champagne to celebrate!


My Studio
After being painted.

More to come...

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Eggs? Do I feel dumb ...

Choosing eggs is not nearly as simple as it should be. After all, the average egg weighs about 2 ounces. How many decisions can you possibly have to make for something so small and seemingly simple? Well, let’s see: Brown or white? Large or small? Organic or not?


And those decisions are just the tip of the iceberg. Egg cartons can be stamped with any number of labels, some meaningful, others not so much.

It's not always easy to separate fact from fiction when it comes to eggs. Below are some of the most common misperceptions.

Myth: Brown eggs are different than white.

Fact: The only difference between a brown and white egg is the color of the shell, which is merely a reflection of the breed of the hen. In general, but not always, hens with white feathers and earlobes lay white eggs and those with dark feathers and red earlobes lay brown eggs.

One isn’t healthier, more “natural,” or more eco-friendly than the other. There aren’t any differences in nutritional quality, flavor, or cooking characteristics.

Myth: Free-range eggs come from hens that roam freely outdoors.

Fact: The claims are not regulated for eggs, according to Consumer Reports. So there is no guarantee that the hen that laid the eggs ever saw the light of day. Of course, it may have spent time outdoors, but the “free range” label doesn’t mean anything. The following labels are also meaningless when it comes to eggs: “free roaming,” “hormone free,” and “raised without antibiotics.”

Myth: Organic eggs are healthier.

Fact: They certainly can be, but it all depends on the chicken’s diet. Organic eggs come from hens that are fed a 100-percent organic diet. However, what really matters when it comes to nutrition is whether the hens were raised on pasture. Studies, such as those conducted at Penn State University and by Mother Earth News, found that eggs from chickens that ate grass and insects contained higher levels of omega-3 fat, and vitamins E, A, and in some cases D.

If you want eggs from hens that are raised on pasture or spend a lot of time outdoors, then you’ll have to find a farmer you trust at your local farmers’ market.

Myth: Egg substitutes are simply eggs (or egg whites) without the shells.

Fact: Most products have added stabilizers, thickeners, vitamins, carotenes, and, sometimes, spices, according to Marion Nestle, author of What to Eat. She also points out that they cost about twice as much as real eggs. (A pound of egg substitutes weighs slightly less than a dozen small eggs.)

Of course, if you can’t eat egg yolks for health reasons or have no use for them, egg substitutes are a good option, and most products only have a tiny percentage of additives. Just read the labels before buying.

Environmental journalist Lori Bongiorno shares green-living tips and product reviews with Yahoo! Green's users. Send Lori a question or suggestion for potential use in a future column. Her book, Green Greener Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-smart Choices a Part of Your Life is available on Yahoo! Shopping and Amazon.com.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Wordless Wednesday ...


(Mother's Day from our dear daughter)

Etsybloggers May 2010 Featured Teammate


If you take the time, you have the opportunity to learn much, as I did today!  Sandi, you are not only a sweetheart, lady...you are a powerhouse!!!

 





The "T-Shirt Lady"

Sandi Myers, the owner of Sandi's T's, does all the sewing herself. She has been sewing for more than 35 years. My nickname is "T-Shirt Lady" which came from my husband. He goes hunting a lot, and didn't want to use his cell phone to stay in touch with me. So he bought us a pair of CB radios and decided on my 'name'!

"I love to make my house as nice as it can be, and so I'm always searching for nice things at affordable prices that allow me to change my home's "look" for the seasons, plus each holiday. In my search, I found wonderful companies I'm so impressed with that I decided to represent them on my website so that YOU have easy access to them as well, without all the searching! While I continue to search, you can enjoy,,,"

"Most fulfilling of all is offering opportunities to other artists to share their talent - like denim purses, glass pendants, tennis bracelets, and others too numerous to mention. Talented artists offering unique handcrafted items you love!"

"We also have a farmette, raising melons and vegetables for foodbanks. Actually, my husband does most of the farming - grin - I just get on the tractor every once in awhile!"


You must stop by her shop to celebrate her birthday and her wide variety of creativity with her 50% off sale.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

EtsyBloggers Team May 21, 2010 Blog Carnival

Hosted by teammate: Elizabeth, Teacher, Crafter, Reader, Auntie, Daughter, Sister, Cancer Survivor, AND Designer/Artisan of ebogieThoughts From An Evil Overloard, AND Coming On Strong.



Elizabeth's two choices for this Blog Carnival are:



1) By mid-May most people in the northern hemisphere are working on their gardens and starting to have some things sprout. Share any gardening, flowers, vegetables, or even containers on the deck, that you are doing this year, or that have been successful in the past.



2) This is also the time of year many of us have children getting out of school and we're planning a summer vacation. Write about a wonderful family or group vacation from your childhood, or more recent years.
As I do not live in or near the northern hemisphere (anymore) *sniff*, 2) will be the subject for which this blog post will be about, as I write with trepidation about the teacher correcting my work!  :-)


Growing up in New England with a step-father who had his own construction company building new homes, remodeling, and such, winter work was slow as digging a basement/cellar was impossible, we would pack up for a month and come to Florida to visit my mother's relatives.  Bringing our school work with us Elizabeth!


The good things that I remember the most is the beautiful Clearwater Beach and Pier 60, swimming in February, foods we did not normally eat, thunder like I had never heard, sharing a room with my cousin who is four days older than I, and collecting things to bring back for show-and-tell. 


My Aunt Kosha worked at the Safety Harbor Spa and always had spa bags full of little goodies from the spa, and her husband, my favoritest Uncle would pay me $10 to comb his hair.  Needless to say, I was his favorite and I miss him terribly.


Aunt Betty, married to an Italian, would cook huge pots of homemade pasta sauce as the men played horseshoes in the empty lot next door to their home, and if we were lucky, us kids (my 1/2 sisters & cousins) were allowed to swim in a neighbors swimming pool while they were out of town.  We would swim until we were purple and pruned, the heat up in the hot Florida sun, then beg to go back again.


Visiting Florida from a small town in Cape Cod I learned of air conditioning, huge rain storms, hot white sandy beaches, wearing shorts in the winter, being with my mothers family, flamingo's (tropical birds) was introduced to my cousins friends mother who was bald from cancer and wore a wig, swinging from a tree branch on a tire swing, having my first big girl drink, having a crush on one of my older male cousins, spanish moss/chiggers, red clay dirt in Georgia, and so much more.


Traveling by car or truck all of those miles in each direction, my step-father was a CB freak talking to the truckers fascinated me totally.  Especially at night when everyone else but he and I were sleeping and it was just he and I...


Sitting here, the good memories have me smiling and feeling wonderful in remembrance.  Thank you Elizabeth for the opportunity.


Reminders from the EtsyBloggers Team, please visit their shops by clicking on the link and enjoy:


(not just the camera, but the "pool" too)


(my first big girl drink)


(our month in FL was always February, believe me when
I say that we counted down the days)



(this one speaks for itself)

Friday, May 7, 2010

Well you've come a long way since the beginning ....

That is what my wonderful daughter said when I told her that I am moving into a real, genuine brick & morter!

Later this month I will be moving my studio into a B&M!!! Sometimes things happen so fast, and sometime those things have such great potential.

Two of my friends from our Wednesday beading group have rented out a gigantic warehouse space.  This is a photograph of the store front, which is a total of (I think) 5,000 square feet. 

To let you in on a bit about the ladies, one has her own contractors license, is a master potter, fabulous interior designer, who used to have a business w/her former husband where they traveled the world in charge of building water theme parks such as Sea World, and on her own more recently, was building "very" high end homes.

The other is a retired art teacher who continues to teach. She teaches at a local bead shop, at FSU, oversees the grants for the Van Wezel Performing Arts Center, and is a painter as well as jewelry designer and artisan, specializing in middle eastern design.  They both do classes for children in local schools and have traveled the world. And that’s not the 1/2 of it. Am I in good company?

The place, already given the chosen name "The Studio" by the two "J's", is in the beginning area of a gynormus uber upscale area, and across the street from a private special kind of school.  It has its own water fountain in the lake in front, that is framed by the window in one of the studio rooms, within The Studio!

The two "J's" are ever so generously and unconditionally offering me what is the opportunity of a lifetime even if only to be more involved within their lives.  I'm so blessed to have been lead into the lives of the women of our bead group, which continues to evolve.  When we open in 2-3 weeks, the bead group will start meeting at "The Studio".  The Studio will rent the main space for artists to teach classes, and likely the three of us will be teaching classes too!

The three of us have our own spaces, I will be sub-leasing my space from them.  We here at home are going to rent out what I've been using for my studio (apartment/large efficiency), as was done for many, many years before we tired of it and eventually this became my studio.  The rent for this place will cover the cost of me moving to The Studio and then some, therefore will not be a burden.

So, on the 15th, we will start some minor renovations as we each begin to move our “stuff” in.

They both have awesome contacts that will be invited to our open house, and the exposure as a selling venue in a B&M is hoped to fair well for us all!

And get this... the numbers in our address add up to my lucky number!!!  Speaking of lucky, below are some interesting idea's:











Friday Funny

I HAVE JUST ONE QUESTION...




Sunday, May 2, 2010

Sundays Silence

What does your sleep position reveal about your personality?

These days, the way that I sleep simply says, "I am happy to be single and spending five to seven hours sprawled out in the center of my bed alone."



At other points, my tightly squeezed eyes and curled-up body would have screamed, "I know the baby will wake up/someone will start snoring/the alarm will begin blaring as soon as I finally, finally, finally get to sleep."


Years and years ago, the corpse-looking college student still in her clothes would have mumbled something like, "Finals. Boys. Beer."


Our lives, the amount of sleep we get, and how well we actually rest during those nighttime hours may change drastically over time. However, one sleep researcher says that our body position in bed could say something about who we are, not just what else is happening in our lives.


Professor Chris Idzikowski, director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service, says that a study of 1,000 Brits revealed that the six most common sleeping positions are indicative of personality types.


If this sounds ridiculous (and honestly, I'd love to see information on this study and the analysis fleshed out further than any of the reports I could find), consider that Idzikowski says it comes down to body language.


"We are all aware of our body language when we are awake but this is the first time we have been able to see what our subconscious posture says about us," Idzikowski said. "What's interesting is that the profile behind the posture is often very different from what we would expect."


The research also links certain sleeping positions with health risks. Some aid digestion while others spur on snoring and restlessness.


Here are the six common sleeping positions and correlated personality traits and health implications, according to this study.


Fetus position - A whopping 41% of participants sleep in this curled-up manner. Women are twice as likely to rest like this and it is listed as the most common position. These sleepers are said to have a tough exterior but are still sensitive and may appear to be shy but warm up quickly.



Log position - If you sleep on your side with both arms down, you are a social, easy-going person who is trusting, sometimes to the point of being gullible. The study showed 15% of people sleep like a log.


Yearner position - A close third is the side-lying position with both arms out in front of the body, with 13% of partipants sleeping like this. Yearners are noted to be open-minded and still cynical, suspicious, and stubborn about sticking to decisions once they are made.


Soldier position - These sleepers lie on their backs with arms down and kept close to the body. This 8% study is said to be reserved, quiet, without fuss, and hold themselves and others to a high standard. Soldier sleepers have a higher likelihood for snoring due to the flat-back position, which may not cause them to wake up often but may result in a less restful night's sleep.


Freefall position - Those people who lie on their bellies with arms under or wrapped around a pillow with head turned to the side, make up 7% of the population studied. Freefallers are brash, outgoing, and are very uncomfortable with criticism.


Starfish position - Sleepers who lie on their backs with arms up near their head or the pillow account for 5% of participants. These people are good listeners, helpful, and are uncomfortable being the center of attention. People who sleep in starfish position are more likely to snore and to suffer from a poor night's sleep more often.


If you think you are one of those people who move through all of these positions, that's not likely to really be the case. Idzikowski said the research reveals most people stay in the same position all night and only 5% lay differently night by night. Also interesting is that the study showed only one in ten people cover their bodies entirely with a blanket, with most people exposing an arm, leg, or both feet.


Let's see how the Shine readers are resting these days. No need to get yourself to a sleep lab or set up the video cam to run all night. We'll take your word for it on our own not-so-scientific but still fascinating research.


What position do you sleep in? Use the poll to tell us and the comments to reveal whether the personality traits linked to the way you sleep are right on or really off.

by Jessica Ashley, Shine staff, on Mon Apr 26, 2010

Friday, April 30, 2010

My box of tissues are soaked!

My dog & me, well we just laid on the bed and cuddled listening to birds rejoice.  Reminding me how much I love the stolen songs of the Mocking bird.

That was the day that the lights went out in our small part of Florida.  Our small grid of nineteen where electricity was lost in the wee hours of the night.

So here I am now sitting, using natural light from a window hearing the raindrops, a plane flying nearby, cars passing by the house and Hobo, forever cleaning his adorable self.  Oh, and writing this letter with pen on paper.

I am reminded that the ice on door of the refrigerator does not work without electricity, nor does the telephone.  Which leads to an entire other list of realities.  Here is a tip for all: we have an old fashioned orange telephone, the cord actually prevents you from walking around, almost everyone I could call to chat with this morning is programmed into the cordless, that does not work in a power outage.  Ok, two duhs!  However, when in need ... keep on in a drawer and tell all of your family members where it is.  You never know when you or a neighbor may need it during a time such as this.

Of course, there is my cell phone.  However, it is in the car and its raining.  And, I'd have to get out of my night clothes.  I just thought of something. I really cannot remember what it was like before technology permitted us to screen our calls, and the answering machine before we decided whether to answer the call or not...could you just let it ring?

Have you ever heard the saying, "If you want to hear God laugh just tell Him your plans"?

Later...

As it turns out, I realize the peace of sitting in one place, in my quiet home, listening to the world outside, and within my head.

~

Oh the tissues?  I had moved some items out of my car to make room for traveling buddies.  My small trash basket, a shirt to return, and my box of tissues... left outside with the intention of returning it all to its rightful place.

I see the sun, an awesome opportunity to get dressed and get to photographing.  After all, I have been complaining to myself the need , without seeming to have the time due to allowed distractions.

It is another perfect day...

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Tibetan Monk Workshop & Performance - Van Wezel - April 2010 - Sarasota, Florida

In the wake of the 1959 Tibetan uprising, a Tibetan diaspora has made Tibetan Buddhism more widely accessible to the rest of the world. It has since spread to many Western countries, where the tradition has gained popularity. Among its prominent exponents is the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet. The number of its adherents is estimated to be between ten and twenty million.
On Wednesday April 21st, my awesome friend Judy Levine did a very informative presentation on Buddhism and the Tibetan Monks. Eight years ago, she and a friend traveled to Tibet, Nepal, and surrounding countries. They were able to visit many Buddhist monasteries and other buildings in Tibet, Nepal, India, and Indonesia. Judy included many of the photos she took during that month-long visit.

At the same time, the visiting Monk's were spending eight hours a day, over a period of five days constructing a sand Mandala.  The creation of a sand mandala requires many hours and days to complete. Each mandala contains many symbols that must be perfectly reproduced each time the mandala is created. When finished, the monks gather in a colorful ceremony, chanting in deep tones as they sweep their mandala into a jar and empty it into a nearby body of water as a blessing. This action also symbolizes symbolizes the cycle of life.

During the evening of April 23 at this same venue, following dinner with friends, the Tibetan Monks performed for a packed audience, teaching us through this performance, about their culture, history, ceremonies, and so much more.  Their colorful garments memorized, while the guttural throat singing captivated.

Wikipedia:  Also known as overtone singing, also known as overtone chanting, or harmonic singing, is a type of singing in which the singer manipulates the resonances (or formants) created as air travels from the lungs, past the vocal folds, and out the lips to produce a melody.


The partials (fundamental and overtones) of a sound wave made by the human voice can be selectively amplified by changing the shape of the resonant cavities of the mouth, larynx and pharynx.[1] This resonant tuning allows the singer to create apparently more than one pitch at the same time (the fundamental and a selected overtone), while in effect still generating a single fundamental frequency with his/her vocal folds.

After the performance, everyone was invited to see the Tibetan Monks hold the special ceremony and then they deconstructed the manadala. The sand was placed in small ziplock type of plastic bags and given to participants as a blessing.  What was left was carried to our local bay, an open, flowing body of water to be dispersed. The mandala represents life and its impermanent nature.

This was such a special experience for my husband and myself.  There are so many things that remain with me, such as one of the Monks in particular who had the gift of throat singing, the community mandala for which I was a participant, the lenght of the horns, and the ceremony of giving the sand back to the earth via moving water.

"The creation of a sand Mandala requires many hours and days to complete. Each Mandala contains many symbols that must be perfectly reproduced each time the Mandala is created. When finished, the monks gather in a colorful ceremony, chanting in deep tones as they sweep their Mandala into a jar and empty it into a nearby body of water as a blessing. This action also symbolizes the cycle of life."

 Research:

 Tibet, you will learn how to be happy and live a life full of contentment without a complaint. Just pass a smile to a Tibetan who is looking at you and believe us you will get an even bigger smile in return. This is the way they are much warm, caring and full of hospitality towards their guests for whom they will go out of the way to help. To learn the simple courtesies of life and to acclimatize moral values there is no other place better than Tibet where one can learn the best of it. They seem like a new breed of humans, happy the way they are, totally unperturbed by outside world. Come to Tibet and get to know these wonderful people, from whom we can still learn a lot about life.

 The Drepung Monastery was established near Lhasa, Tibet in 1416 by Chojey Tashi Palden. It had four departments, of which Loseling, or "The Hermitage of the Radiant Mind," was the largest, housing more than three quarters of Drepung's ten to fifteen thousand monks. Drepung Loseling was especially close to the Dalai Lama incarnations; the Second Dalai Lama made his residence here in 1494, and subsequent incarnations maintained this link.

 After the Chinese Communist invasion of Tibet in 1959 and the forced closure and horrid destruction of its 6,500 monasteries, some 250 monks from Loseling managed to escape the holocaust and rebuild their institution in Karnataka State, South India. The traditional training program was thus preserved. Over the years many more young spiritual aspirants have fled Chinese-occupied Tibet and sought entrance into the monastery, thus helping to preserve their traditional culture. The number of monks presently in the re-established Drepung Loseling has increased to more than 2,500.

In 1991, as a result of The Mystical Arts of Tibet tours, the monks were invited to establish a seat in North America. Thus Drepung Loseling Monastery, Inc. was born in Atlanta, Georgia. A non-profit organization dedicated to the study and preservation of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of wisdom and compassion and a center for the cultivation of both heart and intellect, Drepung Loseling provides a sanctuary for nurturing inner peace, community understanding, and global healing. In 1998 Drepung Loseling and its North American seat established academic affiliation with Emory University with the objective of promoting transcultural understanding and scholarly interchange. This historic affiliation between two major institutions of learning was inaugurated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on May 12, 1998.



In addition to its academic and spiritual programs, Drepung Loseling is committed to helping preserve the endangered Tibetan culture, which today leads a fragile existence in the exiled refugee communities in India and Nepal. In conjunction with Richard Gere Productions, it coordinates The Mystical Arts of Tibet World Tours and oversees the Drepung Loseling Educational Fund, a sponsorship program for the adoption of monks in training at Drepung Loseling Monastery.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Tuesday's Tip


Received the following in an email from a close friend:

Over the weekend, the doting owner of two young lab mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch from Target (also available at many other big box retailers) to use in their garden. It was advertised to keep cats away from their garden. Their dog (Calypso) decided the mulch smelled good enough to eat and devoured a large helping. She vomited a few times which was typical when she eats something new but wasn't acting lethargic in any way. The next day, Mom woke up and took Calypso out for her morning walk . Half way through the walk, she had a seizure and died instantly.


Although the mulch had NO warnings printed on the label, upon further investigation on the company's web site, this product is HIGHLY toxic to dogs and cats.

Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey's, and they claim that "It is true that studies have shown that 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending on each individual dog). However, 98% of all dogs won't eat it."

*Snopes site gives the following information:http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp *

Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman's Garden Supply and other Garden supply stores contains a lethal ingredient called 'Theobromine'. It is lethal to dogs and cats. It smells like chocolate and it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die. Several deaths already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks.

Theobromine is in all chocolate, especially dark or baker's chocolate which is toxic to dogs. Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of theobromine, a xanthine compound similar in effects to caffeine and theophylline. A dog that ingested a lethal quantity of garden mulch made from cacao bean shells developed severe convulsions and died 17 hours later. Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested cacao bean shells revealed the presence of lethal amounts of theobromine.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Speaking of Eco-Friendly and Earth Day ...


A friend sent me a link http://www.frontiercoop.com/

Thought it was pretty cool, and they had many things that I would like.
I ordered several products and they were very quickly received in this box...
read the printing in the square while you are here.


Opening the box, it hit me that these were out of place in the overall
picture of the concept behind this business.

So, I sent an inquiry to the company and soon received the following
response:

Thank you for your inquiry. Our packing peanuts are made from corn and

potato starch and dissolve in water. If there is anything else we can assist you with,please let us know. Have a great day !!

Thank You,
Deb Strong
Customer Care


Interested, Blondie Love and I (see nose on left?) decided to see what happens
when the "peanuts" were introduced to water?


The "green" in me smiled!

Take a peek, and maybe give your support!

P.S. There is that one small plastic label tie that I would like to see disappear too!