Donate for the Holidays!

I get that lately times have been tough, but it is the time of year (cause people only give once or twice a year) when we should stop thinking about ourselves and start thinking about others. Some would actually argue that is what Christmas is all about, but it isn't. It's not about what you get or give, but what you've done to deserve what you have gotten. So let's get out there and show that we do deserve everything we've gotten, everything that may come and everything that will be. An actual charity has not been determined since the entire group of us can't decide although we've already raised $53.02. So help us out in more than one way!

For more information on the Charities below, please look them up at Charity.com

Which Charity do you feel we should donate the money we raise?

• ASPCA
• WWf
• American Red Cross
• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Association
• A Special Wish Foundation Inc.
• Children Incorporated
• Olive Crest
• Goodwill
• Easter Seals

To cast your vote (Since I don't feel like dealing with html at the moment sorry), just comment with the charity of your choice. If someone has already commented with the charity of your choice, just reply to that comment. If you have another charity you would like to see receive some funding this holiday season, please leave a comment with the charity's web-site to this entry. If someone has already suggested the charity you had in mind, just reply to their comment.

I wouldn't change what I did for a living even if I can no longer do it. Even if I knew then what I know now I would have still trained and handled animals. No amount of pain can ever change that. Please see it in your heart to give! ♥

Snow.

Well it figures it would snow on the day S needs to head South. Which of course isn't going to be a problem, it's when he needs to head back North that has me slightly worried. Of course we knew this was coming. We've been keeping an eye on the weather and will continue to do so until we get back.

Also need to note, for no good reason except that it's cute and makes me smile to think upon, my kitten (okay so she's 1 year and five months old) has a thing for the My Little Ponies I have gotten recently. These are gently used from other homes and they don't have a bad odor to them at all....but something about them makes her go a little quirky and attack them. It's mostly with the G3s, not the G1s which is some relief, although soon the G3s I like are going to become rare. Already can't find them in the stores thanks to Hasbro's 'New Design' disaster they call My Little Pony. But kitten doesn't do the ponies any harm, just loves up on them pretends to chew on them and is currently laying in the middle of them. Either this is her way of telling me that I need to play with her more or she wants to be a My Little Pony too. My Little Kitty perhaps (why does that sound like something that actually was done in the 80s??????).

So the countdown has begun to the trip to Lubbock, TX. Of course no one has donated even a penny to the cause which doesn't surprise me in any little or big way. I didn't actually think anyone would care, but it never hurts to ask now does it? I keep changing my homepage in that area but have finally (we can hope) come to a decision as to what to put! I mean, how do you ask total strangers for money?? On the internet? Never was good at panhandling. Good thing I don't have to do it. *lightbulb moment* Okay I have once again updated the home page to say that any money donated that isn't used for the surgery or related will be passed on to others. Not going to hold my breath though.

Since I will be spending most of today and tomorrow alone I figured I'd work more on my web-site. Problem is, I haven't a clue what else I should add! I don't even have any non-MLP related links for crying out loud! I have MLP related stuff, old fan fiction from three different movies, random stuff I'm selling, links...I guess I'm just going to have to sit back and think about it for a bit. At least I've got a couple of movies to watch tonight; Sleepless in Seattle which I've seen before but it's still cute. Plus it takes place in my hometown which I sort of miss and Julie and Julia that movie about Julia Childs. Been wanting to see it and now have a copy in my hot little usb drive.

Okay Little Tech (that adorable kitten of mine--this is her nick-name when I am working on computers and she comes in to help) is making me nervous by suddenly taking an interest in the computer I'm using. She keeps looking into the tower window as if she's looking for something. This isn't a new case, she's seen it before so now I'm wondering what she's about.

I think the snow has made the cats too quirky. Bast the kitten is running through the house after Memnoch our female 11 year old black bombay. Usually it's Bast and Trouble (the male black bombay, only 3 years old and has no tail) running through the house. I guess I can die of shock if I see B.K. our 5 year old female bi-polar orange long hair, running through the house with any cat. In fact, I haven't even seen B.K. today. Must not be a social-able day for her.

I think I'm going to go work on the sales page. Make it more friendly and with easy add to cart buttons.

The Black Lioness Site

Surgery date set!

S has finally gotten his surgery date for his gastric by-pass! He'll be going in on the 14th of this month, which means we have only a week to pull together funds for hotel and accommodation's for ten days in Lubbock, TX. Thankfully the bills are alright for this month and I'm hoping nothing unexpected pops up between now and the 22nd at least. Monday he goes to Lubbock, TX for pre-op stuff then comes home Tuesday night. Wouldn't be so bad if we didn't live in Los Alamos, NM which is around 435 miles, 7 to 10 hour drive from Lubbock. This means that the rest of the money I have in my Pony Fund (money that me and S agreed on together to put aside to allow me to buy My Little Ponies) will now instead go for this trip, the kids will be left at home with our friend and his wife, I'm hoping that we'll be able to stay home for Christmas instead of having to drive down to Las Cruces NM (a 318 mile, 5 hour drive) to see his parents and everyone knows that Christmas will be a small event this year. And I do mean small, almost non-existent where gifts are concerned.

For the most part, the family is completely understanding and okay with that....unfortunately this does not include S's mother. She still expects us to buy presents for not just her, but others in the family as well, on top of coming down to her house for the holiday. What really pisses me off about this (and this on it's own makes me never want to talk or have any contract with her) but she's having the EXACT same surgery on the EXACT same day with the EXACT same doctor as S, but she's flying down (and expects us to pick her up from the airport in Lubbock then drop her off when she's cleared to go home) instead of driving and expects US to understand why SHE can't afford presents or anything fancy for Christmas. And yet our situation is the same and we're expected to buy everyone presents..not just from us, but also buy presents from HER too. I am absolutely dumbfounded on the lack of logic. The fact that she would even expect that actually doesn't surprise me even in the tiniest bit. The fact that she's going to be very put off and upset at us because we're not going to do as she wishes makes me want to write her off completely and never see her again.

Unfortunately his dad is the sweetest person on the planet (right next to my own dad of course) and writing her off would also mean writing him off and that's just not fair to him. Specially since the kids love him (Grandma not so much). God knows hell will rise if we go down there empty handed so even though I'm completely uncomfortable even thinking about asking this, I have set up a donation taking section on my website and I do ask that if you can, please, please help! Even a donation of just a dollar will go a long way (I still have connections--I'm hoping at least!) and will go 100% to the surgery and everything around it. I already know that the small amount we're going to do this year is going to piss my "mother-in-law" off and probably make her hate me even more, but she's not the one who is most important here, S is. S looked into this surgery first. S picked out this doctor first. S got his surgery date first. And for reasons even our children cannot understand she has to copy him. The woman has mental problems she is in denial of I am sure. Either way a little is better than nothing and she will be happy with that or I will find a way to keep S's dad in the picture while completely cutting her off.

If you can help financially, please see my website The Black Lioness and scroll to the bottom of the main page there for the Paypal donate button and click on it. You do not need a Paypal account (but they are free and if you decide to sign up for one I do suggest getting a free Merchant account--saves on fees, trust me!) you can use a credit card or eCheck. I originally set up the donate account for donations to help me pay for customizing and collecting ponies that I never got around to actually using so the thank you page has a happy Butterscotch My Little Pony on it.

If you cannot help financially I do not mind at all. An e-hug and grumblings about S's mother is just as welcomed. Share a few "mother-in-law" stories yourself so I don't feel like mine is beyond Cruella DeVille evil. Donations of My Little Ponies are also welcomed (I actually have a page for that), but we need the money more than the ponies. However, I never look a gift horse in the mouth so send away! Feel free to roam the site, it's a bit small at the moment and sign the book if you wish.

Thanks to everyone for everything.
To my fellow MLP lovers gals and guys alike, for keeping the My Little Pony Trading Post and My Little Pony Arena alive and hopping, for being willing to part with your ponies at prices I can actually afford and just for being a great group of individuals!
To my friends who'll read this and still like to tease me about my new addiction to My Little Ponies, I love you for that. You're the ones who help keep me sane by reminding me it's not always serious.
To the women with nightmarish mother-in-laws or boyfriend's mothers, ladies be strong! I know this time of year is the hardest and it seems like holidays always bring out the worst in them, just remember it's not about them though. It's about the ones closest to you whom you spend all or most of your time with. You can't make everyone happy all of the time. Pick your battles!

Happy Holidays and best wishes to you all!

Go America!

Did you know these nine facts about America?

• As of May 2008, 13% of the 100 top-grossing films of all time were made by either Steven Spielberg or George Lucas. – The Week Magazine, 5/2/08
• 47% of dogs in the United States sleep in a family member’s bed. – The Week Magazine, 8/10/07
• 2.4% of all newlyweds are over 65, says the U.S. Census Bureau. – Arizona Daily Star, 7/30/06
• 76% of American commuters drive to work alone. – The Week Magazine, 6/6/08
• 55% of all deaths caused by firearms in the United States are suicides. – San Diego Union, 7/1/08
• 2.4% of all Americans are in the criminal justice system somehow. 7,200,000 Americans are now either behind bars, on probation, or on parole. – The Week Magazine, 6/27/08
• Americans throw out 27% of the 350,000,000 pounds of food they buy each year. – New York Times, 5/18/08
• 70% of all trees cut for use as Christmas trees are whisked to departing trucks by helicopter. – The Week Magazine, 12/28/07
• 23% of all the psychiatrists in the country are in the New York City metro area. – The Week Magazine, 5/19/06

Just a bit confusing...

So what exactly do you do when you have two different doctors saying different things about diet?

On the one hand I have a doctor telling me to forget about my calorie and fat intake and keep a real close eye on my carb intake.

The other doctor is telling me to watch my calorie, fat and carb intake.

These two views completely go against each other.

The second doctor's advice not only narrows down what I can eat anywhere, but it also then makes my grocery bill much much higher, which I just cannot afford to strictly follow. The first doctor's advice isn't as restrictive, but it does limit the food and it also isn't as hard on money as the second doctor's.

The second doctor is backed up by a nutritionist. No idea if the first doctor is.

What I'm thinking is 'do what is easier on your wallet...if you can't afford to commit 100% then don't commit at all.' Which of course points to following the first doctor's advice.

Problem is I won't be the only one following either advice and I don't think the other is really sold on the first doctor's advice because they know very little about it. Another problem is we don't have much time to try doing one for a few months or years then if it doesn't work try the other. And yet another problem is that the second doctor's advice might work for my other, but so far I have found myself extremely hungry instead of satisfied, which as we all know is not going to help me keep to the diet.

According to doctor the second my intake of calories should be no more than 1300 and my fat no more than 30 grams a day.

Doctor the first says that for the first few weeks my net carb (again that is when you subtract the Dietary fiber grams from the total carbohydrate grams) intake should be no more than 20 a day.

Problem the first:

Michelina's Lean Gourmet Flatbreads Chicken Club.
Serving size One package
Calories 290
Total Fat 7g
Cholesterol 20mg
Sodium 870mg
Total Carbohydrate 42g
Dietary Fiber 2g
Sugars 3g
Protein 15g
Net Carbs 40g

Please tell me how I am to follow them both? Doctor the second never gave any guidelines to just how many carbs I should be taking in so telling me to watch my carb intake is a joke. After calling doctor the second's dietitian she said about 60g of net carbs a day.

What if that's not enough or too many carbs for me to loose weight? My other needs to stay away from fat in order for his liver to shrink so that when he goes into surgery doctor the second doesn't have to make a huge incision.

The only reason I am trying to figure this out is because I want my other and I to succeed in our endeavor. What's the point of doing it if you don't succeed?? If we're both on the same page, then there's no chance of having food in the house that could be a bad temptation.

What's even worst, is that everyone has their own thoughts and 'beliefs' on the matter of dieting, but what works for one person, doesn't mean it's going to work for another. And there really is no right or wrong, despite what a lot of health nuts want to believe. Reminds me of religion actually.

I guess the only thing that can be done is to try a little of both. Never feel bad about what is eaten and the most important is to get enough exercise. At least that last part we're doing well in.

Something of Importance.

Will possibly not be found here....sadly. Although I could have sworn there was something I really wanted to say or share...oh well. If it is important it will pop back into my head.

Until then I would like to share with you a comedian that I truly enjoy. His name is Jeff Dunham and he is an American ventriloquist. He has three Comedy Central specials; Jeff Dunham: Arguing with Myself, Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity, and Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special and a new show that premiers Thursday October 22, 2009. You can find him all over Youtube and he's even got a little space over on Myspace that has videos and other things you can check out.

I have a Myspace, but I pay no attention to it anymore. Why would I? It's gone seriously downhill in my opinion and has more asshats then nice people who are only interested in getting between groups of friends or people in relationships. The last "What are you doing?" thing from me was that Myspace is a toxic place. Which is how I actually feel. So being the smart young lady that I am, I stay away from Myspace. Still have a profile on it, I just am not there.

Ahhh, I knew it would pop back into my head! I KNEW it! :)

My trip to Lubbock Texas was very educating! In so many ways...first perhaps the important things learned.

I am on the cusp of being morbidly obese according to the BMI and what doctors say a person should fall. Let me put it perhaps a bit easier for you...

BMI	Obesity Category
Below 19	Underweight
20-24	Normal
25-29	Overweight
30-34	Obese
35-39	Severely Obese
40-49	Morbidly Obese
50+	Super Obese

So after you check what your BMI is with the link provided above and see where you fall on that table, you have a better idea what I'm talking about. Please note that the BMI does not work if you are heavily muscled. Muscle weights more than fat so if you have a lot of muscle mass, the any BMI calculator is going to be wrong. If you're really worried, see your doctor. Also, I'm not a doctor. Don't ask me!

My BMI is 44. Yes, I am chubby, I actually wear my weight well and I love food. I no longer get the exercise needed to keep me at a healthy weight as I used to. I think it all started with my graduation gift of a 1975 AMC Hornet. But that's not as important as the things I learned from The Advanced Bariatric Surgery Center.

Which of course is in Lubbock Texas and the reason I was there (Although I think I have a friend that lives/lived there). What I learned from visiting and getting information on gastric by-pass made me a bit sad and also made me think.

According to Dr. Syn obesity is the result of genetics and environment. All humans are genetically prone to storing fat, since back in the caveman days it was the ones who could store it that survived when food was scarce. The ones with the high metabolisms didn't obviously so their genetics weren't as likely to be passed on. Environment should be an easy one to determine. Take a look around, count how many fast food restaurants there are now compared to....let's say 1920. It is now completely acceptable and normal for people to eat out instead of at home. So you've got that...

Then there's the myth that "Surgery is the easy way out."
What in the hell is easy about surgery? Even before I went down there (down then over?) I knew there is nothing ever easy about any surgery. There is a .5% chance of dieing with any surgery. And what a person has to go through after wards is not easy either. You really have to be committed to making a change in your life. You want to add back the 20 years that you lost from being obese in the first place changes need to be made.

Change is not easy.

Take 1,000 people, put them at the base of Everest and tell them to climb to the top. Tell them they have to do it or they'll be shot dead. How many people are actually going to make it up there? No training is given, perhaps some tools and supplies but not many, a lot of different opinions on how to best make it to the top is available for those who want it, but pretty much they are on their own.

How many would make it to the top?

It's basically the same thing when it comes to the morbidly obese and dieting. Out of 1,000 who try to do it on their own only 5 will actually make it. Surgery is the first choice and generally the only choice for a lot. The people who would actually sit there and tell these people that they should have the willpower enough to be able to push themselves away from the table and just stop eating or stick to a diet don't know shit. They're always, and I do mean always the ones who have never suffered with obesity at any level above BMI 29.

If you've never been there, don't pretend to know how to come back from that place. Don't assume anything...that only makes an ass out of you....not me. ;)

If you are obese don't be ashamed of needing surgery. At least you have taken a step to improve yourself knowing damn well that something needs to change and you have the courage to change it. Do not let those narrow minded people out there make you feel bad about anything.

And for the love of God do not do the Lap-band. It is bad for you. You will not loose weight. It's extremely hard to find any actual data on the research done on lap-band in Belgium where it first came out back in 1994 (year might be wrong, but it was the 90s) and there is new results showing why the lap-band, vertical banding, Gastroplasty, Jejuno-ileal bypass, VBG (Vertical Banded Gastroplasty) doesn't work. I can tell you what Dr. Syn told us, but unless the results can actually be found that isn't bias to the Lap-band, all you have is what I've been told and opinions.

When people with the above procedures (Called Restrictive [Vertical Banded, Gastroplasty for example] or Malabsorptive [Jejunoileal Bypass for example]procedures) try to eat heavy solid foods like beef and vegetables they end up throwing it back up, but soft foods like Hershey's syrup and cake stay down because they can easily pass by the band or small opening left in the stomach. How can you loose weight if the only foods that pass through are the ones that aren't good for you? Even if you chew the heavy foods up well and only eat a little bit at a time, you're still throwing them back up, so naturally you're going to eat the foods that don't make you puke. And naturally, you're not going to loose weight this way.

The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass however is different and has in-total the most favorable efficacy, durability and complication profile when done by a trained/experienced bariatric surgeon.

I think the real key here is to find an experienced and trained bariatric surgeon. Not a doctor who went to a weekend retreat in the mountains to learn how to place a lap-band on a pig. They have no idea what a slip looks like, or any signs of a slip. Check out doctors who only do bariatric surgeries. Nothing else and I am sure they can tell you better than I what to do.

Sadly I cannot accurately remember everything that was said on Tuesday. This is what I remember and I will admit some of it might be off. I'm not a doctor. Talk to someone who is. Dr. Syn is a bariatric surgeon and nothing else. I've linked to his web-site and I suggest you check it out. Get more information.

Personally, I rather have one surgery and not have to worry about 'adjustments' in a foreign object in my body.

The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass isn't a bunch of flowers and joy either though. A lot of changes in eating habits have to be made. No more eating out (at least at first), no more soda (ever) and having to be very careful what goes into the mouth, making sure there's enough protein and other vitamins so that malnutrition doesn't happen isn't freaking easy.

Don't choose a surgery based on price. That is foolish. Your health in all aspects is too important to let money make the deciding factor. I personally have no medical insurance at all and I will have to save up to have any surgery. But all this gives me the time I need to at least try to be one of those 5 in 1,000. Like I said, I'm pretty much on the cusp at a BMI of 44. If I can eat right, get out more there could be a chance of my BMI dropping. Or even after all my attempts I might still need surgery. I don't know. I rather not have surgery because I do not do well in hospitals. I've been in too many of them as a visitor and I become anxious and quite scared. Not a good thing for being a patient.

Perhaps that fact will help. Maybe I'll get support from my family. Maybe my mindset and lifestyle will change. Probably having someone in the home who plans to have the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery will also help.

Guess we'll wait around and see.

The other thing I learned in Lubbock?

They have some damn nice homes! VERY nice houses!

Well...didn't see that coming....

Thursday 8 October, Andrew Lloyd Webber unveils his brand new production “LOVE NEVER DIES” at a global launch in London. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s long awaited new show will have its World Premiere in London at the Adelphi Theatre on Tuesday 9 March 2010 followed by New York on Thursday 11 November and in Australia in 2011.

“LOVE NEVER DIES” continues the story of ‘The Phantom’, who has moved from his lair in the Paris Opera House to haunt the fairgrounds of Coney Island, far across the Atlantic. Set 10 years after the mysterious disappearance of ‘The Phantom’ from Paris, this show is a rollercoaster ride of obsession and intrigue...in which music and memory can play cruel tricks...and ‘The Phantom’ sets out to prove that, indeed, “LOVE NEVER DIES”.

“The Phantom of the Opera”, based on the French novel by Gaston Leroux, has proved a huge success the world over and has been seen by over 100 million people, making it the single most successful entertainment entity in history. The show has been translated into 15 languages and appeared in over 25 different countries including China, Brazil, Poland and Korea. “The Phantom of the Opera” opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London on 9 October 1986 starring Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford and celebrates its 23rd London birthday tomorrow on 9 October. “The Phantom of the Opera” won a staggering 50 awards worldwide, whilst global album sales currently stand at over 40 million copies.

I have been a phan for ages and adored the 2004 movie. I've seen Phantom of the Opera on stage three different times ages ago when I lived in Seattle. (I've also seen Cats on stage before it stopped playing) I would be delighted to see this in London, but of course that's not looking like it'll happen. At least an opportunity for it to happen has yet to present itself.....I do have until March though. *wink*

Other news, apparently Darth Vader made an appearance in the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta this year. It made it's first appearance in 2007. I haven't been to the Fiesta since 2003 I think....it's been awhile to say the least. If you live in New Mexico or love balloons and haven't heard of this yearly event, then you my friend must get out of the house. Seriously....this time of year it is a royal bitch to drive through Albuquerque...which is why I am at home. The Fiesta ends tomorrow and on Monday we (just me and my guy) get to drive through on our way to Lubbock TX. We have business to do there and we'll be back home late, LATE Tuesday night. There will be death to the 15 year old if he even thinks about throwing a party. You think Darth Vader's bad...wait until you cross me...there is a reason one of my nicknames is Darth...seriously. Not funny.

Just thought I'd take a moment to say how much I love my dear close to me friends....all two of them. -_-; It's hard to keep a hold of friends when you or they move (specially since one of them is part of the Army life) or your lives just go in a different direction. I know I have more than just two friends, but the ones I'm thinking about are ones I've had for years. That doesn't happen to often with me. I have a nasty habit of outgrowing friends or acquaintances. Although a small search on pipl.com shows that a friend from a long time ago seems to be following me....and by that I mean living in parts of the country I had lived a few years ago. I just found that interesting and shared it for no other reason.

Apparently LSU has a real live tiger as their mascot. No, seriously...and he is very well taken care of too. Which is good....yeah, no Tony the tiger jokes...his name is Mike. That just makes me want to go to LSU...Mike was named 5th best mascot in the nation. I'm surprised it's only fifth. I would have thought he would have at least come in first. Sparty from Michigan State, Ralphie of Colorado and Purdue Pete from Purdue round out the top five. Yeah...nice ESPN. Sometimes you really do suck. Specially since I get your ruddy magazine and I can't read articles on the web-site without having to buy an Insider Pass....yeah suck it babe, not getting any money out of me.

Still like the Mike the Tiger though...

Been reading Dan Brown's new novel The Lost Symbol. I have to stop from time to time to figure out the codes here and there because I find that stuff fun and pleasurable. Also trying to see if I can't figure it out before the characters do. Although that's sort of difficult since the book has already been written....yeah talk about possibly being confusing. LOL.

Getting a headache from being on the computer for so damn long, so I'm going to get back to my book. As in the one I'm reading, not writing.

WOW....just Wow!

I think every true American in this country should take an afternoon and go see Michael Moore's Capitalism A Love Story. Seriously. Go now.

Why might you ask?
Why not?

Did you know there was almost a Second Bill of Rights? Do you know why there isn't or even what those rights would have given us? Without cheating and reading the Wikipedia article I linked.

Did you know that the company you work for might get more out of your death than your own family? That in the inner circles of your company this practice is rudely called Dead Peasant Policies? How about that it's been going on for a very long time and it's not small businesses doing it, but rather the large ones? And apparently even if you quit or are fired, they can still collect when you die.

How about the fact that if your house gets foreclosed upon, you don't have to leave? Ohio Rep. Marcy Kaptur took to the House floor telling the American People to make them prove they now own your home.Demand the bank to produce the original mortgage note. Nine times out of ten they won't be able to find it. "So I say to the American people, you be squatters in your own homes. Don't you leave." That there have actually been people "squatting" in the homes they have been asked/told to leave and yet after a time, the bank has just given up on trying to make them leave.

I have to say I learned a lot of things while I watched this movie. Things I think we as Americans ought to know. Granted, Michael Moore might not be the greatest of teachers, but at least he's a starting point. At least the things that were covered in the documentary got me and others to really start thinking and curious. What's great is the haven't-been-seen-in-decades archives of FDR's State of the Union Address that introduced the Second Bill of Rights. Little bits and pieces of evidence and of course the tug-on-your-heartstrings footage of people just like us.

Which is why -- although you can bet many will try -- Capitalism: A Love Story can't be dismissed as a left-wing tirade. Its condemnation of the status quo is too grounded in real stories and real suffering, its targets too evenly spread across the political spectrum. Indeed, Jay Leno, America's designated Everyman, was so moved by the film he insisted that Moore appear on the second night of his new show, and told his audience that the film was "completely nonpartisan... I was stunned by it, and I think it is the most fair film" Moore has done.

Of course, like Arianna Huffington points out in the above snippet of article (full version here) the most important question of all: "What can I do?"

You can of course Bear Witness over at The Huffington Post, but really what is that going to do for where you live?

That's a good question, one myself I have no answer for. Maybe you'll have better luck and share it with others. Of course no matter what one or all of us do, if we really want our country to be great we have got to stand together on all things. Not just when our tallest buildings get hit by terrorists. The ones who are hurting us won't take just one of us seriously. Look at what has happened to Michael Moore. For 20 years he's been trying to get into that building. If we rally and LEGALLY do things to get their attention that we do not plan on living in a country where only 1% of it has wealth while the other 99% suffer, starve and work hard. Equal rights, share the wealth, etc.

But please, what ever you choose to do, do it in a safe legal and mature way. Don't destroy private property, don't ruin something that someone worked hard for even if you believe they didn't actually work for it. All that says is that those who aren't part of that 1% are not smart or deserving of the wealth. Kill them with "kindness" people.

Now, because life has its ups and downs, it's time for a few good laughs and other articles.

I don't know how much of a people watcher any of you are, but I've been known to take a good look around me from time to time no matter where I might be. My favorite place to do this is the local Wal-mart. Why? Because all sorts of people wander into Wal-Mart! And now three guys have created a web-site showing us the "creame ah la creame" of the people who dare come out. Of course this is all about what the people have control over....you know, like their clothes and is worth a few pages look. People of Wal-Mart

Songs to Torture and Intimidate by....and you have to admit...that for some of these, just hearing them once is torture!

And you thought your summer job was bad or weird...meet some celebrities who started like the rest of us.

And in case anyone is wondering, I have been working on that story again. Once again I am recreating it as I discovered something important. My protagonist had no objective. How sad is that to realize???? LOL! But I am glad I discovered my grievous mistake before I tried to send any manuscripts out.

It's All About Our Dreams.

I have a reputation of having some of the strangest dreams. I mean not everyone can boast that they've driven a 911 Porsche convertible in the pouring rain while wearing an evening gown....and having the steering wheel both not a wheel but as a large crank and on the passenger side of the car. BUT! Still being able to drive it while sitting in the American driver side! Yeah....I still haven't lived that one down. Not just the dream, but the fact I was silly enough to share it.

Despite lessons that should have been learned by sharing above mentioned dream (and come on, we both know nothing was learned since I just put it on the lovely Internet!) I am about to share another, quite unusual dream that I had early this morning....

Imagine, if you will a huge opera house...now imagine the huge stage, and I do mean H-U-G-E. Separate the stage from the rest of the house with a huge Plexiglas that runs from ceiling to floor, one wall across to the other. Seats are placed right against this glass and the seating is multi-floor--no large open spaces. Instead of looking out at rows of people, you look out to rows and floors of people. Each floor only having one row and the rows were divided up like box seats. Real nice.

The reasoning behind all of this is because, for some strange reason, the stage area gets flooded with water. This is the performance. Down basically underwater. My brother is doing a performance and I am sitting with my mother in one of the box seats. I unlatch myself from the chair to get up because I have done the performance my brother is doing and I want to help him. My mother says "No Way!' while making the baseball sign for safe and she accidentally hit's the Plexiglas. It shatters dramatically and we both go scrambling for our lives as the audience part is rapidly filling with water. We manage to get out of the place into open air, other people are pouring (literally too!) out of the doors behind us and I start running around calling my brother's name looking for him.

My brother just turned 25 this year and he is my younger brother, but in this dream, when I find him he looks to be the age of twelve. I hug him very much glad to have found him safe then thought that we really should go find my sweetie to let him know we all were alright since he wasn't at the performance.

I woke up. I immediately decided that I shall have no Fruit by the Foot before bedtime ever again.

Although my nighttime or early morning time is quite filled with interesting and strange things to write about, my daytime muse seems to have left the country for a bit. I've been wanting to write something else besides fan fiction. Something that if I wanted to I could actually send to a publishing house and if it was good enough I could get published. There are a few ideas rattling around upstairs, but nothing is actually forming from those ideas. Not even bad stuff.

I have noticed that of course this road is a lot harder than the fan fiction road and I can usually come up with a pretty good beginning and end for a story, but get a little lost in the middle. I have a hard time getting the story from where it starts to where I want it to end having it end exactly as I want it to with the amount of emotion I want it to. Truthfully I hardly ever get to the end part. I usually run out of steam shortly after the beginning. Which is quite sad since I've had some great ideas fizzle out on me. I've got an entire folder filled with stories that have beginnings, outlines, story boards, but no ends. At least not put in a acceptable story form. I always think that I'd get back to those stories (some of these are fan fiction too!) but I never do come back around to them.

Except for one story. One that isn't quite fan fiction but holds close to a very popular genera. I even have gone and rewritten what I had before, starting and molding it and the characters differently then I had before, but keeping with the same desired outcome. Not sure if it would even be accepted enough to be published, but I have always seen it becoming a series of books. Everyone loves a good series. Keyword there is good.

There has to be a reason I keep coming back to that particular story over all the other ones I've done. I've never rewritten a story before. I never keep wanting to actually come back to a story no matter how long of time has past.

My problem is that no matter how many times I open the folder, it still sits on my server not added to. I have all the materials, all the articles and facts I need to really work on it, but I keep coming to a roadblock and I don't have the tools to dismantle the block and keep going.

Sad really. People keep telling me I should write because apparently I'm good at it. Of course to find out if those people are just blowing smoke up my tail pipe or if what they say has any ring of truth to it, I need to finish just ONE bleeding story and send it to different places. Or something along those lines. Oh dear..I feel some information finding coming...might need to hold on to something.

[A whole minute passed]

Okay, so finding the answers and information I suddenly was curious about didn't take as long as I thought it would. I also used bing.com for the first time instead of Google...do forgive me google, I shall always love you.

My sudden question was how exactly should a person go about getting something published? Obviously this needed to be answered before I could troop any further (and maybe actually knowing and maybe learning some new things will take down that block of mine) although one could argue that why know it since you haven't gotten anything to publish?

Well, I have finished a short story. Of course it would be better placed in the pages of Playboy than anywhere else.

What I found might be helpful. A place called Right-Writing.com The page I'm linking to is devoted to publishing a novel and is written by a person who is a publisher at a publishing house so I'm thinking they'd know.

From just glancing over that page alone it looks like the articles alone would help me on my writing. Not to mention how to go about getting something published. Hopefully this information indeed helps. I guess sometime down the road you'll know if you ever pick up one of my books. *wink* And trust me...if you read it, you'll know it is me.

So much for my happy ending (aka the italic post)

You ever notice that very few 'romantic comedies' these days end in disaster? I mean the girl always gets the guy and of course vice versa. What the fuck is that? I mean I know the whole idea of movies is to escape reality (which is why to me the increase of reality shows is absolutely destroying regular television) but unless it is sci-fi (or is it now SyFy? and why???) shouldn't we expect a little bit of realism in movies....like, for an example (and because I just got done watching it for the first time) How to Loose a Guy in 10 Days? Yes it's sweet and a bit amazing that the two ended up together, but since all these movies are ending in the same way, you expect the main characters to end up together! It's predictable and safe.

Screw that!

I want to see a romantic comedy where the two main character do not end up together despite how much they go through trying to be together or end up together. And I want it to be good. Why? Because frankly that is how real life generally goes. The girl does not always get the guy and vice versa. One would think that because reality television (or crap tv as it is referred to in my house) is so bleeding popular these days that some of it would leak over into movies. Even just a drop. Or perhaps screenwriters have thought the same as little me but the big wigs sitting high in their studio offices overlooking their kingdom of fantasy do not want to see such a thing happen to their precious fiefdom. Because, you know remaking movies like Friday the 13th is so much better than coming up with anything new and interesting.

Bugs Forbid!

Of course they can continue the ever increasing trend of taking really well written novels and screw them up by turning them into 'b' rated movies. Although I seriously do not know what it is when they take horribly written and accepted books *cough*stepheniemeyer*cough* and turn them into even worst movies.........good business sense I suppose. Even if the movie versions have increasingly disappointed and confused fans (example: the burning of the Weasley's home in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.) they continue taking what ever they can get their hands on and ruining it. And we know that novels (and crap-tackular books) are not the only victims of these Kings of Fantasy Fiefdoms--comics have no immunity despite the superheros that between the pages are immune to much. Although I do admit to enjoying the X-Men movies, but that may just be due to the fact that I have never read any of the comics--truthfully I've never read any comic and I am pretty sure graphic novels do not count as comics despite the way they're set up. Their first try with The Incredible Hulk which was actually titled The Hulk was a complete and utter flop. Their second try (The Incredible Hulk) faired a bit better...but not by too much. They've also tried with many many other comics...Tank Girl, Watchmen, the Blade movies, The Crow, Punisher, Hellboy,The Incredibles, The Phantom, etc. Seriously, an entire list of comics to movies has been complied--just to tell you what the movie is about because there is no way it's going to base itself on the comic it's characters are actually from. The actual key to surviving watching such movies whether they're based on award-winning novels, crap books or comics, is to never ever read the novel/book/comic in the first place!

I am not too stuck up or blind to openly admit that there has been a few gems that came stumbling from one of those Fantasy Fiefdoms...if there hadn't been at least one then the making of such movies wouldn't be a growing trend---yes, that is putting some faith into those glorious Kings puttering around in their large comfortable offices that no doubt have posters in elegant frames of award winning movies like Indiana Jones.

There is some hope for the future.....?

I do hold out some hope as I glance at a few titles that are currently in theaters, coming to theaters or in production. But that hope is souly based upon the previews I have seen of such movies as 9 (Tim Burton creates the greatest things--usually), All About Steve (although a part of me says that she'll end up winning the guy in the end even though in real life something like that would not happen. At least I'm prepared to not be surprised), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (I'm a sucker for kid films--at least with them, the predictability is quite low), Love Happens (At least this one is a bit more real than most), The Informant and Surrogates. (A movie all about fantasy..) Of course the real test will be the movies themselves and if they can hold up to the promises they have made in the previews and trailers.

So as I sit here and enjoy --and do trust me, most of the movies I gripe about being predictable I do enjoy nonetheless--the stuff that has made it past those silly Kings of Fantasy Fiefdoms, I still can't help but yearn for something unpredictably creative and new.

Sometimes it's not worth it.

Obviously I lost my interest in actually posting the synopsis of True Blood. I still watch it though, now in it's second season, I just don't feel the need to write the entire synopsis down and comment on it.

Happy Labor Day.

This weekend I went to Alamosa Colorado and checked out the Early Iron Festival. It was brilliant and I saw a lot of really nice cars (I'm a mustang girl) and took quite a few pictures--I just can't for the life of me find my stupid cord that connects the camera to the PC so I can share said pictures. There's so much computer stuff in this house it just isn't funny. Seriously. Not. Funny. I got a sunburn along with those pictures, then we went to Colorado Gators and I got to hold a little gator named Roswell and of course we got our picture taken. I would have loved to have taken the Gator Wrestling class, but it was $100 a person and fuck that shit. It was still fun to walk around, feed, look, and pretend to throw the 15 year old to them. I remember seeing the place on Wreckreation Nation which was on the Discovery Channel for a bit. Oh look...YouTube has a snippet.

Today though it's just a simple bbq with steaks and other meats. Sounds like a lot of excitement huh? Well, let's hope not.