Happy Birthday America

 

"Happy Birthday America" by Christine Graves via NightCafe Studio

Happy 250th Birthday to the USA. 

This year marks a milestone for our country, and we couldn't need it more. No, this isn't going to be a political post, I don't do those. I try to avoid politics and that type of material like the plague. However, I'm thrilled to be celebrating our nation's birthday.

Here's the thing. I'm so old I remember the 200th birthday celebrations. Yep, I was 7 years old when our nation turned 200. No, don't do the math. Yes, I'm old. Our little community holds an annual summer celebration around this same time, so in 1976, the annual parade was all about the 200th birthday. I can't say I remember it all vividly, but I remember everyone waving little American flags, the Shriners throwing candy, and everyone having a great time. 

We've come a long way in the past 250 years. We went from a group of individuals trying to make a life for themselves in a new world to a nation of free-thinkers and dreamers. No, I'm not going to go into all the things we're dealing with right now. That's not the point of this post. It's about being proud of what we've created as a nation--one nation, under God.

Now, that being said, let me say this as well. We came here to be able to worship our religion as we saw fit. I'm all for that. I don't care if you're Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, or Pagan. If you feel close to your God, good for you. That's what it's about. I'm not an overly religious person, nor do I try to push my beliefs onto others. I'm a spiritual person, and I miss the spirit of what this country used to stand for.

As we blow out the candles and make our 250th birthday wish, my wish is this. I wish you all love, light, and happiness. I wish you peace and abundance. I wish you reconciliation with those you've lost contact with and I wish you joy in finding someone new. I pray you get that job. I hope you find your way in this world. I wish you to receive all the positivity in the Universe. 

May your Independence Day be exciting and fun, but please be safe. Let's not have someone go to the ER for blowing their fingers off. Even though we have the freedom to do so. 

Happy Birthday, America. May your flag fly forevermore. 

Until next time,
Mom Graves!!!

Search Engine For Shoppers

I'm always looking for new ways of shopping online. Since I first began writing about buying and selling online, I've tried to find the easiest ways of getting exactly what you want. Then I ran across a site called ShopWiki.com and soon realized that I wasn't finding all the online stores with great deals.

This is a great resource for finding all kinds of things online. You can find everything from boots and shoes, to the latest video games on the market. The reason you can find so much more here is because ShopWiki.com scours online stores much in the same way as Google crawls the various websites online.

Another really cool thing about this site is that they offer an easy-to-use gift guide that can help you choose just the right gift for the right person or occasion. This section is divided into two different categories, taking all the guess work out of the equation. And with Mother's Day just around the corner, you can get a jump start on the holiday.

If you're looking for a one-stop-shop for all the things you need and want online, I highly recommend ShopWiki.com. A search engine for the super shopper in all of us.

Toilet Girl's Boyfriend Arrested

I am so shocked about this next load of crap. Ok, the end of last month, authorities in Kansas found a woman who had been sitting on the toilet of her boyfriend's house for 2 years. She'd been there for so long, that her skin had began to grow around the toilet seat.

Well, because her boyfriend had waited so long to call the authorities, he was charged with a misdemeanor, citing endangerment to a dependant adult. And that's where the story ended, or so everyone had thought. Well, not so fast.

It seems the boyfriend was once again arrested this past Sunday. According to court documents, the boyfriend was arrested, not for endangerment to the girlfriend, but for exposing himself to his neighbor's teenaged daughter. OMG

So, while the entire world wonders what was going through the mind of the woman who sat on the toilet for 2 years was thinking, shouldn't someone ask about the boyfriend? I think he needs more help than the girlfriend.

My kid is so cool

Yeah, I know. You're probably getting sick of me talking about my kids, but this is something way cool. My son is a member of the high school choir. Now, our high school has specialized choirs for certain age groups. For instance, my daughter is in swing choir, which is for the Jr. High kids. Next year, she'll be in the group known as "Magic Rhythm", which is for the Freshmen and Sophmores.

Well, my son is in a group called "The 21st Century Singers", which is designed for the Juniors and Seniors. Also, each member must try out for the choir at the end of their Sophmore year and there is no guarantee that each student will be chosen to be in this group. This group has won several competitions over the years, and our choir director was chosen as Nebraska Music Teacher of the Year, last year.

Anyway, this group got to go to Denver today. They sang the National Anthem at a Denver Nuggets basketball game tonight. This is a huge honor for these kids, and this is the 4th or 5th year they've done this. After they got done singing, they got to hang out and watch the game. It's pretty cool for them. I watched the beginning of the game from home, as I wasn't able to go. I was hoping to get to see the kids sing, but of course, it was more important to show clips from previous games than to show a group of hard working kids sing our country's Anthem. (Drippy sarcasm intended).

I can't hardly wait until my daughter is old enough to be part of this group. She has an amazing singing voice and already excels in choir. The choir director gave her an award last year for having the best voice in the 7th grade. She's already said that if my daughter keeps up like she has been, she'll be one of the stars of The 21st Century Singers in a couple years. Which will be cool, as I can live vicariously though her. Why? Cause I can't carry a tune in a paper bag.

No emails all day

I had the strangest sensation come over me yesterday. One that I don't think I've ever felt before. Anyway, not since I got my first computer. I felt like the entire world had disappeared. Why? Because I didn't get one single email yesterday, at all.

Some people might think it's weird, but I felt like I was all alone in the world. I also wondered if my email was broken. Not because I didn't get any emails, but because I didn't get any spam mails either. For a solid 24 hours, I got nothing. There have been times when I wished I'd get a lot less emails, but this was crazy.

So, the next time you wish all those emails would go away, rethink that mindset. It's a weird feeling thinking that you're either the only person in the whole world that's online, or they've all abandoned you. Embrace you emails, at least you know someone out there is thinking about you.

Another short story published

I'm so happy. I just had another short story published at Triond.com. The story is called "Wild Rose" and is about a little rose growing in the middle of nowhere, and the prayer she sends up to God. It's a very short story. In fact, it's what is known in the writing community as flash fiction.

I wrote this story almost 3 years ago, and just left it sitting on my computer. I'd posted it in a free forum a while back, but got no response to it. I figured it meant that it sucked and removed it from the site and never really thought about it again.

That is, until last night when I decided to submit it to Triond.com and see if it would be accepted for publication. I'm very happy to announce that it was. Whoo Hoo. The best thing about Triond.com is that the story will earn me a small amount of money for years to come. The way the site is set up, authors earn money for each time the ads on their page are visited. I had 3 stories published a couple years back, and they are all still earning me a little bit of change each month. No, I'm not making large amounts of cash, but every little bit helps.

I was totally thrilled to find out that I had another story published. Makes me want to sit down and write a few more. :)

Cool Blog About Clocks

I am the kind of person who always wants to know what time it is. If I don’t have my watch on, or a clock near me at all times, I panic. I’m always on the lookout for a new clock and have found a really cool blog that talks about nothing but clocks. I was really amazed at the amount of information I found on this site.

The site is called Clocks Blog, and I’ve never seen so much information on clocks before. This site has a huge list of categories, including posts on mantle clocks, grandfather clocks, and specialized brand name clocks. These people really know what they’re talking about, and they don’t just talk about the clocks. They offer posts about clock histories, ideas on which clocks work in which spaces, and they even offer some clock humor.

I really liked their idea of fitting an outdoor clock into the decor of your patio or around your barbeque area. I’ve never thought of putting a clock outside before. Cool idea. I recommend everyone check out Clocks Blog for just about anything you’d ever want to know about the world of clocks.

Getting in on the Second Act

As of February or March of 2009, everyone will need to have a television that is cable ready. No more old tv’s with rabbit ear antennas to pick up the signal. They are making products that will make these televisions compatible with all the new regulations, but there are other options. You can always go out and buy an new tv set. You can spend several hundred dollars and be the cool guy on your block, or you can check out Second Act and get your hands on a refurbished HDTV at the lowest prices possible.

Second Act is an authorized dealer of some of the top names in the electronics industry, including Samsung, Toshiba, and Hitachi. They offer some really great offers on LCD’s, Plasma’s, and even audio and video equipment. Check out their deal of the day section to get your hands on the hot products, or run over to their clearance section to get an additional 10% off their already low prices.

You can also sign up for their newsletter and get the latest information on any new or refurbished products they offer, get in on some weekly coupons, and be one of the first to have a chance at their deal of the day. If you’re in the market for a new television, then this is the place to go.

Happy Leap Day

Hey ya'll. I just wanted to jump over here real quick and wish everyone a Happy Leap Day. It's not a major holiday, nobody's gonna be baking cookies or putting together a big family dinner over it, but what the heck.

For anyone out there who was born on the 29th of Feb., I wish you a Happy Birthday. How cool would it be to be one of the Leap Babies. LOL I always felt kind of sorry for the kids who were born on Leap Day, but now that I'm getting older, I think it would be awesome to only celebrate my birthday every 4 years.

Everybody have a great day, and if you're feeling froggy, just Leap!!!!!

I won the NaNo challenge

I can't believe it, but I actually did it. I wrote a novel of more than 50,000 words in 30 days. Well, I was actually done on the 29th, with a total of 50,184 words. There were a few times that I didn't think I was going to make it, but I finally finished and I got to put this really cool icon on any and all of my blogs, sites, or whatever.

I joined the NaNo challenge last year, but didn't even come close to making my goal. This year, however, I worked my little fingers off and finished with time to spare. My story is called "The Mask of Other Lives", and is about a young woman who dies and finds out that the real journey of life begins on the other side.

I now need to go back and edit the whole thing, check for inconsistancies, and see what I can do to make the story more interesting and maybe a little longer. If you'd like to read an excerpt of the story, I've posted one on my other site. I hope you enjoy.

I've also started writing another blog called Ancient History Facts. It's just a simple little site where I write short posts about all things ancient. I've been a fan of ancient history most of my life, and I thought this would be a great place to let go of all the weird facts that have been collecting in my brain for the past 3o-something years.

Hopefully, now that November is over and I don't have a deadline to meet, I will start posting more often again. It seems that the harder I try to keep my blogs up, the less I actually get done. LOL

Nebraska's Head Coach Gets Fired

Well, it's official. Nebraska's head coach, Bill Callahan, has been fired. I can tell you that every Husker fan across the state is throwing a party right now.

When Callahan first came to Nebraksa, he'd been a pro football coach and thought he could run a college team the same way he'd ran his pro team. Doesn't work that way. He apparently forgot that these players were still kids, still in school, and played the game for the love of the game. It's not a business in college ball, it's a passion. Sure, a few of the players will go on to play pro football, but most of them will probably go on to pursue normal careers.

As of right now, there is no word as to what UNL is going to do for a new head coach, but after suffering one of the worst seasons in the school's history, it has to get better. With any luck, next year, Nebraska will be a winning team once more.

Artists of St. Augustine

Do you enjoy great works of art? How about being entertained with music? Ever thought you could have it all at once? Well you can, now and every month in St. Augustine, Florida. Each month, this wonderful old town celebrates with a "First Friday Weekend Art Walk".

From 5-9pm on the first Friday and Saturday of every month, St. Augustine offers a free tour of some of the towns best artists, musicians, food, and more. Every 15 to 30 minutes, one of their Red Sightseeing Trains or Green Trolleys come around to collect passengers for this unique artistic tour.

The artists featured during these tours, offer amazing sketches and paintings that seem so real that you want to step through the canvas and into their colorful worlds. Each artist brings their own styles to the party, creating an adventure that can only be appreciated through one’s own eyes.

If you’re living in Florida, or are planning to visit the Sunshine State, be sure to make a trip to St. Augustine during the first Friday or Saturday of the month, and spend a few hours in a whole new world. Enjoy the great works of art, dance to the vibrant music, and tell the world that you found paradise at the St. Augustine Artwalk.

Ancient Egypt plagued by Zombies

LOL. I had to pass this along as I almost laughed myself silly over this. As you may know, I love ancient history, archaeology, and mythology. I read a lot of articles about those subject and came across this story that seems a little out there to me.

There is a somewhat famous carving found in Egypt known as the Narmer Palette, that depicts what many thought was a king decapitating those he'd conquered in war. Many archaeologists have found burials of headless bodies scattered across the Egyptian sands. Now, there is a new theory that these people weren't victims of war, but victims of a deadly virus called Solunum. Apparently this virus is what causes people to become zombies.

According to the article, there is proof that this stelae depicts the first evidence of an actual zombie attack, and that these people were decapitated in order to end said attack. I'm not sure I believe that zombies attacked the ancient people of Egypt, but then again, I keep seeing all those ole movies in the back of my head. Remember the movie Dawn of the Dead? Now I know what they were talking about. LOL

Read the article and make your own decisions. There is a lot more to it than I've posted here, but I still think it's kind of funny.

I'm a Nano

Before I get into today post, I have to give a big shout out to my favorite pink buddy, Dani Pink. Recently she held a contest on her blog for a stuffed pink teddy bear from the Build-a-bear workshop. Well, I didn't win the bear, but I did win the second prize which is a bag full of candy. Whoo Hoo. I love candy. Thanks honey.

Ok, now on to the topic at hand. I don't know if any of you out there know it, but the 1st of November starts a huge endeavor for thousands of people around the world. It's called NaNoWriMo, which stands for National Novel Writing Month, and I will be participating again this year. What it comes down to is writers from all over work on writing a novel in 30 days.

The goal is to reach a 50,000 word mark by the 30th of November. Writers can create all the characters, the plot line, and anything else around the novel for weeks before it all begins, but they can't write one single word of the story until 12:01 am on November 1st. That is what I've been doing for the past couple of weeks.

I had everything ready to go and was going to write a story about a young Greek lad who was going on a journey in search of his father. Well, that all changed about 4 days ago. I was lying in bed, not quite asleep, but not really awake, when the story just came to me. The characters, the plot, and everything. I now have a whole new story in mind and I'm going to call it, "My Life After My Death".

In a nutshell, it's going to be about a woman who's true journey begins after she dies. It's not a horror or a mystery type story, but more of a sci-fi/fantasy type thing. I'm going to take my passion for ancient history and religions, and my Pentacostal upbringing, and mix them up into a hodpodge of possibilities.

Since it first came to me, I've done nothing but think about how it will all play out. Of course, if all goes as it always does, my characters will take on a life of their own and will take the story in their own direction. That's ok, though, as that usually makes for a better story in the long run.

So, as of the 1st of November, I will be working on my newest piece of fiction. I will keep everyone updated on my progress as the month wears on. I've got it figured out that if I can maintain a minimum of 1,700 words a day, I'll make my 50,000 word quota by the end of the month, and then some.

Who knows, this could lead to something wonderful. LOL

My latest endeavor

You'd think I'd have enough to do , but I've once again started a new blog. This is one I've been working on for a while however. Not in the actual writing of it, but I've had it in the works for a few months now.

About 3 months ago, I told you about doing some work for my cyber buddy, Garry Conn, and in exchange, I would be getting a brand new domain name, PopularBlogger.com. Well, boys and girls, it's up and running.

Here's the whole gist of this new blog. With the name PopularBlogger.com, I've decided to make this a blog that discusses the bloggers behind the blogs we all read on a daily basis. There are so many wonderful bloggers out there, and very few of them are considered to be A listers.

My goal is to let the world see just how cool these people are outside of their little blogs. So, I'm asking you, my readers, who would you like to see featured on this new site? I have a list of bloggers I'm going to showcase in the next few weeks, but I'd like to have a whole notebook full of names. I'm not talking about bloggers like John Chow, or Darren Rowse. I want to show off the bloggers that we know are super people, but don't get the recognition they should.

Also, if you'd like to be featured on the site, let me know. The more bloggers I can show off, the better. We all know the blogs, now it's time to get to know the bloggers. So, I invite you all to come on over and find out who's a Popular Blogger.

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

I sending you my Christmas list now, so as to avoid the rush. This year, the only thing I want for Christmas is the chance to see my whole family together. I want that traditional family dinner, where all the adults sit in around the big table, while the kids all sit as the card table.

I have jewelry to last me a lifetime. Each year, I’ve gotten at least one piece of jewelry that I’ll never wear in my lifetime, but because of who gave it to me, I’ll never get rid of it either. I love all the bracelets that my daughter has given me, I adore the necklaces my husband has gotten for me throughout the years, and I’ll always cherish the rings my mother-in-law has passed down to me.

I have all the gizmos and gadgets that any kitchen can hold. I don’t need another piece of machinery that will slice, dice, puree, or flambeau. The products I use on a daily basis while cleaning my house are just fine. I don’t need a fancier iron for my clothes, or a robotic vaccum that chases my cat around the house. I’m very happy with the ones I have.

I just want to remember the little things that make the holidays so important. I want to watch the next generation learn the traditions that have been passed down through the years, and help in the creation of new traditions they’ll take with them.

Dear Santa, I just want one day with all those I love and cherish in my life.


P.S. A laptop would be cool too.

Garry Conn takes on Joel Comm

I was cruising through my RSS feeder, checking out the latest tidbits of information that I rely upon each day, when I ran across the latest post by my buddy, Garry Conn. It seems that someone has gotten a burr under Garry's saddle.

The article talks about Joel Comm, a self-proclaimed Internet guru, and his failure with an Internet Reality Show called The Next Internet Millionaire. I never personally saw anything about this show, nor have I ever really paid much attention to this person or anyone that produces those fancy splash pages that try and sell you online books or programs that will make you rich beyond your wildest dreams.

The article itself is interesting in the fact that it leaves you wanting to hear more of the story. I can't say that I agree or disagree with Garry, as I really don't have anything to base my judgement upon. I've heard of Joel Comm, but that's about as far as that goes.

It nevers ceases to amaze me as to what Garry will come up with next. One minute he's creating a new design for another blog, and the next minute he's discussing the tactics of an Internet entrepeneur. What will he come up with next?

Return of the Highlander

Whoo Hoo. I'm a happy little camper!! I just saw a preview of an upcoming movie on the Sci-Fi channel. A new Highlander movie.

I remember when the first highlander movie came out in the 80's. I was totally engrossed and became a huge fan. Being of Scottish and Irish heritage, I found it interesting that one of my clansmen was being portrayed as an immortal. Of course, the whole premise of the movie was total fiction, but it was so cool.

Then, in the late 80's, early 90's came the Highlander tv show, starring the totally gorgeous Adrian Paul. What a babe. He played the part of Duncan McCloud, who was supposed to be a distant relative of the original character, Connor McCloud, played by Christopher Lambert.

Anyway, it seems there is going to be a new tv movie called Highlander; the Source. I'm so excited. I loved the movies and the tv show, so this is going to be a really cool thing for me. The only downfall is that it appears that Connor McCloud won't be making an appearance in this film. Bummer! But that's ok, as long as Duncan is there, all is well.

I know it's kind of weird to get all hopped up over a movie, but I've always been a fan of ancient history, and the ancient tales of the British Isles. I would have loved to have been alive all those years ago, just to see where some of those tales originated from.

From what I've seen, it looks like the movie will air Saturday, September 15th. I guarantee that I'll be firmly glued to my television. Of course, with my luck it will air at the same time as the Husker game, and I'll be forced to go back and forth between the 2 channels. Depending on how good the game is, will depend on how much time I spend at that channel. LOL