Wednesday, May 28, 2008
What is it with outside company phone call charges.
Phone call charges using an outside company .89 a minute plus a connection fee of 11.65 per call plus tax and all these other fees they charge for the total of 87.37 for 2 phone calls! These calls were placed from a hospital room phone. How can this be? I remember back in 1988 & 1990 when I delivered both my older sons and there were no cell phone options for us back then so to spread the news we used the in room phone & I remember that the insurance covered their medical part but we were stuck with the phone charge & I believe it was a $5 per call fee. Luckily most of us now have cell phones, however they are not allowed to be used inside so one has to go outside the facility to use it but it is better than getting raked for these charges. And why can’t it be posted on the phone before use!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Congressional hearings with Oil Company CEO's - Does it do any good?
Does anyone know what good it does to have congressional hearings with the CEO's of oil companies?
Were they ordered to be there or were they there out of the kindness of their heart?
Isn't this just a waste of time and tax payers money?
They can't tell dairy farmers how much they can sell milk for so why allow oil companies this option!
Were they ordered to be there or were they there out of the kindness of their heart?
Isn't this just a waste of time and tax payers money?
They can't tell dairy farmers how much they can sell milk for so why allow oil companies this option!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Common-"cents" does make a difference
Looking to cut down on your expenses? Here are a few simple ways to squeeze out more money from even the tightest budget.
Grow your savings account. Some major credit-card providers help you save with programs that round up purchase totals to the next dollar. So if you spend $39.17 on new sneakers for your child, 83¢ goes into your savings account. Savings limits vary by card and accrue according to how much you use that card — but even one dollar’s worth of rounding up on most days of the year could net you $300.
Make your own lattes. Instead of buying $3 lattes every weekday morning at a pricey café, purchase an espresso machine for around $40 and make your own. Even after your $40 investment, you’ll save around $740.
Consolidate credit-card debt. You can save money by getting a card with zero interest for the first year and paying it off before the 12 months expire. On a $5,000 balance, with an annual rate of 18%, you’ll save $900 in interest expense.
Enjoy drinks at home. Restaurants make a lot of money on alcohol sales. Outsmart them by having a glass of wine (about $8) or bottle of beer (about $4) before you go out or when you get home. Or choose a Bring Your Own Bottle (BYOB) restaurant, where you supply the drinks and pay a nominal corking fee. Do this once a week and save $624.
Consider carpooling. With gas prices hovering around $3 per gallon, scale back on unnecessary trips. Do you drive your child five miles to gymnastics class three times a week? Carpool with other parents and cut out two of those round trips. If you get around 10 miles a gallon, your yearly savings will be $312.
Cut cell-phone costs. Got teens? Texting costs an average of 10¢ per message. Some companies offer a $40 per month plan that offers unlimited texting. If your teen sends 200 messages a week — and this is conservative for most — that’s a whopping $20 per week, or $1,040 a year. After paying, say, an extra $60 per year (including the additional $5 a month for the unlimited texting) on the plan, you save $980.
Hop online for coupons. Look for two-for-one dinner coupons or check out www.restaurants.com to get $25 coupons for only $10. That’s a net savings of $15 on your meal. Do this every week and save $780.
Use a programmable thermostat. If you’re typically out during the day, your home doesn’t need to be maintained at a comfortable 72°. A programmable thermostat allows you to pre-program temperature settings. You can buy a basic model at most hardware stores for about $33. According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Website, using this technology can save you about $150 a year in energy costs, for a net savings of $117.
Read newspapers online. Here’s a way to save both money and trees: Cancel your newspaper subscription and read the paper online for free. For a major paper, you would save $143.
Raise your homeowners insurance deductible. If you have a low deductible, consider bumping it up to $1,000. You’ll save as much as 24% on premiums. According to the Insurance Information Institute, the average annual premium for homewoners insurance is $764. Increase your deductible and save $191.
Grow your savings account. Some major credit-card providers help you save with programs that round up purchase totals to the next dollar. So if you spend $39.17 on new sneakers for your child, 83¢ goes into your savings account. Savings limits vary by card and accrue according to how much you use that card — but even one dollar’s worth of rounding up on most days of the year could net you $300.
Make your own lattes. Instead of buying $3 lattes every weekday morning at a pricey café, purchase an espresso machine for around $40 and make your own. Even after your $40 investment, you’ll save around $740.
Consolidate credit-card debt. You can save money by getting a card with zero interest for the first year and paying it off before the 12 months expire. On a $5,000 balance, with an annual rate of 18%, you’ll save $900 in interest expense.
Enjoy drinks at home. Restaurants make a lot of money on alcohol sales. Outsmart them by having a glass of wine (about $8) or bottle of beer (about $4) before you go out or when you get home. Or choose a Bring Your Own Bottle (BYOB) restaurant, where you supply the drinks and pay a nominal corking fee. Do this once a week and save $624.
Consider carpooling. With gas prices hovering around $3 per gallon, scale back on unnecessary trips. Do you drive your child five miles to gymnastics class three times a week? Carpool with other parents and cut out two of those round trips. If you get around 10 miles a gallon, your yearly savings will be $312.
Cut cell-phone costs. Got teens? Texting costs an average of 10¢ per message. Some companies offer a $40 per month plan that offers unlimited texting. If your teen sends 200 messages a week — and this is conservative for most — that’s a whopping $20 per week, or $1,040 a year. After paying, say, an extra $60 per year (including the additional $5 a month for the unlimited texting) on the plan, you save $980.
Hop online for coupons. Look for two-for-one dinner coupons or check out www.restaurants.com to get $25 coupons for only $10. That’s a net savings of $15 on your meal. Do this every week and save $780.
Use a programmable thermostat. If you’re typically out during the day, your home doesn’t need to be maintained at a comfortable 72°. A programmable thermostat allows you to pre-program temperature settings. You can buy a basic model at most hardware stores for about $33. According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Website, using this technology can save you about $150 a year in energy costs, for a net savings of $117.
Read newspapers online. Here’s a way to save both money and trees: Cancel your newspaper subscription and read the paper online for free. For a major paper, you would save $143.
Raise your homeowners insurance deductible. If you have a low deductible, consider bumping it up to $1,000. You’ll save as much as 24% on premiums. According to the Insurance Information Institute, the average annual premium for homewoners insurance is $764. Increase your deductible and save $191.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Have you heard about the partnership between Shaw's & Irving Oil?
Shaw's, Irving up the ante.
Have you heard about the partnership between Shaw’s and Irving Oil? The companies are running a promotion that allows consumers to save money on gas by shopping at Shaw's and redeeming gas discounts at Irving Oil and Blue Canoe gas stations.
Better yet, they’ve upped the ante – both companies announced last week that they have expanded the program to reward shoppers with double the discounts. Starting last Friday, Shaw’s and Irving have doubled the gas points you can earn until May 22.
“We’ve had such an amazing reaction to our program that we thought we’d bump it up a notch. We wanted to express our appreciation for the enthusiasm people all across New England have shown the program,” Mike Goulart, Shaw’s vice president of operations, said in a statement released last week. “Now that the warm weather has arrived and people are beginning to travel more, we thought this was an excellent time to introduce this new level of savings.”
According to both companies, customers can spend the same amount to earn the doubled gas discounts at a participating Irving location. Coupons once worth a maximum discount of 60 cents off each gallon of gas at the pump will now have a value of $1.20 off each gallon up to a maximum of 20 gallons for each gas purchase. The coupon looks the same, only its value has doubled.
I think this is a fantastic promotion, especially with the recent rise of gas prices. I will definitely find myself shopping more at Shaw’s and pumping my gas at Irving.
To find out more about this promotion, visit Shaw's Web site at www.shaws.com/save/promotions/index.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have you heard about the partnership between Shaw’s and Irving Oil? The companies are running a promotion that allows consumers to save money on gas by shopping at Shaw's and redeeming gas discounts at Irving Oil and Blue Canoe gas stations.
Better yet, they’ve upped the ante – both companies announced last week that they have expanded the program to reward shoppers with double the discounts. Starting last Friday, Shaw’s and Irving have doubled the gas points you can earn until May 22.
“We’ve had such an amazing reaction to our program that we thought we’d bump it up a notch. We wanted to express our appreciation for the enthusiasm people all across New England have shown the program,” Mike Goulart, Shaw’s vice president of operations, said in a statement released last week. “Now that the warm weather has arrived and people are beginning to travel more, we thought this was an excellent time to introduce this new level of savings.”
According to both companies, customers can spend the same amount to earn the doubled gas discounts at a participating Irving location. Coupons once worth a maximum discount of 60 cents off each gallon of gas at the pump will now have a value of $1.20 off each gallon up to a maximum of 20 gallons for each gas purchase. The coupon looks the same, only its value has doubled.
I think this is a fantastic promotion, especially with the recent rise of gas prices. I will definitely find myself shopping more at Shaw’s and pumping my gas at Irving.
To find out more about this promotion, visit Shaw's Web site at www.shaws.com/save/promotions/index.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, May 19, 2008
Never again will I buy CHEAP T.P!
That is it, I will NEVER buy CHEAP toilet paper again. My usual brand is Northern, however, with all prices of things going up and T.P. being high priced anyway I opted to purchase Angel Soft 2 24pks for $12 but never again will I. It is so cheap & thin that you have to use twice as much then normal otherwise it is all over your hand. Anyway whatever brand you buy stick with it because it is a waste of money to purchase the cheap.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
With gas price out of reach - Gas Out for today!
A GAS OUT has been organized. Don't pump gas on May 15th.
In April 1997, there was a 'gas out' conducted nationwide in protest of
gas prices. Gasoline prices dropped 30 cents a gallon overnight. On May
15th 2008, all internet users are to not go to a gas station in protest
of high gas prices. Gas is now over $3.50 - $4.00 a gallon in most
places. There are 73,000,000+ American members currently on the internet
network, and the average car takes about 30 to 50 dollars to fill up.
If all users did not go to the pump on the 15th, it would take
$2,292,000,000. 00 (that's almost 3 BILLION ) out of the oil companies
pockets for just one day, so please do not go to the gas station on May 15th
and let's try to put a dent in the oil industry for at least one.
In April 1997, there was a 'gas out' conducted nationwide in protest of
gas prices. Gasoline prices dropped 30 cents a gallon overnight. On May
15th 2008, all internet users are to not go to a gas station in protest
of high gas prices. Gas is now over $3.50 - $4.00 a gallon in most
places. There are 73,000,000+ American members currently on the internet
network, and the average car takes about 30 to 50 dollars to fill up.
If all users did not go to the pump on the 15th, it would take
$2,292,000,000. 00 (that's almost 3 BILLION ) out of the oil companies
pockets for just one day, so please do not go to the gas station on May 15th
and let's try to put a dent in the oil industry for at least one.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Uncounted-- Interesting email on Voting
Dear Friends,
If you have not seen the documentary, "Uncounted," about the current
state of the election process in our country, then you really need
to. Every American needs to see this movie (and then call their
representatives in Congress). We saw this movie at the Ashland
Independent Film Festival in April and then purchased the DVD to
share with friends. Check out the You-Tube trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nJz09T0HME and then let us know if
you'd like to borrow the DVD for a night. As many people as possible
need to see this film before the next election. We are looking into
renting a movie theater to show the film to more people, let us know
if you'd be interested in that, as well.
Thanks,
And this was attached to it:
Tonight, my family watched "Uncounted," the documentary that exposes the systematic infiltration of voting precincts by voting machines that have no paper trail and cannot be audited for accuracy. This plus sworn testimony before Congress of individuals who have since left the suspect companies they worked for -- that they were involved in an intentional effort to provide voting machines and software that enabled votes to be 'adjusted' or 'flipped' so that the candidates with less votes would receive 'certified' votes that reflected just the opposite.
The State of California and other jurisdictions pulled such voting machines from service in the 2006 election.
This story is available online and in the video documentary. Here is a link from the Clarksville, TN newspaper that is a good place to start to review the situation:
http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2007/11/11/uncounted-uncovers-new-math-of-american-elections-voting-machines/
And a 'trailer' for the video is available online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nJz09T0HME. Watch it now.
It is so alarming that it makes one wonder what can be done in the six months remaining before Election Day 2008 to guarantee that the votes of U.S. citizens will counted and recorded in a timely and accurate manner. There have been many suggestions with investigation of the reliability and verifiability of computerized voting machines leading the list.
While this is ESSENTIAL in order ti maintain the integrity of the voting system and restore public confidence, which is now badly eroded, I have also thought that there needs to be some action-oriented procedure that ordinary citizens can participate in at the local level -- indeed, in every city, county, and local precinct in the country.
Here is what I have come up with:
Public interest groups (such as the League of Women Voters) could organize groups of volunteers who would conduct supervised exit polls in key precincts and publish the results alongside the official election results in their local papers. This could involve a number of volunteer organizations, but the League has a respected track record of advocating for 'get out the vote' campaigns and providing of non-partisan information to voters prior to the elections.
This plan would preserve the non-partisan position of this or other participating organizations. They would simply act to record and report exit interviews with voters leaving the polls in order to verify that the official results (however they might turn out) are generally consistent with the voluntary information collected in exit polls.
This could be especially valuable in areas where the voting registration is known to be preponderantly of one party, so that apparent 'undervoting' or 'overvoting' by one party or another could readily be detected and, if necessary, recounts or other corrective actions taken.
I am interested in the reaction of others to such a plan. In my opinion, it would work best if supported by a wide portion of the community, with endorsement of the effort by city governments and various public interest groups. The stealing of votes or tampering with the voting process is NOT a partisan issue. It IS a crime and should be prosecuted. But the most important thing is to act together with other citizens to PREVENT it from occurring in the first place.
ANY election is too important to leave the detection of such skulduggery to chance -- but especially this election, after two notoriously suspicious elections in 2000 and 2004.
-- A concerned citizen.
If you have not seen the documentary, "Uncounted," about the current
state of the election process in our country, then you really need
to. Every American needs to see this movie (and then call their
representatives in Congress). We saw this movie at the Ashland
Independent Film Festival in April and then purchased the DVD to
share with friends. Check out the You-Tube trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nJz09T0HME and then let us know if
you'd like to borrow the DVD for a night. As many people as possible
need to see this film before the next election. We are looking into
renting a movie theater to show the film to more people, let us know
if you'd be interested in that, as well.
Thanks,
And this was attached to it:
Tonight, my family watched "Uncounted," the documentary that exposes the systematic infiltration of voting precincts by voting machines that have no paper trail and cannot be audited for accuracy. This plus sworn testimony before Congress of individuals who have since left the suspect companies they worked for -- that they were involved in an intentional effort to provide voting machines and software that enabled votes to be 'adjusted' or 'flipped' so that the candidates with less votes would receive 'certified' votes that reflected just the opposite.
The State of California and other jurisdictions pulled such voting machines from service in the 2006 election.
This story is available online and in the video documentary. Here is a link from the Clarksville, TN newspaper that is a good place to start to review the situation:
http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2007/11/11/uncounted-uncovers-new-math-of-american-elections-voting-machines/
And a 'trailer' for the video is available online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nJz09T0HME. Watch it now.
It is so alarming that it makes one wonder what can be done in the six months remaining before Election Day 2008 to guarantee that the votes of U.S. citizens will counted and recorded in a timely and accurate manner. There have been many suggestions with investigation of the reliability and verifiability of computerized voting machines leading the list.
While this is ESSENTIAL in order ti maintain the integrity of the voting system and restore public confidence, which is now badly eroded, I have also thought that there needs to be some action-oriented procedure that ordinary citizens can participate in at the local level -- indeed, in every city, county, and local precinct in the country.
Here is what I have come up with:
Public interest groups (such as the League of Women Voters) could organize groups of volunteers who would conduct supervised exit polls in key precincts and publish the results alongside the official election results in their local papers. This could involve a number of volunteer organizations, but the League has a respected track record of advocating for 'get out the vote' campaigns and providing of non-partisan information to voters prior to the elections.
This plan would preserve the non-partisan position of this or other participating organizations. They would simply act to record and report exit interviews with voters leaving the polls in order to verify that the official results (however they might turn out) are generally consistent with the voluntary information collected in exit polls.
This could be especially valuable in areas where the voting registration is known to be preponderantly of one party, so that apparent 'undervoting' or 'overvoting' by one party or another could readily be detected and, if necessary, recounts or other corrective actions taken.
I am interested in the reaction of others to such a plan. In my opinion, it would work best if supported by a wide portion of the community, with endorsement of the effort by city governments and various public interest groups. The stealing of votes or tampering with the voting process is NOT a partisan issue. It IS a crime and should be prosecuted. But the most important thing is to act together with other citizens to PREVENT it from occurring in the first place.
ANY election is too important to leave the detection of such skulduggery to chance -- but especially this election, after two notoriously suspicious elections in 2000 and 2004.
-- A concerned citizen.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Digital TV convertor box price gouging
I received my $40 coupon so I headed to Walmart, where I had previously seen a pile of these boxes for $49.99. This would be after my $40 coupon discount I would only have to pay $9.99. Not a big deal. Upon arrival I find none, zero, zip. So I preceeded to ask the sales clerk about them and was told that they were out and not sure if and when they would get any more. So my next stop was Best Buy to find 4 left on the shelf. Their price was $59.99! So after my $40 coupon discount I paid $19.99. Now is this price gouging? I have emailed the governments website for this but have yet to hear back.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Another way for the Government to rip us off!!!
Today I received from the Dept of Treasury IRS the "Understanding Your Economic Stimulus Payment" sheet. Under "Qualifying Children" it states a child is generally considered a qualifying child IF the child was born AFTER 12/31/1990. Well I have 2 children claimed on my taxes but one (1) whom was born 12/20/1990. Nice, just another way to rip us off!
Friday, May 9, 2008
Mother's are the magical glue that holds a family together. Happy Mother's Day!
TAKE TIME
Take time to hold us on your lap, to joke with us
and make us laugh. Take time mommy, this time will go so fast.
Take time to give us extra hugs, to teach us a nursery rhyme or song.
Take time mommy, we won't be little long. Take time to tuck us into bed,
to read that story you know by heart. Take time mommy,
soon these days will part. Take time to exclaim over what we color,
to admire things we make from clay. Take time mommy, we're growing
up and away. Take time to imagine or make believe,
to play some childish or silly game. Take time mommy,
soon it won't be the same. Take time to let us help
you work, to teach us the many things you know.
Take time mommy, enjoy us as we grow.
Author unknown
Take time to hold us on your lap, to joke with us
and make us laugh. Take time mommy, this time will go so fast.
Take time to give us extra hugs, to teach us a nursery rhyme or song.
Take time mommy, we won't be little long. Take time to tuck us into bed,
to read that story you know by heart. Take time mommy,
soon these days will part. Take time to exclaim over what we color,
to admire things we make from clay. Take time mommy, we're growing
up and away. Take time to imagine or make believe,
to play some childish or silly game. Take time mommy,
soon it won't be the same. Take time to let us help
you work, to teach us the many things you know.
Take time mommy, enjoy us as we grow.
Author unknown
Thursday, May 8, 2008
I like this way of thinking!
Subject: Water
As Ben Franklin said: In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom,
in water there is bacteria. In a number of carefully controlled trials,
scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 liter of water each day,
at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of
Escherichia coli, (E. coli) - bacteria found in feces. In other words,
we are consuming 1 kilo of poop.
However, we do NOT run that risk when drinking wine & beer (or tequila,
rum, whiskey or other liquor) because alcohol has to go through a
purification process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting.
Therefore: Water = Poop, Wine = Health
Therefore, it's better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink
water and be full of crap.
As Ben Franklin said: In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom,
in water there is bacteria. In a number of carefully controlled trials,
scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 liter of water each day,
at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of
Escherichia coli, (E. coli) - bacteria found in feces. In other words,
we are consuming 1 kilo of poop.
However, we do NOT run that risk when drinking wine & beer (or tequila,
rum, whiskey or other liquor) because alcohol has to go through a
purification process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting.
Therefore: Water = Poop, Wine = Health
Therefore, it's better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink
water and be full of crap.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Another way to spend your stimulus check
Most stores are offering a FREE gift card for every $100 you spend in their store so keep your eye out for the best deal.
Today I am posting some coupons and samples for you to indulge in :o)
Free YoMommy Yogurt 4-pack, just sign up
http://www.yobabyyogurt.com/yomommy/freetrial
Snuggle sample for 2 loads
http://www.snuggle.com/promotions/blue-sparkle-with-fresh-release-sample.aspx
Viva towel coupon
http://www.vivatowels.com/offers/coupon2.asp
Live Active cereal $3 coupon
http://www.kraftfoods.com/liveactivefoods/whatsNew/index.aspx
Digiorno pizza for one $1 off
http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=refmfbz30814602&bt=vi&o=52525&c=DG&p=TjoBqapO
SAVE $1 on any one (1) package of Butterball Ground Turkey & SAVE $1 on any one (1) package of Butterball Turkey Bacon
http://coupons.smartsource.com//index.aspx?Link=5S2ZUA6PWPEPO
Aunt Jemima Frozen Breakfast products $1/2
http://www.auntjemimafrozen.com/index.html
$1 off Bertolli Pasta sauce Microwaveable pouch
http://www.bertolli.us/registration_pastasauce.aspx
$4.00 Claritin
http://www.claritin.com/claritin/global/savings
Today I am posting some coupons and samples for you to indulge in :o)
Free YoMommy Yogurt 4-pack, just sign up
http://www.yobabyyogurt.com/yomommy/freetrial
Snuggle sample for 2 loads
http://www.snuggle.com/promotions/blue-sparkle-with-fresh-release-sample.aspx
Viva towel coupon
http://www.vivatowels.com/offers/coupon2.asp
Live Active cereal $3 coupon
http://www.kraftfoods.com/liveactivefoods/whatsNew/index.aspx
Digiorno pizza for one $1 off
http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=refmfbz30814602&bt=vi&o=52525&c=DG&p=TjoBqapO
SAVE $1 on any one (1) package of Butterball Ground Turkey & SAVE $1 on any one (1) package of Butterball Turkey Bacon
http://coupons.smartsource.com//index.aspx?Link=5S2ZUA6PWPEPO
Aunt Jemima Frozen Breakfast products $1/2
http://www.auntjemimafrozen.com/index.html
$1 off Bertolli Pasta sauce Microwaveable pouch
http://www.bertolli.us/registration_pastasauce.aspx
$4.00 Claritin
http://www.claritin.com/claritin/global/savings
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The best and most beautiful things of this world can't be seen or touched, they must be felt by the heart.
The following is a poem I received today via email. Made me stop and think and maybe it will you too.
CRABBY OLD MAN
When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a small hospital near Tampa , Florida , it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.
Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions, They found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.
One nurse took her copy to Missouri . The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas edition of the News Magazine of the St. Louis Association for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.
And this little old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet.
Crabby Old Man
What do you see nurses? .What do you see?
What are you thinking..... when you're looking at me?
A crabby old man, ... not very wise,
Uncertain of habit ........ with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his food....... and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice.....'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice .the things that you do.
And forever is losing .......... A sock or shoe?
Who, resisting or not........... lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding ... The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking? Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse... .. you're not looking at me.
I'll tell you who I am ......... As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, ..... as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten....... with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters ........ who love one another
A young boy of Sixteen .with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now. ....... a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty ...... my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows...... that I promised to keep.
At Twenty-Five, now ......... I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide .... And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty ........ My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other ....... With ties that should last.
At Forty, my young sons ... have grown and are gone,
But my woman's beside me....... to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, ......... Babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children ..... My loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me ............ ... My wife is now dead.
I look at the future .............. I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing...... young of their own.
And I think of the years....... And the love that I've known.
I'm now an old man........ and nature is cruel.
Tis jest to make old age ...... look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles.......... grace and vigor, depart.
There is now a stone........ where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass ...... A young guy still dwells,
And now and again ....... my battered heart swells
I remember the joys........... I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living............. life over again.
I think of the years .. all too few...... gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact........ that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people .......... open and see..
Not a crabby old man. Look closer.... see........ ME!!
Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within..... we will all, one day, be there, too!
PLEASE SHARE THIS POEM The best and most beautiful things of this world can't be seen or touched, they must be felt by the heart.
God Bless.
CRABBY OLD MAN
When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a small hospital near Tampa , Florida , it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.
Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions, They found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.
One nurse took her copy to Missouri . The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas edition of the News Magazine of the St. Louis Association for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.
And this little old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet.
Crabby Old Man
What do you see nurses? .What do you see?
What are you thinking..... when you're looking at me?
A crabby old man, ... not very wise,
Uncertain of habit ........ with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his food....... and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice.....'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice .the things that you do.
And forever is losing .......... A sock or shoe?
Who, resisting or not........... lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding ... The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking? Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse... .. you're not looking at me.
I'll tell you who I am ......... As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, ..... as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten....... with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters ........ who love one another
A young boy of Sixteen .with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now. ....... a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty ...... my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows...... that I promised to keep.
At Twenty-Five, now ......... I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide .... And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty ........ My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other ....... With ties that should last.
At Forty, my young sons ... have grown and are gone,
But my woman's beside me....... to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, ......... Babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children ..... My loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me ............ ... My wife is now dead.
I look at the future .............. I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing...... young of their own.
And I think of the years....... And the love that I've known.
I'm now an old man........ and nature is cruel.
Tis jest to make old age ...... look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles.......... grace and vigor, depart.
There is now a stone........ where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass ...... A young guy still dwells,
And now and again ....... my battered heart swells
I remember the joys........... I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living............. life over again.
I think of the years .. all too few...... gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact........ that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people .......... open and see..
Not a crabby old man. Look closer.... see........ ME!!
Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within..... we will all, one day, be there, too!
PLEASE SHARE THIS POEM The best and most beautiful things of this world can't be seen or touched, they must be felt by the heart.
God Bless.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Lowering the drinking age isn't so cool now...
For a brief time when I was 18 & a senior in high school they did lower the drinking age to 18. Yes it was cool then but now that I have 2 teenagers & 2 small children it isn't so cool. It just came to my attention this morning on the radio that this is yet again a debate. It was said that Wisconsin is surely going to lower their drinking age, therefore if the surrounding states do not "go with the flow" the younger will just go across the borders to drink. Sorry to say this is not a new dilemma! My brother, whom is now 24, but when he was 18, he and his friends use to head to the Canada border to drink because of the lowered drinking age. Is there a way around this? I think not. The following is an article about the debate. Let me know what you think.
Debate: lowering the drinking age
Catalina Boneo
Issue date: 4/10/08 Section: Health & Lifestyles
Do you ever imagine what it would be like if the drinking age was lowered to 18? Recently many states have considered lowering the drinking age.
According to USA Today, various state legislators are fighting to lower the drinking age because they argue that men and women who are old enough to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan are responsible enough to legally buy alcohol. In the USA Today article, it states that there are seven states considering lowering the legal drinking age. These states include: Kentucky, Missouri, Minnesota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Vermont. However, these various states have different terms in which they want to lower the bar. According to USA Today, legislation introduced in Kentucky, Wisconsin and South Carolina would lower the drinking age for military personnel only. In Vermont, a task force is being considered to study the issue. In Minnesota, a bill would allow anyone 18 and older to buy alcohol in bars and restaurants, but not in liquor stores until they are 21-years-old.
People fighting to lower the drinking age may face a hard time from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), which could end up being an expensive obstacle.
According to the USA Today article, Congress voted in 1984 to penalize states that set the drinking age below 21 with a penalty of taking away 10 percent of their federal highway funds. Aside from taking away states highway funds, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says laws setting the drinking age at 21 have cut traffic fatalities involving drivers ages 18 to 20 by 13 percent.
The heart of the issue, however, tends to surround the question about whether military personnel should be able to drink legally. Some state senators tend to agree that if you have the responsibility to fight in the war and, most likely take a life, one should be able to enjoy a beer legally.
At the same time many people disagree with that notion.
Thomas Barret, a retired Coast Guard, interviewed by USA Today, said "I hear this bandied about that if you are old enough to fight for your country, you are old enough to have a beer…I don't think it is the same type of maturity."
Junior Kristen Divine agrees.
"I do not think that the two ideas correlate," Divine said.
On the other hand senior Lauren Sherman disagrees.
"I think that the drinking age should be lowered because fighting in the military requires just as much maturity and responsibility that comes with being able to purchase alcohol," Sherman said.
Here at Lynchburg College a large portion of the campus is not legally allowed to drink yet still do so every weekend and sometimes with heavy repercussions. Would lowering the drinking age prevent this from happening or would it make things worse? This is a topic that will probably be debated for some time. It is hard to decide what is the best thing to do when it comes to issues like these.
Debate: lowering the drinking age
Catalina Boneo
Issue date: 4/10/08 Section: Health & Lifestyles
Do you ever imagine what it would be like if the drinking age was lowered to 18? Recently many states have considered lowering the drinking age.
According to USA Today, various state legislators are fighting to lower the drinking age because they argue that men and women who are old enough to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan are responsible enough to legally buy alcohol. In the USA Today article, it states that there are seven states considering lowering the legal drinking age. These states include: Kentucky, Missouri, Minnesota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Vermont. However, these various states have different terms in which they want to lower the bar. According to USA Today, legislation introduced in Kentucky, Wisconsin and South Carolina would lower the drinking age for military personnel only. In Vermont, a task force is being considered to study the issue. In Minnesota, a bill would allow anyone 18 and older to buy alcohol in bars and restaurants, but not in liquor stores until they are 21-years-old.
People fighting to lower the drinking age may face a hard time from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), which could end up being an expensive obstacle.
According to the USA Today article, Congress voted in 1984 to penalize states that set the drinking age below 21 with a penalty of taking away 10 percent of their federal highway funds. Aside from taking away states highway funds, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says laws setting the drinking age at 21 have cut traffic fatalities involving drivers ages 18 to 20 by 13 percent.
The heart of the issue, however, tends to surround the question about whether military personnel should be able to drink legally. Some state senators tend to agree that if you have the responsibility to fight in the war and, most likely take a life, one should be able to enjoy a beer legally.
At the same time many people disagree with that notion.
Thomas Barret, a retired Coast Guard, interviewed by USA Today, said "I hear this bandied about that if you are old enough to fight for your country, you are old enough to have a beer…I don't think it is the same type of maturity."
Junior Kristen Divine agrees.
"I do not think that the two ideas correlate," Divine said.
On the other hand senior Lauren Sherman disagrees.
"I think that the drinking age should be lowered because fighting in the military requires just as much maturity and responsibility that comes with being able to purchase alcohol," Sherman said.
Here at Lynchburg College a large portion of the campus is not legally allowed to drink yet still do so every weekend and sometimes with heavy repercussions. Would lowering the drinking age prevent this from happening or would it make things worse? This is a topic that will probably be debated for some time. It is hard to decide what is the best thing to do when it comes to issues like these.
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