Long Lines

I've been chewing on this one for days and it still doesn't make sense to me. People are paying around $1,100 (plus a month recovery time) to have their palm lines surgically altered. The work is done with an electric scalpel rather than a laser,as the lines created by laser heal. Okay,here is the part that I can't wrap my head around...if you believe in palmistry how would changing the natural lines in your palm make a difference in how long you live,how successful you are,or if you are lucky in love? Wouldn't the natural lines have the final say? Maybe I am missing something really obvious as I am in no way an expert on either palmistry or surgery of the palm. Any suggestions?

Doing Nothing

As I was waking up this morning I thought that maybe it would be nice to do nothing today. It became rapidly apparent that the first order of business would be defining "nothing". If it meant nothing at all,there was no way I could accomplish doing nothing without previous planning. Nothing at all in that sense would mean having someone get me out of bed,take me to the bathroom,shower me,cook for, then feed me,you can see where this is going. Doing nothing proved to be too labor intensive having not laid the proper groundwork. Once this was realized I got on with the day but the thought stayed with me as I performed my daily tasks. Would I really want to spend a day doing nothing? It sounds good until you look at it closely and start seeing that it might not be the least bit entertaining,and never mind unhealthy. Every scenario I came up with the nothing portion became smaller and smaller,until it totally lacking substance...which is the definition of nothing! So in conclusion: doing nothing was too labor intensive until I realized it was nothing? I guess we can file this one away as being ready for a mental health day!

Mirror,Mirror

Seriously,what will they think of next? A mirror has been developed that makes you look happier. The idea behind the Happy Mirror is happy people are more likely to spend more money. My impression is just the opposite,it is unhappy people who spend more money trying (in vain) to make themselves happy,but I am not a marketing expert. The way the mirrors work is a camera tracks your reflection then adjusts the image to make you appear happier by subtly lifting the corners of your mouth and crinkling your eyes. There is debate over the ethics of this type of manipulation since it is not readily apparent (flashback to subliminal messages!). My first question is if they can make a mirror that makes you look happier,where do you sign up for one that makes you look younger?

Tiptoeing

Just to update those of you who may be wondering ,I am undecided if I am going to do a Talking Tombstones blog. It seems as though my camera (freshly charged the night before) quit after only two photos. I am not sure what the problem is as it is only a few months old,unless it accidentally  turned on in my pocket? Anyway,on with today's subject. When I first heard about this I was appalled to think people could be so vain as to have botox (toe-tox) treatments on their feet,then after reading about it I supposed if you are doomed to spending your days in heels some of it made a little sense. A podiatric surgeon in New York City offers fixes for abused feet,along with chemical peels,aka foot facials ($225) she also does a procedure she calls Pillows for Your Feet (starting at $500) which are injections to provide cushioning for your soles. I know what it is to spend all day on your feet,but not in high heels,so who am I to judge?

C.I.P.*

Okay,I lied! After saying today's post would be late I realized that there was no way it would happen at all if I was going to use the pictures and information I gathered at Talking Tombstones,believe it or not I do have other obligations! At this point I'm not even sure if the weather will be decent enough to attend an outdoor event,but you will have to tune in tomorrow to see what happened with that.
First off I wanted to comment on something about yesterday's blog. The picture I used was one of the only ones available to be copied,however there were several others to be viewed at various sites. In one of those other photos it showed an electrical outlet where the toilet plugged into the wall at the base of the toilet...I'm sorry but does that seem like a good idea? Water and electricity that close together would make me nervous at best! and it seem that men would be much more careful with their aim...so maybe it's not a bad idea after all?
Hmmm,it looks like I have blathered on about mostly nothing once again leaving no time for my intended topic. Oh well,it isn't the first time and certainly won't be the last!
*(C.I.P. is short for Change In Plans,not to be confused with R.I.P.!)

Haunted?

Are high tech gadgets ruling your life? Don't get me wrong,I love my toys as much as anyone,but at what point does practicality take second place to the toy factor? Does a person really need a Smartphone app to use their toilet? No,I'm not kidding such a thing not only exists,it has also been hacked (the PIN number was the same for all the toilets) allowing the hacker to open and close the lid,activate bidet or air dry features and play music. If you are experiencing any of these technical difficulties chance are your toilet is hacked,not haunted. Myself other than the night light feature I will retain my current toilet which is plenty enough trouble just changing the flap and other parts as they need replacing.
Tomorrow's post will happen later than usual as I will be attending Talking Tombstones to share with you later in the day.

Ironic Choice

I am not alone in my enjoyment of seeing Rosie the Riveter posters and other likenesses,in fact she has become a popular choice for female tattoos. With that thought in mind you can imagine my disbelief when I recently found out that Geraldine Hoff Doyle,(the woman Rosie's iconic poster was based on) only worked briefly in a defense factory as she was a cellist and afraid of hurting her hands. I had mistakenly assumed all these years that she was one of the women who had stepped up to the plate to fill the positions vacated by the men serving in the military,and stayed with the job until the men returned. In Mrs. Doyle's defense she had just learned of a previous worker injuring her hands doing her job. Neither Geraldine nor her family realized the poster was modeled after her until they read a magazine article about the poster's origin in 1984. After finding out that she was "Rosie" she signed posters in Michigan until arthritis made it no longer possible. Mrs. Doyle died at age 86 in 2010.

A Few Changes

I don't remember what it was that made me start thinking about how nursery rhymes and fairy tales are outdated,but I have been mentally indulging in those changes for several days. So before I make myself go bonkers from the continual recitals I am going to release them into the wild!
If Jack and Jill were to go for water today,instead of going up the hill to get a pail they would go around the corner and grab a bottle of water. Speaking of Jack,if he was sent to town to sell the family cow today instead of coming back with magic beans he would probably buy drugs and never come back at all. What about Hickory Dickory Dock? The mouse wouldn't have to run very far and the clock would simply change to one,no striking involved. The butcher,baker and candle stick maker in modern times would be the butcher,baker and tech guy. Snow White would no longer live with Dwarfs,she would live with seven vertically challenged miners (not to be confused with minors!,but who knows?). Hansel and Gretel would be on the run from the authorities for elder abuse,but they would be okay, as today they would have GPS. Rock-a-bye baby,the rocker would be arrested for child abuse. The old woman who lived in a shoe would no longer live in a shoe or worry about feeding her children as she would be making out like a bandit on Welfare. No more worries about the Three Blind Mice,PETA would step in and that farmer's wife would be made to pay for their tails. The little lamb that Mary had? It would no doubt opt for following her on Twitter rather than going out into the weather to follow her to school,and never mind the risks of getting made into roadkill!

Hello Dolly?

Today I would like to pose a question before I get started...Why don't Adolf Hitler costumes make an appearance on Halloween? I know most people would think it was in bad taste,but Halloween is more about being scary than it is about good taste (other than the treats,of course!). Next up I hope to offer a few facts about Hitler that you may not know. In 1938 he was Time magazine's Man of the Year. He had a German Shepherd named Blondi (appropriate name,considering) and he gave the order to have sex dolls manufactured for the troops. The Nazi soldiers were suffering as much from syphilis as from battle while stationed in Paris. The dolls were blue eyed blondes (who would have guessed?) and smaller than life size so they would fit into the backpacks of the soldiers. The project was canceled after two years as the soldiers refused to carry the dolls for fear of embarrassment if they were captured.

One Leg at a Time

The purpose of products is becoming blurred to the point of confusion. It used to be you bought shoes and jeans strictly as apparel,but not so anymore. Shoes are not only shoes,now they can also be exercise devices,and I'm sure there will be other claims as well,if there aren't already. Jeans have been an all purpose wardrobe item for years,but now they are also available for cellulite reduction and moisturizing. They are called Denim Spa jeans and are treated with rose hip oil,retinol,caffeine and shea butter. The ingredients are sprayed onto the jeans and then dried on in an oven. The jeans are cut tight so the friction releases the micro-capsules. Now for the bad news...the treatment only lasts 6-8 washes,although some types can be re-spritzed and the cost is $150. Stop me if I'm wrong,but does the gal in this picture look like she is troubled with cellulite?

What's In Your Drawers?

I recently read that the reason most naked male statues are missing their penises is that the Catholic church was feeling pressured and lopped off the offending members and replaced them with fig leaves. The part I couldn't verify or disprove is that there is a room where the dismembered members are numbered (according to which statue they belong to) and stored in drawers. At the risk of sounding crude the picture that came to my mind was snooping through someones nightstand and coming across another type of disconnected penis. I have been to Italy,but not to the Vatican,so if anyone has toured the Vatican and can either confirm or debunk the story of the penis drawers,I would love to know!
And this guy even has his fingers,so it was not wear and tear.

A Warm Up

You long time readers may remember that the last Sunday before Halloween is a local event I enjoy called Talking Tombstones. Yesterday I went to look up the date so I would be sure not to miss it,and found some other interesting things. For those who would like to leave a recorded message for loved ones or whoever might stumble by your gravestone,a marker is available ($5,000 including batteries) that automatically plays a message when someone approaches. I can see how this would be great fun... of course being dead you wouldn't be around to enjoy it...or would you? It would require some deliberation to decide on your final words,but well worth the effort. If you would like to go "a step beyond" a "Video Enhanced Gravemarker" is also available. I won't be opting for either of these offerings as I plan on being cremated,as I am claustrophobic. Sure it might not matter when I'm dead,but better safe than sorry!

Middle of the Night Genius

I often wake up in the middle of the night with a thought or maybe part of a dream that at the time seems like a stroke of genius. Most times I forget them before morning,but last night my genius moment stayed with me until morning. It was (of all things) a possible cure for cancer. I was thinking that you never hear of heart cancer,so if it didn't exist,there must be something preventing it that could be harnessed. As it turns out cardiac cancer is extremely rare,but not totally unknown. The reason is that the heart is the only organ that doesn't continue to grow,so the cells are not as receptive to cancer. Alas,another moment of genius down the toilet. However,I did find some interesting health tips for reducing cancer risk and heart health. Vitamin D is essential (400 IU),it regulates blood pressure and reduces stress. It can be obtained by 15 minutes of sunlight a day and a diet rich in vitamin D. Deep breathing is not only calming,it also strengthens the immune system. 70% of bodily toxins are released through deep breathing. According to the Mayo Clinic stretching as soon as you wake up improves posture,promotes blood flow and relieves tension. Drinking caffeine in small amounts increases you energy level,focus and mood,but shouldn't exceed 8 oz. at a time. The key to much of life,as always,is moderation.

Creepy

I received an email from a friend this morning about a company that was making leather items out of human skin. My first thought was,NO WAY,that couldn't possibly be legal. Not only is it legal,there is such a demand for their products they aren't currently taking orders until they can produce and distribute the current orders placed by their existing customers. Their products include: belts,wallets,shoes and other accessories such as bracelets. The prices range from $14,000 to $27,000 with customized pieces rising above those amounts. They obtain the skin from people who have bequeathed their skin to the company prior to their death (it would be hard to do after their death!),their surviving relatives are then paid for the skin. The skin from the back and the stomach are the prime areas,being the largest pieces. I only wish I could have made myself wait until Halloween to post this!

Thumbing

Yesterday's blog is going to be a hard act to follow,but that has never stopped me before.
My left thumb was itching like wild for about 45 minutes,I made a mental note to look that up and see if there was an omen connected to it. It turns out to be about the only body part that has no omen concerning itching,the right thumb itching however,is a symptom of several medical conditions,so I dodged a bullet there! Here are some omens associated with other body parts itching: Crown of the head,you will have an advance in position. Right cheek,someone is speaking well of you. Left cheek,someone is speaking poorly of you. Right eye or eyebrow,you will meet an old friend. Left eye or eyebrow,you will have a disappointment. Inside of the nose,you will meet trouble or sorrow. Outside of the nose,you will be annoyed,cursed,kissed or meet with a fool. Back of the neck,there will be illness in your family. Right shoulder,you will discover a legacy. Left shoulder,you will discover sorrow. There are several others and the general rule seems to be the left is unlucky,the right is lucky. Since it was my left thumb my conclusion is...I was lucky an omen wasn't listed for the left thumb!

About Face

Have you ever heard of the ancient art of Rumpology? I hadn't,in fact I thought it sounded like the start of a joke,but it was actually practiced in several ancient cultures. The Greeks thought the derriere was the key to health and fidelity,the Romans used prints of the gluteus maximus to determine talents and future success,somewhat the way palmistry is used today. In modern times it is often referred to simply as butt reading. The lines,crevices,dimples and folds are examined to divine the individual's character and to help understand what has occurred in the past and predict the future. As with fingerprints,no two people share the same butt and markings (I would hope not!). The left cheek reveals the past,the right the future. The most significant part of the posterior in a reading is...wait for it...the butt crack! In in famous words of Dave Barry,I am not making this up!

Off Putting...

Or more accurately,putting off. I read about a procrastinators club that made awards (nearly) every year,but when I tried finding a website for them I came up with zip...I guess they haven't got around to it yet! I can't verify any of these as factual but I don't think that is of much importance in this case!
1957 An ecdysiast (a stripper),"For putting things off."
1964 Comedian Jack Benny,for never getting around to turning 40.
1969 Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis,"Comedy Team of the Year" (more than 10 years after they split up).
1972 Elmer T. Klassen,U.S. Postmaster General,for late delivery of mail.
1982 Arizona Republic (newspaper),for printing a September 31st edition.
1995 Congressman Tom Delay, for having such a nice name.
1992-& 2013 U.S Congress,for tardiness in adopting a Federal budget.
The following is an aid to help you in your quest.
Take your time trying to read it!

A Real Sweetie

I don't think it would be entirely off base to say some of the most dangerous drugs are completely legal,in fact some aren't even considered drugs despite their chemical makeup. A perfect example is the sweetener known as Splenda. Like other sugar substitutes it is presented as a healthy alternative to sugar,but let's look a little closer. Was it chance or an inside joke that Splenda was released on April fools day 1998? Is it chance that it is neither sugar nor calorie free? (contains a mixture of sucralose,maltodextrine and dextrose.) Sucralose is a chemical 600 times sweeter than sugar,it is made with chlorine which is harmless when combined with sodium in an ionic bond,but when combined with carbon it forms a covalent bond. Covalent bonds yield things like insecticides,pesticides and herbicides,in fact Splenda was being tested as an insecticide when they accidentally discovered it was sweet,and from there it was set on the "we'll call this healthy" path. The real health ramifications are too numerous to list and keep this blog within a reasonable length. Let me close by saying,there are healthy choices out there,stevia being one. Think before you willingly poison yourself!

A Simple Test

About a month ago I read that one of the early warnings of Alzheimer's was loss of smell. I mentally filed that away,then a few days ago I heard a similar finding involving peanut butter and a ruler being used to confirm early Alzheimer's diagnosis. The way the test is performed is simple,about a tablespoon of peanut better is held next to a ruler while the patient closes their eyes and mouth and blocks one nostril. The peanut butter is held next to the open nostril and gradually moved up the ruler 1 cm at a time until the patient can detect the odor,then the distance is recorded. After a 1 1/2 minute delay the procedure is repeated with the other nostril. In the early stages of Alzheimer's there is a dramatic difference in the ability to detect odor between the left and right nostril. The left nostril is impaired and doesn't detect the smell until it was much closer to the nose than when the right nostril was able to detect it. If you are asking why that would be,the answer is one of the first places in the brain to degenerate with Alzheimer's is the front part of the temporal lobe that evolved from the brain's smell system. Maybe some of you will find this information useful and it may enable you to get a loved one early treatment.

Fixing

The other morning while I was in the shower I had a bingo moment and thought I knew what was causing a friend to have an ongoing scalp problem. I called her after I was done and told her my brainstorm,which she said may or may not be valid,but the real problem was she couldn't seem to leave it alone long enough for it to heal. As the conversation progressed she mentioned how everyone was always trying to fix that same problem in a multitude of ways. I could easily relate to how that works as I have experienced the same thing with my skin problem for more years than I care to count. When the conversation came to an end we both agreed it was human nature to try to help,or fix people's problems when you care about them,but I kept coming back to that idea throughout the day. I kept thinking about however well intended suggestions were, at times they were simply unwanted. At that point I begin to see how trying to fix problems for others could be misconstrued as trying to change them or being a busy body and that left me wondering if it would be possible to retrain myself from what I always considered a harmless attempt at helping friends. Even though for the most part I have never minded the unsolicited advice I have received, would I want to be thought of as a fixer upper?

Disability

I'm sorry,but I just can't go along with this one,seriously if people can get disability for a music addiction,what's next?
A 42 year old metal head,with multiple tattoos, finally (after 10 years) succeeded in having three psychologists sign a form that classifies his music addiction as a handicap. He is only able to hold a part-time job as a dishwasher because his addiction caused him to attend 300 concerts in the last year leaving him unable to hold a full time job (I wonder how it is affecting his hearing...maybe eventually he will be able to open another disability claim? plus how did he finance his addiction if he couldn't work??) His current job allows him to dress as he wants and listen to heavy metal while washing dishes,and he gets time off to go to concerts. It has been argued that Sweden (ever liberal!) could be accused of enabling the addiction by allowing his heavy metal lifestyle.

Two Sure-Fire Cures

There have always been two absolute cures for hangovers...don't drink or stay drunk(three cures if you want to count time),but now due to research done at none other than the Mayo Clinic, Sprite may be added to the list. The alcohol isn't the actual cause of hangovers,it is the way the body processes it. Alcohol causes a body to produce more urine,in turn causing dehydration (and what I think of as "The African Thirst") it also triggers an inflammatory response in the immune system. Alcohol also irritates the lining of the stomach,causes blood sugar to fall and expands blood vessels,causing headaches,for the bonus it also interferes with the quality of sleep. Researchers focused on how to stop the chemicals produced by alcohol from lingering in the body by testing 57 different beverages. Herbal teas were found to slow the process while Sprite and soda water accelerated it.  To recap what we have learned today...hangovers are seldom fatal (though they sometimes feel that way) and how research dollars are spent!

Done to Death

I might be the only one that is fed up with all the Vampire shows on TV as well as the movies,I say give it a rest,or maybe that should be RIP? I think the current trend started with the Twilight series and from there things got out of hand,but it may have had a foothold long before that. I was on vampire overload after the 2nd movie of that series and almost walked out of the theater during the 3rd one,and have not had the desire to finish that series. It isn't that I have anything against vampires,it is more about the lack of creativity of the writers, for TV in particular,they grab hold of an already overused idea and try to make it their own,but in my opinion all they succeed in doing it beating the subject to death (which is a difficult task when the subject is already dead,or maybe that should read undead?). Perhaps this is what the viewing audience is demanding? It is entirely possible,but it seems to me that even the most avid vampire fan would come to the point of saturation. An interesting question I have about the vampire trend is when I heard a little girl telling her mom she wanted to be a vampire for Halloween,what does that mean to a kid in these times? Is it the classic vampire image or one of the more current vampires which other than being exceedingly pale mostly resemble any other person on the street?

Smell You Later

No today's blog is not about the early acting career of Will Smith,it is about attempts spanning many decades to include scent as part of the movie experience. Various methods with various names have been used for this,some of the early methods involved things as simple as a wad of cotton soaked in rose oil then placed in front of a fan,from that point on attempts were made with injecting scents into the theater seats to be released whey triggered by the soundtrack,to the less than successful scents sprayed from the ceiling allowing the smells to linger then later mix. Some of the names for these processes were: Smell-o-Rama,Smell-o-Vision,AromaRama and the more recent Odorama. Odorama utilized scratch and sniff cards that contained numbers that corresponded to a number flashed on the screen when it was time to scratch that scent. Primitive as Odorama may seem it would have been my number one choice. Who wants to be exposed to less than pleasant scents when the only course of action is plugging your nose and time? At least with the use of a card you could control how much you smelled the scent and not have it get in the way of enjoying the film.

When Mules Mate

Okay,so mules can't actually reproduce,but this is only because of a differing number of chromosomes in donkeys and horses and that is not the case with many other hybrids. With the diminishing of the Arctic ice cap the former barrier is no longer preventing species,once separated, from now mating. In the case of the Grolar Bear (Grizzly and Polar aka Prizzly and Pizzly) it has been documented that not only are they reproducing in the wild,there have been confirmed evidence of second generation hybrids. At first glance it doesn't seem like anything to get overly excited about,but it most likely will lead to the extinction of the polar bear. The same cross breeding is also happening with other species,Narwahl/Beluga (whales) mixes with the offspring lacking the narwahl tusk. Seals/walruses and sea lions have also joined the gene swap. Granted it would be a shame to lase some of these unique critters,but it may already be to late to change the end result.

It Was Two Years Ago Today...

Sergeant Pepper taught his band to play,oops,that isn't it! Today is the 2nd anniversary of the Oregon Rainy Day Woman blog,I started writing it for the mental exercise it provided and it has served that purpose well. While I was out for a walk today and enjoying the unseasonably warm and pleasant day (64 degrees) I was thinking that people would be calling this an Indian Summer,which technically is a stretch of nice weather after the first freeze. My next thought was,"I wonder with all the politically correctness mania if Indian Summer has been renamed?" The answer (for now at least) is no. I was immensely relieved to find that out...imagine instead of Indian Summer using "Native American Summer",clearly not the same. Enough fooling around here for today,I need to follow my October calendar and change a couple of lights!

Slinging Hash

Hash as a word can mean:1. a dish of chopped meat and vegetables sauteed together. 2. a mess or jumble. 3. reworking old material. There are also several variations of these meanings,but I think most of you are familiar with the word. Unfortunately it is now combined with the word tag to make for an annoying,overused feature of social networking. Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon can be seen on Youtube doing a routine showing what Twitter conversations sound like (complete with the hashtag hand signs!) and just how ridiculous it really is. The detail I found confusing when hashtag sprang into existence was I had always heard # referred to as number sign (from the 1900s teletype) or pound sign. Later on it was included on pencils in front of a number to indicate the type of lead (graphite) in that particular pencil,most test answer sheets or forms need a #2 pencil used on them in order to be read by a computer. Outside the US # is called the hash sign or key as to avoid confusion with the British currency (pound) but in American and Canadian English it is also called the pound sign,such as on telephone menus. Confused yet? It is also often confused with the musical symbol for a sharp,not to mention a comment sign in some computer programming languages. Another name for #,used by engineers is the octothorpe,which is offered in 4 different spellings. Stop me if I'm wrong,but for a symbol isn't it having a bit of an identity crisis?  Exactly who or what are you calling a hashtag?!
####

Comply?

For those regular readers today's blog may sound somewhat familiar,it is about two separate,yet related items. I will commence with the one that doesn't directly involve me in hope of not taking up your time with my ranting. Yesterday on the news they reported a Comcast scam that has been making the rounds. It is the old phishing scheme,trying for your account number and password but with a twist they are threatening arrest...flashback to the movie "Compliance", people are responding with the requested information. Hopefully since it has been on the news people will think twice and make a call to verify the billing instead of handing their identity over to these thieves. Now for my up close and personal brush with corporate bullying,back in mid-September my rig was hit while parked,I was told about it by witnesses when I returned from a walk. Everything seemed to be going smoothly until I called to verify that their insurance would be sending the check in time to pay for the repair (it is scheduled to go into the body shop 10/7) and the run around went into overdrive. I won't go into all the gory details and take up the rest of your day,but I will say this,if they think for one instant they can intimidate me into paying for the repairs and rental car,they are in for a rude surprise!

A Necessary Workout?

The latest in workouts involves thumbells,that is the name for the tiny (65 gram) barbells in use for thumb fitness. The whole campaign was half joke,half serious,but what stumped me was why you would need to have your thumbs fit if the new cell phone service was going to be faster...did that mean you would want to use it even more than it is already used? Personally I think the whole texting/tweeting/gaming thing is overused and if a person is suffering from Repetitive Strain Injury as a result,my suggestion would be to simply cut back and do something else...like possibly get a real life? In the olden days there used to be actual, as opposed to virtual, conversations,I suppose the vocal cords will eventually atrophy and become obsolete,but on the plus side once your thumb has reached optimal fitness it would come in handy for hitchhiking or rating movies,so carry on!

Say It Isn't So

I watched a movie the other day that was the scariest movie I have ever seen,you might be thinking it was a horror movie or one of several genres that are known for frightening folks,but those types of movies rarely scare me. The movie I'm talking about was "Compliance"(2012) and it was inspired by actual events. The story unfolds when the manager of a fast food restaurant receives a phone call from a man identifying himself as a police detective. He tells the manager that a female employee working the counter stole money from a woman's purse,and he wants the manager to search her. Before I spoil the entire movie for those of you who may want to view it for themselves,I won't go into any more detail,but just with the basic outline wouldn't most people question why the police weren't handling the problem instead of involving the manager? What scared me was the thought that there are people willing to obey authority without question,even a voice on the phone,what else might these people be told to do and blindly obey? The crime depicted in this movie was not the first of its kind,over 70 such occurrences had been reported from 1992 until the incident portrayed in 2004...now that's enough to give a person nightmares!

10th Month (Already!)

It doesn't seem possible that this year is nearly over,but the truth of the matter is looking us right in the face! October is Feral Hog Month or Hog Out Month. The October flower is snapdragon,any wonder they are one of my favorites.
10/1 International Day of Older Persons
10/2 World Farm Animals Day
10/3 Techies Day
10/4 Vodka Day!
10/5 World Teachers Day
10/6 Change a Light Day (I am ready to act on this one.)
10/7 You Matter To Me Day
10/8 National Face Your Fears Day
10/9 National Bring Your Teddy Bear To Work or School Day
10/10 World Mental Health Day (Can't have too many of these!)
10/11 World Egg Day
10/12 Free Thought Day
10/13 English Language Day
10/14 National Kick Butt Day (Don't forget to take names!)
10/15 National Grouch Day
10/16 National Feral Cat Day
10/17 National Pasta Day
10/18 National Chocolate Cupcake Day
10/19 Evaluate Your Life Day
10/20 World Toy Camera Day
10/21 Celebration of The Mind Day
10/22 International Stuttering Awareness Day
10/23 National Mole Day (Spy or animal...your choice.)
10/24 Food Day
10/25 International Artists Day
10/26 Make a Difference Day
10/27 Visit a Cemetery Day (Perfect for Talking Tombstones Tour)
10/28 National Chocolates Day
10/29 National Cat Day
10/30 Devil's Night or Mischief Night
10/31 National Knock-Knock Joke Day
Happy Halloween!