My Opinion Counts

Quite a few of us bloggers have been trying ways to get more people to read our blogs. I have listed my blog in the Grokodile blog directory. It is a fun blog directory because it lists our blogs by regions. Now I can go to the Indiana section and find others from my state who like to blog. It is fun to meet new people and find out what they are blogging about. Since I live in a small community, this blog directory is the best because people living in smaller communities will not get swallowed up in a directory where no one can find them. Be sure to list your blog at Grokodile because, unlike a lot of other directories, your site will be found. Sponsored post.

We finally rented the movie The Prestige. It was awesome. I need to watch it again tho. I didn't quite catch all the clues. I recommend this movie to everyone. There were two parts that I had to close my eyes during because they were just a little gory. They were over in a flash though. It is the kind of movie that when it's over you are still thinking about how it all came together. Yes, I need to watch it again.

Families who deal with drug addiction have difficult choices to make. They care enough about a family member to want to do what is called an intervention. Most times, they don't know where to begin this process. That is where a drug rehab facility can help. A reputable drug facility is equipped to offer assistance during a difficult time.

Denial is an ever-present partner with addiction. A person with a problem doesn't always recognize it as a problem. Just because an individual's life has become unmanageable as a result of drug addiction and/or alcoholism, no matter what the drug being abused, along with the abuse comes a lack of willing to admit a problem exists. That is when a program trained in the process helps family members so they can start the process.

4rehabilitation.com is a drug and alcohol rehabilitation referral service. Their service is designed to assist families and individuals in finding the best treatment possible for individual situations. There are, literally, thousands of drug rehab centers. 4rehabilitation's aim is to help you sort through the services to find the one that best meets your needs as a family.

Besides the intervention process, they are concerned with recovery, relapse and aftercare. Relapse is something that happens. Many times it is a very fast occurance. It is very frustrating and families don't know how to deal with it. Rehab centers trained in this aspect of rehabilitation offer "peace of mind" guarantees. Although they are few and far between, they feel that the addict who has successfully completed the program but falter or relapses within the first six months of release are eligible for re-admittance at no charge. This can be of great value to families. Often, the facility has a program that offer this guarantee in the form of a "work exchange" program. 4rehabilitation.com has access to these centers.

Sponsored post.

Hubby and daughter ate at a fantastic seafood restaurant in Annapolis, Maryland, Wednesday night. Stacy ordered 4 1/2 pounds of crab legs. She ate almost all of it. I think I could eat that much. I love crab meat. Hubby had a crab cake sandwich. He said it was very good. I recommend Buddy's Crabs & Ribs.

Isn't it nice to win something? I have been lucky in that department. I have won a stereo and a high definition tv. I also won an ugly coffee cup! The thrill of winning is fun. iPodSweepstakes.com is giving away a free iPod every single day. I'll let you know when I win mine. Notice I didn't say "when" I win mine. I have seen offers to win a free iPod before. Most free iPod offers make it very difficult to ever get an iPod. Through iPodSweepstakes.com there's nothing to buy.I don't have to supply my credit card number to register and I don't have to bug my friends to try it, although I am going to tell them about it so they can win. By taking simple offers like taking surveys or requesting free information I am given the chance to win. Get a Free iPod from iPodSweepstakes.com Now! This company, Gulfstream Internet, is very reputable and has been in business for 7 years. They own 6 rewards sites. Plenty of people have been winning! Go Join them! Sponsored post.

When you think someone looks nice, what is it about them that makes you think that? Not everyone who is pretty, looks nice. Not everyone who looks nice is pretty. People put themselves together in such a way that they come across as all together. I like that. Even if they are in rags because they are doing chores, they look nice in those rags.

There is a video sharing site that is going to have so much growth it will become the known site for video sharing because of its IPTV distribution medium. The site itself is so plain that I found it so easy to get around and view different videos. KONKAN TV streams videos on the web as a few other sites do. What sets it apart is that as an Indian Video Sharing Hub it has partnered with 85+ mobile providers worldwide to stream videos onto cellphones of over 10 million subscribers. It is fun to see a business climb so fast to the top. I certainly see that for KONKAN TV.

There is a book that I want so badly. It is called Real Food, by Nina Planck. It it she explains how all the things we have been told about eating have been so exageratted and how we need to dig deep to eat better. For instance, she says that the experts blame butter and beef for heart disease, even though heart disease as we know it has only been around since 1912, and we've been eating butter for 30,000 years and beef for 3 million?

Don't you find it funny that the foods in all traditional diets - starting with breast milk - are loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol, yet people who eat these traditional foods liberally don't get heart disease? Nor are they fat or diabetic.

The experts are mistaken. The so-called diseases of civilization - obesity, diabetes, and heart disease - are not caused by real food. The diseases of industrialization - as I call them - are caused by the foods of industrialization.


I don't want to go on and on with her reasoning because it is extensive. It basically boils down to her belief that traditional foods such as butter are healthy and industrial foods are not. She says we will learn, by reading her book, how butter, lard, beef, cheese, eggs, and other foods we've been eating for thousands of years got a bad rap - and why it's a bad rap.

I am intrigued.

When I want to do a search for something I am going to do it from the Winzy site. Winzy is a site where I can not only search the web, but I can play free online games. There is a box with winner's names and what they have won. I am hoping to Search and Win so I see my name in there soon. Winzy has given away thousands of prizes. I see where a woman from Massachusettes just won an Apple ipod shuffle. Other give aways include, iPod Nanos, the Nintendo Wii, Xboxes, Amazon Gift Certificates, iTunes Gift Certificates, and even large cash prizes. It doesn't improve my chances of winning by searching for things all day so this isn't going to be a big time hogger. I can just use Winzy to surf the web as I normally would. When you register you can play games. Their Deal or No Deal game is so much fun. Their site is entirely free. Their money is made through sponsored results on its search engine. It's going to be so much fun to win! Post Sponsored by Winzy.

The Pacers certainly have their share of problems. The players seem to get into trouble a lot and now their mascot, Boomer, is in trouble. A man is suing the Indiana Pacers and the performer who portrays its feline mascot, alleging that the 6-foot-tall performer tackled him during a free-throw shooting contest, leaving him with permanent injuries. I just cannot believe he would accuse a 6-foot-tall blue cat of whipping his butt. He needs to accept that he will have to work to eat. Sheesh.

I enjoy winter because I have time to do my hobbies. I like to quilt and scrapbook. When the weather is nice I want to be outside, digging in the dirt. RC Trucks would be a fun hobby to get involved with. Radio Control Toy Store.com is an information hub chocked full of information RC trucks, cars, boats and planes. Their focus is on providing insight for beginners and intermediate users on how to get started and find the right RC Truck or other type of remote controlled vehicle. They also negotiate discounts and find special deals for those looking to purchase. While the usual battery operated remote controlled trucks are still out there, many enthusiasts are involved in building their trucks. Some truck owners have bought theirs already assembled and are into the speed thing. Whatever part interests you, it looks like a great type of entertainment. This is a sponsored post.

The sun was out today and made me feel like spring might actually arrive someday. I got out some magazines and picked some new flower bed ideas to try. I would like to plant petunias with colors lined up to look like the American flag. A row of red, then white,etc. The star section could be a deep purple since I haven't seen blue petunias. I'm still looking though. Petunias get long and gangly so maybe I should find a smaller plant. Back to the magazines....

I have a couple of friends who, because they were busy with their careers, have never met anyone they wanted to date. Christian Singles website is a nice place to meet other single people. It is free so that shouldn't stand in the way. It is easy to look through their site and see how singles describe themselves as putting the Lord first. They are interested in church activities and Christian lifestyles. It sounds like a great place for my friends to meet other singles with the same values and goals. This post is sponsored by Christian Lifestyle.com.

In our local newspaper today, I read where in Gary, Indiana, an elementary school basketball coach was sentenced on Wednesday to three years probation and ordered to complete an anger management program for paddling three 13-year-old basketball players.

The article stated that the teacher, aged 33, paddled three players on the buttocks, causing bruises and welts, on November 17, 2004. Prosecutors said he was upset about his elementary school team losing badly in a game the previous day. He told the boys he was going to motivate them.

That just turns my stomach. I hope he doesn't have children of his own because who knows what goes on behind closed doors. I hope he lost his license to teach.

My son has acquired a vast number of Greek logo tshirts during his 4 years at college. His fraternity has greek shirts made for every occasion. He has one for bid day each year. He also has one for recruitment for each season. That's eight great shirts so far! He also has greek shirts from their philanthropic days. He has a wonderful wardrobe of quality shirts. I can't wait to get him one that says Graduated Greekie! Greek T-shirts.com has best selection and pricing on the web. They offer custom embroidering that is just beautiful and requires no minimum order. Their online selection process allows you to design your shirt logo and view the finished product using different thread colors. If you are looking for printed, sewn on letter, or custom embroidered logos, Greek T-shirts.com is the best source for licensed Greek apparel. Sponsored post

The 32nd anniversary of Chicago's biggest St. Patrick's Day celebration is happening at the Navy Pier's Grand Ballroom. Hosted by the Young Irish Fellowship Club of Chicago, it is going to be so much fun. The 2007 Forever Green St. Patrick's Day party features tunes from the Emerald Isle courtesy of headliners, Larkin & Moran Brothers, the Chancey Brothers, plus the pipes, the pipes are a-callin' 'Danny Boy' via the famous Irish pipe band, the Shannon Rovers. Don't spend St. Patty's day at the same ole local place. Get yourself to the Navy Pier! See ya there!

My husband and I were looking through our pictures the other day and I changed all of the ones I have on display. I had forgotten all about a few of my favorites that were hidden away. I was thinking that I should look every few weeks and change pictures so we can enjoy them more. Then I found adigital picture frame that I put the memory card from my digital camera in and we can view every photo on that card. The pictures display at random. You can even set the period of time you want your pictures to display and how you prefer the transitions between pictures. I don't have to choose between thousands of pictures. The digital photo frame can be hung on the wall or displayed on a table in any room of my home. I can take it to work and force my co-workers to see my lovely family! The frame itself is so stylish. Available in white acrylic, black, clear acrylic and wooden frames you will find one that fits your decorative style. Since I no longer pay the high cost of developing film, the money I save can be put into the digital frame. With every 9 or 10 inch frame ordered you receive a free 128 MB memory card. That really cuts down the initial cost of the frame. I think it is something we will enjoy for a long time. It is going to make great Christmas gifts for the grandparents. As a side note, for all of you with babies, they also have the coolest baby video monitor, and wireless baby monitor. I wish those would have been available 25 years ago when I used my crackly old baby monitor. This is a sponsored post.

I had forgotten about the phone company owing US taxpayers a tax break until I read about it in the paper. The government decided that the phone company was in error for charging an excise tax on our phone bill for years. We are able to get that money back. A onetime credit will be available when you file your 2006 tax return. The way you file depends on your filing status. In our case, we file as married with children so we can claim $50 because we claim one child. If we claimed both our children we could claim $60. If you have your actual bills from March 2003 through July 2006 you can add up the actual fee charged and claim it. If you don't have your bills, the most you can claim is $60.

Be sure to note: this credit is a refundable credit. That means, as a US taxpayer, you get this money, no matter how your tax return works out.

While searching for information on grain elevators, I quickly became bored. Since I was using www.encyclocentral I ventured into looking for some ideas for our vacation. I hit paydirt by finding 4vacations. 4vacations is the gateway to many other travel packages. I could have spent a few days going from place to place on their site. I was able to look for tour packages and wowed by the prices. It took so little time that I was able to check out and compare many different packages. 4vacations is one of the leading international travel companies. They have packages for the adventurous type or the want to lounge and read type, like me. Have fun checking it out. This is a sponsored post.

I am embarrassed for the team that Ron Artest is a part of. There are allegations of him hitting a woman. I couldn't understand, from the article, if the woman is his wife or not. Not that it matters. What is wrong with a guy who can't handle his anger. It seems to be happening more and more. So sad.

I had lasik eye surgery on my eyes 6 years ago. I have enjoyed not wearing glasses or contacts. When I heard about the ReNu Contact Lens Solution Recall, I was so relieved I didn't have to worry that I had used an inferior product in my eyes. We only have one pair of eyes. I want mine to be healthy. If you use ReNu Contact Lens Solution please check out the link and make sure that your bottle is not one listed in the lot number of the ones recalled by Bausch & Lomb. They will replace your bottle with a new one. If you want the joy of not having your glasses fog up, being able to see the clock in the middle of the night and not have the pain of dust particles in your eye that irritate your contacts, get Lasik eye surgery. Ask your optometrist for a reputable Lasik eye surgeon. I don't trust some of the places that treat you like you are a patient in an assembly line. You want only the best when it comes to your sight. This is a sponsored post.

Did you know that what you might think are panic attacks are really early warning signs of a heart attack. Heart attacks and strokes are the number one killer of women. Now why did I have to see the article in Todays Christian Woman that talks about this? Maybe I better get that Crestor for my high cholesterol. I guess the Lord put that article in front of me for a reason.

I think that the general plan for credit cards was to make people safer because they didn't have to carry cash. Cash is much more disposable to a robber and so that is what they want. The mindset of using a credit card has to be one of caution. I find it too easy to not take into account the cost of something because I can pay with a credit card. If I did not have that option I may wait and then find out I didn't really want the item after all. Many people can handle credit cards and not have a problem. I wish I could be that way. The only way to stop me from using the card is to keep me out of the store. We didn't have a card for many years. It was hard to get credit without one. We thought it would be good to have in case of an emergency and so after using resources to compare credit cards, we signed up for one. Unfortunately my emergencies come in Small, Medium, or Large. We thought reward credit cards were a good thing until our balance skyrocketed and we looked around to find a low interest card to make a zero balance transfer transaction. Many people are fine with credit cards. I am not. This is a sponsored post

I talked about this on my Clutzy's Clutzes blog and I feel it is very important so I want to say it on this blog too. Fisher Price has a defect in one of its most popular toys. The nail fasteners in the Little People Animal Sounds Farm could separate from the toy and "pose a serious choking or aspiration hazard to young children. Please keep that in mind when you are choosing the age of a child you let play with this toy.

I would think that raising children alone would be a tiring job. It would be nice for single parents to meet other singles who understand what it's like. Single Moms would enjoy a website like Singlemomsanddads.com because they could interract with others in the dating community. They would both be on the same footing, so to speak. Sponsored post.

The National Rifle Association of America finally received a check from New Orleans City Attorney Joseph Vincent DiRosa, Jr. who was ordered to pay partial legal fees and costs to NRA's attorneys for expenses incurred. Mr. DiRosa's has been dragging his feet in what Federal District Court Judge Carl Barbier called an unprofessional manner..

The NRA is fighting the City of New Orleans for the return of the wrongfully and illegally confiscated firearms to their rightful owners.

Every ruling thus far by the courts has reinforced the fact that the Second Amendment applies to all law-abiding Americans, including law-abiding residents of the City of New Orleans.

This is in direct contradiction to the absurd claims made by the Nagin Administration that the Second Amendment somehow did not apply in New Orleans.

Go NRA. At least some of dh's dues will go to help New Orleans citizens.

I don't like having debt. I do however, like to take nice vacations, drive a reliable car and eat out alot. If I had a history of bad credit mortgages, I would need advice from a company who knows about obtaining bad credit secured loans. Bad credit is incurred from not so good repayment of loans or late payments. If I decided to do my best to repay in a timely manner I would get a loan for debt consolidation of all my credit card debt. The interest rate would be high but not as high as a credit card company would charge. When I compare loans, I can see that this type of loan would allow me to get my finances in order and hopefully take a nice vacation. With credit card debt there would be no way I would ever get to do something fun because I would never have any extra money. This post is sponsored by UK Personal Loan Store.

Former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby has been found guilty on four of five counts in his perjury and obstruction of justice trial. Libby faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and a fine of $1 million. Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, was accused of lying and obstructing the investigation into the 2003 leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity to reporters. That will teach them to keep their mouths shut and keep our operatives safe. It's highly unlikely he will serve a 25 year prison term.

For my reference. My cholesterol is 234 57 good 45-90 is the range they like, 159 bad 0 -100 is the range they like. Doctor wants me to take 5 mg Crestor.

Allergist would prefer I not take Clarinex D unless headaches return.

I feel like an old person.

It is hard to earn a return on money. That causes people to look at risky venues to invest their money. They hope to make a little money so they can add to their retirement. Sometimes they want to make a quick return so they can pay some bills. I have heard of investing clubs where you invest as a group. Being part of the club gives you more leverage. Real Estate is a big time investment for a lot of people. The shows on the networks that talk about buying a home and fixing it up to sell make it sound so easy. When you consider becoming involved in leveraged investments such as preconstruction condos, you should be aware of the risks involved. When you know the ins and outs of this type of investing you can make informed decisions. There is an important Ebook that you should read to gain knowledge about this type of investing. The book is Pre-Construction Secrets. I recommend reading it and then use it to invest wisely. This post is sponsored by Pre-Construction Secrets.

When we were at my sister's house this past week we went to an antique store. This antique store had every kind of old dish pattern you could think of. I saw some cream colored ones with a red pattern on it that reminded me of my grandma's dishes. Isn't it funny how certain things bring back memories. I was able to get a small creamer and a plate from her house when she passed away. I keep these on display. Even though the colors don't really go with my things, I don't care. I display them because I love the memories that they conjure up when I look at them.

I am so cold today that I brought out our little space heater. I didn't want to turn up the heat so that the whole house was warmer. When I get up and move around I get warmer. I just needed a little more heat right here while I'm at the computer doing bookwork. This attractive heater doesn't bother me when I leave it out in the room during the winter. I was so happy when I saw that space heaters weren't those ugly things my hubby uses on construction sites. This one really isn't even noticeable. So don't be afraid to be warm just because you want to keep your office looking nice. My office looks nice and my toes are toasty too! Sponsored by Desatech.com

It has been awhile since I have seen a movie I was so intrigued with. The Illusionist had so many twists that I had to watch it 3 times to catch everything. The country side is so beautiful. I really felt as though I was in the time era while watching. I could feel the people in the audience as they were given hope by something they couldn't understand. It was a terrific movie.

In this fast paced world we live in, it is not always easy to meet people. Many turn to an online dating service to help. It is important to find a dating service that helps you meet the right type of person. At JustSayHi you can check out thousands of people who are listed at the website. When signing up, you give information that lets others get an idea of who you are. Included responses might be, your gender, birthday, marital status, and education level (collectively referred to as "personal information"). Best of all, the service is FREE! This post is sponsored by JustSayHi!

It really irritates me to see mail from SallieMae in my mailbox. I appreciate that we can get a loan for college at a lower interest rate but it has come at an unwanted cost. Besides all the junk mail that I get from SallieMae, they have given my name to so many solicitors, including credit card companies, that it is crazy. I get stuff from any type of business known to man. With all the money SallieMae makes selling our names to businesses we should be able to save more on loans.

We have all become desensitized by the free phone ads offered by all of the phone companies wanting our business. Something new and hot has to be offered in order to catch our attention. I think Wirefly has the cell phone deal to get everyone's attention. One of the phones they are offering is the ever-popular BlackBerry Pearl. This phone has the email and web capabilities you need. You can transfer all of your data to it and have everything you need in this small two letter per key design. This feature gives you the SureType Predictive Entry. Not only does Wirefly's offer include a free BlackBerry Pearl, (free at checkout, no rebates required!), it also includes all types of RAZRs. Made popular because of their super tough shell, RAZRs are less than 1/2 inch thick. This makes them so nice when you wear a suit to the office and don't want to have that phone pouch on your belt. The RAZR has a feather-touch precision crafted keypad and a built-in VCAST music player with removable, expandable memory. Oh my gosh, these cell phones are becoming more and more indispensable. We have to have them so why not get them free! At Wirefly you can shop on your own time. Make comparisons of all of the phones and services they offer. Their site is secure so there is no worry about using your credit card. They are a member of BizRate.com so you can go to that site and read what they have to say about Wirefly and how they treat their customers. You won't find a better place to get your phone. All of the major phone companies are listed at Wirefly so you can get your phone service plan there. Again, it is so easy to compare pricing for each company. You can do this at your computer in the privacy of your home so you can take your time and choose the best plan for you and your family. This post is sponsored by Wirefly.

This is a picture of the car I was talking about in my previous post. Isn't it cool! I need to talk my hubby into going to a dealship and looking at it. After reading the rating at Lemonfree.com I really think it would be a nice car for us.

I find it so interesting to check out different makes of vehicles. My sister and I saw an unusually shaped car and we were trying to figure out what it was. I checked out LemonFree.com because their site is so easy to find different makes and models of cars. I checked outUsed Cars For Sale and found the Infiniti G35. It was the car we saw! I think it is a classy looking vehicle. The one we saw was white and had a European style body. LemonFree.com will be where I go to choose my next car. I have gotten so used to how to get around their site. They seem like they care about the consumer. They offer a section on how not to be scammed. Their section of reviews is full of information. By using their website, you can really feel informed when you decide to buy. This is a sponsored post.

I am looking for a way to make our front porch more cozy. This spring, when the weather turns nice, I would like to paint something on the cement. I have seen painted works of art that really look like rugs. I found this Stencil Floor for an easy way to to it. It is available as a kit and the instructions look pretty basic. I can't wait to try it. I hope it turns out like the picture.

It is really good to have a choice in what we want from services, whether it be for our cars, utilities or banking. Vonage is a service that offers many choices in itself. Their website has a list of 181 newsletters in their archive. I believe by reading those newsletters, you should be able to get a good idea of the reliability of their company. When you know about how a company does business, you can make an informed decision as to whether you want them to have your business. This is a sponsored post.

It is not lawful to marry your sister, so who did Cain marry? Were there other people on the earth? I am studying the Bible to gain answer to this question. It is very interesting. I have found a lot of information from the Answers in Genesis site. I hope I can retain a lot of information from this because it is good to have backing for what I believe.