My Opinion Counts

Ha! Are you getting more and more of those spammy emails that tell you how much you are needed? Supposedly, some wealthy businessman has died recently and left a sizeable fortune unclaimed. Not a very smart businessman was he? You only have to fill in the blank with how he died. You may choose from the following: Plane Crash, Car Wreck, Train Derailment. Now, there is some banker in some other country who needs you to be this guys next of kin! Hey! There is a bunch of money on the line here! What should I do?

Do people fall for these scams? These people are out to get our names, social security numbers, and bank account information!

Our country has been trying to find ways to bring the cost of fuel down. There are many arguments about drilling for oil. We have to find fuel produced in our own backyards. It would be nice if oil and gas investment and production could be realized in our own country. Unfortunately, the oil producers in the US have not come through for us. I am skeptic when I read their reasons for low amounts of oil production.

I was hoping that ethanol would be the solution. Living here in the midwest, we hear about ethanol plants popping up in nearby counties. Mom was telling me that she heard on the news that there is a surplus of corn being stocked for ethanol production. It seems as though not enough people are buying cars that use ethanol. I was surprised to find out that ethanol is more expensive than unleaded gasoline! What is the deal?

I suppose it would be nice to show our patriotism by buying an American made product. If enthanol isn't going to be less expensive at least we can feel good about not being dependent on foreign oil.

I just found out who took all those cool pictures of Jack-O-Lanterns I keep seeing on the Internet. Lerick Johnson, 51, of Alliance, Nebraska, says he and his friends like to send funny photos and messages to each other and forward them on to friends and family. A few years ago, he went looking for Halloween pumpkin carving ideas and ended up sending photos of the more unusual jack-o'-lanterns as a mass e-mail. The photos are circulating again this year. In fact, I put one up on my blog a few days ago! My picture shows a pumpkin carved to look like a hamburger. It is so cool! I'm glad someone has time to play. We all need a diversion from time to time. LOL

There is a product that I just discovered called invisibleShield. The invisibleSHIELD is a clear film that protects your cell phone, iPod or iPhone from scratches. I can finally get some help to protect my precious cell phone! I am so hard on my stuff. I am so busy and find that my cell phone is constantly falling out of my purse or gets thrown around in the car. Now it will have some protection. InvisibleShield works better than an ipod case for your ipod and I know it will be better than some bulky cell phone case! It will be nice to not get strange looks at the cell phone store when they look at my beat up phone!

Oh wow! I told you I was going to check out Baby Gone Baby, the new movie directed by Ben Affleck. It does sound like a good one! His brother is in it! I thought that was cool. So, about the movie.

Gone Baby gone is definitely an adult thriller. It is sure to bring up some discussion!

A private eye team sets out to solve a case that involves abuse and the abduction of a child. My stomach is clenching already.

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It sounds as if Ben Affleck has a winner on his hands. He directed the new movie, "Gone Baby Gone."

Ben Affleck has not had many great things to write in his resume lately. I am glad to see that this adult thriller might be his ticket to getting back on the road to success. He co-wrote the script with Aaron Stockard.

I am checking out what the movie is about. I'll get back and let you know!

Did anyone watch Dr. Phil the other day when he talked about pedophiles? He talked on the phone with the woman who's child had been raped and the rape was videoed. Can you imagine? Dr. Phil gave some important reminders for everyone to use to keep their children safe. One of the most heartbreaking reminders is that most of the time, when a child is molested, it is by a family member or close friend of the family.

I just saw on CNN online that Thai police have arrested a suspected Canadian pedophile following a global manhunt launched when computer experts unscrambled digital photos allegedly showing him sexually abusing young boys. Christopher Paul Neil was taken into custody early today.

I hope they throw him in prison where the other undesirables can deal with him.

It is important for all of us to know everything we can about our finances. We can get into some deep trouble if we are not aware of how this whole credit thing works. At The Truth About Credit Cards.com, they can provide credit help. Let's go over some things to, hopefully, prevent some credit problems.

Everyone should know how to find a credit report and know how to read it. The blog at The Truth About Credit Cards is full of great information on how to go about finding your credit report. They have dispelled some of the myths about how many times you can look at your credit report etc. This website is helpful for those of you needing to know how to make a balance transfer. That could save you from a costly overdraft charge. Not that I would now about those! LOL

The website has excellent advice on how to raise your credit score. Let the folks at The Truth About Credit Cards help you keep your credit in good standing. They might help you from a costly mistake! Check out their website.

In my previous post, I told how we were under a tornado warning last night. The wind is still fierce here today. A great big limb just fell out of a tree in our backyard. I just happened to look up to see it fall. I am so glad one of the dogs wasn't standing in that spot. They would have been squashed.

My sister, Grace, has awesome tastes in jewelry. She buys some of the prettiest things! I think she would like to know about the JR Dunn website. This business has the highest standards and scruples. You should read their story. They have overcome some hurdles.

JR Dunn is an awesome jewelry site. They have some of the most beautiful pieces of jewelry. They carry pieces from John Hardy, Mikimoto and Roberto Coin. Don't let my hubby know about the Mikimoto! He has been looking at a Mikimoto piece for me for a few years now!

They also maintain a large selection from the collections of Breitling, Chopard, Tag Heuer and Philip Stein watches.

They would love to be your source for that special piece of jewelry!

I had the lovely job of cleaning up dog doo doo this morning. I suppose, because it was storming, Brody didn't want to venture outside to do his business. Then hubby stepped in it and got it all over the carpet. He didn't know he had stepped in it. Ughh.

Why is it that when I clean up stuff like that, the smell gets stuck in my nose? Phhewwy!

I sprayed some odor out stuff that Mom got for me at Petco. Brody has a tendency to lift his leg on things that intrigue him. I am not taking a chance on him thinking that poo poo smell is something he needs to mark. ANIMALS!!!

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This is something you have dreamed about. Let MBO show you how to act on that dream.

We had tornado warnings near us last night. I did not always pay attention to the warnings until our town got hit with a tornado two years ago. There is no rhyme or reason to what a tornado hits. They can flatten a house and leave the one next to it standing. I head for the basement when I hear a warning.

Needless to say, I did not get a good nights sleep last night. Sigh...

As a small business owner, I am aware of the dedication involved in operating a brick and mortar business. I would like more information about how to have a successful online business.

There is a helpful website, www.StoresOnlineWebsite.com, that has established important rules for operating a successful online business. Many dream of having an online business. Do you see yourself checking sales and stats on your online business? If you want help in making that your dream, let Storesonline™ help you achieve that goal. By utilizing their 7 rules for Operating a Successful Online Business, you will be informed and empowered to make your online business a success.

There are a few stars that seem to have vanished out of the limelight. Has anyone heard anything about the magician, David Copperfield, lately? We saw him when we were in Vegas. His show was awesome. Yes, I kept saying, "How did he do that?" At one point he was on the stage, the next minute he was right in front of us. It was amazing. I always loved his choices of music. He did many of his acts to songs by Sting. It made the whole trick very dramatic.

Did anyone watch his specials on television? Did you see him make the Great Wall of China disappear? I taped most of his specials.

I had so much fun getting together with the card club girls. We play Euchre. I should say that we talk and "attempt" to get a hand of Euchre in here and there. We had not met all summer and we had so much to say. One gal's son and daughter in-law are expecting a baby! Some in our group are becoming grandmothers!

Something that I noticed is how casual we have become. We have played cards before we had children. That means that we have been friends for over 30 years! We talk about new coffee pots and how to get spots out of our carpets. We also let each other know when we run across something new that has worked well in our own experience.

ORIKI Cosmeceuticals makes a wonderful skin care line. Some of us have fought with our skin for so long we have wanted to give up. There are so many skin types. You need to find a skin care product specific to your type of skin. Especially, if you have pigmented skin. Using the wrong product can cause redness, dark spots and many other problems. ORIKI Cosmeceuticals have developed products specifically for those with Asian, Mediterranean and other Olive (AMO) skin types. Those skin types are particularly sensitive to hydroquinone and products with that ingredient should be avoided. ORIKI makes a gentle product that many with pigmented skin have found to be great for them. Try it and then let your friends in on this wonderful skin care line.

Tonight, friends of mine got together with me to play cards. We had not seen each other all summer and we barely got through a few hands when we decided to just forget our card game and talk.

It seems as though a couple of the girls are having a tough time dealing with aging parents. One friend's mother is settled into an assisted living home and although she is 97 years old, she gets along splendidly. The setting reminds me of what I read in the brochures for Worcester Nursing Home. This Massachusetts Nursing Home is known for its compassion and support.

My other friend is experiencing problems with the care of her mother. Unlike the atmosphere of skilled professionals who care about their patients as if they were family, her mother is treated like a number. They could take lessons from the Knollwood,
MA Nursing Home and offer

Why is it that our bodies play tricks on us? My friend's daughter is a healthy college graduate. Her daughter has always been active physically. She participated in sports and was also active in theater. She was in many plays in our local theater group. She has a beautiful voice and is asked to sing at weddings.

Recently, this young lady has developed a tic. She cannot control the impulse to draw her head to her shoulder. It may not happen for days and then begins again. It is disconcerting and annoying to say the least. She has been to neurologists and psychiatrists in hopes of finding an answer to her malady. I feel so bad for her. Could this be caused by stress? Is something wrong physically?

I know of a lady who, when in her late thirties, experienced this problem. She was unable to find an answer. She dealt with it for about three years. Suddenly, it stopped happening. I hope my friend's daughter gets relief quickly.

I used to have dial up. I know what slow is. Now I am interested to know how my computer compares to others in terms of speed. There is a utility that you can use to perform an Internet Speed Test. The great folks at PC 911 have the technology to help you get your computer where it needs to be. Their friendly staff can help you with slow connection problems and other issues. Check out PC 911.

There is a strong possibility that when you crave chocolate it is because you need it! Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems. It is true! So, pass me that fudge. Now!

My friend is so excited! A grant has been approved for the college at which he teaches. They are getting much needed equipment. The equipment he uses to teach with now is antique. It is awful to try and teach new ideas when you have to show how it is done on old equipment. The two don't mesh.

He is appreciative of the person who wrote the grant request. It is not an easy task. Free government grant programs and benefits search is a wonderful site to find over 3,000 financial assistance programs. Users can use the site to determine of which grants they might qualify. The compilation Government Grant Search makes the task easier. The site is easy to use. Check it out!

Do your parents teach your kids things? We have these grandiose ideas about what our children's grandparents will leave them in the way of lasting impressions. I wonder what my kids will say.

Will it be the time my mom taught them to recite a poem?

Will it be the Easter when hubby's mom hid eggs in the yard?

What do you remember when you think of your grandparents?

We go about our lives doing our jobs and enjoying what we do. After a time, we decide to make a change. That is what happened to Kevin Koss. He worked long hours in a field that he loved but wanted a change. He and his friend, Joe Rivera joined the team of San Francisco Real Estate Agents known in the industry for meeting the needs of buyers and sellers. Helping individuals, couples and families buy and sell real estate is their main objective. Kevin Koss has a broad understanding of real estate transactions which makes him the best in the field of buying and selling real estate. Let Kevin Koss show you how to make your transaction flow and make money.

Does birth order matter? According to an article on CNN online, it does.

"Norwegian scientists analyzed test results and birth data from more than 241,000 military conscripts and found that oldest children had an average IQ of 103, second children came in at 101, and third-borns were at 100."

I disagree! I am a middle child. That means that I have put up with a lot. I won't start listing the ways it has affected me. My sisters would argue the facts anyway.

I would be so frustrated to have purchased a great cell phone only to have to purchase a different one when and if I go with a different service provider. Cell phones become a part of us. I get used to the feel of my phone. I can find what I need in the dark!

I found a service that can unlock the code that restricts me to my current provider. Hallelujah! When I am finished with my service contract, I can switch to a better one but keep my phone. I keep my phones until they die! I hate getting used to a new phone. When I search for my phone I want to be able to find it quickly. In the new purse I made, I put in a pocket that fits my cell phone. I do not want to change the size of my phone.

You can find Unlock To Talk at their easy to use website, unlocktotalk.com. Unlock To Talk, cell phone unlocking service can unblock the restriction set on my phone. When I bought my phone, that service provider put in a code specific to that company. After Unlock To Talk unlocks my cell phone, I can use it with a different service provider!
I won't have to remember how I programmed all of my ring tones to fit with specific callers. My phone book full of my friends numbers will still be there! They can also reset forgotten user codes and debrand most phones to remove service provider logos. Yay!
Cell phone unlocking is legal in most countries, including the US. As long as the IMEI or ESN numbers are not tampered with they may be unlocked.

You can find out all about Unlock To Talk at their website or call their toll free number, 1 800 891-0625.

and so she got it. Pleasant Rowland, creater of the American Girl doll, decided she wanted a town and she set forth to purchase and make it her own. It sounds like she went in like a bulldozer. Read the CNN online story. She needs some lessons in tact.

American Girl dolls are another thing that get to me. Those dolls are so expensive.

did you know that there are pens you can buy that cost over $500.00. I must not be up on the current trends. I had no idea there were pens that could cost that much. Why would they cost that much?

Do they have a tag you can hang around your neck to advertise that you paid that much for a pen?