There she is Miss America/USA/Universe/Gaia?

Isn’t it time we did away with the institution of Miss America and Miss USA?

There has been a controversy surrounding the newest of the narcissism elite Miss USA Tara Conner about her behavior.
She's been drinking!
She's been seen with Miss Teen USA! Um, hate to dispel this, but Miss Teen USA is actually 18 going on 42, and the Miss Teen USA Pageant is owned just like Miss USA Pageant by The Donald.
So the two drinking buddies aren't actually doing anything that most drunk underage girls do. They are just giving fodder to all men for they sexual fantasies. But again, I digress.

What do you expect from Miss USA? She is under the legal age of 21, living on her own in NYC probably the first time she has left the backwoods of Kentucky.

Now she says she has been planning on this since she was 13.

I wonder. How many 13 year old girls say they want to be Miss USA and they actually do something about it?

It takes me back to the Jon Bennet Ramsey case. Someone tell me this wasn’t the mother’s dream not the little girls.

Someone had to make sure she got her teeth perfectly done and her ability to walk down a runway perfect. She had to have the right dance steps, be told what to think about political issues and have gowns that reach upwards of 5 grand for each show.

Does that sound like something a 13 year old can do?

Now when she gets older, there is the lipo, the crowns on the teeth, the boob job, spray on tans, the faker the better. Just once, I would like to see a contestant with glasses, of course she would be voted Miss Congeniality.

The pageant says it doesn’t use the terms ‘beauty” in the pageants any more because the pageant isn’t about that. They aren’t looking for models, but role models.

Right, how many plain or ugly girls you have on these new shows that is about role models?

There are a lot of perfectly plain people out there who understand more about community service than these beautiful bimbettes. What do they really do? Go to military bases to be ogled which is good for the troops, but remember some of the troops are women and could care less. Do they go into homeless shelters to serve food or pass out clothing? Do they go into Abuse shelters to see what real life for some folks are? Of course not, they may break a nail.

Oops, I forgot, it isn’t about beauty.

The Miss America Pageant is a flaming scam. You take a bunch of women who do not look anything like what they portrait on stage, give them something to say, “I want to feed the world’s puppies!” then you crown one, package her and the symbol of the pageant up and whore it away.

There is the Miss America Pageantry Perfume, The Miss America Golf Invitational, the Miss America Master Card, Miss USA Clothing line.

Then there is the watered down version of Miss USA who gives beauty tips (remember this isn’t supposed to be about beauty) on their website.

I wonder how many of the men and young women who watch these pageants actually understand the work it takes to make one of these girls into the package they see.

I mean, if Bobby wanted to take one of the runner-ups to bed, does he realize what he wakes up with in the morning is not going to have her pancake makeup on?

The fantasy is much better than the reality, isn’t it boys?

I think it is time to stop the insanity. Young women do not need more pressure. There are so many molds corporate America has been trying to get us to fit into that it is time to stop and let the girls go one being girls, let them be happy with the bodies and the faces that the Goddess, not Maybelline has given them.
Normally, I don't care what women do for a living, it is their choice to be what they want, but this is supposed to be a symbol of the greatest country in the world.

It is time for America to grow up and show the world that our women are not things to be looked at for their beauty but to be reckoned with as human beings. Perhaps the rest of the world will follow suit.

But there is about as much chance of that happening as "Hooters" going out of business.

80's music

The sound of a counter culture? The backlash from Disco?

If music be the fruit of love, then this must be the indigestion.

Where did all of this come from?

As stated in a previous post, my hubster and I are going away for Yule time.
We are spending a bit of time in a romantic hotel, just the two of us and no phones, beepers or (GASP) computers...kinda.

I have never been the kind of girlie-girl who needs to pack every single thing in my closet to go away for a weekend.
So my husband and I will be sharing a suitcase. It is one of those American Tourister on wheels sort of thing..nearly as big as my beading suitcases, almost.
All I need is one nice outfit for dinner and my jeans and sweaters since we are going into snow country.
What is going with me is the one thing that has been my constant companion since I was 16.



Back in the day, it was called a train case. It is a hard molded plastic small case with a tray and a zippered bag inside to put toiletries in.
It is hard to admit I have had this one suitcase for 30 years. OUCH!
It went with me on ski trips to Seven Springs PA and Horseshoe WV, it went with me to Spring Break at Ocean City, MD. It went with me on my honeymoon when my friends thought it would be a crack up to fill it full of corn flakes, and it went with me to the hospital when I had my babies.
I got it back in my divorce and then it went with me again on several weekend trips to the Keys and the Outer Banks then on to another honeymoon.

Over the 30 years, it had lost its zippered bag and its plastic tray. The mirror on its inside broke when one of my friends sat on it.

This thing and I have been through heaven and hell together. I always called it 'my pink case'.
As I was packing it earlier, I thought to myself, things haven't changed that much. I still have only a small bag of cosmetics to toss in, a small first aid kit (I am always prepared after a bad cut I got on a trip once).

I still put paperbacks in there, but where the hell did these pills come from?
All this other stuff.
A cell phone charger cord? The recharger/link for my PDA? The cords for the digital camera and the battery charger for that?!
I look behind me, there is the laptop bag with all of its necessary cords and wires...and all I can think of is if I can slip my DayTimer in there for hubster to carry!

I think I was better off as a Luddite. It sure was easier.
Where before I would throw my stuff in my pink case and my "dress" jeans in a even smaller bag with a few sweaters and under things, I grabbed my skis and ski vest, tossed them in the back of my Javelin and took off. I didn't need anything else.
Now I have to make room for my jewelry casket, four bottles of pills, some muscle lotion (HEY! I do have chronic pain, you know!) and a few articles of clothing from the Torquemada collection to keep my spine in place.

So, where did this come from?

I got used to carrying a bit more when I had a child. There was diaper bags and strollers, but that was then. There are no strollers around here.

It is back to just me and hubby, so I say again, where did all of this come from?

Should I consider myself Technology's cover girl or its slut?
Do I really need my PDA with me, it will be a long trip, I got internet on there and I don't have to fight hubby over the laptop, of course, my phone has internet capabilities as well, but I don't use it for that.
I remember when I had a Kodak instant camera with, I think 126 film. I would shoot the pictures, dump the film in my purse and get out a fresh cartridge for it. That was it. My digital camera has its own memory sticks, wire link to the laptop and recharger batteries that I need the recharger for!

AHHHHH!

More idiocy about the war on drugs and sex.

A man gets life for smoking pot.

God bless Texas, huh?

Understand this great state of Texas will allow a sex shop to open, HOWEVER, the "instruments" inside are not considered dildos. They are educational models designed to allow you to demonstrate how to put a condom on.

As a matter of fact, in Texas it is considered a Felony to have 6 or more dildos with intent to use them for obscene uses. What do you consider obscene, sir? Sex is not obscene. Even your own sires had to mount a mare to beget you.

What about the vibrating dildos, er, models? They are personal massagers. Used to rid tensions from muscles.
Yeah they can relax some muscles and tighten others, but I digress.
According to Texas state law, the anus is not considered a sexual orifice, therefore you can have butt plugs a plenty!
From their video, you will learn that a "demonstrator can be penis shaped, but if it vibrates, it cannot be penis shaped...it can have dolphins and rabbits on it that vibrates with the head rotating, but it cannot be penis-shaped and it has to be used for, cough, muscle relaxing, cough.

What kills me is the fact that the owners of the adult stores can actually say with a straight face that the model that this particular person bought was more turgid therefore it can stand up better on its own for tabletop demonstration purposes. The buyer also had to sign a waiver saying she was buying the thing for educational purposes.

If they have to sign a waiver, I wonder where those waivers are sent to. Is someone keeping track in Austin on how many demonstrators you are buying, after all, 6 or more and you are a felon!

Now, I have always felt I have a pretty good poker face...but even I would be cracking up if I had to sell these things....especially when the bag she hauled her turgid demonstrator out in had a picture (full color) of a very large turgid demonstrator on it!

The Texas state legislature has gone as far as to put into legislation what kind of sex can take place in a private home. They have put in line for line, what can touch another persons, um...derriere.

Don't believe me? Fine. watch the video from the Molly Ivin and the Texas House Floor.
Who needs Texas comediennes when you have Warren Chisum as your representative. Just hearing him reading the Heterosexual Sodomy Law was a riot! Watch some of the people "behind" him trying not to crack up. When asked what the penalty was for a class C misdemeanor (hetero sodomy), he replies, very seriously, "In my county, it would be hanging"!
Understand this man's county is only about 120,000, but his conservative, barbaric rules are going to be used to judge a 21 million people in Texas.

The video is called The Dildo Diaries. You need to watch Molly Ivin's view on the whole thing, but there is video there from the State house describing the acceptable sex acts to be performed in a private house.

This goes to prove the point that the more sexually repressed and prudish you are towards things like this the more insane you are likely to behave.
Example, the most sexually repressed people who crawled under the weight of their religious morality was the Puritans...what were they known for besides being kicked out of every other decent country in the world? Burning innocent people for witchcraft.
Yes, the people who came to this country so they could be free to pursue their own religious beliefs, allowed no others to do the same.

Kinda makes you wonder that if they had a bunch of personal massagers how much better "off" they would have been.

So excuse me now, my hubby and I are going on a romantic vacation next week, I have to go pack a few demonstrators!

Fudge!

You have hinted for my fudge recipes.

So, the fudge pictures shown in an earlier blog post is Walnut Fantasy Fudge. a very basic recipe.

Fantasy Fudge

3 cups sugar

3/4 cup margarine

1 can (5 oz.) evaporated milk

1 pkg. (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate pieces

1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow creme

1 cup chopped nuts

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine sugar, margarine and milk in heavy 2 to 3-quart saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Continue boiling 5 minutes over medium heat or until candy thermometer reaches 234° F., stirring constantly to prevent scorching. I always check the fudge doing the soft ball stage test. My Mother always did it that way, so I do as well.

Remove from heat.

Stir in chocolate pieces until melted. Add marshmallow creme, nuts and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Pour into a buttered 13-by-9-inch pan.

Cool at room temperature. Cut into squares.

Makes 3 pounds.

Now for another fudge recipe that you can make at home and is a favorite around the homestead up north is:

Mackinac Island Fudge

½ cup milk

½ cup butter

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups confectioners’ sugar and ½ cup cocoa powder

½ cup nuts (optional)

Mix milk, butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt in heavy pan. Cook at medium heat until boiling. Boil exactly 6 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract and confectioners’ sugar. Beat with mixer until smooth and thick. Add nuts, if desired. Pour into a buttered pan and freeze 20 minutes. Cut into pieces.

Makes approximately 1 pound of fudge.

If you leave out the cocoa powder from the above recipe, this makes a delicious Penuchi Fudge.

Enjoy.

A weird census.

Who Americans Are and What They Do, in Census Data, this is from the NY Times.

"More people are injured by wheelchairs than by lawnmowers, the abstract reports. Bicycles are involved in more accidents than any other consumer product, but beds rank a close second.

Most of the statistical tables, which come from a variety of government and other sources, are presented raw, without caveats; and because the abstract is so concrete, the statistics can suggest false precision. The table of consumer products involved in injuries does not explain, for example, that one reason nearly as many injuries involve beds as bicycles is that more people use beds."

I was in a wheelchair for several months, I don't remember getting pulled over for drunk driving.

So, on top of watching out for wheelchairs and bicyclists, I have to keep a weather eye on my own bed!

This is the craziest census I ever read.

URL change

Due to unmitigated circumstances which involves me being a chucklehead, my blog has an new URL.
I have had my blog over two years and I am glad the whole thing didn't disappear.

Hubsters blog is completely gone.

Sometimes, I amaze myself.

Dinner is served!

Home cooking. Definite comfort food.


These are beef vegetable, served with Guinness sauce.
I was going to make Cornish Pasties but got too tired to roll out the dough.

I think I was meant to be a pirate...or a parrot...head

Me in Florida circa 1988

A dreary day in the Lowcountry listening to Jimmy Buffet makes me remember things.

The greatest hits of Jimmy Buffet which has all of his standards on it makes me remember Florida.

Even though I am making meat pasties for dinner, his “Cheeseburger in Paradise” makes me yearn for a burger from the Ice Cream Shoppe over at the corner of Savannah Highway and Folly Road.

Lee’s favorite song from the CD is “Come Monday” and I do have to say I really enjoy the song “Let’s get drunk and Screw”. But my favorite, my abso-favo as a good friend of mine would say is, “Mother Ocean”.

It seems since I left home after college, I have tried to be at the ocean. Even at spring break when the ones who could afford to go to Florida, a couple of friends and me heading to Ocean City. It was what we could afford at the time and the party was still on there as well as Ft Lauderdale. It just wasn't quite as nuts as today's spring breaks are, but I digress.

I lived in Florida for several years, I really didn’t like it. It was too much of an alien world to someone who had grown up in the green of the Allegheny Mountains.

To admit the truth, I hated it. I was too far from my family, my opinion on moving wasn’t really asked, I was just told to pack, we were going. My ex husband wasn’t much on my opinion.

At first I considered myself just a tourist. I had no intention of staying. I was a mother of a precocious 3 year old, what was I intended on doing? Running away? I was stuck.

My ex and I lived on the Gulf coast. We lived between Fort Myers and Naples.

I watched sting rays travel is packs, or would it be flocks, through the shallow water near the beaches. I learned when to eat seafood and what red tide is (do not be obscene, please).

I watched pelicans and saw flocks of Flamingos. I saw herons and egrets, I saw low flying old WWII bombers come in on a regular occasion to bomb the area with mosquito spray and I saw the bane of every car owner the Love Bugs that would be so thick at times you couldn’t see and when they splattered on your windshield or bumper, it took a lot of scrubbing to get them off.

As I was working I noticed it was just another place to be. I worked and saw very little of the attractions that brought people by the droves to the State.

I was one of the people in rush hour wondering why do older people need such huge cars when they can barely see over the dashboard?

Then, I moved to the other coast, the Space Coast, Melbourne, Florida. I was at the ocean!

It was different here. The ocean has moods, just like me.

I loved watching a storm come in. I would be one of the first at the beaches in the morning or whenever a tropical storm came through. The waves would be awesome!

I am not a surfer, but I did love those waves.

I had sailed on the ocean, I have traveled up and down the Intercoastal Waterway through the Banana River and I have been to the Keys. I learned to snorkel there.

I found a few things in Florida. I found myself again, I found a connection to the earth and I found my soul mate. They are always in the place you least expect to find them!

Since my years in Florida, we have moved around, but I have always been happiest being in a driving distance of a beach. Not that I hang out there all summer, I have Irish skin, I burn and my freckles get darker.

We have lived in Wilmington, NC during the bad storm year of 1996 When Hurricanes Bertha and Fran hit the area in the same year, (stop bitching NOLA). We moved to the mountains of Virginia and then got the chance to come back south, but not just south, but back to the ocean. To Charleston, a place I fell in love with when we had our honeymoon here.

I may have gotten older (not necessarily wiser) but I still the love a storm at the beach.

So I am sitting here, listening to Buffet and wishing I had some shrimp on the boil and thinking, having given me my love of the ocean, perhaps Florida wasn’t such a bad place after all.

Mother, mother ocean, I have heard you call
Wanted to sail upon your waters since I was three feet tall
You've seen it all, you’ve seen it all

Watched the men who rode you switch from sails to steam
And in your belly you hold the treasures few have ever seen
Most of ‘em dream, most of ‘em dream

Yes I am a pirate, two hundred years too late
The cannons don’t thunder, there’s nothing to plunder
I’m an over-forty victim of fate
Arriving too late, arriving too late

Beards

If this seems a bit odd it is because I am a mess!
This rain, temperature changes abruptly, chronic pain. Yep, I am a mess...among other things.

Among the online stumbling I do (I have the Stumble Upon button on my Firefox tool bar) I find some strange things.
This one was given to me by my hubby.

I like beards on men. Don't know why. I am NOT talking about soul patches, that look just seem unkempt and in need of a bath.
My father was clean shaven.
My brother always wore facial hair after leaving the Navy. He had a mustache then a full beard for working in the mines, (Kept his face warm he told me).

Way back in the 70's reruns I had a thing for Captain Gregg. For those of you too young to know him, he was a character on a TV show called "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir". The actor's name was Edward Mulhare, (he was later in Knight Rider, poor man). This was a television show based on the 1947 movie of the same name with Rex Harrison.

As for mustaches, I love the one William Powell (a native Pittsburgher) wears as Nick Charles in "The Thin Man" series.

Here I am married to the cutest beard in Charleston.
I dunno, I like facial hair. My hubby gets extreme pleasure from chasing me with his freshly trimmed beard to rub on my face. I never felt hair so sharp! Fortunately it softens up.

BUT, these beards gets the award for just plain crazy.
I thought Salvador Dali had a ridiculous mustache, he has nothing on this group.

I wonder, my sweet mother-in-law loves Windmills being a Dutch descendant, I wonder if she would go for the second guy on the right?

This one nailed me.

Your Personality Is

Rational (NT) You are both logical and creative. You are full of ideas. You are so rational that you analyze everything. This drives people a little crazy! Intelligence is important to you. You always like to be around smart people. In fact, you're often a little short with people who don't impress you mentally. You seem distant to some - but it's usually because you're deep in thought. Those who understand you best are fellow Rationals. In love, you tend to approach things with logic. You seek a compatible mate - who is also very intelligent. At work, you tend to gravitate toward idea building careers - like programming, medicine, or academia. With others, you are very honest and direct. People often can't take your criticism well. As far as your looks go, you're coasting on what you were born with. You think fashion is silly. On weekends, you spend most of your time thinking, experimenting with new ideas, or learning new things.

The Three Question Personality Test

What did you expect, I am a VIRGO with moon in Taurus.

Who couldn't guess this one!

You Are Guinness

You know beer well, and you'll only drink the best beers in the world. Watered down beers disgust you, as do the people who drink them. When you drink, you tend to become a bit of a know it all - especially about subjects you don't know well. But your friends tolerate your drunken ways, because you introduce them to the best beers around.

What's Your Beer Personality?

Hmmm, I may not be the belle of the ball, but I know good stout. Guinness has been my favorite beer since my hubby introduced it to me many years ago...I must admit it is an acquired taste.
In that you need some taste buds to appreciate it.
Not the tastes buds burned out from Habeneros so that you will drink Coors or Corona, BLECH!

I guess you can't call me middle of the road.

Your Political Profile:

Overall: 70% Conservative, 30% Liberal

Social Issues: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal

Personal Responsibility: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal

Fiscal Issues: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal

Ethics: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

Defense and Crime: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal

How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?

I dunno about this...

I must speak out on the whole using the 'N' word bit.
Do I agree with people calling someone that racial slur? No.
Would I use the word? No.
But to fine people for using the word on stage. That isn't right either.

Micheal Richards was wrong, Andy Dick was wrong (who didn't see that as a publicity stunt?), but to say they cannot say the words is an issue for Freedom of Speech.

Freedom of Speech shouldn't be taken away from people because you do not like or want to hear what they have to say.
You don't like what this comedian's has to say, then leave the show.
You don't like what the television show is promoting or saying, then turn the channel or turn off your set.

Let's face it, calling people names isn't nice. If you call someone a chucklehead, it isn't nice. It may be true, but it still isn't nice.

As anyone can see from my photo, I am a heavy gal. I have been skinny, and many weights in between. I have been called everything from Rubenesque to plain fat.

I prefer just being called by my name.

There is a reason that the Freedom of Speech is our First Amendment, it is a freedom from censorship.

I get very nervous when people want to start messing with the Bill of Rights. I mean, where will they stop with the censorship?

An example? Bumper stickers could offend anyone for whatever reason.
I have been a victim of my Darwin fish being ripped off of the back of my car.
Where I was expressing a view that is an alternative to mainstream religious thinking, he was expressing his opinion by defacing or vandalizing my car.
Where do we draw the line?

What if the term Bitch is used by someone angry at their car as in, "Don't breakdown on me now, you bitch!" (I have said that to a certain Ford Tempo we used to own) and someone takes offense to the word?
Are people going to start walking around with ticket books for when they are offended they can write the offender a citation?

That reminds me of a Stallone movie I saw one time called "Demolition Man".
In the future, it was a sterilized PC environment, with your usual underworld of people just wanting to be normal. When a cop from the past is reanimated in the future, every word that was on a 'forbidden' list spit him out a ticket. It got to the point where Sandra Bullock was just standing at the machine gathering them as they spit out!

Are we going to start doing that?!

Just being stupid in your terms for individuals shouldn't be illegal, it just makes you a chucklehead.

Let's just admit the fact that some people are ridiculous and move on.

As for Demolition Man, I would vote for Denis Leary to be president.

Night Launch of Discovery!

Probably the only thing I miss about living in Florida is these night launches. They were spectacular!

The shuttles usually launched on Pad A or B on Merrit Island.
At night, you didn't have to go all the way to Titusville or Merrit Island to see the launch.
You could go just to the beach or just pull over on Route 95N and you could see it glow for miles.
We would sometimes go and see the regular satellites launches as well. Not quite as big of a tail, but still amazing.

I was in Daytona Beach when the Challenger blew. We saw the triple plume of smoke. I think the state stood still that day.

I was living and working on the Space Coast at the time in Melbourne. The launches were a way of life. After Challenger, we didn't know how to live.

A few years later, on Sept 29, 1988 Discovery continued the way into space, I took my son out of school that day and we drove up to Titusville to see the launch. Believe me when I say that it was delayed many times. I was afraid that it would be canceled, but it went up a few hours later.

I was wondering, the Challenger was called a disaster, the Columbia was called a disaster and they were certainly. But why did no one call the previous rockets that were destroyed on the launch pads disasters?
Apollo 1 (1/27/67) killed three astronauts, Virgil Grissom (a Mercury-Redstone 3 and Gemini 4 Program pilot), Ed White and Roger Chaffe.

X-15 killed Micheal J Adams.

All combined including Soyuz 1 & 11, there were 18 space pioneers killed in the line.
That is 5% of all pioneers launched into space.

These were brave, brave people. The kind that knew the risk and went anyway.
There was a poll done after the Challenger incident that asked the people in Florida whether or not the they would go up into space.

It was an overwhelming "Yes!".

I had to wonder how many of them worked for Harris. The largest space contractor down where I lived. Harris made satellites and worked on the Hubble.
I dated a guy down there who whose department was responsible for Hubble's Lenses. In case no one remembers, after the Hubble was stationed into space it was found that the lenses were ground wrong and Hubble needed repaired.
Let's just say it wasn't a topic for dinner conversation on our dates.
Because of the Challenger incident, Hubble wasn't launched until 4 years after. I think we were all fortunate that the Hubble wasn't on the Challenger.

The Hubble launched a new age for Astronomers....after it got its glasses!

Although, truthfully, I would have went on the shuttle as well...as long as I could drive!

This should put me on a watch list!

Pain Medicine Under Attack...Again

As anyone knows who reads this blog, I have chronic pain.

It stems from many years ago, I had such intensive radiation and chemotherapy treatments to save my 21 year old life that no one could see what the future would hold for me, seeing as my total future could be added up in weeks if the treatments didn't work.

The radiation did damage to my spine. It wasn't immediately seen. It became a slow degeneration that has sped up over the last few years. With this degeneration (collapse) came nerve damage. AN EMG test showed massive changes in my right leg.

There is nothing that can be done at present to stop the inevitable; a permanent wheelchair is in my future.

For those who do not know what an EMG test is, it is simple. They put a small pin electrode at the base of your root nerve near your back (cauda equina), then they measure down the leg, then they put another pin electrode at the nerve ending. THEN they run a shot of electricity through the nerve and time the current, if you don't feel it, they turn up the current until you do feel it. You then are feeling like the Marquis De Sade still lives and he is holding jumper cables to your butt!

I have had therapy, TENS units, deep tissue massages (Can you say, Ouch, you are hurting me Broomhilda!) and surgeries.

I have a fair tolerance of pain (See in dictionary under "pertinacious", you will see my picture!), meaning it doesn't do any good to those around you by complaining or admitting to the pain when there is nothing to be done. My hubby became very aware of the signs of my pain, digging my fingernails in my palm for example.

But there were times, I considered suicide. What point is to living when the pain dictates your every move? The needles, the excrutiating lightening strikes from my lower back down my legs. The intense heat and swelling in my legs. The fact if I went anywhere I had to go by wheelchair.

I have been to a pain management specialist where I found a doctor not afraid of the DEA to prescribe pain meds that work. Where Vicodan or Ultram would just make me nervous and not do anything for the pain, Methadone and Oxycontin did.
Methadone was a pill I took a few times a day to keep the lid on the pain and the Oxycontin was for break through pain. The meds at first made me feel a bit weird, but they worked. I was in some comfort.

Until, some people (Rush Limbaugh, hypocrite extraordinaire) made the word Oxycontin synonymous with abuse. If you were on Oxy, you were an abuser.

A chronic pain sufferer was believed to be an abuser, a dealer or just shopping for drugs.

After this I needed to sign for my prescriptions both at the doctor’s office and at the pharmacy. Every 30 days I needed a hard copy prescription carried to the pharmacy and then with a photo ID and a signature, I could get my meds.

Those who obeyed the laws, were treated as criminals and those who broke the laws got away with their actions and made it nearly impossible for true sufferers to get help.

I now carry around with me a Morphine pump. It is in my tummy with a tube and cannula in my spine. The pump provides a bit of morphine to the nerve ending area keeping the pain down to a manageable level.

It nearly took an act of congress to get my pump.

First I had to find an anesthetist who did the pumps to take me on as a patient. I had to prove all other avenues were gone down to no end, and I had to get testing done, a trial pump was put in externally to see if it helped for a week. Except for the fact the tape holding the tubing in place made me itch, I was fine.

Surgery was scheduled; finally 7 months after the process started I walked out with my little buddy. I call it my little limpet mine. The doctor said he may need to take it out one day to see how I would do without it. Um, you can have it back at my autopsy, doc, for now you just keep filling the pump up every 90 days.

I still get stoved up from time to time because I get to thinking I am Superwoman. My spine soon shows me I am not. It is hard to get the genie back into the lamp once released.

Now here is a man, Mr. Paey, in a wheelchair who is serving a 25 year sentence for taking his own pain medications. They call it drug trafficking! Here is a point that will baffle you. When they decided the length of his sentence, the police weighed all of the drugs in his possession. MOST of what was weighed was Tylenol!

A pharmacist who had no idea of pain management called the authorities on this man. He felt the man was dealing. The authorities could prove NONE of this, but the man is still in jail.

The authorities scared the man's doctor so much that he testified AGAINST his own patient.

Is this Justice or is it extortion?

Let me try to explain it to you this way. Alcohol can be used as a stimulant, a depressant or an anodyne. You go into a store and buy beer. Someone who is witnessing you loading your car thinks that is too much beer for one person. They call the police and say you are probably reselling the beer or you are an alcoholic who will drive their car and kill someone. The police arrest you for having too much beer and on suspicion of reselling the beer. BUT you are not he only one who is arrested. The person who sold you the beer is now arrested for distribution.

I know that sounds a bit out there, but just think about it in comparison to chronic pain sufferers getting busted for legal medications.

It isn’t just us, the patients. It is the doctors as well. Doctors are taken away in cuffs and leg chains because they were upholding the Hippocratic Oath.

The government in their regular dispassionate aplomb is taking the war on drugs AKA the war on common sense to the doctor and patients.

Why? Because it is easier to go after us than it is to go into the streets and clean up Meth labs and crack houses, they may get hurt in there.

This is why I am sick of any government agency who feels they need to take care of us.

Us? Or themselves? Want to know how much it costs the taxpayers for this so called war on drugs? See the drug clock here. I wonder under the statistic for “Incarcerated for Drug Offenses” are actually pain doctors or patients.

The war on drugs has become a war against common sense.

We are in the dark ages of reasoning, aren't we?

"We've become mad in our pursuit of drug-law violations," Mr. Paey said. "Generations to come will look back and scarcely believe what we've done to sick people."

The government pass laws that will never apply to themselves. The commandos who "uphold" the law abuse their authority by making everyone guilty until proven innocent. Good luck proving that you are. The law enforcement in this country has gone paramilitary. Have you ever seen a policeman in just a regular uniform? What is up with all of the black SWAT BDU's they wear now? The balaclava over the head, WTF?

Please go to the Pain Relief Network web page and read more about poor Mr Paey and his on going problems with the law and see if the whole idea is as absurd to you as it is to me.

Saphyre

What tree did you fall from?

According to this chart, I am a Weeping Willow.

WEEPING WILLOW (the Melancholy) -- beautiful but full of melancholy, attractive, very empathetic, loves anything beautiful and tasteful, loves to travel, dreamer, restless, capricious, honest, can be influenced but isn’t easy to live with, demanding, good intuition, suffers in love but finds sometimes an anchoring partner.

Nope, doesn't sound like me.

I always figured I was more of a nut...tree.

So, what tree did y'all fall from?

65 years today Pearl Harbor happened

Anyone see anything written on Yahoo, on MSN?

MSN’s website was talking of a diamond’s journey with a small note about a final farewell at Pearl Harbor.

Yahoo, as of this writing, has no note at all about Pearl.

It wasn’t that long ago, people. We aren’t talking about Antietam here or the first battle of Bull Run. We are talking about an attack that changed America forever. It got us out of our isolationist attitude and into kick ass mode.

People have no idea on how this particular war changed us all.

Lee and I were talking last night that if the war wouldn’t have happened we probably wouldn’t be here. From what I was told, my parents met during the war.

Lee’s father wanted to join the Marine’s but his boss wouldn’t allow it because he worked in the defense industry as a dye maker. These were the dyes that pilots dropped when they landed in the channel or ocean.

So he was able to be at home to court a cute little phone operator who later became my mother-in-law.

Women entered the workforce, the male workforce. Someone had to make the battleships, BAR’s, B-17’s and grenades. Everything made for the war effort was made either in its entirety or partially by a woman. The AAF planes were ferried from coast to coast to England were piloted by women.

It is said that there wasn’t one plane that flew in the war that wasn’t first flown by a woman.

When the war was over, these women were supposed to go home and be good wives again…problem was many were now widows and they needed those jobs they were suppose to leave.

Gardens were grown for Victory, metal and bacon grease was saved for the war effort. Rationing was life and hording was illegal.

Without getting on too much of a soap box, I will say it is a shame that popular culture is more interested in Lindsay Lohan’s eating disorder than the people from their own families, whether it was a grandfather or an uncle or a father or a mother, are being ignored for their courageous battle in a time of infamy.

The scope of the war wasn’t anything they understand today. In 1942 there were uniforms everywhere. There wasn’t one household in American that didn’t have someone in the war or in the effort.

Lee has five uncles who were all in the war; from the Seabees to the AAF they were all in there. My family had members involved in Salerno’s oil drum drop to paratroopers on D-Day. Two uncles never made it home from my mom’s side of the family.

It remains, however, our moral duty to those who died in World War II, to remember what happened on that Sunday morning 65 years ago. We remember the soldiers of the Allied and Axis powers, the millions of innocent non-combatants who lost their lives on all sides, including those of Hawaiian blood who died because their land, through an accident of nature, was a target due to its strategic location in the Pacific.

We remember so that we can ensure that it never happens again and, more importantly, lest we forget the sacrifice of those who died to ensure our freedom.

Always liked this picture of the Mighty Mo.

As side note, there is an interesting article from the History News Network about just how many ships were actually “sunk” at Pearl Harbor.

My own personal opinion on this is that the bottom of the harbor is a non issue, I think the Arizona is definitely sunk! This article basically says that if the deck and stacks aren’t completely underwater, then the ship isn’t sunk.

Um, OK, whatever.

I want those who read my blog to see that the world is bigger than TMZ.com and “Lost”. Perhaps curiosity will make them go into a library (GASP!) and look up some information about history.

I worked with a company once that an intern was asking about favorite television channels. When asked, I replied I don’t watch much TV except for the History Channel. He then replied in a huff if it wasn’t for WWII there would be no History Channel. I replied if it wasn’t for WWII he may have been speaking German by now.

Kind of shut him up after that. I try to never get into a battle of wits with an unarmed person, but they make it so easy.

Fudge time!

More treats for the boys!

My Yule candy kitchen!

These little beauties are heading north to Pennsylvania for my nephews to munch on.

I heard they made quite the hit when I made them the last time.

These are peanut butter balls. Think of it as a balled up peanut butter cup, but mine is better than Reese’s.

If I took the same recipe and only partially dipped them in chocolate, then they would be considered Buckeyes.

My recipe for these is very simple and they are easy to make, you just need a good forearm for beating in the powdered sugar.

For the 60 balls in this can you will need:

1-1/2 cup of peanut butter, I use smooth, but chunky is alright too.

½ cup of real butter, melted

1 tsp of real vanilla

1 pound of confectioners sugar, sifted.

Blend the melted butter with the peanut butter, mix it well then add the vanilla. Mix well.

Gradually add the sifted sugar. It will get stiff. I don’t use a mixer for this because the heat the beaters make never lets the butters set up. You may not need the whole pound of sugar, but it will be close.

Once the batter starts firming up, check it by pinching a piece off and rolling it in your hands, if it seems sticky, add more sugar.

Once you get it to a good rolling consistency, let it sit and start the coating.

You can use any candy coating you like, but I use 16 oz Ghirardelli Chocolate chips and a tablespoon of edible wax chips.

Melt both of the chips in a double boiler. I use a small chocolate factory double boiler.

Keep the chocolate well stirred and the burner on low until it is all melted and smooth.

Cover your work area with waxed paper. You can use tiny paper cups like this or drop the covered balls onto the waxed paper.

Roll about a teaspoon of the peanut butter batter in your hands to form a ball. Drop it into the chocolate turning the ball around to get it covered and quickly move the ball to the cups or paper.

You don’t want to keep the ball in the chocolate too long or the batter will melt into the chocolate.

I use a dipping spoon to dip the balls and make the swirl on the top.

Let the ball cool down and set for a few hours and then you are ready to give them away to deserving family and friends…or keep them yourself!

I love making goodies for my family, but to tell you a secret, I hate the smell of peanut butter! I must really love my nephews!

Tomorrow, fudge with walnuts!

In defense of my hubby!

Anonymous commentors have no balls, no sense and no guts.

My hubby, Lee wrote on his blog about the incident involving a cyclist and a teenager who ran him over while downloading ring tones for her cell.
Lee had 34 comments on his post, mostly from eunuchs who posted anonymously.
They were hateful!
If you don't agree with someone, try to use that gray thing in your head and tell them why you do not agree with them. Don't just say stupid shit like "I hope you die!" and "I hope you get cancer!".
How juvenile.

I was looking at the timing of the posts and they start from 4:02 and hit every minute after that till 4:13. All anonymous, all one liners.

Fortunately, my hubby has the ability to approve comments before they get to his blog.

I cannot wait until he approves the posts. He will cut out the ones full of filthy language.

The strangest thing is, they didn't make any sense. They were saying things he never said and twisting them. The profanity by the anons, well, let's just say I have learned a few new words! And I really don't think some of those suggestions are anatomically possible, but thanks for the ideas!

I cannot believe the amount of people out there that doesn't recognize sarcasm.

We have the idea that it all stems from the biker.net.
Someone wrote something on that forum about his blog and those neoprene wearing, helmeted heroes of the bike paths went ape shit. They showed just how intelligent the average cyclist is in their defense of their sport.

Just for those who think they know,

Riding on Roadways and Bicycle Paths S.C. 56-5-3430

"Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable, exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction."
This statute further states that riders must use a bicycle path if it is provided.

Rights and Duties of Bicyclists Generally S.C. 56-5-3420

“Every person riding a bicycle has all of the rights and is subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a motor vehicle.”
That is, any person riding a bicycle must follow the same rules of the road as a driver of a motor vehicle.

How many times have I seen cyclists ride right through two lanes of traffic that happen to be waiting for a light. You are small and quick, but it is not a legal road maneuver.

Lamps and Reflectors on Bicycle S.C. 56-5-3470

“Every bicycle when in use at nighttime shall be equipped with a lamp on the front which shall emit a white light visible from a distance of at least five hundred feet to the front and with a red reflector on the rear which shall be visible from all distances from fifty feet to three hundred feet to the rear when directly in front of the lawful beams of head lamps on a motor vehicle. A lamp emitting a red light visible from a distance of five hundred feet to the rear may be used in addition to the red reflector.”

Riiiiight. I cannot count the times that I have narrowly missed a biker, er, cyclist wearing dark colors, no reflective gear at all at dusk or at night.
I don't know about the cyclist, but it scares the crap out of me every single time.

Like myself, you are all just refugees from the law of averages.

Don't bother to comment here and wish I had cancer, you are too late for that.

Whoa!

How would you like to see something like this enter Charleston Harbor?


The Denmark-based Maersk Line—the Microsoft of the shipping industry—has officially launched the Emma Maersk, now the largest container ship on the planet.
How large?
For starters, she's a quarter-mile bow to stern (1,303 ft.), longer than the Saratoga or any aircraft carrier. The ship also reportedly carries the largest diesel engines ever manufactured.

More important, her capacity is estimated to be nearly 14,000 TEU (TEU means twenty foot equivalent unit), far and away the largest of the industry. (The company lists official capacity at a little over 11,000, but has a long history of under-reporting these figures for all its vessels.)

Most Oakland-bound shipping vessels from Asia and other international ports are toting loads between 4,000 and 5,000.

Now for the Microsoft comparison: Maersk already boats twice the overall fleet capacity of its nearest rival, and its parent company, A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, owns 40 container ports around the world.

Why all of this matters? Maersk keeps expanding the economies of scale in shipping, a key driver of trade globalization. Emma cruises at an amazing 27 knots. More amazingly, she requires a crew of just 13.

Result? According to the Financial Times, "it often now costs more to ship a container by road 100km from a port to its final destination than it does to move the container by sea from China to Europe."

Maersk, meanwhile, is building 10 more sister ships, just like Emma.

According to her shipping chart, she should be unloading in Singapore right now.

The port better raise its cranes!