tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12888820252379350722024-03-13T09:29:14.405-07:00R. Renées Purely Potluck PostingsThis blog contains a potluck of writings that pop into my head but do not fit into any of my other posting outlets.Kitty Smalls Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189825280432380620noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1288882025237935072.post-14986142748994662002014-04-03T18:41:00.001-07:002014-04-03T18:50:47.777-07:00Pet Peeves - Saliva on Shopping Bags<h3>
Licking Fingers Before Bagging Purchases</h3>
<br />
I hate it when people slide their shoes while they're walking… The sound is like such a lazy sound… I mean, I can understand if someone is really worn out because they had a long hard day perhaps working hard in the yard or maybe he or she is sick and can just barely move their legs never mind pick up their feet. Perhaps he or she is about to get an operation or just came through surgery or something like that… But when people slide their feet simply because they are too lazy to pick them up… That really gets on my nerves!<br />
<br />
What I hate even more, however, is what happened in the store while I was trying to scan an item in a self-checkout lane. The scanner failed to pick up the numbers. This may have been because the item I was scanning was too big to fit into the small area where the red light could run over the price tag. Deciding to forgo using the scanner and instead attempting to key in the Universal Product Code (UPC) numbers seemed like a good idea but the machine said the code was invalid. As a result, I took the item over to one of the workers for assistance.<br />
<br />
But hold on…<br />
<br />
Allow me a moment to backtrack…<br />
<br />
Prior to my stepping to the register to scan my purchases, the worker I would eventually ask for assistance had licked fingers on each of her hands and then used the salivated fingertips to separate plastic shopping bags conveniently hanging from hooks next to the register. These were the plastic shopping bags awaiting for customers to insert goods they were buying. In that I have a pet peeve about people licking papers or plastics that I must eventually handle, I decided to put my purchases inside of a basket I was buying. This way, I would be able to avoid utilizing the plastic shopping bags the worker had opened with her salivated fingertips.<br />
<br />
Back to the incident…<br />
<br />
Knowing the worker had salivated fingers, when I went to ask her for assistance with inputting the numbers from the basket’s UPC code, I held the basket to the left of my body. In this manner, I was holding the basket away from the worker. I am certain the attentive can tell when someone is holding something away from them… You know… such as… This is for me to touch but not for you touch… As I held the basket to my left in one hand, a finger on my other hand pointed to the numbers while I asked my question. All I wanted was for the worker to confirm which numbers I needed to key into the register so that the system would validate my item. She did not need to touch the basket or its price tag in order to answer my question.<br />
<br />
Well…<br />
<br />
Apparently...<br />
<br />
Those thoughts existed only in my mind and NOT in the worker’s reality…<br />
<br />
and thus…<br />
<br />
She went out of her way, as if unable to see that I was holding the item away from her… as if she could not comprehend that I wanted her to talk about… to explain… but not to touch as “I” not “she” fingered the UPC numbers on the price tag…. and thus… She went out of her way to move in a bit closer so that she could reach over and touch the tag with her germy saliva-coated fingertip!<br />
<br />
I cringed…<br />
<br />
‘Good grief!’ I thought.<br />
<br />
'What is wrong with some people??'<br />
<br />
After she gave me the information I needed, I went back to the register to input the numbers again.<br />
<br />
Voila!<br />
<br />
What she told me had worked and the scanner validated my purchase…<br />
<br />
Happy to have acquired this new info would have been more sweet and less bitter had the worker not touched the price tag on the basket... But because she did... with a saliva stained pointer... Now... <i>I didn't want to touch it! </i>So, now<i>... I was in the process of purchasing an item I no longer wanted to touch... </i>I had already taken out my precious time to get one of the better baskets from its shelved bunch and now... thanks to the finger licker... it was tarnished... no longer better than its shelved cohorts...<br />
<br />
'All right...' pondered my thoughts on the item… 'Should I take the basket back to the shelf and get another one? Should I use one of the bags since the basket was infected now anyway? Should I skip over the saliva soiled bag and use the one behind it?' [Trying that still would’ve meant I’d have to touch the germy bag to get it out of the way.]<br />
<br />
Ultimately, I decided to carefully slip the basket into one of the soiled saliva bags without touching the bag handles; and then to place my remaining purchases into a large basket I was buying. This allowed me to keep the contaminated items separate from the clean ones.<br />
<br />
I paid for the goods and then meticulously placed the soiled bag into the larger basket in a manner that prevented the handles from touching anything. Unfortunately, echos of my daughter's words reminded me... as she had done in person on numerous occasions... that... "Germs crawl you know. They don't stay in just one place."<br />
<br />
All the way out the store and across the parking lot to my car, all I thought about was that once I got home I would have to wash my NEW basket... maybe even the other baskets and the remaining purchases since germs crawl... Maybe I'd have to decontaminate the trunk of my car after removing the soiled sticker attached to the basket inside the finger-licked bag...<br />
<br />
OMG!!<br />
<br />
Yes… Licking fingers before opening things or separating items such as book pages, stacks of papers, plastic bags and so on is an act that disgusts me. I think it is totally gross and do not understand how people can repeat this act over and over again in situations such as work environments wherein they are dealing with the public and touching so many objects for hours on end without washing their hands. Even if you move beyond the fact that they are subjecting the belongings of others to their saliva, what about the fact that they are unnecessarily adding germs to their own mouths and bodies…<br />
<br />
Okay… I admit… I have a problem with germs…<br />
<br />
But this is why I utilize the self-checkout whenever possible in the first place…<br />
<br />
So that…<br />
<br />
Fewer hands that do not belong to me are handling my purchases…<br />
<br />
But even if I did not have a germ problem, that does not mean I would be okay with people, in affect, <i>salivating on my belongings!</i>Kitty Smalls Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189825280432380620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1288882025237935072.post-74446325340808589182014-03-08T10:31:00.000-08:002014-03-08T10:31:17.257-08:00Tapping into Psychic Ability and Spirituality to Aid Your SuccessDo you believe in psychic ability?<br />
<br />
Have you ever had a premonition or dreamed something that came true?<br />
<br />
What about spirituality... Do you think spirituality is only for those who practice religion?<br />
<br />
What if you could use your psychic ability and spirituality in unison to aid your success? Would you try to make your life better knowing you could do so by freeing your mind and tapping into your own personal unheard dialogue given specifically to you from the heavens... the universe... the air around you?<br />
<br />
Consider this short anecdote...<br />
<br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Her feet barely squeeze through the
closing door before her fingers pry open her laptop and press the power
button. She drops her purse on the bed relinquishes her coat atop it and
dashes to fire up the teapot. Computer start-up beeps impregnate her
ears as she spills sugar and plop a teabag into a mug. To some the
computer's high pitched sounds are merely indication that the
technological device is doing what such devices are intended to do. To
her the computer tones are indication that the box is preparing to
orchestrate a symphony - her symphony - only the harmony she has in mind
has nothing to do with consonant resolving dissonant chords or major
transposing to minor keys because the symphony her computer will
construct will unfold in novelistic words of prose.</span></span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">All day she'd
sat at a cramped desk in a stuffy office answering boring phone calls
and pushing an ink skipping pen. The only reason she hadn't gone crazy
was that her new found spirituality was soothing the avenues of her mind
by unleashing constant reminders of her impending career change.</span></span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">All
her life she'd wanted to pen renditions of unsavory characters
inflicting havoc on the weak and the innocent; to write love stories so
critically acclaimed they'd be rewritten in fifty or sixty languages, to
see her byline on book after book while signing autographs for
thousands of fans. Only problem was she used to think her aspirations
were irrational so instead of following her dreams she dropped them like
burning potatoes and fell into an unplanned career. Somehow she'd
bought into the notion that putting bread on the table any way she could
was more important than living a dream. But that was before she tapped
into her spirituality.</span></span></i><br /><br />This random anecdote references a female; however, whether a guy or girl, if this sounds like you, you should know
that spirituality can help get you where you want to be by allowing you
to open your mind so that you will be able to pay more attention to your psychic ability. If you're
wondering what spirituality and psychic ability have to do with one
another, simply put, <i>they both connect to us via our states of mind and
our intellect</i>. Their forces enter our bodies, undetected, in efforts to
provide direction and to show us how to find peace. They are what help
us maintain our focus and they keep us chugging along like the little
engine that could right through life's trials and tribulations.<br /><br />Even
though spirituality and psychic ability both relate to our being via
the mind and the intellect, we connect to them in different manners. In
the case of spirituality, connectivity can be constant. We don't have to
maintain awareness of it every second of the day, but once we connect
and learn to use it to our advantage, we can rejuvenate our minds at
will. Whereas some may accomplish this through prayer, others might
meditate, and others might go for quiet walks, etcetera.<br /><br />Using
our psychic ability requires us to be alert and aware of messages we
receive in random forms of intangible gifts. Some of us receive more, or
at least notice more, messages than do others. Unlike spirituality,
psychic abilities don't connect and remain with us in a constant fashion
and most of us cannot conjure these forces on command.<br /><br />The fact
that we can tap into spirituality with more ease and flexibility than we
can psychic ability, makes spirituality easier to use as an aid to
guide us through our lives. This grants us ongoing opportunities to use
the inexplicable means spirituality has of stripping negative forces
from our minds - forces that work to keep us from living our lives as we
see fit. When we use spirituality to cleanse our minds, to eliminate
negative influences spirituality erects positive barriers to prevent
future negativities from rooting. <br /><br />Cleansing our minds through
spirituality allows us to become more open and aware of our psychic
abilities. In turn, our cleansed minds enable us to better discern when
we are receiving psychic information. In order to take advantage of our
psychic abilities so they can work in conjunction with our spirituality,
we must learn to recognize and act on the meanings of information our
psychic abilities provide. It is only through interpretation and action
that having psychic abilities can help us identify where we really want
to be and what steps we need to take to reach our destinations.<br /><br />When
allowing ourselves to form relationships with spirituality and in
learning to use our psychic abilities to aid our life's decisions, we
may discover the reason we'd spent so much time telling ourselves our
dreams were unattainable had to do with people around us assuring us our
dreams were just that - dreams! Therefore, it becomes of utmost
importance that once we free ourselves and align our minds with our true
potentials that we never let others reduce our aspirations to levels
beneath our new found freedoms. This could be difficult in cases where
others have not and are not willing to free themselves and may in fact
think we've gone off the deep end. Whenever and If ever this happens we
must maintain the relationships we are able to manage - even if at
removed levels - and relinquish the relationships that will only
continue to distract us. Spirituality and openness to our psychic
abilities can only do so much for us. We must do the rest.<br /><br />In
closing, if we find ourselves employed in careers that we, for whatever
reason, decide are not fields we want to spend the rest of our lives in,
and especially if we don't really know what we want to do, a good way
for us to find out what really makes us tick is to tap into our
spirituality in order to free our minds and allow our psychic abilities
to provide us the information we need - the information that can only
tell the truth about what we really want to do with the remainder of our
lives. Kitty Smalls Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189825280432380620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1288882025237935072.post-40356894609083056452014-02-23T12:45:00.002-08:002014-03-08T09:58:55.491-08:00Peach Seasoned Tofu Over Rice<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">
Tofu Flavored with Juicy Peaches</span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XYVWmd7yvT0/UwpVYu1En5I/AAAAAAAABFo/5wkEjwCo1yw/s1600/Peach+Tofu+Over+Rice+Plate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Plate of rice with tofu and peaches" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XYVWmd7yvT0/UwpVYu1En5I/AAAAAAAABFo/5wkEjwCo1yw/s1600/Peach+Tofu+Over+Rice+Plate.JPG" height="240" title="Peach Topped Tofu Served Over Rice " width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A potluck blog can certainly use delicious food...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Herein is a recipe I developed while trying to make myself eat tofu. As many already know, tofu is one of those foods that is good for the body but boring for the tastebuds. The good factor includes tofu's high protein, low saturated fat and cholesterol values. The bad factors consist of its bland flavor and mushy texture.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Finding ways to accelerate the idea of eating tofu can occur by preparing the bean curd in ways that appeal to the eyes as well as to the teeth and tongue. For some, like myself, tofu is best when you can sink your teeth into it without it mushing around in your mouth. After all, no matter how good tofu is for the body, its benefits will go by the way side for those who cannot bring themselves to eat it. Thus, in addition to making tofu taste good, changing its firmness level can make it more appealing to finicky eaters.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One thing about tofu is that it comes packaged in a variety of ways as well as in different consistencies - soft, medium, and firm. Purchasing tofu that comes in blocks surrounded by water and contained in small plastic squares seems to be the popular choice for most consumers. Tofu packaged in this manner is stored in the refrigerated section of the market; often alongside freshly contained produce.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For those who have never purchased tofu before, know that despite its popularity, there is a conundrum to buying tofu packaged in water. As I discovered the first time I purchased a package that read "firm" on the label, the firmness level did not turn out to be what I had expected. At the time, I knew little about tofu. One thing I did recall, however, was eating tofu in soup such as miso soup. Although I consumed the miso soup, I did not really care for the soft texture of the tofu. Thus, while at the store, I figured that by purchasing the package that said firm on the label, I wouldn't need to worry about the tofu being super soft. As it turned out, labeling the tofu as firm, in my opinion, was more than a tad misleading. Despite the package labeled firm, the tofu was soft...</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Basically what happened was while in the grocery store, I came across the tofu in the refrigerated produce section and grabbed a package that read firm on the label. Once at home, I became disappointed when opening the package to discover that firm tofu is not exactly what I thought it would be. I had expected that since the label red firm the product inside would not be mushy. Although it did not appear mushy upon eyesight inspection, as soon as I tried to lift the tofu from the package, my fingers sunk into the block. Petrified, I chose to dump the pad onto a plate. Then I sunk a knife into the block to slice it. The blade slid through as if I were cutting gelled cranberry sauce. Then I thought, 'How am I supposed to cook this?'</span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Therefore... as a lesson to the newbies... tofu is not <i>really</i> firm when you buy it packed in water. A better description may be to describe it as coming in <i>varying degrees of soft</i>. It does not take much to make it mushy...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><b>Use the water in the tofu to aid flavor absorption.</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tofu packaged in water is <i>extremely</i> wet when you remove it. It's not like taking a pickle from a jar. The pickle is <i>truly firm</i> and requires tough action to get through its skin. In order to <i>truly</i> make tofu firm, you must cook it and cause its moisture to evaporate. This is why some recipes suggest placing tofu on paper towels before adding it to dishes. Not keen on towel drying this highly absorbent ingredient, I decided to cook the water out instead. While ridding the water using the cooking method, two important things occur. (1) The tofu becomes firm as it releases the water via evaporation. (2) At the same time, the water is used as an aid that unites seasonings added to the recipe as the tofu cooks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The peach flavored tofu recipe herein demonstrates this technique. It consists of slicing and cooking the tofu block until it becomes firm. As the tofu cooks, it absorbs the flavors of herbs and spices included in the recipe that make the otherwise boring block more pleasing</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> to awaiting pallets.</span><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<h3>
<b>Ingredients</b></h3>
<br />
1 Package Firm Tofu<br />
<br />
1 Teaspoon Butter/Margarine<br />
<br />
1/8 Teaspoon Table Salt<br />
<br />
1/8 Teaspoon (Lawry's) Seasoned Salt<br />
<br />
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper<br />
<br />
1/2 Teaspoon Parsley (Dried or Fresh)<br />
<br />
1 Dash of Rosemary<br />
<br />
1 Can Unsweetened/Lightly Sweetened Peaches<br />
<br />
1/2 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract<br />
<br />
1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon<br />
<br />
Fresh Lemon <br />
<br />
<h3>
Utensils</h3>
<br />
Sharp Knife<br />
<br />
Large skillet - preferably stick proof wok type<br />
<br />
Flexible spatula<br />
<br />
<h3>
Procedure</h3>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VG6RN1tzUOw/UwpbkjBsoeI/AAAAAAAABF4/q0Dp4cbweks/s1600/Tofu+Slices+in+Frying+Pan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Tofu slices with seasoning after flipping in frying pan" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VG6RN1tzUOw/UwpbkjBsoeI/AAAAAAAABF4/q0Dp4cbweks/s1600/Tofu+Slices+in+Frying+Pan.jpg" height="320" title="Tofu slices cooking in pan" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tofu slices after second flipping...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Slice tofu slab into 1/4 inch pieces across and then slice the pieces in half.<br />
<br />
Heat butter/margarine in skillet until bubbles appear. Medium heat should suffice.<br />
<br />
Place tofu slices in skillet and sprinkle with salt, seasoned salt, pepper, rosemary, parsley, and freshly squeezed lemon juice.<br />
<br />
Cover on medium heat and let the ingredients work in to a gentle boil.<br />
<br />
Turn tofu slices over being careful not to break them apart. Cook for another five minutes or so until the pieces are firm on the bottom and then flip each piece back to their original positions. Remember not to break the slices.<br />
<br />
Add can of peaches along with the peach juice in random areas atop and alongside the tofu slices. Cover and continue cooking for another five minutes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-am0_5G0p3CI/UwpdoRkY9WI/AAAAAAAABGE/2xBUMiLBmMQ/s1600/Tofu+Slices+Topped+with+Peaches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tofu and peach slices bubbling in frying pan" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-am0_5G0p3CI/UwpdoRkY9WI/AAAAAAAABGE/2xBUMiLBmMQ/s1600/Tofu+Slices+Topped+with+Peaches.jpg" height="320" title="Tofu Slices Topped with Peaches" width="240" /></a></div>
Add the vanilla and lightly sprinkle the cinnamon across the tofu and peaches in a appetizing manner. Cover and continue cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes.<br />
<br />
At this point, the dish should be ready. Keep it warm by simmering it until ready to serve. Check every few minutes or so to make certain enough liquid remains to prevent ingredients from sticking to the pan.<br />
<br />
Serve over white or brown rice. Also goes well with pasta.<br />
<br />
Complement with fresh asparagus, long green beans, or fresh broccoli florets.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Tips</h3>
<br />
<ul>
<li>Lay the tofu on a flat surface such as a cooking board to slice it.</li>
<li>When flipping the tofu the second time the appearance should be golden brown. The parsley and other seasonings should make the tofu look more appetizing than the plain pieces initially placed into the skillet.</li>
<li>Be careful to gently lift the tofu to keep it from falling apart and do not stir the ingredients.</li>
<li>For bite size pieces, cut tofu [after it has cooked] into smaller chunks prior to adding peaches. It is easier to cook the tofu to this recipe's consistency while the slices are bigger because it is easier to flip over fewer large pieces than a slew of smaller chunks. Meanwhile, for smaller peach bits, cut to desired size prior to adding to pan. </li>
</ul>
This delectable dish leaves the golden juicy peaches warming and feeling puffy in your mouth as you chew each bite. The tofu becomes firmer and a tad chewy so it does not feel mushy in your mouth. Get great contrast while chewing rice and tofu in your mouth at the same time. Better still, make certain to get rice, peaches, and tofu in your mouth simultaneously.<br />
<br />
I came up with this recipe one day after realizing the package of tofu in the refrigerator should be cooked soon. Not keen on the process of rinsing unused portions of tofu and giving fresh water everyday as if the foodstuff were a vase of flowers, I wanted to go ahead and cook the entire block at one time and to have the rest for leftovers if the dish was not fully consumed during a single meal. I found this process relieved the pressure of remembering to rinse the unused portion everyday and provided a fast and tasty leftover dish when the belly called for a quick bite to eat.<br />
<br />
Side Note: I just recently began experimenting with tofu. Before my first purchase, I looked around for recipes but did not find any that sounded like dishes that would appeal to my tastebuds. As a result, I started making up my own dishes. Another of my favorites, is a dish I created with egg, pineapple, and tofu. I will post that recipe as soon as I get some pictures so be sure to click back to see it!Kitty Smalls Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189825280432380620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1288882025237935072.post-79657593126206478142014-02-17T22:37:00.000-08:002014-02-22T11:38:17.678-08:00Does BlackFace Makeup Diminish Classic Movies<div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 24px; margin-right: 6px;">
<b>Would Classic Movies Be More Potent Without Blackface?</b><br />
<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rX_W2vfLvck/Uwj7zKIY3QI/AAAAAAAABEw/2tmeKVFExeM/s1600/Black+White+Face+Image+for+Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="BlackFace Painting " border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rX_W2vfLvck/Uwj7zKIY3QI/AAAAAAAABEw/2tmeKVFExeM/s1600/Black+White+Face+Image+for+Blog.jpg" height="200" title="Image courtesy of SweetCrisis / FreeDigitalPhotos.net" width="200" /></a></div>
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Classic movies become classics because they maintain popularity in ways that defy time. For this reason, classic movies always manage to find their place on television screens even as modern flicks come along to claim their spots. This is why in addition to Turner Classic Movies (TCM) airing flicks from as far back as the black and white pieces of the early 1900s; other "off channel" broadcasters have gotten into the act and are showing classic movies too. Also, old time classic television shows continue to persist as well. Still, one can only wonder if classic movies would be better flicks had they not included actors in blackface makeup. Without the inclusion of blackface makeup, movies depicting characters, also called minstrels, in this fashion would be more politically correct for today's audiences.</div>
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As a lover of classic movies, I began watching these flicks as a young girl. Whether in color or black and white, the characters, styles of acting, writing, directing, scenery, and everything else about old classics amazed me then and continues to fascinate me today. The attention given to every aspect of character, stage presence, costume, scenery, music and so forth needed to be pristine more so then than today because today's technology had yet to be made available to pick up the slack of shotty work.<br />
<br />
With so many classic movies to watch from around the world, however, it is a tad difficult to see and to remember every one of them even through years of watching. This is probably why my jaw "literally" dropped toward the floor when I saw Joan Crawford, in a movie called "Torch Song", all decked out in <u>blackface</u>. The movie aired a few weeks prior to this posting but fortunately, despite being in shock as I watched the television screen, I managed to dictate notes to my iPhone as Crawford's act progressed...</div>
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<b>How the Situation Unfolded</b></div>
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Relaxing on the sofa, I was enjoying another musical number in the movie Torch Song when a tune called "Two-Faced Woman" began... While the music enlightened my ears, my pupils roamed the screen taking in the scenery. The artwork was interesting to say the least consisting of dark skinned musicians drawn in the style you often see black artists depict African American dancers and musicians... their bodies swirling like smoke escaping lit cigarettes... emotionless faces void of facial features... brass instruments twisting as if dancing while being played...<br />
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Rather than the bright colored scenery Hollywood normally showed off during song and dance routines of that time, the background consisted mostly of shades of gray contrasted by a creamy colored backdrop... In the midst of the backdrop was a staircase… and no sooner than I began to wonder about the stairs did Joan's character appear in the stairwell painted doorway as the double doors slid apart... Although pretty sure I'd seen this movie before during my younger days, I did not remember most of it and had no recollection of this scene. I truly did not realize a singer, not to mention Crawford's character, was going to appear in the doorway… and not as the beautiful character she had been through the length of the movie up to and until this point... but... as a singer in <b>blackface</b>!<br />
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<b>Now here's the kicker...</b><br />
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At first, I didn't realize what was going on... I failed to <i>get it!</i> I didn't realize <i>Crawford's</i> character was the singer in blackface... that <i>she</i> was the one who came bursting through the curtain... and thus... I continued on... enjoying <u>someone's</u> [<i>her</i>] performance... until... suddenly... I thought my eyes must be defying me as finally... I realized what was happening... that... Crawford's character... No!... For ME!... <i><b>Joan Crawford</b> was in <b>blackface</b>... </i>My chin <i><b>literally</b></i> dropped as I gasped in disbelief...<br />
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Next thing I knew my seat was a few feet behind me and I was standing directly in front of the television set. It was like the first time I saw Michael Jackson on stage... I ran into a neighbor's house and stood in front of their television as if I owned it! I had lost myself... and now... it seemed I was loosing myself again... but even if my mind was intact, I apparently had a need to stand with my face buried in the TV screen in order to take in a better view of the blackface Joan! Oh... I'm fairly certain... that at least for a brief moment... I must've been in shock…!! After all, Joan Crawford is one of my favorite actresses [as she is for many classic film lovers]... but being an African American woman, I don't exactly relish actors portraying minstrel typed characters...<br />
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In my mind... I was like... Seriously! How could Joan Crawford's character be belting out Two-Faced Woman in <b>BLACKFACE</b>???!!!<br />
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OMG!!<br />
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Okay... Calm down...... calm down......... I told myself...............</div>
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Okay... So...<br />
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<b>Where did blackface characterizations come from anyway?</b></div>
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Although blackface characterizations may have rooted prior to the early 1800s, it was in 1830 that black face painting moved into white audience-based theater thereby promoting the style of performances that accompanied darkened skin presentations. In a <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/foster/sfeature/sf_minstrelsy_1.html" target="_blank">PBS.Org report</a>, Dale Cockrell states that Thomas Dartmouth Rice, AKA Daddy Rice, brought blackface to stage while in an acting career slump. According to other sources, Rice apparently, "stole" the <i>entertainment style</i> from watching blacks perform on the streets in a similar fashion to Elvis Presley lifting his style after watching black musicians from a cellar window. These types of <i>talent hocking</i> were extremely easy to get away with in those days considering the facts that Blacks had virtually no opportunity to bring their own artistry to national audiences. The irony here is that in a short few decades later, Black performers would eventually capitalize on <i><u>their own talents</u> by actually <u>performing in blackface paints themselves</u>....</i></div>
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<b>Not Only Joan Crawford</b><br />
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Joan Crawford's character was not the only one sporting blackface as she sang Two-Faced Woman. Her backup dancers were "colored" as well. They tiptoed around the dance floor mildly titillating the audience wearing tight fighting dresses, large hoop earrings, and "Black-style" hair turbans. The men wore plain clothing with neckties for belts and gangster style hats one might expect to see Black guys sporting in those days.<br />
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<b>Why Joan Crawford And Not A Black Actress?</b><br />
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Many may ask why Joan Crawford was playing this role if the blackface routine was so important. Why didn't they just put a Black actress in the movie? Why was it necessary for that routine to be done in blackface? Couldn't or wouldn't it have been just as good had all the dancers appeared in their natural tone skin?<br />
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The odd thing was that in spite of it taking me by surprise to see Crawford dancing and singing in darkened skin, I thought it to be ironic that this particular performance appealed to me as <i><b>the best number she performed during the entire movie!</b></i> Since this was a provocative number and thus Crawford and her backup dancers dressed to provoke, as I watched, it reminded me of another problem with Hollywood....<br />
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Although I'll admit that show business in general has gotten a tad better over the years... Hollywood STILL has a problem trying to figure out how and when to portray black women in provocative scenes. For example, Hollywood seems unable to figure out just how much audiences can handle viewing nude black women appearing on movie screens. They don't seem to have a handle on:<br />
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<li>How much of a Black woman's breast to reveal</li>
<li>How much lip-locking to zoom in on when black women are being kissed</li>
<li>Whether or not Black women are sexy enough for Hollywood's money</li>
<li>Whether or not Hollywood relishes promoting black sexiness in general</li>
<li>And they simply seem to struggle with audience acceptance of Black love and affection on the screen</li>
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<i>Some might find some or all of these statements offensive but I'm just keeping it real... perhaps stating what others have thought but refrained from verbalizing... </i>After all... Just as Hollywood put in the effort to avoid showing how sexy Black women are during this 1953 movie, it still continues to downplay African American sexiness today in 2014. It's as if not rejecting Black female sexiness did not warrant the degree of importance as did depicting an actress, even an actress as popular as Joan Crawford, singing and dancing a provocative routine, imitating a Black woman, in blackface....<br />
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<b>A Little More About Torch Song Itself</b><br />
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Torch Song's cast included actors Michael Wilding and Gig Young. According to the Turner Classic Movie synopsis, it told a tale of a hardened Broadway comedy star who found herself attracted to a blind pianist. The movie carries a G rating and was afforded 2-1/2 TCM stars.<br />
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Overall… I thought the storyline was intriguing, and although I wasn't thrilled with Joan Crawford's singing in her first number, her voice managed to improve as the movie progressed. By time she got to Two-Faced Woman, in my opinion, her singing reached its peak for this particular flick… [Later... I discovered she had been lip-syncing to a India Adams' version of the song!]<br />
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As indicated above, there is a reasonable chance that I had seen this movie when I was a child but simply did not recall it during its recent airing… After all, there are so many great classic movies to be seen which is why I am glad TCM is around to refresh movie lover memories and to gain new viewers.<br />
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When it is all said and done, I guess some stars had to be in the movies with blackface characters since that was one of the ways in which movies were made in those days. All the same… I couldn't help being taken aback to see Joan Crawford was one of those stars…<br />
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<b>Other Races Depicted in Blackface/Darkened Skin</b><br />
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We don't usually hear much about other races of people being depicted in film or on stage by actors coloring their faces but blacks are not the only ones who are portrayed in this way. For example, another well known actor, Yul Brynner, a man of Russian decent, played the role of <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/01/history-of-blackface_n_4175051.html" target="_blank">King Mongkut of Siam</a> with his skin colored over and his face made to look Asian. Even classic star Mickey Rooney did not skip through his career without darkening his face to play the Japanese, Mr. Yunioshi, in "Breakfast at Tiffany's".<br />
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<b>What About WhiteFace Character Portrayal</b><br />
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No doubt... Even nonwhite actors find themselves coloring their faces in lighter shades in order to play caucasian characters as demonstrated in recent times by the Wayans brothers, Shawn and Marlon. In their film "White Chicks" the Wayans brothers not only painted their faces to appear white, they also changed their gender and became females.......<br />
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In the end, I am of the mind that actors/actresses should portray colors of their own race. With that said, however, I am open to entertainers portraying characters of races not their own when such portrayals are done with taste rather than to poke fun at, belittle, or otherwise disrespect another people's bodies, lifestyles, cultures, or attitudes about life in any manner whatsoever. Thus, I will get over Joan Crawford's portrayal in blackface... and hopefully, if I see the film again... I will remember the scene and be prepared to envision it in a perspective akin to that of audiences of those times... And I must add that at least Joan Crawford did not insult Blacks by enlarging her lips or exaggerating her features in any manner while trying to "look like" or "poke fun of" colored personage. Perhaps she would not commit herself to such a role today..... and... besides... I did forgive her for the wire hangers....<br />
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View Joan's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tns2Xi5kifg" target="_blank">Two-Faced Woman performance on YouTube</a>...</div>
Kitty Smalls Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189825280432380620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1288882025237935072.post-91399495894084295712013-09-02T17:37:00.002-07:002013-09-02T17:37:37.375-07:00Using Less Sugar in Foods and Drinks Without Switching to Artificial Sweeteners<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Natural sugar - sucrose - sure tastes delicious!<br />
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So great you can eat it straight from the box, bag, or canister! Yum!<br />
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No wonder there was a time I used so much sugar to sweeten my drinks that I would tell people questioning this behavior that the beverage, usually tea, required those excess heaping soup spoons, almost equivalent to a tablespoon, of shiny white granules because I'm so sweet that adding too little sugar would make it impossible for me to taste its sweetness! HA! What a laugh! Sometimes I am simply too vain... :} ...and what a mouthful...words not sugar! But did you get that? I said near <i>Tablespoons</i> <u>NOT</u> <i>Teaspoons</i>!<br />
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But seriously... During those younger days I truly did not realize my sugar usage was simply way-way too much. It was not until one of my daughters grew up and pointed it out to me that I began to question my sugar use habits. She used one minuscule teaspoon of sugar in her tea compared to my near three heaping tablespoons! Wow! What a difference in sugar usage!<br />
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At any rate, that was then and this is now...<br />
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Today I use little to no sugar in beverages that used to enjoy virtually three heaping tablespoon additions. But that's not all... Amazingly enough, I no longer add table sugar to my cereals either! The only sweetener I add to cereal these days is whatever comes from 2% milk or bananas (my favorite cereal fruit). Refraining from adding sugar to my cereal is as unbelievable to me as cutting back on sweetening my drinks. The fact is I used to pour sugar into my cereal bowls as if I were adding the cereal itself... Now maybe that sounds a bit hyperbolic, but I did use excessive amounts of sugar in my cereal until recent months preceding this post.<br />
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Now why did I cut back? Did I become diabetic or something you might ask...<br />
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Three Reasons I Cut Back On Sugar</h3>
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1) I simply wanted to see if I could cut back on sugar (and if so how much) or had the sugar industry, along with my parents, brainwashed me into thinking I needed to sweeten my foods and drinks to make them more palatable.<br />
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2) I saw cutting back on sugar as an easy way to decrease calorie intake which is important as we age but also helps to keep us healthy at any point in our lives. After all, we are aging from the moment of conception... Are we not?<br />
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3) I also wanted to experience how foods really taste without additional sugar sprinkled in to enhance their flavors.<br />
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When I decided to partake in this sugar usage decrease, I knew that regardless of the outcome no doubt existed in my mind that I had been using too much table sugar. I excepted the importance of my cutting back and knew if this experiment did not work that I would pursue a different sugar reduction tactic. In fact, I had already cut back on my sugar consumption form soft drinks by drastically reducing my intake of premixed sodas and punches. Now the time had come for me to use less sugar in my drinks when I had control of the ingredients.<br />
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After my experiment, I can honestly say that using less sugar may be easier, a lot easier, than you might think. So, if you are one of those people who wants to cut back, and especially if you believe you will have to trade natural sugar for a sugar substitute, rest assured that imitating my tactic may pleasantly surprise your taste buds.<br />
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My Take on Artificial Sweeteners</h3>
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On a side note, I tried an artificial sweetener once in a restaurant just for the fun of it while awaiting my meal. Like many people, I was simply curious to know how the sugar substitute tasted. If I recall correctly, the particular brand I tried was one of the first popular types - Sweet 'N Low. You know... The sugar substitute in the little pink packet that restaurateurs place on the table along with sugar and other sweeteners for their customers.<br />
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After trying the Sweet 'N Low I knew that natural sugar would always be for me and that my taste buds had no desires for sugar substitutes. I never even bothered to try NutraSweet, Equal, Splenda, or any of the other artificial sweeteners after that.<br />
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Another point to mention is that although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified artificial sweeteners to be <a href="http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/" target="_blank">generally recognized as safe</a> (GRAS) when consumed under "normal" circumstances, it concerns me that for roughly twenty years, saccharin, otherwise known as Sweet 'N Low and Sugar Twin, <a href="http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/artificial-sweeteners" target="_blank">was considered "unsafe"</a> after causing bladder cancer in rats. All I can wonder about that FDA finding is <i>what happens when these sweeteners are not consumed under so called normal circumstances?</i> Do they then become unsafe to consume? How much would circumstances outside of the norm entail? I, for one, am of the mind that if you are going to use sugar you might as well enjoy the real thing. With said, however, I completely understand switching to artificial sweeteners for health reasons such as diabetes when one had not otherwise intended to decrease their amount of food sweetening intake.<br />
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Whether or not you consume as much or more [God forbid!] sugar with beverages you make at home as I used to swallow, you should know that you <i>can safely cut back on sugar</i> usage without using substitutes. Try to look at the situation from the perspective that if you are cutting back on sugar to become a healthier human being it simply may not make sense to trade natural sugar for artificial sugar containing ingredients that one day may once again be deemed harmful to your body... Well at least, that's my perspective...<br />
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My Sugar Cutting Back Method</h3>
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Using Less Sugar in Tea</h4>
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The method I used to cut back on sugar in drinks began with the number of tablespoons I used for each serving. Likewise, I cut back on the height of the heap above spoon level. I stopped using three spoons of sugar and instead started using two. Wasn't sure I could manage with two heaping spoons of sugar in a single cup of tea - if you can believe that! But I managed... It seemed strange at first but after a couple of days I didn't even think about the change anymore. Using nearly two tablespoons of sugar to sweeten my drink became the new norm.<br />
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A few weeks later I decided to lower my sugar portions to two "teaspoons"... Wow! <i>teaspoons</i> <b>not</b> <i>tablespoons</i>! That was definitely an impressive change! Once again... and even more to my surprise, I did not miss the additional sugar. I guess that must have been another teaspoon of granules I had eliminated from my tea while cutting back on granule heap height.<br />
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Shortly after cutting back to two teaspoons, I cut back to one teaspoon! This was remarkable to me... Here I was eliminating all this sugar from my daily consumption and I didn't even <i>have to</i> do it! I simply told myself I was going to start using less sugar in my tea and proceeded to do so. Eventually, I cut back to about a quarter teaspoon of sugar.<br />
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[I also cut back on sugar usage in coffee. That was a bit more troubling so in the end, I decided to stop drinking coffee.]<br />
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Using Less Sugar in Cereal</h4>
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As far as cutting back on the sugar usage with cereal goes, I began this feat with oatmeal. Whole oats not one of the instant types. As with hot beverages, I had been using boat loads of sugar in cereal as if the granules were going out of style. Despite eating right by choosing healthy types of cereal I allowed my sugar usage to lessen the cereal's healthiness value. I mean, it isn't as though sugar is all that nutritious or anything... Mostly, it's merely sweet calories. I knew, as with the tea, that I should stop adding excessive amounts (roughly two tablespoons) to a regular sized serving of oatmeal.<br />
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In good conscious, I must qualify what I mean by a regular sized serving of oatmeal. So picture this... You are reading the nursery rhyme "Little Miss Muffet" and the story illustrator has drawn a picture of the curds and whey <b>filling</b> the girl's bowl. The bowl usually contains a generous portion... This is what I mean by a regular sized serving of oatmeal... This is the way my father fed me and my siblings oatmeal when we were children.<br />
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After telling myself to reduce the amount of sugar I used in my oatmeal, I decided to and proceeded to cut back until now... Drum Roll... as with the tea... I only use about a quarter teaspoon of sugar in my oatmeal... and taking things a bit further... I no longer eat what used to be a normal regular size serving of oatmeal. Now I only consume about 1/4 of what I used to devour!<br />
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Woo Wee!!<br />
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But getting back on track...<br />
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<h3>
You Can Cut Back on Table Sugar Too!</h3>
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If you want to cut back on table sugar and you do not want to switch to artificial sweeteners because of any of the following reasons:<br />
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* You decided eating less sugar would help you lose weight<br />
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* You want to lower sugar in your diet <i>before</i> you find yourself with sugar-related health problems<br />
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* You want to save money on sugar - it can be expensive<br />
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* You want to enjoy eating less sugar so you can better taste natural food ingredients<br />
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* You want to get used to tasting food without sugar no matter what the food tastes like<br />
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* You want to better taste beverages and get used to their flavors with little or no added sugar<br />
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Have Confidence!<br />
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You Can Do it!!Kitty Smalls Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189825280432380620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1288882025237935072.post-24527355124914406782013-07-14T14:02:00.000-07:002013-07-14T14:02:20.469-07:00Mayer Hawthorn - Her Favorite Song<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mayer Hawthorn
Her Favorite Song Video</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Dog musicians play instruments and act like men...
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is definitely purely potluck...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I just posted it because I like it!</span><br />
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The <a href="http://www.lyrics007.com/Mayer%20Hawthorne%20Lyrics/Her%20Favorite%20Song%20Lyrics.html" target="_blank">lyric</a> is sad and lonely just as suggested by the music and the melody...Kitty Smalls Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189825280432380620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1288882025237935072.post-75987482920283715332013-04-05T13:06:00.000-07:002013-04-05T13:06:06.597-07:00Heartache Mountain - Place For Lonely Souls<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Striving to complete a 30-day poetry-writing challenge this April, I came up with this poem about heartache while attempting to write a children's poem along these lines... except not so sad. Although this piece may suffice to describe a child's emotional state as well as an adult's, it does not fit in with my humorous poetry sites, where I intended to post it... Thus... I post it here where the "misfits", "outcasts", and "others" belong... However, that... after all... is why I turned this blog into a potluck collection... to house the otherwise "un-house-able"... Enjoy...</span></st1:placename></st1:place></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><st1:place w:st="on"><strong><st1:placename w:st="on"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Heartache</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Mountain</st1:placetype></span></strong></st1:place></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>Place for Lonely Souls</em></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QZMBpAQ4QNE/UV8pRLoKgkI/AAAAAAAAAw8/-rR3e8btXlA/s1600/Broken+Heart+Mountain+-+Cropped.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Heartache Mountain crying in loneliness" border="0" height="320" mta="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QZMBpAQ4QNE/UV8pRLoKgkI/AAAAAAAAAw8/-rR3e8btXlA/s320/Broken+Heart+Mountain+-+Cropped.bmp" title="Crying Heartache Mountain" width="190" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Why am I over here while<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">They are over there<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Laughing<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Giggling<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Smiling together<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Invisible tears pouring from empty eyes<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Seeking warmth from a blazing fire<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Assured no one will notice<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Darkness frightens and yet comforts<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Souls of those un-privy to love’s lamp<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Deprived human connection<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Shunned from embracing torsos<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Belonging to another’s welcoming arms<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Soon the unwelcomed torso stiffens and shakes<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Lost pupils hide behind dropped eyelids<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Authentic tears boil over burning cheeks<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Reddened not by happiness but<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Rather from continuously climbing their<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Heartache</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Mountain</st1:placetype></span></st1:place><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> to nowhere<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Except<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Here again<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Emotional despair<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Sadness<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Loneliness<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">That fails to compute<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #20124d; font-size: large;"></span>Kitty Smalls Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189825280432380620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1288882025237935072.post-74692619339624857582013-01-24T22:46:00.002-08:002013-01-27T11:31:18.027-08:00Did You Hear That Snow??<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">A look at the acoustic properties of snow</span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f6W3GZnA8IQ/UQI2RoaQ5PI/AAAAAAAAAu4/-ioloHSxo_o/s1600/Snowy+Mountains+Under+Grass+-+Website+Version.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Snow capped mountain above rocky mountain trees and fields" border="0" height="151" oea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f6W3GZnA8IQ/UQI2RoaQ5PI/AAAAAAAAAu4/-ioloHSxo_o/s400/Snowy+Mountains+Under+Grass+-+Website+Version.jpg" title="Snow Covered Mountain" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowy Mountain Valley View</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">Snow... Snow... Snow...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A favorite line from the memorable song, "Snow" popularized in the 1954 movie, "White Christmas", sung by Bing Crosby along with movie cohorts Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera Ellen. How I looked forward to watching that flick during the holiday season as a child. Made me want to ski in snow-covered mountains of Vermont myself... Well... At least it did till I discovered skiing was NOT a forte destined to lend me bragging rights!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Just the same... Though living at an elevation that enables me to enjoy distant snowflakes tightly stacked atop snow-covered mountains without having to </span><span style="font-size: large;">trek through their depth myself, I still get kicks watching those clean gentle flakes trickle through the air whenever the temperature falls to a snow-producing level in my neighborhood. Always a thirll... it is... viewing the soft icy droplets that float onto my lawn and trees and surrounding areas. Always a joy... Always a wonder when this freshly falling miracle unfolds...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Those among us who truly enjoy snow's special wonder, no matter how many times we witness it falling from the clouds, continue to find stepping onto snowy fields exhilarating and inviting. Many also find ourselves wondering how such delicate miniscule flakes can manage to exert so much noise beneath our footsteps.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">As it turns out, snow noise has to do with its acoustical properties. That's right... Despite its gentle, near weightlessness, snow posesses the ability to create acoustics that allow it to produce sound; and these a</span><span style="font-size: large;">coustic properties play roles in snow ’s ability to <em>escalate</em> as well as to <em>redirect</em> sound. Now... Who would have thought those precious little flakes had the ability to do all of that?!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Unlike raindrops that can be quite noisy when falling on rooftops, umbrellas, and sidewalks, snowflakes produce much lighter softer sounds. As snowflakes fall from clouds and make their way to earth, they float along in unhurried fashion, swaying hither and there, as if savoring their descent. This gentle floating, in contrast to rushing raindrops, adds to reasons why falling snow acoustics lean toward quietude.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Despite the lightness of individual snowflakes, however, as flake after delicate flake falls atop one another while landing on any given surface, <em>they form snow layers that <u>alter</u> their sound</em>. The <u>deeper</u> the layers become, the <u>more altered</u> their sound becomes. Snow's ability to alter its acoustics is a major reason </span><span style="font-size: large;">passersby can spur snow noise beneath their feet as they tramp across the layers. Of course... most people do not refer to snow in terms of layers; but rather, how deep it is or how their shoes sink into it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A good way to envision snow altering its sound is to picture it in this manner: When snow falls to the ground, each snowflake that follows the one before it leaves a minute space between itself and its predecessor flake. Compare this act to dropping a deck of playing cards onto a floor, one by one. As the cards flip and fall, they likely will land near or on top of one another <u>when dropped in the same area</u>. However, they <u>do not</u> land exactly atop one another but they do leave microscopic spaces between each other that <em>holds pockets of air</em>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now imagine that the cards are snowflakes-only with different shapes... Well... Individual snowflakes <u>do not</u> fall directly on top of other flakes, just as playing cards do not fall directly on top of other cards-only there is a difference. The fact is that parts of snowflake “bodies ” are likely to fall on top of <em>more than one flake; </em>just as with dropped playing cards, however, spaces between <a href="http://iahs.info/redbooks/a162/iahs_162_0061.pdf" target="_blank">snowflakes are likely to harbor more air pockets</a> than playing cards.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The difference that enables snowflakes to harbor more air than playing cards</span><span style="font-size: large;"> is that unlike cards, snowflakes do not all have the same exact shape. For this reason, even if they did fall directly atop one another, they would not fit together perfectly such as playing cards would fit if you stacked a deck. Now... If you could capture millions of snowflakes, without disturbing their makeup, perhaps you could create a stack with like shapes... For now, simply gather that t</span><span style="font-size: large;">he inability to fit together increases snow layer air capturing ability.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">But wait... Shapes and spaces do not determine snow acoustics on their own... In addition to spaces left between multi-shaped piles of snowflakes providing opportunities for snow to make acoustical sounds is the <em>ice factor</em>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">As everyone knows... Snowflakes are made from frozen water, otherwise known as ice... Likewise, everyone knows ice can be quite noisy! With these facts in mind, it should be no surprise that snow's icy makeup contributes to its ability to produce sound.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Indeed... Each snowflake's’ ability to float from clouds in quietude has to do with its appearance <em>following its conversion from ice to flakes</em>. Were it not for this conversion, snow would likely sound just as loud, or even louder when it hits the ground, as sleet and hail does.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em>Another interesting note about snow acoustics is its ability to <u>absorb sound</u>...</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">That's right... Since falling flakes do not fit perfectly atop one another when they land the spaces between layers that entrap air also acquire the capacity to absorb sound waves. When footsteps disturb ground snow, or </span><span style="font-size: large;">children fall on fields of snow to make angels, contact pressure forces trapped air to squeeze from the flakes. The released air, filled with sound waves, causes ground snow to make acoustical sounds.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you've ever made a snowball, its accoustics likely filled your ears. If you've ever made a snowman, or otherwise rolled forever-growing snowballs along the ground, you likely noticed the sound elevate with each inch the orbs grew-that is... if you were in a field of deep snow because as it turns out, the loudness level at which snow sounds when disturbed depends on the thickness its layers. This is because thicker layers trap more air and thus are likely to have louder acoustics than thinner counterparts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em>One other fascinating snow acoustical fact...</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In addition to creating acoustics by forming air pockets, and absorbing sound, snow also <em>reverberates sound</em>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sound reverberation, or reflection, occurs when snow gets hard. Snow gets hard simply by lying on the ground, hanging onto trees, or sprawling across rooftops. Factors that contribute to snow hardening include aging, temperature decreases, and wind.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Aging Snow</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Snow hardens as it ages because it loses its <em>suppleness</em>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Freezing Snow</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Snow hardens as temperatures decrease because cold temperatures causes it increase its “freezing capacity".</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Winded Snow</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Wind affects snow layers by smoothing out their surface areas. This smoothing out causes snow layers to become ice-like. The icy state aids snow ’s ability to reverberate sound.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Next time you encounter a showing of these delicate flakes, take a closer look at their icy makeup as you lift a million pieces from the ground or catch a few floaters from the air. Enjoy the sound they make should you decide to smash the miraculous </span><span style="font-size: large;">flakes together. Yes... Listen closely... Enjoy the wonder of their acoustical sounds.... and did you know...?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Snow acoustic properties also present when snow lands, such has been shown by research when snow <a href="http://www.jhu.edu/news_info/news/home00/mar00/flake.html" target="_blank">lands on water</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Other studies, currently underway, aim to use snow acoustics to predict when <a href="http://www.icacommission.org/Proceedings/ICA2004Kyoto/sessionindex/USO04.html" target="_blank">avalanches</a> are about to occur.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Snow... Snow... Snow...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Oh! The wonders of snow...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">When you DON'T have to shovel it! :}</span>Kitty Smalls Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189825280432380620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1288882025237935072.post-53445275744331805742013-01-05T19:30:00.000-08:002013-01-09T11:50:01.124-08:00The PayCheck—Mightier Than the Potty Mouth Sword<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-12yCXSbXfWI/UO3JHDKErHI/AAAAAAAAAq0/xOl7d7w7waM/s1600/Potty+Mouth+Check+-+Website+Version.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Paid to the order of internet cursing..." border="0" height="132" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-12yCXSbXfWI/UO3JHDKErHI/AAAAAAAAAq0/xOl7d7w7waM/s320/Potty+Mouth+Check+-+Website+Version.jpg" title="Potty Mouth Check" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">A post I read in December of last year (2012) that likened social media behavior to that of the legendary </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damocles"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Sword of Damocles</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> keeps cropping into my head—it was about internet cursing—you know—potty mouth. Having been subjected to a few online unpleasantries may be the reason this topic stuck with me…as if beckoning… coaxing… beseeching me to respond by writing on the subject myself. Thus… Here goes…</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">As a Virginia youngster, I remember living on a street where everyone knew who everyone else was. I recall walking along the sidewalk saying, “Good morning” or “Hello” or speaking some form of salutation to neighborly women sitting on their porches—perhaps in outdoor rockers. I also recall passing by one house on a day my mind ventured elsewhere [<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">possibly on candy I hoped to purchase at the store</i>] causing me to fail to speak. One elderly woman exercised <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>her authority</u></b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to point out my <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>rude</u></b> behavior. </i>Immediately, I said hello and zipped passed her house as quickly as I could hoping she would not tell my mother <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I had been disrespectful</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Can you believe that? A four-year-old showing disrespect simply by not greeting porch-dwellers!? [Why was I walking the streets alone at age four? You might wonder… Short answer… The neighborhood was safe enough to allow me to go solo to the store around the corner. But that’s another story…]</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Anywho… When the internet anti-cursing article struck me again this morning, I began to consider the fact that too many people, in general, living in the United States seem to believe they have licenses to act any way they please, toward anyone they please, and to have no qualms about it. From what I read and hear in the news, this problem appears to exist in other countries as well. Why is this so? I asked myself. How did things change from the days during which I was expected to behave as a polite little girl; and eventually… a respectful young lady? What became of the days wherein, along with my harmonizing siblings, we covered our lips and cried, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Ooo!! He said a bad</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">word!”</i> in response to, then, <b>uncommon</b> bleeps sounding from television speakers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Young people today may not realize that a time ACTUALLY EXISTED wherein children were EXPECTED to do what they were told… and it mattered NOT what adult was doing the telling. Wherein they <u>had</u> <u>a place</u>… and they stayed in their place unless allowed by an adult to venture from it… They were <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">seen</i> but NOT <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">heard</b> as it was called.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Well…</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Obviously!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Those days are >>><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">long</i></b> >>><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gone</i></b>!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Today… children are not only <u>both</u> seen AND heard—but many—far too many—are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">right up in adult business!</i> This fact is evident if you listen to their conversations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Many amongst us believe things would be <u>better</u> were it not for <em>outside influences</em> such as racy music… television… websites… movies… FAST poorly raised kids next door or at school… and virtually ANY outside influence one can muster up as an excuse for the fact that (sorry but) many parents fail to properly raise their children. But then… Proper to one parent may not mean the same thing as it does to another… One parent may think adult swearing in the home while children are present is okay—<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">but the kids had better not repeat those words</i></b>! While another parent finds comfort in practicing what they preach...</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Contemplating the issue, my perspective tells me the baby boomer generation is largely responsible for this dilemma—at least in the US.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It seems to me that during the time of drugs, sex, and alcohol… the period of letting it all hang out… It’s your <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">thang</i> do what you want… boomers either began or accelerated the notion that no one tells their children what to do… That their children did NOT have to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">listen to</i>… <u>or</u> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">obey</i> <u>some other adult’s</u> disciplinary instructions… and in fact, many of these parents would curse out other adults and tell them to mind their business for stepping in when a parent was unavailable!</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">“If my kids wanna run into the street when speeding trucks are coming… That’s their prerogative!”</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Okay… Perhaps that was a bit over the top but when children are not <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">required</b> to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">respect authority</i></b>… regardless of what adult lips from which authoritative language speaks… why wouldn’t they willfully put themselves in danger if their immature little brains lacked good sense?!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The point is that when children jump the rungs from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">delicate little souls</i> enjoying the innocent beauties of life to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">overgrown little adults</b> unrecognizable by their own parents who nourished them to be that way, the end result should not be unexpected!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So many parents take children to PG movies when G rated shows would suffice and R movies when PG flicks would be enough. Despite precautionary measures devised to protect browsing youngsters, many parents forego parental settings while at the same time placing unmonitored computers—complete with internet availability—at children’s disposal…often times… locked behind closed doors of tender-minded bedrooms… In addition, many parents eagerly provide their children cell phones from which many speak in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">codes </b>most adults cannot interpret… and… Let’s not leave out the many proud parents among us who provide infinite satellite television channels along with their refined speaker boxes from which youngsters’ eyes and ears and minds and psyches feast upon at will…</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">But then…</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Who can blame parents for wanting their children to HAVE EVERYTHING!!?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">To be IN!?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">To NOT to be deprived!?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">After all—No one wants squares for kids!</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">No one wants their children picked on because they don’t have their own cell phone or laptop or [these days] tablet for crying OUT LOUD!! These are necessities of life; and attending R rated movies—complete with adult material including cursing of course—at age eight may be MANDATORY in a kids’ life! Besides—why should it be a BIG deal if EVERY other HIP elementary school kid has already seen that racy flick anyway!!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">So…</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What’s a parent to do???</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What’s society to do???</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Perhaps we should do what so many parents who manage to spoil their children with today’s necessities, and yet, are still able to raise respectful, responsible human beings, that are less likely to hide behind <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">internet</i></b> [in]<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">security </i></b>when it comes to their online interactions do.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Not wanting my children to find solace in acting out if only adults other than their parents were available to realign them, I taught them to do as adults told them except under certain circumstances—resist immoral and illegal commands…of course… If at any time my children felt they were wronged… singled out… unfairly called out, they were to let me know. I am the parent. Dealing with disciplinary mishaps is MY job NOT theirs!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Following my own belief that <u>it is wrong for children to be seen but not heard</u>… I adopted my own philosophy that children should be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>observed and intellectually acclimated</u></i>. I believe that arming children with intelligent ways of expressing themselves lessens the chances they will stoop to using four-letter-words, both on and off the internet. So far as I can tell, this mode of raising children has worked for ALL FIVE of my kids—and yes… I do check their online posts and TELL them of ANY that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">appear even remotely offensive</i>!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Life is always shifting…</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Ever-changing societal rules—written and instinctual—play hard and fast in efforts to continually modify the game…</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Technologies—past and present—persist in dictating human behavior…</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Offspring to this world we call Earth—provided to them by their parents… at whatever state the climate when each child enters it, learns to mow their chosen path…</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In closing...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Regardless of the circumstances in which we arrive on this great planet, we all, at some point in our lives, decide for ourselves whether to remain on a road or cross over to the other side; and in the end—when it comes to our flaring usage of language—whether we appear as pigs acting like swine or notables behaving like scum swayed by behind-the-<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">screen</i> internet temptations to partake in potty mouth, awaiting and defying the sword of the </span><a href="http://incomingbytes.blogspot.com/2012/12/social-media-damoclean-pot.html"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Damoclean Pot</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> is totally up to us—individually—so we may assume—for—as many of us understand—there exists a catch 22 attached to the act of assumption—instituting the possibility that consequences, or lack thereof, may really depend upon our bosses should their swords lead NOT to blood—but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to our paychecks</i>!!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">That's my view... and I'm sticking to it!!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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Kitty Smalls Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189825280432380620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1288882025237935072.post-40200482903628701062012-12-31T20:55:00.000-08:002012-12-23T09:15:06.170-08:00WELCOME!!<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Welcome to my healthy living purely potluck posting blog!!</b></span><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here I will tackle a potpourri of subjects that strike me and push me to pen their contents in interesting and entertaining fashion.</span></i>Kitty Smalls Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189825280432380620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1288882025237935072.post-15552632912300748552012-12-23T11:33:00.002-08:002012-12-23T20:32:20.829-08:00Oral-B Pulsar Vibrating Toothbrush Review<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3owfKaMam08/UNdhBabND_I/AAAAAAAAAp8/NEOWg6rxf2A/s1600/Oral-B+Toothbrush+Head+Closeup+-+Side+View.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3owfKaMam08/UNdhBabND_I/AAAAAAAAAp8/NEOWg6rxf2A/s320/Oral-B+Toothbrush+Head+Closeup+-+Side+View.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">So I started using an Oral-B Pulsar vibrating toothbrush roughly
two months ago after spewing over the many brands and styles available in
stores today. My intention when selecting a toothbrush was twofold. For one, I wanted to find a toothbrush that I truly liked... one that I
wasn't simply putting up with... so to speak. The other reason was to post a review in this blog in
hopes of sharing a positive experience. With so many choices out there, I
figure others must also be seeking that perfect toothbrush.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">After selecting a toothbrush, I hung a notepad and pen from my medicine cabinet to make keeping a tally a simple task. Each time I use the toothbrush, I draw a line in the notepad. I will add the results of this procedure once the experimentation time elapses.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Right now, I must tell about the funny thing that happened during
this process... While beginning this task, I must have spent 10 to 15
minutes in the store examining toothbrushes… Checking out their basic designs and colors...
The most important feature for me was the bristles. Whether their designs were
the traditional straight row formats, the circular types that came in fashion
with the spin brush, the more recent diagonal offering, or a combination of
directional placements on the toothbrush heads…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In addition, I wanted to know the firmness of the toothbrushes, how long they were expected to last, and whether or not the manufacturers guaranteed their
product.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I must say that after about eight minutes or so, frustration
began to insert itself in my mindset. A few minutes later, I was practically
begging myself to make a decision... Choose one! Whatever happens… You will
write about it! LOL!!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">At any rate, the funny thing that happened is that virtually
two months into using the toothbrush, for some reason, I started re-examining
the package. If my recollection serves me correctly, I had been comparing the
size of the used toothbrush head with the new one. (I bought a two-pack.) In
the midst of the comparison, I suddenly noticed the word "Pulsar" on
the package. That's when I said to myself... 'Pulsar... What does that mean?'
So I flip the package over and see diagrams annotating power buttons and
vibrating bristle action! HA!! HA!! I laugh to myself! It turned out that while
working through my frustration to select a toothbrush all those weeks back, in
the end, I chose a toothbrush because I liked the style, shape, and size of the
head. Those features were most important to me and I remembered that my
selection had a money back guarantee. At that time, I had been thinking that if
the manufacturer offered a guarantee, I would go with that because the
toothbrush was pricy. I did not mind paying the price if the product proved
worthy of my money...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Well... The product did prove worthy! But I had not paid attention to the fact that I had chosen a pulsating toothbrush! :}</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mystoriesandpoems.com/siteimages/oral-b%20toothbrush%20head%20closeup%20-%20right%20view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.mystoriesandpoems.com/siteimages/oral-b%20toothbrush%20head%20closeup%20-%20right%20view.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A few days before realizing I had not used the pulsing
action, I noticed the toothbrush had begun to soften. This observation was what
spurred me to compare the head size with the unused toothbrush a few days
later. The purpose of the comparison, of course, and all toothbrush users must
know this, is that I wanted to see how separated and frayed the bristles had
become.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">To my surprise, the bristles were not all that different in
appearance. Their distance apart was not all that widespread. This was very
surprising considering the amount of time I had used this product compared to
similar timeframes using other toothbrushes. The most impressive thing about
this Oral-B Pulsar, is that, despite the fact that I had used the brush for
nearly two months using normal hand-powered motion, when I turned on the
pulsing action, the bristles cleaned my teeth so well they felt like I had been
to the dentist!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Yes! A few minutes after brushing my teeth, my tongue,
perhaps motivated by my subconscious, decided to swipe itself across my upper
incisors... Delight was my very first impression once I realized what had
happened. So then, after purposely swirling my tongue around my mouth to
examine all of my teeth, it was clear that this Pulsar toothbrush was just the
product I had been looking for... that despite my frustration practically
forcing me to make a selection and get it over with those weeks ago, I had chosen a toothbrush
that suited me and that I could grant a rave review!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I am so happy with this toothbrush that I decided to give
Oral-B Pulsars as gifts this holiday season... They make great stocking
stuffers, fit easily into gift bags with other items, and unlike the candy I
usually give, will help care for my loved ones' teeth! They also attach easily
to gift cards using tape or colorful ribbon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I will come back to post feedback from some of the users
after giving them time to form opinions about their toothbrush gifts...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">You can check out the Pulsar toothbrush images... I will add
more after the three month user period expires to show how the used bristles
compare to a new head.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.mystoriesandpoems.com/siteimages/oral-b%20toothbrush%20head%20closeup%20-%20right%20view%20-%20flipped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.mystoriesandpoems.com/siteimages/oral-b%20toothbrush%20head%20closeup%20-%20right%20view%20-%20flipped.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Here are some of the Oral-B Pulsar features:</span></b></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Manual/Pulsating
bristles for deeper cleaning</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Soft
vibrating bristles breaks up plaque between teeth</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Varying
height bristles facilitate cleaning back teeth</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Nice
size handle that fits comfortably in your hand</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Handles
are colorful, shapely, and have grips</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">My
favorite - Money Back Guarantee (within 60 days)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Completely
disposable - no battery replacement required</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://www.mystoriesandpoems.com/siteimages/oral-b%20toothbrush%20head%20closeup%20-%20right%20view%20ii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.mystoriesandpoems.com/siteimages/oral-b%20toothbrush%20head%20closeup%20-%20right%20view%20ii.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Rating:</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w7wi2Og86AM/UNdxNs6CZrI/AAAAAAAAAqk/YoPDpZh2AKU/s1600/Five+Blue+Star+Rating+Blog+Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="127" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w7wi2Og86AM/UNdxNs6CZrI/AAAAAAAAAqk/YoPDpZh2AKU/s200/Five+Blue+Star+Rating+Blog+Image.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">It so happens that I am one of those people who brushes their teeth a lot! I can easily go 3 to 5 minutes or more during one brushing; and often brush as many as four times a day! Therefore, a toothbrush must really be strong and sturdy in order to hold up to my brushing standards. For me... Oral-B Pulsar, thus far, has met... perhaps even surpassed that test. I won't know entirely for certain until I finish this experiment and get to the next one. The one during which I will utilize the pulsing action the entire time... Then I will learn whether using the manual plus pulsing action really stands the test of time over the dental recommended three months of toothbrush use. Also, I will be able to determine how the battery holds out... For now, however, I happily give Pulsar five blue stars!</span></div>
Kitty Smalls Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189825280432380620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1288882025237935072.post-52826995483954097552012-06-24T16:58:00.001-07:002012-12-23T17:13:25.262-08:00Objectùm-Sexuality (Objektophiles)<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Objectùm-sexuality (OS) is a phenomenon of which I recently became acquainted. Due to its nature, I decided to post this overview here because something told me too many people, more than likely, were unaware of the topic as well. In that what it means to be an objectùm-sexual keeps those affected <em>in the closet</em>, I wanted to do my part in shedding a bit more light on the subject. After all, it also happens to be a good health topic in that it addresses the mind as well as the body.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Objectùm-sexuality, or the need to have relationships, including sexual intimacy, with inanimate objects, causes those involved in these types of romances to relish unions with things over bonds with people. When least expected, objectùm-sexuals fall in love with objects just as most people unexpectedly become twitterpated with humans.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Watching a program called Taboo that airs on a National Geographic channel one day was the first time I became acquainted with this phenomenon. During the episode, called Forbidden Love Education, a man fell in love with a car and a woman loved the </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Berlin Wall</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">According to the episode, research shows that persons with objectùm-sexual brains may be hard-wired differently from other people. Synesthesia is the type of brain-wiring that objectum-sexuals are believed to possess. According to Objectùm-Sexuality Internationale, persons with OS are this way due to an innate condition.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">On the flip side of the belief that objectùm-sexuals have brains with different wiring, that the condition is innate, is the belief that neglected children may be more prone to growing up and falling in love with objects than kids who receive adequate amounts of attention during childhood. There also exists a belief in the OS community that persons with Asperger's Syndrome may be more prone to become objectùm-sexuals due to a lack of socialization during the formative years.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Objectùm-sexuals are often called objektophiles or OS for short. They are believed to possess keen eyes for aesthetics, such as the construction of buildings, fences, and bridges, for example. When in love with an object, their feelings spur them to learn as much as they can about that thing in order to better communicate with it and also to further deepen and preserve their devotion. </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In furtherance, many OS people appear to be Animists as well. To them, the object of their affection is not merely a thing... but rather... it is indeed <em>animate</em>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As stated at the onset, OS people may become sexually intimate with the objects of their affection. It should be noted however, that not all OS people take their affections with things to this extreme. It should also be noted that the OS community prefers the terms intimacy and sensuality when referring to physical relations with objects since this type of contact differs from one relationship to another and stirs much controversy regarding sex with objects. In furtherance, from the OS perspective, intimacy with their object lovers is meant to give pleasure to the thing not to self-gratify the person involved with the thing.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia;">Those coming across this post who would like to know more about objectùm-sexual lifestyles for themselves or someone they would like to help can get more info <a href="http://www.objectum-sexuality.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>...</span>Kitty Smalls Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189825280432380620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1288882025237935072.post-21331545706898777632011-10-02T10:35:00.000-07:002011-10-02T10:35:03.211-07:00Olivia's Open Book: When did you last say I love you ?<a href="http://justsayingbyolivia.blogspot.com/2011/10/when-did-you-last-say-i-love-you.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OliviasOpenBook+%28Olivia%27s+Open+Book%29">Olivia's Open Book: When did you last say I love you ?</a><br />Three important little words too often overlooked...Kitty Smalls Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189825280432380620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1288882025237935072.post-26238455501518406492011-09-03T11:22:00.000-07:002011-09-03T11:22:39.087-07:00Glory's Garden: Tenacity and persistence: Guest post #2 by Raymond Alexander Kukkee<a href="http://glory-garden.blogspot.com/2011/09/tenacity-and-persistence-guest-post-2.html">Glory's Garden: Tenacity and persistence: Guest post #2 by Raymond Alexander Kukkee</a>Kitty Smalls Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189825280432380620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1288882025237935072.post-15458887168465539122011-08-21T15:54:00.000-07:002012-12-23T16:53:30.710-08:00Getting in shape with Dance Dance Revolution (DDR)<div style="color: blue;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Just-Dance-2-Nintendo-Wii/dp/B003O6FV8S?ie=UTF8&tag=funnycom08&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Just Dance 2" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B003O6FV8S&tag=funnycom08" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=funnycom08&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B003O6FV8S" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Getting in shape and staying in shape are concerns that occupy the minds of many. These concerns often become more prominent as the holidays come around. That's because avoiding luscious treats and heavenly eats becomes near impossible when wherever we go, food aplenty, loaded with tons of "delicious" calories, sits on tables to greet us. Removing some of the guilt from eating a few extra calories (or even a lot of extra calories) could be fun and easy for the entire family with Sony's Dance Dance Revolution games.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sony's Dance Dance Revolution or DDR games incorporate "workout" modes of play that allow individual players to keep track of how many calories they lose as they dance along with singers, dancers, and lively tunes. Moreover, with the addition with a "multi tap" gadget, as many as four players can dance along with one another in free playing modes. Although free playing modes do not allow all players to keep up with calorie counts, dancing along for a good half an hour to forty-five minutes should assure players they just finished a great workout.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Revolution-Max-2-playstation/dp/B0000A09EL?ie=UTF8&tag=funnycom08&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Dance Dance Revolution Max 2" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0000A09EL&tag=funnycom08" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=funnycom08&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0000A09EL" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In addition to Sony's PS2 and PS3 systems, DDR games are also available for Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Xbox 360 consoles. </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/PS3-Master-Dance-Non-Slip-Playstation-3/dp/B000YG0PUU?ie=UTF8&tag=funnycom08&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="PS3 Master Dance Pad Non-Slip" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B000YG0PUU&tag=funnycom08" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So.... Parents....</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Everyone who can stand.... walk.... dance a jig.... and otherwise move about freely....</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Why let the kids have all the gaming fun??? If you have a Dance Dance Revolution game available at home, start burning a few extra calories now! If you do not have one... Get one! There's no need to wait until after the holidays have passed you by to start burning extra calories and getting yourself fit!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Visit my Sony Playstation DDR instruction zone <u>below</u> for game play tips!</span></div>
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<a href="http://exercise.helium.com/zone/12034-dance-dance-revolution-weight-loss-tips-ddr"><span style="font-size: large;">Dance Dance Revolution Weight Loss Tips - DDR</span></a></h1>
Kitty Smalls Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189825280432380620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1288882025237935072.post-57325019332303741922011-07-21T16:15:00.000-07:002012-12-23T17:26:04.429-08:00Bed Bugs Infesting Homes, Public Buildings, Movie Theaters & More!Bed bug Summit in Chicago due to bedbugs now infesting homes in all fifty United States!<br />
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Bed bug home in<a href="http://www.mystoriesandpoems.com/siteimages/Bedbugs%20Galore%20-%20Email%20Small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kba="true" src="http://www.mystoriesandpoems.com/siteimages/Bedbugs%20Galore%20-%20Email%20Small.jpg" /></a>festations have become so commonplace, these days, no state is safe from bed bug invasions; and in fact, what's more is that bed bugs have even been discovered in government structures such as the Empire State Building, according to a MSNBC news report. The report also stated that college campuses, movie theaters, and at least one hospital was found to be infested with bedbugs.<br />
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Currently, no diseases have been shown to be attributed to bed bug bites, however, bed bug bites tend to itch profusely and to cause considerable redness, as well as swelling, on body parts of those who are allergic to the critters.</div>
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Learn ways to get rid of bed bugs <a href="http://www.helium.com/items/1959023-ways-to-get-rid-of-bedbugs-on-your-own-or-with-expert-exterminators-and-pesticides">HERE</a>.<br />
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Get lots of information on how to keep bed bugs out of the home as well as what to do should you come in contact with bed bugs <a href="http://www.helium.com/zone/2831-bloodsucking-bedbugs-on-the-rise">HERE</a>.<br />
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Whether at home, in a movie theater, or traveling by bus, plane, or ship, everyone in your household should learn how to identify bed bugs. Of course, bed bugs do not want to be discovered. This is the reason they hide during the day. However, whenever someone happens to uncover bed bugs, even by accident, they should be prepared to get rid of them. Teaching children how to recognize bed bugs is also crucial. Learn how to identify bed bugs <a href="http://www.helium.com/items/1496456-how-to-identify-bed-bugs-or-bedbugs-and-tell-when-they-are-biting-you">HERE</a>.<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">What exactly are bedbugs anyway?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Bedbugs are bloodsucking hemipteran insects which simply means they are “true bugs” that are classified by their sucking beak-like mouth parts. Bedbugs are from the Cimicidae family. Common bedbugs or “Cimex lectularius” are the ones most likely to invade human households because they are the most adapted to human surroundings. Bedbugs are also known as kissing bugs, bloodsuckers, cone noses, and simply bugs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Bedbugs are wingless. Despite not being able to fly, however, they get around pretty fast by crawling and they are excellent climbers. Bedbugs are flat and miniscule creatures. Their tiny size and body shapes allow them to squeeze between small spaces. For this reason, they tend to make cracks, crevices, mattress folds, bed frame parts, molding inners and carpeting adjacent to walls their homes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">These are only a few places bed bugs hide out in your home. Get more bed bug facts <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.helium.com/items/1495291-how-to-tell-if-you-have-bedbugs-and-find-bedbug-hiding-places">HERE.</a></span></span>Kitty Smalls Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189825280432380620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1288882025237935072.post-42584464978449671012011-06-22T13:12:00.000-07:002012-06-24T17:48:41.369-07:00Stories And Stuff 4 Kids :}<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #ec025b; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><a href="http://www.helium.com/knowledge/125705-short-stories-the-valentine-mystery">Short stories: The Valentine Mystery Story for girls :}</a></span></b><span style="color: #ec025b; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #ec025b; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">What a lovely thing—a young girl receiving expensive jewelry for Valentine's Day. Imagine the excitement for getting such a gift. Removing the widened smile from your face would be nearly impossible. Only--- What if Lacy's jewelry disappears before she gets to wear it? <a href="http://www.helium.com/knowledge/125705-short-stories-the-valentine-mystery">Read Valentine Mystery <i>Here</i></a></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ec025b; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><a href="http://www.helium.com/items/1979784-story-about-kids-going-to-a-fair-and-how-they-look-out-for-each-other-when-parents-are-not-there">Mom the Clown: Kids' anytime mystery that incorporates responsibility;}</a></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #ec025b; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Mom so-o wanted to become a clown one day. It was like her lifelong dream. Finally, the day arrived when transforming her dream into reality was the right thing to do—if only she were not sick in bed. See what happens when her children insist on going to her opening day at a carnival without her. <a href="http://www.helium.com/items/1979784-story-about-kids-going-to-a-fair-and-how-they-look-out-for-each-other-when-parents-are-not-there">Read Mom the Clown <i>Here</i></a></span></div>
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</div>Kitty Smalls Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189825280432380620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1288882025237935072.post-29550828723591659442011-06-05T19:06:00.000-07:002012-12-23T17:29:57.849-08:00Keloids - Growths on the body caused by scars<span style="color: #1a12be; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Causes of keloids could be genetic. If one person in a family has keloids, children or siblings in that family could break out with the condition as well. The medical community has yet to understand fully why some people are susceptible to keloids and others are not. They do know, however, that African Americans and Asians are more prone to keloids than other groups of people.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #1a12be; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Keloids are </span><span style="color: #1a12be;"><a href="http://www.keloids.org/"><span style="color: #1a12be; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">elevated growths</span></a></span><span style="color: #1a12be; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> caused by scars that appear on the skin after wounds heal. Keloids appear on the skin in ways that causes body parts to appear deformed. Deforming appearances come about because keloids tend to grow beyond wounds that cause them to appear and they do not completely go away on their own.</span></div>
<span style="color: #1a12be; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Keloids often occur in patches and they can... <a href="http://www.helium.com/items/2169099-causes-of-keloids">Read more HERE</a></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span>Kitty Smalls Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189825280432380620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1288882025237935072.post-54403113874895272011-05-22T09:28:00.000-07:002012-12-23T17:35:42.782-08:00Treatment options for urinary incontinence in womenUrinary incontinence is the inability to control one's bladder. Which simply means women with the condition either cannot hold their urine long enough to get to a restroom or they leak without warning. Women can choose from a number of options to treat this problem and therefore do not need to suffer wetness or embarrassment from this type of leakage.<br />
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What women should do is seek a doctor's help because, in some cases, female urinary incontinence can actually be eliminated or cured. In cases where a cure is not possible, however, treatments to control the condition can... Read more <a href="http://www.helium.com/items/2145371-treatment-options-for-urinary-incontinence-in-women">HERE </a>Kitty Smalls Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189825280432380620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1288882025237935072.post-27297202619162848562011-02-04T20:01:00.000-08:002012-07-30T20:08:13.270-07:00Valentine's Stories - Short Stories - Flash Fiction<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #ec025b; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Since healthy living includes healthful reading, check out a few of my short-short stories you can read, download, or print for free. The two at the bottom are for kids :} </span></div>
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<span style="color: #ec025b; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Following the short-stories is my first ebook for children. This ebook/chapter book is about sharing. It is intended to present a challenge for advanced early readers and eight to ten year olds. Currently, all may read the ebook for free. Enjoy!</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ec025b; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><a href="http://www.helium.com/knowledge/51480-short-stories-soul-mates">A Lover's Story: Soul mates </a></span></b><span style="color: #ec025b; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #ec025b; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">How would you feel if you spent your entire life thinking you had made the best choice you could for a partner and then one day, out of the blue, you encounter that special one—your soul mate? <a href="http://www.helium.com/knowledge/51480-short-stories-soul-mates">Read A Lover's Story <i>Here</i></a></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ec025b; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><a href="http://www.helium.com/items/2082538-short-story-about-walking-through-snow-in-pump-heel-shoes-on-a-cold-winter-day-after-a-blizzard">The Message—Self-Admiration: A little flash fiction for the diva in you!</a></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #ec025b; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">You love to look your best everyday, of course, if you are a diva! However, what if you get yourself all decked out and then discover you must take your hot self out in wet, slushy, snow… wearing heels? <a href="http://www.helium.com/items/2082538-short-story-about-walking-through-snow-in-pump-heel-shoes-on-a-cold-winter-day-after-a-blizzard">Read The Message <i>Here</i></a></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dT_s-5WMpjw/TUzK3dQZJ2I/AAAAAAAAAa4/MWI0vruHM8w/s1600/eBook+Cover+Sheet+-+Stay+Outside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dT_s-5WMpjw/TUzK3dQZJ2I/AAAAAAAAAa4/MWI0vruHM8w/s200/eBook+Cover+Sheet+-+Stay+Outside.jpg" width="165" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.mystoriesandpoems.com/Pages/KidseBooksMimiHavfun.aspx"><b style="color: #0000aa;"><span style="font-size: medium;">eBooks for Kids :}</span></b></a> </div>
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<span style="color: #ec025b; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"></span><u><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #3c005f;"><br /><a href="http://www.helium.com/knowledge/411180-short-stories-it-came-from-outer-space">It came from outer space</a></span></span></b></u></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-size: small;"><i>Cute tale for Halloween and any other time...</i></span> <br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Without a second of hesitation, a speck slithered up a chilled glass of pink fluid and frothy effervescence while humans kicked up their heels at the Party Nights dance club. In all, two glasses sat at his disposal. Each looked equally as cool and inviting as the other. Their contents were fresh. Their ice was plump. Condensation freckled and slid down their curvaceous crystalline walls. Vying not to waste a single moment, the speck, having appeared from the table underside, chose the glass closest to the wooden rim. Of course, none of this really mattered - as far as timing goes that is - for no one was likely to spot “Speck” anyway, him being a... <a href="http://www.helium.com/items/1973318-story-about-a-space-invader-creature-from-another-planet-that-grows-from-a-tiny-speck" style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;">Read more here</span></a></span></div>Kitty Smalls Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189825280432380620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1288882025237935072.post-20034047390526445152010-10-04T22:35:00.000-07:002012-07-30T20:24:49.032-07:00Dining and Entertainment Matters<div style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
When you're out for a little dining and entertainment fun between family and friends, the last thing you need is a rude waiter coming along ruining your good time. There are certain steps you can take to deal with a rude waiter quickly so that you can get right back to enjoying yourself. Customers venturing to restaurants to enjoy meals with friends and family or to grab a bite while conducting business do not deserve subjection to a rude waiter.</div>
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Although most waiters normally present themselves with utmost professionalism, waiters with inexcusable behavior sometimes slip <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=funnycom08&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B002BMG8Y2" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />through the cracks. Moreover, even the best waiters, possibly undergoing rough moments themselves, sometimes forget their manners and wind up saying inappropriate things or acting in unexceptable deportment toward their customers. If this has ever happened to you or you simply want to prep yourself in case it does...</div>
<a href="http://bit.ly/cr8yqz">Strategies for dealing with a rude waiter ~ so you can enjoy yourself!</a><br />
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<i style="color: purple;">Disney Princess Snack Tray</i></div>
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<i style="color: purple;">TV Tray for Girls </i></center>
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<img align="left" alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=funnycom08&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B002QW8XTA" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />Kitty Smalls Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189825280432380620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1288882025237935072.post-67191934713056434342010-09-13T19:41:00.000-07:002010-09-13T19:41:04.086-07:00Frankie Lymon "The ABC's of Love" Bautista<object style="background-image:url(http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/LzB0WyNONGA/hqdefault.jpg)" width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LzB0WyNONGA?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LzB0WyNONGA?fs=1&hl=en_US" width="480" height="295" allowScriptAccess="never" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object>Kitty Smalls Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189825280432380620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1288882025237935072.post-36749118787220264722010-08-25T12:35:00.000-07:002011-05-01T09:53:26.495-07:00Why parents should volunteer to help kindergarten teachers in the classroomKindergarten is the foundation that sets the stage for children to excel in school with an eagerness that promotes their willingness to learn and their desire to grow their young minds. Lacking skills necessary to succeed (once promoted from kindergarten) in first grade can gravely impact a child’s ability to keep up with his or her peers, cause children to feel incapable of learning, as well as unnecessarily delay their passing on to second grade and beyond. This is a travesty since many schools, at least in the public arena, continue to promote children from kindergarten to first grade despite the children’s performance records clearly indicating they should remain in kindergarten for additional... <a href="http://www.helium.com/items/1931282-parents-helping-kindergarten-teachers-in-the-classroom-fill-gaps-to-help-children-learn">Read more...</a>Kitty Smalls Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189825280432380620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1288882025237935072.post-65380172996349143362010-08-15T10:40:00.000-07:002011-05-01T09:49:27.473-07:00Healthy Lunch StrategiesWhat's a girl to do at arrival of lunch and break times when she's eager to put aside her duties and relax for nourishing meals and snacks if she hasn't prepared for them? Thank goodness - sometimes challenging questions have simple solutions. In this case, the solution is... <a href="http://www.helium.com/items/1194169-eat-healthy-at-work">Ways to eat healthy even at work...</a>Kitty Smalls Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189825280432380620noreply@blogger.com0