Halloween

My friend, Kathy, convinced me to get costumes for the kids. So late this morning, I went to Walmart and got them these two costumes. Duncan wanted a Superman costume but there wasn't any left. So instead I got him this dragon costume. And I got Denice a simple princess outfit.

Grr! I am a fierce dragon! Heheh.

Look at me, I am a pretty princess. She complained that the dress was scratchy so I made her wear a shirt dress underneath it and tights because it was a bit cool outside.

The dragon and the Princess.

All set to go to the Harvest Festival. Our church organizes this Harvest Festival open to the public every year. Instead of the kids running around the neighborhood going trick or treating, they can gather in one safe place and enjoy free burgers, corn dog, drinks, funnel cake, fries, and lots of games and candy. There were also free rides - pony rides, hay rides, petting zoo, tea cup ride and a merry go round.

There were also raffles, and you don't have to pay to enter any of these raffles. The prizes were some pretty hampers.

Kids and some adults came in their costumes. It was indeed fun to watch them all. No, Doug and I did not put on a costume. :-)

Like my widgets?

Ever since this blog's PageRank went down one notch, I felt it even more necessary to promote my other blogs. Those blogs went from PR 0 to PR 2 and when the next time Google does the ranking thing, hopefully at least one of these new blogs will go up to a PR 3. One can only hope, eh. BUT it won't go up if nobody visits those blogs. :-(

So by adding the widgets to three of those blogs on the sidebar to this blog, I hope to attract those of you who visit this blog regularly to visit those other blogs too. Please lah, go visit. Heheh.

Anyway, I found Widgetbox today and it was what I had been looking for as a means for promoting my other blogs. I had seen the widgetbox at some blogs but what it could do did not strike me till today. I think the widgetboxes are ideal for promoting your other blogs especially on your most popular blog.

Don't you think so?

Word of Promise

I first heard about the Word of Promise on the Laura Ingraham show last Friday. She had Jim Caviezel on her program and he talked about the Word of Promise which is a audio Bible of the New Testament. Laura played some excerpts of the Bible on her show and I knew I just had to have it.

I ordered the audio Bible from Amazon on Saturday and today it arrived. I have listened to a few chapters of it and I really liked the way the New Testament is presented; in dramatic audio theater style.

Some of the voices in this audio Bible, besides Jim Caviezel, are Stacy Keach, Michael W. Smith, Lou Gossett Jr., Lou Diamond Philips, Richard Dreyfuss, Marisa Tomei and Michael York who is the Narrator. There are a few others of course.

If you want to hear a sampling of the audio Bible you may go to the website http://www.thewordofpromise.com/wp1/. You can also buy an MP3 version of the Bible from the website itself. I can assure you that it will be a very good investment. You don't have to waste your time in the car listening to useless stuff, instead you can listen to the New Testament. The version that is used for this audio Bible is the New King James Version.

DialAFlight

DialAFlight is an independent UK travel company where you can search for flights, hotels, car hire and other travel ideas and Holiday Offers.

Their travel consultants can help you to get Cheap Flights for your Holidays in Canada, if that is where you are thinking about holidaying. With DialAFlight not only can you get deals on your flight to Toronto, you can also get great deals on your flight to Montreal and your flight to Vancouver.

Give them a call and get them to help you save some money and plan your holiday.

Pumpkins

These are just four of the pumpkins that were harvested from two pumpkins plants that we planted this year. There are still about three or four on the vine and about two in the kitchen.

I do not know what to do with these pumpkins. If they are as sweet as those pumpkins we eat in Malaysia I would have cooked at least one already! I don't know if they are sweet or not but because they are quite big I don't want to cut one up just yet, until I know what else I can do with the remainder. I mean you can only cook so much pumpkin at one time!

I did a search on pumpkin recipes and there are lots of them. But most of the recipes require you to mash the pumpkins. Err, what's the easiest way to do it? Boil it first before you mash it? I thought about pumpkin tempura, now that is not difficult to do.

If nothing else, I could cut up the pumpkins for the seeds. Roasted and salted pumpkin seeds, now that's something I know I like!

No, I do not want to make Jack O Lanterns out of my pumpkins!

Personal Fitness Training

My friend, Kathy, works out at a local gym twice a week and she has invited me to join her for quite some time now. I have put off joining a gym because when it comes to exercise I am quite lazy and moreover I am not sure I will be able to stick with it.

I think the only way I would be able to stick to a personal fitness program at a gym is if I have a personal trainer. The kind of personal trainer that can motivate me to achieve my goal of a healthier, fitter and more energetic me. In other words, a personal trainer who can help me not only lose any unwanted fat but help me look Positively Fit.

I know that I am not fit, reasonably healthy, but could be a lot fitter and stronger. It is a given fact that a person who does personal fitness training has a better energy level, higher level of alertness, and has a better blood circulation in all parts of the body.

When you do workouts that target certain areas of your body, say the stomach, other parts of the body tend to get toned to. Stiff joints tend to loosen up too and when that happens a person can feel the overall improvement in his or her wellbeing.

Studies have shown that a regular exercise regime helps to improve high blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes and high cholesterol. Most certainly in order for a person to really benefit from an exercise regime, the person must be guided by a qualified trainer who has taken into account the various health issues a person may have.

A regular personal fitness training not only shows physical benefits but also the not obvious ones like better concentration, better reaction when making snapped decisions and a simply better overall mental well-being.

The endorphins in the body that are released during a good exercise help to fight the symptoms of depression and gives a person a feeling of happiness. Serotonin, another chemical that is released during a good exercise, assists in getting better sleep. Insomnia is a regular problem of mine, that is why my friend Kathy has suggested I join her at the gym!

I know all the benefits from doing personal fitness training, the only thing I still need to do is to just get on with it, and start enjoying the benefits!

Chicken foot, anyone?

Denice is very fussy about her food. She smells whatever food she does not recognize before she even takes a bite. If the smell is not to her liking, she will refuse to eat it, even if you tell her it is very tasty. If she doesn't like the texture of a food, she will refuse to eat it. Even if the food smells nice or even tastes nice, but the texture does not feel right in her mouth she will spit it out.

But the strange thing is she likes to eat fried fish head!! She will bite and chew whatever part is chewable. In the picture above she is examining a chicken foot. The chicken foot was in a pot of soup, among other things, served at a Chinese restaurant.

She took a small bite and decided she didn't like it. She sure loves soda, candy, bubble gum, frozen yogurt, popsicle, and plain ice cube though!

Duncan and a dog

Dillon, Duncan's cousin, has a very frisky dog. He jumps all over people and really freaked Denice out.

Duncan was happy to play with the dog, and even held the dog leash. For a while at least before the dog dragged him and he fell flat on his face! That was it. The dog had to return to his pen.

I told Dillon not to let Duncan hold the leash because the dog was a lot stronger than he was. And being Duncan, he didn't know how to let go. He thought he was going to be able to control the dog and lead the dog where ever he wanted the dog to go. :-)

Darkyria.com

We all know the expression, "Birds of a feather flock together" right? So is it any surprise that now you can find a dating site called Darkyria.com : Love Different for people who are into the Goth, Heavy, Extreme Music and Alternative Culture scene?

I mean if I were into the Goth scene and looking for others who have similar taste in fashion and lifestyle, I would naturally look for them at a singles and dating site that caters specifically to this group of people, right? Why should I go to the usual dating site and stick out like a sore thumb there?

At Darkyria.com membership is free and once you have signed up you can log in and browse through thousands of profiles and pictures of other singles that are like you. You can upload a picture of yourself. This is always wise because people who have uploaded pictures of themselves tend to get better responses from other members. Members can indicate their interest in other members by sending "winks", or meeting one another by video chat or in a forum.

Check out the site and sign up at Darkyria.com ,and who knows you will meet the person of your dreams there!

Text messaging while driving

When Robert Gillespie looked up from his text message, he saw a freight train. EOM. ("End of message," that is, for non-texters.) Eugene police say Gillespie's car crashed into the side of the Union Pacific freight train about 2 a.m. Tuesday.

When officers arrived, they found him alert and talking, but trapped in the car. They learned about the cell phone and text message as they worked to rescue him.

Gillespie, who had turned 38 the day before, was charged with drunken driving and careless driving, police spokeswoman Kerry Delf said. His injuries were described as not life threatening, and no members of the train crew were hurt.

Full story here.

Text messaging while driving may be hazardous to your health! At least this guy got out of this accident alive. He could very well have been killed by the train!

I don't know what it is with people and their addiction to text messaging. Isn't it a lot simpler to just dial the phone, hey you don't even need to dial anything anymore, just hit the speed dial and let the phone ring? I do not understand the need for text messaging unless of course it is cheaper to send text messages than call? I can understand the case if it involves long distance but to your buddies?

There have been so many cases lately of road accidents where the drivers were distracted because they were text messaging. I don't care if they get hurt in a self accident because they brought it upon themselves but if other innocent road users get hurt because of their distraction, now that is a different story. Isn't it illegal to be text messaging while driving in the first place?

Tummy Tuck

Do you have a flabby and saggy tummy? Have you tried reducing the size of the flab by following some exercise regime but the flabbiness doesn't seem to go away? Are you one of those women who have had multiple pregnancies and your abdominal muscles and skin are stretched beyond the point where they can no longer return to normal?

Yes, yes and yes! I am one of those women whose tummy has sagged beyond recognition. It is indeed one of the ugliest part of my body and I am constantly sighing and regretting the loss of my once flat tummy.

How about going for a Tummy Tuck? If I weren't so fearful about going under the knife for an elective surgery, I would do it in a heartbeat! But for those who choose to do something about getting back their once flat tummy instead of just complaining about it, here are some points that you need to consider.

The most important, of course, is to find the surgeon who is not only qualified but right for you. The right surgeon is one who asks you all the right questions. Some pertinent questions would be, are you working on to lose more weight, and if you are you might want to put off the surgery; are you planning on more pregnancies, and if yes then you might want to put it off as vertical muscles in the abdomen that are tightened during surgery can separate again during pregnancy.

The right doctor will also inform you of all the risks involved and the time it takes to recover from such a surgery. Do your research before going for such a procedure and choose the surgeon that you think is right for you.

No Halloween Costumes

Halloween is this Wednesday. I have never celebrated Halloween, and the whole time I have lived in this country, only once have kids knocked at our door for Treat or Trick.

But my kids are old enough now that they are asking for Halloween costumes. After church today we checked out the costumes at the local supermarket. Denice wanted a Princess costume but there wasn't any. There were some animal costumes that could fit them but at the last minute I decided not to get them. We only got a scary looking candy bag for Duncan.


We decided to check the pharmacy next door and see what they had in way of costumes. They were all too big for the kids and we went home with no costume for the kids. I could have bought them the animal costumes but the real reason I didn't get them was I was not prepared to buy them something that they were only going to use once! Heheh, I'm too cheap!

This week is dress up week for the kids. Monday is Hat Day. I didn't see any nice hats except some witches hats. Doug didn't like them seeing that the kids are at a Christian school! On Wednesday they can come to school in their costumes. As in previous years, one or two might come in their costumes, the rest come in their ordinary clothes. Seems like there are other parents like me!

I know this is America and Holloween is a big "holiday" for most people, but I just can't get myself excited about celebrating it. It is not a religious holiday so I don't see the point.

Our church is holding a Harvest Carnival on Wednesday instead of Halloween. There'll be lots of candy, hay ride, free b-b-q, petting zoo and other rides. This is a big celebration organized by my church and it is open to the public. It is a much safer place for kids, and they can get all the candy they want, and have a good time at the same time.

No need for treat or trick-ing.

Mailboxes

When I drive along the streets of a neighborhood I'd never been to before, I like to look out for the fancier and unusual looking mailboxes. I think the kind of residential mailboxes that people have say a lot about the people who own them. They tell me that they don't want to be just the next door neighbors with mailboxes that are indistinguishable from the other neighbors'. Those with the funkier looking mailboxes, like those that look like a birdhouse or that has a cow on it, tell me that the owners have a good sense of humor, allows the quirkier side of their nature to shine, and also show their great sense of adventure.

I always find the curbside mailboxes of homes in the countryside much more interesting. There are some with animals and chickens on them, while others look like a windmill, or a train engine.

But of course some cannot do much about the kinds of mailboxes that they have, for example those that live in apartments. Apartment mailboxes are usually like the commercial mailboxes. One big unit with many locked cubicles with slots that belong to each tenant in the apartment.

You know what I'd like to replace my current curbside mailbox with? A red one that is big enough for nice sized packages to go into, like the one called USPS Bobi 3001 Red Modern Mailbox and Post Package that you can get at http://www.mailboxixchange.com/. Now this mailbox would most certainly stand out from the rest of the mailboxes next to it!

More Yard Work

The area around the house is now ready for planting the grass. But before any seeding can be done, our sprinkler system needs to be up and running.

Yesterday a guy who does sprinkler work came to the house and he says he'll be able to do the work this week. The sprinkler pipes has already been laid in the ground quite some time ago. Doug had someone come in and do the trenching but he did all the pipe laying himself.

This was about two years ago!

So what this sprinkler guy has to do is locate all the spots where the sprinkler heads will have to go and fit the sprinkler heads at those spots. Once that is done, we'll have to hire another person do the hydro seeding. The sprinkler guy knows someone who can do the work and he's going to recommend this person to us.

Hopefully everything can be done before it gets too cold, and the growth of the seeds affected by the cold. I am really looking to a green lawn instead of weeds.

Uptown Saturday Night

I have never been to Florida and I would love to visit it some time soon. I had hoped to visit it some time this year especially in the fall but it doesn't look like it is going to happen.

Imagine if I had been able to plan a trip to Florida in the fall I would have been able to participate in the special St. Augustine shopping held on the last Saturdays of October and November. I like to schedule my trips around special events at the places that I am visiting.

On the last Saturday of October, which is October 27th, and the last Saturday of November which is November 24th this year, St. Augustine, Florida is filled with a festive and party-like atmosphere. It is Uptown Saturday Night and San Marco Avenue the antique shopping district of St. Augustine becomes an endless opportunity to shop for antiques, like rare books and even genuine Spanish treasure. During this special event participating antique dealers offer workshops providing antique related topics. I love looking at antiques and browsing through antique stores even if I can't afford to buy any antique!

I can see myself stopping by to listen to the live music at the various spots around the city. For me this has always been the more fun part of any special street event like this. If there are free refreshments offered by participating stores, so much the better!

For people who drive themselves and worried about parking, The Mission of Nombre de Dios provides FREE PARKING for Uptown Saturday Night. That's good to know because on a busy night like this parking can't be that easy to find.

Check out http://www.getaway4florida.com/uptown/ for more information on Uptown Saturday night which is held on October 27th and November 24th this year. If you have been thinking about visiting Florida you might consider being there during these two dates.

Small World

Two days ago, I checked my Technorati account to see who has been linking to me at my Pemerindang Puteri blog. I decided to check out the blogs who had linked back to my blog.

One blog was by a strange character who considered herself an activist and was railing against capitalism. Hmm. I don't know what it is about young people who seemed to be infatuated with socialism and found all sorts of evil in capitalism. Has it become trendy to be anti-capitalistic? Or are these young people going through a phase in their lives?

Anyway, my point of this entry: I also followed a link to a blog owned by a university student studying medicine in Yogjakarta, Indonesia of all places. Some of her posts were in Iban and I left a comment on a couple of entries and asked her who her parents were since she mentioned a place where an aunt of mine is from.

I also noticed from her pictures that she looked rather familiar. I thought of a classmate, but I wasn't sure that that classmate could have a daughter of that age. It was possible, I thought.

As it turned out, this young lady was indeed the daughter of my classmate! What a small world indeed! Imagine my former classmate having an adult daughter and I have two 4 year-olds! Haha.

Prefab Garages

Our two car garage is not used for storing our cars. It has become my hobby room. We are thinking about building a stand alone garage for our cars. A BiG garage, or maybe two.

Prefab Garages are good alternatives to building one from scratch. All one needs to do is get the concrete pad ready and then the prefab garage is ready to be installed.

Lidget Concrete Garages, a UK company with over 30 years of garage experience, has some really elegant looking garages. I particularly like The Windsor Executive Range. Actually the building looks too good for a garage! If I had one installed on my property, I might even be tempted to use it for other than storing cars!

Besides garages, Lidget Concrete Garages also do garden sheds and workshops. All the concrete garages, sheds and workshops are produced at their modern factory using the latest technology, delivered to your home and erected on the same day by their own qualified fitters.

Browse their website at http://www.lidget.co.uk/.

Stuffed Biscuits

I am definitely on a roll! Sardine Puffs, Pig in the blanket, and now stuffed biscuits. :-)

I sauteed ground beef, chopped onions and mashed sweet pototo with 2 teaspoons of curry powder for the filling. I added a little bit of salt and about two tablespoons of sugar into the mix.

The biscuit dough was Pillsbury, and what I did was cut the thickness of the dough into half. I then flattened the two halves and stretched it a bit. Then I put about one tablespoon of filling on one half and place the other half on top and sealed the edges.



Looks good and tastes just as good! I used purple sweet potatoes, hence the dark appearance of the filling. That's not red bean paste! :-)

Two pieces of stuffed biscuits were more than adequate for my dinner!

Pick up hug

Daddy, give me a pick up hug?

Why Duncan? I already gave you a pick up hug just now.

I like pick up hugs. Lots of pick up hugs.

Why do you like pick up hugs, Duncan?

Because I just like it.

This is the dialogue that goes between Daddy and Duncan daily. He sure does love his pick up hugs! Daddy picks him up and gives him a hug in his arms, that's what a pick up hug is.

Sales Training

Avand.co.uk is an online company which serves as a resource center for people wishing to get information on the best places to take plumbing courses. They collect your details, analyse your information and pass your details onto a plumbing training company in your region in the UK. These companies will then contact you regarding the course you are interested in.

Many of the people who successfully completed their plumbing courses have asked Avand.co.uk to help them with Sales Training . Why shouldn't they be interested in being trained to market themselves and the skills they've worked so hard to achieve? That is what Avand.co.uk is now expanding into. Anyone wishing to take up sales training courses can now contact them so that they can match you up with the best place that you can take the sales training.

Paper Air Planes

Today Duncan asked me to make a paper air plane for him. Ya, I know how to make paper air planes. I made so many when I was a kid. Duncan gave me a piece of paper and I started folding it. After a couple of folds, err, how does this go again? I turned the paper around, folded the edges, and ... Apparently I have lost my skill!! I do not remember how to make a paper air plane anymore! :-(

This is the internet age, right? You can find anything on the internet. Sure enough there are several sites that teach you how to make paper air planes. I found this paper air plane site based in the UK. It is a very good site, with clear diagrams and video too! You would think with clear diagrams and video tutorials I would be able to make at least one! You thought wrong! Why so "bebal" ("dumb" or close to it in meaning)?

Cobra paper plane top view

Cobra paper plane belly view

I finally found one design that I was able to follow. Only because of the video tutorial! I couldn't make sense out of the diagrams! The design is called Cobra Paper Plane. I think I still have to look at the video again if I were to make another one! :-) It certainly is different from the ones I made as a kid.

Wall Mount Brackets

Recently I bought a 15 inch LCD HDTV. I am very happy with my purchase. Everything that appears on the screen is so much clearer compared to the ordinary TV. The only problem I have with the TV is the stand it is on. It stands at a slight angle, almost like your computer monitor. When you are used to watching your TV flat and upright, it takes quite getting used to.

I am considering getting a LCD TV wall bracket so I can mount my TV on the wall. There is enough wall space in front of my work station for mounting the TV. Doug liked my new TV so much that he is now considering getting a wide screen LCD or plasma TV for our living room or bedroom.

Prices of these TVs have gone down tremendously and last night at Walmart I saw a 50 inch plasma TV for under $1000. What a deal, I thought. Since we are not planning on putting it on a stand, we will get a plasma wall bracket for it so it can be mounted on the wall.

Yes, a 50 inch plasma TV would be nice for Christmas! Santa, are you reading this?

Sue them till they are forced to close down!

Planned Parenthood faces criminal charges for aborting late-term, pre-born babies in violation of Kansas state law. Today, Kansas District Attorney Phill Kline filed a 107-count indictment against the abortion group. District Court Judge James Vano found probable cause. The charges are as follows:

23 felony counts of making a false writing
29 misdemeanor counts of performing unlawful late term abortions
27 misdemeanor counts of failure to maintain records
29 misdemeanor counts of failure to determine viability

"Planned Parenthood is accused of falsifying records to cover up numerous violations of state law against aborting late-term babies," said Wendy Wright, President of Concerned Women for America (CWA). "Now we know what Planned Parenthood means by 'privacy' when it refuses to release information on the abortions it commits on pre-born babies -- it is claiming privacy on its own alleged illegal actions."

"Planned Parenthoods around the country receive federal funding, so our tax dollars may be subsidizing this alleged illegal activity. The Department of Health and Human Services should begin an immediate investigation to discover whether other Planned Parenthoods around the country engage in the same type of potentially illegal activities, violating state and federal law."

Judy Smith, State Director of CWA of Kansas said, "We believe that the allegations brought against Planned Parenthood of Overland Park need to be investigated. The people have a right to expect that the laws enacted by their representatives are followed to the letter. As a women's organization, we want to ensure that every woman receives the legally approved medical standard of care on any procedure, including abortion. If this is not happening at Planned Parenthood clinics, women should be able to rely on the law to protect them."

Concerned Women for America is the nation's largest public policy women's organization.

Source: ChristiansUnite.com

About time. Planned Parenthood receives funding from the government, and I say it is time to end the funding of legalized murder of the the unborn using our taxpayer dollars.

Planned Parenthood uses a large chunk of public funds to lobby for unrestricted access to abortion. I say, now is the time to stop this barbaric practice of abortion on demand.

I am praying for the time where abortion is not a "right". I am praying for the time when the "constitutional right" that was discovered by judges in Rowe v Wade is overturned.

Pissed!

Before I left for dinner last night two of my blogs, this one and Pemerindang Puteri were at Page Rank 3. When I got home from dinner, Google it seemed, had been busy. Both blogs had dropped from Page Rank 3 to 2! I am sooo pissed!

I don't really care about the the PR of my Iban blog because I cannot do any paid post there because it is a non-English blog. But for this blog, I managed to snag a few opps this week that had a PR3 minimum requirement and a 1 million maximum Alexa rank requirement. Now that this blog has dropped one notch, the number of opportunities will be limited.

It seems that my blog is not the only one that got hit. Even the internet mogul himself, John Chow, has his blog's PR drop from 6 to 4. Several fellow Posties are also bemoaning the drop in their blogs' PR. Has Google penalized us because we are doing paid posts? Quite a few blogs that I know of who had zero ranking before this and have not done any paid posts, have gone up to PR 3.

I have three new blogs that are a little less than three months old each. They have all gone up from PR 0 to PR 2, and its not as if there is a lot of traffic going to these blogs! These blogs are not used for paid posts, well except for the odd one or two paid post opportunities that came my way. My hobby blog had a PR 1 but now it is PR 0! :-( Not that it really mattered on this blog! I post quite infrequently on this blog, but I was happy that it even had a PR. Now, nothing. Zip. Zero. Nada.

I wouldn't mind so much or even cared about page ranking if I was just writing for fun. But since I have started writing paid posts, it does affect the potential income from writing paid posts. Pissed, that's what I am!

Further Reading: Digg Favorites Slapped By Google

Criminal Attorney Blog

The Los Angeles Criminal Attorney Blog | California Criminal Defense Lawyers Forum is an interesting blog where you can find interesting information about criminal law and criminal proceedings in the Los Angeles area.

Among the most recent posts on the blog are the mistrial of the Spector case, the rights of the passenger in a vehicles stopped by the police, and the Prosecution and Defense of Consumer Fraud Crimes in Southern California Courts. You can even read about why Paris Hilton was sentenced 45 days in jail for a "probation" violation on the blog.

Check out the blog if you are interested in criminal law and in what's going on in the criminal courts in the Los Angeles area.

Benefits of Boiled Peanuts

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - For lovers of boiled peanuts, there's some good news from the health front. A new study by a group of Huntsville researchers found that boiled peanuts bring out up to four times more chemicals that help protect against disease than raw, dry or oil-roasted nuts.

Lloyd Walker, chair of Alabama A&M University's Department of Food and Animal Sciences who co-authored the study, said these phytochemicals have antioxidant qualities that protect cells against the risk of degenerative diseases, including cancers, diabetes and heart disease.

Full story here.

This is wonderful news because I love boiled peanuts! The last time I had boiled peanuts was a few weeks ago when I bought about 1.5 pounds worth of peanuts at the Galt Flea market. I hope next week on market day, they still have peanuts for sale. Three weeks ago I also found jujubes at the Flea Market, something I'd not had since I left Vietnam more than 10 years ago.

Ok, back to the peanut story. A lot of the time whatever health benefit a food has is almost totally gone by the time it is cooked. Boiled peanuts instead bring out the phytochemicals. Too bad that raw peanuts in the shell are not available all year round. Peanuts are so much better tasting when boiled still in the shell.

I wonder if the raw peanuts that are sold in the packets still have the same benefits? The news story does not say if the boiled peanuts are those that are still in the shells or had the shells removed.

Custom Writing Service

I have helped friends by proof reading and editing their research papers. I have to admit that some of the papers I had to read were beyond the scope of my ability. Recently, one of the said friends, an Agricultural Engineering graduate student, wanted me to proof read and edit his Master thesis. It was very technical and I did what I could. He could have done with an Editing Service, who have professionals with the background and technical expertise on the subject, do the editing on his research paper.

Fallout

Portland's school-based health centers have not been reporting all illegal sexual activity involving minors as required by law, but they will from now on, city officials said Thursday.

Cumberland County District Attorney Stephanie Anderson questioned the health centers' reporting practices after the Portland School Committee decided last week to offer prescription birth control at the King Middle School health center.

The King Student Health Center has offered comprehensive reproductive health care, including providing condoms and testing for sexually transmitted diseases, since it opened in 2000. The school serves students in grades 6 to 8, ages 11 to 15.

Maine law prohibits having sex with a person under age 14, regardless of the age of the other person involved, Anderson said.

Full story here.

When the story was first reported nobody in the news media brought up the issue of sex with anyone under age 14 was illegal. The public was never informed that a health care provider, at school or in private practice, MUST report known and suspected cases of sex involving persons under 13 to the state's Department of Health and Human Services.

It is clear that in their eagerness to provide birth control to kids, the school board and the health care provider at the school's health center ignored the law and ignored the parents' rights over their children.

I think schools should refrain from providing such services, that is, providing birth control. Some school health centers have taken and expanded patients' privacy rights beyond the scope given to them, especially when they are dealing with minors.

LA Police Gear

On one of our recent trips home to Malaysia we brought a couple of small pepper spray cans for two of our friends. With the rising crime rate in Kuala Lumpur, we were concerned for our friends' safety. As far as I know, you cannot get pepper spray for defensive use in Malaysia.

There are some places in the US where the defensive use of pepper spray is restricted. The restrictions are with regards to where you can get them, and the amount of certain content in the spray is allowed. It is not illegal to use when the restrictions are observed.

You can get pepper spray, and all kinds of military and police gear like the 5.11 Tactical gear at LAPoliceGear.com. All their products are 100% authentic and they offer extremely fast shipping, low prices, and outstanding service.

Sardine Puffs

This morning I decided to make sardine puffs after seeing a picture of the sardine rolls that Pat had for breakfast yesterday.

I used one piece of 9" pie crust which I cut into four pieces. I had to trim the edges a bit so they don't look too bad. I rolled the dough from the trimmed edges and was able to make two small skins for the sardine puffs.

This Pillsbury pie crust is really flaky. I like it! I should try making curry puffs using this too.

Good thing I still had one can of sardine in tomato sauce left. I added chopped shallots and chilli into the mashed sardine.

I still don't know how to fold the edges of the puffs properly.

Ta da! Fresh and hot out of the oven! I dusted some beaten egg on the top of the puffs to give it this golden look. I will most certainly try to make curry puffs using Pillsbury pie crust. It saves me time as I don't have to make the crust from scratch! I don't even know where my rolling pin went! :-)

Wealth Building 101

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Fires caused by global warming?

Most of you know that I am quite the skeptic when it comes to global warming. A lot of the noise coming from the people who insist that there'll be dire consequences caused by global warming if nothing is done now to stop it, comes from people who don't really know much about the science behind climate change.

Harry Reid, the Senate Majority leader, is one such person. He told reporters, "One reason why we have the fires in California is global warming," emphasizing the need to pass the Democrats' comprehensive energy package. What a shameless way to politicize an already difficult situation faced by folks in southern California because of the fires! If ever there is such ignorance displayed by a politician, here is one.

Forest fires in California is not uncommon. It is a yearly occurrence much like the flu is. This time, the Santa Ana winds, which whip dry air from the desert plateau westwards and downwards into southern California, heating up as they descend, blew at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. This is nature at its most ferocious. Put fire into the mix, and we get a lethal combination.

The fires are caused by global warming? Don't make me laugh. Senator Reid, realized his idiotic comment and backed away from it when pressed further by reporters.

An Afternoon's Diversion

I took a break from my computer and decided to make some ear-rings. I should have been working on my clients' quilts but making ear-rings for yourself is more fun! :-)

Today I decided to use non-tarnish artistic wire instead of my usual sterling silver. I got tired of looking at the tarnished state of my sterling silver ear-rings! The wire I used is a 22 gauge and it is quite soft. I had to be careful when I did the wire-wrapping. It bends out of shape really easily.



Swarovski crystals and natural pearls. The middle crystals are two toned. Beautiful combination! :-)

Another pair of swarovski crystal ear-rings with a triangle shaped glass bead in the middle for interest.


I made two pairs of these ear-rings. The long bead is made of abalone shell. The small round bead is sterling silver and the blue zircon bicone beads are swarovski crystals. The extra pair I gave to Kathy, my good friend, and the kids' reading tutor.

Dance Videos

I am a huge fan of TV's Dancing with the Stars. I think shows like this has generated a greater interest in ballroom dance. I am sure many of us watching the show wished that we could dance like the contestants. We all realized that almost all the contestants had very little ballroom dance background yet with enough practice and coaching they were able to dance so beautifully and so well.

Not all of us are able to enroll ourselves with a dance studio and receive lessons from professional dance teachers but fortunately for us there are dance videos that we can use to teach ourselves a little bit of ballroom dance. Maybe just enough to not make ourselves look like we have two left feet while on the dance floor?

I'd love to be able to do the salsa, and it doesn't look too difficult a dance. Among the dance videos that DanceCrazy.com has is Learning to Salsa Dance. That sounds just the kind of video I need, don't you think?

2,500 dollar car

Nissan and Renault hope to start selling a car for about 2,500 dollars in India in around 2010 along with their local partner there, chief executive Carlos Ghosn said Wednesday.

"We have already practically decided all the attributes of the car," Ghosn told reporters at the Tokyo Motor Show.

"We have the full intention to do it -- if it's feasible. Hopefully this is going to be 2010 in India," he said.

Ghosn, who heads both Japan's Nissan Motor Co. and its French partner Renault, said he would visit Indian partner Bajaj Auto next week for talks on the car.

Full story here.

Will Proton and Perodua be able to come up with a similar car, a car that many low income Malaysians will be able to afford? Isn't Renault already involved in one of the Malaysian car companies? I don't see why they can't come up with a similar low priced car for sale in Malaysia!

Driving a car is a lot safer than riding a motorcycle. Children being driven to school in cars are a lot safer than being sent to school on a motorcycle. I have seen an adult with two or three kids on his motorcycle. That is definitely not safe!

A thought just came to my mind. If there are cars that cheap available in Malaysia, that means the Mat Rempits can then afford to own cars. Imagine the Mat Rempits menacing other road users in their cars! * shudder*

Home Theater Seating

One of the things I really wished we had is an additional room for a home theater.

Last year I was invited to a bar-be-cue at a friend's new house. I was impressed by the size of the house and the fittings that went with the house. The thing that impressed me most was the room where they had their home theater. I had never been to a home that had such a beautifully done home theater.

The home theater seating was made of leather and comfortable. Exactly the kind of furniture I would put in my home theater if I had one! Of course I was not content to just sit on the comfortable seating. I had my friend put on a movie so I could enjoy the surround sound coming from the speakers! My friend's children were eager to show us what the comfortable seats were capable of. Of course they could recline and had foot rests!

It is good to know that I can get some beautiful home theater furniture at BostonTables.com which offers free shipping on all orders.

Tractor Work Part II

The tractor work around the house is going on really well. The work will probably be done by the end of the day. We are only having one acre done, and the back acre left alone for now.

The is the small fenced in area in the back yard. The soil looks like it is ready for planting grass seeds. Before the tractor tilled this area, it was all hard and dry.

This is the east side of our property. Looks good to me! :-)

This is the west side of the front yard. Doug pulled down the old and crumbling fence so that the tractor work can be done that much better around the border. This is actually where Doug and I had planned to build a pond. That project will have to be put on hold for now because we have young children. Young children around a body of water is a lethal combination. The other problem with having a pond right now is the leaves from the eucalyptus trees that lined the west border is only going to clog the pond.

Home improvement involves a lot of work, time and money. :-(

Cartridges for my printer

I need to replace the ink cartridges on my HP Deskjet 895 Cxi. I am happy to note that Cartridge Finder has made it easy for me to find the right cartridges for my printer. All I had to do was enter the brand name of my printer and then select the model. I was able to choose between two vendors who offered the best prices including shipping. What a convenient way to shop!

Pergola

What is a pergola? [ Frankensteina wants to know. :-) ]

A pergola is a garden structure with an open wooden-framed roof, often latticed, supported by regularly spaced posts or columns. The structure, often covered by climbing plants such as vines or roses, shades a walk or passageway.


This is the pergola that we built on the west side of our house. It is a shade structure but not to give shade to a walk or passageway. It is a stand alone structure.

We had it fenced in because we wanted it to be a privates space. Eventually that is where our hot tub is going to be. Usually you do not put a roof on the pergola but we are going to put a clear roof over ours. With a permanent roof on it, we'll be able to keep the area under it relatively dry. We'll be able to install some ceiling fans and light fixtures on the ceiling too. I hope to make it a tropical paradise. :-)



Doug needs to order the clear roofing that he wants to put over the top. We've been to Home Depot, Lowe's, and Meeks, and none of them carries the kind of roofing that Doug wants. That is why the pergola is what it is now. Near completion, and not ready for what we want to do with it.

We are planning to build another pergola in the center of our backyard. I hope to be able to plant some creeping plants on that one. Wisteria would be nice but it takes a long time to grow. I thought about morning glory or grape vines. We'll decide once that structure is built.

This is Noel. He is a professional in the construction business. He built the pergola for us. This picture is of him building the pergola at Kathy's house. I did not take any pictures of him building our pergola. Richard (Kathy's husband) is a lot better at documenting the pergola that he had built in his back yard.


This is Kathy and Richard's pergola that Noel built. Our pergola was the guinea pig because it was the first that Noel ever built. This pergola is similar to the one we have.

Right now we have someone do some tractor work around the house. Once the grass is planted and established then we can think about building the next pergola.

The Ten Laws of Wealth and Abundance

Even though The Ten Laws of Wealth and Abundance is written in a story form, the Financial Freedom Ideas that are inspired by Benjamin Franklin, are real and achievable. This book will teach you how to take control of your life and achieve financial freedom, increased abundance and personal success. You'll learn that prosperity or poverty is a state of mind that can be changed by the choices that we make. Buy The Ten Laws of Wealth and Abundance and it could very well be the one book that will help you start on the road to changing the direction of your financial life.



Press Release:

Financial Freedom Inspired by Benjamin Franklin

Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX—Few stories can please a crowd quite like a classic tale of someone’s ascent from rags to riches. The achievement of prosperity is at the heart of the American dream; but for most people, the promise of wealth is more like a mirage—a possibility that is always a short distance beyond their grasp. In his new book, The Ten Laws of Wealth and Abundance, author Ron Willingham shares some great news: No matter what hand life has dealt you, you have the power to determine your financial freedom!

The Ten Laws of Wealth and Abundance is a truly surprising endeavor. Eschewing the traditional form for a self-help or financial advice book, Ron’s life principles are shared through the fictional account of Andrew Baldwin, a young clerk of humble means who befriends Benjamin Franklin. As Franklin takes young Andrew under his wing, he begins to share the ten timeless laws that, when observed, will allow anyone who is willing the chance to improve their financial situation. The reader is privileged to eavesdrop on these conversations, bearing witness to the great improvements in Andrew’s situation as he begins to apply his newfound knowledge.

Though the story is fictional, many of Ben Franklin’s famous quotes are woven throughout. “I’ve always been a fan of Ben Franklin, so to speak,” Ron recalls. “About forty years ago I read his autobiography. When I finished it, I began doing some things differently in my own life. I’ve always loved the clever sayings from Poor Richard’s Almanac, and I think most people who know anything about American history would recognize the wisdom and ingenuity of Old Ben. Who better to serve as the mouthpiece to convey these wise, life-sculpting ideas?”

Ron has the best credential for writing this kind of advice book—a success story. Over forty years ago he was the cash-strapped novice, starting his own company with nothing but debt. Integrity Systems, his international training and development company, inspired the confidence of such prestigious clients as IBM, Johnson & Johnson and The American Red Cross. Ron recently sold that company for several million dollars. His faithful adherence to these simple principles has put him in the perfect position to practice his favorite law of wealth and abundance: increase your wealth by sharing it.

The Ten Laws of Wealth and Abundance encourages more than the mere accumulation of material wealth. As Andrew discovers, real abundance is accompanied by the building of character. This book is a fun and inspirational read that puts practical tools in the hands of those who are ready to pursue a better future.

Plan to limit access to the pill

A Portland School Committee member wants to give parents the power to keep their children from participating in a controversial new plan to make prescription birth control available to students at King Middle School.

Benjamin Meiklejohn submitted a resolution Monday, to be considered by the committee on Nov. 7. The proposal would give parents the option to block access to prescription contraception if they enroll their children in the King Student Health Center.

Meiklejohn's proposal also would limit access to prescription contraception such as "the pill" and "the patch" to students who are at least 14 years old.

Full story here.

At least one parent is not going to roll over and flow with the punches regarding the decision made by the school board!

I don't know how successful this parent will be because according to that same news two of the Committee members on the school board who voted for the middle school girls to have access to the pill are not going to vote to reduce that access.

I am still incredulous that the school Committee can make decisions affecting minors without the consent and knowledge of the parents.

As one commenter to this whole business has said, "School Vouchers". If school vouchers were as readily available as the pill and condoms, a lot more parents would choose to take their kids out of such schools which don't seem to care about parental rights over their own kids.

If the School Committee succeeds in keeping their previous decision, I think parents who disagree with that decision should take the school board to court. Parents should never allow their rights to be usurped by a group of people on the school board.

Light Fixtures

We're still waiting to put the roof on the pergola that we built on the west side of our home. Once the roof is up we will need to put some light fixtures on the ceiling. When it comes to choosing the right lighting fixtures it can be a little difficult especially when you are faced with an array of choices!

I have been thinking about making the pergola a little tropical paradise. The pergola is completely fenced in and therefore very private. I imagine some large potted ferns and banana plants under the pergola. I think the ideal ceiling lighting fixtures to reflect the tropical mood would be the Palisade Ceiling Fans with Vertical Palm Leaf Style Blades. I can just see myself sitting under that fan or soaking in the hot tub which we intend to install in the pergola.

Some Tractor Work

Today we have a guy with a tractor come out to our home and do some tractor work on our property.

This year we are really, I mean REALLY, going to start planting the grass in the front and back yards. In California autumn is the best time to plant grass because it is cooler and with the rains in the fall and winter, the grass seeds will grow quite well.

The guy with the tractor is going to till the land, and bury all the large holes that Doug has dug all over the property, and level whatever low spots on the property. We've had a few tractor work done around the property in the past, but hopefully this time it will be the last.

We are not going to attempt to plant the grass ourselves. We'll hire some yard maintenance company to do it. Doug has already laid out all the sprinkler pipes in the ground so once the grass seeds are already planted, they'll get all the necessary watering they need.

We'll also have to hire someone to put up fences in the back acre so we can keep the geese there. Won't do us much good, eh, if the geese starts feeding on the new grass growth!

Printed Table Covers, Tablecloths, and Table Skirts

Recently I was at the Friends of the NRA dinner. I noticed that the theme of the table Covers, tablecloths, table Skirts and other decorations were red, white and blue. They were nothing fancy, just plain white, red or blue colors. It would have been more attractive, I think, and more in keeping with the occasion if there had been Friends of the NRA logo or the NRA logo printed on the table skirts where the raffle prizes were placed. These special skirts can be used again at the next Friends of the NRA dinner. I will have to keep this in mind and bring it to Doug's attention the next time the fund raising dinner is held.

California Burning

Does it seem like California is burning? CNN is reporting that 250,000 have fled the raging fires in San Diego. My neighbors just moved to San Diego a few weeks ago. I hope the fires are no where near the neighborhood they have just moved to. It would be terrible if it did! :-(

Malibu is suffering the same fate as San Diego. Modest homes, mansions and churches have not been spared. Governor Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency throughout seven counties in Southern California on Sunday.

Sometimes you have to wonder if the fires were not intentionally started by arsonists. Whenever the Santa Ana winds start blowing, fires seem to be the order of the day. California, at least in northern California where I live, has a lot more rain this year than it did this time of the year last year or in previous years. Whatever dampness that was present in the areas is as good as dry tinder, the way the fires are going.

If indeed the fires were caused by arson, and if any of these arsonists is caught, he or she should be put away for life. A pyromaniac like that should never be left to run around because he will do his evil deed again and again. Nature herself is the source of many fires, she does not need Man to help her.

I am sorry that many have lost their homes in these fires. I think it is terrible to lose everything you own. Yes, homes may be rebuilt, and possessions may be accumulated again, still it is traumatic to lose every earthly possession you've got.

I will have to re-assure my parents back in Malaysia that the fires are no where near where we live. Every time there's a tornado, a flood, or a fire, they get anxious.