This movie is so lifelike...I can actually smell the vomit!

They say necessity is the mother of invention. Well, sometimes I have to wonder who NEEDED air pumps for shoes or who NEEDED polka music... or who NEEDED Kevin Federline. Well, this latest "necessity", the so-called "fragrant films", is making me seriously wonder about people. The latest thing in Japan is theatres that, during certain scenes in movies, will release certain smells under the viewer's seat that supposedly go along with the movie. Ok. So it may work for certain films like The Scent of A Woman (haha). It may even work for other movies like Napoleon Dynamite (I can just imagine the scent of quesadillas, nachos and tater tots in the air). But for a movie like Friday the 13th Part 9 or something, well, I really don't wanna be there to smell Jason, all decayed and gross and smelling like rotten meat. Gross! This "Smell-O-Vision" thing makes me wonder what they will come up with next....maybe "Feel-O-Vision", where you get to feel what the characters are feeling....like when one of Jason's victims gets hacked to bits with an axe....ok, that may not work after all. Speaking of nasty stuff, I have a new pet peeve. Well, it is not really new, but it is something that I have lately realized that really REALLY annoys me: When people talk about nasty, gross things when I am eating or am about to eat, or have just finished eating. There is a time and place to talk about those things, and dinner is not one of them! EWWW! Keep your puke stories to yourself until AFTER I have digested my food, thank you very much (unless you wanna see ME puke). I have to go to the dentist pretty soon, and I am not looking foward to it. He is gonna drill on my teeth and I HATE that. It never fails that he starts drilling in there and goes about halfway and then he hits a spot that isn't numb yet, and then he has to stop, give me another shot, and then come back and start back up again. Grrr. Well, I can at least be thankful that they have novacaine nowadays - lol.

Phobia of The Day

Ranidaphobia: fear of frogs

Random Fact of The Day

The age of a thoroughbred racehorse is figured as if its birthday were January 1st rather than actual month and day of its birth.

Funny Stuff From Dave Barry

"Outsourcing is here to stay. Which leads me to my announcement: Starting today, I will no longer personally write my column. It will be produced by foreign humor workers, who, rest assured, are highly trained. You will notice no dropoff in quality as you continue to enjoy the wacky hmogrins of fblsevry lfht hvfrsnnyrs aqdrfltns abtfbls not making this up rltngn alrtrds a good name for a rock band."

Stupid News Story of The Day

(Oops. My bad.)

School Makes Kids Use Buckets for Toilets

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - A principal trying to prevent walkouts during immigration rallies inadvertently introduced a lockdown so strict that children weren't allowed to go to the bathroom, and instead had to use buckets in the classroom, an official said.

Worthington Elementary School Principal Angie Marquez imposed the lockdown March 27 as nearly 40,000 students across Southern California left classes to attend immigrants' rights demonstrations.

Marquez apparently misread the district handbook and ordered a lockdown designed for nuclear attacks.

Tim Brown, the district's director of operations, confirmed some students used buckets but said the principal's order to impose the most severe type of lockdown was an "honest mistake."

"When there's a nuclear attack, that's when buckets are used," Brown told the Los Angeles Times. The principal "followed procedure. She made a decision to follow the handbook. She just misread it."

A message left by The Associated Press for the principal at the school before business hours Monday was not immediately returned, and Marquez did not return telephone calls from the Times.

Appalled parents have complained to the school board. Brown said the school district planned to update its emergency preparedness instructions to give more explicit directions.

Parents and community activists asked the school board at its April 5 meeting to explain the principal's decision. They also sought promises that the lockdown wouldn't be repeated.

"There was no violence at the protests, so this was based on what?" activist Diane Sambrano asked. "It was unsanitary, unnecessary and absolutely unacceptable."

Long drive...big headache

Indecisions! This is what my family is all about. Yesterday evening, around 7 pm, my mom called to say we were gonna leave to go to Santa Rosa at 4 am Sunday morning. About 20 minutes later, she calls and tells me to come over to their house cuz they decided that they were gonna drive to Atascadero and stay the night at my grandma's house and leave from there in the morning. Ugh! Make up your mind people!!

Well, we went up to Santa Rosa and Sebastapol today to visit with my aunt Marge who is in the hospital. We stopped off first in Sebastapol to visit with my aunt Helen. I hadn't seen her probably since my uncle Gump's funeral. She looked pretty good. She is wheelchair bound, because of the MS, but she has helpers that come over everyday to help her out in the house and stuff, plus she has a cute little dog named Buddy to keep her company. This is Buddy...



Isn't he cute? I just love dogs! (by the way, that pic was taken with my camera phone - not a bad pic for a camera phone, if I don't say so myself).

I had forgotten how much I enjoyed visiting my relatives up in Sebastapol. It is so green up there and pretty. My aunt has a couple of bird feeders in her front yard so they were constantly being visited by birds....some bluejays, a woodpecker, a robin, some chickadees, a quail. If I lived there, I would just enjoy sitting there and watching the birds. Must be why she put the feeders in front of her window. We also stopped by to say a quick hi to my cousin Mike who lives down the road.

We got to the hospital around 10:30 or so. When we got there, it was just my family and my aunt Marge there, but soon enough, it was like a family reunion in there! My cousins Steve and Dave came by with their kids (they each have 2 kids), then my uncle Martin came, then my cousin Debbie and her 2 kids came, too. The hospital room was small, so you could imagine all those people stuffed into one room - lol. It was so cool to see them all. I have to say that my cousins' kids are all soooo cute! And well behaved too. It was Easter, so the night before, my cousin Dave had gotten them all Easter baskets and put them in the room for them, so when they came to visit, they would be there for them. Marge said that she saw the Easter bunny deliver them and the kids' faces just lit up - it was so cute.

My aunt...I wish I could say she was doing well, but she isn't. I guess she hasn't eaten a real meal in weeks. She barely touched her lunch and she was in a lot of pain, even though she tried to pass it off as nothing much. Her eyes were watering and she was doubled over like she was in a whole lot of pain. She is just the kind of person that wants people to think she is always all right and that there is nothing wrong with her. My uncle told us that there is something wrong with her brain not sending the signals to her body to process food so that it doesn't digest or something....it was all too complicated for me to understand. She did drink some coffee which she seemed to enjoy. I guess the doctors are starting her on more chemotherapy, some experimental drug which hasn't yet been approved by the FDA. Her daughter is a nurse, so she keeps up on all the medications and stuff, which is to my aunt's benefit. My uncle said that a few days ago, he thought they were gonna lose her. She is very thin. She has always been thin, but she is even more so now. And poor Martin, he is a wreck. I guess he even had to go to the ER cuz he was having chest pains. It is all of the stress and lack of sleep. He needs to take care of himself, too, but he is more concerned about Marge than himself. I could tell by his face that he is just devastated, and it just makes me so sad.

I don't know how much longer she can hold on, but I know from the way she reacted when the doctor said more chemo was needed that she really didn't want to go through with more of that. I know that that stuff makes you sick.

We didn't get home til about 7:30 tonight. It was a long drive.It is over 330 miles from here to Sebastapol, and after over 10 hours in the car with my family today, I sure had one whopper of a headache. My head felt like it was gonna explode! My dad drove nearly all the way, but my bro drove the final 2 hour stretch. It is quite a difference between the two of them driving. My dad is more the slightly-over-the-speed-limit-but-steady, and my bro is more of the get-outta-my-way kind of driver.

This is an example of my dad's driving:

silence for about an hour...
Dad: "Does anyone need to stop and use the restroom?"
Us: "No, not yet"
Silence......

Ok....now here is an example of my bro's driving:

Mark" "What is wrong with this asshole? Drive!!! GO!!! What is wrong with you??"
Mom: "Calm down."
Dad: (silence)
Mark: "He is going fucking 60 miles per hour in the fast lane for Christ's sake! MOVE IT!
Me: (thinking to myself, I am glad he is not carrying his gun with him)
Mark: "At this rate it is gonna take fucking 3 hours to get home. FUCK!"
Me: (silently laughing to myself....I am in a car with a crazy person at the wheel)
Mark: "FUCK!!!! Move your ass you stupid motherfucker!"
and so on and so forth.

Yes, it was an interesting drive home.

Work = HELL

I know I say this every week, but it is finally Friday! I am so glad...beyond glad...that it is. This week has been nuts. First, I get sick and stay home on Monday. Then on Tuesday, I still feel like crap but go to work anyway. Oh, and 2 people in the unit were out that day to boot. The next day, one girl is still out sick, so I am assigned to work on her cases that are due this week. But other stuff happens, and I end up seeing some of her clients and only get one of the due-this-week cases done. Yesterday, well that was just hell. The other girl is still out sick and the supervisor is out, too. So, I see the worker's clients, do walkbacks, and finish up the other 3 cases that are due that day. I barely finished up that last case. I think I finished it by 5:15 (and we leave at 5:30 - lol). Today, I am more relaxed. I finished up the pile of cases that was on the desk that I had left from yesterday, and am feeling like a weight has been lifted. Ahhh. We'll see how next week goes. Hopefully, the other worker will be back, and my supervisor will be back on Monday, too. We are getting 2 new trainees on Tuesday, so I should be back to my old position soon - THANK THE LORD! This assignment has been making me crazy. One of the supervisors came over to see how I was doing this morning and he said that everyone appreciates what I have been doing, so that made me feel pretty good and appreciated. I was just telling people yesterday that I was beginning to hate my job. I hope that was just a side thought that will go away soon. I still think I need a vacation though!

It is supposed to rain and thunder today. I hope there is some lightning. One of my favorite things to do is to sit on my porch and watch the lightning. I love it! It is so freakin' awesome!
I am going with my family up to Santa Rosa on Sunday to visit my aunt in the hospital. My mom said that she called my uncle Martin yesterday and he said that she isn't doing well. She can't eat and she has some intestinal blockage which may or may not be related to the cancer. She also said something about her brain not processing info or something (it was confusing to me). She doesn't even think she will get to go home from the hospital anytime soon, if at all.

I only wish the trip up north were under better circumstances.

Phobia of The Day

Geniophobia: Fear of chins

Random Fact of The Day

If you cut off a snail's eye, it will grow a new one.

Funny Stuff From Dave Barry

"Electricity is actually made up of extremely tiny particles called electrons, that you cannot see with the naked eye unless you have been drinking."

Stupid News Story of The Day

(Don't drink and fly.)

Pilot caught trying to fly plane while drunk

MUMBAI (Reuters) - An Indian low-cost airline suspended a pilot after he was found drunk shortly before he was due to fly an aircraft with about 100 passengers on board, officials said Wednesday.

The surprise Tuesday check at Mumbai airport -- India's busiest -- threw up several minor violations of safety norms by airlines, including an instance of a pilot in another low-cost carrier trying to fly in a T-shirt because his only uniform had gone to the laundry.

While aviation officials let most offenders off with a warning, Captain N. Ronaldo, a South American pilot flying an Air Deccan aircraft from Mumbai to the eastern city of Kolkata, was referred for "action" after being found drunk on duty.

"We have suspended the pilot after a breath-analyzer showed he had alcohol beyond the permissible levels," Air Deccan spokesperson Vijaya Menon told Reuters.

Indian aviation rules do not allow pilots to drink 12 hours before a flight. It was not immediately known how much liquor the pilot had consumed.

India's civil aviation sector has expanded rapidly in the past three years with several new private airlines looking at home and abroad for new pilots.

American Idol elimination night ...and more stuff

Bucky was booted off American Idol. Amen! It is about time he got booted. He had definitely stayed longer than he deserved to. Of course, Kellie was not in the bottom 3 like I had thought she deserved to be. They put Elliot down there instead. Ugh. I like Elliot. He sings really well. Kellie maybe cute and perky and all, but she doesn't have the vocals to be an American Idol. Maybe I just like to root for the underdog, and Elliot seems to be an underdog in this competition. Anyway, it is getting tougher to pick a bottom 3 now. I still think Chris is gonna win it all. Hell, my dad even thinks he has a good voice, and my dad is hella picky about his music! I think if anyone but Chris wins, hell will surely freeze over.

Last night's South Park was hilarious. I like the way South Park pokes fun of itself (in one part a guy says that Family Guy may just be a bunch of jokes one after another, but at least it doesn't get all preachy and have lame little morals to the story and such - lol). Too funny. Gotta love South Park. Carlos Mencia was sure funny last night, too. He is sure getting bolder with his jokes and stuff. I am sure he will get some hate mail with the way he was bashing the illegal immigrant supporters who were demonstrating. I like him because he doesn't give a rat's ass who he offends. He is just speaking his mind, and, hell, he has the right to. It IS America after all (and if people don't like it, then they can always change the channel - hehe).

It is Thursday and the supervisor is out, and one of the workers in the unit is out. I anticipate another bad, busy day (Thus the need to get the blog out early - lol). I hope I survive.

Phobia of The Day

Atychiphobia: fear of failure

Random Fact of The Day

You share your birthday with at least 9 other million people in the world.

Funny Stuff From Dave Barry

"Buying the right computer and getting it to work properly is no more complicated than building a nuclear reactor from wristwatch parts in a darkened room using only your teeth."

Stupid News Story of The Day

(When you do something stupid, expect to get burned.)

Boy Sets Self on Fire in Alleged Gas Theft

GILLETTE, Wyo. - A teenage boy accidentally set himself on fire early Wednesday morning after allegedly trying to siphon gas from a firefighter's car.

Police first learned of the injury after a 17-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy claimed that someone had thrown gasoline on the 17-year-old at the Common Cents service station and lit him on fire, said Lt. Rod Hauge.

The boy was taken to the hospital with second- and third-degree burns on his legs. Police were called to the hospital to investigate the incident and later learned that the 17-year-old spilled gas on his pants while siphoning gas. He then used a lighter to try to determine how wet his pants were and set himself of fire, Hague said.

Both boys have been ticketed with larceny, Hauge said.

Deep thoughts

Yes, I am blogging again. I find it is sometimes just good to vent or get things off your chest when they happen or else be stuck with those thoughts for the rest of your day, which just causes more bad thoughts!

My mom called me a little earlier to tell me she found out her sister is in the hospital and has been there since Saturday. She has ovarian cancer and has been putting up the good fight for over 3 years now. It seems now she is losing the fight. There just aren't many more options for her at this point. My mom, of course, is upset. She actually called me to ask me what would I say to her if I called her. I don't know what I would say. What would you say to someone who is dying? I was never good with words, and I am still not. I haven't a clue on what to say. I just told her to maybe tell her something funny about their childhood or something interesting in the news, to kind of get her mind off of her illness. I feel so inadequate! I would never make a good therapist - lol.

I haven't seen my aunt Marge since my uncle Gump's funeral a few years ago. I hope to see her again before it is too late. My brother and I both encouraged my mom to go visit her, as she was reluctant to do it. I don' t know whether it is because the 2 of them have never been that close or if she was just afraid, but she finally did go visit her and my uncle Martin a few weeks ago. Now, with this latest news, I am sure she is glad she did. I didn't get to go since I was working.

It is way too often that we take people for granted. We think they will always be there. But often things happen that take people out of our lives...whether it be moving away, a feud, or death...and we find ourselves wishing that we would have spent more time with those people and regretting not having done so. I felt that way with my grandma. I still miss her (today would have been her 86th birthday), and wish to God that I would have spent more time with her. We can all wish we had spent more time with people. The trick, I guess, is actually doing it.
Never put off til tomorrow what can be done today. I have heard that somewhere. I think it is like a famous quote or something. But those words sure do ring truer today than they ever have.

...and 3 cavities later I am back at work

I just got back from the dentist (aka SATAN - yes, satan means dentist in phaiwaineese or some language I am sure of it!). I have to get 3 fillings. UGH! 3! I brush 2-3 times a day and I floss nightly. So why the fillings? Soda! Yes, soda, I am sure, is the cause of my mouth's misery. Yet, I cannot seem to stop sipping the sweet stuff. I think it is the caffeine that makes me all soda crazy, or maybe it is the taste, or a luscious combination of both. Well, I did get a new toothbrush and some floss out of the deal, so I guess it ain't a total loss. I have to go in to the dentist twice to get all of the fillings done, so that means 2 rounds with the novacaine needle. Yukkers. I hate thta novacaine shot. It hurts like hell, which is appropriate since the dentist is SATAN after all.

I had a new hygienist this morning. She was all about sticking me with that scraping tool thingamabob. She asked me if my gums bled when I brushed and I said "yes." (they have since I was a kid). She said I was a real bleeder (lol). Well you would be too if you were getting stabbed in the gums with a metal poker! Ouch! She stabbed me in the gums a few times and I know she wasn't trying to scrape anything off of my gums. I think she just slipped, and my gums paid the price for it. So bleed they did.

So, I have to go back on Monday the 17th and then on the 27th again. Yuk. I am not looking forward to it.

I went to get me some Micky D's after the dentist, since I didn't eat any breakfast this morning cuz of the dentist appointment. I got one Sausage Mc Muffin .... and 10 napkins. No, I didn't ask for 10 napkins. They just gave them to me. I guess they figure you need 10 napkins for one Mc Muffin. Either that or they thought I was gonna make a mess. I don't understand why they give you so many napkins, hot sauces, ketchups, etc. You ask for 1 and they give you 10. So if you have a large group and are ordering 10 hamburgers, fully expect them to just give you the whole napkin holder and a bag full of ketchup.

Funny Stuff

Phobia of The Day

Arrhenphobia: fear of men

Random Fact of The Day

All of the Earth's continents are wider at the north than in the south - and nobody knows why.

Funny Stuff From Dave Barry

"If you are a newspaper columnist, you can legally deduct all expenses relating to anything you specifically mention in a column, such as houses, cars, vacations, beer, and everything else, real or imagined, in the world, including but not limited to your new 'flat screen' television with a remote control boasting so many advanced features that you have to call your son nightly so he can explain to you how to turn it off."

Stupid News Story of The Day

(I'm ready for my closeup.)

Accused Burglar Takes Cameras, Leaves Tape

ELKO, Nev. - A man accused of burglarizing a laundromat in Elko figured he made a clean escape over the weekend when he took off with the store's six video surveillance cameras.

But it turns out he left some rather compelling evidence behind — the video machine and videotape that recorded his face each time he stood in front of the cameras at the Southside Laundry.

Elko police said they came away with several close-ups of the suspect, Robert Lynn White, 52, Elko.

And even if the portraits were a little fuzzy, police said they would have been able to easily identify him because he was wearing cowboy chaps and a trench coat, the usual attire he wears around town.

Police are still working to recover the missing cameras but in the meantime they have arrested White on suspicion of grand larceny. The store is owned by Elko County Commissioner John Ellison.

American Idol recap ... and stuff

Tonight's American Idol was all about Queen songs. Overall, I think the contestants did well. There were a few exceptions.

Bucky's rendition of "Fat Bottom Girls" was just so-so. I thought he sang it too rushed and too country-ish. Kellie's version of "Bohemian Rhapsody" was just ick. The judges said she did well, but obviously they weren't hearing it all (As Cyndi said, she looked and sounded like Ashlee Simpson - which was just about right). I did not like Ace's version of "We Will Rock You" at all. It sounded too karaoke-ish to me.

Taylor's rendition of "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" was kind of up and down. I liked the last part. He made it rock out there. But the beginning was only so-so. Paris did fairly well on "The Show Must Go On." I think she did a decent job.

The 3 performances that were the best tonight, in my mind (and to my ears), were Katharine, who sang "Who Wants To Live Forever," Elliot, who sang "Somebody To Love," and Chris, who sang "Innuendo" (I think that is what it was called). He rocked it out.

My bottom 3..... Bucky, Kellie and Ace. Once again, I am gonna say that Ace needs to leave. His whiney voice needs to be put to rest (even if he does have great hair - lol).

On a side note, I just wanna say that I love the Fox tv show, House. Hugh Laurie is freakin' de-lish. He has that rugged handsomeness that I just can eat up. He is brash and opinionated and very outspoken. He is definitely a bad boy with a good heart. I love it! Plus the show is just good. Watch it. You will see.

And another side note which is totally unrelated to anything I just wrote....I love the new throw blanket I bought today for my couch. It is soooooooooo cumfy and soft. I wanna wear it to work (but I know I would get fired if I did - lol). That is how cumfy and soft it is. I got it at Mashalls (my old home). I hadn't been in that store in a long, long time. I am in love with my blanket!!! LOL! (I am such a nut).

Another side note.....Gwyneth Paltrow and her husband had a baby boy and they named him .......brace yourself....Moses. Well, at least they didn't name him something like Squash or Melon or some other veggie or fruit name. But still. C'mon! People! Wake up! Name your kid something nice and normal. It is not a competition to come up with the weirdest names you can possibly come up with (remember Jason Lee's kid, Pilot Inspektor or Penn Gillete's little girl, Moxie Crimefighter? UGH!). These kids have to live with these names for the rest of their lives. Moses was all fine and good in Biblical times, but how many Ezekiel's, Malacchi's and Zebediah's do you see around these days???

I know I am ranting, but I have a dentist appointment tomorrow morning and just knowing that I am gonna have to go get my teeth and gums scraped with that horrible metal hook thingy they use just puts me in a bad mood. I can feel the pain already.

Trueness

The Movie Of Your Life Is An Indie Flick

You do things your own way - and it's made for colorful times. Your life hasn't turned out how anyone expected, thank goodness! Your best movie matches: Clerks, Garden State, Napoleon Dynamite

If Your Life Was a Movie, What Genre Would It Be?

For a blog quiz, this is pretty accurate

What Your Sleeping Position Says

You have a passion for everything - including sleeping. Outgoing and brash, you tend to still shock those who know you well. You tend to be selfish. You are the most likely type to hog the covers. You gravitate toward comfort and don't like extreme situations.

What Does Your Sleeping Position Say About You?

No complex thoughts for me today

Well, it is Tuesday, and I am at work, despite still feeling blah. Looks like I am not the only sicko though, since 2 people in my unit called out sick today, which leaves just me. I anticipate a very bad day. Very bad indeed. I tried to eat some toast this morning, but it just tasted bad to me, but the 7-Up tastes ok. My appetite is still almost nonexistent, but I did manage to eat the toast anyway. Blah, blah, blah.

It is raining outside. It rained yesterday, too. It is supposed to clear up tomorrow, but will be back for the weekend. I guess the rain is making up for the dry winter we had. And it is making up for it in abundance.

I watched a show on the Travel Channel last night about how they make and print money. It was pretty interesting. It takes them up to 8 months just to do the etching each president's portrait. The etcher has to work in reverse and using a magnifying glass to see, as each cut into the etching can be no deeper than the width of a human hair. Talk about a job that requires patience! They showed the whole process from the making of the paper pulp to the inking of the engraving plates to the final cut. It was really cool and it shows you just how much of a painstaking process it is to make money. They also said it is very profitable as each bill, no matter the denomination, takes only 4 cents each to make. So basically, on a hundred dollar bill, you're talking about a $99.96 profit. It did get me to wondering how we can have such a big defecit if they can print money just like that and turn such a big profilt. They should be able to pay off that deficit in no time flat! (things that make you go hmmmmmmm). I suppose there is more to it than that, but my simple mind won't allow complex thoughts right now.

I am so tired. I actually slept pretty well last night (thanks to Tylenol PM), but yet I am sleepy. And I am starting to feel queasy again. Damn that toast!

Phobia of The Day

Myrmecophobia: fear of ants

Random Fact of The Day

Ants don’t sleep.

Funny Stuff From Dave Barry

"Another outsourcing example: When you take a commercial airline flight, the plane is actually being controlled from India by a ten-year-old girl, holding a remote-control joystick in one hand and a lollipop in the other. The 'pilot' in the front of your plane is a retired security guard whose sole responsibility is to notice when the plane starts shaking and make an announcement that you are experiencing turbulence."

Stupid News Story of The Day

(Sorry ma'm, but you're just too slow.)

Woman, 82, Gets Ticket for Slow Crossing

LOS ANGELES - An 82-year-old woman received a $114 ticket for taking too long to cross a street. Mayvis Coyle said she began shuffling with her cane across Foothill Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley when the light was green, but was unable to make it to the other side before it turned red.

She said the motorcycle officer who ticketed her on Feb. 15 told her she was obstructing traffic.

"I think it's completely outrageous," said Coyle, who described herself as a Cherokee medicine woman. "He treated me like a 6-year-old, like I don't know what I'm doing."

Los Angeles police Sgt. Mike Zaboski of the Valley Traffic Division said police are cracking down on people who improperly cross streets because pedestrian accidents are above normal. He said he could not comment on Coyle's ticket other than to say that it is her word against that of the citing officer, identified only as Officer Kelly.

"I'd rather not have angry pedestrians," Zaboski said. "But I'd rather have them be alive."

Others, however, supported Coyle's contention that the light in question doesn't give people enough time to cross the busy, five-lane boulevard.

"I can go halfway, then the light changes," said Edith Krause, 78, who uses an electric cart because she has difficulty walking.

On Friday, the light changed too quickly even for high school students to make it across without running. It went from green to red in 20 seconds.

Councilwoman Wendy Greuel said she has asked transportation officials to figure out how to accommodate elderly people.

"We should look at those areas with predominantly seniors and accommodate their needs in intersections" she said.

Peanut is suddenly camera shy
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Peanut - he is getting pretty big and fuzzy
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I hate being sick

I am sick. So stay back or else you might get it too.

I spent most of yesterday with a really bad tummy ache, which progressed into a fever and chills, body aches, headache, and then the inevitable puking. I guess it is the stomach flu. I felt so bad this morning cuz I still had a fever and I was still feeling sick to my stomach, so I called in sick and stayed in bed. I still feel weak (probably cuz I haven't had anything to eat but toast since Saturday evening at dinner- lol), but not so queasy anymore, which is good!

On Saturday, before I got sick (lol), I went to see The Benchwarmers. Hilarious movie. I laughed so hard that tears were coming out of my eyes. The ending of the movie wasn't as funny as the rest of it. but I still enjoyed the movie. I haven't laughed so much at a movie since I saw The Wedding Crashers.

So this weekend wasn't a total bust. I did get to see a funny movie before the not-so-funny flu set in.

Phobia of The Day

Zemmiphobia: fear the great mole rat

Random Fact of The Day

Despite the hump, a camel's spine is straight.

Funny Stuff From Dave Barry

"We’re riding in a cab from La Guardia Airport to our Manhattan hotel, and I want to interview the driver, because this is how we professional journalists take the Pulse of a City, only I can’t, because he doesn’t speak English. He is not allowed to, under the rules, which are posted right on the seat:

NEW YORK TAXI RULES
1. DRIVER SPEAKS NO ENGLISH.
2. DRIVER JUST GOT HERE TWO DAYS AGO FROM SOMEPLACE LIKE SENEGAL.
3. DRIVER HATES YOU.

Which is just as well, because if he talked to me, he might lose his concentration, which would be very bad because the taxi has some kind of problem with the steering, probably dead pedestrians lodged in the mechanism, the result being that there is a delay of eight to 10 seconds between the time the driver turns the wheel and the time the taxi actually changes direction, a handicap that the driver is compensating for by going 175 miles per hour, at which velocity we are able to remain airborne almost to the far rim of some of the smaller potholes."

Stupid News Story of The Day

(Guess all those phone calls to Mars added up.)

Man Gets $218 Trillion Phone Bill

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - A Malaysian man said he nearly fainted when he recieved a $218 trillion phone bill and was ordered to pay up within 10 days or face prosecution, a newspaper reported Monday.

Yahaya Wahab said he disconnected his late father's phone line in January after he died and settled the 84 ringgit ($23) bill, the New Straits Times reported.

But Telekom Malaysia later sent him a 806,400,000,000,000.01 ringgit ($218 trillion) bill for recent telephone calls along with orders to settle within 10 days or face legal proceedings, the newspaper reported.

It wasn't clear whether the bill was a mistake, or if Yahaya's father's phone line was used illegally after after his death.

"If the company wants to seek legal action as mentioned in the letter, I'm ready to face it," the paper quoted Yahaya as saying. "In fact, I can't wait to face it," he said.

Yahaya, from northern Kedah state, received a notice from the company's debt-collection agency in early April, the paper said. Yahaya said he nearly fainted when he saw the new bill.

Government-linked Telekom Malaysia Bhd. is the country's largest telecommunications company.

A company official, who declined to be identified as she was not authorized to speak to the media, said Telekom Malaysia was aware of Yahaya's case and would address it. She did not provide further details.

Brothers?

Is it me or do Jensen Ackles (of The WB's Supernatural) and Ryan Seacrest (from American Idol) look like they could be brothers?

American Idol recap - Elimination night

I thought I had a dream last night that Mandisa was voted off American Idol.

It wasn't a dream.

When I watched American Idol last night, I about fell off of my couch when I saw the bottom 3 were Paris, Mandisa and Elliot. I was so sure that when they grouped Ace, Bucky and Katharine together that they would be the bottom 3. But no dice.

Then when Ryan told Paris that she was safe, I thought "Oh shit. Elliot is gonna be voted off." When he said that Mandisa was going home, I was stunned. And I was mad.

I liked Mandisa. She has a great voice, but after hearing her rendition of "Any Man of Mine" last night, I thought that if that is how she sang on Wednesday night, I would have not voted for her either. Still, she did not deserve to be kicked off. I don't think any of the bottom 3 deserved to be there. I like Elliot. He is a great singer. Ok, so he doesn't have Chris's edginess or Ace's theatrics, but still, I think he has it going on. He is growing on me. And, despite not looking like a GQ model, he is still cute - lol.

I think the only thing keeping Ace in the game is the fact that he is a good looking guy. But good looks can only take you so far. I am sure his elimination will come soon, but I have a feeling that he will do well next week with the songs of Queen being the theme.

And Bucky....I can't figure that one out. He should have gone home a long time ago. I can't figure out how he made it into the top 10.

Well, now my final 3 predictions have gone down the toilet, as I predicted it would be Chris, Katharine and Mandisa in the final 3. Somehow I think Kellie is gonna be in the running, too. People seem to really like her, and I admit, she is growing on me, too. She is just so darned goofy and naive and bubbly. And just too cute. Sometimes a good attitude will carry you all the way. I still see Chris winning the whole thing though.

Phobia of The Day

Enochlophobia: fear of crowds

Random Fact of The Day

The weight of a carat (200 milligrams), standard unit of measurement for gemstones, is based on the weight of the carob seed.

Funny Stuff From Dave Barry

"I recently had a problem with my computer, so I called Technical Support, which in the case of this company is located, I believe, on Mars, and although the person on the other end sincerely tried to help, the only word I consistently understood him saying was 'David.' I felt like the dog in the 'Far Side' cartoon that is getting a stern lecture from his master, but the only thing the dog understands is his own name:

TECH SUPPORT GUY: 'David, wokm todelc strsprot, David. Cnygv meth serilnbr?'

ME: ' The serial number? You want the serial number?'

TECH SUPPORT GUY: 'Thtsrdy ndimsng, David. Logndr btmmrstit, David?'

ME: 'What?'

TECH SUPPORT GUY: ' Sit, David! Lie down!"

Stupid News Story of The Day

(Paranoid much?)

Man held as terrorism suspect over punk song

LONDON (Reuters) - British anti-terrorism detectives escorted a man from a plane after a taxi driver had earlier become suspicious when he started singing along to a track by punk band The Clash, police said Wednesday.

Detectives halted the London-bound flight at Durham Tees Valley Airport in northern England and Harraj Mann, 24, was taken off.

The taxi driver had become worried on the way to the airport because Mann had been singing along to The Clash's 1979 anthem "London Calling," which features the lyrics "Now war is declared -- and battle come down" while other lines warn of a "meltdown expected."

Mann told British newspapers the taxi had been fitted with a music system which allowed him to plug in his MP3 player and he had been playing The Clash, Procol Harum, Led Zeppelin and the Beatles to the driver.

"He didn't like Led Zeppelin or The Clash but I don't think there was any need to tell the police," Mann told the Daily Mirror.

A Durham police spokeswoman said Mann had been released after questioning -- but had missed his flight.

"The report was made with the best of intentions and we wouldn't want to discourage people from contacting us with genuine concerns," she said.

Don't trust your gauges...and American Idol stuff

I have added a new commandment to the Driver's Commandments.....11. Trust not thine gauges, for they may liest to you.

I was driving home from work to my folks' house, cuz they were gonna take me to Olive Garden for my birthday, and going down the 99 freeway. My gas gauge said I had gas...ok, so it was below a 1/4 tank, but the light wasn't flashing and it wasn't on empty or anything. So I was minding my own business, driving down the freeway, when my car just flat out died on me. I coudn't accelerate and the steering was sluggish. I was lucky enough to be able to creep over to the right shoulder and come to a stop. Grrr. I pulled out my trusty cell phone and called my mom, thinking at first my battery had died, since the check battery light was on. So, my mom and my bro came down and my bro tried to start the car, but no luck. I ended up having to call AAA, and told them that I thought I may have run out of gas. So embarassing!!! Not to mention gross, since where I had pulled off the road there was some dead animal skeleton in the oleander bushes (I think it was a cat), that I was forced to look at for the duration of the wait for the AAA guy to come. About a half hour later, he came and fed my car with some gas, and low and behold, the car started! Whoopee! I was just glad it was the gas problem and not some other car problem. Still, it was not fun to have to stand on the side of the road, cars and trucks whizzing past you, and wait for AAA to come. A CHP guy stopped, too, thinking I had some accident or something - lol.

Anyway, after the freeway fiasco, and after stopping by Chevron and filling up my gas tank (lol), we went out to Olive Garden for dinner. There, of course, was a 15 minute wait. Well 15 minutes came and went and soon turned into 25 minutes. Everyone else who had come before us had been seated, and we were still waiting. My dad finally tells my mom to go up and ask about what is taking so long (and my brother meanwhile was telling my folks that we should go somewhere else). Well, turns out that the hostess wrote the wrong pager # down so we never got called. Figures!!! After the whole freeway incident, it was bound to happen that something would get screwed up at dinner, too. Happy birthday to me! lol.

Well, we finally got to eat, and that chicken alfredo was very yummy (and I even have leftovers for dinner tonight - mmm), so I guess the wait was worth it.

Of course, I didn't get home til after 8 pm, so by that time, I had missed the first 3 American Idol singers. I came in when Paris's turn was up. Overall, I think Kellie had the strongest performance of the night (big surprise there since it was country night - lol). But I think Chris did a good job too. I wasn't too thrilled with Bucky's performance, and Ace, well he just flat out sucked. If they base the eliminations on last night's performances, Ace would be outta there! I definitely think he should be in the bottom 3, along with Bucky. I can't make a definite judgment on the bottom 3 since I missed the first 3 perfomances though. But Ace...I think it is his turn to go.

Random Fact of The Day

All clams start out as males; some decide to become females at some point in their lives.

Funny Stuff From Dave Barry

"Karate is a form of martial arts in which people who have had years and years of training can, using only their hands and feet, make some of the worst movies in the history of the world. "

Stupid News Story of The Day

(All I can say is, how mean!)

How would you like to meet these guys?

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - A Danish security firm said Tuesday it had fired three of its guards for stealing toys and DVDs from critically ill children at Copenhagen's main hospital.

The guards were caught on video tape after managers became suspicious when toys intended for the children -- many of whom have cancer or need heart transplants -- started to disappear.

"I feel terrible, and we are deeply sorry about this," said Falck Securitas's managing director, Peter Boye Larsen.

Fun Stuff

make your own Dummies book cover HERE.

Happy birthday to meeeee

They say it's your birthday...nananananana...it's my birthday too....

Ok, so it is actually my birthday today. Do I feel older? YES. But then, I felt really old yesterday, and even older the day before. Old is such a nasty word. Old is a word you use to describe something that looks run-down, or someone with a lot of wrinkles, or smelly cheese. So, I am officially saying that I am not old....just more age-experienced.

My friends Veronica and Frank took me to lunch at La Tapatia, and I am stuffed. I ate too much! Now I am sleepy and ready for a nap. That was really nice of them. Frankly, I don't wanna advertise that I am more "age-experienced" today, but Veronica gave me a "Happy Birthday" balloon and it is sticking up in the air over my desk, so I think people know now - lol. It was really nice of her to do that, though. I rarely get balloons - lol.

It has been raining on and off today, but at least at lunchtime the sun came out for a while. It sure be windy outside though.

The weather forecast says it will be partly cloudy on Friday. I wanna go out to Carrizo Plain National Monument on Friday since I am off (they are having overtime at work, but I said NO to that ! hehe). I have never been there and they say that the wildflowers come out in the spring. I love flowers, and my camera is aching to take more pictures (ok, so it is ME that is doing the actual aching, and not the camera).

I didn't get to go to the post office at lunch since my buds took me out to lunch, so hopefully, tomorrow, I will get to go down there to pick up my package o' presents from Cyndi. I get off work too late to go today, damnit. There is a post office right down the street from my house, but the post office where I have to go pick up the package is downtown. Go figure.

Tonight is American Idol night. I hope to gosh that they do better this week than last week. It was more like American I-DULL last week.

Random Fact of The Day

All babies are color blind when they are born.

Funny Stuff From Dave Barry

"Men's magazines often feature pictures of naked women. Women's magazines also feature pictures of naked women. This is because the female body is a beautiful work of art, while the male body is lumpy and hairy and should not be seen by the light of day. Men are turned on at the sight of a naked woman's body. Most naked men elicit laughter from women. "

Stupid News Story of The Day

(Yeah, but can a donkey cook you dinner?)

"Loyal" donkeys better than wives, says India book

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - A textbook used at schools in the Indian state of Rajasthan compares housewives to donkeys, and suggests the animals make better companions as they complain less and are more loyal to their "masters", The Times of India reported on Tuesday.

"A donkey is like a housewife ... In fact, the donkey is a shade better, for while the housewife may sometimes complain and walk off to her parents' home, you'll never catch the donkey being disloyal to his master," the newspaper reported, quoting a Hindi-language primer meant for 14-year-olds.

The book was approved by the state's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party government but has sparked protests from the party's women's wing.

State education officials in Rajasthan, a western state known for its conservative attitude towards women, said people should not be upset by the comparison, the paper said.

"The comparison was made in good humour," state education official A.R. Khan was quoted as saying. "However, protests have been taken note of and the board is in the process of removing it (the reference)."

Thinking about calling in sick to work? Here's a list of excuses for ya.

1. I can't come in to work today because I'll be stalking my previous boss, who fired me for not showing up for work. OK?

2. When I got up this morning, I took two Ex-lax in addition to my Prozac. I can't get off the john, but I feel good about it.

3. My mother-in-law has come back as one of the Undead and we must track her to her coffin to drive a stake through her heart and give her eternal peace. One day should do it.

4. I can't come to work today because the EPA has determined that my house is completely surrounded by wetlands and I have to arrange for helicopter transportation.

5. If it is all the same to you I won't be coming in to work. The voices told me to clean all the guns today.

6. I have a rare case of 48-hour projectile leprosy, but I know we have that deadline to meet....

7. I am stuck in the blood pressure machine down at Tom Thumb.

8. Yes, I seem to have contracted some attention-deficit disorder and, hey, how about them Skins, huh? So, I won't be able to, yes, could I help you? No, no, I'll be sticking with Sprint, but thank you for calling.

9. Constipation has made me a walking time bomb.

10. I just found out that I was switched at birth. Legally, I shouldn't come to work knowing my employee records may now contain false information.

11. The psychiatrist said it was an excellent session. He even gave me this jaw restraint so I won't bite things when I am startled.

12. The dog ate my car keys. We're going to hitchhike to the vet.

Sounds like a case of the Mondays

Mondays can kiss my ass. I hate them. I don't have any one, specific reason for my Monday hatred. The main one, I guess is that it signals a beginning to a new week at work, which means no sleeping in. That is the biggest reason. But this Monday sucks even more cuz of the whole daylight savings time thing which has robbed me of an hour of sleep and has completely screwed up my waking up schedule. I used to be able to wake up automatically at 6 am and then see the clock and know that I had that extra half hour of semi-sleep coming to me. But with the time change, I didn't wake up til the alarm went off. No extra lounging time. No. I had to get right out of bed and get ready for work. True, I am gonna like having that extra hour of daylight after work, but I value my sleeping in time, and anything that cuts into my sleeping in time must be caught and destroyed immediately!

And yes, I am turning 34 tomorrow. Ugh. I think I stopped enjoying birthdays after I turned 21, but after I turned 30, I enjoyed them less and less. My folks don't even bother with a cake anymore. I think they are too afraid of the potential fire hazard from all those candles. Nope. It is just another day in the life for me. No celebration. No singing "happy birthday." No balloons. And especially no clowns!!! Yuk!

I am so gosh darned tired today. I feel like taking a nap during lunch (a true sign of old age). I am THAT tired. I think this time change thing is responsible for my lackluster attitude today. And today is Monday (yes, I have a case of "The Mondays", so bite me). And maybe cuz it is rainy outside and starting to get windy. It's not very motivation-inducing when the skies are gray and your body is groggy. No sireee.

Today is just a blah day all-around.

I blame it on Monday.

Hard game

Try the Red Box game. It be hard. I can't get past 18.51 seconds. It goes too fast!

Random Fact of The Day

In Texas it's illegal to put graffiti on someone else's cow.

Funny Stuff From Dave Barry

"The making of things was outsourced decades ago to foreign nations such as Asia. Today, we Americans are dimly aware that our TV's, computers, cell phone, underwear, dentures, cartoons, etc, must come from SOMEWHERE, but we have no real clue who is making them, or how. We have enough trouble figuring out how to remove the packaging."

Stupid News Story of The Day

(When you play with fire, you're bound to get burned...especially if you're naked.)

Spider-hunting nudist ends with ring of fire

SYDNEY (Reuters) - A red-faced Australian nudist who tried to set fire to what he thought was a deadly funnel web spider's nest ended up with badly burned buttocks, emergency officials said Monday.

The 56-year-old man was at a nudist colony near Bowral, about 60 miles southwest of Sydney, Sunday when he spotted what he believed to be a funnel web spider hole.

Ambulance workers, including a helicopter crew, were called to the scene after the man poured petrol down the hole and then lit a match in an attempt to kill the offending arachnid.

"The exploding gasoline fumes left the man with burns to 18 percent of his body, on the upper leg and buttocks," the NRMA Careflight helicopter rescue service said in a statement.

It said the man's lack of clothing probably contributed to the extent of his burns.

"The fate of the bunkered spider was unknown, although other guests at the resort thought it was probably a harmless trapdoor spider and not a deadly funnel web," the statement said.

NRMA Careflight said it was called to a property in the same area in January when another man kicked a spider that was crawling up the wall of a friend's cabin. The man broke his leg in two places, it said.

Weekend Fun

Well, this weekend I went to see The Hills Have Eyes. Freakin' awesome movie. Bloody, brutal and disgusting......just like I like my movies. Ok, so it's no Academy Award contender, but, hey, it is good schlock fun. I am gonna have to re-watch the original again. If you like a good ole B-movie with lots of blood and guts, go see it.

Today, I took a day trip to the Antelope Valley California Poppy Preserve. It wasn't full in bloom like it was last year, due to the dry winter and late rain, but there were a few pretty poppy patches (like my use of alliteration there? hehe). I took a trail which was about a mile and a half round trip to see the flowers. I also saw a lot of bugs and lizards, and yes, I took pictures. You can see them HERE and/or HERE.

My mom called me earlier. She, my dad and my bro are all in Vegas and staying at the Excalibur. My bro was doing some Sheriff run or something there and some of his sheriff buddies were staying in Vegas, too. Apparently, my bro and some of his buds went to the top of the Stratosphere and went on the rides on top of there. This is just more proof that my brother has no sense. There is no way in HELL that I would ever go on those rides. Especially after that one ride got stuck and trapped some people on it for who knows how long. Nope....no way in hell. My brother, I guess, is just weird.

I will stick to walking on trails and taking pictures. I am just not cut out for dealing with heights.

Random Fact of The Day

A roach can live up to nine days without its head.

Funny Stuff From Dave Barry

"Another possible source of guidance for teenagers is television, but television's message has always been that the need for truth, wisdom and world peace pales by comparison with the need for a toothpaste that offers whiter teeth *and* fresher breath."

Stupid News Story of The Day

(I think it's time for anger management classes.)

Man Totes Rifle to Retrieve Towed Truck

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Angry that his truck had been towed, a 64-year-old man was arrested at a busy intersection while walking on his way to get it back — with a loaded rifle.

Savannah-Chatham County police said officers spotted Floyd Goldwire with the gun in his hand Thursday walking through rush-hour traffic at the crowded commercial intersection of Bull Street and DeRenne Avenue.

Two officers drew their guns and confronted Goldwire, police said, but he refused to drop his rifle.

"He just wouldn't give up the gun," said Sgt. Ashley Brown, a precinct shift supervisor. "He wasn't threatening anyone, but he wasn't going with the program whatsoever."

Goldwire finally dropped the rifle when officer Josh Miller, a member of the department's SWAT team, pulled a shotgun loaded with non-lethal beanbags from the trunk of his patrol car, Brown said.

"Seeing these officers with their pistols just wasn't doing it for this guy," Brown said. "It wasn't until Josh picked up that shotgun that it ended quickly."

Even after dropping the gun, Goldwire resisted arrest until an officer used pepper spray on him, said police spokesman Sgt. Mike Wilson.

Wilson said Goldwire told police he was upset because his truck had been towed and he had been on his way to get it back.

"He was a threat to everyone on that road," Wilson said. "That's bizarre behavior, not something you see every day.

TGIF!!!

It is finally a Friday and guess what? I have only 4 pending cases left out of the 50-60 something pending cases I began with and am down to 8 closed cases from the 90 something cases I began with. AMEN! I am so good - lol. I was stressing big time all week and all last week, but now I feel like I can finally breathe again. Ahhhhhhhhhhh.

I am leaving work in about a half an hour, we got paid this week, and I have cappuccino jelly bellies to munch on, too. MMMMM. Life is good.

Random Fact of The Day

Identical twins do not have identical fingerprints.

Funny Stuff From Dave Barry

"According to his official biography, new Internal Revenue Service commissioner Everson used to be a vice president at a major company in the filed of - I am not making this up - airline catering. That is exciting news for taxpayers, because when it comes to customer service and satisfaction, the term "airline food" is virtually synonymous with the term 'Thanks, but I'll just chew on my seat cushion."

Stupid News Story of The Day

(Let's see. I think I'll do something stupid today.)

Man Crashes Car After Snake Attacks Him

NAPLES, Fla. - A man crashed his car after a pet snake he had wrapped around his neck began attacking him, authorities said.

Witnesses reported that Courtland Page Johnson, 30, of East Naples, was driving erratically and crashed his PT Cruiser into several barricades about 9 p.m. Tuesday. He got out of his car, wrestled with the snake and then drove off, reports said.

When authorities caught up with Johnson at his home, he told them he crashed into another car that had stopped short in front of him. After questioning, Johnson admitted he panicked when his snake bit him.

He had cuts and freshly dried blood on his body, but did not need medical attention, reports said.

Johnson was charged with leaving the scene of a crash.

Stuff, stuff and more stuff

Well, once again, American Idol has proved that people have lousy judgment, since they put Katharine in the bottom 3.....Katharine and not Bucky! WTF? Are people really that stupid? I guess so. I was right on who got the boot, even though I felt Bucky really deserved to be booted before Lisa, but since people seem to like Bucky (for some reason or another), they booted Lisa first. I still don't understand why Katharine was in the bottom 3. I thought that if she got booted, I would never watch AI again (which would probably be a good thing - lol).

Well, today is my parents' 38th anniversary. 38 years of bliss....or 38 years of misery (as my dad always jokingly says). Congrats to them. It seems long marriages are rare these days. I hope when I get married, it will last forever. I believe in marriage, but then I always had a good example to look up to. My parents just go good together.....like peanut butter and jelly (but I am sure they would argue on who is the peanut butter and who is the jelly - I am sure my dad would say my mom is the jelly - lol).

It is a mere 5 days before I turn 34. Ugh. Add yet another year onto my age and more wrinkles and some more gray hairs just for the hell of it. I actually am FEELING older and older lately. Is it age catching up to me or is it work? Probably both, though more of the latter than the former. Work is turning me old before my time. But I am finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, as more and more cases are disappearing from the drawers (I am a hard worker - lol). Maybe I will save my whole head from turning gray after all.

I did buy myself an early b-day present. I was in this store the other day, looking for a pair of pants, but ended up buying myself a ring instead. It is so purty - it is silver with a purple heart and 2 little crystals on each side. I don't feel bad cuz it was only $12 ($30 and 60% off - woo hoo). It is a little big, cuz all they had was size 8's and I am more like a 7 or 7 1/2, but I wanted it, so it is now on my finger. I love it!!! Cheap jewelry rocks! lol.

I also bought myself 3 DVDs.....The Wedding Crashers, Waiting, and The Constant Gardener...oh and I also got Sleepaway Camp- a VERY cheesy horror movie from the 80's, but it was like $4 and I love cheesy movies, so I got it. And the others were like $10 each. Gotta love cheap DVD's too.

I gotta get my ass back to work to crank out the rest of these cases, so I am outta here for now.

Random Fact of The Day

Golf was banned in England in 1457 because it was considered a distraction from the serious pursuit of archery.

Funny Stuff From Dave Barry

"Turbulence: This is what pilots announce that you have encountered when your plane strikes an object in midair. You'll be flying along, and there will be an enormous, shuddering WHUMP, and clearly the plane has rammed into an airborne object at least the size of a water buffalo, and the pilot will say, "Folks, we're encountering a little turbulence." Meanwhile they are up there in the cockpit trying desperately to clean water buffalo organs off the windshield. "

Stupid News Story of The Day

(Here's one group you'll never see me joining.)

Workaholics struggle to say "No"
to work By Ellen Wulfhorst

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sam used to sneak into his office before dawn so no one would know how many extra hours he worked. Charles goes on all-night work binges to meet deadlines, and Susan can't say no to volunteer projects, social clubs, bridge games, choral singing, lectures and classes.

Each one is a member of Workaholics Anonymous, a 12-step recovery program for compulsive workers based upon the structure of Alcoholics Anonymous. Each one opted to keep their identity secret.

"It's been called the addiction that society applauds," said Mike, a physician and member of the group known as WA.

"People brag about it and say, 'I'm a workaholic,'" he said. "But workaholics burn out and then you've lost them or they become very dysfunctional and bitter and cynical in the organization and corrosive."

Workaholics Anonymous keeps no central count of members, but organizers estimate dozens of weekly meetings are held in the United States as well as in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Britain. The group also sells about 100 books about WA a month via its Web site, according to organizers.

WA's roots go back to 1983, when a New York corporate financial planner and a school teacher founded a group based on AA but designed to fight compulsive working.

WA identifies workaholics as people who often are perfectionists and worriers, derive their self esteem from work, keep overly busy, neglect their health, postpone vacations and overschedule their lives.

Workaholics don't even have to have a job; they can just be compulsively busy as they seek an adrenaline high, to overcome feelings of inadequacy and low self esteem and to avoid intimacy, it says.

DESTROYING LIVES

The weekly meeting in New York draws an average of a half dozen people in a city that might be considered a hotbed of workaholism. Such meager attendance invites the predictable joke that most workaholics are too busy to attend meetings, a quip that organizer Charles has heard a million times.

"People think it's funny," he said. "It's amusing until you hear the stories. There have been many people who have come, and work is destroying their lives."

Unlike alcoholics, who can measure recovery by their days of sobriety, workaholics have no quantifiable gauge of their problem, or their recovery.

"In my case, my boss was telling me I had to get my work hours down to 40 a week, and I couldn't do it," said Sam, a former senior project engineer in California's Silicon Valley.

"I was sneaking into work at 5 a.m. on a Sunday so I could get work done and be out of the place before anyone else showed up," he said. "I didn't want people to see how much time I was putting in.

"Now I'm more willing to try to do a mediocre job and keep my own mental health and sanity than to do the perfect job on everything I attempt," he said.

Like AA, WA uses a 12-step program for recovery from addiction. At meetings, members share their experiences and study the organization's literature and guidelines.

"It really forces you to look inside and say, 'What's really going on with me?'" said Charles. "A lot of people don't want to do that."

Even if workaholism is hard to define, you know it when you feel it, said Mike, who has left his high-pressure urban job for work at a rural clinic where cows wander outside.

"After a while one gets a feeling of what driven, compulsive working feels like," he said. "There's a tightness to it. There's a lot of adrenaline surging. There's a lot of worry.

"There's a lot of preoccupation, which is different from just waking up in the morning and saying, 'Wow, I really love what I do'," he said.

Childhood Survey

1. Are you a child of the 70’s 80’s or 90’s?
-- I am a 70's child

2. Where were you born?
-- In San Jose, CA

3. If you were born in another country how old were you when you came here?
-- N/A

4. What city did you grow up in?
-- King City, CA

5. Did you enjoy your childhood?
-- you bet

6. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
-- a veterinarian or a wildlife photographer

7. What was your favorite toy when you were little?
-- Barbie (wasn't she every little girl's favorite ? lol)

8. Name the first memorable vacation you took as a kid.
we never really went on any long vacations - I guess visiting my grandma in Sebastapol and stopping by the San Francisco Zoo and the SF Mint on the way there

9. What was your first best friend’s name?
-- Cyndi

10. Are they still your best friend?
You betcha

11.?
Hmmm, not sure how to answer this question!
(I'll go with you on this one Cyndi - lol)

12. how did u meet this person/people?
-- Girl Scouts - turns out she lived right across the street from me :)

13. Can you name all the schools you ever attended?
-- Santa Lucia Kindergarten (I think that is what it was called), St John's, El Tejon, Maricopa High, Cal State University Bakersfield

14. Who was your first crush?
-- Brent

15. Were you a shy quiet kid or a very wild and rowdy kid?
-- I was pretty talkative - lol (got in trouble enough in school for it, too)

16. When you were little, what did you do for fun?
-- played outside and built forts with my bro and Cyndi - reenacted scenes from Grease 2 with my bro and Cyndi and went hunting for critters (bug, lizards...you name it)

17. Were you closer to your Mom or Dad as a kid?
-- both

18. Do you have any embarrassing school stories to share?-- embarassing...not really - although there was this one time I hit a volleyball thru the window at school - that was kinda embarassing...oh and having to sit in the corner with the dunce hat on my head in 3rd grade and having the teacher throw chalk at me - lol

19. What was the first record, tape, or CD you remember buying?
-- The Police's Synchronicity (although I think my dad actually did the buying but I picked it out - lol)

20. How old did you want to be when you got married?
-- 21 or so - back then I thought that 21 was OLD - lol

21. How old to have kids?
-- never really thought about it

22. Were you scared of anything?
-- the "haunted" gas station on River Drive (where Mc Donald's is now - I wonder if it is Mc-Haunted, too)

23. What was your favorite class in school?
-- Reading

24. Did you buy school lunch or bring your own?
-- heck, at St John's we only had hot lunches once a week, so mostly I had to bring it

25. Broke any bones or had any freaky accidents as a kid?
-- broke my wrist in 1st grade

26. Were you a meanie head?
-- that is debatable - lol - ask my brother, and he will tell you I was soooo mean

27. Favorite board game of all time?
-- Candyland

28. Did you play house or pretend to be a super hero?
-- played house

29. Random memory from when you were a kid:-- being chased when I was like in 2nd grade by this 7th grader for singing the K-I-S-S-I-N-G song and teasing him and some girl - I ran and hid among the trash cans but he found me - lol

30. Seriously...are you still just a kid at heart?
- definitely

Random Fact of The Day

Grapes explode when you put them in the microwave.

Funny Stuff From Dave Barry

"In the 1970's, along came the bold food pioneer who invented the Atkins Diet: Dr Something Atkins. After decades of research on nutrition and weight gain - including the now-famous Hostess Ding Dong Diet Experiment, which resulted in a laboratory rat the size of a Plymouth Voyager - Dr Atkins discovered an amazing thing: Calories don't matter! What matter are carbohydrates, which result when a carbo molecule and a hydrate molecule collide at high speeds and form tiny invisible doughnuts. Dr Atkins's discovery meant that - incredible though it seemed - as long as you avoided carbohydrates, you could, without guilt, eat high-fat, high-calorie foods such as cheese, bacon, lard, pork rinds, and whale. You could eat an entire pig, as long as the pig had not recently been exposed to bread."

Stupid News Story of The Day

(And what did you bring to Show and Tell?)

Kindergarten Student Brings Gun to School

FIRCREST, Wash. - A kindergarten student was expelled for 10 days after he brought a .22-caliber gun to school, officials said.

The 5-year-old boy climbed from a chair onto a washer-dryer and got an unloaded pistol out of a cupboard at home, police said. He showed a friend the gun on the Whittier Elementary School playground, then put it into a friend's backpack, Police Chief John Cheesman said.

The boy never made any threat and told the principal what he had done Monday but was expelled immediately, said Patti Holmgren, a spokeswoman for the Tacoma school system. Police confiscated the gun.

School officials were investigating, classmates have been reminded not to bring guns to school and a letter on the incident has been sent to parents of Whittier students, Holmgren said.

The boy's parents tried to keep the gun out of his reach and did not store ammunition with it, so no criminal charges are likely, the police chief said.

"The boy now realizes he should not have brought the pistol to school," Cheesman added. "There was an understanding there that he shouldn't have done it and that what he did was wrong."

American Idol recap ( under the influence of a migraine)

Well, tonight's American Idol was just so-so. The first few people, Ace, Kelly, Lisa.....they were ok. Well, Ace sucked , but Kelly and Lisa were ok.

The best performances of the night were Elliot, Katharine and Taylor. Chris, who I like the best overall, was ok, but not the best. Even Mandisa, who I like alot, was just ok. She was basically just shouting the song and over-singing. I didn't much care for it.

The bottom 3 will most likely be: Bucky, Lisa and Ace. I think it will be Lisa who gets the boot though, even the other 2 are just as deserving of being kicked off as her.

So, I began the day with a headache, and it is ending the same way. And American Idol tonight didn't do anything to help it. It still hurts!! I even went home early from work cuz my vision was starting to go blurry and I was feeling pukey. And then I came home and took a nap and took yet another Advil, and the headache is still with me, like mold on a rotten tomato. Damned migraines!!!!!!!

Random Fact of The Day

Porcupines float in water.

Funny Stuff From Dave Barry

"My daughter's Ken doll doesn't seem to notice that the Barbies are constantly getting naked. No, I don't know why the Barbies do this. I don't WANT to know. All I know is that often, after my daughter has been playing with her Barbies, I'll walk into her room, and there will be naked Barbies everywhere, and Ken will be displaying absolutely no interest in them. Lately, in fact, Ken has been off in a corner, sitting in Barbie's pink Jeep with Pinocchio. Not that there's anything wrong with that."

Stupid News Story of The Day

(If you don't give me some meat, I'll set myself on fire. I really will. I'm not kidding. Look. I've got out the matches...)

Drunkard kills himself over meatless dinner

AHMEDABAD, India (Reuters) - A jobless alcoholic burned himself to death after his wife refused to serve him meat for dinner, Indian police said Sunday.

Sixty-year-old Mithailal Ram Sanjivan doused his body with an inflammable liquid and set himself ablaze outside his one-room house in Ahmedabad, the main city of western Gujarat state.

Police said the victim, who had been without a job for years, and his wife, Geeta Sanjivan, 54, had a scuffle over the dinner menu.

The wife refused to cook meat as they could not afford it.

Irritated by this, Sanjivan locked her in the house before setting himself on fire outside.

SBC can kiss my ass

Always make your requests to stop a service...whether it be phone, PG&E, cable...whatever....in writing. Cuz lord knows if you tell them verbally, they won't get the picture. It seems like when you are on the phone with someone in customer service telling them you want to stop your, let's say phone service, their IQ immediately goes down by 100 points. They ask you questions like, "why," and then try to offer you some incentive to stay, and no matter how many times you tell them , "no," they seem to think you really mean, "yes." And then when you tell them to shove their phone service where the sun don't shine, they just offer you another incentive to stay. Then when you offer an incentive such as some vasoline to lube that phone service so that it goes up their ass easier, then they SEEM to get the picture. But they really don't.

Well, that is what happened with my SBC phone service, and why I am no longer with them. A while back, my phone was messed up. The phone would ring, and people could leave messages, but when I tried to dial out or to answer the phone, all I got was static. This went on for a while. I tried new phone jacks. I tried switching phones. And finally, when I could stand it no longer, I called the phone company to get someone out to take a look at the line.

Well, the first time I called them, a woman answered, and I am so pissed off at myself for not writing her name down. I explained my problem to her, and she ran some sort of test from there on my line. She told me there was a problem with the line and that she would send a technician out to look at it. Fine. Good.

Well, when I got home, all excited and expecting my phones to work, I picked up the receiver to check it out, and .....static...grrr. What the hell? There was no note on my door or anything from SBC and since it was after 6 pm when I got home, I couldn't call the customer serivce til the next day. More Grrrrr.

Well, when I called back the next day, I was told that there was no record of my phone call. At this point, the grrr was more like GRRRRRRRRR. I was so pissed! Well she supposedly ran some test on the line and said there wasn't a problem with the line but she could send someone out to look at it anyway. By this time I was confused AND pissed. Not a good combo.

Well, at work, I get a call from the phone company tech telling me that my line is ok, and that it is probably some internal problem inside the apartment which they are not responsible for. GRRRRRRRRRRRR!

A few weeks later, I get my phone bill and they had charged me $55 for the tech to come out to basically do nothing but play around with some wires and call me and tell me "sorry Charlie." Now, I was beyond pissed.

Well, after all this shit, I called the company back and told them to just stop my service altogether cuz I was tired of getting the runaround. Then she asked me "why" and offered me some incentive....and, well you can see how this turned out...hehe.

Welllll....I guess they didn't keep a record of that call either, cuz my mom called me today saying some credit service called them asking where I was cuz SBC had reported me to the credit bureau for unpaid phone bills (which I never got by the way) GRRRR!! So, I paid it, even though I am still pissed as hell. So.......to make a long story short, ALWAYS make your request to stop your service in writing, cuz you just can't trust the customer service people on the phone.

Maybe telling them to shove their phone service up their ass wasn't such a good choice of verbage on my part either.

But the vasoline part was a nice touch - lol.

Random Fact of The Day

A comet's tail always points away from the sun.

Funny Stuff From Dave Barry

"I'm not sure how I feel about the Barbie and Ken split. On the one hand, I can see why Barbie would not be satisfied with Ken. I have a young daughter, so our house has a thriving, teeming Barbie colony. This colony is serviced by one lone Ken, and frankly, he is not up to the task."

Stupid News Story of The Day

(...and that's a wrap.)

Film Shoot Mistaken for Hostage Situation

FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. - A movie set at the downtown post office turned all too real for a group of high school filmmakers. Members of the high school Spanish club were shooting a movie Thursday night when the police showed up believing a hostage crisis was going on inside the post office.

But apparently, someone saw the teens carrying toy guns into the building on Centre Street, which is the heart of the town's historical district. When they couldn't get an answer to calls placed inside the building, they assumed the worst.

Police cordoned off the block, cleared nearby buildings and surrounded the post office ready for a hostage crisis. When a group of students left the post office, they were ordered to get on the ground, face down.

Postmaster Ron Steedley had given permission for the school group to use the post office after hours to make a movie, "Rolling Thunder." Steedley said he didn't think the student's movie would frighten anyone.

Devon Menendez, the film's director, said his film career is over.

"I'm not accepting any more offers to direct a movie," he said.

No news is good news

Another Sunday night is upon me. Which means tomorrow it is back to work. I must admit, I did kick some ass at work on Friday (which was overtime). But it seems like the caseload is not getting any smaller. Ever feel like you are working your ass off to no avail? Well, that is how I am feeling right now...overwhelmed.

And it isn't just me. I think everyone in our division is feeling stressed. This is the first time in a long time where I have felt like I am in over my head. I told you I was gonna go gray!!! lol.

I didn't do squat yesterday. I felt like I just needed to take a whole day to rest. But today, I did go to the grocery store, which is something I hate doing. I just hate putting all that shit in my car and then having to take it out again when I get home and haul it all upstairs and put it away. If I lived in a downstairs apartment, I would probably have less of a problem with grocery shopping that I do now...but only slightly less.

My mom called me today and told me that my aunt Marge, her sister, is not doing so well. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer over a year ago, I think. I guess the CA test (or something - I forget what it was called) was way high, which isn't good, and they are running out of experimental treatments to try on her. Ugh. I just lost my grandma to cancer. I am just not ready to go to another funeral just now. My mom did say my aunt Helen was doing ok though, which is good. I am always worried about her being alone and all and in a wheelchair (she has MS), but I guess she has someone who comes to her house to help out with stuff a few times a week, which is good. She is the nicest person and never complains about anything. Knowing that my aunts are having to deal with such bad stuff kinda makes me feel like an asshole for complaining about my aches and pains.

Well, I am going to bed. Got another crappy day at work coming up. I can't wait.

Funny Stuff From Dave Barry

"Although golf was originally restricted to wealthy, overweight Protestants, today it's open to anybody who owns hideous clothing."

Random Fact of The Day

The volume of the Earth's moon is the same as the volume of the Pacific Ocean.

Stupid News Story of The Day

(Oops. Our bad.)

Elderly Couple Hurt in Raid on Wrong House

HORN LAKE, Miss. - An unidentified elderly Horn Lake couple were hospitalized Thursday after police burst into their home thinking it housed a methamphetamine laboratory.

The incident occurred Wednesday about 4 a.m., said police Capt. Shannon Beshears. Beshears said it was the right address but the wrong house.

Beshears said a heavily armed Tactical Apprehension Containment Team stormed the house.

"We had good information from a reliable source that had been backed up by a purchase of narcotics linked to the address. However, when we arrived at the designated address, there were two houses on the lot. We hit the larger of the two houses.

"It was the wrong house," Beshears said. "The house was totally dark and the TACT members went through to the bedroom looking for the suspects."

A man and a woman — both in their 80s — were injured as TACT team members secured the house although no drugs were found. There were children in the house also, but they were not awakened, Beshears said.

Beshears said the woman received a dislocated shoulder and the man received bruised ribs. Both were taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto, but both asked police not to identify them.

"When we went to the second house on the lot, we found a methamphetamine cook under way and we made an arrest of a woman in connection with that illegal operation," Beshears said.

Police charged Sonseeaharay Lyn Fells, 36, with manufacturing a controlled substance. She was being held in the DeSoto County Jail in Hernando under a $100,000 bond.

Police Chief Darryl Whaley said a full investigation would be made into the operation to determine what happened when officers confronted the elderly couple. He said he believes his officers acted correctly and followed procedures when they entered the first home.

"Obviously, a mistake was made and it was regrettable," he said. "But, I stand by my officers. I think they acted properly."

Beshears said William Clinton Pruitt, 41, also was arrested on a charge of manufacture of a controlled substance and sale of a controlled substance. He was being held under a $200,000 bond.

How You Are In Love

You take a while to fall in love with someone. Trust takes time. You give and take equally in relationships. You tend to get very attached when you're with someone. You want to see your love all the time. You love your partner unconditionally and don't try to make them change. You stay in love for a long time, even if you aren't loved back. When you fall, you fall hard.

How Are You In Love?

I am Jan

You Are Jan Brady

Brainy and a little introverted, you tend to think life is a lot worse than it actually is. And while you may think you're a little goofy looking, most people consider you to be a major babe.

What Brady Are You?

Funny Stuff From Dave Barry

"If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant’s life, she will choose to save the infant’s life without even considering if there are men on base. "

Random Fact of The Day

The sting from a killer bee contains less venom than the sting from a regular bee.

Stupid News Story of The Day

(Drunks in a bar. What a concept!)

Finding drunks in a bar -- what are the chances?

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - Texas has begun sending undercover agents into bars to arrest drinkers for being drunk, a spokeswoman for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission said on Wednesday.

The first sting operation was conducted recently in a Dallas suburb where agents infiltrated 36 bars and arrested 30 people for public intoxication, said the commission's Carolyn Beck.

Being in a bar does not exempt one from the state laws against public drunkeness, Beck said.

The goal, she said, was to detain drunks before they leave a bar and go do something dangerous like drive a car.

"We feel that the only way we're going to get at the drunk driving problem and the problem of people hurting each other while drunk is by crackdowns like this," she said.

"There are a lot of dangerous and stupid things people do when they're intoxicated, other than get behind the wheel of a car," Beck said. "People walk out into traffic and get run over, people jump off of balconies trying to reach a swimming pool and miss."

She said the sting operations would continue throughout the state.

YES!

Oh my goodness. I am so happy Kevin got booted off of American Idol. I guess it is about time the voters picked the earwax out of their ears long enough to not vote for him. It is about time!
I was wrong about who was gonna get booted, but my bottom 3 picks were right, smack-dab on. And everyone knows that I had wanted Kevin to get booted weeks ago. I just figured all the little kids would keep voting for him. Maybe their mommies and daddies took away their cell phone privileges this week - hehe.

A new South Park season debuted tonight. It was just sooooo wrong, but yet, so funny. Poor Chef - boy he got killed off in just such a bad way. I loved Chef. He was just so funny. I am gonna miss his character, but since Isaac Hayes is so opposed to Matt and Trey's portayal of Scientologists, he just had to quit. Phooey on him. Party pooper.

At least Carlos Mencia was in true form on his season debut tonight. Now there is one dude who is not afraid to make fun of anyone. Kudos to him. He is a funny, funny man. Gotta love Mencia!

On a side note, my right shoulder has been killing me for over 2 weeks now. I am starting to wonder whether or not I should go to the doctor. It feels like bone is rubbing against bone. It hurts soooo bad. Especially when I am driving. I know. I am such a whiner. But it hurts!!!!
Thank goodness a friend at work gave me a vicodin, cuz I left my meds at home.

Damned shoulder. I wish I wasn't so broken - lol.

Just for Arlene....

As Arlene pointed out to me today in an email, St Patrick's is over. So, just for you, I changed my blog back to its normal state of being. I hope you're happy, you punk - lol.

Random Fact of The Day

Each nostril of a human being registers smell in a different way. Smells that are made from the right nostril are more pleasant than the left.

Stupid News Story of The Day

(Next time, leave the pantyhose at home.)

Fishnet Hosiery Does in Robbery Suspect

MONTEREY, Calif. - A man's pantyhose led to his arrest, authorities said. An unshaven man wearing a black evening gown, fishnet stockings, calf-high boots and a black wig robbed a USA Gas station Monday morning, authorities alleged.

The armed man stuffed $290 in cash into an ensemble-matching black purse.

"I've been with the department for 22 years, and this is the first time I've heard of this happening anywhere here," police Lt. Phil Penko said.

About 35 minutes after the robbery, police Officer Chad Ventimiglia spotted a black Saab with fishnet pantyhose hanging from the front driver's side door, dragging on the ground, investigators said.

The car was pulled over and Michael Leslie Clouse, 26, was arrested and booked for investigation of armed robbery.

A plastic replica handgun allegedly was found inside his purse, Penko said.

American Idol recap

Ok. I am gonna go out on a limb and say that the 3 people I expect to see in the top 3 on American Idol are Chris, Katharine and Mandisa. I love Elliott, too, but I don't think he will be in the final 3. Final 4, maybe, but not final 3. Mandisa was just awesome tonight. That girl can saaaang! Katharine was amazing, too. I just love her voice. But Chris.....he is in a league of his own. His version of "I Walk The Line" was beyond incredible. Hell, I would probably even buy that as a single. It was great! He took the song and made it his own, which is something a great singer does.

I was disappointed with the judges for saying good things about Kevin's performance. He just totally sucked. Why he is still in the running is beyond me. He needs to go, and he needs to go now.

Bucky was also so-so. While I liked him better than Kevin, that is not saying much.

The others (Kellie, Paris, Lisa, Taylor and Ace) were ok, too. Kellie picked a country song, which is her fortè. She did kinda go off-key a little after the key change though, but I suppose I am nitpicking. She did do a good job though. Kudos to her. Ace was a lot better this week than he was last week (but then, anything would have been an improvement over last week).

Bottom 3? Hmm....Ok...I am gonna say who DESERVES to be in the bottom 3............Bucky, Kevin and Lisa. I like Lisa, but her performance this week was not all that great. I am almost gonna say Taylor maybe, too, since I didn't really care for his performance this week either.

So after all is said and done, I am gonna say it is gonna be bye bye Bucky (even though I think Kevin NEEDS to go home, I think there are enough 11 year-olds and grandmas out there who will vote for him).

Random Fact of The Day

Europe is the only continent without a desert.

Funny Stuff From Dave Barry

"I probably shouldn't admit this to you younger readers, but when my generation was your age, we did some pretty stupid things. I'm talking about taking CRAZY risks. We drank water right from the tap. We used aspirin bottles that you could actually open with your bare hands. We bought appliances that were not festooned with helpful safety warnings such as "DO NOT BATHE WITH THIS TOASTER." But for sheer insanity, the wildest thing we did was - prepare to be shocked - we deliberately ingested carbohydrates."

Stupid News Story of The Day

(Robbed, then busted. What a day.)

Hair Salon Burglary Leads to Pot Bust

BOWDON, Ga. - A burglary at a hair salon has led to charges against the salon's owner after police found more than 200 pounds of marijuana stored there.

Bowdon Police Chief Mark Brock was on routine patrol early Sunday when he came across a burglary in progress at the hair salon.

The suspects, identified as Howard Bernard Crane, 20, and Kareem Lee Evans, 33, were trying to steal the marijuana, which was being kept in a freezer chest at the salon, police said.

The salon's owner — who is also Howard Crane's sister — Erica Crane, 33, was also arrested.

West Georgia Drug Task Force Agent Mike Fritz said Howard Crane was trying to steal the drugs from his sister's shop with Evans' help.

The three have been charged with trafficking marijuana.