I’ve got to say that I think Jewel and Christine hit the nail on the head with their comments concerning my article on Gay Marriage rights. Thanks for the comments, as they truly bring to light, the darkness that falls upon those who are perceived to be beyond the “sexual norm”.

I was watching CNN today and caught that lovely man, Anderson Cooper, interviewing one for and one against - gay marriage. It was a compelling argument and I thought it interesting that Cooper (an openly gay man) moderated the interview. However, at one point both sides of the argument got out of control and they started yelling over each other. It has become evident that those for gay marriage must speak louder or shout over the religious right - at every chance they get.  Gay men and women can’t even seem to get a word in edgewise, as the religious right keep pummeling away at them with the Bible. The “good book” is used at every turn to justify the “hatred” and the “foundation” of that “hatred” at those who have done nothing against God or country.

Went to God

As I sit and watch the “elders” of the religious right fade into the past (or die and join their God) I can only applaud that they are no longer among the living, spewing forth a “hate” message toward a people who simply want to be recognized as not gay, bisexual, trans-gender or anything else but, human beings who have every right to be who they are and live in peace.

Gay couples should not have to hold quasi-marriage ceremonies or partner parties in “secret” or in foreign countries (or only in states that allow gay marriage) to have that relationship be legally recognized. There is no supreme being or court in the land that can dictate who can marry whom.

It's not good when cousins marry

OK, don’t want cousins to marry? Well, there goes half the royal family and their blue blood. I can understand brothers and sisters not being able to marry or those who are underage, however, where does one draw the line? Let’s see, not too long ago in a land not far away, if you were a black man in this country and wanted to marry a white woman, you could be hanged from the nearest tree. If you were from the south, you might as well have strung yourself up from the nearest tree for even having the notion of entering an inter-racial marriage.
There’s a certain sect of Mormons that seem to have no problem with who they marry, just the amount of wives they can marry. Now, I can sit back and give 100’s of examples of questionable marriage ideas but, when it comes to gay marriage, it’s deemed an abomination by those who have a big mouth and small mind.

The hate emails and comments I have received concerning gay marriage, have numbered into the dozens and they are all from God’s people. God’s people? Just who are God’s people? Could those be the ones who dress up in their Sunday best and head to church every chance they get to be redeemed? Are those the ones who need a confessional to “get off” with their local pastor, priest or some other Godly individual who fills them full of fear for their mortal souls? How about those morons on television who spew the same crap each and every Sunday to a group of followers who’s only purpose is to supply the cash for satellite air time and a big ass temple for God?

That’s the problem with the religious right in this country, they are simply sheep. They can be herded to the left or, to the right. They have no mind of their own and therefore can be easily brainwashed with the “good book” and the lame interpretations of those passages - to a literal conclusion. They can sin all they want (in private) and simply be cleansed of their sins the very next day. Now, I’ve not even spoken about the Charismatic Christians and the fanatics, as we know what they’re all about. No doubt, these are the sinners, the righteous, the most pious and the highest of the high that go out and vote against an issue that has nothing to do with them. These are the people who stick together and claim they are “God’s People” and as such, they set policy.

Our German friend at the Vatican is helping things right along as well. Needless to say, one has to look no further than the Catholic Church for hypocrisy - they’ve got that one covered. The Catholic church has done nothing but, to drive its own people away from its own beliefs. Again, we have the “good book” at work and the man behind the curtain setting policy - excuse me, a former member of the party.

Sex is good, it’s righteous, it’s what we all do in the privacy of our bedrooms. Whether you’re straight, gay, bisexual or simply bananas, everyone does it and it’s about time that it’s taken out of equation of gay marriage. This is all about who’s diddling who. If you’re two men or two women, don’t diddle. In fact, if all gay people promised to never have sex with each other again, what would the outcome of the next vote on gay marriage be? Would it be OK if gay be people got married if they promised not to diddle each other? OK, we’ll masturbate but, we won’t diddle around - would that work for the hetero-religious right? No, I don’t think so. I think that in my lifetime I will see a black man in the White House but, that’s as far as we’ll progress as a society. I think that those who are black, who think they’ll advance because of Obama - will be sorely disappointed when they’re held back by those in this country - who will continue to dictate policy, who will decide what’s right, who’s wrong and that change is nothing more than an illusion.

Let’s see, you’ll put an African American in the White House but, won’t vote on legalizing gay marriage? For all the African Americans in this country, Obama has proved that you can do anything you want, as long as you work for it. Gay people in this country have been “working for it” since Stonewall - and to this very day -the religious right (and those in this country who think that homosexuality is a sin) keep putting up a stone wall to prevent gay people from having the same basic rights afforded to a man and woman. If it’s two guys (or two gals), it’s simply NOT good enough to be called “love”.

California is supposed to be the “crazy state” and ahead of the times. The entire entertainment industry exists by way of “gay” related talent. Arnold, those people pay taxes and your Republican neo-”you know what” attitude is rather curious, considering your own background. You can’t even balance a budget, let alone, be man enough to support those -who have supported you - in your career. However, you’ll raise taxes and expect the entire gay establishment in your state to support those changes.

As for “change”. Obama decries it’s “time for change”. OK, what are you going to do to give gay people their basic human rights? If you allow each state to make the decision, it will never happen. Yes, it’s easy to toss it back to the state level and stand back and say “I’m not the bad guy, it’s the people in your state and government making those decisions”. Since when, should anything having to do with something as “basic” as being able to adopt a child or, get married to someone you love - be put to a vote?

If we’re going to put something to a vote, let’s vote on a quota, as to how many gay African Americans can be in the Obama Administration. Guess not, as such a thought (in this day and age) would cause utter outrage amongst gay African American males (and females) who have an MBA and “worked for it”. Time for a change? How about coming forward and doing the right thing? No gay man or woman should have to watch as their partner passes from this world (to the next), not having been recognized as a “family unit”.

What’s interesting is that gay people pay state and federal taxes to “fund” everything hetero. We’ll pay state taxes to pay for schooling for children with hetero parents, however, we can’t adopt hetero or gay kids, as we’re simply not fit parents and/or NOT perceived to be “fit” to raise a family. OK, let’s givea a tax credit for any man or woman (under the age of 50) who can’t adopt kids because their gay. I see, hetero’s have NO problem taking my tax dollars to educate their children but, if I want to adopt some kids (no one wants), I’m NOT allowed to do so.

As for sex. I know more hetero couples that engage in sexual practices that could make your hair stand on end. I know gay male (and female couples) that would cringe at the thought of what many hetero couples do behind closed doors. However, the thought of same-sex couples sleeping in the same bed (that’s mostly what we do) or, making love, is a put-off to the religious right? A penis is a penis and vagina is a vagina and whether and what you do with your sexual parts is no one business but, your own. I know, let’s vote on masturbation. Better yet? Let’s vote on orgasms. No, you can’t masturbate or have an orgasm anymore, as the bible teaches us to NOT touch ourselves “down there”. Also, no more smoking, drinking or talking about sex. Let’s just clean ourselves up into the model society we pretend to be.

Seems to me that those who use the bible, as some type of sexual do or don’t handbook, indeed have their heads up their asses. People masturbate, they play with themselves, can’t deny it. Hetero’s engage in unsafe sex and in fact, can swing more than a community of monkeys - with each other.  A lot of good the bible has done lately. Teens are having group sex and keeping scorecards, as to who can have the most sex with the most partners (and in how many positions). These are the same children of hetero parents who turn a blind eye to their own problems at home but, with eyes wide open, vote NO on gay marriage? There are simply way too many sick and twisted people in this country and, those who voted to ban gay marriage in California and Florida, are the cream of the crop.

The State of Florida has to come out of the dark ages. If all the minorities who voted for Obama (and who possibly understand the need of basic human rights) voted to afford gay people the right to marry and adopt children then maybe (just maybe) the State of Florida could redeem its sorted rebel past. If the American people (as a majority) don’t want gay people in this country, let us know and we’ll all move out of the country. We won’t be around to rebuild the ghettos and beautify downtrodden neighborhoods, we won’t entertain you on the stage, serve you up gourmet food, be your wedding planners, decorate your homes, educate your children, give you OUR vote when you need it (hint, hint Obama) or nurse you on your death bed. We simply don’t have to care what happens to any of you.

The time is coming when the gay community will shun their fellow Americans and become ex-pats. We’ll move to Europe, where the grass is much greener and we can live in peace and harmony amongst forward-thinking societies that don’t discriminate or denigrate its people. For those who voted for Obama, you voted for change. How about spreading some of that “love” around to those in this country - who may NOT be African American - only in love with someone of the same sex?

If you’re a bible thumper - save it, as I won’t post your comments. I won’t waste my time responding to idiotic statements from those who think that quoting scripture will save the world. I’m a Catholic, brought up in a Catholic household and completely ashamed of our church and its Pope. It should be noted that Catholic priests, who abused children, are the lowest from of life on this planet. This is why I can’t support the Catholic Church, its Pope or its agenda.

For those who think that the word “fag” can be used as freely as the “N” word, think again. The world IS changing.

Happy Birthday to one of my dearest friends. My girlfriend is NOT just a friend but, a warm and thoughtful person. She’s very successful and has a lovely family. We’ve been friends long enough to know what each other is thinking. Our daily “touch base” calls are the staple in our long-distance relationship. We talk about everything that affects our daily lives. I’m not to going to turn this into a ”that’s what friends are for” song rendition, as to do so, would take away from the message of this entry.

It’s a B-Day BLOG WISH and that’s what it will always remain. I don’t have much money right now and if I did, I would have done what she did for my B-day and fly up to see her and give her a big kiss and a warm hug. In fact, if it was not for her love of helping others, I’d probably be on a bread line somewhere right now (and possibly homeless).

She’s like the big suster I never had. She’s always just a speed dial call away and very rarely fails to take the call. I have some friends (who pretend to be friends) and if they don’t feel like talking, they just ignore the call - not my girlfriend - she’s always there through thick and thin:-)

So, here’s to my girlfriend on HER day! I hope she has the greatest day of her life, celebrates with her family and KNOWS that her boyfriend (and his boyfriend) sends her a big hug and kiss on her very special day!

I think it’s time someone come up a way to monitor online purchases for subscriptions, downloads and member fees. All too often, I find charges popping up on my credit cards for things I KNOW I canceled months before, however, the company seems to think they can just continue charging the card as their Terms of Service (TOS) has some type of bullshit “hoop” to jump through in order TRULY cancel your membership (or subscription). I have two examples to share with my readers:

LA Fitness - I joined two years ago and then had to cancel the membership, as I just did not have the time to hit the gym a few days a week. I called them over one dozen times and told them to cancel the membership. However, they just kept charging my card. In the last four days I received ten calls from these knuckleheads informing me they could not charge my card anymore, I replied - “oh, finally woke up over there and figured out that you can’t steal my money anymore?” They replied - “But, sir, you have to go into the gym and cancel directly”. I replied - “click”.

Channel Advisor (ChannelAdvisor.com)- This group has been charging my card since 1/2007 and although I canceled the account in 2/2007, they have continued to charge my credit card. I have been fighting through email and telephone calls with this group for the past eight days. “Sir, you must go to our site, cancel your account and then send an email to our billing department and inform them as well”. “Screw you asshole! I’m not jumping through hoops to cancel a membership when I canceled it two years ago. In fact, you knew I canceled this membership as even the email I registered with does NOT work (to this day) to log in to your site”. This company canceled the membership but, still (to this very day) charges $29.95 (without fail) on the 4th of every month.

This is the bad part about using a credit card online. There are thieves on the net who think they can get away with making free money over and over again. Use PayPal and you can get double-dutched and if you don’t pay attention, PayPal is behind the scenes working its magic by doling out a dollar here and dollar there to merchants with subscription accounts.

Go into PayPal and try to find an easy way to cancel a subscription and your name might as well be Helen Keller, as there’s no clear-cut way to do it without knowing where to look. (The best way is click on the long reference number and click on the details of the transaction. Be sure to scroll all the way down to the CANCEL SUBSCRIPTION button or they won’t cancel it).

Another tip is to NEVER (EVER) use a debit card online, as it’s harder to get the money back once the thieves have charged a debit card. One more thing, if you are going to join something that’s some type of membership or subscription, be sure to untick the box that states “Bill Me Monthly” as if you don’t - you become the gift that keeps on giving.

I’ve watched my fill of CNN and it’s time to go to bed. Undoubtedly, I’ll wake up to find that title of Mr. President has taken on whole new meaning, and hopefully, a whole new world. I think back as to where the Republicans went wrong and my opinion is that they were short-sighted and sent a 70-year old man on a wild goose chase. What Bush and friends never realized is that little people do eventually grow up! When they grow up, they don’t listen to their elders and they rebel. What Obama proved is that we had an American Revolution for change - a peaceful act - capped off with the ultimate screw you to The Administration.

Bush, Republican Senators and Congressmen (and women) failed ALL Americans for eight years straight. They did nothing but instill fear in all Americans, screwed up innocent lives with the Patriot Act (Obama, hint - hint) and made our lives miserable when traveling abroad.

Even our Freedom, which we all took for granted, was stymied at airport terminals. Blacks, Hispanics and anyone - who was not white - (I am) are subject to profiling. Neighbors began reporting their neighbors to Homeland Security (Obama, hint - hint) and we were all thrown into a melting pot of fear.

I’m not white, I’m Caucasian - you’re not black, you’re African American. I’ve been saying this to myself for years, as I simply did not care for the Black/White statement, as nothing is black or white. I believe that when I wake up in the morning - we are ALL simply “Americans”.  We care about each other, we respect each other and we start helping each other. We don’t allow those with agendas to separate us from our goals nor pull us apart as a people. The world will view us ALL as winners (in the morning) and we will ALL collectively gain the respect we ALL deserve.

OK, time for bed. I know I have a dream waiting for me tonight and I’m just glad the nightmare is over.

So, Ann Rice has seen the baby blues of Jesus. A professed atheist has found the lord - Good God! Rice, who’s vampire books catapulted her to fame, has sworn off blood-sucking demons and bi-sexual vampires to reinvent herself as a Christian writer. Good timing, as the vampire market was getting a bit stiff. Her son, Christopher Rice has written a few good books (with gay themes) and I believe (for the most part) he’s a talented writer.

In an interview from her home in Rancho Mirage, California, Rice stated (in so many words) that’s she’s taking all she has learned from writing about goblins, witches and vampires (with a touch of S&M erotica thrown in) and channeling her talents (from past experience) to the good work of the Lord. She’s also looking for redemption and wants God to accept what she’s NOW writing. Ann, I don’t think you need to be redeemed for writing some great books that were not only entertaining but, rather sexy and provocative. I don’t think God views your past work as “bad” and more than likely does not hand out credit for “good” work.  In other words, I don’t think you can play catch-up with the Lord at age 67. I think your life’s work (not just your success in writing) is based upon you being a “good” person. Your son is gay and you not only accepted him, you embraced his sexuality. Now, I hope that your embracing your son being gay (after finding the Lord) does not change, as we all know the position that the “Good Book” takes on homosexuality. (Here come the Bible thumpers, thump! thump!). I think our charismatic Christians are “constant” in their beliefs and faith. I think anyone can be an atheist one day, a christian (the next day) and a Buddhist, the next. I think the “normal” (non-fanatic Christians - regular people), lose a loved one and can become an atheist on the spot. Why did God  take my loved one, why did my son die in Iraq? A month later, I think that that same person can come to believe that the Lord has called them and has given them direction to help others, become a gentle person, be kinder to others and go join the Peace Corps. In the reverse, I think a kind, gentle human being can lose ALL beliefs when they lose all of their possessions during a natural disaster and lose all faith in the Lord.

I think we ALL find our God and pray to him when we’re in trouble. How many readers never go to church (even on the holidays - like me) but, will pray to God (any God) when our family member is dying of cancer or, we’re about to lose something near and dear to us. The “acid test” in finding God is NOT changing the subject matter of your life’s work, it is found at those moments when you silently pray to a God (any God) for help, love and support.

Yes, those who never pray to God (any God) have no belief, no faith and possibly no future beyond this world. Those who profess their love of God publicly (as Ann Rice has announced) may be doing so to feel better about themselves (at age 67) or, selling others on their belief and buying a book. I’m not saying that’s Ann’s motive, however, I’m not a true believer in someones public confession that they have now found the Lord and will write good things for the Lord. That’s the stuff of PR firms churning out the “spin” for the next best seller. Yes, it’s easy to change your writing prose when you’re sitting on the top of the world in Rancho Mirage, have millions in the bank and not a care in the world. Yes, it’s also easy to sit back and then ponder if the Lord is looking down kindly upon you and then commit to write another best seller for the Lord.

There was one good vampire movie entitled ”Fright Night”. In this vampire flick, a vampire hunter is holding up a cross to the face of the vampire, as he advances - to no avail. The vampire is unaffected by the cross.

As he comes up to the face of his victim, he makes one statement (which says it all)…FOR YOUR CROSS TO WORK ON ME -YOU’VE GOTTA HAVE FAITH!

ANN - YOU’VE GOTTA HAVE FAITH!

McCain simply does not know what he wants to be when he grows up. I woke up this morning to a new set of Obama bashing commercials funded by McCain. I then caught up on his latest shenanigans on CNN and of course, he’s still talking about Obama, campaign finance and Ayers. On another channel, Palin was taking her pot shots at Obama as well. Seems Mutt & Jeff (you decide who’s Mutt and who’s Jeff) just can’t get enough jabs in at Obama before their Tuesday deadline.

In Florida, former Governor Bush is on the radio advertising for McCain. I wonder if that’s campaign money well spent, as Jeb was out a while ago and no could stand him either. Look for Jeb on the ticket in 2012.

I think what this race is showing us is that the Republican Guard (regime) is NOW finally over. I spent a lot of time with dozens of Republican Senators in Washington and quite frankly, with all of the cocktail parties, events, luncheons and dinners, I often wondered where any of them found the time to do much to help anyone but, themselves. I like Elizabeth Dole, she’s a sweetheart but, what has she really accomplished other than being married to Bob? She may not make it back for the next term - a pity.

The only hope any Republican had was Bill Frist, I met him more than few times and he’s an engaging, intelligent and forthright individual. I receive a Christmas card from him and his family every year. However, Bill opted of politics (for now) and he was the ONLY choice at any hope of a Republican President being elected.

So, here we are (as Republicans) stuck with the likes of McCain and Palin (Bonnie & Clyde) - not a pretty picture. I wish McCain would stop addressing everyone as his “friends”. He constantly uses this phrase when addressing potential voters at rallies. If he’s not annoying enough with the “my friends” mantra, he then has to remind everyone about his “scars” and then of course, he pulls “Joe the Puppet” out of a hat and has bandied him about as though he’s the last word for “everyone” who owns a business. BTW, look for Joe on the new Survivor series and Amazing Race:-)

Joe has no presence whatsoever and quite frankly, he’s not someone I would have chosen as an endorsement for any type of campaign (dog-catcher or otherwise). Bringing Joe along for the ride was McCain’s ultimate mistake! Bashing Obama is about as un-American as anyone can get. If Obama is elected as our President, we can thank McCain for tarnishing his good reputation (from the get-go) as one who consorts with terrorists. I don’t remember Obama bringing up McCain’s past marital issues during his campaign. From what I understand, he left his former wife for his new one, as the former wife was not in good health. Yeah, that’s someone I want taking care of me and mine in the future.

I think McCain has some type of superiority complex. It’s as though he thinks that everyone should vote for him based upon his past performance as a Senator and of course, his scars. His past performance was that of George Bush (they could have been tied at the hip during the past eight years).

One thing about Bush, he’ll no longer be President of this country in the New Year and I doubt he’ll get too many speaking engagements, as he sometimes slurs his words. I think he can save everyone the time and trouble in building a Presidential library, as we all know his past history and don’t need to relive it through video clips and his memoirs. In this case, we don’t need a rendition of Bob Hope singing “Thanks for the Memories” with a montage of Bush’s greatest achievements. He’s a legend in his own mind.

No, what we need is to move forward - out of our current nightmare - and come together. We need to bring our guys and gals home from Iraq (like tomorrow). We need to be more caring about ourselves (at home) and less thoughtful about other countries and their needs. We can be number one, by addressing our issues at home first and worrying about the rest of world after sorting out our own mess. We need a President who is NOT McCain and that leaves us one good choice - Obama.

How many out there watched the Obamamercial last night? I tuned into our local Tampa Bay channel and there was Obama looking very Presidential. My buddies were betting on whether he’d sit behind a nice mahogany desk with Americans flags, flanking gold drapes, in the background or, would he sit on a desk and be casual. I bet he’d sit his ass on a desk and I won five bucks! Thanks Obama! He’s not even been elected yet and he made me five bucks!

Seriously, this man has run one hell of a race and I hope he wins. If Obama can outwit the Republican party and raise record campaign cash - then I can just imagine what he’ll do when he comes into office in January.

Out with the old (Bush-boy) and in with the new - Obama. Yes, I’m holding onto that picture.

It will be my absolute pleasure to watch Bush get into the Presidential limo for the last time. Remember, when Bush went to his first Inauguration? There were riots (so to speak) and of course, they didn’t show that on television.

A black man in the white house? Yeah, that’s about as progressive as this country has come in the last 100 years. Who would have thought that this was even a possibility? I’m a southern Caucasian boy and I live in a town where they still fly the rebel flag and where the KKK was alive with many members - not too long ago.

This is a white neighborhood (and town) where if you’re black, you keep driving and don’t stop…

Needless to say, I think that people of ALL races will come (and are) coming together to put Obama in charge of the Free World and that’s the people talking. Hopefully, those in control of the Electoral College don’t screw with the will of people. In fact, I think the rest of the world will view us in a more favorable light and view us as a progressive nation of people.

No longer will I have to travel to Europe and pretend to be a Canadian…

Yes, that’s what many Americans do traveling throughout Europe, we don Canadian flag pins on our lapels and will wear a t-shirt (with a small Canadian flag) with the word ”Aye” emblazoned on it just so we’re treated better at the border. Quite frankly, I do want the French to like us. Many may not care what the French (or even the Italians) think of us, but, I do. I want to travel the Free World and feel as though (as an American) I’m welcomed with open arms. In fact, I’d like to see some more ”color” in the town where I live, as it’s sooooo white (with a touch of redneck) that you begin to feel like a racist just for living in a such a town. If I had a choice, I would have lived closer to the city but, got stuck where I am.

On what Obama will do (and can’t do). First, he can’t screw things up anymore then Bush has. We’re in so much debt that a little bit more ain’t gonna hurt us (and if NEW debt is due to putting OUR people to work), I’m all for it. What he can do is improve our lives with more jobs, help seniors, who make under 50K per year and fix our health care system. If he just does ONE out the THREE I just stated, we’re already hitting a home-run.

As for Joe the Plumber, what a joke. Thanks McCain for taking a plumber and making him a celebrity. Joe won the lottery and can now get a book deal. Also, I’m a bit tired of hearing McCain stating “he has the scars to prove it”. Yeah, and there’s plenty of bags with bodies of young men coming home each and every week from Iraq. Oh, and let’s not forget about those losing their limbs, sight and bowels on the streets of Iraq and coming back with MORE than just scars.

McCain is about as bad they come. He’s old, he’s tired and should have retired ten years ago. Palin is about as witty and perky, as the step-ford ladies selling jewelry on QVC. My prediction? She’ll end up on daytime television on “The View”.

You know what? I find myself getting more pissed as I write this blog so, I’m done. Let’s call it a day, everyone vote for Obama, send the Bushes packing back to Texas (never to hear their name again) and move on.

Probably one of the easiest topics to blog about is kids and pets. I have a cat and don’t have kids, I have focused on one blog, which captures (what I believe) is the perfect mix of pics and text.

Thoughts Fur Paws is a pretty nice blog. It’s broken down into easy to navigate sections and its use of pics is not overwhelming. One thing I don’t like about some blogs is the use of super-sized pics and the insertion of one small paragraph underneath the pic, which attempts to elicit a response on the pic. In this case, a picture is not worth a 1000 words, as it seems as though those who want to be “super-sized” (pic wise), are simply filling a page with a scrolling photo album.

So, what can I find wrong with a blog about pets? Nothing. Thoughts Fur Paws has some great pics (normal sized pics), informative articles and a nice layout. They’re not selling cat food, leashes and litter boxes nor does the author choose one type of pet over another (the author appears to be neutral on this topic). The only thing I would suggest for this blog is a section entitled “Pet Peeves” (as I simply think the title fits the blog).

I have a Ragdoll named Dolly. She’s a piece of art (Dali), a Ragdoll (Dolly) and I just might get another one ( a boy) and call him Madison.:-)

Blogger Scott posted a comment praising Blog Catalog. As Groucho Marx once said “I’d never be part of a club that would have me as a member”, however, Blog Catalog looks to be the exception. It offers a social community of bloggers, tools, widgets and is stuffed with a bunch of other goodies as well.

As a directory, Blog Catalog serves up the content extremely well. The site is easy to navigate and even a novice blogger (a newbie) can learn from more experienced bloggers. Blogger Oktober Five made a point in his comment that most blogs don’t have a point. I beg to differ on that comment, as those who truly have something to say (other than pitching products and Google Adwords on their blogs) DO  and/or try to make a point in their writings to their readers.

What’s cool about Blog Catalog is their ratings system. I came upon a blog entitled Founding Fathers, which has attained a score of five out five. While this blog is packed full of historical figures, it’s devoid of any advertisements (refreshing to see for a change). In fact, I enjoyed reading their quote of the day and then found myself reading more about John Adams.

Blog Catalog does have a few eyesores laying about the place but, for the most part, the ratings system helps one decide (ahead of time), if a blog is worth reading. Thanks Blogger Scott for the referral!

I’m trying to figure out what Blogging without a Blog is all about? One of the archived articles is all about how to copy and paste in WordPress -huh? If you’re blogging and have no clue how to copy and paste text then you you’ve been in the dark way too long.

The interesting thing about the post is that it links back to another blog ObservationMountain.com, which is nothing more than an advertisement for Febreze. In fact, there’s an entire list of Febreze products and no doubt, this blog tends to be more about selling Febreze than a “how to” copy and paste guide for WordPress users. The tags in the Febreze article are as follows:

allergen, coupons, ergonomic design, Fabric Refresher, fabrics, Febreze, febreze air effects, febreze candles, hand fatigue, odor eliminator, pet odor, scents, spray bottle..

Besides the fact, that I don’t care much for the fragrance (if one can call it that) of Febreze, I can’t draw the line between Blogging without a Blog’s take on Febreze and it’s relation to how one can learn how to copy and paste into WordPress. If a blog is nothing more than a pitch to sell a product (or products), it’s NOT a blog but, a page in which to sell products. If the purpose of the article is show a new WordPress user how to cut and paste a picture of a Febreze bottle into a post, then something “smells” pretty bad at Blogging without a Blog and its parent blog observationmountain.com.

Those who set up blogs with the sole purpose of an “agenda” (not too well hidden) to sell products, should not clutter up space with advertisements. Of course, the placement of Google Ads, which serves to pitch Febreze products truly makes ObservationMountain.com nothing more than a “sell site” for household goods. In fact, the entire site is one big “pitch” for household products.

I think that just about everyone knows how to use Baking Soda. Did you know that you can brush your teeth with Baking Soda? I did. Were you aware that mixing Baking Soda with Vinegar are a way to go green?  Boy, you can even use Baking Soda to clean your counter tops. The best one is that you can use Baking Soda in your refrigerator to absorb odors. Now, I ask any reader (above the age of eight) did you know Baking Soda could be used for all of the above and so much more?

The tagline for Swafford’s “sell site” is “Easing Your Life with Stories of Importance”. Now, I fail to see the importance of Febreze in my life.  The latest post on Blogging without a Blog is “Who Taught You” Open Mic.

A list questions to elicit a response ranges from ”How did you learn to blog” to ”Was your theme free or did you pay fot it”. Who cares? Blogging is about writing and themes are free at WordPress. However, the blog author does request that you get your blog listed in her Blog Registry. What’s the purpose and/or who gains from being in that Registry? 

The viral approach to marketing blogs is alive and well at Blogging without a Blog and it’s a bit more disturbing than the advertisements for Febreze. What readers could learn from Blogging without a Blog is how to blog by throwing up a few short paragraphs and then hitting the comments trail to drive traffic to observationmountain - to get a whiff of fresh air from a purchase of Febreze. The other thing everyone can learn is that you really don’t need to put up unique content, just take ten minutes a day to throw up a few paragraphs about something that seeks a response. This process will drive traffic to your blog, however, do you really want the type of traffic that is gleamed through selling household products?

It has been my experience that those who blog a few short paragraphs a day and link their blogs to product blogs and offerings, are doing nothing more than pretending to blog - they do not write anything of substance.

Dare to be different and blog about a topic, which has meaning - rather than blogging about the smell of Febreze and/or creating doorway blogs to product blogs. You can gain “audience credibility” by offering up the real deal without a coupon (or come-on) to sell a product.

Yesterday, I was hunting and pecking my way around the net to find an accurate link popularity checker. As many may know, you can get a dozen different results from the various link popularity checkers. After spending a day comparing the numerous link checkers, the most accurate one I found (thus far) is located at Icon Interactive.

Icon offers up results for DMOZ, Zeal, Alexa Ranking and sums up link popularity for Yahoo, Google, All the Web, Bloglines, HotBot, MSN Search and Alta Vista. Just pop in your domain name and review the results. Once Icon completes its search, click on the View link to review link popularity results.

Bloggrrl yielded 10,700 results in Alta Vista, 232 in Google, 740 in Bloglines, 3400 in AlltheWeb. MSN Search and Yahoo you will have to click on View to search results.

If anyone has a better suggestion, please, post a comment and link for all to review.

No doubt, the writing style on Bloggrrl has changed a bit and the topics are no longer confined to writing just about “blogging for money”. It’s funny, but readership will go down if Bloggrrl has too many ads displaying and increase when ads are decreased. 

In addition, the post on Gay Marriage summarily self-removed 162 readers in less than 14 hours. Whoa! I guess when you’re not writing about how to make money on blogging or, alienate your audience with statements such as “if you don’t like the blog entry, then move on” peeps will go away (and that’s fine by us). No doubt, 50% of our readers removed themselves and that may translate into 50% that don’t agree with gay marriage rights.

Pretty sad (in this day and age) when people are still a few decades behind the times.

There may be some who thought “how could the author of Bloggrrl take such a departure from her usual fare”. It was not the original creator of Bloggrrl who published that entry, it was posted at the direction of a new owner. Bloggrrl has been sold to a multi-media organization.

Future topics will range from the sublime to highly controversial. We have a staff of writers who contribute to national publications and as such, those editorial contributions will find their way into Bloggrrl’s personality.

While Bloggrrl’s goal was to inform on how to make money blogging (with mad tips and tricks) Bloggrrl (for all of its advice) was not monetized to its full potential.

In the end, Bloggrrl did finally pay off for its creator, as the owner of Bloggrrl sold her blog for an undisclosed sum. So, to say that Bloggrrl was not successful in “blogging for dollars” would not be correct, as the blog was sold at a premium.

Interestingly enough, if you have a blog and its has personality, traffic and a memorable domain name, it’s worth money. I think that’s all anyone needs to know on the topic of “Blogging for Dollars”. Large entities will come along and buy you out and take what you have created to the next level. Whether you’re seeking to “cash out” of a blog or simply get “Blog Burnout” your blog will always have value.

Update: Feedburner was not accurate. Will know true number on Weds.

Good news! Gay couples are lining up to get married. It’s about time that gay people are recognized and afforded the same rights as everyone else. Now, if you have a problem with gay people getting married then don’t read this blog, in fact, just go away completely.

If you’re a bible thump-er, get on outta here (and never come back), as I’m not interested in wasting my time in reviewing your comments and having to delete them (as that’s what I do when I don’t believe in free speech on a subject matter that should have never been a “subject” to begin with).

The bible is an interesting read, however, the interpretation of the “good book” has been used more like a recipe book for those who take the “word” literally (and to their own advantage). Quite frankly, I enjoyed reading The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal. For the bible thump-er’s, go get yourself a copy of “Biff”, have a good laugh and don’t take the “gay marriage” thing to heart. I believe God is looking down on those who do the “right thing” by other fellow human beings - no matter they be gay, straight, bi or trasngender.

As for the “lucky ones” getting married in California, congratulations to you! Hope that the law will spread to all the other states.

I got this great idea! I had to visit LA and decided to drive across country in three days, as opposed to flying into LAX in four short hours. I just bought an H2 Hummer and wanted to break her in. So, we get into the car and began our cross-country tour. The price of gas kept climbing, as we headed north toward Atlanta, however, started to come down (dramatically) as we headed West and into Texas (go figure). In fact, gas prices in Texas were $0.50 a gallon cheaper. No doubt, I spent a good chuck of change on gas and would have spent less had I flown into LAX and rented a car.

A month goes by and I have to go back out LA and this time I decided to fly into LAX and rent a Prius. I figured I would think “green” and try to fit in with all the other “green” conscious California types who drive Hybrid cars, adorn their homes with solar panels and collect rain water in colorful buckets. When I was last in LA, I got some dirty looks from those driving Hybrid cars (it seems there’s an abundance of Hybrid’s dominating the highways of California these days).

At traffic lights, drivers to my left or right (or both) would send over a look of scorn or, simply shake their head in disbelief that someone had the nerve to actually drive a Hummer in this day and age of global warming and high gas prices. However, drive a Prius and all the other little Prius people will wave at you (as they go by) and even toot their horn in approval.

I drove 1500 miles up the California coast (in four days). I drove through national parks, up an 8,000 foot mountain and into Nevada. I made it to Reno and then came south back to LA. It was a beautiful ride and I don’t regret one minute my trip. However, I’ve got to say that while the Prius is great on fuel, it lacks the comfort features that we have all come to enjoy in our big, beautiful (sometimes tricked out) land yachts.

It cost more to rent a Prius than a comfortable convertible and any savings in gas was eaten up by the rental car company. When I returned home, I actually thought  about replacing my Hummer with a Prius. I spent a few days searching on line and visited all of my local Toyota dealership’s in search of the little “green machine”. Considering I’ve seen Prius’s all over the roads in the California (and in even Tampa, Florida where I live), I figured there has to be plenty of them to go around, especially in the secondary market.

To my dismay, I could not find ONE Prius available (or even on display at three Toyota dealerships). I went online and every listing I found seeks to add a high premium (in the thousands) to the price of the car. In other words, it cost plenty of “green” to go “green”.

The Prius is NOT a comfortable car. It rides low to the ground, has no optional comforts, no leather seats and looks like any other compact car on the road. It’s basically a golf cart with doors. In addition, it lacks personality, which may be one reason why my first car was an H3 (loved it) and my follow-up to the H3 was an H2 (love it even more). Yes, I get crappy gas mileage but, the H2 can go “green” when off roading and the gas mileage is no worse than other trucks - if you don’t pump her down the highway at 80 mph.

One of my friends got his hands on a new Prius. He paid a $7K premium and then spent another $1000.00 on leather seats and a few thousand more adding some extra stuff like a cd player radio, new speakers, new rims and interesting paint job. It seems as though he spent enough to build a brand new car. Why go through all of this trouble to go green?

It seems that anything “green” is sold at a premium. My buddy, who has his tricked out Prius, is paying $300.00 more on his monthly car payment then on the SUV he traded in toward his Prius…huh? He already figured out that what he would have spent on gas during the next five years (if gas prices stay the same) comes out to be about the same if he kept his two-year old SUV.

No doubt, the next few years will be all about going “green”, however, at what cost?

I just learned that Hummer is considering halting production of the H2. OK, that makes sense and I hope they do stop production, as once they do, my H2 will be worth that much more, as you won’t be able to get them except on the secondary market.

When I went to Toyota to look at a Prius (they didn’t have), I looked at other Toyota’s and tried them ALL out. The experience was akin to that of the three bears story. One was too small, another too uncomfortable and there just wasn’t one Toyota (that I could find) that was just right.

Here’s what I’m going to do to go “green”. I’m no longer using my dishwasher (just two people in the household). We’re washing our dishes after dinner and have found we actually enjoy the chore and get to talk about the days events and have a few laughs.

We’re turing off all the lights in the house we don’t use (ambient lighting I call it). We bought two bicycles to do short runs to the local store for eggs and milk. We’re taking shorter showers (together). We’re more conscious at the grocery market and bring our own cloth bags to tote groceries home (no more plastic bags). We even set our air conditioning to a comfortable/hot temperature, as opposed to the comfortable/cool we’ve become to be used to in hot, muggy Florida.

In other words, we’re not wasting water, electric or filling up the garbage dumps with plastic. However, one luxury that we will keep is the H2. We drive to the office (8 miles round trip per day) and enjoy that eight mile ride. Gas prices will more than likely go up (maybe down, who knows) but, we won’t be buying a tricked-out golf cart to make a statement of being green:-)

I have a friend who loves to gossip about celebrities. If it’s celebrity related, he’s got the skinny on the latest celebrity news. One of his favorite sites is Perez Hilton’s “Celebrity Juice” blog. He spends more time on Perez’ site than on Google. He likens the Perez blog to that of the definitive Celebrity Gossip - In the News - Always on Top Things - one stop source.

I had reviewed the Hilton blog a number of times in the past, especially when I heard that the blog commands up to $18,000.00 for a top hand right column ad. The remaining ad buys go down to $900.00 for standard back pages (pages three and beyond). However, you can opt to go with a middle of the road ad for just $4,000.00 at the bottom of the right column. 

Then there’s OMG which is the #1 celebrity gossip site (according to Alexa). One common theme is that both the Perez and OMG sites use PINK as their main color theme! I think “pink” all day along so, I must be onto something here. Another common element appears to be using large images of the stars. I reviewed Bloggrrl and of course, the majority of the images on Bloggrrl.com are all medium to large. I think my header works well as I’ve got those shades with dollar signs reflecting off the lenses.  Maybe I was meant to write about celebrities and their everyday lives? Only thing I’m missing is content. Who and what to write about.

Let’s give it a try… 

Not too long ago, I met John Hurt in Edinburgh, Scotland and asked him for an interview. He was sitting in the Sheraton Hotel lounge and I just walked up to him and asked him for a few minutes of his time. He was sitting with his wife and two other people but, all I saw was John Hurt. He asked me to give him five minutes and he would meet me in the hotel lobby (which he did).

We agreed (during our lobby moment) to meet at 7:00 P.M. that evening and I would bring my camcorder along to record my momentous interview. When we met that evening, I asked him questions for twenty-five minutes straight. The stupidest question I asked was how uncomfortable was the make-up he donned during the filming of Elephant Man, he looked at me quizzically like what did I mean? I reiterated the question and he told me that was just gossip that the tabloids had created. The very last question I had to ask was “what was your favorite film of all time in your acting career?”. He threw me a curve on that question and answered “Love & Death on Long Island“. I had seen the movie when it came out and it was disturbing, as much as it was one of Hurt’s best performances. Hurt’s co-star was Jason Priestley and surprisingly enough, he did a superb job complimenting Hurt’s award winning performance.

The following morning, I received a call on my cell from my friend that he was having breakfast in the lobby restaurant. He announced (excitedly) that he was sitting just five feet away from Sean Connery who was chowing down some high-fiber cereal while doing his daily crossword puzzle. My heart skipped a beat as I headed down the elevator. I thought I could ace an interview with Connery and basically kill two birds with one stone.

Two interviews with two of the greatest actors in the world all in just under 14 hours!

When I arrived at my friends table, he got up and gave me his seat, which was closer to Connery. I sat down next to him and watched as Connery munched away. In between every mouthful, he dutifully filled in a  space on his crossword puzzle. He looked a bit tired, out of sorts and was not wearing a hairpiece. He looked nothing like James Bond, however, here we are years later and what could I expect? John Hurt always looks like John Hurt (except in Elephant Man) and Connery just looked like a guy eating cereal.

I decided (after ten minutes) of watching him munch and puzzle, it was time to approach him and ask him for ten minutes of his time. I only had five feet to walk to make it to his table and it was the longest five feet I had every walked. I got up and felt like a cat stalking its prey (not a good sign). I wasn’t thinking that Connery was anything less than the characters he portrayed in his movies and I always thought of him as affable fellow. I expected a kind smile, warm handshake and a “sit down and have a seat” sort of exchange. 

I figured he could munch while I asked him a few questions.

Connery would have none of that. In fact, he looked up at me like he was confused as to who I was (and rightfully so). In all of my haste to break the Connery code, I overlooked one important rule, never bother a man (no less a Connery), during his early morning munch and puzzle. Not a good idea.

Connery looked up at me and stated “can you see I’m eating my breakfast?”. That’s all he said as I backed away five feet to my friend’s table and slowly took my seat. Every so often, Connery would look up from his munch and puzzle and give me a look that was none to friendly. I tried everything in my power to disconnect from his glare but, it was impossible.

When Connery commands attention, he does so whether you like it or not.

Needless to say, my breakfast lasted all of ten minutes and as walked away from the table (and right past Connery), he threw me one parting glance, which told me this was neither the time nor the place. Maybe in better circumstances I might have been able ask him a few questions that had some meat in them.

Everything I wrote above is absolutely true and I have the Hurt video to prove it. The sound quality isn’t that good but, I aced the interview with Hurt, blew the interview with Connery and walked away knowing what to do and what not to do when in the presence of a celebrity.

Now, here’s the test. Did you find this blog entry amusing or interesting? When you first read the name John Hurt, did you want more? When I relayed what happened with Connery did you feel for me or, did I get what I deserved for interrupting Connery’s chow down? In any event, my thirst for breaking into the celebrity chatter market should prove one thing, all bloggers can write about their own personal experience and/or  reviews of celebrities, their latest films and their greatest performances to spice up their blogs and possibly become the next OMG or Perez Hilton!

Time to take stock of what’s FREE and what works. I found a site, which ten’s of thousands are using to host their sites and blogs for free. Mind you, you have to know a thing or two about a thing or two in order to use 10GB. The site offers the following:

1. 20 GB Bandwith
2. 10 GB of space
3. PHP and MySql Support
4. FTP Access
5. FREE Sign-Up
6. No Banner ads

Downtime is zip! Just another FREE resource that may work well for some.
 

My cell phone minutes climbed to over 6,000 last month (a record for me), as Verizon now offers an unlimited calling plan. As I no longer have to watch the minutes I use on a monthly basis, I can talk to anyone for as long I wish. In fact, I’m talking so much on my cell each day that I often think I just might run out of things to say. But, there’s always something more to say and of course, there are follow-up calls to just about every initial call, as when a call falls into the call waiting queue, I will always end up telling the current caller to “let me know what happens” as my way of letting them know - our time is up. I then start fumbling with the buttons in the hope that I can click the “send” button quick enough in order to take the next call before it sends it into voicemail.

I recently watched a segment on CNN, which speculates that excessive cell phone use may lead to brain tumors. The CNN piece got me thinking and paranoia clicked in. I noticed that my cell phone is always hot to the touch and I started imagining radio wave coursing through my brain with each and every call.

Can radio waves cause headaches? I seem to remember that my bout with headaches has increased over the past few months. In order to confirm my suspicions, I immediately checked my medicine cabinet and lo and behold found one small and one extra-large bottle of Advil. I figured that this was the confirmation I needed to go out and buy a Bluetooth.

Just how many minutes on the cell does it take to fry your brain? No idea, but, I wasn’t taking any chances and went the Bluetooth route.

Now, the Bluetooth is pretty slick in design, however, I have one problem with it and that’s the stares I get from people in the supermarket and at the mall. At times, I feel like a complete idiot wearing it in public. I can now hear people’s thoughts and when I get a curious stare I can hear people thinking - beam that one up to the mother-ship:-) No doubt, this is my imagination working overtime and if I feel a wee bit uncomfortable (in public) with this “thingy” sticking out of my ear. Sometimes, I can be standing in a check-out line at Target and find myself whispering into my Bluetooth, however, people will turn to me and say “excuse me?” as if I’m talking too loud or worse, to myself. In fact, I find myself raising my voice on the Bluetooth, as I think the volume of my voice has to be raised to keep that connection loud and clear between my Bluetooth and the cell tucked away in my pocket.

When I get too uncomfortable with my public display of Star Trek (lookalike) technology, I retire it into my pocket until I get back into the car or, better yet, into the non-judgemental confines of my home.  However, when my cell phone rings in between my race from the check-out line (the point of Bluetooth disconnect) and the dash to the car, I’ll still answer my cell but, hold it far away from my ear, which makes me look like I have some type of “can you hear me now” reception problem. 

At home, I walk around with the “thingy” in my ear for most of the day and feel a sense of independence from those dangerous radio waves. It’s been a few weeks since Bluetooth came into my life and my headaches have decreased dramatically. I feel more comfortable in public, as I see others in places like Borders and Barnes & Noble walking around with a “thingy” in their ear. I can hear them whispering into their Bluetooth in between ordering a Latte or browsing the aisles. I have now added Barnes & Noble and Borders to my Bluetooth “safe points”. In fact, on my last visit to Borders I found even more Bluetooth aficionado’s in full whisper-mode and this just confirmed what I thought all along, spare yourself the tumor and get a Bluetooth! 
 

I have a dirty little secret I’m going to let you in on. You see, I haven’t gotten into the habit of using Google Reader until fairly recently. I’ve been using my Yahoo home page to read my feeds. It’s a bad habit, and absolutely not recommended. A big reason why is that you often don’t get your feeds until hours or even days after they’ve been posted, if ever! It turns out that Yahoo and some of the other services can be pretty unreliable. Go to Autopinger and you’ll see how bad it can be.

I’ve quit my nasty little habit, although I have to admit, I really liked my Yahoo page layout that I have had for three years or so. The thing is, a lot of other people haven’t made the switch. Not everyone uses Google reader, and your posts may be hanging out in RSS purgatory. I know I’ve gotten emails from people who use things like Blogrolling, and they think I haven’t updated in weeks, when I’ve been writing every day! Where did those posts go?

Apparently, they are going unpinged by the service. You can fix this, though, by pinging ALL of the services at once via Autopinger. I’m glad I found this, because I think more of my RSS subscribers will hang around once they realize that I am actually posting.

My package of incense arrived yesterday from the people who sent me this email. I have to say, they were very prompt. They also have a great product. The incense came with some extra goodies, pictured below. I have put the purple button magnet on my refrigerator as a conversation piece and as a reminder to calm the f*** down.

The abundant literature that arrived with my package was very interesting. Here are some excerpts from the information about the Nazir Order of the Purple Veil:

An initiate of the NOPV wears solid, all purple, monastic garments at all times. Members of NMC live a reclusive, austere life, refraining from eating flesh, drinking intoxicants and cutting of the hair, among other disciplines.

You will find members of Nahziryah Monastic Community and our Order very seldom travel alone, never engaging in frivolous talk. We are reclusive.

A true member of Nahziryah Monastic Community and the Nazir Order of the Purple Veil, will first, foremost and always proclaim Nahziryah (all blessings and respect due) as his or her Spiritual Teacher and Guide.

Of course, there’s a whole lot more. I am struck by the ego it must take to get a whole bunch of people to wear purple all of the time and give their (capital letters!) Spiritual Teacher proclamations as such. Reverend Nahziryah does look like a modern day guru sort, as the drawing in the literature shows him with dreadlocks all the way down to the hem of his flowing robe.

It made me wonder if I could become a guru and start my own cult. Perhaps everyone could wear big movie star sunglasses (so as to block some of the view of the evils of the world), flip flops (to use in walking meditations where chanting would match the rhythmic slap, slap of the shoes) and coral toenail polish (to remind one of the beauty that lies even in ugly things). We would engage in LOTS of “frivolous talk”. My cult would support itself by raising purebred angora rabbits, dyed pink. Or, perhaps it could be the first cult ever (?) supported by Adsense. Hmm.

It’s always good to keep your career options open…