Ah, yes. The evil cell phone. DH and I must be the only 2 people left on earth without a cell phone. I’ve seen kids as young as 8 or 10 have one! That is WAY to young, imo, for a cell phone. Where are these kids at that they need a cell phone? Are they not being chaperoned by an adult? Why do 8 yr olds need phones???

Drivers in Erie are already bad enough. I hate when I get behind someone who is either driving like a maniac or driving like grandpa. Then I finally get around them and what do I see? They are on a CELL PHONE! The same with people in a store! Can’t you wait until you have checked out to chat with someone about nothing in particular? I can see if you are calling to ask a question about something that you need or are looking for, such as size, etc. My mil calls when she is shopping for the boys to make sure they don’t already have something and to double check sizes. THAT, I can understand, especially since we are 2 states away. But just to shoot the breeze? C’mon! That’s what voice mail is for!

Anyway, I ran across this article and I had to chuckle. It reiterates what I was talking about above (driving).

Cell phone talkers as bad as drunk drivers
More study participants rear-ended car while on cell phones than drunk

Updated: 7:24 p.m. ET June 29, 2006

WASHINGTON – People who talk on cell phones while driving, even using “hands-free” devices, are as impaired as drunk drivers, researchers said Thursday.

“If legislators really want to address driver distraction, then they should consider outlawing cell phone use while driving,” said Frank Drews, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Utah who worked on the study.

The researchers used a driving simulation device for their study, published in the summer 2006 issue of Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

They studied 40 volunteers who used a driving simulator four times – while undistracted, using a handheld cell phone, using a hands-free cell phone and while intoxicated to a 0.08 percent blood-alcohol level – the average legal level of impairment in the United States – after drinking vodka and orange juice.

Three study participants rear-ended the simulated car in front of them. All were talking on cellphones and none was drunk, the researchers said.

Motorists who talked on either handheld or hands-free cell phones drove slightly more slowly, were 9 percent slower to hit the brakes, and varied their speed more than undistracted drivers.

Drivers with an 0.08 percent blood-alcohol level drove a bit more slowly than both undistracted drivers and telephone users, yet more aggressively.

Cell phone signal excites brain – is it harmful?

“Driving while talking on a cell phone is as bad as or maybe worse than driving drunk,” said Drews, who said alcohol was involved in 40 percent of the 42,000 annual U.S. traffic fatalities.

Just like many people who have been drinking, the cell phone users did not believe themselves to be affected, the researchers found.

(c) Reuters 2006. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.

original source

News | 1 Comment »

We’re doing the garage sale again tomorrow, 9-2. There’s a fridge free for whoever can take it away! Would be a nice garage fridge.

Lots of boy clothes, sizes 2T-5T, girls clothes of all sizes (including the teenage sizes, lol)…women’s clothes, shoes, toys…….some nick-nacky things. Lot’s of stuff, but mostly clothes!

Come on out to 1405 W 43rd St. and take a look!

General | 1 Comment »

My stay-at-home mom group is having a garage sale this Saturday. There’s about 7 families participating. There will be lots of kids clothing, women’s and mens stuff, too. Toys, household items, computer games, other kids stuff, etc. 1405 W 43rd St.

Look forward to seeing you all there!

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I want to wish all of you dad’s out there in blogger land a Happy Father’s Day! Especially my wonderful husband and my dad, even though I know my dad will never see this, lol.

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CONCERN OVER RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN IRAQ
(Senate – October 09, 1998)

Dear Mr. President: We are writing to express our concern over recent developments in Iraq .

Last February, the Senate was working on a resolution supporting military action if diplomacy did not succeed in convincing Saddam Hussein to comply with the United Nations Security Council resolutions concerning the disclosure and destruction of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction. This effort was discontinued when the Iraqi government reaffirmed its acceptance of all relevant Security Council resolutions and reiterated its willingness to cooperate with the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in a Memorandum of Understanding signed by its Deputy Prime Minister and the United Nations Secretary General.

Despite a brief interval of cooperation, however, Saddam Hussein has failed to live up to his commitments. On August 5, Iraq suspended all cooperation with UNSCOM and the IAEA, except some limited monitoring activity.

As UNSCOM Executive Chairman Richard Butler told us in a briefing for all Senators in March, the fundamental historic reality is that Iraq has consistently sought to limit, mitigate, reduce and, in some cases, defeat the Security Council’s resolutions by a variety of devices.

We were gratified by the Security Council’s action in unanimously passing Resolution 1194 on September 9. By condemning Iraq’s decision to suspend cooperation with UNSCOM and the IAEA, by demanding that Iraq rescind that decision and cooperate fully with UNSCOM and the IAEA, by deciding not to conduct the sanctions’ review scheduled for October 1998 and not to conduct any future such reviews until UNSCOM and the IAEA, report that they are satisfied that they have been able to exercise the full range of activities provided for in their mandates, and by acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, the Security Council has sent an unambiguous message to Saddam Hussein.

We are skeptical, however, that Saddam Hussein will take heed of this message even though it is from a unanimous Security Council. Moreover, we are deeply concerned that without the intrusive inspections and monitoring by UNSCOM and the IAEA, Iraq will be able, over time, to reconstitute its weapons of mass destruction programs.

In light of these developments, we urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraq sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq’s refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs.

Sincerely,

Carl Levin, Joe Lieberman, Frank R. Lautenberg, Dick Lugar, Kit Bond, Jon Kyl, Chris Dodd, John McCain, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Alfonse D’Amato, Bob Kerrey, Pete V. Domenici, Dianne Feinstein, Barbara A. Mikulski.

Thomas Daschle, John Breaux, Tim Johnson, Daniel K. Inouye, Arlen Specter, James Inhofe, Strom Thurmond, Mary L. Landrieu, Wendell Ford, John F. Kerry, Chuck Grassley, Jesse Helms, Rick Santorum.

found here

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I just finished this and am pretty happy with it. It turned out better than I expected and it is so cute! I wanted to share it with you all

On another note, I am sure dh is screaming at his tv right now. The Yankees just let Washington score 2 runs at the bottom of the 8th. They were tied (in case you didn’t know that) at 9. Hmmmm, maybe it will be best to talk to dh later……..lol. Oh, but I must think positive. The Yankees will win, the Yankees will win, the Yankees will win…..lol.

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Narrow focus draws ‘PG’ rating for Baptist-backed film

By TERRY MATTINGLY
Scripps Howard News Service
07-JUN-06

The Motion Picture Association of America is crystal clear when it describes why its “PG” rating exists _ it’s a warning flag.

“The theme of a PG-rated film may itself call for parental guidance,” states the online explanation of the rating system. “There may be some profanity in these films. There may be some violence or brief nudity. … The PG rating, suggesting parental guidance, is thus an alert for examination of a film by parents before deciding on its viewing by their children. Obviously such a line is difficult to draw.”

Disagreements are a given. The Christian moviemakers behind a low-budget film called “Facing the Giants” were stunned when the MPAA pinned a PG rating on their gentle movie about a burned-out, depressed football coach whose life _ on and off the field _ takes a miraculous turn for the better.

“What the MPAA said is that the movie contained strong ‘thematic elements’ that might disturb some parents,” said Kris Fuhr, vice president for marketing at Provident Films, which is owned by Sony Pictures. Provident plans to open the film next fall in 380 theaters nationwide with the help of Samuel Goldwyn Films, which has worked with indie movies like “The Squid and the Whale.”

Which “thematic elements” earned this squeaky-clean movie its PG?

“Facing the Giants” is too evangelistic.

The MPAA, noted Fuhr, tends to offer cryptic explanations for its ratings. In this case, she was told that it “decided that the movie was heavily laden with messages from one religion and that this might offend people from other religions. It’s important that they used the word ‘proselytizing’ when they talked about giving this movie a PG. …

“It is kind of interesting that faith has joined that list of deadly sins that the MPAA board wants to warn parents to worry about.”

Overt Christian messages are woven throughout “Facing the Giants,” which isn’t surprising since the film was co-written and co-produced by brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick, who are the “associate pastors of media” at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga. In addition to working with the megachurch’s cable-television channel, they created its Sherwood Pictures ministry _ collecting private donations to fund a $25,000 movie called “Flywheel,” about a wayward Christian used-car salesman.

“Facing the Giants” cost $100,000 and resembles a fusion of the Book of Job and a homemade “Hoosiers,” or perhaps a small- school “Friday Night Lights” blended with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association movies that used to appear in some mainstream theaters. Sherwood Pictures used local volunteers as actors and extras, backed by a small crew of tech professionals.

The movie includes waves of answered prayers, a medical miracle, a mysterious silver-haired mystic who delivers a message from God and a bench-warmer who kicks a 51-yard field goal to win the big game when his handicapped father pulls himself out of a wheelchair and stands under the goal post to inspire his son’s faith. There’s a prayer-driven gust of wind in there, too.

But the scene that caught the MPAA’s attention may have been the chat between football coach Grant Taylor _ played by Alex Kendrick _ and a rich brat named Matt Prader. The coach says that he needs to stop bad-mouthing his bossy father and get right with God.

The boy replies: “You really believe in all that honoring God and following Jesus stuff? … Well, I ain’t trying to be disrespectful, but not everybody believes in that.”

The coach replies: “Matt, nobody’s forcing anything on you. Following Jesus Christ is the decision that you’re going to have to make for yourself. You may not want to accept it, because it’ll change your life. You’ll never be the same.”

That kind of talk may be too blunt for some moviegoers, said Kendrick, but that’s the way real people actually talk in Christian high schools in Georgia. Sherwood Baptist isn’t going to apologize for making the kinds of movies that it wants to make.

“Look, I have those kinds of conversations about faith all the time and I’ve seen young people make decisions that change their lives,” he said. “The reason we’re making movies in the first place is that we hope they inspire people to think twice about their relationships with God.

“So we’re going to tell the stories that we believe God wants us to tell. We have nothing to hide.”

(Terry Mattingly (www.tmatt.net) directs the Washington Journalism Center at the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities.)

This is something I, personally, find very, very sad. A sign of the times? I suppose. Why not let people decide for themselves? Does it really warrant a PG rating? Since when have biblical virtues been threatening to anyone? If someone doesn’t want to be exposed to the Christian message, then don’t see the movie.

From the movie’s website, here is the story line:

From the award winning producers of FLYWHEEL, comes an action-packed drama about a Christian high school football coach who uses his undying faith to battle the giants of fear and failure. In six years of coaching, Grant Taylor has never led his Shiloh Eagles to a winning season. After learning that he and his wife Brooke face infertility, Grant discovers that a group of fathers are secretly organizing to have him dismissed as head coach. Devastated by his circumstances, he cries out to God in desperation. When Grant receives a message from an unexpected visitor, he searches for a stronger purpose for his football team. He dares to challenge his players to believe God for the impossible on and off the field. When faced with unbelievable odds, the Eagles must step up to their greatest test of strength and courage. What transpires is a dynamic story of the fight between faith and fear. Facing the Giants is a powerful experience for the whole family inspiring viewers to live with faith, hope, and love!

Can you name another movie that has been pegged with a PG rating specifically for delivering a message from one particular religion. (No, Im not talking about “The Passion of the Christ”. That was given an R rating for a reason. I have seen it. It is violent.) Here are what the ratings mean, straight from the MPAA website:

G – This is a film which contains nothing in theme, language, nudity and sex, violence, etc. that would, in the view of the Rating Board, be offensive to parents whose younger children view the film. The G rating is not a certificate of approval nor does it signify a children’s film.

Some snippets of language may go beyond polite conversation but they are common everyday expressions. No stronger words are present in G-rated films. The violence is at a minimum. Nudity and sex scenes are not present, nor is there any drug use content.

PG – This is a film which clearly needs to be examined by parents before they let their children attend. The label PG plainly states parents may consider some material unsuitable for their children, but leaves the parent to make the decision. Parents are warned against sending their children, unseen and without inquiry, to PG-rated movies. The theme of a PG-rated film may itself call for parental guidance. There may be some profanity in these films. There may be some violence or brief nudity. However, these elements are not considered so intense as to require that parents be strongly cautioned beyond the suggestion of parental guidance. There is no drug use content in a PG-rated film. The PG rating, suggesting parental guidance, is thus an alert for examination of a film by parents before deciding on its viewing by their children. Obviously such a line is difficult to draw. In our pluralistic society it is not easy to make judgments without incurring some disagreement. As long as parents know they must exercise parental responsibility, the rating serves as a meaningful guide and as a warning.

I won’t go any further than that, since it’s not necessary for this blog. To me, this movie fits much more squarely into the G category.

Here is a quote I saw from my good friend Susan. She posted it on our twins board.

“In the world it is called Tolerance, but in hell it is called Despair, the sin that believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing, and remains alive because there is nothing for which it will die.”
~Dorothy L. Sayers

It seems everyone is tolerated except Christians and their viewpoint. Don’t get me wrong, I would be just as upset about this rating if it were pegged to any other religion. I just don’t feel that “religious content” should be the basis of a PG rating! I think we need more movies like this. More movies to inspire our youth. How is this different from “Because of Winn Dixie?” It was also produced/backed by a Baptist church and also had a message of faith. Yet it’s rating is G. Why chose this movie, now, when the standard has already been set? If they are going to make this movie PG, then they need to change movies like Winn Dixie to PG, as well.

Movies, News, Religion | 3 Comments »

Thought you all might want to see a layout I did using my kit…..Nothing fancy. It was done for the font crop at SBB.

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I just finished my first full kit and want to share it all with you! I’m quite proud of it. It’s inspired by our day outside by the “pool.” The papers were inspired by my son’s swim trunks and also by the pool itself. I hope you find it useful! Here’s a preview:

Included in the kit:
*5 papers
*4 ribbons
*3 beach balls
*2 brads
*2 staples
*1 floatie
*2 kickboards (1 not pictured)

You can download the kit here.

I just got an add from Scrappintwins.com at my MySpace blog. Cute site! I found some shirts I want to get the boys. They are so perfect, especially since it’s always “I didn’t do it. So-and-so did it” What do you think?

Freebies | 2 Comments »

Had to share this article from the NYT from yesterday. I consider SBB (Scrapbook-bytes.com) my home away from home, lol. I spend LOTS of time there. They were mentioned yesterday in a NYT article. Here’s the article:

Showing Off Your Handiwork
By DAMON DARLIN
Published: June 7, 2006

THE point of scrapbooking, besides preserving memorable objects, is to share the results with others.

But that does not necessarily mean that the people viewing a digital scrapbook are friends or relatives. One quirk of the hobby is showing off the design to other scrapbookers. Another is selling scrapbooking materials and advice to less experienced enthusiasts.

A number of Web sites encourage hobbyists to submit work. Anyone can post on these sites, so graphic designs that can hold their own against fashion magazine layouts are right next to projects that look like second graders’ Mother’s Day cards.

With a little patience, you can page through the galleries at sites like twopeasinabucket.com, scrapbook graphics.com, thedigichick.com and scrapbook-bytes.com to find ideas. Some of these sharing sites also have forums and chat rooms to post questions or to provide advice.

If you want to see higher-quality scrapbooks, scrapbooking magazines are the best bet. Digital Scrapbooking is devoted to those who practice the art with technology, but magazines catering to the mainstream, like Memory Makers, Simple Scrapbooks and Creating Keepsakes, give more space to books made with software rather than with scissors.

All the magazines have Web sites, for which they solicit submissions. Few, however, post the results online. One that does, creatingkeep sakes.com, has an online Scrapbook Hall of Fame. You can find these magazines at larger newsstands or at scrapbooking supplies stores.

For the digital scrapbooker, the Internet is also a source for materials. Hobbyists can download fonts, “digital paper” for backgrounds and even entire layouts that can be used with Photoshop software. There are even downloadable “embellishments,” digitized counterparts of the buttons, brads, ribbons and other doodads that scrapbookers in the three-dimensional world fasten to their books.

Other downloads offer the kind of thing that would never be seen in a traditional scrapbook — like flashing emoticons, similar to the little faces you see in e-mail and instant messages. Many of the downloads are free or cost only a few dollars.

Beginners can start with digital kits that tie tools and materials together under a theme, like a baby’s birthday or a Western vacation.

Among the most popular sources for digital materials are scrapbook -elements.com, theshabbyshoppe .com, digitalscrapbookplace.com and escrappers.com. Hundreds of these sites exist, which suggests that one thing that scrapbookers like most, next to scrapbooking, is selling stuff to other scrapbookers.

original source.

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