OFF THE TOP

Inspiration

2010-06-12T11:19:00.003-05:00

I believe that there comes a time in every one's life in which the past slaps them right in the face. All the good, all the bad, and all the things we wish we could go back and change. When that moment arrives...it never leaves. It lasts a week, then a month, until we finally we realize that it will be there everyday for the rest of our lives...it is our past. The past is gone and there is nothing we can do about it. We can not get it back, we can not change it and it will grow with every waking hour.

Everyone will handle that moment differently. Some of us will try to forget and move on. Some of us will thank god for all the gifts they have received thus far. Many of us learn from our mistakes and try to do better. I think most people, including myself, will do all of the above.

I look at the past knowing that I made mistakes. I look at the past and ask why? But mostly I look at the past knowing that it is what will pave the way for the future. The good, the bad, every memory...they are there for a reason. They are now tools that can be used to make a better future.

My mother always said... "It doesn't matter what other people think or say about you, Tyla...as long as you know, in your heart, how you have lived your life and that you have done right by others...that's all that matters." She was right. I know how I have lived my life and I am not ashamed. I know how I have treated others and still I am not ashamed. I have made mistakes...but we all have. Lord knows how many times I have been knocked down...but I've always fought to get back up. I have been used by others, lied to, lied about and had my heart broken more than once, yet through it all, my mind remains open and my heart is still as big as the sun.

The past is a book waiting to be finished. How we choose to use those experiences will determine each chapter in our 'Book of Life'. Embrace the past, for it will guide you to a better future...and eventually a happy ending.

Put Illinois to Work

2010-05-26T09:47:00.004-05:00

The Put Illinois to Work program is designed to match employers with Illinois residents who are legally present in the United States, authorized to work and are seeking employment. Qualified applicants must be between the ages of 18-21 or be the custodial or non-custodial parent of a minor child. Applicants may not have an income that is above 200% of the federal poverty level.

This is an excellent opportunity for all employers (public, private and non-profit) to find workers suited for their needs and train them for a possible permanent position. All payroll is provided through the program, including the cost of workers comp and Social Security, therefore no financial loss is accrued by employers if they do not find the right individuals to suit their needs.

The program is funded by the State of Illinois and federal funding made available in the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Emergency Contingency Fund created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The Emergency Contingency Fund expires on September 30, 2010. Therefore all subsidized employment placements must end by that date.

The hourly wage for employees is $10 per hour and is paid for through the Put Illinois to Work program. Employers are encouraged, but not obligated to provide permanent positions after the funding expires September 30, 2010.

Employers, and those looking for work, should visit the DHS website and sign-up today.

GDI Scam Exposed

2010-04-27T14:53:00.000-05:00

Global Domains International, or GDI, is a company who's main focus is selling .ws domain names to customers. That seems reasonable right? But the problem is the various affiliate programs they use to lure customers into the $10 per month domain purchase. Most of the affiliate programs are matrix schemes that do not even disclose their affiliation with GDI.

There are several of these get rich quick websites on the Internet. Once you join or buy into one of these programs they send your own website to promote. And guess what, after you have invested in the program, that same program will ask you to join the .ws Global Domains International program. You will receive emails asking you why you haven't joined GDI.

Most people who buy into these so called affiliate programs, use traffic exchanges in an attempt to get others to sign up for the program. Most of the programs promise you monetary gain when you get others to sign up. Now here is where the scam comes in. The affiliate program sent you a nice, ready made website to promote. You are clicking away in traffic exchanges trying to get sign ups for the program, while all along, the site you are sending traffic too is actually a sign up page for GDI.

Here is how I figured this out. I signed up for the $5 Magic program. It is a snail mail program that works similar to a chain letter. They sent me a website in which my name was listed in the number 4 position. So, I though, all I needed to do is get three others to sign up, then I would be in the #1 position. The site then listing my name in position #1 would generate more sign-ups and the $5 bills would start rolling into the mailbox.

After following the instructions given I received my website via email. I used several manual traffic exchanges attempting to get others to sign up as well. I really thought this was a cool idea. Then BAM! In one of the traffic exchanges I notice that the thumbnail generated for my promotional website was not promoting my $5 magic program...it was promoting GDI. This is a bait and switch maneuver an is illegal. Obviously there must be a code within the .html website they send that opens as $5 magic when viewed by myself, at my IP address, but when opened by others it is a sign-up page for GDI.

MyEzyBiz is an example of another affiliate program linked to GDI. They advetise free pre-launch and throw you a couple sign-ups, but when you do not sign up for GDI, communication from MyEzyBiz stops and you are left out in the cold and probably out a bit of money as well.

Most matrix programs are legal in the United States, but these affiliate programs are only generating profits for those already positioned within the GDI corporation. Major players in the matrix are generating money through these affiliate programs with actual legitimate websites...no hidden code. All the money generated from these money making scams goes straight up to GDI. Then some of the profits trickle down to those who are already positioned within the GDI corporation. That pool of individuals at the bottom buying into these programs generally never receive a cent.

Do not buy into these programs. By doing so you are allowing GDI to generate income which allows them to create more bogus programs and prey on those faced with bad economic times and are desperate to make money. GDI is ranked #37 in the top 500 fastest growing private companies...and they are not even selling legitimate products.

Do yourself a favor and do not invest any more money or generate any more traffic to programs affiliated with Global Domains International. You are getting ripped off.

Tim Urban Eliminated From Idol

2010-04-24T12:26:00.003-05:00

Tim Urban, 20, from Duncanville, TX smiled for the last time on the big Idol stage Wednesday night. Tim, who was first cut from the show, then asked to return, took a beating from most of the judges every week. He earned the nickname Teflon Tim because no matter critique he received from the judges, he kept on smiling.

Urban leaves the show with a positive attitude stating "I love music, that's what I love, but I've always had a desire to act and just be in that side of the entertainment industry, so I would be really excited if I got the chance to be on that side as well. I'm really just excited about the whole thing."

Good luck, Tim. I'm sure your great personality and smile will take you far in life.

Idol Gives Back 2010

2010-04-21T14:51:00.005-05:00

American Idol presented it's fifth annual "Idol Gives Back" show last night. The show managed to raise a staggering $15 million dollars during the two hours in which it aired. The money raised will benefit the following charities: The Children's Health Fund, Feeding America, Malaria No More, Save The Children and The United Nations Foundation.

The show featured musical artists include Alicia Keys, Carrie Underwood, The Black Eyed Peas, Annie Lennox, Mary J. Blige, Jeff Beck & Joss Stone. As always, Underwood gave a perfect and heart felt live performance. Alicia Keys, however, sounded nothing like her recordings and the performance left much to be desired. Using the show and the judges as subject matter for their acts, comedian's George Lopez and Wanda Sykes had me "busting a gut" during their guest spots on the show.

I am thrilled that Idol Gives Back focused a bit more on the problems within the United States considering one in five children live in poverty within this country. After all, it is Americans that watch, vote and donate. All of which have made the show an astounding success. DONATE

GLEE Tributes Madonna

2010-04-21T08:23:00.008-05:00

WATCH 'GLEE' - VOGUE VIDEO

The hit series 'GLEE' aired on Fox network last night. The show focused on empowering women, and who better to showcase "girl power" than Madonna. The show featured several hits by Madonna including: 'Like a Virgin, 'Open Your Heart', 'Like A Prayer' and 'Express Yourself.

Jane Lynch, who plays the part of Sue, cheerleader coach for the 'Cheerios', is featured in the video link above. The video is a rendition of Madonna's 1990 hit 'Vogue'. The video features Lynch as Madonna. "I am so very proud of that video" Lynch said.

Lynch's character brings many laughs to the show with her "tell it like it is" attitude". I have been a fan of 'GLEE' since the first episode and am thrilled the show depicts the importance music and teamwork can bring to our youths.

There Are Lives In The Balance

2010-04-16T17:43:00.003-05:00

What if it were your Brother, Sister, Son, Daughter, Father, Mother, Best Friend? I found this video to be realistic and touching. The sad thing is that this video is 5 years old and the war is still destroying lives. Our lives are still in the balance.

Idol Judges Save Michael Lynche

2010-04-08T10:16:00.003-05:00

American Idol Season 9 judges decided to use the first ever 'save' last night. The 'save' is a new addition to the show this season. The judges can use this new rule to save a contestant that has received the lowest number of votes...which in the past would mean they would be sent home. Instead that person sings once again for the judges. If all judges agree to save the contestant, he/she remains on the show. The 'save' can only be used once per season and it has to be used before the final five contestants are voted in.

With a total of nine contestants remaining the judges decided to save Michael Lynche from elimination last night. 'Big Mike' will get another shot at being the next American Idol.

Although Lynche has a technically superb voice, he's definitely no Chris Daughtry or Alex Lambert. I just can not see where his skills would do justice to a million dollar recording contract. The genre he continues to choose to sing seems to be more appealing to a mature/older audience. Sorry, but that audience just does not consist of thousands of album buying music fans.

Furthermore, there are 6 guys and and only 3 girls left on the show. I think it would have been wise to just let this one go. He didn't even act appreciative after the judges used the save. He just gave these hand signs like..."I'm the man!" What a waste!

American Idol 9 Falls Flat

2010-04-06T10:43:00.006-05:00

I am a huge American Idol fan, but as much as I hate to admit it, the past few weeks have been like watching a High School talent show. Where is the creativity and pizazz?

Tim Urban creeps me out with those big 'ol eyes always peering directly into the camera. Lee DeWyze is always so tense it literally makes me uncomfortable watching him. I love Mike Lynches' voice, but he went from being a potentially great solo artist to being a Vegas/Wedding singer act.

Don't get me wrong, there is great talent on the show. Crystal Bowersox and Siobhan Magnus are both unique and have tremendous voices. Casey James is awesome with the electric guitar and he chooses songs that make you want to get up and dance. Aaron Kelly has a great voice if he could get over the nerves...but at this point, I'm honestly more entertained by Ellen DeGeneres and Simon Cowell versus the performances by the contestants.

Didi Benami was the last contestant with a totally unique sounding voice. I truly enjoyed her performances even if she did get a bit emotional. It's unfortunate that one bad performance got her eliminated. I voted for her every week, except the week she got eliminated. My bad.

I just find it hard to believe that out of all the artists that auditioned for the show...this is the end result. Maby next season they should use a different approach in selecting talent.

Freedom of the Independent Voter

2010-03-29T07:57:00.004-05:00

The Presidential election of 1992 was the first election in which I was of legal voting age. Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush and Ross Perot were the three major candidates. I knew my Presidential pick was Ross Perot, but there were other candidates, both democrats and republicans, that I was prepared to vote for. I was quite disappointed when I received my "one punch" ballot. I left the building wondering, "who else did I vote for?". I believed then and I believe now, that Americans should be allowed to vote based on a candidates agenda and beliefs regardless of their political party.

After leaving the voting booth apprehensive, in 1992, I remained leery over the years of the whole voting experience. If I did not particularly care for the Presidential candidates, I didn't vote. Judging a person based on their political party went against my belief system. I had never stereotyped individuals and up until then I had never been asked to choose between groups that played such a vital roll in the future of my country.

Everyone has their own way of determining whether a person is good, bad or a combination of both. When I meet someone, they have a clean slate. In time, the persons actions, in how they treat others and their belief system, allows me to form an opinion of that individual. But when it comes to picking a politician I feel will best serve the needs of the American citizens, I use a different approach and I my instincts do the rest.

A couple months before the 2008 Presidential election, a friend asked me if I was going to vote. I told them I really wanted to vote, but that I would not be forced to vote for one whole political group, just to cast my vote for Barack Obama. They told me I could vote on an 'Independent Ticket' which would allow me vote for candidates in all the parties. "Finally" I thought to myself.

The day of the election, a friend and I were the first people at the voting site. We walked right in. A lady at the table checked my friends name from a list of voters, then asked her "Democrat or Republican?", they handed her a ballot. Then they found my name on the voters list. "Democrat or Republican?" the lady at the table asked. "I'm an Independent" I told her. "No, no" she said "you have to choose one or the other". "Oh, well I'm sorry then, I will not be voting today" I told her. She just looked at me and shrugged her shoulders. The kind gentlemen to her right asked me why I was refusing to vote. I explained to him that forcing me to vote for one party or group is discriminatory and goes against my beliefs. If I can not pick and choose the candidates from all parties...I will not vote. "Well" he said "It just so happens I have a whole box of Independent tickets right here." My eyes lit up as if I had just won the lottery.

Voting as an Independent allows Americans to research the candidates running for certain offices. We can vote for the person best qualified for the job regardless of their political affiliation. This is a huge opportunity for Americans to regain some freedom and control over the government. Vote on an Independent ballot and let freedom ring!

Strain of Swine Flu Man-Made?

2010-03-25T14:55:00.004-05:00

Is the Swine Flu a man-made strain? This video defends the pig farmers and says the swine flue appears to be a man-made strain of bacteria. The video is too cute, but I actually believe it to be true.

National Debt = $12,670,749,966,933

2010-03-24T11:24:00.006-05:00

During President Obama's campaign for President of the United States, he not only promised to provide jobs and health care for all Americans, but he repeatedly said he wanted to re-build America from the ground up. Instead, Obama's took an ass-backwards approach which has left the economy extremely vulnerable.

Job growth and a stable economy are the foundation in which this country stands. The President should have distributed the 'free stimulus money' to create more manufacturing jobs in the US. Not all Americans are cut out for careers that require a college education. They just want to work, get paid a decent wage and take care for their families.

Reforming the trade agreements would have been a great way to stabilize the economy. Wal- mart imports billions of dollars worth of good from China every year. Putting a cap on this amount would force Wal-Mart to buy more products manufactured in the United States. We have the technology to build 'clean air' factories, but instead Obama continues to spent millions on short term, meaningless projects.

The national debt has increased by more than 2 trillion dollars since Obama was inaugurated on January 20, 2009. Unemployment rates remain predominantly the same and the outstanding public debt as of today is a staggering 12.6 trillion dollars. The estimated population of the United States is 308,067,083 therefore each citizen's share of this debt is $41,129.38.

Obama's 1.5 trillion dollar 'Stimulus Package' and 940 billion dollar 'Healthcare Reform Bill" have put this country so far in debt my 10 year old son will probably not outlive this financial disaster.

Land Of The Freebies

2010-03-23T09:25:00.006-05:00

President Obama, the man I voted for, has proved to be a great disappointment in my eyes. The excitement I once felt in the belief that he would be different and bring about change, in favor of the greater good, now feels more like a sunken ship.

His use of underhanded techniques, to pass his 'Healthcare Reform Bill', supports my theory that Obama has a hidden agenda not beneficial to American citizens. I have sifted through this bill and can theoretically say that our healthcare facilities will become more like an assembly line. The number of Foreign doctors will skyrocket, as they will be the only doctors willing to provide services for such low fees. Furthermore, how are we supposed to communicate with doctors that can not speak English fluently enough for everyone to understand? If you have ever had a phone conversation with someone who's English is not polished, I'm sure you know exactly what I mean.

Making health insurance mandatory only benefits the insurance companies. Low income families have access to Medicaid through the state. High income families generally have insurance through their employment. But middle class Americans are the ones that will most likely have to pay for their own health insurance as they, in most cases, will not have access to either. The IRS will be enforcing this law. Why is the burden of healthcare forced upon Americans and not the employers? Why aren't large corporations, like Wal-Mart, forced to employ a certain number of full-time employees and provide them with healthcare?

Forcing insurance companies to allow families to keep their children insured until they are 26 years old scares the hell out of me. This tells me that Obama does not believe the economy will allow many of our children to obtain jobs ,that will provide them health insurance, before reaching this age. I have never heard an American say "I wish I could keep my children on my insurance until they turn 26". This is absurd. We want our children to be independent, proud and on a career path before they reach this age and Obama should be helping Americans insure that happens.

Article I, Amendment XIV: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

Why did congress go against the voice of the American people and pass the healthcare bill? Do they think we are uneducated and therefore do not know what privileges we want enforced? It boils down to the fact that there were more democrats than republicans in the House of Representatives. Therefore, what democrats believe is in our best interest, is now forced upon all Americans. How can any vote be constitutional when the parties are not equal? I do not believe they can.

I have defended this country the majority of my life, but right now I'm not so sure I'm proud to be an American. I demand the right to choose. I take comfort in knowing there are a lot more flag loving Americans out there. I am confident that we will not let another administration run the country, so many died to defend, into the ground again. If we do not stop the 'United States of Obama ' we will eventually become the 'Land of the Freebies' instead of the "Land of the Free".

Remove XP Internet Security 2010

2010-02-27T09:36:00.002-06:00

Did XP Internet Security 2010 suddenly appear on your computer? Did it turn off your firewall and virus protection? Well, it happened to me and as it turns out this is a fraudulent program that tells you your computer is infected with many high risk viruses in an attempt to get you to buy the program. I followed the following steps to remove the program and it worked perfectly.

Click Start, Run. Type command and press Enter. Type notepad and press Enter.
Notepad opens. Copy all the text below into Notepad.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\.exe] [-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\secfile] [-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\secfile] [-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe\shell\open\command]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command] @="\"%1\" %*"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe] @="exefile" "Content Type"="application/x-msdownload"

Save this as fix.reg to your Desktop (remember to select Save as file type: All files in Notepad.)
Double Click fix.reg and click YES for confirm.
Reboot your computer.

Casey James - American Idol

2010-02-25T08:22:00.005-06:00

(CLICK TITLE ABOVE TO VIEW CASEY JAMES PERFORMANCE OF "HEAVEN")

Casey James, a 27 year old from Fort Worth, Texas, won over the judges of American Idol Season 9 with his audition in Denver. Casey started playing guitar very young and has been a full time musician for the past ten years. He is the lead singer and guitarist for the Casey James band, whose other members are his brother Billy James and Jacy McCann.

At his first audition, in which he sang "Slow Dancing In the Burning Room" by John Mayer and received his golden ticket to Hollywood, Simon thought he lacked charisma. But during last night's performance of "Heaven", originally recorded by Brian Adams, charisma and star quality exuberated from this talented and adoring musician.

Casey James is the first American Idol contestant to win me over this early in the game. I truly enjoy artists that have evolved their gift through experience and soul rather than vocal coaching. I even picked up the phone and voted. I have to admit I got lost in his eyes for a moment towards the end of the performance, but my vote was for the whole package.

Casey, you have my vote and my heart! Good Luck!!!

My Apologies

2010-01-20T10:36:00.003-06:00

I would like to apologize for the inaccuracy of my math regarding the amount of dollars per person for Haiti and The Dominican Republic in reference to my article "Donations Equal 11 Million Dollars Per Person For Haiti". I did however state in the article that Math was not one of my better subjects.

I want it to be known that my intentions were never to prevent aid from those in need but instead to bring to light the dire need of the middle and lower income families of America.

Again I apologies and intend to triple check my math equations in the future.

Sincerely,

Tyla McClanahan
http://off2thetop.blogspot.com

Obama With Too Many Troops Deployed?

2010-01-17T12:17:00.003-06:00

President Barack Obama gave a speech today at the Vermont Avenue Baptist Church in Washington. He delivered his speech making reference to the late and great Martin Luther King, in lieu of the fact that the national holiday is not until tomorrow. The presidents speech led me to believe he would be in search of more donations for Haiti on Monday instead.

Obama said, towards the end of his speech, that we need to rebuild America from the ground up. My interpretation of that remark would be that our country is in dire straits and he is well aware of the situation. Yet, his heart reaches out to Haitians instead of Americans, which is quite contradictory to the "Oath of Office" in which he is bound. Our president remains stagnant in accelerating economic growth in this country and in doing so he is jeopardizing the foundation on which we stand.

There are 1,454,515 people on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces. The words people and troops can mean two very different things in terms of the military. The number I have given is based on one count per individual. A troop is defined as a military unit containing more than one soldier. So when President Obama makes statements regarding the number of troops, that may be deployed, civilians have no way of knowing exactly how many soldiers are in each troop.

There are currently an estimated 371,564 troops deployed outside of the United States. This number does not include additional military Obama sent to Haiti, which I'm assuming Congress approved. Given this high number of troops outside of the U.S., even if 1 troop = 3 soldiers , that means that over half of our military is stationed in countries other than our own. In doing so he is jeopardizing the safety of this nation. If, god forbid, there were a major natural disaster or another country engaged war against us, could the troops that are deployed, in reality, return home in time to save the country they vowed to protect?

President Obama, the man I voted for, has proved to be a great disappointment in my eyes. The excitement I once felt in the belief that he would be different and bring about change now feels more like a sunken ship.

On the brighter side, I am still proud to be an American and I take comfort in knowing there are alot more flag loving Americans out there. I am confident that we will not let another administration run the country, so many died to defend, into the ground again. I have lost count of how many times President Obama has said "I am confident". The difference is, that when I say it, I mean it.

Donations Equal 11 Million Dollars Per Person For Haiti

2010-01-15T14:25:00.006-06:00

Math is not one of my better subjects, but all the resources I have access to show that the conversion of square kilometers into square miles is a simple equation. You just take the number of square kilometers and multiply it by .386 which should equal total square miles.

The cia.gov website calculates the total land mass of Haiti and The Dominican Republic is 76,070 square kilometers. So all we have to do is multiply that number by .386 in order to convert it into square miles. The equation seems simple, but after multiplying a compound series of numbers (ones divided by comma's) by a decimal series of numbers (ones divided by decimal's) what position does the comma and decimal hold at that point? I think I'm going to leave that one to the mathematicians of the world, but I did however figure out the following equation (I know you could of too).

The cia.gov website shows the total population for Haite and The Dominican Republic (both of which reside on Hispaniola island) to be 18,685,590. In researching reports from several news and web resources there is over 208 million dollars in aid being sent to this island. That number does not include supplies, food or other assistance being provided throughout the World. Well, if you divide the number of dollars sent to Haiti by the population listed above (which includes The Dominican Republic) it equal 11 million dollars per person.

I find this staggering! 80% of Americans will never earn 11 million dollars in a lifetime and they actually work for a living. What the heck is going on? If I could afford the plane ticket I would move to Haiti right now. At least I wouldn't have to worry about how I'm going to put food on the table every month. The weather looks superb and I'd have no problem living under a tent for a year with the knowledge that 11 million dollars was set aside for my new life. This a gross injustice to our society!

Blogger Questions Validity Of Haiti Earthquake

2010-01-15T07:28:00.005-06:00

View Larger Map

Haite and The Dominican Republic both populate and island known as Hispaniola. I began researching the history of the island of Hispaniola after news that an alleged 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated the people of Haiti (located on the island of Hispaniola) on January 12, 2010. During my research I was unable to find answers to certain questions using online resources. I also found that much of the information online contradictory from site to site . I would like to share my concerns in the hopes that the outstanding scientists of this great nation may read this article and find the answers in which I could not.

1. Studies would speculate that Hispaniola island was once connected to Cuba, but broke off due to global climate changes and other natural phenomenons. The photo above shows how Hispaniola island would fit into Cuba like a piece of a puzzle.

2. If Hispaniola was once a piece of Cuba, but broke off many years ago due to environmental elements, what is the distance between the bottom of the island Hispaniola and the floor of the North Atlantic Ocean in which is resides.

3. The only information I could find regarding the land density of Haiti is that it is only 150 ft. below sea level(that information may or may not be correct). The greatest known depth in the Caribbean Sea is between Cuba and Jamaica and is estimated at 25,216ft. Can an earthquake supposedly registering 7.0 on the Richter scale occur on an island that is not connected to a continent or to the earths core and is 25,066 ft. above the oceans floor?

4. Wikipedia online states that Hispaniola island ( which Haiti and The Dominican Republic reside) is the second largest island in the Caribbean and that it has an area of 76,480 km2(square kilometers). 76,480 km2 converted into miles is 29.3437 mi2(miles squared). That would mean that the island's area is only 29 square miles in size. This document link http://www.jstor.org/pss/142118 gives measurements in square miles that show a comma after the number 29 instead of a decimal point and therefore do not match my findings. The document further indicates that the total population(Haiti and The Dominican Republic combined)is 5,233,056 squared. Are my calculations incorrect? If Hispaniola island only has an area of 29mi2 is it really possible for it to be occupied by that many people.

5. We have been taught that Columbus discovered American in 1492. There are numerous accounts online claiming that Hispaniola was discovered by Columbus in 1492 as well. Given their means of transportation in 1492 I find this to be impossible.

These question, which should be so easily answered, are leading me to question the validity of this natural disaster in Haiti. The loss of any human life is tragic regardless of the circumstances, race, age or nationality. But if it is found that this situation is fraudulent in any way, in my eyes, that would be the biggest tragedy of all time.

$100 Million In Aid For Haiti…U.S. 12 Trillion Dollars In Debt

2010-01-14T12:04:00.006-06:00

I would like to know why the President of the United States, Barack Obama, pledged $100 million dollars in relief aid for Haiti, knowing that this country is over 12 trillion dollars in debt. The news of this generous aid from the United States is released AFTER the following aid has been offered and intended for delivery by the following countries and organizations.

These facts are based on my research and are not categorized in any order of importance. All of the following are offering relief for Haiti and their people.

Chile - sending 20 doctors, a rescue team, 12 tons of medical and food supplies plus 3 tons of medicine

Jolie-Pitt Foundation - pledges $1 million to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières

Iceland - sending 37 man search & rescue team

World Bank - promises $100 million in emergency funding for recovery and reconstruction

Cuba - sends 30 doctors plus medical supplies

World Food Program - Air lifting 86 metric tons of food from their emergency hub

Spain - pledges $4.3 million (amount calculated into US dollars)and 3 plane loads of aid

AmeriCares - $3 million in medical supplies

China - sends a 50 member team (geez, thanks a bunch)

Israel - sends 4 member rescue team followed by 2 more jets carrying a field hospital and 220 rescue and hospital workers

Samaritan's Purse - has charter planes loaded with supplies awaiting landing

Spanish Aid - Humanitarian aid and rescue plus medical personnel

Virgina, US - sends Fairfax County Search and Rescue Team

This is a list of the World aid I have knowledge of, but am certain there are others that I am not yet aware of.

Hillary Clinton, who has pledged nothing to help Haiti, cancels her job related plans (at the cost of the taxpayers) and the following occurred:

At 8:31 am Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States is providing a communications network to shore up the battered Haitian government infrastructure. "Once we can get communications up so we can tell people where to go, what kind of help they can expect, we'll be able to better manage the crisis," Clinton said on CNN's "American Morning."

Well, I would like to tell Hillary Clinton where she can go. I ask Americans to keep theirs eyes and ears open and that they demand every cent of the $100 million President Obama pledged to be documented and accounted for.

Idol Kicks Off Season 9 In Boston

2010-01-13T07:20:00.006-06:00

American Idol kicked off Season 9 last night with the Boston, Massachusetts auditions. Fox Network premiered the show in it's usual exciting fashion with host Ryan Seacrest and judges Randy Jackson, Simon Cowell, Kara Dioguardi and guest judge Victoria Beckham, better known as Posh Spice of the "Spice Girls".

9,000 folks showed up for the event on day one seeking that golden ticket to Hollywood. Maddy Curtis, age 16 from Bluemont, Virginia received the first golden ticket of Season 9. Quite an honor in itself. Maddy earned the golden ticket by impressing the judges with her own version of "Hallelujah" in the style of Leonard Cohen.

Luke Shaffer and Benjamin Bright, both of whom I believe will go far in the competition, bounced away with their golden tickets along with Ashley Rodriguez, Tyler Grady, Mike Davis, Katie Stevens and Leah Laurent. A total of fifty talented singers left the Boston auditions with a smile on their face and a golden ticket to Hollywood in hand.

Andrew "Angry" Fenlon pinched a nerve in all the judges with his cocky remarks and arrogant attitude. Fenlon claimed he was tired from the three hour wait for his audition. "There are people that would wait years to do so" Kara Dioguardi stated, seeming to find him particularly annoying. Upon Fenlon leaving the audition she also stated "I feel like I need to go home and take a shower after that". I totally agree with Kara. The look in his eyes alone puts him on my "Creepiest Idol Audition Ever" list. Gross.

I was pleased to see the judges invest in some talent that is not yet perfectly polished and am excited to see how these individuals grow throughout the competition. I truly enjoyed judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson. They always makes me laugh, which is sometimes not an easy task. The nice look and nice face critiques by Kara and Victoria did get tiring toward the end of the show. "Victoria seems to find the good in everybody" Ryan stated. That's nice and all Victoria, but really...American Idol is not a beauty contest.

Part two of the Season Premiere airs tonight on Fox.

Illinois Lottery Sales Skyrocket...Schools Deteriorate

2010-01-10T09:35:00.004-06:00

It is no secret that I am not a supporter of the legalization of slot machines in Illinois. I have however supported the lottery, due to the fact, that "we the people" were guaranteed the legislatation would ensure that a large percentage of the revenue generated from the Illinois Lottery would go towards school funding and better education for our children. So why are our schools being forced to concolidate...and why are our children fed school lunches that look like military rations?

The Illinois Lottery was founded in 1974, as a state agency and currently only employs 153 people. According to my research from 2002-2007 total sales generated from the Illinois lottery equals $1,066,000,000,000. Thats right...over 1 Trillion dollars within a 5 year period in Illinois alone. The Illinois Lottery reports revenue of 2.078 billion for the 2008 fiscal year alone. The highest single year sales in the history of the lottery.

So where does the percentage of that revenue Americans were promised for educational end up? It is deposited into what is called the "Common School Fund". Illinois 105 ILCS 5/Article 18 describes the manner in which funds are distributed to the schools. I have read the article fully and there is no mention of the Illinois State Lottery let alone increased funds for schools due to the escalating rise in Lottery sales. And where does all the unclaimed prize money end up? That is a question I can not answer, but think Lottery officials should.

The Illinois Lottery pats themselves on the back for, what they call donating, over 14 billion to the Common School Fund since it was founded in 1974. That is a drop in the bucket in comparison to the 1 trillion dollars generated in 5 years alone, not to mention the fact that our schools are worse now than in 1974.

I am appalled at viewing these facts. The only school in our district that still actually cooks a meal for students is the High School. The state is inflicting enormous taxes on cookies, cereal, soda etc. (what they call the "junk food tax") not to mention the new tax on personal hygiene products, yet our school children K-8 are not even fed what is considered a nutritious meal. The school books for various subjects are far from new and our art and music programs are struggling to stay alive.

How can these officials in charge of this "Common School Fund" sleep comfortably at night in their $500,000 homes knowing that school children are eating bagged and packaged food for lunch. And what is worse is the fact that, for some children, it is the best meal they will have that day. Mr. President...please help!

Airlines Not The Only Target For Terrorists

2010-01-06T09:02:00.003-06:00

For the past couple of weeks the president and the media have zoomed in, once again, on the level of security used by airline companies and are re-evaluating the protocol used for passengers boarding these jet airliners. Obviously we could have done more to protect our airlines, given our technology, but even after losing almost three thousand lives in the devastating terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, our country still chose to save a buck rather a life.

With no disrespect to the victims of 9/11, the fact remains that the idea of using our own airplanes against us, as weapons of mas destruction, was quite genius. Only someone with a diabolical mind for violence would ever manifest such a scenario. But what is scarier is the amount of time spent by these criminals researching and calculating every move down to the significance of the event date, now know as 911.

These criminals were in our libraries gathering information that was later used against our country. I call this infiltration. I believe that there are moles within many aspect of American living...and they are not there for our protection. I feel we would be naive to think otherwise.

Our government must begin extensive background checks on all those in positions of power. Those who work in the medical industry should be examined first. I believe the next step our enemies will take is the use of biological attacks. Biological warfare is the deliberate distribution of germs or bacteria, that can be contracted through skin contact or from airborne particles. We must ensure that all of our medical personnel have the safety of Americans in mind and not that of our enemies.

The next step would be to evaluate all those who handle our children and their achievement test scores. Our enemies do not want to see this country succeed, thus targeting our future geniuses would be of interest to them. If we allow anyone in this country to leak information regarding student who have exceptional SAT scores, those individuals become targets for terrorism.

In conclusion, the government must better monitor those who occupy this country, and make sure that those in positions of power have clean backgrounds and proper credentials. Our airlines are not the only target for terrorists. It is time to focus on the bigger picture and get rid of those who are not worthy of the title "American".

The Heart of a Blogger-Rant

2010-01-02T16:25:00.003-06:00

I would like to start off by saying that I have great admiration for sites such as "TechCrunch", "The Huffington Post", "Gizmodo" and many other blogs that started from the ground up. They spent years perfecting their image and gaining followers. Some have even managed to make a decent living after their long road to success. But the fact is that very few bloggers make it to the top or even make any significant amount of money in the process.

I started this blog in January of 2008, with the intention of using it as a tool to connect with my karaoke followers and post pictures of recent gigs. But as it turned out, I just couldn't keep myself from writing about all the things that were in my head...hence "Off the Top". I later placed ad's on the site, not because I thought I would get rich, but because they made the site look more professional and pleasing to the eye. Sure, I make a penny here and there, Whoopee!

It is no surprise to me that there are some spelling and tense errors in my published posts. I do try to be as grammatically correct as possible, but my main goal is to get my opinions and/or facts across to the reader. In reality the research, that is portrayed in my articles, should speak for itself. So you can imagine my surprise when a now former Facebook friend, who pointed out flaws in my posts on a daily basis, accused me of caring more about clicks and making money than the articles I write. They also wrote that I am not a high achiever and that the younger generation has lower standards in writing, but that I shouldn't take any of that personally.

Don't take it personally? Is this person for real? I cannot imagine a blogger who would not take those remarks personally. Thanks to the grand design of Facebook I was able to un-friend this person so they could no longer suck the fun out of my online routine. And for the record, I would like to make it clear that my writing is very important to me. I just want my opinions to be heard the same as most other bloggers. I generate as much traffic as possible in order to rank higher in the search results so my articles can be found by people all over the world. As for the individual who turned a few spelling errors into a personal attack, I would like to say, in the words of Chef Gordon Ramsay..."Piss Off!"

New 2010 Driving Laws

2010-01-01T10:34:00.004-06:00

I would like to notify my Illinois friends that Governor Pat Quinn signed into law House Bill 71 and House Bill 72 on August 6, 2009. The new laws, effective January 1, 2010, ban motorists from sending text messages while driving in Illinois and also make it illegal to talk on a cell phone while driving through a highway construction zone or school zone.

If caught texting in any of the above situations the driver may be ticked $75. In addition to this, law enforcement can also subpoena phone records if you are involved in an automobile accident. If it is found that texting has played a part in the accident the fines may be increased.

Sorry all you text junkies, guess you will have to get a navigation system to play with instead. They are still legal.

Goodbye to the O's

2009-12-31T15:07:00.003-06:00

On CNN this morning, the first decade of 2000 was referred to as the O's. This was the first time I had heard the reference, but it definitely fits, as most people do simply say 02, 03, 04, etc. when referencing the past ten years. Unfortunately the O's have left much too be desired for Americans.

The biggest news stories, this past decade, mainly stemmed from terrorist plots and attacks, celebrity affairs and the usual politicians gone bad. There were few, if any, great scientific breakthroughs or huge inventions. Although technology made many advancements, few jobs were created as a result. The bad news has definitely out-weighed the good the past ten years. So where have all our geniuses, aspiring doctors and inventors gone?

I have my own theory, but that is a story in itself. I do, however, feel that America will be on the right track in 2010. For example, banks are now scanning their customers I.D. and/or drivers license to help in the prevention of identity theft, anti-virus giants, such as McAfee, are upgrading their programs to better secure computers against malicious attacks and insurance companies will no longer be able to limit the amount of money they are willing to spend in saving a human life. These breakthroughs are bigger than we think and will change the face of this country in the years to come.

The United States has always taken pride in medical and technological advancements. Many great inventions, even the computer, were developed by Americans. The past ten years have seemed quite stagnant, yet I am confident that we will find all our hidden geniuses very soon. Who cares about being the "superpower"? I just want to live in a country that prospers and cares for it's citizens.

5 Definitions for "terrorist"

2009-12-29T08:33:00.008-06:00

If I see one more scrawny looser on TV for committing, or even attempting to commit, an act of terrorism I am going to scream. I think we should round up all the terrorists, shave their heads, tattoo a big American flag on it and drop their asses in Afghanistan. They will make excellent decoys for U.S. troops defending this country. I don't care about ethnicity. There are white Americans working against this country too...and I am SICK of it. So I've compiled my own definitions for the word "Terrorist".

1. person whom is stupid enough to stick a bomb in their pants and light it just because a bunch of other guys told them too

2. wanna-be gangster with low self esteem whom has no leadership quality

3. religious fanatic who believes his god says, "It's O.K. Go blow up a bunch of Americans. And while your at it, blow yourself up too. Then join me in heaven and we will drink wine and lay with beautiful naked women"

4. individual that uses unnatural means to inflict harm upon others because they are too big a coward to fight their enemies face to face

5. men who abduct and rape children, generally because they have a horrendous need for power, but know they are too stupid to gain that power, like a man, in the real world

Illinois Prison to House Terrorist Suspects

2009-12-28T09:12:00.002-06:00

Terror suspects, that are currently being held at a U.S. detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, will soon be residing at Thompson Correctional Facility in Illinois. The maximum security prison is located about 150 miles west of Chicago in Thompson, Illinois.

President Barack Obama ordered the federal government to acquire the underused prison and transform it to meet "supermax standards", according to a letter received by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn. The letter was signed by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Attorney General Eric Holder and director of national intelligence Dennis C. Blair.

The development is estimated to create 2,000 prison jobs and 1,000 jobs in the community. Thompson congressman, Don Manzullo, does not support the decision and says, "I adamantly oppose this plan to bring the terrorists to Northwestern Illinois where they could one day be released into our communities. Our residents in Carrol County and throughout Northwestern Illinois desperately need jobs, but bringing the world's most dangerous terrorists to Northern Illinois would do more harm than good in the long run."

The bottom line is that Illinois spent $145 million dollars on a prison that is three-quarters empty and currently only being used to house 200 minimum security detainees. The state needs this money and especially the jobs. I believe that in order to stop terrorism, we need a better understanding of why these individuals commit such heinous acts. By having these criminals in the United States we can not only give them a sense of what America really stands for, but more importantly, professionals can monitor their behaviors which will enable us to better detect individuals who are a potential threat to this country.

TERROR ATTACKS U.S. CHRISTMAS

2009-12-26T12:35:00.003-06:00

Passengers of Northwestern flight 253 received a special gift, on Christmas day 2009, when the plane they occupied landed safely after an attempted bombing aboard the flight. The flight was traveling from Amsterdam to Detroit. The passengers were prepared for a safe landing when a loud pop was heard aboard the plane, followed by smoke and fire.

The fire is said to have ignited in the lap of 23 year old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab of Nigeria. A witness says Umar was holding some kind of device and there was liquid dripping, from under the suspects seat, where two flight pillows lay. The witness and passenger, Jasper Schuringa, who was sitting on the opposite side of the plane, jumped over the middle rows in order restrain Umar and help put out the fire. He sustained some burns to his right hand.

The suspect was taken into custody in Detroit and is being treated for second and third degree burns. Umar is reportedly educated, wealthy and from a prominent family in Nigeria, but is said to be on a "watch list" in the US for his extremist views.

AMERICAN IDOL 9 WITH NEW JUDGES

2009-12-26T10:23:00.006-06:00

American Idol is said to have hired Ellen DeGeneres, talk show host of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show", to join the panel of judges for season 9. The hit show is scheduled to air January 10, 2010 and Ellen has been quoted as saying she is "Thrilled" about getting the job. I've seen Ellen's dance moves, and am sure she will be quite amusing, but only time will tell us if she has any real taste for musical talent.

Paula Abdul will not be returning to the show this season and rumors have circulated that Simon Cowell is leaving, although CNN reported, in September of 2009, that "Judges Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi, as well as host Ryan Seacrest, all secured deals to return to "Idol."

I am anxious for the new season of Idol and can't wait to let my opinions rip. Hey, why can't I be a judge? Oh yeah, I'm not famous.

Christmas Poem

2009-12-24T17:10:00.002-06:00

Be thankful for family and the ones you hold dear
Appreciate the smallest gesture then smile with cheer
For Gods greatest gift is a loving hand to hold
Not only at Christmas, but years down the road
You can not put a price tag on a heart filled with glee
So absorb every smile and those great memories

Tyla McClanahan

GET SEARCH RESULTS

2009-12-22T15:35:00.000-06:00

First of all, the social networks are wonderful, and a must for bloggers. They are a great way to make contacts and learn. But it is also nice to check your stats for the day and find that your site was hit by a random searches on Google. This should be happening to you, and if it is not, you must read further.

Did you spent endless hours building your site, it looks perfect, you publish it, and three weeks later your still waiting for traffic? Well, constant change, of some sort, is necessary in order for search engines to crawl your site. If your site does not change from the last time it was crawled, it gets skipped over and, as a result ,sites with regular activity will hit before yours, regardless of how great you site looks or how many hits you've had since the last crawl. Either posting or even just moving something around will constitute change.

How do you know if and when Google has crawled your site? Through Google Webmaster Tools. Google crawls Blogs frequently, but in order to see the statistics from Google you must add your site and verify it (instructions will be there). Once your account with Google is set up, and you are verified, you can see when Google crawled, searches where your site appeared and many other stats. You should also add a sitemap. I'm still working on adding my own sitemap, so unfortunately I'll have to give an update on this issue later.

Once this is done you will have Googles full attention, but none of it will do any good if you do not keep your site active. I don't mean just visitors but by writing. What and how you write will make a huge difference in the keywords search engines crawl . Here is an example of a typical sentence. "While jogging to the market today I saw Jennifer Lopez kissing Cupid", keep in mind this is just an example. I count 3 key words...Jennifer, Lopez and Cupid. Now tweak the sentence. "I threw on my Nike's this Valentine's morning and started jogging down Fifth Avenue for my morning Cappuccino, when I spotted Jennifer Lopez, pregnant, in Stiletto heals, locking lips with Cupid". Do you see the difference? It is really just all about details, details and more details. In the second sentence you might even pop up in a search for Nike or Cappuccino, even though your article is mainly about Jennifer Lopez. Don't turn the article into a novel, but be as descriptive as possible. This is more important than you might think.

Photos and videos are wonderful tools, but are all code, so be sure to add a text description to each to ensure your search words are crawled. I would be happy to give further instructions to anyone who needs help with Google Webmaster. Just post your question as a comment and give either you email or site address so I can contact you. I hope this article is helpful.

WAKE UP AMERICA

2009-12-21T12:29:00.000-06:00

Millions of US soldiers have died throughout the decades defending our country in order to ensure the safety and freedom of it's citizen's. Between March of 2003 and September of 2009, in the Iraq war alone, 4,662 soldiers have died, and 31,494 have been wounded. What are we doing within our borders, as Americans, to show these men and women whose life are at risk every day at the hands of war, that this country is worth fighting for?

I cannot tell you how many times I have heard someone that is getting ready to make large purchase say "We don't care where it's made...We just want the best deal at the best price". Well, I can understand wanting the "best deal at the best price", but the "We don't care where it's made" statement is a real slap in the face. I thought it was common sense that buying products "Made in the USA" strengthens the economy and lowers unemployment rates. Do people not know this...or do they just not care?

I understand that some families are in an economic situation where they have no choice but to buy the cheapest goods in order to make ends meet, but why are those of you who have the extra $100's in the bank choosing to buy imported goods rather than those manufactured in our own country? Wal-Mart and their plasma TV's is an excellent example. In my opinion, anyone who is financially stable enough to purchase a luxury item, such as a $600 television, can certainly afford to spend a bit more to buy one that is made in the USA.

Wal-Mart is the single largest importer of foreign made goods. That means very little goods available at Wal-Mart are "Made in the USA". I have checked labels, in our local store, and other than cosmetics you will be lucky to find many American made products. I am in the the "make ends meet" category, so don't think to yourself that I should practice what I preach if you see me in Wal-Mart buying toilet paper. I do buy product that are made in the USA whenever possible.

I am no racist nor do I have anything against other countries...I just like my country better. I worry that when the war is over, and the ones who survive return home to their families, there will be no jobs for them. Or that a soldier who witnessed other soldiers dying for this country might hear someone say "Who cares where it was made." Do we still still love this country? Are we more concerned with the biggest bang for our buck rather than the legacy we leave for our children? I pray this is not the case and that American's start to defend the land in which they wake up in every morning.

2009-12-20T16:21:00.002-06:00

5JZQAYKYRVTD

US MONOPOLY NO GAME

2009-12-20T11:34:00.003-06:00

For most consumer goods there are hundreds of companies fighting for business. They offer deals in order to get consumers to buy their products or switch to their service. So why is it when it comes to the things that are an absolute necessity, such as natural gas and electricity, we as consumers, have no choice? It's called a Monopoly.

I am not going to get into the gory details of the conversation I had, over the phone about a month ago, with an associate at NiCor Gas Company, but I will say it left a very bad taste in my mouth. It was a perfect example of why no one company should have control over a particular product.

If I buy a pair of jeans and the ass rips out the first day I wear them...I can take them back to the store and get my money back. If a cell phone representative treats me like dirt over the phone...I can switch to another carrier. But if a bull headed associate from NiCor gas will not admit that their company has made a mistake I either swallow my pride and take it in the rear or freeze my rear off!

Utility companies know their customers have no choice. This woman was probably sitting there filing her fingernails while I was talking to her on the phone, because in the end, she knew she would win. I could not threaten to switch to another company or refuse to pay the bill.

There must be competition in all aspects of business in order to keep pricing down and customer service friendly. Companies who monopolize one industry, whether it be in a certain area or nationwide, have no incentive to keep their customers happy. I for one find that leaving an american with no other option, for something that is an absolute necessity in order to survive, is unconstitutional.

Meth is Whack too Whitney

2009-12-19T10:04:00.001-06:00

Whitney Houston might not have been completely honest about her feelings when she said, in a 2002 interview with Diane Sawyer, "Crack is Whack", but that is one statement I definately agree with. Besides, Crack Cocaine went out in the ninety's...this decade Crystal Meth seems to be users drug of choice.

Methamphetamine, known on the streets as simply Meth or Crank, is a psychostimulant that enters the brain releasing dopamine and norepinephrine. The two act as neurotrasmitters in the brain creating the illusion of Euporia. Meth also has altering effects on the heart rate, appetite, body temperature, and mood. The "high" created from the drug leaves the user more alert, sociable and also heightens self-esteem. These characteristics cause many users to become addicted in a short amount of time.

Whew, now that we have all that technical stuff out of the way, we can be thankful that law enforcement is on top of the situation and is doing an excellent job as well. In my area alone, there have been several individuals apprehended for the manufacturing of Meth. The "Methamphetamine Precursor Control Act" has given law enforcement a valuable tool. They can now have warrants issued if someone is buying large amounts of certain substances that are commonly used in the manufacturing of crystal meth.

I do not wish harm on others, but I seriously do not want meth users or manufacturers out on the streets. The users are ticking time bombs due to the extreme changes in mood...and the manufacturers are endangering themselves and other innocent people. Anyone manufacturing the stuff might as well be assembling a bomb. I have heard that people who make Meth from their homes have to disconnect all of the electrical outlets because the chemicals used can easily spark a fire. All of the schools in my area are surrounded by houses. Who knows whats cookin next door to our youths?

In conculsion, "Meth is Whack" too Whitney! It has been long overdue, especially in rural communities, for law enforcement to focus on catching these lawbreakers. Any police officer can easily make a DUI arrest in this day and age...but it takes a motivated, smart, dedicated officer to catch these types of criminals.

TOUGH DECISION

2009-12-17T16:51:00.000-06:00

This blog dates back to 2008 and so I decided I should go back and re-read some of the posts. I truly do not want to offend any of my friends or schoolmates from Watseka and know that some of my posts might be a bit harsh. But I have decided not to delete any of my writing, as it is still a part of me, as painful a read as it may be. Please keep in mind that everyone needs to vent once in awhile and that I had not posted to this blog since July 31, 2008.

It is soon to be 2010. My creative ideas are endless and I am looking forward re-inventing "Off the Top".

I'M BAAAAACK!

2009-12-17T11:49:00.000-06:00

I am so thankful that blogger saves data no matter how long you have been on hiadus. In my case, I gave my blog a domain name in 2008 and then did not renew the address after a year. I thought all my hard work was gone, but instead I logged back into blogspot and was able to recover the original blog.

I plan to add alot of new features and include my portfolio and raw-unedited videos of my musical stylings. Just little ol' me, my voice and my Acoustic guitar. Should be interesting.

IT'S ONLY JUST BEGUN

2008-07-30T23:28:00.004-05:00

I know I haven't written in a while...I've been busy working extra hours at my job and also buying and building up my DJ/Karaoke business. I've spent quite a bit of time on ebay looking for good deals on lights. I have had some luck. I am also working on getting a better digital camera so that I can post some pictures on my site of some of the gigs and also of the small town I live in. I promise I should have everything ready to go within a couple weeks.

Money...Money...Money...and with school starting soon I have to make sure to budget new clothes and supplies for my son into the equation also.

Make sure to check out the StarStruck tab, and the Fun Stuff tab on the top of this page. The video log is coming soon also. I still have big plans for the site. In due time...all in due time.

ABSORB THE POSITIVE....THROW CRUMBS TO THE REST. peace....tylastarstruck

2008-07-03T16:25:00.002-05:00

Here's wishing everyone a safe and Happy 4th of July!

IT'S ON...IT'S BEEN ON...AND IT'S STAYIN ON

2008-06-24T18:14:00.003-05:00

I'm excited about my upcoming "StarStruck" gig at McSki's in Watseka. I ordered more karaoke and DJ music. I also found a cool LED sound activated light, on Ebay, to get the crowd hoppin. We have a small singing contest there once a month, so I have lots to keep me busy until Saturday.

Today I started typing in all the new songs, using Microsoft Exel, and I found myself dwelling on the pathetic evil doers that continue to haunt me. I try not to dwell on the negative, but apparently it was time, once again, to decipher the things I had stored, yet pushed back, in my mind.

Pathetic evil doers, by the way, are those who make up lies about others, in an attempt to destroy reputations, and who go out of their way to find flaws in those people that give them nothing to gossip about. I know....sad but true. When evil doers attack, you usually "hear it through the grapevine", because the cowards never have the guts to say things to your face. So then eventually you find out what lies so and so has been spreading and that 3 or 4 other bitches are spreading the same lies. So, What do we do?

Well, some might just blow a gasket and kick some ass. I myself find the old "hide and watch" technique quite useful. Kickin back...collecting bits and pieces of the puzzle, all the while acting like I don't know a thing. This takes a bit longer, and the"evil doers", being inferior in the intelligence department and all, will really think they have you fooled. But by waiting patiently, it's almost certain that I will find the source, the evil lie supplier, and of course kick their ASS. This way, I have not wasted my time with the little puppets that spread the lies and are convinced the source is their friend, when in fact they are, as I just stated, PUPPETS. Puppets in a show that is about to be cancelled. LOL :)

FYI: This article is just a deeper, more artistic way of describing the small town gossip protruding from a few sorry wannabe's. Think of it as poetry. :-) Don't worry about me though.....I've got plenty of ammo...and I didn't have to make up any lies to get it.

T.C. N.R D.C W.B.

WHERE HAVE ALL THE GOOD GUYS GONE

2008-06-09T16:39:00.004-05:00

Geez, I really have to start writing in this blog more often. Problem is finding and deciding what to write about, so this post is just a rambling of what has been going on lately in my small town life.

My 8 yr. old son is out of school for the summer and I am trying to plan some fun things for us to do together. Swimming is about the extent of the activities available here in the summer, so we will have to travel a bit for more exciting activities. My step-father bought my son a super nice set of beginner golf clubs, but he will have to teach him how to play because golf is not my strong sport.

My social life still completely sucks, that is where dating is concerned. I've known for quite some time that there does not seem to be many nice, single, cute guys in this small town of 5,500 people, but this is ridiculous. I went out to a couple of bars Saturday night. It was the first time I had been out in the bars, besides work, in four months. I found, once again, that I am not missing much. I never go to the bars looking for men, I just really enjoy talking to all the people and seeing some I haven't seen in awhile. I admit I got a bit drunk Saturday night, but it looked like the same old shit to me. I've got to find a better way to meet people.

I am happy to be getting an implant tooth to replace my original tooth that broke two years ago. I am not missing the front teeth but one directly to the left. Last week I went to an oral surgeon and they put a titanium screw into the bone. The bone will then grow and heal around the screw and when it is healed well enough they can attach the tooth. It could take up to four months for the healing, but because my bone is in such good shape I'm hoping the tooth will be finished within two months. Think this will help my dating scene??????

The implant tooth is expensive, but because my other teeth are in such good shape it is definitely the best choice. A flipper, which is removable, would have been much cheaper, but I just kept picturing me eating or singing and the darn thing flopping out. :)

I hope everyone is doing well and thanks for all the comments you have left on my blog. I plan to try (TRY) to update more often. Thanks for taking the time to read. Best Luck!

DAVID COOK WINS AMERICAN IDOL 2008

2008-05-21T20:01:00.006-05:00

WOW! Another great season finale from American Idol producers. Our "Top 12 Season 7 Idols" performed two number together, while the top 6 contestants got the coolest gigs. They performed together and solo with other famous musicians like Donna Summers (Syesha Mercado) , Brian Adams, ZZ Top (David Cook), Graham Nash (Brooke White), and One Republic (David Arculeta). The Jonas Brothers and Carrie Underwood also performed.

But all good things must come to an end, and after more than 90 Million votes, the most ever in "American Idol" history, David Cook walks away as the new "American Idol". A well deserved victory and I am so very HAPPY!!! Yes, Yes, Yes. Finally another happy ending...someone I wanted to win won. Gotta go!

ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE

2008-05-09T07:46:00.002-05:00

I've had a bit of writers block lately. I was very inspired when I first started this blog in January, but now I am a bit lackluster. So, how about an update into my little world in this little town?...

First of all, I've been getting some more work done on my teeth. Don't worry, I'm going to my local dentist this time. All was good until I had a back molar tooth removed that apparently liked its home inside my mouth, because it did not want to come out. "It's as stubborn as it's owner" my dentist said, and he was right. The healing process from that has been quite brutal, but I am finally feeling better without the pain medication.

I've also been taking some classes, required by the state, in order to get my drivers license back. I don't have many class hours to take and am hopeful about being reinstated by the end of summer, but I better not hold my breath.

And lets not forget about the two-faced evil doers that like to spread lies in my small town. Yes, I must still have some contact, but always remember...."keep your friends close....and you enemies even closer"

I sense that soon I will be given another chance to create the life I had always intended to lead. And I promise that I will achieve what I was meant to do, what I want to do, what the world needs me to do.

DAVID COOK FOR IDOL SEASON 7

2008-05-05T20:20:00.003-05:00

David Cook is definitely worthy of the title "American Idol". His performances have been consistent, unique and flawless. I picture David's career taking off like a rocket whether he places first or third, but he is Number 1 in my book.

LOCAL RN BEAST

2008-04-21T11:39:00.004-05:00

A while back I wrote an article about a confidentiality leak which occurred at our local Mental Health Center. The Registered Nurse in question had not been licensed for long and had already worked at a Nursing home, the local Hospital, and the Public Health Department. Although the Mental Health Clinic already had concerns about the RN, after my complaint, she was put on suspension pending further investigation. I'm quite sure she is no longer employed there.

Unfortunately, this leak, turns out to be the least of the problems this person has caused me. For reason, beyond my comprehension, this same RN thought she would help others by illegally accessing STD records for certain individual. Her brilliant idea was to inform everyone in town if someone she checked out had a incurable sexually transmitted disease.

I guess this doesn't sound like a bad idea, even though it is illegal, but there is a major flaw in the plan. The database is designed to protect the confidentiality of the patients and certain information must be known about the patient to ensure that the right records are accessed.

The crazy RN, unfortunately, checked me out for STD's. I really wouldn't have minded, except she did not have my accurate place of Birth and therefore did not have the right records. What's even worse...the McClanahan that was born in Watseka, which is not me, had a long list of STD's, one of which I believe to be AIDS.

I do not have AIDS or any other STD's for that matter...but thanks to this RN and a jealous, control freak co-worker, most of the town now thinks I do. I got tested for everything under the sun, four months ago, after I found out about all the rumors, but when you have an RN going around telling everyone otherwise, my negative test results might as well be toilet paper.

As far as the co-worker, a fellow bartender, she spreads the lies every chance she gets. Mainly to the guys, because she can't stand the fact that I get more attention than her. If all the guys in town think I have AIDS, well, I won't get much attention then will I?

Once I realized that I will never be able to undo the damage the lawbreaking RN has done, I consulted my Attorney. I want to make sure the RN can not do this again, to anyone else, and I am seeking damages, as I feel I must move to ensure that my 8 year old, beautiful son is not affected by the lies. This has also ruined my personal life. I am a beautiful girl, but I haven't had a date in 6 months because of the inaccurate information the RN has spread.

If anyone knows more about the STD database, as far as how it works, or if you think this has happened to you, please leave a comment. I know this article is unnerving, but it is true.

DESTINY CONTROLS US

2008-04-21T09:32:00.004-05:00

I have written very few personal articles about myself since starting this blog in January, but aside from my "American Idol" reviews I have not been inspired to write for some time. I have had a lot of things on my mind and feel that I should put them in writing. I am not afraid to share thus this will article will be a rant about my world.

After my mother, Rosellen, passed away in October of 2005, of a massive unexpected heart attack, I went through a very difficult time. We were very close and I shared everything with her. Aside from my brother she was virtually the only family I've ever really known. My father had a drinking problem when I was young, therefore my mother divorced him when I was 6 years old. We moved around a lot until I was 14 and I never maintained a relationship with my father.

I had a nervous breakdown a couple months after my mothers death and landed in the hospital for almost three weeks. On top of not being able to see my son or spend Christmas with him, because of the hospitalization, I also had to cancel all the classes I had enrolled in for that Semester, at Parkland College, as they would not release me from the hospital in time.

Two weeks after being home from hospital hell, I had a couple drinks, at a bar in a nearby town, on my way to meet a friend in Kankakee, IL. When I left the bar I started feeling really, really woozy,(still not sure what caused this) so I decided I should just go home instead. Two minutes away from my house a cop flies up on me out of nowhere, scares the hell out of me and pulls me over. Someone had called and said that I was driving drunk. Well yes, legally I was drunk, but at my weight one drink is legally drunk. So, to top it all off, I was given a DUI and treated like the dirt on the bottom of a shoe.

I am not against the DUI laws, although I feel they are a bit strict, but at that point I honestly had to ask "What in the hell am I even on this planet for...a f**kn punching bag?" Once again, all that I had worked for was flushed down the toilet because of one bad choice and an unidentified caller. If it were not for my son I very well might have ended my time on earth.

That was, needless to say, a very bad 3 months for me, but it was not the first time I had been knocked down, and it may not be the last. I would like to believe the saying "Life is what you make it", but that just isn't true. In fact, many things are beyond our control.

The funny thing is that I have somehow managed to keep my heart and mind open, despite the hardships life has presented me with. I'm still smiling. I have more to share with you, about this small town I live in, but I will save it for tomorrow. Thanks for reading.

THANK YOU MILEY & BILLY RAY CYRUS

2008-04-11T17:19:00.006-05:00

On Wednesday April 9th, 2008 "American Idol" aired its second annual "American Idol Gives Back". The show focused on raising money for underprivileged children in the United States and Africa. Last year 76 million dollars was raised and this year, the last I heard, the tally was over 60 million.

I would like to send a special thank you to Miley Cyrus and her father Billy Ray Cyrus for their effort in bringing awareness to the poverty that is right under our nose. Miley joined her father in his home state of Kentucky and revealed the difficult living conditions in Appalachia.

I am not a prejudice person as I judge people depending on who they are on the inside, not the outside. But I was quite disappointed last year when throughout the entire show only two white children were shown out of the many poverty stricken areas.

I understand that there are other country's suffering, and in most cases, there appears to be a more urgent need, but if we do not help our own children, there will not be a better tomorrow. Our children are the future of our Country. They will one day take care of us and this Country. How is sending millions of dollars to Africa going to help our children have a better tomorrow? IT WONT!

I do want to save all the children, regardless of race or location, but for as long as I can remember, and I am 36 years old, I have watched all these shows about saving the children in Africa. Millions of dollars are donated, then the next year they show the same poverty stricken situations. This has gone on for 26 years of my life and yet they still need more money. Well, we need jobs in the US with decent pay and benefits. I just don't get it.

I have been poor all my life, so I have every right to this opinion. I have worked my ass off for the few luxuries I have, and I'm sure many of you have done the same. I was not going to donate this year, but then I watched the clip of Miley and Billy Ray in Kentucky, and I changed my mind. Thank you to the Cyrus family. We can only pray that all those donations do not end up back in the pockets of those who asked for our help to save the world....when we can hardly save ourselves. Photo: www.disneysociety.com

MICHAEL JOHNS ELIMINATED FROM AMERICAN IDOL

2008-04-10T20:27:00.004-05:00

After an emotional, celebrity filled, "Idol Gives Back" last night, which has raised over 60 Million dollars so far, our final eight contestants faced elimination on tonight's show. Syesha Mercado, Michael Johns and Carly Smithson landed in the bottom three.

Michael Johns (left photo) was officially eliminated by viewer votes based on his performance Tuesday night. He sang "Dream On" by Aerosmith and none of the judges were impressed. Michael has a great voice, but I must agree, that regardless of the sentimental value the song might have, his voice did not do the song justice. He even messed up one word and missed the defining high notes. He made the same mistakes when he sang the song again for his final performance.

"Dream On" was one of the first songs I learned to play on guitar when I was 16 (a long time ago) thus my expectations were very high. I hope Mr. Johns has a fruitful career in the music industry. Be careful....it's a jungle out there.

JASON CASTRO-"Somewhere Over The Rainbow"-VIDEO

2008-04-09T16:20:00.005-05:00

Jason Castro gave his best performance to date last night on American Idol. He was well practiced, prepared and even seemed to be serious about impressing his fans. Jason performed "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" while playing Ukulele and the judges loved it, as well as myself.

CHIKEZIE ELIMINATED FROM AMERICAN IDOL

2008-03-26T20:07:00.006-05:00

Another night of eliminations leaves us with only 9 American Idol contestants.

Chikezie (photo) was the first tonight to land a seat in the bottom three. He performed "It's Only For One Night" on last nights show. Chikezie has a wonderful voice, but he would be more suited singing in Vegas, or on Broadway. He has come a long way, but I fear this will be the end of the road for the motivated singer.

Syesha Mercado, to my surprise, took a seat next to Chikezie in the bottom three. Wearing her signature neck covering scarf, she took the news with a smile. I wonder if the scarf is for style, vocal chord warming, or hickie covering. SORRY, just wondering. Syesha gave a flawless performance last night singing "If I Were Your Woman". I had never heard this song before so I'm assuming many others, under the age of 30, were also confused with her selection. Certainly did not win her many votes with the viewers.

Kimberly Locke, who was in the top 3 of "American Idol" Season 2, performed her single "Fall" before the last of the bottom three were named.

The last to take a seat in the bottom three, for the first time, was Jason Castro. But in the end, Syesha and Jason were safe and it was Chikezie that was sent packing. Travel on Chikezie and Good Luck!

DAVID COOK'S SUPERB PERFORMANCE OF "BILLY JEAN"-VIDEO

2008-03-25T20:45:00.007-05:00

The table has turned quite a bit since the original "Top 24" Season 7 American Idols were chosen. Some once thought to make the top 10 are already gone and those that were hibernating in the background are now front runners and setting a strong example for those, not so motivated Idols.

David Cook gave another stellar performance, on tonight's show, with his rendition of Michael Jackson's "Billy Jean". Although I am no longer a fan of Jackson, since his alleged involvement with young boys, I must say there is no denying Michael's talent as a singer/songwriter. David Cook brought a life to "Billy Jean" like no other. Slowing the melody and adding a touch of rock turned this song into a sort of Rock Ballet. One that could possibly go down in history as one of the best arrangements by an American Idol Contestant ever. His performance gave me chills and made me smile all at the same time, which is quite achievement as my book goes.

On the down slope of the Idol mountain would be David Archuleta and Ramiele Malubay. Both seem to be stuck in the rut of bad song choices and lack of originality. Ramiele's performance tonight, was as stiff as the video they showed of her singing as a young girl. And the outfits have got to go. UGH! Right along side of these two is Jason Castro who does not seem to take his position seriously and performs almost like a "Saturday Night Live" parody of an American Idol contestant.

The other contestants are well on their way towards perfection. Even Chikezie has stepped up his game, and his attire. This has been the worst season, in my opinion, as far as fashion is concerned. The singers are dressing very bland, but whats worse, is that even one of the back-up singers on tonight's show was wearing a bright green shirt with some writing on the front. Quite tacky, I must say, for a show that has Millions of viewers and grosses billions of dollars.

THE PERFORMANCE THAT GOT AMANDA OVERMEYER ELIMINATED

2008-03-19T21:52:00.002-05:00

Amanda Overmeyer's last performance on American Idol Season 7 video. "Back In The USSR"

AMANDA OVERMEYER ELIMINATED FROM IDOL

2008-03-19T20:17:00.006-05:00

This week, American Idol Season 7, once again left me wondering where the idea derived that this year has the most talent ever. The only thing different is that instead of Sanjaya we have "Joplin wannabe" Amanda Overmeyer.

In the style of the Beatles, contestants sang competing for a spot in the top 10. The top 10 are also guaranteed to tour with American Idol 2008.

My favorite performances were David Cook singing "Day Tripper. He always brings something new each week. Brooke White made me smile throughout her whole performance of "Here Comes the Sun", and Carly Smithson gave a flawless yet original rendition of "Blackbird".

On elimination night, shockingly, Carley Smithson was the first to be sent to the bottom three. Next Kristy Lee Cook, once again, made the bottom three. Last but not least, Amanda Overmeyer joined Carley and Kristy in the bottom three. I'm watching the show as I'm writing this and my guess is that Amanda or Kristy will be going home. If America chooses talent over costume, I'm quite sure that Amanda's Idol ride has finally ended.

Before Ryan Seacrest announced which of the bottom three would be sent home, Kelly Pickler, from season 5, performed the single "Red High Heels" from her debut album "Small Town Girl".

In the end, I was right. America voted and Amanda Overmeyer's journey has ended on American Idol. Amanda went much further than I ever anticipated. She seems to be a very nice person, but the person did not come close to matching what appeared on stage and I find that either strange, fake or both.

Rock On Amanda and Good Luck to American Idol's Top 10 contestants.

DAVID HERNANDEZ ELIMINATED FROM AMERICAN IDOL

2008-03-12T20:13:00.005-05:00

In the styles of Lennon/McCartney the top 12 American Idol contestants sang their hearts out last night in the hopes of avoiding elimination.

Althought I am not a big fan of Amanda Overmeyer, I must say "Touche'". It was the most stable performance I've seen from the rock-n-roller since the first auditions. David Arculleta, on the other hand, gave the worst performance to date. The competition gets more difficult as contestants are more limited to their song selection.

Kathryn Mcphee, a guest performer tonight, gave a beautiful performance of "Don't want to leave her now". Mcphee was runner up two years ago on Season 5 American Idol. While whats his name? Oh, Taylor Hicks, took the title. Neither contestant has attained much success since the show.

The bottom 3 performers, based on viewer votes, were Syesha Mercado, Kristy Lee Cook and David Hernandez.

David Hernandez received the unfortunate news tonight that he had the lowest votes and was therefore eliminated from the top 12 and also from the big stage.

Good Luck with your future adventures David. Your talent will prevail.

SMALL TOWN BS UPDATE

2008-03-10T14:42:00.003-05:00

I recently wrote an article about issues I've encountered in my small town lately. The post talked about the effects of gossip and how I believe that confidential information has been disclosed by an employee of the Iroquois County Mental Health Center. This article is an update to the post Pathetic Small Town BS.

Since the article, and my phone call to the clinic, an Administrator from the facility has contacted me regarding my allegations. This person was very caring, understanding and eager to look into the issue, as confidentiality is as important to them, as it is to me.

I explained to the administrator how and why I have the allegations. I would not give the name of the person I think is violating my rights, because I do not have enough evidence as of yet, but by the end of the conversation, the administrator and I had the same person in mind. Apparently there has been complaints.

I explained to the administrator that there has to be a way they can check and see who and what kind of information this person has been accessing. I told him that I have very good reason to believe that this same person has accessed other "certain types" of medical records not relating to mental health, but I am not sure if they were working at the Mental Health Clinic, or a different facility in town, at the time. This person has bounced around quite a bit for such a short time working in the Health profession.

Because the lawbreaking health care worker did not have my accurate information, for instance, place of birth, the medical information provided was very, very false. The said information is very scary, but sooo not true. One phone call to my physician of 23 years would provide proof of my medical history.

My main concern is stopping this person. I'm sure I'm not the only one the inexperienced RN has ran checks on, but I am determined to put a stop to her little operation. Oops, I gave a couple of hints, didn't I?

Putting a stop to this activity will satisfy a part of me, but the damage this person has caused, by handing out false information, can never be undone. The mental health information they leaked was at least somewhat true, but the false medical history they spread around this town, of only 5,500 people, will be forever damaging to myself and my 8yr. old son. She planted the seed and it will continue to grow, no matter how many leaves I pluck away. I wish I could put up a billboard at the edge of town with proof that the RN has provided FALSE information, but that would probably just make matters worse.

In the end, I really do not care what other people think of me. What matters is the truth and what is in my heart. Anyone who really knows and cares about me, knows the truth and that my heart is pure. These people are the only ones that really matter. It's the effects it might have on my son that worries me the most. All because a drug using RN wanted to give bar-hoppers something to talk about. I will not feel bad when all those years of school are flushed down the toilet...kind of like my reputation.

DENTAL NIGHTMARE UPDATE

2008-03-07T11:02:00.003-06:00

I just wanted to post an update to my "Would Free Health Care Be Like This" article.

My mouth is finally healing after my visit with Dentist Patrick Dermesropian at Bradley Dental Clinic on Tuesday. I still cannot eat on that side of my mouth and the fillings still look horrible. They are not silver or white, but a combination of both.

I cannot floss between my top two back teeth because the fillings are overlapping and the floss can't get in between them. The filling are very rough and do not even have bite marks, like my teeth had before.

I am not grateful for the dental work Illinois Medicaid paid for. I am a firm believer in "If your going to do something, do it right, or don't do it at all". Dr. Patrick definitely does not live by these standards in his life. And I feel very sorry for the other patients whose teeth he has attacked.

WOULD FREE HEALTHCARE BE LIKE THIS?

2008-03-05T16:26:00.010-06:00

If this is the kind of work that a young dentist would perform, for patients that use the Illinois Medicaid card for insurance, I would hate to think of what a country with FREE Healthcare would be faced with.

Who would have thought that the girl in the picture at the top of this blog could have a mouth like this? Yes, it is me. I am not proud of my dental situation, but I am willing to embarrass myself in order to bring awareness to this issue. Beware because the next picture is worse.

Let me just start by saying that I am not proud of the fact that I am not financially able to provide medical insurance for my son and I. But in a Country where the rich keep getting richer, and the middle class are getting poorer, a single mother has little chance of full financial freedom, especially if fathers can't or don't help with support. My son and I are happy and get along rather well, so no pity please.

Now, about the pics. I recently went to my local dentist to start fixing some teeth that had been in need of attention. They took x-rays and he did a great job explaining the work I needed done, but it was going to get quite expensive. I decided I would do as much as I could afford each month. It would take a while, but it would get done and I would not be in dentures anytime soon.

Between appointments at my regular dentist a friend told me about a new dental clinic that opened in Bradley, Illinois that accepts Illinois Medicaid. This sounded like a great idea to me. I could go there and get the two extractions I needed and any fillings, then go to my regular dentist for any cosmetic work the clinic would not cover. Big Mistake!

The dentist who worked on my teeth at Bradley Dental Clinic, Patrick Dermesropian, took a quick look at the x-rays, a quick look in my mouth then proceeded to tell me of a tooth he could not save. "There is decay down in the root" he said. Well, because my local dentist had already told me that he could save this tooth I told him to just leave that tooth alone. He then said the two bottom molar teeth needed to be removed and I agreed. He said that Medicaid only covers fillings or extractions on teeth in the back of the mouth and then asked me what I would like him to do. "I guess just go ahead do the fillings" I said. He decided he would start on the left side and asked if I would like him to go ahead and pull the molar on that side while he was in there. I said yes.

Everything was just moving so fast and I was trying to decide if this was a good thing or not. I did not have a good feeling and he did not tell me which teeth he would be filling. I turned to him and asked "What color will the fillings be?" "They will be white" he said. This gave me some comfort and I tried to relax.

Dr. Patrick managed to drill and fill 5 teeth plus pull a molar, all in 40 minutes. When he was done he provided me with no care sheet or instructions, he just handed me a script for amoxicillin and tylenol 3 and told me to come back in 10 days. I was still in shock from gagging on a piece of something that was lodged in the back of my throat, my jaw was throbbing and I was just ready to get the heck out of there.

When I got out to the car, a friend had drove me, I looked on the rear view mirror to change the gauze from the whole where my tooth once was, and I almost started to cry. "Oh my God, what did he do to my teeth?" I said to my friend. My friend looked and did not know what to say. I was so upset, but I'm stubborn and did not cry until I got home

The photo above was taken the day after he worked on the bottom left side ofmy mouth. The photo here on the right is what he did, on the same day, to the top left back teeth. My teeth look worse now than they did when I went in. What was once decay in the crevices of my teeth, now looks like I've eaten a piece of dirty bread that is stuck in my teeth. As you can see from the photos, especially the one of the top back teeth, there is still decay. This tooth will never survive with decay still lurking, so this dentist has wasted taxpayers dollars. I know this photo looks bad, but his work actually looks even worse than the pictures reveal.

I called the clinic, after I took a couple of tylenol 3 and calmed down. I told them that it was the worst dental work I had ever had done and that the dentist told me the fillings would be white. I also stated that the dentist should have asked me before putting metal in teeth that are clearly visible while speaking/SINGING. I would have rather saved my money and had them done right, which I will be doing anyway. They want me to come back and try to rectify the situation. If I do return to the clinic it will not be for dental work, but to confront the young, inexperienced, lazy dentist.

Is this the quality of work we expect from those in the health profession. Just because I was not the one paying this Deranged Dentist, does not mean he was not getting paid.Because he is on a fee schedule I suffered the consequences. He did not bother to tell me I would have a mouth full of metal because he wanted to do the work and make a quick buck. He did not care one bit how my mouth looked when I left that office.

If Hillary is elected, and passes her Free Healthcare plan, I pray I never get a finger cut off. And if I do, I might as well stay home and sew the damn thing back on myself.

ADD CUSTOM ICON TO YOUR URL

2008-03-01T09:14:00.019-06:00

Adding an icon to your url address distinguishes your blog/site from the many others out there on the web. If you look above, at my site, you should see stars next to my url. This icon appears when my site is accessed and also in the favorites folder of any readers. This article will provide you with the information and steps needed to add you own icon. This information will work for blogger and I cannot guarantee it will work for other platforms.

CREATING YOUR ICON: The first thing to do, of course, is find an icon that suits your site or create your own. It is important not to choose an image with too much detail because it will become a blur. The less detail the better. Simple shapes or a couple letters work best for this. If you have your own graphics program you can create your own. After designing your icon just export the image as a .ico file no larger than 20px by 20px. If you do not have a program that will do this, another option would be to go to flavicon . There you can either download one of their stock icons, or flavicon will also convert a graphic to a .ico file for you. The last option I have for you is to read my SPECIAL OFFER at the end of this post.

UPLOADING YOUR ICON: After you have your image, it's in the .ico format, no larger than 20x20px, you now have to upload the image to the web. The image needs a web address in order for it to work in blogger. I use Google Aps. In Aps, when you go to "edit web pages" there is a scroll box on the right. This has a list of any images or documents you have uploaded. If you use Aps, just click browse in this box and find your .ico image on your computer. Once the file appears in the box just click on it and you will find the image url in the address bar. If you do not have a image hosting service, sites like flickr hosts images. I'm sure a Google search will provide you with several file/image hosting services. Your image must be uploaded to the web and have a url address in order to move on to the next step.

ADDING YOUR ICON TO YOUR BLOG: If you've been able to conquer the above tasks, this step is smooth sailing. First just add your image url to to code below. Just substitute your image URL for the "add icon url". Be sure to leave the single quotation marks. . Then you will have to add the < > symbols at the beginning and end of each of the two lines. Blogger won't let me past the entire code for some darn reason. Spent an hour and still couldn't do it.

link href='ADD ICON URL' rel='shortcut icon'/

link href='ADD ICON URL' rel='icon'/

Once you have incorporated your image url into the code above, log into blogger, go to layout then edit html. The HEAD tag with <> around it should be right at the beginning, so you should not have to scroll down. Just past your code directly below it and save template. You're done.

You will need to restart your browser and it may take a few minutes for server to make the change, so don't panic if your icon is not there right away. Wait a while, then if it does not appear, go back and make sure your code and image url are accurate.

Now, about the SPECIAL OFFER I mentioned earlier. I am a Graphic Artist and use CorelDraw 12 for my design purposes. For the first 15 people to comment on this post, I will design a flavicon for you in the proper format and specifications, then email it to you for upload, absolutely free, no strings. Just leave a comment. The only condition is that you either provide me with a piece of clipart to go by or specific details of what you want the icon to look like. Remember, simple is more in this case. Be sure to leave an email address and allow me 24 hours to get the image to you. I hope many of you will take advantage of this offer. Most sites charge for custom icons.

GOODBYE CARRICO AND LUSHINGTON

2008-02-28T21:34:00.004-06:00

"American Idol" viewer votes has now narrowed down the Top 24, to the Top 16, as four more contestants were eliminated tonight.

Alaina Whitaker, Alexandrea Lushington, Jason Yeager and my favorite, Robbie Carrico, said goodbye to their idol experience.

Alexandrea Lushington and Robbie Carrico should still be in the running as far as I'm concerned. If America wanted to get rid of a rocker, then Overmeyer should have been the one to bite the big one. Her performance was worse than any of the other contestants.

I am not an Amanda Overmeyer hater...I swear...but the girl who once seemed so tough and cool, now looks like a scared cat on Halloween, about to be plowed by a Harley Davidson. And the worst part is, she's not a very good singer and makes a lot of mistakes. America must be votting for the worst.

Now that hottie, Robbie Carrico, is on to bigger and better things, I leave it up to my second pick for the guys, sweetheart, David Archuleta. As for the girls, so far, Brooke White and Carly Smithson are killin it each week.

Good Luck to the 16 that are left...And I will miss Alexandrea and Robbie.

JACKSON'S PLAYGROUND IN JEOPARDY

2008-02-28T20:30:00.005-06:00

As if Michael Jackson hasn't humiliated himself enough over the past fifteen years, he has now allowed his financial troubles to become headline news. Jackson's childlike estate, "Neverland Valley Ranch", is said to go up for auction on March 19th of this year, unless the former "King of Pop" pays an estimated 25 Million.

Mr. Jackson bought the estate in 1987 and turned it into a Zoo/Amusement Park. "Wacko Jacko" entertained children there for years and in 1993 was charged with the molestation of a young boy. He settled out of court for a sum in the Millions. Jackson was again charged with molestation in 2003. This time it was a 13 year old boy and Jackson was later acquitted. Michael rarely visits the estate since the second court battle.

While in Germany, November of 2002, between the molestation charges, Michael decided to dangle his small child, Prince Michael II, from a hotel balcony. Luckily, he wasn't wearing his sequence glove, but I do see a pattern here.

One would think that the contents in one room, of Jackson's Mansion, would cover the 25 Million he owes. Apparently the expenses resulting from court issues and attorney fees over the years has taken a toll on the singers bank account. Jackson has surely borrowed against all that he owns, therefore he no longer owns it.

Start saving your money folks. This will be one auction you won't want to miss.

PATHETIC SMALL TOWN BS

2008-02-26T21:46:00.005-06:00

This will be one of very few personal articles I will write, so don't let me scare you off. I just need to vent.

How can one live in a town of only 5,500 people, for twenty-three years, and only have a hand-full of friends that really know and actually care about them? Well, this is my life.

First let me say that this town has always started gossip about me. If I'm dating I'm a slut...If I'm not then I'm a lesbian. Hell, I even caught crap about the articles I wrote about the flood. Why? because my site hit so far up in the search engine and I used a picture from another site. I was trying to help the victims and what does the town think "she must be doing something illegal". Bullshit.

This probably happens everywhere, but in smaller towns people must just be so damn bored with their own life that they feel the need to find things wrong with other people Guess they just want someone to talk about or it makes their life seem a little better. Of course, their life stays shitty, so why not drag me down too. At least in larger cities you can go somewhere where you are unknown. Hell, I can't even go to the freakin Dentist without the receptionist having an attitude. And I don't take kindly to that.

So, the most recent scenario is this....For the past four year's have to take a pill twice a day, for a chemical balance in the brain. I've never harmed a soul or even threatened to for that matter. But I have had to be hospitalized a couple times to adjust the medication. At least half of Americans take some kind of medicine for stress or other behavioral issues. But in my town...I'm NUTS!

Saturday night, a new co-worker that I barely know, goes into a drunken stupor about how I need to stay on my meds for my step-dad and BLAH BLAH BLAH. Well, she seen the side of me that only comes out when I've had ENOUGH. She wouldn't shut up about it so I just let her have it. I explained that she barely knows me or about my chemical imbalance. She insisted she knew a lot. I told her she shouldn't listen to everything she hears in this town and that if she really wanted to know about me to come talk to me, then, maybe, I would accept her advise. She was basically insisting that she knows my life better than I do. Nothing worse than a drunk know-it-all that doesn't know crap.

Then, out of the blue, she insists it is not a chemical imbalance that I have and shoots off a diagnosis. She then informs me that I missed my doctors appointment! So now I'm really pissed. I told her the only way she could know that would be through someone at the Mental Health Department and I went on to say that this is a complete violation of my confidentiality rights and I am now going after someones job. "Don't do that" she said...."she hasn't been working there very long." and I said "She deserves to be fired if she's that fuckin stupid. And mental illness is a Chemical Imbalances, Dip shit" excuse the language. just keepin it real. So she proceeded to call my step-dad to tattle on me (I'm 36 yrs. old), which got her nowhere, and I went back to packing up my DJ equipment. But I did not forget about the confrontation like they asked.

The Iroquois County Mental Health Department, in my area ,denies that any information regarding my wellness has escaped the lips of their employees. Well, this time I have a bit of proof. In addition to the half wasted co-worker, I did not tell one single soul of a doctors appointment that was scheduled a couple weeks ago. I made sure no one knew, because the last time I missed an appointment people I worked with somehow found out. Well, I missed the appointment on purpose, and kept my mouth shut about it. (I have plenty meds) Just as I suspected, they found out again.

Living in a small town and all, I am pretty sure I know who the little, or should I say Fat rat is. The sad think is that I have know her for years and once thought we were friends. She is not doing me a favor by leaking information, she is just adding salt to the wounds and giving these assholes a reason to look at me like I'm gonna snap at any given moment. Soooo untrue. In addition the law breaking Mental Health employee/former friend couldn't pass a piss test to save her life. She has been on drugs as long as I've known her and even told me one time that "I want to find work as an RN, I just know I can't pass the piss test." And I have problems? Well, she got the job and is still breaking the law. Oh, but her family is loaded, so she could piss piles of cocaine and no one would even notice.

The truth of the matter is, that if I was just some below average looking nobody, that kept her mouth shut, didn't go anywhere and just obeyed, no one would ever bother me.

Instead, I am a very smart and attractive woman with more talent in my pinky finger than some have in their whole body. I always speak my mind. I am nice and have never done anything to intentionally hurt another human being, but I won't take shit off of anybody either. I am independent and have had to take care of myself the majority of my life. I don't use men for money, I've always found a way to make ends meet on my own, legally and fully clothed. I haven't done any drugs since my twenties besides a little pot about a year ago. And have never been charged with anything more than a traffic ticket or mistimener.

Now, who else in this pathetic, nosey, jealous little community would like to put their cards on the table. I have nothing to hide. But I bet you do.

AVRIL LAVIGNE VIDEO-HOT

2008-02-23T14:44:00.002-06:00

There Are Lives In The Balance

2008-02-23T00:03:00.004-06:00

What if it were your Brother, Sister, Son, Daughter, Father, Mother, Best Friend, etc. ? The following video was submitted to digg by littlebylittle and I found it to be the most real and touching clip I have seen in some time.

WHAT ARE PEOPLE MADE OF?

2008-02-22T09:46:00.003-06:00

Science has uncovered many miracles where the body is concerned. We have facts on all the different organs and the functions they serve. Reproduction, genes and DNA is still heavily researched, but we have learned more than we ever thought possible. But I am not interest in what the body is made of, but instead, what people are made of.

Our organs, provided they are all working properly, function on their own, without anyone telling them what to do, but it is the brain that sends signals to different parts of the body, creating our movements and even our personalities. For instance when we wave, say hello, smile or punch a wall, it's our brain that enables the physical transaction. The brain is somewhat like a computer. It will do what it is told, but it has to be told. So who, or what, tells the brain what to do?

I used to be fascinated by the fact that most body's look so much different from one another. But for years, the outside of a person has meant very little to me, compared to what I see on the inside. I have been more curious about why people act the way they do. This article is not about religion, but I like to call my ball of energy, that runs my brain, a soul. Everyone has one from the second they are born, yet it cannot choose what body it is born into. It grows and changes to adapt to the environment. There are many factors as to why souls change after years on this Earth. Some for the better, and some for the worst. Many souls are good, bad, shy, mean, driven, smart, dumb or a combination of the many traits I could list here. The worst kind of soul, in my opinion, is the one who puts up a front to cover the characteristics they don't want other souls to know about. I call it the fake. I have always had a gift for seeing through the "Fake" soul and it has saved me a bit of frustration in life. I would more likely be friends with a soul that was an asshole before the one that is fake (liar, same think don't you think).

So this brings me to my conclusion and my purpose for writing this article. For those of you that have always tried to the right thing and treat people the way you would like to be treated. For the ones who have worked their butt off and for some reason still keep getting knocked down. For those of you who have had to start over more times than you care to recall. Just remember, at night, when we all lay our bodies down to rest, and the thoughts and feelings of the day are running through our soul, that if we stripped everything away, it is only the soul that remains. It is neither skinny nor fat, rich nor poor. Science can never dissect it because it cannot be seen, touched or tasted. It grows so fast yet it never gets any larger. And ultimately it is your soul that will eventually bring you the happiness you so deserve, and all the hard work and good you have done, will someday pay off.

Sincerely written by: Tyla McClanahan

VIEWERS BOOT FIRST FOUR IDOLS

2008-02-21T19:51:00.006-06:00

It is heartbreaking to watch someone who has worked so hard towards their "American Idol" dream, to be denied by the many fans of the show, and have to go back into reality with the rest of us. But the official results are in. Here are the first four Idols to be eliminate by viewer votes.

GUYS:

Garrett Haley, 17
Colton Berry, 18

GALS:
Amy Davis, 25
Joanne Borgella, 25

The only elimination that was shocking to me was seventeen year old Garrett Halley. He was far from the best singer, but I thought all the young American girls would go nuts for him. Guess things have changes quite a bit since I was that age.

On a positive note, in between the dream crushing, Randy Johnson announced his involvement in Paula Abdul's first new release in over a decade. The show premiered the video tonight, for Paula's new song, "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow". Regardless of the Hollywood rumors, I think Paula is a sweetheart, and at age 46 she can still shake it like there's no tomorrow. You can watch the video on www.americanidol.com

IDOL PROMOTING FAST FOOD

2008-02-20T23:15:00.009-06:00

The American Idol website is full of McDonald's ads. Are they that hard-up for advertising revenue or just trying to fatten up the idols of tomorrow?

Although I seldom retrieve photos from americanidol.com for my website, I went to the site this evening to browse, and make sure I had a couple of names spelled correctly, for an article I was writing. All of the sudden I got the sudden urge for McDonald's. And it's no wonder why. McDonald double grease burgers were plastered on ads on every page. The burgers were so full of fat, they were even weighing down the speed of the site, as I had to wait for the burger to load on every page.

For a program that seems to show some preference to skinny singers, I was a bit confused by this. Do they think McDonald's is healthy? Do they think we can only afford the Dollar Menu? Are they that hard up for advertising money? NOT! Maby I am over reacting....but it was my first online McDonald experience. The net is no place for fast food advertising.

SOMEONE GIVE SIMON COWELL A Q-TIP

2008-02-20T20:26:00.004-06:00

(Collage by tylastarstruck.com)

There were a number of lackluster performances, by the girls, tonight on "American Idol" season 7. I know it is much harder to perform, verses watching and analyzing, but I have done a bit of performing myself, off camera, and considering what is at stake for these young and talented women, there should be no excuses.

I disagreed with Simon (what else is new) on a couple of critiques. I do not agree with the praise given to Amanda Overmeyer. She does seem like an all right chick, but I just did not like her rendition of Ted Nugent's "Baby Please Don't Go". Simon said he loved it, yet he had never even heard the song before. One would think she has the perfect voice for that song, but Mr. Nugent might agree with me when I say..."What the #?%$!. I do admire her spunk and I am a rock-n-roll gal myself, but I would surely walk away with one heck of a migraine after listened to an entire record of her voice. Sorry Simon, but what are you thinking? Must have been her jeans.

Kady Malloy did a fantastic job, in my opinion. Simon did not agree. His ears must have still been ringing from Overmeyers performance. Alexandrea Lushington also rocked it. And I have no earthly idea how Amy Davis even made it on the show. I've watched every episode and I still can't remember this girl. Whew....glad I got that off my chest.

Here is a list of the girls, in the order by which they performed, and the song they sang.

KRISTY LEE COOK - "Rescue Me"
JOANNE BORGELLA - "Say a Little Prayer "ALAINA WHITAKER - "Love You More Today Than Yesterday"AMANDA OVERMEYER - "Baby Please Don't Go"AMY DAVIS - "?????"BROOKE WHITE - "Happy Together"ALEXANDREA LUSHINGTON - "What Goes Up"KADY MALLOY- "Groovy Kind of Love"ASIA'H EPPERSON - "Piece of My Heart"RAMIELE MALUBAY - "Believe Me"SYESHA MERCADO - "Tobacco Road"CARLY SMITHSON - "The Shadow of Your Smile"

TOP 12 GUYS PERFORM ON "AMERICAN IDOL"

2008-02-19T23:36:00.004-06:00

The top twelve guys performed tonight on "American Idol" season 7 and Simon was in rare form. I have compiled photos of the top twelve guys in the order they performed starting from top left to right.

Simon's favorite tonight was David Arculete, 17 and he gave very few other compliments. I on the other hand would prefer a manly-man with a not so traditional voice to take the title. Although all the guys are talented, four of them are under the age of 19 and, well, not so manly. So, my favorite tonight, and it is well deserved, is Robbie Carrico, 26, from Melbourne, Florida. Robbie sang "One is the Lonliest Number" in a way I had never heard before.I know he has spent time in the music circuit, but he is my hope that a male rocker can make it all the way.

The ladies perform tonight. Then on thursday two guys and two girls will be eliminated. It is my guess, based on tonight's performaces, the first two guys to go will be: Jason Yeager & Chikezie. I would not chose them to go, but history tells all. Good Luck Boys!

ADD A BOOKMARK TO EVERY POST

2008-02-18T16:17:00.010-06:00

Adding a social bookmark to the end of each post is a great way for readers to save individual articles rather than adding the entire site to favorites and then having to dig for a previous article in archives.

Want to add a social bookmark button to the bottom of each post? This article will give directions on how to add the bookmark and also how to change the color of your post footer. Once complete the changes will appear on all previous and future posts. This will work for blogger, but I cannot guarantee that it will work for other platforms.

First pick a button and get your code from www.addthis.com Then follow the steps below.

ADDING A SOCIAL BOOKMARK

1. Sign in to Blog

2. Go to customize then layout

3. Go to Edit HTML
4. Check expand widget template
5. Instead of scrolling through the whole template searching for this code, click inside the html list so that your cursor is inside. Do a "ctrl F" and a search box will appear. Type in the following code div class='post-footer'and click next. This should highlight the code and take you directly to it.
6. Directly below this line, copy and past the code you got from www.addthis.com

7. Preview before saving to make sure the button is correct. Then save template and you're done.

To change the color of your footer you must first have the code for the color. To find a color and get the code go to "Layout" then "fonts and colors". When you click on a color the code # will appear in the box on the right. When you find the color you want write down the correct code for it. Then go back to your html template. Search for the following code the same way we searched for the first code. You want to find the .post-footer and below that will be "background: #??????" change the 6 character code after the # symbol to the color code you have chosen. Preview then save if you are happy with the changes. Easy as pie.

Good Luck! I hope you found this article useful.

WATCH "AMERICAN IDOL" PICK TOP 24

2008-02-16T13:26:00.006-06:00

Watch as "American Idol" picks the top 24 contestants for Season 7. The thrills, the chills and the infamous elevator ride to fate. Enjoy, all you Idol fans! (part 2 under part 1)

THE KOOKS PERFORM ON CONAN O'BRIEN

2008-02-15T07:29:00.004-06:00

The Kooks perfomed a new track "Always Where I Need to Be" from their fourthcoming album"Konk" on Conan O'Brien Valentine's day 2008. Their new album is scheduled to be released on April 14, 2008.

The band formed at the Brighton Institute of Music where they were students. Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Luke Pritchart got bassist Max Rafferty involved in a college project, which formed the base of the band. Later lead guitarist Hugh Harris and drummer Paul Garred joined the group. Watch this video of The Kooks on Conan.

AMERICAN IDOL'S SPECTACULAR 24

2008-02-14T01:32:00.011-06:00

Your top 24 "American Idol's" for Season 7 were officially revealed on tonight's show. The judges came through with a whole bunch of talent.

Here are 20, of your top 24, "American Idols" for season 7:

David Cook

Amanda Overmeyer

Brooke White

Michael Johns

Robbie Curraco

Amy Davis

Alaina Whitaker

Garrett Haley

Asia'H Epperson

David Hernandez

Joanne Borgella

Luke Menard

Kady Malloy

Joanne Borgella

Ramielle Malubay

Syesha Mercado

Amanda Hawkins

David Archuleta

Alexandra Lushington

Carly Smithson

I know I only gave you twenty out of twenty-four. I have to leave something for the imagination. Stay tuned for all the latest "American Idol" updates. Congrats to the "Top 24". (sorry for any misspelled names, my shorthand sometimes comes up short)

IDOL PICKS TOP 50 - HOLLYWOOD WEEK

2008-02-13T09:47:00.011-06:00

The first cuts of "American Idol" Season 7, Hollywood week, aired last night and the pressure was on. Out of the thousands that auditions throughout the US only 165 made it to Hollywood. Ryan Seacrest said that Hollywood week would be a bit different this year because the talent was so very strong. At the beginning of the show, I started to wonder where he got that idea, but during the last 45 minutes of the two hour special, these multi-talented singers gave me chills.

The "change" Ryan Seacrest talked about was this....All 165 contestants perform individually and were allowed, for the first time in "American Idol", to play an instrument while they sang ,if they chose to. Paula, Randy, and Simon either gave them a free pass to round 2 or gave them the infamous "NO". But the difference is that "NO" contestants got a second chance to prove themselves. The judges the picked through the "NO" contestants by lining them up in groups and giving them one more chance to prove themselvs once again. Some go on to round 2 and others were sent packing. Everyone left, at this point is on to round #2. Round two auditioners competed for a spot in the top 50.

Brooke White (photo) was one of the first to get the "free pass" to round two. Singing "Beautiful" while playing keyboard, she left the judges in Awe. She seemed very nervous to me, but it did not show in her voice or performance. Brooke auditioned in Philadelphia where she told the judges "I don't watch rated "R" movies", Uh....o.k. I have found some beautiful pick of Brooke, like the one here from MySpace, but so far on the show, this beauty has not transformed. The Rock-n-Roll nurse, Amanda Overmeyer of Mullbery, Indiana, also skated through to round 2 with "Lite My Fire" by the Doors. Two of my favorite David's were also loved by the judges. David Hernandeez (photo), 24, sang "Love the One Your With" and Randy said "For the first time today I loved it from note one" and David Archuleta, blazed with talent at only 17 years old. The free pass got them through to round 2, but not yet in the top 50.

Among those cut from Season 7 were (there were many more cuts than these):Suzanne Tool, Perry Cataldo, Amy Flynn, Angela Martin and Jeffrey Lampkin. All my favorites in the above paragraph made it to the top fifty along with others including: Josiah Leming, Kyle Ensley, David Cook, Syesha Mercado, Michael Johns, Carly Smithson, Asia'H Epperson and Cristy Lee Cook.

116 were cut of the 164 originally given a golden ticket. On tonights show, Simon, Randy and Paula have the tough decision of picking the top 24, that will be on the actual show, from the contestants that are left. If sexy Simon had his way they would be narrowing it down to the top 5 because he would cut everybody else. Thus, this will be the only time I am glad to live far, far away from Hollywood. I have confidence that Paula Abdul will not back down from Simon. Good Luck Top 50 and I hope my favorites make it on the show.

HUH?

2008-02-12T17:02:00.000-06:00

Oh Look, "BagMonsterBuster" got "8" votes in three hours. Congratulations! Your blog must be really really really great. I don't follow ya, but hey, different strokes for different folks. Keep up the good work. Everyone must love you or you love yourself....whatever, any way, High Five!!! (wink, wink)

DARN THAT EXTRA VOTE

2008-02-12T08:27:00.000-06:00

I have noticed lately that it has become a bit harder to get article submissions published on BlogEngage. I am an avid fan of BlogEngage and will continue to submit my articles regardless of the results. I am there frequently anyway just to read other articles and vote

When I first joined BlogEngage the requirement was six votes to move up to "Popular Blogs" and to get published. The site now requires seven votes and the change has put a small wrinkle in my published stats.

There is also, apparently, a time frame in which you must get the votes. I disagree with the time factor because, it seems to me, there has been an increase in article submissions and some members are posting 3 to 4 articles at a time. As a result, within twelve hours or less, a newly submitted article can easily end up on the fourth page of "Upcoming Blogs". Many visitors only have time to visit the first two or three pages in each category and it may take a couple of days for them to make it to your article. I am not sure how many days you have to get the votes needed but, according to my stats, it is less than eight. I have two with seven votes still sitting in the Upcoming tab

I'm probably going to stick my foot in my mouth here, but that's one of the joys of writing independently. I am all for preserving the environment, but since when does a one paragraph article about a "Bag Monster" manage to get 11 votes. I visited the article and I guess I'm missing something. Also, does copying, word for word, what someone else has already written and adding a photo constitute a "Good" article. There's nothing wrong with using quotes from others, but this is being a bit lazy. Don't you think?

Anyway, before I get into any more trouble, I will end with saying that I can understand why BlogEngage increased the vote quota and I do not disagree with that decision. I guess fellow BlogEngager's will just have to get on the ball, dig a little deeper, and keep voting.

GET YOUR SITE IN SEARCH RESULTS

2008-02-11T18:32:00.001-06:00

STICK PEOPLE ATTACK WINDOWS VIDEO

2008-02-11T00:38:00.000-06:00

Everyone will appreciate this animated video of your computer screen at war with stick people. Graphic Designers will especially see the humor in this. I've watched it five times and laughed each time. The creator is genius! Why didn't I think of this, not that I'm quite that talented. Be sure to click to play. You won't be disappointed.

Animator vs. Animation by *alanbecker on deviant ART

WATCH AND LEARN

2008-02-10T15:25:00.000-06:00

Oh, the splendors of technology. The power of online video is a wonderful tool. I can only imagine what life would be like now, if I would have had access to videos like the one here. When I first started playing guitar, at age 16, it was like pulling teeth to get another musician to show you how to play a song. And now, these guys are posting up-close videos of themselves playing certain songs. It doesn't get much easier than that. Just watch where their fingers are at on the frets and pluck away. Practice makes perfect so watch and learn.

WATSEKA FLOOD PICS-FEB. 9TH

2008-02-08T15:19:00.000-06:00

The following photos were taken by the owner of this site at approximately 1:30 pm on Friday, February 8, 2008. This is the second flood to hit Watseka in the past thirty days. The city and it's residents are astounded. Visitors of this site are welcome to save these photos to their own computers for future reference or to email to friends and family.

The first photo shown is where S. Second Street and Locust Street meet. The second photo is N. Second street by "Celebrations" and the grain elevator.

The first pic is also N. Second Street, just a closer view. Photo #2 shows the intersection of RT. 24 and RT. 1, a major roadway in Watseka. As you can see transportation is impossible and forces people that live on the West-side of town to take a very annoying longer route to their homes if, in fact, they are able to reach their home by car.

If you will notice, in the first photo here, there is a U-haul backed up to the front of this Citgo gas station. The owner, after just recovering from the January 9th flood, is taking everything he can from the business and closing the doors for good. He says that he will not recover from the financial loss he has sustained. The second pic shows city workers at the barricade before Rt. 1 & 24 making sure no one tries to drive through the disaster and also helping redirect traffic for those who are not familiar with our city. The City of Watseka has done a tremendous job throughout the past month. Especially considering that we have not experienced such devastation here for many years.

Following information via Weather Underground

"The National Weather Service in Chicago has issued a* Flood Warning for small streams in... Iroquois County in east central Illinois... Benton County in Northwest Indiana... Jasper County in Northwest Indiana... Newton County in Northwest Indiana... * until 930 PM CST Saturday/1030 PM EST Saturday"

"At 900 am CST... calls to law enforcement indicated continued flooding across Iroquois County in northeast Illinois and Benton... Jasper... and Newton counties in Northwest Indiana. Several roads remain closed or under high water across these areas. No significant flooding has been reported across Ford County in northeast Illinois this morning... thus the Flood Warning that was in effect for Ford County has been allowed to expire. A Flood Warning means that flooding is imminent or has been reported. Stream rises will be slow and flash flooding is not expected. Most flood deaths occur in automobiles. Never drive your vehicle into areas where the water covers the roadway. Flood waters are usually deeper than they appear. When encountering flooded roads make the smart choice... turn around... don't drown."

WATSEKA, ILLINOIS FLOODING AGAIN

2008-02-07T12:20:00.000-06:00

After two days of rain and snow, Iroquois County is back in the same boat, literally. Just 3 short weeks ago Watseka started to recover from recent flooding that forced 550 residents into evacuation, which is a lot for a population of 5,500. Although the rain has stopped, the Iroquois River is still expected to rise and a Flood Warning has been issue until Tuesday. The river runs very close to Watseka, as a result, many of those who have just started to rebuild what they have lost in the recent flood are at major risk of losing it all again. I am unable to provide any photos at this time, but here is information collected from the local radio station's website at http://www.wgfaradio.com/

"Flood Warning 8:02 am CST Thursday, February 7, 2008
The National Weather Service in Chicago has issued a Flood Warning for small streams in…Ford County in east central Illinois…Iroquois County in east central Illinois…Benton County in Northwest Indiana…Jasper County in Northwest Indiana…Newton County in Northwest Indiana…

A Flood Warning means that flooding is imminent or has been reported. Many of the streams and creeks will begin to slowly recede over the next 24 hours…however all interested parties should take necessary precautions. The Flood Warning continues for the Iroquois river at Iroquois until late Tuesday night…or until the warning is cancelled. At 7:30 am Thursday the stage was 23.7 feet. Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast. Normal flood stage is 18 ft. Forecast…the river was cresting and water levels will likely change little over the next 24 hours before beginning a slow fall. The river should fall below flood stage by Tuesday evening."

"The latest information from the National Weather Service shows at 7:30 am Thursday the stage was 23.7 feet. Forecast…the river was cresting and water levels will likely change little over the next 24 hours before beginning a slow fall. The river should fall below flood stage by Tuesday evening.

Historical Crests for the Iroquois at Iroquois
(1) 26.31 ft on 06/13/1958
(2) 25.75 ft on 01/09/2008
(3) 25.74 ft on 07/12/2003
(4) 24.59 ft on 12/30/1990
(5) 23.81 ft on 03/05/1979
(6) 23.54 ft on 01/14/2005
(7) 23.46 ft on 03/13/1990
(8) 23.35 ft on 10/21/1993
(8) 23.35 ft on 02/02/1968
(10) 23.30 ft on 07/10/1951 "

QUOTED INFORMATION PROVIDED BY WGFA Radio website.

"AMERICAN IDOL" GEORGIA AUDITIONS

2008-02-06T08:17:00.000-06:00

For the third time since the show began in 2002, auditions were held in Atlanta Georga. Over twelve thousand flocked to the home of the Georgia peach. Georgia is also Ryan Seacrest's home town and where Jennifer Hudson first auditioned for "American Idol".

Joshua Jones, a.k.a. "Crazy Eye's", was among the first to get a golden ticket. Joshua is 26 years old, from Atlanta and a prosperous glass cutter. Singing "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen, Joshua's eye's would suddenly become very large and wicked, kind of like the way Ozzy Osbourne would look just before biting off a bat's head. The judges made him turn his back to them to sing, but they sent him to Hollywood anyway. Hmmm, I'm a bit lost on this one.

After receiving word that her father had been killed in a car accident just two days before her audition, Asia'h Epperson, 18, of Joplin, Mo., managed to pull off a stellar audition. Singing "How Do I Live" by Leann Rimes, even Paula Abdul got emotional, shedding a few tears. A well deserved golden ticket went to Epperson.

Out to show the judges that beauty queens can have talent was Brooke Helvie,18, from Wellington, FL. Helvie proved her point not only to the judges, but the rest of the world. Although sexy Simon found her quite annoying there was no denying her talent when singing "Who's Lovin You" by The Jackson Five. WOW!

And how could anyone forget the rockin', harley riding nurse, Amanda Overmeyer. Amanda is 22 from Mulberry, Indiana and has a very UNIQUE voice. There is no denying she has talent, but she scares me more than "Crazy Eye's" with her I'll kick your A** attitude. "Mean Woman" by Janis Joplin was definitely the right song choice for her.

In the end only nineteen walked away with a golden ticket. Can we get to Hollywood already? Good Luck Georgia Idols!

HILLARY...HOW DID SHE GET THERE?

2008-02-05T16:48:00.001-06:00

Does anyone else find irony in the fact that one of our Presidential candidates is just one letter away from having the same name as, Militant Islamist, Osama bin Laden and another, despite our Women's Rights movement, is married to a former President that is known for his infidelities and womanizing ways?

I have nothing against Barack Obama, but the last name just gives me the creeps. Just substitute an "b" for the "s" and you've got Osama. Osama bin Laden was allegedly involved in the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombing and has claimed responsibility for the September 11, 2001 attacks. I would have changed my last name before trying to run for such a prestigious office. But hey....that's just me.

We thought we would never see the day when a woman would run for president. The day has come, but why on earth does it have to be Hillary Rodham Clinton. Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, already made a mockery of the country in 1998 when news of his infidelities with Monica Lewinsky and Paula Jones leaked to the public. Of course he tried to lie with the famous sentence "I did not have sexual relations with that woman." But months later he admitted that his behavior was inappropriate, that he lied and that he did in fact having oral sex on many occasions with Monica Lewinsky. Clinton was impeached for perjury and obstruction of justice, but was allowed to finish his term in office. The whole time Hillary stood by her lying, cheating, womanizing husband. Talk about sleeping your way to the top. Hillary is the pro! Can we please get another female in the running? Anyone but Hillary Clinton.

I really am not trying to ruffle any politician feathers. I am so ready to get Bush out of office that I would even vote for Hillary if I had no other choice, and that's desperate, I'm just wondering if anyone else finds this IRONIC.

SUPERBOWL XLII 2008

2008-02-04T13:36:00.000-06:00

Unlike last years SuperBowl game between the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts, SuperBowl XLII was eventful from the pre-game shows and commentaries to the surprising victory in the end.

It was New England Patriots vs New York Giants, in Arizona, for SuperBowl XLII 2008. "American Idol" star Jordan Sparks started off the event singing the "Star Spangled Banner" followed by the Giants winning the coin toss to start the game. Even though, at half time, the score was 7 to 3 in New England's favor, the Giant's luck remained to the very end.

It wouldn't be a SuperBowl without hilarious commercials and an awesome half time show. Here is a link that has every commercial categorized by quarter. http://www.myspace.com/superbowlads Ads included Pepsi, GoDaddy.com, Doritos, E-Trade, Audi and many more. At 2.5 million for only thirty seconds they should grab your interest.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, a music icon, Rocked the half-time show. The band played many of their hits including: "American Girl", "Won't Back Down", "Free Fallin" and "Runnin Down a Dream". The show was more than impressive. The crowd went nuts for the group and fans were geared up for the second half of the game.

New England was favored to win the 2008 SuperBowl, but the underdogs prevailed in the end. The New York Giants took the Championship with a final score of 17 - 14. I love it when a plan comes together. Watch highlights of the game here

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/superbowl?campaign=PSGeneral&partner=Google

SHOCKING ADS REVEALED

2008-02-02T15:06:00.000-06:00

Anyone who has visited my site knows that I have ads staggered around. They are not there because I think they will make me money, on the contrary, I have earned a whopping $.0.12 from the ads. They are there to ad dynamics to the site, but boy was I shocked when I accessed my site from a computer at a different location.

I went to a social gathering (party) at a friends house last evening. At the end of the night, I got on my best friend, Jane's, computer to show her my site and get some opinions. We had worked together previously doing Graphic Design at the local newspaper. I was quit shocked at what the page revealed. "Who's Your Soulmate", "Meet Black College Folks" and "Married Dating-Discreet" were the worst ads of the bunch.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for finding, making and pursuing love....but I do not want it plastered all over my web-page. The funny thing is that whenever I access my site from home, either through broadband or wireless, only family friendly ads display. Even the ads that appear when I'm editing and previewing are music, video, website and technology related. Needless to say I was, and am, quite embarrassed that others might think I would promote something like marital infidelities or using the term"Black Folk". I mean, come on, where are all the "Meet White College Folks" ads?

When I returned home, a bit tipsy, the first thing I did was sign into AdBrite and start rejecting, which I didn't even know I could do till then. I plan to check every day to ensure that the ads placed on my site are not ignorant and if it becomes too much of a hassle or they keep trying to slip them in, the ads WILL be removed. I apologise to anyone this episode might have offended.

CONGRATS...YOU'VE BEEN "STARSTRUCK"

2008-01-31T18:31:00.000-06:00

Well....here ya go, the first three blogs I have chosen that are STAR worthy. Please check out each one because your blog could be next. Please keep in mind that there are many blogs out there I've barely made a dent in the blogosphere. Three new blogs will be named each week. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

MOST VISUALY PLEASING:

http://allieiswired.com/ - "Allie is Wired" is an entertainment blog and it stuck in my head from the first time I saw it. The color scheme jumps out and grabs you. In addition, as a 3 column blog, the layout is superb. If you want the latest juice on a celebrity this is the place to go. Video clips, pictures and articles make this blog a fun and entertaining experience.

BEST ENTERTAINMENT/MUSIC:

http://videos.internetgecko.com/ - I visit this site when I need a good laugh. There are many categories of videos including comedy, music, entertainment, sports, news & politics and more. The laughing baby and the Comedian dancer are my favorite. Hope you enjoy it.

INFORMATION GURU:

http://www.techcrunch.com/ - This should come as no surprise to most bloggers, so I figured we would get it out of the way to make room for others. But you've got to admit TechCrunch is at the top of their game with the latest and greatest web-breaking news. He must have more contacts than Joan Rivers has plastic surgeons. Great job TechCrunch.

High five to these sites. Your blog could be next. Wanna be StarStruck?

MIAMI WAS SMOKING

2008-01-30T22:36:00.000-06:00

The girls smoked the guys tonight at tropical hot spot Miami, Florida. At least that's what Ryan Seacrest said. With over ten thousand singers and a one hour show, well, you do the math. In all only seventeen golden tickets were awarded.

The judges were not into Janis Joplin this evening as Shannon McGough soon found out. She may be able to belch like a man, but her rendition of "Cry Baby" left much to be desired. "You sound like your eating or something when you sing", Simon said. Sixteen year old Julie Dubela had the same luck with Joplin's "Me and Bobby McGee". Julie was even in the top 20 of "American Juniors" TV show in 2003. Simon told her to cut the act and called her "precocious". What happened girlfriend? If it makes you feel any better Julie, this is one way the word "precocious" can be used...."Wines that mature quickly are precocious. However the term also applies to wines that may last and evolve gracefully over a long period of time, but taste as if they are aging quickly because of their tastiness and soft, early charms".

There was one singer on tonights show that I feel will go the distance (photo). Syesha Mercado, 20, from Sarasota, Florida whaled Aretha Franklins' "Think Freedom". She's young, georgeous, full of talent and has some experience in front of the cameras. You go girl!

Good Luck Miami Idols!

"AMERICAN IDOL" KICKIN IT IN NEBRASKA

2008-01-30T12:57:00.000-06:00

For the first time in seven seasons, "American Idol" held auditions in Omaha, Nebraska, well known for their corn crops. 10,000 people turned out, farmers included, looking for that golden ticket. The show started off a bit rough as Paula Abdul was unfashionably late, singers were forgetting their words and I was beginning to wonder if somebody spiked the CORN there in Nebraska.

Jason Rich, 21 from Stout, Iowa was one of many auditioners that forgot the lyrics. He was extremely nervous, but he had a great voice and was kinda HOT, so I was rooting for him. After about 5 tries he finally pulled it through and walked away with a golden ticket. (and they passed on Lyndsay Goodman because of her nerves?)

Arm Wrestling Champion, Rachel Wicker, won me over with a song by Leanne Womack. At age 23 she has a beautiful country voice. I just hope she is versatile enough to make it to the top 10. If not, she can always arm wrestle sexy Simon for a spot in the finals.

My favorite on Tuesday nights show was David Cook from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He has a natural talent and brought a lot of soul and personality to the audition. He even informed the judges that his mother always says..."I raised the perfect beauty queen....it's just too bad it's not one of my daughters."

Many of the Idol hopefulls, auditioning in Omaha, were from very small towns. Some with populations less than 500. Because of that fact, I think overall, the show turned out well. But we will only be seeing 19 of the 10,000 during Hollywood week. As for the rest, better luck next time or you could just write about it like me.

DOES THIS TITLE YELL AT YOU?

2008-01-29T08:13:00.000-06:00

Since when does writing a title in all caps mean your yelling? I submitted an article to blogengage this morning, in the same format I've submitted the last 21 posts, and I get an email saying that an administrator has made changes to my article. The comment read "The reason for this change is: Try to write the title in Sentence case. All CAPS is so like shouting unless very necessary. Thanks for understanding." Are you kidding me? You've just noticed this? I've been submitting articles the same way for almost three weeks. UGH!

ANNOYING "SCRIPT KIDDIE" HACKERS

2008-01-28T13:25:00.000-06:00

I have vented recently about viruses on the web and hackers that try to drop a dime on you every chance they get. So I decided I should follow up and give others some incite to help prevent the headaches instead of complaining about them. I will explain, in "Tyla" terms, why & how your computer gets attacked, ways to tell if your being hacked and what you can do to prevent it.

Some "Elite" hackers are out there, doing what they do, for the mere status they gain from fellow hackers. Although most forms of hacking are illegal, a Federal Offense actually, they take the risks just to prove to the rest of the world that they can do it. The elite hackers stick to the big fish, unless of course, they have a bone to pick with you. It's the so-called "script-kiddies" that are doing all the leg work. These days most hackers are not out there to re-arrange your web pages or embed codes that will run your computer right over the edge. Instead, they want you on the web, so they can track your every move, gain access to your personal data along with any other contacts you have saved on your computer and then sell what they can to the highest bidder. There is a huge market, not only for email addresses for soliciting purposes, but also consumer tracking, getting your credit card numbers and ways to hide all of this from the Feds.

I won't go into all the technical mumbo jumbo as to how they do it, because if you do not have a great knowledge of programming language, it can be difficult to understand. And if you do have the knowledge, then I'm sure you already know a few methods hackers use. In plain terms, hackers target those with access vulnerabilities. For example you're Internet access, the operating system you use and your anti-virus protection. If they can find a whole in any of these operations, you are a prime target. Free/Open Source software (F/OSS) is an easy way for a hacker to gain access to your system. Sure, you get a free download, but the catch is, if there happens to be a code or "Bug" embedded in the software, someone may be able to track your every move on the web. And to top it off, for the next month your trying to track down that pesky little nuisance. Ever been surfing and have one of those "Ads by Superior", or as I call them "Superoids", pop up when your pop-up blocker is turned on? yes? Well, then you probably have a bug, and that pop-up hemorrhoid will probably have an ad relative to what you've been surfing for. Psychic? I think not. It's tracking you from your own computer.

There are some programs on the web to help prevent unwanted intruders, but I haven't tried them, so I can't recommend any as of yet. Instead, I do have a couple simple suggestions that may help in the meantime. First, if your visiting a website or blog that you are not familiar with and are not sure you can trust, and it starts taking a long time to load, get the heck out of there. It's not worth the risk. I'm not saying the site is bugged. I know some pages have a lot of graphics and load slower than others. I'm talking about when the page freezes...the wheels not turning. Don't go take a potty break then come back to find your computer still locked up and you have to shut it down the hard way. Second, if this does happen, physically remove your Internet connection first to try to get the system running again, as hard shut-down's are not good on computers. Also, if you are able to exit explorer after pulling the plug, well, that should tell you something. Lastly, do yourself a favor and run a full system scan while your computer is not connected to the Internet. Anyone using High Speed or Broadband should physically remove the Ethernet cable, then run the scan. Believe it or not, these bad little boys will try to run right out of your Internet access, if Norton runs while you are connected, and then they'll run back in when it's done.

A Quote from "Diary of a Mad Hacker" at PCworld.com "Security rule numero uno: No matter how paranoid you are, you aren't paranoid enough".

Good Luck! And happy hunting!

MUSIC TO THE EARS...FRIEND OR FOE

2008-01-26T11:24:00.000-06:00

Thinking of adding music to your blog/website using an mp3 player or other device? Here are a few things to take into consideration before putting music in your readers ears.

1. If you already have a generous amount of traffic to your site, it's probably not a good idea to add a music player. Many of your readers have saved your site in their favorites and have also subscribed, so if any of them happen to check your site at work or other inappropriate place, and music starts blaring, they are likely to unsubscribe. Instead, start a new blog or page, and add music from the start. This way all your readers will be aware and will know what to expect.

2. If a music player suits your current theme, use a site where artists upload and share their songs. The songs on these sites are shared by unsigned artists, remix DJ's and Karaoke singers. By doing this you rid yourself of any copyright infringements. I use http://www.reverbnation.com/. They provide the songs and the player. Once you get the hang of creating your playlists, the rest is somewhat simple.

3. When time allows, change the order of your songs or use a different playlist. I try to do this on a daily or every other day basis. Visitors won't want to listen to the same song over and over again. I have yet to come across a player that will shuffle the songs. Changing artists and songs can also generate traffic, due to the fact, the artists will visit, so they can hear their music played, and probably refer their friends as well.

4. Place the player at the bottom of the page. Visitors will want to know where the music is coming from and are likely to scroll all the way down to find it, especially if they like the song that is playing.

5. Do not load too many songs on one player as this will slow down your page while the songs are loading. At reverbnation, you can create different playlists, so just put 4 or 5 songs in each playlist then you can alternate them.

Music on the web can be a great tool if used properly and can generate traffic to your site, depending on your target audience. A blog about computer technology, of course, is not a good target audience for music, but there are many others that are jumping on the bandwagon and heading down the highway.

"YOU'VE BEEN STARSTRUCK"

2008-01-25T15:01:00.001-06:00

Being a Freelance graphic designer and weekend DJ, I do a lot of my work from home. This has allowed me to spend much time setting up my blog and viewing other blogs for ideas and information. Considering the amount of blogs I have viewed already, I think I have come up with a unique way to promote my site along with other bloggers.

Every Friday morning I will creating a post entitled "You've Been StarStruck". The post wil consist of me picking 3 blogs in 3 different categories that, based on my opinion, are Star worthy. The categories will be as follows: "Most Visually Pleasing"; "Informational Guru" and "Best Entertainment/Music". I will only be viewing blogs from "Mybloglog" and "Blogengage", as I am most familiar with these sites, but if you are not a member of either and would like you're site/blog to be considered, just leave me a comment or go to my site and leave a message on my neoPOD. I will also submit the post every Friday morning to "Blogengage" so others can, check out who's been picked and leave me feedback as to whether they agree or disagree. There are many blogs out there so just because I do not pick one you know is better does not mean I don't agree, It just means that I haven't found it yet.

I would love to hear your feedback. If you like the idea, vote for this post on "Blogengage" or leave a comment and let me know your opinion . I am not trying to get votes out of this as 90 percent of my posts at blogengage have been published and I will continue to post daily on various issues.

WIDGET DISTRIBUTORS...PLEASE SCAN FOR VIRUSES

2008-01-24T02:49:00.000-06:00

One of the first widgets I placed on my blog was a very cool video bar from "Widgetbox.com". I was and am still happy with this graphic and have no problems with it except that it takes a couple seconds to load due to the file size. The last couple times I have visited this site every other widget I clicked on had a virus and here's how I know.

First of all, when I clicked on the widget I was interested in, on their site, it would load very slow. Second my Norton Anti-virus would pop up, as I'm trying to set the properties for the graphic, to tell me that it has found and removed a high risk virus from my computer. And third, being naive, I tried a different widget and got the same results. "Fancyjens" is another site with virus issues.

We have Norton to protect our computers, but who is supposed to be protecting our websites we've worked long and hard on? Why don't the search engines find these problems when they crawl the sites? What happens if we, without knowledge, put a "killer widget" on our page? It would probably have a reaction similar to the plague. Widget distributors.....PLEASE scan you sites for viruses.

"AMERICAN IDOL" BABY?

2008-01-23T21:05:00.000-06:00

"I feel as though it's mine....In some way" Simon Cowell said after "American Idol" auditioner, Oliver Heimen, presented his wife and newborn baby to the panel of judges tonight on "American Idol" Season 7. Heimen was supposed to be the first to audition on day one, in Charleston, South Carolina, but his wife's water broke and he had to transport her to the hospital. He returned the next day as a new father of baby girl, Emma Grace. As sweet as it was his singing fell a bit flat and they left without a golden ticket....Think sexy Simon would be willing to take on some Godfather responsibilities?

Over 10,000 people turned out for the auditions in South Carolina and a total of only twenty-three lucky people are on their way to Hollywood. Amy Kathryn Flynn, 16 was one of the golden ticket grabbers. I got quite the kick when she described to the judges how she talks to other teens about abstinence. It went something like this..."and then I'm like....if your like....don't do that cause like." I think you get my point.

My pick for tonight's show is actually someone who did not get a golden ticket. Lyndsay Goodman, a pilot in the Airforce where she flies the C-17, sang a sweet rendition of "Black Velvet". Paula said she was too nervous and not ready yet, Simon and Randy agreed. I thought she sang beautifully and effortlessly, she just needed to show more emotion in her body language. I have heard a lot worse walk away with golden tickets. I was unhappy with their decision on this one. Now I know why they never show us the singers who are good but not great. They only exploit the ones that are really, really, bad.

HEATH LEDGER DEAD AT AGE 28

2008-01-23T00:11:00.000-06:00

"Brokeback Mountain" star and Oscar nominee Heath Ledger was found deceased by his housekeeper Tuesday at 3:35pm in his Manhattan apartment. The reported cause of death was Cardiac Arrest, although sleep pills were found on his bed stand, and an autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.

Ledger 28, was born in Australia's City of Perth in 1979 and got his first acting role playing Peter Pan at age 10 in a local theater company. He began acting in independent films as a 16-year-old in Sydney and played a cyclist hoping to land a spot on an Olympic team in a 1996 television show, "Seat". He went on to have a lucrative acting career staring in other films like "Lords of Dogtown", "10 Things I Hate About You" and "The Patriot."

Heath will be missed dearly by his family including: Father, Kim Ledger; Mother, Sally Bell; two half-sisters; one sister; stepfather and most of all by his beautiful Daughter, Matilda Ledger, born in October of 2005.

AMERICAN IDOL CHANGES IT UP IN CALIFORNIA

2008-01-22T19:56:00.000-06:00

A nice surprise from the producers of "American Idol" Season 7 tonight. The search was on in sunny San Diego California but instead of listening to 4 or 5, not so talented singers right off the bat, they blessed us with three golden ticket singers at the beginning of the show, all now on their way to Hollywood. The talented Ryan Seacrest did an amazing job, as usual and even judge, sexy Simon Cowell, was back to his usual self and telling contestants the brutal truth, which I find amusing.

Of course, it wouldn't be "American Idol" without some tears, a couple blurry middle fingers and a few wanna be's. My favorite "wanna be" said that when she sings, her friends would have to come and ask her if it was her singing or if "Mariah Carey"'s album was playing. Simon had a much different opinion. Simon said "The only resemblance you have to Mariah Carey would be if her album sat out in the sun all day."

My Favorite audition tonight was by Samantha Muse. She wasn't quite the best, but she had originality, and a great spirit, plus she agrees with my Sexy Simon theory.

My pick for "worst audition" goes to Blake Boshnack from New York City. I say this not because he had the worst voice, but instead because he has auditioned for "American Idol" eleven times. On Season 1 he dressed as the Statue of Liberty and , of course, got a big "NO" from the panel. But that didn't stop him....fifteen "NO's" later he makes another appearance getting the same results. I'd like to know what he does for a living to be able to afford to travel all over auditioning because we all know it isn't singing.

ATOMIC GOOGLEBOT

2008-01-22T07:42:00.000-06:00

I've noticed recently that a large number of blogs are popping up in the first few pages of Google search engines. Maby it has been that way for some time and I just didn't notice because I couldn't tell the difference until now. Then I thought to myself "man, what would Google do if we all pulled the plug?" I'm quite sure that would never happen because the majority of us invest our time and energy creating nice sites because we enjoy it and find it rewarding.

I was quite shocked when I went to Google's Webmaster Tools and found that the Googlebot had finally accessed my site and included pages in it's index. Moreover I was thrilled to find that they provided me with statistics for top search queries and the rank my page was in the search. This is a valuable tool because it helps to understand what people are searching for and if you've hit on a hot topic you can stay with it. Unfortunately, as happy as I was for the information, I do not believe it is Google I have to thank for this, instead I give the credit to the blog community. Without their traffic, I'm sure the Googlebot would have skipped right over me.

In short, to answer my original question "What would Google do?" Well....what I can tell you is that they wouldn't need such a large database because at least half of their search pages would disappear.

I STILL LUV MY mEgo

2008-01-22T05:51:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to mention that the sites I received my mEgo and neoPOD from are completely virus free. The sites I am referring to have many widgets from unknown designers and having people vote for them. I just removed one that had photo's rotating in 3D. It was apparently designed by a myspace user. It was on my page for about 2 hours and I started to notice my web page loading a lot slower than usual so I removed it right away. I know it was infected because it did not want to leave. But patience is a virtue and it finally deleted. A lot of times Norton can't help us if we just copy and paste from one site to the other and the bad guys just keep finding new ways to destroy what we build

BLOGGERS BEWARE

2008-01-21T19:40:00.000-06:00

Some people think widgets will just add clutter to their sites, but by choosing ones that suit your page style and by proper placement they can give your blog dept, character and charm. But beware of the "Killer Widgets"

I've been doing a lot of surfing and have managed to find some really cool stuff for my site, but my Norton Anti Virus Protection has been working over time. It has blocked and deleted a total of 6 high risk viruses and quarantined 2 medium risks while I was either viewing or attempting to download a widget from what I thought was a reputable site. I will not mention any url's but I believe the reason for the problem is that the sites are now allowing people to upload widget's and apparently they are not equipped to make sure all of them are virus clean. I never understood why anyone would get a kick out of creating codes that could destroy someones computer, but they are out there.

A couple words of wisdom while looking for widgets. First, make sure you have antivirus protection and that it is totally up to date. Second, if a site allows widget uploads you can plan on getting attacked if you hit on the wrong widget.

KNOW WHEN TO FIDGET WITH YOUR WIDGETS

2008-01-20T01:02:00.000-06:00

All you blogging veteran's out there might read this and say "DUH, been there done that", but for those of you just getting started like myself these tips might come in handy.

Two fellow bloggers informed me recently that when they tried to go to my site they got a "404"error. That usually means there is an error in one of the pages or there's a little publishing goin on. If you're anything like me, I'm always surfing, trying to find new info and widgets. I'm pretty quick with the computer and can copy and paste like the RoadRunner, but once I would place my new treasure on the page, the majority of the time, I didn't like where it was and moved it several times before pleasing myself. That whole perfectionist thing. Well.....the mistake I was making was saving each time I moved something instead of doing a preview each time, then when I was content with the layout, hit save or publish. I know It only takes the server a few seconds to update, but If you go back and fourth as much as I do you might lose a visitor, and they might not return. Be sure to save every so often in case.....well, you know.

Also get a site to monitor your blog and it's visitors, blogpatrol works great and is free. This will allow you to see at what time, along with other things, your readers are accessing your site so you will know the best times to update or publish without interfering with access.

Another thing I've started doing, so I don't have to run back and fourth, is pasting html codes on notepad. I'm pretty sure most Operating Systems have this. Be sure to hit the return key after each item you pasty and give each a title so you remember what they are for. Don't save the doc. in notepad, just keep it in the background, so if you come across a widget or article you can paste it there. then when your ready to update your blog or site, their all right there. With some things you may have to insert the html into your page ASAP.

Just one more thing that might save a little time. Whenever you want to view a link, hold down the "crtl "key on you keyboard when you click on it. This will open the site in a separate tab or window. For example, in bloglog, you click on the contact, then on one the blogs you are interested in, the blog is now at the top of the screen, if you do "ctrl "click the blog will appear in a separate tab or window. So....when your done checkin it out just close it and your right back where you were. This might not work for all browsers but definitely will for Explorer 7.

I hope someone gets some use from this. I just get so excited I must share....even if it might be "DUH"