Lookie who came to see us on Sunday... how cool... all four grandkids and Great Grandma Moffat with her four great grand kids!! lots more photos later... Thanks to all the kiddos for making Sunday such a GREAT day for Mom and I...
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Here is the night sky view.. as we were walking around the Paseo District last night in OKC...
The awesome sky last night, as we were walking around the Paseo District in OKC.
Here is the link to the album with all the photos....
Theories of humour
Theories of humour
Poking fun
Aug 4th 2005 | TUEBINGEN, GERMANY
From The Economist print edition
Why people laugh
THE true story of how your wife's stalker rang her to discuss killing you isn't supposed to provoke mirth. But when John Morreall, of the College of William and Mary in Virginia, related the events last week to a group of scholars in Tuebingen in Germany, they were in stitches as he divulged the details of how his wife tried to dissuade the confused young man by pleading that her mortgage was too large to pay without her husband's help.
So why did they laugh? Dr Morreall's thesis is that laughter, incapacitating as it can be, is a convincing signal that the danger has passed. The reaction of the psychologists, linguists, philosophers and professional clowns attending the Fifth International Summer School on Humour and Laughter illustrates his point. Dr Morreall survived to tell the tale and so had an easy time making it sound funny.
One description of how laughter is provoked is the incongruity theory developed by Victor Raskin of Purdue University and Salvatore Attardo of Youngstown State University, both in America. This theory says that all written jokes and many other humorous situations are based on an incongruity—something that is not quite right. In many jokes, the teller sets up the story with this incongruity present and the punch line then resolves it, in a way people do not expect. Alternatively, the very last words of the story may introduce the absurdity and leave the listeners with the task of reconciling it. For instance, many people find it funny that a conference on humour could take place in Germany.
Why do people laugh at all? What is the point of it? Laughter is very contagious and this suggests that it may have become a part of human behaviour because it promotes social bonding. When a group of people laughs, the message seems to be “relax, you are among friends”.
Indeed, humour is one way of dealing with the fact that humans are “excrement-producing poets and imperfect lovers”, says Appletree Rodden of the University of Tuebingen. He sees religion and humour as different, and perhaps competing, ways for people to accept death and the general unsatisfactoriness of the world. Perhaps that is why, as Dr Morreall calculates in a forthcoming article in the journal Humor, 95% of the writings that he sampled from important Christian scholars through the centuries disapproved of humour, linking it to insincerity and idleness.
Fear of idleness is why many managers discourage laughter during office hours, Dr Morreall notes. This is foolish, he claims. Laughter or its absence may be the best clue a manager has about the work environment and the mood of employees.
Indeed, another theory of why people laugh—the superiority theory—says that people laugh to assert that they are on a level equal to or higher than those around them. Research has shown that bosses tend to crack more jokes than do their employees. Women laugh much more in the presence of men, and men generally tell more jokes in the presence of women. Men have even been shown to laugh much more quietly around women, while laughing louder when in a group of men.
But laughter does not unite us all. There are those who have a pathological fear that others will laugh at them. Sufferers avoid situations where there will be laughter, which means most places where people meet. Willibald Ruch of Zurich University surveyed 1,000 Germans and asked them whether they thought they were the butts of jokes and found that almost 10% felt this way. These people also tended to classify taped laughter as jeering. Future research will focus on the hypothesis that there is something seriously wrong with their sense of humour.
Poking fun
Aug 4th 2005 | TUEBINGEN, GERMANY
From The Economist print edition
Why people laugh
THE true story of how your wife's stalker rang her to discuss killing you isn't supposed to provoke mirth. But when John Morreall, of the College of William and Mary in Virginia, related the events last week to a group of scholars in Tuebingen in Germany, they were in stitches as he divulged the details of how his wife tried to dissuade the confused young man by pleading that her mortgage was too large to pay without her husband's help.
So why did they laugh? Dr Morreall's thesis is that laughter, incapacitating as it can be, is a convincing signal that the danger has passed. The reaction of the psychologists, linguists, philosophers and professional clowns attending the Fifth International Summer School on Humour and Laughter illustrates his point. Dr Morreall survived to tell the tale and so had an easy time making it sound funny.
One description of how laughter is provoked is the incongruity theory developed by Victor Raskin of Purdue University and Salvatore Attardo of Youngstown State University, both in America. This theory says that all written jokes and many other humorous situations are based on an incongruity—something that is not quite right. In many jokes, the teller sets up the story with this incongruity present and the punch line then resolves it, in a way people do not expect. Alternatively, the very last words of the story may introduce the absurdity and leave the listeners with the task of reconciling it. For instance, many people find it funny that a conference on humour could take place in Germany.
Why do people laugh at all? What is the point of it? Laughter is very contagious and this suggests that it may have become a part of human behaviour because it promotes social bonding. When a group of people laughs, the message seems to be “relax, you are among friends”.
Indeed, humour is one way of dealing with the fact that humans are “excrement-producing poets and imperfect lovers”, says Appletree Rodden of the University of Tuebingen. He sees religion and humour as different, and perhaps competing, ways for people to accept death and the general unsatisfactoriness of the world. Perhaps that is why, as Dr Morreall calculates in a forthcoming article in the journal Humor, 95% of the writings that he sampled from important Christian scholars through the centuries disapproved of humour, linking it to insincerity and idleness.
Fear of idleness is why many managers discourage laughter during office hours, Dr Morreall notes. This is foolish, he claims. Laughter or its absence may be the best clue a manager has about the work environment and the mood of employees.
Indeed, another theory of why people laugh—the superiority theory—says that people laugh to assert that they are on a level equal to or higher than those around them. Research has shown that bosses tend to crack more jokes than do their employees. Women laugh much more in the presence of men, and men generally tell more jokes in the presence of women. Men have even been shown to laugh much more quietly around women, while laughing louder when in a group of men.
But laughter does not unite us all. There are those who have a pathological fear that others will laugh at them. Sufferers avoid situations where there will be laughter, which means most places where people meet. Willibald Ruch of Zurich University surveyed 1,000 Germans and asked them whether they thought they were the butts of jokes and found that almost 10% felt this way. These people also tended to classify taped laughter as jeering. Future research will focus on the hypothesis that there is something seriously wrong with their sense of humour.
It all started with Phil and Tammy going to OKC last weekend, and finding the Paseo, and Adobe Grille... wow, what great finds! They came back and reported how wonderful it was, and in reporting it to us... we all decided to try it again.. last night, and wow, wow, wow, it did NOT disappoint! What a great night!! When you are in OKC, please,, please, head over to the Adobe Grille for some of the best Mexician Food ... ever! It was food prepared for your taste buds, as well as your tummy!! EVERY bite was unbelievable! You actually wanted the next bite to experience the "taste sensation"! I have never had such an experience eating out in my entire life, and I have ate at some really fine places... but NOTHING as great as this. Even if you don't like Mexician, you will enjoy your food there, PROMISE! Just go, and set back and let the fantastic staff waite on ya... and ENJOY!!! REALLY Really .... r e a l l y ... a great place to dine and enjoy and experience dining out, the way it should be... yelp.. GO!!! Can you tell I got carried away... haha.. but GO!!! Then.......... (now why the pic is here, hahaha....) we headed over to the Paseo District in OKC, and MAN, it was like being on vacation in another state... or place. GREAT art, friendly folks, just plain ole neat place to head to and experience. We might have to do it again with all the family... first Friday night of each month is the walk around open gallery displays of art, a little ole wine and snacks, etc... well, will post pics from it in a bit.. but all in all, the four of us felt like we were on vacation.... we had a GREAT time!! Full tummys, and saw some great art and came home with hugh smiles on our faces, our tummys full, and neat thoughts... well worth your time if you are in OKC and you have blood flowing in your veins... you will enjoy this wonderful hidden place in OKC. Enjoy the day... and Thanks PHILLIP AND TAMMY for sharing the night with Ann and I. thanks..
IT RAINED.. PRAISE GOD... IT RAINED...
UNBELIEVABLE, I DID NOT KNOW THAT HE REMEMBERED HOW TO SEND THE RAIN. WE HAVE RECEIVED 3/4 OF AN INCH SINCE JAN. 05!!! WE MIGHT HAVE RECEIVED ABOUT 3/4 OF AN INCH LAST NIGHT.... THANKS TO THE GUYS UPSTAIRS!!! MORE ON LAST NIGHT LATER.. BUT FOR NOW... ENJOY THE FRESHNESS OF THE OUTDOOR SMELLS... AFTER A RAIN....
I believe in God - From Uncle Ivan Moffat
THIS ONE IS FABULOUS!!! It was written by an 8-year-old named Danny Dutton, who lives in Chula Vista, CA. He wrote it for his third grade homework assignment, to "explain God". I wonder if any of us could have done as well?
EXPLANATION OF GOD:
"One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. &n! bsp;He doesn't make grownups, just babies. I think because they are smaller ! and easier to make. That way he doesn't have to take up his valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers."
"God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times beside bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because he hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in his ears, unless he has thought of a way to turn it off."
"God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting his time by going over your mom and dad's head asking for something they said you couldn't have."
"Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don't think there are any in Chula Vista . At least there aren't any who come to our church."
"Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work, like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of him preaching to them and they crucified him But he was good and kind, like his father, and he told his father that they didn't know what they were doing and to
forgive them and God said O.K."
"His dad (God) appreciated everything that he had done and all his hard work on earth so he told him he didn't have to go out on the road anymore. He could stay in heaven. So he did. And now he helps his dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones he can take care of himself without having to bother God. Like! a secretary, only more important."
"You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time." "You should always go to church on Sunday because it makes God happy, and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God!
Don't skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun doesn't come out at the beach until noon anyway."
"If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're scared, in the dark or when you can't swim and y! ou get thrown into real deep water by big kids."
"But.. you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and he can take me back anytime he pleases.
And...that's why I believe in God."
EXPLANATION OF GOD:
"One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. &n! bsp;He doesn't make grownups, just babies. I think because they are smaller ! and easier to make. That way he doesn't have to take up his valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers."
"God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times beside bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because he hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in his ears, unless he has thought of a way to turn it off."
"God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting his time by going over your mom and dad's head asking for something they said you couldn't have."
"Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don't think there are any in Chula Vista . At least there aren't any who come to our church."
"Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work, like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of him preaching to them and they crucified him But he was good and kind, like his father, and he told his father that they didn't know what they were doing and to
forgive them and God said O.K."
"His dad (God) appreciated everything that he had done and all his hard work on earth so he told him he didn't have to go out on the road anymore. He could stay in heaven. So he did. And now he helps his dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones he can take care of himself without having to bother God. Like! a secretary, only more important."
"You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time." "You should always go to church on Sunday because it makes God happy, and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God!
Don't skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun doesn't come out at the beach until noon anyway."
"If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're scared, in the dark or when you can't swim and y! ou get thrown into real deep water by big kids."
"But.. you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and he can take me back anytime he pleases.
And...that's why I believe in God."
Friday, August 05, 2005
WHAT IS A GRANDPARENT? From Joanna... thanks, kiddo!!
WHAT IS A GRANDPARENT?
Taken from papers written by a class of 8-year-olds
Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of her own. They like other people's.
A grandfather is a man grandmother.
Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come to see them. They are so old they shouldn't play hard or run. It is good if they drive us to the store and have lots of quarters for us.
When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars.
They show us and talk to us about the color of the flowers and also! Why we shouldn't step on "cracks."
They don't say, "Hurry up."
Usually grandmothers are fat, but not too fat to tie your shoes.
They wear glasses and funny underwear.
They can take their teeth and gums out.
Grandparents don't have to be smart.
They have to answer questions like "why isn't God married?" and "How come dogs chase cats?".
When they read to us, they don't skip. They don't mind if we ask for the same story over again.
Everybody should try to have a grandmother, especially if you don't have television, because they are the only grown ups who like to spend time with us.
They know we should have snack-time before bedtime and they say prayers with us every time, and kiss us even when we've acted bad.
A 6 YEAR OLD WAS ASKED WHERE HIS GRANDMA LIVED. ''OH,'' HE SAID, ''SHE LIVES AT THE AIRPORT, AND WHEN WE WANT HER WE JUST GO GET HER. THEN WHEN WE'RE DONE HAVING HER VISIT, WE TAKE HER BACK TO THE AIRPORT.''
Taken from papers written by a class of 8-year-olds
Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of her own. They like other people's.
A grandfather is a man grandmother.
Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come to see them. They are so old they shouldn't play hard or run. It is good if they drive us to the store and have lots of quarters for us.
When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars.
They show us and talk to us about the color of the flowers and also! Why we shouldn't step on "cracks."
They don't say, "Hurry up."
Usually grandmothers are fat, but not too fat to tie your shoes.
They wear glasses and funny underwear.
They can take their teeth and gums out.
Grandparents don't have to be smart.
They have to answer questions like "why isn't God married?" and "How come dogs chase cats?".
When they read to us, they don't skip. They don't mind if we ask for the same story over again.
Everybody should try to have a grandmother, especially if you don't have television, because they are the only grown ups who like to spend time with us.
They know we should have snack-time before bedtime and they say prayers with us every time, and kiss us even when we've acted bad.
A 6 YEAR OLD WAS ASKED WHERE HIS GRANDMA LIVED. ''OH,'' HE SAID, ''SHE LIVES AT THE AIRPORT, AND WHEN WE WANT HER WE JUST GO GET HER. THEN WHEN WE'RE DONE HAVING HER VISIT, WE TAKE HER BACK TO THE AIRPORT.''
Joanna sent along this neat dealy.. thanks Joanna
GRANDMA'S CURES
Keep this on the Fridge
Did You Know That? Drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately -- without the unpleasant side effects caused by traditional "pain relievers."
Did you know that Colgate toothpaste makes an excellent salve for burns.
Before you head to the drugstore for a high-priced inhaler filled with mysterious chemicals, try chewing on a couple of curiously strong Altoids peppermints. They'll clear up your stuffed nose.
Achy muscles from a bout of the flu? Mix 1 Tablespoon of horseradish in 1 cup of olive oil. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply it as a massage oil, for instant relief for aching muscles.
Sore throat? Just mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1/4 cup of honey and take 1 tablespoon six times a day. The vinegar kills the bacteria.
Cure urinary tract infections with Alka-Seltzer. Just dissolve two tablets in a glass of water and drink it at the onset of the symptoms. Alka-Seltzer begins eliminating urinary tract infections almost instantly -- even though the product was never been advertised for this use.
Honey remedy for skin blemishes ... Cover the blemish with a dab of honey and place a Band-Aid over it. Honey kills the bacteria, keeps the skin sterile, and speeds healing. Works overnight.
Listerine therapy for toenail fungus... Get rid of unsightly toenail fungus by soaking your toes in Listerine mouthwash. The powerful antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again.
Easy eyeglass protection ... To prevent the screws in eyeglasses from loosening, apply a small drop of Maybelline Crystal Clear nail polish to the threads of the screws before tightening them.
Coca-Cola cure for rust... Forget those expensive rust removers. Just saturate an abrasive sponge with Coco-Cola and scrub the rust stain. The phosphoric acid in the coke is what gets the job done.
Cleaning liquid that doubles as bug killer ... If menacing bees, wasps, hornets, or yellow jackets get in your home and you can't find the insecticide, try a spray of Formula 409. Insects drop to the ground instantly.
Smart splinter remover ...just pour a drop of Elmer's Glue-All over the splinter, let dry, and peel the dried glue off the skin. The splinter sticks to the dried glue.
Hunt's tomato paste boil cure...cover the boil with Hunt's tomato paste as a compress. The acids from the tomatoes soothe the pain and bring the boil to a head.
Balm for broken blisters...To disinfect a broken blister, dab on a few drops of Listerine ... a powerful antiseptic.
Heinz vinegar to heal bruises ... Soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply it to the bruise for 1 hour. The vinegar reduces the blueness and speeds up the healing process.
Kills fleas instantly. Dawn dish washing liquid does the trick. Add a few drops to your dog's bath and shampoo the animal thoroughly. Rinse well to avoid skin irritations. Goodbye fleas.
Rainy day cure for dog odor... Next time your dog comes in from the rain, simply wipe down the animal with Bounce or any dryer sheet, instantly making your dog smell springtime fresh.
Eliminate ear mites ... All it takes is a few drops of Wesson corn oil in your cat's ear. Massage it in, then clean with a cotton ball. Repeat daily for 3 days. The oil soothes the cat's skin, smothers the mites, and accelerates healing.
Quaker Oats for fast pain relief....It's not for breakfast anymore! Mix 2 cups of Quaker Oats and 1 cup of water in a bowl and warm in the microwave for 1 minute, cool slightly, and apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief from arthritis pain.
Keep this on the Fridge
Did You Know That? Drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately -- without the unpleasant side effects caused by traditional "pain relievers."
Did you know that Colgate toothpaste makes an excellent salve for burns.
Before you head to the drugstore for a high-priced inhaler filled with mysterious chemicals, try chewing on a couple of curiously strong Altoids peppermints. They'll clear up your stuffed nose.
Achy muscles from a bout of the flu? Mix 1 Tablespoon of horseradish in 1 cup of olive oil. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply it as a massage oil, for instant relief for aching muscles.
Sore throat? Just mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1/4 cup of honey and take 1 tablespoon six times a day. The vinegar kills the bacteria.
Cure urinary tract infections with Alka-Seltzer. Just dissolve two tablets in a glass of water and drink it at the onset of the symptoms. Alka-Seltzer begins eliminating urinary tract infections almost instantly -- even though the product was never been advertised for this use.
Honey remedy for skin blemishes ... Cover the blemish with a dab of honey and place a Band-Aid over it. Honey kills the bacteria, keeps the skin sterile, and speeds healing. Works overnight.
Listerine therapy for toenail fungus... Get rid of unsightly toenail fungus by soaking your toes in Listerine mouthwash. The powerful antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again.
Easy eyeglass protection ... To prevent the screws in eyeglasses from loosening, apply a small drop of Maybelline Crystal Clear nail polish to the threads of the screws before tightening them.
Coca-Cola cure for rust... Forget those expensive rust removers. Just saturate an abrasive sponge with Coco-Cola and scrub the rust stain. The phosphoric acid in the coke is what gets the job done.
Cleaning liquid that doubles as bug killer ... If menacing bees, wasps, hornets, or yellow jackets get in your home and you can't find the insecticide, try a spray of Formula 409. Insects drop to the ground instantly.
Smart splinter remover ...just pour a drop of Elmer's Glue-All over the splinter, let dry, and peel the dried glue off the skin. The splinter sticks to the dried glue.
Hunt's tomato paste boil cure...cover the boil with Hunt's tomato paste as a compress. The acids from the tomatoes soothe the pain and bring the boil to a head.
Balm for broken blisters...To disinfect a broken blister, dab on a few drops of Listerine ... a powerful antiseptic.
Heinz vinegar to heal bruises ... Soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply it to the bruise for 1 hour. The vinegar reduces the blueness and speeds up the healing process.
Kills fleas instantly. Dawn dish washing liquid does the trick. Add a few drops to your dog's bath and shampoo the animal thoroughly. Rinse well to avoid skin irritations. Goodbye fleas.
Rainy day cure for dog odor... Next time your dog comes in from the rain, simply wipe down the animal with Bounce or any dryer sheet, instantly making your dog smell springtime fresh.
Eliminate ear mites ... All it takes is a few drops of Wesson corn oil in your cat's ear. Massage it in, then clean with a cotton ball. Repeat daily for 3 days. The oil soothes the cat's skin, smothers the mites, and accelerates healing.
Quaker Oats for fast pain relief....It's not for breakfast anymore! Mix 2 cups of Quaker Oats and 1 cup of water in a bowl and warm in the microwave for 1 minute, cool slightly, and apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief from arthritis pain.
GET READY FOR SOMETHING NEW....
CHECK IT OUT...
HTTP://WWW.PAYNECOUNTYLINE.COM/PHIL (all small letters
My kiddos are so talented... It just never ceases to amaze me. 'got to be their mom's blood... but then we all knew that!!!
Heather is an awesome writer... when she can find the time and feels like it, Jon's brain is in overdrive in the "web" world... Phil can figure out how to do anything... and Jake is an amazing song writer.. and this is not even their strong suits!!! But then they are married to spouses who are equally talented so the grandkids will be AWESOME!!! Paul is a genius at figuring out things, reconstructing accidents... Tammy can make or bake or .... about anything, and Randi has an great gift for figuring out how to make things that are darn cool!! Great parents, super examples for their children to follow, and even more awesome than that, they are Mr. and Mrs. Moffat's kids, all of them! Yelp, Randi, even you, haha... I just hope they can put up with things like Grandpa did yesterday, sending a note to Jon and Randi, I said" I am so excited that Jon, Randi and Madison are coming up Sunday"... ok.. well, it's an age thing.. Enjoy it.. cuz one day it will be you!! haha.....
And I am fired up.... I can not wait to see KAITLYN - before she starts school!
Love to all... haha.. Enjoy the day God gave us, it could be our last... Not trying to dampen things.. just being honest!!
S
HTTP://WWW.PAYNECOUNTYLINE.COM/PHIL (all small letters
My kiddos are so talented... It just never ceases to amaze me. 'got to be their mom's blood... but then we all knew that!!!
Heather is an awesome writer... when she can find the time and feels like it, Jon's brain is in overdrive in the "web" world... Phil can figure out how to do anything... and Jake is an amazing song writer.. and this is not even their strong suits!!! But then they are married to spouses who are equally talented so the grandkids will be AWESOME!!! Paul is a genius at figuring out things, reconstructing accidents... Tammy can make or bake or .... about anything, and Randi has an great gift for figuring out how to make things that are darn cool!! Great parents, super examples for their children to follow, and even more awesome than that, they are Mr. and Mrs. Moffat's kids, all of them! Yelp, Randi, even you, haha... I just hope they can put up with things like Grandpa did yesterday, sending a note to Jon and Randi, I said" I am so excited that Jon, Randi and Madison are coming up Sunday"... ok.. well, it's an age thing.. Enjoy it.. cuz one day it will be you!! haha.....
And I am fired up.... I can not wait to see KAITLYN - before she starts school!
Love to all... haha.. Enjoy the day God gave us, it could be our last... Not trying to dampen things.. just being honest!!
S
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Old-time rock and roll band Stud Ducks is featured tonight
Old-time rockers to play in park
YUKON -- Old-time rock and roll band Stud Ducks is featured tonight at the Concert in the Park series at the Chisholm Trail Park gazebo.
The concert is free. The gazebo is south of Vandament Avenue and accessed by Wright- Kroutil Drive. Everyone is encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket.
A concession stand is available. Proceeds help pay entertainer expenses. For more information, call 350-8937.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is on the way to the Mulvey farm with the big lake on it at Yukon that we lived on... haha.. just remembering.. later..
YUKON -- Old-time rock and roll band Stud Ducks is featured tonight at the Concert in the Park series at the Chisholm Trail Park gazebo.
The concert is free. The gazebo is south of Vandament Avenue and accessed by Wright- Kroutil Drive. Everyone is encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket.
A concession stand is available. Proceeds help pay entertainer expenses. For more information, call 350-8937.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is on the way to the Mulvey farm with the big lake on it at Yukon that we lived on... haha.. just remembering.. later..
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Blonde jokes Ann's boss sent to her.. cute.. and clean..
Subject: Helloooo..Blond Jokes
THE MOON
Two blondes living in Oklahoma were sitting on
a bench talking........and one blonde says to the other, "Which do you
think is farther away..........Florida or the moon?"
The other blonde turns and says
"Helloooooooooo!!! can you see Florida.......?????"
CAR TROUBLE
A blonde pushes her BMW into a gas station.
She tells the mechanic it died. After he works on it for a few minutes,
it is idling smoothly. She says, "What's the story?"
He replies, "Just crap in the carburetor"
She asks, "How often do I have to do that?"
SPEEDING TICKET
A police officer stops a blonde for speeding and
asks her very nicely if he could see her license.
She replied in a huff, "I wish you guys would
get your act together. Just yesterday you take away my license and then
today you expect me to show it to you!"
RIVER WALK
There's this blonde out for a walk. She comes
to a river and sees another blonde on the opposite bank. "Yoo-hoo!" she
shouts, "How can I get to the other side?"
The second blonde looks up the river then down
the river and shouts back, "You ARE on the other side."
KNITTING
A highway patrolman pulled alongside a speeding
car on the freeway.
Glancing at the car, he was astounded to see
that the blonde behind the wheel was knitting! Realizing that she was
oblivious to his flashing lights and siren, the trooper cranked down his
window, turned on his bullhorn and yelled , "PULL OVER!"
"NO!" the blonde yelled back, "IT'S A SCARF!"
BLONDE ON THE SUN
A Russian, an American, and a Blonde were
talking one day. The Russian said, "We were the first in space!"
The American said, "We were the first on the
moon!"
The Blonde said, "So what? We're going to be
the first on the sun!"
The Russian and the American looked at each
other and shook their heads.
"You can't land on the sun, you idiot! You'll
burn up!" said the Russian.
To which the Blonde replied, "We're not stupid,
you know. We're going at night!"
IN A VACUUM
A blonde was playing Trivial Pursuit one night.
It was her turn. She rolled the dice and she landed on Science & Nature.
Her question was, "If you are in a vacuum and someone calls your name, can
you
hear it?" She thought for a time and then asked, "Is it on or off?"
FINALLY, THE BLONDE JOKE TO END ALL BLONDE
JOKES!
A girl was visiting her blonde friend, who had
acquired two new dogs, and asked her what their names were.
The blonde responded by saying that one was
named Rolex and one was named Timex.
Her friend said, "Whoever heard of someone
naming dogs like that?"
"HELLLOOOOOOO......," answered the blond.
"They're watch dogs
Don
THE MOON
Two blondes living in Oklahoma were sitting on
a bench talking........and one blonde says to the other, "Which do you
think is farther away..........Florida or the moon?"
The other blonde turns and says
"Helloooooooooo!!! can you see Florida.......?????"
CAR TROUBLE
A blonde pushes her BMW into a gas station.
She tells the mechanic it died. After he works on it for a few minutes,
it is idling smoothly. She says, "What's the story?"
He replies, "Just crap in the carburetor"
She asks, "How often do I have to do that?"
SPEEDING TICKET
A police officer stops a blonde for speeding and
asks her very nicely if he could see her license.
She replied in a huff, "I wish you guys would
get your act together. Just yesterday you take away my license and then
today you expect me to show it to you!"
RIVER WALK
There's this blonde out for a walk. She comes
to a river and sees another blonde on the opposite bank. "Yoo-hoo!" she
shouts, "How can I get to the other side?"
The second blonde looks up the river then down
the river and shouts back, "You ARE on the other side."
KNITTING
A highway patrolman pulled alongside a speeding
car on the freeway.
Glancing at the car, he was astounded to see
that the blonde behind the wheel was knitting! Realizing that she was
oblivious to his flashing lights and siren, the trooper cranked down his
window, turned on his bullhorn and yelled , "PULL OVER!"
"NO!" the blonde yelled back, "IT'S A SCARF!"
BLONDE ON THE SUN
A Russian, an American, and a Blonde were
talking one day. The Russian said, "We were the first in space!"
The American said, "We were the first on the
moon!"
The Blonde said, "So what? We're going to be
the first on the sun!"
The Russian and the American looked at each
other and shook their heads.
"You can't land on the sun, you idiot! You'll
burn up!" said the Russian.
To which the Blonde replied, "We're not stupid,
you know. We're going at night!"
IN A VACUUM
A blonde was playing Trivial Pursuit one night.
It was her turn. She rolled the dice and she landed on Science & Nature.
Her question was, "If you are in a vacuum and someone calls your name, can
you
hear it?" She thought for a time and then asked, "Is it on or off?"
FINALLY, THE BLONDE JOKE TO END ALL BLONDE
JOKES!
A girl was visiting her blonde friend, who had
acquired two new dogs, and asked her what their names were.
The blonde responded by saying that one was
named Rolex and one was named Timex.
Her friend said, "Whoever heard of someone
naming dogs like that?"
"HELLLOOOOOOO......," answered the blond.
"They're watch dogs
Don
The birthday boy.... and his dad had a celebration this past weekend.. Andrew is now officially four, deemed so by all his family!! the photos are at http://www.paynecountyline.com/gallery. Enjoy!
Monday, August 01, 2005
Butterfly unlocks evolution secret
this is the link to the story below... there are some awesome photos of butterfly's.
Butterfly unlocks evolution secret
By Julianna Kettlewell
BBC News science reporter
The butterflies' wings offer clues to speciation
Why one species branches into two is a question that has haunted evolutionary biologists since Darwin.
Given our planet's rich biodiversity, "speciation" clearly happens regularly, but scientists cannot quite pinpoint the driving forces behind it.
Now, researchers studying a family of butterflies think they have witnessed a subtle process, which could be forcing a wedge between newly formed species.
The team, from Harvard University, US, discovered that closely related species living in the same geographical space displayed unusually distinct wing markings.
These wing colours apparently evolved as a sort of "team strip", allowing butterflies to easily identify the species of a potential mate.
For me, this is a big discovery just because the system is very beautiful
Dr Nikolai Kandul, Harvard University
This process, called "reinforcement", prevents closely related species from interbreeding thus driving them further apart genetically and promoting speciation.
Although scientists have speculated about this mechanism for years, it has rarely been witnessed in nature.
"The phenomenon of reinforcement is one of the very few mechanisms that has natural selection playing a role in speciation," said Harvard co-author Nikolai Kandul. "It might be very widespread but it is hard to find good evidence of it."
Geographical isolation
For speciation to occur, two branches of the same species must stop breeding with one another for long enough to grow apart genetically.
The most obvious way this can happen is through geographical isolation.
The butterflies choose mates with similar markings
If a mountain range or river divides a population of animals for hundreds of generations, they might find that if they meet again they are no longer able to breed.
But geographical isolation is not enough to explain all speciation. Clearly, organisms do sometimes speciate even if there is no clear river or mountain separating them.
The other mechanism that can theoretically divide a species is "reproductive isolation". This occurs when organisms are not separated physically, but "choose" not to breed with each other thereby causing genetic isolation, which amounts to the same thing.
Reproductive isolation is much hazier and more difficult to pin down than geographic isolation, which is why biologists are so excited about this family of butterflies.
Butterfly clue
The Harvard team made the discovery while studying the butterfly genus Agrodiaetus, which has a wide ranging habitat in Asia.
The females are brown while the males exhibit a variety of wing colours ranging from silver and blue to brown.
Dr Kandul and his colleagues found that if closely related species of Agrodiaetus are geographically separate, they tend to look quite similar. That is to say, they do not display a distinctive "team strip".
Scientists are excited about this new research
But if similarly closely related species are living side-by-side, the researchers noticed, they frequently look strikingly different - their "teams" are clearly advertised.
This has the effect of discouraging inter-species mating, thus encouraging genetic isolation and species divergence.
"This butterfly study presents evidence that the differences in the male's wing colouration is stronger [when the species share a habitat] than [when they do not]," said the speciation expert Axel Meyer, from Konstanz University in Germany.
"This pattern would therefore support the interpretation that it was brought about by reinforcement, hence natural selection."
The reason evolution favours the emergence of a "team strip" in related species, or sub species, living side-by-side is that hybridisation is not usually a desirable thing.
Although many of the Agrodiaetus species are close enough genetically to breed, their hybrid offspring tend to be rather weedy and less likely to thrive.
Therefore natural selection will favour ways of distinguishing the species, which is why the clear markings exist.
"For me, this is a big discovery just because the system is very beautiful," said Dr Kandul. "As much as we can we are showing that [reinforcement] is the most likely mechanism."
This research was published in the latest edition of Nature magazine.
Butterfly unlocks evolution secret
By Julianna Kettlewell
BBC News science reporter
The butterflies' wings offer clues to speciation
Why one species branches into two is a question that has haunted evolutionary biologists since Darwin.
Given our planet's rich biodiversity, "speciation" clearly happens regularly, but scientists cannot quite pinpoint the driving forces behind it.
Now, researchers studying a family of butterflies think they have witnessed a subtle process, which could be forcing a wedge between newly formed species.
The team, from Harvard University, US, discovered that closely related species living in the same geographical space displayed unusually distinct wing markings.
These wing colours apparently evolved as a sort of "team strip", allowing butterflies to easily identify the species of a potential mate.
For me, this is a big discovery just because the system is very beautiful
Dr Nikolai Kandul, Harvard University
This process, called "reinforcement", prevents closely related species from interbreeding thus driving them further apart genetically and promoting speciation.
Although scientists have speculated about this mechanism for years, it has rarely been witnessed in nature.
"The phenomenon of reinforcement is one of the very few mechanisms that has natural selection playing a role in speciation," said Harvard co-author Nikolai Kandul. "It might be very widespread but it is hard to find good evidence of it."
Geographical isolation
For speciation to occur, two branches of the same species must stop breeding with one another for long enough to grow apart genetically.
The most obvious way this can happen is through geographical isolation.
The butterflies choose mates with similar markings
If a mountain range or river divides a population of animals for hundreds of generations, they might find that if they meet again they are no longer able to breed.
But geographical isolation is not enough to explain all speciation. Clearly, organisms do sometimes speciate even if there is no clear river or mountain separating them.
The other mechanism that can theoretically divide a species is "reproductive isolation". This occurs when organisms are not separated physically, but "choose" not to breed with each other thereby causing genetic isolation, which amounts to the same thing.
Reproductive isolation is much hazier and more difficult to pin down than geographic isolation, which is why biologists are so excited about this family of butterflies.
Butterfly clue
The Harvard team made the discovery while studying the butterfly genus Agrodiaetus, which has a wide ranging habitat in Asia.
The females are brown while the males exhibit a variety of wing colours ranging from silver and blue to brown.
Dr Kandul and his colleagues found that if closely related species of Agrodiaetus are geographically separate, they tend to look quite similar. That is to say, they do not display a distinctive "team strip".
Scientists are excited about this new research
But if similarly closely related species are living side-by-side, the researchers noticed, they frequently look strikingly different - their "teams" are clearly advertised.
This has the effect of discouraging inter-species mating, thus encouraging genetic isolation and species divergence.
"This butterfly study presents evidence that the differences in the male's wing colouration is stronger [when the species share a habitat] than [when they do not]," said the speciation expert Axel Meyer, from Konstanz University in Germany.
"This pattern would therefore support the interpretation that it was brought about by reinforcement, hence natural selection."
The reason evolution favours the emergence of a "team strip" in related species, or sub species, living side-by-side is that hybridisation is not usually a desirable thing.
Although many of the Agrodiaetus species are close enough genetically to breed, their hybrid offspring tend to be rather weedy and less likely to thrive.
Therefore natural selection will favour ways of distinguishing the species, which is why the clear markings exist.
"For me, this is a big discovery just because the system is very beautiful," said Dr Kandul. "As much as we can we are showing that [reinforcement] is the most likely mechanism."
This research was published in the latest edition of Nature magazine.
You have to see to believe.. haha...
From Melanie comes this short video clip.... titled "Passport"! download it to your desktop... save it, and watch... it is funny...haha...
2005, July 24th - Andrew and Madison
Yelp... Ms. Madison Ann is growing like a weed now... here is a link to some photos I took of her and Andrew , more photos coming..
Melanie sends along this note... the choices we make!
John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing,he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"
He was a natural motivator.
If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, "I don't get it!
You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"
He replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can choose to be in a bad mood.
I choose to be in a good mood."
Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.
Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.
"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.
"Yes, it is," he said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood.
You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life."
I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.
Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.
After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.
I saw him about six months after the accident.
When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins Wanna see my scars?"
I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.
"The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter," he replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I could choose to die. I chose to live."
"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.
He continued, "..the paramedics were great.
They kept telling me I was going to be fine.But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action."
"What did you do?" I asked.
"Well,there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said John. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity'."
Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."
He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude... I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.
Attitude, after all, is everything.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34.
After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.
You have two choices now:
01. Delete this.
02. Forward it to the people you care about.
You know the choice I made.
God Bless, and smile,it could be contagious.
He was a natural motivator.
If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, "I don't get it!
You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"
He replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can choose to be in a bad mood.
I choose to be in a good mood."
Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.
Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.
"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.
"Yes, it is," he said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood.
You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life."
I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.
Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.
After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.
I saw him about six months after the accident.
When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins Wanna see my scars?"
I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.
"The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter," he replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I could choose to die. I chose to live."
"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.
He continued, "..the paramedics were great.
They kept telling me I was going to be fine.But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action."
"What did you do?" I asked.
"Well,there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said John. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity'."
Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."
He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude... I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.
Attitude, after all, is everything.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34.
After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.
You have two choices now:
01. Delete this.
02. Forward it to the people you care about.
You know the choice I made.
God Bless, and smile,it could be contagious.
From Uncle Ivan....
This statue currently stands outside the Iraqi palace, now home to the 4th Infantry division. It will eventually be shipped home and put in the memorial museum in Fort Hood,Texas.
The statue was created by an Iraqi artist named Kalat, who for years was forced by Saddam Hussein to make the many hundreds of bronze busts of Saddam that dotted Baghdad.
Kalat was so grateful for the Americans liberation of his country; he melted 3 of the heads of the fallen Saddam and made the statue as a memorial to the American soldiers and their fallen warriors. Kalat worked on this memorial night and day for several months.
To the left of the kneeling soldier is a small Iraqi girl giving the soldier comfort as he mourns the loss of his comrade in arms.....
Great evening at the Blankinship's last night.....
Well, we had a great get together for Andrew and Paul's Birthday's on the evening of Jon and Randi's Wedding Anniversary... Even though they could not make it, we thought of them and talked of and "about" them too... haha...
Happy Anniversary to them and Happy B'day to the boys...
It was a home fun of laughter, fellowship, fun, visiting, and catching up. The Blankinships and Ameys brought homemade ice cream, and Heather and Mom fixed a freezer of homemade super V ice cream... It was all so very good... Birthday cake, cookies, and special deserts, and lots of presents.. and the kiddos played and got along great!
Roy and Neal are in the hay fields... Roy reports anywhere from 3/4 to 1/3 of the hay is being produced due to the drought we are in... here it's about 1/3 to 1/2 the hay that is usually put up.
Looks like an end of an era is coming here at our ole homestead, too. I think we will sell out of the cattle business at a Special Sale at Sale Barn on Sept. 9th. I truly don't want to, but....
Well, all I know for now. It is REALLY dry ... no rain in months and months.. actually since winter.... everything is suffering ... animals, grass, trees, bushes... shrubs... wow... and NO wind either.
I took lots of photos last night.. will post them but it might be tomorrow before I get them up.
Have a great day....... and enjoy!
Happy Anniversary to them and Happy B'day to the boys...
It was a home fun of laughter, fellowship, fun, visiting, and catching up. The Blankinships and Ameys brought homemade ice cream, and Heather and Mom fixed a freezer of homemade super V ice cream... It was all so very good... Birthday cake, cookies, and special deserts, and lots of presents.. and the kiddos played and got along great!
Roy and Neal are in the hay fields... Roy reports anywhere from 3/4 to 1/3 of the hay is being produced due to the drought we are in... here it's about 1/3 to 1/2 the hay that is usually put up.
Looks like an end of an era is coming here at our ole homestead, too. I think we will sell out of the cattle business at a Special Sale at Sale Barn on Sept. 9th. I truly don't want to, but....
Well, all I know for now. It is REALLY dry ... no rain in months and months.. actually since winter.... everything is suffering ... animals, grass, trees, bushes... shrubs... wow... and NO wind either.
I took lots of photos last night.. will post them but it might be tomorrow before I get them up.
Have a great day....... and enjoy!
like being there... haha... yeah right...!! but photos are cool...
Ole Dave drove to New York for a conference over the weekend... here are his pics.. ....
Sunday, July 31, 2005
I published this copy of an article from the Daily Oklahoman from August 5th, 1952... It is Uncle Calvin and Aunt Agnes Siegrist wedding announcement .... and as they say ... "the rest is history!" Just wanted to wish them a very Happy Wedding Anniversary. They were married on August 1st, 1952 at Mt. Zion Church, El Reno.... Happy Anniversary Uncle Calvin and Aunt Agnes, and may you have many many more wonderful anniversaries together...
Friday, July 29, 2005
BUSINESS.... HAHA.....
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - PAUL, AND MANY MANY MORE..... HEY PAUL, WHO'S COUNTING.. HAHA...
AND HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO JONATHAN AND RANDI MOFFAT... I KNOW IT'S EARLY BUT BETTER EARLY THAN LATE.. HAHA... THIS IS NUMBER 6, RIGHT???....
AND HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO JONATHAN AND RANDI MOFFAT... I KNOW IT'S EARLY BUT BETTER EARLY THAN LATE.. HAHA... THIS IS NUMBER 6, RIGHT???....
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Some news..
Wow, how cool...
On Tuesday night, Phillip, Tammy and Austyn stopped by with some great photos that Phil had done... by emailing them to walmart.. paying for them and Tammy ran by and picked them up, within an hour.. wow.. now that is fast and it is economical too!! Picks of Austyn swimming.. When the lessons started this year he was not to excited, and could not swim much, now he thinks he is a fish!! He dives off the diving board, etc.. he loves it and you can see it in his pics too..
And last night, Paul had baseball and Heather went with him for a while... to get out of the house. She is still really weak. Ann and I kept Madison, who pulled a Kailtyn on us and cried all the time she was here... haha... TEASING RANDI!!!! smiling.. just teasing.. haha..
Madison had a tummy ache, like it really hurt and she did cry for the longest time and about the time the kids got back to pick her up she quit. The way it's supposed to be.. haha... but it was great to see them too... and Madison. She is really growing.
Heather and Madison and Andrew spent Sunday with us and in the afternoon Great grandma came over to "hold" Madison some.. "most of afternoon" haha... I think Great Grandma kind'a likes her.. haha... as she does all her grands... and great grands....
We didn't get to see Ms. Kaitlyn this past weekend. Randi and Kaitlyn ended up sick and not feeling very well.
Maybe we will get to see them soon, before she grows up.. haha.. smiling...
OK... August 7th... Kingfisher, OK fairgrounds is the Snethen family reunion... I know you will not know all the folks at this event.. but it is Great grandmother Moffat's family.. the Snethen's. This was her mother's family. It is a chance to meet "other family" and to visit amongst ourselves and show off the great grand kids and grand kids for Great grandma.. so if you possibly could make it, I know it would mean a lot to her!! There is a lunch that is served, and lots of trading of family things, and you get a chance to see some of the folks in all those photos.. the building has A/C...
Let me know if you can make it so I can start making arrangements for a bank loan to get us in.. haha....
Enjoy the day!
On Tuesday night, Phillip, Tammy and Austyn stopped by with some great photos that Phil had done... by emailing them to walmart.. paying for them and Tammy ran by and picked them up, within an hour.. wow.. now that is fast and it is economical too!! Picks of Austyn swimming.. When the lessons started this year he was not to excited, and could not swim much, now he thinks he is a fish!! He dives off the diving board, etc.. he loves it and you can see it in his pics too..
And last night, Paul had baseball and Heather went with him for a while... to get out of the house. She is still really weak. Ann and I kept Madison, who pulled a Kailtyn on us and cried all the time she was here... haha... TEASING RANDI!!!! smiling.. just teasing.. haha..
Madison had a tummy ache, like it really hurt and she did cry for the longest time and about the time the kids got back to pick her up she quit. The way it's supposed to be.. haha... but it was great to see them too... and Madison. She is really growing.
Heather and Madison and Andrew spent Sunday with us and in the afternoon Great grandma came over to "hold" Madison some.. "most of afternoon" haha... I think Great Grandma kind'a likes her.. haha... as she does all her grands... and great grands....
We didn't get to see Ms. Kaitlyn this past weekend. Randi and Kaitlyn ended up sick and not feeling very well.
Maybe we will get to see them soon, before she grows up.. haha.. smiling...
OK... August 7th... Kingfisher, OK fairgrounds is the Snethen family reunion... I know you will not know all the folks at this event.. but it is Great grandmother Moffat's family.. the Snethen's. This was her mother's family. It is a chance to meet "other family" and to visit amongst ourselves and show off the great grand kids and grand kids for Great grandma.. so if you possibly could make it, I know it would mean a lot to her!! There is a lunch that is served, and lots of trading of family things, and you get a chance to see some of the folks in all those photos.. the building has A/C...
Let me know if you can make it so I can start making arrangements for a bank loan to get us in.. haha....
Enjoy the day!
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Today's Quote
Today's Quote
Good people are good because they’ve come to wisdom through failure. We get very little wisdom from success, you know.
-William Saroyan
Good people are good because they’ve come to wisdom through failure. We get very little wisdom from success, you know.
-William Saroyan
Saturday, July 23, 2005
New google maps service... neat... i think?
New service from Google. I can not get to it for some reason, but I can not get to any google product. Provalue is working on it.. something to do with the tower I get my wireless from. No one on it can use google.. haha... click on the image to go to the webpage it represents to get to new service....
two more important dates.... for July....
just a reminder...
Paul's birthday is 29th and Jon and Randi's wedding anni is the 31st...
Paul's birthday is 29th and Jon and Randi's wedding anni is the 31st...
For Jake.....
Future of Confederate White House Unknown
By DIONNE WALKER, Associated Press Writer
Sat Jul 23, 4:29 AM ET
RICHMOND, Va. - In the 1800s, the idea of a separate Southern nation seemed real enough to warrant a grand executive office — a Confederate answer to the White House that would symbolize the lasting Dixie empire. Officials chose a hilltop mansion in the Shockoe Hill section, a former doctor's home that dominated the then-sparse landscape. But what was once a Civil War centerpiece is now an afterthought.
Curators of the Museum and White House of the Confederacy say runaway development from nearby Virginia Commonwealth University has all but erased the site, cutting into attendance and threatening to elbow the landmark right out of the city.
A group of state lawmakers met Friday to discuss ways to save the 187-year-old site, including moving the entire complex.
"We are simply in their way and their expansion is simply in our way," executive director Waite Rawls III said during the first of four scheduled public meetings.
Rawls told the 11-member panel of the challenges facing the complex, including limited parking, incessant construction noise and looming buildings that leave the historical site lost in the mix.
All have contributed to shrinking museum attendance — from a peak of 91,000 in the early 1990s to just 54,000 visitors this past year.
Raised in 1818, the building was scheduled for demolition by the 1890s. Members of the Confederate Memorial Literary Society saved the home, converting it into a museum. Society members later restored it as a home in the 1980s; a separate museum housing artifacts such as Confederate flags and period paintings now stands next door.
The committee will review such solutions as relocating the museum or even the entire complex. The state-convened panel can only make recommendations for the privately owned site; the literary society has the final word, offficials said.
___
On the Net:
http://www.moc.org/
You know... I think I love this idea... haha... wow, now if Americans would get some backbone.....
rk_cr wrote to mention an Israeli technology firm which has set up a system to allow harried email users the right to reply in force. The system "batters spam websites with thousands of complaints. The plan is to fill order forms on spam websites offering pills, porn and penile health tonics with complaints about the products advertised for sale in junk messages. The plan has been criticised by other anti-spam workers who say it amounts to vigilantism."
Friday, July 22, 2005
From Uncle Ivan and Aunt Freda..... Rules from God!
Rules from God
1. Wake Up !!
Decide to have a good day.
"Today is the day the Lord hath made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalms 118:24
2. Dress Up !!
The best way to dress up is to put on a smile.
A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.
Man looks at outward appearance;
but the Lord looks at the heart."
I Samuel 16:7
3. Shut Up!!
Say nice things and learn to listen.
God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have
meant
for us to do twice as much listening as talking.
"He who guards his lips guards his soul."
Proverbs 13:3
4. Stand Up!!...
For what you believe in.
Stand for something or you will fall for anything..
"Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the
proper time,
we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do
good..."
Galatians 6:9-10
5. Look Up !!...
To the Lord.
"I can do everything through Christ who strengthens
me."
Philippians 4:13
6. Reach Up !!...
For something higher.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and lean not unto your own understanding.
In all your ways, acknowledge Him,
and He will direct your path."
Proverbs 3:5-6
7. Lift Up !!...
Your Prayers.
"Do not worry about anything;
instead PRAY ABOUT
EVERYTHING."
Philippians 4:6
Send this to the people you care about.
I thought this was mighty special, just like you.
Pass this on and brighten someone's day, and
remember:
God answers Knee-Mail.
1. Wake Up !!
Decide to have a good day.
"Today is the day the Lord hath made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalms 118:24
2. Dress Up !!
The best way to dress up is to put on a smile.
A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.
Man looks at outward appearance;
but the Lord looks at the heart."
I Samuel 16:7
3. Shut Up!!
Say nice things and learn to listen.
God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have
meant
for us to do twice as much listening as talking.
"He who guards his lips guards his soul."
Proverbs 13:3
4. Stand Up!!...
For what you believe in.
Stand for something or you will fall for anything..
"Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the
proper time,
we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do
good..."
Galatians 6:9-10
5. Look Up !!...
To the Lord.
"I can do everything through Christ who strengthens
me."
Philippians 4:13
6. Reach Up !!...
For something higher.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and lean not unto your own understanding.
In all your ways, acknowledge Him,
and He will direct your path."
Proverbs 3:5-6
7. Lift Up !!...
Your Prayers.
"Do not worry about anything;
instead PRAY ABOUT
EVERYTHING."
Philippians 4:6
Send this to the people you care about.
I thought this was mighty special, just like you.
Pass this on and brighten someone's day, and
remember:
God answers Knee-Mail.
The business end of the livestock business.... and for all future generations, this is the Bar M Ranch brand, it's an electric iron that heats up super hot.. and applied to the animal. It's quick and hurts them for about a minute.. and the smell of burning hair is something you never forget.. haha.... Ann and I registered the Bar M Ranch brand with the Oklahoma Cattlemen Association in 1972 and is brand number 8031. One evening, about three years later, Ann and I were eating dinner and the phone rang and it was a man from Pawnee who wanted to know why I sold calves in OKC that day with his brand on them... Well, that didn't set to well with me, so I asked him his brand number and it was a lot higher.. ahaha... so he had to cool his jets as ours was registered first ! He called back one more time, trying to claim my calves, and I hung up on him and never heard from him again till I saw in the paper where he died!! Ok.. enough remembering for a day.. haha... enjoy the day...
Here you can better see the trough.... This was about 1958, when it was made. Another neat thing..haha.. is the water heater is made of galvanized metal, and is very toxic to cut with a torch.. and I cut many of them in my youth... we were told to drink milk to help rid our lungs of the posion.. you would get deathly ill for the fumes of the metal. and usually very quick...
"So, what you going to do today?" askes the black heifer of the red steer...... While this is not an overly GREAT photo..haha... it does show a family heirloom... the feed trough was made by my Uncle Mervil Moffat who dairyed at El Reno. He made this when we moved to Yukon, and he made it in his shop on his farm, which was always very neat and orderly, and always had the latest neat tools in it, and Grandpa Moffat and I were watching him weld and cut and make it. It is an old hot water heater that was cut in two and legs welded to it. It was the latest NEAT idea in troughs for farmers who didn't have a lot of money to buy the store bought ones. We also have a square bale hay feeder at mom's that he built. He as a great man, and an awesome welder and could fix about anything. The two calves are going to be hamburger some day... and are on full feed!
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