Another flight disturbed by threats

In addition to the recent blog I wrote about the man who sprayed water on fellow passengers en route to his destination, another man has decided to freak out during flight. This time, Derek Stansberry, was on board a flight from Paris, France to Atlanta, Georgia and told the flight crew that he had a bomb in his backpack and was going to press the detonator device and blow up the plane. He later said he had taken 8 Ambien tablets and that is why he said those untrue things. He later said he only took one tablet. Two Doctors were consulted in the article and both agreed that Mr. Stansberry was probably not influenced to say those things because he said them in the context of where he was in real time and that is not consistent with Ambien side affects.

This story is not very original. To blame your actions on someone or something else is taking the easy way out.

Whoa. This is an unfortunate side effect of a medicated America. If there weren't so many different medications out there, it is possible that people who make terrorist threats wouldn't have a medication to blame it on. Or, he would probably just try to blame it on something else.

Possible new pet

My beloved dog of 14 years, Gizmo, was the best pet I could have asked for. He became very disoriented in his last year and also had a lot of arthritis pain. I made the choice to have him put to sleep because I loved him enough to want to release him from his pain. It was a very hard decision and one that I struggled with for a long time. The vet was so kind and made the process a lot easier to deal with. They even made a paw print in clay for me to take home. We buried him on our land so that he will always be near.

It has been a few months and I am considering adopting a dog. I am torn about what to do because I almost feel as though I would be "replacing" Gizmo, and that's not what I want to do. If I did get a new pet, it would be because I want to love it and give it a great life.

My sister has a miniature poodle/bichon mix that she has had for about two years. Her name is Gracie and she is so full of energy and love. My nieces and nephew are all young and not able to care for her on their own. Lately my sister has been talking about giving her away and I would love to have her! I think she would love living on the farm and I can give her all the attention she deserves.

Now the only thing I have to do is talk Ryan into it...

Morbid motorcycle rider

As sad as death is, a family in Puerto Rico has found a very memorable way to honor their recently deceased family member. 22 year old David Morales Colon was the victim of a shooting last Thursday, April 22nd and his family chose to have him embalmed and posed on his beloved motorcycle during his 3 day wake. He was placed in the cruising position bearing down on the engine and is wearing street attire with a hat and sunglasses. Critics are speaking up about whether this is what the deceased would have wanted.

When I first read this story it was hard to believe it was true, but after seeing the video feed and researching it a little more I found the story to be true. I am happy that the family was able to "honor" Mr. Colon's memory in a way they felt would represent him. I am a little shocked at the way they chose to do it, though.

When you lose someone, it is a very hard process. If you can ease the pain even just a tiny bit by showing them in a way that you feel fits them, then who is anyone to judge? Mr. Colon was buried in a traditional casket at the conclusion of his wake, so really the only thing out of the ordinary about this situation is the manner in which the family chose to portray him during the wake itself. While researching, I found another story about the same funeral home, in which the family chose to have their loved one standing up. My only concern is where will this end? After all, the dead are not puppets that can just be manipulated to entertain.

I would like the firing squad, please

Ronnie Lee Gardner, a death row inmate in the state of Utah will soon get his wish. He is choosing to be put to death by a 5 man firing squad. The law has changed since then that does not allow future inmates to choose death in this manner, but since this man had already chosen it, he can still be put to death this way. He was convicted in 1985 of killing an attorney. The last inmate to choose this method was in 1996.

I am kind of weirded out that someone would have to choose the manner in which they are executed. I naively believed that the only method that still existed is lethal injection.


I guess this inmate wants to go out with a bang.

Man threatens to blow up plane, sprays water

A man recently had to be restrained while aboard a flight from LA, California to Tampa, Florida. He was a first class passenger who apparently became erratic and grabbed a 2 liter bottle of water which he then proceeded to spray over passengers while saying "Get behind me, Satan". If that isn't enough, he then said to a flight attendant "I am going to bring this plane down...You need to land this plane or I'm going to blow it up [and] I will blow up this plane and take you all with me". Passengers and flight attendents detained the man until the plane could land safely in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

This story is really scary. Of course the man didn't really have the means to blow up anything, but to threaten innocent people who don't know if it is true or not is a really heartless thing to do!

Talk about a nut job!! I feel terrible for the people whose lives probably flashed before their lives when they thought they might actually be blown up by this deranged man.

Networking Addiction

Staying in touch with friends and family has become easier than ever now thanks to social networking sites such as facebook and myspace. On the upside, you can broadcast what you are doing to everyone at once or to individuals with the click of a mouse. On the downside, it is very easy for personal information to leak out to others and photos to surface after wild nights. There are age restrictions on most sites, but it is easy to put down a different birth year if you really want to gain access, so they aren't much of a security feature. I have been the recipient of scammers via myspace messages, so I know how easy it can be for someone to try to be your friend and then weasel out info. As a result, I have the highest security settings you can have and I am only friends with people on the sites that I am friends with in real life. I communicate what I am up to, but I don't broadcast personal information like my address or phone number. I hope that using precautions such as this will lessen the chances of being targeted if someone wants to try anything hinky. You never know who may be out there and what their motives are, but protecting yourself in simple ways such as this can never hurt!

8th time was not the charm

Larry King is now divorcing for the 8th time from his 7th wife. His wife, Shawn is filing for physical custody of their two children and they are both requesting not to pay the other spousal support. They are citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for separation.

I am pretty disappointed after reading this article. Larry King is a very public figure and he is so well known, I hope people don't follow his example and just throw away their marriages because it is easier than working through their problems.

All I can say is that I think Larry King is setting a terrible example for his viewers. How can you really have a role model who goes through wives faster than most people go through vehicles? Albeit, he has been married to this wife for 12 years, it doesn't leave a very promising future for him to tame his wild ways. Larry King is 76 years old and Shawn is 50.

Alternative to Boston Marathon

This article was found on CNN.com and focused on the Boston Marathon. A race that has been going on every year for the past 114 years. Only 26,700 racers are allowed to compete at the Boston marathon and racers who tried to register after the cap found themselves in a dilemma. They are able to race at an alternate location in Exeter, Rhode Island where about 60 people will run in an elites-only race. Some participants are very disappointed that they were able to qualify for the Boston, but will not be able to run there, and others are very excited about not having to run with all of those other people in such a packed race.

I thought this was a great article. I can understand how someone who had been looking forward to the Boston could be pretty bummed about not getting to run there though. I can only imagine how accomplished they would feel after qualifying.

Michael Tamarro, the Rhode Island native who started the Exeter race had this to say about his reasons for starting the new race "Leave the crowd, the charity runners, leave the event, and let it be about running. That's what I'm offering. I think this was a great way for him to see the brighter side of things and offer participants a more memorable way to race than by tripping over other runners at the Boston Marathon.

Life on Discovery Channel

If you haven't had the privilege of seeing an episode of Life on the Discovery Channel, you are definitely missing out. This is one of the most amazing series I have ever seen. According to discoverychannel.com, the series took over 3 years to film and hundreds of hours of film to create each episode. The concept of Life, is to show viewers a raw view of the animals that inhabit the world we share with them. Episodes include: Challenges of Life, Reptiles and Amphibians, Mammals, Fish, Birds, Creatures of the Deep, Hunters and Hunted, Insects, Plants, Primates, and Making of Life. They play on Sunday nights at 8pm throughout the end of March and April. Each episode starts out by introducing their focus group and then weaving through the myriad of creatures in that specific kingdom. They are narrated by Oprah Winfrey and are so captivating you almost forget you are learning as you are enjoying a visual delight. The colors and sounds you experience are almost too amazing to be true. I would definitely recommend watching in High Definition and surround sound if at all possible.

If there was an extra day in each week

I was just thinking about the concept of having an extra day in each week. Can you imagine if we all had one day to ourselves? If we could have one more chance to relax, or read a favorite book, or even take a two hour bubble bath, can you imagine how much more calm we would all be? Of course the day would probably get taken over by homework or chores, but the thought of such a respite is a pretty nice daydream. If I had an extra day, I would use it to: Work out, relax on the sofa with my puppy, get a massage, learn how to make jewelry, paint my nails, write cards to my favorite girlfriends, work on my scrapbook, and best of all I would go to bed early. I would not take my day for granted and I would catch up on all the things I wish I had time for now. I wouldn't cook or clean because those aren't relaxing things and I have to do them every regular day. It would be like having one day to recharge my batteries before facing the world. The reason I had this daydream for an extra day is because I have not been able to catch up on any of the items I listed and I don't want to be someone who always has good intentions but no follow through. The only thing better than an extra day would be having a personal assistant to help out with the mundane tasks so you could focus on the fun ones! Just a thought...

Starbucks uncovered

In a fun story I found today on CNN.com, 7 things you might not know about Starbucks, I became privy to some inside information about the coffee giant. The origin of the Starbucks name, a story of self sacrifice, what exactly the logo stands for, the monumental up rise, a lawsuit, a "forbidden" battle, and a tip war were all explained in the paragraphs.

This was a well written article. It made me happy to hear of some of the good things S'bucks (and their employees) have done. I was surprised at how many S'bucks locations there are in so many different countries. I wish they had added something about their coffee bean farmer initiatives.

I absolutely loved this article. I am a huge S'bucks fan and it was really cool to read about some of the lesser known facts regarding the coffee giant. My opinion of S'bucks did not change throughout reading this story and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning a bit more about their local S'bucks cafe.


The only thing missing from this story is exactly why Starbucks can charge so much for a beverage and get away with it.

Child Bride Dies of internal bleeding.

In another shocking story from CNN.com, a 12 year old child is now dead due to internal bleeding caused by intercourse with her "husband". The girl is from Yemen, where the age a child can be married off to an older man is often an accepted practice. Another 12 year old bride died in September during childbirth. Reasons given for the marriage of such young girls included release of financial or moral responsibility. Another very young bride, a 10 year old named Nujood, endured rape and beating from her "husband" before escaping to a court house where she demanded and was later granted a divorce. Yemeni officials are lobbying to have the minimum age of marriage raised.

I am yet again disgusted that such young girls are forced into these dealings. It automatically makes me think of my nieces and little sister as being "wives" at their tender young ages and it is almost too much to bear. I am also saddened that the parents of these young girls would rather have them married off than give them the opportunity to have a real childhood and mature before subjecting them to the bonds of marriage.

This story makes me think differently of the world as a whole. There truly is no equality in the world, and that fact is very disheartening. If there were, then women would be able to have the rights that men have. You do not often hear of boys being married off at such a young age. Or better yet, everyone would be able to marry for love, or at least marry the person they want to rather than the one they are forced to. My views did not change after reading this article. I still think it is very sad and I'm sure the families of the two girls would rather have them at home tonight safe in their beds, than in a grave. It is just such a shame that they couldn't see what a colossal mistake they were making at the time.

I know this blog is full of my opinions, but it is so hard not to get upset when you hear about nonsensical deaths of innocent children. Those girls didn't ask for this and they didn't deserve what they got.

New Dream Job

I recently read an article on CNN that changed my mind about my future career goals. A company called RunawayBrideandGroom.com had come up with a way to create buzz by offering a job to one couple who will visit various romantic locations over a six month span and blog about their experiences. The Irish travel company was impressed with the results that Australia's Tourism Queensland board had when they created an ad for "The Best Job in the World" which was to pay one lucky applicant almost $140,000 to live on Hamilton Island for six months and blog about how great it is. The idea quickly spread to other companies due to how much business this sort of dream job scenario could bring in. The Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau in Florida also jumped on the dream job bandwagon when they created a job that would created a job that would require one couple to visit every theme park and attraction in the state within 67 days and write about their experiences.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article. I am really impressed with the creativity these companies have. I can only imagine how much fun the chosen people will have on their assignments. To be able to have those experiences AND get paid for it would be pretty unbelievable.

David Meerman Scott, author of "The New Rules of Marketing & PR" said "The Best Job in the World" generated tens of millions of dollars in free publicity for Tourism Queensland". That is pretty ingenious. I think this sort of advertisement is a great way to give a lucky person the opportunity of their lifetime while giving readers an inside view of the destinations from a real persons view. It also makes the company seem like a wonderful company worthy of your business.

Whoever thought of this idea deserves a lot more than just a pat on the back!

Mom is the new terrorist

It was recently reported that a mother from Colorado has been arrested in connection with terrorist activities. Allegedly Jamie Paulin-Ramirez and Colleen R. LaRose were charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists. E-mail messages were exchanged between the women that indicated they were self proclaimed terrorists who planned to travel across Europe "with the intent to live and train with jihadists". In addition, Jamie Paulin-Ramirez brought her son with her on the trip to Europe. LaRose had planned on killing Lars Vilks, a resident of Sweden after al Qaeda offered a reward to the person who would.

I am appalled that someone who calls themselves an American could ever be involved with these types of organizations. It is sickening to hear that these women could be so corrupt that they would want to learn how to kill others in "violent jihad".

These types of stories are so shocking because they hit so close to home. To think of a mother and American being able to convert to Jihad and become a murderer is so scary. I wonder how those terrorists get inside people's heads to make them think what they are doing is actually legit. The indictment alleges "Paulin-Ramirez married an unidentified co-conspirator whom she had never met" and that "LaRose said she recruited people on the Internet who had passports and the ability to travel to and from Europe in support of jihad". It all sounds like something out of the twilight zone and not real life.

It seems like the stories people make up in their heads sound more lifelike than the actual events shown on the evening news.

D-Day Disaster

We were all very excited about our impending weekend, unfortunately no one checked the forecast prior to our departure. If you had told me Friday morning that we would have snow dumped on us within 24 hours I would have laughed. It was seriously near the 70's and sunny while we were packing. When we arrived at the camp site and set up the camper all the boys were buzzing around with excitement. They couldn't wait to take their Jeeps out on the trails and try out the new toys they had added to it over the winter. We met up with our usual group of riding pals and took off for some of the more experienced trails. It almost seemed like a bad omen right from the start because my seat belt wouldn't work so I had to sit in the back. Then, a Jeep that one of the guys had just finished building broke it's rear axle. From there, the night went downhill fast. More vehicles got stuck, broke down, or just plain got torn up.

After heading back to the camper, we were already feeling cold temperatures creeping in. All of a sudden the slush machine in the sky kicked into high gear and we started seeing the first layer of white stuff sticking to the ground. By morning, the whole camp was covered in more than four inches of snow and the rock stomp events were cancelled. Our group started leaving one by one until we were the last and since the boys didn't want to be defeated by mother nature, they convinced me to stay too. There were plenty of other yahoos still there, but since we didn't know any of them, we couldn't go out on the exciting trails because we never go out on them without at least one other vehicle. Eventually the cold weather won and we ended up spending most of the day and night in the camper playing cards and I snuck off to read a book I had been looking forward to catching up on.

By Sunday, I was just ready to be home. Next time we will definitely check the weather and be more prepared before leaving the farm!