Free Thinkers Anonymous

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, Steez
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    I know this may be heart-wrenching...but I have decided to dedicate most of my time working on my blog....Free Thinkers Anonymous....where thoughts are random and craziness is accepted.... 

 

  I wanted to invite all of you to come follow my blog there. It is all I have learned, continue to learn, and such....put together...and I find it just a tad more interesting. I realize that it does not follow this story line, and I promise this blog will still get attention, it is just going to be put on the back burner for just a little while. 

....so if you have enjoyed this blog...Free Thinkers Anonymous is the life I'm living now...come check it out! 

 

FREE THINKERS ANONYMOUS

Death at the Pool

We purchased a pool last year, it is quite small. It's one of those pools that you blow up the top and as it fills the top raises. I'm not very good with measurements so I couldn't tell you how big it actually is for the life of me, however I am 5'1" and it comes just above my knees...so you have kind of a picture of the size of this pool.
I also have 2 children and they have friends, friends who enjoy spending time in our pool. Well the very first time the pool was used this year was by my daughter and her best friend. They were in the water for around 3 hours, and my daughter had come in the house to use the pool around 5 times in the duration of the 3 hours. However it hit me that her best friend had not come in once, so as I am telling the girls to get out of the pool I ask said friend if she had been peeing in the pool. She responded with a look of guilt and silence. Therefore I was then planning on draining and cleaning out the pool because that is disgusting!
I didn't get around to actually draining the pool out until a couple days later and as I am preparing to do so, I see an animal floating in the water. Apparently a squirrel had fallen out of our gigantic walnut tree to him ultimate demise, or he was trying to get a drink and fell in, either way he did not make it out again. I am not sure if he fell and was stunned then drown, or if the chemicals from this little girls urine killed this poor squirrel. I am however going to use it as a reason why you should not pee in the pool!

Who are the Mayans?

Well I think before we find out exactly what the Mayans have to say, maybe we should learn a little about who they are...I found a great site that sheds some light on not only who the Mayans are but also some positive light on the 12-12-2012 scare. If you would like to check out the site it's here. 

First I would like to correct myself in saying that they are in fact not called Mayan's but Maya civilization...and now I feel like an idiot...but at least I can admit my mistake!

The Maya civilization was formed around 1500 BC and occupied the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Mayan's (it's okay if it is plural) worshiped nature, they used the stars for the telling of time and to create calendars. It is unknown, the fate of the Maya civilization, which ended around 300-400 AD. The ending was signified when their pyramids, homes, and places of worship were abandoned.

Hmmm...very mysterious. The tale will continue as I read. I urge you to follow along if you are in the least bit interested in all the horror that could arise on December 12, 2012. Maybe we should find out what is predicted to happen in a logical sense.

Are the End Times Near?

I have recently watched the movie 2012 and it got me thinking, then my mother told me about watching a show about the Mayan Calendar and the predictions that have already come true. I have decided to do my own research.

I would like to say that anything I post about the end times will be non-bias although I would also like to inform you that I am a Christian, I believe in God whole-heartedly and I believe when the Bible says that no man shall know the day nor the hour. But I do find speculation interesting, so I will be venturing into the unknown (at least by me) and reporting back to all of you what I find out. It shall be an interesting journey! One you may want to buckle up for!

Attempted Murder

I walked outside my house a few minutes ago and heard some very loud noise coming from my huge pine tree located right in front of my home. As soon as I went to look at what all the ruckus was about an owl flew at my face. He (or she) flew right at me then at the last minuted turned around and landed in my tree, so I did what any sane person would do, I ran inside to get my camera :)

I realize it's not the greatest picture ever, and the bird has red eye, but it's dark outside and I was afraid I wouldn't catch him on camera if I took to long. I happened to be right because right after I snapped this photo he (or she) flew off. I then heard some very loud flapping, and I just thought there must be another owl in the tree, maybe they were making a nest. That would be cool. It also freaked me out just a bit because I don't have very good luck when it comes to things that fly. Bats attack me all the time.

Anyway, my daughter had a friend over and when her mom came she informed me that there was a bird stuck in the neighbors driveway. She then took one of my towels and we ventured out to see what we could find. I once again grabbed my camera, but it was pouring rain at the time so I couldn't take a picture. The bird was just a small finch, and he had a broken wing. Now I am left to assume that said owl and said finch got into a tangle, owl won, and planned to eat him for dinner when I then showed up with my "bright light" and scared him away from his watch tower.

We moved said finch into the yard in hopes that he will find some shelter and maybe have a chance of living. There wasn't much else we could do for him (or her.) What would you have done in that situation?

Art Show 2010

My daughter is in first grade and this year one of her art projects was picked to be in the local art show. They held the art show at the local courthouse, so really nothing like big time or anything, but it's still pretty cool that something she made was chosen.

This she says is a Griffon. I have no idea what a griffon is or if this resembles a griffon, however I still think it's very creative and cute. The medium used is chalk. There was lots of great art there, some very talented children live in my neck of the woods.

 This was done by a high school student. I'm not sure who it was, but I know it was in the high school area. I'm just going to post a few more pictures I took of the art I enjoyed. I hope you enjoy it as well!

Gunner

I want to apologize for the long period of time that I did not post. We just got a new addition to our family, Gunner, our basset hound. He is 10 weeks old now, and a handful. Though he is a very well behaved little guy, we are working on house breaking and that can be a challenge, as well as very time consuming. He is getting better at it, but it is definitely still a work in progress. I am having issues with my computer. My 2 year old locked my account somehow, so I will upload pictures later :)

Well time for another potty break!

Edit: 3/9/10

I am now going to add a picture of my precious puppy :)

aww, isn't he precious!

Nikon L100 [My New Camera]

I'm sorry about the ad...but I wanted a good picture of my new camera and it was the only way. I mean if you want the same camera you can click on it and get it about $100 cheaper than what my husband paid for it :) but otherwise that's what it looks like!

Here's another picture:

 

That is me 

I love this camera, it takes very clear pictures and has many settings. You can take up to 30 pictures per second! It's nice if you have children and they are in sports. It allows you to never miss a moment, you can take lots of pictures and then delete the ones you don't want to keep! You can take wonderful close-ups and it has 15x optical zoom! with 10 megapixels. The Rikkor lens is great because it takes crystal clear photos. 

It's a very simple to use camera, and comes with an instruction booklet to do the more complicated type images. If you are wanting it for family photos it's great, sports, whatever it may be this camera is affordable and easy to use and will fit your needs. 

I am extremely happy with it. Before my Nikon L100 I had a Kodak C875, we had bought that camera a week before my youngest child was born and it was a great camera but my husband dropped it off the hospital bed and the LCD broke. I had to use that camera for 2 years with a broken screen. It was very embarrassing to  take it to school events for my children. My husband finally bought me the L100 and I was exstatic! He was so good too, he bought it as a Christmas present and he new how much I wanted it, so he bought me other things as well and told me that he would buy me the camera later, not for Christmas. I was really disappointed and he told me that he knew how much I wanted it but he hoped that because he wasn't able to get it for me I wouldn't be disappointed about the presents he did buy. 

I was so amazingly surprised when I finally did open the present I saved for last because he didn't even wrap it, he just put it in a gift bag and taped it shut...I just thought it was something small and I didn't want to be disappointed right away so I waited. Then when I opened it I almost started crying. I was so happy, and so surprised! He's good like that!! :) 

Well anyway...if your looking for a camera I recommend this one, it's great! I love Nikon, and I love my camera!!!

Rewarding Games

I've been enjoying a site called Video Squares, Where you can play games and you are then rewarded with points. After earning so many points you can then cash them in at the Video Squares store for rewards such as paypal, gift cards, and other prizes. You can even play until you've earned enough points for a TV!
I've been paid by this site, so I know they are legit.

I am completely addicted to Pyramid Solitaire, Word Search, and they have Slots that you are rewarded for the amount you win and it's completely free! The entire site is completely free, how awesome is that? Pretty awesome huh!!

If you want to sign up just click on the link above! You should definitely check it out, especially if you like playing games online. They have thousands of games, almost all the games you would play at other sites such as Yahoo or MSN the only difference is that you are rewarded for playing them on Video Squares where as the other sites don't reward you with anything. I recommend it!

Serious Moonlight

Just finished watching the movie Serious Moonlight.What a brilliant movie! I would totally do what Louise, played by Meg Ryan did in this movie if I ever found out my husband was not only having an affair but planning on leaving me.

It's hilarious and sad, dark and romantic. The script is amazing! The acting is beautiful!
If you haven't seen Serious Moonlight, go relax and watch it! You won't be disappointed!

Everybody's Fine

Spoiler Alert

I haven't seen a movie that has actually made me cry in a very long time. The movie Everybody's Fine came out on DVD recently and I bawled. It's a very touching story about a dad of four, his kids are all grown up and each one wants to make their dad proud. They do not want him to worry about them so they choose to lie to him about their lives. They all became what, in their youth, he encouraged them to be or at least close to that occupation. He expects them to arrive for a special weekend visit, goes shopping for them, and they all cancel so he decides to travel all over the country and surprise each one.

However after showing up they would quickly send him away, tell him they had important things to do and they just didn't have the time to visit. The underlying reason was because they were all trying to help their brother, David. 

I don't want to ruin it to much so I won't give away the ending, but it turns out to be a very sad movie, with a somewhat happy ending. 

I hope that my children will stay close to me when they grow older. I also hope that they will always feel they can be honest with me, and know that I will be proud of them no matter what. It's weird that after watching a movie such as Everybody's Fine I realize that there are little things that I don't do now, such as take the time to sit down and read with my children every night instead of every once in awhile. Movies like that make me want to be a better parent. I wonder if that is the moral of the story the author was hoping for. 

If you haven't seen the movie yet, I strongly suggest watching it. I do have to say that it takes awhile to actually get into the movie, but it's worth getting into. 

pleasant viewing :) 

American Idol-Does it ruin careers?

Don't get me wrong I think American Idol used to be a wonderful show. Nice clean family entertainment to be exact, however I think about what happens to all of those people who get to actually be on the show. What happens to their careers? There are many who actually go on to build a musical career for themselves but then there are so many who after American Idol do nothing.

It makes me wonder why those who chose to stop pursuing their dream even decided to go on the show in the first place. I mean if singing isn't what they wanted to do for the rest of their lives maybe they should have given up their spot to someone who actually wanted a career singing.

I also think that most of the contestants from the show end up being known for American Idol. That would be great, but some people choose to think of those that were part of American Idol as girl only music..."oh their from American Idol? nevermind..." I mean sure they are known...they are now famous...but would you want to be known for a show? Obviously there are a ton of people who would judging by all the people who go try out every year.

Plus what do you think will happen to the show after Simon quits? Will it even be worth watching? I mean you can tell that he is going to leave the show, you can see that he is no longer feeling it...he's only half there this year. By that I mean his attitude is not really into the show this year. It seems he's even more annoyed as well. What do you think? They also should not have gotten rid of Paula, I'm sorry I like Ellen, but Paula was so much better. I'm not sure that I like Cara either. I don't like her attitude....She seems overly cocky to me...

............opinions?............

Chocolate Banana Bread

MMMmmm right? I was in a baking mood today and had some mushy bananas so I decided to turn them into banana bread. I found a recipe for chocolate-banana  bread that I had been wanting to try, so I decided to bake that today. It was very yummy, although not exactly what I thought it would be. I was under the impression that it would be sweeter than it was.

This recipe doesn't take very long, and it doesn't have a whole lot of ingredients in it, so in my opinion it's worth the time. The only thing I plan to add the next time I make it is walnuts. I think it needs that crunch.

Here is the recipe if you would like to try it!

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar (to sprinkle)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 9x5 inch bread loaf pan. Whisk flour, sugar cocoa, baking powder, and salt in large bowl.

2. Beat butter in large bowl at medium speed until lightened. Beat in chocolate, eggs, bananas, and vanilla at low speed. Sitr in flour mixture just until combined. Pour into pan.

3. Bake 55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool 15 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

......Enjoy.....
Let me know what you thought...and whether or not you added walnuts or some other kind of nut.

Paid to Write

I have always loved writing, the feel of a pen on paper gives me great joy, and in the rare event I am able to locate a pencil even more joy fills me! I know most people who blog do it for the money, there are a few who are in it just to share their opinions with the world, and I would love to say that I am in it for the money...however I have no false expectations. I do realize that this blog is not going to be good enough to bring in any income.

The blog you are reading now is mostly for me to have an outlet where I can share my opinions or write about absolutely anything I want and either people will read it or they won't...but I will have a place to look in the future and see if my writing has improved at all.

I have found a place to publish some of my well written articles and the poetry I have deemed good enough for other readers. That place is Triond.  I am paid on the 10th of every month from Triond for the work that I have published on their site, and I have to say it's well worth it. Most of the articles I write only takes me around an hour...if I have to do research it could take longer though, but after publishing my article I am paid every month for the rest of my life. I think it's great.

You see with Blogger you are paid if you choose to utilize Adsense, however unless your blog is unusually popular you are not really that likely to make a whole lot of money. As I said I realize that this blog is not going to be a big money maker for me. It's mostly for the fun of it, however I do have to admit I would not turn money away. I think Adsense is great but they pay you per click, so it takes a long time to accumulate enough money to actually earn a check. (You can't request a check until you've reached $100.00) There is no issue as to whether you will actually get paid, I mean it's Google, you know they are going to pay you.

Alright I got a little off track, let me re-align myself. As I was saying, I write and publish articles on Triond and I write this blog and about ten others. By utilizing all these different sources of income I bring in a little money. I then leave that money in my paypal account until I find something I just can't live without and by the time that happens I've accumulated quite a bit. It's my savings plan....

Alright anyway...I'm obviously not able to stay on track today so I will come back later after I've gathered my thoughts and complete the information I was trying to relay to you.
...Until then...

Clean House=Clean Brain Space

 

I know sounds crazy right? Well it’s truth! There are two different kinds of people in the world, people who live in clean homes and people who do not. There are many different kinds of clean as well as assortments of dirty households, but you can determine which group yours fits into.

When you walk into a home that is neat and organized it is almost certain that the person who dwells in this home will have more time, thinks more clearly, and doesn’t worry all hours of the day. They have space to move, space to think, and space to work out their problems. Some people can determine the exact area of your life you are having problems in just by looking at your home, those same problems could potentially ease themselves out of your life if you were to clean that specific space. It is a common practice used with Feng Shui.

This is not to say that you should spend your whole day cleaning everyday because where is the fun in that, right? I am saying “Do not leave for tomorrow what can be done today.” - Abraham Lincoln
It only takes a few minutes to clean up after yourself, why not go ahead and do it now rather than let the mess continue to build.

Celebrity Gossip

I was thinking of writing about celebrity gossip...I found Jon Cryer's "hit" to be of some interest...but seriously I don't know any of these "stars" and their lives really don't interest me...I don't know how so many people can sit around reading magazines that do nothing but focus on star drama, or watching celebrity gossip television shows...
Although I do find TMZ quite funny at times, the others just give us the facts of the lives of people most of us will never meet and even more of us will never actually be friends with.  So what is the point? That is what I ask you now...Why do you allow this gossip to take up so much of your time?

Gather.com

I want to release my frustration with a website...Gather.com.... So this post is sure to resemble vomit, because puking is what I want to do when I think of the way Gather robs it's users of their time and energy with false promises of these so-called "gather points."

You see Gather is a social community where you are awarded points for your participation and after collecting so many points you can then turn those points into gift cards, paypal, or other prizes. This is all good and well, and yes they do pay, however the time it takes to gain enough points is a slow and long road to tread.

I joined this site a little over a year ago and was very active in the beginning, back when points weren't so far and few between. Then Gather decided they were being just a little too generous to their users and started cutting back the amount of points that were awarded, then went as far as to stop rewarding points for some activities. Now I'm lucky to see one point rewarded per post! I am no longer rewarded for viewing and commenting on others work, and though there are still some people who have gained my readership, there are many who have failed to meet my expectations and I no longer have time to stop over and read.

I see that this site is up and running, but in my opinion it won't be for that much longer, unless they change their motto...saying that you will be paid for conversation...and coming up with a different plan.

The Box

Spoiler Alert

I chose to watch The Box (just released on DVD) after seeing many previews that peaked my interest I sent my husband on a mission to rent this movie. As we prepared popcorn and cuddled on the couch waiting on the corn to pop we discussed the aforementioned previews and how interesting this movie was going to be. I mean firstly the guy only had half a face...what happened to his face? Okay so that's all I can come up with that interested us really...well and all the hype that surrounded the movie while it was in theaters.

I can now tell you that we were sadly disappointed! This movie has no point. It's set back in the 80's and the only reason I can come up with for the time period is the foot model that Cameron Diaz's husband makes her in the movie. The man with half a face, Mr. Steward, seems to be dead...but who knows...he was struck by lighting and obviously that lightning struck his face, which solved the mystery of what happened. However he was pronounce dead, and then after taken to the funeral home he springs to life and develops this Box which holds a button, the button if pushed will result in a stranger's death. However what Mr. Steward doesn't tell you after drawing you in with his suitcase of a million dollars is that there are other repercussions to pushing the button. Repercussions that include seeing many crazy people, whom he deems his "employees" and that these so-called "employees" will have inevitable bloody noses as soon as they are finished telling you some robotic message from "The Boss."

As far as I saw there was absolutely no point to the movie, it was poorly written, and very drawn out. Cameron Diaz and James Marsden did wonderful jobs portraying their roles, as well as Frank Langella. I do not hold the actors and actresses responsible for the failing of the movie. I say failing because it failed to entertain me. However I hope that they do not come out with a "The Box 2" although we all know that they will.

What was your take on the movie? Did it rock your socks off?

Themed or Not...

What's your opinion? Should a blog have a theme, or do you as a reader like it when you have no idea what to expect from the author whose work you so generously decide to share your time with?

I haven't really decided which I like better, but then again I kind of live life imaginatively on the edge, realistically in a home almost all day almost everyday.

There is, obviously, no theme to this blog. If you choose to be a reader and follower I can guarantee that you will be surprised each and every day and your brain will be filled with yummy goodness [so to speak] each time you click on this blog. There may be craziness, it may be chaotic, other times you will laugh out loud, and sometimes you might even cry!

The one thing that will be constant is the way that I will always be open to new things, will always share my honest opinion about the things I happen to gaze over, watch, or read, and will always [at least for the most part] be interesting.

I do not guarantee to always use proper English, I will not write in a style that could fit in a newspaper or magazine because frankly this is my blog and I will write any way I choose!

So back to the title...do you think I should choose a damn theme and stick with it? or are you leaning towards my style of things.

Seriously....

Okay on a new note I have become completely addicted to Facebook and am going to use this blog to become un-addicted and re-train myself to then use Facebook for what it is supposed to be, a social place, not an addictive game forum!

Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with playing games online, it just becomes a problem when you dream about those games, and they keep you up at night thinking about what you will plant on your farm tomorrow, or what clothes you will dress your pet in. I just can't handle it anymore, not to mention the fact that my house completely paid the price for those games by becoming a slacker trash can!

So bear with me as I transition and also as I clean my home...if your interested you could leave some organizational tips below...maybe ways you are able to get on the net and keep your home clean too...that would be extremely helpful as well as appreciated! :)

Tire Logs?

 Image credit

Reading one of my favorite blogs, TreeHugger, I spot a picture of "tree logs." This sparks my interest so I decide to read the article about how to recycle tires and use them for things such as light poles, homes, and such.

Is it not amazing the way smart people can use things that are old and tired and turn them into something new, all the while using garbage that would otherwise pile up! I know that recycling is not a new concept, however it is a very interesting concept. Just think if they can find such creative ways to use tires what could they use glass bottles, or aluminum cans for.

We all know that recycling is our best option, we know that by means of recycling what was once trash to us will become something sometimes fascinating and new...but do any of us stop to think what that trash will specifically become?




Image Credit

 When you are shopping for tissues, what is your main concern...softness, lotion, dryness, look, feel, or is it whether or not that product is made from recycled items? Next time you are out shopping why not check on the products label to see if the products you are purchasing are in fact made from recycled items. You may be surprised!

Contained Doolally

hmm...doolally...okay I admit my goal for this blog was to find an out-there word that no one really uses anymore and well...use it! :) So I found a word that not only sounds completely crazy but means it too!

                                                            Doolally: insane, irrational, crazy

...and then added the word contained and there you have it...this blog is contained craziness...contained irrationability...[new word from me, you'll have alot of those]

A very personalized everything blog is what's in store, feel free to contribute in any way you would like.

ENJOY