Here’s a good article on why global warming is just a load of crap.  FINALLY, a good post about it!

MAN-MADE GLOBAL WARMING THEORY IN TATTERS: 100 REASONS WHY CLIMATE CHANGE IS NATURAL.

So, as you all probably know by now, I’ve been very impatiently awaiting the arrival of my Nokia N900 that I ordered from Newegg on 11/4/09.  Well, yesterday, Tuesday, December 9th at 1019 hours, it finally arrived!  Yes, that’s right, it finally got here.  Continue Reading

A wise person wrote this today. It is very true, corruption from the top needs to be dealt with in a swift manner. Without any further adieu:

I really think it’s sad that most people in City Hall or Chamber of Commerce, or whoever you may be or where ever you may be from, don’t even live in our wonderful little town. I have a real problem with you being able to walk away if you so choose and never look back.

So many people in our quaint little town are so upset and disappointed with what is going on… We are hearing that their is going to be no Outhouse 500 – which people from all over the world attend, there is going to be no Car Show in 2010 – that was a great thing for Coopersville also. Our merchants are going out of business, our sidewalks cannot be repaired when they have 6″ or more of a drop in them to where some of our old and young alike can trip and fall. It’s more important to put in a new Boulivard you have no interest of maintaining, or a pocket park that won’t get taken care of. What about all the bushes behind our merchants that were ripped out so you didn’t have to pay to maintain them? What about the underground sprinkling that hasn’t seen daylight in so many years back there? Your cutting our city workers down a day?

I understand cut backs, but what about you? You keep making more money, getting in your cars and going home every night to what? Lowell? Comstock Park? East Grand Rapids? You don’t care about Coopersville any more than a paycheck.

How much money did you raise for this years Parade?? NO ONE but you will ever know, how’s your Christmas going to be this year? Pretty good I bet.
How can you sit on your high pedestal and lie to your residents, employees, whomever may be involved and turn and walk away? Your disease is turning contagious.

There are so many kind, caring, compassionate people of this town as you have seen just by the parade, but you don’t know who we really are. There are those that will shell out every little bit of money needed to keep our city events running, there are those that will give the shirt off their back to help their neighbor, there are those who will walk down our streets and pick up every bit of trash flying around to keep out town clean and attractive, their are the hard working farmers trying to stay afloat, there are the little guys who do what they can for anyone who needs it.

There is a phrase that says “actions speak louder than words” – yours are speaking LOUD with a big bang. You words are nothing more than lies. You walk past the average little person without even a glance. Why not just take Coopersville off the map. The way you are going we will soon be a “ghost town” anyway. No need to fight for this town, obviously as your on your way home at night it doesn’t concern you.

I think more people should speak their minds, and not just behind their cup of coffee at the local coffee shop that soon will no longer be. Maybe you should take a part in what Coopersville has to offer, maybe you should help find a way to keep our events going without such a struggle for everyone.
It’s sad what is happening here in our wonderful little town, and so many don’t even have a clue. Have a heart, make a new start, cutbacks are everywhere, maybe you should take one and keep things rolling for us. The residents who care about this town. The one’s who walk down the street for a 5 minute walk and come back 2 hours later because any and everyone had stop to talk to them. The one’s who have lived here their whole life in pride. The one’s who have moved here because the people are so wonderful, because they wanted to be a part of something really great.

We the people are speaking our mind on this “help yourself, share community info and ENJOY!”

We just want to continue to grow, be a great place, have people from all over the world want to come here and be a part of us, if only for a day a year….

So, if you’ve been paying attention, you’ll notice my issues with my last post about Newegg shipping the N900 and how we finally had an ETA of 12/7/09 for stock to get back in.  Well I got curious again today and decided to look.  Continue Reading

So today I went to check out Newegg’s Black Friday sales, nothing really of interest to me.  And I decided to take a gander at the N900’s page there to see if any news has changed since they removed the pre-order ability and set it back to the $649 price point. Continue Reading

So, I was getting a bit antsy about my N900 from Newegg, and since the order is under Nicole’s account I had her talk to them.  This is what we found out.

The original release date was 11/14/09 for the original shipment they received from Nokia, and since I wasn’t high enough in the queue to make that shipment, I got pushed back to the crowd for the 11/30/09 release date.  The rep couldn’t say how far back we are in the queue, or how many units they are getting in, so there’s no guarantee that I’ll even get my N900 with the next shipment next week.  I may have to wait ANOTHER 2 weeks (or longer) depending on how many units they get in and how far back I am in the queue.

So the wait for my N900 continues with no guaranteed answers in sight

TTFN

-Michael

This applies to all pets in general but is written about a dog.

How could you?
A man in Grand Rapids, Michigan incredibly took out a $7000 full page ad in the paper to present the following essay to the people of his community.

HOW COULD YOU? – By Jim Willis, 2001

When I was a puppy, I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh. You called me your child, and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend. Whenever I was “bad,” you’d shake your finger at me and ask “How could you?” — but then you’d relent and roll me over for a belly rub.

My housebreaking took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed and listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect. We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because “ice cream is bad for dogs” you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day.

Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love. She, now your wife, is not a “dog person” – - still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy.

Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate. Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a “prisoner of love.” As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears, and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch — because your touch was now so infrequent — and I would’ve defended them with my life if need be. I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams, and together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway.

There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me. These past few years, you just answered “yes” and changed the subject. I had gone from being “your dog” to “just a dog ,” and you resented every expenditure on my behalf.

Now, you have a new career opportunity in another city, and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You’ve made the right decision for your “family,” but there was a time when I was your only family

I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said “I know you will find a good home for her.” They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog, even one with “papers.” You had to pry your son’s fingers loose from my collar as he screamed “No, Daddy! Please don’t let them take my dog!” And I worried for him, and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life. You gave me a good-bye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too. After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home. They shook their heads and asked, “How could you?”

They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you that you had changed your mind — that this was all a bad dream… or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who might save me.

When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far corner and waited. I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day, and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room. She placed me on the table and rubbed my ears, and told me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days.
As is my nature, I was more concerned about her. The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her, and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood. She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago. She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured, “How could you?”

Perhaps because she understood my dog speak, she said, “I’m so sorry.” She hugged me, and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn’t be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself — a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place. And with my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my “How could you?” was not directed at her. It was directed at you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of you. I will think of you and wait for you forever. May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty.

A Note from the Author: If “How Could You?” brought tears to your eyes as you read it, as it did to mine as I wrote it, it is because it is the composite story of the millions of formerly “owned” pets who die each year in American & Canadian animal shelters. Please use this to help educate, on your websites, in newsletters, on animal shelter and vet office bulletin boards. Tell the public that the decision to add a pet to the family is an important one for life, that animals deserve our love and sensible care, that finding another appropriate home for your animal is your responsibility and any local humane society or animal welfare league can offer you good advice, and that all life is precious. Please do your part to stop the killing, and encourage all spay & neuter campaigns in order to prevent unwanted animals.
Please pass this on to everyone, not to hurt them or make them sad, but it could save maybe, even one, unwanted pet. Remember…They love UNCONDITIONALLY.

This will most likely be the new theme for the site.  There may be a few tweaks here and there, but for now, here we are.  Enjoy!

TTFN

-Michael

Just a quick update, I’m working on finding a new theme for the site, I figure it’s due time.  So please, check back and comment on the current theme, and let me know if you have any suggestions.  I haven’t quite settled on a new one yet, but I’m getting there.

TTFN

-Michael

YouTube – Are you a genius? – coin puzzle.

A really good puzzle for those of you out there