Skype hype!

I now have a Skype name: GeneSullivan

If you are not familiar with Skype (it rhymes with type), it's a software program created to allows users to make telephone calls from their computer to other Skype users free of charge, or to landlines and cell phones for a fee. Additional features include instant messaging, file transfer, short message service, video conferencing and its ability to circumvent firewalls. It's pretty cool. Last night I had video conversation with my pal Brady in Romania that lasted about an hour and a half and it was just as clear as could be. It was terrific.

Log in today, download the program, and get connected! www.skype.com If you have question or problems getting signed up, let me know and I will try and help you.

Cheers!

Friendships vs. True Friends

"A "friendship" is a relationship which involves mutual knowledge, esteem (honor, revere, respect), and affection. Friends will welcome each other's company and exhibit loyalty towards each other, often to the point of altruism (the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others). Their tastes will usually be similar and may converge, and they will share enjoyable activities. They will also engage in mutually helping behavior, such as exchange of advice and the sharing of hardship. A friend is someone who may often demonstrate reciprocating and reflective behaviors. Yet for many, friendship is nothing more than the trust that someone or something will not harm them. Value that is found in friendships is often the result of a friend demonstrating on a consistent basis: the tendency to desire what is best for the other, sympathy and empathy, honesty, perhaps in situations where it may be difficult for others to speak the truth, especially in terms of pointing out the perceived faults of one's counterpart mutual understanding."

"A 'true friend' is one who supports their own friends through emotional difficulties. This term also denotes a large degree of altruism (the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others), in that the true friend often sacrifices something of his or her own (usually their time and resources) in order to help the friend in need. True friends also are known to be very rare. A true friend may not be your best friend but someone who you know will be there for you."

I thank G-d for all the TRUE FRIENDS that I have.

Meet Invisible Gene

Your Superpower Should Be Invisibility

You are stealth, complex, and creative. You never face problems head on. Instead, you rely on your craftiness to get your way. A mystery to others, you thrive on being a little misunderstood. You happily work behind the scenes... because there's nothing better than a sneak attack! Why you would be a good superhero: You're so sly, no one would notice... not even your best friends Your biggest problem as a superhero: Missing out on all of the glory that visible superheroes get

What Should Your Superpower Be?

HOW WE GO OUT

Make certain you are not drinking anything when you watch this video because if you do, it will surely come out your nose when you laugh so hard!

Neiman Marcus Cookies

One of the reasons I'm getting anxious for Thanksgiving is so I can make some Neiman Marcus cookies. I LOVE these cookies! I’ve made them several years now for Thanksgiving. They are by far and above my favorite. I believe it was my older sister Cindy that introduced me to them about 20 years ago and I have loved them ever since.

Somehow in the last year I misplaced my recipe for them though. So today I went online to search for the recipe. The first place I found was actually the Neiman Marcus website. They had a story and the recipe listed. But, it was NOT the recipe that I have used all these years. My recipe has oatmeal. The one on the Neiman Marcus site did not have oatmeal. MYSTERY! Makes me wonder, did they post a bogus recipe so people don't really have their recipe OR is the recipe that I had an entirely different one, never really from Neiman Marcus (probably the latter)?

Well, fortunately, I found the recipe that I have used and will continue to make the cookies this way. Here's the recipe if you want a real treat:

(Recipe may be halved):

2 cups butter
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups brown sugar
5 cups blended oatmeal (measure oatmeal and blend in blender to a fine powder)
24 oz. chocolate chips
1 tsp. salt
1 8 oz. Hershey bar (grated)
4 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)
2 tsp. vanilla

Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey bar and nuts. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 112 cookies.

Shape of my heart

Prepare to be AMAZAED!

YATES

THE LAKE ISLE OF INNISFREE

by W.B.Yates


I WILL arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean rows will I have there, a hive for the honey bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet's wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements gray,
I hear it in the deep heart's core.

50 Things I Like

I don't know what's up with the list thing, I guess I've seen a lot lately. Here's my latest. It's all about me. 50 things I like:

1. good friends
2. planning a vacation
3. nighttime
4. cheese--all kinds
5. the Brown Pelican restaurant in Santa Barbara
6. Saturday morning coffee on the beach
7. cool Autumn nights
8. hot summer days
9. walking in snow under a full moon
10. Thanksgiving road trips
11. scalp massages
12. my mom's hugs & kisses (dad's, too)
13. wearing my dad's class ring
14. the last 5 minutes of a plane ride
15. waking up from anesthesia
16. red wine
17. the smell of eucalyptus
18. lasagna
19. Sushi
20. peach cider
21. crossword puzzles
22. magazines
23. knitting and crocheting
24. Torah study
25. down comforters
26. the movie "Rudy"
27. adventure traveling
28. my cat Jaki
29. thin crust pizza
30. hearing my step-daughters voice on the phone
31. that last glance at night of my step-son sleeping
32. Kenny Chesney's song "Old Blue Chair"
33. maps
34. family reunions
35. motivational books
36. drinking coffee
37. being right
38. strawberry lemonade
39. buying flowers
40. Dairy Milk milk chocolate bars
41. napping in a hammock
42. grocery shopping at 2 a.m.
43. a good, medium rib eye steak
44. surfing the internet
45. laughing so hard I cry
46. chocolate pecan pie
47. Seeing a good play
48. Wahoo fish tacos
49. cheering for Notre Dame
50. dreaming

WHO* Avian Flu Update

Avian influenza – situation in Indonesia – update 17

2 October 2007

The Ministry of Health of Indonesia has announced a new case of human infection of H5N1 avian influenza. A 21-year-old male from Jakarta Province developed symptoms on 18 September, was hospitalized on 25 September and died in hospital on 28 September. The investigation found that the case was an egg seller in a traditional market. All of the contacts remain healthy, where they will continue to be monitored for ten days after their last contact with the case.

Of the 107 cases confirmed to date in Indonesia, 86 have been fatal. (80.37%)

*World Health Organization

Hollywood Squares

And now for something a little lighter...

If you remember the original Hollywood Squares and it's comics, this may bring a tear to your eyes. These great questions and answers are from the days when "Hollywood Squares" game show responses were spontaneous, not scripted, as they are now. Peter Marshall was the host asking the questions, of course.

Q: Do female frogs croak?
A: (Paul Lynde) "If you hold their little heads under water long enough."

Q: If you're going to make a parachute jump, at least how high should you be?
A: (Charley Weaver) "Three days of steady drinking should do it."

Q: True or False, a pea can last as long as 5,000 years?
A: (George Gobel) "Boy, it sure seems that way sometimes."

Q: You've been having trouble going to sleep. Are you probably a man or a woman?
A: (Don Knotts) "That's what's been keeping me awake."

Q: According to Cosmopolitain, if you meet a stranger at a party, and you think that he is attractive, is it okay to come out and ask him if he's married?
A: (Rose Marie) "No, wait until morning."

Q: Which of your five senses tends to diminish as you get older?
A: (Charley Weaver) "My sense of decency."

Q: In Hawaiian, does it take more than three words to say "I Love You"?
A: (Vincent Price) "No, you can say it with a pineapple and a twenty."

Q: What are "Do It," "I Can Help," and "I Can't Get Enough"?
A: (George Gobel) "I don't know, but it's coming from the next apartment."

Q: As you grow older, do you tend to gesture more or less with your hands while talking?
A: (Rose Marie) "You ask me one more growing old question Peter, and I'll give you a gesture you'll never forget."

Q: Paul, why do Hell's Angels wear leather?
A: (Paul Lynde) "Because chiffon wrinkles too easily."

Q: Charley, you've just decided to grow strawberries. Are you going to get any during the first year?
A: (Charlie Weaver) "Of course not, I'm too busy growing strawberries."

Q: In bowling, what's a perfect score?
A: (Rose Marie) "Ralph, the pin boy."

Q: It is considered in bad taste to discuss two subjects at nudist camps. One is politics, what is the other?
A: (Paul Lynde) "Tape measures."

Q: During a tornado, are you safer in the bedroom or in the closet?
A: (Rose Marie) "Unfortunately Peter, I'm always safe in the bedroom."

Q: Can boys join the Camp Fire Girls?
A: (Marty Allen) "Only after lights out."

My Personal Favorite:
Q: When you pat a dog on it's head he will wag his tail. What will a goose do?
A: (Paul Lynde) "Make him bark?"

Q: If you were pregnant for two years, what would you give birth to?
A: (Paul Lynde) "Whatever it is, it would never be afraid of the dark."

Q: According to Ann Landers, is there anything wrong with getting into the habit of kissing a lot of people?
A: (Charley Weaver) "It got me out of the Army."

Q: It is the most abused and neglected part of your body, what is it?
A: (Paul Lynde) "Mine may be abused, but it certainly isn't neglected."

Q: Back in the old days, when Great Grampa put horseradish on his head, what was he trying to do?
A: (George Gobel) "Get it in his mouth."

Q: Who stays pregnant for a longer period of time, your wife or your elephant?
A: (Paul Lynde) "Who told you about my elephant?"

Q: Jackie Gleason recently revealed that he firmly believes in them and has actually seen them on at least two occassions. What are they?
A: (Charley Weaver) "His feet."

Q: According to Ann Landers, what are two things you should never do in bed?
A: (Paul Lynde) "Point and laugh."

We don't stop laughing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop laughing!

Ask the Dr.

I found this Human Avian Flu information today on WebMD.com:

Weighing the Odds
The key to widespread outbreaks or a multicontinent pandemic is for the virus (H5N1), carried by domestic and wild birds, to morph into a form that can be passed from human to human via a cough or sneeze. Scientists are all over the map on whether this will happen.

Robert G. Webster, the Rosemary Thomas Chair at St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., is sometimes called "The Flu Hunter." Webster recently says there is a 50-50 chance the virus will become transmissible human-to-human. If it does, he projects that half the people in the country would die. He has stored a three-month supply of food and water at his house.

Others cite the swine flu scare of several decades ago. That one fizzled.

The upshot is no one knows for sure. The World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, and countless local governments are taking bird flu seriously and trying to plan.

The irony may be that for all of this planning, taking care of cases will probably fall to individuals and take place in the home. This is the view of Gratton Woodson, MD, a primary care doctor at the Druid Oaks Health Center in Decatur, Ga., who has made a years-long study of bird flu on behalf of his patients and has published a bird flu preparedness manual to help them cope.

The CDC also has put up a web site helping people to prepare for this possibility. It's www.pandemicflu.govhttp://www.webmd.com/click?url=http://www.pandemicflu.gov.

Get Prepared...

(Click the picture above to see a larger image)

Scientists now say that a pandemic of some sort is inevitable. If you are not aware of just what the H5N1 flu virus is about, you should do a Google search and spend a hour or so reading about it. I think you might be a little more than concerned.

What concerns me is that the virus can now be spread from Human to Human. And more than 1/2 the people that are getting infected, die. The numbers are disturbing. My advice: GET PREPARED! I think it's just a matter of time before this thing hits. And when it does, it's going to spread like wild fire.

When the Great Pandemic of 1918 reached Chicago, almost 5,000 people died during the 2nd and 3rd weeks of October. And the first case wasn't even reported until the 27th of September. Professionals say that a Pandemic today would make the one in 1918 look like a cakewalk. It's terribly alarming folks and I think we need to start preparing.

Are You Ready?

How does one prepare for a pandemic that could kill 1 of every 10 people in your community?

I was prompted to do a little research after I heard an ad on the radio while zipping around Branson today. It was an public service announcement on a small radio station out of our hometown, in Harrison, AR for pandemic preparedness. My quick and simple research yielded me tons of information.

I think the most amazing thing I found so far is that right here in the state of Arkansas, there has been an official 147 page Influenza Pandemic Response Plan drafted within the last 14 months. It's 147 pages long folks! That's a huge document guys (yes, I printed it). It includes everything from Influenza Suerveillance to Information about Influenza to Clinical Guidelines and even an example of an Home Quarantine Order and Facility Quarantine that Communities can use. Yikes!

I just watched a very interesting and disturbing documentary which showed the effects of a possible future outbreak of avian flu and how it would spread across the world. It's a 1 1/2 hour YouTube video and if you've got the time, watch it. You can see it by clicking here.

Well, I won't make this too long. I just thought I'd let you know my most recent tangent. Besides, I have to go to the store right now and buy some rice and water. Later.

Friday Flashback

POOL PARTY

AUGUST 1965

Vehicle Needed

I'm just going to throw this out here and see what happens. My stepson Bo is in desperate need of a different vehicle. Although Chris and I have taken a firm stand with all three of the kids that they were responsible for purchasing and insuring their vehicles, if they choose to have one, we have been supportive of their efforts as well. So in that light I am trying to assist him in locating a vehicle for him that might be for sale.

Bo currently has truck that is on it's very last legs and would like his "new" vehicle to be more fuel efficient. If you or someone that you know has an older vehicle for sale that you might think would fit the bill, please let me know. He needs something extremely inexpensive as he has very limited funds at this time; something that would get decent gas mileage; a vehicle that would hopefully run for at least one year. It doesn't have to have bells and whistles, just be reasonably dependable.

Again, please can call me if you think you can help him out: 870-365-5711

Thanks!

PS Bo is willing to travel for the right deal, so don't let distance deter you if you live away and think you have something. Thanks.

Cornerstone of Good Citizenship

I am posting a podcast today. It is a chapel address to the student body of Olivet Nazarene University by former Assistant Secretary of State of Ohio, Monty Lobb. Monty and I were classmates at Olivet. I never really knew Monty well but we had several mutual friends and I remember he was tall; and wore interesting glasses; and he was a super terrific nice guy.

Anyway, I found his chapel address inspirational and I thought I would post a link. I think there are a few of you that read me that might also enjoy it and take the time to listen. It's about 25 minutes long. Not too bad. Click here to listen to the message. You can also see the "Declaration of Uncommon Sense" that Monty talks about in his address by clicking here.

A Different World

I was listening to the radio on my way home from work the other evening and I heard that someone has invented a flying car that should be on the market in less than 2 years. I'll have to see it to believe it, but I hope it's true. Perhaps one of my lifelong dreams will come true, to drive a flying car.

I love this picture of my dad and grandpa. It was taken c. 1942, on the farm where my dad was born and raised. It reminds me just how much our world has changed in my father's lifetime.

25 Amazing Things I've Already Done

I've watched a sea turtle lay her eggs in the sand...
... it was amazing!
I've climbed a pyramid in Giza, Egypt...
... it was amazing... x10!
I've snorkled in the Red Sea...
... it was an amazingly beautiful and brief experience!
I've read The Agony And The Ecstasy...
... it's amazingly long... and amazingly interesting!
I've seen the Sistine Chapel...
... it was an amazing feat!
I've crocheted a blanket (several)...
... they are amazing! (okay... maybe not so much)
I've lived in Santa Barbara County, California...
... it is amazing how much I still miss it!
I've shaved my head bald...
... it was an amazing feeling!
I've rode a camel in the Sahara Desert...
... it was also an amazingly feeling!
I've watched a spider spin an entire web...
... it was truly amazing!
I've stayed in a 5-Star hotel for 2 weeks...
... it was amazingly lavish!
I've walked down the middle of the Reflecting Pool in D.C....
... it was amazingly cold (It was January and it was frozen!)
I've taken a Castle tour on the Rhine River...
... it was an amazing gift! Thanks Steve & Nancee!
I've stood on the 50 yrd. line of Notre Dame Stadium...
... it was an amazing shared experience! Thanks Dave!
I've shook Rosa Parks hand...
... it was amazing and humbling!
I've lived in 5 states...
... that is amazing! (okay... again, maybe not so much)
I've stood inside the Colosseum in Rome...
... it was amazingly sobering!
I've crossed the Aswan Dam...
... it is amazingly BIG and secretive!
I've visited Abu Simbel...
... it was amazingly old! (Did you know they moved those suckers?)
I've had open incision, lower back surgery...
... it was amazing that it was an outpatient surgery!
I've seen Michael Jackson in concert in Paris, France...
... it is amazingly embarrassing to admit!
I've spent a night on top of Mt. Sinai, Egypt...
... it was amazingly cold and amazingly, my 35th Birthday.
I've researched my family tree and met family I didn't know I had...
... it was amazing how much we looked alike.
I've remained close with high school friends ...
... it's because they are amazing people.
I've fully recovered from Barrett's Esophagus...
... it's because of an amazing product, AmbrotoseTM by MannatechTM

Hillary's Health Choices Plan

Click here to see Hillary Clinton's proposed health care plan. I think it's time, folks!

Friday Flashback

Gotta love those 80's!