Mastiff Forum

I frequently visit the Mastiff Online Community web forum... it is an endless supply of super cute Mastiff pictures and valuable information...

I'm much more of a stalker and less of a contributor, but still love purusing the site...

This morning I read this great entry talking about trying to get 200lb dogs into a Tahoe :)

The rest of the thread is here: Ramps

"Next we tried a Twistep. I liked the concept of the Twistep being stored on the vehicle and swinging out of the way when not in use, but the dogs didn't do very well with that either. They would step up on it with their front feet fine, but then put their front into the vehicle without stepping up on the step with their back feet. The result would be that they were all stretched out with front in and back end still on the ground. We would have to manually pick up their back foot one at a time and place it on the step before they would climb on in. No easy task as you can imagine. Getting them out was even more dramatic. They would want to lay down and crawl up to the edge and then slide their front out onto the step and then stand up and jump out of the Tahoe without even hitting the step with their back feet. Kind of defeated the whole point of using the step. I thought over time they would figure it out, but they never did."

Ha!

Snopes?

This is a very interesting topic, which could absolutely provide me with hours "googling" topics... but for now, I'll just share this email with you...

Please note that I have not verified any of the information in this email...

But I did learn of a new "go-to" website :)

Snopes Exposed
For the past few years ( http://www.snopes.com/) has positioned itself, or others have labeled it, as the 'tell-all final word' on any comment, claim and email. But for several years people tried to find out who exactly was behind snopes.com. Only recently did Wikipedia get to the bottom of it - kinda makes you wonder what they were hiding. Well, finally we know. It is run by a husband and wife team - that's right, no big office of investigators and researchers, no team of lawyers. It's just a mom-and-pop operation that began as a hobby. David and Barbara Mikkelson in the San Fernando Valley of California started the website about 13 years ago and they have no formal background or experience in investigative research. After a few years it gained popularity believing it to be unbiased and neutral, but over the past couple of years people started asking questions who was behind it and did they have a selfish motivation?
The reason for the questions - or skepticisms - is a result of snopes.com claiming to have the bottom line facts to certain questions or issue when in fact they have been proven wrong. Also, there were criticisms the Mikkelsons were not really investigating and getting to the 'true' bottom of various issues.
A few months ago, when my State Farm agent Bud Gregg in Mandeville hoisted a political sign referencing Barack Obama and made a big splash across the Internet, 'supposedly' the Mikkelson's claim to have researched this issue before posting their findings on snopes.com. In their statement they claimed the corporate office of State Farm pressured Gregg into taking down the sign, when in fact nothing of the sort 'ever' took place. I personally contacted David Mikkelson (and he replied back to me) thinking he would want to get to the bottom of this and I gave him Bud Gregg's contact phone numbers - and Bud was going to give him phone numbers to the big exec's at State Farm in Illinois who would have been willing to speak with him about it. He never called Bud. In fact, I learned from Bud Gregg that no one from snopes.com ever contacted anyone with State Farm. Yet, snopes.com issued a statement as the 'final factual word' on the issue as if they did all their homework and got to the bottom of things - not!
Then it has been learned the Mikkelson's are very Democratic (party) and extremely liberal. As we all now know from this presidential election, liberals have a purpose agenda to discredit anything that appears to be conservative. There has been much criticism lately over the Internet with people pointing out the Mikkelson's liberalism revealing itself in their website findings. Gee, what a shock?
So, I say this now to everyone who goes to snopes.com to get what they think to be the bottom line fact 'proceed with caution.' Take what it says at face value and nothing more. Use it only to lead you to their references where you can link to and read the sources for yourself. Plus, you can always Google a subject and do the research yourself. It now seems apparent that's all the Mikkelson's do. After all, I can personally vouch from my own experience for their 'not' fully looking into things.

Http://www.wikipedia.org/ or Http://www.snopes.com/

I have found this to be true also! Many videos of Obama I tried to verify on Snopes and they said they were False. Then they gave their liberal slant! I have suspected some problems with snopes for some time now, but I have only caught them in half-truths. If there is any subjectivity they do an immediate full left rudder.

Truth or Fiction, is a better source for verification, in my opinion.
http://www.truthorfiction.com/
I have recently discovered that Snopes.com is owned by a flaming liberal and this man is in the tank for Obama. There are many things they have listed on their site as a hoax and yet you can go to You tube yourself and find the video of Obama actually saying these things. So you see, you cannot and should not trust Snopes.com, ever for anything that remotely resembles truth! I don't even trust them to tell me if email chains are hoaxes anymore.

A few conservative speakers on Myspace told me about Snopes.com. A few months ago and I took it upon myself to do a little research to find out if it was true. Well, I found out for myself that it is true. Anyway just FYI please don't use Snopes.com anymore for fact checking and make your friends aware of their political leanings as well. Many people still think Snopes.com is neutral and they can be trusted as factual. We need to make sure everyone is aware that that is a hoax in itself.

Thank you,
Alan Strong


Interesting? Let me know if you do any research yourself on this topic :)

had to share...

I know I said this blog isn't about me... it's about "Other Stuff"... well life/work has been so crazy lately, nothing exciting has been able to happen because I'm just too busy to be pondering or googling right now...

but I did have some humor (at least I thought it was funny) waiting for me in my inbox this morning...

After a long, exhausting, frustrating day at work, I emailed my husband late yesterday afternoon to let him know I was headed home.

This morning, I find his response... "Rommel duked on the floor again today."

It made me laugh. Rommel is one of our 19-month old Mastiffs. He is absolutely potty trained, but this is the 2nd time in 2 weeks that he has left a surprise for Donnie to find at lunch time... [i think he has entered the rebelious teenage years]

ANYWAY, I could totally relate to his findings. I feel like someone has duked on my parade for the last 2 weeks... desperately need summer time sunshine...

sorry for the rant, thanks for listening...

This some funny Sheet...

I'm still giggling from reading Jen Lancaster's post from the 22nd...

this lady cracks me up! these are the blog posts I've been missing from her :)

http://www.jennsylvania.com/jennsylvania/2010/03/whats-the-polish-word-for-dumbass.html

Il Divo

My new love... Il Divo... they give me chills everytime I hear them...

an interesting bit of info - Simon Cowell actually got them together, even though they weren't interested at first...

anyway, tonight my mom and I made the connection with my aunt and cousin of our mutual love for the group... filled with passion and emotion...

this is the first video/song I heard and it brought me to tears... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eS-V3vBvxn0

and this is my newest favorite song... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy6L_bt6Flk


here is their homepage: http://www.ildivo.com/
we're desperately hoping they tour again in the US...

Edit - NOTE TO SELF: no more blog posts after drinking... also, no more drinking during the week...

Amazing creativity

Ok, so my great blogging buddy, Chanson That, has turned me on to a bunch of amazing decor blogs...



This one is quickly becoming a great time consumer for me...


http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/



and THIS post absolutely amazed me...


http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/2010/03/so-you-think-its-old.html

Check it out to see how to turn this:

Into this:

Shallot

“Let’s make this Pampered Chef crab cake recipe for dinner.”

“Ok, what do we need?”

“…a shallot… WTF is a shallot?”

“A big mansion in France”

“No, that’s a Chateau”

“Oh, right…”

“Ok, we’ll skip that ingredient…”

A few hours later, the crab cakes were crap and a shallot is a type of onion… like the green ones taco bell doesn’t use anymore…

http://science.howstuffworks.com/shallot-info.htm

Theft

This is slightly unnerving...

A co-worker received this first hand account from a friend...

I drove myself and two co-workers to lunch Monday, 2/15/10. I chose a parking spot in the rear of the lot and backed into a space (no pull through available at location). This positioned my Chevy Avalanche with the passenger side doors facing away from the rest of the lot and to the end of the lot. I had a Sony digital camera lying on the console of my truck.. Upon returning from lunch and entering the vehicle we noticed nothing wrong or missing from the vehicle.

Tuesday around lunch time I needed the camera and could not locate it. My first thoughts were, "I moved it or it fell to the floor mat or I removed it from my truck." After searching feverishly for two days, questioning anyone who had been close to my truck, and exhausting every possible location I could have put it, I began to have that sinking feeling I lost it or someone stole it. My new Garmin GPS had been in the truck the whole time, so I felt as if someone had entered my vehicle they would have taken it also.

Fast forward to Wednesday, I approached my truck from the passenger side to place my computer bag (aka my man purse) in the front passenger seat. As I reached to open the door I noticed there was a hole right under my door handle. My first thought was, "someone has shot my truck!" I began to think about it and inspect it a little closer and the "light" slowly began to come on. I phoned my friend who owns a body shop and asked if he had any vehicles with damage to the doors that looked like a bullet hole. "Yes, I see it all the time. Thieves have a punch and place it right under the door handle, knock a hole through, reach in and unlock it, just as if they have a key. No alarms, broken glass or anything."

I then placed a call to my insurance agent, who is also a friend, and explained it to him. I proceeded to tell him the situation and how I was puzzled that they left my GPS and all other belongings. Here is where it gets scary! "Oh no, he said, they want the break-in to be so subtle that you don't even realize it. They look at your GPS to see where "home" is. Now they know what you drive, go to your home, and if your vehicle isn't there they assume you aren't and break in your home." He says they will even leave a purse or wallet and only take one or two credit cards. By the time you realize there has been a theft, they may have already had a couple days or more to use them. This is another reason they want the break-in to go unnoticed. I didn't realize my situation for two full days! They even give you the courtesy of re-locking your doors for you. I guess they don't want it to be broken into by other thieves!
Had they found your check book, they could have taken checks from the middle section so they wouldn't be noticed.
Please remove from your GPS unit your home address as "home" ASAP! Put in your local Wal-Mart address or somewhere else! Park your vehicle in a highly visible place. I positioned mine perfectly for them and didn't realize it until it was too late. I hope this is beneficial to you and helps you keep your valuables in your possession and your vehicle from damage. Most importantly, it may keep the thieves from showing up at your home!
DO NOT LEAVE VALUABLES IN SIGHT INSIDE THE CAR. Periodically walk around your car, daily if you are in a shopping center or other parking area. Report thefts immediately....Bank w/missing check numbers, Credit card agencies, Police, and Insurance Companies.

Word of the Moment...

Just read this word, and I "lurve" it (thought you'd appreciate that, Chanson That)...

The word is amirite...

Used in a sentence:

Her body’s pretty smokin’ for her age, amirite?

HAHA Love it :)

Pumping Gas and Static Electricity

I have always been aware of (and worried about) the possibility of setting myself on fire when pumping gas...

I always read the warning signs, always make sure to touch some metal before re-touching the gas pump...

Sometimes I worry that my little quirks are quirks for no reason... but today I read this article, which reassured me, it's ok to be a little quirky b/c it might be saving my life...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,588605,00.html?test=latestnews

In Real Life....

This made me feel SOOO much better about myself and my inability to keep my home clutter-free...


http://www.thriftydecorchick.com/

Click on FAV POSTS

Then read March 3, 2010's blog titled "IN REAL LIFE"

My jaw dropped at one point... but then my heart warmed :)

www.missingmoney.com

So, we get this Kiplinger's newsletter every week in the mail, courtesy of my grandfather.

I've found it extremely vague, slightly amusing, and Donnie figured out it's good for wrapping birthday gifts...

Recently, there was an additional piece of paper included in the envelope... Kiplinger's Personal Finance Adviser

Well that piece of paper has proven to be the most worth while advice I've read since we started receiving the newsletter a few months ago...

"Some $32.9 billion in unclaimed assets is sitting in state treasuries and other agencies. If you moved to a new address without alerting the right financial institutions or if you let an account lie dormant and the institution determined it couldn't find you, some of the money may be yours. Start the hunt at

http://www.missingmoney.com/

which hosts searchable databases for nearly every state. If your state isn't listed, go to www.unclaimed.org for a link to your state's treasury"

And the best part is? I have an LL Bean refund due to me! I have no idea how much it's for, but $25 is better than $0!

Benjamin Franklin on the $100 bill...

Benjamin Franklin was never president… and I thought only presidents were printed on US currency.

Well, I was wrong.

Neither Benjamin Franklin nor Alexander Hamilton ($10) were ever president.

So why was Benjamin Franklin chosen to represent the $100 bill aka the “Benjamin”

http://www.moneyfactory.gov/small100denom.html
the fun facts section left a bit to be desired…

Did you know Benjamin Franklin’s maternal grandfather was a descendant of JA Folger’s, founder of Folger’s Coffee??? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin

And it is here that I end my search… Based on the wiki article, I will assume B.F. was chosen to appear on US Currency because he is one of the Founding Fathers of the US…
“A signer of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, Franklin is considered one of the Founding Fathers of the U.S. His pervasive influence in the early history of the United States has led to his being jocularly called "the only President of the United States who was never President of the United States."[110] Franklin's likeness is ubiquitous. Since 1928, it has adorned American $100 bills, which are sometimes referred to in slang as "Benjamins" or "Franklins." From 1948 to 1964, Franklin's portrait was on the half dollar. He has appeared on a $50 bill and on several varieties of the $100 bill from 1914 and 1918. Franklin appears on the $1,000 Series EE Savings bond.”

If you find a documented reason, please let me know!

The Clarks - Fascinating

This story absolutely fascinates me...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35266269/ns/business-picture_stories/?GT1=43001

I have all kinds of research I could do to answer my million questions... and did tons of different google searches... but part of my journey led me here...

http://www.christiesgreatestates.com/welcome/about_cge.htm

which led me to the most expensive home on the market in the US right now - the Spelling estate in Holmby Hills (Los Angeles)

See where you end up :)

“Life was good to William A. Clark, but…history has been unkind”

To clarify

I should clarify that in sharing my research, that is ALL I'm doing... sharing what I've curiously read.

I have made NO attempt to verify the factual accuracy of what I've read.

I will continue to share the websites I've read so you can see them for yourselves, but I am absolutely, positively, in no way trying to sell any of this information as 100% accurate...

Just thought I'd clarify....

{of course we all know Wikipedia is thoroughly researched and documented} =)

The Swivel Chair

Note to reader: I created this blog as I did my research, therefore my thought process is much more organized… subsequently, I actually end up with an answer to my question… more often than not, I end up somewhere far, far away from where my research started. I’m sure I’ll share that experience with you eventually…

While watching Part 2 of the HBO Series “John Adams”, Benjamin Franklin complimented Thomas Jefferson on his fascinating chair. The chair swiveled all the way around.

“Thomas Jefferson invented the swivel chair?!” I exclaimed.

That question led me here:

12 Things Thomas Jefferson Invented
[please try to ignore the stupid comments people with nothing better to do have left]
dumbwaiters for wine bottles
the Great Clock
the hideaway bed
macaroni and cheese, not to mention
a macaroni extruding device
the pedometer
the plow moldboard of least resistance
the polygraph (not a lie detector, but a copying machine)
a revolving bookstand
the spherical sundial
an improved swivel chair
the wheel cipher

It’s worth noting that “he never took out a patent, owning to his belief that every invention should benefit all of society.”

Anyway, I then wondered, what does this description mean – why an “improved” swivel chair?

And I went here: http://storis63.tripod.com/jefferson2a.html

Where the description of the mahogany ladder (found under the Great Clock paragraph) fascinated me…

But I still didn’t have my answer…

This sort of answered it:
REVOLVING CHAIRS
Thomas Jefferson introduced an improved revolving Windsor chair to the United States after seeing it in Europe. Combining the Windsor chair with a writing arm and a leg rest in Monticello's joinery, Jefferson, according to his own definition of invention, created a new piece of furniture.

Alas, I ended up at the beloved Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swivel_chair

BTW - my favorite page I found during my research: http://storis63.tripod.com/jefferson4.html :)

Had I not set out to find my answer about the “improved” swivel chair, without a doubt, I’d still be researching the history of the 10 Pavilions on the lawn at UVA…

401-Keg

Received this email forward today from my husband...

Beer Investment: 401-Keg
If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Delta Airlines one year ago, you would have $49.00 today. If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in AIG one year ago, you would have $33.00 today. If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Lehman Brothers one year ago, you would have $0.00 today. But, if you had purchased $1,000 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in the aluminum cans for recycling refund, you would have received $214.00!!! Based on the above, the best current investment plan is to drink heavily & recycle. It is called the 401-Keg. A recent study found that the average American walks about 900 miles a year. Another study found that Americans drink, on average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year. That means that, on average, Americans get about 41 miles to the gallon!

Makes you proud to be an American!

The funny thing is... I remember as a child, my dad used to take the bags full of empty beer cans from his mother's house to the recycling center... I'm SURE she drank more than $1,000 worth of beer each year! Hopefully I'll have a nice inheritance one of these days! :)