Things To Do/Think About

Independence Day

2009-04-29T12:07:00.005-04:00

This is what I posted as part of a thread at our IYN group at Care2, but it stands alone, so I'm sharing it here, too.

Reading the lyrics you've shared remind me of another song that really gives me chills because of the contrast between celebration and the dark reality of this child's everyday life.

It's a holiday (The Fourth Of July), and there's a carnival in town. The little girl goes to the carnival. When her dad is drinking, even just some boring place would be a better place to be than home--but, this time, it's something fun on a festive day. This festive day would come to an end that would change her life.

Her mom manages to keep the abuse a generation away from this eight year old girl--but for how long could she do this?

Everybody and his neighbor probably knows that this family needs help, but they look the other way because they don't really want to get involved.

While this innocent child is off enjoying the holiday and the carnival, her mother takes care of the situation at home in the only way she knows to do this. Remember the movie called The Burning Bed?

The abusive man is out of the picture--and before he had the chance to get to the place where the child would become a victim of his abuse (though she had indirectly from knowing what was going on with her mother)--but, sadly, the mother is, too, as her future held (at the very least) time in prison.

The little girl is now a ward of the state--and, just as with Russell, Roger Dean Kiser, and countless others, not through any fault of her own. She's an invisible youth unless whatever institution or foster home she's put into really has a clue about how to help her.

Will she find more help wherever she goes next than she, her mom, and--for that matter--her dad find in their own community?

Whether it's in "a small, small town" with a dysfunctional family who only gets attention over the gossip fences or in a sprawling metropolis with all of its culture, sports venues, condos, and other progress where 4000 street kids survive pretty much on their own, Invisible Youth Network wants to be there.

We would like to be there in time to prevent whenever possible instead of waiting until Independence Day happens.

We need donations. If each of our members only donated a dollar per month, it would make an incredible difference.

Here are the lyrics to Independence Day by Martina McBride along with a video of the same. As you read the lyrics and listen to the song, ask yourself how you can help us to help others.

Well she seemed all right by dawn's early light
Though she looked a little worried and weak
She tried to pretend he wasn't drinkin' again
But daddy left the proof on her cheek
and I was only eight years old that summer
And I always seemed to be in the way
So I took myself down to the fair in town
On Independence Day

Well word gets around in a small, small town
They said he was a dangerous man
Mama was proud and she stood her ground
she knew she was on the losin' end
Some folks whispered some folks talked
but everybody looked the other way
when time ran out there was no one about
On Independence Day

CHORUS:
Let Freedom ring,let the white dove sing
Let the whole world know that today is a
Day of reckoning
Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong
Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay, it's
Independence Day

Well she lit up the sky that fourth of July
By the time that the firemen come
They just put out the flames,
and took down some names
And sent me to the county home
Now I ain’t sayin' it's right or it's wrong
but maybe it's the only way
Talk about your revolution
It's Independence Day

Repeat Chorus

Roll the stone away
It's Independence Day

Video

Four O'Clock

2009-04-04T09:59:00.004-04:00

Sometimes, it seems almost fashionable to be judgmental these days.
For instance, look at how so many people are really crucifying Nadya Suleman (a.k.a. Octomom) to the nth degree.
Watch this Twilight Zone episode (in three parts) about the ultimate in judgmental people.
The ending is both hard-hitting and comical.

50 Ways To Help The Homeless

2009-03-27T22:52:00.005-04:00

Kim Smith, IYN's Chairman of Online Operations has shared a very worthwhile list of ideas for helping the homeless. Take note (upon reading #9) that IYN actually has a campaign called Change For Change that is the brainchild of Cindy Colburn.

I've written elsewhere that Cindy is:
"a very sweet and caring woman who is about five years my junior (I'm 56) but, due to health problems, is the resident of a California nursing home. Much of her monthly disability check goes towards her room, board, and care, and she's left with about $20 or $30 for her own personal pleasure--part of that being helping our kids. She knows that she can't take on the world to raise--and who can!?!--but that a little change saved here and a little change saved there can make a mighty difference when it gets pooled with other loose change."

Now--without any further ado--let's check out Kim's amazing list...

50 WAYS TO HELP THE HOMELESS

Understand who the homeless are
Educate yourself about the homeless
Respect the homeless as individuals
Respond with kindness and a smile
Carry fast food certificates
Develop lists of shelters and advocacy agencies.
Publish information for the homeless in free newspapers
Bring food
Give money-Change for Change
Give proceeds from a yard/craft/bake sale
Give clothing
Give toys
Give hygiene suppllies
Volunteer at a shelter
Volunteer at a soup kitchen
Volunteer professional skills
Volunteer your hobbies
Join a mentoring program
Tutor homeless children
Take a homeless kid to lunch
Organize a thrift shop
Volunteer at battered women's shelters
Volunteer job training
Teach about the homeless
Enlist community organizations as advocates
Educate your children about the homeless
Organize school groups to help the homeless
Recruit local businesses
Ask your clergy to help
Get donations form your congregations
Organize a street party for the homeless
Invite the homeless to church
Organize free day care services
Collect toys and games for donations
Prepare food and gift baskets
Donate admissions form an event
Take a homeless kid to a movie
Take your kids to play with children in a shelter
Start a Second Harvest Program
Employ the homeless
Help the homeless apply for aid
Stand up for the civil rights of the homeless
Join Habitat for Humanity
Form a transitional housing program
Apply for grants
Contact govt. representatives
Push for state homeless prevention programs
Bring the children school supplies
Pray for them
Send us your ideas

The Cost Of Prejudice

2009-03-27T01:51:00.003-04:00

When a community chooses to think the worst about an outsider instead of taking the time to understand him, they end up bigtime losers...

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Invisible Youth Finds Visibility

2009-03-21T20:53:00.008-04:00

I want to share seven videos with you that are related to an invisible youth finding visibility. A little later in this blog-entry, I'll explain.

Did you know that, come March 26, Invisible Youth Network will be celebrating its second anniversary!?! I received a special invitation from Russell in my Care2 inbox earlier today (which I've reprinted as the first entry in my latest blog).

I just love my new blog, which I've called Scratch Pad, and have just written another entry for it as well (actually, I've mostly quoted Russell). I've fixed it to show seven entries at a time on the front page plus older archived material can be gotten to at anytime.

Anyway, here are the seven videos, and they all share a common thread. Let me mention that the first one is especially special to me in an IYN-related way because I can remember when our organization was just a dream being discussed by two people: Russell & me.

When Russell and I would talk together about our plans to make a difference in the lives of homeless youth--something he had already been doing on his own for many years out in San Diego--it reminded me a lot of the words to this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCwe2WftI7Y

We've come such a long way since then with people from so many parts of the world sharing our dream, and we're growing and growing!!!

On this note, here are the other six videos that share a common thread...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StveREekeTQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCf9HDrfUXk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ox1Tore9nw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFzzdAzknUY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNmzEsawhnM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Yv_PunF284

I'd like to share a story I once read about a boy who would qualify as somebody who could be helped by IYN. He wasn't a street kid, but he was at-risk, because he was going through what makes a number of our street kids decide that there are far worse things than being homeless.

He had at least three handicaps that would make it hard for him to get a good education:

Somewhat hard-of-hearing
Dyslexic (though this condition wasn't recognized when he was a child)
Hostile classroom environment

He had so much looked forward to going to the new school that had been built in his neighborhood, and he didn't tell his mom about how disappointing the actual experience of attending there was, because he thought that he was the problem and would just have to try a little harder to be accepted.

However, his mother could see that there was something wrong by how anxious and unhappy her inquisitive and enthusiastic child had become. She told him that he could tell her anything, so he broke down and shared what a nightmare it had been to go to school day in and day out where the teacher was always being nasty to him and encouraging the other kids to taunt him.

This was, obviously, a teacher who might have been okay with average kids but didn't want to deal with those who were "different" in any way.

Back then, corporal punishment was acceptable, so this poor little boy was always getting hit by his teacher--even on his head.

His mother was--an understatement!--steamed, and she marched right down to the school, grabbed her son's books and other supplies, and got in the face of the bully teacher to tell him that, from now on, she was going to teach her son herself.

And, until such a time that a decent teacher would be available to teach her special kid, she taught him at home, and he thrived!

I read about this boy when I was in grade school--and, thanks to him, I could read about him at any hour of the day I wanted to, even late at night, thanks to something he invented after he had grown up: the light bulb!

Those seven videos were made possible by how Thomas Alva Edison also invented things such as the record player and movies.

One common thread running through those seven videos is that at least one person per video--sometimes, more--has crossed over. However, the songs they've sung and the movies/TV shows in which they've acted will be enjoyed for years to come because, many years ago, a child who had become invisible was given visibility once more.

How many Thomas Edisons are being allowed to fall through society's cracks? How many are receiving pointing fingers instead of extended hands? How many taunted/bullied kids quietly commit suicide when it gets to be too much? How many take to the streets in hopes of finding something better?

How many end up making the evening news?

How many will end up being appreciated--not necessarily being immortalized in song but, at least, being treated with dignity and given a chance to thrive?

There are so many different ways you can make a difference, so please visit our website to learn more!!!

Prayers, Love, & Positive Thoughts Needed

2009-03-20T23:55:00.002-04:00

A beautiful person named EJ (a.k.a.) EDGE is in need of our prayers,
love, and positive thoughts.

This young man of 19 years caught pnumonia.  His temperature went up to
105 or 106 causing him to have a seizure, after which he went into a
coma.

I'm sharing the url to his Care2 profile, so please check him out just
to see what an amazing and caring guy he is.

http://my.care2.com/edge89

Hopefully, (if you're a member of Care2 or decide to become one) you'll also send him a star!  He richly deserves all the
stars he can get!!!  I will leave a progress report in his comment
section when I know more.

Two Timers, Great Food, Etc.

2009-03-16T13:39:00.001-04:00

Thought you might find these readings interesting. I wrote the first one, btw...

Help Kids And Economy Simultaneously!

Two Timers

Some Random Facts

This next message is especially for those who live in Anderson, Indiana and/or know people who do. A new restaurant has opened today: Bickel's Uptown Cafe & Catering!!! The owners are a couple of very dear friends: Paul Bickel--whom I've known for close to fifty years when I was a first-grader and he was a teenage Sunday School teacher assisting a couple of nice "old" ladies (both, I believe, two or three years younger than I am now) with the primary class at what was then called Colonial EUB Church (EUB standing for Evangelical United Brethren) and now called Colonial United Methodist--and Jerry Alexander, who has been our minister since 1998.

Please help to get the word out that the business hours of the cafe are Monday through Saturday from six in the morning until two in the afternoon. Catering, of course, can be done at a variety of times.

You can order ala carte, but there are two very reasonable prices for breakfast and lunch buffets: $6.29 and $6.70

This week, I'm a little under-the-weather but hope to be in there myself either later this week or else early next week.

Paul and Jerry are both amazing cooks. However, they won't be the ones doing the bulk of the cooking--but they've made sure to hire in people who can cook just as well as they do. Of course--when it comes to candy and desserts--Paul will be given the chance to shine!

The building's historical and beautiful. At one time, Paul and his late parents had three things going on in the building: bicycle sales and repairs, arts & crafts, and key-making. Paul continues to make keys at a shop now located across the street from the building where the restaurant is located.

The exact address is 21 West Eighth Street (on the south side of the street just before you get to Jackson Street when heading west).

So--if you live in or near Anderson, plan on visiting Anderson, and/or know somebody who lives in or near Anderson and/or plans to visit Anderson--be sure to pass the word around. In fact, send this news to people on your own mailing list because you never know when somebody will find it personally useful!

Thanks for reading...

Check Out Our New Globes, Video, & Directory!!!

2009-03-15T13:55:00.007-04:00

Check out what Terry "Tj" Harris has created and see where they take you!!!

Tj has also put together a wonderful video using Collin Raye's song, The Eleventh Commandment. I hope that you'll not only watch it but, also, leave him feedback over at YouTube...

Finally, if you want to find out where to go around IYN at any given time, please check out our online directory by going here.

Change For Change & IYN Update...

2009-03-12T04:43:00.004-04:00

What if you were to put some kind of container in your car with you and, if you grabbed something from a drive-thru, you'd put the folding money back in your billfold but put the change into the container? You might even do this in other cases such as when you do your grocery shopping and put the folding money back in your billfold but put the change--even a single penny--into the container.

I wonder how much money you would have collected that way in a month's time. Are you curious?

Do you think you'll have a dollar or do you think you'll have even more? My guess is that you won't find any less than a dollar.

What next?

Why not join the Change For Change campaign going on at Invisible Youth Network!?!

I'm finally going offline shortly for the extra rest and pampering my body is telling me that it's needing at this time, but I wanted everybody reading this to be aware of our new and wonderful campaign before I signed off as well as keeping up with the other things going on at IYN.

At the end of this, you'll find our latest online directory. Please check us out if you haven't already--and please pass this along!!!

Here is the latest online directory for Invisible Youth Network. Please check us out!

Invisible Youth Network

Advocating for America's Youth

940 Park Boulevard, Suite #334
San Diego, California 92101

(619) 239-0101, #334

Russell T. Hartsaw
Chairman

E-Mail:
invisibleyouthchairman@live.com
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVEUJr-o0KY

Website:
http://invisibleyouthnetwork1.community.officelive.com

Online Directory:

E-Mail Address:
invisibleyouth@gmail.com
invisibleyouthchairman@live.com
Child Abuse Prevention - 24 Members
http://childabuseprevention.groups.live.com/
Friends of Invisible Youth - 180 Members
http://invisibleyouth.gaia.com
Invisible Youth @ Care2 - 1,819 Members
http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/IYN
Invisible Youth Executives - 17 Members
http://InvisibleYouthExecutives.groups.live.com
Invisible Youth @ Facebook - 14
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=51667072778
Invisible Youth @ GAIA Community - 87 Members
http://pods.zaadz.com/homelessness
Invisible Youth Members Club - 11 Members
http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/iynmembersclub
Invisible Youth Volunteer Orientation - 8
http://iynvolunteerorientation.groups.live.com/
Invisible Youth Website
http://invisibleyouthnetwork1.community.officelive.com
Online Mentor Training - 44 Members
http://invisibleyouthonlinetrai.groups.live.com/
Public Relations - 16 Members
http://publicrelations1.groups.live.com
Russell Online Group - 43 Members
http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/online
Russell Online Website
http://www.orgsites.com/ca/rusellonline/
Staff Training Center - 8
http://stafftrainingcenter.groups.live.com/

Total Invisible Youth Network Membership: 2,271

Please note that the Invisible Youth Network now only has one website located at:

http://invisibleyouthnetwork1.community.officelive.com

The only thing that I need to add is a directory of our current online programs, not online chapters, but online programs.

I will be listing at Volunteer Match a listing for Information Technology (Website Designer and Manager) to maintain our website.

Our counts are updated through this date.

Change For Change!!!

2009-03-07T00:22:00.004-05:00

Here is the latest online directory for Invisible Youth Network. Please check us out!

Invisible Youth Network

Advocating for America's Youth

940 Park Boulevard, Suite #334
San Diego, California 92101

(619) 239-0101, #334

Russell T. Hartsaw
Chairman

E-Mail:
invisibleyouthchairman@live.com
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVEUJr-o0KY

Website:
http://invisibleyouthnetwork1.community.officelive.com

The only thing that I need to add is a directory of our current online programs, not online chapters, but online programs.

I will be listing at Volunteer Match a listing for Information Technology (Wesite Desiner and Manager) to maintain our website.

Our counts are updated through this date.

An E-Mail To A Wider Audience

2009-03-03T09:49:00.002-05:00

For some reason, my e-mail wouldn't send this off, so I decided to simply place it in a blog and provide a link to it for those I'd be sending it to from my e-mail address. Of course, now, it has an even wider audience--which doesn't disappoint me at all...

Hello, Everybody!

Just a quick note about a little bit of everything.

For starters, I'm going to be away from my computer from Wednesday morning until Friday evening so that I can begin to get some other things done that are past due for doing.

Notice that I, once more, have a change of title at Invisible Youth Network. What it amounts to is that Russell has been trying to figure out just exactly how to describe me for the past couple of years, and he's hit on a description that seems to best fit what I do best: write and talk. LOL

Speaking of IYN, the very talented Tj has created a video for us using a wonderful song by the very talented and caring country singer, Collin Raye. Please check it out when you find the time and want to.

I can pretty well guess what my dad was up to on February 28--finally getting to meet one of his favorite celebrities. Just as it was with Daddy five years ago, it can also be said about this amazing man: our loss and Heaven's gain!

Here are some worthy causes to give to and people to watch (not a command performance--just furnishing information):

Invisible Youth Network is starting the transition of winter into spring off right with increased street outreach. You can go to our wish list to find out what we need in the way of cash donations and/or supplies. Remember: All items must be new!

Have you been following the almost-soap-opera-like story of the Suleman family? I'm outraged by this story--but my outrage isn't directed at Nadya and the kids but, instead, is directed at how trendy it has become to be haters.

Nadya isn't the con artist she's been made out to be.

She was somebody who knew that she wanted to have a large family. She started out in a more conventional way: going to college, getting a job, getting married, and trying to get pregnant.

With the latter, she was unsuccessful and knew that the only way she could carry a child to term was to use IVF. She was coming to the understanding that her marriage had been a mistake, but that didn't mean that she had given up on having a family. She was working at a psychiatric hospital at the time and began to save back money for the procedure to be done.

Then, there was some kind of a fight going on in the ward where she was working, and it was up to her, in part, to settle things down. In the process, she got injured and was no longer able to continue working.

She was given cash compensation for her injuries and, also, drew unemployment for a time. She put part of that aside for her dream. She also returned to college in hopes of getting a degree so that she could go into private practice as a psychological counselor.

Over the years, she began to start her family. Six embryos implanted in her yielded one baby on four occasions and twins on another, so six embryos seemed to be the recipe for a successful pregnancy.

There were six embryos left: embryos she understood would either be destroyed or used with another mother wannabee. She wasn't happy with either of those options, so she became pregnant for the last time using her final six embryos.

At the most, Nadya had expected twins.

Now, what appeared to be seven babies were growing inside of her (meaning that one of the embryos had split). Although she was advised against trying to carry them all to term, she didn't want to resort to her only other option: aborting some of them.

She continued to go to school until her pregnancy got to the place where she needed to be in bed all of the time in order to survive.

Her babies (which included a surprise eighth one who had gotten hidden in the sea of siblings) had to be taken from her early, but they seem to be catching up well.

Three of Nadya's other children have disabilities that qualify them for financial assistance--something that would have been true even if they were part of a conventional, two-parent home--so why all of the resentment over this!?!

I know that times are hard, so I can understand people not being able to afford to help Nadya and her family out financially--but why are they threatening to boycott companies that want to help out in the same way that they've done with multiples in the past!?!

Why all of this hate!?!

I think that X-treme hating is something that has become trendy these days, and this family has become the target for this kind of "entertainment." It's cruel and unreasonable, imo!

We (meaning we, in general, rather that we, specific) need to look at ourselves and ask why we're so anxious to attack people who are seen as "different." Nadya & family are just one example of such brutal attacks. It's also something aimed at people who don't have the most "popular" body size/shape, nationality, sexual preferences, religious beliefs, clothing choices, etc.

We need to get over this mentality and FAST!!!

In the past, it (a scapegoating mentality) has resulted in such atrocities as The Holocaust, Salem Witch Hunts, "entertainment" in the Roman arena, and a crowd becoming such sheeples that it doesn't take much to change their tune from "Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest!" to "Crucify Him!"

Nadya has put up a simple website about her new babies, and I hope you'll visit it. There's a place to go to donate if you feel like it, and there's another place to go and leave messages (positive ones, please, as she can use all of those that she can get). Please keep this family in your prayers, love, and positive thoughts!

Our church is accepting empty pop cans to raise funds for Habitat For Humanity. If you happen to be in the area and have some pop cans to spare, please stop by Colonial United Methodist Church at 538 E. 31st Street (corner of 31st and Noble Streets) in Anderson.

Finally, please go here and here to keep up with the worst case of child abuse here in 20th Century America that I've ever heard of!

I'm going to sign off for now but will leave behind Invisible Youth Network's most current online directory. Please take the time to check out some of these locations and see if there's anything of interest to you. I won't be at my computer all day, but my computer should be on until at least midnight tonight, Indiana time, so I'd enjoy hearing back from any and/or all of you!!!

E-Mail Address:
invisibleyouth@gmail.com
invisibleyouthchairman@live.com
Friends of Invisible Youth - 180 Members
http://invisibleyouth.gaia.com
Invisible Youth @ Care2 - 1,718 Members
http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/IYN
Invisible Youth Executives - 16 Members
http://InvisibleYouthExecutives.groups.live.com
InvisibleYouthExecutives@groups.live.com
Invisible Youth @ GAIA Community - 87 Members
http://pods.zaadz.com/homelessness
Invisible Youth Online - 24 members
http://groups.google.com/group/invisible-youth-online
Invisible Youth Website
http://www.orgsites.com/ca/invisibleyouth/
Invisible Youth Website
http://invisibleyouthnetwork1.community.officelive.com
Online Mentor Training - 43 Members (New)
http://invisibleyouthonlinetrai.groups.live.com/
Public Relations & Marketing - 20 Members (New)
http://publicrelations1.groups.live.com
Russell Online Group - 42 Members
http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/online
Russell Online Website
http://www.orgsites.com/ca/rusellonline/

Ainsley Jo Phillips

Public Information Officer

Invisible Youth Network

glitter-graphics.com
Things To Do/Think About

Coming Soon: My Book!

What If Everybody Did It?

glitter-graphics.com

IYN Online Directory Updated 2/19/09

2009-02-19T23:56:00.000-05:00

Thanks, in advance, for checking us out!!!

E-Mail Address:
invisibleyouth@gmail.com
invisibleyouthchairman@live.com
Friends of Invisible Youth
http://invisibleyouth.gaia.com
Invisible Youth @ Care2 (IYN Online Chapter)
http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/IYN
Invisible Youth Executives (IYN Virtual Office)
http://InvisibleYouthExecutives.groups.live.com
InvisibleYouthExecutives@groups.live.com
Invisible Youth @ GAIA Community (IYN Online Chapter)

http://pods.zaadz.com/homelessness
Invisible Youth Online (Online Community)
http://groups.google.com/group/invisible-youth-online
Invisible Youth Online Training
http://invisibleyouthonlinetrai.groups.live.com/
Invisible Youth Website
http://www.orgsites.com/ca/invisibleyouth/
Invisible Youth Headquarters Website (New)
http://invisibleyouthnetwork1.community.officelive.com
Public Relations (New)
http://publicrelations1.groups.live.com
Russell Online Group (Where We Talk Shit)
http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/online
Russell Online Website (Where I Talk Shit)
http://www.orgsites.com/ca/rusellonline/
Youth Apprenticeship Program (New)
http://youthapprenticeshipprogr.groups.live.com/

Updated Thursday, February 19, 2009 by Russell T. Hartsaw

I've Just Joined This Virtual Community!

2009-02-03T16:10:00.005-05:00

This looks like a really neat place to meet, greet, mingle, exchange views, do business, or whatever--and, on top of that, it's a great investment. I'm going to put an invitation to it here:

Hello!

Something incredible has arrived!

I just became a shareholder in me2everyone and I never had to pay a single penny for the shares! It can only be described as the gold-rush for 2009. This company is going to be huge and shares will soar in value over the coming months! You can register for free and it never has to cost you a single penny!

me2everyone is going to be a cool new virtual world where you can meet friends, chat, shop, play, watch videos, create an art gallery, open a virtual newspaper, play the free inworld lottery and make money from your own online store! You and everyone you know make the decisions, shape the world, create real incomes and share in the profits. It’s a new place where you meet new people or invite your friends. Learn new skills or expand your business. Find the love of your life or help the planet.

Membership is free and every member automatically becomes a shareholder in me2everyone Limited. Personally I have 1000 shares in the venture I'm going to increase my shares very soon. (Update 2/5/09: I've already increased my shares to 10,000 and don't plan on stopping at that! Keep posted on this and other online opportunities by going here!) This is an excellent chance for all of us to make some real progress in 2009 and beyond! Please don't miss it.

If you are looking for something really good in 2009: something that changes your view on the world, then you really have to spend just one minute and look at this website.

Please click to visit for the details

Kind regards

Ainsley Jo Phillips

PS: More than 350 people signed up every hour during the first 2 days and the owners expect 100m+ over the next 3 years!! Be in now and get ready to share the wealth! :)

Getting Back In The Groove

2009-01-07T21:17:00.013-05:00

One of these days when I have the time, I will share in more detail how I experienced a rapture-quick exit from Cyberspace on or around August 25, 2008 and didn't get back online again until the evening of Sunday, January 4, 2009.

However, you can get a pretty good thumbnail sketch of the picture by going here. "Here" being one page of my newest (as of this writing) blog called Author's Notes.

So far, I've lived today on a turkey bologna and cheese sandwich, a banana, and a Little Debbie snack made of mostly marshmallows and crispy rice cereal.

No serious bathroom time, either.

I'm gradually getting back into the groove of things, however.

And I'm now going to take that very-much-postponed bathroom break--and I've always thought that brb can also stand for bathroom break. But, whether it does in anybody else's mind, it certainly does in mine, so brb...

It was at least a few more minutes before I finally made it into the bathroom, as I wanted to stop by my neck of the woods at MyLot to check on some recently-added discussions. And, I'm now going to check on them again, since I'm going over to get the code for the hyperlink I'll be creating in this paragraph.

I think I'll share links to the discussions I've (as of this writing) created over there since getting back online.

The first one was about (Surprise! Surprise!) being computerless for over four months. The title I gave it was:

Have You Ever Been Significantly Internet-Deprived?

The next discussion I put up was:

Did You Know Florida "Authorities" Were Abusing--Even Murdering--Young Boys!?!

I believe that you'll be horrified by what you find there, to say the least. In this discussion and the one coming up:

Are Union Kingpins Really Motivated By The Welfare Of The Laborers?

this hot guy from down under really brought out some very important thoughts about these serious issues. On the latter, he and I had quite a running conversation going.

Today, I switched over to some lighter fare (Yep! Pun intended indeed!) with

Do You Have Any Restaurants-From-Hell Experiences To Share Here?

You should read the sixth response contributed by Fortunata if you want to end up ROTFL!

I think I've given you enough to read for now except to say that I'm not doing too bad of a job of getting back into the groove.

I'll continue this in a couple of days, give or take.

Coming Soon--Very Special Blog

2009-01-07T17:31:00.000-05:00

Please stay tuned...