Rick's Time On Earth

Some Snow Facts

2011-02-02T18:27:00.006-05:00

What a winter it's been so far! It seems it's been snowstorm after snowstorm as the white stuff piles up and there seems nowhere to put it. As you look around at the snow here are some interesting facts about the snowman DNA so next time you see a snowflake falling you'll understand it a little better and either like it a little more or hate it like never before.:

The average snowflake falls at a speed of 3.1 miles per hour.For it to snow the tops of the clouds must be below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

At the center of each and every snowflake is a speck of dust or volcanic ash.

Snowflakes aren't always white because if there is a lot of coal dust in the air the snowfall will appear gray.
In Prince Edward Island, Canada, where the soil is red clay, snowflakes ofter look pink because dust from the soil is often blown in the air and it is absorbed into the clouds which the snow comes from.

The largest snowflakes ever recorded fell in Montana and averaged 15 inches in diameter.

People buy more cookies, cake and candy than any other food when a blizzard is forecast.

A blizzard occurs when viability is below 1/4 mile. The wind speed must be above 35 miles per hour and these conditions must last at least 3 hours. If any of these conditions are not met the storm can not be called a blizzard.

One in five people take the day off when heavy snow falls.

Snow is white because it's crystalline structure reflects white light in all directions. Ice is more dense so it appears clear.

In the Great Blizzard of 1888, snowfalls of 40-50 inches fell in parts of NY, NJ, CT and MA and produced wind drifts of more than 50 feet high. Railroads were shut down and people were confined to their houses for more than a week.

When treating hypothermia, the extremities (arms and legs) should NOT be warmed first because this will drive cold blood to the heart which can lead to heart failure.

Some Pictures of the Blizzard Of 1888 (NYC and CT)

Groundhog's Day

2010-02-01T19:28:00.005-05:00

I went to my car this morning. The temperature out side was a bone chilling 18 degrees. As I sat inside the vehicle I waiting patiently for the heater to show me the slightest sign of warmth. I then climbed back out of my icebox like car to perform a morning ritual. I had to scrape the ice and frost off the windshield of my car. As I scraped away, I looked around. I saw the snow on the ground. I saw the lifeless trees with the shine of ice hanging from them. The freezing cold around me stung what little skin was exposed to the elements. This is February in Connecticut and we are in the dead center of winter.

I'm not the winter type of guy. Give me sun and the beach any day over the white, drifting snow. I'm not saying I don't like winter. I'm just saying that winter is far to long. This is the reason why February 2nd. is so important to me.

NATURE'S WEATHERMAN...

In a time of super radars and satellites that could read the year on a penny from outer space, our weather men have it all. The now attempt to predict the weather weeks in advance. They could tell us with near precession the amount of rain that will fall. The could warn us of advancing storms and wind speeds to a breeze that hasn't even started blowing yet. But on this day, February 2nd, it's not the weather man I turn to for the forecast, it's a furry little rodent named Punxsutawney Phil.

Punxsutawney Phil is aground hog that lives in the state of Pennsylvania. On this day, Phil emerges from his little home and walks outside. As legend has it, if Phil sees his shadow, we are in for at least 6 more weeks of winter. If Phil goes shadowless, that is a sign that spring is right around the corner.
Now I won't be the only one looking out for Phil's shadow, or lack of one. There will be literally millions of people waiting to hear if the dead of winter will soon be replaced with the colorful life of spring.

IT ALL STARTED HERE...

This strange custom of replacing our weather men with a groundhog started in the 18th century in Pennsylvania. It actual origins come from Europe where a badger decides the upcoming end to the harsh winter depending on it's shadow. The date chosen, February 2nd, is the date used by the Celtics as a seasonal turning point.

So on this date I'll keep my frozen fingers crossed in hope of a shadow and a early spring. So here's to Punxsutawney Phil and to putting away my windshield scraper and turning on my air conditioner instead of my car heater.
Now I don't hold much hope in a forecast from a brown, furry, bucked tooth animal but then again, that's kind of the description of some weather men.

Thanks to one of my favorite websites, listafterlist.com, here's a list of some other famous groundhogs.

Names of many other prognosticating groundhogs:

	Punxsutawney Phil found in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
	Wiarton Willie found in Wiarton, Ontario
	Staten Island Chuck found in New York City, New York
	General Beauregard Lee, PhD found in Atlanta, Georgia
	Malverne Mel and Malverne Melissa found in Malverne, New York
	Brandon Bob of Brandon, Manitoba
	Balzac Billy of Balzac, Alberta
	Shubenacadie Sam of Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia
	Gary the Groundhog of Kleinburg, Ontario
	Spanish Joe of Spanish, Ontario
	Sir Walter Wally of Raleigh, North Carolina
	Pardon Me Pete of Tampa, Florida
	Jimmy the Groundhog of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
	Octoraro Orphie of Quarryville, Pennsylvania

Gay Marriage and NJ

2010-01-07T22:24:00.003-05:00

In a state that's known for it's dirty beaches, smelly air, over crowded highways and a reality TV show that portrays them as a bunch of dumb ass meatheads, now New Jersey could add at least 20 closed mind, bigot senators to the list which makes the garden state more and more less appealing.

Today the NJ state Senate denied gay people the right to marry, very much like the way this country's dark past denied blacks to marry whites, women to vote and black children to attend "white schools". This is one more example of how we didn't learn from our past. It's one more example of how hate and ignorance still runs through our country so deep that most of the civilized world sees it as one more reason this great country has lost it's legacy as the "land of the free".

After the vote was announced that the bill was defeated, the room broke into applause. To me that was a show of so much lack of respect to the many who held on to the dreams of marrying the ones that the love. It was a slap in the face.

I stated to a fellow blogger that the ONLY comfort I get from these "people" clapping on video because of the bills defeat is that in the future, when the world sees everyone as equal, they will look back at that video and portray these senators as part of the ignorant and bigots that held back people's rights in the early 21st century.

How To Keep Those Resolutions Alive.

2010-01-05T21:27:00.003-05:00

Ok, we're five days into the new year. On day one, many of us have made "New Year's Resolutions". By day five, many of us have broken or didn't even start what we promised ourselves.

Now don't come down to hard on yourself. This is actually a common thing. A whopping 92% of people don't keep their New Year's resolutions. 45% of them fail by teh end of the first month of the new year.

I don't want you sitting there reading this and thinking the "new you" is doomed, because it's not. Here are a few helpful hints to make sure you're one of the 8% that successfully keep the promises they made to themselves.

1.) Don't put to many pebbles in your basket.
One of the biggest mistakes people make when thinking of resolutions is that they make to many. Think about it people. You're changing something about you. One thing is tough enough so why would you want to make six or seven? Keep the number low so you could really work on it. Choose something really important about you that you want to change. Don't set the goals to high and plan it out.

2.) Keep your big mouth opened.
Tell your close friends and family about your goals. Yap away about it to your wife, husband, co-worker or neighbor. This way you'll have people keeping an eye on you and asking you about how you're coming along. After all, you always want to look like a winner in the eyes of people.

3. If you hit a bump in the road, keep going.
Many people slip up on their resolutions and just give up afterwards. If you mess up, just pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep at it. Just get back on track. One bump doesn't spoil the ride.

4. Rewards are awesome.
If you're trying to save money and you pass on buying that $400 hand bag then go out and celebrate by joining a friend for a quick lunch. Trust me, it's a lot cheeper then some over priced, pretty now but ugly in a year, handbad. If you're trying to lose weight and you lose a few pounds then go out and buy something that you could wear or something that makes you feel good. NO, I'm not talking a triple layered brownie with ice cream. I'm talking maybe something for the shower or a massage. You get my point.

5. Break the habit by making it a habit.
Now that my sound a little confusing but it's not. Research shows that it takes 21 days for a new activity to become a habit, such as exercising. It takes six months for it to become part of your life style and personality. Now the bad habit you are trying to lose probably was with you a lot longer then six months so this isn't a lot of time to hold in there so go for it.

I hope these little pieces of information help out in your quest to keep your goals. I wish you all the best luck. Drop me a comment on your resolutions and how you're keeping up.

Peace out.

2009-12-31T15:03:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year 2010

Rudolph The Red Nosed Freak (original post 12-07)

2009-12-03T05:18:00.001-05:00

(take this all in fun)
Tonight I watched "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer", what some people consider a classic Christmas cartoon. I'm here to let the truth be known about this "holiday classic"

This cartoon has so many hidden messages of hate and prejudices . It's a story about a small reindeer (Rudolph) that's born into the world with what some other reindeers and SANTA would call a deformity. A shinny nose that glows a bright red hue.

Rudy's parents are horrified when they realize their son is "different" and they try to hide his glowing beak from the world by making him wear this ridiculous looking black casing over it. Now Rudy fits well into society and is popular and excels in sports such as flying and other events in the Reindeer Games.

Things go terribly wrong for Rudolph the second his light bulb like nose is exposed to the world. His "friends" look at him in horror, staring at the red nose pulsating in front of them. Then Santa walks up to Rudolph's parents and says, and I quote, " Donnor (Rudy's dad), you should be ashamed of yourself!" What kind of man is this Santa??? Telling a parent he should be ashamed of himself because his son was born deformed! Who's he to talk, after all the man is a walking heart attack with that huge gut and don't even get me going about sneaking into children's rooms at night while everyone is asleep... the sicko.

Any how, we then have this little elf named Herbie. The guy hates working in this sweat shop like factory making toys. I'm sure the money sucks, if they get paid at all. The guy dreams of becoming a dentist and for that he's ridiculed by the forman and ends up running away because in the North Pole it's obvious it's a communist state and you're not allowed to follow a dream.

While running from the horrors of Santa's workshop Herbie meets Rudolph who has ben shunned from society and is now on his own in the freezing cold. The pair end up on an island. This is the worst part of the entire story. It's an island where civilians are sent that don't fit into the "normal world" to live out their lives in isolation. Kind of a leper colony of sorts. On this " Misfit Island" the duo meet toys that were banished after they didn't meet the evil Santa's standards. This menacing bunch would wait day and night for someone to come rescue them from the hellish prison and dreamed of a world where they would be a welcomed without prejudice.

We quickly learn that on Christmas Eve night the world is covered with some eerie fog and Santa realizes that his super race of reindeers are pretty much useless because they can't find their way through this heavy cloud cover. This is the point where Santa shows his true colors and hits an all time low. He decides to use his physically deformed freak reindeer Rudolph because his glowing nose would light the way. Because Santa needs Rudy, because he has no where else to turn, he allows Rudolph to live among the "normals". WHAT A LOW LIFE USER!" If I was that reindeer I would fly Santa's fat butt smack into an iceberg and let him sink like the Titanic.

The message of this story is if you don't fit into society. If you're different in any way it's o.k. to be ridiculed and shunned until you're needed to save everyone's butts.

The Birth Of The Modern Day Santa

2009-12-01T21:38:00.008-05:00

The image of Santa Clause has changed drastically over the years, from a small elf like creature to a tall stern looking fellow. He's gone from slender to fat. His coat as gone from green to red. From all the transformations jolly ole' St. Nick has gone through, none have been so important in shaping Santa as he appears today then the Coca Cola Company.

Some claim that the influence that the company had on Santa's image is just urban legend but here are the facts and a sweet look at some classic images of Santa Clause through the artist fro the Coca-Cola Company.

It all began in 1931, when Coca-Cola wanted to change the idea taht their soda was just for the warmer weather. They decided to have an ad campaign showing Santa drinking the cola in the cold and show the world that "Thirst Knows No Season".

The first ad, drawn by artist Haddon Sundblom, showed a department working Santa drinking a Coke in a crowded store. The ad was featured in the magazine The Saturday Evening Post. The ad was a hit but the executives at Coke wanted the next ad to feature the "real" Santa.

Haddon turned to the classic 1822 poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas" and he used the description of Santa Clause from that poem and reshaped it into his own version. Santa Clause was now a jolly, plump older man with a full beard, a red suit and a thirst for Coca-Cola. This warm, heart felt image would capture the world's imagination and from that day on, Santa Clause would have a face we would all fall in love with.

Here are some early classic ads from the Coca-Cola Company featuring Santa, his white beard and a refreshing bottle of Coke.

(Click on the image to see full size.)

Happy Thanksgiving from Rick's Time On Earth

2009-11-25T19:41:00.003-05:00

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloons

2009-11-24T20:26:00.000-05:00

It started in 1924 when employees at the Macy's Department Store in NYC decided to put on a parade and marched down 145th street in Harlem to The Macy's Store on 34th Street. There were bands, animals borrowed from the zoo at Central Park, floats and costumes.
This parade was called "The Macy's Christmas Parade". Nearly 90 years later, this parade, now known as The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade" has evolved into a NYC tradition as famous as the New Year's Eve Ball dropping in Time Square.

From marching bands to elaborate floats, this parade is HUGE. But what the parade is best know for is the giant hot air balloons that hover above the marchers and millions of people watching below. Here's a look at some of the more famous balloons.

(click on the picture to see full size)

Some Thanksgiving Humor

2009-11-21T20:58:00.005-05:00

(click on th picture to see full size)

2009-11-10T17:48:00.002-05:00

Thank You!

Vintage Military Posters

2009-11-10T17:29:00.010-05:00

To give honor to our veterans who served in our nation's military, I'm posting famous military posters of the past. Some of these works of art give you an insight to the history of our great country.

(Click on the picture for full size)

Chia Pet-sident Of the United States

2009-11-02T19:38:00.005-05:00

It's been one full year since we elected Barack Obama into office as the 44th President Of The United States Of America.
When he was elected into office, the nation was full of hope and pride. We saw the worst of times and only prayed that President Obama could pave a path of recovery for us all.

YEAR ONE

In this first year we saw an ambitious man leading the way. He was bold and yet very human. He spoke kind and yet stern. We saw bailouts and talk of a national health care system. We saw and heard his supporters and we saw what is now called "The Year Of Hate" from some very resentful republicans and an even spiteful Fox News Network.

I wanted to write about our President in this posting. I knew I didn't want to post some heavy handed, criticizing account of Barack's first year. I figured that there was enough of that all over the news and other blogs. What I wanted was to make it a lighter post. I wasn't to sure of what it was going to be, and then I saw it!
I wasn't sure if it was a joke or if it was real and then I realized that it was the genuine article. It was a Chia Obama.

CHIA "PET"-SIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

Now for those of you that aren't sure what a Chia is, I'll explain. The Chia is a clay like base that you spread "chia seeds" on. As you water it, the clay base is slowly covered with a growing leafy plant. In the 1980's, the Chia Pet became a national craze. Now the Chia company usually sells the Chia in the shape of a donkey but this year they out did themselves. Yes, it was real. It's the Chia Obama and it's only $19.99 at chiaobama.com.

Now this was my posting. Strange Obama novelties. So here are a few I've come across. If you know of any others, please put them in my comments section. Thanks and enjoy.

Halloween Night 2009

2009-10-31T22:02:00.001-04:00

Another Halloween has come and gone. Here's a few highlights from trick or treating at my house.

2009-10-31T09:07:00.003-04:00

Happy Halloween 2009

Halloween Bag Of Treats

2009-10-29T20:42:00.010-04:00

Happy Halloween! Here's a mixed bag of treats for you on this spooky holiday season. From vintage halloween costume pics to some funny riddles. Enjoy.

What do they teach in witching school?
Spelling.

What do skeletons say before they begin dining?
Bone appetite!

What do you call a little monsters parents
Mummy and deady

Why don't mummies take vacations?
They're afraid they'll relax and unwind.

Did you hear about the cannibal who was expelled from school?
He was buttering up his teacher.

Who did Frankenstein take to the prom?
His ghoul friend.

Why don't witches like to ride their brooms when they're angry?
They're afraid of flying off the handle!

What do you call two witches living together?
Broommates.

Which building does Dracula visit in New York?
The Vampire State Building.

What do you call a goblin who gets too close to a bonfire?
A toasty ghosty.

What's a monster's favorite bean?
A human bean.

Why do demons and ghouls hang out together?
Because demons are a ghouls best friend!

What kind of street does a ghost like best?
A dead end.

What is a vampires favorite mode of transportation?
A blood vessel.

What happened when two vampires met?
It was love at first bite!

How do you fix a jack-o-lantern?
With a pumpkin patch.

What did the mother ghost say to the baby ghost?
"Don't spook until you're spooken to."

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

The Fourth Annual Great Pumpkin Contest

2009-10-26T20:14:00.007-04:00

Once again, The Hospital Of Saint Raphael is holding their annual Great Pumpkin Contest.

Now for those of you who don't know about this contest, this is the fourth year that the hospital put out a challenge to the employees to decorate a pumpkin. The only trick about this treat is that the pumpkin can not be cut.

Now I'm not putting out bragging rights or anything but if you look back at the last two years on my blog, tucked away ever so neatly in the months of October 07' and 08', you might noticed that "Team Pathology" won both years. I might also have to throw in the fact that I, along with some really talented co-workers are Team Pathology. OK, that's enough of self praise.... we rock.

This year, Team Captain: Marsha, thought up the most excellent idea of transforming out giant, egg shaped pumpkin into the man-eating plant, Audrey 2, from the play "The Little Shop Of Horrors". So with a bunch of clay, a few buckets of paint and a lot of imagination, we recreated a Broadway icon.

Here's a look at the making of Audrey 2 , along with some very worthy pumpkin entries from other departments in the hospital where their talented employees were kind enough to share their vision of how they saw their Halloween pumpkin.

Good luck to all that entered.

UPDATE 10-31-09: Our pumpkin won FIRST PRIZE!!!!

Pumpkin Pics 2009

2009-10-21T21:21:00.006-04:00

How many times have you bought a pumpkin and when you're all set to carve it, you just stare at it, trying to come up with the perfect face for it?
To help you through your artistic mental block, I thought I would post a few pumpkins to help you fire up that imagination.
So go grab your carving knife, pumpkin gut scooper and a candle... and of course the best Halloween jack-o-lantern you could get your hands on and start hacking away!

Haunted Lawns 2009

2009-10-18T14:13:00.005-04:00

It used to be only Christmas time when we would see houses aglow with holiday lights. Lawns would be decorated with plastic snowmen, reindeer and Santa Clauses.
In recent years, Halloween has been moving in on Santa's trademark yard displays. Last year, retailers made over 4 BILLION DOLLARS by selling what scares us and more and more homes began to transform their cozy surroundings into graveyards, witches dens and anything that would make the unexpected jump out of their pants on Halloween night.
Here are a few examples of the fun people and homeowners have scared up for us.

(click on pics for full view)

This home in the heart of NYC showed that ghost love the city life.

This home invites any trick or treaters in. the question is, do they let them out?

From Homor Simpson to The Incredible Hulk, this house scares up a lot of fun!

The Great Pumpkin over looks this spooky home on Halloween night.

Haunted Home Sweet Home

The glowing lights here aren't store bought LEDs... they're over a hundred candle lit pumpkins.

No bones about it, this guy is loving Halloween.

Most wouldn't be caught dead at this house on Halloween... or would they?

Waiting for his next victim, I mean, trick or treater.

Ready to light your way to the tricks.

There's never a can of Raid around when you need it!

Share your decorating or scary lawn ideas in my comment section!
A couple of interesting sites that could help with ideas on decorating your home and lawn on Halloween are http:www.yardhaunter.com and http://www.aranamuerta.com

Michael Jackson's Ghost Caught On Film At Neverland?

2009-10-16T21:09:00.003-04:00

Did CNN capture Michael Jack's ghost on video while filming at the Neverland Ranch? Watch closely down the hallway.

Halloween Costumes: The Not So Good, The Bad, The Worst

2009-10-15T20:38:00.013-04:00

On Halloween, many people put a lot of thought and planning into their costume. It usually begins with an idea in someone's head and in time it works it's way out of the brain and into the hands where their creation begins to take shape.

Here are a few Halloween costumes that go from funny to right out sad. So take a look and maybe one of these missteps could spark an idea in your head for your next costume.

Here we have a couple of chumps as humps.

Hello Kitty, Good Bye Dignity.

The "Do I look fat in this dress?" Costume.

D'ho!

I can't Believe They Actually Had a Village People Costume... and someone actually bought it!

OK, This is cute!

I'm Amazed At How Much These Costumes Look Like The Actual Person! : /

This Is So Wrong in So Many Ways.

"The Plane. The Plane"
It's "Wonder (if it's a) Woman"

Why?

Eight Is Enough... This Costume Is More than Enough.

I Think This Is Supposed To Be Henry Fonda!!

I Love The Fact that This Costume Came With A Union Sign!

Ok, What TV Series DIDN'T They Make A Halloween Costume Of ??

Something's Missing Alright.

The Death Of The Death Star

It's That Time Of The Month.... Halloween.

Happy Baaaalloween.

This Is What You Get If You Combine Spider Man And The Tick.

WTF?

So there you have it, some funny and yet very disturbing Halloween costumes. Drop by my comment section and tell me of your most embarrassing or funny Halloween costume ideas.

Ghost Caught On Film 2009

2009-10-10T19:01:00.009-04:00

Here are some pictures that were taken with an ordinary camera. When you look close at these pictures, you'll realize that they are far beyond ordinary.
Click on the picture to see full size.

This picture was taken in Gettysburg, PA in one of the most haunted areas in the United States. After looking close at the rock in the picture, the taker noticed he captured whar appears to be a Civil War soldier.

This picture is of the oldest school house in The United States. The school house is no longer used and the upstairs is closed off. When you look close you could see some children decided to stay after school.

This basketball game had a few extra people cheering them on.

After this picture was taken, it was noticed that a little girl was looking out the front window, even though no little children lived in the house.

Could you see the "ghost" in this picture? If not, look at the tv screen.

This image of a person appeared o this picture after it was developed.

In this incredible picture, a reporter snapped a photo of a raging fire that engulfed a building. It was later noticed that a little girl was standing in the middle of the flames looking back out at the reporter. No body was found in the rubble but years earlier, on this very spot, a house fire took the life of a little girl.

Two days AFTER the death of an air force pilot, a group photo was taken. It turns out that the dead pilot decided to show up for the group shot after all. Look closely behind the head of the man in the red circle.

This picture of a roller coaster also shows the image of a transparent young boy that seems to look curiously at the picture taker.

This picture of a loving couple shows that they weren't alone when this picture was taken.

This cute little boy had no idea that behind him, in his doorway, was the ghostly image of a little old lady and a bull dog who seem to be looking out at him.

These are a few examples of some incredible picture of what appears to be supernatural. I would suggest that you go through all your pictures and take a good long look at them and see if maybe you caught the image of someone you had no idea was in the picture when it was taken. Even though you can't see them when you take the picture, you never know who or what could be smiling back at you.

Six Scary Movies Based On True Stories

2009-10-07T20:45:00.013-04:00

It's Halloween time. It's a time for scares. If you feel like taking some time to shut off all the lights and curl up and watch a good horror film, here are a few special ones I would suggest.

What makes this list of horror films so special isn't just because they're scary. These movies are special because they're based on true event.
So lock your doors, turn out the lights and sit back and take a look at this list and if you hear noises in the next room, don't go look at what it is. You might not like what you find.

6. Audrey Rose (1977): A young girl, who appears to have a mental illness, brings her parents to the realization that she may be haunted by the memories of a past life and she may have been reincarnated from a little girl who died in a car accident.
True story: Frank DeFelitta was inspired to write this novel and screenplay after he heard his six year old son. Who had never taken a piano lesson, play perfectly on their family piano. Someone suggested to him that his son was showing signs of a talent he had in a past life.

5. The Amityville Horror (1979): A Long Island family moves into their dream house only to discover that it's haunted by the past family who lived there and were all murdered in their sleep.
True Story: The Lutz family shocked the world with this incredible and horrifying tale after they fled their Amityville home after only a few months of moving into it. Many disputed the story but the Lutz family to this day insist it was true. True or not, the novel is as frightening as books get and the movie is very creepy.

4. The Mothman Prophecies (2002): The sighting of a strange creature foretells a oncoming tragic event whenever it is seen.
True story: In Point Pleasant, West Virginia, a creature described as seven feet tall with red eyes and wings was seen by several people from 1966 to 1967. He was last seen sitting on top of the Silver Bridge, a suspension bridge over the Ohio River, moments before it collapsed, killing dozens.

3. The Exorcism Of Emily Rose (2005): A priest is tried for murder after a young girl dies while undergoing an exorcism performed by the priest.
True story: This fact based legal case occurred when a young woman, Anneliese Michel, began acting strangely. Over time her parents became convinced that their daughter was possessed. Over 60 exorcisms were performed on her in a 10 month span. Anneliese died while being exorcised.

2. The Exorcist (1973): A movie some people consider one of the most horrifying of all times. It follows the story of a teenage girl who is possessed by the devil and the help she receives from two catholic priest. This movie is sure to keep you up with the lights on.
True story: William Peter Blatty, screenwriter and author of the novel,The Exorcist, was inspired by an article he read in college at Georgetown University about an exorcism performed on a 13-year-old boy in Mount Rainier, Maryland in 1949.

1. Psycho (1960): The terrifying story of Norman Bates, a hotel owner in a small desert town, who was obsessed with his dead mother and would wear a wig and dress and believe he was his own mother.
True story: This strange fact is the bases for the movie Psycho and also The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 1974. In 1957, Ed Gein was arrested for committing two murders and digging up the corpses of several dead women which he would skin to make “women suits”. He wold wear these suits in hopes of becoming a woman. He was found insane and spent the rest of his life in a mental institution

So there you have it. A list of some scary and yet true movies. I bet you'll never look at these movies the same again.

Vintage Halloween Cards 2009

2009-10-04T19:35:00.009-04:00

Back in the early 1900's Halloween was aimed more to adults than it was toward children. It was very popular to send Halloween postcards to each other. These cards were works of art. Here are a few of those cards.
(click on the card to see full size.)

The Original Ghost Hunters

2009-10-02T22:11:00.006-04:00

Ed & Lorraine Warren

It was a few years ago, long before “ghost hunters” became a house hold word, that my friend Jimmy told me of these two old people that investigated haunted houses.
He told me how these two people would go into homes and capture images of spirits. I heard how they would chase the devil himself out of the soul of his possessed victim. He told me that these two people were world renowned paranormal investigators who helped in such cases as the famous Amityville Horror haunting in New York and they even had several books published based on their adventures in the spirit world.

These two “old people” turned out to be Ed and Lorraine Warren, who like myself, also lived in Connecticut. For those who don't know who Ed and Lorraine Warren are, I'll give you a quick briefing.
Ed and Lorraine began “ghost hunting” over 50 years ago. They could be called the original ghost hunters. They literally wrote the book on paranormal investigations.
Lorraine, who claimed to be clairvoyant, was this charming, warm hearted thin lady in her early 70's and had a smile that could bright up any room. Her eyes showed wisdom and were clearly a window to her soul.

Her husband Ed on the other hand was known as a Demonologist. He was an expert in the occult and demonic practices. He was a heavy set, rough around the edges type of man who always said what he thought of a situation or the people around him.

Scooby Doo...Where Are You?

The stories of bumps in the night, the occult and a ghost scaring people from their homes brought up memories of my childhood and my favorite cartoon, “Scooby Doo”. After all, Scooby, Shaggy and the gang always proved at the end of each episode that it wasn't a ghost haunting the old mill. It turned out to be grounds keeper Harvey, who was after the gold buried in the basement. He always made sure that we all knew that he would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for those meddling kids and that crazy dog. This is how I saw ghost. There had to have always been a “Scooby” explanation. Over active imagination, a house settling, mice in the wall and even the grounds keeper. There couldn't actually be ghost out there...could there?

I was always a very scientific minded guy, even as a child. I always wanted an answer to why and how. Part of me did believe in ghost. It was fun to believe. Almost in line with Santa, the Easter Bunny and fairies. But a bigger side of me didn't believe. I figured if there was the spirit world walking amongst us, prove it.

This thinking is why I jumped at the chance to meet Ed and Lorraine Warren. If there was to be someone to prove that ghosts and warlocks exist, it was going to be me and my friend Jimmy.

Now Jimmy had a knack for the camera. He would fire off sever snap shots in an empty room and when he developed the film, there was sometimes images on the pictures that sometimes couldn't be explained. Many times there were wispy cloud like images, sometimes with reflexions of human faces in them. I would look in amazement so many times. I would find myself trying to explain how the images ended up on the film. I wondered Jimmy could get all these wild pictures and when I took pictures on my camera I would get nothing amazing. I then had the idea of switching cameras with Jimmy half way through out roles of film. This would show that Jimmy's camera is defected. As it turned out, I was wrong. The first half of film on my camera that was taken by me was the same old boring pictures. The half that Jimmy took was simply incredible. It was as though the wispy hazes, the glowing orbs and the spooky images followed him right into my Kodak camera.

Over the next few years, Jimmy and I would find ourselves shivering in the winter cold looking into the sightings of the “White Lady” in Union Cemetery in Easton. We would be up all night with our heavy eyes open wide, waiting for a specter to materialize in homes throughout New England. We met our share or psychics, most who were as fake as a three dollar bill, and a few that would amaze me. We met home owners that seemed genially scared to go back into their homes because of what they thought were ghost. We met others who were so out of their mind crazy that any right thinking ghost would be afraid of them. This is where the saying was tagged that “I'm not afraid of ghost, it's the living that scares the hell out of me.” We would meet people with over active imaginations who would trade there right arm to say they have a ghost in their home. There were the attention hounds and the people that were afraid of their own shadows. We heard all kind of stories. Some that would send chills up your spine and some that were so unbelievable that I would wonder why I was wasting my time listening to them.

Do You Believe In Ghost? If Not...You Will.

Now don't get me wrong. I always approached these haunting with an open mind. I honestly wanted to actually see an actual ghost. That very thing would happen a couple a of years later in a house in Waterbury, Connecticut.

It was one of the only times I could honestly say I was afraid.

It was in a house where the family living there up and left everything they owned behind in fear of coming back home because of what they claimed terrorized them each and every day from the moment they moved in. They showed us to what appeared to have been giant bite marks on their body. They told us of hair being pulled from their head. The spoke of personal objects disappearing and reappearing in strange places. And the thing that horrified them the most was a "grey man" that would follow them around their house and began to hurt their six year old son.
Jimmy and I were now pretty comfortable in our ghost hunting shoes. I was knows as the "Scooby Doo" of the investigators because I would always try my hardest to prove it wasn't a ghost. This night would be one of the few times I was wrong.
What we saw in this house on that hot August night was a grey transparent image of what seemed to have been a man. There was a head, shoulders, arms, torso and legs. The thing about it was that from the knees down there was nothing. He literally was floating two feet off the ground. He then seemed to take a step toward us and vanished. The room's temperature suddenly dropped 20 degrees. Then not even a minute later, in the next room, objects that belonged to the little boy who lived there began to be moved as though something was walking amongst them. Suddenly, a pair of the little boys sneakers moved slightly and the lights that were built into the heal of the sneakers that were activated every time the child would step, began to flash wildly by themselves.
A meter we had that would show readouts for electromagnetic fields which some people believed happens during paranormal activity, began to buzz and read out the highest numbers possible. Jimmy then took out holy water and threw some toward the area where the activity seemed to be coming from. Suddenly the meter stopped cold and was silence.
It was that sudden silence that was most frightening of all. It wasn't just quiet. It was dead quiet. Not a noise around us. I could actually hear my heart pounding in my chest. The hairs on my arm stood on end. I could actually feel something in the room with use. The room became cold. The air became still and heavy and I knew in my heart we had to get out of this house NOW.
Ed Warren told us once that sometimes a haunted home can't be saved. Sometimes it a loss. This was one of those times.

It has been years since the first time I met Ed and Lorraine Warren. Ed has since passed on and Lorraine has slowed down slightly. When I look back at those times while standing in the freezing cold at an old cemetery or doing an all nighter in a “haunted house” I come to realize that it's not always grounds keeper Harvey that's lurking in the night shadows. Every now and then it just might be a ghost.

Halloween Poem

2009-09-30T20:16:00.006-04:00

October is Halloween Month on Rick's Time On Earth.
To kick off Halloween Month I'm posting a spooky, bone chilling poem.

GHOSTS

I am almost afraid of the wind out there.
The dead leaves skip on the porches bare,
The windows clatter and whine.
I sit here in the quiet house. low-lit.
With the clock that ticks and the books that stand.
Wise and silent, on every hand.

I am almost afraid; though I know the night
Lets no ghosts walk in the warm lamplight.
Yet ghosts there are; and they blow, they blow,
Out in the wind and the scattering snow.-
When I open the windows and go to bed,
Will the ghosts come In and stand at my head?

Last night I dreamed they came back again.
I heard them talking; I saw them plain.
They hugged me and held me and loved me; spoke
Of happy doings and friendly folk.
They seemed to have journeyed a week away,
but now they were ready and glad to stay.

But, oh, if they came on the wind to-night
Could I bear their faces, their garments white
Blown in the dark around my lonely bed?
Oh, could I forgive them for being dead?
I am almost afraid of the wind. My shame!
That I would not be glad if my dear ones came!

-Fannie Stearns Davis

Funny Signs

2009-09-29T21:48:00.006-04:00

I posted a few signs that are not only confusing but they're down right funny!

A Song And Video That Will Make You Smile

2009-09-28T17:01:00.003-04:00

PROTEST SIGNS: FUNNY TO PLAIN OUT STUPID

2009-09-21T18:33:00.008-04:00

In this day of protesting, here's a few signs that are funny and some that just don't get the point across.

Murder in New Haven

2009-09-18T21:19:00.005-04:00

She walked into a building in New Haven, Connecticut and was never seen again. She was a bride to be that disappeared off the face of the Earth just days before her wedding. Was she a run away bride or a victim of foul play? This mystery would throw New Haven, Connecticut into the national spotlight and the nation would focus on an unspeakable murder and crime around the small city that is the home place of Yale University.

Annie Li, a Yale graduate, was murdered and her body, found on the day she was going to be married, was stuffed inside a wall in the Yale medical building where she worked.

The media coverage of this heartbreaking and puzzling crime focused in on the crime that students faced that go to Yale University. Quick to defend the Yale area of New Haven, many of its staff claimed the crime had nothing to do with University crime but it had everything to do with violence in the workplace.
Even with Yale's quick rebuttal of the claims of violence, the fact remains that New Haven isn't the safe haven many think it is.

In 1638, 500 Puritans sailed into the harbor of the land known as Quinnipiac. The land was sold by the Quinnipiac Indians to these Puritans in exchange for protection from aggressive neighboring tribes. This was the beginning of New Haven.

New Haven would play important roles in history of this country from the Revolutionary War to the home of Yale University. It held a major part of the development of the telephone to the invention of the hamburger. New Haven shined with pride and surged forward.

In recent years, times have changed in this Connecticut city. The once promising city has become infested with crime, drugs and violence. This peaceful haven was no longer a haven for many.

This Yale student's murder brought back memories of a crime that was committed against myself a few years ago and the death of yet another Yale student.

It was two days before Christmas and I decided to give New Haven shopping a chance. I was walking back to my car after hunting for presents and I felt a tap on my shoulder. As I turned around, a man pushed a gun into my left temple and told me to give him my money.
He was about my hight but very thin. His face looked sunken in and his eyes were glassy and bugged out. There was not a question in my mind that this was a drug addicted loser that was very desperate for a fix. He then cocked back the hammer of the gun.
As I tried to get my thoughts together, a woman, not realizing what was happening, walked toward the area where we were standing. My would be robber became agitated and began shifting back and forth and hopping slightly up and down while pressing the gun harder into my face. He told me to hurry.
I kept calm. I had the habit since I was a kid of putting money in my front pocket and on this night I had over two hundred dollars in it. I also had twelve one dollar bills in my wallet. I thought quick and I reached for my wallet and crumbled the twelve ones in my hand and gave it to this scum bag. He then turned and ran.
At that moment I don't think I realized the danger I was in. I was more pissed than anything. After all, I work hard for a living. I earned that twelve dollars. I'm an honest man. I wouldn't think twice of taking something that belonged to someone else.
I knew in my heart that the money he ran off with wasn't going to help some starving child or help pay a utility bill. It was going to help this low life get high.
It wasn't until hours later, while walking my dog that it hit me like a ton of bricks. This guy could have killed me. My life could have been over with a simple pull of a trigger.
From this day on, I would never look at strangers in the street the same again.

A couple of months later, not to far from where I was robbed, Christian Prince, a student at Yale, was robbed and than shot to death. The man arrested and convicted was a thin, bug eyed drug addict that looked far to familiar to me.

It turned out not to be some soulless, skinny, bugged eyed drug abusing monster who has no respect for human life that murdered Annie Li.
This monster was your average Joe. A working class individual who blended in with society and worked hand to hand with Li every day and yet had the same lack of respect for human life as the maniac who murdered Prince years before.

I now wonder who we could sell New Haven to in return for protection, not from neighboring aggressive Indians, but this time from ourselves.

In Remembrance..

2009-09-11T08:12:00.007-04:00

Here are a few pics in honor of the ones we lost on September 11, 2001. The first pic, called "The Sun" is made up of some of the victims of the terrorist's attacks.

September 11 Tribute

2009-09-10T22:23:00.004-04:00

On this day, September 11, 2009, I would like to reflect upon all the people who lost their lives on the worst terrorist attack in this nation's history.

I would also like to mention on particular man who is a personal hero to me. His name is Mark Bingham. Mark was on board United Flight 93 which crashed in Shanksville, PA. United Flight 93 was the fourth airliner hijacked on September 11, 2001. After the passengers learned of the terrorist's plot to crash their plan into Washington, DC. They decided to fight back. Mark, along with 3 other passengers led an assault on the hijackers, foiling their plan. Mark and the other passengers of Flight 93 gave their lives that day to save hundreds if not thousands of people.

I've learned more through Mark about life then I did through most people. I learned to live life as who I am and not who people wanted me to be. I found being true to yourself is sometimes tough but once you start, life shines so much brighter.

The friends I've made because of Mark Bingham are priceless to me. I started out on an adventure because of Mark and to this day the adventure goes on. I could never thank him enough for that.

A lesson to be learned would be a look at Mark and the people in his life. There was straight, gay, black, white, Christian, Mormon, Jewish and Muslim. The list goes on. Mark saw people not for the shell but for what was on the inside. This is a lesson so many of us still have to learn.

I made a promise to Mark's mother and to myself that I would never let Mark's name fade away. I found that Mark's life lives through my life and so many of his friends and family. He'll always have a special place in my heart. He's a true hero to me.

So here's to you Mark Bingham. Thank you.

Below is a blog about Mark Bingham I posted a couple years ago. It explains how I fist came across Mark Bingham and gives insight to why he was so important to me.

Mark Bingham: United Flight 93 (re-post)

Hi! My name is Rick Clark. The last year my life changed for ever and through this change I decided to start keeping a record of who I am. Now, for me to say "who I am" is kind of important because to this point in my life not many people knew who I was.

I grew up in a large family. 5 brothers and 3 sisters. I was the 3rd youngest of this baseball team we called our family. We nicked name our house "The Clark Ark." I have a very close circle of friends. Now I have a lot of friends but I hold only a very few close to my heart. I have a saying that Family isn't who you are born with, it's who you let in to your life. I say that because I'm not to close to most of my blood family but I hold my best friend at the same level as I would a true brother. As time goes on I'll introduce you to who the people in my life are and how they played a role in me becoming me.

In the spring of 2006 I was depressed. I found myself totally alone again in my apartment in Wallingford, CT. I was alone by choice but at that point in my life I didn't realize that. The TV was on and it was showing a news broadcast. I'm still not sure if it was CNN, FOX... but it was one of those 24 hour news stations. I was half paying attention to it, feeling sorry for myself and not knowing why. Then suddenly a woman's voice caught my ear. Her name was Alice Hoglan and she was being interviewed. I heard her say she didn't want people to forget who her son was and what he did. It was like someone whispered in my ear and told me to pay attention. Her son was Mark Bingham. He was one of the 4 men on United flight 93 that stopped the hijackers from flying their plane into the Capitol on September 11, 2001.

For some reason that I can't explain I went to my computer. For these moments I forgot I was depressed and I typed the name Mark Bingham into search on Google. I already kind of knew who Mark Bingham was. I knew he was a hero and was on flight 93 but that was about it. When the search was complete there was a website listed. It was run by Mark's friend's and family. It was full of pictures and stories about who Mark was to them. I started reading and I was taken back by the love these people showed for him. There was even strangers who posted and thanked him. Then I came across something that would surprise me and change my life for ever. Mark Bingham was a 6'4, 220 pound rugby player, caring friend, devoted son and brother, business man and hero..who happened to be gay.

It was like something clicked in my brain. I read about him for hours that night. I saw so much of me in him. His belief in people and seeing the good side of them. Protecting the ones you love at any risk and when he was younger a fear I shared with him to this day...the fear of people finding out I was gay. The more I read, the more I felt my soul telling me it's time to tell your friends and family who you really are. I was afraid. I admit that dearly. I was afraid of the reaction, the backlash. I then came across a eulogy written by Mark's best friend Todd that was posted on the sight. It was the end of it that sunk deep into my soul and gave me strength. He wrote of fear. This is the end of that eulogy:

Fear can ruin a friendship. Fear can ruin a marriage. Fear can, at the very least, render a life completely and utterly mediocre.

We admire Mark because he had all of these wonderful qualities that I and everyone else here have talked about tonight. What I hope you realize that you love these qualities not just because Mark had them, which he did, but because you do, too. You just may let fear get in the way of how those qualities show up in your life.

Here's my challenge to you, the challenge I am giving myself. I challenge you to not necessarily be fearless, but to recognize your fear and to act anyway. To take action and make the most out of every single day. To not let fear of failure keep you from trying at all. To not let fear of rejection keep you from showing up every day of your life. I love you, Mark. I always, always will. I will make my life great, I swear I'll make you proud.

Todd Sarner

I actually started to cry when I read this. It was a line that spoke to me. The line that read "To not let the fear of rejection keep you from showing up every day of your life." I knew I could tell people now. I knew I needed to tell people who I am. I lived in that fear and I knew if a man could be like Mark, that could be so loved, so fun, so dedicated and so brave and be gay, that it had to be a good thing. Mark lived as Mark and I wanted to start living as Rick. I just didn't know how to start the ball rolling. That's when I emailed Mark's mother Alice.

I explained to Alice how I came across Mark's site and how I wanted to tell people about myself and was afraid. Thank God she emailed me back and that she was a caring, loving lady. She told me how Mark told her. He promised himself that he would tell his mom that he was gay before the sun went down one day. He did just that. Her email gave me strength and I decided to tell my best friend

Joe first. I called him and ask if I could speak to him face to face because I had something I needed to tell him. My heart was pounding just saying that over the phone to him. After I hung up I was almost panicked. I didn't know how I was going to do this. I read the line on fear that Mark's friend wrote and it somehow gave me strength so I printed it up. No sooner did I get to my living room that the phone rang. It was Joe and he said I'll be over in 5 minutes. I didn't expect him to come over seeing it was kind of late and a Sunday night. Now I was panicked. I knew I had to do it though. After he got here he sat down. I looked up out my window and saw the sun fading away. It was just peaking out on the horizon. I was totally lost in what I was going to say. My hands were shaking. I then took the paper I printed from Mark's site and read to myself what Todd wrote about fear. Without a word I looked up at my best friend and handed him the paper. I hardly got out "read this" before my voice cracked. He did and then looked at me kind of confused. I just blurted out "I'm gay."

The few seconds I waited for his reaction seemed like hours. I swear I felt Mark supporting me. I didn't feel alone anymore. Joe's reaction couldn't have been better. He showed me total support and I knew it came from his heart. His positive reaction helped me pave the way in telling my friends, coworkers and family who I was. It also made me realize that some of these people, especially Joe and his wife Cynthia knew me for years but never really knew me. As I told more and more people who I cared about it became easier. I did take out the words of Mark's friend Todd over and over before I did tell people. To this day I carry those words in my wallet. They are strength for me along with the heart of Mark Bingham and who he was and how he changed me forever. I never thought nearly 5 years ago watching the story of United flight 93 on the news that one of those heroes on that plane would be a true hero to me today.

On the weekend May 27th. I had the honor of meeting Mark's mother Alice face to face in NYC. It was at a Rugby tournament held in her son's honor called The Bingham Cup. She was even more incredible and caring then I could hope for. I met so many of Mark's friends and watched them play the game he loved so much. I realized at this point I finally arrived. I'm finally Rick.

Since that day I joined Alice Hoglan and Mark's friends and family in Shanksville, PA on the fifth anniversary of the plane crash and the terrorists attacks. Shanksville was the small country town where United Flight 93 crashed. Seeing the memorial site there was a surreal and moving experience. I will forever be thankful to Mark Bingham for being who he was and for what he did for this country and for me personally. Thank you Mark.

I would also like to thank Mark's Mom Alice for being a beacon in a storm for me and guiding me home. To Mark's friend Todd for words that gave me strength and showed me a new way to live my life. To Mark's friend Joe in San Francisco for the support and friendship he gave to me and to my friends who I love so much, especially Joe..my best friend. You're a true brother to me!

Summer of 2009 in pictures

2009-09-07T18:12:00.010-04:00

Labor Day is now behind us and as far as I see it, so is summer. Here's a look at how I saw the summer of 2009 through the lens of mt camera. I hope you enjoy.

The Dog days Of Summer

2009-09-06T20:47:00.005-04:00

I'm sitting here in shock when I realize how fast the summer of 2009 passed. Even though the calender still has it summer for a few more weeks, I've always saw Labor Day as the end of summer. After all, it is the time of year that most kids are back in school, the beaches close and the shadows seem to get longer in the sun as the days get shorter.

Tiny Cars, Big Movies, Giant Trips

I look back at this summer and all the things that happened around me.
I bought a new car, the Honda Fit and I found myself surprised at ow much room is in this little car and how terrific the gas milage is.
I flew to San Francisco to visit some of the most incredible friends anyone could ever ask for.
It was freezing in San Francisco.
I was dazzled by the Star Trek movie, was disappointed by the latest Harry Potter flick and was down right bored with District 9.
The news all summer long was filled with stories of the life and death of Michael Jackson.
I found adventures in geocaching, a GPS hide and seek game played world wide. I also found poison ivy, cuts, scrapes, mosquito bites and even lyme disease played a visit to one of my fellow geocachers.
I also drove my little Honda from Connecticut to South Carolina in what I found would be one of the longest drives I ever took but the friends waiting at the end of that journey were totally worth it.
But the thing that sticks out most in my mind that happened this summer was the adoption of a little black mixed lab my friend named Wrigley.

The Dog Days

I posted last spring about the passing of a very special Labrador Retriever named Sheffield, that one of my best friends had. A tumor claimed the life of this beautiful, loving six year old dog that I was extremely attached to.
My friend Gary was heart broken as was Sheffield's brother George who became very depressed after his death. There was a hole in their home and their hearts. The minute you walked through the door you could feel something very important was missing. George still greeted people with his tail wagging but he just wasn't the same. There was no Sheffield standing in front of him. Sheffie was the leader of the two and he kept George in line and I could tell George missed his older brother. Sheffield was a huge part of this family. We miss Sheffield and always will. He was a dog that could never be replaced.

On one hot summer day, my friend Gary called and told me about a bunch of dogs that were rescued from a "kill shelter" in Georgia and were flown up here to Connecticut. I shuttered to think about what exactly a "kill shelter" was and the better part of me didn't even try to imagine.
Gary ask me if I felt like going down to check out the dogs. I agreed to meet him.
Now Gary didn't have his heart set on finding a dog. The guilt of bringing a new puppy into the house after Sheffie's passing was overwhelming at best. I knew that if Gary didn't see the right dog and know he was the one, he wouldn't even think of getting him.

A Little Blue Collar

After eight, yes, eight long hours waiting in the hot sun in a line a good thousand people long, Gary got to enter a huge tent where only 400 rescued dogs awaited a new home. Gary said he noticed a small black dog sleeping among the jumping, barking animals. The puppy had a blue collar on. That was the color of the collar Sheffield always wore. Gary new instantly that this was the right dog.

Gary brought this 6 week old puppy home. The dog was curious but frightened. This was probably the first time he was ever out of a cage, never mind the first time outside. Quickly this little black puppy sniffed around. He met his new brother George, a 115 pound yellow lab with a heart of gold. I saw a spark in Gary's eyes that I haven't seen since Sheffield passed away. There were smiles and there were tears. I knew the tears were from happiness, guilt and the plain fact that Gary missed Sheffield so much and wished he could be there to meet this little puppy.

Gary named Sheffield after a street he lived on in Chicago. The crossing street there was George Street and that's where he got the name George. Gary then realized that at the end of Sheffield Street was Wrigley Stadium and he knew that Wrigley, or Mr. Wriggles, was the perfect name for this little bundle of love and energy.

It's been a couple of months now and Wrigley has grown a little. Gary found a new loyal friend. George found a little brother and fit right into his new leadership role. George was now the big brother and the dog in charge.
Wrigley's personality has come out. Wrigley is playful, scared of noises, loves to chase bugs and eat sticks. But the thing that is most notable about Mr. Wriggles is that he is one of the most loving dogs I ever met.

From the love of his stuffed toys, to the spark he put back in George and most of all, the hole he helped fill in Gary's heart, I could see that Wrigley is in no way a replacement for Sheffield, if anything, he's an extension of who Sheffie was and a reminder of the love man's best friend could bring to any heart. Welcome to the family Wrigley.

July 4th Trivia

2009-07-03T22:22:00.008-04:00

Happy Independence Day

Here's some Independence Day trivia to help you celebrate our nation's birth.

Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national animal but was outvoted when John Adams and Thomas Jefferson chose the bald eagle.
Over an estimated 150 million hot dogs will be consumed today. That's roughly 1 dog for every two people in the U.S.
Oddly, the majority of the nation's flags and patriotic paraphernalia in relation to the 4th of July is produced in China. Nearly $349 million dollars are used each year to import in the flags, banners, decorations, and emblems.
The first 4th of July party held at the White House was in 1801.
The 4th of July was not declared a national holiday until 1941.
John Hancock was the only person to actually sign the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The other 55 signers did not sign it until August 2nd or even later.
When the United States became a country, there were approximately 2.5 million people living in the country. Today the population is around 304 million.
Fireworks were invented in China in the 12th century to ward off evil spirits.
'The Star Spangled Banner' was written by Frances Scott Key and was originally set to the tune of an English drinking song.
Calvin Coolidge, our nation's 30th president, was born on July 4th, 1872.
The Liberty Bell sounded from the tower of Independence Hall on July 8, 1776, summoning citizens to gather for the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence by Colonel John Nixon.

Vintage 4th Of July Greeting Cards

2009-07-01T21:20:00.006-04:00

July 4th is known for cookouts and fireworks but not many realize that at one time it was a big time for 4th of July greeting cards.
I did some research and came across some really neat vintage cards that people sent to others to celebrate Independence Day. (click on the image to enlarge.)

RIP Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson

2009-06-25T19:16:00.005-04:00

From being a child and watching Farrah chase down the bad guys in her bikini while her golden hair flipped around to waiting to watch the world premiere of Michael Jackson's Thriller in the days when MTV actually played music. These where some of many good memories I had growing up.
Today both, the stunningly beautiful angel and the king of pop music died only hours apart.

Most of the nation knew that Farrah Fawcett was battling cancer for the last year and that she was gravely ill but the news of Jackson dying suddenly of a heart attack was right out shocking.

Both careers of these two loved and sometime hated celebrates were not with out scandal. From drug abuse to plastic surgery addiction to accusations of child molestation, these two who lived very separate lives were never out of the news. But what can't be denied about them both was that they were two very talented people and both will be missed by millions.

May the two of you both Rest In Peace.

ADVENTURES IN GEOCACHING

2009-06-13T21:12:00.012-04:00

WHAT IS GEOCACHING?

Geocaching is an outdoor treasure-hunting game in which the participants use a (GPS) to hide and seek containers (called "geocaches" or "caches") anywhere in the world. A typical cache is a small waterproof container (usually a tupperware or ammo-box) containing a logbook and "treasure," usually toys or trinkets of little value.

Geocaches are currently placed in over 100 countries around the world and on all seven continents, including Antarctica. There are over 820,000 active geocaches in the world right now.

"RICK, MEET GEOCACHING"

I first was introduced to this "geocaching" hobby by my friend Todd in San Francisco. He told me how he and his son would hike all over to find these hidden boxes using his GPS.

These boxes ranged in size of a small film canister to a toaster sized metal box. Some boxes had small "treasures" in them which could be taken as long as you left something equal or greater in value. What is in all the boxes is a log sheet which you would sign your name to. Then when all is done, you would re-hide the box in the same location you found it and you would log it in as "found" on geocaching. com, the home site for this scavenger hunting game.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN

Now that I was back home in Connecticut I decided to give this game a try. I looked on the geocaching site and I found that there were hundreds of caches hidden in Connecticut and some right in my home town.

I quickly fired up the geocaching app on my iPhone, kidnapped my little nephew for company and set out to find my very first cache on my own. It was an easy one. The GPS on my iPhone took me right to the place I needed to be. It was "The Old Stone Church" (the oldest stone church in the country, built in 1774) that was right down the street from my house.

A clue that was given to where the box was hidden read "under the old stone". That was about all we had to go on. We knew we were in the right area because out GPS told us so. I knew that there was a good 15-20 feet radius that the GPS could be off, so with my nephew's help, we started looking under every "old stone" we could find.

After a good 45 minutes I was getting discouraged. Sammy, my 3 year old nephew, was bored and it was starting to drizzle out.

"I failed", I thought to myself. As I walked toward the parking lot defeated, I looked up at the church door and I noticed the sign above it said "Old Stone Church". I then looked down and noticed the stairs leading to the door were made out of the same brown stone as the church itself. In one last ditch effort I walked over to the stairs and looked around them. There it was, tucked neatly behind a crack in the stone stairs. It was a small film canister. I quickly opened it and inside was a scrolled up piece of paper which I took out. On it was a bunch of names of the people who found it before me. I signed my name, along with Sammy's. I them returned the canister back to it's hiding place and off we went with anticipation of finding our next cache.

The next day I set my sights in another local hidden cache. This one was in the old cemetery that was a few blocks from my house. Now this cemetery is a typical old New England graveyard with stones dating back to the first settlers of this country. As I walked through the old cemetery, my GPS brought me to a wooded area that was right smack in the middle of the boneyard. The clue that was given with this hunt was "hidden 4 feet up". After a few minutes I found that the bark on one of the old giant elm trees was false. I pulled it away and there was my second find in two days. Like the first, I signed the scroll and returned the canister. I thought to myself that this is easy and yet fun. I love it.

THE SLEEPING GIANT VS. THE GEO-HUNTERS

"This is easy and yet fun." Those are the words I used when I told my friend Chris about this geocaching hobby I was now involved with. I convinced him to bring his seven year old son along and join me at "Sleeping Giant State Park" to find a cache hidden there.

I had no problems with Chris bring his small child, after all, how hard could this one be? I found the first two caches quickly and I didn't even break a sweat. So on a sunny, Sunday afternoon we set out to find the cache on the Sleeping Giant.

The GPS took us to an old rock wall hidden in the woods on Sleeping Giant. The clue was "about 3 feet up from ground level." That was easy enough. So after almost an HOUR, Chris found a small canister hidden in this massive old wall. We opened it and in it was coordinates leading to the "real cache box".
I punched in the numbers in my GPS and it set us a path on a map on the iphone. I figured it was up the path, maybe a quarter mile or so. It was nice and sunny out and we had all day so I thought a nice hike through the woods would be fun.

As we scaled rocky vertical paths and walked along cliffs that would send us plummeting hundreds of feet straight down with one slip of the foot, I feared the wrath of Chris' wife if I returned without one or both of her family members. Sweating fro the beating sun, dirty and out of breath we finally found our destination a couple hours later.

Hidden within a pile of rocks and boulders was a toaster sized metal box. We quickly opened it and in it was all sorts of treasures, from match box cars to coins. After signing the scroll, we told James, Chris' son, that he could pick anything he wanted out of the box.
After looking through the numerous treasures, James chose a stick with a point. Kind of like a stick you would stab a vampire with. James figured that we were deep in the woods of Sleeping Giant and the sun was going down and you never knew when bear or lion would jump out and then we would all be thankful he chose the one thing in the box that would save all our lives. So with Chris and James and his pointy stick, I returned the box and we headed out back to the car. We beat the Sleeping Giant!

I would soon learn that geocaching could be very easy, with finds that were nearly in plain sight and then there was the hard, like the one we found hidden a good 30 feet, deep down in a rocky pit where the only way in was through a hidden cave.

In our short time in playing this game we had scraps, cuts and bruises... and we almost lost Chris when he tumbled down a jagged rocky slop, causing some really cool looking cuts.

This geocaching hobby is addicting. It's the challenge of finding what is hidden from you. It's the mystery of the hunt and the satisfaction of the find.
My suggestion to you if you decide to try geocaching is to map it out before you leave. Try not to do it alone. Bring a cell phone. Bring gloves, water and some snack food. Have fun. This is a web site where you could learn all about geocaching and how to get involved. Seriously, it's great fun so check it out!
http://www.geocaching.com/

Here are some pics from out geocaching adventures so far.

Rick, James and Mike with the "Pit" cache find!

This is a typical "canister cache". It usually contains a log book or scroll to sign.

Chris and his son James coming out of the cave that leads to the "Pit".

Huge find on "The Sleeping Giant".

The "Lizard Rock" clue.

Coordinates that led to the cache location.

San Francisco, Gay Rights, Star Trek and Geocaching. May in a nutshell.

2009-05-31T21:42:00.007-04:00

I can't believe I missed the entire month of May without one entry. It's not like nothing happened in May. It's more that I have been so busy. So here's a look back at some of the things I would like to bring into focus from May. Think of it as a cluster of mini blog post.

I went to San Francisco with my best friend Joe. We went out there to visit my friends Joe, Todd and Alice. Alice's son, Mark Bingham, was one of the four people believed to have stormed the cockpit and stop the terrorists on his hijacked plane from crashing it into the White House. Mark was a man who loved life, his family and friends. Mark also happened to be gay. He was on United Flight 93 and he gave his life to save hundreds.

This leads to my next mini post. Why in the world do people feel they need to vote to let gay people marry? This is a basic right that straight people in love all have. Gay people love each other in the same way. How could one set of people decide on something so personal? How could we allow a majority vote on rights of a minority? If this was the case than we would have never seen women cast their votes in elections. We would have never seen blacks go to the same schools as white or even drink from the same water fountains. I only hope that all women and African-Americans remember this next time this question of gay marriage is brought up for vote.

As for vote. I vote that so far Star Trek is the best movie of the summer so far! This movie Rocked.

Speaking of Rocks, I have a new hobby called geocaching. It's kind of like a treasure hunt that's world wide. People from all over leave boxes hidden in different places. they mark their location on GPS and the computer and others use clues to find them. It's serious fun. Today I climbed the most rockiest trails up the side of a HUGE hill to seek out one of these caches. Well worth the climb!

Ok, that's about it. I promise I'll be back in June!

Famous Pigs

2009-04-30T19:56:00.006-04:00

The outbreak of the Swine Flu has been hard on the people who have been stricken by it. Because of miscommunication and wrong information, it's also been hard on the pigs nation around the world.
To remind people that "pigs are out friends", I'm listing some pictures of famous pigs.
See if you could name these 8 piglet starlets. Place the answers in the comment section. Good luck

1.2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Swine Flu Information

2009-04-27T18:53:00.005-04:00

It's been all over the news for the last few days. The "swine flu" in threatening people world wide. I did some research and gathered some information that I hope helps everyone keep healthy.

What is swine flu?
Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that causes regular outbreaks in pigs. People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen. Swine flu viruses have been reported to spread from person-to-person, but in the past, this transmission was limited and not sustained beyond three people.

What are the signs and symptoms of swine flu in people?
The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. In the past, severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) and deaths have been reported with swine flu infection in people. Like seasonal flu, swine flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.

How does swine flu spread?
Spread of this swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is thought to be happening in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

What should I do to keep from getting the flu?
First and most important: wash your hands. Try to stay in good general health. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food. Try not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.What surfaces are most likely to be sources of contamination?
Germs can be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. Droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person move through the air. Germs can be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets from another person on a surface like a desk and then touches their own eyes, mouth or nose before washing their hands.

What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?
There is no vaccine available right now to protect against swine flu. There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza. Take these everyday steps to protect your health:

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
If you get sick with influenza, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

What is the best technique for washing my hands to avoid getting the flu?
Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. Wash with soap and water. or clean with alcohol-based hand cleaner. we recommend that when you wash your hands -- with soap and warm water -- that you wash for 15 to 20 seconds. When soap and water are not available, alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizer may be used. You can find them in most supermarkets and drugstores. If using gel, rub your hands until the gel is dry. The gel doesn't need water to work; the alcohol in it kills the germs on your hands.

What should I do if I get sick?
If you live in areas where swine influenza cases have been identified and become ill with influenza-like symptoms, including fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea, you may want to contact their health care provider, particularly if you are worried about your symptoms. Your health care provider will determine whether influenza testing or treatment is needed.

If you are sick, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness to others.

If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care.

In children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

Fast breathing or trouble breathing
Bluish skin color
Not drinking enough fluids
Not waking up or not interacting
Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
Fever with a rash

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
Sudden dizziness
Confusion
Severe or persistent vomiting

For more information about the swine flu go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

Earth Day 2009

2009-04-21T21:11:00.005-04:00

It's our planet. It's our home. We're slowly killing it and it's time we all woke up and save it.

This is the message that has been put on the table. The words are easy to say but the mission is a tough one but not an impossible one.

We all need to act now because right now, at this very moment, the Earth's climate is changing and each and every day that we ignore this fact we put tomorrow in jeopardy for us, our children and each living thing on this planet.

April 22, 2009 is Earth Day. Let's make the other 264 days part of this celebration each year.

Here are some interesting and some what troubling facts about the way we use the world around us.

The garbage in a landfill stays for a for about 30 years.
In 1995 over 200 of the world landfills were full.
Each person throws away approximately four pounds of garbage every day.
One bus carries as many people as 40 cars!
We each use about 12,000 gallons of water every year.
The 500 million automobiles on earth burn an average of 2 gallons of fuel a day.
Approximately 5 million tons of oil produced in the world each ear ends up in the ocean.
Recycled paper requires 64% less energy than making paper from virgin wood pulp, and can save many trees.
Every ton of paper that is recycled saves 17 trees.
Earth is 2/3 water. but all the fresh water streams only represent one hundredth of one percent.
14 billion pounds of trash is dumped into the ocean every year.
It takes 90% less energy to recycle aluminum cans than to make new ones.
5 billion aluminum cans are used each year.
84 percent of all household waste can be recycled.
Each year billions of used batteries are thrown away in the United States. This constitutes 88% of the mercury and 54% of the cadmium deposited into our landfills.
Approximately only 10 percent of every landfill can be cleaned up.
Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to watch a TV for three hours - it's equivalent to half a gallon of gasoline.
Earth Day is a relatively new holiday and was first celebrated on April 22 in 1970. More than 20 million Americans participated in this first Earth Day celebration.
More than 20,000,000 Hershey's Kisses are wrapped each day, using 133 square miles of tinfoil. All that foil is recyclable, but not many people realize it.
The patron Saint of ecologists is St. Francis and the first proclamation of Earth Day was made by the mayor of San Francisco in 1970.

Thank You for PLANET PALS. COM for the terrific Earth Day Facts.

My Jeep Wrangler

2009-04-04T18:23:00.008-04:00

The year was 2001. I was driving up Branford Hill when I passed a Jeep dealership. In the corner of my eye I saw a bright yellow Jeep Wrangler on the lot. Without as second thought, I pulled into the dealership and knew instantly that I wanted that Jeep.

The thing is, ever since I was like 8 years old I wanted a Jeep. I don't know if it was the fun I thought I could have with a vehicle that could plow through deep mud on woodsy trails or the idea of pulling off it's soft top in the summer and being total open to the air around me while driving to the beach. What ever it was, I knew that this was the Jeep I wanted and I was getting it.

The "Wave"

The first thing I was told when I bough the Jeep was that Jeep owners had a secret wave. It's true! When two Jeeps pass each other, it's proper Jeep form to wave to one another. Not to wave back is a down right insult and in time I actually felt that insult when my wave wasn't returned. The "Jeep wave" happened when I passed my first Jeep and it has happened hundreds of times since.

I quickly learned that owning a Jeep was special. It was almost cult like with other owners. The moment you met someone that said they owned a Jeep you were guaranteed to open a whole conversation about it. I understood the "It's A Jeep Thing" slogan and realized the people who didn't have a Jeep would never get it.

People say that everyone's Jeep has it's own personality. Mine was known for it's bright yellow paint and the Superman "S" spare wheel cover. The Superman "S" was special made for me by my friends and became a part of my Jeep that would stand out among other Jeeps.

Not to sound obsessed but I fell in love with this Jeep. There wasn't a moment that I regretted paying what some might feel was far too much money for a car it's size but I didn't care.
Sure I sometimes wished I had a trunk to store something bigger than a shoebox and yes, the sound of the wind slapping on the soft top made it nearly impossible to have a conversation with a fellow passenger when riding on the highway. But that didn't matter much, because the best times I've had with this sun yellow Jeep was usually me riding alone, with the top off and heading toward some adventure somewhere in the country.

"Adventures and Journeys"

I remember the first long road trip I went on was a sunny day in September when I decided to drive from Connecticut to Knoxville, Tennessee to visit a friend. Even as I drove through the twisting roads of Pennsylvania and the green and brown hills of Virginia, I knew this trip was something I would always remember. The highlight was driving through the Smokey Mountains, taking in their wondrous beauty and charm as I could feel the air cool around me as my Jeep drove high up the mountain's road.

My Jeep and I saw the field where United Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania. We drove through many chilly October days doorless and with the top off just to have autumn's colors surround us. We plowed through the worse that winter could throw at us. We watched some of the most incredible sun sets while driving and some of the most promising sunrises. This Jeep was my ride through life's adventures and I loved every single minute of it.

"The Long Road"

It's now eight years, hundreds and hundreds of waves and 130,000 miles later. Even though I've taken incredible care of my automobile love, time is starting to take it's toll. There's not a scratch or dent on it's still shinny yellow exterior but it's transmission is starting to slip. The ride is far more rough than I like it to be and on the way to the airport last week she overheated, causing me to miss my flight.

I stepped back and took an honest look. Gas prices are high and my Jeep's 17 mpg is tough to deal with. She needs a lot of work and money put into her. I knew it was new car time but hated thinking about it.

I ended up buying a small Honda with a 33 mpg gas mileage. I admit I love my little car but I don't deny that I don't miss my yellow adventure rider very, very much.
Let's face it, I'm a total Jeep guy and I'm riding in a Honda. That's tough to swallow.

You may ask why I didn't just get another Jeep. My answer is that I had my time with the perfect Jeep. It was a one and only and I have no desire right now to replace it. I think I need some "car" time right now. Something with low gas mileage and a smooth ride. I'm OK with this decision...for now. Maybe down the road I'll feel different but for now I'm going to hang on to the incredible memories and fun that I had and only hope to ride a new road to new adventures with my little white Honda.
OMG, just saying that makes me miss my Jeep.

Earth Hour 2009

2009-03-27T19:17:00.008-04:00

VOTE EARTH

YOUR LIGHT SWITCH IS YOUR VOTE

This year, Earth Hour has been transformed into the world’s first global election, between Earth and global warming.

For the first time in history, people of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.

This meeting will determine official government policies to take action against global warming, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol. It is the chance for the people of the world to make their voice heard.

Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square all stood in darkness.

In 2009, Earth Hour is being taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion people switching off their lights as part of a global vote. Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you’re from, but instead, what planet you’re from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community. A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet. Over 74 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday.

We all have a vote, and every single vote counts. Together we can take control of the future of our planet, for future generations.

VOTE EARTH by simply switching off your lights for one hour, and join the world for Earth Hour.

A Loss Of A Loving Pet

2009-03-22T16:37:00.007-04:00

I felt I needed to follow up my last posting, where I wrote about a loss of a very good friend's loving dog, Sheffield.

Sheffield's death and the grief that followed in my friend and myself made me take a look at what people go through when they lose a pet they love and care for.

The grief and the pain that follows is completely normal. Don't ever let anyone tell you how you should feel after a death of a pet.

Some people don't understand. They may never had the experience of the love, companionship and joy a pet could bring. In some ways, that fact is kind of sad to me.

I have so many terrific memories of pets I've own and been in the company of throughout my years. I've done some research online about losing a pet and how to cope with it. I came across some terrific advice from Moira Anderson Allen, M.Ed.

Many people go through guilt and the "if only I had been more careful" syndrome. It's pointless to dwell upon the guilt of an accident or illness that claimed your pet's life, and only makes it more difficult to resolve your grief.

The most important step you can take is to be honest about your feelings. Don't deny your pain. Only by examining and coming to terms with your feelings can you begin to work through them. You have the right to feel pain and grief. Someone you loved has died, and you may feel alone and bereaved

Locking away grief doesn't make it go away. Express it. Cry, scream, pound the floor, talk it out. Don't try to avoid grief by not thinking about your pet; instead, reminisce about the good times. This will help you and others understand what your pet's loss actually means to you.

Some find it helpful to express their feelings and memories in poems, stories and even letters to their pet. Others rearrange their schedule to fill in the times they would have spent with their pet. Some also put together a memorial such as photo collages and talking with others about the loss.

Sometimes to the surprise of people who have multiple pets and lose one, they find the surviving pets may go through a grieving process. This is normal and yes, they do grieve. Pets often form a strong bond to one another. The surviving pet may need a lot of extra attention and love to help them through this period. Giving this extra love is not only good for the surviving pet but it's also wonderfully healing of your own grief.

As I look back at the pets I've lost and my friend's dog, Sheffield, who I loved as though he was my own, I think to myself that even though the pain of losing them is almost unbearable, the love and happiness they gave when they were with us by far makes up for it.

The post below I dedicate to Sheffield, one of the most loving dogs I ever had the pleasure of meeting. I'm so thankful for the time I had you in my life.

For more information about coping with the loss of a pet, please go to : http://www.pet-loss.net/

To Sheffield, With Love

2009-03-13T20:53:00.017-04:00

I first met Sheffield when he was about a year old. My friend Gary told me about his yellow lab retriever and how much personality he had. With in minutes of meeting Sheffield I knew exactly what Gary was talking about.

Sheffield was a medium size lab with a whitish, yellow coat, small floppy ears and a brown line running down the front of his face. His dark brown eyes seemed to talk to you when he wanted something.
Sheffield's facial expression were with so much meaning that one could actually understand what this dog wanted by just looking at him.
He had attitude unlike any dog I've ever seen. He would love to play but when he was done, everyone was done.
He would turn his nose up at you in a second if he didn't like the way things were going.
He would watch over his younger brother George and would immediately alert us when George was misbehaving.
This is how he earned the nickname "Sheriff Sheff".

He would patrol the entire outer boundaries of his fenced in back yard. He loved to play catch, tug-o-war and go for rides in a car. But what Sheffield loved the most was a good swim. He loved the water.
Gary once told me how, when a puppy, Sheffie jumped into a lake and swam out until he was nearly gone from sight.
From a plastic pool in the yard to a filled bath tub, he loved the water.

Gary and Sheffield were made for each other. Both had very similar personalities. Both were loyal, trusting friends. Both loved each other unconditionally.
Sheffield was Gary's child, friend and companion.

I was struck by the way Gary cared for Sheffield. Sheffie was his main focus and love. His true best friend.
Gary's eyes would light up when talking about his four legged buddy and Sheffield would spring to life when Gary walked through the door.

When Gary brought home a brother for Sheffield, in the form of a over stuffed, hyper lab puppy named George, Sheff at first seemed unforgiving.
He wanted nothing to do with George, except to cover him with saliva and rough house him.
After a good few hours of this, suddenly Sheffield ran to a long stick, picked it up and brought it to the puppy George. Right away we realized that this was a "welcome to the family" gift.
From here on in Sheffield was the older brother. He would lead George, even though Geroge would out size Sheffield by a good 30 pounds.
Sheffield guided him, kept him in line and was a huge part in training along with Gary.

Sheffield was the watcher of the house. He was always alert and ready to pounce at any movement from outside, especially his arch enemy... the groundhog.
Sheff made this fat groundhog's life pure misery. Sheffield would run as fast as he could to the groundhog's hiding space every time he was let out into the backyard.
Every once in a blue moon Sheffie would actually see, and chase this huge rat like creature and even once caught him. Sheffield had no idea what to do once his nemesis was caught. He kind of studied him and then let him go.

Sheffield was a people's dog. he loved them and people loved him. He had manners and was distinguished. I always thought that if Sheffie could talk, he would have an English accent. Rarely would he beg for food. Instead he would find a way of slowly cuddling up to you and then would flash his big brown loving eyes your way in hope of going through your heart for his stomach.

In the last week, Gary noticed Sheffield was breathing funny and he wouldn't eat. It was obvious that something was terribly wrong with his faithful friend.
Gary had to wait five days before the vet could actually do an ultra sound test to Sheffield to see what was wrong.

In the true fashion of a devoted friend and father, Gary made Sheffield's world his world.
We were both afraid of the results. Gary would never let Sheffield see him cry. He reassured Sheffie that he loved him but there was no need for that because Sheffield always knew how much Gary loved him.
Gary was Sheffield's world.

Today they found a soft ball sized tumor near Sheffield's heart. There wasn't much that could be done except for a very brave and humane decision Gary had to painfully make.
Sheffield, Gary's lovable 6 1/2 year old puppy passed away while Gary stood by his side. With a kiss from Sheffield to Gary, he gently closed his eyes and said good bye.
Sheffield was so lucky to have Gary in his life and Gary was so lucky to have Sheffield. They both complimented each other unlike any human could do.

Gary did an incredible job in raising Sheffie and Sheffie did an incredible job in making Gary into who he is today, which is a man with an wonderfully big heart which now and forever will have a beautiful yellow lab in it named Sheffield.

Our hearts are broken without you and we'll never forget you my handsome puppy. I'll miss you more than I could ever say.

2009-02-13T23:03:00.003-05:00

Happy Valentine's DayFrom Rick's Time On Earth

Friday the 13th

2009-02-12T19:13:00.009-05:00

Friday the 13th. Thought to be by some as the most unluckiest day of the year. Not much is known on why or how this day ended up to be known for it's black cats, broken mirrors, day of dread and most recently, a machete wielding, hockey masked maniac. There are some theories on how it all started but the bottom line is, if you're superstitious then this is the day to stay in bed, pull the covers over your head and wait it out. Here are a few facts about how the number "13" effects us today:

More than 80% of high rises lack a 13th floor.
Many airports in the United States skip a 13th gate.
Airplanes usually don't have a 13th aisle.
Hospitals and hotels usually don't have a 13th room on a floor.
Italy omitted the number 13 from it's national lottery.
Many major cities don't have a 13th street or avenue.
Some towns in Italy don't allow a number 13 for a house address. The house between number 12 and 14 is marked as 12 1/2.
People who fear Friday The 13th are called "paraskavedekatriaphobia".
The British Navy named a ship "Friday The 13th". On it's maiden voyage it left port and was never seen again.

While we're on the subject of superstitions, here are a few well known and not so well known good luck charms, signs of doom and other things to avoid on Friday the 13th:

A acorn should be carried in your pocket for good luck.
Spit on a new baseball bat before using for the first time to bring good luck.
It's bad luck to put a hat on a bed.
It's bad luck to put shoes on a bed.
You must get out of bed on the same side you got in or you'll have bad luck.
A bird that flies into your house is a sign of bad luck or death.
If someone is sweeping the floor and sweeps over your feet then you'll never get married.
Never take an old broom with you when you move into a new house or apartment.
Three butterflies seen flying together is good luck.
If a black cat walks toward you it's a sign of good luck. If it walks away from you it's a sign of bad luck.
A cat on a ship is good luck.
It's bad luck to light three cigarettes with the same match.
It's bad luck to pick up a found coin if it's tail side is up.
Dropping a comb while combing your hair is a sign of misfortune.
Crickets in your house is good luck.
Dogs howling in the dark of night,howl for death before daylight.
It's bad luck to count cars in a funeral cortege.
It's bad luck to wear new shoes to a funeral.
It's bad luck to cut your fingernails on a friday or a sunday.
It's bad luck to start a trip on friday.
It's bad luck to kill a lady bug.
It's bad luck to let milk boil over.
Unless you were born in October, it's bad luck to wear opals.
It's bad luck to see an owl in the sunlight.
If you spill pepper you will have a serious argument with a friend.
It's bad luck to get up from a rocking chair and let it continue to rock.
Put salt on the doorstep of your new house for good luck.
Placing a show on a table is bad luck.
It's bad luck to leave a shoe upside down.
The color blue is good luck.

With these small slices of wisdom I wish you all the best of luck this Friday the 13th. Oh yeah, avoid any crazy looking guys wearing hockey mask.

Vintage Valentine's Day Cards

2009-02-11T18:44:00.008-05:00

The Valentine's Day card has been around well over one hundred years. I remember as a child in the 3rd grade we would pass out little cards with cartoon characters on them. Each card would have it's own snappy and witty saying such as "There's Snow doubt I want you to be my Valentine". Of course this would be above a picture of a snowman with a huge heart on his chest.

Here's a small collection of vintage Valentine's Day cards from yesteryear.

(Click on the card to see full size.)

Vinegar Valentines and Penny Dreadfuls

2009-02-07T22:57:00.006-05:00

There was a time when love wasn't in the air when it came to Valentine's Day. This was a dark side of card giving that even Hallmark would want to forget.

In the late 1800's and early to mid 1900's some people would send a Valentine's Day card that was nick named "Vinegar Valentines" or "Penny Dreadfuls". These cards were usually sent anonymously to a person who wasn't so dear to the sender's heart. The card inside was usually on a single sheet of colored paper with a less than flattering poem written on it along with an even more insulting picture.

Here are some examples of the Valentine's Day cards that were sent, minus the love. (click on the picture to see full size.)

Valentine's Day Trivia

2009-02-04T16:45:00.009-05:00

It's February and the first thing I think of is Valentine's Day. This is the time of year when the sales of roses, boxes of chocolate, cards and those little Necco candy hearts with the words printed on them all go on sale.

There will be little school children exchanging cards with each other. There will be roses sent to lovers. Heart shaped boxes of candy will be passed around. Love will be in the air for most on this day. Here's a little information I dug up for you concerning the most romantic day of the year. So pull up your sweetheart or a box of chocolates and enjoy.

15% of women on Valentine's Day send THEMSELVES flowers.
73% of people that buy flowers on Valentine's Day are men.
One BILLION cards will be exchanged.
3% of pet owners give Valentine's gifts to their pets.
110 MILLION roses, mostly red, will be delivered.
Hallmark has over 1,330 different cards for Valentine's Day this year.
Funny Valentine's Day cards in the 19th century were called "Vinegar Cards" and Penny Dreadfuls".
Children, ages 6-10, will exchange more than 650 MILLION Valentine's Day cards.
Little known fact: In the middle ages, young men and women would draw names from a bowl to see who their Valentine would be. They would pin the name to their sleeve and where it around for an entire week. This is where the saying "Wearing your heart on your sleeve" comes from.
Every year, Necco Sweethearts Conversation Hearts candies prints saying on the tiny, colorful sugar hearts. Each year the sayings are all related to a certain event. Last year the event was "the weather". This year's sayings are based on "dining out".

I'd like to thank www.carsinet.com for the terrific facts and brain candy!

Super Bowl Facts

2009-01-31T16:08:00.005-05:00

The most watched television event of the year is upon us once again. No, it's not the Presidential Inauguration. No it's not some over hyped Hollywood award show. It's the Super Bowl.

This year nearly 90 million people are expected to be glued to their seats watching the game. In the 10 most watched events ever on television, the Super Bowl was 9 of them.

But not everyone is sitting there watching the touchdowns. Nearly 50% of the views are there for... you guessed it... the commercials. The average 30 second commercial shown during the Super Bowl this year cost around 3 million dollars. The fact that most bathroom breaks are taken durning the game and not the commercials must bring some relief to the companies that are shelling out the big bucks for these ads.

Here's a few more interesting facts about the Super Bowl.

1. The Super Bowl is a trademarked name and can not be used in advertisements without permission. That's why so many commercials use the name "The Big Game" instead of Super Bowl.

2. The only day of the year when more food is consumed than Super Bowl Sunday is Thanksgiving. This year nearly 60 million dollars of food is expected to be bought for this one day alone.

3. Nearly 15 tons of chips will be eaten during the game.

4. The name Super Bowl wasn't used until the 3rd championship game which was played in 1969.

5. There are no known video tapes of the first two championship games and the NFL is willing to pay 1 million dollars to anyone that has a copy.

6. MTV is banned from producing any half time shows since it's famous Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction.

7. The average game time for a Super Bowl is 60 minutes. The average commercial time is 30 minutes.

8. The state of Florida holds the record for the most hosted Super Bowl games.

B-Horror Movie Madness

2009-01-24T11:28:00.007-05:00

Every saturday as a child I couldn't wait to sit down in from of the television, turn it to channel 11 WPIX in NYC and watch "Chiller Theater".

There I would see the six fingered claymation arm rise up from the quicksand and then ominously pluck away each letter of the C-H-I-L-L-E-R title and then sink back into the evil depths it came from.

Yes this was some serious B-movie, cheesy, low budget viewing but this was also enough to capture my young imagination along with millions of others.

Invasion Of The Monsters And Other Misunderstood Outcast.

Where else could you view such B-movie classics as "The Ghost Of Frankenstein", "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers", "Attack Of The 50 Foot Woman" and the ever popular "Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Monster" ?

There was no digital special effects, no multi-million dollar budget, A-listed actors. They were made up of unknown wanna-be players. Some special effects were so bad that you could actually see the strings holding up the invading spaceships. The acting was bad, the story lines even worse but when you're a 10 year old boy you couldn't ask for more.

I was a faithful fan of not only "Chiller Theater" but also to it's rival "Creature Feature". Both shows featured the frightening results of radiation on man and beast causing a woman to tower as high as 40 feet high or shrinking a man to the size of a pin. Giant man-eating spiders roamed the streets and a gigantic octopus would down a massive bridge, along with everyone driving over it.
From deep space they would show the horrors of the aliens that seemed to dislike us for no reason. They traveled as far away as Mars just to shoot us with lasers. they fell to Earth in meteors and oozed around like growing jelly fish to feast upon us.

This was some good quality viewing as far as a 10 year old was concerned!

These movies never really scared me. Even at 10 years old I knew they were cheesy but yet they fascinated me. The idea of a giant spider running around chasing people as in "Tarantula" or a gooey, messy pile of sludge that ate everything in it's sight as in "The Blob" was my idea of thrills.

Ghost Of The Past

I look at the horror films of today and I see that even with all the incredible special effects and over paid actors, most are missing something that these little b-movies all had. They lack heart.

On the left hand side of my blog I listed my "Top 10 Favorite B Horror Movies". If you have any favorites you want to share with me please posted them in the comment section under this post.

Are You On Facebook?

2009-01-22T20:33:00.007-05:00

It all started with the question, "Are you on Facebook?"

I was ask that question more than a dozen times by friends and family before I decided to brave the web's superhighway and head to this cyber hotspot.

What I did now about Facebook was that it was a "social network". It was developed by a student at Harvard University so students there could interact with each other.
With in a couple of years the site spread well beyond Harvard and college students and was now the cyber meeting place for over 150 million people world wide.

What I feared about Facebook was that it would be a mirror image of the spam infested, tricked out ghetto world of MySpace, a site that I personally couldn't run far enough away from. This was the main reason I resisted the call from my friends to join.

I admit when I joined Facebook, I was confused. I didn't see what the big deal was. I connected with a couple of people I knew that were on FB and we became "friends".
Then it started.

THE ATTACK OF THE FRIENDS

Almost immediately I started getting friend request. They were from family member, friends, people I work with, and even people I haven't seen in years.
I had no idea how they were finding me. I then realized that you could search for people you knew on FB through your email address book, the town and state you live in and even the schools you went to.

My friend list was growing and I admit I was liking it.

Now I admit I'm picky about who my "friends" are. I have some friends that I secretly call "friend whores" (opps, it's not a secret anymore.) These are the people that will take in anyone as friends just so their friend list is huge. OK, maybe it sounds like I might be a bit jealous because they have more friends than me but it's not. I could have as many friends if I wanted to. Maybe I don't want that many friends. I'm as popular as they are.... right? OMG I am jealous.

Within days of joining I found I was part of my very own network of friends who all hung out at this cyber club called Facebook.

We were sharing pictures, posting our thoughts in small blurbs that would instantly appear on the screen for all of our group to see.

The more they posted, the more I learned about these friends of mine. This tangled web of friends and family was proving a fun place to be.

In a typical day I might receive a cyber plant that would take a few days to grown into anything from a beautiful flower to mouth watering cheeseburger.
I would be part of my friend Joe's crime syndicate and make money for the Godfather in the game Mob Wars.
I would battle Todd to near exhaustion while looking for hidden words in the game Scramble.
I was competing with Gabby to see who was the biggest egg head in Brain Games.
We would all pass around cyber drinks to celebrate an event.
Cyber Halloween pumpkins, Christmas stockings were exchanged.
I was even kidnapped by being captured in a huge mouse trap and held in Las Vegas and wasn't released until I answered trivia questions correctly.

WORTH THE TRIP

I was beginning to see why this site was so popular. It was fun. It was a place to interact with people you care about. It was almost addicting.
If I was near a computer I found myself checking in with my friends. I was keeping up with people I seemed to have lost touch with over the years and saying hi to people I just saw a couple hours ago at work.

Facebook was a pleasant surprise. It's a comfortable place where you could go online and just pop in for a few minutes to catch up on some friends or even spend some serious time playing games, laughing and hanging out with people you might have lost contact with in the past.

I now find myself to be one of those people that ask others if they are members of this not so exclusive internet club and if they are I'll most likely welcome them into my social circle with open arm.

Now my question to you, the reader, is, "Are you on Facebook?"

How Far We Have Come. Welcome President Obama

2009-01-20T15:46:00.014-05:00

How far we've come.

The year 1959.
A mere sixty years ago. It was common to see colored water fountains, colored seating in restaurants, colored entrances to building. These colors were not vibrant or beautiful. These colors were black and white. These colors were in the shades of racism and hate.

A black man had a better chance at winning the lottery than he did at winning a court case against a white man.
A black woman could only sit in back of a bus until the day came when she said no more.
A black child could not attend the same school as a white child.
A human being that happened to be black could be beaten to death as people looked on and no justice would be served.

The year is 2009.
Today, the people of the United States Of America witnessed the swearing in of our first African-American President, Barack Obama.
We have all united. We are black, white, jewish, catholic, muslim, gay, straight. The list goes on.

If you voted for Barack Obama or not, you can not deny the fact the world today is a closer, more united planet.
You can not deny that the United States Of America has not seen this scope of hope in decades.
You can not deny the fact that this was the first election in the history of this great country that all races, religions, ages and sexes joined forces to correct the course this country has taken in the past years.

Hope is a powerful thing. Action is even greater. We stood together and took action.

The challenge now is for us to keep united and to eliminate bigotry and hate toward not only race but toward the sexes, religions and the social classes.
Today we saw that anything is possible as long as we all stand united and act as one.

God Speed President Obama.

Welcome President Obama

2009-01-20T15:15:00.006-05:00

WELCOME PRESIDENT OBAMA!