A Virtual Hobby Store and Coffee Shop

Vigil at the Top

2008-08-20T03:09:00.068-05:00

Photo by Annisa Lam (former member of Stock.exchng)

Licensed photo DO NOT COPY

Currently I am keeping the following in my thoughts & prayers:

-----Another Terri Schiavo-like case. This has been no where near as long, she is not brain dead,not on respirators or anything like that and had a baby after her injury. Her name is Lauren Richardson. Terri Schiavo's brother speaks about Lauren's case

-----Kristy Dykes, author and fellow blogger,has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Recently, the doctors said that she only has months left and she is being cared for by Hospice...it seems that she is getting sicker VERY quickly. Kristy is being very brave. I encourage people to leave supportive comments on her blog...for Kristy and her family/loved ones.
-----Heather is fighting very hard against brain cancer.
-----Patrick Swayze is fighting an aggressive cancer. Contrary to initial reports, his physicians say that he has a good chance of surviving...at least, it is optimistic. Unusually titled, but pertinent, article chronicles "Patrick Swayze's Butt Problems" ( I never thought I would be typing something like this in my Vigil list...I hope that he kicks butt-both the illness and the cigarettes). Patrick has gotten through his third round of chemo. There is a couple in Indiana that is campaigning for access to a treatment that may cause the masses involved to shrink (and thus, eventually, be cured).
-----A beautiful baby named Kayla passed away after a valiant struggle with cancer. On her Myspace there are details of various campaigns on her behalf for Childhood Cancer Awareness/Research/Cures...please visit.
-----Jenny Lloyd, a little girl who has a rare disease where she can be literally scared to death
-----The family and friends of Lorraine Allard. Lorraine passed away after delaying cancer treatment in order to give birth to her son.
-----That Madeleine McCann is found soon. A new sketch of a suspect has been released.
-----Dustin, a little boy who died after choking on one of his Christmas toys.
-----Heath Ledger's little daughter...who will grow up without her Daddy. :-(
-----This restaurant cracked and had to be demolished....yes, you read that right. The restaurant was the owner's livelihood and he was not able to retrieve anything from the building.

Note:
This post is in no particular order. Prayer/thought requests just go to the top as I hear more about what is going on. If you can think of a way to help these people, PLEASE do so.

Friday Fill-Ins

2008-05-16T04:41:00.005-05:00

1. There is absolutely NO way you can get me to _____!
abandon my principles or eat liver without throwing up

2. _____ reminds me that summer is almost here!
The fact that it is staying light longer

3. I cannot live without my _____.
laptop,library card,glasses of water

4. _____ and _____ are two things I'd like to try.
Skydiving,Hungarian Paprika

5. When life hands you lemons _____.
start juggling and singing the Meatloaf song "Life is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back"

6. _____ is my favorite childhood memory.
My favorite aunt,my grandmother,reading by myself,intellectual conversations with my father and brother,music (I couldn't pick one of these over any other)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _____, tomorrow my plans include _____ and Sunday, I want to _____!
Well, I am not looking forward to getting a new license photo. I am looking forward to making some sort of drinks and using the straws that I bought which have pink flamingos attached to them...fun. I am looking forward to sleeping in on Friday. I am acknowledging that I have to water my late-growing narcissus....not sure if I will enjoy this or not. Likely, I will attend a movie Friday with Husband and Cousin...Narnia. Friday's Plans also include buying decorations for the garden and taking garden photos....if I am able to fit both in, this will make me VERY happy. Saturday's plans include some paid writing online....I enjoy trying to scout that out (though it takes a while to find something that fits into the things that I write about anyway). Sunday, I want to do some shopping for needed additions to my work wardrobe...you know that you need them when Husband is the one that suggests it. :-)

This week I am participating in Friday Fill-Ins Number 72. These are my answers-in-progress. :-)

Like a Magical Treasure Trove for Numismatists.....

2008-05-15T21:41:00.008-05:00

I was extremely excited when I discovered Wizard Coin Supply this week! Wizard sells to both dealers and the public. The selection of products is excellent...so many albums, holders, storage accessories, etc. There are even products geared towards the needs of children!

Wizard offers some pretty deep discounts and they have a price match guarantee. This company is emerging as a leader in the wholesale coin supply arena. It is not surprising that Wizard Coin Supply is becoming an industry leader...with the price match guarantee that means that you will NEVER PAY MORE.

Wizard carries all of the leading brandnames.... Dansco,Intercept,Saflip,Shield,Whitman ,etc. The company has all of the essentials (coin cases, coin holders,price guides,etc.) and many of the popular coin-collecting books. There are items for all levels...from the fledgling State Quarter collector to the meticulous coin archivist.

I can see, through their detailed listings, that Wizard recognizes the extreme importance of storage and display-adding to the perceived value and improving the appearance of a coin collection. There is even a full line of items for making a custom album when you have your own particular needs.

A unique feature of Wizard Coin Supply's site fits beautifully into the magic theme (and adds great customer service)...."Invisible Products." The items that are not imaged yet or currently in stock are still available! Invisible products are those that can still be obtained quickly from the manufacturer or one of Wizard's Suppliers. Wizard will even attempt to track down supplies that can't be found on their site. Obviously, this is a company that is dedicated to finding what the customer wants.

Wizard Coin Supply seems very dedicated to being well-staffed and super-knowledgeable....easily able to handle volume orders and cheerfully offering to answer questions. I am sure that the passion that the staff puts into their own collections comes through loud-and-clear in every customer interaction. It is great that the staff also collects coins themselves....nothing is more of a pain when dealing with a store than trying to explain ones needs to an associate who doesn't have even a vague idea about the product. (This last comment reminds me of my many nightmare trips to the hardware store...but we won't talk about that right now).

When examining the Wizard website, I was happy to note that there was an actual Customer Service category (and it went past all my expectations for the standard Frequently-Asked-Questions section). My favorite feature in the Customer Service section of the website was "How to Clean Coins." I could easily see myself ruining my favorite coins without this advice. I have a Mercury dime that I am particularly fond of which I wouldn't want to ruin. :-)

I will, at some future date, be figuring out how much my meager little coin collection is worth. I was glad to see that the Customer Service section offered advice on how to actually figure out the value of what you have collected.

Collecting coins takes dedication and efficiency. I think that Wizard is a company that manages to almost magically grow with the needs of the lifelong Numismatist.

This was a sponsored post that I was very happy to write. :-)
P.S. If you haven't figured it out already, a "numismatist" is a coin collector. :-)
P.P.S. I love newsletters. There is a mailing list that one can sign up for in the settings of their individual online account. :-)

Thursday Thirteen

2008-05-15T00:36:00.027-05:00

1. Some doctors claim that they have a complete cure for Patrick Swayze's cancer??? I don't know what to think of that....I guess that if I were that sick, I would try one of these treatments if there were not too dire a risk involved (compared to the dire prognosis already given). If one of these treatments works, it will be very helpful to the doctor and country that offers it. Anyway....I would LOVE to see Mr. Swayze well enough to be in the sequel to Point Break.

2. The skillet method for roasting coffee beans is NOT easy but I am going to try it.

3. Are you for or against the California ruling allowing gay marriage? Do you think this ruling will stick and does it represent the will of the American people?

4. Husband and Cousin are playing video games lately that make booming sounds when there are explosions. I think they have the XBox controllers set up to vibrate and recoil. As I blog lately, I get to listen to the reverberations of cannon explosions. Glad they are having fun. :-)

5. I have become the target of "lottery" spammers. I am getting an UNUSUAL amount of these spam e-mails. I wonder how I attracted so much attention.

6. Razor-wire installed at U.S. border

7. Gasbuddy.com....find the lowest gas price in your area. Gasbuddy is looking for price spotters (you can possibly win prizes for participating).

8.

9. MOTHERS:
-----Mothers & More..."a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of mothers through support, education and advocacy. We address mothers’ needs as individuals and members of society, and promote the value of all the work mothers do."
-----Working Mother Magazine
-----Blue Star Mothers of America...."We are mothers who now have, or have had, children honorably serving in the military. We are a non-profit (501[c]3) service organization supporting each other and our children while promoting patriotism."
I HOPE THAT EVERYONE HAD A HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY. :-)

10. New Kids on the Block reunite and will be touring the U.S. in September.

11. Can you pass the President's Adult Fitness Test?

12.

13. Wizard Coin Supply -particularly of interest to me is the free information that is provided on the site about how to clean coins. I am going to add Wizard Coin Supply to my favorites in Stumble Upon. :-)

A work-in-progress right now. :-)

2008-05-13T02:21:00.000-05:00

The Coca Cola Polar Bear Support Fund

NEWBIES

2008-05-12T20:01:00.006-05:00

New to my list of sites today:
-----Australian Glass Beadmakers Guild (thank you to Tonya for this find)
-----Wizard Coin Supply (I am in the process of writing a sponsored post on this one)
-----The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Website

Added back into my blogroll:
-----Evolutionary Middleman (I admire that he is brave enough to say exactly how he feels about a topic)

2008-05-12T00:59:00.000-05:00

A Mother's Day message about Ovarian Cancer

In My Life.....

2008-05-11T23:24:00.002-05:00

-----We are watching the movie Catch 22. Funny and gives one some things to think about. Catch 22 came out the same year that MASH (the movie) did.

Happy Mother's Day.....

2008-05-11T03:17:00.002-05:00

One of the bravest/best mothers EVER:
Lorraine Allard. Lorraine passed away after delaying cancer treatment in order to give birth to her son. I can not let this Mother's Day go by without acknowledging such tremendous sacrifice. Lorraine is one of the strongest mothers that I have ever heard of and I will be keeping her family in my thoughts today.

Mother Knows Best Blog Carnival

Blog Talkers

2008-05-11T02:41:00.006-05:00

Blog Talkers #72.....this week there is no question-just a writing prompt:
"My imaginery life"

I would like my imagination to be a better place. I am always interested in improving my creativity. Two of my favorite creative books are "A Whack on the Side of the Head" and a book called "A Creative Companion" by "Sark." Do you ever feel that you are not creative enough?

My progress on this meme to be continued. :-)

2008-05-10T23:28:00.000-05:00

Alleged camel slapping

Happy Mother's Day.....

2008-05-10T23:18:00.000-05:00

Mother Knows Best Blog Carnival

2008-05-08T01:02:00.002-05:00

MISC.

2008-05-07T23:31:00.006-05:00

-----Some odd things appear on eBay.
-----Amazon shoppers may have to pay sales tax soon.
-----"The Last Stand"...a game where you kill zombies. Husband recognizes the sound..."Are you killing zombies again?"

2008-05-07T22:18:00.002-05:00

Bad Motivator t-shirt design @ © SplitReason.com

Run R2 t-shirt design @ © SplitReason.com

OSWars Linux t-shirt design @ © SplitReason.com

In My Life.....

2008-05-07T02:11:00.002-05:00

-----My Wandering Jew plants and Christmas Cacti are doing well. I will have to post more pictures sometime soon. Surprisingly, one of the Christmas Cacti is trying to bloom all the time now. :-)
-----We tried a Bloody Mary made with "Torpedo Juice." Highly spicy....an adventure. We got large martini olives but no one liked those much...too salty.
-----Thus far I am managing to keep everything in the garden alive and watered....we shall see if I am able to keep up with this. Summers can get HOT and drought-filled here in the Midwest.

The Birth of Video Fade-Out Advertisements

2008-05-07T01:04:00.012-05:00

Press Release:
TORONTO, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)----Jokeroo.com, http://www.jokeroo.com, one of the pioneers in internet video and entertainment, has premiered the video fade-out advertisement with the upcoming movie, Speed Racer. The new format was designed to attract marketers across the globe with an advertisement that's high impact and engaging, while avoiding any negative impact on the user.

Although the campaign is still in its infancy, it has produced spectacular results posting a click-through north of 4 percent, which is much higher than eMarketer's quoted preroll standard of 0.5 to 0.9 percent. "When coming up with the idea we were looking for something that offered great performance for the advertiser while keeping the user happy," says Aleks Dugonjic, the President of Jokeroo.com.

The creative takes up the full screen outside of the video player environment, which avoids interrupting the user experience but allows the advertiser's brand to go unnoticed. The fade-out can last up to thirty seconds until it slowly starts fading out and the Jokeroo.com webpage appears. A live example can be found here: http://www.jokeroo.com/funnyvideos/transformers_stop_motion.html

About Jokeroo.com
Jokeroo.com is one of the leading video entertainment websites on the market today, ranked in the top 50 by comScore in multimedia and 2nd in humor. The company currently hosts over 6 million unique visitors, 150,000+ community members, and has over 1 million active email subscriptions.

Video Fade-Out Example
____________________________

MY THOUGHTS:
This advertising method is interesting to me (being that I am a Business Student and eventually plan to open my own business). If the subject matter is chosen carefully, then this could be really intriguing for viewers. When I first landed on the example page, I found the background (the fade-out advertisement) interesting...but was surprised that it was not the same subject matter as the film. I quickly got used to having advertising like this...I was happy that it gave me a few different/entertaining things to think about. I will be following along to see how this new advertising method is further developed.

PINK FLOYD AND UKULELES :-)

2008-05-06T02:24:00.007-05:00

A cover of "Wish You Were Here." Narciso Lobo is awesome...beautiful voice and great ukulele playing. Anyway....I love Pink Floyd and I am in a miss-people sort of mood as I am posting this. To whom it concerns: I wish you were here. :-)

Something that I found interesting in the recent Pink Floyd Pig-That Flew-Away incident was the litter that was caused in addition to the popped pig. I have no idea who I am voting for as President but I do know that I would not have appreciated such litter (no matter the candidate).

2008-05-05T00:54:00.004-05:00

-----People are getting rid of their pets for increasingly selfish reasons....including not having a pet that matched the carpet color. Society makes me want to throw up sometimes.
-----Track Your Mileage With FuelLog

CEILING FAN SHOPPING.....

2008-05-05T00:37:00.001-05:00

Looking around on Ceiling Fan Warehouse's site. We are always shopping around for ceiling fans for the living room but haven't seen one that totally satisfies our needs yet. The criteria for us: easy to clean (ceiling fan dust is particularly gross),small (as we have a wall that comes out in the area we want to put it), and close to the ceiling (as one frequent houseguest is tall and I tend to swing my arms around expressively and/or get myself in unusual klutzy situations).

Given ourCeiling fan requirements, I have looked at children's fans....but they are all usually themed or the wrong color...though I suppose we could paint one. The painting would have to be a neutral color as I don't want a ceiling fan to be the focal point of a room.

I do find some of the Hunter ceiling fans elegant....makes me almost want to get one. I think that I will likely go with an
Emerson Ceiling Fan when we finally get ready to purchase one (we have to figure out what will work with our ceilings).

Then, of course, we will have to figure out what to paint on the fan....I am sure that we will end up painting something on it. What would be fascinating to watch on a ceiling fan? :-)

Thursday Thirteen

2008-05-01T02:24:00.024-05:00

1. Bathroom Mushrooms:
What an adventure. Yesterday morning I was cleaning in the bathroom and thought I saw a chicken bone on the floor....I was ANGRY at this rather odd behavior and certainly going to find out who was eating in the bathroom. Despite the fact that I had to be to work, I followed the compulsion to get back there and get it (right under where the toilet is still imperceptibly leaking....no matter how many solutions we have tried). What I found was surprising. I have been cleaning odd stains on the floor for about a year now as has husband....each thinking it was normal grime or some sort of non-toxic mold. NO....I researched my find on the Internet....our leak is causing full-grown mushrooms to grow up from under the floor tiles. Hopefully, there is not too much damage under the floor. The plan is to dry out the tiles and caulk...if the damage isn't bad. We will just have to keep trying to find the leak and find some way of gathering up the water. I am a little worried as I did not have a face mask or bandana on when I angrily swept with a towel (or all the times I have done it before)....mushroom spores in the lungs are DANGEROUS. It is funny to see a mushroom growing in your bathroom though.

2. I am still worried about Patrick Swayze. Some reports say that his condition has gotten worse and, as always, there is all sorts of speculation as to what his actions mean (writing a living will, etc. ).

3. I finally got my espresso/cappucino machine to start learning techniques (for my someday-coffee shop). Husband found it for 12 dollars at a Salvation Army thrift shop. Haven't tried it yet....hopefully it works well (seems like it will). This is such good news to me!!!

4. Another Salvation Army find that I hope works...a karaoke microphone to feed my being-a-better-singer obsession. Fun!!! Hoping it works, too.

5. Sitting in the dark with a slight headache....listening to "Lights Out" by Lisa Marie Presley. Earlier today I was reading in my past blog posts about how I used to put banana peels on my forehead, back of neck and so on to ease headaches....this looked funny and made Husband laugh. :-)

6. Have you looked up at the stars lately?

7. The files for my copy of Moby Dick apparently became corrupted. I am not done reading it yet. Annoyed.

8. Listened to Dire Straits "Why Worry" this morning (Friday,May2). Such a pretty song. I tend to be either a severe worry wart or unduly optimistic.

9. Sometimes I wonder how Jan-Michael Vincent is doing.

10. Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation

11. AeroGrow AeroGarden...a thorough review.

12.

13.
-----Parents beware: Measles are at the highest levels in the U.S. since 2001.
-----True Mom Confessions
_________________________________

:-)

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Thursday Thirteen

2008-04-29T22:56:00.003-05:00

-----David Blaine's next stunt will be done on Oprah.
-----Many McDonalds are now offering wi-fi...for a fee.

"Curious as a Cat" Meme

2008-04-28T18:03:00.005-05:00

1) How would you redesign the way movie ratings are assigned?
I would take a look at the effectiveness of PG-13...how often are parents even aware of the fact that their 13-17 year-old child is attending/purchasing?

2) What is the best way to make friends?
Be nice. Accept that not everyone will be your friend and that if you try to "win them over" you may not like the "friend" you are eventually stuck with.

3) What is the most sacred or holy spot you've ever seen?
The grave of a relative. I am amazed at the years of memorials that have been left. Not everyone "honors their dead."

4) What is the most irrational thing you've ever done?
I don't really have an answer for this one. I will let you know if I come up with one.

5) Show and Tell. What comes to mind first when you see this picture? Or, tell a story if it reminds you of one.

The un-opened flowers look like tulips. Looking at the scene from a fairy's eyeview. Creating a modern set of fairy dolls with their own life stories might be fun....like Barbie/Stewart Little. I could take photos of what the world might look like if a fairy were photographing it. Okay....my thoughts are a weird place. :-)

I join this meme for the first time at Week 115. :-)

2008-04-28T17:50:00.002-05:00

CALIFORNIA: Reagan Presidential Library needs more volunteers

2008-04-28T17:30:00.002-05:00

A 300-pound Arkansas jail inmate has filed a suit that he is not being fed well. This inmate weighed 413 pounds when first jailed. By my calculations that is an average weight loss of about 12.91 pounds a week. While I am sure that the diet is adequate, I think that some investigation needs to be done as to what is causing this man to lose so much weight. Is it alright to lose that much a week when one is at a higher weight. Does the jail have medical supervision for this dramatic weight loss? Would this rapid weight loss have been totally overlooked if the inmate had not complained?