Shut Up And Smile

noreply@blogger.com (Shut Up And Smile) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 02:10:00 +0000

"It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." Abraham Lincoln.

noreply@blogger.com (Shut Up And Smile) — Mon, 31 May 2010 19:29:00 +0000

A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. -Joseph Campbell

The brave die never, though they sleep in dust:
Their courage nerves a thousand living men. — Minot J. Savage

And I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free. And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me. — Lee Greenwood

We come, not to mourn our dead soldiers, but to praise them. — Francis A. Walker

“It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.” — Norman Schwarzkopf

noreply@blogger.com (Shut Up And Smile) — Mon, 31 May 2010 19:11:00 +0000

Fort Ontario Located in Oswego NY. To read more click here. This photo was taken May 29, 2010.

Remember

noreply@blogger.com (Shut Up And Smile) — Mon, 31 May 2010 18:57:00 +0000

Fort Ontario Post Cemetery — Along the lakeshore east of the fortification is the Post Cemetery. The cemetery contains graves of generations of soldiers and civilians who served or lived at Fort Ontario from the French and Indian War to World War II. Originally, the cemetery was located about 300 meters to the south, but was moved by the US Army in 1903 to its present location over the old, filled-in quarry. Stone from the quarry was used to build the outer walls of the fort from 1863 to 1872. A blacksmith's shop, a stonecutter’s workshop and a tool shed were once located around the quarry.

This is a photo that was taken this weekend and then converted through an 8-layer process to the colorized sketch you see.

Nashville Tennessee Flood 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Shut Up And Smile) — Wed, 12 May 2010 00:08:00 +0000

CLICK HERE: Nashville Tennessee Flood 2010

Knoxville cancer survivor gets a new bedroom

noreply@blogger.com (Shut Up And Smile) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:25:00 +0000

At age 13, Chris Isbill was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma, a bone cancer. Less than a year later, he was diagnosed with Leukemia and given a 10% chance of survival.
But, after a bone marrow transplant, Chris is cancer free.

Paramedics hail 'hero' boy from Arizona bus crash

noreply@blogger.com (Shut Up And Smile) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:21:00 +0000

Oscar Rodriguez, 11, talks to Gila River paramedics in his room at Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix, Saturday, March 6, 2010. Oscar, 11-years-old, was a passenger on the bus that overturned and was injured in the accident on Interstate 10 Friday. Despite his injuries, the boy helped paramedics on the scene by translating for patients who didn't speak English. The paramedics were so appreciative of Oscar's efforts that they brought him a fireman's helmet, a jersey and a certificate recognizing his work. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Jack Kurtz)

noreply@blogger.com (Shut Up And Smile) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 02:06:00 +0000

When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in North Platte , Nebraska , it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.

Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions, they found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital. One nurse took her copy to Missouri .

The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas edition of the News Magazine of the St. Louis Association for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.

And this little old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet.

Crabby Old Man

What do you see nurses? . . . .. . What do you see?
What are you thinking . . . . . when you're looking at me?
A crabby old man . . . . . not very wise,
Uncertain of habit . . . . . with faraway eyes?

Who dribbles his food . . . . . and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . . . . . 'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice . . . . . the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . A sock or shoe?

Who, resisting or not . . . . . lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding . . . . . The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking? . . . . . Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse . . . . . you're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am. . . . . . As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, . . . . . as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten . . . . . with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters . . . . . who love one another.

A young boy of Sixteen . . . . with wings on his feet.
Dreaming that soon now . . . . . a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty . . . . . my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows . . . . . that I promised to keep.

At Twenty-Five, now . . . . . I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . . . . With ties that should last.

At Forty, my young sons . . . . . have grown and are gone,
But my woman's beside me . . . . . to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . . . My loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me . . . . . my wife is now dead.
I look at the future . . . . . shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing . . . . . young of their own.
And I think of the years . . . . . and the love that I've known.

I'm now an old man . . . . . and nature is cruel.
Tis jest to make old age . . . . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles . . . . . grace and vigor, depart.
There is now a stone . . . . where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass . . . . . a young guy still dwells,
And now and again . . . . . my battered heart swells.
I remember the joys . . . . . I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . . . . life over again.

I think of the years, all too few . . . . . gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . . that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people . . . . . open and see.
Not a crabby old man . . . Look closer . . . see ME!!

Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within.

John Lennon - Happy Christmas/War Is Over

noreply@blogger.com (Shut Up And Smile) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:05:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xV7GmbUARI

Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Shut Up And Smile) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:32:00 +0000

Darius Rucker - Alright with everything

noreply@blogger.com (Shut Up And Smile) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:21:00 +0000

He attended church every Sunday, were economically poor and, at one point, his mom, her two sisters, his grandmother and 14 kids were living in a three-bed-room home. However, he says that he looks back on his childhood "with very fond memories."[2] His sister, L'Corine, recalled that singing "was always his dream."[Puterbaugh, Parke (June 15, 1995), "Fish out of water". Rolling Stone. (710):74]

Great song - check it out here.

Lake County man hailed as a hero for risking his life to save another

noreply@blogger.com (Shut Up And Smile) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 19:22:00 +0000

Carl Painter was recently honored for saving the life of a woman in her burning apartment in Round Lake Beach."I try to live every day to the fullest," Painter said. "Give a hug and a kiss to your family every time you leave the house because you never know what the day will bring." The story.

“Stop Whining, Start Living”

noreply@blogger.com (Shut Up And Smile) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 12:09:00 +0000

Check it out: Dr. Laura Schlessinger agrees that there are things worth whining about, but staying stuck in whining mode can become a lifelong problem.

Happy birthday Tony Bennett. SMILE

noreply@blogger.com (Shut Up And Smile) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:16:00 +0000

Happy birthday Tony Bennett. Tony celebrates his 83rd birthday August 3, 2009.

JK Wedding Entrance Dance

noreply@blogger.com (Shut Up And Smile) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:02:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (Shut Up And Smile) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 04:58:00 +0000

The Secret to Saving Money
Saving money is not a matter of math. You will only save money when it becomes an emotional priority. Learn how to save more money now!
[Read Article Here]

What Consumers Need to Know About 'Cash for Clunkers'

noreply@blogger.com (Shut Up And Smile) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:47:00 +0000

If you have been waiting to trade in an old gas guzzler to take advantage of the federal "Cash for Clunkers" program, it's probably time to make a move. That is one of the main messages for consumers from Friday's confusion over whether the initiative had burned through its original $1 billion budget in just one week. Washington's Clunker Follies present consumers with both great opportunities to save money, and also many occasions to repeat the mantra "caveat emptor." Here are some questions about the program, and answers based on interviews with dealers, government officials and the rules of the incentive program.

Q: How much longer will the cash-for-clunkers program last?

A: That's the problem: As of Friday, nobody appeared to know, including Congress or the Obama administration officials running the program. But many dealers say they plan to keep making cash-for-clunkers deals through the weekend, and the White House has assured consumers and dealers those transactions will be honored. That means dealers should get paid $3,500 or $4,500 for vehicles they scrap under the program, and deduct that amount from the price of a qualifying new car.

Q: Will there be more money put into the program to extend it?

A: The House of Representatives on Friday acted with unusual speed to approve a bill adding $2 billion to the program. Senate action is pending. Even with another $2 billion, the speed with which the first $1 billion was claimed suggests that the cash-for-clunkers well could run dry long before the program's original Nov. 1 end date.

Q: Won't the rush slow down? Why not wait a little and shop closer to the end of the model year when deals are better?

A: The production cuts auto makers ordered after sales collapsed last fall have left dealers with the skinniest inventories of unsold vehicles in years. That doesn't mean there aren't vehicles to buy -- but the chances of finding what you want at a year-end clearance appear to be slimmer than they have been in years. There are also signs that car makers are intent on reducing discounts and raising prices headed into the new model year that starts officially Oct. 1.

Q: What qualifies as a "clunker?"

A: Shoppers looking to take advantage of the clunker deals have to sort through a series of requirements -- and they'll find that dealers are being meticulous about all of them -- and the attendant paperwork -- especially in light of the uncertainty about the amount of money left in the pot. The clunker-program rules require that shoppers show proof that they have owned, registered and insured their clunker continuously for a year. It doesn't matter how many miles are on the vehicle's odometer, or whether the vehicle is a sedan, a sport-utility vehicle, a minivan or a truck. What does matter is that a vehicle has to have been rated when new at 18 miles per gallon or less in combined city and highway driving, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Q: How do I determine my vehicle's mileage rating?

A: The easiest way is to go to the EPA's www.fueleconomy.gov site. But the figures printed on the old window sticker probably aren't correct. The EPA late last week released revised mileage figures that changed the eligibility—pro and con -- for more than 150 models.

Q: What if I made a cash-for-clunkers deal with a car that isn't eligible because of the EPA mileage changes?

A: The Transportation Department said this week that people who made clunker deals on or before the July 24 date of those EPA revisions will be allowed to go forward, even if their car is no longer eligible. But it appears to be tough luck for those who had one of the now-ineligible cars and didn't make a deal by that date.

Q: Do I have to pay sales taxes on the amount of the cash-for-clunkers voucher?

A: That depends on the state. Some states are charging sales tax on new vehicles as if the value of the clunker voucher had not been deducted from the price.

Q: Could Congress change the program again, if it adds new money?

A: That is one fear among auto dealers, car makers and their allies. Some members of Congress have said that to make a bigger impact on U.S. oil consumption and help the environment, any new clunker money should come with new rules that compel consumers to buy higher-mileage new vehicles. Currently, the rules require that a new vehicle purchased with the help of a government voucher average at least 22 miles per gallon if it's a passenger car, and at least 18 miles per gallon for light trucks -- pickups, minivans and SUVs.

Q: Where can I get more information?

A: Consumers can find details about the cash-for-clunkers program -- including the 136-page formal rules governing such issues as whether customers have to pay sales taxes on the clunker-voucher amounts (that varies by state) and how dealers have to disable vehicles and scrap them to receive their money -- at the government's www.cars.gov site.

Write to Joseph B. White at joseph.white@wsj.com

Skating Babies - Evian

noreply@blogger.com (Shut Up And Smile) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 06:21:00 +0000

Let's observe the effect of evian on your body. naturally pure and mineral-balanced water supports your body's youth.

HERO DAD

noreply@blogger.com (Shut Up And Smile) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 10:07:00 +0000

Woman's Lung Cancer Mistaken for Asthma

By Ashley Neglia, Associate Editor at AOL Health

If it weren't for her father Laura Hicks, 20, might not be alive today.

In 2006, Hicks developed a persistent cough and began to have trouble catching her breath. After being diagnosed with asthma, she was sent home from the doctor's office with only antibiotics in tow, reports the Daily Mail. Her father, Stan Hicks, who was familiar with these symptoms from his work in Britain as an osteopath, didn't believe the doctors had made the right diagnosis, so he sent his daughter back to the office with a letter insisting that she receive an X-ray.

The results were startling. Hicks had lung cancer. What's more, two-thirds of her right lung was being overtaken by a tumor. Typically, early stages of lung cancer don't cause any symptoms. However, in an advanced stage such as Hicks', it can cause coughing, wheezing, feeling short of breath and coughing up blood.

As a result of her diagnosis, Hicks underwent six months of chemotherapy and radiation therapy to shrink the tumor, which was then removed along with her lung and two ribs. Thanks to her father's vigilance, she is now cancer-free.

Treatment for lung cancer depends on the type of cancer as well as how much it has spread. Few lung cancers are found in the early stages when treatment is most effective, and only 15 out of every 100 people diagnosed live for five or more years.

Gene Fletcher Photo: 100-mile Wheelchair Trek

noreply@blogger.com (Shut Up And Smile) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:48:00 +0000

Gene Fletcher has finished a 100-mile trip in his wheelchair as part of a fundraiser. Fletcher said he raised more than $20,000 for charity.

The 14-year-old Michigan boy completed the four-day trip
to benefit the Bay Cliff Health Camp, a nonprofit therapy and wellness center on Michigan's Upper Peninsula for children and adults with physical disabilities.

Fletcher has cerebral palsy and scoliosis and has been attending the camp for six years

Gerald Celente - 2009 Outlook

noreply@blogger.com (Shut Up And Smile) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 12:25:00 +0000

How to Take Responsibility & Stop Blaming Others

noreply@blogger.com (Shut Up And Smile) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 22:23:00 +0000

Most experts agree, taking personal responsibility for yourself is not only the adult thing to do, it's the right thing to do and one of the only ways you can remain the happy, healthy person you want to be.

What Happens if You Don't Take Personal Responsibility?

You know you are not accepting personal responsibility if you do the opposite: blame others for your problems, life situation, hardships, character flaws, and just about everything and anything else. Rather than accepting the "blame" or responsibility for how your life is, you make excuses. Everything and anybody is to blame -- except yourself.

Sound familiar? You may be blaming others more than you think. Have you ever:

*

Blamed traffic/truck drivers/slow drivers for being late to an appointment?
*

Blamed your hectic schedule for the reason you've put on a couple of pounds?
*

Blamed your spouse for your bad day?

People who take responsibility, on the other hand, would have handled these situations as follows:

*

Admitted that they should have left a few minutes earlier for their appointment.
*

Acknowledged that, while being stressed because of a busy time, they've been skipping the gym and eating junk food more often.
*

Accepted that no one is to blame for their bad day, other than themselves.

When you constantly blame others, view yourself as a victim and feel others are causing all of your hardships, you inevitably surround yourself with anger, resentment and negative thoughts -- all of which are surefire ways to bring on fatigue, sadness, stress and even chronic disease.

The Wonder Years - Independence Day

noreply@blogger.com (Shut Up And Smile) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:36:00 +0000

Johnny Cash - Ragged Old Flag

noreply@blogger.com (Shut Up And Smile) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 01:58:00 +0000

Johnny Cash - Ragged Old Flag

noreply@blogger.com (Shut Up And Smile) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:26:00 +0000

Easy Rider (1969), Dennis Hopper,Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson. Audio: Steppenwolf - "Born to be wild"