David, Joelle and Johnnie Besnette

I laughed out loud at this.  Thanks to my friend Dave D. for sending it to me  – CAREFUL – there’s some foul language in it..but funny nonetheless..

My friends at Western Spirit Cycling have a great bike trip in Idaho – the Lewis and Clark trail – This is listed as one of  Outside Magazine’s Top 25 Trips of a Lifetime. You can contact Western Spirit Toll Free: 800-845-2453

Some trip specs:

Road Surface: Clay and gravel primitive road.
Technical Difficulty: Easy to Moderate.
Physical Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult, a significant amount of climbing.
Altitude: 3,000 – 7,000 feet.

However, the best way to get an idea for this trip is by the following video

“You’re not in control, but your desperate efforts to keep control actually does alter the way existence moves for you. It doesn’t move in the way your controller wants to, but it does have an effect on existence, your effort to control it. It doesn’t have the effect you want it to have, but it does have an effect. And you only know that when that control is totally let go of. Because when it is totally let go of, and you are no longer putting that energy out to existence or to consciousness, then existence starts to change.”

From tomstine.com

Staying Afloat Amidst the Spin
Taking Things Personally

Every time you interact with others, you have the choice to listen to, acknowledge, and let go of their words, or you can take what they are saying personally. Taking things personally is often the result of perceiving a person’s actions or words as an affront or slight. In order to take something personally, you must read negative intent in an individual’s words or actions. But what people do and say has no bearing upon you and is usually based on their own experiences, emotions, and perceptions. If you attempt to take what they do or say personally, you may end up feeling hurt without reason.

If you are tempted to take a comment or action personally, creating some distance between yourself and the other person can help you. Try to determine what is at the root of your feelings. Ask yourself if the other person’s words or actions are just reinforcing some insecurity within you or if you can really be sure that an offense was intended. You may even want to ask them what they meant. Finally, put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Instead of taking their words as the truth, or as a personal affront, remember that whatever was said or done is based on their opinion and is more reflective of what is going on inside of them, rather than having anything to do with you. You may have been an easy target for someone having a bad day, and their comments may have been offered with no ill intentions.

When you recognize that what anyone says or does doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with you, you will no longer feel hurt or attacked. While it’s easy to take things personally, you should never let anyone’s perceptions or actions affect how you see yourself or your worth. Your life is personal to you, and it is up to you to influence your own value and sense of well-being.

From the Dailyom.com

Joelle and I were talking last night about who ‘decides’ if something is in or not?   We know that if Oprah says that the color of mold is in, then everyone would be looking awfully moldy.   I wondered about who made Crocs a fad, since by almost anyone’s opinion, they are ugly and cheap looking.    Sometimes those types of things take off.   I remember Moon Boots being a bit silly looking but every kid had a pair when I was growing up.

So the next one we were wondering about was Ugg Boots.  The boots themselves aren’t really that ugly – some of them are actually downright classy looking.  But, when you wear them with a bikini, or a pair of cutoff shorts, or a skirt, that’s where I start to become befuddled.   Who first started this trend?  Was it because this person forgot their shoes when they went out, and remembered that they had a pair of Uggs in the trunk when they got to the beach party?

That theory might not be too far off.   Yesterday, I read one account, and even saw a photo of Pamela Anderson back in her Baywatch days sporting a pair of Ugg Classics with her red bikini, ready to hurl herself into the perilous waters to save some poor drowning soul.  I mean, you need warm feet and a fashion statement when you are doing the ‘breast’ stroke through the seaweed, right?

Anyways, I do still do a little work for my favorite shoe store, the Pedestrian Shops, and we have had UGGs on the site for years, and they are still really popular.  I guess they have outlived ‘fad’ status, but I still can’t excuse a pair of winter boots worn with a thong.

Obama/Biden vs McCain/Palin, what if things were switched around?…..think about it.

Would the country’s collective point of view be different? Could racism be the culprit?

Ponder the following:

What if the Obamas had paraded five children across the stage, including a three month old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?

What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?

What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?

What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was a divorcee?

What if Obama was the candidate who left his first wife after a severe disfiguring car accident, when she no longer measured up to his standards?

What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while he was still married?

What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to pain killers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?

What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?

What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five? (The

Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.)

What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker?

What if Obama couldn’t read from a teleprompter?

What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included discipline problems and a record of crashing seven planes?

What if Obama was the one who was known to display publicly, on many occasions, a serious anger management problem?

What if Michelle Obama’s family had made their money from beer distribution?

What if the Obamas had adopted a white child?

You could easily add to this list. If these questions reflected reality, do you really believe the election numbers would be as close as they are?

This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes positive qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities in another when there is a color difference.

Educational Background:

Barack Obama:
Columbia University – B.A. Political Science with amSpecialization in International Relations.

Harvard – Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude

Joseph Biden:
University of Delaware – B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.
Syracuse University College of Law – Juris Doctor (J.D.)

vs.

John McCain:
United States Naval Academy – Class rank: 894 of 899

Sarah Palin:
Hawaii Pacific University – 1 semester
North Idaho College – 2 semesters – general study
University of Idaho – 2 semesters – journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College – 1 semester
University of Idaho – 3 semesters – B.A. in Journalism

Education isn’t everything, but this is about the two highest offices in the land as well as our standing in the world.

You make the call.

I have worked for the Pedestrian Shops for about 7 years now – and currently, I work out of my home for them updating and maintaining their website.   I have to say that I don’t have a “thing” for shoes – it’s not really in my blood – I mean, I can’t even tell you off the top of my head what a Euro 41 converts to in US sizes.   I guess I retain information that I really need to know, and other stuff just falls to the wayside.

But, I have to say, in the time I have worked there, I do know that there are a handful of shoes that, year-after-year defy the fads, and remain in our bestseller list.   One of these shoes is the Dansko Professional clog.  This clog (I have 2 pair) is amazing.  Mine have lasted over 5 years, and I consider them really my “dress up” shoes.  But, you can still wear them with jeans or casual pants.  The great thing about Danskos is that they are really supportive and ergonomically shaped, so they keep your posture in-line if you are on your feet all day, and keep your feet happy, especially if you have a high arch like I do.   They are easy to maintain, and they even look better as they get some “mileage” in them.

The holday season is coming up, and if you are completely blank on a gift for your sweetie, I recommend maybe a pair of Danskos.  They are unique, and very versatile, and they also come in red holiday colors!

To find out more about Danskos, you can visit the Dansko Site here

This is quite something….

MASSENA, N.Y. – A group of parents and religious leaders in upstate New York want yoga classes out of public schools, saying the instruction violates boundaries between church and state.

Two high school teachers began using yoga last year to help students relieve stress before exams. Special education teacher Martha Duchscherer and Spanish teacher Kerry Perretta also were developing a districtwide program.

But those plans were halted after parents and others in the community complained students were being indoctrinated in Hindu rites.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27008935/?GT1=43001