Monday, May 30, 2011

Photo Journal: Flooring the Sun Porch: Day 2

Sunday was another 12 hour work day, working on the flooring for the Sun Porch and other things. We started with an 8am trip to Lowes for grout and other supplies. First thing was mixing more thinset to attach the remaining 19 tiles that surround the edges. That seemed to go pretty quickly - although it took hours. Next was cleaning out the dried thinset between the tiles with a screwdriver, so we could put the grout down. Grouting took a long time, and the grout didn't seem to want to work well. Maybe it was too watery, although Rob mixed less water with it than was specified. It was messy and kneeling on the tile was uncomfortable because the little grains of grout and thinset lay on the tile. After awhile it was like rope burns on your knees (and hands, because it got on your hands and rubbing against tools gave that burning feeling). While waiting for the grout to dry, we weeded, planted flowers, and shampooed the carpets in the house.
  By 4:30pm much of the grout dried and we started to wash it down. We finished by 7pm (second day in a row it took 11 hours).

Getting the grout at Lowes and more stuff to plant

Step 1: adhering the border tiles in thinset

Last outer tile adhered at 9:53 am EDT

Step 2: cleaning the spaces between tiles for grouting.

Grouting in progress- it was messy!

Step 3: Waiting for it to dry - we tackled other things.

Washing the grout down and cleaning the excess at 6pm.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Installing Tile Floor on Sun Porch: Part 2: Sat. Afternoon

Tom did all the placement of the tile and laying of grout and Rob cut all the tile. During the entire afternoon it was all cutting, and laying of tile. The first photo is from 3:41 p.m. and the second picture is from 7:41pm when we called it quits for the day after almost working 12 hours. All of the tiles except for 29 (along the fringes of the room) were installed. We saved those for Sunday... considering the sun was setting, our backs, knees and hands were sore and we were tired.
 - The dogs enjoyed the outdoors most of the day and came in from time to time to get into the air conditioning.

3:41pm 75% of the tiles were cut and laid down.

7:41pm all of the tiles were cut, all except the ones on the edges were adhered.

Installing tile floor on the Sun Porch: Part 1

This was a busy weekend at home for us. On Saturday, we worked from 8am to 7:30pm on tiling the sun porch that faces the backyard. We recently had vinyl windows installed in it, and needed to cover the concrete floors, so we decided on tile. It was a LONG DAY. Here's a photo journal of it, that you can use (if you dare) to install your own tile. Note: It takes a long time, and days!
Found our tiles at Lowes

Tom wheeling the heavy tiles out of Lowes
Step 2 Cutting orange underlayment
Step 1: Washed concrete. Step 2: Measure Underlayment
Step 3- Laying grout (Rob mixed it all) for underlayment

Step 4- Underlayment 1/2 done

                                                                                    
First tile inserted on top of underlayment







Saturday, May 28, 2011

Interesting Archeaology News!

Here are two interesting stories I thought I'd share from the news!

Mummies tell history of a modern plague
Boulder CO (SPX) May 26, 2011 - Mummies from along the Nile are revealing how age-old irrigation techniques may have boosted the plague of schistosomiasis, a water-borne parasitic disease that infects an estimated 200 million people today. An analysis of the mummies from Nubia, a former kingdom that was located in present-day Sudan, provides details for the first time about the prevalence of the disease across population in ancient times, and how human alteration of the environment during that era may have contributed to its spread. http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Mummies_tell_history_of_a_modern_plague_999.html

Satellites reveal 'lost' Egyptian pyramids
Cairo (UPI) May 25, 2011 - A satellite survey of Egypt has revealed 1,000 tombs and 3,000 ancient settlements in infrared images that can detect underground structures, scientists say. Seventeen lost pyramids are among the structures identified in the survey, two of which have already been confirmed with initial excavations, the BBC reported Wednesday. http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Satellites_reveal_lost_Egyptian_pyramids_999.html

Fun Puerto Rican Style

Our neighbor and friend Yolie had us over for a Puerto Rican dinner and dessert. Everything was incredibly tasty, and Tom enjoyed his margarita. :) Our other friends and neighbors DeeDee and Bill were there, and Yolie's boyfriend, Rocco. After dinner and dessert we all played cards!  It was a first for Yolie, Tom and Rocco. None of them had ever played cards, so DeeDee taught Rocco, I helped Yolie and Bill helped Tom. What's interesting is that Bill and Tom won the majority of the hands, so I guess Bill is the best poker player and he taught Tom well! 
Tom's got another winning hand as Bill watches (right)

Rocco and DeeDee listen to Yolie's bad hand... she went out after!

Rocco, DeeDee and Yolie study their losing hands.
  

Friday, May 27, 2011

Boston Globe- Medicare Saved


There's a lot of misinformation in politics today on all sides, but one thing that really pisses me off is that the Republican Party is trying to put the screws to our elderly by making Medicare into an $8000 a year voucher system. That means elderly people get that voucher to pay for all of their costs all year. *So, if your grandma breaks her hip, there goes the entire voucher. What if she needs medication later? Gets pneumonia? Has to go to the ER? Gets the flu and needs to visit the doctor?  The Republican Answer to the Elderly: "TOUGH LUCK. FIND A WAY TO PAY FOR IT."
   Unfortunately, it's a lot of Seniors that vote Republican because they're fooled by the mask of conservativism and the use of religion to get votes.  Hopefully, they will get the information and realize that it is NOT to their benefit to take a GOP-sponsored voucher. I personally think it's Cruel.

GOP’s Medicare plan falls in Senate

WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats voted down a Republican budget yesterday along with its controversial plan to partially privatize Medicare, a vote that forced many GOP senators to endorse cuts to a popular program deeply valued by older voters.
In Tuesday’s special election in upstate New York, Democrat Kathy Hochul scored an upset by railing against the Republicans’ proposed Medicare overhaul.

The 2012 budget that House Republicans approved along party lines last month contained deep cuts and would have transformed the government-run Medicare program into a voucher system, with a fixed payment provided to seniors that they could use to purchase insurance. It also would have raised the Medicare eligibility age to 67 from 65. 
FULL ARTICLE IN THE BOSTON GLOBE: 
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2011/05/26/gops_medicare_plan_falls_in_senate/

Helpful Telephone Insights

Thanks to our friend Micky in Maine for sending these insights on telephone stuff! 

*Always ask what "unlisted" or "nonpublished" means before you sign up for the service. Unlisted means simply that that the phone number is not in the phone book. It's probably still available through directory assistance and shows up on Caller ID. "Nonpublished" probably means that the number will not be in the phone book, directory assistance or show up on Caller ID. But you should still double-check.
*AT&T callers can block Caller ID by hitting *67 before dialing. Doing so blocks your name and number from being sent on calls – and prevents others from capturing your unlisted number. It's free and you can read more about it here.
*Phone companies can lure people into even pricier privacy services. AT&T has Caller ID and "privacy manager," which screens calls marked "private" on Caller ID. This, again, is probably a waste of money for most customers.
*If you're worried about telemarketing, join the free Do Not Call list. It's free. Call 1-888-382-1222.  But signing up won't prevent you from getting all telemarketing calls. Charities and political calls, for example, are exempt.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

U.S. Atlantic Seaboard at Night from Space!



From NASA's Earth Observatory:  
    One of the largest conurbations in the world is located along East Coast of the United States, and has been termed the Atlantic Seaboard Conurbation (ASC). The ASC extends over 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) and includes the major economic, governmental, and cultural centers of Boston, Massachusetts; New York, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; and Washington, District of Columbia.
    This astronaut photograph includes every metropolitan area in the ASC except for Boston (located off the image to the northeast). This night image highlights the position and extent of each metropolitan area through urban lighting patterns. The establishment and growth of the conurbation was facilitated by transportation networks—railroads, highways, and air travel routes—for the transfer of goods, materials, and population between the cities.
Two other large metropolitan areas are visible in the image—Norfolk and Richmond, Virginia, at image lower left—but neither is considered part of the ASC. In contrast to the city lights along the sea coast and interior, the Atlantic Ocean appears as a featureless dark region filling the lower right quarter of the image.
Credit: NASA, Astronaut photograph ISS027-E-20129 was acquired on April 6, 2011, with a Nikon D3S digital camera using an 80 mm lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, Johnson Space Center.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

The Science Behind This Terrible Tornado Season

I thought this was well worth sharing - Rob
The Science Behind This Terrible Tornado Season
Andrea Mustain
25 May 2011
Live Science (In Cooperation with ourAmazingplanet.com)
http://www.livescience.com/14321-science-terrible-tornado-season.html

So far, 2011 has proved a year destined for the tornado record books.

Nearly 1,200 tornadoes have swarmed the United States this year, according to preliminary numbers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Four of these storms have been rated at the highest tornado strength, an EF-5. The death toll from these tornadoes has likely topped 500, a number not seen since 1953.

But why has this year seen so many and such devastating twisters? Scientists point to several large-scale climate factors, some of which have been at work behind the scenes since winter. And at least some of the mind-boggling tornado numbers, believe it or not, can be chalked up to humans — there are more of us around to see them.



 

La Niña's exit

Some of the
blame for the wild tornado streak lies with La Niña, a cyclical system of trade winds that cools the waters of the equatorial Pacific Ocean. (El Niño is La Niña's warm-water counterpart.)

Although we were in the grip of one of the most powerful La Niñas on record this last year, La Niña made a sudden exit about three months ago, said Bill Patzert, a climatologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.

"La Niña would have been beneficial for all these people that have been so clobbered," Patzert said. "If La Niña had maintained its strength, perhaps we wouldn't have seen so many tornadoes."

How do trade winds in the Pacific relate to deadly storms in the southern and central United States? It has to do with the jet stream, a high-speed air current that is essentially an atmospheric fence where cool, dry air meets up with warm, moist air — two of the main ingredients for severe storms. [Related: Why Tornado Forecasting is Tough]

La Niña has a stabilizing effect on the jet stream, and pushes it to higher latitudes.  Without La Niña around, the jet stream has gone rogue, Patzert told OurAmazingPlanet. "This time of the year it should be farther north," he said.

Instead, the jet stream has spent April and May draped across the middle of the country, where it has the chance to violently mix cool, dry northern air with warm, moist southern air.  And in 2011, those two air masses have been on the extreme ends of the temperature scale.

Hot and cold

Patzert said lingering effects of last winter's record snowfalls and snow packs have kept northern air especially cold, and the strong La Niña fueled unusually hot conditions in the southwest.

In addition, the sea surface temperature of the Gulf of Mexico is between 1.8 and 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.0 to 1.5 degrees Celsius) warmer than average, said Jake Crouch, a climatologist at the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C.

Crouch said the warm, moist air is the perfect fuel for severe weather.

"If there's more moisture and the atmosphere is warmer, it's more unstable, so there's more potential there for severe thunderstorms to develop," Crouch told OurAmazingPlanet.

Like gasoline on a fire, those extremes provide the potential for more storms, and more powerful ones. And when powerful thunderstorms run into the windy conditions that occur each spring, they often begin to spin — and sometimes with horrifying consequences.

The tornado that devastated Joplin, Mo., killing at least 125 people, is not only the deadliest single tornado to strike the United States since 1947, but the storm has now been upgraded to an EF-5, the most intensely damaging tornado on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with winds in excess of 200 mph (322 kph).

It is the fourth EF-5 tornado this year. In contrast, a single EF-5 hit the United States in 2008, one hit in 2007; before that, the last EF-5 hit in 1999.  TO SEE HOW A TORNADO FORMS GO HERE: http://esminfo.prenhall.com/science/geoanimations/animations/Tornadoes.html

Numbers game

However, scientists say it's important to take a hard look at the numbers before jumping to any conclusions about the sheer numbers of tornadoes in the United States, and whether those numbers are going up.

"Just because we've seen an increase in the number of tornadoes doesn't mean there has actually been an increase in the number of tornadoes," said Greg Carbin, the warning coordination meteorologist with the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla.

Decades ago, when the country was more sparsely populated — and not everyone had a camera-equipped cell phone — there were simply fewer people around to spot and report tornadoes, Carbin said.

In addition, Carbin said, many initial tornado tallies include tornadoes that are counted more than once.

According to NOAA's preliminary count, April saw 875 tornadoes. "That's a gigantic number," Carbin said. "It may turn out there were that many tornadoes, but I can guarantee that many of those were not significant tornadoes, but they get into the database now because everyone has a tornado they want to report."

The highest number of tornadoes on record for any month is 542, from May 2003. Carbin said he suspects that once all the data are compiled, April's numbers will be closer to the May 2003 numbers.

In addition, both Carbin and Crouch pointed to the fact that with increasing urbanization, more people are affected when storms do hit, putting tornadoes in the spotlight.

Numbers and climate conditions aside, one thing is for certain, the scientists said — this tornado season has been unusually violent, as the horrific images splashed across the evening news attest, and it's not even close to being over.

 

Andrea Mustain is a staff writer for OurAmazingPlanet, a sister site to LiveScience. Reach her at amustain@techmedianetwork.com. Follow her on Twitter @AndreaMustain.      

Video of one of the May 24, 2011 Oklahoma Tornadoes 

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Fraudulent Use of Disabled Parking Placards on the Rise

One of the things that bother us is the abuse of disabled placards. Almost daily we see what appears to be healthy people pulling into disabled parking spaces (often driving SUVs, BMWs or other high-cost cars). They often jump out of their vehicle. We've often suspected abuse and dishonesty ... and now the LA Times exposed it also happening in Los Angeles (yes, it happens everywhere).  I just can't understand why people would go to that extent to cheat actual disabled people of spaces to park closer and not pay for parking. It's Wrong. 
  Why do people do these devious, wrong things?

 Fraudulent Use of Disabled Parking Placards on the Rise
LA TIMES:  California has 24 million licensed drivers and, according to the Los Angeles Times, will issue 2.1 million permanent placards this year. That's a significant increase over the 1.2 million placards issued just a decade ago. Further, about 621,000 of nearly 6 million licensed drivers in Los Angeles County have placards.
According to state motor vehicle officers, fraudulent use of the placards is rising:
With 1 in 10 California drivers now legally registered to carry the passes, transportation experts say abuse has become commonplace. At any given moment, on any given street, more than a third of the vehicles displaying the tags — and parking without paying — are doing so illegally, say officials with the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
Under California law, drivers who display the placards can park in a metered space for free for an unlimited amount of time. A relative or friend can use the placard, provided that the person holding the placard "accompany that person or be within 'reasonable proximity'."

Monday, May 23, 2011

Soggy Doggies

All of the dogs got baths this weekend. They don't care for it, but at least they're all patient!
Now they smell nice again. :)
Dolly waiting to get out of the double utility sink

Franklin - so wet and so cute

Sprite looking for a way to jump to the nearby washing machine

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Saturday Stuff!

Saturday was a day to catch up around the house... lots of laundry, working outside... Dog walk and baths, etc. Tom mended the hole that BGE home left with the installation of the new electrical box. He painted some outside wooden chairs and did gardening. Rob ran errands and worked inside. The weather was PERFECT...and hey, the world didn't end like that wacko said it would. No surprise. However, one of our "religious" neighbors said "It's going to end in 2030, I refigured the calculations from the Bible." Uh-huh. Whatever.
  Enjoy your weekend, and live every day like it's your last anyway. It's a good philosophy. Be good to everyone!
Newly planted flowers!

Tom puttying the electrical hole and painting, too.

Dolly and Franklin snoozing on the new sun porch

The "Garden Sprite!"

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Nailing the Healing

Dolly looking back at her sock and hurt toe
It was about 4 weeks ago that our Weimaraner Dolly was outside playing at daycare and one of her rear toenails was broken off. It was a nasty situation. Daycare got the bleeding to stop and we immediately took her to the vet. They cleaned it, put her on antibiotics and bandaged it. The bandage didn't last more than a couple of days from going outside, etc. She could still walk and even run, so the bandage wore out. Over the last couple of weeks we tried bandages, wraps, etc. and she worked them off. I finally got the idea to use a sock and a strip of Velcro around her ankle to keep it tight, but not too tight, so that she won't lick the toe. It worked.
  So, every day I bathe her foot morning and night, and apply medicated powder, then cover it. She keeps the sock on all day without problems.
Dolly and Sprite wait to get in the house
  The vet told me though that it could take another 4-6 weeks for the nail to re-grow, if it does. So, the bathing and foot wrapping has become my new springtime activity. :) As long as Dolly heals, I don't mind at all. If your dog needs a foot bandage, try a Sock and Velcro strip wrapped around their ankle. It worked!

Friday, May 20, 2011

FL High School Principal Actions Are Why Some LGBT Kids Commit Suicide

I wrote the letter below to the FL principal and school board who outed a gay teenage girl to her parents and showed intolerance and zero understanding about the struggle these teenagers go through.  Maybe it will provide them with a little insight into their stupidity. The blog posting from Asterisk.com, and my letter follow.
Rob
*****************************************  
THE BLOG ARTICLE (From Asterisk.com) ABOUT THE INCIDENT: 
 
South Florida Times has the latest case of discrimination against LGBT kids, followed by outing them to their parents.
The South Florida Times is not identifying the students, who are an interracial couple, one a junior, the other a senior. Both have good grades and one is an honor student.
The two were holding hands while walking to class on May 3 at Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach. School Principal Karlton Johnson confronted and took them to his office.
“We were walking to class when he rolled up on his golf cart and said, ‘Didn’t I tell you two to stop doing do that?’ and then he took us to his office,” one of the girls told South Florida Times. “He gave us a speech and then separated us before calling our parents, which was wrong. My mother already knew but my friend’s mom didn’t know she is into girls.”
You should definitely read the rest for much more. Surprising no one, the school board thinks what Principal Karlton Johnson did was just great. North Area Superintendent Sharon Airaghi defended his abuse in a letter to the girls.
But I think the last paragraph I quoted is the most important point and the most damaging to these girls, and to other students at Blanch Ely High. Frankly, this is one big reason projects like It Gets Better and I’m From Driftwood exist, to undo the damage done to our children and youth by bigots like Principal Karlton Johnson before they attempt or complete suicide.
Principal Karlton Johnson
Principal Karlton Johnson
By the way, Principal Karlton Johnson’s outing these girls to their parents is unfortunately not without precedent. In August 2008 Asterisk.com posted about a similar story in Holmes County, Florida, where a principal punished a lesbian student and then outed her to her parents.
The court decided that the principal did wrong in Holmes County. Here’s hoping they get a chance to say the same thing about this case in Pompano Beach.
Contact information below is for YOUR email messages:
Principal Karlton Johnson:
   email karlton.johnson@browardschools.com
   phone 754.322.0955
North Area Superintendent Sharon Airaghi:
   email sharon.airaghi@browardschools.com (that’s a guess)
   telephone (754) 321- 3400
Superintendent of Schools James F. Notter:
   email supt_notter@browardschools.com
   phone (754) 321-2600
Email the School Board:
   email schoolboard@browardschools.com
********************************************

ROB'S EMAIL TO THESE PEOPLE:

May 19, 2011
Dear Principal Karlton, Superintendents Notter and  Airaghi and school board -
    As a former resident of south Florida I am writing to express my disgust for your acts of discrimination against two female high school students and outing one of them to their parents. Do you not understand that these teenagers are struggling with their sexuality? If you don't, you're in the wrong job. You should be supportive or at least tolerant of diversity in our schools. You need to understand the DANGER that you have put one of the young girls in by your foolish actions.
   Do you remember the college student in the northeast who was outed by his roommate over the last couple of months? He killed himself. If this girl does something to herself, the responsibility is YOURS.
  I was even more disgusted to hear about your actions when I learned you're an African American. Some African Americans seem to have forgotten all of the hardships they endured as a minority who were severely mistreated. Now, you are doing the same thing on gay and lesbian people. You should be ashamed.
  As a man of 48 years old, I came out to my parents when I was 35 years old. My own mother refused to speak to me for 6 months. I was depressed, angry, hurt, and felt rejected, just as these teenagers do. Sometimes this is enough to cause teenagers to commit suicide.  Apparently you have no idea how to handle children.  Where are the counselors?
  You owe this girl a public apology.
  I'm sure that the girl's family is creating a lot of stress for her, and may have thrown her out of their home. It happens often. Gay teens are often thrown out from hateful parents, like yourselves, who refuse to help them.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

The May 21st Doomsday Theory

I thought it important to provide some information about this ridiculous theory that the world will end on May 21. Throughout this century (and I'm sure many before) some preachers have predicted the World's End, over and over and over. The current false prophet -Harold Camping, is no different. 
  In fact, he already predicted the end of the world in 1994. Like the others, he's doing it for attention, just like the preacher in Florida who burned holy books to get attention. They need attention, but the type of attention they need is in the form of psychological help! 
  Doesn't the Bible say that "False Prophets should be stoned to death?" Well, how come this guy is still around and making more stupid predictions? SIGH.
 
FROM USA TODAY:  FAQ about May 21st Doomsday, Judgment Day and Harold Camping

What will (supposedly) happen on May 21?
Christian radio host Harold Camping says that a rapture will take place on May 21.
What is a rapture?
A rapture is the idea that believers will be taken up to heaven. Camping's followers suggest that about 200 million people will be raptured.
Will the world end immediately?
Not according to Camping. He says that the world will end on October 21.
Who is Harold Camping?
Camping, 89, is president of the Family Radio Christian network who previously claimed that the world would end in 1994.
Why May 21?
Camping uses a combination of dates and numbers to suggest May 21 is the correct day.
Do other Christians believe the same idea?
Most Christian leaders do not embrace Camping's predictions, however, some have taken fairly dramatic measures. One man spent his savings on advertisements in New York and a woman dropped out of medical school before she ran out of savings.  (IN MY OPINION, THESE PEOPLE ARE FOOLS).

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

4 Interesting Stories in the News


Here are 4 stories from today's headlines that I found interesting. They involve civil rights and politics.


*INTERESTING- I DIDN'T KNOW HOW ENGLAND FELT*
British Government Supports International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia
Jeremy Brown MP, Minister of State at the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, has recorded a special video for today's International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia outlining the British government's support for LGBT rights and its commitment to fighting homophobia and transphobia both domestically and abroad. FULL STORY AND VIDEO: http://www.care2.com/causes/human-rights/blog/british-government-supports-international-day-against-homophobia-and-transphobia/

*CRUEL!!!***Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker Doesn't Want Gay Couples to Have Visitation Rights
Republican Governor Scott Walker has done a lot of things under the guise of cutting spending -- taking away union bargaining power, fighting high speed rail, eliminating birth control and STI programs for teens and low income adults and fighting against mandatory paid sick leave laws.  But now the governor has picked a new battle: ending the state's defense of its domestic partnership registry, a means for same sex couples to obtain a few of the rights married couples have, such as hospital visitation.  The governor calls the registry unconstitutional and states that it is a waste of taxpayer money to defend it. FULL STORY: http://www.care2.com/causes/civil-rights/blog/scott-walker-wants-to-stop-defending/

*THANK GOD FOR THE YOUNGER GENERATION:* Poll: Majority of Minnesotans Reject Gay Marriage Ban Amendment
A new poll of Minnesotans finds that 55% of respondents oppose a constitutional amendment codifying a ban on same-sex marriage, while only 39% support such a move.  The GOP controlling majority in the state's Legislature is currently pushing through an amendment that, due to legislative rules, would bypass the Democratic governor and head straight for a 2012 referendum -- gay marriage has always lost at the ballot, though the margin has narrowed in recent years. Republicans, openly admitting they are using their majority to fast-track the measure, say that the issue should be put before voters. FULL STORY: http://www.care2.com/causes/civil-rights/blog/poll-majority-of-minnesotans-reject-gay-marriage-ban-amendment/

*ANOTHER GOPer AGAINST GAY MARRIAGE THAT COMMITTED ADULTERY -AND HAD A CHILD!!!** 
Arnold Schwarzenegger Reveals That He Had a Child With A Staffer
Former GOP California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger acknowledged that he had a child with a member of his household staff a decade ago.  The revelation came days after he and his wife, Maria Shriver, announced their separation after 25 years of marriage.  Shriver apparently moved out of their home months ago when she learned about Schwarzenegger's transgression.  The staff member with whom Schwarzenegger had the child had worked in their home for 20 years.  She retired in January. FULL STORY: http://www.care2.com/causes/politics/blog/arnold-schwarzenegger-reveals-that-he-had-a-child-with-a-staffer/

Who I am

I'm a simple guy who enjoys the simple things in life, especially our dogs. I volunteer for dog rescues, enjoy exercising, blogging, politics, helping friends and neighbors, participating in ghost investigations, coffee, weather, superheroes, comic books, mystery novels, traveling, 70s and 80s music, classic country music,writing books on ghosts and spirits, cooking simply and keeping in shape. You'll find tidbits of all of these things on this blog and more. EMAIL me at Rgutro@gmail.com - Rob

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