Patchwork Marriage Rights - U.S. and U.K.

  The U.S. isn't the only country/entity that's patchwork over allowing gay marriage. The U.K. is the same way. England and Wales have it. Scotland does not (although part of the U.K.).
    The U.K. legalized same-sex marriage. It goes into effect in England and Wales (not Ireland or Scotland) on March 29, 2014.
   As for Scotland- Legislation to introduce same-sex marriage in Scotland was approved in principle by parliament, after MSPs voted on it for the first time. The Scottish government's Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill passed the first of three parliamentary hurdles by 98 votes to 15 with five abstentions. Ministers said the move was the right thing to do, but the Church of Scotland and Catholic Church are opposed. (OF COURSE).
  On Dec. 20th, attempts to amend gay marriage legislation to provide further "protections" (HA!) for those who are opposed to it on religious grounds have been rejected by a Holyrood
    It's as screwy as the U.S. Allowed in England and Wales, not allowed in Scotland and Ireland.  Can't everyone just do the right thing and let adult, gay couples in love get married to obtain all the legal protections a marriage can offer?  Someone's marriage does NOT affect the marriage of anyone else. I don't get all this stupidity, and don't even get me started on the backwards Uganda or Russia. UGH.
   SO, WHICH ARE THE MOST BIGOTED U.S. STATES? 
    In terms of the U.S. - the stupid, yes, STUPID, "red" states that have gone to the extreme and banned gay marriage in their state's constitution include  AL, AR, AZ, AK, CO, FL, GA, ID, KY, KS,  LA, MI, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA and WI.
  SO, if you live in any of those hateful, ignorant states, it's going to be a long time before you see marriage equality. Basically, all of the old, hateful conservatives need to die off, so the much more accepting and caring younger generation can make it happen.

Survey reveals Most Don't Really Understand the Bible!

Tom found this article and shared it with me. He grew up under a strict, highly conservative Baptist religion and spent decades recovering from it. What's interesting is how MANY people don't understand what's written in the Bible, or that the gospels were written by people that never even met Jesus. This article, written by an historic scholar, is about a poll that was conducted by the Barna Research group. **I checked out this group and it's used often for Churches. The Barna Group provides research and training for churches, non-profits, and businesses. www.barna.org/ ‎

    Here's some of the article, with a link to read more at the end. It's an eye-opener.
 By CJ Werleman

     Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly defended the Republican Party’s spending cuts for SNAP by effectively declaring Jesus would not support food stamps for the poor because most them are drug addicts. If his insensitive remark is inconsistent with Scripture, which it is, then the question becomes why do talking heads on the right get away with proclaiming what Jesus would or wouldn’t support?

The answer is simple: Conservatives have not read the Bible.

            The Right has successfully re-branded Jesus, a brown-skinned liberal Jew, who gave away free "healthcare" (healed people) and was pro-redistributing wealth, into a white-skinned, trickledown, union-busting conservative, for the very fact that an overwhelming number of Americans are astonishingly illiterate when it comes to understanding the Bible. On hot-button social issues, from same-sex marriage to abortion, biblical passages are invoked without any real understanding of the context or true meaning. It’s surprising how little Christians know of what is still the most popular book to ever grace the American continent.

      More than 95 percent of U.S. households own at least one copy of the Bible. So how much do Americans know of the book that one-third of the country believes to be literally true? Apparently, very little, according to data from the Barna Research group. 

    WHAT THE SURVEYS REVEALED:  Surveys show that 60 percent can’t name more than five of the Ten Commandments; 12 percent of adults think Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife; and nearly 50 percent of high school seniors think Sodom and Gomorrah were a married couple. A Gallup poll shows 50 percent of Americans can’t name the first book of the Bible, while roughly 82 percent believe “God helps those who help themselves” is a biblical verse.

     So, if Americans get an F in the basic fundamentals of the Bible, what hope do they have in knowing what Jesus would say about labor unions, taxes on the rich, universal healthcare, and food stamps? It becomes easy to spread a lie when no one knows what the truth is.

     The truth, whether Republicans like it or not, is not only that Jesus a meek and mild liberal Jew who spoke softly in parables and metaphors, but conservatives were the ones who had him killed. 

   Knowing the Bible requires a scholarly contextual understanding of authorship, history and interpretation.

     For instance, when Republicans were justifying their cuts to the food stamp program, they quoted 2 Thessalonians: “Anyone unwilling to work should not eat.” One poll showed that more than 90 percent of Christians believe this New Testament quote is attributed to Jesus. It’s not. This was taken from a letter written by Paul to his church in Thessalonica. Paul wrote to this specific congregation to remind them that if they didn't help build the church in Thessalonica, they wouldn’t be paid. The letter also happens to be a fraud. Surprise! Biblical scholars agree it’s a forgery written by someone pretending to be Paul. 

  So, who were the gospel writers? The short answer is we don’t know. What we do know is that not only had none of them met Jesus, but also they never met the people who had allegedly met Jesus. All we have is a bunch of campfire stories from people who were born generations after Jesus’ supposed crucifixion. In other words, numerous unidentified authors, each with his own theological and ideological motives for writing what they wrote. Thus we have not a single independently verifiable eyewitness account of Jesus. SADLY, but this doesn’t stop Republicans from speaking on his behalf.

Full article: http://www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/right-wing-filled-biblical-illiterates?page=0%2C1

the 2013 Darwin Awards are out!

The Darwins Are Out!!!!  Yes, it’s that magical time of year again when the Darwin Awards are bestowed, honoring the least evolved among us.

 

Here Is The Glorious Winner:

1. When his .38 caliber revolver failed to fire at his intended victim during a hold-up in Long Beach, California would-be robber James Elliot did something that can only inspire wonder. He peered down the barrel and tried the trigger again. This time it worked.

And Now, The Honorable Mentions:

2. The chef at a hotel in Switzerland lost a finger in a meat cutting machine and after a little shopping around, submitted a claim to his insurance company. The company expecting negligence sent out one of its men to have a look for himself. He tried the machine and he also lost a finger. The chef’s claim was approved.

3. A man who shoveled snow for an hour to clear a space for his car during a blizzard in Chicago returned with his vehicle to find a woman had taken the space. Understandably, he shot her.

 

4. After stopping for drinks at an illegal bar, a Zimbabwean bus driver found that the 20 mental patients he was supposed to be transporting from Harare to Bulawayo had escaped. Not wanting to admit his incompetence, the driver went to a nearby bus stop and offered everyone waiting there a free ride. He then delivered the passengers to the mental hospital, telling the staff that the patients were very excitable and prone to bizarre fantasies. The deception wasn’t discovered for 3 days.

5. An American teenager was in the hospital recovering from serious head wounds received from an oncoming train. When asked how he received the injuries, the lad told police that he was simply trying to see how close he could get his head to a moving train before he was hit.

 

6.. A man walked into a Louisiana Circle-K, put a $20 bill on the counter, and asked for change. When the clerk opened the cash drawer, the man pulled a gun and asked for all the cash in the register, which the clerk promptly provided. The man took the cash from the clerk and fled, leaving the $20 bill on the counter. The total amount of cash he got from the drawer… $15. [If someone points a gun at you and gives you money, is a crime committed?]

7. Seems an Arkansas guy wanted some beer pretty badly. He decided that he’d just throw a cinder block through a liquor store window, grab some booze, and run. So he lifted the cinder block and heaved it over his head at the window. The cinder block bounced back and hit the would-be thief on the head, knocking him unconscious. The liquor store window was made of Plexiglas. The whole event was caught on videotape.

8. As a female shopper exited a New York convenience store, a man grabbed her purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately, and the woman was able to give them a detailed description of the snatcher. Within minutes, the police apprehended the snatcher. They put him in the car and drove back to the store. The thief was then taken out of the car and told to stand there for a positive ID. To which he replied, “Yes, officer, that’s her. That’s the lady I stole the purse from.”

 

9. The Ann Arbor News crime column reported that a man walked into a Burger King in Ypsilanti, Michigan at 5 A.M., flashed a gun, and demanded cash. The clerk turned him down because he said he couldn’t open the cash register without a food order. When the man ordered onion rings, the clerk said they weren’t available for breakfast… The frustrated gunman walked away. [*A 5-STAR STUPIDITY AWARD WINNER]

10. When a man attempted to siphon gasoline from a motor home parked on a Seattle street by sucking on a hose, he got much more than he bargained for. Police arrived at the scene to find a very sick man curled up next to a motor home near spilled sewage. A police spokesman said that the man admitted to trying to steal gasoline, but he plugged his siphon hose into the motor home’s sewage tank by mistake. The owner of the vehicle declined to press charges saying that it was the best laugh he’d ever had and the perp had been punished enough!

 

In the interest of bettering mankind, please share these with friends and family…. unless of course one of these individuals by chance is a distant relative or long lost friend. In that case, be glad they are distant and hope they remain lost.

 

*****Remember*****

They walk among us, they can reproduce.

Dog saying goodbye to his dying master in Hospital

If you didn't see this article earlier, you need to read it now. Our dogs are our children, and I think that the Mass General Hospital is amazing to allow this dying young man to see his dog one more time.

Dog saying goodbye to his dying master: Story behind viral image

By Rene Lynch, LA Times 

December 24, 2013, 2:18 p.m.

At first glance, the image seems quizzical. A dog on a hospital bed? Huh? But a closer look reveals a haunting image that won't soon be forgotten: A faithful pup saying goodbye to his master as he lay dying in his hospital bed.

It was an image that stopped the Internet in its tracks this week after Evan Smith, 21, of Danvers, Mass., posted it on Reddit. It has since been shared, tweeted, written about and commented on thousands upon thousands of times.
And thousands upon thousands of strangers have opened their wallets to help the terminally ill man's family with its ballooning bills.
    We contacted Smith to find out more about the heartbreaking image. Here's what he told us:
The man in the hospital bed is Mike Petrosino, 21, of Beverly, Mass. He was 13 when he was first diagnosed with metastatic Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of cancer that attacks soft tissue and bones.
  "He's in a lot of pain, but he's as comfortable as he can be," Smith told the Los Angeles Times. "We were told there is nothing else he can do, and that we don't have long."
Friends and family have been making a somber pilgrimage to Petrosino's bedside at Massachusetts General Hospital to say their goodbyes. And the photo, taken by Mike's brother, John, captures one very special goodbye, when the Petrosino's family dog, Rusty, came to Mike's hospital bedside.
"A couple of strings had to be pulled" to get the dog inside the sterile hospital environment, Smith explained.
   Smith said it is "amazing" the way in which the world has responded to the image. Many followed the photo to the family's Go Funding page. More than $30,000 has been raised so far.
The page was originally set up by Mike's mom, Paula, to help cover the costs of driving to and from the hospital for medical treatment, and other expenses. In recent months, however, as Petrosino's condition worsened, expenses have skyrocketed. And there's another reality: The family will soon face funeral costs, Smith said.
"To see these people who have no idea who he is ... [donating money], it is really touching," Smith said. "We all really appreciate it."
Smith and Petrosino have been friends since their sophomore year in high school and share many interests, among them HBO's "Game of Thrones." "He's just a really great guy," Smith said.
Smith said the way the image ricocheted around the Internet allowed him to look at it anew, with fresh eyes, and understand why the photo has cut through the media clutter and captured the public's attention.
   "It's a great photo, he's with his sister. You can see there's a lot of love in that photo. People really latch on to that. There are so many static and silly images out there. And when you see something that cuts through the emotion, it really hits you."
Paula Petrosino posted this update on the Go Funding page about an hour ago: "Ambulance coming to pick up Mike at 2 to bring him home for Christmas. Its all he wants. Again thank you all for your donations and kind words and prayers... There are so many wonderful people in the world."

STORY:  http://www.latimes.com/nation/shareitnow/la-sh-photo-of-dying-man-saying-good-bye-to-his-dog-20131224,0,3648616.story#ixzz2oaO2PbHi
http://www.latimes.com/nation/shareitnow/la-sh-photo-of-dying-man-saying-good-bye-to-his-dog-20131224,0,3648616.story#ixzz2oaNZlNMz

Check out These Major Climate Events from November 2013

The National Climatic Data Center provides monthly global highlights of significant climate events. The month of November saw historically warm temperatures in Russia that hadn't been seen since 1871 and a LOT more unusual climate events. Take a look at the image and a read of them following.  - Rob

• According to Roshydromet, Russia observed its warmest November since national records began in 1891. Some areas of the Urals, Siberia, south of the Far East region, and on the Arctic islands in the Kara Sea had temperatures that were more than 8°C (14°F) higher than the monthly average.


• The average November temperature across the United Kingdom was 0.7°C (1.3°F) below the 1981–2010 average.


• Spain was 0.5°C (0.9°F) below the 1971–2000 average temperature for the month, although the first half was 2°–3°C (4°–5°F) above average while the second half was 3°–4°C (5°–7°F) below average, the coolest such period since 1985.


• The average November temperature across Norway was 1.5°C (2.7°F) higher than the 1981–2010 average, with some regions 2°–3°C (4°–5°F) above average.


• The average temperature was higher than the 1971–2000 average across all of Hungary for November, with departures up to +3°C (+5°F) in the western half and more than +4°C (+7°F) in the far east.
•  
• November temperatures were 3.9°–5.2°C (7.0°–9.4°F) above average across the Republic of Moldova. According to Serviciul Hidrometeorologic de Stat, this type of event in the north occurs every 20–30 years and every 10–15 years in the south.


• According to the Fiji Meteorological Service, most regions of the country were considerably warmer than the 1971–2000 average, with maximum and minimum temperature anomalies exceeding 1°C (1.8°F) at more than half of the 21 official monitoring stations. New November monthly warm minimum temperature records were set at four stations, with periods of records ranging from 35 to 71 years.


• Croatia was "very warm" (91^st– 98^th percentile) in part of the north and across the south and "warm" across much of the remainder of the country, according to Državni hidrometeorološki zavod. No regions were considered "cold".

---

Another Classic Mr. Monk Novel: Mr. Monk is a Mess

I totally LOVE reading the Mr. Monk series. One of the latest in the series was no disappointment either. If you know and liked the TV show "Mr. Monk" you will LOVE the books, too. The writer is the guy who was the screenwriter for the show. As I was reading there were many times where I laughed out loud at Monk's OCD, germophobia, etc. - More great mysteries within mysteries are solved, and a woman who owns a shop that sells things made of poop is in love with him, all the funnier!  Read it, laugh out loud, and enjoy it! - Rob

BOOK SUMMARY:  Welcome to the series of original mysteries starring Adrian Monk, the brilliant investigator who always knows when something's out of place...
  No one likes to come home to a mess--least of all Monk and Natalie. But when they return from an extended stay in New Jersey, Natalie discovers that somebody has been sleeping in her bed. But this Goldilocks isn't asleep. She's dead. And stuffed under the mattress, investigators find marked money from a Federal sting operation. Now Natalie's life is a real mess, and she needs Monk to help clean it up.  Meanwhile, Monk's brother Ambrose is desperate to find his missing girlfriend, Yuki--but his agoraphobia prevents him from leaving the house. With Monk forced to do double duty, the body count rises, and so do Monk's suspicions about Yuki's dangerous past...

A Merry Christmas Night to all !

Wishing you all a peaceful Christmas. Here's short video we made when we were opening some things between us and our canine kids.

ALSO ON:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1p8EfPp8Ds

A Christmas Miracle for a local dog! / Merry Christmas from us

We work with Coast-to-Coast Dachshund Rescue and DC Weimaraner Rescue, and yesterday we received an email about a 10 year old dachshund that was brought into the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter, Inc. (BARCS), a non-profit organization created in July 2005 to take over the operations of the city (http://baltimoreanimalshelter.org/).   
    The email came from Melissa, who is a coordinator for the Dachshund Rescue. The email went to several of us who transport or foster. The information we got about the dog was: his name is "Popcorn" and he's a Miniature Dachshund Mix, 10 yrs old - male - unaltered - 9.6 lbs.

Popcorn appeared to be abandoned at a hotel before arriving at BARCS. He is terrified here but did come around enough to be hand fed by one of our patient staff members. Due to Popcorn's extremely fearful behavior he cannot be placed for adoption at this time.

     We were going to pick up the dog on Tuesday afternoon and bring him to someone to bring him to Pennsylvania to a foster home. However, one of the other Dachshund rescue folks (who decided to get the dog on Thursday directly) found out that the dog has been reunited with his family!  He was lost, not abandoned and now he's home for Christmas! 

**************************************************

   MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY - May you have a great day. 

- Rob and Tom, Dolly, Franklin and Tyler 

 

Fun Video of Christmas Dinner Challenges!

Thanks to Cathy in Pennsylvania for sending us this very funny video of a song written about the perils of getting older and trying to deal with making Christmas dinner for a lot of people! :) Enjoy!
This talented duo is:  www.partyriccardi.com
Parody US COPYRIGHT FAIR USE / Parody lyrics by Sandy Riccardi
Performed by Sandy and Richard Riccardi

Definition of Success: At Different Ages

A fellow scientist sent me these meanings of age-based "success" and I had to share them! - Rob 

At age 4,  success is.……. Not piddling in your pants. 

At age 12,  success is …... Having friends.

At age 17,  success is ……Having a driver's license. 

At age 35,  success is ……Having money.

At age 50,  success is ……Having money.

At age 70,  success is ……Having a drivers license. 

At age 75,  success is ……Having friends.  

At age 80,  success is ……Not piddling in your pants.

VIDEO! People Vs. Winter (guess who wins?)

A colleague of mine (Rob) sent me this video to gloat apparently, because he lives in southern California... it's called "People versus Winter" - and if you like slapstick humor, you'll love this. :) 

TO SEE IT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKy2lLNQYrI

Earth Has Warmest November On Record.

 Although it didn't feel like it in the Mid-Atlantic U.S., the temperatures around the globe averaged together showed that November was the warmest on record.   - Rob

 In the news: Earth Has Warmest November On Record 

USA Today reports “the Earth as a whole had its warmest November on record,” according to the national Climatic Data Center. NASA also reported that it was the warmest November ever recorded. The center reported, “Most of the world’s land areas experienced warmer-than-average monthly temperatures, including much of Eurasia, coastal Africa, Central America and central South America. Much of southern Russia, northwest Kazakhstan, south India and southern Madagascar were record warm.” The US, along with much of North America, “was one of the only parts of the world that was cooler than average.”

        The CBS Evening News reported it “was the 37th consecutive November with above-average temperatures.”

While the USA had a slightly cooler-than-average November, much of the rest of the world, including Russia, was unusually warm. Areas in blue were cooler-than-average while areas in pink and red were warmer-than-average.(Photo: National Climatic Data Center)

        According to NBC Nightly News “temperatures on land and at sea were an average of 1.4 degrees hotter.”

        ABC World News reported “California is dealing with what could end up being the driest year on record” as it highlighted “wildfires gnawing away at 500 acres” near Big Sur, California. Fire Chief Martha Carstens, who’s own home was destroyed in the fire, said, “It’s just devastating. To stand there and watch your home burn, it’s just not what you want to do.” The World News also covered the difficulty drivers faced during “the dangerous icy commute” in the Northeast.

        The Washington Post  “Capital Weather Gang” blog also covers the story.

        Blog Coverage. Deneen L. Brown at the Washington Post (12/18, 4.28M) “Local” blog writes how Adelphi Elementary School students visited the Hard Bargain Farm to learn how humans are changing the environment. Brown cites several NASA studies as evidence of the “urgency of the instructor’s lesson.”

Today's Feel Good video blog: Dog abandoned in trash pile gets second chance at life

This is why we work with rescues.... 
Dog abandoned in trash pile gets second chance at life
LOS ANGELES - A touching YouTube video about the rescue and rehabilitation of a homeless dog is tugging heartstrings and teaching a lesson about second chances. California rescue group Hope for Paws posted the story of Miley’s journey and recovery after she was found abandoned in a trash pile. The video was posted Dec. 12 and already has almost 3 million views.  The video says that rescuers received an urgent call about a sick dog living in a trash pile. They were told that Miley had been surviving there for months. The video shows Miley's rescue from the trash pile and her journey as rescuers begin nursing her back to health. Miley arrived at the Veterinary Care Center and her doctors found she suffered from mange, parasites, bacterial infections and malnutrition, the video said.
     She required medicated baths and treatment for all her wounds. Her caregivers said she was pretty shut down throughout the process and really needed time to heal. A couple weeks later, Miley met Frankie who had recently been rescued from a drain pipe. Frankie was frightened of everything, but Miley took him under her wing and the two quickly became buddies, teaching us all a lesson about the power of friendship.
Hope for Paws handled Miley's vet care and she is now being fostered by The Fuzzy Pet Foundation. Frankie is being fostered by The Forgotten Dog Foundation. Visit the websites to fill out an adoption application for Miley or Frankie.
Mobile users watch here -- http://bit.ly/1bUGqfh

The Boston Santa Speedo Run

As a former Bostonian, I can only say that I wish the city started on tradition when I lived there: The Santa Speedo Run. Now THAT'S a holiday event that would bring cheer and make us cheer! :)
  This event began in 2000 when a few Bostonians were trying to revel in the holiday spirit by taking part in a run through the Back Bay, wearing only Santa hats and their speedos (or other types of suits). Since that day, the SSRun has become an annual holiday tradition that attracts almost 700 runners each year, and has raised more than $1.4 million for local children in need. This year’s event  benefits the Play Ball Foundation.

The 2013 Santa Run in Boston

 

IN THE NEWS: 11-Year-Old Boy Stops Traffic To Save Injured Dog

 

I saw this great story of a boy who risked his life to save another: An injured dog! Love this!! More people need to be like this little boy.

11-Year-Old Boy Stops Traffic To Rescue Dog Hit By Car 

Posted: 12/10/2013 4:41 pm EST  |  Updated: 12/11/2013 12:04 pm EST

You don't need to be big to be a big hero.
For example, 11-year-old Jean Fernandes, a brave boy from Brazil, recently risked his life to save a dog that had been hit by a car in Itajaí, according to Brazilian news site Guarda-Sol.
The injured dog remained in the roadway after the driver who allegedly struck it drove off. Jean then ran between oncoming vehicles to pick up the helpless animal and bring it to safety, Brazilian outlet Globo Rural reports.

Jean's mother, Rubia Liliana Rose, told BioBioChile that her son loves animals and will rescue ones he finds abandoned or abused.
This incident, captured by photographer Rafaela Martins, drew praise from netizens after Brazil's News Agency of Animal Rights posted the story to its Facebook page on Monday.
"This little boy is already larger than many men," commented Aline Ropelli.

The dog -- identified as Honey, or Mel in Portuguese -- is still in the care of vets at a local animal control center but is doing just fine, according to BioBioChile.
(STORY: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/10/jean-fernandes-puppy_n_4420435.html

STOCKING STUFFERS: Great Books from our Friends! from Humor to Fantasy, Romance, Ghosts, and more!

Here are some great ideas for  STOCKING STUFFERS: Great Books from our Friends. The range from Humor to Fantasy, Romance, Ghosts, Comic Books, Kids books and more! Check them out, order them and enjoy these books for yourself, too!

BETH KAUFMAN, STAND UP COMEDIENNE, CANCER SURVIVOR:

BOOK:  Make Mine a Double... A Mastectomy That Is

BOOK SUMMARY: Beth Kaufman's Stand-up Guide to Surviving Breast Cancer This book can help people keep a sense of humor through cancer treatment even on the worst days. This is a great book for newly diagnosed patients, caregivers and survivors alike. This is Beth's personal story of her bout with breast cancer. It is told with humor, yet is poignant. It takes you on a year-long ride from start to finish. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will certainly get your yearly mammograms after reading her story. It is unique in the way it is told from a comedienne's point of view, a stand up guide to getting through 525,600 minutes of a cancer patient's life. Use this book as your "stand up" guide to surviving breast cancer.  CHECK IT OUT ON AMAZON in Paperback and E-book: http://www.amazon.com/Make-Mine-Double-Mastectomy-That/dp/1492197289

I.R. HARRIS (ISABELLA HARRIS ) ADULT FANTASY NOVELIST: http://www.amazon.com/I.-R.-Harris/e/B007S0XJK8/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1387367589&sr=1-2-ent  OR http://irharrisbooks.blogspot.com/.  

THE BOUND TRILOGY: Familiar scenes of brutality and corruption; fear and coercion, they were filtering their way into every part of daily life, slowly corroding the fragile balance between Bonders and humans. Like a cancer in every cell of our social and cultural autonomy, the rise of the Vampires, their monolithic need for revenge and control, threatened to destroy the collective body from the inside out. I felt sick. Not physically sick, but the kind of deep mental fatigue that seeps into your soul, your core. A sickness that makes you question your very presence on the earth and makes you wonder if letting go, if not holding on, if that’s the better choice...

***and her NEW BOOK: In the Lies of Men: The Legion Series Book 1: Fired from the job she loves, with no money and no prospects, Aidee returns to her hometown of Thorne Bay, Alaska to find her footing. A quiet fishing village with a history of Inuit Elder magick, Aidee's little hamlet attracts tourists from around the world who hold a gruesome intrigue for the massacre that occurred in the town. After years of being away she quickly realizes all too soon that she's been expected to return and that she's not the only one still trying to wash the blood of the past from her hands...

JOHN SAZAKLIS: AUTHOR OF MANY DC COMIC'S SUPERHERO CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and more!  

SUPERMAN VS. BIZARRO, is the latest amazing adventure written by our friend John Sazaklis and illustrated by the super-talented Luciano Vecchio.  OR Batman Classic: Feline Felonies: With Wonder Woman OR Superman Classic: Escape from the Phantom Zone (I Can Read Book 2) OR Batman Classic: Fright Club OR Swamp Thing vs the Zombie Pets (Dc Super-Pets!) OR Superman Classic: Day of Doom (I Can Read Book 2)

 ALL OF JOHN'S BOOKS!  http://www.amazon.com/John-Sazaklis/e/B004AOMAR8/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1387367797&sr=1-2-ent  

REGINA HARVEY (Heidi Roosa): Fantasy Author of OUTLIERS (like the Hunger Games)

BOOK SUMMARY: A team of teens from all corners of the earth - statistical outliers in talents and intelligence - come together to fight against UNITEED, the warped world government that believes the norm is the ideal. UNITEED is suppressing environmental recovery and systematically reducing and controlling outside cultures. Only those young enough to be 'uncounseled' toward the norm can lead the way to change. They must thwart the ultimate goal of the Reverend Doctor: to bring all of humanity into genetically-manipulated communion. Together, the Outliers must stop the Reverend Doctor before his plan succeeds.

Fans of the Hunger Games, Divergent, and Legend series will be as captivated by Outliers, the first book in the EOD series.  TO ORDER: http://www.amazon.com/Outliers-EOD-Book-1/dp/0991265203/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386250346&sr=1-7&keywords=Outliers

MIKE RICKSECKER'S BOOKS: Deadly Heirs" and System of the dead in his series of Chase DeBarlo Mysteries; A NEW E-only book: The Inscription of Evil Times (Ghostorian Case Files), Ghosts of Oklahoma and  

GHOSTS OF MARYLAND  Synopsis:
Explore the supernatural history of Maryland through ghost stories and legends, and discover why the state may be one of the most haunted in America. Learn how a woman, killed by an oil lamp, locked the parlor doors of her house from her coffin. Play cards with the devil in a home where a ghost led a player to a hidden gold chain. See the impression left in a bed at the Dr. Samuel A. Mudd house and discover what person of infamy may have left it. Solve the mystery of the ghost of a headless peddler that kept pointing a stick at the ground, and read about the testimony of a ghost used in court. With over 100 ghost stories and an atlas to guide you, this comprehensive collection includes details unearthed for the first time in decades!  MIKE'S BOOKS: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Mike%20ricksecker

 

JANE WAKELY: paranormal romance writer whom I met earlier this year at the Frederick Book Festival. Jane has been creating stories of love and romance for as long as she can remember. She's a sucker for a happy ending and thinks the best thing about any movie or book is when the characters find someone to love. Jane's stories reflect her interest in all romance genres, and all levels of spice, but paranormal romance is her true passion. She loves creating worlds around sexy shifters and vamps--even if the shifter is a smelly skunk!  Jane writes sensual romance that will warm your heart, and a happy ever after is guaranteed!
JANE'S E-BOOKS:   http://www.amazon.com/Jane-Wakely/e/B007886X0I/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1387368077&sr=1-2-ent

OH YEAH… and me: Rob Gutro:  "Ghosts and Spirits: Insights from a Medium" and "Lessons Learned from Talking to the Dead

I'm a member of Inspired Ghost Tracking who use scientific equipment to find proof of

ghosts or spirits. Since I was a child I could receive messages from ghosts or spirits (who have crossed over). I wrote "Ghosts and Spirits" and "Lessons Learned from Talking to the Dead" to teach others how Ghosts and Spirits communicate and to give hope about the afterlife. I also provide some scientific explanations about how they do it. I'm not a medium who makes appointments - I'm not as well-developed in my abilities as learned mediums. I'm more of a "medium rare." I just hope you find comfort in these explanations based on my experiences.

Our loved ones are missed most around the holidays, and one way to take comfort is to understand that they're still around. - My books have provided a comfort by explaining how spirits make themselves known.
BOTH BOOKS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON:
Ghosts and Spirits: Insights from a Medium for $7.25 paper/$2.99 E-book and Lessons Learned from Talking to the Dead for $8.99 paperback and $2.99 E-book on AMAZON: http://tinyurl.com/q3bhgde

SCOTT LOPE'S  story in WOLVERINE (comics)
Recently, our friend Scott Lope had the amazing opportunity to co-write a comic book about Marvel's Wolverine character from the X-men series.  The story appears in December's "Savage Wolverine #12" on sale now AND NEXT MONTH'S "Savage Wolverine #13"   The Wolverine story addresses the serious issue of Rhino poaching in Africa and how countless Rhinos are slaughtered for their horns. This is one of the issues that Scott personally tries to stop through his organization.  The story is gripping and well-written and the artwork is fantastic.
    Scott is the founder of the Non-Profit Organization called Animal Warriors. Animal Warriors is a group of like minded individuals from all walks of life who share a common goal of helping animals with active volunteer groups in both Florida and North Carolina. (Like them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Animal-Warriors/116732375085208)

RANDY KELLER -Voices From Forever
Voices From Forever chronicles my journey through the paranormal by way of Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP). What started out as an experiment, proved to be the most eye-opening and profound experience of my life. There is no longer any doubt that beyond this existence is a greater continuation; an equally dynamic and vital place where the passion of human emotion and the animism of the universe converge to reveal a glimpse of what is to come. My attempts to make contact through EVP taught me just how thin the veil is between what we know as living, and the afterlife that claims us all. Death is not the end of being alive, but the beginning of our next step – one that we must all take. Check it out!: http://tinyurl.com/mvkeula