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Sunday, December 25, 2011

NEWS - SMALL EARTHQUAKE REPORTED IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA ON CHRISTMAS MORNING

Small earthquake reported in Central Oklahoma on Christmas morning

The quake occurred at 8:10 a.m. and was centered in Okfuskee County, about 8 miles southeast of Paden and 7 miles southwest of Boley.

 
From Staff Reports   
Published: December 25, 2011
A 3.3 magnitude earthquake rumbled Central Oklahoma on Christmas Day, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
The quake occurred at 8:10 a.m. and was centered in Okfuskee County, about 8 miles southeast of Paden and 7 miles southwest of Boley.
There were no immediate reports of damage.
For more information about earthquakes, go to http://neic.usgs.gov/.

Monday, December 19, 2011

75 CENTS -A MountainWIngs Moment

75 cents
=========

Seventy-five cents was the most significant amount of money in my life.

I worked as a youth for my father. He operated a successful business and he believed in giving his children an allowance. We were "allowed" to work for whatever money we got.

I earned 25 cents an hour. The minimum wage at the time was $1.65 but I was my father's son and he didn't have to pay me minimum wage. I was underage and was not supposed to be legally working said the government. My father had other ideas.

If I could spend money, I could work. I was perhaps 12 or 13. The company had an accountant who handled payroll. His name was Mr. Bill David.

I was smart enough to know that my wages were below everyone else's but I often worked harder. One day I went to the accounting office and asked Mr. Bill David about a raise.

"How much do you want?" Mr. Bill David asked.

I was hoping to move from 25 cents an hour to perhaps 35 or maybe even 40 cents. I was smart enough to know to ask for more than I thought I would actually get so I threw out this ridiculous figure.

"I would like one dollar an hour," I boldly stated to Mr. Bill David. I was expecting riotous laughter at such a ridiculous increase.

Mr. Bill David's answer shocked me. He said, "OK."

Thus, in the span of a few seconds, I had the largest percentage monetary increase of my life. A whopping 300% increase.

I was elated beyond measure and no amount of money since has excited me as much as that 75 cents.

It taught me seven lessons.

1. Don't let another person spend your money without accountability. It wasn't Mr. Bill David's money so what was it to him if he gave me a 300% instant raise.

2. Aim for the moon. You just might hit it.

3. Increases in material stuff has a decreasing effect in its ability to bring joy. Never again was I so elated over money.
I have literally not been nearly as excited over 75 thousand as I was that 75 cents.

4. Somehow, even with big increases, we still shortly thereafter seem to feel underpaid.

5. Expenses rise to meet income.

6. Income does not necessarily rise to meet new expenses.

7. Mr. Bill Davids are rare.

ARTICLE - 30 FASTEST GROWING JOBS

30 Fastest-Growing Jobs


If you're in school or in the service waiting for the abysmal job market to rebound, there's good news on the employment front. A burgeoning job market awaits you when you're ready to enter the workforce. The Bureau of Labor Statistics released their employment projections for the next 10 years, and several of the occupations and industries expected to flourish are ideal for veterans and transitioning servicemembers.
A large majority of the job growth -- 96 percent, in fact -- will occur in service-producing industries: professional and business services, health care and social assistance, and state and local government, which will all add a total of more than 9 millions jobs. Additionally, the goods-producing sector will see a small boost in the construction industry, as this field is projected to add 1.3 million jobs.
 The bulk of the fastest growing jobs will be in the professional and related occupations, as well as service occupations, reports the BLS. Many of these positions, such as athletic trainers or physician's assistants, are a good for transitioning servicemembers or veterans who want to apply their military experience to a civilian job. Most of these vocations will require an associate or bachelor's degree.
Here are 30 of the fastest-growing jobs that you should keep your eye on in the next 10 years:

1. Bio-medical engineers -- bachelor's degree
2. Network Systems and data communications analysts -- bachelor's degree
3. Home health aides -- on-the-job training (OJT)
4. Personal and home care aides -- OJT
5. Financial examiners -- bachelor's
6. Medical scientists (except epidemiologists) -- doctoral degree
7. Physician Assistants -- master's degree
8. Skin Care Specialists -- postsecondary vocational award
9. Biochemists and biophysicists -- doctoral degree
10. Athletic Trainers -- bachelor's
11. Physical therapist aides -- OJT
12. Dental hygienists -- associate degree
13. Veterinary technologists and technicians -- associate degree
14. Dental assistants -- OJT
15. Computer software engineers, applications -- bachelor's
16. Medical Assistants -- OJT
17. Physical therapist assistants -- associate degree
18. Veterinarians -- first professional degree
19. Self-enrichment education teachers -- work experience in a related field
20. Compliance officers -- OJT
21. Occupational therapist aides -- OJT
22. Environmental engineers -- bachelor's
23. Pharmacy technicians -- OJT
24. Computer software engineers, systems software --bachelor's
25. Survey researchers -- bachelor's
26. Physical therapists -- master's
27. Personal Financial Advisors -- bachelor's
28. Environmental engineering technicians -- associate degree
29. Occupational therapist assistants -- associate degree
30. Fitness trainer and aerobics instructors -- post-secondary vocational award

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

NEWS - ELEPHANT ARRIVES AT OKLAHOMA CITY ZOO, BRINGING HERD TO A TOTAL OF 4

Elephant arrives at Oklahoma City Zoo, bringing herd total to four

The Oklahoma City Zoo received a male elephant Tuesday afternoon. An Asian elephant named Rex was transported from African Lion Safari in Cambridge, Ontario. He will breed with both adult female elephants in Oklahoma City in the coming years.

BY CARRIE COPPERNOLL
Published: December 14, 2011
The Oklahoma City Zoo received a fourth elephant for its herd Tuesday afternoon.
A male Asian elephant named Rex arrived about noon Tuesday after a 20-hour, 1,300-mile trip from Cambridge, Ontario.
It was a proud moment for the zoo and the community, Oklahoma City Zoo Executive Director Dwight Scott said.
“We've made a real commitment to elephant conservation and breeding,” he said. “These are magnificent, beautiful and intelligent animals. They need to be preserved.”
Rex will spend 30 days in quarantine and out of the public eye, Scott said.
He won't interact with the other elephants, and any time he spends outside will likely be during the early morning hours before zoo guests arrive.
The addition of Rex to the Asian elephant herd is the second new elephant this year. A calf, Malee, was born April 15.
Rex was brought to the Oklahoma City Zoo to breed with the two female elephants, Asha and Chandra. Chandra could mate with Rex as soon as this spring.
Asha, however, will not breed until Malee is weaned, which will be about another year.
The process of adding a male elephant has been a long time coming, Scott said.
“This is a critical step in our breeding program,” Scott said. “We've been working for years to pull all of this together.”
Oklahoma City Zoo officials visited the Canadian zoo last fall and then requested Rex come to Oklahoma. The move was approved by a consortium of elephant experts, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service granted a permit for the elephant's move in August. The final permits for the border crossing were approved this month.
Calm, comfortable
Only essential zoo staff members were on hand to help unload Rex, Mammal Curator Laura Bottaro said. The animal was calm and comfortable when he got off the trailer and walked into the elephant barn, she said.
“It all happened in about 10 minutes,” Bottaro said.
Asha and Chandra spent most of the day in the far side of their habitat, away from the barn and moving trailer, Bottaro said.
Malee was curious and spent her time trying to catch a glimpse of what was happening.
After the quarantine is over, the elephants will be allowed to touch trunks and meet one another.
Eventually, they could spend time in the same yard.
“We're looking forward to letting him mix with the girls,” Bottaro said.



Sunday, December 4, 2011

NEWS -SMALL EARTHQUAKE RECORDED NEAR LUTHER

Small earthquake recorded near Luther

The U.S. Geological Survey reported that a 2.2 magnitude quake hit near Luther about 1 a.m. Sunday.

FROM STAFF REPORTS
Published: December 4, 2011
A small earthquake was recorded near Luther Sunday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The quake was a 2.2 magnitude earthquake and hit about 1 a.m. Sunday. Its epicenter was 5 miles southeast of Luther and 7 miles southwest of Wellston.
The earthquake was 23 miles from Oklahoma City.



Sunday, November 27, 2011

NEWS - TWO SMALL QUAKES RECORDED IN EASTERN OKLAHOMA

Two small quakes recorded in eastern Oklahoma

The U.S. Geological Survey reports that two small earthquakes registered Sunday in eastern Oklahoma. The quakes' epicenters were near Wellston and Gerty.

 
FROM STAFF REPORTS    
Published: November 27, 2011

Two small earthquakes were recorded in eastern Oklahoma Sunday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
A 3.2 magnitude quake hit about 3 miles away from Wellston shortly before 6 a.m. Sunday. It hit 4 miles from Luther and 27 miles away from Oklahoma City.
Before that quake, a 2.1 magnitude earthquake hit 2 miles southeast of Gerty about 2:30 a.m. Sunday. Its epicenter was 10 miles away from Allen and 86 miles from Oklahoma City.
Three small earthquakes were reported Friday near Shawnee.
The first two quakes, which measured 3.3 and 2.7 magnitudes, were reported just after 2 p.m. about three miles north of Johnson, which is about 10 miles east of Shawnee, the Oklahoma Geological Survey said.
The third, a 3.1-magnitude earthquake, was reported about three miles northwest of Prague, survey officials reported.
The area has been the center of recent seismic activity lately including the largest recorded earthquake in the state's history, a 5.6-magnitude earthquake on Nov. 5.

NEWS - MEXIXO CITY 'ZOMBIES' GATHER TO CHALLENGE RECORD

Mexico City 'zombies' gather to challenge record

 

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Thousands of self-proclaimed "undead" have gathered in the historic center of Mexico's capital for a "Zombie Walk" that organizers hope sets a world record.
The announced 9,860 registered participants are dressed in rags and ghoulish makeup to look bloody and decaying.
Organizer Pablo Guisa says the fifth annual Mexico City event is meant to celebrate diversity and human rights. The participants also collected donations for a local food bank.
Cities around the world hold zombie walks, and Guinness World Records currently recognizes Asbury Park, New Jersey, as the record holder, with 4,093 participants on Oct. 30, 2010.
A group in Brisbane, Australia, has applied for the record, claiming it massed 8,000 "zombies" last month.

Friday, November 25, 2011

ARTICLE -2011 HAS BEEN A YEAR OF NATURAL DISASTERS IN OKLAHOMA

2011 has been year of natural disasters in Oklahoma

 
Compiled by Bryan Painter    
Published: November 25, 2011

Even though there is more than a month left in 2011, it has been quite the year for disasters including weather-related events, earthquakes and wildfires. Following is a list of some of those compiled with the help of the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, National Weather Service, Norman and state Emergency Management Department, The Oklahoman archives. Although there were certainly others, this gives an idea of the wide-range of what Oklahomans have faced in 2011.
January:The month was the 33rd coolest and 6th driest since 1895.
February:In January/February, there were 4 fatalities related to the snowstorm that began on January 31, according to the State Medical Examiner's office.
Up to 21 inches of snow fell in northeast Oklahoma and widespread reports of 6-12 inches over much of the state.
A new all-time 24-hour record of 27 inches of snow fell in Spavinaw between February 8-9. The temperature plummeted to a never before seen low of -31 degrees at the Nowata Mesonet site. Mother Nature brought a swift and steady warm up through the next seven days, culminating in a 110-degree temperature swing at Nowata in a week's time.
Destruction of a significant portion of the state's wheat crop was well underway at this time as the drought continued to intensify.
March:The month ended as the 31st warmest and 8th driest since 1895. Drought continued to intensify.
Wildfires included on March 11 there were reports 15 people were injured in fires, according to The Oklahoma State Department of Health. On March 11 more than 42 fires were reported statewide, according to reports from Oklahoma Forestry.
Preliminary damage assessments received from the American Red Cross and local emergency managers, included 30 homes destroyed in Oklahoma County alone.
April:The month brought the most tornadoes,50,in April since accurate records began in 1950.The previous record was 40 back in 1957.
Two people were killed by an EF3 tornado that struck Tushka in Atoka County on April 14.
Ponca City reported a 94 mph wind gust on April 8 to go along with more than a half dozen instances of softball size hail during the month. There was flooding in the eastern half of the state.
The drought continued to intensify.
By the evening of April 3, the state Emergency Operations Center was aware of more than 100 fires burning across the state.
On April 6, the state Emergency Operations Center was working with the Oklahoma National Guard to provide aerial fire suppression via Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters equipped with buckets. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is assisting with traffic control. Oklahoma Forestry Services is providing ground firefighting equipment.
May:Tornadoes, including an EF5 tornado, ravaged the state during May. And yes, the drought continued to intensify. The 46 twisters during May killed 11, including nine by the EF5 that traveled from near Hinton to Guthrie on May 24.
Two EF3s, two EF4s and the EF5 all struck on May 24th.
On May 23, a storm near Gotebo dropped a 6-inch diameter hailstone, a new statewide record in that category,
The drought raged on in the west.
June, July and August:This was the hottest summer in terms of statewide average for any state since records began in 1895 with a statewide average of 86.8 degrees. Early reports showed Texas with the hottest summer, but the National Climatic Data Center continued to study information. Not only did Oklahoma beat its own record for the previous hottest summer of 85.2 degrees from 1934, it destroyed it by 1.6 degrees. In fact, Oklahoma now owns five of the 10 (11 with a tie) hottest summers across the U.S. since records in 1895.
The statewide record was broken for the most triple digit days. The previous record for most days at or above 100 degrees for a single location in the state was 86, set at Hollis back in 1956. Grandfield had 101 days.
July's statewide average temperature for Oklahoma was 89.3 degrees. The previous hottest July in state history was 88.1 degrees back in 1954. The 88.1 degrees in 1954 had also been the hottest month in any state back to 1895, until this July in Oklahoma.
In this span there were numerous wildfires with 15 resulting in Fire Management Assistance Grants, according to state Emergency Management Department.
September:The drought was at its zenith and then quickly received some relief from the heat. Nearly 70 percent of the state was covered by the exceptional drought category by early September, and 85 percent was extreme/exceptional. The sun, heat and lack of precipitation had taken its toll for three very long months.
The statewide average temperature for September was 1.4 degrees below normal and the 32nd coolest since 1895. Ft. Supply reached a low of 37 degrees on Sept. 6. The month was also the 20th driest on record at 2.15 inches below normal.
October:Some drought relief came for central and northeastern Oklahoma. The Panhandle even saw a bit of snow late in the month.
November:There was a 4.7-magnitude earthquake at 2:12 a.m. Nov. 5 northwest of Prague,
Then later on Nov. 5, there was a 5.6-magnitude quake. The epicenter was northwest of Prague. The 5.6 earthquake broke the state's previous record for strongest recorded earthquake – 5.5 magnitude in El Reno in 1952, according to the Oklahoma Geological Survey and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Another earthquake, registered at 4.7 magnitude, was centered in Lincoln County on Nov. 7. The epicenter was about five miles northwest of Prague.
Welcome to November 2011, the May of Autumn. There was flooding, and some tornadoes, including an EF4 grinder on Nov. 7 that tore through the Tipton area. It was the first violent tornado, EF4/EF5 in November on officials records for tornadoes in Oklahoma, dating back to 1950.
There are now 10 tornadoes confirmed for November, bringing the annual total to date, to 114 for 2011, topping the 107 in 1957 for second place. The most was 145 in 1999.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

NEWS - 3.7 EARTHQUAKE RECORDED NEAR PRAGUE OKLAHOMA

3.7 earthquake recorded near Prague

The U.S. Geological Survey recorded an earthquake that struck near Prague Thursday afternoon.

 
FROM STAFF REPORTS    
Published: November 24, 2011

A 3.7 magnitude earthquake was recorded near Prague Thursday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The quake struck 5 miles northwest of Prague about 3:11 p.m. Thursday. Its epicenter was 7 miles from Sparks and 45 miles away from Oklahoma City.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

NEWS - JUNIOR HIGH APP DEVELOPER IS A PRE-TEEN TYCOON IN TRAINING

Junior high app developer is a pre-teen tycoon in training

 

He might not be ready to submit a college application, but Thomas Suarez of Manhattan Beach, California is already releasing apps for iOS devices. The sixth grader recently gave a talk at TEDxManhattanBeach in which he discussed his love of computers (he got into them in kindergarten), his plans for the future, and the inspiration he got from the late Steve Jobs.
Suarez has released several apps on the Apple App Store since launching his first, a fortune-telling title called Earth Fortune, in late 2010. His most popular app has been Bustin Jieber, a Whack-a-Mole style game where players squish the disembodied head of Justin Bieber. "I created it because a lot of people at school disliked Justin Bieber a little bit," he told the TEDx crowd.
After teaching himself programming basics in Python, C, and Java, Suarez says he took up Apple's SDK and Xcode. "I've gotten a lot of inspiration from Steve Jobs," he says. Inspired, he started an App Club at his school, because "not many kids know where to go to find out how to make a program." As he sees it, "for soccer, you could go to a soccer team, and for violin, you could get a lesson from a violinist." But even parents might not be a resource, since as he rightly points out, "not many of them have written apps."
The club is working with its teacher sponsor to create iPad apps for education, which will eventually be distributed to local school districts free of charge, and sold to others. Oh, and he's even created his own company, CarrotCorp. It sounds like Suarez picked up a little entrepreneurial spirit from Jobs, as well.

NEWS - NEW YORK POLICE PROBE FIRES, GRAFFITI IN JEWISH AREAS

New York police probe fires, graffiti in Jewish area

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City police were investigating a possible hate crime in a Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn where cars were set on fire and anti-Semitic symbols spray painted on benches.
Police responded to 911 calls reporting cars ablaze early Friday morning. When they arrived, they found three cars, including a BMW and a Lexus, on fire, according Sgt. Carlos Nieves.
Another vehicle, a red van, had "KKK" spray painted on it, representing the racist group Ku Klux Klan. Police also found eight benches with Nazi swastikas spray painted on them.
"The NYPD's Hate Crimes Task Force is actively investigating the twisted person or people who attacked cars, benches, and a sidewalk on a block of Ocean Parkway," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in statement released Friday.
The attack happened a day after the 73rd anniversary of Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, when rioters, encouraged by Nazis, vandalized the Jewish community of Germany, burning and destroying hundreds of synagogues, looting thousands of homes and businesses and killing 91 Jewish people, according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Bloomberg said the timing of this attack may or may not be a coincidence.
"Either way, this kind of hateful act has no place in the freest city in the freest country in the world," he said.
There is no one in custody and police have no suspects.

Friday, November 11, 2011

NEWS - HALO TO RELEASE THE SIX ORIGINAL HALO CE MULTIPLAYER MAPS AS DLC FOR REACH

Halo to release the six original Halo CE multiplayer maps as DLC for Reach

 

It is a good time to be a Halo fan. Next week marks the 10-year anniversary of the release of Halo: Combat Evolved on the original Xbox, and to commemorate the event, Microsoft has two offerings for its fans.
The first is the remastered, anniversary edition of Halo: CE, featuring all new HD graphics, online connectivity for the six slightly reimagined competitive multiplayer maps and one new Firefight map, Kinect voice integration, plus a few other Easter Eggs and surprises. The game will also feature online co-op, new plot elements, 1,000 achievement points and 3D support. For fans of the game, the $39.99 will also allow you to relive the experience using the engine from Halo: Reach.
But if the campaign isn’t your thing, and you are a fan of Reach, you can purchase the six remastered maps along with the new Firefight map for $15 (1,200 MS Points). The maps included as DLC and on the Halo: CE Anniversary Edition disc are: Damnation, Beaver Creek, Prisoner, Timberland, Headlong, Hang ‘Em High and the Firefight map, Installation 04.
Those that already own Reach but are planning on purchasing the Anniversary Edition can download the maps off the disc and access them through Reach as well. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Edition hits stores for the Xbox 360 on Tuesday.

NEWS - LATEST 'CALL OF DUTY' GAME BREAKS SALES RECORDS

Latest 'Call of Duty' game breaks sales record

 NEW YORK (AP) — By the third time around, it really shouldn't be a surprise. The latest "Call of Duty" video game set a first-day sales record this week, generating $400 million in sales in its first 24 hours in stores. That breaks the record its predecessor set this time last year.

"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" is the third game in the military shooter series to set such a record. Last year, "Call of Duty: Black Ops" raked in $360 million in its first 24 hours on sale. "Call of Duty, Modern Warfare 2," sold 4.7 million copies in its first 24 hours to reap $310 million
The latest installment of the game from Activision Blizzard Inc. went on sale at midnight Tuesday in North America and the U.K.
Activision said Friday the game sold 6.4 million units in its first 24 hours.
A rival shooter game from Electronic Arts Inc., "Battlefield 3," meanwhile, sold 5 million units in its first week in stores last month, making it the fastest-selling game in EA's history.
The figures show there's a big appetite for big shooter games this holiday season, boding well for their publishers and retailers such as GameStop Corp.
Shares of Activision Blizzard slipped 16 cents to $12.82 in morning trading Friday.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

NEWS - EARTHQUAKE, AFTERSHOCKS FELT ACROSS OKLAHOMA REGION

Earthquake, aftershocks felt across Oklahoma, region

Multiple earthquakes shook much of central Oklahoma early Saturday, rousing people from their sleep. It was felt as far away as Pleasant Hill, Mo.

FROM STAFF REPORTS    
Published: November 5, 2011
A 4.7 magnitude earthquake rattled homes across central Oklahoma early Saturday.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the initial quake was centered about six miles north of Prague about 2:12 a.m.
That quake was followed by a series of aftershocks. A 3.4 magnitude aftershock was felt moments later followed by another 2.7 magnitude aftershock about five miles southeast of Sparks. Sparks is east of the metro area in Lincoln County.
And those aftershocks continued as a 3.6 magnitude quake struck about 8:36 a.m., also centered about two miles southeast of Sparks.
The National Weather Service in Norman said via its Facebook page the earthquake was felt in Norman and also as far away as weather offices in Topeka, Kan., and Pleasant Hill, Mo.
There have been no reports of significant damage caused by the quake. According to OG&E's System Watch webpage it did not cause power outages anywhere in that company's coverage area across the state. Oklahoma Natural Gas is not reporting any gas leaks or service outages.
Tom Foster was awakened in his southwest Oklahoma City home by what he believes was an aftershock.
"It was a little later than what they say was the initial quake so I think I felt one of the aftershocks," he said. "The bigger quake didn't wake me up. But I know we've already had several phone calls from out of state relatives wondering what happened. I guess it's more interesting than anything that was dangerous."
Heather Spicer of Sapulpa said the quake woke her son and dog up.
"At first I thought and airplane had crashed nearby," she said. "But now I believe it was an earthquake because the whole house just kept vibrating with what sounded like distant thunder outside."
Matt Hoover of Perkins was wrapping birthday presents at 2:20 a.m. when he felt the quake. He thought the experience, his first with a quake, was exciting.
"The whole house started to shake and a low rumble could be heard throughout the house," he said. "It lasted about 20 seconds."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
yup, its true, we FELT this one..weve had reporst the entire time weve lived here of earthquakes, and may have heard a "pop" or a "bump" sound and that was all, but THIS one we felt, and we felt it good.
craig was in the bathroom, daniel was playing a game in the livingroom, and i was right here at my PC when i heard, what i thought was allot of movement and sound from my livingroom, like  rough housing. i was about to ask daniel what the heck he was doing when the floor started to roll...my chair was rolling in circles, and the windows were ratteling, and the house shook for a good 90 seconds..
just after it subsided. craig ran into the doorframe looking at me, asking "DID YOU FEEL THAT EARTHQUAKE?!?!?!" 
umm, yes, the house felt it..lol
then right behind him was daniel running in the same doorway, looking at me saying " WAS THAT AN EARTHQUAKE?!?!?!"
yes...lol
for whatever reason, it didnt concern, me, it was exciting, and different and memorable..and to some degree, fun.
im sure because no harm nor damage was done..but still. i had NO concernes whatso ever when it hit...i just  rode it through..
just as it was hitting and right behind it facebook was all a buzz with connections and status updates and thoughts about it..
it was amazing, to me...
 took a screen print shot of the page the report for the quake was on.

and one 24 hours later (roughly, to show all the aftershocks)
my home location, in realtation to the epicenter of this big earthquake

some humor

MICHELLE

Friday, November 4, 2011

NEWS - CALL OF DUTY TO LET GAMERS COMPETE ACROSS PLATFORMS

'Call of Duty' to let gamers compete across platforms

Mark Milian, CNN
Fri November 4, 2011

(CNN) -- The "Call of Duty" franchise is a perennial blockbuster, with more than 65 million units sold so far in the United States and hordes of fans lining up each fall to buy the latest installment of the war-simulation video game.
Now, Activision Publishing will find out whether fans who are accustomed to dropping $60 on a new "CoD" game each year will also cough up an extra $50 to keep their game content fresh.
The much-hyped "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" is set to arrive in stores on Tuesday. As usual, players get inside the helmets of soldiers -- in this case, fighting a near-futuristic global war against Russian forces who have invaded multiple countries, including the United States.
The storyline, with battles in London, New York and Paris, is a continuation of its 2009 predecessor.
But "Modern Warfare 3" will be the first game in the series to launch with a new member service called "Call of Duty Elite."
Players will be able to sign up for a free social network that encapsulates the new game, last year's "Black Ops" and future "Call of Duty" games. They'll be able to create a profile that extensively tracks gameplay statistics for multiple "CoD" games across the various console platforms for which they're available.

Stat systems are typically maintained by console developers, like Microsoft and Sony, which means Xbox 360 gamers cannot rank themselves against PlayStation 3 players. The Elite service bridges that gap, although gamers still will not be able to play against someone using a different type of console.
Elite users will also be able to share videos or screen shots captured within the game and download "Call of Duty" stat-tracking applications to their smartphones or tablets. Microsoft and Bungie maintain a similar dedicated service for "Halo."
Despite competition this fall from fellow first-person shooter game "Battlefield 3," which sold 5 million units in its first week, Activision is confident the "Call of Duty" franchise has enough muscle to persuade customers to spend the $50 per year for premium services.
"'Call of Duty' is a franchise that's grown every year of its existence," Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg said in a recent interview. "I think that we are finding that people have a very healthy appetite for content."
Subscribers will be served a new piece of content they can download each month and use to participate in competitions. The content will include new maps and gameplay modes.
"The things that we're charging for are things that we really wouldn't be able to provide if we didn't," Hirshberg said. "It's not modeled after anything. It's kind of a new entry into the model here."
Activision has been working on the Elite service, which was previously called Project Beachhead, for two years, Hirshberg has said. The company formed a division called Beachhead Studio to maintain its development. "Black Ops" players were able to beta test Elite until mid-October, when Activision shut down parts of the service in advance of "Modern Warfare 3's" debut.
Subscription gaming has proliferated in a genre called massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMO, or MMOG), the most prominent being "World of Warcraft." That game happens to be owned by Activision's Blizzard arm, allowing the Beachhead team to learn from the pros.
"There are a lot of big brains that we picked down at Blizzard," Hirshberg said. "They've done this kind of relationship with consumers, with gamers, very well, probably better than anybody."
Sony has tried to marry the first-person shooter genre with vast online worlds in a game called "PlanetSide." It wasn't a hit, but the company announced a sequel this summer. Activision believes it has found a sweet spot that won't muck with the "Call of Duty" formula but will still spur gamers to open their wallets.
"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" will be available Tuesday for PCs and the PlayStation3, Xbox 360 and Wii consoles. The game retails for $60 and is rated Mature, meaning it contains content suitable for people ages 17 and older.

Monday, October 31, 2011

NEWS - 7 BILLIONTH PERSON BORN (maybe More, Maybe Less. Who Knows)

7 Billionth Person Born (Or Maybe More. Or Less. Who Knows?)

 Published October 31, 2011

| FoxNews.com

With the birth of Danica May Camacho in Manila at two minutes before midnight, the United Nations Population Fund announced that the world's population had hit a new landmark: 7 billion people now fill the blue spinning globe we call home.
Or maybe not.
The U.S. Census Bureau comes to a very different conclusion, pegging the world's current population at 6,971,933,858 -- a difference of more than 28 million people. In other words, the U.S. Census Bureau guesses that the U.N. has overcounted by more than twice the current population of California. It argues that the world's population won't reach 7 billion until sometime in March of 2012.
Other estimates are even further off.
The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, an Austrian group that studies world population, argues that the world's 7 billionth person might not be born until July 2014.
The U.N.'s number has many scratching their heads, and asking how the agency counts people. Just how did the U.N. reach its conclusion?
The U.N. admits the number is only an estimate.
Amid the millions of births and deaths around the world each day -- and the poor demographic information currently being gathered -- it's impossible to pinpoint the arrival of the globe's 7 billionth occupant with any sort of accuracy. 
"All demographic projections suffer from two kinds of potential errors," wrote Sergei Scherbov, director of demographic analysis at the Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital, in a recent paper. He argues that uncertain projections and incorrect data about the current population make it a challenge to precisely pin down an exact number.
"The sizes of many populations today are not known with high accuracy, including the population billionaires China and India and many countries particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa," he pointed out.
Indeed, to reflect the inaccuracy in its guess, the U.N. chose Monday to mark the day with a string of festivities worldwide -- and not one, but a series of symbolic 7-billionth babies being born.
In Uttar Pradesh, India -- the most populous state in the world's second-most populous country -- officials said they would appoint seven girls born Monday to join Danica as symbols of the seven billion.
"It would be a fitting moment if the seven billionth baby is a girl born in rural India," said Dr. Madhu Gupta, an Uttar Pradesh gynecologist. "It would help in bringing the global focus back on girls, who are subject to inequality and bias."
Demographers say it took until 1804 for the world to reach its first billion people, and a century more until it hit 2 billion in 1927. The twentieth century, though, saw things begin to cascade: 3 billion in 1959; 4 billion in 1974; 5 billion in 1987; 6 billion in 1998.
Now the rate of change seems to be slowing, the U.N. estimates.
"The rate of increase appears to be slowing. But the large number of people now in their reproductive years, 3.7 billion, means world population will keep growing for several more decades," a recent agency report states.
The U.N. estimates the world's population will reach 8 billion by 2025 and 10 billion by 2083. But the numbers could vary widely, depending on everything from life expectancy to access to birth control to infant mortality rates.
Dr. Eric Tayag of the Philippines' Department of Health said the birth came with a warning.
"Seven billion is a number we should think about deeply," he said.
"We should really focus on the question of whether there will be food, clean water, shelter, education and a decent life for every child," he said. "If the answer is 'no,' it would be better for people to look at easing this population explosion."

 

Sunday, October 30, 2011

THE CAT - By: Dwight Nelson

The Cat
========

Dwight Nelson recently told a true story about the pastor of his church.

He had a kitten that climbed up a tree in his backyard and then was afraid to come down. The pastor coaxed, offered warm milk, etc. The kitty would not come down.

The tree was not sturdy enough to climb, so the pastor decided that if he tied a rope to his car and drove away so that the tree bent down, he could then reach up and get the kitten.

He did all this, checking his progress in the car frequently, then figured if he went just a little bit further, the tree
would be bent sufficiently for him to reach the kitten.

But as he moved a little further forward, the rope broke.

The tree went "boing!" and the kitten instantly sailed through the air  - out of sight.

The pastor felt terrible.

He walked all over the neighborhood asking people if they'd seen a little kitten. No. Nobody had seen a stray kitten. So he prayed, "Lord, I just commit this kitten to your keeping," and went on about his business.

A few days later he was at the grocery store and met one of his church members. He happened to look into her shopping cart and was amazed to see cat food. Now this woman was a cat hater and everyone knew it, so he asked her, "Why are you buying cat food when you hate cats so much?"

She replied, "You won't believe this," and told him how her little girl had been begging her for a cat, but she kept refusing. Then a few days before, the child had begged again, so the Mom finally told her little girl, "Well if God gives you a cat, I'll let you keep it?"

(Can you see where this is heading?)

She told the pastor, "I watched my child go out in the yard, get on her knees, and ask God for a cat. And really, Pastor, you won't believe this, but I saw it with my own eyes.

A kitten suddenly came flying out of the blue sky, with its paws outspread, and landed right in front of her."

Never underestimate the Power of God and what may appear to be breaking on one end, is answering prayer on another.

HUMOR - POSSESSED COMPUTER!

For a computer programming class, I sat directly across from someone, and our computers were facing away from each other. A few minutes into the class, she got up to leave the room. I reached between our computers and switched the inputs for the keyboards. She came back and started typing and immediately got a distressed look on her face.

She called the teacher over and explained that no matter what she typed, nothing would happen. The teacher tried everything. By this time I was hiding behind my monitor and quaking red-faced.

I started to type, "Leave me alone!"

They both jumped back, silenced. "What the . . . " the teacher said.

I typed, "I said leave me alone!"

The kid got real upset. "I didn't do anything to it, I swear!" It was all I could do to keep from laughing out loud. The conversation between them and HAL 2000 went on for an amazing five minutes.

Me: "Don't touch me!"

Her: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hit your keys that hard."

Me: "Who do you think you are anyway?!" Etc. Finally, I couldn't contain myself any longer and fell out of my chair laughing.

After they had realized what I had done, they both turned beet red.

Funny, I never got more than a C- in that class.

Friday, October 28, 2011

NEWS - 2 EARTHQUAKES REPORTED IN OKLAHOMA

 Two earthquakes reported in Oklahoma

A 3.5-magnitude earthquake has been reported Friday by the U.S. Geological Survey.

FROM STAFF REPORTS  
Published: October 28, 2011
A 3.5-magnitude earthquake has been reported Friday by the U.S. Geological Survey.
The quake was at 3:18 a.m. Friday 2 miles north of Spencer and 4 miles northwest of Nicoma Park. No reports of property damage or injuries were made.
Also, a 3.3 magnitude earthquake was reported at 12:24 a.m. a mile northeast of Spencer.

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pretty sure i really felt this one! would be my 2nd id have ever felt thus far. this one lasted a while. like about 5 seconds, rattled the bed and the window.
MICHELLE

Saturday, September 24, 2011

TRIED TO FIND "THE PURPLE CHURCH"



before i go into the attempt to find this elusive place everyone here in oklahoma has heard the leglend of, let me preface this story with a little bit of my own experiences and then tie in why this was such a cool event to have been involved with with my son.

when i was about 15 , maybe 16, i used to live in Columbia SC in an apartment complex with my mom. there wernt allot of kids i knew. i was a loner.

one day when i was walking my dogs i saw a small path across the street, that was entriquing to my senses.
i knew it went somewhere, but where? and what would i find if i took it?
i had dreams id come up to some hidden wall of secrecy and it would be long overgrown, and manage to figure a way in, and id be enveloped in a new and different world (im thinking the book: The Secret Garden here). or id fond a long forgotten treehouse and manage to clean it up, to have my very own secret hide-a-way (thinking peter pan, type thoughts) or...id find anything, and maybe nothing as well.

this curiousity comes from being an only child, with very few freinds, i did this prior to being 15 and 16 in maryland in the woods behind the apartment building i lived in there as well..
but they went as thick, and  mysterious as these were.

i thought and thought and thought about that path. nearly obsessed over it.
i wouldnt take it because i was sure id get lost, and never find my way back, and my adventure would become terror. and i was scared that the fun would become scary, so i didnt  move on my desire.

but every day id walk my dogs, that path would call my name...begging me to adventure on it.

one day, i did it, hot summer day, sun bright and full, greenery lush and fragrant.

i stepped into the unknown.

i walked that single little path.
all the way to its very end.

at the end of it was a burned out house, a small cabin really. at the back side of an apartment complex some 3 miles up the road from mine.
at the edge of a pond.

that house amazed me.
why was it there? all hidden like that?
who used to live there?
how did it burn?
was i the 1st to find it there?

i stepped inside the frame of this old house...some walls still standing, little bit of roofing left, and as soon as i did, within 2 feet of the front door enterance i got very cold. almost as if it were winter. it was the middle of summer, and, VERY hot...
that was a very strange sensation. i wasnt sure what to make of it.
i contnued around, checking each room, i could see where the kitchen was, the remains of a stove were still there, every other room was bare bones, nothing in it to tell me what it was, but i was smart enough to figure it out.
there was a slight creepyness to this house, even though the sun shown, it seemed somber, and dark.

i proceeded towalk out, having a sense of victory for finding something i thought was fairly unique, and interesting, and felt as long as i knew it was there, could go there anytime and be alone, and think about things.
i walked towards the front door to go out, and was met with that same cold sensation...again.

now, i was no stranger by this time to anything paranormal.
my mother was very into this kind of thing as i grew up.
we watched movies about exorcisms, and ghosts, and all kinds of things, she liked to read up, or be informed on alians and abductions, not that she belived in any of it, it was just a facet of life she couldnt logically explain, and there for piqued her curiosity. so, i grew up with the basics of knowledge for "spirits" and "deamons" and afterlife, and other worldy things as a real and true possibility of actually being.

so, my 1st thought about that coldness was, it was a ghost!

it was such a curiosity, i had to share it with the few friends i did have in that apartment complex, and arranged a small group of us to travel out there and see if THEY felt it too.

there were about 5 of us, i guess. i cant even remember them anymore, i just know i wasnt alone the second time around.
we all took the adventure together.
and came to that old house in the woods, except this time. the entire frame had come down. nothing but the foundation existed anymore.
and were talking within hours of me being there.
kinda freaky, really.
i told them about that spot that i felt cold in, tried my best to get it exact, everything looked different from before about it, without the walls being up, and stodd in that spot agan, to feel that coldness one more time.

then i asked them to stand there, and see if they felt it too.
some did, some didnt.

and we all went back home.

another advennture i was on (i did this all the time) was downtown with my best friend Sandy Ellegde (shes a knapp right now) we were foten downtown, would ride the bus, walk different places, and i can remember a building that was abandoned and empty that begged us to go see what it was all about.

we approached the building, and knew from the front wed never gain access to it, so we went to the back.
there was another building right beside it that also looked empty, and we thought to try it first.
it had a long metal stair case up the back of it that led to a single door.
we walked up the stair to the top, to find we couldnt gain access, because the door was locked.
so, we decided to check out that original building.
as we did we found a window, or a door ajar, something that allowed us access inside that building.
we went in, and walked the main floor.
i can remember seeing steps to the second floor. something told me not to go up. why? i dont know but i got a really bad feeling and we all got out of there.

as we were leaving i took note that on that metal stair we had just been on a few minutes before was a very large, long tree limb...that wasnt there before.
and it had no way of actually getting there, except to have been dragged up those steps.
we didnt hear anything. no sound to alert us that anything had happened outside in the back.
i was seriously creeped out.



that building would later become HANNA HOUSE, and i actually resided there with Daniel for 10 months when we were both homeless.

then another time, and i talk about it in another blog, we visited an old mansion out in the boonies of SC that we called: STRAWBERRY HILL.
i had heard a story about a couple of convicts that had escaped prison/ hid out as a regular married couple in some old house, abducted kids, and killed them in the back yard of that old home.
i never heard WHERE that place was, but this old home i saw out in Lower Richland, became that Strawberry Hill, to me.

so, Sandy and myself, and another individual saw this old house on the side of the road, nice looking gingerbread house, would have made a really nice home if someone had taken and rebuilt it up to its former glory.
and in the night, went in and looked around.
all the way up to the top floor, it was windowless, and doorless, and in as good a shape as any old wooden house would be with all those elements seasonally surounding it. it was bare.
i didnt have the 1st sensation of anything.

house has been torn down allot from 6 years ago when i went there to take last picture shots of it when i was leaving SC to move to OK
 but because of its location and its creepiness, we wanted to get sandys brother Al out there (he was a big burly guy) and se eif we couldnt scare him.
took us a few days but we managed to convinvince him to come see this old place.

going in, as we all got to the top of the stpe to the front door, each flashlight cut off as we approached. i felt that was odd. i placed mine at the top of the step so id be able to find it again when i left.

we did the same route in it we did before, and going up the steps, i saw a HUGE hole in those steps, like someone had fallen through them.
went all the way up to the second floor, even peeped a bit into an attic, it was bare too.

Al wasnt impressed. i was still amazed at how cool the place felt and looked in the moonlight.
and we all left, each one picking up thier flashlight as they walked down the steps. and those falshlights, came on!
i went to pick up mine, took my 1st step off those steps and felt something push me..
i fell on my left foot and slid down 5 steps (bump, bump, bump, bump, bump) full weight on my foot, thought i had broken every bone in my foot, hurt so bad.
and...at the bottom, like everyone elses, my flashlight came back on again.

i proceeded to walk around to the drive where we had parked the car, and thought as i approached AL, id give out a blood curtling scream, to try to scare him, and point towards that old house.
so, i screamed, pointed, and when i did...
i saw the ghostly figure of a woman in white in that top window!

those are few of the adventures i took.

which brings me to this posts reason for being.

my son came home the other day telling me that he and his best friend Paris Griffis, were gonna go to a place near his school called: THE PURPLE CHURCH. on friday.
i had no clue what it was.
so, naturally, i ask him.
and he tells me its an old burned out place where its said that sacricifces have been done, and you can see the remains of dead animals all over the place, and "no ones been in the cellar".

i had looked up breifly, enough to get an idea of the address to where this place was located, online.

i was out for part of the afternon, so i wasnt home when he got home, and assumed when i arrived back, he was out adventure hunting this place down.

walked in the door, and found him and the friend playing video games.
so, i asked why they hadnt left yet to go seek this mysterious place out.

i was informed they would be doing this at night.

ok, teens dont think too far ahead, thats a problem.

they have no REAL idea WHERE this place is, and they think they would just go out in the dark and be able to see it. not gonna happen.

problem 2- theres a cerfew in out town. out past that cerfew and youll get picked up.
and i knew for sure theyd be out past that time limit.

so, i offered to drive them.
told them i had an idea of an address, and wed go right then, about 9pm or so, and go see if we couldnt find them.
let them do some investigation, and be waiting for them in the car somewhere down the road a bit.

well, turns out as we went on the hunt to find this place, we couldnt find this place...lol
no landmarks.
no signs.
no real directions to follow, so we decided wed go in the daylight next day (today) and see if we couldnt figure out where it is.

seems everyone and thier grandparents have visited this place at some point in time. and it seems a hot spot for parents to take their kids on halloween.
some have said that the spot itself has been filled in, and no longer exists, others say its still there, you just have to walk about 3 blocks to get to it..
its somewhere off in the woods down a dirt road.

people have videos of it, but no real directions.

so, today, perhaps well take the next step in this adventure and go seek it out in the day time.

one forum post i read said theres a house across the street from the gate.
when we were out there last night, i saw a path big enough for a small car to get through, i couldnt tell if there was a cain on that opening or not in the dark, but it looked like an area where youd take a dirt road back into the field, and past some trees and such.
and, theres a house directly across from that field.

craig came home and tried to locate this place via maps online...and wasnt sucessful in his attempt.
he thinks he knows where it is because of some notes online by others, his location is vastly different than mine is.

now these boys, say they have found ANOTHER church along douglas thats also called "The Purple Church" and they have a large feild and ...GOATS in the yard..(you, know, for sacrificing, lol)
i told them its prolly a legit church, and those goats are there to "mow the lawn" tthis place they are referring too is too close to other homes and things to be anything bad...

the kind of thing, they have head about, and i have read about is done under the secrecy of night away from others. so to have this kind of  "church" be next to a home a couple of yards away, is almost ridiculous.

i want to go back out there. in the daylight and se if i cant find the gate, anyway, to this place.
and ill make sure if we do find it, i diagram it on a map, and GPS this sucker, (oh! thought! if no one has done it yet, we could put a GEOCACHE out there!) and make sure people know weather it exists or not, by having images taken, and video shot of this place.

beyond that, i now know my kid has the same creepy adventure sense that i do.
and i shall try to make it a mission to go and find some haunted place to go and seek out and adventure through.

this is gonna be so fun!

UPDATE!
DERN IT! this place is so poular that it has its own facebook page, lol
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Purple-Church/167129729989293?sk=info

here what the info says WITH address included

About
For all your underworldly worship needs.
Description
NE 78th St/E Wilshire Blvd

GOOGLE MAPS:
http://goo.gl/4vE3z
in this image where you see the large white curved drive, we turned around there and headed back, as we did, i said.."watch, what were looking for will be right up the road a bit" in the map, as shown i was right..lol
General Information
"The story of the Purple Church has been a high-school students dream party place as long as this investigator can remember. It has all the great features: remote location, mystery, creepiness, and most of all danger.

I had heard the legend of the Purple Church during my high school days. In fact there were several legends of that sort. Most of them, a friend and I had proven wrong. All except the Purple Church. While many had claimed to have been there, none could find their way back when asked.

Recently my interest had been rekindled during a conversation. I began searching again following eye-witness reports. After many hours combing about a ten square mile area, down every rough back-woods road we could find, we finally found it. I must admit it was a bit of a shock. The entire time I was asking "where" I also should have been asking "what". I guess I had assumed it'd be an old run-down building resembling a church and possibly colored purple. Wrong. When I first glimpsed it in the distance, I nearly dissmised it. On second look, it proved to be the very place.


The Lore:
Floating lights, disembodied voices, evil presences, satanic ritual site, sacrifices, and much much more. Though during our trip, we never saw floating lights, or heard voices, this is what we did find. As we exit the truck, dusk is just setting. We hadn't planned to be out that late, so lacking flashlights we looked over the place. Pentagrams, and other graffiti marred the site lending credence to the ritual lore. Bones littering the surrounding ground, also supporting the sacrifice legends... As an owl hooted in the distance and the sun proceeded to set, we snapped these pics before loadin' up and headin' out.

The Legend Lives.
While this investigator vowed not to venture into the bowels of the Purple Church, I trust it will be as enlightening as the exterior. The decision now rests with the club whether to proceed with this site or not..."
-- WRITTEN BY THE NOW DEFUNCT RESEARCHWEBCAM.COM // ANOTHER VICTIM OF THE PURPLE CHURCH CURSE -- BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!

and someones already taken pictures of this place. DERN IT! they take all the newness and adventure OUT of fun for me. :( oh well, it would still be a hoot to go and see.

animal remains.






Thursday, September 22, 2011

ZAZZLE.com SHOT ANOTHER PRIVATE ITEM OF MINE DOWN, AGAIN.


a while ago, like over a year ago, maybe even longer than that i had gone onto zazzle.com and created a BLUE tie with a RED HATCHET MAN (Logo for the band ICP) for daniel. we never had it made, but it wont matter anymore anyway, cause...they obviously went in and decided it was inappropriate material (par the  email i got)
whats weird is, other people have similar images on the site, like other people use Bonos name, yet MY  products (which are in private and not in public view) get tagged and removed.
still love the company. 
MICHELLE
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Dear nativity4me,
Thank you for your interest in Zazzle.com, and thank you for publishing products on Zazzle.
Unfortunately, it appears that your product, Hatchet Man Tie, contains content that is not suitable for printing at Zazzle.com.
We will be removing this product from the Zazzle Marketplace shortly.
The details of the product being removed are listed below:
• Product Title: Hatchet Man Tie
• Product Type: Ties
• Product ID: 151124132698850617
• Result: Not Approved
• Policy Violations:
o Your design contains and image or text that may be in violation of an individual’s rights of celebrity/publicity. Please feel free to submit a new design to our Marketplace from original elements.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

NEWS - ROBBERS KICK IN DOOR HOLD COUPLE AT GUNPOINT (Midwest City, OK)

Police: Robbers Kick In Door, Hold Couple At Gunpoint
Midwest City Searching For Intruders

September 14, 2011

MIDWEST CITY, Okla. -- A husband and wife were awaken during the middle of the night after two armed intruders kicked in their front door, according to Midwest City police.

The home invasion happened about 3 a.m. Wednesday in the 1000 block of North Loftin.

Once inside the home police said the masked gunmen grabbed the wife and demanded cash and jewelry. The wife told the intruders she had nothing to give and the couple said that's when the men turned and walked out.

Police said they arrived at the scene within minutes and searched the neighborhood but found no one.

Police said they have no clear description of the suspects and are asking the public for help. If you have any information, call police.

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the street this happened on is 1 street away from my house.  as a matter of fact, the road right behind us. we dont know anyone in this neighborhood, we pretty much keep to ourselves. so, who it happened to is unknown to us. but thats pretty close.
we have 4 dogs any intruder would have to get past, not that they couldnt, but the 1st sound thats not familiar and known to them, would cause them to bark, and for most robbers thats a deterant.
the people on either side of us have alarm systems installed in thier homes. both have been broken into at least 2 times by unknown assailents.
us? never had that issue. i really believe most home that are targeted are targets by people that know whats in that home, or that seem to be  empty at a cettain time of day.
we also have more tha one vehicle in our yard, so it alwas seems someones home, even if we arnt.


but to say it, i believe our dogs are our best alarm system. they cant call when weve had a break in to any police, but they can surly make a noise that that perp wont want to hear for fear of being bit by any of them...


this isnt the 1st time in my neighborhood anything has happened, it happems more around the holidays than any other time. seeing as this happened in sept, issues in the rise in crme now for this area.


MICHELLE