Read on Foxnews.com

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Thousands of Japanese have been swindled in a scam in which they were sold Australian and British sheep and told they were poodles, News Australia reports.

Flocks of sheep were marketed as fashionable accessories — available at $1,300 each — by a company called Poodles as Pets. A real poodle retails for twice that much in Japan.

The scam was uncovered when Japanese film star Maiko Kawamaki went on a talk-show and wondered why her new pet would not bark or eat dog food.

She was crestfallen when told it was a sheep.

Hundreds of other women got in touch with police to say they feared their new “poodle” was also a sheep.

One couple said they became suspicious when they took their “dog” to have its claws trimmed and were told it had hooves.

Police believe there could be 2,000 people affected by the scam

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The sheep’s wool was trimmed to look like poodles.

It’s so smoky here because of the fires in going on about 60-80 miles south of us. Over 53,000 acres have burned in the last week and a half. We’re still praying for rain. Maybe the storm coming through tomorrow will bring some moisture.

Looking through the Diversions section of the Savannah paper…. 

• From VOX POPULI (voice of the people):
    – “Mother Nature Spares Legends’ was your headline last week. with all of the people in the Northeast who were without power and have lost their homes and businesses to the storm, it’s good to know a bunch of rich people could still enjoy their golf tournament.”
    – “So Sanjaya was finally voted off ‘American Idol.’ Great, now I can plug my television in again.”
• “Fiddler on the Roof” is playing at Hilton Head Island the next month. Too bad the tickets cost $46. They’d have to do a bang-up job to make it worth that amount.
• Overheard: “It’s so weird that I went to rehab. I always said I would die before I went to rehab.” – Lindsey Lohan  (pop culture, isn’t it great!!)
• A Celtic Gathering next Saturday in Savannah. Pipe band competitions, Parade of Tartans (read: men in skirts, ew!), Scottish Heavy Athletics, Highland Dancing, Sheep Herding Demonstrations. Would be an interesting cultural experience to have if I wouldn’t be headed out-of-state for a wedding.
• Rhymes with Orange comic strip. Blond woman: “I can’t believe states are banning talking on the phone while driving.” Brunette women: (no, I’m not prejudiced; they really are drawn that way ) “It’s supposed to be safer.” Blonde woman: “That makes no sense! How is driving while text-messaging any safer?!”

Dreamed last night that a bear was chasing me and a man and 2 kids. Then it turned into a bull with very large horns (the famous Marylou-dream trick) that came after us. Was it because I noticed the Dow-Jones closed above 13,000 yesterday (the whole bear-bull market thing)?? No, probably not.  There’s just something about bulls and horns that really freaks me out. Fear of bulls is Taurophobia, in case you didn’t know. Well, really now, I didn’t know either until a few minutes ago. Google is your friend. Wowzers! They even have therapy for that.

Actually, on closer observation of that website, it looks like you could maybe plug in any “fear” in there. “For anyone earning a living, the financial toll of this phobia is incalculable. Living with fear means you can never concentrate fully and give your best. Lost opportunities. Poor performance or grades. Promotions that pass you by. fear of bulls will likely cost you tens, even hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of your lifetime, let alone the cost to your health and quality of life. Now Fear Of Bulls can be gone for less than the price of a round-trip airline ticket.” …….. “But so long as the negative association is powerful enough, the unconscious mind thinks: “Ahh, this whole thing is very dangerous. How do I keep myself from getting in this kind of situation again? I know, I’ll attach terrible feelings to bulls, that way I’ll steer clear in future and so be safe.” Just like that fear of bulls is born.” Interesting!

The other night I was walking on a country and I do mean country road across the field from our house. A truck passed me and I resisted the temptation to holler “You could’ve at least waved!” I glanced over and noticed the sun was huge orange ball (due to all the smoke) right over our house so I stopped for a moment to enjoy it. Well, the truck stopped, turned around and came back to where I was. By then I was walking again so I got off the side of the road for him to pass. Well, he pulled off the road really far and drove down into the ditch. He then proceeded to ask if I minded if he asked why I stopped and turned around right after he passed. I explained the whole orange sun/house scenerio and assured him it had nothing to with him. He thought maybe someone down the road had yelled at him or something. Umm… why would anybody be yelling at him? I was sure glad I had resisted the urge. He turned around and left, leaving a puzzled individual beside the road.

Question of the day: If I ready today’s (Thursday or any day you happen to read this) edition of the newspaper, am I reading yesterday’s news or today’s news?

Ciao!

I went to my subscriptions this evening and discovered several people had lengthy (read: welcome) updates this afternoon (with the exception of the one who says he/she has *nothing* to say– you know who you are  ) and that gave me the extra boost to add another post to my site.

It’s been quite a 2 weeks although not as busy as the weeks preceding it. God knows this person can’t stay on such a pace for too long.

Did you know investing is similar to football? Neither did I but the football coach turned investor aka. 401(k) rep made a number of comparisons. (Don’t ask me what they are, I’ve already forgotten, but I still have a cute little stress reliever sponge football to prove it!)

Girls night at Jamie’s house one night. Not to worry Ginny, the house was still quite intact when I left. And that picture is still above your couch. But barely. It was begging to leave with me. Actually I guess I was there twice last week. The other night was when Wes was on a overnight run. For Crysta’s sake we did not have cheesecake. She (Crysta) has repented and come home from Indiana in the mean time. We’ll reward her with cheesecake next time.

Plans are shaping up for a weekend trip to Atlanta for the youth. Yay for Priceline! We got rooms at Courtyard by Marriott for just under $50/room. We plan to see the world famous Georgia Aquarium and other things like Underground Atlanta, Stone Mountain and we will have the experience of riding the MARTA train. Unfortunately World of Coca-Cola is closed being in transition from the old museum to the one near the aquarium. Oh, yeah, we may not take fishing poles into the aquarium. The website says so. So much for a fish supper.  So much for getting a Coke souvenir for Veronica G.

I was host person (since I’m not a family) this past Sunday since my parents were out of town. It was fun again to cook a big meal. Along with meatloaf, gourmet potatoes, green soybeans, peas-n-carrots, chef salad, muffins and pie, I had 14 guests. Well, the food was for eating, the guests for socializing.

How’s this for exciting! I went shopping at a Kroger on Friday night!!! Yes, roll your eyes if you will. My poor town has nothing but a Wal-mart and a Harveys. I stopped in a bent-and-dent store and found 2 bottles of my favorite salsa for half the store-prices. While I was at the bent-and-dent, I met a man from Ghana. Beth was quite disappointed that she wasn’t there to talk to him too. (She just came back from living there a year.)

Saw quite a few crocs, water buffaloes, hippos and odd, long horned cattle at church last night. Well, it was really on dvds taken by our minister and his wife who were in Uganda in January.

Verses from Sunday School recently — 2Ti 2:13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.  —- 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  —- 24 & 25 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

God bless you today in whatever you are facing! May He grant you wisdom and strength to face your giants!

MLou

 

Tonight …. last girls party before complicatedreamer gets married. Fondue supper and dessert. Grilled chicken and meatballs. Cheese Fondue. Veggies. Chocolate and caramel. Cheesecake. Fruit. Sleepover for those who want to stay.

Tomorrow …. drop off my car at the body shop for a little painting. The paint on the front bumper has been peeling and it looks “unapeeling” so it’s getting some improvement. My brother will pick me up sometime in the p.m. and we’ll head out for VA.

Friday …. shopping with my mom, SIL and sister. Supper at Carrabbas with the family (really drooling over this one).

Saturday …. Going to a cousin’s wedding. Conversations with family and friends.

Sunday …. ?? church somewhere, more food and fellowship.

Monday …. head back home. My sister is coming home with us for a week!!!!

I’ve been listening online to Dave Ramsey afternoons when I have time. He is a say-it-like-it-is financial guru who speaks from experience. He was in real estate while still in high school, built up a large financial empire that crashed when things got tough in the early 80s. He went through bankruptcy and started all over.

He recently had a session on tipping that was very interesting. You can listen to the archive copy at this place . Another very interesting topic before Christmas was on anonymous giving. On his website there is a “stupid tax” place that people can put stories of bad decisions and what it cost them, such as the young couple that bought a $900 wedding ring on credit and ended up paying over $3,500 for it.

He now uses no credit cards and buys absolutely nothing on credit. Some of his “famous” sayings are:

Live like no one else, so you can live like no one else
Beans and rice, rice and beans
Teaching people to act their wage
If you ask how he’s doing, he responds, “better than I deserve.”
Average in America is broke. You don’t want to be average.

Anyway, it’s educational plus very entertaining!

Women who have to have best even if they can’t afford it: Princess Syndrome
Credit Cards: American Excess
Car Lease: Car Fleece
Cutting up credit cards: Plasectomy
Credit score: Credit Scar (because you can only have one if you borrow money)

Other quotes from him:

Looking good and being broke is the definition of being stupid.
If your self-esteem is based on what you drive, you’re what’s known as shallow.

It doesn’t take long to figure out he must be a choleric.  Any other listeners out there? If so, what do you think of his advice?