Friday, February 18, 2011

Picture frames



With the announcement of twins along the way, and weddings in the air, I have focused on Photo frames.  I have been creating these, and hoping that they will sell well.  These can be found in my shop Ridgerunner Collections on Etsy.http://www.etsy.com/shop/CraftyPA

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Cthulhu Hat

It was an interesting Christmas season.  I started making Cthulhu hats right after Halloween this year, and never got to put down my crochet hook all season!  These hats are so much fun!  They are rather intimidating trying to talk to someone with one on though, because you only can see their eyes.  There is a mouth whole that you can eat and drink from while wearing the hat.

I will posts pictures of my hats.  Of course  they are available on my Etsy shop.  If they aren't there, just conversation me what you want and I can get one out to you within a day or so.





Here is the link to my shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/CraftyPA

Here are the hats.

I don't know if this video will play, but try it http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=157055167675954

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Paid Experts

I just checked weather for tomorrow.  Now mind you, we are talking of weather only 24 hours in advance, so we aren't talking about a great leap of meteorological magic...
The results:
Tomorrow it will be a cloudy 59 degrees (According to Accuweather)
Tomorrow it will be a partly sunny 55 degrees (According to WNEP 7 day forecast)
Tomorrow it will be partly cloudy 71 degrees (According to Weather.com)

How is all this possible?  Aren't these folks the "experts?" There difference of 16 degrees tomorrow. It will either be mostly sunny or cloudy.

Just like the rest of the world...even the experts, paid to predict based on their knowledge, cannot agree what it will be like in 24 hours.  This is true of weathermen, Investment bankers, security experts, business consultants and a whole range of  paid "experts."  Yet we continually look to these folks with the mistaken belief that their information can make problems go away.

I am a firm believer in education, and research.  But it is still important to gather information, and then use the common sense you were given to base your decisions.  Do not rely on "experts" to make your decisions, they are for you to make.

I ran into a T-shirt in a magazine yesterday.  It said in essence:  Trust your instincts.  The Arc was built by novices, the Titanic by experts.

UPDATE:  The weather turned out to be sunny, 66 degrees.  They were all wrong.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

That will teach them that cops don't like to walk!

This little gem was found in our local Williamsport Sun Gazette.

 Police chief issues at least 90 parking tickets

By R.A. WALKER rwalker@sungazette.com
POSTED: April 17, 2010
Gregory Foresman apparently took it to heart when Mayor Gabriel J. Campana ordered "all" city police officers to walk city neighborhoods for at least 30 minutes of every work shift. The directive included command staff.
After Thursday night's City Council meeting, Foresman was asked about his neighborhood visits so far.
The chief acknowledged as accurate reports by Pennsylvania College of Technology students that he had been seen on foot and issuing tickets on Vine Avenue this week.
He said he also visited the neighborhoods around Lycoming College and reported finding too many violations in the residential neighborhoods with permit parking around both schools.
Violations of permit parking carry a $25 fine, and Foresman said he issued at least 90 tickets just in the first four days of the new policy.
The mayor and police administration began the mandatory neighborhood walks last year but curtailed them over the cold-weather months.
When he revived the effort last week, Campana said he wanted officers to spend time getting to know the city's neighborhoods and their residents. He urged officers to talk with residents whenever possible.
The mayor also said officers were to be given their foot patrol assignments at the start of shifts, and the assignments would be determined by neighborhood needs and crime trends.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Influence of Fathers

I was settled down for another episode of  "Undercover Boss" and started noticing a trend on this show, which was, how much people speak of their Fathers.  Some of these men were moved to tears just thinking of dear old Dad.  Then I started to think about other reality based shows, where people can speak from their hearts.  Guess what they speak of?  Yup, their Fathers.

What was really amazing is that it doesn't seem to matter how dastardly their Father was, or how admirable...These men's lives were directly influenced by the actions of their Fathers.  They all seemed to want to prove something to their Fathers, although most of them had lost their Fathers years ago.  Their Father's influence on their lives had not diminished at all!  It also seemed that the older the men were, the more they reflected on their Fathers,  They finally got to see life from their Father's eyes.

I have often cringed with how Fathers are represented on television, usually stupid, inept, far inferior to their wives.  They need molded and changed by women to prevent them from a life of their own stupidity.  I have known all along it was not the case, but can't help but wonder if part of the problem in this country is the fact that we present Fathers in such a terrible light on television.

We really need to repaint our picture of Fatherhood.  A Father's love, and work ethic and attitude on life will impact a child throughout their lives.  My generation did not get to see their "Dad" much.  He was expected to go to work, and not get involved in the trivial family matters.  Mom took care of the day to day things.  He wasn't encouraged to show emotions, but rather "take care of things."  Maybe it was this absence that caused us to miss how very important he was.

I lost my Father when I was only 16.  I never lost his impact on my life.

It is funny how that works out.

Friday, April 9, 2010

My Aluminum Can Project

I have been creating things from Aluminum Cans for decades. (Yes I am old.)  I thought I would share some pictures.  Most of my work can be purchased at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/CraftyPA

Enjoy!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Great detective work Lou!

Here is a report of a new species of  lizard being discovered.  


No, it wasn't found on a remote island.  It is heavily populated and largely deforested Luzon Island of Northern Philippines.

It isn't small and obscure.  It was a 6 foot, 6 inch freaking long monitor lizard.

It wasn't heavily camouflaged, as it is brightly colored.

It was even unknown.  The locals regularly eat them!

But yet, the  discovery of the monitor lizard was described as an 'unprecedented surprise' by scientists.

Great detective work there Lou!