Dungy Has a Chance at a Superbowl Title!

Generally speaking I do not concern myself with sports but I do get fired up about men of character! Win or lose Dungy is a true champion and the thought of him realizing a long sought after goal gives me the happies. Go Colts!

NDIANAPOLIS - A comeback, a drive, a legacy. And, yes — finally — Peyton Manning gets his Super Bowl trip. So does Tony Dungy. Football's most prolific quarterback put on a show for the ages Sunday, rallying the
Indianapolis Colts from 18 points down and driving them 80 yards for the winning score in a wildly entertaining 38-34 victory over the
New England Patriots.

In his nine years in the league, Manning has never played in a game like this AFC championship contest. He threw for 349 yards and one touchdown and brought his team back from a 21-3 deficit, the biggest comeback in conference title-game history.

Joseph Addai capped Manning's late drive with the winning score, a 3-yard run with 1 minute left to help the Colts (15-4) complete the rally and send Dungy to his first Super Bowl — and a very special one.

The Colts coach will face the
Chicago Bears and his good friend Lovie Smith in Miami in two weeks. Together they are the first black coaches to make the Super Bowl in its 41 years.

After Indy's last touchdown, Manning was on the sideline, his head down — he couldn't bear to watch. New England's Tom Brady — he of the three Super Bowl rings — threw an interception to Marlin Jackson and the RCA Dome crowd went wild. One kneel down later and Manning ripped off his helmet to celebrate.

Not only was it a win for Manning, the All-Pro, All-Everything son of Archie, it was a riveting, back-and-forth showcase of two of the NFL's best teams, best quarterbacks, and yet another example of why football is America's favorite sport.

It was anything but by-the-book, and that started becoming obvious when New England left guard Logan Mankins opened the scoring by pouncing on a fumbled handoff between Brady and Laurence Maroney that squirted into the Indy end zone midway through the first quarter.

It got worse from there for Manning, who telegraphed a throw to the sideline that Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel snatched and took 39 yards into the end zone for a 21-3 lead.

Then, the game plan changed because it had to, and the game morphed from another Manning meltdown into something much more.

He led the Colts on an 80-yard drive late in the first half for a field goal to make it 21-6. In the third quarter, he was at his cruel best, dissecting an exhausted Patriots defense for a pair of long drives and scores.

The first came on a 1-yard quarterback sneak. The second was capped by a 1-yard pass to Dan Klecko, a defensive tackle who came in as a supposed decoy at the goal line. A circus catch by Marvin Harrison for the 2-point conversion tied the game at 21.

The rest of the game was rollicking, back-and-forth, and Manning never let up.

The Patriots answered with an 80-yard kickoff return by Ellis Hobbs, which set up a 6-yard touchdown from Brady to Jabar Gaffney. Officials awarded the score to Gaffney after ruling he was forced out of the back of the end zone by an Indy defender.

Manning came right back, and proving that one good offensive lineman deserves another, his handoff to Dominic Rhodes misfired. The ball scooted forward and center Jeff Saturday got this touchdown to tie the score at 28.

After that drive, Manning could be seen on the sideline, nursing a sore thumb. But he wasn't coming out.

The teams traded field goals, and Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski put New England ahead 34-31 on a 43-yarder with 3:49 left.

After a touchback, it was time for Manning's drive: 11 yards to Reggie Wayne, 32 yards to Bryan Fletcher, a scary completion to Wayne, who nearly lost the ball but snatched it back.

A roughing-the-passer call gave Indy the ball at the 11, then Manning handed off three straight times to Addai for the last 11 yards — showing that, yes, maybe it really is about more than just the quarterback.

Or maybe not.

This one was Manning at his best.

He was the first-round draft pick in 1998, considered a prototypical, can't-miss guy despite the fact that he could never win the big one in Tennessee, falling to archrival Florida three times when the Vols might have been good enough to win it all.

He was 0-2 in the playoffs against New England, and the storyline all week was what a break the Colts got to get the Patriots at home, and what a sensational feeling it would be to finally knock off the team that bedeviled them most.

Manning conceded during the week that he could hear the clock ticking as his career entered its prime, especially as the disappointments mounted.

His teammates protected him, saying the quarterback shouldn't shoulder all the burden for the franchise's inability to break through and make the Super Bowl.

But now Indy has finally done it, for the first time since owner Bob Irsay's midnight move from Baltimore back in 1984 found the Colts in the Midwest, adopted at first by a basketball-loving fan base, then embraced when Manning came into the fold.

The Patriots lost for the first time in six trips to the AFC championship game, as coach Bill Belichick found himself uncharacteristically unable to shut down Peyton and Co.

The Colts piled on 455 yards and scored on six of their final eight drives, not counting the one where Manning kneeled down. The mystique that seemed so prevalent last week in an upset win over San Diego seemed missing, and this looked like a tired, desperate, defeated team in the end — maybe in part because of a flu bug that worked its way through their locker room during the week.

So while that dynasty is dead, it is now Manning's turn to take a shot at history. Of course, with his performance Sunday — many think he has already.

Extreme Makeover Home Edition Davis Islands "Morning of the Reveal"

Check out a large spectator submitted gallery here
Check out some images captured by a local pirate here!
Check out the images she captured for everyone here!
Check out Ida M's coverage of the proceedings here!
Check out Click clicks excellent set of images here!
See the exact location here!

Some Roll Out 'Extreme' Unwelcome Mat
By MIKE SALINERO The Tampa Tribune

TAMPA - On radio talk shows and computer message boards, a simmering resentment is building over Tom and Cynthia Tate's good fortune.



People wonder why a family living on affluent Davis Islands needs help from the hit TV show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

"I don't understand the charity needed for the Tates," an e-mailer wrote to a TBO.com message board. "I am sure they can afford to build again."

Why, they wonder, didn't the family's homeowners insurance cover the cost to rebuild?



"I don't begrudge them a new house, but it seemed like it was their responsibility; they should have been up to date with their insurance," said another e-mailer.

The resentment stems in part from the sketchy information given about what happened with the insurance, and because Davis Islands residents generally are perceived as wealthy.

The Tate family is out of town while their new home is being built and could not be reached Friday. Tom Tate's sister-in-law and the TV show's executive producer say the Tates' insurance had indeed lapsed, either through an error on the family's part or on the part of the bank that refinanced their mortgage in 2005.

Despite what most people think, they said, there are people on Davis Islands living paycheck to paycheck.

"People can feel like Joe Shmoe is more deserving than Tom and Cynthia," said Jeanne Tate, the sister-in-law. "But that doesn't mean they're wealthy people. It doesn't mean they have a pot to crawl into besides the [new] house."

Plane, But Not Simple
Tom and Cynthia Tate bought their Davis Islands home in 1993 and raised their three children there: Ryan, 21, Tommy, 14, and Loren, 11. Tom works at a Davis Islands restaurant, Tate Brothers Pizza.

Although it has been reported that he owns the pizza shop, Jeanne Tate said the business is owned by his father.

On June 12, a plane careened off the runway at nearby Peter O. Knight Airport and crashed into the Tates' home. The crash killed the pilot and severely injured the co-pilot. Cynthia Tate was home alone that day, but escaped injury. The family pets died in the crash.

At the time, the four-bedroom, 1,773-square-foot home had a market value of $368,000 and a taxable value of $223,000, according to property records. The family had refinanced in 2005, and mortgage records show they owed $165,000 at the time of the refinancing.

Jeanne Tate said that shortly after the crash, the family received a letter from their property insurer saying their policy had been canceled for nonpayment.

Before the crash, she said, the couple had received a notice from the insurance company saying they owed between $100 and $200. She said they ignored the letter because they thought a year's worth of premiums had been paid upfront by their bank and the cost would be added to their mortgage payments. That is how they paid insurance under their old mortgage.

Jeanne Tate, who said she is a lawyer, said the couple cannot sue the bank for not notifying them that the insurance needed to be paid. Although banks and mortgage companies insist that the property be insured, that is only to protect their loan, not the homeowners.

The Tates recently reached a settlement with AIG, the company that insured the plane, according to AIG attorney John Murray. The details of the settlement were not disclosed, but Jeanne Tate said the insurer paid to clean up airplane fuel on their property and gave the family a small lump sum to cover some of their belongings lost in the crash.

Now that "Extreme Makeover" is building their home free, the Tates cannot sue AIG for the value of the home, Jeanne Tate said.

"You can't double-dip; that's the law," she said. "If 'Extreme Makeover' hadn't rebuilt the house, the insurance company would have been liable for the fair market value of the house, which was hundreds of thousands of dollars less than what it would cost to rebuild."

New Law Gives Tates A Break
In addition to a new home, the Tates will be able to take advantage of a law passed last year that will lessen the property tax increase they will face next year.

In the wake of the 2004 and 2005 hurricanes, the Florida Legislature passed a law that shelters new homes from valuation increases if the old home was destroyed by a calamity.

The Tates' former home was protected by the Save Our Homes amendment, which caps homesteaded property tax increases at 3 percent a year. Had a plane not hit their home, and had they torn it down to build a new one, their new house would have been reappraised at current market values.

Under the new law, however, up to 110 percent of the square footage of their old home will stay capped at the lower tax rate in the new home. That means that though the new "Extreme Makeover" home will be 3,400 square feet, only about 1,400 square feet will face the new, higher valuation.

Also, the tax rate on the land itself will stay capped because the Tates plan to continue living there, according to Warren Weathers, Hillsborough County chief deputy property appraiser.

Weathers said a new 3,500-square-foot house on Davis Islands probably would be taxed at $19,000 a year. Because of the breaks the Tates are getting under the calamity law and the capped value on the land, they will pay about $10,000 a year starting in 2008. They were paying $5,500 a year, Weathers said.

Fans of the show have grown to expect heart-wrenching tales about families facing unusual challenges. Compared with some of those families - those with disabilities or with sick children - the plight of the Tate family seems less dire.

Denise Cramsey, the executive producer of "Extreme Makeover," said the program did an in-depth investigation of the Tates and found that they were needy and deserving of help.

Their story is expected to be broadcast on ABC in March.

Reporter Mike Salinero can be reached at (813) 259-8303 .

Here is an interesting story about a previous make over family and how they are fairing.
Dream home brings a big tax hike
Legislation seeks help for 'Makeover' families
January 8, 2007

BY EUNNIE PARK

RECORD (HACKENSACK N.J.)

The Llanes family had a fairy-tale moment when "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" swept into Bergenfield, N.J., last spring, knocked down their creaky old home and built them a futuresque dream house.

The community celebrated. People shed tears of joy.

Happily ever after, right?

Not quite.

A better home means a higher assessment. And a higher assessment, of course, means a higher tax bill. In this case, more than $14,000.

Now, Vic Llanes is beginning to feel the burden of his family's windfall.

"We feel an ax hanging over our head," said Llanes, who is blind and has three disabled children. "With all the taxes, it's like we're on a chopping block."

Some state lawmakers are trying to calm the family's fears through a proposed law that would permit short-term tax exemptions for homes that were renovated for disabled residents by charitable groups. Measures have been introduced in the Senate and Assembly, and the sponsors are hoping for approval this year.

"When we heard that their taxes would be going up and they wouldn't be able to keep this beautifully new, improved home, we just felt that we should try to do something in the Legislature," said Assemblywoman Valerie Huttle, one of the cosponsors.

Under the proposals, homeowners' property taxes would remain at the level they were paying before the makeover. At least half the residents in the home must qualify for federal tax credit as a result of being disabled, and the improvements must be made as charity to accommodate the residents' disabilities.

A similar bill was introduced by New Jersey State Sen. Ronald Rice in July to help a family where a woman with 12 disabled adopted and foster children was facing a huge tax hike after "Extreme Makeover" built them a home twice the size of the original.

The proposed exemption for the Llanes family is limited to five years, under the state constitution. But lawmakers could always revisit the issue when the time is up, said Rocco Mezza, Huttle's chief of staff.

Before the makeover, a small split-level with faulty plumbing and steep stairways was home to the family -- Vic; his wife Maria, who has thyroid cancer now in remission; their 16-year-old deaf son Zeb; their two nearly blind daughters, Guen, 20, and Carrie, 13; and Vic's blind mother, Isabel.

It was assessed at $222,200, and they were paying about $6,110 a year in taxes, according to Bergenfield Tax Assessor Art Carlson.

The new state-of-the-art home has about $100,000 worth of technology built into it, including solar panels and a computer called Rosie -- named after the robot maid on "The Jetsons" TV series -- that ostensibly runs the place.

But the value of their property has more than doubled: Carlson estimates it's worth about $497,000, putting the Llaneses' 2007 tax bill at about $14,550.

"If the (proposed law) doesn't pass, we will be in a far worse situation than we were in before," Vic Llanes said. "What choice do we have if we get driven away with the taxes? The last thing we want to do is to move."

The issue of how contestants cope with maintenance and tax bills after a home makeover has been raised several times since the show began airing in 2003. There have been reports of families facing similar problems coast to coast.

In 2004, Newsweek reported that the show's producers had found a loophole by "leasing" the contestant's home for 10 days, during which they renovated the property. IRS allows tax-free rental of less than 15 days, and the renovations are then considered "leaseholder improvement," which is tax-free. The production company was widely criticized, however, for putting contestants in a precarious situation with the IRS.

David Goldberg, president of Endemol, the show's production company, countered that contestants are made well aware of the potential tax increase and sign a contract before agreeing to the makeover.

"This show is about benevolence," he said. "It's about making people's dream of owning a home come true. It isn't about duping them and then leaving them riddled with a bunch of tax bills."

Even if the proposed bill passes in the Legislature, the Bergenfield Borough Council will have to approve a local ordinance.

High taxes have been a sore spot for the borough, especially since a revaluation a year and a half ago. Still, local officials said they can't imagine this issue being very controversial.

Carlson, the tax assessor, said the Llaneses' exemption wouldn't make a substantial difference for the rest of the town.

While the Llaneses await the outcome, they are also getting help elsewhere.

Pinnacle Foundation, a charity founded by The Pinnacle Cos., a real estate developer, has raised more than $100,000 for the family.

The money will pay the mortgage for five years and will be used for medical, educational and other expenses.

Llanes said he has no reservations about the new home other than the taxes.

"Taxes have been the ghost of my life," Llanes said. "Minus the tax, everything would be fully, fully, fully great."

Extreme Makeover Home Edition Davis Islands

Check out some images captured by a local pirate here!
Check out the images she captured for everyone here!
Check out Ida M's coverage of the proceedings here!
Check out Click clicks excellent set of images here!
See the exact location here!

The reveal draws ever closer!

Extreme Home Makeover Davis Islands

Pensive, Listening Ty
Originally uploaded by Click Click Photography


This is from April B. one of our preschool teachers…

Check out the images she captured for everyone here!
Check out Ida M's coverage of the proceedings here!
Check out Click clicks excellent set of images here!
See the exact location here!


Here is how this home ended up needing this extreme makover!

Makeover Plan An Extreme Surprise
By NICOLA M. WHITE The Tampa Tribune
Published: Jan 8, 2007
TAMPA - In an instant last June, the life the Tate family knew and loved was destroyed in a freak accident.
A turboprop plane trying to land at the nearby Peter O. Knight Airport skidded, tore through an airport fence and careened into their Davis Islands home. The aircraft and the house burst into flames and the pilot was killed.
The house was gutted; the family's minivan turned into a hulk of rusted metal in the driveway.
"There was very little left - some pots and pans, a few souvenirs out of some drawers," Cynthia Tate said.
Sunday morning, the Tates learned their family's luck was about to turn when a film crew rolled up to the Ballast Point home where they have been staying. After months of knowing they were finalists, the Tates found out they would be featured on ABC TV's reality show, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."
By next week, the Tates, known locally for their Tate Brothers Pizza shop on Davis Boulevard, will have a new home - free of charge - and their story broadcast on national television.
"We knew there was a possibility, but never in a million years did we know it was going to happen," Cynthia Tate said.
The Emmy award-winning show, in its fourth season, showcases families desperately in need of, well, an extreme home makeover. Often, the families tell emotional stories and the show wraps up with hugs and tears as the family sees its new home for the first time.
The work is completed in a week. Thousands of people will work around the clock on the Tate's house. WCI Communities, a luxury homebuilder based in California, and its subcontractors will do the task free of charge.
"It's nice to bring folks together - A, to help a family, and B, why not build a house in a week?" said Tim Oak, regional president for WCI.
Six blocks around the home at 629 E. Davis Blvd. will be roped off to traffic as camera and construction crews take over the neighborhood. On Sunday afternoon, many neighbors came out to root for the Tates.
"We're excited; it's good for them," said Anna Plowman, who lives behind the Tates.
The Tates' house will be built to fit with the rest of the neighborhood. What it will look like is closely guarded because the show builds on the suspense of revealing the new house at the end of the episode.
The Tates' episode could be televised in March, the show's producers told WCI, the homebuilder.
By late afternoon Sunday, the family - including children Ryan, 21, Tommy, 14, and Loren, 11 - walked out of the charred house and hopped into a white stretch Hummer to be whisked away to Costa Rica for a week while film and construction crews knock down and rebuild their home.
The family looked overwhelmed and excited.
"I'm numb, it's a dream come true," Cynthia Tate said. "Seven months ago, I stood across the street and saw everything die."
The Tates bought the four-bedroom home in 1993. It is assessed at $248,000, according to property records. Although the family had insurance, it didn't cover the extreme damage to their home, Tom Tate said.
They never thought about leaving the close-knit neighborhood.
"We were always hoping to come back," Tom Tate said.


Out Of Wreckage, A Home Will Rise
By B.C. MANION The Tampa Tribune
Published: Jan 9, 2007
TAMPA - Four-year-old Colton Dunn climbed up a chain-link fence to get a better view of the track hoe slamming into his neighbors' house on Davis Islands.
"Tear down this house!" the little boy yelled as the machine's mechanical jaws bit into the roof of the yellow frame home.
As the house came crashing down, the stench of charred wood drifted, reminding neighbor Lori Diaz of the awful smell that filled the air on June 12. That's the day a turboprop plane attempting to land at nearby Peter O. Knight Airport skidded into Tom and Cynthia Tate's home of 13 years.
The crash killed the pilot, seriously injured the co-pilot and destroyed the home. Cynthia, home alone with her pets, made it outside. The pets did not.
The house has sat empty ever since. The Tates' insurance won't cover the cost to rebuild, and the property was soaked with jet fuel, which must be removed before any work can be done.
On Sunday, crews from ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" show surprised the family, telling them they would have a new home - and a clean yard - in a week. The family has been staying at a friend's home.
The couple and their three children are relaxing in Costa Rica while WCI Communities Inc., a Florida-based home builder, its subcontractors and volunteers get the job done.
Jackie Soper, a 58-year-old winter resident, was among the crowd of spectators watching Monday's effort. She's a big fan of the show.
"I just love anything that has to do with helping people," Soper said.

WCI Communities, Inc. and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Team Up to Build Dream Home for Tampa, Fla. Area Family.

Nichole Lang-Veru

We had a little girl attending DIBC for a while now. She died on the 26th of Dec, 2006. She was a sweet quiet little girl who was usually seen following her big sister around the church.

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
John 11:25

Death Of Girl Triggers Call For Flu Shots
By JOSH POLTILOVE The Tampa Tribune
Published: Jan 6, 2007

TAMPA - Hillsborough County and state health officials are encouraging people to get flu shots after the death of a 9-year-old girl.
Nichole Lang-Veru, a fourth-grader at Mabry Elementary in south Tampa, died Dec. 27 during her school's winter break.
"We know that she had influenza when she died," said Doug Holt, county health department director. "It's highly presumptive that it's what killed her."
If confirmed, it would be the first official flu-related death of a person younger than 18 in Hillsborough since at least the 2004-05 flu season, Holt said.
At Mabry Elementary this week, Nichole's classmates made cards for her parents and decided to leave her two desks vacant for the rest of the school year. The school also is considering creating a butterfly garden or other memorial.
Diana Lang declined to comment about her daughter's death, other than to say, "If you're going to say anything, just know she was my soul; she was my life."
A few students and about 15 Mabry teachers attended Nichole's funeral.
"She was a very sweet little girl, very thoughtful," said her teacher, Lynn Heller. "She had a beautiful smile, a cute little giggle. She was a cute little fourth-grader that everybody loved."
The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office suspects Nichole's death was flu-related and is awaiting test results for confirmation, spokesman Dick Bailey said. It could be a month until the results are available.
There has been no other flu-related death reported this season in Florida, state Department of Health spokesman Fernando Senra said.
"It's unfortunate and sad that sometimes there are children that die because of the flu," Senra said. "People should be evaluating what they're doing with flu protection to help themselves and their family."
Each year, the flu kills an estimated 36,000 people nationwide.
Flu season typically begins in October and peaks in February. Roughly 1 in 10,000 people with influenza dies as a result of it, Holt said.
There was a vaccine shortage in 2004, but 110 million to 120 million doses were produced nationally for the current flu season, more than ever before, Holt said.
It's unclear whether Nichole had a flu shot, but Holt said a shot might not have helped her, given the severity of the case.
"It's so odd; it's so rare," he said.
Mabry Principal Scott Weaver said a grief counselor has been on hand for students, who returned Wednesday from winter break.
Nichole's classmates have been resilient, Heller said.
"It's something that you don't ever want to go through as a teacher," she said. "I can only imagine what it's like as a parent."

Here are the details.
St Pete. Times
Tampa Tribune
TBO Guest book

Steve Irwin is Dead

The Crocodile Hunter is no more, but on the up side his children should now have a better chance for survival!

Australia Zoo, the wildlife park Irwin ran in northeastern Queensland state, issued a statement confirming he was killed Monday "by a stingray barb to his heart" while filming a sequence for his daughter's new television series on the Great Barrier Reef. More here

Never in a million would I have guessed that a stingray spine to the heart would be the way he would go but he is an original.



Thank you Steve for all the amazing shows! You have left a rich Legacy!

Steve Robert Irwin - Short Biography

-- Born in February 1962 to parents Lyn and Bob Irwin. His parents were animal naturalists.

-- 1968 - Steve was given a pet Scrub Python for his birthday. He would go out and catch rodents to feed his snake while his friends opened cans of pet food for their cats and dogs.

-- 1970 - The family moved to Queensland and started a small reptile park at Beerwah (Sunshine Coast). It became known as Australia Zoo and was a true family business. Steve was brought up in the Zoo and was involved in the daily feeding and care of the animals. He was also involved in the Zoo's day-to-day maintenance work. When he was nine his dad taught him how to jump and catch crocodiles in the rivers at night. Apparently every crocodile in the Zoo was either born there or caught with bare hands.

-- 1991 - Bob and Lyn retired. Steve took over management of the Zoo. The Zoo has flourished and expanded. A meeting with friend, TV Producer John Stainton, lead to the beginning of the program ‘Crocodile Hunter' in 1992, which became hugely popular all over the world.

-- 1992 - Steve married Terri Raines, from Oregon, USA.

-- 24 July 1998 - Daughter, Bindi Sue was born.

-- 1 December 2003 - Son Robert (Bob) Clarence was born

The Media & The Florida Alligator

The local media has been whipping the average television viewer into a frothy, white, lather of late over alligators. I have been irritated to no end. I could not however have expected that the news, and its ignorant crusade to scare people into never leaving their home and the safety of endless breaking news, would have the comical effect it had in my existence today.

Today I had a photo shoot and you guessed it the shoot was to take place next to the “alligator infested” waters of a small lake in the Tampa area. I arrived early and went about scouting the edge for the best places to capture images. I happily took some images of the lovely lotus blossoms for my own personal stash. It was a lovely lake and a good location and I was feeling good about the chances of getting some really good images when the folks arrived for the shoot.

Time went by and the happy people arrived with their darling children. As we started making preparation for the shoot I hear a voice in the distance. Could someone be yelling to me at the top of their lungs from clear across the lake? Why yes I believe I see a gentleman over there on the other bank. What is that he is yelling? There are alligators in the water? Let me take a moment to say that it is nice to have fellow citizens concerned for your safety and if it were not for the fact that we are in little to no danger and the present climate of media educed panic over our reptilian friend who have roamed Florida since the creation I would have been far more appreciative but I was a little perturbed. I of course yelled back at the top of my lungs a thank you for his concern and was sure he was satisfied that he had just saved all of our live. Then I continued to complete the task at hand.

Half way into the shoot a security guard named Steve dropped by to inform us that he had received a call about our presence on the property. We told him what we were doing there and he did not seem to disapprove. He sheepishly told us that some one had called to inform him that a group of people were preparing to swim it the very lake we now standing next to and at the very same location to which he had responded. Who could have made such a call? Anywho common sense prevailed and he left us to our own devices and we finished the shoot.

I tell you this because I am frustrated. My frustration is with a society that has become completely helpless in the created world. Not only they helpless they are so insecure about this fact that they feel it necessary to freak the rest of the "helpless masses" into a state of panic over the silliest things. We are all going to die so let me ask you this, “how cool would it be to go after a desperate struggle with an alligator?”

Gee Whiz people get out of your homes and enjoy nature.

This reminds me of a couple image I photoshopped during the whole Steve Irwin contraversy.
Image 1 Image 2

Only A Matter Of Time?

Gas prices are easily manipulated by people who would like to see America fall. We should at least begin to break our addiction to oil and become more reasonable consumers. Our citizens are so indebted it would take little more than a few weeks of turmoil for our whole finacial structure to crumble.

Sweet Letter

This sure is a touching and sweet letter simply written by a man taking care of his family to the very end.

These men know the risks of working hundreds of feet under ground in a West Virginia coal mine and they take them willingly.

DSL!

I recently purchased a Digital Subscriber Line with a resonable montly cost. I have to say it has revolutionized my internet experience. Five years of dial up is quikly fading into the mists of time.



It is the slowest of the plans but even so I just want to giggle everytime I up or download files!

TEST YOUR SPEED

Taylor Behl

Taylor Behl
Blog Trail
Behl's Live Journal Fawley's Live Journal

The internet can introduce you to your murderer.Just another friendly reminder that no one you meet on the internet is to be trusted. Always keep the information you post on the internet very generic and resist the temptation to reveal private information about your life to the scores of abusers, rapists, and murderers who are viewing information on the web.

Use the internet for all the good things it makes possible but be wise. Always keep your guard up and recognize that you have no clue who those folks you call friends from the internet really are.

Do not use last names or exact locations unless you are a gun toter in Florida, Yeeee Haaaaaw.
When posting images edit them to no larger than 400 x 400 and 60kb.
Do not communicate with folks over the net unless you met them before in the real world and independent of the internet.

No Better Place

I have heard it said that how terrible it would be if Louisiana was hit by Rita but can you honestly say there is a better place for Hurricane Rita to go than in the path of Katirna?

1. The area is already wiped out leaving very little of value at risk.
2. Everyone who cares for their life has already left.
3. Money and resources are already being made available for futrue reconstruction.

Let's hope that if has to hit it does so where it will cause the least damage!

Wards of the State

The State of Florida has taken one of the final steps to enable new parents to avoid what little responsibility remains for raising their own children.Parents can now store their kids during their waking hours in a day care free of any additional out of pocket expenses.
The final step can only be building all new schools with an attached maternity ward. You birth them and avoid all the hassle of having to take them home and care for them. All this leaving you free to pursue more important tasks like making loads of money to buy that bigger house and luxury car.

Ivory Billed Wood Pecker

When I was a little boy I recall standing on the bank of the Saint Johns River with my father and hearing him tell me the story of the Ivory Billed Wood Pecker. I believe it was the first time I understood that creatures could disappear never to return. I remember thinking how wonderful it would be to discover one of these now legendary birds deep in some untouched tract of forest. Today I was amazed to read that the Ivory Billed Wood Pecker has been rediscovered!

President Bush Senator Kerry

George W. Bush, John Kerry, Dick Cheney, John Edwards.

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Yee Haaw!

The Big Twist with Lots of Spin

From the forecast of a direct hit to a complete miss. We were spared the destruction that comes with the big twist. As I sit and reflect several hours after the passage of the Hurricane and rational thought processes begin once again to guide my thinking I am thankful we are alive uninjured and living in a community which can continue to go about our daily lives with virtually no interruption. Our neighbors south and east are in a bad way and will be cleaning up for weeks.
As the hurricane approached we watch the news media consistently report the hurricane’s path as a bee line for the mouth of Tampa Bay. All the residence in low lying areas A,B,C were ordered to head to the east which is farther inland. Many did so and ironically moved right in to the path of the hurricane. All the communities south of Sarasota were surprised to find that upon hitting the Gulf Stream Charley preceded to spin right toward them eventually troubling them greatly.

You cannot predict the path of a
hurricane! Intellectually
we all know this but we so want to believe that
technology has the answers to
all the riddles. The more advanced the
technology the more we simply stand in
awe of the unpredictability of the
natural world.

The media, with it’s “You can’t survive without us” fervency, iterrupted only by the usual car, trial lawyer, and feminine hygiene product advertisement, strikes out again. What we need to see is a channel with an uninterrupted feed of the satellite loop. We can draw our own conclusions. The fact is, if a hurricane is coming everyone needs to find a sturdy structure on sufficiently high ground…… nough said. I appreciate the effort that the media made to inform and instruct but their conviction that they knew so precisely where the hurricane was headed was a bit ambitious.