Run for your life--the allergens are here!

Do you suffer from allergies? Well, I never did...until I moved to Tennessee, lauded as one of the worst places for those who suffer (or will suffer) from allergies. It's gotten worse every passing year, and though I love living here, I'm having to get creative in my allergy prevention or treatment.

Recently I borrowed a home remedies book from my mother-in-law, and it's proven quite the interesting read. I'd like to share some interesting, easy, and hopefully effective treatments for allergies.

1. Air condition your car. If walking outside makes you start wheezing and sneezing, imagine what tearing through all those pollen clouds at 55 mph is going to do. Be sensible, and remember to use air condining in your car. (This one actually saddens me, because I love open windows and a soft breeze or rushing wind through my hair. Since I've started using my ac more, I have noticed improvement, sans the wind-blown hair look...)

2. Keep it clean. People with allergies fare better when dust and grime are kept to a minimum. Try not to use aerosols sprays or harsh products containing chemicals that will irritate your airways.

3. Choose the hot cycle on laundry day. Linens should be washed in water that is at least 130 degrees F to rid them of dust mites and their waste.

4. Throw out your carpets. Carpets may look nice, but they make an ideal home for dust mites, mold, pollen, and pet dander. Instead, opt for throw rugs, which can be easily cleaned in temperatures hot enough to kill dust mites.

5. Minimize clutter. Knicknacks such as dried flowers, books, stuffed animals, or any other homey touch can easily collect dust and allergens. Keep it to a minimum or toss it altogether.

Kevin's strange new hobby

After months of grueling research pouring over countless websites, multiple documentaries, recently released books, and raw video footage, I have confirmed that on September 11, 2001 nineteen Islamic hijackers muscled themselves into four individual cockpits and crashed the aircrafts into the Twin Towers, The Pentagon, and a field in rural Pennsylvania.

What? This isn't news to you? In regards to my findings, it may be news to you that I have taken on a new (albeit strange) hobby relating to the evidence that I have presented in the paragraph above. Yep, I spend my valuable free time proving what millions of Americans already know. What you may not know, however, is that there are millions of Americans (and counting) that believe that a shadow government, or the actual U.S. government, was totally complicit or at least criminally negligent in the attacks that took the lives of thousands of American. How strong is this movement? Below is an article I wrote for the Maryville College student newspaper The Highland Echo.



Was 9/11 an Inside Job?
A critical look at this conspiracy theory phenomenon
By Kevin L. Fowler


Didn’t you hear? The terrorist attacks that claimed the lives of 3,000 Americans six years ago was not due to the fiendish acts of nineteen Islamic fundamentalists under command of terrorist mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and financier Usama Bin-Laden. I hate to break it to you, but it was actually the United States government that brought down the World Trade Center buildings to the ground via controlled demolition. The government was also responsible for the attack on the Pentagon in Arlington and the take down of Flight 93 over rural Pennsylvania by decimating both with cruise tomahawk missiles.

Sound loony? Good! However, you may be surprised that opinion polls have deemed that anywhere between 3-36% of our fellow Americans agree that government officials “either assisted in the 9/11 attacks or took no action.” Those who harbor these beliefs are often quickly dismissed as crazy, but I urge you to look a bit closer. If this Scripps-Howard poll is accurate then an estimated 105 million Americans indulge in the absurdities written in the first paragraph. This alone is worth every American’s attention.

If the United States government participated in a false flag operation to brainwash the American public into approving two Middle East wars then this has to be the most riveting political scandal since the burning of Reichstag. Who blew the whistle on this self-inflicted wound that has mobilized millions of Americans to demand a new investigation into the September 11 attacks? CNN, The New York Times, or The Washington Post? No. The two figures most responsible for propagating these conspiracy theories are Dylan Avery, a twenty four year old independent filmmaker and college dropout from upstate New York, and a paranoid, paleoconservative, talk-radio host from Texas named Alex Jones.

Together, these two lead an army of “9/11 Truthers” to the hallowed site of Ground Zero wearing black regalia emblazoned with their battle cry: “9/11 WAS AN INSIDE JOB!” What is most shocking is that million of individuals are convinced of their claims and they have even garnered the celebrity endorsements of Willie Nelson, Martin and Charlie Sheen, and Rosie O’Donnell plus societies of college professors who call themselves Scholars for 9/11 Truth. They are pressing for an independent investigation into the terrorist attacks.

Where exactly do they get their proof? After all, it better be pretty darn convincing, right? To give you a taste of how they gather all of their hard hitting evidence, consider just one exhibit in the “A Missile Hit The Pentagon” theory. His name is Mike Walter. He has been on almost every 9/11 conspiracy film with his startling eyewitness account of what “really happened” at the Pentagon. With the smoldering building in the background, Walter states: “It was like a cruise missile with wings! It went right there and slammed into the Pentagon.” This quote is the ultimate case-in-point example of how these 9/11 Truthers not only cherry-pick their evidence—they downright plagiarize it!

The full quote (which is from a highly broadcasted CNN interview) is as follows: "I was sitting in the northbound on 27 and the traffic was, you know, typical rush-hour—it had ground to a standstill. I looked out my window and I saw this plane, this jet, an American Airlines jet, coming. And I thought, 'This doesn't add up, it's really low.' And I saw it. I mean it was like a cruise missile with wings! It went right there and slammed right into the Pentagon. Huge explosion, great ball of fire, smoke started billowing out."

Besides Walter, there were 135 other eyewitnesses that are forever scarred by the sight of the doomed Flight 77 hitting our nation’s military complex—not a single eyewitness on that busy highway saw a missile. Yet, Truthers claim that these eyewitnesses were clearly paid off and that the aeronautical debris that littered the Pentagon’s lawn was planted by the federal government.

They are most ardent, however, in proclaiming that the Twin Towers were not brought down due to the structural weakening that the jet fuel laden fires produced but instead by a controlled demolition that was planted by government officials. Engage in a debate with these individuals and you are bound to receive an ardent: “9/11 was the first time in history that steel-framed high-rise buildings collapsed as a result of fire!” Yet, they fail to mention that 9/11 was also the first time in history that a steel-framed high-rise building was hit by a fully loaded, 200 ton bullet traveling at 490mph (Tower 1) and 590mph (Tower 2). They also fail to acknowledge that the collapse of these towers is the most extensively studied engineering failure in history and was detailed in a $16 million, 10,000 page report from the National Institute of Standards and Technologies. Not surprisingly, Truthers quickly dismiss all 10,000 pages of research due to the fact that these independent researchers were funded by the government and thus biased. Obviously, these conspiracy theorists prefer sticking to Google Video for their evidence.

I must admit that 9/11 conspiracy theory documentaries such as In Plane Site and Loose Change (available in our college library) are pretty compelling. Without proper research, it is almost impossible to recognize that these films’ primary ingredients consist of falsified government publications, misquoted eyewitness testimonies, bad science, and spooky music. Yet, these films have proven that once one puts all of these pieces together it creates an army of gullible skeptics to do one’s bidding. Admittedly, I was once a follower of this ridiculous occult. For a short time I was also convinced that the claims presented in these films were true. I am thankful that I found that each claim could be easily debunked with appropriate research and common logic. Others, sadly, are not as fortunate.

To see the Loose Change trilogy for free, log on to SeeLooseChange.com and then head on over to LooseChangeGuide.com and 911myths.com for the complete frame-by-frame debunking of this conspiracy theory phenomenon. My highest recommendation is YouTube.com/RKowens4, which answers each theory in a quick, straightforward manner. I, myself, am currently in the process of building a website that combines all of these debunking resources.
As a student of political science, I can confidently say that if these 9/11 conspiracy theories are true the government would have to execute an immense objective both competently and quietly. In my opinion, decades have passed since these adverbs could be used to describe our government. However, this simple logic fails to resonate with 9/11 Truthers. The JFK assassination and Holocaust denial theories (to which many of these Truthers also subscribe) have taught us that there is no amount of evidence in the world that can change the minds of these paranoid conspiracy theorists. Sadly, the 9/11 Truth Movement is here to stay.


There are thousands of videos online that would appropriately paint both sides, but I believe the following video (which is absolutely hilarious) is probably the best:

Post Grad Wisdom...

So, Graduation is over. The weekend of celebration has come and gone. We've sent the invites, worn the cap and gown, and walked, shaking, across the stage to receive a blank piece of paper to be exchanged for the real deal worth thousands of dollars. We can finally put it behind us and move into the "real" world.

Right?

Maybe not...Kevin has decided that he's rather fond of the carboard/synthetic cap that adorns a graduates head. He's started wearing it around the house, as you can see below.


We'd also like to raise up our fish to believe that education is important and worth while. Therefore, we spend quality time demonstrating that the cap is well worth the effort it takes to garnish it.
Last, we reccomend a well-balanced, educated diet, and, well, what's more well-balanced than a peanut M&M? What's move, Barnabas comes over to the side of his bowl when Kevin approaches. Looks like we're doing our job after all... :-)

Dollywood With the Pairs

On the Monday that my parents were here, we went to Dollywood. For those who don't know, Dollywood is the Tennessee equivalent of Six Flags or Sea World (minus the animals). It's about 45 minutes away in Pigeon Forge and is owned by Dolly Parton. Kevin's parents gave us season passes for Christmas. It was a great day with beautiful sunny weather and not too many people (although we did gasp when we entered the parking lot and spotted about fifteen school buses...

Here are some pictures from our day....

Dolly's old tour bus, which was just retired this past December, was on display. Comparitively, it wasn't as big as we were expecting. This is mom and me in her vanity. Behind, you can see her bedroom.

Before we venture much further, I must explain that my mother is not a theme park person. She's not into heights, nor does she ride roller coasters. She is, however, perfectly comfortable, armed with her camera, to watch other ride and take pictures of various things or people of interest.

With that said, I did convince her to ride one ride with me. We sat in chairs and pulled ourselves up using a rope--totally under our control how fast, how high, or how not fast or high we go, I told her. She agreed...Doesn't she look like a little kid? :-)

And off we set....I had a great time...

Unfortunately, Mom didn't....

She did, however, make it off alive and lived to suffer through the wettest seat of the River Rampage, a giant inner tube that flows down a river as six people sit inside and hope their underwear survives.

When it comes to roller coasters, my dad is much more adventurous and will ride almost anything once. With that in mind, Kevin took him on the Mystery Mine, Dollywood's newest roller coaster.


We caught no pictures of them actually on the ride; however, they both enjoyed it immensely. :)

Kevin and I rode the Dizzy Disk and...well...I just wanted an excuse to put this picture up because I like it a lot.

Overall, we greatly enjoyed our time at Dollywood. It was an enjoyable time of just being together.

Fun Facts About Lydia :-)

4 Jobs I have had in my life:

1. Deli worker at Top Food & Drug
2. Cashier at Top Food & Drug
3. Video Relay Sign Language Interpreter
4. Babysitter of 7-year-old triplets

4 Movies I’ve Watched More Than Once:

1. While You Were Sleeping
2. Hitch
3. Dan In Real Life
4. X-Men 2

4 Places I’ve Lived:

1. Dallas, TX
2. San Antonio, TX
3. El Paso, TX
4. Auburn, WA
(5. Maryville, TN)

4 Places I've Been:

1. Prague, Czech Republic
2. Krakow, Poland
3. Juarez, Mexico
4. Pawley's Island, SC

4 Of my Favorite Foods:

1. Chinese
2. Caramel Apples
3. Corn Dogs
4. Quiche

4 Places I'd Like to Visit:

1. Rome, Italy
2. Ireland
3. Sydney, Australia
4. Jeckyl Island, GA

4 Things I'm Looking Forward to this Year:

1. First Year Anniversary
2. Kevin's New Job
3. Living closer to where I work :)
4. Our New Furniture

Maryville College Graduation, 2008!

Kevin read Psalm 8 for the Baccalaureate Ceremony.

"Soli Deo Gloria" -- To God Alone Be the Glory.

Maryville College Senior Class, 2008

Kevin standing to be recognized as graduating Magnu Cum Laude!!!!!

...And the Student becomes a Graduate!

Kevin, I'm very proud of you and I love you dearly! :-)

6 Ways to Decrease Your Food Bill

Unfortunately, I cannot take credit for these, but they are very credible. :)

1. Pick products at the top or bottom of the shelves. Bigger sizes (such as cereal) tend to be placed on higher or lower shelves and can give a much better price per unit.

2. Buy store brands instead of name brands.

3. Avoid prepared and packaged items. According to one Consumer Report, two pounds of carrots was $1.29, while the same amount of pre-cut carrots cost $7.16. A little more prep time can save multiple dollars off the bill.

4. Join grocery savings clubs at local supermarkets. Believe it or not, those special club cards will knock dollars from you monthly grocery spending. Stores also use them to keep track of who's buying what from their inventory.

5. Go high-speed: start downloading coupons by frequenting sites like CouponCart.com or CoolSavings.com or the site for your favorite grocery store.

6. Bulk Up: Buy frequently used items like laundry detergent or items that store well like peanut butter in bulk at stores like Sam's or Costco. They tend to be 20%-50% cheaper than grocery stores.

Source: http://www.realsimple.com

"The World Would Be a Much Better Place If....

....everyone thought like me."

Okay, so obviously (and hopefully), most of you disagree with that statement. Practically, it doesn't make sense and realistically, it's impossible.

Isn't it funny, though, how often we fall into that trap? Or, more accurately, how we live our day-to-day lives functioning in that mindset?

I have been married a mere nine months as of this past Monday--a very short amount of time in light of the rest of our lives. There is much I have learned about my husband over our time as a married couple, but one thing that pricelessly compares to all others is this: I can never underestimate the need to stop, take a step back, and evaluate things from his perspective.

Our differences extend far beyond me being a woman and him being a man. Indeed, that is a huge part of it--I like to talk; he likes to do. I am a multi-tasker; he is focused. I like to shop; he likes to...not.

So often, though, if I take a moment to remove myself from the situation and attempt to see the side of not just Kevin the man, but Kevin the person, I can see where he's coming from. It doesn't mean that I always agree with him or that we still don't have to work through to find an agreeable solution, but at least I'm aware that his point is valid--if nothing else than from his point of view.

I'm not very good at this--especially towards people that I come into contact with for micro-seconds during my day. The person that cut me off this morning? Naturally, he's a wreckless driver. In reality, though, he may only be late from his lunch break--not an excuse, but an explanation, mind you. Have you ever been ticked that a person dared to drive past you with his brights on, but when you got home you realized that yours were on too? Yeah...oops. Most of my examples come from driving because I'm on the road a lot. But I'm sure you've got your own examples of pet peeves that maybe wouldn't peeve you so much if the other person's perspective was really, I mean REALLY, taken into consideration...

Stop and Smell

The other day, I was leaving work when, suddenly, I was overcome by an intoxicatingly sweet aroma.

"What could this be? Surely this is not just the sweet smell of freedom from work, is it?" I wondered, as I continued the trek to my car. Indeed, it was not.

Looking just over the hood of my car, I was both surprised and pleased to find honeysuckle bushes among the various types of vegetation lining our parking lot.

I would love to post a scratch-and-sniff option for the following pictures, but technology hasn't yet advanced that far. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy them. :-)

A Paid Vacation

I have been babysitting for a family with thee seven year old triplets over the past year, and when they went on their yearly vacation, they asked us to house-sit for them. It's been a little strange, living in someone else's house--and getting paid to do it!

But it also feels like a fully-furnished vacation in many senses. The best part is we get to take care of and play with their dog, Kenzi. He's a precious little guy who likes to steal Kevin's spot in bed when Kevin gets up. I also think Kevin likes having another guy around. As you remember, we only have Dolly, Rocket, and the occasional Sadie (Dolly's sister) where we live.

I'm hoping Kevin will eventually be won over by the concept of an indoor dog. :)

Come on, you tell me--how can you resist those eyes!?!?

Goodbye to an Old Friend

Just a few weeks ago, we said goodbye to our dear friend John McQueen. Kevin has met with him throughout the last school year to write letters for him to his family and friends. It was recently decided that he should move to Virginia to be closer to his daughter. We're hoping to visit him sometime in the coming months there.

These Times, They Aren't A'Changin'!

The above poster was found on a random blog while randomly surfing the net one random day at work. After saving it, I promptly closed the page and lost forever a blog that I was much enjoying, as well as the description of where she got the poster. All I got to read regarding it was that it was from World War II. I do, however, feel that the poster speaks for itself.

~