Julia K Cole

Halloween can be a fun event for families and their pets. However, if safety precautions aren’t taken, it can also be a hazardous time for our four-legged companions. According to Dr. Justine Lee, a critical care specialist and associate director of Veterinary Services at Pet Poison Helpline, calls increase by 12 percent during the week of Halloween, making it the call center’s busiest time of year. Here are some practical yet potentially life-saving tips that can help protect your pets on Halloween. 1. Dangerous Pet Costumes Your safest choice in a pet Halloween costume would be a loosely tied bandana; however, if you choose to dress up your pet, outfit your dog or cat with a simple approach. Pets can become tangled in elaborate, tight-fitting costumes with strings, ties, belts and sashes. Difficulty in mobility can lead to bodily injury, including strangulation. Never leave a pet unattended while wearing a costume. Small (or large) parts of a costume can become chew...

Saint Louis University junior Zach Grummer-Strawn has never seen "The Exorcist," the 1973 horror film considered one of the finest examples of unadulterated cinematic terror. He's only vaguely familiar with the monthlong 1949 demon-purging ritual at his school that inspired William Peter Blatty's novel and later the movie. But just in time for Halloween, Jesuit scholars have joined a whole new generation of horror buffs in St. Louis to recount the supernatural incident. The university hosted a panel discussion Tuesday on the exorcism, which involved the treatment of an unidentified suburban Washington, D.C., boy. About 500 people crammed into Pius XII Library, with some spilling into the library aisles, leaning against pillars or sitting on desks. "I'd like to believe it's the real thing," said Grummer-Strawn, a theology and sociology student from Atlanta. "But you just can't know. That's part of why we're here. It's the pur...

Orson Welles was as shocked as anyone after his 60-minute radio drama “The War of the Worlds” sent some Americans running for cover from an alien invasion by Martians. Welles had broadcast “Dracula,” after all, so he had “high hopes that people would react as they do in a movie,” he said in the 1938 interview shown above. “You’ve no idea how many are listening and what they’re thinking,” the actor-filmmaker said of his audience. Well, some of them thought Martians had finally descended, although it’s unclear from media reports how many actually panicked in the aftermath of Welles’ Oct. 30, 1938, broadcast on CBS radio. Seventy-five years later, and 28 years after Welles’ death, could a similar “melodrama,” as he called it, set off panic now? Click HERE to read more And to View Orson Welles interview  *~*~*~*~*~*~* Me personally, I believe we could.  I mean think of all the hoaxed Celebrity deaths that people bought into on Face Book and Twitter? ...

The  Crypto Locker virus  is considered to be a historically devastating virus because it holds your computer hostage until you pay a ransom. The Crypto Locker virus is easy to get and almost impossible to get rid of, unless you pay a ransom of up to $700. “The CryptoLocker Virus - which not only has the potential to destroy a computer hard drive, but holds the computer owners data ransom -infects computers through a legitimate-looking email, usually from a reputable company like FedEx or UPS,” reported  University Herald  on Oct. 26, 2013. Click HERE to Read More

H alloween is a tricky holiday for the health-conscious. Before you load up on treats, you should check out the fat and caloric content in some of the most tempting and gob stopping goodies. Click HERE to find out if your favorite Treat is among the 21 Most Dangerous Halloween Candies! Happy Halloween!

“Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they look for a place to dump it. And if you let them, they’ll dump it on you. So when someone wants to dump on you, don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Believe me. You’ll be happier.” How often do you let other people’s nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day? Unless you’re the Terminator, you’re probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of your success is how quickly you can refocus on what’s important in your life. Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson. And I learned it in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here’s what happened. I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space ri...

A stray ginger and white cat visits his unlikely friend, a cow, every day on a dairy farm in Isreal. Sometimes when he comes over, the cow welcomes him with a slobbering kiss. “We live on a kibbutz and have a cowshed with a designated area for the young calves. There are also three stray cats in the area,” said Yochi Aranov Zwilling. They come to the farm everyday for food. “One of them usually wanders off to see the calves once it has had its breakfast, looking for love and affection. I spotted this interaction between the cow and cat one morning on my daily walk and now make a point of looking for them each day,” he added. The kitty often walks into the farm as a dry kitty but walks away with dripping wet fur. Clearly they adore each other as they are often seen giving each other love and affection. Ever since the cat met the cow, he hasn’t missed a single day of visiting his best pal. “The cat has found his own way of getting the love and affection he is yearnin...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) — A Jefferson County mother is asking the courts to force her son’s school to protect him from what she said is continuous bullying. Bekishia Cosby, whose son attends Olmsted North Middle School, claims teachers and administrative staff are negligent by not protecting her son from being bullied by fellow classmates. Cosby said she wants the courts to issue a protective order to ensure the staff will watch over her son at school. Several months ago, Cosby filed a lawsuit against her son's former school, Thomas Jefferson Middle School.  The lawsuit names Thomas Jefferson principal principal, eight other JCPS staff members and nine minors. A sworn affidavit states the boy, identified as BB, tried to commit suicide last year while at Thomas Jefferson because classmates bullied him for his perceived sexual orientation. According to the affidavit, when BB started at Olmsted the physical threats, name calling, and harassment continued. ...

Shelters can be scary and stressful for many animals. Cats in shelters often live in small stainless steel cages with litter pans, food, water, and a towel or blanket. Although this certainly provides the basic physical needs, a setting of this nature is not comfortable for a cat that is already tense and confused in unfamiliar surroundings. The Cat Castle provides a safe and secure area for the cat to relax, and minimizes the stress that comes with shelter life. Made in the U.S.A., the Cat Castle's bottom section is an enclosed space that has multiple ventilation holes and a 'drawbridge,' giving the cat ready access to a private, safe hiding place. The top section is a perfect surveillance point for cats that want to see what's going on in the shelter. The Cat Castle provides shelter cats with the opportunity to become familiar with new surroundings at their own pace, a process that is important for a cat's mental health. When a shelter cat is adopted into a ne...

This is a wonderful example of human kindness! I LOVE stories like this one! Cop catches woman shoplifting, buys groceries for her

HELP ME MEET THE CHALLENGE BY MAKING YOUR DONATION TODAY! JUST CLICK HERE TO BE TRANSPORTED  TO MY STRIDES PAGE!

To celebrate the American Cancer Society’s 100 th Birthday – along with 100 years of saving lives – I’m raising $100 in 100 hours, through Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. I’m asking for your help to reach my goal. Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is the largest network of breast cancer awareness events in the nation, uniting nearly 300 communities to finish the fight. Every breast cancer walk and event is an incredible and inspiring opportunity to honor those who have battled breast cancer, raise awareness about what we can do to reduce our breast cancer risk, and raise money to help the American Cancer Society fight the disease with research, information and services, and access to mammograms for women who need them.  One hundred years ago, the American Cancer Society started the fight of a lifetime – the fight against cancer. I’m working to reach my goal of $100 in 100 hours to help the American Cancer Society reach their goal to make this cancer’s last c...

Last week when the government re-opened, thousands of furloughed employees who were struggling to get by without a paycheck rejoiced. I celebrated for another reason -- because thousands of people like me with cancer will be able to resume treatment and clinical trials through the National Institutes of Health.  I started a petition on Change.org when the government shut down shortly after I applied to enter a clinical trial for my cancer that was federally funded. Over 150,683 people signed -- including you -- giving a voice to people like me who were directly impacted by the shutdown.  Thanks to you and everyone who signed, my story was highlighted by news outlets like Reuters, The Washington Post , MSNBC and the BBC. By lifting up the voices of those who were hit hardest by the government shutdown, you and I contributed to the national outrage that pressured our nation's leaders to reach a deal and reopen as quickly as possible. When this began, I...

Sara Kruzan was a victim of human trafficking when she was 13 years old, and was trapped for three years in a cycle of sexual, physical, and mental abuse. Night after night, Sara was sexually exploited for her abuser’s gain. Then, after years of torture and exploitation, she shot and killed her trafficker and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. She was just sixteen years old. Sara has been in prison for nearly two decades now. When I learned about her story and that she was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole after living a life of horrific violence and abuse. On Jan 18, 2013 Sara’s sentence was reduced to second degree murder and since she had already served 18 years, Sara was fast-tracked to parole. Now, California Governor Jerry Brown has only a few weeks left to sign off on Sara's parole. I need your help to bring her home.  Sara's friend, Carrie Christie, has started a petition  b ecause while she can't help all huma...

Bottlenose dolphins have been dying in unprecedented numbers in the northern Gulf of Mexico, closest to where the BP oil spill happened.   It’s been more than three years since the BP oil disaster began, but dolphins in the Gulf are still struggling.   Dolphins in areas most heavily oiled by the BP oil disaster are suffering from terrible illnesses. An in-depth study of dolphins off the Louisiana coast found animals with agonizing lung disease, liver damage and anemia—all symptoms indicating oil exposure. Friends of wildlife like you were critical to protecting Gulf wildlife in the immediate aftermath of the oil disaster. Now your support is urgently needed to make sure that the fines and penalties BP pays for the disastrous spill are used to restore habitat for dolphins and other wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico—rather than being funneled away from healing the fragile ecosystem dolphins depend on. CLICK HERE TO MAKE A DONATION BP must be held accountable ...

Hungry woman charged with theft for taking $2.87 from fountain SERIOUSLY?  For SHAME!

Wal-Mart worker: Fired for helping assaulted woman: Associated Press This is another example of Big corporations making painfully wrong mistakes.  Not to mention, their little "rules and policies" are  perpetuating looking the other way while someone is being hurt!    I haven't shopped at Wal Mart in years.  Mostly because the stores here are just filthy!  And I'm talking dirty and nasty!  And their prices are too high!

With iPet Companion, you can play with cats in shelters from the comfort of your computer. Just follow the instructions below to make some kitty's day special! Click HERE to download the App Or just copy and paste the URL belo w: http://theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/clickToGive/ars/ipet-companion?link=ctg_ars_ipet-companion_from_home_MegaNav And while you're at the Animal Rescue Site... DON'T FORGET TO CLICK!

Dear Congress: I recently started watching    6 Minutes to Success™   by the Proctor & Gallagher Institute ( http://www.getresultsthatstick.com/dream-life/ ).   I highly recommend it! And though I am only a fraction through the vast video library provided through my membership, and have only absorbed the first two chapters in both    Think and Grow Rich  (by Napolean Hill) and  You Were Born Rich  (by Bob Proctor) , I can say with great confidence that this information is our Country's  salvation.  In fact, I'm more than a 100% sure that this information is our only salvation in  eliminating  our debt entirely!  And to the only map to a stable economy.   I invite each of you to   Click HERE     to download Bob Proctor's book, Y ou Were Born Rich and read Chapter 2 on Debt Reduction.     And for a copy of Napolean Hill's book Think and Grow Rich just Click HERE It's FREE! ...

Get your Pink On and help fund free mammograms in the process! Every purchase helps a woman get a FREE Mammogram! There's all sorts of Pink Wear on the Breast Cancer Awareness site on-line store! Click HERE to shop!   And while you're there.... Don't Forget to CLICK!