J-Lo Opts for Fleet of Limos for 100-Yard Trip

"American actress and singer Jennifer Lopez used six limousines to travel from one exclusive London hotel to another equally upscale hotel -- a distance of about 100 yards, British newspapers reported on Friday."

But it's those damned SUVs that we have to watch out for.......

Iraqi Soldiers Defecting

"Morale is low in the Iraqi army and many soldiers are preparing white flags of surrender, we are told by someone in northern Iraq who recently interviewed two defectors from Saddam Hussein's army."


Reading this article, I'm filled with sadness that these poor kids are nothing but pawns and I have to stop and question the morality of attacking them. Saddam doesn't seem to have any regard for his troops, he only cares about WMD. These kids are just a speed bump as far as he's concerned.

US scientists have for the first time collected samples of the stuff of songs and dreams - stardust.

"Russia considering veto on UN resolution
to wage war on Iraq"


"Russia does not support any resolution which could directly or indirectly open the way to an armed resolution of the Iraq problem," Ivanov told a news conference in Beijing.

"Naturally, Russia has the right of veto. If the interest of international stability demands it, Russia, of course will exercise its right," he said.

I hate people who super sensitive about themselves, but don't have an ounce of sensitivity left over for anyone else. GRRRRR

Speaking of snow, thanks to The Dragon's Muse for this tidbit - Police field complaint about busty snow woman

Snow is really pretty until it gets dirty.......I guess that's pretty close to being a "Maggieism" - after all - "mud smells"


My head is still rattling over the fact that people can wish ill on others. That's not to say that I don't wish that a cave would collapse on Osama bin laden, I do wish that it would. But, I don't understand that level of hatred towards people that we don't know or even care that much about, or have never terrorized us, like bin laden.


A long, long time ago, I came to the realization that emotions were reserved for people that you really care about, you wouldn't even hate someone unless they had been an important part of their life, to the rest there was just indifference, because their effect on my life was, indifferent. I don't want to say insignificant, because just about everyone we come in contact with has some effect on us. Even with that, I am still perplexed as why anyone would wish ill on someone.


As a child, I always felt that something was off about the Catholic religion, off for me anyway. But, I respect and still honor the words that I believe that Christ spoke, "Do unto others as you would have done unto you." It's a simple premise, it's echoed in the Wiccan Rede, "An it harm none, do as you will." So why, why would anyone wish pain on people that they don't even know? Yes, I'm aware that this is somewhat of a disjointed rant, but it keep rattling and hollering and needed to be recognized. Only a few will know what it's about, but that's okay, I still feel the question is a burning one and I'm sure that many can apply it to other instances.

I have friend who I believe is one of the kindest, sweetest, most sincere, down to earth people I know. I feel privileged to know this woman. She doesn't like someone, she mentioned it the other night, said that if they were laying in the street, she wouldn't help them. I don't believe her. I told her I don't believe her. She might kick herself, but she'd never not help them. I know she wouldn't.

Another person argued and said he could too - I don't believe that either. I don't believe that either one of these people would lower themselves to that level, they're too good for that.

Snow is really pretty, until it gets dirty.

Thanks to Ith,
for this great link about America.

Fun - especially the faerie lore - fairies.com

A statement made by a blogger on another blog, A Gaggle of Girls and One Guy really upset me today, in regard to Jesica Santillan, she said,
"What a total waste for both people who donated ALL these organs. My main complaint about this is that these people are fucking illegals. OUR tax money paid for this. "

I don't necessarily think of myself as a softie, but I don't like suffering and as a parent, I don't like seeing a child suffer. We always want what's best for our children and we always want them to have more than we did. For those reasons, I can't blame Jesica Santillan's parents. In all honesty, I would have done the same thing, what parent wouldn't? True, they broke the law to try and save their child. I ask again, what parent wouldn't?
God rest her soul.

At the base of the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor is this famous poem by Emma Lazarus, "The New Colossus."
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightening, and her name
Mother of Exiles...
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

And an interesting web site Immigration Laws

A month or so ago, this sickly looking squirrel decided to move into the eaves of our houses. On more that one occasion he fell from the roof, which is only about a 7 foot drop, but it's on to stones and brick and into a bush. I had a guy I work with come over to look at the mess he'd made, he said he'd be able to fix the damage, but how was I going to get rid of the squirrel. Good question, I didn't have a clue. We tried boarding the opening up, but he dug his way back in. He took a nasty fall today that he didn't recover from. He was very determined, but then so was mother nature. I know that this is a rodent, a pest who was probably flea and deer tick infested and may even have been suffering from Lymes himself, as he had been slow moving and lacked the agility that the other squirrels did, but I still feel sad. There wasn't very much I could do for him, he was very scrungy looking and like I said, had exhibited signs of sickness. I called a rehab guy, but no one wants to come and get the squirrel, no, they want you, the inexperienced one to scoop him up and then take the looney toon squirrel in a box, in your truck, to them. Never mind the fact that he could eat through the box if so determined. But, he breathed his last out there in the yard. I felt bad that we couldn't bury him out there, but the snow is too deep.

WOW! I'd love to talk with this young woman!

From
Time magazine

"Take Sally Brown, 22. She's a legal receptionist whose husband of two years shipped out last week to man his gunnery position on top of an amphibious Amtrak vehicle. Now her stomach is a pretzel. He couldn't even tell her where he was going. "I have no idea when I'm going to hear from him again," she says. Like a lot of other military wives, she goes from petrified to patriotic to pissed. "Bush is doing this because of his father," she charges. "That's the only reason. Would Bush be doing this if he were sending his daughters?"

Wow. Yes, I know, the whole discrimination issue gets old when I continue to beat it like this, but it isn't just that I want women to be drafted if (God - enter diety of your choice - forbid), because I don't want anyone to be drafted, I just would like the other half of the species to know what it feels like to have to be counted, to know that the possibility remains because if it didn't, then they wouldn't still be counting. Live with it, know as the time approaches what you will have to do. How can men be expected to treat women as equals when they aren't even seen as equals by their own government? People rant about the atrocities against women in foreign contries and no, I am not insensitive, I realize that registering with the gov't is not on the same level as being treated like cattle, it's just that this too is an injustice.

I went to the United Nations a few years back, probably about 6-7 years ago now. I was appalled by the fact that the female guides had to wear skirts and high heels, while the men were permitted to wear comfortable shoes and slacks. If we continue the charade of treating women differently at what I thought of as a open minded organization, then what hope have we of ever being taken seriously.

I had to go and download Mozilla again. It's not that I wasn't all that happy with it, but it wasn't letting me play my games over on Pop Cap Games. I am a slight addiction to Dynomite. It's a twisted little game when you top and think about it, which I really hadn't but my son, being the brighter of us two, he did. He pointed out how really twisted it was that I was shooting dinosaur eggs. He's right. Back to the browser, I did keep Opera. Problem is, Opera and Blogger don't seem to like each other. So now I have two browsers to choose from.

Why is it that I'm seem to be one of the only ones who actually does the speed limit in a school zone? You're only required to lower Why is it that I'm seem to be one of the only ones who actually does the speed limit in a school zone? You're only required to lower your speed during certain times and those are the times when the children are walking to school. So, why is it that the parents of these children and the bus drivers and possibly the teachers are whizzing past me? (so many of the speeding cars seem to be pulling into the school)

Wouldn't you think that the parents of a child attending school there would want all precautions taken when it pertains to their child, or it doesn't matter because their child is in the car with them, so the heck with any of their classmates! Isn't the school bus more likely to cause far greater physical damage than my truck is? Is it because they are transporting children that it makes it acceptable for them to break the law and put the children who walk to school at risk?

The President states:

``I understand why people don't like to commit the military to action,'' Bush said. ``I can understand that. I'm the person in this country that hugs the mothers and the widows if their son or husband dies. I know people would like to avoid armed conflict, and so would I."


If I recall correctly, the President never served, so he hasn't any clue what type of suffering this would inflict, not did his own mother have to suffer like this, nor will his wife, because they have daughters. How 'bout he does something really radical and insists that 18 year old young girls start signing up too. Lets at least make it a fair playing field. People scream about discrimination every day, why don't I hear more screaming about this? Why in all the blogs and news reports that I've read that are both for and against some type of action, why hasn't anyone mentioned how lopsided this is?

trying to get the archives unfrelled

Got these from Ithy over on the Girls blog


Send servicemen E-mail
or a valentine


Thanks Ith!

I'm sure this is a million places on the web, but I just thought it was very beautiful an wanted to have it here too.


One of Astronaut Laurel Clark's last E-mails


Subject: Hello from 150 NM above the Earth



Hello from above our magnificent planet Earth. The perspective is truly awe-inspiring. This is a terrific mission and we are very busy doing science round the clock. Just getting a moment to type e-mail is precious so this will be short, and distributed to many who I know and love.

I have seen some incredible sights: lightning spreading over the Pacific, the Aurora Australis lighting up the entire visible horizon with the cityglow of Australia below, the crescent moon setting over the limb of the Earth, the vast plains of Africa and the dunes on Cape Horn, rivers breaking through tall mountain passes, the scars of humanity, the continuous line of life extending from North America, through Central America and into South America, a crescent moon setting over the limb of our blue planet. Mount Fuji looks like a small bump from up here, but it does stand out as a very distinct landmark.

Magically, the very first day we flew over Lake Michigan and I saw Wind Point (Racine, WI) clearly. Haven't been so lucky since. Every orbit we go over a slightly different part of the Earth. Of course, much of the time I'm working back in Spacehab and don't see any of it. Whenever I do get to look out , it is glorious. Even the stars have a special brightness. I have seen my "friend" Orion several times.

Taking photos of the earth is a real challenge, but a steep learning curve. I think I have finally gotten some beautiful shots the last 2 days. Keeping my fingers crossed that they're in sharp focus. My near vision has gotten a little worse up here so you may have seen pics/video of me wearing glasses. I feel blessed to be here representing our country and carrying out the research of scientists around the world. All of the experiments have accomplished most of their goals despite the inevitable hiccups that occur when such a complicated undertaking is undertaken. Some experiments have even done extra science. A few are finished and one is just getting started today.

The food is great and I am feeling very comfortable in this new, totally different environment. It still takes a while to eat as gravity doesn't help pull food down your esophagus. It is also a constant challenge to stay adequately hydrated. Since our body fluids are shifted toward our heads our sense of thirst is almost non-existent.

Thanks to many of you who have supported me and my adventures throughout the years. This was definitely one to beat all. I hope you could feel the positive energy that I beamed to the whole planet as we glided over our shared planet.

Love to all,
Laurel



Thanks, Laurel for sharing your dream with us.

"Maine Suits Swirl on Hebrew National Umbrella Ads"


Unbelievable.

Just a few thoughts.....

I was amazed that the got away with the "cunning linguist" joke on Smallville
the other night.

I can't stand it when people say "Where is your God now?" when things go wrong. Why is it that people expect another person's God to step in when things are going "wrong", but when things are going "right", they are glad that their/your God has given them a free will to make decisions of their own. Why is it only your/their God's fault when things are going wrong?

The astronauts - never too far from anyone's thoughts these days - I was struck at how very, very happy these people looked. The one astronaut, Mr McCool, he was damn near bursting with happiness, that's very nice to see. People who are clearly pursuing their dreams. God bless them.

It's snowing again, it's been snowing since last night at about 9 or so. I love to video tape the snow, I did not however just enjoy having a squirell chased out of a bush by Aeryn and then having it run over my foot! Okay, it was pretty funny. Maybe I can enter one of those scream contests

"They" want to choose a patron saint for the internet - here are the contenders -
Saint Gabriel, the Archangel: He was the bearer of God's secret messages to His chosen ones. The Gospel According to Saint Luke credits Gabriel with telling Mary she would give birth to Jesus. As God's messenger, he is already the patron saint of communications and postal workers.

Saint Isadore of Seville: Undoubtedly the most learned man of his age, Saint Isadore lived in the 7th century and is credited with having written the world's first encyclopedia, called the Etymologies. The 20 volumes included entries for medicine, mathematics, history, theology, and many others.

Saint Clare of Assisi: She founded the Order of Poor Ladies (Poor Clares) at San Damiano and led it for 40 years. When her convent was about to be attacked, she displayed the Sacrament in a monstrace at the convent gates, and prayed before it; the attackers left. Toward the end of her life, she was too ill to attend Mass, but she is believed to have seen visions of the Mass on the wall of her cell. Because of this Saint Clare of Assisi is the patron saint of television.

Saint John Bosco: This 19th century Italian priest founded the Salesian order and spent his priesthood working with children and promoting their education. He is already the patron saint of apprentices, boys, editors, Mexican young people, laborers, schoolchildren, students, and young people.

Saint Maximilian Kolbe: This 20th century Polish priest and missionary favored using technology to spread the Gospel. To that end, he started a magazine and a radio station and planned to build a film studio. He died in the Auschwitz concentration camp. He is the patron saint for drug addiction, drug addicts, families, imprisoned people, journalists, political prisoners, prisoners, and the pro-life movement.

Saint Alphonsus Liguori: A bishop and prodigious letter writer and author in the 18th century, he published the best known prayers for the Way of the Cross.

Giacomo Alberione: This priest founded the Society of St. Paul, which communicates the Christian message using all means of technology, including journalism, cinematography, television, radio, audiovisual, multimedia, and animation. One major drawback: He has not yet been named a saint by the Vatican.

Here's the site to vote sante beati Only one thing, it's in Italian. You can try Babelfish for a translation.

I think that there is a certain amount of solace when one passes while doing what they love. I can only imagine that being assigned to a space shuttle crew is shining moment in a lifetime that has been filled with hard work and dedication.

I watched in horror as the shuttle Challenger exploded so many years ago. My son was an toddler, he had no clue why I was crying. This morning, he came and woke me up and told me that the shuttle Columbia had crashed.

The astronauts look so happy in the photo as they wave to everyone before boarding the shuttle. I hope that their dreams were fulfilled and I pray for their families, friends and coworkers.

I'm left wondering too about why it is that we are so fascinated with the whole space program, is it escapism, the adventurer in us? I have literally sat for hours and watched NASA TV when they were broadcasting the ISS and even times when it's just been their regular press conferences.