Southern Belle in Exile

Happy New Year

2007-12-31T22:38:00.000-08:00

Can't believe it's 2008!

Johnny and I went home to Louisiana early this year. Here we are on the banks of the Mississippi... we're on the Mississippi side near Vicksburg.

But, it's been a rough year, and I now look like this.

CONSTITUTION DAY

2007-09-17T08:38:00.000-07:00

WE THE PEOPLE of the United States of America, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

~ The Preamble to The Constitution of the United States of America

U.S. Constitution

Constitution

Constitution

I'll Never Get Over It

2007-08-29T14:06:00.000-07:00

I'm still so heartsick.

Louisiana will always be my real home.

Pay Heed to New Orleans' Plight
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070826/D8R8QMAO2.html

New Orleans Is Us
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070910/sothern

Dinah Shore "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xli7a2bTxiY&mode=related&search=

Billie Holiday & Louis Armstrong - do you know what it means
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROEWiNsb754&mode=related&search=

Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMbR658XBRg&mode=related&search=

TRUTHINESS

2006-12-09T09:53:00.000-08:00

It's the Merriam-Webster's #1 Word of 2006, and I love it.

Merriam-Webster's #1 Word of the Year for 2006

'Truthiness' is Named Word of the Year

I really do love Colbert (he's a cutie and he has Irish ears like my hubby) and his "Colbert Report" hits the nail on the head, especially when some poor, unwitting politician doesn't GET IT!

The Vulcanization Process and the Penis

2006-11-30T20:20:00.000-08:00

It's been a pivotal month, so I thought I would end it with the interesting article linked below.

I just have one question.

Why would any man "insert his penis" into a can to undergo some weird kinda business resembling both a car wash and the process of vulcanization?

I'm just sayin'...

German Sex Educators Plan Spray-On Condom

THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN

2006-11-08T14:19:00.000-08:00

Our House of Representatives was specifically designed to be reflective of the voice of THE PEOPLE every two years, and I believe THE PEOPLE have sent Washington, D.C. a message.

Yes, there are many wrongs which must be set right, but today, I am in awe of our Founding Fathers because I believe our U.S. Constitution is proof of their combined and individual genius.

The United States Has Been Rated

2006-10-24T23:16:00.000-07:00

by Reporters Without Borders. I've looked at the ratings, and all I can say is Where is My Country? Is My Country Really Alongside Botswana, Croatia and Tonga behind Panama and Mozambique?

The Washington Post is also reporting: U.S. Rank on Press Freedom Slides Lower

Truthfully, I find many stories in the Canadian and British Press that I never see in our American press.

---

Today, I'm so outraged by so much going on that my sweet husband doesn't even want to be near me at this moment. He says he can feel my anger and it's hurting him.

It may be hurting him, but it's killing me.

Where is my country?

WE THE PEOPLE

2006-09-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

A GREAT COMMENTARY

2006-08-31T00:14:00.000-07:00

Keith Olbermann's Commentary Tonight

HE WAS MY MOTHER'S FAVORITE ACTOR

2006-08-30T23:51:00.000-07:00

Glenn Ford
1916 - 2006

OH PLUTO, I HARDLY KNEW YE

2006-08-24T19:03:00.000-07:00

Does this mean I must now say, "Make Vera Eat More Jumbo Suckers Under Nancy..." which sounds a bit odd if you ask me.

Oh, well, considering ALL that's going on here on Planet Earth, I suppose it doesn't make much difference, now does it?

GREAT SONG!

2006-08-07T21:24:00.000-07:00

A great song by the Squirrel Nut Zippers and Rickie Lee Jones in the old "Throw the bums out" tradition.

Have a listen to Have You Had Enough?

WONDERFUL VACATION

2006-08-04T00:48:00.000-07:00

My husband and I just returned from a wonderful vacation in the clear, pristine mountains of Sequoia National Park.

We did not want to return.

My favorite place in Sequoia National Park. I would love to have a little cabin there.:

Our lodge:

The view from our lodge:

The Kaweah River which is not much of a river at this time of the year, but it's quite beautiful nonetheless:

Here we are (in our baggy, tourist-y clothes) in front of the largest living tree in the world... a Sequoia:

WEIRD...

2006-07-25T22:24:00.000-07:00

Golden Mermaid Found Dead on Lonely Florida Beach -- Sold on Ebay.

Check out the pictures!

Someone did a good job of making this thing.
Golden Mermaid

I FEEL A NAGGIN' JAG COMIN' ON...

2006-07-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

Hmmmm....

GOD, IT'S HOT!

2006-07-09T17:41:00.000-07:00

I'm so ready for winter!

HAD A NICE FOURTH OF JULY

2006-07-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

Now we're just sitting here lazily listening to the fireworks.

Geez, I think an M-80 just went off, and they are so illegal here!

My husband is really getting annoyed

Damn!

I LOVE YOUTUBE !

2006-06-29T17:24:00.000-07:00

This young chap has made a little video to convince MTV to Pimp his very old VW Van, and he has me convinced!

Pimp My Ride on YouTube

And then there's this one... jumping an old VW van.

VW Van Jump

I MISS MY CHILDREN

2006-06-22T22:35:00.000-07:00

I've really been missing my boys today. (Sometimes I wish they were little again, instead of all grown up.)

Edward is a wee bit too large... but he was determined to play in the laundry basket with his brother Sam. (Usually it was the other way around.)

Little Sam discovers himself in the mirror.

I REALLY DO LOVE THE BEACH...

2006-06-19T00:53:00.000-07:00

Helps soothe the soul.

AMERICA, WHERE ARE YOU ??

2006-06-16T09:26:00.000-07:00

I'm a Civil Libertarian and I am appalled by what is happening in this country!

The P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act *how ironic*
The NSA Spying Even Truman would be angry!
Assault on Habeas Corpus Some were citizens!
Torture and Rendition You just don't do it!
And now this...?? Where's the 4th Amendment?

Court Eases 'No Knock' Search Ban

Where is my country? I don't even recognize this place anymore.

Some members of the Senate want to ban the burning of the flag, but they (and our higher court) sure don't mind burning our Constitution and our Bill of Rights.

I want my country back, and I cannot get this quote out of my mind:

(Edited: Even though the following may not be found in the writings of Tocqueville, the quote is nevertheless... a truth.

Perhaps that is the reason the attribution continues to thrive, Mr. Pitney.)

"America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."

~ Tocqueville, 1831 ~ (Unverified)

DARN, IF THIS DOESN'T MAKE YOU WEEP,

2006-05-26T16:32:00.000-07:00

I don't know what will:

Link to Youtube clip of Fred Rogers before Senate Hearing on PBS

WIND GENERATORS IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

2006-04-22T11:21:00.000-07:00

MY HUSBAND AND I ARE BEYOND REDEMPTION

2006-04-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

We're so darn laid back that we're almost lying on the floor in a state of stasis.

It's Saturday afternoon. We have places to go, things to do, groceries to buy, etc., and yet, we cannot seem to move ourselves from *this* spot.

Who will be the first to murmur, "Okay... are you ready to go?"

It's a real toss-up.

IT'S CALLED A MAN-WHAT??

2006-04-11T21:44:00.000-07:00

Gee I just wish I'd had one of these before the man. Looks comfy.

A Man-Pillow

ELECTRIC GLOW DISCHARGE

2006-04-05T06:25:00.000-07:00

The red part is the Central Electrode and the Blue part is Plasma.

Interesting image, eh?

RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT FROM 1945

2006-04-04T12:51:00.000-07:00

I just found this in some of my paternal grandmother's things and thought it was very cool.

As I've written before in this blog, she had two sons (my daddy in the Marines and my uncle in the Navy) serving in WWII in the Pacific, and someone sent this to her.

MORE OLD PHOTOS I'VE BEEN WORKING ON

2006-03-22T14:03:00.000-08:00

Can you imagine a photographer touching up a photo by putting lipstick and rouge on boys? Well, they did, back in 1935. This photo is another one of my dad and uncle and it has really faded. Here's the before...

...and after -- this was a lot of work!

This photo was not really damaged. Just very discolored, so I cleaned it up, adjusted the suit with layers and added some tint. This is my maternal grandfather in 1925. Before...

And after...

Awwww... AIN'T HE SWEET?

2006-03-20T07:20:00.000-08:00

I've been having trouble sleeping lately and have been... well, exhausted, so my sweet husband Johnny has been doing some of the cooking (he always makes a mean corned beef and cabbage every St. Patrick's Day) and yesterday, he did the laundry!

He's kinda "tuckered out" now, but ain't my darling sweet?

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

2006-03-16T23:06:00.000-08:00

I LOVE OLD PHOTOGRAPHS

2006-03-13T20:55:00.000-08:00

I was fortunate enough to have inherited many old photos (and many photo albums) from both my grandmothers, so I now have in my possession many, many (way too many) old photographs of almost all my relatives on both sides -- poised in varying stages of development -- from childhood to adulthood to old age.

Anyway, I'm currently in the process of scanning and "cleaning them up" (with my nifty, cheap but effective Paint Shop Pro program) before storing them on CDs for safekeeping.

Hopefully, my sons -- or some future grandchildren-- will appreciate the effort.

The photo below of the two little boys was made in 1930's... and that little curly-haired fellow is my dad. The younger one is my uncle.

My grandmother worked and raised her sons alone at a time when single motherhood was much more of a rarity than it is today. (Her husband, their father, "melted down" after an accident during the Great Flood of '27 and one day, he just-- wandered off. There's much more to the story, and in truth, it is one of a sad, sad life... and better left for another day.)

Anyway, both my dad and my uncle grew up to be All-State Football Stars and both were good students as well-- or at least that's the story I had been given all my life. ;-)

My uncle did earn a Ph.D. and was a very popular (and very old) professor until he passed away five years ago.

My dad was a 35-year employee with a large utility company where he started as a lineman after WWII (he studied at night school so that he was able to work his up to a nice position in the company). When he left the military, he tried to return to college but his heart just wasn't in it. He had seen some of the worst fighting on several of the Pacific Islands.

My grandmother always said that Daddy never was the same after he returned from the war. He took his own life on December 7 over twenty years ago.

My dad and uncle signed up within a few weeks of one another to serve their country in WWII... and as I stated, my father was in the Marines and my uncle in the Navy.

Fortunately, both of them returned home safely to my grandmother, or as safely as can be expected for traumatized, war-weary veterans.

Well, my sweet grandmother did remarry right before the war... to a wonderful man who will always be "Granddaddy" to me. (In his eyes I could do no wrong, and even if he was not "blood kin" to me, he might as well have been.)

Look at those hopeful little faces

Photo before cleanup

My sweet grandmother in a photo taken sometime in the 20s

Photo before cleanup

"YOU ARE NOT GOING TO CHANGE MY MIND!"

2006-03-04T21:33:00.000-08:00

"Well, you're not going to change my mind either!" I just popped off to my husband.

I then informed him that I was going to make an entry on my Blah-G.

We sometimes see 'things political' a wee bit differently, but he's learnin' (and I'm not done with him yet).

BUT WE ALREADY HAVE MANGO!

2006-03-02T18:55:00.000-08:00

Don't even ask :-D

HOLLYWOOD DEATHS ALWAYS SEEM TO OCCUR IN THREES

2006-02-28T05:40:00.000-08:00

Dennis Weaver Has Died

ANOTHER ONE OF MY FAVORITE ACTORS HAS DIED

2006-02-25T21:51:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe two of my all-time favorite actors have died on the same day... within hours of one another.

Darren McGavin Dies at 83

Some of my first memories are of watching "Mike Hammer" with my parents when I was young. I also was able to see "Kolchak" when it aired in the 1970's. (Yes, I'm an oldie.)

Fortunately, Johnny and I wrote Darren McGavin a letter not long ago, and we were reassured that he received it.

Darren McGavin as Carl Kolchak

I AM OFFICIALLY IN MOURNING

2006-02-25T16:09:00.000-08:00

Don Knotts Has Died

How could anyone NOT LOVE this guy?

HAPPY NEW YEAR... Blah, Blah, Blah

2006-01-01T02:00:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's 2006! Where have all the years gone?

Hell, I'm still stuck in the 80's!

AN EXCELLENT COMMENTARY

2005-12-27T16:02:00.000-08:00

from a fellow Civil Libertarian...

Domestic Surveillance and the Patriot Act

MERRY CHRISTMAS or HAPPY HOLIDAYS

2005-12-24T06:35:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone has a lovely Christmas. :-)

WHAT COMES NEXT???

2005-12-17T12:22:00.000-08:00

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

~ Benjamin Franklin ~

Pennsylvania Assembly: Reply to the Governor, November 11, 1755.—The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, ed. Leonard W. Labaree, vol. 6, p. 242 (1963).

This quotation, slightly altered, is inscribed on a plaque in the stairwell of the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty: “They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

HOW DID I FORGET THIS YESTERDAY?

2005-12-16T18:36:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm a Civil Libertarian.

Ratification of the Bill of Rights

~December 15, 1791~

(Click on image to read the Bill of Rights)

ALL THE LITTLE UNBAPTISED BABIES ARE HEAVENBOUND

2005-12-14T21:16:00.000-08:00

With just a *snap* of the finger... all the little babies are free!

Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah

Mass Evictions - Decision Has Been Made to Close Limbo

HUH?

2005-12-08T21:53:00.000-08:00

Now, I don't have anything against nudists.

And I certainly don't have anything against Christians -- the old-fashioned kind, mind you, not these right-wing nut-case fundies who've hijacked my religion.

BUT, doesn't "Christian nudist" sound a bit... oxymoronic?

Oh, well. *shrugging* Each to his own as I always say. If they don't tell me what to do then I won't tell them what to do.

Still.

Christian nudists to build village in Florida

DISCLAIMER: Do NOT enlarge the photo!

I HAVE A SECRET PASSION

2005-12-08T11:25:00.000-08:00

I don't watch much TV, but I do love a few shows. Since no one really even knows the real me, well... no one except my sweet husband and a certain handsome Canadian, I'm going to share a secret.

I LOVE the paranormal and have a couple of favorite TV shows that I watch religiously whenever I can catch the reruns.

My all-time favorite is "X-Files" which aired from 1993 until 2002.

I have wonderful memories of my sons and me, all of us gathered around the TV on Friday nights (back in the mid 90's) watching Agents Scully and Mulder, AD Skinner, The Lone Gunmen, the evil Cigarette Smoking Man, the evil Alex Krycek, and Albert Hosteen, the wise Navajo.

Of course, the show never was the same after Season 7, but I did like Annabelle Gish (probably because she reminds me of me) as Agent Reyes in the final two years.

Scully and Mulder just had that 'certain' chemistry when they worked together, and in my opinion, it made the series such a phenomenon.

I still catch reruns on the SciFi Channel and on TNT and I have a stash of taped shows, many from the 1990's, and sometimes I get absolutely melancholy for my sons when they were young. Ah, memories.

Next is Ghosthunters

Below is a photo of the two main investigators. Johnny and I LOVE this show.

It's so amateurish in its presentation... but these guys (and their team) are true professionals when it comes to investigating spirit activity. Their second season ended not long ago, but we still watch the reruns on SciFi whenever we can. We can't wait for the third season!

Ghosthunters

OMG, I LOVE THE ONION!

2005-12-06T21:01:00.000-08:00

Too Funny !!
Voice Of God Revealed To Be Cheney On Intercom

BILLBOARDS YOU'LL NEVER SEE

2005-12-04T18:24:00.000-08:00

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Have a Great Day Tomorrow!

2005-11-23T23:26:00.000-08:00

My Canadian friends celebrated their Thanksgiving about seven weeks ago. ;-)

Happy Turkey Day, America!

President Bush à la Homer Simpson

2005-11-20T23:29:00.000-08:00

Sorry, I couldn't help myself. :-)

Here's a Great Editorial from the Washington Post

2005-11-19T16:59:00.000-08:00

Tailor the Patriot Act

Thank God, Somebody is Paying Attention

2005-11-19T00:48:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm a patriot, but this was a bad bill.

And for the citizens of this country, it is bad law... since it infringes upon our founding fathers' wishes and words (See the THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION and THE BILL OF RIGHTS, Amendments 1-10 of the Constitution.)

We definitely need to see more debate on this!

PATRIOT ACT UPDATE from Daily Kos

(Feingold is the one Senator who read the bill before our Congress passed it into law four years ago.)

Goodbye, Bill of Rights.

2005-11-17T00:11:00.000-08:00

I wonder how my father would have felt about this. After all, he lost his innocence and his youth fighting for this country in WWII. How would he feel today knowing they've ripped up our Constitution and our Bill of Rights.

Nothing will happen, huh?

A Government, any government, WILL repress its citizens if it is allowed to do so. Study history!

They promised they would let most provisions sunset this December... after introducing it right after 9/11. "Trust us," they said.

Well, can they imagine how we, the little people, feel?

Probably not.

I had always felt so fortunate that we had so many protections... that our civil liberties were protected in this country.

Is anyone paying attention... anyone at all?

Congress Nears Deal to Renew Antiterror Law

CAN'T SLEEP. CAN'T EAT. WORRIED

2005-11-14T03:05:00.000-08:00

I cannot seem to shake this malaise that has me in its grip, but I must.

Am so depressed about N.O. and Gulf Coast, and about this war in Iraq -- sure is putting me in mind of Vietnam, and I ought to know.

It's just a very stressful, depressing time.

Another thing. December 7th is approaching... will be the 27th anniversary of Daddy's death. I can't believe it's been so many years.

I miss my Daddy.

I Don't Have the Heart

2005-11-13T18:59:00.000-08:00

No, I still don't have the heart to post anything, but my husband does HERE.

I'M WEARY

2005-10-31T15:03:00.000-08:00

Haven't posted in a long time, but I did want to do so on this last day of October.

I'm alive, but I am in despair.

I was born and raised in Louisiana, and New Orleans was one of my favorite cities.

Our family spent many happy summers on the Gulf Coast (which was the destination for many Southerners before the Ft. Walton - Destin areas were developed. In fact, I remember when Destin was mostly desolate beach. It was quite nice back then).

My family still has many friends who live on the coast of Mississippi and Alabama, and so many have lost so much. A couple of them have lost their homes. Their houses are just gone -- they've disappeared.

Not only that, there seems to be a conspiracy by the insurance companies to cheat everyone. It's unconscionable!

And I'm infuriated by the federal government's response. If we can rebuild a major city (Baghdad) in a foreign country -- that we have destroyed, by the way -- why can't we rebuild New Orleans, an American city, without all this criticism.

I fear that New Orleans will become another Disneyland. (Don't ask. I don't want to discuss it.)

Anyway, I just cannot shake this malaise.

I'm still alive

2005-07-31T14:06:00.000-07:00

Johnny and I went to Las Vegas last week. We met my mother and her best friend there, and it was SO MUCH FUN! (We haven't had a REAL vacation in ages.)

Of course, we're broke this week--and will be for another month--but it was worth it.

We also visited a new resort about 20 or so miles from Vegas called The Ritz Carlton at Lake Las Vegas.

Nice, huh?

Move Over, Micheal J.

2005-06-13T16:58:00.000-07:00

Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has noted that there's a greater gap between the classes, and although I'm certain his concern is more for democratic capitalism than for us ordinary folks... well, that's okay, too, since I am a fan of democratic capitalism, too.

Just let us work for a decent salary, read our newspapers, vote our conscience and leave us the hell alone, Government!

I'm just delighted to see someone other than middle class and poor Americans yelling about this:

"Rich-poor gap gaining attention" from The Christian Science Monitor

WOW! JUST DISCOVERED A FASCINATING SITE!

2005-06-07T21:14:00.000-07:00

Very Interesting!!

INTERNET USAGE STATISTICS

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

2005-06-06T18:13:00.000-07:00

Haven't posted anything in a while, but then

2005-05-13T02:35:00.000-07:00

I've been ill.

I've also been doing a great deal of reading; and frankly, the more I read, the more I worry.

"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny;
when the government fears the people, there is liberty."

American Citizens, How Did the Government Spend Your Taxes?

2005-04-29T20:52:00.000-07:00

From the National Priorities Project

Just enter the amount of federal taxes you paid for 2004 and see how that money was spent. You might be shocked!

NPP Income Tax Chart

I've been ranting about this for months now!

2005-04-13T02:39:00.000-07:00

The Gilded Age Is Back In Vogue

The In-Law's New Backyard...

2005-04-12T23:25:00.000-07:00

Johnny's folks have redone their backyard and it's really pretty.

I surely do miss my old lawn... it was an acre and a half and hell to mow, but it was really beautiful.

I still can't get over how small these California lawns are. Ah, well, the weather is nice.

WHAT NOW???

2005-04-12T15:44:00.000-07:00

I don't understand this at all, and I hope that the 18 countries are all friendly.

Labs Urged to Destroy Pandemic Flu Strain

Well, perhaps this isn't nearly as ominous as I originally thought... I hope:

UDATE

I look forward to the day when we have some good news.

I told Johnny that the Queen should have allowed this ALL those many years ago

2005-04-10T17:03:00.000-07:00

I'm no Camilla fan, but it does seem as if this marriage was written in the stars (or some such nonsense). :-)

Johnny replied, "If Prince Charles had not married Diana, the world would never have known her and her good works."

Yes, I had to relent and admit that he was probably correct. Britian would not have her young Prince William and Prince Harry either.

And yes, I was a fan of Diana who touched so many lives.

What the frick is the The Constitution Restoration Act?

2005-04-03T19:03:00.000-07:00

This bill ensures that God's divine word (and our infallible leaders' interpretation thereof) will hereafter trump all our pathetic democratic notions about freedom, law and rights -- and our courts can't say a thing. This, of course, will take "In God We Trust" to an entirely new level, because soon He (and His personally anointed political elite) will be all the legal recourse we have left.

Now, I'm a Christian, but I hope they're kidding! Separation of Church and State is vital to America. If I want to live in a theocracy, I'll move to Iran.

from Daily Kos

Bill Summary & Status for the 109th Congress

Go With God...

2005-04-02T12:58:00.000-08:00

Fox News Channel - Argh, Gak and Oh My Gawd...

2005-03-27T01:45:00.000-08:00

I don't watch much TV, but when I do, it's usually one of the networks (ABC, NBC, CBS), C-Span, Lou Dobbs on CNN, PBS, Discovery Channel, the local news, Keith Olbermann's Countdown on MSNBC for fun, etc., soooo when I finally decided to watch Fox News Channel after reading so many varied and interesting things about it, I can honestly and unambiguously state that the following occurred.

"Argh, Gak and Oh My Gawd!" I cried, pinching myself ...while visions of sugar-plums danced in my head...

Yes, in my opinion, it is that bad.

Apparently, there's someone out there who feels 'KindaSorta' as I do. No, I have no plans to purchase one, but I'm tempted. ;-)

Device Lets You Out-Fox Your TV

I found the following article this morning

2005-03-25T04:13:00.000-08:00

...and my few drops of Choctaw and Cherokee demand that I post this link, especially in light of all the other insanity over the last few days.

--

Native Americans Criticize Bush's Silence

--
Grandma Josey and me, 1958

--

I know nothing of Native American ways for any connection with that world was severed when my great-grandmother passed away, and it simply wasn't discussed back then in The Deep South.

All I remember about Grandma Josey is that she smoked a pipe like a man.

My mother and grandmother thought it was gauche...

and that was the end of that.

Pretty much sums up a lot of things, doesn't it?

Shades of "Jurassic Park" - Fascinating!

2005-03-24T19:57:00.000-08:00

CNN article - Soft tissue found in T-rex fossil

My country is having a nervous breakdown!

2005-03-24T09:30:00.000-08:00

Okay, enough is enough!

Can we just all calm down now? I swear, this thing is getting ridiculous.

Whatever happened to the Separation of Church and State? ... Checks and Balances and the Separation of Powers? Do these people understand nothing about our Constitution?

--

I know that this is a bad analogy, but why aren't all these nice Christian people who are protesting the removal of the feeding tube (for Terri)... why aren't all these nice Christian people also protesting the loss of American lives in Iraq? Our American soldiers (not to mention the innocent civilians killed in Afghanistan and Iraq) deserved to live, too, but that's just one American's opinion. (I love my country as much as anyone, but this Iraq thing is just beyond the pale!)

This would seem to be the appropriate time for a strong, moral American leader to step forward and calm the American people.

--

I pray for a peaceful crossing for Terri and I pray for some sanity to be restored to my country.

Terri

2005-03-23T12:24:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot about Terri Schiavo. She's a woman I don't even know personally, but I cannot seem to get her out of my mind... I'm sure it's because of all the media coverage, but perhaps it is also because she's about the same age as I am.

Thinking back to 1990 (when she experienced the heart attack), I was a relatively young, divorced mother, and even though I was in a constant state of exhaustion from teaching unruly teenagers during the day-- and managing supper, homework, baths, housework, etc., at night, my life was still very rich and full because of my children... my two sons.

I cannot help but think about Terri Schiavo as I look in the mirror and compare my face to hers.

She was never able to have and hold a child of her own and watch him as he smiled the very first time with those bright little eyes. She never saw him take those awkward first few steps and she never had the opportunity to laugh excitedly as she heard "Ma-Ma" or "Da-Da" the first time ...all those little events that we parents recall as bittersweet memories after our children have grown.

I can still vividly see my boys as they were one day in the summer of 1985. They had gone outside after a heavy rain to "make mud-pies" and... after a few minutes I walked out to check on them. Both quickly turned around and all I could see were the great big eyes of two little boys covered head-to-toe with mud, and I mean they were really covered in it!

Well, at first I was irritated because they were so wet and dirty (an understatement), however I couldn't help but relent, because-- after all, I was the one who had allowed them to go out there in the first place.

Anyway, I will never forget those muddy little faces happily smiling up as they each exclaimed, "Mama, look at me!"

Getting all muddy had been a brand new adventure for each of them.

So, I did what any proper Southern mother would do... I got out the water hose and sprayed each of them down -- we all laughed and had so much fun that day.

--

Strangely, this has brought me to the parents of Terri. God, how they must have suffered.

The Terri Schiavo Case

2005-03-22T14:17:00.000-08:00

The Internet is buzzing with news and opinions about the Terri Schiavo case.

I found her site, or rather it's the site that her family has created.

The face of Terri that looked back at me caused me to catch my breath, for it is the face of an attractive young woman one might see at the movie theatre or at the beach, and it bears no resemblance whatsoever to the face we've seen in that video.

Personally I do not agree with the parents' position, but then, I am not in their shoes, so I'll refrain from saying, "Never."

One can only pray for the wisdom to know when to let go.

Terri Schiavo site

More upsetting to me is the manner in which Terri has been used... and 'used' is exactly the way I feel about it.

An excellent editorial by Anthony Wade, "Delay Hypocrisy: The GOP Using The Schiavo Case For Political Gain. Who Cries for Sun Hudson?"

Daily Kos is a must-read today - "Money Trail in the Schiavo Case: Bioethics for Sale?"

Washington Post piece

The Living Will

2005-03-22T14:10:00.000-08:00

There are many things one learns during a lifetime, and if I've learned nothing else from the very public Terry Schiavo story, it is that we each should make a Living Will and give a copy of that Will to our spouse, partner, parent, child or whomever.

Johnny and I downloaded forms from several sites this morning. We'll look them over tonight and decide which to use, but we are definitely going to 'put into writing' that which we've always said to one another concerning the end of life.

I intend to send copies to my mother and my children as well even though I've already verbally told them my wishes many times.

Hmmmm.... Center for Public Integrity - Money Made in Iraq and Afghanistan

2005-03-21T07:45:00.000-08:00

You'll have to scrooooooollllll down a lot for this one.

Interesting, eh?

© 2005 The Center for Public Integrity

Not Much to Say Except...

2005-03-17T11:19:00.000-08:00

The opposition against the bankruptcy bill crosses party lines, among the grassroots...

2005-03-11T08:32:00.000-08:00

Check out the blog Politology where Conservatives, Moderates and Liberals are joining forces to fight a bill which the banking and credit card industries want so badly.

The Senate has already passed it and it'll be going to the House next week.

This isn't about holding people accountable for their bills... I think most Americans want to pay their bills. I certainly do.

It's about credit card companies that are aggressively targeting our young people in college... they don't even have to have a job any longer to receive credit cards. Who pays the bills?

It's about Congress spending the U.S. into unprecedented debt at the same time they want to hit middle-class families who are fighting a losing battle with debt because of medical bills (which account for half of all bankruptcies) and job layoffs.

It's about loan sharking interest rates charged by credit card companies along with their outrageous penalties!!

It's obvious that our lawmakers have been compromised.

Top Finance and Credit Contributors to Federal Candidates and Parties

Yes, I've been in a slump! And I'm angry.

2005-03-08T01:49:00.000-08:00

This new Bankruptcy Bill ironically named "Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005" sounds like a good thing. Yeah, let's do something about those slackers and deadbeats!!

Well, I've been watching the going-on's about this for the last week, and it's really scary. Google "S 256 bill" or "Bankruptcy Bill" and read about it.

Here's one site I just googled: National Consumer Law Center and another one from National Consumer Law Center

Here's a .pdf you can download from Public Interest Research Groups

It's damned scary! Even if you've never owned a credit card, never gambled the paychecks away, you could find yourself in the poor house or homeless. Do the research and you'll have nightmares! What if you're laid off...what if you face a catastrophic illness even if you're insured?

No, we've never declared bankruptcy and have never even considered doing so, however, we've never had thousands of dollars of debt from an illness hanging over our heads either.

Who Wants This Bill?

Yep, the banks and credit card companies are really pulling for this one since they will be able to pull in even more money at exhorbitant rates! Oh, and lookie at the Top Contributors to Federal Candidates and Parties in the areas of Finance and Credit. This tells us a great deal about many of those who are supposed to be legislating for the people.

The American people don't deserve this and they have no idea of what they're getting (in my opinion, of course).

Sometimes I feel that we're just the darn suckers who work like dogs and pay our taxes so that our Representatives and Senators in Congress can legislate the Middle Class into the Class of the Poor... and the Poor into the Class of Abject Poverty.

Not to worry... the wealthy will be protected through loop holes, but then, aren't they always?

AND NOW...

2005-02-19T13:10:00.000-08:00

It looks like this...

WE'RE HAVING A HAILSTORM HERE IN SUNNY

2005-02-19T07:17:00.000-08:00

California!! Johnny and I only live 5 miles from the Pacific Coast! Crazy weather...

They finally announced it!

2005-02-16T21:42:00.000-08:00

Johnny and I have been following this story, and last year we expected this announcement to come from Dr. Victorio Formisano of Italy, but we think he may have been reticent for whatever reason.

Well, of all people... Two scientists from our (now very) conservative NASA administration!

Evidence of Present Life on Mars

Blooming!

2005-02-16T21:37:00.000-08:00

My Valentine roses are blooming... soon it will time to dry and save them. (Yes, I still receive roses every Valentine's Day. Johnny is the sweetest! )

This white one is now the prettiest.

Sometimes I become angry and

2005-02-15T10:55:00.000-08:00

let loose with the Queen Bee of all four-letter-words.

Sorry about that.

WHAT A FINE HOW-DA-YA-DO!!!!

2005-02-14T23:13:00.000-08:00

It's MY information! No company has the authority to BUY and SELL it unless I need to buy a home or a car... but to whom are they selling this information as well?

ChoicePoint finds wealth in information

And how frickin' convenient for ChoicePoint Inc. that this story of their utter incompetence breaks in the dead of night...
so it'll probably be buried in all of tomorrow's papers...
way back on page 34D!!

I think I'm just about to get very angry!

Our politicians have sold us OUT in the past, and now they're selling us down the river!!

China and other foreign countries OWN a third of our debt (money our chidren and grandchildren will still be paying to them) and 'the powers that be' wherever they be... are outsourcing our jobs to those same countries!!!

Oh, but, we're exporting democracy to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Yeah, right.

I've had it. I've really, really had it!

I wonder...

2005-02-10T07:14:00.000-08:00

Do they take off their human suits at night? (wink-wink)

So, will Prince Charles ever be king?

"Laissez les bons temps rouler!"

2005-02-08T21:02:00.000-08:00

Today was Mardi Gras and I forgot! I can't believe it. :-(

Anyway, here's a site with webcams galore if you want to see the decadence and debauchery:

Check out the KaraokeCam and the Bourbon St. Cam (Bourbocam)
New Orleans webcams

On opposite sides of the room...

2005-02-02T22:21:00.000-08:00

Johnny and I watched the President's State of the Union Address from both sides of the aisle, um... room.

He said he couldn't hear most of it because of my ranting.

Not true. :-)

I don't rant when it comes to Bush. I yell!!!

Bait and Switch!!

2005-02-02T02:36:00.000-08:00

I think the American people are being played for fools... again!

All this damn hullabaloo about 'private accounts' for Social Security is, in my opinion, just the old bait and switch.

They know... they know that they cannot touch Social Security! There will be too much of an outcry.

So while everyone is busy calling, writing and trying to alert and educate the public, we have been distracted from something just as mean-spirited.

I think THIS is what they're all about.

Check out this .pdf

What they hell are they doing to our country? To our middle class?

The Most Entertaining Article I've Read Yet on...

2005-01-28T06:08:00.000-08:00

our fair-haired leader's most recent obsession...

Let Granny Eat Grass

I'm not mean-spirited, but this is just too funny!

2005-01-28T01:24:00.000-08:00

Stop Ashley from Singing Petition

Sad, Sad...

2005-01-25T01:00:00.000-08:00

This article made me weep...

These families have lost their sons in this war and the Secretary of Defense (or his office) ignores their letters and their calls? They who have sacrificed the most... cannot even be given five minutes?

Gold Star Families and Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld

There is a photo of Cindy Sheehan and an interesting article from "Stars and Stripes" at this website.

---

Later and a bit unrelated:

All I can think... all I can deduce from my feelings and my memory is that this situation in Iraq is reminding me more and more of Vietnam.

The Gulf of Tonkin Then -- the WMD Now
The Domino Theory Then -- Evil Tyrants Now
The Arrogance of Appointed and Elected Officials Then -- and Now
War Profiteering Then -- and Now
No Exit Plan Then --and Now

Of course, there are many differences as well. One of the most stark (that immediately comes to my mind) is that the war in Vietnam was actually covered by reporters and TV journalists.

We saw the injured and the dying on our TV screens each evening.

We were even allowed to see the coffins.

Still no one really wanted to think about it. People did not wish to be bothered; that is, until it began to affect them personally...

Perhaps it was a neighbor's son or a cousin's son... until suddenly, it was the threat of his or her own son... returning in a coffin.

Yes, that's how most Americans one by one began to lose support for that war.

Ah... Whenever I'm Sad or Troubled and All is Not Right With the World...

2005-01-22T21:02:00.000-08:00

I just sit down beside Johnny and watch a couple of episodes of 'Cops.'

Puts everything into perspective.

WOW !! Just WOW!!

2005-01-15T10:18:00.000-08:00

Saturn's moon Titan looks so, hmmmm... familiar.

Looks like a 'rain-washed' gravel road back home except for the orange color. Amazing!!

Check out the audio at the ESA site, too. Johnny says the radar audio sounds just like his old Atari 800 Computer!
Cassini-Huygens mission - ESA (European Space Agency) site

NASA
NASA's coverage

Farewell to a Friend

2005-01-13T10:16:00.000-08:00

I've been on the internet since 1999 and have received word that one of my very first online friends has passed away.

This is truly a phenomenal place.

We meet people, we grow together in our understanding, and we feel a real kinship with them... even though we may never meet them in person.

But does that really matter?

After all, what is friendship?

Goodbye, Pat. I will never, never forget your kindness.

Pat C. from Fairbanks, AK

Two Cameras

2005-01-03T15:11:00.000-08:00

We received a 'stocking stuffer' gift for Christmas ...a keychain camera that takes real pictures.

We also received (although I'm claiming it as MINE) a nice Toshiba Camera (PDR-M81) that also takes real pictures.

Here's the Keychain Cam as taken by my Toshiba. Nice, huh?

Here's the Toshiba Cam as taken by the 'keychain camera.' Horrid, huh?

Hahahaha...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2005-01-01T01:45:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone has a good year - 2005! Geez, I'm still not accustomed to 2004.

It's 2005 and we're still not flyin' around in cars!! :-)

Tell Us What You Really Think

2004-12-31T09:44:00.000-08:00

Villain of the year
"George W Bush -With all due respect, the man is a moronic, mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging, mindless puppet doing the bidding of his super-rich, neo-con, oil-soaked paymasters while issuing lip service to the concerns of the great unwashed. He's dragged us all into a dangerous quagmire in the Middle East and shafted the planet with his environmental vandalism."

~ from: Scotsman.com

John and I are in northern California...

2004-12-29T04:45:00.000-08:00

We arrived Monday night. He had to drive up on a business trip so I came along to keep him company.

It rained on us ALL the way here (a very nerve-wracking 9-hour drive) and it will probably rain on us all the way back home tomorrow. Small worries, I know.

I'm in a nice hotel room and don't have to cook or do anything actually... and I do have an old, slow laptop that we brought along; however, this place has only dial-up to offer, so the internet connection is frustratingly slow (we're in a relatively small town and I haven't had a speed over 28.8 yet).

I've been watching the news channels and reading online about the earthquake and tsunami. It was all so much more devastating than we all originally thought.

I can't believe so many people (mostly children) lost their lives so quickly. I am assuming that most will never be found...that they were swept into the sea. It's all so very sad especially for the survivors who have lost family members.

So many, many people.

As you can gather, my mood is rather dark, so I'll just stop here.

Wish us a safe drive back down to Southern California (where we've been told that it is also raining).

Tsunami Eyewitness Reports

2004-12-27T02:30:00.000-08:00

This is chilling!

It Seemed Like a Scene From the Bible

By Michael Dobbs
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, December 27, 2004

"...I was taking my morning swim around the island that my brother Geoffrey, a businessman, had bought on a whim a decade ago and turned into a tropical paradise 200 yards from one of the world's most beautiful beaches.

I was a quarter way around the island when I heard my brother shouting at me, 'Come back! Come back! There's something strange happening with the sea.' He was swimming behind me, but closer to the shore.

I couldn't understand what the fuss was about. All seemed peaceful. There was barely a ripple in the sea. My brother's house rests on a rock 60 feet above the level of the sea.

Then I noticed that the water around me was rising, climbing up the rock walls of the island with astonishing speed. The vast circle of golden sand around Weligama Bay was disappearing rapidly, and the water had reached the level of the coastal road, fringed with palm trees.

As I swam to shore, my mind was momentarily befuddled by two conflicting impressions -- the idyllic blue sky and the rapidly rising waters.

In less than a minute, the water level had risen at least 15 feet, but the sea remained calm, with barely a wave in sight.

Within minutes, the beach and the area behind it had become an inland sea that rushed over the road and poured into the flimsy houses on the other side. The speed with which it all happened seemed like a scene from the Bible, a natural phenomenon unlike anything I had experienced.

As the waters rose at an incredible rate, I half expected to catch sight of Noah's Ark.

Instead of the ark, I grabbed a wooden catamaran that the local people used as a fishing boat. My brother jumped on the boat next to me. We bobbed up and down on the catamaran as the water rushed past us into the village beyond the road.

After a few minutes, the water stopped rising, and I felt it was safe to swim to the shore. What I did not realize was that the floodwaters would recede as quickly and dramatically as they had risen.

All of a sudden, I found myself being swept out to sea with startling speed. Although I am a fairly strong swimmer, I was unable to withstand the current. The fishing boats around me had been torn from their moorings, and were bobbing up and down furiously.

For the first time, I felt afraid, powerless to prevent myself from being washed out to sea.

I swam in the direction of a loose catamaran, grabbed the hull and pulled myself to safety. My weight must have slowed the boat down, and soon I was stranded on the sand..."

--from Washington Post writer who was vacationing on an island near Sri Lanka.

Story Here

© Copyright 1996-2004 The Washington Post Company

--

Other Eyewitness Reports

Eyewitness Report Sri Lanka

Eyewitness Report Bangkok

More eyewitnesses

An American eyewitness

Oh Dear

2004-12-27T02:01:00.000-08:00

I wonder if this is related to Sumatra quake?
Now there are earthquakes in China?

Terrifying!!

2004-12-26T04:24:00.000-08:00

{Edited again! If you don't have DSL or Cable, this animation may load very slowly.}

Tsunami Animation from the National Institute
of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

{Edited: Now they've upgraded the earthquake to a 9!! The aftershocks of the big quake are 6's and a 7!!

Unbelievable! USGS site }

-- --

Can you envision a wall of water high as the trees...
traveling toward you at 300 mph (500km) ?

We live 5 miles (as the crow flies) from the Pacific Coast, and this is about as close as I wish to get despite my love for the beach.

So sad.

Sea surges kill thousands in Asia
Sunday, 26 December, 2004, 12:16 GMT

"Thousands of people have been killed across south and east Asia in massive sea surges triggered by the strongest earthquake in the world for 40 years.

The 8.9 magnitude quake struck under the sea near Aceh in north Indonesia, generating a wall of water that sped across thousands of kilometres of sea.

At least 1,500 died in Sri Lanka and more than 1,000 were killed in India."

Rest of the BBC Story

and

Q&A: How the tsunami happened