Archive for May, 2006
May 31, 2006 at 12:29 pm Filed under General
Some funny things that came to my email today. Funny signs you might not have seen posted in various places:
Did I read that sign right?
TOILET OUT OF ORDER. PLEASE USE FLOOR BELOW
In a Laundromat:
AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES: PLEASE REMOVE ALL YOUR CLOTHES WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT
In a London department store:
BARGAIN BASEMENT UPSTAIRS
In an office:
WOULD THE PERSON WHO TOOK THE STEP LADDER YESTERDAY PLEASE BRING IT BACK OR FURTHER STEPS WILL BE TAKEN
In an office:
AFTER TEA BREAK STAFF SHOULD EMPTY THE TEAPOT AND STAND UPSIDE DOWN ON THE DRAINING BOARD
Outside a secondhand shop:
WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING - BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES, ETC. WHY NOT BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG AND GET A WONDERFUL BARGAIN?
Spotted in a safari park:
ELEPHANTS PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR
Seen during a conference:
FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CHILDREN AND DOESN’T KNOW IT, THERE IS A DAYCARE ON THE 1ST FLOOR
Notice in a farmer’s field:
THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD FOR FREE, BUT THE BULL CHARGES.
Message on a leaflet:
IF YOU CANNOT READ, THIS LEAFLET WILL TELL YOU HOW TO GET LESSONS
On a repair shop door:
WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING. (PLEASE KNOCK HARD ON THE DOOR - THE BELL DOESN’T WORK)
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May 29, 2006 at 7:44 pm Filed under Personal
Normally I wouldn’t pick up this book to read. I’d think, “Yet another ‘life after death’ story.” But this one was recommended by sister.
It’s not that I don’t believe in certain incidences of these occurences, because I know someone who I respect and admire deeply, who was pronounced dead, and after a time she was alive again, with a memory of a short time in heaven.
So goes the story of 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper.
I just started it, and the description of his time in heaven is amazing.
Book Description
As he is driving home from a minister’s conference, Baptist minister Don Piper collides with a semi-truck that crosses into his lane. He is pronounced dead at the scene. For the next 90 minutes, Piper experiences heaven where he is greeted by those who had influenced him spiritually. He hears beautiful music and feels true peace. Back on earth, a passing minister who had also been at the conference is led to pray for Don even though he knows the man is dead. Piper miraculously comes back to life and the bliss of heaven is replaced by a long and painful recovery. For years Piper kept his heavenly experience to himself. Finally, however, friends and family convinced him to share his remarkable story.
Get Your Copy!
90 Minutes in Heaven
May 29, 2006 at 6:57 am Filed under Personal
Now off to the annual church picnic!
May 27, 2006 at 8:11 pm Filed under News Items
Sharon Stone took no prisoners Thursday night in her opening remarks at the annual Cinema Against AIDS dinner in Cannes.
“Our president has spent $167 million on abstinence programs,” she said. “And zero dollars on sex education. Zero dollars on teaching about safe sex.”
Someone needs to tell Ms. Stone, abstinence is as safe as it gets.
May 26, 2006 at 11:53 am Filed under News Items
As the countdown continues towards the next big soccer event, The World Cup, in Germany, there has been a lot of reporting regarding the amazing amount of prostitutes they are making ready for this event.
Huh? I thought soccer was a ball, a playing field, some sponsors, some star players, and a few troublemakers fighting in and out of the stands, and then you had an event. Since when is there a need to import and prepare for such a sport a mass of prostitutes?
By import, this is no small number, there are reports that there will be 40,000 women brought in which reeks suspiciously of sex and human trafficking. Catholic groups warn that many are desperately poor and will be “sex trafficked” against their will. Most of the women are told “they are going to be models, waitresses or some other harmless occupation,” says The Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute . “Many will be brutally assaulted by intoxicated fans.”
An estimated 3 million soccer fans - mostly men - are expected to descend on 12 German cities for the quadrennial sports event June 9 to July 9.
“What makes this crime particularly appalling,” adds C-FAM, “is the open support it is receiving from the German government. The same government that likes to lecture America on morality! It is an outrage that the German government is currently facilitating prostitution and we believe women who will be exploited will be treated as commodities.”
Germany’s sex-industry entrepreneurs have made no secret of their expectation of a boom as hundreds of thousands of visitors arrive for the World Cup. At the four-story, 40-bedroom Artemis brothel which opened in Berlin last fall, manager Egbert Krumeich predicted business _ normally 130 clients a day _ could double or triple during the 32- nation tournament.
Prostitution is legal in Germany, with about 400,000 registered sex workers who pay taxes and receive social benefits. However, the government says forced prostitution is not tolerated and it denies Smith’s claim that it is helping build brothels.
The German goverment denies that it is “acting as an official pimp for the 2006 World Cup _ anticipating millions of dollars in revenues from the exploitation of women’s bodies and souls by tens of thousands of male football fans notorious for their drunkenness and violence.”
May 24, 2006 at 8:08 pm Filed under Personal
My Time Life Collection says that the following songs were the most popular for 1971:
1. Al Green - Tired of Being Alone (2:51)
2. Alice Cooper - I’m Eighteen (2:59)
3. Bill Withers - Ain’t No Sunshine (2:04)
4. Bonnie / Delaney & Bonnie / Friends - Never Ending Song of Love (2:42)
5. Chi0Lites / The Chi-Lites - Have You Seen Her? (5:12)
6. Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose - Treat Her Like a Lady (2:46)
7. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Have You Ever Seen the Rain? (2:39)
8. Elton John - Your Song (4:01)
9. Emerson, Lake & Palmer / Greg Lake / Palmer - Lucky Man (4:36)
10. Gordon Lightfoot - If You Could Read My Mind (3:49)
11. Grateful Dead - Truckin’ (3:16)
12. Ike & Tina Turner / Tina Turner - Proud Mary (3:23)
13. Isaac Hayes - Theme from Shaft (3:16)
14. James Taylor - You’ve Got a Friend (4:32)
15. Jean Knight - Mr. Big Stuff (2:45)
16. Joan Baez - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (3:23)
17. Joe Cocker - High Time We Went (4:30)
18. Lee Michaels - Do You Know What I Mean (3:14)
19. Marvin Gaye - Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) (3:15)
20. Marvin Gaye - What’s Going On (3:47)
21. Matthews’ Southern Comfort - Woodstock (4:28)
22. Paul Revere & the Raiders - Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian) (2:53)
23. Rare Earth - I Just Want to Celebrate.mp3
24. Richie Havens - Here Comes the Sun.mp3
25. Rod Stewart - (I Know) I’m Losing You.mp3
26. Rod Stewart - Maggie May.mp3
27. Runt - Todd Rundgren - We Gotta Get You a Woman.mp3
28. Santana - Oye Como Va.mp3
29. Sly & the Family Stone - Family Affair.mp3
30. Stephen Stills - Love the One You’re With.mp3
31. The Bee Gees - How Can You Mend a Broken Heart-.mp3
32. The Dramatics - Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get.mp3
33. The Grass Roots - Sooner or Later.mp3
34. The Jackson 5 - Never Can Say Goodbye.mp3
35. The Staple Singers - Respect Yourself.mp3
36. The Temptations - Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) (3:48)
37. The Undisputed Truth - Smiling Faces Sometimes (3:16)
38. Three Dog Night - Joy to the World (3:18)
39. Three Dog Night - Liar (3:40)
40. Tommy James - Draggin’ the Line (2:46)
41. Van Morrison - Blue Money (3:44)
42. Van Morrison - Wild Night (3:32)
May 24, 2006 at 11:47 am Filed under News Items
I remember reading stories to my son with Sesame Street characters and the biggest problem on the block was usually Bert aggravated with Ernie for making such a mess, or Cookie Monster had been into the cookies again, disguised as the “Great Cookie Thief”.
No more.
Now, for T-shirts, Sesame Street characters look something out of a gang nightmare. These T-shirts have Oscar the Grouch emerging from his garbage can, wielding a 9 mm handgun. On others, Bert and Ernie are standing in a gang posture, armed with automatic weapons. Makes me sad to think of these long time beloved characters in our home made into something so negative.
One school has banned the T-shirts.
Somebody better call Super Grover, this just isn’t right for our children.
May 23, 2006 at 9:29 pm Filed under Personal
As promised in an earlier blog, I decided to rip my cd’s from the year 1970. These are a “little before my time” to be honest, but since I had older neighbors who were teens, I can recall most of them. According to my Time Life Cd’s the following songs were the most popular from that year:
1. Aretha Franklin - Don’t Play That Song (2:58)
2. B.B. King - The Thrill Is Gone (4:07)
3. Brook Benton - Rainy Night in Georgia.mp3
4. Canned Heat - Let’s Work Together.mp3
5. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Up Around the Bend.mp3
6. Eddie Holman - Hey There Lonely Girl.mp3
7. Edwin Starr - War.mp3
8. Eric Burdon / War - Spill the Wine (4:53)
9. Eric Clapton - After Midnight (2:55)
10. Free - All Right Now (3:49)
11. Grand Funk Railroad - Closer to Home (5:31)
12. Grateful Dead - Uncle John’s Band (3:09)
13. James Taylor - Fire and Rain (3:23)
14. Joe Cocker - Cry Me a River (3:55)
15. Joe Cocker - The Letter (4:18)
16. Joe South - Walk a Mile in My Shoes (3:43)
17. Mountain - Mississippi Queen (2:30)
18. Mungo Jerry - In the Summertime (3:30)
19. Norman Greenbaum - Spirit in the Sky (4:02)
20. Rare Earth - Get Ready (2:47)
21. Santana - Black Magic Woman (3:19)
22. Santana - Evil Ways.mp3
23. Shocking Blue - Venus (2:59)
24. Sly & the Family Stone - Thank You (Falletin Me Be Mice Elf Agin).mp3
25. Smokey Robinson & the Miracles - The Tears of a Clown (3:00)
26. Sugarloaf - Green-Eyed Lady.mp3
27. The Band - Up on Cripple Creek.mp3
28. The Bee Gees - Lonely Days.mp3
29. The Blues Image - Ride Captain Ride.mp3
30. The Guess Who - American Woman.mp3
31. The Guess Who - No Time.mp3
32. The Hollies - He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother.mp3
33. The Ides of March - Vehicle.mp3
34. The Jackson 5 - ABC.mp3
35. The Jackson 5 - I Want You Back.mp3
36. The Jaggerz - The Rapper (2:44)
37. The Moments - Love on a Two-Way Street (3:44)
38. The Moody Blues - Question (4:55)
39. The Temptations - Ball of Confusion (4:05)
40. Three Dog Night - Mama Told Me (Not to Come) (3:21)
41. Tyrone Davis - Turn Back the Hands of Time (2:57)
42. Van Morrison - Domino (3:10)
May 23, 2006 at 7:42 pm Filed under Personal
Every once in a while, I like to go a little further with the Terragens I create and add some postwork. Hope you like:
Click here to see a larger image
May 23, 2006 at 11:54 am Filed under News Items
Al Gore has a way of setting me on my last nerve. Aligning himself with Clinton was one way to do it, I suppose, along with his stiff, rather made for politics mannerisms could be another, and down to his cries against Homeschooling in his presidential campaign rather sealed the “lockbox” of issues I perhaps have against him.
However, he seems to be approaching with a new movie, a subject that keeps my curiosity humming, that of global warming and impending doom.
I just wish I could take the man serious, but its hard to do so.
The documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth” is based on Gore lectures regarding environmental crisis over many years.
The film shows photographs of changes to glaciers around the world, with snow disappearing from the Alps, Antarctica and the South Pole. He says, “Mother nature has joined this debate with a very powerful and persistent voice.”
Well Mr. Gore, as a member of New Salem Missionary Baptist Church, you should know ‘mother nature’ has very little to do with it. God created the universe, God told mankind to take care of it, and when it comes down to it, I suppose God can pull the plug of His grace we’ve been given so far to muck it up royally, any time He wishes.
I am not disregarding any of the warning signs he might have in the documentary, but, as a self proclaimed ‘inventor of the internet’, he could have well used it to make his point years ago, instead burning 439,500 LBS of fuel in 1997 to get his message accross.
Air Force II’s Global Warming Express features an itinerary that takes the
vice president from Washington to Florida to Washington to Alaska to Japan
and back — all in just 72-hours.Saturday, December 6, 19979:45 a.m. Air Force II departs Andrews AFB enroute Fort Myers, Fla.
12:05 p.m. Air Force II arrives Southwest Florida Regional Airport. Gate 69-A.
2 p.m. Vice President Gore addresses the 50th Anniversary/Rededication,
Everglades Municipal Airport, Everglades National Park.
6:40 p.m. Air Force II departs Florida en route AFB.
8:35 p.m. Air Force II arrives at Andrews Air Force Base.
9:45 p.m. — Air Force II departs Andrews Air Force Base en route Elmendorf
Air Force Base
Sunday, Dec. 7
1:15 a.m. — Air Force II arrives Elmendorf Air Force Base, Anchorage, Alaska
2:45 a.m. — Air Force II departs Elmendorf Air Force Base en route Osaka, Japan
Monday, Dec. 8
5 a.m. — Air Force II arrives Osaka International Airport, Osaka Japan
11:15 p.m. — Air Force II departs Osaka, Japan en route Elmendorf Air Force
Base
12:35 p.m. — Air Force II arrives Elmendorf Air Force Base, Anchorage, Alaska
2:05 p.m. — Air Force II departs Elmendorf Air Force Base en route Andrews
Air Force Base
Tuesday, Dec. 9
12:45 a.m. — Air Force II arrives Andrews Air Force Base
Gore’s plane, a Boeing 707 gas guzzler burns on average 4.1 gallons a mile.The complete Washington to Florida to Washington to Alaska to Japan and return to Washington trip calculated from commercial air mileage tables is just over 16,000 miles total. Gas gallons needed for AIR FORCE II to go 16,000 miles: 65,600. Applying the average price of $2.01 per gallon of Jet A to the 16,000 mile r/t — the fuel cost alone passes $131,000.00. There are 6.7 pounds per gallon of jet fuel. Total pounds of fuel burned on
Gore’s Global Warming Express — 439,500.
How’s that for leadership with an environmental cause?
May 19, 2006 at 10:16 pm Filed under News Items
More than one billion people in the world have access to the Internet, with a quarter of them with broadband, or high-speed connections, according to a survey. This milestone was reached in late 2005.
The United States is still number one in terms of numbers of Internet users with 175 million, and broadband households, 43.7 million. Europe had 233 million people online and 55.2 million broadband households. China had 111 million users and 34.1 million households with fast connections. The region that was growing fast was Latin America.
Amazing how far we have come. I still remember vividly getting my first computer and refusing to use the net because it was “too slow”. That was back in AOL days when we paid by the minute!
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May 19, 2006 at 5:01 pm Filed under Personal
Click here to see a larger image
My son Miquel has a friend; we have been calling him to distinguish him from another friend with the same name, ”Crazy Andrew”, a name he doesn’t seem to mind. I think he believes we’re fairly crazy, too.
Andrew felt comfortable enough with us to invite us to his personal presentation he made at his school a few nights ago. Seems Andrew, in lieu of Final Exams, was allowed to do a speech and show on his passion, dance. His style of dance, is like liquid, and it makes the dance appear to have no bones in his body. We sure enjoyed being invited to the show, watching him do this style of dance, and the ice cream after!
Have a quick preview of this style of dance HERE (1 MB WMV file)
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May 19, 2006 at 4:28 pm Filed under Personal
I am sure it was my mom who gave me a love for all things Native American. Perhaps it was her Cherokee blood, her love for nature, and stories she would tell and trips like the one we took to Cherokee, North Carolina.
So perhaps it was understandable after seeing many commercials for the release of The New World on DVD, I did the uncharacteristic thing and went to Blockbuster to rent a copy.
The New World is mainly the story of Pocahantas (Q’Orianka Kilcher) and her relationship with Captain John Smith (Colin Farrell) and later with John Rolfe (Christian Bale).
If you like car chases and modern action, I suppose this movie wouldn’t thrill you, however, I found it enchanting, and able to draw out many emotions. While watching it, I was amazed at the photography of the film, it really seems to take you back to 1600’s Virginia.
After watching the film, I was really intrigued to look into some details of how it was made. I found some interesting items:
- It was shot almost entirely with available light.
- Native American cast members had to learn the Algonquin language. 3000 people speak this language today, many of whom were hired by producers to teach cast members.
- The Virginia fort was built in 30 days, the exact number of days the original settlers needed to construct the original yet without the use of cranes and other modern machinery.
- Over 1 million feet of film was shot for completion of the film.
- Casting for the character of Pocohontas proved difficult, producers looked at over two thousand actors before deciding to open up their search criteria for all indigenous actors of both North and South America.
- Producers agreed with Native American leaders not to acknowledge credit to them until the final film met with their approval.
- The clothing Pocahontas is wearing during the audience with the queen, is based on one of the few contemporary portraits of her.
- Pocahontas is never called Pocahontas during the entire film.
- In preparation for the role, Colin Farrell read all seven of John Smith’s books he published back in England on his accounts of The New World.
- All actors were required to lose 20 pounds in a month and then went to boot camp where they learned to use artillery weapons and live like the settlers.
I was happy to learn that they did indeed film The New World in Virginia. Also, a lot of pains were taken for costumes. They used a lot of natural materials and created them by hand. Actual ship replicas were used in the movie, as well as an authentic compass used by John Smith.
If you like history, Native Americans, and amazing artistic filming of nature around us, you will like The New World.
May 18, 2006 at 11:50 am Filed under Personal
This was sent to my inbox today:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear,our presence automatically liberates others.
What do you think? Do we fear that we can’t or fear that we can?
May 17, 2006 at 12:14 pm Filed under News Items
Naturally since I homeschool, I have a preference to do so over public schools. I sent my oldest to a private school for a few years, but, started my homeschooling “career: while he was in 4th grade.
Scanning the headlines the past month or so, I am almost inclined to believe that it’s not preference, it’s necesity that will soon keep me teaching my children at home. Where do they get these teachers today?
Read a few examples of recent headlines concerning teachers. People should be outraged.
H.S. Teacher Accused of Killing Student - A high school teacher in Belleville, Ill., was arrested and charged with breaking the neck of a 17-year-old student and then leaving her to die in some woods, according to police.
Teacher says black people are inferior to whites - Teacher McCuen thinks slavery was a good thing.
Teacher asks students who’d they kill and how they would commit a murder - Michael Maxwell, who teaches industrial technology at Central High School, said his request that students in his beginning drafting class describe how they would carry out a murder was merely a writing prompt. It was not clear why he asked the drafting class to write fiction.
Teacher out of a job after X-rated video surfaces - A teacher in western Kentucky has been suspended and will not have her contract renewed after administrators found out she appeared in an adult movie.
Limestone teacher loses job after showing sexual internet clips - White was accused of showing inappropriate Internet materials to eighth-grade students.
Teacher: All mexicans are criminals - derogatory comments against people from Mexico.
Teacher gives sexuality survey - “Heterosexual Questionnaire,” approved by two teachers, that asked students questions such as: “If you have never slept with someone of your same gender, then how do you know you wouldn’t prefer it?”
There are tons of these things going on. What are we doing to our children in these “schools”?
May 15, 2006 at 9:01 pm Filed under Personal
Miquel, frequently is experimenting these days with a new look. Since growing up, I can still recall the most my mom and I fought about was fashion trends, and I always told myself I would allow my children to have fun and try things, within reason.
Miquel’s new look, (and I am not sure he had a lot to say about it, as the hairdresser in question was determined to get the job done), was cornrows. (He added the bandana and glasses, oh, and the pose).
Wasn’t too long he took them out, but he had a fun evening trying them out.
May 15, 2006 at 12:33 pm Filed under News Items
I was scanning the headlines today and was reading about one catastrophe after another; a super typhoon is headed for China, a volcano eruption in Indonesia, and the prediction of 3 major hurricanes hitting the U.S. this year .
Since we are told all these natural disasters is surely due to our abuses here on the planet, it’s no wonder I was little surprised that it has come to this: 7-11 selling Oxygen in Japan.
Oxygen has emerged as a popular new product and sparked the creation of city “oxygen bars” that provide oxygen for customers to breathe in. The convenience store operator will sell small portable cans. It is the first retailer among Japanese convenience stores and supermarkets to enter the oxygen market.
It has come to this? We can’t even take a ride into the country for fresh air?
More on the story HERE
May 14, 2006 at 1:03 pm Filed under General
What is a Mother?
The happiness in a smile
the compassion in a tear
A small, yet brave defender
against all of our fears.
Our haven when we’re together
our lighthouse whe we’re apart
Our maker of happy memories
and the keeper of our hearts.
Her children arise up, and call her blessed.
Proverbs31:28
May 13, 2006 at 1:17 pm Filed under News Items
Sounds like my kind of car…maybe.
I didn’t know that there was to be a global competition to see who could invent the most fuel economic car, but I love the idea.
A British inventor, Andy Green has unveiled his entry, the “TeamGreen” car, capable of getting 8000 miles per gallon!
More on the story HERE
May 11, 2006 at 9:56 pm Filed under Personal
If you should ever get around a group of my old friends, undoubtably along with a few other stories about me, would surface quite a few regarding my affection for pop tarts. They could tell you about the time I went to my uncles and even though they offered me a splendid option of gourmet breakfasts, I wanted pop tarts. They could tell you that summering in Ocean City, a place that is like heaven to teens, bummed me in the mornings as the boardwalk had no pop tarts. They could tell you in my teen years, I could be seen Saturday mornings eating pop tarts and drinking diet sodas while watching cartoons - and thinking I was living high on the hog. I really like pop tarts. I like them all, but my favorite is the chocolate. In fact two of my favorite comedy sketches are about pop tarts, one from Brian Regan and another from Paula Poundstone, funny stuff.
Well, growing up didn’t change me a lot, and my children are full aware of my love for pop tarts. While I have enjoyed and have been spoiled a great deal today for my birthday, Enric and Miranda take the prize for most original gift. A pop tart pillow!
I’ve been very blessed this birthday. Cards, presents, emails, phone calls. Thank you everyone for the love and affection given to me. I truly am a lucky lady, and now, a lucky lady with a pop tart pillow!
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