Spending it with a tornado watch.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH 402 IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
IN MARYLAND THIS WATCH INCLUDES 13 COUNTIES
IN CENTRAL MARYLAND
ANNE ARUNDEL HOWARD MONTGOMERY PRINCE GEORGES
IN NORTH CENTRAL MARYLAND…..
I hope you will pardon (me, not the priest) for putting a video with cursing on it.
This was on FoxNews tonight and no beeps were made so it wasn’t highly offensive to television and shouldn’t shock anyone reading this, with the exception that this is language of a priest.
What disturbs me a great deal is the word “entitled” that is also used. This Rev. Michael Pfleger is telling white folk they should leave their jobs, their 401ks, because they got it from the grandfathers, a bad generation. He says this while Rev. Jeremiah Wright is making a superb retirement home and a basically endless amount of funds to draw on for the rest of his life.
Even so, he finds the time to mock Hillary and anyone else who finds Obama and his church’s agenda racist.
I love art. In many ways I would like to think that with my watercolors, drawings, and photography, I am an artist.
However, I don’t think in the name of Art we have freedoms that overstep that which is moral and decent. Of course, what is moral and decent has different interpretations, but in regards to children, I don’t see a loose interpretation at all.
From Live News
Police have temporarily shut down a controversial photography exhibition in Sydney which features sexualised images of naked girls as young as 11.
The exhibition, by well-known Australian photographer Bill Henson, was due to be launched at the Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery in Paddington tonight however the opening has been canceled after police intervened.
I am glad the authorities in Australia saw the sense in shutting this exhibition down in the name of protecting the children.
However, in the art community, I suppose my personal views here would be “narrowminded.” They have come out strong against shutting this down, and one of the leaders, actress Cate Blanchett who said, “the action risked damaging Australia’s cultural reputation.”
At least Australia’s leadership has a strong opinion against this kind of “art.”
Prime Minister Rudd has stood by his criticism saying: “I gave my reaction, I stand by that reaction and I don’t apologise for it and I won’t be changing it.”
“I am passionate about children having innocence in their childhood,” he said.
However, there are a wide range of people defending Bill Henson:
“I just don’t think Australia is valuing the contribution that’s made regarding the human body.”
“There’s nothing sick or sinister about it. It’s a beautiful human being.”
This woman was waiting to see the exhibition and says it has been taken completely out of context.
“I don’t think we view work in that way and I don’t think we would misconstruct [sic] it in that way. But I’m still going to resist the censorship of art practice.”
I went to one site where an artist was defending Bill Henson. The comments added there were snide and sarcastic regarding anyone who would view protecting children as wrong. Normally I wouldn’t have added a comment, but here is the thing, it seems “they” cry the loudest and the longest, and those who stand up for right need to speak out more, so I added:
At our Church Picnic, Tony wore an interesting T-shirt…
It says:
Religion is humans trying to work their way to God.
Christianity is God coming to men and women through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
I have been trying to figure out a way to put all my websites listed in one place and under one domain name. This hasn’t been easy. I was never good with names for things like this. Anyway, for now, I have created the XerraireNetwork page, a list of all my sites and projects in one place.
The next part of Memorial Day Weekend was our church picnic.
The day started as usual, seeing Mr. Mason cooking the hamburgers and hotdogs.
Laura and Miquel in a big game of soccer.
Mike brought his appetite, and why not? No one cooks it up like Baptists at a barbecue!
If there is a baby around, Anna will find them and scoop them up!
There was also football, volleyball, great weather, and a special fellowship with our church family.
Our Memorial Day seemed to start on Sunday with Maranatha sending to our church a group of violinists who gave a concert of patriotic and spiritual songs.
I couldn’t help but think of this photo of Obama as when the group played the Star Spangled Banner, everyone, without being told to, young and old, rose and stood, put their hands over their hearts, and faced the American Flag with deep reverence.
I think there would be very few people in that congregation voting for someone who won’t do the same.
Maranatha also sent a speaker. She had small patriotic messages to go along with the music. There was a lot she packed into it, and too much to remember, but one item stood out to me. As she recalled that perhaps the founders of this country wouldn’t be pleased with some of its progress, she acknowledged them, that they “intentionally TRIED to set up a government that would check our sin nature.”
It’s sad that these days, the candidates seem a mockery to the integrity that was our heritage.
I’ve had a strange, hard week. Without giving away too much information, let’s just say all the signs were there.
If you’re considering a relationship with someone, don’t ignore important signs.
A Dozen Ways to Get to Know Your Real Partner
The Signs Are All Around You
By Stacy D. Phillips
In my line of work — family law — I often hear the same old refrain when my client explains to me why they split from their significant other. It goes like this, “I guess I didn’t really know my partner after all.” You might ask, “How could that be?” How could you have an intimate relationship with someone only to wake up one day to find out that the person you fell in love with is not the person they turned out to be?
I believe there are at least a dozen ways to know who someone really is — indicators — and if we do an inventory early on, we might stand a better chance of getting to know the real person before we fully commit. The following “observance” suggestions are important ones to make in the early stages of any relationship because each offers insight into habits, patterns, and behaviors. As you ponder these observations, know that there is no right or wrong; it’s a matter of acceptance. Sometimes we have to accept quirks and differences as part of the give-and-take process. As you do your assessment, however, the goal is to decide whether or not you can live with or without your real partner.
Here are the dozen indicators:
1. Protocol: First or Second? Whether it’s walking through a door, ordering dinner, or taking a bite out of the freshly baked cookies you have made together, if your partner always have to go first this could indicate self- centeredness. Are you willing to always be the giver?
2. Politics: Liberal or Conservative? How your partner views what is right or wrong in a political sense tells you a lot about his deep inner beliefs about society, and ultimately, the way he will approach your relationship issues. Will his views cause a rift in your relationship?
3. Television: Sitcoms or News? If his tendency is to watch “escape” TV programs versus “newsy/event” oriented ones, you can learn a lot about one’s intellect. Do you want a mate who can keep up with your every day interest in what is going on in the world or a person you can run away with to avoid the world we live in?
4. Money: Flash or Stash? If your partner throws money around while dating, he might well be reckless with your joint finances when you move in together. Do you want to hook up with a tightwad or splurger?
5. Stress: Freak or Peak? Under Pressure, does he go to pieces or rise to the top of his game? If the answer is the former, every minor incident in your relationship might become a crisis. Do you like a lot of drama?
6. Conversation: About You or Him? As you first get to know each other does he always talk about himself first or you? If he is usually the topic priority do not expect that to change. Can you subordinate yourself to the world revolving around him?
7. Pets: Warm or Aloof? Believe it or not, the way in which he treats animals will not be dissimilar to how he treats your children. How do you want him to treat your loved ones?
8. Communication: Listens or Ignores? If you have something you want to talk about and he tunes you out as a general rule, can you cope?
9. Strangers: Kind or Rude? How he treats those they do not know (waiters, grocery clerks) often reflects on how he will treat people in general, including you, shortly after the glow wears off.
10. Priorities: Family or Work? You can tell almost immediately where a person’s preferences lie in terms of what comes first (a family member’s illness or a business trip) by the choices he makes when faced with an “either/or” situation. Do you care if he leaves on the next plane to present the such-and-such report if you or the kids have pneumonia?
11. Appearance: Fat or Fit? How he regards his appearance screams loudly about his sense of self-esteem. Those who eat sensibly, workout reasonably, and who take pride in their appearance are the ones who have a great sense of self. Does he really have self-confidence or might it be a front?
12. Faith: Strong or Weak? If you want a peak at his soul, learn more about his spirituality, or lack of it. What a person believes deep down is often what shapes the way in which they conduct their day-to-day affairs. What is your mate’s “words to live by?”
Stacy D. Phillips, who represents mostly celebrity and high-net worth individuals, is the managing partner at Phillips, Lerner, Lauzon and Jamra, LLP in Century City, California, and the author of “Divorce: It’s All About Control — How to Win the Emotional, Psychological and Legal Wars
In light of my I Brake for Squirrels blog, I thought I would share this commercial I saw while watching the French Open today.
We have had so much rain and cold, and the warm days we’ve had up till now have been very busy.
It was good to go to one of my favorite spots and just walk in the park with my camera…
Oh yeah, I am definately keeping one foot in Wisconsin!
Visit Timberland Today, just opened up on the web, and a great place for worship in Crivitz, Wisconsin!
Last night I was one of the millions who watched the Finale of American Idol.
At the end of a very entertaining two hours, they announced the number of people who had voted between David Cook and David Archuleta - Nearly 100 million people voted.
I couldn’t help but think how only a few less than the 120 million people who voted for president in 2004!
As much as I have enjoyed American Idol, I think that says something about our nation. When you have near as many people voting for a singing contest as you do for president, there is something wrong.
Don’t get me wrong, I am glad people cheered on their favorite singer, we all need some fun downtime, but we are also supposed to CARE who leads our nation.
My favorite won on Idol, a shame I don’t have a favorite on the line-up of presidential candidates, only a lesser of the evils.
Perhaps that’s the answer why so few vote.
As the House passes bill to sue OPEC, (Is this the best those liberal democrats can do?), Oil hits $132 a barrel, and Obama tells us to do with less, Newt Gingrich emailed me with another thought:
Drill Here
Drill Now
Pay Less
He continues:
Last week, liberals in Congress voted for the equivalent of a $150 billion tax increase. They voted to make your next trip to the gas station more expensive; to make your next airplane ticket more expensive; to make heating your home more expensive — even to make feeding your family more expensive.
How did they do it? By voting to block environmentally sound production of U.S. energy in favor of continuing to be held hostage to oil from foreign dictatorships.
Who’s to blame for our high gas prices? The oil companies? The Saudis? OPEC? The answer, unfortunately, is closer to home: The “No-We-Can’t” Left in Congress.
Last Thursday, with oil at $124 a barrel, liberals on the Senate Appropriations committee voted to block environmentally sound development of oil shale in Colorado.
According to the Investors Business Daily there are an estimated 1 trillion barrels of oil trapped in shale in the U.S. and Canada. Retrieving just a tenth of it would quadruple our current oil reserves.
But the “No-We-Can’t” Left in Congress — as they’re prone to do — said no, and Americans will pay the price. Colorado Senator Wayne Allard (R) put it best when he said: “If we are really serious about reducing pain at the pump, this is a vote that would make a difference in people’s lives.”
While liberals were voting to prevent domestic production from oil shale, the Saudis, following President Bush’s visit, agreed to boost their oil output by 300,000 barrels a day. It won’t fix the problem, but at least it won’t make it worse, which is exactly what liberals in Congress did last week.
As Americans, we all need to ask ourselves the following: Which is it — the Congress or Saudi Arabia — that has a greater obligation to ease our energy prices? And which is the greater obstacle to energy independence and security?
One economist calculated that the price of oil rising from $80 a barrel to $100 a barrel had the same effect on Americans’ pocket books as a $150 billion tax increase — and the price of oil has risen an additional $27 since then!
So how is it that the liberals in Congress, faced with an opportunity like the one last week to lessen this burden on Americans, could reject it without a second thought?
Once again, the answer seems to boil down to three little words: “No we can’t.”
Campaigning in Oregon last week, Senator Barack Obama seemed to forget his campaign theme of “Yes We Can,” telling his fellow Americans that more pain — not more production — is the answer. He responded to a question about America’s role in reducing global energy consumption like this:
“We can’t tell [other countries], don’t grow. We can’t — drive our SUVs and you know, eat as much as we want and keep our homes on you know, 72 degrees at all times, and whether we’re living in the desert or we’re living in the tundra, and then just expect that every other country’s going to say OK.”
Telling the next generation of Americans that they can’t have the lifestyle that their parents enjoy is defeatist and wrong. It is a rejection of the energy, optimism and innovation that has made this nation great.
It’s also all too similar to President Carter in February of 1977 when he called the energy shortage “permanent” and called on Americans to turn their thermostat down to “65 degrees in the daytime and 55 degrees at night.”
Of course, the energy shortage was anything but permanent. Just like today, it was an artificial creation of stupid government policies. Ronald Reagan’s first official act as President was to deregulate the oil industry. Oil prices dropped soon after.
Americans overwhelmingly support more domestic production of energy to help ease gas prices.
We — not the Saudis or the oil companies — control our energy future. We just need the political will to do so.
High energy prices aren’t theoretical, they have real consequences for real people. The answer, to paraphrase Ronald Reagan, isn’t easy, but it’s simple — so simple it could fit on a bumper sticker:
Drill Here
Drill Now
Pay Less
It has been (and still is) a journey with my new computer.
Not only have I had to learn how to use a laptop and get used to those differences, I have also had to learn Windows Vista. On first glance, Vista looked like a system for people who just don’t know how to use computers with care, and Microsoft thought of a way how to just put many things on automatic for you. So, not a lot new to learn really, if you already know XP. A bit of a learning curve if you don’t like things so automatic.
One of the differences and well known complaints of Vista though is that of some programs just won’t run in Vista. I was aware of this, but Vista seems here to stay and it already came installed on my laptop.
I started to install my programs and was happy until I came to my all time favorite graphics program - Micrografx Picture Publisher. Picture Publisher has to be the program I use the absolute most. It just refused to run. It would start up and then just stay there, half opened. A Control-Alt-Delete would bring up a half start and then in seconds it would close. No hope.
I went to various places looking for help. I found a way to make older programs compatible with Vista, but those didn’t help my situation. Weeks had gone by, and I still hadn’t given up.
Yesterday, I was glad I spoke up. Simeon, a friend of Miquel’s who was here for band practice, mentioned how much he loved Vista, was put to my challenge. “You like Vista so? Can you make my graphics program run?”
Some strokes of the keyboard later, he had it running. He went so fast, I am still not sure what he did. I know he ran the properties over the .exe file, unchecked the read only section, and then unchecked on the compatibility tab asking it to run on whatever past version I was trying at the time.
Each time it opens, I have to tell Vista to ALLOW it, but a small effort to run my favorite program!
I was just reading a speech that Obama gave recently, and frankly, it baffles me how he intends to get elected with this:
“We can’t drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times … and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK,” Obama said.
We can’t get our people to even locate Iran or Korea on a map, what makes Obama think people care what others think?
It’s human nature, people don’t like to go backwards.
But my ever questioning daughter just proposed to me, “What does Obama drive anyway?”
So, I looked it up.
Barack Obama picked the Chrysler 300C sedan as his running mate, according to Car and Driver. The 300C is a gas guzzler, relatively speaking, netting only 18 mpg in the city.
Out of the mouths of babes.
I would be remiss if I didn’t share with the readers that PowWeb, the hosting plan that I use for all of Xerraireart.com, which means this blog as well, is having a huge discount sale.
Looking for web hosting? Check out PowWeb!
It’s been awhile since this fontaholic got some new fonts!
Here’s the latest addition!
ank.ttf
ChaosTimes.TTF
DIRTC.TTF
idiot.ttf
JellykaCastlesQueen.ttf
Kingthings Christmas.ttf
Ramon.ttf
Ramon-Bold.ttf
Ramon-Italic.ttf
riesling.ttf
The Great Thunder.ttf
Walk-Around-the-Block.ttf
Windsong.ttf
This picture shows President Bush with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, asking for higher oil output, and the King refused. He is allowed to say no. It’s their oil, and they can pump it if they want to. I have no problem with that.
This is just another in a list of mistakes Bush makes in my opinion. Bush should be on the television talking to the American people about this problem. If Bush wants to talk to someone, he should tell the American people, now paying about $4.00 a gallon, that the United States has 86 billion gallons of its own oil (according to FoxNews today), and cannot access it, thanks to regulations by environmentalists.
It’s embarrassing really, to see him beg to foreign Kings, when the debate on how to deal with this problem should begin right here at home. The last refinery built in America was in 1976. Just how "serious" are we about our energy "crisis"?
Peter Robertson, vice chairman of Chevron, said there would be plenty of oil available to the United States if the oil companies were allowed to get it: “Eighty-five percent of offshore oil is off-limits.”
Responding to objections to offshore drilling by environmentalists and their allies in Congress, Robertson noted that some of the strongest pro-environment nations in Europe — he mentions Denmark, Norway, the United Kingdom — lease offshore locations for oil exploration. The technology has become so good, he said, that during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, “one thousand offshore wells were destroyed (in the Gulf of Mexico), but not one leaked.” Australia, he said, has allowed offshore drilling for 40 years without any environmental damage.
According to the Department of Energy, U.S. oil production has fallen approximately 40 percent since 1985, while the consumption of oil has grown by more than 30 percent.
According to government estimates, there is enough oil in areas accessible to America — 112 billion barrels — to power more than 60 million cars for 60 years. The Outer Continental Shelf alone contains an estimated 86 billion barrels of oil and 420 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
Bush should be on national television daily, explaining to those interested, that we don’t have to be dependent on other nations who have religious police arresting women for sitting at Starbucks with male colleagues . (see Human rights in Saudi Arabia ). Is this a country we want to keep sending a fortune to when we can do it ourselves?
And say, if the environmentalists are right, that ecology will suffer in the areas we could drill in, why not then appeal to the American people…award a fortune to the person, people, or company, who can invent another form of energy? We shouldn’t be beholden to a nation who can’t treat their own people right, that makes them untrustworthy at best. Untrustworthy means at any moment, our "friends and allies" could stop the oil to the U.S. any time they wanted to.
Some time ago, I blogged about robins making a nest in our front porch light.
I thought would be good to sneak a peak inside the nest, as I figured eggs were there by now, and I’ve seen the robins sitting on it, (although, I don’t know how, with the little space they allowed for themselves!)
Here is what I saw:
A while ago my sister gave me Teach Yourself Flash MX 2004.
It’s something I’ve been wanting to learn for awhile now, but time is always an issue.
Finally John and I have decided to set aside some time together to learn it.
We are only into our fist lesson, but it’s been fun.
Here is my first flash movie:
So far it’s been easy to understand.
Get your copy!
I’d like to talk to the person who feels we are in a perfect world.