Barb’s Blog » Archive for August 2008
End of Summer Party
Technically, it’s not the end of summer, but school has begun for most, and signals the end of summer vacation. With that in mind, mom and I told the kids to invite their friends for a party. After days of preparation, the party day started for me at 6 AM, picking up Miquel at work, where I also bought drinks and ice. Mike got the party started with a rousing……. …nap. Miquel set up the music. Mike K and Laura splash … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
Freedom of the Press?
The news mainstream media will never learn. They pick a democrat to be their ‘darling’ candidate, then get confused when they are blocked from reporting what goes on. This happened during the Clintonista regime, and with Obama, it looks like more of the same. ABC Reporter Arrested in Denver Taking Pictures of Senators, Big Donors Asa Eslocker Was Investigating the Role of Lobbyists and Top Donors at the Convention Reporters are supposed to investigate, right? This particular one and his camera crew were on a public sidewalk, so far, I don’t see a reason for the arrest. Police on the scene refused to tell ABC lawyers the charges against the producer, Asa Eslocker, who works with the ABC News investigative unit. A cigar-smoking Denver police sergeant, accompanied by a team of five other officers, first put his … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
Christian the Lion
Lisa who knows how much I loved the book and movie Born Free, so much so that I named one of my cats, Elsa, sent me the following movie. First though, a little background: A lion called Christian Christian was separated from his parents at an early age and put up for sale in a London department store. Christian’s parents were zoo lions, the father came from the Rotterdam zoo and the mother from Jerusalem, and they lived at the Ilfracombe zoo. When they had cubs, the zoo sold them, and two cubs went to the department store. Two men, Anthony Bourke and John Rendall, found him there and immediately fell in love with him and determined to buy him. They scraped together the money and brought the little lion home when he … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
Obama’s Choice for Running Mate
When I think of Obama’s choice for running mate, Joe Biden, I think of what happened at Waco. Some might not remember his part in the aftermath of the atrocity that made up Waco, some might not even remember Waco. Biden was a interesting choice in my opinion. If Obama wanted a tough and hard man to run with him, he sure got one. Makes sense too. I mean, Obama wants to be perceived as this ‘new’ kind of candidate, a softer, gentler, more spiritual kind of man. Biden can sure do his dirty work and Obama will carry on with his role of “Messiah.” Back to Waco. For those who don’t remember, at Waco was a compound run by David Koresh. He assembled a group there, the Branch Dividians. There were suspicians of … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
Computer Rage
You’ve heard of road rage. How about computer rage? Apparently a 15 year old Florida boy became so enraged over a change in computer priviledges, he attacked his mom and younger sibling. He chased his mom with a knife and hit his brother with a sugar cane. He has been taken into custody. Now before you take it lightly, [43% of parents have no Internet use rules for their kids to follow] here are some guidelines from Howard County Maryland for Parents and Teens reguarding computers and the internet, that seem quite sane to me: "The most effective, reliable, Internet Safety Filter is an Involved, Informed, and Aware Parent and an Educated and Ethical Kid." Don’t let your kid have an Internet accessable computer in their room. Don’t let your kid have a … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
Ocean City, Maryland
In the past, I have taken a lot of teasing from my friends who spent summers going east with their families to Ocean City, and my family always went west to visit family in the mountains of West Virginia and Virginia. So when I finally got to experience Ocean City, they had a lot of laughs at my questions. Like…Where’s the boardwalk? (Apparently I was standing on it), and “They don’t have chocolate pop tarts here?” Since then, … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
Finally Reading Red
“It was reckless, but then so was doing nothing.” Get Red and other books at: … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother
Going on with my previous blogs regarding Obama’s desire to take from the profit hungry oil companies. When you take from, who do you give to? The poor? I don’t think so. That is if the article out of Italy is correct. Enter Barack Obama’s half brother who he has met twice, once recently in 2006. George Obama lives in a shanty town in a 2 by 3 meter shack. For ten years George Obama lived rough. However … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
Congress with Fewest Bills
When Pelosi took office, she was going to have the hardest working, most honest, and even promised to have this gas price situation fixed congress ever. Instead we’ve been treated to the most bizarre congress ever. Their approval ratings are the lowest ever too, having sunk down to single digits. In two decades of record keeping, no sitting Congress has passed fewer public laws at this point in the session — 294 so far — than this one. Now, that doesn’t mean they haven’t been busy: Remember that menu change they had? I suppose that was important. They have also: Saluted such milestones as the Idaho Potato Commission’s 70th anniversary Recognized soil as an "essential natural resource." Designated May 5-9 as National Substitute Teacher Recognition Week Set July 28 as the Day of the American Cowboy Establishing July as … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
Little Ice Age
While here in Maryland, we are going through some hot and sticky summer days, it was curious to read the next climate change prediction out of Mexico : An expert from the National Autonomous University of Mexico predicted that in about ten years the Earth will enter a "little ice age" which will last from 60 to 80 years and may be caused by the decrease in solar activity. Maybe that explains why in New Zealand, ski resorts are claiming their largest snow base ever . Whatever is going on, sounds refreshing as we are hot even with the AC and fans going here. … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
ObamiNation
What kind of nation would be have under Obama? Considering some of the things he says, it would seem very Un-American. To pay for "stimulus" checks of $1,000 for families and $500 for individuals, the Senator says government would take "a reasonable share" of oil company profits. (He doesn’t say what reasonable share is by the way). You don’t TAKE away a company’s profits. That is UnAmerican, and before you grab your $1000 check, think about how YOUR business could be next. He recently declared that "The oil companies need to know that there is a limit on how much profit they can take in this economy." When I put gas in my car, I can’t say I am a great big fan of the oil companies, but I am a believer in the American … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
Above My Pay Grade
“Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.” — Samuel Johnson Rasselas I didn’t get to see Obama and McCain last night with Rick Warren, I wanted to, but the time slot was right before my bedtime. I did go to Drudge to see if there were any special things said. Apparently Obama was asked when does life begin. His reply? “… whether you’re looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity … is above my pay grade.” After some research, I found out that “above my pay grade” means you don’t know enough to make a judgement. Ok…then the next question HAS to be then, if you don’t know, then WHY does your record show that you are solidly behind … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
Baby in the House
Often when I look back to raising little ones, I remember the WORK; the late night feedings, the endless diapers, the colic, and the crying. Not that I didn’t enjoy those times, I sure did. The work put into it though, sure stands out in my mind as well. Thank heavens I get to ‘borrow’ Chrissie’s grandson once in a while to remember they are also about Bear Hugs and Kisses. (Miquel with Cameron) … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
Georgia
President Bush is sending a stern warning to Russia that it cannot lay claim to two disputed regions in Georgia. Bush says there is no room for debate on this point. He says the breakaway provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia are part of Georgia and lie within internationally recognized borders. Russia’s foreign minister has said that Georgia could forget about getting back those provinces. I know very little about the country of Georgia. What I do … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
House for Sale: $1
The home, at 8111 Traverse Street, a few blocks from Detroit City Airport, was the nicest house on the block when it sold for $65,000 in November 2006. Foreclosure hit. It become run down and vandalized. The price lowered to one dollar….and it STILL took 19 days for it to sell. On Tuesday, Realtor.com listed one other single-family home, one duplex and one empty lot at $1 in Detroit. Dollar property sales are the financial hangover from the … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
An Angel
Miranda is going to win awards soon for her photography. See this one of Silas. She calls it “Prayers” … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
Sold Out But Empty
Speaking of the Olympics, it appears that even though the events are sold out, the atheletes are perplexed by the empty seats. So are the families who can’t get in to see their loved ones compete. The Chinese have the empty seat issue figured out though, they bus in volunteers. There is a lot of speculation as to why this is happening [Weather or many tickets were given to sponsors and are being unused]. No matter what … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
Spanish Eyes
Unlike years in the past, I haven’t really been watching the Summer Olympics this year. I feel a little out of the loop considering before, I would dedicate time to watch the Olympics, both Summer and Winter. It’s a bit of a shame to have missed a lot of it so far, especially when an old neighbor of ours won a silver medal in swimming. Here is another thing that I missed, but Bill O’Reilly talked about … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
Silas 10 Months
Silas is now 10 months old! He is becoming so big! … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
PicLens
Perhaps you have heard of this amazing plug-in for Firefox already. If not, let me tell you about it. When searching for, or at sites with mnay images, PicLens can transform your browser into this amazing 3-D wall of images for you to see many at once. Today while looking up images of West Virginia in Flickr, I got to see so many at once, selecting the thumbnail that was most interesting, and just that fast, I could see … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
Light Reading
Almost every time I take a bath, I take with me some light reading. For the past week that has been Modern Spanish Grammar by Juan Kattán-Ibarra. Doesn’t sound like light reading? Well I have surprised myself in how much I remember! Grammar was always a weak point for me in Spanish, and I am trying to keep sharp. So far it has been the perfect subjunctive tense that has tripped me up. Anyway, if you want a good … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
Inflatable Obama
Ok, perhaps this is a bit of silliness, but geez, these candidates keep giving us stuff to poke fun of. It seems Obama has an Energy Plan. I am very excited about it. I’ve always been interested in the proper air pressure of my tires. (This was right after I blew one up). And the Replicans are having a little fun too, selling these tire pressure gauges. And why not? This is what Obama himself … Read entire article »
Filed under: News Items
More Postcards
I blogged some time ago about my postcard collection . I love to travel and see new places, I also love to get postcards from friends. John sent me some more from Australia: And Anna just brought me some from Maine: I also have added some more, Delaware being a whole new state I didn’t have. My daughter was supposed to bring me some from South Carolina, but forgot, so I am still without any from there. She did … Read entire article »
Filed under: Personal
Sin-namon
I am sure I need to repent for something after what we prepared and ate today. A while ago, my Sister of Support gave me a box of Cinnamon Bun mix. First thing Laura and I noticed was the box: What caught our attention was the top resembled a cootie catcher. It was way too much fun, but when we tired of that, we finally dug in. We found out soon that this was no easy mix. It called for … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
Traditional American Holidays?
I wonder if our traditional American Holidays will soon be extinct? Perhaps you think I am stretching this news story, but then again, I think removing Labor Day in an American Plant such as Tyson Foods in Tennessee is a stretch too. How long is it going to take before we won’t recognize our own country? People Wake up! Workers at the Tyson Foods poultry processing plant in Shelbyville will no longer have a paid day off on Labor Day but will instead be granted the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr. I have no problem with allowing the large percentage of Muslims in the plant their day off, but take away Labor Day?? Is this the United States of America or what? In this same plant, the Muslims have a prayer room. For crying out loud, … Read entire article »
Filed under: News Items
New Road Dangers
As if the fatalities on the roads in the U.S. weren’t scary enough, we have a new danger…Text Messaging. One recent case? A twenty-five year old man driving 80 miles per hour in the wrong lane was pulled over by a sherriff’s deputy. The “reason” the man gave? He was texting. According to the Department of Public Safety, distractions such as texting or talking on cell phones were involved in at least 15 percent of all fatal crashes from 2005 to 2007. This so reminds me of my driver’s education class where they were always telling us, “Get the big picture, watch out for the other guy, drive defensively.” Good advice, even more so today. Link to the news story HERE … Read entire article »
Filed under: News Items
Enric and Silas
“Outings are so much more fun when we can savor them through the children’s eyes.” Lawana Blackwell, The Courtship of the Vicar’s Daughter, 1998 Miranda posted this image of Enric and Silas from a recent outing they had. I thought some might like to see how Silas is growing. … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
Sheilds and Yarnell
A small break from religion, politics, and photography….. A line from Gilmore Girls show to day reminded me of this wonderful mime act, I used to watch years ago on the Mac Davis Show. They look positively robotic on the following clip: Enjoy! … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
No Recess For Some
A few days ago, I blogged how in spite of the crisis facing our nation, congress decided to take an early holiday. Since Democrat Nancy Pelosi controls the cameras, we can’t see on C-Span how some House Republicans stayed behind to carry on with this issue, debating how best to handle it. “In an urgent memo sent to GOP Members and staff Saturday (“A Call to Action on American Energy”), Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) hailed Friday’s action, which was led by Reps. Mike Pence (R-IN), Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), Tom Price (R-GA), and others, and encouraged House Republicans to return to the Capitol beginning Monday morning to help keep the historic effort going,” said a press release just released by Minority Leader Boehner’s office. “It’s not a request … Read entire article »
Filed under: News Items
Secret Ambition
Long before Mel Gibson created The Passion, Michael W. Smith sang Secret Ambition. Along with that song, was one of the most powerful videos I’ve ever seen, showing why Jesus came. Secret Ambition by Michael W. Smith I 2 Eye Michael W. Smith presents a wonderful album early in his career, delivering such powerful anthems like “The Throne” and an all-time favorite, “Secret Ambition.” Also, don’t overlook a wondrous instrumental, “Ashton.” Log On To Michael’s Official Website And … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
Vacation
You remember Nancy Pelosi? The one who PROMISED to fix the struggles of Americans at the gas pump? In a press release dated April 24, 2006, Pelosi said, “Democrats have a commonsense plan to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices by cracking down on price gouging, rolling back the billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies, tax breaks and royalty relief given to big oil and gas companies, and increasing production of alternative fuels.” Not only has she not kept this promise, The House of Representatives has not taken a vote since January 2007 that would expand domestic energy production. Today the Democrat controlled Congress [which has a lower approval rating than Bush] adjourned for a five-week vacation without taking a vote on bipartisan measures that would lessen our dependence on foreign oil by … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
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