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I needed this today

The "Secret of Life"

I think it's one I'll probably need to come back to an reread in the months ahead.

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Saddam is dead

Others have round ups about his execution ranging from glee-filled to somber, but I really haven't done more than glance through them.

He will no longer personally hurt others. That is very good. People WILL still continue to be hurt in his name. Can't stop that. Evil still walks among us.

I find it hard to be joyful that he's dead. He has faced his judgement, here and before God, and all I can say is may God have mercy on his soul.

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Time Magazine's Pictures of the Year

Here's Time Magazine's Pictures of the Year.

I don't know why I'm so unerwhelmed by them. (Rant below the cut)

Maybe it's because very few of them are visually striking. The most visually impressive one is the volcano (#10).

Maybe it's because they chose for the first three pictures to all be ones that depict damage and suffering from the global war on terrorism. The Baghdad car bomb pic is okay, but I quickly got bugged by the fact that the next two were of damage caused by the Israelis agaisnt Hezbollah in Lebanon, and NONE of the pictures show any of the damage done TO Israel. No agenda journalism there, no sir!

Maybe it's because so many of them are black and white or have very little contrast in them. THey're just not interesting to look at.

Hmmm....four pics about Israel being the agressor, or putting up barriers. Three pics of illegal aliens and/or the border wall. Four pics of the war in Iraq that either show damage, wounded soldiers, or terrified Iraqis (during a raid or being questioned). Of the 'political' pics, there's an oddly titled one of Secretary of State Rice, a lone Secret Service man, and only ONE picture of the President. Three of them depict the Sudan/Chad conflict (which I somehow never heard much about all year). There was one pic of a funeral of a Israeli paratrooper who died fighting Hezbollah, the only one that showed ANYTHING about Israel's losses in the conflict, and two photos of our military 'at rest' in Iraq. Then there's what was going on in the rest of the world, the Tour de France, a volcanic eruption, Barbaro's broken leg (and miraculous recovery!), and Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

I don't know. Maybe I wouldn't mind the topic of the pictures if more of them were interesting to look at. The war ones are all okay I guess, but I've seen so many great pics of our troops that the two they chose just don't cut it for me. But come on, the Mardi Gras picture? A black and white shot of the inside of a bar?!? Must be because even though it's a pic about Mardi Gras bringing life back to the city, we can't have it look TOO good, or people might forget that it's George Bush's fault that Katrina destroyed New Orleans. (Yeah, I'm a tad cynical.)

Overall, I'm not even offended by the editorializing I see in these photos. I'm mostly appalled that they couldn't find better pictures to show the tings they wanted to show!


So, what are YOUR favorite pictures from 2006? Leave me a link to them and I'll put together a list here after the 1st of the year. I've got a couple in mind, but I'm curious to see what you all think!

UPDATE- After talking witha friend about these photos, I think part of my problem with them is that the ONLY 'good news' pics are of an injured horse and a bike race! Did NOTHING else good happen in 2006?

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The last Friday Frivolity of 2006!

And I almost missed it!

Well, hubby just got home from work (look at the time stamp, and yes, he's been there since 0630!), and now he doesn't leave until Tuesday, so my weekend is looking up!

So, what's YOUR New Year's resolutions? Here's mine...at least according to this quiz! (These news labels are annoying. Please look below them for the 'Read More' button!)

Your New Year's Resolutions

1) Get a pet wallaby 2) Eat more chocolate syrup 3) Travel to Greece 4) Study artificial intelligence 5) Get in shape with belly dancing

What Should Your New Year's Resolution Be?

I can live with those choices!

I know you all are familiar with

Cute Overload, but have you checked out it's homelier cousin...Ugly Overload? The giant squid thing is especially cool.






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My "G" is showing

'G' as in Geek....what were YOU thinking?! ;)

Anyway, I read this today and had to laugh-

10 Reasons Batman is Cooler than Superman


I gotta say, I especially agree with number 10!




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I usually don't just give you a link

but this is one I want you to go read all of.

Three Kings
HT-Hugh Hewitt

THIS is the calibre of men we have in today's military.


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Deployment news

Well, it's official.

The 2nd BCT of the 82nd Airborne is deploying over the next week. That includes my husband. If you are interested, I'm posting more about it on my 'friends and family' blog-

When I can't not write...





Tags-Personal

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A story that gives me hope

Especially in the 'next generation'. The title of the article is Adam Sandler gets into act to help brother, sister fighting cancer, but what's really amazing to me is this part-

The goal was originally $500.

Then a Sony PlayStation 3 was donated, and the effort to raise money for a brother and sister battling cancer gained publicity.

***

Inspiration came courtesy of Nathan Burditt, the Memorial senior who camped out 34 hours last month to buy a PlayStation 3, only to give the $600 gaming machine away a few days later to benefit the Hudons - fellow students he'd never met.

Go read the whole thing. What Sandler did was very cool, but I'm even more impressed by this young man!



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Holiday Frivolity!

Because, well, I didn't want to wait for Friday!

Your Christmas is Most Like: A Charlie Brown Christmas

Each year, you really get into the spirit of Christmas. Which is much more important to you than nifty presents.

What Movie Is Your Christmas Most Like?

Your Christmas Song Is

Here Comes Santa Claus Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus Right down Santa Claus lane Vixen and Blitzen and all his reindeer Pullin' on the reins You don't get into the Christmas spirit too early But by Christmas Eve, you're psyched for the holidays

What Christmas Carol Are You?

You Are a Trifle

No doubt, you have many intricate layers. But deep down, you're a little squishy.

What Holiday Food Are You?

I may be adding more as the day/week goes on, so check back!










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Merry Christmas!

Wishing all of you a Blessed Holiday Season.



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Oops!

I can't believe I missed my Friday Frivolity post again! I guess I'm just having too much fun in real life or something! ;)

Here's a handful of things to brighten your Christmas weekend!

An 'oldie' (from last year), but a goodie!


This one is neat too!


Your Daily dose of cute!
And, the Northern Lights as seen from the Space Shuttle!

Here's a picture of the Nativity scene that my Church back in Phoenix uses every year-


Because it's easy to forget during the hustle and bustle that there IS a reason for the season!





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Go watch this-

Very, very good indeed.

HT- Hugh Hewitt


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Another legend gone

Cartoon Pioneer Joe Barbera Mourned

Barbera died Monday of natural causes at his home with his wife, Sheila, at his side, Warner Bros. spokesman Gary Miereanu said. He was 95. His longtime collaborator, Hanna, died in 2001.

A man who helped shape my childhood.



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It sounds like the plot for a suspense thriller...

Healthy newborn babies are whisked away at the moment of birth, their mothers told that they were stillborn and the babies are then murdered to harvest their organs and stem cells.

Unfortunately, it's not the plot of the latest Michael Crichton book, or even the 'Movie of the Week'. It's happening right now, in the self-styled 'Stem Cell Capital of the World', the Ukraine.

Ukraine babies in stem cell probe

From the article-

There is a trade in stem cells from aborted foetuses, amid unproven claims they can help fight many diseases.

But now there are claims that stem cells are also being harvested from live babies.

Keep in mind that whenever the article talks about stem cells they mean embryonic stem cells, which can also be cultivated from newborns.

This is just sick. Inevitable in a world that just wont let go of the idea that embryonic stem cells will be the 'miracle cure' of this century, but still utterly repulsive and just evil.

And no, I don't believe the line that says, "If only the US would allow more embryonic stem cell research, things like this wouldn't happen". It's ALREADY allowed in the US, just not funded by the federal government. Maybe, if we banned it altogether, then atrocities like this would stop. No, I don't believe that either. There will always be a market for it somewhere in the world, and so long as that's the case, sickos like those in the hospital will be killing babies to sell their stem cells.

What a sad testament on the world we live in.


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The President's Christmas

I finally watched Barney's Holiday Extraviganza. It's really adorable. So, I found a copy on YouTube (where else?!) to put up here for your viewing pleasure!



It's really neat getting to see so much of the White House being decorated for Christmas! And for more on that, here's a link to the Holiday 2006 page at the White House wth lots more!

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Too...dang...cold!

Blog Idaho has an important safety tip for all of you in the colder climates.

Just one more reason we don't go visit my in-laws at Christmas! (JUly in Idaho is still too cold!)

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Light blogging

Just a heads up for y'all, it may be light blogging for a few days here. I'm trying to figure out how to get to Illinois for my Aunt's funeral on Saturday morning. I'm working up a post about her over on my family blog, and I'll link to it here when I'm done.

Prayers for all of us are greatly appreciated right now.

Thanks for understanding.

UPDATE- Here a link to my post at my family/friends blog When I Can't Not Write. Also, I'm not going to be able to be at the memorial service, but I hope to go home for a week in February and will get together with most of the family then. Thanks for your prayers.

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Peter Boyle, Rest in Peace

Peter Boyle died today.

He was 2 years younger than my Dad.

Tallguy has a video clip of Boyle. Go watch and remember and smile.

On a personal note, my Aunt Marion also died today. She was my Dad's older sister. Been a rough day all around.

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Shiny!

Aaryk has been talking about playing Warhammer Online when it comes out next year, but I really haven't found another online game I was interested in...until now!

Firefly the MMOG

Heh, I wonder if I'll be able to talk any of my friends into this one?



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Score one for Christmas and common sense!

I read this story a couple of days ago and just marked it up as par for the course-

Airport Christmas Trees Gone After Rabbi's Request

So I was pleasantly surprised to see this article today-

Trees Being Returned to SeaTac Airport

Seems that the airport was just covering it's self in case of a lawsuit. Better to please no one than to offend some one, you know.

But, it's important to note that the Rabbi did NOT ask for the trees to be removed, only that a menorah ALSO be included. One he was willing to provide even. The conflict came when,

Airport managers believed that if they allowed the addition of an 8-foot-tall menorah to the display, as Seattle Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky had requested, they would also have to display symbols of other religions and cultures, which was not something airport workers had time for during the busiest travel season of the year, Airport Director Mark Reis said earlier Monday.

So, for this year, it'll be 'holiday trees' but no menorah. Next year however,

"A key element in moving forward will be to work with the rabbi and other members of the community to develop a plan for next year's holiday decorations at the airport," the port statement said.

The rabbi has also offered to give the port an electric menorah to display, said his lawyer, Harvey Grad.

"We are not going to be the instrument by which the port holds Christmas hostage," Grad said, emphasizing the rabbi never sought removal of the trees, but addition of the menorah.

I have no problem with celebrating other holidays alongside Christmas, especially religious ones. Hopefully, that will mean we can start putting the 'Christ back in Christmas' so to speak. (As opposed to the UK, where only one in 100 Christmas cards sold in Britain contains any religious imagery or message.)

I am annoyed however at the folks who sent nasty letters and emails to the rabbi-

The rabbi had received "all kinds of calls and emails," many of them "odious," Grad said, adding he was "trying to figure out how this is consistent with the spirit of Christmas."

If we have to get nasty, then we have already lost.



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Remembering Pearl Harbor

I never forget Pearl Harbor Day, because it's my Father's birthday. But because of that, I think, I seldom remember to blog about Pearl Harbor. This year is no different. If it hadn't been for Tallguy and Instapundit linking to this post, I probably would have let the date slip by again.

I like Tallguy's thoughts about knowing our history generally, and the importance of a few, specific dates. Definitely food for thought there. I know it's only been in the last few years that I've come to understand so much more about some of those pivotal times.

I was amused when he said, If "a day that shall live in infamy" means Ben Afleck to you, then that's just the world we live in. I never saw the film, but mentioning Afleck and Pearl harbor DOES remind me of Team America, so that's not altogether a bad thing!

But, back to seriousness, I'm thankful that the men and women of the 'Greatest Generation' stood up and answered the call after Pearl Harbor, and I'm equally proud of the ones who have answered the call in my generation.

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Supporting military families

Military.com always has such interesting articles on a variety of topics. I read this one today and wanted to share it with you all-

Supporting Military Families


We read a lot about supporting our troops and that's extremely important but how often do we think about supporting the families of our troops? This article lists several things we all can do to support those who are on the 'front line' of supporting our troops.

I'd like to challenge you to find just one military family in your neighborhood, workplace or church and follow one of the suggestions in the article. It can be as simple as telling the spouse how proud you are of their servicemembers contribution and their sacrifice. Or, how about offering to help with decorating the outside of their house, or helping to get the Christmas tree set up? If you live near an Army post, you could contact the local MWR (Moral, Welfare and Recreation) office and ask if they know of any families in need this season. I'm sure each of the branches have something similar to the MWR, but I don't know what they call it.

Think about the things you do and did growing up and how much more difficult they become when you take one parent out of the picture. If Dad was the one to take the kids shopping for Mom's present, and he's in Afghanistan now, who's going to take the kids? If Mom always baked her special Christmas cookies and she's in Iraq, who will bake them now? If Dad always strung the lights all over the outside of the house, and he's recovering from an injury in Germany, will you let their house be a stark, dark reminder of their separation? If Mom was the one to buy and mail the cards each year, will you let them go unsent because she's stationed in Korea this year?

If you really truly can't find any military families, I'm not letting you off the hook. eCarePackage offers a variety of ways to help both sevicemenbers AND their families. But you need to do it now. The deadline for care packages in the states is 12/15.

Please, help support our troops this holiday season not only by remembering them, but also by helping to make their family's holiday a special one too. I am thankful and very blessed to have my husband home for Christmas this year again, but I too will go out and find some who are in need of a little holiday cheer this season.



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Because some things just can't wait until Friday Frivolity!

I knew about Talk Like a Pirate Day in September, but somehow I hadn't heard about Day of the Ninja!

Today is the Day of the Ninja!

What?! You aren't familiar with the age old rivalry between ninjas and pirates? Well, feast your eyes on this then! (I'm not sure if it's work safe or not...be aware)



And yes, it is probably the dumbest thing you'll watch all day...unless you watch CNN that is! ;)



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Arizona's Jeff Flake

This Republican congressman has even managed to impress some liberals I know for his tireless work on pointing out various earmarks and other pork in the bills that come through the House. He even has his "Egregious Earmarks of the Week" on his website. Here's the most current one-

Congressman Flake Spotlights Egregious Earmarks of the Week
$250,000 for the Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie, New York

Mesa, Arizona, Dec 1 - Republican Congressman Jeff Flake, who represents Arizona's Sixth District, today highlighted pork projects contained in the Transportation-Treasury-HUD appropriations bill for fiscal year 2006.

This week's egregious earmarks: $250,000 for the Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie, New York.

"When we're earmarking money for opera houses, it's no wonder the federal government is baroque," said Flake.

Jeff Flake's Website

Okay, now I suppose that funding for an opera house might actually belong in the 'Urban Development' section of the HUD part of that bill. But WHY, exactly is the Federal government giving an opera house in New Jersey a quarter of a million dollars? It's not that I have anything against opera, or New York, and I adore old theatres and the like. But why is it the business of the FEDERAL government to give them this money? That's where I have issue with it. If the state or city want to do so, great! I want to know which New York congresscritter snuck this one in to the bill.

Wow, take a look at the site for the Bardavon Opera House. It's really neat, and certainly worth preserving and restoring, but it's not considered a National Historic Landmark, so shouldn't the people of the state of New York be taking care of this beautiful building?

Much like the people of the Wheaton Illinois area are working to restore one of the theaters I went to as a kid, the Wheaton Grand.

It's hard to be consistent sometimes. Like I said, preserving and restoring old theaters is a passion of mine. But with only a few exceptions, the Federal Government shouldn't be in the business of funding them.

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Friday Frivolity!

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
Philadelphia
The Inland North
The South
The Northeast
The West
Boston
North Central
What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

Yeah, there's more!

You Are Gonzo the Great

"Is something burning in here? Oh, it's just me." You're a total nutball who will do anything for attention. The first to take a dare, you'll pull almost any stunt. You're one weird looking creature, but your chickens don't mind!

The Muppet Personality Test

This meme went around and I finally took a look. Take the top songs from the year you graduated High School and catagorize them. I was amazed at how many I don't remember at all! Seems I either liked a song or don't remember it, although I'm sure I could find them all on You Tube and refresh my memory if I wanted to really take the walk down memory lane!

1982 Greatest Hits
(Numbering is the ranking from their list)

Love it
4. I Love Rock and Roll - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
11. Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor
10. On The Wings Of Love - Jeffrey Osborne
12. 867-5309 (Jenny Jenny) - Tommy Tutone
15. Tainted Love - Softcell
16. Rock This Town - Stray Cats
20. Who Can It Be Now - Men at Work
24. Everybody Wants You - Billy Squire
28. Up Where We Belong - Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes
36. Juke Box Hero - Foreignor
29. Under Pressure - Queen and David Bowie
65. I Ran (So Far Away) - A Flock Of Seagulls
69. Centerfold - J. Geils Band
61. Hurt So Good - John Cougar (Melloncamp)
53. Don't You Want Me - Human League
46. Workin' For A Livin' - Huey Lewis and the News
47. Working For The Weekend - Loverboy
44. Leader Of The Band - Dan Fogelberg
40. Shadows Of The Night - Pat Benatar

Like it
1. Mickey - Toni Basil
43. Jack and Diane - John Cougar (Melloncamp)
45. Maneater - Hall and Oates
55. Vacation - GoGo's
56. I Know What Boys Like - The Waitresses
57. I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) - Hall and Oates
62. Should I Stay Or Should I Go - The Clash
75. Abracadabra - Steve Miller Band
6. Open Arms - Journey
7. I'm So Excited - Pointer Sisters
8. She's Got a Way - Billy Joel
13. Hard To Say I'm Sorry - Chicago
17. We Got The Beat – GoGos
39. Hot In The City - Billy Idol
42. You've Got Another Thing Comin' - Judas Priest
33. Abacab - Genesis
37. Gloria - Laura Branigan

Eh
21. Turn Your Love Around - George Benson
25. Always On My Mind - Willie Nelson
63. Waiting On A Friend - Rolling Stones
71. Leather and Lace - Stevie Nicks and Don Henley
73. Steppin' Out - Joe Jackson
27. I Wouldn't Have Missed It For The World - Ronnie Milsap
38. I Want Candy - Bow Wow Wow

Hate it
32. Memory - Barbra Streisand

Don’t remember it
2. Apache - Sugarhill Gang
3. Through The Years - Kenny Rogers
5. You Dropped A Bomb On Me - Gap Band
9. Ribbon In The Sky - Stevie Wonder
14. State of Independence - Donna Summer
18. One Hundred Ways - Quincy Jones and James Ingram
19. Get Down On it - Kool & the Gang
22. Let It Whip - Dazz Band
23. Genius Of Love - Tom Tom Club
26. Planet Rock - Afrika Bambaataa
30. Goobye To You - Scandal
34. Cool (Part 1) - The Time
31. Circles - Atlantic Starr
74. Let Me Tickle Your Fancy - Jermaine Jackson (& Devo)
72. I've Never Been To Me - Charlene
70. Talk Talk - Talk talk
66. The Message - Grandmaster Flash
67. Early In The Morning - Gap Band
68. Shakin' - Eddie Money
64. I Feel Like A Number - Bob Seger
58. Someday, Someway - Marshall Crenshaw
59. Going To A Go-Go - Rolling Stones
60. Love Plus One - Haircut One Hundred
54. I Will Always Love You - Dolly Parton
48. Situation - Yaz
49. Truly - Lionel Richie
50. Mama Used To Say - Junior
51. Paperlate - Genesis
52. Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny) - Elton John
41. Murphy's Law - Cheri
35. Kids In America - Kim Wilde


Elf Sledding game

Use your space bar to start him running, and then to jump the bumps and launch him before he crashes. Oh, and also then to make him let go of the present. Your goal is to get him to toss that present as far as you can! At least that's what I think you're supposed to do, since it's all in German!




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Reason #8 why I don't like John McCain

The man has no class.

As Governors Meet, McCain Comes Calling

He basically crashes the Republican Governors conference and has the audacity to accuse Mitt Romney of using his position within that group as a springboard for his 2008 Presiential bid.

I'm saying it right now, if McCain is the best we can do as a nominee, then we deserve to lose the White House in '08.





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