June 30, 2004
I have a feeling that the Founding Fathers would object to these tactics.
From the Kansas City Star, "This church mission is covert"
Starting next month, the person seated next to you in church might not be there for the prayer, the fellowship or even the word of God. Instead, about 100 volunteers will be attending services in Johnson County to look for overt election-year politicking from the pulpit, which could violate federal law. It is the latest volley in an ongoing struggle between conservative and moderate political forces in Kansas. The issue of gays and marriage provided the trigger. Upset at the Kansas Legislature for defeating a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, the Rev. Jerry Johnston, pastor of First Family Church in Overland Park, invited area clergy members to a meeting this month. About 100 came, he said. Churches, he said, must get more involved in politics. "God calls a minister to speak on moral issues," Johnston said. Concerned that religious leaders might stir up support for their favored legislative candidates, the Mainstream Coalition, a group that seeks to preserve the separation of church and state, decided to respond. Volunteers were recruited. Letters are being mailed to more than 400 houses of worship in Johnson County reminding them of Internal Revenue Service rules on electioneering and telling them that their services may be monitored.Johnston and other ministers should keep partisan politics out of the pulpit, said Caroline McKnight, coalition executive director. “His job is to lead his flock by setting an example … not by bringing the smoke-filled room into his sanctuary,” she said.
Mainstream Coalition volunteers, like all visitors, are welcome at First Family, Johnston said. The church, he said, will not endorse or attack individual politicians during services. “Are we going to violate the law? Of course not,” he said. “We're not rabid, crazy fanatics.”
The involvement of religious groups in politics has evolved into a heated issue. Many groups steer clear of electioneering. Many immerse themselves in issues and candidates, with their leaders speaking out and trying to motivate.
University of Kansas religious studies professor Tim Miller said churches used to avoid politics . That began changing about 25 years ago, he said. For ministers to hold meetings like the one in Johnson County, he said, indicates an effort to reach out. “Of course, you try to broaden your base,” Miller said. “That's part of politics.”
Some churches have become a campaign force for conservative causes and Republicans. First Family, which has about 3,000 members, is conservative and could be influential.
But churches oftentimes do too little, Johnston said. “Many preachers don't know anything about politics; many don't know who their representatives and senators are,” said Johnston, who added that he should have gotten more involved in the past.
Churches should encourage their members to act, he said. During July, he said, his church and others in Johnson County will hold forums for candidates, register voters and educate people on the issues.
“We have to lead the way,” he said.
Already Johnston has been distributing a pamphlet containing background information on incumbent state legislators from the area. If they supported the amendment against gay marriage, the word YES appears by their picture. If they voted against it, the word NO appears.
In Johnson County, where conservatives and moderates within the GOP have feuded for years, churches and clergy could potentially influence an election.
Consider the re-election campaign of Rep. John Ballou of Gardner, whose 43rd District covers the southwest corner of Johnson County and who voted against the gay marriage amendment.
Churches, he said, will help turn out voters against him. “They're after a number of us on this, they're motivated, and they're mad,” said Ballou, a Republican.
Okay, I will bet any of you $100 that this same group who is going to spy on Churches for the IRS would absolve and probably give tax credits to those churches who support Gay Marriage. I will absolutely guarantee you that the MainStream Coalition is anti-Catholic because of the pro-life view of the Catholic Church.
In fact, this so-called non-partisan group of non-religious (ha!) people was started some years ago by Reverend Meneilly of the Village Presbyterian Church(A very left wing church in Prarie Village, Kansas) attacking the Catholic Church.
This group has had thousands of meetings at churches. Mostly at the Village Church.
I wonder how they would feel if people showed up there to determine if they should continue to be tax free, eh?
And what really hacks me off is that the idjit writer for the KC Star (I stopped taking that rag some time ago to save some trees) who claims that it is an issue between conservatives and moderates - not conservatives and liberals, which is what these so-called moderates really are.
Posted by Beth at 7:25 PM | Comments (8)
Wictory Wednesday
If you are as sick and tired as I am of the leftist, Bush-hating propaganda that is being perpetrated by the Media, so-called Intellectuals (so-called, because if they were truly intellectuals, they would see the errors in their logic) and Hollywood, then fight back.
Here is the story of a young man who is fighting back against his school (Princeton Senior High School in West Virginia) just for the right to free speech. Read the whole story. It's great.
Donate your time or money to help reelect President Bush.
You might even get a gmail invite if you donate at least $5.00. (I have too much email now to worry about gmail, myself, but you might think it is very cool)
I support George Bush. I will vote for him in the coming election. Even though I am an independant voter and was once a Democrat, the Republican Party (despite their undeniable faults) is the best choice. George Bush is the only leader running for election. We need a leader during time of war. Not just the war in Iraq, but the global war on terror that we are just starting.
If John Kerry is elected, we will lose in the long run. The man cannot even decide on what he is for or against - it changes daily. His wife, at least, has some conviction - even if I disagree with it.
All the bloggers listed below are also proud to support President Bush.
Posted by Beth at 6:48 PM
June 29, 2004
If only . . .
If only these pictures would change the mind of the pro-abortion crowd - just to admit that yes, at only 12 weeks, this is not a lump of flesh, but a human being.
I want abortionists to admit that they are ending a human life. Perhaps it will cause some women to rethink their decision to end it.
From the BBC NEWS; Scans uncover secrets of the womb
Posted by Beth at 6:39 AM
June 27, 2004
Frog or Frenchman?
Iranian woman 'gives birth to frog'
An Iranian newspaper has reported the controversial story of a woman who claims to have given birth to a frog. The Iranian daily Etemaad says the creature is believed to have grown from larva to an adult frog inside her body.While it is unclear how this could have happened, the paper carries quotes from medical experts who say there are human characteristics to the animal.
It has been speculated that the woman, who has not been named, unknowingly picked up the larva while she was swimming in a dirty pool.
The woman, from the south-eastern city of Iranshahr, is a mother of two children.
The "so-called frog", as the newspaper puts it, has yet to undergo precise genetic and anatomic tests.
But it quotes clinical biology expert Dr Aminifard as saying: "The similarities are in appearance, the shape of the fingers and the size and shape of the tongue."
I have nothing to say.
Posted by Beth at 8:04 PM | Comments (6)
What's wrong with this headline?
Low Test Scores Hold Back Thousands of Florida 12th-Graders
First, you tell me what is wrong with that headline, then I'll tell you if we agree.
Posted by Beth at 11:28 AM | Comments (12)
June 26, 2004
Yardwork Saturday
I really love working in the yard. This may be a surprise to John, because I don't often do so, with my crazy-assed schedule at work, but I really do love puttering around with dirt and plants and stuff.
It's been such a joy being home for a week, and to know that I don't have to take off on a plane to somewhere next week, or even the week after!
I went to 3 garden centers today, and bought more perennials for the front yard (I hope that someday we will have no 'lawn" in the front yard to mow - only plants that are groundcovers, or interesting flowering or bushy things).
I bought a lot of Irish Moss to cover my mountain that we created with a tunnel for our future Garden Railway. I bought some coriopsis to plant in places where nothing but mud grows now, and I bought several other groundcovers and a few herbs.
This year, my herb and vegetable garden is all in containers on our deck. John devised a wonderful irrigation system so that he doesn't have to worry about watering my plants when I'm traveling.
I am amazed at how vigorous and healthy my container garden is - no bunnies are snitching my peppers, and no bugs are going for my tomatoes. My herbs are growing like crazy (I'll have to start harvesting and drying some for later, they are growing so fast), and my Kentucky Colonel Mint is overflowing its very large pot. (It makes the bestest Mint Juleps of any of the mints!)
I also have strawberries and peppermint, spearmint and chocolate mint, rosemary, thyme and oregano, basil, chamomile and cilantro. And it is all in pots.
Today, I went to Home Depot and bought a fake clay pot - a pretty one, it's big - with no hole in the bottom. I also bought a fountain kit for it, and we made a nice container fountain out of it.
I have some water hyacinths in my garden pond in the front yard, so I'll put some in my container fountain on the deck, and we will have a nice little garden to enjoy in the evenings after work, with the fountain and all.
I also have quite a few citronella candles to keep the mosquitoes away.
My plants are so big now that our deck is now very private. (we have a very large yard and privacy fence, besides).
I plan to get John out there this evening for a romantic outdoor rendezvous. Lots of candles, a fountain, lots of pretty herbal aromas and also lots of flowering plants.
Maybe I'll get lucky!
Posted by Beth at 8:20 PM | Comments (6)
June 25, 2004
Reprieve for puppies in California
Obviously, Arnold reads my blog and made a very good and smart decision: SignOnSanDiego.com > News >Governor reverses stand on shelters, reinstates waiting period
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Friday he has reinstated the state's six-day waiting period before lost animals could be killed.
Now, if only I could get half of Hollywood and all of the DU to pay attention, they would change their ways, too.
Posted by Beth at 9:02 PM | Comments (2)
" The Terminator" has new meaning in California
In an amazingly stupid move, Governor Schwarzenegger want to halve the time that lost animals are kept in shelters before they are killed.
Schwarzenegger Wants Strays Killed Faster
Aside from the fact that is an obviously idiotic political move, it is a bad and wrong move.
As you may know, I have a dog who occassionally makes a run for it and ends up in doggie jail.
He has stayed there for a weekend before because they are closed on weekends. I would really hate to think that he would be executed on a Monday morning because we didn't get their fast enough.
Stupid, stupid move!
Posted by Beth at 2:15 PM | Comments (3)
June 23, 2004
Wictory Wednesday
I've been remiss in posting on Wednesdays lately because I've been traveling far too much for the last couple of months.
If you are as sick and tired as I am of the leftist, Bush-hating propaganda that is being perpetrated by the Media, so-called Intellectuals (so-called, because if they were truly intellectuals, they would see the errors in their logic) and Hollywood, then fight back.
Here is the story of a young man who is fighting back against his school (Princeton Senior High School in West Virginia) just for the right to free speech. Read the whole story. It's great.
Donate your time or money to help reelect President Bush.
You might even get a gmail invite if you donate at least $5.00. (I have too much email now to worry about gmail, myself, but you might think it is very cool)
I support George Bush. I will vote for him in the coming election. Even though I am an independant voter and was once a Democrat, the Republican Party (despite their undeniable faults) is the best choice. George Bush is the only leader running for election. We need a leader during time of war. Not just the war in Iraq, but the global war on terror that we are just starting.
If John Kerry is elected, we will lose in the long run. The man cannot even decide on what he is for or against - it changes daily. His wife, at least, has some conviction - even if I disagree with it.
All the bloggers listed below are also proud to support President Bush.
Posted by Beth at 7:07 AM
June 22, 2004
Haven't written much this week
I've been stewing over all the things that are making me absolutely crazy. So, I got to thinking that maybe it would be cathartic to just let my friends here stew about them too. (I hope this works like an earworm and I can get rid of these bothersome thoughts by passing them on to you!)
1. Music radio stations: here in Eastern Kansas, there is only one radio station that has the alternative music I like. I am very possibly the only listener over 50 they have, but I doubt it. When not traveling, I have a 45 minute commute to the office. I listen to the radio. But lately, I have been so fricking annoyed at the Rock the Vote advertisements on my favorite radio station that I have been just turning off the radio altogether. I am not against people registering to vote, but I am against convincing them to do so by calling the current administration a Nazi government. This pisses me off royally.
2. Polls and Polsters: One Poll is totally negative on President Bush. The next one is rather more positive. But which one gets all the press? The wording of questions on polls is so important - and can skew the answer one way or another - why does anyone take these things seriously?
3. Citizenship: More and more non-citizens are being allowed to vote in
schoolboard elections. Aside from the fact that these people should become citizens before being allowed to vote, what guarantee do these jurisdictions have that the same non-citizens will not be allowed to vote in the November Elections? This is totally ludicrous. Why even have a country with borders if anyone can come and vote? This makes me nuts, nuts, nuts.
4. Marriage. I'll get in trouble here with some of my readers. Let me say this - I am all for civil unions between two same sex people, but don't call it marriage. Marriage is between 1 (one) man and 1 (one) woman.
I am also against Muslim men being allowed to marry more than one woman. Actually, no man should be allowed to have multiple wives. There is an uproar in Ireland right now because the government forbids polygamy, and insists upon it.
5. Terrorism. This is a war. I'm so tired of people bitching about our 'casualties in Iraq". Every American life lost is a tragedy, but considering what we are fighting against, we are doing pretty darn well in that department. My guess is that we would have lost fewer lives had we not been so concerned about avoiding civilian casualties.
There will be more added to this list later - now, I must prepare dinner. And yes, you Vegans out there - we are having a rare, juicy prime rib roast! Gag on it you vegetable only eaters - gag!
Posted by Beth at 7:14 PM | Comments (3)
June 20, 2004
Stupid Anti-Everything People
Chris Muir's Day by Day comic has been rightly mocking www.ruckus.org.
Ruckus.org offers some very interesting training "manuals" for people who want to protest anything that has any straight white men involved whatsoever (or so it seems, after reading their site).
I think that a lot of protesters would do well to hang themselves from billboards and other public edifaces as instructed in The Ruckus Society - Resources - Hanging from an Urban Structure.
With a little luck, enough of them will do themselves in that the rest of the world will see them for the absolute idiots they are.
Posted by Beth at 8:20 PM | Comments (2)
June 18, 2004
Reality Sucks
Paul Johnson was brutally tortured and murdered today by Islamofascist thugs. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. Another American civilian has been cut down by the evil that is that branch of Islam.
Boudicca has it right, it is not terrorism we are fighting, it is Islamic extremism - Wahabism.
While the 9/11 Commission is worrying over why our own military didn't shoot down all four of our commercial planes (full of American citizens) on 9/11 and blaming the military and NORAD for failing to do so (if that had happened, we would be working for the reelection of President Cheney, not Bush, as he would have been impeached for that), while the insist that there is no relatinship between Iraq and Al Quaida, while they bitch and moan about the inability of the American Government to imagine the kind of evil that was Mohammed Atta's mind, another American civilian was murdered.
It is way past time for our politicians (one can hardly call them statesmen and statewomen) to get the fuck off of their high horse of 20/20 hindsight and get their acts together to fight this war against those Islamic terrorists who will stop only when we all bow towards Mecca five times a day.
It is even more past time for the media, which should be morally charged with reporting the news, the facts, and not opinions unless expressly stated, to stop playing politics with this war and to start taking a clear, eyes wide open, look at the facts.
The facts are these: There are a bunch of Muslims who take the Koran very literally and then some. They want to take over the world and convert us to Islam, their brand of Islam, and they want to kill all of us who would disagree.
What is so fucking hard about understanding this? ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN and NPR appear to think it is all America's fault.
Apparently, they think it would be better for us to roll over and allow our morals and values to be taken over by a warped religion that allows slavery and makes women things.
You know, this is a really non-PC thing to say, but I don't give a shit what happened to those Islamofascists at Abu Gharaib. Those people in that jail were not good people. Many of them tortured and murdered their own people. More of them murdered us.
I don't care what that drunk idiot Ted Kennedy thinks, they are scum, and though I don't like that they were humiliated, that is a far, far cry from torture.
If all that happened to them was to be forced into fake oral sex with one of the other scum in that prison, well, too bad. None of them had their genitals cut off and stuffed in their mouth - but many of Saddam's victims did.
I wish we could just let the Israilis at them. Or even the Brits - they are allowed to torture to an extent.
But mostly, I want our so-called Democrat leaders to quit thier blame games and get with the President on defeating the greatest threat our country has known since Hitler.
Posted by Beth at 8:24 PM | Comments (3)
June 17, 2004
Beth's Restaurant Review
I have found my favorite all time restaurant. It is The Central Street Oyster Bar in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Wow, the food is to die for, and the service is just unbelievably great. Last night I had Oysters Rockefeller and lobster tail. Tonight, I had Greek Oysters and jerk seasoned Mahi. Wow. Yummy
The atmosphere is intimate. It's a small place, but it has a huge character.
Scott is the General Manager, and Danielle is a great server, as is Star. They are all darling, wonderful people. They went way out their way to make me feel welcome and well cared for.
I highly recommend The Oyster Bar for anyone visiting the Tampa or St. Petersburg area.
And I have to admit, of all the coastal cities I've been to, I like St. Petersburg the best. It is just beautiful. Come autumn or winter, John and I need to come here for a little vacation. It's not our normal mountain kind of place, but there is something wonderful about St. Petersburg
Posted by Beth at 8:38 PM | Comments (2)
Public Bathroom Behaviour
I've been meaning to bring this subject up ever since I started blogging. Fortunately, LeeAnn brought it up first, so no one can accuse me of not being a lady.
The topic is women peeing all over the place in public ladies rooms. Yuch! If we were meant to pee standing up, we would be men. How rude and selfish are all of you women who 'hover' (that's what QOAE calls it) and then don't clean up after yourselves?
Believe me, the rest of us know who you are.
When I am flying from one city to another, and I have a drink, or two, or three, and the turbulence is so bad that we are forbidden from leaving our seats, as soon as we are released from our metal tube prison, I race for the potty room.
There is nothing so awful, no nightmare so disgusting as rushing into a stall, removing whatever clothing needs removing, turning around and sitting on ....
someone else's pee.
I hate you, you women who pee on toilet seats. Go into the men's room and pee in urinals, or their toilet seats, because they won't even notice.
Yuch yuch yuch.
Blechhhhh. Gross.
Now, this doesn't happen too often, I try very hard to get to the potty in time to clean up after the beautifully dressed, high fashion business woman who left her urine all over the toilet seat, but on occassion, the need is such, and the pee is clear, and I don't see it and ...... yuch yuch yuch.
It's enough to give me the willies.
ick.
Posted by Beth at 5:26 AM | Comments (18)
My thoughts on why Delta is doing badly
It's not the high price of jet fuel. It's not 9/11. It's not a bad business environment.
It is the service. Delta (and American, also) has amazingly rude flight attendants. Not a smile. Not a, "Hi, how are you?" Not a clue that the customer is king.
If Delta loses your luggage - good luck. The only reason my was discovered half a continent away from where it was supposed to be is the kind luggage handler who wondered why that red suitcase had been sitting in Minnesota (instead of South Carolina) for a couple of days and called our home phone number. Numerous calls to Delta's lost luggage phone number resulted in 'We don't know where your luggage is and don't call us for another 6 hours", even after I knew where the luggage was.
I have to fly Delta on occassion. Sometimes, there may be no other carrier who is going to where I am going when I have to go.
If Delta goes under, no big deal, really. They have been asking for it for years - even before 9/11, arrogance was their employees' middle names.
Give me the cheerful, sometimes goofy and always kind Southwest Airline's flight attendants and pilots anyday. I don't care if I have a rotten seat - I can get stuck with the same rotten seat on Delta - on Southwest, they at least make me laugh if the situation sucks.
Posted by Beth at 4:59 AM | Comments (6)
June 16, 2004
No one ever tells me anything!
I blame it all on having to travel so much, but I just now found out that Boudica, one of my favorite and commentors on my blog and John's has started her own!
Here is a sample - great storry!
Boudicca's Voice: Shannon must be Irish... I love a Strong Woman!
Posted by Beth at 7:35 PM
Sometimes, things don't quite go the way you plan.
I had it all planned out so well. Everything was going so smoothly. Then, last night, someone decided they should do failover testing. In doing so, they shut down both servers and more importantly, my data collectors.
I spent a few hours this morning fixing it all, and was ready to train the man who will be handling this stuff. He walked in, and was obviously exhausted - seems he was up all night babysitting the servers that were being tested for failover stuff. He asked me if I could please stay another day, because he could not stay awake long enough to learn something, so I am staying until Friday.
Posted by Beth at 7:19 PM | Comments (3)
Weblogs.com shut down
Wired News: Thousands of Blogs Fall Silent.
You get what you pay for. As Dean says, using a hosting service with your own domain name is pretty inexpensive, unless of course, you become wildly popular (No worries here about that!!)
Posted by Beth at 5:29 AM | Comments (5)
June 15, 2004
I'm in Florida
St. Petersburg is very pretty. It's hot and humid, but very pretty. There are plants here that I've never seen. Flowering trees, Spanish Moss and lots of little lizards!
Tonight, I went to a place called BayWalk and had dinner at Dan Merino's.
Since I have finished reading the two books I brought with me, I had nothing to do but people watch. There was an older woman and a much younger boy man having a beer and a soda. Both had very long hair. Her hair was braided, his was in a pony tail.
As the older woman flirted with the much younger (I'm guessing 20 years) boy man by taking her braid out and flipping her hair around with her hands about every 45 seconds (yes, I timed it).
His behavior began to mirror hers. He took his long hair out of the pony tail and started flipping his hair around with nearly the same rhythm she flipped hers.
Then they finished their drinks, put their hair back up in their respective do's and walked off into the sunset.
Posted by Beth at 7:14 PM | Comments (4)
Are you ready to be a parent?
Guest blogging for SWWBO who has *access* issues in Tampa/St Pete this week. I originally had this over at the Castle, but the audience here will be more receptive, I think!
HOW TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE READY TO HAVE CHILDREN...MESS TEST Smear peanut butter on the sofa and curtains. Place a fish stick behind the couch and leave it there all summer.
TOY TEST Obtain a 55 gallon box of Legos (or you may substitute roofing tacks). Have a friend spread them all over the house. Put on a blindfold. Try to walk to the bathroom or kitchen. Do not scream because this would wake a child at night.
GROCERY STORE TEST Borrow one or two small animals (goats are best) and take them with you as you shop. Always keep them in sight and pay for anything they eat or damage.
Take the rest in the extended post!
DRESSING TEST Obtain one large, unhappy, live octopus. Stuff into a small net bag making sure that all the arms stay inside.FEEDING TEST Obtain a large plastic milk jug. Fill halfway with water. Suspend from the ceiling with a cord. Start the jug swinging. Try to insert spoonfuls of soggy cereal into the mouth of the jug, while pretending to be an airplane. Now dump the contents of the jug on the floor.
NIGHT TEST Prepare by obtaining a small cloth bag and fill it with 8-12 pounds of sand. Soak it thoroughly in water. At 3:00 p.m. begin to waltz and hum with the bag until 9:00p.m. Lay down your bag and set your alarm for 10:00p.m. Get up, pick up your bag, and sing every song you have ever heard. Make up about a dozen more and sing these too until 4:00a.m. Set alarm for 5:00 a.m. Get up and make breakfast. Keep this up for 5 years. Look cheerful.
INGENUITY TEST Take an egg carton. Using a pair of scissors and pot of paint, turn it into an alligator. Now take a toilet paper tube and turn it into an attractive Christmas candle. Use only scotch tape and a piece of foil. Last, take a milk carton, a ping-pong ball, and an empty box of Cocoa Puffs. Make an exact replica of the Eiffel Tower.
AUTOMOBILE TEST Forget the BMW and buy a station wagon. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there. Get a dime. Stick it into the cassette player. Take a family size package of chocolate chip cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car. There, perfect. (Repeat in 16 years. Add dents and double insurance payments)
PHYSICAL TEST (Women) Obtain a large bean bag chair and attach it to the front of your clothes. Leave it there for 9 months. Now remove 10 of the beans.
PHYSICAL TEST (Men) Go to the nearest drug store. Set your wallet on the counter. Ask the clerk to help himself. Now proceed to the nearest food store. Go to the head office and arrange for your paycheck to be directly deposited to the store. Purchase a newspaper. Go home and read it quietly for the last time.
FINAL ASSIGNMENT Find a couple who already have a small child. Lecture them on how they can improve their discipline, patience, tolerance, toilet training and child's table manners. Suggest many ways they can improve.
Emphasize to them that they should never allow their children to run wild.
Enjoy this experience. It will be the last time you will have all the answers.
Hat tip to Mr. Greenjeans!
Posted by John at 7:29 AM | Comments (6)
June 13, 2004
Great time
John and I had dinner at Beaver Creek Tackle and Beer with Dean and Rosemary Esmay (and Jake Esmay!) Friday night. The time absolutely flew by and before we knew it, we had spent 7 hours talking and eating and drinking.
Believe me, John and I are not exactly social butterflies, so we were completely surprised that it was past 11:00 pm before any of us checked the time.
John and Dean hit it off and talked about guy stuff (I think) while Rosemary and I talked about everything on earth. It was fun. Hope they get down to our part of the world sometime so Dean can see John's collection.
Posted by Beth at 11:03 AM | Comments (2)
June 12, 2004
UN Inspectors prove that Bush Did Not Lie
How is the Democratic Underground going to spin this?
The United Nations has determined that Saddam Hussein shipped weapons of mass destruction components as well as medium-range ballistic missiles before, during and after the U.S.-led war against Iraq in 2003.The UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission briefed the Security Council on new findings that could help trace the whereabouts of Saddam's missile and WMD program.
The briefing contained satellite photographs that demonstrated the speed with which Saddam dismantled his missile and WMD sites before and during the war. Council members were shown photographs of a ballistic missile site outside Baghdad in May 2003, and then saw a satellite image of the same location in February 2004, in which facilities had disappeared. (emphasis mine)
For the entire article, go here.
Posted by Beth at 7:25 AM | Comments (3)
June 10, 2004
If you share your life with one cat or many ...
they always make sure that part of them is with you. Like fur. I pulled a pair of black pants out of the bottom of my suitcase this morning and I found that Gandolf the Grey made sure that a good part of his Persian self would accompany me on my trip.
Sigh.
Posted by Beth at 6:35 AM | Comments (3)
June 9, 2004
President Reagan
You know, back when Reagan was first elected, I was a bit scared of him. He was so unlike any other politician. He was so sure of his beliefs. And my Jesuit taught college education caused me to fear anyone who was so sure of what was right and wrong.
Slowly, I changed my thinking. I still could not admit that I thought he was okay, mind you, but ever so slowly, I started to admire the man for his downright ballsiness in standing up to the Soviet Union. I was scared to death that the Soviet Union would attack us because of Reagan's strength, but at the same time, I dared them to attack us, because I knew we'd kick the shit out of them.
Slowly, ever so slowly, as I matured, I realized that morality is not really relative and that strength was a really good thing for a country to have. Many of my friends made fun of the man - they thought he was a moron - mostly because he had been in a movie with a chimp, I suppose.
Anyway, since President passed away last Saturday, every time I turn on the TV or listen to the radio or look at the internet, I find myself tearing up.
Today, I had lunch at an Italian restaurant - I was by myself, so I sat at the bar. The TV was on - Nancy Reagan (who I once mocked for staring so lovingly at her husband) was ever so slowly climbing the steps to the plane that took her and President Reagan to Washington. Another eating-alone woman was sitting next to me, and she commented on Mrs. Reagan, "she always loved her husband so much, it does seem they could make it easier on her and somehow not make her climb those steps. After all, President Reagan did so much for all of us" - and I turned and looked at the woman speaking and realized that she was a woman of color - but all the newspeople keep saying that African Americans and Hispanics and everyone else hated President Reagan - perhaps they are wrong?
Then tonight, I watched the ceremony at the Rotunda. I cried when they sang God Bless America. I cried when the wreaths were laid. I cried when Mrs. Reagan walked to the casket and patted it reassuringly. As everyone left, and they played The Heavens Declare ... ( I sang the alto part in high school), I sobbed even more.
Now, why am I in tears? Partly because my dad was just a couple of years younger than Presidend Reagan, and I miss my dad, and my dad absolutely adored President Reagan. Partly because as I have aged, I have come to appreciate what President Reagan did for the US. And partly because of the insensitive louts who are mocking President Reagan and calling him evil just so they can get some attention.
Anyway. I'm oversharing. Take care, all.
Posted by Beth at 8:13 PM | Comments (6)
Note to Self
Never, ever schedule a training session in Detroit when the Pistons are in the playoffs.
Posted by Beth at 8:42 AM | Comments (6)
Ted Rall's 15 Minutes of Fame about over
Ted is sure that Ronald Reagan is Crispy and Brown in Hell by now. I'm sure that Ted is simply projecting.
Political cartoonist defends anti-Reagan Web tirade
This guy is unbelievable. I heard him on Hannity last night and he was a whiny, loud leftist with only his agenda on his mind.
There is no defense for his cruelty and bullshit. None.
Posted by Beth at 5:50 AM | Comments (6)
June 8, 2004
I'm tossing out my old Smith's CD's
And if I could demand my money back, I would. From now on, anytime I hear this man on the radio, I'm turning it off.
'Bush should have died, not Reagan': Morrissey
music legend Morrissey sparked controversy when he announced Ronald Reagan's death live on stage during a concert - and then declared he wished it was George Bush who had died instead.Thousands of fans at Dublin Castle, in Ireland, cheered when the ex-Smiths frontman made the announcement that the former American president, who had battled with Alzheimer's Disease, had passed away.
And an even bigger cheer followed when Morrissey - who is no stranger to controversy - then said he wished it had been the current President, George W Bush, who had died.
And I hope he never enters the USA again.
Posted by Beth at 6:11 AM | Comments (10)
June 7, 2004
Calliope's List
Calliope has talked about putting together a list of Socially Retarded Air Travel Behavior.
I think this is a great idea. Since our friend Calliope does not have her own blog (even though she ought to!), we can start the list here.
1. Pretending that your carry-on bag does not have a laptop in it so that you don't have to go through the trouble of taking it out and sending it through the x-ray separately does not fool the security people.
Yes, this morning, a harried business man did exactly that. He pushed himself in front of me, in fact, to get his carry-on in front of my stuff. I loved it when they saw the laptop through the x-ray and searched the entire bag and then made him wait while they ran everything through the machine separately.
2. When flying on Southwest, people with a C boarding pass should not stand in the A or B line. They somehow think that this means they get to go first, even if they are not in the correct boarding group. Fortunately, Southwest people are smarter than that, and make them wait until their group boards.
3. Once the flight attendants say that cell phones need to be turned off, they mean it. Twice in the past week, business men have decided to make calls just as we were getting to the runway.
Update: Here are some by Calliope!
4) Reading over your seat mate's shoulder. Their file or laptop may contain information that is confidential and in any case its none of your business.
5) Making others around you uncomfortable by encroaching on their personal space. Let's face it, airplanes are small already. Remain in your own space. Yes, this includes keeping your setback in the upright position if it is obvious you are making the person behind you uncomfortable.
6) Getting drunk. If you want to have a couple of beers then fine but hitting the airport lounge for a few drinks after a bottle of wine with lunch then drinking until the Flight Attendant refuses to serve you will not endear you to your travel-mates.
7) Don't bogart the restroom. This isn't the time for a sponge bath its a frickin airplane. Others need to use it too. There are 3 restrooms and 150 people. See?
8) If its a long flight (over 2 hours) its ok to kick off your shoes, but dress changes should be limited to that on an airplane. This isn't a fashion show.
9) Keep what you will need to access during the flight in a single bag that you can easily place under the seat. Don't get on an airplane and then start digging out luggage from the overhead to get your photo album to show your new friend Suzy.
10) Off color jokes. Hey a salty joke is fine between friends but don't cut lose with one of those "a Jew, Black and Mexican guy are on an airplane" jokes in mixed company. The Hispanic couple in the row in front will be humiliated (yes, they can speak English) and the people around you will feel very uncomfortable, to say nothing of the fact that the black guy in the row behind is liable to kick your ass after the flight.
11) Control your children. I know its not easy being a parent after all I am one. That doesn't mean you can let little Johnny harass the lady in the row in front of you by pulling her pony tail. Don't make her ask you to stop him. Its about time you disciplined your child anyway.
12) Don't call the Flight Attendant 5 times in one flight. If you can't wait until she/he comes by and you need something then by all means call them, but ask for what you need and get it over with. They aren't your personal valet.
13) One word: Flatulence.
UPDATE: John has added some more to the list - and I should have thought of the first one after an experience a couple of weeks ago.
1. Bathe. Bathing is always good. Even if it's early for your monthly bath - take it before you board.
2. Perfume. Don't assume because a little is good, a lot is better. Applies to aftershave/cologne, too. Some people will go into anaphylactic shock being near you. That's not good.
3. Don't assume that your fellow prisoners *want* to talk to you. Pay attention to the "Drop dead, I could give a shit about how you set up your Linux server/doilie collection/children/pets/asshole spouse." body language. I have to pay attention when you drowse off when I start talking guns, don't I?
4. Lay off of the 'greasy kid stuff'/pomade. I may have to sit in that seat next flight, and I don't want to put my head back and all of a sudden have a flammable 'do.
5. One tray table per person, please.
6. No means no. See #5.
7. Just because your mother told you you're special, you're not. She was referring to the bus you rode. See number 5.
8. The space above your head was not included in the reservation. Keep yer mitts off my stuff, and don't just unceremoniously dump it because it's in 'your space'. Clue: There are at least two, and probably three seats in the row. I got here first. Get over it and put your overstuffed suitcase somewhere else.
9. Tesseracts are an interesting mathematical concept. As of yet, outside of fantasy novels with magic, they don't exist. You may think your suitcase holds more than the exterior dimensions allow for, but this isn't true. Nor will the overhead bin. Physics trumps your dream here. Give the bag to the nice flight attendant and pick it up after we land, dolt.
Posted by Beth at 4:04 PM | Comments (13)
Stolen from LeeAnn
Answer me:
1. Who are you?
2. Have we ever met?
3. Give me a nickname and explain why you picked it.
4. Describe me in one word.
5. What reminds you of me?
6. If you could give me anything, what would it be?
7. Ever wanted to tell me something but couldn't?
8. Are you going to put this on your weblog and see what I say about you?
9. What do you love like a fat kid loves cake?
10. What makes you come back here?
Posted by Beth at 2:35 PM | Comments (3)
If it's Monday, I must be getting ready to fly somewhere
This week, it's Detroit again. John is going to fly up on Thursday to join me - we have a free airline ticket that expires on Saturday, so rather than waste it, we'll see the fine sights of Detroit!
Hopefully, we will have dinner with Rosemary and Dean Esmay again. Well, again for me - John has not met them.
John and Dean are similar in many respects - they are both really smart and both have married wonderful women.
Posted by Beth at 4:35 AM | Comments (2)
June 6, 2004
Women's clothing designers should be punished!
They were called Pedal Pushers when I was a little girl - and they were cute on teenage girls.
Now they are called Capris - and they make them in every possible size. And that's the problem. Ony little girls and teenagers should wear them. They don't look right on women over 25. In fact, many of them look so wrong, that they remind me of the dreaded 'flood pants' of my youth - when someone wore pants so short that you could see the skin between the socks and the pants.
They even make them in my size - too big to mention. There was a woman much larger than me waiting for a plane last week, and she was wearing them. They made her calves look like overstuffed sausages that needed a shave.
Of course, this woman was trying to be fashionable - the whole make up thing with too-obvious lip liner and way too much skin showing between the bottom of her top and the top of her bottoms.
Designers who think of these things should be horsewhipped - no, wait - that is too kind. They should have to try these things on their aunts and mother's and grandmothers and watch them try to be comfortable or look good in them for a day. That ought to do it.
Bring back the shirtdresses my mom wore in the 50s and 60s. They were pretty, flowing, cotton dresses that buttoned from the waist up. They looked good on lots of people - not just the skinny minnies.
This will never happen. Too many designers are men who are interested in women looking like boys. And that's a whole different discussion.
Posted by Beth at 9:57 AM | Comments (13)
June 4, 2004
Airport bloggin'
Can't Blog Nekkid here! I'm sitting in a bar here at Midway Airport in Chicago - have a two hour layover, trying to make the time go by just a bit faster!
My plane went from Norfolk to Baltimore, and then came on to Midway, where I am at the moment.
The flight from Baltimore to Chicago has to be the most uncomfortable flight I've been on since the bad flight back when I was a kid.
Why was it uncomfortable, you ask?
Well, believe you me, I will tell you!
I usually sit in the last row - either the window or the aisle seat. Today, it was the aisle seat. When passengers got on in Baltimore, this semi normal looking guy wanted to set in the seat next to me. I got up, and then he proceeded to literally spread his body out to fill his seat, half of mine and half of the seat of the young lady sitting by the window. It was so odd. This guy was not a big guy. He put up the armrests on both sides, and just expanded. His elbows went out, his knees went out and I swear, his butt must have expanded by 5 inches. I don't know how he did that because he was not a big guy - really weird!!!
Mind you, I'm kinda fat. I do my best to make myself as small as possible so I won't bother the other passengers. This guy, though, he was obnoxiously possesive of his space, my space, and the other woman's space.
So, I was really really scrunched up. We take off. The woman in front of me decides to recline her seat as fully as possible.
I can't recline my seat, because I'm in the last row - they don't recline.
I almost started crying, I was so uncomfortable. I lifted the aisle side armrest and kinda leaned out that way, but of course, every time one of the flight attendants went by, I had to scrunch in again.
I will say, the Southwest Airlines flight attendants were very nice. One felt so sorry for my obvious discomfort that they brought me a free beer. Twice.
That helped. But, this kinda slimy guy was basically attached to my hips for the whole fricking flight. If I moved a little toward the aisle, he pushed against my hips and I lost another inch of space.
Yuck.
I really hope this next flight won't be filled with rude guys who like to be comfy at the expense of all other passengers on my flight from Chicago to Kansas City!!!!!!!
I don't know if I can be polite again.
Posted by Beth at 2:38 PM | Comments (8)
June 3, 2004
East Coast Folks
I spent this week in Richmond, Virginia. The people here have such a paranoid view of the world. By and large, they are convinced that President Bush is doing everything for money. Odd, since he already has a bunch of money.
I have been working mostly with one woman, Shari. She is a little younger than me, with a son about the same age as Andy. We get along famously. We had a long lunch today, and pretty much discussed the state of the world. We had many agreements and some disagreements, but all quite friendly. I finally did tell her that it seemed to me that the people on the Eastern Seaboard seemed to be more than a little nuts about politics. That they all listen just a little bit too much to the news, and didn't she think that the news was a little biased.
Shari said, yeah, we are paranoid - we live too close to Washington. And she laughed and laughed and said that maybe those of us in the midwest had a better view because we are farther from it all.
I think Shari might be right. I am so glad I don't live on the East Coast. Every radio station here is all politics all the time - and mostly involve discussions indicating that President Bush is a moron. The folks here start to believe that, they hear it so often. They think that I talk a little funny, being from Kansas - can you imagine what they think of a Texas drawl?
And most of them have never been to the middle of the US or the Southwest. I don't know for sure what my point is, but it seemed like Shari's views softened a little after we talked - maybe my plain, midwestern sensibilities made her feel like its okay to have opinions that don't match what we hear on the news.
It was an interesting day. I hope I get to work with Shari again sometime.
Posted by Beth at 7:41 PM | Comments (6)
Do 13 year old kids need this?
Like the future won't be stressful enough, these kids are stressed to the max just to spell in front of the world.
I feel so sorry for this kid who fainted during the National Spelling Bee.
Yahoo! News - Boy Collapses at Spelling Bee, Nails Word
Glad he got the word right, but gee, shouldn't he be out playing baseball?
Posted by Beth at 4:19 PM | Comments (6)
June 2, 2004
For $10.00 more ...
and about 8 miles further away, and I have a room at a much nicer hotel - Marriott Courtyard - with free broadband, room service and a clean, non-moldy room.
Anyway, I should sleep well tonight - I'm pretty worn out. The woman I'm working with is very smart and very nice, but I'm having a few problems getting her to pay attention to me and not to her system (there are lots of other people to do that while I'm trying to train her). Tomorrow, we are going to a non-disclosed (to all her co-workers) location.
I have not even looked at the news or anything. And I swear, my blood pressure is down because of that.
I wish I was the kind of person who just didn't give a damn sometime.
Posted by Beth at 7:49 PM | Comments (4)
June 1, 2004
Okay, I admit it, I'm a hotel snob
I had a hard time finding a hotel room here in Richmond, VA this week. Seemed that nothing was available. Except the Airport Holiday Inn. Now, I have stayed at some Holiday Inn's that were wonderful places with luscious rooms.
This is not one of them.
First of all, all the rooms' doors go to the outside. And my room is on the 'first floor' - that means that my door goes out to the sidewalk and the parking lot where all the SKIL Suv's for their SKIL meetings are parked.
Then, when I walked in the room - the smell - not bad - just the smell of a cheap resort hotel room - kinda moldy, maybe? It took me back to childhood, when Mom and Dad and Anne and I would go on vacation and stay at a Route 66 kind of place on our way to our final destination.
Arghhhh - no broadband!
No room service.
No superplush mattress - these are pretty old and sagg.
I will probably check out tomorrow if I can find a Hilton or Marriot of some flavor with room for me!
Yes, John, you are right. I am a snob.
Posted by Beth at 7:47 PM | Comments (8)