Grumpy Today

Our internet is finally fixed.

I had a really fun time at karaoke last night.

Summer school is finally done.

The curriculum stuff is not done.

They're still having issues with our proposed class list.

The people I work with really make me mad.

I need to get some exercise (and some sleep).

I'm so grumpy today.

Pictures

Just a note about all the pictures on my blog.

Obviously the toy ones are in my house, but I took all the others, too (since December 2004). Now that I've gone digital, I have a fun time taking pictures of random things I see.

Things like the animated Dunkin Donuts cup waving at traffic. I was too embarrassed to walk over to him for a closeup.

Totoros

My sweetie got me the whole collection. They were sent to me all the way from Hong Kong!

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

The U.S. military discharged 653 men and women in 2004 under
the ban on gays in the military, according to a gay-rights
group that tracks the numbers.

Among the discharges, according to Pentagon numbers
obtained by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network were
41 healthcare professionals, 30 sonar and radar specialists,
20 combat engineers, 17 law enforcement agents, 12 security
guards and seven biological and chemical warfare specialists.
At least nine foreign language specialists were also fired
because of their sexual orientation

SLDN also said Monday less than one-quarter of the
discharges last year under the gay ban occurred in units
that were deployed in support of the war.

The discharge of gays from the military has dropped
47 percent since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. It
is unclear whether that is because the military wants to
keep as many experienced people in uniform as possible to
meet its war fighting needs in Iraq and Afghanistan, or
gay service members are keeping their orientation secret
in order to remain in the services during a national
crisis.

Thanks to Coffee Break for the info.

The Verdict

All I did was the lessons, but DDR is fun!!!

I would do it all day if it didn't make me so tired.

Just for a Laugh

Two fellows stopped into an English pub for a drink. They
called the proprietor over and asked him to settle an argu-
ment.

"Are there two pints in a quart or four?" asked one.

"There be two pints in a quart," confirmed the proprietor.

They moved back along the bar and soon the barmaid asked for
their order.

"Two pints please, miss, and the bartender offered to buy
them for us."

The barmaid doubted that her boss would be so generous, so
one of the fellows called out to the proprietor at the other
end of the bar, "You did say two pints, didn't you?"

"That's right," he called back, "two pints."

Fate

I told you about our new Playstation 2. Another reason I was happy to get it was because I really wanted Dance, Dance Revolution. Stop your snickering.

I need to exercise more (don't we all?). Since giving birth, I just can't do everything I used to do and it really bothers me that I'm not using all my physical capabilities.

I'm not good at exercise for the sake of exercise. I like to run around, to play soccer and kickball, to dance, and I was motivated by the basic training regimen, but as an adult I just don't find those opportunities in a lot of places and my schedule doesn't really allow for a class or adult league.

In the winter, I managed to run on my trampoline regularly while I watched my favorite shows, but now that summer is here, the heat makes that kind of exercise really boring. Plus, no shows are on to keep me occupied.

I like the idea of playing a game that will give me some exercise.

So anyway, last night my fiance and I went on a DDR-hunting expedition. We tried to get it used at a couple of places but had no luck. I was also feeling a little guilty about shelling out what I figured would be around $100 for something I might not use (like the exercise DVDs I bought in the spring).

With no luck at used game stores, we went to our favorite electronics store.

Through a few lucky twists, I got my DDR for $28.35. It was meant to be.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Braille Without Borders

The August issue of O, The Oprah Magazine has a wonderful article about a woman named Sabriye Tenberken who founded a school/organazation called Braille Without Borders.

She started a school in Tibet, where the blind are routinely beaten and dismissed as useless, to educate blind children. The children at her residential school not only learn Braille, they also learn to speak Chinese and English, to use a Braille typewriter, and learn life skills.

The story was touching and the organization does wonderful things.

I read a lot and I come across a lot of stories about people who do great things, but this story struck me more than any other I've read.

Check it out.

Because it's the Right Thing to Do

On my way home from Michigan while hanging out at the airport, I ended up with something very expensive that didn't belong to me. I figured out how to contact the owner and promptly sent it back, priority mail, no expectations. The owner sent me a small check and I actually feel guilty about cashing it.

My friend misplaced her license. A woman called because she found it. The woman refused to mail it back.

Unbelievable.

Folks, it's just the right thing to do. I really believe that your deeds, good or bad, come back to you.

I Just Keep Regressing

Besides the fact that my potato has become the most regular feature of my blog...

Besides the fact that my computer is beginning to look like a ten-year old's...

Besides the fact that I recently bought a Tinkerbell shirt in the juniors section...

Besides the fact that my favorite summer school lesson involved coloring (but hey, we were coloring Pascal's Triangle)...

We just got a Playstation 2.

Why, you ask.

So we can play the new Star Wars Lego game of course.




I haven't owned a videogame system since Atari.

Then Came the Monchichi

I couldn't resist. He was begging to come home with me. And my potato loved him.

Fantastic Four

This was a great movie. In fact, my comic-book collecting fiance says it's the best comic book movie he's ever seen (even better than Xmen!- I'm not sure about that).

I was engrossed the whole way. The characters were great, it was funny, I loved the way they discovered their superpowers. Usually there's at least one clunky part in a movie, but not in this one.

I was also glad because my fiance gave me this "What If?" comic featuring The Thing and the whole opening matched the comic book. For the first time, I felt in the know at a comic book movie.

Another nice touch is that the movie is very kid friendly- it really is fun for the whole family.

Oh and Jessica Alba looks hot. Really hot. But not until she stops being the Doom guy's manager.

Off topic: our internet is still acting crazy. Just when I actually have the time to post, I get computer problems. sigh

Fantastic Four

We're going tomorrow night. I, of course, think The Thing is adorable so I'm excited. The movie version of him is pretty ugly though. My favorite Thing is the one on the far left.

Anyone seen the movie? Thoughts?

The Wolf Came First

I had a really great time in Michigan which I will soon post about on my other blog. My in-laws have family there so I really wanted to bring something back- just the name of the state brings up lots old stories. The problem was that it wasn't really a tourist trip so I was left wandering the airport looking for an appropriate souvenir.

I found these little stuffed animals and just couldn't resist. I brought the "grown-ups" a deer and brought the wolf home for my fiance. Wolf and potato really hit it off.

The Best Babysitter

I used to have an empty computer area. When I had my morning coffee, I would just push my keyboard out of the way. But these guys are so darn cute that I can't bear to send them away.

Street Graffiti

I am a fish.

The Thing

Too cute!! I'll have to post my Thing collection soon.

Thanks to my fiance for drawing this on a whim.

Ahhhhhh!

Bush Quotes

I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep on the soil of a friend.

-- Dubya's way of saying he's looking forward to a visit to Denmark, White House, Jun. 29, 2005

DUBYA: I appreciate the Secretary of Energy joining me today. He's a good man, he knows a lot about the subject, you'll be pleased to hear. I was teasing him -- he taught at MIT, and -- do you have a PhD?
SECRETARY OF ENERGY BODMAN: Yes.
DUBYA: Yes, a PhD. Now I want you to pay careful attention to this -- he's the PhD, and I'm the C student, but notice who is the advisor and who is the President.

-- Yes, we've been noticing that for some time now... Lusby, Maryland, Jun. 22, 2005

I want to thank the President and the CEO of Constellation Energy, Mayo Shattuck. That's a pretty cool first name, isn't it, Mayo. Pass the Mayo. His wife, Molly, appreciated that.

-- In case you were wondering if Dubya had any frat boy left in him, here's your answer. Lusby, Maryland, Jun. 22, 2005

I'm proud to report that more Americans are working today than ever before in our nation's history.

-- This is similar to the oft-repeated drivel about Dubya receiving more votes than any other presidential candidate in American history. Both are circumstances that are purely driven by the fact that today's population is the greatest ever to date. Lusby, Maryland, Jun. 22, 2005

Huh?

Disney resists shark's fin soup criticism

"Disney says it plans to buy shark fins from responsible
suppliers for its new Hong Kong park opening later this
year, a broadcast report said. Disneyland Hong Kong was
responding to criticism from environmentalists of its plans
to serve shark\'s fin soup at the park. Disney said it would
hand out leaflets to people booking banquets, explaining
the cruelty of shark fishing, the BBC reported. Hong Kong
and China are the biggest markets for shark\'s fins and
Disney has resisted calls to drop the luxury dish from its
menus because of the damage done to shark populations by
intensive fishing methods. Environmentalists across the
world have been lobbying Disney to drop shark\'s fin soup
from the menu for banquets and weddings at its new theme-park
in Hong Kong.

Texas Joke

NEWS FLASH! -

Texas worst air disaster occurred when a small 2-seat Cessna 150
plane, piloted by 2 Aggie's of Texas A&M students, crashed into a
College Station cemetery earlier today.

Search and rescue workers have recovered 300 bodies so far and
expect the number to climb as digging continues into the evening.

The pilot and copilot survived and are helping in the recovery
efforts.

hello!

After being gone for a bit, my internet went down for pretty much the whole week. I've posted a few fun things as I wade through ten days of emails. I also have some new potato pictures to post.

Have a fun and relaxing weekend!

Sheep

ISTANBUL, Turkey - It all started when one lone sheep jumped
from a cliff to its death. Then Turkish shepherds watched
stunned as nearly 1,500 others followed suit, each leaping
off the same cliff. When it was all over, 450 dead sheep lay
on top of each other in a white, furry pile. "There's
nothing we can do. They're all wasted," Nevzat Bayhan, a
member of one of 26 families whose sheep were grazing
together in the herd, was quoted as saying by Aksam. The
sheep suicide is bad news to families in the town of Gevas,
who are suffering an estimated loss of over $100,000.

100 years

What a difference a century makes!

THE YEAR 1905

Here are some of the U. S. statistics for 1905:


The average life expectancy in the U. S. was 47 years.

Only 14 percent of the homes in the U. S. had a bathtub.

Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.

A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars.

There were only 8,000 cars in the U. S., and only 144 miles of paved roads.

The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.

Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California.

With a mere 1.4 million residents, California was only the 21st most populous state in the Union.

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!

The average wage in the U. S. was 22 cents an hour.

The average U. S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year.

A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year,a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.

More than 95 percent of all births in the U. S. took place at home .

Ninety percent of all U. S. physicians had no college education. Instead, they attended medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and by the government as "substandard."

Sugar cost four cents a pound.

Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.

Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.

Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

Canada passed a law prohibiting poor people from entering the country for any reason.

The five leading causes of death in the U. S. were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke

The American flag had 45 stars.
Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet.

The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was 30!!!

Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn't been invented.

There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.

Two of 10 U. S. adults couldn't read or write.

Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated high school.

Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at corner drugstores.

According to one pharmacist, "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health." (Shocking!) "

Eighteen percent of households in the U. S had at least one full-time servant or domestic.

There were only about 230 reported murders in the entire U.S.

Just for Fun

Some of these are tasteless, but there's something for everyone.

"Having sex is like playing bridge. If you don't have a good partner, you'd better have a good hand."
Woody Allen


"Bisexuality immediately doubles your chances for a date on Saturday night."
Rodney Dangerfield



"There are a number of mechanical devices which increase sexual arousal, particularly in women. Chief among these is the Mercedes-Benz 380SL."
Lynn Lavner



"Sex at age 90 is like trying to shoot pool with a rope."
Camille Paglia



"Sex is one of the nine reasons for incarnation. The other eight are unimportant."
George Burns


"Women might be able to fake orgasms. But men can fake a whole relationship."
Sharon Stone



"Hockey is a sport for white men. Basketball is a sport for black men. Golf is a sport for white men dressed like black pimps."
Tiger Woods



"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch."
Jack Nicholson



"Clinton lied. A man might forget where he parks or where he lives, but he never forgets oral sex, no matter how bad it is."
Barbara Bush ( Former US First Lady, and you didn't think Barbara had a sense of humor )



"Ah, yes, divorce, from the Latin word meaning to rip out a man's genitals through his wallet."
Robin Williams



"Women need a reason to have sex. Men just need a place."
Billy Crystal




"According to a new survey, women say they feel more comfortable undressing in front of men than they do undressing in front of other women. They say that women are too judgmental, where, of course, men are just grateful."
Robert De Niro



"There's a new medical crisis. Doctors are reporting that many men are having allergic reactions to latex condoms. They say they cause severe
swelling. So what's the problem?" Dustin Hoffman



"There's very little advice in men's magazines, because men think, 'I
know what I'm doing. Just show me somebody naked'." Jerry Seinfeld



"See, the problem is that God gives men a brain and a penis, and only
enough blood to run one at a time."
Robin Williams



" It's been so long since I've had sex, I've forgotten who ties up whom."

Joan Rivers



" Sex is one of the most wholesome, beautiful and natural experiences
money can buy."
Steve Martin



" You don't appreciate a lot of stuff in school until you get older.
Little things like being spanked every day by a middle-aged woman. Stuff
you pay good money for in later life."
Elmo Phillips



" Bigamy is having one wife too many. Monogamy is the same." Oscar Wilde




" It isn't premarital sex if you have no intention of getting married."
George Burns

Funny Quotes

"If your mind goes blank, don't forget to turn off the sound."
--Red Green

***

"I have no respect for gangs today. None. They just drive
by and shoot people. At least in the old days, like in
West Side Story, the gangs used to dance with each other."
--Robert G. Lee

Going Away

I'm leaving in the morning to go to a birthmother conference. I'll be back next week.

I hope you all had a great holiday weekend.

Too Fat to Fight

The military is having an obesity problem.

I'm pretty torn on this one because I recall how difficult it was for me to meet the Army weight standards. I was 120 when I joined, under my limit of 129. During basic training, I went up to 130 and remained a few pounds more or less throughout. We weren't allowed any kind of sweets, fried foods, etc, and we exercised twice a day, yet I had trouble staying below my weight limit. What I learned was that my body bulks up when I exercise intensely. I was in the best shape of my life, but I couldn't meet military requirements. I realize I didn't weigh enough to risk getting kicked out (or to be considered obese), but if someone in basic training can't meet the standards, then maybe the standards need to be reworked. My battle buddy was 128 the whole time- just one pound under the limit- yet she was trim and fit by any standards which suggests to me that 128 should be the middle weight, not the weight limit.

I think they may need to take the PT tests into account before declaring a crisis.

Iraq

Click and watch.

Thanks, CB.

M&Ms

So I haven't scanned the M&M pictures yet, but I figured I'd search for pictures online. Well, M&M has a whole bunch of Star Wars merchandise.

Check it out:






I love the little R2D2 in the first picture. I also love the Mpire- so creative. I want the Dark Side T-shirt.

That Works

I was really upset when I heard about the Supreme Court decision that allows the seizure of private property. I've read several articles about folks losing their homes for malls and roads over the years and I really believe that offering a fair market value is fine, but pressuring people is awful. We attach a lot of emotion to our homes. Not only that, but the sweet little towns are being eaten up by franchises. So I was sad to see that the Supreme Court ruled in favor of big business.

At least someone has a sense of humor:

A California man wants to take advantage of a recebt Supreme Court decision on seizing private land -- proposing a hotel on Justice David Souter's land. Souter, a resident of Weare, N.H., joined in the majority opinion that allows governments to seize private property and turn it over to a private developer if the action would benefit a community.

Freestar Media Chief Executive Officer Logan Darrow Clements Tuesday faxed a letter to the Weare Town Hall, proposing seizure of Souter's property for a hotel that would "better serve the public interest," the Concord Monitor reported. City officials say they are taking the letter seriously. "Am I taking this seriously? But of course," said Charles Meany, who handles building requests. "In lieu of the recent Supreme Court decision, I would imagine that some people are pretty much upset. If it is their right to pursue this type of end, then by all means let the process begin. ... I have to allow the law to take its course."

The Monitor said Clements has dubbed the proposal the Lost Liberty Hotel. It will include the Just Desserts Café. Souter's two-story farmhouse is assessed at $100,000. He pays $2,895 a year in property taxes.

Thanks to coffee break for the story.

Flowers are Good

This was a nice treat! And you can see my sprite in the background. I have a whole collection of friends behind my keyboard.

From my Dad

A letter from the Arizona Republic:

May. 29, 2005 12:00 AM

Regarding "European social model is limping on the runway" (Opinions, Sunday): Robert Robb's argument on how well the United States is doing vs. Europe holds water only as long as one believes that producing and having more "things" is the pre-eminent goal.

Might I suggest a different yardstick - perhaps longevity, health and happiness? Under this yardstick, we are doing very poorly indeed.

We spend twice as much on health care per person than other industrialized countries, are 48th in longevity, and go to the doctor three times as often as the Swedes.

We represent only 5 percent of the world's population but house 25 percent of her prisoners, consume 50 percent of her cocaine, use almost 90 percent of the world's Ritalin, and pop psychotropic medications such as Prozac and Xanax at the highest rate in the world.

We do, however, do considerably better than Europe in some areas. We are more religious for one thing. In addition, we are first in divorce, first in military expenditures, first in military exports, first in carbon-dioxide emissions, first in threatened species, first in energy expenditure and have, among industrialized countries, the greatest disparity between rich and poor.

Our health care expenditures don't seem to be making us any healthier, our wealth doesn't seem to make us any happier, our religiosity doesn't seem to be making us any holier, and our military might doesn't seem to be keeping us any safer.

But never mind facts. We can still believe that we are so smart that we are completely justified in telling the other nations they ought to run their countries just the way we run ours.

Cindy Cooke, Scottsdale

Just Something to Make You Smile

HOW TO IMPRESS A WOMAN:

Wine her,

Dine her,

Call her,

Hug her,

Support her,

Hold her,

Surprise her,

Compliment her,

Smile at her,

Listen to her,

Laugh with her,

Cry with her,

Romance her,

Encourage her,

Believe in her,

Pray with her,

Pray for her,

Cuddle with her,

Shop with her,

Give her jewlry,

Buy her flowers,

Hold her hand,

Write love letters to her,

Go to the end ot he earth and back for her.

HOW TO IMPRESS A MAN:

Show up naked....Bring food..... Don't block the tv.

Yippee!!!!

The school year is finally over!

These last couple weeks have been tough. I think everyone has been cranky. I've felt really disconnected from my colleagues. Plus, just as the other math teacher and I had started to get along, we had a big blowout. I had a very tense meeting with her and the vice principal yesterday. I was quite upset. She really doesn't care who she steps on to make herself look good.

On a related note and as an example of her ways, we had a curriculum meeting yesterday. It's pretty much finished, but two of us are going to keep working on it over the summer. The curriculum director explained to the team that because we would be working on it this summer (me and one of the lower grade teachers) that she figured she would have us present it to the team at our professional development in the fall. Makes sense, right?

After the meeting, the other math teacher [we teach the same grades] approached the curriculum director and said she wanted to present it because she didn't want anyone to think she didn't want to do it. I've worked with her for two years and anytime I get the opportunity to do something, she either knocks down my ideas or jumps in so she can get credit. She's already retired from one school system so it isn't as if she needs to make a name for herself, but rather than using her experience to act like a mentor toward me, she tries to compete with me. Competition is not why I became a teacher.

She may drive me from the school. Of course, NCLB may drive her from the school. I think she should be grandfathered, but the new laws require her to pass the math teacher's test. She hasn't been able to (her degreees are in elementary ed, not math) and she's too proud to ask for my help.

But anyway, I'm going to enjoy my time off. Summer school starts Tuesday so I need to live it up til then.