So Much To Say

Do you feel lucky, punk?

2008-11-09T10:52:00.004-05:00

It's Sunday morning, and since my team won on Tuesday night, I didn't really feel like watching Meet the Press. I turned to AMC and saw that "A Fistful of Dollars" was on, so I dozed off watching that. I woke up to Dirty Harry.

Let me just say what a badass Clint Eastwood is. He was always held in high regard in my house growing up....he and James Bond anyway. My dad has seen every Bond movie in the theater, and can rattle off the plot of a Clint Eastwood movie in a heartbeat.

So now I'm waiting for the end of the movie...Harry is currently chasing some dipshit through a factory of some sort. This after he jumped on a moving bus full of children that the bad guy was in.

He's now an award-winning director, but you can't have enough of 70's style Clint!

Witnessing History

2008-11-04T23:20:00.003-05:00

I am a woman normally of many words....but tonight I have very few. We move ahead in a country now lead by an historical figure. Let's move together....this is simply the beginning.

PEACE!

Where've You Been?

2008-10-26T20:25:00.003-04:00

Wow...it has been over 4 months since my last post...and I've been on the go! Here are a few of the highlights:

August/September:

Buffalo Irish Festival in Hamburg. Rainy day, but the guys sounded great!
Went on our annual vacation to Maryland. Took a road trip to Virginia Beach to meet up with our friends Tim and Lyanna. Stopped in Colonial Williamsburg on the way back.
Niagara Heritage Celtic Festival in Olcott, NY. Had too many Captian and Cokes and for the maybe the third or fourth time in the 6 years Chris has known me, was noticeably drunk. Even got the spins...and got sick. What a night!
Milford Irish Festival in Milford, CT. Great weekend despite the 8 hour road trip. Met some really nice people and enjoyed beautiful Connecticut!
Port Allegany Homecoming and a birthday party in Coudersport. This was a two-fer weekend. Sad to see just how few people go to the football games nowadays. Every time I go home, it seems to decline more and more. Definitely not the same as when I grew up there!
Rochester NY for family visits and a celebration of Gretchen's 30th birthday! Good times!
Pumpkinville and a visit from our friends Shon and Angel! It was going to be an ambitious night, but Shon and Chris ate nearly 200 shrimp between them at Red Lobster's Shrimp Fest. We went to be earlier than we'd planned, but all in all it was a great time!
Wednesday, October 22...first snow! Ok, not really...it didn't stick, but I saw flakes!

Other than that, I've spent probably 10 hours or more a week buried in online news sites reading nothing but politics. I watched all the debates, and of course it is no secret that I want Obama in office! Keep your fingers crossed! I have to say that because despite double-digit leads by Obama, you never know what those shady Repugs will do next! Normally, I'd have blogged all of their dipshit moves, but I've been sick of the rhetoric since summer, and found blogging about it was just a waste of time.

Just stay informed...and ROCK THE VOTE!

PEACE OUT! :)

T-Shirt Shopping

2008-07-20T12:12:00.007-04:00

It's been a moderately productive Sunday.... I woke up at 7am, did two loads of laundry, went grocery shopping, and Chris made French toast for breakfast! Remember....we're not parents, so normally we don't do much on Sunday. I told Chris I feel like a new person today....perhaps it's because we went ring shopping yesterday? More on that later....well, hopefully sooner, but let's just say I think the train is now moving at a nice clip down the track! WHEEEE!

During my trip to the grocery store today, I wore my favorite t-shirt, which states "Hug Trees, Not Republicans." At this point, any soul that disagrees with me can pretty much fuck off. Seriously, I'm so sick of the rhetoric surrounding McCain and Obama, I'm ready to move to Canada. Chris and I have actually discussed taking a swim across the Buffalo River and becoming Canadian citizens if the election goes to the Republicans. I digress.

So anyway, seeing as how I've accomplished way more than normal for a lazy Sunday, I thought I'd head to the net to find some thought-provoking t-shirt to wear on vacation this year. I saw many, laughed alot, and then stumbled on this doozy which made my day!

Now granted I'm not a fan of any organized religion, but Christianity disgusts me. I often find myself asking the bible-thumping door-knockers who interrupt me when I work from home occasionally, "Don't you think you'd be doing the world a favor if you put your hands to work today instead of your mouth?" If they keep talking, I usually slam the door and probably fall into the stereotypical non-believer category who they hope burns in hell....which doesn't really bother me because I don't believe in hell.

I saw a few others that made me giggle, with sayings like:

"Where knowledge ends, Religion begins."

"God works in mysterious, ineffective, and breathtakingly cruel ways."

"You keep believing, I'll keep evolving."

"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."

So now that I've done all this today.... I'm going to go enjoy "The Big Lebowski." I love The Dude!

PEACE!

The Secret to a Great Chocolate Chip Cookie

2008-07-12T18:25:00.003-04:00

The New York Times has done it again! Trust me, if you don't read it at least once a week, you're missing out. It's been one of my top 5 news sources for a very long time. Today, it's not so much the news...it's the information! A 3 page article devoted to tips for a great chocolate chip cookie!

Enjoy!

A Random Week

2008-07-11T23:36:00.010-04:00

It's Friday night, and I'd like to attempt to summarize my week for you.... I started the week mad at a vendor from work who didn't fulfill their contractual obligation to my company. I have no patience for that. It was rough, but we've fired them so things will get better.

Because of these people, who promised to do whatever we wanted but didn't deliver, I spent Tuesday night working until 12:30 am, slept for 3 hours, showered, and was at my office at 5am. I was so early the building was dark when I got there and the security guard actually had to activate the elevator to my floor so I could get there. There's a first time for everything.

Wednesday night on the way home, I was following a mini-van with a W sticker. I was so amazed that Bush supporters still exist, I took a picture of it. Really? Still? Have you checked the Dow? Do you realize how many soldiers are dying because of this idiot? Give me a break!

My week continued with a pleasant meeting from another vendor I work with who actually gets the work done. Yep, can you believe it? Lives up to their word. Wow. These are the same group of people who so nicely sent me a crock of African violets while I was home recovering from my tonsil surgery. Coincidentally, 2 of the 4 plants are currently in bloom. I took a bad cell phone picture of it, but you get the drift.

Now for the highlight of my night, and the reason I am just so happy right now.....a big ol' glass of wine. At a very yummy dinner last night, my business partners ordered a bottle of wine. I'm not much for anything other than dessert wine or something that tastes like alcohol infused grape juice...... But I think this is the start of a new relationship with wine for me! Who knew! It's a red zinfandel from CA. I took another bad cell phone picture.... I figured I'd document the one project I was glad to work on for an entire week!

And with that, I leave you. I have a great buzz....and this is the first blog I've ever published "BUI." In the four years Chris and I have lived together, and in the nearly 6 years together, he's never seen me as the happy drunk girl..... watch out!

PEACE OUT!

Happy 4th!

2008-07-04T11:00:00.003-04:00

Happy 4th of July! Not sure what to make at your picnic? Check out these 101 Picnic Dishes, courtesy of the NY Times.

Chris and I will be traveling to Olean for a birthday party and fireworks - should be good times!

PEACE OUT!

Farewell, Tim Russert

2008-06-15T21:35:00.003-04:00

I couldn't believe it on Friday when I heard it, and I'm still in shock over the death of Tim Russert. While I live in Buffalo now, I grew up on the local news stations and have been watching Russert grill his guests for as long as I can remember. He was a true professional, fair with his questions, and held people accountable. He had a boyish love for politics and for politicians. Most importantly, he loved his family and devoted his life to making his father proud by conducting himself with dignity and always staying true to his South Buffalo roots.

South Buffalo? Yep, South Buffalo. Unless you live here, you don't realize what that means. South Buffalo has a personality all its own, and is one of the places that immigrant workers first settled during the height of Buffalo's days as a port town. Many of those workers were Irish, and now South Buffalo is known for it's Irish heritage. The Irish Center is there, and Chris plays music there often, including several St. Patrick's Day celebrations. Believe me when I say that the South Buffalo Irish are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet.

This morning I woke up with a heavy heart. I knew the moderator's chair would be empty, but I knew that Tom Brokaw would lead the charge and fondly remember Tim. Sure enough, he did. From the short pieces on the 8-9 hour of the Today Show, on into the 9 AM hour of Meet the Press, I did nothing but cry, sniffle, rub my eyes and blow my nose. I was a spectacle, but I'm sure not the only one tearfully mourning the loss of one of Buffalo's favorite sons.

On this Father's Day, we remember Tim for all he did for politics, Buffalo, and his family.

I am of course reminded of my dad as well. I phoned him tonight after Tiger pushed the US Open into another day. We agreed that Tiger was a true sportsman, and my dad said, "You know, sometimes I think he just does this to fuck with people." I told Chris, and we are rolling with laughter.

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

And farewell, Tim Russert.

It's Kind of a Big Deal!

2008-06-05T22:22:00.003-04:00

First, I have an announcement.... Chris and I have decided to....drum roll....cancel our cable! Yep, gone! We have the lowest service possible plus internet, and we've managed to save ourselves $70 a month! We'd made this decision long before gas went nuts, but it was liberating to walk into the cable office and turn in our cable box. Time Warner obviously has no customer loyalty programs in place, because the cross-eyed CSR who helped us didn't even attempt to save us with a long-term offer. Oh well!

With that said, I am happy to no longer be exposed to the bullshit known as MSM - mainstream media! Gone are the biased news reports and informercials and lies...and it feels great! I still find CNN online informative, but I rely on the Huffington Post to get alot of my news, Daily Kos, etc. Basically anything NOT owned by Rupert Murdoch!

In my pursuit of truth, I stumbled on this article on the home page of Google News. You'd think it would be all over the news, but it's not.

40 years ago today, Bobby Kennedy was shot and killed in California. On Tuesday night, one of the only candidates since his death to stir the hopes of our country was nominated. As you read the article below, consider what you'll do in November to turn this country back around!

Peace!

CIA Intelligence Reported Seven Months Before 9/11: Iraq Posed No Threat to US

By Jason Leopold
The Public Record
Friday, June 06, 2008

Editor's Note: The Public Record is digging into its archives and republishing investigative stories about Iraq's non-existent weapons program and statements by high-level administration officials contradicting White House assertions that Iraq was an imminent threat. These articles, some of which were published as far back as 2002, were written by Jason Leopold, one of a handful of reporters who reported critically on the Bush administration's prewar intelligence months before the March 2003 invasion. On Thursday, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence issued its long-awaited report on prewar Iraq intelligence. Its findings are damning. The report says President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney knowingly lied to Congress and the public about Iraq's weapons cache and the country's ties to al-Qaeda.

By Jason Leopold, June 28, 2003
http://globalresearch.ca/articles/LEO306F.html

Seven months before September 11, 2001, CIA Director George Tenet, testified before Congress that Iraq posed no immediate threat to the United States or to other countries in the Middle East.

But immediately after the terrorist attacks on 9-11, which the Bush administration claims Iraq is partially responsible for, the President and his advisers were already making a case for war against Iraq without so much as providing a shred of evidence to back up the allegations that Iraq and its former President, Saddam Hussein, was aware of the attacks or helped the al-Qaida hijackers plan the catastrophe.

It was then, after the 9-11 attacks, that intelligence reports from the CIA radically changed from previous months, which said Iraq posed no immediate threat to the U.S., to now show Iraq had a stockpile of chemical and biological weapons and was in hot pursuit of a nuclear bomb. The Bush administration seized upon the reports to build public support for the war and used the information to eventually justify a preemptive strike against the country in March even though much of the intelligence information in the latest CIA report has since been disputed..

In just seven short months, beginning as early as February 2001, Bush administration officials said Iraq went from being a threat only to its own people to posing an imminent threat to the world without providing evidence to back up its claims. Indeed, in a Feb. 12, 2001 interview with the Fox News Channel Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said: “Iraq is probably not a nuclear threat at the present time.”

But Rumsfeld testified before the House Armed Services Committee on Sept. 18, 2002 that Iraq is close to acquiring the materials needed to build a nuclear bomb.

“Some have argued that the nuclear threat from Iraq is not imminent -- that Saddam is at least 5-7 years away from having nuclear weapons,” Rumsfeld testified before the committee, a transcript of which can be found at http://www.useu.be/Categories/GlobalAffairs/Sept1802RumsfeldIraqDisarmament.html.

”I would not be so certain… He has, at this moment, stockpiles chemical and biological weapons, and is pursuing nuclear weapons.”

Rumsfeld never offered any evidence to support his claims, but his dire warnings of a nuclear catastrophe caused by Saddam Hussein was enough to convince most lawmakers, both Democrat and Republican, that Saddam’s Iraq was doomed. Shortly after his remarks before the House Armed Services Committee, Congress passed a resolution authorizing President Bush to use “all appropriate means” to remove Saddam from power.

Two months have passed since the U.S. invaded Iraq and not a spec of anthrax nor any other deadly chemical or biological weapon has been found. U.S. military forces have searched more than 300 sites but have turned up nothing substantial. Lawmakers are now questioning whether the intelligence information gathered by the CIA was accurate or whether the Bush administration manipulated and or exaggerated the intelligence to make a case for war.

However, intelligence reports released by the CIA and more than 100 interviews top officials in the Bush administration, such as Secretary of State Colin Powell, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, gave to various Senate and Congressional committees and media outlets prior to 9-11 show that the U.S. never believed Saddam Hussein to be an imminent threat other than to his own people. Moreover, the CIA reported in February 2001 that Iraq was “probably” pursuing chemical and biological weapons programs but that it had no direct evidence that Iraq actually had actually obtained such weapons.

“We do not have any direct evidence that Iraq has used the period since (Operation) Desert Fox to reconstitute its WMD programs, although given its past behavior, this type of activity must be regarded as likely,” CIA director Tenet said in a agency report to Congress on Feb 7, 2001, which can be found at http://www.iraqwatch.org/government/US/CIA/CIA-2-23-01.htm.

“We assess that since the suspension of (United Nations) inspections in December of 1998, Baghdad has had the capability to reinitiate both its (chemical and biological weapons) programs… without an inspection monitoring program, however, it is more difficult to determine if Iraq has done so.”

“Moreover, the automated video monitoring systems installed by the UN at known and suspect WMD facilities in Iraq are still not operating,” according to the 2001 CIA report. “Having lost this on-the-ground access, it is more difficult for the UN or the US to accurately assess the current state of Iraq’s WMD programs.”

Ironically, in the February 2001 report, Tenet said Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida terrorist network remain the single greatest threat to U.S. interests here and abroad. Tenet eerily describes in the report a scenario that six months later would become a reality.

“Terrorists are also becoming more operationally adept and more technically sophisticated in order to defeat counter-terrorism measures. For example, as we have increased security around government and military facilities, terrorists are seeking out "softer" targets that provide opportunities for mass casualties. Employing increasingly advanced devices and using strategies such as simultaneous attacks, the number of people killed … Usama bin Ladin and his global network of lieutenants and associates remain the most immediate and serious threat. Since 1998, Bin Ladin has declared all U.S. citizens legitimate targets of attack. As shown by the bombing of our embassies in Africa in 1998 and his Millennium plots last year, he is capable of planning multiple attacks with little or no warning,” Tenet said.

However, Tenet only briefly discussed the al-Qaida threat and devoted the bulk of his testimony on how to deal with the threat of rogue countries such as North Korea, Syria, Iran and Iraq. Six months later, Bin Laden was identified as the mastermind behind 9-11.

Between 1998 and early 2002, the CIA’s reports on the so-called terror threat offered no details on what types of chemical and biological weapons that Iraq obtained.

But that changed dramatically in October 2002 when the CIA issued another report, http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/iraq_wmd/Iraq_Oct_2002.htm, that this time included details of Iraq’s alleged vast chemical and biological weapons.

The October 2002 CIA report into Iraq’s WMD identifies sarin, mustard gas, VX and numerous other chemical weapons that the CIA claims Iraq had been stockpiling over the years, in stark contrast to earlier reports by Tenet that said the agency had no evidence to support such claims. And unlike testimony Tenet gave a year earlier, in which he said the CIA had no direct evidence of Iraq’s WMD programs, the intelligence information in the 2002 report, Tenet said, is rock solid.

“This information is based on a solid foundation of intelligence,” Tenet said during a CIA briefing in February, a transcript of which can be found at http://www.iraqwatch.org/government/US/CIA/cia-tenet-threats-021103.htm.

“It comes to us from credible and reliable sources. Much of it is corroborated by multiple sources.”

The CIA would not comment on the differing reports between 2001 and 2002 or how the agency was able to obtain such intelligence information and corroborate it so quickly.

Still, in early 2001, while hardliners in the Bush administration were privately discussing ways to remove Saddam Hussein from power, Secretary of State Powell said the U.S. successfully “contained” Iraq in the years since the first Gulf War and that because of economic sanctions placed on the country Iraq was unable to obtain WMD.

“We have been able to keep weapons from going into Iraq,” Powell said during a Feb 11, 2001 interview with “Face the Nation. “We have been able to keep the sanctions in place to the extent that items that might support weapons of mass destruction development have had some controls on them… it's been quite a success for ten years…”

Moreover, during a meeting with Joschka Fischer, the German Foreign Minister, in February 2001 on how to deal with Iraq, Powell said the U.N., the U.S. and its allies “have succeeded in containing Saddam Hussein and his ambitions.”

Saddam’s “forces are about one-third their original size. They don't really possess the capability to attack their neighbors the way they did ten years ago,” Powell said during the meeting with Fischer, a transcript of which can be found at http://www.usembassy-israel.org.il/publish/peace/archives/2001/february/me0222a.html.

“Containment has been a successful policy, and I think we should make sure that we continue it until such time as Saddam Hussein comes into compliance with the agreements he made at the end of the (Gulf) war.”

Powell added that Iraq is “not threatening America,” but in a separate interview with ABC’s Sam Donaldson on Feb. 1, 2001, Powell said the U.S. could attack Iraq if “something occurred to us,” which would suggest that the 9-11 terrorist attacks made Iraq a legitimate target.

Feel This

2008-05-27T22:06:00.002-04:00

K D Lang sings "Hallelujah," a song written by Leonard Cohen.... The words have some type of Biblical reference, which I'm still researching, but hearing K D sing it to the backdrop of our soldiers is haunting.....

Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew her
She tied you
To a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

You say I took the name in vain
I don't even know the name
But if I did, well really, what's it to you?
There's a blaze of light
In every word
It doesn't matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though
It all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Please vote to bring them home....make it "anyone but McCain" this year, ok?

PEACE!!

Avenue Montaigne

2008-05-26T21:29:00.003-04:00

In less than 12 hours I'll be back to work. For some reason I really don't feel like going. I like my job, but it was so nice out today I just feel like buying a hammock and spending the entire summer reading books. Crazy, isn't it?

So Sydney Pollack died today of cancer. Normally I wouldn't comment on something like this, but I recently watched a really cute, fun movie which he had a cameo appearance. It was called Avenue Mongaigne. It was originally released in France as Fauteuils d'Orchestre, or Orchestra Seats. If you're looking for a film to escape into and don't mind reading subtitles, this one comes highly recommended.

Here at our house, we just fished Death at a Funeral. Oh those Brits and their sense of humor! Very cute and a good way to end our 3-day weekend!

This coming weekend will be just as fun....we're having company and Chris is playing music! Good times!

Memorial Day

2008-05-26T11:48:00.006-04:00

Like many people today, I don't have to work. I'm procrastinating cleaning my house, so thought I'd get online first. I'd planned to write a little story here today about Chris and I stopping at Earl's Diner on the way home yesterday..... And then I read this on Rosie's blog, under the section where people can share soldier stories:

After 2 tours in Iraq he returned home with PTSS, he sought help in Texas still active duty, released from hospital after 6 hours. Committed suicide with wife 2 weeks later. Peace

That motivated me to write something about Memorial Day....and you can't do that without a picture of a flag. Figuring that most credible news agencies would have pictures of flags somewhere on their home pages today, I headed to CNN. There I noticed the 10 most popular stories on their website right now:

If anyone wonders what is wrong with our country, there is your proof. We can't even get 2 stories about soldiers to the top of the list on Memorial Day? It's MEMORIAL DAY! You know, the day we're supposed to REMEMBER the fallen soldiers who make it possible for us to have the day off, live in a free country, and do just about anything we want.

Frankly, it's disgusting on a level I don't even have words for.

Today I'll be thinking of my grandpa who fought in WW2. He was wounded when he took shrapnel in his bum and was in the hospital for a long time when he got home. He taught me about standing up for what I believe in, and I remember that lesson the most when I think of his Lemon Truck.

Grandpa bought a two-tone truck from a local dealer. For no reason, the paint started to rust and chip off. He went back to the dealer and asked them to fix the damage and put a new coat of paint on the truck. He didn't want a new truck, he liked the one he had, but he did feel he should get a new coat of paint. The dealer disagreed. My grandpa got upset.

Meanwhile, during the "standoff," my grandpa went about collecting plastic lemons from his favorite coffee shop. When he had enough to go around the entire bed of his truck, he mounted them there and proudly drove that truck all over. He told everyone he knew - and he knew just about the entire town because he and my gramma owned a local convenience store on Main Street for 20 years - and he even picked me up from school a few times in that truck.

He was "this close" to entering "The Lemon Truck" in one of our hometown summer parades when the dealer relented and finally painted the truck.

Grandpa is passed now, and so is my uncle who also fought in WW2. He was on the beach at Normandy and earned a Bronze Star for his service there.

These are my memories of soldiers. Hopefully you can find time today to think of a soldier and remember him or her proudly. More importantly, you should think of our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan every day. We can bring them home where they belong if we do the right thing in November.

Happy Memorial Day. PEACE.

A Soldier, An Atheist

2008-04-26T08:12:00.005-04:00

Meet Specialist Jeremy Hall, an Army soldier who happens to be an atheist. He was sent home early from Iraq because he was threatened and mistreated after fellow soldiers, including an officer, found out he was an atheist.

Jeremy wasn't an atheist his whole life. He was a Christian who, through open dialog with "atheist leaning" soldiers in Iraq, began to question his faith and later broke free and became an atheist.

So let me get this straight....he voluntarily risked his life in the military, he carried the same gun and wore the same uniform as the other soldiers, but he couldn't get fair treatment because he was an atheist? In other words, he was judged by fellow Christians? Wow, sounds pretty hypocritical to me! It's all just so sad and pathetic. I can certainly empathize with Jeremy, considering I've dealt with the same crap.

See, I'm content to go through life just the way I am. I'm happy, and to me that's all that matters. But I'm not just happy with myself, I'm happy with my life and how I live it. I'm happy to know that I'm not vain or materialistic, but rather, I have enough to get by for now. And if I do have something I no longer need, I'm not quick to just toss it away, instead making a conscious decision to give it back to someone else. Amazing I can give so much of myself as well as find peace in my life and do it just because I want to. I don't do it for a church, or a god, or some old world belief system, or in the hopes it will get me to "heaven." I do it because I want to....and it feels great.

Here are a few quotes to ponder:

Thomas Aquinas: "Clearly the person who accepts the Church as an infallible guide will believe whatever the Church teaches."

Isaac Asimov: "If I am right, then religious fundamentalists will not go to Heaven, because there is no Heaven. If they are right, then they will not go to Heaven, because they are hypocrites."

Robert Green Ingersoll: "Give the church a place in the Constitution, let her touch once more the sword of power, and the priceless fruit of all ages will turn to ashes on the lips of men."

Arther C. Clarke: "The greatest tragedy in mankind's entire history may be the hijacking of morality by religion."

Ridiculous Religion

2008-04-18T23:11:00.009-04:00

Here I am again ranting on about my favorite topic....religion. It's been in the news alot lately. I can't deny that some of it has been what I consider progress, but mostly it's the same old bullshit.

Let's start with the progress.... It happens so seldom, particularly for Christians and Catholics, I figured I better make note of it. Of course I'm talking about Pope Benedict XVI's visit this week. I think what he's done so far here has been well received, even by an outspoken atheist like me. I commend him for meeting with and apologizing to priest molestation victims. It's disgusting what some members of the Catholic church did to cover up such a horrendous scandal, so it was very important that the Pope acknowledge their crimes and apologize for what happened.

Secondly, I'm happy to see that the Pope visited a Jewish synagogue and called for continuous "bridges of friendship" between the two faiths. He did this one day after meeting with a multi-faith congregation in Washington DC. I still think organized religion will be the catalyst for the downfall of civilization, but merely acknowledging another faith by the most arrogant faith of all is progress.

And that about does it for the good news. In other news, I just learned a fancy little term called "breaking" which was very popular at the polygamist sect that's been making headlines lately. What's "breaking?" Here's an explanation from Carolyn Jessup, a woman who left the church and wrote a book about it: "The method he would use with infants was a form of water torture,” Jessop said of her former husband. “He would spank the baby until it was screaming out of control, and then he would hold the baby faceup under a tap of running water so it couldn’t breathe. He would do this repeatedly. Sometimes, it would go on for an hour, until the baby was so exhausted it couldn’t cry anymore. This method he called ‘breaking them."

Where in the religious teachings of any organized faith is there anything written about violence to infants?

Nice, huh? All in the name of religion, folks. That mindless following people participate in so they can get somewhere that they've never seen and serve a dude they've never met.

As always, I continue to wish luck upon the magic-man followers. I'll just meander through my life...... volunteering, giving money to charity, doing nice things for people....and doing it all just because I want to and because it makes me feel good. I donated two huge bags of clothes, a computer monitor, a box of dishes and an enormous stack of books to the Salvation Army today. Yep, I gave it right to the group of people who I complain about. But do you want to know why? It's because they don't get in my face. They don't knock on my door during the week when I'm working from home, they don't solicit me by mail or phone.... They just stand at the back door, waiting for people to come and donate their slightly worn goods to those that need them much more.

Amazing what we atheists, lurking among the hypocritical believers, can do. When is the last time you saw an atheist in the news "breaking" a baby or molesting a child? Oh that's right....NEVER. We're too busy spending our time doing good rather than stuck in a building singing songs to the magic-man.

I wouldn't be so irritated at all of this if it didn't impact me personally. I say that because some people just can't accept me being an atheist. They can't wrap their brain around the fact that I don't believe in something that they do. It's ok if we like different foods, vote for different politicians, cut our hair long or short, prefer dogs to cats....all of that. But tell someone you don't believe in God and you better step back!

It's all pretty hypocritical and ridiculous, but for anyone who can't accept me for me, well have a nice life. I'll just sit back and know I'm right, because it really is nothing more than hypocritical to say that "God loves everyone; He doesn't judge; He accepts everyone" and then reject me for not believing that. What I do believe is that we get back what we put out there. We're all made up of energy, and if you put negative energy out into the world, you're going to get it back eventually.....

The Eyes Have It!

2008-04-07T20:39:00.003-04:00

After trying on 20 pairs of glasses and spending nearly an hour in front of the LensCrafters mirror...I narrowed my choices to 3. I took a picture of myself with each of them and emailed the masses for feedback. The votes came in...and here they are! I like them and got lots of compliments at work today. I also got a pair of what I think are rather "glam" sunglasses....because they're a little larger than what I've worn in the past. I don't have a pic of those just yet....but let's hope this nice Buffalo weather keeps up and I'll post one later!

Peace out!

The Power of the Criminal

2008-03-24T17:48:00.002-04:00

Interesting little conspiracy theory floating around the net about why Elliot Spitzer was brought down..... I'm inclined to believe this. What wouldn't the Bush administration do at this point?

The conspiracy theory video.

Text of Spitzer's article from the Washington Post:

Predatory Lenders' Partner in CrimeHow the Bush Administration Stopped the States From Stepping In to Help Consumers

By Eliot SpitzerThursday, February 14, 2008; A25

Several years ago, state attorneys general and others involved in consumer protection began to notice a marked increase in a range of predatory lending practices by mortgage lenders. Some were misrepresenting the terms of loans, making loans without regard to consumers' ability to repay, making loans with deceptive "teaser" rates that later ballooned astronomically, packing loans with undisclosed charges and fees, or even paying illegal kickbacks. These and other practices, we noticed, were having a devastating effect on home buyers. In addition, the widespread nature of these practices, if left unchecked, threatened our financial markets.

Even though predatory lending was becoming a national problem, the Bush administration looked the other way and did nothing to protect American homeowners. In fact, the government chose instead to align itself with the banks that were victimizing consumers.
Predatory lending was widely understood to present a looming national crisis. This threat was so clear that as New York attorney general, I joined with colleagues in the other 49 states in attempting to fill the void left by the federal government. Individually, and together, state attorneys general of both parties brought litigation or entered into settlements with many subprime lenders that were engaged in predatory lending practices. Several state legislatures, including New York's, enacted laws aimed at curbing such practices.

What did the Bush administration do in response? Did it reverse course and decide to take action to halt this burgeoning scourge? As Americans are now painfully aware, with hundreds of thousands of homeowners facing foreclosure and our markets reeling, the answer is a resounding no.

Not only did the Bush administration do nothing to protect consumers, it embarked on an aggressive and unprecedented campaign to prevent states from protecting their residents from the very problems to which the federal government was turning a blind eye.
Let me explain: The administration accomplished this feat through an obscure federal agency called the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). The OCC has been in existence since the Civil War. Its mission is to ensure the fiscal soundness of national banks. For 140 years, the OCC examined the books of national banks to make sure they were balanced, an important but uncontroversial function. But a few years ago, for the first time in its history, the OCC was used as a tool against consumers.

In 2003, during the height of the predatory lending crisis, the OCC invoked a clause from the 1863 National Bank Act to issue formal opinions preempting all state predatory lending laws, thereby rendering them inoperative. The OCC also promulgated new rules that prevented states from enforcing any of their own consumer protection laws against national banks. The federal government's actions were so egregious and so unprecedented that all 50 state attorneys general, and all 50 state banking superintendents, actively fought the new rules.
But the unanimous opposition of the 50 states did not deter, or even slow, the Bush administration in its goal of protecting the banks. In fact, when my office opened an investigation of possible discrimination in mortgage lending by a number of banks, the OCC filed a federal lawsuit to stop the investigation.

Throughout our battles with the OCC and the banks, the mantra of the banks and their defenders was that efforts to curb predatory lending would deny access to credit to the very consumers the states were trying to protect. But the curbs we sought on predatory and unfair lending would have in no way jeopardized access to the legitimate credit market for appropriately priced loans. Instead, they would have stopped the scourge of predatory lending practices that have resulted in countless thousands of consumers losing their homes and put our economy in a precarious position.

When history tells the story of the subprime lending crisis and recounts its devastating effects on the lives of so many innocent homeowners, the Bush administration will not be judged favorably. The tale is still unfolding, but when the dust settles, it will be judged as a willing accomplice to the lenders who went to any lengths in their quest for profits. So willing, in fact, that it used the power of the federal government in an unprecedented assault on state legislatures, as well as on state attorneys general and anyone else on the side of consumers.

No More

2008-03-24T17:28:00.002-04:00

Coming in Spring 2008, a documentary by Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro: Body of War

Watch the video for "No More" written and sung by Eddie Vedder:

Ken Leeeeeee

2008-03-21T22:17:00.001-04:00

Just in case you missed it on the radio and spoof tv news shows this week... Enjoy!

Popsicle Jokes!

2008-03-21T21:41:00.002-04:00

Tuesday was 4 weeks since I went under the knife....and 4 weeks ago today was the last day of my painkiller-filled first week home. I hadn't had one popsicle by this time....but those things became my best friend shortly thereafter.

As I sat in my bed slowly dissolving the ice in my mouth, I tried to guess the punchline of all the jokes printed on the sticks. I wasn't so good at that.... I saved all the sticks though because the whole recovery has been such hell that I want to look back on as many of the positive highlights as I can....namely the 25 pounds I lost, and the fact that I no longer like salt, pop or chocolate....which are all the things that probably helped me keep those 25 pounds on so easily.

Here are all the cheesy jokes that kept me company and gave me ten seconds of distraction while I was in recovery hell. And yes, I know they are dumb, but imagine how desperate I was for distraction that I actually laughed at these....yeah, it was that bad.

What kind of horse likes to be ridden at night?
A nightmare.

Who granted the monster's wish?
His scary godmother.

What animal should you never play cards with?
A cheetah.

What do you call a trunk full of bison?
A buffa-load.

What did the digital clock say to his mother?
Look ma, no hands!

Why did the computer go to the doctor?
It had a virus.

What kind of ring did the rabbit buy his girlfriend?
14-carrot gold.

What did the dentist give the marching band?
A tuba toothpaste.

What goes 99 clunk, 99 clunk, 99 clunk?
A centipede with a wooden leg.

What time is it when seven hungry lions are chasing you?
Seven after one.

How do you avoid ticks on your pets?
Don't let them wear a watch.

How can you spot a dogwood tree?
By its bark.

Five Years Later...

2008-03-19T20:22:00.014-04:00

It's been five years today since America invaded Iraq. I am angry and sad about so many things about this war, I don't know where to start. Angry at President Bush, sad about the loss of lives, sad at the way the media hasn't held anyone accountable, angry that the majority of the American public is so numb to it....the list goes on. I don't have a close friend or family member in Iraq, but I do have a friend whose husband was in Afghanistan....where we should focus our efforts. Lives have been lost on both fronts, and that hurts. It hurts me to know that some dad or brother or aunt or wife is missing a piece of their heart and soul. There have been 487 lives lost in Afghanistan and 3,992 in Iraq....over 4,000 total.

WAR IS WRONG!

Let me say thanks, however, to every soldier here and gone and also the families who have to stay behind and wait by the phone or for an email...or sadly, that knock on the door. I hate this stupid war and I hope every citizen in this country pulls the lever to ending it by voting for the Democratic candidate in November. If you think the economy is the #1 issue, you are uninformed. Our economy will continue to fall the longer we stay in Iraq....the long-term financial impacts are currently estimated at $3 TRILLION. Don't let our grandchildren pay for Bush's ignorance.... And next time you see a soldier, be sure to say THANKS.

Video courtesy of rosie.com.

Song is "Hallelujah." Sung here by KD Lang, original lyrics by Jeff Buckley.

On the Mend

2008-03-06T18:21:00.006-05:00

After three weeks of pure hell, I'm finally on the mend! I had my tonsils out on Tuesday, February 19th. After a bitter twenty-year battle with sore throats, strep and tonsillitis, I finally found a doctor to remove them. His take on why I had such a hard time was interesting. He went on to explain that eighty years ago, tonsils were removed as a matter of course, but in the last thirty to fifty years, medicinal advances with antibiotics conditioned physicians to treat the symptoms rather than fixing the cause. However, now everything in medicine is "evidence based." And based on the evidence, he said, "antiobiotics are poison in your body" so more and more doctors are doing the right thing by removing tonsils and adenoids.

So my first week was a painkiller induced breeze. However, they destroyed my stomach. On Sunday the 24th, I had some jello about mid-day. A few hours later I barfed that up along with some stomach acid.....yep, stomach acid. I did it again on Monday right before I went to see my primary doctor. Little did I know what that was about to do to my body... I went to see my primary because I wanted something other than liquid Lortab....I wanted something in pill form. They didn't quite grasp the depth of my problem, and neither did I, so I left with no pills, but my surgeon had sent me a script for some. Thank goodness.... By Wednesday I had developed the most painful canker sores I'd ever experienced in my life. That prevented me from eating or drinking much, and I nearly became dehydrated. Despite me crying on the phone to my surgeon's office during my explanation of what was going on, they did nothing. (More on that later!)

So I went back to my primary doctor on Friday who prescribed me liquid lidocaine to mix with Benedryl and Maalox. Since canker sores are a virus, there's not much you can do.....but what I'm calling the "magic mouth syrup" is working. I ate real food for the first time last Saturday...banana flavored oatmeal. Since then, I've graduated to chicken soup and pudding. My problem with the sores is that salt is murder on them....so I had to find some soft, sweet options. I dilute the chicken soup which helps.

During the course of my stay, I've emailed friends and family to keep them updated. Some even sent along flowers and cards...and the pics are below! After two days of somewhat normalcy and not nearly as much pain, I'll be able to go back to work on Monday. It'll be a welcome routine again!

Thanks to everyone who has been so supportive while I recovered....mostly Chris, Pooka, my Dad, Aunt Syl, Doni and the rest of my family and friends. Recovery is a really lonely place, and without them, I wouldn't have made it.

From my co-workers at the bank:

From my co-worker Bernie in Queens:

From my business partners in California:

It's Over!

2008-03-03T21:46:00.002-05:00

From the Associated Press:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from Adelphia Communications founder John Rigas and his son, Timothy, of their fraud convictions. The justices' decision, announced without comment, brings to an end the Rigas' legal efforts to overturn convictions for their role in the collapse of Adelphia, once the fifth-largest cable television company. The elder Rigas, 83, is serving a 15-year prison term, while his son, the former chief financial officer, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Take that you freakin' crooks! Whoooo hoooooooo! They're both going to rot in jail now, which is just what they deserve!

A shout out to any former Adelphia employee who got fucked over by these assholes, and a special shout out to Coudersport and the surrounding areas whose already declining local economy was severely impacted by this mess.

What goes around definitely comes around!

Peace out.

Live from New York....

2008-03-02T09:12:00.002-05:00

How can you not love her? She's smart, poised, informed, and she's WAY funnier (and better!) than anything the Republicans have to offer. SNL has really stepped it up lately with their political commentary, and this is just one of the examples of their creativity over the past two weeks. They clearly hit the nail on the head when Tina Fey did her "Bitch is the New Black" news editorial, not to mention the spot on mockery of the CNN and MSNBC debates.

Like it or not, Hillary is the better Democratic candidate. I believe that Barack Obama is a good man, but I don't think he's better than Hillary. I think he stands a better chance of beating John McCain, too, but I still want Hillary as my president.

Let's keep our fingers crossed for Tuesday's primaries.

The Surgical Recovery Swearing Scale

2008-02-24T06:15:00.004-05:00

It's 6:15 Sunday morning and I'm about 5 days post-op from my adenotonsillectomy. I haven't slept past 6am since I've been home, but I am sleeping longer into each morning. Today was too long. I know this because of the pain I had when I woke up. Where my tonsils were removed doesn't hurt...if you can believe that. What does hurt is my tongue and my jaw. And the little punching bag at the back of the throat, known medically as the uvula, is still swollen so it feels like I have a wad of disgustingness sitting on top of my tongue. It's like you have something to swallow...but can't.

I have painkillers to deal with this, but they're liquid. They work quickly, but they're a bitch going down. The bubblegum flavored antibiotics are yummy, and that reminds me of when I had strep as a kid.

This morning, as I stood in front of the bathroom mirror looking at the grays sneaking through my greasy mop of hair, and recognizing the horrible pain in my mouth, I realized I needed to come up with some sort of scale for which to equate the pain and annoyances of surgical recovery. Part of the reason is that I can equate just about anything to swearing because it's the one vice I have no regrets about, and the other is that I needed to find something humorous to help me cope with my lack of sleep.

Let it be known also that there is an actual pain scale in the medical world. It has a fancy name, but it's usually printed on yellow paper, ranges from 1 to 10, and also has happy/sad/angry faces associated to each number. Make note of it next time you're in the doctor's office.

Here's my interpretation of that scale...a mix of both actual pain and the little annoyances that come from being doped up on painkillers and being even more forgetful than I normally am:

Oh Shit: This is what I say when I get up every morning and realize it's earlier than I'd normally get up for work.
Dammit: This gets repeated alot throughout the day as my mouth fills up with saliva and I can't swallow. It also happens when I suddenly realize I have 12 things I'd like to do to get me through the day and keep myself occupied, but am too stoned to remember them quickly and write them all down.
Son of a Bitch: Also repeated when I wake up and it hits me that I've drooled all over myself, my jaw feels like I got punched, and then remember I have to physically get up to get relief because I keep the drugs in the bathroom. It's not like when I woke up in recovery and just gave them a number, followed shortly by morphine and demerol being shot in my IV. Sigh....
Fuck, Fuck, Fuckity, Fucker: Used in part or all together. I say this one as soon as I turn on the bathroom light and stare at the bottle of painkillers because I not only see relief, I see a bottle of tasty death. I like this one for the really bad pain, too. I repeat this over and over and over as I hold the little medicine spoon dispenser in one hand, and a cup of chaser water in the other. I say it further when the medicine hits my tongue, again when I swallow it, and then once more when I see I still have about three teaspoons to go.

Well I've now been awake for an hour...and the painkillers are well on they're way to working...which is probably why it's taken me so long to type this. Now I face my daily challenge of showering in my drugged state, forcing down some soft food which will probably kill my buzz and increase the pain, or going back to bed. Oh well, things could always be worse I suppose!

Peace out!

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T20:26:00.007-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day! There were many years where I hated this holiday, now I look forward to Chris and I exchanging cards. I got some cute ones for him and he got some cute ones for me. Yes "some" - as in two or three. I always see so many I like at Hallmark! I usually get a sentimental one, a cute one, and a funny one. The funny one this year was one of the new music cards....featuring "I Got You Babe" by Sonny and Cher. Hilarious.

I also got a very nice e-card from Angel today that made me giggle.

And...ta da! Here is a picture of the very pretty white with purple cala lilies that Chris got for me! My favorite flower....the lily. Beeeeeeeautiful!

Excuse me now while I go jam to Alicia Keys "No One" as Chris watches the DVR of Jericho. I'm over here tapping on my laptop and "this close" to singing with my headphones on....but I'd like this to continue to be a happy Valentine's Day. Hahahahaha There's only one singer in our house! What a freakin' awesome song.... Here's one of my favorite parts near the end:

No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I'm feelin'
No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I feel for you

I know some people search the world
To find something like what we have
I know people will try try to divide something so real
So till the end of time I'm telling you there ain't no one

That's right Alicia....sigh. Love rules.

Peace out!

Numero UNO!

2008-02-13T20:44:00.006-05:00

Is this the most adorable beagle you've ever seen? You're looking at Uno, who won Best In Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show last night. The dogs are so adorable and the owners/handlers/trainers work so hard for this!

I remember my pal Jackie having alot of her dogs with papers. Her sister also trains dogs for dog shows and stuff too...or at least she did many moons ago! It just sounded so neat and like such a fun hobby. I'm sure it's hard, but for the people that do it, they look so happy and the dogs react so positively like they can tell when they win.

So my first pic here is of the winner, Uno:

Then we have this absolutely ridiculous picture of the Standard and Toy Poodles. Who owns these dogs? Why do they have little bubbles of fur on their bums? YUCK! They're not even functional! I love French culture, but I just don't get the purpose of these dogs. Maybe I'm just being too judgemental, but ewwww.

Whatever your fancy, don't be fooled by the cuteness of a dog show. Dogs have personalities, just like people, and it's important to fit the right dog to your lifestyle. Many dogs go up for adoption once owners realize it wasn't a good fit. But with enough research, you can make a good choice! Here is a link to the Westminseter Kennel Club website where you can read about nearly every breed of dog and if interested, find the right dog for you and your family!

People are...DUMB.

2008-02-12T18:07:00.000-05:00

You know that song by the Doors called "People Are Strange?" Well, I think we need to update this song for 2008....because people are really, REALLY dumb. I've seen quite a few examples lately, and my normal course of action is to just make a joke about it, but today's incident got me thinking.

I'm having my tonsils out next Tuesday. Because I'm a chic and I am capable of getting pregnant, I am required by law to go pee in a cup to find out if I really am or not. So I scheduled my appointment online at the lab which is about 5 minutes from my house. I worked at home today to accomodate the 11am appointment, ensuring I could work a full day and get all the stuff done that I need to prior to going out on disability.

When I got there are 10:55, there were about 7-8 names ahead of mine. Ok, no problem. I took a seat and planned to just play solitaire on my phone until it was my turn. However, it was so incredibly quiet that even my very low decible keystrokes were loud for this rather small waiting room. A few other people walked in after me, quietly signed in, and then sat down.

Then in walks Ms. Look-At-Me-In-My-Pink-Vest-I'm-Above-Waiting-For-Anything-Because-I'm-Important-And-I-Probably-Don't-Fart-Out-Loud. Apparently the concept of a WAITING ROOM is something well beyond her realm of comprehension. At about 11:30, she asked something to one of the very busy nurses and I heard her mention "11:10," leading me to believe that 20 minutes of waiting was unacceptable.

She sat back down and shortly after her super-customized-made-just-for-me ringtone blared loudly. "Oooo, look at me - I'm getting a phone call!" Yuck. Here is what the entire room got to hear: "Hello. Hello? No, I haven't even been called yet. Where are you? No, I'm still sitting here. Apparently they are really backed up because of the stupid walk-ins. Yes, I made an appointment! Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah."

I actually leaned forward and looked her way, hoping she'd glance over. I wasn't really sure what I was going to do, but it was one of those moments where your brain just takes a walk and you start believing that the scene you're playing out in your head will actually happen. Mine involved asking some sarcastic question followed by head knods and a few "right ons" from the rest of the people waiting. Knowing I could never keep that calm in the face of stupidity, I sat back and continued to read the Newsweek article about Hillary Clinton.

My name was called and when I went back, I made small talk with the nurse that my aunt is a nurse, and nurses are great and nurses do more than doctors. Then I told her that "you've got a live one out there." I explained that she was whining, followed by, "She's one of those people who might need to have her vein missed a few times today." The nurse laughed and said, "Well, I've been here since 3am without a break."

That's what motivated me to write this. Here's a woman working her ass off to serve the public, and she has to deal with people like this. Don't people realize that without women like this nurse, or truck drivers, or bakers, or grocery store clerks that we'd all be highly inconvenienced? Do you really enjoy self-checkout? I certainly don't!

So I finished up, made sure they knew where to send the results and happily walked out. I wanted to stick my tongue out to this woman, but then that would make me "one of them." And we all know the world can't afford any more stupids.

Peace out friends!

Look Within

2008-01-30T15:19:00.000-05:00

This message is two-fold. I'm teaching myself how to insert links in my blogs...but most importantly, I'm asking you, my very small audience, to please take a deep look within yourselves this year. Be thankful for what you have, and most importantly, please do your part on the earth to combat ignorance, dishonesty, and vanity. If there are three things contributing to the downfall of our fellow citizens, these are it!

With that said, here is an article I read today about the lives of the very poor citizens in Haiti. They've resorted to eating "dirt cookies" because they can't afford ingredients for food, as well the food in general has gone up due to the increased cost of oil around the world. That causes gas prices to go up and the cost of farming and then it just spirals from there. There has to be a better way! Think about this in another 10 months when you head to the voting booth....remember WHY oil is so high, and WHO caused this!

Peace out!

Huckabee's Smack Talk

2008-01-16T22:18:00.000-05:00

Oh look, more smack talk from the Republicans. This time it's about my favorite subject...religion. Let's start with the quote from Mike Huckabee: "“I have opponents in this race who do not want to change the Constitution, but I believe it’s a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God. And that’s what we need to do, to amend the Constitution so it’s in God’s standards rather than try to change God’s standards so it lines up with some contemporary view of how we treat each other and how we treat the family."

That's great, Mike, and thank you. You've now alienated a vast majority of Americans with that statement. I have two concerns with this argument.... First, who said "God's standards" are IT? Who decided that? Tell me where in the Constitution God and religion are mentioned in terms of creating policy and law. Oh yeah that's right....IT'S NOT!! The Constitution was written "in the year of our Lord" so I guess that counts. Other than that, we have freedom of religion - which means I have a CHOICE. And I choose not to believe your babble.

Second, anyone ever hear of the separation of church and state? Hellooooo? America? Are you there? Hey, Mike, over here...it's me... Sara. Just here to remind you that Jesus doesn't belong in my voting booth, but since you brought it up, I'll happily spread your ridiculous message about changing the Constitution. Hopefully smart people will realize what a stupid idea this is!

Generation Joshua my friends.... Go read about it. Be afraid, be very afraid. Bush has scared the hell out of the uninformed for so long, they'll believe anything. And nothing like a religious fanatic to convince the wandering idiots who are eligible to vote that Biblical law is the way to go.

Which is another problem I have.... Mike? Oh yeah, it's me again. Ever hear of Muslims or Jews? They have religous texts too, so perhaps you should consult those before you go and decide that the Christian Bible is the only acceptable relgious text from which to run your government.

This right here folks is probably 80% of the reason I'm an atheist. It's all bullshit...all of it. For my individual friends and family who are believers....rock on. Go on with your devotion if that's what makes you happy. But collectively.....do you, as the believers, actually support this insanity? Here we are in 2008....with a woman and a black man running, and we've got a dude who wants to roll back the clock a few thousand years? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? And not to mention...he's leaving out two huge pieces of our society by excluding Muslims and Jews!

Haven't we learned our lesson from Bush? This is a man who has openly made God part of his government decisions. And look where we are! Our economy is fucked, our military is in shambles, our schools are suffering, the middle-class is being eroded and our jobs are all being sent overseas.... Only a religious person can see any optimism in that heap of shit.

What I'm saying is this.... how about you go be you, and you let me be me and you keep your beliefs to yourself! Beliefs are just that....beliefs! It's not fact, it's not proven, and there's no denying the battles religion has caused. Concentrate on what matters...namely, bring our troops home. It's time. Once they're back, fix the broken clusterfuck that is the VA and get help for these people.

In the meantime, close up your Bible and go back to your pulpit. Do some research and get back to me on what country in the world has prospered by imposing Biblical law. Oh yeah...THERE AREN'T ANY!

Whew....that felt great. I don't think I would have slept tonight without venting a little. This infuriates me...and it should you too. Whatever your religious affiliation, I hope we can agree that church and state are and should remain separate.

And in closing, I'd just like to say this to my audience (however few it may be)... if you vote for any of the Republicans, you have no soul. If you can honestly look back on the last 8 years and feel good about it, please move to another country because you are an idiot and we don't want you here. It's time to be brave and make a choice for a new leader. It's not about voting for a woman or a black man...however historic that may be, it's about voting for the party that will put this country back together. Look, I respect John McCain for his service to our country, but he's not the guy that will put this sinking shop afloat. So turn off the news, put down the local paper, and head to the internet and do some research on these candidates. Hopefully you'll see clearly and vote for the Democratic nominee.

Peace out!

Merry Christmas

2007-12-23T08:42:00.001-05:00

Ahhh Christmas. I'm writing this from Angel's house as she begins to make breakfast. I just helped to feed Haylee, and Chelsea drove the car next door to get some flour... Chels driving when it seems like yesterday she was 8 years old is still something I'm trying to wrap my mind around. It's just nice to be here....feels like home.

So where have I been? Where haven't I been! Since my birthday blog, it seems my work life has consumed most of my time and energy. Luckily I have the best boyfriend EVER and Chris has been wonderful with putting up with my crap when I become too tired to function, as well as putting dinner on the table. Sigh....he's my Chris!

So in the span of one week at work, my boss took a new job, I got a new manager for 48 hours, the department was restructured and then I got another new boss and new head of our department. Not much to phase this Adelphia-in-bankruptcy/2-and-a-half-years-of-uncertainty expert, but not a fun experience. My job is ok, but I will say that in times like these, I'm glad I've got such good social and professional networking skills because if something goes wrong, knowing people helps tremendously. Why the restructuring? Well, I work at a bank and if you haven't heard, there was a little something last year called the sub-prime mortgage crisis.... Google it and you'll see what I mean.

So I am home for 5 days of running around and visiting family, topped off by what should be a very fun Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Today I'll leave Angel's house, go visit with Jenn, stop in to see my Gramma, locate my dad somewhere in McKean County, then head back to Olean.

While we are here, we have Pooka with is. Hopefully I'll have some pics of his holiday craziness. What I don't have is my beautifully decorated Christmas tree. How I got that tree is a long story for another time, but needless to say, I got a smokin' deal at Target. I had several red and gold ornnaments, but with a bigger tree, I did get some additional ornaments. Enjoy the beauty that is my tree....and have a Merry Christmas!

See Santa there? He's been in my family since I was a little girl. He rocks! Don't ask me how we managed to get all those presents, a cat, and our luggage in our car, but we made it!

Merry Christmas to All!

Happy Birthday to ME!

2007-11-28T22:30:00.001-05:00

31 years ago tonight, my father probably uttered the first of many curse words in my honor.... It was snowing hard, hunting season started the following day, and apparently I was more than ready to make my mark in the world. I reminded him about it last week while I was home for Thanksgiving by asking, "So Dad, remember the night I was born? You were mad at me already because it was the night before deer season." He replied, "Yep, but I got a deer the next day." Can't thank my pops enough for making me who I am today....which is 31 years older!

Chris and I went to Don Pablo's tonight, which was a change for us. I wanted something different, but mostly I wanted a large, delicious margarita. No better place than a Mexican chain restaurant for that!

After dinner, we stopped off for some ice cream and came home to relax. Chris is treating me to a massage for my big day from my favorite masseuse in the world, Magic Hands....just haven't had time to schedule it yet. Her real name is Rose, but my friend Kelly (who recommended her to me) and I have dubbed her Magic Hands. She is so fantastic.

My co-workers recognized the big day on Monday. My boss of 3 years is taking on a new role, and Monday was her last day in the office. I had a lovely cake, and her gift to me was Oprah's new book, "O's Guide to Life." I'm gonna miss her. But something tells me we'll cross paths again. ;)

On Friday Chris and I are heading to Ellicottville for dinner with Wanda and Steve to celebrate Steve's b-day on Saturday. This weekend will hopefully include some cleaning and maybe putting up the tree....or Christmas shopping....who knows.

Well, time for sleepy. Another long day awaits me tomorrow! Peace out.

What Really Matters

2007-11-24T02:00:00.001-05:00

There are several personality traits that infuriate me - dishonesty, ignorance, and vanity. Vanity is a hot topic for me right now. Let's paint the picture... This morning Chris and I were in Olean as we'd spent a few days back home for Thanksgiving. On the cover of the Olean Times, a picture of what looked like close to 500 idiots waiting outside to get into Wal-Mart at 5am for the morning sails. WHAT DO YOU NEED THAT BADLY?? It's disgusting that we've turned the holidays into a grab-fest for the best deal. If it's so expensive that you have to get up at 5am to get it 50% off, you probably don't need it that much.

Next, ignorance. Anyone see the headlines today? Let's take a look. Hmmm, well a ship overturned but all the vacationers got to safety. Big deal. Marion Jones turned in her medals because she cheated (which touches on my mention of dishonesty earlier). Whoop-de-doo. Another athlete caught up in the Balco bullshit. Big shocker. Some father went crazy and killed his family on Thanksgiving. Natalee Halloway is probably dead. Boo hoo. And on and on and on.

HEY AMERICA, THERE'S A WAR GOING ON!!!! It sickens me that while most of America is still waking up from the food coma of Thanksgiving, some families are being greeted with a knock on the door to be told their loved one isn't come home from Iraq or Afghanistan.

How incredibly arrogant and selfish of us to not hold our media to task on this. As long as the war, the funding of the war, the lies that lead to the stupid war, the war criminals in the White House and any other war topic are out of the news, our society is asleep at the wheel. You want to be thankful and really celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and the holidays? GIVE. If you're thinking about buying a present for everyone you work with, ask yourself how much they really need it. Do you really need another coffee mug this year? No. But I bet there's a soldier stuck in a pile of sand who could use a letter from back home. Or perhaps there's a food kitchen that could use some extra donations. I like the people I work with, but we've all got jobs so what really do they need from me this year? Nothing.

As you wander the malls filled with selfish gluttons, just remember that there are people fighting an unnecessary war, or remember those that will go hungry during the holidays. GIVE BACK...it feels so much better.

The Science of Evolution

2007-11-18T19:41:00.000-05:00

Sigh....FINALLY. I finally found the facts I need to feel good about my decision to give up religion. Because of a recent exchange with one of my Christian friends, I'm doing more research on exactly what category of misfits I fall into....atheist or agnostic. More on that later. Today Chris and I were watching a PBS Nova special on Intelligent Design, which is the belief that an intelligent being had something to do with the creation of the universe. The documentary focused on the battle at a Dover, Pennsylvania school where the conservative, religous board wouldn't allow a new science textbook because it discussed in great depth the theory of Evolution. First, let me say that Evolution is still a theory, however, it has yet to be disproved. Intelligent Design is not scientific, is not a theory, and is just one more way that religious fanatics are trying to work the belief in a higher power into the education curriculum of our young people. Let me remind my small audience again of the separation of church and state.

Featured in the documentary was the legal battle between Evolution and Intelligent Design. One of the featured scientists was Dr. Kenneth Miller. In summary, he explained the scientific bridge between apes and humans. In studying the fossils of the world, many scientists have been able to bridge the gap between sea-dwelling and land-dwelling animals and ballpark the time period in which sea-dwelling animals evolved, grew legs, and moved to land. But the gap between apes and humans always remained wide open. Below is an excerpt from Dr. Kenneth Miller's discussion. I'm not posting this so you may abandon your faith, I'm posting it so you can understand why I am who I am and why religion, to me, means nothing.

Common Ancestry:

Q: People often say, "I'm not descended from a monkey." What's the true relationship there?

Miller: Well, I often hear people say that they're not descended from monkeys, and they would defy me or anybody else to show that they are. Well, they're right, they're not descended from monkeys. They're not descended from chimps or monkeys or gorillas or any other living organism.

The essential idea of common ancestry is that ultimately all living things on this planet share common ancestors if we go far enough back into the past. So, for example, to take the case that people talk about all the time, we share a common ancestor with all primate species. This means that we're related, by having a single ancestor somewhere in the past, to monkeys, gorillas, chimpanzees, and so forth.

But the idea of common ancestry goes way deeper than simply saying we're related to monkeys. We're in fact related to all mammals. You go farther back, we are related to all vertebrates. And, ultimately, we are related, if you go far enough back, to every living thing on this planet. The almost universal nature of the genetic code, the fact that all life depends upon DNA, all of these things are evidence of this commonality of ancestry, if we go far enough back in time.

Q: One of the lines of evidence that you pointed out at the Dover trial is the organization of our own chromosomes. How is that evidence for common ancestry?

Miller: We've known for a long time that we humans share common ancestry with the other great apes—gorillas, orangs, chimps, and bonobos. But there's an interesting problem here. We humans have 46 chromosomes; all the other great apes have 48. In a sense, we're missing a pair of chromosomes, two chromosomes. How did that happen?

Well, is it possible that in the line that led to us, a pair of chromosomes was simply lost, dropping us from 24 pairs to 23? Well, the answer to that is no. The loss of both members of a pair would actually be fatal in any primate. There is only one possibility, and that is that two chromosomes that were separate became fused to form a single chromosome. If that happened, it would drop us from 24 pairs to 23, and it would explain the data.

"The closer we look at our own DNA, the more powerful the evidence becomes for our common ancestry with other species."

Here's the interesting point, and this is why evolution is a science. That possibility is testable. If we indeed were formed that way, then somewhere in our genome there has to be a chromosome that was formed by the fusion of two other chromosomes. Now, how would we find that? It's easier than you might think.

Every chromosome has a special DNA sequence at both ends called the telomere sequence. Near the middle it has another special sequence called the centromere. If one of our chromosomes was formed by the fusion of two ancestral chromosomes, what we should be able to see is that we possess a chromosome in which telomere DNA is found in the center where it actually doesn't belong, and that the chromosome has two centromeres. So all we have to do is to look at our own genome, look at our own DNA, and see, do we have a chromosome that fits these features?

We do. It's human chromosome number 2, and the evidence is unmistakable. We have two centromeres, we have telomere DNA near the center, and the genes even line up corresponding to primate chromosome numbers 12 and 13.

Is there any way that intelligent design or special creation could explain why we have a chromosome like this? The only way that I can think of is if you're willing to say that the intelligent designer rigged chromosome number 2 to fool us into thinking that we had evolved. The closer we look at our own DNA, the more detailed a glimpse we get of our own genome, the more powerful the evidence becomes for our common ancestry with other species.

To read the full article and more about this documentary, please visit PBS:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/id/defense-ev.html

Stop and Think

2007-11-14T19:22:00.000-05:00

I found this article on one of my favorite resources, The Huffington Post. Once again, our Bible-beating President is furthering the promotion of religion and false information to a vulnerable audience: confused, pregnant, poor women. As part of his "faith-based" programs, centers once known for helping women get help and end unplanned pregnancies are now bullying women into keeping their babies for fear of going to hell. Another tactic is using scientifically disproven theories to scare women into believing they'll never get pregnant again if they have one abortion.

The whole thing is disgusting. Since when was God a scientist? I don't believe in abortion as a form of birth control, but once Jesus starts making his way into my doctor's office, I'm furious. What it is with the Christian mindset that if science can't explain it, we'll turn to the fictional book for answers? No one agrees that religion is the way to make laws, so why are we using the Bible to define when life beings?

Let me say this in closing... If you're a religious person, good for you. I support you, I'm happy you have faith in your life and peace with God (if that's what you call him or her). But I don't believe in what you believe, so therefore can't accept it as truth. And because any religion can show no tangible proof of an existance of a higher power, it's time to stop trying to work a higher power into science and law....it doesn't belong! Now you go do your thing and I'll go do mine, but please keep your god to yourself. And while you're at it, read up on the separation of church and state....I don't want my federal tax dollars perpetuating religious bullshit.

Article:

Federally funded "pregnancy resource centers" throughout the country are receiving millions in taxpayer dollars despite promoting religious content and disseminating what critics say is misleading medical information. Despite reservations from some in Congress, nearly $6 million in grants have been given to 21 pregnancy centers since the beginning of 2006, according to new data obtained by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

Many of these centers are receiving far more federal funding then they seemingly could need. The Northern Hill Pregnancy Care Center in Spearfish, South Dakota, for example, has been granted more than $630,000 over three years despite seeing only 110 to 150 new clients per year. The Door of Hope Pregnancy Care Center in Madisonville, Kentucky, was given more than $300,000 in federal grants over the last two years, even though the entire female population of the town (all ages) is less than 11,000. First Choice Pregnancy Center in Texarkana, Texas, meanwhile, sees between 800 and 1,000 patients annually. For that, the center has been granted more than $1.3 million over three years - an average of approximately $500 per person per year.

Executives with these centers say they are providing an invaluable medical service and support to their patients. "Our main role is to be a place of refuge for women, teens and families in a crisis pregnancy situation," Kim Banks, executive director of the Texarkana facility, told The Huffington Post.

But watchdog groups say otherwise. "It is ridiculous that there is a ton of money going to these tiny towns," Melanie Sloan, Executive Director of CREW told The Huffington Post. "You have to wonder what that money is being spent on. It can't possibly have all been spent educating women and teens about anything related to pregnancy." But for Sloan and others it is not just an issue of mis-allocating federal funds. Many of these centers are often criticized for using the money they are granted to provide women with false impressions about abortion, abstinence, and pregnancy On its website, the Westside Pregnancy Resource Center in Los Angeles suggests that women who receive abortions could experience an increased risk of breast cancer, a conclusion at odds with the mainstream medical consensus. As a reference, the center links to a 1986 letter government scientists wrote to the British journal Lancet. The Crisis Pregnancy Center, Inc. in Anchorage Alaska, meanwhile, sites suicidal thoughts, alcohol and drug abuse and spiritual consequences as post-abortion side affects, without offering elaboration. Other centers suggest that women can experience infertility, "post-abortion stress disorder" and even a "fear of punishment from God" following an abortion.

"Obviously there are no scientific explanations for these claims," said Martha Kempner, vice president for Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, a critic of abstinence-only sex-education programs. "These centers are part of a larger conservative social agenda... designed to prevent women from choosing abortion and promoting marriage above all else."

Legally, as well, these centers - which are not all self-described as faith-based - have come under fire for operating in what critics describe as an overtly religious context. Several organizations work hand-in-hand with Stop and Think, an abstinence-till-marriage program that requires its presenters to "possess an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ", "knowledge of the Word of God", and "attend a Bible believing local church or fellowship." "We are a Christian organization and have Christian beliefs and we believe very strongly that the church has a role in social issues," Roxie Johnson, executive director for the Northern Hill facility in South Dakota, told The Huffington Post. "[Stop and Think] is a skill-oriented program that teaches critical thinking. When we go into the schools we can't advocate religion. But it is a very vital program in preventing teenage pregnancies." For critics, such an explanation doesn't hold muster. These pregnancy centers, they argue, are walking a thin line between providing medical services and directly proselytizing. "The concern is that it is a government-funded program advocating a religious content," said Dianna Kasdan, a staff attorney for the ACLU. "These programs are supposed to provide information and education about a host of issues. It is not appropriate for the government to fund a program teaching religious viewpoints." Faith-based organizations such as these pregnancy resource centers have been a staple of President Bush's domestic agenda. Through the Compassion Capital Fund administered by the Department of Health and Human Services, the Bush administration has directed $264 million to more than 4,500 organizations since 2002. "Our goal is to serve the poor among us in the most effective way possible, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said in a recent press release. "By supporting grass-roots organizations already serving those in need in their communities, we are increasing our ability to help more people gain control of their lives."

Pooka Pie

2007-11-12T11:31:00.000-05:00

"Pooka Pie...My little guy." I sing that often and badly to my cat, Pooka. He's so darn adorable.

I'm sitting here in my cousin Doni's house waiting for her to get home from teaching. I should be taking a nap seeing as how I've been up since 4:30. Work brought me here for a meeting in DC tomorrow, so I flew down today. Ruined my bank holiday by traveling, but I get to spend the afternoon with the fam so that's always cool.

Oh yeah...so about Pooka. It takes me a long time to tell a story...lots of digressions! Ok, so anyway, here is a picture of Pooka sitting on my suitcase last night. He's so loyal....it is like he new his mama was leaving him. Yes, I am his mama. Go ahead, make fun of me for loving my cat in that weird way that pet-owners do. But seriously, look at the adorable-ness sitting here - how can you not love this? And his little paws are so perfectly posed. Mmmmm..kissyourface!

Well that does it for my travel-work-family visit blogging. I think I just proved to myself just what a horrible procrastinator I am... I'm procrastinating a nap for crying out loud! And I loooove to nap! Peace out friends.

Where I've Been

2007-11-08T16:38:00.000-05:00

Since my last post, I've been on the go quite a bit and haven't had alot of time to update. As I stayed home to work remotely today and have been online since 7am, I thought I'd take a break from 8,000 lines of data to fill everyone in.

Last weekend, Chris and I traveled back home to PA. My best friend, Angel, and her husband, Shon, moved earlier in the year and while I have been to the house lots, Chris hadn't had a chance yet because of his music gigs. We stopped in Ellicottville along the way for dinner, which took longer than anticipated, and didn't arrive in Coudersport until about 10pm. Shon was excited because he'd planned to go coyote hunting, and Chris was a willing sidekick. It was freezing outside, so our men bundled up and off they went. Angel and I caught up on all things Coudersport, and then we went to bed about 12:30. Snuggled up next to me was Pumpkin, their furry new addition.

Shon and Chris got home much later, and while I don't remember the time, I do remember Shon waking me up and saying something gross, and then telling me how he and Chris were almost eaten by 3 packs of coyotes. It's the little things that make me miss home...

On Saturday morning, Angel woke up early with the baby. I wasn't far behind and by then, Haylee was finishing breakfast, and Angel was ready to make a nice spread for her guests. I entertained Haylee while mama was busy cooking. Haylee is about 6 months old now, and as cliche as it sounds, is as cute as a button. Here is just one of the many adorable pictures of her, and one of the many moments that she and I will have as she grows up. "Aunt Sara" is a big part of the girls' lives, the other two of course being Chels and Alli.

Breakfast was deeee-licious, as usual. I had some homemade apple butter on my toast, which was another nice reminder of home. Angel had to be in Ulysses for a baby shower, so we all began to stir and get ready to head out.

We stopped in Port to see my Gramma. I checked out the Reporter Argus to see if I recognized anyone, and was happy to see an engagement announcement for someone I went to high school with. Always nice to see those. We left Port and stopped in Eldred to visit my Dad and Debbie. They were doing some weatherizing on the outside of the house, although the weather still remained unseasonably warm. Dad gave me some updates on a few hot topics at the high school, we loudly exchanged our opinions as usual, and then it was time to go. I love talking to him about the goings-on at the school. It's always something!

Evening brought us to Olean, where we attended the 50th birthday party for Uncle Kevin and Uncle Bob. It had a Halloween theme, and was typical of most of our family gatherings - food, beer and laughter. Some of the kids were dressed up, and a few adults too. Aunt Linda was dressed as Dr. Gerry Atric, so some of us silly geese decided to make nametags of our own. Many of them were of course disgustingly inappropriate, but the appearance of the Stitz/s cousins received lots of laughs. Thanks to Gloria, Enorma and Bodashuh for some good times.

Chris and I got up VERY early because of the time change to return to Buffalo. This week has been crazy trying to catch up, and in the process, I've managed to catch my annual winter cold. No rest for the weary though! I'm off to Washington DC for a branch manager meeting on Tuesday. The only great part about that is I get to spend some time with my family in Maryland. I'll be flying down on Monday. I just found out that there will be no Veteran's Day holiday for the local schools, so I need to think of something (other than napping!) to do on Monday. Perhaps some Christmas shopping is in order.

Only 47 days until Christmas! And only 20 days until my birthday! I don't think I'll have a party to crash this year...but I'll save that story for another time. It's time to make dinner. Peace out friends!

Boo!

2007-10-24T22:36:00.000-04:00

It's nearly 40 minutes past when I wanted to go to bed, and here I sit trying to add all the customizations back into this blog. I think I got it where I want it for now.

So anyway, I'm out here in the living room and Chris is watching "Ghost Hunters" on the Sci-Fi channel. First of all, let me say that he and I share alot of things in common....except the paranormal stuff. Have you ever seen this show? It's alot of night-vision and hidden camera work to spot a spirit or shadow or unexplained movement in homes or tourist sites where "hauntings" are suspected. It's creepy stuff. I've gasped on plenty of occassions. Tonight I'm distracted because of all my blog work, but it reminded me of another creepy event last night.

We watched 1408, a movie based on a Stephen King novel about a hotel room that no one survives for more than an hour. Sure enough, King delivered. I sat very close to Chris on the couch and covered my eyes in the really scary parts. At one point I think I even dozed off, but that's because it takes a shift in the wind for me to fall asleep...hahaha.

Anyway, the weather is getting colder, Halloween approaches, and the television is littered with these scare-fests. Hopefully the rest of you have someone to snuggle up to so you aren't afraid! Chris always says he wants to go on one of those haunted tours in the area, and I say no because I don't want any of the spirits to follow him/us home. It's no secret I've abandonded my belief system and religious upbringing to become an atheist, but it sure is hard to shake these paranormal events.

I always tell him that if I knock off first, I'm going to come back to haunt and scare the hell out of him. Call it payback for watching The Ring, The Grudge and whatever other scary movies we've watched together.

Well it's time for bed. I'm going to take Pooka in with me to keep the creepies out!

Chicken Feet

2007-10-22T22:22:00.000-04:00

Mmmm...Chicken Feet. Yep, look closely my friends, those are real chicken feet. I recently went on a business trip to New York City. Part of my time there was spent visiting our Asian Market branches in and around Chinatown. Telling my contact there that I'm from the hills of Pennsylvania, I asked to be treated to all the fun things there are to experience in Chinatown, including traditional cuisine. I was treated to "dim sum."

Loosely translated, that means light dishes which are steamed or served on a small plate alongside Chinese tea. Chinese tea can be red, white or green. The tea I had was so deliciously fresh I didn't even need sugar...which was a nice surprise. As for the food, it was equally delicious. I was asked to brave the chicken feet, but told them I'd stick to the chicken wings in Buffalo!

Overall my visit was fun and memorable, both personally and professionally. It was so awesome to embed myself in Chinese culture for a day. New York City is another world to me considering where I grew up. And despite the short tempers and blaring horns, you can feel the way the city just draws you in. I was so welcomed particularly by my friends in Chinatown, I'd go back there in a heartbeat. It felt like such a close-knit family, despite my lack of understanding for the Chinese language. Ever the learner, I'm determined to teach myself to speak Chinese. There are hundreds of dialects, with the two most common being Mandarin and Cantonese - Mandarin in the North and Cantonse in the South, specifically around Hong Kong. If I don't have time to learn that, you can bet I'll be asking for Chinese history books for Christmas. Ghengis Khan here I come!

New Beginning

2007-10-21T21:53:00.000-04:00

So I did the Myspace thing...and I will probably continue there, but this seemed like another cool outlet for me. I just think this has a little more "adult" feel to it. If only I can figure out the colors and formatting jazz. I hate HTML...ick. Well, I'm doing this as I watch Transformers - great special effects so far.

Chris and I went to Olcott today. It was in the 70s in and around the Buffalo area so it seemed like a nice day for a ride. We headed North to find a pumpkin stand and see where the car would take us. We should have grabbed the camera.... We first stopped in Lockport at the weirdest and creepiest pumpkin stand in Niagara County. We pulled in and noticed the storefront door was open, but the neon "open" sign wasn't on. About 5 minutes later a teenage kid walked out and began his sales pitch with, "Most of these are overpriced, so just let me know before you choose and I'll tell you the real price." Ummm, OK. So we picked two enormous pumpkins with the intention of creating another pumpkin masterpiece (see my Myspace for the Sabres 06 Pumpkin), and also so Chris could make a pile of pumpkin seeds for us to munch on. After we loaded the pumpkins in the car, we walked inside to pay. Inside the store seemed like an A-1 rental, except nothing was arranged....it was just astrewn all over the inside of the store. Weird.

We left and headed further north. Somehow Chris remembered how to get to Olcott on many different roads than when we went there about a month ago for him to play at the Niagara Celtic Festival. We arrived in Olcott and walked down to the beach. The sky was clear, the water was pristine and there were very few people around. Overall it was a very relaxing 30-40 minutes that we spent walking around. I'm clumsy, but I braved the pier anyway so I could walk with my babe. Awwww.

I wish every day was that relaxing. I stare at the clock and it says 10:15...in an hour or so I'll be in bed, counting the minutes until I have to go to work tomorrow. But I'll save the explanation of that cast of characters for another time! Peace out friends.