Dark Week/Weekend Time Wasting Thread
Brady
ahead and create a joint Dark Week-Weekend Time Wasting Thread. I think
it's a brilliant idea, really. I guess I could have just added to the
other time-wasting thread, but the subject heading of that one was
posted in the form of a question, and it just didn't seem ...
I'm bored. I mean, I boring myself.
About an hour ago, I saw brand-new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee
Spooner Oldham in the supermarket. Spooner was the one introduced by
Paul during last weekend's induction ceremony. I started to go over and
congratulate him. However, he was in the customer service lane while I
was in a checkout line a few lanes away. So I didn't. Go over and
congratulate him, that is.
I think that's all I have to say right now. Unless you want to hear me
talk about my current favorite member of Congress -- Michele Bachmann
(R), of Minnesota's 6th Congressional District. Bachmann in 2012? One
can dream.
I guess that's all I got, for now. Maybe I'll think of a few trivia
questions for later.
What are you all up to this week & weekend?
Brady
foxysc...@yahoo.com
Thurs: finishing up a job, picking up "The Book Thief" at the library
(am reading the Jane Austen Book Club - enjoyable) -Friday - taking a
tour of Rutgers with David, Saturday - haircut in a.m., bridal
luncheon in afternoon. Saturday night: baking stuff Sunday - Easter
brunch with family. Monday - Exercise class with hottt Robbb.
Brady
Shirlee, I think I could probably learn a lot from you about how to
relax and enjoy my weekend.
Maybe you could counsel me someday.
Brady
Donz5
> What are you all up to this week & weekend?
>
> Brady
I see the doc tomorrow morning; we're approaching Month 3 of this
nonsense.
Brady
I was just wondering about your health-deal.
What else do we need updates on?
How's your father, Bill? How's your mother-in-law, Pat? How's your
hernia, Rod?
I'm probably forgetting something/someone.
Brady
foxysc...@yahoo.com
1. My weekends are not relaxing!
2. I thought Rod blew out his knee....I'd better go back and read his
story!
3. Poor Donz.
Katy...@aol.com
I haven't read "The Book Thief" yet, but it's one of the books we
pushed a lot in the library -- meaning I made and posted eye-catching
book blurbs about it to get the kids to read it. It's the sort of book
that appeals to both teenagers and adults and has won a number of
awards. Certainly, it's a far more serious book (set in Germany during
World War II) than "The Jane Austen Book Club." -- very emotional,
too. The reviews have been excellent.
I vote that the AFL Book Club alternate between reading young adult
lit and those books for more "mature" readers.
Kate
Tom Cronin
> I think that's all I have to say right now. Unless you want to hear me
> talk about my current favorite member of Congress -- Michele Bachmann
> (R), of Minnesota's 6th Congressional District. Bachmann in 2012? One
> can dream.
Dream all you want, but every time I see Flo, the Progressive
Insurance Sales-Babe, I think to myself... "THAT'S the gal for Brady."
Tom
(I'll just be hangin' out at the golf course all weekend)
Mary Ballard
: Thurs: finishing up a job, picking up "The Book Thief" at the library
: (am reading the Jane Austen Book Club - enjoyable) -Friday - taking a
: tour of Rutgers with David, Saturday - haircut in a.m., bridal
: luncheon in afternoon. Saturday night: baking stuff Sunday - Easter
: brunch with family. Monday - Exercise class with hottt Robbb.
I liked "The Book Thief."
Friday I work. Saturday I hope to drive to Damascas, VA to hike
a little and look at bikes; I'm in the market for one. Sunday
I'm dying eggs and cooking salmon with friends. Monday will be
school and housework; maybe I'll get around to staining the shelf
I bought a few months ago.
MeanMary
--
--
Mary Ballard // I do not speak for Appalachian State U.
foxysc...@yahoo.com
R H Draney
>
>On Apr 8, 7:01=A0pm, Brady <watercl...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>> I think that's all I have to say right now. Unless you want to hear me
>> talk about my current favorite member of Congress -- Michele Bachmann
>> (R), of Minnesota's 6th Congressional District. Bachmann in 2012? One
>> can dream.
>
>Dream all you want, but every time I see Flo, the Progressive
>Insurance Sales-Babe, I think to myself... "THAT'S the gal for Brady."
Hands off, buddy...I fixated on her when I realized that Erin Esurance is too
young for me....r
--
A pessimist sees the glass as half empty.
An optometrist asks whether you see the glass
more full like this?...or like this?
Donz5
Literally, too. Saw the doc; seems it's just so-far-unexplained
inflammation. No bacteria infection, so I'm off the Cipro. Will be
hopped up on ibuprofen for the next month in prep for a male
"procedure" in late May.
Oh, hi, Mary. :)
Rod Fernandez
Sorry to hear about your condition. My problems also continue. In fact
it was so bad that I had to cancel my trip with the family to Texas this
weekend. I left for the Pittsburgh airport last evening but couldn't
even take the pain sitting on the car trip. We stopped about 30 miles
out to eat dinner and the wife drove us all back home again. Our plane
was supposed to leave Pittsburgh at 6AM, so I made reservations for 2
rooms a the Hyatt airport hotel, cause my family of 5 won't fit in one
room. I had to pay for the rooms even though we canceled. Ouch. I did
get trip insurance when I made reservations on Orbitz so I won't be
completely out of pocket. Now I have to file the claim. I hope I can get
a doctor's note.
Oh, and good to hear from you again, Mary.
Rod
Alan Page
"Donz5" wrote...
> Will be hopped up on ibuprofen for the next month
> in prep for a male "procedure" in late May.
http://promotions.mardenkane.com/cbs/cbscares/index.cfm
Maybe you could win a trip to NYC!
--
Alan
~WWWWW~
What a Wonderful Web We Weave
polar
> Oh, hello. Since it's almost Thursday already, I decided to just go
> ahead and create a joint Dark Week-Weekend Time Wasting Thread. I think
> it's a brilliant idea, really. I guess I could have just added to the
> other time-wasting thread, but the subject heading of that one was
> posted in the form of a question, and it just didn't seem ...
>
> I'm bored. I mean, I boring myself.
>
> About an hour ago, I saw brand-new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee
> Spooner Oldham in the supermarket. Spooner was the one introduced by
> Paul during last weekend's induction ceremony. I started to go over and
> congratulate him. However, he was in the customer service lane while I
> was in a checkout line a few lanes away. So I didn't. Go over and
> congratulate him, that is.
I once met George Takei, Sulu from Star Trek
> I think that's all I have to say right now. Unless you want to hear me
> talk about my current favorite member of Congress -- Michele Bachmann
> (R), of Minnesota's 6th Congressional District. Bachmann in 2012? One
> can dream.
Oh, Lord, no. I'm in Minn's 4th district, represented
very well by the sane and normal Betty McCollum. Over
in the 5th district they have the very cool Keith Ellison.
I'm familiar with Michele Bachman and am embarrassed each
time the local news show her latest Bachman rant.
> I guess that's all I got, for now. Maybe I'll think of a few trivia
> questions for later.
>
> What are you all up to this week & weekend?
>
> Brady
Here's an excellent time waster:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq6b9bMBXpg
If the link doesn't work, go to Youtube and search
for Antwerp train station dance or, in Belgian
"Op zoek naar Maria - Dans in het Centraal Station
van Antwerpen"
Lots of fun but give it until 45 seconds in to really
get going.
Maybe
> Literally, too. Saw the doc; seems it's just so-far-unexplained
> inflammation. No bacteria infection, so I'm off the Cipro. Will be
> hopped up on ibuprofen for the next month in prep for a male
> "procedure" in late May.
>
Uh oh, a "male" procedure? Are they just going to cut it off so it
doesn't hurt anymore? I think we need more details!
Maybe...curious
Maybe
Oh no, Dr. Rod, that's terrible. I thought you just lost the first
night (or the deposit) if you didn't cancel in time. I bet if you
talked to somebody at the actual hotel and not the corporate
headquarters, they could actually help you. I've done that before and
it works sometimes. "But, the plane..." And, you have an actual good
sob story so they should be willing to compromise a little. They want
your business in the future.
I hope you and Donz start feeling better.
Maybe...who is not the sickest person in this group this week!
Donz5
Ouch is right. Sounds incredibly frustrating.
btw, our footrace is still on. You can't get out of it that easily.
Brady
> On Apr 8, 7:01 pm, Brady <watercl...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>> I think that's all I have to say right now. Unless you want to hear me
>> talk about my current favorite member of Congress -- Michele Bachmann
>> (R), of Minnesota's 6th Congressional District. Bachmann in 2012? One
>> can dream.
>
> Dream all you want, but every time I see Flo, the Progressive
> Insurance Sales-Babe, I think to myself... "THAT'S the gal for Brady."
I think I do have a crush on her.
> Tom
> (I'll just be hangin' out at the golf course all weekend)
Hangin' out ...
Heh.
Brady
Brady
> Tom Cronin filted:
>> On Apr 8, 7:01=A0pm, Brady <watercl...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>>> I think that's all I have to say right now. Unless you want to hear me
>>> talk about my current favorite member of Congress -- Michele Bachmann
>>> (R), of Minnesota's 6th Congressional District. Bachmann in 2012? One
>>> can dream.
>> Dream all you want, but every time I see Flo, the Progressive
>> Insurance Sales-Babe, I think to myself... "THAT'S the gal for Brady."
>
> Hands off, buddy...I fixated on her when I realized that Erin Esurance is too
> young for me....r
I like the one in which Erin is playing the tambourine.
Brady
Brady
> On Apr 8, 11:48 pm, Brady <watercl...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>>
>> I was just wondering about [Donz's] health-deal.
>>
>> What else do we need updates on?
>>
>> How's your father, Bill? How's your mother-in-law, Pat? How's your
>> hernia, Rod?
>>
>> I'm probably forgetting something/someone.
>>
>> Brady
>
> 1. My weekends are not relaxing!
>
> 2. I thought Rod blew out his knee....I'd better go back and read his
> story!
>
> 3. Poor Donz.
At least your weekends are interesting & fun.
May I take a moment to open up to you people? I've been kind of
depressed this week. I don't mean *clinically depressed*. I just mean
... somewhat full of angst, I guess.
Note: The following news item that I'm about to discuss is disturbing.
Just wanted to give you a heads-up.
OK.
Earlier this week, in a small town in the county in which I'm currently
living, there was a quadruple murder-suicide that left five people dead,
including the killer.
A husband and wife were in the middle of a contested divorce. They were
scheduled to appear at a court hearing on Wednesday of this week.
Sometime in the middle of the night Monday -- early Tuesday morning --
after having set their own home ablaze, the husband arrived at the house
in which his wife and their 16-year-old daughter were currently living.
The man's sister and her young son were staying with the wife and
daughter. They had traveled from out of state to attend the court
hearing, at which the man's sister was reportedly set to testify on
behalf of her sister-in-law.
Sometime reportedly after midnight Tuesday night, the man entered the
home where is wife and daughter were staying and he killed them. He
killed them all -- his wife; their 16-year-old daughter; his sister; and
his sister's 11-year-old son. They all died of gunshot wounds.
The young girl's boyfriend discovered the bodies Tuesday morning and
alerted the police. This set off a daylong manhunt, during which the
perpetrator was reportedly fleeing in several different vehicles, one of
which was later found abandoned and burned out.
Late Tuesday afternoon, the killer's body was found in the woods near
the couple's burned-out home. He was dead of a self-inflicted gunshot
wound.
I was at the newspaper office on Tuesday. We were following the
unfolding story all day long. In a twist, the killer worked at the same
place as the husband of someone who works in the newspaper office with
us. In fact, he worked right beside him, literally -- as in, the next
cubicle. My coworker's husband told us that he and his colleagues had
already heard about the house fire; since the perpetrator had failed to
show up for work on Wednesday, they were wondering if he had been
injured or killed in the blaze. This was before news broke and the story
unfolded.
Now, how do you wrap your mind around a thing like this; around the fact
that a man looks at his own daughter and kills her and her mother -- his
wife -- as well as his own sister and her little boy? And the goddamned
coward takes his own life before he can be held accountable for his
atrocities.
That's the thing: you can't make sense of it; it's madness, and it's
mind-boggling.
And I hear political pundits talk about American 'exceptionalism.' Sean
Hannity repeatedly says the US is 'the greatest country in the history
of the world.' What is that even supposed to mean? That a god 'blesses'
a group of people who happen to live within a certain geographical
region while ignoring or cursing others? Pardon me if I call bullshit
when I hear Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity and Mark Levin and Rush Limbaugh
(et al.) raving like lunatics about 'tyranny' and 'socialism' and, in
Glenn Beck's case, warning of a coming 'fascism' in which President
Obama will inevitably tax away or take away your 'right' to own a gun.
And then Glenn Beck feigns shock -- *shock* -- that anyone would turn a
critical eye toward his conspiratorial, demagogic, faux-populist
bullshit when a cop killer in Pittsburgh reportedly was afraid that
Obama was about to 'take away his guns.'
These people are just like apocalyptic preachers -- they spend all their
time in a fantasy world of nonsense and bullshit, instead of
contributing something constructive to the country they so proudly &
loudly claim to love.
I know I've gone from one topic (a killing and gun violence) to another
(faux populist rhetoric) to another (fake preachers), but that's what
happens sometimes when you try to make sense of things that never will.
It's just what was on my mind this evening.
That is all.
Brady
Maybe
> Note: The following news item that I'm about to discuss is disturbing.
> Just wanted to give you a heads-up.
>
> OK.
>
> Earlier this week, in a small town in the county in which I'm currently
> living, there was a quadruple murder-suicide that left five people dead,
> including the killer.
>
> A husband and wife were in the middle of a contested divorce. They were
> scheduled to appear at a court hearing on Wednesday of this week.
> Sometime in the middle of the night Monday -- early Tuesday morning --
> after having set their own home ablaze, the husband arrived at the house
> in which his wife and their 16-year-old daughter were currently living.
> The man's sister and her young son were staying with the wife and
> daughter. They had traveled from out of state to attend the court
> hearing, at which the man's sister was reportedly set to testify on
> behalf of her sister-in-law.
>
> Sometime reportedly after midnight Tuesday night, the man entered the
> home where is wife and daughter were staying and he killed them. He
> killed them all -- his wife; their 16-year-old daughter; his sister; and
> his sister's 11-year-old son. They all died of gunshot wounds.
>
Whoa Brady. Sorry to hear all this. There is not much to say to
console you or anyone else except that divorce is hard. It is hard on
the couple and their children and it is hard on the whole family.
And, the whole family has to work hard and support their family member
who is going through the divorce so they don't go on a shooting
spree. Because sometimes, some of the other family members have to go
to court and testify against one of the parties.
In the cases where it has happened in my family, it has never been
pretty. Not only does the person have to divorce the other person but
the whole family has to divorce the other party.
It is not easy and it is not pretty.
> And I hear political pundits talk about American 'exceptionalism.' Sean
> Hannity repeatedly says the US is 'the greatest country in the history
> of the world.' What is that even supposed to mean? That a god 'blesses'
> a group of people who happen to live within a certain geographical
> region while ignoring or cursing others? Pardon me if I call bullshit
> when I hear Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity and Mark Levin and Rush Limbaugh
> (et al.) raving like lunatics
All those people (political pundits as you say) are full of crap.
They have nothing but time to fill for their 24/7 news network and
they fill it with all kinds of crap. Just today they were spinning
the fact that President Obama bowed (or appeared to have bowed) when
meeting King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. I mean that is crap.
One of them even had the nerve to say, "If he is going to bow to a
world leader, he should have bowed when meeting Queen Elizabeth. She
has ruled longer and done more for the world."
I was like, "What?"
If he had bowed to the Queen, they would have made a big deal about
that.
You just can't win these days. You just have to ignore most of it.
They have nothing but time to fill.
Maybe...hoping you can get over your depression and continue on.
foxysc...@yahoo.com
>
>
>
>
>
> > Note: The following news item that I'm about to discuss is disturbing.
> > Just wanted to give you a heads-up.
Brady, we are not alone.
The Prologue to Bertrand Russell's Autobiography
What I Have Lived For
"Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my
life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable
pity for the suffering of mankind. These passions, like great winds,
have blown me hither and thither, in a wayward course, over a great
ocean of anguish, reaching to the very verge of despair.
I have sought love, first, because it brings ecstasy - ecstasy so
great that I would often have sacrificed all the rest of life for a
few hours of this joy. I have sought it, next, because it relieves
loneliness--that terrible loneliness in which one shivering
consciousness looks over the rim of the world into the cold
unfathomable lifeless abyss. I have sought it finally, because in the
union of love I have seen, in a mystic miniature, the prefiguring
vision of the heaven that saints and poets have imagined. This is what
I sought, and though it might seem too good for human life, this is
what--at last--I have found.
With equal passion I have sought knowledge. I have wished to
understand the hearts of men. I have wished to know why the stars
shine. And I have tried to apprehend the Pythagorean power by which
number holds sway above the flux. A little of this, but not much, I
have achieved.
Love and knowledge, so far as they were possible, led upward toward
the heavens. But always pity brought me back to earth. Echoes of cries
of pain reverberate in my heart. Children in famine, victims tortured
by oppressors, helpless old people a burden to their sons, and the
whole world of loneliness, poverty, and pain make a mockery of what
human life should be. I long to alleviate this evil, but I cannot, and
I too suffer.
This has been my life. I have found it worth living, and would gladly
live it again if the chance were offered me. "
Marilyn
of view, you are a rare bird. You are a liberal leaning guy in the newspaper
business in Alabama! Could there be a more difficult position to be in?
You're lucky to be alive, my friend. ;) (not to be interpreted as an
anti-Southern thing on my part) I just imagine you are bombarded with the
Fox news viewpoint more than say... me.
But remember, this world is full of beautiful things too. Beautiful moments,
if you will. I experienced one yesterday. Let me bore you with it...
For nearly 23 years, I've been doing daycare. I sort of fell into the
career, and there have been times that I wondered, what did I do to deserve
this? Others have cool careers and are respected, while I am isolated and
changing diapers. But yesterday, as we finished coloring eggs, making a
chick project and planting little plants in eggshells, I had a few children
leave. I was left with my 4 nearly-three year olds. I had hidden plastic
eggs outside earlier. As I opened the door to go outside, they saw eggs
around the landscape and yelled, "There are eggs out there!" Their eyes
widened as I handed them each a little basket and they ran around and filled
them. The joy and anticipation on their little faces at that age just can't
be described. Sometimes they would spill their eggs and have to pick them up
again, but they were so overjoyed. I even saw a little bit of that joy on
their parent's faces when they were picked up and the parents saw what fun
they had. And again, I asked myself, what did I do to deserve this? But,
this time, I meant it in a different way. Perhaps the hunt for eggs is a
metaphor for life. We pick up new eggs all the time and sometimes they do
fall out of our baskets.
Or, perhaps it's just that three year olds really like plastic eggs! ;)
Katy...@aol.com
Having been divorced myself (more than once), I totally agree with
Maybe that it's a very difficult situation on everyone, even when both
parties want the divorce. However, it's not *always* the case that the
whole family has to divorce the party who wants out of the marriage,
though that is what often happens. In my own case, my first husband
(and the father of my daughter) and I remained friends, though it took
a few years after our divorce before we were able to let go of the
anger. At first we sort of smiled through clenched teeth, but at least
we were trying. We had to work at being civil to each other but we
both loved our daughter too much to let our problems alienate her from
either one of us or destroy her self-esteem. For me, that meant going
out of my way sometimes to make it possible for her to spend time with
him, driving her to his house myself if he couldn't come get her,
though that wasn't part of our custody agreement, and making other
concessions that weren't written into the custody agreement. Sometimes
it's more important to be kind than be "in the right," to paraphrase
Foxy Shirlee. You absolutely cannot use the child as a weapon to hurt
your former spouse. I think if both parties can step back and consider
only what is best for the child, then they will make the right
decisions. For many years now my ex has been part of all my family's
holidays and celebrations, sometimes hosting Thanksgiving dinner at
his house and inviting my family to use his vacation/golf villa when
it's available, even when we were both married to other people. He
will always be my daughter's parent so he is as much a part of our
family as my own parents are. When there are children involved, it's
necessary to put aside whatever problems caused the divorce -- maybe
even see a counselor to help work through the negative emotions. It is
imperative that the parents show respect for each other no matter
what; after all, the child loves both parents so he/she is being hurt
regardless of which parent has custody;
Of course, all that can only be done if both parties are sane and
relatively mature. In the terrible case that Brady described, the
murderous husband was obviously mentally unbalanced. While the number
of divorces always plays a part in the overall health of a society, in
my opinion, mental illness is a far more critical issue here in the
U.S. We've seen gun rampages happening more and more often, and always
the killer has a history of psychiatric problems or some symptoms of
mental instability. If a person has undiagnosed or untreated mental
illness, then almost any setback can trigger a psychotic episode. The
key is not to eliminate all possible setbacks (divorce, the loss of a
job, the economy, etc.), but instead it's to take away the stigma of
mental illness and make psychiatric treatment readily available and
affordable. It's seems that in almost every instance, from Columbine
to Binghamton, there were people who said they had observed disturbing
behavior or noticed dangerous tendencies on the part of the shooter
(s). Combine untreated mental illness with the easy availability of
guns and you have a murderous rampage in the making.
> > And I hear political pundits talk about American 'exceptionalism.' Sean
> > Hannity repeatedly says the US is 'the greatest country in the history
> > of the world.' What is that even supposed to mean? That a god 'blesses'
> > a group of people who happen to live within a certain geographical
> > region while ignoring or cursing others? Pardon me if I call bullshit
> > when I hear Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity and Mark Levin and Rush Limbaugh
> > (et al.) raving like lunatics
>
> All those people (political pundits as you say) are full of crap.
> They have nothing but time to fill for their 24/7 news network and
> they fill it with all kinds of crap. �Just today they were spinning
> the fact that President Obama bowed (or appeared to have bowed) when
> meeting King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. �I mean that is crap.
>
> One of them even had the nerve to say, "If he is going to bow to a
> world leader, he should have bowed when meeting Queen Elizabeth. �She
> has ruled longer and done more for the world."
>
> I was like, "What?"
>
> If he had bowed to the Queen, they would have made a big deal about
> that.
>
> You just can't win these days. �You just have to ignore most of it.
> They have nothing but time to fill.
>
Amen, Maybe. Unfortunately, some people are overly influenced by the
pundits and make very poor decisions based on what they say on TV. I
think the answer to the pundits is education: teach critical thinking
skills in school. Educate the masses -- and have free health care
available when they're mentally ill.
Kate
(the Google verification word for this post is, appropriately, "noise")
Katy...@aol.com
You have a beautiful outlook, Marilyn. I had to get out a blue card
after reading it. It's the joy we see in little children that
encourages us to believe that's there's good in the world, no matter
how often we read about the evil.
But it's also the pity that Bertrand Russell wrote about so eloquently
(and Shirlee posted) that makes life almost unbearable for the most
sensitive among us. Knowing how joyful and innocent children are, how
can one stand the pain of abuse? Or the horror of poverty? I know I
often have to remind myself that it's important to do *something* to
help, however small the gesture, when it's so much less painful to
simply not think about it. Marilyn, you're one of my heroes.
Kate
Katy...@aol.com
>
>
>
>
>
> > Oh, hello. Since it's almost Thursday already, I decided to just go
> > ahead and create a joint Dark Week-Weekend Time Wasting Thread. I think
> > it's a brilliant idea, really. I guess I could have just added to the
> > other time-wasting thread, but the subject heading of that one was
> > posted in the form of a question, and it just didn't seem ...
>
> > I'm bored. I mean, I boring myself.
>
> > About an hour ago, I saw brand-new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee
> > Spooner Oldham in the supermarket. Spooner was the one introduced by
> > Paul during last weekend's induction ceremony. I started to go over and
> > congratulate him. However, he was in the customer service lane while I
> > was in a checkout line a few lanes away. So I didn't. Go over and
> > congratulate him, that is.
>
> > I think that's all I have to say right now. Unless you want to hear me
> > talk about my current favorite member of Congress -- Michele Bachmann
> > (R), of Minnesota's 6th Congressional District. Bachmann in 2012? One
> > can dream.
>
> > I guess that's all I got, for now. Maybe I'll think of a few trivia
> > questions for later.
>
> > What are you all up to this week & weekend?
>
> > Brady
>
> Thurs: �finishing up a job, picking up "The Book Thief" at the library
> (am reading the Jane Austen Book Club - enjoyable) -
Hey, Foxy...
I just read about a new book! I think I'll run out right now to buy
this for my vampire-loving, very literate daughter.
Would it be inappropriate to put it in her Easter basket/tote bag?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/apr/09/austen-zombie-pride-prejudice
Kate
foxysc...@yahoo.com
>
> Kate- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
yikes!
James Langdell
> ... But yesterday, as we finished coloring eggs, making a
> chick project and planting little plants in eggshells, I had a few children
> leave. I was left with my 4 nearly-three year olds. I had hidden plastic
> eggs outside earlier. As I opened the door to go outside, they saw eggs
> around the landscape and yelled, "There are eggs out there!" Their eyes
> widened as I handed them each a little basket and they ran around and filled
> them. The joy and anticipation on their little faces at that age just can't
> be described. Sometimes they would spill their eggs and have to pick them up
> again, but they were so overjoyed. I even saw a little bit of that joy on
> their parent's faces when they were picked up and the parents saw what fun
> they had. And again, I asked myself, what did I do to deserve this? But,
> this time, I meant it in a different way. Perhaps the hunt for eggs is a
> metaphor for life. We pick up new eggs all the time and sometimes they do
> fall out of our baskets.
>
> Or, perhaps it's just that three year olds really like plastic eggs! ;)
I look forward to getting a crack-intensity boost from witnessing that
sort of joy on Saturday morning. This is the second year the Elks
Concert Band I conduct will be playing for a city-sponsored Easter egg
hunt in a park in Burlingame. Hundreds of children come and are let
loose in waves (determined by age) to seek out plastic eggs across a
large park lawn. Our band plays as the kids wait their turn, so we get
to see their anticipation and excitement channeled into dancing around
to our music. One popular move during Sousa marches was stretching
their arms out and pretending to be airplanes. Band members (ranging
into their 90s) had a hard time keeping playing and not break down in
laughter and happy tears while being surrounded by such sustained joy
for 90 minutes.
I wish I could bottle some of that and send it to Brady and his town.
--James
Mark Leckner
"Brady" wrote >
Dear Brady,
Tragic and senseless doesn't begin to descibe this horror. What sane
person could understand what went through the mind of the killer? Human life
is a gift from God. No one has the right to steal that gift. The killer has
been held accountable by the One who created us all.
Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel. It was true in Samuel
Johnson's time and it is true today. We do have the power to turn them off.
But this is the greatest country in the world, it gives an individual the
greatest amount of liberty. We have freedom to do what we want, when we
want, how we want, within reason. How many other countries can say the same?
Common sense prevails. My right to swing my arms ends at the nose of the
person standing next to me. We have responsibilities to society. We the
people cannot legislate good behavior. The seven deadly sins are with us
always. Just for today, we try to do better.
Jesus of Nazereth preached love, kindness,and tolerance. He taught charity
and good works. He lived a life without luxuries and helped the poor and the
sick. Some preachers have a hard time remembering that.
I hope this helps,
Mark
Sharon L Page
"Brady" wrote
>
> I know I've gone from one topic (a killing and gun violence) to another
> (faux populist rhetoric) to another (fake preachers), but that's what
> happens sometimes when you try to make sense of things that never will.
> It's just what was on my mind this evening.
There is stuff happening like it all over the place. I have been focused on
a
little girl who went missing. They found her in a suitcase about two miles
from her home. Over and Over they keep showing the video of her playing
in the driveway of the trailer park where she lived. It was filmed a half
hour before the area was locked down hunting for her. It appears they
locked it down too far out and the one who hurt her was still able to
dump her in a water supply area near her home without being caught.
I want to look the entire neighborhood in the eyes and ask them one by
one if they did it. I am working on that anger right now.
I guess your concern is what makes you caring human. There are those who
would read, hear, and see stuff like the above and it not matter. They care
not to even make sense...they care not to even dwell on the subject. I
believe we witness things at many levels and mark our beings for a reason.
Both the good and the bad is exposed to us for a reason.
Even without understanding now-- it will come in time.
Sharon
(slumdog millionaire plot revealed in content above)
Brady
> Brady wrote:
>> Oh, hello. Since it's almost Thursday already, I decided to just go
>> ahead and create a joint Dark Week-Weekend Time Wasting Thread. I
>> think it's a brilliant idea, really. I guess I could have just added
>> to the other time-wasting thread, but the subject heading of that one
>> was posted in the form of a question, and it just didn't seem ...
>>
>> I'm bored. I mean, I boring myself.
>>
>> About an hour ago, I saw brand-new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee
>> Spooner Oldham in the supermarket. Spooner was the one introduced by
>> Paul during last weekend's induction ceremony. I started to go over
>> and congratulate him. However, he was in the customer service lane
>> while I was in a checkout line a few lanes away. So I didn't. Go over
>> and congratulate him, that is.
>
> I once met George Takei, Sulu from Star Trek
He's cool.
I once went to a sci-fi convention intending to see Jonathan Frakes. But
he was a no-show. The convention sucked.
My brother & I did catch a screening of "Flesh [sic] Gordon" at that
convention.
I think "Flesh Gordon" is like "Deep Throat" for a certain segment of
sci-fi convention enthusiasts.
(We only watched part of it. We got the hell out of that dimly-lit
convention meeting room fairly quickly.)
Brady
Brady
> Tom Cronin filted:
>> On Apr 8, 7:01=A0pm, Brady <watercl...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>>> I think that's all I have to say right now. Unless you want to hear me
>>> talk about my current favorite member of Congress -- Michele Bachmann
>>> (R), of Minnesota's 6th Congressional District. Bachmann in 2012? One
>>> can dream.
>> Dream all you want, but every time I see Flo, the Progressive
>> Insurance Sales-Babe, I think to myself... "THAT'S the gal for Brady."
>
> Hands off, buddy...I fixated on her when I realized that Erin Esurance is too
> young for me....r
Question: If "Star Trek"-style *holodecks* ever come to fruition, would
it be wrong to have sex with a hologram of a cartoon character?
(I mean, a hologram of a cartoon character *in human form*.)
I guess it would just be kind of sad.
Brady
Steve Curtis
>Question: If "Star Trek"-style *holodecks*
>ever come to fruition, would it be wrong
>to have sex with a hologram of a cartoon
>character?
>(I mean, a hologram of a cartoon
>character *in human form*.)
>I guess it would just be kind of sad.
Either way, it would certainly provide the means for practicing safe
sex.
R H Draney
I suppose it depends on the cartoon character involved...Melody from "Josie and
the Pussycats", Jessica Rabbit, Aeon Flux or the aforementioned Ms Esurance, why
not?...but anybody who wants to program the holodeck for Smurfette has issues
that need dealing with....
(Jem, considering the name of her band, would be a natural)....r
R H Draney
>
>I once went to a sci-fi convention intending to see Jonathan Frakes. But
>he was a no-show. The convention sucked.
>
>My brother & I did catch a screening of "Flesh [sic] Gordon" at that
>convention.
>
>I think "Flesh Gordon" is like "Deep Throat" for a certain segment of
>sci-fi convention enthusiasts.
>
>(We only watched part of it. We got the hell out of that dimly-lit
>convention meeting room fairly quickly.)
>
>Brady
Best family-friendly gag from "Flesh Gordon": Dr Jerkoff steps onto the surface
of an unknown planet in his spacesuit, removes his helmet, takes a deep sniff
and declares "good! there's oxygen here!"...
Best non-family-friendly gag from FG: "Some species of--penisaurus, I should
think"....r
Brady
> On Apr 9, 7:09�pm, Brady <watercl...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>> Note: The following news item that I'm about to discuss is disturbing.
>> Just wanted to give you a heads-up.
>>
>> OK.
>>
>> Earlier this week, in a small town in the county in which I'm currently
>> living, there was a quadruple murder-suicide that left five people dead,
>> including the killer.
>>
>> [...]
>
> Whoa Brady. Sorry to hear all this. There is not much to say to
> console you or anyone else except that divorce is hard. It is hard on
> the couple and their children and it is hard on the whole family.
>
> And, the whole family has to work hard and support their family member
> who is going through the divorce so they don't go on a shooting
> spree. Because sometimes, some of the other family members have to go
> to court and testify against one of the parties.
>
> In the cases where it has happened in my family, it has never been
> pretty. Not only does the person have to divorce the other person but
> the whole family has to divorce the other party.
>
> It is not easy and it is not pretty.
Now it's come out that in the divorce papers, the wife was claiming that
he had been physically abusive towards her. It's also been reported that
the wife had told at least one friend that she was worried that he was
capable of doing 'something' (violent) during this period while the
divorce was pending.
>> And I hear political pundits talk about American 'exceptionalism.' Sean
>> Hannity repeatedly says the US is 'the greatest country in the history
>> of the world.' What is that even supposed to mean? That a god 'blesses'
>> a group of people who happen to live within a certain geographical
>> region while ignoring or cursing others? Pardon me if I call bullshit
>> when I hear Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity and Mark Levin and Rush Limbaugh
>> (et al.) raving like lunatics
>
> All those people (political pundits as you say) are full of crap.
> They have nothing but time to fill for their 24/7 news network and
> they fill it with all kinds of crap. Just today they were spinning
> the fact that President Obama bowed (or appeared to have bowed) when
> meeting King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. I mean that is crap.
>
> One of them even had the nerve to say, "If he is going to bow to a
> world leader, he should have bowed when meeting Queen Elizabeth. She
> has ruled longer and done more for the world."
>
> I was like, "What?"
>
> If he had bowed to the Queen, they would have made a big deal about
> that.
>
> You just can't win these days. You just have to ignore most of it.
> They have nothing but time to fill.
Did you notice how a lot of 'right-wing' bloggers & pundits tried to
make a big deal out of the fact that Michelle Obama supposedly breached
protocol/etiquette by touching the Queen?
I can't believe that in the 21st century we're even talking about such a
thing -- to wit, monarchs who aren't supposed to be 'touched' by
non-'royals.'
Anyway, as I understand it, the Queen touched her first.
And George W. Bush held hands with the Saudi king.
I guess talking about this sort of thing beats focusing on, like, actual
issues and stuff.
> Maybe...hoping you can get over your depression and continue on.
Thanks.
Brady
Brady
Thank you, Shirlee.
That resonates with me, a lot.
Brady
Maybe
> Did you notice how a lot of 'right-wing' bloggers & pundits tried to
> make a big deal out of the fact that Michelle Obama supposedly breached
> protocol/etiquette by touching the Queen?
>
> I can't believe that in the 21st century we're even talking about such a
> thing -- to wit, monarchs who aren't supposed to be 'touched' by
> non-'royals.'
>
> Anyway, as I understand it, the Queen touched her first.
Yeah, I saw that. They kept making a big deal out of it even though
"royal experts" said it was okay because the Queen touched her first.
But still, they kept showing it over and over and asking anybody they
could find if Michelle Obama did something horrible. And over and
over again, the "royal experts" said, "No, the Queen touched her
first."
It was explained over and over that you watch the Queen and if the
Queen does it, you can do it. If she "high five's" you, then you can
do the same with her but you don't do it first. They also said that
if you go to dinner with the Queen, you better eat up because when the
Queen is done, you are done! So hurry up because she gets full fast!
It's just that these guys have nothing better to do or say and have
time to fill so they will fill it with whatever they think will take
up time.
Maybe...it is so stupid and that's when I turn it off
Brady
> Brady, I'm sorry this dark week/weekend is just that for you. From my point
> of view, you are a rare bird. You are a liberal leaning guy in the newspaper
> business in Alabama! Could there be a more difficult position to be in?
> You're lucky to be alive, my friend. ;)
I'm dead inside. (Settle down! I'm just kidding!)
> (not to be interpreted as an
> anti-Southern thing on my part) I just imagine you are bombarded with the
> Fox news viewpoint more than say... me.
> But remember, this world is full of beautiful things too. Beautiful moments,
> if you will. I experienced one yesterday. Let me bore you with it...
> For nearly 23 years, I've been doing daycare. I sort of fell into the
> career, and there have been times that I wondered, what did I do to deserve
> this? Others have cool careers and are respected, while I am isolated and
> changing diapers. But yesterday, as we finished coloring eggs, making a
> chick project and planting little plants in eggshells, I had a few children
> leave. I was left with my 4 nearly-three year olds. I had hidden plastic
> eggs outside earlier. As I opened the door to go outside, they saw eggs
> around the landscape and yelled, "There are eggs out there!" Their eyes
> widened as I handed them each a little basket and they ran around and filled
> them. The joy and anticipation on their little faces at that age just can't
> be described. Sometimes they would spill their eggs and have to pick them up
> again, but they were so overjoyed. I even saw a little bit of that joy on
> their parent's faces when they were picked up and the parents saw what fun
> they had. And again, I asked myself, what did I do to deserve this? But,
> this time, I meant it in a different way. Perhaps the hunt for eggs is a
> metaphor for life. We pick up new eggs all the time and sometimes they do
> fall out of our baskets.
>
> Or, perhaps it's just that three year olds really like plastic eggs! ;)
I loved that little anecdote, Marilyn. Thanks.
(This sentence made me chuckle: "Others have cool careers and are
respected, while I am isolated and changing diapers.")
I'm reminded of the following quote, from the writings of Anne Frank.
"I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that
people are really good at heart."
I would say: children -- loving, innocent and without adult-taught
prejudices -- are good at heart, as are most people.
Brady
Helen Read
>
>
> "Brady" wrote
>>
>> I know I've gone from one topic (a killing and gun violence) to
>> another (faux populist rhetoric) to another (fake preachers), but
>> that's what happens sometimes when you try to make sense of things
>> that never will. It's just what was on my mind this evening.
>
> There is stuff happening like it all over the place. I have been focused
> on a
> little girl who went missing. They found her in a suitcase about two miles
> from her home.
This kind of violence is horrible and tragic, *but* it is worth
remembering that it is extremely rare. The vast majority of the more
than 6 billion inhabitants of the planet don't go around doing this
stuff. It's the aberrant, pathological cases that we hear about on the
news, precisely because they *are* aberrant and unusual. It's not
considered newsworthy to report about the billions of kind and decent
people who love their families, work hard, and are upstanding members of
their communities.
--
HPR
Alan Page
"polar" wrote...
> I once met George Takei, Sulu from Star Trek
Since it's a dark week, I'll one-up you on that.
I drove Leonard Nimoy in my (family's [Oldsmobile 98]) car from Merced
airport to Merced College and back in 1972.
He was on a speaking tour for George McGovern and I had access to the
best car in the local campaign.
I also drove Pete Stark (running for Congress at the time) for the same
purpose and luckily he jumped out of the car after a CHP stopped me thinking
I had gone through a red turn signal. Apparently, the officer was mistaken.
Pete owned Security National Bank (Walnut Creek) in the San Francisco
East Bay area and had a large peace symbol at the top of his building. He
also had peace symbols on the bank's checks.
He is now the longest-serving member of the Congress from California.
--
Alan
~WWWWW~
What a Wonderful Web We Weave
Helen Read
> "polar" wrote...
>> I once met George Takei, Sulu from Star Trek
>
> Since it's a dark week, I'll one-up you on that.
>
> I drove Leonard Nimoy in my (family's [Oldsmobile 98]) car from Merced
> airport to Merced College and back in 1972.
> He was on a speaking tour for George McGovern and I had access to the
> best car in the local campaign.
Let me guess: Jay Thomas and the Lone Ranger were with you.
--
HPR
Alan Page
"Helen Read" wrote...
> Let me guess: Jay Thomas and the Lone Ranger were with you.
Didn't need them...nobody crashed into me.
Helen Read
Boston University last night, on the ESPN2. BU is widely acclaimed as
the best team in the country, but UVM had beaten them in two out of
three meetings this season (they are in the same conference). It was
quite an exciting game, with UVM coming back from a 2-0 deficit to lead
3-2, and later 4-3, before ultimately losing to BU 5-4.
It was a *little* disappointing that UVM lost, but they played well
against a very, very good team, and have nothing to hang their heads
about. Everyone on campus was happy that UVM got to play in the Frozen
Four (for only the second time ever), and happy that they acquitted
themselves nicely in the big game.
--
HPR
Jess Band-ee-Coot
> Question: If "Star Trek"-style *holodecks* ever come to fruition, would
> it be wrong to have sex with a hologram of a cartoon character?
>
> (I mean, a hologram of a cartoon character *in human form*.)
>
> I guess it would just be kind of sad.
>
> Brady
Come on.....this is *far* worse than Curtis & I bickering.
--
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Did you ever once show me any kind of friendship?
Ask my help with a personal problem?
Include me in one of your little bull sessions?
Can you imagine what it feels like to walk by this tent
and hear you laughing and know... that I'm not welcome?
Did you ever once offer me a lousy cup of coffee?"
-- Major Margaret Houlihan "M*A*S*H" ("The Nurses")
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Mark Leckner
>Helen wrote
> This kind of violence is horrible and tragic, *but* it is worth
> remembering that it is extremely rare. The vast majority of the more than
> 6 billion inhabitants of the planet don't go around doing this stuff. It's
> the aberrant, pathological cases that we hear about on the news, precisely
> because they *are* aberrant and unusual. It's not considered newsworthy to
> report about the billions of kind and decent people who love their
> families, work hard, and are upstanding members of their communities.
>
> --
> HPR
>
> http://homepages.together.net/~hpr/daveorama/
Thank you, Helen
It takes a mathematician to raise a village :}
New Horizons Current Position: 13.00 AU from Sun, 18.69 AU from Pluto
Heliocentric Velocity: 17.13 km/s
that's moving!
Mark Leckner
Come on.....this is *far* worse than Curtis & I bickering.
No
No it's not.
Mark
Sharon L Page
"Helen Read" wrote
I read your point. I add a but to it though. In this world there our
children dying
everyday because of war, illness and starvation related to targeted
violence. They
are a part of your billions stats. There are women and young girls being
forced into
horrible living situations not just kidnapped and killed. Rare is not a
word I would use
in this world now when it comes to crimes against children and women at any
level.
<<<..
<".A child goes missing every 40 seconds in the U.S, over 2,100 per day
In excess of 800,000 children are reported missing each year
Another 500,000 go missing without ever being reported."
http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/
>
http://missingchildprevention.wordpress.com/2009/02/13/keeping-count-in-colorado/
>>>
http://www.feminist.com/antiviolence/facts.html
Your focus on the one doing it not being news worthy--I agree. The victims
though
may never ever be found or achieve a better life situation if the
information is not share.
SLP
*****
Mark Leckner
> >"Helen Read" wrote
>> This kind of violence is horrible and tragic, *but* it is worth
>> remembering that it is extremely rare. The vast majority of the more than
>> 6 billion inhabitants of the planet don't go around doing this stuff.
>> It's the aberrant, pathological cases that we hear about on the news,
>> precisely because they *are* aberrant and unusual. It's not considered
>> newsworthy to report about the billions of kind and decent people who
>> love their families, work hard, and are upstanding members of their
>> communities.
"Sharon L Page" wrote
> I read your point. I add a but to it though. In this world there our
> children dying
> everyday because of war, illness and starvation related to targeted
> violence. They
> are a part of your billions stats. There are women and young girls being
> forced into
> horrible living situations not just kidnapped and killed. Rare is not a
> word I would use
> in this world now when it comes to crimes against children and women at
> any level.
> <<<..
> <".A child goes missing every 40 seconds in the U.S, over 2,100 per day
>
> In excess of 800,000 children are reported missing each year
>
> Another 500,000 go missing without ever being reported."
That's 1,300,000 children a year.
Or 13,000,000 over ten years.
Or 65,000,000 over fifty years.
There are 300,000,000 people in the US.
65 out of 300 were/are missing persons?
Mark
Marilyn
> There is stuff happening like it all over the place. I have been focused
> on a little girl who went missing. They found her in a suitcase about two
> miles
I bet you wouldn't have asked her female sunday school teacher. Wow.
Katy...@aol.com
I wonder when they'll know what this woman's motive was -- maybe there
was some terrible accident that killed the girl and then the woman
panicked. It's not much consolation, but it's better than reading
about an adult who is so disturbed that she would murder a child. I
know I haven't been able to stop thinking about this girl, and the
tragic murders that so depressed Brady, and all the other horrible
child murders that we've read about in recent years. There's that pity
factor that Bertrand Russell wrote about... the mind inevitably moves
toward imagining the terror and pain that the child suffered so it's
necessary to switch the brain off as quickly as possible and think on
other things. Violence and evil perpetrated against children is the
most heinous of all unspeakable acts, in my opinion.
Still, we must address the problem if we are ever going to solve it,
and I'm too cowardly to dwell on the subject more than a few minutes
at a time. But maybe there are ways people can get involved. Where I
live, there is an annual walk sponsored by Prevent Child Abuse Athens.
(Watch the video at www.pcaathens.org to see the t-shirt designs
submitted by real children, my son's artwork being one of the five
finalists.) There's probably a Prevent Child Abuse walk where you
live, too. Or find a way to support mental health organizations in
your community -- those who commit these atrocities are certainly
mentally ill. At the very least we can vote for candidates who put
affordable mental health care on their to-do lists. And we can take
care of each other. Volunteer at a school in your area or be a Scout
leader. Check into being a foster parent or a Big Brother or Big
Sister. After completing the training to be a foster parent, I
realized how hard it would be to give a child back to the biological
parent once I had bonded with him/her, so for me, adoption was the
answer. You don't have to be Angelina or Madonna and go to another
country to find a child to adopt, either -- there are thousands of
beautiful children right here in the U.S. who desperately want a
"forever" family. Adopting a child could save him from the foster care
system and possible future psychological damage.
We all have our limitations, but we all have our own gifts, too. Use
them to help a child in some way. Maybe Pat Fleet will update us on
the work she does with Free Arts Minnesota. Until Pat reads this
thread, here's a link she would want you to look at:
http://www.freeartsminnesota.org/who.php
I'm sure you can think of many more ways to help end these acts of
violence against children and other innocent victims.
Kate
Maybe
> I wonder when they'll know what this woman's motive was -- maybe there
> was some terrible accident that killed the girl and then the woman
> panicked.
It is wall to wall coverage here in the SF Bay Area this morning.
There is going to be a 10 am (Pacific time) press conference. It is
being streamed live on KRON4.com so maybe they will have more info on
motive, etc.
The first press conference announcing her arrest was at 3 am (PT) and
it is covered there too.
Here is the link:
http://kron4.com/
Maybe...glad there was an arrest
Helen Read
>
> "Helen Read" wrote
>>
>> This kind of violence is horrible and tragic, *but* it is worth
>> remembering that it is extremely rare. The vast majority of the more
>> than 6 billion inhabitants of the planet don't go around doing this
>> stuff. It's the aberrant, pathological cases that we hear about on the
>> news, precisely because they *are* aberrant and unusual. It's not
>> considered newsworthy to report about the billions of kind and decent
>> people who love their families, work hard, and are upstanding members
>> of their communities.
>
> I read your point. I add a but to it though. In this world there our
> children dying
> everyday because of war, illness and starvation related to targeted
> violence. They
> are a part of your billions stats. There are women and young girls being
> forced into
> horrible living situations not just kidnapped and killed. Rare is not a
> word I would use
> in this world now when it comes to crimes against children and women at
> any level.
Point taken. But:
> <<<..
> <".A child goes missing every 40 seconds in the U.S, over 2,100 per day
>
> In excess of 800,000 children are reported missing each year
The vast majority of children reported missing are runaways, or are lost
or injured, or were taken by a family member.
In the year that the 2002 NISMART study (where that 800,000 children
"reported missing" figure comes from):
<< 115 children were the victims of "stereotypical" kidnapping. These
crimes involve someone the child does not know, or knows only slightly,
who holds the child overnight, transports the child 50 miles or more,
kills the child, demands ransom, or intends to keep the child permanently.>>
http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=2816
From the same page:
<< According to a 1997 study, Case Management for Missing Children
Homicide Investigation, the murder of an abducted child is a rare event;
an estimated 100 such incidents occur in the United States each year. >>
Yes, children need to be protected, and of course it's a Bad Thing when
a family member abducts a child in a dispute over custody. But stranger
abduction and murder or sexual abuse of abducted children is exceedingly
rare.
See also:
http://www.csicop.org/si/2006-05/panic.html
<< If a child goes missing, a convicted sex offender is among the least
likely explanations, far behind runaways, family abductions, and the
child being lost or injured. >>
--
HPR
Sharon L Page
"Helen Read" wrote in
The sick point is most individuals "know" their abuser or abductor. A
custody
dispute situation is a coverall for many things. Children are not where
they
are suppose to be, which opens them up to all sorts of harm and improper
care.
> See also:
>
> http://www.csicop.org/si/2006-05/panic.html
>
> << If a child goes missing, a convicted sex offender is among the least
> likely explanations, far behind runaways, family abductions, and the child
> being lost or injured. >>
This order of thinking is exactly what so very many are trying to prevent--
No matter what report it came from. The Amber Alert was signed into law
to help alter it. First.. Always the convicted sex offender/violence with
the injured
or lost aspect...family abduction and very, very last in the thoughts should
be runaway.
SLP
*****
Sharon L Page
"Marilyn" wrote in
With my background I would have. Women are too many times a party to
what takes place with the children. I typed 'entire' because I meant it.
SLP
****
How is that tree?
Brady
> I look forward to getting a crack-intensity boost from witnessing that
> sort of joy on Saturday morning. This is the second year the Elks
> Concert Band I conduct will be playing for a city-sponsored Easter egg
> hunt in a park in Burlingame. Hundreds of children come and are let
> loose in waves (determined by age) to seek out plastic eggs across a
> large park lawn. Our band plays as the kids wait their turn, so we get
> to see their anticipation and excitement channeled into dancing around
> to our music. One popular move during Sousa marches was stretching
> their arms out and pretending to be airplanes. Band members (ranging
> into their 90s) had a hard time keeping playing and not break down in
> laughter and happy tears while being surrounded by such sustained joy
> for 90 minutes.
>
> I wish I could bottle some of that and send it to Brady and his town.
That's beautiful stuff, James. I can picture the excitement; the
excitement of the kids and the joy of the band members.
Are the pair of 90-year-olds still playing? (I think I remember you
saying there were two -- or more? -- members in their 90s.)
Brady
Brady
I think it's safe to say you had a touch of Frozen Four Fever.
Brady
James Langdell
> > I wish I could bottle some of that and send it to Brady and his town.
>
> That's beautiful stuff, James. I can picture the excitement; the
> excitement of the kids and the joy of the band members.
>
> Are the pair of 90-year-olds still playing? (I think I remember you
> saying there were two -- or more? -- members in their 90s.)
The 92 year old clarinet/bass clarinet/sax player is still playing
regularly with the Elks band, as well as about four other bands each
week. This winter, though, he retired from performing weekly concerts
with the professional (paid!) San Francisco Municipal Park Band. The
93 year old drummer hasn't been doing as well in recent weeks. He's no
longer driving himself, and several recent times when other players
have showed up at his house to give him a ride, they found he didn't
realize there was a rehearsal or performance happening. We've had
other musicians filling in on drums, for now. He's gone through some
bad patches in recent years, but he had come back with amazing
strength and clarity.
When I started conducting this group ten years ago, there were two
baritone players in their 90s who had played in bands together since
the 1930s. One of them had been conducted by Sousa while in college,
and had played with the Barnum & Bailey circus band. After both had
retired from playing for several few years, they died within a week of
each other.
--James
Brady
> "Brady" wrote:
>
>> Question: If "Star Trek"-style *holodecks*
>> ever come to fruition, would it be wrong
>> to have sex with a hologram of a cartoon
>> character?
>
>> (I mean, a hologram of a cartoon
>> character *in human form*.)
>
>> I guess it would just be kind of sad.
>
> Either way, it would certainly provide the means for practicing safe
> sex.
I hope I wouldn't end up like Lt. Barclay.
(Did you all watch "Star Trek: The Next Generation?")
Brady
Brady
> Brady filted:
>>
>> Question: If "Star Trek"-style *holodecks* ever come to fruition, would
>> it be wrong to have sex with a hologram of a cartoon character?
>>
>> (I mean, a hologram of a cartoon character *in human form*.)
>>
>> I guess it would just be kind of sad.
>
> I suppose it depends on the cartoon character involved...Melody from "Josie and
> the Pussycats", Jessica Rabbit, Aeon Flux or the aforementioned Ms Esurance, why
> not?...but anybody who wants to program the holodeck for Smurfette has issues
> that need dealing with....
>
> (Jem, considering the name of her band, would be a natural)....r
What was the deal with Smurfette?
I mean, who was the father of her baby? (Papa Smurf?)
Brady
Brady
> "Brady" wrote
>
>>
> Dear Brady,
> Tragic and senseless doesn't begin to descibe this horror. What sane
> person could understand what went through the mind of the killer? Human life
> is a gift from God. No one has the right to steal that gift. The killer has
> been held accountable by the One who created us all.
>
> Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel. It was true in Samuel
> Johnson's time and it is true today. We do have the power to turn them off.
> But this is the greatest country in the world, it gives an individual the
> greatest amount of liberty. We have freedom to do what we want, when we
> want, how we want, within reason. How many other countries can say the same?
> Common sense prevails. My right to swing my arms ends at the nose of the
> person standing next to me. We have responsibilities to society. We the
> people cannot legislate good behavior. The seven deadly sins are with us
> always. Just for today, we try to do better.
>
> Jesus of Nazereth preached love, kindness,and tolerance. He taught charity
> and good works. He lived a life without luxuries and helped the poor and the
> sick. Some preachers have a hard time remembering that.
>
> I hope this helps,
> Mark
Thanks.
Speaking of Jesus ...
I woke up at about 2:00 AM last night and did some channel surfing --
*flipping*, as I refer to it -- and I stopped on one of the 'religious
channels.' I think it was Trinity Broadcasting Network. They were
featuring some of the oddest programming I've ever seen.
What they were doing was: they were telling 'the Easter story' as if it
were set in the present, and they were telling it in the form of a
modern-day newscast. In other words: it was a fake yet
'authentic'-looking, 'real-time' newscast, complete with 'on-the-scene'
reporting and 'experts' in the 'studio.' Sample dialogue (paraphrasing):
'Earlier today, Rome's chief envoy to Jerusalem expressed concern that
rogue rabbi Jesus' rhetoric concerning the temple could cause unrest in
the days leading up to Passover. For more, we turn to ... '
Very odd. Yet kind of compelling viewing. (From an aesthetic/production
standpoint.)
Brady
R H Draney
Watch it?...
Barclay even made it onto my "you know it's going to be a bad stardate when"
page:
http://members.cox.net/dadoctah/badtrekday.htm
(Everything on the page was written before "Star Trek: Voyager" came
along...I've considered adding the last two series but decided that would be
even geekier)....r
--
A pessimist sees the glass as half empty.
An optometrist asks whether you see the glass
more full like this?...or like this?
R H Draney
I'm thinking Secret Squirrel came through on vacation during the summer
hiatus....r
Brady
> Sharon L Page wrote:
>>
>> "Helen Read" wrote
>>>
>>> This kind of violence is horrible and tragic, *but* it is worth
>>> remembering that it is extremely rare. The vast majority of the more
>>> than 6 billion inhabitants of the planet don't go around doing this
>>> stuff. It's the aberrant, pathological cases that we hear about on
>>> the news, precisely because they *are* aberrant and unusual. It's not
>>> considered newsworthy to report about the billions of kind and decent
>>> people who love their families, work hard, and are upstanding members
>>> of their communities.
>>
>> I read your point. I add a but to it though. In this world there our
>> children dying
>> everyday because of war, illness and starvation related to targeted
>> violence. They
>> are a part of your billions stats. There are women and young girls
>> being forced into
>> horrible living situations not just kidnapped and killed. Rare is not
>> a word I would use
>> in this world now when it comes to crimes against children and women
>> at any level.
>
> Point taken. But:
>
>> [...]
>
> The vast majority of children reported missing are runaways, or are lost
> or injured, or were taken by a family member.
>
> [...]
>
> Yes, children need to be protected, and of course it's a Bad Thing when
> a family member abducts a child in a dispute over custody. But stranger
> abduction and murder or sexual abuse of abducted children is exceedingly
> rare.
<snip>
I'd like to throw out another point or two regarding perspective.
As we're all aware, there have been several instances of 'spree
killings' and multiple murder-suicides in the US over the course of the
past several months. I know there's been some speculation in the media
that there may be (or could be) a correlation between the economy and
crime & violence, particularly (intra-household) domestic violence. I'm
not so much interested in correlations, at least for the purposes of
this post, as I am in media coverage and public reaction to such
instances of mass violence.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Cynthia Tucker talked about this in
her syndicated column last week. She said that if al-Qaeda terrorists
had been suspected of carrying out these killings in the US -- even one
of these killings -- the public would be demanding action from the
President and Congress. The media would have a field day the likes of
which is rarely seen. I think she makes a good point.
Why the relative toleration of gun violence in this country -- gun
violence perpetrated by US citizens or residents against their fellow
citizens and residents? I'm sure there's probably a socio-psychological
component to it.
Really, though. Isn't the guy who killed 14 people in Binghamton, NY
last month before killing himself every bit as much a terrorist as Ayman
al-Zawahri? Isn't the accused cop killer in Pittsburgh every much a
terrorist as the convicted so-called '20th hijacker?'
I agree with Helen that perspective is important and healthy. Sometimes
I think it would do me good to take a break from 'the news,' or to at
least periodically limit my news viewing and reading choices according
to some sort of reasonable structure. Watching just a single broadcast
network news program each day -- yeah, like anyone still watches the
broadcast networks' evening news programs! -- is enough to make you feel
as if there are bad, dangerous people lurking around every corner.
Still, I truly believe that the vast majority of people are not bad;
that the vast majority have good hearts. Helen's certainly correct:
random violent crime is in fact *extraordinary*, which, as she said, is
why violent crimes are reported in the first place. I really do try to
keep this in mind.
I guess in part two I'll discuss my views regarding sensible gun
control. Part three will be 'So-Called Root Causes: Should We Care?'
Look for them in my next newsletter.
Brady
Tom W
>
> The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Cynthia Tucker talked about this in
> her syndicated column last week. She said that if al-Qaeda terrorists
> had been suspected of carrying out these killings in the US -- even one
> of these killings -- the public would be demanding action from the
> President and Congress. The media would have a field day the likes of
> which is rarely seen. I think she makes a good point.
Terrorism is planned to have an effect on the target population. The people who
are doing these killings can't see outside their own problems. If there were
these mass killings going on in different locations and we knew there was one
planner with an agenda, then the correlations are obvious and the media can
build a narrative about all of these single incidents being part of one big
conflict.
In reality, the only thing tying these incidents together is that they happened
at roughly the same time. The media are going to look for a narrative anyway so
they'll take what they can get (the economy) to make it one story instead of three.
>
> Why the relative toleration of gun violence in this country -- gun
> violence perpetrated by US citizens or residents against their fellow
> citizens and residents? I'm sure there's probably a socio-psychological
> component to it.
The vast, vast majority of gun violence takes place in the most marginalized
areas of the country - the inner cities and rural areas. It's tolerated because
it's not seen by the population who get involved in public policy.
>
> Really, though. Isn't the guy who killed 14 people in Binghamton, NY
> last month before killing himself every bit as much a terrorist as Ayman
> al-Zawahri? Isn't the accused cop killer in Pittsburgh every much a
> terrorist as the convicted so-called '20th hijacker?'
You have to define terrorism. The definition I use is a group tries to force a
political change on a country by attacking people who are not in power to make
that change. In Binghamton and Pittsburgh I see no group and no political end,
so I say it's not terrorism. If you want to redefine all killings of more than
one person as terrorism, you either have to consider terrorist groups as a
civilian law enforcement problem or you have to consider the whole US population
as potential terrorists and take everybody's rights away under the Patriot Act.
>
> I agree with Helen that perspective is important and healthy. Sometimes
> I think it would do me good to take a break from 'the news,' or to at
> least periodically limit my news viewing and reading choices according
> to some sort of reasonable structure. Watching just a single broadcast
> network news program each day -- yeah, like anyone still watches the
> broadcast networks' evening news programs! -- is enough to make you feel
> as if there are bad, dangerous people lurking around every corner.
> Still, I truly believe that the vast majority of people are not bad;
> that the vast majority have good hearts. Helen's certainly correct:
> random violent crime is in fact *extraordinary*, which, as she said, is
> why violent crimes are reported in the first place. I really do try to
> keep this in mind.
I think one's feeling of personal safety is proportional to the amount of news
and crime dramas one watches. Cut back on those and the world will seem a much
less dangerous place.
Tom W
kat...@earthlink.net
DES MOINES, Iowa – A mystery is unfolding in the world of college
fundraising: During the past few weeks, at least nine universities
have received gifts totaling more than $45 million, and the schools
had to promise not to try to find out the giver's identity.
One school went so far as to check with the IRS and the Department of
Homeland Security just to make sure a $1.5 million gift didn't come
from illegal sources.
"In my last 28 years in fundraising ... this is the first time I've
dealt with a gift that the institution didn't know who the donor is,"
said Phillip D. Adams, vice president for university advancement at
Norfolk State University, which received $3.5 million.
The gifts ranged from $8 million at Purdue to $1.5 million donated to
the University of North Carolina at Asheville. The University of Iowa
received $7 million; the University of Southern Mississippi, the
University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of
Maryland University College got $6 million each; the University of
Colorado at Colorado Springs was given $5.5 million; and Penn State-
Harrisburg received $3 million.
It's not clear whether the gifts came from an individual, an
organization or a group of people with similar interests. In every
case, the donor or donors dealt with the universities through lawyers
or other middlemen. Some of the money came in cashier's checks, while
other schools received checks from a law firm or another
representative.
All the schools had to agree not to investigate the identity of the
giver. Some were required to make such a promise in writing.
"Our chancellor was called to a Denver law office and had to sign a
confidentiality agreement that she would not try to find out," said
Tom Hutton, spokesman at the University of Colorado at Colorado
Springs. "Once the chancellor signed it, she was emphatic that we
don't try to find out."
Each was delivered since March 1 and came with the same stipulation:
Most of the money must be used for student scholarships, and the
remainder can be spent on various costs such as research, equipment,
strategic goals and operating support.
"We have no idea who this generous individual is, but we're extremely
grateful," said Lynette Marshall, president and chief executive of the
University of Iowa foundation. "This is the first time in my 25-year
career that something of this magnitude has happened."
Usually when schools receive anonymous donations, the school knows the
identity of the benefactor but agrees to keep it secret. Not knowing
who is giving the money can raise thorny problems.
William Massey, vice chancellor for alumni and development at UNC-
Asheville, said the school contacted the Department of Homeland
Security and the IRS to make sure the money was legal before accepting
it.
"There may be an ethical problem if you knowingly accept funds from
ill-gotten gains," said Colorado Springs' Hutton. University officials
"do due diligence and ask the appropriate questions and receive
satisfactory answers."
The $6 million donated to the University of Southern Mississippi was
the largest single gift ever bestowed to the school.
"It was a remarkable gift particularly during these economic times,"
said David Wolf, vice president of advancement.
"I think somebody is out there, or potentially a group of people, that
has a great respect for the value of a college education and the power
that it brings," Wolf said. "Gosh, if it's the same person or the same
collective group of people, it's an amazing story."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090416/ap_on_re_us/mystery_gifts;_ylt=AsgRQe18mY7u0gXuKXt8McMDW7oF
James Langdell
wrote:
--James
> The $6 million donated to the University of Southern Mississippi was
> the largest single gift ever bestowed to the school.
>
> "It was a remarkable gift particularly during these economic times,"
> said David Wolf, vice president of advancement.
>
> "I think somebody is out there, or potentially a group of people, that
> has a great respect for the value of a college education and the power
> that it brings," Wolf said. "Gosh, if it's the same person or the same
> collective group of people, it's an amazing story."
>
> http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090416/ap_on_re_us/mystery_gifts;_ylt=As...
kat...@earthlink.net
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Some customers at Starbucks shops around the
Birmingham area have been getting an extra ingredient with their
coffee: Kindness. Customers at shops in eastern Birmingham, Hoover and
Vestavia Hills are paying it forward by anonymously picking up the
tabs of others.
Sharon Dierking got a taste of the movement when she pulled up to the
window at a Starbucks on U.S. 280 and the barista told her the driver
in the car ahead of her had paid for her order.
"I was completely dumbfounded, but I was thrilled," she said.
Dierking was last in line that day, but was able to return the
kindness to another at a Starbucks in Inverness a few days later.
"It makes you feel good and it brightens your day," she said.
A Starbucks spokeswoman said the Seattle-based company promoted a
Cheer Pass program in 2007 to remind customers to spread kindness, but
the recent phenomenon is "consumer-driven."
Catherine Ryan Hyde, author of the book "Pay It Forward," launched the
movement in 2000. Hyde wrote the book after two strangers helped her
when she was stranded on a California road and her car caught fire.
Stacie Elm, a barista at an Alabaster Starbucks, said a line of five
cars recently paid it forward. Customers are usually surprised to find
out their order is already paid for, she said.
"Most are like, 'You're kidding,'" she said.
Coggy13
>
> The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Cynthia Tucker talked about this in
> her syndicated column last week. She said that if al-Qaeda terrorists
> had been suspected of carrying out these killings in the US -- even one
> of these killings -- the public would be demanding action from the
> President and Congress. The media would have a field day the likes of
> which is rarely seen. I think she makes a good point.
>
> Why the relative toleration of gun violence in this country -- gun
> violence perpetrated by US citizens or residents against their fellow
> citizens and residents? I'm sure there's probably a socio-psychological
> component to it.
>
60 Minutes and 20/20 have recently devoted entire hours (or close to
it) on gun violence and how easy it is to get guns. I've seen plenty
of local coverage on gun violence as well, since there's been several
major incidences around here. So I'm not sure what is a "field day"
but there's certainly been a lot of reporting on the problem.
And though not gun related, there's been violence in my own apartment
building. Last week, a woman who was a guest of a male tenant fell to
her death from the 5th floor (I'm on the 4th). I wasn't around and
heard about it days later. I have heard updates since that I wouldn't
call all that reliable. This is an article on it:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009015342_webfall09m.html
R H Draney
>
>Mystery donors give over $45M to 9 universities
>
>
>fundraising: During the past few weeks, at least nine universities
>have received gifts totaling more than $45 million, and the schools
>had to promise not to try to find out the giver's identity.
Just to save you all wondering: it wasn't me....r
Brady
> Tom Cronin filted:
>> On Apr 8, 7:01=A0pm, Brady <watercl...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>>> I think that's all I have to say right now. Unless you want to hear me
>>> talk about my current favorite member of Congress -- Michele Bachmann
>>> (R), of Minnesota's 6th Congressional District. Bachmann in 2012? One
>>> can dream.
>> Dream all you want, but every time I see Flo, the Progressive
>> Insurance Sales-Babe, I think to myself... "THAT'S the gal for Brady."
>
> Hands off, buddy...I fixated on her when I realized that Erin Esurance is too
> young for me....r
I like Flo the Progressive Insurance saleslady, but don't they have her
sounding just a tad patronizing to that gay couple who comes in looking
to save money on their auto insurance?
You know, the one in which the one guy has sold his wristwatch to his
friend.
'Money a bit tight?'
'Oh, we can help you save!'
'That's cold.'
Brady
Brady
How the F did that happen?!
I think my spellchecker has become sentient.
Brady
R H Draney
Never mind that...why did it mess with my name and ignore "filted" in your quote
of my quote of Tom Cronin's post?...r
Sally
>
> >> I know I've gone from one topic (a killing and gun violence) to
> >> another (faux populist rhetoric) to another (fake preachers), but
> >> that's what happens sometimes when you try to make sense of things
> >> that never will. It's just what was on my mind this evening.
>
> > There is stuff happening like it all over the place. I have been focused
> > on a
> > little girl who went missing. They found her in a suitcase about two miles
>
> This kind of violence is horrible and tragic, *but* it is worth
> remembering that it is extremely rare. The vast majority of the more
> than 6 billion inhabitants of the planet don't go around doing this
> stuff. It's the aberrant, pathological cases that we hear about on the
> news, precisely because they *are* aberrant and unusual. It's not
> considered newsworthy to report about the billions of kind and decent
> people who love their families, work hard, and are upstanding members of
> their communities.
>
> HPR
>
> http://homepages.together.net/~hpr/daveorama/
Excellent observations, Helen. You're talking about the "tabloid news"
tendencies lately of the tube. In Ed Murrow's day, he tackled some
really tough subjects without exploiting the horrific aspects of them.
But he left TV (CBS, specifically,) as he presciently saw the
direction television was heading in. He didn't live a long life, with
his constant smoking, and probably was riddled with ulcers.
Television and radio, to a lesser extent, choose to focus on the
ghastly and aberrant because it's easier to do that than tackle the
underlying issues in society that could use some attention. It's
easier to write about horror stories than complex issues. But look at
the effect the constant barrage of horror stories has had on Brady,
and many other people.
Coincidentally, I was reading a book by Miep Gies, who hid the Franks
(Anne and her family,) until they were discovered by an informer and
turned in for a reward.
Anne looked at the vision of people she held in her heart, and she was
right. It's not healthy to give up hope on the human race, although it
is easy to get depressed. Anne's writing thrilled Miep Gies, who found
and hid Anne's diary because if found, it would've gotten a lot of
people into trouble.
Otto Frank had to be persuaded again and again to have it published,
and he finally conceded. It's the second most popular book after The
Bible. She was a kid, and already a great writer.
One poignant note: She wrote in her diary that when everything was
over, she wanted to go to "Holywood" and meet the stars. She spelled
Hollywood with one L. I find that spelling particularly poignant for
some reason.
Sally
Brady
> Brady wrote:
>>
>> The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Cynthia Tucker talked about this in
>> her syndicated column last week. She said that if al-Qaeda terrorists
>> had been suspected of carrying out these killings in the US -- even
>> one of these killings -- the public would be demanding action from the
>> President and Congress. The media would have a field day the likes of
>> which is rarely seen. I think she makes a good point.
>
> Terrorism is planned to have an effect on the target population. The
> people who are doing these killings can't see outside their own
> problems. If there were these mass killings going on in different
> locations and we knew there was one planner with an agenda, then the
> correlations are obvious and the media can build a narrative about all
> of these single incidents being part of one big conflict.
>
> In reality, the only thing tying these incidents together is that they
> happened at roughly the same time. The media are going to look for a
> narrative anyway so they'll take what they can get (the economy) to make
> it one story instead of three.
<snip>
You make some good points, Tom. Thanks.
I'm going to respond with some additional thoughts of my own, but it may
be this weekend before I get around to articulating them. (At the
moment, I'm tired of thinking about this topic.)
Thanks to Kathie for posting some *good* news in this thread.
Brady
kat...@earthlink.net
> Thanks to Kathie for posting some *good* news in this thread.
The university donor could be Dave.
Regarding the 'buy your neighbor a cup of coffee' phenomenon in
Birmingham.. well, perhaps one day, Brady, you'll buy me a Diet
Mountain Dew.
And when that day finally comes.. I'll dump it in the gutter where it
belongs. You think I'd drink that crap?
James Langdell
> Regarding the 'buy your neighbor a cup of coffee' phenomenon in
> Birmingham.. well, perhaps one day, Brady, you'll buy me a Diet
> Mountain Dew.
>
> And when that day finally comes.. I'll dump it in the gutter where it
> belongs. You think I'd drink that crap?
And make sure that gutter doesn't flow into the bay. The last thing
the aquatic environment needs is hypercafeinated crabs.
--James
Marilyn
>Regarding the 'buy your neighbor a cup of coffee' phenomenon in
Birmingham.. well, perhaps one day, Brady, you'll buy me a Diet
Mountain Dew.
>And when that day finally comes.. I'll dump it in the gutter where it
belongs. You think I'd drink that crap?
Very funny! But, so true. A long time ago, I used a coupon for Pepsi
products in which purchasing 4 12 packs get a free 12 pack of Diet Mt. Dew.
The swill is still here. I don't get it, Brady. I love you more than my
folks, but that stuff is awful.
Default User
I enjoy it. But then I've consumed almost exclusively diet sodas for 25
years or so.
Brian
--
Day 78 of the "no grouchy usenet posts" project
Sally
Hi. You know about the "aspartame" scare, right? Splenda is okay, but
avoid aspartame if you can.
Sally
Jess Band-ee-Coot
Diet soda is a myth.
It fools the body into thinking it's getting sugar,
which causes all kinds of other problems.
Five out of six people in my family drank diet soda all their lives.
I drank regular soda. They all have diabetes, I don't.
Putting all that chemical fake sugar into your body is worse
than real sugar.
If you must drink, drink water.
--
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Did you ever once show me any kind of friendship?
Ask my help with a personal problem?
Include me in one of your little bull sessions?
Can you imagine what it feels like to walk by this tent
and hear you laughing and know... that I'm not welcome?
Did you ever once offer me a lousy cup of coffee?"
-- Major Margaret Houlihan "M*A*S*H" ("The Nurses")
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Donz5
wrote:
Jess and I (and likely everyone else in this board) finally agree on
something. Brady -- kick the habit; it'll kill you.
Sharon L Page
"Sally" wrote in
... and if you read Dr. Lou's book you would know you should avoid it also.
SLP
*****
Maybe
> Jess and I (and likely everyone else in this board) finally agree on
> something. Brady -- kick the habit; it'll kill you.
We've been talking to Brady for a lomg time about this. It *is*
totally killing him but he doesn't seem to want to give up his
Mountain Dew habit. He just has to go cold turkey and find something
else to drink like water.
Maybe...he needs to do it before his doctor tells him in the emergency
room
Brady
In this case, the Diet Mountain Dew is a metaphor ... for my heart.
Brady
Brady
I used to have a coworker who always told me that aspartame 'rots your
brain,' but I figured it was merely an old wives' tale, or urban legend.
Actually, I think she was just trying to 'give me the business.'
Brady
R H Draney
>
>Hi. You know about the "aspartame" scare, right? Splenda is okay, but
>avoid aspartame if you can.
>
>Sally
Splenda turns slimy in iced tea...I'll stick with the blue stuff....
ObLettermanContent: remember when Dave read a letter asking what the sweetener
ad meant by "the pink stuff", and turned to Paul for his input?...Paul was shown
pouring a bottle of Pepto Bismol over a bowl of cornflakes....r
Donz5
I first read this as:
"I used to have a cowbell who always told me that..."
Which made me first wonder whether the Dew was truly rotting out yer
brain.
But then I realized the rotting was occuring on this end.
Greg Evans
I've got a fever, and the only prescription is... more cowbell!
<http://www.funnyhub.com/videos/pages/snl-more-cowbell.html>
Greg
Donz5
Haven't seen that in some time; I forgot that Fallon had lost it there.
Brady
I'm quite touched by that sentiment.
No, really.
I know that you all ... care.
Brady
Alan Page
"McBrady" wrote...
> I'm quite touched by that sentiment. No, really.
> I know that you all ... care.
I think you're drunk on the Dew.
--
Alan
~WWWWW~
What a Wonderful Web We Weave
Default User
> On Apr 21, 6:36�pm, "Default User" <defaultuse...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > I enjoy it. But then I've consumed almost exclusively diet sodas
> > for 25 years or so.
> Hi. You know about the "aspartame" scare, right? Splenda is okay, but
> avoid aspartame if you can.
Yes, I have heard it. I've never seen any credible evidence behind the
scare stories.
Brian
--
Day 79 of the "no grouchy usenet posts" project
Brady
> Sally wrote:
>
>> On Apr 21, 6:36�pm, "Default User" <defaultuse...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>> I enjoy it. But then I've consumed almost exclusively diet sodas
>>> for 25 years or so.
>
>> Hi. You know about the "aspartame" scare, right? Splenda is okay, but
>> avoid aspartame if you can.
>
> Yes, I have heard it. I've never seen any credible evidence behind the
> scare stories.
Ya know, after reading the messages in this thread, I was considering
going ahead and taking the plunge; I was prepared to cut back on the
Diet Mountain Dew in favor of water.
Your post -- your prudent words -- came along at just the right time to
de-motivate me.
And I thank you.
Brady
Brady
> "McBrady" wrote...
>> I'm quite touched by that sentiment. No, really.
>> I know that you all ... care.
>
> I think you're drunk on the Dew.
Leave me alone. Didn't you hear? Marilyn loves me more than her folks.
(Although I'm pretty sure 'loves me' and 'folks' are both euphemisms on
her part.)
And Kathie probably wouldn't pour my gift of Diet Mountain Dew into the
gutter until I had gone home, so as not to hurt my feelings.
Actually, I wonder if Kathie would take it from my hand and immediately
toss it in the garbage, saying, "Here's what I think of your stupid gift."
I wonder if I'd cry, later. (Or at least get a little teary-eyed.)
Brady
Default User
Doing what I can.
Alan Page
> Alan Page wrote:
>> I think you're drunk on the Dew.
"McBrady" wrote...
> Leave me alone. Didn't you hear? Marilyn loves me more than her folks.
> (Although I'm pretty sure 'loves me' and 'folks' are both euphemisms on
> her part.)
> And Kathie probably wouldn't pour my gift of Diet Mountain Dew into the
> gutter until I had gone home, so as not to hurt my feelings.
> Actually, I wonder if Kathie would take it from my hand and immediately
> toss it in the garbage, saying, "Here's what I think of your stupid gift."
> I wonder if I'd cry, later. (Or at least get a little teary-eyed.)
Now I *know* you're drunk on the Dew...in a JessBandi type of knowing
way.