enough said
For some reason I have always loved this picture
Entertainment - AP
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Humor from a reader
Corporate Lesson 1
A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes out. The Genie says, "I'll give each of you just one wish."
"Me first! Me first!" says the admin. clerk. "I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world." Poof! She's gone.
"Me next! Me next!" says the sales rep. "I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life." Poof! He's gone.
"OK, you're up," the Genie says to the manager. The manager says, "I want those two back in the office after lunch."
Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.
Corporate Lesson 2
A crow was sitting on a tree, doing nothing all day. A rabbit asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing all day long?" The crow answered: "Sure, why not." So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the crow, and rested. A fox jumped on the rabbit and ate it.
Moral of the story: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very high up.
A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes out. The Genie says, "I'll give each of you just one wish."
"Me first! Me first!" says the admin. clerk. "I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world." Poof! She's gone.
"Me next! Me next!" says the sales rep. "I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life." Poof! He's gone.
"OK, you're up," the Genie says to the manager. The manager says, "I want those two back in the office after lunch."
Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.
Corporate Lesson 2
A crow was sitting on a tree, doing nothing all day. A rabbit asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing all day long?" The crow answered: "Sure, why not." So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the crow, and rested. A fox jumped on the rabbit and ate it.
Moral of the story: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very high up.
Cast Your Vote
Here is a thought…
If you were actually being shot at, would you vote?
It amazes me how soft we have become as a nation. We will find any excuse to not go out and vote. Some states, not unlike Oregon, are thinking of doing away with voting at the polling centers altogether. Voting will simply be done via the US mail. It occurs to me here, that many will still not vote unless the postage is prepaid. I could be wrong, but I doubt it.
The right to vote is beyond huge. It is one of the major things that should stand us apart from many nations, and yet we take it for granted. Somewhere a person put their life on the line to assure you this privilege. And yet, as a country, we don’t find the time to make this an important issue in our lives.
No vote, no right to complain. It is as simple as that.
You bet there are probably some irregularities in the voting process. Ask anyone who lives in Florida, Ohio or my home state. (We still sort of have a governor who may or may not have won by 109 votes. Well, give or take a few dead people voting.) But, regardless, no one got shot or poisoned.
In the Ukraine, they actually tried to poison the opposition leader. Here we just ran a candidate who couldn’t take a stand on an issue if his life depended on it.
In Iraq, people were getting shot at. They had suicide bombers blowing up voting sites. Citizens were not allowed to drive the day of the election. That rule here, would bring the vote count down to fewer than 5% and assuring Ralph Nader a victory.
My favorite bit on the Iraqi elections was that there were over 500 candidates, 250 parties and it should be noted, that all of them would still have beaten Al Sharpton.
So next time you see an election that remotely effects you, find a reason to get out and vote. It is a gift that should be taken lightly.
If you were actually being shot at, would you vote?
It amazes me how soft we have become as a nation. We will find any excuse to not go out and vote. Some states, not unlike Oregon, are thinking of doing away with voting at the polling centers altogether. Voting will simply be done via the US mail. It occurs to me here, that many will still not vote unless the postage is prepaid. I could be wrong, but I doubt it.
The right to vote is beyond huge. It is one of the major things that should stand us apart from many nations, and yet we take it for granted. Somewhere a person put their life on the line to assure you this privilege. And yet, as a country, we don’t find the time to make this an important issue in our lives.
No vote, no right to complain. It is as simple as that.
You bet there are probably some irregularities in the voting process. Ask anyone who lives in Florida, Ohio or my home state. (We still sort of have a governor who may or may not have won by 109 votes. Well, give or take a few dead people voting.) But, regardless, no one got shot or poisoned.
In the Ukraine, they actually tried to poison the opposition leader. Here we just ran a candidate who couldn’t take a stand on an issue if his life depended on it.
In Iraq, people were getting shot at. They had suicide bombers blowing up voting sites. Citizens were not allowed to drive the day of the election. That rule here, would bring the vote count down to fewer than 5% and assuring Ralph Nader a victory.
My favorite bit on the Iraqi elections was that there were over 500 candidates, 250 parties and it should be noted, that all of them would still have beaten Al Sharpton.
So next time you see an election that remotely effects you, find a reason to get out and vote. It is a gift that should be taken lightly.
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
I Thee Wed
I hear the concern of many in regards to Gay Marriages.
I see the Bible quotes as well.
Funny thing about the Bible, I think it is pretty easy to pull out whatever you like to justify your position. I had a long discussion a while back with a friend who argued strongly against gay marriage. She quoted Paul and so on to prove her point that clearly God was on her side. She went on to say that the Bible should always be taken at its word. I then asked her if in fact she always covered her head while at church, since Paul had clearly stated that as well. And also, did she sit outside the walls of the city on moss, during her monthly cycle? She argued that those were outdated quotes and not to be taken literally.
I see, I think. So when and where then should I take the Bible at its face value?
The argument against gay marriage is not that far from the same arguments of the past in regards to interracial marriages and of course, the marriage of dissimilar beliefs.
Where I grew up you were booted from the church for dating Catholic, Jewish or even Baptist girls. Of course, I dated all of them. The wonderful world of denominational churches clearly has some of their own issues to banter about.
I’m sure I am as homophobic as the next guy. Driving through South Central LA also makes me nervous, no matter what time it is.
And when push gets to shove, any group I do not understand fully will at least have me be wary at the onset. So that being said, it is clear to me that I have no idea what any of this has to do with marriage.
If a couple wants to commit to each other for a lifetime, why do I care about the makeup of this alliance? No God complex here.
Is there an assumption that only a man and a woman constitute a committed relationship? I don’t see that so much as two people who care about each other. Now, frankly, marriage in itself is a huge amount of work and it can be trying at times. Why anyone would want to be a member of a group that has a 50% failure rate is amazing. But hey, God speed and all the best.
I was reading about the joys of straight marriages today and the end result of some of these. Where is the public outcry from the religious right when it comes to the following news story?
Posted on Mon, Feb. 14, 2005
_krdDartInc++;
document.write('');
New abuse cases expose hidden problem
RUBÉN ROSARIO
Just when it seems the headline-making examples of child abuse cannot get any worse, they do.
We've had, over the years, infants smashed against walls, and daughters and sons forced to pose for child porn or engage in sex with strangers for money. We've had many a kid beaten or starved to death, locked in broom closets or chained to beds or radiators without food or water.
Last week, we learned about the 13-year-old St. Paul girl who was stripped naked and locked inside a dog kennel as punishment for acting out.
Another strong candidate was the Florida couple accused of torturing their five adopted children by pulling out their toenails with pliers and electrically shocking them.
Additionally, there is the little-known case of the 6-year-old Eagan boy who allegedly was forced to sleep in the kitchen, ordered - pummeled by older siblings and commanded to do exercises in place and lift a weighted metal chair over his head.
These incidents are not fodder for Reality TV scripts. The cases are all too sickening and real. They do serve to kick the collective shin of conscience and raise awareness about the plight of abused and neglected children.
I sometimes think there is no shortage of things in our very own backyard. Maybe we shouldn’t be in such a rush to hold up the moral high ground in our neighbor’s face.
I see the Bible quotes as well.
Funny thing about the Bible, I think it is pretty easy to pull out whatever you like to justify your position. I had a long discussion a while back with a friend who argued strongly against gay marriage. She quoted Paul and so on to prove her point that clearly God was on her side. She went on to say that the Bible should always be taken at its word. I then asked her if in fact she always covered her head while at church, since Paul had clearly stated that as well. And also, did she sit outside the walls of the city on moss, during her monthly cycle? She argued that those were outdated quotes and not to be taken literally.
I see, I think. So when and where then should I take the Bible at its face value?
The argument against gay marriage is not that far from the same arguments of the past in regards to interracial marriages and of course, the marriage of dissimilar beliefs.
Where I grew up you were booted from the church for dating Catholic, Jewish or even Baptist girls. Of course, I dated all of them. The wonderful world of denominational churches clearly has some of their own issues to banter about.
I’m sure I am as homophobic as the next guy. Driving through South Central LA also makes me nervous, no matter what time it is.
And when push gets to shove, any group I do not understand fully will at least have me be wary at the onset. So that being said, it is clear to me that I have no idea what any of this has to do with marriage.
If a couple wants to commit to each other for a lifetime, why do I care about the makeup of this alliance? No God complex here.
Is there an assumption that only a man and a woman constitute a committed relationship? I don’t see that so much as two people who care about each other. Now, frankly, marriage in itself is a huge amount of work and it can be trying at times. Why anyone would want to be a member of a group that has a 50% failure rate is amazing. But hey, God speed and all the best.
I was reading about the joys of straight marriages today and the end result of some of these. Where is the public outcry from the religious right when it comes to the following news story?
Posted on Mon, Feb. 14, 2005
_krdDartInc++;
document.write('');
New abuse cases expose hidden problem
RUBÉN ROSARIO
Just when it seems the headline-making examples of child abuse cannot get any worse, they do.
We've had, over the years, infants smashed against walls, and daughters and sons forced to pose for child porn or engage in sex with strangers for money. We've had many a kid beaten or starved to death, locked in broom closets or chained to beds or radiators without food or water.
Last week, we learned about the 13-year-old St. Paul girl who was stripped naked and locked inside a dog kennel as punishment for acting out.
Another strong candidate was the Florida couple accused of torturing their five adopted children by pulling out their toenails with pliers and electrically shocking them.
Additionally, there is the little-known case of the 6-year-old Eagan boy who allegedly was forced to sleep in the kitchen, ordered - pummeled by older siblings and commanded to do exercises in place and lift a weighted metal chair over his head.
These incidents are not fodder for Reality TV scripts. The cases are all too sickening and real. They do serve to kick the collective shin of conscience and raise awareness about the plight of abused and neglected children.
I sometimes think there is no shortage of things in our very own backyard. Maybe we shouldn’t be in such a rush to hold up the moral high ground in our neighbor’s face.
Monday, February 14, 2005
Def Lepard, now there is some makeout mucic!!
I was watching the Grammy’s last night and was amazed that they seemed to have actually become worthwhile again.
They even spent some time dealing with music this year.
I really think that Lynard Skinner should have had Neil Young join them for "Home Sweet Alabama"
It made me reflect on my love of music. It is the one constant that seems to run a thread in my life.
In the 5th grade, at John Knox Christian in Brockville Ontario, was the 1st time I actually got to pretend to be in a band. At recess, myself and 4 other guys, found an elevated set of steps and sang “I saw Her Standing There” to every passing girl in the school; who were foolish enough to wander within ear range.
I was a die-hard Beatle fan from the word go. And I still think the death of John Lennon was one of the great tragedies of the music world. The other great tragic event was the “Knack”.
By the 8th grade I was actually on stage, one time only, with a local band playing a very bad rhythm guitar. Luckily for me I was no worse then any one else, since I had mastered 2 more chords then most. The stand out member of the band was a guy named Kim Mitchell. He went onto perform in a well-known Canadian band named Max Webster and still has a very successful solo career.
http://www.kimmitchell.ca
One of his 1st gold records was “Patio Lanterns”, a song about the awkwardness of young love, or what passes for such. I like that song because I was at that party.
In the 10th grade I was in a band, grimly named, the Franklin Depression. The band had started out with 4 friends in the 9th grade, Myself, Steve Cherry, John Burgess and Gary Disano. We practiced and entered local band competitions. We were just kids having a great time and playing for the sheer joy of playing. We did Hendrix, The Doors and Bee Gee’s tunes and we did them badly. But the fun slowly went south when we decided to expand our repertoire.
Back in those days the key to being in a band was whether or not you owned any equipment. A Silvertone guitar and Amp from Sears was always a good way to assure you of membership in the next Rolling Stones. We made our own mike stands in Steve’s Dad’s shop. Our parents would have to drive us to our gigs. My parents being strong Christians did little to nothing to support this effort. To this day only one of my family members has ever heard me in any type of band.
One time after winning our 1st "battle of the bands' I proudly brought home my trophy. It was treble clef on a wood base. My Dad said it was nice, but hoped I wasn't taking this silly stuff to seriously. A few days later my older brother snapped the trophy in half, I'm not sure I have ever really forgiven him for that.
We brought in Tommy Walls. He owned a full-blown Hammond organ with a Leslie speaker!! His father also owned a music store and outfitted us with Vox amps and a Peavey sound system. We were well on our way.,
Oh except Tommy didn’t think Gary was a good drummer so he was asked to leave. The new drummer knew a better bass player..
Within 6 months the only thing left of Franklin Depression was the name. There was still a band but John, Gary, Steve and I were just no longer members. I sensed a pattern at 15 that has never failed to play out.
The last real band I was in was another set of 4 guys who got thrown together through a common friendship and love of music. I was 19 or 20 and just married. The band played in the basement and we named ourselves 40 fingers, four guys 10 fingers each.. well you do the math.
I think to this day, my best memory is of myself and my best friend Ken practicing for hours trying to get the bottom down. Ken played bass and I played drums. I never enjoyed playing more.
That band ended when my wife asked me to make a choice between music and marriage. In hindsight I may have made the wrong choice.
Regardless, music still fills the background of my life. It was there the night my daughter was born. I was sitting in the waiting room at Northwest Hospital in North Seattle watching George Harrison on the Dick Cavett show. Oddly enough also sitting with me were James Caan and Marsha Mason, who were there filming a scene for Cinderella Liberty. Caan was also a Harrison fan. The 3 of us were the 1st to see my newborn Daughter in the Nursery. Marsha Mason thought she looked really cute, as I recall.
At each point in my life there was a song that seemed to define it. Be it Springsteen or Foreigner, there was always that one song that worked as the binding thread. I recall one time a friend commenting that he was always wondering what romance had failed for me again, since Foreigner had just released a new song. Truer words were never spoken.
I guess the bottom line is, music is the key. Now if I can just find the door.
They even spent some time dealing with music this year.
I really think that Lynard Skinner should have had Neil Young join them for "Home Sweet Alabama"
It made me reflect on my love of music. It is the one constant that seems to run a thread in my life.
In the 5th grade, at John Knox Christian in Brockville Ontario, was the 1st time I actually got to pretend to be in a band. At recess, myself and 4 other guys, found an elevated set of steps and sang “I saw Her Standing There” to every passing girl in the school; who were foolish enough to wander within ear range.
I was a die-hard Beatle fan from the word go. And I still think the death of John Lennon was one of the great tragedies of the music world. The other great tragic event was the “Knack”.
By the 8th grade I was actually on stage, one time only, with a local band playing a very bad rhythm guitar. Luckily for me I was no worse then any one else, since I had mastered 2 more chords then most. The stand out member of the band was a guy named Kim Mitchell. He went onto perform in a well-known Canadian band named Max Webster and still has a very successful solo career.
http://www.kimmitchell.ca
One of his 1st gold records was “Patio Lanterns”, a song about the awkwardness of young love, or what passes for such. I like that song because I was at that party.
In the 10th grade I was in a band, grimly named, the Franklin Depression. The band had started out with 4 friends in the 9th grade, Myself, Steve Cherry, John Burgess and Gary Disano. We practiced and entered local band competitions. We were just kids having a great time and playing for the sheer joy of playing. We did Hendrix, The Doors and Bee Gee’s tunes and we did them badly. But the fun slowly went south when we decided to expand our repertoire.
Back in those days the key to being in a band was whether or not you owned any equipment. A Silvertone guitar and Amp from Sears was always a good way to assure you of membership in the next Rolling Stones. We made our own mike stands in Steve’s Dad’s shop. Our parents would have to drive us to our gigs. My parents being strong Christians did little to nothing to support this effort. To this day only one of my family members has ever heard me in any type of band.
One time after winning our 1st "battle of the bands' I proudly brought home my trophy. It was treble clef on a wood base. My Dad said it was nice, but hoped I wasn't taking this silly stuff to seriously. A few days later my older brother snapped the trophy in half, I'm not sure I have ever really forgiven him for that.
We brought in Tommy Walls. He owned a full-blown Hammond organ with a Leslie speaker!! His father also owned a music store and outfitted us with Vox amps and a Peavey sound system. We were well on our way.,
Oh except Tommy didn’t think Gary was a good drummer so he was asked to leave. The new drummer knew a better bass player..
Within 6 months the only thing left of Franklin Depression was the name. There was still a band but John, Gary, Steve and I were just no longer members. I sensed a pattern at 15 that has never failed to play out.
The last real band I was in was another set of 4 guys who got thrown together through a common friendship and love of music. I was 19 or 20 and just married. The band played in the basement and we named ourselves 40 fingers, four guys 10 fingers each.. well you do the math.
I think to this day, my best memory is of myself and my best friend Ken practicing for hours trying to get the bottom down. Ken played bass and I played drums. I never enjoyed playing more.
That band ended when my wife asked me to make a choice between music and marriage. In hindsight I may have made the wrong choice.
Regardless, music still fills the background of my life. It was there the night my daughter was born. I was sitting in the waiting room at Northwest Hospital in North Seattle watching George Harrison on the Dick Cavett show. Oddly enough also sitting with me were James Caan and Marsha Mason, who were there filming a scene for Cinderella Liberty. Caan was also a Harrison fan. The 3 of us were the 1st to see my newborn Daughter in the Nursery. Marsha Mason thought she looked really cute, as I recall.
At each point in my life there was a song that seemed to define it. Be it Springsteen or Foreigner, there was always that one song that worked as the binding thread. I recall one time a friend commenting that he was always wondering what romance had failed for me again, since Foreigner had just released a new song. Truer words were never spoken.
I guess the bottom line is, music is the key. Now if I can just find the door.
Sunday, February 13, 2005
This was the only Flood victim you could find?
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez talks with people who were affected by flooding in Araira in Miranda state, about 50 km (31 miles) from Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2005, after floodwaters receded following a disaster that has left at least 15 people dead. (AP Photo/Miraflores, Marcelo Garcia)
I don't believe the President's bodyguard is making eye contact, or looking for weapons.