Once Upon A Time

Rubber Duckies, Reloaded

Here's a new update on the rubber duckies lost at sea for over 10 years that I blogged about back in July. (I'd post the permalink, but they don't seem to be working right. *sigh*)

Right of Way

Dealing with the parking lot at the supermarket can be a stressful experience. You have to keep your eyes peeled for young children, pedestrians not looking, and cars speeding through the parking lot. Then there are a couple stop signs in front of the store, meant for cars to stop/slow down by the store entrances so that pedestrians can cross the road.

Tonight, when I turned left out of my aisle, there was a stop sign that I guess I didn't stop for. If I'm in the midst of a turn, am I obligated to stop? Apparently the guy in the next lane thought so. He made the left turn and cut me off. I raised my hand in frustration, and muttered 'oh thanks'. In the end, I wasn't that worried about it--I've encountered worse assholes.

But the guy in front of me starts and stops, motions back behind me, then turns onto the sidestreet, stops, and rolls down his window. Oh great. Only thing I do see is the stop sign, and I figure correctly that what's he's bitchin' and moanin' about. Next I probably should have just sped past him. But I humor him, stop beside him, and my brother rolls down his window.

"You were supposed to stop at the stop sign" the guy says rather agitated shaking his hand in the air. I calmly but firmly state back to him. "Well, you shouldn't have assumed I was going to stop."

I don't think he liked my answer, but people had started honking, so the asshole sped off, and I continued on my way.

And I stand by my answer. I don't ever assume someone is going to stop even if they are supposed to...especially in a parking lot. And this particular one has one sign (that was on my left) and no street markings. I still say since I turned from the previous lane, the stop sign didn't apply to me. And honestly, I didn't see it, since it was to my left as I was making my turn.

When my brother Joe had his car accident, years ago, he had been making a left turn when a light was turning yellow to red. While the woman who hit him was mostly at fault since witnesses noted she had been running the light and she should have stopped, my brother was still considered 30% at fault because he was the one making the left turn and he should not have assumed that she was not going to run the light. Honestly! That was by New Jersey law. Granted I'm in Maryland now, but I don't think the laws are different in that regard.

Twice Bitten, shame on me

How do you deal with different personalities on the web and in real life? Is there a difference in the interactions between the two? I suspect on the web it is easier to fall into a mudslinging match, LOL. All that is on the screen is a persons words, devoid of any emotion, facial expressions, vocal nuances. But even with those cues, it's not always easy to deal with certain personalities.

Differences of opinion can be great if the people having the discussion/debate are willing to understand the other side. But have you ever found certain people will argue their point to the end and never hear what you are trying to say...they never hear your point of view, only themselves talking. And do such people bring up debate simply to hear themselves talk? Am I the only one that encounters these types of people? LOL.

Then there are others who cry out they have been attacked when a couple less than kind words are spoken about their actions towards others. How is one supposed to express disapproval and disagreement with ones actions, without being accused of personally attacking the person?

Apparently, I don't get along with this particular personality set, LOL. Or so I find.

And I find I end up holding a lot of shit in, stewing over it, because I can't express what it is that irritates the shit out of me. And when the actions keep repeating themselves it starts the whole vicious cycle over.

So then I isolate myself, staying away from the person in question. But then that causes me to isolate myself from other people I would enjoy interacting with as well. My only comfort at times is when someone else expresses that they've seen the same traits in said person, they've encountered the same attitude. That's when I don't feel so alone.

But in the same token, all I can do is try to rid this sort of stress from life and surround myself with positive people. People who don't see themselves as above everyone else. People who feel confident without having to compete with every person around them.

Somedays its just hard to find those people. Somedays it's hard to heal and put oneself out there again. To trust people.

But when I get to feeling my lowest, I keep having to remind myself that there is a lot worse shit out there. I have my health and I'm not alone. So that's not too bad off.

I wake up and find it is a new day.

Back in Action

I'm feeling much better now, the sinus pressure has subsided. And it's a three day weekend! Woohoo!

But now, I have a house to clean...stuff to catch up on since I've either not been here or felt like shit the last couple weeks. *sigh*

Just Shoot Me

I have this terrible pain where the bridge of my nose meets my forehead. Sinus pressure is my guess. Regardless of the cause, I'd like to be put out of my misery.

I hate ragweed.

Stormy Weather

Yesterday we had a strong thunderstorm that rolled through knocking down many tree limbs and interrupting power. I even left work early after the power did not return for over a half hour. Luckily at home we never lost power--all my clocks held their time.

And evening brought more thunderstorms today. Luckily these were less severe. But I'm sure they were unwelcome to those whom I saw still clearing tree limbs from their property.

More storms are predicted for tomorrow.

Rumors of My Demise

I'm still here. Drove up and back to and from Philly Sunday to see cousins I haven't seen in years. Then yesterday, had a friend drop in unexpectedly. And today I'm just exhausted from all the running around I've been doing and the lack of sleep I've been getting. Can't wait for the long weekend where I have nothing planned!

So in the meantime, I might suggest you check out the links on the left for some interesting reading. With some sleep, I might have more to say tomorrow.

Sleepless in Falls Church

I went to the Dean Rally in Falls Church Virginia today. Dean was impressive. His passion and conviction rang with the crowd. Folks cheered at his points and booed when Bush's lies were mentioned. I saw both young and old there. One lady even had her dog there wearing a hat that bore a Dean for America sticker.

It just was a great feeling being there. Being with a group of Americans who not only want Bush out of the White House, but who want Howard Dean to be the next president.

After the rally, I waited alongside the barn to see if Dean was gonna come back that way. (It's not like I was gonna catch a bus back to the Metro anytime soon.) There I talked to a Vietnam Vet who was planning to start a group/website "Vietnam Vets for Dean." He was trying to figure out how he could get a bumper sticker, since they had no more left at the rally. When I got on the bus from the Metro coming over to the venue, one of the volunteers was handing them out. So I had one in my bag. I went ahead and gave the guy my bumper sticker since I already have one on my car--one I got from a prior Meetup. The guy was so thrilled to have it...made me feel great to give it to him.

Shortly after this, Dean came from the Press circle, making his way through the crowd. I stood atop some tree roots to see since I'm am under 5'4". Getting a glimpse, I started to leave. As I approached the street I saw that a police officer was trying to make a buffer zone within the crowd for Dean and staff to walk through. So I stood to one side and waited for Dean to walk by. As he was coming past me I held out my hand and was fortunate enough to get a handshake from Howard Dean.

The guy next to me held out a Sharpie and asked Dean to sign his placcard. I chimed in asking if he could sign mine too. (Hey, the opportunity presented itself, LOL.) And he did! I was thrilled to have a memento from the event since I had forgotten to bring the digital camera with me.

After Dean passed, I moved toward the street. Once across I looked back to see his staff ushering him into a black Honda Civic. Folks around me mentioned they were surprised that Don Beyer (owner of the Volvo Dealership and a former (?) politician himself) didn't get Dean a better car. However, later down the road we saw a stretch Volvo and figured the Civic might have been used to get him to the stretch Volvo, LOL. (Which BTW, I'd never seen a stretch Volvo before...hehehehe....)

I walked the two miles to the Metro Station since I figured it would have taken forever to catch one of the shuttle buses back. I walked along with some other Dean folks who had parked at the station. We discussed the rally and Al Franken's book.

Later on the Orange Line train, it should have been renamed the Dean train, since the cars were filled with rally attendees. I even met the founder of the Out for Dean website on the train. Everyone was still pumped up from the rally and chattering away.

By the time I got on the Shady Grove Red Line Train, there were few Dean folks left, as many of the folks took the Grosvenor Red Line train or other trains.

It was a great day...perfect weather. Couldn't have asked for a better day.

I suspect I won't be Sleepless tonight...as I'm exhausted from all the excitement and travelling. :)

More Lies

The Bush Administration coerced the EPA to lie to the residents of NYC about the air quality following the 9/11 attack on the WTC. Or at least that's how I interpret this article .The EPA reassured people that the air quality was not hazardous because of national security reasons, so they and the administration claim. Great, national security becomes more important than personal security. Makes ya feel real safe doesn't it? Read the whole story here.

Piss Off

Freaking hysterical....try it.

Courtesy of: Da Goddess

A World Apart

It seems that Europe is suffering from not only from excessive heat, but also severe drought. It's so dry that the Danube is at record low levels, allowing for residents of Croatia to find large Nazi military relics from WWII--including a jeep and a tank.

Their weather pattern is in stark contrast to the cooler wet summer the Northeast has been experiencing.

Flash for America

The flash animation promo for Howard Dean's Sleepless Summer Tour is a hoot. It gave me a good chuckle this am. Go see it here.

I'll be attending the rally in Virginia this Saturday. I even got a rally T-shirt...it arrived in the mail yesterday. (*phew*...I was worried it wasn't gonna get here in time) So now I'm prepared.

Those who know me, know I'm not a leader, but I'm not a sheep either. (Generally I'm Goddamn Independent) I like this Dean guy because he seems like a leader, he's more than willing to go up against Bush, and I agree with much of his platform. And I'm determined to see Bush voted out in 2004.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. ;)

Freefalling

This week has felt like a downhill slide. Nothing wants to come easy. Nothing too terrible, just little shit that adds up.

Isn't it always when you feel your best that the someone comes along and knocks you down a couple notches? You go to smell the roses and a skunk wanders into the garden. *sigh*

Thankfully tomorrow is Friday. But a busy weekend lies ahead.

A bit of good news...the AC was an easy fix. Condensation drain was clogged. That is a relief...nice and cool in here again. *g*

Ain't That a Pisser

Well, after much relaxation this weekend, reality came along and bit me on the ass.

First thing I found when I returned home was that Gee was having a bout of cystitis. The first bad bout he's had since before we moved. I think the last real bout he had was in March.

So far, two days of frequent peeing of blood in various corners of the house. Oh Joy! And no sign of letting up.

Then tonight I go to do laundry since I have nothing to wear. Downstairs by the washer I step in a puddle of water. A significant puddle that happens to run from my inside portion of the AC unit. A call to Dad yields the answer that the condensation drain it probably clogged. So that means I get to call the AC guy in the morning. And in the meantime, I get to turn my AC off.

The bad part of this is that water has leaked into the downstairs bathroom and even into the family room, making the carpet wet. Granted I've been planning to replace the carpet. But I'd been hoping to wait until winter. I'll have to see if I'll need to replace it sooner now....in addition to getting the AC/drain fixed. *sigh*

The joys of home and pet ownership, striking at once.....

Overworked America

I know I could use more vacation time and so could most of America. How did the land of the free become the land of next to no vacation?

Bush toy was not much fun

Read it here. I'm LMAO...Oh my Gawd. Priceless.

Fantasy Football

Anyone interested in joining a Fantasy Football league? My brother is hosting a league on Yahoo and he needs a couple more teams immediately. And I'll be playing again this year.

Email him at polidobj*AT*yahoo.com to get more details and join up.

Like Father, Like Son

It would seem fair to say much of the blame for the blackout would fall on those who have pushed for deregulation of the power companies. And that would be George H W Bush and George W Bush.

Yessiree...those boys do manage to muck things up for the common man while filling the pockets of the well-to-do business man. And they manage to do it and keep the newspapers reporting that no one knows why the whole mess happened. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil....sheesh. I'll say it again...Come on America, wake up and smell the coffee. The biggest threat to this country *is* sitting in the White House. And he's attempting to buy himself another election.

It's time for us to join together and send him packing just like we did with his father. God help us if we don't.....

Highway monitor

I made it back from Western NY last night. The trip back was far better than the trip up. No muss, no fuss.

What made the trip up crappy was that I got stuck in a traffic jam, where I went less than 5 miles in 45 minutes. All because there was a merge into one lane in a construction zone and a trucker decided he was gonna block up the right lane 4 miles back. This guy creeped along keeping himself even with a truck on the left lane. There were several instances where I literally put the car in park for a few minutes at a time.

At one point I realized there was *no one* in front of the truck. And then I saw the sign that said "Both lanes open until merge. Use both lanes to merge." Apparently the two cars in front of me saw the same thing and also said "Fuck this!" and went around the truck using the shoulder. I followed along with them.

Now normally I would not condone this behavior. But the signage clearly stated both lanes were to be used. And the trucker was being an asshole. If we were using both lanes all along, there wouldn't have been a 4-5 mile backup. *sigh*

A Bit of Irony

I bet the folks are in Iraq are finding the irony in a portion of the US and Canada having to deal with a major blackout and all that goes with it. Here they are complaining of temps of 90 degrees. That's nothing compared to the 120s the Iraqis and American soldiers have to deal with, having no consistent electricity.

I had planned to go to Western New York this weekend, but now I have to check to see if power has been restored there before I leave. I may have to put off going until another time if its not back on yet.

Politics is in the Eye of the Beholder

The GOP and Lieberman keep pointing at Dean calling him a liberal. The Progressives point to Dean and say he's not a liberal at all. Ted Rall throws his opinion into the ring here.

In essence Dean is much more a centrist. And that's what we need to beat Bush. That's why I like the guy. I don't care that he's not a true liberal.

Rall accuses that Dean will be another Clinton. I don't got a problem with that! LOL. The budget deficit was wiped out, the economy grew, life was good under Clinton. What's wrong with wanting that?

Dean is willing to take Bush on, while the others remain wishy washy. Can you think of one thing that Bush has done that was good for America? Can you name even one thing?

There's an awful lot of people out there who have lost jobs and loved ones due to Bush's policies...a lot of folks that want to see someone call Bush on his lies. They want someone to believe in again. Someone with integrity and good intent. That person is shaping up to be Howard Dean.

So while some may label him liberal and others too centrist, I label him as my hope for this country. My hope that Bush can be defeated and freedom can ring again. God knows I'll be dancing on the Mall in DC *when* Bush is defeated!

Technical Difficulties

While I'm not having to deal with a massive blackout--at least not at the moment, I am dealing with minor Movable Type issues with this blog. The first issue has been my comments don't format correctly in IE. I've tried lots of things but I still can't figure out why some of the text will not appear without highlighting the text areas. The problem doesn't appear to exist with Netscape/Mozilla/Firebird.

The second issue is my archive template refuses to become more like my main page template. I started by adding the banner, yet it does not appear, not even in the code when I view source. It's in the code that's saved for my main archive template file, though. It's really bizarre. So despite some effort, the blog isn't quite where I want it yet and I don't know why it does or doesn't do things.

And to top it off, when my brother changed my screen resolution, I saw that I need to fix another minor thing with the template. *sigh*

So excuse the glitches and imperfections...I'm working on it, slowly. LOL. Any ideas on how to fix these issues are graciously welcomed. :)

Bush on Marriage

Cartoon by Ruben Bolling, found courtesy of Mikaela:

This one had me ROTFL! Hehehehe......

Surfing

Surfing in blog land and found this journal entry that asks why Israeli deaths or other news makes bigger headlines then our own US soldiers being attacked and killed in Iraq. It's a good question and a entry that caught my attention the first time reading the blog. She goes on to list several other stories that got pushed aside. Also, of note, she supports the campaign to get Clark to join the presidential campaign for the 2004 election.

Team Bush

In These Times reports on how the tide is turning in terms of our press coverage of the Bush Team (though I still prefer to call them Bush & Co., LOL). Where no criticism was seen or heard in days leading up to the war, now the criticism is oozing out even in unexpected places.

It's about damn time. Where were these folks before the war?

And since I'm in the minority out there in having NOT read the Harry Potter Books, I found the mention that the latest book touches on the consequences of creeping totalitarianism quite interesting. Somebody needs to be speaking out. In the past the literary world has taken up that role and hopefully with Harry Potter and others, it will continue.

Bush & Co. can only get away with what the American Public let them. It's about time for us to get pissed off and do something about the lies and the misuse of power by this administration. It's been a long time coming...maybe too long.

Holy Possum Batman!

I've seen raccoons around here. I've heard there are skunks. But zowie, batman, we even have possums running 'round these parts. And I've heard they are mean. Luckily when he heard me coming toward my house he shuffled off to the wooded area. LOL.

The things you don't realize that come with home ownership, LOL.......

Pink Ladies

Today at the supermarket, I picked up some Pink Lady apples. I'd never tried them before and I was up for something new. Tonight I sliced one up and my, was it a treat. At first I couldn't decide what they tasted like. Then, Brian tasted one and said it was a cross between a Granny Smith and a McIntosh. Immediately I knew he was right. That's very much what the apple tasted like. YUM! Quite tasty.

However when I looked it up, the US website said it was a cross between a Golden Delicious and a Lady Williams and it's grown in Western Australia and New Zealand.

And now as I look at the label I realize it's not an official Pink Lady....it's a Cripp's Pink out of New Zealand, lol.

Both Sides Up

In spite of still being tired, I dragged my ass out of bed and headed to the gym where I went to the Bosu and Core Board Class. With the high humidity and the fatigue I've been feeling the last few days this was an especially challenging class. As opposed to the strength training type class I take on Mondays, this one involved more cardio. I suck at cardio when the humidity is high. And being fatigued did not help matters.

But I survived.

We also did some pilates on the bosu as well. It was a great workout. But I ended up needing a nap by early afternoon, LOL.

Forecast: Stormy Weather Ahead

It's another one of those Fridays where I have no energy and am completely spaceshot. I'm a tired hormonal bitch whose just curled up in her chair in front of her puter doing nothing much of anything. A complete veg out is in progress. Mad cleaning will ensue tomorrow. Along with massive consumption of salty carbohydrates, LOL. :)

Awwww.....*sniff*

This morning on the way to work I saw a cat get hit. Or more precisely I saw it get thrown across the road toward the double yellow lines by the car two cars ahead of me. Both the car in front of me and I had to swurve to miss the rolling cat. First I was in shock. But within a minute I decided to make a U-turn and go see if the cat was still alive. I didn't want to leave it there to suffer.

I parked on the shoulder where the road was wider and walked up to where the cat was lying on the double yellow line. I looked at the small longhaired black cat from the shoulder of the road as cars whizzed past it on either side. Finally when there was a lull in traffic on my side I walked over to it to get a better look though I was already fairly certain it was dead. It had a bloody mouth and its eyes were wide open. I'm guessing the impact broke his neck because he didn't seem crushed. As sad as it was to see him killed like that, I'm grateful to know he probably died instantly and wasn't in pain. All I could do was go back to my car and continue on to work.

Our sweet receptionist offered to call animal control for me. From there she was directed to the Maryland State Highway Admin. It seems they are the ones responsible for removing the cat from the road.

Even now all I can think of is some cat owner is missing their cat. On one hand I wish the person had kept their cat indoors. On the other hand I realize it could have escaped the house without the owner's consent.

It makes me think of my cat Eric that disappeared back in 1994. I often wonder if he met such a fate.

*sniff*

Tennis anyone?

The story of the father of a young French tennis player drugging the boy's opponents before their matches is just disturbing. One of the boys died as a result of falling asleep at the wheel later in the day. Another was hospitalized. This is some sick shit.

August Dean Meetup

Tonight was the August Dean Meetup. I attended the gathering in Rockville which I must say was much more organized and energized than the previous one. I think the key to tonight's success was that the team leader Laura (I think that was her name--doh!) opened the floor to anyone who wanted to say why they support Dean. Quite a number of participants spoke with passion about why they personally feel that Bush needs to be beat in the next election and why Dean is the candidate with the right anount of integrity and strength to do it. Many of the speakers were cheered on by the group gathered outside the California Tortilla in Rockville as they mentioned Bush's lies and his tax cuts for the rich. This got everyone fired up for writing letters to voters in New Hampshire.

This time I actually composed my two letters and handed them in. Last time, taking them home was a bad idea as they never got done. I never seemed to have the time or energy. I feel so good having gotten these letters completed. :)

I must say an interesting aspect of this crowd was the number of senior citizens and high school/college students that came out...both ends of the age spectrum. Dean is reaching out to a diverse group. And his momentum continues to build. I'm genuinely excited by the potential of where this could lead.

He is our last best hope (to quote Babylon 5), as far as I'm concerned. I think he is the one candidate with the passion, integrity, and honesty necessary to get people excited and willing to get involved. To get people to come out against Bush & Co.

This election is that important to so many Americans. I'm hopeful the grassroots effort can counteract Bush's money making machine. Besides, America is all about the underdog. *g*

SARS part deux?

It appears that there have been a number of serious pneumonia cases in Asia and the Middle East, including 15 in Iraq. While officials have ruled out SARS, who's to say it isn't a cousin. Shall be interesting to see whether it's a bacteria or a virus. But I'm sure Bush will start trying to say it's a bio weapon that Saddam gave al Qaida. *rolls eyes*

As a scientist I've learned that nature is far superior than humans in designing viruses and bacteria. Heck, we can't even get Gene Therapy using viruses to work reliably and without harm. It's hard to fathom that anyone would have been that successful in creating a bioweapon using a new organism.

I think eventually the scientists will find that this is a new strain of something or a new emerging pathogen, just like SARS was this winter. No bioterrorism. Just simple person-to-person spread. Or like SARS animal-to-person-to-person spread.

Pyramid Schemes

Some days you receive e-mail where it's not easy to discern whether it is spam or something genuine just by reading the sender and the title. Most are obvious, but this one today I was uncertain. I open it up to find a pyramid scheme. I'm not sure who they think they are fooling since you must have an IQ of a gnat or been under a rock the last 20 years not to know it's a shady pyramid scheme.

But this one gets better....

Here's a portion:

"... the boy had been sending out, via E-mail, a type of
"Report" to E-mail addresses that he obtained off of the Internet.
Everyday after school for the past 2 months, he had been doing this right on
his computer in his bedroom.

"I just got the E-mail one day and I figured what the heck, I put my
name on it like the instructions said and I started sending it out", says
the clever 15-year-old.

The E-mail letter listed 5 addresses and contained instructions to send
one $5 dollar bill to each person on the list, then delete the address
at the top and move the others addresses down , and finally to add your
name to the top of the list. [Okay...wouldn't that mean your name gets taken off by the next person? LOL]

The letter goes on to state that you would receive several thousand
dollars in five-dollar bills within 2 weeks if you sent out the letter
with your name at the top of the 5-address list. "I get junk E-mail all
the time, and really did not think it was going to work", the boy
continues.

Within the first few days of sending out the E-mail, the Post Office
Box that his parents had gotten him for his video-game magazine
subscriptions began to fill up with not magazines, but envelopes containing $5
bills. "About a week later I rode [my bike] down to the post office and
my box had 1 magazine and about 300 envelops stuffed in it. There was
also a yellow slip that said I had to go up to the [post office]
counter. I thought I was in trouble or something (laughs)". He goes on, "I
went up to the counter and they had a whole box of more mail for me. I
had to ride back home and empty out my backpack because I could not
carry it all".

Over the next few weeks, the boy continued sending out the E-mail." The
money just kept coming in and I just kept sorting it and stashing it in
the closet, barely had time for my homework".

In fact, everything the boy did was completely legal according to US
Postal and Lottery Laws, Title 18, Section 1302 and 1341, or Title 18,
Section 3005 in the US code, also in the code of federal regulations,
Volume 16, Sections 255 and 436, which state a product or service must be
exchanged for money received." [Umm...but conning poor schmucks out of money isn't exactly legal last I checked.]

It goes on to describe the letter and give testimonials and makes this statement:

IMPORTANT: DO NOT alter the names of the people who are listed next to
each report, or their sequence on the list, in any way other than what
is instructed below in each step 1 through 6 or you will lose out on
majority of your profits. Once you understand the way this works, you
will also see how it does not work if you change it. Remember!!! This
method has been tested, and if you alter it, it will NOT work!! People have
tried to put their friends/relatives names on all five thinking they
could get all the money. But it does not work this way. Believe us, we
all have tried to be greedy and then nothing happened. So Do Not try to
change anything other than what is instructed, because if you do, it
will not work for you. Remember, honesty reaps the reward!!! [Oh yeah, and who's being honest here? Obviously not one of the 5 original people on the list who are the only ones receiving any money.]

It goes on further, and at the very end it says:

"THIS MESSAGE IS NOT INTENDED FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THE STATE OF
MARYLAND. IF YOU ARE A RESIDENT OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND YOU MAY NOT PARTICIAPTE. This message is also not intended for residents of the states of CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, ILLINOIS, NEVADA, OKLAHOMA, WASHINGTON and WEST VIRGINIA, and wherever else prohibited by law. Screening of addresses to avoid sending this e-mail to residents of these states has been done to the best of our technical ability." [That technical ability ain't too good as I live in *Maryland*, LOL. And I guess they realize Maryland will prosecute their asses for it because it *is* illegal.]

As Bugs Bunny would say, "What a Buffoon!"

The-the-that's all folks!

Here Comes the Rain Again

Looks like the rain is returning this week with thunderstorms forecast each day this week. *sigh*

I had been hoping to head out to Western NY this weekend. Perhaps I will push those plans back two weeks.

Wedding #2

Yesterday, I attended wedding #2. This one was unique in that the bride is Christian and the groom is Messianic Jew (aka Jews for Jesus). The ceremony was held in an Evangelical Christian Church. Overall, the ceremony was fine, and your standard fare. A minister presided over the ceremony. But there was a Messianic Jewish Rabi (?) who said a bit about the groom, then a bit about weddings, Jesus, etc., but then turned it into a solicitation for anyone who wanted to pray with him afterwards. In other words he was soliciting converts. Oy!

For my friend Tonya and I (both not-so-good Catholics) who attended the service, we found this the one sticking point. The day should be about the bride and groom. It should not be used to recruit church members. Sorry, but I just think it was in bad taste. And so did she. But then again as Catholics, we are skeptical about everything, especially any religion, including our own, LOL. :)

Where Do I Come From?

I did a few websearches today in response to how rare or not rare my last name is. (based on a conversation at work) In the process I found a site that maps last names in Italy showing how many people with that last name reside throughout Italy.

Also, I found a site that maps the prevalence of any last name throughout the US. It gives you the option of mapping it in 1990 or dates earlier. I suggest choosing all dates and watch it cycle through those dates. Pretty neat.