tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26181297503443945282024-03-07T03:48:21.684-05:00spacey stacyenter blog description here. Uh, I don't know about that. How would you describe this blog? I wonder how many characters I have left in this field anyway. Maybe I could just keep on typing away until we reach that limit. *sigh* not there yet. Okay, then, a description... crazy woman rambles on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on about freedom and autonomy and gardening and sewing and kids and education and any other strange topic that catches her fancy. How's that?Friendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.comBlogger355125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618129750344394528.post-74538160643020112132013-08-05T13:17:00.003-04:002013-08-05T13:18:38.115-04:00so i went down to red clay this weekend, knowing already that my friends wouldn't be there on account of certain, we can call it family drama, well because that's what it is. and it just wasn't the same without them there, and the people who were there, they weren't from here, and they weren't as friendly towards me, except a few. one woman, i heard her call my friends "riff raff" in reply to somebody else commenting on what a good job they'd done this year. she didn't know they were my friends she was talking about. regardless, there wasn't that feeling of community like there usually was the other times i went there before, it was all just a show, put-on. and they did do a good job, it was all prettied up, drew in a lot more people, but not any of the people who should have been there, the ones for whom red clay is their/our church. i felt like an emissary in a way, for them, the ones who weren't there this time because i was being treated like i didn't belong by the ones who came from north carolina to put on a show for the local white people. ugh<br />
<br />
and there wasn't any drumming... wtf is up with that?Friendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618129750344394528.post-55206744363667485712012-05-07T11:18:00.001-04:002012-05-07T11:18:48.488-04:00self-loathingi see your beautiful daughter<br />
her teeth in a metal cage<br />
because her smile was too bright<br />
and that bump on her nose<br />
you'll have to get that fixed<br />
and you should know how it feels<br />
because it was done to you tooFriendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618129750344394528.post-9040311012888101842012-03-21T10:29:00.001-04:002012-03-21T10:31:38.869-04:00getting healthierhealthcare in this society is about making money. the insurance companies and big pharma run the show, not the doctors, and certainly not the patients. realizing this fact is the first step i took towards healing. i got better. so can you.<br /><br />your doctor doesn't have time to research each individual patient's unique situation. you have to do that yourself. some doctors don't want you doing it, but y<span class="text_exposed_show">ou have to if you want to find the latest information. go to pubmed.com and bring a dictionary.<br /><br />before taking any medication, read the info sheet for yourself, don't take your doctor's word for anything.<br /><br /> your doctor works for you. you can fire him at any time for any reason and go find another one. most insurance companies cover a 2nd opinion 100% but you have to fill out the right paperwork first.<br /><br />and if you go for a second opinion, don't go to a different doctor in the same practice, that defeats the whole purpose.</span>Friendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618129750344394528.post-69972012017819441772011-01-26T11:04:00.003-05:002011-01-26T12:27:12.429-05:00why would we send our precious children to school?it never fails to impress me just how much children learn when they aren't shackled to a school desk all day long busy not learning<br /><br />there is nothing more necessary to a healthy society than raising children. this society, being unfriendly towards the work that mothers do, keeps itself sick by raising children in sick institutions instead of at home. just because we were all sent to school and institutionalized at a very young age, doesn't mean we should do that to our own kids. we know better, we can do better. they deserve better than that. the future of our world depends on it.<br /><br />unless, of course, you are okay with raising yet another generation of brainwashed thugs. i'm not.Friendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618129750344394528.post-46385307796536364342010-11-17T12:21:00.002-05:002010-11-17T12:27:17.049-05:00keyboard sputumi'm just dumping my words here where i might can find them again easier than digging through thousands of status updates at facebook... :-) <br /><br /><h3 class="UIIntentionalStory_Message" ft="{"type":"msg"}"><span class="UIStory_Message">do you find people acting defensive around you all the time? maybe if you stopped attacking them, they wouldn't feel a need to defend themselves. did that never occur to you? did you think you were helping them? you were wrong. telling other people what they should do is not help, it's just bossy and mean. and yo<span class="text_exposed_hide"></span><span class="text_exposed_show">u think of yourself as being soooo kind, don't you? i hate bullies.</span></span></h3><span jsid="text">and to everyone else, those who, like myself, are always being accused of being too defensive, standing up for yourself is not a bad thing!! your voice counts, too.<br /><br /></span><span jsid="text"><div id="id_4ce40fcb3ae9a9693124039" class="text_exposed_root">there are so many different bob dylan lyrics i could start to sing right now. what makes anyone any sort of authority over anyone else? when you assume authority over someone else's actions, thoughts, beliefs, etc, that is the same as tel<span class="text_exposed_hide">...</span><span class="text_exposed_show">ling them they are beneath you, that you think you are somehow better qualified to make their decisions for them. that is the greatest insult of them all. and when it hurts their feelings to be so insulted, constantly, by those who think they are superior in some way or another, those bullies blame us for it, it's our fault for being too sensitive, they were only trying to help. BAH!<br /><br /></span><span jsid="text">the divine right of kings is a lie. the only thing they were born with that the rest of us don't have is money.<br /><br /></span><span jsid="text">and the money system is collapsing along with the other controls, as freedom draws near. now the money is nothing more than numbers in computers. that's all it is. used to just be numbers on paper, but we've "progressed" and the lie is m<span class="text_exposed_hide">...</span><span class="text_exposed_show">ore evident to those who wish to see it for what it is. how is it that those numbers in those computers controls everything you do? where does this power come from? it certainly didn't come from the gods i believe in. it comes from fear. we are taught to be afraid so that we may think we want to be controlled. who puts this fear in our hearts? it does not come from within. who are the real terrorists?<br /><br /></span></span><span jsid="text">and since i enjoy answering my own questions (even if i might be wrong) i'd say the real terrorists are the bullies, the ones who think they know what's best for other folks.<br /><br /></span><span jsid="text">the ones who claim to be "protecting" us from some threat, real or imagined doesn't matter which, so long as we buy into the fear that allows such abuses to continue.<br /><br />********<br /><br /></span><h3 class="UIIntentionalStory_Message" ft="{"type":"msg"}"><span class="UIStory_Message">oh but there are different rules for the super-wealthy than for the rest of us. you know why. it's because they are the ones making up the rules as they go along!</span></h3><span jsid="text">who tells governments what laws to pass? chatham house does. who gets invited to meetings at chatham house? not people like me, certainly. not people like you, either. only the very very very rich and powerful get to go to those meetings, where they decide policy that affects all the rest of us.<br /><br /></span> <span jsid="text"><a href="http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/files/13276_270109miliband.pdf" onmousedown="'UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this)," rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span>http://www.chathamhouse.or</span><wbr><span class="word_break"></span><span>g.uk/files/13276_270109mil</span><wbr><span class="word_break"></span>iband.pdf</a> "managing global insecurity" (in other words, manufacturing fear)</span><br /><br /></div></span>Friendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618129750344394528.post-89781571605096273512010-06-05T20:07:00.002-04:002010-06-05T20:10:49.985-04:00gardenias<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE_Sg2yXVfZs-bqtMQHePtMZwmiEmtVur8e2fQchh8NQMMlbRBwTIv6Oej5g6x4AWKcifuYg4XDtWLoWbA_oEk7xJu9CGuVVEpFzF6GMavFfYIp59gF8Sxu3JIz0wrBdeYd9zuHV9Kc9w/s1600/g010e1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 315px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE_Sg2yXVfZs-bqtMQHePtMZwmiEmtVur8e2fQchh8NQMMlbRBwTIv6Oej5g6x4AWKcifuYg4XDtWLoWbA_oEk7xJu9CGuVVEpFzF6GMavFfYIp59gF8Sxu3JIz0wrBdeYd9zuHV9Kc9w/s400/g010e1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479446325723700914" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtqkniy8SLLkJbphdqDIfvMlHmleXmZ12y0Ftb78enNmAU3VLTnhcs-UlrVEuvwRHomHnzOSMHEkU93mtKqwB13I6tX9plhO9Ku8X3PraKeM7KBV94CzEXAODihLROtW1n1z4g8AwiIX4/s1600/g009d6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 338px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtqkniy8SLLkJbphdqDIfvMlHmleXmZ12y0Ftb78enNmAU3VLTnhcs-UlrVEuvwRHomHnzOSMHEkU93mtKqwB13I6tX9plhO9Ku8X3PraKeM7KBV94CzEXAODihLROtW1n1z4g8AwiIX4/s400/g009d6.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479446318714031570" /></a>Friendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618129750344394528.post-55144504592591452982010-06-04T19:13:00.003-04:002010-06-04T19:16:51.909-04:00my newest apron<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLHFW3mZeK51EKnQzLAvdVcidpepuIzLgCgAXg10D0UqIh8vBXtfg-_LgNo7iSz-fR-F1Ew9ooDBbNfPn7BxigVb1a5QgCfS41Et-hix3A9RlvctnWlxsJK-0T7Dv1qlNud_usZkllbA/s1600/apron.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 232px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLHFW3mZeK51EKnQzLAvdVcidpepuIzLgCgAXg10D0UqIh8vBXtfg-_LgNo7iSz-fR-F1Ew9ooDBbNfPn7BxigVb1a5QgCfS41Et-hix3A9RlvctnWlxsJK-0T7Dv1qlNud_usZkllbA/s400/apron.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479060685302871122" /></a><br /><br />my apologies for the very hasty blog entry, and the lame description of how i make these aprons. here's how it turned out. i used denim from worn out bluejeans to make a wide waistband, and then a very long tie from bias tape that goes all the way around and ties in the front (my hair has grown too long and gets stuck in the bow when it ties in the back). :-) yes, the kids took this picture, and they were fighting over my camera, hence the growly look on my face. hahahahaFriendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618129750344394528.post-87251263508036974252010-05-24T14:04:00.008-04:002010-06-04T19:18:15.525-04:00new apron!okay, so my husband had a stain on his shirt i couldn't manage to get out. oh dear! so now his old shirt is my new apron! this is one of my favorite sewing projects, ever. i have a few of these shirt-aprons, i really like them a lot. :-)<br /><br />first, you cut off the collar and along the seam at the top of the shoulder.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMfD06m76EG-RtFmh44Y3jnLatN4cmklc0OHjQ6P99reSaZxJ4dEypTiSycqFM8otlpuyQZs1IydpC7UiW5FO6ujxosXU31_vZlJ17YkmrGZLffPQ_sc95-ZRqpPTxWDKarYt_LyqDL04/s1600/apron1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 237px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMfD06m76EG-RtFmh44Y3jnLatN4cmklc0OHjQ6P99reSaZxJ4dEypTiSycqFM8otlpuyQZs1IydpC7UiW5FO6ujxosXU31_vZlJ17YkmrGZLffPQ_sc95-ZRqpPTxWDKarYt_LyqDL04/s400/apron1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474902773072527186" /></a><br /><br />turn the shirt inside out, and using a straight-edge, mark a line along the side-seams, leaving a gap where the sleeve is for pockets. stitch along that line, rounding out the sleeve for to make a better shape for the pocket. if you are real slick, you can topstitch that seam from the front of the pocket all the way down to the hem. but if the shirt being used was an old denim workshirt (they do make wonderful aprons!), don't bother with that step as it isn't really necessary. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjMQ40_4zmtCtbri_V3VgNTGtugmB2ySejeZ94b_VZFxL7s9QTSHQHOm2rSKjJIDzphoHGdlCP2le68UAwurMQSzR-GqRCJutSJN-VASqUwsnK_QBa8dzo4MVVde9inzpvZpwtRTnWF4/s1600/apron2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjMQ40_4zmtCtbri_V3VgNTGtugmB2ySejeZ94b_VZFxL7s9QTSHQHOm2rSKjJIDzphoHGdlCP2le68UAwurMQSzR-GqRCJutSJN-VASqUwsnK_QBa8dzo4MVVde9inzpvZpwtRTnWF4/s400/apron2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474901287680068610" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />other than the little strip of fabric trimmed off from straightening the side seams, this is all you will have left over. (most efficient recycling, isn't it?)<br /><br />then you just gather the top edge and sew on a strip of coordinating or contrasting fabric for the tie. presto! instant apron!! :-) <br /><br />and best of all, the hem is already done for you!! does anyone else have such a hard time with sewing hems as i do?Friendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618129750344394528.post-10713378120318775202010-02-16T10:51:00.003-05:002010-02-16T10:56:20.673-05:00big birds<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Lcopz6Z63dWpiNvB-L0MuefRx4vhETTp47JGwEFz2Yjs8IiE2YxijcKyyXLMkyve6UtFxIfZsXtv44__V3mauhWhnKSRMdZ2I3xvqXFzhHV8WtlnDoN398nOhS8ZWthco7GPw4FDCHU/s1600-h/hawk05+21610.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 378px; height: 244px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Lcopz6Z63dWpiNvB-L0MuefRx4vhETTp47JGwEFz2Yjs8IiE2YxijcKyyXLMkyve6UtFxIfZsXtv44__V3mauhWhnKSRMdZ2I3xvqXFzhHV8WtlnDoN398nOhS8ZWthco7GPw4FDCHU/s400/hawk05+21610.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438870522550963282" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQTzU0RGfZoww9GKyFaBHk8HvOcXbczlCPEzEdL1_mxPul7R6N2iRVCmzGUvXakjfKMbjB8eshXsbRpVUn_NUqupBlpOFJjVVFRofimZuGWNb_4qVsM4axFGBQ0CLqcTRgRADZuyickE/s1600-h/hawk06+21610.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQTzU0RGfZoww9GKyFaBHk8HvOcXbczlCPEzEdL1_mxPul7R6N2iRVCmzGUvXakjfKMbjB8eshXsbRpVUn_NUqupBlpOFJjVVFRofimZuGWNb_4qVsM4axFGBQ0CLqcTRgRADZuyickE/s400/hawk06+21610.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438870522696921410" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkaX0sB3vlOre-AAk_Gv2yNjkmSvKROcMmookAfTAc5hEd7-leMHzpV2kc_7GAj6JMi06sOPhcM23klCX2hyphenhyphenZsiG46sHtfK8hSkg_9YZqdbYfgi3cjKaK7I1yHSt7jqzxFQTdoss001qg/s1600-h/hawk07+21610.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 289px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkaX0sB3vlOre-AAk_Gv2yNjkmSvKROcMmookAfTAc5hEd7-leMHzpV2kc_7GAj6JMi06sOPhcM23klCX2hyphenhyphenZsiG46sHtfK8hSkg_9YZqdbYfgi3cjKaK7I1yHSt7jqzxFQTdoss001qg/s400/hawk07+21610.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438870517099686466" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGsAeZNy4mKkoSL8caOPhWzl6cYupVCaQPwiTeLWLj2LULchzjRIJz-pH2FthnTcy6KYcF5Yr8CLX-wmxEn8w2rJI_h8vHJU1S3c68eaWHKHsgzTnWfp-JOFgKj81KW4f_qspiqeFTbI/s1600-h/hawk08+21610.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 390px; height: 295px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGsAeZNy4mKkoSL8caOPhWzl6cYupVCaQPwiTeLWLj2LULchzjRIJz-pH2FthnTcy6KYcF5Yr8CLX-wmxEn8w2rJI_h8vHJU1S3c68eaWHKHsgzTnWfp-JOFgKj81KW4f_qspiqeFTbI/s400/hawk08+21610.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438870512466703698" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9GWq9YcGn0zEHW2xFA6S1N7Ma1yFOitEuZZDENoZ_09RDnmUfB5dnpE_C7ipszWSF0rWabaX8gf2sCPcQUJgvrsbifdlnjC7vWmJFr7GTb9uZWXG8uNk7QhwcYWRUMc-Yl-COiuX3n8/s1600-h/hawk09+21610.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 310px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9GWq9YcGn0zEHW2xFA6S1N7Ma1yFOitEuZZDENoZ_09RDnmUfB5dnpE_C7ipszWSF0rWabaX8gf2sCPcQUJgvrsbifdlnjC7vWmJFr7GTb9uZWXG8uNk7QhwcYWRUMc-Yl-COiuX3n8/s400/hawk09+21610.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438870511293052578" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZ9BW3o2LVNxLJHB9EjUCdqQ8TUzB7N0Z9SD6zWeJOMxZZbwbPmrfUhwPz9yLd2aMv3cwa1VRDYFiE_Vitk6nWNRhG1S36RQPmoDsWQ7gP8rzH6l340702wknxmK8Z7yMOx0qviHJ3wI/s1600-h/hawk04+21610.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZ9BW3o2LVNxLJHB9EjUCdqQ8TUzB7N0Z9SD6zWeJOMxZZbwbPmrfUhwPz9yLd2aMv3cwa1VRDYFiE_Vitk6nWNRhG1S36RQPmoDsWQ7gP8rzH6l340702wknxmK8Z7yMOx0qviHJ3wI/s400/hawk04+21610.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438870073254829826" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2n82eeVMlisBCp4H4K4867prFGGHziEzbT5Am6hjN-TdaRPB9zWxL7c4U91KxakFrCg0ql_uoSs3LTAhyqSb3jG-nR3xETMhM4W9KDAaJ3dSmf9hrvgD9ZBmHwSDPhJv29aijxV5vtU/s1600-h/hawk03+21610.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2n82eeVMlisBCp4H4K4867prFGGHziEzbT5Am6hjN-TdaRPB9zWxL7c4U91KxakFrCg0ql_uoSs3LTAhyqSb3jG-nR3xETMhM4W9KDAaJ3dSmf9hrvgD9ZBmHwSDPhJv29aijxV5vtU/s400/hawk03+21610.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438870068637280514" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjew1yKgIFQdBuWUGeDmT31iCym7K6xt0cdU8b5CWJ32WKlediG-XX2OViBbz5jy2l1I6wlZxnqQxkMNtgQNC3hyphenhyphenAjU4cuZ1kCCVDI2dNhIUPRb39SPd6nVZjWeO5pmpr0gLj4iE5Hn1YA/s1600-h/hawk02+21610.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 253px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjew1yKgIFQdBuWUGeDmT31iCym7K6xt0cdU8b5CWJ32WKlediG-XX2OViBbz5jy2l1I6wlZxnqQxkMNtgQNC3hyphenhyphenAjU4cuZ1kCCVDI2dNhIUPRb39SPd6nVZjWeO5pmpr0gLj4iE5Hn1YA/s400/hawk02+21610.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438870062364743730" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZusXfYq5_VrXpqej3RvzFyJR0UCUwujpa73Pn0G_7zAz6qrKZ3FkbM4Hy-Vy-IRqL29eg5svucW7srjSlFK32y76ICyBOg3rBsn-FCn5_MWU7sgZqHIKmL1shZizpqR6oD_f8PaTZQH4/s1600-h/hawk01+21610.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 334px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZusXfYq5_VrXpqej3RvzFyJR0UCUwujpa73Pn0G_7zAz6qrKZ3FkbM4Hy-Vy-IRqL29eg5svucW7srjSlFK32y76ICyBOg3rBsn-FCn5_MWU7sgZqHIKmL1shZizpqR6oD_f8PaTZQH4/s400/hawk01+21610.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438870059062032018" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz20qijUsQuxzy85Ij5_QoNOeFflOSqVse8r1rQGka_NE5lGPL1aNjWy4U37jpgyKSQI6dTmdTSNufSzQ3o5GlT7XRvM35jDltMA4xxMNja4bsWdJeICbD-ZQ4TblCbfzCoHg-RM2JRtM/s1600-h/two+hawks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz20qijUsQuxzy85Ij5_QoNOeFflOSqVse8r1rQGka_NE5lGPL1aNjWy4U37jpgyKSQI6dTmdTSNufSzQ3o5GlT7XRvM35jDltMA4xxMNja4bsWdJeICbD-ZQ4TblCbfzCoHg-RM2JRtM/s400/two+hawks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438870052866756338" border="0" /></a><br />hawks, two of them, visited my backyard this morning... they let me get a lot closer than usual.<br /><br /><br />(not sure why blogger has to rearrange the order of the photos, but there you have it)Friendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618129750344394528.post-41070415290137896082009-10-24T19:03:00.002-04:002009-10-24T19:05:22.303-04:00little birds<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiB2CuaQFDwHgb5M9yLhPQUxsyMWV0HrUuyIDc7JSKeLtxp38iwQ5bNUsWZbq1DZnJiz-fifSfZdvL4ZMkF7X92nu5f81c_dXAhFaFGi9rxW064hjIHaWOZVtRIEbrhqJonVRk4BhyphenhyphenjtQ/s1600-h/bird01x2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 264px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiB2CuaQFDwHgb5M9yLhPQUxsyMWV0HrUuyIDc7JSKeLtxp38iwQ5bNUsWZbq1DZnJiz-fifSfZdvL4ZMkF7X92nu5f81c_dXAhFaFGi9rxW064hjIHaWOZVtRIEbrhqJonVRk4BhyphenhyphenjtQ/s400/bird01x2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396306342593415122" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyRrpWMmqPrdsM0QxnxVwHwcgpTUiGe0PxzuE6vA2N9r7tQg-pc1GJRou9pYy3buCD_JiGOsqJOWy1xjGHSUygoLUpkxKHpaF02ICf6A6NmHHc0DG4aOci9jvI9_m7Vs25uwaOwV-c-YI/s1600-h/bird02x2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyRrpWMmqPrdsM0QxnxVwHwcgpTUiGe0PxzuE6vA2N9r7tQg-pc1GJRou9pYy3buCD_JiGOsqJOWy1xjGHSUygoLUpkxKHpaF02ICf6A6NmHHc0DG4aOci9jvI9_m7Vs25uwaOwV-c-YI/s400/bird02x2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396306346191870402" border="0" /></a><br />the maple tree in our backyard is full of these little guys. does anyone know what they are?Friendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618129750344394528.post-33511596140372639582009-09-19T11:24:00.003-04:002009-09-19T11:28:13.386-04:00this about sums it all upfrom my other blog:<br />http://mamaboogie.gaia.com/blog/2009/9/what-experiences-do-you-think-are-important-for-children-to-have#comments<br /><br /><a href="http://mamaboogie.gaia.com/blog/2009/9/what-experiences-do-you-think-are-important-for-children-to-have">What experiences do you think are important for children to have?</a> <div class="details indent"> <span class="tool first">Posted on <span class="bold">Sep 19th, 2009</span></span> <span class="tool">by <img alt="boogie : redneck" class="photo buddyicon" src="http://aura.gaia.com/photos/54/530935/icon16/av37.jpg" title="boogie : redneck" width="16" height="16" /> <a href="http://mamaboogie.gaia.com/" class="bold">boogie</a></span> </div> <div class="status"> <div class="bold italic" style="padding: 0.3em 0pt 0.3em 30px; background: transparent url(/aura/icons/silk/gifs/lightbulb.gif) no-repeat scroll left top; font-size: 13px; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> This is in Response to the <a href="http://qar.gaia.com/918/what-experiences-do-you-think-are-important-for-children-to-have">Questions and Reflections</a> for September 18, 2009: </div> </div><br /> <div> to play in the rain and the mud.<br />icecream for breakfast.<br />pony rides.<br />going to art museums.<br />the companionship of animals.<br />putting their feet in the ocean.<br /><br />the poem aside, there is only one thing children need, and that is to make their own decisions. we maybe can guide them and help them figure out what is best, but we can't make their decisions for them. what children need is for grownups to realize this simple fact. if we set the children free, the entire world will follow. this i believe with all my heart. every mother knows good and well that babies are not born evil, they have to be taught how to do evil things. children know the difference between right and wrong, they don't need us to tell them what to do. they really don't. it's the ones who have been abused, never allowed their own choices to make, that don't know the difference between right and wrong. if we don't allow them to ever follow their heart, they will grow into adults who are unable to hear the truth their heart speaks to them.<br /><br />the most important lesson i learned from my childhood was that when the pain gets too much, that's when the angels come. the most important lesson i learned as a parent was that <span style="font-style: italic;">it's the same abuse that causes the pain that makes them go away in the first place</span>.<br /></div>Friendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618129750344394528.post-60020577014926752862009-09-15T16:56:00.004-04:002009-09-15T17:00:04.668-04:00my blog is fulli don't update this blog regular anymore. not since i started feeling done with this one and went to zaadz. then i let the trolls freak me out and i deleted that blog, but then made a new one there (same website, new name, gaia). now that one's feeling full, too. i'm not saying anything new anymore. <br /><br />adding more posts at this point would just be fluff.Friendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618129750344394528.post-78515944492802427662009-04-12T15:51:00.003-04:002009-04-12T15:53:00.841-04:00friends<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTjLk9j1TZB0e2oVjBZY-UEV3y8yROKcj_CRwbS2I25mkUGd1jJgS0QYgi4ircUIcqe4tzTBnOloMBuabG8HfznDff8v_x4gh4s9ylXfJew2jw6M_NbGGYKwVAlmsyTiLIP6pNFFpcdg/s1600-h/dummies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTjLk9j1TZB0e2oVjBZY-UEV3y8yROKcj_CRwbS2I25mkUGd1jJgS0QYgi4ircUIcqe4tzTBnOloMBuabG8HfznDff8v_x4gh4s9ylXfJew2jw6M_NbGGYKwVAlmsyTiLIP6pNFFpcdg/s400/dummies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323895079524821170" border="0" /></a><br />introducing george and ned...<br /><br />aren't kids just so clever? :-)Friendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618129750344394528.post-38931934263221628712009-03-30T11:48:00.002-04:002009-03-30T11:53:51.767-04:00dominance theory???<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;">Veterinarians Concerned About Outdated and Confrontational Advice Given by<br />Cesar Millan The Dog Whisperer<br /><br />www.AVSABonline.org<br /><br /><br />In an article written by Timothy Kim for the VIN News Services (5FEB09), an<br />on-line resource for veterinarians, representatives of the American<br />Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) have expressed concern about<br />dog training advice given by Cesar Millan, on his reality TV show, The Dog<br />Whisperer. The AVSAB is so concerned that they have issued an official<br />statement (Position Statement on the Use of Dominance Theory in Behavior<br />Modification of Animals -</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;"> <a href="http://www.avsabonline.org/avsabonline/images/stories/Position_Statements/dominance%20statement.pdf">dominance statement pdf</a> ) to counter the unfortunate<br />pervasive influence of Millan's show.<br /><br />In their position statement the AVSAB demonstrates that the dominance theory<br />which is the core of Millan's approach, has been rejected by animal behavior<br />experts and can actually cause serious fear aggression in dogs. In the<br />article, Dr. Laurie Bergman, of Norristown, Pa., a member of AVSAB's<br />executive board was quoted as saying "We had been moving away from dominance<br />theory and punitive training techniques for a while, but, unfortunately,<br />Cesar Millan has brought it back."<br /><br />Dominance theory has typically been presented as the reason for a dog's<br />misbehavior. Its basic premise is that the dog is a pack animal like a wolf<br />and all packs are ruled by the dominant alpha male. Millan essentially<br />believes that in order to counter a dog's misbehavior, or as he sees it a<br />"grab for power," a person must be the dominant alpha male and must use<br />force and coercion to get the dog to behave and submit.<br /><br />The article describes Millan as using a number of assertive techniques<br />".negative-reinforcement, or correction. alpha rolls (the dog is rolled onto<br />its back, a submissive position) and flooding (the dog is exposed to<br />something that causes it anxiety and is not allowed to escape, to<br />desensitize it). He also has been shown choking a dog on the end of a leash<br />until it fell onto its side, gasping for air." These techniques are of great<br />concern to the AVSAB which has also adopted a position statement on the use<br />of punishment for training animals </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;">(<a href="http://www.avsabonline.org/avsabonline/images/stories/avsab%20postion%20s%8Ant210.15.07-1.pdf">avsab position statement pdf</a>).<br /><br />The theory of dominance hierarchy was set into motion in 1922 by Thorleif<br />Schjelderup-Ebbe and his research on chickens. It was popularized by the<br />Monks of New Skete with their publication of How to Be Your Dog's Best<br />Friend. This now very dated book, takes the premise that if we want the best<br />relationship with our dog then we should treat them like an adult wolf would<br />treat a wolf puppy, at least according to the Monk's understanding of that<br />scenario. Many of their key recommendations focus on fear and physical<br />punishment.<br /><br />Thanks to the work of Dr. L. David Mech, a senior scientist with the U.S.<br />Geological Survey, we now know that dominance theory does not apply to<br />wolves in a natural, wild (non-captive) environment (<a href="http://www.wolf.org/wolves/learn/basic/resources/mech_pdfs/267alphastatus_english.pdf">Alpha Status,<br />Dominance, and Division of Labor in Wolf Packs pdf</a></span><a href="http://www.wolf.org/wolves/learn/basic/resources/mech_pdfs/267alphastatus_english.pdf"><u><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: blue;"></span></u></a><u><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="http://tiny.cc/ycQeU"></a></u><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;">).<br />Research by Dr. Ray and Lorna Coppinger (DOGS: A New Understanding of Canine<br />Origin, Behavior, and Evolution (Scribner, NY, 2001; Univ. Chicago Press,<br />2002) has helped us understand that while closely related to the wolf a dog<br />is not a hunter or a pack animal. Dogs are primarily scavengers and when<br />living feral often live alone or in very loose groups.<br /><br />So what does all of this mean? It means that the dominance theory spouted<br />for years by many in the dog community is a poor model for describing wolf<br />behavior and is an even worse model for training your dog. Unfortunately,<br />just like there is still a Flat Earth Society there are still those like<br />Cesar Millan, who hang on to a dog training model that is erroneous and<br />based on creating confrontation and fear.<br /><br />The AVSAB is not the first to question Millan's techniques. On February 23,<br />2006 the New York Times quoted Dr. Nicholas Dodman [veterinary behaviorist<br />and director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at Tufts University] as saying<br />''My college thinks it [The Dog Whisperer - Cesar Millan] is a travesty.<br />We've written to National Geographic Channel and told them they have put dog<br />training back 20 years.'' Later that same year the American Humane<br />Association stated "The training tactics featured on Cesar Millan's "The Dog<br />Whisperer" program are inhumane, outdated and improper"<br /><br />Kim's article concludes with a statement by Dr. Sophia Yin, a member of the<br />AVSAB executive board, warning dog guardians to avoid dog trainers and<br />others who: continually tell owners that they have to be the "alpha," warn<br />owners not to use rewards too much, and uses pinch collars or shock collars<br />on dogs in a training class. "The AVSAB recommends that veterinarians not<br />refer clients to trainers or behavior consultants who coach and advocate<br />dominance hierarchy theory and the subsequent confrontational training that<br />follows from it."<br /> </span>Friendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618129750344394528.post-9245338613666828192009-02-03T11:00:00.001-05:002009-02-03T11:02:49.895-05:00"they will come for you anyway"<a href="http://www.tpuc.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=324&p=2393">http://www.tpuc.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=324&p=2393</a><br /><br />that very well may be. threats of horrible punishments cannot turn me into a docile sheep, or quiet my voice, because that is in contrast to what my inner spirit tells me i must do. if they wanted me in jail, or dead, for that matter, i'd already be there. and what good would it do their cause? to get rid of some housewife in tennessee that isn't bothering anyone. imagine some faceless army marching up the street bearing machine guns, coming to take me and my children away, what a joke! how could they possibly spin that into anything other than a hollywood fairy tale that the public would never buy. it is not my decision to make, <span style="font-style: italic;">what anyone else might choose to do</span>. what is <span style="font-weight: bold;">my responsibility</span> is to decide for myself (without fear of any threats) whether to continue to live in fear and remain silent, or to speak out, at the top of my lungs, if i have to. i choose to believe that i am making a difference, not by giving my power to some group in the hopes that the group has my best interests at heart, but by standing alone and using my power to change my world in a way that benefits everyone, and not just a select few who are members of the right group.<br /><br />the group has only the "good of the group" as its goal and purpose. that is how the groupthink mindcontrol works. and we don't like those words, do we? no, we don't. words like that makes us cringe, makes us cower in fear, don't they? the group tells you that individually, you are weak and pitiful and you need someone else to help you, to teach you, to lead you, to give you the right answers, because you aren't worthy of making any decisions for yourself. when you join the group, you give up your right to disagree with the majority, regardless how foolish it might be what the majority thinks. my version of anarchy is the opposite of that. it's each individual human being, no matter who they are, believing in themselves. freedom means that we get to make our own decisions for ourselves. autonomy. it means that no group, no organization, be that in the form of church or state, has higher authority than each individual's own innermost guide.<br /><br />and society tells us we are wrong to believe in ourselves. we need the system. we have been so sorely abused by authority that we lose touch with that inner voice, we forget how strong we are. but there's lots and lots starting to remember. because the only way world peace will ever happen is for all of us to stand up, alone, individually, for everyone else's right to do the same.<br /><br />...<br /><br />problem is, the political system does not work. it never has, except to benefit the few at the very tippy top of that pyramid. we want to think it works, don't we? we want to believe in the "american dream" (sure you all have something similar on that side of the pond, don't you? that if we play their game well enough, we can come out on top ...well, never all the way to the top, but we can "succeed" - we can rise above).<br /><br />so we are divided up into groups, building blocks, as it were, to support the pyramid, the heirarchy of power and control. and the higher up that pyramid we go, the more people we step upon for personal advance, the more we think we are better than them, those who are "beneath" us. a pyramid made entirely of sand would never support its own weight. the sand has to be mixed with lime and aggregate, made into concrete first. and how is this accomplished? mostly with what is popularly known as "education" - indoctrination into the system of control and abuse. and we are told that we should believe <span style="font-style: italic;">the good of the group</span> comes first, and our individual freedoms matter not.Friendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618129750344394528.post-28271234370896341732009-01-10T08:26:00.004-05:002009-01-10T08:33:27.144-05:00coal ashthe water filter that would usually last a few months, is clogged after having been replaced just a few weeks ago. the water smells funny, and there’s this light-colored powdery substance left behind…. ick<br /><br /><br /><br />http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98857483<br /><br /><h1>Tennessee Spill: The Exxon Valdez Of Coal Ash?</h1><p class="byline">by <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4566209">Elizabeth Shogren</a></p><p><span class="program"><a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=3">Morning Edition</a>,</span> <span class="date">December 31, 2008 · </span> There aren't a lot of answers yet about what caused the catastrophic Dec. 22 spill of coal ash from a Tennessee Valley Authority plant near Knoxville. But the disaster has raised lots of questions about whether regulations of coal ash are strict enough.</p><p>Coal ash is the stuff that's left over after coal-fired power plants generate electricity and strip out pollutants. Plants produce about 130 million tons of it every year.</p><p>"That's enough to fill a line of railroad boxcars stretching all the way from the U.S. to Australia," says Eric Schaeffer, head of a watchdog group called the Environmental Integrity Project. He says he's been watching the growing heaps of coal ash stored at 440 electricity plants around the United States. </p><p>In the case of the Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston Fossil Plant, the waste had been accumulating for half a century. The mountain of sludge covered more than 100 acres and rose 65 feet into the air before an earthen dam burst, spilling 5.4 million cubic yards of ash that fouled homes and about 300 acres, as well as a river.</p><p>Glen Pugh manages solid waste for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and is in charge of regulating the landfill. He says that despite the accident, the regulations were adequate, and TVA was following them. </p><p>"I do think our regulations provide for the proper checks and reviews and evaluations," Pugh says. "Something happened here that was unexpected."</p><p>Schaeffer says the accident came as no surprise to him.</p><p>"We saw this several years ago in Pennsylvania. A little town named Forward Township got buried in a landslide of fly ash," he says. "We went in and tested the ash, and it turned out to be toxic, also full of arsenic just like the TVA site."</p><p>Schaeffer says disasters are waiting to happen in other places because coal ash isn't subject to strict federal regulations that govern hazardous wastes. Instead, it's up to states to regulate it — and some don't. Most treat coal ash as though it's not toxic.</p><p>"The prevailing myth is that it's safe," Schaeffer says. "We have EPA buying into that for years and really refusing to regulate this material for what it is, which is highly toxic ash that leashes metals like arsenic, cadmium and mercury into drinking water and rivers and creeks."</p><p>In 1980, Congress asked the Environmental Protection Agency whether coal ash should be regulated as a hazardous waste. The agency said no in 1993, but kept researching the question. In 2000, the EPA said it should be regulated, but as a nonhazardous waste. So far, however, the agency hasn't produced any rules. </p><p>Matt Hale, head of the EPA's solid waste office, says the agency has been studying the problem for 28 years. It's taken so long because, he says, "there's been a significant amount of technical work. Simply, the process has required this amount of time."</p><p>Some people think federal oversight is unnecessary. Jim Roewer of the Utility Solid Waste Activities Group says states are doing a fine job of regulating the hundreds of ash pits around the country.</p><p>"I think that we've only seen four of these rather spectacular events over the last 50 years would underscore the fact that this really isn't an epidemic problem or trend that would call for federal intervention," Roewer says.</p><p>But environmentalists say the TVA ash slide will become the Exxon Valdez of the coal industry — and force government to finally regulate coal ash storage.</p>Friendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618129750344394528.post-86050712467752291112008-10-28T08:10:00.002-04:002008-10-28T08:12:38.084-04:00how much??<span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 51, 102);">good gawd! and just how many bowls of hot soup would that buy for those who don't have enough to eat this winter? how many blankets would that buy for those who are cold? and why do some people still think any politician actually cares about them?</span><br /><br /><br /><br />WASHINGTON — Democrat Barack Obama, who is on track to spend a record $230 million on television advertising, will punctuate his broadcast strategy Wednesday with prime-time commercials on CBS, NBC and Fox.Friendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618129750344394528.post-54288012551585144012008-10-19T21:19:00.001-04:002008-10-19T21:19:54.862-04:00question...if an orange is orange<br />and amber is amber<br /><br /><br />what is a purple?Friendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618129750344394528.post-74334165577407607692008-10-09T20:22:00.003-04:002008-10-09T20:35:15.542-04:00Senate Slips Huge $488 Billion Pentagon War Funding Bill in Under The Radarhttp://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_14967.cfm<br /><br /><h2>Senate Slips Huge $488 Billion Pentagon War Funding Bill in Under The Radar</h2> <ul><li><b> Senate Slips Huge Pentagon War Funding Bill in Under The Radar<br /> By Tommy News<br /> OpEd News, October 1, 2008<br /> <a href="http://www.opednews.com/articles/Senate-Slips-Huge-Pentagon-by-Tommy-News-080930-123.html"> Straight to the Source </a><br /> <br /> </b></li></ul> <p>The Senate has acted against the will of the American people and caved to the Bush Administration yet again. US Senators donned their Harry Potter invisibility cloaks and under the cover of darkness late Saturday night, with the smoke and mirrors distraction of the Wall Street bailout, quietly voted on and passed a huge, outrageous spending bill that gives an additional $488 Billion dollars to the Bush Administration and The Pentagon for funding of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. </p> <p>There has been a near media blackout of this vote, and we need to get the word out that this outrageous warfunding is quietly continuing while the news media is being distracted by the gigantic and horrendous Wall Street bailout bill. </p> <p>While we have all been preoccupied with the staggering $700 billion bail-out of wall street, boggled with the size of the dollar amount, having to raise the National debt limit and borrow money from foreign nations to fund it, late Saturday night the Senate passed a bill of a comparably huge dollar amount which made little news, but gives $488 Billion to the Pentagon for the continued funding of the the war, There has been a near media blackout of this vote, and we need to get the word out that this outrageous warfunding is quietly continuing while the news media is being distracted by the gigantic and horrendous Wall Street bailout bill. </p> <p>The Pentagon is in line for a record budget. In addition to $70 billion approved this summer for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Defense Department would receive $488 billion, a 6 percent increase. The spending bill was bundled in with a bill which also offers aid to victims of flooding in the Midwest and recent hurricanes across the Gulf Coast. The total cost of the spending legislation exceeds $630 billion. </p> <p>Such a huge bill usually would dominate the end-of-session agenda on Capitol Hill. But it went below the radar screen because attention focused on the congressional bailout of Wall Street. </p> <p>The bill was quietly rushed to Bush's desk to be signed into law, and John McCain rushed quietly back out of Washington and yet again avoided having to vote on another controversial spending bill. When the roll call on final passage occurred, McCain was at his campaign headquarters in Crystal City, Va., only five miles from the Capitol. McCain has missed a staggeringly huge number of Senate votes. </p> <p>With the election fast approaching, I want to give you a breakdown of the 78-12 Senate vote as recorded in the Congressional Record. I urge you to take this outrageous spending vote into strong consideration when you cast your votes on November 4th.<br /></p><p><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;" ><span style=";font-family:verdana,geneva;font-size:85%;" >*From the Congressional Record:*<br /></span></span><br /><a href="*From%20the%20Congressional%20Record:*%20%20http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00208">http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00208</a></p>Friendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618129750344394528.post-7404613248826004392008-10-04T12:26:00.003-04:002008-10-04T12:31:55.915-04:00Sammy the Dragon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZkX9-pqLoXg5VM2VPYE_BNVc71cqd_t6aOSSBjiveBR4H3uPOwwcMdYGvTX2vfuekAHlgU1-vH6QOzzafjTbzGfQ5J9Sd_kxEsIlGc29pT0Uo7_nXE_GQt3N3aejXITThSm6hg8fZoqU/s1600-h/sammy+the+dragon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZkX9-pqLoXg5VM2VPYE_BNVc71cqd_t6aOSSBjiveBR4H3uPOwwcMdYGvTX2vfuekAHlgU1-vH6QOzzafjTbzGfQ5J9Sd_kxEsIlGc29pT0Uo7_nXE_GQt3N3aejXITThSm6hg8fZoqU/s400/sammy+the+dragon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253336113502824178" border="0" /></a><br />a nice little coloring page created by my oldest daughter.Friendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618129750344394528.post-29437082017917026502008-09-16T17:19:00.001-04:002008-09-16T17:24:08.191-04:00red-tailed hawk vs rattlesnakecool video<br /><embed src="http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/flash/syndicatedVideoPlayer.swf" flashVars="vid=hawk_redtailed_rattlesnakemeal" name="flashObj" width="400" height="334" seamlesstabbing="false" allowfullscreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed><br />i highly recommend muting it and watching in full screen. ;-)Friendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618129750344394528.post-87468133691817751612008-09-12T09:41:00.004-04:002008-09-12T14:15:49.594-04:00mass hysteriaso our local news created a panic yesterday. there was a run on gas. hardly any stations had any gasoline left in their tanks, and there were long lines last night, people going crazy, getting bent out of shape, about to fight each other.<br /><br /><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080911/ap_on_bi_ge/oil_prices">link one</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.newschannel9.com/video/index.php?bcpid=1111405995&bclid=1137849423&bctid=1788945229">link two</a><br /><br />it's the same thing they do when the weather looks like it might snow, everyone rushes to the grocery store and buys up all the bread and milk. it is somewhat frightening to see how easily my neighbors are manipulated by what they see on the teevee.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">update:</span> as of noon today, everything seems back to normal. i noticed the price had gone up 40 cents since i filled up the tank two days ago. there were lots of cars at every station, but no lines.Friendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618129750344394528.post-80544614871165945912008-09-02T09:03:00.001-04:002008-09-02T09:07:52.508-04:00and more...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdu4RdMDBkpD1wHJlsVeGE4MhFzAnLN6JE0k13KCPbOmeksPwm8s6cND_AimpwP_vPISTVIqBVN2JbwCtQr-srkRQw-nD1Z6Wh2avWEjZuFMntkA5FB6GsxHwGwqRrfO3yk3YgJljMIwY/s1600-h/cs001.bmp"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdu4RdMDBkpD1wHJlsVeGE4MhFzAnLN6JE0k13KCPbOmeksPwm8s6cND_AimpwP_vPISTVIqBVN2JbwCtQr-srkRQw-nD1Z6Wh2avWEjZuFMntkA5FB6GsxHwGwqRrfO3yk3YgJljMIwY/s400/cs001.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241409887130561778" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOWpYMKv0RID7uLqtSRTOHa-PVivUAlBTizaPY9bMIdwt7vp_yT0ILosWTerbto0mLoe7B52eEBLQ9QhpMHzej5_DGp1Yl9dZMKffNEuqoyfuggtBG09rWRF9QMISV1mL225cp5OuEWcE/s1600-h/cs+star4.bmp"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOWpYMKv0RID7uLqtSRTOHa-PVivUAlBTizaPY9bMIdwt7vp_yT0ILosWTerbto0mLoe7B52eEBLQ9QhpMHzej5_DGp1Yl9dZMKffNEuqoyfuggtBG09rWRF9QMISV1mL225cp5OuEWcE/s400/cs+star4.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241409892259582850" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw01D2s1iRmMr8x33m10wXzIX9NO5aeXAZrz-EzR0k1Uu2lnAeHl6jJ4YIVKEoTXa4DNzeezPbf_v8O7fgtabpjfLMLOKNcZ2-_NU-vgR7f3bJq_AYJLaymE2X1SV_1td1-7I2KDbIVhA/s1600-h/cs+star5.bmp"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw01D2s1iRmMr8x33m10wXzIX9NO5aeXAZrz-EzR0k1Uu2lnAeHl6jJ4YIVKEoTXa4DNzeezPbf_v8O7fgtabpjfLMLOKNcZ2-_NU-vgR7f3bJq_AYJLaymE2X1SV_1td1-7I2KDbIVhA/s400/cs+star5.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241409896076391122" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglF4I21xMTM8ymnRAMJzn333hlAkpHE0mwrQUy1axow17-KeGAsZ6f0_Ha_diD49a5VNwyeOlDRVjRuK8l1Co2kQB8r0JFFvnIrUh4yNWVVOL-LaunNYv6J3RXKXItJjFnzg-bYjlTQWk/s1600-h/cs+star6.bmp"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglF4I21xMTM8ymnRAMJzn333hlAkpHE0mwrQUy1axow17-KeGAsZ6f0_Ha_diD49a5VNwyeOlDRVjRuK8l1Co2kQB8r0JFFvnIrUh4yNWVVOL-LaunNYv6J3RXKXItJjFnzg-bYjlTQWk/s400/cs+star6.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241409901794317586" /></a><br />3-D mandalas i created using <a href="http://www.btinternet.com/~ndesprez/index.htm">chaoscope</a> (see previous blog entry):Friendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618129750344394528.post-20368403493850251572008-09-02T06:23:00.002-04:002008-09-02T06:28:22.368-04:00chaoscope<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHQNNzrMWmFrIjLaZ1L2njR3hXu42sAIRI19F_scvGQ_Y_gCPBiRYgpCATC5oXoBS0tzWOmV7bSbJpYvGTn4woQsTK1Lo6k2JolqKg5i5EFIkRW2qynOE_8h08BUqWWkhoNmnesf5RFhc/s1600-h/cscope20.bmp"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHQNNzrMWmFrIjLaZ1L2njR3hXu42sAIRI19F_scvGQ_Y_gCPBiRYgpCATC5oXoBS0tzWOmV7bSbJpYvGTn4woQsTK1Lo6k2JolqKg5i5EFIkRW2qynOE_8h08BUqWWkhoNmnesf5RFhc/s400/cscope20.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241368825654054370" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-mxOmEk0Ccv9eYAcozZnUpODjasEwUzORU4D_DgYLJ1YLocnXt8NmQfP6OGpNJjtI7QxqRF608djUdHJYTkZS9f5cnY1P_oAHVfwOYl0GoT5o81Ts5PIIimAgjQQhmhjNmNK7UI8_qo/s1600-h/cscope06.bmp"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-mxOmEk0Ccv9eYAcozZnUpODjasEwUzORU4D_DgYLJ1YLocnXt8NmQfP6OGpNJjtI7QxqRF608djUdHJYTkZS9f5cnY1P_oAHVfwOYl0GoT5o81Ts5PIIimAgjQQhmhjNmNK7UI8_qo/s400/cscope06.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241368827917451986" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxiw8rdrgfnoFLyqypCwOFAdQis-H5zNteE8JZbt2vZS8qL7o1DLhQBgRKPlgdb3xyxLIcim5jiytaw_HzVyH5_hxf0e5mHyzhPn6bFs1U24pR8MXNL17aCrWoD9seVA37KnWSbf5T-s/s1600-h/cscope02.bmp"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxiw8rdrgfnoFLyqypCwOFAdQis-H5zNteE8JZbt2vZS8qL7o1DLhQBgRKPlgdb3xyxLIcim5jiytaw_HzVyH5_hxf0e5mHyzhPn6bFs1U24pR8MXNL17aCrWoD9seVA37KnWSbf5T-s/s400/cscope02.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241368828993871410" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57gvC7fysyKguC-sV-wFuvqdVN3TRhkFcr71NOZYUULKAmiEI6e6Hl3TEbgxp1XQOcBTG3DxnZvDCrzHnhBl-MAV5oCBdhYbRNnsp3_jkM2wJpwC5KuzZr-w9bn75RvvBE1oRwm9_DxQ/s1600-h/cscope23.bmp"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57gvC7fysyKguC-sV-wFuvqdVN3TRhkFcr71NOZYUULKAmiEI6e6Hl3TEbgxp1XQOcBTG3DxnZvDCrzHnhBl-MAV5oCBdhYbRNnsp3_jkM2wJpwC5KuzZr-w9bn75RvvBE1oRwm9_DxQ/s400/cscope23.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241368832100575410" /></a><br />from their website:<br />"Chaoscope is a 3D strange attractors rendering software." (<a href="http://www.btinternet.com/~ndesprez/index.htm">link</a>)<br /><br />and here are some pictures i made using the free software...Friendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618129750344394528.post-79840830111262837952008-08-29T06:39:00.001-04:002008-08-29T06:40:46.873-04:00life of work<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sJQlle04Qlg&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sJQlle04Qlg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Friendstacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14627520987199375398noreply@blogger.com0