Artemis Windsong
Senior Associate
The love in me salutes the love in you. M. Williamson
Joined: Dec 18, 2010 19:32:12 GMT -5
Posts: 12,314
Today's Mood: Twinkling
Location: Wishing Star
Favorite Drink: Fresh, clean cold bottled water.
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Post by Artemis Windsong on Apr 7, 2014 15:06:20 GMT -5
Marlo Thomas quote: If we faced the facts, none of us would get out of bed.
Spring is springing. I refuse to have guilt about not soaking up every sparkle, bloom, and sun ray this summer. I will enjoy what I can.
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whocanibe
Senior Member
Memory is the diary, we all carry with us.
Joined: Dec 7, 2011 7:20:54 GMT -5
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Post by whocanibe on Apr 10, 2014 1:26:55 GMT -5
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the flying reindeer
Senior Member
Rest in Peace, Peg
Joined: Mar 3, 2012 10:30:57 GMT -5
Posts: 3,083
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Post by the flying reindeer on Apr 10, 2014 11:16:37 GMT -5
Golfer's Day Good afternoon my friends Finally, the sun is shining and the trees are getting a greenish fuzzy look. Its SPRING!!
Another case of violence in our schools happened yesterday in a community outside of Pittsburgh, Pa. when a 16-year-old went on a stabbing spree with an 8 to 10 inch knife in both hands. Alex Hribal, 16, will face four counts of attempted homicide and 21 counts of aggravated assault, so he didn't kill anyone. At least five students were critically wounded, including a boy who was on a ventilator after a knife pierced his liver, missing his heart and aorta by only millimeters, doctors said. Thank goodness he didn't have a gun when he assaulted 20 of his fellow students and a security guard at Franklin Regional Senior High School or we might have had another Sandy Hook, Conn. incident.
Another cruise ship is having problems. The Crown Princess, which has room for more than 3,000 passengers, left Los Angeles on Saturday for a seven-day Pacific cruise and now at least 66 passengers and 17 crew members came down with a quickly spreading digestive bug that may be caused by the norovirus, the ship's operator said. Norovirus is known for being readily contagious, causing nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and is believed to have infected passengers on a number of cruise ships in recent months. At one time I wanted to take a trop on one of these ships but not anymore. If it's not lackluster maintenance causing problems at sea, it's infectious disease - the whole industry is having problems. I think I'll just stay home.
It seems that the Atlanta Braves wanted to put on a good show for their fans before their 2014 home opener. So they decided to try something new - shoot fireworks off from the top of the outfield scoreboard at Turner Field. A fine idea, right? Unfortunately, they miscalculated and one of the pyrotechnics got a little too close to the American flag above the scoreboard and set it on fire: Luckily, the flag was flame retardant and quickly put the fire out on its own. The team said that the flag will be replaced and that the Braves will no longer put pyrotechnics on the large scoreboard. I have a suggestion. The next time you get a bright idea, test it out first.
Thought for Today: "A gentle word, a kind look, a good-natured smile can work wonders and accomplish miracles.” --William Hazlitt (1778-1830) British writer, best known for his humanistic essays.
Dawn eternal bearded iris Happy Thursday everyone
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whocanibe
Senior Member
Memory is the diary, we all carry with us.
Joined: Dec 7, 2011 7:20:54 GMT -5
Posts: 4,487
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Post by whocanibe on Apr 11, 2014 0:34:38 GMT -5
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Icelandic Woman
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Joined: Feb 4, 2011 22:37:53 GMT -5
Posts: 4,824
Location: Colorado
Favorite Drink: Strawberry Lemonade
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Post by Icelandic Woman on Apr 11, 2014 12:11:45 GMT -5
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the flying reindeer
Senior Member
Rest in Peace, Peg
Joined: Mar 3, 2012 10:30:57 GMT -5
Posts: 3,083
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Post by the flying reindeer on Apr 11, 2014 15:46:46 GMT -5
Keep America Beautiful Month Good afternoon my friends. Temp has reached 60s and the trees are very definitely budding. It's getting some of that renewal freshness that I love about the beginning of spring. Finally, I know that spring has arrived (even if we have some more snow).
Just what I thought was possible - geologists have for the first time linked earthquake activity in the Marcellus Shale basin to hydraulic fracturing, confirming the suspicions of activists pushing for drilling limits in the interest of public health. As a result, Ohio is setting new permitting conditions in earthquake-sensitive areas and has halted drilling indefinitely at the site of the March quakes. It seems perfectly reasonable to me that if you remove something from the underlying area of the earth, it cause the surface to move to fill in the blanks.
Finally, KISS has been inducted into the rock hall of fame. I'm really surprised that this has taken so long. Not that I was a KISS fan, but they are one of the iconic bands of their era. It is an honor 40 years in the making. KISS (the Demon, Space Ace, Starchild and Catman) announced their 42-city North American tour in honor of their 40th anniversary, where they will be joined by Def Leppard. They also are looking to hire two military veterans as roadies to work their 2014 Heroes Tour as part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Capital One’s Hiring 500,000 Heroes campaign.
Thought for Today: "The manner in which one endures what must be endured is more important than the thing that must be endured." --Dean Acheson (1893-1971) American statesman, diplomat and lawyer,
Azalea [Lat. Rhodedendron] in memory of Sparkle TGIF everyone
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the flying reindeer
Senior Member
Rest in Peace, Peg
Joined: Mar 3, 2012 10:30:57 GMT -5
Posts: 3,083
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Post by the flying reindeer on Apr 12, 2014 14:09:01 GMT -5
Drop Everything and Read Day (D.E.A.R. Day) Good afternoon my friends Another nice day - fair with temp in the 60s! I hope we've seen the last of winter 'cause I'm being spoiled by this weather.
The rare and nearly intact 38-foot-long skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex that roamed the earth 65 million years ago set off from the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Mont, on a cross-country road trip to the Smithsonian in Washington, where it will be on loan for 50 years.. The so-called Wankel T. rex — named after Kathy Wankel who discovered it — was about 18 years old when it died and is considered second for extensiveness and preservation only to "Sue," the famed T. rex at The Field Museum in Chicago. Technology will speed the four-day road trip of the largest carnivorous dinosaur in the United States. Its hundreds of bones are packed in 16 crates installed in a 53-foot-long semi that hauler FedEx emblazoned with T. rex images. Amazing. I wish that I could see it fully put back together.
And then there's going to be total lunar eclipse Monday night, the fist in two years. When it happens, the moon takes on a reddish glow because of the sunlight refracted by Earth's atmosphere. Actually, this will be the first of a tetrad of four such events, dictated by a recurrence of the right orbital parameters. After Monday night's eclipse, the other three are due on Oct. 8, and then next year on April 4 and Sept. 28/ What is more - "The most unique thing about the 2014-2015 tetrad is that all of them are visible for all or parts of the USA," eclipse expert Fred Espenak said in a NASA preview. However, the blood-red moon is bringing out the crazies. Some doomsayers are selling the "Blood Moon" tetrad as an evil omen, but that's bogus. The only thing that's scary about this eclipse is what it might do to your sleep schedule: The moon won't start crossing into Earth's shadow until 12:53 a.m. ET Tuesday, and the total phase of the eclipse lasts from 3:06 to 4:24 a.m. ET. <<sigh>> I hope I'm awake at the time of totality. I often wake up around this time, but it will be just my luck not to do so on Monday night.
Thought for Today: "I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones." --John Cage (1912-1992) American composer Dawn waltz luminata bearded iris Have a wonderful weekend
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whocanibe
Senior Member
Memory is the diary, we all carry with us.
Joined: Dec 7, 2011 7:20:54 GMT -5
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Post by whocanibe on Apr 13, 2014 2:49:11 GMT -5
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Artemis Windsong
Senior Associate
The love in me salutes the love in you. M. Williamson
Joined: Dec 18, 2010 19:32:12 GMT -5
Posts: 12,314
Today's Mood: Twinkling
Location: Wishing Star
Favorite Drink: Fresh, clean cold bottled water.
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Post by Artemis Windsong on Apr 13, 2014 13:43:11 GMT -5
Darn it anyhow. I am so happy not working out that it's hard to get back in the gym. I did do my one must do back exercise so I guess that is a start. I am tired of changing clothes. The usual Sunday. Remove pjs, shower, get dressed for church, go the gym, change into gym clothes then change to warm clothes to go home in. At home, change into lounge wear. If I go out again, I change into street clothes back to lounge wear then into pjs. It's too much.
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whocanibe
Senior Member
Memory is the diary, we all carry with us.
Joined: Dec 7, 2011 7:20:54 GMT -5
Posts: 4,487
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Post by whocanibe on Apr 14, 2014 1:22:38 GMT -5
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the flying reindeer
Senior Member
Rest in Peace, Peg
Joined: Mar 3, 2012 10:30:57 GMT -5
Posts: 3,083
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Post by the flying reindeer on Apr 14, 2014 12:53:44 GMT -5
International Moment of Laughter Day Good afternoon my friends. Yesterday the temp hit ()F! Today may do it again although probably not because it's back to overcast again, but the leaves on the trees have popped out all over and the grass has the distinctive new green color. I'm lovin' it.
And the killing sprees go on and on and on....Now it's in a parking lot at a Jewish community center in Greater Kansas City, where two victims fell to the shooting of a Hitler-loving crazy. The former KKK leader then drove to a retirement community and fatally shot a woman there. Frazier Glenn Cross of Aurora, Mo., is jailed in Johnson County, Kan. after being arrested in an elementary school parking lot. He has not been formally charged in the killings, but officials said more information about charges was expected. And the bodies keep piling up due to gun-toting idiots with some form of rage against their fellow humans deep inside.
OMG, have you read about the fire raging in the port city of Valparaiso. Fires they thought were contained 24 hours after they started Saturday kicked up again with Sunday afternoon's winds and raged out of control, threatening more neighborhoods. The blaze began in a forested ravine next to ramshackle housing on one of Valparaiso's 42 hilltops, and spread quickly. With no municipal water or fire hydrants to use, routes to the blazes blocked by narrow streets jammed with abandoned vehicles and countless embers being stoked, fire crews could do little but watch some neighborhoods burn. Gawd, how terrifying!!
update: is the total eclipse of the "blood moon" which should be a sght to behold. People in North and South America will be able to see the entire eclipse, while sky watchers in the western Pacific can catch only the last half. The moon will be setting in most of Europe and Africa during the eclipse, so residents there probably won't see much. For gazing geeks, NASA has set up a live web chat to answer questions about the eclipse starting at 1 a.m. Eastern Time.www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/watchtheskies/lunar-eclipse-2014.html The heavenly curtain rises on Tuesday's lunar review around 2 a.m. ET, when the moon starts to slide into Earth's shadow. It should turn into a blood moon -- a coppery red -- about an hour later and stay that way for over an hour, NASA says
Thought for Today: "Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day." --Samuel Butler (1835-1902) English novelist, essayist and critic Tulip in memory of Sparkle Happy Monday to you all
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whocanibe
Senior Member
Memory is the diary, we all carry with us.
Joined: Dec 7, 2011 7:20:54 GMT -5
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Post by whocanibe on Apr 15, 2014 1:18:55 GMT -5
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whocanibe
Senior Member
Memory is the diary, we all carry with us.
Joined: Dec 7, 2011 7:20:54 GMT -5
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Post by whocanibe on Apr 16, 2014 0:00:03 GMT -5
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the flying reindeer
Senior Member
Rest in Peace, Peg
Joined: Mar 3, 2012 10:30:57 GMT -5
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Post by the flying reindeer on Apr 16, 2014 11:07:25 GMT -5
Save the Elephant Day Good afternoon my friends. Well, it snowed last night and it's cold today. Winter has returned with a vengeance. We spent too much time on celebrating its end, maybe?
OMG, a South Korean ferry carrying students on a high school trip has capsized and rescue divers are searching for survivors. A South Korean government spokesman told reporters that there had been 459 people on the ferry, including 325 students, 15 teachers, 89 other passengers and a crew of 30. Four deaths were confirmed but one rescued passenger said that there were many trapped inside the ferry. Only 164 of those on board were confirmed rescued, and four dead - leaving 291 unaccounted for. Another ferry disaster in Asia. Memo - don't take any ferry rides anywhere in the area.
If you live in Denver, Colo., don't expect any quick help from the local cops. A Denver woman spent 13 minutes on a 911 call asking for help and ended murdered by her suicidal husband. It took the cops who had initially been sent to the house on a domestic disturbance call, were dispatched to the Kirks' at about 9:32 p.m. Richard Kirk was arrested at 9:55 p.m. - 23 min. The police claim that response times have gotten longer in recent years with the Denver police chief blaming budget constraints that have prevented the city from hiring any new officers since 2008.
The former mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, plans to spend $50 million this year through his new group Everytown for Gun Safety to counter the influence of the National Rifle Association. The organization will mimic tactics used by the NRA that have influenced elected officials, from local city councils to Washington. I don't know if his group will succeed, but kudos for trying. This country is gun crazy and seems to revel in violence. Places, towns and villages that haven't seen any violent crime in decades, are having to deal with murders, armed robbery, etc. I feel sorry for my country.
Thought for Today: "If the world should blow itself up, the last audible voice would be that of an expert saying it can't be done." --Peter Ustinov (1921-2004) English actor and author
Zinnia [Lat. Zinnia elegans] in memory of Sparkle Have a wise Wednesday
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whocanibe
Senior Member
Memory is the diary, we all carry with us.
Joined: Dec 7, 2011 7:20:54 GMT -5
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Post by whocanibe on Apr 17, 2014 0:48:30 GMT -5
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the flying reindeer
Senior Member
Rest in Peace, Peg
Joined: Mar 3, 2012 10:30:57 GMT -5
Posts: 3,083
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Post by the flying reindeer on Apr 17, 2014 12:35:03 GMT -5
Maundy Thursday Good afternoon my friends The snow of yesterday has all disappeared and spring is back, complete with sun and blue skies leading to a temp in the 60s. Hallelujah!!.
At the Buenos Aires Zoo in Argentina, Cleo, a captive Bengal white tiger, gave birth to two females and one male white tiger cubs on Jan. 16, 2014. Now the zoo is showing the cubs for the first time - 3 white tiger cubs with blue eyes and playful attitudes. The zoo has begun a naming contest for all children who visit the zoo. Every once in a while there is a nice news story among all the ills of the world.
UPDATE: Authorities believe 287 people -- many of them high school students on a field trip -- remain trapped inside the five-story ferry. At least some, authorities say, could still be alive more than a day after the ship rolled over. Nine people were known dead and, as of Thursday night, at least 179 had been rescued. Authorities are investigating the possibility the ship was off course when it ran into trouble, as well as reports that few of its lifeboats made it into the water. I suppose, as long as the ferry hasn't completely disappeared under water, there's a chance that some have survived inside it. I hope so.
And still another shooting - accidental this time. An assault rifle fired by a 5-year-old boy killed a 7-year-old girl. "All this violence in the world it just needs to stop," said the girl's grieving mother, Major John Allard from the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said the bullet, fired from inside the trunk of a Chevrolet Malibu, pierced the trunk compartment and exited the passenger side panel. “Right now, it appears that the boy was grabbing a gun that he thought was a toy handgun from the trunk,” Allard said. “He was in the course of grabbing the toy gun when the rifle fired. He didn’t intend to fire it, he was just in the course of getting the toy gun.” It seems that the boy's mother didn't know the assault rifle was in the trunk, only her boyfriend (it was his car) did. The bullet, fired from inside the trunk of a Chevrolet Malibu, pierced the trunk compartment and exited the passenger side panel with enough force to kill. Why did this man have a Hungarian FEG assault rifle in his car? Why should any civilian have such a rifle? And how can the purchase of such a weapon be justified by an ordinary citizen? How many more have to die?
Thought for Today: "God made the world round so we would never be able to see too far down the road.” --Isak Dinesen [a.k.a. Baroness Karen Blixen] (1885-1962) Danish author
Dazzling intermediate amoena bearded iris Happy Thursday everybody
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Icelandic Woman
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 4, 2011 22:37:53 GMT -5
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Location: Colorado
Favorite Drink: Strawberry Lemonade
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Post by Icelandic Woman on Apr 18, 2014 10:41:25 GMT -5
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the flying reindeer
Senior Member
Rest in Peace, Peg
Joined: Mar 3, 2012 10:30:57 GMT -5
Posts: 3,083
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Post by the flying reindeer on Apr 18, 2014 13:03:15 GMT -5
Good Friday Good afternoon my friends. It's a mostly gloomy day but warming up into the 60s, so I can't really complain. Yet.
There's been another boat disaster over in Asia. This time it's Indonesia where a boat capsized leaving 7 dead and dozens missing. The fishing boat that was designed to hold only 30 people had more than 70 aboard when high waves capsized it..It was participating in a Good Friday ceremony that involves parading a Virgin Mary statue at sea before the passengers headed into a town in for prayers and processions. Unfortunately, boats and ferries are popular transportation in the Indonesian archipelago, and accidents due to poor safety standards and overcrowding are common. And so we have more watery death.
Good grief - Toronto's scandal-plagued mayor Rob Ford, who has admitted to binge drinking and smoking crack, has launched his bid for re-election. Ford kicked off his campaign for the October 27 election telling supporters at a rally in Canada's largest city Thursday that he was grateful to those who have stuck by him. Will Canadian voters really vote for this buffoon? I certainly hope not. What an ego he has - I can do no wrong. Yuck!!
R.I.P. Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1982 Nobel Prize-winning Colombian novelist (One Hundred Years of Solitude, Love in the Time of Cholera) has died at age 87 at his home in Mexico City. He was one of the most revered and influential writers of his generation and brought Latin America's charm and maddening contradictions to life in the minds of millions to become the best-known practitioner of "magical realism" (a blending of fantastic elements into portrayals of daily life that made the extraordinary seem almost routine). He is survived by his wife, his two sons, Rodrigo, a film director, and Gonzalo, a graphic designer, seven brothers and sisters and one half-sister.
Thought for Today: "I finally figured out the only reason to be alive is to enjoy it. " --Rita Mae Brown (b. 1944) American author and social activist
Speedwell in memory of Sparkle TGIF mon amis
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the flying reindeer
Senior Member
Rest in Peace, Peg
Joined: Mar 3, 2012 10:30:57 GMT -5
Posts: 3,083
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Post by the flying reindeer on Apr 19, 2014 13:30:55 GMT -5
Oklahoma City Bombing Commemoration Day Good afternoon my friends It's a fair day with some blue skies and sunshine and the temp is supposed to hit 60F. Now if it would just stay like this with no more freezing temps in sight.
A slow-motion disaster is unfolding in the Wyoming resort town of Jackson as a creeping landslide that split a hillside home in half inches toward more houses and businesses below. "As it starts to get moving, it will start to get faster," George Machan, a landslide specialist consulting for the town, said. Still, he said the ground was unlikely to liquefy and collapse suddenly like the March 22 landslide in Oso, Wash., that killed 39 people. The ground beneath the 100-foot hillside has been giving way an inch at a time since the movement was discovered on April 4 and the rate of movement was doubling every day. Authorities have speculated that the grading for roads and businesses in recent years may have weakened the hillside leading to the landslide. Geeesh, we have enough trouble with natural disasters without creating more for ourselves. I wonder if there are certain characteristics of possible building sites that could forewarn us of such things as landslides. It seems that over the years there's been enough, especially in California, to give us some feeling for the possibility?
Small underground nuclear power plants that could be cheaper to build than their behemoth counterparts may herald the future for an energy industry under intense scrutiny since the Fukushima disaster, William Magwood, the incoming head of the Nuclear Energy Agency, said. The modular plants could be about as big as a couple of semi-trailers - easily fitting on the dimensions of coal plants they're ultimately intended to replace in the U.S. They would have factory-built parts that are slotted together like Lego blocks and hauled by train or truck - making assembly possible anywhere. The US expects the first licensing applications to build one of the small, modular nuclear reactors in the second half of 2014, a key test to learn whether they can exist beyond the theoretical. However, in the US, the untested technology is competing with a shale gas boom that has upended the market. Robert Rosner, a physicist at the University of Chicago's Energy Policy Institute, cautioned against seeing the new technology as the solution for the world's energy needs. Rosner said the units are safer because they're protected underground against both internal accidents and external attacks, but the effects of nuclear meltdown are both far-ranging and long-lasting, as has been shown by Japan's Fukushima disaster. Nevertheless, I feel that the expansion of nuclear energy power plants, large and/or small, is the ultimate answer to the world's need.
Looking for something free to do this weekend? Check out a national park or monument or battlefield or historical sight. Entrance fees will be waived at all US national park sites this Saturday and Sunday, April 19-20, to kick off National Park Week, which runs through April 27. Visitors still have to pay the usual fees at campgrounds and concession stands. With more than 400 National Park Service sites covering 84 million acres in the United States, there are plenty of spots to explore. For instance, in my area is the National Women's Hall of Fame and historic sites.
Thought for Today: "The risk of a wrong decision is preferable to the terror of indecision." --Maimonides (1135-1204) medieval Arab, Spanish, Sephardic Jewish philosopher, astronomer and writer
Dazzling gold tall bearded iris Happy Easter weekend everybody
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the flying reindeer
Senior Member
Rest in Peace, Peg
Joined: Mar 3, 2012 10:30:57 GMT -5
Posts: 3,083
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Post by the flying reindeer on Apr 20, 2014 14:34:17 GMT -5
Easter Good afternoon my friends. Today is another blue sky, white clouds and sun day. It's Easter and that usually means that the snow is over for now. No more until next November-December. Yippeeeeee!!
The NY Times has printed an article questioning whether the authorities in Florida did a complete investigation of the sexual assault charges against Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston or not. Enough is enough. These charges were investigated when they occurred but were brought up again last year prior to the vote on the Heisman Trophy. At that time the state's attorney looked into it and ruled that there wasn't sufficient evidence to warrant prosecution Winston. BTW no one mentions the fact that the woman involved withdrew the charges. Now as the NFL draft nears, the story rears its ugly head once more. It's interesting that nothing was said about a mishandled investigation at the time the state attorney made his ruling. Everyone was happy that it wouldn't cause him to be ineligible for winning the Heisman (which he did). Now it's the NFL draft time and this kind of accusation could affect his draft position. How many times must he go through this? Someone is now calling the Florida state attorney's office of being negligent and overly influenced by the popularity of Florida State football. Seriously? The Florida state government is going to whitewash the case? Seriously?
Today's killing rampage comes to us from Chicago where 7 were killed and 25 wounded this weekend. The weekend's latest shooting took place just after 5 a.m. Sunday when a husband and wife, both officers, were found shot to death in a Garfield Ridge home, police said. Around 2:40 a.m. two people were shot but both victims were being uncooperative and it was noted one has gang affiliations, so the shooting may be gang-related. It all began when a group of people were in a garage for an Easter party around 12:30 a.m. in far west suburban Montgomery when someone started shooting. The residents of the home had not had prior incidents involving shootings or gangs, but police plan to look into any activity at the home over the last few weeks while searching for a male suspect. Of course, we all know that Chicago is the hub of gun violence with incidents everyday. Just another weekend of gun abd games in our nation's heartland.
Mastodons, elephant-like beasts that lumbered across North America more than 10,000 years ago, are long extinct, but apparently it wasn't tooth decay that did them in. A 9-year-old Michigan boy stumbled across something -- literally -- that, it turns out, is a mastodon tooth. Affectionately called "Huckleberry Phil" in his neighborhood near Lansing because of his penchant for exploring outside, Philip took the lump home. Later, mother and son reached out to James Harding, a herpetologist -- an expert on reptiles and amphibians -- at nearby Michigan State, who told them it was from a mastodon. "Apparently (it is) the upper surface, broken off at the roots," he said. Now Philip's mother, Heidi Stoll, has a problem - "It's going to be hard to get him run around with shoes on or come inside to do his schoolwork," she said of her son. And who could blame him!!
Thought for Today: "A room without books is like a body without a soul." --Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BC-43 BC) Ancient Roman lawyer, writer, scholar, orator and statesman,
Clivia [Lat. Clivia] in memory of Sparkle I hope you all are having an extraordinary Easter
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the flying reindeer
Senior Member
Rest in Peace, Peg
Joined: Mar 3, 2012 10:30:57 GMT -5
Posts: 3,083
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Post by the flying reindeer on Apr 21, 2014 11:35:54 GMT -5
118th Boston Marathon Good afternoon my friends It's partly cloudy today with the temp rising into the 70s! At this rate I'll have to start up the fans (no a/c yet).
Have you read about the 13 Sherpa guides killed in an avalanche on Mt. Everest.? The disaster killed at least 13 Sherpas when a block of ice tore loose from the mountain and triggered an avalanche that ripped through teams of guides hauling gear. Three other Sherpas remain missing and are presumed dead and four are hospitalized. The community of Sherpa guides on Mount Everest are considering a climbing boycott after the deadliest avalanche in the mountain's history, a move that could seriously disrupt the rest of the climbing season. Without the guides, trying to climb Everest would be too dangerous. Nepal's ethnic Sherpa community relies heavily on the country's alpine trekking and climbing industry, with many making a living as climbing guides and others catering to foreign visitors by providing restaurants, equipment or transportation. The Sherpas have expressed anger that there has not been a bigger response from Nepal's government, which profits from the permit fees charged to the climbing expeditions. The government has announced an emergency aid of 40,000 rupees ($415) for the families of the deceased climbers. Over the years hundreds of people, both foreigners and Sherpas, have died trying to reach the world's highest peak. About a quarter of them were killed in avalanches, climbing officials say. Since the climbing industry seems to be the main source of income for Sherpas, I hardly think a real boycott will take place. Especially at the start of the climbing season with about 400 foreign climbers from 39 expedition teams on the mountain and equal number of Sherpas guides, along with many more support staff such as cooks, cleaners and porters in the base camp.
A rare snowy owl that was apparently hit by a bus in Washington, DC and sent to the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota for rehab is back in the wild once again. It was released outside Superior, Wis., near the Minnesota and Wisconsin state border. Center director Julia Ponder said the owl flew off with strong, steady wing beats and hopes it will head north to its native Arctic territory. The owl was found injured in downtown Washington in late January and taken to the National Zoo before being transferred to a local wildlife rehabilitation center. It then came to Minnesota for rehab, because The Raptor Center has expertise in replacing damaged feathers. A feel good story in every way.
I've been watching the Boston Marathon and an American has won the men's race. It's the first American winner since 1983 and how fitting is that after last year's horror. 38-year-0ld Meb Keflezighi from San Diego. Rita Jeptoo of Kenya set a course record, winning the women’s field for the third time (she also won in 2006 and 2013). Congratulations.to both of them.
Thought for Today: "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death. --Harold Wilson (1916-1995) British Prime Minister (1964-1970, 1974-1976)
Dearie reverse amoena tall bearded iris Have a mostly sunny Monday
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whocanibe
Senior Member
Memory is the diary, we all carry with us.
Joined: Dec 7, 2011 7:20:54 GMT -5
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Post by whocanibe on Apr 22, 2014 1:00:14 GMT -5
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the flying reindeer
Senior Member
Rest in Peace, Peg
Joined: Mar 3, 2012 10:30:57 GMT -5
Posts: 3,083
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Post by the flying reindeer on Apr 22, 2014 14:31:26 GMT -5
International Mother Earth Day Good afternoon my friends. Another gloomy day with a 20 degree drop in the temp. That's still in the 50s so not too awful for this time of the year. Rain is in the forecast, which is better than snow, I guess.
I[DATE: Nepal's government agreed to compensation demands for Mount Everest sherpas, after the single deadliest avalanche on the world's highest mountain killed at least 13 guides. Expedition leaders said tension was running high at Everest base camp after last Friday's incident, which has rekindled debate on the disproportionate risks that sherpas take helping foreign mountaineers reach the 8,850-metre summit. I'm glad that the government stepped up and gave the survivors the compensation they deserved. Now the climbing season, which is their main source of income, can continue unabated.
Thought for Today: "A pedestrian is a man in danger of his life. A walker is a man in possession of his soul." --David McCord (1897-1997) American poet and writer,
Magnolia in memory of Sparkle I hope have a terrific Tuesday
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whocanibe
Senior Member
Memory is the diary, we all carry with us.
Joined: Dec 7, 2011 7:20:54 GMT -5
Posts: 4,487
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Post by whocanibe on Apr 29, 2014 0:05:42 GMT -5
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whocanibe
Senior Member
Memory is the diary, we all carry with us.
Joined: Dec 7, 2011 7:20:54 GMT -5
Posts: 4,487
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Post by whocanibe on Apr 29, 2014 23:47:04 GMT -5
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ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ
Community Leader
♡ ♡ BᏋՆᎥᏋᏉᏋ ♡ ♡
Joined: Dec 17, 2010 16:12:51 GMT -5
Posts: 43,130
Location: Inside POM's Head
Favorite Drink: Chilled White Zin
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Post by ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ on May 3, 2014 16:02:17 GMT -5
Sorry to hear you were ill. And yes, I did notice your absence.
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the flying reindeer
Senior Member
Rest in Peace, Peg
Joined: Mar 3, 2012 10:30:57 GMT -5
Posts: 3,083
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Post by the flying reindeer on May 3, 2014 19:56:47 GMT -5
Sorry to hear you were ill. And yes, I did notice your absence. Thanks. It was scary at first, when no matter what I did, I couldn't breathe right. But once again I survived and hopefully as time goes by, regain some of myself.
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Artemis Windsong
Senior Associate
The love in me salutes the love in you. M. Williamson
Joined: Dec 18, 2010 19:32:12 GMT -5
Posts: 12,314
Today's Mood: Twinkling
Location: Wishing Star
Favorite Drink: Fresh, clean cold bottled water.
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Post by Artemis Windsong on May 4, 2014 11:36:00 GMT -5
Welcome back Flying Reindeer. Our day is brightened with your posts. ------------- Stupid post card postage went up, too. I had to buy one-centers, again. They look terrible next to my pretty flower stamps. I am using my forever postage stamps to send Mothers Day messages. Justice to a couple of GrGrDIL. Equality to DD, Freedom to MIL, Liberty to GrD. They won't get it, but I feel better.
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