41 - The problem with middle eastern countries

Why is the US so stable while the middle eastern countries seem to go nuts at the drop of a hat. Well the US has many separate branches of military, federal and state, and local police. In the middle east there is only an army and maybe a small police force backed up by the military. It is to easy for coruption to infiltrate a single military entity. In the US the different military branches complete for dollars and power keeping each other in check. This can't happen in a small single military entity country.

40 - Storm II

Well the storm wasn't completely benign for me. I did lose a tree. I've been busy the last few days cutting it up and getting it out to the curb for pick up. As Rosanadana said, "it's always something".

39 - air marshall quotas

So you think just traffic cops have quotas? Well guess what. Air marshalls have quotas also. Read the article on Michael Moores site. And be very good the next time you fly.

Link - http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=7616

38 - The country of the United Nations

Here's what we need to do in the middle east, specificly Jerusalem. Take Jerusalem, draw a circle 100 miles around the city, then make it the new capital of the world. Move the United Nations there since it would put the UN closer to more individual nations than it is in New York city. Then Jerusalem would not be in any specific country and it would be available to all the people of the world. People could stop fighting about this one particular subject and move on to fights about more important things like oil or who insulted thier grandfather or who has a bigger whatever.

37 - From Mike Peters web site - www.grimmy.com

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36 - The smell of love

Does the person you love smell. Well, smell the right way to you anyway. Check out the article at www.psychologytoday.com.
Link - http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/index.php?term=pto-19960301-000030&page=1

35 - Middle east

Here's a thought. If Israel is so ready to kick butt if they feal threatened, why didn't they attack Iraq? Maybe it's because Iraq wasn't a threat to anyone. Maybe it's because all Bush wanted to do was destablize the middle east to raise the price of oil.

Here's a new slogan for the up coming elections.

Cut and Run
DO IT NOW!!!!
VOTE DEMOCRATIC

34 - Storm

Nothing like a storm to distract you from everyday life. Forgot all about this site. I know more people that don't have power than do. I'm one of the lucky ones. Most are from the storm on Wednesday but just today a storm came through and knocked out more power. I'm sitting here at home saying "what storm"? I guess I'll get my turn without power the next time.

33 - Crazy people

I just got an email from another blogger. His website was trying to put what I thought was malware on my pc. I didn't think his site was doing it intentionally but I thought I'd better email him and let him know about it so he could fix it. Well, you'd have thought that I'd broken into his home. After a long polite explanation of why the code was there, he ended with this.

"I do not doubt that you will appreciate the candid reply to your politely intrusive question. So in return may I request you inform me of your intentions behind examining the HTML source of my web site and your reasoning behind your desire to go to the lengths of opening a direct communication with me in regard to this matter.
Sincerely
H"

I guess he doesn't realize that when you send your HTML off into cyber space it's not yours anymore. Especially when it's trying to send your browser to a malware site.

32 - The blank mind

For the times I can't think of anything to put here, I'll just use this poem.

Here I sit
broken hearted
tried to blog
can't get started.

31 - Political sign for November elections

30 - Enemy of the State

Recently watched the movie "Enemy of the State" with Will Smith and Gene Hackman again. I've seen it before but I thought 'how relevant' considering all the government spying going on right now. This movie should be required viewing for all high school freshmen.

29 - Da Vinci Code

Saw the movie recently. I read the book a while ago. The movie tried to follow the book but since the book was so long it was tough to get it all in. I think someone seeing the movie without reading the book would have a tough time following what all was going on. And even might get bored in some of the long detailed 'explanation' scenes. But overall I think it was a good compliment to the book.

28 - Listen

Good site to check your hearing. One of the better ones I've seen recently. http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/~jw/hearing.html

27 - What's the difference?

SUNNIS - The branch of Islam that accepts the first four caliphs as rightful successors of Muhammad.

SHIITES - The branch of Islam that regards Ali and his descendants as the legitimate successors to Muhammad and rejects the first three caliphs.

KURDS - A pastoral (shepherds or herders) and agricultural people inhabiting the transnational region of Kurdistan in southwest Asia, the largest ethnic group without their own state.

Also - go back to Post # 12 for infidel explanation.

26 - Interesting choice of words

Yesha rabbis call for 'extermination of the enemy'
JPost.com Staff, THE JERUSALEM POST
Jul. 12, 2006
The Yesha Rabbinical Council blamed the attack on the north on Wednesday morning on a "weakening of our grip on the land of Israel."
The rabbis saw the attack as a "direct continuation of relinquishing [territory] and weakness."
The Council called on the IDF to ignore Christian morals and "exterminate the enemy in the north and the south." They advised that an emergency government be established to "fight the true enemy as is appropriate, and to rescind orders to destroy and evict Jews."

Link - http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1150885980653&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

25 - New war alert - Look out Iran, here we come

News headline - U.S. blames Syria, Iran for kidnappings in Israel.

24 - Web phone woes

Here's an article from PC World about VoIP. Now that people are getting into it a bit more they're finding out what a piece of crap it really is. I love the hidden fees complaint. The dropped calls and poor sound quality should have been expected. After all, VoIP is just packet switching which has been around for 40+ years but was never used for phone service because of ...... guess WHAT!!!!!

Click on the link for the whole article.
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,126160,00.asp

23 - Quote from Voltaire

"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."

I found this quote while looking at posts from this article.
The Top 10 Power Brokers of the Religious Right - www.alternet.org/story/38467

For some interesting reading on Voltaire - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltaire

22 - buy stuff - the republican congress way

21 - Habitat

Worked on a Habitat for Humanity project today. We were framing the 2nd floor joists and then the 2nd floor subfloor. It's nice to work on a project where you don't have to worry about how dirty things get.

20 - Making your point

If someone has to holler to get their point across, they probably don't have one.

19 - Why I Am Not a Vegetarian

I ran across this in my old files but it still holds true.

http://www.acsh.org/healthissues/newsID.760/healthissue_detail.asp

18 - Flag protocol

You want some interesting reading? Go to http://usa-the-republic.com/items%20of%20interest/flag%20code.html and scroll a little more than half way down the page to THE UNITED STATES MILITARY FLAG WITH THE GOLD FRINGE. Think about this the next time your on jury duty.

17 - Right wing wacko

Has anyone mentioned lately that Ann Coulter is an idiot? I mean this week yet! OK, how about in the last few minutes? OK OK, how about just now! And now. And now. And now...............

Here's a quote from her web site.

"Back when there were only three TV stations and no Internet, talk radio or Fox News, it used to be so easy for the MSM to destroy reputations — Joe McCarthy, Barry Goldwater, Richard Nixon, Robert Bork, Dan Quayle, Oliver North, Clarence Thomas, Pat Buchanan, Newt Gingrich, Paula Jones and Linda Tripp, to name a few of the MSM's prey. "

Can you believe the line up of her hero's? God help us. Save us from these religion manipulating right wing nut cases.

16 - Keeping busy

What do I do to keep busy every day? Well, every day I make a list of things I don't want to do. Then, I check them off as I don't do them.

15 - Soldier shortage

It seems recruting is down right now. The simple solution is for everyone that voted for Bush to put their ass on the line and enlist (or reenlist). They think the occupation of Iraq is the right thing to do - prove it - sign up. But we all know that's not going to happen. These chicken shit "my guts your blood" cowards are only as brave as the Bushes, Cheneys and Roves of the world. They think it's alright to disrupt other peoples lives and send the reserves to occupy a country that didn't do anything to the US. So sign up loud mouth boys and girls. Put your ass where your mouth is - in Iraq - fighting for oil.

14 - Power ball chances

Odds of losing power ball - 146,107,962 to 1.
Probability of winning - 1 in 17,532,955,440.

Odds are given to make you think you have a better chance of winning. Odds are calculated much differently than probabilities.

13 - Insurance company warning

A few months ago a friend bought a new car from a dealership. It was a 2005 model but it was new with no miles on it. He had it about 2 months when someone hit him and totaled his car. Guess what the insurance company did. They said that since it was a 2005 model it was worth $2700 less than he paid for it 2 months before. So if you’re going to buy a new car that's last year’s model, don't offer any more than the insurance value for it.

12 - Who is an infidel?

Who is an infidel? According to dictionary.com it's:

1. An unbeliever with respect to a particular religion, especially Christianity or Islam.
2. One who has no religious beliefs.
3. One who doubts or rejects a particular doctrine, system, or principle.

[Middle English infidele, from Old French, from Latin infidelis, disloyal : in-, not; see in + fidelis, faithful (from fides, faith. See bheidh- in Indo-European Roots).]

If you think about #3 for very long you'll realize that everyone on the planet is an infidel.

11 - Stuff

We are collectors of 'stuff'. What would we be without our stuff. What would be in our closets, basements and attic's. Stuff is ment to collect in those places. When those places fill up we have to decide what stuff to keep and what to abandon. Some of the toughest decisions in life.

I think the only time you becomes truly organized is right after you die. That's when someone else comes and throws all your stuff away.

10 - Lessons from history

As long as human hormones are at work, lessons from history are irrelevant.

9 - The blank canvas

A minimalist artist creates(?) a blank canvas. The cost of that blank canvas is directly proportional as to how long the artist can talk about it.

And I'm now backed up by the cartoonist Wiley with his Sunday July 2, 2006 cartoon.

To see the cartoon better, click on the picture.

8 - Authority

Hold accountable the people that control authority.

7 - Found a 'to the point' quote

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross." - Sinclair Lewis

6 - Normal

Saw this saying recently. It's been around awhile but it deserves repeating.

"Most people seem normal until you get to know them a little better."

5 - Numbering posts

I've decided to experiment with numbering my posts so that I can more easily refer back to a previous post. Besides, I like numbers.

4 - Rebuilding

Rebuilding a blog is a pain. You look at the old stuff you did and realize that some of it doesn't make sense anymore because of the time frame.

3 - Profile picture

My profile picture is one I did a few years back. It's a telecommunications thing.

2 - Is the blog here or is it gone?

That's the second big question. The answer is both. Back but in a new format. I also figured out a way to get material for a blog. After a month, delete the blog and start reposting all your old material! This could go on forever! One month at a time. Sort of like Alzheimer's. Everything is new again.

1 - Half empty or half full?

Is the glass half empty or half full. Well it's neither. The glass is completely full. Half water and half air.