Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month. Here is a short article about what autism is, by the Autism Society of America.

ABOUT AUTISM

Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a "spectrum disorder" that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. There is no known single cause for autism, but increased awareness and funding can help families today.

In February 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued their ADDME autism prevalence report. The report, which looked at a sample of 8 year olds in 2000 and 2002, concluded that the prevalence of autism had risen to 1 in every 150 American children, and almost 1 in 94 boys. The issuance of this report caused a media uproar, but the news was not a surprise to ASA or to the 1.5 million Americans living with the effects of autism spectrum disorder. Nonetheless, the spotlight shown on autism as a result of the prevalence increase opens opportunities for the nation to consider how to serve these families facing a lifetime of supports for their children.

Currently, ASA estimates that the lifetime cost of caring for a child with autism ranges from $3.5 million to $5 million, and that the United States is facing almost $90 billion annually in costs for autism (this figure includes research, insurance costs and non-covered expenses, Medicaid waivers for autism, educational spending, housing, transportation, employment, in addition to related therapeutic services and caregiver costs).

Know the Signs: Early Identification Can Change Lives

Autism is treatable. Children do not "outgrow" autism, but studies show that early diagnosis and intervention lead to significantly improved outcomes.

Here are some signs to look for in the children in your life:

• Lack of or delay in spoken language
• Repetitive use of language and/or motor mannerisms (e.g., hand-flapping, twirling objects)
• Little or no eye contact
• Lack of interest in peer relationships
• Lack of spontaneous or make-believe play
• Persistent fixation on parts of objects

My grandson, C's son, has been diagnosed with autism. He is a very high functioning autistic, so many people would only see him as slightly learning-disabled. He isn't like 'Rain Man' or Jerry Espenson on Boston Legal. (Jerry has Asperger's--a form of autism.) He should be able to live a fairly normal life. Of course, there is a lot of work involved in getting him to be more 'normal' and some things will always be a bit of a struggle for him. However, C is very hopeful and sees this as a small bump in the road.

For more on autism, go to the Autism Society of America's website.

Read More

In Case You Didn't Know The Difference...

Just in case you ever get these two environments mixed up, this should make things a bit clearer:

In prison:
You spend most of your time in a 10X10 cell.
At work:
You spend most of your time in a 6X6 cubicle.

In prison:
You get three meals a day, fully paid for.
At work:
You get a break for one meal and you have to pay for it.

In prison:
For good behavior, you get time off.
At work:
For good behavior, you get more work.

In prison:
The guard locks and unlocks all the doors for you.
At work:
You must carry a security card and open all the doors yourself.

In prison:
You get your own toilet.
At work:
You have to share the toilet with people who pee on the seat.

In prison:
They allow your family and friends to visit.
At work:
You aren't even supposed to speak to your family.

In prison:
All expenses are paid by the taxpayers with no work required.
At work:
You must pay all your expenses to go to work and they deduct taxes from your salary to pay for prisoners.

In prison:
You spend most of your time inside bars wanting to get out.
At work:
You spend most of your time wanting to get out and go inside bars.

In prison:
You must deal with sadistic wardens.
At work:
They are called 'managers.'

THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE!

Now, get back to work! You're not getting paid to read this blog.

Read More

Happy Anniversary "Oddball" Earth

False-color satellite image of Chimborazo (center, left), Carihuairazo (10km northwest of Chimborazo), Tungurahua (center, right with ash plume) and El Altar (bottom, right), Ecuador. Pale blue indicates snow/ice cover, bright green indicates lush vegetation, and red indicates sparser vegetation. Tungurahua’s volcanic ash plume appears in lavender. Image width is 78km, image direction is top to North. Image Credit: Jesse Allen, NASA Earth Observatory, based on data provided by the Landsat 7 science team and the University of Maryland’s Global Land Cover Facility.

Happy Anniversary "Oddball" Earth

An interesting fact was revealed in a highlighted segment of the mornings news on ABC7 one year ago today, Los Angeles and that is - Mount Everest is NOT the tallest place on Earth, ie. the place on Earth that would be the closest spot next to any other celestial object.

The segment pointed out that the Earth is not perfectly spherical. The Earth has a shape that a beach ball would assume when someone sits on the ball. Kind of an oval silhouette type of shape known formally as an "Oblate Spheroid"! ... Hence the name of this weblog.

The point here is that when one takes this spheroid shape into consideration ... the "tallest" place on Earth would be located logically somewhere around the Equator and it has been found as a volcano in Ecuador.

Mount Chimborazo is located in the Cordillera Occidental of the Andes of central Ecuador, 150 km (93 miles) south-southwest of the capital Quito.

The shadow of Chimborazo as seen from the top of the mountain. Image Credit: Gerd Breitenbach

This description from Wikipedia -

Farthest point from earth center

Although the summit of Mount Everest reaches a higher elevation above sea level, the summit of Chimborazo is widely reported to be the farthest point from earth center (Senne 2000), although this could be challenged by Huascarán. Chimborazo is just one degree south of the equator and the earth's diameter at the equator is greater than at Everest's latitude (nearly 28° north), with sea level also being elevated. So, despite being 2,581 m (8,568 ft) lower in elevation above sea level, it is 6,384.4 km (3,968 mi) from the Earth's center, 2.1 km farther than the summit of Everest.

Mount Chimborazo as viewed from the Southwest. Image Credit: Wikipedia
Reference Here>>

After eating some rats and nearly being killed by a mudslide in Baños, we took off more or less at random and decided for the other side of Chimborazo. First day of approach walking up scree slopes with big packs. Then we didn't feel like going to the summit the next day (that is to say, Vincent was altitude-sick, as usual), so we just went for some ice-climbing on the face on a route that led to nowhere. Basically the rule was: "go where it's steepest". In fact it is hard for us ice climbers to find any routes of technical interest on those gentle-sloped volcanoes. Well, we managed to find a couple pitches of 80° ice. The rock around is real bad though. Image Credit: Guillaume Dargaud

Traditional summit picture on Chimborazo, this time with some sun. The Altar is visible on the right and Iliniza (?) on the left. The Altar is not very well known but it is one of the nicest mountains of Ecuador. It is also one of the hardest, having been first climbed only in the 50's by an italian team. Image Credit: Guillaume Dargaud

With this change in perspective, it's funny ya' know but the gentlemen pictured above did not know that they had just scaled the tallest point on the planet Earth.

Poll Answers

QUESTION:

Who was the first person to climb and conquer Chimborazo and replace Sir Edmund Hillary as the first person to the "Top Of The World"?

Any comments?

Read More

Winter Storm Warning

We are under a winter storm warning--AGAIN. Starting late on Monday, the NWS calls for wet, heavy snow and winds. It is predicted that we will get 10-16 inches of snow through Tuesday morning, when it is supposed to wind down. We'll see.

Read More

Three More To Go

The Wings lost on Friday and won on Sunday and there are three games left in the regular season. If the Wings get one more point, they win the President's Trophy for the sixth time. No other team has won it more than two times. Winning the President's will guarantee home-ice throughout Detroit's Cup run--always an advantage.

Read More

FBI Focusing on 'About Four' Suspects in 2001 Anthrax Attacks.

The FBI has narrowed its focus to "about four" suspects in the 6 1/2-year investigation of the deadly anthrax attacks of 2001, and at least three of those suspects are linked to the Army’s bioweapons research facility at Fort Detrick in Maryland, FOX News has learned.

"Fort Detrick is run by the United States Army. It's the most secure biological warfare research center in the United States," a bioterrorism expert told FOX News.

Read More

Celebrate

This week's celebrations:

30 March
National Hot Dog Day
Grass Is Always Browner On The Other Side of The Fence Day
Pencil Day

31 March
Oranges and Lemon Day
Tater Day
National "She's Funny That Way" Day

1 April
National Sourdough Bread Day
Boomer Bonus Day
National Fun Day
National Fun At Work Day
Sorry Charlie Day
St. Stupid Day

2 April
National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day
Kick Butts Day

3 April
National Chocolate Mousse Day
National Find-A-Rainbow Day
Tweed Day

4 April
National Cordon Bleu Day
World Rat Day

5 April
National Raisin & Spice Bar Day
National Birding Day

Read More

Adventures In Living With Wildlife

(That PROBABLY will be the last "Adventures In..." title--I hope! :))

It MUST be spring because we are playing host to another member of the wildlife community. This time it is a red squirrel. It is living in our back entryway or basement--not too sure. K managed to get a look at it in the basement rafters, so... WARNING for those who don't want to know these things, but... If all goes well, there will be one less red squirrel in the world before the weekend is done. Of all of the creatures we have had live with us, I think red squirrels are the most destructive. And once they have established a home, it is very hard to keep them from coming back. That is why they have to leave this earth. Obviously, we DIDN'T find all of the ways to get into our house last summer. Damn!

I should have known something was down there--the cat has been walking around with various pieces of dirt, cobwebs, and dust on her fur. I knew she was skulking around in the basement, but I couldn't figure out why. Of course, my brave hunter doesn't do anything more than LOOK at whatever shouldn't be there! The other night, for example: She moved from her sleeping spot in the kitchen doorway, looked in the corner under the cabinet, looked at me, looked back to the corner, and looked at me. Obviously she was trying to get me to see what she was looking at. So, nice mommy that I am, I got my fat ass off of the chair and went to her rescue. And, of course, she was looking at a spider big enough to rampage Tokyo! Now, she is about 15 pounds or so, and she could take down a spider if she wanted--she doesn't want. I had to kill the spider so that she could go back to sleep in her spot. Lazy ass cat. She fits in this household beautifully.

Read More

The Times: Iraq’s Prime Minister was staring into the abyss today after his operation to crush militia strongholds in Basra stalled, members of his own security forces defected and district after district of his own capital fell to Shia militia gunmen.

President Bush: "Normalcy is returning back to Iraq."

Read More

Hillary Clinton lied. Worse yet, she lied when she didn't have to. And she got caught. In the unlikely event that her Tonya Harding strategy pays off and she becomes the nominee of a devastated Democratic Party, the Republicans will play the above quote and video over and over and over again.

Hillary Clinton needs to either a) withdraw and endorse Barack Obama or b) run a positive campaign aimed at winning against John McCain in November, regardless of who is the Democratic nominee .

Update: apparently Hillary is going with slash-and-burn politics instead.

Clinton Camp Compares Rev. Wright to David Duke

Slate begins The Hillary Deathwatch

Read More

Adventures In Driving

I have mentioned before that we have two seasons here: winter and construction. Our roads, specifically, have three seasons: winter, construction, and pothole! We are in pothole season. And it is bad. I am so thankful that I drive an SUV--we have potholes big enough to swallow small cars! They rival black holes in space--if something goes in, it never comes out.

One good thing about winter here is that the potholes are filled with snow or ice. There is no worry that you will lose your vehicle in a hole, but then you have to be aware of the possibility of skidding or wiping out in a spin. There are always trade-offs and this is one. We don't really appreciate how nice it is to drive in the winter, to drive on smooth roads, until the spring comes.

Our weather is very hard on the roads. All spring and fall, we have water from rain or melting. Of course, any holes or low spots on the roads will fill with the water and then freeze as the temps go down at night. This constant thawing and freezing takes a toll. The expanding and contracting of the road material is what causes the cracks, which develop into holes, so we get the potholes. And until someone invents a better way to make roads, we will have this problem.

I'm sure all of the northern states have this same problem--I'm not sure how much the middle and southern states experience this. Different organizations, radio and TV stations, etc, hold contests each year to find the worst pothole in the state. Most are done with an air of humor, but the idea behind the contests is very serious. Hitting some of these holes can cause real damage to a vehicle and it is dangerous for other drivers when you swerve to try to dodge the holes. Considering Michigan's economy is as bad as it is, I don't see there being anything more than the repair of 'pothole filling' again this year--and we really need some new roads, instead. I guess things won't be much different than any other year.

Read More

I don't think I've ever seem him look more peaceful.

Read More

The music doesn't seem to fit but the video is good.
(I turn down the sound, and listen to it with my own choice of music?(Recommended)

Read More

As far as Pavel Datsyuk is concerned I would say continue doing a great job. He seems to manipulate the puck? His opponents and not to mention goalies are simply baffled by the way he can handle the puck. Dragging around the puck with very good accuarcy in passing and shooting. He is always stealing the puck! He's blowing away the compittion with ease.

Helping the other players look good, is what he really does best.
It's great that a player as good as Zetterburg, is on the team. Great combination when the Red Wings are put in a tight spot.

Franzen on a tear, in place of Holmstrom.
Cleary is back which is good. I think Hudler,Cleary and Phillpula should be on the same line. For some reason, I think they would do good playing on the same line. I have a lot of different theories though.

I cannot thank my contributor enough, for the pictures of Pavel's locker and championships on the walls. (i changed it a little.. hope u don't mind)Thank you 1Greenthumb! Nicely done.

Read More

Adventures In Visiting

Today a wild/wonderful/great/fantastic disaster/hurricane/whirling dervish visited our household: C and her family came to visit. Wow. It was interesting, to say the least.

My house is used to holding two people and one cat--and at times it seems too small for that many entities. C and her family added eight more people to the mix. Suddenly, the walls felt as if they were closing in on me. Everywhere I turned, there was a person! To have that many kids in one house, you need a place twice as large as mine! You couldn't walk two steps without almost stepping on a kid. I think the fact that they move so fast made it seem as if there were more here than actually were. They were like speed demons tearing through the house. Not much sitting was done by any of them.

We are empty-nesters who don't get a lot of company--especially company of the under 14-year-old kind. So, I haven't child-proofed my house. That made things a bit interesting. I wasn't afraid that the kids would damage any of my stuff--it is only stuff and can be replaced--I was just concerned that they wouldn't hurt themselves. The 2-year-old didn't want to walk across the floor--she rather liked going from one end of the house to the other by climbing on the furniture. She wanted to sit on the window seat in the dining room--the one that was made for our 16 pound cat! Not a good idea. We disagreed on how good of an idea it was. She also would take an object that she knew she shouldn't have and run to the best hiding place in order to play with it. She reset our remote thermometer while hiding and walked off with my book light. The child finally passed out just before they left (which wasn't surprising as she didn't stop the entire time they were here.) This was something C was hoping would happen--it just makes the ride home that much easier. :) I'm STILL wondering where the kid gets her red hair from. We are blond/light brown haired Finns, for crying out loud!

Things could have been quite bad while they were here if I wasn't such a cool grandmother. How do I figure I'm cool? I have EVERY Nintendo gaming system that has been made, so the kids have something to do while they visit. And play they did! The son-in-law and two oldest girls played the Wii in the kitchen while the 3 and 4-year-olds played the Nintendo 64 in the living room. C herself played my Nintendo DS--at least when she wasn't nursing the baby! The noise level was amazingly loud, but everyone was happy. What more can you want?

Other than a few slops of food on the breakfast nook floor, they really didn't do much 'damage' of any kind. The 2-year-old DID bite a couple of chunks out of one of my round candles, but it could have been worse. (We only found one of the pieces, so changing her diaper ought to be interesting in the next few days--the candle is a nice shade of cobalt blue!) I never would have thought of putting the candles away--they were in the middle of the dining room table where I thought they would be safe. Goes to show how innovative those kids can be. :)

I don't get to see the kids often enough, so I was very happy they were here. I am happier that K took the afternoon off so he could be here to visit, too. I don't really know if I could have done the visit on my own. It really took four adults to keep the kids corralled, safe, and non-destructive. They don't get here that often and, in all honesty, I don't mind all that much. :)

Read More

Experts: Sirhan Sirhan Did Not Kill RFK

Dr. Robert Joling, a forensics investigator who has studied the Robert Kennedy assassination for almost 40 years, determined that the fatal shots must have come from behind the senator.

Sirhan, however, was 4 to 6 feet in front of Kennedy and never got close enough to shoot Kennedy from behind, the investigator said.

The other evidence was the Pruszynski recording. This is the only audio recording of the assassination. Another scientist analyzed it and concluded that at least 13 shots were fired from two different guns.

Read More

It REALLY Doesn't Get Old

And, once again, the Wings won. They are in a very good position to win the President's again, but big whoop! In the past 21 years that the President's has been given, only six of the the winning teams have gone on to win the Stanley Cup--one of which was the Wings. It just goes to prove that the play-offs are a season apart from the regular one.

Cleary was back tonight and did beautifully. He didn't really show any skittishness and went for the full checks and hits--which is good. He is a gritty player and his kind of play is needed during the play-offs. He even managed to get a point tonight--good show.

Baby Boy didn't play again--they are saying probably Friday. McCarty might actually make his debut on Friday, also. Dom might be in net--hard to say. I wonder if this will be his last year? If it is, who in the world will they get in the net? Cancel cancel--not something to worry about right now! Holmstrom had a set-back with his injury--no word on when they think he will be back. It just doesn't seem as if he has been right since his injury earlier on. Hopefully the summer's rest will be good for him. He plays his position in such an amazing way--a hard one to replace!

Read More

Feeling My Age

I have several different doctors that I see on a regular basis. The only reason for this is the state of the medical community and the emergence of specialties. And, it is ridiculous the amount of specialties there are. While I haven't seen one yet, I wouldn't be surprised if there are/will be doctors who only specialize in the big toe of the right foot! But, I digress--as I have been known to do.

Of all of the doctors I see, my ophthalmologist is the only one who actually makes me feel my age. I guess part of the problem is that he is at least ten years younger than I am. Also, there is very little that can be done to reverse any age related problems that eyes suffer. Eyes get old and that is about the end of that. And he doesn't mince words at all--he says what is happening and explains it IS age related. He doesn't say things to be mean--he is just being honest. I am sure he doesn't realize that I view his words the way I do. And it isn't that it makes me depressed or anything, it just makes me realize that I AM getting older--like it or not!

It is quite amazing that I don't have too many doctors who are younger than I am. My ophthalmologist is, as is my dermatologist. Then, my internist, gynecologist, and dentist are all older than I am. The dentist and GYN are about my age--within a few years--but my internist does have several years on me. I like him because he calls me 'just a baby.' :) As much as I hate to think about it, they are going to be facing retirement in the not too distant future. (We all know how fast time goes by!) I don't want to have to find new doctors--I have been seeing the ones I have for 15-30 years! Just another reason to hate getting older. :D

Read More

Obama on Vacation

He doesn't look worried, does he? Which, I suppose, is the idea. He certainly has skinny, pale legs. I know that he's half white, I just didn't know it was the bottom half.

Read More

Democratic Party Official: Clinton Pursuing 'The Tonya Harding Option'

What will she have to do to Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, in order to eke out her improbable victory?

She will have to "break his back," the official said. She will have to destroy Obama, make Obama completely unacceptable.

"Her securing the nomination is certainly possible - but it will require exercising the 'Tonya Harding option.'" the official said. "Is that really what we Democrats want?"

Read More

Russian Mafia in bed with Wall Street, CEO says

Every day, thousands of Americans look to invest their money in stocks, and many of them go through brokers and traders to simplify the process. Unfortunately, according to Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne, a majority of those purchasers will be victims of Wall Street's criminal tactics and will help line the pockets of corrupt brokers and lawyers.

Byrne provides more information on his website.

Wall Street is colluding in massive financial crimes against the United States, enabling hedge funds to loot pension funds in return for a share of the spoils. As a result, however, corporate governance has been shattered, firms destroyed, and our system brought to the brink of systemic failure. The institutions that should be stopping this (i.e., federal regulators and the financial press) have become pawns of those profiting from the crimes, and so have have remained indolent to the point of a cover-up.

Read More

I've got a crush on Obama Girl

A few days ago, when things were looking bleak for Obama, I said that this looks like a job for Obama Girl. And here she is.

Read More

An American nuclear submarine has crossed the Suez Canal to join the US fleet stationed in the Persian Gulf, Egyptian sources say.

BBC:

The most senior US general in Iraq has said he has evidence that Iran was behind Sunday's bombardment of Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone.

Gen David Petraeus told the BBC he thought Tehran had trained, equipped and funded insurgents who fired the barrage of mortars and rockets.

Bush administration attacks Iran with catastrophic results (for us) and so the American people turn to a strong leader with military experience. President McCain. It could happen.

Read More

Being a Little Pissy

Since becoming empty-nesters, I don't cook nearly as much as I used to. I guess I should feel guilty for not cooking meals more often, but I don't. And I have a perfectly good explanation for this.

K worked today, so he didn't get home until after 6:00 PM. I figured, seeing as it was Easter, I should make a meal--I was finishing up when he came home. I have never been one to have a meal ready to be served as soon as he walked in the door--that was The Mother's shtick, not mine. Besides, he has always liked to 'put his feet up' for a while after getting home. (Read that as 'fall asleep.') No problem--at least this way, the food will be hot when we sit down to eat. As long as the meal is served within one hour of him getting home, I feel as if I've done my job well. Tonight, I had the food ready about a half hour after he got home--not too long to wait at all. When everything was done, I called to him in the living room and said the food was ready. He answered me and said he was coming. I heard no movement from the other room, so I sat down and ate--by myself. When he FINALLY made his way into the kitchen, I was just finishing up my meal. Once again, I ate alone. Hell, if I have to eat by myself, I might as well eat pizza or a sandwich! I find it much too annoying to prepare a meal and have it be too much trouble for him to come and eat when it is ready. This just was not cool on his part. I'm not sure when I will take the time to cook again. (This is DEFINITELY not the first time this has happened--it happens much too often.)

It wasn't enough that K pulled his 'can't be bothered to eat when it is ready' crap. After he finished with his meal, he then went back into the living room and went to sleep--again. And he stayed there until 10:00. He then got up, went into the kitchen for something, and went to the bedroom to go to sleep for the night. We said about three words to each other from the time he came home from work till he went to bed. Life just doesn't get any better than this. I know there is an outage beginning, so I suppose he is getting himself in overtime mode. Yippee. It looks as if I am heading into one of my 'living as if I'm single without being allowed to date' cycles. I better start looking for things to do on my own--I will be spending a lot of time alone. Good thing I don't mind my own company.

Read More

BAGHDAD - Four U.S. soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in southern Baghdad late Sunday, raising the death toll for American forces since start of the war to 4,000, according to the Pentagon.

See video below.

Read More

Read More

It appears that Hillary Clinton is a big liar.

Read More

Spitzer's Hooker Nude

Happy Easter!

Read More

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah in a meeting with visiting US Vice President Dick Cheney has rejected any US military strike against Iran.

Read More

Taas on aika kulunut.

Niin, taas piti kulua pitkä aika, ennen kuin pääsin tänne kirjoittelemaan. Ehkäpä nyt sitten vihdoin voin sen myöntää: en tosiaankaan ole sellainen bloggailia, jolta löytyisi energiaa ja ideoita kirjoittaa tänne joka päivä, ja ehkäpä se on ihan hyvä niin. Jätän sen mieluusti muille. :) Mutta ehkä vielä jonain päivänä tämä blogini on vielä minulle jokapäiväinen harrastus...

Tällä viikolla ei kyllä tapahtunut melkein mitään mainitsemisen arvoista, mitä nyt oli kirjaesitelmäni, jonka tein Tove Janssonista ja hänen "Muumipappa ja meri" -kirjastaan. Kai se ihan hyvin meni, mutta voin kyllä kertoo että oli ihan hirveen stressaava koko juttu kun sitä piti tehdä niin kauan... Ja tänään tai huomenna pitäisi vielä kirjoittaa tarina Tove Janssonin tyylillä.. :/ Mitähän siitäkin tulee? :'D Tove Jnassonista puheen ollen, hänet valitsin siksi, koska piti valita joku suomalainen kirjailija, enkä ole aiemmin hänen kirjojaan lukenut. Suurin syy siihen taisi kuitenkin olla se, että olen rakastanut Muumeja ihan pienestä tytöstä asti. ♥ Vieläkin katson joka arkipäivä Yle Areenan sivuilta ilmaiseksi sen päivän Muumi-jakson. xP Ehkä paras ohjelma ikinä! Ja kyllä, olen edelleenkin ysillä..... Myös kaikenlaista Muumi-kamaa on kertynyt, kuten esim. 5 Muumi-mukia, -lautanen, pehmoleluja, ja kaikkea muuta maan ja taivaan välillä. Olen myös juuri tajunnut, että Pikku Myy -tatuointi olisi sairaan siisti! Oikeesti. :D Ja lempihahmoihinihan kuuluu juuri ärhäkkä Pikku Myy, yksinäinen ja jäätävä Mörkö, ja pelkuri Nipsu. ♥ On ne vaan kaikki niin ihania.

Olin muuten viime sunnuntaina yhden lempiserkkuni 13w-synttäreillä. Pakko tässä vaiheessa mainita, että mulla on 36 serkkua, eikä siihen oo ees laskettu pikkuserkkuja! :D Onko kellään muulla niin paljon? Siellä synttäreillä pelailtiin aina yhtä ihanaa Sims kakkosta ja olin tällaisessa asussa (+ tietysti ulkovaatteet). Ruskea paita: Jim&Jill, sukkikset, kaulakoru ja korvikset: H&M, pinkki toppi ja laukku: Seppälä, hame: äitini vanha. Ja tiedän että en osaa poseerata.

Koulussa olin myös tällä viikolla yhtenä päivänä tässä asussa. Farkut: Seppälä, Hello Kitty -paita: H&M, kaulahuivi: Lindex, rannekello: Kihla&Kello, ja leopardikuvionen kauluspaita: äitini vanha.

Moneskohan kerta muuten kun sanon tän: HALUUN UUDEN KAMERAN (ja capsia on kiva raiskata). Joskus voisin muuten esitellä vaatehyllyjeni sisältöä tai kenkiäni. Sitten kun jaksaa. Eli kun puhe on minusta, siihen voi mennä vaikka vuosi... Niin, ja tosiaan: minulla ei ole edes vaatekaappia eikä vaatehuonetta, vaan _vaatehyllyt_. Onkohan kellään muulla näin? Mun huoneen seinään on siis ruuvattu kolme sellasta pitkää hyllyä, ja niiden eessä on verho, ja niiden hyllyjen päällä on sitten ne mun vaatteet. .__. Outoo. Vaikka tiedän kyllä että se johtuu siitä, kun huoneeni on yläkerrassa, niin huoneeni reunoilta se katto on silleen alempana. Gaah, osaisinpa ees selittää. -__-'' Mutta ehkä selvennystä saa sitten siitä, jos joskus jaksaisin tehdä vaikka huoneeni esittelyn. 8)) Katellaan....

Hyvää pääsiäisloman loppua muuten kaikille! ♥:llä Pink Chihu

PS. Eka kerta muuten kun kirjotan tän mustalla. :P

Read More

Happy Easter

Rejoice!
For He has risen--He has risen indeed!

Read More

They Keep Rolling On

"Another year, another 50 wins."

That is the way the Wings' win is being described in the news stories. It just isn't a surprise anymore--and that is a little scary. This is their third year in a row to win 50 or more--the first time a team has done that since Montreal did it in the 70s. Right now, there are only two more teams that MIGHT make it to 50--and they have to win all of their remaining games to do it. (Well, San Jose only has to win 5 of their last seven games.) For some reason or other, the Wings make it look pretty easy during the regular season and then kind of blow it for the play-offs. Last year it wasn't too bad--they DID make it to the conference finals. Somehow, though, this year's team seems to be a bit different. I think they really have a chance to win it all--but it certainly won't be easy.

During the game, Datsyuk got points number 58, 59, and 60. Number 60 was a short-handed, unassisted goal! Go Pavel! He surpassed his personal best and could possibly get 100 points for the year. Z got his 40th goal--HIS personal best. Babcock became the first coach in NHL history to win fifty games in each of his first three seasons with a team.

I may have assumed too much with Baby Boy being out of the line-up. He still didn't play in Saturday's game and probably won't be back till next Saturday. I guess he really is injured--there is no way he would be given that many days to just rest. Cleary opted not to play until Tuesday. He will have surgery to remove the wires from his gums on Monday, so he won't need the special mouth-guard he would have needed on Saturday. Hopefully he WILL be back on Tuesday--that will give him a few games in which to get comfortable playing again. He will be needed in the play-offs.

Read More

Celebrate

Things to celebrate this week:

23 March
Toast Day
National Puppy Day
Near Miss Day
O.K. Day

24 March
National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day

25 March
National Lobster Newburg Day
Pecan Day

26 March
Legal Assistants Day
Make Up Your Own Holiday Day

27 March
National Spanish Paella Day
Kite Flying Day
Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day

28 March
National Black Forest Cake Day

29 March
National Lemon Chiffon Cake Day
National Mom & Pop Business Owner's Day
Texas Loves The Children Day

Read More

Hubble Discovers Life Basics On Distant Sphere

A NASA developed rendering of HD 189733b, an extrasolar planet, is located more than 60 light years from Earth, which has the organic molecule methane in its atmosphere. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI)

Hubble Discovers Life Basics On Distant Sphere

The upgraded Hubble telescope, with its perch circling above the Oblate Spheroid out in space, has discovered what is considered the basic evidence of the “signature” that life (as we understand it) could exist on another planet. The distant sphere is located 63 million light years away and is known as HD 189733b.

The process of the creation of life requires the existence of carbon based gasses and other chemicals on which bacteria and other life forms are composed. It is believed that without these signature compounds, life could and would not develop.

Stellar spectrography by a flame-cutting grid - Capella's Spectrum, order 1 spectral image taken by a Philips vesta webcam. Image Credit: lightfrominfinity.org

So the discovery of such signature evidence through spectrography with instruments on platforms like the Hubble Telescope, on spheres that exist in other solar systems, makes for a better understanding and pushes the envelop of current scientific techniques.

This excerpted from WIRED -

Molecular Basis of Life Discovered on Extrasolar Planet
By Alexis Madrigal, Wired - 03.19.08 6:15 PM

Scientists using the Hubble Space Telescope have for the first time found the telltale signature of methane, an organic molecule, in the atmosphere of a planet outside our solar system.

Methane is one of the chemicals of life, an organic compound in the class of molecules containing carbon. However, no life is likely to exist on the large, gaseous planet known as HD 189733b. Its daily temperatures can reach 1,340 degrees Fahrenheit.

"These measurements are a dress rehearsal for future searches for life," said Mark Swain, a scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the lead author of a new study that appears in Nature tomorrow. "If we were able to detect [methane] on a more hospitable planet in the future, it would really be something exciting."
----
Since the discovery of the first so-called exoplanet 13 years ago, scientists have been able to glean little about the 270-plus known extrasolar planets. Even rough sizes and masses have been calculated for a mere 30 of those planets. It is only in the last year that scientists have begun to characterize the conditions on these planets, like their surface temperatures, and as in this case, the chemical composition of their atmosphere. Such findings not only shed light on other solar systems, but also on our own.
----
HD 189733b, a so-called "hot Jupiter," located 63 light years away, has proven a boon for scientists studying exoplanets. Its large size and proximity to its star mean that it dims the star's light more than any other known exoplanet. Combine that with its home star's high brightness, and scientists find that the system creates the best viewing conditions of any known extrasolar system.
----
At different wavelengths, every atom and molecule has its own telltale footprint, so scientists can convert what are known as absorption spectra into the chemical composition of the object they're looking at.

The technique, known as spectrography, will remain the main scientific technique for learning about exoplanets into the future with planets that could support life.
----
"Twenty years from now, we'll be able to do this for superearths," said Jonathan Fortney, an astronomy professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz. "We'll be able to see methane in the atmosphere of an Earth-like planet."

To do so, however, astronomers will need new tools. Swain's team used Hubble's Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer to capture rough spectrographic data. They were forced to use the low-resolution tool because the dedicated instrument for spectrography -- the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph -- broke in 2003, Redfield said.

"The STIS spectrograph would get resolutions several orders of magnitude higher than the tool they used," said Seth Redfield, a Hubble postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas at Austin, who previously identified sodium in HD 189733b's atmosphere.

He said NASA was planning to try to fix the tool in late summer of this year, and that access to the tool could lead to new discoveries. In the meantime, scientists will keep plugging away, revealing the properties of planets dozens of light years away, molecule by molecule.

"We know so little observationally about these planetary atmospheres that any sort of measurement is tremendously exciting," Redfield said.
Reference Here>>

Read More

A member of the United Trinity Church of Christ has started a blog The Truth About Trinity, to defend their church and Pastor Wright. He or she also links to some of Pastor Wright's sermons on Youtube. He is sometimes rough but also comes across as thoughtful and loving.

Read More

The candidate is in trouble. His poll numbers are slipping. This is a job for Obama Girl.

Read More

Shocking John McCain Association - While the mainstream media examines in great detail Barack Obama's association with the Rev. Wright, they have almost entirely missed the close association of Senator McCain with this man: a prominent member, some say the leader, of a well-known criminal enterprise sometimes referred to as the Administration, and associated with a larger outfit known by insiders as the Grand Old Party.

Read More

Quite An Ending

The Red Wings are certainly making the end of the season interesting, to say the least. They had a five-game winning streak, lost two and then won the next two. And the wins weren't ordinary.

On Wednesday, I was watching the game and thought, "Could this game be any more boring?" The first goal wasn't scored till about halfway into the second period--by Columbus. The Wings were playing as if they hadn't had a day off for weeks--just not with it at all. Just before midway in the third, Z decided enough was enough, and scored. He continued to score and managed a natural hat trick! (His second trick of the year, third of his career.) The last goal was beautiful--a highlight-reel moment, for sure.

Thursday night's game was better played. They came out with jump. There was quite a bit of 'feistiness' and 'button-pushing,' but no real fighting broke out. With the Wings up by two goals going into the third, it seemed inevitable that a major fight would happen, but then Nashville tied. They were very good at containing their emotions, but it didn't help--Detroit put in four goals to win. (insert sigh of relief)

With seven games left, they still are at the top of the league standings. San Jose is seven back, but it could change at any time--the Wings could go into another slump. More important than staying on top is getting ready for the play-offs. Dom needs to be at the top of his game--he DID play well tonight, but he needs to be better. I don't think they would do badly with Ozzie, but Dom is perceived as number 1, so... Unfortunately, there aren't enough games left for the injured to come back and get comfortable in the line-up--they will be playing their first series before they're all in shape. They still have four key or semi-key players out--they really need to be totally well in order to continue beyond the first round.

Not only are Draper, Holmstrom, and Cleary not playing, but Stuart broke his finger and won't be back till sometime in the first series. Great. (However, this probably will give him time to be with his wife when their baby is born.) Filppula was out the last two games--either his knee or his groin was the problem. In all actuality, he probably had nothing wrong with him. The NHL frowns on letting players take 'rest days,' so the teams create small problems for the players to have that need taking care of. Filppula played every game of the season, so he has to be play-off ready--even though he is only 24. :) He should play again on Saturday.

All in all, things are looking okay. But, despite that, the play-offs are totally different from the regular season. Anyone can win it all...and it has happened.

Read More

Rev. Wright with Bill Clinton

Read More

DEBKAfile: Our military, Washington and Gulf sources report that US Vice President Dick Cheney is again talking about possible US military action to shut down Iran’s covert nuclear program.

Read More

There are Washington whispers that photos of Barack Obama and Louis Farrakhan together, will be leaked to Drudge on Friday.

Read More

Spitzer's Hooker at 17, you know, before she got older and started losing her looks

Read More

Quirks

We all have our strange little quirks and my girls are no different. See if you think these are very, very strange.

--A, my youngest, has NEVER seen The Wizard of Oz. And she absolutely refuses to see it. I don't know what she has against the movie and I'm not sure she even knows.

--C, my oldest, HATES, HATES, HATES the Easter Bunny. Well, the ones they have in the malls. She actually is afraid of them and is certain they stalk her. You won't find her in a mall around Easter unless it is absolutely necessary.

As I said, we all have our quirks--these are just a little unusual. :)

Read More

And You Think I'm An Awful Driver!

One day, The Mother and my grandmother (The Father's mother) were driving along. My grandmother was behind the wheel, as The Mother didn't drive. After a short time, The Mother realized that my grandmother neglected to stop at any stop signs. When she asked my grandmother about this, g-ma replied, "When Nels (her second husband) taught me to drive, he said really good drivers didn't NEED to stop at stop signs." She must have been VERY good, because I am unaware of her being in any accidents. Of course, she probably CAUSED a whole lot, but... :)

Read More

"Psycho" Virgin

My youngest and her husband watched the movie Psycho last night. He had never seen it before. She said he was shocked and surprised at the appropriate moments. I love being with a Psycho virgin when they experience the movie for the first time--not much is more enjoyable than that! I had the pleasure of introducing both of my girls to the movie. I guess it's time to find another virgin--I need a little bit of fun. :)

Read More

Recent evidence suggests that the NSA has been focusing on widespread monitoring of e-mail messages and text messages, recording of Web browsing, and other forms of electronic data-mining, all done without court supervision.

Read More

Celebrate

Holidays for the coming week:

16 March
Buzzard Day
National Artichoke Hearts Day
Lips Appreciation Day
St. Urho's Day

17 March
Submarine Day
Freedom of Information Day

18 March
National Lacy Oatmeal Cookie Day
Awkward Moments Day

19 March
National Chocolate Caramel Day
Act Happy Day

20 March
Absolutely Incredible Kid Day
Great American Meat Out Day
Proposal Day
Snowman Burning Day

AND

Valterri Filppula's 24th Birthday, aka 'Baby Boy'
(#51, Detroit Red Wings Center)

21 March
National French Bread Day
Memory Day
National Common Courtesy Day

22 March
National Bavarian Crepes Day
As Young As You Feel Day
International Goof-Off Day

Read More

Today's Irritation

There are a few reasons why I don't own guns. For example, the roadways would be littered with dead bodies if I owned a firearm--I HATE idiotic drivers. This morning I would have had a field day with shooting if I had a gun.

Anyone who knows me is well aware of the fact that I could sleep through anything. (I attribute this ability to my being sleep deprived--a situation I have created myself. But I digress.) Having a relatively early wake-up this morning--the Wings are playing an early afternoon game--I was dead to the world and enjoying myself immensely this AM. Suddenly, I was woken up by a rattling that would wake the dead. While trying to clear the cobwebs from my brain, I realized the noise was my cat trying to go through the front window of the bedroom--the combination of her going through the metal mini-blinds and her bouncing off of the window glass managed to wake me. Of course, I had to get up to see what was causing her such distress. I was sure there would be a moose, bear, or--at the very least--a couple of white-tails in our front yard. But nooooooooooo!!!!!! What was causing her such pain was the neighbor's cat. Across the street. There would have been two feline carcasses in the neighborhood if I would have had a gun.

Read More

Argh, tämä on kyllä jo laiskuuden huippu!

Pitäisi kieltää lailla tämmöinen, että jos aloittaa blogin pitämisen, niin uusien postausten välillä ei kyllä saisi olla hirveitä välejä! Hyi minua. Olen siis tosiaan ollut todella laiskalla tuulella kirjoittaakseni mitään, ja jotenkin päivät vain kuluvat ohi. Näiden päivien aikana ei kyllä ole tapahtunut paljon muuta erikoista, kuin että oli ne toisen mummini hautajaiset. Vaikka ei ehkä saisi, niin vihaan hautajaisia yli kaiken ja onneksi en ole joutunut olemaan elämäni aikana kun vain yksissä hautajaisissa. :S Ja tuotti melkein vaikeuksia löytää niihin päälleni mustia vaatteita, mutta onneksi löysin juuri jonkin aikaa sitten äitini vanhojen vaatteiden joukosta tällaisen mustan kivan mekon, josta poistimme vain olkatoppaukset ja lyhensimme sitä hieman. Hyi, näyttääpä karmealta neliöltä tuossa hengarissa. :S

No okei, laitan nyt sitten tähänkin tämän kauheen kuvan paremman puutteessa, jossa siis serkkuni ja minä. Ja ihan vaan sen takia että tuossa näkyy tuo mekko vyön kanssa. Saanpahan syyttää ihan vain itseäni, kun olen maailman laiskin ihminen ottamaan päivänasu -kuvia tuolla surkealla kamerallanikin..

Hautajaistunnelmissa kun angstailin niin silloin oli kaikkein parhainta fiilistellä lempibändini My Chemical Romancen Helena http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95t6XH2o49M -kappaleella, jonka musiikkivideossa ollaan hautajaisissa, ja tuon kappaleen myös bändin laulaja Gerard Way oli kirjoittanut kuolleelle Elena-mummilleen. Että sopi aika täydellisesti tunnelmiin..

Tällä viikolla on ollu kyllä vähän muutenkin ihan outo olo, ja keskiviikkona ja torstaina makasinkin vaan kotona dataamassa. Onneks sentään nyt on taas viikonloppu, ja sen kunniks tein eilen illalla marenkeja. Oiskohan ollu kolmas vai neljäs kerta sen jälkeen kun tein niitä ekan kerran viime syksynä..? No mut kuitenkin, tosi helppo tehä kun niihin tulee vaan kananmunanvalkuaista ja sokeria! Mums! (ja älkää kysykö, miks mun piti kuvata osa niistä mun tekemän Marilyn tyynyn päällä..)

Ainiin teinhän mä muuten joskus yli viikko sitten maailman ihaninta porkkanakakkua, jonka ohjeen sain sillä Vantaan reissulla mun enon vaimolta. Kesti kyllä hirveen kaun, mutta oli kyllä odottamisen arvosta! ♥ Harmi vaan että dreeverimme Remu söi viimeiset kakkupalaset, kun joltain oli jäänyt jääkaapin ovi auki.. -__-'' Yhyy. Ja sorry kun en ohjeita jaksa ainakaan nyt kirjottaa. :(

Eilen tein muuten ihan sattumalta todella hyvän löydön, kun menin hammaslääkärini jälkeen odottamaan isääni Ekotorille, joka oli oikeastaan ainoa kauppa siinä lähettyvillä. Ekotori on siis vähän niinkuin Fida-lähetystori tai UFF, koska sinne voi siis tuoda vanhoja tavaroitaan. Harmi muuten ettei täällä ole UFFia. Mutta ei olisi kyllä paljon parempi tuuri voinut käydä, nimittäin löysin ihan sattumalta siellä kierrellessäni _kolmella_eurolla_ kahdet nahkaiset talvikengät!! Olin kyllä enemmän kuin "WTF?", koska olin tuskaisesti yrittänyt etsiä ensi talveksi Itäkeskuksesta ja Kuopiosta talvikenkiä, enkä ollut löytänyt, ja nyt sitten löysin peräti kahdet samalla kerralla, ja niin halvalla! I'm happy now. 8--)) Aamulla sitten levitin näihin nahanhoitoainetta, ja kivasti kiiltää. Nämä ekat on vähän lyhyempivartiset, ja vähän keväisemmät. Näitten hinta oli 1€.

Nämä toiset ovat sitten varmaan ihanan lämpimät kovillakin pakkasilla, nimittäin näissä on pitkien varsien lisäksi ns. karvasisus. Toivottavasti ovat lämpimät, nimittäin minusta tuntuu aina, että olen maailman helpoiten jäätyvä. Minulla on varmasti todella huono verenkierto, nimittäin varsinkin sormeni ja varpaani ovat melkein aina jääkylmät! Vihaan sitä. :( Mutta joo, ei taas hirveesti liittynyt aiheeseen... :D Mutta nämä olivat siis sen 2€.

En kyllä tajua, miten joku on noista luopunut... Mutta ainakin kerrankin minullekin onni hymyili! Tai jotain... 8))

Huh, kestääpä minulla kaun kirjoittaa yhtä merkintää. Onko muilla näin? Hurraukset niille jotka jaksavat vieläpä ottaa päivänasukuvia sun muita. Mulla ei ois sillon varmaan mihinkään muuhun aikaa kun tähän blogiin! No mutta tälläkin hetkellä mun pitäis olla tekemässä kirjaesitelmää, että moikka moi!

PS. Nyt laitan kyllä vihdoin tähän tämän kuvan, jonka otin vähän aikaa sitten, ja siinä on siis osa Hello Kitty tavaroistani. Kaikki muut kuvan tuotteet on H&M:ltä, paitsi nuo magneetit on Suomalaisesta kirjakaupasta ja tuo kaulakoru jossa on tuo Kitty-hahmo niin se on Seppälästä. :3

Read More

Spitzer's Hooker

Read More

Obama's Mama

Read More

Guide To Become Fashion Models

Blog on fashion models.... glamour model... male models... modeling agency... modeling talent... young model... sexy model... hot model... swimsuit model... commercial model... modeling photographer... nude model... runway model... fitness model
Nowadays everybody’s life is fascinated by modeling industry. In modeling industry you can see different types of models. The most common one is, which you see in ramp, then are known as fashion models.

The fashion model generally promotes fashion clothing and accessories which are made by fashion designers. These types of show are conducted for fashion buyers and customers.

Fashion modeling appears in photos for magazines, catalogues and poster. Some of the commercial models also go for fashion modeling, even though both fields are different. The commercial model is those who have to act- to promote company products.

Following are the requirements for fashion models.
1) For female model, the age limit should be between 15 and 22 years old. It’s better to take proper practices from the younger age itself.

2) The average height is usually about 5’ to 5’8”. You should also have weight of 180-125 lbs. Additionally; you must have long-legs and lean.

3) Your character plays an important role here. You must have enough self-confidence, partly aesthetic and partly practical.

4) For male models also age is same, but the normally require 6’ to 6’2” height.

5) Take care of you skin, hair and also have some regular exercise. Proper and regular exercise will help you out to remain fit and in good shape.

6) For male models should have normal size muscles but not plus size muscles.

7) Take nutrition’s foods on a regular base.

Read More

Notes

Yesterday we did an out-of-town day-run to shop. The weather was fine, so travel was good--we made good time both ways. While I didn't have any pressing shopping needs, I managed to get a few things I wanted. Among my purchases were the first two 'Dexter' books--the ones the Showtime series is based on. I have been watching the 'cleaned up' version on CBS on Sunday nights and have been enjoying it quite a bit. However, I'm not sure I could actually watch the Showtime version--might be a bit too graphic for me.

DSW had the new spring shoes in and I walked out without buying a single pair. I know I would have broke our bank account if I had known what I wanted, but I had no clue. And I couldn't let myself buy shoes JUST to buy shoes. I've done that too often recently and have to stop. :)

**********

We ended our shopping trip at Sam's Club, as usual. I have always thought that I don't really enjoy shopping, but I realized at Sam's that that is NOT the case. What I don't like are other shoppers! Anyone who has ever been to Sam's knows how wide the aisles are--you could practically drive a Hummer down one and STILL have space on both sides! So how rude is it when other shoppers completely block the right-of-way for others--not to mention it is a very hard thing to do. There was a couple in one aisle. They had positioned their cart in a way that NO ONE could get around it. Then they took up the rest of the aisle to have a discussion about the peanuts on the shelf. Excuse me!?!?!? Whenever I'm faced with this situation, I try to be patient and wait till I can make eye-contact with the person/people blocking the way before saying 'excuse me.' Of course, these two didn't acknowledge that another human being was within 100 miles of them, so I waited...and waited...and waited. When they FINALLY moved, I started to squeeze pass them and they had the NERVE to give ME a dirty look! As I said, I hate the shoppers, not the shopping. GRRRRRR!!!!!!

**********

The other thing that really got on my nerves at Sam's was the check-outs. First, they didn't have nearly as many open as they should have--every open one had at least FOUR people in line waiting to be checked-out. Then we made the wrong decision and picked the check-out with the slllooowwweeesssttt clerk in the world. I swear, instead of coffee for breakfast, this woman drank a cup of tranquilizers! Watching her do her job was like watching a movie in slow motion. Unbelievable.

**********

This may be one of those 'Why do I need to know this?' things, but here goes: Memory Foam pillows freeze. And when I say freeze, I mean they become hard as a block of ice if they are cold enough. How do I know? Well, I bought a Memory Foam pillow because I thought it might do good for me. (I have pillow issues.) I found I couldn't sleep on the thing, so I use it as a lap desk whenever we travel--it is comfortable on my lap, doesn't weigh too much, and it is quite firm. When we stay overnight, I don't take the pillow into the hotel with us, I just leave it in the vehicle. The last time we stayed overnight on one of our trips, was about a month ago--still cold, winter weather in our part of the country. When we got into the vehicle the morning after our stay, the pillow was hard as a rock. I thought for sure the thing was ruined, but as it warmed up, it soften again. Quite interesting.

**********

Okay, so we don't have HUGE news days here, but this is big news for us. The DNR has admitted that some tracks they found here in the UP are probably cougar footprints. For years people have brought evidence of all kinds to the attention of the DNR and the existence of cougars here has been dismissed. Some people think the reason is that if it is determined that they actually do exist here, it will cost the DNR a bundle of money because cougars would be an endangered species. I can't understand how good the evidence must be for them to have to finally admit we have cougars. It will be fun to follow this story.

**********

The Wings got it done tonight. They won their fifth in a row and met a bunch of milestones in the process. With the win tonight, they became the first team in the league to be assured of a playoff spot. They tied the league record of having eight straight 100-point seasons. They won the Central Division title for the seventh year in a row. This is also the 17th year in a row they have qualified for the playoffs--the longest streak for ANY pro-sports team. They are now undefeated for the month of March. Good going.

Datsyuk is still on a roll--he scored two and had one assist tonight. Baby Boy got the last goal of the night--an empty-netter--and had two assists. Right now, Filppula is only one away from 20 for the year--something he should be able to accomplish with 11 games left in the season. And besides, if he stays on Datsyuk's line, he could come very close to a 50-point season! Again, good going.

Read More

125 total take aways so far for Pavel Datsyuk. 49 more than Mike Modano in second place for take aways.
Datsyuk has 27th goal 82nd point.
Frazen looking good with 6 goals out of the last 5 games and Chelios as well.
Pronger and Kesler are known for playing dirty in the NHL as usual.
I'm not quite done watching the game DVR recorded. 2nd period...
Datsyuk just scored a goal. Datsyuk just won't quit.
He got checked and still comes up with the puck.

126 take aways for Pavel. End of the Second.

It makes easier for me to watch, when I can use slow motion and being able to skip commercials.
I see the Ref's make mistakes in detail and all the great plays.

127 take aways and then a goal at the start of the third period. Amazing!

8 point game streak! 7 goals and 4 assists.

Samuelson possibly unassisted off Robidas on the other team. He knocked it in after a great save from Turco.

100 points for 8 straight seasons for the Red Wings!
The longest playoff streak for any sport.

Lidstrom to Zetterburg to Fillpula for the open net to make it 5-3 Red Wings WIN.

Turco still has not won a game at the Joe Louis Arena?

A fantastic game for the Red Wings. Rarely an upset to watch.

Read More

The National Security State

I have added a new blog to the old blogroll: Antifascist Calling. Antifascist also cross-posts over at Cannonfire. Tuesday's post reveals Domestic Surveillance & Repression on a Massive Scale .

Read More

The National Scold says that Hillary Clinton does not have a lesbian Muslim lover "as far as I know".

So what kind of call girl did the patrons of the Emperor's Club pay thousands of dollars to spend an hour or two with? See "Kristen" here. Apparently not her real name.

For photos of some of the other escorts see here.

Read More

Cautiously Optimistic

Tonight the Wings won their fourth game in a row. They are beginning to play like they were earlier in the year--and that is both good and bad. It was nice to see them hang in there for the win--they did out-play Chicago. Shots on goal were 47-20--numbers like they are used to getting. Still, with that many shots on goal, the goals scored should have been MUCH higher! Sure, they got three goals, but one was an empty-netter. For some reason, the Wings just can't figure out most of the goalies in the league--and that is not good. Secondary scoring kicked in again tonight and that ALWAYS is a good thing.

Chelios came back in the line-up tonight. I was pretty much sure this injury would have been his career-ender. And at 46 years old, it wouldn't have been that bad of thing, right? But as everyone says, he is a freak of nature and he spent thirteen and a half minutes on the ice tonight. I would LOVE to know what the man does to keep himself going. He is playing in a game that is terribly, physically draining AND competing against guys half his age. AND he is doing a damn good job of keeping up with, or surpassing, the youngsters! Perhaps he has a portrait hidden somewhere like Dorian Gray did. ;)

Cleary should be back by the end of the month--a good thing. But better still, he signed a new contract with the Wings for five years and $14 million. He has a no-trade clause built in for the first three years--which just may not be a bad thing. It definitely is good to see him talking again. I'm sure having the jaw wired shut was difficult. He has gained back almost five of the fifteen pounds he lost and has been skating, so he should be good to go for the playoffs. The biggest worry, though, is the fact he will have to wear a full face shield when he starts playing again. Understandable, as he has to protect that jaw, but hard to get used to.

Read More

The Way I Am

Anyone who knows cats will be familiar with this scenario. As a cat walks from one end of the house to another, it will walk very close to furniture or the wall. Cats don't seem to like walking in wide open spaces--even in the safety of their own home. Most of the time--with my cat, anyway--the tips of their fur will barely touch the furniture/wall as they pass by. I seem to have this in common with cats.

For some reason or other, I tend NOT to walk through the middle of a doorway or the empty part of a room. I walk way too closely to walls and furniture--and this causes me problems. I injure myself. My only broken bone came because I was hurrying through a doorway--too closely to the frame--and caught my little toe on the door frame. It hurt. I am ALWAYS slamming my arm, leg, hand into the wall or furniture as I am walking. I'm NOT afraid that there is anything WRONG with me medically, of course--I am just a klutz and have always been this way.

Earlier today, I was walking into the dining room from the hallway and slammed the knuckle of my right index finger into the doorway. Immediately it turned color and the vein popped out. The pain was considerable. After moving the finger around, I came to the conclusion that it probably is NOT broken. About an hour later, I slammed the SAME knuckle while I was dusting. It is nicely discolored, but I STILL can move the finger. I guess I will just watch it and if anything changes, THEN I will go in and have it looked at. This is just another look at the way I am. :)

Read More

Larry Sinclair just won't go away. The Globe is running a second Larry Sinclair story which can be read here. They still don't seem to actually believe him and there is really nothing new here except his claim that "Ob ama wants me dead." Oh, and an anonymous internet poster says that his friend dated Obama at Columbia.

Larry also can be heard in his third appearance on Rense. He is now claiming that he had been in contact with murdered gay choir director Donald Young, of Obama's church. Larry also says that he has retained lawyer Blair Montgomery Sibley, best-known for representing the DC Madam.

Read More

My Daughter

As I posted a few days ago, I got a new cell phone. It has some really neat features. One of the things you can do is assign special ringtones to each person in your contact/phone book. I have told my girls that they can pick the song they want associated with their name. A is still thinking about it. C knew immediately. This is what she picked:

She has been having a couple of off days. :D

Read More

Lesbian al Qaeda operative Huma Abedin

Chelsea and Huma

Huma and Hillary in the blogs

I think it’s a fair question to ask. How might Hillary’s lesbian affair with a Muslim aide impact the security of this nation? Could foreign governments try to seduce Hillary with women, and gain valuable intelligence about our national interests and military? Could Abedin herself be a spy? Do we really want our President sleeping around with spies of the same sex at three o’clock in the morning?

Probably not.

With Hillary Clinton, I can just picture Huma Abedin’s bra hanging from a knob in the Lincoln bedroom.

Me too.

Read More