Sunday, September 30, 2007
Song for the day
Book of the week
They also have The Little Princess audiobook...
Although I prefer the Shirley Temple film based on the book, which can be downloaded HERE. The best scene? Singing a duet with Archer Treacher...
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Superplumber to the rescue
"Plumbers are unsung heroes for the work they do everyday," says Jeannette Long, director of marketing communications, American Standard. "American Standard wanted to show its appreciation with a superhero tribute that thanks plumbers who come to our rescue. The contest is a fun way to let plumbers tell their stories - and get an opportunity to be a superhero in their own comic book."
And don't forget to buy your superplumber action hero...
A previous contest chose America's sexiest plumber LINK
(via DaveBarry)
The real prolife position
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And Touchstone has an essay on sex: how modern individualism dehumanizes people in many ways.
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In most societies, we see ourselves as part of a family and society; it limits our individual freedoms, but it also gives meaning and love to our lives.
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Blogging scholarships for college students
Micro world
Via BoingBoing:
Just what we always wanted: a movie of body lice...
And get out your 3 D glasses and voila:
A 3D mosquito.
And then look HERE: Everything you never wanted to know about flagelated protozoa.
You can't hide the killing fields anymore
Friday, September 28, 2007
Viva Las Vegas
Mark Steyn once wrote about Afghanistan:
During the Afghan campaign, an Internet wag, Glenn Crawford, deftly summed up the different cultural approaches to unpromising climate - in this instance between the bleak Afghan plain and Nevada. Third World solution: eke a living out of the desert. American solution: “Viva Las Vegas!”
Well, the Kurds are on Steyn's side.
One Billion dollars for exile and I'll tell you where the WMD's are
----------------------
I poasted boring essays about the Black Google, Kites in Afghanistan, and Newt Gingrich...on BNN.
Feeling sad?
And check link for more cats.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
KCNA Random insult generator
Don't know how to do it intelligently?
Well, help is on the way....just go to the KCNA random insult generator, and they will supply you with the latest blackhearted capitalist hating insult.
(headsup from those nasty insult chasing neocons at the Corner)
Headlines below the fold
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Good News:Team India's cricket win.
Bad News: Mumbai Police find six bombs scheduled to kill those celebrating...or maybe if they found all the bombs, this is good news.
---------------------
Good news: A conference to teach lawyers ethics...
Bad news: one teacher is a felon convicted of smuggling information to a terror group. Instapundit has links.
--------------------------------
Good News: one pundit called the "people power" demonstrations in Burma "The Saffron Revolution"....but actually, the Monks of Buma, unlike those in Thailand, wear red robes...
Bad news: Government crackdown starting.
---------------------
Bad news: When you are in a hole, dig deeper...Zim will force all businesses to give locals the majority of the shares of foreign companies...(read let Mugabe's cronies take the profits without having to invest or do a day's work).
Worse news: Zim and Iran are forming a Peace committee to counter the big bad West.
Sigh. There is little good news out of Zimbabwe.
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Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Science headlines below the fold
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Can stem cells taken from your ear regenerate the cells that let you hear? Good news here for chickens...and maybe humans.
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Like cute photos? well, it's easy to photograph a cute kitty, but how about anteaters LINK.
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Where do turtles go when they aren't on land? they browse in the deep sea and eat jellyfish...LINK
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And the strangest science headline of the day: Prawns turn red in black buckets.
Klingon bible project
Mark your Calenders
Yes, it's the the MurrFurr Furries will take on the USS Republic Klingons in their second annual bowling competition.
(headsup from the furry neocons at the corner)
Queer Eye for the Iranian Guy
While it’s a well-known fact that there are no homosexuals in Iran, the network plans to import them to Tehran from the United States in order to give Mr. Ahmadinejad “a radical, extremist makeover.”
During the course of the show, the Iranian leader will be “fundamentally transformed head-to-toe” by a group of homosexual men known as the Fab Five — an interior designer, a fashion stylist, a chef, a beauty guru and a ‘concierge of cool’.
According to a news release from the show’s producers, “By the time the Fab Five are done with him, the A-man will have gone from geek to gorgeous, sporting new threads, new taste in pop music and a new sense of self-identity.”
Yup...it's Scrappleface...
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Gift item of the day
Just what you always wanted:
A pendant of the endagered RED squirrel.
Dustbury writes:
This particular squirrel is the Eurasian Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), listed as "threatened" by the IUCN: apparently grey squirrels are crowding it out of its habitat. And it's probably better to commemorate the species by wearing its image than by wearing an actual example thereof; the squirrels I see on a regular basis would not take kindly to having lengths of metal tubing routed through their pert little tails.
LINK is to store
Everyday heroes: the Iraqi police in Ramadi
“The worst thing I’ve seen, I think, is the aftermath of a VBIED (carbomb),” (Lt. Col. Mike Silvermann) said.
“I’ve seen that about ten times,” he continued. “Some people are turned, literally, into red blotches. Some are just vaporized. Their families will never see them again, not even their bodies. And the smell…there’s this awful car bomb smell, the acrid stench of homemade explosives and diesel fuel. Nothing else in the world has that smell. Most of the VBIEDs were intended for civilians, but the Iraqi Police usually stopped them first at the checkpoints. So they were the ones who usually got blown up. The driver of the VBIED would panic because he was caught and then kill everyone at the checkpoint. Nevertheless, the Iraqi Police kept bravely manning the checkpoints and replacing the police who were murdered. I’m telling you, they aren’t doing that for 310 dollars a month.”
Headlines below the fold
No, not the fascist Hitlermonkeybushy administration, but ....Google...and remember, they have a huge email storage space that the cops can dig into...Hey, I saw that on "Law and Order".
And what happens when you store stuff forever HERE?
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New book out about the Inklings...full review here...reviewer calls them "reactionary", but "conservative" in the sense of wishing to preserve the wisdom of the past (as opposed to political conservatism) would be more accurate.
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Mystery of the Peruvian meteorite illness: High Arsenic in water released into the air...
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And Bryan of London, the only one on the internet that makes Ann Coulter look like a liberal, is at it again... ...PODCAST
Monday, September 24, 2007
The REALLY IMPORTANT OKTOBERFEST NEWS
In a major diplomatic move, German authorities have banned Paris Hilton from attending this year's Oktoberfest...
Locals were outraged when the socialite, 26, arrived at the beer festival in plaits and traditional Bavarian dress to advertise a brand of canned wine.
Canned wine?! Was zum teufel...
Attention conspiracy theorists
In L'Affaire Jeanne d'Arc, or the Joan of Arc Affair, French investigative journalist Marcel Gay and former secret service agent Roger Senzig claim that France's most famous virgin peasant was the illegitimate daughter of the French queen consort, Isabeau of Bavaria, who groomed her for use as a political puppet. They claim Joan was manipulated in a cover-up they call Operation Virgin.
Joan was not inspired by voices.... Gay says she was trained for warfare, taught languages and well-educated for her mission. After her trial for heresy in 1431, she escaped, and an unknown woman was burned in her place. She later married a French knight, Robert des Armoises...
French medievalists this week rubbished the book, saying it rehashed discredited ideas to satisfy the booming audience of conspiracy theorists intent on dismantling the Jeanne d'Arc story. The publisher said the work fitted the trend for Da Vinci Code-style investigations debunking official history.
(headsup FR GGG forum)Latest controversy on "The View"
Move over Rosie...now the View has a co host who doesn't know if the world is flat or round...
News below the fold
Below the fold, however, is the story of how the Saudis are using the UK Libel law to stop publications of books that criticize them or "link the dots" of their "charities" that are covers for funding terror groups....the threat of a UK suit has stopped many American papers from publishing similar exposes, even though the connection is well documented elsewhere, including in the Philippines.
The problem? In the UK, just cause the guy gives millions to his own personal charity isn't enough to prove he knew a lot of the money was siphoned off to terrorist groups.
Both BNN and PJMedia have the details from the American authors. My two cent ake is HERE.
Beer take two
But they were added to beer to stop the beer from "clouding"...they have mild antiseptic properties.
Lederhosen!
Time to start brewing the beer...
Downloads.com has Oktoberfest game downloads HERE
and a beer screensaver HERE
and flashcards to learn German can be found HERE...
And in the Photo is our own Col. Thermal Updraft dancing in Lederhosen...
Believe me, the beer helps...
Family News
It was held at the local KofC hall, and the hall was packed.
Lovely woman, great party.
What was interesting is that before the meal they had entertainment: Dancing.
Older ladies danced the fandango and the quadrille...I haven't seen these done since Lolo took me to a Spanish heritage celebration 15 plus years ago, when he danced the quadrille with Dr. Angie. They then had some local youngsters who won a modern dance contest in Singapore give two dances, and then they had some cha cha and easy dancing for anyone who wished to dance.
Daisy's mother danced with her grandsons.
Then we ate...but had to go home because it was a two hour drive and Lolo goes to bed early.
We had a great time.
101%
101%
From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:
What Equals 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?
Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%?
We have all been in situations where someone wants you to GIVE OVER 100%.
How about ACHIEVING 101%?
What equals 100% in life?
Here's a little mathematical formula that might help answer these questions:
If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.
If:
H-A-R-D-W-O- R- K
8+1+18+4+23+ 15+18+11 = 98%
And:
K-N-O-W-L-E- D-G-E
11+14+15+23+ 12+5+4+7+ 5 = 96%
But:
A-T-T-I-T-U- D-E
1+20+20+9+20+ 21+4+5 = 100%
THEN, look how far the love of God will take you:
L-O-V-E O-F-G-O-D
12+15+22+5+15+ 6+7+15+4 = 101%
Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:
While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you
there, It's the Love of God that will put you over the top!
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your email of the day from Col. Updraft
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Short but funny
Aspire to inspire before you expire.
~~~~~
Frustration is trying to find your glasses without your glasses.
~~~~~
Blessed are those who can give without remembering
And take without forgetting.
~~~~~
The irony of life is that, by the time
You're old enough to know your way
Around, you're not going anywhere.
~~~~~
God made man before woman so as to give him time to think
Of an answer for her first question.
~~~~~
The quote of the month is by Jay Leno:
"With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides,
flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to
another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, "Are
we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of
Allegiance?"
***************************************\
Your email of the day from Col.Updraft
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Cat photo of the day
You can never have too many cats...uhh, maybe I should rephrase that
Your cat photo of the day from TiaMaria
Trojan Horse
Yup....It's the Chaser boys again...
Friday, September 21, 2007
Headlines below the fold
And here in the Philippines, the big scandal is the broadband telecom deal that benefits certain politicians and their families...nope, no need for public bidding...
There were hearings on all the channels yesterday, but I don't know enough about who is connected to whom to follow it...and lolo just says they're all crooks.
Another day, another coup plot? What else is new.
WMD in Syria? Formerspook analyzes a report of Iranian engineers and Syrian Army officers killed by nervegas from a weapons malfunction....
What fictional hero would you want with you in case of disaster?
MacGyver wins the poll...of course...Jack Bauer is good with terrorists, but MacGyver can make gadgets to get food so you can survive out of his shoelaces...
Family News
Joy is back, and things are almost back to normal...lots of trade fairs and the crops are not good again due to rain problems...
Talk like a pirate day take three
yes, I know it was Wednesday...but the link is MissCellania's blogpost about TLAPD...
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if you want to listen to a recording of the Pirates of Penanz, the 1929 recording is on line HERE...
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Cartoon by savagechickenblog
Green news behind the fold
Warm, wet weather likely accelerated the rotting of plant material, which in turn triggered the methane burps from the Cobham Lignite bog, the researchers said.
Assuming that other wetlands responded in a similar way, such large amounts of methane could explain the extreme global warming seen at the time.
The reason I point this out is that many think that rice paddies, which rely on manure and rotting vegetation as fertillizer, and are kept under water (not stagnant but running water) to keep down the weeds also contribute to global warming.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Gift item of the day
Yes, it's autumn and hunting season is here.
So get your loved one a "Hello Kitty" hunting Teeshirt...
12 plants that produce most of our food
- The cereals:
- corn (Zea mays)
- rice (Oryza sativa)
- wheat (Triticum aestivum)
- The legumes:
- common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)
- soybean (Glycine max)
- The roots:
- white potato (Solanum tuberosum)
- sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)
- cassava (Manihot esculenta)
- The sugar sources:
- sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum)
- sugar beet (Beta vulgaris)
- Pan-tropical fruits:
- coconut (Cocos nucifera)
- banana (Musa spp.)
Recipe of the day
I always just placed brown sugar, nuts and butter in the bottom of a pan, stuck the rolls on top and baked...but anyway, easy to do.
Starry Night
,
but the picture resembles a previous sketch made by astronomer William Parsons the third Earl of Rosse.
Lord Rosse carried out pioneering astronomical studies In the 1840s, he built his "Leviathan of Parsonstown" 72-inch (183-cm) telescope at Birr, Ireland ...and discovered the spiral nature of some nebulas, today known to be spiral galaxies. The first spiral galaxy he detected was M51, and his drawings of it closely resemble modern photographs (today it is known as the Whirlpool Galaxy).
The Hubble photo is HERE.
Don McLean's song is HERE.
Harvesting our offspring
But not only is this morally and psychologically horrifying, it is also scientific nonsense: The embryos won't "match" you...
Translation: Big scam...full essay moved to BNN
Headlines below the fold
In a similar vein: Michael Totten writes: Hell is over...Alqaeda lost their capital...
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More Haditha charges dropped...Murtha says: the trial's not over yet...
.
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Mambas and Cougars and Buffalo vehicles: where do they get those names?
Blackwater uses the Mamba vehicle, from South Africa for transport. The US is using similar mine sturdy vehicles for transport, like the Cougar truckand the Buffalo...LINK
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
A map of the internet
Perhaps most notorious among those countries is China, with its Great Firewall (and its insistence on self-censorship by non-Chinese companies operating within the Middle Kingdom). Other countries also maintain firewalls, notably Saudi Arabia, while less-developed nations might just not allow their citizens to own computers.
This map was commissioned by Reporters Without Borders,
Another day, another typhoon
Ladies vs real women
your forehead. The throbbing will go away.
Real Women - Take a lime, mix it with tequila, chill and drink. You
might still have the headache, but who cares?
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Ladies - To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with
the potatoes.
Real Women - Buy boxed mashed potato mix and you don't have to worry
about the potatoes growing arms and legs.
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And finally the most important tip....
Ladies - Don't throw out all that leftover wine. Freeze into ice cubes for
future use in casseroles and sauces.
Real Women - Leftover wine??
Headlines below the fold
As an adoptive mother, I can identify with this story of a Marine...(viaBlackfive)
Taliban destroys another Buddha...hear the rage....anyone? Anyone? I mean, not only attacking a major religious site but a historical treasure...
The amnesty/arrest/quick release of Sisson might help defang what is left of the NPA, and the MILF is cooperating with the military in the south...so there are tiny successes in the wars on terror here in the Philippines...
But what is interesting is that Stratpage says Indonesia has also calmed their wars against various groups, not only those linked with Alqaeda but with Melanesian seperatists, who are Christian...
Hmmm...Cardinal Van Thuan is being proposed for sainthood...he spent years in solitary confinement in VietNamese "reeducation camps"...bio here...I have one of his books, and he is very gentle...
I had blogged earlier about an ex NorthKorean soldier now pastor who is scheduled for execution...now (scroll down to Sept5) Stratpage says there is an out break of Christianity in the NoKo Army...
Of course, that doesn't stop them from playing footsie with Syria..
Monday, September 17, 2007
Don't forget to ARRRGH!
And the Flying Spaghetti monster has the REAL reason for global warming: IT's THE LACK OF PIRATES STUPID
Hey Arnold
Love that Humvee, but hate the low gas milage of that heavy Hummer?
Drive one of these: a balsawood Humvee:
Actually, it's a redesign to try to lower blunt trauma from IED/roadside bombs. The heavy armour/ kevlar stops particles but doesn't stop the blast, but modern foam might. More at BNN.
Green idea of the week
A hydrogen powered bike
The main problem: like most "green" technology, too expensive and no place to refill the hydrogen tanks...
Headlines below the fold
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MILF agree to withdraw and let the AFP get the ASG and JI terrorists hiding out in Sulu and Basilan Island...good news if true... and Locals helped the AFP get some ASG planning to set up kidnapping facilities against tourists in Palawan Island...
Right now the news being discussed on TV is that Sisson is free and amnesty has been offered...
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How to become rich: Find a country without a lot of people, and make it an internet hub...oh yes, the tiny country will benefit too.LINK not only do they get a cut on every use of their domain, but now the people have lots of computers and talk to their relatives using Skype...
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The Chicago guy behind the change in Ramala has a police station named after him...
Alas, both he and the sheik have been assasinated, but in a land that remembers martyrs, killing someone is not always the answer...
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Sunday, September 16, 2007
TV via internet p2p and rss
Recipe of the day
Recipe HERE
ingredients
1 pound dried buffalo (diced)1 cup dried currants
3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup crumbled bacon
Salt to taste
preparation
PreparationIn a mixing bowl, combine diced buffalo, currants and bacon. Pour honey sparingly over mixture, using just enough to moisten and hold ingredients together. Stir until evenly blended.
Fill miniature foil cups half way with spread. Allow cups to cool to room temperature until hardened. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator for later use.
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They also have a link to this photo essay on kids making no Knead bread.
Concert of the week
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Website of the week
If you like "CUTEOVERLOAD" you'll love this one. This week they're on a "Starwars" theme...check out their baby leia and the stormtrooper mom...
Headsup from those diaper loving crunchy cons at the corner...
Stop Mugabe: Threaten to boycott the world cup in 2010
I have a "Mugabe" site about the meltdown of the economy in Zimbabwe and the civil rights issues there.
One reason Mugabe can get away with it is because South Africa's president Mbeki is keeping him in power (via money and political support).
However, the world cup is being held in South Africa in 2010, and thousands of sports fans will go there to see the games and to visit that beautiful country.
The problem is that right next door will be a country run by a murderous president that has ruined the economy and caused thousands to flee to South Africa and elsewhere in order to live.
Mbeki has the power to pressure Mugabe into resigning or at least not to re run for election, but refuses to do so. Maybe sports fans could help.
Rev. Hove has a petition up on his blog to have sports fans pressure South Africa to stop supporting Mugabe.
Or you could go here and sign the petition:LINK
Similar threats of boycotts to the Olympics in China have contributed to the Chinese pressuring the Sudan to make peace with Dafur, so come on, sports fans, sign a petition.
nope, no puppies here, folks, just go away
And you thought Mayor Bloomberg was bad...rant moved to BNN
Numbers for number geeks
One aspect of cyberwars occurs in the dark web: finding terrorist links was analysing webpages using mathematics, similar to the TV show "NUMB3RS"...
Forget Jack Bauer, the latest hero is a mathematician...
More numbers trivia is found here
And you can ask about your own favorite number HERE.
On the site, I ran across "Ulam numbers"...
Ulam numbers? (here in the Philippines, Ulam is the soup or entree that you eat with your rice).
I never came across the concept, partly because S.M. Ulam didn't publish it until 1964 and because I never went beyond advanced calculus in math...and forgotten most of what I learned. But Wikipedia has an explanation HERE...and HERE is a mathematical explanation.
SM Ulam made it to the US by 1938, and alas the rest of his family died in the Holocaust.
Now 70 years later other loud mouthed political leaders are again spouting Death to the Jews, and again, like in 1938, people are shrugging and thinking they don't really mean it...but I wonder...
Don't forget to play with your cat
We can't forget about the importance of cat furniture, either, and the need your cat has to climb, explore different heights and surfaces, etc. A good tall cat stand with a variety of scratching surfaces will also increase your cat's sense of "territory", and will greatly add to his quality of life.
As I sit here blogging, I have a cat on the arm of my chair staying amused by watching the cursor go back and forth...the one in our bedroom was mauled by our dogs, so won't go outside...
When things go wrong
As you might know, the head of a company survived
9/11 because his son started kindergarten.
Another fellow was alive because it was
His turn to bring donuts.
One woman was late because her
Alarm clock didn't go off in time.
One was late because of being stuck on the NJ Turnpike
Because of an auto accide nt.
One of them
Missed his bus.
One spilled food on her clothes and had to take
Time to change.
One's
Car wouldn't start.
One went back to
Answer the telephone
One had a child that dawdled
And didn't get ready as soon as he should have.
One couldn't
Get a taxi.
The one that struck me was the man
Who put on a new pair of shoes that morning,
Took the various means to get to work
But before he got there, he developed
a blister on hi s foot.
He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid.
That is why he is alive today.
Now when I am
Stuck in traffic,
Miss an elevator,
Turn back to answer a ringing telephone...
All the little things that annoy me..
I think to myself,
This is exactly where
God wants me to be at this very moment...?
Your email of the day from TiaMaria.
Solar flare
Solar storms consist of electrons, protons and heavy ions, the last of which pose the gravest danger to space-borne electronics and to humans outside the Earth's protective magnetic field (such as on the Moon or en route to Mars). Electrons arrive first, signaling the later arrival of the ions. So far, however, there had been no adequate method to predict when these ions arrive. Sufficient advance warning allows for spacecraft to be put in a protective "safe mode" and humans to be instructed to seek shelter from the storm.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Hello Kitty Mouse
Yup...kitty is a mouse...
Not ergometric, but pretty...and a must buy for HelloKitty Fanatics everywhere
MOVIES MOVIES
And for more fun, the top 100 worst movies...and yes, Santa Claus conquers the Martians is at the bottom of the list...you can watch that gem of a movie HERE
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Hmmm...you can also watch It's a Wonderful Life at Google Videos. I haven't checked that site for awhile, too much porn...even with the filter on...
Headlines below the fold
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Newsweek discovers the Christian underground in North Korea LINK
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Unfortunately, Newsweek hasn't discovered there are a lot of Schismatic Catholic churches not affiliated with the Catholic church, and some have women clergy...they also don't seem to know that not all Catholics following the Pope are Roman Catholics...are they stupid, or only anti Catholic?
Probably both...only a magazine who loves to bash catholics would publish
Heh....Jane Wyman, the witch of Falcon Crest, was a Catholic convert and a third order Dominican. The "third order" are lay people who say prayers and follow the spirituality of the order. LINK
Catholics believe in core beliefs, but one's approach to God is personal, and certain spiritualities fit different personalities and different cultures.
And the list is only an overview...the grass roots movements such as Montfort Marian spirituality and Couples for Christ or the "little way" of St. Therese aren't on their list...
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BelmontClub links to the ordinary hero story of the day: LINK
Mother chooses to dealy Chemo so her child might live...
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Attention Luke: Want to hack a computer and save your country? Check this out: LINK
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Don't shoot, we're Republicans
The story behind it was that the "willie D" almost sunk the USS Iowa, with FDR aboard...LINK
LegoMania
I don't often post to Bryanboy (whose blog is funny but sometimes x rated) but today he posts photos of what to do with those left over LEGO blocks in your attic...