The Barometer

That Dang Cotton-Pickin Election

2008-11-21T18:57:00.005-05:00

An interesting map from one of my favorite blog site that focuses on maps.
Strangemaps

An overlay of cotton production in 1860 with the 2008 presidential results.

From picking cotton to picking Presidents.
The correlation is fascinating.

Fighting H8

2008-11-15T23:13:00.009-05:00

Today was the day.

Pete and I went down to the Capitol reflecting pool today. My estimate was there was well over a thousand people.
The march down to Lafeyette Square extended from the Capitol to the Washington Monument.

San Diego, Seattle and NYC attendees numbered in the thousands.

While it was interesting to watch (we're not much for protesting) it really isn't the one issue that deeply troubles me.

This is the one that sickens me. It is a disgraceful and shameful policy. Luckily, this joke of a policy is short-lived, as President-Elect Obama will soon begin to set the wheels in motion to end this disgraceful wound in our country's military history.
The more I think about it, the angrier I become, and I'm sure close to 13 thousand soldiers agree with me.
A joke, plain and simple.

Why I'm going

2008-11-14T17:50:00.006-05:00

Tomorrow.

We will be there.

Over 300 cities participating across the country.

I've never written about gay marriage on here.
I just never felt the need.
The truth is, unless your core understanding of sexual orientation is correct, then your views on marriage are not relevant, as your opinion is based on a flawed core belief.

You are already wrong. Period.

I have had some heated discussions with a few people and quickly put them in their place by making the realize this is not a conversation about whether or not you agree with gay marriage....but rather, whether or not you understand that sexual orientation is inherent, and part of the human condition.

If you DO understand that, then you would be in favor of gay marriage as you realize its part of who you are and not something you can change, so you are entitled to a legal commitment.

The conversation usually comes to an abrupt stop at that point. because I tell them you have no right to even discuss anything like marriage until your core of understanding is correct and not based on flawed beliefs.

The truth is....gay marriage strengthens the institution of marraige.
Nobody is destroying it..gay men and women want to be part of it.
By not allowing gays to marry, the same people that oppose it, perpetuate closeted individuals to feel the need to enter a phony straight marriage which eventually leads to lies, and divorce...thereby damaging the institution. A scenario typical of what we see and hear of all the time, particularly by closeted "married" republicans.

Disagree? Sorry...I've got 35 years of truth, honesty, and "knowing" under my belt verses your bigoted and fear based opinion.

So, we're going. Along with tens of thousands of others who know the truth.
No hypocritical Republican, crackpot fundamentalist, bigot, or completely whacked-out Mormon is going to stop this movement.
It is past the tipping point.

Speaking of Mormons...isn't it ironic that one of the most persecuted religions in the world injected the most money to pass proposition 8?
Gee, guess its OK to have 5 wives but not one husband.

Pictures to follow.

Paddle faster...I hear banjos

2008-11-07T16:54:00.006-05:00

A fascinating map showing voting shifts, where counties became more democratic than the last election in 2004.

Click here for a larger version. You'll need to click "voting shifts" once you're there to see this particular map.

The only areas that went more red in this year's election were Appalachia, the Ozarks, Oklahoma, eastern Texas, and Cajun country in Louisiana.

What's that tell you about the Republican base?
You do the math.

This is our Moment. This is our Time

2008-11-05T20:02:00.005-05:00

"It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America

I think I slept a total of two hours last night...between watching the results, talking on the phone, watching his speech, fireworks outside my window, horns honking, people yelling and screaming, and just being too excited to sleep.

A new era begins and I couldn't be happier.

The dark cloud of the last eight years has started to lift.

This is the U.S.A. I believe in and always knew existed.

Yes We Can

2008-11-04T20:31:00.005-05:00

Voted.
Ran into our neighbors, Bob and Onelio, at the polls.

Know Hope.

Fears and Tears

2008-11-03T18:01:00.002-05:00

It's almost over!

And to all of you who opened, read, believed, and forwarded emails during the course of this election proclaiming the most decent politician in probably a century to be a terrorist, a communist, a muslim or anything of the like....shame on you. Shame on you because you are smarter than that, and you know it. But in so doing, you only showed only your true character...one comprised of fear, xenophobia, and fear of speaking up agaist the grain of religious intolerance and bigotry.
And for that, you are about to get yours.

In life, you have a choice...the low road, or the high road. I'm glad to be associated with a campaign that took the high road.

Tears. From the heartfelt excitement of those who know what it feels like to be proud of someone who has taken the high road.

I'm sure he has shed his own today, as his grandmother passed away.

See you tomorrow, with our new PRESIDENT!!

OBAMA '08!!

Georgia on my mind

2008-10-28T19:39:00.006-05:00

Georgia now a tossup!
Unprecedented numbers already.

Finally...a little something to think about here and here as we prepare for the most important election in a century

Eight Days to Go...and I'm Way Overdue

2008-10-26T14:13:00.012-05:00

I'm back, and way overdue, and more excited than ever.

Back on February 10th, 2007, I took a vow, that I would support Barack Obama 100% and that I would do all I could to make sure the most formidable candidate in my lifetime becomes the next President of the United States .
And after a long break from writing, and with only 8 days until the election, it was time to come back…to continue spreading my thoughts on some issues, and the truth on others, while continuing to expose the hatred, division and homophobia of today’s GOP.
I firmly believe with every ounce of my soul and body, that today's GOP is a political party that deserves to be punished for the last eight years, and I will do all in my power to make sure that happens.

This is a party that became hijacked by a relatively small few. The GOP of today bears no resemblance to Lincoln , Roosevelt or Eisenhower’s party, or many of the other Republican administrations before "Dumbya".
In my grandparents’ time, the thrust of the party was rooted in prudence, a respect for the constitution; self reliance, less government intervention, and the defense of civil liberties; a commitment to fiscal responsibility; the pursuit and stewardship of America’s interests abroad; the use of multilateral international engagement and the advancement of civil rights; investment in infrastructure; the promotion of science and its discoveries; and a philosophical approach focused squarely on the future.
But today, thanks to the last 8 years, those values have been replaced with nothing more than a hate-filled, bigoted, homophobic, big-spending religious movement.

And after being so professionally, emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually effected by the last 8 years under the leadership of George W. Bush, and today’s GOP lunatic base, all I can say is “the chickens have come home to roost” and come November 4th, this party will get exactly what it deserves.

One day, and probably in the not so distant future, mainstream Christians will apologize for not speaking up over the Bush years, as they watched the fundamentalist Christianists hijack their party.

What also makes me sad is how so many young people have no idea any more what conservatism could mean if it were true to itself. I’ve even commented on it before.
But the corruption of this party is so deep - morally, ethically, philosophically – even McCain can’t restore it.

I'm sure conservatism will one day recover - because it is right about the main issues: government needs to be kept in its place, taxes should be low and budgets balanced, individuals should be able to pursue their dreams as free of government control as possible, families do matter and need to be free from government interference, free markets and enterprise are the only guarantees of prosperity, and we have to be strong in our defense and prudent in foreign policy. This is the conservatism I still believe in. Deep down, I'm sure McCain does too. But it will only come from the ashes of this fundamentalist, mean-spirited, parochial, arrogant, big-spending, irresponsible shambles of a party.

On McCain...
I actually like him, but the party he represents is not the party he once identified himself with...and he knows it.
John McCain has embraced that which he once professed to repudiate.
The Obama ticket promises adults at the helm, a rational approach to policymaking, the return of science over theocracy, the restoration of the primacy of the rule of law, and thankfully...the final destruction of that shell of a party once known as the GOP.

Even William F. Buckley, one of most prominent conservatives to date, was quoted as saying the following last week:
" While I regret this development, I am not in mourning, for I no longer have any clear idea what, exactly, the modern conservative movement stands for. Eight years of 'conservative' government has brought us a doubled national debt, ruinous expansion of entitlement programs, bridges to nowhere, poster boy Jack Abramoff and an ill-premised, ill-waged war conducted by politicians of breathtaking arrogance. As a sideshow, it brought us a truly obscene attempt at federal intervention in the Terry Schiavo case,"

Finally, there is Sarah Palin...
Words fail me.

Just what we need in the White House....a Pentacostal hockey mom who believes in "speaking-in-tongues", "pray-away-the-gay" and needs deliverance from witchcraft.
Just a heartbeat away from the Presidency. It's the stuff of nightmares. Please, if you support this absurd joke of a candidate, then tell me why. It is beyond my realm of comprehension.

So that's a refresher as to where I am. I am looking forward to next 8 years of sane, rational, intelligent leadership from within the White House.
My country is smarter, and better than the last 8 years...and it's time we had a leader who reflected that.
A leader who can bring us together, and not divide us, as the Republicans CONTINUE to do.

Goodbye for Now

2008-04-28T17:24:00.003-04:00

No, it's not blogocide, I've just decided to take a break from my blog (even though it appears that is already the case).
I've found myself not being able to post the way I used to and thought it might make sense to call it quits for a while instead of feeling the pressure to at least type something.
I encourage everyone who looked at my site to please check out Andrew Sullivan's blog on a daily basis.
I find myself consistantly sharing his views on every single item.
Do not depend on just Yahoo News, CNN, or God forbid...FOX News to stay on top of things.
Read and think for yourself.

I will probably return come election time, but for now it's time for a designated break.

It's been fun.

:-)

Saturday Stroll

2008-03-29T18:03:00.003-04:00

Cherry blossoms at peak bloom, the kite festival on the mall, anti-Bush protests...DC at its best! I love this town.

It's what we do

2008-03-26T18:39:00.006-04:00

An interesting study on gay men and neighborhood property value.

Want to make money, and be in the best up and coming neighborhood? Then follow us.

Property value on Liberty St. should be ready to shoot through the roof. :-)

The Easter Bunny Hates You

2008-03-25T16:51:00.003-04:00

What he does on the other 364 days of the year. Heh.

Happy Easter

2008-03-23T17:57:00.006-04:00

Well since the last time I posted was President's Day, figured I would stick with the Holiday thing and what better way to resurrect my blog than on Easter.
I know, I know...I have no excuse. Lazy.
Sure, there was plenty to write about, and my goal is to do better now.
Onward!

So, to save time this will be a quick summary of events since President's Day. Look for normal Barometer Posts from here on out.

What's been going on? Well...

In my hood, a Target rose from the ground.

A tornado smacked Atlanta around.

Rev. Wright made an issue of being brown.

And Bush, well he's still a clown.

Of course the big story lately is Obama's reverend, and the comments he made in his church. Do I agree with what he said? No.
Do I understand where those comments originate? Absolutely.

In the end, we are not electing Rev. Wright...we are electing O'Bama, and he handled this extremely well.

He did the right thing by condeming his words, while still admitting he has ties to him that can not be broken. His response speech was brilliant.

Obma's response to Wright, was gut-wrenching, loyal, and deeply, deeply Christian, and his speech is the most honest speech on race I have ever heard.
It is a speech we have all been waiting for for a generation. Its ability to embrace both the legitimate fears and resentments of whites and the understandable anger and dashed hopes of many blacks was unique in recent American history.

I have never felt more convinced that this man's candidacy is a historic opportunity. This was a testing; and he did not merely pass it by uttering safe words. He addressed the painful love he has for an imperfect and sometimes embittered man. This is a candidate who does not merely speak as a Christian. He acts like a Christian.

Meanwhile....our boob of a President was roasted recently and sang us a tune. I wanted to puke after watching this. The video has been pulled off this site, but you can read the lyrics here.
You can watch the nauseating bootleg video here.
Here he is making fun of the worst natural disaster in the nation's history, where thousands of Americans died because of his and Brownie's incompatence...really funny. It's so hilarious: the man who committed treason, who lied to a Federal judge, outed a CIA agent, obstructed justice with Scooter Libby...leading OUR nation into an unnecessary war based on lies, where hundreds of thousands have died...all for what? Watch for yourself. Just keep a barf bag close by.

More Barometer on the way!

President's Day Thoughts

2008-02-15T22:52:00.003-05:00

So I voted this past Tuesday in the DC primary. It felt good to see Obama's name and cast my vote for him. It was no surprise that he won DC, VA, and MD here in the Potomac Primaries. Now off to Wisconsin and Hawaii, where he should carry both states, and will be one step closer to being the Presidential nominee!

Speaking of, I will be in Wisconsin this weekend over the holiday. Nothing like highs in the teens, with a major snow storm on the way, to make you feel like you are in in beer and brat country.

I read this today, in reference to Presidents - specifically Bush and our next President...Obama. It was written by a 21 year old and it got me thinking...I AM GETTING OLD!

I had never thought about this, but it rang true. Perhaps because when I was 21, I had already experienced the following Presidents: Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan.
Today's 21 yr olds have known nothing but Bush or Clinton. Frightening.

Off to Wisconsin! BRRRRR.

Yes We Can

2008-02-06T19:51:00.000-05:00

Thank You Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota and Utah.

Looking forward to casting my vote next Tuesday in the "Potomac Primaries", and eventually November 2008 when we elect our next President.

President Obama.

Sunny and Warm with Pepto Bismol in the forecast

2008-01-29T19:50:00.001-05:00

The absolute worst thing that could happen to anybody on air. Ever.

Thank You South Carolina!

2008-01-27T12:15:00.000-05:00

I knew it would happen.

The majority of us in this country are so beyond the Bush/Clinton years that the last thing we want is another Clinton in the White House. And hopefully, after the disaster that was the last seven years, nobody will want a Republican either.

Unlike Clinton and especially Edwards, the Obama message is about unity, not divisions; and hopes rather than grievances. If Obama wins the Democratic nomination, Republicans have a great deal to fear. He has tremendous break-out potential.

For the last seven years, I’ve watched a fear-mongering fool manipulate us, ruin our standing in the world and abuse our principles. It’s been hard to feel good about our country. But for the first time in my lifetime, I see what my country truly can be, with a candidate that will represent the best in all of us...not the worse, as our current President has done.

We have chosen to be inspired.

Aloha

2008-01-22T20:30:00.000-05:00

Pekelo and I were in Hawaii the past few days...one of my favorite places to go to.

He was there for three weeks, while I was only there from last Thursday to Monday, over the MLK holiday.

Not a bad time to go, as snow fell here in D.C. while I was away. HA!

Pete has had a job offer there...so now the dilemma of what to do. I would consider moving if I found the right opportunity. However, there is the issue of our houses we are restoring...I guess they could be put on hold for a while as his job would only be for three years there.

Perhaps I could be a weatherman in Honolulu...but I think the repetitive forecast would drive me crazy. Sunny and 78 degrees every day....zzzzzzzzzz.

Then again, sure beats the forecasting challenges like the ones here on the east coast. While in Hawaii, enjoying the sunny skies, a significant snowstorm was forecasted to look like this for my family and friends in Georgia.

In fact, snow was predicted to be so heavy and fast for a brief period of time, that the NWS issued a very rare "Heavy Snow Warning" for my home town.

MADISON-CLARKE-OCONEE-OGLETHORPE-WILKES-ROCKDALE-WALTON-NEWTON-MORGAN-GREENE-TALIAFERRO-SPALDING-HENRY-BUTTS-JASPER-PUTNAM-HANCOCK-WARREN-TROUP-MERIWETHER-PIKE-UPSON-LAMAR-MONROE-JONES-BALDWIN-HARRIS-TALBOT-CRAWFORD-BIBB-MUSCOGEE-INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ATHENS...CONYERS...COVINGTON...GRIFFIN...MILLEDGEVILLE...MACON...COLUMBUS406 AM EST SAT JAN 19 2008

...HEAVY SNOW WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR AREAS NORTH OF A COLUMBUS TO MACON TO SPARTA LINE...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS ISSUED A HEAVY SNOW WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM EST THIS EVENING.

The reality looked like this. A total bust of a forecast with only a small amount effecting mostly western Georgia.

Such is the life of the meteorologist. Anybody who in this business of weather knows the challenges involved...and there are many.

However, in Hawaii you are pretty much guaranteed to be right.

I wonder if any stations are hiring?...stay tuned!

Strippers and Swingers

2008-01-15T18:41:00.000-05:00

No...not like that. Get your mind out of the gutter!

A weekend in Georgia to work on the house turned out not to be exactly how I envisioned it. Stripping paint turns out to be much more involved than I imagined, but we were still able to smooth everything down so a primer can be placed over the existing paint.

This left plenty of time to play with my niece and nephew... a much better way to spend a day than stripping off paint!

Be Inspired

2008-01-08T19:44:00.000-05:00

This.

This is what a President sounds like.

Not this or this.

Oh, it's coming.

The chickens will be coming home to roost for Bush and Carl Rove, all those who helped bastardize the republican party and turn it into a bigoted, big-spending religious movement...a party that is now nothing more than an ideological church.

New Hampshire, then South Carolina!

I Can't Sleep!

2008-01-04T00:06:00.000-05:00

It's happening!

I tried to go to bed, but kept tossing and turning.

Sent an email to Andrew at midnight, and he responded in lightning time. His quote to me "Stay awake and remember this night."

I will.

60 Minutes and 60 year olds

2008-01-03T20:43:00.000-05:00

This aired last month on 60 minutes.

When Obama is President, it will be one of the first things to go.

As I've always said, it's generational. Deprogramming is hard for our parent's generation when they grew up being fed nonsense. I understand that. I won't bring up every point on this again, as I've already done that. Rather, let this clip speak for itself.

And as soon as the higher-ups in the military are gone, the attitudes will change there as well.

Who do you suppose are the Republicans in this clip? It's not too hard to pick them out. How can they sincerely believe the crap they spew out? No doubt, they would have been the ones trying to keep blacks out of the military if they were around in the 1940's.

What a bunch of tools.

I think 13,000 others kicked out by their country might agree with me.

Enjoy the insanity.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T11:13:00.000-05:00

Pretty low key night for me, as I was working at the station on New Year's Eve.

Looking forward to 2008...a yearI have been waiting for for quite some time...the end to the worst Presidency in our country's history, and the beginning of a new period in our country's history where we will elect a leader who reflects the very best of what this country truly is, and an image that is a role model for the rest of the world. A leader with vision, intelligence, sanity, common sense and one who has absolutely no connections to special interest groups or the oil industry.

It's looking good, and I can't wait!!

It's Alive!

2007-12-19T20:58:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's alive!

After a month long hiatus, "The Barometer" is back. Not exactly sure what happened. I tried to figure it out myself. Why had I not felt the need to write?

Had I burned myself out over the political atmosphere in the country nowadays? no.

Was I feeling down? no.

Was there weather to speak of? yes.

Any kooky stories to talk about? sure.

And there was work on the house and trips to tell of, but nothing could inspire me to get back.

Then it started....the rise of Huckabee. I could feel it brewing a few days ago, and I knew it wouldn't be long before I would be back.

What we are witnessing is Dubya's and Rove's Frankenstein...this is what the republican party has created. A candidate who's number one criteria to run for President is that he is a southern baptist minister. Uhm....what?!

A man who believes a woman should be subservient to her husband and is also extremely anti-gay. No surprise there.

I'm not someone who believes that a candidacy for the presidency of the United States should be based on someones religious faith. So Huckabee is not for me.

But he fits in perfectly with the current big-spending, evangelical, Southern Republican party. And I don't find his religious shtick in any way appealing.

Nonetheless, it's clear that today's Dixie-based, homophobic, pro-torture, GOP will find it very hard to accept this bipartisan, anti-torture, supporter of comprehensive immigration reform as its candidate.

And remember, he does have the most important qualification of anyone running in the GOP...

A degree in Bible Studies from Ouachita Baptist University of Arkadelphia, Arkansas.

Ugh.

This is the Republican Party's Frankenstein moment.

Meanwhile, MY political savior speaks with vision, honesty, intelligence and hope.

Money Quote:

"Patriotic gay and lesbian Americans are now told that they may serve their country only if they hide their true identities. They are forced to live a lie as the price of risking their lives for their country. Fourteen years later, the United States of America lags far behind. We lag behind our military allies, who are repudiating discrimination against lesbian and gay soldiers in ever increasing numbers -- in Great Britain, Canada, Israel, nearly every NATO member in Europe -- all with no impact upon military readiness and performance. And our politicians lag behind the American people, who now call for the repeal of Don't Ask,Don't Tell in super-majority numbers. It is time for a change"

More Barometer to come...We're just getting started! Woohoo!!

A Grand Time

2007-11-06T19:43:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the delay in posting some pictures.

The Grand Canyon did not disappoint.

Beautiful.

Good Bye (for now)

2007-10-18T17:31:00.000-04:00

Good Bye D.C. drought.

Here in DC, today we broke the all-time record for longest stretch of days without rainfall. However, it appears the stretch will come to an end on Friday with an 80% chance of rain and storms. Very much needed.

From the NWS:

...RECORD TIED OFFICIALLY AT WASHINGTON FOR CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITHOUT MEASURABLE RAIN YESTERDAY...THE RECORD FOR THE LONGEST CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITHOUT MEASURABLE RAINFALL AT WASHINGTON REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT HAS BEEN TIED. THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 33 STRAIGHT DAYS WITHOUT MEASURABLE RAIN WAS SET FROM AUGUST 7TH TO SEPTEMBER 8TH 1995. THE CURRENT STRETCH BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 15TH.THERE IS A CHANCE THE RECORD COULD BE BROKEN TODAY...ALTHOUGH THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR ISOLATED RAIN SHOWERS ACROSS THE MID ATLANTIC REGION LATER TODAY. RAIN CHANCES WILL INCREASE AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE AREA ON FRIDAY.DAILY RAINFALL RECORDS IN WASHINGTON DATE BACK 137 YEARS TO 1871.RAINFALL STARTS TO MEASURE AT ONE HUNDREDTH OF AN INCH.

Also, good bye to any sense of normalcy (well, that was pretty much gone a long time ago) when it comes to the Republican party. Today's headlines which made me see red (no pun intended) "Republicans trying to "out-conservative" each other."

Forget self reliance, the biggest deficit in our country's history, less government intervention...today's filth that comprise this party are concerned about one important thing. Can you take a guess?

Money quote from the article above:

"Giuliani, who backed gun control and immigrant rights as mayor of New York, upsets conservatives with his personal life as well as his politics.
Twice-divorced, Giuliani dated the woman who is his current wife while still married to his former wife and lived with gay friends after leaving the mayor's mansion."

Dear GOD! He lived with a...a...GAY person!! Uhm...What the HELL is wrong with you people?????

Now, I kind of like Giuliani...it's too bad there aren't others in the party that possess a sense of normalcy like him. Mainstream republicans have become so entrenched in their hatred for people different than them, that they have lost all sense of reality. Is this truly a reason they question him? If so, things are worse off than I thought.

Voting Republican next year? Go ahead...it won't matter. This party will get what it deserves in 2008, and will be remembered as a hateful, religiously motivated, big spending, hypocritical, homophobic, shameful excuse of what once was a good political party to be associated with. When true conservative values return, perhaps the party can resurrect itself. Until then, I support O'Bama 100%, I will back anybody, even Clinton, if is she can beat anybody who supports what this disgusting party has become.

Good Bye...I'm off to the Grand Canyon for a week! My favorite place! Pictures to follow :-)

Worst. President. Ever.

2007-10-17T19:32:00.000-04:00

A new low.

Some of us knew if from the beginning.

This is what you get when you elect some inarticulate, anti-intellectual, religiously mystified, homophobic hayseed as President.

Pathetic.

In all fairness, Congress needs to get their act together as well.

Demo in a dustbowl

2007-10-12T18:53:00.000-04:00

Back and forth to Georgia, to work on the house lately.

Things are progressing along, with about 90% of the demolition done.

Not only is it extremely dusty inside the house, but a historic drought has gripped the northern half of the state, making it just as dusty outside.

The worst drought in the state's history is so severe, that Lake Lanier, metro Atlanta's water supply, is expected to run out by January 30th.

This map depicts the counties in the northern half of the state that are now under "Level 4 drought response", meaning all outdoor watering is officially banned.

I remember some bad drought years growing up...1986, 1988....but never one this bad.

Truly a historic event.

Open for Business Part 2

2007-10-03T19:28:00.000-04:00

More disturbing news on the melting of the polar ice cap, and the opening of the Northwest Passage.

Money Quote:
"From their camp on Melville Island last July, where they recorded air temperatures over 20ºC (in an area with July temperatures that average 5ºC), the team watched in amazement as water from melting permafrost a meter below ground lubricated the topsoil, causing it to slide down slopes, clearing everything in its path and thrusting up ridges at the valley bottom "that piled up like a rug," says Dr. Lamoureux, an expert in hydro-climatic variability and landscape processes. "The landscape was being torn to pieces, literally before our eyes. A major river was dammed by a slide along a 200-metre length of the channel. River flow will be changed for years, if not decades to come."

Pick up the Pace...and leave!

2007-09-26T20:49:00.000-04:00

Ya know, things just become more pathetic every day with the type of leadership we have in this country lately.

It starts to wear on you.

Soon, I will have a post on here that get to the very CORE of what this clown doesn't understand...that gay Americans have two choices in life...honesty, or continue living a lie from about the age of 5 or 6. I guess honesty isn't a value he holds very highly in his military.

I don't have the energy to type about this again...so THIS should suffice.

No Gays in Iran

2007-09-24T22:26:00.000-04:00

That's right.
Because you kill them.

In case you missed it, this is what has been taking place in Iran, and continues to this day.

Ahmadinejad is a nut...and never should have been allowed to speak at Columbia University.

Nice to hear he was greeted with howls and laughter after his "No Gays in Iran" comment.

Northwest Passage Now Open for Business

2007-09-22T13:43:00.000-04:00

Scary news...the Northwest Passage (orange line) is indeed now open and free of sea ice for the first time in recorded history.

To get your bearings, that is the top of Alaska in the upper left side of the picture. Greenland is the shiny, silver feature in the bottom left. You are looking directly down on the North Pole.

Money Quote:

According to Leif Toudal Pedersen from the Danish National Space Centre, the ice-covered area (light green in this image) is currently around 3 million sq km, which is about 1 million sq km less than the previous minimum levels recorded in 2005/6. Over the last ten years the sea ice coverage has shrunk by around 100,000 sq km per year, so a drop of 1 million sq km in just one year is an enormous change.

Scrabble Wars

2007-09-20T22:55:00.000-04:00

My nights as of late have involved fierce on-line scrabble matches against this guy.

So if the blog has fallen behind, you now know the reason. Last night's match was a total one of these.

However, there is controversy in the air!

Is "UNSHAMED" a fair word or not?

I know...I know...."unAshamed" is a word, but I gave this a try as well. It worked.

Surprisingly, the word can be found in the title of several pieces of literature. However, it is not found in the current dictionary.

The game is controlled online, so if your entry isn't a fair word, it won't let you play it.

I was allowed.

Here's proof positive.

What do you think? You be the judge.

I mean really...as if 50 points even matter when the score is 287 to 171. *snicker*

Out of Nowhere

2007-09-14T09:17:00.000-04:00

(photo courtesy of weather.com)

The year of unique, record setting hurricanes continues to impress.

Humberto - a stealth attack on the coast of Texas and southern Louisiana. No other storm has ever strengthened so fast from a depression into a hurricane.

And now, Ingrid has formed in the Atlantic. Still days away from effecting any land.

Stay tuned!

Never Forget

2007-09-11T19:48:00.001-04:00

I don't.

Proof!

2007-09-09T16:45:00.000-04:00

August 31st speech at the White House.

Look in the window over Dumbya's shoulder and you will see it.

Click here to watch.

Perhaps they realize they made a horrible mistake in supporting him, and have come to take him back to planet Zaltrar to be studied as an example in how not to govern.

Spooky.

Gabrielle

2007-09-07T22:38:00.000-04:00

She's subtropical in nature, but could intensify.

Stay tuned...especially in the mid-atlantic.

Hurricane Update

2007-09-04T18:07:00.000-04:00

An interesting hurricane season so far...

Unusual, is the area of formation for many of the recent storms; much further south than normal. Felix is a prime example, after barreling into Nicaragua and Honduras as a category 5.

A few other stats on this dangerous storm:

1. Fastest intensification from a tropical depression to a Category 5 hurricane -- around 51 hours. (This is apparently an Atlantic record only.)

2. Second-fastest pressure fall in 12 hours (50 millibars), third-fastest in 24 hours (63 millibars). Again, apparently this is an Atlantic-only record.

3. Thirteenth full Category 5 hurricane landfall in the Atlantic region. Others include 1935's "Labor Day" storm, 1969's Camille, 1992's Andrew, and 2007's Dean.

4. Felix makes 2007 only the fourth known Atlantic hurricane season to have more than one Category 5 hurricane. The others are 1960, 1961, and 2005.

5. Felix makes 2007 the only known Atlantic hurricane season to have two full Category 5 landfalls.

6. Felix makes 2007 the only known Atlantic hurricane season in which the first two storms to reach hurricane status (Dean, Felix) have also reached Category 5 status and gone on to Category 5 landfalls.

Dr. Gray has also updated his latest forecast for the season; He is now calling for three more Atlantic hurricanes in September, one of them intense (Category 3-5).

Two more hurricanes in October-November, including yet another intense one. The total forecast (including Felix as a September storm) is for 9 more named storms, five more hurricanes, and two more intense hurricanes.

Looks like it will be an interesting September!

Also, is Gabrielle just around the corner for the east coast?? Jeff has the details.

Fom one disaster to another

2007-08-30T20:22:00.000-04:00

First things first.....

Yes, we heard you.

In the interviews..in front of the podium...and then again today when your creepy audio police tape was released on CNN. The first words out of your mouth every time you spoke.

"I'm not gay."..."I'm not gay"..."I'm not gay".

Well of course you aren't.

BWAAHAAAAAHAAAAAAA!

It's so sad, and so obvious what those words mean.

Instead of fessing up, or apoligizing for his lurid behavior, he is so tortured by his lifetime of a closeted sexual orientation, and the fear that it might somehow come out, that he blurts those words out immediately, failing to see what he is being accused of.

Uhm, shouldn't it be an explanation as to what you were doing in a bathroom stall?

Your sexual orientation is not the demon here.

He has dreaded someone knowing the truth for ever...and now it's out there. His world is crashing in around him.

Never mind an explanation as to what happened in the bathroom, this is the first thing that MUST come out of his mouth. Attack what you hate about yourself and fear the most. Not what you did.

And as a product of being in the self-laothing closet his entire life, this is what being gay is to him...sneaking around in public bathrooms. The two are one in the same, and became his form of release. Disgusting.

And now, he will be remembered for what is truly one of the most pathetic and comical things to hit this town in years.

Good Bye you sick old troll.

Shame on you and your legacy of lies and perversion.

Let's talk about the weather!

Two years ago...I remember it well.

I live for hurricane season.

Two years ago I was working round the clock during Hurricane Katrina...at the DOT Crisis Center, and also at FOX 5. It was heaven for me.

Being in the center of everything and watching it unfold.

Watching the destruction was horrible, and even worse, having to witness the apathy of our country's leader for three days afterwards.

Now, I totally put blame on all levels of government when it came to Katrina...state, local, and federal.

BUT...what I can't accept or begin to understand is the apathy that was displayed by our President after the event. For four days, there was nothing..not even an acknowledgement of the seriousness of what was unfolding in New Orleans.

How could anybody, any human being, not be aware of what was going on at the time, or make an effort to let the people know things were happening to help them. That's where I have a problem. Is there not a TV in the White House?

Katrina was not Bush's fault...it was the result of an act of nature and man's engineering shortcomings. But what was Bush's fault was the total apathy afterwards. To this day it boggles my mind. And to have the audacity to go down there a week afterwards and compliment "Heck of a job Brownie" sent shivers down my spine.

Who in their right mind would say such a thing?! Talk about rubbing salt in the wounds of those already suffering.

Wonkette has the funniest piece I've read in a while with regards to the President and Katrina.

I could say more, about the lack of assistance in the "promised" rebuilding of New Orleans, but she does a pretty good job.

As does this fill-in writer "Hilzoy"; she is writing for my buddy Andrew Sullivan, who is in Massachusetts getting married to his long-time partner.

Oh, the irony of his marriage occuring this week.

Think about it.

I da " ho"

2007-08-28T18:07:00.000-04:00

I honestly feel like I need a barf bag.

I want to shower, fumigate myself, or at least disinfect after reading today's news of another disgusting, closeted, vile republican and their sickening life of lies, hypocrisy and bathroom sexuality.

This slimey republican from Idaho was one of the most rabid anti-gay members of Congress...even voting against gay hate crime legislation, as well as civil unions, and allowing an individual legal medical rights to their partner.

* Voted YES on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. (Jun 2006)

* Voted NO on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes. (Jun 2002)

* Voted NO on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation. (Jun 2000)

* Voted YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage. (Sep 1996)

* Voted NO on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation. (Sep 1996)

How fitting that his career will come to an end as the result of a bathroom...just where sh*t belongs.

What is so revolting about creeps like Craig, Foley, Haggart and numerous other republiscum, is that they know they are gay, and have known their entire lives. And they KNOW it is not a choice.

Yet they advance a lie about orientation, while living a lie themselves.

So instead of living an open, honest, truthful, dignified life where they can proudly love the person they were meant to be with, they end up like some filthy cockroach in a public restroom with the rest of the creepy, closeted, old trolls.

And in the end, their pathetic lives lose dignity. Case in point.

And here he is...a self-loathing, pathetic old man cruising for tricks in public bathrooms...all the while preaching about, and voting for every bit of legislation that forbids gay couples to legally commit their lives to someone they are emotionally and physically meant to be with.

These old fossils are a product of their generation where being gay meant living in the shadows. It's a pity and a shame. What it comes down to is the stability of being comfortable with who you are, vereses the self-denial and self-hatred of the closet.

And what better way to draw attention away from what you don't like about yourself, and can't change, than to attack what you hate. Whether its behaving the exact opposite way a gay person is stereotyped as, or literally throwing yourself out there and verbally attacking that quality in others.

They make me sick.

The republican party makes me sick.

So, for advancing this ignorance, your hypocrisy, your lies, the rancid bile you spewed out along your path to destruction....you, Senator Craig, deserve everything you get as a result of your facade of a life.

Pathetic.

I can't wait for 2008...and watch the Republican party get exactly what it deserves.

Hell, I would vote for a chimpanzee before I voted for anyone who supports what the republican party has become.

Absolutely Disgusting.

Deadly Dean and a must-read

2007-08-22T18:38:00.000-04:00

(photo courtesy of NASA)

Chris Mooney has written a new book that I can't wait to get my hands on.

He's also posted some interesting notes on Hurricane Dean:

"* Total insured damage going to be in the billions--latest estimate I've seen is over $ 5 billion.
* Killed 12 in the Caribbean, then struck near Chetumal, capital of state of Quintana Roo. Somehow seems not to have been any reported loss of life in the Yucatan, though we don't know yet the full extent of damage.
* Merciless intensification before landfall--the most dangerous thing a hurricane can do. Now we see why the ancient Mayans built their cities inland from the coasts.
* With a minimum central pressure of 906 millibars, Dean was the ninth most intense hurricane ever observed in the Atlantic basin (for comparison Hurricane Katrina's minimum pressure was 902 millibars).
* That 906 millibar pressure reading was at landfall, making Dean the third most intense landfalling hurricane known in the Atlantic region and the first Category 5 storm at landfall since 1992's Hurricane Andrew. "

Nothing brewing in the Atlantic for now, but peak season is just around the corner...stay tuned!

Melting away

2007-08-18T13:54:00.000-04:00

As to global warming being politicized, it still baffles me.
Facts and data speak for themselves.
But i won't get into that...let ignorance and anti-science mentality speak for itself.

The latest SCIENTIFIC findings on a very disturbing measurement of the Arctic ice cap.

Money quote:

"Several years ago he would have predicted a complete melt of Arctic sea ice in summer would occur by the year 2070 to 2100, Serreze said. But at the rates now occurring, a complete melt could happen by 2030, he said Friday."

Dangerous Dean

2007-08-16T17:58:00.000-04:00

Already a category 3 hurricane, Dean could be a category 4 by Friday.

Once in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, he could intensify even more.

The tropics come alive!

2007-08-14T17:17:00.001-04:00

(photo courtesy of NOAA)

Suddenly like that, the tropics have come to life.

Hurricane Flossie is passing just south of the big island of Hawaii and Tropical Storm Dean has formed way out in the Atlantic.

Finally, a disturbed area of weather is forecasted to become better organized in the Gulf of Mexico.

Stay tuned!

Th-Th-That's all folks!

2007-08-14T06:54:00.000-04:00

Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Here is a man who was the brain for a president who is nothing more than a puppet...a president with lower consistent approval ratings than any other in modern history.

As Andrew says, "Here is a man who created a generational shift to the Democrats, helped orchestrate an endless catastrophe in Iraq, a fiscal legacy that means bankrupting America within a decade, and the poisoning of American religion with politics and vice-versa. "

This man and his puppet president could have done anything they wanted to after September 11th, and the people of this country would have sacrificed. Instead, in order to keep themselves in power they chose to divide this country even more. And they used me, and others like me, to do it.

For this, he got two terms of power - Why? Because Rove preferred to divide the country and get his 51 percent, than unite it and get America's 60. In a time of grave danger and war, Rove picked party over country. Such a choice was and remains despicable.
Rove is one of the worst political strategists in recent times. He used his hate-filled niche campaigning, polarization and short-term goals to stay in power. His divisive politics and elevation of corrupt policies to every branch of government has turned an entire generation off the current definition of a conservative...And rightly so.

And for that, I thank him.

Whew!

2007-08-11T07:22:00.000-04:00

There's hot, and then there was Friday in Ga and SC.

From the NWS:

All time record high, ever recorded for any day, tied in Columbia - 107 degrees

All time record high, ever recorded for any day, tied in Augusta - 108 degrees

THE TEMPERATURE OF 108 DEGREES WAS LAST SEEN IN 1983. THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND TIME ON RECORD 108 DEGREES HAS BEEN RECORDED. TEMPERATURE RECORDS IN AUGUSTA HAVE BEEN MAINTAINED BACK TO 1873.

Record heat and a tornado in Brooklyn

2007-08-09T20:24:00.000-04:00

(photo courtesy of weather.com)

Hot, humid, and hazy conditions persist across most of the eastern U.S. on Thursday. Many records fell once again today, with Atlanta reporting its all-time record high for the month of August - 103 degrees.
Here in D.C., not as bad, due to a large complex of thunderstorms extending through the Baltimore metro area and the northern DC suburbs early this afternoon which helped reduce temperatures, but precipitation was mainly limited to north of the Beltway.

In other news, a confirmed EF-2 tornado in Brooklyn yesterday!

"NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS ALONG WITH NEW YORK CITYEMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS HAVE CONFIRMED THAT A TORNADO SKIPPEDALONG AN APPROXIMATE 9 MILE LONG PATH FROM STATEN ISLAND TO BROOKLYNEARLY THIS MORNING"

Pretty significant damage to some homes and trees. The storm also interrupted commuter traffic in the morning as flooding occured in the stations. Jeff, who was just linked on USA Today, has more on the storm.

A record setting day

2007-08-08T21:52:00.000-04:00

Records broken up and down the east coast today.

Records were also set at all three DC area airports:

102° at Reagan National
100° at Dulles
102° at BWI.

Richmond also hit 102° this afternoon.

Hot, Hot, Hot!

2007-08-08T15:54:00.000-04:00

(photo courtesy of weather.com)

Current temps at 3:45 pm Tuesday.

Sorry...no relief in site for the rest of the week!

The toll Massachusetts is having

2007-08-06T08:46:00.001-04:00

A song for everyone who recently voted to ammend their state's constitution.
Looks like your 65% divorce rate, spousal abuse, disfunctional families, adultery, financial woes, child abuse, and overall unhappiness is our fault after all.
;-)

"Changes" before the fun begins

2007-08-03T17:11:00.000-04:00

According to Capital Weather, changes in the 2007 hurricane forecast:

Dr. William Gray's Colorado State Tropical Meteorology Project has issued a revised forecast for the remainder of the hurricane season; the Miami Herald has a review, "University team trims hurricane forecast". The new total season predictions vs. the May 31 forecast are as follows (50-year average in parentheses):

Named storms: 15 vs. 17 (9.6)
Hurricanes: 8 vs. 9 (5.9)
Intense hurricanes: 4 vs. 5 (2.3)

Net tropical cyclone activity: 160 vs. 185 (100) The probabilities of at least one major (Category 3+) hurricane landfall are (100-year average in parentheses):

Entire U.S. coastline: 68% (52%)
East Coast including Florida peninsula: 43% (31%)
Gulf Coast from Florida panhandle westward: 44% (30%

Let the fun begin!

2007-07-30T10:10:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again...the beginning of peak hurricane season. The above photo depicts current sea temperatures, and it easily depicts how the gulf stream and Gulf of Mexico are rapidly warming up.

Hurricanes need two basic ingredients to develop: warm, moist air and a relatively calm atmosphere. Late summer over the Atlantic Ocean provides both things.

Ocean waters above about 80 Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celcius) give rise to the warm, moist air that fuels tropical storms, and winds that could tear a storm apart are light during the summer. Typically, the Atlantic is primed for hurricanes by early August, and the height of the hurricane season comes in September, though the official hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30.

Get your tracking charts ready and keep it here for updates!

A 1910 restoration...complete with child labor

2007-07-26T16:43:00.000-04:00

Ahh, the 1910's...when you could get good help from a 2 and a 5 year old. Those were the days.

Georgia...DC...Wisconsin...Georgia...DC...Wisconsin

That's pretty much our lives for the future. With two properties undergoing complete restorations, we are dividing our time between three locations.

Spent the last week in Georgia at our new 1910 cottage, where we began the demolition process. We made alot more progress than the pictures show...nearly all the plaster off of the walls in one room, and the dropped ceiling totally taken down. Electrical system installed and the complete demolition of a cruddy old carport.

No, the place did not come with graffiti on the walls...that's Uncle Mike's creative outlet for the niece and nephews. Hopefully they realize its not allowed at home ;-)

Just a dent in what is sure to take a very long time.

Off to NYC for the weekend!!! No plans...just fun and relaxation!

J'aime le rugby

2007-07-19T21:22:00.000-04:00

For all my buddies who play with the Washington Renegades...this one's for you.

France is going out of its way to lure everyone to come watch several World Cup Soccer matches this year. The above ad is proof positive.

According to the french tourism site, C'est So Paris, the ad uses offbeat wit and the Rugby World Cup to show the world that Paris is also the capital of humor. The Paris region will be hosting several World Cup matches, including the final at the Stade de France."

American teams need an ad like that!

Hail Yea!

2007-07-18T18:50:00.001-04:00

Hail fascinates me...it's not too common to see it here in the DC region, but occasionally it happens. This video is from Texas.

Catching Up!

2007-07-11T19:48:00.000-04:00

Back from Alaska...Back from Georgia...Happy 4th of July!...Working at FOX over the weekends...Lost a dear colleague...a heat wave...and our President is still a moron.

There. Everyone is caught up.

Apologies, as I have been extremely busy since the Alaska cruise, which was incredible. The trip was filled with beautiful scenery, glaciers, whales, and even huggable bears and cubs.

Immediately following, went down to Georgia to begin restoration on our property in my hometown that we purchased. Mostly cleaning and a little yard work. The major demolition begins in two weeks!

Alot of time since returning from Georgia, has been devoted to my boss, who was in the final days of her battle with cancer the past few weeks. I've never had to witness anyone erode away on a daily basis like this, and hope I never do again. Time spent at her house, helping the relatives, and also at the hospice in her last days. She passed away on Monday, and there is a sense of relief for everyone involved.

I tend to be drawn to people who put on no fronts...what you see is what you get. And that was my boss Carol. A mouth like a sailor at times, a good sense of humor, dedicated to her friends and co-workers, always fair, her own sense of style, didn't care what other people thought, and alot of fun to be with. How could you not like someone who wears goldfish or parrot earrings, along with a "Stevie Nicks-style" cape of sorts.

She will be missed.

Been watching the heat across the country too...interesting extremes in the west and northern plains, with Pierre South Dakota hitting 109 degrees!

Of course I have been keeping close tabs on the despicable behavior of King George while away...he continues to trample all over the constitution, continues to distance himself from the few remaining brainwashed "Bushbots" that still support him, has an approval rating at 26%, and I wont even comment on Scooter Libby or executive privileges. There's plenty of time to rip this nitwit...plenty of time, and plenty of material. And he deserves every word...every word.

Right now, I need to eat.......mmm....Pete made Bubba Burgers!

Cruise!

2007-06-20T21:01:00.001-04:00

Pete and I leave for Alaska this Friday!
Flying into Anchorage, then cruising the inside passage, with Mom and Dad, down to Vancouver.
Gone for a week...Pictures to follow!

Dry as a bone

2007-06-20T08:20:00.000-04:00

(photo courtesy of NASA)

Very cool image depicting how the record drought in Georgia has effected the normal rate of plant growth.

The image shows vegetation conditions, compared to average conditions observed from 2000 through 2006.
Areas in which plants are more sparse, or are growing more slowly than average are brown, while better-than-average growth is green.

Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree...

2007-06-18T17:36:00.001-04:00

It's that time of year...watch out!

Father's Day 2007

2007-06-17T09:34:00.000-04:00

Happy Father's Day Pop!

I yodel with a drawl

2007-06-15T10:11:00.000-04:00

Check out this interesting map, which compares each state's GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to a country of similiar value. A state-by-state listing of the actual values can be found here.

So far, I have lived in states whose economic output is similiar to that of Switzerland, Austria, and New Zealand.

Oh Yah...big ternado. You betchya.

2007-06-13T21:21:00.001-04:00

(photo courtesy of NASA)

Cool imagery, and info on last week's Wisconsin tornado.

Great visible scar seen going right through the Menominee Indian Reservation...pretty impressive.

We drove right through the same reservation about two weeks ago.

Laugh or Cry?

2007-06-11T19:48:00.001-04:00

What is wrong with us?
Seriously, what is wrong with this country's military leadership lately?!

I honestly don't know what to think anymore.
Other countries nowadays, think we, here in the U.S., are all insane...and I hate that.
However, I'm beginning to think they might be right.

After reading the following I don't know whether to laugh or cry?

This "bomb" is not a joke. It is a real story.
Of course, the whole IDEA is a joke, but more frightening is that is was considered a serious proposal.
It is so ridiculously comical, that I want to laugh out loud...but it is so ridiculously tragic and sick that higher-ups actually proposed this idea, that I want to cry for the country that I love.

*Update* - After emailing the "blog-god", Andrew Sullivan, this story, he responded by giving me kudos, and posting it on his site. My first big blog-connection!

Hawaii Weather Report

2007-06-10T22:42:00.000-04:00

Pete is in Hawaii all this week for work...Lucky Dog.

Speaking of...here's the Hawaii weather report from "Triumph, the insult comic dog" who appears on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

Hope Pete can handle all those "clouds".

I'm "Guno" get you

2007-06-07T09:19:00.000-04:00

(photo courtesy of NASA)

A rare event.

It's extremely unusual to have a tropical system of this strength form in the Indian Ocean. After causing damage in Oman, and flooding in the capitol of Muscat, the storm is heading towards the dessert coast of Iran...an area that rarely seen any rainfall at all.

Very odd.

Clocky!

2007-06-04T17:13:00.000-04:00

There are very few things I absolutely hate.

If I had to list some, they would be...the smell of juicy fruit gum, the current state of the Republican Party, cigarettes, Ann Coulter, and obnoxious alarm clocks!

Nothing is worse to me than to be sound asleep, and then abruptly awakened by a loud, heart-stopping, shrill "beep" beep" beep" from a tiny clock/radio adjacent to your bed.

If I am in a deep sleep, and wake up to that, it literally makes my heart pound as if some mass murderer had just crashed through my bedroom door.

So, I recently purchased this lovely little number that helps me wake up just the way I like to. Not only can I wake up to the soothing sounds of a tropical rain forest, but can change my tune depending on what I want to hear...waterfall, rainstorm, the beach, etc.

It's a pretty snazzy clock too...projects the time and outside temperature right on the ceiling.

The only bad side to it, is that if it isn't turned up loud enough, I tend to incorporate the sounds into my dreams. Just the other day, when I should have been up, I was spending my time surrounded by the sounds of tropical birds while paddling a canoe in my underwear through the mangroves of some jungle. Pete was on the shore eating popcorn and watching a movie on some old reel-to-reel film projector.

I will run the risk of fading in and out of consciousness while birds chirp before I buy one of these wacked-out alarm clocks. Not so sure I could handle waking up with Clocky! This guy looks cute, but don't be fooled. He wakes you up with an annoying alarm, then before you can reach over and turn him off, he scoots off the table and rolls around on the floor while you chase him. Check out the video.

Clocky would not last too long with me before I had to clean his clock one early morning!

Tony's B*tch

2007-05-31T20:08:00.000-04:00

Apologies for the slow posts on here...been working hard for the money this week.

Every penny counts when you have roofs to repair, windows to buy, wires to install...etc...etc...etc.

In addition to my everyday mapping job, I've been producing the morning show for Tony Perkins, former "Good Morning America" meteorologist, and now at FOX 5 here in D.C.

Tomorrow is my last day of morning producing, but I will be doing the weather on-air this Saturday and Sunday night.

I have no desire to get back in to TV weather full time, there's too much that turns me off about the business. The science is great, and doing the weather on-air is a blast, but the behind-the-scenes politics of it all totally turns me off.

I'll stick to my once-in-a-while broadcasts, tracking hurricanes, and talking with my fellow weather geeks.

Blind as a Bat

2007-05-30T16:52:00.000-04:00

I am worthless without my flasses. Unable to look at a compputer monitor for no more tsan two minutws, before a $erious headache sets in...not to mention I dan hardly see the screen.

Glasses are hacing new lenses [ut in them, ans should be back tomorr9w.

Lot;s to say, but coming clo se to vomiting righ5 now.

New posT tomorr0w !

Bring it on!

2007-05-23T10:12:00.000-04:00

(photo courtesy of NOAA)

Just released...above normal predictions for 2007

Field Trip

2007-05-21T21:59:00.000-04:00

Stay in a straight line, hold your buddy's hand, and don't touch anything!

It's time for a field trip to a few museums that are making news this week.

First stop, The Smithsonian, where this newsflash was making headlines.

This is what it has come to: the country's most heralded and distinguished institutions are dumbing down their work, in order to satisfy you-know-who.

We already know that government documents with regards to scientific climatic findings, have been altered in the past, so why not do the same thing in museums.

Looks like the director of the Smithsonian finally had enough, and resigned after 16 years.

Our next stop takes us to Cincinnati, where the Creation Museum opens this week.

Now...to each his own. But this "museum" is based on not a single fact. It is a walk-thru journey of stories brought to life. Stories that are parables designed to help us live our lives, and not to be taken literally. Does that make it a museum?

The problem with this "museum" is that it declares evolution is not real, and it explains why creationism is real. Not only that, but it decries everything scientific.

There is no real science here...only theory and a "disneyesque" version of puppetry animation acting out the stories.

I would be interested in going to see it...out of curiosity. Since I haven't seen it, I can't comment on what it is like. I just think its a shame that the children of southern Ohio and northern Kentucky will be "learning" from this museum. I highly doubt that many of them will be venturing to the Smithsonian to absorb the true science of the world around them.

I wonder if Dubya has a ticket yet? Frightening.

Finally, our last stop takes us down to Hotlanta for a visit to the new World of Coca Cola museum that also opens up this week.

No political spin by the anti-global warming fanatics, no loopy bible-thumpers...just a fun interactive museum where you can drink all the coke products you want for free.

Let's go and get sick together!

Weekend View

2007-05-20T13:11:00.000-04:00

Saturday-

A visit to the National Arboretum.

If you like the outdoors, and have a fascination with trees, then this place is a good weekend destination.

Beautiful weather, and a stroll through the impressive bonsai collection.

Top picture is, no doubt, the oldest living thing I have ever been around. It began its training as a bonsai in 1625!

Finally, a visit to the little known "National Grove of State Trees". All 50 are represented, but a few had to be substituted with something that could survive Washington winters.

Of course, the obligatory picture by our home states' state tree...sugar maple and live oak.

Oh. My. God.

2007-05-18T08:54:00.001-04:00

There's bad...there's really bad...and then there is this guy.

Fun with Fingernails!

2007-05-17T10:30:00.000-04:00

"Reverend" Teletubby's passing the other day, exemplifies how some people can be blinded by their own ignorant vision of the world if they refuse to listen to others. To learn, and to grow, everyone, regardless of the issue, has to open their mind and listen. To do otherwise keeps one stuck in the primordial ooze of their own ignorance.

Ironically, I stumbled on this 60 Minutes web site about orientation. Watch some of the clips and listen. It is, what it is...nothing more. No agenda...no spin...just the truth.

Of course, the likes of "The Reverend" and his followers would never want to listen and learn...continuing the downward spiral of "fearing what you don't understand, and then hating what you fear".

Interesting clips...especially the little boy with his painted finger nails. Ha!

He will end up being tougher than any straight kid ever will be. A long, hard journey ahead of him. Those who try to change him will be doing nothing more than causing him pain.

Be true to yourself little kid.

Now You Know

2007-05-15T20:29:00.000-04:00

The only thing I can think to say is, I feel sympathy for his family, but take pleasure (as many others do) in knowing that he now knows the truth, understands the anger, and sees the insanity in some his craziest remarks.

Happy Mother's Day

2007-05-13T14:38:00.001-04:00

Looks familiar. Thanks, Mom!

Horrifying

2007-05-10T04:16:00.001-04:00

I've always said, it's not Dumbya that I detest so much, as it his supporters. Bill Maher presents more evidence of this President's ties to the lunatic evangelical base. Yea, he's a little rough on Dumbya at first, but he gets to the point of this post at a minute-thirty into the clip.
Frightening. Absolutely frightening.

What would Miss Manners say?

2007-05-09T19:32:00.000-04:00

(photo courtesy of NOAA)

The nerve! Someone arrived unfashionably early today.

The first named storm of the tropical season formed today, and is somewhat of an anomaly.

Hurricane season doesn't even begin until June 1st, but that didn't stop Andrea from forming.

Another peculiarity about Andrea is that is not a true tropical storm, but rather a subtropical storm...it formed outside the tropics, and has a cold core, rather than the normal warm core of tropical systems.

A plus side to Andrea forming now - showers will spin off of her, helping to put out the terrible wildfires in southern Georgia and northern Florida.

Take a look a this cool photo from today, where the the counterclockwise flow of air around Andrea is blowing smoke all the way down to Tampa, and out over the Gulf of Mexico.

I love me some Hurricane Season...my favorite time of year!

Hangin with my Peeps

2007-05-08T21:05:00.000-04:00

The Queen is in town.

We go way back.

There's no place like home...unless it's gone

2007-05-07T10:07:00.000-04:00

(photo courtesy of AP/Orlin Wagner)

Gone...absolutely gone.
Greensburg, Kansas.
Imagine your whole town 95% obliterated
The first EF5 tornado to touch down since 1999.
You can get a perspective of the massive destruction from the air. Click here to take the tour.
Those with a weather addiction flowing in their veins, of course grab the weather radio, car keys and video camera. A fellow weather junkie understands, and comes within 50-100 yards of one of the Kansas tornadoes this past weekend. Watch it here. Very impressive.
I've been just as close once before, and it's a powerful experience.
Hopefully, if all goes as planned, next Spring will be the real deal. I'll be going with my good friend (and fellow storm-junkie) Brian. The tornadoes don't scare me, but seeing any flying monkeys will.

Image of the Day

2007-05-03T19:46:00.000-04:00

Due to extremely dry conditions in Georgia, and most of the southeast, several large wildfires are burning partially out of control in the Okefenokee Swamp. As of today, there have been more than 93,000 acres scorched in this pristine National Wildlife Refuge. This satellite image gives you the scale of the fires, and how far the smoke plume is reaching. Jacksonville is located in the southeast corner.

If you've never been, the Okefenokee is a mystical place...cypress trees, Spanish moss, black water stained by tanic acid, amazing wading birds: herons, egrets, ibises, cranes...and of course, there are gators everywhere.

The ground is composed of bog, several feet thick, that shakes below your feet when you walk on it. The Native American word "Okefenokee" actually means "land of trembling earth."

It's also home to this cute little guy.

I hope he finds a safe place to hide :(

Catfight!

2007-05-01T23:51:00.000-04:00

Some people should simply not be parents, yet they continue to populate the earth with their spawn. Every day, I am surrounded by numerous straight couples who display their inability to raise a child correctly. This past weekend was one such example.

At my nephew's soccer game in Atlanta over the weekend, where this small child kept elbowing and pushing the opposing team's players...one of which happened to be my four-year-old nephew. Now, Uncle Mike doesn't take lightly to some little soccer dweeb pushing around, and elbowing his little nephew...neither does his mother.
After numerous yells out to the coach, by us and other parents, the final play of the game resulted in a powerful elbow to some little soccer gnome, who ended up in tears. That was the final straw.
Shouts and calls for his neck filled the air. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her approaching.
It was the demon seed's mother. She has been sitting just down from us.
She bent over and looked us square in the face and said "I don't appreciate you all lecturing my child or me on what is taking place here".

My sister-in-law went in to Jerry Springer mode (OK, not that bad..no chairs were thrown). She whipped off the sunglasses and blurted out an attitude-filled "Excuse me?"
The demon seed breeder babbled on about "how they were trying to work on the problem" and "how she hoped our children were as perfect as we thought they were"...blah blah blah. I was wishing this tramp would shut her pie hole so I could go over and get a juice box and some goldfish crackers with the rest of the team.

She finally stopped spewing her nonsense, and my sister-in-law stood her ground...rightfully so.
Another example of poor parenting gone amuck. After watching this little snot throw at least 15 elbows, the parents did absolutely NOTHING. Obviously they knew it was a problem in the past, and they were "trying to work on it". They didn't seem to be working too hard on it right now, as not a word was spoken every time the little Damien threw an elbow or pushed a player in today's game.

If that were my child, it would have taken one time before I would have called him aside...coach or no coach. If it happened again, he would have been sitting by me on the grass, watching in tears.
I know I would be a much better parent than a lot of the straight couples I encounter every day. Perhaps we should adopt.

Every gay couple I have ever encountered, that had kids, went above and beyond to make that child feel special and loved. Perhaps because we grow up knowing what its like to be different, we are able to convey to our children, the value of "accepting people for who they are regardless of their differences" much more than alot of straight couples ever even try to. With a world in such desperate need of loving families to raise unwanted or abandoned children, there is definitely a void that needs to be filled.

I just don't know if I could stand watching my child encounter the hatred that would be thrown in to his or her face on a daily basis. It would be much worse than any soccer game taunt for sure. With all the horrible anti-gay rhetoric that is spewed about lately....mature adults' attempt at hurting another adult, are surely hurting children of gay parents.
Do these people even think about this when dealing out their hate?
Like the demonic soccer-mom, some people just don't get it when it comes to parenting, and how actions and words effect a child.

And then there are those that do get it . (Warning: "Not Safe For Work" language).

My sister-in-law gets it too. She is raising two great kids correctly...on and off the soccer field.

Tourette's Weatherman

2007-04-26T10:18:00.001-04:00

Uhm....might be time to start sending out the resume.

I know where I'll be tonight

2007-04-24T10:23:00.000-04:00

"The way it happened was the equivalent to flipping the bird, frankly, to the rest of the world ... on an issue about which they felt so deeply."

That is how former New Jersey governor and the former head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Christine Todd Whitman describes the U.S. withdrawal from the Kyoto agreements in the film Hot Politics, airing tonight on FRONTLINE at 9 P.M. on PBS

I plan on popping some popcorn and settling in.

There is no more debate. This is a scientific issue that is occurring. Causes? If we are to be honest, nobody can say for sure they know with 100% certainty what is causing climate change. But when hundreds of the world's most knowledgeable climatologist agree on a theory, I tend to believe their reasoning based on their expertise alone.

What I really am concerned about, and always have been, is our government's attempts to quell the release of scientific information, in order to please the oil industry and their profits.

Money Quote:

"In my thirty-some years in the government," says top NASA climate scientist James Hansen, "I've never seen constraints on the ability of scientists to communicate with the public as strong as they are now."

But, I've already covered all that.

Now...extra butter or kettle corn? Hmmm....

April's split personality

2007-04-23T18:44:00.000-04:00

(photo courtesy of CapitalWeather.com)

The schizophrenic month of April continues to be anything but average. High temperatures are either way below the normal high, or skyrocketing well above average. Take a look at the highs for each day listed below: Today, the normal high should be 69 degrees.
Forget April...we shot from February to June in one week.

1 60
2 82
3 77
4 58
5 47
6 48
7 41
8 46
9 48
10 52
11 54
12 61
13 57
14 56
15 48
16 47
17 56
18 54
19 56
20 71
21 72
22 81
23 83

Mapping in black and white

2007-04-20T09:45:00.000-04:00

I love maps.

Looking at the changes that have occurred in a historic map, verses a current version.

Studying the visual trends in a thematic map.

Seeing something as a work of art, rather than just a static display of data.

Sometimes...when you see things displayed graphically, they make you stop and take notice.

Such is the case with the one above.

Take a look at it. It displays those states where interracial marriages were illegal in this country in 1952, and eventually repealed before 1967. It also displays the states that still considered interracial marriage illegal in 1967 when the Supreme court ruled the individual state laws unconstitutional.

Yes, that's right...in 1966, you could still be thrown in jail for falling in love with someone of a different race, and then marrying the individual. In fact, that actually happened in the Supreme Court case that overturned all these remaining "racial integrity" state laws.

In Loving vs. Virginia, the couple got married in D.C., and then returned to Virginia, only to be sentenced to one year in prison.

Money Quote by the Virginia trial judge:

"Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, Malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And but for the interference with his arrangement there would be no cause for such marriages. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix."

As with everything in life, things fade. Memories of this case, and the people involved soon become a distant memory. New generations move forward and look back in disbelief at what people where thinking, and how could they have thought the way they did.

Such is the case with the social conservative.

I just don't get it. Throughout history social conservatives have been on the wrong side of every issue in history every time. Whether it was interracial marriage, women having the right to vote, or civil rights for blacks...they have always been on the wrong side, and worst yet, are proud of it.

Yesterday, New Hampshire's governor announced he would sign a bill, making the state the fourth to declare they will provide civil unions for same sex couples. Again, this isn't a matter of whether or not you think civil unions are right or not. It's an issue of whether or not you understand that being gay is part of the human condition, and if you DO understand that, then you would believe that everyone is entitled to committing themselves legally, or otherwise, to another person, the way they were intended to.

One day, perhaps in 2047, some blogger will be writing a post, using a map just like the one above....only it will be when the Supreme Court decision overturning every state law recently passed, banning or recognizing civil unions, or marriages, for same sex couples.

It won't be a blow against social conservatives in general, but rather another move forward for us a race and our understanding of what it is to be human.

Reflecting

2007-04-18T21:28:00.001-04:00

Just finished watching "Flight 93"...wonderfully done. Just like with the Virginia Tech tragedy, you never know when it all could end suddenly. In a world that moves so fast...slow down,take the time to tell those you care about, "You love them".

This Blows

2007-04-16T18:21:00.000-04:00

(photo courtesy of Accuweather.com)

The intense Nor'easter that has been wreaking havoc across the entire east coast, has resulted in some pretty impressive wind gusts here in the DC area.

D.C. 51 mph

Baltimore 52 mph

Manassas 49 mph

Winchester 57 mph

Leesburg 51 mph

Quantico 54 mph

Combine those winds with rain, a few ice pellets, and high temperatures only in the 40s, and it feels nothing like Spring. Someone needs to remind Mother Nature that the calender says April!

Something evil this way comes

2007-04-13T08:29:00.000-04:00

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."
1 Peter 5:8

I really don't have any phobias to speak of.

However, when I was a kid, I remember having a fear of escalators. It was never the ones going up, but rather just the ones going down. As a small child, there was something frightening about standing on the edge, and looking down this ledge of moving stairs. The dropoff seemed too steep to get on slowly, and with care, and what if I didn't time it just right? Would I lose my balance and fall all the way to the bottom?

Then there was the issue of approaching the bottom. The jagged, steel teeth at the base...devouring the individual stairs as they disappeared underneath.
Those teeth were there, just waiting to inflict their damage to whatever approached them, and in my mind that was me. I used to watch them closely, and time my kangaroo-like departure, so that my feet would be nowhere close to those razor sharp man-eaters.

There was also the issue of possibly getting something caught while riding. "Don't stand close to the edge" You might get a shoelace caught in between. "Keep you hands on the handrail" You might pinch a finger. "Give me your hand...jump now!" Dear God, this is serious...I could have died if we didn't get off right at that moment.

At some point, I must have outgrown these fears, and those nightmarish childhood thoughts. They were only the makings of a child's imagination......or were they?

Yesterday, at the L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station I witnessed something that made those childhood fears all come screaming back to me.

Just a typical start to the day...riding the green line to work, and departing the train. Since I have to exit the station on the opposite side of the platform, once departing the train, I routinely take a small escalator up to get to the other side, where I ride another one back down to the platform.

I stepped on to the escalator and started up. A lady in front of me was reading the paper and had on a long winter coat. As she approached the top, she started to step off. The beast from below had other ideas.

The tail end of her coat had gotten snagged in the teeth at the top. The teeth were even worse than the those of my childhood nightmares...they were jagged, and dirty, and had been painted yellow. A Doritos bag lay there, playing opossum, rolling over and over, not quite allowing the beast a chance to grab it firmly and take it below. It was more determined with the coat...and the lady wearing it.

Suddenly, another rider screamed "Her coat is caught!" The lady had quickly assumed a squatting position, her back to the disappearing stairs behind her...her coat rapidly being sucked into the depths of the whatever escalator hell lies underneath. She was still in the coat.

Another woman screamed, and someone else yelled "Stop the escalator!!"

She had now fallen to her bottom and was leaning back...half of her jacket had been swallowed by the sadistic beast. Three other riders were holding her arms and trying to pull out her coat.

The crowd at the top created a backup of riders, unable to depart the moving devil...they tumbled on to one another at the top of the stairs...trying to avoid the sacrificial rider.

I approached the top just a few steps behind her, onlookers and those assisting her, blocked my way too. I crashed into them, squeezed my way over to the left and looked frantically for the "Emergency Stop" button.

There it was...I lifted the little cover (a buzzer goes off, if you've ever wondered) and smacked that sucker as if I were on Family Feud.

Everyone let out a huge, collective sigh.

A few people, at the bottom, mumbled because now they had to walk up.

Meanwhile, the once-sacrificial rider was still on her butt, with half her coat wedged in the stairs. She was able to get out of the coat, and was obviously quite shaken up over the incident.

A "Metro" man came right over and assisted her in retrieving the coat. It was torn in two places and had grease all over it...the beast had left its mark.

Everyone scattered, she picked up her paper and mangled coat, and continued on her way.

The "Metro" guy looked at me and said, "At least she didn't loose a toe like the last person that happened to."
I laughed nervously and went on my way.

I suspect I might try out the elevator tomorrow.

A very "spatial" artist

2007-04-11T20:46:00.000-04:00

Geospatial art from a local D.C. artist.

Very, very cool stuff.

Will definitely be purchasing some of his work.

Brrrr...an Easter to remember

2007-04-10T09:51:00.000-04:00

In one word...COLD!

Regardless, a great time with my niece and nephew who were up visiting with my sister, and her husband from Atlanta. While I had hoped for sunshine and warm days, my earlier prediction of making a tiny snowman with my niece and nephew, came true. Of course, they loved it, and couldn't have been happier...even if there was barely enough snow to cover the ground!

Records shattered across the mid atlantic and southeast over the weekend.

Just a few of the many record lows reported:

Washington - 29 degrees 0.4" of snow (record low and snowfall for the date)

Baltimore - 26 degrees 0.2" of snow (record low and snowfall for the date)

Richmond - 1.0" of snow (record for the date)

Charlotte - 21 degrees

Asheville - 22 degrees

Columbia - 26 degrees

Greenville - 24 degrees and latest ever recorded snowfall for April - Trace

Augusta - 26 degrees

Atlanta - 30 degrees

Jacksonville - 31 degrees

Not much better today...even the National Weather Service noted today how rare this run of unseasonably cold weather is:

"FIVE DAYS BELOW 50 DEGREES IN APRIL IS A RARITY IN THIS AREA...BOTH WASHINGTON AND BALTIMORE HIT FIVE CONSECUTIVE DAYS BELOW 50DEGREES WITH THE ADDITION OF MONDAY. EVEN WITH THE EXTENSIVE WEATHER RECORDS FROM BOTH CITIES...FOR APRIL THAT IS NEARLY UNMATCHED.FOR BALTIMORE...OUR CURRENT STREAK OF FIVE SUB 50 DEGREE DAYS TIES A STREAK MADE OVER 70 YEARS AGO IN APRIL OF 1935. THE ONLY STREAK GREATER THAN THOSE TWO WAS SET BACK IN THE 19TH CENTURY.BETWEEN APRIL 1ST AND 6TH 1881...THE TEMPERATURE REMAINED BELOW 50FOR A RECORD SIX DAYS.FOR WASHINGTON...OUR CURRENT STREAK OF FIVE SUB 50 DEGREE DAYS IS THE FIRST TIME SUCH A STREAK HAS BEEN MADE IN APRIL SINCE THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. THERE WERE TWO OTHER STREAKS OF FIVE...IN APRIL 1898 AND APRIL 1886. HOWEVER...AS WITH BALTIMORE...THE RECORD LIES IN THE PERIOD BETWEEN APRIL 1ST AND 6TH 1881...THE TEMPERATURE REMAINED BELOW 50 FOR A RECORD SIX DAYS.TODAY...MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO GET JUST ABOVE 50DEGREES IN BOTH CITIES."

Enough. I want Spring back!

More than petals covering the ground?

2007-04-05T09:39:00.000-04:00

This is crazy.

How many times have I heard this while down at the tidal basin, "Look, it's snowing!" as a sudden breeze blows thousands of pink and white cherry blossom petals from their branches, and they float down to the ground against a bright blue sky.

Well, that phrase might ring true, more than normal, here this weekend.

It never fails...company coming, and it either rains or is freezing. It's not going to rain this weekend, so there must be freezing temperatures in the forecast.

Hard to believe with high temperatures in the 70s and lower 80s the past few days, that we would be talking about highs in the 40s and even a chance of SNOW!

If there were a plus side to any of this, it would be that my two year old nephew and my four year old niece have never seen snow, so they would surely enjoy it.

While I envisioned cherry blossoms, and the Easter Bunny, being the highlight of their visit, their most exciting moment may just be making a 4 inch high snowman in my backyard with just a dusting of snow covering the ground.

Perhaps this isn't such a bad forecast after all.

Weekend View

2007-04-03T20:51:00.000-04:00

In Georgia, once again, this past weekend.

Sunshine...dogwoods in bloom...family and friends...and the "Tour of Homes" going on.

Pete and I spent time measuring every inch of the potential future home...all the dimensions down, sketching out ideas...and worrying.

Lots of work to be done.

It's a big step, but I want to do it.

Hitting some speedbumps along the way.

Inspection Done.

No big surprises.

Needs to be entirely rewired, portion of roof is sagging, plumbing issues, and lots of cosmetic work.

New offer going in to see if seller will pony-up for these costs.

Ugh.

Want this to go smoothly.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

Nothing New Here

2007-03-28T20:20:00.000-04:00

This is nothing new...just another report providing evidence of the shocking anti-science mentality of the Bush administration, in particular, with regards to global warming. It's one thing to question a theory...it's another to block any scientific findings, regardless of the subject matter. This administration's attitude toward climate change has been to take a systematically negative response to any government scientists favoring the idea that humans play a key role in global warming.

Is this the U.S.A.?

Kiwi!

2007-03-27T21:37:00.001-04:00

Winner of a YouTube Video Award.
Kiwis: shy, flightless birds with tiny wings the size of a peanut.
A cute video...but emotionally moving at the same time.
I think we all experience wanting to be like everyone else at some point in time.

Spring Cleaning

2007-03-26T17:22:00.000-04:00

A beautiful day yesterday. Sunshine, with highs in the mid 60s.

Time to get out the bikes, and clean off all the funk from the winter.

Highs tomorrow in the lower 80s!

I think I feel a cold coming on ;-)

Those who get it...and those that don't

2007-03-23T21:24:00.000-04:00

Leaders of the Episcopal Church spoke out...and spoke from the heart this past week. Evangelicals and Southern Baptists take note. You just might learn a thing or two.

"We proclaim the Gospel of what God has done and is doing in Christ, of the
dignity of every human being, and of justice, compassion, and peace. We proclaim
the Gospel that in Christ there is no Jew or Greek, no male or female, no slave
or free. We proclaim the Gospel that in Christ all God's children, including
women, are full and equal participants in the life of Christ's Church. We
proclaim the Gospel that in Christ all God's children, including gay and lesbian
persons, are full and equal participants in the life of Christ's Church. We
proclaim the Gospel that stands against any violence, including violence done to
women and children as well as those who are persecuted because of their
differences, often in the name of God. The Dar es Salaam Communiqué is
distressingly silent on this subject. And, contrary to the way the Anglican
Communion Network and the American Anglican Council have represented us, we
proclaim a Gospel that welcomes diversity of thought and encourages free and
open theological debate as a way of seeking God's truth. If that means that
others reject us and communion with us, as some have already done, we must with
great regret and sorrow accept their decision."

Leaders for our military spoke out recently as well...while the American people spoke their minds and hearts in this poll. No doubt, the dumbest and most ridiculous policy our country has ever initiated. In 40-50 years people will shake their heads in disbelief at our mind numbing stupidity, fear and ignorance right now.

Some people get it...some people don't.

Where do you fit in?

Ready for "Hey Girl TV" (HGTV)

2007-03-21T09:25:00.000-04:00

I did it.

One of my dreams has always been to purchase an older home, and restore it to its original condition. There's a sense of fulfillment seeing an older home, or building, that has been returned, deservedly so, to its architectural glory.

Stripping away the "modern" mistakes of the 50s, 60s and 70s, researching the history of the house, uncovering architectural elements that have been hidden for years and banished from view...I love it.

Living in D.C. has pretty much quelled any chance of doing that. With ghetto shells of homes going for ridiculous amounts, there was pretty much no way it would happen here.

Pete has always had the bug as well, and on a whim we found something in his hometown a few years ago. A beautiful 1912 craftsman home that we are restoring to its original condition.

The plan had always been to have a place in each of our hometowns. Places to work on, a place to get away for the weekend, and for future retirement (yikes). I had been looking for a while, but prices in my little hometown have also shot through the roof over the past few years.

Until...this 1910 gem popped up a few weeks ago, at a great bargain.

Offer accepted this past weekend.

It's perfect!

Hopefully watching all those episodes of HGTV, will pay off. Between the featured home-owners, and the hosts of the shows, are there ANY straight guys on that network?!

Perhaps this guy will come down and help us paint. Pete and I were fans of the competition/reality show "Design Star" when he was on it, and now he has his own show. Gay, out, proud, and an amazing creative talent.

No, the big place is not the house, but it is our view looking out across the street.

Come on down and sit on the porch with us, and enjoy the view...I'll get the ice tea ready.

Everyone invited!

Spring...a time for change and new beginnings

2007-03-20T18:45:00.000-04:00

Happy Vernal Equinox!
Today (March 20th), Spring officially begins!
A time of rebirth and change. I experienced both while home in Georgia this past weekend.

Amazed, and emotional, watching my little niece blossom into something even more beautiful than she already was.

Following a dream...purchasing an old house with plans for restoration. No doubt about it...Spring is my favorite time of year!

For Rosemary

2007-03-16T18:10:00.001-04:00

Bluer skies whenever you're around...Sun shines, it's a new day.