082905 Random Thought on Hurricane Katrina

Don't you know Cindy Sheehan is cussing Katrina?

082805 Random Thoughts on Hurricane Katrina

1. On the holy crap scale, Katrina is off the charts.
2. It is just so sad and so scarey.
3. I'm really worried about the people who have been left behind.
4. Why can't they fly army aircraft and helicopters in and take these people to safety?
5. Why is it that live shots of the freeways don't show contraflow?
6. As an architect, it saddens and sickens me to think of the history that might well be erased. The safety of people is far more important, but they are also in danger of losing the identity of their entire city.
7. I would hate to be trapped, cramped and packed in the Superdome eating pb&j in the heat and darkness.
8. I hope that the people on the interstates are able to make it out in time.
9. With so much to do, and so much to worry about, how is it that people can stop and talk to the MSM?
10. How can three major cable news channels talk non-stop all day about a hurricane that's travelling 13mph?
11. Putting myself in the position of someone in the affected area, who is anxiously awaiting more news, I don't think I'd be in a position to watch tv. UPDATE: POST-RITA... NOW I UNDERSTAND!
12. I'm still wondering why they couldn't airlift those people out of there. I mean, they airlift people in the aftermath of a flood, why can't they airlift them before it happens?
13. We've already gotten a lot of much-needed rain as a result of the changing atmospheric conditions brought about by Katrina. I'm grateful for it, but I would have gladly just watered the lawn.
14. From a physics standpoint, I have a decent understanding of hurricanes... but I still keep asking myself... why?

Prostitots and Teen Bloggers

I received my new issue of Gleen Beck's Fusion today. I love Glenn's new endeavor. The name refers to the subtitle of his radio broadcast which is "entertainment and enlightment". I can tell you that the magazine is well worth it's exhorbitant price, and harkens back, in my mind, to MAD Magazine, but in a humorously intellectual way.

The leading article of this issues is entitled: "Are You Raising a Prostitot?". It is recommended reading.

And it reminds me of something I read online earlier this week, an article on teen bloggers. Sadly, it is not a shock to me, but it is a shock to most parents.

Here is a comment from a mother, who had to sign up for MySpace, in order to read her daughter's blog:

"It blew me away," said Marcy, who requested her full name not be used.
"And I just lost it. I sat my daughter down and said, 'Do you realize how
inappropriate and how dangerous this is? Here's your face. Here's the town you
come from. Do you realize how many sick people are out there?' "

University of Alabama Without Holloway

School started yesterday at the University of Alabama, without Natalee Holloway.

It is reported that sororities and fraternities have hung yellow ribbons across campus, in her honor..

Natalee's full scholarship is being held at the University of Alabama, and she has a room and a roommate waiting for her.

Deepak Returns to Carlos & Charlie's

Or as some might say, the scene of the crime. Click here to see the video.

Former FBI profiler and now MSNBC analyst Clint Van Zandt discusses his impressions, including a conversation that he had with Deepak Kalpoe:

I talked to 21-year-old Deepak Kalpoe last Friday, finding him at his job at an Internet café in the downtown tourist district. When you stand next to him, he doesn't look as big as he does in the picture you see on television of him, his 18-year-old brother Satish, and 18-year-old Joran van der Sloot. As I walked in I spotted him behind the counter. "Hi. You're Deepak aren't you," I said. His eyes opened wide, and in a soft voice he answered, "Yes." I told him I was there helping MSNBC and that while I assumed he might not want to talk to the media, I still had a question for him. While tourists pecked away on the computer keys in the Internet café we had a one-on-one talk. I told him I'd seen a statement attributed to van der Sloot in which Joran said he believed (or similar Dutch words) that Deepak had assaulted and murdered Natalee and buried her body. "How could a friend of yours say such a thing?" I asked. "You need to ask him," he said. (In reality this was a good response to my question; I thought, "he'd probably been asked it once or twice before.") "Look Deepak," I said, "I've got two sons like you and your brother, and if someone accused them of such a horrific crime, I'd tell them to confront the person who accused them. Have you asked Joran why he said such a thing?" "No," he said, he'd not seen Joran in jail nor had he had any other opportunity to speak to him.

"Deepak, I think you and your brother somehow got into something over your heads the night you were with Joran and Natalee." (He seemed to shrink further into himself, growing even smaller in front of me as we talked.) "I think things may have gone very wrong that night and you and your brother got sucked into something you didn't want to be a part of. Were you my son, I'd tell you to level with the cops and deal with the stories being told about you."

"Nobody will believe me," he said. "That's why I don't do TV interviews; nobody believes me. They all think I'm lying." "Do you want to be believed?" I said. He looked me in the eyes and again quietly said, "Yes." "You know Deepak, you need some way to prove to the world that what you want to say is the truth. Do you know what a polygraph is?" "They don't use them in Aruba," he quickly answered. "But what if you were offered the chance to prove yourself by passing such a test; would you do it?" I asked. "I'd have to ask my lawyer," he replied. "And if he agreed, would you take it?" "I'd have to talk to him," he said. (He and his brother may soon be offered their chance to take such a test.)

Continuing with Deepak, I said, "September 4th is a big day in this case. Joran either gets held for another 30 days or he's set free. If he's released is this case over?" "No," he quickly replied, "it will never be over -- Beth [Natalee's mother] will never let it be over, and the prosecutor is under pressure to do something in this case. It may not look like things are being done, but under the surface they are." ("I hope you are right," I said silently to myself.) "Would your mother let this go if you were Natalee?" I said. "No," he replied, and I thought, "and neither would I."

As I looked into this young man's face, I thought about my life, my two sons, and my 25-year career in the FBI that allowed me to interview and arrest many criminals, including suspected kidnappers and murders. Most don't look like Dennis Rader, or have a history like the infamous BTK killer from Kansas. Most are people who simply got in over their heads. Someone who made a terrible mistake that they'd take back in a second if only given the chance to do so. That's the way Deepak impressed me. He wasn't smug nor did he try to be cool. He was a concerned, threatened young man whose life was now caught in a time warp until this matter is resolved. He told me that he wanted to go to college in Florida, but now he must consider schools in Canada. "Why?" I asked. "Because I'm too well known in America," he said, suggesting his belief of his lack of anonymity because of this case. His work shift was over and as he left I told him "this is not something that you want hanging over your head for the rest of your life." He just looked at me -- expressionless.

Discovery is Home!

Discovery is Home!

The shuttle, via piggy-back, made it back to Cape Canaveral. It will soon be lifted off the 747, which will be backed-out and the orbiter will be gently lowered to the runway on its landing gear.
On Monday, the Discovery will be towed two miles by a diesel-powered tractor to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside, the payload bay doors will be opened and the materials brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and Mission STS-114 will be officially complete.

Space Shuttle Discovery is slated for Mission STS-121 in March, 2006. Discovery will be used for STS-121 instead of Atlantis, putting NASA in a better position for future missions to the Space Station. Atlantis will fly the following mission, STS-115, carrying Space Station truss segments which are too heavy to be carried by Discovery. By changing the lineup, the program won't have to fly back to back missions with Atlantis, as was previously scheduled.

Pizza Man Bombing

Pizza delivery man, Brian Wells, utttered his final words at 3:18 p.m. on Aug. 28, 2003. “Did you call my boss?” he asked the police surrounding him.

Seconds later, Wells, who had his hands cuffed behind his back as he sat in an empty parking lot... died when the bomb that was wrapped around his neck exploded.

Six months after Brian Wells’ death, the FBI released nine pages of handwritten instructions that Wells said he was forced to follow in order to disarm the bomb. The instructions bore a strange resemblance to instructions for a local newspaper contest called the “Great Key Hunt.”

"The behaviors seen in this crime were choreographed by someone on the sidelines, according
to a written script in which the offender directs people who are involved,” said FBI agent Bob Rudge at the news conference called to release the instructions.

The instructions show that Wells had been sent on a kind of scavenger hunt to find notes hidden underneath rocks and keys that should have opened the collar bomb that was around his neck.

Who wrote them? Could they really have saved his life? Or were they simply a cruel, handwritten death sentence?

Though the final moments of Brian Wells' life were recorded on videotape, the 40 minutes leading up to his arrest are still shrouded in mystery.

Vintage World War II Footlocker Serves in Iraq - DefendAmerica News Article

Retired Master Sgt. Robert M. Rawls’ army issue footlocker has't seen to combat duty since World War II... but now it serves his son in Operation Iraqi Freedom 3.

“He had several,” said U.S. Army Capt. Charles R. Rawls, referring to his father’s footlockers. “This is the one he always used.”

The vintage storage box is complete, right down to the pull-out shelf, said Rawls, a fire direction officer with the 3rd Battalion, 117th Field Artillery Regiment, Alabama Army National Guard. His unit is providing force protection and convoy support for 3rd Infantry Division units here.

“I joined the National Guard in 1989,” said Rawls, who grew up in Troy, Ala. He was 27 years old at the time.

His father asked him to join at 18, but Rawls said he wasn't ready then. He went on to Troy State University in his hometown, graduated and then started working for the Alabama State Forestry Commission.

Finally, after nine years, he joined the military his father had loved for 32 years.

And eventually, it came time for Rawls, who has lived most of his life in Troy, to attend annual training with his unit. It was before that yearly, two-week field duty that Rawls' father gave him the footlocker. Rawls has used it ever since.

But the father and son warriors share more than an antique piece of luggage. They both mobilized for war from the same location.

Rawls said his father left for the Pacific theater of operations during World War II from Camp Shelby, Mississippi. He was on active duty at the time, having answered his country's call to arms.

When he returned from the war, the elder Rawls joined the National Guard and stayed until he retired.

Eventually, the camp, which is the largest National Guard training area in the U.S. changed its name to Mobilization Center Shelby, said Rawls. His unit has conducted many annual training exercises there and it's where he and his unit mobilized from to deploy to Iraq.

If Rawls never gets deployed again, the footlocker may still see a few more annual trainings before he retires. Maybe the footlocker can finally settle into a garage for a well-deserved retirement... and then again, Rawls does have a son of his own…

Photo Credit: (unknown) Defend America: U.S. Army Capt. Charles R. Rawls, a fire direction officer with the 3rd Battalion, 117th Field Artillery Regiment, Alabama Army National Guard, shows off his father’s World War II footlocker. Rawls, who grew up in Troy, Ala., was given the vintage box by his father before his first annual training. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Peter Chadwick

Latoyia Figueroa Found

I am saddened by the news that Latoyia Figueroa has been found.

Latoyia’s body has been found, apparently while her ex-boyfriend, Stephen Pouches, was trying to dump her remains.

Police had, evidently, been following Stephen Pouches when just after midnight on Saturday, he was observed disposing of Latoyia’s remains in a wooded lot with homes nearby in an area of Chester, which is located just outside of Philadelphia.

When Pouches was found and arrested, he was wearing a bullet proof vest and carrying a pistol.

Pouches has been arrested and will be charged with two counts of murder, in the death of Latoyia Figueroa and their unborn child. Other related charges, not yet reported, may also be filed.

Latoyia is survived by a 7-year-old daughter. May the Lord bless, protect and guide her daughter in the difficult days to come.

Lance rides with President Bush at Texas ranch

President Bush presented Lance Armstrong with a jersey, emblazoned with "Tour de Crawford" on the front and "Peleton One" on the back.

081905 Randummemo

1. morning rush hour traffic was light but people drove like idiots. heaved a sigh of relief and a potent expletive when i made it to work in one piece.
2. ate a leftover grilled cheese sandwich for breakfast.
3. enjoyed work as the most stressed out people (more stressed than me) were all either at meetings outside the office or on vacation.
4. watched Judge Mablean and Judge Larry Joe and napped for a couple of hours.
5. watched dr. phil and realized that i need to correct an earlier post. dr. phil has not pledged to change the world, but TELEVISION next season. i stand corrected, but can't wait, nonetheless.
6. watched oprah, fat people and the people who made them that way. hoped oprah would change television, too, next season.
7. miss c ran away today and i found my self somewhere between a sheer panic and a heart attack. it seems that the meter reader left the gate unlocked.
8. found miss c down the street and ordered her home.
9. scolded miss c and told her she was a "bad dog"
10. spooned miss c and squeezed her tightly. spoke honestly with her and told her how scared i had been, how much i love her and asked that she ignore an open gate in the future.
11. cursed the meter reader and vowed to put a padlock on the gate.
12. watched NG who wasn't NG. swore maybe i'd just watch when she was on vacation.
13. watched greta who wasn't really greta. noted that tito flirted with the hostess who wasn't greta, but she seemed immune.

Ray Gricar Is Missing - Information and Reward Site

The Ray Gricar case is one that captured my attention from Day One.

Imagine my surprise when there was a possible sighting in my home town. The observant individual who possibly identified him, took the above photos with a cell phone camera. It is reported that she also asked him for directions to the local zoo. His reply was that he was not from the area. She responded with a follow-up question, as to where he was from. It is reported that after an awkward silence, he responded, "Tennessee".

I can attest that anyone who has lived in the area for very long, would know directions to the zoo. It's off of a major highway, with many identifiable signs.

I'm not sure it's him, but I hope it is. For some reason, I really LIKE this man. He seems like a great guy, that might have grown really tired of the stress of his profession. I would like to believe that he has run away.

If you have information regarding the disappearance of Centre County, Pennsylvania District Attorney Ray F. Gricar, please contact the Bellefonte Police Department at (814) 353-2320 or your local law enforcement agency.

A Widow's Grief: The Vioxx Trial Verdict

No amount of money can ease the sorrow of a grieving widow. And my heart goes out to Carol Ernst for the loss of her husband.

I was, however, repulsed by the actions of her attorney today. Shouting "AMEN" as the verdict was read. And running from the courtroom, dragging Mrs. Ernst by the hand. He was ecstatic; she had the expression of continuing grief and bereavement.

I've got mixed feelings about the verdict. I am pleased that Mrs. Ernst's future has been secured. Although it is little concession to her heartbreak, I would hope she would feel consolation that her voice was heard. It is a complicated issue, however, with the potential of long term effect.

On the one hand, drug companies should make every effort to test their products, and to make immediate changes when they become aware of problems or results with a dangerous trend.

On the other, how long is long enough to test a drug prior to market? Are we willing to postpone all medications for even more rigid testing than is required now? At what financial cost would we be willing to pay for further testing? Drugs are already outrageously expensive, to the point that people who need them, simply abstain because they cannot afford them. I know the drug companies are making good profit, but I am hopeful that it is reinvested in further research and development.

Dave Holloway Will Always Be Natalee Holloway's Daddy

I read this article today, as this man describes his own relationship with his daughter and parallels that special bond with Dave and Natalee Holloway. I find it very touching, and very true.

And I felt my Daddy's arms around me, as well. There are no words to describe how much he continues to mean in my life, nor how incredibly much I miss him.

Because I'll always be my Daddy's little girl.

Donkey Adoption: Donkey Sanctuary in Aruba

Don't ya just LOVE a donkey???

One of the great things that I've discovered in researching Aruba... is their Donkey Sanctuary and adoption program. I feel certain that I will visit the island some day, and I'll definitely visit the donkeys!

To the left is Eva, click here to see the others! And adopt one if you can!!!

Photo, courtesy of Eva & the Donkey Sanctuary

Natalee Holloway

Why is it that the number one news story that I am voraciously interested in and concerned with, actively researching, and pretty much consumed by... is one that I rarely blog about?

I don't have connections, and the personal ties that I have to and in Aruba are sacred and confidential. The best information that I find, aside from Greta, is from Scared Monkeys and Riehl World View. There are other sources that I consult and contribute to on a regular basis, and I am a member of several websleuth rings... but these are the best for up-to-minute coverage.

I empathisize with all families of missing children, spouses and siblings. For what reason, I can only speculate... is how much I miss my own parents, who have been separated from me by death.

I am so overwhelmingly concerned for Natalee and her family, that I won't speculate on the record in this blog. And I pray each evening, for her return and for peace for her family and all that love her.

Just for Fun... Milk and Cereal

Need cheering up? How about some Milk and Cereal?

Texas State Legislature Fails at School Funding (x3)

The Legislature of the State of Texas failed for the third time, to pass a school funding legislation.

Of course, schools across the state began to open last week. I guess they're operating on credit.

Houston: The City of Syrup

I'm old, and this is sad.

When I first read the headline, I thought Houstonians consumed more Mrs. Butterworth's than any other city (in keeping with all of our fattest city recognitions).

Come to find out, the abuse of a codeine-fortified cough syrup is so widespread among youths here, that Houston has become nationally known in the rap culture as The City of Syrup.

How terribly sad.

Man fires shotgun near Bush ranch protesters

A man fired a shotgun into the air as about 60 anti-war protesters convened on the road to President Bush’s ranch. Sheriff’s deputies and Secret Service agents in the area of the demonstration site Sunday rushed to the home of Larry Mattlage after the shots were fired but did not arrest him.

“I ain’t threatening nobody, and I ain’t pointing a gun at nobody,” Mattlage said. “This is Texas.”
Mattlage said he was sympathetic toward the demonstrators at first, but they have blocked roads in the area and caused traffic problems.

He said he fired his gun in preparation for dove-hunting season but when asked if he had another motive, he said, “Figure it out for yourself.”

Photo by AP.

Parents Upset About Cindy Sheehan's Protest

I fully support Sheehan's right to protest, but she has no right to use the names of other young men to support her stance.

Apparently, a Central Texas couple spotted their son's name on a white cross that Ms. Sheehan had erected in her media/protest camp. Matt and Toni Matula did not want their son, Matthew''s name used in association with an anti-war demonstration.

"Matthew was very proud of being a Marine and proud of his unit and what they were doing," Toni Matula said.

"He's not a victim, he's a hero, and I think that everybody that's serving our country is heroes," Matt Matula said. "

He knew joining the Marines, his chances are, that was the purpose. His main number one job was to defend our country. He was very aware of that before he signed up," Toni Matula said.

"I went there and had Matthew's name taken off of there. It's fine for people to grieve their own way. It aggravates me to see them using other people's names to further their cause," Matt Matula said.

"For people to use his name against it is not what he died for. He died so that they can do that though," Toni Matula said.

The Matulas' youngest son recently joined the military and is also heading to Iraq.

NASA - Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

NASA has done it again!

NASA launched the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter from Cape Canaveral this morning.
Mars is 72 million miles from Earth today, but the spacecraft will travel more than four times that distance on its outbound-arc trajectory to intercept the red planet on March 10, 2006.

Photo by NASA (Tom Rogers)

Space Shuttle Discovery Landing

Discovery lands!
I set the alarm for really early this morning, in order to catch the landing in Florida. When that time and location was scrapped, I eagerly awaited the landing at Edwards Airforce Base. What a sight!

Welcome home!

Spectacular photo by NASA.

Man has family jewels locked up for two weeks...

Once upon a time, many years ago... I didn't understand men at all. Nine million dollars in therapy later, and I think I understand them (AND women) pretty well.

But just when you think you know the stupidest among them, you read about this guy, who had his testicles in a padlock for two (I beg your pardon... freakin') weeks!

The "family jewels" of one Brentwood man recently were locked up for two weeks - literally.
On Saturday, July 30, at about 3:40 a.m., Brentwood police assisted ambulance and rescue personnel with a 39-year-old man with a padlock on his testicles.

According to police, the man, who police are not identifying, was intoxicated when they arrived on scene.

The man reported that the padlock had been on his testicles for two weeks. Cpl. H.D. Wood IV said the man reported that a friend put the lock on his testicles. He was allegedly severely intoxicated and passed out. He told police that when he woke up the padlock was placed around top his scrotum and his friend was gone.

"Never in my 13 years have I seen anything like this," Wood said.

The man reported to police that he allegedly attempted to remove the padlock with a hacksaw after the key broke off inside the lock.

He was taken to Exeter Hospital, where a locksmith was called to remove the lock.

The hospital reported that the man was treated and released without sustaining lasting injury.

The Brentwood Fire Department would not comment on the incident, citing patient confidentiality.

The motive for the incident is still undetermined, police said.

"At this point we are not sure if it was a prank, or if it was an intentional act, or something
done during a sexual act," Wood said.

The incident is under investigation.

Fingers Crossed, Prayers Whispered... Shuttle Returns Tomorrow

The Columbia accident was sickening and traumatizing. Remnants were found in my hometown, and the huge tires fell to the ground on a friend's farm. It is a day that remains etched in my memory, and it causes me to worry... and pray.

I found this on ABC News Online:

NASA upbeat about shuttle's return
Discovery astronauts have enjoyed their final scheduled day in space and are preparing for the shuttle's return to earth's atmosphere, the anxious phase that doomed space shuttle Columbia in 2003.
The weather forecast for the shuttle's scheduled arrival at Kennedy Space Centre in Florida today is for light winds and a slim chance of showers.
Entry flight director LeRoy Cain has cautioned that forecasts can be wrong and that the shuttle will not land in rain but said: "I see a pretty straightforward [weather] situation lining up on Monday."
The space agency has pronounced the shuttle fit to withstand the burning descent into the earth's atmosphere that shattered Columbia on February 1, 2003.
Mr Cain admitted the first return home since that tragedy, which killed seven astronauts, will bring butterflies to his stomach until the spacecraft safely rolls to a stop.
He says, however, that NASA cannot dwell on Columbia's failure.
"We're looking forward, we're not looking back," he said.

Brilliant trail
After 13 days in orbit, Discovery is set to begin its descent at 5:40pm AEST and land at 6:47pm AEST.
A second landing time of 8:22pm AEST is available if the first attempt is called off.
The first re-entry path would take Discovery over Central America and Cuba, where its brilliant trail of superheated plasma would be visible in the darkness.
The later time slot would put it over southern Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula.
Alternate runways in California and New Mexico will be considered if landing is pushed back to Tuesday or Wednesday.

Landing practice
The astronauts inspected Discovery on Sunday and made pre-landing preparations before their sleep shift.
Commander Eileen Collins and pilot Jim 'Vegas' Kelly checked flight control systems and practised landings on a laptop computer.
"Discovery is in absolutely great shape," Commander Collins said in a media interview from space on Sunday, which was a partial day off for the seven-person crew.
"I'm pretty confident about the entry and I'm thinking about the landing."
Commander Collins said she had thoroughly enjoyed the mission.
"The earth is absolutely beautiful. We're having a great time with the crew," she said.
"We've done a little bit of everything on this flight and so happy to have done it, but it's time to come home and keep working on getting the shuttle better and ready to fly in the future, and time to see our families again."

Safety upgrades
Columbia was a few minutes from landing in Florida when it broke apart over Texas as superheated gases generated by re-entry penetrated its structure through a hole in the wing heat shield.
The wing had been struck by a briefcase-sized piece of insulating foam that broke loose from its external fuel tank at launch 16 days before.
NASA spent two-and-a-half years and $US1 billion making safety upgrades.
"I guess you almost have to thank the Columbia crew. The sacrifice they made allowed us to get a lot smarter about it," Mr Kelly said.
Discovery's flight began badly when loose tank foam like that which doomed Columbia was seen coming from the orbiter at the July 26 launch.
NASA quickly suspended further shuttle flights until the foam problem is solved.
Then, photographic and laser inspections of the shuttle in space, conducted for the first time as part of the new safety regime, showed minor nicks to Discovery's heat shield, two protruding cloth strips from its belly and a rip in an insulating cloth near the commander's window.
Only the protruding strips were deemed hazardous enough to warrant a fix so Dr Robinson went on an unprecedented spacewalk to remove them. He pulled them out with his gloved hand.
The damage issues overshadowed Discovery's accomplishments, which included a resupply of the International Space Station and a fix of broken gyroscopes that keep the station positioned properly.
The shuttle left the station on Saturday.
The last successful landing occurred in December 2002, when Endeavor returned safely to Florida after astronauts worked on the space station and switched out its crew.
-Reuters

A Feel Good Story... Russian Sub Rescue

This from the Boston Herald :

British team saves Russian sub crewBy Associated PressSunday, August 7, 2005 - Updated: 08:35 AM ESTPETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, Russia - Seven crew members aboard a Russian minisubmarine trapped for three days beneath the Pacific Ocean were pulled to safety early today after a British remote-controlled vehicle cut away the undersea cables that had snarled it, Russian naval officials said.
Naval spokesman Capt. Igor Dygalo said the crew appeared to be in satisfactory condition and were being examined by ship medics.
The sub was raised after becoming stranded in 600 feet of water off the Pacific Coast on Thursday.
``The rescue operation has ended,'' Rear Adm. Vladimir Pepelyayev, deputy head of the navy's general staff, said in televised comments.
A Russian naval spokesman who asked not to be named said the AS-28 made an emergency surfacing and appeared on the water at around 4:26 p.m. local time.
A British remote-controlled Super Scorpio cut away the cables that had snarled the mini-submarine some 625 feet below the surface off the shore of the Kamchatka Peninsula.
With the stranded crew's oxygen dwindling, rescuers raced to bring the 44-foot-long craft to the surface in Beryozovaya Bay, about 10 miles off Kamchatka's east coast.
Russian authorities had hoped the British unmanned submersible could help free the sub and avoid losing a sub crew as they did with the Kursk nuclear submarine, which sank five years ago, killing all 118 aboard.

A080605 Randommemo

1. woke to the news that it would again be raining south of I-10 and for the first time I accepted it as truth. I can tell you, I live just north of I-10 and we had sunshine all day.
2. got a call from my neighbor and friend. her house sold this week. :-(
3. washed clothes. boy was that fun.
4. caught up with LC and Stephen on Laguna Beach. He evidently stayed overnight, and LC made him breakfast... but before he left, he asked if she would make him breakfast again some time... O, and the preview to the next episode... looks like they might hook up again!
5. caught up with the latest episodes of Being Bobby Brown, Real World and Big Brother.
6. hopped channels and was able to catch the restaurant scene in When Harry Met Sally. ;-)
7. ate breakfast for dinner. and then had to clean the kitchen.
8. got asked out on a date! will update, later.
9. spoiled the dog all day, but tonight, she really tested my patience.
10. chatted with CT about various things, including the case and animal insanity.
11. watched Geraldo who wasn't Geraldo tonight.

080505 Randommemo

1. woke up less late.
2. arrived at work less late.
3. encouraged a friend to compete in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon next June. i think i'll go to San Francisco to cheer him on! ;-)
4. replied to an email by DDFL about the possibility of going to see Must Love Dogs tomorrow.
5. went to see Wedding Crashers with my friend and fellow Owen groupie.
6. decided Owen IS really cute in a hempish... errrr... impish sort of way.
7. spent more than 50% more on concessions than the ticket cost me.
8. left the theatre under dark clouds. radio informed me that there were bad thunderstorms expected south of I-10. wondered how they knew that I-10 provided a good barrier.
9. stormed on me on the west loop, but once over the I-10 overpass... sunny skies.
10. i thought... wow.
11. miss c must have forgotten that i come home early on fridays. i caught her sleeping.
12. watched dr. phil but he was pretty boring today, but he announced that his new season, coming soon, will change the world. wondered how.
13. oprah was a boring re-run that i had already seen. hoped her new season would also change the world.
14. researched the aruban rave culture and miscellaneous drug cartels.
15. let the dog in and out and in and out and in and out and in and out... and suspected it was a game with her.
16. thought about having breakfast for supper, but think a pb&j sandwich would be quicker and less messy.

The Constitution and Equality

This from the L.A. Times:

Roberts' Gay Bias Case Role Debated

Roberts' Gay Bias Case Role Debated
Report of nominee's work on behalf of activists unsettles some notions of the jurist.
By Maura Reynolds, Times Staff Writer

WASHINGTON — Supporters and opponents of Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr. were caught off guard Thursday by news that he once had worked behind the scenes to help gay rights activists win a key case before the nation's highest court.

Debate erupted on conservative and liberal websites, with partisans on both sides asking whether Roberts' assistance was an aberration from his conservative record or a sign that his views might be less ideological than commonly thought.

Social conservatives expressed dismay about his participation in the case but said they were not convinced it amounted to an endorsement of gay rights, which they strongly opposed.

"While this is certainly not welcome news to those of us who advocate for traditional values, it is by no means a given that John Roberts' personal views are reflected in his involvement in this case," according to a statement by the political arm of Focus on the Family, a national organization of conservative Christians. "That's what lawyers do — represent their firm's clients, whether they agree with what those clients stand for or not.

"Some of Roberts' conservative supporters denounced the focus on the case as an effort to set Republicans against each other.

It "is a red herring meant to divide the right," said Sean Rushton, executive director of the Committee for Justice, which helps coordinate strategy on judicial nominations for conservative groups.

Similarly, liberal activists said the revelation did not temper their concern that Roberts was less supportive of civil rights than they would like.

"A primary issue for us is to what degree, if any, this work reflects on the judicial philosophy Judge Roberts would bring to the Supreme Court," said Kevin Cathcart, executive director of Lambda Legal, a major gay rights advocacy group.

Cathcart said his group remained concerned about Roberts' "much more extensive advocacy of positions that we oppose.

"The White House sought to play down Roberts' participation in the case, Romer vs. Evans. The Supreme Court in 1996 voted, 6 to 3, to strike down a voter-approved Colorado initiative that would have allowed employers and landlords to exclude gays from jobs and housing.

Roberts, then a lawyer at the Washington firm of Hogan & Hartson, helped gay rights activists prepare arguments against the initiative as part of his firm's pro bono work.

Roberts did not mention his work on the case in responding to a Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire that asked for examples of his pro bono work. Roberts' involvement was first reported Wednesday by the Los Angeles Times.

Jean Dubofsky, the lead lawyer for gay rights activists challenging the Colorado initiative, told The Times that Roberts gave her "absolutely crucial" advice on how to argue the case before the Supreme Court.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Roberts spent less than 10 hours on the case, compared with more than 200 hours he spent on two pro bono cases on which he was the lead counsel.

"There is clearly a difference" between his assistance in the Colorado case and his other pro bono work, Perino said.

Still, the revelation is awkward for both sides in the political battle over Roberts, now a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. President Bush nominated him in late July to succeed Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who is retiring.

Some conservative activists have expressed concerns that Roberts may become an "unreliable" justice like David H. Souter or Anthony M. Kennedy, who were appointed by Republican presidents but who have not consistently supported conservative positions on the bench.

Roberts' role in the Colorado case could fuel such worries.

But Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform and a prominent GOP activist, said withdrawing support of Roberts over his participation in the case would be wrongheaded.

"The whole case that conservatives have been trying to make is that your personal feelings ought not to count" when you rule from the bench, Norquist said.

Some liberal activists consider Roberts to be more of a conservative ideologue than he acknowledges, citing in particular his work in the Reagan administration to limit school busing and other programs that sought to promote civil rights.

Roberts' work on behalf of the gay activists would be inconsistent with that view of him.

"I'm interested in seeing his involvement in this [Colorado] case, but it doesn't diminish our overall concern," said Nan Aron, president of the liberal Alliance for Justice. "A picture is just beginning to emerge of his views, but it's too early to make an overall assessment of his judicial philosophy.

"Norman J. Ornstein, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who is an expert on relations between the White House and Congress, said news of the Colorado case "reinforces the notion that the guy is a lawyer's lawyer.

"He added: "To whatever degree people are trying to view Roberts as an ideologue whose first instinct is to take his worldview and impose it on whatever decision he's taking — this cuts against it."

The result, Ornstein said, is that the controversy is likely to help Roberts win more support from moderates.

Roberts' involvement in the case means he can "put himself in someone else's shoes," Ornstein said. "That is something that has distinguished the more careful and modest justices from the more expansive, wide-ranging and reckless ones.

"Many conservatives said they wanted to know more about why Roberts agreed to help in the case and whether he did so out of conviction or courtesy to a colleague.

Jay Sekulow, who is helping the administration promote Roberts' nomination, said he had spent time Thursday explaining to concerned conservatives that lawyers often consulted with other lawyers on cases, regardless of their personal convictions.

"A lot of people are commenting who don't know about Supreme Court practice. There's a high degree of collegiality," said Sekulow, who is chief counsel for the conservative American Center for Law and Justice.

Walter A. Smith Jr., the partner at Hogan & Hartson who ran the firm's pro bono program, said that Roberts took part in the firm's initial meeting to consider accepting the case and that his participation, as in all of the firm's pro bono cases, was voluntary.

"Anyone who didn't want to work on a case for whatever matter, they didn't have to," Smith said. "He was in on the takeoff and he was in on the landing and was helpful in both.

"From a lawyer's point of view, Smith said, the Colorado case was more about equal protection than about gay rights.

He said the crucial issue for Roberts — and eventually for the Supreme Court — was whether the Colorado initiative took away ordinary rights and legal protections from a disadvantaged group, whether a sexual, racial or social minority.

"From a lawyer's point of view, it presented an equal protection question," Smith said. "Does such a law violate the equal protection clause of the Constitution? To that extent, it was not a gay rights issue."

You can't make this up...

I found this on freerepublic.com.

It seeems that Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris has fenced off a famous tomb to prevent lewd acts being performed on a statue.

It seems that the reclined statue of a 19th Century journalist, Victor Noir (whose real name was Yvan Salman) is very popular with women, partly due to his reputation as a romantic figure, and partly... just because.

Noir was killed by Pierre Bonaparte, a great-nephew of the Emperor Napoleon, the day before he was to marry.

Along with the fence there is a new sign that warns: "Any damage caused by graffiti or indecent rubbing will be prosecuted."

Wedding Crashers... My Review

Along with my good friend and fellow Owen groupie, I saw Wedding Crashers today.

We both loved it, and laughed our way through until some poignant moments brought a little mistiness.

It's a great movie. I highly recommend it. Take your irreverent sense of humor with you!

The movie has great casting (including Dwight Yoakum and Henry Gibson!). Check out his list that I found on IMDB:


Owen Wilson .... John Beckwith
Vince Vaughn .... Jeremy Grey
Christopher Walken .... Secretary Cleary
Rachel McAdams .... Claire Cleary
Isla Fisher .... Gloria Cleary
Jane Seymour .... Kathleen Cleary
Ellen Albertini Dow .... Grandma Mary Cleary
Keir O'Donnell .... Todd Cleary
Bradley Cooper .... Sack Lodge
Ron Canada .... Randolph
Henry Gibson .... Father O'Neil
Dwight Yoakam .... Mr. Kroeger
Rebecca De Mornay .... Mrs. Kroeger
David Conrad .... Trap
Jennifer Alden .... Christina Cleary (as Jenny Alden)

In no particular order, here are some of my favorite lines:

Mrs. Kroeger: You shut your mouth when you're talking to me!

John: Hey, listen. What angle are you going to play here?
Jeremy: I am going to go with the balloon animal display. For the kids. And then when she comes near, guess who is the broken man, haunted past? How about you?


John: I am going to go dance with the little flower girl. Oh, and I might be a chartered member of Oprah's book club.

Jeremy: Todd, I notice you haven't even touched your food.
Todd: I don't each fish or meat.
Grandma Cleary: He's a homo.
Claire: Actually Todd is an amazing painter. He goes to the Rhode Island School of Design.
John: Wow, RISD, that's awesome Todd. Well done!
Todd: Yeah, Dad, Dad always thought I would be a political liability in case he ever ran for President.
Secretary Cleary: Now, now Todd. Actually polling shows that most people would ultimately be empathetic with our situation.
Todd: What is our situation, Dad?
Grandma Cleary: You are a homo.

John: Kindly leave!

John: I'd like to be cowboys from Texas or pimps from Oakland but it's not Hallowe'en. Stop messing around; Peter Pan, Count Chocula.

Jeremy: Please don't take a turn to negative town.

Janice: I've got the perfect girl for you!
Jeremy: [sigh] Janice, I apologize to you if I don't seem real eager to jump into a forced awkward intimate situation that people like to call dating. I don't like the feeling. You're sitting there, you're wondering do I have food on my face, am I eating, am I talking too much, are they talking enough, am I interested I'm not really interested, should I play like I'm interested but I'm not that interested but I think she might be interested but do I want to be interested but now she's not interested? So all of the sudden I'm getting, I'm starting to get interested... And when am I supposed to kiss her? Do I have to wait for the door cause then it's awkward, it's like well goodnight. Do you do like that ass-out hug? Where you like, you hug each other like this and your ass sticks out cause you're trying not to get too close or do you just go right in and kiss them on the lips or don't kiss them at all? It's very difficult trying to read the situation. And all the while you're just really wondering are we gonna get hopped up enough to make some bad decisions? Perhaps play a little game called "just the tip". Just for a second, just to see how it feels. Or, ouch, ouch you're on my hair.
Janice: Okay...

Jeremy: Tattoo on the lower back? Might as well be a bullseye.

Jeremy: I got a stage five. Virgin. Clinger.

Jeremy: [speaking to the priest] This girl's fit for a straight-jacket. I mean she's three ways f*cked to the weekend. But you know what, Father? I dig it!

Jeremy: She's not answering your calls, not replying to your letters. God only knows what happened to the kitten you got for her. 'Cause you know she's not raising it and I know you're not raising the goddamn thing.

Jeremy: I'm gonna go see Dr. Finklestein and I'm gonna tell him we have a whole new bag of issues. We can forget about mom for a while.

John: You know how they say we only use 10 per cent of our brains? I think we only use 10 per cent of our hearts.

John: Don't waste your time on girls with hats. They're all very prim and proper.
Jeremy: Yeah? Well, the proper girl in the hat just eye-f*cked the sh%t out of me.
Jeremy: I'm not going to apologize for being a cocksman. [gets glares from wedding guests]
John: [to wedding guests] Tourette's.

John: You look beat. Soft mattress?
Jeremy: Soft mattress? Yeah, it could have been the soft mattress. Or the midnight rape. Or the nude gay art show that took place in my room last night. One of those three probably contributed to the lack of sleep.


Jeremy: Wow. Mr. Environmental is also a hunter. That's an interesting combination.
Sack: I hunt quail, Jeremy. They're overpopulated in this region and they're decimating the grubworm population. You got a f*cking problem with that?
Jeremy: Not as much as I do with your attire, or just your general point of view toward everybody here. But hey, lets go kill some birds. I'm psyched.


Jeremy: Have you ever shot one of these things before?
John: The whole 17 years we've known each other I've been sneaking off to go on little hunting trips around the world. No, I don't even know what the fuck a quail is!
Jeremy: I look totally ridiculous. Like why do I have to be in camouflage? So the big bad quail doesn't see me?
John: I know. Why can't we hunt something cool like a hawk or an eagle, something with some talons?
Jeremy: That'd be awesome. We could get something like big game. Even like a gorilla or a rhinoceros or a fucking human being! That'll get you jacked up.
John: That's a little heavy.
Jeremy: I mean like, hunt a human being right now, "Most Dangerous Game". Like a worthy adversary. Not a human being that's armed, but a clever, a clever, human being who knows the jungle. Or the woods.

080405 Randommemo

1. woke at 430am, pleased that I had 30 more minutes in bed.
2. woke (2nd x) at 655am, due at work in 5 minutes, displeased that i had forgotten to set the alarm.
3. lost my keys. found them in my hand.
4. had a devil of a time getting on the freeway... stalled truck and trailer in the lane i needed to be in.
5. mid-morning, thought about strangling an engineer (figuratively, of course).
6. opted to pull a large clump of hair out instead (MINE, not his!).
7. went to lunch with MMSP.
8. had a greasy burger at a health nut restaurant.
9. received appalling glances.
10. re-named the guy who cut me off on the freeway on the way home. can't repeat the name, but bet he's been called that before.
11. watched ng and swore i never would again.
12. she's STILL calling him "JOE-SEE".
13. chatted with CT, WE and MARU and watched GRETA on the side.
14. decided the world is a place that is rife with corruption, scandal, crime, mystery... and really good friends to mull it all over with.

Martha's House Arrest Extension... It's NOT a good thing.

ATV + YOGA + BOOKSHOP = THREE WEEKS

Thanks to the New York Post, that published an exclusive photo of Martha riding around the grounds of her home on an ATV, as well as an article alleging that she had attended a yoga class with her daughter, and then shopped for books next door... Martha will be confined to House Arrest for three more weeks.

Martha, who turned 64 this week, was due to turn her bracelet in next Wednesday. The extension runs through the end of August.

If you're appalled at this collossal waste of your federal tax dollar, and believe that Martha has been treated unfairly from the get-go, you might consider visiting the good folks at Save Martha. In addition to raw emotion and humor, you'll find a nice selection of "M-Diddy" attire and accessories!

Anniston on Brangelina

This photo and the following text are from MSN - News - Gossip, regarding life after Pitt (I'm afraid if I only link to it, it will lead to a dead end, soon):

Jennifer Aniston could have been forgiven if she'd taken the bitter ex route in her first post-breakup interview by laying the blame for her split with Brad Pitt on the Angelina Jolie factor. Instead, she takes the high road and says, despite everything, her soon-to-be ex-hubby is "a fantastic man."

"I don't regret any of it, and I'm not going to beat myself up about it," Jen, 36, diplomatically tells Vanity Fair in the in-depth sit-down. "We spent seven very intense years together...a beautiful, complicated relationship."

The actress says she believes Pitt's assertion that he did not pursue a relationship with Jolie before their separation in January, but admits the aftermath hasn't always been easy.
"Am I lonely? Yes. Am I upset? Yes. Am I confused? Yes. Do I have my days when I've thrown a little pity party for myself? Absolutely. But I'm also doing really well," she says.

Still, when the interviewer mentions a rumor about Pitt and Jolie possibly starting a family, Aniston reportedly looks stricken and breaks into tears that last for several minutes.

Jennifer adamantly denies the oft-repeated claim that their marriage unraveled because Pitt, 41, who is now reportedly shacking up with Jolie, 30, her son Maddox, 3, and her newly adopted daughter Zahara at his Malibu mansion, wanted a family and she didn't.

"A man divorcing would never be accused of choosing career over children," rants the star, who reveals that she had planned to spend the last year pregnant. "That really p***ed me off. I've never in my life said I don't want children. I did and I do and I will! The women that inspire me are the ones who have careers and children; why would I want to limit myself? I've always wanted to have children, and I would never give up that experience for a career. I want to have it all."

Jen 'fesses up to being hurt by paparazzi pics that captured Brad spending quality time with Angelina and Maddox on a beach in Kenya.

"The world was shocked and I was shocked," she says. "I'd be a robot if I said I didn't feel moments of anger, of hurt, of embarrassment."

Aniston continues, "I can't say it was one of the highlights of my year. Who would deal with that and say, 'Isn't that sweet! That looks like fun!'? But [bleep] happens. You joke and say, 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.'"

She also wasn't a fan of the 60-page W spread in which Brangelina posed as bored suburban parents.

"There's a sensitivity chip that's missing [in him]," Aniston explains. "I can ... imagine Brad having absolutely no clue why people would be appalled by it."
The actress says she's still single and is fine with it, explaining, "I like a lot of people, but I am sooo not 'in like' with anybody."

But she believes another relationship will come in time: "I am really enjoying being by myself. I'm excited that I know there's somebody out there for me, but I am absolutely in no rush. This is all very fresh, very new. This was a 7-year relationship that was very dear, very complicated, very special. I need to honor it."

While the ex-squeezes are no longer speaking (the divorce will likely be finalized in the fall), Jen does seem to have achieved a bit of closure.

"I love Brad. I will love him for the rest of my life," she admits. "I really do hope that someday we can be friends again."

And like any good friend, Jennifer isn't afraid to speak the truth, taking a light-hearted dig at Pitt's lightened locks: "Billy Idol called -- he wants his look back."

This issue of Vanity Fair hits stands August 9th.

See also 'The Today Show' coverage on Aniston's interview

Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest

Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest
Dept. of English & Comparative Literature
San Jose State University
One Washington SquareSan Jose, CA 95192

"An international literary parody contest, the competition honors the memory (if not the reputation) of Victorian novelist Edward George Earl Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873). The goal of the contest is childishly simple: entrants are challenged to submit bad opening sentences to imaginary novels."

My personal favorite, and it has nothing to do with the four fine years I spent in College Station, Texas(!):

Winner: Detective

Patricia wrote out the phrase 'It was a dark and stormy night' exactly seventy-two times, which was the same number of times she stabbed her now quickly-rotting husband, and the same number of pages she ripped out of 'He's Just Not That Into You' by Greg Behrendt to scatter around the room -- not because she was obsessive compulsive, or had any sentimental attachment to the number seventy-two, but because she'd always wanted to give those quacks at CSI a hard time.

Kari A. Stiller
College Station, TX

Check out the rest of the 2005 Results! It's a fun read!