Let's get this over with.

Threats are being made that if Saddam Hussein is executed the United States will be targeted for more attacks.

I would think if the USA would grow some "orbital fortitude" this could be taken care of in a matter of weeks.

Target every single mosque in Iraq and let the terrorists know they are targeted. Let them know that for every American death, a mosque will disappear from the landscape and then follow through with it.

Not fair to target religion you say?? Well if we are attacked in the name of a religious jihad, the religious icons need to be removed. If there really are moderate Muslims out there, maybe they should come forward and stop those that have supposedly "hijacked their religion"

MN Gophers are giving up???

The Grand Forks Herald said today:

"The University of Minnesota won't compete against UND in any sport except men's and women's hockey because of UND's continued use of the Fighting Sioux nickname, the school's athletic director said Monday."

Well, if ya can't beat 'em on the playing field, beat on 'em in the boardroom?

Angels at the post office.

This came in an email today:

A friend forwarded this to me and it's such an adorable little story that I had to forward it on....

Our dog Abbey died Aug. 23, and the day after Abbey died, my 4 year old, Meredith, was SO upset. She wanted to write a letter to God so that God would recognize Abbey in heaven. She told me what to write, and I did.

Then she put 2 pictures of Abbey in the envelope. We addressed it to God in Heaven, put two stamps on it (because, as she said, it could be a long way to heaven). We put our return address on it, and I let her put it in the drop box at the post office that afternoon. She was absolutely sure that letter would get to heaven, and I wasn't about to disillusion her.

So today is Labor Day. We took the kids to the museum in Austin, and when we came home, there was a package wrapped in gold on our front porch. It was addressed to Mer. So, she took it inside and opened it.

Inside was a book, When Your Pet Dies, by Mr. Rogers (Fred Rogers). On the front cover was the letter we had written to God, in its envelope (opened). On the opposite page was one of the pictures of Abbey taped on the page. On the back page was the other picture of Abbey, and this handwritten note on pink paper:

"Dear Mer,
I know that you will be happy to find out that Abbey
arrived safely and soundly in heaven. Having the
pictures you sent to me was a big help! I recognized
Abbey right away!

You know, Mer, she isn't sick anymore. Her spirit
is here with me (-just like it stays in your heart-)
young and running and playing. Abbey loved being
your dog, you know. Since we don't need our
bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep
things in-- so I am sending you your beautiful letter
back with the pictures--so that you will have this little
memory book to keep.

One of my angels is taking care of this for me. I hope
this little book will help. Thank you for your beautiful
letter. Thank your mother for sending it. What a wonderful
mother you have. I picked her especially for you.

God blesses you every day and remember, I love you
very much. By the way, I am in heaven and everywhere
there is love.

Signed,
God, and one of his special angels (who wrote this letter
after God told HER the words)."

How wonderful is that! I never knew there were angels working the post office!

keep yer eyes dry !

C. Y.

Here's my solution to:
#1, what to do with smiley? see 2E's Blog and VOD's Blog and
#2 What to do with the Gateway entrance to GF? see 2E's Blog again.

How many cities have a landmark water tower held up by their namesake Grand "Forks"?

Just bow out or . . . . . .

It's now Sunday afternoon and I've been gone for a few days. Had or maybe still have bronchitis so can hardly talk (as if anyone is listening) and I'm really tired. After this past month or so I was thinking about dumping this blog. It's not like there is any information here that can't be found anywhere else. The only real reason for this was to be able to post comments on a couple of blogs that don't allow anonymous comments and like this couldn't be anonymous anyway. :-)

Even though it's been interesting to spread a little discontent on a few blogs, it's only a small, very, very small, item in the whole grand scheme of things. It's not like we will change each other's minds, it's more like giving our side to the post via a comment.

If you wonder about the avatar at my comments or the photo in my profile , they are two of our dogs. This hound has let me support him on numerous searches, the most recent was Thurs, Fri & Sat on the Red Lake Indian Reservation and before that, near Fourtown, MN. As a team, we are only two of many searchers, with & without dogs, that have been involved in trying to bring some closure to these families. You have to be affected when you deal directly, face to face, with people that have come together, to help someone, even on a day of Thanksgiving. Interacting with the victim's families also has an affect.
And then come home and read the blogs.

I like the blogs that pass on info. That expand on info available elsewhere. Of course, those things that interest me are what I pay more attention to, just as I suppose other things interest others. Some blogs seem like they are just there to expose what they think are injustices and I guess they are interesting too, but I think they suffer more from a lack of facts than lack of justice.

What is the point?

Well it's all interesting but what's interesting? Where does it all fit in the grand scheme of things? Big deal if there's a new restaurant coming to town, but I've met a couple of families that won't be together again to even eat at the same table.

There's always a place for everyone and their thoughts, but we can't take ourselves too serious.

Even those of us that spread a little discontent.

Something completely different.

(stole a line from Monty Python)

I'm sick of politics. They make everyone "irritable" and "testy." Including me. Especially me and I tend to take it out on blog comment sections. (some are just plain fun though) Political commercials get sickening when seen/heard over & over. At least "2E" at the City Beat had a few humerous ones linked on his blog.

I know John Kerry was attempting a joke, but I also know it was one of the stupidist things I've heard this entire political season. Why did everyone jump on his case? For the same reason Quayle get so much crap about his spelling. It's politics and if a Republican had said it there would have been an earthquake while the main stream media types stampeded to tell the world instead of apologizing for Kerry's mistake.

NOW for the something completely different.

My father has been in and out of an assisted living facility and a couple of nursing homes in the GF area. We are extremely lucky as he prepared for just such a thing with insurance and savings so that isn't as big a problem as it could be. (Not that it has anything to do with the following.)

What I'd like to bring up, is the people that work in these facilities. It has to take a special person to work at this day after day. Like anywhere else, there's always a couple of patronizing personalities, but for the most part, our experience has been positive. I'd especially like to mention Tufte Manor and the Northwood Deaconess Health Center and the staff at both places. Smiles all over the place while I know they constantly deal with the very things that brought us to bring our elders to their facillity in the first place. And it's everyone. Not just at the front desk where it's expected, it's the person running the vacuum cleaner, delivering the laundry, nursing staff and aides.

I'm sure none of you get the credit you deserve.

My hat's off to you folks as I know I couldn't do it.

Thank you,

Happy Halloween

Click for Halloween Humor

Denmark an Example After Transfat Ban

Excerpted from here

Two years ago Denmark declared war on killer fat, making it illegal for any food to have more than 2 percent transfats. Offenders now face hefty fines _ or even prison terms. The result? Today hardly anyone notices the difference.

The french fries are still crispy. The pastries are still scrumptious. And the fried chicken is still tasty.

Denmark's experience offers a hopeful example for places like Canada and the U.S. state of New York, which are considering setting limits on the dangerous artery-clogging fats.

Transfatty acids are typically added to processed foods such as cookies, margarine and fast food. They are cheaper to produce than mono-saturated fats, and give a longer shelf life to the foods they are added to.

Producers also argue that removing transfat from processed food will change certain tastes and textures beloved by consumers.

But they have been called the tobacco of the nutrition world. They lower good cholesterol while raising bad cholesterol.

Even consuming less than five grams of transfat _ the amount found in one piece of fried chicken and a side of french fries _ a day has been linked with a 25 percent increased risk of heart disease.

"No other fat at these low levels of intake, has such harmful effects," said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist at Harvard's School of Public Health.

It is still too early to tell if removing transfat from food in Denmark has improved the country's health.

----read the rest of the article--------------------

Wow, now the "I know what's good for you!" crowd will have something to bow down to.

Just can't wait.

Forced Wind Power

Dexter Perkins speaks w/Doreen Yellowbird in the Grand Forks Herald about the 20/20 Initiative


My question:
The City 20/20 Renewable Electricity Initiative folks appear to have put in a lot of work on this. Do they actually think it will be a good thing to force relatively small areas like Grand Forks or Fargo to enter into an experiment on renewable energy?

Renewable Wind Energy is a good thing and will eventually become a big thing in ND. At this time we just don't need it forced upon a city here and there. I think it's a "Divide and conquer thing."

Using the Resource Library from the City 20/20 Renewable Electricity Initiative web site do some research.

There is even a National Wind Coordinating Committee with a web site.

I found the power companies have been looking at renewable energy sources for quite some time but have found there are some hurdles to overcome.

For example, storing power when the wind isn't blowing enough and transmission lines from areas where wind works best to where it is needed. Neither of these are done cheaply and who pays? (The end user, of course.) Other items concerning wind generating are wildlife, interaction with aviation radar, and noise.

In an excerpt from the interview, Dexter talks about the power companies:

"They give you the worst scenarios about worst possible outcomes; it's always worst-possible outcomes. They don't mention the corresponding scenarios of best possible outcomes."

That's how businesses make decisions, by looking at both sides. I suppose the 20/20 Initiative folks have given us "balanced outcomes?"

I see Dexter is from Boston, and here is an article on Boston's Wind Energy Project . Now, I understand why the 20/20 Initiative tackles small state cities.

Nobel Peace Prize < -- > Cindy Sheehan In the same sentence???

Sheehan holds Austin book signing

(Linked here)


11:41 AM CDT on Thursday, October 12, 2006

By SHELTON GREEN / KVUE News

The president's most vocal critic against the war in Iraq was in the Capitol City Wednesday night.
KVUE Online Video

KVUE's Shelton Green reports

Cindy Sheehan was at BookPeople on Lamar & 6th Street signing autographs for her new book entitled "Peace Mom".

Sheehan's son, Casey Sheehan died while on patrol in Iraq on April 4th, 2005.

“Whether you agree with it or not I think we should all be reading books by the families of people who've loss their sons and daughters in this war,” said Turk Pipkin who was buying one of Sheehan’s books.

His mother bought a house in Crawford where she and her supporters often protests near President George Bush's ranch.

"What I really hope to do with it is to inspire people to do what they can to make the world a better place and to let them know that one person really can make a difference," Cindy Sheehan.

Sheehan also announced at the signing that she's a finalist for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Doesn't say much for the credibility of the Peace Prize if it's true, but then again look at the source.
"Sheehan also announced at the signing that she's a finalist for a Nobel Peace Prize." in case you missed the last line

Assassination by news

First things first - I think Foley is a "low life"

Agreed?

Next thing - the main stream media makes accusations as they discover them. When they find out the news they printed in their headlines isn't quite true, they neglect to correct them in the headlines or most anywhere sometimes.

Example from Drudge:

SEX CHAT WAS WITH 18 YEAR OLD

On Tuesday ABC news released a high-impact instant message exchange between Foley and, as ABC explained, a young man "under the age of 18."

ABC headlined the story: "New Foley Instant Messages; Had Internet Sex While Awaiting House Vote"

But upon reviewing the records, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned, the young man was in fact over the age of 18 at the time of the exchange.

A network source explains, messages with the young man and disgraced former Congressman Foley took place before and after the 18th birthday.

Suppose ABC will print a correction?

Not holding my breath.

Can it be "both ways"????

The GF Herald columnist Doreen Yellowbird wants the ND Attorney General to "Represent everyone in the state."

linked here

"I'm uncomfortable that the attorney general of North Dakota is taking on a case against the American Indians in North Dakota. I say taking on a case against Indians because the lawsuit against the National Collegiate Athletic Administration over a mandate barring UND's use of the Fighting Sioux nickname is, for all intents and purposes, a suit against Indians, too."

The last time I checked the "Indians" are pretty much independant of ND. After all they have their own license plates, court system, etc. I think they are considered to be their own entity and I doubt Doreen wants to change that. Can't have it both ways.

Or maybe there aren't as many that feel as "uncomfortable" as Doreen does.

Numero Uno!

Gotta start somewhere.

This is it!