Hey SB

Here it is.......why did I pick it?

BTW, this view is Bunker from Pearl and the street at the top center is Mystic. Mystic is where I lived from the time I was 5 until I was 11. Traditionally I watch the parade from a spot near the top right of this picture. The next street going east from Mystic is Elm where we moved when I was 11.

Now, go down two posts and comment on the villainess thing.

Al-Zarqawi Bad Day Music Video

Israeli Soldier Gilad Shalit

So last night I'm listening to the BBC and they have a spokesperson from the UN lamenting the fact that the White House has not stated vigorously enough their opposition to Israel's current actions. Gee..........could that be because we applaud it. Sure, diplomats from the US are saying please don't break anything. But if they are anything like me, they are applauding Israel's actions. The current situation began when Hamas kidnapped a young Israeli soldier named Gilad Shalit. Militants are taunting Israel over this incident. Palestinians are taking to the streets holding signs applauding this crime. Israel's response.................they have taken the "terrier" aproach. They have Hamas and their supporters by the scruff of the neck and they are just going to shake them until they turn that kid loose. That's a perfect response to this crime. It's not war, it's crime. Just like any other crime syndicate kidnapping a cop would be dealt with. surround their hideout. Arrest their cohorts. Shut off the power and water. Send in the negotiator. I think it's great.

Villainess

In the madness that is "Superman Returns", which was very good by the way......Jen's boss has taken to signing his emails "L. Luthor". I need a good alter ego for my email signature. There is no really, truly stunning bad girl in Superman. Lex's girlfriend was not that bright, or brave, or hot. I want someone like Barbara Stanwyck in "Double Indemnity" She needs to be evil and look fabulous while she rips out the hero's heart. Stanwyck was good, but she is blonde. Lately, I am a redhead. I love how she looks at Fred McMurray, her partner in crime. You can see that she doesn't care who she takes down. Film noir is a genre filled with women I can soooooo identify with, lol. My grandmother used to refer to me as Veronica Lake because I tend to wear my hair in a way that makes it fall across my face. Veronica was elegant and she was treacherous, but.........not evil. She was a girl you could count on for a good "bad" time. But again, Veronica was a blond. Blondes might have more fun, but I enjoy the comments I get with this red hair. Red hair = trouble!

SouthieBoy told me once that I reminded him of Rita Hayworth.....which I llllllllloooooooooovvvvvvvvveeeeeee. She was a redhead and a bad girl, but is she evil enough?
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UPDATE
someone visited this morning at 8:40 amd left this comment.

Anonymous said...
Rita Hayworth, "stunning" to say the least. 7 out of 10 on the evil scale. Ms. Maggie is an 8.5 on a regular basis. (I would know). Although she can go higher when necessary so whatever you do, DON'T TEMPT HER !!

Friday, June 30, 2006 8:40:41 AM

I thought it was SouthieBoy and I replied with a sulky pout. Turns out it was not SB. I should have known better he would never use "Ms.".

So.......who is it?
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Frank's Knee

......is not broken. The second X-Ray confirmed that nothing was broken. So we are supposed ice and heat and elevate it. You know he's not. I caught him playing soccer. The pain has lessened, but the lump is still there. If it isn't gone in a week we go the MRI route.

I Must Have That Receipt Somewhere....

This day in history................

In 1853, the U.S. Senate ratified the $10 million Gadsden Purchase from Mexico, adding more than 29,000 square miles to the territories of Arizona and New Mexico and completing the modern geographical boundaries of the contiguous 48 states.

Someone might want to show that receipt to the "Reconquistas".

Superman

Jennifer has called and threatened my office staff with dire consequences if they do not chase me out of here by 1700 hours. Jen, Grace, Frank (my brother, not my son) and I are going to see Superman at the IMAX in Reading. Frank and Jen are big Superman fans. I can not be late.

Tuesday

My aunt Terence was a Sister of St. Joseph. She wielded enormous influence in my life. Once upon a time, many years ago, she suggested that I become a nun........ STOP LAUGHING.

Anyway, on days like today I have my regrets. Frankie called shortly before noon and told me that he thought he had broken his leg. I call the doctor, leave work, get him, go to the doctor and from there to the hospital. We wait an hour, they bring him in and X-Ray his leg. For some reason the X-Ray shows no damage (there is a visible lump just below his knee and it is painful). No one will speak directly to me because he is 18. He says "Let's go, this is stupid." We leave, the clerk chases us to the parking lot. They X-Rayed the wrong spot, please come back in. Frank says no. I know I missing important information here. It is hot. He is getting belligerent. No one has a satisfactory answer. We leave. I go back to work. Several hours later he cools to the point of reason. He is a hothead (no I don't know where he gets it) but he is in pain. We go back and he has more X-Rays. Now we wait for a call tomorrow.

I am relatively certain that had I become a nun I could have spent the afternoon sitting in a garden reading the Lives of The Saints or the the writings of St. Augustine. I recall the garden behind St. Columbkille's convent was lovely. It was lush and green with high walls and a fish pond.

I'm Glad I Don't Drink Coffee

Folgers - Happy Morning

This is incredibly disturbing. I don't know how I will sleep. I'm glad I don't drink coffee.

Thanks to The Anchoress and Buckley F. Williams.

Monday

I worked yesterday because I knew I was taking today off. We went to the new MS doctor. I liked him enormously. He listened, he joked, he answered questions, he seems very approachable. The old doctor was distant, distracted and judgemental. She was completely closed off from anything that didn't fit the mold. Jen is witholding judgement and that's a good thing. This is a big step, she should be cautious. He agreed with me about yoga and didn't seem to mind my presence or questions.I have never seen a waiting room quite like his. The views of Boston seemed more suited to a luxury condo or a 4 star hotel.

After the appointment we were going over to take my parents to lunch but they weren't home. Who cleared that plan? We drove all around Somerville and Charlestown trying to figure out what we wanted to do. Outback? Closed until 1600 hours. The Mount Vernon? Not unless Mama Kelley come back from the beyond and makes us take her. The Warren Tavern? I guess. We drive past my parents house,...no car. Hmmmmm. What if they are at the cottage? That would be ironic. Finally, sitting in City Square, we called Grace's house to see about going to the movies earlier than planned and find out what was in her fridge for lunch? The kids tell us she won't be there for another hour. The movie is in two hours. Perfect.

I ask if I can raid the "bird flu" supplies just to rile Grace up. She is ready for any service interruptions due to natural disaster or terrorist attack.
Toilet paper, bottled water, canned tuna. My father is prepared as well, although it's not a plan. He buys certain things in bulk from across the stateline where they are considerably cheaper.....her cigs, his Jack Daniels, her wine, their potato chips. Life is good. I have emergency M&Ms, and some bottled water but not enough to get me through six weeks. Jen has Fresca, Atkins shakes and several bottles of wine. We review our preparedness plans with Sgt. B and find we are woefully unprepared. He has all kinds of power, communication and transport options. He suggests a generator and rather than stockpiling beer, we should learn to make it so we have something to barter with.

I have decided that when whatever "it" is happens I will simply go to Washington and have Sgt.B take care of me. Afterall, he is Princess Crabby's Grand Vizier.

After stealing lunch and causing general chaos at Grace's, we decamp to the movie theater. Grace, her daughters Debbie (my goddaughter), Gen (Jen's goddaughter), Jen and I go to see "The Lake House"
We liked it.

So where were our parents? Seeing the earlier showing of "The Lake House". LOL

Fox News Sunday

I love the panel discussions on this show.

Brit Hume just spanked Congressman Ed Markey as adolescent.

Bill Kristol was asked point blank in the discussion of Iraqi insurgent amnesty his feelings about amnesty for those who kill American soldiers.

"As a practical matter, people who kill Americans should get killed."

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Bill also pointed out an important "never forget" moment. Today is the 10th anniversary of the Khobar Towers bombing.

June 25, 1996
These are the nineteen U.S. Air Force servicemen killed in the blast.

Captain Christopher Adams
Technical Sergeant Daniel B. Cafourek
Sergeant Millard D. Campbell
Senior Airman Earl R. Cartrette Jr
Captain Leland Haun
Technical Sergeant Patrick P. Fennig
Master Sergeant Michael G. Heiser
Staff Sergeant Kevin Johnson
Sergeant Ronald King
Master Sergeant Kendall K. Kitson
Airman 1st Class Christopher Lester
Airman 1st Class Brent E. Marthaler
Airman 1st Class Brian W. McVeigh
Airman 1st Class Peter W. Morgera
Technical Sergeant Thanh V. Nguyen
Airman 1st Class Joseph E. Rimkus
Airman 1st Class Justin Wood
Airman 1st Class Joshua E. Woody

Moderate Muslims

Here's a question that comes up in conservative circles. Where are the moderate Muslims? If Islam is a religion of peace, where are those who would speak out against extremist violence?

Two points I found interesting.

The first was in an article in this mornings New York Times about a forward thinking mosque in San Francisco.

"At the Darussalam mosque, the dispute over the wall was just one skirmish in a larger battle over the entire tenor of the mosque. Mr. Ghali and other leaders at the mosque fired an imam they deemed overly militant, not least because he wanted to make the barrier between the sexes even more pronounced. The imam went to court, winning more than $400,000 in a wrongful dismissal suit, and then opened a competing mosque around the corner, where the women still worship behind a wall."

There you go! Do the right thing and get spanked to the tune of 400 large!

Next was out on Yahoo news.

Why, then, the public silence?

"For some of the more than five dozen Muslims interviewed for this story in Amsterdam, Paris and London, it's a sense of shame, or even guilt, that innocents have been killed in the name of Islam; they say those feelings make them seek to be "invisible." For those lucky enough to have jobs, there is little time to protest or even write letters to newspapers. For others, there is fear of being branded anti-Islam in their communities."

I don't think that's a good enough answer. But since I perceive Yahoo to be left leaning, I'm impressed they are asking the question.

The El

Boston's mass transit system used to contain an extensive elevated train network. The last train on that network pulled into North Station on this day in 2004. The El was gone from Charlestown long before that. I remember The El clearly from my childhood and it was nothing like the historical societies describe it in it's heyday.

"For over a century, Bostonians had avoided the congested crowded streets below by riding trains carried on huge steel tracks. When the El was built in 1901, people were thrilled to pay the five-cent fare to travel in mahogany-paneled cars from one shiny station to another. But over time city officials and most residents came to see the once-elegant El as a noisy eyesore. Gradually elevated lines were replaced with subways, and the tracks were demolished. The final run of the Green Line trolley on the last half-mile of elevated track marked a milestone in the modernization of the nation's oldest subway system, and, at the same time, the end of an era."

I remember the "noisy, eyesore" part. Hanging on for dear life (but secretly thrilled) as the train careened through City Square on the big curve and headed for North Station. My mother and grandmother would take us "In Town" on "The El". It was always a big adventure. It was pretty much all gone by '75, my sophmore year in high school. We called the "Downtown Crossing" station "Washington", Mama Kelley called it "Winter/Summer". This is a view of Thompson Square.

Rescue Me

This show just slays me. Denis Leary says every mean thing I think. In this weeks episode he is rescuing children in a school bus crash.

A little girl says "My arm hurts." Tommy Gavin (Denis Leary) asks "Do you play sports?" The little girl says "No." Tommy hoists her up and tells her "Then the arm isn't an issue."

At one point we are watching Tommy argue on the phone with his sister Maggie as she announces her "rotation". I turn to Jen and say "It's not lost on me that her name is Maggie." We laugh, but Hey! I should be getting royalties!
This show pushes the limits. I never miss it.

Children of Paul Barry Memorial Fund

Some Shaw's supermarket locations in Massachusetts have a fundraising drive going on.

This week, six area Shaw's supermarkets will have canisters set up at every checkout register for people to donate money to the Barry family. Shaw's will match each store's total, up to $2,000.

The Shaw's program started Saturday, and by early afternoon, every jar at each of the six open checkout aisles at the Shaw's on Prospect Street in Milford was stuffed with dollars and coins

This is from a story at TownOnline.

Milford and Marshfield are two that are participating. Comment if you know of other locations. Thanks.

**BTW Do I need to tell you that I want you to empty your pockets in those canisters?**
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UPDATE - All Star Markets and Shaws Markets have donation canisters. Throw some cash in there!

Beer Ads

These are beer ads from Shepherd Neame for their Spitfire beer. Some people find them offensive. They should get over it.

So, I'm sitting at my desk having lunch, surfing and John the Armorer sends me over to Damian's blog where he has a post on these ads.


It's not just funny and smart, it's for a good cause.

Spitfire's success has soared since it was introduced as a charity beer in 1990, marking the 50th anniversary of RAF's defeat of the Luftwaffe. The beer's huge popularity has seen it raise over £100,000 for various charities to date (including the RAF Benevolent Fund).

King Phillip's War

Broke out on this day in 1675. Wampanoag warriors killed seven colonists in Swansea in retaliation for a series of injustices suffered at the hands of the English. This raid is generally considered the beginning of King Philip's War, a bloody conflict that would involve every New England colony and all the peoples of the Algonquian nation. Over the next year, members of the Abenaki, Narragansett, Nipmuc, and Wampanoag tribes attacked more than half of all the settlements in New England and reduced about a dozen towns in Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay colonies to ashes. By August of 1676, more than 600 settlers had died and 1,200 homes had been burned. An estimated 3,000 Native Americans died at the hands of the English.

I met a guy at a book signing who was doing a movie about this. I thought this sounded hugely interesting......because I am a geek. It's still in the development stage and they are soliciting funds stage.

King Philip's War
George Csicsery
KING PHILIP'S WAR will be a dramatic feature film about the first and bloodiest Anglo-Native American conflict in North America. The screenplay about the rebellion of Philip the Wampanoag and his allies against the United Colonies of New England in 1675 covers a critical episode in the history of European colonization of the Americas.

If you ever visit Plymouth, Massachusetts you should take the lantern tour. It visits some relevent sites and is just plain fun. I'm not just saying that because of my interest in history. I have taken my children, their friends, all my nieces and nephews........they all had a good time. If you doubt me, we'll bet dinner on it. Come to Plymouth, I'll take you on the tour and you'll see I'm right. I only make bets I can win. The "Ghostly Haunts" tour is better in the fall when there is a little chill in the air.

Dinner Last Night

I'm not sure we will be allowed into Paprazzi again. We were quite out of hand.

This Day In History

June 22nd -

In 1807, the U.S. frigate Chesapeake was fired upon and then boarded by the crew of the British battleship Leopold about 40 miles east of Chesapeake Bay.

This is pretty much where I am in reading my biography of Decatur. I know, I know, I've been reading this forever! No, I'm not a slow reader. I'm just distracted and busy. I don't get to pick it up very often. I am always tempted by the new stuff.....the new issues of "The Atlantic" and "Foreign Policy" both came in recently. Anyhow, Captain (later Commodore) James Barron just gave up the ship and it's not your usual Navy story.
HMS Leopard (right) fires upon the USS Chesapeake

We Return You Now To Your Regular Channel

This blog started out as nonsense and it's going to return to that. Paul and Maryellen won't be far from my mind, but..............