Wednesday, August 30, 2006

I Need......

...to win the lottery. That way I can just attend classes and lectures and cool stuff like this:

Implications of the Long War on Naval Expeditionary Capabilities and Forces
Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington, VA 5 September 2006

The panel topics include "Fighting on the Terrorists’ Turf: Lessons Learned in Iraq & Afghanistan and the Gap Between Expectations and Realities" and "The Long War: Where Are We Now?"

The kickoff speaker is Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani, Jr., USN,Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

And how bad did I want to go to this one!!!!!!!

2006 USNI Applied Naval History Conference
"Riverine Warfare: Back to the Future?"
6-7 April 2006
U.S. Naval AcademyAlumni Hall Annapolis, Maryland

Dear Abby

Dear Abby

My husband is a liar and a cheat. He has cheated on me from the beginning, and, when I confront him, he denies everything. What's worse, everyone knows that he cheats on me. It is so humiliating. Also, since he lost his job five years ago, he hasn't even looked for a new one. All he does all day is smoke cigars, cruise around and bullshit with his buddies while I have to work to pay the bills. Since our daughter went away to college he doesn't even pretend to like me and hints that I may be a lesbian. What should I do?

Signed,
Clueless

*****************************************************

Dear Clueless

Grow up and dump him. Good grief, woman. You don' t need him anymore. You're a United States Senator from New York . Act like one.

Signed,
Abby

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

New Game At The Castle


You scored as United States.

Your army is the American army. You want your home front to support the G.I.'s in their pursuit to liberate world from more or less evil tyrants

United States 81%
British and the Commonwealth 69%
Finland 69%
Poland 69%
Soviet Union 63%
Japan 63%
Italy 56%
France, Free French and the Resistance 56%
Germany 56%

As I said over at The Castle in the comments, some of my answers are different since Sun Tzu. I wonder who I was last week.

Monday, August 28, 2006

Another Great Weekend!

Ossipee was fun and I plowed about a third of the way through Sun Tzu. I would have liked it better had the bullet points been written on little scraps of paper and stuffed in fortune cookies.

We hit Kappy's and Polcari's on Route 1 on the way up. Roger almost had to dig us out of Jen's car, we were so loaded down with bags and boxes of liquor and food. There was tons of room for us to spread out in his four story town house on Patch Pond. I was down by midnight.

Saturday morning Roger and Kathy made us breakfast and while we waited for the cloud cover to break he listed off all the possible activities, rain or shine. The sun eventually came out and off we headed for the beach. Jen, Pat, Bette headed out with Kathy and Roger on the boat while I staked a claim on some comfy, sandy waterfront to soak up some sun, some chocolate, and "The Art of War". It was an exceedingly pleasant time. Later I had to pop into town with Kathy for some last minute shopping (plenty of vodka - no cranberry juice or limes), then it was back to the beach for more reading and sun...this time with a cocktail. While I was gone, Jen, Pat and Bette found Roger's neighbor Tom who had a boat and took them tubing. They gave me a hard time (called me a geek) but I don't care. I really had a good time. I was a little lost on some of the examples used to illustrate different principles or rules, but most I got. A phone call to Dad explained the siege of Port Arthur and the Japanese. Eventually the Cape Codders impaired my reading abilities and I had to put Sun Tzu away.

Roger made us a fabulous dinner and eventually the other Kathy showed up 12 hours late....but better late than never. We laughed and shared stories well into the night, except for Pat who snuck off to bed early.....too much fun in the sun! With the stunning logic that comes only after much alcohol consumption I called Kathy's brother - a Chelsea cop I have never met and gave him a hard time. Even on a Girl's weekend I find a way to flirt with men. He is USNR - bonus! LOL

We were all slow Sunday morning, except for Roger who made us homemade waffles! Sunday was rainy and most of the day they played board games while I lazed on a nearby couch reading and tossing rude and ribald comments. When things got too risque I would be forced to ask my sister Jen to leave the room. I was teased a great deal, but she is my baby sister! Roger gave us a tour of his second condo which had a pool table (Pat took one game and Roger the other) and a TV. Jen and I got our fix for the weekend. We couldn't find FoxNews (big weekend there with Steve Centanni getting released), but we did find something fun on CSpan. The Heritage Foundation presented a panel discussion "24" and America's Image in Fighting Terrorism (WMP video here RealPlayer link here). It was very entertaining. Jen and I love "24" and I found Carafano hugely interesting.

We headed home around 6 pm and I arrived home in time for a fabulous phone call from SouthieBoy. He is the best.

It was loads of fun, but it's good to be back in my own bed.

Friday, August 25, 2006

Happy Birthday Chief!


Go over to the Castle and wish Bill Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday SugarButtons...........Maggie.


Clausewitz On War

I was out on Ebay trying to get an inexpensive copy of this. I think I'm going to end up with three! I wasn't paying attention. I'm at work and don't want to be. I am talking the girls and reading stuff and bidding, and oops. Oh well, if that happens, I'll be able to leave one in the car. That always helps me. I'm always getting stuck somewhere and I like to have stuff to read in the car. This way it will be something useful.

I hope it's easier to read than the Sun Tzu "The Art of War". All the ethnic names in that one aren't helping me. I'm not that far into it, so I shouldn't judge.......but..........pretty much "The better prepared general wins"........can we all say it together...........DUH!

Also, the example of beheading the King's concubines.........not cool.

Another Weekend Away

I leave tonight for Ossipee, New Hampshire. Jen's friend Roger has a condo there and the regular Girl's Night crew (minus Lisa, who has young children) is heading up there for the weekend. We are being joined by Jen's friend Kathy.

I have to stop this. There is too much partying going on.

Thursday, August 24, 2006

World Trade Center - The Movie

Jen and I went to see it Wedensday night. Very good, solid story, well acted. ALa asked us not to spend money on it in her blog, but I hope it's enough that Maggie Gyllenhaal was not very good and her character wasn't very sympathetic.

Two thumbs up. Go see it.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

So.............

........I'll be poking around online, reading stuff I shouldn't, trying to show off for SouthieBoy......and I'll be expecting help in this venture from certain people who read this blog. I have not been able to actually get the syllabus for these two courses, but I'm close. I have to read Sun Tzu's "The Art of War", Fall's "Street Without Joy", and Herring's "The Long War".

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Flag Burning In The Classroom

This from Drudge.

A Stuart Middle School teacher has been removed from the classroom after he burned two American flags in class during a lesson on freedom of speech, Jefferson County Public Schools officials said. Dan Holden, who teaches seventh-grade social studies, burned small flags in two different classes Friday and asked students to write an opinion paper about it, district spokeswoman Lauren Roberts said. A teacher in the school district since 1979, Holden has been temporarily reassigned to non-instructional duties pending a district investigation. The district also alerted city fire officials, who are conducting their own investigation.

Ok, the parents got upset, so the school
investigates.....ok.

"Certainly we're concerned about the safety aspect," Roberts said, along with "the judgment of using that type of demonstration in a class."
Stop! No one is worried about fire safety!
Stuart sixth-grader Kelsey Adwell, 11, said students were abuzz about
the incident yesterday.

Excellent! I want teachers to do things to spark discussion. He didn't tell them it was good. He didn't tell them it was bad. He said "Go home and talk about it." Read the whole article here.

Home

........showered.........miserable. Why doesn't my real life come with room service, housekeeping and a concierge?

One pleasant surprise.........the house was clean, dishes done, laundry done............

How you say?

Frankie paid a girl $50!!!!!!

Monday, August 21, 2006

I'm Late With This One

August 19, 1812

During the War of 1812, the U.S. Navy frigate Constitution defeated the
British frigate Guerriere in a furious engagement off the coast of Nova Scotia
and earned its nickname of "Old Ironsides." Witnesses said the British shot
seemed to bounce off its sides.

Mae West

Selected quotes by Mae West (1892-1980)

A hard man is good to find.

A man has one hundred dollars and you leave him with two dollars, that's subtraction.
*The Ogre will understand this when he gets his credit card bill this month. He left it on my hotel room for incidentals - no one got less than a 30% tip.*

A man's kiss is his signature.

An ounce of performance is worth pounds of promises.

Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly.

Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before.

Don't marry a man to reform him - that's what reform schools are for.

Give a man a free hand and he'll run it all over you.

Good sex is like good bridge. If you don't have a good partner, you'd better have a good hand.

Sunday, August 20, 2006

Drunken Blogging

This probably isn't a good idea.

I sat at the bar and had 4 Sunsets (something with vodka, I knew when I ordered it) and then went out and found a Hand Grenade. My cousin Martine told me that everyone who went to New Orleans had to have a hand grenade. Damn Martine. I am tanked.

So, the Ogre has been MIA since Friday. But I have had a great time.

Today I got up early and had breakfast, went to Mass at the Cathedral (St. Francis shown here is more beautiful). I have to go to Mass......who needs more points for heaven than me???????

Then I went to the D-Day Museum. It was awesome. When I was watching the part about Nagasaki and Hiroshima I was thinking about the poor bastards on the Indianapolis and I found that I was crossing my arms so tightly that the mark from my ring was showing up on the other arm.

I went to dinner and sat at the bar and had steak and four Sunsets and then off to find a Hand Grenade.

How did the Red Sox do? I was watching them in the bar called Tropical Isle. I left before it was over. I went swimming in the hotel pool. Probably not the wisest thing. But certainly smarter than drunk dialing the Ogre!!!

LOL

Do you know 74 people have been on this blog today? That's higher than usual. No one comments. Why does no one comment? For heaven's sake, say something. I am going to my room soon.

Saturday, August 19, 2006

New Orleans

Just popped into an Internet Cafe down the street from the hotel for the drink, and the AC as much as the blogger access.

Security at Logan - Lax at best. I am, of course the only geek who packed her cell phone thanks to advice from Instapilot over at the Castle. Thanks buddy! The thing I wanted the most was toothpaste and lipstick for when I landed. I didn't want the Ogre meeting me before I was freshened up. As with most of my plans........they rarely survive contact with reality. It was brilliantly concieved and executed despite my sister Grace's worries. I have this bra that has two pockets. They are for little air pillows to *create* cleavage. (Have you met me? If you have you realize I don't need them.) So I took a smear of toothpaste, put it on a little square of Saran Wrap, folded it up and put it in the pocket on the right. Then I did the same with a dab of lipstick. Ingenious, huh? As I noted previously, I came up with this plan up in New Hampshire with Grace and Jennifer after many Ketel One infused lemonades. Anyway, I get to New Orleans at midnight, get off the plane and guess what? No bathrooms before the gate. LOL!!!! So I successully smuggled my stuff and had no chance to use it. Typical Maggie story.

The Ogre!!! - Is just as crazy in person as he is on line and loads of fun. Right off the bat I realize I was completely correct to insist on a hotel in the French Quarter instead of staying at his place 9 miles west. In the course of greeting me, picking up my bags, and driving to the hotel there were 4 phone calls from his work. I have seen him a grand total of 9 hours in the last 36. This despite his protests that he was leaving the shipyard Thursday evening and devoting his full attention to me until I left Monday. No matter, I am a person who likes to be on my own. When he did swing into my world yesterday for gumbo (oysters, yuck!!) and Cape Codders at Coop's Place and it was a riot. He is like no one I've ever met. He says and does the most outrageous things and everyone just seems to want to do what he wants. I am awed. When we pulled up to the Maison Dupuy, the lot was full. There was a sign and orange cones. He got out of the car, moved the cones, and drove into the courtyard. The garage guy comes running over and the Ogre just says in that southern drawl "Hey brother, you gonna hook me up with parking?" Up in Boston, that guy woulda been calling a tow to take that pretty little Corvette away. But not here. The man smiles, nods, takes the keys and handles it.

Maison Dupuy - The hotel is charming. The pool is lovely. The staff is helpful and like the rest of the French Quarter, they can't bring you enough drinks, fast enough.

The Quarter - It is like one large pub crawl. People are sitting and drinking, walking and drinking, driving and drinking at all hours of the day and night. They have take out windows for cocktails! This morning at 9 am there was a young man walking past me in a marijuana cloud. It is absolutely fascinating. The people, the buildings, everything. I took a walking tour sponsered by the Friends of the Cabildo, a historical society. Loved it.

It's in the 90s and humid. In very many ways it reminds me of Dubai. I was on my own there a lot while SB gave the taxpayers their money's worth. The heat, the slow pace.........except for SouthieBoy's company at night (the highlight of the trip, I assure you) it is a very similar vacation. I like going about on my own, poking about.

I am headed back to the hotel now to swim until it cools off enough to explore some more or the Ogre!!! surfaces.

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Miss Me!

I am off to New Orleans this evening and don't know what my blogging access will be.

So........you have your orders...............miss me!

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Another Dubai Memo

I drove my sisters crazy this weekend with my Dubai reminiscences...."memos"....Jen called them.

My first full day on my own in the hotel I poked around......everything was exquisite. The pool was on the roof. I brought my book, Stephen King's "Bag of Bones", my Coke (glass bottle) and of course.....M&M's. There were three workers there to meet the needs of guests. I asked where I could get a towel and they directed me to the gym where I signed out a towel. It was over a hundred degrees and after some time in the sun, I began to feel very lethargic. I was trying to will myself to roll off my chaise and get into the water. I felt as though I had a huge weight pressing down on me. I was just starting to panic.....imagine SouthieBoy comes home from work in time to see my crispy self being rolled into an ambulance! So much for low profile! Just when I thought my goose was cooked......literally......a deep voice said "Madam, may I move your umbrella?" I croked out a "Yes, thank you." After few minutes, I was able to roll off the chaise, stumble to the edge of the pool and fall in. I was so grateful! When it was time to leave I walked over to the gentleman who had moved my umbrella, thanked him and pressed $3.00 (all the cash I had on me) American into his hand. He protested, but I was insistent. He looked shocked. I didn't get it then, but in the coming days it made sense. Back at the apartment I was shaky and sunburnt. A shower used all my energy. The cleaning crew had been in the apartment in my absence (remade the bed I had made and replaced the dozens of towels in the four bathrooms!) and left a placard advertising pizza and a soda. I called down and asked if I could use American money. I hadn't converted any money because SB had told me he would give me plenty. He did indeed leave a bowl of coins, but I hadn't had the tutorial yet. Room service said fine and told me 20 dirham which roughly translated to $5.60, I put a $10 on the coffee table and popped on his computer while I waited. There was a knock on the door in no time and a smartly dressed waiter came in with a heavy wooden tray, pizza on a china platter, linen napkin and silverware. He set it up on the coffee table and indicated I need only sign for it. I demurred and gave him the ten. He looked nonplussed and said he had no change. I told him it was all set, he nodded, thanked me and left. I hadn't even made it the 50 feet back to the couch when *bing-bong* the bell rang. I opened the door and there was my waiter. He looked a little distressed. My face got hot and I thought, "Shit! I must have messed this all up". "Madam," he said, "do you understand 20 dirham?" I answered that I thought it was around $5.60. He said yes (and holding up the $10 bill), and this is too much. I laughed out loud with relief and told him it was a tip. His face lit up and he asked if I needed anything else. I said I could use a room service menu when he got the chance because I couldn't eat pizza all week. I didn't make it back across the living room when *bing-bong* he was back with a room service menu. I think he stole it from one of my neighbors! I finally got to my pizza, but after a few bites, I was down for the count.

That's where SouthieBoy found me, asleep on the couch.

"You came back" I said as I slowly sat up.

"You're really here" he said.

Our matching smiles were enormous.

Happy V-J Day!!!!

This morning SB called at the crack of dawn. He said he wanted to be the first to wish me "Happy V-J Day". I returned the greeting. Then he laughed and said he wagered he'd be the only one. But he's wrong (shhh, don't tell him I said that), I hang with a better crowd than that. Pop over to The Castle and see what John has.

Here's a link........if you wanna click on it fine.........if you need to click on it.......I'm madly disappointed. What are you doing here?

The photo to the left needs no explanation.

The photo below is Capt. L. K. Rice of the USS Gilbert Islands CVE-107.

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Lipstick/Toothpaste Solution Found

After many Ketel One spiked lemonades up in New Hampshire, I have devised a solution to my lipstick/toothpaste problem. This was very important because there was no way I was going to let the Ogre meet me at the gate if I hadn't brushed my hair and brushed my teeth. I will post about it when I return from NOLA.

A few posts down when I originally discuss this problem there is a comment from Stingray.

Stingray said...
Maggie,

Glad to see you are coming
to visit the original Sin City!!
Are you coming for a conference or just for fun?
At any rate, I hope you enjoy our recovering city, and that you write
about your experiences here!
Semper Fi,
Stingray6 in NOLA

Can anyone tell me what's wrong with this comment?

It's missing the all important request to buy me a drink!!!!!!! Such an oversight is disappointing in a Marine.

Friday, August 11, 2006

No Blogging.....

....for a bit. I am off to New Hampshire for an overnight with my sisters. Not only is there no Internet access, the only cell reception is when I stand knee deep in the pond two doors down from the cottage. If you need me, text me, it's your only shot.

Enjoy the respite from my nonsense.

Miss me.

This Day In...........

Maggie's History...............

Three years ago today I landed at Dubai International Airport for the BEST vacation of my life. My flight (12.5 hours) landed at 0806 local time. I am grateful that the current screening rules didn't apply. I had a huge bag, makeup, hairbrush, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.

As you walk through the airport there were UAE armed services personnel patrolling (heavily armed) and that freaked me a little ( as opposed to exciting me, the way American military do, lol). You were herded exactly where they wanted you to walk.

I went into a ladies room to freshen up. It was lovely and modern as was the rest of the airport. Nicely tiled walls, big mirrors, fresh flowers, flattering lighting....................then I opened the door to a stall.......and there was a hole in the floor with a grate...........and a small hand sprayer on the wall (like the one next to the kitchen sink).........and my mind went blank. That was when I began talking to myself, not a word here or there, not whispering, but a whole conversation. I didn't actually need to go to the bathroom, I had gone on the plane. I discussed with myself how lucky that was. I wanted a stall to change some articles of clothing. Had I looked in the stalls at the other end of the room, there were "westernized toilets". I then went out to the counter, dumped my bag out and continued talking myself......people moved away. You see everything from soup to nuts. women in full abayas, western clothing, discreet pant suits, jeans and tank tops. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, brushed my hair, applied makeup ( I looked just like someone who had been awake continuously for 36 hours, lol). I changed my shoes from my comfortable Keds to dressy sandals. My fingers fumbled badly on the buckles. I looked in the mirror and announced that this was really the best I could do.

Then it was out to customs. The woman behind the counter was in a full abaya. I clutched my sacred American passport (I am not being sarcastic or flip, I do view it as sacred). First question....gibberish......"Pardon me?".....gibberish........."I'm sorry but I have just been on a plane for 12 and half hours.".........."Where....you....come...from?" Ahh! "America! I am from Boston, in the United States!" She stamps my paperwork and shakes her head.

On to baggage claim. Of course I have two enormous bags, one weighing 45 pounds, the other 53. I know because during phone conversations, SB had expressed alarm over how much I was packing and started me worrying about over the limit weight charges. In my anxiety I had told the airline employee who checked my bags in Newark the whole long story. He announced the weight of my bags, smiled and asked if I wanted to go home and get more shoes. I secured my bags, put them on the wheeled cart.

Two hours after landing, I walked out to SouthieBoy. Over a chest high railing I leaned into him and asked him to take me home. Except for the births of Tommy and Frankie........it was the happiest day of my life.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

One Week

One week before I head down to the Big Easy......this! I am very grateful that this plot was foiled, but the carryon restrictions? What am I supposed to do? I don't carry on much, but I need a book, a toothbrush with toothpaste, a hairbrush and LIPSTICK! What am I supposed to do?

Uncle Jimbo says this.

John at The Castle says this.

And for something serious, the Counterterrorism Blog says this.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Major General Rick Lynch


Update on my fav Army guy..........

Ft. Stewart general: Troops will be ready to return to war by November.

SAVANNAH, Ga. The new commander of the Army's Third Infantry Division said
today that a brigade of more than four-thousand Fort Stewart troops will be
trained and ready to return to Iraq by late November.Major General Rick Lynch
said the First Brigade Combat Team, which has already served two tours in Iraq,
has not received deployment orders. The Pentagon placed the brigade on standby
last week as it added about 21-thousand Army soldiers and Marines to its
2006-2008 rotation schedule for Iraq.
Lynch declined to predict the odds of
his soldiers departing for their third tour later this year, but he echoed
concerns voiced by senior commanders that Iraq could plunge into civil war.
Lynch told reporters at Hunter Army Airfied in Savannah -- quote -- "The
things we're most concerned about are increases in sectarian violence and the
fact that potentially Iraq could be on the verge of civil war."
He also said
Americans growing weary of after three years of war should know upfront it's
unlikely to end soon.
Lynch said -- quote -- "People should have a realistic
assessment that it's not going to be fixed in Iraq overnight. And there is an
expectation it could last as long as nine years, from a historical perspective."
The 19-thousand soldiers of the Third Infantry helped lead the charge to
Baghdad during the U-S-led invasion in March 2003. They returned for a second
tour in 2005, a yearlong deployment that ended in January

Wasted Opportunities

I went to yoga last night, 3rd week in a row. Monday was the gym. Tonight I get my hair dyed (the best I'll look all month - young again). I'm going to be wearing my short beige skirt and my new beige linen heels.

Anyone who'd pass up seeing me tonight would be pretty foolish........huh?

I'm getting in the shower now and use my "Vanilla Milk" body scrub

Lights for Charlestown Little League

Ok, you're out here just surfing anyway, so why not go to this site and do me a little favor. Granite City Electric has a contest every year and they donate lights for a Little League. So, go vote for Charlestown and make me happy.

Hello,

I'm asking you to vote for Charlestown in the Granite City
Contest
to light a field, This is the third year Charlestown has taken part in
the
contest, I'm asking for your Vote for the youth of Charlestown. click
on
the
link below.


http://www.granitecityelectric.com/special/survey.php



Thanks Again, pass it on, we need the Votes! Contest ends Sept.15

Dave Cahill

Head of Baseball Operation's in Charlestown, Ma.


Voting Period: August 1 - September 15, 2006. You can vote once a day.

Inappropriate

Last night I was listening to J.D Hayworth guest hosting for Laura Ingraham. He briefly mentioned Nancy Kerrigan's "Stars, Stripes and Skates". He felt trivia questions and math equations about 9/11 were inappropriate. I agree.

The story is in the New York Sun.

Schoolchildren Get ‘Trivia Questions' About 9/11 Attack

An activity book for children about the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks being distributed to schools with funding from Keyspan, North Fork Bank, and the law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges contains pages of "trivia questions" and math problems about the attack.

The booklet, funded in part by an event involving Olympic silver medal winner Nancy Kerrigan, is intended to make for "a happy 9/11 commemorative event," said Tara Modlin, the founder of the organization distributing it, Stars, Stripes & Skates."To teach kids about an event so morbid, we needed to make something fun for them," she said.

But the pamphlet is already drawing criticism from at least one victim's family member. Monica Iken, a former elementary school teacher whose husband died in the World Trade Center attacks, called the booklets inappropriate. "It doesn't make sense to me to have young children doing math equations 9/11 related," she said. "Education is for history and telling the story that is appropriate about heroes and the day, not doing activities unless they are healing activities, and not sitting around doing a booklet."

Stars, Stripes & Skates, an organization that hosts an annual ice-skating fund-raiser that commemorates the September 11 attacks, is currently distributing 10,000 booklets, which include math equations involving the numbers nine and 11, a connect-the-dot exercise that shows New York's old skyline, a word search for keywords such as "Osama bin Laden," "Twin Towers," and "Taliban," and various "trivia questions." The booklets are being delivered to schools and ice rinks across the Northeast.

In the clues for the "word search," Mayor Giuliani's name is misspelled.

Ms. Modlin said her main goal was to use "child-friendly articles" to inspire children to ask questions of their parents and guardians about September 11th. "It's a tough word, Osama bin Laden," she said. "We don't define it so kids can ask their parents who that is." She said if her child asked her who Osama bin Laden is, she would say, "That's a really bad man who did bad things to others."

The money for the books came from a fund-raiser attended by Ms. Kerrigan and 12 other Olympic ice skaters. It raised about $200,000, which was originally intended to help individuals find missing family members. As more victims were removed from missing lists and reported dead, Ms. Modlin had to find a different outlet for the money.

Once the activity book was approved, she and other committee members, some of whom are teachers, wrote the questions and activities in the booklets by using information gathered from the Internet and accounts from people present on the day of the attacks.

Some of the sentences that contain keywords for the word search activity are, "The United States began its actions in Afghanistan without knowing precisely where Osama Bin Laden was," "At the time the Taliban ruled Afghanistan," and "Osama Bin Laden ordered the attacks on September 11th." Ms. Modlin said when she and other committee members were creating the booklet they "stayed away from politics 100%."

The math trivia section includes equations that show "relationships" between "the mystery number 11" and the attacks, such as "9/11, 9+1+1 =," which children should find equals 11.

Some financial backers of Stars Stripes and Skates said the activity booklets achieve Ms. Modlin's original goal of increasing curiosity among children and sustaining dialogue about the September 11 attacks.

"The more people talk about it, the longer people will remember it," the owner of Gramercy Park Flower Shop, Tom Sakas, said. He said his children have filled out the activity booklets and "basically kind of remember what had happened because they were young" and ask him questions such as, "Why do people do this?"

Attorney Charlene Verkowitz who also sponsors Stars Stripes and Skates, called the booklets "fine and appropriate."

Other sponsors include Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, Danskin, Keyspan, and North Fork Bank.

One member of a disbanded group of families affected by September 11th, Charles Wolf, said any effort that keeps people talking does more good than harm.

"It's nice what they're doing," he said. He believes that September 11th is "yesterday's news" for many people. "For those kids that have no concept of what it is, it's a great idea."

Teach children by making this "a happy 9/11 commemorative event," Yeah, I remember that chipper little song the nuns used to sing to us about Auschwitz.

Some guy called in to Laura's show and said "The more I know about Nancy Kerrigan, the better I like Tanya Harding."..........that was a little harsh.

Monday, August 07, 2006

I Am Such A Bad Girl!

All day long at work I was soooooo good on Atkins. 9 carbs all day. Tons of water. Then I went to the gym. I was feeling so good. When I came home the plan was to put on a load of laundry, wash Frankie's dirty dishes and go to bed.

But nooooooooooooo.

Fresh, warm chocolate chip cookies in the counter.

I don't know if it was Toni or Breanne........but thanks a lot.

I'm going to look like a sausage in New Orleans in 11 days.

Friday, August 04, 2006

It's My Turn


I'm supposed to blog about what I am doing during my 24 hours. So, to start with....I am going to go to sleep. I have just come home from the Melissa Etheridge concert. My ears are ringing, my feet hurt and voice is hoarse. It was a blast!!!!!

Update 0909: This was my comment at Tanker Brothers:
Ok, I'm awake. I didn't really prepare for today. Last night my friend Trish and I stopped for appetizers and drinks (mmmm Limoncello slushy things!) before the Melissa Etheridge concert, intending to eat a full meal afterwards. My plans rarely survive contact with reality. Etheridge performed for nearly three hours and by the time we got anywhere, everything was closed. No matter!
I was happy.

Once I got home I threw a quick post up announcing today was my day because it was after midnight.

I will shower and head for work and you will just have to trust me for the next 12 hours or so because there is no Internet there. We recently moved the office one town over and we are being wired for high speed (faster the DSL, woohoo) next week. The only thing I have in the office are Atkins shakes (yuck!). I don't drink coffee.

Don't worry the girls in the office know about this and (even though, I am the office supervisor and should be able to brutally crush insubordination....my bosses don't believe in corporal punishment) they will rat me out in my blog, should I slip!

After work, I will head to the gym. I have just under two weeks before heading to New Orleans on vacation and I don't want to look like a sausage in my outfits!

I will post after the gym.

I wish I had my Tshirt for today, but I got Melissa's email (good job Melissa, you rock!) and it will be a few more days.

I don't drink coffee as stated above. I don't drink beer or wine. So I will need someone to meet me after the gym, run the blender and make me more slushy vodka drinks. Send him to my sister Jen's house around 2100 hours, she has a beautiful 2nd floor deck right on the Atlantic. Tonight will be beautiful, this rain is supposed to clear up by then. Now, no offense, I love you guys, but you are young.......so make sure he's at least 40........how about your CO?


Update 0843: Cross posted over at Tanker Brothers

Piece of cake! One Atkins shake, one Coke, several bottles of water. Shirked on the gym, stayed late at work. Today was the usual chaos. Somehow, it's always chaos around me. How does that happen? Hmmmmm

I'm at Jen's...where's that "blender boy"?

Three hours and eighteen minutes to go.

"Eat this, Cindy!" LOL Yeah.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

I Remember.......

.....life before SouthieBoy. It was very cold. I would never want to go back to that. I am grateful for him and how he feels about me every damn day. He has never disappointed me and he always exceeds my expectations. I am never lonely.

He knew something was bothering me today, so he called. In the middle of the day. Which is very difficult for him.

Me: X Company, Maggie speaking.
SB: Hey there.
Me: Hi
SB: How are you?
Me: Fabulous (it was a little shaky)
SB: You need to get this biography.
Me: Really?
SB: Yeah, George Washington
Me: Ok
silence
Me: Did you call to tell me things?
SB: Can't say.
Me: I know and I know they are all true.
SB: Yes
silence
SB: I have to go.
Me: OK
SB: Bye
Me: Bye

You are a gift.