FB thru Jan 22nd

Jan 16th

I'd give you my opinion of 'The A-Team', but I fear it was the vodka that made the flick even remotely watchable last night. Anyhow, Happy Birthday to Chris and Jaspare, and many more to them both.

Wow, what a coup for law enforcement {smirk}, bragging about finding a fugitive after thirty years. In 1980 Jackson McDonald escaped from custody on a weed smuggling charge, then lived a law-abiding life for 30 years. He even owned his own appliance store. But now justice is served, by golly, and the 72 yr old will be trotted out to justify the latest budget proposal from the Marshals office.

Jan 17th

Begin to be now what you will be hereafter - William James

200 cows mysteriously died in Portage County (Wisconsin).

Researchers claim they'll create living mammoths within five years.

Made an ass of myself this AM. On the flipside, when snow delayed me on the way to wrk I got the chance to listen to MLK's 'I have a dream' speech on the radio in its entirety. As powerful as its reputation, even 48 yrs on.

Jan 18th

RIP Sargent Shriver, age 95

Regis Philbin has announced his retirement. So long Reg. I've enjoyed your run.

Prince Fielder just signed for 15.5 million dollars.

Convey Calm

This should, if I did it right, link to my first paid writing gig - a $5 blurb in Boys Life 23 yrs ago.

We just finished 'Devil', a movie created (but not directed) by M. Night Shamalan. It's about 5 strangers stuck in an elevator. Sadly for 4 of the passengers, the 5th is the Devil. I expected cheese and instead found a suspenseful, entertaining horror film that was a teensy-bit short on the actual horror. {applause}

Just finished "Buried" w/ Ryan Reynolds, a film about a civilian contractor kidnapped & buried alive in Iraq. I think it would have made a suspenseful novel, but as a movie . . . well, to quote Lisa "it's about a guy in a box talking on the phone for two hours". I like how they tried to present a Leftist view of the war and the Iraqi 'insurrgents', then have the Iraqi's not only bury the guy but ask him to mutilate himself on camera for their enjoyment. i think the latter is the more accurate view.

YaYa's Junior trip went on a field trip to Petco, where they got to handle many of the animals in the store.

Jan 19th

Study finds oldest known domesticated dog in Americas (10,000 yrs) - and it was apparently tasty, too

Jan 20th

‎30 years ago today Sr Pat, my kindergarten teacher, took our class to the music room across the hall to watch Reagan's inauguration. At some point during the broadcast it was announced that the Iran hostages were free, and I've never forgotten the look of relief on her face. "Thank God!" she said. I think she spoke for a lot of Americans that day.

It's also the 50th anniversary of JFK's inauguration, and his 'Ask Not' speech.

Wind chills of -20 to -30 degrees F are expected tonight

*Unofficial* news today that I will be asked to stay on for a third year as a community columnist for the Journal-Sentinel. (There's a new editor in charge of the opinion page, so it may still be ixnayed.)

Here's two pics of our cat Angelcakes, and an old shot of Lauren that I adore. She's seated next to our friend Chris.





Jan 21st

Bundled Ginger up to brave the negative wind chill today and took her to school - only to realize MPS has a scheduled day off today. D'oh!

I greatly admire Rod Serling.

"Nothing shows more thoughtlessness than the idiocy that it makes no difference what you believe; it all depends on the way you live. On the contrary, we act on our beliefs; our ideas are motorsprings in action; if our thinking is bad our actions will be bad." Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Some pics of Ginger: