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Thursday, June 28, 2007

Putin Trying For A Big "Land" Grab

Putin is trying to show some creative interpretation of things and grab a big chunk of the artic for russia.


An article from the daily mail in the uk goes it to much more detail ... but OMG.


More Later....
G

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Digital Fortress

Well, I powered through Digital Fortress.  It's a Dan Brown book.  Not really comparable to Cryptonomicon.  It was an interesting book, and I prefer it to the Da Vinci Code.  A couple of the twists were not as predictable as they were in Angels & Demons.  For people that do not like Dan Brown, don't bother with this one, otherwise give it a go. 

Up next Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle.

More Later......
G

Marriage Humour

"The Love Dress"

A woman stopped by unannounced at her son's house. She knocked on the door then immediately walked in. She was shocked to see her daughter-in-law laying on the couch, totally naked. Soft music was playing, and the aroma of perfume filled the room.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm waiting for Mike to come home from work," the daughter-in-law answered.

"But you're naked!" the mother-in-law exclaimed.

"This is my love dress," the daughter-in-law explained.

"Love dress? But you're naked!"

"Mike loves me to wear this dress," she explained. "It excites him to no end. Everytime he sees me in this dress, he instantly becomes romantic and ravages me for hours on end. He can't get enough of me."

The mother-in-law left.

When she got home, she undressed, showered, put on her best perfume, dimmed the lights, put on a romantic CD, laid on the couch waiting for her husband to arrive.

Finally, her husband came home. He walked in and saw her laying there so provocatively.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"This is my love dress," she whispered, sensually.

"Needs ironing," he said. "What's for dinner?


HE NEVER HEARD THE SHOT.........



The lawnmower

When our lawn mower broke and wouldn't run, my wife kept hinting to me that I should get it fixed. But, somehow I always had something else to take care of first, the truck, the car, playing golf - always something more important to me.

Finally she thought of a clever way to make her point. When I arrived home one day, I found her seated in the tall grass, busily snipping away with a tiny pair of sewing scissors. I watched silently for a short time and then went into the house. I was gone only a minute, and when I came out again I handed her a toothbrush. I said, "When you finish cutting the grass, you might as well sweep the driveway."

The doctors say I will walk again, but I will always have a limp.

Moral to this story: Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right, and the other is the husband.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Johnny Hart Passed Away

The creator of the B.C. comic strip Johnny Hart passed away a couple weeks back.  I have my catchup on comics days where I'll read a mitt full of Dilbert, BC, Userfriendly etc.  Today I was catching up on my B.C.  on comics.com, and I noticed the notes from the editors.  No more Peanuts, no more B.C., at least I still have Dilbert and userfriendly. 

More Later....
G

Angels & Demons

If you like Dan Brown (Author of the Da Vinci Code) you will probably like Angels & Demons. Had a couple of twists that made it interesting and a pretty fast read.  I'm gonna read his Digital Fortress, and see how that compares to the Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson.

More Later....
G

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Road to Mars

Even though I bought in for my trip to ecuador, I finally sat down and read Eric Idle's Road to Mars I quiet enjoyed it and it wasn't at all what I was expecting. I orginally heard excerpts from the book on CBC Radio Between the Covers. I bought it, thought I might have read it durring my various airport stops, and flights, but nope. So, after sitting on my to read pile for too long I finally did. I do recomend it, but you'll probably have to get it off your favorite online book seller.


More Later.....
G

Thursday, June 14, 2007

RED MARBLES -- Inspirational Story

I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily appraising a basket of freshly picked green peas.

I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes.Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.

"Hello Barry, how are you today?"

"H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Just admirin' them peas. They sure look good."

"They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?"

"Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time."

"Good. Anything I can help you with?"

"No, Sir. Just admirin' them peas."

"Would you like to take some home?" asked Mr. Miller.

"No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with."

"Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?"

"All I got's my prize marble here."

"Is that right? Let me see it" said Miller.

"Here 'tis. She's a dandy."

"I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?" the store owner asked.

"Not zackley but almost."

"Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble", Mr. Miller told the boy.

"Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller."

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said, "There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store."

I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles.

Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.

Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts ...all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket.

Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes. Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband's bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.

"Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim "traded" them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size .. they came to pay their debt."

"We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world," she confided, "but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho "

With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.

The Moral : We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath.

Today I wish you a day of ordinary miracles

  • A fresh pot of coffee you didn't make yourself.
  • An unexpected phone call from an old friend.
  • Green lights on your way to work.
  • The fastest line at the grocery store.
  • A good sing-along song on the radio.
  • Your keys found right where you left them.

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

An Interesting Series Of Novels

I've been reading books by Jane Linkdskold, well "The Firekeeper Sagas" anyway. I've got a couple others but haven't read those yet. If I see a picture of a wolf or wolf in the title, it's gonna grab my interest. I have read 5 of the 6 had been pretty happy with her writing. The sixth should be out in hardcover but I'll wait for the paperback.

I also have "Buried Pyramid", but haven't read that yet, and looking to pick up "Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls". This should help me decide am I biased because there are wolves, or is it really her writting.

More Later....
G

Saturday, June 2, 2007

2007 May Long weekend

The May Longweekend turned into a study of beavers. I did my usual rounds and then to Elk Island. My timing was perfect I caught the beavers that live at Blue Heron Corner out and about.

There is a family of 4 mom, pop, and 2 yearlings and they were hard at work. A muskrat came shooting through the culvert and freaked one of the yearlings out but after more patience and dilligence, the scence progressed.


The parents were very calm and non-chalant about my presence, as long as I was still they were happy to do their thing. The yearlings were a lot more skidish.