This is not good

http://www.wired.com/news/wireservice/0,71269-0.html

Reuters 15:35 PM Jun, 28, 2006

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday rejected an amendment to bar high-speed internet providers from discriminating against content or services.

The amendment, offered by Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota), would have prevented broadband providers from giving priority to any individual company's content or services.

The panel tied 11-11 in its vote on the amendment, and chairman Ted Stevens said it failed.

The lawmakers tried to add it to a larger communications bill aimed at making it easier for telephone companies like AT&T and Verizon Communications to get licenses for offering subscription television service.

More thoughts at Crooks & Liars:

Net Neutrality- Important!

Watch this very important short explaination.



How its shaping up in the Senate (call your Senator NOW!)

Support
Senate
(Membership Total: 12)

Sen. Barbra Boxer (D-CA)
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT)
Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Sen. Joesph Lieberman (D-CT)
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA)
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL)
Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)

Oppose
Senate
(Membership Total: 4)

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS)
Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC)
Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK)

"FINGER IN THE WIND"
No position
Senate
(Membership Total: 31)

Sen. George Allen (R-VA)
Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN)
Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC)
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI)
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN)
Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID)
Sen. Mark Dayton (D-MN)
Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH)
Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI)
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA)
Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI)
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI)
Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN)
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
Sen.Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI)
Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO)
Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA)
Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D-MD)
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA)
Sen. David Vitter (R-LA)
Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH)
Sen. John Warner (R-VA)

No Information
Senate
(Membership Total: 54)

Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI)
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Sen. Wayne Allard (R-CO)
Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)
Sen. Robert Bennett (R-UT)
Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE)
Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
Sen. Christopher Bond (R-MO)
Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY)
Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT)
Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV)
Sen. Thomas Carper (D-DE)
Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK)
Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)
Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND)
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)
Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID)
Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-NC)
Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM)
Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY)
Sen. William Frist (R-TN)
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH)
Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE)
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX)
Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK)
Sen. Johnny Isaakson (R-GA)
Sen. James Jefford (I-VT)
Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD)
Sen. John Kyl (R-AZ)
Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS)
Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL)
Sen.John McCain (R-AZ)
Sen.Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Sen.Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Sen.Benjamin Nelson (D-NE)
Sen.Mark Pryor (D-AR)
Sen.Pat Roberts (R-KS)
Sen.John D. Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sen.Charles Schumer (D-NY)
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL
Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR)
Sen. John Sununu (R-NH)
Sen. James Talent (R-MO)
Sen. Craig Thomas (R-WY)
Sen. John Thune (R-SD)

The perfect weekend

Saturday, the matriarch of the Cutler clan (known affectionately as G.G. to the girls), turned an ever-young 84. We visited bearing food, flowers, off-key songs and hearts full of love.

Every day she remains on this earth is a blessing.

Sunday, we were finally able to take Bret out for his birthday surprise (bday was last Thursday). The girls were SO excited- they kept their mouths shut for well over a week. So, we blindfolded the man...

and took him to what I can only describe as a pizza place on crack, Amazing Jake's. You might be wondering if this was really for the girls, but I tell you, my 36-year-old boy was quite pleased. We met up with some friends so we could get a group rate with unlimited spastic, seizure-inducing adventures, along with a food buffet that puts Chuck-E-Cheese to shame.

We also learned that having your daughters be in charge of a spinning teacup is just a horrible, horrible idea....

I did get to let out some aggression ramming into a Republican on the bumper cars... it was most gratifying. ;-)

All-in-all it ended up being a perfect afternoon, and an excellent weekend.

In My Life: Allison Crowe

Get this video and more at MySpace.com

Seriously, I heard this angel's voice on a podcast... and just fell in love.

Love I tell you- LOVE.
Website

The Immigration Debate

Buddhist Temple Relocating- and coming closer

Buddhist temple to restart in Mesa

Daniel González
The Arizona Republic


Venerable Yong Shan strode to the front of the altar in a flowing burnt orange robe and, under the gaze of three life-sized statues of Buddha, beat a drum slowly.

The diminutive Buddhist nun, her head shaved, picked up a tiny bell and gave it one ring, letting the sound tingle through the silent room that was pungent with burning incense.

Twenty-five men and women forming perfect rows knelt and bowed toward the altar. Then the chanting in Mandarin began. It would last more than an hour, as it does every Sunday at the International Buddhist Association of Arizona.

A fixture in north-central Phoenix since 1994, the temple has drawn Chinese-speaking Buddhists from all over the Valley. But it will soon begin anew in Mesa, a major move and expansion that reflect larger demographic changes taking place in the Valley's growing Chinese-speaking immigrant population.

Newer Chinese-speaking immigrants are better educated and more affluent than preceding waves. They are bypassing urban areas where earlier immigrants settled in favor of the East Valley suburbs, home to about a third of the Valley's roughly 20,000 Chinese residents, immigrants and American-born.

"The East Valley, that has been where more of the trendy Asians have moved, mainly because Arizona State University's main campus is in Tempe, and a lot of the high-tech companies are there," said Manny Wong, publisher of Asian American Times, a Chinese-English newspaper in Phoenix.

The growth of the East Valley's Chinese population, which tripled between 1990 and 2005, is drawing more Asian-oriented businesses and services. The East Valley is home to more than half a dozen Chinese or Asian Christian churches, among them Metro Phoenix Chinese Alliance Church and Evangelical Formosan Church in Tempe and the Greater Phoenix Chinese Christian Church in Chandler.

At Lee Lee Oriental Market in Chandler, shoppers can find products from many Asian countries, including Japan, India and Thailand. The area is also attracting other Asian markets and restaurants, Wong said. Sixty percent of his newspaper's 10,000 circulation is in the East Valley.

Still, while the temple's move is an opportunity to expand and be closer to members, it will leave Phoenix without a Chinese-speaking Buddhist place of worship.

Historic move up

The International Buddhist Association congregation includes people from mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia, as well as a few non-Asian Buddhists. A year ago, the association paid $800,000 for 5 acres near the southeastern corner of Lindsay and McKellips roads in Mesa.

The association plans to start building a multimillion-dollar, two-story, 20,000-square-foot facility there within two years. Plans also call for conference and meditation rooms, a library and tearoom, and a temple big enough to accommodate 300 to 400 followers, Shan said. The new facility will be larger and more expensive than the current 3,000 square-foot structure, which fits only 50 to 80 followers for Sunday services. It cost $150,000 in 1994, Shan said.

The association decided to build its new facility in Mesa for two reasons: Land was more reasonable, and the location is closer to where many new Chinese and Taiwanese immigrants live, Shan said. The move, she said, is calculated not only to serve existing members, but attract new ones.

From the 1870s, when Chinese immigrants began arriving in Phoenix, through the 1970s, waves of Chinese immigrants tended to settle in Phoenix and Glendale, community leaders say. They mostly came from small villages in southern China with basic education in search of the American dream, for themselves and their children. Many made a living by opening small businesses.

"It was the proverbial corner grocery store or Chinese restaurant. They used these businesses as a base to raise their families and take advantage of the educational opportunities for their children so that they wouldn't have to endure the long hours and hard work in these businesses," said Barry Wong, 47, a Phoenix lawyer and former state legislator.

He is the son of Chinese immigrants who settled in the Valley in the early 1950s, and opened a grocery store in south Phoenix. In contrast, Chinese immigrants who have come since the 1980s tend to be highly educated professionals, drawn by Arizona State University and the area's high-technology manufacturing industry, including companies such as Honeywell, Intel and Motorola.

New residents look east

The Chinese population in Maricopa County doubled from 1990 to 2005, increasing to 19,574 from 9,374, according to data from the Census Bureau and Claritas, a marketing research company. Most of that growth has been in the East Valley, and includes new immigrants and Chinese Americans who have relocated from other parts of the Valley.

The Chinese population in Chandler, Mesa and Gilbert almost tripled between 1990 and 2005, to 5,811 residents from 1,599. Seventeen percent of the county's Chinese population lived in Chandler, Gilbert or Mesa in 1990; by 2005, it had increased to 30 percent.

Many newcomers are people like Kuo-San Ho, an engineer who works for Honeywell and lives in Mesa. At the International Buddhist Association of Arizona temple one recent Sunday, he pulled a black robe over his clothes and took a spot inside the temple next to a cushion on the floor, joining about two dozen other followers.

Ming Chen, 52, came to the Valley 26 years ago from Taiwan. Chen, who has a master's degree in architecture from ASU, lives in Gilbert and runs his own firm in Chandler. Chen, a former president of the temple in central Phoenix, said the new location in Mesa will be more convenient for members in the East Valley but still accessible to others.

"It's close to the freeway," Chen said.

Worshiping in Phoenix

The Buddhist International Association of Arizona in Phoenix is home to the Valley's only Chinese-speaking Buddhist temple, although there are other Buddhist temples here.

The congregation is affiliated with the Buddha's Light International Association, which traces its roots to the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order, the largest Buddhist organization in Taiwan.

Before the temple opened in 1994, many people drove to Los Angeles for services, said Wen Chyi Chiu, 30, a temple member and editor of Az Asian World magazine in Phoenix.

In 1994, the association opened a branch in Phoenix to serve the growing Chinese immigrant population, she said.

"In 1994, the Chinese population was concentrated in Phoenix and Glendale areas, and this was a centrally located area," she said. "But now, the population has transferred more to the East Valley."

The association started in Phoenix with about 100 people but has grown to more than 600, said Shan, a native of Malaysia of Chinese descent.

One recent morning, Shan, 55, stood in front of a blueprint of the planned facility taped to a wall inside the temple on 15th Place in Phoenix. She pointed out the different amenities the association hopes to include that will make the facility not only a temple but also a community center: A library and lounge where people will be able to read Chinese-language newspapers. A kitchen and dinning area for preparing and sharing meals. Classrooms and meditation rooms for studying and practicing Buddhism. Shan said the new facility, still in the design stages, will cost $2 million to $3 million. In addition to bank loans, the money will be raised through fund-raisers and private donations, much of which will come from new members in the East Valley.

"Because of the rapid increase, we feel we need a larger facility," she said.

Yeah- this about sums up the attitude

Excellent Advice

Though you speak unkind words to a man's face,
Do not speak words behind his back heedless of consequent harm.

Though every word is full of kindly virtue,
A man's mean back-biting will betray his empty heart.

If a man spreads tales of others' faults,
His own worst faults will be exposed and spread.

-Tirukkural 19: 184-186

While You Were Out

I see many gags in my friend's futures... heeheeeeee....
Link

You just can't use the terrorism argument

Interesting contrast in today's paper:

A story about the leader of the Minutemen, who realized his calling after 9-11:

"Immediately afterward, he made phone calls recorded by ex-wife Kim Dunbar. According to transcripts filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Simcox talked about stockpiling firearms. Court records describe a message left two days after the attacks: "I purchased another gun. I have more than a few weapons, and I plan on teaching my son how to use them. I will no longer trust anyone in this country. My life has changed forever." Dunbar sought sole custody and got it. His students quit as word spread about his apocalyptic diatribes.
With no more family or job, Simcox made a clean break. It began with a weeklong trip to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument on the southern Arizona border. There, Simcox says, he watched undocumented immigrants and smugglers stream across from Mexico. "At that moment, it clicked," he says. "The borders were wide open. It shouldn't take a kindergarten teacher to figure out that terrorists could come through.""

But yet, on another page, another view:

"Hayworth tells the stories of several terrorists who were found to have operated out of Canada. For instance, he notes: "We all remember the case of the alert Border Patrol agent who caught Ahmed Ressam trying to cross from Canada into Washington State in a car packed with explosives. Ressam's plan was to blow up Los Angeles International Airport during the millennium celebrations." Ressam was later convicted on nine counts, including conspiracy to commit an international terrorist act.
And yet over the past many months and the passage of competing bills from the House of Representatives and the Senate, the last one meant to appropriate roughly $2 billion dollars, have you heard any politicians talking about Canada?

Me neither."

"...At the same time, the State Department terrorism report that warns about Canada had complimentary things to say about Mexico. And yet we don't talk much about both borders, but instead spend our time and money on plans to stop carpenters, bricklayers and landscapers from entering from the south. Not because our politicians believe that it's the best thing to do but because they believe that it's the best way for them to get re-elected.

I wrote a blog item (montiniblog.azcentral.com) about this a few days ago, to which one man responded: "First they send Labatt's, William Shatner, Bryan Adams and Celine Dion. Now this? I demand action!""


So until we can admit what the real issue with immigration is, maybe we should not try to invoke any unnecessary fear by claiming terrorist can get in.

The ones we need to worry about are all ready here, and I'm not just talking Washington either.

Seriously, with the kids home all day...

I'm playing with these silly quizzes!
This is how I hide from the little terrors. ;-)
I thought this was cool, because whenever Bret and I watch hour dramas, I usually figure out the dialogue and what is happening next. More so the dialogue though- so this could be a sign!

You Should Be a Film Writer

You don't just create compelling stories, you see them as clearly as a movie in your mind. You have a knack for details and dialogue. You can really make a character come to life. Chances are, you enjoy creating all types of stories. The joy is in the storytelling. And nothing would please you more than millions of people seeing your story on the big screen!

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

How's that fence working out?

Silly and Cute

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free. In love, you feel the most alive when your lover is creative and never lets you feel bored. You'd like to your lover to think you are flexible and ready for anything! You would be forced to break up with someone who was insecure and in constant need of reassurance. Your ideal relationship is lasting. You want a relationship that looks to the future... one you can grow with. Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment. You think of marriage something you've always wanted... though you haven't really thought about it. In this moment, you think of love as something you thirst for. You'll do anything for love, but you won't fall for it easily.

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

ASU jumps on bird flu hype-wagon

Holy Moly- seriously everyone needs to go out and get some air. From an article in today's Arizona Republic:

"If a flu pandemic hit tomorrow, months could pass before a targeted vaccine made its way to a panicked public."

"The H5N1 bird flu has killed 115 people since 2003, mainly in Asia, but has yet to mutate into a form that would be easily spread among people."

Uh... and how many have died in Iraq since 2003? Here's a hint.

Is there a vaccine for that?
Want more reality? Click here.

Seriously, I'm more afraid of my kids suffering from heat stroke as they are outside in 100 degree weather and jumping on the trampoline.

But if you're going to buy into the bird flu hype, then here's my advice. Watch out for terrorist chickens. They're everywhere. I think there should be fences erected around every KFC on the planet. We must keep them from getting in, raising our crime rates, and forcing us to use our hospitals when they infect us. You're either with us or with the chickens.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to lie down. I've had this sniffle and a fever lately... and I am going to relax and catch up on my reading.

As I roam around the blog-o-sphere

I find someone who is a lyric freak same as I am. This is neat idea, although there were some I just didn't have a song for. And there are about 20 answers for each.

1. A song that makes you think of yourself...
2. That makes you laugh... "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" John Denver (the kids sing it)
3. That makes you cry... (oh there are way too many) currently "You're Missing" Cowboy Junkies
4. That reminds you of a current lover..."Faithfully" Journey
5. That reminds you of a past lover... "Nothing Else Matters" Metallica
6. A song that brings back childhood memories... any early Madonna
7. That drives you up the wall... The Macareana
8. That you could listen to over and over... "Let Her Cry" Hootie and the Blowfish
9. A song that makes you tingly in special places... "Sleep Together" Garbage
10. That reminds you of someone who has passed away...
11. That makes you think of the person who shared this with you...
12. That makes you happy on a supremely shallow level... "The Real Slim Shady" Eminem
13. On a deeper level... "Northern Sky" Nick Drake
14. That you'd like to have played at your funeral... "Through the Dark" KT Turnstall
15. That you love the music video for... "Everybody Hurts" REM
16. A song that you've listened to in the past 24 hours..."I'm Coming Home" Martin Sexton

You know you're old when..

You take your kids out to the skating rink, and after two times around your knee feels like it's gonna give out.

They play an oldie, and it's THIS !

Tainted Love by Soft Cell
Album:	Non-Sop Erotic Cabaret
Date:	1981
U.S. Chart:	8
U.K. Chart:	1

Sometimes I feel I've got to
Run away I've got to
Get away
From the pain that you drive into the heart of me
The love we share
Seems to go nowhere
And I've lost my light
For I toss and turn I can't sleep at night

Once I ran to you (I ran)
Now I'll run from you
This tainted love you've given
I give you all a boy could give you
Take my tears and that's not nearly all
Oh...tainted love
Tainted love

Now I know I've got to
Run away I've got to
Get away
You don't really want any more from me
To make things right
You need someone to hold you tight
And you think love is to pray
But I'm sorry I don't pray that way

Once I ran to you (I ran)
Now I'll run from you
This tainted love you've given
I give you all a boy could give you
Take my tears and that's not nearly all
Oh...tainted love
Tainted love

Don't touch me please
I cannot stand the way you tease
I love you though you hurt me so
Now I'm going to pack my things and go
Tainted love, tainted love (x2)
Touch me baby, tainted love (x2)
Tainted love (x3)



Cool tidbits and factoids at the link above, for those who feel like killing a coffee break.
Come on, y'all know you're singing it now...

I could play with this for hours

http://planetdan.net/pics/misc/georgie.htm

And yes, if he gets stuck- force his butt through!

The most casual graduation on record

Well there you have it. I'm officially old. Isn't that what happens when you have two children who are now BOTH grade-school age? Yesterday was Samantha's little Kindergarten graduation. Right before their splash day, LOL!

Yeah, I cried. I imagine it must be hard on the teachers too, after all in Montessori you stay with the same student's for three years. I'm sure emotional attachments can be made in just one year- but three? That's alot of growing and development that these teachers are a part of. Allison is moving up to another class as well, she told me even SHE was crying.

But I love it deep down. The greatest joy being a mother has brought me is watching these two grow, and seeing the beautiful people they have become, and will continue to be. (One hopes!)

(Sam is to the left, second over from the tall girl in the middle)

Onward to the first grade!
I need a drink...

Don't be a strag...

"A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitch hiker can have. Partly it has great practical value - you can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapours; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a mini raft down the slow heavy river Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or to avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (a mindboggingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can't see it, it can't see you - daft as a bush, but very ravenous); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough."

"More importantly, a towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: non-hitch hiker) discovers that a hitch hiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush, face flannel, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet weather gear, space suit etc., etc. Furthermore, the strag will then happily lend the hitch hiker any of these or a dozen other items that the hitch hiker might accidentally have "lost". What the strag will think is that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is is clearly a man to be reckoned with."


Tomorrow is Towel Day!

Adieu, Les Miserables

I remember the very first time I saw Les Miserables, it was with my sister Katie. I was hooked, I tell you, hooked! The summer before she went off to college and I was starting my senior year of High School, we put our allowance together to buy the soundtrack, and we took turns keeping it (although I think I kept it longer and she eventually bought her own copy... I guess I owe you some money K! *giggle*). My favorite song at the time was Fantine's "I Dreamed a Dream", because the lyrics (I'm a teeny-weeny bit of a lyrics freak) meshed with a very hot and steamy summer romance I was having at the time... though I'm happy to say that although the hot and steamy has mellowed out _a BIT_, my summer romance that year is still by my side 16 years later. And I didn't even have to sell my hair. :-)

It's come through Arizona 8 times now, and I think I have seen it six. Next to a Paul McCartney concert, tickets to Les Mis is something I would sell my children for, if I didn't have the funds (something tells me my summer romance isn't going to like that I wrote that. The NSA probably won't either). Thinking back, each time I've experienced this musical, different relationships have stood out for me, most likely due to all the growing and changing that happens to a person over 16 years' time. Becoming a mother brought out the relationship between Fantine and Cosette, and what a mother would do for her child. I do not need to explain my thoughts on the people dissenting against their government and the revolutionary drive that it brings out in me:

Red - the blood of angry men!
Black - the dark of ages past!
Red - a world about to dawn!
Black - the night that ends at last!

And always, Love, sacrifice, and letting go:

She was never mine to keep.
She is youthful, she is free.
Love is the garden of the young
Let it be... let it be...
A heart full of love
This I give you on this day.

This time, my focus was on Valjean, and his struggle to make peace with a God he always found to be absent. After all, who does 20 years hard labor for stealing a loaf of bread? Then to have your second chance handed to you by a Bishop you stole from? That's alot to make amends with. But what I saw into it today was a man who, although not perfect by any means, stuck with what was right in his heart, and always made his choices to better the lives and the communities around him. And in the end, his soul was free.

Take my hand
And lead me to salvation
Take my love
For love is everlasting
And remember
The truth that once was spoken
To love another person
Is to see the face of God.

Even Javert knew in the end that Valjean was just and true, and a man of honor. The conflict was so great for Javert and his beliefs he had to end his own life. When you believe one thing about a person for so long, it's hard to change your thinking, in either direction. In some ways it's like learning to speak a new language. And, always ending on an inspirational note:

Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Somewhere beyond the barricade
Is there a world you long to see?
Do you hear the people sing?
Say, do you hear the distant drums?
It is the future that they bring
When tomorrow comes!

I whispered to Bret that they needed to get these guys over to Washington, pronto! ;-)

I didn't realize until I was looking up links for this entry that this will be the last time the production comes through Arizona. That saddens me, because I had been talking to Bret about someday taking the kids to see this. Now, it heads into the vault of legacies in my mind, that I will look upon fondly, and always be able to recapture a bit when I pull out that CD I bought 16 years ago and listen.
Hey wait- it's on my iPod now! Heh, Cd's are so old school.

So I bid you adieu, Les Miserables. Thank you for bringing something so not your title to a small part of my life.

Well... all righty then

Dani Cutler -- [adjective]: Tasting like strawberries 'How will you be defined in the sexual dictionary?' at QuizUniverse.com

Danielle Cutler -- [noun]: A master of sexual gratification 'How will you be defined in the sexual dictionary?' at QuizUniverse.com

The Happy Mother's Day Song

Written and sung by Samantha:

"Happy Mother's- Day!
Happy Mother's- Day!

Yeah, yeah, yeah......"

(repeat 529 times)

"I love you Mawwww-
maaaaaaa..."
.....
........
....................

YEAH!"

(move over ladies!)

There Is No Danger

For a person of unsoddened mind,
unassaulted awareness,
abandoning merit and evil,
wakeful,
there is no danger
no fear.

-Dhammapada, 39

Perfect thought on Faith

"God may be omnipotent. God may be dead. As a friend said to me once: "How do we know that the big bang wasn't God exploding?" We could all be
carrion feeding off the corpse for all I know. Faith in something does not
necessitate belief in a religious structure. A simple understanding that
there's more to what we see.. there's something beyond our understanding
is for me at least, part of being a "Seeker" in life. Going beyond the
materialistic view of the world and recognising that any system that is
closed, eventually is circular. "

~JW

The 5 year plan... haha

Gallery Owner You scored 44 Ambition, 55 Eccentricty, 66 Artsiness and 50 Humility!

You love the arts and you are probably pretty knowledgable about them--and you like other people to know it. You are stylish and outgoing, and you throw a mean party. Most important, you know how to promote yourself without seeming selfish and petty. You'll do to figure out what you are most passionate and stick with it, no matter how unlikely it seems. Chances are, with your affable social style and your ability to work system, you will be able to make a niche for yourself no matter where you are.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 42% on Ambition You scored higher than 62% on Eccentricty You scored higher than 77% on Humility You scored higher than 42% on Artsy-ness

If you liked my test, send it to your friends! The Five Year Plan Test http://www.okcupid.com/tests/take?testid=15759751060369054912

$134,121 x 6 please

Study: US mothers deserve $134,121 in salary

By Ellen Wulfhorst
Wed May 3, 9:11 AM ET

A full-time stay-at-home mother would earn $134,121 a year if paid for all her work, an amount similar to a top U.S. ad executive, a marketing director or a judge, according to a study released Wednesday.

A mother who works outside the home would earn an extra $85,876 annually on top of her actual wages for the work she does at home, according to the study by Waltham, Massachusetts-based compensation experts Salary.com.

To reach the projected pay figures, the survey calculated the earning power of the 10 jobs respondents said most closely comprise a mother's role -- housekeeper, day-care teacher, cook, computer operator, laundry machine operator, janitor, facilities manager, van driver, chief executive and psychologist.

"You can't put a dollar value on it. It's worth a lot more," said Kristen Krauss, 35, as she hurriedly packed her four children, all aged under 8, into a minivan in New York while searching frantically for her keys. "Just look at me."

Employed mothers reported spending on average 44 hours a week at their outside job and 49.8 hours at their home job, while the stay-at-home mother worked 91.6 hours a week, it showed.

An estimated 5.6 million women in the United States are stay-at-home mothers with children under age 15, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data.

NOT 'JUST A MOM'

"It's good to acknowledge the job that's being done, and that it's not that these women are settling for 'just a mom,"' said Bill Coleman, senior vice president of compensation at Salary.com. "They are actually doing an awful lot."

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, some 26 million women with children under age 18 work in the nation's paid labor force.

Both employed and stay-at-home mothers said the lowest-paying job of housekeeper was their most common role, with employed mothers working 7.2 hours a week as housekeeper and stay-at-home mothers working 22.1 hours in that role.

"Every husband I've ever spoken to said, 'I'm keeping my job. You keep yours.' It's a tough one," said Gillian Forrest, 39, a stay-at-home mother of 22-month-old Alex in New York. "I don't know if you could put a dollar amount on it but it would be nice to get something."

To compile its study, Salary.com surveyed about 400 mothers online over the last two months.

Salary.com offers a Web site (http://www.mom.salary.com) where mothers can calculate what they could be paid, based on how many children they have, where they live and other factors. The site will produce a printable document that looks like a paycheck, Coleman said.

"It's obviously not negotiable," he said.

On average, the mother who works outside the house earns a base pay of $62,798 for a 40-hour at-home work week and $23,078 in overtime; a stay-at-home mother earned a base pay of $45,697 and $88,424 in overtime, it said.

In a Salary.com study conducted last year, stay-at-home mothers earned $131,471. The potential earnings of mothers who work outside the home was not calculated in the previous study.
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And my check ;-):

How totally cool is that- I can get paid for all my online time!! That makes up for my lack of housekeeping... WoooooT!! :-P

A Limb Just Moved

Found this absolutely exquisite...



You taught Your songs to the birds first,
why was that?

And You practised Your love in the hearts of animals
before You created man,

I know the planets talk at night
and tell secrets
about
You.

A limb just moved before me,
the beauty of this world
is causing me to
weep

~Mirabai

Sure, a movie about 9-11 is "too soon"...

But let's freak everyone out about Bird Flu with a cheesy TV movie! Bah!
As long as it's not used as a PSA... I'm indifferent.

Experts fear bird flu movie may spur panic

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science CorrespondentMon May 8, 5:08 PM ET

A film about a fictional bird flu pandemic that will air on television on Tuesday has experts worried it will panic some people and convince others that legitimate warnings are mere hype.

But the same experts are taking advantage of publicity surrounding the made-for-television movie to stress what they see as the need for individuals, businesses and local officials to do what they can to prepare.

The Health and Human Services Department issued "talking points" to staff who may get questions about the movie, Pennsylvania is rolling out a new Web site and telephone line to coincide with the release, and the Trust for America's Health held a briefing to try to sort fact from fiction.

"Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America" features scenes with actors wearing spacesuit-like protective gear, a terrified populace and an ending scene in which most residents of an African village lie dead.

However, if we should fear anything at all, it should be things like THIS.

We Wear the Mask

We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,--
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.

Why should the world be overwise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.

We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!

Paul Laurence Dunbar

It's not the what, it's the who

Swiped ever-so-lovingly from my Bee-Sistah...


Peanuts Philosophy

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read it straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?

The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.