Wednesday, February 26, 2003

What happened to global warming? (2-26-2003)

I have bronchitis.

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From Mike C., an interesting article. I have felt like duct taping some of the people in my neighborhood, in my neighborhood...

Judge duct tapes defendant's mouth
Man 'was being very disruptive'
From CNN.COM
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Southwest/02/26/taped.defendant.ap/index.html


LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) --A Texas judge ordered a defendant's mouth to be
taped shut after the man kept interrupting his lawyer and the judge during an
aggravated assault trial.

For about 20 minutes Tuesday, Carl Wiley, 36, ignored pleas from state
District Judge Jim Bob Darnell and his own mother to keep quiet during
a hearing outside the jury's presence.

Finally, Darnell ordered bailiffs to seal Wiley's mouth with duct tape.

"He was being very disruptive and he was trying to fire his second
court-appointed attorney, and I informed him that when the attorney is
appointed by the court, only the court can fire the attorney," Darnell
said.

"Mr. Wiley continued to interrupt him," Darnell said, referring to
attorney Steve Hamilton, "so the court duct-taped his mouth until the jury came
in. Then I had him removed from the courtroom."

Hamilton declined to comment on the incident or on his client's
conviction later Tuesday for ramming his vehicle into his estranged wife's car.
She was not injured.

No sentencing date has been set.

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This week's horoscopes go out to:
>> Caitlyn, HAPPY BIRTHDAY
>> Audrey, HAPPY BIRTHDAY
>> JeeYun, Sun Ae, thanks for dinner
>> Irene, thanks for dinner

Wednesday, February 19, 2003

Ah, sweet of mystery of life, at last I've found thee! (2/19/2003)

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Love Me, Love My ****

You know, while I was in Mexico, I found out that I am anal. And I
don't mean that to be a pun on the Montezuma's Revenge. I have never
realized that I can be fiendishly picky about certain things. I always thought
I was a laid back kind of person. Live and let live, let the chips fall
where they may. But my friends pointed out to me that I am anal. Now, they
didn't mean it in a malicious way and they were sort of sorry to point
it out to me, but I am glad they did. It does prey on my mind, as Bob and
Russell know. However, I don't think it is something to be ashamed of,
nor do I think that I need to change my anal qualities (Sidebar: Did you
know that the slang "anal" does not translate into Mexican Spanish? It's
true). So, for the record, I am going to let all of you know what my anal
qualities are (or at least the top 10). Many of you know these things about me,
others have yet to enjoy the special-ness.

1) I wash my hands before I eat, after I eat, when I get somewhere
new, when I am about to leave somewhere to go somewhere else, when I am
about to touch food - well, basically all the time.

2) I do have a germ-phobia. I carry antibacterial Wet Ones in my
purse.

3) I put two pillowcases on each pillow, as well as a pillow case
cover on my pillows. I also put a mattress pad and two fitted sheets on my bed.
This is my germ barrier.

4) Most times, I pack several days in advance of a trip. This
includes putting my clothes and under things in my Travel Space Bags
(http://www.myspacebag.com/ ) as well as a
well-stocked medicine bag (the bag is a Ziploc bag). Again, protective
barrier.

5) I always bring my Japanese wash towel. It's made of this fibrous
tough plastic mesh that really does slough off dead skin cells. I really
don't feel clean unless I have that with me.

6) I don't like sharing drinks.

7) If you need it, I might have it in my purse. Really, this is true.

8) I cannot wear most clothes twice.

9) I smoke, but I hate the smell of smoke, especially on my hands (see
No. 1).

10) I wash my hair everyday because I hate the smell of smoke and fear
that it is in my hair (see No. 9) - all the time.


Now to counteract my analness, here is my free-wheeling-devil-may-care
side:

1) I like sharing food - most of the time.

2) I mop maybe once every two months. Vacuum maybe every three
months.

3) I barely ever dust.

4) I have no organizational skills and it really doesn't bother me
that much. Sure I complain about it, but if I did care, I would clean out my
closet, as well as the junk that takes up all of the space underneath
my bed and couch, etc.

5) I have a hard time taking out the trash.

6) I sometimes keep butts in my ashtray for a week.

7) I will keep food in the fridge forever, despite its edibility.

8) I do eat food that has fallen on my floor, unless it is something
gooey like pasta with sauce. And sometimes food that has fallen on a
countertop other than the one in my home (again, not the gooey stuff).

9) I do wear my jeans regularly for at least two weeks before I wash
them.

10) I don't care how other people live their lives unless they are
harming themselves or I am feeling the need to share my analness with others.

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It's nice to know that Jedis are out there and making their vote count.

Census proves the force of Christianity
The London Telegraph
By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent
(Filed: 14/02/2003)


Most people in England and Wales - 71.1 per cent - still regard
themselves as Christians, the first official count of religious affiliation has
found.

Despite the sharp decline in churchgoing and the growth of secularism,
37.3 million described their religion as Christianity, according to the 2001
Census published yesterday.

The census, the first to ask a question on religion, confirmed Islam as
the second largest faith, with 1.54 million (3.1 per cent).

It also recorded 552,000 Hindus (1.1 per cent), 329,000 Sikhs (0.6 per
cent), 260,000 Jews (0.5), 144,000 Buddhists (0.3) and 150,000 (0.3)
from other religions.

Just over four million refused to answer the question, which was
voluntary, and 7.7 million (14.8) said they had no religion.

Though most of the figures were broadly in line with previous
estimates, the census produced some surprises.

The North East emerged as the most Christian region of the country,
although it has one of the lowest rates of church attendance. The North West
districts of St Helens, Wigan and Copeland had the highest proportions
of Christians (86 per cent or more).

Even more unexpectedly Norwich in Norfolk, which once boasted having
one church for every week of the year, was the least devout place,
recording the highest proportion of people of no religion (27.8 per cent). It was
followed by Brighton and Hove, and Cambridge.

The Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Rev Graham James, said: "Norwich has a
higher than average level of church attendance. So, if it is the least
religious place in the country, it has an odd way of showing it.

"Plainly there is still plenty of scope for further mission but I
suspect that what affects the statistics is that Norwich, unlike many cities,
has only a very small representation of other faiths."

Brighton also surfaced as the spiritual home of an unlikely movement
which can now claim more adherents than the Sikhs, Jews or Buddhists - the
Jedi Knights.

Star Wars devotees were encouraged by an internet campaign to register
themselves as Jedi, intergalactic warriors able to harness a mysterious
energy field called the Force, under the misapprehension that, if more
than 10,000 did, it would be recognised as an official religion.

Despite the efforts of census officials to counter the campaign,
390,000 people (0.7 per cent), mostly in university towns, gave their religion
as Jedi.

Len Cook, the Registrar General for England and Wales, said they had
been categorised among those who said they had no religion.

"I suspect this was a decision which will not be challenged greatly,"
he said. "I think there are other reasons why something should be classed
as a religion, rather than a group of people getting together on the
internet."

The highest proportion of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Jews is in
London, with 36.4 per cent of the borough of Tower Hamlets describing
themselves as Muslim. However Sikhs are most highly concentrated in Slough.

Despite the number calling themselves Christian, only about 11 per cent
now go to church at least once a month.

The Bishop of Lichfield, the Rt Rev Keith Sutton, said: "These figures
prove as a lie the claims by the National Secular Society and others that
England is no longer a Christian country.

"But welcome as they are, they are a wake-up call to Christian
leadership. While the Christian faith remains relevant to the majority of society,
the Church is clearly no longer seen as important."

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This week's horoscopes are dedicated to:

>> Duct Tape, will its wonders never cease?
>> Sandy, congratulations on your first REAL job!
>> Graham, hey! You can walk!

Wednesday, February 12, 2003

Movin right along (Digga-dug Digga-Dug) (2/12/2003)

The Westminster Dog Show 2003
By Michelle Park

So many dogs, so many proud dog owners, handlers, and people who just
love dogs. SO MANY. It really was an amazing event. I was at the
Westminster Dog Show volunteering with the ASPCA. They were hosting an information
table, passing out important information about caring for dogs and what
the ASPCA does. Even though I was there because of the organization, my
REAL reason for going was to see the dogs.

The dogs were immaculate. They were well-groomed, with their toes
clipped, hairs cut, anal glands expressed (if you don't know what this is, you
don't want to know). They were also incredibly well-behaved. You know they
are just supposed to be, but these dogs are INCREDIBLY well-behaved. If it
wasn't for the fact that there were dogs and people wearing dog
paraphernalia, you would never know that it was a dog show. The dogs
never said a word. The people on the other hand were very loud.

The dogs who were being judged that day had to be there all day. So
each dog had a bench, where their crate and other important items stayed.
The other important items not only included grooming care, bedding, toys,
etc., but also scrapbooks of photos from previous shows, paperwork certifying
their championship status, and even theme banners. Some crates even
had little fans attached or heating blankets (although, they weren't
necessary as the entire place was overheated).

And the types of dogs! I only showed up for the second day as I was
still feeling under the weather on the first. Therefore I missed the judging
for Working, Terrier, Toy, and Non-Sporting Groups. But I was there for
the Sporting, Hound and Herding Groups. The dogs from these groups are
quite large. Lots of spaniels, hounds and collies. And so many different
breeds. Personally, I can't tell the difference between a Curly-coated
retriever and a Chesapeake Bay retriever, but there were LOTS of people who could
tell the difference. However, regardless of the breed, I loved them all.

Now for the people. If you have seen Best in Show, then you know the
parodies of the dog people in the Dog Show business (If you haven't
seen the movie, then rent it - one of the best films out there). Well, I can
tell you now that those parodies are not that far off from reality. There
were the uptight, well-dressed types who were super anal and VERY snobbish
about their dogs to the 300 dog pins wearing large ladies who really
shouldn't be wearing their American Flag leggings. And I don't know about you but I
have always wondered who bought the shirts with air-brushed art of dogs.
Well wonder no more. It's these people.

What I also noticed about the people hanging about the crates, chatting
like it was a cocktail party or a hoe-down, was that they all seem to know
each other. This is a tight band of people. They know that their love of
dogs is at a level that most people would consider insane or obsessed - but
here, they are accepted.

All in all - it was a dog love fest. A dog orgy of sorts. I had a
great time. I didn't stay for the evening judging of Best in Group and Best
in Show (the tickets we got through the ASPCA were free, which also meant
bad seats), but I enjoyed hanging out, meeting the people, petting the
dogs, and overall having a good time.

PHOTOS: If you are interested in seeing pictures, please email me at
mpark@popcouncil.org. I have them in a PowerPoint format, which not
everyone can see.

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This week's horoscopes are dedicated to:
>> Jen Brown, Happy Birthday!
>> Carey, Happy Birthday!