Dependence Day is Today

Today is the day that all domestically produced oil has been used up for the year. We now turn to importing the oil we need. Dependence Day is a visually stunning website worth visiting. It has a petition worth signing.

Vt City Marathon - The Start and 2nd Leg

Get right up in the front for the start. There are about 7000 runners standing behind Julia.



First hand off, Zippy waits patiently. Where is Julia?



The handoff goes well and a Zippy is off on her leg with a smile.

The Saucy Posse Marathon Relay Team - 3rd Year

The Saucy Posse from SLU. Zippy, Anna, Julia, Kim and Steph, roommates, teammates, classmates and good friends. Hopefully this will be an annual event until they can no longer run.



Getting things all set for the race.

Memorial Day Weekend - Juggling Fire

Church Street Marketplace in Burlington, VT. If you've never been there you have to go (not in the winter). Great food, free entertainment, Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, Books, shopping, people watching, they have it all. If you are having breakfast, I recommend Henrys Diner at 155 Bank St. You can't do better. Sakura's is a great Sushi place. For a beer, The Vermont Pub and Brewery, 144 College St., behind the Court House. Don't want to drive to Burlington, then take a Lake Champlain Ferry directly into Burlington from Port Kent, NY. Call ahead to be sure and get on the 'Adirondack' ferry. You don't want to be stuck on the 'Valcour' for an hour.

What's On Your Bookshelf?

These are a few of the books in my office. However, the book I reach for most often is "Webster's II New Riverside Dictionary" because I find it embarrassing to mispell words. The next book I find myself reaching for is the "Holy Bible" (King James Version) because I often find biblical quotes online that I don't really believe are in the bible. I'm always surprised.

At home you would mainly find books on Adirondack History and Military Aircraft, Ships etc. Oh yeah, and all my wife's Art books.

Garcetti v. Ceballos (04-473)

Let's start trimming down first amendment rights says the Supreme Court in a recent ruling. Now if you work for the government you had better watch what you say. Didn't White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer once tell us we "better watch what we say"? I guess it's the law now.

UPDATE:
I got a visit from the Administrative Office of the United States Courts.

208.27.203.# (Admin OFC US Courts)
ISP Sprint
Location Continent : North America
Country : United States (Facts)
State : District of Columbia
City : Washington

They are probably checking to see how the sheeple are feeling about having some of their first amendment rights 'modified'.

Well, I don't think I like it. I don't think I like it one little bit.

Indian Runner Ducks and Belted Galloways

Ok, as promised, here is the picture of the Indian Runner Ducks. As you can see they look like bowling pins with feet. These ducks can run quite well but cannot fly. They have been bred to lay eggs, not to eat. More info here. I've forgotten what breed the other ducks are. Sorry.



Here are the Belted Galloway cattle. They are an old Scottish breed of cattle that have been described as early as 1786 but are probably much older. Belted Galloways are great foragers and, in the summer, thrive on marginal hill pastures. With their extra winter coat, they live out all winter with only hay to eat. More info here.

GOP Lies, Half Truths and Obfuscations

This growing list of Republican lies, half truths, and obfuscations should be posted on every liberal blog in the World. I got this list from "And the clocks were striking thirteen".


Franklin D. Roosevelt was a communist and a terrible president.
Jimmy Carter used to be a waffler, now he's a traitor.
Walter Mondale is a flip-flopper.
Michael Dukakis is a waffler.
Ronald Reagan was the best president in history.
The media is liberal.
Bill Clinton is a flip-flopper.
Hillary Clinton murdered Vince Foster.
Bill & Hillary Clinton are radical leftists.
Al Gore is a waffler.
Al Gore claimed he invented the internet.
Al Gore is boring, stiff and wonky.
George W. Bush is a great guy to have a beer with.
George W. Bush is a Texan.
George Bush was a successful businessman.
Bush won Florida in 2000.

Go to the above link to see the rest of the list. It's too long to keep posted here. I found the HTML code to make an expandable post, but I can't get it to work. I don't know if it's because I'm putting it in the wrong place on the template or what.

Fort Montgomery - Rouses Point, NY

There is a long and weird story about Ft. Montgomery and I'm not going to recount it. You can read about it here. Better pictures also. The reason for more recent interest in the Fort is that it is for sale on eBay here. The current bid is $5 million but the asking price is $9,950,000. The eBay site has lots of information on the fort, the property, the history and lot's of really great pictures. Definitely worth visiting.

Cathartes aura - Turkey Vulture

On our way out of town, right next to the Fish and Game Club, two pair of turkey vultures. I knew they were in the area, but these are the first vultures I've seen here since I was very young. And, that was a long time ago. Learn more than you want to know about turkey vultures here.

What I did Memorial Day Weekend

Stay tuned for some exciting new knowledge. Learn about Cathartes aura; Fort Montgomery; Belted Galloways; Indian Runner ducks; The Vermont City Marathon and Relay.

Oh yeah, I forgot, fire juggling and Taiko drumming too.

So not to keep you in suspense, Julia's Marathon relay team, The Saucy Posse Returns, was 4th out of 100 teams in the Women's open division and 89th out of 1040 mens, womens and mixed teams. They would have done better but two of the team members decided (read: had to) to take bathroom breaks during the race.

All Is Well - No Tsunamis - But 666 Is Next

It's Friday and there have been no Tsunamis as far as I've heard. There was a bit of ruckus in Morocco.

The next big concern is 6 6 06. Not the band the date. The number of the beast.

Revelation 13:16-18 states:
"And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is the wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six." (I like the King James Version better than that modern crap that Wikopedia uses).

Personally, I agree that there is no need for any concern. After all the day will be 6 6 2006 or 6 6 06. It the number has anything to do with a date, the date would have been June 6, 6 CE wouldn't it?

But I'm not an expert on the endtimes. For expert advice go here to Endtimes Ministries. You can take a free one hour lesson there on understanding the endtimes.

You can learn much more about the endtimes and stuff at my fav source of info of all things religious here.

Don't Search Congressional Offices Say Republicans

Now we know why Speaker of the House Denny Hastert was so upset with the FBI searching the office of obviously corrupt Rep. William Jefferson. Seems like old Denny is finally caught up in the House corruption involving Jack Abramoff. Several convicted lobbyist are singing like canaries about their partners in crime. Denny is probably changing the locks on his office door as we speak.

Good Question!

I wonder what it would be like to live in a country with a corrupt ruling party and a secrecy-obsessed president who liked to meddle in other countries. Matthew Yglesias

Is he talking about Venezuela or Bolivia or ......some other country?

Let Me Say This About That....

Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-LA) DEMOCRAT!

He got caught with his hand in the cookie jar and now he is whining about it. Throw his ass in jail and then sign him up as a member of the Republican party.

Other members of congress, including Republicans, are complaining about a raid on Jefferson's Capital hill office. I can see why members of congress are upset....I bet many of them have plenty to hide.

Rep. Jefferson says "There are two sides to every story; there are certainly two sides to this story,"...

I'd like to know why he uses his freezer as a bank.

NY Gas Tax Cut

George Pataki signed a bill yesterday reducing the amount of taxes paid on gas in NY state. It goes into effect on June 1st.

This is wrong on a few levels. First, will somone tell me how will we know that the gas companies are passing on the tax savings to us? Second, I don't like paying alot for gas, but paying high prices for gas reduces consumption which should result in reduced prices. Third, high gas prices force us to conserve which helps the environment. Fourth, gas prices aren't really that high. I bet some of you pay a dollar for a 12 oz bottle of coke or even water. Fifth, let's start thinking about our children.

North Country Minutemen Organized

Bart Bonner, of Watertown, NY, seems to be the man in charge. He knows exactly how the U.S. government could stop illegal immigration....

"If they ran a serious risk of being shot if they crossed the border, they would not come."

Well Bart....maybe you can explain why the conservative solution to almost every problem involves shooting someone? And what to hell is this business of the Minutemen being run out of New York City? Maybe you and your boys should revolt and take power away from Peter Lanteri. Afterall, what do Long Island boys know about shooting people from a distance.

Forget About Memorial Day Celebrations

Here's a concern. Did you know that the Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 comet is breaking up (as we speak) as it approaches the Sun? Well it is! And, you can learn about it here at the HubbleSite.

More importantly, now pay attention, Frenchman Eric Julien is positive that a piece of the comet is going to hit the Atlantic ocean on Thursday, May 25th, ending life on Earth as we know it.

"I have received information psychically, which is corroborated by scientific data, according to which on May 25, 2006 a giant tsunami will occur in the Atlantic Ocean, brought about by the impact of a comet fragment which will provoke the eruption of under-sea volcanoes. Waves up to 200 m high will reach coastlines located above and below the Tropic of Cancer. However, all of the countries bordering the Atlantic will be affected to greater or lesser destructive and deadly levels. This site is dedicated to life, to civic responsibility and to information. There is still time to save lives. Thanks for participating in the world-wide alert!" -- Eric Julien


This is a map of the areas that will be hit with a tsunami.

I'm really sorry I didn't get this important information out sooner but I just heard about it. It's probably too late to prepare for the event.

So, good night and good luck.

On Moody Pond

Going.....

Going....

Gone.

Home sweet home. Another couple of years and there will be no trees around Moody Pond.

SNOW

Monday Weather
A chance of snow showers til mid morning...then mostly cloudy with a chance of rain showers. Highs in the upper 40s. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. Chance of precipitation 50 percent.

We understand that snow is always possible up til the end of May and sometimes into June. But......