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May 25 (1) in BLOG ARCHIVE LISTCameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.comBlogger137125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563783551143268185.post-42282829104464981312009-11-20T19:23:00.001-07:002009-11-20T19:23:47.909-07:00Table of Contents > Holidays or Holy Days: Does It Matter Which Days We Observe?<a href=http://www.beyondtoday.tv/booklets/hh/>Table of Contents > Holidays or Holy Days: Does It Matter Which Days We Observe?</a><br /><br />Posted using <a href="http://sharethis.com">ShareThis</a>Cameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563783551143268185.post-72856388642717816052009-11-17T20:30:00.001-07:002009-11-17T20:32:15.411-07:00Voice of The hidden Romantic"It's 4:03 A.M. and I can't sleep Without you next to me I Toss and turn like the sea If I drown tonight, bring me Back to life Breathe your breath in me The only thing that I still believe In is you, if you only knew"Cameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563783551143268185.post-52067324196704710372009-11-17T20:29:00.000-07:002009-11-17T20:29:50.300-07:00Voice of the Hidden Romantic"It's 4:03 and I can't sleep Without you next to me I Toss and turn like the sea If I drown tonight, bring me Back to life Breathe your breath in me The only thing that I still believe In is you, if you only knew"Cameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563783551143268185.post-75077008502293915362009-11-15T20:15:00.002-07:002009-11-15T20:27:10.463-07:00The Worlds Most Prestigous CoffeeAt the base of the Himalayan Mountains grows the Kopicillac tree.<br />Upon this tree grows the worlds most prestigous coffee known as<br />Kopicillac. In these trees also lives the tree cat. The tree cats<br />eat the Kopicillac beans and then defficate. The locals gather up<br />these defications and process them. It is the combination of the<br />gastric juices from the tree cat and the remaining residue from<br />the Kopicillac that gives this coffee its distinct aroma.Cameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563783551143268185.post-13507598844105832912009-08-16T20:38:00.002-06:002009-08-16T20:45:00.176-06:00NASA can't detect all earthbound asteroidsUS study finds that NASA cannot meet goal of spotting nearly all Earth-threatening asteroids<br /><br /><br />- - NASA is charged with seeking out nearly all the asteroids that threaten Earth but does not have the money to do the job, a U.S. government report says.<br /><br />That is because even though Congress assigned the space agency this mission four years ago, it never gave NASA money to build the necessary telescopes, the new National Academy of Sciences report says. Specifically, NASA has been ordered to spot 90 per cent of the potentially deadly rocks hurtling through space by 2020. <br /><br />Even so, NASA says it has completed about one-third of its assignment with its current telescope system. <br /><br />NASA estimates that there are about 20,000 asteroids and comets in our solar system that are potential threats to Earth. They are larger than 460 feet (140 metres) in diameter - slightly smaller than a sports stadium in New Orleans. So far, scientists know where about 6,000 of these objects are. <br /><br />Rocks between 460 feet and 3,280 feet (1,000 metres) in diameter can devastate an entire region but not the entire globe, said Lindley Johnson, NASA's manager of the near-Earth objects program. Objects bigger than that are even more threatening, of course. <br /><br />Just last month astronomers were surprised when an object of unknown size and origin bashed into Jupiter and created an Earth-sized bruise that is still spreading. Jupiter does get slammed more often than Earth because of its immense gravity, enormous size and location. <br /><br />Disaster movies like "Armageddon" and near misses in previous years may have scared people and alerted them to a serious issue. But when it comes to doing something about monitoring the threat, the academy concluded "there has been relatively little effort by the U.S. government." <br /><br />And the U.S. government is practically the only government doing anything at all, the report found. <br /><br />"It shows we have a problem we're not addressing," said Louis Friedman, executive director of the Planetary Society, an advocacy group. <br /><br />NASA calculated that to spot the asteroids as required by law would cost about $800 million between now and 2020, either with a new ground-based telescope or a space observation system, Johnson said. If NASA got only $300 million it could find most asteroids bigger than 1,000 feet (300 metres) across, he said. <br /><br />But so far NASA has gotten neither sum. <br /><br />It may never get the money, said John Logsdon, a space policy professor at George Washington University. <br /><br />"The program is a little bit of a lame duck," Logsdon said. There is not a big enough group pushing for the money, he said. <br /><br />At the moment, NASA has identified about five near-Earth objects that pose better than a 1-in-a-million risk of hitting our planet and being big enough to cause serious damage, Johnson said. That number changes from time to time, usually with new asteroids added and old ones removed as more information is gathered on their orbits. <br /><br />The space rocks astronomers are keeping a closest eye on are a 430-foot (130-meter) diameter rock that has a 1-in-3,000 chance of hitting Earth in 2048 and a much-talked about asteroid, Apophis, which is twice that size and has a one-in-43,000 chance of hitting in 2036, 2037 or 2069.<br /><br />By Seth Borenstein, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS <br />WASHINGTON<br /><br />Last month, NASA started a new Web site for the public to learn about threatening near-Earth objects. <br /><br /> <br /><br />On the Net: <br /><br />NASA's near-Earth object site: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroidwatchCameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563783551143268185.post-90676928788839461512009-08-11T20:39:00.001-06:002009-08-11T20:41:59.981-06:00Left brain's Grocery List...A must ListenATTENTION LADIES: If you send your Hubby to the grocery store, make sure you check the list first...<br />You have to see this, it's a real riot! and believe me, we "all need a good laugh"...<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YFRUSTiFUs<br /><br />Jeanne Robertson "Don't send a man to the grocery store!"<br />Source: www.youtube.com<br />Jeanne Robertson, award-winning humorist, professional speaker. Check Jeanne Robertson out on iTunes: http://www.itunes.com/JeanneRobertson Daily onCameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563783551143268185.post-10222065853975234652009-08-05T20:58:00.002-06:002009-08-05T21:00:53.902-06:00Why Dogs can't use Computers1. He’s distracted by cats chasing his mouse. <br />2. SIT and STAY were hard enough; CUT and PASTE are out of the question. <br />3. The fire hydrant icon is simply too frustrating. <br />4. He can’t help attacking the screen when he hears “You’ve Got Mail”. <br />5. It’s too messy to “mark” every Web site he visits. <br />6. He can’t stick his head out of WindowsCameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563783551143268185.post-75939244697291282022009-07-18T17:04:00.001-06:002009-07-18T17:09:54.719-06:00Drinking Coffee keeps you HealthyA cup of coffee a day keeps the doctor away<br />For years coffee has endured a bad rap, but experts now say the caffeine content can actually do you some good. <br /><br />Every morning Lesli Boldt starts her day with a serious cup of coffee -- a two-shot espresso with hot water. “I have one coffee a day and I want it to be a good one,” says Lesli, 35, a manager of marketing and communications for the Vancouver Public Library.<br /><br />Not only does Lesli's coffee taste good, but new research suggests that it may also be good for her. Recent studies have found that drinking coffee can actually be a healthy habit, enhancing athletic performance, increasing mental alertness and protecting against serious diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and even liver and colon cancers. “Coffee consumption fits into a very healthy diet and, if anything, may have a beneficial effect,” Dr. Eileen Madden, a toxicologist and food-safety expert, told a symposium on coffee and health last fall at the New York Academy of Sciences.<br /><br />That's surprising news for most Canadians who love coffee but treat it as something of a guilty pleasure. Canadians have mixed feelings about the beverage they love to drink, says Massimo Marcone, a food scientist and adjunct professor at the University of Guelph in Ontario who has studied coffee production and consumption all over the world. “People have a preconceived idea about coffee -- they think it's bad for you,” he says.<br /><br />And no wonder. Almost every day media reports tell us that consuming coffee may be associated with serious health problems, such as osteoporosis, elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, infertility, fibrocystic breast disease (FBD), breast cancer and even miscarriage. But, say the experts, many of those findings were based on poorly designed research and were not supported by further studies.<br /><br />The benefits of coffee<br />If you love coffee, here's some of the latest good news.<br />• A study of 90,000 Japanese by the National Cancer Center in Tokyo found that people who drank one to four cups of coffee daily had half the liver cancer risk of those who never drank coffee. Researchers aren't sure why, but they speculate that antioxidants may play a role.<br /><br />• A study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health that followed more than 125,000 men and women for more than a decade found that regular coffee drinkers had a significantly lower risk of developing type 2 (or late-onset) diabetes. Studies in Sweden and Finland also concluded that coffee consumption offers protection from type 2 diabetes. Again, researchers aren't sure why.<br /><br />• A half-dozen recent international studies showed a positive relationship between drinking caffeinated beverages -- including coffee -- and lower rates of Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.<br /><br />• Other research links coffee consumption with reduced risk of cirrhosis of the liver, colon cancer and asthma.<br /><br />• A cup or two of coffee can improve endurance in activities such as running, cycling and swimming, according to other research. Coffee has a strong ergogenic effect, meaning it helps people work harder and longer, explains Lawrence Spriet, an exercise physiologist at the University of Guelph who has researched the effects of caffeine on athletic performance for more than a decade. "Even small amounts of caffeine can be quite powerful,” he says. <br /><br />It's still too early for blanket endorsements, but this kind of evidence has many scientists cautiously optimistic about the health-enhancing powers of coffee. "There is some solid scientific data that show there are some health benefits to moderate coffee consumption," says Marcone.<br /><br />That's good news, especially for the 81 per cent of Canadians who drink coffee occasionally and the more than 63 per cent (18 years of age and over) who drink it every day. The average Canadian consumes about 2.6 cups of coffee a day.<br /><br />Caffeine is the key<br />Although there are about 2,000 substances in a cup of coffee, its main active ingredient is caffeine, a naturally occurring alkaloid. Tea leaves, cola nuts and cocoa beans also contain caffeine, but coffee beans have far more. An eight-ounce cup of brewed coffee has about 135 milligrams of caffeine compared with 36 to 46 milligrams for the same amount of cola and 43 milligrams for the same amount of average-blend tea (instant coffee contains 76 to 106 milligrams of caffeine).<br /><br />Caffeine acts as a stimulant, promoting the release of adrenaline in the body and suppressing a natural relaxant in the brain called adenosine. The result? Less fatigue, elevated mood, increased alertness and more energy. Not surprisingly, people who need to drive long distances, focus on a project, work a night shift or fight off jet lag drink caffeinated drinks to stay alert. The stimulating effects of caffeine may also result in enhanced athletic performance.<br />The benefits are a blessing to coffee lovers, but there's a price to pay. Because caffeine is a mild stimulant to the central nervous and cardiovascular systems, it can temporarily raise your blood pressure and, in larger doses, cause sleeplessness, anxiety and nervousness. “Caffeine jazzes up your body and creates a stress reaction,” explains Dr. David Posen, a stress-management consultant in Oakville, Ont.<br /><br />Caffeine is habit-forming, too, and although not technically addictive, it can cause some mild withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, fatigue or drowsiness if you stop cold turkey. <br /><br />Moderation is best<br />So what's the bottom line? Overall, coffee consumed in moderation is safe. After reviewing numerous studies on the effects of caffeine on human health, researchers at Health Canada recently concluded that for the average adult, a moderate intake of caffeine (400 to 450 milligrams per day, or the equivalent of three to four 8-ounce cups of brewed coffee) “is not associated with any adverse effects.”<br /><br />Marcone agrees, saying, “As long as you stay within the guidelines, you're safe, and I'm confident of that based on the best science.”<br /><br />Rosie Schwartz, an author and dietitian in Toronto, also concurs with this assessment. “Moderation is the best approach,” she says.<br /><br />You're the best judge of your coffee capacity, but remember that your response to caffeine may change over time. “The key,” says Schwartz, “is to figure out how it's affecting you. Listen to what your body is telling you.”<br /><br />If you're feeling stressed, jittery or are having trouble sleeping, Posen recommends that you gradually reduce your coffee intake as an experiment. And he suggests that you don't drink coffee after lunchtime.<br /><br />Similarly, if you're planning to get pregnant or are already pregnant or breastfeeding, you should consider moderating your intake of caffeine. Health Canada recommends a maximum of 300 milligrams per day (about two to three 8-ounce cups) of brewed coffee. Although there are no definitive studies showing adverse effects, Schwartz advises pregnant women to drink even less than the two to three cups recommended by Health Canada. “It's best to err on the side of caution,” she says.<br /><br />If you love coffee and want to drink several cups a day, Schwartz has some great advice: use good quality coffee, but try a blend of half-caffeinated and half-decaffeinated. And if too much coffee irritates your stomach, giving you indigestion or heartburn, try a low-acid coffee, says Schwartz.<br /><br />“Coffee, in moderation, is one of life's great pleasures,” says Marcone. “You should not feel guilty when you're drinking it. When you have a cup of coffee, enjoy it.”<br /><br />The caffeine content of your favourite drink<br /><br />The caffeine content of coffee varies depending on how the beans are roasted, the amount of coffee used per cup and how it is brewed. For soft drinks, the caffeine content is consistent.<br /><br />Espresso coffee (1.5 to 2 oz) <br />45 to 100 mg of caffeine<br /><br />Red Bull energy drink (8.2 oz) <br />80 mg of caffeine<br /><br />Brewed coffee (8 oz) <br />80 to 135 mg of caffeine<br /><br />Cola beverages (12 oz) <br />43 to 55 mg of caffeine<br /><br />Warning: Some prescription and over-the-counter medicines contain significant amounts of caffeine. Be sure to check the label or talk with your pharmacist or other primary care provider before taking them.<br /><br /><br />By Paul Benedetti (canadianliving.com)Cameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563783551143268185.post-52395200753217212882009-06-26T08:23:00.003-06:002009-06-26T08:32:28.361-06:00Farewell to the King of PoP - Michael JacksonAnd so the life of Michael Jackson came to an end Thursday, June 25, 2009<br /><br />Michael Jackson was a phenomenal talent and has been around since I first started listening to pop music. To children of the 80s, Thriller was to pop music discovery what Charlotte's Web was to kiddie lit or Raiders of the Lost Ark was to Adventure flicks. I was ten years old in 1982, when Thriller was released, and it was the greatest thing we kids had ever heard in our lives.<br /><br />Thriller became the bestselling album of all time and an incredible and unprecedented seven of its nine tracks became top ten singles. The funk pop record bore smatterings of hard rock with a guitar solo by Eddie Van Halen. It guested Paul McCartney on a duet, and Vincent Price offered his spooky spoken word for the title track. The Thriller mini movie video broke ground and is often called the best music video of all time. The iconic zombie dance lives on to this day, performed all over the globe, not least impressively by these Filipino inmates. The song styles ran a gamut from the rather menacing Wanna Be Starting Something? to the syrupy ballads, The Lady in My Life and Human Nature.<br /><br /><br />Of course, Thriller wasn't Jackson's first album. It was preceded by the almost equally stellar disco funk of Off the Wall in 1979. Before that he was the star child, recording many a classic track with the Jackson Five. There were other hits too, like Ben, the theme song for a film of the same name about a boy who befriends the leader of a gang of homicidal rats. The song was nominated for an Oscar.<br /><br />But Thriller was his greatest work. It sold 40 million copies. At the time of its release, fledgling music television stations, MTV and MuchMusic, were still in relative infancy and, though they had never played many black artists in the past, they played Michael Jackson videos "to death" as Allmusic.com puts it. Jackson, with his flamboyant fashion sense and signature dance stylings did more – by virtue of his mindblowing talent - to integrate black music into the mainstream than anyone had before. Kids my age didn't know this at the time, though, since we weren't aware of musical politics and were content to learn how to moonwalk and show up at school wearing just one glove (I can still moonwalk…and think perhaps a fitting tribute would be for everyone to do so on the anniversary of his death next year).<br /><br />Jackson never quite managed to recapture the success of Thriller. What are the chances of topping the greatest selling album of all time? There was always quite a wait between albums. In 1987, Jackson released Bad. And while the tour became the highest grossing of all time and the album was the first to produce five number one hits, it sold only 8 million copies.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Jackson's bizarre behaviour – his friendship with pet chimp Bubbles, his Neverland Ranch and penchant for the company of children, his reclusive habits, and the whitening of his skin, later said to be a case of vitiligo – was fuelling fires of speculation and vitriol. The British tabloid press started calling him "Wacko Jacko."<br /><br />Dismayed by the moniker, for obvious reasons, Michael was calling himself the "King of Pop" by the time he released Dangerous in 1991. Dangerous debuted at number one but the musical landscape was shifting and soon Nirvana's Nevermind knocked it out of place.<br /><br />From there, it was a slow, strange downslide for Michael. Amid allegations of child molestation in both 1993 and 2004 (dropped and dismissed, respectively), two failed marriages – one to Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie, the other to nurse Debbie Rowe who bore him two children – Jackson's reputation suffered further. His appearance became increasingly bizarre through cosmetic surgery. I think many of us were always waiting for him to turn around and do something amazing, praying he'd pull himself out of the funk (the wrong kind). And we were increasingly disappointed when he repeatedly failed to do so. It was ten years between Dangerous and 2001's Invincible, which only proved that he was not. <br /><br />Michael suffered severe financial trouble, had a very public fallout with Tommy Mottola of Sony Music and lost his Neverland Ranch. There was more. But we were all there. We all know what happened. Michael Jackson had become a very tragic figure.<br /><br />Recently Michael announced a comeback. Looking frail, he gave a press conference, promising ten shows at London's O2 Arena. Ten later became 50.<br /><br />And many of us were sceptical. We knew he wasn't going to perform those shows. There was no way. He was too sickly looking. Something was fishy from the start. I blogged my predictions and was surprised by the voracity of the insults that popped up in the comments section - directed at me - from people rushing to his defence. <br /><br />Five shows were later cancelled and moved to the end of the run. He was reportedly diagnosed with skin cancer. And now he's dead. I know this sounds like a crazy conspiracy theory in the making but I have to say I wonder whether Michael was coerced into these concerts, with someone else pulling the strings. I will be very surprised if any of the 750,000 people who bought tickets to those shows get their money back. And I'm no financial expert but I'm guessing there's quite a windfall of cash there. So, what I'm saying is, I suspect there's more to this story, even if we will never know what it is. Or maybe I'm crazy.<br /><br />Meanhwhile, I just heard the Reverend Al Sharpton on television suggesting Michael died of a broken heart. Fitting, if overly poetic. Life was not kind to Michael. <br /><br />But how about that Thriller, eh? Good night King of Pop. You were certainly off the wall. <br /><br />Story by: Elizabeth BromsteinCameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563783551143268185.post-6470080325033810372009-06-07T19:41:00.002-06:002009-06-07T19:46:42.169-06:00Bewerp - Worlds Fastest 4 door Convertible<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.shoutlife.com/profiles/1/4/5/2/7/72541/1079493tn.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100px; height: 100px;" src="http://www.shoutlife.com/profiles/1/4/5/2/7/72541/1079493tn.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.shoutlife.com/profiles/1/4/5/2/7/72541/1079492tn.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100px; height: 100px;" src="http://www.shoutlife.com/profiles/1/4/5/2/7/72541/1079492tn.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Bewerp launches four-door Savage Rivale Roadyacht convertible<br /><br /><br />Over the past couple of years, the number of upstart supercar manufacturers has bloomed. Brands such as Zenvo, Ascari, SSC and others have brought their six-figure machines to market to challenge more storied brands like Ferrari and Lamborghini.<br /><br />Some, however, are a little more quirky than others. A prime example is this, the oddly-named Bewerp Savage Rivale Rodyacht GTS.<br /><br />But the name isn’t the only peculiar thing about this Dutch droptop. Firstly, there’s the way it looks. It’s a bit odd, and rather angular in a cool, Italian ‘80s Lamborghini Countach kind of way, and what’s more is that its beetle-style doors should give Lamborghini’s a run for the money. Traffic pylon paintjob aside, its kitsch factor is furthered by the fact that its doors can be opened remotely via a custom wristwatch.<br /><br />The second odd thing is the fact that the Roadyacht is a four-door convertible, a body configuration that isn’t popular. Besides the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, I’m hard pressed to think of another four-door droptop. <br />Last but not least is its performance. Based on the Chevrolet Corvette, the Roadyacht GTS is powered by a supercharged LS7 V8 that develops 670 horsepower and 538 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine provides sufficient power to propel it to 100 km/h in less than 3.5 seconds, and to 200 km/h in less than 35 seconds.<br /><br />With a top speed of 330 km/h, the Bewerp is also the world’s fastest four-seat convertible, snatching the title from the 322 km/h Bentley Continental GTC Speed.<br /><br />By Justin CoutureCameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563783551143268185.post-37788856723157658362009-05-31T19:10:00.002-06:002009-05-31T19:17:50.828-06:00I went to a party . . .I went to a party <br />And remembered what you said. <br />You told me not to drink, Mum <br />So I had a sprite instead. <br /><br />I felt proud of myself, <br />The way you said I would, <br />That I didn't drink and drive, <br />Though some friends said I should. <br /><br />I made a healthy choice, <br />And your advice to me was right, <br />The party finally ended, <br />And the kids drove out of sight. <br /><br />I got into my car, <br />Sure to get home in one piece, <br />I never knew what was coming, Mum <br />Something I expected least. <br /><br />Now I'm lying on the pavement, <br />And I hear the policeman say, <br />The kid that caused this wreck was drunk, <br />Mum, his voice seems far away. <br /><br />My own blood's all around me, <br />As I try hard not to cry. <br />I can hear the paramedic say, <br />This girl is going to die. <br /><br />I'm sure the guy had no idea, <br />While he was flying high, <br />Because he chose to drink and drive, <br />Now I will have to die. <br /><br />So why do people do it, Mum <br />Knowing that it ruins lives? <br />And now the pain is cutting me, <br />Like a hundred stabbing knives. <br /><br />Someone should have taught him, <br />That it's wrong to drink and drive. <br />Maybe if his parents had, <br />I'd still be alive. <br /><br />My breath is getting shorter, Mum <br />I'm getting really scared. <br />These are my final moments, <br />And I'm so unprepared. <br /><br />I wish that you could hold me Mum, <br />As I lie here and die. <br />I wish that I could say, 'I love you, Mum!' <br />So I love you and good-bye. <br /><br />MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers)Cameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563783551143268185.post-42002953773990135842009-05-29T21:26:00.000-06:002009-05-29T21:27:35.142-06:00Getting EvenThe Story About Getting Even<br /><br />One December day we found an old straggly cat at our door. <br />She was a sorry sight. <br />Starving, dirty, smelled terrible, skinny, and hair all matted down. <br />We felt sorry for her so we put her in a carrier and took <br />her to the vet. <br />We didn't know what to call her so we named her 'Pussycat.'<br /><br />The vet decided to keep her for a day or so. <br />He said he would let us know <br />when we could come and get her.<br /><br />My husband (the complainer) said, <br />'OK, but don't forget to wash her, she stinks.' <br />He reminded the vet that it was his WIFE (me) that wanted the dirty cat, not him.<br /><br />My husband and my Vet don't see eye to eye. The vet calls my husband <br />'El-Cheap-O', and my husband calls the vet 'El-Charge-O'.<br /><br />They love to hate each other and constantly 'snipe' at one another, with my <br />husband getting in the last word on this particular occasion.<br /><br />The next day my husband had an appointment with his doctor, <br />who is located in the same building, next door to the vet.<br /><br />The MD's waiting room and office was full of people waiting to see the <br />doctor. <br />A side door opened and the vet leaned in - he had obviously<br />seen my husband arrive.<br /><br />He looked straight at my husband and in a loud voice said,<br /><br />'Your wife's pussy doesn't stink any more. We washed and shaved it, and<br />now she smells like a rose. Oh, and, by the way, I think she's pregnant.<br />God only knows who the father is!' Then he closed the door.<br /><br />Now THAT, my friends, is getting even!Cameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563783551143268185.post-11199094499499077702009-05-29T20:54:00.000-06:002009-05-29T20:56:37.782-06:00Neil Armstrong's Secret . . . .GUARANTEED TO MAKE YOU SMILE <br /><br />Neil Armstrong <br /><br /><br />ON JULY 20, 1969, AS COMMANDER OF THE APOLLO 11 LUNAR MODULE, NEIL ARMSTRONG WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO SET FOOT ON THE MOON. <br /><br />HIS FIRST WORDS AFTER STEPPING ON THE MOON, "THAT'S ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN, ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND," WERE TELEVISED TO EARTH AND HEARD BY MILLIONS.<br /><br />BUT JUST BEFORE HE RE-ENTERED THE LANDER, HE MADE THE ENIGMATIC REMARK "GOOD LUCK, MR. GORSKY."<br /><br />MANY PEOPLE AT NASA THOUGH IT WAS A CASUAL REMARK CONCERNING SOME RIVAL SOVIET COSMONAUT.<br /><br />HOWEVER, UPON CHECKING, THERE WAS NO GORSKY IN EITHER THE RUSSIAN OR AMERICAN SPACE PROGRAMS.<br /><br />OVER THE YEARS MANY PEOPLE QUESTIONED ARMSTRONG AS TO WHAT THE "GOOD LUCK, MR. GORSKY" STATEMENT MEANT, BUT ARMSTRONG ALWAYS JUST SMILED.<br /><br />ON JULY 5, 1995, IN TAMPA BAY, FLORIDA <br /><br />, WHILE ANSWERING QUESTIONS FOLLOWING A SPEECH, A REPORTER BROUGHT UP THE 26-YEAR-OLD QUESTION TO ARMSTRONG. THIS TIME HE FINALLY RESPONDED.<br /><br />MR. GORSKY HAD DIED, SO NEIL ARMSTRONG FELT HE COULD NOW ANSWER THE QUESTION.<br /><br />IN 1938, WHEN HE WAS A KID IN A SMALL MID-WEST TOWN, HE WAS PLAYING BASEBALL WITH A FRIEND IN THE BACKYARD. HIS FRIEND HIT THE BALL, WHICH LANDED IN HIS NEIGHBOR'S YARD BY THEIR BEDROOM WINDOW.<br /><br />HIS NEIGHBORS WERE MR. AND MRS. GORSKY.<br /><br />AS HE LEANED DOWN TO PICK UP THE BALL, YOUNG ARMSTRONG HEARD MRS. GORSKY SHOUTING AT MR. GORSKY: <br /><br />"SEX! YOU WANT SEX?! YOU'LL GET SEX WHEN THE KID NEXT DOOR WALKS ON THE MOON!" <br /><br /><br />By the way, this is a "TRUE STORY"Cameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563783551143268185.post-36426683442396635302009-05-20T20:37:00.004-06:002009-05-20T20:44:40.111-06:009 things People Say that Pisses me off1] People who point at their wrist while asking for the time.... I know where my watch is pal, where the hell is yours? Do I point at my crotch when I ask where the toilet is?<br /><br /><br />2] People who are willing to get off their ass to search the entire room for the T.V.. remote because they refuse to walk to the T.V. and change the channel manually. <br /><br /><br />3] When people say 'Oh you just want to have your cake and eat it too'. Damn right! What good is cake if you can't eat it? <br /><br /><br />4] When people say 'it's always the last place you look'. Of course it is. Why the hell would you keep looking after you've found it? Do people do this? Who and where are they? Gonna Kick their asses! <br /><br /><br />5] When people say while watching a film 'did you see that?'. No Loser, I paid $12 to come to the cinema and stare at the damn floor. <br /><br /><br />6] People who ask 'Can I ask you a question?'.... Didn't really give me a choice there, did ya sunshine? <br /><br /><br /><br />7] When something is 'new and improved!'. Which is it? If it's new, then there has never been anything before it. If it's an improvement, then there must have been something before it, couldn't be new. <br /><br /><br />8] When people say 'life is short'. What the hell?? Life is the longest damn thing anyone ever does!! What can you do that' s longer? <br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /><br />9] When you are waiting for the bus and someone asks 'Has the bus come yet?'. If the bus came would I be standing here, dumbass?<br /><br />Hey folks, this is just a joke - humour, so please don't take it personally.Cameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563783551143268185.post-13713391126976794972009-05-16T10:12:00.002-06:002009-05-16T10:18:40.644-06:00New School PrayerWritten by a 15 yr. old School Kid in Ohio : <br />New Pledge of Allegiance (TOTALLY AWESOME!) <br />Since the Pledge of Allegiance & The Lords <br />Prayer Are not allowed in Schools anymore <br />Because the word 'God' is mentioned.... <br />A Kid in Ohio wrote the attached: <br /> <br /><br /><br /><br />NEW School prayer: <br /><br /><br /><br />Now I sit me down in school <br />Where praying is against the rule.<br />For this great nation under God <br />Finds mention of Him very odd. <br /><br /> <br /><br />If Scripture now the class recites, <br />It violates the Bill of Rights.<br />And anytime my head I bow <br />Becomes a Federal matter now. <br /><br /> <br /><br />Our hair can be purple, orange or green, <br />That's no offence; it's a freedom scene.<br />The law is specific, the law is precise.<br />Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice. <br /><br /> <br /><br />For praying in a public hall <br />Might offend someone with no faith at all.<br />In silence alone we must meditate, <br />God's name is prohibited by the state. <br /><br /> <br /><br />We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks, <br />And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.<br />They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.<br />To quote the Good Book makes me liable. <br /><br /> <br /><br />We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen, <br />And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.<br />It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong, <br />We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong. <br /><br /> <br /><br />We can get our condoms and birth controls, <br />Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.<br />But the 'Ten Commandments' are not allowed, <br />No word of God must reach this crowd. <br /><br /> <br /><br />It's scary here I must confess, <br />When chaos reigns, the school's a mess.<br />So Lord, this silent plea I make:<br />Should I be shot; My soul please take!<br /><br />Amen <br /><br /> <br />Jesus said, 'If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you before my Father.'Cameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563783551143268185.post-28332040070612429192009-05-11T10:32:00.002-06:002009-05-11T10:40:21.668-06:00Pontiac - End of the Road for an IconPontiac, pop culture icon, hits end of the road<br /><br /><br />LOS ANGELES - It could crash through burning buildings, make a fool of any number of small-town Southern sheriffs, help save the world from giant robots, even take criminals off to jail while engaging in witty repartee with its driver. <br />In the end, about the only thing a Pontiac automobile couldn't do anymore was persuade enough people to keep buying it. <br />So General Motors announced this past week that it is killing off the Pontiac brand, maker of muscular, noisy, gas-guzzling V-8-powered vehicles immortalized in song and movies for the way they seemed to shout to every other car on the block: "Out of the way, pipsqueak!" <br />When Burt Reynolds needed to outrun Jackie Gleason's bumbling Sheriff Buford Justice across the South in the 1977 movie "Smokey and the Bandit," he chose a black Pontiac Trans Am. When he needed a car to crash through burning buildings in "Hooper," it was a red Trans Am. <br />On TV, the star of the hit 1980s series "Knight Rider" wasn't really David Hasselhoff, it was his talking Pontiac. When Jim Garner's private eye Jim Rockford needed to hit the road to solve a crime, he didn't get behind the wheel of a Ford Mustang or a Chevrolet Camaro. He chose a Pontiac Firebird. <br />And when a bored high school senior from Nashville, Tenn., decided to tune out his physics teacher's lecture one day and check out a copy of Car and Driver magazine, it was a picture of a hot new Pontiac he saw on the cover. By the end of class, John Wilkin had written the 1964 pop classic "GTO." <br />Soon after, he would become known as Ronny Wilkin, frontman for a Beach Boys-soundalike group called Ronny and the Daytonas, and he would have the country singing: "Little GTO, you're really lookin' fine. Three deuces and a four-speed and a 389. Listen to her tachin' up now, listen to her whine. Come on and turn it on, wind it up, blow it out GTO." <br />For a time, the Monkees rode around in a tricked-out GTO, too. <br />Sometime in the '80s, however, the love affair began to fade. <br />Car enthusiasts speculated this week whether it was changing tastes, the move toward more environmentally sensitive cars or perhaps Pontiac's inability to keep coming up with new signature muscle cars that was to blame. <br />Pontiac's more recent contributions to America's automotive efforts included the very uncool Aztek, a chunky vehicle that looked like an SUV that tried to squeeze under a low-clearance bridge. <br />Jim Mattison, whose Michigan-based Pontiac Historic Services provides information on the model to collectors, noted that for whatever reason the company hadn't produced anything to capture the public's imagination in a long time. <br />"In 1963, they came out with this wonderful car called the GTO, then the Firebird in 1967, and then that evolved into the Trans Am," Mattison said. "The momentum kept on building until more recent years." <br />Pontiac, which discontinued the Firebird and Trans Am in 2002, tried bringing back the GTO in 2004. But the new model, produced in Australia, never caught on and was discontinued two years later. <br />"It didn't look like a Pontiac. It was still an Australian car," said Chris Brown of the Petersen Automotive Museum, where Pontiacs were on prominent display during a muscle-car exhibition a couple years ago. <br />Brown had praise, however, for two of Pontiac's current models, the G8 and the Solstice. <br />The latter even had enough muscle to be featured in the 2007 Shia LeBeouf movie "Transformers" as the good-guy robot-disguised-as-car named Jazz. But in perhaps an indication of things to come, Jazz was killed off fighting the evil Megatron and probably won't be around for the sequel. <br />Pontiac, however, will live on, at least in museums (there's a 1939 Woody on display at the Petersen), in private collections (Mattison owns more than a few himself), and in song. <br />Wilkin heard "GTO" on the radio just the other day. <br />"It made me happy and sad at the same time," he said. "I was happy to hear the song but at the same time it was like it was being played at a funeral." <br /><br />John Rogers, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<br />May 02, 2009<br /><br />PostScript:<br />Goodbye my sweet Pontiac. We will be forever the poor-er without you<br />This is like Goliath being slayed by David. The end of an Icon has <br />come to pass and we the yuppies and those before us will never forget you.<br />RIP - Pontiac<br />1929 - 2009Cameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563783551143268185.post-7075924080197642532009-05-04T19:39:00.002-06:002009-05-04T19:42:50.541-06:00Chrysler: A Historical TimelineOne hundred and one years after Walter P. Chrysler first became a “car guy,” has the company he created finally collided with one crisis too many?<br /><br />1924 Chrysler Six (Photo: Chrysler)Walter P. Chrysler's involvement with the automobile began at the Chicago auto show in 1908. The then 33-year-old railway executive fell deeply in love with a white Locomobile -- and went deeply into debt to buy it. Then he spent months tinkering with it before even learning to drive.<br /><br />By 1912 Chrysler had parlayed his new obsession into a new career. Beginning as production manager for Buick, he rose to become president and general manager of that GM division.<br /><br />Persistent conflicts with GM chief William Durant led him to resign in 1920. But by now, Chrysler's career was in high gear. Over the next two years he fulfilled a contract to resuscitate the failing Willys-Overland company, and did the same for another basket-case firm, Maxwell-Chalmers.<br /><br />Working with three former Studebaker engineers, Walter P. developed and launched the first car to bear his name in 1924. With its high-compression 3.3-litre engine, and full hydraulic brakes, the Chrysler Six offered upscale features at a not-so-upscale price.<br /><br />From zero to Big Three in five years<br /><br />1953 Plymouth Sedan (Photo: Chrysler)The following year, Chrysler purchased the assets of Maxwell, and Chrysler the company was on its way. In 1928 Walter P. purchased the Dodge company, and the same year created Plymouth and DeSoto, giving the company a GM-style hierarchy of brands. The brands were ranked Plymouth, DeSoto, Dodge, and Chrysler (though in the '30s Dodge and DeSoto would swap positions; and later, for a time, Imperial was also a stand-alone luxury brand).<br /><br />Within five years of its start-up, Chrysler was a full-line manufacturer competing with the Big Two, Ford and GM.<br /><br />Despite the sales failure of the ahead-of-its-time, aerodynamic 1934 Airflow, Chrysler survived the Great Depression, helped in no small part by the success of its budget brand, Plymouth. After the U.S. entered the Second World War in 1941, the firm switched from civilian to military vehicle production.<br /><br />At war's end, production of civilian vehicles resumed with lightly seasoned prewar models. When the first all-new postwar cars arrived (somewhat late) in 1949, they were knocked for dreary styling - but the arrival of former Studebaker stylist Virgil Exner that year would soon fix that. Another boost was the launch of the soon-to-be legendary Hemi V8 engine in 1951.<br /><br />Success through engineering<br /><br />1957 Chrysler 300C (Photo: Chrysler)The very first Chrysler had established a depth of engineering excellence that persisted through much of the company's history. Even when Chrysler didn't develop the new technology from scratch, it was often the first to use it on a mass-market car.<br /><br />To name but a few of Chrysler's engineering "firsts": power steering, push-button automatic transmission, AC alternator, curved single-piece windshield, replaceable oil filter, rubber-isolated engine mounts.<br /><br />Later, Chrysler was a lead adopter of standard airbags, and introduced the industry's first integrated child safety seats. There was also a 20-year fascination with gas-turbine engines, which may yet find an application as on-board generators in hybrid-electric vehicles.<br /><br />Through the 1950s, '60s and early 70s, Chrysler had its ups and downs, but the 1973-74 energy crisis - which hit just after Chrysler had expensively redesigned its large cars - set it on the path with a near-death experience. The hiring of Lee Iacocca to head up the faltering company, and subsequent government-guaranteed loans that staved off bankruptcy in 1980, are now Chrysler folklore.<br /><br /><br />The right cars at the right time<br /><br />1984 Dodge Caravan (Photo: Chrysler)So too are the simple front-drive K-cars that launched in 1981. The Dodge Aries and Plymouth Reliant helped engineer a recovery so rapid that the company paid back its loans seven years ahead of schedule. <br /><br />Beyond Aries/Reliant, the K-car platform was remarkable for its ability to spawn countless spin-offs. None was more significant than the minivan, which created a whole new breed of vehicle in 1984.<br /><br />Jeep joined Chrysler's portfolio in 1987 with the purchase of American Motors from then-owner Renault. Chrysler then created Eagle, its first new brand since 1929, to market the Ontario-built AMC Premier and other Renault-built cars that came with the package.<br /><br /><br />Foreign (mis)adventures<br /><br />1978 Dodge Omni (Photo: Chrysler)Chrysler never matched the scale of GM's and Ford's overseas operations, but had its share of foreign dalliances. In 1958 it bought into the French automaker Simca, and later added Britain's foundering Rootes Group. In 1978 it unloaded both to Peugeot-Citroën, though not before the Europeans had designed what would become the successful Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon -- the first domestically built small front-wheel drive cars.<br /><br />In the mid-'80s the Big Three went on a European boutique brand buying spree; Chrysler did its share, taking an interest in Maserati (remember the TC by Maserati?) and briefly distributed Alfa Romeos in North America. Chrysler even owned Lamborghini for a short period of time.<br /><br />More successfully, a durable partnership with Mitsubishi provided Chrysler with countless "badge-engineered" small and sporty cars over the years.<br /><br />Chrysler comeback – the sequel<br /><br />1994 Chrysler Concorde, a member of the LH car family (Photo: Chrysler)By the early '90s the largely K-car-derived range was stale and sales were sliding. Once again Chrysler re-invented itself. Adopting a "platform team" approach to streamline vehicle development, Chrysler put 1989's show-stopping Dodge Viper concept into production for 1992, followed by the radically proportioned LH sedans in 1993, the in-your-face Ram pickup in 1994, and a string of other bold designs. All-time record profits of US$3.7 billion were achieved in 1994.<br /><br />When Germany's Daimler-Benz acquired Chrysler in 1998's so-called merger of equals, Chrysler was still profitable - more so, in fact, than its acquirer. Yet, nine years later, the Germans rid themselves of the American company for a fraction of what they paid for it.<br /><br />The failed merger: victim or perpetrator?<br /><br />2009 Dodge Ram (Photo: Chrysler)Experts will debate endlessly what went wrong with DaimlerChrysler. Widely cited causes include promised synergies that failed to materialise, and deep chasms between the two organisations' respective cultures. <br /><br />But the merger did not cause the ballooning health-care and pension costs that burden all three Detroit automakers, nor the serial gas-price shocks that have rocked an American industry unsustainably addicted to gas-swilling pickups and SUVs. Chrysler completely redesigned the Ram pickup for 2009 - but still does not have a subcompact car in its lineup.<br /><br />Now, over and above Detroit's own self-inflicted injuries, Chrysler is swept up in an economic storm that transcends all industries and all nations.<br /><br />If it's true that some companies are simply too big to fail, then this still may not be the end of the road for Chrysler. But one thing seems certain: the years that lie ahead will look very different from the first 85.<br /><br />By Jeremy Sinek<br />April 23, 2009Cameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563783551143268185.post-1718121240485566572009-04-21T22:38:00.003-06:002009-04-21T22:51:57.011-06:00Robin McLaurim Williams - Comedian - ActorDescription: Robin McLaurim Williams (born July 21, 1951 or 1952)[2] is an Academy Award-, six-time Golden Globe-, two-time Screen Actors Guild Award- and Grammy Award-winning American actor and comedian, who has done television, stage and film work. In part, his big break was from playing Mork from Ork, which was highlighted on Mork & Mindy. Soon afterward he became a film star who is still active as an actor and headlining comic. He was voted 13th on Comedy Central Presents: 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time.<br /><br />###################################<br /><br />Early life<br />*******<br /><br />Williams was born in Chicago, Illinois. His mother, Laura McLaurim (née Smith, 1922–2001), was a former model from Jackson, Mississippi. His father, Robert Fitzgerald Williams (September 10, 1906–October 18, 1987) was a senior executive at Ford in charge of the Midwest area. Williams was raised in the Episcopal Church, though his mother practiced Christian Science,and he grew up in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and Marin County, California. He has two half-brothers: McLaurin and the late Todd (deceased August 14, 2007). While in California, Williams attended Redwood High School in Larkspur and grew up in the Marin County suburb of Tiburon.[citation needed] In Michigan, he attended Detroit Country Day School, an exclusive college-preparatory school, which boasts other famous alumni, including Steve Ballmer from Microsoft and Courtney Vance from Law and Order: Criminal Intent.<br /><br />Williams has described himself as a quiet child whose first imitation was of his grandmother to his mom. He did not overcome his shyness until he became involved with his high school drama department. In high school, he won an award for "Most Likely To Not Succeed".<br /><br />In 1973, Williams was one of only 20 students accepted into the freshman class at Juilliard. Even more impressive, Williams, along with Christopher Reeve, were the only students accepted by John Houseman into the Advanced Program at the school that year. Reeve and Williams had several classes together in which they were the only two students. In their dialects class, Williams had no trouble mastering all dialects quickly, whereas Reeve was more meticulous about it. Williams's manic comedy did not impress all of his teachers, but his dramatic performances impressed everyone. Williams and Reeve developed a close friendship, and they remained good friends for the rest of Reeve's life. Williams visited Reeve after the horseback riding accident that paralyzed him from the neck down and cheered him up by pretending to be an eccentric Russian doctor (similar to his role in Nine Months). Williams claimed that he was there to perform a colonoscopy. Reeve stated that he laughed for the first time since the accident and knew that life was going to be okay.<br /><br />Williams first achieved notice for his stand-up routines, performing for tips only, and working at clubs like The Purple Onion in San Francisco.[citation needed] He has been accused, especially in recent years, of stealing jokes from other comedians and even paying for material after the fact.<br /><br />After appearing in the cast of the short-lived The Richard Pryor Show on NBC, he was cast by Garry Marshall as the alien Mork in a guest role in the TV series Happy Days.<br /><br />As Mork, Williams improvised much of his dialogue and devised plenty of rapid-fire verbal and physical comedy, speaking in a high, nasal voice. Mork's appearance was so popular with viewers that it led to a spin-off hit television sitcom, Mork and Mindy, which ran from 1978 to 1982. Williams became an overnight sensation, and Mork was featured on posters, coloring books, lunchboxes, and other merchandise. His nonsensical catch phrases, including the greeting "Nanu, Nanu!" and the expletive "Shazbot!", were widely known.<br />Starting in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, Williams began to reach a wider audience with his standup comedy, including three HBO comedy specials, Off The Wall (1978), An Evening with Robin Williams (1982), and Robin Williams: Live at the Met (1986). His standup work has been a consistent thread through his career, as is seen by the success of his one-man show (and subsequent DVD) Robin Williams Live on Broadway (2002). He was voted 13th on Comedy Central's list "100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time" in 2004.<br /><br />After some encouragement from his friend Whoopi Goldberg, he was set to make a guest appearance in the 1991 Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, "A Matter of Time", but he had to cancel due to a scheduling conflict; Matt Frewer took his place as a time-traveling con man, Professor Berlingoff Rasmussen.<br /><br />Williams also appeared on an episode of Whose Line Is It Anyway? (Season 3, Episode 9: November 16, 2000). During a game of "Scenes from a Hat", the scene "What Robin Williams is thinking right now" was drawn, and Williams stated "I have a career. What the hell am I doing here?"<br /><br />###################################<br /><br />Cinema career<br />************<br /><br />The majority of Williams's acting career has been in film, although he has given some memorable performances on stage as well (notably as Estragon in a production of Waiting for Godot with Steve Martin). His first starring roles, Popeye (1980) and The World According to Garp (film) (1982), were both considered flops,[citation needed] but his performance in Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) got Williams nominated for an Academy Award and established a screen identity.[citation needed] Many of his roles have been comedies tinged with pathos, for example The Birdcage and Mrs. Doubtfire.<br /><br />His role as the Genie in the animated film Aladdin was instrumental in establishing the importance of star power in voice actor casting. Later, Williams once again used his voice talents in Fern Gully, as the holographic Dr. Know in the 2001 feature "Artificial Intelligence: A.I.", the 2005 animated feature Robots, the 2006 Academy Award winning Happy Feet, and an uncredited vocal performance in 2006's Everyone's Hero. Furthermore, he was the voice of The Timekeeper, a former attraction at the Walt Disney World Resort about a time-traveling robot who encounters Jules Verne and brings him to the future.<br /><br />In 1993, it was reported that he would play The Baker in Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods, which was to be directed by Rob Reiner.[citation needed] The project never came to fruition, but Williams has expressed interest in someday renewing the project though he claims he'd be more likely, because of his age, to play the Mysterious Man, a grizzled forest spirit and the father of The Baker, his original role.[citation needed]<br /><br />Williams has also starred in dramatic films, earning himself two subsequent Academy Award nominations: First for playing an unorthodox and inspiring English teacher in Dead Poets Society (1989), and later for playing a troubled homeless man in The Fisher King (1991);[9] that same year, he played an adult Peter Pan in the movie Hook. Other acclaimed dramatic films include Awakenings (1990) and What Dreams May Come (1998).<br /><br />In 1998, he won an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor for his role as a psychologist in Good Will Hunting. However, by the early 2000s, he was thought by some to be typecast in films such as Patch Adams (1998) and Bicentennial Man (1999) that critics complained were excessively maudlin. This apparently prompted Williams to take radically unconventional roles,[citation needed] beginning with a role as a lowlife kiddie show host in the dark comedy Death to Smoochy, followed by One Hour Photo in a watershed performance as an obsessed film developer, Insomnia as a sociopathic writer, and The Final Cut, which is more in tune with Williams as a protagonist. In 2006 Williams starred in The Night Listener, a thriller about a radio show host who realizes he's developed a friendship with a child who may or may not exist.<br /><br />He is known for his wild improvisational skills and impersonations. His performances frequently involve impromptu humor designed and delivered in rapid-fire succession while on stage. According to the Aladdin DVD commentary, most of his dialogue as the Genie was improvised. He is a talented mimic and can jump in and out of characters and various accents at an extremely fast pace. Williams states that he began doing impersonations as a child, mimicking his aunt's southern accent.<br /><br />In 2006, he starred in five movies including Man of the Year and was the Surprise Guest at the 2006 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. He appeared on an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition that aired on January 30, 2006. Via a live video link to the De'Aeth family whose house and animal rescue shelter were being made over, he encouraged their son Cory, a budding comedian, and gave the family's shelter a recreational vehicle used in the movie R.V..<br /><br />At one point, he was in the running to play the Riddler in Batman Forever until director Tim Burton dropped the project. Williams had earlier been a prime candidate to play the Joker in Batman. He had expressed interest in assuming the role in The Dark Knight, the sequel to 2005's Batman Begins, although the part of the Joker was taken by Heath Ledger.<br /><br />He was portrayed by Chris Diamantopoulos in the made-for-TV biopic Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Mork & Mindy (2005), documenting the actor's arrival in Hollywood as a struggling comedian and becoming an overnight star when he landed the role in Mork & Mindy.<br /><br />###################################<br /><br />Personal life<br />**********<br /><br />His first marriage was to Valerie Velardi on June 4, 1978, with whom he has one child, Zachary Pym (Zak) (born April 11, 1983). The marriage ended in 1988.<br /><br />During Williams' first marriage, he was involved in an extramarital relationship with Michelle Tish Carter, a cocktail waitress whom he met in 1984. She sued him in 1986, claiming he gave her herpes without notifying her. The case was settled out of court.<br /><br />On April 30, 1989, he married Marsha Garces, his son's babysitter. They have two children, Zelda Rae (born July 31, 1989) and Cody Alan (born November 25, 1991). Williams currently resides in a large house in the upper-income Sea Cliff neighborhood of San Francisco.[citation needed] However, in March 2008, Garces filed for divorce from Williams, citing irreconcilable differences. <br /><br />During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Williams had a serious addiction to cocaine; he has since quit. Williams was a close friend and frequent partier alongside John Belushi. He says the death of his friend and the birth of his son prompted him to quit drugs: "Was it a wake-up call? Oh yeah, on a huge level. The grand jury helped too".[9] He was also quoted as saying, "Cocaine is God's way of telling you, you're making too much money."<br /><br />On August 9, 2006, Williams entered himself into a rehabilitation center for alcoholism. His publicist delivered the announcement: "After 20 years of sobriety, Robin Williams found himself drinking again and has decided to take proactive measures to deal with this for his own well-being and the well-being of his family. He asks that you respect his and his family's privacy during this time. He looks forward to returning to work this fall to support his upcoming film releases."<br /><br />On August 20, 2007, Williams' elder brother, Robert Todd Williams, died of complications from heart surgery performed in July. Robin Williams gave a speech at his memorial service.<br /><br />Williams frequently visits Australia during his holidays, he has expressed interest in getting citizenship when he retires from his active movie career.<br /><br />He is currently a member of the Episcopal Church. Williams has described his denomination as "Catholic Lite -- same rituals, half the guilt."<br /><br />###################################<br /><br />Other interests<br />*************<br /><br />Williams is an avid enthusiast of games, and is known to enjoy both pen-and-paper role-playing games and online video games, recently playing Warcraft 3, Day of Defeat, Half-Life,and the first-person shooter Battlefield 2 as a sniper. His daughter, Zelda, is named after Princess Zelda from the Legend of Zelda series of video games.<br /><br />On January 6, 2006, he performed live at Consumer Electronics Show during Google's keynote.[23] In the 2006 E3, on the invitation of Will Wright, he demonstrated the creature editor of Spore while simultaneously commenting on the creature's look: "This will actually make a platypus look good." He also complimented the game's versatility, comparing it to Populous and Black & White.<br /><br />He is known to collect shoes including Nike sb and Bape, and speaks fluent French.<br /><br />Williams is a fan of professional road cycling. During the Lance Armstrong years of domination in the Tour de France, Williams was a regular on the US Postal and Discovery Channel Pro Cycling team bus and hotels.<br /><br />Robin is a big fan of the popular anime series, Neon Genesis Evangelion. The toy used in One Hour Photo belonged to him.<br /><br />Robin is a fan of the NFL team San Francisco 49ers<br /><br />###################################<br /><br />Charity work<br />***********<br /><br />Williams and his estranged wife, Marsha, founded the Windfall Foundation, a philanthropic organization to raise money for many different charities. Williams devotes much of his energy doing work for charities, including the Comic Relief fund-raising efforts. He is also a cycling fan, known to own hundreds of bicycles and to attend the Tour de France. Through his interest in cycling, he has been a friend and supporter of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, performing at events for the foundation.[citation needed]<br /><br />In December 1999, he sang in French on the BBC-inspired music video of international celebrities doing a cover of the Rolling Stones's "It's Only Rock & Roll" for the charity Children's Promise.<br /><br />In 2006, he helped fund and also wrote the foreword to the book Home Wasn't Built in a Day with the nonprofit writing center 826 Valencia. The book was written by public school students from Galileo Academy of Science and Technology in San Francisco.<br /><br />Williams has performed in the USO for U.S. troops stationed in Iraq for four years. As recently as January 24–25, 2007, he performed two live stand-up comedy shows in Boston, MA. Donations from the events were split between the USO Operation Care Package and the Greater Boston Food Bank.<br /><br />Robin Williams joined Kid Rock, Lance Armstrong, Rachel Smith (Miss USA 2007), and Lewis Black on December 20, 2007, at LSA Anaconda Balad, Iraq, and on December 22, 2007, at Naval Station Rota, Spain.<br /><br />He is also a celebrity spokesperson for the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. He appears regularly on TV to promote and solicit donations for this institution which is dedicated to researching and curing cancers in children.<br /><br />###################################<br /><br />Filmography<br />**********<br />Year ↓ Film ↓ Role ↓ Gross ↓<br />1980 Popeye Popeye US$49.8 million<br />1982 The World According to Garp T.S. Garp US$29.5 million<br />1983 The Survivors Donald Quinelle <br />1984 Moscow on the Hudson Vladimir Ivanov <br />1986 Seize the Day Tommy Wilhelm <br />Club Paradise Jack Moniker <br />The Best of Times Jack Dundee US$7.7 million<br />1987 Good Morning, Vietnam Adrian Cronauer US$123.9 million<br />1988 The Adventures of Baron Munchausen King of the Moon US$8.0 million<br />Portrait of a White Marriage Air Conditioning Salesman <br />1989 Dead Poets Society John Keating <br />Back to Neverland Peter Pan <br />1990 Awakenings Dr. Malcolm Sayer <br />Cadillac Man Joey O'Brien US$27.6 million<br />1991 Hook Peter Banning/Peter Pan US$119.6 million<br />The Fisher King Parry US$42.0 million<br />Dead Again Doctor Cozy Carlisle <br />1992 Toys Leslie Zevo US$21.4 million<br />Aladdin Genie US$217.4 million<br />The Timekeeper The Timekeeper <br />FernGully: The Last Rainforest Batty Koda US$24.6 million<br />Shakes the Clown Mime Class Instructor <br />I'm From Hollywood <br />1993 Mrs. Doubtfire Daniel Hillard/Mrs. Doubtfire US$219.5 million<br />Being Human Hector <br />1994 In Search of Dr. Seuss Father <br />1995 Aladdin and the King of Thieves Genie US$168.2 million<br />Jumanji Alan Parrish US$100.4 million<br />To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt <br />Nine Months Dr. Kosevich <br />1996 Hamlet Osric US$5.1 million<br />The Secret Agent The Professor <br />Jack Jack Powell US$58.5 million<br />The Birdcage Armand Goldman <br />1997 Good Will Hunting Sean Maguire US$138.4 million<br />Flubber Professor Philip Brainard US$92.9 million<br />Deconstructing Harry Mel/Harry's Character <br />Fathers' Day Dale Putley US$28.6 million<br />1998 Patch Adams Hunter "Patch" Adams US$202.2 million<br />Junket Whore <br />What Dreams May Come Chris Nielsen US$55.3 million<br />1999 Bicentennial Man Andrew Martin <br />Jakob the Liar Jakob Heym/Narrator <br />Get Bruce <br />2000 Model Behavior Faremain <br />2001 A.I.: Artificial Intelligence Dr. Know US$78.6 million<br />2002 The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch <br />Insomnia Walter Finch US$67.2 million<br />Death to Smoochy 'Rainbow' Randolph Smiley US$4.2 million<br />One Hour Photo Sy Parrish US$31.5 million<br />2004 Noel Charlie Boyd/The Priest <br />House of D Pappass US$210,826<br />The Final Cut Alan W. Hakman <br />2005 In Search of Ted Demme <br />The Big White Paul Barnell <br />Robots Fender US$128.2 million<br />The Aristocrats Himself <br />2006 Night at the Museum Teddy Roosevelt US$250.8 million<br />Man of the Year Tom Dobbs US$12.5 million<br />Happy Feet Ramon/Lovelace (voice) US$194.9 million<br />Everyone's Hero Napoleon Cross (voice) US$6.1 million<br />RV Bob Munro US$86.8 million<br />The Night Listener Gabriel Noone <br />2007 License to Wed Reverend Frank US$43.8 million<br />August Rush Maxwell "Wizard" Wallace <br />2009 Old Dogs TBA post-production<br /><br />$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ <br /><br />Contact Info:<br />Website: http://www.robin-williams.net <br />Office: Hollywood <br />Location: Los Angeles, CACameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563783551143268185.post-80313100798953927532009-03-29T12:46:00.002-06:002009-03-29T12:51:43.119-06:00Strong WallsNotice the strong walls of our city...<br />Now examine the inner walls of our city,<br />Examine the fine artwork,<br />These walls too, surpass all others!<br />No human being, not even a king,<br />Will ever be able to construct more impressive walls<br /><br />-Gilgamesh, Tablet 1, 2100 B.C.Cameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563783551143268185.post-49216449945071504762009-03-14T20:42:00.002-06:002009-03-14T20:46:03.877-06:00' Vampire ' woman unearthed in VeniceEvidence of exorcism found<br />By Ariel David, Associated Press<br /> <br />The 16th-century remains of a woman with a brick stuck between her jaws unearthed in 2006 in an archaeological dig near Venice. (AP Photo/Matteo Borrini of Florence University)<br />ROME - An archaeological dig near Venice has unearthed the 16th-century remains of a woman with a brick stuck between her jaws - evidence, experts say, that she was believed to be a vampire.<br /><br />The unusual burial is thought to be the result of an ancient vampire-slaying ritual. It suggests the legend of the mythical bloodsucking creatures was tied to medieval ignorance of how diseases spread and what happens to bodies after death, experts said.<br /><br />The well-preserved skeleton was found in 2006 on the Lazzaretto Nuovo island, north of the lagoon city, amid other corpses buried in a mass grave during an epidemic of plague that hit Venice in 1576.<br /><br />"Vampires don't exist, but studies show people at the time believed they did," said Matteo Borrini, a forensic archaeologist and anthropologist at Florence University who studied the case over the last two years. "For the first time we have found evidence of an exorcism against a vampire."<br /><br />Medieval texts show the belief in vampires was fueled by the disturbing appearance of decomposing bodies, Borrini told The Associated Press by telephone.<br /><br />During epidemics, mass graves were often reopened to bury fresh corpses and diggers would chance upon older bodies that were bloated, with blood seeping out of their mouth and with an inexplicable hole in the shroud used to cover their face.<br /> <br />"These characteristics are all tied to the decomposition of bodies," Borrini said. "But they saw a fat, dead person, full of blood and with a hole in the shroud, so they would say: 'This guy is alive, he's drinking blood and eating his shroud."'<br /><br />Modern forensic science shows the bloating is caused by a buildup of gases, while fluid seeping from the mouth is pushed up by decomposing organs, Borrini said. The shroud would have been consumed by bacteria found in the mouth area, he said.<br /><br />At the time however, what passed for scientific texts taught that "shroud-eaters" were vampires who fed on the cloth and cast a spell that would spread the plague in order to increase their ranks.<br /><br />To kill the undead creatures, the stake-in-the-heart method popularized by later literature was not enough: A stone or brick had to be forced into the vampire's mouth so that it would starve to death, Borrini said.<br /><br />That's what is believed to have happened to the woman found on the Lazzaretto island, which was used as a quarantine zone by Venice. Aged around 60, she died of the plague during the epidemic that also claimed the life of the painter Titian.<br /><br />Much later, someone jammed the brick into her mouth when the grave was reopened. Borrini said that marks and breaks left by blunt instruments on several among more than 100 skeletons found by the archaeologists show that the grave was reused in a later epidemic.<br /><br />Such a reconstruction of events is plausible, as is the link to the superstitions about "shroud-eaters," said Piero Mannucci, the vice president of the Italian Society of Anthropology and Ethnology.<br /><br />"Maybe a priest or a gravedigger put the brick in her mouth, which is what was normally done in such cases," Mannucci said.<br /><br />The anthropologist, who did not take part in Borrini's research, said that at a time when bacteria were unknown, such superstitions were a way for the terrified population to explain the waves of plague epidemics that killed millions during the Middle Ages. Jews were also often accused of spreading the disease.<br /><br />Borrini said the discovery shows that vampires in popular culture were originally quite different from the elegant, aristocratic blood-drinker depicted in Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel "Dracula" and in countless Hollywood revisitations.<br /><br />"The real vampire of tradition was different," he said. "It was just a decomposing body."Cameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563783551143268185.post-85142411359509614332009-03-14T10:16:00.001-06:002009-03-14T10:19:16.335-06:00So You Want To See Berlin - Germany That Is...Berlin Travel Guide <br />Overview<br />Berlin may not have the history of Rome or the splendor of Prague, but its importance is in the now. Ever since the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, the city has been changing on a daily basis. There is an immediacy and excitement in watching the metropolis grow. However, you can't go there without taking a moment to contemplate its very painful history, which didn't start and end with World War II. Its many monuments and museums serve as reminders of what happens when you don't speak out and when you don't stand up. Berlin has definitely moved forward, but rightly so, it hasn't forgotten its past.<br />While staying in Berlin, it's important that your hotel be central to what you want to see and do, because the attractions are spread out. The good news is that public transportation is efficient, punctual and clean. It's served by Trams, the underground train (or U-Bahn), and the elevated train (or S-Bahn). Velotaxis (or pedicabs) are also a great way to get around. They fit two people, are reasonably priced, and can take you anywhere you wish. However, they usually stay in the center of the city, where all the tourists travel.<br /> <br />Sights/Landmarks/To Do<br />Boat Tour: A boat tour through Berlin offers a fascinating view of the city's architecture. During Germany's reunification, the powers agreed to use architecture as the main vehicle to define the new Berlin and, therefore, all of Germany in its democratic ideals. By boat, it's easy to sit back and watch history unfold.<br />Mitte: Mitte is Berlin's historic center. Today, it's the hip place to be with loads of cafés, restaurants, shops and galleries. It's been yuppie-fied, but it's still cutting edge, a little on the fringe. Some of Berlin's most important tourist sites are in the area, including the Pergamon Museum, Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag.<br />St. Nicholas Quarter: St. Nicholas Quarter is centered around Berlin's oldest church, St. Nicholas. The quarter is a vibrant, pedestrian-only center that holds lots of cafés and shops for tourists.<br />Berliner Dom: One of the most recognizable landmarks in the city is the Berliner Dom, or Berlin Cathedral. It is an enormous neo-baroque cathedral with a copper dome, well over 300 feet high.<br />Web site: www.berlinerdom.de<br />Address: Am Lustgarten 1, Hackescher Markt (S-bahn)<br />The Reichstag: The Reichstag has not always been the most beloved building in Berlin. Built in 1884, when Germany still had a king, it housed the legislative body, so his Royal Highness wasn't a big fan. Hitler didn't like it, because it represented democracy, and after that, the people turned against it, because they thought the architecture seemed too bombastic. Today, it is the parliamentary seat of unified Germany, so stop picking on the Reichstag!<br />Web site: www.bundestag.de<br />Address: Pl. der Republik 1, Unter den Linden (S-bahn)<br />Brandenburg Gate: The Brandenburg Gate is one of the most defining landmarks in Berlin. It was completed in 1791, as a tribute to the king, but hasn't had an easy history. At the top of the gate is a sculpture of four horses, which Napoleon ordered sent to Paris in 1806, to adorn one of his own arches of triumph. After Germany defeated France in 1814, the sculpture was returned to Berlin. However, in World War II, the entire upper portion of the gate, including the sculpture, was destroyed. In 1957, the original molds were discovered, and a brand-new chariot was cast. It's been there ever since. If you were watching television in November 1989, you saw hundreds of thousands East Germans pass through its archways into the West for the first time since 1961.<br />Address: Pariser Pl., Unter den Linden (S-bahn)<br />Museum Island (Museumsinsel): When Berlin was divided, both sides tried to one-up each other in the arts. By the time the wall came down, there were three opera houses, two national galleries, eight orchestras, 17 museums, and the list goes on. Since then, Berliners have pooled their resources to make the city an international cultural powerhouse. Museum Island is one product of that effort. If you're a museum groupie, Museum Island is a must-see - it's literally an island of museums, five to be exact.<br />Web site: www.smb.museum<br />Address: Entrance to Museumsinsel: Am Kupfergraben, Hackescher Markt (S-bahn)<br />The New Synagogue: Prior to World War II, the New Synagogue, or Neue Synagoge, was the centerpiece of a vibrant Jewish community. It's no longer a place of worship, but it is the only synagogue in Berlin that wasn't destroyed by the Nazis.<br />Web site: www.cjudaicum.de<br />Address: Oranienburger Str. 28-30, Oranienburger Str. (U-bahn), Oranienburger Tor (S-bahn)<br />Kurfürstendamm: Kurfürstendamm is a very popular street in Berlin. It's loaded with great shopping. One highlight is KaDeWe, short for Kaufhaus Des Westens, an upscale department store that boasts the largest food hall in all of Europe. You can buy all types of gourmet items there, like pastas, salt from around the world, and sugar in decorative jars. Allow yourself at least an hour to look around, more if you want to eat.<br />Unter den Linden: Unter den Linden, or Under the Linden Tree, is a street in the center of Berlin. It's one of the city's most celebrated boulevards - green, leafy, and almost always nice for a walk.<br />Tacheles: Tacheles is one of the last remaining communal art spaces in Berlin. Artists moved into the abandoned building after the Berlin Wall came down, because it was rent free. It soon became an alternative space for art, theater and film. Not only does it hold artist studios, but also galleries with art available for purchase. Whether you call it absurdism or avant-garde, you have to call it progress, because the art represents individual expression, which wasn't always tolerated in Berlin.<br />The Berlin Wall/Eastside Gallery: The Berlin Wall went up in 1961 and came down in 1989. The Eastside Gallery is the biggest remaining portion of it, and now it's home to the largest open-air gallery in the world. Over 100 artists from 21 different countries were invited to leave their mark on it. It's very powerful and evocative.<br />Where: The stretch along the Spree Canal runs between the Warschauer Strasse S- and U-bahn station and Ostbahnhof. Warschauer Str. (U-bahn and S-bahn), Ostbahnhof (S-bahn).<br /> <br />Hotels<br />Arcotel Velvet: The Arcotel Velvet is a bargain, but not a bargain hotel. It's a modern, smart-looking hotel in Mitte, Berlin's historic center. The Velvet is decorated with portraits of people who have fascinated us through the years, and there is a cocktail lounge in the lobby. Right next door is a restaurant with an amazing breakfast buffet. Be sure to ask whether or not it's included in your stay.<br />Web site: Arcotel Velvet<br /> <br />Food/Restaurants/Bars<br />Currywurst: Currywurst is the snack to have in Berlin. It's essentially a hot dog sprinkled heavily with curry and topped with a lovely sauce of curry ketchup. It's sold everywhereCameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563783551143268185.post-15776497789191205382009-03-13T13:04:00.002-06:002009-03-13T13:09:20.259-06:00I am only a CHILD!Hello. I'm Severn Suzuki, speaking for ECO, the Environmental Children's Organization. We are a group of 12 and 13 year olds trying to make a difference: Vanessa Suttie, Morgan Geisler, Michelle Quigg, and me. We've raised all the money to come here ourselves, to come 5,000 miles to tell you adults you must change your ways.<br /><br />Coming up here today, I have no hidden agenda. I am fighting for my future. Losing my future is not like losing an election or a few points on the stock market. I am here to speak for all generations to come. I am here to speak on behalf of the starving children around the world whose cries go unheard. I am here to speak for the countless animals dying across this planet because they have nowhere left to go. I am afraid to go out in the sun now because of the holes in our ozone. I am afraid to breathe the air because I don't know what chemicals are in it. I used to go fishing in Vancouver - my home - with my dad, until just a few years ago we found the fish full of cancers. And now we hear of animals and plants going extinct every day, vanishing forever.<br /><br />In my life, I have dreamt of seeing the great herds of wild animals, jungles and rainforests, full of birds and butterflies, but now I wonder if they will even exist for my children to see. Did you have to worry of these things when you were my age? All this is happening before our eyes and yet we act as if we have all the time we want and all the solutions. I'm only a child, and I don't have all the solutions. I want you to realize, neither do you. You don't know how to fix the holes in our ozone layer. You don't know how to bring the salmon back up a dead stream. You don't know how to bring back an animal now extinct. And you can't bring back the forest that once grew where there is now a desert.<br /><br />If you don't know how to fix it, please stop breaking it.<br /><br />Here you may be delegates of your government, businesspeople, organizers, reporters or politicians. But really you are mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles, and all of you are someone's child. I am only a child, yet I know we are all part of a family 5 billion strong. In fact, 30 million species strong. And borders and governments will never change that. I am only a child, yet I know that we're all in this together and should act as one single world towards one single goal. In my anger, I am not blind, and in my fear, I am not afraid of telling the world how I feel. In my country, we make so much waste. We buy and throw away, buy and throw away, buy and throw away, and yet Northern countries will not share with the needy. Even when we have more than enough, we are afraid to share. We are afraid to let go of some of our wealth.<br /><br />In Canada, we live the privileged life with plenty of food, water and shelter. We have watches, bicycles, computers and television sets. The list could go on for two days. Two days ago here in Brazil, we were shocked when we spent time with some children living on the streets. This is what one child told us, "I wish I was rich. And if I were, I would give all the street children food, clothes, medicines, shelter, and love and affection. If a child on the streets who has nothing is willing to share, why are we who have everything still so greedy? I can't stop thinking that these are children my own age; that it makes a tremendous difference where you are born; that I could be one of the children living in the favelas of Rio. I could be a child starving in Somalia, or a victim of war in the Middle East or a beggar in India. I am only a child, yet I know that if all the money spent on war was spent on finding environmental answers, ending poverty and finding treaties, what a wonderful place this Earth would be.<br /><br />At school, even in kindergarten, you teach us how to behave in the world. You teach us to not fight with others. To work things out. To respect others. To clean up our mess. Not to hurt other creatures. To share, not be greedy. Then why do you go out and do the things you tell us not to do? Do not forget why you are attending these conferences - who you are doing this for. We are your own children. You are deciding what kind of world we are growing up in.<br /><br />Parents should be able to comfort their children by saying "Everything's going to be all right. It's not the end of the world. And we're doing the best we can." But I don't think you can say that to us anymore. Are we even on your list of priorities? My dad always says "You are what you do, not what you say." Well, what you do makes me cry at night. You grown ups say you love us, but I challenge you, please make your actions reflect your words.<br /><br />Thank you.<br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZsDliXzyAY<br />*** Note from CAM:<br />I wonder if the world people will ever smarten up & fix this problem<br />or will they just let Earth go to hell & let future generations try <br />to clean up the mess our techknowlegy has created, if there will still<br />be a world to fix up that is.Cameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563783551143268185.post-52109561056261828652009-03-11T18:59:00.002-06:002009-03-11T19:04:14.313-06:00I Have A FriendAround the corner I have a friend, <br /><br />In this great city that has no end, <br /><br />Yet the days go by and weeks rush on, <br /><br />And before I know it, a year is gone. <br /><br />And I never see my old friends face, <br /><br />For life is a swift and terrible race, <br /><br />He knows I like him just as well, <br /><br />As in the days when I rang his bell. <br /><br />And he rang mine but we were younger then, <br /><br />And now we are busy, tired men. <br /><br />Tired of playing a foolish game, <br /><br />Tired of trying to make a name. <br /><br />'Tomorrow' I say! 'I will call on Jim <br /><br />Just to show that I'm thinking of him.' <br /><br />But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes, <br /><br />And distance between us grows and grows. <br /><br />Around the corner, yet miles away, <br /><br />'Here's a telegram sir,' 'Jim died today.' <br /><br />And that's what we get and deserve in the end <br /><br />Around the corner, a vanished friend.<br />... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... <br /><br /> Remember to always say what you mean. <br /><br />If you love someone, tell them. <br /><br />Because when you decide it is the right time, <br />it might be too late. <br /><br />Seize the day. Never have regrets. <br /><br />And most importantly, stay close to your friends <br />and family, for they have helped <br />make you the person that you are today.Cameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563783551143268185.post-7315546863651841712009-03-07T20:09:00.002-07:002009-03-07T20:15:57.954-07:00Earliest Domesticated HorsesEarliest domesticated horses dated 5,500 years ago, research shows<br /><br />WASHINGTON - People and horses have trekked together through at least 5,500 years of history, according to an international team of researchers reporting in Friday's edition of the journal Science.New evidence, corralled in Kazakhstan, indicates the Botai culture used horses as beasts of burden - and as a source of meat and milk - about 1,000 years earlier than had been widely believed. The research comes from a team led by Alan Outram of England's University of Exeter. <br /><br />Outram says the finding is significant because it "changes our understanding of how these early societies developed." Domestication of the horse was an immense breakthrough - bringing advancements in communications, transportation, farming and warfare. The research also shows the development of animal domestication and a fully pastoral economy may well be independent of famous centres of domestication, such as the Near East and China, Outram added. Compared to dogs, domesticated as much as 15,000 years ago, and such food animals as sheep, goats and pigs, horses are relatively late arrivals in the human relationship. <br />"It is not so much the domestication of the horse that is important, but the invention of horseback riding," commented anthropologist David W. Anthony of Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y. "When people began to ride, it revolutionized human transport. For the first time the Eurasian steppes, formerly a hostile ecological barrier to humans, became a corridor of communication across Eurasia linking China to Europe and the Near East. Riding also forever changed warfare. Boundaries were changed, new trading partners were acquired, new alliances became possible, and resources that had been beyond reach became reachable," observed Anthony, who was not part of Outram's research team. <br /><br />Some researchers believe this new mobility may have led to the spread of Indo-European languages and many other common aspects of human culture, Outram said. In addition to carrying people and their goods, horses provided meat and even milk, which some cultures still ferment into a mildly alcoholic beverage. The date and place of horse domestication has long been subject to research, and the steppes of Central Asia and the Botai Culture have previously been suggested as possibilities. But the new report adds extensive detail to the tale. Outram's team developed a troika of evidence for horses being domesticated by the Botai. <br /><br />-Studies of the jaws of horses from the site show tooth wear similar to that caused by bits in modern horses, an indication of riding. A 1998 paper by Anthony raised the possibility of such findings, but the new report is much more extensive and detailed. The leg bones of the Botai horses are more slender than those of wild horses, indicating breeding for different qualities. The new way of measuring and analyzing horse leg bones "shows here for the first time that the Botai culture horses were closer in leg conformation to domestic horses than to wild horses. That is another first," Anthony said. And complex studies of ancient ceramic pots from the location showed evidence they once contained mare's milk. <br /><br />"This is, apart from being fascinating, something of a smoking gun for domestication - would you milk a wild horse?" said Outram. Anthony agreed: "If you're milking horses, they are not wild! The invention of a method to identify the fat residues left by horse milk in ceramic pots is a spectacular and brilliant advance," he said of Outram's paper. "It is really important to be able to identify the fats in the clay pots as not just from horse tissue, but precisely from horse milk." Still today mares are milked in Kazakhstan and Mongolia. <br /><br />"The Kazakhs ferment it into a sour tasting and slightly alcoholic drink called Koumiss. It is clear that dated back at least hundreds of years, but beyond that no one knew. Who would have thought it was a practice that went back 5,500 years, at least," Outram said.<br /><br />-- Randolph E. Schmid, THE ASSOCIATED PRESSCameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1563783551143268185.post-82985705558745242062009-03-01T11:54:00.002-07:002009-03-01T11:57:59.414-07:00Resveratrol - Red Wine Cancer Prevention<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jCBKfqanYX0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jCBKfqanYX0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Cameron...WildLieberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11460149207420772244noreply@blogger.com0