Be Green Like Al

Thanks for the Songs!

I would like to extend thanks to the anonymous benefactor responsible for giving me 50 free songs from EMusic. They showed up in my account with no explanation and EMusic never answered my email asking why. So, thanks!

Park to Check Out

The Weekend section of the Washington ComPost featured a bunch of unheralded local parks. We went to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens a few months ago. It is a shame it is in such a terrible neighborhood in NE DC because it is a great park for hiking and nature-watching:







The one park in the article we haven't been to yet is the Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD. The Post's article had many favorable testimonials about it from visitors.

The Madman of Iran

The second that Iranian President Ahmadinejad sets foot in the US he should be immediately arrested and either tried or sent to Gitmo for his role in the kidnapping of American diplomats at our embassy in Iran.

How Did I Miss This?

Internet search guru Tara Calashain has a new book out:
Information Trapping: Real-Time Research on the Web.

Political Progress in Iraq

I've been waiting for someone to finally bring this information to light. Over the last few weeks there has been much hand wringing from the Democrats and their dinosaur media accomplices that there has been no progress on the political front in Iraq.

They use to complain that there was no military progress but since that is clearly not the case they've had to move on to the Plan B bitching. There hasn't been the grand reconciliation that most of us would like to see but how realistic is that over the short term? Let's focus on the areas where there has been progress.

From the White House:

· FACT: On August 26, Iraqi leaders took an important step towards reaching agreement on de-Ba'athification, a provincial powers law, a draft oil law, detainee issues, and developing a long-term relationship with the United States. As Ambassador Ryan Crocker said August 27: "The statement released by the five leaders yesterday is a positive and encouraging message that the government is making all efforts to achieve benefits for Iraqi people. I'm optimistic. I can see there is progress."

· FACT: The Iraqi Council of Representatives completed about 60 pieces of legislation in its most recent session, including a $41 billion budget that includes $10 billion for reconstruction and capital investment.

· FACT: Iraqis are in some cases reaching interim solutions to problems like oil distribution and de-Ba'athification as negotiation over legislation continues:

o Oil money is being distributed to the Iraq people even though the proposed oil law is still being negotiated, with $2.116 billion in oil money allocated for FY07 and $848 million obliged.

o The government of Iraq has contacted thousands of members of the former Iraqi army and offered them retirement, return to the military, or public sector employment.

· FACT: Our commanders report that Iraqi Security Forces are growing in number, becoming more capable, and assuming more responsibility. Currently there are about 140 Iraqi Army, National Police, and Special Operations Forces battalions in the fight, with about 95 capable of taking the lead in operations. As Gen. Petraeus said: "The Iraqi army has, in general, done quite well in the face of some really serious challenges. In certain areas it really is very heartening to see what it has done."

3 Surgeons

Recieved via email:

Three Arkansas surgeons were playing golf together and discussing surgeries they had performed. One of them said, "I'm the best Surgeon in Arkansas . In my favorite case, a concert pianist lost seven fingers in an accident. I reattached them, and 8 months later he performed a private concert for the Queen of England .

The second surgeon said. "That's nothing. A young man lost an arm and both legs in an accident, I reattached them, and 2 years later he won a gold medal in track and field events in the Olympics.

"The third surgeon said, "You guys are amateurs. Several years ago a woman, who must have been high on SOMEthing, rode a horse head-on into a train traveling 80 miles an hour. All I had left to work with was the woman's blonde hair and what was left of the rear end of the horse. I was able to put them together and now she's running for President.

eMusic Now Offers Audio Books

eMusic is branching out. They now offer audio books for $9.99 a month for 1 book, or $19.99 for two. An odd price system. Usually stores discount the price per item at the second tier to get you to buy more stuff. And with the number of books on CD and on MP3 from local libraries the price seems a bit steep. Maybe that is because they will have more newer titles. But as yet they don't have Laura Ingraham's New York Times Best Seller Power to the People.

Stack o' Stuff

How the Fed Works

Getting Organized

Making New Habits Stick

Time Management and Writing

One Scary Cloud

It's just a cumulonimbus, but it looks ominous.

Christmas Stocking

 

 

My aunt asked me to send her a photo of the beautiful stocking she made for our son so she can style a similar font for the stocking she plans to make for our baby girl. Click on the picture for a larger copy.

Good Jazz List

from eMusic:
: Soul Jazz


If you are thinking about signing up for this DRM-free music service, let me know so I can claim credit for their "free downloads for recruitment offer"!

3 Weeks 'Til Ultimate Fun!

I went over to the Ross store to buy for my son a Tomy battery- powered Thomas the Train set that came with a station, a bridge, and a tunnel for about $25. His birthday is coming up and we already got him some other Tomy trains and tracks from the Thomas universe so I was going to save it for Christmas, assuming he is good through the rest of the year.

But after I picked up the box, checked it over, and was about to make my way to the register, I spotted this hidden in a corner:
The Thomas Ultimate Set! Thomas and eight of his friends plus Cranky the Crane and a Troublesome Truck, a suspension bridge, a little bridge, a station, a crossing, and a couple of tunnels. A good deal at 50 bucks. Now this will be his b-day gift, [don't tell him!] and all that other stuff can wait 'til the 25th of December.

In your face, Mars!

Earth Might Survive Sun’s Explosion.

/That's all I've got.

One Smart Bird

Alex, the world's most famous African Grey parrot, passed away.

RIP.

A Polling Question That Hasn't Been Asked

Of the Presidential candidates, who has the voice you least want to hear over and over again for the next four years?

For me it is a close call between Ron Paul and Hillary Clinton, unless she plans to govern with the ebonics accent she uses whenever she is in the deep south or talking to a black audience.

Fred

Not as up on Fred as I was earlier in the year, he spent a little too long in the am-I-running-or-not? phase and lost a bit of his steam, and deservedly took some media hits on the way.
But now he is finally in it to win it and has a few weeks to rebuild his momentum.

This picture made me chuckle:

Free Classics Library

Questia.com recently made over 5,000 public domain e-books in its library available for free. Several classics are available, fiction and nonfiction. Their reader is similar to Google's Reader.

They also have some advanced features including highlights and notation, but for that you have to subscribe.