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Post by pegasus on Jan 23, 2013 8:44:41 GMT -7
National Pie Day Good afternoon my friends More Arctic cold with some snow in the forecast but it's been my experience that when it gets this cold, it doesn't snow. So far I've been right. Australian Open: Congrats to 19-yr-old Sloane Stephens who upset #3 Serena Williams 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to make it into the semi-finals for the first time. But to be fair, Serena wasn't at her physical best. For part of the contest she suffered back spasms, added to her earlier mishaps. So there will be no rematch between Williams and the world $1, Victoria Azarenka, in the semifinals tomorrow. Instead it will be Azarenka vs. the 29th-seeded Stephens, who until this trip to Australia had never been past the fourth round in a Grand Slam tournament.
On the men's side: Federer beat No. 7-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-3 reaching the Australian Open semifinals for a 10th consecutive year. The 17-time Grand Slam champion will next play US Open winner Andy Murray, who advanced in straight sets 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 earlier over unseeded Jeremy Chardy of France.
Did anyone watch Hillary Clinton's testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee? I think she handled things well. In contrast, I think Sen. McCain's continual harping on Ambassador Rice's initial comment being evidence of a cover-up are tedious. And Rand Paul's statement that he would have fired her for not reading all the cables from Libya about the need for more security is ridiculous. Can you imagine the CEO of a ocmpany reading every communication on some problem. That's what the staff is for.
So today I'll watch the Australian semifinal matches while resting. Or Ramsey's Kitchen Nirghtmares!!
Magnolia in memory of Sparkle Thought for Today: "The man who fights too long against dragons becomes a dragon himself." --Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) German classical scholar, philosopher and critic of culture.
Have a warming Wednesday.
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Post by pegasus on Jan 25, 2013 9:46:43 GMT -7
National Preschool Fitness Day Good afternoon my friends Another day of Arctic cold, but at least it kills off the bugs so the summer will be less overrun with the little pests. Australian Open: Andy Murray beat 17-time major winning Roger Federer 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-2 to reach the Sunday final where he'll meet Novak Djokovic. It should be an exciting match, a repeat of the US Open that Murray won!! The 25-year-old Scotsman appeared to have the legs and stamina to give him the advantage over the 31-year-old Federer. "I never beat Roger in a Slam before. It definitely will help with the confidence,'' Murray said. ''Just knowing you can win against those guys in big matches definitely helps.''
Earlier, top-seeded Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci of Italy won the first title of 2013 at Melbourne Park, beating the unseeded Australian pair of Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 for the women's doubles championship.
Tomorrow will be the women's finals (Viktoria Azarenka vs. Li Na) and the men's doubles final with the American brothers Bob and Mike Bryan in their 5th consecutive Aussie final vs. the Dutch pair of Robin Haase and Igor Sijsling. "Lesbian Army wife named Fort Bragg’s ‘spouse of the year’ is very definitely a headline that I never expected to see!! We have definitely "come a long way, baby!" Now to get the government to rescind their rules against gay spouses ability to get the same governmental benefits as heterosexual spouses. Lest we forget - Freezing family suffers in Sandy-damaged home. Unlike most disastrous weather, this one took place in the northeast just before winter. Though the number of those living without heat is a hard number for officials to gauge, more than 9,000 dwellings remain without electricity in the city, according to data from the area's power companies. And at least some of this suffering can be laid at the feet of the GOP House who could have passed the FEMA emergency funding long before the bitter Arctic cold struck the area. I hope all those Republican House members in their nice and comfortable homes are pleased with themselves. Personally, I think that each and everyone of them who voted against this funding should be forced to exchange a day in the house of one of Sandy's freezing victims.
Rest time today will probably be nap time. The Austalian Open is nearly over with only the finals left. So I'll be left with Kitchen Nightmares, most of which I've already seen. Oh, woe is me!!
Dahlia in memory of Sparkle Thought for Today "An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea." --Buddha (563-483 B.C.) Hindu Prince Gautama Siddhartha, the founder of Buddhism
TGIF everyone!
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Post by pegasus on Jan 27, 2013 9:57:25 GMT -7
Viet Nam Peace Day Good afternoon my friends Well, what do you know - the sun is shining and the temps in the 20s. Balmy, almost. Well, the Australian Open is over and Novak Djokovic is the men's final winner ( 6-7 (2), 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-2) over Andy Murray. It's Djokovic's 3rd staright Aussie title becoming the first man in the Open era to do so.
The world's latest disaster occurred in Brazil where a nightclub fire has killed at least 245. Once again, a band’s fireworks show sparked a rapidly moving fire in a packed nightclub and fleeing patrons were unable to find their way out. Sound familiar. Well it should. Several years ago the same thng happened in a New England nightclub. Don't they ever learn!!
Well, the tennis is over, NFL too except for the Super Bowl (I ), no MLB yet, so I hope there's a hockey game this afternoon. Oh, wait, the US Men's figure skating championsip is on this afternoon on NBC. That's what I'll watch!! Oops, I just discovered something else. On Pbs they are running two programs called Shakespeare Uncovered. The first is Ethan Hawke's examination of Macbeth. The second concerns Shakespeare's comedies. two hours of Shakespeare bliss!!
Cinquefoil in memory of Sparkle Thought for Today: "Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach." --Tom Robbins (b.1936) American novelist.
Sunny Sunday to everyone.
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Post by pegasus on Jan 29, 2013 8:54:54 GMT -7
Freethinker’s Day Good afternoon my friends Gloomy as usual but it has warmed up to thr mid-40s and rin is forecasted rather than snow. Some local pictures of the Finger Lakes this week:
Ludlowville Falls in Tompkins County, NY as seen on a cold, but sunny Sunday afternoon.
Full moon rising over Cayuga Lake in Seneca Falls on a frigid Saturday night.
A quick drop in temperature overnight resulted in a blanket of freezing fog over Seneca County. The sun rose Saturday morning and created the perfect backdrop to the white ice crystals in Ovid. This looks like it's going to be a perfect day to take a nap!
Maraigold in memory of Sparkle Thought for Today: "Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." --Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) American poet, lecturer and essayist,
Have a tasty Tuesday
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Post by pegasus on Jan 31, 2013 10:36:06 GMT -7
Twist Off Day Good afternoon my friends The January thaw is definitely over and temps are dropping quickly, helped by a REALLY strong wind. Frankly, the wind bothers me more than the temp. I half wait for large branches to come crashing down on top of me!! I'm listening to the Hagel confirmation hearings while writing this. If you aren't, I urge you to give it a try. Especially if you have C-Span available without a network's input/editing. It looks like my rest time will be taken up with the confirmation hearings on the secretary of defense nominatioin.
Common pasque flower (Lat. Pulsatilla vulgaris) in memory of Sparkle Thought for Today: "Love is a canvas furnished by Nature and embroidered by imagination." --Voltaire (1694-1778) French philosopher and writer.
Have a thoughtful Thursday
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Post by pegasus on Feb 2, 2013 9:26:47 GMT -7
Take Your Child to the Library Day Good afternoon my friends Well, the Arctic cold is definitely back. The temp is 14ºF and feels like -3ºF. Brrrrr!Surely we could find a happy medium between 50-10ºF, couldn't we? At least, an early spring is on the way, according to the well-known groundhog "Punxsutawney Phil." PP emerged from his hole, right on cue, and didn't see his shadow!! So, it's an early spring, but does that mean that between then and now, we've got to have extra cold? So who and IIF think moving Mystery Persons to Saturday afternoon is OK. Anyone else like the idea? I slept poorly last night, so I'll be glad to take a mid-day nap!!
Amaryllis in memory of Sparkle Thought for today: "Dreams are real as long as they last. Can we say more of life?" --Havelock Ellis (1859-1939) British psychologist and author
Enjoy your Saturday
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Post by pegasus on Feb 22, 2013 13:21:39 GMT -7
YAHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Successfully found ya!!!
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Post by pegasus on Feb 25, 2013 11:04:10 GMT -7
Pistol Patent Day Good afternoon my friends Still gloomy but temps in the mid-30sF, and no snow in the forecast for today. I just hope it stays that way!! I thought most of the gowns were great, reallly few bad choices. I especially like Jessica Chastain and Charize Theron's choices.
And Jane Fonda looks like her fairy godmother waived her wand and took at least 30 years off her age, so that her yellow dress, which was an attention drawer because of its color,worked. Would you believe that she is 75 years old!! (b. 1937)
And then there was Quentin Tarantino!! Sloppy doesn't cover how he looked!! As for Seth Macfarlane, I enjoyed him. My only negative comment is that the opening was too long, but that's in keeping with the whole show. They need to cut back more on the technical Oscars. They already have a separate behind-the-scenes Oscar presentation. So add special effects, set decoration, etc. to it. Leave musical score and song with the main show. But something has to be done to shorten the Oscars. Almost midnight is just too long. About the lack of accuracy in Argo, You should never use a movie for the true story of an incident or a life. That's what documentaries are for. Do you really think that Shakespeare portrayed Macbeth, Richarad III, etc. as they really were and their actual behavior? It's called poetic license. Everyone is praising Lincoln, but it too has numerous deviations from the facts. That's why it's a movie not a documentary. Thought for Today: "If you could say it in words there would be no reason to paint." --Edward Hopper (1882-1967) American painter Can't touch this bearded iris
Have a madcap Monday
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Post by pegasus on Feb 27, 2013 8:47:20 GMT -7
Polar Bear Day Good morning my friends It's a slopy day today. The weather can't seem to make up its meagre mind whether to rain or snow so we're getting a yucky mix!! It's depressing. And now Pope Benedict has made his last public appearance. No one has said what he will do now or where. I imagine he will enter some secluded monastery and disappear until the day he dies when he will have a very public funeral. It's really the only way to go. You can't have a retried pope hanging about, constantly being asked for his opinion on whatever the new pope decides. One more day until the sequstor kicks in on Friday. I am so disgusted with Congress that I can't find adequate words to described my feelings. Boehner keeps trying to blame either the Senate or president for the mess he has made of the whole thing. The last that I heard, all bills dealing with fiscal matters were supposed to be intiated by the House. That's where the problem lies. Both the Senate and the president seem willing to talk and find a compromise. Only the House Republicans are determined on "it's my way or the highway." It's been four years since a budget was passed ans signed. 4 YEARS!! And still the House keeps trying to lay the blame elsewhere. I say that at the next election, we vote for whoever is the newbie and throw this bunch out of office. Thought for Today: 'You've got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was." --Irish proverb
Pine apple plant [Lat. Bromeliaceae] in memory of Sparkle
Have a wondering Wednesday
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Post by pegasus on Mar 1, 2013 7:30:07 GMT -7
National Pig Day Good morning my friends Overcast skies with some snow flurries and colder. I'm definitely ready for winter to cease and spring to begin. Sequester Day has arrived and our political system failed to act to prevent it. The people in Washington are more concerned with getting re-elected than in governing the country. When did becoming an elected official became one's lifetime job? I really believe that it's time for term limits for the Congress. The president is limited that way, so why not Congress? - 3 terms and you're done. Try it for several cycles and if it works, make it part of the Constitution with an amendment. Maybe then we can get back to the Congress working on its job of legislating and not electioneering. Have you seen the story about the man in bed who disappeared into a sinkhole? The sinkhole is 30 feet across at the surface, but engineers have estimated that below the surface it could be 100 feet wide, and 50 feet deep. So far rescuers have not been able to approach the hole to search for the man. Good grief, you go to sleep in your house at night in what you think is perfect safety and then disappear along with part of our house. Incredible!! Thought for Today: "Cynicism is an unpleasant way of saying the truth." --Lillian Hellman (1905-1984) American playwright in The Little Foxes, 1939
TGIF
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Post by pegasus on Mar 3, 2013 8:30:21 GMT -7
National Anthem Day Good morning my friends Still overcast and cold. 10 degrees colder than is normalfor the first week in March. So much for global warming. It seeems to be highly selective. I am really getting fed up with the GOP and its supposed leaders. Speaker Boehner's latest pronouncement was that the Democrats got their revenue increase last month and that's all they're going to get. What ever happened to the Republican plan to close tax loopholes as a means to increase revenue? All those so-called loopholes are now acceptable? Tax reform is now off-limits? And because they don't seem to be able to hold to their "plan" we now all have to suffer from sequestor? They make me sick!! Am I alone in disliking the term "baby bump" for a pregnant woman, feeling it's somehow demeaning? It was all over this morning's TV programs when showing pictures of Duchess Kate. By the time the segment was over I wanted to scream at the TV program, All of a sudden it seems that the words "pregnancy" and "pregnant" are non-starters. Thought for Today: "We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening or strange that self may prove to be." --May Sarton (1912-1995) American poet, novelist, and memoirist
Chinook winds bearded iris
Have a selfless Sunday
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Post by pegasus on Mar 5, 2013 9:28:09 GMT -7
Peace Corps Day Good afternoon my friends Overcast and cold - so what's new about that? Same ole, same ole. Borrrrrrrrring!! Anyone a fan of the Real Housewives of Bevery Hills? It seems that Adrienne Maloof is leaving the show along with Camille Grammer. Frankly, I don't think either of them will be missed. So far this season, Camille has already been an almost non-participant. That leaves Kyle, Kim, Lisa from the originals, Brandi from last year, Yolanda and sometimes Marisa newbies this year. That's plenty of housewives to carry on. It appears that the discovery of the bones of King Richard III has led to a reassessment of him psychologically. The result - he was not a psychopath portrayed by Shakespeare but possibly a control freak. Shakespeare's famous play was Tudor propaganda, since Henry VII led the army that slew Richard III. How about that!! A historical play that didn't slavishly adhere to historical fact. Now where have I heard that before? Oh, that's right - Argo. Thought for Today: "We live in the present, we dream of the future and we learn eternal truths from the past." --Madame Chiang Kai-Shek ( 1898-2003) wife of the head of Nationalist China in China and Taiwan
Company Red iris
I hope you all are having a tantalizing Tuesday
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Post by pegasus on Mar 7, 2013 8:52:03 GMT -7
Cereal Day Good morning my friends I can't believe we're having another cold overcast day. It is really getting quite depressing. The sun hasn't shown its face in days!! An example of no guns involved happened at a Dunkin Donuts in Connecticut. An elderlly man was asked to leave the premises and came back wielding an axe, threatening to do all sorts of harm. He smashed up the premises, shattered the plate glass and wound up being stunned by the police. But no one was hurt. Now if he had a gun??? Do you think that all that would have occurred was property damage??? And then there's the 24-year-old girl intern who was mauled and killed by a lion at a California big cat park. My question is - what was she doing inside the lion's cage? Has TV made lions out to be just big kitty cats? Like the TV ad for a bank that shows a lion transported by a smartphone to the woman's bank and looking up quizzically at the teller? You enter a lion's cage and I would bet that there would be a good chance at being mauled and killed also. That's what lions really do, you know. Thought for Today: "A proverb is no proverb to you until life has illustrated it." --John Keats (1795-1821) English Romantic poet.
Dance the Night Away iris
Have a thrifty Thursday
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Post by pegasus on Mar 9, 2013 7:48:00 GMT -7
Panic Day Good afternoon my friends I'm being spoiled. Another day with the sun. Be still my beating heart. I may get used to this just to have it snatched away. The National Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, NY announced the list of this year's inductees (in July) with all of the living to be there for the ceremony - Nancy Pelosi (1st women Speaker of the House), Julia Krone (the first prominent woman jockey), Kate Millett (feminist writer [Sexual Politics] & activist) plus those no longer with us like Betty Ford and Emma Willard (19th century founder of a school for women). There are presently 247 women, living and dead, in the Hall of Fame.
Remember tonight to set your clocks ahead 1 hour (and maybe trying to go to bed earlier than usual, hmmmm?) Thought for Today: "You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul." --George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) 1925 Nobel Prize-winning Irish playwright, literary critic and essayist,
Delta Blues bearded iris
Have a whopping good weekend
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Post by whocanibe on Mar 11, 2013 4:45:06 GMT -7
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