The Flying Horse

[pegasus]

National Girls and Women in Sports Day
Good afternoon my friends
We got about 6 inches of snow yesterday and now it's back to cloudy and cold. <<sigh>> I'm really getting tired of this cold with temps in the single digits day after day. I guess I shouldn't complain too much. Western New York hasn't suffered as much as the east coast and the rest of the country. Now I'm feeling guilty!!

The Sochi Olympics opening ceremony is tonight (NBC, 8 p.m. EST) and I'll definitely be watching it. I hope to watch the Alpine skiing (downhill, slalom), bobsledding, figure skating, ski jumping, speed skating and hockey. Maybe even <<gasp>>curling! Now if I could just find a TV schedule of the games so I could plan ahead. In the meantime, journalists are on track for a complaining gold medal in Sochi. In the past 24 hours alone, more than 26,000 tweets have been sent using the hashtag #SochiProblems and the Twitter account @sochiproblems has more than 53,000 followers as it retweets some of the stories and photos; however, the NBC contingent is housed at the Marriott in total comfort.

.A disturbing, frightening, shudder-inducing 18-foot Burmese python has been found in Florida by a water-quality maintenance crew. It seems that workers often run across the invasive snakes as part of their daily routine of inspecting and maintaining canals, pump stations and the like, according to agency spokesman Randy Smith. Snakes this size in Florida have no predators (except man) and eat anything, including alligators. The pythons are wreaking havoc with the south Florida ecosystem where they are killing rabbits, raccoons, opossums, bobcats and other native species. Last year the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission held a contest to see who could capture and kill as many as possible. Hunters turned in 68 of them, the longest reaching 14 feet.

UPDATE: Three have been arrested in Wisconsin for the theft of a Stradivarius violin, but the instrument is still missing. There is a $100,000 reward for information about the priceless violin (est. at $6 million). "Clearly, we want to indicate that it's perhaps in their best interests to recognize that ... this is not something that can easily be disposed of at some future date. It'll never be valuable for a thief. It's only valuable for a collector. It's only valuable to a collector if it can be played, and it can't be played if it's known to be stolen," Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn said. I think the police chief may be wrong in his assessment. There are collectors who are secretive and want to possess just for the sake of "owning" a rare and valuable object.


Thought for Today:
"Anything one man can imagine, other men can make real."
--Jules Verne (1828-1905) French author whose writings laid much of the foundation of modern science fiction.

Celsius dwarf bearded iris
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Have a truly blemish-free Thursday

[pegasus]

Laugh and Get Rich Day
Good afternoon my friends
Well, the sun is shining but it isn't doing much to warm things up - 13°F that feels like 5°. According to the extended forecast, the temps won't reach the 30s until Wednesday or Thursday!!

Sochi Olympics: The US wins the first Sochi gold medal with Sage Kotsenburg in slopestyle. Coming into the slopestyle competition, all the talk was about Canadian domination, American Shaun White's withdrawal and triple corks. American Sage Kotsenburg put an end to that when he won the first-ever gold medal for the new snowboarding slopestyle discipline without performing a triple cork (whatever that is). So congrats to Sage Kotsenburg!! This morning I've been watching the figure skating team competition. After the first round, the Russians are in 1st, Canadians in2nd and the US in 3rd. Italy and Japan round out the top 5 (only 5 teams go into the freestyle round)..

Another case of why we shouldn't have capital punishment..Two New York men have been freed due to DNA evidence after decades in prison for a triple murder/ Imagine more than two decades in Attica's maximum security prison among NY's toughest criminals,. Add to that the fact that you're accused of killing your mother, your sister and your cousin and know you're innocent. But at least the two were still alive. I wonder how many have been killed legally who were also innocent? Or does anyone care? Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord. Strange how a supposedly Christian country can be so adamant about the death penalty.


Thought for Today:
"Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does."
--Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) French existentialist philosopher and writer,

Come away with me bicolor bearded iris
Happy weekend all

[pegasus]

Umbrella Day
Good afternoon my friends
It's turning out to be a fair day with the sun nicely shining on the newly fallen whie snow. We may even reach 30F today!! I really hope so.

Sochi Olympics: The Dutch are reasserting their dominance in speed skating They just got all three medals in the men's 500m with twin brothers winning the gold and bronze medals. This is the first time a Dutchman has won this gold medal and yesterday they dominated the men's 5,000-meter event, as they claimed all three medals. Dutch skater Sven Kramer also set a new Olympic record in the event with a time of 6:10.76.

A record-setting New York cockfighting bust uncovers 3,000 birds with 70 people taken into custody and nine felony arrests by the state's Organized Crime Task Force with the help of NY State Police, the Homeland Security Department and the Ulster County sheriff's office. It spanned two boroughs (a Queens cockfight and a Brooklyn pet shop) and an upstate Ulster County poultry farm. Cockfighting contraband -- including artificial spurs, candle wax, medical adhesive tape and syringes used to inject performance-enhancing drugs into the roosters was also confiscated. Un-be-lieve-able!! I am constantly amazed at how much abuse of animals there is in this country To take pleasure, and bet on, two animals forced to fight each other for no other reason sickens me, whether it's two dogs or two roosters.


Thought for Today:
"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."
--Anaïs Nin (1903-1977) French-born American author

Coming about bearded iris
Have a nice Monday

[pegasus]

Darwin Day
Good afternoon my friends
It is COLD today, even if the sun is shining. Whatever happened to global warming?

Sochi Olympics: The US women's hockey team finally met a worthy opponent - Canada. And lost to them 3-2 - now why doesn't that surprise me? I figured that this would be a close game and that the US wouldn't be ready after the cupcakes they had played. And so it tuned out, but somehow it's fitting. Canada should be the US at its national game.

138th annual ]Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show: The wire fox terrier Sky has won this years Best in Show and looked every inch the winner. The ginger-and-white dog defeated six others – whittled down from more than 2,800 dogs for the prize, which brings no money but a trophy, a large ribbon, fame and a steak lunch at Sardi’s. It's the 14th time the breed has won best in show here.

Another massive sinkhole. This time in Bowling Green, Ky. And it swallowed eight vintage cars on display at the National Corvette Museum. Museum officials said no one was in the museum at the time of the collapse, which triggered an alarm system early Wednesday morning. The sinkhole appeared to be about twenty feet deep, and opened up under a domed section of the museum where the cars had been displayed on pedestals.


Thought for Today:
"Summer afternoon - Summer afternoon... the two most beautiful words in the English language."
--Henry James (1843-1916) American author

Coming storm bicolor bearded iris
Have a warming Wednesday

[pegasus]

Singles Awareness Day
Good afternoon my friends
It's been mostly cloudy today with a few brief snowfalls. The temp is a relatively toasty 29F but is slated for single digits again tonight. <<sigh>>

Sochi Olympics: The US men's hockey team has beaten the Russians in an 8-round shootout 3-2. T.J.Oshie, who was chosen for the U.S. men's hockey team with just such a situation in mind, scored 4 goals in O.T. including the winning goal. The St. Louis Blues forward, talking about his thought process before the winning shot, said. "Had to go back to the same move a couple times, but I was glad it ended when it did. I was running out of moves there." International rules allow the same player to take multiple shots after the first three rounds of a shootout, and US coach Dan Bylsma leaned on Oshie's array of slick shots and change-of-pace approaches to the net (Oshie scored on the Americans' first shot before taking the last five in a row, going 4 for 6). If you didn't watch the game this a.m., I highly recommend you watch the re-run later today. It was a grrrrreat game.


Thought for Today:
"The art of progress is to preserve order amid change and to preserve change amid order."
--Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947) British mathematician and philosopher,

Coming up roses bearded iris
Have a satisfying Saturday

[pegasus]

My Way Day
Good afternoon my friends
We managed to escape more snow and so we are experiencing another sunny day. But - it's only 19F and so the cold goes on.

Sochi Olympics: Today the gold medal in figure skating's ice dancing will be decided. Hopefully, America's Davis and White will continue their domination. Earlier, the US women's hockey team won their semi-final game vs. Sweden (6-1) and await the winner of Canada vs. Switzerland. The US has medaled at every Winter Games since women's hockey was added in 1998, reaching the championship game in every Olympics except in 2006 when it lost to Sweden in the semi-finals game. Canada is the 3-time defending championship and the only loss on by the Americans at Sochi. Not since the inaugural tournament in Nagano have the Americans beaten Canada, losing in the championship game in 2002 and '10 and again in the preliminary round of the Sochi Games on Wednesday. So here we go again - maybe 3rd time's a charm?

UPDATE: Most of those trapped minters in South Africa are refusing to be rescued, fearing arrest because of their illegal mining activities. Initially, the rescuers removed the large boulder that was blocking the mine shaft and the 11 miners who surfaced were arrested. “They have sent down one of the miners to try and negotiate with the others to try and get them to come up,” said Werner Vermaak, a communications manager for ER24 a private, national, emergency medical care service that has staff on standby at the mine. Illegal mining for South Africa's gold and platinum is common but penalties if caught include fines and even prison time. Now that those miners are no longer trapped by the boulder, why should they come to the surface only to be arrested? Sounds like a stand-off to me.

A UN report says there is "abundant evidence" of crimes against humanity in North Korea, revealing a portrait of a brutal state "that does not have any parallel in the contemporary world," North Korean leaders employ murder, torture, slavery, sexual violence, mass starvation and other abuses as tools to prop up the state and terrorize "the population into submission," the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in North Korea said in its report. Unfortunately, there's not much the world can do aout it outside of going to war.


Thought for Today:
"What you cannot enforce, do not command."
[info][add][mail]--Sophocles (b.c. 496-406) Greek tragic dramatist

Company red bearded iris
Have a modish Monday

[pegasus]

International Tug-of-War Day
Good afternoon my friends
So far we've had no rain or snow or sleet etc. and the temp has reached into the 30s. But it's still overcast and subject to change at any minute. And its only a month until spring!!

Sochi Olympics: Finland has eliminated the Russians in hockey!! For the 3rd straight Olympics Russia has not won any medal in the sport that they dominated for years - the "amateur" Red Army team. So now Sweden (#1 seed), who beat Slovenia, will meet in one semifinal game. The US will play the Czech Republic in their quarter final game at noon (NBCSN) with Canada playing Latvia (MSNBC) at the same time. I can hardly wait to watch it. But for the next two hours I'll be watching the women's figure skating short program. A great day for the Olympics.

Oh, BTW, Ted Ligety won the giant slalom , becoming the first American man to win two Olympic gold medals in Alpine skiing. Hi's first gold came in the combined at the 2006 Turin Games as a 21-year-old -- before he had ever won a World Cup race. The only other American to win two Olympic golds in Alpine skiing was Andrea Mead Lawrence, who took both the women's slalom and giant slalom at the 1952 Oslo Games!

UPDATE: In the Ukraine protests in Kiev's Independence Square there have been 25 killed, 241 injured so far. Naturally, Ukrainian Pres. Viktor Yanukovych is blaming opposition leaders for the deadly violence. The violence was the worst in nearly three months of anti-government protests that have paralyzed Ukraine's capital in a struggle over the identity of a nation divided in loyalties between Russia (government) and the West (opposition), and the worst in the country's post-Soviet history.


:)Some pics from NY's Finger Lakes region:

February Chill A beautiful but chilly day on Seneca Lake near Lake Shore Landing in Romulus. Photo by Diane W. Dersch

Lady Cardinal Pretty female cardinal in a Farmington backyard on Friday afternoon. Photo by Mike Sargent

Sunset Shine A strange sunset as seen at 6:26 pm on the border of Enfield and Ithaca. Sunset is getting later! Photo by Helene Schmidt

Thought for Today:
"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."
--John Adams (1735-1826), Founding Father and 2nd US President in "Argument in Defense of the Soldiers in the Boston Massacre Trials," December 1770

Concertina bearded iris
I hope you have a wow of a Wednesday

[pegasus]

International Tongue Twister Day
Good afternoon my friends
It's another nice day here with temps in the low 40s. I wish that this would last until spring, but no such luck. The next spate of Arctic cold is on its way.

Sochi Olympics: .Well, the men's hockey team came to an inglorious end, losing to Finland 5-0 in the bronze medal game. That does it for me until the closing ceremonies tomorrow. Then it will be two years until the next Summer Olympics in Brazil.


UPDATE: In Ukraine, it has been a day of dramatic and fast-paced developments that saw the Parliament vote to remove Pres. Yanukovych from office and call for new elections.in spring. Also, former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was released from prison. The vote came a day after Yanukovych signed a peace deal with the opposition intended to end days of bloody protests and fueling speculation he might heed calls for him to step down. However, speaking from Kharkly, a pro-Russian stronghold in eastern Ukraine, he took to the air and insisted he would not resign or leave the country. So what will Russia do? And if they try to use force to return Yanukovych to power, what well we do?


Pres. Obama will bestow the Medal of Honor on 24 vets denied them due to their ethnicity or color of their skin. Many of their fellow soldiers received this medal long ago, for doing similar things in similar places at similar times. But not these 24 men. Unfortunately, 21 of the new Medal of Honor recipients -- with last names including Garcia and Weinstein and Negron -- aren't alive to receive the award. All three of those still living received the Army's Distinguished Service Cross, so their heroics didn't go completely unrecognized.


Thought for Today:
"Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see."
--Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) German philosopher,

Conjuration bicolored bearded iris
Have a sunny Saturday

[pegasus]

World Bartender Day
Good afternoon my friends
The temps have dropped into the 20s and the forecast is for snow. Neither of these appeal to me, but I'd rather have them than the polar vortex they say is on its way.

Cheers - McDonald's is contemplating extending the hours of its breakfast menu. It has long thought of serving breakfast throughout the day as it faces heightened competition and slumping sales. Of course, having competitors like Tim Horton's already serving breakfast until 5 p.m. doesn't mean anything in their calculations, right? I, for one, would welcome the change.

The US Supreme Court has declined to decide whether poker is a contest of skill or is instead a game of chance covered by a federal law directed at illegal gambling and three laws restricting gun ownership. (two laws banning ownership of guns by 18-21 year olds and a law against selling to out-of-state customers). With the first, a federal appeals court had ruled that whatever else the anti-gambling law included, anything that's illegal under state law remains so. In the case under consideration New York statutes, the appeals court said, cover poker - so the Supreme Court's refusal means that the appeals court ruling stands. The court also declined to wade into the politically volatile issue of gun control by leaving intact three court rulings rejecting challenges to federal and state laws, which is a loss for gun rights advocates, including the National Rifle Association, which was behind two of the challenges.


Thought for Today:
"I have long since come to believe that people never mean half of what they say, and that it is best to disregard their talk and judge only their actions."
Dorothy Day (1897-1980) American editor & reformer

Connection bearded amoena iris
Have a mostly merry Monday

[pegasus]

World Pistachio Day
Good afternoon my friends
It'sa partly sunny today but COLD!! 13°F with 22 mph winds. It could have been worse if it had snowed - BLIZZARD!!

Wichita State defeated the Bradley Braves, 69-49 in the Missouri Valley Conference, becoming the first squad in college basketball history to win thirty straight games in the regular season. And unlike most NCAA teams, this group can shoot (the core of VanVleet, Early, and Baker make 35% or more of their threes, and the team overall is scoring .98 points per zone possession). So if Syracuse fans are looking forward to March Madness, be careful what you wish for - it's not the Shockers of Wichita.


My computer almost ate my daily bulletin, but luckily I saved as I went along. All I lost was my last item about the federal judge in Texas ruling on the constitutionality of the state's anti same-sex marriage law. He against it.

Thought for Today:
" Ultimately, the only power to which man should aspire is that which he exercises over himself.
--Elie Wiesel (b. 1928) Romanian-born Jewish-American professor, author and political activist.

Cool confidence reverse amoena bearded iris
Have a truly wonderful Wednesday

[pegasus]

Tooth Fairy Day
Good afternoon my friends
Today it's cold but bright and sunny with no snow in sight. Considering all the dire warnings about the latest storm, I think that's a definite plus that most of it missed us.

Sorry but there's no daily musings, thoughts, etc. today. I'm too busy watching my favorite America's Next top Model show. It's a season that I haven't seen before. See you tomorrow.

Thought for Today:
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.
--Marcel Proust (1871-1922) French novelist

Cool change bearded iris
TGIF everyone

[pegasus]

Namesake Day
Good afternoon my friends
Another overcast day and cold. At least it hasn't started to snow again. Thank heaven for small favors!

UPDATE: Secretary of State John Kerry denounced the Russian movement of troops into Ukraine Sunday as “an act of aggression” and accused Pres. Putin of “possibly trying to annex Crimea.” “He's going to lose on the international stage, Russia is going to lose, the Russian people are going to lose, and he's going to lose all of the glow that came out of the Olympics, his $60 billion extravaganza,” Ukraine has mobilized its military forces after Putin declared Russia had a right to invade. It's hard to believe that Russia would behave this way in the 21st century. Haven't we spent the years since World War II trying to establish other ways of doing things without the use of military aggression? Unfortunately, we have not always acted positively ourselves. Let's not forget what we fabricated in order to invade Iraq.


Winter in New York:

Ice Shelf The ice shelf at Sodus Point along the Lake Ontario shore line as seen on Friday. Photo by Chris Trine

The Old Lighthouse The old lighthouse at Sodus Point on Friday afternoon with the recent snows still fresh and fluffy. Ice along the lake shore could be seen at quite the distance off shore. Photo by Chris Trine

Canvasback and Redhead The open water along the Canandaigua City Pier was busy with many birds. Sometimes confused for each other, these two show the difference on Friday along the Canandaigua City Pier.
Photo by Mike Sargent

New Friends? An afternoon along Canandaigua City Pier. One appears to be a Common Goldeneye, while the other is a Merganzer? Photo by Mike Sargent

Thought for Today:
"Some are kissing mothers and some are scolding mothers, but it is love just the same."
--Pearl Buck (1892-1973) Nobel Prize-winning American novelist

Crimson cloud bearded amoena iris
Have a sympathetic Sunday

[pegasus]

Peace Corps Day
Good afternoon my friend
It's overcast with snow in the forecast. Ho-hum. I've heard this same thing since last November and I'm mighty tired of the whole scene.

Despite rain and cold in today's forecast, revelers are gathering along parade routes as the Carnival season in New Orleans heads to a crest with the krewes of Zulu and Rex. Temperatures aren't expected to rise above the low 40s, but with all the party revelers, who's going to notice? Those who attend Mardi Gras revelries will need the 40 days of Lent to recover!!

UPDATE: The first two classic corvettes have been lifted by a crane out of the giant Kentucky sinkhole that swallowed part of their museum. Onlookers cheered after each car was rescued, but the joy was more subdued for the second car, which had more extensive damage. The first car hoisted out — a 2009 ZR1 Blue Devil — showed only minor damage that included cracks on lower door panels, a busted window and an oil line rupture. The other car retrieved, a 1993 Ruby Red 40th Anniversary Corvette, had body panels and window glass that need replacing, but the vehicle is salvageable, The frame looked to be "pretty straight," the underbody appeared intact and the steering gear worked, Chevrolet spokesman Monte Doran said. "Mechanically, it looks to be in remarkably good shape." Chevrolet will oversee restoration of all eight cars swallowed up last month when the earth opened beneath a display area while the museum was closed. Next up will be a 1962 black Corvette, which workers hope to recover as early as Tuesday. The museum cautioned that removing the black Corvette will be much "trickier" because a huge concrete slab is partially resting atop part of that car. Two cranes will be used to lift that car and the slab. The other five cars will remain buried until workers further stabilize the sinkhole, All recovered 'vettes will be on display at the museum until August 3rd. Then all will be shipped to a Michigan plant for repairs.

Florida is seeking a triple sentence in the case of the woman who fired a warning-shot at her estranged and abusive husband. She could end up in prison for 60 years She was convicted in 2012 on three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and sentenced to 20 years — three counts served concurrently. An appeals court tossed the conviction, saying Circuit Judge James Daniel made a mistake in shifting the burden to Alexander to prove she acted in self-defense. "It's unimaginable that a woman acting in self-defense, who injured no one, can be given what amounts to a life sentence," Free Marissa Now spokeswoman Helen Gilbert said. "This must send chills down the spine of every woman and everyone who cares about women and every woman in an abusive relationship." She was denied immunity under Florida's "stand your ground" law - the same law that lead to George Zimmerman's to go free after killing Tryvon Martin. Outrageous!! And I can't help wondering if she were white, would she be facing the same fate?


Thought for Today:
"Life is a long lesson in humility."
--James M. Barrie (1860-1937) Scottish author and dramatist, best remembered today as the creator of Peter Pan.

Croft's caress variegata bearded iris
Have a truly warm Tuesday

[pegasus]

Oreo Cookie Day
Good afternoon my friend
It is a beautiful day outside today with sunshine and blue skies BUT it's a false impression because it's COLD - single digits so far. I hope the forecast is right and we'll reach the 20s!!

Am I the only one turned off by TV's latest "fad" - dead people all over TV. From the scary zombie phenom of The Walking Dead to ABC's latest Resurrection and Sundance TV's The Returned. Here death is treated as a mere formality for people returning to precisely who they were when they "passed." Frankly, I find all three shows repugnant and you couldn't pay me enough to watch any of them.


UPDATE: The Crimea parliament has voted to join Russia and has also voted to hold a referendum for residents to the choice to stay in Ukraine or join Russia. However, the interim Ukrainian Prime Minister Arsenly Yatsenyuk called it an "illegitimate decision." I'm not sure that I agree. When the Soviet Union was in existence, Crimea was one of those republics and on the breakup joined with Ukraine, but has not become an integrated part of the country. Does it still have the right to choose with whom it wants to be associated? Does it still have the right to choose Russia over Ukraine? If the people choose Russia overwhelmingly in the referendum, then what?


Thought for Today:
" You can close your eyes to reality but not to memories."
--Stanislaw Jerzy Lec (1906-1966) Polish writer, poet and satirist

Crowned head bearded iris
Have a thankful Thursday

[pegasus]

International (Working) Women's Day
Good evening my friends
It's overcast and gloomy but the temp is in thr 40s!! For now, I'll take all the gloom and doom for temps in the 40s!

A California state legislator is proposing to ban the captivity of killer whales for entertainment at SeaWorld in the wake of CNN's controversial documentary Blackfish.Currently, there are no laws prohibiting the captive display of orcas, but there are federal laws governing the care, capture and research use of the killer whales. Unfortunately, this bill is backed by PETA that has been protesting against SeaWorld for years and, which I feel often takes extremist POV of animal treatment. I would feel much more likely to agree with this bill if it were back by the ASPCA or The Humane Society.

Remember to turn your clocks ahead ("spring ahead") when you go to bed tonight. Daylight Saving Time (nl "s" on saving) begins at 2 a.m. Sunday for most of the US. Hawaii and most of Arizona do not follow DLS and neither do the territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and American Samoa. About 70 countries around the world observe DLS, but many countries near the equator do not adjust their clocks for daylight saving and neither China nor Japan do.


Thought for Today:
"We should be eternally vigilant against attempts to check the expression of opinions that we loathe."
--Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841-1935) US Supreme Court justice called The Great Dissenter;

Cub cadet dwarf bearded iris
I hope you have had a super-duper Saturday