No one told me I could get RSS feeds through LJ…

Me thinks I have created a monster. Or they have created a monster. Or mad eme a monster. Or something about a monster.

I really need to drink less coffee…

Two things of note are happening in Israel today.

First, the Knesset is voting on whether to unilaterally disengage from Gaza. Just so everyone understands, this means to pull Israeli’s out of Gaza, including military and civilian personel. It does not mean giving up the right to go into Gaza and respond to attacks if the Palestinian Authority fails to properly handle the attackers. On Sunday, the Knesset agreed that if Israel does disengage, settlers who peacfully agree to relocation will receive $500K in compensation. Settlers who have to be forceably removed will get no compensation and may be subjected to jail time and fines. It is this last premise that I disagree with. If they want to stay, let them stay, but, let the world know that the Paletinian Authority is directly responsible for ensuring their safety. Also, let the world and the settlers know that the settlers are responsible for abiding by the laws of the PA. If they believe their religious obligation is to live near and maintain religious holy sites in Gaza, then let them do so. That is thier choice and they can make that decission but all of Israel need not be bound by their decissions.

Second, and perhaps more monumental, it is the ten year anniversary of peace with Jordan. Unfortunately, it is passing with nary a thing done to celebrate such a succes. Certainly, the peace could be warmer and economic prosperity for the region would be a nice outcome, but the fact that Israel has formal peace and recognitiopn with two of its neighbors deserves to be celebrated.

Basdeball… and the curse of the Bambino…

What can I say? I am the product of a mixed marriage – Dad’s from the Bronx and Mom’s from Brooklyn. Realisticly, it means that, if things had not changed, Mom would be rooting for the Brooklyn Dodgers (AKADem Bums) at Ebbets Field and Dad would be at the Polo Grounds chearing on the New York Giants. But time moves on, and so Dad became a Yankees fan and Mom settled for the Mets as they were not the Yanks.

Actually, thats a good seguay into a discussion of rivalries. Look it up and you will note, depending upon your dictionary, a reference to rivals being equals. OK, the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Yankees. Both with amazing players and amazing records. Got it. But thats a rivalry of the past. TOday, the biggest rivalry in baseball is the Yanks-BoSocks. Now, say what you will, the BoSock record just doesn’t come up to being equal of the Yanks. Sorry, but its the facts. I’m not being judgemental here.

Anyway, so the playoffs and the World Series. Sure enough, Mom’s rooting for the BoSocks and Dad is cheering on the Cards.

As for me…. I lived in the Fenway section of Boston for over a year. I loved it, and I love Fenway park. My apartment building was maybe 30 feet from the ball park. You could see into the park from the roof. Did you know that at the seventh inning, Fenway opens the gates and lets in everyone who wants to come in. That every fowl ball is automaticlly tossed into the stands – usually toa kid? They dont call it Friendly Fenway for nothing. WHile I lived there I signed a petition to have it declared a National Historic Landmark

Yet, one of my neighbors summed it up for everyone that lives there when she said “I hate the Red Socks, each and every one of them individually and personally.” To understand that, you have to had lived in the Fens. No major highways to the ball park. No major parking areas. One T stop. If you lived in that area, you didnt plan to leave your home if there was a game. It just could not be accomplished.

But, I am still sentimental at heart. I want Boston to win. I want them to break this loosing streak. I want to be able to see history made when the BoSocks win the series. And I want Ebbets field and the Polo Grounds back.

Oh, short foot note about the Dodgers. About 15 years ago, the Dodgers organization sued, in Federal District Court in New York, a bar in Brooklyn named the Brooklyn Dodgers which was using the old style Brooklyn Dodgers logo for its own. The court ruled that the Dodgers had given up any claim to the Brooklyn Dodgers trademark when it abandoned the city. Sometimes judges get it right.

One hundred and fifty years ago today, at Balaclava in the Ukraine, a small and relatively insignificant battle took place. It was during the Crimean War, and if it were not for Britain’s poet laureate no one would remember this battle except for students of obscure military history.

However, courtesy of Alfred, Lord Tennyson the battle has been imortalized. And, regretably, remembered incorrectly.

If you have not yet figured it out, it was the battle of Balaclava, remembered most for The Charge of the Light Brigade. The charge of the light brigade was the third action of the battle. The Russians initiated the battle by moving on British positions in the hills of Balaclava (about 10km from Sevastopol). This was met and repelled by a charge of the British Heavy Cavalry. The charge of the Light Brigade was the result of a mix up of orders. The British commander, from his location, observed a group of Russians attempting to steal British cannon and sent an order to the Light Brigade to stop them. The Light Brigade commander, from his location, could only see the Russian cannon, and orders being orders, charged. At the end of the charge, 110 members of the Light Brigade lay dead.

NPR did a wonderful story Saturday morning which included a recording of the charge made some years after by a surviving trumpeter.

The text of Tennsyon’s poem along with images of his original manuscript can be found here.

The Cunning Use Of Flags

Which Eddie Izzard Quote Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Somtimes a reality check comes along and smacks you right upside the head.

You know the kind I mean. Not the ‘time to re-evaluate your life’ sort of thing but one of those that makes you shake your head and think for a second. Not those slow drawn out things like a fast approaching landmark birthday, like say 40 or so.

No this is the kind that comes out of left field and feels like a louisville slugger just slammed into your skull.

Well, this morning as I was getting ready to hop into the shower, I heard two simple sentences on NPR. Thats all it was. Just a simple “Today is Amy Carter’s birthday. She turns 37.”

, here’s what she looked like way back when:

And another:

And one last one:

No luck finding one of her today…

For those in NC:

Democratic Candidates List and web links
Republican Candidates List and web links
NC Voter Ed Voter Guides
NC Family Candidate Surveys
NC 2004 Judicial Voters Guide
NC ProCare Candidate Surveys
Raleigh Chamber of Commerce Voter Guide

OK, so Monday I started to unpack the car from Crusades (which I really should write about…)

I was in a pair of jeans and kicked on my slippers and went to grab something from the car. Nothing unusual. Except for the step. The one at the start of the walk from the driveway to the porch. I have onlky been living at the house for what six years? You would think i knew where it was,. how high, etc. And it turns out all of my body does except for my left big toe. Yup – SMASH!

Well three days later its still black and blue and swollen and hurts when I flex it so off to the doc who snaps a quick X-Ray or three.

Tangent – what is it about x-ray technicians? Hmmm so your limb is broken and aching and we need to see if its seriously injured. OK, lie it in this position which is anatomicly inmpossible and hold it for 10 minutes while I get the shot. Goo. Now put all of your pressure on it…

Anyway, no breaks. Just badly bruised and probably will take a few weeks to heal. The doctors advice – motrine, ice, elevation, and dont run on it. I think I had kind of figured out the last one.

Actually, I like my doc. Its always fun to ask her what her crazy dog has been up to. (It says she has a crazy dog in her bio, believe it or not…)

All told, this has been a very unproductive week, work wise. Just not getting into the swing of things.

Have a ton to do and little motivation to do it.

Oh well, I think I am gonna head out – not sure what Im gonna do tonight but I am sure I aint gonna do it here.

Study links genes, male homosexuality

“In their research, which is reported in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, they found an increase in homosexuality in the maternal line of gay men they studied which suggests the X chromosome.”

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Out of curiosity, here are countries I support…

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