New Spaceport

spaceport image from SpaceAdventures

“Space Adventures, Ltd., the world’s leading space experiences company, announced today its plans to develop a commercial spaceport in Ras Al-Khaimah (the UAE), with plans to expand globally. Other potential spaceport locations include Asia, specifically Singapore, and North America. . . . More

For $102,00 you can take a sub-orbital flight yourself. Cool, wish I were rich.

Catfish and Annie are Getting Ready to Go Hiking

Oh boy, oh boy . . . Annie and I are so excited. yes, soon, woof, woof, we will get to go hiking again. This weekend we might get to go to the snow. We know that it is important to start slow and build our endurance up. We always start with shorter less demanding hikes. It is a good time for mom to check out all our equiptment and check to see if anything need to be adjusted, repaired, or replaced. Like my booties that Annie chewed all up.

  • Our tags are up to date and we are micro chipped.
  • We are on Heart Worm Medication
  • Lots of food and water and bowls. We like to drink from camelpacks too.
  • First Aid Kit and Dog specific first aid book.
  • We always bring an extra collars, leashes, 6 foot, 20 foot, a 60 ft, and our gentle leaders.
  • I have lots of fur between my toes so I like to wear my booties when there is a lot of tree sap or in the snow.
  • Annie has a backpack. Last year she could not carry much because she was still a pup. Now that she is older I am looking foward to her abilitlties to haul Scooby snacks,

Pictures from last spring and summer

Catfish and Buddy Annie  BullardBar Trail Catfish Bullards Bar Trail Catfish and Annie off Hwy20 Annie and Catfish in the Snow Annie  looking down the trail Annie peeking over the edge

Another Puzzle

Ok, yes, I have way too much time on my hands. This puzzle was easier than the previous one. Lots of bright colors to separate. Annie dog ate one piece of it. She is the type of dog that can not pass a good piece of cardboard by. So, if you drop a piece and don’t notice, the next thing you know, well, the pooper scooper patrol tells all. The newest puzzle I am working on is going to be a pain in the @##@#. It is one of those where a piece of the same shade and pattern will fit but upon close scrutiny you notice it really is not the right piece. So, it will probably a few days before I can get a picture of it.
picture of completed puzzle

Fight for the Social and Political Consciousness of America

From the mpeachinator on Smell Test states:

If this administration gets away with warrantless spying then we’ve given up the freedom and liberty we say we are trying to spread throughout the world. We’ve already lost the war on terror if we give up these ideals.

  1. warrantless spying
  2. spreading our ideals around the world
  3. war on terror

If you have read some of my blog I am sure you know that I am against standing by while the government nibbles away at the rights of American citizens. First I have to ask myself, when is it OK for my government to spy on anyone.

“Congress gave me the authority to use necessary force to protect the American people, but it didn’t prescribe the tactics,” Bush said, adding that the government needs to know why people linked to al Qaida are calling into the U.S. “One of the ways to protect the American people is to understand the intentions of the enemy.”

Yes, the government has the responsibility of protecting its citizens. They do not need to bypass the normal procedure of getting a warrant. Even if a warrant is received after the fact, we at least know the government values and holds true to our system of checks and balances. By going around the normal procedures we are all at risk of being spied on and put on some watch list.

Bush’s rhetoric is very selective and insincere. A superpower must be perceived as truly granting liberty and freedom to be trusted as a transmitter of them. Even the vote in Iraq did not convince the world that the United States supports the principles of freedom and liberty rather over that of neo-imperialism. Spreading democracy requires allies, particularly among the targets of one’s consideration.

How is terrorism defined and can a country war against it? If terrorism is defined as actions outside the bounds of conventional warfare can it be fought against using conventional tactics. If the term is defined to mean that the violence of an enemy is random, immoral, wanton, and unjustified and to justify violent reprisals we have scenerio where violence begets violence. What changes a National social consciousness from racism to racial equality, approving Bush’s tax programs to disapproving them, or from favoring war in Iraq to being against it. We need an answer. The future of the human race may depend on a radical change in political and social consciousness. Social conscious must force the American political conscience to uphold the fundamental concepts set forth in this countrys CONSTITUTION and BILL OF RIGHTS. The Separation of Powers were written in for a reason!

A story with a moral:

A guy has a dog that only barks, a lot. So he got tired of hearing it bark and decided to take it to the vet. After the doctor checked the dog, he told the owner: listen, this dog is deaf, blind and can’t smell! The dog owner asked: then why is it barking all the time? The Doctor answered: because it is the only way remaining to persevere his identity! from Sabbah’s blog.