More Mantis stuff

After a brief panic this morning- we discovered that Mantis MOLT! Yea. My daughter thought an evil spider had gotten to one of our babies. Cool mantis site here. I think you can even order a cocoon from them.

Because the mantis goes through definite physical changes as it develops, it is said to go through a metamorphosis. The word metamorphosis means "change." The praying mantis goes through three stages: egg, nymph, and adult. Scientists call this an incomplete metamorphosis because the nymph looks quite a lot like the adult insect.

A mantis nymph grows in a special way. In order to increase in size, it must replace the outer covering of its body. An insects body is enclosed in a tough, flexible covering called an exoskeleton. This covering acts as an exterior skeleton, serving the same purpose as the bony, internal skeletons of other kinds of animals.

Unlike bones, however an insects exoskeleton does not grow along with its body. As the insect gets larger, its exoskeleton eventually becomes too tight. When this happens, the old exoskeleton is shed or molted, and replaced by a new, roomier one that forms underneath.

Mantis nymphs may molt five to ten times in all, depending on the species. They grow larger with each molt. The last time it slips out of its tight skin, it will have fully formed wings. At first, they are wrinkled and pale. Soon they are stretched out and begin to dry. 

Too cool!

School's ON!

I think I'm gonna start school back up on Monday. Enough of the laziness and boredom around here. Yesterday, I found one of my children on the roof of the garage. A GIRL.

Lowering the bar

Concerned that your teenage daughter isn't reading enough? Well, along comes books such as The Au Pairs, and The Gossip Girl . These tales are sure to ensnare the reluctant reader with their story lines of sex, drugs, and the social scene. I guess this follows the rule; it doesn't matter what they read, as long as they read.

I suppose that might be true, if your aim is to develop a future reader for Jackie Collins and Danielle Steel.

Today's lesson

From OSU EU:

After mantids have completed their early stages, they may be fed insects larger than aphids and vinegar flies such as mosquitoes, flies, and roaches. Mature Chinese mantids readily attack, kill, and devour large crickets and grasshoppers. Some people like to watch the capture of this prey. Others like to collect adult mantids (especially females full of eggs), then place them in a large glass container (empty fish aquarium) and watch egg masses being glued to an inserted tree branch. After egg laying, mantid death usually occurs a few weeks later.

Egg masses, collected in September or October and brought into the warm classroom, have been known to hatch in early December of the same year. Then, large numbers of very tiny mantids will suddenly appear and, if not furnished fresh, live food, they will eat each other until only one or a few mantids are left.

Well, that explains why I've only been able to find two praying mantids in my garden. I was looking for life cycle information - the sad news: one season.

Garden friend

DSC00397
Originally uploaded by Carinroz.

Look who I saw yesterday. They are getting much bigger - when they hatched, they were the size of a mosquito. Now, they are approaching two inches in length.

Speaking of mindless tv

Those INXS contestants are really weak. The idea of the show is kinda cool, but they all suck eggs.

Jacking $hit

You know, my hate email is nothing compared to Jeff's hate packages.

Mindless tv

I was watching Wide Angle last night (even had to endure an intro with Bill Moyers) regarding the "boarder jumpers" from Zimbabwe to Botswana. Without hope or a way to feed their families, Zimbabwians risk life and limb to work in Botswana (where they are treated like dirt.) They are rounded up and returned, of course. It was a hard program to watch. One man, in a detention facility awaiting repatriation said the following :

"If Saddam can be removed by force, why not Mugabe?"

Why not? All those men, women, and children wonder why the world cares nothing for them. They cannot leave, and they cannot live in the current situation. What is the world's responsibility?

Excellent read here between Bill Moyers (gag) and George Ayittey, a Professor of Economics. Ayittey here:

Now, if you want to understand why America is rich and Africa is poor, ask yourself, how do the rich in each area make their money? Take the U.S., for example, the richest person is Bill Gates. He's worth something like $64 billion. How did he make his money? He made his money in the private sector, by selling something, Microsoft computer software. He has something to show for his wealth. Now, let's go to Africa. Who are the richest in Africa? The richest in Africa are African heads of state and ministers. How did they make their money? They made their money by raking it off the backs of their suffering people. That is not wealth creation. It is wealth redistribution.

And this:

BILL MOYERS: Yours is a contrarian view to American philanthropy and liberalism. And in particular, let me read you something that Jeffrey Sachs, the economist who's writing about how we solve poverty in the world. Jeffrey Sachs, who's advising Kofi Annan at the U.N. on how to develop the third world, says, "The poor are poor because of failing infrastructure, poor energy sources, geographic isolation, disease and natural disasters that inevitably conspire to foil progress."

GEORGE AYITTEY: Well, if you go to an African village and you said something like this, very few villages will believe this. Because they can see where the problem is. If you want to understand why Africa is in such a rut, there's one word which describes it. And that's power. Power is what describes the condition of Africa. The inability or the adamant refusal of African leaders to relinquish or share power has been the bane of development in Africa. Look at Somalia. Somalia blew up because of the adamant refusal of General Siad Barre to relinquish or share power. Rwanda blew up because of the refusal of a general. Burundi. Zaire blew up because of a refusal of General Mobuto Sese Seko. Same thing, Sierra Leone, Liberia. All those countries would have been saved if those generals were willing to share political power. Zimbabwe would have been saved if Mugabe were willing to step down or share political power.

What does Ayittey think we need to do with Africa? Support independent judiciaries and free press, stop giving Aid and debt relief to tyrants (pull to the plug on Zimbabwe), and SUPPORT dissidents.

For Kel

Check out #10 :

50 people who need a vicious beating

H/t Garfield Ridge

Just in case

I've been accused of being cold - so I'd just like to send out a huge ((((((())))))) to all of you.

Because, you know, they mean so much.

I mean this, I really do.

File it under...: Fisking Arianna

Hoodlumman, and the art of fisking in brief--->File it under...: Fisking Arianna

Update- under a new policy of being nice to Kel, I hereby issue a DO NOT READ KEL on this post. Leo though is encouraged to check it out.

Curious question of the day

Is it possible to think too much about stuff?

This leads into my rant about why I don't like women. No, not all women. But, an awful lot of them.

I've been accused, many times and always by women, of thinking too much about stuff. And that, apparently, makes me a bad - or less desirable- person. I find it kinda funny, because everyday I run across people who think a lot more and better than me.

I think the crux of the matter is that I just don't have a lot of use for women who, when they are not gossiping, back stabbing, or getting a good "hate on", are talking only about mundane or trivial things. Occasionally I like to delve into other issues. Politics is, of course, forbidden.But, I enjoy deconstructing a movie, or a book. "Reviews' are supposed to be a tad more in-depth than "two-thumbs way up." If discussing the symbolism, or the politics, in a movie is "thinking too much", than I plead guilty. If a tv show has an "agenda", I find it sorta interesting to discuss it.

What I don't understand, is why people don't like to think about stuff. How they can read, or watch things and NOT think about what makes it good or bad, and the messages it is trying to convey. I understand the need for mindless entertainment- that is the companion piece to the "thinking to much" accusations. Well, how much mindless entertainment does one need? An hour a day? Two hours? Three hours? When all the shows, and books, and movies one sees are all protected under the "mindless entertainment" clause, it's time to worry. And, why can't you discuss, critically, mindless entertainment?

I recently read the newest Harry Potter, which I considered "mindless entertainment." Yet, I can still be roused into a critical discussion of it. Does discussion take away from the "mindlessness" of it? Is there a limit as to how much a person can think -it is a commodity that must be saved, and not "wasted" on discussions of tv shows (which, as the national average states, is 27 hours a week) and cheap movels? I shudder to think that people are mindless for that much time each week.

I know there intellectually curious women out there. I do know a few. But, I envy those who are able to surround themselves with such rare creatures.

ho-hum

Since no one is (seemingly) around today, I'll just talk to myself.

First question - how the heck did anyone deal with the boring task of folding laundry before an iPod?

Next - which is better, Mayonnaise or Rhinocerous? If you don't know what I'm referring to there, you can just skip that one.

Damn, it's like an echo chamber in here. I'm going to garden.

A conversation with my lavender

"Oh, you sweet little thing - you didn't have to flower your FIRST year here!"

Oh, the heat must be getting to me.

Garden joys this summer: Borage. I don't know why, but I LOVE it. Flowers, flowers everywhere.

Also, two big thumbs up to my globe basil this year. It's so neat - almost like a miniature bush.

Lack of focus

I know, I know, I should be talking about Rovegate today, but my ADHD has me going off on weird tangents. I don't know WHY I can't stay focused. Anyway, I found this little bit by Omar of Iraq the Model, and I figured I'd share. Personally, though, I question the timing.

Who I pity most are the regimes and media that supported the terrorists and apologized for their doings.
They don't realize that eventually they won’t be able to keep themselves away from the fires of this war.
Their short sightedness is making them stand against their strategic allies and support the evil efforts of their inevitably future (if not current) enemies.

On the other hand I do believe that these waves of attacks in Egypt and London as well as Al-Qaeda's threat to Europe prove that their plans in Iraq are not working out.
Actually, terrorists in Iraq are paying a very high price but they're getting very little in return and their resources are being depleted while Iraq is getting stronger every week and whatever they're inflicting is not yielding the desired effects and in my opinion that's why they're trying to export their attacks to other targets they consider vulnerable or of high value.
This change in plans and tactics was made after the terrorists realized that their plans in Iraq have been rendered sterile and that was only because they were faced with tremendous determination and patience from Iraqis and their allies.

See how off-message that is? No mention of Karl Rove AND naively insisting that things in Iraq are going well.

Really, WTF is wrong with people?

No, really. What?

Update:

People disappoint me.

Update II:

Ok, I'll look for the root causes.

Just heard

"Mom ... I have a poop picture."

sigh.

IN case you missed it

EXCELLENT point by Jeff, as to why rhetoric matters. It appears that one of the London bombers was acting in response to how Muslims were treated in Gitmo. You know, the "GULAG" of our times that wasn't.

The saddest part?  Nobody will hold these power-hungry hyperpartisans and their ulterior motives to account—because to do so would be to commit the cardinal sin of “questioning their patriotism.”

Well, let me be the first to break that particular taboo:  “THE LEFT LIED AND LONDONERS DIED!”

Somebody should make a frickin’ t-shirt.

Rhetoric and hyperbole have their place, EXCEPT when said speech is known to inflame the mentally unstable.

And by that I mean Islamo-fascist lunatics.

The gang

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Originally uploaded by Carinroz.

And, for the last time, my cheerleading pictures will NOT scan. Sorry.

Good read

State of Jefferson: Actions speak louder than words is well worth a read. The writer has read "The Sword of the Prophet" - a book that has piqued my interest for a long time, but I have yet to take the plunge and purchase.

And, if you get done with that article, read the one just following it. A poignant example of why we cannot allow this fascism to spread.

Question

Who are your information icons? For news and analysis -separate categories, of course.

What fuels Islamic Radicalism/ al-Qaida?

While the @ss in London says it's Western Policy, other's have another idea:

Central to its ideology is the reintroduction of the caliphate, an Islamic state governed by sharia law that would stretch across all formerly Muslim lands, taking in Spain, Morocco, north Africa, Albania, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, as well as Pakistan, Indonesia and the Philippines. Plenty on the left tend to skim over this stuff, dismissing it as weird, obscurantist nonsense - and imagining it as somehow secondary to al-Qaida's anti-imperialist mission.

That's a big mistake. For it is this animating idea which helps to explain al-Qaida actions that otherwise make no sense. Why did the Madrid cell that staged last March's train bombings continue to plan attacks, even after Spain's new government had begun withdrawing from Iraq? Perhaps because al-Qaida wants to recapture at least part of Spain for Islamist rule. Why did it bomb a nightclub in Bali? Partly to attack western tourists, of course. (Taylor says the bombers thought the clubbers would be American, not Australian.) But its chief aim was to destabilise Indonesia, which it wants to place under Islamist rule as part of the yearned-for caliphate.

In other words, al-Qaida has a programme that predates and goes beyond Iraq. It seeks to end all western presence in those lands it deems Islamic. That's why it has, over the years, targeted France and Germany as well as the US and the UK. When Tony Blair asks "What was September 11 the reprisal for?" he should know the answer. It was for eight decades of US-led, western meddling in territory that al-Qaida believes should be Muslims' alone.

This is the ideology that defines al-Qaida and which explains why it was in business from 1993 and not just 2001 and after. Tellingly, those who monitor Islamism in Britain say the big surge in growth of extremist groups came not after 9/11 or Iraq but in the mid-1990s - with Bosnia serving as the recruiting sergeant. In the same period Chechnya, Kosovo and Israel-Palestine all came into play - again predating Iraq.

In regards to that last little bit - who's side were we on in Bosnia? I'll give you a hint, we weren't killing Muslims. Someone care to explain how we angered them THEN when we were fighting on their side? I don't get it, but I'm slow that way.

H/t Pull on Superman's cape who quoted the exact same Guardianpiece, but I loved it so much I had to paste it here too.

Funny fun fun

The Huffington Post sucks, so I never read it. Which means, I've been missing the goody goodness of Greg Gutfeld.

Apropos of the current Supreme Court nomination, I offer one of Gutfeld's jokes:

What do you get when you cross a Republican with a Christian?
I don't know, but you better keep it away from your uterus.

But, I think I enjoyed even more his fisking of the Huffington Post's liberal writers (which would mean, most of them) in the aftermath of the London bombings- his "Huffpo Guide to Good and Evil":

"Seriously, I mean, how bad is terrorism, when you compare that to our country's indifference to the homeless? Or the way we avert our eyes from passive smoking? Or gas-guzzling SUVs?
What about peanuts on airplanes?
CHRIST! WHAT ABOUT THE PEANUTS?"

Hopefully, I can just use a direct link to Gutfeld's posts, so I can avoid wading through tripe.

Thanks Dorkafork for the heads-up on Gutfeld!

@ss

This, from Reuters:

Western foreign policy has fueled the Islamist radicalism behind the bomb attacks which killed more than 50 people in London, the British capital's mayor Ken Livingstone said on Wednesday.

That makes the assumption that Islamist radicalism is a rational entity. That, perhaps they have a point. That, killing babies and women, and strapping bombs onto disabled people is an "ok" thing. I wonder what this jerk thinks of Che?

New book

Mr. Darcy's Daughters, by Elizabeth Aston. Being a HUGE Austen fan, it was a no-brainer. I'll let you know what I think.

The Plame Game

Ok, I'm not really going to write about this. I'm just trying to get Steve to link me.

(actually, I can't believe people are still taking this stupid story seriously.)

Two Points

First, I think my mouth is finally staring to feel better. I can cancel plans to have my jaw removed.

Second, I finished the most recent Harry Potter about 20 minutes ago. I can now resume blogging, commenting, and caring for my children. It was entertaining, but I found the ending a letdown. We all know that series books are going to end in a way to induce the reader to read the next one -but the Harry Potter books are becoming increasingly unsatisfying with their endings.

I guess I should stick to Ayn Rand and quit my bellyaching?

Tagged

Gail tagged me over the weekend, but I was unable to play (pain combined with busy). So, trying to catch up here - and I have been thinking about this for a few days now.

Question: "What historical moments would I have liked to be present at?"

Well- that's a hard question. I mean, I wouldn't even know what decade to start with. Most pressing, though, would have to be ours. So, I would have to say, I would have liked to be present when Clinton was offered the opportunity to capture Osama bin Laden.

A tribute to dry socket

WHEN DOES THIS FARKING PAIN GO AWAY?

Sex and the terrorist

Interesting read,State of Jefferson: The Sexual Rage Behind Islamic Terror. Topic I hinted at in comments a few days ago, except I hadn't realized the extend of pederasty- if what the author writes is true- in the culture.

Come to think of it, I do hate intellegence leaks!

Our intelligence community is extremely important for the ongoing war on terror. Which is why I condone any entity that knowingly puts our covert operations at risk. That is why I must DENOUNCE the NY Times. Remember this? But, then perhaps you didn't hear about it, because it in no way could be used to harm the Bush administration. This was the "outing" of what was supposedly a civilian airline which actually was used in CIA operations. And ACTUAL covert operation.

Of course, it's not as if the New York Times revealed the name of a woman who worked desk duty, not covert work, for the CIA and had graced the pages of VAnity Fair (dressed like a Spy.) THAT, of course, woud have been really bad.

H/t Powerline

Where our terrorist sympathizers live

Reading Iraqi Blogs this morning (always illuminating) and I came across this from the Messopotamian:

Yesterday, the Arab T.V. network “Al Arabiya”, made a poll in one of its regular programs asking the question: “If you know of a terrorist, would you inform the authorities about him?”, and you know, the final results were about half and half. Nearly half of the voters said they would not. That means they sympathized with the terrorists. The votes were quite different depending on country. For instance, most voters from Iraq and Saudi Arabia said they would, whereas those from Syria (and Canada!!) overwhelmingly voted in the negative. A very frequent argument that was made by many callers, suggests that they would in their own country, but the Iraq situation was different and that it is somewhat O.K. to kill Iraqis, and commit all the other well known atrocities, in the name of resistance: Resistance against what? - A fairly elected government and International Forces that are requested by this government to assist it in resisting terrorism aiming at restoring despotism and genocide. Frequently when these Arabs are confronted with a particularly heinous and indefensible atrocity of the resistance, claim that it is the Americans or the Zionists etc. who are behind it for some far fetched reasons which they themselves cannot state with any coherence or conviction; despite the fact that these atrocities are often proudly proclaimed by the perpetrators without the slightest hint of denial.

Bolds are mine.

Den Beste

On why they hate us (I mentioned this article in comments)- of course you should read is all:

The Q'uran also tells them that their nations should be powerful and important, and there was a time when it was true. The golden age of the Islamic empire was glorious. It also ended 600 years ago, and these days the reality is that the only reason that Saudi Arabia isn't a terribly impoverished third world nation is that it's sitting on reserves of oil. But among the Islamic nations, the only ones who have managed to succeed at anything other than selling natural resources have been those which have adopted western ways, western technology, western attitudes. The more devoutly Islamic a nation is, the more it seems to be a failure in all other ways. To be devout should mean being strong, but it seems to make them weak. It's almost as if the Q'uran was wrong – but the Q'uran cannot be wrong; it's the word of God.

So we (you and I) are a living, walking, talking heresy. We're not even trying to spread our culture to the Islamic nations; it just happens on its own because, quite frankly, they are not very fun places to live. Irrespective of whether a devout Islamic life might be good for the soul, it's boring and unpleasant for the body and mind. The people there prefer our lifestyle; they eagerly seek it out. We seem to have no interest at all in their culture, however, except as an intellectual curiosity. There's zero chance of American women adopting the abaya, for example.
Indeed, it's our women who are the worst problem of all. They insist on being equal to men, and most of our men like it that way. They drive cars. They walk alone in the city. They go where they want, and they wear whatever they feel like. They show immorally large amounts of skin (i.e. their elbows and knees) and walk around with their heads uncovered. Many of them live alone, and have jobs and careers. They bear arms; they serve in our military; and many of them are officers and give orders to men. This is unholy; God tells the Islamic extremist that women must be subservient to men at all times.

Quick Note

This talk show wanker is even stupider than this gem. Ugh, I listened this morning, and she was debating economics (with a prof from Hillsdale college) - and her ignorance hurt my ears.

Karl Rove*

Let's keep talking about Karl Rove because there is nothing else happening, right?

A suicide car bomber has exploded his vehicle near US troops handing out sweets in Baghdad, killing at least 25 people and wounding at least 25 more.

In case you missed it, the Humvee was surrounded mostly by CHILDREN, yet the bastard idiot scum obviously had his eye on those 72 virgins. The evil Americans were handing out candy to the kids, in an obvious attempt to undermine their society by causing tooth decay. I'm sure it was a plot sprung from Karl Rove's head.

It's been Karl Rove all the time, since about five minuets after the London Bombing. Interrupted, occasionally, by Dennis. No time for stories such as this one (H/t- Michele, ASV):

AT least 22 schoolchildren have reportedly been shot dead in a brutal raid on a remote village in northeastern Kenya.

What are 22 schoolchildren compared to vilifying KARL ROVE? I mean, he outed Valarie Plame (after she had already been outed by her own husband, but that's beside the point.) The salivating reporters are digging in their heels and getting to teh bottom of this one, damnit.

Besides, smug comedians can't put together cute videos of Kenyan children lying dead. No, it's much more amusing to cut and paste together five minuets of reporters grilling the white house spokesman, editing out the answers, and leaving him with the hems and haws. THAT is intelligent comedy.

I should give them credit, though. They are pretty good at staying on target. Rove. Bush. When things gets sticky, Halliburton. I will leave you with the following quote, from a contributor to the Jawa Report:

Overwhelming evidence indicates that the Muslim religion has been hijacked by a cult of thugs who intentionally kill innocent civilians, many of them women and children. This fact alone should be enough to shake the typical believer's faith.
Terrorists are criminals, plain and simple, waging a war against civilization and humanity. They have no loyalties save deathly violence. The grievances espoused by the terrorists are a mix of pick-any-card complaints that are impossible to satisfy because their real objective is the annihilation of all populations who are not subservient and enslaved to their death-mongering. Terrorists cannot be appeased, nor can they be satisfied. They will continue killing indiscriminately until they are exterminated.
True followers of the Muslim faith need to wake up and not take it anymore. They and their children are being murdered by fanatics.

This is the only story worthy of media obsession. Not Natalie Halloway, not a hurricane, and not Karl Rove. And, it would be nice if -occasionally- one didn't have to dig through the internet to find stories such as the Kenyan one. I know reporters don't want to actually live and report from there - but, I think we can handle to hear news without one of those genius reports actually standing in front of a pile of bodies.

*Rant published without editing. My mouth hurts, and I'm pissed.

Tomato saga, vol 19874567387

Hopefully, this is the last installment of "The Tomato Diaries." But, I went out to water my tomatoes, and the fence was done, and two plants were missing. I strolled into over the fence, into the other yard and there were my plants- PLANTED- and the two containers tossed to the side. Master criminal, this girl is not. I started yelling to my husband, and then I noticed that there actually was someone in the yard. A "resident." I asked her to get me someone who supervises "Shannon" (AKA- The Tomato Thief.) I told her the whole story (she had some details herself - like telling me about the grand fried green tomato Shannon had cooked while I was gone -grrrr.) Anyway, The Tomato Thief won't be outside unaccompanied anymore, and they are going to get someone to fix my fence.

The home, apparently, is a group home. Not a large one, because it's just a regular house. Boy, I'm so happy the nice family who used to live there sold it to the state, or whoever.

A fascist by any other name

A fascist by any other name is still a fascist. That's why I found this so interesting :

The Left refuses to acknowledge Islamic fascism precisely because it comes from the left side of the political spectrum. The intellectual Left is so entirely focused on the possibility of fascism’s entry from the right that they refuse to see the comprehensive Islamist strategy for what it is. The thinking seems to be that if various Muslims support leftist political causes, then all is right with the Muslim world. Most people on the Left and the Right, still think that accommodation of at least some Muslim demands is necessary and appropriate. A lot of people buy into the notion that the enemy can be appeased -- by pulling our forces out of Iraq for example. They don’t understand that pulling out of Iraq in response to Islamist demands would only embolden them, not pacify them.

Why concentrate on actual fascists when you can call BUSHHITLER one? But, the article gets better:

The truth that we do not wish to face is that we cannot guarantee peace and freedom for the majority our citizens while playing host to a minority who value not peace and freedom but their opposites. Until we face this, we will continue to living in a war zone world, while the clamor for “peace” through gradual surrender will only grow. Barbarism cannot be fought with “hope and compassion,” not with love and understanding. Barbarism must be fought with will, with strength, and with war -- war and more war.

H/t: Knowledge is Power

Another pic

DSC00386
Originally uploaded by Carinroz.

You know that other picture I posted? The one next to the sign that said not to cross the fence? Well, here we are ... crossing the fence. It was a blast and I couldn't drag my hubby away. I think he's on his way back right now. Here is Erin, Ethan, and Hannah in the back. Under the falls is my nephew, husband, and my two other kids.

I'm back

DSC00347
Originally uploaded by Carinroz.

And, we had a GREAT time.

Is this blog on?

Why no it's not. At least not until Monday or so. I'm camping in the UP (of Michigan.) Hopefully I don't get carried away by a horde of black flies, or get blown off that bridge we have to cross.

My prayers go out to Great Britain.

Women all suck

Well, that's at least what Steve seems to think. We're all out to get their precious sperm and steal their money. Love and companionship? Apparently that isn't what we're after. It's just babies and big houses.

I won't deny that there are women like this. But, I can spot them a mile away (why can't you?) Men who end up with these women ask for it. I could warn you about them, but you probably wouldn't listen. Most likely they are gorgeous, or are great in bed. Until they screw you over, you are slave to your male ego and base hormonal urges. The good women usually aren't flashy, and their big boobs mights be hidden under a heavy sweater. Most likely, they won't go dirty dancing on you at a bar. Heck, chances are on a friday night, they're at a movie. Or a church function. They probably don't flirt well, which is why you don't notice them.

I don't have the answers. I'm just explaining why you can't find them.

Gonna be gone

I'm going camping for a few days. Can someone come over and water my tomatoes?

Disrespect

I think Jeff's doing some disrespecting . OMG, I think that's just too funny. Now, if only he'd tackle "represent."

No good deed will go unpunished

I swear, I have to move out of this city before I turn completely cynical. At the moment, I have moments of optimism for mankind, but give it time people, and those nuggets of good feeling I have will be a sad memory.

This isn't the first time something like this has happened to me, it's only the most recent. Yesterday, a neighbor (from WAY down the block) knocked on my door. She wanted a ride, basically around the corner, to a store. Ok, kinda weird- I didn't want to. I should have refused. But, I thought I'd be nice, and had forgotten the golden rule that entitles this post.

I drive her there, wait the parking lot, and then drop her off at her house. She obviously had gotten some sort of malt beverage, and it wouldn't be her first sip of the day if youknowwhatImean. I will mention, too - that just to be on the cautious side, I had left my purse at home. Just because. Figure it out.

Anyway, a few hours later, the same one knocks on my door, pretty damn drunk, and claiming that she lost (the story varied) her 1) purse, 2) her social security cards, and (most importantly) 3) $40. Well, Ok ... let's go look in the car, you should be happy to know that it's been locked since I got home, and it's alarmed, so if it was in there, it would have been safe. Guess what? It wasn't there (but you knew that, didn't you.) This is where it gets ugly, because apparently this is now MY problem. She HAD $40 in there, and now it's gone, and what am I going to do about it? It finally got to the point where she needed to speak to my husband. He didn't give her satisfaction, and she walked off saying that we would hear from her lawyer.

I don't know if she honestly lost money somewhere (not that it would be my problem), or if it was a "scam" from the start - but I'm feeling very black thoughts about our fellow man. My mind goes off on tangents regarding welfare, and socialism and why I should have a gun.

Coneflowers!

DSC00325
Originally uploaded by Carinroz.

Just today. Only one is open as of yet.

Getting bigger

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Originally uploaded by Carinroz.

I can regularly find two in the garden; hopefully the are more still there! They are such cute little things.

Kwame

Went searching this morning about my city's "Hip-Hop" mayor. From an article before he was elected:

He points to the cement factories on the river bank and says he will move them “within 18 months” of his administration. “They’ve got to go. They’re stopping real development from happening down here.”

*************
One of the key issues in this election is the Detroit school system. And only one of the candidates has small children, raising a key question for Kilpatrick: Will he send his kids to public schools here?

“Hopefully, we will,” says the candidate.

“I’m hopeful that there are some Detroit public schools that can teach my kids what they need to know to compete in the new world economy,” Kilpatrick says. “We’re going to weigh that decision very carefully. But my kids aren’t experiments. They won’t go to public school just to say they go there.”

I later asked him how he could expect people to move into Detroit — another hallmark of his campaign — if he isn’t sure he can send his kids to the public schools? He says, first of all, Detroit should attract all kinds of new residents including “empty nesters,” young professionals and other childless folks. And furthermore, “I would love for my kids to go to Detroit public schools. But we are going to look at all the options,” including private and charter schools. Currently, his kids go to kindergarten at the same private day care they’ve attended since they were 2

Cement factories are still there, and to the best of my knowledge, the mayor's kids do NOT attend Detroit school. AFter all ... they aren't an "experiment."