"It's Independence Daaaaaay..." (that was me singing)

Just for fun, here's some etiquette regarding our glorious flag. You know you're excited!! Hope everyone had a great 4th of July.  I'm sure I 'll get about 3 hours of sleep tonight since my neighbors like to shoot off fireworks at all hours of the night/morning. I had to work today (of course), but we had an awesome potluck. We even made hot dogs on a George Foreman grill in the staff lounge (shhhhh...not exactly "legal")! 

Via USflag.org:

The Flag Code, which formalizes and unifies the traditional ways in which we give respect to the flag, also contains specific instructions on how the flag is not to be used. They are:

• The flag should never be dipped to any person or thing. It is flown upside down only as a distress signal.
• The flag should not be used as a drapery, or for covering a speakers desk, draping a platform, or for any decoration in general. Bunting of blue, white and red stripes is available for these purposes. The blue stripe of the bunting should be on the top.
• The flag should never be used for any advertising purpose. It should not be embroidered, printed or otherwise impressed on such articles as cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins, boxes, or anything intended to be discarded after temporary use. Advertising signs should not be attached to the staff or halyard
• The flag should not be used as part of a costume or athletic uniform, except that a flag patch may be used on the uniform of military personnel, fireman, policeman and members of patriotic organizations.
• The flag should never have placed on it, or attached to it, any mark, insignia, letter, word, number, figure, or drawing of any kind.
• The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.

When the flag is lowered, no part of it should touch the ground or any other object; it should be received by waiting hands and arms. To store the flag it should be folded neatly and ceremoniously.

The flag should be cleaned and mended when necessary.

When a flag is so worn it is no longer fit to serve as a symbol of our country, it should be destroyed by burning in a dignified manner.

I'm alive! Time for an obligatory celeb death post.

Just thought I'd check in. I haven't posted in a while because I'm working full time and taking a summer school class. Soooo, that doesn't leave a whole lotta time to post on my beloved blog. Anyway, not a ton going on here. I'm supposed to be studying for a mid-term right now, but that's no fun. 

I'm sure you've all heard by now that MJ (that would be Michael Jackson, not Michael Jordan) died. If this is news to you, you need to emerge from your cave more often. I'm sure even Osama bin Laden has heard about it (and heartbroken, no doubt). I was actually at work when he was brought in. It was pretty crazy outside. One of my patients had a great view of the front of the hospital where all the action was. Tons of fans chanting Michael's name, lots of news crews (including E!, of course). Totally bizarre. I thought I was never gonna get home that night, but they had transported him to the coroner's office before I left, so no problems. At that moment, I wasn't really upset about it given his sordid personal life. But the next day, I was actually kinda bummed. His music was part of my chilhood and you can't really erase that.  I'm still compelled to sing along when one of his songs plays on the radio (well, most of them- before the Dangerous album). You gotta admit, the man had talent and I still think "Thriller" was one of the best videos ever made. 

If you're on MJ overload, sorry to push you over the edge. Just something I had to get off my chest. There's a picture somewhere of my sis and I in the backseat of the family car and Heather was reading a magazine with the Gloved One on the cover. Awesome! I'll have to find it and post it. Unless I look bad in it. In that case, you'll just have to use your imagination. 

Hopefully, it will be DOA to the House floor.

Here's an excerpt from a great article by Ed Morrisey: 

And that in itself is remarkable, considering the second dirty little secret of a public plan. While Sebelius and the White House disdain and completely misunderstand the private market, the private market in fact subsidizes the already-existing public plans of Medicare and Medicaid. A correspondent from within a major insurer explained to me exactly how that works:

At a recent leadership meeting, our CEO mentioned that the providers are very nervous about the government program expanding. Currently, the government dictates to a provider how much they will be reimbursed for a given procedure. That reimbursement does not cover the actual cost, which leaves the provider to spread the remaining portion of the cost to the rest of the people who have insurance.

If the government program were to expand, the number of privately insured people to absorb that extra cost would shrink, driving up the cost of insurance for everybody else. Eventually, two things would happen.... First, nobody could afford the non-government program, and secondly (and this is what the providers are truly afraid of), providers would not be able to cover their costs. This would drive them to bankruptcy. We would then either be in a position where there are no health care providers, or the government would have to nationalize them as well.

I really hope the American public wakes up soon and puts pressure on Congress to abandon this disaster of a plan. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. 

Iranians are fighting back

Without modern technology, we probably wouldn't have a clue about what was going on in Iran. I'm so glad the Iranian people are finally standing up against tyranny. It's been a long time coming and I hope it ends well. It would be helpful if our President would take a stronger stance against the violence being perpetrated by the regime against the protestors and issue our support for the people's cause. 

Obama the comedian

"I think the irony … is that I actually would like to see a relatively light touch when it comes to the government," he said Tuesday in a White House interview.

Unfortunately, he wasn't kidding. Is this guy delusional or what? I don't care which President preceded him, Obama never saw a government program he didn't like. Who does he think believes this BS? 

Welcome to L.A., Conan!

Some advice: Neutrogena makes a SPF 100 sunblock. I should know. 

I've always loved Conan, so I hope he's a big success on The Tonight Show and kicks Letterman's ass in the ratings. 

Beer is better for you than water?

This makes me want to exercise waaaaay more. 

Unemployment stiiiiill climbing

Climbed to 9.4% in May, up from 8.9% the previous month. Ouch. The above graph was created by the Obama administration to show the projected unemployment numbers with the stimulus package (dk blue) and without the stimulus (lt blue). Those pesky red dots represent REAL unemployment values. Uh oh. 

I don't even need to read/watch the news to know the economy is struggling. The hospital I work for has initiated a hiring freeze. When even nurses can't find work, you know there's trouble in River City. I'm definitely grateful for my paycheck now!  

H/T: Innocent Bystanders for the graph.

Yep.

You should have been allowed to fail, but the government just couldn't keep it's sticky fingers out of it.

Winner of D-Bag of the Year

Pardon my french, but Kanye West just brings out the worst in me. Mr. self-proclaimed "voice of this generation" is basically telling our impressionable youth (his fans) that he's a "proud non-reader of books", but wants them to buy his lame book of "Kanye-isms".  Huh? The funny thing is that it's only 52 pages and he wrote it with someone! And his late mother was a university English prof? She must be so proud (hey, at least he dedicated it to her).

Portion of Reuters article: 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Rapper Kanye West does not read books or respect them but nevertheless he has written one that he would like you to buy and read.

"This is a collection of thoughts and theories," West, 31, said in an interview about his spiral-bound volume, which was written with J. Sakiya Sandifer.

West said he put his thoughts in a book because "I get paraphrased and misquoted all the time." He calls his wisdom "Kanye-isms."

"My favorite one is 'Get used to being used,'" he said.

"I feel like to misuse, overuse or abuse someone is negative. To use is necessary and if you can't be used, then you are useless."

So does he fancy himself a modern-day Confucius?

"I'm trying to end the confusion," he said, laughing and adding, "I'm gonna put that on the next album."

"Sometimes people write novels and they just be so wordy and so self-absorbed," West said. "I am not a fan of books. I would never want a book's autograph.

"I am a proud non-reader of books. I like to get information from doing stuff like actually talking to people and living real life," he said.

West, a college dropout, said being a non-reader was helpful when he wrote his book because it gave him "a childlike purity."

Great, so I'm supposed to fork over 8 bucks for something a kindergartner could write? Yeeeeah, I'm gonna go with a no on that. Actually, if he writes the way he talks, I think a 5 year old would be more intelligible. Thanks for sharing your supreme knowledge, Kanye, but I think I'll stick to books written by grown-ups.                                                                                                   

Cornelius Timberlake comes to America

Even if you don't like Justin's music, you must admit he's pretty funny when he visits SNL. Admit it, dammit! :)

 

"President Obama, you're an amateur." -Dick Cheney

OK, maybe he didn't use those exact words. But he was thinking them (and a whole lot worse). 

The speech Cheney made today was awesome. Granted, the angels didn't descend from the heavens while he spoke (as they tend to do when The One is orating), but his words had something Obama's lacked: substance. 

You should read the whole transcript. It's worth your time. Here's one of the many highlights:

Even before the interrogation program began, and throughout its operation, it was closely reviewed to ensure that every method used was in full compliance with the Constitution, statutes, and treaty obligations. On numerous occasions, leading members of Congress, including the current speaker of the House, were briefed on the program and on the methods.

Yet for all these exacting efforts to do a hard and necessary job and to do it right, we hear from some quarters nothing but feigned outrage based on a false narrative. In my long experience in Washington, few matters have inspired so much contrived indignation and phony moralizing as the interrogation methods applied to a few captured terrorists.

I might add that people who consistently distort the truth in this way are in no position to lecture anyone about “values.” Intelligence officers of the United States were not trying to rough up some terrorists simply to avenge the dead of 9/11. We know the difference in this country between justice and vengeance. Intelligence officers were not trying to get terrorists to confess to past killings; they were trying to prevent future killings. From the beginning of the program, there was only one focused and all-important purpose. We sought, and we in fact obtained, specific information on terrorist plans.

Those are the basic facts on enhanced interrogations. And to call this a program of torture is to libel the dedicated professionals who have saved American lives, and to cast terrorists and murderers as innocent victims. What’s more, to completely rule out enhanced interrogation methods in the future is unwise in the extreme. It is recklessness cloaked in righteousness, and would make the American people less safe.

No matter what you think of the Bush administration, you can't deny the fact it kept this country safe for 7 1/2 years. That was not luck. As much as Obama would love to believe Bush was and is responsible for all the ills of the world, he should at least acknowledge that Bush's policies prevented another 9/11-like attack. If he wants to de-classify information pertaining to "torture", he should uncover it ALL. What are you afraid of, Mr. President? I thought you were the champion of transparency. I guess it only applies to information that will support your own agenda. How silly of me. 

Do you feel all hopey/changey yet?   

I'm getting thiiiiirsty!

I actually can't recall ever drinking white sangria, but it looks pretty darn tasty. As an added bonus, you also get your daily serving of fruit. Healthy and refreshing! Sign me up. 

If you have trouble seeing the recipe, go to the WS website. 

Choose the ripest fruits you can find. Feel free to use one or any combination of the fruits listed below (you will need a total of 3 to 4 cups sliced, pitted fruit). If you’d like, top each glass off with sparkling wine or soda water to create a refreshing beverage that’s just right for a hot summer’s day.

Ingredients:

• Ice cubes as needed
• 4 cups dry white wine
• 1/4 cup amaretto liqueur or apricot or peach 
    brandy
• 2 Tbs. sugar
• 1 ripe peach, pitted and sliced
• 1 ripe nectarine, pitted and sliced
• 1 ripe apricot, pitted and sliced
• 1 cup pitted and sliced cherries

Directions:

Fill a large pitcher two-thirds full with ice cubes. Add the wine, liqueur and sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the peach, nectarine, apricot and cherries and stir to mix. Pour into chilled ice-filled glasses and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6.

Nancy P. of the West gets a bit wet...

...with some unfortunate results.

She would probably be happy to be waterboarded if it meant this

nightmare she's created for herself would go away.

Happy Mother's Day!

Hope all the moms out there had a fab one. Unfortunately, my poor mom had to celebrate sans kids this year since Heather is "out of town" and I had to work. Sorry, mommy!! I'm glad you had a nice day with Dad. Love ya lots!  

Now it's time for something kinda disturbing...

OK, I'm a nurse and all, but I really don't feel the need to see anatomical pictorials on my food. You can talk endlessly about disgusting things while I'm chowing down, but don't put them on my plate.  Not that human anatomy is disgusting, but it is when it's made of fondant (or whatever that reproductive system is made of). And what's with the black background? Is that the body cavity? I guess it is pretty dark in there. 

Thanks to Cake Wrecks. Love that site! 

Mmmm...jerky cards.

I'm guessing these wouldn't be too popular among the folks in the PeTA organization. I would love to see their faces when handed one. You want my card? Are you suuuure?

Apologies to my veggie friends. :)

What the hell?

Via NRO:

Why on earth did President Obama ask Timothy Geithner to talk about tax cheats during his overseas tax-plan announcement yesterday? I received a ton of e-mails and comments from folks totally baffled by all of this. I have no idea why Obama did this.

Here’s an excerpt from Mr. Geithner’s remarks:

Today we are taking another important step toward those goals by ending indefensible tax breaks and loopholes which allow some companies and some well-off citizens to evade the rules that the rest of America lives by.

Huh? Let’s take a look back at Geithner’s “non-answer” answer to a simple question posed by Sen. Jim Bunning during Geithner’s confirmation hearing.

SEN. BUNNING: Would you have paid your 2001 and 2002 tax had you not been nominated to be the treasury secretary?

GEITHNER: Senator, as I said initially, I should have asked more questions when I concluded that audit at the time, and I didn’t. When I think back on that, I regret not having done that. But I should have done it at that point.

Hmm. Incidentally, it’s worth remembering that Geithner was working at the IMF when he dodged his taxes. The IMF itself is a tax haven. The income is tax-free. All you’ve got to do is pay your payroll taxes, which is precisely what he failed to do until he was nominated back in December.

Clearly, Timothy Geithner is not the guy to be talking about tax evasion. All this did was remind people that our current Treasury secretary — the individual charged with overseeing the IRS — was guilty of a multi-year delay in paying his taxes...

I don't know who's more brain dead. Obama for allowing Geithner to make the speech or Geithner for agreeing to it? I still can't believe Tim Geithner is our Treasury secretary. If you owe the government one cent in unpaid taxes, you should be disqualified from being considered for that position. You're in charge of the IRS, for God's sake!!! AAAARRRGGGHHHHH!!! (Apologies for my Garfield-like freak out.)

To President Obama: "Why, sir, why?"

You really need to see this. 

H/T: The Corner

Stupid doesn't even begin to describe it.

Air Force One photo-op scares the living daylights of out New Yorkers. 

Wanna join the circus?

Or just go flying on a trapeze? They have classes at the Santa Monica Pier! Doesn't it look fun/scary?? I might have to check it out. I don't think I'm afraid of heights. I don't think...

Liars, Liars, Pants on Fire

Excerpt from an article in The Washington Post, written by former CIA director Porter Goss:

Today, I am slack-jawed to read that members claim to have not understood that the techniques on which they were briefed were to actually be employed; or that specific techniques such as "waterboarding" were never mentioned. It must be hard for most Americans of common sense to imagine how a member of Congress can forget being told about the interrogations of Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed. In that case, though, perhaps it is not amnesia but political expedience.

Let me be clear. It is my recollection that:

-- The chairs and the ranking minority members of the House and Senate intelligence committees, known as the Gang of Four, were briefed that the CIA was holding and interrogating high-value terrorists.

-- We understood what the CIA was doing.

-- We gave the CIA our bipartisan support.

-- We gave the CIA funding to carry out its activities.

-- On a bipartisan basis, we asked if the CIA needed more support from Congress to carry out its mission against al-Qaeda.

I do not recall a single objection from my colleagues. They did not vote to stop authorizing CIA funding. And for those who now reveal filed "memorandums for the record" suggesting concern, real concern should have been expressed immediately -- to the committee chairs, the briefers, the House speaker or minority leader, the CIA director or the president's national security adviser -- and not quietly filed away in case the day came when the political winds shifted. And shifted they have.

What?? Nancy P. and all of her ilk are FOS? I'm shocked.

"Torture" isn't ideal...

...but we don't live in an ideal world and losing more lives on U.S. soil is unacceptable. Waterboarding is a cakewalk compared to what these monsters did to our fellow citizens. Last time I checked, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is still alive. Since he welcomes death (for the glory of martyrdom), I hope he rots in prison for as long as humanly possible. 

Yeeeah...not so much.

Whoever makes this argument has never lived without AC in Southern CA sans beachfront property.

Must see TV

If you haven't seen this by now, you have to check it out. Amazing! Granted, she needs some major help in the hair and makeup dept, but who doesn't?  

Objective reporting. Uh, how's that go again?

Update: It seems CNN decided they didn't want people to see this video and made YouTube pull it. Luckily, someone grabbed it before CNN flexed their copyright muscle and sent it to Founding Bloggers. We'll see how long it lasts. Thanks to mom for letting me know. 

Field reporters are supposed to relay the facts, not promote their own obvious agenda. Susan Roesgen should be fired. But, instead, she'll probably have her own show by the end of the week. Hmmm...I wonder why Fox kicks CNN's butt in the ratings? That evil Rupert Murdoch must be transmitting subliminal messages. Only conservatives would be so brain-dead as to fall under his spell. Duuuhhhh.

H/T: AOS  

Easter blessing

Captain Phillips is safe! Thank God for the Navy SEALs and all who were involved in bringing this horrible situation to an end. 

Happy Easter, everyone! Unfortunately, I had to work. But it was still a pretty good day overall. Hope you didn't get sick on all those Peeps and Cadbury eggs (bleah!). 

I think I'm gonna hurl.

Breakfast Cake

Two layers of egg, sausage, bacon, cheese quiche with country gravy in between, topped with gravy icing garnished with bacon bits. 

This picture is from the aptly titled blog, This is why you're fat. Seriously, you should give the ER a heads up before serving this at your next brunch. I can feel my arteries clogging just looking at it. 

Potty-mouthed Prez

OK, so it's not a secretly taped tirade. But it is definitely his voice. It's the audio version of his book Dreams From My Father. He's quoting a former classmate. Let's just say it's pretty obvious these words are not foreign to him. 

I know we've all said many of these words (except n****r) frequently, but it's pretty funny to hear the POTUS saying them.

Why didn't anyone tell me about this before? I guess I should have read the book. Or not. I'm pretty sure that was the best part. Kinda like putting all the greatest scenes of a movie in the commercial. Why waste $10?

Gee, I'm a sucker.

The IRS employees don't even pay taxes. At least this one doesn't. I don't think he can blame Turbo Tax for this. 

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) - An Internal Revenue Service agent who audits taxpayers in California has agreed to plead guilty to cheating on his own taxes.

In a plea agreement filed Monday in Orange County, 43-year-old Jim H. Liu (LOO) of Diamond Bar admitted that he filed a tax return claiming a loss on a real estate transaction when he in fact saw a large profit.

He pleaded guilty to one federal count of subscribing to a false tax return, a charge that carries a penalty of up to three years in prison.

According to the plea agreement, Liu sold a property in Pomona in 2002 for a profit of more than $48,000, but reported a loss of $4,200 on his taxes.

The tax loss to the government was more than $14,000.

My car is going to hell.

Apparently, it's eeeevil. In California, that is. 

Don't mess with Texas!

Jack and Caroline loooove the guest bed.

The girls at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

I'm back from my vacay in TX. It was great to spend the week with the fam! We had really great weather (other than the gloom and humid rain on the last day). I arrived later than expected on Wednesday due to a flight delay and I was surprised to see the kids at the airport past their bedtime. It was so nice to see their little smiling faces after a long day. The next day, Heather and I drove to San Antonio (about a 2 hr drive) so Heather could get her hair done by a friend who used to be her stylist in CA. We agreed it was worth the effort since she only gets her hair done a couple times/yr anyway. Hmmm...that sounds familiar. Friday we relaxed, went shopping, and had dinner at Chuy's (yummy) with Martta. Unfortunately, Martta got a bad stomach virus and was in bad shape for the rest of the weekend. Hope you're back to 100%, Mar! On Saturday, I FINALLY got to go to the Wildflower Center. I've been wanting to go since they moved there, but it was always the wrong time of year. It was still a little soon for a crazy bloomtastic experience, but there was still some lovely flowers to see (especially the blue bonnets). That night, Jim was nice enough to watch the kiddos while H and I went to downtown Austin to check out SXSW. We saw a couple bands, had a couple free drinks, ate dinner and went home. It was so fun! Next year, we'll know what to expect and go earlier in the day to take advantage of all the free shows (oh yeah, and drinks). On Sunday, we were planning to go to the Austin Fair/Rodeo, but opted to stay home and relax instead. I volunteered to watch the kiddies at night so Jim and Heather could have a much needed evening out. The kids behaved themselves very well and we had fun making choc chip cookies. Caroline made me work for my money (hey, wait a sec...I forgot to collect!) towards the end with her sleep issues, but the house was quiet when the parents returned! Monday and Tuesday were pretty much spent hanging out (Jack was back in school after spring break), shopping, eating, and then back to the airport for me! 

Love y'all! Hope to see you before summer! 

I love British politics!

This is actually a clip from a meeting at the European Parliament, not the British Parliament. But the speaker, Dan Hannan, is a British member of the EP and he's giving PM Gordon Brown a swift kick in the you-know-what. If you've ever seen a session of Parliament, you know the Brits don't hold back. Can you imagine if Congress (or maybe the press) gave it to Obama this way? I would definitely tune in for that. 

 

Funny of the day

Either made by an ESL student or Yoda. Your guess is as good as mine. 

Via Cake Wrecks.

Happy St. Patty's!

Go get a shamrock shake (if you can find one)! Inexplicably, not every McD's serves them. Whaaaat?? It's true. It seems it's too much trouble to put a couple drops of mint flavor and green food coloring into a vanilla shake. How rude. But, you can search here to see if there is a shamrock shake retailer near you. 

If you're not lucky enough to find an S.S. within driving distance, you can always drown your sorrows in a green beer. That shouldn't be too hard to find. 

Slainte!

New Deal redux? No thanks.

Turns out FDR wasn't an economic savior after all.

Two UCLA economists say they have figured out why the Great Depression dragged on for almost 15 years, and they blame a suspect previously thought to be beyond reproach: President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

After scrutinizing Roosevelt's record for four years, Harold L. Cole and Lee E. Ohanian conclude in a new study that New Deal policies signed into law 71 years ago thwarted economic recovery for seven long years...

"The fact that the Depression dragged on for years convinced generations of economists and policy-makers that capitalism could not be trusted to recover from depressions and that significant government intervention was required to achieve good outcomes," Cole said. "Ironically, our work shows that the recovery would have been very rapid had the government not intervened."

How does the famous FDR saying go? "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself"? Hmmm...I can think of something else that makes me a little nervous. 

U.N. = Ungrateful Nitwits

And that's putting it mildly.

Via Brietbart.com:

WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House objected Thursday to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's description of the United States as a "deadbeat" donor to the world body.

Ban used the phrase Wednesday during a private meeting with lawmakers at the Capitol, one day after he met with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Ban's "word choice was unfortunate," given that the U.S. is the largest contributor to the United Nations.

The United States pays 22 percent of the organization's nearly $5 billion operating budget but is perennially late paying its dues.

Asked whether Ban should retract his comment, Gibbs said some recognition by Ban of the U.S. role would be appropriate.

"I think given the contribution that the American taxpayer makes, I do think it would be appropriate to acknowledge that role," Gibbs told reporters at his daily briefing.

Ban, apparently concerned about his choice of words, issued a statement late Wednesday saying the U.S. "generously supports the work of the U.N., both in assessed and voluntary contributions." Ban also said he enjoys "an excellent working relationship with the United States and appreciates the many ways that it supports the United Nations." 

Again, I ask, why do we bother? Our economy is in the tank. I have an idea where we could save a little money and gain some self-respect. Leave these bastards to fend for themselves and see how they fare. 

Seriously?

I think all members of the Obama administration need to take lessons on gift giving etiquette. They've already made asses of themselves with Britain and Russia. I can't wait to see what they give Iran upon their first meeting. Get ready to duck and cover.   

For the love of God (and country), ask for a consultation with Peggy Post already! 

Update: Niiiice. Unbelievable.  

The [U.S.] official dismissed any notion of the special relationship [between the U.S. and U.K.], saying: "There's nothing special about Britain. You're just the same as the other 190 countries in the world. You shouldn't expect special treatment." The apparent lack of attention to detail by the Obama administration is indicative of what many believe to be Mr Obama's determination to do too much too quickly.

Heh.

Global warming protestors weather the snow at the Capitol. 

Brrr...

Where's the stimulus money going?

Check out the projects in your state that are vying for your dollars. You can even vote on how critical you think they are (not many). Anyone a fan of the Solar LA Program? It'll only cost you $2,160,000,000. What a steal!


H/T: mom

Fish pedicure, anyone?

Ewww.

Me encanta!

OK, I know I'm probably one of the last people on Earth to see this, but now I have and I loved it! I guess you really can't go wrong with a Romeo and Juliet theme. Since I adore musicals, I'm surprised I haven't watched it before. I didn't realize how many well-known songs were in it ("America", "Somewhere", "Tonight"). I'll definitely be buying this soundtrack. As I was watching it, I thought how similar Natalie Wood's voice was to the singing voice of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. Well, whatta ya know, I'm a genius! Uh, yeah. But I do have a pretty good ear because I was right. Marni Nixon was the dubbed voice in both. I wish I could sing like that! 

Go watch it...again or for the first time! And don't worry, you'll get used to seeing gang members dancing (but it will make you giggle at first). 

On this day in history...

On February 19, 1945, the US Marine Corp arrived on Iwo Jima to fight in one of the worst battles in modern history. The only reason I know this is because I just read the above book. I'm embarrassed to admit that I knew very little (or nothing) about this famous event in our country's past. The burden we placed on these boys (yes, boys-many were teens) was immense, but they fought courageously under horrific conditions. 

I won't ramble on about the book. However, I will tell you the first thing I learned while reading it was that 3 of the 6 flagraisers were killed after the historic event. I had always thought the conflict was over when the flag was raised, but it occurred only 4 days after the Marines landed. The battle for Iwo Jima lasted over a month. 

I strongly recommend Flags of our Fathers, written by James Bradley (son of a flagraiser). It is a fascinating story about the six men who became heroes to the American public after the iconic Joe Rosenthal picture was published in every newspaper in the country. The most amazing part of the book was that despite the astounding bravery the Marines and Corpsman exhibited during the great battle, they never thought of themselves as such. Time after time, when asked why they risked their lives even after incurring terrible injuries, they would say they were just "looking out for their buddies".  

If it's possible, I now have an even greater respect for those who put their lives in danger for our country.

 

P.S. No, I haven't seen the Clint Eastwood movie, but I intend to. 

"Oh my God! Go. Away."

That is what I yelled at my computer screen as I read this:

WASHINGTON (AFP) — General Motors and Chrysler went hat-in-hand to the US government Tuesday, calling for billions more in loans to stave off bankruptcy and win extra time to undergo painful restructuring.

Both companies met Tuesday's deadline to present plans to the US Treasury to convince government overseers of their long-term viability, one of the conditions of a 17.4-billion-dollar government bailout.

But in grim news they warned they both would need billions more in US government funding if they are to stay afloat, and would have to shed tens of thousands of jobs worldwide as well as cut unpopular lines.

General Motors said it could require a further 16.6 billion dollars to bring its total in US government aid by 2011 to 30 billion dollars, and said it would cut 47,000 jobs around the globe in 2009.

Let them FAIL!! That's how business works. If you don't sell your product at a profit, you FAIL. 

Once again, I say to the Big 3 (and to the UAW): Go. Away. Stay away from my paycheck. Earn your own.