Trick Or Treat!

Today as most people know is Halloween. This "holiday" is a lot of fun. But its also steeped in tradition. It goes back thousands of years and was originally a pagan celebration. It then evolved to what it is today. What I like about this time of year are the ghost stories and all that stuff. I love being scared like that; a fun scared.

Where I live, there are a lot of ghost stories that float around. The more famous one deals with Edgar Allan Poe and the man that puts a bottle of cognac on his grave every year. They still don't know who's behind it but they caught him on tape but couldn't quite make out who he was. There has been speculation that the person is a distant relative or just an admirer. I'd rather them not find out. Closer to where I live, there is a rock formation called the King and Queens seat. Supposedly, it was a throne for the cheif of a tribe that resided in the area. There is a legend that goes along with it dealing with love and death as all good ghost stories do.Of course like most states, there are tons of ghost stories that circulate throughout the years.


I like watching certain scary movies; some that are downright cheesy. There was this one horror movie by Peter Jackson called Bad Taste. It is probably one of the worst movies ever made but you can't deny that it was entertaining. It was so bad it was good; exploding sheep, aliens, and all. I won't say what they drank in the movie but let me say it was pretty gross. Of course I was exposed to this via Mark. He watched some of the weirdest movies I've ever heard of. He was fond of the B rated horror movie. I still haven't seen Microwave Massacre. (thats not by Peter Jackson; not to my knowledge anyway) I'm sure the next time I see him it is entirely possible that he'll own that...After all he has Bad Taste. I don't know how he found that movie but leave it to Mark to find something like that.

It's just a fun time of year. A time where everyone feels like a kid again. I can remember some of my favorite costumes when I was a kid. My mom was really good at making those for us. She made a lot of them herself. She made my sister Mickey Mouse one year and the next year used the leftover material to make my other sister a spider equipped with moving legs and all. I wish I was half as inventive as she was with our costumes. Maybe if and when I have kids, I'll be a little more creative when it comes to stuff like that. I love seeing the different costumes but I think it adds to it when the costume is made and not bought. Not that there is anything wrong with buying costumes....some people don't have the time or energy or whatever to do that. Its just a personal opinion not meant to offend anyone.

Since we don't get trick-or-treaters in my neighborhood because its too rural, I'm going to Maggie's dads house. Its become sort of tradition. The kids are just way too cute for their own good. Her dad used to go all out for Halloween but in recent years hasn't had the time, fund, etc to do so. When we lived in the city, we used to go all out too. It was like a neighborhood thing. The man across the street, Mr. Bill, had this dummy in a coffin that when you hit a button would pop up and scare the crap out of who ever was looking at it. They used to make "brains" and "intestines" which was all jello and stuff like that. He just had a great time scaring the kids and the kids, myself included, loved being scared. Even though we knew what was going to happen, we still got scared when he did it. You just never knew when he was going to flip the switch.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween. :)

"Hotel Rwanda"

I'm up late tonight watching a couple movies that I've been meaning to watch. I just finished "Hotel Rwanda"; it's probably one of the most powerful films I've seen in a long time. It tells the story of Paul Rusesabagina and what happened during the genocide that took place in Rwanda in 1994.

When I read about it I thought it would be interesting to watch since I like to learn about world events and I really don't remember hearing about this when I was younger. I remember hearing about Somalia but not this. If ever there was a time to intervene in something, this would have been it. It was so sad what those people went through and no one would help them. I don't know if I could sleep knowing that I could have done something to help all those people but chose not to because their careers were more important. I know thats the idealist rearing its head but I can't help it. There is absolutely no reason that anyone should have to see and experience the things these people did. I was taken aback by the images I saw and I know that I only saw a dramatization of it. I don't think I could stomach seeing the real thing.

I think a lot of time people in this country, myself included, have become desensitized to things. There was a great scene in the film where Joaquin Phoenix is filming whats going on and he said something to the effect that people will see it but go back to eating their dinners. I couldn't help but chuckle a little there because it's so true. How many of us are sitting there watching the news saying to ourselves Wow why is this happening and then we turn the channel to our favorite show?

It got me to thinking more about the situation going on in Darfur, Sudan. I haven't heard anything about it lately and I know it can't be over. More things need to be done to prevent things like this from happening. I know we really shouldn't stick out noses in other peoples business' but when it comes to mass genocide, how can we turn our backs on the people that are counting on us.

Anyway....sorry this movie had a really powerful effect on me. I hope others will watch it and realize that there are things that are going on in this world beyond "our world". People are suffering, dying and it seems like no one is willing to help. I'm not getting preachy and telling people that they should be doing something when I'm not either but I want to do something for them. I think that once a person sees stuff like this that they are motivated to help and if thats what this movie does, then the movie has done something great.

Friday

I'm so glad its Friday. It seemed like this week was never going to end. I just want to get out of here and head home. I'm sure traffic is going to be a mess but with any luck, we'll get through it and get home relatively soon. I finally put a couple of my cds on my iPod. I put The Killers, The Doors, and Alice in Chains on there. I'll have to rifle through my cd book and put some more on there but it was a start. I've been meaning to do that for ages but kept on forgetting. I also burned a cd for Maggie. I'm sure she'll appreciate it.

I gotta hit the library this weekend but other than that I think I'll be home. A nice relaxing weekend at home. Not worrying about going anywhere and being on time. So looking forward to it. I have a couple things to do at home of course too but thats alright with me. The sooner I catch up on everything the better. The weather is supposed to be nice this weekend too. I hope it gets a little warmer. The past couple mornings have been cold. There was a frost warning in effect last night and the night before and Garrett County got a ft of snow. I know its in the mountains but still thats a lot for them this time of year. I hope this isn't an indication of the winter we're going to have. Sunday I'm going to dad's for his birthday. It was yesterday but I thought that since I couldn't get down there yesterday that I could get down there this weekend. Amanda shouldn't have any excuse then for not going with me. I think I told her that we were going to go down so Claude better not make her stay home.

Well, thats all for now. A little under a half hour and I can get out of here. I can't wait!

Movie Time

I don't care what anyone says and they can make fun of me all they want but I really liked "The Notebook". I thought it was one of the best movies I've seen lately. I know its been out for a while but I never got around to watching it. I thought it was going to be really cheesy and all that stuff but it wasn't. Ryan Gosling was fantastic in it. I liked him in "murder By Numbers" but aside from that I can't remember anything else he's been in. But he was really really good in it. I hope to see him in more things. Let me just say that James Garner is great too. I'm not too familiar with any of his older movies but I liked him in this one too. He was so sweet. I was in tears by the end. You have to not have a heart if you weren't. It was just heartbreaking but at the same time you couldn't help but feel good. Its a weird thing I don't know how to explain it. I might have to hit the library and read the book. I bet its a lot better than the movie. Thats usually how it goes though. I'm a total girl when it comes to movies like that though. (I mean I am a girl but I'm the stereotypical girl; you know what I mean)

The other movie that I saw recently that I really liked was "Batman Begins". I've been a Christian Bale fan ever since I saw him in "Little Women". This is just my opinion, but I think he's the best Batman since Michael Keaton. I mean the Val Kilmer and George Clooney were good but not great. I like them both in other movies just not as Batman. I can remember seeing the first "Batman" in the movies and being totally blown away. Hard to believe that was the same guy who played Beetlejuice.

I still have a couple movies I have to watch; both came out a while ago but thats ok with me. "The Sum of All Fears" I've heard was really good and I'm sure "Hotel Rwanda" is excellent. I love Don Cheadle. A while back, TV Land had a Night Court marathon and Don Cheadle was on it. But I really became a fan of his when he was on Picket Fences. That was a great show. I wish they would have kept it on longer.

Anyway, thats all for now. I got a B on my math midterm. Don't ask me how I pulled that one off because I have no idea. I thought for sure I flunked it. I felt really bad though for the girl I sit next to. She hasn't passed one of the tests or quizzes yet. I wish there was something I could do to help her but I don't think there is. I told her to watch the cd's though. They really really help. The lady that explains the material is really good. Maybe she'll take my advice and look at them. They really do help.

R.I.P. Rosa Parks

I'm sure by now most people have heard that Rosa Parks passed away yesterday at age 92. She was a courageous lady and someone to look up to. By refusing to give up her seat, she brought the civil rights movement to the forefront of issues in America at that time. In the U.S., this all happened the year after a landmark decision Brown V. Board of Education, Topeka, Kansas 1954. I'm hoping that most people know what this meant but for those who don't, this decision declared segregation in public schools as unconstitutional. The attention that Rosa Parks got after being arrested and charged, started the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955. It was lead by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and eventually it went on to the Supreme Court where it was declared unconstitutional to segregate public services. Throughout her lifetime, Rosa Parks continued to fight for equality and justice, never giving up. She will be missed. I know she had a great impact on my life. The Civil Rights Movement continues today. It will continue until ALL people are equal as Dr. King stated. I can only hope that more people will follow her example and continue to fight the good fight, not letting hate get in their way. We've come a long way in the past 50 years but we still have quite a bit to go. We, as a people, need to work together to help realize the dreams of those who fought for all of us to be free and equal.

That Hurt!

I feel like I'm ready to start beating my head on the desk. Wait I did that last week (I'm serious, I hit my head on my desk. I still have a knot and light bruise) School is really getting to me. I know I should be able to handle it better but since I work full time, its hard. I know it's not supposed to be easy but man, let up. I can't find any info for my final paper and she wants an Annotated Works sheet due next week. I can't seem to find anything. I do have a couple things at home that might help but as far as finding stuff in the local library, good luck. Maybe it's the area I'm in or something. I can't seem to find books on it. I don't want to use just online sites and periodicals. I figured I would find at least a few books but to no avail.

I can't wait til this semester is over. I was thinking about going back full time next year but I think that all depends on what kind of job I'm holding. I wish I wouldn't have screwed up the first time around. But at least I learned from my mistakes and I won't make them again. I am determined to go home and work on as much homework as I can. I don't think I have anything else to do at the moment. I mean I have a heaping pile of laundry but my wash machine isn't the best. We need a new one bad and I don't want to go sit at a laundromat twiddling my thumbs.

I'm complaining too much. I don't like when I do that. There are people out there who have a full time job, kids and go to school and they seem to be coping with it just fine. Why can't I? Well its time to stop the pity-party and get on with it.

Out of the Way

Well I got the paper out of the way and I got an A. I was surprised since I didn't think I could get anymore out of it than I already had. I also got both of my midterms done Saturday. I don't think I did too well on the Algebra but I tried and that has to count for something I suppose. The one for my Research Writing class wasn't too bad. I'm just glad that I'm finished with them. I can't wait til this semester is over. It's been the worst one for me I think so far. Hopefully with a little luck and hard work, I'll pass this algebra test and all I'll have to do is take one more math class and thats it.

I also had a date on Saturday. He was really nice but I think I bored him. I talk a lot especially when I'm super nervous which I was. I don't know if I'll hear from him again but thats life I guess. My birthday is coming up in a couple weeks. I don't know what I'll wind up doing but I think I'll try and make it as fun as possible. I think I just want to hang out with some people just being home or somewhere comfy. I'm not big on going out to begin with so I think that'll be best.

I've been a little down the past couple of days and have no idea why. I think its just the stress getting to me. Once I've settled down a bit and get caught up I should be alright.

Well, I'm pretty sleepy and should probably get to bed since I know I'm going to have a tough time getting up in the morning. The weekend seem so short.

Super Stressed

I am so stressed out this week. Stuff is really really starting to pile up on me and I'm afraid its really getting to me. I have a load of homework to catch up on among other things like getting the house straight and getting laundry done.

Frankie left today....I should see him in 2 months then after that I don't know when I'll see him. I'm sure he'll keep in touch. It might be hard though. I don't know if its going to be the same in Iraq like it was in Korea. Highly unlikely but who knows. I just want to make sure he's ok. I was supposed to go out with him and some others last night but I was too tired. I don't like going out in the middle of the week anyway. I went out with him, Jenn, and Jason on Wednesday for a couple hours and that was enough for me. I couldn't wait to get home. I'm a little upset that I missed Mark though. Apparently he's living in Timonium. I thought he was still up in York. I hope I get to see him when Frankie comes home. I told Frankie that since I couldn't make it last night, that when he came home for Christmas we would all get together on a weekend and do something. I'm really upset that I missed Mark. He's so much fun.

I'm still working on my paper that is due in a little over 11 hours. I can't seem to get any more out of it. It's supposed to be 4 pages but I only have 2 3/4. I think I could bang out another 1/4 but thats pushing it. I'm pretty sure I've said all that needed to be said. That is one thing I hate about writing research papers. I'm one of those people that when I'm writing about something specific, I like it short and sweet. I've always been that way. I mean I can b/s my way through a paper no problem but I hate doing that. I feel like I'm cheating. I don't want to use a larger font in case thats a format problem. 15% of my grade is format. I have a 98 but I want to keep it that way. I don't want to flunk a paper. I'm an overachiever like that when it comes to certain subjects.

I got the last quiz back. Not the one I took the other day but the one before that and I got a 73. Hey at least I passed. Thats all I wanted. When he handed them back he said that he was surprised I did that bad. I was like huh? I mean I got one point higher on this quiz than the last one. I don't know....he's crazy I guess. My class was being really rowdy yesterday. I kind of felt bad for him you know? I mean its really not his fault we don't understand. He shouldn't be teaching this stuff. It's too basic for him. He should be teaching calculus or something. I just want to get it done and over with. By this time next year I will be well on my way out of there anyway. I don't know where I'm going to wind up going but it looks like UMBC. Thats fine with me. I had no intention of attempting to get into Harvard or anything like that. I'm not that smart.

Well, I better go try and get a couple more pages out of this thing. I feel like I'm beating a dead horse.

Alright!

Well it looks like I still have a job. There was a problem with the contract so everything is taken care of. That doesn't mean I'm going to stop looking for another job though. I mean since I am only temporary, then at any time they can tell me not to come in and I don't like having that hanging over my head. So I'm going to kep on putting applications out there and hopefully something will come of it. I need a permanent job until I finish school that offers benefits and all that stuff. I don't want a ridiculous amount of money but some would be good. Heck, I'll settle with what I'm being paid now but with benefits. There should be a law or something that would state that after you've been at a job for x amount of time, permanent or temporary, that benefits should be offered. But I guess thats why there are so many people that don't have them today. They can't afford it.

Today, I'm supposed to go out with Frankie and Jenn since it's Frankie's last day here until Christmas. I have no idea what we're going to do but I guess just getting together is enough. No matter how much I complain about him, I'll still miss him. I haven't seen him that much in the past couple of months because of work and other things but thats what happens unfortunately. The same thing with Jenn; I talk to her about every two weeks and we try to get together once a month. With Frankie though nothing could be worked out because he didn't have a set schedule and even if we made plans, most of the time he fell asleep and missed them.

I'm almost 100% sure that I bombed the quiz I took in math yesterday. I wasn't prepared for it at all. I think he said though that he would take the lowest quiz score and drop it at the end of the semester. I have a lot of school work to do this week and I can't seem to get it done. I have a paper due Friday, 2 sections and a review for math, a midterm for math, and a midterm for english. It's a lot to do and I have to find some time to do it. I don't know where I can get time cheap but if anyone has any ideas let me know. (Ok that was stupid but its what I was thinking at the time)

I'm supposed to go to a Halloween Party on Saturday but I don't know if I'm going to go. I might be too tired and besides I have a lot of stuff to catch up on at home too. I really really have to get some laundry done and the house needs to be dusted and vacuumed.

On a brighter note, the weather has been beautiful. The temperature has been fantastic. We needed it after the torrential downpours we had last week. I really really hope the Hurricane Wilma doesn't cause a fraction of the devastation that Katrina has. I can't believe how active this Hurricane season has been. Just goes to show you that global warming is real.

Thats all for now...I'm just happy I have a job for a while.

Unsure of Whats Going On

I don't know whats going on here at work. I think it might be my last week. I don't know how to go about getting a straight answer without being nosy. I went in to fill out my time sheet and as of Thursday I can't do it anymore. I know I don't want to be here unless I'm getting paid for it. I think it would be rather rude of them not to tell me whats going on. Yeah I know when I started here that it was just temporary but a little bit of warning would be nice. I don't like the fact that there is always a time where I can be sitting at my desk doing whatever and my boss'll come over and say "Well we found someone else so we won't need you anymore". Thats what happened last time and I felt like crap after he did it. The job market isn't that great anywhere and I've applied to jobs and am getting no response yet. The holidays are coming up and I don't know what I'm going to do. I really really don't need this right now...They've been stringing me along for a while now and to do this right now would be really crappy of them. I don't know what I'm going to do. It's really starting to get to me and I only saw it today. I don't know how to go about talking to someone about it or anything like that. Oh well I guess I'll have to wait til later this week to find out.

I spent Saturday with Alison, Paul, and Jenn at the Ren Fair. It wasn't really fun. There was a massive crowd and it was muddy. Crowds get to me so that wasn't fun at all. I got stuck in traffic going there and coming back although coming back wasn't too bad. Then I went to get a cake for mom and Alison since their birthdays are a week apart. I figured just get one and be done with it. It was $30. I couldn't believe it when the guy rang me up. I was floored by it. But at least it was good.

Sunday I just hung around the house. Jason and Gage came up so I watched the football game with Gage. We won which was good. I thought we might lose but it was all good.

I have a lot of homework to catch up on so I think I'll be doing that for the rest of the week. I need to get some sleep though. I feel like I haven't slept in days.

Memorial Service

Went to Maggie's grandfathers memorial service yesterday. That was a fiasco. First I woke up 5 minutes before I was supposed to be there. I thought that maybe they came by and couldn't get in the house so they left. I rushed around, got ready, and had Amanda take me up to the church. I was 20 minutes late but at least I got there. I sat in the back so as not to make a disturbance. I didn't see Maggie or Longo there but I figured they were in the front and I just couldn't see them. All of her family was there of course. I felt so bad for them. You ever get that feeling that you're intruding on a family's grief? Thats how I felt but they asked me to come so I did. Anyway, I was listening to the preacher when the door opened. I didn't look until someone hit me on the shoulder. It was Maggie and Longo. Their alarm didn't go off and they were nearly 45 minutes late. I felt so bad for her. She was so upset. There wasn't anything I could do to make her feel better.

She got there just when people were going up to say some little things. Her dad got up and made a really nice speech. So did Devon. I really really felt bad for her. He's was basically her father. She's been living with them since she was a baby. Then Keith got up there and said a couple things. Then the funniest thing happened. I know that sounds really bad but you would have to meet the family to understand. Keith was saying his farewell and he said that he would see his dad soon. Then he realized what he said and was like well you know what I mean. I know he was nervous and all but it was still funny. I didn't laugh out loud or anything but her family did. I felt bad for him but anyway.

I don't know about anyone else but it isn't a funeral unless people start laughing in the middle of the service. I know that sounds really really bad but every funeral/memorial service I've been to people always laugh. I don't know if its because they don't know what to do or just because they're all cried out that all they can do it laugh. But that usually how it turns out with us. There was a friend of Devon's that was there and he was wearing perhaps the ugliest tie I have ever seen. It was orange and blue with funny stripes on it. Very loud. Keith called him over and said "Whats your name?" Mind you he knew full-well what his name was but when he answered Keith yelled "What?! I can't hear you over your tie!" I couldn't help but laugh. It was just so funny.

Anyway that was my day yesterday. Nothing else really happened. Just went over to Maggie's dad's house. He's still taking it pretty hard but he too is making jokes. He was remembering when his dad ran outside and caught a snow goose. I don't remember where he said they were living at the time, he was in the military, but he ran out, caught it, threw it in the closet and waited til it calmed down. Once it calmed down, he took it out and put it on a leash and that was his pet. I know that too sounds bad and cruel but the mental image is priceless.

Gloom

I just read a really cute story...There was a little girl who wanted to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina but didn't know what to do. Well, she just lost a tooth and so she decided to send the tooth along with a note saying that she hoped that the tooth fairy would leave money under someone elses pillow instead of hers. I thought that was really sweet. To top it all off, in response to hearing the story, someone donated $500 to the victims. Thats probably one of the best stories I've read. How sweet. I know, maybe too sweet but come on. How many people are out there that can afford to help that haven't and this little girl had a big enough heart to do something she felt could help. Thats pure innocence right there.

I figured I would start off on a bright note considering the weather here. It's been miserable. Nothing but gloom. It feels like I haven't seen the sun in weeks. The gloom seems to be permeating everything. People are moving slower, they aren't smiling or being their usual jovial selves. Hopefully the weather will get better and peoples spirits will lift a bit. I know that there is such thing as seasonal depression. I never heard it before until a couple years ago. It's odd, I never thought about it. Maybe thats because it never affects me, I don't know. Its odd how the brain works.

Tomorrow is Maggie's grandpop's memorial. They got the results from the coroner yesterday and they said he had a heart attack. At least it was that and not something else. It's just strange how he died though. I mean when you think about someone dying while they're trying to climb in a window, you would think that someone would have seen something. I don't know. When my grandmother died, they had to "rope her off" because she died while walking down the street and they weren't sure how she died. She had been there for a while and no one seemed to see her. Mind you this was in Baltimore City but then again it was in the early morning hours so people probably weren't out.

Well, thats all for now...sorry so gloomy and sad. I wish there was more happy things going on in the world but as of right now there isn't. Maybe there'll be a change for the better and people will get happy again.

And It Poured!

This weekend was miserable weather-wise. I awoke Saturday to a torrential downpour but it doesn't stop there. I proceed to the hall and hear *drip, drip*. I look down and there's a bucket in the middle of the hall and water is slowly dripping from the ceiling. I couldn't believe it. I was like "You gotta be kidding!". Luckily it wasn't a lot of water but still. Our basement also flooded. Water came through the walls and seeped through the floor. I wish I had the old landlords # so that I could call him and have him come over to look at the mess and tell me once again that the basement was waterproofed. I was so angry but what can you do? The roads weren't that much better. Everywhere there were puddles on the road and in some places, water was literally pouring over barricades. We really needed the rain but I don't think we need that much that fast.

I went to meet a guy named Steve I've been talking to. It was nice but there wasn't anything to do so we decided to get together another time. I wish the weather would have cooperated but there is always another day. I stopped at Heidi's on the way home to see what was up with her and the girls. They're all doing well. Morgan must of have gotten Heidi's genes cause the girl was dressed like a polock. She had a green checked dress on with fuschia socks, she had obviously dressed herself. Anyway I went to lunch with them at McDonalds where there was a playplace. I really don't like McDonalds but it was time hanging out with them. I was supposed to get together with Maggie, Longo, and Devon on Saturday but by the time they were ready it was midnight and I was ready for bed so I cancelled. I haven't hung out with them in what seems like forever. I told Maggie I would hang out with her on Sunday but that didn't happen.

Over the weekend, Maggie's grandma had gone away to PA to visit her mother and when they got home, they found her grandfather. He had passed away trying to climb through the bathroom window. No one knows why he was trying to get in there but they think he locked himself out of the house and got a ladder to go through when he died. It's very sad. I was wondering why no one checked up on him over the weekend considering he's had serious health problems before. I guess no one really thought about it. They're going to have a memorial service later on this week. I think I'm going to make them dinner and take it over to them so they have one less thing to worry about. I know thats cliche and you always hear people wondering why other people take food to those who recently lost a loved one. I don't know what else to do for them you know? They've been a second family to me and I'm really sad that they're going through this right now. I know how they feel but I still don't know what to do for them.

Well, thats all for now. Mom's birthday is Wednesday so I have to figure something out to do for her that day too.

Kurt Vonnegut

I wasn't one of the lucky people in school to get to read "Slaughterhouse Five" but I read it on my own because it was recommended on a reading list I had. If anyone isn't familiar with the book, they should, especially in light of whats going on in the world today. I learned something new today already. I didn't know that Vonnegut was a P.O.W. in WWII. I didn't even know he fought during WWII. I also didn't know that he experienced the bombing of Dresden. Now the book makes even more sense to me. I really liked the book to begin with but now that I know he was in Dresden when it was bombed, I now know where he got his material from. This man has never been afraid to tell it like it is and I admire him for it. He said this of the war in Iraq: the troops are "being treated, as I never was, like toys a rich kid got for Christmas." How great of an analogy is that?

This man has been through a lot in his life and I think he is probably one of the most creative people in this country. I love that he doesn't care about what people say or think about him and continues to speak his mind. I wish I could do that a little more. And he's not entirely rude about it. I mean he says things that can be considered insensitive but really I think he's just trying to make people think. Sure, some may say that he's a bitter old man but I don't think so. I can only hope that in the future, there are more people like him writing and speaking to whomever will listen.

"What do you want to talk about? Politics? Our president is a complete twit." Kurt Vonnegut

Eat or Be Eaten

I just read another interesting news story. This one involves a python and an alligator. Which one won? Neither, they both died. The 13ft python tried to eat the 6ft alligator and was almost done when its stomach burst. Gross. This happened in the Everglades in Florida, where officials say more and more pythons are being released because people can no longer handle them once they get too big for their homes. They are also afraid of the effects the pythons will have on other species living in the Everglades.

This is scary. I wouldn't want to be going along and see a python eating an alligator. I really don't want to come face to face with an alligator but I never had a problem with snakes. But a 13 ft snake is a different story. Another example of why people should make better choices when it comes to pets. Some animals are not meant to be pets and I know there are a lot of people out there that might take offense to that but look at this situation. It really makes you think. This is the reason that most people don't have bears for pets. Bears are cute and cuddly and yeah I would like to have one if they remained cute and cuddly but they don't. They grow up to be huge animals with needs that I wouldn't be able to meet. I mean there are people out there, most of them are professionals who have studies animal behavior and all that and understand the risks of having such a pet, but amateurs have no business keeping pets that may harm them or others. In other "news" I have a quiz tonight in algebra. I think I should do ok but we'll see. I'm going to try to get up there early so that I can review. I mean I go early anyway because if I don't I think I might wind up staying home, so I go as soon as I get home from work.

Thats all for the moment. If I find any other stories that I think people would find interesting, I'll post.

"The Stand"

I just came across this article talking about how these researched recreated the flu-strain that caused the 1918 epidemic. Thats a little scary to me. Actually its a lot scary. I'm all for finding cures to things as well as understanding why things happen but to recreate this deadly flu is just frightening. I know they did this for a reason, I do. But I'm hoping that there is no way it can get out or anything like that.

The only thing that keeps flashing through my mind is "The Stand" by Stephen King. Its a fantastic book and its really worth reading. It brings up a lot of valid points when it comes to a supervirus. All these people dying of some mysterious "Superflu" and then the government going crazy because they have no way to control the mass hysteria that ensues.

Biological warfare/terrorism is one of the most frightening things we have to deal with today. In a lot of ways I think its more frightening than nuclear war. Nuclear war would be terrible and it would devastate the planet but there is something about the suffering that is more scary than annihilation. I would rather have a quick death than one where I suffer. I think most people would agree with me. And the potential to create biological weapons is there; very scary thoughts.

Global Warming

Global Warming has re-entered our lexicon. For so many years it seemed to be absent but now you hear it everywhere. This is becoming a real problem and people need to start paying attention. It is very real...our planet is suffering and so are we whether we know it or not.

We are now seeing first hand how damaging global warming can be. Look at the intensity of the hurricanes we've been experiencing. I know Lance touched on this subject before but it really needs to be discussed. Our sea levels are rising, the polar ice caps are melting, and the temperatures are going up. I was just reading that some places are heading toward a desert climate. We knew there was a problem years ago so why isn't anything being done? Yes, I know there are now restrictions on emissions and other laws put in place to reduce CFC's and all that but I don't think its enough.

I remember a couple years ago there was a debate about whether global warming was real. Now we know I suppose. Maybe more money should be going to preserving what we have left. Rainforests are still being depleted and companies are still dumping. Instead of funding a war, we should be directing that money elsewhere; like to schools and to the EPA and make sure that the officials working for the EPA are doing their jobs.

Something needs to be done and soon. We've been destroying the Earth since we've been here and its time we start taking responsibility for it.

Liberal: Teach Your Kids It's NOT A Dirty Word

As I'm sure everyone knows, there has been some debate about the people being nominated to join the Supreme Court. I didn't support Judge Roberts and now I'm unsure about this new person, Harriet Miers. I'm just confused maybe I don't know. Here's my issue....she's never been a judge. Shouldn't that be a pre-requisite? I'm not doubting that her life has been devoted to practicing law, but to become a judge without having ANY experience whatsoever just seems a little stupid to me. Shouldn't the job go to someone who's more qualified? Just a thought.

I remember 5 years ago when Bush was running for president the first time many people, like myself, were concerned that if he got in office, who he would put on the Court. Fast forward to 5 years later and we're facing out fears only its worse. Not one Justice needs to be replaced, but 2. I didn't see that coming. I didn't know that O'Connor was planning on retiring; I kinda figured Rehnquist would be heading out although I didn't think he was going to die just yet.

It really seems like things are getting worse. I didn't think that was possible but I was wrong. Things in Iraq are escalating while we hear almost nothing coming out of Afghanistan. The hurricanes I think have diverted our attention, and rightly so, from foreign affairs to things close to home. I didn't think things were going to get this bad and we are nowhere near an election year as far as presidents go.

In my state, the gubernatorial election is next year. Guess who I won't be voting for? Thats right...I won't be voting for Bob Ehrlich. I didn't vote for him the first time around either. He's a HUGE supporter of Bush and that right there told me what my decision would be. But like a lot of other states, Maryland, is becoming a different place. I don't know how to explain it. The county I live in is predominantly white Republican. But most of the people that vote live near the city and toward D.C. and they tend to vote Democrat. I think what happened with our last gubernatorial election was that because of the stigma caused by Parris Glendening, people didn't want any part of his administration in power, so Kathleen Kennedy Townshend really didn't have a chance. I think that if someone else ran for the Democrats, they probably would have won. So I'm hoping that the democratic party gets it together in time to get Ehrlich out of office. He has done a lot in the state that is less than appealing. The MAJOR subject in the state is slots. Priorities, people! The education system needs to be reformed badly. Environmental problems seem to be escalating but no one is talking about it. I don't know whats going on.

I'm just praying that someone good comes into office soon. We really need a change in leadership. I wish there was a way to weed out the good and bad so we can replace the bad with people who actually care about whats going on in the world and not how much money is in their pocket.

Much Better

I'm feeling a lot better today. Actually I felt better over the weekend but in the evenings I was feeling pretty bad. I went to the Fells Point Festival on Saturday. It really wasn't that great. I saw my old neighbor though. He had no idea who I was which is why I didn't want to really say anything but Jason said he wanted to talk to him. He didn't remember Jason either. We both look a lot different and its been 13 years. I didn't even give him a second look until my cousin said something. After a couple of hours we came home and thats where I stayed. On Sunday, I stayed home as well. I couldn't afford to go so I thought it would be best to now spend the money and just hang out home. It was better that way I think.

I finally got around to watching "Crash". Really interesting movie. Very good movie. It was better than I thought it was going to be. I really like Ludacris in it. I was kind of leery of seeing a movie with him in it. I didn't know what kind of actor he would be but he was surprisingly good. All the actors were good and the story was fantastic. I love how storylines just come together.

Right now I'm trying to get some of my final paper done. Since it has to be on a current issue but she's banned certain topics, I decided to write about the benefits of fair trade. I didn't know much about the issue but I've read a couple things and its something extremely important to the world. It affects everyone whether they know it or not. If anyone is interested in learning more about it go to http://www.maketradefair.com. There is a lot of good info on the site.

Well, thats all for now....Nothing else is happening. Better start looking up some more stuff.