tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51501132008-06-13T17:58:31.788-05:00GEOGRAPHICA Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.comBlogger228125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150113.post-1103585943313940732004-12-20T17:20:00.000-06:002004-12-20T17:39:03.313-06:00Why my faith in humanity was redeemed this weekend I have had a very, very busy few days. From 5pm on Thursday until 9am on Sunday I worked at the USO for 37 hours and though it left me tired, I wouldn’t have missed a second… it was great fun. In particular on Saturday I worked at a fantastic Christmas party that was held for the children of deployed Reserves and Guardsmen. I cannot say Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150113.post-1103584781320400592004-12-20T17:13:00.000-06:002004-12-20T17:19:41.320-06:00What the Heck Happened to ME? So I haven't posted here in forever because it has been an exceptionally crappy year. First my aunt died unexpectedly Then my father was diagnosed with cancer After a long battle my father died this summer Less than a month later I had to have emergency abdominal surgery (not fun) While out from work for 2 months because of the surgery I had to move Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150113.post-1079203056592928552004-03-13T12:37:00.000-06:002004-03-13T12:49:53.530-06:00Have we as a nation willfully forgotten the threat of terrorism? This is a serious question. Have we as a nation willfully forgotten the threat of terrorism? On Thursday 3-11 Spain was rocked by terrorist bombings in Madrid. Evidently 13 bags stuffed with explosives were placed on trains in Madrid set to go off during the busy morning rush hour. This act was similar in scale for the Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150113.post-1078183040642627852004-03-01T17:17:00.000-06:002004-03-01T17:20:13.436-06:00Troop 448 supports the troops Girl Scout troop #448 of Texas is working to send a bit of home to troops ... Girl Scout Cookies! The troop is working to collect funds to ship cookies to ship out to troops. They have a generous former Army officer who will pay all of the shipping costs. If you want to buy cookies to be shipped to the troops check out their website I love the quote from Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150113.post-1071421858171889452003-12-14T11:10:00.000-06:002003-12-14T11:12:07.670-06:00I want one too Jeff Jarvis blogs about the only item that would be on my christmas wish list.... the News Alarm Clock. For now what I have is friends with small babies (who never seem to sleep) they seem to be the ones to call me when anything happens at an odd hour because they were up with a sick.hungry child. That is a bit undependable though and at some point thos kids are going to Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150113.post-1071418592355947282003-12-14T10:16:00.000-06:002003-12-14T10:17:41.733-06:00Hooray! I woke up this morning to some of the best news possible. Saddam Hussein has been captured - ALIVE. I love that he was hiding like a rat in a hole. Ideally the Iraqi people will no longer fear him, or view him as any kind of powerful leader. A moment of inside politics - I found out about this good news on Instapundit - score one for the blogoshpere! Of course I immediatley Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150113.post-1070953957247294682003-12-09T01:12:00.000-06:002003-12-09T01:13:39.606-06:00I shouldn't be suprised One of my new favorite blogs is Blackfive. Through him I have found my newest reason to deeply dislike a Democrat. Dennis Kucinich is running for the Democratic presidential nomination. I always kind of viewed him as a harmless kook (he has sponsored legislation to outlaw space based mind control weapons) but a recent addition to his campaign website has gone over Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150113.post-1070331486956640382003-12-01T20:18:00.000-06:002003-12-01T20:18:59.793-06:00Very Cool Barrett Lyon has mapped the internet in one day... the result is some fascinating and beautiful images. The first time I ever saw internet traffic expressed cartographically was at the Millenium Dome in London. Don't laugh, I thought it was fun (then again my tax dollars didn't pay for it)! One of the most unique features about 'cyberspace' is that there is not commonly Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150113.post-1068569736445469982003-11-11T11:00:00.000-06:002003-11-11T10:56:25.716-06:00Armistice Day On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month 1918 the guns of WWI fell silent. I always called this day Armistice Day because that was what I was raised to call it. My parent’s fathers had been very strict on the fact that the veterans of each war should have a recognition of their own days – so VJ day and Armistice day were very different in my household. I still Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150113.post-1066864844166263452003-10-22T18:20:00.000-05:002003-10-22T23:36:30.796-05:00Why I listen to NPR … during the pledge drive. I am a news junkie (surprise, surprise) and all day I listen to the radio. A variety of stations, News (weather on the 8s), AM talk, FM talk, and NPR. They are all great at keeping my brain engaged while I sit alone in my office doing some very boring accounting. One really great feature to living in a major media market is the wide choice Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150113.post-1066796743024717592003-10-21T23:25:00.000-05:002003-10-21T23:25:42.830-05:00Bloggers Block Blogging has greatly increased my respect fro professional writers. In particular, I have no idea how Lileks can be so consistently genius for so many columns a week! In the past I never thought much about ‘writers block’… until I experienced it. Lately, I can think of great ideas for my blog when I am driving, or working, or having a conversation with a friend. These Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150113.post-1066275808653725642003-10-15T22:42:00.000-05:002003-10-15T22:44:06.210-05:00Wait until next year... Sob.... Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150113.post-1065421606605506672003-10-06T01:26:00.000-05:002003-10-06T01:26:46.413-05:00CUBS WIN !!!!!!! I imagine that anyone who has not been a Cubs fan cannot understand what winning the series with the Braves means to those of us who are. The Cubs have not won a playoff game on the road since 1945… let alone to win a series of games against the winningest team in regular season play. This year the Cubs are actually paying baseball – not just participating in their usual “ Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150113.post-1064981973325135882003-09-30T23:19:00.000-05:002003-09-30T23:19:33.223-05:00CUBS WIN!!!!!! I am in total and complete shock. For the first time since 1945 the Cubs have won a playoff game on the road. I am almost beginning to believe that the Cubs can get all the way to the World Series. I would then have to completely review my entire belief structure. Perhaps the goat curse has controlled the Cubs fates since 1945. As a lifelong Cubs fan I know better Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150113.post-1064873979368566052003-09-29T17:18:00.000-05:002003-09-29T17:19:39.280-05:00Digitize shopping This afternoon I had what is clearly a 21st century moment. When running errands during lunch I stepped into a large super store and realized that I had no idea where what I wanted was located. Instantaneously I thought “Control F and I can find it”. I then realized what a total geek I have become. I realized that I have become so accustomed to finding things online Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150113.post-1064551643925541462003-09-25T23:47:00.000-05:002003-09-25T23:47:23.423-05:00I hate that too! Jay Solo has written about something that happens to me all the time. The lost blog post. Not because of the traditional blogsplat lost post problem - rather when a post is lost before it is even written! For me... I find that most of the best blog posts I 'write' (in my head) when I am driving. Then I forget them totally or remember just enough to be frustrating by Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150113.post-1064300842919159872003-09-23T02:05:00.000-05:002003-09-23T02:07:22.396-05:00Blame it on the goat Here in Chicago we have been without a World Series winning baseball team for a long time… VERY long. The Chicago Cubs actually have not won a World Series since 1908 – the longest dry spell in major league baseball. Even so, until 1945 the Cubs would at least get into the World Series on a fairly regular basis. That year the famous curse was placed on Wrigley Field… Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150113.post-106421566499705452003-09-22T02:14:00.000-05:002003-09-22T02:27:44.906-05:00Inanimate objects Recently I have read or heard the following statement from several sources. “Guns are evil” This is just about the stupidest thing that anyone can say to me. I have a short prepared vent that I would like to share with all of blogdom… Guns are not evil, they are not good, they are not dangerous, and they are not safe. Guns just are. As inanimate objects guns can Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150113.post-1063774149226666032003-09-16T23:49:00.000-05:002003-09-16T23:49:08.720-05:00Darn nature I had grand plans for a nice long weekend but silly Isabel has ruined them. M plans were to see my best friend from High School and her two cute sons in Baltimore. I would take a day to visit the Naval Academy in Annapolis and then we would all drive to Chincoteague Island off the coast of Virginia. Unfortunately... Isabel has put a bit of a damper on those plans. I Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150113.post-1063685277961485512003-09-15T23:07:00.000-05:002003-09-15T23:15:53.633-05:00Jealousy I am not usually prone to fits of jealousy. However, lately I have begun to covet high-speed Internet connections. At home I am relegated to crappy dial-up and I had promised myself that once employed I would spring for a cable modem. Unfortunately, thought I may be employed the new budget just doesn’t stretch that far. In the past I have been able to feed my desire for Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150113.post-1063170232313243992003-09-10T00:03:00.000-05:002003-09-10T00:34:28.573-05:00History always repeats itself... Several months ago the world watched as statues of Saddam Hussein in Iraq were torn down. At the time most commentators compared the event to the destruction of statues of Lenin during the fall of the Soviet Union. At the time I had no idea that something similiar happened in our own American history. The Declaration of Independance was first announced Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150113.post-1063080853542677092003-09-08T23:14:00.000-05:002003-09-08T23:14:13.553-05:00Gotta love the Gweilo I will admit that I started to read The Gweilo Diaries when I was taking a course titled ‘Hong Kong Cinema’ last semester. I would get bits and pieces from Conrad’s blog that were helpful in class discussion. Not that I could use all of the information supplied - much of it is a bit raunchy for polite society. I tend to bypass the pictures and head straight to the Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150113.post-1062792746530460292003-09-05T15:12:00.000-05:002003-09-05T15:17:57.340-05:00Respecting those who have served The BBC reports that the US is planning on issuing electronic bugles to be used in military funerals. I personally think that it is a very good idea. Less than a month after September 11, 2001 I lost an uncle who had been a Marine in WWII. Tommy had fought in the South Pacific at (I believe) both Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He was a fairly small man and one of Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150113.post-1062789578411400152003-09-05T14:19:00.000-05:002003-09-05T14:19:38.420-05:00Best laid Plans I intended to write an entry last evening while I was working at the USO. Unfortunately it was a busy night and I never really got a chance to stop and sit in front of the computer. I really enjoy working at the USO. It is the happy situation where I am now getting paid to do something that I would have done for free! I started out volunteering one evening a month and Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150113.post-1062613262219902272003-09-03T13:21:00.000-05:002003-09-03T13:21:02.226-05:00I’m Back! Not that I ever announced that I was taking an August hiatus – it just sort of happened. I apologize for my absence to my two loyal readers. I will endeavor to earn my place on your blogrolls again! Let me start with a bit of a round up of the issues I have missed in the last couple of weeks… France heatwave deaths –Did they not hear about what happened in Chicago in 1995? I Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03486815246958256920noreply@blogger.com