China Alleges New Olympic Terror Plot

Now, I'll admit to being a bit of a cynic and stories like this one just don't help. Given China's history of prevarication, do we really believe that this is actually more than a protest against government restraints and abuses? Or is it something manufactured to make them look like they're taking care of business?

On the other hand, it's not exactly a comforting PR stunt - making up a serious threat to foreign journalists, athletes, and visitors. It makes me wonder if this is just an excuse to increase Chinese persecution in Tibet and the surrounding regions. I suppose it would be a valid reason, if it really was terrorism.

I've never believed in throwing political issues into the Olympics, but this year - I just don't know. Many world leaders have chosen to 'miss' the opening ceremonies. Maybe it is time to talk about boycotts.




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God Bless!

Jules

International Children's Book Day

This is one that I've never heard of, but I just love the idea.

The goal, since 1967, has been to bring books and children together. Each year, on the anniversary of Hans Christian Andersen's birthday - April 2nd - the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) chooses one of its National Sections to host the celebration. IBBY's Board decides on a theme for the year, and invites a prominent author (from the host country) to write a message to the children of the world and a well-known illustrator to design a poster.

For 2008, Thailand has been chosen to host Children's Book Day, write the message, and design the poster. Rest assured, there are events planned in many countries and communities around the world, designed to encourage the love of books in children.

Don't wait for a special day - buy your kid(s) a book and read to them, as often as you can.






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God Bless!

Jules

Earth Hour

What an interesting, global idea! Did you turn off your lights at 8:00pm? Or, like us, did you hear about 'Earth Hour' about 2 hours too late?

As they say, it's not like one hour without lights is going to reduce global warming or seriously reduce a city's, or country's, carbon footprint. But it is an amazing show of concern and a willingness to get involved, all around the world. Made me wonder if this was something that could be seen from space.

Can you imagine watching whole sections of the world go dark, one hour after another? Now that would be something to see.






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Jules

Swan Loses New Love, Returns to Old Love

Well, ladies and gents - it appears that our lonely, lovesick young lady has been jilted. These fickle white swans. I tell you! It's just not right! Get a woman's hopes up; start her thinking about a nest and little cygnets - then, poof!

Luckily, the zoo in Muenster still had the 'address' of Petra's former love, who was faithfully 'pining' away on the lake where they met. The two 'lovers' will be reunited on Friday.






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God Bless!

Jules

Man Flees Mouse

Years ago, living in a small apartment with zero closet space and a huge kitchen with zero counter space, I acquired a number of non-rent-paying roomies. It's funny. I'd always thought that mice, in a cage nibbling on a piece of carrot, were really cute.

They tend to become less adorable when they're sharing your pillow and pulling at your hair. Not my personal preference for an alternative wake-up alarm, especially since the little critter had been crawling around in the wall with the fiberglass insulation. I spent days trying to get the fiberglass out of my arm and the side of my face.

An urgent call to my landlord garnered me very, as it turned out, useless advice - "Get a cat!" The little black fur-ball with the angry gold eyes had only one phobia. He was terrified of mice! Just the sound of scratching under the sink would send him flying in the opposite direction.

Briefly, I went the mousetrap route. Yecchh!! You've not lived until you've heard that 'snap' and 'squeak' at 3:00AM. Trust me - it is not conducive to sleep or peace of mind!

At a friend's suggestion, I crammed steel wool in every gap, around every pipe in my kitchen - to no avail. (Probably, given my luck, just trapped them all in the apartment.) After spending an entire summer (without air conditioning) sleeping with the oven and burners on high to discourage my 'roomies' from wandering in, and watching my feline protector cower in a corner or cry to go outside - I moved.






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Jules

Swan Finds New Love

This is just the sweetest story. A black swan at the zoo in Muenster, Germany developed a fondness for a swan-shaped boat and refused to leave its side. Rather than traumatize the swan, zookeepers brought her and the boat in for the winter and let them continue to spend time together.

Sadly, this spring, the boat has been jilted in favor of a male white swan, with whom the young lady is building a nest.






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God Bless!

Jules

Drugs in Drinking Water

This story scared the daylights out of me. With all of the chlorine and other chemicals in our drinking water, to which Mark is seriously allergic, we decided to purchase a water filter for our kitchen tap. After years, we convinced ourselves that we were drinking and cooking with clean water.

Now we have this story. And it's not just treated water or only the United States. Ground water, wells, rivers, and estuaries are all contaminated to some degree.






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God Bless!

Jules

Protect Critical Habitat for Polar Bears

As the poster children for global warming, polar bears are in grave danger - as a species - from melting sea ice. Already birth rates have dropped and documented reports tell of bears drowning and starving, of dens collapsing on mothers and cubs because of rainfall too early in the season. A new study by US Geological Survey shows that the ideal polar bear habitat is declining and, worst of all, is projected to be mostly gone by 2050. Where does that leave the animals dependent upon this ecosystem?

A new petition, sponsored by the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and targeted at Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, Department of the Interior, is urgently asking the US Administration to not just designate the polar bear as a threatened species, but to take the necessary steps to protect its critical habitat. Without this additional provision, listing polar bears as threatened will do little to save them. Global warming is the primary threat to these beautiful animals and acting to protect the Arctic sea ice is the only way to truly help.

Please show your support for the polar bear and our planet - sign this petition. It only takes a minute and can mean the world to the world.

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God Bless!

Jules

Blog Action Day Wrap-up

Whether you participated in Blog Action Day or just enjoyed all of the ideas that were generated, you just have to see the final numbers. I was thoroughly amazed by how many bloggers, how many blogs, and how many RSS readers were involved in this project. Wander on over to Blog Action Day.org and have a look at the statistics.

You'll also find a list of some of the online and traditional news outlets that carried stories. (Did you notice Graham's lovely column for Blogger.com?) From Greece to Australia to Vancouver to Manila, the media had something to say about this day. For more articles, check out Google News Search.

It was an interesting concept and really made me think about the ways that humans are damaging the planet we call home. Not to mention, it challenged me to change some of the things that I do, without thinking, that contribute to ozone damage. I did use the BP Carbon Calculator to get a rough idea of our carbon footprint. Amazingly, we are producing 8 tonnes of carbon dioxide, less than 1/2 of the United States average of 18.58.

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God Bless!

Jules

Owners of Massacred Pets to Receive Help

I don't know if you've been following this story, but it's horrendous. Apparently, residents of some Puerto Rican housing projects were told that they were not allowed to have pets. In order to ensure compliance with this policy, the owners hired a company to come in and remove the pets.

If that weren't bad enough, the contractor that removed the animals is reported to have injected the animals and taken them to a nearby city where they were thrown off a 50-foot bridge. Many of the animals, though seriously injured, survived the fall. The company's owner responded with, to paraphrase, "You can't prove those were the animals we removed."

Happily, if that's a term that can be applied to this situation, Friends of the Animals and other groups, are helping the pet owners pursue claims of animal cruelty and civil rights violations. I'm not sure that being able to own a pet is really a civil right, but I'm happy to see the animal cruelty charges being aggressively pursued.

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God Bless!

Jules

Holiday Hypermarket

Looking for a great European vacation or family ski holiday? You've come to the right place. There are millions of inexpensive destinations to choose from and all you have to do is pick your favorite spot.

One location I never even thought about was Romania. Hotels, villas, and chalets are available for any budget, along with enough blue, red, and black ski runs to accommodate all skill levels. Once you're done on the slopes, why not try some of the local restaurants and discos for some authentic food and entertainment?

It doesn't matter if you're looking for upscale ski resorts or affordable family vacations, Holiday Hypermarket has just what you need.

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We look forward to seeing you online.

God Bless!

Jules

Blog Action Day

Organized by a core team of bloggers, October 15, 2007 has been designated Blog Action Day. A day when bloggers around the world will join together to put one important issue - the environment - on everybody's mind. Can you imagine the impact? Thousands of posts from every corner of the globe, speaking out on one day, about one concern.

It doesn't matter what your blog is about. I have three, not counting Yahoo!360, - one you're reading right now, another is a creative writing blog, the third is on MySpace. I've registered all of them. Curious about which blogs are participating? Check out the list of over 8,000!

Do you make money blogging? Why not donate your earnings from October 15th to an environmental charity? Choose from five officially supported organizations, from Greenpeace to The Nature Conservancy. You'll find donation details, as well as links to each charity's website, on the Blog Action Day website.

What about your friends who blog? Send them an email and let them know about this important day. And don't forget to add a banner to your website or blog. The goal is mass participation, so make sure that everyone you know gets the word.

Don't forget to visit JMark Afghans and My Gallery at Zazzle

We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.


We look forward to seeing you online.

God Bless!

Jules

Odd News Stories

I just love reading the Odd News section. They prove that truth is very often much stranger than fiction. Now, I don't mean the rags that talk about alien babies and other such nonsense, but the really strange true stories from around the world that amaze, amuse, and sometimes shock.

"Dead" Man Wakes Up Under Autopsy Knife - After a car accident, a man in Venezuela was pronounced dead and taken to the morgue. During the autopsy procedure, as the doctor was cutting into the man's face, he woke up! Can you imagine?!

"God" Gets Attorney In Lawsuit - In an attempt, or so he claims, to prove that anyone can sue anyone for any reason, Nebraska State Senator Ernie Chambers, an admitted agnostic, has filed a lawsuit against God. An attorney from Corpus Christi, Texas, Eric Perkins has actually filed a response. I want to know how, exactly, they plan to serve God with a summons!

Men Break Into Building Full of Police - Two men in Antioch, California broke into a building to steal copper wiring. Little did they know that the police department was holding K-9 training in the building. Talk about "Beware of Dog!"

Have a great week!

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We look forward to seeing you online.

God Bless!

Jules

Support Breastfeeding

I have been reading, far too often lately, about mothers being harassed for daring to feed their children in public. When I was a young mother, there didn't seem to be the stigma associated with nursing in public. Of course, I was always discreet and covered myself and my baby to discourage prurient attention, but that doesn't really seem to be the issue these days.


One of my fondest memories is my younger cousin's surprised face. Only 15 or 16, she was holding my infant son in her arms, across her chest, and he started to "look for lunch." I can still hear my aunt's laughter as my cousin's face turned redder and redder. But I was not attacked for nursing my child or creating a situation in which my cousin was embarrassed; quite the contrary. My aunt simply explained the facts about, and benefits to, nursing infants to my cousin, who immediately handed my son back to me. Having grown up in that type of environment, it's very difficult for me to understand the negative emotions that breastfeeding brings out in people today.


In early 1980, I was flying with my 2 1/2 year old son and 2 month old daughter from Michigan to Colorado for my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary. As the plane was taking off, I let my daughter nurse to equalize the pressure in her ears and keep her from being uncomfortable. No one on the plane complained. I did the same as we landed; again, no complaints. In fact, I can only remember one person who ever said anything and that was my very, very conservative grandfather.


I know that there was a time, which I thought had long passed, when breastfeeding was considered 'common' and women who nursed their infants were looked on as unsophisticated and coarse. If one had 'class,' one bottle-fed their babies. One infant formula manufacturer went so far as to develop and deliver a campaign in third-world countries that touted bottle-feeding as a healthier alternative to nursing. What they failed to take into account was that these families couldn't afford formula, ending up diluting what they had to make it last longer, and the infant malnutrition and mortality rate skyrocketed. As we have become a truly enlightened society, we should have moved away from stereotypes that actually harm the infant, the mother, and our society.


I strongly support organizations like Breastfeeding.com, La Leche League International, and the United States Breastfeeding Committee in their efforts to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding.

Universally endorsed by the world's health and scientific organizations, breastfeeding offers a vast array of benefits, not just for infants and their mothers, but also for society. If you doubt the benefits to society, take a look at these statistics:

Economic Facts

Economic facts related to breastfeeding in the United States include:

• $2 billion per year is spent by families on breast milk substitutes such as infant formula
  
• $578 million per year in federal funds is spent by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) to buy formula for babies who are not breastfeeding
  
• Every 10 percent increase in the breastfeeding rate among WIC recipients would save WIC $750,000 per year
  
• $1.3 billion more is spent by insurers, including Medicaid, to cover sick-child office visits and prescriptions to treat the three most common illnesses - respiratory infections, otitis media (ear infections), and diarrhea - in the first year of life for formula-fed infants versus breastfed infants.
  
• $3.6 to 7 billion excess dollars are spent every year on conditions and diseases that are preventable by breastfeeding.

From: US Breastfeeding Committee

If you are, or know, a nursing mother remind society that your child has as much right to eat in public as they do:

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God Bless!

Jules

Some 'Interesting' News Stories

When reality just gets to be too much, I read odd / weird news - I mean, come on - how many times can you read about the latest stupid story to come out of the White House without wanting to run screaming into the street. Sometimes the stories are cute; sometimes they're silly; sometimes they're just shake-your-head stupid. But, fortunately, they aren't about GWB, yet!

• Tourism Amid Drug Wars - Sinaloa, Mexico is hoping to lure tourists to rustic cabins that sit in a rugged area which just happens to be known for generations of opium and marijuana growth, and powerful drug gangs. Officials are quite certain that tourists have nothing to fear, because the drug cartels are only killing each other. Oooooh, sign me up! Can I have the cabin with the gun turret?


• Democracy - in Weld County, Colorado a jury determined that a woman who left a flier containing dog droppings on the doorstep of a US representative was simply exercising free speech! Hooray for the Constitution and Bill of Rights!


• Hurt So Good - Guelph, Ontario, Canada police have been looking for a man who, not once or twice but, three times stopped women and asked them to kick him in the groin! Maybe his wife was on vacation!?


• Are You My Mommy? - in Belgrade, Serbia a Rhodesian Ridgeback mother has adopted a 15-week-old black panther cub, named Milica, whose mother refused to feed her and tried to kill her. Zoo officials believe that the mother was traumatized in 1999 by NATO airstrikes intended to stop Slobodan Milosovic.
  
  What a sweet baby!

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We look forward to seeing you online.

God Bless!

Jules

TB Lawsuits

You know? I've been waiting for this to happen. Andrew Speaker knew he had TB and was warned by health officials not to get on another international flight. The fact that he flew from the Czech Republic to Montreal (not the US), rented a car, and attempted to 'slip across the border' into the United States, tells me that he knew what he did was seriously wrong.


A Montreal lawyer filed a motion in Quebec Superior Court yesterday, on behalf of eight passengers and the roommate / brother of one passenger. Montreal graduate student, Nassim Tabri, sat one row in front of Speaker and didn't know he'd been exposed until a reporter contacted him after the story broke. Can you imagine the shock?!


The one passenger whose story moved me the most is that of a 72-year-old man who tested positive for TB and now lives in a room, separate from his wife. Health officials aren't certain that the result is related to contact with Speaker, and false-positives aren't uncommon. But, how would you like to have your health, your very life put in jeopardy because ONE person selfishly decides that his rights supercede yours?!

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We look forward to seeing you online.

God Bless!

Jules

Millions Stolen From Baghdad Bank

Have you seen this story? It seems that two, or three depending on to whom you speak, guards at the Dar Es Salaam Bank in Baghdad stole over one-quarter billion American dollars yesterday!


Now, I might be a grumpy old cynic, but does anyone believe that these guards - however many there were - had no connection to the militia? Of course they did! Else, how could they have gotten through all of the checkpoints and disappeared with all of the that lovely American money?


Does anyone believe that $282 million American dollars isn't going to go a long way toward funding further terrorist activities? Of course it is! Why mess with all those Iraqi dinars, when you can float around legal US currency?


Would anyone care to hazard a guess as to why there was so much American money in the private Baghdad bank? Your guess is as good as mine. That one I haven't quite figured out, yet. But, does it really matter, in the whole scheme of things? Not really. The money is gone and, undoubtedly, in the wrong hands.

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We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.


We look forward to seeing you online.

God Bless!

Jules

Lady Bird Johnson

I am old enough to remember the Johnson administration. More to the point, I vividly remember the Kennedy assassination (the funeral took place the weekend of my 7th birthday) and the images of Lyndon Johnson taking the oath of office aboard Air Force One, his wife by his side. While I wouldn't say I was a fan of LBJ, Lady Bird Johnson was truly an amazing woman.


In the 1960s, before widespread talk of global warming and the greenhouse effect, remember the first Earth Day wasn't until 1970, Mrs. Johnson was a vocal advocate for replacing billboards and junkyards with trees and wildflowers. What few may know, the $320 million Highway Beautification Bill, passed in 1965, was known as "The Lady Bird Bill," and she made speeches and lobbied Congress to win its passage.


Soft-spoken and genteel, turning a modest inheritance into a multi-million dollar radio corporation, she was known to mop floors and sell radio time. Even though she had an almost crippling fear of public speaking, she once appeared for 47 speeches in 4 days, while LBJ was on the campaign trail.


Admired and respected by all who came after her, on her 70th birthday, in 1982, she and Helen Hayes founded the National Wildflower Research Center near Austin, later renamed the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. The research and education center is dedicated to the preservation and use of wildflowers and native plants.

"I'm optimistic that the world of native plants will not only survive, but will thrive for environmental and economic reasons, and for reasons of the heart. Beauty in nature nourishes us and brings joy to the human spirit," Lady Bird Johnson wrote.


Amen, Mrs. Johnson.

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We look forward to seeing you online.

God Bless!

Jules

Darfur: A Genocide We Can Stop

What is happening in Darfur must not be ignored. Learn about "24 Hours for Darfur" and contribute your message.

From the website: Hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians have been raped and murdered in Darfur since 2002. Your voice can help end this genocide. Using a webcam, camcorder, digital camera, or cell phone, you can easily record a personal appeal and upload it to our website. All videos will be displayed on our site and sent directly to your political representatives.

In September we will screen 24 hours of footage at a rally in front of the UN headquarters and at smaller events at halls of power throughout the world ? all connected through a real-time online broadcast. Speak out against genocide by submitting a video today.

Visit 24hoursfordarfur.org to learn more and participate.

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We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.


We look forward to seeing you online.

God Bless!

Jules

National Missing Children's Day - May 25th

Unfortunately, I missed contributing on this important date. But I felt the need to let everyone know about it.

There is a great place on Squidoo, Polly Klaas Foundation on Squidoo where you can create a lens (a personal webpage) and provide support to this important cause.

Also ~ please visit The Polly Klaas Foundation official website ~ for additional ways that you can help.

Don't forget to visit JMark Afghans and My Gallery at Zazzle

We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.


We look forward to seeing you online.

God Bless!

Jules

Genocide Intervention Network

"You can have a hand in stopping the genocide."

Learn how to educate, advocate and raise funds to help intervene. The Genocide Intervention Network offers:

• News digests from Darfur;
• Anti-genocide hotline, where you can make your voice heard;
• Ten easy steps you can take to help end genocide;
• Fundraising for the peacekeepers in Darfur,
• and much more.

They also have a lens (page) on Squidoo. Please take 10 minutes of your time, to create your own lens - about anything you like - and show your support for their fight against the genocide in Darfur.

I Did!

God Bless,

Jules

Technorati Tags: News, World, Genocide

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Missing Girl: Madeleine McCann

We have seen this report on the news. Madeleine has not yet been found. Help the family get world coverage and help by visiting their site.

The official website is at Missing Madeleine. They offer the latest news, banners that can be downloaded, and how you can help.


Snopes.com also has information and a link that you can use to email this story to everyone you know, so that the world continues to look for this precious child.

Urban Legends Reference Pages: Missing Girl: Madeleine McCann

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United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

I am incredibly embarrassed that I did not know that The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum existed.

Before you say "Okay - I know that the Nazis tries to kill off all the Jews, " you need to visit this site. (You also need to revisit history, but that's an entirely different blog.)

This is an amazing website that deals with not only WWII, but also Armenia, Sudan, Darfur, and Chechnya, among other areas of the world.

If you believe that what is happening in the world today is bordering on what Hitler started in 1939, as I do, please visit this incredible website.

As expressed by George Santayana: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Is this the legacy we want to leave our children?

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