When you are in a hurry...

to write a quick hello on your blog you just start out this way.

I thought it would be fun to throw a post at this blog again. It's no longer silent. At least right now. Well, rather than talk about my life, i'll just share a fun little story...

Perhaps you've heard the story of a man who phoned a local armory and spoke to a young recruit. "What kind of stock do we have there at the armory, private?" the caller asked authoritatively.

The private replied, "Sir, we have six tanks, six trucks, twelve jeeps, and a whole lot of guns and ammunition. Oh, yeah, we've also got two Cadillacs for our big, fat generals."

The caller paused before barking out, "Private, do you know who this is?"

"No, sir," the startled private replied.

"This is General Weston!"

Again there was a pause in the conversation, until the private asked, "General Weston, do you know who this is?"

Surprised, the general answered. "No!"

The private chuckled and said, "See ya around, fatty!"

Border agents 24 hours from prison for doing their job

Border Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean are just 24 hours
from reporting to federal prison to serve 11 and 12 years for
their attempt to apprehend an illegal alien drug smuggler.

Last week, Ron De Jong and I had the privilege of meeting
Jose Compean and his wife while presenting 225,000 petitions
to members of Congress on Capitol Hill. The Compeans expressed
their heartfelt thanks for everything you have done in signing
this petition, making phone calls, faxes, etc.
Would you take up their cause again today and make yet
another round of phone calls?
Here is a list of calls:
The White House: 202-456-1414
Justice Department: 202-514-2001
Washington Sen. Cantwell (202) 224-3441
Washington Sen. Murray (202) 224-2621

The only official word from the White House came through
Spokesman Tony Snow last week who gave no indication that
the President is considering taking action.

There is so much at stake here, first for these two agents
and their families who have already paid such a high price,
and secondly for our nation.

In the minds of millions of Americans, if these men go to
jail this President will have sided with an illegal
alien drug smuggler instead of the men and
women who are literally standing on the wall
protecting our nation's borders.

For photos from our delivery, my interview with Agent Ramos
and other resources, go here:
http://www.grassfire.net/r.asp?u=1272&rid=12052401

By the way, we've added another 25,000 petition signers since our
delivery to Congress just a few days ago! Citizen outrage
continues to build. If you have friends who want to take action,
urge them to sign the petition here:
http://www.grassfire.org/142/petition.asp?PID=12052401

Thank you for the stand you are taking.

Steve Elliott, President
Grassfire.org Alliance

Students barred from bus for speaking English

ST. PAUL, Minnesota (AP) -- A school bus driver let Rachel Armstrong's three children board the bus Monday morning, but he warned them that he wouldn't give them a ride home that afternoon, nor could they ever ride his route again.
The problem: Armstrong's 10-year-old twin girls and 8-year-old son speak English. The driver told them the route had been designated for non-English speakers only.
Armstrong said Wednesday that she got a call from a worried daughter who didn't know how she was going to get home. "She thought they had done something wrong," she said.
So a furious Armstrong had to leave work early to pick up her stranded kids from Phalen Lake Elementary School.
It turns out the bus route was meant to serve one of the district's three language academies. Phalen Lake's academy is for Hmong kids learning English, and the academies all have separate bus routes to keep their students together.
The district decided to begin enforcing the separate routes Monday -- but didn't tell the Armstrong family.
School administrators apologized but didn't agree to let Armstrong's children keep riding the bus, as they'd been doing all year.
"It is our responsibility to ensure the safety of these kids and we made a mistake," said Dayna Kennedy, a spokeswoman for the district. "The kids should have gotten home that day."
The Armstrongs also learned that when they moved last year, they landed outside of Phalen's attendance area. Armstrong said she was told her kids would have to transfer if they wanted to keep riding a bus, "or I'd have to find my own way to get them to school."
Armstrong said she arrived home Wednesday to find a message from the principal on her answering machine.
"She would prefer them to stay there rather than leave, and she would like to work on some kind of resolution," Armstrong said.
A simple solution, she said, would be to let her daughters keep riding the bus.
"It's so simple, but they want to come with the red tape and everything," she said. "As long as the kids get to school, that should be the main point."

Link to Original Story

Ridiculous! Are we Americans really aliens of our own land? - Raphael

Panera Bread still the stop

Today's visit to Panera Bread wasn't the usual fine experience - for out of the ordinary reasons. Apparently I picked the wrong corner. The quiet, casual, snack, or dinner dinning joint, a favorite lunch and meeting spot for many took an ugly turn in my corner when a cross looking woman stomped in and sat down at the table 6 feet away. Five minutes later she unpleasantly said hi to the guy that carefully walked in and sat across from her. I felt sorry for him as she started the verbal torrent unswayed by any common sense coming from him. I really felt like interjecting a few words, but good judgement probably prevented it :) Soon she stomped out and he wimped out the other door. With her attitude I didn't see how she could be married to anyone.

But, more importantly, Panera Bread is still a wonderful place. I just wish we had them in Washington! The restaurant is largely designed around their amazing breads. So many types, and they all look and smell so good! Then of course are the pastries, and other snacks, lunches, and coffees. The entire experience is always pleasant with the exceptional 1 in 30. But that's ok, it's not the restaurants fault.

The best way to describe Panera Bread is a cross between Starbucks and a bakery, yet with a much quieter and more pleasant environment. I'm afraid I'll have to give Woods and Starbucks a back seat.

One quiet Christmas evening

Nathan! We welcome you back to Washington and are very excited to see you again! I thought that a special clandestine welcome would be in order. I am sorry to disturb your quiet evening in such a manner, yet it gave me no little pleasure to hear your mom's report of what otherwise I would have thought went unnoticed.

I look forward to seeing you before you leave next Sunday! Have you any big plans while you are here? The Thompson party will no doubt be exciting, and that is wonderful that you will be able to make it. Unforunately I cannot.

On the hunt 1

The low down in Lynden

San Juans Sunset

Christmas is here! Friends, let's share!

My dear friends, at the dawn of this new blogging era, my chihuahua and I renew the once believed saying, that a picture is worth a thousand words. So, we have decided together that one of our new years resolutions challenges ourselves and our friends to a more photographic blog. Those few who read the last quoted post in bewilderment, may have been a touch enlightened had a photo accompanied it.

Better to get a truck then walk?

I felt like walking when I let a pedestrian cross the road, then drove a couple miles and he walked past. After a day of maxing my driving abilities just staying on the road and avoiding weird, out of control drivers, I'm thinking a new Dodge pickup truck sounds like a good thing, just like a hot chocolate does these chilly days. This comes after spending what seemed like hours and hours reading license plate sayings and bumperstickers.

I hold some respect for this snow induced highway ice. Heading southbound on 405 at 1 mph, wondering why northbound traffic disappeared, and a cop drives the wrong way down the empty highway, makes one wonder. Until you see someone get out of their car with a hammer and chop at the ice behind their rear tire. I stopped and slide sideways within inches of the car beside me, yet managed to get straightened when the traffic gave room. I saw easily more than 200 cars and buses off the road. Heading down the mild hill explained why Northbound traffic was stopped. They couldn't drive up! These conditions persisted in various ways from Bellingham clear to Renton.

Ok, now why did I say Dodge truck? For me, the choice is clear :)

1. Ford may be an ok truck, but the radio ads make it clear. The dealers call in so often dedicating a whole 30 seconds or more to how they need to move all those vehicles off the lot! If they are so bad, why sell them to the public? Jeepers. I want something that is going to serve me well, not that just needs to moved off the lot!

2. Chevy trucks are for boys.

3. The latest model Toyotas are too cute with curvy Japanese lines.

4. Men are not allowed to drive Hummers. They are for women with furs.

5. Honda must have something, but the Oddessy makes them unreal.

6. The Chevy HHR armored car needs more window area for visibility, from my experience.

7. The PT cruiser is for display only. I could see having one on my desk at work.

8. You have to be nearing retirement from your bread truck job to afford a new stock Mustang. It's cool just because it's "got the old look".

9. I don't hold an opinion on SUV's. They are unnatractive.

If I had to buy a truck today it would be a new Dodge. They get the job done and they're comfy.

Nonetheless, as soon as winter's over, the truck fantasy will vanish, and I will return to my pursuit of class over clumsy with BMW or Audi.

Comments inevitable.