Madame Butterfly
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Posts posted by Madame Butterfly
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I think it tastes like red cream soda, so no, it doesn't taste the same to me.
I love Dr. Pepper. Yum
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Disaster Raises Questions About Readiness
By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, AP
WASHINGTON (Sept.2) - Days after Hurricane Katrina inundated much of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, massive aid is arriving, yet with people still clinging to dry areas hoping for rescue questions have arisen about the level of preparedness and response.
President Bush, on his way to see the devastation and relief efforts firsthand Friday, acknowledged that "the results are not acceptable."
But the president gave his assurance that enough aid was on the way "to get the situation under control, to get the help to the people ."
Here, in question and answer form, is a look at the Hurricane Katrina disaster.
Q: How well prepared was New Orleans for such a storm?
A: The city is especially vulnerable because much of it sits below sea level. Local, state and federal officials have worked for years preparing plans for evacuation and local shelter. The giant Superdome was first used as a shelter in 1998 when Hurricane Georges threatened the city. Just last summer, officials conducted an exercise to prepare for a major hurricane in New Orleans, concluding that as many as a million people might be forced from their homes and that some shelters would be needed for as long as 100 days.
Q: Why wasn't everyone evacuated?
A: A mandatory evacuation was ordered when it became apparent the storm track would take it close to the city. Hundreds of thousands responded, but many didn't have the means to leave. Of those remaining behind, thousands sought shelter in the Superdome. "Sometimes people refuse to be taken away," Federal Emergency Management Agency director Michael Brown said. He said the federal government and cities need to work together to craft better plans to evacuate or shelter those who can't get away from disasters in the future.
Q: Why wasn't aid available sooner?
A: Food, water and other supplies, as well as search and rescue teams, were brought in in advance of the storm. "In New Orleans we were ready to move in as soon as Katrina moved out," but levee failures then made it unsafe to move into many parts of the city, Brown said. And broken communication systems made it difficult to send supplies where they were needed.
Then there was the sheer scope of the devastation. "Everything that we pre-positioned and had ready to go became overwhelmed immediately after the storm," Brown said.
Q: Was there a shortage of National Guard troops available to assist because so many are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan?
A: National Guard officials say that was not a problem. On Friday, three days before Katrina's landfall, 10,000 National Guard troops were dispatched across the Gulf Coast. Lt. Gen. Steven Blum, commander of the National Guard, said bringing in more has been hampered by road conditions but he estimated there will be 32,000 National Guard troops in the region by Monday.
Q: Why is government aid being sent by ship instead of by air?
A: Airports at New Orleans and nearby Gulfport, Miss., were closed because of storm damage. The New Orleans airport has reopened only for humanitarian supply flights, which are landing there in daylight hours. Assistance also is being delivered by trucks, ships and by airplanes landing at other nearby cities.
Q: Why did the levees fail?
A: According to the Army Corps of Engineers, the levees were designed to withstand a Category 3 storm, the middle level in a system (1 to 5) that measures hurricane intensity. The force of Katrina was more than the levees could withstand, the Corps said. The agency was to begin a feasibility next year on what it would take to protect the city from stronger, category 4 or 5 storms.
Q: How long will it take to drain the city?
A: The Corps of Engineers says it cannot yet estimate the time. It will depend on the weather and how soon repairs to levees are completed. The pumps can then begin sending the water into nearby waterways. The city has pumps and additional ones can be brought in, but electricity is still out so generators will be needed. It's not like pulling the plug on a bathtub drain; much of the city is below sea level so the water will have to be pumped up and out.
Q: Is it true cruise ships will be used for those forced out of their homes?
A: Both Brown and the cruise ship industry report they are talking about this possibility.
9/2/2005 10:10:55
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Just finished listening to a song my Beloved told me reminded him of me
Relaxing with a cold glass of chocolate milk before I go to bed and read.
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Listening to some music
Looking through some recipes in the hopes of a new way to prepare trout
Feeling empty
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No story.
I did love the Far Side cartoon in which it explains how they became extinct.
The Lions ate them on Noah's Ark!!
Also, Kenny Loggins has a great song about The Last Unicorn on his Return to Pooh Corner CD.
Here are the lyrics:
When the last eagle flies,over the last crumbling mountain
And the last lion roars, at the last dusty fountain
In the shadow of the forest, though she may be old and worn
They will stare unbelieving
At the last unicorn
When the first breath of winter, throught the flowers is icing
And you look to the north, and a pale moon is rising
And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
In the distance hear her laughter
It’s the last unicorn
I’m alive....... I’m alive
When the last moon is cast, over the last star of morning
And the future is past, without even a last desparate warning
Then look into the sky where through, the cloudes a path is formed
Look and see her how she shimmers, it’s the last unicorn
I’m alive... I’m alive!!!!
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Is the second picture from somewhere else in the tomb, because the color is wrong and it's too wide to be on the first photo.
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Painting my toe nails
Thinking my dog has gas
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She was in Mystic Pizza.
They both have this "girl next door" image, but somehow Bullock isn't viewed as having acting chops. I think she's so funny.
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I've read things, where there are "signs" in the operating room, where if a patient were to leave their body, than they'd be able to see it.
Is this the scientific evidence they're taking about?
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Eating some toast
Loving a PM I got today
Listening to a cardinal call outside my window
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I had heard Katrina was about to shift horth, north-east and wind up in the east canada great lakes area. My Uncle lives there, on the shore of Lake Eerie, Lord, I bet he wishes he weren't so close to the water now!!!We're not expecting weather that is all that bad. The weather network is forecasting 15-30mm of rain where I live, so maybe an inch. The Niagara region could be hit by 50-100mm (4 inches)
I actually was camping at Sauble Falls Provincial Park last night (on lake Huron) and we got a thunderstorm (unrelated to Katrina). Not an experience I'd care to re-live. I can barely handle a T-storm when I'm at home.
I spoke to my mother tonight, she lives on the east coast of Michigan, mostly rain and cloud cover, nothing bad.
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Inca ruins uncovered near frosty peaks
August 23 2005 at 05:20PM
Prague - A Czech scientific expedition has claimed to have found in the Andes mountains of Bolivia the ruins of an Inca city at the highest altitude recorded to date, according to the Czech expert who led the research team.
Consisting of several sites, the Inca settlement near Lake Titicaca extended for about 10 square kilometres at an altitude between 3 000m and 4 000m, said Ivo Bartecek, a Czech specialist in Ibero-American studies.
"Up higher, there are only glaciers," said Bartecek, who is also head of the philosophy faculty at the University of Olomouc in the eastern Czech Republic.
The expedition of two Czech scientists and two researchers spent three weeks during the South American winter exploring the region.
The team's main goal was to prove the hypothesis that Inca and pre-Inca civilisations existed in the highest possible regions of the Andean mountain range.
"It's here in the region around Lake Titicaca that the birthplace of South American cultures is found," said Bartecek, whose has participated in nine expeditions on Inca culture.
The Inca civilisation throughout South America ruled from the 13th century to the middle of the 16th century when the Spanish conquistadors arrived on the continent.
The researchers noted that the size of the Inca city, where the remains of 100 buildings are organised in an urban settlement along a square or circular plan, will shed new light on the culture dating back to the middle ages.
The Czech university researchers are currently analysing the photographic and video documentation collected at the site. - Sapa-AFP
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talking on the phone
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I'm not an Illinois native, but a friend forwarded this to me, and I know there are those here who certainly can appreciate it.
NO DISCRIMINATION HERE...SOMETHING TO INSULT EVERYONE:
Mattel Introduces "Illinois Barbies"!!
Mattel has introduced Barbie dolls for different regions and towns in
Illinois. Be sure to show your Illinois pride and collect them all!!
Highland Park Barbie: This trendy homemaker Barbie is available with the Lexus or BMW SUV or a suped up Hummer H2, gets lost easily, and has no full-time occupation or secondary education. Traffic jamming cell phone sold separately. Optional: matching gym outfit.
Cicero Barbie: This recently paroled Barbie comes with a 9 mm handgun, a Ray Lewis knife, a low-rider Chevrolet with oversized wheels and tinted windows and, my favorite, Meth Lab Ken. Talking version also speaks Spanish and includes two sons: Cesar, star of his high school soccer team; and Jose, wanted in four states.
Oak Lawn Barbie: This version has relocated from the city and comes with her very own street sign to post in the back yard, and a basketball hoop to hang from the garage roof. Doctor's fees to pay for counseling when E.J. Korvette's, Shopper's World and Zayre's closed, are extra.
Lincoln Park Barbie: This yuppie Barbie comes with knee-high black boots, a Louis Vuitton handbag, choice of a BMW sports car or new Convertible Beetle, Starbucks cup, credit card, a faux crocodile pill case filled with an assortment of the latest therapist-prescribed mood elevators, and shallow
Ken. A list of all of the "in" fundraising events sold separately.
Alton and Peoria Barbie: This model comes in Wrangler jeans two sizes too small, a NASCAR shirt, big hair, a six pack of Coors Light, and a Hank Williams Jr. CD set. She can spit over 5 feet and can kick Ken's *buttocks* when she's drunk. A pickup is available with Confederate flag bumper stickers.
Alsip Barbie: This version has it all; tattoo of a snake on her upper thigh, every eye shadow shade Maybelline has ever made, a can of AquaNet, and two sets of keys for her double-wide.
Optional accessories: Sidewalks and a pick up. Bumper sticker that says "My kid can beat up your honors student" sold separately.
Uptown Barbie: This Barbie actually comes in two variations. One has long gray hair, arch-less feet, Berkenstocks, no makeup and a mutt. Or a boy haircut, brown-highlighted hair, Abercrombie & Fitch T-shirt and cargos, combat boots and a pitbull.
Humboldt Park Barbie: This bee-tch of a Barbie comes with a knife to stab other Barbies in the back, miniskirt and tons of makeup.
Lake Forest and Kenilworth Barbie: (aka--North Shore Barbie) This True Blonde shops exclusively in town. She drives a Land Rover (sold separately). She has an MBA from Northwestern but has never worked outside the home. Her child's stroller is bigger than your house and her tennis trophies are
discreetly hidden behind CEO Ken's golf trophies. She knows enough Spanish to talk with the nanny, Tagalog to speak to the cook, and Polish for the house painter and housekeeper respectively. Her family owns a winery in Napa, but she buys cases of "2-Buck Chuck" at Trader Joe's. Hence the need for the rear-loading Land Rover.
Berwyn Barbie: Big sprayed black hair with overdone makeup and housecoat, cooks up a batch of mean meatballs and lasagna. Comes with plastic covered sofas and a fridge in the basement for company.
Wrigleyville Barbie: Cubs hat and tank top, bleacher tan, Kosher hot dog and overpriced Old Style in hand. Optional accessories: a wooden porch that can accommodate up to 24 of Barbie's best friends. Keg not included.
Beverly Barbie: This talking Barbie says: "Did you know I am Irish? Irish rules!" and sings the South Side Irish song. Comes with a bottle of lite beer and U of I t-shirt. Also includes an assortment of "KissMe, I'm Irish" buttons and green accessories for the South Side parade. Boyfriend Ken
wearing a Notre Dame hat, sister Skipper wearing McAuley uniform, and cousin Joe in his Crusaders sweatshirt sold separately.
South Side Barbie: Goes by the name of Barbeequa and for one low price, includes all of her sistahs: Midgeequa, Jauneequa, Shaneequa, Taneequa,and Lulu; and all of her brothers, Leroy, Willie (gold toof extra), Tyrone, George, George, and George. They all live together in her two-room ghetto apartment, furnished with the latest in leather and zebra prints. Bling-bling sold separately.
Bridgeport Barbie: This Barbie also talks and all of her sentences include an assortment of "d's" and "doe's." She owns her own bungalow and comes with season tickets to the White Sox.
Northbrook Barbie: Her authentic Coach bag is always filled with plenty of cash from daddy's bank. She and her friends from high school, including Hazelle, come complete with animal intestines, paint cans, fecal matter, kegs of beer and a video camera. Lawyer's fees are extra.
Oak Brook Barbie: Authentic Kate Spade wallet includes credit cards from Fields, Nordstrom's and Sax, and a photo of the family dog, Rex. Comes with monogrammed towel set for her mornings at the bath and tennis club, and riding pony (with real hair) for her afternoons at the polo grounds. Kitchen
set provided by Crate and Barrel. Backyard runway for her private jet sold separately.
Willow Springs Barbie: Has a complete wardrobe for her weekends of ballroom, two-step and line dancing. Boyfriend Ken comes complete with a beautiful brown UPS uniform (shorts are extra) and a bicycle to get to work (delivery truck sold separately).
Chicago Ridge Barbie: Comes complete with a uniform from Our Lady of the Ridge and four monogrammed bowling shirts. Talking version brags of having the best handicap on the south side and of being able to drink Ken under the table. Accessories include a mitt for 16-inch league games, six-pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon, a pack of Marlboro Lights, and an IROC Camaro with T-tops on crates in the front yard.
Orland Park Barbie: This is a grown-up version of Barbie with three kids, all of whom got straight A's in school, 36's on the ACT, and college scholarships because they were the best on the team. Includes blowhard husband Ken, who is seen and heard at every little league game; daughter Midge, head cheerleader; and son Ken, Jr., the captain of the football team. The standard version comes with a Ford Windstar, a bi-level in Brook Hills and an assortment of Coach and Kate Spade knockoffs bought at a house party.The talking version says "Not MY kid. He wouldn't do that," and "Really? My cleaning lady won't do laundry!" The deluxe version comes with faux fur and a home in Crystal Tree that will never be paid off in their life time.
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Out-of-body experiences 'probed'
Some have OBEs when they have narrowly escaped death
UK researchers are asking for your help to find out exactly what is behind out-of-body experiences (OBEs).
By comparing the responses of those who have and have not had an OBE they aim to discover the overarching cause.
One theory is that it is down to how people perceive their own body - those unhappy or less in touch with their body are more likely to have an OBE.
Floating sensation
About one in 10 people claim to have had an OBE at some time, typically involving a sensation of floating and seeing the physical body from outside.
For some, the phenomenon occurred spontaneously, while for others it was linked to dangerous circumstances, a near-death experience, a dream-like state or use of alcohol or drugs.
Despite this, relatively little is known about OBE.
Dr David Wilde and his team plan to find out more by studying the experiences of a large number of people.
He said there were several theories as to why people have OBEs.
Common thread
"There were early theories which looked at whether something actually physically left the body, like consciousness, but there's no real scientific evidence for that.
They all start from a feeling of a loss of input from the body
Researcher Dr David Wilde
"Other theories over the years have looked at whether OBE is a psychological defence mechanism in response to a perceived threat to the body in some way.
"Others have wondered whether it is a visual hallucination.
"But what has connected all the theories is the fact that they all start from a feeling of a loss of input from the body - a loss of conductive information coming from the legs, the arms, the trunk and so on.
"Our theory follows on from that."
His team believes that people experience their body in different ways and that this could explain why some people experience OBEs while others do not.
"We are finding that people with OBEs tend to experience their body differently to others.
"They tend to have increased social anxiety, to be uncomfortable about their body being scrutinised by others and dissatisfied with their bodies, and they tend to get immersed and absorbed in things very easily."
He said that by studying more people over the coming months he will be able to check whether his theory is correct.
The anonymous survey, funded by the Bial Foundation, can be accessed at www.freeresponse.org/muobe2005/
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Feeling happy.
Listening to the birds sing outside my window
Enjoying some peace and quiet before I leave the house.
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Almanac warns of temperature fluctuations
Coming winter could be 'polar coaster'; Northeast to see coldest weather
Updated: 2:48 p.m. ET Aug. 29, 2005
LEWISTON, Maine - Get your sweaters, mittens and hats ready. The Farmers' Almanac warns that the coming winter will bring unusually sharp fluctuations in temperature, and says readers "may be reminded of riding a roller, or in this case, 'polar' coaster."
"Mother Nature seems to be in the mood for some amusement this winter season," the almanac said in its 2006 edition, just off the presses.
The coldest weather will be in the Northeast, which also will get plenty of snow, the almanac said. It predicts cold weather for the South and Mid-Atlantic regions and snowy but mild weather in the Great Lakes and Midwest.
Parts of the Rockies and the Great Plains may have drier-than-normal weather, adding to the area's continuing drought, but wetter-than-normal weather is predicted for the Pacific Northwest and lower Texas.
The 189-year-old almanac claims 80 percent to 85 percent accuracy for the forecasts written under the name Caleb Weatherbee.
The forecasts are prepared two years in advance using a secret formula based on sunspots, the position of the planets and the tidal action of the moon, said editor Peter Geiger.
The National Weather Service questions the accuracy of such long-range forecasts, but almanac officials say its predictions stack up well against those of traditional meteorologists.
Chris Vaccaro, a weather service spokesman in Silver Spring, Md., wouldn't comment on the almanac's predictions without knowing "the methodology or algorithms" used to produce them, but said any forecast more than a week in advance is subject to change.
The almanac, not to be confused with the New Hampshire-based Old Farmer's Almanac 24 years its senior, claims a circulation of nearly 5 million. Most are sold to businesses that give them away as a goodwill promotion. Other versions are sold by retailers in the United States and Canada.
This year's almanac contains the usual mix of recipes, anecdotes, corny jokes, quizzes and helpful hints.
"In today's busy world, people want an escape," said managing editor Sondra Duncan. "They look to the almanac to connect to the simple pleasures."
Pumpkins get plenty of ink this year, first in recipes that include pumpkin pie, pumpkin gratin, pumpkin dip and pumpkin pancakes.
But an article also describes how a hollowed-out pumpkin can be used as a boat, as is done each year at the Windsor-West Hants Pumpkin Festival and Regatta in Nova Scotia.
Potential participants beware: "Your pumpkin, or personal vegetable craft (PVC) as they are known, can rarely be used twice due to structural ravages," the almanac says.
© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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How many times do I have to try to tell you
That I'm sorry for the things I've done
But when I start to try to tell you
That's when you have to tell me
Hey... this kind of trouble's only just begun
I tell myself too many times
Why don't you ever learn to keep your big mouth shut
That's why it hurts so bad to hear the words
That keep on falling from your mouth
Falling from your mouth
Falling from your mouth
Tell me...
Why
Why
I may be mad
I may be blind
I may be viciously unkind
But I can still read what you're thinking
And I've heard is said too many times
That you'd be better off
Besides...
Why can't you see this boat is sinking
(this boat is sinking this boat is sinking)
Let's go down to the water's edge
And we can cast away those doubts
Some things are better left unsaid
But they still turn me inside out
Turning inside out turning inside out
Tell me...
Why
Tell me...
Why
This is the book I never read
These are the words I never said
This is the path I'll never tread
These are the dreams I'll dream instead
This is the joy that's seldom spread
These are the tears...
The tears we shed
This is the fear
This is the dread
These are the contents of my head
And these are the years that we have spent
And this is what they represent
And this is how I feel
Do you know how I feel ?
'cause i don't think you know how I feel
I don't think you know what I feel
I don't think you know what I feel
You don't know what I feel
I read them, not all but many.
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You only see what your eyes want to see
How can life be what you want it to be
You’re frozen
When your heart’s not open
You’re so consumed with how much you get
You waste your time with hate and regret
You’re broken
When your heart’s not open
Mmmmmm, if I could melt your heart
Mmmmmm, we’d never be apart
Mmmmmm, give yourself to me
Mmmmmm, you hold the key
Now there’s no point in placing the blame
And you should know I suffer the same
If I lose you
My heart will be broken
Love is a bird, she needs to fly
Let all the hurt inside of you die
You’re frozen
When your heart’s not open
If I could melt your heart
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Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
Wake me up when September ends
Like my father's come to pass
Seven years has gone so fast
Wake me up when September ends
Here comes the rain again
Falling from the stars
Drenched in my pain again
Becoming who we are
As my memory rests
But never forgets what I lost
Wake me up when Septmber ends
Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
Wake me up when Septmber ends
Ring out the bells again
Like we did when spring began
Wake me up when septmber ends
Here comes the rain again
Falling from the stars
Drenched in my pain again
Becoming who we are
As my memory rests
But never forgets what I lost
Wake me up when septmber ends
Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
Wake me up when Septmber ends
Like my father's come to pass
Twenty years has gone so fast
Wake me up when September ends
Wake me up when September ends
Wake me up when September ends
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Imagine me and you I do
I think about you day and night
It's only right
To think about the girl you love
And hold her tight
So happy together
If I should call you up invest a dime
And you say you belong to me
And ease my mind
Imagine how the world could be
So very fine
So happy together
I can see me lovin' nobody but you
For all my life
When you're with me baby the skies'll be blue
For all my life
Me and you and you and me
No matter how they toss the dice
It had to be
The only one for me is you
And you for me
So happy together
I can see me lovin' nobody but you
For all my life
When you're with me baby the skies'll be blue
For all my life
Me and you and you and me
No matter how they toss the dice
It had to be
The only one for me is you
And you for me
So happy together
Me and you and you and me
No matter how they toss the dice
It had to be
The only one for me is you
And you for me
So happy together
So happy together
How is the weather
So happy together
We're happy together
So happy together
Happy together
So happy together
So happy together
Cherry Vanilla Dr.Pepper....
in The Cotton Candy Factory
Posted
to each their own.