...it is time, now...to simply PRAY.
In light of the deaths of the two Chicago firefighters today, I ask you to be patient enough to watch and listen...and perhaps say a prayer of your own?
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
In his own voice...
Edelweiss - Sound of Music - Christopher Plummer's own voice from Mark on Vimeo.
And...please...Bless OUR Homeland, the United States, forever....
Feel-good Story of the Day!
Peas For Prosperity Putting Homeless to Work
ATLANTA – Christy Annis is busy packing, wrapping and shipping black-eyed peas across the country for last minute stocking stuffers. And she is looking to the homeless for help.
“It’s a southern tradition to eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Eve for prosperity, it goes back to General Sherman during the Civil War,” said Christy Annis, the founder of Peas for Prosperity, an online boutique that sells everything peas.
For more than a decade Annis was an attorney but she gave it all up to pack peas.
“Peas for Prosperity was founded on one principle,” she said. “To help people in need one pea at a time, I wasn’t looking to get rich quick or even start a business. I wanted to make a difference in my community and help others receive their second chance.”
She hires homeless men and women on a contract basis- they label, wrap and ship the bags for kitchens across the country. She calls it peas to paychecks.
“The south got their second chance after the Civil War. I’m getting my second chance and that’s why I want to help other people too,” Annis said.
Read more here.
*********
My old South Carolina friends told me it should be 'red beans and rice' on New Year's Day, which I have done since the late 60s...but who am I to argue with Christy Annis, a successful businesswoman and former lawyer?
ATLANTA – Christy Annis is busy packing, wrapping and shipping black-eyed peas across the country for last minute stocking stuffers. And she is looking to the homeless for help.
“It’s a southern tradition to eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Eve for prosperity, it goes back to General Sherman during the Civil War,” said Christy Annis, the founder of Peas for Prosperity, an online boutique that sells everything peas.
For more than a decade Annis was an attorney but she gave it all up to pack peas.
“Peas for Prosperity was founded on one principle,” she said. “To help people in need one pea at a time, I wasn’t looking to get rich quick or even start a business. I wanted to make a difference in my community and help others receive their second chance.”
She hires homeless men and women on a contract basis- they label, wrap and ship the bags for kitchens across the country. She calls it peas to paychecks.
“The south got their second chance after the Civil War. I’m getting my second chance and that’s why I want to help other people too,” Annis said.
Read more here.
*********
My old South Carolina friends told me it should be 'red beans and rice' on New Year's Day, which I have done since the late 60s...but who am I to argue with Christy Annis, a successful businesswoman and former lawyer?
UPDATE: OBAMA'S TOP INTELLIGENCE OFFICIAL LEARNS OF LONDON TERROR ARRESTS FROM DIANE SAWYER
UPDATE: Despite their earlier denials, the Obama Administration now admits that Director Clapper had not been briefed on the London terror arrests that occurred the morning of this interview. Their initial response was to blame the interviewer, Diane Sawyer, for asking an "ambiguous question". We await the righteous indignation from the mainstream media for this outright lie at the expense of a journalist.
Director James Clapper, who briefs the president daily on the nation's security, appeared to be unfamiliar with the events in London.
*********
These are the three people ensuring our safety as citizens of the United States?
Hmmm...seems to me they are only there to enjoy their salaries and the perquisites their positions provide.
A f'rinstance...if Brennan was briefed about London, why wasn't Clapper?
The look on Clapper's face after Diane Sawyer's question definitely places him as an Obama 'suck-up', and nothing more.
And to claim Sawyer's question was 'ambiguous' is just simply, another LIE, brought to you by the Obama administration!
Diane Sawyer looks a little miffed during the close of this video, don't you think?
UPDATE: Despite their earlier denials, the Obama Administration now admits that Director Clapper had not been briefed on the London terror arrests that occurred the morning of this interview. Their initial response was to blame the interviewer, Diane Sawyer, for asking an "ambiguous question". We await the righteous indignation from the mainstream media for this outright lie at the expense of a journalist.
Director James Clapper, who briefs the president daily on the nation's security, appeared to be unfamiliar with the events in London.
*********
These are the three people ensuring our safety as citizens of the United States?
Hmmm...seems to me they are only there to enjoy their salaries and the perquisites their positions provide.
A f'rinstance...if Brennan was briefed about London, why wasn't Clapper?
The look on Clapper's face after Diane Sawyer's question definitely places him as an Obama 'suck-up', and nothing more.
And to claim Sawyer's question was 'ambiguous' is just simply, another LIE, brought to you by the Obama administration!
Diane Sawyer looks a little miffed during the close of this video, don't you think?
OVERWHELMING SADNESS...
2 firefighters dead, 14 hurt in extra-alarm blaze
Two firefighters died after a wall collapsed during a 3-11 alarm fire at an abandoned South Side commercial building this morning, authorities said.
Fourteen other firefighters were injured, including two who were trapped with the ones who died.
The firefighters killed were identified as Edward Stringer and Corey Ankum.
Police squad cars escorted two ambulances north on Lake Shore Drive to Northwestern as ramps were closed to clear it of traffic, according to fire communications.
Stringer was one of the firefighters taken there. The condition of the other one was not known.
Ankum, who had been with the department only 16 months, was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died.
Late this morning, dozens of firefighters stood at attention, removing their caps and saluting, as Ankum's body was taken from the hospital and put in an ambulance. A police escort led the ambulance to the medical examiner's office.
A similar procession with a dozen department vehicles left Northwestern shortly after noon with Stringer's body.
The fourth firefighter buried in the rubble, and as many as 12 other firefighters with undisclosed injuries, were also taken to hospitals.
Fire officials and sources said 10 were stable and six were taken to hospitals in serious to critical condition, including the two who later died.
{...}
The firefighters' deaths came on the 100th anniversary of a huge fire at the Union Stockyards that claimed the life of 21 Chicago firefighters, the single greatest loss in U.S. history of professional big-city firefighters until Sept. 11, 2001.
Read more here.
*********
My deepest sympathy to the families of Corey Ankum and Edward Stringer. Deaths which occur during what is supposed to be the 'happiest time of the year' are overwhelmingly sad.
If you, my few readers, could just take a moment today, and say a prayer that these two firefighters' families will have strength to endure their sorrow...that would be the greatest gift you could give!
To those firefighters who were injured, I pray you all make a speedy recovery.
And to the Chicago Fire Department: There are many of us out here who appreciate so very much how you put your lives on the line each and every time you race to strike down a fire. My sincere condolences to all of you on the loss of two of your family members.
Two firefighters died after a wall collapsed during a 3-11 alarm fire at an abandoned South Side commercial building this morning, authorities said.Fourteen other firefighters were injured, including two who were trapped with the ones who died.
The firefighters killed were identified as Edward Stringer and Corey Ankum.
Police squad cars escorted two ambulances north on Lake Shore Drive to Northwestern as ramps were closed to clear it of traffic, according to fire communications.
Stringer was one of the firefighters taken there. The condition of the other one was not known.
Ankum, who had been with the department only 16 months, was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died.
Late this morning, dozens of firefighters stood at attention, removing their caps and saluting, as Ankum's body was taken from the hospital and put in an ambulance. A police escort led the ambulance to the medical examiner's office.
A similar procession with a dozen department vehicles left Northwestern shortly after noon with Stringer's body.
The fourth firefighter buried in the rubble, and as many as 12 other firefighters with undisclosed injuries, were also taken to hospitals.
Fire officials and sources said 10 were stable and six were taken to hospitals in serious to critical condition, including the two who later died.
{...}
The firefighters' deaths came on the 100th anniversary of a huge fire at the Union Stockyards that claimed the life of 21 Chicago firefighters, the single greatest loss in U.S. history of professional big-city firefighters until Sept. 11, 2001.
Read more here.
*********
My deepest sympathy to the families of Corey Ankum and Edward Stringer. Deaths which occur during what is supposed to be the 'happiest time of the year' are overwhelmingly sad.
If you, my few readers, could just take a moment today, and say a prayer that these two firefighters' families will have strength to endure their sorrow...that would be the greatest gift you could give!
To those firefighters who were injured, I pray you all make a speedy recovery.
And to the Chicago Fire Department: There are many of us out here who appreciate so very much how you put your lives on the line each and every time you race to strike down a fire. My sincere condolences to all of you on the loss of two of your family members.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Mayor Daley and his cronies...
...over at the Department of Water Management here in Chicago...
...need a quick visit from this woman...
Julia Roberts as "Erin Brockovich"
...or someone just as tough!
High levels of chromium found in Chicago-area tap water
Advocacy group reports level of cancer-causing metal is three times as high as considered safe under a California proposal
The cancer-causing metal made infamous by the movie "Erin Brockovich" is turning up in tap water from Chicago and more than two dozen other cities, according to a new study that urges federal regulators to adopt tougher standards.
Even though scientists at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and National Toxicology Program have linked the ingestion of hexavalent chromium to cancer, the EPA doesn't require Chicago or other cities to test for the toxic metal.
Nor does the EPA limit the dangerous form of chromium in drinking water.
To take a snapshot of what is flowing through taps across the nation, the Environmental Working Group, a Washington-based research and advocacy organization, hired an independent laboratory that found the metal in treated drinking water from 31 cities.
The amount in Lake Michigan water pumped to 7 million people in Chicago and its suburbs was 0.18 parts per billion, three times higher than a safety limit California officials proposed last year.
{...}
The Chicago Department of Water Management said tap water is still safe. "Our water ... meets or exceeds all standards set by the EPA," the department said in a prepared statement.
The source of chromium in Chicago drinking water is unclear, though federal records show that some of the nation's biggest industrial sources are four steel mills in northwest Indiana that discharge wastewater into the city's source of drinking water.
Last year alone, records show, the U.S. Steel and Arcelor Mittal mills dumped a combined 3,100 pounds of chromium into Lake Michigan and its tributaries, less than 9 miles away from Chicago's water-intake crib off 68th Street.
Read the rest here.
*********
How about it, Mister Mare? Don't the inhabitants of Chicago and its environs deserve CLEAN, UNCONTAMINATED DRINKING WATER?
...need a quick visit from this woman...
Julia Roberts as "Erin Brockovich"...or someone just as tough!
High levels of chromium found in Chicago-area tap water
Advocacy group reports level of cancer-causing metal is three times as high as considered safe under a California proposal
The cancer-causing metal made infamous by the movie "Erin Brockovich" is turning up in tap water from Chicago and more than two dozen other cities, according to a new study that urges federal regulators to adopt tougher standards.
Even though scientists at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and National Toxicology Program have linked the ingestion of hexavalent chromium to cancer, the EPA doesn't require Chicago or other cities to test for the toxic metal.
Nor does the EPA limit the dangerous form of chromium in drinking water.
To take a snapshot of what is flowing through taps across the nation, the Environmental Working Group, a Washington-based research and advocacy organization, hired an independent laboratory that found the metal in treated drinking water from 31 cities.
The amount in Lake Michigan water pumped to 7 million people in Chicago and its suburbs was 0.18 parts per billion, three times higher than a safety limit California officials proposed last year.
{...}
The Chicago Department of Water Management said tap water is still safe. "Our water ... meets or exceeds all standards set by the EPA," the department said in a prepared statement.
The source of chromium in Chicago drinking water is unclear, though federal records show that some of the nation's biggest industrial sources are four steel mills in northwest Indiana that discharge wastewater into the city's source of drinking water.
Last year alone, records show, the U.S. Steel and Arcelor Mittal mills dumped a combined 3,100 pounds of chromium into Lake Michigan and its tributaries, less than 9 miles away from Chicago's water-intake crib off 68th Street.
Read the rest here.
*********
How about it, Mister Mare? Don't the inhabitants of Chicago and its environs deserve CLEAN, UNCONTAMINATED DRINKING WATER?
Tonight's the night!
From Astronomy Picture of the Day:
A Lunar Eclipse on Solstice Day
Credit & Copyright: Jerry Lodriguss (Catching the Light)
Sometime after sunset tonight, the Moon will go dark.
This total lunar eclipse, where the entire Moon is engulfed in the shadow of the Earth, will be visible from all of North America, while the partial phase of this eclipse will be visible throughout much of the rest of the world.
Observers on North America's east coast will have to wait until after midnight for totality to begin, while west coasters should be able to see a fully darkened moon before midnight. Pictured above is a digital prediction, in image form, for how the Moon and the surrounding sky could appear near maximum darkness.
Parts of the Moon entering the circle labeled umbra will appear the darkest since the Sun there will be completely blocked by the Earth. Parts of the Moon entering the circle labeled penumbra will be exposed to some direct sunlight, and so shine by some degree by reflected light.
The diminished glare of the normally full Moon will allow unusually good viewings of nearby celestial wonders such as the supernova remnant Simeis 147, the open star cluster M35, and the Crab Nebula M1.
By coincidence this eclipse occurs on the day with the shortest amount of daylight in the northern hemisphere -- the Winter Solstice.
This solstice eclipse is the first in 456 years, although so far it appears that no one has figured out when the next solstice eclipse will be.
*********
Unfortunately, we here in Chicago are expecting cloudy skies tonight. BUT...in case the sky does clear, the best viewing time will be just past midnight to about 4 AM.
A Lunar Eclipse on Solstice Day
Credit & Copyright: Jerry Lodriguss (Catching the Light)Sometime after sunset tonight, the Moon will go dark.
This total lunar eclipse, where the entire Moon is engulfed in the shadow of the Earth, will be visible from all of North America, while the partial phase of this eclipse will be visible throughout much of the rest of the world.
Observers on North America's east coast will have to wait until after midnight for totality to begin, while west coasters should be able to see a fully darkened moon before midnight. Pictured above is a digital prediction, in image form, for how the Moon and the surrounding sky could appear near maximum darkness.
Parts of the Moon entering the circle labeled umbra will appear the darkest since the Sun there will be completely blocked by the Earth. Parts of the Moon entering the circle labeled penumbra will be exposed to some direct sunlight, and so shine by some degree by reflected light.
The diminished glare of the normally full Moon will allow unusually good viewings of nearby celestial wonders such as the supernova remnant Simeis 147, the open star cluster M35, and the Crab Nebula M1.
By coincidence this eclipse occurs on the day with the shortest amount of daylight in the northern hemisphere -- the Winter Solstice.
This solstice eclipse is the first in 456 years, although so far it appears that no one has figured out when the next solstice eclipse will be.
*********
Unfortunately, we here in Chicago are expecting cloudy skies tonight. BUT...in case the sky does clear, the best viewing time will be just past midnight to about 4 AM.
Harry and his shenanigans...
Senator Harry Reid (D-evil, NV), who doesn't know left from right when it comes to his toupeeFrom thehill.com
In Sunday-evening surprise, Senate unanimously passes food safety bill
The Senate unexpectedly approved food safety legislation by unanimous consent Sunday evening, rescuing a bill that floated in limbo for weeks because of a clerical error.The Senate passed the Food Safety and Modernization Act on Nov. 30 by a vote of 73-25. But the bill was later invalidated by a technical objection because it was a revenue-raising measure that did not originate in the House — Senate staff had failed to substitute the food safety language into a House-originated bill.
{...}
Republicans, however, later agreed to pass it by unanimous consent.
{...}
Reid’s staff earlier in the day had told a coalition of groups supporting the legislation that it had a chance of passing but the prospects appeared to dim as Sunday wore on. The swift approval by unanimous consent caught some aides and lobbyists working on it by surprise.
Sen. Tom Coburn, the outspoken conservative Republican from Oklahoma, had been blocking the legislation. He lifted his objection at the final moment.
*********
Absolutely disgusting show by our 'servants' in the Senate!
If you'd like to read S 510 (Summary or Full Text) go here.
You might also like Mike Adams' take at Natural News: "Top ten lies about Senate Bill 510"
I'm wondering: If this passes the House, will Mrs. O have to lose the famous (but toxic) White House demi-organic garden?
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