a blog by stephen

Long Island has had the first (last?) Blizzard of 2005. The Weather Channel is calling it “The Winter Wallop”.
My car is currently buried under about 15″ of snow. Fun times to come.
This is a news image from another part of Long Island -

Finally, a message from John Kerry today!
While Canada starts to recruit Americans upset with the election, with the recounts in Ohio on the way I hope this isn’t the last we hear from Mr. Kerry.

Dear Supporter, I want to thank you personally for what you did in the election — you rewrote the book on grassroots politics, taking control of campaigns away from big donors. No campaign will ever be the same. You moved voters, helped hold George Bush accountable, and countered the attacks from big news organizations such as Fox, Sinclair Broadcasting, and conservative talk radio. And your efforts count now more than ever. Despite the words of cooperation and moderate sounding promises, this administration is planning a right wing assault on values and ideals we hold most deeply. Healthy debate and diverse opinion are being eliminated from the State Department and CIA, and the cabinet is being remade to rubber stamp policies that will undermine Social Security, balloon the deficit, avoid real reforms in health care and education, weaken homeland security, and walk away from critical allies around the world. Regardless of the outcome of this election, once all the votes are counted — and they will be counted — we will continue to challenge this administration. This is not a time for Democrats to retreat and accommodate extremists on critical principles — it is a time to stand firm. I will fight for a national standard for federal elections that has both transparency and accountability in our voting system. It’s unacceptable in the United States that people still don’t have full confidence in the integrity of the voting process. I ask you to join me in this cause. And we must fight not only against George Bush’s extreme policies — we must also uphold our own values. This is why on the first day Congress is in session next year, I will introduce a bill to provide every child in America with health insurance. And, with your help, that legislation will be accompanied by the support of hundreds of thousands of Americans. There are more than eight million uninsured children in our nation. That’s eight million reasons for us to stay together and fight for a new direction. It is a disgrace that in the wealthiest nation on earth, eight million children go without health insurance. Normally, a member of the Senate will first approach other senators and ask them to co-sponsor a bill before it is introduced — instead, I am turning to you. Imagine the power of a bill co-sponsored by hundreds of thousands of Americans being presented on the floor of the United States Senate. You can make it happen. Sign our “Every Child Protected” pledge today and forward it to your family, friends, and neighbors: http://johnkerry.com/EveryChild This is the beginning of a second term effort to hold the Bush administration accountable and to stand up and fight for our principles and our values. They want you to disappear; they are counting on that. I’m confident you will prove them wrong, and you will rewrite history again. Here is what I want you to know. I understand the strength, commitment, and passion that are at the core of what we built together — and I am determined to make our collective energy and organization a force to be reckoned with in the weeks and months ahead. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get back to work for our country. Thank you,
John Kerry

I thought this news article was amusing. My comments are in red.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Reuters) - Employees at a Little Rock office building have been asked to leave their deer hunting rifles at home because the president and three former presidents are coming to town to open Bill Clinton’s presidential library. ..Why do they take their guns to work you might ask? I wondered if it was to get Lunch or something *grin*, so I read on..

Acxiom Corporation distributed a memo to the 420 employees in its 12-story sales and marketing building in Little Rock’s River Market district — near the Clinton library — reminding them of its policy forbidding weapons on company property.”This would not be a time to violate that policy,” said Dale Ingram, spokesman for Acxiom. ..seems like good advice..
The Acxiom building overlooks the library, where President Bush and former presidents Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush and Clinton are to speak.

Deer hunting season in Arkansas began last weekend, and overlaps with the dedication, on Thursday, of Clinton’s library.

Deer hunters in Arkansas take the sport so seriously that many of them keep their rifles and shotguns and other equipment in their cars, which makes it easier for them to get in a few hours in the woods before or after leaving work.

“With hunting season opening, associates should be especially mindful not to have firearms, ammunition or other weapons in their vehicles,” the Acxiom memo noted. ..or the secret service will get’ya!…

News story is © Reuters 2004 and used without permission. Original article located here.

So today was a weird day. I called of sick from work. I still feel kind of blah. I hope it isn’t the flu.
I did get to watch my current favorite talk show, The Ellen Degeneres Show , today… I saw that Ruben Studdard still sucks and then if that wasn’t scary enough…. Disney Pixar’s Finding Nemo on Ice?? Yesterday’s Ellen was by far better - Elton John!! … I caught that on TiVo.

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Really… imagine Nemo on ice skates — SCARY! The poor children…