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It's warm, sunny and Monday. Two out of three, not bad. How was your weekend? Did you wake up confused as to what day it might be? I did. Bummer when you think for a split second that it is Sunday.

Anyway, as those of you that are long time readers know, I can't go very long without changing things around these parts. It is chronic and there is no end in sight (sorry hubs). But often the changes are small enough that they aren't meaty enough for their very own post. (see, I now remember the word meat)

So I thought I'd gather them up and every once in a while do a little show and share - thus, the birth of 'you had to be there'.

Let's go into the living room, shall we? Don't look at the Barbie's on the floor but turn your eye up. I decided that keeping blue and white platters in a closet is just as bad as putting Baby in a corner. So I've added them above my favorite Pink Pagoda couple.


Since you are already looking up, you may also notice this.


Yes, I'm changing my dining room chandelier again.

We finally have a rug in our bedroom.


The hubs got it for me for Christmas. Which is in December. And it is now April. I know, I know.


This is happening in the entry hall (if you can call it that).


And finally, my ongoing battle with my mantel continues and I've changed it yet again. I pulled out some old sconces that I got at an estate sale way back when and slapped those suckers up. I had always thought I might spray them but I think I like the patina on the brass. And I love my pink candles.


Why yes, that is one of my lovely Indie Mats on the mantel. Good eye! Let it serve as a reminder - this is the last day you can enter to win these lovelies for your own home! Make sure you enter to win!

What about you? Do you move things around your house often? Made any small updates lately?

Earth Day:  A Pagan Holiday
Paganism and Christianity Forever At Odds
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet

*********************************************
Today is being celebrated by modern pagans as "Earth Day."  It is a date set aside to worship the earth (paganism).  Today is also the birthday of Vladimir Lenin, (April 22nd 1870).  Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary, author, lawyer, economic theorist, and political philosopher among other things.   Lenin created the Soviet Communist Party.

We agree with the folks at “TheBlogProf” who say:  “It is no coincidence that Earth
Day, April 22, was chosen to coincide with the birthday of Vladimir Lenin. A day that celebrates communism as the gold standard of human civilization. Never mind that it has never worked as advertised, creating disorder rather than order. Environmentalism, the religion du jour of the 21st century, has very similar ends of government control under the guise of being good stewards of the planet.”  (We recommend you read the entire article at: http://theblogprof.blogspot.com/2010/04/happy-vladimir-lenins-birthday-earth.html )

Read more at:  http://motls.blogspot.com/2010/04/earth-day-lenins-140th-birthday.html

Please note how the writer at TheBlogProf refers to environmentalism:
“Environmentalism, the religion du jour of the 21st century … ”

In our opinion, the writer is spot on.  Environmentalism has become a full-fledged religion.

As I have said before: we have a hodge-podge of religions in America.  Having said that, we have to admit that some are uplifting while others are, well, just plain goofy.

I learned early on in my education that one of the most interesting discoveries, made by anthropologists, is that the human animal will, somehow, create a religion – or religions.  Scientists tell us the human animal must have belief in something that gives meaning to his, or her, existence.  We human animals long for a power greater than our own.  It seems to come in our wiring. I happen to believe that is true.

If I may be allowed to explain:  If one believes in the divine creator, as I do, then one believes the human animal was created by that divine creator referred to simply as God.  Just as a child will long for his parents I believe humans long for their parent – God.  Seems to me, that is an explanation for the yearning man has for a divine being and leads him to create an “idol” of practically anything that will provide him a focus point for that parent he instinctively knows is there -- yet remains unseen. 

I am not a theologian.  But, I must tell you I think my explanation for man’s endeavor to close the gap between man and God, existent since the Garden of Eden, is as good as any.  Christians will tell you that Christ, God’s Son, came to this earth and closed that gap 2,000 years ago.  He was perceived by the corrupt government of his day as a threat and, as a result, he was executed.  Christians believe that three days later he rose from the dead and returned home but not before promising to return to earth and clean up the mess we have made.

As we said, that was around 2,000 years ago.  Things have changed for the worst. In this century, and the last, so many have turned from the worship of the supreme being, we call God, to what we used to call “paganism”… the worship of nature, or the environment, or… more specifically… environmentalism.

Yes, environmentalism HAS become a religion.  Well, actually, it always was, it has just come back into favor in the past 100 years, or so.

One thing I want to set straight before continuing, nature is not God. It is my belief that GOD created nature. 

Now, we can continue.

Michael Crichton, in his “Environmentalism as Religion” remarks made before the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco in 2003, summed it all up rather nicely, I think:

“The believers in environmentalism believe and preach that we should live in unity with nature, or the environment.  They believe that in the beginning we did. They believe that we are now living in sin because we have polluted the earth.  We will be visited with a judgment day and the judgment will be death, for the whole planet, unless we repent, (which means to turn around and go the other way) and make our way back to sustainability. You see, in the environmentalism religion, sustainability IS salvation.”   …    Michael Crichton.  See Crichton’s remarks here: http://www.crichton-official.com/speeches/speeches_quote05.html

The environmental religionists are calling for us to repent.  We are doomed, they say, as a result of pollution, global warming, running out of oil, the whole list of tribulations the environmentalist faithful are so sure are coming.

They believe that man and nature should coexist in one accord. Humans have never done that.  Why …  because it is impossible!  Man has always been at nature’s mercy. Nature is unforgiving.  Nature will kill you in a split second!  The evidence is all around me as I sit here writing in North Carolina awaiting the annual hurricane season to begin (officially) on June 1st.   Those of us who live in "Hurricane Alley" are well acquainted with nature's force and nature's fury.  We learned, long ago, to respect nature, but not worship it!  Believe me, those who find themselves praying to God for mercy in the midst of one of these horrific storms, is not the least bit confused as to who the Supreme Being is!  

Today, we have all the preachers of the Church of Environmentalism, preaching at us non-stop.  They preach fear.  They preach gloom and doom. They preach forsaking progress and returning to the days when man lived in harmony with nature, even though no such period ever existed in the history of mankind.

Many feel that inside that outer shell of green, the environmentalists so proudly wear, is the red of communism.  Like a watermelon, on the outside it is green.  Conversely, on the inside it is red.  And therein lies the connection with Earth Day’s observance on the birthday of Vladimir Lenin one of the founders of communism.

The environmental movement is in direct conflict with the Christian religion and, in this scribe's opinion, Christians should stir clear of any involvement with the "greenies," the “useful idiots” of the Marxists and communists, intent on the destruction of all those rights granted to man by God.

Earth Day is a pagan celebration, and I want no part in it.

© J. D. Longstreet

I love days like these and more precisely Spring days, when everything is brought to life and the weather is just great. A sweater and a pair of pants are just perfect for going out especially if a bold color is also involved in this scheme. Casual with a twist is how I call this look and I hope you like it!




                                                                             Sweater: thanks to Tokyo Laundry/ Here
                                                                             Pants: thanks to PersunMall/ Here
                                                                             Heels: Shoemint/ option Here
                                                                             Bag: Proenza Schouler
                                                                             Sunglasses:  c/o zeroUV
                                                                             Bracelet: c/o Jovonnista London

by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs- Tyranny

As information surfaces on the possible motivation of the Boston Marathon Bombers and the potential connection to Muslim terrorist organizations it is wise to consider how we best handle the issue of foreign immigration and the method to control it. Our primary interest is this day and age of madness is how to protect the citizens of these United States of America. Terror is a societal issue of the 21st century and determining how to address the deadly threat it presents civilized society must be of utmost importance. Now is NOT the time for misguided political correctness.

York York Times - WASHINGTON — With one suspect dead and the other captured and lying grievously wounded in a hospital, the investigation into the Boston Marathon bombings turned on Saturday to questions about the men’s motives, and to the significance of an overseas trip one of them took last year.

Federal investigators are hurrying to review a visit that one of the suspected bombers made to Chechnya and Dagestan, predominantly Muslim republics in the north Caucasus region of Russia. Both have active militant separatist movements. There are concerns in Congress about the F.B.I.’s handling of a request from Russia before the trip to examine the man’s possible links to extremist groups in the region.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who died early Friday after a shootout with the police in Watertown, Mass., spent six months of last year in Dagestan.

Tamerlan’s father, Anzor, said his son had returned to renew his passport, but his stay was prolonged and, analysts said, may have marked a crucial step in his path toward the bombing of the Boston Marathon.

Kevin R. Brock, a former senior F.B.I. and counterterrorism official, said, “It’s a key thread for investigators and the intelligence community to pull on.”

The investigators began scrutinizing the events in the months and years before the fatal attack, as Boston began to feel like itself for the first time in nearly a week .

Monday had brought the bombing, near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, which killed three and wounded scores, and the tense days that followed culminated in Friday’s lockdown of the entire region as the police searched for Mr. Tsarnaev’s younger brother from suburban backyards to an Amtrak train bound for New York City.

The motivations of Tamerlan Tsarnaev, and his younger brother, Dzhokhar, who was taken into custody Friday night and is still too wounded to speak, are as yet publicly unknown. Of Chechen heritage, they lived in the United States for years, according to friends and relatives, and no direct ties have been publicly established with known Chechen terrorist or separatist groups.

The significance of the trip was magnified late Friday when the F.B.I. disclosed in a statement that in 2011 “a foreign government” — now acknowledged by officials to be Russia — asked for information about Tamerlan, “based on information that he was a follower of radical Islam and a strong believer, and that he had changed drastically since 2010 as he prepared to leave the United States for travel to the country’s region to join unspecified underground groups.” {Read the Rest}

Indeed civilization is threatened by terrorist extremists, be they Muslim or otherwise should dirty nukes find their way into the terrorists arsenal of madness.

Via: Memeorandum

by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs- Tyranny

Boston firefighter James Plourde carries an injured girl away from the scene after a bombing near the finish line of the Boston Marathon in Boston. (AP Photo/MetroWest Daily News, Ken McGagh)

Giving thought to the Boston Marathon bombing and potential political consequences for the current administration the following article from THE HILL points up a very valid concern for the Obama team and far left Libertarians. Just what is the potential impact on the immigration issue. Certainly a valid concern in these times of uncertainty and terrorist madness.

THE HILL - The Boston Marathon terrorist attack allegedly hatched by two brothers from Chechnya is threatening to disrupt President Obama’s second-term agenda.

Opponents of immigration reform — the most promising priority of Obama’s second term remaining after the defeat of gun control — are already using the attack to try to slow progress on a bipartisan Senate bill.

More broadly, the attack is raising questions about how the administration should deal with 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who was captured Friday after an exhaustive manhunt in Boston, and concerns over whether the FBI was too complacent in letting his older brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev out of its sight after interviewing him in 2011.

The issues are expected to create political problems and distractions for Obama, whose fight against terrorism has largely been a political success highlighted by the killing of Osama bin Laden.

It is unclear how much oxygen the issue will consume in the coming weeks, but it seems certain it will shift the political debates in Washington.

“It definitely shifts the focus away from the issues they’ve been talking about,” said one top Democratic strategist. “Part of it depends on how deep this rabbit hole goes. Were there mistakes made or weren’t there? A lot of this depends on what the facts are but it shifts people’s attention from other issues and that’s a complication.”

Added one former senior administration official: “Does this push his agenda aside? It’s hard to say but I’m sure this is something that will occupy more presidential bandwidth in the near term than anything else.”

Republicans are already raising questions about the FBI interview, though there has been no direct criticism of Obama on the issue yet.

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) called the revelation of the FBI interview with Tamerlan Tsarnaev, which came after queries by the Russian government, “very disturbing” in a Friday interview with CNN. {Read More}

Perhaps Micheal Savage is not that far wrong with his Borders, Language, Culture mantra. Or is he? Certainly worth serious consideration.

Via: Memeorandum

Last night around 8 pm EDT the second suspect in the Boston Marathon Massacre was apprehended.  While I am thrilled that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was captured alive, I was dismayed at what I witnessed through out that day.

We on the Right claim to support the Constitution and the rights it upholds, yet we were willing to relinquish those rights for a little safety.  I witnessed citizen after citizen step aside as the police just walked into their homes (Without even asking permission.) and search the premises.  What if there was something they didn't like in these homes?  Would they look the other way?  I think not.  Suppose someone said no?  Would he or she be arrested for demanding their 4th Amendment rights?  And we still have this right:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

What if next time it isn't a terrorist but the government looking for our guns.  Will we just allow them to enter and search or will we demand a search warrant?  I think by the time the government gets around to that we will be accepting of this behavior.

I keep hearing about how wonderful the police were able to track down Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.  But in looking back I see it wasn't police work but a citizen who stepped outside to have a smoke and discovered blood in his shed, bloody clothing on the ground, and the suspect hiding in his boat.  And he did exactly what a citizen should do and notified the police.  BTW Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was discovered outside the "Quarantined Zone" only a few blocks from where his brother was caught.  Perhaps if the police hadn't shut down the city Dzhokhar Tsarnaev might have been caught sooner.

While I understand the joy and relief of the people of Boston, I found their street celebration a little on the wrong side of decency.  While they were celebrating there was a family mourning the loss of a policeman and another family praying for the recovery of a second policeman.  I doubt any of those celebrating gave one thought to the families of the 2 men.

Let me state this:

I DO NOT CONDONE WHAT THE TSARNAEV BROTHERS DID!  IN FACT I CONDEMN BOTH OF THE MEN AND AM HORRIFIED BY THEIR CRIME!

But we are a nation of laws.  I know that like Timothy McVeigh before him, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will be given a fair trial (Probably out of the Boston area.), a last meal (I suggest Pork Chops smothered in Bacon.) and a needle in the arm.  The Boston Marathon will run again next year and for years afterwards.  The police will have a perimeter in which backpacks and large bags will not be allowed in the area, like Times Square on New Years Eve.  But the victims of his crimes will be coping with their wounds and scars all their lives.

I know in writing this I will make many enemies on the Right.  But sometimes we have to speak the truth as we see it.  We have won a small victory in the War on Terror, but will we lose our freedoms to win this war.

On April 19, 1995 Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols used a bomb made with fertilizer and diesel fuel in a rented Ryder truck they parked in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City to blow up the Murrah Building. The explosion claimed 168 lives, including 19 children under the age of 6, and injured more than 680 people. The blast destroyed or damaged 324 buildings within a sixteen-block radius, destroyed or burned 86 cars, and shattered glass in 258 nearby buildings.

This was the worst terrorist attack on the United States until September 11, 2001.

 Play time with tartan patterns!
After seeing Celine and Stella McCartney F/W 2013 collections using tartan pattern in such a sophisticated/ minimalist way I fell in love again with this print. I remember wearing tartan pants and shirts in high school all in black-red combination and somehow always around winter Holidays. But now I don't associate tartan with Christmas anymore and here is a relevant example, with one thing still unchanged: the black-red combination:)




                                                                            Jeans: thanks to Raven Denim/ Here
                                                                            Tunic shirt: 3.1 Phillip Lim/ option Here 
                                                                            Bag: 3.1 Phillip Lim/ great option Here 
                                                                            Heels: BCBGeneration/ option Here 
                                                                            Leather bracelet: c/o Poshlocket
                                                                            Sunglasses: Ralph Lauren

by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs- Tyranny

As we here from the Beckman...



From RIGHT WING WATCH:

Near the end of today's radio broadcast, Glenn Beck declared that the cover-up of the Saudi link to the Boston Marathon bombing makes this the second most important thing (behind 9/11) that he has ever covered in his broadcasting career. And depending on how the media and the government responds in the coming days, it just might be the most important thing he's ever covered because the response "will either save our country or we will be done."

Beck then went on to send a semi-coded message to those in the upper level of the government warning that they had better come clean about this Saudi national because The Blaze has information that reveals that he "is a very bad, bad, bad man" which will be revealed on Monday.

"I don't bluff," Beck stated, "I make promises. The truth matters. I've had enough of what you've done to our country. I thought I had heard and seen it all. I thought I didn't trust my government. Oh no, no, no. There is no depth that these people will not stoop to. They have until Monday and then The Blaze will expose it.":

What say you oh reasonable people?

Via: Memeorandum

by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs- Tyranny


A iconic American city under lock down. Images reminiscent of the Twilight Zone rushing in. Results of terror on display. Civilization itself on the brink. Respect for the individual and the natural rights associated with with human existence lost. Respect for human life seemingly an afterthought. Right -vs- left and the need for affirmation more important than solving problems.Ideology reigns supreme. Firearm violence, gay rights, reproductive rights, religious doctrine -vs - rational secularism, hyperbole over truth and logic. Mysticism crowding out science and reason. Background checks and the insanity of the NRA. Forms of tyranny. On and on it goes.

A nation stands lost as to the cause. As the lights slowly dim. Perhaps there is hope. Time running out...


Is the above to be our future? Sometimes one cannot help but wonder.

Tired. That's the word. I forgot the word for meat last night. Meat. And I love meat. Does anyone else feel like this was three long weeks rolled into one? Thank goodness the weekend has finally arrived.

I have tons of wonderfulness to share with you - another finished client space, some projects I've started around here and of course all the deets on the party table I did this week. But for whatever reason I'm having trouble stringing together the words. Like I said, just plain tired.

So I will leave you with a beautiful picture as I pretend this is where I'm going for the weekend.

source

My little (imaginary) house on the river.

And a reminder - if you haven't already please remember to sign up for the Indie Mats giveaway. You only have a few more days left! The winner will be selected Tuesday morning!


And some additional exciting news, I'm a style contributor for Simply Baby's blog party which will be happening every Fridy for the next six weeks! Head on over to the party and check out my blog friend, Beth of Design Post Daily.

Join the party here

Make sure to check it out each Friday because there are some pretty amazing ladies participating:

Tiffany Leigh of Tiffany Leigh Interior Design

Beth of Design Post Daily

Heather of Vivid Hue Home

Cindi and Emily of Scrappy Love

Katherine of Rhymes with Smile

Kelley of Forever's Like a Dream
Like I said, a lot of good things going on! What are your plans this weekend? Working outside? Working inside? Coming to my river house with me?

Happy Weekend!

Global Warming Hoax Finally Falling Apart
A Commentary by J.D. Longstreet
******************

We "deniers" have now become "debunkers!"  We have known all along -- and have not hesitated to tell the world -- that global warning was, and remains, the worst hoax ever played on mankind.

We have been telling anyone who will listen that the world stopped warming about 1998, or so, and that we are now trending toward another little ice age. 

Environmentalists are red-faced.  It is their day in the barrel! We debunkers are laughing our bippies off!

Reuters is reporting:  "Scientists are struggling to explain a slowdown in climate change that has exposed gaps in their understanding and defies a rise in global greenhouse gas emissions.

Often focused on century-long trends, most climate models failed to predict that the temperature rise would slow, starting around 2000. Scientists are now intent on figuring out the causes and determining whether the respite will be brief or a more lasting phenomenon.

Getting this right is essential for the short and long-term planning of governments and businesses ranging from energy to construction, from agriculture to insurance. Many scientists say they expect a revival of warming in coming years.

Theories for the pause include that deep oceans have taken up more heat with the result that the surface is cooler than expected, that industrial pollution in Asia or clouds are blocking the sun, or that greenhouse gases trap less heat than previously believed.

The change may be a result of an observed decline in heat-trapping water vapor in the high atmosphere, for unknown reasons. It could be a combination of factors or some as yet unknown natural variations, scientists say."  SOURCE:  http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/16/us-climate-slowdown-idUSBRE93F0AJ20130416

See what I mean?  They're tying themselves into knots as they attempt to cover their derrières!  It is priceless! 

Hey!  Remember how we were told the Himalayan glaciers were melting and would soon be completely gone? Well, check this:  "Some experts say their trust in climate science has declined because of the many uncertainties. The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had to correct a 2007 report that exaggerated the pace of melt of the Himalayan glaciers and wrongly said they could all vanish by 2035."  SOURCE:  http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/16/us-climate-slowdown-idUSBRE93F0AJ20130416

There are some environmental "experts" trying to figure out why there is now MORE sea ice in winter.  Seems to me, I recall them telling us the sea ice was melting, especially at the poles.  Turns out not to be correct. 

Do you remember  how we were told that so-called "superstorm" Sandy was a result of melting arctic ice?  Oh yes, we were slammed over and over again with that bit of unfounded wisdom.

In the first place Sandy was NOT a super storm.  "Superstorm" was a term made up by Mainstream Media as a scare tactic.  The truth is: SANDY WAS NOT EVEN A HURRICANE WHEN IT CAME ASHORE AT ATLANTIC CITY!  To be a hurricane a storm must have sustained winds of at least 74 miles per hour.  Sandy was so weak that the storm didn't have winds high enough to be classified as a hurricane and was therefore only a "tropical cyclone."  Actually, it was LESS than that.  It was, in fact, what is known by meteorologists as a "Post Tropical Cyclone."  That's about as weak as a storm can can get and still be classified as some kind of cyclone.
  
I know, I know!  Yeah, I hate to burst your bubble, but thems the facts, Jack!

Remember, there were two other weather systems that combined with what was left of Sandy to create that godawful weather event now dubbed Superstorm Sandy.

Many of us debunkers warned at the time that the "environuts" would use those combined storms as a means to spread fear of non-existent global warming.  They did.  Oh, how they used it.

Just remember:  "Sandy was never a superstorm. There are no superstorms."  SOURCE:  http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-11/dictionary-hurricane-sandy-superstorm

So what was Global Warming all about, anyway?   Well, former Czech President Václav Klaus said this: "This ideology preaches earth and nature and under the slogans of their protection – similarly to the old Marxists – wants to replace the free and spontaneous evolution of mankind by a sort of central, now global, planning of the whole world"

Global governance.  A one world government. To be more precise:  A one-world SOCIALIST government.  

Let's face it:  The socialist movement is relentless.  If you ever wondered where all those communist and socialist went when the old Soviet Union collapsed -- look no farther than the environmental movement -- the Global Warming crowd.

So now we can expect another  campaign to shut up those of us who are, in fact, debunkers.  But it won't work.  See, facts are stubborn things.  They won't go away.   And most importantly, truth has no agenda. Truth IS -- period.

It is the truth were are interested in spreading.  Nothing more.

© J. D. Longstreet

 I hope everyone had a great week so far. I can't complain but I'm still waiting for the weekend and the chill mood :) I have for you today an outfit that I wore a few Sundays ago for breakfast and some market shopping and is pretty obvious that this is a weekend look.
Now you can see why I'm waiting for the weekend: to spend some precious time with my guy:)




                                                                                 Shirt: thanks to Sheinside/ Here
                                                                                 Pants: Mango/ option Here  
                                                                                 Bag: Pulicati/ great option Here 
                                                                                 Shoes: Calvin Klein
                                                                                 Sunglasses: Ralph Lauren

Terrorism Finally Attacks America's Soft Underbelly
The Beginning of the Beginning
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet
***************

The attack on the Boston Marathon was an event many Americans have been waiting for -- and dreading. It marks the beginning of the beginning, if you will.  The beginning of a campaign by terrorists aimed directly at American's freedom and liberty.

Terrorism will now use the freedom and liberty Americans have taken for granted since the American Revolution -- against us. 

I am sorely afraid this is the premier of a campaign of attacks on American shopping malls, sports arenas, churches, subways, trains, municipal buses, (God forbid -- school buses) anywhere and everywhere an attack can bring maximum pain, suffering, death, and most important -- terror to Americans.

If the Boston attacker was, indeed, a "Lone Wolf" it is quite possible to expect more attacks similar in nature-- and soon, especially if there is not a fairly speedy arrest.

Terrorism is a double edged sword.  Not only does it create terror, it creates a yearning for security by a people who suddenly feel vulnerable.  That yearning for security can very easily move a people to trade freedom for security.  Therein lies the 2nd danger -- the second edge -- of the terrorism sword.

So what do we Americans do?  We suck it up.  we bury our dead, we suffer our grief, and we get on with our lives.  I understand that it sounds crass, but, really what choice do we have?  We cannot give in to fear. The moment we do that, the terrorists have won. 

For an example of how a society deals with these types of terrorists attacks we have only to look to the people of Israel.  For over six decades they have suffered relentless terrorist attacks. Yet they refuse to give in to the terrorists and continue to get on with their lives. 

America is renown for being able to deal it  out.  Now the question is -- can we take it, as well? 

Not only are Americans going to have to defend  against terrorists, we are going to have to defend against legislators in our government who will, no doubt, move to increase government power over the American people.  Fear is, perhaps, the greatest motivator.  And there are always power hungry leaders eager to use any crisis to seize more power for themselves and their political party.

Yes, I understand it is impolitic to speak of such dangers just days after a gut-wrenching terrorist attack on American soil, but such is the world we live in today.

I hail from the generation of Americans who performed the "duck and cover" drills in school.  We lived our lives under what we believed was a constant threat of nuclear annihilation.  We KNEW the world could end at any moment.  For the most part, none of us, save for the experts, knew that our duck and cover drills were absolutely useless and would not save us from a nuclear attack.

But those drills gave us something to do, something to instill a portion of confidence that we could survive and live. And so we would duck and cover, crouch down and hug a wall in a hallway, drop into a ditch, even pull an opened newspaper over our bodies as we lay on the open ground. 

After a while, the fear became a part of who we were.  We lived with it day and night.  In time we learned to deal with it and get on with the routine of daily life. 

Unfortunately, we may have cycled right back to the duck and cover mentality of the middle of last century.  If so, we are about to learn what modern Americans are made of.
America is a "target rich" environment for terrorists.  It is a terrorist's dream.

Consider this:  "The United States proclaims itself the world's foremost economic and military superpower - the mightiest nation on Earth, "land of opportunity" for those who want to work hard and prosper. But as Monday's bombings at the Boston Marathon illustrate, the reality is that, from sea to shining sea, this is a nation of "soft targets," full of opportunities for those who want to do it harm."   SOURCE:  http://apnews.myway.com/article/20130417/DA5N4K100.html

Here's the thing, as I see it:  We're Americans, damnit!  We don't give in and we don't give up.  Terrorism will not break us.  Sure, we'll be afraid -- initially.  Then we're going to get mad as hell -- and when we do, retribution will be visited upon the perpetrators, their children, their grandchildren, and their great-grandchildren.   If we find it is possible, we will reach into the afterlife and torment you in your version of paradise.  

You wouldn't know it today by observing our national leadership and our media, but America is a warrior tribe.  The LAST thing the terrorists want to do is get our blood lust up. If they don't know that now, they soon will.

I can only hope our Commander-in-Chief has already ordered our fleet of drones to rain a veritable hailstorm of hellfire missiles on known terrorists, their homes, and their encampments around the globe.  Our counterterrorism must be stepped-up exponentially and we must continue to do so around the clock.  There must be a price to pay, far in excess of what the terrorists are willing to pay, for attacking the American homeland.

The problem, as I see it, with "winning" over terrorism is this:  When a people hate America more than they love their lives, or the lives of their children, the only way to stop their attacks is -- extinction.

Another thought in passing:  If these soft target attacks continue in America, maybe more Americans will begin to understand the thinking of our forefathers during the 1940's when we opened internment camps for the Japanese-Americans.


Remember, dear reader, back on 911 the terrorist took down two buildings.  America, in turn, took down two countries. 

They will only defeat us if we allow them to defeat us.  We can only lose -- if we quit.

I'm not about to quit!  Neither will my fellow Americans.  
© J. D. Longstreet

December 31, 2012
The "Free Lunch" Weight Loss Plan v.019


The stars aligned. I got a good night's sleep (which is rare since I am an insomniac most nights). The sun was out. I mowed the backyard and weeded the front yard to some degree. I was therefore in good spirits. I worked out to the second episode of the first season of Alias. It was apparently motivating enough to knock exactly 4 minutes off my best time. It took me just 40 minutes and 57 seconds to climb 200 flights today.

It is not a coincidence that the time ended in 57 seconds again. Call it a 3 second safety buffer. I started off at a 50 feet per minute pace. At first I thought I could get down under 45 minutes (with the intent of slowing down at some point). That's how long the episode was (no commercials, Comcast On Demand). 44 minutes started looking doable. I then started shooting for 43 minutes. Hope rose that I could do it under 42 minutes. And lastly, I really pushed near the end to make it just under 41 minutes. My pace varied from 47 feet per minute to 53 feet per minute (the final push at the end). I averaged 48.8 feet per minute.

Under 40 minutes was right out. First, I weigh about 6 pounds more than the last time I made a serious attempt. Second, I was alone in the house (my girlfriend had errands to run). Third, there is no phone in the room with the stair climber (to call an ambulance in theory, lol). Fourth, I don't have health insurance at the moment.

I managed to give myself a temporary dehydration headache. I drank a 12 ounce glass of Gatorade before I started. I drank another 12 ounces as I was climbing. I followed it up with yet another 12 ounces after I was done. That was definitely not enough liquids. Once I realized that I was on a record pace, I didn't want to stop to get more fluids though.



I felt like Ted Stryker attempting to land a plane. Let's just say that I don't think I'll ever get over Macho Grande. ;)

Niesen


Holy mother of...

Spring has finally sprung. It hasn't shown up in my weight yet, but I've been exercising a lot more over the past week. The day before yesterday I watched the first episode of the first season of Alias while working out (at a much slower pace). There are a LOT more episodes to go! It is very likely that I'll be climbing well more than the minimum 20 flights per day in the coming months. Once again, 20 flights remains my minimum though. It keeps me in the game and allows me to climb as many as I like whenever I like. Over the past few months, I've only been doing the minimum. It was clearly enough exercise if today is any indicator.

There was very little pain (other than the slight dehydration headache which was entirely preventable). My legs are not sore right now. The limiting factor was my cardiovascular system. It was the air I could breathe in and how fast my heart was beating that mostly decided my speed. I'm definitely not a believer in the no pain, no gain theories, especially when it comes to exercise. All it takes is modest and consistent exercise each and every day to make a huge impact overall. Baby steps! 20 flights a day seemed like a chore when I started. Now they seem trivial. It takes just 4 minutes now (or 5 minutes if I'm feeling especially lazy).

Give it a try. You might like it. Walk up the street once a day. Climb some stairs. Just do something that you think you can do each and every day for the rest of your life, even if it seems trivial. You will not regret it. I sure haven't. Anything is better than nothing.

There is a party mood happening today because I've got tablescapes on the brain people. I'm styling a table for a local charity event this evening and then I'm hosting a big party at my house in June, so Pinterest and I have been chatting of nothing but linens, flowers, napkins and silverware. (forks on the left...i always forget)

So I thought I would share some pretty inspiration pics with you. Because I don't know about you, but I enjoy a good looking table when I sit down to my catered dinner.

source via pinterest

source via pinterest

source via pinterest

source via pinterest

source via pinterest

source via pinterest

source via pinterest

I'll be sure to share pictures from tonight's event sometime next week.

So what do you think? Does it get you in the mood to have a party? If you do, can I come? I am full of sparkling conversation.

And btw, don't forget to sign up for the great Indie Mats Giveaway! You only have until Monday.