Claire returned from Chicago last Sunday. Once again I had hoped to swing by a Circuit City or Best Buy before picking her up, but the stores weren't open yet. I'm likely going to just order a television and have it shipped. Recommendations for 27” and 31” models are appreciated. Sony? Flat screen?
Yesterday Mr. Russell stopped by after spending a hot day working in Francestown, NH. The girls were thrilled to spend some time with him. Once again he affirmed, “You don't pay your wife enough!” Yes, I know. I'm a bit nervous about spending the week in Chicago with the twins without her help. Anyway, we tried Milano's yesterday for pizza, subs, and gyros. It was ok but they didn't call us right away when our order was ready. I think they got us mixed up with call in orders and expected us to walk in and request the order. They forgot that we were sitting there waiting to take it “to go”.
Today it is supposed to be wicked hot outside, nearly 100°. No doubt Michelle has plans to use the central air. She also plans on taking the kids to the pool again. It gets them out of the house but keeps everyone cool. She went yesterday and said that the boys have gotten over their fear of the water at the kiddie pool. Now they fool around in the water like gangbusters!
I spoke with MV Communications last night. They claim that they can do ADSL to my home (768k/128k). Considering how flakey Adelphia cable has been, it may be well worthwhile. My MV phone ISP service has been great. If MV's ADSL service does pan out well, I could totally drop Adelphia and switch to DirecTV satellite for television. I already have a two headed dish mounted on the house ready to go. I'd just have to buy the receivers. You can even buy a DirecTivo : a combination DirecTV receiver with the TiVo capability built into it. We'll see how it goes.
The latest trailer for LOTR The Two Towers is out now. It looks good. I love the photography in this series! A lot of movies seem to enjoy doing this excessively long leadup hype. For Pete's sake, this movie won't show until December! The filming was done last year! I only wish I could see it with Tom again this Christmas time, like we saw the first movie last December. Considering how long we'll be in Chicago this August, I don't think we'll be there for Christmas.
Read this article as one example of why I've been extremely skeptical of “global warming”:
“...this is the sort of trick that would make a college sophomore blush. The report's publishers in essence acted like students with a 10-page paper due who found they only had seven pages, so decided to mess around with the margins and font sizes and line spacing in an effort to make seven pages become - magic! - 10. That's childish in college; it's reprehensible in official government reports.Cal Thomas writes :This stunt throws into question the whole assessment process. Roger Pielke, a respected atmospheric scientist at Colorado State who was involved with the drafting process at the time, said, "I'm disappointed in the whole process. This has been the most closed, unhealthy scientific process I've ever been involved in."
“...The overwhelming majority of Americans have been forced to stomach a lot of garbage in recent years, from pornography to flag burning, all for the sake of a supposedly "healthy" First Amendment. For them, any move to ban the Pledge will be the last straw and woe to the politician or judge who gets in their way.”OK, once last snippet from an editorial in the Washington Times:
“There is quite a difference between a general reference to God and an official state-supported religion, but it is a distinction apparently lost upon the judicial miscreants of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In a 2-1 decision Wednesday, the court somehow managed to rule that use of the pro forma phrase 'one nation, under God' in the Pledge of Allegiance is tantamount to the establishment of an official state-sponsored religion, and, therefore, a violation of the First Amendment. ...Hogwash. ...While the decision can easily be interpreted as well meaning, the fact is that it is not. Sure, the Founding Fathers believed in God, and the government they created is based on moral principles derived from that belief. But the bipartisan reaction on Capitol Hill and overwhelming non-religious outcries from the general public prove that the court will be burning the midnight oil on this one, because it seems some people are trying to remake this great nation, 'under God,' into an America in their own image.”