Dust Bowl city

Yesterday was a full-on dust bowl day here. Amelie coughs a little when she runs, I'm positive her asthma is connected to the air pollution but I don't know which factor. So I found a cool link that alerts you when a pollution advisory comes out by e-mail. Sometimes I don't even know until I come over Dreamy Draw and see the disgusting brown cloud. Still no rain, of course.

Giving Comfort to the Quails

This Daily Show Piece is the funniest I have seen on the Cheney hunting accident. Why hide it, Dick? Did they think we wouldn't find out? You think they have reached the limits of secrecy and cover-ups but then they go you one more. It's the kind of thing that makes conspiracy nuts look reasonable.

Polar Bears Endangered? You Don't Say...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/ID/11233316

I'll be stunned if it happens under the Bushies. Also take the online poll.

My Legislative District, Ladies and Gentlemen...

Here.

David Burnell Smith, the first candidate ousted for egregiously abusing the clean elections system (which is great). What STINKS is that only the precinct Republicans nominate the 3 candidates to replace him. That doesn't seem so fair. Ah well.

Pictures of my cute kid

Some photos of xmas and post-new year at Disneyland.

ONE thing for Africa

We rented The Constant Gardener. Good movie, moved a little slow. But Africa, jesus, Africa. My ICO kids are more and more African refugees. How can we let a whole continent self-destruct? Hotel Rwanda. Black Hawk Down. Enough already. It's overwhelming and it breaks my heart. I love these kids!!

Today, February 1st, the United States assumes the Presidency of the United Nations Security Council for one month, giving America a unique opportunity to help the people of Darfur by leading the international community to take action. Specifically, the U.S. must use its time as head of the Council to take the necessary steps to turn the under-funded and under-equipped African Union peacekeeping force into a much stronger and more capable United Nations peacekeeping force. If America is serious about helping the people of Darfur, this is not an opportunity we can pass up. Please join today’s National Call-In Day organized by Africa Action by calling the U.S. Mission to the United Nations at (212) 415-4050, and asking U.S. Ambassador John Bolton to introduce a Security Council resolution calling for a multinational intervention in Darfur in support of the African Union with a mandate to protect civilians.Thank you for you help delivering this important message. We cannot let this opportunity pass us by.

Exxon Suxx

I haven't bought Exxon gas since Valdez. The CNN.com headline is The most profit in a year. Ever. Nice. Go here for a cartoon and to stick a thumb in their eye. And no, it's not the "let's all not buy gas tomorrow" boycott. :)

Amelie, Jaida, and Charlize

"Alice" - "There's a GAP in your sweater!" Cute. And now Amelie knows exactly what G-A-P spells. I must say I so appreciate the escape from reality that the Magic Kingdom offers these days. Amelie's Montessori teacher says I shouldn't encourage fantasy play. Like fun! I saw the Neverending Story. Stop imagining and the universe collapses. Not good.

Not THAT Castle Bookstore

Amelie calls Happily Ever After (Happily Ever After 3112 E Shea BlvdPhoenix, AZ 85028 - 3238(602) 867-4646) "the castle bookstore" which is sort of embarassing when she asks to go there in earshot of locals familiar with the Phoenix erotica chain of that name. But there is a castle inside this childrens' book store and the coolest toys. Susan, the owner, completely saved me from the existential crisis I had walking in to Toys R Us prior to xmas 04. Go there!

100 Days...and Counting....

No rain in 100 days here and none on the horizon. I think we're all starting to see the pattern here...unusual weather, breaking records, ZERO peer-reviewed studies saying that global warming is not a problem. But in Limbaugh land, the facts don't matter.

"The fact that they looked it up in a book just shows that they don't get the idea of truthiness at all. You don't look up truthiness in a book, you look it up in your gut." - Stephen Colbert

Camels

Greg wants me to tell you that camels' milk does not curdle. So much for that camel cheese dairy you were hoping to open in Buckeye.