6 rules, 6 facts

Playing Tag

1) Link to the person who tagged you: Crystalee at http://crystaleecalderwood.blogspot.com/

2) Post the rules on the blog: Posted

3) Write six random things about yourself:

1. i just ate chocolate cake and cream of mushroom soup together...the soup i treated as my drink.

2. it's a lot easier than i thought to get up at 4:40 am

3. a camel tried to eat my arm off

4. i know why hot dogs come in packages of 10 and buns come in packages of 8, my friends.

5. i started riding my bike again and it makes me feel like a kid

6. i might dress up as hannibal lecter for halloween

4) Tag six people at the end of your post.

5) Let each person know they have been tagged. .

6) Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

"Tag, You're It!"

i tag laura, mark, elizabeth, chad, april, and carolyne

news angles

the bbc news corporation has a head line that of "US anger at Guantanamo Bay Ruling" regarding the declaration by a US JUDGE that the Uighur detainees no longer be declared enemy combatants. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7658045.stm). But the United States of America is not just its government, and in my experience travelling abroad, most people make that distinction. Of course, in recent years, it has become less and less distinct, as the world seems to have less respect for us. Anyways, not all Americans want the 17 Uighurs (Chinese Muslims) to be indeterminately detained (7 years so far). There's the judge, the lawyer, and now, the relgious community in Talahasse Florida. A statement from the Center for Constitutional Rights revealed:

Religious and community leaders from both Tallahassee, Florida and the Washington D.C. area offered to the court detailed plans for the support of the men, from housing and counseling to employment and car insurance. In this stunning show of goodwill and solidarity, 20 leaders from faith-based communities in Tallahassee, Florida, and a network of refugee resettlement agencies and other religious groups, have pledged to help settle the men in local communities.

See BBC? Not all Americans are angered by this! In fact, it's bringing some together.

PhotoHunt: Wild

i'm kind of backtracking, because i just started the photo hunt. this is the theme from the week of september 13th, 2008. WILD. this is my wild shiba inu, akira. okay, he's really yawning, but he looks fierce!

Photo Hunt: View

This is a view of the Black Sea through one of the church ruins in Old Nessebar, Bulgaria

Photohunt: Road

This is my first Photohunt- go to tnchick.com/photohunt to find out more

This is a shot from inside the car on the road from Koprivshitsa, Bulgaria

Post AmeriCorps Service

The AmeriCorps Pledge

I will get things done for America -
to make our people safer,
smarter, and healthier.

I will bring Americans together
to strengthen our communities.

Faced with apathy,
I will take action.

Faced with conflict,
I will seek common ground.

Faced with adversity,
I will persevere.

I will carry this commitment
with me this year and beyond.

I am an AmeriCorps member,
and I will get things done.

In the oath we took at the beginning of my AmeriCorps service, I committed myself to a lifetime of service, beyond my years in AmeriCorps. Time to put my money where my mouth is, and since I don't have any money, that's my hands :). I volunteered today in Braddock doing light renovation on a future foster home and planting an orchard with peach, plum, apple, and pear trees. I was contacted to do this through AmeriCorps Alums. The majority of people there were currently in AmeriCorps keys, but there was also a Vista alum who served in Seattle and currently works at Reed Smith in Pittsburgh, and some of his coworkers who also volunteered. Mayor John also actively participated in the project. We cleared all debris out and around of a house under renovation, and then moved to the orchard site. The ground was so hard and full of rocks and brick that even using a pick axe was hard going. So the Braddock fire department gave us a little help softening up the ground by spraying it down. It was hard work, and my back is feeling it now, but I got to run under the fire cannon water, play in the mud, and use a firehose, so over all, pretty good time!

Debate Tonight

the debate is supposedly on tonite after mccain tried to back out...9 pm eastern time, 8 pm there... i'm going to watch it on pbs because jim lehrer is moderating...