I'm a HALO nerd.

The finer things:

Cold grapes

Hammocks

A second glass of wine

An afternoon buzz

Mud between your toes

Etta James

Shem Creek sunsets

Empty beaches

Juicy Apples

An unexpected hug

Fishing with granddad

Drinking a cold beer during a hot shower

Playing in a creek

A vegetable garden

Skinny-dipping

A Weber charcoal grill

Playing in a corn field

A calm harbor

Camping with your dog

Pocket knives

Homemade peach ice cream

Pretending you’re someone else around strangers

Nat King Cole

The sound of rain

Laying in the grass

Maps, Globes, Atlases

Camp fires

Irish Politics Takes a Turn for the Worst!

Me and the Taoiseach (like the Prime Minister of Ireland)

Interesting bottle of wine.

I had an interesting bottle of wine last week. Now first off I am by no way a wine snob. I know very little about the technical aspects of what makes a great wine. What I do know is what I like.

The bottle in question is a Spanish Rioja, Campo Viejo Reserva, 2001. It was a very pleasant red. I agree with the tasting notes on the back of the bottle. No need for me to add in an attempt to look smarter and more refined than I am.

National Lampoon's Syrian Vacation... Staring: Nancy Pelosi.

So what is the danger with just talking to Syria?

That statement presupposes we are not already talking with Syria. I have found that most folks think that we do not have diplomatic ties to Syria. I mean obviously we must not have ties... isn't that the reason Pelosi is going in the first place? Certainly she can't be confused about the duties of Congress. Obviously she understands the importance of the separation of powers. Is she on a budgetary mission? Is she considering legislation to do with trade or Syrian foreign policy? Are we to expect Justice Ginsberg on a diplomatic visit to Cuba next?

The fact is we do have an Embassy in Syria. She is confused about her duties as a Congresswoman and that of the State Department (the Executive).

So why is she there? Because she needs to appear strong to her base. A base that constantly calls for "talk" and "dialog". After all talking can only help. Can't we all just get along?

So what harm can talking do?

1. If you misquote heads of State you run the risk of deteriorating sensitive and tentative agreements already put in place by professional diplomats. (Pelosi misquoted PM Olmert of Israel in a message to Syria)

2. You can undermine consensus of important world bodies and important world players. This in turn leads to unilateral positions which in turn leads to a loss of credibility. (Pelosi's actions and statements have acted as a wedge in Euro-Euro relations and Euro-US relations.)

3. You undermine the hard work of those professionals that do the actual hard work of international relations. We have diplomatic relations with Syria. If we want to talk to them we do.

4. You embolden those that benefit from unilateralism, undermined allegiances and disparateness. (HAMAS, Hizbollah, etc)

Here is a great blog post spelling all of this out. This is from Anton Efendi's Across the Bay, a blog about Lebanese issues.
http://beirut2bayside.blogspot.com/2007/04/fools-errand-in-damascus.html

Jeremy Piven is Brill...

You are blessed. Oh yes, you are.

A young child from the area I hail from is battling Leukemia at 4 years old.

Remember that today when you catch yourself being petty or greedy or callus or unthankful.

B.
______________
Note: A person very important to me has brought to my attention that my statement above could be viewed as "preachy" and "manipulative". That was certainly not my intention. My intention was two fold. To bring this lovely child's situation to light in the hopes that others might be able to help her and her family. Also, to remind us that each day is a blessing and that but for the grace of God go I.

So if others interpret my attempt at showing this situation to others as manipulative I apologize. And, if others interpret my admonition that we be thankful as preachy I also apologize.

Finally, we all react in different ways based on what life has shown us. One reaction is no less or more valid than another. Hopefully we try to consider other sides that might have traveled a different path and come to different conclusions. I want to thank my friend for caring enough to share her path with me.
______________

Child's Growing Pains Turn Out to be Cancer

By the time Katelyn Wilson is old enough to enter the first grade, the 4-year-old girl will have spent a third of her life undergoing chemotherapy.
Wilson, the daughter of Tony and Belecia Wilson, is in the midst of a battle against leukemia.
Leukemia is a cancer of the blood, or bone marrow, which is characterized by an abnormal production of blood cells — typically white blood cells (leukocytes).
Last fall, Katelyn was whisked to the emergency room suffering from high fever and acute pain in her legs.
“At first, I thought they were growing pains. I gave her a Tylenol. The next morning, her legs were hurting so bad that she couldn’t walk on them,” Belecia said.
She was admitted at CMC-Charlotte because her hemoglobin was low, Belecia said.
After a battery of tests, doctors diagnosed Katelyn Oct. 2, 2006, with leukemia and the Wilson family’s world stood still.
“I cried. I was speechless. It was a horrible day that I would not want to relive,” Belecia said. “There are no words to describe it.”
The Wilsons are going back and forth from the Black Creek area near Kershaw as relatives and friends in Jefferson organize fundraisers to help financially support the family.
“Katey is very vibrant. She loves to play, she’s smiles all the time and fun to be around,” said Belecia.
As Katelyn undergoes chemotherapy — a spinal injection every three weeks — she’s far more tired and travel weary, her mother said.
“Cancer is not something old people or middle-age people get. We think that children are not going to get cancer, but when it happens — I don’t know how to explain it. It’s a life-changing experience,” Belecia said. “How can a child have such a deathly illness such as this?”
On the home front, grandmother Brenda Sullivan and family friend Sharon Ingold are organizing a benefit trail ride and barbecue scheduled for April 21 — a rain date for May 5.
“This is my granddaughter. I would do anything in the world for her,” Sullivan said.
“And I’m just a friend who just met Katey,” Ingold said.
The two are helping the Wilsons by raising money to cover bills
“They need gas money. They need food. They have to take off work, but they still have to pay their light bill and water bill,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan is handling the barbecue sale and Ingold is organizing the wagon trail in the Angelus Community.

— John Davis,
staff writer