The Supremes" diversionary tactics (Luckovich cartoon)

Official Thank you to Celebration, for not even flinching

I was gone, and now I'm back, and her being my stand in for the long overdue Dec. contest has expired.
I asked her before I left, and without a question, or a tiny hesitation, she took over in case the polling abilities returned during my absence.

By now, maybe nobody cares any more.



I'm here the entire month of April. Gone the whole month of May, when I will ask another person unless a volunteer presents itself.
Thank you very much, Celebration.

How General La Rocque interprets "He gave his life for his country".

Support in U.S. for Afghan War Drops Sharply, Poll Finds

Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Monday, March 26, 2012 -- 6:30 PM EDT
-----

Support in U.S. for Afghan War Drops Sharply, Poll Finds

WASHINGTON — After a series of violent episodes and setbacks, support for the war in Afghanistan has dropped sharply among both Republicans and Democrats in recent months as increasing numbers of Americans say that the United States should not be involved in the fighting there, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

The poll found that more than two-thirds of those surveyed — 69 percent – think that the United States should not be at war in Afghanistan. That number is a significant increase from just four months ago, when 53 percent said that Americans should no longer be fighting in the decade-old conflict.
There were even sharper increases when respondents were asked for their impressions on the state of the war. The poll found that 68 percent thought the fighting was going “somewhat badly” or “very badly,’’ compared with 42 percent who had those impressions in November 2011. The latest poll was conducted by telephone from March 21 to 25 with 986 adults nationwide.

Read More:
http://www.nytimes.com/?emc=na

A wild Orchid on it's one day of life

I was wandering the hills and found a nice man home who told me his orquidea, of a kind that blooms for one day only, had opened this morning.
Let's together celebrate its life and beauty

Ex VP Cheney might start to act funny, should he survive the heart transplant

Should it happen that he acts differently the answers may be hidden in the pages of this book:

The Heart's Code: Tapping the Wisdom and Power of Our Heart Energy
by Paul Pearsall PHD

Publication Date: April 6, 1999
A fascinating synthesis of ancient wisdom, modern medicine, scientific research, and personal experiences that proves that the human heart, not the brain, holds the secrets that link body, mind, and spirit.

You know that the heart loves and feels, but did you know that the heart also thinks, remembers, communicates with other hearts, helps regulate immunity, and contains stored information that continually pulses through your body? In The Heart's Code, Dr. Paul Pearsall explains the theory and science behind energy cardiology, the emerging field that is uncovering one of the most significant medical, social, and spiritual discoveries of our time: The heart is more than just a pump; it conducts the cellular symphony that is the very essence of our being.

Full of amazing anecdotes and data, The Heart's Code presents the latest research on cellular memory and the power of the heart's energy and explores what these breakthroughs mean about how we should live our lives. By unlocking the heart's code we can discover new ways of understanding human healing and consciousness and create a new model for living that leads to better health, happiness, and self-knowledge.

Considering that Cheney had about the blackest heart imaginable, should he survive this, his chances to turn human being are tremendously improved.
Two people with whom I'm staying told me just now that they read the book. Among many others there is a story about a little recipient girl who had the heart of a little girl implanted who lost her life by being raped and killed.
The girl with the new heart was able to lead investigators to the perpetrator of the crime that happened in another state with descriptions and detailed sketches.

I'd say we might want to watch to see VP Cheney improve. It will be at a very late stage of a misspent life.
But here's hoping.

If you were going down this river in a rubber raft...would you get closer to the crocodile

If you were going down this river in a rubber raft...would you get closer to the crocodile
or the Jesus Lizzard?

The river is, as you will see in the photos (I hope) both pastoral and dangerous in a rubber raft.




Slow moving, pretty shallow for most of the way except for at the end, when a second branch combines with it. From there, our guide said, in a few hours we would be in Guatemala





Nice folks at the shore ("puedo tomar una fotografia por favor", said with a smile, has so far gotten me a yes every time)



We saw 8 alligators. One huge one slithered into the water ahead of our boat. i could not take its picture
YIKES





This here is the Jesus Lizzard. So called because he can walk on water for about 9 meters or so at a frenzied speed. Then he swims.

To remember me, because I'll be back :)

Mostly I can't get on line, and I don't have the chance to look at what else is posted much right now.

Today my friends took me down a slow river in a raft through rain forest country. No pictures yet (but I saw and photographed 8 crocodiles)

The quote of the day, given by our guide who was a beautiful man, a 30 or so year old "Tico" which is what Costa Ricans call themselves, with very good English he had taught himself by learning 20 words a day:
"I hope I live long enough to see snow".

The rain forest is hard to show you. But this is a taste, and I took it from one of those many hundreds of meter long swinging bridges with see through mesh floors.



The howler monkeys are plentiful, but really know how to hide in the trees. Mostly you hear them, but here is a shot that sort of worked.



The country has a number of volcanos, this one is maybe the most famous one. It erupted in the 1980's and lots of people got killed and hurt. Now it is smoking at all time and at night crisp fiery lights are on it's slopes, or, a fine young Principessa can sit in it's environs and slurp a fancy drink.





and finally a bird that I swear to you is not illuminated from a light bulb inside the cut up fruit it has been served

Easy as can be: Explaining some everyday facts of life to your kids.

Colores - Flores - Orquideas - a Critter and Lunch

Beautiful sights to share from all around me in Costa Rica.