Samantha Pierce

From the land of dial up I am thankful for/that: The kids get to hang out with grandma and grandpa. Having the baby feed me some of her french fries. The above mentioned french fries weren't soggy and slimy (turning down the proffered french fries was not an option). Time spent with old friends. Being able to sleep in. Having someone else to deal with the kids and their shenanigans for a few hours. I must confess a certain amount of satisfaction at watching others be frustrated by the kids. Homemade food that I didn't have to cook. Getting to watch the kids try to dress each other. Okay, so it was just Ethan trying to put hubby's shoes on Isaiah (who wasn't cooperating) but it was cute. The look on the kids faces when the saw the Christmas tree that hubby and I had stayed up late decorating on Christmas eve. I discovered that hubby is a good tree decorator. We get to do Christmas at home next year. Warm weather here in the land of dial up. It's like spring time down...

We usually forget that Jesus was born into a world in turmoil. The event of his birth was no warm touchy feely affair. The people of Israel chafed under Roman rule. Riots and rebellions were common. As was retribution. From the time of his birth Jesus' life was in jeopardy. Matthew recounts for us the events surrounding Jesus' birth which echo the plight of the male children of Israel while in captivity in Egypt as told in the book of Exodus. It is worth noting that the threat to the male children of Israel in Egypt proceeds the deliverance of Israel from bondage. Just as the threat to the life of the Christ child proceeds the deliverance of the world. Matthew 2:1-23 (KJV) Mt 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he...

From the land of dial-up, I blog. Looks like everyone's prayers were answered and the transit strike is over. So we can party harty on our Christmas break. You Are Chinese Food Exotic yet ordinary. People think they've had enough of you, but they're back for more in an hour. What Kind of Food Are You? (Via Vegan Momma .) Republican - You believe that the free market will take care of most things, but that the government should be there with moderate taxation to provide for national defense and enforcing morality. Your historical role model is Ronald Reagan. Which political sterotype are you? brought to you by Quizilla Heh, dad's gonna love that one. (Via Dappled Things .) And, THE TWELVE CATS OF CHRISTMAS On the first day of Christmas when I brought home my tree My 12 cats were laughing at me. On the second day of Christmas I saw beneath my tree 2 mangled garlands and my 12 cats laughing at me. On the third day of Christmas I saw beneath my tree 3 missing Wise Men 2 ...

Christmas is coming the goose is getting fat, please put a penny in the old man's hat! I'm thankful for/that: It's almost Christmas. We leave for NYC today (pray that that strike business gets resolved soon). Hubby finished his grading yesterday so we won't have that hanging over heads all through our trip. We get to do Christmas at home next year. The birth of the Christ child who would take on the sins of the world. Salvation. Friends near and far. Dancing. Spring always comes after winter. Good home cooking. What are you thankful for?

Diane Rehm is doing an interview this morning about the growing "anti-science" bias in America where "anti-science" seems to mean disagreeing with what the approved scientists think. Cause you know the average American is too stupid to understand any real science. Too busy thumping Bibles and what not.

Ok, so I finally made it to work at 10:20am this morning... Am I mad at the transit workers... nah... but the MTA leaders, government officials and Union leaders are on my hit list right about now. My advice to them is to stop acting like school yard bullies and get on with the business of resolving the contract issues. Governor Pataki noted this morning that the policemen, firemen, and teachers of New York City all continued to work even though they had no contract for 2-3 years (and in some cases still do not), and that the transit workers should have done the same. I wonder if I am the only person who sees a problem with the fact that these people have been working for years with no contract. What does that say about New York as a city if it is par for the course that city workers are often treated so shabily? So it is now 1:17pm and the most pressing question on my mind is the commute home. I belive that my fellow Queens bound co-workers and I will cab pool to the home of the perso...

(Updated) NYC Subway, Bus Operators Strike Transit Strike Hobbles New York City I just got off of the phone with Sis 2 in New York City. She's been waiting on line outside for about 3 hours now to buy a ticket on the Long Island Railroad so she can get to work. It's about 22 degrees there according to her. She's also got Sis 3 with her who still has to go to school today. Dad would have given her a ride to school but teachers only have a one hour starting delay while students have a two hour starting delay. And there's no way for Sis 3 to get from dad's school to her own. Sis 2 is not happy about the situation but she says she doesn't blame the transit workers union. Dad's a teacher and the teacher's in NYC have been with out a contract for several years now. The starting salary for a police officer in NYC is $26,000 (which I think is low) in part, she believes, because police officers can't strike to get a better deal out of the city. I'm philos...

Happy birthday mom. Love you!

Scientists Find A DNA Change That Accounts For White Skin I'm almost tempted to wonder what certain pigment challenged folk will say about this but then they aren't really the types to care what science has to say on the matter. This isn't about them anyway. (Via Dappled Things .) People yet again show that they have no self control or home training. What exactly is the point of rioting every time the WTO meets other than to show yourselves to be petulant children? Bush Admits Approving Eavesdropping Dozens of Times I'm having a hard time working up any angst about this. I would be more concerned if after September 11, 2001, this hadn't been occurring. In a free society governed by laws such as ours there will always be conflict between protecting our freedoms and protecting us. Some times one has to differ to the other. I can live with that, so long as I'm actually alive. So now terrorist and their sympathizers know for sure that we're keeping track of the...

I made some sugar cookies with the kids this afternoon while listening to Christmas music on the radio. My that was fun. Isaiah and Sophia were only interested in eating the cookies (Sophia also helped herself to some cookie dough) but I got Ethan to cut out a few. He then sprinkled almost all of my yellow sugar onto one cookie. The first couple of batches never made it out of the kitchen. The last two batches are at the back of the counter where none of the kids can reach them even if they stack up a couple of boxes to get to them. Apparently the boys found some way to reach them because hubby just showed me their toy school bus with three star cookies neatly arranged inside. I always add almond extract instead of vanilla to my sugar cookies. Ground almonds adds extra flavour too. I've got a thing for almonds in cookies. Using confectioners sugar instead of flour to dust your work surface and rolling pin adds a little glaze to your cookie. I don't go in for the whole icing bi...

Silly quiz time! Only one this week because the computer has been giving me a lot of trouble today (as in I've looked at it with a Clint Eastwood stare thinking about my hammer). I don't want to waste any more time messing with it. So according to this quiz I am: You are 'Silent Night'! You really enjoy Christmas, and you like your Christmases conventional. For you, Christmas is about family and traditions, and you rather enjoy the rituals of going to church at midnight and turning off the lights before flaming the plum pudding. Although you find Christmas shopping frustrating, you like the excitement of wrapping and hiding presents, and opening a single door on the Advent Calendar each day. You like the traditional carols, and probably teach the children to sing along to them. More than anyone else, you will probably actually have a merry Christmas. What Christmas Carol are you? brought to you by Quizilla See all of the possible results here . (Via Amy Ridenour ....

No school today thanks to the collision of two moisture laden low pressure systems right above our heads. Hubby went out at 8:30 AM or so 8:54 AM (so says the time stamp on the first pic on the camera) to shovel snow and just came back in. There's a lot of ice underneath the snow. Hubby cleaned the car off and chiseled it out of the ice so we won't have as much work to do later if we want to go somewhere. That's assuming of course that we can make it out of our driveway. It doesn't look like there's been a plow down our street yet. Anyway, there'll be pictures up shortly here are some pictures. Hubby standing in the snow outside our basement door.  Hubby down on the sidewalk as a minivan inches down the street.  This is the Zelkova at the end of our front walkway. It's a memeber of the Elm family. (Learn more about the species here .) There are some really impressive specimens at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden . 

I couldn't have made this up on my best day. The day after I wrote this , "Democrats can't seem to make up their minds if the American military is made up of a bunch of poor uneducated deluded babies or evil baby killing monsters." The following was published: (Via Michelle Malkin ) Jane Fonda: U.S. Troops Are 'Killing Machines' "Hanoi Jane" Fonda is claiming that ever since Vietnam, U.S. troops have been trained to commit atrocities against innocent civilians as a matter of military policy. "Starting with the Vietnam War we began training soldiers differently," the anti-American actress says in an email to the Washington Post. Fonda claims she learned of the policy switch in "secret meetings" she had with military psychologists "who were really worried about what was happening to our combat personnel." One doctor, she insists, told her U.S. troops had been deliberately trained to be "killing machines." "T...

Oy! This week has gone by so quickly! Today I'm thankful for/that: I've got a new keyboard for my computer. No more wonky keys, yippie! It's much warmer today than it was yesterday. (15 degrees right now with a predicted high of 28.) The cloud cover that kept the temperature from dropping too far last night. The laundry detergent is still flowing free and clear. That new basement door really helps to keep the cold air out. Reduced price + 40% off coupon + 10% off total purchase coupon = nice thick new curtains for some of the coldest windows in the house. I'm almost done making them. This time next week we'll be scrambling to get packed up for the trip to grandma and grandpa's house for Christmas. Next year we spend Christmas at home. Special delivery packages from grandma and grandpa with furry animal slippers. Hot coffee. Old friends coming to town. Christmas parties (even if they are labeled as holiday parties. I know what I'm celebrating). What are you t...

It is all of -4 degrees Fahrenheit outside. That's apparently cold enough to make Ethan keep his robe on. Isaiah's doing his usual sitting on the heating vent routine. Sophia's running around like she usually does. The forecasted high for today is 19 degrees. We'll have some cloud cover moving in tonight so the temperature will only drop to about 10 degrees. Tomorrow things are looking to warm up to about 27 degrees. When is spring again? P.S. If anybody from the south feels inclined to make fun of us folk up north remember I will mock you mercilessly when your entire way of life grinds to a halt because of a measly inch of snow.

Stanely "Tookie" Williams was executed in the wee hours of this morning while I slept safe and snug in my warm bed. Upon hearing the news of his execution this morning my feelings were a bit conflicted. I was glad that a convicted criminal had been made to pay for his crimes. Justice had been served. But my heart also ached at the loss of this criminal's life. Though he chose to do evil he was created in the image of God and loved by God. So were the four people whose lives Williams took. So were those whose lives were ended or ruined by the evil that Mr. Williams chose to do. Their blood is on his hands. Shay of Booker Rising has some choice words for those who act as if the execution of Williams was as heinous as the crimes he was executed for committing in The Tookie "Why Did He Have To Dieeeee" Roundup . I was already angry at hearing Rev. Jesse Jackson last night compare Stanley Tookie Williams to Malcolm X and Nelson Mandela . Now I'm pissed off. My a...

I've long thought that the Republican party in New York state was a bit pitiful. Unable to field strong candidates for local elections or give them good support. Now I think they are a bunch of cannibals as well. After public announcement of Jeanine Pirro's candidacy for Hillary Clinton's Senate seat members of the Republican party are now calling for Jeanine Pirro to run for state Attorney General instead. Weld Wins GOP Straw Poll For Governor (12/13/05) "At the same meeting, the GOP chairmen recommended Jeanine Pirro give up her campaign against US Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D, NY) and run for attorney general instead. Pirro said she was still a Senate candidate." Way to support a fellow party member guys. These efforts to scuttle Jeanine Pirro's US Senate bid are being lead by Joseph Bruno of the state senate, Bruno Backs Pirro...For AG (11/29/05). Some Republicans aren't going for it. G.O.P. Dispute Over Pirro's Bid Grows Fiercer (12/01/05...

That's the name of the latest video put out by GOP.com . It seems to have ruffled the feathers of some Democrats . The only way I can see for them to be justifiably upset about the video is if they never said what we see and hear them saying in the video. I really haven't got much sympathy for them. Democrats can't seem to make up their minds if the American military is made up of a bunch of poor uneducated deluded babies or evil baby killing monsters.

" Certain aspects of life apply themselves easily to mathematical principles. Let 'A' equal riding as a passenger on a major airline after 9/11 while suffering from a treatable a mental condition. When one does this and adds both of the following conditions, B. Not taking your meds when you know that you're crazy without them C. Not ensuring that your spouse takes his meds when you know that he's crazy without them then A+B+C can equal 'D': a dead passenger . As an aside, one wonders whether any bi-polar passengers of the tightly secure El Al Airlines ever forget their meds. It's amazing what doesn't happen when you know that you'll get capped for acting crazy." Can't argue with that. So after this everyone will carry clearly marked extra supplies of their meds on their person at all times when they fly right? And everyone will make sure to take every dose on time right? Still, I wish someone would come out and announce that t...

I've been doing a lot of driving in the snow this past week and I've seen people do quite a few very stupid, annoying, and dangerous things. Luckily for all involved I'm the mild mannered type and I don't own a firearm (yet). Here's a list of what I've encountered so far. The knuckle head who will drive down the road with six inches of snow still on top of their car thereby causing near blizzard conditions behind them when they hit the speed limit. The knuckle head who will drive down the road with six inches of snow still on top of their car and on the rear windshield. The knuckle head who will drive down the road at the height of a day time snow storm with near white out conditions without their headlights on . The knuckle head who will insist on exceeding the speed limit by 10 miles or more on a recently plowed road sporting a fresh new coating of snow with more snow still falling. The knuckle head who will pass on the right so they can go speeding down the ...

Let me first preface this by saying that I voted for the other guy... After reading this article, several questions come to my mind: Q. Has the true meaning of Christmas been lost? A. To many people, yes. Q. Has Christmas become too commercial? A. Yes. Q. Is it the job and responsibility of the President to be the moral and religious voice of the country and remind the people that Jesus is the reason for the season? A. No. In the article linked above Joseph Farah, WorldNetDaily.com editor is quoted as saying, Bush "claims to be a born-again, evangelical Christian. But he sure doesn't act like one." (As an aside to myself while typing this I wonder what the difference between and born again Christian and a born again evangelical Christian is, but that is another conversation). Now in my opinion, humble though it may be, instead of looking to the President to put the Christ back in Christmas, Christians need to first look to themselves. If the reason for the season (chees...

You scored as The Amazing Spider-Man . After being bitten by a radioactive spider, Peter Parker was transformed from a nerdy high school student into New York's greatest hero. Peter enjoys the thrill of being a super hero, but he struggles with the burdens of leading a double life. He hopes someday to win the heart of his true love Mary Jane, the woman he's loved since before he even liked girls. Right now, he just wants to make it through college and pay his bills. The Amazing Spider-Man 79% Captain Jack Sparrow 71% Lara Croft 71% El Zorro 71% William Wallace 67% Batman, the Dark Knight 67% Neo, the "One" 63% James Bond, Agent 007 63% Indiana Jones 58% Maximus 54% The Terminator 46% Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0 created with QuizFarm.com (Via Dappled Things and Parableman .) Carole Lombard You scored 16% grit, 9% wit, 52% flair, and 30% class! You're a little bit of a fruitcake, but you always act out in style. You have a good sense of humor,...

Today I am thankful for/that: Blankets. Lots and lots of warm blankets. Traction control. Anti-lock brakes. I found my gloves yesterday. The sale at the fabric store. Christmas carols. I've got our hymnals and CDs out so I can sing for the kids. What are you thankful for?

It seems Americans were made of sterner stuff back then.  Attack At Pearl Harbor, 1941 "The surprise was complete. The attacking planes came in two waves; the first hit its target at 7:53 AM, the second at 8:55. By 9:55 it was all over. By 1:00 PM the carriers that launched the planes from 274 miles off the coast of Oahu were heading back to Japan. Behind them they left chaos, 2,403 dead, 188 destroyed planes and a crippled Pacific Fleet that included 8 damaged or destroyed battleships. In one stroke the Japanese action silenced the debate that had divided Americans ever since the German defeat of France left England alone in the fight against the Nazi terror." From the Naval Historical Center website : "The 7 December 1941 Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor was one of the great defining moments in history. A single carefully-planned and well-executed stroke removed the United States Navy's battleship force as a possible threat to the Japanese Empire's southward expan...

Two years ago this month I decided to give this blogging thing a try. I confess that I didn't remember that until I was making dinner tonight and thinking about a post that I'm probably not going to get a chance to write. It's been an interesting, frustrating (as I type this I can't actually get to my blog or other Blogspot blogs and my computer seems to be having a major brain fart all of which means that I can't check my archives to see the date of my first post and this post may not make it to the blog), challenging, insightful, funny, spirit crushing, and spirit lifting two years to say the least. What else could happen? Thanks to all of you who read, link, comment, and trackback.

(Originally posted 12/01/05, this post has been edited to include new links.) South African Bishop Opposes Vatican's Ban on Condoms Can anyone tell me what's wrong with this story? Anyone? Perhaps it's this: A Catholic bishop in South Africa has become a leading opponent of the church's ban on the use of condoms. Bishop Kevin Dowling presides over Rustenburg, an impoverished mining town that has been ravaged by HIV/ AIDS. With so much suffering caused by the virus, Dowling considers the Vatican's ban morally unacceptable. The Bishop works with young single mothers and their children who have HIV/AIDS. The women live around the mine to sell themselves to the men who work in the mines. Presumably when these men go home to their wives they infect them as well. No mention was made of teaching these women some life skills so that they don't have to make a living by selling their bodies. Nope, let's just push condoms at them (getting mad at those who challenge the...

You scoff at six inches of snow. You look out the window and see blowing snow and think, "Goodie, that means there'll be less snow to clean off of the car!" You can still read the road signs through the half inch of snow crusted on them at the very beginning of the snow storm. Someone rings your doorbell at 7:30 in the morning on a Saturday to ask if you want them to shovel your sidewalk for you. I realised last night that I'm still very much a novice driver. I had a performance to get to in one of the out laying suburbs of Syracuse and the weather was pretty nasty. It was the worst weather I'd ever had to drive in. I fishtailed right out of the driveway. As I fishtailed my way along the usual back route out of our neighbourhood and onto a main road from our neck of the woods to the highway I realised that perhaps driving on back roads that are always the last to be plowed and steep hills in the mild of a storm with blowing snow and near white out conditions was m...

Operation Shank was carried out in Ramadi. What's next, operation shiv? I couldn't resist. Who comes up with the names for these operations anyway?

You scored as Daredevil . Blind since childhood, Matt Murdock has an incredible gift---a sort of radar vision that allows him to interact with his environment better than any normal person. With his incredible senses, Matt became Daredevil, the man without fear. By day he fights crime as a D.A. in Hell's Kitchen. By night, he takes to the rooftops to fight the King Pin and New York's other crimelords. Daredevil 80% The Punisher 65% Elektra 60% Mr. Fantastic 60% The Invisible Girl 60% The Hulk 55% Cyclops 50% Spider-Man 45% Storm 40% Blade 35% The Thing 30% The Human Torch 30% Wolverine 25% Which Marvel Super Hero Are You? created with QuizFarm.com Via Parableman .

This week went by so fast! I'm thankful for/that: Hubby. The kids. Extended family. My church family. Good friends. God's mercy. God's love. God's forgiveness. The new basement door. No more drafts from that quarter. Piece and quiet. What are you thankful for?