Which one is real? [From summer 2005 in Amsterdam]

STD - not exactly

[Don't know the original source of this]

CDC Warning The Center for Disease Control has issued a warning about a new virulent strain of Sexually Transmitted Disease. The disease is contracted through dangerous and high-risk behavior. The disease is called Gonorrhea Lectim and pronounced "gonna re-elect him." Many victims contracted it in 2004, after having been screwed for the past four years. Cognitive characteristics of individuals infected include: anti-social personality disorders, delusions of grandeur with messianic overtones, extreme cognitive dissonance, inability to incorporate new information, pronounced xenophobia and paranoia, inability to accept responsibility for own actions, cowardice masked by misplaced bravado, uncontrolled facial smirking, ignorance of geography and history, tendencies towards evangelical theocracy, categorical all-or-nothing behavior. Naturalists and epidemiologists are amazed at how this destructive disease originated only a few years ago from a bush found in Texas.

Feeling vaguely brilliant

This is for Steve. I already emailed you instructions on how to embed slideshows in your own stuff, so let me know if it doesn't make sense:



And for Aunt Kathy and family, if and when they are ready to move on from Scientology, this may be its cousin:

The family that bowls together.... ?

In Cambridge, Mass

This is from Steve - a new experiment, adding sound to our blog!

Please be sure your sound is turned on and that the volume is high enough, then click on this button!

And here is a little picture... to see if I figured out how to put a picture in with an audioblogger button and recording...

Leah's graduation

Here's the graduation plans for Leah.

Actual graduation is Tuesday June 20. The school ceremony will take place that same day.
Leah's graduation party here at our home will be Saturday June 24. We can help with finding lodging if you plan to join the celebration.

I think all of you know that she will be attending UC Santa Barbara. We are very proud of her.

Love, Kathy and Alfredo

Palm Sunday story

A child had to stay home from church because of and
illness. when the rest of the family came home carrying
palm branches, the little boy asked about them. His mother
explained"People held them over jesus, head as he walked by".
The boy exclaimed."The one sunday I don't go to church and
Jesus showed up".

I thought all of you would get a chuckle out of that Story
which I found on Cedar Lane Unitarian Churche's website,
put on by our minister Roger Fritts.

Warm, moving Movie "Joyeux Noel" 2005

We've been working very hard the last few weeks, with Sally taking on what amounts to another part-time "job" helping our friend Sylvia Stultz cope with a variety of cancers. Sally suggested we go out to a movie to be sure we really got away from our daily obligations (most of which we enjoy most of the time). She picked the movie and I was a little skeptical, thinking that it would be too dreary or treacly, but it was neither.

Wonderful music, acting, etc. based on an astonishing historical event - Christmas eve 1914 when many soldiers of German, French, Scots, British armies spontaneously observed a temporary truce.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0424205/

Nice to know that at least sometimes when people, even at war, recognize underlying humanity, they can resist the forces that too often compel them to violence and killing.

Austin Texas last week

I was in Austin last week on business, and I couldn't resist this bus just sitting there on the side of the road. I wheeled the car around and went back to capture this.

I liked being in Austin. It's certainly not Maryland.