STONE WORKS

Curried Chicken and rice salad

2012-01-29T13:47:00.000Z

Curried Chicken and rice salad
(can substitute Chicken for Turkey)

Portion for 2

4oz long-grain rice
4 tablespoons thick mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon chopped freash chives or spring onions
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 red eating apple, cored and sliced
1/2 green pepper, cored, seeded, chopped and blanched
2 oz raisins or saltanas
6 oz cooked chicken meat, diced
1 oz flaked almonds, toasted
Watergrass sprigs to garnish

Cook the rice in boiling salted water until just tender, about 12 minutes.
Rinse, drain well and cool.
Combine the mayonnaise, 1 x 15 ml spoon (1 tablespoon) of the lemon juice, the curry powder, chives or spring onions and salt and pepper to taste.
Dip the apple slices in the remaining lemon juice, then add to the mayonnaise mixture with the green pepper, raisins or saltanas and chicken.
Fold through the rice and adjust the seasoning.
Serve on a flat dish, sprinkled with almonds and garnished with watercress.

Bournemouth Air Show 2011

2011-08-21T16:16:00.001+01:00

A summer's day in Dorset (August 18th 2011)

2011-08-21T11:10:00.001+01:00

Chevy Camaro - American Pride

2011-07-09T08:11:00.000+01:00

Zachary's 'swearing-in', for the US Army

2011-06-30T20:38:00.001+01:00

Various photo's for Zachary's swearing-in, joining the US Army, at MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station), Phoenix, Arizona.

The 'Boneyard', Tucson, AZ

2011-06-30T16:44:00.001+01:00

The 'Boneyard', covers approx. 2,600 acres, has an average of 4,200 aircraft stored on site, has approx. 600 employees and is valued around $27 billion.

AMARC, or the Aerospace Maintenance And Regeneration Center, is a joint service facility managed by the US Air Force Material Command located in the town of Tucson, Arizona, USA.

Often referred to as 'The Boneyard', AMARC is an aerospace storage and maintenance facility adjoining Davis-Monthan Air Force Base which provides a service to all branches of the US military (Air Force, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Army), as well as other national agencies.

Currently controlling over 4,200 aircraft as well as many other types of military equipment, AMARC works very hard in promoting itself as not just a 'Boneyard' and takes every opportunity in explaining how it operates it's cost effective, tax saving operations. Many of the stored aircraft can be returned to an operational status in a short period of time and there is a continual process of anti-corrosion and re-preservation work which keeps the aircraft in a stable condition during their stay.

The reason the Boneyard reference exists is due to other work that AMARC carries out, that of reclamation of spare parts and the eventual disposal of spent airframes. The Center can be divided into 2 distinct areas, the RIT (Reclamation Insurance Type) area located to the east side of Kolb Road is littered with aircraft in various states of completeness. The junkyard appearance belies the fact that these aircraft are controlled by a process of careful part reclamation, both to a schedule and to ad-hoc requests. On careful examination many of these aircraft can be seen re-sealed to protect the remaining components from the dirt and heat.

There are many times that aircraft from the RIT area leave AMARC to become instructional aircraft, targets on Army or Air Force ranges, museum exhibits or display pieces, although most end up being smelted down into ingots by nearby metal processors.

AMARC has also been heavily involved in the elimination of B-52 Stratofortresses under the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), and were also responsible for the eliminiation of 445 Ground Launch Cruise Missiles (GLCM) and their launchers under the INF Treaty.

Creative Bus Artwork

2011-06-30T15:15:00.000+01:00

Feathered Art

2011-05-15T16:15:00.000+01:00

'Trike' Artwork, honouring the US Army in Vietnam

2010-11-18T20:36:00.000Z

This "Trike" owned by a Vet, on display at a car show, check the power plant he used, it should haul . The work and thought that went into the paint job is priceless.

Food Art

2010-11-01T20:08:00.000Z

The Most Colourful River In The World

2010-10-16T11:58:00.000+01:00

The river shown in the photographs is the Caristales, which is located near the town of La Macarena in Colombia, South America.

The river, world famous for its colourful display, has been
called: "the river that ran away to paradise", "the most
beautiful river in the world" and "the river of five colours".

During Colombia's wet season, the water flows fast
and deep, obscuring the bottom of the river and
denying the mosses and algae that call the river
home the sun that they need. During the dry season
there is not enough water to support the dazzling
array of life in the river. But during a brief span
between the wet and dry seasons, when the water
level is just right, the many varieties of algae and
moss bloom in a dazzling display of colours. Blotches
of Amarillo, blue, green, black and red - and a
thousand shades in between - coat the river.

The part of the river where the colourful blooms occur is
quite isolated and is not accessible by road. Adventurous
tourists can now fly into La Macarena and then make their
way to to the river site on foot as part of guided tours. The
site was effectively closed to tourists for several years
because of guerrilla activity in the region along with
concerns about the impact of unregulated tourist traffic.
However, the site was re-opened to visitors in 2009.

The tours will follow four clearly marked and authorized
paths and one is no longer permitted to stay overnight or
cook, as this was previously ruining the area.

Commercial Plane Artwork

2010-10-11T12:35:00.000+01:00

Military Plane Artwork

2010-10-11T12:23:00.000+01:00

Verwood Rustic Fayre 2010

2010-09-01T12:09:00.004+01:00

The Rustic Fayre takes place in Verwood each year.
There were many stalls, most raising money for charities.
There was also a collection of small steam engines and many vintage cars too.

(click on the title, for more photo's)

European Truck Art

2010-07-21T12:33:00.004+01:00

Is it a Plane, Is it a House, well, its' both!

2010-04-09T04:08:00.006+01:00

Imagine having a Boeing 727 as a home. The plane set Joanne Ussary back $2,000.00, cost $4,000.00 to move, and $24,000.00 to renovate. That's not bad for a $30,000.00 investment.

The stairs open with a garage door remote, and one of the bathrooms is still intact. And let's not forget the personal jacuzzi in the cockpit. Sweet......The Boeing home is featured as part of a collection of creative conversions.

I want it.....and the view! Anyone with an old 727 they don't want?

Striped Icebergs

2010-01-22T03:03:00.005Z

Icebergs in Lake Michigan sometimes have stripes, formed by
layers of snow that react to different conditions.

Blue stripes are often created when a crevice in the ice sheet
fills up with melt water and freezes so quickly that no bubbles form.

When an iceberg falls into the lake, a layer of water can
freeze to the underside. If this is rich in algae, it can form a
green stripe.

Brown, black and yellow lines are caused by sediment, picked up
when the ice sheet grinds downhill towards the lake.

Frozen Wave Pixs - Nature is amazing!

The water froze the instant the wave broke through the
ice. That's what it is like in Lake Michigan where it is the
coldest weather in decades. Water freezes the instant
it comes in contact with the air. The temperature of the
water is already some degrees below freezing.

Just look at how the wave froze in mid-air!!!

Britain in Deep Freeze

2010-01-09T02:13:00.003Z

Britain freezes as temperatures plunge below -21 celcius

The mercury sank to minus 21.2C (minus 6.2F) in parts of the Scottish Highlands, considerably colder than some home freezers, with bitterly cold temperatures everywhere else.

Icy conditions have again left roads in a treacherous state and caused delays and cancellations for rail and air passengers. EasyJet has already cancelled around 30 flights to and from airports including Gatwick, Liverpool, Belfast and Stansted. British Airways is also advising customers to check the status of their flight before leaving for the airport.

On the roads, some councils have been forced to ration their gritting, due to pressure on supplies of rock salt.

Hundreds of schools are also shut again, resulting in a full week of closure for some children.

Dozens of big companies are having their gas rationed after domestic demand soared to record levels.

There will be little respite during the day, with more snow for eastern England and temperatures likely to be pegged at or below freezing in all parts. The wintry conditions are also expected to last well into next week as the coldest spell for more than 30 years grinds on.

The death toll caused by the big freeze rose after the body of 45-year-old Philip Hughes from Slough was recovered from beneath the ice in a frozen lake in Frimley Green, Surrey. At least 22 people have died since before Christmas in incidents thought to have been related to the weather.

The Hell's Door

2010-01-07T22:59:00.011Z

Hundreds Protest Global Warming

2009-12-24T03:00:00.000Z

Picture's To Make You Smile :)

2009-12-24T02:12:00.001Z

Snowmen Funnies

2009-12-19T02:14:00.001Z

Colder than Alaska!

2009-12-08T23:32:00.017Z

Today in the Denver, CO area (4:25pm local), it is currently 1f (-17C).
In Anchorage, Alaska it was a balmy 17f (-8C) !

Christmas Lights - Parker, CO

2009-12-06T20:59:00.002Z

Kate and I had a walk around Main Street, Parker CO last night.

It was freezing, but worth seeing the beautiful lights.

Then we finished the walk off, by sitting in Baskin-Robbins for an ice-cream!

Funny Signs & Pictures

2009-12-05T23:44:00.000Z

World’s biggest cruise ship, $1.4 billion price tag

2009-12-02T03:26:00.001Z

Royal Caribbean's new Oasis of the Seas is the largest, widest, tallest, most expensive cruise ship afloat, a cornucopia of amusements aimed at quashing the notion that cruising is a sedentary vacation, said chief executive Richard Fain.

Then he donned swim trunks, jumped on a boogie board and challenged fellow executives to a contest in one of the Oasis' two FlowRider pools that simulate surfing.

"I've never been a believer in building it big just for size's sake. We build large because we've had so many ideas they simply don't fit in a smaller hull," Fain said.
The $1.4 billion Oasis of the Seas, the world's biggest cruise ship, enters service during the industry's worst year in decades but is so exuberantly excessive that Fain predicts it will be profitable from day one.

Oasis is a floating resort that eclipses the condo towers it sails past at its new home, Port Everglades in southeast Florida. The 225,282-gross-ton ship has 16 passenger decks and can carry 6,292 passengers plus 2,165 crew.

It has rock-climbing walls, a basketball court, an ice skating rink, a carousel with hand-carved wooden animals, a shopping promenade lined with cafes and bars, cantilevered whirlpools overlooking the sea and a Central Park with 12,000 live plants and trees.

Zip line
An amphitheater surrounds a deep-diving pool on the stern, where high-divers and synchronized swimmers perform. Passengers can harness themselves onto the "zip line" and soar across the ship above an open-air atrium nine decks high and lined with balconied cabins.

One of its many bars, the Rising Tide, floats up and down between three decks, while a touring company performs the Broadway musical "Hairspray" in the 1,380-seat theater.

The Oasis, which starts its inaugural voyage on December 5, was six years in the making and arrives at a time when cruise lines are cutting rates to fill berths.

Net yields, a measure of revenue generated per bed per day, were down 16 percent during the first nine months of 2009 for the major companies, Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, said Rod McLeod, a vacation management consultant who has held senior management posts at all three lines.

"Over the last 20 years, that's the steepest level of year-over-year declines in yields, which is understandable given what's happened in the worldwide economy," said McLeod, now with McLeod/Applebaum Partners in Miami.

The cruise lines are cautiously predicting 2010 will be less awful, with yields down by only 7 or 8 percent.

Generally the farther ahead passengers book cruises, the more the lines can charge. The window has begun to widen, with passengers now booking an average of three months ahead, compared with just six weeks in early 2009, McLeod said.

Wave of new ships
But a wave of new ships ordered during the boom times are now coming on line and that will put pressure on rates, a boon for bargain-hunting passengers but not so much for cruise line earnings.

No. 1 cruise line Carnival's newest and biggest ship, the 3,652-passenger Carnival Dream, starts regular cruises to the Caribbean in December out of Florida's Port Canaveral.

Royal Caribbean will launch the Oasis' twin, Allure of the Seas, next December, one of eight new ships due out in 2010 industrywide. Capacity is expected to rise by 7 percent next year, and a little less than that in 2011, before settling.

"No new ships have been ordered for now 20 months and that hasn't occurred in the last 25 years," McLeod said.

New ships tend to attract passengers at the expense of the older ones. Cruise lines are compensating by moving their older ships away from weakening markets like Hawaii and Alaska and into growing ones like Europe and China, "like a giant chess game, playing with boats," he said.

Bookings aboard Oasis have been strong because it offers so much of everything, Royal Caribbean's Fain said.

Seven-night cruises start at $1,049 per person, double occupancy, for an inside cabin and run up to $16,659 per person for the two-story Royal Loft suite, which includes a baby grand piano and private 843-square foot balcony.

"We're getting much higher rates than I certainly would have expected even a year ago. The reception has just been overwhelming. I'm feeling pretty good right now," Fain said.

Zamboni driver needed
Royal Caribbean will see some cost savings from economies of scale on Oasis. Fuel consumption per guest is 30 percent lower than on an average ship and engine room staffing, for example, is not significantly bigger than on other ships because that part of the Oasis is very compact, Fain said.

Other costs are higher because it takes more staff to run its 24 dining venues and service 4,100 toilets, 42 elevators and 4,500 air conditioning units.

"On another ship we don't have high divers and horticulturists, Zamboni operators," Fain said, referring to equipment used to groom ice-skating rinks.

Oasis' size limits its itinerary. It will stop initially at the Caribbean ports of St. Maarten and St. Thomas and the Bahamian capital of Nassau, a week-long voyage that will later alternate with western Caribbean sailings.

Those ports dredged and deepened their approaches and built new docks to accommodate Oasis, while Port Everglades built a whole new terminal to handle the crowd of passengers who will leave the ship as a new horde embarks.

The mega-ship has its detractors. Travel writer Arthur Frommer wrote in his Budget Travel column that it exists to "cater to more of those people who are unable to entertain themselves, those arrested personalities who rely on constant, massive, outside distractions to ward off depression."

An even bigger one?
Other lines are cheering the Oasis, figuring the publicity bonanza will lift all cruise ships. Boutique lines are pitching their smaller more intimate vessels as the anti-Oasis

"Yes they have the most space but they're also putting the most number of guests into that space," said Steve Tucker, vice president of North American field sales for privately held luxury line Silversea, which launches its all-suite Silver Spirit on a 91-day voyage from Port Everglades in December.

At a tenth the size of the Oasis, Silver Spirit offers a private butler in every stateroom and carries 540 passengers.

Fain, meanwhile, is "looking at the forward bookings and smiling" while fending off the inevitable question of whether Royal Caribbean will build a ship even bigger than Oasis.

"I'm not saying it couldn't happen but one would need a reason," he said. "If somebody comes up with an idea that we think would be appealing to our guests, we would certainly look at it."

Navy SEALs Face Assault Charges for Capturing Most-Wanted Terrorist

2009-11-28T21:25:00.000Z

This makes me sick. Why do these brave men bother to endure some very hard training and then are deployed to places that most of are lucky enough to never have to experience and their lives are in constant danger, when authorities punish them for allegedly punching a terrorist. It seems the terrorists get more rights than the brave men and woman protecting the innocent here and abroad. If this continues, it will come to a point where no one will want to serve and protect their country, for fear of being prosecuted for doing their job.

Navy SEALs have secretly captured one of the most wanted terrorists in Iraq — the alleged mastermind of the murder and mutilation of four Blackwater USA security guards in Fallujah in 2004. And three of the SEALs who captured him are now facing criminal charges, sources told FoxNews.com.

The three, all members of the Navy's elite commando unit, have refused non-judicial punishment — called a captain's mast — and have requested a trial by court-martial.
Ahmed Hashim Abed, whom the military code-named "Objective Amber," told investigators he was punched by his captors — and he had the bloody lip to prove it.
Now, instead of being lauded for bringing to justice a high-value target, three of the SEAL commandos, all enlisted, face assault charges and have retained lawyers.
Matthew McCabe, a Special Operations Petty Officer Second Class (SO-2), is facing three charges: dereliction of performance of duty for willfully failing to safeguard a detainee, making a false official statement, and assault.
Petty Officer Jonathan Keefe, SO-2, is facing charges of dereliction of performance of duty and making a false official statement.
Petty Officer Julio Huertas, SO-1, faces those same charges and an additional charge of impediment of an investigation.

Neal Puckett, an attorney representing McCabe, told Fox News the SEALs are being charged for allegedly giving the detainee a “punch in the gut.”
“I don’t know how they’re going to bring this detainee to the United States and give us our constitutional right to confrontation in the courtroom,” Puckett said. “But again, we have terrorists getting their constitutional rights in New York City, but I suspect that they’re going to deny these SEALs their right to confrontation in a military courtroom in Virginia.”
The three SEALs will be arraigned separately on Dec. 7. Another three SEALs — two officers and an enlisted sailor — have been identified by investigators as witnesses but have not been charged.
FoxNews.com obtained the official handwritten statement from one of the three witnesses given on Sept. 3, hours after Abed was captured and still being held at the SEAL base at Camp Baharia. He was later taken to a cell in the U.S.-operated Green Zone in Baghdad.
The SEAL told investigators he had showered after the mission, gone to the kitchen and then decided to look in on the detainee.
"I gave the detainee a glance over and then left," the SEAL wrote. "I did not notice anything wrong with the detainee and he appeared in good health."
Lt. Col. Holly Silkman, spokeswoman for the special operations component of U.S. Central Command, confirmed Tuesday to FoxNews.com that three SEALs have been charged in connection with the capture of a detainee. She said their court martial is scheduled for January.
United States Central Command declined to discuss the detainee, but a legal source told FoxNews.com that the detainee was turned over to Iraqi authorities, to whom he made the abuse complaints. He was then returned to American custody. The SEAL leader reported the charge up the chain of command, and an investigation ensued.
The source said intelligence briefings provided to the SEALs stated that "Objective Amber" planned the 2004 Fallujah ambush, and "they had been tracking this guy for some time."
The Fallujah atrocity came to symbolize the brutality of the enemy in Iraq and the degree to which a homegrown insurgency was extending its grip over Iraq.
The four Blackwater agents were transporting supplies for a catering company when they were ambushed and killed by gunfire and grenades. Insurgents burned the bodies and dragged them through the city. They hanged two of the bodies on a bridge over the Euphrates River for the world press to photograph.
Intelligence sources identified Abed as the ringleader, but he had evaded capture until September.
The military is sensitive to charges of detainee abuse highlighted in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. The Navy charged four SEALs with abuse in 2004 in connection with detainee treatment.

A Puzzling Way To Lose Weight

2009-11-28T20:53:00.000Z

Mental exercises such as puzzles and quizzes are said to burn an average of 90 calories every hour – more calories than are contained in a jammy dodger or a chocolate hobnob.

Mental agility expert Tim Forrester from brain training website cannyminds.com which published the claims, said giving the brain a workout burns calories in the same way that giving the body a workout does.

Superdiets 'based on myths' "Our brains require 0.1 calories every minute simply to survive," he said. "When we do something challenging such as a puzzle or a quiz we burn through 1.5 calories every minute."

The brain is made up of millions of neurons which communicate with other neurons, transmitting messages to the body.

Neurons produce chemicals called neurotransmitters to relay their signals.

These neurons extract 75 per cent of the sugar glucose, available calories and 20 per cent of the oxygen from the blood to create these neurotransmitters.

So undertaking activity such as difficult crosswords or challenging sudoku’s means your brain will need more glucose and more calories.

Eight-time World Memory Champion Dominic O'Brien said brains needs work outs just as much as bodies.

"Just as you need to continually exercise your body to stay fit and healthy you also need to exercise your brain and memory to remain mentally agile," he said.

* Snacks you can enjoy which have the same calories as an hour's brain workout include:

A chocolate chip cookie = 56 calories

A jammy dodger = 85 calories

A custard cream = 57 calories

A chocolate hobnob = 79 calories

* But if you carried on for two hours with a puzzle you could enjoy:

A pack of Hula Hoops = 175 calories

A bag of Maltesers = 186 calories

A creme egg = 173 calories

A bag of jelly babies = 180 calories

Is it a Cone, a Hat, an ice-cream cornet, no it's Poole's new Christmas tree!

2009-11-28T04:23:00.002Z

The tree that normally costs £500 has been replaced by a £13,000 fake amid fears it would fall over in strong winds.

The new 10m (33ft) tall variety has no branches and decorations, is sturdier and doesn’t have to be cordoned off to keep people away, authorities claim.

But residents say it looks more like a gigantic traffic cone, a witch’s hat, an ice-cream cornet or even something out of Doctor Who.

And they questioned the cost during a recession, especially after officials scaled back the town’s Christmas lights.

‘I think it looks like something that has just landed from out of space. It looks nothing like a Christmas tree,’ said shopper Michelle James.

The tree is the brainchild of Poole’s town centre management board, an organisation made up of businesses and the council.

Although a real tree is about £500, it costs another £3,500 for specialists to decorate, light and install, officials said.

Richard Randall-Jones, the town centre manager, defended the new fake tree. ‘People think you can just go into the woods, chop down a tree and put it up in the high street. But if it blows over and kills someone then somebody is liable for it,’ he said.

Britain - Slowly but surely turning into a STATE run country

2009-11-25T02:07:00.000Z

Here's an interesting article I just came across. Another great example of how the Government is slowly but surely getting their sticky little fingers into every aspect of your lives.

I have been reading several different articles of late, explaining what the current Government is up to and it reminds me so much of the film, "VENDETTA". If you haven't seen this film, do so, if the Government continues on its' path unhinderred, maybe that film isn't too much out of reality of what could happen in the future.

Throughout the 12 years since New Labour began its assault upon our civil liberties, the response to those of us who publicly vented our dismay was straightforward: 'If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.'

So, by that logic, we were invited to embrace the ugly stacks of CCTV cameras that crawled across our High Streets and which, surprise, surprise, did nothing to reduce general levels of crime and lawlessness.

By the same token, we were encouraged to say 'Amen' to the multi-billion-pound ID cards scheme, or 'entitlement cards' as Tony Blair's old flatmate Lord Falconer used soothingly to call them when he was a minister in the Home Office.

This gigantic New Labour bung to foreign-owned IT companies is now discredited, though still being 'rolled out' as a voluntary scheme in Manchester to save the Government's face.

Arrested

But the most grotesque and brazen undermining of our freedoms, we now know, is the theft of our very essence. This week we have learned that police are routinely arresting innocent people specifically to secure their DNA samples.

Britain now boasts the largest DNA database in the world, with samples logged from 5.6 million people, of whom almost a million are known to be entirely innocent of any offence.

The authorities who monitor the database are fully aware of these people's innocence, yet they resist at every turn any attempt to have those samples erased.

And those innocent people who, once arrested and released with no legal stain on their character, might reasonably want to have their DNA wiped off the database are required to pay £200 and wait for months and months for the police to do so.

'It is now the norm to arrest offenders for everything if there is a power to do so,' a retired superintendent told the Human Genetics Commission.

'It is apparently understood by serving police officers that one of the reasons, if not the reason, for the change in practice is so that the DNA of the offender can be obtained.'

More...

The DNA snatchers: Police arresting innocents just to grab genetic details for Big Brother database

It is said, though the figures are disputed, that up to three- quarters of black men aged 18 to 35 are recorded on the DNA database.

How odd that this blatantly discriminatory statistic does not appear to trigger any sort of challenge under that other great New Labour achievement, the Human Rights Act, which is supposed to guarantee our rights to privacy, private life and equality under the law.

The evidence is now clear: step by step, sample by sample, the DNA database is expanding into a national register not just of criminals but of each and every one of us.

Let us be clear here. It is perfectly possible to construct a reasonably plausible argument that all of us, at birth, should have our DNA recorded and applied to a gigantic national database which, besides assisting in crime detection, would perform all manner of ingenious medical profiling.

There is a case that such a database might help in research into diabetes, dementia and various genetic conditions.

'A most grotesque and brazen undermining of our freedoms'

It is conceivable that the public would go along with this scheme. Large parts of the electorate might still trust the Government not to abuse the information it holds about us on trust. Many misguided people still believe in the essential goodness of the State.

Yet my guess is that if the question were ever directly put to the voter, British cussedness would scupper the idea. I suspect that the majority of voters would bridle at handing over their most intimate information to a government that has proved itself incapable of either holding on to it securely or using it within strict limitations.

New Labour knows this culture of mistrust. This is why people such as Lord Falconer, Jack Straw, Patricia Hewitt and others with impeccable, self- declared attachment to abstract notions of rights and privacy, have gone along in a covert scheme to nationalise our identities by stealth, on a scale that would make the Stasi green with envy.

A British government can no longer presume to run the steel or car industry as it did a generation ago, so instead New Labour has nationalised the individual, without once consulting us directly on the matter.

The deliberate policy to create a comprehensive national DNA database is one of those public policy matters which, like the introduction of ID cards and the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, is deemed too important to be opened up to any sort of democratic scrutiny. It is policy-by-creep.

Indeed, the real scandal is that the exact implementation of the database has been passed down to unelected police commissioners who make up policy on the hoof about whose DNA should be retained and then whose should be erased.

Consent

It is not unreasonable for police officers to want to create a 'belt and braces' approach to catching future or potential criminals; but it is up to politicians to rein them in when our collective liberties are being encroached. Instead, New Labour has tacitly encouraged them all the way.

Nor are such issues confined to the DNA database alone. This week I received a letter from our daughter's primary school inviting us to give consent to an undisclosed 'team of health professionals' to supervise her medical well-being henceforth.

The letter from our North London council asserts that it is 'important that the school holds a complete health record for your child'. Why? Is that not what we and our GP are supposed to do?

The letter adds, with a comical lack of confidence in its own competence, that: 'We aim to keep personal information confidential.'

My wife worries that our four-year-old daughter will feel left out if she cannot join group discussions with health professionals about her medical and psychological anxieties, but I'm afraid I have put my foot down and counted her out.

The Government's DNA database is expanding not just for criminals but for everyone

Undeclared

Leaving aside my visceral dislike of Ed Balls, I cannot see why I should agree that our daughter's medical records should be passed on to various undeclared parties including 'other agencies such as the Children, Schools and Families Department', any more than I would wish her DNA to be placed on the national database.

Indeed, I found myself wondering whether the two areas might be connected in some way.

The problem for those of us who worry even slightly about our privacy is that the horse has already bolted. We now know that a government which introduced the Data Protection Act allows the DVLA in Swansea routinely to sell car registration details to cowboy car park clampers charging £150 to release vehicles.

We know that the Inland Revenue 'lost' the banking and personal details of everyone who claims child benefit; we know, too, that a CD with the DNA details of 4,000 murderers and rapists on the run was lost after being left lying around in an office for 12 months by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Even if we believed in a beneficial purpose for the DNA database, why should we trust this Government to keep our most sacred details secret when it shows in its behaviour a blithe lack of concern about our privacy?

It is high time that those of us who are sceptical about big government find our voice in speaking up for traditional English liberty.

We need to say that just because we have nothing to hide, we don't need to explain why we have nothing to fear from an ever- expanding, ever more intrusive state.

Let us turn the argument around and ask the State: what do you have to fear from us?

Government Interference at its' worse...

2009-11-24T18:30:00.013Z

Britain's new Internet law -- as bad as everyone's been saying, and worse. Much, much worse.

The British government has brought down its long-awaited Digital Economy Bill, and it's perfectly useless and terrible. It consists almost entirely of penalties for people who do things that upset the entertainment industry (including the "three-strikes" rule that allows your entire family to be cut off from the net if anyone who lives in your house is accused of copyright infringement, without proof or evidence or trial), as well as a plan to beat the hell out of the video-game industry with a new, even dumber rating system (why is it acceptable for the government to declare that some forms of artwork have to be mandatorily labelled as to their suitability for kids? And why is it only some media? Why not paintings? Why not novels? Why not modern dance or ballet or opera?).

So it's bad. £50,000 fines if someone in your house is accused of filesharing. A duty on ISPs to spy on all their customers in case they find something that would help the record or film industry sue them (ISPs who refuse to cooperate can be fined £250,000).

But that's just for starters. The real meat is in the story we broke yesterday: Peter Mandelson, the unelected Business Secretary, would have to power to make up as many new penalties and enforcement systems as he likes. And he says he's planning to appoint private militias financed by rightsholder groups who will have the power to kick you off the internet, spy on your use of the network, demand the removal of files or the blocking of websites, and Mandelson will have the power to invent any penalty, including jail time, for any transgression he deems you are guilty of. And of course, Mandelson's successor in the next government would also have this power.

What isn't in there? Anything about stimulating the actual digital economy. Nothing about ensuring that broadband is cheap, fast and neutral. Nothing about getting Britain's poorest connected to the net. Nothing about ensuring that copyright rules get out of the way of entrepreneurship and the freedom to create new things. Nothing to ensure that schoolkids get the best tools in the world to create with, and can freely use the publicly funded media -- BBC, Channel 4, BFI, Arts Council grantees -- to make new media and so grow up to turn Britain into a powerhouse of tech-savvy creators.

Lobby organisation The Open Rights Group is urging people to contact their MP to oppose the plans.
"This plan won't stop copyright infringement and with a simple accusation could see you and your family disconnected from the internet - unable to engage in everyday activities like shopping and socialising," it said.
The government will also introduce age ratings on all boxed video games aimed at children aged 12 or over.
There is, however, little detail in the bill on how the government will stimulate broadband infrastructure.

Government lays out digital plans (Thanks, Lee!)
Previously:

BREAKING: Leaked UK government plan to create "Pirate Finder General" with power to appoint militias, create laws

Brits: send a message to Mandelson and fight "three strikes ...
Brits: sign petitition to kill proposal to disconnect accused ...
Open Rights Group forum on proposal to cut British households off ...
Brit business secretary promises to punish accused file-sharers ...
UK govt proposes idiotic two-strikes-and-you're-out Internet ...

Mandelson suddenly became interested in this after a David Geffen funded trip to Corfu. He denies the connection between paid excursion and policy changes but it's hard not ask questions about what exactly they discussed over dinner. He is unelected. He has had to resign TWICE in the past for his activities. Not just once. Twice. HE IS COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY CORRUPT AND YET IT IS BEING IGNORED.

Corporate Greed Is Alive and Well In America

2009-11-21T18:53:00.000Z

Here's an article I came across today. It just goes to show that some large companies haven't learnt any lessons over the past year or so and clearly show they don't care about the public, all they want is to have huge profits at the expense of people's lives, kicking them, while they are down.

Don't get me wrong, any company needs to make a profit, but many financial companies have taken Government bailouts to survive, but still do little to nothing to help its' customers. This mentality of GREED, is what caused the recession in the first place and clearly isn't getting better for main street.

Millions of Americans already battling the suffocating economy are getting a flurry of mail from credit-card issuers telling them, just in time for holiday shopping, that their interest rate is headed skyward.
For many, the rates are doubling, even tripling, leaving cash-strapped and credit-starved Americans staring at harder times ahead.
Still others are seeing longtime fixed rates flipped to variable rates tied to a market index that's likely to pitch them into double-digit interest in no time.
Much of the activity — rate hikes, lower credit limits, boosts of minimum monthly payments among them — seems to be pegged to new federal rules set to kick in gear in late February that will severely constrain banks and credit-card issuers from predatory practices of the past, according to experts who track the industry.
The trend is bearing out in several new consumer surveys that say credit-card users are increasingly faced with unsavory choices ranging from accepting near-impossible credit terms on accounts with already high balances, to closing accounts and limiting consumers' credit availability.
A survey from Rasmussen Reports found that half of its respondents have been slapped with rate hikes in the past six months. Another by Credit.com found that nearly a third of Americans had rates boosted unexpectedly, nearly double the number from a previous analysis just six months ago.
And at a time when banks have suffered a severe setback in consumer confidence, those actions are not being greeted warmly, industry experts say.
"It seems like they're hurting the customers they need the most," said Travis Plunkett, legislative director for the Consumer Federation of America, an advocacy group. "What the industry needs most is trust, having lost it to the traps and tricks they've used for years, but they seem to be betraying it even further."
Some tricks now include designing notices of interest-rate changes as junk mail.
"There's no law that mandates a standard on how those notifications are to be sent out," said Ben Woolsey, director of marketing and consumer research at CreditCards.com. "The banks love nothing more for it to be thrown away."
Fearful the rules might hamstring banks' ability to make money — profits from credit-card penalty fees are expected to top $20.9 billion this year alone — card issuers are being pushed to increase rates quickly. Though the national average is at 13.7 percent, according to the Federal Reserve, that's now changing.
And everyone is being affected, from those with the poorest credit to those with the best.
"It's not just counterintuitive but shortsighted," Plunkett said. "People who have really done nothing wrong are finding themselves with higher rates."
The new laws are to begin in February, though some rules kicked in this summer. The law — the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, or Credit CARD Act — is designed to provide consumers with access to credit on terms that are fair and more easily understood.
It bans abusive credit-card practices, enhances disclosure to cardholders and protects underage consumers. It also protects consumers by barring unreasonable interest-rate increases and fees, and requires monthly disclosures of how much interest you've paid to date.
Efforts to push the effective date to December passed the House last week but stalled this week in the Senate.

England Photo's (2009)

2009-06-21T02:33:00.015+01:00

Here 's a selection of photo's from our trip to England.

To see them all, use the following link for the online photo-album:

http://www.ikstone.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album44

Christchurch

Memorial at Christchurch

Mudeford

Miniature Railway - Moors Valley

Christchurch

Burley - New Forest

Ponies in the New Forest

Kate, Jack & Nicola

Model Oast House at Bekonscot Model Village

London Eye

Street Artist - London

Jack with a Street Artist in London

Hampton Court

Henry VIII at Hampton Court

Horse and Carriage at Hampton Court

Roman-baths in Bath

Bath

Street Artist - Edgar Mueller

2009-05-17T05:16:00.003+01:00

Together with up to five assistants, Mueller painted all day long from sunrise to sunset. The picture appeared on the East Pier in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland, as part of the town's Festival of World Cultures

He spent five days, working 12 hours a day, to create the 250 square metre image of the crevasse, which, viewed from the correct angle, appears to be 3D. He then persuaded passers-by to complete the illusion by pretending the gaping hole was real.

'I wanted to play with positives and negatives to encourage people to think twice about everything they see,' he said. 'It was a very scary scene, but when people saw it they had great fun playing on it and pretending to fall into the earth. 'I like to think that later, when they returned home, they might reflect more on what a frightening scenario it was and say, "Wow, that was actually pretty scary".'

Mueller, who has previously painted a giant waterfall in Canada, said he was inspired by the British 'Pavement Picasso' Julian Beever, whose dramatic but more gentle 3D street images have featured in the Daily Mail.

Where Do Cats Sleep?

2009-05-16T03:35:00.004+01:00

Rules For Avoiding Swine Flu, - Don't do this

2009-05-02T19:52:00.003+01:00

Henry VIII and his wife's

2009-04-12T22:12:00.004+01:00

Henry's Women, a new temporary exhibition at Hampton Court Palace in south-west London, explores King Henry VIII's relationships with the many women who shaped and influenced his reign.
Highlights include the earliest surviving panel portrait of Katherine of Aragon, Henry's first wife. The monkey she holds is shown reaching for her cross, symbolising the importance of her Catholic faith.
Anne Boleyn, the mother of Elizabeth I, became Henry's second wife after his first marriage was annulled. The King was frustrated by her inability to give him a son, though, and had her executed.
Henry VIII married Jane Seymour, one of Anne Boleyn's attendants, 11 days after her execution. She died at Hampton Court Palace in 1537, 12 days after giving him a son, the future Edward VI.
Catherine Howard became Henry's fifth wife following the annulment of his marriage to Anne of Cleves. This portrait, probably painted in the 17th Century, was recently re-identified as the young queen.
Kathryn Parr became Henry's sixth wife in 1543, remaining with him until his death four years later. This portrait, painted by an unknown artist, comes from the collection of Appleby Castle in Cumbria.
Other paintings in the exhibition include this portrait of Henry's daughter Elizabeth, who ascended the throne in 1558. Henry's Women runs at Hampton Court Palace from 10 April to 3 August.

Kate is a Hero

2009-03-28T17:37:00.004Z

Kate is truly a hero.

Last night, we had friends over and were watching a film, while the children were playing upstairs.
Suddenly, Kate came downstairs, saying there's a funny smell filling the rooms. I immediately looked in every room, nothing out of the ordinary, but then we all started noticing the smell and it seemed to be filling the house.
I went down to the basement, to check the heating system, the smell was very strong down there. The pilot lights were still alight, so it wasn't a gas leak, and that would have smelt light rotten-eggs. I switched the heating off and Denise called the Utilities out.

It turns out that the house had filled with carbon-monoxide. The heating room was at levels never seen by the utility man before. He didn't think his machine read levels as high as read last night! A couple of people started feeling sick, so the utility man called the Fire department out, just to be safe and check everyone out. Everyone was okay after a while of being outside in the freezing cold fresh air. Denise was taken to hospital, as they wanted to be extra sure she was okay, as she only had a surgery on Wednesday.

If Kate hadn't said anything and we had gone to bed, they said some would have definately not woken up this morning. Kate, thank you, you are our Hero :)

Pavement Art, round 3

2009-03-22T23:47:00.004Z

Happy Retirement George

2009-01-24T18:06:00.003Z

'The vast majority of our imports come from outside the country.'
- George W. Bush

'If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure.'
- George W. Bush

'One word sums up probably the responsibility of any Governor, and that one word is 'to be prepared'.'
-George W. Bush

'I have made good judgments in the past. I have made good judgments in the future.'
- George W. Bush

'The future will be better tomorrow.'
- George W. Bush

'We're going to have the best educated American people in the world.'
- George W. Bush

'I stand by all the misstatements that I've made.'
- George W Bush

'We have a firm commitment to NATO, we are a part of NATO. We have a firm commitment to Europe . We are a part of Europe '
- George W. Bush

'Public speaking is very easy.'
- George W. Bush

'A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls.'
- George W. Bush

'I have opinions of my own -- strong opinions -- but I don't always agree with them.'
-George Bush

'We are ready for any unforeseen event that may or may not occur.'
- George W. Bush

'For NASA, space is still a high priority.'
-George W. Bush

'Quite frankly, teachers are the only profession that teach our children.'
-George W. Bush

'It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it.'
- George W. Bush

Do You Have a Cat Like One of These?

2009-01-19T01:45:00.006Z

Getting Ready for Easter !

2009-01-04T03:05:00.007Z

Easter eggs are already on sale at Tesco

Staff at the store in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, put out "Easter Treats" displays of chocolates and daffodils on Monday.

Cadbury's Creme Eggs, Easter Chicks and chocolate bunnies were placed yards from reduced-price Christmas crackers, decorations and wrapping paper.

Stephen Roland, 31, a customer at the store, said: "I couldn't believe it. Selling Easter eggs three or four days after Christmas is ludicrous - particularly when Easter is in April next year."

A Tesco spokesman said that their stores all over Britain will soon be putting up their Easter displays.

Shopper Ellen Turner, 53, said: "They don't let one season finish before they press another on you."

It is not the first time that Easter has caused embarrassment for a major supermarket.

Last year Somerfield issued a press release claiming that Easter marked the "birth of Jesus".

The release was hastily corrected and, following consultation with the Church of England, changed to the "resurrection" of Jesus.

Last year Tesco and other supermarkets were accused of using Easter eggs to launch a price war.

Tesco sold eggs at a buy-one-get-one-free price of £1.49 - just 74p per egg, leading to concerns the supermarket was selling them at a loss to pull in shoppers.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-26T23:06:00.004Z

Denise and the children went to Pueblo Wednesday afternoon, for a little family get together at Jerry & Sandy's house.

Christmas morning, we were at home and enjoyed watching Kate and Zachary open their presents.

We went over to Doug & Linda's in the afternoon for Christmas dinner.
Other family came too, Keith & Kari and their children William, Drake and Noah.
Justin, Chelsea & Elianna.
Jess & Lynn and their three dogs, and Charles, a friend of Doug & Linda's.

More photo's are on our online album, links below (cut & paste):
Christmas Eve: http://ikstone.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album37

Christmas morning: http://ikstone.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album38

Christmas afternoon: http://ikstone.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album39

The Chiller

2008-12-14T18:11:00.007Z

Colorado Springs

During the night, an arctic front arrived in our area. Winds initially were averaging 40mph+, but fortunately have calmed down now. The temperature here in the Springs has plummeted and is currently 6f (-14c) at 11am.

It is supposed to get up to 14f (-10c), but it doesn't look like it will.

Although Denver hasn't started getting the snow fall that the Springs is getting now, they have the cold too, currently at 14f (-10c).

South Denver

The current forecast shows we will not see temperatures go above freezing (in the day!) until the end of the week.

Unique Paint Job

2008-12-12T01:38:00.005Z

Check out what some U.S. soldiers overseas, did to their helicopter.
Some Afghan is probably freaking out right about now.

This very special Mi-24 helicopter is presently flying in Afghanistan,
where it is no doubt causing quite a stir.

Too British !

2008-12-08T21:02:00.003Z

An appeal claiming Barack Obama is too British to become president of the United States has been rejected by the US Supreme Court.

The lawsuit claimed he should be disqualified because, it claimed, he acquired the same British citizenship that his father had when he was born.

This meant he was not a "natural-born" US citizen, as the US constitution requires, it alleged.
Mr Obama's birth certificate shows he was born in Hawaii.

The issue was addressed by Mr Obama's aides during his presidential campaign, when they posted online his birth certificate - which was verified by Hawaiian officials.

This lawsuit, brought by retired New Jersey lawyer Leo Donofrio, gained a high profile because it was distributed by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to other justices for discussion.

It conceded that Mr Obama was born in Hawaii - but contended that he still held foreign citizenship at birth.

It read: "Since Barack Obama's father was a citizen of Kenya, and therefore subject to the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom at the time of Senator Obama's birth, then Senator Obama was a British citizen 'at birth', just like the framers of the Constitution, and therefore, even if he were to produce an original birth certificate proving he were born on US soil, he still wouldn't be eligible to be president."

Kenya was part of British East Africa until it received its independence in 1963.

A decision not to grant a writ of certiorari - the legal term for the declaration that the justices will hear the case - means that a lower court ruling that dismissed the lawsuit can stand.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T19:34:00.002Z

Recently I received a parrot as a gift.

The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary.

Every word out of the bird's mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity.

I tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistentlysaying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else I could think of to "clean up" the bird's vocabulary.

Finally, I was fed up and I yelled at the parrot.

The parrot yelled back.

I shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even ruder.

So, in desperation, I threw up my hands, grabbed the bird andput him in the freezer.

For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed.

Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a minute.

Fearing that I'd hurt the parrot, I quickly opened the door to the freezer.

The parrot calmly stepped out onto my outstretched arms and said "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language andactions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions andI fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior."

I was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude.

As I was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramaticchange in his behavior, the bird continued, "May I ask what the turkey did?"

Great Britain needs to regain its' identity...

2008-10-23T02:19:00.008+01:00

Story in a National Newspaper

Will we still be the Country of choice and still be Great Britain if we continue to make the changes forced on us by the people from other countries that came to live in Britain because it is the Country of Choice??????

Think about it . . All I have to say is, when will they do something about MY RIGHTS?

I celebrate Christmas, but because it isn't celebrated by everyone, we can no longer say Merry Christmas. Now it has to be Season's Greetings. It's not Christmas holiday, it's Winter Break. Isn't it amazing how this winter break ALWAYS occurs over the Christmas holiday? We've gone so far the other way, bent over backwards to not offend anyone, that I am now being offended. But it seems that no one has a problem with that. This says it all!

This is an editorial written by an British citizen, published in a National newspaper He did quite a job; didn't he? Read on, please!

IMMIGRANTS, NOT BRITS MUST ADAPT. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on the 7th of the 7th we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Brits. However, the disgust about the attacks had barely settled when the 'politically correct! ' crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others.

I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to Britain, Our population is almost entirely made up of descendants of immigrants. (The Danes, Romans ect.) However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand.

This idea of the Brits being a multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. As Britain's we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle. This culture has been developed over centuries of struggles, trials, and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom. We speak ENGLISH, not Indian, Urdu, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, learn the language! 'Land of Hope & Glory' is our motto. This is not some Christian, right wing, political slogan We adopted this motto because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools.

If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture. If the 'Union Jack' flag offends you, or you don't like our QUEEN, then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from.

This is OUR COUNTRY, our land, and our lifestyle. Our Laws give every citizen the right to express his opinion and we will allow you every opportunity to do so! But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about our flag, our lifestyle our government, or our way of life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great BRITISH freedom,
THE RIGHT TO LEAVE.

Daddy's Poem

2008-10-21T01:56:00.004+01:00

Her hair was up in a pony tail,
Her favorite dress tied with a bow.
Today was Daddy's Day at school,
And she couldn't wait to go.
But her mommy tried to tell her,
That she probably should stay home.
Why the kids might not understand,
If she went to school alone.

But she was not afraid;
She knew just what to say.
What to tell her classmates
Of why he wasn't there today.

But still her mother worried,
For her to face this day alone.
And that was why once again,
She tried to keep her daughter home.

But the little girl went to school
Eager to tell them all.
About a dad she never sees
A dad who never calls.

There were daddies along the wall in back,
For everyone to meet.
Children squirming impatiently,
Anxious in their seats.

One by one the teacher called
A student from the class.
To introduce their daddy,
As seconds slowly passed.

At last the teacher called her name,
Every child turned to stare.
Each of them was searching,
For a man who wasn't there.

'Where's her daddy at?'
She heard a boy call out.
'She probably doesn't have one,'
Another student dared to shout.

And from somewhere near the back,
She heard a daddy say,
'Looks like another deadbeat dad,
Too busy to waste his day.'

The words did not offend her,
As she smiled up at her Mom.
And looked back at her teacher,
Who told her to go on.

And with hands behind her back,
Slowly she began to speak.
And out from the mouth of a child,
Came words incredibly unique.

'My Daddy couldn't be here,
Because he lives so far away.
But I know he wishes he could be,
Since this is such a special day.

And though you cannot meet him,
I wanted you to know.
All about my daddy,
And how much he loves me so.

He loved to tell me stories
He taught me to ride my bike.
He surprised me with pink roses,
And taught me to fly a kite.

We used to share fudge sundaes,
And ice cream in a cone.
And though you cannot see him.
I'm not standing here alone.

'Cause my daddy's always with me,
Even though we are apart
I know because he told me,
He'll forever be in my heart'.

With that, her little hand reached up,
And lay across her chest.
Feeling her own heartbeat,
Beneath her favorite dress.

And from somewhere here in the crowd of dads,
Her mother stood in tears.
Proudly watching her daughter,
Who was wise beyond her years.

For she stood up for the love
Of a man not in her life.
Doing what was best for her,
Doing what was right.

And when she dropped her hand back down,
Staring straight into the crowd.
She finished with a voice so soft,
But its message clear and loud.

'I love my daddy very much,
he's my shining star.
And if he could, he'd be here,
But heaven's just too far.

You see he was a policeman
and died just this past year
When airplanes hit the towers
and taught Americans to fear.

But sometimes when I close my eyes,
it's like he never went away.'
And then she closed her eyes,
and saw him there that day.

And to her mothers amazement,
she witnessed with surprise.
A room full of daddies and children,
all starting to close their eyes.

Who knows what they saw before them,
who knows what they felt inside.
Perhaps for merely a second,
they saw him at her side.

'I know you're with me Daddy,'
to the silence she called out.
And what happened next made believers,
of those once filled with doubt.

Not one in that room could explain it,
for each of their eyes had been closed.
But there on the desk beside her,
was a fragrant long-stemmed pink rose.

And a child was blessed, if only for a moment,
by the love of her shining star.
And given the gift of believing,
that heaven is never too far.

Blue eyed legend passes away...

2008-09-28T03:58:00.007+01:00

Legendary film star Paul Newman, whose brilliant blue eyes, good looks, cool style and talent made him one of Hollywood's top actors over six decades has died at age 83 after a long battle with cancer.

Newman died on Friday night at his farmhouse near Westport, Connecticut, surrounded by his wife of 50 years, actress Joanne Woodward, and other family and friends.

"His death was as private and discreet as the way he had lived his life, a humble artist who never thought of himself as 'big,'" said a statement released by his family on Saturday.

Paul Leonard Newman, known as "PL" to his friends, appeared in more than 50 movies, including "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "The Sting." He earned nine Oscar nominations for acting and won the best actor honor for 1986's "The Color of Money."

A director and race car driver as well as an actor, Newman was also known for his extensive philanthropy. He created Newman's Own food products, which funneled more than $250 million in profits to thousands of charities worldwide.

"He quietly succeeded beyond measure in impacting the lives of so many with his generosity," his five daughters said in a statement. "Always and to the end, Dad was incredibly grateful for his good fortune. In his own words: 'It's been a privilege to be here.'"

"There is a point where feelings go beyond words. I have lost a real friend. My life - and this country - is better for his being in it," said actor Robert Redford, Newman's friend and co-star in "Butch Cassidy" and "The Sting."

Former President Bill Clinton and U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton said in a statement that they will miss their "dear friend." California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called Newman the "ultimate cool guy" who was "one of a kind."

Remembering 7 years ago

2008-09-12T02:51:00.010+01:00

9/11 Terrorist Attacks (2001)

On 11th September, 2001, 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger airplanes.

They crashed two of the planes into the Twin Towers in NYC, and flew a third into the Pentagon building in Virginia. Passengers on the fourth flight attempted to retake control of the aircraft, but it crashed in a Pennsylvania field.
The devastating terrorist attacks of 9/11 were responsible for 2,974 confirmed casualties and an unknown number of injuries.

Heading Into Danger As World Trade Center workers descended the stairs of Tower One to escape, firefighter 'Mike Kehoe' entered the building to help in the evacuation effort.

Colorado Springs is Host to the Senior US Open

2008-08-02T16:52:00.003+01:00

This year, Colorado Springs is hosting the Senior U.S. Open at the Broadmoor.

How many other tournaments around the country or around the world for that fact, will you see this.....

A black bear ran across the no. 13 fairway during the second round of the 2008 U.S. Senior Open at the Broadmoor on friday. at the same time the bear was crossing the fairway, Fred Tunk was building his three-shot lead.

Colorado Heatwave

2008-08-02T03:16:00.004+01:00

There's no letting up with the heatwave we have been experiencing for 3 weeks now. Denver broke its' old record of 18 consecutive days over 90f and I believe is now running at 21 or 22 days straight.
Colorado Springs, approx. 60 miles south of Denver and over a thousand feet higher, is normally an average 10f cooler than Denver in the summer, but not this year. It has only been 2-5f cooler and unless you are fortunate to have a newer home, most do not have air-conditioning.

Today, Denver hit 101 and Colorado Springs at 99f.

This is also set to be the driest year since records began.

Just east of the Springs, a large fire was started early this afternoon and lightening is suspected of starting it.

EL PASO COUNTY - At least 6 buildings have been claimed by a wildfire burning east of Fountain that started near Squirrel Creek and Milne Road just before 2:00 p.m. Friday afternoon. It is about 80% contained and burned in an area west of Peyton Highway and all the way up to Drennan Road. One of the houses that burned was 100 years old.

A helicopter pilot from NEWSCHANNEL 13's sister station in Denver says that from the air, the fire covered a very large area, possibly several thousand acres. Ranch owner Bob Norris says 3,200 acres of his land was scorched by the flames.

There are no reports of any injuries.

Crews are still working to evaluate how large the entire coverage area is. The fire moved very quickly, jumping roads and pushed by gusty winds. Multiple agencies are working together in order to try and contain the fire before it reaches more homes.

Reverse 9-1-1 was put into effect in order to evacuate residents near the flames, however they were allowed to return home just before 6:00 p.m. El Paso County Emergency Management initially asked the Red Cross to open a shelter for evacuees, but called it off when crews were able to get a better handle on the fire. Several roads were also closed in the area.

Viewers called to say they saw lightning in the area around 1:00 p.m. A spokesperson for the El Paso County Health Department says they also believe the fire to be lightning caused.

Amazing Pavement Art

2008-07-30T01:11:00.009+01:00

Here are some more amazing pavement artwork...

Colorado is the Skinniest State

2008-07-17T18:32:00.002+01:00

Article from MD Web

Slimming Tips From the Skinniest State

Why Is Colorado So Lean? 7 Lessons From the Lone 'Blue' State on CDC's Adult Obesity Map
By Miranda Hitti

July 17, 2008 -- The latest star spouting a lean lifestyle isn't a Hollywood celebrity with a wacky diet, extreme workout routine, or big-bucks trainer. It's a state -- Colorado.

Ever since 1990, Colorado has had the nation's lowest percentage of obese adults. And on the CDC's latest map of adult obesity prevalence, Colorado is the only state shaded in dark blue, because of its low percentage -- 18.7% -- of obese adults.

What's up with that? What does Colorado know that the rest of the country doesn't? And short of packing up the wagon and heading west, what can heftier states learn from Colorado?
Here are seven nuggets of Colorado's weight wisdom, from James O. Hill, PhD, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado Denver and co-founder of America on the Move, a nonprofit group focused on healthy lifestyles.

1. For now, just hold the line.
"That's the first goal," Hill says. "If we could first keep from getting worse, and then gradually start going down, that would be very, very good."
Even in Mississippi, the state with the highest adult obesity rate, "if we can just get 'em started making some small changes in the right direction, so that next year obesity rates don't go up, then over time, you may begin to create more of a culture of health, which exists more in Colorado right now," he says.

2. Cultivate a culture of health.
"I think Colorado has more of a culture of health than other places," Hill says.
"People value lifestyle, they value physical activity, they value healthy eating. We have an environment that's conducive to that. It's a wonderful place for physical activity. Even in the city, there are lots of parks and so forth."

3. Start small.
Small changes, that is. "The advice to the rest of the country is ... you aren't going to turn this around overnight and so start thinking about a lot of small changes."
Those changes start with behavior -- being more active and eating healthier.
"Little things are important," Hill says. For instance, he recommends getting a pedometer and walking an extra 1,000 steps -- about half a mile -- per day. On the diet side, an example might be watching your portion size.
"Most people can't just turn their life upside down, but they can walk half a mile more," Hill says, adding that you can log those extra steps any time during the day.
"The thing is that you do it. It doesn't matter that you do it all at once," he says. "You never even have to go to the gym, if you don't want to. You can do it just by walking through daily living."

Over time, those small changes make a difference.

Cripple Creek, CO

2008-07-17T03:48:00.014+01:00

Cripple Creek was once known as the "World's Greatest Gold Camp". The mining district opened in 1891. Bob Womack, a cowhand, was riding the range. He took an outcrop of rocks to the assay office. Womack's claim, although he had sold it, ended up yielding $5 million in gold and so the news spread and the gold rush had started.

With this discovery, the Cripple Creek and Victor Mining District, saw the need to make links to the front range. Roads and then railroads were constructed. Within 5 years, the population had grown to 25,000. The District ended up with over 500 mines, producing over 21 million ounces of gold. Most mining took place between 1891 to 1910.

Today, Cripple Creek is one of Colorado's popular Casino sites. The town is less than an hour's drive west from Colorado Springs, at an altitude of 9,508 feet. In the past, the town suffered two major fires within 3 days, destroying the majority of it, but it was rebuilt with brick and stone and all the buildings to this day, keep the old character of the town. Many have some wonderful paintings on them too.

Here is a handful of photo's from our recent visit and all the photo's I took, can be viewed at our online photo-album:
(copy & paste the link into your browser)
http://ikstone.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album28

POW/MIA Memorial, Cripple Creek, CO

2008-07-16T00:46:00.007+01:00

Cripple Creek, CO is located in a valley west of Pike's Peak, less than an hour's drive from Colorado Springs.
It is an old Gold mining town. Mining has long gone, replaced by Casino's sprawling down the main street.

Near the top end of the town, there's a POW/MIA memorial.

In 1987, a small chopper shop known as High Counytry Custom Cycles was established. The owner's father was a WWII veteran. The owner and brother sold pins and patches to honour prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action.

At that time, most didn't recognise the POW/MIA logo, so to raise awareness, he and his wife and some friends, put the POW flag on their bike's and rode through Colorado Springs. That day, the POW/MIA Recognition Ride was born.

As a few years past and the ride grew from a few dozen to over a thousand biker's, in 1993, it was decided to move the annual ride from Colorado Springs to Cripple Creek. That first year in Cripple Creek, a stone was placed in the park at the end of the day's ride, to commemorate the soldiers.

As the year's have passed, the ride has grown in popularity and gained recognition across the country. Attendance was around 30,000 in 2000 and now has exploded to around 80,000+, helped by a resurgence in patriotism since 11th September 2001. The now 3 day event has become too large for Cripple Creek and is now being relocated to Winter Park, CO this year, but Cripple Creek will always have its' own memorial park.

Pavement Art by Julian Beever

2008-07-04T04:00:00.004+01:00

Debut A380 flight lands in London

2008-03-18T17:23:00.002Z

The Airbus A380 super-jumbo has completed its first European commercial flight after a plane from Singapore landed at London's Heathrow airport.

Singapore Airlines is the first carrier to operate the new double-decker aircraft on revenue-earning services.

Flight SQ308 arrived at Heathrow 15 minutes before its 1505 GMT schedule.

British Airways has ordered 12 of the airliners, due to be delivered from 2012, while Virgin Atlantic has ordered six, to arrive from 2013.
The Singapore Airlines flight carries 470 passengers, each of whom will receive a personalised certificate to commemorate the historic first flight to the UK.
The carrier has three A380s in service, with 16 more on order, and has been using them on flights between Singapore and Sydney, Australia, since October 2007.
Environmental claims
The A380 made its Heathrow debut in May 2006, when a pre-production aircraft arrived to test facilities.
Heathrow's owner BAA has constructed a special pier at Terminal 3 to accommodate A380s, which will also be flown to the airport by Dubai-based Emirates.
Pier 6, as it is known, was completed in 2006 at a cost of £105m and provides space for four of the double-deck airliners.
Other works, costing more than £340m, had to be carried out on the airfield to allow for operations by the world's largest commercial airliner.

Runways had to be resurfaced, lighting upgraded and taxiways changed in preparation for the A380.
Terminal 5, which was opened by the Queen last Friday, will also be able to handle the airliner when it enters service with British Airways.
Airbus is making bold claims for the A380's impact on the environment, saying the aircraft burns 17% less fuel per seat than the current largest airliner.
The company argues that equates to the airliner producing 75g of CO2 per passenger and per kilometre.

Inaugural flight

Friends of the Earth is not convinced by that argument, saying that while cleaner aircraft are required, it expects any benefits to be undermined by the forecast rapid growth in demand for air travel.
Singapore Airlines say the start of commercial A380 services to London will be a "proud moment" for the UK aviation sector.
The airliner's wings are made at Broughton in north Wales and at Filton in Bristol. The Rolls-Royce engines that power Singapore's fleet are built at Derby.

Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster back in 1986

2008-01-28T19:39:00.000Z

The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred in the United States, over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of central Florida, at 11:39 a.m. EST (16:39 UTC) on January 28 1986.

The Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated 73 seconds into its flight after an O-ring seal in its right solid rocket booster (SRB) failed at liftoff. The seal failure caused a breach in the SRB joint it filled, allowing a flare to reach the outside and impinge upon the adjacent attachment hardware and external fuel tank. The SRB breach flare led to the separation of the right-hand SRB and the structural failure of the external tank. Aerodynamic forces promptly broke up the orbiter.

The shuttle was destroyed and all seven crew members were killed. The crew compartment and many other vehicle fragments were eventually recovered from the ocean floor after a lengthy search and recovery operation. The disaster resulted in a 32-month hiatus in the shuttle program and the formation of the Rogers Commission, a special commission appointed by United States President Ronald Reagan to investigate the accident.

The Rogers Commission found that NASA's organizational culture and decision-making processes had been a key contributing factor to the accident. NASA managers had known that contractor Morton Thiokol's design of the SRBs contained a potentially catastrophic flaw in the O-rings since 1977, but they failed to address it properly. They also ignored warnings from engineers about the dangers of launching on such a cold day and had failed to adequately report these technical concerns to their superiors. The Rogers Commission offered NASA nine recommendations that were to be implemented before shuttle flights resumed.

Many schoolchildren viewed the launch live due to the presence on the crew of Christa McAuliffe, the first member of the Teacher in Space Project. Media coverage of the accident was extensive: one study reported that 85 percent of Americans surveyed had heard the news within an hour of the accident.

The Challenger disaster has been used as a case study in many discussions of engineering safety and workplace ethics and inspired the 1990 television movie, Challenger.

The Lighter Side of Getting Old

2008-01-20T23:14:00.001Z

Crash Landing at London's Heathrow Airport

2008-01-17T19:45:00.000Z

BA flight 38 from Beijing, China to London, England.

Thank you for Flying British Airways, 谢谢飞行英国航空

Witnesses have described how the pilot of a British Airways passenger jet that crash landed at London's Heathrow Airport on Thursday appeared to be struggling to bring the plane down safely as it came in low over surrounding houses.

Passenger Paul Venter told the UK Press Association: "The wheels came out and went for touchdown, and the next moment we just dropped. I couldn't tell you how far."
London ambulance services said 17 people suffered minor injuries, and the number could increase as several others are still being assessed.

Images showed the Boeing 777 , grounded on tarmac after touching down several hundred meters short of the airport's south runway, close to a perimeter road, with its emergency chutes deployed and white fire-fighting foam covering the engines.

The undercarriage, left wing and left engine of the aircraft were severely damaged, as if it had skidded across the ground. At least one of the plane's wheels had been torn off.

The most visible damage was to the left wing, which was covered in mangled metal where it meets the fuselage.
Tire tracks hundreds of meters long could be seen in the grass behind the plane, which was surrounded by fire engines and other emergency vehicles.
Eyewitness Neil Jones said the plane had made a "very, very unusual approach" to the airport and sounded louder than usual, PA reported.
"You could see the pilot was desperate, trying to get the plane down. The aircraft hit the grass and there was a lot of dirt. The pilot was struggling to keep the plane straight. I think he did a great job."
The BBC said an unidentified Heathrow worker told the broadcaster that he had spoken to the pilot. The pilot said, according to the worker, that the plane's electronics had failed and that he was forced to glide it to the ground.
Jerome Ensinck, a passenger aboard the flight, said there had been no indication that the plane was making an emergency landing, PA reported.

"There was no indication that we were going to have a bad landing," he said. "When we hit the ground it was extremely rough, but I've had rough landings before and I thought 'This is the roughest I've had.'
"Then the emergency exits were opened and we were all told we should go through as quickly as possible, and the moment I was away from the plane I started to realize that the undercarriage was away, and we had missed the runway.
"I feel lucky at the moment, but I think now I realize I've had a close call. If we had hit the runway, it would have been worse."

In a statement, British Airways said all 136 and 16 crew members passengers had been evacuated from the plane with six minor injuries taken to hospital.
BA chief executive Willie Walsh praised the actions of the crew. "We are very proud of the way our crew safely evacuated all 136 passengers on board," Walsh said in a statement.
"The captain of the aircraft is one of our most experienced and has been flying with us for nearly 20 years," he added.Walsh also said that an investigation was being conducted by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch and that it would be inappropriate to speculate about likely causes.
Airport authorities said Heathrow's southern runway had been closed, but the northern runway remained open. But the incident immediately led to major delays for passengers. Some incoming flights were being diverted to other airports on a flight-by-flight basis, according to Heathrow's Web site.
A spokesman for London's Metropolitan Police said there was nothing to suggest the incident was terror-related.

The Boeing 777 is the mainstay of many airlines' long-haul fleets and has never been involved in a fatal accident. However, the aircraft involved in Thursday's incident appeared to have had a fortunate escape, having approached Heathrow over heavily-populated west London suburbs before its crash landing.
CNN's Richard Quest, who covers the airline industry, said it appeared the damage happened after the plane touched down.
The incident occurred at 12:42 p.m. (7:42 a.m. ET) as British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was due to leave Heathrow for a visit to China and India. His flight was delayed but his jet was not directly involved, PA said.

What Children Think!

2008-01-17T03:25:00.000Z

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?
( 1 ) You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.-- Alan, age 10 (true sports fan)
( 2 ) No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with.-- Kirsten, age 10
WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?
( 1 ) Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.-- Camille, age 10 ( 2 ) No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married.-- Freddie, age 6.
HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
( 1 ) You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.
-- Derrick, age 8 (so true)
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
( 1 ) Both don't want any more kids.-- Lori, age 8
WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?
( 1 ) Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.-- Lynnette, age 8 (isn't she a treasure)
( 2 ) On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.-- Martin, age 10
WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?
( 1 ) I'd run home and play dead. The next day! I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns.-- Craig, age 9
WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?
( 1 ) When they're rich.-- Pam, age 7
( 2 ) The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that.-- Curt, age 7
( 3 ) The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do.-- Howard, age 8
IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
(1 ) It's better for girls to be single but not boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.-- Anita, age 9
HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?
( 1 ) There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there? -- Kelvin, age 8
And the #1 Favorite is....
HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
( 1 ) Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck.-- Ricky, age 10 (future diplomat)

The British Museum, 249 years old today

2008-01-15T18:09:00.001Z

The British Museum Opens Its Doors (1759)

When the British Museum opened to the public in 1759, its exhibits were based largely on the collections of physician and milk chocolate inventor Sir Hans Sloane.
In 1784, the museum acquired its first notable addition of antiquities, a collection of Greek and Roman artifacts belonging to the British Ambassador to Naples.
Today, the museum is home to more than 13 million historical items, including the Rosetta Stone and the Elgin Marbles.

Margarine, it is nearly plastic.

2008-01-15T04:23:00.000Z

Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys. When it killed the turkeys, the people who had put all the money into the research wanted a payback so they put their heads together to figure out what to do with this
product to get their money back. It was a white substance with no food appeal so they added the yellow coloring and sold it to people to use in place of butter.

How do you like it? They have come out with some clever new flavorings.

DO YOU KNOW...
The difference between margarine and butter? Read on to the end...gets very
interesting!

Both have the same amount of calories.
Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams compared to 5 grams.
Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating th same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study.
Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.
Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few only because they are added!
Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavours of other foods.
Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years.

And now, for Margarine...

Very high in trans fatty acids.
Triple risk of coronary heart disease.
Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers
HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol)
Increases the risk of cancers up to five fold.
Lowers quality of breast milk.
Decreases immune response.
Decreases insulin response.

And here's the most disturbing fact....
HERE IS THE PART THAT IS VERY INTERESTING!

Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC..
You can try this yourself: Purchase a tub of margarine and leave it in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will note a couple of things:

* no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it
(that should tell you something)
* it does not rot or smell differently because it has no nutritional value;
nothing will grow on it. Even those teeny weeny micro-organisms will not a
find a home to grow. Why? Because it is nearly plastic.

Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast?

The World's Cheapest Car

2008-01-10T14:27:00.000Z

I wonder if this can beat someone in a lawn-mower race!

Tata Unveils The Nano, Its $2,500 !

Tata Motors in New Dehli Thursday unveiled what will be the cheapest car to hit the road anywhere in the world, amid much fanfare as thousands thronged for a peek at the vehicle that Tata hopes will coax habitual customers for two-wheeled vehicles to move upmarket.

At the Auto Expo in New Delhi, Ratan Tata drove the Nano, which the company calls the People’s Car, onto the stage and said it would still have the price tag of 100,000 (approximately $2,500) rupees promised four years ago, though commodity prices have since risen. “That’s because a promise is a promise.”
But the vehicle will make a profit for the company, he emphasized. Tata Motors’ shares were up 1.7% on the Bombay Stock Exchange, at 783.50 rupees.
The four-door vehicle, which can comfortably seat four people, has a 33 brake horsepower, 624 cubic centimeter engine in the rear. The basic model has no air conditioning, power steering, antilock brakes or electric windows, though a couple of deluxe models will offer air conditioning. It also has a single windshield wiper and no rear seat belts. The car will be ready for the market later this year.

Tata brushed aside pollution concerns, saying the Nano was designed to meet all safety standards and emissions laws. The company also plans to launch a diesel variant. The car is expected to give a mileage of about 20 kilometers per liter (50 miles to the gallon).

A Japanese automobile executive who declined to be named conceded that the price would be “difficult to match.” The nearest competition is from Maruti Suzuki, whose automobiles now account for half the sales in India. Maruti, which also released new models at the exposition, said it would not cut prices or launch smaller cars to take on the Nano.