Sunday Stuff

Today is Sunday. In preparation for the coming week, I have been doing some reflecting.

Around This Tired Old World

I have joined with the people in Australia as they have remembered, mourned, and honored the estimated 209 lives lost to brush fires.

Last week I discovered RAWA (Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan) and became a committed supporter: 

My prayers are lifted for the families of the miners killed in the coal mine explosion in the Chinese province of Shanxi.

It’s all in the connotation: 

Wheels!

This arrived on Friday: 

I am still learning how to operate it, especially how to keep its wheels off my nosehose. 

Prophetic Cartoon Strip

This cartoon arrived in my email for Alex:

Yesterday the cartoon became prophetic. In the afternoon the snow began falling while my furball was outside cattin’ around. Out of my window, I saw Alex streaking across neighbors’ lawns toward our house as the snow fell around—and on—him. I was able to open the door just as Alex leaped on the porch. He continued running in his wildebeest stampeding mode into the house and leaped on my our desk. When I shuffled up to the desk, the wet furball jumped into my arms and cuddled until his fur was fairly dry. Then he leaped down and spent the next 20 or so minutes sitting on the furnace outlet and licking his coat. Silly cat! 

Personal

I do not look forward to the examination scheduled for me next Tuesday at the Veterans Administration Hospital:

Sunday Gleanings: the Olympic Handshake

From Times Online

August 10, 2008:

At least five people were killed and several more were critically injured in a series of bomb explosions in China's far west region of Xinjiang, in what looks increasingly like a concerted bombing campaign by Muslim separatists to coincide with the Beijing Olympics.

I just joined a global handshake, beginning with the Dalai Lama in London and going all around the world to the Beijing Olympics.

In a way, this is a follow-up to my last post: It is for the People. My thoughts that the Olympics are for the people and not the governments of the world have not changed. It is most appropriate that we activists put aside our political agenda for the time of the Olympics and allow the people of the world to celebrate these Olympics with joy and in peace. Too often activists’ messages in regard to the Chinese government and its policies on Tibet, Burma and Darfur are couched in ways that are too easily interpreted as being attacks on the people of China.

Then, this morning, I received a email from Avaaz.org, a global web movement with a straightforward mission: to close the gap between the world we have, and the world most people everywhere want:

We've decided to take the moment back with a powerful, unambiguous message of peace, friendship and dialogue—the Olympic Handshake. The handshake began with the Dalai Lama, passing through the streets of London, now it's gone online where all of us can join in—help the handshake travel toward Beijing, where our message will be delivered through a big Olympic media campaign before the closing ceremonies. Join the handshake, and see yourself and others as it goes around the globe!

The original handshake in London created a human chain handshake connecting the Dalai Lama at the Royal Albert Hall to the Chinese Embassy on Portland Place. I wonder why I did not think of following the way of peace of the Dalai Lama? I wonder why the activists who choice to use demonstrations, words of hate, boycotts, and bombs in attempts to intimidate then government of China not think of following the way of peace of the Dalai Lama?

Now, the way is clear to me: the way of the Dalai Lama, the way of the Olympic Handshake:

I Do Not Do HNTs

Having recently completed the 1,000^th Blog Post celebration, the next in line for Nick’s Bytes is the 100,000^th Visitor. As of this writing, the visitor thingie (on my sidebar) reads 99,876. If visitors come by as usual, that means that visitor Number 100,000 will be by within the day or so.

Please take a glance at the visitor thing and, if you turn out to be the 100,000^th visitor, please tell me about it in a comment to Nick’s Bytes or in an email. Thanks.

It’s 6:15 a.m. I’m sitting at my desk, having just responded to the comments on yesterday’s Coffeehouse post. I am wearing my neat, thick, hooded bathrobe. Beneath the bathrobe, I am wearing nothing.

Alex is sitting under the desk, bathing. I’m a bit on edge: Alex’s claws are a short swipe away from my testicles. I feel apprehensive; I never know when the furball is going to decide he wants my full attention.

OK, I’m back! My apprehension turned into weariness, so Alex and I napped the morning away. Now the furball is out on the deck—napping again—so I feel secure in sitting here—fully clothed—and writing.

I am not publishing pics of me in my bathrobe ‘cause I’m not Half Naked on Thursdays! However, as I usually do, I shall open for you the (sometimes) weird thoughts that go through my mind. Today these include:

The Beijing Olympics

Just a few minutes ago the BBC reported that:

the head of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge, has praised Beijing's "extraordinary" efforts to cut pollution ahead of the Games.

I have mixed feelings about these Olympic Games, regardless of how much pollution the Chinese have reduced. (After all, the Olympics were held in Los Angeles and the participants and spectators survived that pollution).

I really believe that the IOC made a huge mistake in selecting China to host the 2008 games. Perhaps they should have chosen a spot with less conflict, like maybe Afghanistan? Or, perhaps, the title of this year's Olympics could be changed to The Protest Games.

Well, in just a few hours, through the eyes of the world’s media, we shall see the beginning.

The USS New York: Out if the Ashes of 9-11

A friend emailed me these photos and the story the USS New York:

Do you know the story of this ship? If not, go here. (I only wish that the USS New York wasn’t a ship of war).

Wednesday Mishmash

Suffering

Even though I have been busy working on my new computer and turning Alex pics into LOL Cat Katz, I’ve not overlooked the tragedies and suffering in Burma and China. With all of the havoc, death, and anguish that we humans create—this morning I read of the six bombs exploding in the city of Jaipur in north India, killing at least eighty persons—the destructive power of nature can be even worse.

I pray for the victims in Burma, China, and Jaipur. I also feel that I need to do more than just pray. Other than contributing to relief funds I know of nothing I can do to aid the victims of natural disasters; however, when it comes to human created suffering, I can work for justice and peace.

Barrack in Louisville

Senator Obama spoke in Louisville on Monday. Unfortunately, due to my ability to stand in long lines and the limitations of my oxygen tank, I could not attend. However, others did. Click HERE.

Computer Update

There remain a few glitches is setting up and using my new computer:

• I had the Geek Squad transfer all of the data from my cat-hair-infested old notebook into the new one. However, two of my most valuable programs (based on my use of them and their cost) won’t work. I need to reinstall them, but can’t find the program discs, even though I kept them in their original boxes and saw them just a few days before my notebook was strangled by cat hair. Damn!

• The HP docking station that I purchased to keep my Furball off the new computer comes with a humongous back-up hard drive. Unfortunately, even though I have the station connected to the notebook, I can’t access the external hard drive. Double damn!

Alex the LOL Cat

The cat-who-owns-me was pleased that I turned the photo of him blogging on my old computer into a LOL cat thingie. He even blogged about it on his blog.

I promised Alex that I would create more LOL Cat thingies of his numerous photos (click on Alex's LOL cat photo to vote for him. OK?):

moar funny pictures