I live in a neighborhood called Madraon Park as can be seen by the tree in my backyard, there are some actual Madrona trees here. I took the picture with my digital camera, but then couldn't resist using one of those silly photo editors to tweak it.

Posted by Shad Muegge at August 05, 2002 09:23 PM

Posted by GeeTee at August 05, 2002 04:56 PM

Although the Gorsedd of Bards calls its members druids, the organization dates only as far back as 1792 - the brainchild of Welsh scholar Iolo Morganwg. Past members included the actor Richard Burton and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

Posted by GeeTee at August 05, 2002 01:16 PM

We find it reprehensible that US tax dollars, in the form of US aid to Israel, are being used to fund Israel's oppressive policy towards the Palestinians. This aid not only sustains Israel's illegal occupation and provides the means for Israel to continue violating the human rights of Palestinians, but also violates the US Arms Export Control Act, which prohibits the President from furnishing military aid or selling weapons to any country that consistently violates internationally recognized human rights standards. We demand the immediate cessation of all US aid to Israel until Israel honors United Nations authority and abides by the rules of international law.

Posted by GeeTee at August 05, 2002 12:49 PM

A statement from the Vatican released Monday said the seven women did not "give any indication of amendment or repentance for the most serious offence they had committed."

Posted by GeeTee at August 05, 2002 12:19 PM

Scelson considers himself a legitimate e-mail marketer and speaks with scorn of spammers who covertly "relay" their messages, remotely using the servers of others. His company leases several high-capacity Internet lines, known in the business as DS3s. "We've even considered creating our own backbone," thereby eliminating any reliance on telecoms, he says.

Posted by GeeTee at August 05, 2002 10:38 AM

The teen told police he was burning loose material off his tennis shoes as the plane taxied into Pittsburgh International Airport Saturday.

Posted by GeeTee at August 05, 2002 10:28 AM

Residents of Talcahuano complained to officials after local children found a human jawbone, ribs and teeth.

Posted by GeeTee at August 05, 2002 10:26 AM

Stephane Dion has challenged the Ontario government to take the first step by making Ottawa bilingual. He said Monday if the capital of Canada was officially bilingual it would be good for everyone in the country. Dion said Quebec would become more open to English if the rest of the country embraced French.

I'm for that -- PROVIDED THERE ARE FREE FRENCH LANGUAGE LESSONS FOR EVERYONE. Right now it would cost me THOUSANDS to be certified bilingual -- versus low hundreds for German or Italian. If this country wants to be bilingual it has to make French available to everyone -- heck, English too, if we all have to learn French (not a bad thing) they should all have to learn English. If not, stuff 'em.

Posted by GeeTee at August 05, 2002 10:05 AM

A way to turn carbon dioxide into hydrocarbons has caused a big stir at an industrial chemistry conference in New Brunwick, New Jersey. Nakamichi Yamasaki of the Tokushima Industrial Technology Center in Japan says he has a process that makes propane and butane at relatively low temperatures and pressures.

While his work still needs independent verification, if he can make even heavier hydrocarbons, it might be possible to make petrol. It has carbon chains that are between five and 12 atoms long - butane is four atoms long.

Posted by GeeTee at August 05, 2002 09:40 AM

A referendum in Taiwan would upset the apple cart, because it would force all sides to stop pretending. China could no longer pretend that reunification is just a matter of time for which it can afford to wait. Taiwan could no longer pretend that, as DPP spokesmen have long liked to say, "independence is not the issue", because Taiwan enjoys de facto independence already. And America could no longer pretend that it can both back a "one-China" policy and safeguard the interests of the 23m people on Taiwan, few of whom support imminent reunification.

Posted by GeeTee at August 05, 2002 08:26 AM

Less than 50 years ago, Canela women, who live in Amazonian Brazil, enjoyed the delights of as many as 40 men one after another in festive rituals. When it was time to have a child, they'd select their favorite dozen or so lovers to help their husband with the all-important task. Even today, when the dalliances of married Barí ladies in Columbia and Venezuela result in a child, they proudly announce the long list of probable fathers.

Posted by GeeTee at August 05, 2002 07:47 AM

DeWine's bill does not authorize the Feds to target American citizens or green card holders. But it does mean that the mere "suspicion" of illicit activities would be enough to wiretap the phones and bug the e-mail communications of millions of tourists or legal immigrants who hold H-1B, B-2, TN-1, or student visas.

Posted by GeeTee at August 05, 2002 07:41 AM

In blue-collar bars and little diners where New York construction workers gather for lunch and coffee breaks, the tattoo became a badge of honor, a mark of heartache, an emblem that communicated at a glance how these men's service at Ground Zero had affected them in ways and places that couldn't otherwise be seen or explained as they returned to their regular, long-interrupted lives.

Posted by GeeTee at August 05, 2002 07:39 AM

All the right people in the world of cancer research read the Cancer Letter, circulation 1,200. They do not read it for celebrity news. Instead, many have come to depend on the work of Paul Goldberg, its lead reporter, who digs into the voluminous, mind-numbing details of cancer research to ferret out significant nuggets.

That was what he did in January, shortly after ImClone disclosed that the Food and Drug Administration had temporarily rejected the company's application for approval of Erbitux, a new cancer drug. Then-chief executive Samuel Waksal portrayed the trouble as minor paperwork problems that could be easily fixed.

Goldberg smelled a rat. He knew the FDA was prohibited by law from talking, which left the company free to say what it wanted. He used his long-standing contacts in the cancer research world to get his hands on a letter from the FDA to the company. The letter revealed that the agency's problems with Erbitux were far more extensive than the company was letting on, and expensive new tests might be required.

Posted by GeeTee at August 05, 2002 07:33 AM

The survey also indicates that just 27 percent of MPs websites use interactive tools such as online feedback forms or surveys which would allow citizens to express views directly to their local MP.

Posted by GeeTee at August 05, 2002 05:54 AM

Amazing, huh? The Great Depression was the worst sustained economic catastrophe this country has seen. Unemployment hit 24.9% in 1933. Year-over-year GNP declined from 1930 to 1933, turning up again only in 1934. Yet regular investing still yielded a positive annual compound growth rate after only five years -- and that's even without adding in the Dow stocks' dividends. That seems like a long time today but not when compared the 0% return rate for investors who added no money for 25 years. Then five years begin to look darn good.

Posted by GeeTee at August 05, 2002 05:16 AM

"When you look at the original story of the [Canadian] friendly-fire incident it seems that the pilot was being inexplicably aggressive. It goes beyond fatigue or lack of experience or [being a] cowboy or trigger happy or any of the standard prosaic explanations. The simplest explanation is that the guy had eaten too much speed and was paranoid."

Posted by GeeTee at August 05, 2002 04:40 AM

The Parkay tub's utterance of "butter" is now high-tech, with more definition of movement and body language. He can speak whole monologues. It's only fitting he would use the opportunity for self-reflection as a pop legend. This is his "Behind the Music" moment. Clearly he's been watching reality shows, where anyone can suddenly feel entitled to fame, where people are always lying to one another (and to themselves) and then confessing -- to a private camera -- the most American of defenses: "That's not who I am."

Posted by GeeTee at August 05, 2002 04:35 AM