Friday, 31 December 2004 - 10:52 AM CST

They tasted good, though.

Friday, 31 December 2004 - 11:21 AM CST

What tasted good....

Friday, 31 December 2004 - 12:22 PM CST

I'm just trying to figure out how paper cranes equates peace on earth. Perhaps Martha has a problem following the rules.

Friday, 31 December 2004 - 12:27 PM CST

I'm trying to figure out how a nativity scene equates peace on earth.

Robyn ::expecting to get slapped around for that one::

Friday, 31 December 2004 - 12:29 PM CST

I'm personally trying to figure out how anything could equate peace on earth since in reality there is no such thing...

Friday, 31 December 2004 - 12:53 PM CST

Ancient legend teaches that your greatest wish will come true if you fold one thousand origami cranes. In 1955, Sadako, a 12-year old Japanese girl, lay dying from radiation sickness 10 years after the bombing in Hiroshima. She undertook to fold 1,000 cranes so that she could live. Sadako also wrote a Haiku (Japanese poem) that read in part: "I shall write peace upon your wings, and you shall fly around the world so that children will no longer have to die this way." Sweet Sadako died before she could complete her task. Her classmates folded the remaining number so that she was buried with One Thousand Cranes. Ever since, the Origami crane has become recognized worldwide as a symbol of peace and nuclear disarmament. A granite statue of Sadako stands in the Hiroshima Peace Park: a young girl standing with her hand outstretched, a paper crane flying from her fingertips.

Friday, 31 December 2004 - 2:02 PM CST

The cranes. You know, like chicken.

Friday, 31 December 2004 - 2:11 PM CST

no, the world is not coming to an end. the world will be around for another few billion years, at least until the sun burns out. by then we will have cultivated mars and other stars for inhabitation. microsoft corporation will have it's own galaxy. life will go on, and on and on, ad infinitum. just be glad you don't have to live forever. how much historical pain and suffering could one being take?

yes, martha lost the decorating contest. but, clearly she has had more than her turn winning during a long and illustrious career. it's only fair that someone else gets a chance this time. prison can be fair even if life isn't.

Friday, 31 December 2004 - 3:58 PM CST

I wonder what Martha's prison nickname is? I'll bet its "Ma" to which she will now be known as "Ma" Stewart. I kind of picture her leaving the prison with a brush cut and spittin' tobacco. 2005 should be a fun year and on that note "Happy New Year!"

Friday, 31 December 2004 - 4:22 PM CST

at work today i was having very similar thoughts. what with this great weather my area of the world has been having, the new thing was riding your motorcycle on new year's eve. had to have 30 or 40 gas up today. hopefully, it won't be a bunch of drunken idiots on bikes later this evening.

i hope everyone has a great night! Happy New Year! please be safe, i want to be able to talk to all of you tomorrow, hungover or not. we could have a contest to see which one of us makes a bigger fool of themselves tonite. i'll have no memory, so it's up to you guys.

kisshugs! admin, rance, have a great night!

nastrovia (raise your glasses high)

Friday, 31 December 2004 - 4:22 PM CST

at work today i was having very similar thoughts. what with this great weather my area of the world has been having, the new thing was riding your motorcycle on new year's eve. had to have 30 or 40 gas up today. hopefully, it won't be a bunch of drunken idiots on bikes later this evening.

i hope everyone has a great night! Happy New Year! please be safe, i want to be able to talk to all of you tomorrow, hungover or not. we could have a contest to see which one of us makes a bigger fool of themselves tonite. i'll have no memory, so it's up to you guys.

kisshugs! admin, rance, have a great night!

nastrovia (raise your glasses high)

Friday, 31 December 2004 - 4:46 PM CST

Funny Ken...Happy New Day to you!

Friday, 31 December 2004 - 4:46 PM CST

i am guessing that the story shows you just have to know your audience. all those little cranes sound like a thoughtful ideal but to most people, a nice little navitity scene is probably closer to what they can wrap their minds around. poor martha, always the champagne touch. ken, she will not leave with a butch haircut or ever allow herself to be called Ma Stewart. sorry it is not going to happen.
which i guess means maybe she will not have learned anything at all. but i am betting she will get a good book deal out of it. and yes, that was a little huffy piece of a rant for me, who feels nobody is entitled to anything unles they earn it.

Friday, 31 December 2004 - 4:47 PM CST

You be careful, ya hear...

Friday, 31 December 2004 - 4:49 PM CST

Knowing your audience...precisely...

Friday, 31 December 2004 - 5:43 PM CST

I remember reading the story of Sadako as a child, and being very touched by it. Years later I was Nanny to a family that was sent to Japan, the father was a US Ambassador. I gave the kids copies of the book and books on origmi as part of my farewell gift.

The Thai government recently had a huge "peace bombing" over the violent southern part o their country, dropped about one hundred million paper cranes, folded by citizens in the north, with messages of peace inside. Beautiful symbolism, but not likely to do much good, really. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4069471.stm

I agree about knowing your audience. Cranes hung from the ceiling wouldn't mean much to those who don't know the history.

Poor Martha. Maybe she can hire whoever headed up the other team to help get her empire back in the black.

Friday, 31 December 2004 - 7:42 PM CST

Happy New Year!
Rest assured, Martha will come roaring back in '05 once she's sprung. Hopefully having learned a bit of kindness and humility. I believe the charges against Martha were a bit trumped up, but I also believe it was a case of Karma biting her on the ass big-time. She had garnered quite a reputation for treating those around her very badly.

Hope everyone has a great New Year's Eve! I myself am not a big fan of New Years so I will be hanging out at my friend's place munching on nachos. Stay safe and sober enough to tell us some debauched stories tomorrow!

So long 2004, it's been...eventful. especially the last few days.

Friday, 31 December 2004 - 8:04 PM CST

Oh really...do share...

Saturday, 1 January 2005 - 7:06 AM CST

RD - sorry didn't mean to be cryptic.
I was referring to the Tsunami that occurred on the 26th. I don't know if there's been a natural disaster on this scale since Krakatoa erupted in the 19th century.

If, however, you're referring to Martha Stewart's behavior, you can check out a book called "Just Desserts" which is a most unflattering bio detailing Martha's mistreatment of friends, employees, family members etc. Includes detailed accounts of her ripping off business partners, stealing ideas & taking credit, berating underlings etc. etc. Fascinating (and sorta sad) stuff.

I will say that that she has conducted herself quite admirably with regards to her prison sentence. No whining or tearful confessionals, she just got on with it. I have no idea why I find her compelling, but I do.

Saturday, 1 January 2005 - 8:36 AM CST

happy new years everyone.

xo mel

Saturday, 1 January 2005 - 1:02 PM CST

RD
Ever been to WVa? Its no wonder Martha lost a decorating contest there. Think about it. I would truly be more concerned if she had won.

Saturday, 1 January 2005 - 6:25 PM CST

Rubber Duckie - I guess that the world didn't end, or none of us would be able to respond... but then again, I doubt that we'll really know about it when it does. It has ended for many through the tsunamis, but life goes on for the rest of us. Make the most of each day as you never know when it's going to be your last!!!

Happy New Year everyone... may 2005 rain blessings upon you all.

Gnomie.

Saturday, 1 January 2005 - 7:29 PM CST

Oh you know Martha will come back. American people just loves to knock celebrities off their pedastal, teach them a lesson in humility, and then build them back up.

That is, unless you are a child star. Then your F*cked.

Even though I think Martha is the Anti-Christ, I do have to give her props for giving me one of my

favorite. combacks. ever.

Nephew: "Aunt Kelly, what's for dinner?"

Me: "What do I look like, Martha freakin' Stewart?"

There is another sign you might have missed RDD. Vince Neil, of legendary Motley Crue fame, is doing an "Extreme Makeover" deal for VH1.

Vince Neil, for f*ck's sake! The drinking, drugging, womanizing front man from the 80's is having an Extreme Makeover???

There are three possible reasons for why this disturbs me so greatly:

1. It is a sign of the Apocalypse.

2. I'm in a parallel universe.

3. I'm totally stuck in the 80's, trying desperately to cling to my youth.

I'm really, really hoping it is not #3.

That is all.

Sunday, 2 January 2005 - 12:05 AM CST

Hey the 80's weren't so bad, and haven't you heard, leg warmers are coming back.

My sister said something interesting tonight -- there are only 4 more years left to the Bush Apocalypse, we have made it this long, we can make it 4 more.

Hang in there

LM

Monday, 3 January 2005 - 7:10 AM CST

Hey, RD, since the Apocalypse doesn't appear to be full blown yet, whatever happened to the idea of a book/movie/menu/whatever club? You could set aside just one day a month to discuss it. New year, new beginnings, and all that. If we're looking to start small, we could begin with the ingredients list on Alka-Seltzer. So, what the heck is Sodium Acetylsalicylate, anyway?

Tuesday, 4 January 2005 - 6:12 AM CST

Hey, Rance!

I read your little fearing the end thing, and just to let you know: It's sooner then ya think. We have a number of possible dooms coming at us for the year 2012.

For example, do you know that every ten thousand years the North and South Poles switch? This, of course, causes disturbances in the weather. Last time such a thing happened, it caused the Ice Age.

Yet another thing is that a comet has been charted on a collision course with Earth, expected to near us somewhere from 2010 to 2012. Scientists are trying to figure out ways to destroy it... watch the NASA channel.

Anyway, though you'd like to know. Martha Stewart losing a decoration contest... Oh well. At least we have... *counts on fingers* seven more years!