Chincha's Life

amazing american

2011-02-28T09:11:00.001-05:00

Last U.S. World War I veteran dies

amazing story about the last hero of WWI

i really like his way of thinking. i'm gonna start reading his books.

2011-02-27T22:27:00.001-05:00

"If you believe in a God that uses violence to "save" humanity, you'll start believing that violence is permissible in certain circumstances, such as suicide bombing or invading other countries to spread democracy"

John Dominic Crossan's 'blasphemous' portrait of Jesus

a piece of miami history; Take One Cocktail Lounge

2011-02-27T22:24:00.002-05:00

full of info. this club truly embodies miami lol

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2011-02-24/news/mayhem-and-murder-rule-at-a-little-strip-club-down-by-the-river/

Paul The Octopus, World Cup Genius, Makes Another Pick

2010-07-03T12:14:00.000-04:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/30/paul-the-octopus-world-cu_n_630776.html

Paul, an octopus in Oberhausen, Germany, gained notice around the world last week by blowing away soccer fans with his wise World Cup picks. The marvelous mollusk accurately predicted the outcome of all of Germany's group play matches -- including the country's stunning loss to Serbia -- by choosing between two mouthwatering mussels, one for Germany and one for its opponent.

Last week, the German guru navigated split allegiances (he was born in the United Kingdom) and successfully picked Germany to beat England. As if on cue, the German squad trounced their English opponents on Sunday.

Paul is now attempting to make an astonishing fifth consecutive correct pick. The football forecaster thinks that Germany will beat Argentina in the World Cup quarterfinals, in what could be the country's toughest match yet. The amazing octopus's power of prediction will be tested on Saturday, when the two teams face off. Scroll down for pictures and a video of Paul at work.

world cup recap

2010-06-17T23:20:00.002-04:00

http://www.miamiherald.com/video/index.html?media_id=15271028

Juan Luis Guerra "Bachata en Fukuoka" HD official Video.

2010-06-17T23:14:00.000-04:00

Referees Brush Up on Curses in 17 Languages

2010-06-11T09:58:00.000-04:00

By JEFFREY MARCUS

JOHANNESBURG — When it comes to selecting just the right swear word to hurl at a referee, Wayne Rooney is a walking thesaurus. In exchanges with officials, he mixes and matches with such flourish, he might be confused for Roget’s bawdy cousin.

But if Rooney, a striker for England, lets fly a similar tirade on Saturday in his team’s first World Cup game, against the United States in Rustenberg, it is likely to be his farewell speech.

George Carlin had his seven dirty words, and FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, has its seven offenses. Any one of them will get a player immediately ejected from a game. Rooney might do well to read up on No. 6: “Using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures.”

On Saturday, the job of enforcing these rules for the match between England and the United States will fall to a squad of Brazilian referees who will need to keep their ears pricked for words they might not have learned in school. “We have to learn what kind of words the players say,” Altemir Hausmann, a referee’s assistant, told Globo TV Sports in Brazil. “All players swear and we know we will hear a few.”

The last time Rooney dropped a crude phrase on a referee was in a World Cup warm-up match against a South African team. It earned him a public rebuke from the amateur official after the game.

“He is a good player when you see him on the TV, but when you see him on the pitch, he just keeps on insulting the referees,” said Jeff Selogilwe, who officiated England’s game against the Platinum Stars on Saturday. “I was very disappointed in Rooney because he is my favorite player.”

“Actually, he is still my favorite player,” Selogilwe confessed to The Sun. “He apologized to me and gave me the shirt he was wearing.”

England’s captain, Steven Gerrard, said he had no problem with a ban on swear words. “You just don’t swear at the ref, simple as that,” he said Thursday. “In this day you have to show the referee respect.”

Gerrard said he hoped Rooney could keep his mouth in check. “It’s difficult enough playing” 11 versus 11, Gerrard said. “If we go a man down, it’s just going to make it even tougher for us.”

In the quarterfinal against Portugal in the 2006 World Cup, Rooney was given a red card for stamping on an opponent’s crotch, and his undermanned team was ousted from the tournament. It was the second time in three World Cups that England had a player ejected in the game in which the team was eliminated.

“He always plays on the edge, but Wayne has to control his emotions and take it out on opposition teams rather than referees,” Gerrard said.

Alex Stone, a FIFA spokesman, acknowledged that with at least 17 languages spoken by the 32 teams in the World Cup, it is impossible for referees to understand all of them.

“It’s not the words, it’s what they’re doing,” he said. “It’s what they’re saying or how they’re behaving.”

Civility and aggressive vulgarity are universally understood.

United States goalkeeper Tim Howard said that emotions would run high on both teams Saturday and that the Americans were told to keep their language rated PG.

“I’m sure we’re going to try to the best of our ability to do that,” he said. “I don’t think it will go 100 percent as planned.”

Howard said any outburst would most likely be a result of frustration, not any disrespect for opponents or the officials.

“Refereeing is an impossible job,” he said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/11/sports/soccer/11cursing.html?src=twt&twt=nytimes

Worlds of choices for World Cup viewing

2010-06-11T09:56:00.000-04:00

BY LESLEY ABRAVANEL

lank@aol.com

For many Miami transplants, the World Cup means more than the Super Bowl and the Olympics combined. For that reason, several local spots are taking advantage of the monthlong soccer -- er, football -- fest, by transforming into World Cup headquarters, no country or team allegiance specified (though we can guarantee that Botequim Carioca, 900 Biscayne Blvd., will be Brazil's unofficial Miami HQ).

For a less raucous experience, consider The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, Miami's Amadeus Bar. It's an unlikely spot to watch sports but will be transformed into the World Cup Lounge complete with plush sofas, high top tables, multiple flat screen TVs and cuisine from the various participating countries. The lounge will be open from 7 a.m.- 5 p.m. Friday through July 11 (big time difference between South Florida and South Africa) for the matches. A $15 per person cover charge includes either a continental breakfast buffet in the morning or snacks -- salad bar, pizza and local cuisine sampler -- for the afternoon games.

Opening at 7:30 a.m. beginning Friday is Mia at Biscayne, which will serve a special World Cup brunch menu until noon on weekdays. And although chef Gerdy Rodriguez's menu may have a Spanish affinity, Mia is an equal opportunity soccer-watching spot. The menu features dishes inspired by many top contenders, including Spain, Brazil, Argentina, France and the United States.

Over at 72nd Bar + Grill, you'll get half-price beers hailing from the countries playing each day from 2:30 p.m. until the game ends, from Friday through June 18. For example: When Uruguay plays France Friday, you get half off Pilsen and 1664.

Beginning at 10 a.m. Friday at JB Kitchen & Bar, a World Cup kickoff event features a mariachi band, women in body-painted team jerseys and DJ spinning tunes from Africa and Mexico. In addition: themed menus, World Cup Playstation Competitions and nightly drink specials. On days with more popular matches, JB opens as early as 7:30 a.m. At Mercadito Midtown on Friday, get all you can eat tacos for $25 per person during televised matches. For a complete list of matches, go to www.mercaditorestaurants.com .

Another tasty deal is Cocktails & Canapes, an American Institute of Wine and Food event at the Spire Bar & Lounge from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday featuring small plates by Wish executive chef Marco Ferraro and a selection of signature cocktails and wine pairings for $45 per person for AIWF members or $55 for nonmembers. For tickets and memberships, call 954-396- 3875. A portion of every ticket sold goes to scholarships for local culinary students.

Also on Thursday is Hula Hula, a monthly aural homage to surf music, rockabilly, garage and '50s and '60s tunes, a refreshing departure from the usual dance/pop schlock, at Bar, 28 NE 14th St. in downtown Miami. Women sporting a flower (visibly) will get a free shot; Aloha burgers are just $2. No cover.

Celebrating an anniversary Saturday night is long-running mod squad scenefest Poplife, which will feature performances by headliners The Pains of Being, Pure at Heart, Surfer Blood and Hooray for Earth at 11 p.m. at the new event space, Grand Central, 697 N. Miami Ave. For tickets and information, go to www.epoplife.com.

Finally, Morena Restaurant and Lounge presents a tribute to Frank Sinatra by Jose Ivannes at 8 p.m. Friday. A prix fixe dinner menu is $18.75; after the tribute DJ Charly Coca spins Latin tunes. From Sinatra to salsa. Ah, Miami, a world cup in its own right.

June11 is coming!!!

2010-05-31T23:03:00.000-04:00

oil spill

2010-05-30T11:54:00.001-04:00

How Much Oil Has Leaked Into the Gulf of Mexico? | The Rundown News Blog | PBS NewsHour | PBS

2010-05-30T11:53:00.000-04:00

How Much Oil Has Leaked Into the Gulf of Mexico? | The Rundown News Blog | PBS NewsHour | PBS

Nobody knows for certain how much oil has leaked into the Gulf of Mexico since last month's oil rig explosion. What we do have are estimates -- from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, from outside experts, from British Petroleum -- of how fast crude is flowing out of two remaining leaks (a third was plugged Wednesday).

Oil has been flowing out of ruptures in the Deepwater Horizon well on the ocean floor since around 10 a.m. on April 22, two days after the BP-leased rig exploded, leaving 11 workers missing and presumed dead.

According to NOAA, an estimated 210,000 gallons (5,000 barrels) a day is coming from the remaining ruptures. At that rate, this leak would surpass the 11 million gallons spilled by the Exxon Valdez in 1989 in mid-June if left unchecked.

Other estimates are far more grim. The New York Times reported that BP told members of Congress the rate could be much, much higher:

In a closed-door briefing for members of Congress, a senior BP executive conceded Tuesday that the ruptured oil well could conceivably spill as much as 60,000 barrels a day of oil, more than 10 times the estimate of the current flow.

A barrel of crude oil contains roughly 42 gallons. In a follow-up story, the Times talked to a BP spokesman for more on the estimate:

"The rate could go up to that," Mr. Suttles of BP said, when asked to verify a report in The Times. "It's not the situation we have at this moment, but it's not impossible."

Based on this range of figures, we built the meter atop this post to give a ballpark figure of how much oil may have leaked into the Gulf based on each scenario (by multiplying the rate of leakage by the amount of time passed since the rupture) and other possible rates between those estimates.

At the low end is NOAA's estimate of 210,000 gallons per day. At the high end is what BP told Congress. Drag the slider between those poles to see other possible rates. Keep in mind that all of this is only an estimate.

You can also embed this meter on your own site or blog. We'll keep monitoring the situation and check on updates to our calculations as needed.

Editor's Note: An earlier version of the text of this story included a reference to NOAA's estimate as 210,000 barrels of oil per day. The correct measure is 210,000 gallons. This is an updated version.

Vanessa Dennis contributed to this report.

Oil in the Gulf

2010-05-30T11:48:00.000-04:00

Oil in the Gulf

Help me change someone's life

2010-04-07T12:25:00.000-04:00

United Way of Miami-Dade:

we need to cut down on antibotics....

2010-02-28T18:28:00.002-05:00

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/01/11/1420165/norway-conquers-infections-by.html?storylink=omni_popular

interesting...

Norway conquers infections by cutting use of antibiotics

The best way to cut down on infections is to reduce antibiotic use, Norway finds

BY MARTHA MENDOZA AND MARGIE MASON

Associated Press

OSLO, Norway -- Aker University Hospital is a dingy place to heal. The floors are streaked and scratched. A light layer of dust coats the blood pressure monitors. A faint stench of urine and bleach wafts from a pile of soiled bedsheets dropped in a corner.

Look closer, however, at a microscopic level, and this place is pristine. There is no sign of a dangerous and contagious staph infection that killed tens of thousands of patients in the most sophisticated hospitals of Europe, North America and Asia last year, soaring virtually unchecked.

The reason: Norwegians stopped taking so many drugs.

Twenty-five years ago, Norwegians were also losing their lives to this bacteria. But Norway's public health system fought back with an aggressive program that made it the most infection-free country in the world. A key part of that program was cutting back severely on the use of antibiotics.

Now a spate of new studies from around the world prove that Norway's model can be replicated with extraordinary success, and public health experts are saying these deaths -- 19,000 in the U.S. each year alone, more than from AIDS -- are unnecessary.

``It's a very sad situation that in some places so many are dying from this, because we have shown here in Norway that Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus [MRSA] can be controlled, and with not too much effort,'' said Jan Hendrik-Binder, Oslo's MRSA medical advisor. ``But you have to take it seriously, you have to give it attention and you must not give up.''

The World Health Organization says antibiotic resistance is one of the leading public health threats on the planet. A six-month investigation by The Associated Press found overuse and misuse of medicines has led to mutations in once curable diseases like tuberculosis and malaria, making them harder and in some cases impossible to treat.

Now, in Norway's simple solution, there's a glimmer of hope.

ANTIBIOTICS MISSING

Dr. John Birger Haug shuffles down Aker's scuffed corridors, patting the pocket of his baggy white scrubs. ``My bible,'' the infectious disease specialist says, pulling out a little red Antibiotic Guide that details this country's impressive MRSA solution.

It's what's missing from this book -- an array of antibiotics -- that makes it so remarkable.

``There are times I must show these golden rules to our doctors and tell them they cannot prescribe something, but our patients do not suffer more and our nation, as a result, is mostly infection free,'' he says.

Norway's model is surprisingly straightforward.

• Norwegian doctors prescribe fewer antibiotics than any other country, so people do not have a chance to develop resistance to them.

• Patients with MRSA are isolated and medical staff who test positive stay home.

• Doctors track each case of MRSA by its individual strain, interviewing patients about where they've been and who they've been with, testing anyone who has been in contact with them.

``We don't throw antibiotics at every person with a fever,'' says Haug. ``We tell them to hang on, wait and see, and we give them a Tylenol to feel better.''

U.S. REACTION

Dr. John Jernigan at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said they incorporate some of Norway's solutions in varying degrees, and his agency ``requires hospitals to move the needle, to show improvement, and if they don't show improvement they need to do more.''

And if they don't?

``Nobody is accountable to our recommendations,'' he said, ``but I assume hospitals and institutions are interested in doing the right thing.''

Around the world, various medical providers have successfully adapted Norway's program with encouraging results. A medical center in Billings, Mont., cut MRSA infections by 89 percent by increasing screening, isolating patients and making all staff -- not just doctors -- responsible for increasing hygiene.

In 2001, the CDC approached a Veterans Affairs hospital in Pittsburgh about conducting a small test program. It started in one unit, and within four years, the entire hospital was screening everyone who came through the door for MRSA. The result: an 80 percent decrease in MRSA infections.

The program has now been expanded to all 153 VA hospitals, resulting in a 50 percent drop in MRSA bloodstream infections, said Dr. Robert Muder, chief of infectious diseases at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System.

``It's kind of a no-brainer,'' he said. ``You save people pain, you save people the work of taking care of them, you save money, you save lives and you can export what you learn to other hospital-acquired infections.''

``So, how do you pay for it?'' Muder asked. ``Well, we just don't pay for MRSA infections, that's all.''

I am going to see Alejandro Sanz

2010-02-28T18:15:00.000-05:00

I am going to see Alejandro Sanz at the American Airlines Arena. Want to get tickets and join me? Here is my event info: sec: 108, row: 14, seats: 7-9

I can not wait!!! love this man.
love his voice.
love his salt and pepper hair.
love his songs.
love him!

good bye my negra.

2010-01-20T00:35:00.002-05:00

Jennylin Duany

Posted on Tue, Jan. 19, 2010

Educator, theater artist in S. Florida

BY JORDAN LEVIN
jlevin@MiamiHerald.com

Jennylin Duany, a theater artist and arts administrator well known in the South Florida arts community, died early Sunday of liver failure. Duany's death was a harsh surprise to those who loved her warm personality and ardent commitment, whether as a performer or the power behind education and residency programs for Miami Dade College's Cultura del Lobo program. Duany was 39, the happy mother of a 9-month-old daughter and was about to start creating her next theater performance.

``I don't need to tell you how shocked we all are,'' Elizabeth Doud, a close friend and collaborator, said on Monday. ``She's the strongest person I know. Because of that I thought, `Jenny's going to pull through. If anybody can do it she can.' ''

Late last November Duany was hospitalized for hepatitis. She was able to spend New Year's with her daughter Anelisse and her husband of 14 years, Ricardo Lastre, a composer and massage therapist. But early on Jan. 12 she was readmitted with pneumonia, followed rapidly by massive infection and heart failure.

``This is an unexpected death of someone who lived so brightly and with so much generous, loving, creative energy,'' Georgiana Pickett, who worked with Duany at MDC, wrote in an e-mail to Duany's friends and colleagues. ``No one could have imagined that it was Jennylin's time to leave us. . . . She will always inspire all of us to spend our lives doing only what we love.''

A large woman, Duany was a powerful, charismatic presence onstage. She and Doud frequently performed together in the dance theater troupe run by Doud's husband Giovanni Luquini. Duany was the goddess Yemaya in Luquini's first full length piece, Wrong Clue, and a prominent figure in many other pieces he made.

``She was an extremely agile and strong woman and, in spite of her body size, had this amazing capability and sensuality,'' Doud said. ``It was such a delicious experience to be partnered by Jenny.''

The women performed together in Duany's Cabaret Unkempt, a 2006 performance piece commissioned by the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts that explored women's relationships to their bodies. Cabaret Unkempt toured to several well known arts centers around the United States and in Central America. Duany was slated to start a residency at Florida State University to develop her next theater piece.

For Cultura del Lobo, Duany arranged dozens of workshops and classes with visiting artists for Miami students. She was passionate about the artists she worked with and the need to introduce them to aspiring Miami talent. For many illustrious artists, including the dance troupe Urban Bush Women and jazz musician Danilo Perez, Duany was a primary contact with Miami.

The daughter of Cuban parents, Duany was born in New York on April 16, 1970, but raised in Miami. In addition to her daughter and husband, she is survived by her father Ruskin Duany; a sister, Carmen Molina, and two nieces, Samantha and Gabriella Diez.

A viewing will be held from 5 p.m. to midnight Tuesday at Bernardo Garcia Funeral Home, 12050 SW 117th Ave., South Miami-Dade. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, starting at the funeral home and moving to the adjacent Woodlawn South Cemetery, at 11655 SW 117th Ave.

still cold

2010-01-07T21:58:00.002-05:00

i can't believe it. today has felt like the coldest day of the week. brrrr so now i'm hearing that saturday is bringing a cold front that is colder than the one we just had. ugh. really? and on saturday?? don't u know, mother nature, that saturday is isa's bday party. which has bounce house. that means i planned it to be outside. now i must figure out how to entertain a bunch of 4 year olds.

good news is that it will be lightly snowing in orlando this weekend. so i'm very tempted to cancel her party and just drive up to watch some light snow and go to disney!!! but too much moola. and everything is set for saturday. oh well.

head hurts. i think it's the stress of everything. and maybe it's bc i havent been sleeping well either. ugh.

cold in miami

2010-01-06T00:05:00.002-05:00

why is it cold in MIAMI??? really?? i had to wear a scarf for the past two days. and when i wake tomorrow it will be in the 30s! wtf?? lol oh well. i guess we can handle this for a few days. Isa's bday is on saturday. it's all little mermaid. i love it. ariel was one of the original princesses. she and jazmin were my favorite. she's excited. i did the goodie bags tonite and loved it. it's those little things i love about be a mom. lol who knew??

wow...

2009-12-29T16:27:00.002-05:00

a whole year went by and i haven't written anything new lol i'm terrible at this thing i guess. let's see if i can keep up with this online diary thing. i'll try. xmas has been great. on vacation til jan 4th. got a new laptop with a webcam so i'm excited about doing that. i'm skyping!! ok be back laters.

1-21-09

2009-01-21T21:36:00.001-05:00

wooooo so today i ran/walked 1 mile in 17 minutes. and i actually ran 7 of those minutes. i haven't done that since elementary school, so i'm HYPED!!! i'm very proud of myself. im a little tired and very stinky lol i think this 40 degree weather helped me run better. so i'm getting there.

I love jesus but....

2009-01-20T23:01:00.000-05:00

Thanks PUA!!

2009-01-20T20:46:00.000-05:00

for sending me the link to this bad ass tee... i realllllllyyyy want it!!!!

disney marathon 2010

2009-01-19T21:22:00.002-05:00

well well well i am back. i've strayed bc i found Facebook. and omg it's addicting lol but i need to starting a journal which FB doesn't let me do. so why do i have to start a journal?? well to document my journey silly. lol

In early january greg and i went to disney for marathon weekend. he ran the half marathon (13.1) miles and i could not believe how very proud of him i was/am. and he inspired me to do it. no he was nagging me but just telling me how the run was. and well i wanted to know what that was like. so i told him i would do it next year. and so my training has begun. I'm following Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds for the first 6 wks, and then i'll start on some running regiments. my goal is not to the run the whole thing, but do a combo run/walk. Today i tried it out and did 2 miles in 35 minutes running/walking. and it may not sound like much, but i'm very proud. i've never done that before. im tired, but looking forward to walking again tomorrow.

so that's what i've been up to. so i just need a place to vent, post, share all this stuff. wish me well i'll need it!

'Wife Beater' carved into Fla. man's chest

2008-07-03T21:55:00.001-04:00

this is freaking AWESOME!! we should do it to wife beaters, child molesters, animal abusers...

JACKSONVILLE --
(AP) -- Authorities say someone knocked a Jacksonville man unconscious and carved the words ''Wife Beater'' into his chest.

According to a police report, the 22-year-old naval officer was attacked after he left a bar. When the man woke up in a haze, he lifted his bloody shirt and found the phrase scrawled on his stomach.

The man, who was arrested in March on a domestic battery charge, filed a police complaint Monday on the advice of his naval commander.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking_news/story/592370.html#recent_comm

and so i'm back...

2008-06-30T21:35:00.002-04:00

YAY!!! i finally made it back to my blog. i promise to keep it current. so where i have been? well i got a j-o-b! woohoo i'm working as an administrator for United Way, and LOVING it! isa started daycare and she had a rough couple of days, but now LOVES going to school. and she's already potty trained. she pooped in the potty today! haha yeah so that's where i've been. im usually at work before 830 and out by 6pm (if i'm lucky). so i get home and the last thing i wanna do is sit in front of my comp lol but since i see kd and auds are so worried about me, i'll keep posting something. and you know there have been lots of stories that i've been wanting to post. so keep an eye open for wacky news stories!!

ok peoples gotta run!
loves ya!!!

buying my plane tix to Gloucestershire right now!!

2008-05-30T23:06:00.001-04:00

another issue i have with the catholic church

2008-05-30T10:48:00.001-04:00

Vatican sends threat over women priests
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- The Vatican announced Thursday in a general decree that it will excommunicate anyone who would attempt to ordain a woman as a priest and the woman herself.
According to the decree, the excommunications would take place with immediate effect.

The decree was signed by Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith.

It was not persuasive to Regina Nicolosi, a program coordinator for Roman Catholic Womenpriests (sic), who was ordained two years ago.

"We have come not to take that too seriously," said Nicolosi, a 66-year-old married mother and grandmother who lives in Red Wing, Minnesota, and said her group is composed of 40 to 50 women priests, none of whom are recognized by the church hierarchy.

"It's one of the very last patriarchal hierarchies in the western world, and I don't know when they will be ready to let go of that."

Though she said she wants to reform the church from within, she will continue her work as a volunteer in a nursing home who celebrates mass in small groups even if she is excommunicated, she said.

She predicted that the church's resistance will backfire. "This is bringing more and more women into our group, and I think we're getting more support from Catholics who are saying this is getting ridiculous," she said.

wow really? ugh.

i didnt know they still existed

2008-05-30T10:23:00.002-04:00

so this article is about an uncontacted tribe in the amazon. there is something beautiful about it. i can't believe that in this day in age there are still ppl out there that have no contact with other ppl. how have they made this far without running into another person. i'm sure at one point they used to go to war with neighboring tribes, i wonder if they still do? or did they figure the all died out, without realizing they moved to big cities or were killed by "white-man" disease.

Rare uncontacted tribe photographed in Amazon

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Amazon Indians from one of the world's last uncontacted tribes have been photographed from the air, with striking images released on Thursday showing them painted bright red and brandishing bows and arrows.
ADVERTISEMENT

The photographs of the tribe near the border between Brazil and Peru are rare evidence that such groups exist. A Brazilian official involved in the expedition said many of them are in increasing danger from illegal logging.

"What is happening in this region is a monumental crime against the natural world, the tribes, the fauna and is further testimony to the complete irrationality with which we, the 'civilized' ones, treat the world," Jose Carlos Meirelles was quoted as saying in a statement by the Survival International group.

One of the pictures, which can be seen on Survival International's Web site (http://www.survival-international.org), shows two Indian men covered in bright red pigment poised to fire arrows at the aircraft while another Indian looks on.

Another photo shows about 15 Indians near thatched huts, some of them also preparing to fire arrows at the aircraft.

"The world needs to wake up to this, and ensure that their territory is protected in accordance with international law. Otherwise, they will soon be made extinct," said Stephen Corry, the director of Survival International, which supports tribal people around the world.

Of more than 100 uncontacted tribes worldwide, more than half live in either Brazil or Peru, Survival International says. It says all are in grave danger of being forced off their land, killed and ravaged by new diseases.

More pics of amazon tribe

discuss

see it's not just Miami...

2008-05-28T15:46:00.000-04:00

Nude maid cleans up, steals $40K

TAMPA --
(AP) -- A nude maid cleaned up good at a Florida man's home.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says the maid stole more than $40,000 from a Cheval home despite not wearing any clothes.

The 50-year-old man hired the maid through the Internet on Friday to clean his suburban Tampa home.

Authorities said the woman arrived at the home in a one-piece, light colored dress. She took off the dress and cleaned the house for $100 per hour.

Sheriff's office spokeswoman Debbie Carter said the man told deputies he left the maid alone in the bedroom to clean.

When the man's wife came home from vacation, she discovered $40,000 in jewelry missing from their bedroom.

Police are investigating.

Honduras May 2008

2008-05-28T02:15:00.001-04:00

farewell my doggie...

2008-05-27T17:52:00.002-04:00

Pancreatic cancer...that's what took my dog's life on monday may 26th.
we had her for 12 years. we got her when she was 2 weeks old. i had to bottle feed her every morning. i'm so sad. she stayed with my parents after i got married, and she was like another daughter for my parents. she started throwing up about a week ago, but we were in honduras. when we got back we thought she was doing better. but no. and yesterday afternoon she couldnt hold down water. so my parents took her to an emergency vet place. they put her on an IV and ran blood work. this morning, they were in the process of getting her ready to do an abdominal u/s when she went into cardiac arrest. they did cpr on her, but she still died. the dr called my dad but he didnt understand what they were saying so i had to call them back. my heart broke, i honestly thought she was going to be ok and that it was just a virus she had. and worst of all, i had to call my parents and tell them the bad news.
we got to the vets and my parents we not doing well. they brought her in so we can see her, and i lost it at that point. she was MY dog. she was always with me. so it hurts. bad. but my dad is taking the worst. i've never seen him cry so much. my dad was her b!tch lol everywhere he would go, she would follow. i'm worried he's gonna start drinking again over this. he's truly devastated.
the dr called us later today for permission to do an autopsy. she was still trying to figure out what suzy had. and we wanted to know too. why she stopped eating, was depressed, nothing made her happy, and was throwing up. so a couple of hours later she called back and said it was pancreatic cancer. and bc of it, her liver was inflamed, something else was wrong with her intestines, and something else was enlarged. basically her organs were shutting down and her heart was working overtime, and her heart no longer could keep up.
i miss her terribly. i couldn't sleep last nite. i kept crying, thinking about her. she was so scared of thunderstorms, hated them. she would run to the bathtub when she saw the weather turning gray. she hated bananas and bread. i guess they didn't taste good to her. she loved coffee in the mornings and ice cream in the evenings. she loved going out for walks and rides in cars. she would always give me kisses on my nose. ugh. im so sad. i'll have to scan pics later.

ummmm WHAT??

2008-05-25T21:28:00.003-04:00

grandma wants to kick his ass but doesn't bc she's scared to go to jail.
how about she kicks his ass and run the risk. lol
http://www.viralthis.com/64/7-year-old-steals-grandmothers-car.html

"i'll apologize but i aint taking off my glasses"

2008-05-24T02:25:00.002-04:00

i'm nowhere near being 16 again, but yet i like this kid. he wouldn't be my bff but i'd hang out with him lol. video gets good around 3:13.

classic south florida

2008-05-24T02:03:00.002-04:00

you know me and my news articles...and well how could i NOT put this here. it's friggin hilarious.
http://www.miamiherald.com/460/story/542412.html
you'll get a good laugh with all the comments on the Herald. ENJOY!

MOUNT SINAI MEDICAL CENTER

Hospital worker: I performed oral sex on patient

A Mount Sinai Medical Center employee surrendered Wednesday after police say he performed oral sex on a male patient who was just waking up from anesthesia following surgery.

Pedro J. Gonzalez, 27, of Hialeah, confessed and was charged with sexual battery, Miami Beach police said.

Gonzalez, whose job is to transport patients within the hospital, was immediately fired after the April 30 incident.

The 31-year-old patient had gone to Mount Sinai, 4300 Alton Rd., on April 30 for surgery. Gonzalez wheeled the patient from a recovery room to a standard room and helped him onto the bed.

According to a police report, ''he began to perform oral sex'' on the patient, who pushed him away. The patient later told detectives ``even though he was coming off the effects of the anesthesia, he can ID [the suspect] and was aware of the act.''

The police report said Gonzalez came back to the room twice to ''check on'' him. After a nurse ignored his complaint, the patient called Miami Beach police, according to a report.

''Even an isolated incident is unacceptable. We worked very closely with the Miami Beach police on this matter, and will continue to assist the authorities until a proper resolution is achieved,'' spokeswoman Pamela Gadinsky said in a statement.

just thought this was interesting...

2008-05-22T14:14:00.002-04:00

nothing crazy here, just some history. i just found it interesting...i'm not even done reading all of it lol

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Council_of_Nicaea

for my Abuelo

2008-05-06T16:49:00.001-04:00

May 19th will be a year since he passed. So i made this for him. I wish i had more pics of him, but they're all at my mom's. i really miss him, even though i see him often in my dreams. i cried a lot making this, but he's worth it. i hope you like. there is a spanish version too.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

In spanish:

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

i dont believe it!

2008-05-05T23:41:00.001-04:00

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Ladies VS Real Women

2008-05-05T23:32:00.001-04:00

i'd like to thanks Stinky, aka kdpie, for this. i can totally relate to all of them. thanks babe!

Ladies VS Real Women (This made me giggle)

Ladies
If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato and it will absorb the excess salt for an instant "fix-me-up."

Real Women
If you over-salt a dish while you are cooking, that's too damn bad. Please recite with me, The Real Women's motto: "I made it and you will eat it and I don't care how bad it tastes."

Ladies
Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.

Real Women
Take a lime, mix it with tequila, chill and drink. You might still have the headache, but who cares?

Ladies
Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.

Real Women
Just suck the ice cream out of the bottom of the cone, for Pete's sake. You are probably lying on the couch, with your feet up, eating it anyway.

Ladies
To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.

Real Women
Buy boxed mashed potato mix and keep it in the pantry for up to a year.

Ladies
When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won't be any white mess on the inside of the cake.

Real Women
Go to the bakery - they'll even decorate it for you.

Ladies
Brush some beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.

Real Women
Sara Lee frozen pie directions do not include brushing egg whites over the crust, so I just don't do it.

Ladies
If you have a problem opening jars, try using latex dish washing gloves. They give a non slip grip that makes opening jars easy.

Real Women
Go ask the very cute neighbor guy to do it.

And finally the most important tip!.....

Ladies
Don't throw out all that leftover wine. Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

Real Women
Leftover wine??

A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn...that was fun!"

this is what my office would be like...

2008-05-02T12:22:00.001-04:00

of course only erica would send this to me. i would totally work in an office like this. especially if bud light was our reward lol

thanks erica!!!

Torticollis...

2008-04-23T23:16:00.003-04:00

So this is what i've been up to. i'll just copy and paste from MM.

Wednesday, April 23rd 1:06am
so this evening isa was playing...pushing her baby stroller when all of the sudden she grabs the back of her head and starts screaming. she comes over to me in tears and i start checking her to see if there is anything. and nothing. i take her to greg and we're watching her, and she's still crying and screaming, and he says "get her dressed, we're leaving". well when i lay her down to change her diaper, she starts screaming again..i sit her up and again she's screaming in pain. at this point i know something is def wrong. so we get to the hosptial around 940. 945 the triage nurse sees her and says its prolly an ear infection but wont put drops in her ear bc she says that since she's not really pulling on her ear, it could be something else. we finally see the dr at friggin MIDNIGHT!!! it wasnt even busy but it took that long to see the dr. so dr comes in and already has a sh!t face on bc isa is scared of him. gee i wonder why?? he comes in all mean looking, not even trying to gain her trust and he thinks she's just gonna run to him?? ugh a-hole. so he calls a male nurse in to help him hold her down, which really pissed me off. she's 2 yo, she's not fighting, she's just scared and crying bc we're laying her down, and as i had told him, it hurts her to lay down!! but the nurse was really nice with her, and the dr cleans out a little bit of wax in both ears and says it's an infection. he says that it's worse on her left side, but she keeps grabbing the back of her head on her right side. he insist it's an infection. so he rx her drops and no antibotics, which is fine with me. and send us on our marry way. and from the moment he left the room til the time someone was in there getting payment was, no lie, 3 minutes! but Isa was really good while we were waiting. she just basically was lying on gregs lap. then after the motrin she got real hyper, started singing, counting, talking...she even tried to run around some but she would move her head and she was down crying again. but i'm not convinced with what the dr said. she's still grabbing the back of her head, and that really worries me. so im taking her to her pedi tomorrow. if he tells me the same then i'll feel better, but in the mean time, i'm not convinced. it just feels like there is something more. now she and greg are sleeping soundly. but let me tell u guys, on the way to the hospital, i was soooooo scared i wanted to throw up. this was our first trip to the er and our first ear infection. my heart was beating soo fast, i just wanted to cry. but once i heard "ear infection" from the nurse, i totally calmed down.

ok im so sorry this is sooo long. i'll print it out and save it with her hospital bracelet for prosperity.

Wednesday, April 23 733pm
well my motherly instinct kicked in last night when i KNEW isa didn't have an ear infection. took her to the pedi today and told him the story. he started giggling when i said that "i'm not convinced it's an ear infection, i dont believe the er dr, but if u tell me she has one, then i'll believe you" and he checked her ears and he laughed again, and i said "dang it is an ear infection!" and he "NO!, her ears are perfect!!" i felt like i had gotten the mother of the year award he said he was glad i had come in bc now she doesnt have to take any meds that she doesnt need. and he massaged her neck, which is something the ER dr did NOT do, and he said "i found it!" and he blurted out TORTICOLLIS! hahaha i was like wth?? and he explained that it usually happens in the morning after we've been sleeping in a certain position and then we jerk our heads and that pain, thats what she has. but luckily this morning she took a shower with me, and the warm water really helped her. after the shower she was completely different and she hasnt really complained again from the pain, though she still cautiously turns her head.

so the sucky er dr was completely WRONG! thank god for my pedi!!! i'm gonna write a nasty little letter to the hospital. the more i think about it the more upset i get.

thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers. it really meant a lot see everyone sending them.

are u effing kidding me???

2008-04-08T22:51:00.002-04:00

stories like these make me wanna scream. if i was a cop, i would have shot him dead on the spot. and why in the world do they even have bail available to them?? can someone pls kill him with the sane controller GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Girl dies after being beaten with video game controller

YORK, Pennsylvania (AP) -- A 2-year-old girl died after being beaten with a video game controller by her mother's boyfriend, police said Tuesday.

Darisabel Baez died Monday. Her mother's boyfriend said he beat the 2-year-old but didn't explain why, police said.

Darisabel Baez's mother overheard the beating Sunday but did nothing until she realized the girl was unconscious, police said. The girl was pronounced dead late Monday at Hershey Medical Center, police Lt. Ron Camacho said.

Homicide was added to the list of charges against Harve L. Johnson on Tuesday; he was already in jail on counts including aggravated assault and reckless endangerment.

The girl's mother, Neida E. Baez, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child.

It was clear from the bruises and other injuries on the little girl's body that Sunday was not the first time she had been abused, Dauphin County coroner Graham Hetrick told WGAL-TV. He said it was one of the worst cases of child abuse he has ever seen.

Baez, 19, called for an ambulance Sunday and said Johnson had brought the unconscious child to her, limp and wet from an attempt to revive her in a bathtub, a police affidavit said.

Johnson, 26, acknowledged beating the girl with a video game controller but did not say why, police said. Baez said that Johnson had abused the girl in the past and that she heard the girl scream after Johnson beat her Sunday, according to the affidavit.

Detective Dana Ward said Baez was charged because she did not intervene or try to get help for Darisabel.

Johnson and Baez remained in custody Tuesday. His bail was set at $200,000; hers was $25,000.

Through police, family members declined requests for interviews Tuesday. Court officials said they did not know whether Johnson and Baez had lawyers to speak for them.

mike hawk

2008-04-07T14:09:00.001-04:00

another video that made me laugh til i cried

See more funny videos at CollegeHumor

Picasso has been reincarnated as an elephant

2008-04-07T13:58:00.002-04:00

this is surreal. if reincarnation in real, then this is either picasso or monet

See more funny videos at CollegeHumor

i've missed a few days..

2008-04-07T13:41:00.002-04:00

sorry i havent up dated, i guess i just havent gotten around to it. so on to some sad but hopeful news. one of my MM mama needs our positive thoughts sent her way. she recently found out that one of her 2 yo twins has an acute form of leukemia. i honestly cried when she told us. since then i cant stop thinking of her and her family. there is no way i can even begin to imagine what she's going thru. u truly have to find some hidden strengths in order to watch your child go thru surgeries and chemo. and from her updates, he's been a trooper. luckily they found it early enough that it had not spread into the bloodstream, only the bone marrow. i find it amazing how i can honestly, truly feel heartache for someone that i've never met in person, nor spoken to on the phone, just chatting online and gift exchanges. i think that speaks volume, that we can feel for someone without completely knowing them. so that's whats been occupying my mind lately.

this is hondurans speak part 1

2008-03-29T00:49:00.000-04:00

i wish i could translate for my non-spanish speakers...but it's just showing u how our lingo is different from that of "proper" spanish. can u tell i love where i was born :D

haitian weatherman

2008-03-26T17:08:00.001-04:00

awesome. just awesome.

See more funny videos at CollegeHumor

Obama related to Pitt, Hillary Clinton to Jolie

2008-03-25T23:23:00.001-04:00

i know im sucha nerd for always reading and posting articles.

BOSTON --

This could make for one odd family reunion: Barack Obama is a distant cousin of actor Brad Pitt, and Hillary Rodham Clinton is related to Pitt's girlfriend, Angelina Jolie.

Researchers at the New England Historic Genealogical Society found some remarkable family connections for the three presidential candidates -- Democratic rivals Obama and Clinton, and Republican John McCain.

Clinton, who is of French-Canadian descent on her mother's side, is also a distant cousin of singers Madonna, Celine Dion and Alanis Morissette. Obama, the son of a white woman from Kansas and a black man from Kenya, can call six U.S. presidents, including George W. Bush, his cousins. McCain is a sixth cousin of first lady Laura Bush.

Genealogist Christopher Child said that while the candidates often focus on pointing out differences between them, their ancestry shows they are more alike than they think.

''It shows that lots of different people can be related, people you wouldn't necessarily expect,'' Child said.

Obama has a prolific presidential lineage that features Democrats and Republicans. His distant cousins include President George W. Bush and his father, George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford, Lyndon Johnson, Harry S. Truman and James Madison. Other Obama cousins include Vice President Dick Cheney, British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill and Civil War General Robert E. Lee.

''His kinships are across the political spectrum,'' Child said.

Child has spent the last three years tracing the candidates' genealogy, along with senior research scholar Gary Boyd Roberts, author of the 1989 book, ``Ancestors of American Presidents.''

Clinton's distant cousins include beatnik author Jack Kerouac and Camilla Parker-Bowles, wife of Prince Charles of England.

McCain's ancestry was more difficult to trace because records on his relatives were not as complete as records for the families of Obama and Clinton, Child said.

Obama and President Bush are 10th cousins, once removed, linked by Samuel Hinkley of Cape Cod, who died in 1662.

Pitt and Obama are ninth cousins, linked by Edwin Hickman, who died in Virginia in 1769. Ben LaBolt, a spokesman for the Obama campaign, declined to comment on the senator's ancestry.

Clinton and Jolie are ninth cousins, twice removed, both related to Jean Cusson who died in St. Sulpice, Quebec, in 1718.

The New England Historic Genealogical Society, founded in 1845, is the oldest and largest nonprofit genealogical organization in the country.

Honduran president defends melons by eating one

2008-03-25T22:27:00.003-04:00

so idk if u've heard about this. but it sucks. according to other news reports, all foods need to pass strict inspections before leaving honduras. now what happens when they get here, is a different story. and odd that of all the places they send the melons to, only the US has had an outbreak. pls dont boycott honduran products!!

(CNN) -- He's no Julia Child, but Honduran President Manuel Zelaya showed Tuesday he can attack a cantaloupe and U.S. government claims in a single motion.

Honduran President Manuel Zelaya wants to assure the world there is no problem with his country's fruit.

"It's not in our fruit," he said about last week's report by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that some Honduran cantaloupes may be contaminated with salmonella. "It's not true what they are saying. Logically, we believe it is an error."

Then, the 55-year-old father of four asked his viewers to indulge him as he engaged in a show-and-tell demonstration. "Permit me a second," he said as he stretched his left arm across the tabletop and outside the view of the camera, then pulled into view a box of fruit.

"Here I have the box of melons that we are exporting to the United States; here are the protective bags," he said.

Zelaya lifted a cantaloupe from the box, placed it in front of him, then grabbed a knife and a fork.

"Permit me to make a demonstration," he said, then cut open the fruit, sliced off a chunk, put it in his mouth and chewed vigorously.

"I eat this fruit without any fear," he said with his mouth full. "It's a delicious fruit. Nothing happens to me!"

Though the symptoms of salmonella infection -- nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps -- typically do not occur for several hours after eating tainted food, the point was made.

The demonstration came three days after the FDA said it had linked 50 cases of salmonella in 16 states and nine in Canada to melons from Agropecuaria Montelibana, a grower and packer in San Lorenzo, Honduras.

Though there have been no reports of fatalities, 14 people have been hospitalized in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin, the FDA said.

While the company has continued exporting to Europe and Central America and has received no reports of illness, the daily export of 45 containers of melon to the United States has halted, a company official said Monday.

As a result, some 1,500 workers have been laid off, most of them single mothers, and company losses have exceeded $3 million, company officials said.

The FDA alert advised U.S. grocers, food-service operators and produce processors to remove from their stock any cantaloupes from the company.

The agency also recommended consumers throw away any cantaloupes determined to be from the company.

Apparently i am a "happy, uncomplicated lady"

2008-03-25T19:24:00.001-04:00

this is what u will find on youtube when search for Honduras. i think it's hysterical.

gotta love the streakers

2008-03-24T01:01:00.003-04:00

on easter, honduras played the US in the U23 CONCACAF. and yes honduras won!!!! woohoo!! well i guess i wasnt watching at this very moment and missed the streaker. lol luckily i tivo'ed it.

hahaha she's awesome. but if i had that body, i would be running out there butt nekkid.

i guess i really am a latina...

2008-03-23T23:11:00.002-04:00

WHY LATINOS CAN'T BE TERRORISTS......................

1. 8:45am is too early for us to be up.
2. We are always late, we would have missed all 4 flights.
3. Pretty people on the plane distract us.
4. We would talk loudly and bring attention to ourselves.
5. With food and drinks on the plane, we would forget why we're there.
6. We talk with our hands, therefore we would have to put our weapons down.
7. We would ALL want to fly the plane.
8. We would argue and start a fight in the plane.
9. We can't keep a secret, we would have told everyone a week before doing it.
AND MY FAVORITE.....
10. We would have put our country's flag on the windshield.

ARE YOU A LATINO? HOW CAN YOU TELL FOR SURE?
1) If you have ever been hit by a "Chancla"
2) If you grew up scared by something called "El Cucuy"
3) If others tell you to stop screaming when you are really just talking.
4) If you light a candle to Virgin Mary on the night before your big test.
5) If you use your chin to point something out.
6) If you constantly refer to cereal as "con fleys".
7) If your mother yells at the top of her lungs to call you for dinner, even if it's a one bedroom apartment.
8) If you can dance merengue, cumbia, or salsa without music.
9) If you use "manteca" instead of olive oil and can't figure out why your nalgas are getting bigger.
10) If you are in a five passenger car with seven people in it and a person is shouting "subanse, todavia caben mas!"
11) If whenever you feel under the weather, you compulsively dab on some "Vick's vapor rub" all over your pecho and inside your nostrils.
12) Your mom packs your "lonche" every day even though you've just turned thirty-two.
13) If you call the North Americans "gringos", including Canadians, and call all Asian people "chinos" or "chinitos" and you call the corner store "the chinito's store".

LOL thanks prima for the forward. i have been guilty of pretty much ALL mentioned above.

thanks auds!!

2008-03-21T23:00:00.001-04:00

68%

feeling sad? need a pick-me-up??

2008-03-21T22:51:00.001-04:00

this is what i use.

again love this song
New Shoes
Artist(Band):Paolo Nutini

for my friends

2008-03-21T22:44:00.002-04:00

so can i tell u guys that i love this song! it's an oldie, but classic. it's a feel good song.
my hubby would be so proud of me for posting this lol enjoy!!

he doesn't seem to understand

2008-03-19T22:38:00.002-04:00

i'm watching the news this afternoon and they are covering the story about ppl protesting the iraq war. so there they, a crowd of maybe 10 ppl holding up antiwar signs. and then they interview this guy that is soooo pissed of. he's yelling about at them saying that we need to be supporting our troops, and that he was over there fighting, trying to save lives. but my issue with him was that they were NOT there protesting the soliders nor their efforts, but the whole war itself. i hate this war, esp the ppl that put us in it. but what i hate even more is the way these soldiers are treated upon their return. ok let me not get into that, it REALLY pisses me off. so going back to the little man, he's out there yelling at them for the wrong reason. i guess it just kinda irked me. we love out troops, but hate this war.

update on the church fire

2008-03-19T22:31:00.002-04:00

Teens arrested in church fire to stay in jail

Damages from an afternoon arson fire set inside St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church last week likely will exceed $1 million, a church spokeswoman said, but parishioners of the Kendall church intend to celebrate Holy Week at the site and then rebuild.

Miami-Dade Police have arrested two teenage boys over the blaze, and, at hearings Tuesday and Wednesday, both youths were ordered to be detained at the Miami juvenile lockup for 21 days. The boys, who are not being named because they are juveniles, both have been charged with first-degree arson, police say.

Susan Spruce, a lawyer with the Miami-Dade Public Defender's Office, declined to discuss the case on behalf of one of the boys, whom the office represents.

Both boys, aged 14 and 15, live near the church, but parishioners of St. Catherine say they do not worship there, said Mary Ross Agosta, a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Miami.

''We just got off the phone with the building inspectors; it's badly damaged,'' Ross Agosta said.

''There's a lot of sorrow here, certainly within the church and the community,'' she said. ``But we can't lose sight that these are kids who are 14 and 15 years old.''

Ross Agosta said no services will be canceled, and church leaders likely will celebrate Easter Sunday either in areas inside the church not affected by the blaze, or outside in a plaza.

''We will be rejoicing on Easter Sunday at St. Catherine of Siena,'' she said.

The Miami-Dade Police Department's arson unit is investigating the fire. Police say a surveillance video inside the church showed two youths enter. As they left, ''a fire ignited inside,'' according to a prepared statement.

Police investigators have not said yet why the boys would have set the blaze, said Roy Rutland, a police spokesman.

Friday's fire started in a small chapel at the church at Southwest 107th Avenue and 93rd Street.

A church parishioner driving past the building saw smoke and called 911. Firefighters were able to contain the blaze before it spread to the whole building.

No one was injured in the fire, which came just before Holy Week, the most important week on the Catholic calender, which runs from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.

''That something so profound would occur just before Palm Sunday leads into Holy Week brings into focus what this week is all about,'' Ross Agosta said. ``The parishioners of St. Catherine will move forward; they know they will be able to rebuild the building.

''It brings to mind what Christ taught us about forgiveness,'' she added. ``It reminds us that you don't need a building to be a parish.''

Interesting how they said that their names are not being released but their names and pics were plastered all over the news today. two little thug wanna-be's. if that were my son, i'd be him silly, he'd be begging for God himself to come down and save him. One of the kids grandma goes to that church, not anymore though i'm sure. i think they should be put to work on the restoration of the church, that'll be a good lesson for them. but then again, idk if the archdiocese would trust them, i wouldn't.

so i'm watching the price is right the other day..

2008-03-19T22:09:00.002-04:00

and i wonder, what if i dont want that year's supply of depends? do they give u the cash equivalent to it?

check out my shamrocks!!

2008-03-17T17:53:00.002-04:00

ok i really really love this shirt. it's def a chincha shirt. and yes it is me. i know i have great boobs.

HAPPY ST PATS DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-03-17T10:09:00.002-04:00

so i'm no where near being irish. but yet some how on this day i find my self drinking like one. i really think st pats should be a national holiday lol i'll post pics of us partying later today or tomorrow. or whenever i decide to finally upload my pics. what are u doing today to celebrate your irish side?

i heart leonard pitts

2008-03-16T23:43:00.001-04:00

well at least i love this commentary of his.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2004283211_pitts16.html

Leonard Pitts Jr. / Syndicated columnist

So you think you're qualified to occupy the Oval Office

Hillary Clinton is right. Barack Obama does not have the experience to be president of the United States.

But then, neither does she. Neither does John McCain.

We Americans have spent a lot of time in recent weeks debating experience, which candidate will be ready "from day one" to answer the 3 a.m. phone call in the White House (what, the White House doesn't have a switchboard?). When the campaign began a hundred years ago, that seemed a sensible debate to have, especially given Obama's short term in the Senate and upon the national stage.

I've since reconsidered. Sensible as it may superficially seem, the whole "experience" debate strikes me now as a phony issue in a campaign full of same.

In the first place: As Obama has noted, if he's too inexperienced to be president, why do Clinton and her surrogates keep telling us what a great running mate he would make?

In the second place: As Chris Rock has observed, being married to the president does not qualify one to be president, any more than being married to a comedian qualifies one to tell jokes.

In the third place: Obama would hardly be the first president to come to office with little experience in national politics. Abraham Lincoln, like Obama, had eight years in Illinois state government and a few more in Congress. Dwight Eisenhower and Ulysses S. Grant had never held elective office. Then there's Chester Arthur. He was a lawyer before running for vice president under James Garfield. When Garfield was killed, six months into his term, the lawyer found himself president.

This debate, I think, proceeds from a false premise: that there's a body of learning which, once absorbed, qualifies a person for the presidency.

Consider James Buchanan, who brought to office a college degree and 31 years of experience as a senator, representative, diplomat and state lawmaker. He sat idle while the Union disintegrated around him. His successor, the aforementioned Lincoln, was a rough-hewed, self-taught frontier lawyer with a fraction of Buchanan's experience. He acted boldly to save the Union and, in the process, became arguably the greatest president of all.

The moral of the story is not that experience is irrelevant. No, the moral is that experience is not the only barometer, that the presidency also requires reasoning, knowledge, maturity, leadership and some sense of how the world works. There is no president school, no certificate that says you're ready. The presidency is an entity unto itself, its responsibilities and burdens unique beyond anyone's ability to prepare for them. Small wonder.

The president of the United States governs 303 million people, presides over a $14 trillion annual economy — the largest on Earth — commands the world's most formidable military, sets the agenda for the planet's only superpower, stands answerable to history on a daily basis. Do you really think Bill Clinton's 12 years as governor of Arkansas prepared him for that? How about George W. Bush's six years as governor of Texas?

Richard Nixon, of all people, once said character was the most important qualification for being president. Lyndon Johnson said, "The presidency has made every man who occupied it, no matter how small, bigger than he was; and no matter how big, not big enough for its demands." And John Kennedy once groused to Barry Goldwater, "So, you want this (expletive) job."

Which brings to mind an iconic picture of Kennedy, standing at a White House window. He is alone, head bowed, his thoughts unknowable, his isolation and burden palpable. It drives home the absurdity of debating what prepares one for the presidency. To me, it's obvious:

Nothing does.

i'm not a church person but....

2008-03-15T22:12:00.004-04:00

this was sad to hear. i did my communion, confirmation, and wedding at this church. i was pretty bummed to hear the news. my instincts are actually telling me to find out how i can help out. no, i dont go to church. don't believe in it or the bible, but yet i feel a connection to this one. i think it's bc it is in THIS church that i started to question it's very existence. 0dd huh?

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking_news/story/458273.html

A fire damaged the St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church at Southwest 107th Avenue and 93rd Street Friday afternoon.

While flames and smoke left parts of the church unusable, firefighters were able to contain the blaze before it consumed the entire building, according to Miami-Dade Fire rescue. No injuries were reported.

Firefighters determined the fire started in a small chapel, but the cause is still under investigation.

A church parishioner driving past the church noticed smoke coming from the building and called 911.

day 4 of my "cold"

2008-03-14T16:24:00.002-04:00

idk wtf i have but i thought i was getting better yesterday. and then i sit down to watch LOST and BAM! stuffy nose, runny nose, head hurts. so back to my tylonal sever sinus horse pills, spray some zicam up my nose and blow it back out. and today i felt worse!! but i refused to be held up at home yet another day. so off to the mall we go. bought some stuff at disney as usual and then gymboree for my new nephew. and i'm still suffering as i sit here and type. but yet somehow writing makes me feel good. im really starting to like this blog thing. so what if no one reads it, well except for auds lol, but it's just nice to post things i find funny/interesting/amusing.

this is so south florida

2008-03-12T10:58:00.001-04:00

i hope they were gonna dry clean his pants.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking_news/story/453595.html#recent_comm

Cops: Shooting victim's buddies took his pants

BY TIM CHAPMAN

tchapman@MiamiHerald.com

Miami police are looking for the trousers of a man who was shot Wednesday morning in Overtown.

They're also looking for the man who shot him.

Officers at the scene said that three men were standing at the corner of Northwest Second Avenue and 12th Street about 8 a.m. when a gunman with dreadlocks walked up and shot one of the men in the stomach and the leg and walked off.

The wounded man's friends immediately took his pants off and fled the scene, police were told by witnesses.

Fire-rescue workers found the man bleeding in the street in his underwear and a shirt.

Police don't know why the victim's friends might have made off with his pants before rescuers could arrive. Anyone with information should call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS or Miami homicide at 305-579-6530.

here's the other one

2008-03-11T23:56:00.001-04:00

just keep your eyes on the old lady in the back. i honestly laughed til i cried when i saw this. it's so funny bc it's soo unexpected.

here's one video

2008-03-11T23:48:00.001-04:00

when i saw this with greg, i COULD NOT stop laughing. idk why, bc it's nothing out of this world. but the people's reaction in the background is awesome.

feeling like crap

2008-03-11T23:38:00.002-04:00

so i'm coming down with something. what it is i do not know. but when i find out, i'll post it. my head is gonna explode, half of my nose is stuffed, the other half runny. i think it's sinuses but not sure. i went to the zoo today and i felt fine. until i got a head ache and thought it was hunger. but alas, it was just the beginning of my semi-annual "cold". ugh.

so the zoo was great today. went with some of isa's girlfriends. she sees her girlfriends more than i see mine lol. we bought the annual pass a couple of weeks ago and i'm milking it. i'm gonna get my $49 worth. she loved the fruit salad i bought her. that's a good sign. and she loved the pineapple. though i was weary of giving it to her since she had broken out with a rash last time i did. but isa did great with it today. so i'm def gonna buy more knowing that she'll eat it with no complaints.

let's see how im doing manana. i need to find a couple of videos that i saw recently that really made me LMAO. i'll find them and post it.

peace out

so i'm a little bummed

2008-03-10T00:12:00.001-04:00

i just found out that a friend of mine miscarried at 7 weeks. it really sucks bc i remember talking to her about she and i wanting to get pregnant. well she beat me to it. she was soooo excited, and i was super happy for her, and now this heartbreaking news. so sad.

"ouiiii i can't beliveable"

2008-03-07T22:37:00.003-05:00

more companies should follow dell's customer service philosopy

This is the kind of mother we should strive to be like

2008-03-07T22:15:00.000-05:00

http://www.miamiherald.com/459/story/448411.html

Mom who cared for comatose daughter for 38 years dies

Posted on Fri, Mar. 07, 2008

BY TERE FIGUERAS NEGRETE

tfigueras@MiamiHerald.com

She never broke her promise.

Kaye O'Bara, who pledged to never leave her then-teenage daughter's side as the girl slipped into a diabetic coma 38 years ago, died at her Miami Gardens home this week -- in the same room she shared with her child, Edwarda, since 1970.

O'Bara, 80, died in her sleep. She had suffered for years from a cardiac illness that dated back to a heart attack in the early 1980s, said her niece Pamela Burdgick.

''We thought she'd outlive us all. The woman was so strong,'' Burdgick said.

The story of O'Bara's steadfast devotion to her child, and her belief that Edwarda's life was not a burden but a blessing, inspired countless visitors who passed by the small one-story O'Bara home over the decades. Well-wishers traveled from as far away as Japan to take part in the annual celebration of Edwarda's birthday -- as did fellow Catholics and others who believed Kaye O'Bara had seen apparitions of the Virgin Mary and sought to pray at the bedside of her sleeping daughter.

Her story also inspired bestselling author Dr. Wayne Dyer to write the book ``A Promise Is A Promise: An Almost Unbelievable Story of a Mother's UnconditionalLove and What It Can Teach Us.''

The title of the book came from the last exchange O'Bara had with her daughter. Edwarda, a diabetic, had come down with the flu shortly before Christmas 1969. Her condition worsened over the next few days, and her parents -- Kaye and husband Joe -- took her to the hospital.

As the frightened girl began to lose consciousness, she turned to her mother and asked: ``Promise you won't leave me, will you, Mommy?''

Kaye O'Bara promised her she wouldn't, and those final words to her daughter became the blueprint for her life: turning her every two hours so her daughter wouldn't develop bedsores, feeding her a mixture of baby food and powdered milk through a tube, administering insulin, playing music, reading books to Edwarda, who was once an avid reader, and keeping a watchful vigil by her bedside in the hope that one day her daughter would come to.

''To me, she's almost awake. Sometimes I think I hear her speak,'' O'Bara once told The Miami Herald. 'She says, `Mom, I'm fine.' Maybe she's not saying anything at all, but I think she's speaking to me.''

Edwarda's younger sister, Colleen O'Bara, says the family will continue to care for her in the family home.

''We never thought of it as a hardship. It just didn't seem out of the ordinary,'' said Colleen, who said she shared in her parents' hope that her sister would ``one day just wake up.''

Colleen O'Bara said she plans on moving from her Pembroke Pines home to help care for Edwarda, a decision she says her mother had hoped to spare her from having to make.

''I always told her I would [care for Edwarda],'' said Colleen, whose son, Richard, is also helping to care for his aunt. ``But it's a hard life, and she didn't want that.''

Government aid would have paid to have Edwarda institutionalized, but there was no question in Joe and Kaye O'Bara's minds that their girl would live out her days at home. The couple shared the duties of caring for her, quickly falling into debt.

Joe O'Bara, then a physical education teacher at Scott Lake Elementary in Northwest Miami-Dade, took up a second job painting houses on weekends and fixing boat motors in his garage. In 1972, he suffered a heart attack and died four years later, leaving his wife the primary caretaker.

Kaye O'Bara -- born Kathryn McCloskey in Johnstown, Pa. -- was herself a schoolteacher who taught at St. Rose of Lima and Notre Dame Academy in North Miami-Dade. She retired the year after Edwarda became comatose, and did her best to survive on Social Security and her husband's pension -- and the generosity of others.

Over the years, the modest O'Bara home attracted visitors from across the world. And each March, without fail, Kaye O'Bara would celebrate her daughter's birthday with a party, often attracting hundreds.

''Everyone who visited the O'Bara home could not help but come away with a deeper faith and understanding of what it is to truly love,'' said Joan Crown, director of the Respect Life ministry for the Catholic Archdiocese of Miami. ``Kaye was a shining example of what it means to be a mother, a teacher and a faithful Catholic. She embraced the teachings of her church and never gave in to the calls of many to end the life of her daughter through euthanasia.''

The story of the O'Bara family generated dozens of headlines and news stories, and was, in recent years juxtaposed with that of the family battle over the fate of another Florida woman, Terri Schiavo.

O'Bara often said she never once considered letting her daughter go, but refrained from judging others who differed.

''What we've tried to do here is create a place of love,'' O'Bara told the Herald in 2005. 'That means more than saying `yes' to the feeding tube or 'no' to the feeding tube.''

She was careful to draw distinction between her daughter and cases such as Schiavo's, saying had Edwarda been a married adult when she slipped into a coma, ``I would have honored her husband's right to make decisions, as next of kin -- just as my parents would have done with my husband, had the same thing happened to me.''

Several years earlier, in a letter to the Herald's editorial page, O'Bara gently expressed her belief that euthanasia was a personal decision, but called Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the physician who advocated doctor-assisted suicide, ``misguided.''

''I know I pray for him every night,'' she wrote.

In 2000, O'Bara received a papal medal from the Roman Catholic Church, an honor bestowed upon her by Miami Archbishop John C. Favalora.

A devout Catholic, O'Bara said she had felt the presence of the Virgin Mary in Edwarda's bedroom, and believed her daughter was not simply sleeping but ''a spiritual being having a human experience.'' It was a belief echoed by others, including the self-help author Dwyer, who penned his book after getting to know the O'Baras.

At least one couple arranged to be married by Edwarda's bedside, a worldwide prayer group devoted to Edwarda now numbers in the thousands. After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, wary travelers would stop by the O'Bara home, asking to pray there before boarding a plane.

Kaye O'Bara often posted updates about her family on a website maintained by a longtime family friend.

Her last entry, dated February 2008, read:

``I know a lot of you are waiting for your quarterly letter but I have been ill and really can't afford the stamps.''

Her family and friends said that in recent days she had appeared in relatively fine health, and say that despite her age and illness they were shocked by O'Bara's death.

When the nurse who helps out with Edwarda knocked on the O'Bara door Friday morning, she was alarmed when her knock went unanswered. She summoned the help of neighbors, including Elsie Ferguson, who has lived next door for more than 30 years.

They found O'Bara in the room she shared with Edwarda, snatching brief naps on a small cot in between feedings and other duties.

Ferguson's son, Chaka Ferguson -- who wasn't even born when Edwarda took ill -- grew up with a deep admiration for his next-door-neighbor.

''I always wondered why she kept it up, and one time I asked her that question,'' said Ferguson, a sports copy editor at The Miami Herald.

''She told me she saw this as a sacrifice that was worth it, and that she would always be there for Edwarda,'' he said. ``She kept her promise to the end.''

A funeral Mass for Kaye O'Bara will take place at 10 a.m., Thursday, at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Miami Shores. A Wednesday night viewing will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. at Cofer Kolski Combs Funeral Home, 10931 NE Sixth St.

Instead of flowers the family is asking for donations to defray the cost of Edwarda's care. For information on donating, visit www.edwardaobara.com. Profits from Dyer's book also go to her care.

I cried when i read this. i wonder to myself, could i REALLY do this? do i have that kind of strength to see my daughter in that state day in and day out? idk. but i tell u what, i truly admire mrs. o'bara. she's what angels are made of.

Disney Marathon Here We Come...

2008-03-04T23:48:00.002-05:00

well at least here comes greg lol i'll be watching. that's right folks, my wonderful hubby has decided to run the half marathon in disney in january!! im super excited for him. and it falls on the same weekend as isa's bday, so that's perfect. so wish him luck!

Welcoming Myself to This

2008-03-04T22:56:00.000-05:00

So i am completely new to this. so welcome chincha, welcome lol