our neighbors need help

A series of natural disasters have hit Guatemala in the last few days.

First the Pacaya Volcano,only 19 miles from the capitol, Guatemala City,  woke up..

Lava flowed, black sand and rock and ash spewed everywhere. A newscaster covering the news near the volcano was killed by flying rocks.

then two days later on May 29th, Tropical Storm Agatha hit.

... destroying homes, causing floods, and creating tens of thousands of internally displaced. Infrastructure in this country—where the majority live in poverty—is very poor, and ill-equipped to handle such a double blow. As of last night, official numbers on storm: about 30,000 "refugees," close to 120,000 evacuated, 93 dead and rising.

The poor always suffer the most when events like this happen, and the two events together caused surreal conditions: knee-deep black sand mud, and "instant concrete" that forms when rain meets ash, clogging up drains and fragile sewage systems.

Below is a result of the torrential rains from the storm.  An incredible sinkhole within Guatemala City.

you can help here.

why can't stuff like this happen more often

Picture it. the team you play for is just creaming the other team.
I mean creaming them, would you do this?

By Rick Reilly
ESPN.com

It happened at a junior varsity girls' softball game in Indianapolis this spring. After an inning and a half, Roncalli was womanhandling inner-city Marshall Community. Marshall pitchers had already walked nine Roncalli batters. The game could've been 50-0 with no problem.

It's no wonder. This was the first softball game in Marshall history. A middle school trying to move up to include grades 6 through 12, Marshall showed up to the game with five balls, two bats, no helmets, no sliding pads, no cleats, 16 players who'd never played before, and a coach who'd never even seen a game.

One Marshall player asked, "Which one is first base?" Another: "How do I hold this bat?" They didn't know where to stand in the batter's box. Their coaches had to be shown where the first- and third-base coaching boxes were.

That's when Roncalli did something crazy. It offered to forfeit.

Yes, a team that hadn't lost a game in 2½ years, a team that was going to win in a landslide purposely offered to declare defeat. Why? Because Roncalli wanted to spend the two hours teaching the Marshall girls how to get better, not how to get humiliated.

"The Marshall players did NOT want to quit," wrote Roncalli JV coach Jeff Traylor, in recalling the incident. "They were willing to lose 100 to 0 if it meant they finished their first game." But the Marshall players finally decided if Roncalli was willing to forfeit for them, they should do it for themselves. They decided that maybe -- this one time -- losing was actually winning.

That's about when the weirdest scene broke out all over the field: Roncalli kids teaching Marshall kids the right batting stance, throwing them soft-toss in the outfield, teaching them how to play catch. They showed them how to put on catching gear, how to pitch, and how to run the bases. Even the umps stuck around to watch.

"One at a time the Marshall girls would come in to hit off of the [Roncalli] pitchers," Traylor recalled. "As they hit the ball their faces LIT UP! They were high fiving and hugging the girls from Roncalli, thanking them for teaching to them the game."

This is the kind of thing that can backfire with teenagers -- the rich kids taking pity on the inner-city kids kind of thing. Traylor was afraid of it, too.

"One wrong attitude, one babying approach from our players would shut down the Marshall team, who already were down," wrote Traylor. "But our girls made me as proud as I have ever been. ... [By the end], you could tell they were having a blast. The change from the beginning of the game to the end of the practice was amazing."

Roncalli wasn't done. Traylor asked all the parents of his players and anybody else he knew for more help for Marshall -- used bats, gloves, helmets, money for cleats, gloves, sliders, socks and team shirts. They came up with $2,500 and worked with Marshall on the best way to help the program with that money. Roncalli also connected Marshall with former Bishop Chatard coach Kim Wright, who will advise the program.

"We probably got to some things 10 years quicker than we would have had without Roncalli," says Marshall principal Michael Sullivan.

And that was just the appetizer. A rep from Reebok called Sullivan and said, "What do you need? We'll get it for you." A man who owns an indoor batting cage facility has offered free time in the winter. The Cincinnati Reds are donating good dirt for the new field Marshall will play on.

"This could've been a thing where our kids had too much pride," says Sullivan. "You know, 'I'm not going to listen to anybody.' But our kids are really thirsty to learn."

And they are. Marshall never won a game, but actually had leads in its last three games. In fact, it went so well, the players and their parents asked if they could extend the season, so they're looking to play AAU summer softball.

Just a thought: Major League Baseball is pulling hamstrings trying to figure out how to bring baseball back to the inner city. Maybe it should put the Roncalli and Marshall girls in charge?

Anyway, it's not an important story, just one that squirts apple juice right in your face. And who knows? Maybe someday, Marshall will be beating Roncalli in the final inning, realize how far it has come, and forfeit again, just as a thank you.

I passed this story along in it's entirety and I only disagree with the Writer, Rick Reilly on one thing, it is an important story.

the prequel

islands? I know islands!

Take the Islands map test..

if you dare..

Eye-lands?



Score: 100% (10 out of 10)

at least they make right turns

The Grand Prix is coming to Austin..

AUSTIN, Texas — Formula One racing is coming back to the United States in 2012 with a long-term deal to race in Austin on a track built specifically for the event.

Formula One, city and Texas state officials announced the agreement Tuesday, saying Austin would host the U.S. Grand Prix until 2021.

Formula One president Bernie Ecclestone said the race in the Texas capital would mark the first time a course would be built specifically for an F1 race in the United States.

AP

Personally I'm not a fan of auto racing, as practiced in the good ol' USA..

nothing but left turns, you see,

but the Grand Prix !!

And why in Austin, Texas, you query?

In addition to the State of Texas being the 11th strongest economy in the world, it has more Fortune 500 company headquarters than any other state. Key features of Austin include:
- State capital nicknamed ‘Silicon Hills’ for being one of the most important regions in the US for the Technology Industry;
- USA’s 15th largest city and is located 145 miles from Houston (4th largest US city), 70 miles from San Antonio (7th largest US city), and 180 miles from Dallas (8th largest US city), population in this triangle is over 22 million;
- perfectly located geographically for North, South and Central American visitors;
- over 130 daily departing international flights within 180 miles;
- over 250,000 hotel rooms within 180 miles;
- desirable year-round climate, with an average annual temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 Celsius);
- geographically located in the Texas Hill Country, easily the most beautiful city in the State, and considered one of the most in the US;
- hotels/downtown/Formula 1 circuit/airport located within close proximity of each other, which is nearly impossible for any other large city in the US;
- world class night life entertainment along renowned ‘Sixth Street’; and
- large film industry presence - many movies filmed in the area.


Austin’s National Recognition
- Known as “The Live Music Capital of the World”
- Voted “Greenest City in America” (MSN)
- Voted “Least Stressful Large Metro” in the United States (Forbes)
- Voted Top Two “Best Cities” in the United States (Money Magazine)
- Voted Top Three “Hippest Cities” in the United States (Forbes)
- Voted Top Five “Safest Cities” in the United States (Forbes)
- Voted Top Ten “Sports & Fitness Cities” in the USA (Sports Business Journal)

Formula 1

Yep, that's my hometown.

Start yer engines!

do you know Disney, like I know Disney?

take the test..

Check your knowledge of the less kiddie side of Disney films.

Disney Gone Blue



Score: 100% (10 out of 10)

don't forget your steel umbrella

Video of an "insane" hailstorm that hit Oklahoma City on May 16, 2010.

the commentary is a bit repetitive and give it a minute for the real action to start.




think of this the next time you get caught in the rain.
 Beyond the Beyond

it's this big

The Shuttle Atlantis is on it's final mission to the International Space Station with the final large unit to complete construction.

But, how big is the ISS?

well...

I think I'd rather stay on the other Space Station.


Life's Little Mysteries

let's get juiced!!

yes, you can ferment your own alcoholic beverage with....

SPIKE YOUR JUICE

yummy....


saw it at gizmodo

I do not recall my actions on the night in question

In January, Gerard Wall was at a strip club in NYC and later found that $21,620.60 had been charged on his Discover card.

from his lawsuit statement...

On Friday, December 12, 2008, Plaintiff WALL entered the premises at about 8:30 p.m.
At the aforementioned time and place, he was approached by a dancer who invited him to have a private lap dance in a separate room from the bar area.

At no time did Plaintiff willfully submit his Discover card to the Defendant.

Plaintiff has no recollection of what transpired after he was led from the bar area into the private room.

Plaintiff has absolutely no recollection of what transpired once he left the bar area and entered the private room.

[Plaintiff's credit cards were] charged an aggregate amount of $21,620.60.

Plaintiff did not receive Twenty One Thousand Six Hundred Twenty Dollars and Sixty Cents ($21,620.60) worth of alcoholic beverages and/or other services throughout the evening.

By way of the foregoing, Defendant has been and continues to be unjustly enriched.

if only Gerard had seen this Public Service Annoucement...




more at Lowering the Bar

shout out to BoingBoing

IRON MAN 2 ROCKS !!

When I was a kid. a long,long time ago, I reads comics, lots of comics.

After a while, I came to a realization.

Superman was alright, but a little too powerful. Batman was just a bit too intense. Spiderman had way too many issues.

Iron Man was just right.

No special powers, no years of training, just a lot o' money and a ton of smarts.

And he got the ladies....

Which leads me to this post.
I attended  a sneak preview of the spanking new movie Iron Man 2 this evening.
Wow!

I quit

I deactivated my account on Facebook today and so should you...

a funny look at a serious situation...




Addendum
and it not just me...

Futurismic

blimey

Jon Stewart Of the Daily Show, assisted by Daily Show's Senior British Correspondent report on the latest in the British election...

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Clustershag to 10 Downing
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

is this thing on?