Thursday, August 10, 2006

Monday, August 07, 2006

Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest

On a lighter topic, I went to see Pirates today. I checked my brain and my expectations at the door and had a terrific time. Johnny Depp and Kiera Knightley were great, several of the supporting actors were interesting, the special effects were cool, and the fight/chase scenes were inventive and fun.

Looking forward to movie #3!

Amazing and heartbreaking stories

... written by the highly gifted and intrepid Globe & Mail journalist Stephanie Nolen.

Stephen Lewis, Canadian Hero

My hero, anyway.

Stephen Lewis Foundation

Stop the Bloodshed

In an e-mail from MoveOn.org:

Dear friends,

We haven't been in touch very often since our work around Iraq. But with civilians in Israel and Lebanon dying daily, we're at another critical global moment.

Regional and global leaders continue to fail to come up with a workable plan to stop the violence in the Middle East. Our friends at the Ceasefire Campaign are urging people around the world to pressure the Security Council to come up with a real plan to get an immediate ceasefire and international peacekeepers. This is a sensible call that would curb the bloodshed while laying the groundwork for a more enduring peace.

The Ceasefire Campaign is looking for 1 million co-sponsors to deliver their petition to the Security Council this week. Can you join them? Sign here:

http://www.ceasefirecampaign.org/mo/en.html

Sincerely,
–Eli Pariser

P.S. Here's a message from the Ceasefire Campaign with some more detail:

Dear friends,

For more than three weeks now we've watched the bloodshed in the Middle East with horror. All the while, global and regional leaders have stood by and failed to take the necessary action to stop the violence. Finally, this weekend, the US and France reached agreement on a plan. But this compromise plan fails to call for a full ceasefire and is so weak that the violence has not—and will not—stop.

http://www.ceasefirecampaign.org/mo/en.html

This is unacceptable. Hundreds of innocent civilians have already been killed, thousands have been wounded, and almost a million people have been made homeless.

The UN Security Council will be meeting early this week to try to resolve the crisis. They need to know that the world is watching them, and that anything less than an immediate ceasefire is not good enough. Click here to sign this petition demanding that the members of the UN Security Council take immediate action to end this bloodshed.

http://www.ceasefirecampaign.org/mo/en.html

Please sign the petition today, and then spread the word by forwarding this email on to all your friends and family. Our goal is to deliver a petition to the Security Council with 1 million signatures this week, and to publicize the petition in major newspapers in the capitals of the US, UK, France and other Security Council members.

Thanks so much for your help,

Ricken Patel
CeasefireCampaign.org

P.S. Groups and leaders from across the world and from diverse perspectives agree that an urgent ceasefire is an important part of resolving this crisis. Most countries of the world, from Lebanon to Tanzania to India, have called for a ceasefire, and have been joined by major international NGOs such as Oxfam and Amnesty International. Christian leaders such as Pope Benedict XVI, and the World Council of Churches have also called for a ceasefire. Arab and Muslim organizations such as the Organization of the Islamic Conference have also been joined by Israeli and Jewish groups such as Meretz Israel, Degel HaTorah, and Brit Tzedek v'Shalom in calling for a ceasefire.

Please "sign" this petition.

This is how I feel today


Dog Days of Summer??
Originally uploaded by hrtmnstrfr.

Just prop me up somewhere.

Jenn + ice cream


Jenn + ice cream
Originally uploaded by Noisypond.

Lillian


Lillian
Originally uploaded by Noisypond.

I love how direct and confident Lillian is.

Group photo


Group photo #2
Originally uploaded by Noisypond.

The entire group of beautiful people with whom I shared the day yesterday. Utterly fabulous.

Grandfather and grandson having a blast


Grandfather and grandson having a blast
Originally uploaded by Noisypond.

Watching these two was so much fun ... He would fling his grandson into the air, and the boy would bellyflop into the water. The kid is a junior adrenaline junkie, and the man just doted on him. Great to watch.

Rugged and magnificent


Rugged and magnificent
Originally uploaded by Noisypond.

Stacked like mattresses against a wall


Stacked like mattresses against a wall
Originally uploaded by Noisypond.

I couldn't believe this when I saw it - great slabs of rock in the general size and shape of queen-sized mattresses - stacked up against each other at some crazy angle.

At the base of the pile, there is a small cave, and you can hear the sound of gushing water coming from underneath.

Canoe Bokeh


Canoe Bokeh
Originally uploaded by Noisypond.

This shot was a total accident, but I like it!

Path over roots and rocks


Path over roots and rocks
Originally uploaded by Noisypond.

Stream


Stream
Originally uploaded by Noisypond.

Mi Young


Mi Young
Originally uploaded by Noisypond.

Stacked Rocks


Stacked Rocks
Originally uploaded by Noisypond.

Brent


Brent
Originally uploaded by Noisypond.

The way he turned into this shot was just like a model!

Maia


Maia
Originally uploaded by Noisypond.

Maia is so pretty - love the Romanian eyes!!!