D.C. Part III

This post is dedicated to the Library of Congress. It is one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen. My pictures do not do it justice. Please excuse the quality of the pictures. Enjoy!
The beautiful Library of Congress
The lamp posts are cool
This is a side room in the Library. I was not supposed to be in there. Hehehe. The ceiling is not painted it is a mosaic. I could not resist taking pictures of that beautiful ceiling.
Beautiful, huh?
This is the hallway!
This is the big room in the Library.
This room was SO beautiful.

The work that is put into the ceiling is amazing
My pictures of this room do not do them justice.
Do these pictures make you want to visit the Library of Congress? It is worth the time!
To be continued......

D.C. Part II

Here are more DC pictures. I am posting them now because I will be pressed for time later

The Old Post Office building
Another Capital pic
National Archives
Smithsonian Castle
Peterson House

It was SO cold the day we toured the capital. You can see the pond is frozen. These are pictures of the ceiling in the halls of the capital.
The ceilings are so beautiful
The rotunda.
The floor of the capital.
To be continued.

For Sale:

Here is a sample of the humor of my father. We got into a discussion about selling things and the conversation got around to selling me. I asked if he would sell me for one million tax free dollars. He said " Yeah!" Me: "You would?" Him: Very seriously. "For a million tax free dollars, yes" My father is willing to sell me for a million tax free dollars. I think he partly serious too! Any takers? ;) LOL He gives me a very hard time. He says because I am the only one who can take it. I don't particularly like being sold into slavery. But hey, I might sell myself for a million tax free dollars! ;) I am taking bids. ;)

"Cool the Engines"

This is a REALLY cool video. I had to wipe the drool off my face. ;) Thanks Jay.

D.C. Part I

Since I can not think of anything profound to write I am posting pictures from my Washington D.C. trip in 2006. There will be several parts to this series. I took over 1,000 pictures, I won't post them all you might revolt! Enjoy!
These were taken our first day in D.C. The picture of the capital was taken from the National Mall.

1st Day: It was a nice day the day we arrived in D.C.
2nd Day: It was SO cold. The wind was howling and I was freezing to death! We had a tour of the Washington Monument scheduled.
This is the inside of the Monument.
We arrived at the top of the Monument via elevator just as they announced that there was going to be a walk down tour. I had read that there was no longer going to be any scheduled walk down tours. Good timing. Inside the Washington Monument there are commemorative stones. Each state has a stone.
There were a lot of stones. Many people and business who sponsored the Washington Monument have stones inside it.
When we finished the walk down tour we asked if we could ride back up and look out. We did not have a chance before because the tour. One of the ranger threw a fit because we got to go up again. These are pictures from the top of the Monument.
The Capitol, Library of Congress, and the Supreme Court. Lincoln's Memorial, WWII Memorial, and the reflecting pond.
Jefferson's Memorial.
To be continued.

Aloha Hawaii!

Well I am going to Hawaii the 28 of April through the 13 of May! We are going to the Big Island and Oahu. Have you ever been there? If so please share! I am very excited. I won't be able to blog there because I do not have a laptop. But you will see TONS of pictures when I get back. I will post more info later.

Wild Deer

Neighboring our land is a high fence area. High fence areas are to hold big game animals. Hunters pay to "hunt" these animals. I say "hunt" because it is really like hunting cows. The big game in high fence areas are trophy animals. Dead animals hanging on the wall. Nice. But hey, what ever floats your boat. On with my story, someone left the gate open to the high fence area yesterday. I had seven exotic deer in my yard! I did not have time to take pictures. The picture is the breed of deer, but the deer in my yard were younger and smaller. After seeing them, there was a rush to find the number of the man who owns them. They ran all though our land but decided the yard was a nice place to rest. Thankfully they stayed close to our land and did not wander off. If that happened there was not way to recover them. The man who owns them was out of town, so his friend Bill rounded up the deer. He tried to lure them with corn. I must say they are pretty tame but are still slightly wild. The deer did not want to be captured. Bill had to dart them. Several other kinds of animals escaped too. But they were all recovered. Thankfully!

Mermaids and Treasure.

Mermaids
They are real! (not) But this is a interesting article. I stumbled upon this article while looking to a SCUBA diving tour in Hawaii.

Nazi treasure This article is interesting too. Read it it is cool. Buried treasure!

I will post more later. Oh I forgot to tell you, I am going to Hawaii In May.

The Birth Of Feminism And The Death Of Chivalry

Disclaimer: This post may be controversial. Put you are reading my blog so this is my opinion.

With the birth of feminism came the death of chivalry. Women no longer wanted men to open doors for them, help them put on their coats, or carry their bags. The feminist woman could do it herself and did not need a mans help. She wanted to make her way with out a man. She thought she did not need men. The feminist woman would soon regret what she had killed. . Men were rejected when the offered to help the new feminist woman. She did not need him she could make her own way! The men soon stopped offering to help the new feminist woman and they did not teach their sons to be chivalrous. The new feminist woman saw men as a threat and her competition. She did not want his help. That was a sign of weakness. She started competing with him in the work place. Competing with him for higher wages. He was no longer an ally but an enemy. Feminism killed chivalry. Chivalry is not completely dead. It can be revived. I do not think it ever will be. Feminism is not the only thing that has diminished chivalry. But is has crippled it. There have been benefits in feminism. But the feminist movement has been taken too far. Now when a man opens a door for a woman she is skeptical of him. She thinks he wants something. Woman are surprised if a man is nice to her. Woman are trying to restore chivalry. Mothers, fathers, men, and women need to take steps to restore chivalry and kindness in and to both sexes. I am not a feminist. I am glad I have the right to vote and the right to equal wages.

Oh To Be A Fish

I am off to be a fish today. I have not been swimming in a week and I need the water. I love to swim. I am a mermaid at heart. ;) I will post more later. Hopefully I can think of something to write about.


Update: 4:35 pm
I just got home from swimming and errands. I have to tell you the about my pool experience.

If there are three vacant lanes why must someone swim in mine! This happens to me EVERY time. A man gets into my lane and starts swimming. I am thinking what is wrong with him. Can he not see that there are open lanes? Usually, it is one swimmer per lane. Unless the other lanes are occupied. But today they were not. I moved to a different lane and someone got into my lane again. I moved again and the same thing happened! Eventally there were not more lanes to move to. And of course the last person that got into my lane was really weird.

Gentleman's Aggreement

Gentleman's Agreement is a great movie. If you have not seen it, you need to. (even if you are not a movie person, Buck) ;) It is about antisemitism. Gregory Peck is a journalist who pretends to be Jewish for three months. He does it for a different preceptive on antisemitism.

This spawned a I.I. on racism, prejudice and antisemitism. During World War I and II many people were racist against Eastern Europeans and the Japanese. I know Hitler was a terrible and cruel man. But not all Germans were/are and not all Eastern Europeans were/are cruel. Hitler killed the Jews. He also killed many other people but his rage was often focused on the Jews. He hated them. How is being antisemitic any different than being like Hitler? It is not! Racism is the same no matter what color you paint it. Hate is hate. Antisemitic people may not have killed Jews but they still hate them because of their race. For that matter anyone who is racist is not any different than a cruel ruler like Hitler.

Why do people hate other people based on race and religion? Some say it is because they are different. I don't buy that. Being different is no reason to hate someone. What starts racism? When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor many Americans hated the Japanese. I can see hating the people who bombed your country and killed many men and woman. But not hating the nationality. Not every Japanese person supported the bombing. There was no reason for prejudice. Racism is something I will never understand.

Racism is applied to any race and religion. Some people are racist and do not speak it and some boldly speak if it. I want to talk with someone who is racist. I want to ask them why they are racist and what reason do they have for it. I could go deeper into this subject but I will stop before you think I am preaching to you. There may be more to come on this topic. Just warnin' ya.

These are the top 100?

A list of the Top 100 Films of all time. Bold the ones you've seen! I got this from Becky's Blog

1. Citizen Kane (1941)
2. The Godfather
3. Casablanca (1942)
4. Raging Bull (1980)
5. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
6. Gone with the Wind (1939)
7. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
8. Schindler’s List (1993)
9. Vertigo (1958)
10. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
11. City Lights (1931)
12. The Searchers (1956)
13. Star Wars (1977) Unfortunately.
14. Psycho (1960)
15. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
16. 2001 : A Space Odyssey (1968)
17. The Graduate (1967)
18. The General (1927)
19. On the Waterfront (1954)
20. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
21. Chinatown (1974)
22. Some Like It Hot (1959)
23. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
24. E.T. The Extraterrestrial (1982)
25. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) Good movie!
26. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
27. High Noon (1952)
28. All About Eve (1950)
29. Double Indemnity (1944)
30. Apocalypse Now (1979)
31. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
32. The Godfather Part II (1974)
33. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
34. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
35. Annie Hall (1977)
36. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
37. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
38. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
39. Dr. Strangelove (1964)
40. The Sound of Music (1965)
41. King Kong (1933)*
42. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
43. Midnight Cowboy (1969)
44. The Philadelphia Story (1940) Great movie!
45. Shane (1953)
46. It Happened One Night (1934)
47. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
48. Rear Window (1954)
49. Intolerance (1916)
50. Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
51. West Side Story (1961) Gag me with a barbie leg!
52. Taxi Driver (1976)
53. Deer Hunter, The (1978)
54. M*A*S*H (1970)
55. North by Northwest (1959)
56. Jaws (1975) I have seen part of this one.
57. Rocky (1976)
58. The Gold Rush (1925)
59. Nashville (1975)
60. Duck Soup (1933)
61. Sullivan’s Travels (1941)
62. American Graffiti (1973)
63. Cabaret (1972)
64. Network (1976)
65. The African Queen (1951)
66. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
67. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
68. Unforgiven (1992)
69. Tootsie (1982)
70. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
71. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
72. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
73. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) I like this movie (Paul Newman!)
74. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
75. In the Heat of the Night (1967)
76. Forrest Gump (1994)
77. All the President’s Men (1976)
78. Modern Times (1936)
79. The Wild Bunch (1969)
80. The Apartment (1960)
81. Spartacus (1960)
82. Sunrise (1927)
83. Titanic (1997)
84. Easy Rider (1969)
85. A Night at the Opera (1935)
86. Platoon (1986)
87. 12 Angry Men (1957)
88. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
89. The Sixth Sense (1999)
90. Swing Time (1936)
91. Sophie’s Choice (1982)
92. Goodfellas (1990)
93. The French Connection (1971)
94. Pulp Fiction (1994)
95. The Last Picture Show (1971)
96. Do the Right Thing (1989)
97. Blade Runner (1982)
98. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
99. Toy Story(1995)
100. Ben-Hur (1959)
--------------------------------------
WEST SIDE STORY!! I did not like that movie. AT ALL!
Here are some of my favorites:
An Affair to Remember (1957)
The Band Wagon (1953)
The Big Sleep
Bourne Identity
Bourne Supremacy
Bourne Ultimatum
Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (Paul Newman!)
Designing Woman
Emma
Ever After
Gentleman's Agreement (1947)
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Ocean's 11 (the new one)
Ocean's 12
Ocean's 13
Pride and Prejudice (2001)
Return To Me
Sleepless In Seattle
To Have and Have Not
While You Were Sleeping

Sorry I do not know the dates for all of them.
The list could go on and on. These were off the top of my head.
I like movies. (as if you haven't noticed)
P.S. I like Paul Newman ( obviously)

A PORSCHE!!!

I'm a Porsche 911!

You have a classic style, but you're up-to-date with the latest technology. You're ambitious, competitive, and you love to win. Performance, precision, and prestige - you're one of the elite,and you know it.

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

You Are Cayenne Pepper

You are very over the top and a bit overwhelming. You have a fiery personality, and you can give anyone a good jolt. You can easily take things up a couple notches, no matter what crowd you're running with.

What Spice Are You?

What Ashley Means

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong. You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know. You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do. You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out. Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia. Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person. You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

This one is a little weird. I am not sure how accurate it is.

I have drawn a blank on what to post about today. That is why there are so many quizzes. Sorry, maybe I will be inspired later today or tomorrow.

See a Resemblance?

Jay requested a caption contest. If you wish to submit your captions please feel free to do so.

These are mine.
First pic: I didn't do it! I promise.

Second Pic: My dream job. What a carrier opportunity.

Third pic: I bite. I may not have teeth but beware!

Patriotism!

This is the comment by TFNP on my last post and my response to his comment:

Alright Ash...again, i'll bite. My I.I. for the day...If i find ALL (realizing that word is extremely stereotypical yet i have no reasonable data to indicate otherwise) politicians to be, shall i say, less than righteous...should i be looked down upon because i DO NOT vote? How can i reason within myself to cast my approval for "the lesser of two evils"? Meaning... i am still approving an evil. I have to stop there, this WILL become a novella.

I vote because it is my right and privileged. Because I want a say in who runs the country I live in. Who protects my freedom. I agree with your lesser of two evils point. But to me voting is not approving, voting is choosing. Voting is choosing who governs the country I live in! Choosing who has power over your life. Voting is taking a step to preserve our rights. I vote because I do not want the the most evil in power. I do not want the most evil to have control over my life and country. You may say that the no one has power over your life. But government does. What if the government suddenly repealed your right to own a gun. Your right to protect your family. Your right to discipline your children. Because of the influence of an evil leader. If every one did not vote because they did not want to pick the lesser of two evils they are choosing to live under whatever comes, with no freedom of choice. My one vote for the lesser of the evils may not even matter in the end. But at least I will know that I did something to preserve my freedom and way of life! I want the lesser of the evils in power. I feel that people who do not vote can not complain about the government and its leaders because they do not take a step towards changing it. There will always be evils in government. But is less evil better than more evil? Yes, I know evil is evil, but which would you rather have in power? Which would you rather live under? Should we take a step towards preserve our rights as Americans? To ensure that we have the rights that our founding fathers set forth. To ensure that our children are brought up in a free country. To not let anyone take away those rights. War is fought for freedom. Men and women have given their lives for freedom. Given their lives to ensure that you live in a free country. Do we count the lives of our founding fathers and all the men that have fought and died for our freedoms as rubbish? Do you like religious freedom? Do you like living under a roof that is yours not the government's? Do you like working for you and your family and not the state? Do you like having the right to choose who governs the country you live in! Who preserves the rights that you take for granted!

No you should not be looked down upon because you do not vote. But you should consider why you do not want a say in who has power over your life and the country you live in.


I have never seen myself as very patriotic until today.

This post was written quickly with many thoughts flowing though my head please excuse any errors you may see.

Sterotypes

stereotype |ˈsterēəˌtīp; ˈsti(ə)r-| noun a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing : the stereotype of the woman as the carer | sexual and racial stereotypes. • a person or thing that conforms to such an image : don't treat anyone as a stereotype.

Last night on the news there was a woman being interviewed about the presidential election. She said that she is voting for Hillary Clinton because she is a woman. I find that insane. Sex, religion, and/or race does not make someone a good leader. It influences it but it does not provide leadership qualities. The fact that Hillary is a woman does not make her a good or a bad leader. Being a woman does not insure that you have leadership qualities. In the same news segment a man being interviewed stated that he was voting for Obama because he is black. Race does not insure leadership qualities. Race does not make anyone superior or inferior. Race, religion and sex does not define people. What they make of them selfs defines them. Religion is a determining factor when voting for a president. Religion can also be carried too far into a stereotype. Many people think that Barack Obama is Muslim. I am not sure what the basis is for this idea but I think it may stem from his name. If it does stem from his name it is ridiculous! I can see that people would not want a Muslim president. I do not either. Religion is different than sex and race. Religion you are actively part of. You believe in and practice your religion. Religion influences the way I vote. I do not find someone inferior or superior based on religion no matter how much I disagree or agree with their beliefs. I also do not find anyone inferior or superior based on sex and race. This presidential election scares me. Hillary or Obama, both are scary options. But if we must have a democrat in the oval office I would rather have Hillary. ( I can't believe I just said that) On the other hand McCain is not one of my favorite people either. But hey, at least he is not Hillary!

This is a minor stereotype but still a stereotype. As many of you know I have blond hair. Why does having blond hair make you stupid? I am not stupid and I have blond hair. Granted I am not a genius but I do not find myself stupid. I do not like that stereotype. ( my hair is naturally blond maybe they are talking about bottle blonds ;) I do not mind good natured blond jokes. But it has gone too far many times. Another minor stereotype. Some people assume that I am dumb, cheap, and easy strictly based on looks. Why you ask, well......how do I put this delicately. Um..........lets just say that I am well endowed. I am not sure why that makes me dumb, cheap, and easy but, from experience, some see it that way.( this has happened on more than one occasion) Body type and hair color determine IQ? I think not. What does one's physical appearance have to do with their intellect? ( Normal appearance , not nose rings and green hair)

I find stereotypes narrow minded. Of course I just made one , the green hair bit. But they choose to look that way. So it does not count. ;)

Mini Teacher

In my dive class on Saturday (the one with the attempted murder) there is a mini teacher. The mini teacher felt the need to have a running commentary through out the whole class. Students are students not teachers! I find it rude to talk during the class. Most of what he said was wrong anyway you would think he would shut up and listen. But no he continued with his commentary through out the whole class. That spawned a insignificant inquire. Why if someone is attending a class do they feel the need to be a mini teacher? They are at the same level as the fellow students. Not an instructor. I do not like mini teachers. I especially do not like mini teachers who provide incorrect information . If you do not know the answer keep your mouth shut and learn. That is what you are there for any way! The mini teacher was also a talker. If he caught you he dished out the life story. He caught me. They always do. Maybe I should be a psychiatrist then at least I would get paid for listening to the life stories. But I would not have many clients. I am sorry that you are still mad at you parents for not buying you a pony when you were three. BUT GET OVER IT! It is time to. This has turned into a rant. Not a really a inquire. I will stop at that.

Chandler Red

I am far to attached to my dog. In case you have not noticed I am a dog person. Chandler is a five year old American Pit Bull Terrier. He is protective of me. Many people think that all pit bulls are aggressive and mean. Some are yes, but not all. If they are trained, raised, and bred properly they make great dogs. They are loyal, friendly, and family oriented dogs. Chandler is a dog of a different color so to speak. He does not do all the gross things most dogs do. I don't know if it is the way I raised him or if it is just him. I am inclined to believe it is him. Upon meeting him. DON'T RUN! He loves to chase you. He will bite your feet. Not really bite just put his mouth on them.;) Many meter readers, repair men, and delivery men have experienced this. When he rounds the corner of the house they run for the truck. He thinks it is a game and chases them. It is hilarious. I know it is not to them but I am usually yelling STOP RUNNING! I know they are thinking yeah right. They never stop. Chandler is a good dog, he is not aggressive. He is protective though. Not many people trespass when they know you have a pit bull. That is a good thing around here. When they see the dogs my polite suggestion for them to leave usually carries more weight. Chandler is a great dog. He keeps me warm at night. He keeps me entertained during the day. He is a little bit of a clown. I need to shoot a video of his tricks. He speaks in three volumes, shakes hands/paws four different ways, "dies", crawls, rolls over, and of course sits and lies down.