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By the way, on some of the pictures, if you hover your pointer over the picture, ya might find a comment from me on it, now that I've learned how to do that.
Now its time for the show to start & I think we'll start now!!!!
Illinois bill calls for
harsher rail crossing violations
Motorists and truckers who
intentionally disregard railroad crossing warning devices and cause fatal
crashes would face increased prison time under legislation passed in the
Illinois state House this month.
The Herald News of suburban Chicago
reports that six Republicans sponsored the bill. The legislators said they want
to raise awareness about safety at railroad crossings in the wake of the March
15, 1999, collision involving trucker John R. Stokes and Amtrak's City of New
Orleans train. The accident resulted in 11 deaths and 122 injuries.
Stokes is awaiting trial on charges of
driving longer than permitted without sleep in a 24-hour period and for not
updating his driver's log. On Feb. 1, 2002, state and local investigators said
in a report the crossing gates malfunctioned. Stokes did not try to drive around
lowered crossing signals, the report concluded.
However, a Feb 5., 2002, National
Traffic Safety Board report said the collision's probable cause was Stokes'
"inappropriate response to the crossing warning devices and his judgment, likely
impaired by fatigue, that he could cross the tracks before the arrival of the
train."
The legislation, which now goes to the
Senate, would increase the penalty for reckless conduct that causes a death when
a car or truck collides with a train. Instead of a Class 3 felony, which carries
a penalty ranging from probation to five years, the conduct would be a Class 2
felony, with a penalty of up to seven years.
Because Illinois classifies logbook
and hours-of-service violations as Class 4 felonies, Stokes faces a possible
sentence of one to three years in prison for each count.
The worst lies are the lies we tell ourselves. We live in denial of what we
do, even what we think. We do this because we're afraid. We fear we will not
find love, and when we find it we fear we'll lose it. We fear that if
we do not have love we will be unhappy. -Richard Bach
[||||] O H , M R . G R A N T [||||]
The city of
Minneapolis now has a statue of Mary Tyler Moore tossing her cap in the air
at 7th street downtown. (LA Times)
When you pull a string on her back,
the statue plays "You're Gonna Make it After All."
[||||] C H O P P E R C A R N A G E [||||]
With myopia
typical of the military, the Marine Corps may purchase 360 MV-22 Osprey tilt
rotor aircraft, a Bell-Boeing multibillion dollar flopperoo that has killed
22 marines training in it. (USA Today)
So far, offers to help
defray the cost of the killing machines have flowed in from Saddam Hussein,
Moammar Khaddafy, Osama bin Laden, Fidel Castro and several former Nazis now
living in Buenos Aires.
[||||] O O P S ! [||||]
Red faced Pentagoners have
reluctantly admitted that 31 prisoners taken during a raid on suspected
terrorist compounds in Kandahar were neither Taliban nor Al-Qaeda and were
released. (USA Today)
Turned out to be Miramax staffers doing some
location scouting for a possible "Ishtar" sequel.
[||||] M A D A M G O O D W R E N C H [||||]
A study conducted
by the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association shows that the percentage
of single fems playing Miss Fixit on their vehicles including oil changes,
brake jobs and spark plug replacement to save bucks is up to 34%. (USA
Today)
Potato Pancakes with Smoked Salmon
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
3 potatoes, peeled and grated 1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill 1/2 t salt
or to taste - ground pepper to taste - 1 egg white 4 oz smoked
salmon 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream - cooking spray -
****************************************************************** Heat
oven to 400 Combine onion, potatoes, chopped dill, salt, pepper and egg
white in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Coat baking sheet with cooking
spray. Form pancakes by dropping about 1 tablespoon mixture on tray and
flattening into disks. Bake until golden brown on bottom about 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and turn pancakes over. Return to oven and bake until
brown on both sides about 7 minutes more. Serve pancakes topped with smoked
salmon and a dab of reduce fat sour cream. Garnish with dill sprigs.
Sunshine Cake
2 1/4 cups flour 7 1/4 teaspoons Equal or 24 packets
Equal 3 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup cold
water 1/3 cup vegetable oil 4 egg yolks 1 teaspoon vanilla 1
teaspoon orange extract 2 teaspoons grated orange ring 8 egg whites 1/2
teaspoon cream of tartar
Orange Cream Cheese Glaze
5 cups assorted
fresh fruit
(optional) Equal ***************************************************************** Combine
flour, 7 1/4 teaspoons Equal Measure, baking powder, and salt in large bowl;
beat in water, oil, egg yolks, vanilla, orange extract and orange rind.
Beat egg whites in large bowl until foamy; add cream of tartar and beat
to stiff peaks. Stir in about 1/3 of the egg whites into flour mixture; fold
flour mixture into remaining egg whites. Pour batter into ungreased 12-cup
fluted cake pan. Bake cake in preheated 325 oven until top springs back
when touched, 60 to 70 minutes. Cook cake in pan on wire rack 10 minutes;
invert cake onto wire rack and cool. Place cake on serving plate; spoon
Orange Cream Cheese Glaze over. Sprinkle fruit with Equal® Measure to taste;
server over cake slices.
Boston Cream Cheesecake submitted by Thomas
1 pkg. (1-layer size) yellow
cake mix 3 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened 3/4 cup
granulated sugar 2 tsp. vanilla, divided 3 eggs 3/4 cup Sour Cream 2
squares BAKER'S Unsweetened Baking Chocolate 3 Tbsp. milk 2 Tbsp. butter
or margarine 1 cup powdered
sugar ******************************************************* Grease
bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Prepare cake mix as directed on package;
pour batter evenly into springform pan. Bake at 325°F for 25 minutes if
using a silver springform pan. (Bake at 300°F for 20 minutes if using a dark
nonstick springform pan.) Cool. Beat cream cheese, granulated sugar and 1
tsp. of the vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until
blended. Blend in sour cream; pour over cake
layer. ********************************************************
Did Ya' Know: 020322 ------------------------------------ The swimming pool at
the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida is the largest in the
continental U.S. It covers a half acre and holds 600,000 gallons of
water.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina has the most mini-golf courses
per area in the U.S. At last count, there were 47 in a 60 mile
radius.
Yuma, Arizona has the most sun of any locale in the U.S. - it
averages sunny skies 332 days a year.
*grin* It makes people
wonder! ~AIKEN~
Today's thought is: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly
. --Antoine De Saint Exupery
If we look at the world through
suspicious or angry eyes, we'll find a world that mirrors our expectations-a
world where tension will mount, arguments will abound, strife will be
present where none need be. However, our experiences in some manner bless
us, and we'll recognize that if we'll look upon them with gratitude.
Everything in our path is meant for our good and we'll see the good when
our hearts act as the eyes for our minds.
When we see with our hearts,
our responses to the turmoil around us, the fighting children, the traffic
snarls, the angry lovers, will be soft acceptance. When our hearts guide
the action we can accept those things we cannot change, and change those we
can. And the heart, as the seat of all wisdom, will always now the
difference.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Today's meditation
comes from the book Worthy of Love by Karen Casey, illustrated by David
Spohn copyright 1985 available through our online bookstore at: http://www.hazeldenbookplace.org/store/product.asp?sku=5005
& now your at the end of the letter, I hope that you enjoyed
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