Jack is a wonderful, loving and protective Alaskan Malamute who came into the Hawk clan shortly after the death of Missy, my pet and companion of over nine years. Three years old and with only one previous owner, we expected him to have some basic training in his previous lifetime upon which we could build. He was given up for adoption upon the death of his previous owner, and had spent between 3 or 4 months in a kennel before coming to our town's shelter. A kind person who'd initially taken custody of him paid for his stay at the kennel, but when the funding ran out he was moved to our local no-kill shelter in hopes that a home would be located for him. He was a dog in need of someone to watch over him, and we were a family who'd lost our longtime friend and protector -- it appeared to be an ideal match.

Jack's previous training, however, was scant at best. We learned early on that not only had his previous owner died: she had committed suicide. And Jack was there when it happened. He was left alone in the house until family came and discovered him and his owner's lifeless body.

Renai Merle/WaPo:  Anthrax Vaccine Contract Voided, Thwarting Administration.  "Federal health officials yesterday scuttled the largest piece of the Bush administration's two-year program to counter bioterrorism, canceling an $877.5 million contract with VaxGen to develop an anthrax vaccine after the company missed a deadline to begin human testing."
::  ::  ::
Via jeninRI.  Image by Thor Swift/WaPo.
:: :: ::
[More @ today's DailyNews].

What it was, was football.  In honor of the Palace in Dallas I thought y'all would like to hear one of the best descriptions of the game.  Andy Griffith's monologue is still one of the best.  Enjoy.

[Image + recording by "RamMan" on CarolinaFan.com].

Image @ Craps.co.uk, which has their version of the history of the game.  Personally I think it was named after the crapper, 'cause that's where your money ends up - flushed away.

But that's not the main point here.  No, it was when I started clicking through the news, and found four-of-five headlines on the C-SPAN website devoted to the upcoming (and apparently URGENT) race for President in 2008.

Oh, the whorers, the whorers!  Pimping isn't limited to the streets these days, and the game remains the same:  all you need is cash. (DailyNews in the usual spot).

Good mornin starshine, the Earth says hello.

Tom Lasseter/McClatchy: Analysts: U.S. at root of effort to topple Lebanese government. " BEIRUT, Lebanon - American political leaders watched with alarm during the past week as the Hezbollah militia laid siege to the U.S.-backed Lebanese government, but few would acknowledge publicly what most analysts and politicians here say is obvious: American policy may bear much of the blame.

Many in Beirut say that U.S. failure to stop Israel's onslaught against Hezbollah last summer crippled the Lebanese government - a U.S. ally - while strengthening Hezbollah - a U.S. enemy. That created an environment in which the Shiite Muslim militia could call for overthrowing Sunni Muslim Prime Minister Fuad Saniora and his Cabinet." Glad to see Lasseter back.

Capt. Peterson: [hostile tone of voice] What are you two HOODLUMS doing in this hospital?
Hawkeye Pierce: Ma'am, we are surgeons and we are here to operate. We just waiting for a starting time. That's all.
Capt. Peterson: You can't even go near a patient until Col. Merrill says its ok and he's still out to lunch.
Trapper John: Look, mother, I want to go to work in one hour. We are the Pros from Dover and we figure to crack this kid's chest and get out to golf course before it gets dark. So you go find the gas-passer and you have him pre-medicate this patient. Then bring me the latest pictures on him. The ones we saw must be 48 hours old by now. Then call the kitchen and have them rustle us up some lunch.

Sometimes you need people who just get the job done.  Think I've had enough of the "Amateurs from Texas".

Meet "Methuselah", the world's oldest known tree @ 4789 years.  

These hardy creatures:  "exist in an exposed, windswept, harsh environment, free of competition from other plants and the ravages of insects and disease". Party on, Methuselah.

In America today we celebrate our "long" current conflicts in Iraq & Afghanistan. In tree terms, it's only the beginning.

[Image © L. Miller]