if you can't beat 'em, throw in the towel

Tue May 24, 1:52 PM ET (AP)
TUPELO, Miss. - A conservative Christian group has ended its boycott of the Walt Disney Co., launched nine years ago in response to what leaders perceived as the erosion of the company's squeaky-clean image.
"There are so many other issues we need to move on to and deal with that are taking our time and energy," American Family Association president Tim Wildmon wrote in a letter published Monday on the group's Web site. "If you're going to call for a boycott of a company - if something has become that serious - you need to have all your resources behind it."
The boycott had a limited impact. Disney has reported higher earnings, citing increased attendance at its theme parks and strong performance from its film studio and ABC television network.
The Tupelo-based Christian group has protested Disney's extension of benefits to domestic partners of gay employees, promotion of gay-related events at its theme parks and violent and sex-filled content of movies made by its Miramax subsidiary.
The group blamed longtime Disney chief executive Michael Eisner, and said some of the problems had been resolved by Eisner's upcoming retirement and the company's break with Miramax founders Bob and Harvey Weinstein.
Wildmon said the announcement is not an endorsement of Disney, just an end to the boycott "as a ministry agenda item."

it's a small world

the next time you are feeling small, here's a bug's eye view of the world to put it in perspective for you.


click picture for larger view

ready, aim, fire

i have to question the wisdom of issuing, to security guards who work at
target stores, badges with bullseyes on them which they wear over their
heart.

water, water everywhereand not a drop to drink

four-year-olds. aaaaaaaargh.

little anna was taking a bath yesterday, and she managed to flood the bathroom, the upstairs landing, and soak the carpet in her room and her sister's room.

just as i was walking in the door home from work.

carrie and i spent the next two hours frantically ripping up the hardwood floor, pulling carpets and carpet pads, wet-dry vacuuming the water up from the bathroom, soaking water up with every damn towel in the house.

i just laid that hardwood down. six hours' work ripped up in half an hour.

my legs hurt.

the guys from servicemaster came the next day to install dehumidifiers and "air movers" (industrial-strength fans) which are running 24/7.

let me give you a warning. if you ever have water soak your house, be prepared to listen to the din of the loudest jet plane cabin for three days.

happy bloody mother's day.

a birthday wish

you've been gone ten years. time flies.

we all miss you.

moira asks about you a lot more these days.

i wish you were still here. heck, you are still here as long as we think of you.

watch over us.

pray for us.

we love you.

happy birthday, dad.

how to scare the snot out of your four-year-old

we just got back from disneyland. hoo boy. what an adventure, traveling with a ten-year-old and a four-year-old.

six years ago, we took our ten-year-old (who was then four years old) to disneyland. she was scared out of her mind of most of the big rides, but she got a little thrill from the big thunder mountain railway. so i thought our four-year-old would enjoy it too.

think again.

after we got off the train, my four-year-old was pale as a ghost and shaking like a leaf. i thought she was going to pass out or throw up. fortunately she didn't.

she did enjoy (loose construction of the word) the haunted mansion, though.

my ten-year-old did finally get on splash mountain, the matterhorn, indiana jones adventure, and she rode the big thunder again. had a ball.

my four-year-old's favorite rides?

dumbo and small world. should have guessed.

it's a small enough worldwithout a song to drive you crazy(thanks a lot, walt disney!)

It's a world of laughter
A world of tears
It's a world of hopes
And a world of fears
There's so much that we share
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all

There is just one moon
And one golden sun
And a smile means
Friendship to every one
Though the mountains divide
And the oceans are wide
It's a small world after all

It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world