Counting Down

Only ten more days until we get to see Indiana Jones IV.  The Raiders of the Lost Ark is my favorite out of the trilogy so far.  I think the first film of any trilogy or series is hard to beat, simply because it's fresh and new.  In my opinion, the first movies of the Back to the Future, Karate Kid, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Spider-Man were all the best ones.  There are some exceptions, like Superman II and Terminator II, which I liked better than the first in the series.  The Lord of the Rings is unique in that all three movies are equally awesome. 

I can't believe that Harrison Ford did some of his own stunts again for the latest movie.  Isn't he like 65 years old?  Remember in Raiders of the Lost Ark, when he gets thrown out of the front of the truck, crawls underneath the truck, and gets dragged by his whip behind the truck?  Well, that was really Harrison Ford being dragged down the road!

I'll never forget the first time I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark.  I must have been in 5th or 6th grade when it came out.  My friends and I used to play with the automatic garage door opener and pretended it was the rock wall that Indy has to crawl through in the beginning.  We used to jump over imaginary pits and run away from imaginary round boulders.  We tried to buy a whip but our parents' didn't let us...in hindsight I think it might have been for the best, hahaha.             

The Vog

"The Vog" is not the sequel to the horror movies "The Mist," or "The Fog," but it's a real-life phenomenon that's occuring here in Hawaii.  Here's an explanation from Yahoo News:

"...in March, Kilauea volcano opened a new vent and began spewing double the usual amount of toxic gas...crops are shriveling as sulfur dioxide from Kilauea wafts over them and envelops them in "vog," or volcanic smog. People are wheezing, and schoolchildren are being kept indoors during recess...Sulfur dioxide, a pollutant that is also generated by burning coal and oil, can lead to asthma and other respiratory illnesses and aggravate lung and heart disease. When combined with dust and sunlight, it makes vog. Mixed with atmospheric moisture, it produces acid rain...The wind has blown vog to Oahu, some 200 miles to the north, bathing Honolulu in a light haze. (The vog is no threat to the U.S. mainland, some 2,500 miles away.)"

I've been slightly affected too because my eyes are itchy and my nose runs.  Folks on the mainland will probably never experience this, but maybe you better shut your windows tonight, just in case, because you never know when the monsters will come creeping up to your room in........THE VOG.....muhahahahaha.

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

Americans who trace their ancestry to Asia and the Pacific Islands have contributed much to our Nation. During Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, we highlight their importance to our great Nation.

 Asian/Pacific Americans have made our country better with their talents and hard work. Their values and commitment to family and community have helped shape and strengthen America. These citizens speak many languages, honor countless traditions, and practice different faiths, but they are bound by a shared commitment to freedom and liberty. The diversity among Asian/Pacific Americans adds to the cultural fabric of our society.

Asian/Pacific Americans have enriched our culture, excelling in many fields, including education, business, science, technology, government, sports, and the arts. We especially honor those Asian/Pacific Americans who have answered the call to protect the cause of freedom by serving in our Armed Forces. These brave men and women set a powerful example for all Americans.

As we celebrate Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, we are reminded of the richness of the Asian and Pacific cultures. Asian/Pacific Americans enhance the American experience and contribute to our country's legacy of diversity.

To honor the achievements and contributions of Asian/Pacific Americans, the Congress, by Public Law 102-450, as amended, has designated the month of May each year as "Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month."

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 2008 as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. I call upon the people of the United States to learn more about the history of Asian/Pacific Americans and their many contributions to our Nation and to observe this month with appropriate programs and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.

 GEORGE W. BUSH

The First Thing This Morning