Higher Fares
Airlines are raising fares again, mostly to pay for more security guards to protect their employees when they cancel flights at the last minute.



NYC Smoking Ban
New York City is about to ban smoking even in most outdoor areas. So from now on if you want to kill yourself in New York, you'll just have to go to Yankee Stadium wearing a Red Sox hat.



New Jail
The long-delayed, new $84 million jail finally opened in downtown Los Angeles this week. That's opposed to the older, $184 million jail in downtown Los Angeles known as "USC."



Nice Pay!
16 parking attendants at Boston's Massport are making about $90K each per year. But the other attendants are making much more by simply stealing cars.



Bloomberg on Pensions
New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg says pension costs will rise to about 12% of the city's total budget this year. The other 88% will be used to protect the mayor from union thugs after he cuts their pensions.




February 3rd


1451: Sultan Mehmed II inherits the throne of the Ottoman Empire… but after estate taxes, it is reduced to three square blocks of downtown Istanbul.

1488: Bartolomeu Dias of Portugal lands in Mossel Bay after rounding the Cape of Good Hope… he proceeds to delight the natives with fantastic choices from the Duty Free shop.

1995: Astronaut Eileen Collins becomes the first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle, and immediately becomes the first shuttle pilot to ask for directions.

Ha Lesa Mamele Bo Me HoTla Fela Ke Malem

"If You do not listen to Women, We will lose patience with You". This translation of the native Sotho language (blogpost title), can be the introduction to the presentation of the Lesotho Flag. The Sotho language is one of the 250 Bantu languages spoken all over the southern part of Africa.

The current national flag of Lesotho, adopted on October 4, 2006, features a horizontal blue, white, and green tricolour with a black mokorotlo (a Basotho hat) in the center. The design was introduced to honour the 40th anniversary of independence.
 I got my first visitor from Lesoto on January 26th this year and are now up in 160 flags. May be it is my daughters second cousin Stine, presently doing her Master in the South Africa areas, who has been the visitor, or maybe someone else.

The Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, entirely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is the only independent state in the world that lies entirely above 1,400 metres (4,593 ft) in elevation. Its lowest point of 1,400 metres (4,593 ft) is thus the highest in the world. Over 80% of the country lies above 1,800 metres (5,906 ft).

Because of its altitude, Lesotho remains cooler throughout the year than other regions at the same latitude. Most of the rain falls as summer thunderstorms. Maseru and surrounding lowlands often reach 30 °C (86 °F) in summer. Winters can be cold with the lowlands getting down to −7 °C (19.4 °F) and the highlands to −18 °C (−0 °F) at times. Snow is common in the highlands between May and September; the higher peaks can experience snowfalls year-round.

With this 160th country visiting my site, there is only 32 more to go to have all the United Nation Flags on my record.

Sconces

image via house beautiful


image via indulgedecorblog


image via Whitehaven


image via NY Social Diary


interior design by Gerrie Bremermann



available at Bremermann Designs


available at barleytwist on 1stdibs


available at hamptons antiques on 1stdibs


available at Kofski antiques


available at Kofski antiques

February 2nd


1032: Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor becomes King of Burgundy… and prince of wine coolers.


1920: France occupies Memel. Memel immediately takes a STD test.


2007: Three tornadoes hit Central Florida, destroying thousands of toupees.

ABC Wednesday--C

 Okay, I admit it. I have not made the B blocks that I sketched last week.

This has been a strange week with lots of transportation issues. Last Wednesday I had to drive 40 miles to pick up my hubby who had blown a head gasket in our PT Cruiser. Saturday he had to come 40 miles to help me with a sudden power draining in my old Honda. We were reduced to coordinating our errands using the old pick-up that is usually reserved for trips to the dump.

Today we picked up the Honda--it was a simple issue with the battery. Hubby got a ride to pick up the Cruiser, and when he had been dropped of and our friend had left, the mechanics discovered that there was still an oil leak from the replaced gasket. The new part will be available tomorrow.

I don't have sketeches for my C blocks. These were made not long before I started in on the ABC--as part of some Bible related blocks that I am working on.

Thsi one is Crown of Thorns.

 And this is Cross and Crown.

Find other C posts in the eighth round of ABC Wednesday here.

Hedda sitting

There is always some milestones for newborn children. The annual birthdays, the first tooth and the day they start to wobble, the first understandable word (granddad of course), the end of using diaper, the first day at school, the PhD graduation, etc.

Today I can present the first day Hedda was able to sit and play by herself. With still eleven weeks until she reach one year (based upon pregnancy estimation birthdate) but as a premature born child 13 weeks too early at a body-weight of 647 gr, it is really one of the nice milestone day.

Keep on developing, Hedda. You are a strong little girl.

C is for Canon Camera Campaign

Shot with a Canon PowerShot G11 since my Canon EOS 40D Carried a Canon EF-S 10-22mm lens and I didn't Care to Change to my Canon EF 70-300mm lens.

Hello - Canon ...?

Today's post is an entry in round EIGHT of ABC Wednesday, the meme initiated by Denise Nesbitt. For more, you can log on via The ABC site.