Any Ideas?

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Sweetie is Already 16 Pounds!
If any of you know what can be done to bring her weight down, I'd sure like to know what that "what" is. She's supposed to be between nine and twelve pounds and won't be nine months until July 9th.

Sarah Palin writes the perfect letter 'from God'! Her announcement to family (from God) announcing little Trig ...

Sarah and Li'l Trig ... truly a Gift from God!
You can say what you wish about her politics or her knowledge of Paul Revere's ride ... I believe you cannot disbelieve her true love for God and His gift to her and her family ...

The Entire letter as Released from Sarah Palin's Emails While She Was Governor of Alaska

To the Sisters, Brother, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and Friends of Trig Paxson Van Palin (or whatever you end up naming him!) --

I am blessing you with this surprise baby because I only want the best for you. I've heard your prayers that this baby will be happy and healthy, and I've answered them because I only want the best for you!

I heard your heart when you hinted that another boy would fit best in the Palin family, to round it out and complete that starting five line-up.

Though another girl would be so nice, you didn't think you could ask for what you REALLY wanted, but I knew, so I gave you a boy because I only want the best for you!
Then, I put the idea in your hearts that his name should be 'Trig', because it's so fitting, with two Norse meanings: "True" and "Brave Victory". You also have a Bristol Bay relative with that name, so I knew it would be best for you!

Then, I let Trig's mom have an exceptionally comfortable pregnancy so she could enjoy every minute of it, and I even seemed to rush it along so she could wait until near the end to surprise you with the news - that way Piper wouldn't have so long to wait and count down so many days - just like Christmastime when you have to wait, impatiently, for that special day to finally open your gift? (Or the way the Palmas look forward to birthday celebrations that go on for three, four days_ you all really like cake.) I know you, I knew you'd be better off with just a short time to wait!

Then, finally, I let Trig's mom and dad find out before he was born that this little boy will truly be a GIFT. They were told in early tests that Trig may provide more challenges, and more joy, than what they ever may have imagined or ever asked for.
At first the news seemed unreal and sad and confusing. But I gave Trig's mom and dad lots of time to think about it because they needed lots of time to understand that everything will be OK, in fact, everything will be great, because I only want the best for you!

I've given Trig's mom and dad peace and joy as they wait to meet their new son. I gave them a happy anticipation because they asked me for that.

I'll give all of you the same happy anticipation and strength to deal with Trig's challenges, but I won't impose on you... I just need to know you want to receive my offer to be with all of you and help you everyday to make Trig's life a great one.
This new person in your life can help everyone put things in perspective and bind us together and get everyone focused on what really matters.

The baby will expand your world and let you see and feel things you haven't experienced yet. He'll show you what "true, brave victory" really means as those who love him will think less about self and focus less on what the world tells you is "normal" or "perfect°.

You will grow and be blessed with greater understanding that will he born along with Trig.Trig will be his dad's little buddy and he'll wear Carhartts while he learns to tinker in the garage. He'll love to be read to, he'll want to play goalie, and he'll steal his mom's heart just like Track, Bristol, Willow and Piper did.

And Trig will be the cuddly, innocent, mischievous, dependent little brother that his siblings have been waiting for_in fact Trig will - in some diagnostic ways - always be a mischievous, dependent little brother, because I created him a bit different than a lot of babies born into this world today.

Every child is created special, with awesome purpose and amazing potential. Children are the most precious and promising ingredient in this mixed up world you live in down there on earth. Trig is no different, except he has one extra chromosome. Doctors call it "Down's Syndrome", and Downs kids have challenges, but can bring you much delight and more love than you can ever imagine! Just wait and see, let me prove this, because I only want the best for you!

Some of the rest of the world may not want him, but take comfort in that because the world will not compete for him. Take care of him and he will always be yours!
Trig's mom and dad don't want people to focus on the baby's extra chromosome. They're human, so they haven't known how to explain this to people who are so caring and are interested in this new little Alaskan. Sarah and Todd want people to share in the joy of this gift I'm giving to the Palin family, and the greater Alaska family.

Many people won't understand_ and I understand that. Some will think Trig should not be allowed to be born because they fear a Downs child won't be considered "perfect" in your world. (But tell me, what do you earthlings consider "perfect" or even "normal" anyway? Have you peeked down any grocery store isle, or school hallway, or into your office lunchroom lately? Or considered the odd celebrities you celebrate as "perfect" on t.v.? Have you noticed I make 'em all shapes and sizes? Believe me, there is no "perfect"!)

Many people will express sympathy, but you don't want or need that, because Trig will be a joy. You will have to trust me on this.

I know it will take time to grasp this and come to accept that I only want the best for you, and I only give my best. Remember though: "My ways are not your ways, my thoughts are not your thoughts- for as the heavens are higher than the earth, my ways are higher than yours!"

I wrote that all down for you in the Good Book! Look it up! You claim that you believe me - now it's time to live out that belief!

Please look to me as this new challenge and chapter of life unfolds in front of you. I promise to equip you. I won't give you anything you can't handle. I am answering your prayers. Trig can't wait to meet you. I'm giving you ONLY THE BEST!

Love,
Trig's Creator, Your Heavenly Father

One of my sons and his wife are chasing jellyfish for me -- or something like that!

Jellyfish in Hawaii

The jellyfish protein apoaequorin improves cognitive function in individuals with memory concerns ... a.k.a. ME!

As I remember from my years in Hawaii, Box Jellyfish were not a welcomed sight on Hawaii’s pristine beaches, but there is another species of jellyfish invading the islands of Oahu and Maui whose visit is welcomed.

Aequorea Victoria is the jellyfish from which the calcium-binding protein apoaequorin, a potential therapeutic for Alzheimer’s disease, is derived.

Go get'm, Brooke and John!

Dad could use a little of that apoaequorin as I get closer to the average age of senile elderly men in the State of Washington.

Oh yes, this is a simplified picture of the actual apoaequorin protein for those who would rather not have to keep live jellyfish in their fridge.

When will we finally allow those crazy Bush tax cuts to trickle-down into the Black Hole of bad memories?

GOP candidate Tim Pawlenty observed the 10th anniversary of the Bush-era tax cuts by proposing $2 trillion in additional tax cuts, primarily for millionaires and global corporations. Then, in a game of "Gotcha!", I watched the seven (at the time) GOP Dwarfs argue the question, "which among them could tear down the US economy faster?"

Have we learned nothing?

A decade since their passage, its clear that the Bush tax cuts were a $2.5 trillion mistake that put us on the road to fiscal instability.

Of course, Mr. Obama, by allowing the cuts to continue for an additional two years in an attempt to demonstrate bipartisan compromise, has put himself and his party in a corner from which they may never escape.

Where is some adult leadership--in either of the major political parties?

Makes a lotta sense to me!

A glimpse of my funeral ... now that I've paid for a prepaid cremation including disposal of the remains (me?) into the Pacific Ocean

After receiving a dozen or so fliers advertising prepaid cremation deals in the mail and after seeing a few ads and/or feature articles in the local newspaper, it occurred to me that I could save "whoever" a lot of anxiety coming up with a "funeral,"--or whatever they are called nowadays--and having to figure out what to do with the old man anyway.

I could be a bit proactive and take care of the entire affair myself.

Notice how clean and neat an empty church (above) looks. Even that makes more sense!

A couple of phonecalls to get a good price (certainly cheaper than any funeral home, casket, burial plot, etc.!) on an all-details-covered prepaid package, I chose Neptune Society (sounds like a swimming club) to take care of EVERYTHING from the time I fall over dead until the time the ashes (me?) are dumped into the ocean. Yup, they even come to pick up the corpse (me?) and deliver it (me?) to the crematorium and then deliver the ashes (me?) to the ocean -- or wherever anyone on the other end of a phonecall might want them (me?) delivered (the Sistine Chapel sounds nice) from a mailbox to a hole in the ground ... and voilla! It's done! Just for the record, I checked the box labeled "buried at sea" on the contract.

They even take care of registering my death with the State and delivering a little box of "mementos" to whomever in the world would want such a gruesome little maple-looking wooden box ... containing pictures of my cats and dog and maybe my bifocals, a stapler, a ball-pint pen, my drivers license, some shredded credit cards, and anything else that might fit in a 8" x 8" x 5" box. I can even use the box to hold paper clips in the meantime.

Yeh, they even included the little box.

I mentioned my decision (already made ... and signed, sealed and notarized) to a couple of my youngsters (actually adults, of course) and they seemed satisfied that it was a smart move--well, one son wasn't that pleased, but didn't have a better idea.

Did I mention that the boat ride--at least for the ashes--is included at no extra cost?

Also, it's 100% ecologically and environmentally green--I mean figuratively speaking, of course. Well, there is the smoke, I suppose ... but not one square inch of our rapidly crowding earth is used unnecessarily.

Anyway, I really think more folks (young or old) should think of this as a legal and painless (I hope! They do check bodies to insure they are brain-dead before shoving them into the oven, don't they?) way of getting some of the details out of the way in advance of ...

Well, you know what I mean.

Neat, huh?

El Nino, la nina, global warming, Congressional tweets aside --- what happened to our summer in Ocean Shores?

Clearly, one can determine that our three-day summer in early June was "it"!
The equatorial Pacific Ocean will not be plagued by an El Nino or La Nina weather anomaly in the summer of 2011, the first time since 2009 when conditions are neutral in the region, the U.S. Climate Prediction Center said earlier this morning. For reference only, you are viewing late winter in March, 2011 (upper left earth) and early summer on 3 June, 2011 (lower right earth). No image for late summer on 6 June, 2011 is yet available.

Neutral? Then why did our summer come early this year and last only three days?

Even the clams and the salmon are confused.

What next? An earthquake and tsunami only 75 miles from our lovely (but chilly) beaches in Ocean Shores?

For the record, la nina means "little girl" in Spanish and el nino means "little boy" (presumably, the Christ child), but what either have to do with the suddenness of autumn falling upon the Pacific Northwest eludes me.

Then again, we are not having starvation-level droughts nor heavy snowstorms this early autumn ... yet.

Barely One Year Later ... Irony of Ironies!

Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y. married longtime Secretary of State Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin

Guess who officiated at the wedding! Really!!

Former President Bill Clinton pronounces them "man and wife" almost exactly one year ago ...

Does this mean that there is a President Weiner in our future--or only that the latest American favorite pastime (watching sex scandals unfold on the nightly news) is a posterboard for Muslim (her) - Jewish (him) relationships in this weird world within which we all live?

It would only be weirder yet if the wedding had been officiated by the current Speaker of the House, John Boehner ... pronounced "BAY-ner" ... I'll let you-all untwist the sarcasm (no irony this time) in this last interesting, but untrue, scenario.