Muhammed,

I have thought long and hard about your question and I wrote and re-wrote many replies.  My wish is to share with you my thoughts and feelings - of course, I speak only for myself and I most certainly do not wish to offend you or others with my thoughts and feelings.  Just as I am sure citizens of every country burn with great pride in their country, please realize that as a 4th generation American, I also burn with that great pride for my America.

The problem with Saddam is not his being a dictator - Fiedel Castro's been sitting 90 miles off Florida for some time now and coalition forces are not going after him.  The problem with Saddam is that 12 years ago he was bound to disarm and he has not done so, despite being giving every opportunity to do so. A United Nations that does not enforce it's own ruling is a powerless governing body.  Fortunately, there are now 45 countries that agree that if this man is allowed to proceed unchecked, he is a real and present danger to the world.

The good, kind and gentle people of Iraq have lived in fear of this lunatic and his minions.  They cannot be expected to rise up against him because of that fear.  No one can fault them for that.  However, they need to be liberated from living in fear, from watching their loved ones dragged away to be tortured, maimed, raped and murdered.  This is a man who tortures children to get information from their parents.  This is not a governmental leader - this is an insane lunatic who needs to be far removed from  any position of power.  His sons were raised to think that this way is right, and as such, they need to be removed with him.  

A good editorial on this was printed in the San Diego Union Tribune this weekend:

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The San Diego Union-Tribune, on the risk of inaction in Iraq (news - web sites):


Now, war is not only unavoidable but, in our view, necessary. It is necessary both to eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and to preserve the credibility of the international order that set out to disarm Iraq in 1991. This task is made all the more urgent by the global war on terror.


Sept. 11, 2001, taught us the consequences of looking the other way when rogue governments give sanctuary to terrorists, as Iraq has done. We refer to the international order, rather than the United Nations (news - web sites), because the Security Council, at the critical moment of decision, surrendered its responsibility to enforce its own mandates.


French President Jacques Chirac's repeated vows to veto any enforcement resolution that authorized war effectively eviscerated the power and influence of the Security Council.


Sadly, the world body sits impotently on the sidelines as the United States, Britain and their allies prepare to impose the "serious consequences" promised by Security Council Resolution 1441. ...


In the face of Hussein's intransigence, it would have been far better for this conflict to be carried out under the auspices of a unified Security Council. But the council's abdication of its responsibility is surely no reason for the United States also to abandon its duty to disarm Iraq. With nearly 300,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines including many from San Diego County deployed in the region, the United States and its allies cannot back down. To retreat now would hand a strategic victory to Hussein and thereby make the future far less secure, not only for Iraq's neighbors but also for ourselves.


To shrink from this difficult mission would serve only to make the world a more dangerous place.


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Praying for peace for the world and supporting our troops,

Susan

Oh! thus be it ever, when freeman shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."....

-Francis Scott Key

The hotels are 0.73 miles apart.  The driving time is calculated at 2 minutes, but I don't think I'd believe that.  It is walkable.  

If you want to see exactly what streets would be taken in the route, you can go to http://www.mapquest.com and enter the 1st address and then click on "directions to this location" and enter the 2nd hotel's address and they will map out the route for you.

Let me know if you need any other NY assistance.

Susan

I think we did this on deskdemon recently with the thousand thing -- that's where I learned that m = 1,000 and mm = 1,000,000 -- I will never forget it again.  

One of our Executive Vice Presidents lives in CT and uses Rudy's Limousine Service.  He's quite particular and he's been happy with them.  LMK if you want the phone # and I'll call his ass't to get it.

They are most likely going to start doing this in New York City as well.  Mayor Mike is looking at charging $8 for a private vehicle to enter certain congested areas of the city.  

People are already complaining because the taxpayers are going to be footing the bill for Mayor Mike and team of his folks to go to London several times to see how it works over there.  

You are right about the fact that just sealing off the windows and doors won't do it -- if we do need to seal a room in our homes, you need to sure to cover any opening in the ceiling (light fixture, ceiling fan) as well as light switches, outlet covers and radiators (assuming of course that you've already turned off all ventilation into the house).  I think I read that 10sq ft will then have enough oxygen for 5 hours which would be long enough for the air to clear in case of certain types of attacks.

Obviously, if there's an attack with a dirty bomb the plastic does you no good.  You need to get either into your basement or to a fallout shelter.

I suppose I'm taking this seriously because I realize that we smelled the smoke from the WTC for weeks afterward (I'm about 40 miles away) and if the smoke particles are carried that far, an attack on Manhattan would affect those of us on Long Island (aside from the fact that we'd be trapped with no way off the Island).  Every single thing that comes to us comes through the boroughs of New York.  We'd be without food/water/oil until they could get out to us.  They can only bring so much stuff over on a ferry from Connecticut.

Anyway, like Mom always says, "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst."  

Donna,

Hi - I'm in the NY area and we've been on high alert since 9/11/01.  I have just about everything on the list (medicines, water, food, flashlight, matches, plastic bags, extra clothes, etc.) and haven't been letting my car go below 3/4 of a tank since then.  

I think when the horrific attacks committed by those monsters on 9/11 took place, people began to get prepared, but then some of them relaxed.  We can't allow ourselves to relax.  I have friends who "had" great emergency supplies, but it was too much trouble to keep everything up to date.

I have my "regular" emergency supplies at home - just ordered a new AM/FM Shortwave radio with a crank, so I won't need to worry about batteries for that, plus I have a smaller supply kit at work and in my car.  

The thing is, you probably won't need any of this stuff, but just like you'd prepare if it were hurricane/tornado season, you should be prepared now.  

And then support our troops while you pray for peace . . . that's all we can do.  

Ummmmm, is it A?

That what I would think.  

No, you are not being a whiner.  Her not carrying her load makes your day more difficult. Especially if feel that your company won't replace her.  You end up with double work, and certainly not with double pay!

However, in all fairness, it may be something else.  We've had people here with illness that requires a great deal of medical attention (long lunches, strange lunch hours) and that's why she couldn't get in on time and had to leave either early or promptly - she was just too damn tired from treatments.

Just something to keep in mind, you'd hate to "lose it" with this woman and find out it's something else entirely.

Hi DeeDee,

I've been using a headset (with a cord) for about 2 years now.  I LOVE it!  I'll never go back!  The only downside of it is that people don't know when you're on the phone and they just start talking to you.  Or they think you're talking to them when you are on the phone.  I have a Plantronics converter and over the ear headset.  Plantronics was the company that has equipment that was compatible with our phone system. I think they are probably all the same in terms of quality; you need to use what works with your phone system.


My neck, back and shoulders do really appreciate the relief.  Good luck!

WOW 70 lbs!!!!  That's amazing!  Okay, what was your secret (and please don't tell me it was eating less and exercising more - I'm trying to deny THAT reality).

Really - congratulations!  Losing weight is not an easy thing to do.  

Hee hee - that's cute.  Thanks for sharing that.

For non-exempt workers:

Years 1 - 4 - 2 weeks vacation
Years 5 - 14 - 3 weeks vacation
Years 15 - 25 - 4 weeks vacation
Over 25 years - 5 weeks vacation

We also get 8 days for personal time and illness (your own or your family's)

We do get the standard 10 US bank holidays too.  

So I guess it's pretty good, provided you don't get sick after using your 8 days because school is closed or snow days or something.  Then you wouldn't get paid until disability kicks in (another 8 days).

It seems Europe is more generous with the vacation/leave time -- how do we get that to catch on over here?  

We offer flex-time, compressed workweek (4 10 hour days), and job sharing.  Of course that is the corporate word on it, whether or not each individual manager thinks it will work is a different story.  I am very fortunate and my boss also allows me to work the 7:30 - 4:00 hours.  It works out for us - we have about 5 of us where I sit and the phones end up covered from 6:30 AM - 7:30 pm most days, without costing the company overtime.  It really is a huge benefit to be able to leave here at 4pm every day and it's also nice and peaceful from 7:30 until about 8 when everyone else starts coming in.

To Jahdra CAP and Superninjaadmin CPS CAP

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   This is truly a tremendous achievement and you should both feel very proud of yourselves!!