There are lots of countries where corrupt/failed governments results in foreign exploitation of natural resources + poor enforcement of criminal law + no jobs = rampant kidnapping. I don't see the Somali pirates as any different from Nigerian warlords in Port Harcourt or Mexican drug lords.

I'm sorta hitting critical stress levels right now. As much as I can't afford to, I think I'm gonna have to take the night off to center a bit. I mean, I've already yelled at the cats for , well, being cats, I've crashed into just about every box in the place, and going to the wrong level of the parking garage when I left about made me cry. So.

Yeah, discovering that I didn't need to buy that extra tp this weekend just got angry tears. I think I'm done for the day. I'll do my nails once I calm down.

As much as I despise the pirates' methods, Europe and the US are at least indirectly responsible for the failed state that is Somalia since at least 1884, when the world's political powers carved up Africa. The Ogaden region was "given" to Ethiopia but peopled by native Somalis. The two countries have been battling over ownership of the region for decades and have sunken valuable energy and resources into buying weapons and waging war, not to mention destroying their infrastructure in an ecologically fragile environment.

Politically, the US has supported both sides at various times--depending on the situation (namely, whichever side was being courted by the Marxists).

So we helped make the country the shit hole that it is--so much so that its people are desperate, armed and very dangerous--and also very, very close to the Persian Gulf where we have to go to get our ships to Iraq and other sources of oil.

I don’t need to get blamed because I followed the damn documentation!!

I hate this for you! I am always angry when I follow instructions and it doesn't work. It Not My Fault!

As much as I can't afford to, I think I'm gonna have to take the night off to center a bit.

This is a good idea. It's all very well and fine for us to tell you it's okay to be all stressed. But you're stressed! You need to take sarameg time! Doo eet.

This week's Elle has no-makeup unretouched photos of a number of Euro actresses including Charlotte Rampling and Monica Belluci.

You can see the three different covers they are using here: [link]

(Video in French)

I also saw them on Jezebel, I think -- interesting.

Timelies all!

My usual workday schedule is:

6:30- alarm goes off, get out of bed ~7:20 - leave the house 7:45-8:00 - get to work (depends on traffic)

We try to sleep in on the weekends, but Nova usually starts meeping at the door around 7 am.

Wow, I didn't realize the gender disparity in China had grown so great. 32.7 Million more men than women. Way to go ancient sexist belief system!

Those women are still breathtakingly beautiful without make-up or Photoshop.