DakotaNorth's Blog

Today is the day of the 2008 Preakness Stakes. There are no fillies in this race; Proud Spell, half sister to Eight Belles and winner of the 2008 Kentucky Oakes, was supposed to race in the Preakness, but after all the controversy surrounding the death of Eight Belles, Proud Spell was scratched from the race.

So this race is all about testosterone. Which colt will win? The favorite is Big Brown, but there is one colt who is quite capable of taking Big Brown out. Who is it you ask? Gayego. Gayego is an eighth cousin to the famous Ruffian, first cousin to Eight Belles and Proud Spell, second cousin to the 2007 Belmont Stakes winner Rags To Riches, and a cousin to Big Brown. Gayego is, in my opinion, one of the only ones able to defeat Big Brown.

It's getting down to the wire. Good luck to all the colts, and God bless their ankles.

On May 3, 2008, horse racing lost one of its most aspiring athletes, Eight Belles.

Eight Belles ran a terrific race at the Kentucky Derby and placed second behind Big Brown; but while going around the track during the cool off, she collapsed because she broke her two front ankles. She was euthanised on the track.

With her death came the usual "why was she racing against the colts?" or "she was pushed too hard". Eight Belles was not pushed too hard, as it is a fact that fillies race longer races than the colts.

Eight Belles will always be remembered for her last race. As one member of Funtrivia said, "Heaven needed a champion". She will always be remembered.

Rest in peace sweetie, and know you will never be forgotten.
        

As everyone knows, my favorite television programme is "Lost". There are tons of theories going around all different message boards, and I'm officially adding my theory to the list.

Here goes:

The new character of Daniel Faraday gives a major clue as to what is going on on the island...the island is a Faraday cage. This means that it cannot be seen on radar and why people cannot leave the island, unless they are given precise, and I mean exact, directions on how to get away from the island. Of course, this Faraday cage was intact until the hatch blew up and those guys from the Antartic were able to see the island briefly. Then the island's natural electromagnetic energy covered the island, but it was too late as strangers were able to see the island.

That's my theory, for better or worse.

My darling little boy, how your mommy misses you so. I remember the day I first saw you...August 21, 1988, at 11:35 in the morning. You were so scrawny and looked like a little baby chicken, hence your name. Your white fur didn't show until you were three days old and I didn't get to see your gorgeous emerald green eyes until you were seven days old. But I will tell you this, you had my heart from the moment you entered this world.

 

I remember everything about you, how you loved Kraft macaroni and cheese, turkey on Thanksgiving Day, ham on Christmas and Easter, provolone cheese, cheese steaks, pizza steaks, roast beef, and most of all cereal.

 

I remember how you were allergic to peroxide, how you always told me your eye that closed over when you were a kitten was bothering you, and how you told me when you didn’t feel well…all you had to do was blink your beautiful eyes.

 

I remember the bird sounds you made…I know this was easy for you especially since you are a Maine Coon. When you made the pigeon sound, you sounded exactly like a pigeon (I know you fooled quite a few!).

 

I remember taking you to the Whiska’s Household Cat of The Year Competition in 1991, where you came in second place in the All White Division. You also competed in the Whiska’s Household Cat of The Year Competition in 1992, where you placed third. I don’t need to tell you this, as you already know, those judges were out of their minds not have placed you first in both competitions.

 

I’ll never forget the day you were a therapy cat…grant it, it was only for one day, but I hated the fact that those Alzheimer’s patients didn’t know what you were!

 

I remember how you always let me know when you wanted to look out the door…you would stand near the hall door and stare at me. I took you to the door every day in the wintertime, snuggling you close as I didn’t want you to get cold. In the summertime, you sat out on the step with me in your harness and leash. Only when you got older you didn’t need your harness or leash…I bet you were happy with that!

 

Everyone who saw you loved you. Even on your last day on Earth you made a little girl happy because she got to pet you. Right to the end you were kind and giving.

 

My baby boy, had I known or had the signs for cancer been all together instead of spread out over the last five years, I would have done everything in my power to save you. If I could have, I would have made it disappear so I could have you for many more years. I promised you I would never let you suffer or be in pain, and I kept my promise, even though it breaks my heart in million pieces to know that you are no longer on Earth with me. But I do know that one day we will meet again, and when that happens I will never let you out of my arms. I will give you so many kisses and hugs.

 

Some people might say that they love their cats or dogs “like” a child, but to me you were and are my child and I will always love you.

 

Chick ~ August 21, 1988 – September 14, 2006

The map on the blast door was superb and it snagged my attention like a hungry lion snagging gazelle!

 

Like I knew from watching the "Dharma Initiative" movie, there are six hatches: The Swan Hatch, The Flame Hatch, The Staff Hatch, The Arrow Hatch, The CV 3 Hatch, and The CV IV Hatch (also called The Pearl Hatch).

 

The map was of the inland part of the island and didn't have anything on the beaches. There was at one time seven hatches, but that one was decimated during the incident that happened in 1985. Listed near The Staff Hatch is a notation that reads "Children's station. Believed to have been abandoned due the ALL/MDG incident of 1985."

 

On the other side of the map is a notation that reads "Geological composition likely to cause magnetic interference with weather project. Interference might also prevent location from use."

 

Dead center of the map is a round station that has a ? in the middle. Also, it seems that at one time all the stations had passageways to get to the ? station in the middle of the island, but now those passageways are blocked by concrete.

 

I wonder if our survivors broke through the concrete and made their way to the ? station, what would they find?

I was sick for a while and was up to making new posts, but I'm back now and ready for anything "Lost" and a whole lot more!

 

This week's episode, "Lockdown" was as important, thrilling, and intriguing as Lindeloff and JJ Abrams said it would be. I was actually on the edge of my seat!

 

First we had "Henry Gale" saying that if he was an "Other" he would have drew the map that would lead to a dead end, where all of his friends were at. But when Jack demanded that he re-draw the map, "Henry" faltered and said meekly that he was only "joking". Come on! If "Henry" is as innocent as he claims he is, he wouldn't have made a sick joke like that. I was glad when Jack told Locke to put "Henry" back in the armory.

 

Then we had Sayid, Ana-Lucia and Charlie finding the grave of "Henry's" Wife, along with his hot-air balloon.

 

After Jack left the hatch he became involved in a poker game with Sawyer. When Jack took Sawyer broke, Sawyer wanted to know why Jack didn't go for the guns, and Jack said that when he wants the guns he'll get them. The look on Sawyer's face was classic!

 

During Locke's backstory, did anyone notice that the first plane flying above Locke was an Oceanic Airlines plane? Did you also notice that the woman whose house Locke looked over was Nadia...Sayid's Nadia? So now we have a connection between Locke and Sayid.

 

Here's a question that kind of keeps nagging me...how did Helen know which motel/hotel Locke was in? Either she followed Locke or she knew because she was in on the con with Anthony Cooper (Locke's father). The word around the "Lost" boards is that Cooper is the "Real" Sawyer who conned our Sawyer's (James Ford) parents out of all their money, which in turn caused our Sawyer's father to kill his wife and commit suicide. If this is true, then we have a connection between Locke and Sawyer, too.

 

Locke's first indication that somethin was off was the computer screen blinking. Locke himself said that only when you're allowed to type the numbers in can you type anything...yet the computer screen was blinking like it was time to enter in the code. Locke didn't heed this warning. Locke then tried to fix the speaker, but instead it gave him a nasty shock. Why on Earth didn't Locke get out of the hatch's living quarters instead of watching the blast doors come down around him...only reacting when the last door was shutting? I mean that's what I would have done!

 

After "Henry" stopped the countdown, a blue light went on in the living space where Locke was at. I sure hope Locke tells Jack what he (and we) saw on the blast door! ;)

 

How about that "Henry Gale" making Locke promise to protect him...no matter what? Sure we know "Henry" stayed with Locke and helped him and everything during the lockdown, but if "Henry" really wanted to help he would have told Locke the truth when he asked "Henry" who he really is.

 

Unbeknownst to "Henry", Jack and Kate found the parachute that contained a food supply for the Swan hatch. Jack and Kate were then interrupted by Sayid, Ana-Lucia and Charlie who wanted desperately to show Jack something.

 

I loved it when Jack, Kate, Sayid, Ana-Lucia and Charlie come in the hatch and Jack demands that "Henry" stay clear of Locke. Poor Locke! He was saying that it's okay because he let "Henry" out, saying there was some kind of lockdown in the hatch. All Jack did was look weirdly at Locke and continued to point the gun at "Henry". Then we had "Henry" saying "What's wrong? Didn't you find my balloon?" and Sayid responded, "We found your balloon exactly where you said it would be. We also found your wife's grave...and still I did not believe you...so I dug up that grave and I found not a woman inside...but a man...a man named Henry Gale." and Sayid whipped out the driver's license of the real Henry Gale and shoved in the Fake Henry's face! The look on Fake Henry's face alone was worth watching the episode.

 

Poor Kate...she had no idea that the hatch contained a man of the "Others" and you could see she was just plain shocked!

 

I can't wait for the next episode!

I know I said that it doesn't matter who won, as they all three of them deserve to win; but I can't help feeling that Stacy was the best dancer and therefore the one to win.

 

I think I would have been happy even if Stacy was one of the final two, but to boot her off, making her come in third place is totally pathetic!

 

No one can say that Stacy doesn't or didn't have the fan base...come on people, she's a professional wrestling diva! Of course she has the fan base, and her fan base is tremendously bigger than Drew's, and either the same as or more than Jerry's.

 

When I saw it came down to Drew and Jerry, I was hoping that Jerry would win, as that would be the most logical since he was the most improved; but to take Stacy out of the equasion altogether was totally wrong.

 

Also, one thing needs to be pointed out...Stacy did all that dancing on Thursday and last night with a bum foot. Now that's dedication...AND class!

 

I think there needs to be "Dance-Off" between all three finalists, and then let's see who will come out on top.

 

Stacy, you're the champion in my book!

Jerry Rice's freestyle dance was brilliant, he really showed that he could pull it off. The song "Celebration" and he and Anna wearing those wigs was, as Judge Bruno said, "Cheeky". He was awesome!

 

Drew Lachay's freestyle dance was out of this world. The song "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy" was the perfect song for him and Cheryl. He was brilliant.

 

Stacy's freestyle, while good, was not eye-popping like Drew's and wasn't outstanding like Jerry's. A lot of people think that that's because Stacy can't dance, but this is simply not true. Stacy has shown that she is a wonderful dancer and a fierce competitor, but unfortunately, the choreography for the freestyle wasn't her choice...it was Tony, her dance partner. The song "Staying Alive" is a good dance song, and Stacy's lifts were breathtaking, but the dance seemed like it was going to explode into a outstandingly brilliant dance, but unfortunately it never exploded. Hopefully Stacy can bring it home on Sunday and win the coveted Mirrorball trophy.

 

It should be noted that during last week's competition, Stacy hurt her foot. The doctor popped the bone in her heel back into place, but during the week of vigorous training, the bone kept popping out again. Thus, during last night's show, one could see that Stacy had on an ACE bandage under her pantyhose. I seem to think that Tony knew that a high risk dance with lots of manuevers could have harmed Stacy's foot to the point where she might not have been able to dance on Sunday, so he decided to downplay the freestyle. Maybe he knew that she would come in second place and could still possibly win.

 

Each one deserves to win, so no matter who wins on Sunday, all three of them are winners.

On February 19, 2006, Azeem, Philadelphia's first cadaver-sniffing caninie died of natural causes.

 

Azeem died in the home that he shared with his human partner and handler, Officer Paul Bryant and the rest of the Bryant family. He was a black and rust German Shepherd, who was born on May 22, 1995. Azeem was picked from an early age to be a part of the K9 Unit, and at the age of 3, after a rigorous three week cadaver-sniffing course, he graduated and became a full fledged police officer.

 

During his eight year career, Azeem participated in the recovery at Ground Zero at the World Trade Centers after 9/11, and in 2001, he quickly discovered the body of a missing New Jersey woman who was buried behind a basement wall in Philadelphia's Society Hill.

 

In 2001, Azeem won the prestigious Case Of The Year award, which is given by the United States Police Canine Association. He was the first cadaver-sniffing dog to win the coveted national prize, and the first dog from the Philadelphia area. The case that ensured his win was the case of the missing New Jersey woman.

 

Azeem was a special and beautiful dog and officer. He will surely be missed. May he watch over and guard the police officers of America.

I was crying Monday and today when Courtney died on "General Hospital". It was so sad! She was just told by Jax that the baby she just gave birth to was really Nicholas' baby, not his, and she asked for Nicholas to come to her. She told him she loved him and was on the verge of telling him that the baby was his, when she died.

 

Jax was stunned that Courtney didn't get the chance to tell Nicholas that the baby was his, and Jax went to the neo-natal unit and something tells me that Jax will not be telling Nicholas anytime soon that the baby is really his.

 

When Carly found out that Courtney died, she made a promise to her dead best friend that she would always be there for her baby.

 

Then Nicholas went in and told Courtney that he loved her more than words can say and that he will always carry her in his heart.