How many members of the Bush Administration are needed to replace a lightbulb?

Humor

The Answer is TEN:

1. one to deny that a lightbulb needs to be changed,

2. one to attack the patriotism of anyone who says the lightbulb needs to be
changed,

3. one to blame Clinton for burning out the lightbulb,

4. one to tell the nations of the world that they are either for changing
the lightbulb or for darkness,

5. one to give a billion dollar no-bid contract to Haliburton for the new
lightbulb,

6. one to arrange a photograph of Bush, dressed as a janitor, standing on a
step ladder under the banner “Lightbulb Change Accomplished”,

7. one administration insider to resign and write a book documenting in
detail how Bush was literally “in the dark”,

8. one to viciously smear #7,

9. one surrogate to campaign on TV and at rallies on how George Bush has had
a strong light-bulb-changing policy all along,

10. and finally one to confuse Americans about the difference between
screwing a lightbulb and screwing the country.

thanks to sis for sharing this joke

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Horror Film Fest: Sleepy Hollow

Movies

The first movie of our Halloween Film Festival is Sleepy Hollow, directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci. I’ve always enjoyed Tim Burton’s movies. He has a real flair for the creepy and so ‘Sleepy Hollow’ was a good pick for kicking off this Halloween week film fest.

From the start you know this movie’s going to be cool, with a constant grey and foreboding atmosphere and some quick gruesome deaths. Really a great start. Unlike the clumsy schoolteacher from the Disney version of this tale, Johnny Depp’s Ichabod Crane is a New York City homicide detective who gets himself in trouble at work with his insistence that science can help solve crimes. He’s kind of a colonial-era forebearer to William Patterson’s character Gil Grissom on C.S.I.

So Icahabod the skeptical detective is sent to the boonies to investigate a spate of recent beheadings. Much darkness, blood and special effects laden mayhem ensues, and it is good. Two items muddy the story; Ichabod’s flashbacks that slowly reveal some black magic in his own past, and the way too complicated ‘it would have all worked if not for you meddling kids’ ending.

But there’s enough blood and gore to overcome these story faults. And in a role that didn’t require any time wasted on learning lines, Christopher Walken makes a very scary horseman.

On the Casey movie rating scale, I give it one thumb up. Not WAY up, just up.

further reading: Sleepy Hollow from Wikipedia

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The Halloween Horror Film Festival

Movies

Sure, like most folks I’m pre-occupied by the coming election. But Halloween is just a week away as well, and as you can see by my pumpkin carving that I’ve got the spirit. To get still further into the mood, I’ve decided I’ll watch a different horror movie every night during the week leading up to Halloween, and offer my review here. After all, my review category is pretty thin. Stay tuned.

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Books for Soldiers

Diversions

This strikes me as a particularly worthy cause. For all of the Americans serving in harms way, the brief distraction that some good reading can offer must be a particularly welcome escape. It doesn’t even need to be a new book, a hand-me-down will do. I’ll post an update later with any news on my success at finding a match between a book in my library and a soldier I’ll gladly pass it on to.http://booksforsoldiers.com

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Michael Casey (1850/Limerick, IRE – 1898/Chicago, IL)

Genealogy

Michael Casey
Michael CASEY

Birth: 1850 Annagh, Parish Murroe, Co. Limerick, Ire
Death: 19 Jun 1898 Chicago, IL
Burial: 21 Jun 1898 Calvary Cemetery, Evanston, IL
Occupation: Porter, Teamster
Father: Michael CASEY (ca1816-1882)
Mother: Margaret RYAN

Michael was one of ten Children of Michael Casey, Sr. and his two marriages (Margaret Ryan & Catherine “Kate” Ryan). From his funeral notice in the Chicago Daily News, I found the names of each of his nine siblings:

Casey , Michael, June 19, 1898, aged 44 yrs., at resid., 244 1/2 S. Sangamon, husband of Mary, nee McGinney, brother of Patrick, William, John, Edward, Thomas, Hanna, Maggie, Kate and the late Timothy Casey , native of Anna, Parish Murroe, Co. Limerick. Funeral from St. Patrick’s Church to Calvary

Spouses

1: Mary GEARY/GUIRY
Birth: 1856 Feenagh Parish, Limerick, Ire
Death: 11 Mar 1885 Chicago, IL
Burial: 20 Mar 1885 Calvary Cemetery, Evanston, IL
Father: GEARY
Marriage: bef 1881
Children: UNNAMED (<1881-1881)
John A. (1882-1953)
Mamie (1883-1884)
Michael (1884-1884)

2: Mary MCGIFFNEY
Birth: 1861 Jackson County, IA
Death: 9 Mar 1939 Dubuque, IA
Burial: Mount Olivet Cemetery, Dubuque, IA
Father: W. M. MCGIFFNEY (1824-)
Mother: Ellen (1825-)
Marriage: 14 Nov 1889 Chicago, IL
Children: Margaret (1892-2009)
William Joseph (1894-1966)
Patrick M. (1897-1952)

Sources
1. 1910 Census.
2. John F. Casey – Phone Call, 4/11/03, Chris Casey, added the Limerick detail.
3. Casey, John – Birth Certificate..
4. Casey, Michael – Chicago Daily News Funeral Notice, 6/19/1898, Ancestry.com.
5. Limerick Archives & Limerick Ancestry, 7/8/2003.
6. Calvary Catholic Cemetery – Michael Casey Plot, Photocopy of two plot cards, Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Evanston, IL, Lot 21, Block 14, Section N.
7. Casey, Michael – Cook County Death Certificate, 3168.
8. FamilySearch International Genealogical Index v5.0, http://familysearch.org, John Casey record – Source to Chicago Birth Certificates 1878-1922.
9. Casey, Mary – Funeral Notices, Chicago Daily News, Chicago, March 1885, copy of text from Ancestry.com.
10. Casey, Mary – Death Certificate, 3/11/1885, Cook County, IL, 58793, photocopy.
11. John F. Casey – Phone Call, 4/11/03, Chris Casey.
12. Sheehan, Margaret – Telephone Interview, 12/31/2003, Chris Casey.
13. Obituary – Mrs. Mary Casey Paul, Dubuque, IA, 3/9/1939, Photocopy.
14. Marriage License – Michael Casey & Mary McGinney, 11/14/1889, Chicago, Cook County, IL, 146194, Photocopy from Microfilm.

Care to dig deeper? Explore the Casey/Geltmaker family tree online.

If you have any information about Michael Casey or believe that you may be connected to my tree in any way, I would be very glad to hear from you! Please send me an email to: chris@casey.com

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The Blog Family Tree

Genealogy

OK, so here’s my thought. I’m going to dedicate a category in my blog to my family tree. With individual entries for different members of my family, I’ll use my blog both as a means to keep online notes for those individuals, and hopefully increase the chance that others might find them in their own online searches and add information. Sound like a plan? OK then, we’re off. I’ll start with my Great Grandfather, Michael Casey. Stay tuned…

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What Color is the Sky in their World?

Politics

The Program on International Policy Attitudes has released a report titled, The Separate Realities of Bush and Kerry Supporters that demonstrates something that many thinking people already know, that Bush supporters are seriously misinformed and hold beliefs that just don’t match reality.

– 75% believe Iraq was providing substantial support to al Qaeda.

– 74% believe Bush favors including labor and environmental standards in agreements on trade.

– 72% believe Iraq had WMD or a program to develop them.

– 72% believe Bush supports the treaty banning landmines.

– 69% believe Bush supports the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

– 61% believe if Bush knew there were no WMD he would not have gone to war.

– 60% believe most experts believe Iraq was providing substantial support to al Qaeda.

– 58% believe the Duelfer report concluded that Iraq had either WMD or a major program to develop them.

– 57% believe that the majority of people in the world would prefer to see Bush reelected.

– 56% believe most experts think Iraq had WMD.

– 55% believe the 9/11 report concluded Iraq was providing substantial support to al Qaeda.

– 51% believe Bush supports the Kyoto treaty.

– 20% believe Iraq was directly involved in 9/11.

Maybe not surprising considering the number of people, who like Bush himself, accept a belief that he is God’s choice for President. It’s the magic of pure faith… facts and knowledge to the contrary, you need not be shaken from your firmly held beliefs.

I’m not sure what’s scarier. An idiot with his finger on the button who thinks he’s fulfulling a holy mission, or the hordes who will follow him like lemmings over a cliff. It’s enough to make an agnostic like myself say, “Heaven help us!”

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A Family Fight

Genealogy, Politics

A new category, Genealogy! I never figured my latest hobby and my passion for politics would cross like this, but look at this one (thanks to Political Wire)

I don’t figure they cross paths at too many family reunions, but George Bush and John Kerry ARE family (ninth cousins twice removed).

As it turns out, George has closer cousins who don’t support him either… Bush Relatives for Kerry.

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