Lost in MO

  PLACES

LOST IN MO

Missouri is an Indian word meaning "the people of the long canoes."

MISSOURI, THE SHOW ME STATE where the two great rivers of Mississippi and Missouri (MSMO) meet has been a mecca lately for Filipino Americans in the midwest especially lab techs.  So being the Goddess of Convenience, I jumped in for the ride when ALT PRO Mila invited me on her package tour of MO with Branson as the trip destination.  Mila, Bel and Rex came so well-prepared for the roadtrip it was like a picnic.  After Bel and Rex picked me up at my crib around 5:30 am we drove to Mila's condo to load up some favorite goodies of lumpia Shanghai, langoniza, tosino, cooked salted duck eggs from China, cooked rice wrapped in banana leaves, case of Coke and bottled water.

"I come from a country that raises corn, cotton, cockleburrs, and Democrats.  I'm from Missouri, and you've got to show me."

- Congressman William Duncan Vandiver

It was smooth driving until we got to St. Louis - founded by Pierre Laclede Liguest, a French fur trader, in 1764.  After that our fun trip was lost in the Land of OZ (OZARKS for the folks in the Philippines) and where elses.  It's not because we don't know how to read maps which we are not but we depended too much with Mila's contact in Branson.  Lesson learned, dear travelers, never ever trust the MO folks to give you the right direction to anywhere in their show me state! It's always south or east to them MOfolks...like 44S instead of 44W.

  

We all went up to the 630-ft Gateway Arch where a month (July 2007) before some brave tourists were stranded on top when a wayward cable touched an electric wire or something.  It was the first time it happened since it was built in 1967 the guide told us.  Look at my nice shot of downtown St. Louis from the window.  Ignore the glass reflection.

HOTTEST SHOWS IN BRANSON - THE PLACE WHERE "YOU DO WHAT YOU LIKE, LIKE WHAT YOU DO!"  

The Acrobats of China featuring the New Shanghai Circus was our first fantastic show.  It's their 10th popular season in Branson.  My favorite act is the beautiful Lady in Pink (seen here) balancing chandeliers all over her body - hands, feet, and head.  After the show all young, beautiful and exotic 40 performers came out to meet us and have their picture taken with us.

After the show we called it a night and checked in at our comfortable timeshare resort hotel. Check this royal suite with TV in the bathroom but we felt like royalty in our chosen units anyway.  

http://youtu.be/UIcgbUICqdU

The next day we went to Pierce Arrow Theatre to see the "hottest" show in Branson.  In between we had our picture taken with handsome Gary Koreiba and his group.  Mila bought their 3 CDs.

If that's the hottest, the DOLLY PARTON'S DIXIE STAMPEDE is absolutely the superhottest dinner show in Branson!  We just got in time for the 5:30 pm kamayan dinner show (just hands to eat, no forks and spoons) of hot homemade biscuit bread, original creamy vegetable soup, tender whole rotisserie chicken, hickory smoked barbecue pork loin, buttery corn on a cob,  herb-basted potato, flaky apple pastry, and unlimited  Pepsi, tea or coffee.  Our most favorite of the show is the pig races. 

Whistling Dixie, we sat on the side of the "North."  Even here, the "South" won't admit defeat!  There are no winners in the show.  The contest was "fixed."

We had our picture taken at Dolly's gift shop with one of the not-so-shy pretty young southern belle fanning herself and bidding us goodbye or welcome depending the direction you're going after the show. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgrKkUASCRg

Although I'm a city girl but liked all kind of music, my very own favorite Dolly Parton, really and truly loved by millions, is no doubt the best, the sweetest, honest-to-goodness, downhome country singer that ever came out of the south.  I was in Dolly's OPRYLAND too in the 70s - now gone.

For all-you-can-eat seafood buffet, lab techs Greg and Cely who just came back from Branson a week earlier recommended WhipperSnappers in the Branson Towers.  Lobsters, crab legs and every seafood you can name are unlimited.  But Mila, Bel and I had to give up after 2 lobsters and crab legs; Rex had 4 lobsters.

Folks, you guessed right! Yes, we had a jolly good time but going home to Illinois we got lost again!  Why? We were given the wrong direction again!

08242007

Published 11/7/07

Updated & Recycled Web Page  lib's labyrinth blogspot

Published 5/11/13

America Land Tour

Maze: The Alamo

THE ALAMO
Mission San Antonio de Valero

From mission to fortress to historic landmark, the Alamo symbolizes the universal struggle for liberty.
"Remember The Alamo"

It was founded by Franciscan missionaries in 1718 but moved the mission to its present site n 1724.  The Second Flying Company of San Carlos de Parras took possession in 1801.  Spanish soldiers were from the town of El Alamo in Coahuila.  Mexico won independence from Spain in 1821.  Revolution took root of the new-found freedom and it was the beginning of the end for the Alamo.

The Battle:

Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna marched to San Antonio with an army of 4,000 soldiers.  Colonel Jim Bowie along with undaunted force of volunteers considered the Alamo the key to Texas independence. 

Davy Crockett, the King of the Wild Frontier, was one of the defenders.  He was from Tennessee, joined the militia and became a colonel.  The legendary frontiersman could shoot the wick of a candle at 300 feet and claimed to have killed 105 bears.  He was elected to the US Congress and served from 1826 to 1835.  Disapproval of President Andrew Jackson's land and Indian policy cost him a fourth bid and a year later went to Texas.  He organized the Tennessee Company of Mounted Volunteers at Nacogdoches.  On February 8, he and his men rode into the Alamo Compound, stayed for no other reason than the pursuit of liberty and defend the Alamo.

As Mexican soldiers fired rounds of artillery, Colonel William Barret Travis, Commander of the Alamo, dispatched messengers for help.  February 23 marked the beginning of 13-day seige that ended on the funeral pyre of March 6, 1836.

All died except two survivors - Angelina Dickinson, "The Babe of the Alamo," and her mother, Susanna, the 22-year old wife of Almeron Dickinson, a blacksmith who commanded the Alamo's batteries.  During the attack of March 6, they took refuge in the Church Sachristy and did not see the battle.

The Alamo Cenotaph located near the north end of the plaza was erected in 1940 to honor the Alamo defenders.

Previous Publication 2005  MSN Groups
Don't Know Much History Web Page
Re-Published 7/31/10 lib's labyrinth blogspot
Updated 5/8/13

Limbaugh Listener 5/7/13

You betcha!  I'm a die-hard, right-leaning Republican through and through.  Super-duper independent, very much for strong defense and a Capitalist Ms. Piggy.
I'm still shaking my head at the power of the bias mainstream media, also known as the left-wing liberal press.  I'm so happy newspapers all over are folding permanently.  Take the left-leaning Chicago Sun Times declaring bankruptcy today.  If they were just fair to us Republicans maybe we would have subscribe to their crappy newspapers and magazines.  Yes, I'm being redundant, but it's for emphasis.  True, there's a time for everything, even in the Age of Obama.  Hey, as long as Obama is the President, he'll always be popular because he's Black and folks don't want to be called racist.  In other words, political affirmative action.
Listening to Rush Limbaugh has gotten me through tough times during the Clintonian Years.  I kind of called myself a Dittohead.  I don't know what's wrong with him but he always think what I was thinking.  I don't understand why is he always agreeing with my myriads of thoughts! I don't even look like him, I'm better looking - you can tell the difference between us in this photo taken at my office in the hospital lab where I used to work.  He's on WLSam Chicago from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm.  He's 99% right all the time but like all human beings I have differences of opinion with him.  I agree with him on that phony global warming and almost on anything.  But there's always a but....I don't like SUV's for my one reason alone -- I drive a small car, MGB, and SUV drivers think of themselves as king of the road and they drive so close to my tail. 

Previous Publication 3/31/09  ALT Groups Multiply

Dittohead's Den

UH-OH! THE FEELER IS OUT THERE.  RUSH LIMBAUGH IS 'UNHAPPY' WITH CUMULUS, CURRENT OWNER OF RADIO STATION  WABC WHERE HIS RADIO TALKSHOW IS BEING BROADCASTED.  The talkative and always right Rush is being blamed for the station's loss revenues because of his comment of the slut (yes) Sandra Fluke, the Immaculate Contraception.   His contract is expiring at the end of this year and is thinking of not renewing his contract.  If and when that time comes it will be the end of me listening to Radio WLS in Chicago.  I listen to him from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, Monday to Friday.  When he takes a day off  because of other business or events I also take a day off.  He's simply the best.  Sometimes I wonder the synchronicity of viewing, for instance the Downton Abbey and Mexico having a longtime grudge because of American landgrabbing.  He's on top of everything.  What about THE ALAMO? Don't you remember?  Everyone died defending the fort except two.  Davy Crockett, the King of the Wild Frontier, was one of unforgettable heroes.  Fortunately, and better late than never, Sam Houston remembered the mistakes of Napoleon and defeated the Mexican General Santa Anna.
One thing's for sure, where Limbaugh goes so goes the nation.

Updated 5/7/13
Recycled Dittohead's Den Web Page
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Previous Publication 2/12/10  ALT Group Multiply
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• I have been a longtime listener of Rush Limbaugh on the radio http://www.wlsam.com / http://www.rushlimbaugh.com  since 1989.  May be he is a mind reader because almost everything I think he thinks also.  Sometimes I wonder if he has a GPS mind. 

As usual we have some things in common:
1.  My favorite President of All-Time:  Bush on War & Freedom - The hutzpah of Obama & Biden to claim the success in Iraq when they were the ones who wanted to surrender then.  I'm sooooooo nauseated!
2.  Guantanamo Bay - Leave that place alone.  That's a keeper for Muslim terrorists.
3.  Capitalism vs Socialism
4.  Global Warming: See attached file - Be informed!  To echo Mr. Limbaugh, "Where the hell (my word, not his) is Albert Gore, the Environmental Hoaxer and Nobel Peace Prize Winner (for what?)???? If you see the dude point him to me so I can shovel the 13 inches of snow his way.  Uh-oh! I just paid Frank $60 to shovel my walkway.  Time was of the essence.

Attachment: ANTARTICA_English.pps

Constant Traveler Featuring Antarctica

ANTARCTICA POWERPOINT SLIDESHOW

I got this powerpoint four years ago and was translated in English.  Updated 5/3/13  lib's labyrinth blogspot



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Previous Publication 1/27/10  ALT Multiply Website
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Sights in the worlds that I'll probably will never see in my own lifetime.  So many places, so little time.  Thanks to fellow world traveler Josie PL who just came from India.  Have a safe trip and cool time in Antarctica next month.


Attachment: SightsintheWorld.pps

Link broken or dead

Awesome Antarctica

World Traveler: Josie's Photography

Hi, cutie!

Antarctica - the airconditioner of the earth

Previous Publication 4/21/10  ALT Multiply
Recycled Web Page 5/3/13 lib's labyrinth blogspot

I received this awesome video yesterday http://youtu.be/SkY03n0_sD8  Antarctica penguins by Mike Rowland - PlanetSave

Reminds me of  HAPPY FEET - one of my favorite animal films of all-time.  I love all the music too. 

Journey Thru Space Slide # 12

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Previous Publication 7/6/11
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Mistaken Identity:  PowerPoint Slide #12

Tabuaeran Island, Kiribati

Teraina Island

 

Everything looks the same from above.

 

Updated 5/1/13  libslabyrinth blogspot

Journey Thru Space PowerPoint

MY CLASSMATES TOUR OF KENNEDY SPACE CENTER FLORIDA

Discovery

Endeavour

Shuttle Launch Aviation Facility

Aida, Carme, Nerie, Josie, Hedy, and Puled

Updated 5/1/2013  libslabyrinth blogspot
Photo courtesy of Carme

Note:  Everything is on YouTube  http://youtu.be/Hdt4xFUql7c   View from the Top...By ASTRONAUT DOUGLAS WHEELOCK
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Previous Publication 6/2/11   ALT Multiply Website
Note:  Link broken or dead.  Blogspot does not support powerpoint slide.

LINK:

Journey Thru Space PowerPoint

COME FLY WITH ME:
NASA ASTRONAUT DOUGLAS H. WHEELOCK UP IN SPACE ADVENTURE --TAKING US ON A FRONT SEAT VIEW OF THE EARTH AND THE HEAVENS