Saturday, February 14, 2009

Ode To A Fart


This was my wife's Valentine's Day gift to me. Being as I went to kindergarten, I know how to share ...

Happy Valentine's Day to my readers!


A fart is a pleasant thing,
It gives the belly ease,
It warms the bed in winter,
And suffocates the fleas.
[]
A fart can be quiet,
A fart can be loud,
Some leave a powerful,
Poisonous cloud
[]
A fart can be short,
Or a fart can be long,
Some farts have been known
To sound like a song......
[]
A fart can create
A most curious medley,
A fart can be harmless,
Or silent, and deadly.
[]
A fart might not smell,
While others are vile,
A fart may pass quickly,
Or linger a while......
[]
A fart can occur
In a number of places,
And leave everyone there,
With strange looks on their faces.
.[]
From wide-open prairie,
To small elevators,
A fart will find all of us,
Sooner or later.
[]
But 'farts are all bad',
Is simply not true-
We must never forget.......
Sweet old farts like you!
[]

Kinda brings a tear to your eye - doesn't it?

Friday, February 13, 2009

Science, Not "Creationism"

The following came across my email desk this morning. If you, or any of your relations, live in Texas and you believe that science should be taught in your public schools, regardless of religious denomination or absence thereof in your life, then pay heed:

Take Action Now to Ensure that Texas Kids Learn Science, not Ideology, in Public Schools

Creationists Besiege State Board of Education with Calls to Dumb Down Science Education in Texas Public Schools

As we mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, the religious right has launched a new and ferocious attack on science education in Texas public schools.

Last month the State Board of Education narrowly voted against a curriculum requirement that students learn phony “weaknesses” of evolution promoted by creationists. Creationist pressure groups have responded with fury in the press. They have even viciously attacked the religious faith of board members who support giving Texas kids a sound science education.

And now the Texas Freedom Network has learned that creationists are flooding board members’ offices with thousands of e-mails and phone calls critical of evolution. They are demanding that the board reverse course in a final vote next month and require that science classes teach anti-evolution arguments that mainstream scientists debunked long ago.

This is outrageous. Texans cannot permit the religious right to bully elected officials into voting against the interests of Texas families and the mainstream values we all support. Supporters of sound science education cannot stand aside while far-right pressure groups try to distort and undermine the education of an entire generation of Texas schoolchildren.

Take Action! SUFS
The State Board of Education will meet on March 25-27 to take a final vote on the proposed science curriculum standards. It’s important that you take the following actions to ensure that board members vote for standards that put sound science ahead of ideology in our kids’ public schools:

1. Tell your State Board of Education member that you oppose efforts to water down instruction on evolution in public school science classes.
- Ask you board member to vote to adopt the sound science standards proposed in December by curriculum writing teams made up of teachers and academics.
- Oppose requiring that students learn phony “weaknesses” of evolution.
- Ask your board member to vote to strip out any amendments approved by the board in January that undermine instruction on evolution.

You can find the name of your board member by clicking here. It’s best to write your board member in your own words and send your e-mail to: sboeteks@tea.state.tx.us. However, you can also click here to send your board member a pre-written e-mail.

2. Submit your comments about the proposed standards to the Texas Education Agency. You can read the standards by clicking here. Then scroll down to Proposed Revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 112, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science, Subchapter A, Elementary, Subchapter B, Middle School, and Subchapter C, High School. Send your comments to TEA to this e-mail address: rules@tea.state.tx.us.

3. Sign up to testify at the State Board of Education’s public hearing on the proposed science standards on March 25. For information about how to testify, click here.

To find out how your SBOE member voted in January, and to stay informed on this issue, please click here.

TFN Main Web Logo

Thursday, February 12, 2009

It was inevitable, I suppose -- RoboGuitar


Dax covers this in his entry yesterday. The video is enlightening.

Make your Congress Critter Twitter

You're on Twitter, right? I am. Is your Congress Critter on Twitter? You can check at TweetCongress. You can even petition non-participants to get with it.

Go check and see if Senator Susan Collins, R-ME is a-Twittering...

Friday, February 06, 2009

Darwin Award Winner for 2008

THE DARWIN AWARDS:  A Chronicle of Enterprising Demises.
Honoring those individuals who improve the human race...
by accidentally removing themselves from it!

Celebrate Charles Darwin's 200th Birthday on February 12, 2009.
--------------------------------------------+---+-+---+-+-+-+-+

2008 Darwin Award Winner: BALLOON PRIEST (Padre Baloneiro)
Confirmed.

April 2008, Atlantic Ocean | A Catholic priest ascended to
heaven on a host of helium party balloons, paying homage to
Lawn Chair Larry's aerial adventure. Larry, the beloved
survivor of a Darwin-worthy fiasco, attached 45 helium weather
balloons to his lawnchair, packed a picnic lunch, and cut the
tether--but instead of drifting above the Los Angeles landscape
as planned, he was rocketed into LAX air traffic lanes by the
lift of the weather balloons. Astoundingly, Larry survived the
flight.

Adelir Antonio, 51, was not so lucky.

His audacious attempt to set a world record for clustered
balloon flight was intended to publicize his plan to build a
spiritual rest stop for truckers. But, as truckers know,
sitting for 19 hours in a lawn chair is not a trivial matter
even in the comfort of your own backyard. The priest took
numerous safety precautions, including wearing a survival
suit, selecting a buoyant chair, and packing a satellite phone
and a GPS. However, the late Adelir Antonio made a fatal
mistake.

He did not know how to use the GPS.

The winds changed, as winds do, and he was blown inexorably
toward open sea. He could have parachuted to safety while over
land, but chose not to. When the voyager was perilously lost
at sea, he prudently phoned for help--but rescuers were unable
to determine his location, since he could not use his GPS. He
struggled with the unit as the charge on the satellite phone
dwindled.

Instead of a GPS, the priest let God be his guide, and God
guided him straight to heaven. Bits of balloons began
appearing on mountains and beaches. Ultimately the priest's
body surfaced, confirming that he, like Elvis, had left the
building.

The kicker? It's a Double Darwin. Catholic priests take vows
of celibacy. Since they voluntarily remove themselves from the
gene pool, the entire group earns a mass Darwin Award. Adelir
Antonio wins twice over!

Obviously not a Jesuit priest...

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Damn!

John Updike, one of the premier novelists of the generation immediately prior to mine, has died at 76, from lung cancer, according to his publisher, Alfred A. Knopf. At least, that's the AP report in this morning's The Advocate.

I think Updike and Truman Capote were the first "adult" novelists I took note of in my early teens. He had a way about his words that just sucked me in and carried me along. I didn't understand all the nuances of his language then. But I did recognize the import thereof. That is getting to be a long time ago. Damn!

Rest in peace, John. Rabbit is finally at rest.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Life List: Have You Ever...

This meme was over at Patrick's Place and Simon's the Simian Farmer so I thought I'd give it a whirl, too. On second thought, change the first line to "Monkey See, Monkey Do"...

bold = done it
italics = want to
strikethrough = don't want to
Plus snarky comments

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars. I prefer a tent - usually there's too much dew (or frost).
3. Played in a band. Alto Sax in junior high - both marching band and orchestra.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland. But I have been to DisneyWorld...
8. Climbed a mountain. Several of them, in fact. Actually ran back down from Chimney Pond at Katahdin, too.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning. More times than I care to count.
17. Walked to the top of The Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked. Twice across the US and once across Canada.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill. But of course, I was severely stressed, so really, they were "mental health" days.
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb. I prefer to eat them.
26. Gone skinny dipping. In a farmer's pond next to US Rte 2, outside Plainfield, Vermont, in full view of the road.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person. I've even done the "Maid of the Mist"!
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors. Someday I'll make it to Ireland and Germany.
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David.
41. Sung karaoke.
42. Seen the Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling. I miss it, but with only one functional lung...
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theatre. My second time was in a drive-in.
55. Been in a movie. I was in some home movies as a kid...does that count?
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business. It failed.
58. Taken a martial arts class. Although, I'd like to do Tai Chi.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served at a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Got flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration camp.
67. Bounced a check. My own damn fault, too.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London.
77. Broken a bone. Several.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car. Only once ... that was enough.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox.
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby. Wrong gender.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a law suit.
98. Owned a mobile phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.
100. Read an entire book in one day.

Feel free to participate, but feel no obligation, either.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Patrick, over at Patrick's Place, had an interesting entry yesterday about the proposal before Congress to delay implementation of Over-the-Air (OTA) digital television broadcasting (DTV). While I am in general agreement with his assessment, to a point, there are elements his entry doesn't address. Read this entry then come back...

The problem for the very poor is different than the problem(s) for the rural customer. As noted in other discussions, many rural and fringe area customers simply were unprepared for the not insignificant expense of installing an external antenna with rotor and signal amplifier in order to receive the distant station(s) they are accustomed to receiving now. Quite frankly, neither am I.

My camp is a case in point. There is no satellite window to the SW due to a thick forest cover and a ridge. Cable is unavailable. No broadband service is available. That leaves me with the choice of obtaining a zoning variance (fat chance) to install a 100 foot tower capable of supporting over 150 lbs of antenna, rotor and cables and then spending some two to ten thousand dollars for the antenna and all the rest, or, do without. In my case, there isn't a choice. I haven't got that kind of money to spend on television that I might watch for five months out of the year for one or two hours in the evening. What with Jay Leno leaving late night TV, that viewing time may be cut by another 5 hours a week (my wife HATES Conan and Dave).

I am sympathetic to broadcasters who must bear the burden of the additional expense(s) of operating analog and digital transmitters. I am also sympathetic to those facing the loss of OTA TV with no possible replacement, for whatever reason. In my case, I'd signed up for the government's discount card to be delivered last February. If you've been following my blog, you know that was a serious mistake - I didn't get back to my domicile until July. By then the card had expired. The expired cards went into the trash and I reapplied, only to be told that the guvmint wouldn't issue new ones. Then they turned around and rescinded the expiration. By then, they were long gone in the landfill -- SOL again. I ended up having to buy a converter box at full price or do with out any OTA TV at home or in my trailer. Suffice it to say, I only bought one box and swap them from the trailer to the house as needed. Watching from bed at night, from the kitchen in the morning or out in the shop will be impossible. Tough luck for the local broadcasters - another customer gone. And forget public television - those cows decided they'd concentrate only on the more populous areas to the south of us - we no longer get their signal. Sorry MPBN - there goes my contribution.

So, I selfishly applaud the idea of requiring dual broadcasting. It is, after all, the public's airwaves. Broadcasters must either provide for the needs of all of the viewing public or pack it in and start selling vacuum cleaners door-to-door.

Disenfranchising some 6.5 million citizens is politically unthinkable to Congressional Democrats and the new administration. Republicans with rural constituents will either provide more time for conversion to digital broadcasting or face a backlash at their next attempt at reelection.

There really isn't a middle ground.

And so it goes...

Thursday, January 22, 2009

And what would you do?

I'm trying to enroll in an EMT course at LSU I need to obtain a job with the local EMS. Doesn't look like it is going to happen. I graduated high school in 1968 from a small church school. Last time I actually used the diploma was to confirm graduation for a job I was hired for in 1989. Just about the same time that my school closed it's doors forever.

Flash forward about 10 years. I tried to find said diploma for a new job and made a horrifying discovery. Squirrels (yes, those nasty rats with fuzzy tails and a good P.R. firm) had invaded the box those documents were kept in out in the garage and amused themselves while nesting by chewing everything in the box into confetti! I was fortunate the last time I had a job requiring confirmation I'd graduated as the boss accepted my word on it. Faceless bureaucracies. like a college admissions department, don't.

Hence the dilemma which prompts the question in the title. EVERY job I have looked at lately requires certified confirmation of HS graduation. All the colleges and EMT courses down here require the immunizations record (I think this is a federal law geared primarily to prevent children from engendering an epidemic -- not to keep us over-the-hill-and-twice-as-moldy types from taking a few college level courses). Heck, even the Coast Guard wants certified copies of HS diploma or an original. And of course, they want a record of every freaking immunization I have had since birth. Certified by an M.D. no less.

I'm so screwed...

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Bad Bob and Handler

BAD BOB
Texas Renaissance Faire
November 20, 2008
Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

We Made It!

After the weather gods finally let us loose from the sub-zero blizzard followed by nearly Spring-like monsoons accompanied by extremely high winds, we had a false start involving missing trailer brakes that suddenly reappeared and didn't bother the rest of the trip, we would have made it to Maryland in near record time - except for the pea-soup New Jersey smmog that forced a layover for 12 hours. Nevertheless, we made it on Sunday. After a nice visit with my Uncle and Aunt, we took off on New Year's Day afternoon and arrived here in Louisiana this evening! We even squeezed in a nice visit to Mystic Springs Airstream Camp yesterday on the Florida panhandle.

Off to bed, I'm beat. More on the flip side.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Best Wishes

Still packing. DirecTV, phone & DSL canceled. Pipes to be drained in the morning. I think we'll get out of here REAL SOON NOW. We're broke with just enough cash for tolls and a gas credit card to get us there. Wish us luck. We'll need it.

We'll be silent here for a while, most likely. Therefore, be good to yourselves and have a Merry Christmas. Or, if you prefer, Happy Festivus, Kwanzhaa, Channukah, Solstice, Pot Luck Sup for the Flying Spaghetti Monster. We hope you have a wonderful holiday season, no matter what you do or don't believe in, on or about. Have a happy. I'll try to post from Maryland else it'll be after the new year.

Toodles!

Monday, December 22, 2008

Hard Driving Seventeen Inches...

No, Silly. Not me. The blizzard!

Yep, still stuck in Maine. Up to my knees in snow after enduring 30-40 MPH winds driving 17" of the white stuff. It wasn't fit for a flea on a South-fleeing mule. Temps in the teens and the wind chill in the negative numbers.

I know how cold it was . I worked out in it for several hours trying to get ready to leave.

Everything takes four times as long as normal and exhausts me.



Anyway, still here. Still cold. Very, very broke.

Bah humbug.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Anyone for an omelet?

Still here in Maine, where it is less than 20°F and falling with 5 or 6 inches of new snow. SWMBO and I have taken turns being sick with colds and then severe bronchitis which has made departure for sunnier climes impossible. In the meantime, there's always the local daily to amuse me:

Nearly 260,000 eggs stolen in Maine

By The Associated Press

TURNER, Maine — Maine State Police asked authorities throughout New England to be on the lookout for an unmarked truck hauling eggs without the proper paperwork as they investigated the theft of nearly 260,000 eggs from a Maine egg farm.

An estimated 259,200 eggs, stacked on 24 pallets and worth about $25,000, were stolen from the Quality Egg Farm of New England in two separate incidents...


Click the title to read the rest of the story.

Friday, December 05, 2008

Remnants of the buck. Note the tipping of the bumper down - not supposed to do that.
Frontal view with forensic samples. Note cracked light frame; missing skirt behind bumper.
Close-up of busted lenses and frames. Too sick with my wife's cold to go around to the body shops today. Maybe Monday.
Posted by Picasa

Thursday, December 04, 2008

Got My Deer...

At approximately 5:07 PM, EST (well after sunset in these parts) I bagged my deer for the year. A buck, about 225 pounds, jumped out into the middle of Broadway near Kenduskeag Avenue. I was trapped in a long line of cars heading out of town (what passes for rush hour around here). No where to go. An oncoming vehicle swerves, then skids into and back out of my lane...

KerBLAM! One second I'm minding my own business and the next I am turning off into a woods road to get out of traffic. I was just thankful the fellow behind me didn't ram me - I had two 30 gallon propane tanks strapped in the rear of the Suburban I had just had filled. Would have been a spectacular blast, that's for sure. I'd have been naught but smithereens, too.

Anyway, went out and took an initial look. Dang it - busted lenses. Went back around to get a flashlight and I can hear thrashing just off the road in the woody verge. No gun. Of course. Look down the road. No one else has stopped. Guess the other car didn't think they hit the deer.

Examined the front end. Not only are the lenses busted, but the interior housing is probably cracked, the plastic interface between the grill and front bumper is shattered and the mounts for the bumper are now smushed. I suspect other components of the energy absorbing front end are probably requiring replacement, too.

More thrashing and bleeting from the woody verge.

Being the possessor of enlightened self-interest and self-preservation, I sat my ass back in my truck and considered what to do. Potential for repairs to exceed the $1000 threshhold for mandatory accident report about 70%. So I dial 9-1-1 and go through the whole song and dance. Dispatcher refuses to believe me when I specify the city police - she asks for details as to where I am. Finally convince her all I need is someone from Bangor P.D. to come by so I can file an accident report.

It'll be a while. Sit tight.

About 30 minutes later a car pulls off behind me, turns on some blue strobe lights and a face appears at my driver's side window, inquiring whether I am OK. After a short discussion, it is pretty obvious that said police officer wasn't dispatched to my site - he was just driving by. In point of fact, he isn't from Bangor P.D. at all -- just a nice young (oh my, how very young he is) Maine State Trooper.

Trooper Bean then inquires as to the extent of damage - I do my song and dance and we both go to the front of the vehicle and look it over. He doesn't think it'll top a grand, so he calls Bangor P.D. and cancels them, then goes into the woods (we could still hear the deer in there) and dispatches the injured animal with his service automatic.

Later, back at his cruiser, he inquires if I want the meat. No tarp in the 'Burb and fully carpeted, and no plans to leave any power on in the house when we head out to the South lands. So, the local homeless shelter will be the beneficiary of my misfortunate meeting with Herr Buck and Trooper Bean.

Pictures of the truck damage after daylight. Maybe. I didn't take any of the deer - too P.O.'d

Yes, I am just fine - merely annoyed and dreading dealing with the insurance company, body shops and all before being able to leave -- snow is forecast for Sunday, darn it. Next week looks to be poor for traveling, too.

And So It Goes...

Thursday, November 20, 2008

As Dax Says, "Just Damn!"

Fine Print: This photo captures my body's reaction perfectly. From the Flickr photostream of professional photographer The Ziegelofen, "Goosebumps". All rights remain with the copyright holder(s). Fair use for illustrative purposes of the subject matter, freaking cold temperatures. Model unknown and presumed to be of an age appropriate to deciding to expose herself to the world via the Internet. Your mileage may vary. Beware of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.




That's Dax Montana for the uninitiated. And his signature saying so applies doubly to the weather today. Awoke to the trailer rocking and a bitter 16° F. Sadly, the forecast low for tonight is in the single digits.

What in the name of the Flying Nun's Panties am I still doing in Maine at these temperatures?

I am having a horrible time getting out of town and the departure date keeps receding with the growth of the glacier in my driveway from running water 24/7 to keep from freezing pipes in the Airstream.

Just Damn!

Monday, November 17, 2008

Christmas Decoration From Hell

Do check out this entry by John Cole: Pig Ignorant Religious Nuts

A classic case of the failure of the Christian Right to grasp the least inkling from history.

Yeah, I want a flaming, freaking cross on my lawn this year, for sure!

Where's my sheet?

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

More HUMOR From The Mailbag




WARNING: New Scam


I do not normally send around e-mails on issues like this....but be warned...


Over the last month I became a victim of a clever scam while out shopping. Simply dropping into Polo Park for a bit of shopping has turned out to be quite traumatic. Don't be naive enough to think it couldn't happen to you or your friends.

Here's how the scam works: Two seriously good-looking 20-21 year-old girls come over to your car as you are packing your bags into the trunk. They both start cleaning your windscreen. Their breasts almost falling out of their skimpy T-shirts. It's impossible not to look especially with all the rain we have been having.

When you thank them and offer them a tip, they'll say "No" and instead ask you for a lift to another store, in my case Canadian Tire on St. James. You agree and they get in the backseat. On the way, they start undressing. Then one of them climbs over into the front seat and starts crawling all over you, while the other one steals your wallet!


I had my wallet stolen Oct 4th, 9th, 10th, twice on the 15th, and again on the 17th. We are now into Nov and those little vixens fooled me again on the 1st, 4th, twice on the 6th, again last Saturday and very likely again this upcoming weekend.


So tell your friends to be careful.

P.S. Sears has wallets on sale for $2.99 each

HUMOR From The Mailbag

A legal question:

[]

[]

[]

Is this statutory rape???





Nah ... It's just a moosedemeanor.....

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Lowing skies and hints of death in the air,

It's getting all greyscale around here. Frantic preparations for departure to southern climes are underway. Anyone want to take a bet on whether I beat the first real snowstorm? My money is on the weather...

WORD is VOTED

Leonard Cohen, a Canadian, says it best: DEMOCRACY IS COMING TO THE USA.

Congratulations to the Obama campaign. I do not envy him, and them, the task before them. Nor do I envy the brave men and women of the U.S. Secret Service who are charged with protecting President-elect Obama and his family. I suspect every hate-mongering wingnut in the country is preparing themselves for an assault upon the Obamas as I type this. The Secret Service knows that no protection detail is good enough to prevent an assassination by the truly determined.

I suspect we will get to experience the true meaning of the old Irish curse, "May you live in interesting times." In addition to racists, white-supremacists and other racially-motivated groups (including those who don't think Obama is 'black enough', by the way), there are the truly dangerous assassins to contemplate. Men and a few women, trained as sharpshooters by the military, extremely professional and practiced. They're all the stuff of a bodyguard's nightmares. For the new administration, I fear, they'll be a recurring dream.

Congratulations, too, to Senator John McCain who showed, too late to change the outcome, that he is a class act. Where in hell was that persona hiding, John? Why oh why did you allow the RNC and the neo-cons to hijack your campaign and foist Sarah Palin upon you? Have you been that exhausted, that weak, that distracted by other matters that you couldn't see the error of their advice? Too late now. What might have been shall never come to pass for you. Time to live out your days in your too many redoubts around the world (six? seven? Fuck it, who gives a flying fig these days, anyway?) Go imitate Barry Goldwater's post-presidential bid and fade into the woodwork.

To Sarah Palin, no congratulations but a hearty fare-thee-well in your icebound fortress up there in Wasilla. Good fishing; good fucking. Stay where you are welcome. Don't venture down here on another fool's errand again.

Ralph Nader, you arrogant ass - get lost. Likewise, Cynthia Ann McKinney, Jonathon Allen, Charles O. Baldwin, Robert L. Barr, Alan Keyes and the rest of the wingnuts - get lost as no one ever found you viable - not even the OB/GYN's that delivered you.

That's my election round-up. That and $5.00 might get you a cup of coffee inside the Beltway come this time next year...

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Word is VOTE

Get out of your ergonomic desk chair, off your big, comfy, couch or out from under your snuggly goose down duvet and

VOTE


And take a friend, acquaintance or your significant other along with you...

Monday, November 03, 2008

"None Of The Above" - Again...

I hate elections...

As an arch-conservative Libertarian, there is no way I can bring myself to vote for Senator Obama. Simply put, he is far too liberal. Further, while he has shown good judgment in his choice of foreign policy advisers, those he has advising him on domestic policy, particularly economic policy, are so far to the left of center that most legislative initiatives, even if passed by a Democrat majority in Congress, will surely result in significant legal challenges that we, the people, can ill afford to wait out. Salvaging the economic situation will require a moderate solution, not a liberal one.

Sadly, the prospect of Governor Palin being only a heartbeat away from the presidency is too horrible to contemplate. Sorry, McCain Republicans, but you blew it with your arrogance and political greed by endorsing Governor Sarah Palin as your candidate for Vice-President. At least, when it comes to my vote it did.

I have no love nor even tolerance for Ralph Nader.

I know nothing about the Libertarian candidate this year but can say in my defense that usually they, as a class, are simply too liberal to be considered.

Communist Party of America? They haven't had an even remotely viable candidate since Gus Hall in the 60's. Not that I'd ever have voted for him. Still, it says something that they haven't posted a candidate worthy of consideration for over 40 years.

Oh well. I suppose it will once again be a write-in for "None Of The Above". Damn, that's been a popular choice for the past few years...

What a waste.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

AOL Is Closing It's Doors...

How else to interpret this email received an hour ago, given the shutdown tomorrow of AOL Journals and AOL Hometown? Who needs some customers that can treat them right?

Dear AOL Pictures User:

We are sorry to inform you that, as of December 31, 2008, AOL will no longer provide the AOL Pictures online photo service. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.

The good news is that AOL has partnered with American Greetings® PhotoWorks® to enable continued access to your pictures through the PhotoWorks service. PhotoWorks provides unlimited free storage, just like AOL Pictures, as well as a variety of options for making creations and sharing your photos. You can access your images on PhotoWorks simply by providing your screen name and password to register for a free American Greetings PhotoWorks account. Register for PhotoWorks now.

While we recommend the American Greetings PhotoWorks option, you may also:

  • Download your photos to your computer using a new tool that will enable you to quickly save multiple images and albums; or
  • Purchase a DVD archive of your images. Please note there is a charge for the DVD archive based on the number of images you select.

It is important that you take action no later than December 31, 2008. After this date, you will no longer be able to access your images through AOL Pictures. You may choose from or combine any of the options listed above, based on your needs, as long as you do so by December 31.

Please go to AOL Pictures as soon as possible to register for American Greetings PhotoWorks for continued access to your pictures or to save your images on your computer or to DVD. Here, you will also find more information and step-by-step instructions on each of the available choices.

We sincerely appreciate your being an AOL Pictures user. It has been our pleasure to provide you with an enjoyable online photo experience.

Sincerely,

The AOL Pictures Team



Tuesday, October 28, 2008

HUMOR: The Husband Store

From my email...


A store that sells new husbands has opened in New York City , where a woman may go to choose a husband. Among the instructions at the entrance is a description of how the store operates:


You may visit this store ONLY ONCE! There are six floors and the value of the products increase as the shopper ascends the flights. The shopper may choose any item from a particular floor, or may choose to go up to the next floor, but you cannot go back down except to exit the building!



So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband. On the first floor the sign on the door reads:

Floor 1 - These men Have Jobs
She is intrigued, but continues to the second floor, where the sign reads:


Floor 2 - These men Have Jobs and Love Kids.
'That's nice,' she thinks, 'but I want more.'


So she continues upward. The third floor sign reads:

Floor 3 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, and are Extremely Good Looking..
'Wow,' she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going.


She goes to the fourth floor and the sign reads:

Floor 4 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop-dead Good Looking and Help With Housework.
'Oh, mercy me!' she exclaims, 'I can hardly stand it!'


Still, she goes to the fifth floor and the sign reads:

Floor 5 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop-dead Gorgeous, Help with Housework, and Have a Strong Romantic Streak.
She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the sixth floor, where the sign reads:

Floor 6 - You are visitor 31,456,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please. Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store.



PLEASE NOTE:

To avoid gender bias charges, the store's owner opened a New Wives store just across the street.

The first floor has wives that love sex.

The second floor has wives that have money, love sex, and love beer.
The third, fourth, fifth and sixth floors have never been visited.

Autumn




Heavy raindrops plopping down upon the living room air conditioner outside my window. The "zzzippp..." sound the satellite receiver makes when the digital signal is deflected by those selfsame drops of rain. The "plop, plop, plink" of dripping water accumulating in the bucket on the stairs (no, I haven't even a tenth of the $20,000 it'll take to replace the leaky roof). High, wild winds are approaching. You can hear the pines east of the house moan in anticipation.

It is Autumn in Maine.

We, too, have lost all of the deciduous leaves and the Juniper needles have turned their sickly, pale yellow, so their drop en masse cannot be far away now. Snow flurries are in the forecast for tomorrow. It is time for this grasshopper to make provision for a return to a warmer clime. I have sworn off ever shoveling snow again...

And so it goes.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Voting Advice

Planning to vote early? Do so, but make sure it gets counted. If the opposition has targeted your demographic niche for whatever reason, you MUST document the problem with your political party, as well as on the Internet. I'm just saying... no matter which of the sides you are on.

Expect dirty tricks. No, the balloting is NOT postponed if it is raining, snowing or an earthquake has struck. Don't fall for that crap. And don't fall for the crap both parties and all of their special interest groups are shoveling with their robocalls. Make this your mantra and chant it as you listen to your answering machine... "It's all bullshit... It's all bullshit..."

Good luck. The field sucks and the choices are the same old same old. Neither of the primary party candidates offers anything new. The Congress will still control the budget process and the Senate will still control the foreign policy decisions, assuming the election isn't stolen (hijacked) by the existing administration placing us all under martial law.

Laugh if you want. Even paranoids have enemies...

Septic Truck Sign

Thursday, October 16, 2008

It's Kilt Day!

Just in case you forgot the most important day before my sister-in-law's birthday - it is KILT DAY.

And for all those ladies who know just why they like 'Men In Kilts' we have this hirsute example:

Here, it was a miserable day for a kilt. Cold, clammy and rain all day. I actually put some heat on this morning when feeding Iggy the Landshark. Maybe next year...

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Orbit Files - Free Hosting of up to 6 GB - FREE!

All you AOL Journals authors looking for a new place to host your accumulated photos, web pages and other files have all sorts of options, some free, some cost money. Here's another free option (or, if you need more than 6 GB of free space, one can have unlimited storage for only $5 per month). It's called:


  • 6 GB of online storage space (with a 50 MB per file limit)
  • unlimited storage for $5/month
  • Orbitfiles makes it easy to share files publicly or with friends
  • access your files from anywhere
  • provides you a public landing page for all of your free (Creative Commons license) photos
  • provides useful Windows tools for embedding your files on your blog or web site
  • you can sell files through Orbitfiles' interface (for only a 2% commission)
  • Windows users also get a dedicated download client, Hercules, that makes the upload process much simpler for the novice or typical AOL user.
I make nothing from recommending this service. One of the big stumbling blocks to moving files off AOL was where to put your photos and widgets - here's your chance to control it yourself if you don't wish to use AOL + Blogger's tools and the Picassa service. It's all about you - not them.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

And this is how my wife would have me decorate our Airstream for Halloween...


Monday, October 06, 2008

Humor: Post Turtle

Making the rounds of blogs and emails recently is the following photograph and text(s). Enjoy!





While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75 year old rancher, who's hand was caught in the gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Obama and his bid to be our president.

The old rancher said, "Well, ya know, Obama is a 'Post Turtle'".

Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a 'post turtle' was. The old rancher said, "When your driving down a country road on you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a 'post turtle".

The old rancher saw the puzzled look on the doctor's face so he continued to explain. "You know he didn't get up there by himself, he doesn't belong up there, and he doesn't know what to do while he's up there, and you just wonder what kind of dumb ass put him up there to begin with".


Or, if you prefer, there is the J-Walk blog's version:

While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75-year-old Texas rancher whose hand was caught in a gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Sarah Palin and her bid to be a heartbeat away from being President.

The old rancher said, 'Well, ya know, Palin is a post turtle.' Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a post turtle was. The old rancher said, 'When you're driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a post turtle.'

The old rancher saw a puzzled look on the doctor's face, so he continued to explain. 'You know she didn't get up there by herself, she doesn't belong up there, she doesn't know what to do while she is up there, and you just wonder what kind of dumb ass put her up there to begin with.'


I prefer the latter. Which version works best for you?

Calling All Mainiacs...

Want to make a quick $1000*?

Find LibraryThing a Maine employee, get $1,000 in books

That's right. Find us a Maine—or anyway within an hour of Portland, ME—employee and we'll give you $1,000 in books.

Read all about it here.

* in books

And a dip of the old fedora to regular reader Robbie for the tip. Thanks!

And Now For Something Completely Different...


A closer look at the life and career of John McCain reveals a disturbing record of recklessness and dishonesty



While I have been less than a stellar supporter of Barack Obama and Company, one shouldn't automatically assume I am a supporter of the McCain/Palin ticket.

No, that'd be a real stretch.

And if you must ask why, perhaps this Tim Dickinson, less-than-supportive look at the McCain record which appeared in The Rolling Stone in an article titled "Make-Believe Maverick" will give you a clue.

You can get a taste by reading the first page at the link above. Buy a copy or sign up as an online subscriber to see the whole article. Or, like me, visit the library to read through their copy.

Saturday, October 04, 2008

AOL Journals' Demise

Picture by Chadzilla (chadzilla.typepad.com/.../food_fun/index.html)
It's about time.

While I have never wished ill to those who remained at AOL with their "journals" I have watched this corporate pig founder, flopping and spraying blood on the carpet of the interdweebs for far too long.

Rather than reading the writing hemorrhaged upon the wall, AOL has blithely gone on for months, years, selling its customers short and destroying a once great marque. In a 'which came first, the chicken or the egg' manner, the megalith has lost so many paying customers and short-changed its advertisers that it is a mere shadow of its former corporate greatness. Like the present fiscal crisis, it all comes down to one thing. Greed.

Easy come, easy go. Whether in the boardroom at Lehman Brothers or AOL/Time Warner the end result remains the same. Disaster.

So, to the relatively few AOL Journalers suddenly thrust out (Happy Halloween, kiddies) into the cold, cruel vacuum of cyberspace by their callous AOL overlords I say, "Welcome! Glad to see you."

I do hope you find the pain of adjustment to a new blogging platform worth the reaming you've been taking all these years from those buggers at AOL...

Missed it...

International Talk Like A Pirate Day, that is.

Had my head up my nether regions, general spelunking again, I guess.

Sorry 'bout that, Chief!

And I'd found this great joke to commemorate the day, too:


So, this pirate walks into a bar with a steering wheel shoved down his pants.

The bartender looks at him and says…”You know you have a steering wheel in your pants?”

The pirate replies, “Yar! It’s drivin’ me nuts!”

Friday, October 03, 2008

Post-VP Debate

Sarah Palin really needed to make a home run but she only managed a base hit. She came off as snippy and defensive. Too well rehearsed, too many by rote answers, very little of the originality she brings to the ticket. Is she really just a figurehead? It is sure starting to look like it.

On the other hand, I think that Senator Biden was too much the apologist for the Obama agenda without really achieving the goal of showing why we should make him one heartbeat away from the Presidency.

Overall, it was a waste of time...

Monday, September 29, 2008

Sunday, September 28, 2008

WX: Bullet Dodged.





Kyle, you slimy blowhard. Drew a direct bead on me this morning, didn't you?

I zigged, I zagged, I cooled your jets.

Now you're withering, like the limp-dicked NASCAR driver of the same name.

So long, Kyle.

You're all bluster and pissing and moaning but when it comes down to hard realities, you AREN'T the real deal.

Just a crybaby, weeping your foot of condensate on my sopping life.

So long. Glad I missed the opportunity to meet you in person. So pleased you wimped out.

Thank goodness ... 'cause the creek, she did rise.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Humor: And You Think Your Job Is Tough,,,

Via email from my stepson Danial comes this eye-opener:

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

CLIMATE: "Really, Really, Really, Bad News"

If, as the link above states in reference to this article is right, you might as well tell your children and grandchildren to bend over and kiss their asses goodbye. Investment in a mountain retreat in Nicaragua or Costa Rica or Venezuela might be in order, too. Only if you wish your genes to be passed down to the future generations of humanoids, though.

Why?

Because, what Alex Steffan fails to point out, what the article only subtly hints at, is the release of massive amounts of methane will likely result, along with the melting of the ice caps, in the rapid onset of a major ice age sometime in the next 50 to 100 years.

How?

The release of huge quantities of fresh water from the poles will likely result in a stagnation of the world's oceans currents, resulting in the loss of air currents, resulting in the rapid increase of clouds, resulting in sudden, radical temperature drops at the poles along with concomitant growth of glaciation across the Northern latitudes resulting in a true Ice Age of an extant not seen on this planet in 100,000 years.

What to do?

Sorry, nothing we can do at this time will reverse the current path we are on. You are merely a passenger on this ball of mud.

Who needs enemies?

One of my favorite, if infrequent bloggers is witnit. He makes a telling point with this entry on Tuesday:

Obama Supporters - With Friends Like These...

Monday, September 22, 2008

Not So Funny Obviousness

This past week has seen the public acceptance by various right and left-leaning pundits of the obviousness of a likely Obama defeat.

What!?! You didn't see anything of the sort?

I've lost track of the number of references to racism made journalists on both sides in the current presidential race. It boils down to this obvious trope:

A loss by Obama is due to racism by whites. A win by Obama is due to racism by blacks and liberals. A win by McCain is due to votes cast for "the lesser of two evils."

I have said it before publicly more than once and numerous times privately to friends and relatives. There is NO WAY that Barack Obama will be elected president. To think otherwise is pure ostrich behavior on behalf of wishful thinkers, many of whom are amongst the 62% who believe in angels.

Read my lips: Barack Obama is a black man in a white nation. Whitey is no more ready to elect a black man to the ultimate leadership role than it is ready to elect a female. Sorry Barack. Sorry Jesse (as if!). Sorry Hillary. You too, Liz (Dole). Forget it, Ms. Palin. You might become the vice-president, but I'll wager dollars to donuts that some misbegotten Aryan militia would take her out the moment an announcement is made of McCain's demise. If not sooner.

Cynical? Absolutely. Pessimistic. Yep.

Then again, most of you never thought we'd find ourselves in a prolonged depression at the hands of the Republicans and free-marketeers. Greed is as greed does and history does repeat itself when the population forgets its lessons.

You
born-again Reagonites all thought it'd be a cold day in Hell before the Republicans would spend us into oblivion, didn't you? And I'll bet all you Democrats secretly thought it could never happen. Ever.

Pretty obvious to this curmudgeon -- after more than 30 years of dealing with the public and its stupidity. Too bad I didn't heed my own advice and prepare to survive. Then again, I got old without noticing when it actually happened...

Just goes to show there's no fool like an old fool.

I hope you survive the coming bad times. I don't expect to, but can hope others do.


And so it goes...


Seattle Post Intelligencer
Is Everyone A Little Bit Racist?
Town Hall, DC - 3 hours ago
In other words, they claimed that voter racism alone could cost Barack Obama the election. Certainly, the meme perfectly encapsulates elite views on the ...
Video: Poll: Race Steers Some Dems Away From Obama AssociatedPress
all 985 news articles »
Rush Limbaugh on Obama's Controversial Political Ad, McCain, Palin ...
FOXNews - 6 hours ago
What I mean by that is specifically that Obama is stoking racism himself via his campaign ads. Spanish-language-only ads in four states, including Florida, ...
Barack Obama plays the 'incognegro'
Mail & Guardian Online, South Africa - 12 hours ago
The question over the next two months is: will there be an Obama effect? And if so will it end like Wilder, in victory; or like Bradley, in defeat? ...
Thomas Elias: Obama and the Bradley factor Long Beach Press-Telegram
all 5 news articles »
Andy Martin calls Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times a bigot ...
PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung), Austria - 9 hours ago
BarnesandNoble.com URGENT APPEAL: The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama is raising money to fight Barack Obama. ...

alt.muslim
“It’s not true that [we don’t] want to be associated with Muslims”
alt.muslim - 7 hours ago
Again, there is unfortunately still some racism. But there’sa lot less than it used to be. And I think the rise of Barack Obama is really the rise of a new ...
Was The AP Racism Poll Inspired By Karl Rove?
Black Star News, NY - Sep 20, 2008
McCain's phenomenal defeat in 2000 when the Bush team claimed he had fathered a Black daughter? You never know what nuggets congressional investigators will ...
Dueling Narratives of America
American Spectator - 13 hours ago
Or conversely, would his defeat mean that America has reverted to being a racist society? I DON'T THINK this is the main issue in the election. ...
Why This Election is So Close
Huffington Post, NY - Sep 19, 2008
Efforts to explain Gore's defeat and Obama's failure to break this race open, particularly among frustrated progressives-a group to which I also belong, ...

RushLimbaugh.com (subscription)
Democrats Panic, Blame Racism
RushLimbaugh.com (subscription), CA - Sep 17, 2008
TIME Magazine says the word "flashy" is code word for racist when you talk about Obama being flashy. CALLER: You know, one thing I want to go ahead and ...
LIMBAUGH CONTEXT.
Tapped, DC - Sep 19, 2008
Limbaugh complains now that it's a presidential election, but he had no problem "stoking racism" when he was trying to defeat the immigration bill. ...

Humor: Obama to Nation: “Fuck this shit, I’m outta here”

Too funny! Do check out this entry at Pancake City.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Urge For Going




"I get the urge for going
When the meadow grass is turning brown
Summertime is falling down and winter is closing in..."
by Joni Mitchell
Copyright © 1966; Siquomb Publishing Company


This morning saw a dawn temperature of 31¤F. I had to leave water on at a drip in the Airstream to keep the line from freezing. Left a heater going in there last night, in anticipation of the frost. Scraped frost off the rear window of the car in passing as I walked the dogs.

That's the final 'warning shot across the bow' -- the next one will be in earnest. Do I winterize the trailer now (safest) or do I wait in anticipation of getting in a few weekends of leisure before hitting the road? Hmmm...

For hit the road I must. Kerosene is already at $4.499 and really has nowhere to go but up. The last time I heated for a full winter in Maine the same fuel started at $1.599 and finished at $1.999 and we spent nearly twenty-five hundred dollars to heat four rooms to 60¤ and the cellar to just above the freezing point (most of the time).

I know we aren't alone in confronting this issue. Approximately 48% of Mainers are contemplating heating costs in excess of $5000 with a median income of under $21,000 for a family of four, while staggering under the burden of the highest taxes in the nation (income, sales and use and property taxes combined). An awful lot of families will confront hard choices this winter.

Do I feed the kids or keep them from freezing to death, hungry and penniless?

Or, if you prefer, my choice... Do I heat my home or take insulin and the other $750 per month of drugs prescribed, all of which my doctor assures me I need to continue to live?

Well, in my case, I have an option that few in this country have. I can go South for the winter, work as a box boy at the local Wal-Mart to buy groceries, and return to Maine in Summer to avoid the $500 per month air conditioning bill in the South. Big expense is gasoline to haul my portable home behind me. It is still cheaper to spend $2000 on gas each way than it is to stay here this winter.

I hate to leave - but leave I must. The first snowflake isn't far away now. The leaves are turning, the Snow Geese have already flown through, as I saw them a week ago Sunday gleaning a neighbor's hay field. I guess they got the urge for going a little early this year. Bodes poorly for this winter, doesn't it?

So I have the urge for going today. Thinking about all that needs doing before I can leave. Hoping I can get out of here before serious cold commences to chilling the life right out of the region...

Friday, September 12, 2008

Humor: Bobbitt Family Update

Bobbitt Family Update

In a recent news broadcast, it was announced that Lorena Bobbitt's sister Louella was arrested for an alleged attempt to perform the same act on her husband as her famous sister had done several years ago. Sources reveal the sister was not as accurate as Lorena. She allegedly missed the target and stabbed her husband in the upper thigh causing severe muscle and tendon damage. The husband is reported to be in serious, but stable condition, and Louella has been charged with a ......



A Misdewiener!



I Hate Ike...


Track Ike here


Much like the first campaign slogan to lodge in my awareness, the hurricanes of my youth are etched forever in memory. Sadly, my family and friends in Texas and Louisiana are about to be visited by one of the nightmares of my youth as Hurricane Ike grows to be the largest, most powerful storm to strike the Texas/Louisiana coastline in living memory.

No shit. I predict the impacts of Ike will far exceed the damages and death toll of Katrina. This is a bad one, folks. If you are a rational, caring human, start making your contributions to the American Red Cross. If you are a misanthrope, as I tend to be, consider supporting the rescue efforts to save the animals by supporting either the ASPCA's Disaster Response Team or the Noah's Wish Disaster Response Fund, if you do not wish to support the political activities of the ASPCA (I don't).

If you are one of the misbegotten mired in religion, do pray to your deity of choice for the lives of all who find themselves in the path of Ike or it's spawn. Then show where your true faith lies and dig out your checkbook and help like a rational, caring human, simply because it is the right thing to do.

If you are in the affected area, turn off the computer and hunker down -- it's going to be a rough one.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

A MUST-READ: The Pink Gorilla Suit


With a tip of the fedora in admiration of LawDog's mad story-telling skills (skilz):


And then the magnitude of the sheer depravity that local law enforcement was capable of hit Usual Suspect #3.

"... OhmyGawdohmyGawdohmyGawd," she gasped, bouncing up-and-down like a demented jack-in-the-box ...

"... Nonono,youdonunnerstand,nonono!" She took a deep breath, her expression one commonly seen upon the countenance of saints who have just beheld the vilest depths of the utter darkness of the human soul ...

"THEY."

"SKINNED."

"PINKY!!"







Image for illustrative purposes only and is the property of Buy Costumes dot Com, a great source for all of your costume needs.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Old Fogey Music Alert!

So you miss the songs of your youth or those of your folks? Born in the 1920's or '30's? Then you'll find this 78 RPM to MP3 music site of real interest. No Beatles here, but Guy Lombardo and George Gershwin, Rudy Vallee and early Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie and Fats Waller - they're here, too. It is a treasure trove of classics and they're available here at 78 Records, the brainchild of Cliff Bolling. You can read about what inspired him to post some 3,739 titles on this page linked to mp3's, here.

Make sure to bookmark the site -- it is worth visiting again and again. A real eye-opener for our children and grandchildren offering an unexpurgated view of our musical past in the first half of the Twentieth Century.

Monday, August 11, 2008

All Washed Up?

I'm going through a dry spell while she's on fire:

Memo to Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain



Sure am glad there's people who can still write out there.

Anyone got a big towel?

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Another Month

30 days gone by.

28 days without a computer,.

The hard drive in the desktop took a fatal dive some time the night of 8 July, eating the file allocation table and essentially destroying all of the data on the drive. So-called "restore disks" were useless at restoring anything and also, to add insult to injury, unable to transfer Windoze onto the replacement hard drive.

Disgusting.

Broke down, finally, and bought a new lap top. I figure that will be more useful while we're on the road than a desktop sitting at home.

Last thing I needed was to have to spend money on a new computer. But, I did. It's done.

So that is my explation as to why I haven't posted in a month. During that time, life has gone on. Weather here has been WET. Mildew and mold counts are "wicked high" as they say in the local parlance. Breath is a constant issue as a result. Definitely not swimming weather, that's for sure.

Finally fixed the phone line -- so, if you have been trying to call, no more busy signal. Yay!

The Mrs. has been having chest pains for a while now. Had a "cardiac catheterization" yesterday which reveals no blockages. Good news, indeed, but leaves the mystery of the cause of her chest pain unresolved.

I read a very interesting blog entry from a liberal experiencing the empowering strength that comes from singing the national anthem. Go over and give NZforme's thoughts a gander. I may not agree with her politics, but I have admired her writing for almost five years. I think you'll admire this entry, too.