| Greed: | Medium | |
| Gluttony: | Medium | |
| Wrath: | Very High | |
| Sloth: | Medium | |
| Envy: | Medium | |
| Lust: | Medium | |
| Pride: | Medium |
Take the Seven Deadly Sins Quiz
Friday, December 23, 2005
Sinners Rejoice Or I'll Smite Thee!
Dax made me do it. Take the Seven Deadly Sins test and see where YOU land on the spectrum, heheheh.
Take the Seven Deadly Sins Quiz
Take the Seven Deadly Sins Quiz
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Meme: Weekend Assignment #91
Weekend Assignment #91: Holiday Haiku!
| Things will get busy |
My entry:
Now here comes the Eve
that sorely tries men's souls:
“Some assembly required.”
Extra Credit (NOT!):
Freestyle verse has no rhyme nor reason,
save conveying emotion -- the feelings of the season.
So this holiday, be it Hanukkah, Kwanzaa,
Christmas or Yule,
May your dreams all be merry and your wishes come true.
Want to play along?
Just visit Blogmeister Johan Sebastian Scalzi's demesnes and copy the chore.
Then put it on your site and answer once more.
Leave a link in the comments or two or three,
or leave your responses, if no blog hath thee.
Letterman Restrained By Whack Job
In a year-end entertainment news story* that's sure to become a blogging favorite of the critics of judicial excess, a Santa Fe, New Mexico court judge has granted a petition for a TRO filed by a whack job of a woman alleging he sends her "secret messages and codes.." by his facial gestures during his show, Late Show With David Letterman. Way over the freaking judicial top, Santa Fe District Judge Daniel Sanchez.
* Oxymoron Alert!
Photo Slideshow - 2005 in Review
Via The Examining Room of Dr. Charles come this link to the Yahoo! News Year In Review.
Here Comes The Sun...
I let it slip by last night in the rush to start posting old AOL Journal entries (it's bloody time consuming). So a Merry Winter Solstice. May the coming of the sun warm the cockles and ventricles of your heart. May the surcease of the growing darkness signal a turnaround for your S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder). For those who believe in spirits, gods and goddesses, we turn now towards the light - despite the cold in the Northern Hemisphere, Jack Frost may rule the roost, but not too much longer before the warmth of Spring steals Northward every day a little bit farther, to overtake us in a burst of enveloping warmth. Oh yes, there's a mighty winter to be endured now, but someday, in three or four months, you'll wake up one morning and leave your home to discover a new feel to the air outside and you'll know ... Spring is in the air.
So a Merry Winter Solstice. Peace. Shalom. Happy Hanukkah. Feliz Navidad, for you Christians. And for the children all over the world who believe in an odd old elf delivering toys to good girls and boys, Merry Christmas!
So a Merry Winter Solstice. Peace. Shalom. Happy Hanukkah. Feliz Navidad, for you Christians. And for the children all over the world who believe in an odd old elf delivering toys to good girls and boys, Merry Christmas!
Too Funny
Gruntdoc does it again. Get yourself some of that old time christmas spirit with The Twelve Days of STI's (STD's for the Yanks amongst us.).
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Oh Christmas Tree (Or is that a Burning Yule Log?)
Your Monday Photo Shoot: Decorations!
Twas the monday before Christmas (and Hanukkah! And the Winter Solstice!) and all through AOL-J, John Scalzi was saying, "you know, people have too much to do for me to make a complicated Photo Shoot this week." So:Your Monday Photo Shoot: Show me the decorations! Yes, time to pimp your seasonal decorating bug, folks. Show us what you got. Take the picture, post it on your Journal/Blog, and then come back to leave a link. Easy!
So I took one of the tree and here it is in all 32" of it's fiber optic, undecorated glory!
I apologize for the blurry picture. Seems my tripod is in the car. Wife had the car. I have palsey and shake. Result=blurry picture in low light and slow speed. While flash might have cured it, that wasn't desireable, either, as then I'd have to do a bunch of photoshopping stuff out and who needs that? I did take a photo of the tree with a flash, but hated it. So I went back and took one of the lighthouse by itself. Just as bad. Handheld days are over for me, I guess.
Monday, December 19, 2005
TAGGED
TAGGED
Shelly tagged me for this meme over on her Cyber Chocolate blog. Hmmm...
Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so (and since I suspect they're supposed to be links, I've restored them):
-
Then you get to select five people to pass the love on to so they can do this meme, like so:
What were you doing 10 years ago?
I was working 16-18 hour days as a Code Enforcement Officer and spending my off-time online in an AOL chat room.
What were you doing 1 year ago?
Same thing I do now – not much. I write, I read, I watch TV.
Five snacks you enjoy:
1. Chocolate – M&M's – Yummy! Forbidden!!
2. Pretzels
3. Cheese
4. Corn chips – Fritos! Fritos! Fritos!
5. Herring Bits and Onions in Sour Cream
Five songs to which you know all the lyrics:
None. I have a horrible memory for song lyrics. I used to use “crib sheets” when I sang in a folk group. It is embarrassing. Really.
Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
1. Officially retire (instead of this no-man's land I inhabit now).
2. Move to a warmer climate in the winter.
3. Buy or build a home on the Maine coast for summertime use.
4. Give some money to my family.
5. Give some money to people in need.
Five bad habits:
1. Chewing my beard.
2. Substituting food for emotions.
3. Driving aggressively.
4. Impatience.
5. Twiddling my thumbs during boring conversations.
Five things you like doing:
1. Paddling a kayak.
2. Eating.
3. Reading.
4. Sleeping.
5. Watching TV.
Five things you would never wear again:
1. Tails.
2. Gaucho boots.
3. Coat and tie on a daily basis.
4. Tie-dyed t-shirts
5. Speedos.
Five favorite toys:
1. My PC.
2. GPS.
3. Model trains.
4. Boats.
5. Table Saw.
You don't need to be tagged to play along. Just blame it on me...
What's YOUR Porn Star Name?
MEME: Sunday Seven -- Episode 16
This could be a difficult question for you to answer, because most of you probably grab the remote when your favorite program takes a commercial break. But we'll give the topic of television commercials a try anyway. A few years ago, TV Guide compiled a list of the 50 Greatest Television Commercials. There have been plenty of contenders since then, but it's good for idea starters.
But first, it's time to recognize the first to play last week. It was the second week in a row that Jamilyn of "Jamilyn's Quiz Central" was first to answer! Congratulations again, Jamilyn!
On to the challenge!
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
What are your all-time favorite television commercials? If "favorite" isn't the right word for you, then what are the seven that tend to stand out the most in your mind? You can use the TV Guide list for some ideas if you're drawing a blank.
Either answer the question in a comment or answer it in your journal and include the link in a comment. (To be considered "first to play," a link must be to the specific entry in which you answered the question.)
Well now, I'm a child of TV as much as the next guy. As far as memorable commercials, I'm generally partial to humor first, grand imagery comes in a distant second place. Boobs will stop me in my tracks (hey, I'm a guy – it's genetic) and food porn – you know, those impossibly beautiful images on the Food Channel or Fine Living – generally gets my attention, too. Off the top of my head, without referring to the list cited above, my favorites include, in no particular order:
Doritos chick in the laundromat
Wendy's “Where's The Beef”
Doublemint chicks in bikinis – circa 1967
Jay Leno as the Fritos Bandito (also liked Pat Morita's version)
Taco Bell's “Yo quiero Taco Bell” chihuahua
“Death Takes A Holiday” series of Oldsmobile commercials
“The Christmas Kittens” -- Bangor Savings Bank
Those are mine; what's yours? To play along, get your copy of the question and leave a link to your answers in your blog (or your actual answers if you haven't got a blog) HERE. It's fast, easy, and prevents that crotch itch from festering. What more could you want?
MEME: Monday Madness -- Shrinkage Edition
Otto, the proprietress of Monday Madness, was heard to mutter into her hot chocolate on Sunday, December 18, 2005:
“Since I haven't received any emails from my faithful participants, offering questions (hint, hint), I will have to come up with my own...” =)
1. Name 1 toy you owned when you were younger, that meant a lot to you. A Tonka Powered Shovel Crane.
2. Name 2 games you enjoyed playing as a child. Monopoly™ and “War”
3. Name 3 foods you didn't like as a child, but do now. Brussels Sprouts and Artichoke Hearts
4. Name 4 foods you didn't like as a child, and still don't like. This may be impossible. I was a gourmand as a child and now I'm omnivorous. In other words, there wasn't much I wouldn't eat as a kid and there is even less I won't eat now. I never much cared for sheep eyes. Blood pudding put me off as a child but I like it now. The concept of “scrapple” was enough to keep it off my plate for a long time but once I tried it I liked it. I didn't like okra as a child but it turns out that was because my mother didn't know how to prepare it without turning it into a slimy mess. Frankly, I can't even think of one item that I wouldn't at least give a fair try these days. There are things I am not wild about, like raw hot dogs, raw eggs and similar gastronomic fringe elements, but in the main, if it qualifies as food, I'll eat it.
Want to participate? Get your questions at the Monday Madness web site and leave a link (or your answers) in the comments there. Easy. Try it – it's fun. And it cures carbuncles, too!
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Meme: Saturday Six -- Episode 88
|
By Patrick Posted on: Sun, Dec 18 2005 10:35 AM Excuses, excuses. Patrick is full of them this week. If you ask me, he over-indulged with the chick from the property room and a bottle of Dom at the annual station Christmas Party. Here's what HE has to say for himself.
“Sorry I'm a bit late with this, but better late than never!
| ||
| You Are Corn on the Cob Soda | ||
| Like sucking on a stick of butter | ||
| What Jones Holiday Soda Are You?
Sure, why not? I like butter. I like corn on the cob. With what they can do in the lab these days with flavors (ever try the flavored water “Golden Peach” at WalMart?), it's gonna be tasty. I'd choose the role of Prime Minister as played by Hugh Grant in the story Love Actually. He plays a bumbling, tangle-tongued fellow who has no finesse with women but has the stones and drive to become the PM of Great Britain! A juicy role. And the gal who falls for him isn't half bad, either. Here's a quote: Prime Minister: “Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around.” | ||
Humor: The Human Condition
Stolen shamelessly from Christina, who seemed to be embarassed by her mother telling this story:
This Cajun man with a wife and five kids decided one day he had had enough. He threw his small bundle of belongings in his pirogue and began slowly poling down the narrow and shallow bayou. His wife walked along the bank imploring him to stay.
She asked: “What about the kids?”
He replied: “I’m leaving you.”
“How are we going to eat?”
“I’m leaving you.”
“Who is going to take care of us?”
“I’m leaving you.”
Pulling up her skirt, she asked: “Well, who is going to take care of this?”
After looking back at her, he began poling in reverse, shook his head, and sadly stated: “One of these day, I’m gonna leave you.”
Meme: Unconcious Muttering -- Week 150
Unconscious Mutterings
Free association is described as a "psychonanalytic procedure in which a person is encouraged to give free rein to his or her thoughts and feelings, verbalizing whatever comes into the mind without monitoring its content." Over time, this technique is supposed to help bring forth repressed thoughts and feelings that the person can then work through to gain a better sense of self.
That's an admirable goal, but for the purposes of this excercise, we're just hoping to have a little fun with the technique. Each week I'll post ten words to which you can respond to with the first thing that comes to mind.
"Rules are, there are no rules." There are no right or wrong answers. Don't limit yourself to one word responses; just say everything that pops into your head. AND you don't have to have your words up on Sunday. Take all week if you want! 
Sunday, December 18, 2005
3 hours, 59 minutes ago
I say ... and you think ... ?
Replenish:: refill
People:: crowds
Trend:: style
Girlfriends:: memories
Spirit:: joi d' vivre
Banshee:: wailing
Oasis:: water
Thrills:: chills
Fountain:: soda
Boxes:: Boxing Day
So you want to play along, eh Toots? Simple enough. Grab the words here. Leave a link to your answers (or the answers themselves if you haven't got a blog of your own) in the comments at La Luna Niña's place. You'll be glad you did (and your cold sore will spontaneously disappear as quickly as it first appeared to blight your countenance).
Meme: Weekend Assignment #90
Weekend Assignment #90: Holiday Memories
John Scalzi urges us all to put our thinking caps on and turn up the “Way Back Machine”
“In all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it's good to take a moment to remember that this time of year is full of wonderful memories. And that brings us to this week's Weekened Assignment:”
“Weekend Assignment #90: Share a treasured holiday memory. If it happened during the holiday season (which means, basically, from the the day after Thanksgiving to the end of the Bowl Games), it's eligible.”
“Extra credit: Fruitcake: Ever, you know, had any?”
As you know, the idea is to write up the Weekend Assignment in your own blog or journal, and then come back here to leave a link in the comments so everyone can click through to visit your site and read your story. It's all about the links, baby! (And the varnish clogging your fuel injectors will automagically dissolve, too!)
The voice on the other end of the phone was young, very young. Definitely not “my” kids.
“Merry Christmas, Chief,” s/he said. A ha!, One of my firefighters' kids, I thought to myself.
“Why thank you, little one. And who might you be?” I managed to get out without slurring. I was already three sheets to the wind and hellbent on getting very, very drunk. This was my first Christmas without wife and children and I was feeling the pain and hopelessness.
“Just someone who wanted you to have a Merry Christmas. Bye Now.” Click. She was gone.
I was pretty sure it was the youngest daughter of my Deputy Chief. She'd always had a thing for following me around when he brought her to the station. Sweet kid.
Twenty years later and I can still hear that little voice in my mind. I still don't know who it was that called that Christmas Eve. I still remember how sad and maudlin I got after we finished that short conversation, before I passed out. But I also remember that it short-circuited a vague plan I had of killing myself that night, after I'd taken enough 'liquid courage' aboard. Just because someone still wished me well, even if my family didn't...
Fruit cake. There's commercial “fruit cake” not worthy of the name with mystery sweet meats of candied, jellied green and blue and purple “fruit,” a handfull of raisins and more chemical preservatives than Carter's has pills in a dough made in July for the Christmas trade and wrapped in cellaphane “for freshness”. Bah, humbug.
Then there's homemade fruitcake, the solid counterpart of the ambrosia of the gods. Best I ever had was by a sweet, “Aunt Jemima” lookalike cook who worked for a friend of my father's down in Georgia. They'd hand pick pecans ever year and send us up a couple of gigantic pecan pies at Thanksgiving and a tin of pecans and another of fruitcake for Christmas. And like all good Southern Fruit Cakes, she was wrapped in a linen tea towel, and soaked in a quart of bourbon. Fine raisins, currants, dates, figs and cherries, dark, blackstrap molasses, grahm and white flour, sweet creamery butter and the finest whiskey that Tennessee had to offer, all inside of a doubled plastic bag packed in a metal tin. Weighed at least five pounds; it was brown gold. And I couldn't ever get enough of it. Now that's good eating.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
They're "MY Special Qualities, not Captain Kirk's"
A Quirky Meme
| ...for which we blog about our 5 quirky habits, then tag 5 others after putting the instructions here. |
I got tagged by Shelly, who was tagged by Kate, who was tagged by Lot, who begat Letty, who bore Samuel... you get the idea. A meme. About quirks. MY quirks. And maybe yours?
I chew my beard, particularly if I am watching TV. Nope, no idea why I do it.
I used to be an OCD “counter” when I was a kid. It was a phase I went through for about a year in fourth or fifth grade. I stopped on my own. It briefly reappeared right after my mother died, but again spontaneously stopped on its own.
I hate to step on the joints in a sidewalk. Just the concrete ones, and just the joints – natural cracks do not phase me in the least. Been that way all my life.
When swimming, I prefer to be under water, rather than swimming on the surface.
I love Charles Dickens' “A Christmas Carol” even though I am not a christian nor do I celebrate the birth of the christ child.
There, five of my many, many quirks. No sign of William Shatner, either.
Now it's your turn, Anna. And Vince. Remo. Simon. Pam. And any of you who'd like to play along – feel free to blame it on me.
The War On Solstice
Nanvirus has a wonderful rant on this subject that I wish I'd written. Read it and weep (or laugh).
Too Big For Their Britches...
As I surmised on someone's comment thread the other day, my favorite aggregator and newsreader Bloglines has been slower than molasses running up hill on a sub-zero day in Maine, because they're busting the servers left and right, liberal and conservative, too!
See here - they even admit to their shortcomings! Now THAT is the way to run a railroad ... and relief is on the horizon. Kewl!!
See here - they even admit to their shortcomings! Now THAT is the way to run a railroad ... and relief is on the horizon. Kewl!!
Tuesday Two - Episode 10
Patrick's got himself some Christmas spirit, to wit, he's giving us CHOICES. See?
“There's a unique feature of the "Tuesday Two" that appears every tenth edition. From the start, I've pointed out that the rules are you answer only one of the questions, but not both. Now that we've reached the tenth edition, you find out why.
“First, though, I want to recognize Yaya1 of "My Thoughts," who was first to answer last week's questions about the Future.
“This time, instead of giving you two questions related to a single topic, I'm going to give you two previous editions and you have to choose one of them and answer the question that you dodged the first time around. If you thought you were taking the easy way out, you might find out that the harder question is still one that's waiting for you! (Insert evil laugh here.)
“So, go back and visit these two editions. (If you played before, you'll have to remember which question you answered, because the old links won't be there. You're welcome to leave links to your original responses at these entries if you wish.)
Episode 4: PREJUDICE
or
Episode 5 (A Double Topic): SONGS or YOUR WORST ENEMY
“Once you've selected your previously-unanswered question, the same procedures apply: either answer it in a comment here, or answer it in your journal and leave a link here.”
Well, going back in the archives, it seems I didn't do the Tuesday Two – Episode 5, so that'll be this week's choice. Not really, as my relationship to music is rarely about identifying myself in the music. No one is out there writing songs about me. Just as well. It's called the “Top 40” not the “Snooze Loozers 10.”
Lots of songs capture a feeling or a mood I resonate to. Sometimes, it's a situational thing. Something going wrong or right in my life and a bit of music corresponds with how I'm feeling. Other times, I swear the music is acting as a trigger for the mood, particularly anger. Maybe I should stop listening to heavy metal. And that bleed-over from the christian rock station that comes in on the phone line just plain pisses me off.
There is not as much music in my life as there once was, even though there are more opportunities for me to listen. But, as I age, I am coming to appreciate silence where once I had to be surrounded by noise. I no longer reflexively turn the radio on when I get into the car. Now, I consciously choose to listen to a special show, say Celtic music or “Hearts of Space” while I wait for my wife's release from the salt mines. While I have ever more opportunities to surround myself with the sounds of angelic voices or satanic minions, what with XM satellite radio available on DirectTV and thousands of “radio” stations available over the Internet, I find myself most often turning to “old” music. That is, my musical companions from twenty thirty, even forty years ago. I derive as much pleasure listening to something sweetly obscure from my collection, such as Richard and Mimi Farina singing a duet in 1965 as I could listening to Coldplay's “Talk” performance at “Austin City Limits” this week.
A long way to say a short thing and not at all what I suspect Patrick was fishing for. And so it goes...
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
This Is A Classic
Via Blog Happens:
Now that's a gun cleaning kit!
Interesting way to clean your gun -- stuff it full of sausage meat!
Now that's a gun cleaning kit!
Interesting way to clean your gun -- stuff it full of sausage meat!
Monday, December 12, 2005
I've been remiss...
or at least amongst the missing. Something about the "holidays" pisses me off no end. I find myself driving aggressively. I am short with clerks (which is really the height of stupidity - I was a clerk in a previous incarnation). I am snippy with my wife.
IT SUCKS.
And, if last year is any indication, my drive to blog drops to nil. No election to be peeved about this year, either. Just the season. Grrrrr...
So, if it appears I'm not here as much -- give that man a star! See you on the flip side. Or whenever I get my mojo working again. In the meantime, have a happy whatever; be it channukah, kwanzaa, solstice, yule or christmas, boxing day, new year or "free beer at the race track" day. What ever hoes your beets.
By the by, as I noted in brief under the Unconcious Mutterings below, the finest, most outrageous mainstream comedian my generation produced died on Saturday from a heart attack at 65. Richard Pryor, may you rest in peace, your "rep" is safe for the future and that is all that truly matters.
IT SUCKS.
And, if last year is any indication, my drive to blog drops to nil. No election to be peeved about this year, either. Just the season. Grrrrr...
So, if it appears I'm not here as much -- give that man a star! See you on the flip side. Or whenever I get my mojo working again. In the meantime, have a happy whatever; be it channukah, kwanzaa, solstice, yule or christmas, boxing day, new year or "free beer at the race track" day. What ever hoes your beets.
By the by, as I noted in brief under the Unconcious Mutterings below, the finest, most outrageous mainstream comedian my generation produced died on Saturday from a heart attack at 65. Richard Pryor, may you rest in peace, your "rep" is safe for the future and that is all that truly matters.
MEME: Sunday Seven - Episode 15
- Little Drummer Boy
- Deck The Halls
- Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer
- Barking Jingle Bells
- The Chipmunks' "Christmas Cheer"
- Greensleeves (Whose Child Is This )
- O Tannenbaum
Meme: Saturday Six -- Episode 87
Saturday Six - Episode 87
Welcome!
If it's a publicly-funded school, all religious references would be removed. If it's a private school, then I'd let them stay and deal with the negative feedback. Why? Because it is the public funding of religion, in this case christianity, that is forbidden by a strict interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. I don't think it harmful to have hymns or "christmas" or christian or jewish, or islamic, or buddhist, sufi or Ba'hai or any other religion discussed in an academic comparative religions course. The "founding fathers" didn't provide for promotion of christianity in the schools precisely because they knew the history of the horrendous conflicts the mixing of religion and government could cause.
That's difficult to answer. If the wife and I hold to the decision to NOT do presents this year then I am all done. If, as I suspect it will, that decision falls by the wayside in the days leading up to the traditional holiday, then I'm pooched (as in "screwed the pooch").
Monopoly. I don't know. I haven't played a board game since my kids were young teens. My youngest is now 35 - it's been a while.
Salvador Dali Salvador Dali should paint your portrait. You love to think about the world in a different way then everyone else. You are very ambitious, and you like strange things. You are curious about everything and love to learn. Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com |
Not very accurate as I am not ambitious. I am curious and I am strange, but I am not of the opinion that my thoughts are different from everyone else's.
Actually, there are lots of dead folks I'd love to be photographed with. Then I could collect on the Amazing Randi's 1 Million dollar Challenge! Ok, ok. If I had to chose just one, it would be my brother, Rick. There aren't any photos extant of him as an adult with his brothers.
Meme: Unconcious Muttering -- Week 149
Unconscious Mutterings
Free association is described as a "psychonanalytic procedure in which a person is encouraged to give free rein to his or her thoughts and feelings, verbalizing whatever comes into the mind without monitoring its content." Over time, this technique is supposed to help bring forth repressed thoughts and feelings that the person can then work through to gain a better sense of self.
That's an admirable goal, but for the purposes of this excercise, we're just hoping to have a little fun with the technique. Each week I'll post ten words to which you can respond to with the first thing that comes to mind.
"Rules are, there are no rules." There are no right or wrong answers. Don't limit yourself to one word responses; just say everything that pops into your head. AND you don't have to have your words up on Sunday. Take all week if you want!
Sunday, December 11, 2005
I say ... and you think ... ?
- Stalker::hunter
- Outrageous::Richard Pryor (RIP)
- Carrying::Place (portage)
- Spirited::exchange
- Oh!::Fuck!!
- Grid::Iron
- Country::music
- Karen::Mavarin
- Candles::church altar
- Relationship::just friends
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Eye Spy With My One Eye...
Image ©2005 Site Meter, Inc.
MONITOR RESOLUTION of Visitors To The Daily Snooze
Now this interests me. I've been giving thought for awhile to a template change. But I resisted, because more than 50% of the visitors to the Snooze on AOL were using a screen resolution of 800 X 600 or less. Not so over here, it appears. You folks either have better eyesight, newer computers, or the loss of AOL's browser has forced you to recognize there's a whole lot more desktop real estate out there than you ever knew existed. Finally! Glad to see it happen, frankly. Now I can feel free to bump this puppy up in size a bit without fear of alienating the majority of my readers (never a good thing to do when you have so few to start with ;D ).
One lump or two?
I just finished reading an entry by blog buddy nzforme concerning a charitable web site called Donors Choose. It got me reminiscing, fueled by the plight of the third grade teacher and her freezing students ... along with AOL's all day CD Marathon of "Working Class Hero" in honor of the death of John Lennon twenty-five years ago today.
Now, I remember many the morn, when the bus dropped us off, that walking into the schoolroom was akin to total immersion in the big freezers at the co-op food lockers in town (back in those days, only the richest folks had a separate freezer. You rented space in a big walk-in freezer and would make a trip once or twice a month to pick up food to stash in your icebox at home, usually tied into grocery shopping when you'd also drop off food for storage). There was no helping it. The damned fools at the school board had ordered the teacher to lower the thermostat to 50 degrees every afternoon at 2:00 PM. It wasn't to be raised until a half hourbefore class was to commence to 70 degrees.
Sounds like a nice, conservative method of keeping school heating costs in check, doesn't it? It does not take into consideration the“flywheel effect.” Namely, this was a 200+ year old schoolhouse made of stone and mortar with a plaster coat on the inside. No insulation. Lots and lots of leaky old single pane glass windows. The school was wide open to the harsh winds of winter on the North and West. That building never got warm in winter. By the time you'd start feeling the heat, it was time to turn off the boiler (set the thermostat back) and go home. Complaining didn't do a lick of good. But I'll tell you what did.Seems a new member was elected to the school board and her daughter attended the second grade at that schoolhouse with me. I think her name was “Connie” and she was a frail, pitiful-looking thing. When she developed pneumonia after being unable to shake a fall cold, suddenly the order regarding turn back of the thermostat was rescinded. And the rest of that year was spent in the relative comfort of 65°F. (the compromise temperature), much warmer than we'd been the year before. And we didn't use any more coal than the prior year! Seems the old boiler didn't have to work as hard maintaining a constant moderate temperature as opposed
to overcoming the set back temperature every morning. Oh, it was chilly on Monday mornings (they turned it back over the weekend) but that was a small price to pay for the relative comfort the rest of the time.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
MEME: Ten Happiness & Five Wonders
I got tagged. So here you go. A meme unplanned for. Dangling participle or some such. I don't care – read the answers.
List ten things that make you happy (in no particular order), and then tag five people to do the same.
The joyful greeting that Willow gives me every time I let her out of her kennel.
“Little P” and “Pumpkin” taking time out of their alpha cat duties to greet me every time I come outside.
That little smile my wife gets after an orgasm.
A photo turning out right. (Much easier with digital, but still, I get that little rush when it's a “keeper.”)
Entering a curve, power on, picking the perfect line so the apex slides by *just so* then applying even more power as I exit with the tires chirping their protest.
Watching my brother when he paddles in earnest. He's so damn graceful.
Sitting in the shade of a tall old tree on a hot summer's day, remembering vignettes of the kids and their mom, back in the day.
That first drink of the day. The thunks and then the clink of the ice as I extract it from the freezer bin and drop it into their iced vessel, the oily slide of the whiskey around the ice cubes, burning off the frost as it slowly rises towards the rim of the double old fashioned glass. There is such promise in the crack of an ice cube adjusting to new temperatures as it lies in the nectar of the gods. The bouquet as I bring it to my nose. It was a good year, made better by a splash of soda – the proper counterpoint to the scotch, anathema of bourbon. Then that first sip. Liquid fire spreading down my throat, the involuntary shiver as the super-cooled alcohol hits my gullet and “They're Off!”
Seventeen years without a drink. But I remember it like it was only yesterday.
The crack of an ash baseball bat as I knock one out of the park in my dreams of greatness. Even if I”m only shagging flyballs for the dog to chase.
The calm that envelopes me as I confront another of my fears in a dangerous situation. There's nothing purer, more elemental than that. Try it. You might like it, too.
OK, the instructions by Cynthia of A Crazy Quilt Life are to tag five (5) more people to play. So I am picking some of my favorite bloggers: Carly, Andrea, Vince, Shelly, Gerrit. Go forth and be fruitflies. Or something like that...
TV: An Amazing Rant
Are you a big fan of REality TV, such as The Amazing Race? If so, try this wonderful rant by writer Tod Goldberg on for size. No, it is't directed at you ... unless your name is Weaver.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
SAM Attack Ignored By Media
Tryptophan-induced lethargy? Strong-arm threats from the administration? True laziness? Fear of reprisal?
Who knows? What is known is the mainstream media (MSM) have been ignoring reports of a Surface-to-Air missle (SAM) attack on a American Airlines jet liner upon takeoff from LAX .
Rather than repeat what has been already written, I direct you to Witnit's excellent coverage.
It just pisses me off no end that the Pettybees think they can sit on a story like this. Bastards!
UPDATE: Here's a follow-up to the previous info. Very interesting. And you never heard a thing on the evening news about it, now did you?
Who knows? What is known is the mainstream media (MSM) have been ignoring reports of a Surface-to-Air missle (SAM) attack on a American Airlines jet liner upon takeoff from LAX .
Rather than repeat what has been already written, I direct you to Witnit's excellent coverage.
It just pisses me off no end that the Pettybees think they can sit on a story like this. Bastards!
UPDATE: Here's a follow-up to the previous info. Very interesting. And you never heard a thing on the evening news about it, now did you?
MEME: Tuesday Two - Episode 9
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
For those who have never played, the rules are simple: {Patrick} offers two different questions, both related to the same topic, but you only choose one of them to actually answer.
Last week, Jamilyn of "Quiz Me: Jamilyn's Quiz Central" was first to answer the question about "Charity." Congratulations, Jamilyn.
Now, onto this week's choice of questions. And remember: don't answer both questions! You'll find out why next week!
THIS WEEK'S TOPIC: THE FUTURE
QUESTION A:
You are given the chance to open one of three envelopes. The first, labeled "WHEN," will reveal the exact date and time of your death; the second, labeled "HOW," will reveal the method of your demise, and the third, marked "VALUE," would reveal how much or how little you will be remembered after you're gone. If you had to select and read the contents of one of the envelopes, which would you choose and why?
or
QUESTION B:
You receive an email that is sent to you from yourself 10 years in the future. After reading the first paragraph, you recognize your distinctive style and there are enough authenticating details to eliminate any doubt but that the letter is -- somehow -- from your future self. The second paragraph indicates that there are three critical dates coming in the next ten years that you need to be aware of, so that you can make "better decisions" than the ones this future self made. If the scenarios described did NOT contain the actual decision this alternate you already made, but only focused on what conflict you'd be faced with so that you could have advance notice to think about how you might react, would you be willing to read about those three events?
For each pair, choose A or B, (indicate which question you're answering!) then either answer the question in a comment here or answer it in your journal and include the link in a comment. (To be considered "first to play," a link must be to the specific entry in which you answered the question.)
Remember: choose one or the other in each pair...not both!
I'll be answering the first question, thank you. One of Robert Heinlein's earliest stories concerned a seer who could do what you have asked. He could “see” the date, time and manner of your death. It was a good little story and I enjoyed it thoroughly as it served as fodder for an inner discussion (AKA “head noise”).
So yes, I would choose an envelope, specifically “WHEN.” I see no point in concerning myself with how the future views me. That's their problem, not mine. I don't particularly care to know the mechanism of my death, although the larcenist in me would stick it to a life insurance company in a heartbeat for a big payout. But the date and time could be a useful estate planning tool. While I'm attached to living, I also know that life comes to an end with amazing regularity. As an organism in the general scheme of things I have been highly unsuccessful as I consciously chose to not replicate myself or to provide for the continuation of my genes – the sole purpose of life at its most elemental. But, I am married and the sentimental portion of my mind would like to assure myself I have made adequate provisions for the continued care and support of my wife after I shuffle off this mortal coil. If I knew when, I could assure myself that all was ready for her future without me.
Keep the faith and mind the creek don't rise. Look on the bright side – Wednesday is hump day. You know what THAT means, don't you? Somewhere, a bunch of employees are humping in the back room...
And so it goes.
Anna's Word Association
Blame it on Annalisa, as she is really far more complex and disturbing than she lets on in her blog, Simple and Satisfying.
1. God = myth
2. Inspire = exhale
3. Rattle = death
4. Belief = magical thinking
5. Carriage = house
6. Pound = avoirdupois
7. Slippery = when wet
8. Virtue = hard to come by
9. Count = Chocula
10. Dreams = nightmares
1. God = myth
2. Inspire = exhale
3. Rattle = death
4. Belief = magical thinking
5. Carriage = house
6. Pound = avoirdupois
7. Slippery = when wet
8. Virtue = hard to come by
9. Count = Chocula
10. Dreams = nightmares
HUMOR: Top 10 Signs Your Dog's A Doppelganger!
Has Been Replaced By a Robot Dog
- No longer has any problem typing. In fact, he's posted naked pictures of your cat on the Web.
- "Fetch!" "I'm afraid I can't do that, Dave."
- After he's mangled in a terrible explosion, his one-armed torso still pursues the mailman.
- When you fake throwing a ball for him to fetch, you hear, "Projectile Analysis Module reports error Division By Zero -- Aborting!"
- He not only chases cars, he catches them, drags them back, and buries them in the front yard.
- Pages you when little Timmy falls down the old well.
- Frequently eats documents left lying around the house, presses tail into phone jack, and leaves you with expensive long-distance phone bills to China.
- Three words: "Yo quiero Pennzoil."
- Tell-tale oil stains when he drags his butt across the carpet.
- Run-in with the invisible fence makes for the greatest Fourth of July spectacle the town's ever seen.
without crediting "The Top 5 List at http://www.topfive.com" ]
Blogspot Freeze?
I haven't been able to see my blog in Firefox for most of the night. Well, since 6 PM EST or so until just now. I HAVE been able to post entries. I just couldn't see the results until now.
Odd, that.
Odd, that.
Monday, December 05, 2005
Meme: Unconcious Muttering -- Week 148
Unconscious Mutterings:: Free association
is described as a "psychonanalytic procedure in which a person is encouraged to give free rein to his or her thoughts and feelings, verbalizing whatever comes into the mind without monitoring its content." Over time, this technique is supposed to help bring forth repressed thoughts and feelings that the person can then work through to gain a better sense of self.
That's an admirable goal, but for the purposes of this excercise, we're just hoping to have a little fun with the technique. Each week I'll post ten words to which you can respond to with the first thing that comes to mind.
"Rules are, there are no rules." There are no right or wrong answers. Don't limit yourself to one word responses; just say everything that pops into your head. AND you don't have to have your words up on Sunday. Take all week if you want!
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Words were posted 1 day, 18 hours, 46 minutes ago
I say ... and you think ... ?
Amazing:: Kreskin ( an old magician, in case you were born after 1980)
Delights:: afternoon
Inspired:: rendering
Disgusted:: repulsed
You:: and me and baby makes three
Vagina:: yoni
Palm:: hearts of
Sweetheart:: SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed)
Guilt:: I have some...
More to come:: After the break
Want to play along? It's easy. Just swing by La Luna Niña's place and grab this week's words and supply your responses on your own blog or in the comments over at that crazy chica's virtual abode. What could be simpler? And you know, I can guarantee you won't be burning no more tortillas if you do as I say and only stoke the fire a little at a time, mi gordita corazon ...
Is Everybody On Drugs?
Here via Dr. ibear, aka as the proprietor of Doc Around The Clock, is a link to a very funny cartoon entitled "License To Pill." This animated mayhem is set to Billy Joel's song We Didn't Start the Fire. Only the lyrics have been changed to protect the guilty.
Dial-up users are going to be frustrated as all get out with an hour or two download. Trust me when I say it is worth it. Have I ever steered you wrong? (Uncle Jesse, I told you that on purpose to get you to stop hitting on my wife. Any fool with half a brain, not physically connected to his balls, knows there are no cows giving out chocolate milk, be they Dutch Friesans or not...)
Dial-up users are going to be frustrated as all get out with an hour or two download. Trust me when I say it is worth it. Have I ever steered you wrong? (Uncle Jesse, I told you that on purpose to get you to stop hitting on my wife. Any fool with half a brain, not physically connected to his balls, knows there are no cows giving out chocolate milk, be they Dutch Friesans or not...)
MEME: Monday Madnes -- On The Move!
This week's questions are all about moving... Have fun, and thank you so much for playing! =)
When is the last time you moved? 1977
How many times in your life have you moved? 19, I think. Might have been more. Most happened between 1968 and 1977.
In your opinion, what is the worst thing about moving? The physical labor involved. It is so reminiscent of doing repetitive chores, like laundry or dishes and just as unrewarding.
What is the most exciting thing about moving? Change. Change is exciting, exhilarating, fearsome, wondrous and tedious, all in one.
If you've lived in the same place all your life, do you plan to move in the future? N/A
Do you WANT to move somewhere else; if so, where? Yep. Someplace warmer, where winter isn't the dominant climatological feature of life. But, before my step-daughter goes kerplatz from anticipation, not Louisiana anytime soon. For one thing, too hot. But on a more practical level, any thoughts of imminent moves to the land of mud bugs and beer have been squashed by the destruction wrought by Katrina. It'll be years before the area recovers to a point where I wouldn't be consumed by guilt for taking away a housing opportunity by someone less fortunate.
Maybe North Carolina. It's just this foolish need to be close to salt water, I guess. Florida is OK for me, but SWMBO says no. The rest of the Gulf is FUBARed for the time being. So I don't know. Texas is a no-no to both of us. Any farther to the north and you are back into major winter unpleasantness in my book. So what do you suggest, hmm?
~~~~~
You know the drill by now, unless the concept of memes is completely foreign to you. You visit the Monday Madness web site where you pick up a set of these questions to use on your blog. No blog? No problemo. Just leave your answers to the questions in the comments over there at Otto's. And if you do answer these in your own blog, leave a link to your answers in Otto's comments, too. You'll be so glad you did. And, you know, that embarrassing little coprophagia problem you've been having? Like sprinkling with Accent meat tenderizer, your appetite for eating shite will disappear!
And so it goes, comrades in arns. Have a good week, all you toilers in the salt mines. May you be lifted up by the spirits in your still and still have spirit enough to get it up...
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Sunday Seven - Episode 14
Now that November sweeps is over, the world focuses on the holiday season, and television stations and networks are scrambling to fill their schedules with holiday programming throughout the month. That should get you started in your pondering about this week's question.
But first, it's time to recognize Betty of "Of Mini-paws and menopause," as the first person to answer last week's question about gift ideas! Congratulations, Betty!
On to the challenge!
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
What holiday movies or television specials are a regular part of your family's holiday rituals? Are there certain movies or shows that you really like to watch year after year? List up to seven productions that really help get you in the spirit of the season.
Either answer the question in a comment or answer it in your journal and include the link in a comment. (To be considered "first to play," a link must be to the specific entry in which you answered the question.)
The Christmas Carol – I watch every version I can get my hands on, but the Basil Rathbone B&W is still my favorite, with Scott's version my favorite modern version.
Miracle On 34th Street – the original, B&W version
The Nightmare Before Christmas – because I'm warped that way.
Bad Santa – same reason as above – I'm just warped
The Santa Clause – I'm a sentimental old fool
The Ref – best depiction of a middle class nightmare of an xmas eve redeemed I've ever seen. And I lived through dozens of them...
It's A Wonderful Life – It would take a quart of bourbon or more, but I'd manage to sit through this drivel with the tears (alcohol-induced) pouring down my face along with George...
Here's hoping SOMEONE comes out with better holiday fare!
Saturday Six - Episode 86
Here's the latest edition of the Six!
For those who'd like to join in on the fun, playing is simple: you can either answer the questions in this journal or you can answer them in your own blog and leave a link. It is strongly recommended that you answer the journals in your blog and post the link...since several of the people who are playing have relocated away from AOL, it's important that everyone knows where your new (or temporary) blogging homes are, so if you don't mind, leave a first name and your journal's link, just so we can find you easier!
You don't have to have relocated away from AOL to play: AOL journal writers are as welcome as ever.
But before the questions, the tradition of the "Saturday Six" is to recognize the first one to play the week before. It was EmmapeelDallas, of "talking to myself," who was the first person to play last week. Congratulations!
Here are this week's "Saturday Six" questions. Either answer the questions in a comment here, or put the answers in an entry on your journal...but either way, leave a link to your journal so that everyone else can visit! To be counted as "first to play," you must be the first player to either answer the questions in a comment or to provide a complete link to the specific entry in your journal in which you answer the questions. A link to your journal in general cannot count. Enjoy!
1. Is it a "Christmas Tree" or a "Holiday Tree?"
It's an “xmas tree” buster. Wanna make something of it?
2. When you purchase a DVD, what of the following are you most interested in watching first: the movie itself, the director's commentary, the deleted scenes, the bloopers or the behind-the-scenes documentary, and why?
I like to watch the movie first. Everything else is extra. I only rarely listen to the commentaries, but I love the gag reel and deleted scenes and wish they'd include more of them. I was really pissed yesterday to discover that “The Polar Express” has no extras of any sort.
3. What would you most like to accomplish before the year is over?
Nothing comes to mind.
4. Take this quiz: After you enter your birthday, you'll be given a lot of facts about your age and astrology: How old are you in dog years?
Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 7.89784735812133 years old.
5. From the same quiz, what does it say your "Life Path Number" is, and do you agree with its description?
11; no.
6. Do you have a piece of jewelry with your birthstone in it? If so, how often do you wear it?
No, therefore, never.
If you have a Reader's Choice question you'd like to see asked (and answered), click the e-mail link on the About Me bar at Patrick's Weekender and send it to me.
December's Game: CKS2
Here's a game to pass away all that spare time this month. Really appropriate for NRA members, feline haters and politically-incorrect curmudgeons (is there any other kind?). I loved it. Even if I did find out about it from one of those big-time bloggers...
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Meme: Weekend Assignment #88
Weekend Assignment #88: The Good New Days
Taking a page off my long ramble about technology yesterday, a Weekend Assignment to make you glad you're alive right this moment:
Weekend Assignment #88: Talk about something people have today that you wished you had when you were a kid. Note this doesn't have to be a piece of technology -- it can be anything that's around now that wasn't around when you were a kid. Clearly, this assignment favors the older folks in the audience, but even the younger AOL Journalers can look around and find something that they wish they had back when they could try to convince their parents to buy it for them.
Extra Credit: Rocket car to the moon or robot butler: Which do you want more?
Dear John,
There's no question that things have changed over time. And as several have pointed out, coveting some piece of high-tech would also imply consequential acceleration of other technologies to make the first bit feasible. A curmudgeon's conundrum.
I sort of wish they had all these neato manufacturers of high quality model railroading equipment that exist today. When I was a kid, you had either Tyco or Lionel to deal with for HO-gauge rolling stock, engines were underpowered, unable to haul more than three or four cars without problems and the stuff was cheesey.
My, how the times have changed. SWMBO and I are contemplating a new layout that will model the transition period of the fifties and sixties. She likes it because she'll be able to run steam engines. I like it because it IS my era. I came of age then. My memories of the seventies aren't all that pleasant, what with Vietnam, Nixon, Watergate, inflation, etc., but the sixties ... that was a different story entirely.
We expect to eventually spend hundreds, perhaps thousands on just a small layout for the spare bedroom. We are doing it for the kids inside of us. Our grandchildren live too far away and the neighbors have all convinced their kids to avoid the crazy old fart down the road that lives in the haunted house (it's very old and has lights on all night long! Brrrrrr, scary, dudes). We hope to have a combination carnival and circus as well as urban and rural scenes. That would have required building every scene from scratch in the sixties, or going with a larger gauge. Now they have laser cut kits and have perfected weathering techniques which give buildings and rolling stock that "lived in" look that makes the difference between "that's nice" and "wow, would you look at how real that scene looks."
So, there's my very selfish thoughts on what I wish I'd been able to get as a kid, because then I might have stuck with the hobby, instead of letting it slide for 40 years.
By the way, my choice would be the robot butler. And the robot maids. The robotic secretary would be nice, too. How soon can they be delivered?
Make sure you get some great gifts for your gals -- don't count on Sandy Paws to do all the gifting for you. Parsimony does NOT start at home.
And so it goes...
wil
Humor: Bird Flu Symptoms
A little levity is in order, even if I DO have all the symptoms:
Center for Disease Control has released a list of symptoms of bird flu. If you experience any of the following, please seek medical treatment immediately:
Center for Disease Control has released a list of symptoms of bird flu. If you experience any of the following, please seek medical treatment immediately:
1. High fever
2. Congestion
3. Nausea
4. Fatigue
5. Aching in the joints
6. An irresistible urge to crap on someone's windshield.
via GruntDoc
Kvetching Dinkwad
I'm coming down with a URI or cold or maybe my toothache has extended into the spongiform lining of the sinus. Regardless, it's a semi-serious thing when I get sick and something that has to be watched. Blood glucose readings are off the chart, but then again my diet has been pooched. I'm now on insulin injections every day (and don't I just love shooting myself up every morning as I go to bed --- NOT). So bear with me if I appear grouchier than normal (as if you can tell -- haha!) it's bound to go away in a bit or I will... one of the two.
And so it goes...
And so it goes...
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