Siamese make me shiver.

Evening, TRex. The pups will be “surging” in here in a minute.

Fitz!

Hey, isn’t it Fitzgerald’s birthday today? I know it’s right before Christmas anyway.

Good Evening, TRex and firedogs. Am wishing all some calm and time with loved ones over the holidays–

Evenin’ gang! I have just finished all the Xmas shopping I have to do before Christmas. Yay, me!

Ok, now I’ve watched the video. Cats are sooooo weird! But very loveable, otherwise we’d never put up with them.

My Siamese vacates the building, if I whisper vacuum. This vid is borderline bizarre.

Oklahoma kiddo @ 8

My Siamese vacates the building, if I whisper vacuum. This vid is borderline bizarre.

This kitty is clearly very very serious about his vacuum time. I love their eyes, Siamese. Sky blue and so soulful. Sigh.

I’m happy to be home, finally, after flying yesterday. And my internets are working again, after the nice repair man came by today. And my shopping is done, too!

Visiting family and friends is wonderful, but being without the internets for almost a week is strange. I feel so lost.

Thanks Pach! That sure woke up the one of my feline buddies that was sleeping next to the monitor! None of my guys reacts quite that way to the sound of the vaccum. More like – FLEE! FLEE!
LOL

OK, this is really weird…

But the cat is sooooo cute!

Thanks, TRex! You just put a smile on my face after I spent the last couple of hours cooking (which is tiresome, but worth it).

: )

That must be the cat videos that Brian Williams is decrying.

I must say that the video is way more entertaining the NBC Nightly News.

Cats rule, dog drool. My cat is half Siamese, and he’s way too vocal. Imagine if he was a full blooded Siamese.

By the way, the other half of my cat is Persian. Is he a terrorist?

Twisted Martini @ 13

That must be the cat videos that Brian Williams is decrying.

I must say that the video is way more entertaining the NBC Nightly News.

Cat videos say more in 30 seconds that Brian Williams will say in his entire lifetime….

Janeane The Acerbic Goblin @ 14

Cats rule, dog drool. My cat is half Siamese, and he’s way too vocal. Imagine if he was a full blooded Siamese.

By the way, the other half of my cat is Persian. Is he a terrorist?

Aren’t they all?

The original Super Bass-O-Matic 76 skit from SNL.

Janeane The Acerbic Goblin @ 15

Twisted Martini @ 13

That must be the cat videos that Brian Williams is decrying.

I must say that the video is way more entertaining the NBC Nightly News.

Cat videos say more in 30 seconds that Brian Williams will say in his entire lifetime….

What huge percentage of Americans still think Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9/11? We have things like the NBC Nightly News to thank for that.

Twisted Martini @ 13

That must be the cat videos that Brian Williams is decrying.

I must say that the video is way more entertaining the NBC Nightly News.

Hmmmm….

“We’re choosing cat videos over well thought-out, well-reported evening newscasts.”

No, maybe we’re choosing cat videos over MSM crap! Maybe we’re choosing cat videos because you and your corporate friends think that it’s more important to sell products than to tell us what’s going on. Maybe we’re choosing cat videos because the cat videos are actually more thought-provoking than the mind-numbing crap that you and your friends spew out of the teevee every night!

Maybe we’re just watching the cat videos because we’re sick and tired of the same old s***.

TRex @ 18

What huge percentage of Americans still think Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9/11? We have things like the NBC Nightly News to thank for that.

Saadam must have been responsible.
There is no other sane explanation why we would put ourselves in our current position…
No link?
Well, maybe the WMD…
Hmmmm.
(see Figure 1)

Oh Boy! I’m gonna hafta put my cat on my lap and make her watch this. We just get the vacuum cleaner out and she DIVES under the bed. Our choice: clean up this place or traumatize the cat. We can’t even consider entertaining anybody in our apartment. Sheesh!

TRex:

Just finished my shopping, I think.

Oh, and my wife Pam’s daughter (thus, my virtual daughter) had her baby this morning, so there’s some rejoicing going on around the Audio house.

And I’m doing a studio for Kevin Griffin, late of Better Than Ezra, so that’s pretty cool.

Oh, and fuck Bush.

SteveAudio @ 22

TRex:

Just finished my shopping, I think.

Oh, and my wife Pam’s daughter (thus, my virtual daughter) had her baby this morning, so there’s some rejoicing going on around the Audio house.

And I’m doing a studio for Kevin Griffin, late of Better Than Ezra, so that’s pretty cool.

Oh, and fuck Bush.

(((((Steve and Pam and the baby!!!!)))))

And I’m doing a studio for Kevin Griffin, late of Better Than Ezra, so that’s pretty cool.

Is that the singer?

Oh, and TRex, I was thinking about sending you one of these.

SteveAudio @ 22

TRex:

Oh, and my wife Pam’s daughter (thus, my virtual daughter) had her baby this morning, so there’s some rejoicing going on around the Audio house.

Yay! Babies are so much fun. Messy, but fun. :)

All I know is that if we tried that vacuum trick with any of our cats we’d have to be up on ladders prying them out of the ceiling with crowbars.

TRex @ 6

Evenin’ gang! I have just finished all the Xmas shopping I have to do before Christmas. Yay, me!

I am almost thinking about sort of getting started.

TRex @ 24

And I’m doing a studio for Kevin Griffin, late of Better Than Ezra, so that’s pretty cool.

Is that the singer?

Yes, tall fellow, curly brown hair.

I have 2 Pomeranians, who might as well be cats. Some of the cats in the neighborhood are bigger.

egregious @ 23

SteveAudio @ 22

TRex:

Just finished my shopping, I think.

Oh, and my wife Pam’s daughter (thus, my virtual daughter) had her baby this morning, so there’s some rejoicing going on around the Audio house.

And I’m doing a studio for Kevin Griffin, late of Better Than Ezra, so that’s pretty cool.

Oh, and fuck Bush.

(((((Steve and Pam and the baby!!!!)))))

Thanks much. I haven’t seen the little critter yet, so tomorrow…

That’s so cute, I’ll have to put it on my list. Here’s one of cats “talking”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV6DQuEh4UQ

I love YouTube!

atdnext @ 19

Twisted Martini @ 13

That must be the cat videos that Brian Williams is decrying.

I must say that the video is way more entertaining the NBC Nightly News.

Hmmmm….

“We’re choosing cat videos over well thought-out, well-reported evening newscasts.”

No, maybe we’re choosing cat videos over MSM crap! Maybe we’re choosing cat videos because you and your corporate friends think that it’s more important to sell products than to tell us what’s going on. Maybe we’re choosing cat videos because the cat videos are actually more thought-provoking than the mind-numbing crap that you and your friends spew out of the teevee every night!

Maybe we’re just watching the cat videos because we’re sick and tired of the same old s***.

“Hey, hey, hey, calm down, you two. New Shimmer is both a cat video and a well thought-out, well-reported evening newscast!”

Oops – 1st off – mea culpa, oh glorious TRex. Can’t believe I addressed you as Pach. Sorry, sorry. I had just come from Pachacutec’s immigration raids/camps posts.
Oon that topic; I haven’t seen this noted–on 12/13/06, Gwen Ifill asked ICE director Julie Myers about the splitting of parents from children. She claimed they gave all parents picked up the opportunity to pick up their children, or make arrangements for them:

JULIE MYERS: “Absolutely there were plans put into place to take into account the human factor, particularly the factor of those victims — the U.S. citizens who were victimized by the illegal aliens working at the plants.

In addition, we have a toll-free number that we put together so that individuals could call in if they’re worried about a family member.

We also asked each and every individual that we encountered whether or not they were the sole caregiver of a child. If so, if they told us they were the sole caregiver of a child, we made special accommodations for them so they could be released and care for that child.”

Nothing that I have read since supports that statement.

BTW, I used to do immigration law. With the draconian measures of the 1996 law, I gave it up.
The horrendously surreal detention camps/prisons have been around a few years (there’s a major one in York, PA, where some of my family live), but it’s just getting worse. People languish there virtually incommunicado for years, much like those “enemy combatants” in Guantanamo.
Sorry for the long post. My sense of helpless fury is deep right now.
(and it is deepened by the amazing sickness of the troll posts down below)

[Mod Note;it would be really helpful if you’d leave a copy of your thoughtful comments on that thread as well]

Steve

Congrats on the grandchild – is it a girl critter or a boy critter?

Suzanne @ 34

Steve

Congrats on the grandchild – is it a girl critter or a boy critter?

Isabella Carolina Zumaya

ifthethunderdontgetya @ 28

TRex @ 6

Evenin’ gang! I have just finished all the Xmas shopping I have to do before Christmas. Yay, me!

I am almost thinking about sort of getting started.

Now that makes me feel a little better. Everyone I know has been done since July or August, and that’s just way too early to be thinking about it. I just got done…I think.

SteveAudio @
29

TRex @ 24

And I’m doing a studio for Kevin Griffin, late of Better Than Ezra, so that’s pretty cool.

Is that the singer?

Yes, tall fellow, curly brown hair.

*swoon*

SteveAudio @ 35

Suzanne @ 34

Steve

Congrats on the grandchild – is it a girl critter or a boy critter?

Isabella Carolina Zumaya

Woohoo! Am partial to girl critters myself. Great name.

Suzanne @ 38

SteveAudio @ 35

Suzanne @ 34

Steve

Congrats on the grandchild – is it a girl critter or a boy critter?

Isabella Carolina Zumaya

Woohoo! Am partial to girl critters myself. Great name.

She’s Mexiwegian, if you can figure that one out.

Oh, and T: He’s married with kid. So I’m pretty sure there’s no chance. Your bro knows him, FWIW.

Oh, and T: He’s married with kid. So I’m pretty sure there’s no chance. Your bro knows him, FWIW.

He knows EVERYBODY.

SteveAudio @
22

TRex:

Just finished my shopping, I think.

Oh, and my wife Pam’s daughter (thus, my virtual daughter) had her baby this morning, so there’s some rejoicing going on around the Audio house.

And I’m doing a studio for Kevin Griffin, late of Better Than Ezra, so that’s pretty cool.

Oh, and fuck Bush.

Congratulations to you and Mrs. Audio!
(tell Pam I’m only kidding, I know she hates that)

TRex @ 40

Oh, and T: He’s married with kid. So I’m pretty sure there’s no chance. Your bro knows him, FWIW.

He knows EVERYBODY.

Indeed. He even knows me.

Jane Hamsher @ 41

SteveAudio @
22

TRex:

Just finished my shopping, I think.

Oh, and my wife Pam’s daughter (thus, my virtual daughter) had her baby this morning, so there’s some rejoicing going on around the Audio house.

And I’m doing a studio for Kevin Griffin, late of Better Than Ezra, so that’s pretty cool.

Oh, and fuck Bush.

Congratulations to you and Mrs. Audio!
(tell Pam I’m only kidding, I know she hates that)

I’ll definitely pass that on! Thanks. You met her (Michaelle) at the Barbecue last year.

Speaking of blending marine creatures, does anyone remember “Bobcat” Goldthwait drinking a raw blended squid on one of the Comic Relief shows?

The look on his face clearly showed that it was unrehearsed. :)

mmmm, squid…

Okay, my apologies for being serious…Late night is for letting go of the anger and tension of all the rest of the day.
There’ll be more opportunities for me to rant. sorry, all.

tejanarusa @ 46

Okay, my apologies for being serious…Late night is for letting go of the anger and tension of all the rest of the day.
There’ll be more opportunities for me to rant. sorry, all.

No apology necessary.

tejanarusa @ 46

Okay, my apologies for being serious…Late night is for letting go of the anger and tension of all the rest of the day.
There’ll be more opportunities for me to rant. sorry, all.

Late Nite is whatever you make it, amigo!

Foo on those of you already finished your shopping. I’m just about to start, and I’m 12 hours ahead of you. Where’s your love of adventure? How can you live without the adrenaline rush that comes with trying to find and pay for 6 presents before they play that dratted Drummer Boy song again? Smiling at the other shoppers when you actually want to tell someone to insert their Pa-rup-a-pum-pum in their pa-rup-a-pum-pum-bum. Ah, I wish you all the joys of the season, especially my Aunty Joy who bought a bulk roll of clear cellophane in 1964 and, to this day, still uses it to wrap gifts. Way to spoil the surprise, Joy!

Persiflage @ 49

Foo on those of you already finished your shopping. I’m just about to start, and I’m 12 hours ahead of you. Where’s your love of adventure? How can you live without the adrenaline rush that comes with trying to find and pay for 6 presents before they play that dratted Drummer Boy song again? Smiling at the other shoppers when you actually want to tell someone to insert their Pa-rup-a-pum-pum in their pa-rup-a-pum-pum-bum. Ah, I wish you all the joys of the season, especially my Aunty Joy who bought a bulk roll of clear cellophane in 1964 and, to this day, still uses it to wrap gifts. Way to spoil the surprise, Joy!

It’s because she’s Anti-Joy.

Jane:

I had an idea for an adjunct web site that I think might be really interesting, and we could probably get Lambert to help with coding.

I’ll email the particulars to you, see what you think.

Tejanarusa—if you waded all the way through that earlier thread…you need a drink. What can I pour for you?

TRex @ 49

tejanarusa @ 46

Late Nite is whatever you make it, amigo!

Thanks, TRex (and Patrick) – you both rock. I’m off to bed anyway, gotta be at work tomorrow. G’nite!

Persiflage @ 49

Foo on those of you already finished your shopping. I’m just about to start, and I’m 12 hours ahead of you. Where’s your love of adventure? How can you live without the adrenaline rush that comes with trying to find and pay for 6 presents before they play that dratted Drummer Boy song again? Smiling at the other shoppers when you actually want to tell someone to insert their Pa-rup-a-pum-pum in their pa-rup-a-pum-pum-bum. Ah, I wish you all the joys of the season, especially my Aunty Joy who bought a bulk roll of clear cellophane in 1964 and, to this day, still uses it to wrap gifts. Way to spoil the surprise, Joy!

Eggzacktly.

P.S.

Speaking of pah-rum-pa-pa-rum:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_7uXA6A00KU

The kitties have evolved.

They have a plan.

There are many copies.

They are employed by the Hoover Institute.

Patrick 4/4 @ 59

They are employed by the Hoover Institute.

That place is full of neo-cons. It sucks.

Patrick 4/4 @ 51

Persiflage @ 49

Foo on those of you already finished your shopping. I’m just about to start, and I’m 12 hours ahead of you. Where’s your love of adventure? How can you live without the adrenaline rush that comes with trying to find and pay for 6 presents before they play that dratted Drummer Boy song again? Smiling at the other shoppers when you actually want to tell someone to insert their Pa-rup-a-pum-pum in their pa-rup-a-pum-pum-bum. Ah, I wish you all the joys of the season, especially my Aunty Joy who bought a bulk roll of clear cellophane in 1964 and, to this day, still uses it to wrap gifts. Way to spoil the surprise, Joy!

It’s because she’s Anti-Joy.

To be fair, she does give joy in return. Every year, she and my uncle would come over for lunch and the first thing she’d do, after giving you your cellophane-wrapped singlets, was fish through the bowl of bon-bons to find the blackcurrant ones, which she’d then slip into her pocket. The joy came the year we went through them first and took out the blackcurrant ones. She idly fingered her way through the bowl, becoming more frantic as she failed to find her favourites. We weren’t too horrible though. We gave them to her after lunch wrapped, of course, in clear cellophane.

Persiflage @ 60

To be fair, she does give joy in return. Every year, she and my uncle would come over for lunch and the first thing she’d do, after giving you your cellophane-wrapped singlets, was fish through the bowl of bon-bons to find the blackcurrant ones, which she’d then slip into her pocket. The joy came the year we went through them first and took out the blackcurrant ones. She idly fingered her way through the bowl, becoming more frantic as she failed to find her favourites. We weren’t too horrible though. We gave them to her after lunch wrapped, of course, in clear cellophane.

This, I love.

montag @ 59

Patrick 4/4 @ 59

They are employed by the Hoover Institute.

That place is full of neo-cons. It sucks.

If I were you, I wouldn’t Stanford.

Greetings everyone from balmy Fargo. I’m not kidding, we have no snow. I guess they got ours in Colorado.

The kitty reminds me of our straight through trip from Fargo to Miami with our siamese Sneaky. What a nightmare. She never shut up. I miss that mouthy cat.

TRex- no need for apologies. As you know I am a kitty lover. And even for the kitty haters, the YouTube is great. Amidst all of the bad news and angst, it is just so therapeutic sometimes to kick back and have some light (cat) relief. (No, not that kind.) Sometimes I wish I were a cat. Cats are so innocent, in their own way. xxoo VG

OT- montag- note to you (EPU’) on last thread. Yes, I did read your great comment about the history of military privitization. See last thread.

SteveAudio @ 56

Speaking of pah-rum-pa-pa-rum:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_7uXA6A00KU

Argh!! To explain, I work in supermarkets. So far this year I’ve heard Jingle Bells 157 times, I’ve Decked the Halls (cause I couldn’t find the manager to deck him) 138 times, Wenceslas has invaded my consciousness 125 times and that freaking drummer boy has just about ruptured my pa-rup-a-pum-eardrum a minimum of 60 gazillion times. It kind of puts a dent in a person’s Christmas spirit.

Although I did hear a great blues Christmas song once. Has anyone got suggestions as to what it might have been? It sounded like a regular blues song but with Christmas lyrics. You know the sort of thing I mean:

Woke up this morning, found my woman dead on the floor
Oooooohhhh woke up this morning, there was my honey dead on the floor,
Madeda decision right then
Ain’t gonna drink that eggnog no more

Patrick 4/4 @ 63

If I were you, I wouldn’t Stanford.

That’s their Rice bowl.

Cats are so innocent, in their own way. xxoo VG

As innocent as a species of regal, manipulative, diabolical little murderers can be, I suppose.

I’ll be back in a bit, kids.

Valley Girl @ 66

OT- montag- note to you (EPU’) on last thread. Yes, I did read your great comment about the history of military privitization. See last thread.

Yup, found it. But, the biggies in industrial society have always found a way to cash in on defense spending–what’s happened recently is just more of the same, but on a far more egregiously brazen scale. The way earmarks have been used is another symptom that the system is broken, badly.

Cheers.

Persiflage @ 66

SteveAudio @ 56

Speaking of pah-rum-pa-pa-rum:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_7uXA6A00KU

Argh!! To explain, I work in supermarkets. So far this year I’ve heard Jingle Bells 157 times, I’ve Decked the Halls (cause I couldn’t find the manager to deck him) 138 times, Wenceslas has invaded my consciousness 125 times and that freaking drummer boy has just about ruptured my pa-rup-a-pum-eardrum a minimum of 60 gazillion times. It kind of puts a dent in a person’s Christmas spirit.

Although I did hear a great blues Christmas song once. Has anyone got suggestions as to what it might have been? It sounded like a regular blues song but with Christmas lyrics. You know the sort of thing I mean:

Woke up this morning, found my woman dead on the floor
Oooooohhhh woke up this morning, there was my honey dead on the floor,
Madeda decision right then
Ain’t gonna drink that eggnog no more

I understand. That’s why it’s really important to hear alternate versions of the songs, to put them in fresh perspective.

I’ve got some Christmas music posts over at my place, with some fresh (I think) perspectives.

Ond please for the love of everything holy, I don;t want to EVER hear the Whitney Houston Christmas album mixed at the last studio I worked at. A complete waste of hard drive space, and the oxygen required to hear it.

A surge of interest provoked me to search BBC for items related to prospective escalation to come. IANALibrarian, so amateur searching terms produced artcles about oil price surges etc. Skipped to 10th resluts page. Found pre-war stuff.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2624195.stm
Use ‘build-up’ and ‘boost’ to describe ongoing ‘deployments’. Then the sub-head -

Final surge

Privately, Pentagon officials caution against seeing this as a final surge in deployments.

And the signs are that the US military is still pacing its build-up to keep its options open, with more deployments to come.

A little further:

Raising the stakes

For the moment, the Bush administration remains anxious to insist that war is not a foregone conclusion.

But it is raising the military stakes, as well adding to the pressure on Baghdad.

related articles are along a sidebar ‘frame’
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2773759.stm
Monday, 17 February, 2003, 22:23 GMT
Saudis warn US over Iraq war

Regime change

Regime change would lead to the destruction of Iraq, and would threaten to destabilise the entire Middle East region, Prince Saud said.

If the choice is you destroy Iraq in order to get Saddam Hussein, it is a self-defeating policy, isn’t it? I mean, you destroy a country to get a person out – it doesn’t work

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal
“If change of regime comes with the destruction of Iraq, then you are solving one problem and creating five more problems.

“That is the consideration that we have to make, because we are living in the region. We will suffer the consequences of any military action.”

Regime change can only be a possibility if it is done “indigenously”, he said.

“There has never been in the history of the world a country in which a regime change happened at the bayonets of guns that has led to stability.”

The worry is rising fundamentalism in America and the West – not in the Middle East, he said.

“Our worry is the new emerging fundamentalism in the United States and in the West. Fundamentalism in our region is on the wane. There, it’s in the ascendancy. That’s the threat.”

Just remidiating myself. Only had OTA TV news access at the time (and even with just that knew our man was absolutely pushing the button, no matter how he made it sound. And lying about why.

And a good nite to all.

SteveAudio @ 71

I understand. That’s why it’s really important to hear alternate versions of the songs, to put them in fresh perspective.

The college station in Albuquerque had a set of alternative Christmas tunes day before yesterday, and I think my favorite was one that was arranged and orchestrated like a Broadway (I don’t know its provenance) show tune: “It’s Christmas Time in Hell.” :)

The cat said “Suck, don’t blow!”

montag @ 70

Valley Girl @ 66

OT- montag- note to you (EPU’) on last thread. Yes, I did read your great comment about the history of military privitization. See last thread.

Yup, found it. But, the biggies in industrial society have always found a way to cash in on defense spending–what’s happened recently is just more of the same, but on a far more egregiously brazen scale. The way earmarks have been used is another symptom that the system is broken, badly.

Cheers.

For any of you who are interested in what montag and I are talking about, here is the link where he explains to me the history of US war/ military privitazation and more:
http://www.firedoglake.com/200…..ent-427866
another interesting comment on the same subject follows his.

AWWW… I used to have a Meezer who liked to ride around on the vacuum … This one’s a real cutie! Thanks for sharing this, TRex.

SteveAudio @ 71

Persiflage @ 66

SteveAudio @ 56

Speaking of pah-rum-pa-pa-rum:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_7uXA6A00KU

Argh!! To explain, I work in supermarkets. So far this year I’ve heard Jingle Bells 157 times, I’ve Decked the Halls (cause I couldn’t find the manager to deck him) 138 times, Wenceslas has invaded my consciousness 125 times and that freaking drummer boy has just about ruptured my pa-rup-a-pum-eardrum a minimum of 60 gazillion times. It kind of puts a dent in a person’s Christmas spirit.

Although I did hear a great blues Christmas song once. Has anyone got suggestions as to what it might have been? It sounded like a regular blues song but with Christmas lyrics. You know the sort of thing I mean:

Woke up this morning, found my woman dead on the floor
Oooooohhhh woke up this morning, there was my honey dead on the floor,
Madeda decision right then
Ain’t gonna drink that eggnog no more

I understand. That’s why it’s really important to hear alternate versions of the songs, to put them in fresh perspective.

I’ve got some Christmas music posts over at my place, with some fresh (I think) perspectives.

Ond please for the love of everything holy, I don;t want to EVER hear the Whitney Houston Christmas album mixed at the last studio I worked at. A complete waste of hard drive space, and the oxygen required to hear it.

And the link to you blog would be? Please, I need to turn my Scroogy mood around!

Poor old Whitney, I think that when she dreams of a white Christmas, she’s not thinking the same white as the rest of us.

Janeane The Acerbic Goblin @
14

Cats rule, dog drool. My cat is half Siamese, and he’s way too vocal. Imagine if he was a full blooded Siamese.

By the way, the other half of my cat is Persian. Is he a terrorist?

Hmmm…. Does he weave rugs or just yack up on them??? Hard to tell… Weaver=okay, Yacker=terrorist. (I ought to know… I have 2 terrorists in my house…)

Blank Kludge @ 72

A surge of interest provoked me to search BBC for items related to prospective escalation to come.

Hey, I just copied your comment to the previous thread.

Do we need the mirror version of EPU’d? As in, this comment was FSV’d on the next thread?

Persiflage @ 67

SteveAudio @ 56

Speaking of pah-rum-pa-pa-rum:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_7uXA6A00KU

Argh!! To explain, I work in supermarkets. So far this year I’ve heard Jingle Bells 157 times, I’ve Decked the Halls (cause I couldn’t find the manager to deck him) 138 times, Wenceslas has invaded my consciousness 125 times and that freaking drummer boy has just about ruptured my pa-rup-a-pum-eardrum a minimum of 60 gazillion times. It kind of puts a dent in a person’s Christmas spirit.

Although I did hear a great blues Christmas song once. Has anyone got suggestions as to what it might have been? It sounded like a regular blues song but with Christmas lyrics. You know the sort of thing I mean:

Woke up this morning, found my woman dead on the floor
Oooooohhhh woke up this morning, there was my honey dead on the floor,
Madeda decision right then
Ain’t gonna drink that eggnog no more

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obi…..ogblues-20

Try that, listen to the John Lee Hooker and the Canned Heat, I like that a lot.
Found it on this site:
http://www.baddogblues.com/arc…..pecial.htm

Valley Girl @ 78

Blank Kludge @ 72

A surge of interest provoked me to search BBC for items related to prospective escalation to come.

Hey, I just copied your comment to the previous thread.

Do we need the mirror version of EPU’d? As in, this comment was FSV’d on the next thread?

d’UPE’d?

And now I must away, there’s consuming to be done and credit cards to be exhausted. Happy 2 sleeps to Xmas, Firepups and Vaccycats.

cat vac fever.

very cool vac in the video.

Patrick 4/4 @ 81

Valley Girl @ 78

Blank Kludge @ 72

A surge of interest provoked me to search BBC for items related to prospective escalation to come.

Hey, I just copied your comment to the previous thread.

Do we need the mirror version of EPU’d? As in, this comment was FSV’d on the next thread?

d’UPE’d?

UPE? OPE? EOP? Where’s my CRM114? :)

Valley Girl @ 78

Blank Kludge @ 72

A surge of interest provoked me to search BBC for items related to prospective escalation to come.

Hey, I just copied your comment to the previous thread.

Do we need the mirror version of EPU’d? As in, this comment was FSV’d on the next thread?

I’ll trust your wisdom. That thing took almost 30 min to put togother. No, it wasn’t effort; brain is fryolator leftover oil.

Dare I ask: ‘FSV’ stands for…?

Then, I’ll put the keyboard (and my head) down.

Patrick 4/4- d’UPE’d? I like that. Or, just UPE’d. But I fear that this won’t catch on, because no one else will know what we are talking about.

And, BTW, where is La Brasserie Punaise this eve? He’s a kitty fan, for sure, fer sure.

ALTEPU Altepu’d

As in you altepu that.

Donita had a great Christmas playlist today.

Blank Kludge @ 85

Valley Girl @ 78

Blank Kludge @ 72

A surge of interest provoked me to search BBC for items related to prospective escalation to come.

Hey, I just copied your comment to the previous thread.

Do we need the mirror version of EPU’d? As in, this comment was FSV’d on the next thread?

I’ll trust your wisdom. That thing took almost 30 min to put togother. No, it wasn’t effort; brain is fryolator leftover oil.

Dare I ask: ‘FSV’ stands for…?

Then, I’ll put the keyboard (and my head) down.

Okay, I’ll do a zig, since La Brasserie Punaise, zig minder, doesn’t seem to be around. I just took the EPU and picked the next letter in the alphabet for an alternative. E/F P/S U/V.

Eureka Springs, AR @ 87

ALTEPU Altepu’d

As in you altepu that.

Hmmm.. you are way to subtle for me on that one…????

Subtle? No. Just a southern nut here..) You are developing a system, quite nicely I might add.
Don’t mind me, I’m just tinkering.

VG–You must have finished grading by now!

d’UPE’d works.

Patrick 4/4: ‘Coiner of the realm’.

Patrick taking advantage of punaise’ vacancy.

—–
VG:
“the EPU and picked the next letter in the alphabet for an alternative. E/F P/S U/V.”

That’s what I thought…on first look, and just intuitive WAG (like HAL -argh not the crooks, the 9000 from 2001) but I couldn’t ’see’ it.

fryol8r.

The nuts went over the edge with at the end of Pachacutecs post/thread this evening.
At least they wait until the dirty hippies have moved on.

Blank Kludge @ 93

d’UPE’d works.

Patrick 4/4: ‘Coiner of the realm’.

Patrick taking advantage of punaise’ vacancy.

—–
VG:
“the EPU and picked the next letter in the alphabet for an alternative. E/F P/S U/V.”

That’s what I thought…on first look, and just intuitive WAG (like HAL -argh not the crooks, the 9000 from 2001) but I couldn’t ’see’ it.

fryol8r.

I’d recommend SFO.
.
.
.
.

Saved From Oblivion. :)

Or, UFOed.

Unfettered From Oblivion. ?

We’re leaving bright and early tomorrow on an 8 hour trip.

Lindy @ 95

We’re leaving bright and early tomorrow on an 8 hour trip.

Don’t forget to vaccume your cat before departure.

Dana @ 92

VG–You must have finished grading by now!

omigod!!!!! takes one to know one!!!!! Spent 5 hours today reassembling the “second” final from the course of 120, reading in the page-by-page values to my (first time) co-instructor as he typed them into Excel, then we had a hearty discussion as to how to decide between the A- and the B (etc.), then went back to inspect exams at the A- B break point, because that is where students give us the most grief, found one big mistake, entered the grades online (OPUS)…. then answered an email from a student who was asking for extra credit (he had failed)…. So, yes you are correct, and I am def. blowing off this eve and tomorrow and…

They don’t like it. And they can’t go. If they knew where we were going, they’d never forgive me.

Oh, that is the worst thing about returning home, cat guilt.

Durn, this got epu’d from the other thread but I wanted to respond to Susan in Iowa, so here it is….

She also explained how passages that seem like unremarkable Mister-Nice-Guy truths now had revolutionary meanings set in their cultural and political context. If what Jesus was saying was so obvious, why would people walk away from their lives to follow him around, and why would other people want to kill him?

Susan in Iowa, you are spot on. The passage where Jesus tells the disciples that if they are struck on the right cheek to offer the left cheek for hitting as well has cultural overtones lost to us.

If you are standing face to face with someone and are part of a culture that uses the left hand for toileting purposes ONLY, you will hit someone on their right cheek with the back of your right hand. This is what you do to humiliate another person; who gets hit like this? People who are being “uppity”.

Offering your left cheek to be smacked means that the smacker must shift position and hit your face as if he were boxing you. It opens his torso up to a counter attack and changes the tenor of the fight from one up-one down to equals.

Jesus was saying to his disciples if someone attempts to put you down and humiliate you, stand your ground and force them to see you as a person. I think he was betting that anyone who bullies would think twice about trying to hit you again.

The entire meaning of the phrase “turn the other cheek” has taken on an entirely new meaning for me after I heard that interpretation. “Turning the other cheek” isn’t for wimps. It is for people sick of being bullied who are going to make things different now.

Sorta like the country did last month!

Man I’m fried tonight. Think I’m out on that note, gnight all.

Eureka Springs, AR @ 99

Oh, that is the worst thing about returning home, cat guilt.

No, really, that’s the worst thing about being away. The overflowing litter box is the worst thing about coming home.

montag @
95

) VG:
I’d recommend SFO.
.Saved From Oblivion. :)

Montag!!!!! no matter what anyone else says, nenernerner, SFO is IT. As in: this comment has been SFO’d!!!!!

Valley Girl @ 85

Patrick 4/4- d’UPE’d? I like that. Or, just UPE’d. But I fear that this won’t catch on, because no one else will know what we are talking about.

And, BTW, where is La Brasserie Punaise this eve? He’s a kitty fan, for sure, fer sure.

Don’t know. He was on for a second earlier today.

This is true, for city cats.

VG–Yep, I sure know the feeling! And the A-/B , extra-credit, “I’ll never get into med school,” etc. etc. finale. Hope you enjoy the break.
*g*

montag @ 83

UPE? OPE? EOP? Where’s my CRM114? :)

Ha!. Careful with the zigs. If we break the margins we’ll have to answer to the Coca-Cola company.

Seeing that kitty reminds me:

“Dogs have owners – cats… have staff.

Hey TRex, I think we have just hatched a new FDL thingy/ coinage, courtesy of montag. So, when someone posts a comment that *really* needs to be added to a prior thread, that comment can be linked back, or copied and pasted… with the notation— a comment has been SFO’d from a later thread.

Dana @ 107

VG–Yep, I sure know the feeling! And the A-/B , extra-credit, “I’ll never get into med school,” etc. etc. finale. Hope you enjoy the break.
*g*

Very often, the people who most bemoan their chances of getting into med school are not the ones you’d want doing brain surgery ten years from now, anyway…. :)

There is a public service involved in grading accurately. (!)

Dana @ 107

VG–Yep, I sure know the feeling! And the A-/B , extra-credit, “I’ll never get into med school,” etc. etc. finale. Hope you enjoy the break.
*g*

Don’t tell me that *you* have to deal with the “I’ll never get into med school” students!!!! That’s my fare, but I had assumed that you would be immune– unless of course language and literacy is important for med school!!!

montag!!! “There is a public service involved in grading accurately. (!)”– oh, absolutely! Especially in the C to F range. Amazing, and indeed sad, though, the number of pre-med students who are pressured by their families to take up that career. Often the parents are more aggressive than the students. I’ve had them on the phone!!!

montag, I hear ya. Yet complaints about final grades are the most distressing conversations, and they happen when you haven’t a nerve or once of energy left in the year.

Christmas is a little early this year. From your evil step-neocon.

I found this in SFO

U.S. commanders in Iraq recommend a ’surge’

WASHINGTON — Top U.S. military commanders in Iraq have decided to recommend a “surge” of fresh American combat forces, eliminating one of the last remaining hurdles to proposals being considered by President Bush for a troop increase, a defense official familiar with the plan said Friday.

The approval of a troop increase plan by top Iraq commanders, including Gen. George W. Casey Jr. and Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, comes days before Bush unveils a new course for the troubled U.S. involvement in Iraq. Bush still must address concerns among some Pentagon officials and overcome opposition from Congress, where many Democrats favor a blue-ribbon commission’s recommendation for a gradual withdrawal of combat troops.

But the recommendation by the commanders in Iraq is significant because Bush has placed prime importance on their advice. The U.S. command in Iraq decided to recommend an increase of troops several days ago, prior to meetings in Baghdad this week with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, the defense official said….

Lt. Gen. Odierno is one of the original torture guys. The MCA was designed to cover his as* as much as any other war criminal. Even if he disagrees he has no choice but to follow dear leaders desires.

Valley Girl @ 113

Often the parents are more aggressive than the students. I’ve had them on the phone!!!

Just on the phone? Once upon a time, when I was teaching, I had them during office hours… yeah, “oh, shit,” (to myself, I said that). :)

Eureka Springs, AR @ 115

Lt. Gen. Odierno is one of the original torture guys. The MCA was designed to cover his as* as much as any other war criminal. Even if he disagrees he has no choice but to follow dear leaders desires.

Beyond that, I’m beginning to think that Casey is Westmoreland’s spiritual godchild….

montag @ 116

Valley Girl @ 113

Often the parents are more aggressive than the students. I’ve had them on the phone!!!

Just on the phone? Once upon a time, when I was teaching, I had them during office hours… yeah, “oh, shit,” (to myself, I said that). :)

omigod! What horrors await! Don’t let that tactic be know around these parts!

TRex @ 103

Eureka Springs, AR @ 99

Oh, that is the worst thing about returning home, cat guilt.

No, really, that’s the worst thing about being away. The overflowing litter box is the worst thing about coming home.

I’m happy to say that my cats don’t use a litter box. They prefer outdoors. Still, I will miss them…and will feel guilty that they’re not there with me.

Dana @ 113

montag, I hear ya. Yet complaints about final grades are the most distressing conversations, and they happen when you haven’t a nerve or once of energy left in the year.

My mother is a retired teacher who used to teach in my grammar school. She was my English teacher in 4th and 5th grades.

I could not hurry home fast enough on the days report cards came out.
One day, I didn’t – a girl in my mom’s class got an F – i got cold-cocked, right between the eyes. Broken glasses, bloody nose and I couldn’t hit back.

VG–Pre-med students take English classes too. Now I get to hear complaints from other professors’ students and their parents. It’s med school, law school, scholarship, athletics–

Lots of kids come to college hoping to be doctors and lawyers. Most of them who don’t have the abilities/or acquired skills go on, fortunately, to find more satisfying educational paths even if they’re not always the paths their parents hoped their kids would follow.

For teachers who want to avoid the scuffles, the fudge grade has been B- I don’t approve of that avoidance strategy, but I understand the impulse.

What am I up to? Full panic mode, leaving in morning for in-laws, having a major stress-out because I’m leaving the house to my friend for the weekend, too. Cleaning obsessive all day. Imagine one of those brown paper yard waste bags filled FULL with shredded paper — went through three months of papers here and had a shredding party.

Completely undone, need to crash. Will be light commenting until we hit the debris field following the holiday on Christmas night. Dial-up until then, sorry to say.

Wish you all the best this season has to offer, regardless of your religion and observations. Lighting a candle in the dark with the rest of you.

Human civilization was in fact started by cats. Ages ago when cats realized that they would never develope opposable thumbs, they began to cultivate the potential of the early primates with a ritual that exists to this day, the offering of a mouse or bird for food, and also communicating with them using a sophisticated binary code called “pure-ing,” in which we, early on, were taught how to fish and build dwellings for them. Later the Egyptians learned to make cat litter for these Four Footed Fluff Gods who wished to enhabit elablorate homes constructed by the primates…

In fact, through the use of pure-ing they have even affected our language. If something is just right, it is said to be “per-fect.” When you go out to buy something for your cat, you make a “pur-chase.” If something is exact, it is said to be “pre-cise.” Something of great value is called “pre-cious.” If someone has an attitude, they are “per-snickity.”

These are all cat like qualities, and the list goes on and on. If something needs to be solved, it’s a pro-blem. Bad people go to pri-son. More often than not when you see the pre-fix “pr” it’s a quality attributed to cats.

It’s kinda late, but I will have more on this later.

Please open “The Gift.”

Rayne – Be safe and squeeze in a little fun…)

Dana @ 114

montag, I hear ya. Yet complaints about final grades are the most distressing conversations, and they happen when you haven’t a nerve or once of energy left in the year.

My favorite complaint was when I was teaching a technical course as a part-time adjunct. One of the students was someone who was in the same company I worked for, and he ended up with a “D” on the final (I even offered something like twenty or thirty points of easy “bonus questions” for the highly unmotivated to redeem themselves) and he was just a bit indignant.

He asked, “how did I get a ‘D’?”

“Well, lessee, the exam was Monday evening, and you told me Monday morning that you’d spent from Friday night to Sunday night getting drunk, dancing and chasing women in El Paso and trying to lure them into your motor home. Maybe it was because you didn’t study?”

:)

Patrick 4/4–My mom is a retired grade school teacher too–first and third grade. My daughter was in her class. Thank god no one ever punched her in the face at report card time! You mom must have been horrified!

You may wonder how the word pri-son comes from felines. Pri-son is the act of being ignored by a cat.

for zedheads or folks with alternative musical tastes.
all this talk about UFOs and SFOs made me think back to that comet of whatever that broke up into piecse before crashing into Jupiter (?) or Saturn in the mid90’s.

That night I was in a hilltown in WMass attending a book Wiccan author’s book pub party. There was a band performing there (and an Irish harpist from Harvard…the small handheld laptop version harp.)

Architectural Metaphor
http://www.psychedelic-music.n…..hp4?id=134

Their CD that I saw in local stores later had liner notes that dedicated the work to:

Albert Hoffman
Sandoz
Owsley Stanley
——-
Music matched the moment.

Worth a listen.

(I was in love at first sight with the harpist. Her playing didn’t disappoint. Alas, I never said a word, even though I was seated a few feet away.)

latenite’s labors lost

Dana @ 125

Patrick 4/4–My mom is a retired grade school teacher too–first and third grade. My daughter was in her class. Thank god no one ever punched her in the face at report card time! You mom must have been horrified!

No. My mom gets angry.

The weirdest part is never knowing what to call her at school.

montag–Too funny! A long time ago, I had a student who looked really familiar to me but I just couldn’t place him. Turned out he was in my group therapy session a year earlier. (I wasn’t the group leader either–a member!) Once we realized how we knew each other, we laughed and we never spoke of it again.

I used to give a few silly bonus questions, like “what’s the best class of the semester,” and still someone would answer, “Physics” or any thing but my class. It was always a joke to take some stress off the final.

Blank Kludge @ 127

for zedheads or folks with alternative musical tastes.
all this talk about UFOs and SFOs made me think back to that comet of whatever that broke up into piecse before crashing into Jupiter (?) or Saturn in the mid90’s.

Shoemaker-Levy.

Dana @ 121

VG–Pre-med students take English classes too. Now I get to hear complaints from other professors’ students and their parents. It’s med school, law school, scholarship, athletics–

Lots of kids come to college hoping to be doctors and lawyers. Most of them who don’t have the abilities/or acquired skills go on, fortunately, to find more satisfying educational paths even if they’re not always the paths their parents hoped their kids would follow.

For teachers who want to avoid the scuffles, the fudge grade has been B- I don’t approve of that avoidance strategy, but I understand the impulse.

I don’t do the fudge grade thing either, in any letter of the grading alphabet. The most pressure I’ve gotten from parents are those who have kids who are failing, as in Fing.

The only time I have ever used a B- fudge was for a student who did Undergraduate Research in my lab. When I gave him the B-, I was thinking “what is the worst grade I can give him, w/o creating a shitstorm?” B- I thought. Wrong, wrong wrong!!!!

His father sent a letter to the President, the Provost, and the college Dean saying that I was trying to keep his son out of med school, and was acting irresponsibly, and demanded that I be fired. I was untenured at the time. AND, said faculty member just happened to be a FACULTY MEMBER at my same institution.

Big hullabaloo from our clueless chairman, wanting to investigate. Thankfully, I had a good friend who gave me the name of a very savvy lawyer— she just said, stop this all in its tracks by countering with a letter to the President etc. saying that the accusations were libel.

That’s what I did (on my own dime) and the Faculty Parent was eventually shut down. But, it was pretty traumatic for me at the time!

My history teacher went to school with my grandmother, taught my father, uncle and aunt. Mrs. Hicks was as awful and mean as the name implies. She carried the same stick for nearly fifty years and used it daily.

Thanks Patrick.

gosh. too tired to look it up meself. Too tired to sleep.

I don’t get it.

hey, gang.

1. Louis le chat hates the vacuum cleaner. It’s the only way we can get him out of the Christmas tree.

2. the Tomales Bay oysters for Noel will not be subjected to the BlendTec

If I tried to do that to my Meezer Natasha, she’d leap up and rip my face off.

wow- just had a pretty good temblor

Oh God, VG. I can imagine how upsetting that incident was. I had something similar happen the year before I came up for tenure, but it wasn’t a student. And though I was vindicated and all was later well, it was an awful experience. I failed a scholar one semester who created holy hell for me and managed to ruin my class in the process of failing it. He left the university, thank goodness, having lost his precious scholarship. He said he was sure I’d never forget his name. But, ha, ha, I did. Really.

punaise @ 135

hey, gang.

1. Louis le chat hates the vacuum cleaner. It’s the only way we can get him out of the Christmas tree.

2. the Tomales Bay oysters for Noel will not be subjected to the BlendTec

Punaise!!!! Have you seen? Patrick 4/4 said something about enjoying the Brasserie Punaise, and now I am talking about La Brasserie Punaise. (I think it all started re: something about brassieres.)

An earthquake occurred at 10:49:57 PM (PST) on Friday, December 22, 2006.
The magnitude ? (not yet determined) event occurred 4 km (2 miles) ESE of Berkeley, CA.
The hypocentral depth is 9 km ( 6 miles).

hey, VG! I think La Brasserie works better!

Valley Girl @ 132

Big hullabaloo from our clueless chairman, wanting to investigate. Thankfully, I had a good friend who gave me the name of a very savvy lawyer— she just said, stop this all in its tracks by countering with a letter to the President etc. saying that the accusations were libel.

Think of all the right-wingers from whom we’d be spared today if they hadn’t taken advantage of grade inflation in the `80s and `90s. :)

punaise @ 140

hey, VG! I think La Brasserie works better!

Depends how saucy you’re feeling.

Dana @ 138

Oh God, VG. I can imagine how upsetting that incident was. I had something similar happen the year before I came up for tenure, but it wasn’t a student. And though I was vindicated and all was later well, it was an awful experience. I failed a scholar one semester who created holy hell for me and managed to ruin my class in the process of failing it. He left the university, thank goodness, having lost his precious scholarship. He said he was sure I’d never forget his name. But, ha, ha, I did. Really.

OH god, Dana, that sounds awful too! The not-yet-tenured time is so anxiety ridden anyway. At the risk of being sexist, I think that somehow female faculty are seen as being easy targets. I’ve never heard of similar travails from male faculty.

punaise @ 137

wow- just had a pretty good temblor

So, I guess it would be in bad taste to ask, “hey, what’s shakin’ fer Christmas?”

punaise – hope you are ok. Want to guess the magnitude?

USGS doesn’t have it listed yet.

MAG DATE LOCAL-TIME LAT LON DEPTH LOCATION
y/m/d h:m:s deg deg km

? 2006/12/22 22:49:57 37.859N 122.235W 8.9 4 km ( 2 mi) ESE of Berkeley, CA

pun, i hear you just had another quake, a 3.6

montag @ 145

punaise @ 137

wow- just had a pretty good temblor

So, I guess it would be in bad taste to ask, “hey, what’s shakin’ fer Christmas?”

it’s not your fault

A minor earthquake occurred at 10:49:57 PM (PST) on Friday, December 22, 2006.
The magnitude 3.7 event occurred 4 km (2 miles) ESE of Berkeley, CA.
The hypocentral depth is 10 km ( 6 miles).

it was minor, but very close. felt a good rolling build-up for 1-2 seconds then a single sharp jolt. woo-hoo!

link to pun’s quake

You were sitting on top of that one. Doesn’t Louis warn you?

any other Bay Area shakees?

Eureka Springs, AR @ 152

You were sitting on top of that one. Doesn’t Loius warn you?

that must be a dog thing. Louis is snoozing by the fireplace.

did not feel it here in boulder creek (santa cruz mountains)

punaise @ 141

hey, VG! I think La Brasserie works better!

???? You prefer “La Brasserie” to “La Brasserie Punaise”? I think you’re gonna be outvoted on that one.

Valley Girl @ 156

punaise @ 141

hey, VG! I think La Brasserie works better!

???? You prefer “La Brasserie” to “La Brasserie Punaise”? I think you’re gonna be outvoted on that one.

actually I was referring to brasserie v. brassiere. not much use for the latter, personally.

Suzanne @ 155

did not feel it here in boulder creek (santa cruz mountains)

a 3.7 wouldn’t travel that far.

punaise @ 148

it’s not your fault

Gee. Oh. Logic stresses me out.

Nuthin shakin in the Chesapeake Bay Area, except the after shocks of Virgil Goode’s comments. Btw, I went back to read the hysteria in the late comments to Pach’s post. Wow. Frightening.

And the commanders are now agreeing with Bush? Can that be true?

Punaise- oh oh… the little ones can be the lead up to a big one… second time of late for a 3.6 or a 3.7…. keep a flashlight near your bed.

montag @ 159

punaise @ 148

it’s not your fault

Gee. Oh. Logic stresses me out.

clever subduction

Valley Girl @ 161

Punaise- oh oh… the little ones can be the lead up to a big one… second time of late for a 3.6 or a 3.7…. keep a flashlight near your bed.

the alternate theory is the fault is relieving stress which keeps the big one from building up.

OT- Hi Suzanne!

Valley Girl @ 161

Punaise- oh oh… the little ones can be the lead up to a big one… second time of late for a 3.6 or a 3.7…. keep a flashlight near your bed.

or, as an engineering prof used to say “always sleep with your sneakers on”.

actually the moderate quakes are good – letting off steam.

(waving hi to VG)

Suzanne @ 163

Valley Girl @ 161

Punaise- oh oh… the little ones can be the lead up to a big one… second time of late for a 3.6 or a 3.7…. keep a flashlight near your bed.

the alternate theory is the fault is relieving stress which keeps the big one from building up.

I like that alternate theory much much better! BTW, my mom’s house was 3 miles from the epicenter of the Northridge earthquake 1994, and I saw the damage first hand. So, I do not take earthquakes lightly…. and then there was Loma Prieta… (or was that before?) One friend at UCSC had his lab totally destroyed.

I squandered a perfectly good Late Nite blurb earlier:

punaise @
5

Blub @
2

Unbelievably, some Rethug Dixiecrat Congressthing (Hayes, R-NC) proposed today that the way to win in Iraq is to convert ‘em all to Christianity.. presumably by the sword?

’tis the season for Sects’ Yule Healing

Okay, Loma Prieta was before. 1989, IIRC. Eve of some baseball SF thing. Like the “World” Series opener?

this is messed up:

Create your own disabled child: parents engineering designer babies with made-to-order defects

Valley Girl @ 169

Okay, Loma Prieta was before. 1989, IIRC. Eve of some baseball SF thing. Like the “World” Series opener?

During.

OMG, I leave for half an hour and you kids had an EARTHQUAKE?! DAMMIT, we can’t have nice things!

10-to-1 that’s a deaf cat in the vid. onliest cat i ever had was deaf; loved the vacuum, hated the phone.

Dana @
160

Nuthin shakin in the Chesapeake Bay Area, except the after shocks of Virgil Goode’s comments. Btw, I went back to read the hysteria in the late comments to Pach’s post. Wow. Frightening.

All of which can be summarized as: “Brown people! Gaaaaaahhhhh! Run for your lives! (Except for Michelle Malkin, who’s white by marriage.)

I was living in France in 1989, but friends and family who were here – and usually accustomed to riding out quakes as a fun ride – were very, ummm, shaken.

punaise @
165

Valley Girl @ 161

Punaise- oh oh… the little ones can be the lead up to a big one… second time of late for a 3.6 or a 3.7…. keep a flashlight near your bed.

or, as an engineering prof used to say “always sleep with your sneakers on”.

actually the moderate quakes are good – letting off steam.

yeah, but two the same size, same location, same depth, two days apart? now that’s troubling….

TSF – did you feel it across the bay?

Whose fault is this? I’ll fissure little red wagon!

punaise @
162

clever subduction

When I was dishwasher, I was always told that the way the plates were stacked was important.

montag @ 178

punaise @
162

clever subduction

When I was dishwasher, I was always told that the way the plates were stacked was important.

I’ll have a vodka tectonic, please.

hey Teddy, you can’t type worth sh*t with mittens on! :~)

very rumbly, then sharp whack! much like the day before yesterday’s but seemed a little rougher. xmas tree didn’t tinkle much, but the pictures on the walls wobbled. nothing fell.

punaise @ 175

I was living in France in 1989, but friends and family who were here – and usually accustomed to riding out quakes as a fun ride – were very, ummm, shaken.

We had a good ride in the Northridge quake. Hundreds of books on the floor. My mother-in-law’s many bottles of bad kosher gift wines soaking into the carpet. My wife climbing over tipped over furniture in the dark to get to our 3-year-old son…

…and pick him up by the ankle.

I didn’t buy tigre’ mittens, I got her a THONG!

Punaise- direct link: http://millspierce.blogspot.co…..world.html
If you read further, this is a pretty interesting discussion as to the ethics of “I want them to be like I am”…. dwarf mother wants dwarf baby… etc.

TRex @ 180

I’ll have a vodka tectonic, please.

“Sointanly, one upheaval, coming right up!”

Loma Prieta quake was Oct 17, 1989 if I remember correctly. The epicenter was less than 10 miles as the crow flies from the little cottage sitting on bedrock by the creek in the redwoods.

punaise @ 170

this is messed up:

Create your own disabled child: parents engineering designer babies with made-to-order defects

I read that article and thought the same thing. The accompanying photo was of little people and the article also mentioned the deaf. The argument was who’s to say what a “defect”? Parents want children like themselves.

Valley Girl @ 185

Punaise- direct link: http://millspierce.blogspot.co…..world.html
If you read further, this is a pretty interesting discussion as to the ethics of “I want them to be like I am”…. dwarf mother wants dwarf baby… etc.

OK, I can see that angle, but still…

“But still” is right.

montag @ 186

TRex @ 180

I’ll have a vodka tectonic, please.

“Sointanly, one upheaval, coming right up!”

I’ll have a Jolt

A friend of mine woke up in the middle of Northridge with his boyfriend standing in the doorway shouting, “Paul! Paul! GET IN THE DOORWAY!”

But Paul couldn’t get out of bed because it was careening around the room and smashing into the walls and furniture.

“So what did you do?” I asked him.

“Um, I clutched the bed and screamed, ‘OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!’” and prayed the ceiling didn’t fall in on me.”

They both got out, but their house collapsed in an aftershock.

Suzanne @ 186

Loma Prieta quake was Oct 17, 1989 if I remember correctly. The epicenter was less than 10 miles as the crow flies from the little cottage sitting on bedrock by the creek in the redwoods.

Will never forget it. Felt like I was surfing on asphalt at Haight and Cole, SF.

Dana @ 188

punaise @ 170

this is messed up:

Create your own disabled child: parents engineering designer babies with made-to-order defects

I read that article and thought the same thing. The accompanying photo was of little people and the article also mentioned the deaf. The argument was who’s to say what a “defect”? Parents want children like themselves.

This is the thinking that was behind the protests at Gallaudet. There is avery strong belief among the deaf community (particularly those born deaf) that they are a distinct culture with a distinct language. Aside from some of the personal enmity toward the rejected president, thre was also some contempt because she was not very skilled at ASL.

Some of the thinking goes so far as considering attempts to cure the deaf as genocide.

punaise @
189

Valley Girl @ 185

Punaise- direct link: http://millspierce.blogspot.co…..world.html
If you read further, this is a pretty interesting discussion as to the ethics of “I want them to be like I am”…. dwarf mother wants dwarf baby… etc.

OK, I can see that angle, but still…

y’know, i have to say — every time i go deep into another blog’s comments, i’m terribly glad i found fdl.

current advice is to “triangulate”: crouch next to a taller object like a table or desk but not under it.

bring on the centrist jokes.

ES, I was working patrol, swing shift (4pm to 3am). Quite a nite for sure.

punaise @ 191

I’ll have a Jolt

Well, heave me a little.

Suzanne @ 197

ES, I was working patrol, swing shift (4pm to 3am). Quite a nite for sure.

prime time.

y’know, i have to say — every time i go deep into another blog’s comments, i’m terribly glad i found fdl.

If only that would fit on a t-shirt.

punaise @ 195

current advice is to “triangulate”: crouch next to a taller object like a table or desk but not under it.

bring on the centrist jokes.

Centrists don’t crouch, they stoop.

ES, silly me – thinking things would be sorta kinda quiet because of the A’s vs Giants World Series game in SF.

Eureka Springs, AR @ 200

y’know, i have to say — every time i go deep into another blog’s comments, i’m terribly glad i found fdl.

If only that would fit on a t-shirt.

I think it would. :)

punaise @ 196

current advice is to “triangulate”: crouch next to a taller object like a table or desk but not under it.

bring on the centrist jokes.

“Triangulate” is right. During the Whittier quake in ‘87, I was living in a very old wood frame apartment building in Venice. I stood in the doorway and watched my living room change shape.

Patrick 4/4 @ 204

“Triangulate” is right. During the Whittier quake in ‘87, I was living in a very old wood frame apartment building in Venice. I stood in the doorway and watched my living room change shape.

That was around the time of Schwarznegger’s “Predator” shape-shifting, yes?

Hey, can anyone tell what language the woman in this clip is speaking? Thai? Korean?

ooooh, Robin Wright at WaPo has fun dish about the Saudi ambassador’s sudden exit!

The clip at the top of the post, I mean.

I know people who taught at Gallaudet and I understand the conflict there over the new president. If the prez had been skilled at ASL would there have been less of an upset? One of the faculty I knew there created an early synchronous dialog program years ago, expressly for deaf students.

Suzanne,

I was at work, ran out into the street. I needed a much larger triangle than the doorway under three shaking floors of an old building.

I bet you clocked in some OT.

Patrick 4/4 @ 204

“Triangulate” is right. During the Whittier quake in ‘87, I was living in a very old wood frame apartment building in Venice. I stood in the doorway and watched my living room change shape.

like this?

http://www.mysteryspot.com/index.html

montag @ 205

Patrick 4/4 @ 204

“Triangulate” is right. During the Whittier quake in ‘87, I was living in a very old wood frame apartment building in Venice. I stood in the doorway and watched my living room change shape.

That was around the time of Schwarznegger’s “Predator” shape-shifting, yes?

Speaking of warped. At the end of my street in Venice at the time is an eight-story apartment building, right on the boardwalk. It has a small penthose on top, which served as the humble abode for Sylvester Stallone in “Cobra” and Timothy Hutton in “Falcon and the Snowman”. They would have been lousy room mates.

The Mountain Moves, a first hand account of a school teacher in Boulder Creek during the ‘06 quake. There is a reference in it to the Elks Park, where I now live.

double crap, that link didn’t work

trying again:
http://content.cdlib.org/xtf/v…..amp;query=

sorry

punaise @ 211

Patrick 4/4 @ 204

“Triangulate” is right. During the Whittier quake in ‘87, I was living in a very old wood frame apartment building in Venice. I stood in the doorway and watched my living room change shape.

like this?

http://www.mysteryspot.com/index.html

Ha! I thought I was headed there.

There’s one in Pacoima, too.

TRex @ 192

A friend of mine woke up in the middle of Northridge with his boyfriend standing in the doorway shouting, “Paul! Paul! GET IN THE DOORWAY!”

But Paul couldn’t get out of bed because it was careening around the room and smashing into the walls and furniture.

“So what did you do?” I asked him.

“Um, I clutched the bed and screamed, ‘OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!’” and prayed the ceiling didn’t fall in on me.”

They both got out, but their house collapsed in an aftershock.

TRex- I have many “mother” stories from the Northridge earthquake. Yours reminded me of the mildest one- as told me me, she said “I don’t usually swear, but I said Oh My God and pulled the covers over my head.” The other stories are a bit more colorful…. as in, when we were finally able to contact her at all – phone 4 days later, after I called the police, I was on the phone with her and she was saying “if any of you girls think you are going to come out here and help me, I’m gonna order you off the property with a shotgun”— apparently she had talked on the phone to one of my sisters just before, because while I was in the midst of this “conversation” with my mother, I heard this “call-waiting” bleep, and clicked on that to hear said sister start off with…”Mother can just go fuck herself”…. and, the story continued….

Patrick 4/4 @ 212

Speaking of warped. At the end of my street in Venice at the time is an eight-story apartment building, right on the boardwalk. It has a small penthose on top, which served as the humble abode for Sylvester Stallone in “Cobra” and Timothy Hutton in “Falcon and the Snowman”. They would have been lousy room mates.

Just trying to imagine, if, at the time, it had been Sean Penn and Madonna. Wondering about the fistfights between Madonna and Stallone about taking out the garbage. :)

I’m off to bed, gang. Talk to you all soon.

Good night.

G’nite, TRex, Merry Egregious if I don’t talk to you before then.

TRex @ 218

I’m off to bed, gang. Talk to you all soon.

Good night.

Au Hooveroire.

Suzanne @ 214

double crap, that link didn’t work

trying again:
http://content.cdlib.org/xtf/v…..038;query=

sorry

Suzanne- oh!!! thanks for that link- I am fascinated by the history of the SC area, especially 1895- 1906, and this is a great link!

G’nite TRex.

Merrygregious to you too. I’ll be around. No day job for ten big days, so I’ll have nothing to do but hang around here and breathe over your shoulders.

“Whatcha reading? Is it good? Are you hungry? I’m hungry. Does it bother you when I play with your ear like this when you’re reading? Are you mad at me? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Patrick 4/4 @ 220

Au Hooveroire.

And sweet screams. :)

Valley Girl @ 216

TRex- I have many “mother” stories from the Northridge earthquake. Yours reminded me of the mildest one- as told me me, she said “I don’t usually swear, but I said Oh My God and pulled the covers over my head.” The other stories are a bit more colorful…. as in, when we were finally able to contact her at all – phone 4 days later, after I called the police, I was on the phone with her and she was saying “if any of you girls think you are going to come out here and help me, I’m gonna order you off the property with a shotgun”— apparently she had talked on the phone to one of my sisters just before, because while I was in the midst of this “conversation” with my mother, I heard this “call-waiting” bleep, and clicked on that to hear said sister start off with…”Mother can just go fuck herself”…. and, the story continued….

My wife said I swore my head off at the top of my lungs for the entire length of the quake.

I couldn’t hear myself over the roar of the quake, so I’ll have to take her word for it.

If SteveAudio is still here – Virtual Congrats on you Virtual Grand-daughter.

Just back from watching my 17-yo son’s band, formerly named Intafada, now named Threnody, doing their first gig in fifteen months. Mostly a new band, with only Alex on guitar and Eric on drumset remaining from the old band. It went great. They opened for three longstanding bands from Anchorage. Lots of kids drifting in who are back from college or on leave from the military for the holidays.

My wife and I were the oldest people there. With my shoulder reconstruct coming up next week, we avoided the mosh pit…

TRex – if you’re still hanging in there – I can’t begin to thank you for the posts you’ve made this past week, but I’ll try.

Thanks.

Babygirl, who turns 18 in 16 minutes will be here tomorrow night and then we head up to oldest daughter’s Sunday and Monday. I won’t be back until sometime Monday night so please allow me to say MerryEgregious to firepups, firecats, and the rabid lambs everywhere.

merrygregious, Suzanne and goodnight, TRex

ET – How long will you be hospitalized?

TRex @ 223

Merrygregious to you too. I’ll be around. No day job for ten big days, so I’ll have nothing to do but hang around here and breathe over your shoulders.

“Whatcha reading? Is it good? Are you hungry? I’m hungry. Does it bother you when I play with your ear like this when you’re reading? Are you mad at me? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Yay! Ten days of TRex!

Eureka Springs, AR @ 230

ET – How long will you be hospitalized?

Is this to be a coming pandemic of zedophilia?

(((Suzanne))) Wishing you the very best of family times.

Patrick 4/4- my mother got really angry when I suggested later that she might have been in shock. Oh, she was 77 yo at the time, and slept in her 1967 VW bug in the days that followed. Now 90, and she still a terror.

TeddySanFran @ 231

TRex @ 223

Merrygregious to you too. I’ll be around. No day job for ten big days, so I’ll have nothing to do but hang around here and breathe over your shoulders.

“Whatcha reading? Is it good? Are you hungry? I’m hungry. Does it bother you when I play with your ear like this when you’re reading? Are you mad at me? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Yay! Ten days of TRex!

We’re gonna need a Cretaceous Advent Calendar.

omg i just found out there are NO wapo chatz all next week!

possibly montag, kind of tough to let a zed slip by without emphasis..)

ET- so what’s that surgery gonna mean? Details please? Will you still be able to type?

Patrick 4/4 @ 235

We’re gonna need a Cretaceous Advent Calendar.

An illuminated book of days, and heavy on the beefcake, of course.

montag @ 224

Patrick 4/4 @ 220

Au Hooveroire.

And sweet screams. :)

Alas, poor Oreck

Will you still be able to type?
Dayam, VG beat me to it?

Eureka Springs, AR @ 237

possibly montag, kind of tough to let a zed slip by without emphasis..)

A prized catch. :)

TeddySanFran @ 235

omg i just found out there are NO wapo chatz all next week!

Blogs will “be” the news, oh and see #114 surge.

Suzanne @ 241

Will you still be able to type?
Dayam, VG beat me to it?

Suzanne- there really is something special about the vibes of Hwy9.

montag @ 72

SteveAudio @ 71

I understand. That’s why it’s really important to hear alternate versions of the songs, to put them in fresh perspective.

The college station in Albuquerque had a set of alternative Christmas day before yesterday, and I think my favorite was one that was arranged and orchestrated like a Broadway (I don’t know its provenance) show tune: “It’s Christmas Time in Hell.” :)

Very cool.

Just to finish an old thought/comment:

The 2 best alternative Christmas albums ever:

The Roches: “We Three Kings“

and:

Barenaked Ladies: “Barenaked for the Holidays“

Eureka Springs, AR @
230

ET – How long will you be hospitalized?

It is basic rotator cuff reconstruct, plus Doc says he might clean up some bone spurs. They cut me up on the 27th, and I get out the 28th, barring whatever. Then we have our annual Holiday Parrty out on the lake on the 29th. With a big fire and lots of dogs. For the first time in 12 years, I won’t have to do a damn thing to get ready for the party!

For VG, another Boulder Creek site.

Zed Leppelin rocks

punaise @ 240

Alas, poor Oreck

Skull’s out and the Princes are waiting to vacuum up their aces….

Suzanne, your reditions are a delight. Merry all things to you. I really listen to what you say and try to picture it in my mind: thanks.

One word ET, pills

Glad your son is around to keep the fires going.

marily @ 250

Suzanne, your reditions are a delight. Merry all things to you. I really listen to what you say and try to picture it in my mind: thanks.

wow, thank you.

ET, my dad slept in his recliner for the first 3 days after having rotator cuff surgery. He found it much more comfortable than trying to sleep in his bed. Positive thoughts for a speedy recovery winging their way to you.

Suzanne @ 247

For VG, another Boulder Creek site.

oooo… thanks. And now I am trying to remember the name of the lodge that is lower down on Hwy9- with the brook running through the restaurant. ???

punaise @ 247

Zed Leppelin rocks

Idolized even.

The (haunted) Brookdale Lodge.

Suzanne @ 253

ET, my dad slept in his recliner for the first 3 days after having rotator cuff surgery. He found it much more comfortable than trying to sleep in his bed. Positive thoughts for a speedy recovery winging their way to you.

And may it bring your ERA down below 3.00 and IP up over 6 and 1/3.

Patrick 4/4 @ 257

And may it bring your ERA down below 3.00 and IP up over 6 and 1/3.

And your LP to 33-1/3. :)

Valley Girl @
238

ET- so what’s that surgery gonna mean? Details please? Will you still be able to type?

Type? I’m left-handed and they’re doing the left shoulder, so who knows. A bigger problem will be playing trombone, euphonium, tuba and piano. I’m scheduled to perform on all those multiple times through the winter and spring, plus conduct. I’m sure adjustments can be made. I saw a guy conduct Mahler’s 2nd Symphony once with no left arm.

I was planning on playing my “Shards’” for bugle and electronics three times – when the 3,000 American soldier dies in Irag. It is a memorial based on “Taps,” which I wrote to honor the first thousand American dead in this tragedy. But Bush is killing our young men and women so fast I may still be in the hospital when he butchers the 3000th.

As for me, I’m not worried. This will be my fifth hospitalization for surgery in 40 years, and by far the least worrisome.

Patrick 4/4 @ 257

And may it bring your ERA down below 3.00 and IP up over 6 and 1/3.

and it’s easier for Tommy to get to the John.

*howling*

montag @ 258

Patrick 4/4 @ 257

And may it bring your ERA down below 3.00 and IP up over 6 and 1/3.

And your LP to 33-1/3. :)

Things I haven’t been able to do since July when I blew the muscle: throw balls for my dog Strider, chop wood, swim the crawl, ski. Thing I shouldn’t do but do: run a snow blower and shovel snow for four days in record snowfall. Ouch!

Suzanne @ 256

The (haunted) Brookdale Lodge.

Oh! I did finally remember the name, but don’t know anything about it being haunted. I heard some pretty unsavory stories (years ago) about Sinatra gang connections and so forth, but not that!

20 – 30,000 extra tropes to ET for the surgery

Ed*ard Teller @ 259

This will be my fifth hospitalization for surgery in 40 years, and by far the least worrisome.

We will, then, be humming, “It’s Not Unusual” in anticipation of an uneventful recovery.

With that record, you should be on a first-name basis with most of the surgeons in your area, right?

punaise @ 264

20 – 30,000 extra tropes to ET for the surgery

I think ET would prefer a crescendo….

punaise @ 260

Patrick 4/4 @ 257

And may it bring your ERA down below 3.00 and IP up over 6 and 1/3.

and it’s easier for Tommy to get to the John.

Worst trade the White Sox ever made, goddammit.
.
.
.
.
I’m OK now.

UK Royal Army announcement Sunday from Iraq:

“British troops backed by tanks yesterday seized a leader of a rogue Iraqi police unit suspected of being behind the killing of 17 people in an ambush near the Iraqi city of Basra, the British military said. Some 800 troops launched a pre-dawn raid on a house in a southern district of Basra and captured seven people, including a “significant” member of Basra’s police Serious Crimes Unit, spokesman Major Charlie Burbridge said.”

Juan Cole has it. Things going even more swimmingly than usual.

punaise @ 264

20 – 30,000 extra tropes to ET for the surgery

Thanks, everyone, for your support and humor.

Brookdale Lodge official site
more on the haunted part

Ed*ard Teller @ 268

Juan Cole has it. Things going even more swimmingly than usual.

This is how difficult it is for ‘murrikans to figure out what’s going on. Try to imagine walking out to pick up the morning paper in your bathrobe and finding 800 automatic weapons pointed at you….

The latest installment from Dick Wolf: Law & Order: Basra’s Police Serious Crimes Unit.

Let’s hope it’s a mini-series.

montag @
249

punaise @ 240

Alas, poor Oreck

Skull’s out and the Princes are waiting to vacuum up their aces….

“Ophelia pain.”

It’s been over a year that I’ve read here: sometimes with egregious’ helpful hand, and sometimes in the fray, upside down and not. You’ve all been wonderful and interesting and truly, and I mean it, lovely. It has changed my life, my thinking, and back again, and I’m still sorting it out; but I know when I come here that I will read and absorb people who care, are (sometimes) smart, and will inform me about issues that I care about. I’m not just disabled, I have an opinion that counts. I don’t like politics particularly, but the world demands informed people, and I want to be one of them: thought I was until I came here.

Thank you for the education. I hope that I will continue to use it wisely.

My hope and spirit lies with all of you…and I participate all the time; you just don’t know it. Very Merry to All.

punaise @ 273

“Ophelia pain.”

Den mark down the places it hurts….

marily @ 274

It’s been over a year that I’ve read here: sometimes with egregious’ helpful hand, and sometimes in the fray, upside down and not. You’ve all been wonderful and interesting and truly, and I mean it, lovely. It has changed my life, my thinking, and back again, and I’m still sorting it out; but I know when I come here that I will read and absorb people who care, are (sometimes) smart, and will inform me about issues that I care about. I’m not just disabled, I have an opinion that counts. I don’t like politics particularly, but the world demands informed people, and I want to be one of them: thought I was until I came here.

Thank you for the education. I hope that I will continue to use it wisely.

My hope and spirit lies with all of you…and I participate all the time; you just don’t know it. Very Merry to All.

And to you.

ET- thanks for the info. “Lefty” here too. After watching the YouTube clip on a much earlier thread “and fairies ate his pants” I was set to wonder if Jane was a “lefty”. Big finger pointing with the left hand. I asked but got no answer.

http://www.firedoglake.com/200…..his-pants/

youtube direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..#038;eurl=

Finger pointing episode starts ~0:40

montag @ 275

punaise @ 273

“Ophelia pain.”

Den mark down the places it hurts….

“We won’t be undersold – our Princes are craaaazy!”

hey, Marily! I knew that name was familiar…best to you

Patrick 4/4 @ 278

montag @ 275

punaise @ 273

“Ophelia pain.”

Den mark down the places it hurts….

“We won’t be undersold – our Princes are craaaazy!”

tooby, or not tooby?

Valley Girl @ 277

ET- thanks for the info. “Lefty” here too.

FDL: firedoglefty here too

marily @ 274

It’s been over a year that I’ve read here: sometimes with egregious’ helpful hand, and sometimes in the fray, upside down and not. You’ve all been wonderful and interesting and truly, and I mean it, lovely. It has changed my life, my thinking, and back again, and I’m still sorting it out; but I know when I come here that I will read and absorb people who care, are (sometimes) smart, and will inform me about issues that I care about. I’m not just disabled, I have an opinion that counts. I don’t like politics particularly, but the world demands informed people, and I want to be one of them: thought I was until I came here.

Thank you for the education. I hope that I will continue to use it wisely.

My hope and spirit lies with all of you…and I participate all the time; you just don’t know it. Very Merry to All.

Some of us here pun to pass the evening hours, to find some fun in desperate times, but all, here, give fair shit to those who give short shrift. :)

Cheers.

Suzanne @ 270

Brookdale Lodge official site
more on the haunted part

Suzanne, thank you again for indulging my Hwy9 thing. I have bookmarked the haunted thing (too tired to read it now) but I will def. read!!!

Patrick 4/4 @ 278

“We won’t be undersold – our Princes are craaaazy!”

In southern Cal, Worth In Ton was crazy amusement.

punaise @ 280

“Ophelia pain.”

Den mark down the places it hurts….

“We won’t be undersold – our Princes are craaaazy!”

tooby, or not tooby?

Ed*ard Teller has the sling – anybody got arrows?

Valley Girl @ 283

Suzanne, thank you again for indulging my Hwy9 thing. I have bookmarked the haunted thing (too tired to read it now) but I will def. read!!!

did you hear about the couple that got lost at Castle Rock for five days?

punaise! oh ho, you sweet “lefty” you. Have you ever noticed how many things are designed for “righties?

Ed*ard Teller @ 262

montag @ 258

Patrick 4/4 @ 257

And may it bring your ERA down below 3.00 and IP up over 6 and 1/3.

And your LP to 33-1/3. :)

Things I haven’t been able to do since July when I blew the muscle: throw balls for my dog Strider, chop wood, swim the crawl, ski. Thing I shouldn’t do but do: run a snow blower and shovel snow for four days in record snowfall. Ouch!

ET, I’m glad you’re getting that fixed. I had that same muscle injured, not blown, and it took about a year of exercising daily to get back to normal. Like, being able to put my arm behind my back at all, or raise it above a certain point.

Edward: Please take care. You are my connection to Alaska, and thank you for that.

I love the boys’ and girls’ ring-a-ding posies that are so smart and fun: good times. I just try to keep up.

Time to head off to bed. Get to see babygirl tonight for the first time since July, when she graduated her program and moved to Utah.

To my FDL cyber-family, hugs, thanks, and wishes for the most merry of everything to each and every one of you.

Goodnight sweet firepups. And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

buenos nachos, P4/4 and Suzanne

Valley Girl @ 287

punaise! oh ho, you sweet “lefty” you. Have you ever noticed how many things are designed for “righties?

it’s insidious.
but I bat right, golf right, use right-handed scissors

Lefty here: sininster as they come…oooohhhhhh

punaise @ 293

it’s insidious.
but I bat right, golf right, use right-handed scissors

Very sinister, I think….

trope turns out to be a very fitting word:

/troʊp/
–noun
1. Rhetoric.
a. any literary or rhetorical device, as metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche, and irony, that consists in the use of words in other than their literal sense.
b. an instance of this. Compare figure of speech.
2. a phrase, sentence, or verse formerly interpolated in a liturgical text to amplify or embellish.
3. (in the philosophy of Santayana) the principle of organization according to which matter moves to form an object during the various stages of its existence.

But how do you crochet? Knit? Inquiring minds and all that.

marily @ 297

But how do you crochet? Knit? Inquiring minds and all that.

ambidextrously ambivalent

marily – Always comforting to read such kind thoughts. We will get through this marathon, eventually. Don’t know how I made it through the last few years fuming at the news. The lake informs and eases the grief quite a bit. It’s amazing how rare and special it is.

I was just checking a semi-local blog (Little Rock). Folks are mentioning how everyone indoors and out, upscale or not, have less decorations up this year. Wondering if the war mood is much more prevalent than the community is acknowleding out loud. I hope so.

punaise @ 296

2. a phrase, sentence, or verse formerly interpolated in a liturgical text to amplify or embellish.

I’m frankly sick and tired of all o’ tropes.

punaise @ 286

Valley Girl @ 283

Suzanne, thank you again for indulging my Hwy9 thing. I have bookmarked the haunted thing (too tired to read it now) but I will def. read!!!

did you hear about the couple that got lost at Castle Rock for five days?

No, but that Castle Rock ref. rang a bell. It is part of the efforts of http://www.sempervirens.org A great friend of mine is on the Board of Directors.

punaise @ 292

Valley Girl @ 287

punaise! oh ho, you sweet “lefty” you. Have you ever noticed how many things are designed for “righties?

it’s insidious.
but I bat right, golf right, use right-handed scissors

Eat and write lefty, throw a baseball right handed.

Valley Girl @ 301

No, but that Castle Rock ref. rang a bell. It is part of the efforts of http://www.sempervirens.org A great friend of mine is on the Board of Directors.

So important to make distinctions. The Castle Rock Foundation is also Joseph Coor’s little right-wing enterprise….

marily @
289

Edward: Please take care. You are my connection to Alaska, and thank you for that.

I love the boys’ and girls’ ring-a-ding posies that are so smart and fun: good times. I just try to keep up.

Marily,

Awesome. Thank you. I like what you said earlier about learning a lot here. I feel the same way about fdl.

Eureka Springs, AR @ 302

punaise @ 292

it’s insidious.
but I bat right, golf right, use right-handed scissors

Eat and write lefty, throw a baseball right handed.

freak.

punaise @ 293

Valley Girl @ 287

punaise! oh ho, you sweet “lefty” you. Have you ever noticed how many things are designed for “righties?

it’s insidious.
but I bat right, golf right, use right-handed scissors

GOLF!!!!! Punaise, really!!! And, what with all that other stuff, I don’t think you qualify for the “true lefty club”. Sorry… I am so sorry…

Valley Girl @ 306

GOLF!!!!! Punaise, really!!! And, what with all that other stuff, I don’t think you qualify for the “true lefty club”. Sorry… I am so sorry…

hanging head in shame. we all have our weaknesses. (this particular one, infrequent)

one night too late:

Olive oil ‘can cut cancer risk’

The researchers used three types of olive oil
Adding plenty of olive oil to a diet could help protect against cell damage that can lead to cancer, experts say.

punaise @
305

Eureka Springs, AR @ 302

punaise @ 292

it’s insidious.
but I bat right, golf right, use right-handed scissors

Eat and write lefty, throw a baseball right handed.

freak.

careful. My son is like that. You never know whether the next physical thing he takes up is going to be lefty or righty or both. He’s also borderline Marfan’s Syndrome or some yet-to-be defined connective tissue thingie, so he bends his fingers and wrists anywhere he wants. It almost hurts to watch.

freak.

Wouldn’t have it any other way.

Definately not an ambidextrous freak.

throw lefty, bat righty. Violin thing.

Got to bed and realized I am still wide awake so I’m back.

I too have mixed lateral dominance. Was discovered while I was attending the police academy. I am left eyed and left footed but right handed for writing and fine motor movements.

What it really means is I shoot right handed unless it is scoped, and then I have to shoot left handed.

marily @ 311

throw lefty, bat righty. Violin thing.

Sorry, I really hate violins of all sorts. I’m a pacifist.

montag @ 313

marily @ 311

throw lefty, bat righty. Violin thing.

Sorry, I really hate violins of all sorts. I’m a pacifist.

who put the fist in pacifist, anyway?

montag @ 313

marily @ 311

throw lefty, bat righty. Violin thing.

Sorry, I really hate violins of all sorts. I’m a pacifist.

*still laughing*

marily @ 315

montag @ 313

marily @ 311

throw lefty, bat righty. Violin thing.

Sorry, I really hate violins of all sorts. I’m a pacifist.

*still laughing*

worst kind is in a Chinese restaurant: won ton violins

(btw: “freak” was tongue in cheek – hope it read that way)

Nite all- really got to get into bed with my BBQ potato chips. Did read the comments before, tho.

Valley Girl @ 318

Nite all- really got to get into bed with my BBQ potato chips..

that’s a crumby thing to do

punaise @ 314

who put the fist in pacifist, anyway?

Ghandi, who else?

VG: you’re the best. Thanks so much for all that you do.

montag @ 320

punaise @ 314

who put the fist in pacifist, anyway?

Ghandi, who else?

under the palm tree

punaise @ 316

(btw: “freak” was tongue in cheek – hope it read that way)

oh absolutely *s* hot chocolate nightcap anyone?

punaise @ 322

montag @ 320

punaise @ 314

who put the fist in pacifist, anyway?

Ghandi, who else?

under the palm tree

with a wrist of Hey! BS! score pus

punaise @
322

montag @ 320

punaise @ 314

who put the fist in pacifist, anyway?

Ghandi, who else?

under the palm tree

with a candlestick? nah…

oh absolutely *s* hot chocolate nightcap anyone?
please, perhaps that will get me sleepy.

punaise @ 319

Valley Girl @ 318

Nite all- really got to get into bed with my BBQ potato chips..

that’s a crumby thing to do

Ah, sheets. Everybody does it once in a while to spice up one’s life. One can’t afford to become carbodehydrated, either.

I am out of marshmellows but it’s made with milk.

‘ere

who put the fist in pacifist, anyway?

Ghandi, who else?

under the palm tree

with a wrist of Hey! BS! score pus

unlike decidely non-pacifist Napoleon, who had to exert a lot of Elba grease

Eureka Springs, AR @ 328

I am out of marshmellows but it’s made with milk.

‘ere

thanks! I’ll be shuffling off now. bonne nuit a tous

punaise @ 322

under the palm tree

Bush has a date for this….

Thanks, ES. Milk does a body good.

Fire stoked with a few big rounders and I am outta here as well. Have a no fault rest, punaise.

g’nite pups
hasta manana

Ed*ard, my tiny gift got me a letter; what do you recommend? Just askin’
Kahlua and coffee and fear of the basement flooding (east coast area) keeps me awake…these punny kids are keeping my eyes from either crossing or falling out of my head all together.

Eureka Springs, AR @ 333

Fire stoked with a few big rounders and I am outta here as well. Have a no fault rest, punaise.

An architect with no fortress? Unseemly. :)

marily @ 334

Ed*ard, my tiny gift got me a letter; what do you recommend? Just askin’
Kahlua and coffee and fear of the basement flooding (east coast area) keeps me awake…these punny kids are keeping my eyes from either crossing or falling out of my head all together.

Eyed just go with the flow in the basement. :)

Whadda y’all doin up so late? :)

Aloha fire-friends.

Aloha, Nate. Marily’s trying to stay awake – I’m trying to get sleepy.

shuffle-by:

My Second Take on Tauscher
by jlwolff

I’ve been fighting over whether or not to post another blog. I got so much support from my first blog I hardly knew what to do and I don’t in anyway want to lose that support by saying nice things about the person I had gotten so much encouragement for lambasting earlier. That said, I feel an obligation that if I am going to write at all, I need to write as honestly as I can.
…

Next came the topic of Iraq and conflicts in the Middle East. Tauscher strongly stated that an escalation of troops was a bad idea. She directly stated, “More is not the answer…less is the answer…none is the answer.” Beyond being a nice little sound bite, this is the exact stand Democrats need to be taking.
…
Her final question was on Bush and her response was both the most admirable and unbelievable of the morning. She immediately brought up her recent meeting with Bush. Now this meeting seems to have been one of the things the netroots have been most upset about and understandably so. However, what she said to us (and I really want to believe she was telling the truth) is she only went to meet with Bush after two things. First, she talked with Pelosi who urged her to go. Second, she agreed to go only on the condition that the Progressive Caucus, Black Caucus, and Hispanic Caucus all got similar meetings.
…

Nate @ 337

Whadda y’all doin up so late? :)

Aloha fire-friends.

Mahalo, just punnin’, funnin’ and late-night gunnin’. :)

montag @ 336

Eyed just go with the flow in the basement. :)

could be a real swamp down there. beware the eyeds of marsh.

(hey Nate!)

no really, I’m outta here…

punaise @ 339

shuffle-by:

Bullshit talks, honesty walks. Let’s see it in votes.

Skunks have permanent stripes in a particular order.

Punaise, sweet prince:
New growth in this area, for which I will not be upset with anyone, seems to affect my basement in an unfortunate way. Therefore, I need to be awake to avail myself of it’s presence.

I agree, montag. Until she proves otherwise by action, I don’t trust her at all.

Suzanne @ 344

I agree, montag. Until she proves otherwise by action, I don’t trust her at all.

Let’s put it this way. If I were her, and Bush invited me to the White House for a heart-to-heart, I would have told him, “you’re a fuckin’ asshole–when are going to stop being one?”

And, I would have told the world, word for word, what he said in reply.

But, I’m not a diplomat. :)

I agree, montag.

Ok, gonna try going to bed again. g’nite

Goodnight, Suzanne. I agree also. Wish me luck in this storm, so many of which you described so well…

Good morning, all. I’ve got a big pot of tea if anyone is interested. Today in the NYT Orlando Patterson tries to teach Bill O’Reilly about Christmas and Maureen Dowd dishes with “The Donald.”

http://mgpaquin.blogspot.com/

Is there some penalty for killing trees needlessly? MoDo really should have to pay for this, somehow…

good morning, tea sounds great

do you have any that tastes like coffee?

Did I miss this last week or did it slip under others’ radar too?

New general takes the reins as No. 2 U.S. commander in Iraq

…But those who know Odierno say the hard-charging general who plotted Hussein’s capture as well as anti-insurgency operations may put more effort toward securing, rather than rebuilding, Iraq when he becomes the No. 2 U.S. commander here.

Odierno gained a reputation as an aggressive commander while leading the 4th Infantry Division in Sunni Arab-dominated parts of the country in 2003 and ‘04. Some military analysts have argued that the region’s continued unrest can be traced to his heavy-handed methods.

Odierno’s predecessor, Army Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, was seen as a champion of more comprehensive strategies aimed at winning over local populations, including large-scale public works programs and restrained firepower in the face of sectarian warfare.

Despite sporadic violent uprisings against his forces, Chiarelli, a former West Point professor, was able to stabilize the volatile Shiite Muslim neighborhood of Sadr City in Baghdad by putting locals to work on a large sewage system and assigning some of his top soldiers to work with nascent Iraqi security forces….

Good Mornin’ Firedogs,

was out looking for kitteh pics – and stumbled across this

aaggghh! teh cuteness rapture is nigh

http://mfrost.typepad.com/cute…..e_spe.html

Mornin’ All!

beware the cuteness rapture
speechless words denies
lethal evilnicity
in those sparkled beady eyes.

Rumi, just got back from making the coffee. Hope you like French roast…

[holds out cup]

Where are my manners. Mornin’.

Marion in Savannah @ 354

Rumi, just got back from making the coffee. Hope you like French roast…

Absolutely. Thank you.

At first I whooped a woo-hoo! cause I thought you said French toast

egregious @ 355

[holds out cup]

Where are my manners. Mornin’.

The sun is trying to shine here and the day should have a few more minutes of daylight.

:-) …that makes it a good one.

good morning, all…

why am I up? haven’t I been complaining it’s far too dark to be up at this hour of the morning?

but I’ll take some of that coffee anyway, thanks

excellent rumi !

btw, linked to Odierno around the time it was announced – b/c he is all over Fiasco by Ricks

The history of Lt. Gen. Odierno’s 4th Infantry Division in Iraq is characterized in the book “Fiasco” as one involving massive detentions of Iraqi civilians and widespread abuses of civilians, including killing. One reported result of the wholesale rounding up of civilians conducted by his division was the abuse at Abu Ghraib.

“What wasn’t widely understood at the time,” writes Thomas Ricks in “Fiasco”, “or now outside the military, is that the overcrowding at the prison, and some of the resulting lapses in supervision, resulted directly from tactical decisions by (Lt. Gen. Ricardo) Sanchez and his division commanders, most notably the 4th ID’s Gen. Odierno

oh, and did I mention Fallujah ? (didn’t see reference in LAT link) go ahead, google it

mornin’ egregioius and bunster

cbl -
That’s great news. I thought our steadfast leader was trying to abandon “stay the corpse”.
Hell hath not frozen over.

Mornin’ ya’ll. Mrs. Hardin Smith sleeping in this a.m.? Good for her.

Fallujah’s death and suffering broke my heart the first time. I guess Willie Pete’s coming back

U.S. generals advocate extra troops for Iraq
ADVICE REMOVES OBSTACLE TO EMERGING BUSH PLAN

…Top U.S. military commanders in Iraq have decided to recommend a “surge” of fresh U.S. combat forces, eliminating one of the last remaining hurdles to proposals being considered by President Bush for a troop increase, a defense official familiar with the plan said Friday.

The approval of a troop increase plan by top Iraq commanders, including Gen. George Casey Jr. and Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, comes days before Bush unveils a new course for the troubled U.S. involvement in Iraq. Bush still must address concerns among some Pentagon officials and overcome opposition from Congress, where many Democrats favor a blue-ribbon commission’s recommendation for a gradual withdrawal of combat troops….

…Commanders have been skeptical of the value of increasing troops, and the decision represents a reversal for Casey, the highest ranking officer in Iraq. Casey and Gen. John Abizaid, the top commander in the Middle East who will step down in March, have long resisted adding more troops in Iraq, arguing that it could delay the development of Iraqi security forces and increase anger at the United States in the Arab world….

The Haditha killings are another controversy that amplifies the disconnect between American and Iraqi opinion of troop presence. Murder charges for the deaths of 24 civilians is viewed as probably another whitewash of unaccountability.

french toast ?!?!?

traditional 12/26 breakfast faire @ chez cbl

substitute egg nog for the half & half

one year we flambe’d gran mariner over the finished product (use acetyline (sp?) torch if flambe makes ya nervous)

http://www.gingerbear.org/~esm…..ouffle.xml

pull up a chair…

I think, maybe, this is it.

Tidbits from Iraq and the “War of Terror”

…Thomas Ricks’ book, Fiasco, a devastating account of U.S. military operations during the first half of the war, and written based primarily on military sources, goes into some detail about how certain of the U.S. military commands in Iraq, particularly the Fourth Infantry Division under Ray Odierno, would routinely round up every Iraqi adult male in the area of a given operation, then holding them for months effectively incommunicado.

This kind of tactic, of course, as much as anything, led to the creation of a wide-scale insurgency. Once the counterinsurgency became well-established, it’s been an open secret that standard doctrine in large parts of the country, including Anbar province, calls for treating all military-age males as potential enemies. During the second assault on Fallujah, it was routine practice to turn back car-loads of people trying to flee the bombing if they contained even a single military-age male. …

Marion in Savannah @
354

Rumi, just got back from making the coffee. Hope you like French roast…

Ahem, ah, Freedom Toast please. There’s still a war on terra going on.

-Chimpy’s Codpiece

tejanarusa @
34

Oops – 1st off – mea culpa, oh glorious TRex. Can’t believe I addressed you as Pach. Sorry, sorry. I had just come from Pachacutec’s immigration raids/camps posts.
Oon that topic; I haven’t seen this noted–on 12/13/06, Gwen Ifill asked ICE director Julie Myers about the splitting of parents from children. She claimed they gave all parents picked up the opportunity to pick up their children, or make arrangements for them:

JULIE MYERS: “Absolutely there were plans put into place to take into account the human factor, particularly the factor of those victims — the U.S. citizens who were victimized by the illegal aliens working at the plants.

In addition, we have a toll-free number that we put together so that individuals could call in if they’re worried about a family member.

We also asked each and every individual that we encountered whether or not they were the sole caregiver of a child. If so, if they told us they were the sole caregiver of a child, we made special accommodations for them so they could be released and care for that child.”

Nothing that I have read since supports that statement.

BTW, I used to do immigration law. With the draconian measures of the 1996 law, I gave it up.
The horrendously surreal detention camps/prisons have been around a few years (there’s a major one in York, PA, where some of my family live), but it’s just getting worse. People languish there virtually incommunicado for years, much like those “enemy combatants” in Guantanamo.
Sorry for the long post. My sense of helpless fury is deep right now.
(and it is deepened by the amazing sickness of the troll posts down below)

[Mod Note;it would be really helpful if you’d leave a copy of your thoughtful comments on that thread as well]

Good morning, what am I up to? Trying to make sense out of this mad world. Tejanarusa, thank you for the above post. I too used to do a bit of immigration work, but not much – couldn’t stand all the administrative crap – up until I retired.

I just found something I think is special and I want to share:

By definition, immigrants represent fluidity and change. In fact, they are a moving, human reflection of the great global processes unleashed by big capital, processes that are also altering—and in some ways devastating—our values. Even some progressives have joined the Minutemen and haters like those in Hazelton, Pa., the town that recently made renting apartments to undocumented residents illegal, in blaming immigrants for cheapening our sense of work, citizenship, community, nationhood and country. (I do read your angry letters that start with something like “I think there’s a place for LEGAL immigrants, but….”) Instead, progressives should keep one eye on these complex causes and effects—the real political reasons behind catastrophes like Katrina or Iraq—and the other eye on the immigrants like Juan who are part of the solution.

If we are to effectively take on the global and domestic—and interconnected—challenges of the digital age, none of us can afford to work separately in the silos of single-issue politics or of a computer-based politic that ignores one of the most important, most reliably militant and bold groups in our midst. Immigrant-rights activists need to understand you better. And you need to understand them better.

That said, here’s a thought: If you cross the river or desert to enter the country and are caught, you have committed an administrative offense. If this is your first time, you can request a “voluntary departure”. If you don’t get such and are in fact deported without a hearing, then, if you re-enter, you have comitted a criminal act. Guess which route the federals use most?

Or, like it is said, try thinking outside the box. In an effort to work legally (and only in this mad world is working considered to be illegal activity), Juan buys a phony SS card. A criminal act? Sure. He and others like him pay jillions into the SS fund – a fact which the Feds acknowledge – with no thought or hope of ever collecting benefits. He pays property taxes (generally through rents) and sales taxes. He is terrified of seeking social services because he fears he will be caught and deported, even when they are available.

One question: who is the real criminal? Juan, or the system?

I once represented an individual who had a legal green card. It took him 13 years to bring his wife and kids over, even with all the help his employer gave him. He and his family are now in Spain – he has high tech work qualifications – and he has not quite forgiven us. And he did it legally. And I don’t blame him for leaving.

May all of you enjoy the happiest of holidays, may you have a merry Christmas surrounded by friends and family, and may God richly bless you during the coming year.

Lift a glass and toast the detainees who fell victim to the vulture Chertoff, and remember the people of New Orleans also. In their faces and suffering we may well see outselves.

Thanks to TRex and Lindsey, I can now tell the world that I had nothing to do with the Ginsu knife! Check the link below the Will It Blend? videos. You could have knocked over with a feather when I found out during a supermarket demonstration that Scott & Fetzer made those knives. BTW, they also made Kirby, the world’s loudest vacuum cleaner and, yes that IS my real last name!