Wednesday, March 09, 2005
CNN.com - Surfers on giant board break record - Mar 6, 2005
Whoa, dude! Gnarly!
(OK, so I'm not up on my surfer speak. It's been a significant number of years since I lived in California where surfer speak was actually spoken.)
(OK, so I'm not up on my surfer speak. It's been a significant number of years since I lived in California where surfer speak was actually spoken.)
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Another one bites the dust
I finished the Christmas ornament for my Favorite Aunt. Yes, I know it's a cactus, but every year my mother sends her some kind of Texas kitsch - you know, armadillos and cow patties, that sort of thing - so when I saw this cactus I just had to make it for her to add to her kitsch collection.
Updated March 12, 2005: The pattern was numbered 92 in 201 Cross-Stitch Christmas Designs by Kooler Design Studio.
Updated March 12, 2005: The pattern was numbered 92 in 201 Cross-Stitch Christmas Designs by Kooler Design Studio.
The pornographers are back
I just did a quick little check to see who's been visiting me and I discovered that some of the pornographers who crawled my site last month are back again. I had three days of really heavy hits last month. Two of them were from the xpdeals.biz people and their various subdomains - at over 3500 hits each day - and one was from the pornographers - with only about 600 hits. Last month the pornographers seemed to think I would be interested in bestiality. This month it seems like it's just the run of the mill smut peddlers trawling for email addresses.
Being a good girl
I've gone back to drinking water in the afternoons instead of coffee. I finally went grocery shopping over the weekend and I picked up 24 bottles of Ozarka Natural Spring Water to store in my office. I also picked up Pop Tarts for breakfast and Cup-A-Soup noodle soup for lunch. I should be set for a couple of weeks. I've noticed I've cut back on snacking since I've been eating breakfast and lunch again, and I don't gorge out on dinner either.
Monday, March 07, 2005
The interview game
There is an interview game making the rounds of several of the blogs I read. I've agreed to play and Karen, from Tati's Weblog, has posed me these questions which I will answer as time permits. If anyone of the three or four people who pop in here would like to play, just leave me a comment and I'll come up with questions for you.
1) Tell us a little about the pros and cons of living in Texas. If you could live in another state in the U.S., which would it be and why?
Answered 3/7/2005 at 6:23 a.m.
The Texas maps and information page just about says all there is about Texas, pros and cons. I found it by Googling on "topography of texas" because I wanted to talk about the diversity as being a plus. If you want to know about Texas, start there.
Just about everything you could ever want to know about the state I'd like to live in can be found at the Washington maps and information page. I'd like to live there because I'd like to visit Canada, because I love the mountains, and because my favorite aunt and her offspring and their families live there. It's been years since I've seen my aunt and I haven't seen my cousins since 1976. I've never met any of their spouses / significant others or children except for Cousin D's daughter A who came down years ago with my aunt to visit my folks. From everything my mother has said and from what the Prodigal Son has said, both of whom have had the opportunity to visit my aunt, Washington sounds like the kind of place I'd like.
2) You seem to get a "bee in your bonnet" quite often over this or that issue. Have you ever had a rebellious phase in your life, and if so, what is the most rebellious thing you have ever done and how old were you at the time?
Answered 3/3/2005 at 12:49 p.m.
Rebellious? Me? Good heavens! What would the neighbors think!?!
Actually, the most rebellious thing I'm guilty of is keeping this blog and occasionally pointing out the devolution of man as a thinking, rational being. There is nothing more frightening in the world than one man who believes he is absolutely and unquestionably right, and that everyone else must follow his will. On second thought, perhaps the most frightening thing is the people who willingly give up themselves - subjugate their identities, divest themselves of thinking for themselves - to follow that one right man.
I question everything. I want to know why. I have always been this way. I've just become a bit more vocal about it the older I've become.
3) What does your favorite coffee mug look like? Is it at home or do you keep it at the office? What makes it your favorite, and where did you get it from?
Answered 3/2/2005 at 5:43 p.m.
I have two favorite mugs, one for home and one for work. Both are big and can hold the contents of a soft drink can.
The one at home is a stoneware mug with a bird in a tree motif. The mug is a sort of tan, beige, natural type color with a dark trim around the rim and on the top of the handle. I got it about 30 years ago at the old Edinburg Hardware Store in Edinburg, Texas. I actually have no idea why I like this mug so much. It's not really anything special to look at and there's nothing sentimental associated with my buying it.
The mug at work I picked up at the Disney Store in the Baybrook Mall in Friendswood, Texas. I've had it for about 6 years. It has Winnie-the-Pooh, Tigger, Kanga, Roo, Piglet, Eeyor, Owl, and Rabbit at a picnic in the 100 Acre Wood. The base mug is white with the picnic scene all around it. It's my favorite mug because I love Winnie-the-Pooh especially when all the gang are included.
4) You have an astounding interest in all things scientific. Tell us a bit more about this aspect of yourself. Additionally, who was, in your opinion, the most significant scientist or researcher of the past 200 years and why?
Answered 3/3/2005 at 5:29 p.m.
I do seem to have an interest in things scientific, don't I? Especially in things astronomical and medicinal. Which is in itself interesting because I never took any science courses in school other than the required ones. No astronomy, no biology, no chemistry. When push comes to shove, I can find Orion in the night sky, I can tell you the difference between sexual and asexual reproduction, and I know that water is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one of oxygen. And what is even more interesting is that I never pursued any of these interests as a vocation or an avocation nor do I feel any inclination to start now. I don't have a telescope in my garage or a bunsen burner in my kitchen or a microscope on my desk.
So why am I interested in these things? I haven't the foggiest notion. My interest in things to do with astronomy and space exploration have been with me since my earliest memories. When other little girls wanted to be ballerinas or nurses or mommies, I wanted to be a pirate in outer space. When other kids were reading all those books that children and adolescents are supposed to read, I was reading Heinlein and Asimov. And I've never outgrown that. I still want to be a space pirate and I still read Heinlein and Asimov.
My interest in medical discoveries and advancements stems from my science fiction background as well. Stem cell research, cloning, AIDS (as a pandemic harbinger of the end of the world) - all straight out of books I've read since I was knee high to a grasshopper. Things that were 'what ifs' just a few years ago are now 'how do we deal with this'.
A thought just occurred to me. In answering the question about being rebellious, I said I questioned everything, that I've just always asked why. I think that answer holds a clue to why I'm interested scientific findings. I ask why and science gives me an answer.
As for who I think the most significant scientist or researcher of the last 200 years is, I haven't a clue. I've never kept up with who did what. The who part just never seemed as important or interesting as the what part. Since my preference for astronomy and space exploration are very obvious, I'd say my personal choice for significant person would be the people who were involved in the creation of the Hubble telescope and the Mars rovers and the Huygens probe. These people have given the world tools we can use to answer the question, "What's out there?"
5) Do you currently have any unfinished craft projects that have been neglected for more than six months? If so, describe them to us. If not, what is the last major craft project you made, and who was it for?
Answered 3/2/2005 at 12:29 p.m.
Do I have any unfinished craft projects? Is the pope catholic?
My answer started out to be "Yes, one," but then I remembered another project that hasn't seen the light of day in what is now years, and then another, and another, and . . .
The most recent unfinished project is the curtain I was crocheting for my back door window. I got bored with it and I didn't really like the way it was turning out and my reading glasses weren't working for me as they used to so I set it aside. I'll probably pick it up again now that I have new glasses because I can see again and I still don't like the window being uncovered.
The next unfinished project is an afghan I was crocheting in shades of green and cream yarn. The design uses different stitches and patterns for almost every round and was meant for scrap yarn to be used up. I would really like to finish it but I'm not even sure where it is. I really liked the pattern. I'd already made one afghan from it in shades of blue and grey. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure where that afghan got to either. I haven't seen it since I moved into the house.
And I have three cross stitch projects that have fallen by the wayside, due mostly to the problem with getting decent reading glasses and in part because they are large projects that never seem to get done so I get bored with working on them. I set them aside and often a year or so goes by before I pick them up again and work feverishly on them for a few weeks or months before I get bored again.
The most recent is a companion piece to one my mother made for me for Christmas several years ago. The one I was working on is a speckled blue kettle holding sunflowers. The cats found it in my stash a few weeks ago and played with it. I'm not sure I can repair the damage they did to it which is really a shame because it was almost completely done. I just lacked a bit of backstitching to get it finished.
The other two pieces are Teresa Wentzler samplers. Anyone familiar with Teresa's work knows they are large and complicated and intricate. One is the Castle Sampler and the other is the Fantasy Sampler. It's been years since I've worked on either. Fortunately, I know where both of these pieces are so I can pick them up again the next time I am in the mood.
1) Tell us a little about the pros and cons of living in Texas. If you could live in another state in the U.S., which would it be and why?
The Texas maps and information page just about says all there is about Texas, pros and cons. I found it by Googling on "topography of texas" because I wanted to talk about the diversity as being a plus. If you want to know about Texas, start there.
Just about everything you could ever want to know about the state I'd like to live in can be found at the Washington maps and information page. I'd like to live there because I'd like to visit Canada, because I love the mountains, and because my favorite aunt and her offspring and their families live there. It's been years since I've seen my aunt and I haven't seen my cousins since 1976. I've never met any of their spouses / significant others or children except for Cousin D's daughter A who came down years ago with my aunt to visit my folks. From everything my mother has said and from what the Prodigal Son has said, both of whom have had the opportunity to visit my aunt, Washington sounds like the kind of place I'd like.
2) You seem to get a "bee in your bonnet" quite often over this or that issue. Have you ever had a rebellious phase in your life, and if so, what is the most rebellious thing you have ever done and how old were you at the time?
Rebellious? Me? Good heavens! What would the neighbors think!?!
Actually, the most rebellious thing I'm guilty of is keeping this blog and occasionally pointing out the devolution of man as a thinking, rational being. There is nothing more frightening in the world than one man who believes he is absolutely and unquestionably right, and that everyone else must follow his will. On second thought, perhaps the most frightening thing is the people who willingly give up themselves - subjugate their identities, divest themselves of thinking for themselves - to follow that one right man.
I question everything. I want to know why. I have always been this way. I've just become a bit more vocal about it the older I've become.
3) What does your favorite coffee mug look like? Is it at home or do you keep it at the office? What makes it your favorite, and where did you get it from?
I have two favorite mugs, one for home and one for work. Both are big and can hold the contents of a soft drink can.
The one at home is a stoneware mug with a bird in a tree motif. The mug is a sort of tan, beige, natural type color with a dark trim around the rim and on the top of the handle. I got it about 30 years ago at the old Edinburg Hardware Store in Edinburg, Texas. I actually have no idea why I like this mug so much. It's not really anything special to look at and there's nothing sentimental associated with my buying it.
The mug at work I picked up at the Disney Store in the Baybrook Mall in Friendswood, Texas. I've had it for about 6 years. It has Winnie-the-Pooh, Tigger, Kanga, Roo, Piglet, Eeyor, Owl, and Rabbit at a picnic in the 100 Acre Wood. The base mug is white with the picnic scene all around it. It's my favorite mug because I love Winnie-the-Pooh especially when all the gang are included.
4) You have an astounding interest in all things scientific. Tell us a bit more about this aspect of yourself. Additionally, who was, in your opinion, the most significant scientist or researcher of the past 200 years and why?
I do seem to have an interest in things scientific, don't I? Especially in things astronomical and medicinal. Which is in itself interesting because I never took any science courses in school other than the required ones. No astronomy, no biology, no chemistry. When push comes to shove, I can find Orion in the night sky, I can tell you the difference between sexual and asexual reproduction, and I know that water is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one of oxygen. And what is even more interesting is that I never pursued any of these interests as a vocation or an avocation nor do I feel any inclination to start now. I don't have a telescope in my garage or a bunsen burner in my kitchen or a microscope on my desk.
So why am I interested in these things? I haven't the foggiest notion. My interest in things to do with astronomy and space exploration have been with me since my earliest memories. When other little girls wanted to be ballerinas or nurses or mommies, I wanted to be a pirate in outer space. When other kids were reading all those books that children and adolescents are supposed to read, I was reading Heinlein and Asimov. And I've never outgrown that. I still want to be a space pirate and I still read Heinlein and Asimov.
My interest in medical discoveries and advancements stems from my science fiction background as well. Stem cell research, cloning, AIDS (as a pandemic harbinger of the end of the world) - all straight out of books I've read since I was knee high to a grasshopper. Things that were 'what ifs' just a few years ago are now 'how do we deal with this'.
A thought just occurred to me. In answering the question about being rebellious, I said I questioned everything, that I've just always asked why. I think that answer holds a clue to why I'm interested scientific findings. I ask why and science gives me an answer.
As for who I think the most significant scientist or researcher of the last 200 years is, I haven't a clue. I've never kept up with who did what. The who part just never seemed as important or interesting as the what part. Since my preference for astronomy and space exploration are very obvious, I'd say my personal choice for significant person would be the people who were involved in the creation of the Hubble telescope and the Mars rovers and the Huygens probe. These people have given the world tools we can use to answer the question, "What's out there?"
5) Do you currently have any unfinished craft projects that have been neglected for more than six months? If so, describe them to us. If not, what is the last major craft project you made, and who was it for?
Do I have any unfinished craft projects? Is the pope catholic?
My answer started out to be "Yes, one," but then I remembered another project that hasn't seen the light of day in what is now years, and then another, and another, and . . .
The most recent unfinished project is the curtain I was crocheting for my back door window. I got bored with it and I didn't really like the way it was turning out and my reading glasses weren't working for me as they used to so I set it aside. I'll probably pick it up again now that I have new glasses because I can see again and I still don't like the window being uncovered.
The next unfinished project is an afghan I was crocheting in shades of green and cream yarn. The design uses different stitches and patterns for almost every round and was meant for scrap yarn to be used up. I would really like to finish it but I'm not even sure where it is. I really liked the pattern. I'd already made one afghan from it in shades of blue and grey. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure where that afghan got to either. I haven't seen it since I moved into the house.
And I have three cross stitch projects that have fallen by the wayside, due mostly to the problem with getting decent reading glasses and in part because they are large projects that never seem to get done so I get bored with working on them. I set them aside and often a year or so goes by before I pick them up again and work feverishly on them for a few weeks or months before I get bored again.
The most recent is a companion piece to one my mother made for me for Christmas several years ago. The one I was working on is a speckled blue kettle holding sunflowers. The cats found it in my stash a few weeks ago and played with it. I'm not sure I can repair the damage they did to it which is really a shame because it was almost completely done. I just lacked a bit of backstitching to get it finished.
The other two pieces are Teresa Wentzler samplers. Anyone familiar with Teresa's work knows they are large and complicated and intricate. One is the Castle Sampler and the other is the Fantasy Sampler. It's been years since I've worked on either. Fortunately, I know where both of these pieces are so I can pick them up again the next time I am in the mood.
StopLandmines.org
They have a proposed ad on their site which shows girls playing soccer until one steps on a landmine. A very powerful ad. I recommend watching it. I strongly suspect the ad will never see the light of day on American television.
BBC NEWS | Entertainment | New Dr Who leaked onto internet
Good golly, Miss Molly! Has it really been since 1989 that we've been without the Doctor?
If I could get my hands on the episode that was leaked without having to install some sort of peer-to-peer software or bizarre video player, I'd love to see it. There's no telling if or when the Doctor will grace these shores. I managed to catch almost all of the 4th (Tom Baker) and 5th (Peter Davison) Doctors and bits of the 6th (Colin Baker) and 7th (Sylvester McCoy). I honestly can't remember if I ever saw the movie with Paul McGann.
Oh, well. Just have to keep digits crossed the Doctor flies across the Pond.
If I could get my hands on the episode that was leaked without having to install some sort of peer-to-peer software or bizarre video player, I'd love to see it. There's no telling if or when the Doctor will grace these shores. I managed to catch almost all of the 4th (Tom Baker) and 5th (Peter Davison) Doctors and bits of the 6th (Colin Baker) and 7th (Sylvester McCoy). I honestly can't remember if I ever saw the movie with Paul McGann.
Oh, well. Just have to keep digits crossed the Doctor flies across the Pond.
fey
from Dictionary.com/Word of the Day
fey \FAY\, adjective:
1. Possessing or displaying a strange and otherworldly aspect or quality; magical or fairylike; elfin.
2. Having power to see into the future; visionary; clairvoyant.
3. Appearing slightly crazy, as if under a spell; touched.
4. (Scots.) Fated to die; doomed.
5. (Scots.) Marked by a sense of approaching death.
Fey comes from Middle English feye, feie, from Old English fæge, "fated to die."
Word History: The history of the words fey and fay illustrates a rather fey coincidence. Our word fay, “fairy, elf,” the descendant of Middle English faie, “a person or place possessed of magical properties,” and first recorded around 1390, goes back to Old French fae, “fairy,” the same word that has given us fairy. Fae in turn comes from Vulgar Latin Fta, “the goddess of fate,” from Latin ftum, “fate.” If fay goes back to fate, so does fey in a manner of speaking, for its Old English ancestor fge meant “fated to die.” The sense we are more familiar with, “magical or fairylike in quality,” seems to have arisen partly because of the resemblance in sound between fay and fey.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Their Royal Majesties, in repose
The Prodigal Son snapped these shots earlier today - um, well actually, that would be yesterday now. Their Royal Majesties, Queen Mouse and King Heru, lounging in the front window watching the world pass by.
The cross stitch bug
The cleaning bug was replaced by the cross stitch bug. I decided I wanted to stitch a Christmas ornament so that's what I've been doing all afternoon up until just a few minutes ago. It's still a work in progress and I'm not altogether sure who I'm making it for, but . . .
Updated 4:37 PM: I've decided to give this one to my nephew W. I've completely finished it. Now I just need to put it somewhere safe where I'll forget I've put it . . .
Updated March 12,2005: I suddenly realized I hadn't included any attribution for the pattern so I thought I'd rectify the situation. The pattern was included in the 2001 Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments issue. It was designed by Jennifer Aikman-Smith of Dragon Dreams, Inc. I modified the pattern by leaving off the border so I could make it into the pillow ornament.
Updated 4:37 PM: I've decided to give this one to my nephew W. I've completely finished it. Now I just need to put it somewhere safe where I'll forget I've put it . . .
Updated March 12,2005: I suddenly realized I hadn't included any attribution for the pattern so I thought I'd rectify the situation. The pattern was included in the 2001 Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments issue. It was designed by Jennifer Aikman-Smith of Dragon Dreams, Inc. I modified the pattern by leaving off the border so I could make it into the pillow ornament.
Saturday, March 05, 2005
Cleaning bug
I've been bitten by it today. Don't ask me why. It's a very rare occurrence.
I'm taking a short break. I've been at it for three hours and I've only managed to mostly clean out my closet. I've filled two sacks with trash and one sack with clothing that's going to Goodwill. I've also boxed up some of the paperwork I have to keep for tax purposes. I've also done one small load of laundry. Even with all that, I'm still not done with the closet. I've left a mess of books on the floor that need to be shelved.
And what I really hoped to get accomplished today was cleaning up my bedroom so I could actually make it from the door to my bed without tripping over something. Ah, well, it looks like that may be a job for another day. The longer I sit here, the more the lazy bug is beckoning to me.
I'm taking a short break. I've been at it for three hours and I've only managed to mostly clean out my closet. I've filled two sacks with trash and one sack with clothing that's going to Goodwill. I've also boxed up some of the paperwork I have to keep for tax purposes. I've also done one small load of laundry. Even with all that, I'm still not done with the closet. I've left a mess of books on the floor that need to be shelved.
And what I really hoped to get accomplished today was cleaning up my bedroom so I could actually make it from the door to my bed without tripping over something. Ah, well, it looks like that may be a job for another day. The longer I sit here, the more the lazy bug is beckoning to me.
Utah governor weighs antiporn proposal | CNET News.com
Folks, there's software available that allows blocking of questionable sites without bringing in ISPs or the government. For heaven's sake, you can do that directly in IE. Take responsibility for yourselves. Learn to use the tools you bring into your home and stop making it someone else's responsibility to protect you from your own ignorance.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
BBC NEWS | Americas | US display marks 1,500 war dead
However, domestic US support for the war appears to have been buoyed by the success of Iraq's elections in January.
A New York Times/CBS News poll released on Thursday said 53% felt efforts to bring order to Iraq were going well, up from 41% a month ago.
Almost 1,400 Americans killed since the sorry excuse for a war was declared over and things are going well. I wonder what it would take for people to perceive things as going badly . . . 14,000 dead? . . . 1,400,000?
World Book Day 2005
Happy World Book Day! Recommend a book or two or ten to friends and family!
My recommended book list includes:
My recommended book list includes:
- The Stars My Destination, Alfred Bester
- To Reign in Hell, Steven Brust
- The Best Awful, Carrie Fisher
- Fevre Dream, George R. R. Martin
- The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger
- The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold
- Just a Geek, Wil Wheaton
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Texas Declaration of Independence
Today is Texas Independence day. Until today, I'd never read the Texas Declaration of Independence. 1836 to 2005, and there is still resonance . . .
When a government has ceased to protect the lives, liberty and property of the people, from whom its legitimate powers are derived, and for the advancement of whose happiness it was instituted, and so far from being a guarantee for the enjoyment of those inestimable and inalienable rights, becomes an instrument in the hands of evil rulers for their oppression.
When the Federal Republican Constitution of their country, which they have sworn to support, no longer has a substantial existence, and the whole nature of their government has been forcibly changed, without their consent, from a restricted federative republic, composed of sovereign states, to a consolidated central military despotism, in which every interest is disregarded but that of the army and the priesthood, both the eternal enemies of civil liberty, the everready minions of power, and the usual instruments of tyrants.
When, long after the spirit of the constitution has departed, moderation is at length so far lost by those in power, that even the semblance of freedom is removed, and the forms themselves of the constitution discontinued, and so far from their petitions and remonstrances being regarded, the agents who bear them are thrown into dungeons, and mercenary armies sent forth to force a new government upon them at the point of the bayonet.
When, in consequence of such acts of malfeasance and abdication on the part of the government, anarchy prevails, and civil society is dissolved into its original elements. In such a crisis, the first law of nature, the right of self-preservation, the inherent and inalienable rights of the people to appeal to first principles, and take their political affairs into their own hands in extreme cases, enjoins it as a right towards themselves, and a sacred obligation to their posterity, to abolish such government, and create another in its stead, calculated to rescue them from impending dangers, and to secure their future welfare and happiness.
Shark Tank: The right tool for the job
The sales director for this company isn't very computer-savvy, and the IT manager pilot fish who's setting up the guy's new laptop knows that. So fish decides to try a little color coding.
"To make it easy for him, I gave him a blue LAN cable and a yellow modem cable," says fish. "And I marked his computer with a blue piece of tape where the LAN cable went, and a yellow piece where the modem line went."
The sales director hits the road with the laptop -- and promptly calls to complain that the modem is broken.
For 30 minutes, fish tries to troubleshoot the modem over the phone with the sales director. But nothing seems to be wrong. It passes all its diagnostics, and the settings are all correct.
Finally, fish asks if the cable is plugged into the laptop.
"He said yes," fish reports. "On a lark, I asked which cable. He said the blue one."
But the blue one is the LAN cable, fish points out. It has an RJ45 connector that's too wide to work with the modem.
"The sales director relayed to me that he had forgotten his modem cable at home," sighs fish. "So he took out his penknife and whittled the RJ45 connector until it fit in the modem port."
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Allergies at it again
I've been sneezing all day and my nose is stuffed. I hope this is just a boring week long case of snuffles and not one of those nasty bouts that have been hitting me of late.
79(R) SB113 Introduced - Bill Text
79R648 JTS-D By: Van de Putte S.B. No. 113A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT
relating to prohibiting certain health care providers from promoting infant formula.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 165, Health and Safety Code, is amended by adding Section 165.005 to read as follows:
Sec. 165.005. INFANT FORMULA PROMOTION PROHIBITION.
(a) A hospital, birthing center, physician, or other health care provider that provides services to mothers and infants may not promote the use of infant formula, including by:
(1) distributing without charge an infant formula or any item containing the name of an infant formula; and
(2) advertising an infant formula.
(b) The executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission shall adopt rules to implement this section.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.
Oh, for the love of god! This woman (Senator Leticia Van de Putte: District 26) aught to be taken out and shot. Of all the useless, wasted, dumbass things that could be proposed into law, this one has got to take the cake . . . excuse me, this one takes the breast.
Monday, February 28, 2005
BBC NEWS | Americas | US sparks row at UN over abortion
Yes, by all means, let's ban abortions so we can go back to the good old days of abortions performed by any hack with a wire coat hanger and the scruples of pond scum. Let's go back to the good old days when women died or were irreparably damaged.
Lessons from the Shark Tank
When Users Get Creative
Time-out!
Yeah, but It Worked, Didn't It?
Client is giving contract developer pilot fish the requirements for a new system to manage his transport business. According to the client, an open ticket should be valid for return travel up to a month after the outbound journey. How should the system calculate "a month after"? fish asks. Thirty days later? "No, one month later," says client, "the same date in the following month." So what is the date one month after Jan. 31? asks fish. Client: "February 31."
Time-out!
This machine shop uses PCs just for time and attendance reporting. But one morning, arriving first-shift workers call the help desk to complain that they can't clock in. "They said they could see the log-in screen but couldn't type their IDs and passwords," IT pilot fish says. "A trip to the shop floor proved them right and made it clear we needed to lock down the PCs much tighter. Someone on second shift made a screenshot of the log-in screen, then saved it as the wallpaper on all the machines!"
Yeah, but It Worked, Didn't It?
User is getting an error message she doesn't understand, so support tech asks her to send him a screenshot so he can see what she's talking about. "A few minutes later, he gets a PDF file attached to an e-mail," reports a pilot fish on the scene. "She took a picture of her computer with her digital camera and e-mailed the picture to him."
Learning German | Deutsche Welle
Ha! I need a refresher since I haven't had any exposure to German since college back in the Dark Ages. Although I can still understand my mother when she drifts off into German every now and again, I can't keep up with anything else any more.
I didn't need a quiz to tell me that
You Aren't In the Best Of Moods |
 While you aren't full on depressed, things aren't going your way. You may be hurt, angry, frustrated... or all three. Not to worry - you'll be feeling fine in no time. |
I'm still not in my right mind
You Are 55% Left Brained, 45% Right Brained |
The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports. |
Friday, February 25, 2005
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Longmire does Romance Novels
I snagged this link from Ultrablog. Another bit of humour to brighten a grey and miserable day.
Hey, Best Friend! You might want to pass this along to the Romance Reading Sister-in-Law. She might get a guffaw out of it as well.
Hey, Best Friend! You might want to pass this along to the Romance Reading Sister-in-Law. She might get a guffaw out of it as well.
National Geographic Photo of the Day: Elephant Swim
The sight of this brightened what was already the beginnings of a gloomy day. I'm still smirking.
Oh, and it's now my wallpaper.
Oh, and it's now my wallpaper.
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Urban Legends Reference Pages: Computers (Sober K)
I'm sorry, but only a complete fool would believe the FBI would send them an email, never mind sending one like this:
If the FBI is going to accuse you of wrong doing, they are going to show up at your door with warrants in hand to cart you and your stuff away. They are not going to email you and ask you to explain yourself.
Dear Sir/Madam,
we have logged your IP-address on more than 40 illegal Websites.
Important: Please answer our questions!
The list of questions are attached.
Yours faithfully,
M. John Stellford
++-++ Federal Bureau of Investigation -FBI-
++-++ 935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 2130
++-++ Washington, DC 20535
++-++ (202) 324-3000
If the FBI is going to accuse you of wrong doing, they are going to show up at your door with warrants in hand to cart you and your stuff away. They are not going to email you and ask you to explain yourself.
Animal Planet :: Dragons
Whoa! This is so way kewl! I'm gonna hafta mark this on my calendar so I can watch it.
CDC - Influenza (Flu) | Weekly US Map: Influenza Summary Update
Red state, blue state, with just a hint of purple.
I wonder if it is 'flu that has all of us in its grips and just won't let go.
I wonder if it is 'flu that has all of us in its grips and just won't let go.
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Freedom of choice
"In America, through pressure of conformity, there is freedom of choice, but nothing to choose from." -- Sir Peter Ustinov
Monday, February 21, 2005
faineant
from Dictionary.com/Word of the Day:
This pretty much describes me and what I did yesterday. I managed to go all of Sunday without turning on my computer once. I napped and watched TV and did logic puzzles and munched Starbursts and snuggled with kitties and napped and watched TV. It was a lovely day.
faineant \fay-nay-AWN\, adjective:
Doing nothing or given to doing nothing; idle; lazy.
noun:
A do-nothing; an idle fellow; a sluggard.
Faineant is from French, from Middle French fait, "does" + néant, "nothing."
This pretty much describes me and what I did yesterday. I managed to go all of Sunday without turning on my computer once. I napped and watched TV and did logic puzzles and munched Starbursts and snuggled with kitties and napped and watched TV. It was a lovely day.
Friday, February 18, 2005
This and that and then some
I had a dental appointment at eight this morning. It was just for a teeth cleaning, but my jaw is still sore from holding my mouth open and my teeth feel kind of achey. I'm not sure what keeps possessing me to schedule my teeth cleanings so early in the morning, but my next one is for 8:00 a.m. as well.
I went to breakfast after I was done at the dentist. Naturally I went to IHOP since it's the only place in town to get a decent one. This morning I just had eggs, bacon, hash browns, and wheat toast. And coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. While I read my book and munched my toast. It was a lovely break after the trauma of listening to the hygienist scrape my teeth with a metal pick. ~ shudder ~
And lastly, I dropped off my prints to be framed. One large print of two birds in a tree and five postcard sized prints of butterflies, daisies, duckies, oranges, and a birdie in a tree. It's going to cost me an arm and part of a leg to get them all custom framed but it will so be worth it. The large print has a simple black mat with a green wooden frame which looks mildly distressed and goes really well with the soft greens in the print. The little birdie in the apple tree will be double matted with a margarine yellow on the inside and black on the outside with a very simple black frame. The daisy print and the still life with oranges will be unmatted and framed with the same simple black as the bird. The ducks will be framed in a warm, yellowy brown frame. And the butterfly will be framed in a deep brown red frame. The ducks and the butterfly are also unmatted. They should be done the early part of next week. I can't wait to get them back and hung.
My legs are still sore from the fall up the stairs I took a couple of days ago. It's interesting the bruising, or lack thereof considering the amount of swelling and the rather significant area of painful to the touch. The right leg, which bore the brunt of the fall, is still swollen from the knee to half way down to my shin yet the only visible bruise is one at the bottom of the swollen area and it's only slightly larger than an old dollar coin. The left thigh has two large green and purple bruises and a couple of smaller ones even though pretty much the entire outer thigh is sore. I am happy to report that my feet have stopped changing size and I can once again walk, talk and chew gum. ;D
I am feeling a great need to be lazy today so I'm going to grab my book, pop a movie into the DVD player, make me a nice cup of tea, and plop my happy rear down on the sofa with a couple of cats and be useless the rest of the day. That's what days off are for, after all.
I went to breakfast after I was done at the dentist. Naturally I went to IHOP since it's the only place in town to get a decent one. This morning I just had eggs, bacon, hash browns, and wheat toast. And coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. While I read my book and munched my toast. It was a lovely break after the trauma of listening to the hygienist scrape my teeth with a metal pick. ~ shudder ~
And lastly, I dropped off my prints to be framed. One large print of two birds in a tree and five postcard sized prints of butterflies, daisies, duckies, oranges, and a birdie in a tree. It's going to cost me an arm and part of a leg to get them all custom framed but it will so be worth it. The large print has a simple black mat with a green wooden frame which looks mildly distressed and goes really well with the soft greens in the print. The little birdie in the apple tree will be double matted with a margarine yellow on the inside and black on the outside with a very simple black frame. The daisy print and the still life with oranges will be unmatted and framed with the same simple black as the bird. The ducks will be framed in a warm, yellowy brown frame. And the butterfly will be framed in a deep brown red frame. The ducks and the butterfly are also unmatted. They should be done the early part of next week. I can't wait to get them back and hung.
My legs are still sore from the fall up the stairs I took a couple of days ago. It's interesting the bruising, or lack thereof considering the amount of swelling and the rather significant area of painful to the touch. The right leg, which bore the brunt of the fall, is still swollen from the knee to half way down to my shin yet the only visible bruise is one at the bottom of the swollen area and it's only slightly larger than an old dollar coin. The left thigh has two large green and purple bruises and a couple of smaller ones even though pretty much the entire outer thigh is sore. I am happy to report that my feet have stopped changing size and I can once again walk, talk and chew gum. ;D
I am feeling a great need to be lazy today so I'm going to grab my book, pop a movie into the DVD player, make me a nice cup of tea, and plop my happy rear down on the sofa with a couple of cats and be useless the rest of the day. That's what days off are for, after all.
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Yahoo! News - Young Blood Gets New Meaning with Fresh Study
Does this mean the next fad is going to be blood scrubbing?
Walk, talk, and chew gum
Ever have one of those days where you can't walk, talk, and chew gum at the same time? I had one today. I managed to trip UP a flight of stairs while holding a twelve ounce mug of almost hot coffee.
Coffee flew all over the stairs, but not a drop spilled on me except on the hand holding the cup. The cup did not break which was really a good thing because I would have had to go home and be depressed if something had happened to my Winnie-the-Pooh mug. I did, however, manage to bruise myself up something fierce. My left thigh and right calf are two giant bruises. The one on my right leg is actually quite painful and I would be in my nighty this minute except the Prodigal Son has friends over and I don't have a robe to wear over my nighty.
Today was just one of those days where my feet suddenly and inexplicably grew several sizes almost every time I got up to walk because I kept tripping over them since there was nothing on the floor for me to trip over. Thank goodness the day is over and I'm at home and I can kick off my shoes and dig in with my toes. So far I've managed to make it into the house and into my room without a misstep. I consider that a major accomplishment.
Coffee flew all over the stairs, but not a drop spilled on me except on the hand holding the cup. The cup did not break which was really a good thing because I would have had to go home and be depressed if something had happened to my Winnie-the-Pooh mug. I did, however, manage to bruise myself up something fierce. My left thigh and right calf are two giant bruises. The one on my right leg is actually quite painful and I would be in my nighty this minute except the Prodigal Son has friends over and I don't have a robe to wear over my nighty.
Today was just one of those days where my feet suddenly and inexplicably grew several sizes almost every time I got up to walk because I kept tripping over them since there was nothing on the floor for me to trip over. Thank goodness the day is over and I'm at home and I can kick off my shoes and dig in with my toes. So far I've managed to make it into the house and into my room without a misstep. I consider that a major accomplishment.
I'm going to hell . . .
. . . because I have leftovers in my fridge that are more than three days old.
According to Leviticus 19:5 through 19:8.
Who knew?!?
According to Leviticus 19:5 through 19:8.
Who knew?!?
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Yahoo! News - Surprised Customer Says Penis Pills Don't Work
I'm not going to laugh . . . I'm not going to laugh . . . I'm not going to laugh . . .
Who am I kidding? This is funny. In the same way that making your boobs grow by taking pills is funny. Or that losing weight while you sleep after taking pills is funny.
Who am I kidding? This is funny. In the same way that making your boobs grow by taking pills is funny. Or that losing weight while you sleep after taking pills is funny.
Monday, February 14, 2005
Where in hell am I?
The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Sixth Level of Hell - The City of Dis!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:
Take the Dante's Inferno Hell Test
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:
| Level | Score |
|---|---|
| Purgatory (Repenting Believers) | Very Low |
| Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers) | High |
| Level 2 (Lustful) | Low |
| Level 3 (Gluttonous) | Very High |
| Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious) | Very Low |
| Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy) | Low |
| Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics) | Extreme |
| Level 7 (Violent) | High |
| Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers) | Moderate |
| Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous) | Low |
Take the Dante's Inferno Hell Test
Hey, Best Friend!
Since I don't have your email address here at work, I thought I'd drop you a blog entry to let you know I mailed the retirement card this morning. Would you let the Retiree know the check is in the mail?
Wonderfalls
I watched all 13 episodes of Wonderfalls included on the DVD. The show was wonderfully quirky and might have actually caught on if the network hadn't put it on death night in the definitely going to kill it time slot. Aside from the bad time slot, I don't remember the network promoting the show at all. If memory serves, the only reason I knew about it was because of the various Buffy / Angel lists I subscribed to which used to let us know what other projects the various producers, writers, etc. were involved in. Tim Minear, an Angel alum, was an executive producer for Wonderfalls.If you get the opportunity to watch all 13 episodes, I recommend it. As I said, the show was wonderfully light-dark quirky fun.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Since I was reminded twice today, once by the Prodigal Son who mumbled "Happy Valentine's Day, mom" as I was packing up my stuff to come to work and a second time by one of the gentlemen at work who gifted each of the ladies in our section with a wine glass filled with Hersey's Kisses.
Until the Prodigal Son mumbled his benediction this morning, I'd completely forgotten about Valentine's Day.
Until the Prodigal Son mumbled his benediction this morning, I'd completely forgotten about Valentine's Day.
How computer literate are you?
Take the quiz: "How Computer Literate Are You?"
Expert
GREAT JOB! You Are Up There With Bill Gates And Linus And The Best Of Them. Good Job!
Expert
GREAT JOB! You Are Up There With Bill Gates And Linus And The Best Of Them. Good Job!
Friday, February 11, 2005
Blogger does it again
I know Blogger is a free option, but I would hope they would have learned something from the last time they 'upgraded'. This time, they've modified how comments work. The only problem is, what you see isn't what you get.
This is what you see:
But this is what you get:
And neither is what I asked for. As far as I can tell, the only way to effectively change the date format is to republish your entire blog which is not something I want to do.
UPDATE: I've been playing around and it seems the date formatting works UNLESS you select the very first format in the list. It does not like that one and will default back to whichever format was selected last. Naturally, that is the format I prefer.
This is what you see:
But this is what you get:
And neither is what I asked for. As far as I can tell, the only way to effectively change the date format is to republish your entire blog which is not something I want to do.
UPDATE: I've been playing around and it seems the date formatting works UNLESS you select the very first format in the list. It does not like that one and will default back to whichever format was selected last. Naturally, that is the format I prefer.
I know what color I am
#66CDAA |
Your dominant hues are cyan and green. Although you definately strive to be logical you care about people and know there's a time and place for thinking emotionally. Your head rules most things but your heart rules others, and getting them to meet in the middle takes a lot of your energy some days. Your saturation level is medium - You're not the most decisive go-getter, but you can get a job done when it's required of you. You probably don't think the world can change for you and don't want to spend too much effort trying to force it. Your outlook on life is brighter than most people's. You like the idea of influencing things for the better and find hope in situations where others might give up. You're not exactly a bouncy sunshine but things in your world generally look up. |
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Maybe I should have asked sooner . . .
It appears that Epilogue.net is back again. I wonder what happened to it this time. Heck, I wonder what happened to it last time.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld
by Patricia A. McKillip.
Just finished it. A+ story telling.
This is the 7th McKillip book I've read and the 6th that I have unreservedly enjoyed and would recommend.
This one is about being able to face yourself.
Just finished it. A+ story telling.
This is the 7th McKillip book I've read and the 6th that I have unreservedly enjoyed and would recommend.
This one is about being able to face yourself.
BBC NEWS | Health | Dolly expert is to clone embryos
"As national science academies all over the world have stressed, we want to see the message made clear.
"Individual countries should be allowed to make up their own minds about therapeutic cloning, but extending these techniques to attempt to produce a cloned baby is scientifically unsafe, ethically unsound and socially unacceptable."
"Individual countries should be allowed to make up their own minds about therapeutic cloning, but extending these techniques to attempt to produce a cloned baby is scientifically unsafe, ethically unsound and socially unacceptable."
Monday, February 07, 2005
I'm back
I made it back home. I'll post all the grisly details later since I'm pooped right now.
There is one thing I want to share before I sign off. I nicked this from Tati's Weblog. If you'd like to sing along, Karen has the lyrics.
There is one thing I want to share before I sign off. I nicked this from Tati's Weblog. If you'd like to sing along, Karen has the lyrics.
Thursday, February 03, 2005
Feeling great . . .
. . . in a death warmed over sort of way.
I ran to the bank this morning to get money for the trip. Then I ran to the grocery store and stocked up on food for the Prodigal Son so he wouldn't starve while I was gone. And now I'm taking a little break before I tackle the laundry so I can have clothes to take with me.
I didn't watch Wonderfalls last night. Instead, I plugged in season one of 24 and watched the first six episodes. It's about time I got around to watching the DVDs so I can send them back to netflix so I can reduce the number of discs on my queue so I can add more discs to my queue. I also read about 150 pages in my book while I was watching 24.
Well, enough of a break. I need to get cracking on the laundry.
I ran to the bank this morning to get money for the trip. Then I ran to the grocery store and stocked up on food for the Prodigal Son so he wouldn't starve while I was gone. And now I'm taking a little break before I tackle the laundry so I can have clothes to take with me.
I didn't watch Wonderfalls last night. Instead, I plugged in season one of 24 and watched the first six episodes. It's about time I got around to watching the DVDs so I can send them back to netflix so I can reduce the number of discs on my queue so I can add more discs to my queue. I also read about 150 pages in my book while I was watching 24.
Well, enough of a break. I need to get cracking on the laundry.
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Up and at 'em
I went to work today. I really don't know why since I missed Monday and Tuesday and I have vacation scheduled for Thursday and Friday. I guess it's just that nasty German work ethic goading me to organize things before I leave them to fall apart.
Since I was sick all weekend long, I'm not going home tomorrow as planned. I'm spending tomorrow catching up on laundry, bill paying, and grocery shopping. I also have to pack and check the laptop to make sure it will run when I get to Mom's so I can get online for her. She thinks it's just nifty that I can order stuff for her on my computer.
As it stands right now, I'm driving down Friday and driving back on Monday. The Prodigal Son is staying home because he would be bored and he just couldn't survive four days without his girlfriend. It also makes looking after the cats easier if he's home to do it. I just have to call him several times a day to have him count the cats to make sure he hasn't lost another one.
I finally got my silly W2 so I can file my tax return and get my refund. I'll probably finish that tomorrow since I do it electronically.
Right now I'm off to read. I would watch the State of the Union address, but I don't really feel like being lied to. Maybe I'll plug in the first Wonderfalls DVD. I got my set today and I'm really looking forward to seeing all the episodes that never made it to TV. Actually, that sounds like a plan.
Later!
Since I was sick all weekend long, I'm not going home tomorrow as planned. I'm spending tomorrow catching up on laundry, bill paying, and grocery shopping. I also have to pack and check the laptop to make sure it will run when I get to Mom's so I can get online for her. She thinks it's just nifty that I can order stuff for her on my computer.
As it stands right now, I'm driving down Friday and driving back on Monday. The Prodigal Son is staying home because he would be bored and he just couldn't survive four days without his girlfriend. It also makes looking after the cats easier if he's home to do it. I just have to call him several times a day to have him count the cats to make sure he hasn't lost another one.
I finally got my silly W2 so I can file my tax return and get my refund. I'll probably finish that tomorrow since I do it electronically.
Right now I'm off to read. I would watch the State of the Union address, but I don't really feel like being lied to. Maybe I'll plug in the first Wonderfalls DVD. I got my set today and I'm really looking forward to seeing all the episodes that never made it to TV. Actually, that sounds like a plan.
Later!
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
Almost human
No more fever. The cough has eased though it's not yet gone. I can almost breathe without making that strange rattling whistling sound. Now I just feel completely drained, worn out, and used up.
And I actually feel hungry today. Which isn't really surprising since I ate almost nothing for three days while I was in bed trying to decide if I was burning up or freezing to death. What I'd really like is a steak and eggs, hashbrowns and toast, juice and coffee. What I'll settle for is a bowl of Raisin Bran Crunch. The former I'd have to dress and go out for. The latter is in the kitchen pantry.
And I actually feel hungry today. Which isn't really surprising since I ate almost nothing for three days while I was in bed trying to decide if I was burning up or freezing to death. What I'd really like is a steak and eggs, hashbrowns and toast, juice and coffee. What I'll settle for is a bowl of Raisin Bran Crunch. The former I'd have to dress and go out for. The latter is in the kitchen pantry.
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