...Woke up way too early with a migraine and hypersensitive hearing. I tried to just ignore it and go back to sleep -- ended up under a blanket on the window seat, with earmuffs on, hating the buzzsaw wail of the furnace draft-inducer (which is no more than a low purr).
Ibuprofen eventually dulled the pain and roar and I dropped off for another couple of hours. Woke to discover Tam's cat had colonized the tented area beneath my bent knees and was objecting to my efforts to move. She eventually succumbed to the inevitable and here I am, only a little worse for the wear.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Products You Don't Know You Need
The Taxidermied Jimmy Hoffa Coat Rack: He's kind of crouched back with both hands up, so you can hang coats and hats on both hands and his head. C'mon, prove to me that wouldn't sell. (You know you want one.) Aha, so that's where he's got to!
(Also the scaled-down Empire State/King Kong/Fay Wray/Biplanes coat rack. Sure, it's difficult to dust -- but flip the switch and he roars and grabs at the airplanes!)
Tacktical Baseball Bat: For keeping by the door, in black, flat dark earth, Digicam and even a 3/4-weight one in Pepto-pink "for the l'il lady," with high-tech nubby rubber grips and plenty of rails for lights, pistol bayonet(s) and general ouchliness.
Cat Handcuffs: Sure, they're wrong, but I could use 'em. Huck nearly pitched me face-first into a wok of breakfasty goodness (fried wild rice & quinoa, with cabbage, onion, celery, carrot, radish, spicy black & green olives, Emmentaler and plenty of bacon and eggs) as he and Rannie were underfooting this morning, her in hopes of a dab of bacon grease and him just 'cos the other cat was there. (Yes, Huck spurns bacon grease. Where oh where have we gone wrong?)
Chainsaw Bayonet Bayonet: Take it to the next next level! Sure, you got your Sharkhop XV Anti-zombie M4gery with a real chainsaw on it -- but what if you run outta ammo and gasoline before running out of Zeds? Add a blade to that thing! (Also good for splatter-free poking at stuff you don't wanna get all that close to.)
(Also the scaled-down Empire State/King Kong/Fay Wray/Biplanes coat rack. Sure, it's difficult to dust -- but flip the switch and he roars and grabs at the airplanes!)
Tacktical Baseball Bat: For keeping by the door, in black, flat dark earth, Digicam and even a 3/4-weight one in Pepto-pink "for the l'il lady," with high-tech nubby rubber grips and plenty of rails for lights, pistol bayonet(s) and general ouchliness.
Cat Handcuffs: Sure, they're wrong, but I could use 'em. Huck nearly pitched me face-first into a wok of breakfasty goodness (fried wild rice & quinoa, with cabbage, onion, celery, carrot, radish, spicy black & green olives, Emmentaler and plenty of bacon and eggs) as he and Rannie were underfooting this morning, her in hopes of a dab of bacon grease and him just 'cos the other cat was there. (Yes, Huck spurns bacon grease. Where oh where have we gone wrong?)
Chainsaw Bayonet Bayonet: Take it to the next next level! Sure, you got your Sharkhop XV Anti-zombie M4gery with a real chainsaw on it -- but what if you run outta ammo and gasoline before running out of Zeds? Add a blade to that thing! (Also good for splatter-free poking at stuff you don't wanna get all that close to.)
Glargh?
I have been uncommonly fatigued of late, ever since my recovery from probably-Norovirus. This morning it manifested itself by being unable to stay awake for very long until I had slept for twelve hours.
The TV went off and I struggled awake to discover Tam seated on the foot of my bed, channel-hopping from local news to Fox to Rachael Maddow; even that didn't keep me awake. Annoyed, yes, but I did the usual morning things, took a swig of water, made dyspeptic, disparaging comments about the commercials[1] and such,[2] and was soon back in a dreamland fully as immersive and bizarre as Little Nemo's, from which I emerged, still muzzy, only minutes ago.
I'm gonna go make brekky. If I can remember how to operate the stove.
______________________________
1. Rule One: "If they offer two of them, it's useless junk." Rule Two: "The flashier the commercial and the simpler the product, the more likely it is to be overpriced and cheaply made." There's a short list of items, all of them (how 'bout that!) mail-order/phone-order that I will never purchase.
2. Tam did not like my theory about what Ron Paul was going to do with the delegates he has amassed, to the puzzlement of The Maddow: "Barbecue!" Feed 'em or cook 'em, flip a coin: it's as useful either way 'cos you know the GOP, which I believe to be as incapable of learning as the vile ijits across the aisle, will ice him out of the nomination. The GOP's redeeming features are that they will talk of budgetary restraint and a lot of the things they make laws about, one can dodge if necessary. Not so for the other guys.
The TV went off and I struggled awake to discover Tam seated on the foot of my bed, channel-hopping from local news to Fox to Rachael Maddow; even that didn't keep me awake. Annoyed, yes, but I did the usual morning things, took a swig of water, made dyspeptic, disparaging comments about the commercials[1] and such,[2] and was soon back in a dreamland fully as immersive and bizarre as Little Nemo's, from which I emerged, still muzzy, only minutes ago.
I'm gonna go make brekky. If I can remember how to operate the stove.
______________________________
1. Rule One: "If they offer two of them, it's useless junk." Rule Two: "The flashier the commercial and the simpler the product, the more likely it is to be overpriced and cheaply made." There's a short list of items, all of them (how 'bout that!) mail-order/phone-order that I will never purchase.
2. Tam did not like my theory about what Ron Paul was going to do with the delegates he has amassed, to the puzzlement of The Maddow: "Barbecue!" Feed 'em or cook 'em, flip a coin: it's as useful either way 'cos you know the GOP, which I believe to be as incapable of learning as the vile ijits across the aisle, will ice him out of the nomination. The GOP's redeeming features are that they will talk of budgetary restraint and a lot of the things they make laws about, one can dodge if necessary. Not so for the other guys.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Hoosier Presidential Candidates?
I was wondering who (if anyone) has made it onto Indiana's 2012 Presidential primary ballot already. A little Google work* brought me to Indiana's official page for that information, where I saw this:
Yeah. Useful.
I am not a violent person and I think political violence should be a very, very, very last resort. But there's a level of sheer FAIL that, in a just universe, really ought to result in some kind of trouncing. Maybe the State could just pull their Internet connection -- 'cos clearly, they are not using it for anything (except possibly pr0n and WoW?), at least since early Autumn of 2010.
____________________________________
* Yes, on actual Google. Like Hebrew National all-beef franks, there's only one best choice. Wish I knew what it was for searches.
Yeah. Useful.I am not a violent person and I think political violence should be a very, very, very last resort. But there's a level of sheer FAIL that, in a just universe, really ought to result in some kind of trouncing. Maybe the State could just pull their Internet connection -- 'cos clearly, they are not using it for anything (except possibly pr0n and WoW?), at least since early Autumn of 2010.
____________________________________
* Yes, on actual Google. Like Hebrew National all-beef franks, there's only one best choice. Wish I knew what it was for searches.
The Dentist
That's where I'm headed, bright and early this morning. Week before last, they found something they didn't like, something small. My early working years were, among other things, a time when dentistry was an unaffordable luxury,* so I have learned the hard way the importance of resolving such issues when they are still small.
Update: Survived the experience once again. --Also, I am more impressed with modern dental technology every time I encounter it. In just the last 20 years, they've gone from glopping in mushy metal to UV-cured miracle plastics that perfectly match one's teeth, pre-coatings that improve adhesion, desensitize and kill bacteria, and caries-detecting chemicals. Holy cow -- I remember when the best they had was purple dye to check how well you brushed your teeth!
_______________________________________
* No, really -- when I was 23, my parents gave me an unusual birthday gift: removal of my wisdom teeth (the uppers had come in in splinters!) and a whole lot of fillings. One of the best presents I've ever received; it had been five years between times.
Update: Survived the experience once again. --Also, I am more impressed with modern dental technology every time I encounter it. In just the last 20 years, they've gone from glopping in mushy metal to UV-cured miracle plastics that perfectly match one's teeth, pre-coatings that improve adhesion, desensitize and kill bacteria, and caries-detecting chemicals. Holy cow -- I remember when the best they had was purple dye to check how well you brushed your teeth!
_______________________________________
* No, really -- when I was 23, my parents gave me an unusual birthday gift: removal of my wisdom teeth (the uppers had come in in splinters!) and a whole lot of fillings. One of the best presents I've ever received; it had been five years between times.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Update
...Right-to-work was voted in by the House; Indiana's Senate already passed their version. So, all over, right?
Nope. They still have to match 'em up. The state's AFL-CIO boss says she has something up her sleeve, too.
And it's still all heat, no light.
Aw, heck, in Anarchtopia, they'd have to work it out one-by-one at the bargaining table. And/or with pickets and brickbats -- it'd either be louder or quieter and, IMO, better either way. As is, if only metaphor were real, the state would be incredibly rich in organic fertilizer.
Nope. They still have to match 'em up. The state's AFL-CIO boss says she has something up her sleeve, too.
And it's still all heat, no light.
Aw, heck, in Anarchtopia, they'd have to work it out one-by-one at the bargaining table. And/or with pickets and brickbats -- it'd either be louder or quieter and, IMO, better either way. As is, if only metaphor were real, the state would be incredibly rich in organic fertilizer.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
An SOTU Moment
(Paraphrased)
President, rattling a big ol' saber: "We'll keep Iran from having a nuke by any means possible!"
Congress: [Lengthy standing ovation]
President: "Of course, peaceful resolution would be better..."
Congress: [Scattered applause that trails off awkwardly]
President: "...And if Iran changes course...it could rejoin the community of nations..."
Congress: [...crickets...]
Yay, war? While I doubt Iran's government could get much more paranoid, I do have to wonder if this is the very same President and Congress that's been so proud about bringing the troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan. I guess the war you thunk up yourself is way better than the one your predecessors left for you -- especially when you won't be going there yourself.
I'm no fan of Iran's government but looking the other way and whistling loudly (while possibly picking up part of the tab) every time Israel overtly or covertly hammers their nuclear-weapons program back into the Stone Age has been working very well so far, and with far less loss of innocent life than a good, old-fashioned war. --Of course, war plays better at re-election time, as President after President has demonstrated, usually with Congress cheerin' 'em on.
Gak.
(Actual video at the very end of this segment and continues, opening with thunderous ovation here. Bonus V.P. nose-picking adventure starts about 2:45 in the second linked video.)
President, rattling a big ol' saber: "We'll keep Iran from having a nuke by any means possible!"
Congress: [Lengthy standing ovation]
President: "Of course, peaceful resolution would be better..."
Congress: [Scattered applause that trails off awkwardly]
President: "...And if Iran changes course...it could rejoin the community of nations..."
Congress: [...crickets...]
Yay, war? While I doubt Iran's government could get much more paranoid, I do have to wonder if this is the very same President and Congress that's been so proud about bringing the troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan. I guess the war you thunk up yourself is way better than the one your predecessors left for you -- especially when you won't be going there yourself.
I'm no fan of Iran's government but looking the other way and whistling loudly (while possibly picking up part of the tab) every time Israel overtly or covertly hammers their nuclear-weapons program back into the Stone Age has been working very well so far, and with far less loss of innocent life than a good, old-fashioned war. --Of course, war plays better at re-election time, as President after President has demonstrated, usually with Congress cheerin' 'em on.
Gak.
(Actual video at the very end of this segment and continues, opening with thunderous ovation here. Bonus V.P. nose-picking adventure starts about 2:45 in the second linked video.)
Birthday Dinner
I'd accumulated some odds and ends and then Tam picked up Utterly Superior Bacon,* so:
Cut three medium potatoes in 3/8" to 1/2" cubes, dice one carrot and cook in salted, peppered water to cover plus a bit. Use a good-sized (2-quart) saucepan.
Chop one leek, half an onion (I had a nice red one, filled with vim and tears), a couple carrots and an Anaheim or other pepper; set aside.
Fry up two strips of bacon in a wok, frying pan or skillet; set aside and drain most of the grease, leaving a little for the next step:
A nice big kielbasa sausage, sliced in rounds about 3/8" thick. Cook in bacon grease, then drain, pat with paper towel and add to the potatoes. (Add water to cover if needed)
Saute the leek, onion and carrot in the sausage grease, adding bacon grease as needed (easy does it!). Add the pepper right before the onion goes translucent. Drain and stir into to the potato and sausage pot.
Add the rest of the bacon grease back to the pan. Take a small cabbage, cut the head in half and cut one half into 5 or 6 wedges. Sprinkle with a good sweet balsamic vinegar -- I used some blackberry-ginger -- and some freshly-ground pepper, pop in the skillet and cook, turning once. It will caramelize just a little. This goes pretty fast. (You can use plain vinegar and some sugar or even honey, but you'll have to experiment).
To serve, dish out the potato-sausage-veggies mix (it's done when the potatoes are starting to fall apart) with a perforated spoon, adding broth to taste (the broth is wonderful!); add a wedge or two of cabbage on the side, with a half-slice of bacon on top.
Save the leftovers! It's a good starter for a hearty soup.
Tamara's cat even liked the cabbage -- make that, "licked." But it was just one leftover wedge by then.
__________________________________________
* Bacon is not the same everywhere -- this would be "streaky" or "American style" bacon. OTOH, I suspect any good version of the various kinds and sorts enjoyed in the bacon-eating regions would do just fine. The rest of you are just going to have to improvise.
Cut three medium potatoes in 3/8" to 1/2" cubes, dice one carrot and cook in salted, peppered water to cover plus a bit. Use a good-sized (2-quart) saucepan.
Chop one leek, half an onion (I had a nice red one, filled with vim and tears), a couple carrots and an Anaheim or other pepper; set aside.
Fry up two strips of bacon in a wok, frying pan or skillet; set aside and drain most of the grease, leaving a little for the next step:
A nice big kielbasa sausage, sliced in rounds about 3/8" thick. Cook in bacon grease, then drain, pat with paper towel and add to the potatoes. (Add water to cover if needed)
Saute the leek, onion and carrot in the sausage grease, adding bacon grease as needed (easy does it!). Add the pepper right before the onion goes translucent. Drain and stir into to the potato and sausage pot.
Add the rest of the bacon grease back to the pan. Take a small cabbage, cut the head in half and cut one half into 5 or 6 wedges. Sprinkle with a good sweet balsamic vinegar -- I used some blackberry-ginger -- and some freshly-ground pepper, pop in the skillet and cook, turning once. It will caramelize just a little. This goes pretty fast. (You can use plain vinegar and some sugar or even honey, but you'll have to experiment).
To serve, dish out the potato-sausage-veggies mix (it's done when the potatoes are starting to fall apart) with a perforated spoon, adding broth to taste (the broth is wonderful!); add a wedge or two of cabbage on the side, with a half-slice of bacon on top.
Save the leftovers! It's a good starter for a hearty soup.
Tamara's cat even liked the cabbage -- make that, "licked." But it was just one leftover wedge by then.
__________________________________________
* Bacon is not the same everywhere -- this would be "streaky" or "American style" bacon. OTOH, I suspect any good version of the various kinds and sorts enjoyed in the bacon-eating regions would do just fine. The rest of you are just going to have to improvise.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
A Open Letter To The Vice-President Of The United States Of America
Dear Joe Biden,
On the occasion of a State of the Union address by your boss -- yes, that skinny fellow in a suit in front of you, the one making a speech -- this country asks pretty much just one thing of you. Just one little thing:
For the love of Ghu, man, do not pick your nose, live, on international television! Please!
...Oh, too late.
Okay, then please, please, please do not semi-secretly wipe your fingers on your copy of the President's spee-- Aw, gee. Ewwww.
Y'make me wanna claim to be Canadian when people ask where I'm from.
Sincerely,
Roberta X
Readers: Gosh, I miss the days when they'd tape his wrists to his thighs for public appearances. I would have been happy to present a bipartisan example, but Speaker Boehner, whatever other failings he may have, managed to keep his digits away from his olfactory orifice for this speech.
On the occasion of a State of the Union address by your boss -- yes, that skinny fellow in a suit in front of you, the one making a speech -- this country asks pretty much just one thing of you. Just one little thing:
For the love of Ghu, man, do not pick your nose, live, on international television! Please!
...Oh, too late.
Okay, then please, please, please do not semi-secretly wipe your fingers on your copy of the President's spee-- Aw, gee. Ewwww.Y'make me wanna claim to be Canadian when people ask where I'm from.
Sincerely,
Roberta X
Readers: Gosh, I miss the days when they'd tape his wrists to his thighs for public appearances. I would have been happy to present a bipartisan example, but Speaker Boehner, whatever other failings he may have, managed to keep his digits away from his olfactory orifice for this speech.
Craption Of The Day
...And in Wired, of all places: "Solar: Cheap panels from China have viscerated the US industry."
Stuffed it full of guts, have they?
I suppose that explains the smell. And here I had thought it was the reeking incense of FAIL.
(Pretty good article, btw.)
Stuffed it full of guts, have they?
I suppose that explains the smell. And here I had thought it was the reeking incense of FAIL.
(Pretty good article, btw.)
It's Somebody's Birthday
Happy Birthday to you; happy birthday, Miss Tamara, happy birthday to ewe!
Hadn't you otta git her somethin'?
Hadn't you otta git her somethin'?
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