What does it say about the Tam and Roberta household that we watched Boondock Saints last night and Topsy-Turvey this afternoon an' enjoyed 'em both?
"Better back off, d00d -- they're well-armed and erudite..."
Update
8 months ago
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Balkanization Now
Tam has posted about the California exodus; there are Vermont separatists, NH secessionists, folks lookin' to revive the Texas Republic an' plenty of people ready to run a sawzall down the Mason-Dixon line an' y'know what?
I say lets do it. It's time. IL (or perhaps just Cook County/Chicago and its ADI) really should be its own little hoplophobic police state; NY and CA ought to be able to follow their hearts to full membership in the EU.
Squeaky points to the Federal Reserve's presiding over what is surely an impending meltdown and that is but one of the many delightful ways in which the Federal Union has created more mess than utility. It's what they do.
This has not always been the case but it is now. I have a deep sentimental fondness for the nation created by the Founders and Framers, but it's outlived its usefulness and become a burden on the States. It's time to pull the plug. Oh, we'll set up some loose military alliance to keep the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines goin' but the rest of it, from NASA to HUD to the DEA, they can hold bake sales, ask for donations or just shut up shop.
The States will still be there; oh, they'll change, they'll form their own alliances -- perhaps we'll see Jefferson or Franklin reborn; perhaps southern Illinois will hook up with Missouri and the central regions will ally with Iowa. Who knows? --But it's gotta be better than the mess we've got now. Look, it's already like crossing an international border to go from IN to IL, or enter CA from anywhere; might as well go whole hog.
Balkanization now! Why not?
____________________________
(Posted mostly in jest but, y'know....?)
I say lets do it. It's time. IL (or perhaps just Cook County/Chicago and its ADI) really should be its own little hoplophobic police state; NY and CA ought to be able to follow their hearts to full membership in the EU.
Squeaky points to the Federal Reserve's presiding over what is surely an impending meltdown and that is but one of the many delightful ways in which the Federal Union has created more mess than utility. It's what they do.
This has not always been the case but it is now. I have a deep sentimental fondness for the nation created by the Founders and Framers, but it's outlived its usefulness and become a burden on the States. It's time to pull the plug. Oh, we'll set up some loose military alliance to keep the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines goin' but the rest of it, from NASA to HUD to the DEA, they can hold bake sales, ask for donations or just shut up shop.
The States will still be there; oh, they'll change, they'll form their own alliances -- perhaps we'll see Jefferson or Franklin reborn; perhaps southern Illinois will hook up with Missouri and the central regions will ally with Iowa. Who knows? --But it's gotta be better than the mess we've got now. Look, it's already like crossing an international border to go from IN to IL, or enter CA from anywhere; might as well go whole hog.
Balkanization now! Why not?
____________________________
(Posted mostly in jest but, y'know....?)
Still Sleepy
Maybe I'm fightin' somethin' off? --We've had various sorts of whooping whatever goin' around at the Skunk Works, including a variety that turns tenors into baritones. Presumably it would turn a contralto into Phyllis Diller but who wants to find out?
Whaddevvah. Pried my lazy self from the sack promptly at 0830, or was it nine? Ate what we had handy -- oatmeal, coffee. Scrubbed up, geared up, stuffed a magic-heat dealie in my sweatshirt pocket, got out the scooter and toodled to the bank, getting the usual surprised look from motorists, it being coldish despite the sunshine. Stopped off t'the market and picked up ingredients for basic breakfast hash (bacon, eggs, taters), returned home, cooked, ate, and have done zilch since other than laundry, which is not hardly really even work. Still sleepy!
Well, there's always Sunday.
Whaddevvah. Pried my lazy self from the sack promptly at 0830, or was it nine? Ate what we had handy -- oatmeal, coffee. Scrubbed up, geared up, stuffed a magic-heat dealie in my sweatshirt pocket, got out the scooter and toodled to the bank, getting the usual surprised look from motorists, it being coldish despite the sunshine. Stopped off t'the market and picked up ingredients for basic breakfast hash (bacon, eggs, taters), returned home, cooked, ate, and have done zilch since other than laundry, which is not hardly really even work. Still sleepy!
Well, there's always Sunday.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Sleeeeeeepy
I'd post something trenchant and witty but
I
am
just
too
sleepy.
...Came home from work, hopped on the scooter and went to pick up dinner at Yats. Miss Tam said, "Pick up a pack'a smokes on the way, willya?" and off I went.
Rolled up to Neighborhood Petrol neat as can be, parked the Chetak, bought a pack, left 'em at the gas station and did not even realize it 'til I was parked at the eatery waiting for our order and Joe walked by sayin' Howdy. So I made up for it by abandoning two exotic soft drinks -- for which I had paid -- when they handed me the rest of dinner.
Impressive. Not.
Someone that spacey should not be operating a two-wheeled motorized vehicle on city streets, not even a little one, even more so as night is fallin'. It's a wonder I did not forget to breathe.
Which I just about did after dinner -- ran a tub, climbed in with an old Poul Andersen paperback and fell asleep for about a half-hour, with no harm to the book thanks to years of practice.
And so here I am. And I'm still sleepy. G'nite!
I
am
just
too
sleepy.
...Came home from work, hopped on the scooter and went to pick up dinner at Yats. Miss Tam said, "Pick up a pack'a smokes on the way, willya?" and off I went.
Rolled up to Neighborhood Petrol neat as can be, parked the Chetak, bought a pack, left 'em at the gas station and did not even realize it 'til I was parked at the eatery waiting for our order and Joe walked by sayin' Howdy. So I made up for it by abandoning two exotic soft drinks -- for which I had paid -- when they handed me the rest of dinner.
Impressive. Not.
Someone that spacey should not be operating a two-wheeled motorized vehicle on city streets, not even a little one, even more so as night is fallin'. It's a wonder I did not forget to breathe.
Which I just about did after dinner -- ran a tub, climbed in with an old Poul Andersen paperback and fell asleep for about a half-hour, with no harm to the book thanks to years of practice.
And so here I am. And I'm still sleepy. G'nite!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
We Sprung Mom X
...Sprung her from hospital yesterday (and by "we," I mean my siblings, as I am pretty much stuck with work and long hours at present -- not happy about that but it is the nature of The Beast).
She'll be on the high-end anti-coagulants for a spell yet -- some of which combine expense and inconvenience in wholly new ways. She points out that this is infinitely better than the real-world alternative, which would be "none."
Her little dog -- supposedly a miniature doberman, though it's more like a black and brown beach ball with legs -- took to her bed and refused to eat the whole time she was away.
My thanks and Mom's as well for the kind thoughts and prayers. She's sounding really good and the docs are confident matters are under control.
She'll be on the high-end anti-coagulants for a spell yet -- some of which combine expense and inconvenience in wholly new ways. She points out that this is infinitely better than the real-world alternative, which would be "none."
Her little dog -- supposedly a miniature doberman, though it's more like a black and brown beach ball with legs -- took to her bed and refused to eat the whole time she was away.
My thanks and Mom's as well for the kind thoughts and prayers. She's sounding really good and the docs are confident matters are under control.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
The Calico Cat and the Gingham Dog
The spitball fight between Democratic candidates Clinton and Obama (which has a good many Democrat voters looking to John McCain -- small surprise there) was reminding me of something, it was right on the tip of my mind for over a day -- and then realization struck: Eugene Field's The Duel --
If your childhood reading didn't include this delight, you'll find the entire poem here.
The gingham dog and the calico cat
Side by side on the table sat;
'Twas half-past twelve, and (what do you think!)
Nor one nor t'other had slept a wink!
The old Dutch clock and the Chinese plate
Appeared to know as sure as fate
There was going to be a terrible spat.
[...]
The gingham dog went " Bow-wow-wow!"
And the calico cat replied "Me-ow!"
The air was littered, an hour or so,
With bits of gingham and calico,
[...]
Next morning where the two had sat
They found no trace of dog or cat;
And some folks think unto this day
That burglars stole the pair away!
But the truth about the cat and pup
Is this: they ate each other up!
If your childhood reading didn't include this delight, you'll find the entire poem here.
First Amendment? Wha' Dat?
It's another legislative triumph! In a delightfully bipartisan rape of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, not to mention Art. 1, Section 9 of the Indiana Constitution, the Indiana state government has passed a law requiring any bookstore that sells books in which there is any hint of any form of, well (nudge-nudge, wink-wink), you know to A) register with the Secretary of State and B) pay the state $250 American for the privilege.
...And the bill's sponsor (a Democrat -- gee, isn't that the party that talks most about "freedom of expression?") has expressed surprise at the negative reaction this bit of buffoonery has received from the public. In six pages of comments at the Indianapolis Star story linked above, not a one of them supports the law. Yet our (Republican) Governor did not express the least doubt when signing the bill into law. (Darn it, Mitch, I was almost liking you!)
As it stands, the law is almost certainly going to get the judicial axe for being unenforceably vague; but it'll take someone with deeper pockets than your neighborhood bookseller to challenge it. The language of the law is such that anything steamier than a chaste kiss could put a book into the "adult" category and require the seller to register. Those romance novels at your local grocery store and pharmacy? Oh, dearie me, a bit too much, and right out there where the children might see 'em.... (In a related item, Cosmo continues to see just how close to full-frontal nudity their covers can get; I've not yet seen a read on how the law might apply to them).
Sheeesh. I feel so happy, knowin' the State is lookin' out for my poor, innercent li'l mind an' all. But I sure do wonder how they square it with this:
Seems pretty clear, doesn't it?
(Thanks to Mad Mike for the heads-up on this choice bit of legislunacy).
...And the bill's sponsor (a Democrat -- gee, isn't that the party that talks most about "freedom of expression?") has expressed surprise at the negative reaction this bit of buffoonery has received from the public. In six pages of comments at the Indianapolis Star story linked above, not a one of them supports the law. Yet our (Republican) Governor did not express the least doubt when signing the bill into law. (Darn it, Mitch, I was almost liking you!)
As it stands, the law is almost certainly going to get the judicial axe for being unenforceably vague; but it'll take someone with deeper pockets than your neighborhood bookseller to challenge it. The language of the law is such that anything steamier than a chaste kiss could put a book into the "adult" category and require the seller to register. Those romance novels at your local grocery store and pharmacy? Oh, dearie me, a bit too much, and right out there where the children might see 'em.... (In a related item, Cosmo continues to see just how close to full-frontal nudity their covers can get; I've not yet seen a read on how the law might apply to them).
Sheeesh. I feel so happy, knowin' the State is lookin' out for my poor, innercent li'l mind an' all. But I sure do wonder how they square it with this:
Indiana Constitution
ARTICLE 1. Bill of Rights
[...]
9. Freedom of thought and speech
Section 9. No law shall be passed, restraining the free interchange of thought and opinion, or restricting the right to speak, write, or print, freely, on any subject whatever: but for the abuse of that right, every person shall be responsible.
Seems pretty clear, doesn't it?
(Thanks to Mad Mike for the heads-up on this choice bit of legislunacy).
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Mom X, Hospital
Mom X is back in hospital. Same symptoms as last time – but when they looked at her heart from the inside, everything was fine.
Much puzzlement among the fine young medical professionals; as of last night, she was recovering from the heart catheterization (she tolerates morphine about as comfortably as I do: not hardly) and awaiting more testing, less invasive, today.
You kind thoughts would be much appreciated.
Update: The docs found a blood clot in one of her legs. So she'll be staying in the hospital for the next couple of days on high-test clot-busters. --At this point, I think she is less worried than I am.
Much puzzlement among the fine young medical professionals; as of last night, she was recovering from the heart catheterization (she tolerates morphine about as comfortably as I do: not hardly) and awaiting more testing, less invasive, today.
You kind thoughts would be much appreciated.
Update: The docs found a blood clot in one of her legs. So she'll be staying in the hospital for the next couple of days on high-test clot-busters. --At this point, I think she is less worried than I am.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Flying Boat Jet Fighters
(We'll return to the story just as soon as I find a plot to borrow, but for now...).
...Jet-powered flying boats? Jet fighters? Supersonic jet fighters that ply the seas on their own hulls? Sure, it sounds like "edible, chocolate-chipotle-flavored automobile tires," but in fact there have been at least two designs flown, one of 'em faster than sound.
Have a look!
...Jet-powered flying boats? Jet fighters? Supersonic jet fighters that ply the seas on their own hulls? Sure, it sounds like "edible, chocolate-chipotle-flavored automobile tires," but in fact there have been at least two designs flown, one of 'em faster than sound.
Have a look!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Oh, why not?
Mars Needs Swimmin’
By Roberta X.
By Roberta X.
“A genuinely wild river doesn’t need improving.” One of my old boyfriends used to say that any time the notion of managed wilderness came up. He thought it made him sound deep. I thought it made him sound like a jerk and for that – and a thousand and one other tics, habits and sappy utterances – I left him and concentrated on finishing my doctorate.*
This led directly to my being here, now, at the bottom of what, if you look at in the right way, is one of the genuinely wildest rivers anywhere in the Solar System. Valles Marineris. It definitely needed improvement: water. Though maybe not just now. I finished my instrument check – you’d think we could get reliable telemetry equipment by now but nobody Earthside really understands about the dust and the Lunar manufacturers were priced way out of my employer’s budget – and turned to go.
That was my first mistake. I bumped a rock with my toe, another larger one shifted as it came out from under and, third-of-a-gee slo-mo notwithstanding, my right ankle was trapped before I could move away.
I have plenty of time was my first thought after "Dammit!" At least, I was pretty sure I did.
This led directly to my being here, now, at the bottom of what, if you look at in the right way, is one of the genuinely wildest rivers anywhere in the Solar System. Valles Marineris. It definitely needed improvement: water. Though maybe not just now. I finished my instrument check – you’d think we could get reliable telemetry equipment by now but nobody Earthside really understands about the dust and the Lunar manufacturers were priced way out of my employer’s budget – and turned to go.
That was my first mistake. I bumped a rock with my toe, another larger one shifted as it came out from under and, third-of-a-gee slo-mo notwithstanding, my right ankle was trapped before I could move away.
I have plenty of time was my first thought after "Dammit!" At least, I was pretty sure I did.
[...]
______________________________________
* Just kiddin', Turk!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
