That is all.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Stephanie Topper, please pay your bills!
I know I don't know you, Stephanie, but since my spouse's surname is the same as yours, the bill collectors have decided that you live here with us, and they call and call and call. My wife and I are and have been on a cash basis as much as possible, and we really don't appreciate getting someone else's bill collector calls, so if you are reading this, please pay your bills (or I just may have to track you down and superglue your keys into your car door, or maybe put methylene blue on your doorknob!).
Interesting meme
I got this from Claire at Liliam Inter Spinas:
STUFF YOU'VE EXPERIENCED
Bold is stuff I've done with explanatinos where appropriate:
1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland. – Well, DisneyWorld, anyway…
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a Marathon.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors. – Some of ‘em, anyway
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David.
41. Sung karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie. – no, but have been on TV
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served at a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Got flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten Caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox.
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a law suit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.
100. Read an entire book in one day.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Seems about right...
My Personality
45 | |
67 | |
96 | |
46 | |
62 |
| You are poised, confident, and clear-thinking when stressed, however you feel enraged when things do not go your way. You are sensitive about being treated fairly and feel resentful and bitter if you think you are being cheated. People generally perceive you as distant and reserved, and you do not usually reach out to others. Generally you are not considered to be an emotional person, however you are aware of and in touch with your emotions. You see no need for pretense or manipulation when dealing with others and are therefore candid, frank and sincere. People find it relatively easy to relate to you, however you generally see others as selfish, devious, and sometimes potentially dangerous. You have a strong sense of duty and obligation, and feel a moral obligation to do the right thing. |
Uggs UK |
Monday, November 24, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
A labrador?
Who're THEY kidding? I don't think they know me all that well. I'm neither sociable, nor particularly...
Wait a sec...
Here's their description:
Your family is what makes you tick, and you never "flea" from an opportunity to hang out with the whole gang. A family picnic complete with hot dogs, deviled eggs and a refreshing swim in the lake is hard for you to stray from. Your sparky temperament and dogged intelligence mean you are not only a blast to hang out with, but great to work with as well. Your close pals appreciate your patience and forgiveness, knowing you'd rather let sleeping dogs lie than dwell on the mishaps of the past. Your dashing good looks may one day lead to a modelling career, if only you can tame the unfortunate clumsiness that sometimes causes you to go flailing from the catwalk.
Ummm.... okay, maybe I am...
Friday, November 14, 2008
I'm trying... really I am...
Geez... I can't even get the hang of posting! You'd think I would know better than to hit "Back" after previewing, but NOOooo, not the smartypants I.T. guy! I have to go and blow out a whole long post that I was working on. Damn.
Oh well...
The gist was that I'm pleased Obama won, that it looks like the Dems will hold a solid majority in the House & Senate, and there's no such thing as a filibuster-proof Democrat majority because they just can't agree on what they want. The Republicans will always be more successful at getting what they want, because they don't want to be all things to all people.
I wonder if we'll get GM, Ford & Chrysler bailed out in time to avert a depression? I bet if the UAW would agree to disband, W & his cronies would bail them all out so fast it would make your head spin, but so long as they have a union to bust, no deals will be struck (and to the douche who claimed they get $75/hour for sweeping floors, what are you smokin', dude?). They would rather see 25% unemployment than allow the big three to keep us afloat while we transition to greener and more efficient forms of energy so long as they're staffed by union personnel.
The thing is, though, that the decisions about the cars made and the quality floor of the product are choices made at the executive level, not by the factory personnel, and the making of low-quality low-mileage SUVs instead of high-quality environmentally friendly vehicles (remember the Datsun B-210?) has done more to bring them low than any union contract could. Besides, the unions have renegotiated their contracts in the last couple years to allow for lower-paying jobs to replace higher-paying ones when employees are replaced. I'm more concerned about Rick Wagoner's $15.7 million salary than I am some dude in the factory making a decent wage. And that's just the CEO (whpo oversaw the decline, I might add). What about the other executives? How many millions could be saved by replacing the executive level (VP and above) with people making something a little more realistic? Does the executive at the big three really represent almost 300 times the value of a factory worker to their crporation when they are helping bring it low?
Well, I guess well just have to sit tight and see how things play out. I'd hate to think that the Republicans would let their political agenda bring about the collapse of the world's economy, but it certainly wouldn't be the first time politics caused or even agravated a disaster, and likely won't be the last...
Oh well...
The gist was that I'm pleased Obama won, that it looks like the Dems will hold a solid majority in the House & Senate, and there's no such thing as a filibuster-proof Democrat majority because they just can't agree on what they want. The Republicans will always be more successful at getting what they want, because they don't want to be all things to all people.
I wonder if we'll get GM, Ford & Chrysler bailed out in time to avert a depression? I bet if the UAW would agree to disband, W & his cronies would bail them all out so fast it would make your head spin, but so long as they have a union to bust, no deals will be struck (and to the douche who claimed they get $75/hour for sweeping floors, what are you smokin', dude?). They would rather see 25% unemployment than allow the big three to keep us afloat while we transition to greener and more efficient forms of energy so long as they're staffed by union personnel.
The thing is, though, that the decisions about the cars made and the quality floor of the product are choices made at the executive level, not by the factory personnel, and the making of low-quality low-mileage SUVs instead of high-quality environmentally friendly vehicles (remember the Datsun B-210?) has done more to bring them low than any union contract could. Besides, the unions have renegotiated their contracts in the last couple years to allow for lower-paying jobs to replace higher-paying ones when employees are replaced. I'm more concerned about Rick Wagoner's $15.7 million salary than I am some dude in the factory making a decent wage. And that's just the CEO (whpo oversaw the decline, I might add). What about the other executives? How many millions could be saved by replacing the executive level (VP and above) with people making something a little more realistic? Does the executive at the big three really represent almost 300 times the value of a factory worker to their crporation when they are helping bring it low?
Well, I guess well just have to sit tight and see how things play out. I'd hate to think that the Republicans would let their political agenda bring about the collapse of the world's economy, but it certainly wouldn't be the first time politics caused or even agravated a disaster, and likely won't be the last...
Monday, November 3, 2008
Election Day Eve?
Well. here it is November 3, and tomorrow is election day. I'm excited and scared by the choice we face. I believe that this may be a fateful decision, and I can't shake the feeling that things will go terribly wrong somehow. I'm a pretty progressive guy, socially speaking, and a fiscal conservative, and I don't think there's really any choice that we as a nation can make that will have a bigger impact on our daily lives that the choice of who will lead us over the next four years.
At this point, the domestic economy shows signs of near total collapse, international markets are in the same boat, our current executive leadership seems to think more of the same baloney that got us here, combined with a general socialization of the disastrous debts and credit defaults will save us.
Politically speaking, we have one candidate who won't (or possibly can't) define what he stands for other than "not Obama" and the other is offering hope and inspiration combined with lots of hard work and rebuilding and expanding the infrastructure, much like the CCC and TVA of FDR's time.
The thing is that ordinarily I wouldn't be really in favor of all the spending attendant on such a plan, but we've seen what our current robber barons and "leaders" have offered, and I am hearing from the right that what we really need is more of the same policies and tax breaks and such that brought us to this point.
History tells us that what Obama is selling is much like what FDR was using to drag us out of the Great Depression until WWII provided the demand for more goods and services than industry could provide, and Obama is getting much the same treatment that FDR got from the Republicans of his day.
I don't know if Obama will be able to convince the Democrats and Republicans in Congress and the Senate that he has the right plan, but I think we're rapidly approaching the point where almost anything is better than what we have presently, even if it seems to be a socialist solution to the right-wing (it isn't, really. It's a capitalist solution - we aren't talking public ownership and control of industry here).
Anyway, here's hoping our next President Elect will be Barrack Obama...
At this point, the domestic economy shows signs of near total collapse, international markets are in the same boat, our current executive leadership seems to think more of the same baloney that got us here, combined with a general socialization of the disastrous debts and credit defaults will save us.
Politically speaking, we have one candidate who won't (or possibly can't) define what he stands for other than "not Obama" and the other is offering hope and inspiration combined with lots of hard work and rebuilding and expanding the infrastructure, much like the CCC and TVA of FDR's time.
The thing is that ordinarily I wouldn't be really in favor of all the spending attendant on such a plan, but we've seen what our current robber barons and "leaders" have offered, and I am hearing from the right that what we really need is more of the same policies and tax breaks and such that brought us to this point.
History tells us that what Obama is selling is much like what FDR was using to drag us out of the Great Depression until WWII provided the demand for more goods and services than industry could provide, and Obama is getting much the same treatment that FDR got from the Republicans of his day.
I don't know if Obama will be able to convince the Democrats and Republicans in Congress and the Senate that he has the right plan, but I think we're rapidly approaching the point where almost anything is better than what we have presently, even if it seems to be a socialist solution to the right-wing (it isn't, really. It's a capitalist solution - we aren't talking public ownership and control of industry here).
Anyway, here's hoping our next President Elect will be Barrack Obama...
Monday, August 4, 2008
Well, at least they admitted it was their own stupidness...
I guess Blogger is allowed screw-ups like the rest of us. Too bad their screw-up hits lots of folks who depend on their blogging for their daily Intarwebz fix. I don't know the specifics of how it all works and such, but flagging Blogs as spam after your anti-spam filter has determined that they aren't spam is sorta stupid.
Ah well, I guess we can't all test our code before we deploy our crap onto other people's stuff (although you might think it would be a damn good idea to do so... assholes!).
Ah well, I guess we can't all test our code before we deploy our crap onto other people's stuff (although you might think it would be a damn good idea to do so... assholes!).
Sunday, April 20, 2008
My Sweetheart
This is a picture of my daughter at a showing of drawings and paintings from her art class. I think she shows quite a bit of talent, and I really enjoyed the show.
No, all of those pictures aren't hers, just the blue & white feather painting behind her head and the one beside that with the dinosaur and volcano. She does that well and she's only seven. I think we might have a budding artist on our hands...
No, all of those pictures aren't hers, just the blue & white feather painting behind her head and the one beside that with the dinosaur and volcano. She does that well and she's only seven. I think we might have a budding artist on our hands...
Friday, March 7, 2008
I am a ...
I Am A: Neutral Good Human Wizard (6th Level)
Ability Scores:
Strength-13
Dexterity-12
Constitution-14
Intelligence-15
Wisdom-15
Charisma-13
Alignment:
Neutral Good A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. However, neutral good can be a dangerous alignment because because it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.
Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.
Class:
Wizards are arcane spellcasters who depend on intensive study to create their magic. To wizards, magic is not a talent but a difficult, rewarding art. When they are prepared for battle, wizards can use their spells to devastating effect. When caught by surprise, they are vulnerable. The wizard's strength is her spells, everything else is secondary. She learns new spells as she experiments and grows in experience, and she can also learn them from other wizards. In addition, over time a wizard learns to manipulate her spells so they go farther, work better, or are improved in some other way. A wizard can call a familiar- a small, magical, animal companion that serves her. With a high Intelligence, wizards are capable of casting very high levels of spells.
Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)
Ability Scores:
Strength-13
Dexterity-12
Constitution-14
Intelligence-15
Wisdom-15
Charisma-13
Alignment:
Neutral Good A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. However, neutral good can be a dangerous alignment because because it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.
Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.
Class:
Wizards are arcane spellcasters who depend on intensive study to create their magic. To wizards, magic is not a talent but a difficult, rewarding art. When they are prepared for battle, wizards can use their spells to devastating effect. When caught by surprise, they are vulnerable. The wizard's strength is her spells, everything else is secondary. She learns new spells as she experiments and grows in experience, and she can also learn them from other wizards. In addition, over time a wizard learns to manipulate her spells so they go farther, work better, or are improved in some other way. A wizard can call a familiar- a small, magical, animal companion that serves her. With a high Intelligence, wizards are capable of casting very high levels of spells.
Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Interesting (to me, at least)
| What military aircraft are you? B-52 Stratofortress You're a B-52. You are old and wise, and you absolutely love destruction. You believe in the principle of "peace through deterrence" and aren`t afraid to throw your weight around. |
| Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests. |
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