Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Two St. Patrick's Day videos for you!
Before I head out to break the escaping heart of Poppy the Digging Machine (IOW, to fix the dog pen), here are two celebratory vids!
"Oh boy...oh boy.....oh Danny."
"Oh boy...oh boy.....oh Danny."
Monday, March 16, 2009
Top Ten+ Twitters of the Week
(At least I remembered to do it on Monday this week!)
*Cloneless & swamped with multiple small but annoying customer problems. Deal with a Chinese buyer more messed up by the day. I'm even more ? 5:25 PM Mar 9th from web
*MrMike's school starting at ll next 3 days. Right now getting the blow-by-blow color commentary as he gets ready. He was such a quiet baby. 10:17 AM Mar 10th from web
*Waiting to hear from my Chinese Ansel Adams book buyer. Getting into work clothes (no bra) to tempt Fate to make him email not helping. Yet. 1:15 PM Mar 10th from web
*International customers are not my favorites today. I suppose I should be grateful for any customers at all, but SERIOUSLY, PEOPLE! *fumes* 2:47 PM Mar 10th from web
*A CLONE AT LAST! 11:45 PM Mar 10th from web
*Dreamcloud is home, sipping injector cleaner. MrMike and I got trimmed and floofed by the LCC comso students. I feel like a poodle. 12:19 PM Mar 11th from web
*This Just In: MrMike (a teen) "does not like naggers!" He likes blackmailers who dangle his driving privileges at him even less. Heh. 9:43 AM Mar 12th from web
*Check out this great article about how people are using the "grass-mud horse" story to fight Chinese censorship! http://tinyurl.com/d3tn95 12:24 PM Mar 12th from web
*Fri the 13th is on. I bumped into a sharp shelf corner while trying not to step on the dog. Almost pre-qualified for a nipple piercing. Ow. 8:38 AM Mar 13th from web
*Suddenly involved in a weird threesome. PaintyCat on my lap licking me, Poppy licking her. Painty purrs, except when Poppy slips & nibbles. 10:28 AM Mar 13th from web
*Alternate Universe Day! I was the first one up (weird!), and THEN MrMike volunteered to make me a bagel for breakfast! OoooWWWEEEEoooo! 0.o 9:25 AM Mar 14th from web
*Cloneless & swamped with multiple small but annoying customer problems. Deal with a Chinese buyer more messed up by the day. I'm even more ? 5:25 PM Mar 9th from web
*MrMike's school starting at ll next 3 days. Right now getting the blow-by-blow color commentary as he gets ready. He was such a quiet baby. 10:17 AM Mar 10th from web
*Waiting to hear from my Chinese Ansel Adams book buyer. Getting into work clothes (no bra) to tempt Fate to make him email not helping. Yet. 1:15 PM Mar 10th from web
*International customers are not my favorites today. I suppose I should be grateful for any customers at all, but SERIOUSLY, PEOPLE! *fumes* 2:47 PM Mar 10th from web
*A CLONE AT LAST! 11:45 PM Mar 10th from web
*Dreamcloud is home, sipping injector cleaner. MrMike and I got trimmed and floofed by the LCC comso students. I feel like a poodle. 12:19 PM Mar 11th from web
*This Just In: MrMike (a teen) "does not like naggers!" He likes blackmailers who dangle his driving privileges at him even less. Heh. 9:43 AM Mar 12th from web
*Check out this great article about how people are using the "grass-mud horse" story to fight Chinese censorship! http://tinyurl.com/d3tn95 12:24 PM Mar 12th from web
*Fri the 13th is on. I bumped into a sharp shelf corner while trying not to step on the dog. Almost pre-qualified for a nipple piercing. Ow. 8:38 AM Mar 13th from web
*Suddenly involved in a weird threesome. PaintyCat on my lap licking me, Poppy licking her. Painty purrs, except when Poppy slips & nibbles. 10:28 AM Mar 13th from web
*Alternate Universe Day! I was the first one up (weird!), and THEN MrMike volunteered to make me a bagel for breakfast! OoooWWWEEEEoooo! 0.o 9:25 AM Mar 14th from web
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Top Ten Twitters of the Week!
*Poppy home & okay, but curses my inevitable betrayal. Sad dog eyes x ? My knees say I SUCK AND I am an IRIOT. Going to wash car seat now. ?! 3:03 PM Mar 3rd from web
*300 mil y/o fossilized brain found! Sadly, it's not mine, but a ghost shark's. Maybe I can borrow it. @DenverChannel http://is.gd/lACE#- 9:44 AM Mar 4th from web
*It's Always Something Dept: Poor Cowboy and his newest arthritis med are incompatible. "Gastric distress", to be genteel about it. 6:21 PM Mar 5th from web
*Cowboy drank half his broth this am, whew! I was scared when he wouldn't eat last night! He's a dog who ?s his dinner time! 12:24 PM Mar 6th from web
*Strange meteorological phenomenon this aft: About 20 drops of water FELL from the SKY! How bizarre is that? And yet, oddly familiar....? 6:42 PM Mar 6th from web
*Thriftway had Muenster cheese for $1.99/lb! GUESS what we are having for our very delicious lunch? Are you jealous IN THE TREE? 11:52 AM Mar 7th from web
*? The Trucker That Rules The Mall is here, grabbing up his personal effects to reload the cab of his new truck from his latest employer. ? 9:32 PM Mar 7th from web
*TheClone is going away with MuseumBoss today for a 2 day software seminar. This defies natural order. I am quietly freaking, MrMike loudly. 9:53 AM Mar 8th from web
*Poppy's newest nickname is "Clifford's Little Sister". Means the same as "One-dog Destructo Team!" 1:15 PM Mar 8th from web
*All our ends are loose. MrMike and I are all frazzled because TheClone has gone to Denver for TWO WHOLE DAYS! Woe! 6:55 PM Mar 8th from web
*300 mil y/o fossilized brain found! Sadly, it's not mine, but a ghost shark's. Maybe I can borrow it. @DenverChannel http://is.gd/lACE#- 9:44 AM Mar 4th from web
*It's Always Something Dept: Poor Cowboy and his newest arthritis med are incompatible. "Gastric distress", to be genteel about it. 6:21 PM Mar 5th from web
*Cowboy drank half his broth this am, whew! I was scared when he wouldn't eat last night! He's a dog who ?s his dinner time! 12:24 PM Mar 6th from web
*Strange meteorological phenomenon this aft: About 20 drops of water FELL from the SKY! How bizarre is that? And yet, oddly familiar....? 6:42 PM Mar 6th from web
*Thriftway had Muenster cheese for $1.99/lb! GUESS what we are having for our very delicious lunch? Are you jealous IN THE TREE? 11:52 AM Mar 7th from web
*? The Trucker That Rules The Mall is here, grabbing up his personal effects to reload the cab of his new truck from his latest employer. ? 9:32 PM Mar 7th from web
*TheClone is going away with MuseumBoss today for a 2 day software seminar. This defies natural order. I am quietly freaking, MrMike loudly. 9:53 AM Mar 8th from web
*Poppy's newest nickname is "Clifford's Little Sister". Means the same as "One-dog Destructo Team!" 1:15 PM Mar 8th from web
*All our ends are loose. MrMike and I are all frazzled because TheClone has gone to Denver for TWO WHOLE DAYS! Woe! 6:55 PM Mar 8th from web
Monday, March 09, 2009
Thots. I haz them.
I missed my chance to post this great pic for International Women's Day yesterday. One of these days I hope to get my combobulation back. Not going to happen this week, though. MrMike and I are home alone while TheClone attends a training in Denver to learn to use special new museum collection management software. Her being away and us being here is a COMPLETE REVERSAL OF NATURE. What next, rains of toads??? ME up EARLY?!?
Anyway. *sigh*
I borrowed the pic from BAGnewsNotes, a blog that focuses on photojournalism, mainly in the political arena. I've found it very educational, reading other people's takes on how the media can subtly guide "the message" through subtext in images. This shot shows two women veterans at a celebration at Arlington, Alyce Dixon, 102, and Ester P. Corcoran, 103, (on the right). I wasn't able to find any articles specifically about them, but you can go here to BAGnewsNotes for some of it.
There's another thing that has been getting stuck in my head lately, kind of like one of those songs that comes for no reason and keeps replaying in your brain, but even less fun. You might not have run across it, even if you are on LiveJournal. But there has been a big meltdown going on about racism. I really really intended to just keep quiet in nineteen languages and let it run its course without me. Yeah, that's gonna happen....
Recently I've seen a new twist, where people are posting a pre-written paragraph where they are "owning" their own racism, as a token of good intentions and a show of solidarity. (Not that there's anything wrong with doing that. As with the proverbial fish and her bicycle, it's fine if she WANTS one.) You know me, though. I'm one of the writers in that joke about why it takes ten writers to change a light bulb. (One to change it and nine to say how they could have done it better.) So here goes.
There are certain things all human beings have in common. We have ALL been raised in a racist, sexist, speciesist, patriarchal, violent, war-mongering society, and this has been true for thousands of years. People wonder whether that's nature or nurture. I say it's both.
Because another thing we all have in common is traces in our brains of reactions hard-wired in from our distant ancestors, millions of little creatures stuck in a big harsh world who only lived long enough to reproduce if they were good at following the impulse to flee, or attack, as needed. Being wary of those who were different, ganging up on the weak -- that's in our genes because once upon a time, it promoted survival. Sucks to be us, doesn't it?
But we have something good in common too. However it happened, humanity was graced with the gift of being able to look beyond the day to day struggle just to live, and imagine something better. Maybe that's hard-wired in by now too. We just have to choose which of our impulses to follow. That's the great part, we CAN choose.
I think it's hard to see change taking place within our own lifespans. It feels like there are more steps backwards than forwards lots of days. It's understandable we feel like if things ARE changing for the better, they are doing it too slowly to be seen.
But take another look at the picture above, of those three amazing women. When the two veterans were born, their mothers couldn't even vote! Things have changed quite a bit over their hundred year plus lifetimes!
Come to think of it, I will quote something from someone else after all. It's part of the Student Oath I learned when I started in tae kwon do. Feel free to borrow these two promises if you want: "I will be a champion of freedom and justice" and "I will build a more peaceful world."
Without going into braggy detail, I'm satisfied that I have, at minimum, put a significant amount of personal effort into doing those things, especially in the past, oh, five years or so. I definitely mess up and let my lizard hind-brain act more often than I should. But I will definitely keep trying to become a better person.
That's going to have to do for my statement of good intentions, because it's all I got.
Past Posts (Political, not Personal) can be found at CodeNeonBlue.net. Only one new one since last week, but it has Superman, so don't miss him!
Anyway. *sigh*
I borrowed the pic from BAGnewsNotes, a blog that focuses on photojournalism, mainly in the political arena. I've found it very educational, reading other people's takes on how the media can subtly guide "the message" through subtext in images. This shot shows two women veterans at a celebration at Arlington, Alyce Dixon, 102, and Ester P. Corcoran, 103, (on the right). I wasn't able to find any articles specifically about them, but you can go here to BAGnewsNotes for some of it.
There's another thing that has been getting stuck in my head lately, kind of like one of those songs that comes for no reason and keeps replaying in your brain, but even less fun. You might not have run across it, even if you are on LiveJournal. But there has been a big meltdown going on about racism. I really really intended to just keep quiet in nineteen languages and let it run its course without me. Yeah, that's gonna happen....
Recently I've seen a new twist, where people are posting a pre-written paragraph where they are "owning" their own racism, as a token of good intentions and a show of solidarity. (Not that there's anything wrong with doing that. As with the proverbial fish and her bicycle, it's fine if she WANTS one.) You know me, though. I'm one of the writers in that joke about why it takes ten writers to change a light bulb. (One to change it and nine to say how they could have done it better.) So here goes.
There are certain things all human beings have in common. We have ALL been raised in a racist, sexist, speciesist, patriarchal, violent, war-mongering society, and this has been true for thousands of years. People wonder whether that's nature or nurture. I say it's both.
Because another thing we all have in common is traces in our brains of reactions hard-wired in from our distant ancestors, millions of little creatures stuck in a big harsh world who only lived long enough to reproduce if they were good at following the impulse to flee, or attack, as needed. Being wary of those who were different, ganging up on the weak -- that's in our genes because once upon a time, it promoted survival. Sucks to be us, doesn't it?
But we have something good in common too. However it happened, humanity was graced with the gift of being able to look beyond the day to day struggle just to live, and imagine something better. Maybe that's hard-wired in by now too. We just have to choose which of our impulses to follow. That's the great part, we CAN choose.
I think it's hard to see change taking place within our own lifespans. It feels like there are more steps backwards than forwards lots of days. It's understandable we feel like if things ARE changing for the better, they are doing it too slowly to be seen.
But take another look at the picture above, of those three amazing women. When the two veterans were born, their mothers couldn't even vote! Things have changed quite a bit over their hundred year plus lifetimes!
Come to think of it, I will quote something from someone else after all. It's part of the Student Oath I learned when I started in tae kwon do. Feel free to borrow these two promises if you want: "I will be a champion of freedom and justice" and "I will build a more peaceful world."
Without going into braggy detail, I'm satisfied that I have, at minimum, put a significant amount of personal effort into doing those things, especially in the past, oh, five years or so. I definitely mess up and let my lizard hind-brain act more often than I should. But I will definitely keep trying to become a better person.
That's going to have to do for my statement of good intentions, because it's all I got.
Past Posts (Political, not Personal) can be found at CodeNeonBlue.net. Only one new one since last week, but it has Superman, so don't miss him!
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Spring!
Sure, we have the warmth, the 30-45 mph wind (they have it worse along the southern Front Range, though, with a warning of gusts up to *75 mph!*), and the crazy-big flies. But yesterday I saw the REAL, for sure no foolin' spring sign.
Weeds starting to grow.
Poppy update: Poor girlie was VERY sad all the rest of Tuesday. I think it was more the leash fright than anything else, although not feeling good from anesthesia recovery didn't help. For the first time, she hesitated to come to me, even if I sat down so we would be equal heights, which she usually loves. But yesterday she felt better. What's remarkable is that she seems to have suddenly lost interest in rooting out things to chew, and she's just been enjoying laying around near the people, getting petted now and then. It's like she finally grasped the idea that the affection will continue to be there for her, and she doesn't need to desperately hoard up a stash against future lack.
Also not chewing her stitches! Whew!
Weeds starting to grow.
Poppy update: Poor girlie was VERY sad all the rest of Tuesday. I think it was more the leash fright than anything else, although not feeling good from anesthesia recovery didn't help. For the first time, she hesitated to come to me, even if I sat down so we would be equal heights, which she usually loves. But yesterday she felt better. What's remarkable is that she seems to have suddenly lost interest in rooting out things to chew, and she's just been enjoying laying around near the people, getting petted now and then. It's like she finally grasped the idea that the affection will continue to be there for her, and she doesn't need to desperately hoard up a stash against future lack.
Also not chewing her stitches! Whew!
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Top Ten Twitters of the Week!
Whoops, I forgot to do this Monday!
*If you ever run across really old party napkins, buy 'em! We sold 99 various ones tonight for over $70! USED old napkins! Who knew? 12:36 AM Feb 24th from web
*Truth in spamming? This morning I got a phishing email, complete with trojan, from *fishingtonfish*! (But I didn't take the bait.) 9:40 AM Feb 24th from web
*Dreamcloud started flashing me again over the weekend, so another trip to Rick the Car Doctor for him. *big double sigh with extra sssss* 8:56 AM Feb 25th from Ginx
*Just described a 100 y/o embalming book on eBay, which I admit I had fun with. (Zombie-chewed corner!) Pleased with sales so far this week. 8:40 PM Feb 25th from web
*Twitter is like sex. Fun, almost addictive at first, providing a unique social gateway. Anyone who does it more than you is promiscuous. 10:56 AM Feb 26th from web
*Attention! MrMike is now officially Permitted to Learn. Thank you, Colo DMV and highly patient Lamar HS teachers. 5:23 PM Feb 26th from web
*Mammextravagramza done for another year. WHEN will they make a panoramic lens for those of us in the well-endowed crowd? 4:05 PM Feb 27th from web
*NotOurPup name change, probably NOWourPup. The whole story is here on my blog, should you care to look. http://tinyurl.com/8kyfza 11:36 AM Feb 28th from web
*It's Free Dump Day! I'm celebrating by attacking Mount Stack O' Stuff in the laundry room. Yay for finding lost treasures & clearing space! 1:16 PM Mar 1st from web
*Driving in the glow of the Check Engine light has lost whatever faint thrill of wild risk-taking it might have once engendered. 6:22 PM Mar 2nd from web
*If you ever run across really old party napkins, buy 'em! We sold 99 various ones tonight for over $70! USED old napkins! Who knew? 12:36 AM Feb 24th from web
*Truth in spamming? This morning I got a phishing email, complete with trojan, from *fishingtonfish*! (But I didn't take the bait.) 9:40 AM Feb 24th from web
*Dreamcloud started flashing me again over the weekend, so another trip to Rick the Car Doctor for him. *big double sigh with extra sssss* 8:56 AM Feb 25th from Ginx
*Just described a 100 y/o embalming book on eBay, which I admit I had fun with. (Zombie-chewed corner!) Pleased with sales so far this week. 8:40 PM Feb 25th from web
*Twitter is like sex. Fun, almost addictive at first, providing a unique social gateway. Anyone who does it more than you is promiscuous. 10:56 AM Feb 26th from web
*Attention! MrMike is now officially Permitted to Learn. Thank you, Colo DMV and highly patient Lamar HS teachers. 5:23 PM Feb 26th from web
*Mammextravagramza done for another year. WHEN will they make a panoramic lens for those of us in the well-endowed crowd? 4:05 PM Feb 27th from web
*NotOurPup name change, probably NOWourPup. The whole story is here on my blog, should you care to look. http://tinyurl.com/8kyfza 11:36 AM Feb 28th from web
*It's Free Dump Day! I'm celebrating by attacking Mount Stack O' Stuff in the laundry room. Yay for finding lost treasures & clearing space! 1:16 PM Mar 1st from web
*Driving in the glow of the Check Engine light has lost whatever faint thrill of wild risk-taking it might have once engendered. 6:22 PM Mar 2nd from web
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
And how is YOUR day going so far?
Today is Poppy's day to get The Operation. I had noticed she had a bit of an aversion to being collared back when I first put one on her (just to make it easier to crate her and steer her to the pen outside, you understand), but she hadn't seemed upset after that, so I hadn't worried.
I think you could safely bet, though, that someone either tied her up to traumatic effect or dragged her on a leash, because when I put one on her and tried to coax her to follow me to the car, she went nuts. If you've ever seen someone lasso a scared colt in a corral...that's about what we had going on. We finally got her into the backseat, and she clung to TheClone like a baby to its blankie all the way to the vet.
Turns out I can still lift and carry an 80 pound dog, though it is apparently an amusing sight. Sadly, TheClone was too busy opening doors to take pictures.
After the vet's, we stopped off to consult with Rick the Car Doctor about the dang Check Engine light. His suspicion is that Dreamcloud is turning up his snooty Explorer nose at being asked to accept common GENERIC parts and wants only a genuine FORD air flow sensor. (I paraphrase.) So car juggling will have to be worked into the schedule sometime this week, which will annoy MrMike if it cuts into his driving around in circles time.
On the plus side, dropping the Netflix into the slot at the Post Office went off without a hitch.
I think you could safely bet, though, that someone either tied her up to traumatic effect or dragged her on a leash, because when I put one on her and tried to coax her to follow me to the car, she went nuts. If you've ever seen someone lasso a scared colt in a corral...that's about what we had going on. We finally got her into the backseat, and she clung to TheClone like a baby to its blankie all the way to the vet.
Turns out I can still lift and carry an 80 pound dog, though it is apparently an amusing sight. Sadly, TheClone was too busy opening doors to take pictures.
After the vet's, we stopped off to consult with Rick the Car Doctor about the dang Check Engine light. His suspicion is that Dreamcloud is turning up his snooty Explorer nose at being asked to accept common GENERIC parts and wants only a genuine FORD air flow sensor. (I paraphrase.) So car juggling will have to be worked into the schedule sometime this week, which will annoy MrMike if it cuts into his driving around in circles time.
On the plus side, dropping the Netflix into the slot at the Post Office went off without a hitch.
Monday, March 02, 2009
Not sleepy
OK, I wasn't sleepy when I started this last leg of a weird and desperate attempt to finish everything I'd had on my list for today. Now I am. Tomorrow will probably be interesting and even more out of time sync than today was!
My big thing of the day/weekend, the Free Dump Special, ended up costing me $7.50 because the free weekend was LAST weekend. Although I could not have participated LAST weekend, because of the auctions. But still. Messed up time sync!
Maybe it is the effect of the moon, by which I mean this model moon Mike bought with his birthday money from Grandma Ginny. In auto mode it whizzes through a month in about 30 seconds. Looks pretty cool, though.
For some reason, the people I follow on Twitter were really coming up with some interesting links today. Here are three I could not resist sharing.
Eliza Dushku says Obama wants you to stay home on Friday nights and watch Dollhouse. She says other interesting stuff too.
Another one of those Treehugger.com slide shows, of amazing art made from trash. You MUST see the giant roadrunner!!
This video claims that everything is possible, and shows people doing staggeringly amazing things that seem to make the case!
OK, I'm off to bed now!
***
Past Posts (Political, not Personal) can be found at CodeNeonBlue.net
My big thing of the day/weekend, the Free Dump Special, ended up costing me $7.50 because the free weekend was LAST weekend. Although I could not have participated LAST weekend, because of the auctions. But still. Messed up time sync!
Maybe it is the effect of the moon, by which I mean this model moon Mike bought with his birthday money from Grandma Ginny. In auto mode it whizzes through a month in about 30 seconds. Looks pretty cool, though.
For some reason, the people I follow on Twitter were really coming up with some interesting links today. Here are three I could not resist sharing.
Eliza Dushku says Obama wants you to stay home on Friday nights and watch Dollhouse. She says other interesting stuff too.
Another one of those Treehugger.com slide shows, of amazing art made from trash. You MUST see the giant roadrunner!!
This video claims that everything is possible, and shows people doing staggeringly amazing things that seem to make the case!
OK, I'm off to bed now!
***
Past Posts (Political, not Personal) can be found at CodeNeonBlue.net
