Just me, a hub, dad, grandad --who thinks young, acts like an adult (most of the time), who thinks technology is wonderful. A transplanted Canadian who has dual citizenship, but pays taxes to the US...works in DC lives in Northern Virginia.
Amberley on Fom.....Yeah, that's...
limine on From...Another Sadne...
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Merry Christmas....
I knew my alma mater was good for something besides basketball....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fe11OlMiz8
I am now officially in stress mode. I know I have blogged on this before, but I have reached the point where I really dont enjoy the Christmas Holidays...what to buy for whom, who should be invited to which party, are the kids going to be here or are they going to the inlaws (we always get hind tit on that one), she is always stressing over what to wear....for me, I think I will get snockered on a few bottles of fine wine and say screw the world....
But to all of you, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.... and since I will be snockered for a while, don't plan on seeing me on here much at all, if ever ....
Byeeeeeeeee
So Cannonball memed me.... not much of a story teller in the Yoshick and Cooper Green mold, but will give it a try...here goes...oh yes, my tag is to DJ Groovy Slug (if she has time from studying), Marnie (if she is through studying), Mafldi (if her exams are all graded), Lewana (if she has done all her Christmas shopping), and Amberly (who I hope is now on vacation). Go to it gang....
I woke up hungry. I pulled my bedroom curtain to the side and looked out on a hazy morning. I dragged myself into the kitchen, in search of something to eat. I reached for a jar of applesauce sitting next to the sink, and found it very cold to the touch. I opened the jar and realized it was frozen. (Splotchy)
My first idea was to put the applesauce in the microwave. Hey, I was still tired. Could I scoop some out and put whipped cream on it? No, too solid. Why was it so damn cold in here? I walked over to the thermostat and saw that the heat hadn't clicked on all night and the temperature had dropped substantially overnight. Now, tired and hungry, I opened the access panel on the heater. There's the problem: why was someone cooking a duck in here? (SamuraiFrog)
I bent down and scooped up the uncooked duck carcass. There was no way I was going to let it go to waste, especially considering I had applesauce on hand. I placed it in a roasting pot and went back to reset the heater. As I continued to wake up, I realized that my roommate had spent the night at his girlfriend's place and couldn't have put the duck there. "How the hell did it get there?" I wondered. Just then, an already odd situation became even stranger. The lifeless duck animated, flapped its featherless wings, and began to speak. (Some Guy)
I had a choice to make: do I go along with this impossibly reincarnated duck drama that's unfolding before me, or do I phone Dr. Leary and get my prescription changed? Feeling more comfortable believing the Chemical Dementia theory, I pressed Dr. L's speed dial button. That's when I noticed that the duck was wearing my watch. And he had a knife. And he was telling me to lie on the floor. (Cooper Green)
The duck stared me down from across the room, if it is possible to stare without eyes, and repeated its instruction, gesturing with a long, thin knife which I must have also left on the counter. This line of this might have sounded more menacing coming from an undead bird with a carving knife, but its voice was delighfully light and British-sounding. This was a fact that wasn't helping me establish the boundaries of reality, but I knew that my hero wouldn't wait to find out. My hero wouldn't call his psychiatrist and inquire about hallucinogenic side effects with an enemy in the home. Oh hell no. That's not what Patrick Swayze would do!! "Listen buddy," I said in my most patronizing voice, my hand groping on the nearby counter for something to pick up, "assuming this is real and not some delightful side effect of mixing my favorite blue pills with my favorite alcoholic liquid, then in the real world, I'm the lazy sort of guy who leaves out -" I found the applesauce jar and waved it at the duck, "applesauce overnight. And, well you know what that makes me? One lazy bastard. It makes me the sort of guy who never ever sharpens his knives either. So the knife you're holding? It couldn't cut warm butter if it held still. And I won't hold still. So tell me, you wanking, british zombie duck, do you really think your kung fu is stronger than mine?" I held up the apple sauce, preparing to throw, and the duck quacked out a blood-curdling, curse-laden scream, before running straight for me, kamikaze style. (Yoshick)
Suddenly, and in slow motion, I realize I do not actually know kung fu, but I do remember watching all of the Karate Kid movies (well, except for The Next Karate Kid, because that was just absurd and also I really hate Hilary Swank). In any case, as the strains of "Glory of Love" begin to pipe mysteriously from the air conditioning vents, accompanied by a rolling black fog that smells like white truffles, I try to position myself in the flying swan or crow or whatever it's called, except I can't seem to lift my leg from the ground. Thinking that my worst fear has come true and I am stuck in a molasses puddle, I cast my eyes slowly to the floor. "What the f...!?" I think as I look down. Chuck Norris is holding my feet still with one hand. With the other, he lifts his finger to his lips in the "sshhhh" motion and whispers, "be vewy, vewy quiet..."(Cannonball)
I looked in amazement at the sight below me....Chuck Norris, and he had a freaking lisp, the damn phony. I know he doesn't have a lisp, he is one tough guy. But then, as the black fog lifted, and I was able to wipe my eyes of the molasses that had slowly risen up past my knees (Chuck had pulled me to the floor, and since I love molasses, I licked up enough to take it down to knee level), I suddenly realized that it wasn't Chuck Norris....it really was the damn duck,,,and all he could say was..."Aflac." (JustMe63)
I am at home today...yes I know, I am supposed to be at work on tue wed and thur, but I had one of those recall notices to deal with, and today was the day the repair man came. It was the microwave oven...apparently one of the switches could catch fire, so took care of it and today was the only day for weeks that they could come...
So it is that time of year again. My annual stress filled month. I am not sure about Christmas anymore. Who to get what, who to invite, should we stay here or travel to relatives, what schedule does our daughter have with her inlaws...will she come here with the grandkids on Xmas morning or do they come in the afternoon. Should we invite her inlaws for Xmas dinner. All these things we go through every year...and to be quite honest, I really dont enjoy it as much as I should. Or at least I havent in the past few years...but maybe this year will be different. We are not buying gifts for my Canadian family. They said don't...but I am putting together a calendar with some of my better photos and will send that off to my mom and sisters. We are giving our kids money, and of course a calendar, and spoiling the grandkids again--and we have finished getting their stuff. We will have a New Years party again, but this time a lot less guests...will have a mystery dinner! And I got the lights and tree up much earlier this year, and actually had fun doing it! Here is a pic of the front of the house..
Many of the houses on our street are decorated this year and it is quite pretty, We had a bit of snow last week--after I got the lights up---and wish I had taken a photo then...oh well. If it snows again while the lights are still up I will take one. So maybe this year will be different...at least it is starting out that way..
Today I am going to work on the calendar, and read a great book on camera exposure that I am totally absorbed in.....fascinating....and what about all of you?
OK, here comes a big rant...... I read Kevin Drum's blog most every chance I get. Yes, he is a liberal, and yes I tend to agree with most of what he says. And he usually gets a ton of comments with every post. Well this morning I read his post on comparing American and Canadian health care systems--which he does quite often. But in the comment section of this post, there is one by a David X. Machina to whit...
Yeah, but those numbers don't take into consideration the loss of freedom.
I am struck, on my occasional trips to New Brunswick, by the spectacle of Canadians huddled on street corners around fires burning in old herring barrels, or stumbling zombie-like through the streets of St John, or Moncton, robbed of any initiative or drive through battening on the teat of state socialism for so many years. It looks like a cross between the old East Berlin and parts of Camden, New Jersey.
And here was my response back to him...Oh for god sake David X. Machina..... go take a walk in downtown Washington DC on any winters day (like I did last night) and count the number of homeless crowded around the steam grates.....your kind of comment wreaks to high heaven of the kind of nonsense too many ultra-right wingnuts have been spouting for years. Shut up...
Oh yes, those 45 million uninsured really have a lot of freedom don't they?
Gag me with a spoon a..h....
I know, I was very rude...he probably is a nice guy, but ya know that kind of ignorance really sets me off...and it is that kind of garbage which folks in other countries react very negatively to about Americans. It shows ignorance, and signs of too much rah rah USA nonsense......and I can't stand it.
I came into work at 6am this morning. I usually don't get in until 730 or so, but they were calling for snow....and I can't stand being on the road with those transplants from Florida who think that the way you stop a car on a slippery road is to slam on the brakes! So to escape the crazies (they go nuts before the snow even hits the ground) I got up at 5 and came in early.
I haven't been blogging much lately. Just too damn busy. I am only working at the office 3 days a week now, and spending the other two days at home working on my new venture. I have gotten it off the ground, have a website, have sent out emails to 800+ folks to tell them what I am into, developed my first research instrument, and getting ready to send it out next week. So, yes I have been busy. Plus getting the Christmas tree up, the outdoor lights up, the greenery taken care of, and the leaves raked have added to the time crunch. Speaking of leaves, we still have leaves on the trees---I figure we are about 3 weeks behind schedule, and the County leaf pick up is way behind their regular schedule. We havent had one pickup this fall yet, and with the snow today it will be a mess--snow on top of leaves= slippery!
Couple of things on my mind..... I do wish the politicians would quit talking about illegal immigrants and begin dealing with some of the more substantive issues the country is facing. Yes, I don't like the fact that immigrants can get into this country illegally, but they have. Let's face that fact, and above all let's do something about the borders. But these damn local politicians who think that they can solve the problem by checking immigration papers at a traffic stop are only fooling themselves. It is a federal issue that must be dealt with by the federal gov. At the presidential selection level, all the talk about illegals only distracts from more pressing problems...but of course the Republicans have to think of something to detract from their pitiful performance over the past 7 years.... I suppose they think that abortion, gay marriage, family values, etc. have had enough of a run...so now they ask "what kind of emotional issue can we deal with now to get the rednecks riled up" and illegal immigration is the soup du jour.
I have been thinking lately about what I would want to ask a presidential candidate (or anyone running for federal office for that matter) should I ever meet them face-to-face. Topping the list is health care---god we are in a mess, and the sooner we come to a single payer, universal health care system the better. So what kind of plan does the candidate offer? Second, what is their plan to improve America's standing with the rest of the world? What would they do to increase our global competitiveness? We are a sinking ship in both those areas and unless something is done soon, we are in deep shit--if not there already. And ranting over illegals taking our jobs, damn China for not paying their workers enough, freaking India using their people to answer our customer service questions, etc. just doesn't cut it. Being globally competitive and raising our reputation involves a greater emphasis on education, greater emphasis on world awareness, and a return to producing stuff--rather than just consuming.
The third question revolves around energy and our dependence on oil as the primary energy source. This goes way beyond our reliance on foreign sources of oil. (As an aside, contrary to what many of us believe, the greatest source of oil that we import is from Canada, not any Mid-East country! Take that Dick Cheney!) No, we must begin to develop plans to move away from oil, after all we will run out some day....it is not a renewable resource. So what is the candidates position on alternative energy sources--solar, wind, hydrogen, etc. If we are not talking about them now, we will not be ready to deal with the problem when the oil runs out. As an example of how one country is dealing with the energy issue, Australia has just announced that they will soon be banning the typical incandescent light bulb and move toward a low energy use bulb. By doing so, they will be able to reduce green house gas emissions by 4 million tons by 2012. Have we heard any such pronouncements from Hillary, Obama, Rudy, Fred or Mitt (why do I laugh whenever I hear that name?)
There are other questions as well....but damn the candidate who preaches about abortion, gay marriage, family values....or heaven forbid, illegal immigrants...
OK, back to work now....
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