Geek-o-rama

51% Geek
I guess if I'd played more video games

Hoo baby -

85%DRUNKARD

My girl Pam is at it again

"Our world is facing problems - poverty, HIV and AIDS - a devastating pandemic, and conflict...God must be weeping looking at some of the atrocities that we commit against one another. In the face of all of that, our Church, especially the Anglican Church, at this time is almost obsessed with questions of human sexuality

...It is a perversion if you say to me that a person chooses to be homosexual. You must be crazy to choose a way of life that exposes you to a kind of hatred. It's like saying you choose to be black in a race infected society."

-- South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu speaking to the BBC on the Anglican church's fixation on homosexuality

Thanks, Pam!

My girl Pam is at it again

"Our world is facing problems - poverty, HIV and AIDS - a devastating pandemic, and conflict...God must be weeping looking at some of the atrocities that we commit against one another. In the face of all of that, our Church, especially the Anglican Church, at this time is almost obsessed with questions of human sexuality

...It is a perversion if you say to me that a person chooses to be homosexual. You must be crazy to choose a way of life that exposes you to a kind of hatred. It's like saying you choose to be black in a race infected society."

-- South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu speaking to the BBC on the Anglican church's fixation on homosexuality

Thanks, Pam!

Monday, Monday ver. 1332.01

"This next week, many of the people we know will be trudging across the continent in the modern day equivalent of traversing the west in a Contestoga wagon - winding through security lines, running from gate to gate, losing baggage, frustrated, tired, arriving in a state of physical and nervous exhaustion to immediately return to a family dynamic that they've left behind years ago.

How much of that stress is brought about by their anticipation of returning to family communication patterns long left behind, and how much is the actual travel experience?

Why are the same families experiencing a more pleasant return on Sunday next when the empirical experience is nearly identical?"

Me, yesterday in church.

I said it much more eloquently (I was in the zone) and more than half of those there came up to me and complimented me greatly.

It's only 8:00, and I'm tired enough (almost) to go to bed. I hardly slept last night. Nothing particularly on my mind, but my brain was whizzing away.

So, over the weekend, while occupying my mind with nonsense, I was surfing away and for some reason happened to surf into an article about the Bonneville. I read it (the article) and came to learn that the 2005 Bonneville is built on the "H" body platform which was designed in .. uh, 1986. For the 1987 Bonneville/LeSabre/Park Avenue/DeVille.

As in, the 2005 Bonneville is riding around on stampings that were tooled and designed in 1986.

It gets worse.

I mentioned to Brian what I had unearthed, and he says: "oh, that "H" platform is actually based on the X-body."

As in, Chevy Citation.

Holy crap.

Other than that, it's been a reasonable day.

On today's calendar...

5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. David Taylor CTS event (David Taylor Customer Abuse center)

Tuesday planning meeting(s)

As I've moved forward here these last few weeks, I've been reflecting on what I do well, and what I enjoy doing, and what would be required to make that all come together for myself in the next year.

I've also been looking at the things I get involved in that don't support me, and that make me feel unsuccessful.

So, more from column "A" and fewer from column "B," clearly.

Two great meetings already today to advance that formula. More good stuff going on today as well.

And, I think Judy is buying the Christmas tree train. Good thing, since it's in the back seat of the car again.

This morning, my power went out for about three minutes. Again. Makes me crazy. I walked outside as soon as it went off - it was about 6:50 this morning. The neighbor's power was still on. I guess this means I probably have a breaker box issue. The power goes out about every fifth day for long enough to reset all the digital clocks.

Now, a quick update on office conditions:

* I used the suggestion of the guy from whom I bought the desk and applied Old English yesterday, as I mentioned. This morning, the vapors were still strong.
* Today, I used orange oil and the vapors were visible.
* A client came in, wearing the perfume counter from Dillard's. She closed the door.
* I have a headache.
* My furniture looks great
* Now I want the Rocketeer poster framed and on the wall PRONTO

And I need better chairs.

Nathan (from eons ago) contacted me today. I haven't heard from him since .. 2002. Or early 2003. I don't know. He's probably in the blog archive.

I'm either nuked on the vapors in here, or tired. Or both. A heavy evening in front of me still, too.

Monday, Monday ver. 1201.01 - Veteran's Day Edition!

We'll start with some good ol' Republican sentiment on military preparedness and weapons accumulation.

Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. The cost of one modern heavy bomber is this: a modern brick school in more than 30 cities. It is two electric power plants, each serving a town of 60,000 population. It is two fine, fully equipped hospitals. It is some fifty miles of concrete pavement. We pay for a single fighter plane with a half million bushels of wheat. We pay for a single destroyer with new homes that could have housed more than 8,000 people. This is, I repeat, the best way of life to be found on the road the world has been taking. This is not a way of life at all, in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron. […] Is there no other way the world may live?

–Dwight David Eisenhower, “The Chance for Peace,” speech given to the American Society of Newspaper Editors, Apr. 16, 1953.

Things are crazed here today. People are carrying on like it's a party or something. I did get the desk Old English'ed and it looks fabulous, but I'm daffy on the fumes.

I had lunch with Joseph. Oh, my God. It's been eight years since I've seen him.

I've made my calls, and it's time to go pick up the mail, gas up the car and drive home. Once there, I am going to work on the front garden "patch" some, and see about cleaning the floors.

Inspiration

Last night, in the middle of a date that was so abhorrent that it reminded me of my date with the guy Madeline set me up with back in 1988, when the guy grabbed me across the front seat of his blue Cadillac and tried to mug down on me, I saw the movie "Michael Clayton."

The move was awesome. George Clooney's character is a "fixer," a jack of all trades who is an expert in many areas and can resolve nearly any situation.

I loved his haircut. And his black Mercedes S550. And his clothing. And his demeanor.

I talked to Rosita about it today, and we decided to go watch the movie together next weekend.

John informed me on Friday that Joseph is wanting to come back to work with us. Joseph.

Joseph.

Holy cow.

I just am sort of speechless.

I have to work on so many things tomorrow; it's a Federal holiday. I'm not sure who all is coming into the office tomorrow. Hopefully, there will be very little traffic.

I found a Corby Pant press online here in town this weekend - I've wanted one for YEARS. I'm going to meet up with him on Tuesday to buy it.

I actually got the dead water heater out of the attic. I got all of the Christmas, Halloween, gift wrapping and other nonsense organized into Rubbermaid tubs. I got all of the client records bagged up in sealed plastic and up into the attic, giving me a lot more room downstairs. I got Christmas set out in the dining room, which made Bram very happy. Next weekend, I'd really like to get some touch up painting done. And some carpet shampooing. And floor cleaning.

I ordered a new rechargeable flashlight for the car that's just like the one that VW equipped the Phaeton with. And, I ordered some Fabulair t-shirts, as they were on sale at 20% off the base price.

Yippie!

Busy busy week this week.

HOW THE FIGHT STARTED

I rear-ended a car this morning.


So there we are alongside the road and slowly ... the driver gets out of the car . . .


and you know how you just-get-sooo-stressed and life-stuff seems to get funny?



Yeah, well, I could NOT believe it . . . he was a DWARF!


He storms over to my car, looks up at me and says, "I AM NOT HAPPY!"


So, I look down at him and say, "Well, which one are you then?"


.. . . and that's when the fight started .

Friday linkarama

Well, the house cleaning homo had a "plumbing incident" last night at home, and has asked to come at a time that is a.) inconvenient, and b.) will mean that the house will stand dirty over the weekend, which pretty much means I'll clean it myself by then.

Two interesting links about the current financial "crisis." First, the State of New York is (possibly criminally) investigating overly inflated appraisals, mostly relating to a WaMu contract which does NOT revolve around sub-prime lending. Second, just some commentary on the idea that Citi is too big to fail, and the fallacy of that notion, with a link out to a very thoroughly researched piece that's worth reading.

I need to pack up and head into the office - many things await my focus today.

Watching Lewis Black

He's so funny. I went to Netflix to rate it (the new DVD) and there was a new little hyperlink that said "you have 15 unrated movies."

As in, of the movies I've rented from them, fifteen have gone unrated. By me.

So, I thought back - how did I miss that? I clicked through. Well, everything in 2007 was rated. In 2006, too. And 2005. And 2004. Whoops - missed one in 2003. Hm. Fourteen to go - how long have I been a Netflix subscriber? Let's check 2002. Holy toledo! It's the mother load of unrated movies! I found twelve. Now, it's two to go. Uh - How long have I been a Netflix subscriber? Turns out six years and two months.

Holy crap!

Just

click here

Hippo Hump Hay

We arise this morning to find this fabulous and delicious post on my girl "Pam's House Blend."

Talibangelist finances under the Senate microscope
by: pam
Wed Nov 07, 2007 at 06:00:00 AM EST

Pious preachers rail on against moral failures in society, and fixate on what consenting adults do in their bedrooms or the ability of LGBT citizens to obtain equal rights. What they don't talk about from the pulpit is what's going on with the money coming from the pews -- and out in the TV audience. Perhaps that's a little inconvenient.

It hasn't gone unnoticed by Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee. He's taking a look at the books of some big-name Men of GodTM -- looking for possible financial misconduct. Go, baby.

Letters were sent Monday to the ministries demanding that financial statements and records be turned over to the committee by Dec. 6.

According to Grassley's office, the Iowa Republican is trying to determine whether or not these ministries are improperly using their tax-exempt status as churches to shield lavish lifestyles.

The six ministries identified as being under investigation by the committee are led by: Paula White, Joyce Meyer, Creflo Dollar, Eddie Long, Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn. Three of the six - Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland and Creflo Dollar - also sit on the Board of Regents for the Oral Roberts University.

The ministry watchdog Trinity Foundation, headed up by Ole Anthony, has been leading the charge against televangelists who rip off the flock.

"We've been working with them for two years," Anthony told CBS News. "We have furnished them with enough information to fill a small Volkswagen."

Anthony said after twenty years of working with media organizations to expose televangelists, he saw little reform. He says that's why he turned to another tactic, going straight to Grassley. He is confident that Grassley's inquiry will be different, "What we hope is that this will lead to reform in religious nonprofits."

Fun fact: homophobe Bishop Eddie Long of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church marched in Atlanta to "save marriage" with fellow homo-hater Reverend Bernice King back in 2004.

And not just conservative televangelists are under the gun. Read below the fold.
pam :: Talibangelist finances under the Senate microscope
Michael Hussey pointed to this article about ministers Randy and Paula White of the Without Wall Church, located in Tampa; its records have also been requested by the Senate, including:

* Statements for all credit cards used by the Whites since 2004 for expenses related to the ministries, including explanations for clothing and cosmetic surgery.

* A list of expenses paid by the ministries relating to homes purchased by the Whites in Tampa; San Antonio, Texas; New York City; and Malibu, Calif. The letters also call for the addresses and size of each residence.

* The year, make and model of all vehicles and aircraft purchased, leased or maintained by the ministries. Copies of flight records also are requested.

* A receipt and documentation of payment method for a Bentley convertible reportedly purchased by the Whites as a tax-exempt gift for Texas author Bishop T.D. Jakes.

* All domestic and overseas bank accounts and investments belonging to the ministries.

* Names and addresses for the publishers of all commercial-related goods relating to the ministry, such as books and audio-video recordings of sermons.

* Detailed accounting of $871,000 worth of merchandise reportedly sold to the church since 2005 by two private businesses owned by the Whites.

Hat tip, Sylvia.

I be lovin' me some Pammage lately. Last night, she had posted the audio interview of Joe Solomnese by Michael Signorile on Siruis radio - give it a listen. Really, just click on the link, open that page, then click on the embedded player. Signorile, although the lispiest homo you'll hear all week, doggedly pursues actual answers to his very straight-forward questions and Solomnese squirms like bait on a hook. In fact, he's so sleazy that I threw up a little bit thinking "this faux-homo Republiturd represents GAY PEOPLE?"

And it's not just me. I sent the link to a big HRC 'mo late last night, and already this morning he had responded that he's "really concerned" and that "hearing it, when our leader can't consistently explain it is sad."

I think I'll keep my checkbook saddled the next time Homosexuals Raise Cash give me their spiel about being civil rights advocates. I don't like lobbyists anyway.

I have laundry swirling around in the machine, and have already cooked up this morning's oatmeal. A few minutes from now, I'll be headed over to the Valero to stick a few dollars' worth of $3.10 premium unleaded in the car and then off to work.

Some important articles -

This article discusses the wild variable between the treatment meted out to the Conservatives as compared to the "Liberals," aka "mostly Conservatives" by the "Liberal Media." It's very well phrased, and makes some crystal clear points that I've been seeing for years.

I was thinking about this a few weeks back - why would the democrats WANT to achieve the presidency? This post says it so much better than I could have ever done.

Since this is important to reflect upon, and since I know most people don't like to click through and read something - here it is, reproduced for you:

What the Next President Faces
by SusanG
Sun Nov 04, 2007 at 07:10:45 AM PDT

With a hat tip to bumblebums, who linked to this blistering analysis by Charles Pierce in the open thread, all we can say is ... preach it!

Quite honestly, I don't understand why any Democrat wants to be president this time around. It's not just the wreckage that the Avignon Presidency is going to be leaving behind, although that is considerable. (Did you see Himself yesterday? All the cheesy smirking while the Heritage Foundation unemployables cheered his nudge-nudge, wink-winking on torture? It's like being ruled by Torquemada's mall cop.) Monica Goodling's testimony back a few months as regarding the hiring practice at DOJ leads me to wonder how many home-schooled, Christianist, Patrick Henry College yahoos have been salted away within the federal bureaucracy over the past seven years, and how effective a functioning underground resistance they might be. There was a little of this during the transiton from Poppy Bush to Bill Clinton. Cleaning up the debris is going to be hard enough without a bunch of authoritarian toddlers running off at the mouth to the Washington Times, or to whatever Republican legislators may be left after the upcoming bloodbath. The first two years -- which, given the idiotic way we run elections, often are the only chance any president has to get anything done before it's time to run for president again -- are hard enough without being undermined in the government by Bible-banging Mole People. None of these people can conceive of public service as an end to itself. If they're not in it to promote the party -- or, alternatively, "Conservatism," as though that term has any meaning any more -- they're in it to "give witness" to their Personal Lord And Savior, who should be told by any Democratic politician worthy of the name to shut the hell up for a couple of years while we try to repair the damage His fans have done to our country. The first order of business for any Democratic president elected next year should be to appoint unreconstructed hardbars to head the personnel offices throughout the Executive branch whose only job will be to root these people out before they can hurt the country further. The Monica Goodlings should be sent back where they belong -- into a commercial for one of those execrable "Songs For Worship" CD's that seem to be dedicated to ruining gospel music as thoroughly as these people have ruined the Justice department.

He's right, of course. Beyond the obvious tasks of rolling back executive power, the restoration of the rule of law, and a return to at least pretending the Constitution is a guiding document, there's going to be a lot of dull, persistent clerical work for the next president. Not just the personnel matter Pierce (brilliantly) addresses, but all the quirky little policy and standard language this gang has undoubtedly slipped into bureaucratic edicts issued by every executive department and sub-department and sub-sub-department. Think the Patriot Act on a petty and more insidiously seeded scale. The mind boggles.

Speaking of boggling - what a waste this weekend was, in terms of commercial success.
Not just for me, but for everyone at the train show. It sucked, and it sucked out loud.

At least Jeremy had the brilliant idea to photograph all of the model trains while we had them out, and so now it's a matter of using Turbolister to get them all loaded up and listed out on eBay.

I'll have to go to my room and put everything back into the closet, temporarily, while I finish that task.

We're talking about how to decorate for Lurlinemas. Do we put up a tree? Outside lights? Tschotkes (of which I have a great many, courtesy of my mother?)

Do I care? Sort of. I'd like to get even more stuff out of the attic, so I guess I care THAT much. I'm thinking of skipping the whole pagan schlock mess this year, frankly.

I did decide to mostly forego sending Christmas cards. Each year, I've sent out a raft of them, and get fewer and fewer back, as fewer and fewer people actually go through the trouble of buying, writing, addressing, posting and mailing them.

It's not yet 10:00 p.m., and I'm feeling ready for bed.

Why do we bother observing Daylight Savings Time, anyway? It's not like the "farmers," all of whom now are corporations, give a wild turkey. Most of their workers are migrants or indentured servants, it's not like they could complain.

Which leads to an interesting point Jeremy raised today - is the government's reported increase in new jobs created any way related to the huge increase in ICE raids on places of employment, in which bus loads of Hispanic workers are deported back to their home countries?

Link sausages and working like a Hebrew with a new Pharoah

So I've been cranking here at the office all morning. It's only 1:15, and although I feel like I'm fever-y, I feel okay for the most part. Perhaps it's time to go check the thermostat.

Nope, it's me.

I have everything priced for the train show, pretty much. The car's loaded up, and I have to stop and pick up some table covers, and an electrical strip for the booth, then go over there, haul everything inside, set it all up, and then go home.

I have my name badges set up, I think I'm pretty much good to go here.

Today, Brian (whom I gave love to but failed to link out to) showed me a fabulous piece on the CAFE standards. Write your Congresscritter (like it will make a lick of difference.)

Also, someone on the Conservative side of the fence has started to notice that Rudy ain't the most truthful person running for President.

But, most of all, our Lady of Two Sides to her Mouth is caught red-handed parsing out the perfidy on YouTube:



Yes, she'd be a perfect follow-on to Walker, Texas President.

I'm up to my knuckle coupler in model trains

So, I had WAY more model trains than I remembered. I started writing up the descriptions (the sizzle for the steak, you know) and found that I had nine cars from this train, ten from that, 23 from the other - far more than I had on my inventory list.

Jeremy's napping, and then we're getting the Christmas tree train down from the attic, and loading the trunk of the car up.

Some links!

Americans have an emotional/psychological link to their cars! Who knew?

Where I'll be spending my weekend. Tickets are only seven bucks, which is probably what parking will be. However, you can come cheer me on and pretend like you're hot and bothered for my train crap, to incent others to grab it and pay before you find your checkbook.

My terrific friend Brian (whom I'll meet someday, but who I talk to all the time) had this cartoon posted on his livejournal today, and I nearly busted a pant seam laughing over it.

*cough cough*

Well, my day at home being sick has been interesting. I tried to nap - twice - and was unsuccessful both times. Each time, I was motivated to arise and look through the accumulated CRAP that I have, all of which (that is train related) I'm selling this weekend.

I unloaded all of my railroadiana books, most of which were gifts from well-meaning loved ones, priced them all on Amazon and listed them out. I pulled out the posters, advertisements, magazines and such and prepared to do the same. I've designed my table layout, and I need to go get some table covers for the tables. I finished signing up for my credit card terminal. I need to make a checklist...

What will I do if I actually unload all of this stuff? I intend to come back home with none of it. Just contemplating what life will be like without all this unused stuff hanging out, most of which sits unobtrusively in boxes in the attic of closet, is liberating. It really DOES occupy space in your psyche. It takes from your total store of mental energy just HAVING it there.

Of the proceeds, I'm having framed the six posters I'm keeping (the rest are being sold,) the Rocketeer poster that's going to the office, the TWA poster that Pam & Jean gave me for my house warming that goes into the downstairs powder room, the Continental New Orleans poster for the bedroom, and the three 20th Century Limited posters that will hang in the stairwell. The rest goes into Fabulair.

At that point, I'll have rid myself of a huge percentage of what I toted into the apartment on Bagby, and gathered up while living there. I still have a way to go with it (wasn't it nice of me not to type "a ways?")

Jackie looks fashionable with her new haircut, produced by Tom while she was vacationing over there. When I went to pick her up, she was so excited that she dashed out through two of the bars of his anti-burglar door gate. She was stuck there for a good ten minutes before Tom was able to ease one shoulder back out and get her free.

Her new haircut makes her collar a very loose fit, so she has a lot more say in which direction the train is headed than before.

I keep wondering - what else can I rid myself of? What other things am I toting around just "because?" My mother's china, for one, which I haven't used since I moved out of Bagby. Most of the Christmas tschotkes. Most of the CDs and DVDs.

All of the porno.

The funny thing is, none of this stuff is worth anything at all once the first person buys it. It's just basically work to get rid of it.

I'm just thinking about how much more stuff there is to sort, label, research and sell.

Noteworthy is that I've totally stopped buying crap on eBay.

Government policy made based on rumor and bigotry

I'm surprised that they didn't again raise the proven lie of welfare queens driving Cadillacs!

Halloweenie at Parliament House