Who are you that Ive come to know you in the dark?
I discovered that they remove your "red dots" every couple of months so I cant see you... You must build a fire very big and very bright so I can find you from afar...
Do you ever let things stack up in your head until you know you will either forget it all or must write it down? Thats where I am tonight. All kinds of drama...
Dad fighting for his life (again)
Saw my brother for the first time in 30+ years
Lost my job
Almost entire team laid off
Swine flu killed a cat
Ive gotten old.. and I think it may have happened around the time we went to Daylight savings time, but Im not sure.
Unemployment at 10.2%
Empty wine fridge
Health care monstrosity passed in the House, on to the Senate
Dead marigolds
Terrorist shooting at Fort Hood, killed 13 soldiers and wounded dozens of others
Holiday season almost upon us... blahhh who cares.
Maybe Ive been storing it up since the drive back home from Louisiana or maybe I just didnt have the energy to write but my LORD I have a lot to say!
I suppose Im feeling a little bit sorry for myself for the last few days but I decided Id allow me a few days and then get my shit together so I have until Monday and then Im done. I need to make sure my team finds a job immediately so that will be my focus. Ive had a couple of interviews and am hopeful.
On to the "Better Stuff" as Jorge and I always say... And by the way, a nod to Jorge who was the only survivor of the carnage on Friday and is feeling some sort of survivors guilt. Jorge ROCKS, will be my trusted friend for life and thank God he survived!
BETTER STUFF.....
Foodstuffs...
Dinner one night last week before the trip to Louisiana was spice rubbed filet Mignon, grilled over cherry and hickory wood and cooked medium rare. Served with salt crusted baked potatoes, Caesar salad and Wild Horse Pinot Noir. Desert was chocolate souffle that D talked me in to making at the last minute and it turned out FABULOUS! (served with vanilla bean ice cream)
D's Birthday Dinner
His birthday was Tuesday and I decided to make a couple of his most favorite foods.
Grilled baby lamb chops that were rubbed in fresh herbs, garlic and olive oil and a grilled lobster tail, served over creamy polenta. Cocktails were Cosmopolitans and Ravenswood Teldeschi Vinyard Zinfandel- 2006 which was rated a 93 and under $30. Since I dont eat lamb, I had crab legs and a beautiful thick cut filet.
Desert was his favorite.. white wedding cake with sour cream in the batter, topped with hand made butter cream frosting and white chocolate shavings.
Best stuff
The Beast has a new pillow... sometimes its the little things that make us happy.
Not as good stuff....
A few weeks ago, Zachary Christie of Newark, in Joe Biden's Grand Duchy of Delaware, joined the Cub Scouts. In the course of so doing, he acquired one of those combination knife-fork-spoon utensils that come in so useful when you're in tucking in to a hearty meal round the camp fire. Six-year old Zachary is to blame for finding his knife-fork-spoon utensil so cool he decided one October morn to take it to school to eat lunch with it. Knives are banned. Because they're weapons. The First Grader was summoned to a disciplinary committee hearing and sentenced to at least 45 days in reform school.
This is the same Christina School District that in April attempted to expel Sixth Grader Kasia Haughton. Kasia took a cake to school for her fellow students, and, in helping her pack it, her grandmother helpfully put a knife in the bag. Her teacher placed the cake on the desk, used the knife to cut it, passed round the slices, and then reported Kasia for bringing a "deadly weapon" to school. The grandmother packed the knife. The teacher used the knife. Kasia never touched it. But like those hapless Thai tourists who foolishly agree to serve as couriers of prohibited substances, she's the one who has to swing for it.
Regulation strips law of the "reasonable man" standard. There is nothing "reasonable" because there is no longer reason: The School District officials are forbidden (even if they're still capable) from reasoning that a person in possession of a knife and cake might reasonably be intending the former to assist in the division of the latter. Instead, all must submit to the diktat of regulation.
Unless, of course, you're a Sikh. Sikhs like to carry their traditional kirpans –knives up to eight inches – and the New York City Board of Education and the Supreme Court of Canada, among many others, have ruled that boys are permitted to take them to school. Why? Because in the ideological hierarchy, multiculturalism trumps "safety". A cake knife is a "deadly weapon" but a deadly weapon is merely the Sikh symbol for "the power of truth to cut through untruth". If that isn't reason to ban it from public schools, I don't know what is. Nevertheless, if you're taking a cake to school, ask a Sikh classmate to cut it up for you. And be grateful that the FDA hasn't yet classified the cake as a deadly weapon.
Can such a society survive? I doubt it. After all, if you raise your young in such a world, what sort of adults do they grow into? A couple of years back, a neighbor's kid was given a plastic sword and shield as a birthday present. Mom refuses to let her boy play with "militaristic" toys, so she confiscated the sword but, in a moment of weakness, let him keep the shield. And for a while, on my drive down to town, I'd pass the li'l tyke in the yard playing with his beloved shield, mastering the art of cringing and cowering against unseen blows from all directions. In a hyper-regulated world, it's a useful skill to acquire. But I'm not sure it will be enough.
Article thanks to SteynOnline.com by way of The National Review
Some Good News
You've got to hand it to Wisconsin's muggers. They may be criminals, but darn it, they're patriotic criminals!
A Milwaukee Army reservist's military identification earned him some street cred Tuesday, when he says four men who mugged him at gunpoint returned his belongings and thanked him for his service after finding the ID.
The 21-year-old University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student said he was walking home from work about 1:15 a.m. Tuesday when he was pulled into an alley and told to lay face down and with a gun to his neck. Four men took his wallet, $16, keys, his cell phone and even a PowerBar wrapper from his pants pockets, he said.
But the hostile tone quickly changed when one of the robbers, whom the reservist presumed was the leader, saw an Army ID in the wallet. The robber told the others to return the items and they put most of his belongings on the ground next to him, including the wrapper, the reservist said.
Scumbag shooter Hasan had abbreviation for "Soldier of Allah" on … his business card
Here is the card that major Muslim Nidal Hasan gave to the infidels along with a quran before meeting his 72 raisins.
Could this lowlife jihadi be any more devout? He mosqued every day. Hated America, hated the troops, proselytized his co-workers, planned his jihad and completed his mission. His head was shaved. What else was shaved? If his body was shaved like his head, then the military guys and law enforcement know and have known that this was jihad, and they are scamming us now.
Now look at the card. Notice the SoA on the card? Soldiers of Allah. Followed by SWT, an abbreviation that usually follows the word Allah.
When writing the name of God (Allah), Muslims often follow it with the abbreviation "SWT." These letters stand for the Arabic words "Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala," or "Glory to Him, the Exalted." Muslims use these or similar words to glorify God when mentioning His name.
Definition: When writing the name of God (Allah), Muslims often follow it with the abbreviation "SWT." These letters stand for the Arabic words "Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala," or "Glory to Him, the Exalted." Muslims use these or similar words to glorify God when mentioning His name. Pronunciation: sub-han'-a-hoo wa ta a la Also Known As: Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala Alternate Spellings: subhana wa ta'ala; subhanna wa ta'ala Examples: Muslims believe that Allah SWT created the universe.
Some would say Obama's cool detachment is narcissism. But narcissists are charmers; they know exactly what to say and do, even it's all hot air.
Others think that Obama is disengaged because he's elitist, arrogant. The day-to-day grunt-work is beneath him. His motto: I'd rather be golfing.
All of the above may be true, but it's something else: he seems off to me.
During a "60 Minutes" interview with Steve Kroft when the stock market was sinking, Obama giggled. He wasn't embarrassed afterward, or apologetic. More worrisome than his bizarre behavior was that he didn't regard it as strange.
Then, last week, we're faced with a national crisis: soldiers killed and gravely injured by an apparent Jihadist in the guise of a military doctor. When announcing the catastrophe, what does Obama do?
He drones on and on for three minutes about Native American health issues, even doing a shout-out. In a monotone voice, Obama then reports that soldiers have been shot. He's nonchalant, flat, as though he's reporting the weather.
Afterwards, the opinions roll in. Some say that Obama looks down on the military. He views our soldiers as the great unwashed, trashy and ignorant, like Sarah Palin.
(snip)
All grown up, Obama remains hermetically sealed. Although he's been a media star for a couple of years, we have no idea who he is inside.
I've often wondered why people haven't come forth to say, "I knew Barry when..." We live in a media-saturated, exhibitionist world where everyone wants his three minutes of fame.
So where are all of his school chums, best friends, and old flames? The groups he hung with? His teachers, neighbors?
Where are the anecdotes of what Obama was like, his interests and predilections? Was he friendly, funny, insightful? Did he win any prizes or trophies? Pen any papers?
Obama was president of the Harvard Law Review. Yet from his former colleagues we find no accounts of putting out the journal together under his leadership.
He was a lecturer on constitutional law. Why hasn't a single student come forth and offered evidence like a good attorney?
Why the silence? Could it be that Obama left no dent, not even a single footprint? Is there nothing there?
(snip)
Sure, Obama loves his wife, children, dog Bo, and himself -- especially himself. And he relishes his far left ideology.
But the working stiff, the heart and soul of this country? I don't see it. The United States? I don't think so.
And that's why Obama should never have been elected president.
A man or woman can be a decent president without getting As in school or graduating from the Ivy League. He or she does not need to have had a Brady Bunch childhood.
The person can even lack experience if he or she is committed to working 24/7, learning the important stuff, and seeking expert advice.
But there's one requirement that is nonnegotiable: Any viable candidate for president needs to be able to care about us.
And, frankly, I don't know if this president is capable of it.
Jones' Cheap Ass Prepaid Legal and Daycare Academy
He Took a Polaroid Every Day, Until the Day He Died
(story by Chris Higgins)
Yesterday I came across a slightly mysterious website — a collection of Polaroids, one per day, from March 31, 1979 through October 25, 1997. There's no author listed, no contact info, and no other indication as to where these came from. So, naturally, I started looking through the photos. I was stunned by what I found.In 1979 the photos start casually, with pictures of friends, picnics, dinners, and so on. Here's an example from April 23, 1979 (I believe the photographer of the series is the man in the left foreground in this picture):
The photographer is a big Mets fan. Here's a shot of him and a friend with Mets tickets on April 29, 1986:
In 1991, we see visual evidence of the photographs so far. The photographer has been collecting them in Polaroid boxes inside suitcases, as seen in this photo from March 30, 1991:
Throughout early 1997, we start to see the photographer himself more and more often. Sometimes his face is obscured behind objects. Other times he's passed out on the couch. When he's shown with people, he isn't smiling. On May 2 1997, something bad has happened. Its clear that he has Cancer.
His health continues to decline through July, August, and September 1997, with several trips to the hospital and apparent chemotherapy. On the bright side, on September 11, 1997, the photographer's hair starts to grow back:
On October 5, 1997, it's pretty clear what this picture means:
Two days later we see the wedding:
And just a few weeks later he's back in the hospital. On October 24, 1997, we see a friend playing music in the hospital room:
The next day the photographer dies. What started for me as an amusing collection of photos — who takes photos every day for eighteen years? — ended with a shock. Who was this man? How did his photos end up on the web? I went on a two-day hunt, examined the source code of the website, and tried various Google tricks.Finally my investigation turned up the photographer as Jamie Livingston, and he did indeed take a photo every day for eighteen years, until the day he died, using a Polaroid SX-70 camera. He called the project "Photo of the Day" and presumably planned to collect them at some point — had he lived. He died on October 25, 1997 — his 41st birthday.After Livingston's death, his friends Hugh Crawford and Betsy Reid put together a public exhibit and website using the photos and called it PHOTO OF THE DAY: 1979-1997, 6,697 Polaroids, dated in sequence. The physical exhibit opened in 2007 at the Bertelsmann Campus Center at Bard College (where Livingston started the series, as a student, way back when). The exhibit included rephotographs of every Polaroid and took up a 7 x 120 foot space.You can read more about the project at this blog(apparently written by Crawford?). Or just look at the website.
It's a stunning account of a man's life and death. All photos above are from the website.
Description : #8 from the meat tray series.... john wayne gacy the gay loving serial killer with harliquinn romance styled arms 3d arms. If you're so inclined to use a tray such as this, maybe stack the meat over the part that says 'Gacy'. Unless of course it's a theme party in dedication of John Wayne Gacy. In that case, have at'er you crazy kids. Source: Etsy
Ok... Im done. At least for tonight. I suspect I will be back. In fact, I know it.
Dark November 13, 2009 08:15 AM PST *Finally let's the breath out*
WELCOME BACK!
My gawd I've been checking here daily. It was becoming disheartening..
I was fascinated by the story of the man who took a polaroid daily...just one of the things you imagine but rarely ever hear about. I love a good mystery! (Also laughed hard at the 'Donut Seeds' :p )
I know I don't have to tell you that the food looks amazing but...it looks amazing. Dammit I'm hungry again.
Enjoy your day, my dear. Maybe I'll meet up with Alex or Catte at some point..
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