November 26th, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving to all!!
Now after having been thoroughly excoriated by Roe, I must temporarily cease my shelving and cleaning and instead must make cookies and join her and her mother for dinner. Oh, the suffering I must endure :) .
Now after having been thoroughly excoriated by Roe, I must temporarily cease my shelving and cleaning and instead must make cookies and join her and her mother for dinner. Oh, the suffering I must endure :) .
- 10:32 Cats Who Stare At Goats: bit.ly/6C6LrG (movie poster?) #
- 13:52 @mightywombat Someone ate your lunch? Time for the Ex-Lax brownies. Or the capsicum turkey sandwich. Or the cricket-choc-chip cookies. #
- 14:21 @mightywombat You and he should go in together on those huge boxes of 'em frrom Sam's Club or Costco or whatever. It'll make them cheaper... #
- 14:48 @Saraquse Chocolate ganache on a graham-cracker crust with marshmallow layer (or topping). Maybe pecans on top. Like high class s'mores. #
- 18:45 Dubai just asked for a 6-month hiatus servicing its $100B debt. Dubai's going to be the world's strangest abandoned theme park. #
- 20:55 Missed my walk tonight. Derailed by the DoL requesting clarification of the spaghetti that is the past two years of my employment history. #
- 21:49 @The_BORG I finally had a conniption and clicked the little X on all those "Who searched for you?" ads and reported them as offensive. #
- 21:54 Confession: Whenever I see a link to the Muppets' Bohemian Rhapsody (www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgbNymZ7vqY) I go watch it. #
- 22:11 @nfpendleton So glad to share! Off to watch it again. Someone else posted it to Facebook.... #
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A friend of mine will be in from out of town this Saturday and we're thinking of doing some karaoke that night. The place I used to frequent is no more, and karaokepittsburgh.com appears to have outdated information. This is where you come in!
We'd prefer non-smoking and as close to the city as possible (I live in Stanton Heights). I'd love a place that's not too crowded, and that just has open karaoke -- not a contest -- but we'll take whatever suggestions you can give in case it's slim pickings!
Thanks, everyone! Happy Thanksgiving!
We'd prefer non-smoking and as close to the city as possible (I live in Stanton Heights). I'd love a place that's not too crowded, and that just has open karaoke -- not a contest -- but we'll take whatever suggestions you can give in case it's slim pickings!
Thanks, everyone! Happy Thanksgiving!
hopefulTo everyone here, liberal, conservative, libertarian, socialist, heck, even communist (sorry no anarchists)...have a happy thanksgiving. Give thanks that in spite of all of our hatred during the year, we are all still civil folks not lobbing bombs at one another. That despite all of our misgivings, we still can lead a normal life.
Be thankful for all that you have, take account of it, and enjoy a grand feast everybody.
Be thankful for all that you have, take account of it, and enjoy a grand feast everybody.
November 25th, 2009
My beloved ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
riverheart has been in hospital since Monday with what we first thought was a severe electrolyte balance — she had been in fine fettle Saturday night and early Sunday morning, but by Monday was in sufficient distress that I thought best to get better care than I'm capable of delivering.
Her fluids seem to be better, but her state of mind is still quite disturbed. I just this moment got a phone call from the neurologist who's consulting, and he's as puzzled as the rest of the hospital staff as to what may be wrong. She's scheduled for an MRI tomorrow (Thanksgiving Day, for the U.S.-ians among us) to see if she may have had a stroke in her speech centers.
I'm gravely concerned, worried beyond sick, and asking you to send your healing energies to her in whatever form you prefer to manifest.
Thank you.
riverheart has been in hospital since Monday with what we first thought was a severe electrolyte balance — she had been in fine fettle Saturday night and early Sunday morning, but by Monday was in sufficient distress that I thought best to get better care than I'm capable of delivering.Her fluids seem to be better, but her state of mind is still quite disturbed. I just this moment got a phone call from the neurologist who's consulting, and he's as puzzled as the rest of the hospital staff as to what may be wrong. She's scheduled for an MRI tomorrow (Thanksgiving Day, for the U.S.-ians among us) to see if she may have had a stroke in her speech centers.
I'm gravely concerned, worried beyond sick, and asking you to send your healing energies to her in whatever form you prefer to manifest.
Thank you.
worriedBurned out, tired, broke up, and unwired. So I'm staying in tonight and driving out at first light.
I went out on a mission tonight immediately after work to go to Ikea and buy some shelving. Now not having a car I planned on doing everything by bus and knowing that bookshelves are big and heavy I grabbed one of my office's hand dolly thingy(you know the kind that has two wheels and you have to lean it back to move stuff around on it) Well the trip out there was uneventful, got in to Ikea found the Expedit shelving and the little boxes that fit neatly into it. Then began the tricky part because I really needed two(2) of these
and well each one I can sort of just barely pick up(side note next time I move I will be hiring movers) I got two of them balanced neatly on the dolly and balancing the little box thingies on top. I check out and can fit two of the little boxes into my bag but the other two I kind of had to hold and as I'm walking toward the exit I think you know maybe this is a little precarious so I go over to the customer service desk and ask if I could use some packing tape. I tape the the remaining two little boxes together and put a loop of tape between the shelving boxes with the goal of keeping the two boxes from sliding against each other not wanting to tape them together completely as I wouldn't be able to lift them.
Satisfied that I had done all that I could do I exited the store and who do I hear and soon see walking towards mehildakrista and her family. After saying hi the first words out of her mouth were we can't fit that in our car. I am fairly certain I didn't imply that I was expecting her to, but I was very grateful for the sentiment. After assuring her that I could get everything home okay she ended up bringing home a couple of the little boxes for me. As she headed into the store she suggested that I tie together the boxes with string. I was certain that I would be okay and thanked her for getting the extra boxes for me.
Just as I started moving the dolly again the tape completely failed to work so I ended up using the string anyways, sohildakrista you were right, and it ended up coming in handy the whole way home.
The way home involved two buses, very accommodating and friendly bus drivers, and the handicapped ramps on said buses. I think you can picture the rest. It also involved a lot of arm strength keeping the bookshelves from squashing my fellow passengers. All in all, I now feel like I can do almost anything by bus.
The shelves are finally up in my third floor apartment and tomorrow they will be assembled!
and well each one I can sort of just barely pick up(side note next time I move I will be hiring movers) I got two of them balanced neatly on the dolly and balancing the little box thingies on top. I check out and can fit two of the little boxes into my bag but the other two I kind of had to hold and as I'm walking toward the exit I think you know maybe this is a little precarious so I go over to the customer service desk and ask if I could use some packing tape. I tape the the remaining two little boxes together and put a loop of tape between the shelving boxes with the goal of keeping the two boxes from sliding against each other not wanting to tape them together completely as I wouldn't be able to lift them.
Satisfied that I had done all that I could do I exited the store and who do I hear and soon see walking towards me
hildakrista and her family. After saying hi the first words out of her mouth were we can't fit that in our car. I am fairly certain I didn't imply that I was expecting her to, but I was very grateful for the sentiment. After assuring her that I could get everything home okay she ended up bringing home a couple of the little boxes for me. As she headed into the store she suggested that I tie together the boxes with string. I was certain that I would be okay and thanked her for getting the extra boxes for me.Just as I started moving the dolly again the tape completely failed to work so I ended up using the string anyways, so
hildakrista you were right, and it ended up coming in handy the whole way home.The way home involved two buses, very accommodating and friendly bus drivers, and the handicapped ramps on said buses. I think you can picture the rest. It also involved a lot of arm strength keeping the bookshelves from squashing my fellow passengers. All in all, I now feel like I can do almost anything by bus.
The shelves are finally up in my third floor apartment and tomorrow they will be assembled!
giddyI have a few invites for Google Wave, if anyone's interested?
While physical training is an important part of any well-thought-out preparation regimen, a brand new reason to include it has recently come to light - exercise apparently trains the brain to remain calm under stress.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/1
( full article behind cut )
Rule 1: Cardio :D
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/1
( full article behind cut )
Rule 1: Cardio :D
I bought a new Mac Mini for my folks and am in the process of setting it up and I'm seeing all sorts of graphical weirdness and I can't tell if the graphical weirdness is part of Snow Leopard, or a problem with the graphics card... or a problem with the combo of the graphics card, miniDVI adapter, and this screen.
here's what I'm seeing: When I go into the preferences for an application like Thunderbird, I'm see all sorts of odd ghosting and graphical artifacts as I flip through the tabs and options.
I'm using a Dell standard flatscreen monitor with the Mac Mini, connected using the MiniDVI to DVI adapter and DVI cable.
Any ideas what's causing this? Is this a known issue with Snow Leapard or is there a problem with the graphics card here?
Only see this problem in the options for Thunderbird and other 3rd party applications, and I know Apple broke all sorts of stuff with Snow Leopard ... so what I've trying to figure out if this is a hardware problem or not...?
Update: I've confirmed this is a Snow Leopard + Thunderbird setting rendering issue. I tested it on my Dad's MacBook Pro laptop which I just installed Snow Leopard and saw the exact same problem. So it's not a hardware problem. It's a Snow Leopard rendering problem.
here's what I'm seeing: When I go into the preferences for an application like Thunderbird, I'm see all sorts of odd ghosting and graphical artifacts as I flip through the tabs and options.
I'm using a Dell standard flatscreen monitor with the Mac Mini, connected using the MiniDVI to DVI adapter and DVI cable.
Any ideas what's causing this? Is this a known issue with Snow Leapard or is there a problem with the graphics card here?
Only see this problem in the options for Thunderbird and other 3rd party applications, and I know Apple broke all sorts of stuff with Snow Leopard ... so what I've trying to figure out if this is a hardware problem or not...?
Update: I've confirmed this is a Snow Leopard + Thunderbird setting rendering issue. I tested it on my Dad's MacBook Pro laptop which I just installed Snow Leopard and saw the exact same problem. So it's not a hardware problem. It's a Snow Leopard rendering problem.
The zombie cash-ins are still coming thick and fast despite the deluge of vampire/twilight stuff that has flooded the shops lately. I picked up two Christmas related zombie goodies today - though I havent had a chance to read them yet...
I Am Scrooge: A Zombie Story For Christmas promises to be a Dickensian Zombie Apocalypse (and)
Its Beginning To Look A Lot Like Zombies: A Book Of Zombie Christmas Carols by Michael P. Spradlin also looks like a giggle. I have peeked inside this already and found such zombie yule delights as "I saw mommy chewing santa claus" and "We Three Spleens"
Its almost enough to make Christmas bearable - this and the Doctor Who special will hopefully get me through!
I Am Scrooge: A Zombie Story For Christmas promises to be a Dickensian Zombie Apocalypse (and)
Its Beginning To Look A Lot Like Zombies: A Book Of Zombie Christmas Carols by Michael P. Spradlin also looks like a giggle. I have peeked inside this already and found such zombie yule delights as "I saw mommy chewing santa claus" and "We Three Spleens"
Its almost enough to make Christmas bearable - this and the Doctor Who special will hopefully get me through!
amusedHoppy Burfday to the inimitable tereshkova2001! May your day be of much yumminess!
tereshkova2001! May your day be of much yumminess!"We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost,"
- President Barak Obama
Let us examine how he has remained true to these powerful words.
· Lifted the ban on embryonic stem cells research.
o Embryonic stem cells injected into patients can cause disabling if not deadly tumors.
o All successes of stem cell research have been from Adult Stem Cell research
- inal Cord Injuries, Heart Tissue Regeneration, Corneal Reconstruction, Parkinson's Disease, the list goes on.
· Bureau of Labor Statistics has been usurped by www.recovery.gov
o Recovery.gov has s no scientific value.
o BLS has shown job loss whereas recovery.gov shows jobs ‘saved’
o In superstitious fashion, the public is to ignore what statistics say, and trust instead in the Obama administration’s hypotheses
· Hard sell on Global Warming
o If you take 1998 as your point of reference. If you take 2002 as your point of reference, then temperatures have plateaued.
o Ignored the hacked emails e-mails
o Perpetuating the lie by going Copenhagen
I've advanced on this forum before the thesis that the ACLU is not, in fact, a liberal organisation, but rather as its name implies, a civil libertarian organisation, in response to the commonplace that the ACLU is specifically anti-Christian and anti-conservative.
Well, here's a case the Florida chapter of ACLU just got involved in. A tenth-grader wears a shirt that says on the front "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No on goes to the Father except through me" and on the back "ISLAM IS OF THE DEVIL". The student is sent home and told that the back of the shirt--but not the front--is unacceptable to wear to school. People wearing similar shirts are asked to leave a high school football game. The school district cites its dress-code provision that clothing not be "offensive to others".
( So which side is the ACLU on in the matter? )
Well, here's a case the Florida chapter of ACLU just got involved in. A tenth-grader wears a shirt that says on the front "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No on goes to the Father except through me" and on the back "ISLAM IS OF THE DEVIL". The student is sent home and told that the back of the shirt--but not the front--is unacceptable to wear to school. People wearing similar shirts are asked to leave a high school football game. The school district cites its dress-code provision that clothing not be "offensive to others".
( So which side is the ACLU on in the matter? )
Max Brooks interview: An all-too-often ignored threat is posed by a menace that seems more and more common at this time of year: the peril of zombie attack. We discuss how to prepare and defend yourself to ward off even the most determined of the undead. One virus reportedly has the ability to mutate the human brain, bring on death, and then reanimate its host -- with a hunger.
Another radio interview
The science of Zombies: Psychiatrist Steven Schlozman recently expanded his practice from humans to the inhuman. Poring over his library of classic zombie films, he came up with neurobiological explanations for the behavior of the undead, such as lack of a frontal lobe and an overactive amygdala.
Another radio interview
The science of Zombies: Psychiatrist Steven Schlozman recently expanded his practice from humans to the inhuman. Poring over his library of classic zombie films, he came up with neurobiological explanations for the behavior of the undead, such as lack of a frontal lobe and an overactive amygdala.
Do you live in Polish Hill? Have you recently gotten a mysterious and/or creepy letter in the mail?
Don't be alarmed: apparently we're all part of some bizarre little art project.
I got a letter yesterday and I know that my neighbors all did as well, many of whom were very upset. Another neighbor who didn't receive a letter found out about the art project by way of The Polish Hill Civic Association's facebook status last night. What a goofy modern world we live in.
Don't be alarmed: apparently we're all part of some bizarre little art project.
I got a letter yesterday and I know that my neighbors all did as well, many of whom were very upset. Another neighbor who didn't receive a letter found out about the art project by way of The Polish Hill Civic Association's facebook status last night. What a goofy modern world we live in.
O HAI. Went to see Great Big Sea the other night in Bremerton. Didn't bother writing it up, because I knew ![[info - personal]](http://s.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
annathepiper, published author and Great Big Fangirl extraordinaire, would do the concert far better justice than I could.... and she has. Go look.
(For those of you as don't know, Great Big Sea is a group from Newfoundland; they do sea chanteys and Canadian rock, which tends towards driving beats done with more acoustic than electric instruments and often features small woodwinds, accordions, and other odd instruments... "Bob Hallet on everything!" and also tends towards the funny rather than the deeply serious, although there are the occasional serious songs, which are quite good...)
Let's put it this way. In ten years of being here I've bothered to go see exactly three bands that weren't at least in part based here. The Chieftains, Rockapella, and these guys. (I'd have *liked* to have seen Joel and John, but...)
Great Big Sea is not a band you just go and see, or a CD you just listen to. Great Big Sea is somethin gyou have to *do*. -- Alan Doyle, lead singer.
He's right.
annathepiper, published author and Great Big Fangirl extraordinaire, would do the concert far better justice than I could.... and she has. Go look. (For those of you as don't know, Great Big Sea is a group from Newfoundland; they do sea chanteys and Canadian rock, which tends towards driving beats done with more acoustic than electric instruments and often features small woodwinds, accordions, and other odd instruments... "Bob Hallet on everything!" and also tends towards the funny rather than the deeply serious, although there are the occasional serious songs, which are quite good...)
Let's put it this way. In ten years of being here I've bothered to go see exactly three bands that weren't at least in part based here. The Chieftains, Rockapella, and these guys. (I'd have *liked* to have seen Joel and John, but...)
Great Big Sea is not a band you just go and see, or a CD you just listen to. Great Big Sea is somethin gyou have to *do*. -- Alan Doyle, lead singer.
He's right.
- GSCB
-
bouncy - Old Brown's Daughter - Great Big Sea LIVE A Capella - Admiral, Bremerton
Listen to the rhythm
Buried in the signs.
Break out of the prison
Built up in your mind.
Buried in the signs.
Break out of the prison
Built up in your mind.
- 12:26 RT @ariedana: post.ly/DKUr A lovely time-lapse map: 2 years of US unemployment. Happy job hunting, everyone! And I do mean everyone. #
- 13:47 Thanks, @sciencescout! Whether marmosets and shrews twitter, and why: bit.ly/4Vsar5 #
- 14:46 @adampknave @mightywombat @basilicacollins I just use Otto's Buddhist meditation that focuses your aggression before going into battle... #
- 15:57 -blog- An exercise for the reader in spacetime: Here’s the problem with astronomical/cosmological measurements of... bit.ly/5vsFDp #
- 16:56 @grammarmonkey Those would make awesome molds for dog biscuits. #
- 16:59 @adampknave Are we still calling @grammarmonkey "Danger Badger"? #
- 17:15 @nfpendleton @adampknave Been fighting crime for a decade now. I am ... The Enabler! My superhero weapon is ... Enough Rope! #
- 17:47 Sundown. Time to get out of the house and go for my constitutional. In the graveyard. #
- 20:38 @grammarmonkey Fill up the flask and take it with you. Just to be sure. #
- 23:15 @grammarmonkey That's two points off your license and a mandatory course in defensive drinking. #
- 23:20 @grammarmonkey Sometimes vomiting is the right answer. Especially if someone's trying to make you feel Bella's pain. #
http://www.class3outbreak.com/zombie-ou
You can control a number of factors, such as the number of humans, zombies, and cops; the percentage of armed civilians and both their and the cops' accuracy, fast/slow zombies, etc.
You can control a number of factors, such as the number of humans, zombies, and cops; the percentage of armed civilians and both their and the cops' accuracy, fast/slow zombies, etc.
And now the WoW forums are melting down too.
This is kind of annoying.
On the upside, they are pretty good about giving comp time when things blow up this hard.
This is kind of annoying.
On the upside, they are pretty good about giving comp time when things blow up this hard.
Over the course of 3 consecutive days, Whirlwind and Emberstorm battlegroups have gone kablooey four times.
WTF.
WTF.
November 24th, 2009
Put down the Pepsi, and make with the clicky. Worksafe, but music. Fabulous.
(Seen everywhere, first elsemush by
annathepiper)p.s. The Muppets need to meet Great Big Sea. Mari-Mac. At speed. If you're a fan, I need say no more. :)
amusedThe power of the burn, and
The feeling we discern.
Listen to the might, then
Make it all tight.
Pretty is the power
It pokes at our spine.
Listen to the rhythm.
I plan to make it mine.
The feeling we discern.
Listen to the might, then
Make it all tight.
Pretty is the power
It pokes at our spine.
Listen to the rhythm.
I plan to make it mine.
As seen on ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/syndicated.gif)
blogski:
http://blogski.phcapgh.org/?p=1572
blogski:http://blogski.phcapgh.org/?p=1572
A Pittsburgh-based journalist from Associated Press has contacted the PHCA and asked for our assistance on a story She hopes to write a human-interest story about a family that is struggling with unemployment during the holiday season.
A lot of people would not be comfortable with this sort of intrusion in their lives. For this reason, we’re reluctant to suggest or approach someone. But some families might welcome the opportunity to put a face on the recession this holiday season.
So, we’re putting it out there. If your family is dealing with unemployment and is interested in being the subject of an Associated Press article, call Rameet Masti at 412.281.3747.