Civilization Calls

I've moved

2003-12-26T11:31:00.000-07:00

Update:
I am now at civilization-calls.mu.nu. Come on over, and have a look around!

On my way out, I'd like to thank the support team here at Blog*Spot. They were all great, very responsive, and quite knowledgeable on the very few occasions in which I had any difficulty at all.

I've enjoyed my time at Blog*Spot. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to start a blog, who's also low on funds. Even the premium services are quite affordable.

I've moved because the good folks at Munuviana invited me over. I like the space very, very well, love the service, feel very welcome among a group of exceptional writers, and love the results of The Bartender's hard work on my new template. Give him a ping at HammerHead Blog Design for your blog template, today!

John Rhys-Davies at NRO

2003-12-26T11:29:00.000-07:00

It's linked everywhere, but I wanted it for myself, so I could read Mr. Rhys-Davies' comments over, and over, and over again.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2003-12-23T17:13:00.000-07:00

Since I shan't be around until Friday, I wanted to take an opportunity to write something:

I want to wish all my friends, new and old, a very Blessed Yuletide, and a Merry Christmas. In the depths of winter, when it seems that the light has receded and that the darkness is rising, the Lord is reborn! The Sun returns! Let us rejoice at the sight of the winter sun, dawning with a new day and hope for mankind!

With somber celebration of this holy season comes the understanding that we also need to have some fun. With this in mind, and to get the holiday cheer flowing, I'd like to make a couple of recommendations: First, Brian Setzer's Boogie Woogie Christmas, available on Amazon, is a great album! It's true that his voice needs more smoke and whiskey to pull off the blues, but he has an angle on that Big Band sound. The remix of "It's Cold Outside", featuring Ann Margaret, makes the whole album, and I loved his finger-popping rendition of "The Nutcracker Suite". My baby likes it. I give it a 7 out of 10.

Also, I'd like to share this awesome little recipe for eggnog.

Tastes just like Grandma's did.

Don't forget to keep an eye on the jolly fat man tomorrow, while he makes his annual global circumnavigation.

Most of all, take a moment to let your loved ones know how much they mean to you. Share a smile with a stranger. Give and receive great big hugs and drink deep of the spirit of the season.

To our heroes, who are still in the field overseas; you are not forgotten. All our hopes, our prayers, our blessings and best wishes flow out to you in an unconditional stream. You are our heroes, and we love you.

Merry Christmas.

Fondly,
Linda

Be Prepared, But Not Fearful

2003-12-22T16:19:00.000-07:00

With the holiday season approaching, intelligence channels have received word that terrorists groups would love nothing more than to hit us over Christmas and New Year's. So, they raised the national alert level to "High."

What does this mean? Head for the hills? Point the finger at Bush and snarl, "This is all your fault?"

Nope. It's just advising us that it might be in everyone's best interest if we're all a little more observant for a while. Be on the lookout for suspicious packages, unattended briefcases or computer cases, or anything out of the ordinary in your locale. It just makes sense, anyway. Thieves often take advantage of the harried inattentiveness of most Christmas shoppers. It just makes sense to be totally aware of your surroundings, and avoid giving off the vibe of "victim".

Without going hysterical, don't be afraid to report anything or anyone suspicious to your local law enforcement. Use common sense, though. It is possible that the guy in the yellow truck with the swan emblem on the side is jst your new Schwan's delivery guy. But it doesn't hurt to look closely, anyway.

That's why the alert has been raised. To the extremists, hitting us during Christmas would be a coup, because it is a holy season to us. Also, it could be easier to slip a dangerous package through during a time when it isn't unusual to see boxes sitting on the doorstep, waiting for the homeowners to get home to take it inside.

Also, with more people traveling, it would be conceivably more simple to leave a briefcase or laptop case unattended in an airport. Really, most of us start filtering out many of the sights and sounds during the holidays--it's a form of human coping. If we didn't, the stimuli could become overwhelming. So, it's important to make a mental note to just be more aware. Trust your instincts. If something really looks off, let someone in authority know immediately.

Also, it never hurts to be prepared, just in case. Ready.gov has suggestions on preparedness. Discuss the various scenarios with your family to make sure that everyone is on the same page.

Again, don't panic, but do be aware. It can be what separates the survivors from the victims.

Quake in Central California

2003-12-22T15:57:00.000-07:00

Via The Drudge Report, and MSNBC.

A magnitude 6.5 quake has hit the central California coast at 11:16 this morning. The epicenter was pinpointed somewhere north of Cambria, in a previoulsy unknown fault. Two poor souls were killed, there have been several injuries, and the power is still out in some places. Public services are working on it.

More as it becomes available.

Of Note: Forward progress in the War on Terror

2003-12-22T14:22:00.000-07:00

I just read some interesting stories in CENTCOM press releases. I hope you don't mind if I quote directly, and highlight the facts I find relevant:
From release number 03-12-54, dated 12/22/2003:

"OPERATION RIFLES FURY, OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS NET WEAPONS, HIGH VALUE TARGETS

AR RAMADI, Iraq--Soldiers from Task Force "All American" continue missions aimed at assisting local Iraqis in the reconstruction effort and to stop violence in the Al Anbar province.

During the past 24 hours, the 82nd Airborne Division and subordinate units conducted 229 patrols, including 79 joint patrols with the Iraqi Border Guard and Iraqi Police. The soldiers also carried out seven cordon-and-searches and several raids. These operations resulted in one Iraqi being killed, three being wounded and the capture of 96 terrorists."

I repeat: 96 terrorists captured. Ninety-six.
Just in case anyone missed that: NINETY-SIX terrorists CAPTURED.

"Paratroopers from 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment conducted three cordon and searches aimed at killing or capturing terrorists involved with financing and recruiting foreign fighters in Fallujah. The operation resulted in the capture of 14 enemy personnel and the confiscation of various small arms weapons. All captured personnel and equipment were evacuated for processing."

An excellent day's work. Truly, these folks do get more done in the space of a morning, than civilians do in the space of a day.

"In the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment's area, elements of all four regimental squadrons began Operation Rifles Fury, a series of raids to kill or capture anti-Coalition Forces and destroy terrorist training camps in the Rawah area.

The operation was initiated with the regiment conducting 17 raids today. Forces encountered resistance to entry in one target location and used a door breaching charge to gain access to the target through a reinforced steel door. The blast resulted in the death of one Iraqi female and injuries to two other females in the house. These actions are currently under investigation. During the operation, eleven high value targets were captured and 70 other individuals were detained for questioning. Iraqi Civil Defense Corps troops established and maintained traffic checkpoints with 1st Squadron, 3rd ACR as part of the operation."

I'm sorry that the women were injured and killed. I pray for their peace, and hope that the brave shaheed who hid behind them find out what hell is like. It may be sooner than they think.

"Soldiers from Task Force "All American" continue to foster a positive relationship with the people of Al Anbar. Coalition Forces remain committed to providing a secure and stable environment in Al Anbar Province."

This is a quagmire, huh? Funny. I thought "quagmire" was all about being forced to a standstill. Seems to me that Coalition forces are making more headway every day. "Quagmire" is kind of losing its effectiveness as a media watchword, isn't it?

Then, we've also this, posted today. Release Number 03-12-55 apprises us of the following:

"TASK FORCE "ALL AMERICAN" CONDUCTS OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS

AR RAMADI, Iraq--Soldiers from Task Force "All American" continue missions aimed at assisting local Iraqis in the reconstruction effort and stopping violence in the Al Anbar province.

During the last 24 hours, we conducted 204 patrols, including 25 joint patrols with the Iraqi Border Guard and Iraqi police. Soldiers also carried out 16 offensive operations. During these operations, there were 40 enemy personnel captured and a variety of weapons confiscated. There were eight soldiers wounded, of which one was evacuated to the 28th Combat Support Hospital. Seven were not seriously injured and expect to be returned to duty."

Get well, soon. We're thinking of, and praying for, each and every one of you.

"We denied entry to 160 personnel into Iraq at the Trebil border crossing because they lacked proper documentation. No one was denied entry at the Ar Ar, Husaybah, or Tanif border crossings.

Last night in the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division's area, paratroopers continued combat operations to kill or capture anti-coalition forces in Fallujah. Soldiers conducted multiple cordon and searches throughout the night and into the day to capture personnel involved with financing and recruiting foreign fighters in Fallujah. The operations resulted in the capture of 25 enemy personnel, three of which were targeted individuals, and the confiscation of various small arms including a box of C4 plastic explosive."

Which means that there are fewer fascists and weapons on the street, which means that they can't harm one of our men or women. Well done!

In the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division's area, a local sheik turned in a wanted individual to soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment of the Florida National Guard. The individual was suspected of selling black-market weapons and gas and financing a previous attack directed against the mayor of Ramadi."

Huh, and all the Iraqi chieftains hate our guts, and want us gone, hmmm? Nothing more I can do besides laugh derisively.

"This afternoon, a convoy from 307th Engineer Battalion was attacked by an IED near Habbanniyah. One soldier received serious injuries to the head and has been evacuated to 28th Combat Support Hospital. Three others soldiers received minor injuries in the attack and were treated at Forward Operating Base Ridgeway."

Heal quickly. Heal completely. We're thinking of you and praying for you. Bless you all.

"Soldiers from Task Force "All American" continue to foster a positive relationship with the people of Al Anbar. Coalition forces remain committed to providing a secure and stable environment to the Al Anbar Province.

Quagmire, eh? Huh. Mainstream media and left-wing politicians must be using a different dictionary.

Our troops are wining, despite disinformation and propagandizing.

New Blog Showcase: Pragmatic Conservatism by Dan K. O'Leary

2003-12-19T14:29:00.000-07:00

Here's my vote, for the post, "Bush, Saddam, and Howard Dean".

It's sweet, and to the point. Moreover, he hit a nerve somewhere, because he gets to deal with a troll. This blogger does it with an aplomb that left me smiling.

Psych!

2003-12-19T14:17:00.000-07:00

No, I won't be changing the template today. I tested, and hated it.

Change is good, but this time, it'll come later.

Listen, I'm sick of looking at the news today and cruising through the sites of various and sundry moonbats. I'm taking a weekend (not like that isn't anything new). The last thing I'll post today will be my vote for New Blog Showcase. Coming right up...

New template coming

2003-12-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

I'm working on a new template. Just be aware: this site is going to tweak around, and may even look odd for a bit. But in the end, it'll be gorgeous. I promise.

Thanks for understanding!

This'll kill off those conspiracy theories.

2003-12-19T10:53:00.000-07:00

I have received exclusive evidence why it took so long to find So-damn Insane:

We were busily tracking Santa Claus.

Happy Hunting!

2003-12-19T10:35:00.000-07:00

You'd either have to have had your sense of humor shot off, or burned out, to not find this funny:

Brave Sir Banagor gives us the Hippy Hunting series of tutorials:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV

Actually, I do know people who wouldn't find this funny. They'd think they were being oppressed. I think they should get over it.
AND avoid the coffee shops for a while.
At least until hunting season is over.

Den Beste and transnationalism

2003-12-18T16:17:00.000-07:00

'"Unilateralism" is a term which the transnationalists have used pejoratively to label many of the actions of the US and its closest allies, who should instead of have embraced "multilateralism". Taken literally, the application of those two terms has been nonsense, since America had the support of many nations both in Afghanistan and in Iraq. But they're being used as code words, with new meanings. "Multilateralism" means submitting yourself to world governance and ignoring your own narrow self interest; "unilateralism" means a refusal to sacrifice sovereignty and an insistence on acting out of self-interest.'

Read entire.

The people would like to see Saddam dead

2003-12-18T14:54:00.000-07:00

But human rights groups say that his trial should be used to heal the country.

Note to human rights groups: shut the fuck up, already! You elitist snobs seem to think that you've got the angle into the human heart, but you know what? You rose-vision idiots know nothing.

Consider losing your entire family, violently. Consider watching the child you conceived and cared for get blinded by thugs while you're held, helpless to protect them. Imagine seeing the battered body of your daughter--if she was allowed to live--after Saddam's sons and thugs gang-raped her for hours. Imagine seeing your children and grandchldren, twisted in death thanks to the chemicals Saddam ordered dropped.

Shut the hell up, get out of Iraq's way, and let them prosecute and kill--yes, KILL--that son of a bitch.

Ridgway gets 48 consecutive life sentences.

2003-12-18T14:08:00.000-07:00

As glad as I am to hear that this animal will die in jail, and somewhat pleased at the thought that the other inmates probably won't treat him gently, I have a better idea:

Forty-eight .22 caliber hp's, fired from about 10 yards into his lower extremities: abdomen, groin, and legs. As the small caliber bounces around inside his body, liquifying his internal organs, he my get to know something of the horror and pain he inflicted upon his victims and their families.

It'd also cost a hell of a lot less then maintaining him in prison for decades to come. Although, the thought does occur to me that he may not have that long. Other inmates are notoriously harsh with cons who abuse women and children.

Dirty Bomb suspect is not to be detained...

2003-12-18T13:33:00.000-07:00

But he can face criminal charges by civilian authorities.

The article still focuses on the wrong thing. It talks about the legalities in detaining him, but forgets to really mention the crime: the asshole was involved in a plot to detonate a dirty bomb. There is a link to al-Qaeda, too: "The government said he had proposed the bomb plot to Abu Zubaydah, then al-Qaida's top terrorism coordinator. Zubaydah was arrested in Pakistan in March 2002." This was kind of mentioned in an offhand way in the article.

Oh, before you start thinking that the mean ol' government is picking on a stable, pillar-of-the-community kind of guy, he has a previous criminal record, too.

Hmm. He seems like a terrorist to me. But then, justice, like business management, doesn't seem to require native intelligence.

Excuse me?

2003-12-18T13:12:00.000-07:00

Found on the Drudge Report:

"I mean you can't believe a word Matt Drudge says," O'Reilly told the cameras. "Now you've got the Matt Drudges of the world and these other people, Michael Moore and all of these crazies, all right, no responsibility... that is a threat to democracy, I think." O'Reilly warned: "They'll just spin it and twist it and take it out of proportion every which way."

Wha'?

Seems to me that Mr. O'Reilly could use a nap.

Charges to be filed against Jackson today

2003-12-18T13:04:00.000-07:00

Here
Here.
And here.

The county court has also returned his passport, it seems. Idly, I wonder if he'll try to make a break for it?

I'm sure he'd receive an amiable reception from France.

Kolaches

2003-12-18T11:54:00.000-07:00

For Christmas morn, I'll be baking up a batch of these. Mind you, although the recipes presented are pretty close, they're nothing compared to the recipe my Grandmother left to me.

I ain't tellin', either. We've had our recipe since before we ever left Czechoslovakia, and if Grandma wouldn't even share the recipe with the ladies in her church group, I'm not posting it on the web.

But I might be convinced to send out a few of the finished product. For a price. Heh heh heh.

Merry Christmas!

Apologize later?

2003-12-17T16:40:00.000-07:00

As a parent, has anyone ever had one of those moments in which you thought, "That is outrageously expensive, but so cute?" Additionally, have you ever been tempted to just apologize to your spouse later for going ahead and splurging today, knowing that they're probably going to be pissed?

This is the source of my quandary.

What do you think? Isn't that one of the sweetest things you've ever seen? I think my baby needs to wear that.

Yes, I am a sap. Why do you ask?

They have given so much to us, now we have a chance to give back to them!

2003-12-17T09:52:00.000-07:00

UPDATE:
This list has been removed. I have received emails from concerned family members, telling me that this information has been used by mean-spirited scumbags to send hate mail to their family members.

Out of respect for these heroes, and out of respect to the families, the post is gone.

I deeply apologize to our servicemen and women, and to their families, for any harm that this has caused. I was merely responding to the request of parties who were concerned that our people might not be receiving the care that they richly deserve. I have a cousin serving over there, right now, and I was thinking of him as well, when I posted this.

It doesn't change the fact that it was the wrong thing to do. I take responsibility for the list's appearance on my site, and responsibility for deleting it.

Please forgive me.

Now, to the human filth that used this resource to abuse our troops: I had a whole curse prepared for you, but then I realized that you are already cursed. Swallow your misery whole, while you reap what you have sown.

FINAL NOTE:
For interested parties, Winds of Change offers useful ways to support our troops.

And here I thought I was all alone.

2003-12-16T16:23:00.000-07:00

Sir Banagor, knight errant in shining full plate, armed with a broadsword, and expert Huntsman of the patchouli-reeking denizens of cannabis glades, writes of Pagan Conservatives.

You thought you were surprised, good sir?

I thought I was all but alone.

"Where is the democracy, where is the immunity that presidents enjoy?"

2003-12-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

There was a time when the daughters of Saddam Hussein had my sympathy. It seemed to me that they'd been used as pawns in their father's megalomania. But now, I'm not sure that they're innocents at all.

Raghad holds forth in a little piece on MSNBC.com.

The sentence, "Where is the democracy, where is the immunity that presidents enjoy," especially made me shake my head.

First, Raghad, your father did not lead a democracy. He was a dictator. Allow me to present definitions from Dictionary.com that might help you clarify the difference between the two:

de·moc·ra·cy
n. pl. de·moc·ra·cies
1. Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives.
2. A political or social unit that has such a government.
3. The common people, considered as the primary source of political power.
4. Majority rule.
5. The principles of social equality and respect for the individual within a community.

dic·ta·tor·ship
n.
1. The office or tenure of a dictator.
2. A state or government under dictatorial rule.
3. Absolute or despotic control or power.

OK, sweetie, which one sounds more like the form of government your father espoused? I'll give you a few minutes to think about it.

Also, a true leader does not know immunity. A true leader holds himself to the highest ideals, and makes himself most vulnerable to the exercise of law. A leader is an example in all ways. Answer me this: what did your father exemplify? Base your answer upon his actions while he was "president" of Iraq.

As far as the allegation that your father was drugged, it's preposterous; the desperate grasping of someone who will do anything to hold on to ground slipping out from beneath your feet. The world is tipping for you now, isn't it? But I'll tell you what--why don't you have an autopsy performed after he's dead? Analysis of his hair, fatty tissue, and blood should answer that question once and for all.

Anyway, here is how the US military works: we learn the location of a murderous despot who crushed a small country in his fist, sucking on its very life force like a vampire for decades. We move in, securing the perimeter, to make sure that he can't sneak off. We search the premises thoroughly, and get tipped off when we see a pair of minions sloppily running away. We search the area they were evacuating.

We find the bolt-hole concealing the murderer, and we move quickly to secure and cover the area, so as to minimize our losses if he comes out shooting, or chooses to toss something explosive at us. Then, we quickly open the door of the rathole, tensed and ready, just in case.

In this case, my poor, dear girl, your father cowered from the troops. He was armed, but did not give battle. He stated his name and said that he was ready to negotiate. He was taken into custody, and cuffed. The troops would not have drugged him. First, it is not the American way; second, sedating him wasn't necessary; and third, there wouldn't have been time, anyway. With Saddam taken, they would have moved to evacuate the area very quickly, suspicious of reprisal.

Speaking of which, where were his bodyguards? Where was his Republican Guard, his brave mujahedeen; the fedayeen? If he is still the lion you name him, the leader you revere, where was the defense by his brave warriors when we came for him?

They left him because they know he is no lion. He was an old madman whose time has passed. When it mattered, he did not martyr himself for the cause; he is no warrior of Allah. He is a coward, and now everyone knows it.

He was "immune", as you say, while he was president, but only because he ruled through fear. Now that his power has toppled, the people can see it for themselves: Saddam was a coward who could only lead when there were strong hands and backs to do his bidding. Alone, left to his own devices, he cowered from the men and women who came for him. Without others to bolster him, he was a moral weakling. In the end, even his charisma deserted him and we could all see the lowly serpent he is.

You do not want your father to be tried by the Iraqi people because you know that he will likely die if he is. You fear the idea because it means the loss of your own security. Tell me, Raghad, what is it you have to hide? Were you and your sister perhaps duplicitous in the murder of your husbands in 1996? Is it that you fear losing your financial security? Or, are you really a dupe; a poor lost child so brainwashed by her father's skewed reality that you cannot see that according to the morals of the rest of the world, he is evil? You are quick enough to appeal to the world to protect him. In order for that to be effective, you must first acknowledge our mores.

His accusers have the right to confront him. Let him be tried by those he hurt the most. Does the Koran not tell you that the wrong-doer owes a debt to those he wronged, and that he must endeavor to make it right? What about the laws of balance? How many men has he killed? What about the directives of a life for a life?

You hope that trying him in an international court will save him; that this type of legal proceeding will see him freed. This is a vain hope, Raghad. The United Nations was not really involved in this fight from the first. There was no real legal requirement to do so. Either way, the world knows what he is. Everyone, including his warriors, saw him cower from the Coalition fighters. If he did not fight, why should they? Moreover, why should they flock to a coward who went to ground like a rodent when the fight turned against him? Whether through execution or assassination, the days of Saddam Hussein are numbered.

I suggest you try to redeem yourself.

UPDATE:
Ethne gives us not only two excellent pieces today, she also provides us with a link to Iraq the Model, wherein progress has been underscored.

Additionally, in his post entitled "Confusion", Zeyad provides us with excellent reasons why Saddam must be held accountable to the people of Iraq.

Watch the Dems backpedal!

2003-12-15T15:21:00.000-07:00

My friend, Ethne, has a great capture of statements made by the Democrats regarding Saddam's WMD program made before 9/11.

Just another thing to make you sit back with a satisfied smile and take another slow swallow of scotch.

Hypocritical asses--the lot of them.

Saddam's capture: a coda by Lileks

2003-12-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

James Lileks says it so perfectly:

"I’ve read all the nutball far-left sites worrying about the worrisome worries – does this help Dub? Was it all faked? Surely America will see that the man paraded before the cameras was a soy-based simulacrum cooked up in the Halliburton labs? It’s amusing to troll the fevered swamps, but nothing they say matters in the end. The history texts will note that Baghdad fell on this date, Saddam was captured on that date, and the events between the two events will fill up a paragraph at best. Cruel but true. This was a big event, but there are bigger events to come."

Broken, and we rejoice.

2003-12-15T09:32:00.000-07:00

Late as ever, I know, but only because I spent yesterday dancing around joyfully. By now you all know: They got him. Our troops captured Saddam Hussein.

I'm not going to go on and on about it, though, because those who suffered most under that pig-eating son of a whore have the most right to celebrate about it:

The Mesopotamian: "Before this, I prayed the traditional prayers of thanksgiving. That I, and the Iraqi people should see this day! This, surely, is the mother of all days for us. The heroes of our valiant Pesh Mergas, and the heroes of the U.S. Fourth division have done it. Now is the time to unleash the Iraqi Counter Terror; now is the time to go for the kill. Let us go after them. Don’t lose this moment. They want to recant and live in equality with the people? they have a chance - otherwise they will have to go..."

Zeyad at "Healing Iraq" is capable of compassion--the sign of a great heart: "I don't know what got into me but I really felt sorry for the man. For the first time in years he looked so human. He was just a typical helpless 66-year-old Iraqi at that moment. I stared hardly at his eyes and tried to convince myself that this was the same man who destroyed Iraq and sent millions to their deaths. I found myself talking to the screen "Why did you have to do this to yourself?", "Why did you have to put us into all of this?", "Why didn't you fight back or at least kill yourself to spare us these images?".

Sam at Hammorabi: "...It is a victory for the victims of his regime and the righteous people of Iraq and the WORLD at large."

Fayrouz has some stern words, following his thanksgiving and long-deserved celebration: "P.S. Samira (Saddam's second wife): I'm sorry, you will get no more phone calls from your loving husband. I hope you choke on the $5 million he stole from the Iraqi people and gave you before the war started. I hope you enjoy your day like the rest of the world."

Ays at Iraq At A Glance shares joy: "I don’t know what to say.. I am confused.. no … I am very happy.. I am very happy.. .. I am very happy.. .. I am very happy.. .. I am very happy.. .. I am very happy.. .. I am very happy..
This is the end of tyranny.. congratulations .. a great day.. for Iraqi and all the good people.. share us our great day.. I can’t express my feelings.. thanks to the coalition forces and all the honest people who helped in that great operation….thank you thank you thousand times.."

From each one of these excellent blogs are a host of other links. If you ever once doubted our reasons to fight this fight, you must force yourself to have a mind open enough to go read for yourself, and see what a good thing we have done by helping the people of Iraq.

The work is really just beginning, now. My friends, I promise that I will do everything in my poor power to make sure that our lawmakers understand that we must continue to stand by you while you regain your feet. Once you have your bearings, and a democratic government that suits you, we will leave you to it, and be your friends always.

May the God of your people bless and hold you forever.

--Linda

December 11, 2002 at 8:41 a.m.

2003-12-11T11:47:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl.

You won't be old enough to understand this for some time to come, but this is just another of several letters your Daddy and I have written to you.

You are one year old today.

At 6:30 in the morning on this day last year, your Daddy and I arrived at the hospital. You were a breech baby. The midwives hadn't discovered this until two days before. It isn't their fault. Your father and I were so confident that everything was going well that we declined the third trimester ultrasound.

The day before, the OB and midwives had tried to turn you in my womb through a process called external version. You wouldn't budge; you were quite happy with your little head nestled firmly under my ribcage.

We found out why the next morning, once I was stretched out on the operating table, and the OB worked quickly to deliver you. You were a big girl! At birth, you weighed eight pounds and thirteen ounces. You were nineteen inches long. The Doctors joked that you would have broken nine pounds if I'd been allowed one more meal before the surgery.

Our midwife, Susan, tried with all her might to dislodge you from your little nest. I guess you just snuggled into me, and pressed your head under my ribs. The OB, a great big mountain man, placed his hand on top of hers, and just popped you out. This served to piss you off. You came into the world with a hearty scream that brought grins and tears to everyone in the room.

At first, your Daddy hadn't planned to actually see you born. But the anesthesiologist nudged him, and he surprised himself by standing to see. Later, he told me that all he saw at first was baby butt, baby back, more baby back, and finally your head. You were still coated with vernix, and your face was screwed up with your rage in those first minutes.

That was our first clue that you have my temper, and I'm so sorry about that, Baby Girl. I'll try to help you learn how to master it without having to go through some of the rough learning experiences I've had.

Your Daddy stepped away from my side to be with you while the OR staff cleaned you up. He went with you to the nursery. I was busy getting sewn back up. Your Gramma was in the OR, and stayed with me with great big fat, happy tears running down her face. Gramma got to see you born. Remember that. It explains a lot of the special love she has for you.

Before they took you away, they let me see you. The original birthing plan had called for you to be placed on my chest immediately following delivery, but it wasn't to be. I couldn't even hold you in those first minutes. But your Daddy did. So I looked at your beautiful face, and blessed you, and told you that I loved you. I could barely see, I was crying so hard. But I could tell that you were incomparably lovely, and I gave my mother's heart to you.

Finally, in recovery, they brought you to me. You nursed for one of only two times from my breast, and fell asleep in my arms. I have to laugh at the memory, because your hands were already expressive. You fell asleep giving the lactation nurse the finger.

You and I spent four days in the hospital. Those days are kind of a blur, now. I was kept heavily drugged on the first day, and the second and third were sleep-deprived blurs. Your Daddy was in and out; mostly in. I think he went home to catch maybe two or three hours' worth of sleep at a shot. He just didn't want to leave us alone.

We were so scared at first. I realized that for all the children I'd watched over, I'd never taken care of a brand-new infant. You seemed so tiny, and I as afraid of hurting you. The most peaceful moments were when you and I napped together, our bare skin touching. You smelled so good. I was lost for hours at a time, staring at your flawless face, marvelling, hoping, and wondering about--oh, so many things.

Your hair was dark at first--a mark of your Czech blood from my side of the family, but it has lightened to a reddish gold. Your eyes, gunmetal dark at birth, are a merry sky-blue today. You have your Daddy's eyes, and my mouth and chin. You look positively elfin when the mood strikes you. You have graceful, expressive hands that, in those first days, resembled reposing buterflies. Your rosebud mouth is always sweet, even when you've scrunched up your nose to make faces at us.

I wanted so badly to do everything "right", according to the books. But my milk never came in. We tried everything. I worked with lactation consultants for weeks. I produced so little that your main diet was formula. At the height of my production, I was only able to produce four ounces in two days--that amount was one feeding for you, my Baby Angel: one.

At last, I gave it up. At least you'd gotten my colostrum, and whatever else I was able to give. You became a formula baby.

Then, the reflux started. We thought it was only colic, at first. I won't go into all the horrid details. We're celebrating today, not reliving old difficulties. Let's just say that you take those awful-tasting medicines for a reason, and that Mommy thanks the Gods every day for soy-based formula.

By three months of age, you were getting cereal in your bottle at night. You were a healthy girl! It was taking more than just formula to keep your tummy full. By five months, you were getting cereal at breakfast, too. The reflux subsided somewhat, but you still get a little urpy every now and again. Today, you are a seasoned finger-food kind of gal. You love toast, bananas, veggies, rice, potatoes, pasta, egg yolks and cheese. You love Macaroni and cheese, and Blueberry Buckle is the best dessert, ever. You still like cereal in the morning, but you'd rather feed yourself. Most days see you getting wheat toast, a boiled or scrambled egg yolk, and fruit for breakfast. You eat hearty lunches, but supper time is usually a bit of a struggle. I can't get you to eat meat, and it troubles me. I'm sure we'll work it out.

The only sorrow I have is that I have to work full time. That means that I see you for about an hour and half in the morning, and an hour and a half at night, before you go to bed. Your Daddy sees you even less in the morning, because he has to leave before we do. But I'm glad we found Karen, because she loves you almost as much as we do, and you have so much fun playing with your little friend. Daddy and I live for weekends and holidays, so we can spend whole days with you, either running around town, or snuggled in as a family, playing with you on the floor.

To this day, and I suspect for always, you have the power to steal my breath and stop time. I can lose whole chunks of day, just being with you. My favorite times center around your nap and your bedtime, because those are our snuggly times, when you'll rest sweet and heavy in my arms, getting dozy. I get to tell you stories, then, or sing to you, or just rest my cheek against your head when you want me to. There are times, already, when you'll hold my hand, until you get restless with fatigue, and want to lay down.

That, I think, has been the greatest of triumphs. Over the last couple of months, you've finally learned how to soothe yourself to sleep, and repose through the night. You're a busy little girl, and you hate to miss a thing. I think you've finally figured out that Mommy and Daddy don't disappear when you sleep, and that the world with all its wonders will still be here when you wake up.

You walk when you want to, have a few words down, ("Duude!" "Dah-dee! Dah-DEE!!" "Ma-mom."), play hard, love books, and give kisses and hugs when the mood strikes you. You're also a charmer who loves being the center of attention; you know how to turn the TV on and off, and would just as soon have your father surrender control of the remote to you (it'll never happen, lovey; Mommy has tried).

Your father and I love you madly. That's why we're sometimes stern. You're told "no", not because we're mean, but because we want to protect you and teach you about the world. It's a big place out there, and there are lots of people to be considerate of. Once you learn your boundaries, you can move freely within them, and forever be a graceful pleasure to be around.

Last night, I checked on you before Daddy and I went to bed. I always check you at least twice during the night. You usually sleep on your belly, with your butt in the air. It isn't unusual for you to grab a blanket and snuggle it underneath you, making me grab another to cover you with. It won't do to let you get chilled in the night.

It may just have been me, but there was something different about you last night. It made me reach out and touch you. You snuggled both a blanket, and your little plush buddy, 'Raffe. One leg of your PJ's had ridden up to your knee. Your lips were pursed, and looked like a rosebud. I stood for a couple of minutes, trying to figure it out.

Then it hit me. You were taking up more room in your crib. You're growing up. But I want you to know one thing: as you become a toddler, and then a child, then an adolescent and someday a woman, you will always be my Baby Angel, and every time I look at you, I will always remember my first sight of you, when I gave you my heart forever.

--Mommy

I need a new keyboard.

2003-12-10T15:38:00.000-07:00

I needed this laugh:

According to the Alaska Dept of Fish & Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December. Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring. Therefore, according to every historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, every single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen, had to be a female. We should have known. Only women, while pregnant, would be able to drag a fat man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night, not get lost, meet an impossible deadline, and do it all out of good will.

Anyone out there want to join me in a rousing, "AMEN"?

Doting

2003-12-10T13:47:00.000-07:00

We had a portrait of our B. done last Saturday. I just got the prints back. She is so beautiful! I am so proud of her! Her birthday is tomorrow, and the changes she's gone through in the last year are just staggering...

I need to talk to S. to see if it's all right to scan and post the portrait here. We're protective of her identity as a general rule, but this picture is just too cute.

Honey? PLEASE??? Just this once?

New Blog Showcase: Graphictruth

2003-12-10T13:06:00.000-07:00

Nonetheless, a lot of people did vote for him on the assumption that he'd look out for their interests; good, solid, middle Americans who believe in the old fashioned values, smaller government and looking out for your neighbor while minding your own business.

Mr. Bush has broken his implied contract with these people and they should be mad as hell. Because they got themselves a Tax and Spend Liberal instead of the Republican conservative they expected.

What about tax cuts? Yes, he's slashed taxes. But the rising interest on our mushrooming deficit IS a tax on the whole economy. I'm not enough of an economist to compare the numbers, but I'm sure it exceeds the total benefits of the tax cuts.

That's a fact no fiscal conservative can honestly ignore, and the criticism is starting to mount. Conservatives are traditionally focused on civil liberties and fiscal responsibility; GWB seems to understand neither concern.

I vote for "Conservatives Falling Out With Bush?" at Graphictruth.

I quite agree with the thrust of the article. But I will not fall into rabid moonbat "Hate Bush" screeches like some others I might name. I take Heinlein's advice to heart: he's still the least of many potential evils.

Nothing New Under the Sun.

2003-12-10T12:24:00.000-07:00

Note to mainstream media:
Get some new chops. Your schtick stinks.

Four Iraqi Girls Need Sanctuary Desperately

2003-12-09T16:37:00.000-07:00

Via Misha, we learn that Chief Wiggles desperately needs assistance with getting four teenage girls out of Iraq. They are in danger from helping our troops root out terrorists and thugs.

Visit the link, read the story, call in your contacts. They need help.

Come on, blogosphere. Give a shout out--don't let them die. We know how the Islamofacists treat women.

Extended absence greeting, as it were.

2003-12-04T13:32:00.000-07:00

I won't be blogging for several days. I just wanted to let my few regular readers know that. I have shingles, it seems, and although I'm on the anti-viral medication already, I've a headache so blinding that it hurts to hold my head up.

The Dr. already told me that it is entirely possible that I'll feel this crappy through tomorrow, and that I souldn't expect to feel like doing much for a few days. He says that the headache should slack off soon, though. The good news is that my little B. has less than a 1% chance of getting chicken pox, thanks to me. (But yeah, I'm still scared about it.)

As soon as I feel better, I'll be back. In the meantime, I have no option but rest.

Take care.

--Linda

Recognizing Welchia in Ethereal Packet Captures.

2003-12-03T13:04:00.000-07:00

Someone just Googled in, searching for instructions on configuring Ethereal for Welchia. It took me a some time spent noodling around in Etheral before I got it.

Basically, to filter out the ICMP traffic for perusal, the easiest, most reliable method is to just click the Protocol column header, and scroll down to see the ICMP packets, once the capture is complete. Otherwise, to set a filter (something I have mixed results with) click the "Filter" button in the lower left-hand corner of the screen. Add an expression, selecting "ICMP" and "is present". Then, accept and apply the filter. The Welchia worm is pretty recognizable. It looks like this:

11:47:47.576542 169.254.56.166 > 169.254.189.84: icmp: echo request
0x0000 4500 005c 599d 0000 8001 970c a9fe 38a6 E..\Y.........8.
0x0010 a9fe bd54 0800 fa51 0200 a658 aaaa aaaa ...T...Q...X....
0x0020 aaaa aaaa aaaa aaaa aaaa aaaa aaaa aaaa ................
0x0030 aaaa aaaa aaaa aaaa aaaa aaaa aaaa aaaa ................
0x0040 aaaa aaaa aaaa aaaa aaaa aaaa aaaa aaaa ................
0x0050 aaaa aaaa aaaa aaaa aaaa aaaa ............

Symantec offers the tutorial, "Detecting network traffic that may be due to RPC worms".

Good luck.

"An American Marine"

2003-12-03T11:45:00.000-07:00

Via Blackfive, we get the story of a Marine who gave all, and finally received his dream of citizenship.

I warn you--it's poignant.

Thanks, Blackfive.

New Blog Showcase: Ripe Bananas

2003-12-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

Here's my vote for New Blog Showcase:
"Vegan Marshmallows Roasting Over an Open Fire" made me smile, because my husband's best friend is working on his master's thesis in the biological sciences, too. We've heard him voice the same sorts of questions, and similarly denigrate ecoterrorists.

Is that you, KOL?

Deal With It.

2003-12-02T11:49:00.000-07:00

Ripples got me thinking with a post about getting the behavior you reward. His particular anecdote has to do with the tenacity (and creativity!) of squirrels in the bin containing bird seed. It made me think of my daughter.

Last night, B. threw a hissy fit. Screaming, arching; throwing her little body backwards--the whole nine yards. She'd thrown the same fit, over the same scenario, the night before. You see, we told her that she cannot play with the doors on the entertainment center, for fear that she'll pinch her fingers.

What did we do when she lost her temper? We walked away from her. Within five minutes, she was happily playing by herself, with sanctioned toys. The entertainment center was forgotten.

Tonight, when she throws the same fit for being told, "no", we'll walk away again. I can almost guarantee that by tomorrow, when we tell her no, she won't lose her temper, and will leave the furniture alone when we tell her to.

Sure, we could put baby latches on those doors, and let her bang on them to her heart's content, but the point is to teach her that there are items in the house that are unacceptable for her use. Dealing with disappointment is an important aspect of life. We'd rather have her master that lesson now, while she's still very young, and head off any sense of entitlement further down the road, than have her feel confusion and frustration because "the rules" weren't made perfectly clear early on.

It's hard for us as well. The instinct to dash over and comfort your miserably sobbing child is a surprisingly strong one, but something that I, and my husband, shall have to master right away. But no one ever claimed that parenting is easy. On the contrary, lots of people tried to warn us when we decided to have a child.

The lessons that we give little B. now will form the foundation for many desirable traits further down the road. Anyone who feels that children merely exhibit good behavior naturally is sadly deluded. These lessons must be taught, hard as it may be.

I want my daughter to be happy, well-adjusted, well-mannered, considerate, and disciplined. I want her to know the pleasure of a circle of well-chosen friends. Lessons in coping, and in discernment, begin now, with something as small as the doors of the entertainment center.

Valuable Addition to the Fight

2003-12-01T09:52:00.000-07:00

I just got an email from my uncle. It seems that my cousin, career Army, is about to be deployed to Iraq. He wants to go. He's been chomping at the bit, awaiting his turn.

All I can say is that we're proud of you, Kevin. You joined the Army in order to serve and protect your country. Here's your chance. I know you. You're a good man. You won't let your buddies down. You're going to bring your toughness, your stubbornness, your grit, your loyalty, and even your great good humor to the fight against terror.

There are so many things I could say to you, and about you, right now. I could go on for paragraphs, talking you up, but it really isn't necessary. You know who you are. The rest of the family knows it, too. By now, your teammates know it better than anyone.

Now get out there and give those terrorist shitbags hell.

We love you.

I'm Thankful for Home

2003-11-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

"I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, windswept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. ...After 200 years, two centuries, she still stands strong and true on the granite ridge, and her glow has held steady no matter what storm. And she's still a beacon, still a magnet for all who must have freedom, for all the pilgrims from all the lost places who are hurtling through the darkness, toward home."
--Ronald Reagan

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends.

Pursuing Liberty for All

2003-11-25T16:45:00.001-07:00

"Of liberty I would say that, in the whole plenitude of its extent, it is unobstructed action according to our will. But rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law,' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the right of an individual."
--Thomas Jefferson to Isaac H. Tiffany, 1819.

While standing in front of the oven, baking cookies, I was contemplating Liberty. Not liberty with a lower case "l", but Liberty of the sort recognized by the Founding Fathers as a condition imbued upon us--homo sapiens, that is--by our Creator.

My thoughts led me unerringly to one of the more current debates of this generation, which is the right (or not) of homosexuals to marry. I went round and round the moral aspects of the issue, recalling some of the opinions expressed on some of the other blogs I read daily. I realized that altough I respect these writers immensely, and tend to agree with the majority of their opinions, I nevertheless disagreed on the subject of whether or not gays should be allowed to marry.

Launching a task force to give marriage a legal definition also felt wrong, but at that moment, I could not clearly articulate why not.

Then, it hit me. The debate involves infringment upon the personal liberties of my countrymen and women, and whatever my personal opinions are, I cannot allow that to happen. We are all imbued with certain inalienable rights, as the Founders wrote in the Declaration of Independence. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are the injunctions sitting at the core of our national soul.

I knew then that the Founding Fathers would also disdain the very thought of the national government legislating marriage in any form, but I also realized that I would need evidence to support it.

I have always admired Thomas Jefferson. He was a man of his time; living in the moment of the age that nurtured him. To be sure, he was a slave owner, and evidence strongly suggests that he had children by a black mistress, but in that time, it was not that unusual. Only the passing centuries have turned that into unacceptable behavior--or has it? Jesse Jackson has a child by a mistress who worked for him. Bill Clinton had relations with an intern. With that, let the sneering moral equivalency end.

Jefferson would be the first to admit that he was only human; flawed and struggling to get along in the world--just like the rest of us. He would demur in the face of any praise, and answer any criticism as forthrtightly as he could, with either a scathing retort, or when deserved, a humble apology and promise to "try to do better".

I love his writings because he was a practical philosopher; never one to get lost in the realm of theory. Although possessing his own code of principles and ethics, his feet were always firmly planted in the moment, and I think that his observations are still relevant today.

"If [God] has made it a law in the nature of man to pursue his own happiness, He has left him free in the choice of place as well as mode, and we may safely call on the whole body of English jurists to produce the map on which nature has traced for each individual the geographical line which she forbids him to cross in pursuit of happiness."
--Thomas Jefferson to John Manners, 1817.

Jefferson was one to promote the greatest possible liberty for all people. He also said, "The freedom and happiness of man... [are] the sole objects of all legitimate government."

What does all of this mean?

It means that the national government has no place in the personal morality of the individual, provided that it is in no way infringing upon the personal liberties of others. The Founding Fathers would be the first to call for punishments for pedophiles, rapists, murderers, thieves, and any other criminal. Jefferson, again: "Society [has] a right to erase from the roll of its members any one who rendered his own existence inconsistent with theirs; to withdraw from him the protection of their laws, and to remove him from among them by exile, or even by death if necessary."

However, when a citizen is harming no one, and operating within the bounds of civil decency, Jefferson felt that they should be left to their own devices. I agree.

Moralism aside, what is the real argument against the right of gays to marry? Are there any? All the arguments I've heard cite the immorality of the union, and that somehow this will undermine the strength of the American family unit. I've also read claims that allowing homosexuals to marry will somehow end up with heterosexual unions being disallowed.

I beg to differ.

My family unit will not be undermined if I see two women walking past, holding hands, wearing matching wedding bands. My child will not be somehow infected with some kind of implied horrible disease at the sight of two men kissing.

I do worry that if we allow the federal government to encapsulate the state of marriage in legal terms, it will only be to the detriment of all--homo and heterosexual. For once government begins legislating an issue, there will be additions and amendments to the original law that will constrain us all, and negatively impact individual liberty.

My argument hinges not upon the morality of same-sex marriage. My argument hangs upon the necessity to rein in the government in the interest of the greater good. Jefferson said, "I own I am not a friend to a very energetic government. It is always oppressive. It places the governors indeed more at their ease, at the expense of the people."

Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to place personal opinion to the side and ask the question, "Will this law infringe upon liberty? If it infringes upon liberty, is it for the common good? Will passing this law mitigate activity that harms others, and impose appropriate punishments upon the lawbreakers?"

In this case, yes, the law will impede personal freedom for no good reason. Homosexuality is consensual, so no one is being harmed by its practice. If it isn't consensual, then it becomes rape, and we already have laws to address that. Denying homosexuals the right to legally marry will not stop them from making vows to one another, carrying on their relationships, or cohabitating.

Making laws that define marriage as a union between a man and a woman are all well and good, but where does it stop? Would laws then be passed to make its definition specify a union between a man and a woman in a church or synagogue? What will that mean? Will it mean that people like my husband and myself, who were married in a pagan ceremony, outdoors, are not legally wed? Would it nullify our union even though our marriage license is registered with the county clerk? Will Common Law declarations be outlawed? I'd be very interested to see how the government thinks they can make that stick. What would they do next? Go door to door to make sure that only men and women can live together, and only so long as they are married within the provisions of the law? What impact will that have on roommate-type living arrangements? Would the government then step in and say that every American must be married to someone of the opposite gender within a certain age range? I admit that I'm stepping into the realm of tinfoil hat absurdity, but I use these examples to shock readers into thought. Not that it would matter anyway, because I will oppose such attempts with all my might.

In short, moralistic attempts to block gay marriage by the Executive and Legislative Branches of government are misguided at the very least. Lincoln once said that the measure of a man could be taken by what he does with the power he has. (I'm paraphrasing.) I hope that the President and other conservatives from the religious right will reign themselves in, and think of the long term good of this nation, and how we must sometimes subordinate personal morals in the interest of the greater good of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

"To preserve the peace of our fellow citizens, promote their prosperity and happiness, reunite opinion, cultivate a spirit of candor, moderation, charity and forbearance toward one another, are objects calling for the efforts and sacrifices of every good man and patriot. Our religion enjoins it; our happiness demands it; and no sacrifice is requisite but of passions hostile to both."
--Thomas Jefferson: to Rhode Island Assembly, 1801.

What's Up.

2003-11-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

Thoughtful blogging has been sparse lately. It's true. I meant to avouid any mention of it, because what happens in my real life doesn't really need to be plastered on the blogosphere for anyone to see, especially anyone who might be less than friendly.

But, life has impacted blogging, and I what I want to do right now is publish what I'm going through so that I have a barometer of progress as things get better.

November has been a dark month for my husband and me. Although we believed we got a reprieve, his job is ending on Dec. 5th, after all. It's hard because our daughter's birthday is on the 11th. Christmas is two weeks after that. We aren't rich, so...

I don't want to talk about that.

The other thing about this month is that my job has been...how shall I put it? Rough. That's all I'll say about that. Rough. It's rough.

My husband is amazing. He has been applying everywhere, for just about anything. He got one nibble--for a job that paid $5 an hour, and wanted him to do the work of three IT people. It's pretty typical of the technical job market in the Rocky Mountain Silicon Plateau at the moment. The job would be three weeks long. Frankly, he'll make more money drawing unemployment. Throughout all of this, his energy and hope has only flagged briefly--yesterday, when we learned that we have less time than we thought. We're getting our breath back, however, so don't worry about us too much. (Unless you have a well-paying job in N. Colorado for an outstanding IT professional with a decade of experience. If so, email me, and I'll put you in touch with my husband. He's truly excellent at what he does.)

It's really hard, right now. We're both apprehensive, yet working really hard at remaining up and positive for each other. Oh, never fear--we've spoken of our fears to each other. We're honest about where we're at, but that doesn't mean we get to wallow in it. The energy we've been expending in maintaining a positive, hopeful outlook, combined with being present and loving for our daughter, and maintaining the jobs we do have have tapped us out. We're really tired right now. The fatigue and worry and general busy-ness hasn't left a lot of time for hobbies like blogging.

Also, on a lighter note, I'm working on a rag quilt for our daughter in the evenings. That'll be her birthday present from Mommy and Daddy.

However, I have been stewing while life simmers around me.

I don't think the Founding Fathers would support attempts to legislate marriage--whatever face it wears--and I've been researching materials that support that intuition. I feel that legally defining marriage in an attempt to block homosexuals from wedding is counter to the exercise of liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, imbued upon us by our Creator.

A post is coming. Bear with me.

Got a Story for The Bartender?

2003-11-25T09:35:00.000-07:00

Madfish Willie's is starting a "send me your posts"
LinkLoveFest!

Tales From The
Champagne Room!
[Remember: There is no sex in The Champagne
Room!]

Read through these previous posts of The Champagne Room to get an idea of what I'm looking for.

To be linked in The Champagne Room post just e-mail the link(s) to your post(s) by Saturday 12:00 noon and I'll include you in the weekly LinkLoveFest on Sunday.

Thanks to everyone who have sent me links in the past and I'll be looking
forward to more of your Tales From The Champagne
Room!

Ha! Am I Vindicated?

2003-11-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

Well, at least someone's getting the hint. Technical support centers in India suck ass, and at least DELL--the company whose image is now irrevocably tied to doofy pot-smoking goofballs--is figuring it out.

Now, if my company would only get the picture, and stop sending consumables calls to shoddy support centers overseas, we'd all be in better shape. See, customers won't buy additional products when they're told that a support rep can't take a call because their tools are down. Nor will customers buy products when they hear someone tell them that they've never even seen their product before. It will piss customers off no end when someone says, "No, that isn't me", and hangs up.

When customers are pissed, they stop buying a company's products. When a company can't sell products, they can't make money. When a company isn't making money... well, you get the picture.

If more companies see what a mistake they've made, they can pull those jobs back onto US soil, which means that highly capable IT managers like my husband can be gainfully employed.

Baby Reaches Milestone

2003-11-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

At eleven months and twelve days of age, my baby girl managed her first unassisted steps. She took five, in all. It was her daddy who got her to do it.

We got to see it. Us. Not the grandparents, and not the babysitter. Us. We got to see our baby do something amazing.

There's much rejoicing at our place tonight. No, she didn't mind being the belle of the ball at all.

We're so proud of our little girl.

Precision Guided Humor: Uday and Qusay's Last Words

2003-11-21T16:32:00.000-07:00

For the Alliance.

Uday and Qusay's last words were:
"Oh. Shit."

Sic Semper Tyrannis

New Blog Showcase: Free Market Fairy Tales

2003-11-21T15:29:00.000-07:00

And so, I cast my vote. The post in question, Europe Hates America had me alternately nodding and laughing out loud.

You must read it. RIGHT NOW!

I'll be here when you get back.

Wasn't that great? I especially liked,

"A report published in the Los Angeles Times concluded that Italians get 42 days of paid vacation every year, the French 37, the Germans 35, and the British 28. Americans, meanwhile, take off only 14 of the 16 days to which they are entitled. Figures from the US Government’s Bureau of Labour Statistics show that Americans also work a 49-hour-week, which adds up to 350 more hours of labour a year than the typical European worker. I hear cries of “quality of life” from Champagne Socialists in Hoxton. (Note to Father Christmas – As I’ve been a good boy this year, please may I have a Tomahawk cruise missle for Christmas……just one will do..)

A good way to sum up Americans’ views of vacations is to study the habits of George W. Bush during his summer break. He retreated to his ranch, where the temperature regularly exceeds 100F, to clear brush. For relief from that vacation activity, he met his foreign policy team, then his economic advisers, then travelled to national parks to push his plan to reduce the incidence of forest fires, then on to California for a fundraising tour."

I'd like to buy this chap a drink. I think the husband and I could get along with almost anyone who asks Father Christmas for a Tomahawk cruise missile for Christmas, because I want one, too.

But this isn't about me. Go get in your jammies, then curl up for your nightly reading of Free Market Fairy Tales.

THIS is what happens when you believe you can make a difference.

2003-11-20T17:06:00.000-07:00

First off, I'd like to thank CD Hall over at Spacecraft for the link, because this was just too beautiful for words.

It seems that as 3,000 of our Reservists were reporting for duty in Washington State, the NIONers got wind of it, and decided to stage a protest.

Our friends over at Random Nuclear Strikes decided to launch a counter-demonstration. Additionally, the word got out via the radio. According to the news, 4,000 all-American well-wishers showed up to demonstrate their support and pay their respects, as opposed to about 20 of the anti-war protestors.

To Random Nuclear Strikes: I salute you!
God Bless America.

Turkey Attacked

2003-11-20T15:34:00.000-07:00

I'm throwing in my two cents' on the attack in Turkey earlier today.

First, although certain news agencies implied a connection to President Bush's trip to Britain with the words, "...coincided with President Bush's trip to Britain...", there is no proof of this. Such an attack would take a great deal of planning, which would have had to commence before the President's trip was announced.

Besides, if you really wanted to hit the President of the United States, why would you attack Turkey when he was in Great Britain?

That said, this is a clear example of terrorism's complete disregard for any human life. Al-Qaeda and Islamic Great Eastern Raidersâ€™ Front are both claiming responsibility for this and the synagogue attacks earlier.

So, you moral equivalent types out there--what did Turkey do to deserve this? Hmm? Oh--they helped the Coalition in both Afghanistan and Iraq. So, they deserve to be coldly murdered for their assistance in the fight to wipe terrorism off the face of the planet?

Really?

If you say that, your hands are near as bloody as the terrorists'.

Turkey has been attacked as we were attacked on 9/11. They did not deserve it. Terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda, IBDA-C, Hamas, Hizbollah, etc. are bloodthirsty murderers who need to be wiped off the face of the planet with extreme prejudice and unrelenting vengeance.

We all need to get behind the effort, tighten our belts, and get both commitment and the patience to see this through. Fortunately, Turkey has already stood up and vowed that these animals won't get away with murdering their innocent citizens.

There is a bright spot to all of this--as terrorist organizations strike out at various nations on this planet, it will piss more people off. We will see the net slowly tighten until we have them. Then, we have to execute them all.

I am so sorry this happened, Turkey. We stand with you in your pain, and understand your determination to make sure it never happens again. Let's go get those sons of bitches and make an end.

Humor: US Navy Chiefs

2003-11-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

The Five Most Dangerous Things in the US Navy:

A Seaman saying, "I learned this in Boot Camp..."
A Petty Officer saying, "Trust me, sir..."
A Lieutenant JG saying, "Based on my experience..."
A Lieutenant saying, "I was just thinking..."
A Chief chuckling, "Watch this shit..."

It wouldn't be so funny if it wasn't so true!
And then...

By the time the Chief pulled into a little town, every hotel room was
taken. "You've got to have a room somewhere," he pleaded, "or just a
bed, I don't care where."

"Well, I do have a double room with one occupant - a Marine Gunny,"
admitted the manager, "and he might be glad to split the cost. But to
tell you the truth, he snores so loudly that people in adjoining rooms
have complained in the past. I'm not sure it'd be worth it to you."

"No problem," the tired Chief assured him, "I'll take it."

The next morning the Chief came down to breakfast bright-eyed and
bushy-tailed. "How'd you sleep?" asked the manager.

"Never better." The manager was impressed.

"No problem with the other guy snoring?"

"Nope, I shut him up in no time", said the Chief.

"How'd you manage that?" asked the manager.

"He was already in bed, snoring away, when I came in the room," the
Chief explained. "I went over, gave him a kiss on the cheek, and said,
'Goodnight, beautiful,' and he sat up all night watching me."

I saved the best for last:

A young Ensign approaches the crusty old Chief and asked about the origin of the commissioned officer insignias.

"Well," replied the Chief, "the insignias for the Navy are steeped in
history and tradition. First, we give you a gold bar representing that
you are very valuable but also malleable. The silver bar also represents
significant value, but is less malleable. Now, when you make Lieutenant,
your value doubles, hence the two silver bars. As a Captain, you soar
over the military masses, hence the eagle. As an Admiral, you are,
obviously, a star. Does that answer your question?"

"Yes Chief" replied the young Ensign. "But what about Lieutenant
Commander and Commander?"

"That, sir, goes waaaay back in history - back to the Garden of Eden.
You see we've always covered our pricks with leaves."

These jokes brought to you by the girl who grew up in the Navy... Normal blogging will resume soon.

Understanding Tax Cuts

2003-11-18T17:29:00.000-07:00

From an email from my friend, Ethne, here is a simple explanation of why those who pay more taxes receive more back when reductions are implemented:

Tax Cuts -- A Simple Lesson In Economics This is how the cookie crumbles.

Please read it carefully. Let's put tax cuts in terms everyone can understand. Suppose that every day, ten men go out for dinner. The bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this: The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.

The fifth would pay $1
The sixth would pay $3
The seventh $7
The eighth $12
The ninth $18

The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59 So, that's what they decided to do. The ten men ate dinner in the restaurant every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve.

"Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily meal by $20." So, now dinner for the ten only cost $80. The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes.

So, the first four men were unaffected. They would still eat for free. But what about the other six, the paying customers? How could they divvy up the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his "fair share?" The six men realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being "PAID" to eat their meal. So, the restaurant owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay. And so: The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).

The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% savings)
The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% savings)
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings)
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings)
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings)

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to eat for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings. "I only got a dollar out of the $20," declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man "but he got $10!" "Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than me!" "That's true!!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when I got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!" "Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all! The system exploits the poor!"

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up. The next night the tenth man didn't show up for dinner, so the nine sat down and ate without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up at the table anymore. There are lots of good restaurants in Europe and the Caribbean.

David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D
Distinguished Professor of Economics
536 Brooks Hall
University of Georgia

I think that pretty much speaks for itself.

Infotel: Complaints about unsatisfactory business practices.

2003-11-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

The proprieteress of Calblog is being harrassed and threatened with lawsuit by a company called Infotel, aka, MediaCorp.

They are trying to bill her for services she never ordered or received. When she posted about it, Infotel took exception with some of the comments left by readers, and are trying to sue.

Interestingly, Aaron's Rantblog has their scorecard from the Better Business Bureau, and it looks like this sort of thing is their M.O.:

The Bureau has received numerous complaints concerning this company's selling practices. Most complaints claim their business was billed for a directory listing which was never ordered, or that Infotel sales personnel claimed to be asking for a renewal of a listing when none existed.

In some cases, Infotel Publications has contacted companies who have complained to the Better Business Bureau, and has offered to cancel accounts if the companies retract their complaints. The company claims they tape record their customers during the sales verification presentation to verify the order.

This company has an unsatisfactory business performance record with the Bureau due to a pattern of complaints claiming deceptive selling practices, a pattern of complaints concerning credit and billing procedures, and for failure to eliminate the cause of those complaints.

Let's get the word out there, folks.

Humor: This Might Be Useful... Sometime...

2003-11-17T17:11:00.000-07:00

Oh Buffy. (tsk tsk tsk) You couldn't just go quietly into retirement, could you? Oh, no. You had to sell off a little surplus on your way out.

Oops.

2003-11-17T17:03:00.000-07:00

One of the cardinal rules of accepting graft is to never get caught. Conrad Black got caught.

D'oh, just doesn't sound right when uttered with a British accent. Wouldn't you agree?

He's Ba-aack

2003-11-17T16:47:00.000-07:00

Rush is back. In the transcript of his first public comments, he comes right out to tell us about rehabilitation. He's forthright and blunt.

That took a lot of courage to talk about something so personal. You go, Rush.

John Allen Muhammed Found Guilty

2003-11-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

John Allen Muhammed was found guilty of murder. The sentencing phase is forthcoming.

In other news, Malvo's trial is underway. His defense is trying to get him off with the insanity plea, because he was proportedly a neglected child, which made him vulnerable to brainwashing by his so-called idol, Muhammed.

I hope the jury and judge see right through that bullshit. Malvo knew what his was doing. There was a moment of decision. He is as responsible as Muhammed.

Arnold Sworn Into Office Today

2003-11-17T16:32:00.000-07:00

“Perhaps some think this is fanciful or poetic, but to an immigrant like me — who, as a boy saw Soviet tanks rolling through the streets of Austria, to someone like me who came here with absolutely nothing and gained absolutely everything — it is not fanciful to see this state as a golden dream,” Schwarzenegger said.

One of the things that makes America great is the fact that someone who was not born here can aspire, work, and achieve anything--up to and including public office.

Perfectly lovely.

Read entire.

Rocky Mountain Blogger Bash

2003-11-14T16:42:00.000-07:00

Hmm. I wonder if we could get Grandma to take the baby that night, and most of the following day (in the interest of recuperation)? I mean, it is at the Wynkoop...

P.S. I passed my test.

New Blog Showcase: eTALKINGHEAD

2003-11-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

This week's new blog showcase brings us this gem by eTalkinghead:

"Whatever your opinion of the Patriot Act, calling it a power grab couldn't be more misleading. After all, only one person--Democratic Senator Russell Feingold of Wisconsin--voted against the bill. That means every other Democrat voted for it, and, according to Gore, means Bush pulled wool over the eyes of almost all Democrats in the Senate.

It must have been mind control."

Too perfect.

Voyage to Arcturus

2003-11-12T10:53:00.000-07:00

You have to see this blog. A Voyage to Arcturus is a mix of science, political musings, and outright opinion-based editorials.

Although I never read the novel that inspired this blog's title, it has been on my "to read" list for some. (After all, David Lindsay was C.S. Lewis' inspiration for the Screwtape Letters, and I love Lewis.) Shame-faced, I admit that if you could see the "literature" that has preempted Lindsay's novel, you'd smack me, and I'd deserve it.

Anyway, don't hang out around here all day and listen to me ramble on and on about it. Go see for yourself!

A Pagan Among Christians

2003-11-11T17:22:00.000-07:00

Preamble: I have a very cool, very accepting friend who has sat on his curiosity about my profession of Pagan belief for some time. Today, after an email exchange, he asked me about it. He was quick to point out that he wasn't challenging me--he was just curious, because the Bible has verse Exodus 34:14 in which God declares himself supreme.

He knows that I've never been one of those Pagans who looks at a Christian and screams, "Oppressor!" So, in a genuine quest for understanding, he asked me about how I came to be a Pagan, and how I feel safe, even in the face of Biblical scripture.

I love having friends who are genuinely concerned about me. Following is what I wrote to him.
------------------------------------------------------------------

God does state in the Bible that He/She is the One and Only. I do not refute that. Yet I believe that the teachings we call, "The Bible" were originally intended as guidebook on living for the people of the areas we now call the Middle East. The Bible is a glorious text, filled with stories of the tumultuous history of the Jewish people. What adventure we see in that book! The history of the entire Middle East, laid out for our eyes.

By aligning yourself with Christianity, you have allied yourself with a glorious and beautiful tradition. You have taken the burden of Israel upon yourself, and declared yourself to be among those beloved of God-as-Yahweh. You even take the teachings one step forward by declaring in favor of the teachings of love and tolerance as presented by Jesus Christ.

But I do not believe that God manifested only as Yahweh/Jesu/Spiritu Sancti. I believe that God has walked among all of mankind, and manifested to us in the form [each culture] was best able to understand at the time. For the Norse peoples, in their frozen Northland, God became the stern warrior faces of the Aesir: Thor, Odin, Freya, and the like. That was the way they could best understand the undying truth as made manifest by frozen wastes and the comfort of warm hearthfires.

To the Celts, God manifested as the Mother--the triple Goddess who is one Goddes in the form of Maiden/Mother/Crone. She had a consort, who was himself a triple God: Youth (the Fool)/Father/Old (Wise) Man. Their story is that of the turning of the seasons, and their message is also one of acceptance of both peace and travail, and of love.

In Mesopotamia, we got Ishtar, and all those other beings. Greece, and later Rome, brought us the Olympians. In India, we saw the Hindu gods. Even old Russia has tales of Mother Goddesses, Father Gods, and tricksters of every ilk. We won't even get into the romanticism and poetry of the Asian Gods, and we're both familiar enough to Buddha to remember that he never claimed godhead--he was just trying to lead us to enlightenment and love for our fellow man.

As I studied, and thought, and talked to people, I came to the realization that no matter what name you ascribe to God, IT'S STILL THE SAME MESSAGE:
1. God loves us and wants us to love Him/Her.
2. We are given life in order to learn, and to please God/Goddess by practicing Free Will.
3. Life is defined by a series of turning seasons of every sort. "Turn, Turn, Turn" by the Byrds is one of my favorite songs because it quotes the Bible in gorgeous music, and underscores that very point.
4. There is evil in the world, and it can only be thwarted by standing strong, keeping faith and hope, and taking action in order to keep Love alive.
5. When all is said and sifted, LOVE. IS. THE. ONLY. THING. THAT. MATTERS.

Then it hit me. If love is all that matters, and if we're put here to bolster and help one another along, then what did it matter what name I ascribed to God? God is God. If I follow the path of love and brotherhood, then all is well. I was a pre-teen when I made that realization.

See, Christianity had never inspired me. I was dragged in and out of churches in no less than four states. It wasn't the fault of ministers, youth leaders, my parents, or anyone else, but I just didn't feel God while I was inside the church buildings. The only time I ever felt the presence of divinity was when I was deep in a slient wood, or by the ocean with the waves crashing all around me. God was beside me while I was perched precariously on the edge of a mountaintop, or down on my hands and knees in the garden.

So, I asked a minister why we couldn't worship outside, where God was? After all, God had created everything, so why did He need us to build something, when all we had to do in order to go visit Him was just sit very still, be quiet, and listen? I don't remember what his reply was, but I remember that he stumbled around quite a lot, and didn't have very good reasoning. So, while my parents were at work, I started calling churches all over. Only one pastor--a Lutheran priest, I think--had a good answer. He said, "Because we're in Alaska, and it gets pretty darned cold for six months out of the year." I persisted, "OK. But while it's summer, why can't people go to Sunday service outside?" He said--and I remember this--"There's no reason not to, except that's what Pagans do."

What? I thought. Pagans? I read about them!

I continued going to church with my parents until I left home. It was the respectful thing to do, and frankly, I wasn't ready to give up on Christianity as a path. But I was studying as the years passed, and as I explored my Celtic ancestry, I realized that the idea of putting a feminine face on God made sense to me.

First, the turning of the seasons could be used as a metaphor for life and death. We're born, enjoy our youth, work in our prime, age, and ultimately die. It's natural. It's beautiful. It's just the way the Universe works. Everything has a beginning and an ending. And this, my friend, is where we get into unquantifiable faith: it just made sense to me that a feminine God would hold domain over that simple, unending pattern. Then, it came to me that life can't be conceived without the male aspect of things, as well. So, it made sense that there would be a Father to go with the Mother. I'd always been taught there was a Father, so...

It clicked. People had forgotten to also acknowledge the Mother! Sure, God is God, and can be anything He/She wants to be, but the poetry of it just made sense to me.

Digging into the basic precepts of the faith didn't hurt, either. In Paganism, you are taught about cause and effect. There are repercussions to every act, and like ripples on a pond, those repercussions are ever-widening. People are taught to be aware of their surroundings and the potential repercussions of everything they do, because those actions and attitudes will be reflected like those ripples: threefold. So, it's important to live life with as much kindness and love as you can. A responsible person tries to make the world more pleasant for everyone around them, so they can also live among pleasant people.

Paganism tells us that we are each and every one of us ultimately responsible and accountable for every thing we do. It tells us that we can do pretty much as we please, so long as we hold that in mind, and harm no one.

That's a tall order. To do no harm, we would even wind up obeying all the Ten Commandments--which just basically spells out how to live as a good person. "Harm no one" sums up those stone tablets pretty succinctly, doesn't it? As a direct result, we therefore love our neighbor as we love ourselves, and do unto others as we would have done unto us. A synonym for that concept is "karma".

That doesn't mean that bad people and bad things don't happen. But those "bad things" are as much a test of faith as they are an opportunity to strike another blow in the name of Love. I will present an example in a moment.

Let me summate so far:
We're told to harm no one.
That rule applies to Everyone on the planet.
Everything we do is reflected back on us.
We are the ones ultimately accountable for all our actions.

So, for our example, we'll say that a burglar decides to try and break into your house. He intends not only to take material objects, but also to hurt you and your family. He intends to do harm in a really big way.

He's just set himself in reverence of Universal Law.

By breaking into your house, the malcontent is telling you that he doesn't care one way or another about the Law (physical and metaphysical). By breaking the Rule of "Harm None", he's essentially telling you that he's open to the repercussions of his actions; e.g., getting his head blown off by your 12 ga. shotgun.

You will face repercussions for your decision to shoot him, but I believe that on the Universal level, those will be mitigated because you were only defending that which you love; and his receipt of that one-way ticket to talk to God/dess about it was directly corollary to the fact that he made the decision to try and harm you in the first place. He was responsible for his own death. You are responsible for keeping your family safe. God is Just, so in the afterlife, it probably won't be that big of a deal.

That is not a wholescale endorsement to go on a shooting spree, or anything stupid like that. It just serves of an example why deadly force is sometimes OK. (I've got the War Against Terror in mind all the time--I use this as an example why it's OK to stand against terrorists and fight them to the last man.)

Paganism also teaches tolerance of other beliefs, because one of the basic precepts--which I explored in earlier paragraphs--is that it doesn't matter what name you give God. God is just the term we mere mortals use to describe a Great Big Truth: Life is eternal and ongoing, and there are too many Cool Things out there for us to just write off to accident. SOMEBODY is out there, and that Somebody loves us very, very much to give us this beautiful panet, and all these cool and diverse playmates.

Going back to the self-responsibility thing, we are presented with another idea: If God made us, then we must be part of God, and if we're part of God, then we're part of each other, too. There is no separation between you, me, that blade of grass, or that singing bird. We are all the Divine Creation of a Loving Hand. So, if we're part of each other, then we should look out for and take care of each other. Moreover, after we die and don't need our bodies anymore, we'll return to the Divinity who made us. We're light and energy, and we're eternal. We can't be destroyed; not really.

Since we're eternal, and can't be destroyed, then it stands to reason that we could choose to come back to earth again and again, either to learn other lessons, repair mistakes we made the last time around, teach, and/or help out. There is a force of deliberate destructiveness in the Universe. Love must always be prepared to stand against that Evil, and we can use our most experienced warriors--Christ, Buddha, and their ilk, time and again, to wage the Eternal War.

So, in a nutshell, as a Pagan, I believe that:
God is both male and female.
God loves us.
The world is our classroom.
Evil exists and we must battle it.
On the personal level, we are ultimately responsible for all our thoughts and deeds.
We are all interconnected.
Because we're interconnected, what harms one of us, harms all of us, and must be stopped.
We'll be back--to meet again, play again, learn together, quarrel with each other, laugh, cry, and walk through this beautiful little world we love so much.

This belief system gives me tremendous comfort, and makes it easy for me to be the best possible person I can be. I think that point, as much as anything, should guide anyone's choice of belief system. The Seeker should ask: "Do my beliefs make me the best, most caring and compassionate person I can be? Does my religious preference inspire me to reach out to my fellow man, give them a hand up, and encourage them to go on? Can I look in the eyes of God when my life is done and honestly say, 'I did the best I knew how'?"

If the answer is yes, then you've chosen the right face of God to follow. God is a woman for me. For you, God is a man. It doesn't change the fact that you're my brother in the divine sense: I care about you; I'd do just about anything to help you out, and you matter to me.

So maybe that makes me a very unorthodox Christian. I guess I'll find out at life's end.

But I feel like I'm on the right track. Just like you are, too.

[Blessed Be,]
Linda

Moonbat Wings: The Complete Set!

2003-11-11T10:55:00.000-07:00

Just as a head's up, I probably won't be blogging for the rest of the week unless something really compelling catches my eye.

My test is three--count 'em--three days away. That isn't much time to completely lose it, and I am completely freaking out right now. (I know it would look funny to anyone observing me; but tell that to the pit in my stomach.)

See you later.

A Prayer for Israel

2003-11-11T10:36:00.000-07:00

I am not a Christian, nor am I Jewish, but I know right from wrong, and am not ashamed to call upon Yahweh to protect His Chosen.

So, I join others in offering up this prayer.

Am Yisrael Chai.

(Thanks to both Misha and John of Argghhh! for the link.)

Huff to be Tried as an Adult

2003-11-11T09:25:00.000-07:00

Last week, I posted about a 15 year old car thief and murderess. It seems that she's to be tried as an adult.

Good.

She's to be tried for vehicular homicide, aggravated motor vehicular theft, and vehicular eluding. If convicted, she could face a combined maximum of 48 years in jail. (I'd think she would probably wind up in Canon City.) She has yet to be charged with the theft of the Corrections van.

On November 2, she stole a pickup truck and went for a joyride that resulted in a police chase. While trying to evade the authorities, she crashed the truck through a duplex and killed an innocent 28 year old woman who was getting ready for work.

She then went on to steal a Community Correction's van with two other juvenile males on board, after the CC employee left the van running and the security screen unlocked when he or she went to get another juvenille. Huff ditched the van near FC-Love Municipal Airport, and the two boys were retrieved.

While awaiting trial, she is segregated from the adult female prisoners at the County Jail. The County Sheriff has been awarded custody of her. Judge Dave Williams dismissed the juvenile charges against her following a motion to transfer the case to district court. Her bond is set at $500,000.

I'll be watching this case unfold. The fact that she's to be tried as an adult indicates that at least one justice in my area is devoted to accountability and justice. If her guilt can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, she will be found guilty. Should the verdict be handed down, she'll be facing an adult's sentence. I believe this is appropriate, considering the implied premeditation of many of her actions.

Unprofessionalism

2003-11-10T17:02:00.000-07:00

I just helped that administrator. The one who winds up being the victim of passive-agression in the workplace.

His predecessor was...how should I put it?...invited to become successful elsewhere. On his way out, he FUBAR'ed the network. I just spent two and a half hours helping this poor guy work out the mess.

Fast Ether Channel trunks are no longer coterminous; other topology loops were deliberately configured; two switches had their operating systems wiped; and another switch is displaying behavior consistent with an electrical event of some sort. The gateway router has also had its routing tables messed up. They were supposed to be set up with OSPF as a routing protocol, but on his way out, the guy changed it to RIP, version 1, only. Oh--and some backups are missing.

It'll be days before they get this mess completely straightened up. It kind of makes me glad that my company has a policy of a walk-off with security people in cases like that.

Layoffs aside, sometimes people deserve it when they get canned. Not only did my customer's predecessor deserve it, but he should also be prosecuted. His actions were criminal. This company is losing a lot of money, thanks to this.

My sympathies are completely with the new admin. Poor guy.

A Synonym for "Fop".

2003-11-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

Metrosexual. It seems to be the fashionable term lately. According to Word Spy, and MSN Health, a metrosexual is a man who [is], "a straight, sensitive, well-educated, urban dweller who is in touch with his feminine side."

The MSN article, in particular, went on in the manner of an approving wink-and- nudge; "He may have a standing appointment for a weekly manicure, and he probably has his hair cared for by a stylist rather than a barber. He loves to shop, he may wear jewelry, and his bathroom counter is most likely filled with male-targeted grooming products, including moisturizers (and perhaps even a little makeup). He may work on his physique at a fitness club (not a gym) and his appearance probably gets him lots of attention -- and he's delighted by every stare."

However, the references are quick to point out that many metrosexuals are quite heterosexual!

I don't doubt it. But it just underscores a point recently made by Kim du Toit on "The Pussification of the Western Male." He holds, and I agree, that the more powerful aspects of masculinity are being bred or beaten out of our male population. There are naturally energetic boys out there who have been misdiagnosed with ADD. Men are encouraged to suppress strong emotion. A man who expresses outrage is labeled a "Neanderthal". Men are discouraged to do the very things they're biologically programmed to do: like hunt, gather, protect their families with vehemence, and enjoy the sight of an attractive female.

The resources try their damnedest to convince the reader that metrosexuality is something new; something resulting from sexual liberation. It isn't. Earlier ages had these girly-boys, too. Back then, they were called "dandies", "fops", "coxcombs", or more recently, "lounge lizards".

In my opinion, the metrosexual is the direct result of too much money, and too little real work. It's the result of a culture that tries to mediate and legislate every aspect of individual life. Men wearing makeup? Please. One of those...things...would never have a chance in hell with me or any woman I hang out with.

I want (and have!) a man of the sort described by Heinlein:

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.

I don't know a single metrosexual who can do any of those things. They tend to be pretty useless: if it isn't technical, doesn't come prepackaged, or has anything to do with wilderness survival, they don't know what to do with it.

Gods! I see a metrosexual, and I'm afraid that a stiff gust of wind will break the damn thing.

Asatru Returns Home

2003-11-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

(Thanks to The Bartender for the link.)

It seems that the Norse religion is about to be officially re-recognized in Denmark.

As a pagan, I think that's great news. Those I have known who follow the path of troth tend to be very strong, very practical, and quite intelligent people. I have never known anyone who looked to Asatru; or in this case, Forn Sidr, who was a flake. They tend to be very serious in their worship of the Aesir, and I was never ashamed to be seen with any of them, which is more than I can say for some of my Wiccan or "Celtic Pagan" friends.

Sometimes, it seems like the Old Ways have, in recent years, attracted some pretty touchy-feely/moon-eyed romantic freaks. Not so for anyone I have ever met who were pledged to Asatru. Those I have known: knew themselves, their Craft, were solely responsible for their actions, keenly aware of the balance of cause and effect, willing to stand for their principles and beliefs, and looked to no one external for their answers. They were strong, and I respected them tremendously.

I think Denmark, in general, can only benefit from this.

Something to Look Forward To.

2003-11-07T21:20:00.000-07:00

I just got off the phone with my best friend. She and her husband are coming out to see us around New Year's.

She finally gets to meet The Bean. We get to go to the fabric store together. We'll get to sit up late, all of us, and talk about everything and nothing over a bottle of wine, or bottles of hard cider. Miss B.'s grandmother has already stepped up to the plate, claiming rights to take her for the weekend so S. and I can go out and not have to worry about the next morning's aftermath.

It'll be just like our visit in July, when we got to go see her.

While on the phone, she reminded me of a few things. In her gentle, direct way, she reminded me of several things that have slipped out of mind with the difficulties of the last few weeks. Her words were a balm; warm love enveloping me like a favorite quilt. She made me feel better; lighter.

I miss her, and I can't wait to see her. Now, if I could only get another dear friend to come see me...

The weekend is off to a good start.

If you read this, I love you, darlin'.

I Finally Understand

2003-11-07T13:23:00.000-07:00

Two Nervous Dogs has supplied us with a lexicon I can finally understand. I get it now:

"quagmire": any conflict the U.S. engages in without the endorsement of the media. Of course, the media would never actually "endorse" OR "pooh-pooh" any conflict — they are 'neutral' reporters of the news, dammit!" — so in reality ALL conflicts default to "quagmire," regardless of success, necessity, etc. It's only fair."

It's so much clearer, now.

I'm Sure Time-outs and More Redirections Would have Prevented This

2003-11-07T12:35:00.000-07:00

Let's understand the sequence of events.

The fifteen year old criminal described in this article stole a truck last Sunday, and crashed it through a duplex, killing the 28 year old woman who lived there.

She was remanded to the custody of the Platte Valley Youth Services Center in Greeley, Colorado, on Wednesday. When the driver of the community corrections van stopped to pick up another youth, she took advantage of the fact that this person stupidly left the vehicle running, with the security screen left unlocked, and cuff keys on the dashboard, and stole the vehicle. Two other detainees were on board at the time.

In her flight, she hit five other parked cars.

This little bitch was finally caught in Evans, Colorado, last night.

Concession: the driver of the van was stupid.

However, let's not lose sight of the crime. Stephanie Huff is a car thief and a murderer. I don't care that she's "only" fifteen. At some point, she made a conscious decision to commit the crimes that lead to the death of an innocent woman, and who knows how much in destroyed property.

I don't care about her motivations. Ths isn't a novel. There's no need to spend time trying to understand the "angst" or "mitigating circumstances" that led this "poor victim of society" to this point.

She killed somebody. Get it?

She is responsible for her actions. Try her, and put her away.

She's only lucky that I'm not in charge of the law. If I were, I'd have her put down like the animal she apparently is.

The Price of Inaction

2003-11-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

Go see my friend, Ethne. Go read every word she has to say today.

Think about it.

Alliance Assignment: Ode to Glenn

2003-11-06T15:54:00.000-07:00

Evil Glenn:
Round about the blender go;
In the puppy entrails throw.
'Tzu, that under porch stair,
Has shed and lost fuzzy hair;
Drool and chew toy captured got,
Boil thou first i'the charmed pot!

Linda:
Double, double blog i' your bubble;
Link me now or there'll be trouble.

Evil Glenn:
Flank meat of a Finnish Spitz,
In the oven, broils and spits;
Eye of Lab, and toe of hound,
I got them all at the pound,
Rottie's collar, worn quite thin;
Bastard bit me on the shin.
For a shake of powerful trouble,
Watch the puppies boil and bubble.

Linda:
Double, double blog i' your bubble;
Link me now or there'll be trouble!

New Blog Showcase: Semi-Intelligent Thoughts

2003-11-06T15:21:00.000-07:00

I cast my vote for Semi-Intelligent Thoughts' post entitled, "No Offense". It echoes my opinions on the whole Politically Correct movement.

I've long held that PC-ness is pointless. If you really want to put people at ease, try employing good manners, and realize that polite, well-adjusted, mature people know that occasionally, they'll hear or see something that they find offensive. But, being adults, they'll know how to filter it out and merely rejoice in the fact that in a free society, people get to say what they think, and we all get to deal with each other. Like adults.

And that's double plus good.

Creativity Stirring

2003-11-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

So, the baby and I have had the flu this week, my husband's grandmother died last week, we found out that his job is going away sooner than expected, my job has some not-fun things going on, and I suddenly have the urge to write something creative.

It doesn't make sense. I haven't had anything creative buzzing around my skull since the last Filthy-Lie-About-Evil-Glenn. I certainly haven't had the urge to write anything completely original for months.

See, I was on my way to work this morning, nursing a headache. The baby was playing in her carseat, babbling at me, when it hit:

You need to write a children's story.
What do you mean, I "need to write a children's story"?

Write it for your nephew and yor sitter's little girl. Get it bound at Kinko's and give it to them for Christmas.
What the hell are you talking about? And where the fuck have you been the last few months, anyway?

I'm your muse. I get to come and go as I please.
Yeah, you can go get me a turkey pot pie, bitch. "Come and go as you please." Come on. Besides, I have no idea what to write.

When it's done, It'll look like this.
Oh, that's nice. I can see the finished product, but I can't make out the words! What good's a children's story without the freakin' story?

Listen, doll. I'm your muse, and if you don't do as I say, I'll reach out and grab you by your...
Bitch, if you're reaching for anything, it's that bottle of ibuprofen over there. If you want me to write, you'd better give me some inspiration before I bitch-slap your ass back to that story I started in June.

You little...
Honey, I haven't been "little" since I gave birth. Either give me something useful or shut the fuck up.

Consider yourself inspired. (*sniff*) Sometimes, you are such a...
You! Turkey pot pie and ibuprofen. NOW!

Have fun. (*poof*)
Bitch always has to have the last word...

....................
So, that's my writing process. Funny thing is that I think I have an idea or two. I can see the finished product. I guess I'd better just put words to the pictures in my head.

Sometimes I hate being a writer. This isn't one of those times.

Rant

2003-11-05T14:15:00.000-07:00

I've started this post three times. It degenerates into helpless ranting every single time. But I no longer care.

The bottom line is that my husband was to lose his job on Dec. 31st. They've upped it to Dec. 5th. Worse, he gets to spend the last three weeks of his tenure training his replacement, with no hope of getting hired on by the company taking over.

I don't blame Bush. So DO NOT think to use this post as ammunition in the argument that the current administration is ruining the economy. It was eight years of Clinton-licking-internomics that got us here. Blaming President Bush won't fly around here, bucko. This has nothing to do with politics.

It has everything to do with an industry that rode the wave of economic upturns without the farsightedness to plan ahead for the inevitable downturn. It has everything to do with a small managed services firm that is so poorly invested in their employees, that their uncaring unprofessionalism at the top levels came through, and lost them their contracts, and therefore their employees' jobs.

After he's laid off, and receiving his unemployment benefits, I will disclose the name of that little firm. I hope the owner winds up more broken than any of his former employees. I hope all the workers--my husband included--become wildly successful. I hope I'm in a position someday to tell the man who couldn't run his business properly where to go, how to get there, and what to suck when he arrives.

Am I angry? Yes. But that makes me focused. We'll be fine.

Glimpse of Life: I Have to Take a Test

2003-11-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

Political commentary is just one aspect of my life. Another aspect is...well, life.

I have to take a test next week. Really, this exam shouldn't be a big deal. It's a certification exam on products that I've already been supporting for almost five years. I know this crap backwards, forwards, inside out, and outside in. In fact, I serve as a resource to my colleagues when they get stumped.

So, I should be sitting back with my feet up on my desk, snoozing through the whole concept, right?

WRONG.

I'm one of those freaks who go through test anxiety. Sure, I know the product and its capabilities. I know all the feature sets inside and out, and it doesn't take me long to remember a command when I need to. But, when someone tells me that I actually have to sit down and fill out a form (even multiple choice) that evaluates my knowledge, I start reviewing everything in my head, and I let myself get all muzzied up. I freak myself out, and then I start doing other things like chewing my fingernails and wishing to Gods for a cigarette.

I start studying obsessively. As the deadline approaches, I get even wierder. I start bemoaning the fact that I need "the stupid piece of paper" in the first place. I glare at every computer in my path. I whinge to my husband, who listens with bemused sympathy on the outside, yet thinks I'm a complete nutter on the inside.

In other words, I start acting like a moonbat. I hate that.

This is all just a long-winded explanation why blogging will be light today. I have training materials and manuals launched on my screen, and although I'm yawning through much of it, I keep telling myself that review is everything.

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into my personal neurosis.

I'll try to win back your respect later.

Better Late Than Never. I guess.

2003-11-04T16:11:00.000-07:00

"What? " you say. "What are your qualifications for governor of the state of California?" Well I'm glad you asked. I realize the importance of breathing when running a state with a gross national product larger than most nations, and I've been breathing successfully for over 29 years. I'm very passionate about breathing. Breathing is what keeps me going from day to day. "

This is funny because he actually makes a fairly cogent point:

"Better yet, let's have the legislators start helping out around the house. If they're late on the budget, let's send the janitorial staff home early and have the legislators start cleaning floors and washing windows. After all, until the budget is passed, state workers only get minimum wage! Let's give our law makers some extra incentive to do their jobs!

What do you suppose would happen if you didn't do your job?"

Go read the homepage at least. I haven't laughed so hard since the comments to this post at The Rott's place.

Quagmire in Iraqinam! NOT

2003-11-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

How dare they! How could they! My Gods, the daring, the gall, the unbelievable spleen of those people!

How could they make the rebuilding in Iraq successful?

(Hat tip to Ethne)

MJ's Bentley being auctioned?

2003-11-04T13:07:00.000-07:00

I want to permalink to this, but my husband's permalinks are blogspotted.

So, hop on over, and scroll down or do [CTRL]+F, and search for "Bentley".

His comments are hilarious.

Photojournalistic Exaggeration

2003-11-04T12:37:00.000-07:00

My husband is a photographer, and I'm sure he'll identify the visual monkey tricks in the photo highlighted in this article from Honest Reporting.

Most telling is the revelation that fully 90% of photojournalists taking pictures of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict are themselves Palestinian.

There wouldn't be any distortion as a result, would there? I mean, these people are fully vested in journalistic ethics, aren't they? Aren't they?

And the crickets go wild.

All righty, then.

Ask a Cabbie

2003-11-04T12:32:00.000-07:00

Steven Vincent tells us about the variations of public opinion as conveyed by the cabbies of Baghdad in this article.

However individuals may feel about the Coalition, and whatever their motivations are for thise opinions, I'll bet it still feels good to be free to have those dissenting views without Saddam's thugs kicking in the door in the middle of the night, or abducting and torturing people.

SUSE Acquired by Novell?

2003-11-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

And, disturbingly, my favorite flavor of LINUX is being acquired by Novell.

It may be a gasp of desperation on the part of the once-proud vendor.

Don't get me wrong. I've always liked Novell, too.

CBS Drops "The Reagans"

2003-11-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

Via the statement, courtesy of The Drudge Report:

"CBS will not broadcast THE REAGANS on November 16 and 18. This decision is based solely on our reaction to seeing the final film, not the controversy that erupted around a draft of the script.

Although the mini-series features impressive production values and acting performances, and although the producers have sources to verify each scene in the script, we believe it does not present a balanced portrayal of the Reagans for CBS and its audience. Subsequent edits that we considered did not address those concerns."

Am I the only person who thinks that if it weren't for the controversy, this piece of trash would still be going on the air?

Added to the Roll

2003-11-04T10:10:00.000-07:00

I've read Colorado Conservative for a while now. He's a "home boy", living more than a few miles to the south of my humble little abode.

He's articulate, reasonable, and clearheaded. I like his blog a lot.

An Old Saab features a writer who has been known to haunt the comments on both Bill Whittle's and Misha's sites. Jeremy is a gentlemanly, intelligent, well-spoken person. I've enjoyed the comments he's left on various sites, and now I get to enjoy his voice on the blog he posts to.

I consider it a daily must-read.

Ripples is like a cool drop of water in this turbulent world. His posts, All Life is Connected, and A Time For letting Go were balms. I plan to visit this blog daily, as well, just for the peace and thought he so gently provokes.

Thank you, Misha, for the link to him!

UPDATE: Also added, is Spacecraft, a most fascinating blog. I've always been enthralled by everything related to aerospace and space exploration. This gentleman is a professor teaching astromechanics, spacecraft design, and spacecraft dynamics and control.

And...he blogs. His subjects are wide-ranging and interesting. Sometimes, you run across a writing voice that just makes you sit back with a satisfied smile, knowing that you are about to be challenged and expanded. Besides, anyone who reads, and re-reads, anything by Tolkien is a kindred spirit in my estimation. I really, really like this blog.

Humor

2003-11-03T11:59:00.000-07:00

Beverage alert.

"The Franco-Prussian War - Lost
Germany first plays the role of drunk Frat boy to France's ugly girl home alone on a Saturday night."

"Going to war without France is like going deer hunting without your accordion."
--Norman Schwartzkopf"

Doing the Right Thing.

2003-11-03T11:41:00.000-07:00

My husband and I went to the bookstore yesterday to meet this very nice lady. While we were there, my husband spotted a lost child.

This little boy couldn't have been more than six years old, tops. He'd lost track of his dad, and was barely clinging to his composure. We looked around for the parents, but didn't see anyone. We looked to see if an bookstore employee was working this section, so we could appeal to an "official", but no one was paying attention. I looked over at my husband, whose heart was in his eyes. He was empathizing deeply with the little guy, and we just couldn't let it go.

I wound up approaching him. He was willing to come with me to the customer service desk. Fortunately, on our way over there, he spotted his dad and ran straight to him. I approached the father to tell him what I'd been doing--so he'd know that I wasn't abducting his child. He said a hurried thanks, and I left him comforting his little one. I heard him tell the boy that he'd just stepped away for a second to look at a book with his sister. I heard the little boy say that he just wanted to go home.

I got back over to S., and reached up to touch his face, and stroke our baby's hair. The experience left us both shaken and glad that we have a policy of going out into public as a team--so one can wrangle the baby while the other keeps watch. We reaffirmed our decision to keep doing that, so the same sort of thing would never happen to the Bean. After all, not everyone who would approach an unwatched child has altruistic motivations.

Which brings me to another point, and one which my beloved explores in his blog today. The point is that the notion that any man who approaches a child must be predatory, bugs us. To be sure, there are many evildoers out there, which is why S. and I have the tag team philosophy. We're never at anything less than yellow alert outside our own front door. But where do you balance that natural, and often well-justified, caution against doing the right thing?

Let's change the situation a little:
My husband is out in public. I know, and you know, that he is a devoted and loving husband and father. But, for the sake of argument, let's say he was at the bookstore alone. Maybe he's shopping for my Christmas present, or finding a new board book for the baby to chew on. All alone, he sees the lost little boy, who is desperately looking for his daddy in the crowded bookstore.

What should S. do? Should he bow to the general belief that as a man, he should not approach the strange child? Or, should he do the right thing, kicking convention to the winds, in order to help the child before a real predator has a chance to step in?

S. thought it over, and came to what I feel is the right decision. He decided that society's prejudices can go to hell. He knows that he would never harm a child, and he knows that someone else might. He knows that if his child were lost, he would hope and pray that someone with a good heart would help her get back to us. Therefore, if the situation ever repeats, my husband will take the risk that meddling busybodies might jump to an evil conclusion about him, and he will defy their bias, to just help the person in need.

My husband decided that the prejudice is society's ill, and he won't be party to it.

Sometimes, you just have to do the Right Thing, regardless of public perception.

Another Filthy Lie: Evil Glenn's Hallowe'en Plans

2003-10-31T14:22:00.000-07:00

Well, the Gang from Willie's didn't kill me after I let Evil Glenn go.

In fact, just about everybody was pretty damn understanding. Even The Rottweiler, Himself was sympathetic when I returned his dogs. "Evil Glenn is like Loki," the Emperor told me, "He is an eternal foe, but we will get him someday."

I was sad to see the dogs go, even though it was clear that they were happier with their studded collars and spot by their Imperial Master's feet. Misha himself was girded for battle, with his kevlar coif framing his face, and his crown agleam in the light of his hall.

"Who's got it coming this time?" I asked. It wasn't every day that Misha had to armor himself before dragging out Fiskhamer.

"O'Connor," he answered shortly, and patted his favorite weapon. "I shall rid the realm of her idiocy, yet."

"Happy hunting," I said, and dismissed myself.

When I got back to Madfish Willie's, I found the Bartender sitting at the bar, with a bottle of Beam in front of him, and a pyramid of sticky shot glasses. The bottle was about half gone. "Whassup?" I asked, plunking down next to him, and helping myself to an unused shot glass.

He swallowed hard, "This."

"Oh my God!" I had to swallow hard. "He isn't... he wouldn't..."

"He did." The Bartender downed another shot.

"So...what are we going to do about it?"

He just looked me up and down. "We're having a party."

"All of us?"

"The whole Alliance of Free Bloggers."

The wheels started turning in the ol' noggin. The smell of smoke was quickly drawn away by the air conditioning behind the bar. Then I started to laugh, "And since the Puppy Blender is a member of the Alliance..."

"He'll be here." He pointed toward the office. "Now get your tail in there and print up some invitations."

Here's what I came up with:

Are YOU a Member of the Alliance of Free Bloggers?

Then come on down to Madfish Willie's Cyber Saloon for drinks, winks, (robot) dancin', romancin', and a king-sized hangover come Saturday morning!

First one hundred bloggers across the threshold get served personally by The Corner of the Bar Babes in all their Hallowe'en finery!

So come on down, folks! We're sure Evil Glenn won't be able to resist!

American Haunts

2003-10-31T12:32:00.000-07:00

A Confederate sharpshooter has never left his vantage point.

The abolitionist, John Brown, still walks the streets of Harper's Ferry, West Virginia.

We're told that General Erskine still oversees his manor and forge at Ringwood Manor.

Were they really wolves? It may be that brave Colonel Henry "Lighthouse Harry" Lee was all too eager to think so.

Let us not forget the historic Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. (Just down the road from where my husband grew up.) Built by F.O. Stanley, and opened for business in 1909, it seems that the creator of the structure is still around. His wife, Flora, also remains, playing her piano for the enjoyment of the many guests who still come and go from the gorgeous old Georgian hotel. It seems that the keys of the piano can be seen moving, but stop as soon as someone crosses the threshold of the room to investigate more closely.

Children also haunt the hotel, according to local legend, and room 418 seems to a a particular hotbed of incorporeal activity.

Contrary to popular belief, the movie The Shining, directed by Stanley Kubrick, was not actually shot at the Stanley Hotel, even though Stephen King did write much of his book there.

Not only was Molly Brown unsinkable, it also seems that she's pretty attached to her historic house in Denver, Colorado. In addition to reports of Molly sightings around the house, her husband and daughter are still there, and visitors have seen an angry butler reflected in a mirror near the stairs.

It may be that Molly isn't easy to live with, even now.

Theme of the Day: All Hallows Tales

2003-10-31T10:47:00.000-07:00

The Winchester Mystery House

What is a civilization without its stories? More specifically, what is Hallowe'en without ghost stories? Civilization Calls devotes today to tales of the strange, the grotesque, and the freaky.

Considering that I'm the daughter of a veteran and a gunsmith, and a devoted fan of all things ballistic, our first story is about the Winchester Mystery House.

Sarah L. Winchester, the widow of William W. Winchester, began work on what would come to be known as the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California in 1884.

She began construction on the house after consultations with a spirit medium, who told her that she had lost her husband and infant daughter to the ghosts of people killed by Winchster firearms. (This author thinks that it wasn't so much a message from the grave, as an early, manipulative form of Bradyism.) The medium told Sarah Winchester that she must move out west, and begin constant construction on a house to appease the spirits of the dead, and prevent further evil from the curse they had placed upon her.

Whatever the motivation, Mrs. Winchester began construction on an eight-room farmhouse she purchased in what would become San Jose. She was reportedly a diminutive woman--no more than 4'10" in height. People who take the tour of the historic structure are shown a door that was built especially to accomodate her petite build. The design of the house afforded her many vantage points from which she could stand, unobserved, and watch construction workers and staff. She paid $7 a day--a generous wage in those days. She paid her staff daily, because she was known to hire and fire on a whim.

By the time Mrs. Winchester died, in 1922, there were 160 rooms in the house. Several were badly damaged in the 1906 earthquake. Sarah was trapped in one of the upper levels of the house during the quake, with plaster raining down around her. Some of her workers found her at last, and were able to use a crowbar to break her out. Following the quake, she had that section of the house closed off.

The architectural history of the Winchester House is curious in its own right. For example, spiderweb patterns and the number 13 repeat throughout the house. But without the attendant tales of hauntings, it could merely be written off as an oddly beautiful structure built by an eccentric widow.

Some argue that Sarah built according to the urgings of spirits. Tourists are shown the seance room, with its secret doors that lead in and out. Off the seance room is the well-known staircase that leads nowhere. Ghosts proportedly reside in the mansion to this day.

Even during Mrs. Winchester's life, strange occurances were rather commonplace. There are reports of a "phantom organist", especially during the seance hours of midnight and 2 a.m.. In the early years of construction, it is reported that Mrs. Winchester went down to her cellar for a bottle of wine. She was "horrified" to find a large black handprint on the wall. When the spirits "told" her that it was a demon's hand, she swore off alcohol for the remainder of her days, and had the wine cellar very carefully sealed off.

There are reports of a workman who still does his job, globes of light, hammering and pounding noises, the smell of chicken soup wafting out of the kitchens, doorknobs turn by themselves, lights that flicker off and on, echoing footsteps, and an apparition of a diminutive grey-haired woman.

In an interesting aside, my husband and I recently visited the strange mansion. Appreciating fine carpentery, he snapped several photos of the more unusual aspects of the house with a brand-new Canon digi-cam I gave him for his birthday. When we got home, and downloaded the pictures, we saw that one shot in particular displays anomalies.

It was a shot taken of the staircase that ends abruptly. There are orbs in it. There are no orbs in any other pictures. No other photo has specks in it that might indicate dust on the lens, or refracted light. Only that one has anything odd in it.

To Mrs. William Wirt Winchester: I hope you found your loved ones, fine wine, and a good hunt once you cast off this mortal coil.

Happy Hallowe'en.

Another Interruption to Right-Wing Ranting

2003-10-31T09:25:00.000-07:00

I came in this morning, started perusing the news, and got a shock.

The goth guy I work with--who is a very cool guy, BTW--came in. In goth-grrl drag. And fangs.

And the bitch is prettier than I am.

Needless to say, I'm completely derailed. I think I need to go claw her eyes out.

Linda wads up belly-dance belt and tunic, and tosses them in the corner.

More light blogging.

2003-10-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

My husband and I received news this morning that his last grandparent passed away in the early hours.

He's fine. Really. Her death wasn't unexpected. She'd been ill for some time.

My in-laws are on their way to the funeral as I type this, having discouraged us from going. They're concerned about many things, not least of which is the Bean. She's too little, we're told, for that kind of road trip. I encouraged my love to go, but he won't leave me alone with the baby. He tells me that there is no way he will leave my side without other family around to help in case of emergency.

Since Mom also forbids us to send flowers, I think that I'll just go over on the day we expect them back, and make sure that a nice stew is on the stove when they get in.

That, as much as anything else, should explain the light blogging today. But I have another ~~encounter~~ filthy lie to relate regarding Evil Glenn.

Watch this space.

New Blogger Showcase: Peripheral Mind

2003-10-29T13:03:00.000-07:00

With this, I cast my vote. There were several great entries this time, and a few lukewarm ones.

But when I clicked on the link to Peripheral Mind, I was quite impressed. The layout is gorgeous. The content is intelligent, well-written, thoughtful, and well-supported.

The post itself, "Legalizing Illegals" discusses the pitfalls of awarding the rewards of citizenship to people who are in our country illegally.

Skeleton Jack writes,

"The granting of legal rights to illegal immigrants is an affront to the economic system that has made our country the only modern super-power. For a young person to be granted a student or work visa in the United States, they must meet strict guidelines. Indeed, one may say that they must compete for the right to study, work, or live in the United States. There is great merit in this idea."

I'm adding this blog to my list of links immediately.

Precision Guided Humor: What I've Learned From Teddy Kennedy

2003-10-29T10:33:00.000-07:00

1. Having an (in)famous surname can cover a lot of sins.
2. Having an (in)famous surname can get you off in criminal proceedings.
3. Pigs do fly. They also drink and drive habitually, and take part in politics.
4. When you don't have facts, resort to hyperbole.
5. When hyperbole is overbourne by fact, get mad.
6. The issues are never to be subordinated to the quest for solutions--especially when you can dine out on them.

(Author's note: OK, not very funny. But now, at least, everyone knows I feel about that sot.)

From Blackfive: Saving Specialist Gray

2003-10-28T13:31:00.000-07:00

Blackfive gives us the post, "Saving Specialist Gray".

I won't add anything but this: Go read it. Right. Now. And ask yourself why the "mainstream media" couldn't be bothered to report this?

Oh--and the next time somebody wants to denigrate our service people in any way, in my hearing, they can kiss my ass.

Arson in So-Cal fire.

2003-10-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

From the article:

"When there is arson it just complicates the whole grieving process," said fire chaplain Steven Kay of nearby Redlands. "Your suffering becomes rage because someone did this to you."

For many fire survivors it will be important that they express their feelings without doing damage to themselves or anyone else, Kay said."

At this point, Fire Chaplain Kay, I think it'd be appropriate to let the residents who lost their homes and/or their loved ones hurt the arsonist in very inventive ways.

It'll keep from adding to California's deficits when they don't have to support that asshole in prison for the rest of his life.

"Cindy Montepagano, a soil conservationist who was evacuated from her home in the San Bernardino mountains two days ago, said the fire has even changed some of her beliefs about punishing criminals.

"I was totally against the death penalty and have been all my life, but I'm beginning to change my mind," she said. "It's that serious."

Amen to that. Sometimes you have to shoot the rabid dog when they're ravening in the streets.

"Authorities released a composite sketch Monday night of a man suspected of starting the blaze that has destroyed at least 450 homes and been blamed for the deaths of two people. Investigators were seeking two men in their early or mid-20s who were seen throwing flaming objects from a van along Highway 18.

Authorities said at least three blazes were suspected of arson, which together have destroyed 527 homes and more than 90,000 acres."

The KTLA feedroom has a composite sketch of the arson suspect.

I say throw him to the victims when he's caught.

Bastard.

License plate and car description for latest Amber Alert

2003-10-28T11:53:00.000-07:00

Marquis Jones is believed to be in extreme danger. His mother was found shot to death. He's been missing since Saturday. Click the yellow ticker above for photos and more information.

He and his supposed abductor may be in a white 1999 Isuzu Rodeo with Virginia tags: JHA-2602.

Anyone with information, call 911 or the Virginia State Police at 800-822-4453, or the Chesterfield (Virginia) County Police at 804-748-1832.
---------------------

Also, Cecilia Zhang remains missing. Anyone with information, please dial 911 or call the Toronto Police at 416-808-3300.

I'm Mad. Hold Me!

2003-10-28T11:36:00.000-07:00

I think my kid is poised on the edge of another milestone in development. She's been this way once or twice before. The first time she was like this, she was on the verge of sitting up. The last time she was this strange mix of happy-go-lucky and piss-pot crabby, she was about to start crawling.

She's been standing with assistance for about two and a half months. She's been walking along the edges of the furniture, clinging to it, for about as long. She has one of those walker toys that she pushes around with confidence. Over the last two weeks, she's even stood up without assistance for a few seconds here and there. Then, she remembers that gravity works, and flump, her padded butt kisses the floor.

She's also applying "Ma-Ma" and "Da-Da" to the right person. Two nights running, she's even looked up at her Dad, grinned, and shrieked, "Dah-dee! Da-da! Dah-dee!" (Of course she won't repeat it when you want her to.)

She's also working on cutting her eigth tooth. (I highly recomend frozen washcloths during the day, and the night time strength Orajel at bedtime.)

Watching her, I think she's poised on the verge of standing unassisted, which means that she may well be walking by her first birthday (coming up on December 11th; yes, I'm both excited and sad).

The point is that all of this physical and cognitive development makes her a bit volatile.

It was cold this morning. No more than 40 degrees (F) outside. After I finished feeding her breakfast, I went out to start the car. I came back in, and spent five minutes trying to get her to let me brush her teeth. (We got one of those sets with the brush you slip over your finger. Would you like to see the bruises on my cuticle?) I no sooner got that done, and the toothbrush put away, than she looked up at me, said, "Ma-ma," and laughed. So, I picked her up and put her in my lap to put her little soft-soled tennies on her feet. She laughed the whole time I did that, blew raspberries, clucked her tongue, and gave me open-mouthed baby kisses.

Well, I thought, This is shaping up to be a fine morning. So, I kissed her back, and decided to give her a new experience. I got her new winter coat out. I think it's really adorable. It's light purple in color, with snowflakes embroidered on the left breast, and fake fur bordering the hood and sleeves. She looks like a piece of candy in it. She didn't mind it in the store. Nor did she mind it when she modeled it for her 'Dah-dee' the first time.

She minded it this morning. I listened to her hollering at me for the entire twenty minute journey south. I got her to the babysitter's, and got the coat off her. She was still mad, and grousing about it, but she swarmed into my lap, wanting to be held.

After a little, I put her on the floor, and got down next to her, handing the coat over for examination. She played with it, chewed on the fake fur, and even started doing her happy baby dance where she bounces and pounds the object in question with her fists.

My sitter's baby came over, and reached for the coat. Now, as recently as yesterday, this baby bit my baby. My Wee Miss B. looked over at her playmate, raised her hand, and slapped this other little girl across the face. Then, as the other baby started to cry, she looked up at me, burst into tears, and reached for me.

I looked at K. helplessly, while I comforted my sobbing baby. Her sobbing baby was in her arms. She just laughed, "Looks like B. is learning how to stand up for herself."

"But," I started...

"No," she said, "They go through this. B. got bitten yesterday. That's her coat. She decided she'd had enough. I guarantee they'll be fine with each other in five minutes." She thought a minute, "Five bucks says B. is walking in the next three weeks."

So there, you're all witnesses. If my baby is walking within the next three weeks, my babysitter gets five bucks.

And a bonus at Christmas for just being such a saint with crabby kids.

Nourishing Your Child Properly.

2003-10-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

TwoDragons over at Who Tends the Fires has an excellent post on the importance of seeing to your child's nutrition.

She holds, and I completely agree, that making junk food a staple in a child's diet sets them up for hyperactivity and poor health--up to and including obesity and behaviors that can be misdiagnosed as ADD.

Caring parents know that sometimes, "No" is appropriate. Children need guidance and role-modeling to understand what is, and is not, healthy.

This includes more than just diet. Helping children learn self-discipline, abstinence, and delay of gratification can only help them in the long run when it comes to dealing with life's disappointments and Big Choices. Teaching them how to make good decisions regarding something as seemingly innocuous as nutrition can, and will, ultimately translate into the ability to face other choices critically, rather than emotionally.

Why are you still over here? Go read her post.

P.S. My thanks to Emperor Misha for the original link. (And don't hide those photos, Sire. We all want to see the photos of the Imperial Scions with frosting in their ears!)

SO-Cal Ablaze

2003-10-27T17:05:00.000-07:00

Everyone already knows about this, so I'm not reporting anything new. But last year, Colorado was horribly ablaze, too, and lots of people lost their homes. Far too many souls lost their lives--just as too many folks have already died thanks to this blaze.

Thoughts and prayers are all well and good. Of course California will receive disaster funds as well. But if you can see yor way to donating to the Red Cross, and other relief agencies, the folks personally impacted by this tragedy will have food in their bellies, shelter, and medical assistance.

Thanks.

Saved!

2003-10-27T16:58:00.000-07:00

I know, the sight of me happy dancing around the place just is not pretty. I still have ten post-baby pounds to lose. So, if it disturbs you, look away.

But, I just got the call that saved my evening: "Hey, don't bother doing any more testing. You...you...let's just say that you're one in a thousand. The situation only occurs under this arcane set of circumstances, and...what the hell did you do to trigger that? Is it a blue moon already? Never mind. It's getting fixed in the next revision."

I spend most days hating the lab. Not so, now.

In other news, Hallowe'en is almost here (my very favorite holiday--ranks right above Christmas), and my babysitter is bringing my baby in for the company-sponsored Trick or Treating. She has a bumblebee costume with a little plush stinger on the butt. I'm just hoping that it'll fit. I bought it a month ago, along with some other clothes that she's already outgrowing. We'll try it on her tonight. If it doesn't fit, we still have the kitty-cat ears and a bib that reads, "Heathen".

Problem is, people who know me will understand that it's a declaration, and not a costume...

Light Blogging

2003-10-27T16:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the light blogging today, but I've discovered a new issue on one of the products I support. It shouldn't be there. There is no reason why this particular error should show up on this product. (Sloppy modular programming? Hmmm. I wonder. But aren't firmware builds supposed to be cleaned up, and "personalized" for each product? I'm just askin's, all.)

Now I just have to figure out what triggered it, and send the test results to the lab so they can fix it.

But a friend told me on Friday to not let work get to me, because life's too short for that. He's right, and so I shan't.

But I still gotta get my tailbone back into my lab for now.

Shaddup, already!

2003-10-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

Linked off this commentary on CNet is a typical example of Carly Fiorina's (CEO of Hewlett Packard) infatuation with her own rhetoric.

She's trying really hard to clearly explain HP's new "Adaptive Enterprise" strategy--and failing miserably. When it's all boiled down to technobabble mush, it seems that it is all about the middleware wars.

If you'd like a good snooze during your lunch hour, go ahead and click on the vid stream. I particularly like her bit about it being about the ultimate goal of "Beam me up Scotty, and it happens."

Lots of people wish he would--only to immediately jettison her skinny ass into space.

Shut up, Carly.