January 2010 Archives

Another Thing I'd Forgotten

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It's so dreary here most of the time when it rains that anything out of the norm is unusual.

It was that way when there was thunder and lightning.

It's that way with a rainbow.

rerainbow.jpg

A Lovely Suggestion ...

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From a stranger at the yarn shop (where I'd gone to see about what I understand now is properly called 'cordage').

If you have drawstring anything, and the drawstring has eroded, you can replace it with SHOELACES.

Yes, it works just fine, and the eyelet bit makes it easy to thread through, for example, trousers.

I work fine with a set of 54" work boots, for example.
The Dynabook's original illustration in Alan C. Kay's 1972 paper

Dynabook

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Dynabook concept was created by Alan Kay in 1968, two years before the founding of Xerox PARC. Kay wanted to make "A Personal Computer For Children Of All Ages." The ideas led to the development of the Xerox Alto prototype, which was originally called "the interim Dynabook".[1][2] It embodied all the elements of a graphical user interface, or GUI, as early as 1972. The software component of this research was Smalltalk, which went on to have a life of its own independent of the Dynabook concept.

The Dynabook concept described what is now known as a laptop computer or, (in some of its other incarnations) a tablet PC or slate computer with nearly eternal battery life and software aimed at giving children access to digital media. Adults could also use a Dynabook, but the target audience was children.

When Microsoft came up with its tablet PC, Alan Kay was quoted as saying "Microsoft's Tablet PC, the first Dynabook-like computer good enough to criticize," a comment he had earlier applied to the Apple Macintosh.

Kay wanted the Dynabook concept to embody the learning theories of Jerome Bruner and some of what Seymour Papert-- who had studied with developmental psychologist Jean Piaget and who invented the Logo programming language -- was proposing. The hardware on which the programming environment ran was relatively irrelevant. Since the late 1990s, Kay has been working on the Squeak programming system, an open source Smalltalk-based environment which could be seen as a logical continuation of the Dynabook concept. Toshiba also has a line of sub-notebook computers called DynaBook.

Alan Kay is actively involved in the One Laptop Per Child project that uses Smalltalk, Squeak, and the concepts of a computer for learning.

Though the hardware required to create a Dynabook is here today, Alan Kay still thinks the Dynabook hasn't been invented yet, because key software and educational curriculum are missing.

Heheheh...

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iPad (finally)

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really funny at 13:18 on (watch all the unprocessed SWFs as little broken blue legos scattered all about).  Steve ignores it.


I think the *real* news here isn't the release, but the A4 chip that powers it.  This is the first time that Apple has ever made their own chips.

Off to the side, their example flic (cheesy, but cute):

No, We Don't Stand Condemned

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I have to agree with Flipper's kid, there really *was* a lot of 'baby baby baby' and 'hey hey hey' in music when I was a kid.

Still, that doesn't define most of my main favorites.  Some of them don't define the groups themselves (anymore).  There was a lot of music that had nothing like the 'pop' genre stock stuff that we listened to.

For instance, Jethro Tull's Aqualung is *not* a baby/hey album.

Queen's original foray into the big time wasn't We Are The Champions, but Killer Queen.  It always strikes me as funny listening to that at some sports event, thinking what a flamer Freddie Mercury was.  Killer Queen was (acoustically) one of the most advanced bits of its age.

Pink Floyd was *obviously* not baby/hey music (they may have used the words from time to time, but ironically).

The Who did Tommy, Spirit did The Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus, John Lennon put out Imagine and Power to the People.  Blood Sweat, and Tears (need I list???).

I bet some of my contemporaries have notables to mention who were lyricists of renown that I've omitted.

from: va.gov

Veterans may be eligible for disability compensation and health care benefits for diseases that VA has recognized as associated with exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides:

  • Acute and Subacute Peripheral Neuropathy
    A nervous system condition that causes numbness, tingling, and motor weakness. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10% disabling within 1 year of exposure to Agent Orange and resolve within 2 years after the date it began.
  • AL Amyloidosis
    A rare disease caused when an abnormal protein, amyloid, enters tissues or organs.
  • B Cell Leukemias
    Cancers which affect B cells, such as hairy cell leukemia.
  • Chloracne (or Similar Acneform Disease)
    A skin condition that occurs soon after dioxin exposure and looks like common forms of acne seen in teenagers. Under VA's rating regulations, chloracne (or other acneform disease similar to chloracne) must be at least 10% disabling within 1 year of exposure to Agent Orange.
  • Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
    A disease that progresses slowly with increasing production of excessive numbers of white blood cells.
  • Diabetes Mellitus (Type 2)
    A disease characterized by high blood sugar levels resulting from the body's inability to respond properly to the hormone insulin.
  • Hodgkin's Disease
    A malignant lymphoma (cancer) characterized by progressive enlargement of the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen, and by progressive anemia.
  • Ischemic Heart Disease
    A disease characterized by a reduced supply of blood to the heart.
  • Multiple Myeloma
    A cancer of specific bone marrow cells that is characterized by bone marrow tumors in various bones of the body.
  • Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
    A group of cancers that affect the lymph glands and other lymphatic tissue.
  • Parkinson's Disease
    A motor system condition with symptoms that include trembling of the limbs and face and impaired balance.
  • Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
    A disorder characterized by liver dysfunction and by thinning and blistering of the skin in sun-exposed areas. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10% disabling within 1 year of exposure to Agent Orange.
  • Prostate Cancer
    Cancer of the prostate; one of the most common cancers among men.
  • Respiratory Cancers
    Cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea, and bronchus.
  • Soft Tissue Sarcoma (other than Osteosarcoma, Chondrosarcoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, or Mesothelioma)
    A group of different types of cancers in body tissues such as muscle, fat, blood and lymph vessels, and connective tissues.

After what I said about the official US mass murderer Lt. William Calley, it turns out he apologized last year:

  • Calley apologizes for My Lai massacre - Military- msnbc.com

    Aug 21, 2009 ... William L. Calley, the only US Army officer convicted in the 1968 slayings of Vietnamese civilians at My Lai, has made an extraordinary ...
    www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32514139 - Cached -
  • William Calley apologizes for My Lai massacre - News - Ledger ...

    Aug 21, 2009 ... William Calley, the former Army lieutenant convicted on 22 counts of murder in the infamous My Lai Massacre in Vietnam, publicly apologized ...
    www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/story/813820.html - Cached - Similar -
  • Calley apologizes for My Lai massacre | ajc.com

    Aug 21, 2009 ... For more than 40 years, William Calley refused to talk about his role in the notorious My Lai Massacre, which led to the deaths of up to 500 ...
    www.ajc.com/news/calley-apologizes-for-my-120814.html - Cached - Similar -
  • Calley Apologizes for 1968 My Lai Massacre

    Aug 24, 2009 ... Over forty-one years after the My Lai Massacre, when US troops killed more than 500 men, women and children in Vietnam, the former Army ...
    www.democracynow.org/.../calley_apologizes_for_1968_my_lai - Cached - Similar -
  • Calley Apologizes For My Lai Massacre | The Onion - America's ...

    Aug 26, 2009 ... Lt. William Calley, the only soldier to be held legally accountable for the 1968 massacre at My Lai, Vietnam, apologized in a speech to the ...
    www.theonion.com/content/.../calley_apologizes_for_my_lai - Cached - Similar -
  • Calley Apologizes For My Lai Massacre | KOSU Radio

    Aug 21, 2009 ... Speaking in a soft, sometimes labored voice, the only US Army officer convicted in the 1968 slayings of Vietnamese civilians at My Lai made ...
    kosu.org/2009/08/calley-apologizes-for-my-lai-massacre/ - Cached
  • Aqualung Missing text

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    It appears that the CD version of 'Aqualung' is missing some rather interesting text that fit fine on the 33 1/3 LP Album.

    aq1.gif

    Yes, it really does happen.  Watch it:


    Wikiediting

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    One can't really *trust* the wiki, yano?  A lot of folks *want* it to say what they already believe, and if it contradicts them and causes them cognitive dissonance, they 'fix' the problem.

    A good example is the swastika/sauwastika problem.  Some years back (before it became so well known) I read an article on the wiki about this image.  It was very clearly put.
    A hemispherical cup anemometer of the type invented in 1846 by John Thomas Romney Robinson
    The 'rotational' aspect of the images are as if they are blowing in the wind (like a anemometer).
     
    If it's rotating 'clockwise' it's a swastika, and it's a good luck charm.

    If it's rotating 'counter-clockwise' it's the sauwastika, and it's the bad luck sign.

    Now, given that most westerners have been cleansed of critical thought, as well as most geometric skills, it may be difficult for you to imagine the rotational aspects, but just trust me on this, the Nazi one spins counter-clockwise, and the 'Seal on the Heart of the Buddha' spins clockwise.

    Not just that, but *use* the critical thinking skills that remain:

    The symbol is from the Indian sub-continent, and it's *their* symbol.  What kind of market for a Buddha with a bad-luck sign on it do you think there might be in a culture that *knows* which of the two is which?


    An image of Gautama Buddha...
     

    And really, the symbol didn't give the Third Reich any good luck, did it?

    That said, here's the 'fixed' wiki:

    The Bodhisattva

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    Yeah,  I know.  I don't agree.

    I'm actually at a different place.  I *know* I'm destined for a different plane (I'm there already), but I still wonder if I shouldn't poke the Bindeh in the eye when I meet it.

    Shameless Plug

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    So, sometimes I do it.  This time, it's for the mPod (what's playing in *your* head) list (bit sparse of late):

    mPod -- Internal iPod List--What's Playing in Your Head?

     

    About mPod

    mPod is the mental iPod. Subscribers get a continual stream of what is playing in other people's heads.

    To see the collection of prior postings to the list, visit the mPod Archives.

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    You can subscribe to the list, or change your existing subscription, in the sections below.

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    mPod list run by writch@writch.com
    mPod administrative interface (requires authorization)

    Privacy Policy: your email addresses go nowhere from here--writch

    Hey, I got a *REAL* Comment!!!

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    Not something from one of those Viagra commercials or something.


    It was something different.  I suppose being off-track is better for comments.  Diatribes are hard to work with.

    I think that pretty much puts the nail in the coffin of the fundies, personally.

    There's absolutely no reason to take the claim of 'infallibility' in any book that's so *OBVIOUSLY* incorrect.

    Male, female, and *multiple* forms of 'other' are the way sHe creates them.  sHe likes variety, and complexity, and entertainment value.

    So, if you run across a book that says that sHe creates them male and female, and attributes the 'otherness' to some kind of evil, beware.

    sHe makes them with funny parts, and funny minds.

    I know that I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating:  When I first found out what a 'fag' was (I'd been trying to figure it out as an acronym), I was incredulous.    I literally thought they were pulling my leg (Men who want to kiss *MEN*???).

    Funny minds.  They look like men, but think like women (sort of).  I like talking with them.  It's a very fresh viewpoint.

    I used to have some lesbian friends I hung with a bit in ABQ, but I lost touch with one of them just after I arbitrated her 'divorce' from the other (and she did the *weirdest* thing asking me to arbitrate a failed prostitution deal between herself and my director on a TV show I was doing at the time).  It's too bad.  I liked them.  Divorce often tears up 'hang out' groups, even when it's not direct.

    On the other hand, in reflection, all the lesbians were almost as 'over-serious' (for your average hetero woman) as the men are 'over-silly' (for your average hetero man).

    In any event, there's *WAYYY* more than two types.  The book's (books are) wrong.

    But then, how often is it that you read some kind of bizarre tale from the past that was touted as fact at the time (but now is a 'fairy tale').  Say, 'vampires' or perhaps 'witches'?

    Some day, the concept of 'deviance' will no longer be in the category of vampires and witches.

    Some day, the book will read, "Sentient sHe created them, in all the colors of the rainbow, and all the textures of the earth, with ideas that stretched to the stars.  And sHe made them out of, and for, Love."

    What if God Smoked Cannabis?

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    Just in case you'd heard it attributed to *anyone* else.  Bob Rivers:


    If God had long hair 
    And a goatee, 
    And if his eyes looked pretty glazed... 
    If He looked spaced out 
    Would you buy his story? 
    Would you believe he had an eye infection? 

    And yeah, yeah, God looks baked 
    And yeah, yeah, God smells good, 
    And yeah, yeah, yeah yeah yeah... 
    What if God smoked cannabis? 
    Hit the bong like some of us? 
    Drove a tie-dyed microbus, 
    And he subscribes to Rolling Stone? 

    When God made this place, 
    In the beginning, 
    Did He plant any seeds? 
    Or did he put them there for Adam and Eve, 
    So they'd be hungry for the 
    apple that the snake 
    Was always offering? 

    And yeah, yeah... God rolls great, 
    And yeah, yeah, God he smells good, 
    And yeah, yeah, yeah yeah yeah... 
    What if God smoked cannabis? 
    Do you suppose he had a buzz 
    When he made the platypus 
    When he created earth, our home? 
    Does He like Pearl Jam or the Stones? 
    And do you think He rolls His own 
    Up there in heaven on the throne? 
    And when the saints go marching home, 
    Maybe He sits and smokes a bowl.

    Lighting, and Thunder

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    I'd almost forgotten it.  When it happened, there was a bright flash (bright as day), and an immense roar.  I thought (for a moment) that they'd dropped an H-Bomb on SF.

    But it was just lightning.  I haven't seen it since 2006.  

    It's impressive, when you're not inundated with it.
    Right?

    That is, if they get the freakin' train to go there by then.   Otherwise, it will be quite the show.

    Frank S.ent a funny one, again

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    The day after his wife disappeared in a kayaking accident, an Anchorage man answered his door to find two grim-faced Alaska State Troopers. 

    "We're sorry Mr. Wilkens, but we have some information about your wife," said one trooper... 

    "Tell me! Did you find her?" Wilkens shouted. 

    The troopers looked at each other. 

    One said, "We have some bad news, some good news, and some really great news. Which do you want to hear first?" 

    Fearing the worst, an ashen Mr. Wilkens said, "Give me the bad news first." 

    The trooper said, "I'm sorry to tell you, sir, but this morning we found your wife's body in Kachemak Bay ." 

    "Oh my God!" exclaimed Wilkens. Swallowing hard, he asked, "What's the good news?" 

    The trooper continued, "When we pulled her up, she had 12 twenty-five pound king crabs and 6 good-size Dungeness crabs clinging to her and we feel you are entitled to a share in the catch." 

    Stunned, ! Mr. Wilkens demanded, "If that's the good news, what's the great news?" 

    The trooper said, "We're going to pull her up again tomorrow."

    I knew a man ...

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    I worked at the slot machine company at the time.  He'd been in the first Iraq war, though he'd not been sent to Iraq.  He'd been sent to one of the 'supporting' countries.

    His mission there wasn't 'on the books'.  It disturbed him what he did, and one day, when we were sitting there in engineering, me working on my neuron-chip card printer, him on slot machine code, he told me about it.

    He'd been sent to a 'friendly' country on a covert mission to destroy a TV station.  He was supposed to go in on a weekend when there was nobody there.  There didn't look to be anybody there when they got there (no cars in the parking lot).  When they got inside, there was a technician working, so they killed him (orders, yano?).  When they got outside, his wife was there to pick him up, and they told her he'd be out in just a bit.

    I didn't solicit this story.  I heard it long before I heard any of the more gruesome tales that would lead me to think that 'war' is (in fact) a racket.

    O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle--be Thou near them! With them--in spirit--we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with hurricanes of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with their little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it - for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts.  Amen.

    From warisaracket.com

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    BATTLE HYMN OF LT. CALLEY

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    BATTLE HYMN OF LT. CALLEY
    Terry Nelson & C Company

    Once upon a time there was a little boy who wanted to grow up
    And be a soldier and serve his country in whatever way he could
    He would parade around the house with a sauce pan on his head
    For a helmet, a wooden sword in one hand and the American flag in the other
    As he grew up, he put away the things of a child but he never let go of the flag

    My name is William Calley, I'm a soldier of this land
    I've tried to do my duty and to gain the upper hand
    But they've made me out a villain they have stamped me with a brand
    As we go marching on

    I'm just another soldier from the shores of U.S.A.
    Forgotten on a battle field then thousand miles away
    While life goes on as usual from New York to Santa Fe
    As we go marching on

    I've seen my buddies ambushed on the left and on the right
    And their youthful bodies riddled by the bullets of the night
    Where all the rules are broken and the only law is might
    As we go marching on

    While we're fighting in the jungles they were marching in the street
    While we're dying in the rice fields they were helping our defeat
    While we're facing V.C. bullets they were sounding a retreat
    As we go marching on

    With our sweat we took the bunkers, with our tears we took the plain
    With our blood we took the mountains and they gave it back again
    Still all of us are soldiers, we're too busy to complain
    As we go marching on

    When I reach my final campground in that land beyond the sun
    And the great commander asks me, "Did you fight or did you run?"
    I'll stand both straight and tall stripped of medals, rank and gun
    And this is what I'll say:

    Sir, I followed all my orders and I did the best I could
    It's hard to judge the enemy and hard to tell the good
    Yet there's not a man among us would not have understood

    We took the jungle village exactly like they said
    We responded to their rifle fire with everything we had
    And when the smoke had cleared away a hundred souls lay dead

    Sir, the soldier that's alive is the only once can fight
    There's no other way to wage a war when the only one in sight
    That you're sure is not a VC is your buddy on your right

    When all the wars are over and the battle's finally won
    Count me only as a soldier who never left his gun
    With the right to serve my country as the only prize I've won
    As we go marching on

    Glory, glory hallelujah glory, glory hallelujah

    Seinfeld said,

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    "Loyalty to any one sports team is pretty hard to justify. Because the players are always changing, the team can move to another city, you're actually rooting for the clothes when you get right down to it. You know what I mean, you are standing and cheering and yelling for your clothes to beat the clothes from another city. Fans will be so in love with a player but if he goes to another team, they boo him. This is the same human being in a different shirt, they *hate* him now. Boo! different shirt!! Boo."

    Now, that said, I've been getting more than my share of patriotic rubbish over the last week.

    I have to ask, in an illegal war of occupation (also immoral as per John Paul II and most other church leaders), based on lies, what *could* we cheer for?

    Shall we root for the fact that our soldiers are some of the worst trained in the 'laws of war' on earth?

    Shall we cheer that they've been misled in their constitutional duties?

    Shall we celebrate their maimed bodies, or the many more maimed and murdered victims, or perhaps the environmental destruction wreaked by our depleted uranium weapons?

    Really, all there is to 'cheer' is the soldiers continued participation in *our* delusion.

    If they had been trained in the Geneva Convention (as is required by international treaty) then they would have to conclude that they were being instructed to violate it (and the UN Charter, and most likely their own religious beliefs).  If they had decent civics training, they'd understand that the 'enemy' is the one instructing them to violate US and international law, and both refuse to cooperate and attempt to detain the criminals.

    The 'heros' in this aren't the soldiers.  It's the little people who just stood up and said, "This is wrong."  Or perhaps ones like Father John Dear, who merely took Pope John Paul II at his word and started preaching against the USA's immoral war of aggression in Iraq.  Certainly the folks at SOAW who go to jail yearly protesting the training camp that spawned Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib are heroes.

    The guy who is dumb enough to go off to Iraq and leave the bottom half of his body there is a dupe, but unless we want to start beatifying rubes, he's not a 'hero'.

    You note, he's not a *villain* either.  That was the mistake we made in the sixties.  This isn't some kind of monster we've made, it's just a guy, doing a job that he thinks is *really* important and heroic.

    The villains are the guys who make turning yourself into pâte 'important and heroic' by lying.

    The real heroes would be the guys who make the point to the rubes that they're being had.   If the soldiers woke up, the politicos would be in *real* trouble.

    Of course, if any of the soldiers actually was doing the 'job description' that's always listed, they *would* (by definition) be heroic.  

    It's a bait-and-switch con job.

    You'd think the Vietnam vets (at least) would have woken up by now.  I mean, first, you get the revelation that Tonkin was both a lie and staged to boot, then you get the continuing 'MIA' flag thing, which signifies a severe distrust of the US Government's veracity, compounded with the Agent Orange coverup, and the revelations about covert ops in Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Burma and now, the whole war crime thing going on again with a privately contracted Lt. Calley this time ...

    Good Motto

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    When you give your all to just one dream, make sure it's the cream of the crop.  Make it over the top.

    Howard Crabtree--"When Pigs Fly"

    Bumbper Snickers

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    I should note that if you are a Dallasite (or Worthy Forter) and wanted a nice motto to stick on the rear of your car, Stefan Glock has the extra supply of a number of ZZCO items, including (but certainly not limited to) bumper stickers that read, "Ask Me How I Know That Jesus Used Marijuana".

    Of course, that might get you pulled over, but then, what's life w/o some little excitement, eh?

    You can get license plate frames that have the same motto at the church store (I drink from the regular coffee mug pretty often):

    Zen Zion Coptic Orthodox CafePress Store

    back to shop
    License too Cool


    License too Cool

    $14.99

    1. Qty:

    AVAILABILITY: In Stock.

    Product Number: 030-12706339

    From the Designer

    Gleeful honking promised


    A real roadside attraction, get your driver's attitude or cause across on this cool License Plate Frame. Constructed of sturdy, durable, shiny chrome that makes your message POP. Images are applied with a permanent adhesive weatherproof decal. UV and water-resistant. Fits most cars. 12" x 6" Enhance the message of your vanity plate.

    • Measures 12" x 6"
    • Constructed of chromed steel
    • Graphics are applied with permanent adhesive vinyl decals
    • UV and water-resistant decal

    Er, my coffee cup:

    Black Coptic Mug

    You don't have to commit to screws, either (a similar bumper snicker is available online):

    Jesus Used Marijuana Bumper Snicker
    So, apparently, cannabis is a *crucial* part of this 'treatment', since my 'inside-out' skin stopped happening for the most part in Texas (and my nose started getting crusty inside).

    Once back here in Ukiah, the oddities continue.  My lower back is almost 'jiggly', and my upper back seems to be responding with new muscles (or previously unused muscles) which are starting to ache from time to time.

    I'm starting to feel like sit-ups.

    from alternet.org:

    By Paul ArmentanoNORML. Posted January 1, 2010.


    There has been a tidal shift in politics and on Marijuana laws in America, from Obama lightening up on pot prosecutions to the recognition of cancer prevention properties.

    #1 Obama Administration: Don't Focus On Medical Marijuana Prosecutions
    United States Deputy Attorney General David Ogden issued a memorandum to federal prosecutors in October directing them to not "focus federal resources ... on individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana." The directive upheld a campaign promise by President Barack Obama, who had previously pledged that he was "not going to be using Justice Department resources to try to circumvent state laws on this issue." Read the full story here.

    #2 Public Support For Legalizing Pot Hits All-Time High
    A majority of U.S. voters now support legalizing marijuana, according to a national poll of 1,004 likely voters published in December by Angus Reid. The Angus Reid Public Opinion poll results echo those of separate national polls conducted this year by GallupZogbyABC NewsCBS NewsRasmussen Reports, and the California Field Poll, each of which reported greater public support for marijuana legalization than ever before. Read the full story here.

    #3 Lifetime Marijuana Use Associated With Reduced Cancer Risk

    The moderate long-term use of cannabis is associated with a reduced risk of head and neck cancer, according to the results of a population-based control study published in August by the journalCancer Prevention Research. Authors reported, "After adjusting for potential confounders (including smoking and alcohol drinking), 10 to 20 years of marijuana use was associated with a significantly reduced risk of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma." Read the full story here.

    #4 AMA Calls For Review Of Marijuana's Prohibitive Status
    In November, the American Medical Association resolved that marijuana should longer be classified as a Schedule I prohibited substance. Drugs classified in Schedule I are defined as possessing "no currently accepted use in treatment in the United States." In a separate action, the AMA also determined, "Results of short term controlled trials indicate that smoked cannabis reduces neuropathic pain, improves appetite and caloric intake especially in patients with reduced muscle mass, and may relieve spasticity and pain in patients with multiple sclerosis." Read the full story here.

    #5 California: Lawmakers Hold Historic Hearing On Marijuana Legalization
    State lawmakers heard testimony in October in support of taxing and regulating the commercial production and distribution of cannabis for adults age 21 and older. Additional hearings, as well as a vote on Assembly Bill 390: the Marijuana Control, Regulation, and Education Actare scheduled for January 12, 2010. Read the full story here.

     #6 Maine Voters Approve Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Measure; Dispensaries Coming To Rhode Island, Washington, DC In 2010

    Voters in November decided in favor of a statewide measure that allows for the state to license non-profit facilities to distribute medical cannabis to qualified patients. The vote marked the first time that citizens ever approved a statewide ballot proposal authorizing the creation of dispensaries. In June, Rhode Island lawmakers enacted a similar measure. In December, Congress lifted federal restrictions to allow for the DC City Council to implement provisions of a ten-year-old medical marijuana law that would allow for the use and distribution of medicinal cannabis in the District of Columbia. Read the full story here.

    #7 Oakland: Voters Approve First-In-The-Nation Medical Marijuana Business Tax
    In July 80 percent of municipal voters approved Ballot Measure F, the nation's first ever business tax on the retail sales of cannabis. The tax, which takes effect on January 1, imposes an exclusive tax for "cannabis businesses" of $18 for every $1,000 of gross receipts. Read the full story here.

    #8 Rasmussen Poll: Majority Of Americans Say Marijuana Is Safer Than Alcohol
    More than half of American adults believe that alcohol is "more dangerous" than marijuana, according to the results of a national telephone poll of 1,000 likely voters published in September by Rasmussen Reports. Fifty-one percent of respondents, including a majority of women, rated the use of marijuana to be less dangerous than alcohol. Only 19 percent of those polled said that cannabis is the more dangerous of the two substances. Read the full story here.

    #9 Many Teens See Medical Cannabis As Alternative Treatment Option
    Some one-third of adolescents view their use of marijuana as therapeutic rather than recreational, according to survey data published in May by the journal Substance Abuse, Treatment, Prevention and Policy. Teens most commonly reported using cannabis therapeutically to counter symptoms of depression, stress and anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), physical pain, and sleeplessness. In November several mainstream media outlets, including The New York Times and Good Morning America, featured stories on adolescents using marijuana as a medicine. Read the full story here.

    #10 Oregon NORML Opens 'Cannabis Café,' Media Frenzy Follows
    In November Oregon NORMopened the state's first cafĂ© catering to state-authorized medical marijuana patients. Unlike conventional marijuana dispensaries that operate in states like California and Colorado, medical cannabis is not sold on the premises, nor is the primary function of the cafĂ© to dispense marijuana. "This is not a medical marijuana dispensary with a cafĂ©; this is a cafĂ© for medical marijuana patients," said Madeline Martinez, Oregon NORML Executive Director. The Associated PressReutersUSA TodayThe New York Times, and Democracy Now were among the hundreds of media outlets that covered the story. Read the full story here.

    WGG and Lyrics

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    You may go out on the internet and find lyrics that you can't just copy and paste.  For example, the folks at metrolyrics.com do this neat thing where they hide the section and then encode the lyrics.

    If you right click the background of the document and 'view source' (however your browser offers that option to you), and go towards the bottom, you'll find the 'lyrics' span defined with it's peculiar data obviously odd:


    
    <span id="lyrics">
    &#83;&#111;&#109;&#101;&#116;&#105;&#109;&#101;&#115;&#32;&#73;&#32;&#102;&#101;&#101;&#108;&#32;&#108;&#105;&#107;&#101;&#32;&#73;&#39;&#109;&#32;&#102;&#97;&#100;&#105;&#110;&#103;&#32;&#97;&#119;&#97;&#121;<br />&#10;&#89;&#111;&#117;&#39;&#114;&#101;&#32;&#108;&#111;&#111;&#107;&#105;&#110;&#103;&#32;&#97;&#116;&#32;&#109;&#101;&#44;&#32;&#73;&#39;&#118;&#101;&#32;&#103;&#111;&#116;&#32;&#110;&#111;&#116;&#104;&#105;&#110;&#103;&#32;&#116;&#111;&#32;&#115;&#97;&#121;<br />&#10;&#68;&#111;&#110;&#39;&#116;&#32;&#109;&#97;&#107;&#101;&#32;&#109;&#101;&#32;&#97;&#110;&#103;&#114;&#121;&#32;&#119;&#105;&#116;&#104;&#32;&#116;&#104;&#101;&#32;&#103;&#97;&#109;&#101;&#115;&#32;&#116;&#104;&#97;&#116;&#32;&#121;&#111;&#117;&#32;&#112;&#108;&#97;&#121;<br />&#10;<br />&#10;&#69;&#105;&#116;&#104;&#101;&#114;&#32;&#108;&#105;&#103;&#104;&#116;&#32;&#117;&#112;&#32;&#111;&#114;&#32;&#108;&#101;&#97;&#118;&#101;&#32;&#109;&#101;&#32;&#97;&#108;&#111;&#110;&#101;<br />&#10;<br />&#10;&#87;&#97;&#108;&#107;&#32;&#105;&#110;&#32;&#109;&#121;&#32;&#114;&#111;&#111;&#109;&#44;&#32;&#121;&#111;&#117;&#32;&#108;&#105;&#101;&#32;&#111;&#110;&#32;&#109;&#121;&#32;&#98;&#101;&#100;<br />&#10;&#79;&#112;&#101;&#110;&#32;&#121;&#111;&#117;&#114;&#32;&#109;&#111;&#117;&#116;&#104;&#44;&#32;&#115;&#104;&#111;&#111;&#116;&#32;&#115;&#111;&#109;&#101;&#111;&#110;&#101;&#32;&#100;&#101;&#97;&#100;<br />&#10;&#65;&#108;&#108;&#32;&#111;&#102;&#32;&#97;&#32;&#115;&#117;&#100;&#100;&#101;&#110;&#32;&#121;&#111;&#117;&#39;&#114;&#101;&#32;&#105;&#110;&#115;&#105;&#100;&#101;&#32;&#109;&#121;&#32;&#104;&#101;&#97;&#100;<br />&#10;<br />&#10;&#69;&#105;&#116;&#104;&#101;&#114;&#32;&#108;&#105;&#103;&#104;&#116;&#32;&#117;&#112;&#32;&#111;&#114;&#32;&#108;&#101;&#97;&#118;&#101;&#32;&#109;&#101;&#32;&#97;&#108;&#111;&#110;&#101;<br />&#10;<br />&#10;&#83;&#112;&#101;&#110;&#100;&#105;&#110;&#103;&#32;&#109;&#121;&#32;&#98;&#114;&#101;&#97;&#100;&#32;&#108;&#105;&#107;&#101;&#32;&#105;&#116;&#32;&#103;&#114;&#101;&#119;&#32;&#111;&#110;&#32;&#97;&#32;&#116;&#114;&#101;&#101;<br />&#10;&#89;&#111;&#117;&#39;&#114;&#101;&#32;&#116;&#114;&#121;&#105;&#110;&#103;&#32;&#116;&#111;&#32;&#116;&#101;&#108;&#108;&#32;&#109;&#101;&#32;&#39;&#98;&#111;&#117;&#116;&#32;&#116;&#104;&#101;&#32;&#98;&#105;&#114;&#100;&#115;&#32;&#97;&#110;&#100;&#32;&#116;&#104;&#101;&#32;&#98;&#101;&#101;&#115;<br />&#10;&#84;&#104;&#101;&#32;&#115;&#107;&#105;&#114;&#116;&#32;&#116;&#104;&#97;&#116;&#32;&#121;&#111;&#117;&#39;&#114;&#101;&#32;&#119;&#101;&#97;&#114;&#105;&#110;&#103;&#32;&#105;&#115;&#32;&#119;&#97;&#121;&#32;&#112;&#97;&#115;&#116;&#32;&#121;&#111;&#117;&#114;&#32;&#107;&#110;&#101;&#101;&#115;<br />&#10;<br />&#10;&#69;&#105;&#116;&#104;&#101;&#114;&#32;&#108;&#105;&#103;&#104;&#116;&#32;&#117;&#112;&#32;&#111;&#114;&#32;&#108;&#101;&#97;&#118;&#101;&#32;&#109;&#101;&#32;&#97;&#108;&#111;&#110;&#101;<br />&#10;<br />&#10;&#89;&#111;&#117;&#39;&#114;&#101;&#32;&#117;&#112;&#32;&#97;&#108;&#108;&#32;&#110;&#105;&#103;&#104;&#116;&#32;&#112;&#114;&#101;&#97;&#99;&#104;&#105;&#110;&#103;&#32;&#121;&#111;&#117;&#114;&#32;&#109;&#105;&#110;&#100;<br />&#10;&#67;&#111;&#109;&#101;&#32;&#104;&#111;&#109;&#101;&#32;&#105;&#110;&#32;&#116;&#104;&#101;&#32;&#109;&#111;&#114;&#110;&#105;&#110;&#103;&#32;&#119;&#105;&#116;&#104;&#32;&#121;&#111;&#117;&#114;&#32;&#108;&#97;&#116;&#101;&#115;&#116;&#32;&#102;&#105;&#110;&#100;<br />&#10;&#73;&#39;&#109;&#32;&#103;&#111;&#110;&#110;&#97;&#32;&#104;&#97;&#118;&#101;&#32;&#116;&#111;&#32;&#108;&#97;&#121;&#32;&#105;&#116;&#32;&#116;&#111;&#32;&#121;&#111;&#117;&#32;&#115;&#116;&#114;&#97;&#105;&#103;&#104;&#116;&#32;&#111;&#110;&#32;&#116;&#104;&#101;&#32;&#108;&#105;&#110;&#101;<br />&#10;<br />&#10;&#69;&#105;&#116;&#104;&#101;&#114;&#32;&#108;&#105;&#103;&#104;&#116;&#32;&#117;&#112;&#32;&#111;&#114;&#32;&#108;&#101;&#97;&#118;&#101;&#32;&#109;&#101;&#32;&#97;&#108;&#111;&#110;&#101;<br /><br />

    Now, this is where the WGG (writch 'greater grabber') comes in.  While the tool was originally designed merely to strip the 'forward/reply' markings ("> > >") from emails, it has other text processing capacity, including decoding from the various WWW standard encodings (gotta have that to keep sane in this job).
    So, if you should run across some curiously encoded crap on the web and want to figure out what it is (or just want the lyrics you searched for), you can use this free tool that has not been substantially altered in over a decade (somewhat bug-free, we presume):
    http://writch.com/tools/gg.html

    Stars Without Makeup!

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    Jessica Simpson

    "I love primping!" the singer has said. "I always said that if I wasn't a singer, I would be a makeup artist."

    Jessica Simpson

    Credit: Arnaldo Magnani/Getty Images; Bryan Bedder/Getty Images


    Stan

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    This is mostly for Flipper, who I don't think has seen it.  It took a bit to find one w/o deleted expletives, and the video quality suffers, but one can't really hear the meter with half the poem muted.

    I should add that it's important that the guy is *trying* to look like Eminem, and getting rather close (enough so that many people mistook this for a story *about* Eminem, rather than 'Stan' the fan).


    EMINEM - stan

    brian | MySpace Video

    The New TSA Employees:

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    In SF

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    So I was down in SF Sunday and Monday nights, right across from the Orpheum theater, where "Wicked" is the show right now (and where Sunday and Monday nights are their 'nights off').

    While I was there, I noted the new SF Weekly issue:

    weed_takes_root_SF-Weekly.JPG

    Frank S.ent a funny one

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    observed.jpegexplained.jpeg

    test

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    This should only be oversized until you mouse-over it, then, it should offer you a scrollbar to see the full image.  It should be the same in the Ouique as mailed, too.

    Or, as Frank S.ent it, "Airport check in"

    So, did they *let* the undiebomber get through just so they could get us to this point?

    tsa-tna.jpg




    Well, I had to come up with something, didn't I?  I thought Vampowell worked.  I figured if it were Vampower that Flipper, Glock, Stever, and Troll wouldn't necessarily get it.

    Callow Lily

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    Peter Wallis

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    By RICHARD BENKE 
    Associated Press Writer 
    23 November 1998 


    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A man is suing his ex-girlfriend for breach of contract for getting pregnant when they allegedly agreed she wouldn't. 

    Peter Wallis accuses Kellie Rae Smith of stopping birth control and forbidding him visitation once their daughter was born. The girl, named Taylor Smith, will turn 1 year old on Friday. 

    ``I think people who are parents have responsibility for their children,'' Wallis said. ``I think that's within the definition of being a parent. But I don't think being in a romantic relationship leaves a person with no liability just because of the relationship. I think we have a duty to be responsible to each other even behind closed doors.'' 

    Smith denies they had such an agreement, says she accidentally got pregnant while using birth control pills. 

    Wallis' Sept. 16 lawsuit accuses Smith of breach of contract, fraud and conversion of property - his semen. Wallis, 36, also recently filed a motion seeking a temporary visitation order; a hearing is set for Wednesday. Smith, 37, filed a paternity lawsuit against Wallis in June. 

    Wallis said he doesn't expect monetary damages and mainly wants a court to agree with his position. He said he also expects to pay child support and wants the child's name changed to Taylor Smith Wallis. 

    ``I have little or no doubt that the child is mine but ask for a DNA test to confirm it,'' he said last week, adding he would pay for the test. ``I'm saddened, and I'm hurt for Taylor.'' 

    Smith's attorney, Mary Han, said Wallis has never legally admitted to paternity. 

    ``If he hasn't - and continues to challenge it - what right does he have to see this child?'' 


    Women Behaving Badly; Reproductive Fraud 

    The Times (Britian) 28 November 1998 

    OPINION - by Mary Ann Sieghart 

    In the old days, sex was simple. The man did the deed and the woman paid the price. Sex meant pregnancy and pregnancy meant motherhood - either the shameful, single kind or, if the man was honourable, within marriage. 

    Now life is more complicated. Pregnancies can be terminated, whether the man likes it or not. And mothers can bring up children on their own, again whether the man likes it or not. Women may still bear the physical burden of motherhood, but it is increasingly men who are paying the price. 

    Only this week, an American, Peter Wallis, sued his former girlfriend for "intentionally acquiring and misusing" his sperm by having a child that he did not want. He claims that she deliberately stopped taking the Pill without telling him. She refused to have an abortion and he is now saddled with the lifelong costs - financial and emotional - of fatherhood. 

    I know we are supposed to side with our own sex, but here my sympathies lie almost entirely with the father. A lawsuit may be going too far, but what could be worse than becoming a parent against your will? Women who trick their partners into starting a family are dishonest and manipulative. Yet the poor man has no recourse. 

    Some say that it is his responsibility to ensure that such an "accident" does not happen. He could have worn a condom. That is true, but a relationship in which people are living together, as these two were, presupposes a certain level of trust. 

    Anyway, this is the same flinty argument used by anti-abortionists to women; that it is their responsibility not to get pregnant in the first place. Most women find this outrageous: they think they should have the right to choose whether or not to give birth. 

    But what about a man's right to choose? It seems that men no longer have it. They cannot insist that their partners have children. They cannot insist that they do not. They can, of course, take more responsibility for contraception though, in a long-term relationship, most couples prefer the less intrusive female methods. 

    So men have to rely on their partners' good faith. And if that faith is breached, they can no longer even say to the woman: "You have the child if you want to, but don't involve me." Most Western countries now have child support laws that force fathers to pay up for 18 years even after a one-night stand. Indeed, one American court has ruled that an underage boy seduced by an older woman who was prosecuted for statutory rape was still liable for child support if her crime resulted in the birth of a child. That is clearly ridiculous. 

    It is reasonable to expect men who have consensual sex to face the risk of contraceptive failure. Technology has not completely divorced sex from pregnancy, even if we like to believe that it has. 

    But deception is different. Mr Wallis quite understandably feels betrayed and ill-used. And I share his anger when I see women behaving so badly. If we want men to be more equal partners at home, we must surely be prepared to share the most important decision of all - whether or not to bring other people into the world. 

    There is an Angel sent to watch over you. 

    In order for her to work, you must pass this on to the people you want watched over. 

    (so, I suppose I hit the mark, Mark, eh?).  This is a decent test: There's well over twenty-two people on the list (see below); I wish for world peace by sunset tomorrow PST.

    ;)

    I hope y'all find this as moving as I Did. 

    Mark 

    A Return is Requested... .You'll see why. 

    Breakfast at McDonald's 

    This is a good story and is true, please read it all the way through until the end! (After the story, there are some very interesting facts!): 

    I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree. 

    The last class I had to take was Sociology. 

    The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with. 

    Her last project of the term was called, 'Smile.' 

    The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions. 

    I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally. 

    Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning. 

    It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son. 

    We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did. 

    I did not move an inch... an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved. 

    As I turned around I smelled a horrible 'dirty body' smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men. 

    As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was 'smiling' 
    His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for acceptance. 

    He said, 'Good day' as he counted the few coins he had been clutching.. 

    The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation. 

    I held my tears as I stood there with them. 

    The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted.. 

    He said, 'Coffee is all Miss' because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm). 

    Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes. 

    That is when I noticed all eyes in the 
    restaurant were set on me, judging 
    my every action. 

    I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray. 

    I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman's cold hand.. 

    He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, 'Thank you.' 

    I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, 'I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope.' 

    I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, 'That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope..' 

    We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give. 
    We are not church goers, but we are believers. 

    That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love. 

    I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand. 

    I turned in 'my project' and the instructor read it. 

    Then she looked up at me and said, 'Can I share this?' 

    I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. 

    She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God share this need to heal people and to be healed.
     
    In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my son,the instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student. 

    I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn: 

    UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE. 

    Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this and learn how to 

    LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS - 
    NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE.. 

    There is an Angel sent to watch over you. 

    In order for her to work, you must pass this on to the people you want watched over. 

    An Angel wrote: 

    Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart 

    To handle yourself, use your head.. 

    To handle others, use your heart. 

    God Gives every bird it's food, but He does not throw it into its nest. 

    Send it back, you'll see why! 

    A box of gold 

    *~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~* 

    With a secret inside 

    that has never been told 

    *~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~* 

    This box is priceless 

    but as I see 

    *~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~* 

    The treasure inside is 

    precious to me 

    *~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~* 

    Today I share this 

    treasure with thee 

    *~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~* 

    It's the treasure of 

    friendship you've 

    given me.. 

    *~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~* 

    If this comes back to you 

    then you'll have a friend 

    for life but, if this 

    becomes deleted, you are 

    not a friend. 

    Send this to everyone you 

    consider a friend! 

    This is a magic frog. 

    It will grant you one wish and only one wish, 

    that is, if you decide to send this to others. You can wish for anything. 

    Repeat your wish until you have stopped scrolling. Make it count! 

    FOR YOUR WISH TO COME TRUE YOU HAVE TO SEND IT TO: 

    3 PEOPLE - YOUR WISH WILL COME TRUE EVENTUALLY 

    5 PEOPLE - YOUR WISH WILL COME TRUE IN 3 MONTHS 

    10 PEOPLE - YOUR WISH WILL COME TRUE IN 5 WEEKS 

    15 PEOPLE - YOUR WISH WILL COME TRUE IN 1 WEEK 

    CAN'T WAIT A WEEK??? 

    22 People-Your Wish Will 

    Come True In 1 Day! 

    ****** **********REMEMBER* ********* **** 

    THIS MUST BE SENT OUT THE 

    DAY YOU READ IT FOR 

    YOU TO GET YOUR WISH 

    I love my younger brother

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    He's been a pain, and an annoyance, and a liar and thief since he was a kid.  I actually got him (in a fit of hubris) to admit that he *did* sell all my stuff when I left for college over these Xmas holidays.

    Still, he's family.  I've never wished him ill fate (though he got plenty of that).  In fact, what happened to him I wouldn't have wished on anyone.

    That said, I put my folks in a bind.  I've disagreed with their treatment of him since I more clearly understood his condition last year when he stayed with me.  I've pretty much confirmed my understanding with my sisters, and I think that (at least the siblings) are in lock-step on this topic.

    I was aghast at the length of his leash.  The kid doesn't have two neurons to rub together on any given day, and yet, my parents are still in denial and treat him as 'normally' as they can (which leads him to these insane grandiose stances).

    He's brain-damaged.  He's not got a lick of sense.   He's still a liar, and a thief (and unfortunately a decent magician, still, who can palm damn near anything smaller than a shirt pocket).

    But his six-year old niece caught him stealing her candy (and after catching him, caught him palming the evidence into his pocket).  Yano, you really can't fool one who is still in the 'beginners mind'.

    My own personal bitch is that my folks have spent the last two decades trying to make him feel 'normal' rather than addressing and coping with his (copious) deficiencies.

    So, when they gave him the task of 'waking me up' to tell me they were on their way to pick us up, and he called my hotel room (next to his, on their dime) to chat about his high-school friends (in the early hours of the AM, before 10, when polite people don't call to 'chat'), I hung up on him.  I took the phone off the hook because I knew that my hanging up on him (w/short term memory loss) would last about five minutes, and my folks had my cell-phone number.

    Now, nobody has fessed up, but I expect that it was him who tried to break into my room during my shower that morning (I heard it and chalked it up to housekeeping, since it was just my first day, but it became obvious later that the hotel never sent anyone in to do doodly squat--'suites' yano?).

    My Xmas was pretty scattered--my dad rousting me out of my room with my hair only half-tied, my teeth unbrushed, etc., since they were 'waiting'  because they'd entrusted my brother with the 'message' that they were coming, but all he really can do is deliver his internal monologue.

    The reason I'm writing this out is because of the rather obvious nature of their 'gift' (I had plenty of places to stay, all better than the hotel).  We were supposed to stay till Tuesday night (their departure date).  When I checked out a day early, they checked him out beforehand (and never even bothered to call me to say goodbye, even though they knew I was leaving).

    In other words, it was patently obvious that they just bought the hotel room for me in order to make it look as if the fact that they had to put my imbecile brother up in the hotel was 'normal' (since I was there, too).

    I find that somewhat offensive.  I'd have said that to their faces if they'd bothered to ask, but they didn't bother.

    My sisters won't suffer him to stay with them because he's a disruptive and annoying addition to the mix.

    I'll suffer him to hang around me, but on the condition that he acknowledges his condition and ceases to act as if he's not got 'issues' (rather than he's 'normal').  Of course, my last assessment left him damn near suicidal (rational response to his condition, IMHO), but that's life (or death).

    In any event, the net result was my mother trying the same-old 'guilt trip' thing on me ("Well, if that's the way you see it, then I guess you won't see me again, either").  I handed her her hat ("I guess that's the case, so, see you later, mom").

    I like my family, but I'm not intending ever again to merely be a platform for making my brother 'feel' normal.  If they don't want to tell him that he's not normal, and he needs to consider that most people have *no* interest in his monologue, that's their business. 

    It's not like he's not trainable.  It was obvious that he wanted to spare himself the embarrassment of being assessed as an idiot in front of others (and he knew that if he opened his mouth in my presence again, that would be the response).  If I can control his aberrant behavior that easily, it's clear that it's not impossible for him to be polite.

    It's also clear that my parents are giving him license to be obnoxious and rude to family, friends, and strangers, and are willing to disparage their other children in order to foster his self-esteem.

    But, at least, this won't happen with my time again.  I plan to spend exactly zero percent of the future listening to this drivel.
     

    It's a Wonderful Life

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    I have spent a great deal of time this last few weeks looking over my life from other folks' perspectives.

    As it turns out, while I've been denied some of the 'normal' aspects of life, I also have been spared the 'normal' (potentially expectable) results of 'normalcy'.

    All in all, I suppose it's a null-set equation.

    In ABQ, I had my eyes opened a great deal regarding my (lack of) OCD.  I've got some tendencies, but they are all directed at that which is (generally) most profitable to me (and I love my work--and *still* would do it, and do, in spite of the fact that I might even *lose* money doing it).

    But in Big-D, I was shown that I might have been blessed with childlessness.

    I don't know that I would be able to handle watching my beloved child self-destruct.

    Been shown three 'ghosts of xmas present' on that note, and each has cut to the bone.

    If I could cry for someone else (just to offload their burden, if even for a moment), I would.


    hometop

    GreenStream

    About this Archive

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