The Mystery of Grace Book Launch

Are you a fan of Canadian fantasy author Charles De Lint? If so, and you live in Toronto (or can get there) you are invited to the launch of his new book The Mystery of Grace next Wednesday night, April 8th, at the Cadillac Lounge (1300 Queen St. West, Toronto) from 7-9 pm. With the theme of 'This Ain't Your Average Book Launch' this is definitely going to be a fun evening! There will be appetizers, an author reading, and special musical guest Sarah Blackwood from The Creepshow. Bring along a copy of the book to be signed (or purchase one there), but definitely come prepared to have a good time!

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Library Love

4 years ago, I racked up a $60 library fine. On magazines. They were all returned, in one piece, yet the $60 fine remained. My card expired, and ever since I have been too scared to go back and try and fight my fine. Well, today I mustered up enough courage and went to the library for the first time in 4 years. I pleaded my case to the lady behind the counter, explaining to her my mix-up about how long I could keep an item, but I was willing to to pay some of the fine, but don't you think $60 is a little much, especially since they were all returned? She then told me she would have to talk to someone else about lowering my fine. Well, just then the library director walks by and hears our conversation. I fill him in on what's happening, and admit to him that I've been scared to come back, and he suggests that I pay $10 and call it good, after all, "we want you to enjoy the library!" I was SO grateful and kept thanking them over and over again. What a relief! It was like Christmas. I had to pay $3 to get a new card, thinking I had thrown my old one away. After the transaction was complete, what did I find in my wallet? Yup. My old card. Sigh. Oh well, $13 is better than $60 any day!So I happily browsed for a few minutes until Summer started crying. Some old lady came over to see her, and told me she hoped her crying would wake up her husband who was sleeping in Periodicals. I picked up a few books and I'm back to being a happy library patron once again!

Places I've Seen

Last week I talked travel with my list of Places I've Got to See and I think some of you felt slighted. Since I could only mention places I hadn't been there were plenty of spots that didn't make the cuts but I'm going to try to make up for it by posting my list of my favorite American places that I've already seen.Rule #1: Must be in America (sorry Canada, I fudged the rules last week but that's as far as I can go)Rule #2: I was physically there.Have you been to any of them yourself?1. The Badlands, South Dakota. I may be wrong here but I heard the Badlands got their name from the outlaws that would use the terrain as shelter from pursuing posses (posees? possees? Whatever) but that could just be a nice myth. Anyone going to back me up on this?Andrew and I drove through the area in 1996 when I was pregnant with Spencer on the way to my brother-in-law's wedding. It's funny how I tend to chronicle my life by my pregnancies. "Oh that must have happened in 1993 because that's when I was pregnant with Grace . . . "How do men remember things in their lives when they don't have pregnancies to mark time?Anyway, we visited Mount Rushmore on the way to the wedding and the Badlands on the way back and I have to say that Mother Nature totally conquered the man-made attractions. Totally. I remember standing on the edge of one of the cliffs and feeling the air swirling around my largeness and thinking. "You know, in my swollen state I bet I could catch the wind just like a sailboat. I'd better stand back from the edge."2. Sunflowers in North Dakota. I'll stick with the general region and include the sunflower fields of North Dakota as a must-see. While this under-appreciated state is flat and at first glance rather unremarkable the Red River's deposits have made it some of the richest, most fertile soil in the world (did you know they produce more potatoes than Idaho?)As we drove from west to east toward Grand Forks we passed field after field of full-grown August sunflowers ready for harvest and they don't call them sunflowers for nothing. Every single flower in every field was angled at exactly the same degree to catch the sun's power. It was gorgeous to see millions and millions of flowers all turning their faces to meet us as we drove along and I took it as a good omen. What a welcome to our new home.3. Denali National Park. The highest point in North America is Mt. McKinley at 20, 320 feet above sea level. You might be interested to know that Mt. McKinley (named after U.S. president McKinley who was responsible for buying Alaska from Russia) has a greater mass and rise than Mt. Everest simply because the Himalayas sit on the Tibetan plateau which means it's kind of like trying to claim that Shaquille O'Neal seated in the bleachers is taller than Yao Ming standing on the court. Sure he's taller if you boost him up on some seats but back to back barefoot on the floor Ming gets him by a good six inches.Anyway, while you can see Mt. McKinley from Anchorage on a clear day the way to really see it is to drive to Denali National Park. This can be tricky because to protect the environment they control the traffic in and out of the park pretty carefully, only allowing buses except on special occasions, but if you can get up there to see the mountain and the wildlife it really is the chance of a lifetime.There's been a push for years now to rename the mountain--or rather to let the official name revert back to the original Athabascan name of "Denali" which means "The Great One." Alaskans have been trying to get it legal for a while now but apparently Ohio is the only hold-out against the change because McKinley was from Ohio. Because we Alaskans LOVE it when outsiders tell us what to do. And I won't comment any further on this. You can feel my disapproval from my stony silence. Stony . . . can you feel the tension in the air?4. The Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. When Andrew and I lived in Washington before we had children we spent every weekend exploring up and down the coast. I don't think there are many places in our nation's capital and surrounding region that we haven't seen. All the major monuments and government centers, battlefields, museums, the National Zoo, you name it we were there but I think the biggest surprise was our trip to the Naval Observatory.I should back up. Everyone knows where the president lives, right? But do you know where the vice-president lives? I thought not. Well unless things have changed since 1993 he lives at the Naval Observatory right smack in the city in a rather rundown house overseen by the Navy.Besides the vice-presidential mansion the observatory was fun because it houses the official atomic clock that sets our time according to the vibrations of the cesium atom (and I'm really testing my memory here, I think that's how it works). So the clock that Andrew constantly checks to make sure his watch is EXACTLY on time was fun to see. Then on top of that you could visit the telescope to take a peak.We saw Jupiter and Saturn and it was amazing. I've always liked astronomy but it's too cold to go out stargazing in the winter and too bright in the summer so I got my first real glimpse of the sky there. Very cool.5. Haleakala at night. I won't say much more about this because I already did a post on Maui a couple of weeks ago but if you're ever in Hawaii and if you take my advice about going to Maui you really must take a night trip up the volcano to see the stars. You'll never see the stars quite like that.6. Boston, Massachusetts. As a side note here, for some reason I am completely incapable of spelling the word "Massachusetts" correctly. Thank goodness for spellcheck, I'd be lost without it. For some reason I keep thinking the word has silent characters like extra S's or C's.I think this is one of the few places that I've been to that Andrew hasn't. What appeals is the way this city just oozes with historical significance. You can visit the Freedom Trail and walk by the major Revolutionary War historical sites such as Paul Revere's house, the Boston Commons and the Old North Church--all marked by gorgeous red brick under your feet.When I was there I caught a Monet exhibit at the museum, enjoyed shopping downtown, made my way out to Cambridge for the college scene and tried to figure out how to pronounce "Faneuil Hall."The highlight was visiting the downtown cemetery that dated back to the 17th century and found my great-great-great . . . . great grandmother Mary Chilton's grave right there in real life. Or death or whatever. Amazing city.7. West Virginia. I've seen lots of states and while each is beautiful in its own way and has its own highlights West Virginia blew me away. We'd been driving across the country in bleak January weather and when we got to WV the green and the mountains and the whole place was just gorgeous. Up until then I was voting for Kentucky but at that point I had to go with West Virginia all the way.It's a small state, it doesn't take that much time to drive across, but if you have the chance grab it because it will definitely be worth your while.8. Reading and Lancaster Counties, Pennsylvania. Are you sick of my east coast wanderings yet? Well stick with me because I'm giving you yet another. Andrew and I drove up to Pennsylvania (we really wish we'd been able to catch Gettysburg but we missed that part by a nose) and hit Rocky's territory, caught a Philly cheesesteak, paid our respects to Ben Franklin then drove out to the Amish country there and it was so pretty.Don't go to gawk, go to see a different way of living and appreciate a culture outside our frenzied norm. We had dinner at this restaurant there that was a big barn with picnic tables set up in rows and we sat down and they didn't bring us menus--they brought us food. Mashed potatoes, corn, pork chops, everything my man's heart could desire.Sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night with the word "Gravy!" on his lips and I know he's been dreaming of that meal again.9. Sanibel Island. Last year's trip to Florida was nice and while Orlando and the whole Disneyworld craze was fine the real trip for me began when we got to Ft. Myers and Sanibel Island. I already did a post on the experience which I won't repeat here but Sanibel reportedly has the world's second-best shelling beaches and since my favorite thing to do is to walk along a beach and find treasures this was something that completely won my heart.It's warm, it's fun, it's full of dolphins and seashells--and I hear if you care to pick up a nice piece of beachfront property approximately 95% of the island is for sale right now. They got hit pretty hard with the whole sub-prime mortgage thingie.10. Utah Ski Resorts. There are plenty of pretty things to see in Utah--the drive through Provo Canyon, Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City, Lake Powell, Bryce Canyon--but I have to say it's the skiing that haunts my dreams.Alta, Deer Valley, Park City, Sundance, Brighton, Solitude, Powder Mountain, Park West, Snowbird--I've skied them all and the snow really is the greatest on earth. When I was in college we used to get these half-day passes at 7/11 for Park West for something like $11 (remember that Melissa?)My first time skiing in Utah was when I was 14 right after the 1984 Olympics and we were skiing Park West (it's my favorite of all the resorts for the price) and my little brother joined us at the base and mentioned casually that he'd rode up the chairlift with this guy who won some kind of a medal."What??" We said."He said he'd won a silver medal," he said as if that kind of thing got passed out at the concessions stand.As best we can guess from his disconnected narrative is that he'd been sitting with Steve Mahre who'd just got back from Sarajevo after winning the silver medal in the slalom, finishing second after his twin brother Phil. The U.S. Ski Team practices next door in Park City and there were reports the men were in the neighborhood."So what did you do?" We asked my brother."I got off the lift. It was my stop." He said.Oh. Apparently a silver medal doesn't count as much as it used to.11. Sea Caves in San Diego. There's so much that's great to see in California where do you start? North or south you're going to find great things to see but on our last trip the thing we enjoyed the most was the La Jolla sea caves.Right there on the ocean in La Jolla (pronounced "La Hoya") you can park along the street then walk down to Windandsea Beach or watch the sea lions hanging out by the caves.And then you've got to visit Sunny Jim's Cave. There's a little store called the Cave Store up by the road but if you pay the admission price of $4 you can go down into their basement along this narrow flight of steps and down down down into a tunnel that leads into the back of Sunny Jim's Cave.You totally feel like a pirate I tell you.Anyway, I'm not sure if they'll charge you admission if you start at the other end and come up through the basement into the store--maybe they won't let you out unless you pay--but going that direction you're going to get wet as the cave is surrounded by water.Anyway, I mentioned last week how I love caves and I had said that I'd never been in one but I guess this does count as a cave so that was a bit misleading. If you're in San Diego it's a fun place to visit. Though when we went Lillian had become deathly ill with a stomach bug. We ended up later in the hospital twice with her puking up blood and dehydrated and all sorts of nastiness and we couldn't ever figure out why she got so sick while the rest of us didn't.When we got home from our vacation and were watching the movies of the trip there was this scene with Lillian at Sea World, dipping her hand into the tidepool water then slurping it up off her fingers. Over and over again while Andrew behind the camera laughed and said, "Hey, don't do that! That's gross!" But did he stop her??No wonder.12. The Freemont Troll. My Mom and I spent a week back in 2000 or 2001 in Seattle and someone at the desk of our hotel mentioned to us that we should go see the Troll. We had nothing better to do, we were hanging out wild and free so we went on a hunt to find it.You go across the bridge to Freemont which is a suburb of Seattle and this little artsy district and there underneath the bridge on the Freemont side is this giant troll. Eating a Volkswagen.Yes there are plenty of great things to see in Seattle and the northwest but the trip was fun and though I'm sure there are millions of people who have been there to visit my friend the troll when you go there it kind of feels like you're the only one who has discovered this fun little surprise.13. The Statue of Liberty. This other statue is a little harder to miss. I wondered if it would live up to the hype but it really was the highlight of our trip to New York City. We took the ferry across to Liberty Island and climbed the stairs to the top of her crown. I've heard that it's no longer open for viewing this way which is too bad. Climbing up inside with all the scaffolding to see the city from so high across the bay really is an amazing experience.14. Resurrection Bay, Alaska. If you drive south from Anchorage for two hours you'll hit the town of Seward on Resurrection Bay. You can see porpoise, an occasional killer whale and all sorts of marine mammals and birds if you're not distracted by the gorgeous greeny blue water and the fabulous fishing.Andrew and I have been down three or four times in August for the annual silver salmon derby where they tag several salmon and then spend the week fishing like crazy to see who can catch the biggest silver (or coho) and who can catch the ones with the tags.The first year we went we hadn't planned on buying a derby ticket but ended up doing so and lucky for us because Andrew caught a 17 pound silver right off the bat and led the derby for the day with his name in the paper and everything. He didn't end up with the biggest fish in the end though, I still remember the winning guy's name: Bill Bixby. Why do I remember that? Well because Bill Bixby was the guy who played on the Incredible Hulk if you recall."You don't want to make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."Anyway, he won for the second or third year in a row and we secretly suspect that he raised a silver in captivity all winter long just to yoink the victory from us. Though I guess that's not so secret any more. Not that we're bitter.Anyway, it was an amazing day--Andrew fished while I put the seats down on the upper deck of the boat and went to sleep in the sunshine. I could not have been happier.Photo credit: West Virginia TravelSponsored by Tiny Prints for the holiday party invitations for children.

Kiss&Water

Russia bares teeth in Victory parade

By Vladimir Isachenkov and Michael Stott 10 May 2009 ROWS of missiles and tanks rolled through Moscows Red Square and dozens of combat jets roared overhead in a Victory Day parade yesterday, the largest show of Russias military might in its post-Soviet history. Victory Day, marking the defeat of Nazi Germany, is Russias most important secular holiday, and the parade reflected the Kremlins efforts to revive the nations armed forces and global clout. In a speech opening the parade, President Dmitry Medvedev said the nations armed forces are ready to give adequate response to any aggression. Medvedev didnt specifically mention Russias war with neighbouring ex-Soviet republic Georgia in August, but alluded to it when he said that even today there are those who engage in military adventurism. From a dais in front of Lenins Tomb in Red Square, he said: Defence of our homeland is our holy duty… We are sure that any aggression against our citizens will be decisively rebuffed. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin sat next to Medvedev but did not speak. Russia says it was forced to defend its peacekeeping troops and citizens in rebel South Ossetia when Tbilisi tried to seize the pro-Moscow region by force. Russias ties with Nato plunged to a post-Cold War low after the conflict and remain tense. Underlining Russias present-day military power, troops drove trucks carrying the giant, nuclear Topol-M missiles and the latest S-400 Triumph air defence rockets through Red Square to gasps of admiration from the crowd of officials, veterans, officers and family members. It made a superb impression on me, said Maria Glavdivana, an 87-year-old Second World War veteran, her chest festooned with medals. We are showing the world our masculinity, our strength. We will never ever weaken. Medvedev paid tribute to those who fought in Georgia, saying, Those marching today in this square … will include the ones who in a real battle proved the high combat readiness of the modern Russian army. Goose-stepping guards of honour, clad in new dark-blue uniforms with crimson chests, golden shoulder-straps and embroidered peaked caps, carried the Victory Banner at the start of the parade in Red Square, as 1,000 musicians from 19 military orchestras played stirring marches in bright sunshine. The banner, a red hammer-and-sickle Soviet flag, was hoisted over the Reichstag building in Berlin in 1945, marking the end of a war that cost around 27 million Soviet lives. Veterans watched from a grandstand as 9,000 troops from various sections of the armed forces paraded. This parade proves we have people to defend our motherland, said Pavel Bogodukhov, who fought the Nazis in Stalingrad and marched with the victorious Soviet army to Berlin. We should feel proud that our armed forces are strong again. After Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov took the salute, standing in a grey, open-top Soviet Zil limousine, Russias latest T-90 main battle tanks, armoured vehicles, howitzers and cannons rumbled past the red-brick walls of the Kremlin. Russia celebrates Victory in Europe Day a day later than the rest of the world as it was early morning on May 9, 1945 in Moscow when the Soviet Union and its allies signed the Act of Germanys Military Surrender outside Berlin. Scotsman.com

Hell of a week

So that leak in my bedroom ceiling we thought was fixed? Yeah. Not so much. In fact it got worse. It was practically raining in my bedroom for several days last week. Well, maybe not a steady rain, but a constant drip. And the spots where it was dripping have expanded so now there's three. I currently have a bucket, a trash can, and a plastic bag to catch the water from the various locations. It soaked through three towels just from side drips and soaking up what was already in the carpet. I'm running out of rag towels to use as the wet ones need replacing faster than they dry. Various chunks of drywall compound have fallen down. And wet plaster/paint/drywall paper? YUCK. It's sticky and gloopy and generally a pain to clean up. Since the carpet is wet, bits of it are stuck to the fibers...I'll have to wait for things to dry out before I can vacuum up the plaster crumbs.To make matters worse, the fallen compound revealed something more sinister: black mold (no, I haven't had it cultured so I don't know if it's the toxic variety, but I also just want it to go away so I don't have to find out). The ceiling panels are also all warped now from the weight of all that water. They aren't lining up properly anymore so there are gaps between them and they're all bowed so the ceiling looks like it has a big lump in it. There are at least three panels in the ceiling that will have to be replaced between the water damage and mold. Good times.To add insult to injury, I woke up with a horrific earache in my right ear last Wednesday. Turns out my Eustachian tube is inflamed and the fluid can't drain and the air pressure can't equalize. So I have fluid and air trapped behind my eardrum. The good news is that it's not infected...yet. Unless the fluid drains soon, however, it can become infected. The nearest I can describe the feeling is when you're flying and the pressure in your ears won't equalize so your ear hurts and feels like it needs to "pop." I sneezed and thought my head was going to explode. And it keeps affecting my balance because my inner ear pressure is all off.The fun just never ends around here. I believe a phrase used by a colleague best describes it: "ass circus" (thanks LR!).

A La Carte (5/7)

Are Christians Overemphasizing Cultural Renewal? Following my review of Unfashionable Christianity Today asks "a question for Christian leaders (whether in the church or elsewhere): have you found the recent Christian emphasis on "building for the kingdom" and cultural renewal to detract from evangelism? Or is it actually helping to "reach souls"?" Shepherd Press Newsletter Shepherd Press offers a free weekly newsletter you may like to subscribe to. "Each issue contains an article that is of importance to you and your family. Usually you will find articles about current news events as well as other pertinent issues that matter to you and your family. The idea is to show the Bible's relevancy for every area of life, and then further, to help you talk with your children about these issues." Girls Gone Wise Girls Gone Wise is a new site headed up by Mary Kassian: an award winning author, internationally renowned speaker, and a distinguished professor at Southern Baptist Seminary. (HT:CM) Piper on Physical Protection From This Momentary Marriage: "If there is a sound downstairs during the night and it might be a burglar, you don't say to her, 'This is an egalitarian marriage, so it's your turn to go check it out. I went last time.' And I mean that-even if your wife has a black belt in karate. After you've tried to deter him, she may finish off the burglar with one good kick to the solar plexus. But you'd better be unconscious on the floor, or you're no man." 20 Minutes to Change Your Marriage "I was sitting through a seminar the other night and the speaker, Davis Carman, made a statement that has had me think a lot. He said that there is a crucial 20 minutes of a man's day that can really bless his wife and change his marriage." Adopted for Life RHB is offering Adopted for Life, a new book from Russell Moore, at a significant discount. It is "A stirring call to Christian families and churches to be a people who care for orphans, not just in word, but in deed." Sponsor:

Friday List

The only ones that seem to stick are lists. 1) Pirates!!! When we first started hearing news stories of Somali pirates taking over big freighters I was astonished and then kind of ... confused. Did they shoot cannons at the big ships? Make people walk the plank? Who wore the flouncy shirts and hats? Where was the peg-leg and the parrot? When pirates attacked an American ship earlier in the week I was astonished at the real details... apparently the pirates come aboard the huge gigantor-ship from just a little skiff, using hooks and ladders (hooks!) and take over with their AK-47s. According to a recent AP story, there is even a "pirate stronghold" in Somalia. This is so anachronistic! So crazy! And apparently even with all the smart bombs and unmanned drones and technology that can see through your clothes and read the tag on your panties, we still seem to be unable to break up a ring of pirates on skiffs. All of this is simply to point out yet one more reason I will not go on a boat. 2) My fault again. As I've pointed out in the past, every year I seem to decide to watch one or two new TV shows and they always without fail are the TV shows that get canceled two weeks later. There was Women's Murder Club, and New Amsterdam, and of course the dearly departed Life on Mars (it was a all a dream? are you f'ing kidding me?), and anyway. I Tivo'd "The Unusuals" on Wednesday night but I'm afraid to watch it or it will canceled today. 3) Speaking of TV! For those of us with insomnia, Tivo is the best invention ever thanks to the combination of bizarre keyword searches and all-night availability of saved shows. So when I had a long sleepless night ahead of me last night, I watched the cheese de resistance of TV -- High School Reunion. And I was so perplexed. How could Jessica accuse Maricela of being a prostitute and Maricela just ... stood there? In a white bikini? Why didn't she cut off Jessica's head and eat it? Unless... is it true? Which was never addressed directly! She never came right out and said, "That is a bald-faced lie you crazy wacko!" Maricela just said, "I know who I am and I know my character." Which is not the response I would have gone with personally (see: cannibalism.) And then I remembered that great scene in Shirley Valentine where Shirley meets up with her old classmate who is glamorous and beautiful and successful and later she tells Shirley she's a hooker. Good times. Then it was time for me to take a shower and come to work. TV is my friend. But it is so confusing. 4) Spam I'm surprised that all this time later, since the innernets were invented and the email machine was invented that spam has been an ongoing part of this entire cycle and no one has done anything about it. Since the invention of the electronic mail there has been the electronic junk mail. And no one can seem to stop it! This is just as crazy to me as the pirates. We have Google earth and devices that can record phone calls in space and we have machines that clip our nose hairs for pete's sake. And yet I still get email every single day that says, "Want to have a bigger penis?" and "Learn how to make her sizzle!" (I assume that last one isn't about cooking humans. But maybe it is, who knows. Cannibals!) Pirates and spam seem to be the two things we cannot thwart in life. 5) How green is your garden? This weekend I'm going to do a little gardening out in the ol' back 40. I want to plant mainly herbs this year, but I did really well with the pumpkins last year so maybe I'll try that again, too. The main concern is our water shortage which could mean very limited sprinkler time for the yard. I don't want to get fined for sneaking out back and running the hose over the pumpkin patch at midnight. We may not be able to catch and punish the spammers of the world or the pirates of the wild seas but you know the water police would be at my doorstep in a heartbeat if I so much as turned the hosepipe to the left during water rationing. - - - Have a nice weekend and a happy Easter!

Toyota reports record loss and predicts worse to come

Toyota reports record loss and predicts worse to comealmost ¥500bn in the coming year by cutting production and laying off thousands of temporary workers Justin McCurry Toyota today reported net losses of ¥436.9bn (£2.9bn) for last year, the worst results in its history, and predicted it would lose ¥550bn this financial year as it struggles to limit the fallout from the global economic crisis. The loss, the first in almost six decades, was far worse than predicted and underlined the size of the task facing the worlds biggest carmaker, which was forced to slash production and jobs amid plummeting demand in the US and other vital export markets. Toyota also said it would cut its annual dividend forecast for the first time in 14 years to ¥100 a share from ¥140 last year. The proposed cut will be put to shareholders at their annual meeting in June and comes after Toyotas annual dividend leaped six-fold in the space of a decade. Both revenues and profits declined severely during this period, Toyotas president, Katsuaki Watanabe, said in a statement. The negative impact was a consequence of the significant deterioration in vehicle sales particularly in the US and Europe, the rapid appreciation of the yen against the US dollar and the euro and the sharp rise in raw materials. Toyota hopes to reduce fixed costs by almost ¥500bn in the coming year by cutting production and laying off thousands of temporary workers around the world. It will also eliminate bonuses for senior executives and reduce those for managers by 60%. The rest&GuardianUK

Conservative Teabaggers Descend on American Cities

Protestors vow to form "one giant Dick Armey"Across the United States, thousands of Americans spilled into city streets to protest government spending of the Obama Administration. They are not just ordinary protestors, however. Instead, they have adopted a method of releasing their pent up frustration borrowed from the Founding Fathers: having a teabagging party.Weary of endless government bailouts, the teabaggers warn that Obama is erecting a socialist welfare state. They believe that the government has no business inserting money into the free market, and that the market should decide which business come and go. "In short, what we teabaggers are saying is, 'Suck it up,'" says Richard Head, the organizer of TeabagAmerica.com, one of the many Internet sites devoted to teabagging.That message grabbed the interest of conservatives around the country, and the Internet helped swell those ranks even more as many conservative teabaggers went online, eager to meet like-minded individuals. "I was just online one night, searching about teabagging," said Harry Peters of Seattle, Washington, "and after a few visits to other sites, I happened to click on a link about a teabagging party right here in Seattle."The teabagging party Peters attended took place outside of a men's restroom near the Space Needle. A dozen men gathered around the entrance, with pairs of men occasionally ducking into the restroom to "get hot water" for their teabags. "It's disgusting what the government is ramming down our throats," said Mr. Peters as he waited for his turn. "We have to get off handouts and stop begging the government to fulfill our every need. People need to be more independent." Mr. Peters, who attended Washington State University on the G.I. Bill after serving in the U.S. Army, is a contract manager at the Boeing Company.The desire to join in on this teabagging seemed universal among conservatives, regardless of age or geographic location. In Des Moines, Iowa, large numbers of teabaggers from rural areas surged into the capital, attracted by news of teabagging activities in the state capitol. "All Obama wants to do is just keep handing out free money to people," said Randy Johnson, dressed in vintage eighteenth century knee-high pants and silk stockings as he dipped his teabags into a cup. "Well, let me tell you, you can't have a democracy when you're ruled by welfare queens." Mr. Johnson is a farmer who sells most of his corn crop to ethanol processors.While the rallies mostly focused on taxes, they turned to other issues that have gotten a rise out of conservatives. At the Des Moines rally, many talked about the state supreme court's decision to make same-sex marriages legal. "What kind of example does that set for our children, especially for young boys?" Mr. Johnson asked as he sipped his Chamomile tea from a cup that read, "I [heart symbol] Mike Huckabee.""The idea of two men doing what Randy and I do in our most private moments...well, it gets me pretty hot and bothered," said Mary A. Johnson, Mr. Johnson's wife of 38 years. "Marriage is about family values, like raising children or baking pies or watching our favorite shows like Wife Swap, which Randy and I just love."Mr. Johnson added, "The left is trying to get us to swallow this homosexual agenda, and I for one am going to spit it back in their faces."At a rally Phoenix, Arizona, immigration was perhaps even more of a rallying cry than taxes. A group calling themselves "Ye Olde Teabaggers"—disguised as Native Americans like the original participants of the Boston Tea Party—addressed the crowd. "These immigrants come here to take our land, our food, and our livelihoods," said Robert Knobs, a Pittsburgh native who moved to Phoenix to take a job as a Wal-Mart manager. "They are destroying small-town America as we know it."Initially, this anti-tax movement was relatively small and appeared to lack any real staying power. However, once the idea of teabagging was introduced, the movement grew very quickly and hardened into a political phenomenon. "The key to stimulating a grassroots political movement is you have to have some fun," said Glenn Beck, the conservative television commentator who is one of the most ardent proponents of teagbagging. "That's why we started with teabagging. It allows us to play around and have a little fun before we get down to business."The rapid climax of the teabagging movement at these tea parties hints that this grassroots movement may have had a helping hand from prominent conservative groups. Specifically, FreedomWorks, an conservative political organization headed by former Congressman Dick Armey, is alleged to have pumped a large amount of liquid assets into the movement. While Mr. Armey downplayed his contribution, teabaggers at the Atlanta rally where Mr. Armey was to speak acknowledged the contributions of the former House Majority Leader. "Separately, we are but a bunch of little Dick Armeys, getting out the conservative message in little dribs and drabs," said Hugh J. Toole, the head of the Atlanta teabagging branch. "But together, we can come together as one giant Dick Armey and unleash a huge outpouring of conservatism all over America."Likewise, many pundits at Fox News served as mouthpieces for the teabagging movement. "I love what teabagging is doing for conservatives," said television host Sean Hannity. "It tells you everything you need to know about us: that we're not just going to lie there and take it, but instead we're going to be aggressive and not stop until we get what we want."Hannity also believes that the movement is here to stay. "All this teabagging isn't some giant tease for conservatives. We're going to keep pounding this message home."At the end of a long day, many teabagging participants looked tired and exhausted, even if they glowed with the pleasure the events clearly gave them. "I feel great, but I'm ready to relax," said Mary A. Johnson after the Des Moines rally. "That's why my girlfriends and I are going to finish our day of teabagging with a group facial."Ms. Johnson turned and hollered to her friends, "Come on girls, let's go to the spa. I just got my tax rebate!"

BLOG CANDY og et nyt kort/ BLOG CANDY and a new card..

Dette indlæg bliver liggende øverst i bloggen indtil 15. marts - kig længere nede efter nye indlæg.This entry will stay on top of blog until March 15th. BLOG CANDY now over - winner found. ALLERFØRST - skal vi fejre at min blog har haft 35.000 besøg lige præcis i dag - TUSIND tak til alle der kigger forbi - jeg laver en forårshilsen som en heldig vinder kan løbe af med i næste uge, søndag 15.3. om aftenen trækker jeg lod mellem de nye kommentarer der er kommet fra i dag. Ikke kun lige her i dette indlæg - men hvorsomhelst I har lyst til at skrive på min blog - for det er altid sjovt og HYGGELIGT at se hvad folk har lyst til at kigge på og skrive om, det giver mig jo en ide om hvad der skal være mere af i bloggen. BARE ROLIG - jeg har styr på det - for jeg har jo gjort det MANGE gange før. Der er helt nye forårsting imellem - så det er værd at være med i lodtrækningen. Det er ikke noget krav at du linker til min blog - men du må da gerne =0).MEN tilbage til kortet - dette er med QK Chick-a-Dee, orm, sky, høne, græs og en kylling og æg jeg havde som punch. Solen er en Sizzix die. Jeg har en kollega, der flere gange har sagt - "Får jeg da ALDRIG et Charlotte kort - jeg har fået mine børn, er gift, og fylder først rundt om 5 år. Jeg er sågar kommet til skade på en skiferie og slået hovedet op i min bildør - og stadig intet kort." For at undgå flere skader har jeg og vores sikkerhedsudvalg forbarmet os og hun får et kort på mandag til sin alm. fødselsdag. Og JA hun har høns - sorte med hvide prikker og det passede jo lige med HC Andersens tekst - og inden i kortet står ... dette er et kort til dig - vi tør ikke andet sådan som du gør ALT for at komme i betragtning. =0)FIRST - LOOK - I have passed 35,000 visitors - that calls for a CELEBRATION. For every comment on my blog from today and until Sunday May 15th in the evening your name is entered in the draw. I love to see where you prefer to make a comment - it is possible anywhere on my blog - and don't worry - I know how to keep track of the comments - I've done it before =0). Prize is a Spring gift - and part of it is the latest I have seen in my local shop - but I love secrets so that's all you will be told right now. Feel free to spread the word - the more the merrier.BUT back to the card. This is a spring card inspired by the fairy tale "It's quite true" by Hans Christian Andersen - its for a colleague and YES she has black and white hens. She has been bugging me for a card (I only do cards for weddings, babies and special b-days) she was even in a skiing accident last month and all she said when she came back from France was "Is that worth a card...". But Monday is her Bday and this is her card, saying It's quite true" - and inside "This card is for U". I used QK Chick-a-Dee, cloud, hen, worm and grass. Egg and chickens are punched. TFL

Laura Jean

Look how sweet "Wee Tees" project is for a baby room! "Name frames" are one of my favorite kids to give children or babies, there's nothing like being validated seeing your name up and everywhere, and I just love this design of hanging it on the doorknob, perfect for a nursery! Thanks, Laura Jean for this lovely idea, the letters on the pieced onesies are too cute. For the dimensions, she used the largest Nestabilities Scalloped Circle (4.25" round), and cut out the same size of tag board to reinforce them (I used the White tagboard that comes in a package of SU DSP) and then backed each with a scalloped piece of Riding Hood Red. The DP is from DCWV (Animal Crackers). The total length of the hanging is approx 20".Here is a little more abut Laura Jean, in her own words:Favorite Technique-- Paper piecing. Colors/color combo-- Anything I can use with brown, My favorite colors are Pacific Point, Certainly Celery, & Riding Hood Red. Gina K set by Melanie-- Do I have to choose? My top three would be Little Tees, Just So Sporty and Wee Tees. I'm a pretty big sports fans so all those sporty sentiments just fit my personality.Gina K sets (from any illustrator)- Rupa's Retro Boutique and Just Be-Claws. I just love those little crabs!Craft supplies I can’t live without— Ribbon & Basic Grey Brads. I usually have a hard time making a card without one or the other.I've been stamping for (how long)— I started Scrapbooking my baseball vacations 9-10 years ago with just a 8.5X11 binder, some card-stock and a few stickers. I bought my first stamps (an alphabet set which I still have) about 2 years later (from Gina K ironically) to stamp baseball team names, and then my mom showed me SCS. I've been making cards, and other stamp projects since. I still do my baseball albums, but I really love working with a "smaller canvas" (i.e. card). I get my inspiration from -- Gina K (of course!) and other blogs/web galleries. I also get PaperCrafts magazine which refer to a lot. For Scrapbooking I usually rely on Becky Higgin's Sketch Magazines for layout design.The most important things I’ve learned about stamping/cardmaking/scrapbooking are - A sketch is just a "starting" point & if you change it up that's fine. I've started so many "challenges" only to come out with something completely different that doesn't even fit the challenge requirements, and that's okay. I've also learned that there is so much out there I have not even learned. Which makes me keep going. Some of my stamping/crafting goals are- continue to learn more about the craft, there are a lot of techniques I have not tried yet. I also want to improve my coloring technique. Art was one of the worst subjects for me in school. LOL!Favorite things to make that aren’t cards (if any): Scrap-booking, & coaster-book albums. I also enjoy altering tins. Some of my stamping/crafting accomplishments are— other than being a Guest Designer for Melanie my list is pretty short. :)And here is another sample from Laura Jean , check it out!BIG NEWS: Have you read the "Stamping Lifestyle" Magazine yet? I am so excited to try those recipes I haven't had yet, and as well as check out some of those books! I could go on and on, but like with all things Gina K , the magazine truly surpassed all my (already very high) expectations!Go enjoy! and have a wonderful Mother's Day weekend! More to come! (don't forget to leave a comment on this post<---click here if you haven't already to be entered for the Paper Temptress Blog Candy!)

Brad and Kimberly Reveal Son's Name!

Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley paid tribute to a special man when picking a name for their newborn son, Jasper Warren Paisley, born April 17. Kimberly's rep told PEOPLE exclusively that Warren, the baby's middle name, is from Brad's grandfather who gave Brad his first guitar and encouraged him to pursue a music career. The couple also has two year old son, William Huckleberry Paisley, who was named after the Mark Twain character Huck Finn

Tuesday, 05/05/09 10:57 PM

The Ole filter makes a pass, Cinco de Mayo edition. I must warn you I am really tired; had a long day of strategy meetings which somehow take more out of me than tactical ones (!), and then a long ride and a long dinner and a long drive home... please forgive me if I nod off while posting...
I've been ruminating on the value of unique names in business. It is increasingly important/useful to be able to "find stuff" by name, and if you are looking for a unique name, it is that much easier. For example a company name of Aperio is pretty good, because while it isn't completely unique (it is a Latin word) it still isolates search results pretty well. If we named our company Digital Pathology Inc. that wouldn't be nearly as good, at least for searching. And in a not-so-subtle way it wouldn't nearly as good for branding either. Something to keep in mind for Project Q...
Oh to be a fly on the wall: Jason Kottke blogs about the New Yorker Financial Summit, with Malcolm Gladwell, Nassim Taleb, and Robert Shiller speaking... "Experts talking about how experts are wrong! My brain is seizing up..."
Joel Spolsky hits a familiar nail on the head: why Circuit City failed while B&H thrives. Basically, you have to deliver value to your customers to have a business. That's what it's all about.
Horizontal scrolling and the evolution of medical content on the web. "I have the impression that a major technical shift is underway regarding how web pages are organized and formatted." Huh, interesting. I don't have that impression at all, but I guess we'll start monitoring for horizontal scrolling sites... Note this is different from something like Kindle which doesn't scroll at all.
Alternative reality: Steve Gillmor says Rest in peace, RSS. "It's time to get completely off RSS and switch to Twitter. RSS just doesn't cut it anymore." I suspect this is just link bait, nobody can really argue Twitter in any way replaces RSS, right? The signal to noise ratios are way different.
Huh, looks like the Tour of California is moving to May. That means it would take place head-to-head with the Giro d'Italia, the Tour of Italy. "We will be head-to-head with the Giro but frankly I don't think that will really affect us.. The Giro is a great race, but very few cyclists who are serious about the Tour de France will also race the Giro." Interesting and aggressive move.
If you're a regular reader you know I occasionally post about desk checking, the lost art of carefully verifying computer software in your head before doing so live on a computer. I get quite a lot of email about this, mostly in the "yes!" category, and it tends to have a "kids these days" flavor (correspondents often tell an "I used to walk to school in the snow barefoot" type of story by way of introducing their interest :) So today I was looking for a trivial formatting bug and I was trying to use Visual Studio to step through the code but there were too many branch paths, so I forced myself to resort to a little desk checking. Not only did I find the trivial bug, I actually found an unrelated nontrivial bug in the process. I sometimes wonder if it wouldn't be good to take away interactive debuggers altogether. Ah, kids these days, why I remember walking to school in the snow, barefoot...
And now, ZZZzzz...
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Astronomical addenda

I forgot to mention that, during the high school observing session, I made one hell of a misidentification. The kids pointed to a bright star in the east, which I immediately dismissed as a plane. Except it didnt move. It turned out to be Arcturus, the second-brightest star in the northern sky. I should have gotten that, but in my defence, my usual observing sites have obstructed views of the east. I dont normally see anything east of Spica at this time of year. Setting up for that session was much easier than I thought it would be: driving to the site and bringing stuff from the car in several trips is a hell of a lot less effort than trying to carry everything in your arms or on your back over several hundred metres in one trip. Who knew? Anyway, considering that weve had several offers of open, rural sites to observe from, car-based observing looks like a viable option. Which means that telescopes that would ordinarily be far too heavy to lug to the nearby field are back on the menu. Which means that Dobsonian telescopes  big, lots of aperture, not very expensive  are back on the menu. Sky-Watchers collapsible Dobsonians, which I mentioned last year when they were announced, are just as heavy as their solid-tube predecessors (the steel hardware required for a collapsible frame does not represent a weight savings over the portion of aluminum tube it replaces), but collapsing them does make them easier to store and move. The Sky-Watcher Dobs have received mixed-to-positive reviews. Gary Seronik reviewed them twice, in each case noting a surprising flaw amid decent optics: in the January/February 2009 issue of SkyNews, he noted that the 10-inch model had a too-small secondary mirror; in the May 2009 issue of Sky and Telescope, he found that the 12-inch models azimuth bearings were too loose and its focuser too shallow to allow a Tele Vue Paracorr to reach focus (on an f/4.7 instrument, thats a problem: you want a coma corrector). In other words, cheap Chinese-built Dobsonian telescopes have their quirks as usual: theres a reason why Dobs get hacked, modded and rebuilt all the time. Jennifer has had her eye on the 10-inch model (which would represent four times the light-gathering capacity of our five-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain); fortunately for her pocketbook, Focus Scientific didnt have any in stock on Saturday. We did buy a few other things while we were there, though: I put in an order for my PowerMate (see previous entry); she picked up a two-inch 30-mm eyepiece (for the refractor) and an observing chair with an adjustable seat (which is something every observer  or at least every observers back  needs). When the PowerMate shows up, Ill be able to apply it immediately to my lunar photography. Recent shots, however, are still with the apo refractor with a 500-mm focal length. Last week I took a couple of shots of the Moon as a crescent, one of which a two-second exposure to bring out earthshine: If the skies hold tonight, Im going to try to take photographs of the Moon through both telescopes, to see if the central obstruction of the Schmidt-Cassegrain is offset by the longer focal length. Finally: Starfest 2009 sounds interesting. I think Id like to go.

Mahawil

updated, still with chox-mix goodness

The latest version [as far as I know] of Merritt Clifton's list of selected dog attacks has been posted here, at Scribd, by someone who sucks at Photoshop.The chox mix is still listed, along with the buff mastiff, the Dauschund, the East Highland Terrier and the Weimaeaner. The Australian cattle dog, the Australian blue heeler, the Blue heeler and the Queensland heeler are still listed as separate breeds.One big change: the Analysis section of the report has been removed. And in his brief introduction, Clifton adds a paragraph defending his numbers. Click for big:Seriously, I could beat my head on rocks. Merritt Clifton has no idea how many dog attacks there are each year by any given breed. No one does. The last time I checked, not one state kept track of dog attacks by breed. We do know that over 6,000 people were hospitalized as a result of dog attacks in the US in one year: From the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: “Of an estimated 333,700 patients treated for dog bites in emergency departments (EDs) in 1994, approximately 6,000 were hospitalized.”For the record, Clifton's latest report states that "Pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios, and their mixes" were responsible for a total of 1894 attacks "doing bodily harm" in the US and Canada from 1982 to 2008. Clifton still lumps every sort of mixed breed with "purebreds" [while stating that "only attacks by dogs of clearly identified breed type or ancestry are included"]. This approach has no basis in science or anything else.Related — I think:Law enforcement officials classified the dog in the Jan. 3 attack as a pit bull, boxer and black lab mix.One magazine editor simplified this classification of dog.“It’s a mongrel basically,” Wash.-based Animal People editor Merritt Clifton said.He also said insurance representatives and dog wardens will often classify the dog by what type of dog it looks like. This classification has little to do with genetics, he said, because often shelter operators are simply attempting to determine the risk the dog will fight with other dogs.Though some might label pit bulls as aggressive, Clifton said pit bulls are often reactive because of the fact they were originally trained to hunt rats on ships. However, because of their size and their inability to pull large amounts of cargo from ships, they were not considered apt for either job and instead began being bred for dogfighting on the docks.This rat-killing, he said, has made them more reactive.He also talked about the head-shaking mechanism pit bulls would use to kill the rat, which in bites causes the tearing of skin, causing more damage than other dog bites. However, he said this can be combated by pushing the arm or other appendage further into the dog’s mouth, which will force a release. [Source]Inconceivable. Really. Big hat tip to the most excellent Caveat for the link to that, er... fascinating article.

Maternal depression linked to disturbed sleep in their infants

Kelly Wagner A study published in the journal SLEEP suggests that babies born to mothers with depression are more likely to suffer from significant sleep disturbances at 2 weeks postpartum that continue until 6 months of age. Findings of the study are of particular importance, as sleep disturbances in infancy may result in increased risk for developing early-onset depression in childhood. Results indicate that infants born to mothers with depression had significant sleep disturbances compared to low-risk infants; the high-risk group had an hour longer nocturnal sleep latency, shorter sleep episodes and lower sleep efficiency than infants who were born to mothers without depression. Although average sleep time in a 24 hours did not differ by risk group at eight two or four weeks, nocturnal total sleep time was 97 minutes longer in the low-risk group at both recording periods. High-risk infants also had significantly more daytime sleep episodes of a shorter average duration. Previous studies have found that levels of cortisol, a hormone that is associated with stress, is increased during pregnancy and after delivery in depressed mothers, indicating that the mother's hormone level may affect the infant's sleep. According to the lead author, Roseanne Armitage, PhD, director of the Sleep and Chronophysiology Laboratory at the University Of Michigan Depression Center, while maternal depression does have a negative effect on infants' sleep, the damage may be reversible. "We do think that we could develop a behavioral and environmental intervention to improve entrainment of sleep and circadian rhythms in the high risk infants," said Armitage. "However, whether it is maternal hormones that "cause" the sleep problems in infants is not yet known. It could genetic, hormonal, or both. Regardless of the cause, they may still be modifiable since brain regulation is very plastic and responsive in childhood." The study involved 18 healthy full term infants, half of whom were male. Seven infants were born to women with no personal or family history of depression and 11 were born to women diagnosed with depression or with elevated levels of depression symptoms. Five women were experiencing a Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) episode during the beginning of the study. Infants who were born to mothers who has past or present MDD according to the DSM-IV or who scored high for postnatal depression were placed in a high-risk group for depression; all other infants were considered to be low-risk. Both the mother and infants' sleep was measured with light and motion sensor actigraphy over the course of seven consecutive days at two-weeks postpartum and monthly thereafter for six months. Mothers were also asked to complete daily sleep/wake diaries. Mothers were recruited during the last trimester of pregnancy through perinatal mood disorders or obstetrics clinics at the University of Michigan. Authors state that findings of this study claim that future work should attempt to determine if sleep in infancy is modifiable and to define the optimal conditions for entrainment of sleep to the nocturnal period. According to previous studies, untreated infant sleep problems can become chronic, with implications for the mental health and well-being of both the child and the mother. The difficulties of mothers who are already vulnerable to anxiety and depression will be exacerbated if they also are deprived of sleep. Armitage R, Heather Flynn H, Hoffmann R, et al. Early Developmental Changes in Sleep in Infants: The Impact of Maternal Depression. SLEEP 2009 May;32(5):693-696

Punch Drunk

Worried about your pub? Well if it is owned by Punch Taverns, maybe you ought to be. The Punch Group owes its bankers £4.6 billion pounds, secured against its estate of 8,300 pubs. Now when it gets to huge amounts of zeros, I get a bit confused, but it seems to me that is an average debt of £554,000 per pub. No wonder they are screwing their publicans and selling pubs as fast as they can. Not that it will do them any good. As the London Evening Standard remarked the other day "The group has bought back £318 million of debt for a bargain £200 million in the past six months. At 60p in the pound, that either shows investors think the company is doomed, or that they are so strapped for cash they are happy to take what they can get."How did all this arise I hear you ask, when at the beer orders, most pubs were owned by brewers and more or less debt free? Well, when the pub companies were set up, each pub was mortgaged to pay the breweries for the pubs they had to divest. When pub companies subsequently merged or were taken over, a little bit more was added to the mortgage, with the surplus being trousered by those that sold them. Repeat quite a few times, until we get where we are today. A massive bloody debt that is being paid by the PubCos tenants - and, of course, by their customers. This couldn't go on for ever. Something would happen to stop it. Well a few things have. All at once. They are running out of mugs to take their leases, people aren't visiting pubs and the estate isn't worth what it used to be.If Punch goes bust, there will be a fire sale of pubs at realistic prices. These pubs then, unburdened by huge debt, might just start to make money again.The market says the group is worth £237 million. Latest figures indicate they "only" own 7371 pubs, so the debt per pub is actually worse.

Face It, Cats Don’t Like You

I often liken cats and the general feline species to a cheerleader I once knew in junior high school who often gave you this sarcastic look that either meant she hated you or wanted you to go away. Thats because, lets face it, cats dont like you. And when I say you it means all of you. Because while we all think the cats we cherish are just funny or quirky or aloof; the reality is theyre just putting up with us until the mother ship arrives and they can finally tell us all what they really think. Talk to the cat lovers and they will write off what I like to call the catitutde to a bunch of human traits that cats dont even have. Cats are adorably-egotistical, some will say. Cats are lovable balls of fur and fury, others have said. Cats love their owners, but are very protective in the company of strangers&thus their constant scratching and hissing. Face it, cats dont like any of us. People joke that cats could be from another planet and Im not altogether convinced they arent. Landing here on Earth during Egyptian times, they quickly assimilated themselves and became (what the History books claim) the most beloved pets of the Egyptian times. Evidenced, by of course, all those pictographs that prominently featured cats wearing classic Egyptian head garb. I know people who liken cats in Egypt to Jerry Lewis in France. (KnowwhatImean?) Dogs are dopey and lovable. Theyre also kind of stupid. But, dont we (as a culture) love dopey stupid people? Dont we embrace the stupid? Look at the covers of mainstream magazines and tell me who were following around (cough, Britney, cough) and then tell me we dont love our stupid folks. Same goes for the dogs  with a vocabulary that doesnt exceed that of a two year old child, we can pretty much love our dogs and not worry about them reprogramming the alarm code for our home and then accidentally (ahem) calling the police on us. Cats? Not so much. You often hear the stories of cats dialing 911. Of cats saving their owners from an untimely death. Of cats smartly and quickly dealing with tragic and dangerous situations. My dog sleeps in his own poop. Bring up a list of all the other pets we have, from guinea pigs and mice to birds and fish&and throw a cat in there for good measure. And at the end of the day when you look at the entire list&its like looking at a list of countries like Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, France, Italy and Iraq. Can you guess which animal is like Iraq? Cough, cat, cough. The cat lovers and naysayers will defend cats to the bitter end. They will recount the stories of love and cuddling and scratch posts. They will say, Well if cats dont like me then why would they save me in dangerous and life-threatening situations? The cat avoiders will respond to that by saying that cats are just keeping us all alive so that someday we can become their slaves, much like the Egyptians. Maybe 2012 is what theyre waiting for. But I dont have time for conspiracy theories and alien jokes. I dont have time for any of it because I have come to accept the fact that cats just dont like me. Or you. Or anyone. Theyre pretending they like us just so they can use us until they no longer need us. Like that junior high school cheerleader. A hex on you, mlady.

Data interchange problems come in all sizesW3C Q&A Weblog

I had a pretty small data interchange problem the other day: I just wanted to archive some play lists that I had compiled using various music player daemon (mpd) clients. The mpd server stores playlists as simple m3u files, i.e. line-oriented files with a path to the media file on each line. But that's too fragile for archive and interchange purposes. I had a similar problem a while back with iTunes playlists. In that episode, I chose hAudio, an HTML dialect in progress in the microformats community, as my target. Unfortunately, hAudio changed out from under me between when I started and when I finished. So this time, a simple search found the music ontology and I tried it with RDFa, which lets you use any RDF vocabulary in HTML*. I'm mostly pleased with the results: from A Song's Best Friend_ The Very Best Of John Denver [Disc 1] by John Denver Poems, Prayers And Promises from WOW Worship (orange) by Compilations Did you Feel the Mountains Tremble from Family Music Party by Trout Fishing In America Back When I Could Fly The album names come before the track names because I didn't read enough of the the RDFa primer when I was coding; RDFa includes @rev as well as @rel for reversing subject/object order. See an advogato episode on m3uin.py for details about the code. The Music Ontology was developed by a handful of people who staked out a claim in URI space (http://musicontology.org/...) and happily took comments from as big a review community as they could manage, but they had no obligation to get a really global consensus. The microformats process is intended to reach a global consensus so that staking out a claim in URI space is superfluous; it works well given certain initial conditions about how common the problem is and availability of pre-web designs to draw from. Perhaps playlists (and media syndication, as hAudio seems to be expanding in scope to hMedia) will eventually reach these conditions, but the music ontology already meets my needs, since I'm the sort who doesn't mind declaring my data vocabulary with URIs. My view of Web architecture is shaped by episodes such as this one. While giga-scale deployment is always impressive and definitely something we should design for, small scale deployment is just as important. The Web spread, initially, not because of global phenomena such as Wikipedia and Facebook but because you didn't need your manager's permission to try it out; you didn't even need a domain name; you could just run it on your LAN or even on just one machine with no server at all. In an Oct 2008 tech plenary session on web architecture, Henri Sivonen said: I see the Web as the public Web that people can access. The resources you can navigate publicly. I define Web as the information space accessible to the public via a browser. If a mobile operator operates behind walls, this is not part of the Web. I can't say that I agree with that perspective. I'm no great fan of walled gardens either, but freedom means freedom to do things we don't like as well as freedom to do things we do like. And architecture and policy should have a sort of church-and-state separation between them. Plus, data interchange happens not just at planetary scale, but also within mobile devices, across devices, and across communities and enterprises of all shapes and sizes. I've gone a little outside the scope of current standards; RDFa has only been specified for use in modular XHTML, with the application/xhtml+xml media type, so far. See also: Feb 2009: Palm webOS approach to HTML extensibility: x-mojo-* Aug 2008: The details of data in documents: GRDDL, profiles, and HTML5

Data interchange problems come in all sizesW3C Q&A Weblog

I had a pretty small data interchange problem the other day: I just wanted to archive some play lists that I had compiled using various music player daemon (mpd) clients. The mpd server stores playlists as simple m3u files, i.e. line-oriented files with a path to the media file on each line. But that's too fragile for archive and interchange purposes. I had a similar problem a while back with iTunes playlists. In that episode, I chose hAudio, an HTML dialect in progress in the microformats community, as my target. Unfortunately, hAudio changed out from under me between when I started and when I finished. So this time, a simple search found the music ontology and I tried it with RDFa, which lets you use any RDF vocabulary in HTML*. I'm mostly pleased with the results: from A Song's Best Friend_ The Very Best Of John Denver [Disc 1] by John Denver Poems, Prayers And Promises from WOW Worship (orange) by Compilations Did you Feel the Mountains Tremble from Family Music Party by Trout Fishing In America Back When I Could Fly The album names come before the track names because I didn't read enough of the the RDFa primer when I was coding; RDFa includes @rev as well as @rel for reversing subject/object order. See an advogato episode on m3uin.py for details about the code. The Music Ontology was developed by a handful of people who staked out a claim in URI space (http://musicontology.org/...) and happily took comments from as big a review community as they could manage, but they had no obligation to get a really global consensus. The microformats process is intended to reach a global consensus so that staking out a claim in URI space is superfluous; it works well given certain initial conditions about how common the problem is and availability of pre-web designs to draw from. Perhaps playlists (and media syndication, as hAudio seems to be expanding in scope to hMedia) will eventually reach these conditions, but the music ontology already meets my needs, since I'm the sort who doesn't mind declaring my data vocabulary with URIs. My view of Web architecture is shaped by episodes such as this one. While giga-scale deployment is always impressive and definitely something we should design for, small scale deployment is just as important. The Web spread, initially, not because of global phenomena such as Wikipedia and Facebook but because you didn't need your manager's permission to try it out; you didn't even need a domain name; you could just run it on your LAN or even on just one machine with no server at all. In an Oct 2008 tech plenary session on web architecture, Henri Sivonen said: I see the Web as the public Web that people can access. The resources you can navigate publicly. I define Web as the information space accessible to the public via a browser. If a mobile operator operates behind walls, this is not part of the Web. I can't say that I agree with that perspective. I'm no great fan of walled gardens either, but freedom means freedom to do things we don't like as well as freedom to do things we do like. And architecture and policy should have a sort of church-and-state separation between them. Plus, data interchange happens not just at planetary scale, but also within mobile devices, across devices, and across communities and enterprises of all shapes and sizes. I've gone a little outside the scope of current standards; RDFa has only been specified for use in modular XHTML, with the application/xhtml+xml media type, so far. See also: Feb 2009: Palm webOS approach to HTML extensibility: x-mojo-* Aug 2008: The details of data in documents: GRDDL, profiles, and HTML5