Yesterday there was an argument going on at Maxwell House between the new owner's contractor and our movers over who had rights to the driveway. The contractor threatened to dump a load of gravel behind the truck, thus blocking the moving truck from exiting the driveway. I said, "Over my dead body." That's how the morning went. Bear in mind we were still paying rent there.

This morning? Well, I'm wondering whether I'm going to have to call the doctor or go to the hospital. I just took my first dose of prescribed Niaspan and this niacin rush is about a thousand times worse than any hot flash I've ever had. And this is the time-release version! Oh well, at least my face matches my red top... Good grief - I hope this goes away soon. (The rush, not the top, you sillies.)

Hello? Is This Thing On?

I can't believe we didn't have internets for over a week since we moved. There was a question over whether the phone company or the apartment owners were responsible for the phone jack to the PC, then the phone company lost our DSL request, then their "expedited" work order ... wasn't. Plus, delays and a glitch in getting everything moved, first to the new apartment, and then stuff put into storage, and Tomcat and I being too exhausted to even walk down to the internet cafe to get online in the evenings. Whew!

And now there are tons of emails and lots of blogs to catch up on. But it's good to be back, folks. Did I miss anything?

All I know so far is that the president says the economy's good and the surge is working. And I'm pleased to see that my candidate is doing so well and that my (Texas) vote will actually matter this time.

Oh, and I just found my iPod.

Now I'm off (but only a little) to read your blogs.

"Yes, We Can!" Parody

OMG, this is so funny!



Many thanks to Grace, the artist, for this one!

(Click here for the real "Yes, We Can!" video and lyrics.)

Re-run

Yep, everything on television is a re-run during the writers' strike, so why should anything be different here at Chapterhouse? (besides the facts that I'm worn out from getting ready to move, and I'm too lazy to come up with something new for the occasion.)


I hope to get back to normal (whatever that is) in a week or two and come around and harass each and every one of you!

Click here for the re-run.

A different perspective

Enough of politics for a while! How about we change the subject to something less controversial - like religion? :)

This from Atheist Eve:
(click to enlarge)



I confess I had to read through this twice before I got it.

To Whom It May Concern

Please stop drooling on my house slippers.

Thank you.
------------------------------------------------------

YES, WE CAN!

It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.

Yes we can.

It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom.

Yes we can.

It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.

Yes we can.

It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballots; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.

Yes we can to justice and equality.

Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.

Yes we can heal this nation.

Yes we can repair this world.

Yes we can.

We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.

We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics...they will only grow louder and more dissonant ........... We've been asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.

But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.

Now the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea --

Yes. We. Can.



Celebrities featured include: Scarlett Johansson, Tatyana Ali, John Legend, Herbie Hancock, Kate Walsh, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Adam Rodriquez, Kelly Hu, Adam Rodriquez, Amber Valetta and Nick Cannon

Imagine

Barack Obama's response to Bush's State of the Union speech:



------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'M ASKING YOU TO BELIEVE
not just in my ability to bring about real change
in Washington ... I'm asking you to believe in yours.
-Barack Obama

Well this is interesting

I was wondering why Sen. Clinton hasn't told her husband to STFU, because his comments haven't helped her. Or ... have they? According to this article by Dick Morris for the Rasmussen Reports, these comments are part of the Clintons' strategy to send a message to white voters that this is a racial fight between Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama, hoping there will be a massive white backlash benefiting Clinton. Now it all makes sense - why else would Bill Clinton make such asinine comments as, "Well, Jesse Jackson won South Carolina, too," or "People tend to vote for candidates who look like themselves." (yeah, right - what about all those white people in Iowa, men and women, who voted for Obama?) Who, exactly, is playing the race card here?

Kitchen Sink

I've added a link on my sidebar to Sen. Obama's fact-checker site. If any of you Obama supporters want to put one on your blog, email me for the code (unless you just want to make one of your own.) There's a link to my email on the Profile page.


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Today's the day for the (alleged) closing on Maxwell House! ASSuming the fat lady sings, by late this afternoon Tomcat and I will be renters here at Maxwell House until we move to an apartment by the end of February. Maxwell House was left to me by my ex-husband, Max. We were married for three years, divorced in 1971, but remained friends all the years until his death in 2004. Tomcat and I married in 1986, and Max and Tom truly enjoyed being husbands-in-law. Max had a stroke three years before he died. We tried to help him run the house (it's chopped up into five apartments; Max lived upstairs) and take him to the grocery store and doctor, etc. I'll never forget the time Tom rigged up a pulley for Max on the second-floor back porch. That way, instead of carrying anything up or down the stairs, Max could put the item(s) in a basket and use the pulley. Isn't that something? I have some mixed feelings about leaving this place, but it's 95 years old and needs a lot of work. So we're moving on.

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Finally, I don't know about you, but I am so sick of "reality" shows! Did anyone watch that new one last night, The Moment of Truth? I was torn between wanting to see what it was like, and wanting to boycott it at the time time. It was one of those things like watching a train wreck - you don't want to look, but you can't look away. It was brutal. I think the first guy lost his marriage and possibly his livelihood, not to mention the money, when it was over. His marriage because he confessed to delaying a decision to have children because he's not sure his wife is the right one to be his life partner, and his livelihood because he's a personal trainer, and he lied about occasionally touching female clients more than absolutely necessary. After the lie, a contestant is disqualified and loses all the money he was playing for. In the personal trainer's case, he was at the $100,000 level. I don't think I'll watch it again because the delay in announcing whether a response is "true" or "false" is annoying - they stretch it out so long that it's just silly and irritating.

I can't wait for the return of Lost! Here is a fabulous link to LostPedia. You could spend DAYS there, there's so much information to read. You can even post your own theories on the site. I hope the writers' strike is resolved (damn those producers!) in time to finish up the series before I 'splode.

(Almost) too many to count

Here's an amazing, comprehensive list of scandals concerning the Bush administration. Just for grins, before you click the link, try to guess how many are listed.

And the list ain't finished; there's another year to go.

Many of you have probably already seen the video of Robert's musical plea to Nancy Pelosi, Hey Hey Nancy. It's worth posting again to go with the list. Both should be widely disseminated.

I love this

I just Stumbled on this! It's apparently from today's New York Times.
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Bwaahahahaaaaa! Here's another one - Bush leans down to talk to a child on MLK Day.

Movin on up

IF the fat lady sings this time, then one week from today we'll close on the sale of this house. You know, so we could go to North Carolina. Except ... Tomcat just took a new job here and so we're going to stay in the Dallas area for at least another year. The company has an office in NC, so maybe later he can work out a transfer.

In the meantime, we decided to move to an apartment, and wait to buy another house until we're actually in NC. We found an apartment within walking distance to Tom's office. It's been over 20 years since I've lived in an apartment, and boy have things changed. This will be like living in a luxury hotel. Exercise gym, internet cafe with free coffee and danishes every morning and brunch once a month, wi-fi garden, massage therapist, business center with fax and photocopier, etc., parking garage, and that's not even talking about the apartment itself!

So, here's the problem: what to wear? I mean, we're coming from the East Dallas, lower Greenville Avenue area, where we pride ourselves on being laid back. Unlike upper Greenville, we don't have a dress code.

I need a whole new wardrobe, just for walking the dog. No more jeans, T-shirt, and grubby sneakers. Hell, Scruffybutt needs a whole new wardrobe, too. Lookit this pink sweater on her, old and frayed in places and pulled out of shape. This will not do.


Plus, we're both going to have to go to the groomers more often.

Bonus pic:


Here's Scruffybutt on the bed with our two cats, Katy and Shadow. We can only have two pets at the apartment, so fortunately, Katy's previous owner can take her back now that she's living in an apartment that allows pets.

Which leaves us with a dog, a cat, and a lovebird. I'm trying to find a home for the lovebird. Her name is Lisa, and she's the last of four. Here's a pic of her in the aviary Tomcat built for her, which is made out of wood and plexiglass. It's huge - 6' x 6' x 2'. The aviary goes with her if anyone wants it, or we have a regular bird cage for her to live in. No dress code.

Weird-ass Wednesday #9

Meet Yuki-Taro, Japan's snow-eating machine. Not only does it eat the snow, it then forms it into bricks which can be stacked neatly out of the way. "Yuki" means "snow," and Taro is a common boy's name, so Yuki-Taro is the equivalent of "Snow-Joe."

On Japan's northern island, Hokkaido, where I lived in the early 1950s as an Army brat, snow is abundant in winter. During a blizzard on base, the GIs had to go on 24-hour snow detail to shovel the stuff off the roofs and keep it away from doors. Snow-GI-Joes. :)

Tell Us Tuesday #19

First, here's an update on Henry: A very nice lady at one of the vet's offices I visited took Henry in to foster him until we can find a good permanent home. She has four poodles, which is great because Henry will probably only wear out three of them before he gets too tired to play. Whew! I mean, I loved having the little guy around, but I'm not so young any more! She's going to bring Henry to work with her, so he'll get lots of offers. The great thing is that she will screen them.



Now then. Tell us, besides puppy breath, are there ANY OTHER ODORS that smell so bad, yet evoke such good feelings at the same time?

Also tell us, what's your favorite scent? (Mine's vanilla.)

Oh Henry

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UPDATE: "Henry" doesn't have a micro-chip. I left notes at three area vets' offices, and registered with the local Lost Pets people. Also drove around some more looking for lost-pet signs. Nada.

In the meantime, Scruffybutt is a bit peeved. This is her in her Christmas sweater (yes, I know; I need help.)


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A neighbor found this puppy, but he can't keep him because his landlord won't allow it. He said this puppy looks like a "Henry," so that's what we've been calling it, and that's what the little guy answers to. So now I have this puppy and I need to find a home for it.

The closing on our house is in two weeks and we will be moving into an apartment with our own dog and two cats sometime during the 30 days following closing.

Henry is adorable. I don't know how old he is. He's past the puppy-breath stage (don't you love puppy breath?), but he still pees like a girl and chews everything he can find. He is not neutered. He's full of energy and is cute as hell. He doesn't seem to understand that chasing our cats is not cool. We had to confine the cats to a room upstairs. We will be on their shit list for a long time to come.

I've been driving around the 'hood looking for "lost puppy" signs. Henry has no collar, but that is typical for this neighborhood. Sigh. I need to find someone for him who will keep him as an indoor pet, not left or chained up outside all day.

I need to go to the vets' offices around here now and post notices and look for more "lost puppy" signs. Wish me luck!

No, it ain't workin

This is an email from Cong. Wexler about the "surge-is-working" propaganda. I just want to scream every time I hear someone on TV say it's working. Grr! Look at the facts, morons!

A Surge of More Lies
by Congressman Robert Wexler

A new troubling myth has taken hold in Washington and it is critical that the record is set straight. According to the mainstream media, Republicans, and unfortunately even some Democrats, the President's surge in Iraq has been a resounding success. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.

This assertion is disingenuous, factually incorrect, and negatively impacts America's national security. The Surge had a clear and defined objective - to create stability and security - enabling the Iraqi government to enact lasting political solutions and foster genuine reconciliation and cooperation between Sunnis, Shias, and Kurds.

This has not happened.

There has been negligible political progress in Iraq, and we are no closer to solving the complex problems - including a power sharing government, oil revenue agreement and new constitution - than we were before the Administration upped the ante and sent 30,000 more troops to Iraq.

Too many Democrats in Congress are again surrendering to General Petraeus and have failed to challenge the Bush Administration's claims that the surge has been successful. In fact -- it is just the opposite.

The reduction in violence in Iraq has exposed the continuing failure of Iraqi officials to solve their substantial political rifts. By President Bush's own stated goal of political progress, the Surge has failed.

Of course raising troop levels has increased security - a strategy the Bush administration ignored when presented by General Shinseki before the war in Iraq began - but the fundamental internal Iraqi problems remain and the factors that were accelerating the civil war in 2007 have simply been put on hold.

The military progress is a testament to the patience and dedication of our brave troops - even in the face of 15 month-long deployments followed by insufficient Veteran's health services when they return home. They have performed brilliantly - despite the insult of having President Bush recently veto a military spending bill that enhanced funding and benefits, and increased care.

Despite the efforts of American soldiers, the surge alone cannot bring about the political solutions needed to end centuries of sectarian divide.

As it stands, little on the ground supports the assertion that Iraqis are ready to stand up and govern themselves. Too few Iraqi troops are trained, equipped and combat ready, and they cannot yet provide adequate security. Loyalty is also an issue in the Iraqi army as Al Queda and Sunni insurgents infliltrate their defense forces. The consequences turned deadly just recently when an Iraqi soldier purposely killed two U.S. troops.

On the streets of Baghdad and Mosul, the Sunni and Shia factions have paused their fighting, awaiting guarantees and protections that have not yet been delivered. As Iraqi refugees return, there is no mechanism to help them rebuild their lives, nor recover their now-occupied homes. Neighborhoods once mixed are now segregated.

In Northern Iraq, Kurdish terrorists conducting nefarious operations across the border into Turkey have compelled our NATO ally to strike at bases, inflaming tensions between Baghdad and Ankara.

The surge is working? We suffered more U.S. casualties in 2007 than in any other year of the war. We can't afford any more of this type of success.

How can we create the situation that is most likely to deliver political progress in Iraq? Not by continuing the surge and occupation. Our best chance (there is no guarantee) is by putting real pressure on the Iraqi government to force action. Telling the national and local Iraqi leaders that we are withdrawing our troops can help accomplish this goal. Today, the majority Iraqi Shia government led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has little incentive to act when American troops remain in the country to provide security and stability.

Based on the Administration's plan, John McCain's proposal of a 100-year US occupation could be a reality!

The Democratic Congress must act aggressively to first cut off funding for the surge and then the entire war. Many of my colleagues avoided a showdown with the administration because they mistakenly believed such a fight would endanger the safety of the troops.

In fact, we must accept that every soldier killed or injured in the coming months should have already been home. Every billion dollars of war-appropriations we spend from here on should have been spent on genuine priorities here at home such as children's heath care.

Enough is enough: While the Administration over-commits American forces in Iraq, we see Al Qaeda-regrouping and Osama Bin Laden still at large. We remain seriously bogged down in Afghanistan, and are witnessing a crisis in Pakistan that has left a nuclear country on the brink of a meltdown. America's resources and attention are desperately needed elsewhere and our soldiers must no longer be needlessly sacrificed as we wait for Iraqis to stand up.

The Surge has failed. If my colleagues gullibly accept the moving rationale for the Surge, just as so many have for the war itself, we will have failed as well.


***To contact me or for more information, go to www.wexlerforcongress.com .

Officially pissed off

Okay, Sen. Clinton has officially pissed me off. She was not my candidate of choice, but I thought I could deal with her being the nominee, if it came to that. After all, she would be the first woman prez, and it would be a hoot to see Bill as first lady. He's such a ham.

But yesterday she pulled a Rove and said that it wasn't a coincidence that al Qaeda chose the first day of Prime Minister Brown's term to launch an attack, implying, of course, that Sen. Obama's first day in office as President might result in a similar attack here in the States. "We" would need her vast experience to prevent something like that happen. That strategery worked for the rightwing-nuts, but it never worked with us. Who was she trying to kid? Us.

She also made some asinine comparison between Sen. Obama's dream for a united America and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream for America, pointing out that it took a President (LBJ) to make the dream happen, implying again that Sen. Obama is "just" a dreamer, but that his dream could only be enacted by someone presidential, like her. WTF!

The most idiotic thing she did was tear up, on cue and on camera, saying that she sees what's happening and that "we" have to reverse it. Of course, what she's seeing is her campaign slipping away and that's what she wants to reverse. Then she says that "some people" aren't as ready, and "some people" haven't thought much about what they'd do on the first day in office as President. Well, I'll tell you one thing that isn't likely to happen if Sen. Obama is elected President. On his first day in office, he won't cry.

Look Up #2

This picture, entitled Galaxies in Pegasus (copyright Dietmar Hagar), is from one of my favorite sites, Astronomy Picture of the Day.

The large galaxy on the upper right is known as NGC 7331. (Poetic, no?) It's 50 million light-years away.

It's not just our own Milky Way galaxy that's headed for eventual collision with another galaxy (Andromeda.) Take a look at the grouping in the lower left of the picture.

"The disturbed looking group of galaxies at the lower left is well-known as Stephan's Quintet. About 300 million light-years distant, the quintet dramatically illustrates a multiple galaxy collision, its powerful, ongoing interactions posed for a brief cosmic snapshot."

Every living thing in that quintet of galaxies had a very bad day back then. I'm talking extinction events all over the place. I guess by now the quintet has formed itself into one great galactic mass. If any stargazers were left, they'd be quite confused. I hope they're a little more poetic than ours.

Metaphorical Sunday