5 - 2002 | ***Dave Does the Blog

A Monday Memory

It’s also time for a Monday Memory. I just heard a news report about a bridge collapse. What’s one of your earliest memories of something awful that was “news”? I…

It’s also time for a Monday Memory.

I just heard a news report about a bridge collapse. What’s one of your earliest memories of something awful that was “news”?

Crew of Apollo 1 I have the vaguest of memories of the Apollo 1 launch pad fire. Whispy recollection of television pictures of the smoke, hearing about it, trying to imagine what had happened.

Three astronauts died: Gus Grissom, Edward White, and Roger Chaffee. It was the worst NASA disaster until the Challenger blew up.

That would have been right after I turned 6.

From an ongoing drawn-out “something awful,” I can remember TV news coverage of the Viet Nam war, and how, each night, there would be a little score card on the screen, next to the appropriate flags, of casualties among US, ARVN, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces (with decreasing accuracy, of course, as you ran down the list).

I use the term “score card” realistically, because it struck me at the time as a contest — and I could never figure out, in my tender years, why, if our numbers were so much better than theirs, we weren’t “winning.”

Life in the Blogosphere

Here’s yet another long, well-thought-out article from Microcontent News on the Weblog/Journalism Ecosphere. Like any ecosystem, the Blogosphere demonstrates all the classic ecological patterns: predators and prey, evolution and emergence,…

Here’s yet another long, well-thought-out article from Microcontent News on the Weblog/Journalism Ecosphere.

Like any ecosystem, the Blogosphere demonstrates all the classic ecological patterns: predators and prey, evolution and emergence, natural selection and adaptation. I’ve often thought that anthropologists were best equipped to deconstruct the emerging blogging sub-culture, but now I’m convinced I got it wrong: the greater mysteries of the Blogosphere will be unlocked instead by evolutionary biologists.

(Via InstaPundit)

Bleats

Two notes from James Lileks “Bleats” page (whose odd archiving has gotten still odder, so this link will only work today, and I have no idea what it will be…

Two notes from James Lileks “Bleats” page (whose odd archiving has gotten still odder, so this link will only work today, and I have no idea what it will be tomorrow).

First, on Memorial Day:

Once upon a time I sat in a chair and chatted with friends; now I leap up every 90 seconds to rescue Gnat or steer her away from the Marinas Trench of an egress window well, or help her climb the steps on the slide. Since we all have young ones now, everyone’s doing likewise, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Well, you can do something – stake them down like Gulliver trammeled by Lilliputians, for example, but it takes forever and you have to stand there and brush off the ants, so it’s more trouble than it’s worth.

Exactly. One of the great advantages of having family over (not to mention friends) is that they are often willing to pitch in corralling Kitten for a few valuable minutes, allowing some chair time for Mommy and Daddy.

(Which reminds me of an unexpected problem I encountered this weekend. Margie and I are, of course, Margie and Dave. But we talk in the third person about ourselves with Kitten, so we’re Mommy and Daddy. But then my folks were out, who are Mom and Dad, of course. Except to Kitten they are Nono and Nona. I lost count of how many times I called my mother “Mommy” over the weekend, amond other misidentifications in the midst of changing with whom I was talking. But I digress.)

Second, and also, I suppose, regarding Memorial Day:

It says something about America that you can’t blow up an average skyscraper without killing people of every race and creed on the planet.
It says something about America’s critics that fighting Arab Islamists is automatically racist – and the murder of diverse peoples by an ethnically homogenous group is explained as a response to . . . racist American policies.

Hear, hear.

This week, Tuesday is Monday

It’s the Monday Mission … 1. What happened this weekend that made you smile? After a crappy golf round, culminating in a Par 5 18th Hole where I was sitting…

It’s the Monday Mission …

1. What happened this weekend that made you smile?

After a crappy golf round, culminating in a Par 5 18th Hole where I was sitting on the green in 8 (not counting the Mulligan into the lake), I sank the 10 foot putt. Yay me!

2. Did you make someone smile today? If not, will you try?

Not yet, I don’t think. But the day is still young.

3. Have you any clothes or accessories you love to wear but just totally embarrass the person you are being seen with?

I sometimes wonder about some of the t-shirts I have and what Margie thinks of them. Of course, she’s pretty off-beat, too.

4. What was the catch phrase you said the most in High School?

How about non-verbal silent “fume” lines over my head?

5. Who are you remembering this Memorial Day? (or for those not celebrating it, tell me about someone worth remembering)

Hmmmm. I’m afraid I was a bit of a slacker this Memorial Day. Forgot the flag. Forgot to raise a toast to those folks who fought and died for us. Shame on me.

6. Do you think you are a good friend?

I sure try to be. I sometimes let my “The world is spinning too fast! Go away! Go away!” feelings take over, not engaging in friendships as much as I should, but I do try to be considerate of others’ feelings, and supportive of others’ needs.

7. (continued from MM 2.20) That outing tonight was a blast … but that was last call. I totally over did it and shouldn’t drive, anything we can do while I try to “dry out?”

Well, you’re welcome to crash in the guest room. That’s one reason we have it. Fresh towels in the bathroom, wake up when you want, we’ll see you in the morning (or afternoon). Hope Kitten doesn’t disturb you.

BONUS: Do ya love me, now that I can dance?

Since I suffer badly from “White Man’s Disease,” it never really made a difference. Let’s sit this one out.

Oh, and another thing

(I had this in the original version of my “Stuff We Did Sunday and Monday” post below, but it got lost in the Great Recreation of the Annoying Deleted Post.)…

(I had this in the original version of my “Stuff We Did Sunday and Monday” post below, but it got lost in the Great Recreation of the Annoying Deleted Post.)

I know a lot of people who have, at best, strained relationships with their parents.

I’m really pleased that I’m on good enough terms with mine that they can come and visit without voices being raised or objects being thrown.

At least for a few days. 🙂

I’m really pleased that there are things we can do with them that we all enjoy. That my friends seem to like them. That Katherine adores them, and vice-versa.

It’s always sad to see them leave. It’s always nice to have the household back to normal.

Until next time. Travel safely, guys.

When I’m Emperor of the World …

… places that advertise that they provide training for young people with large banners that say “KIDZ KLASSES” will not only be banned from having children set foot on their…

… places that advertise that they provide training for young people with large banners that say “KIDZ KLASSES” will not only be banned from having children set foot on their property, but might well be faced with substantial fines from the Spelling Police.

Okay, let’s try this again

Sunday was fun. We started playing the Vacation Church Shuffle, wherein my folks head off to Catholic Mass early in the morning, then join us for Episcopal Eucharist when we…

Sunday was fun. We started playing the Vacation Church Shuffle, wherein my folks head off to Catholic Mass early in the morning, then join us for Episcopal Eucharist when we head off there. Afterwards, over breakfast, Dad and I engaged in the usual discussion of similarities and differences between Episcopal and Catholic stuff (cosmetic liturgically, a bit more significant organizationally).

(We used to join them down at St Thomas More, but (a) Katherine has made this a bit more difficult, timing and logistically, and (b) we aren’t welcome to take Communion there, not being Catholic, so we simply now give it a pass.)

Afterwards, Doyce, Dad and I went off to golf. We played our normal score for a Par 72, which didn’t look quite as good considering the course was a Par 63. Still, we had a good time — we all had some great shots to wax lyrical about, some crappy shots to try to forget, and some ultra-crappy shots that provided fodder for well-lubricated discussions afterwards.

We then all reconvened at the Consortium for said discussions, as well as a yummy grilled pork thang Margie whipped up. Then we segued on to Beyond Balderdash. Margie demonstrated why this is another game she cannot be allowed to play, and Doyce demonstrated why he has a great future as a writer. (Margie simultaneously demonstrated why she is the Grandmistress of Super Collapse, and Justin got to prove he’s no slouch, esp. compared to his uncle.)

Today, after a late start, we headed off to the Denver Botanic Gardens. Most of the irises were in bloom, as they are at the house, and I was busy scribbling varietals into my Palm for the Fall Plant Sale. (Not that we have a shortage of irises at home, but I don’t think you can ever have too many irises.)

Katherine had a great time, providing fodder for a large number of number of photos.

Don’tcha just hate it when …

… you work on a blog post for an hour, complete with all sorts of links and images and stuff like that, then you click on something that makes it…

… you work on a blog post for an hour, complete with all sorts of links and images and stuff like that, then you click on something that makes it all go away?

Yeah, me, too.

Sing, then!

We’ve had O Brother, Where Art Thou? sitting in the “Stack o’ Movies Borrowed from Jackie & Doyce Which We Really Ought to Watch Someday” stack for several weeks. Nowhere…

We’ve had O Brother, Where Art Thou? sitting in the “Stack o’ Movies Borrowed from Jackie & Doyce Which We Really Ought to Watch Someday” stack for several weeks. Nowhere near the record set by Ever After, but nothing to write home about.

Well, while Margie was off playing D&D Friday, I decided it would be fun entertainment for my folks. I often subject them to my own idiosyncratic taste in movies when they visit (regarding Dogma, my Mom’s only comment was a benign but emphatic, “That was weird.”)

OBWAT was more of a success. The music, of course, was splendid. I’m a sucker for close harmony, of whatever genre, and this was a particularly fine genre, “oldie” music, blue-grassy, back-woodsy Gospel music. Lovely. The sound track is now on my wish list.

The cinematography was quite pretty as well. The whole film feels hot and sticky, the Depression South is shown as rural and nearly deserted, and the near-sepiatone just seems to fit.

The characters are well-acted, and typically Coen-quirky. George Clooney plays the role of Ulysses well, for all that the character gets to do anything besides being a fast-talker. Things happen, people walk (competently) through the motions … and that’s the story.

Of the story, then, I’m less sanguine. It’s a fine journey, surely, and the characters are entertaining if a bit one-dimensional. Watching the Coen Bros. shuffle through Homer is also entertaining (John Goodman as the Cyclops is excellent), if sometimes surreal. But ultimately, it struck me more as a group of beautifully shot, lovingly scored, nicely acted tableaus, pretty to look at, but not something that will stick to your mental ribs.

I enjoyed watching the film. I’m glad I watched it. My folks were glad they watched it. But I don’t see watching it again any time soon. And I didn’t feel compelled to grab Margie as soon as she entered the door around 1 a.m., plop her down in front of the TV, and start it running once more. Back to the Testerman’s it’s gone, my having learned enough of the little catch phrases to be in the loop when Doyce or Rey or one of the others in the circle of friends quotes something from it.

Rent it. Borrow it. Watch it. Then move on.

One service provided to the modern generation, at the very least, is letting them know that there’s a fellow out there named Homer other than the one who resides in Springfield. At a minimum, the Coen Bros. deserve special commendation for that.

Terrific Two

Katherine celebrated her 2nd Birthday yesterday. It was a very nice day, and a fun celebration. Good food (thanks, Margie!), good company (thanks, Testermans!), good gifts (thanks, friends and family),…

Katherine showed an amazing interest in opening gifts, vs. simply playing with stuff already out. She also was very good about handing off pieces of wrapping paper to one person, boxes to another, and contents to a third.

Dizzy and Jake added their own bit of chaos-bringing to the festivities.

After Kitten was down and while the fajitas were digesting, we played Balderdash and drank port. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Pictures to follow sometime later this week.

Suing our own fat asses off

When tobacco companies were first beginning to worry about suits filed against them, they claimed that the next step was law suits against makers of sugary, fatty food. Dismissed as…

When tobacco companies were first beginning to worry about suits filed against them, they claimed that the next step was law suits against makers of sugary, fatty food. Dismissed as hyperbole at the time, that future may not be all that far off, as some activists, seeing the societal harm in our national obesity, look for ways to sue or legislate against junk food.

Interesting, if worrisome, reading. I mean, I know I eat too many fries, too much ice cream, too much fat, sugar, and salt.

But it’s my choice. If we start legally coddling the citizenry over what they choose to eat (and, let’s face it, nobody goes into eating junk food thinking it’s good for them), then when do we start coddling them (us) over what they (we) choose to believe, enjoy, or participate in?

If the public is a bunch of children, sooner or later they are going to be treated that way.

It’s time for the Friday Five!

Yes, it’s time for the Friday Five! 1. What’s the last vivid dream that you remember having? I was having to run a race around the house, complete with folding…

Yes, it’s time for the Friday Five!

1. What’s the last vivid dream that you remember having?

I was having to run a race around the house, complete with folding chairs, against my wife. The previous wife. And I really didn’t want it to start, as the conditions of the race kept getting more and more tortuous, and the consequences more dire.

2. Do you have any recurring dreams?

I frequently have the feeling that “I’ve dreamt this before.” Sometimes I then get really wrapped up in trying to change things from what happened before — or follow what happened before.

Not that I could describe any of them to you.

3. What’s the scariest nightmare you’ve ever had?

I don’t remember. Mercifully.

4. Have you ever written your dreams down or considered it? Why or why not?

Yes, I have. But they always sound stupid, and I always lose details.

Interestingly, I once read that the brain chemical that regulates short-term memory is suppressed during sleep, which is why dreams are such elusive will-o-the-wisps, and why, even if the details are clear when you wake up, they’re gone by the time you’re done with your shower.

5. Have you ever had a lucid dream? What did you do in it?

Except in the context of #2, no.

Restful

Well, the first morning — as in 1:30 to 3:00 in the morning — of our Memorial Day Holiday was taken up with Katherine expressing her displeasure over an ear…

Well, the first morning — as in 1:30 to 3:00 in the morning — of our Memorial Day Holiday was taken up with Katherine expressing her displeasure over an ear ache.

There’s something particularly zombie-like about one’s reflexes and thought processes at that time of night. Especially after you’ve lurched up to respond to the baby monitor three or four times already.

(Chops to Margie waking up early this morning and taking her in for an appointment whilst Daddy snoozed.)

On the other hand, it snowed here last night. Doyce has pictures.

When markers are outlawed …

Before I head home to greet the ‘Rents (who snuck in while we were both at work), I’ll leave you with this, an inevitable reaction to news that a black…

Before I head home to greet the ‘Rents (who snuck in while we were both at work), I’ll leave you with this, an inevitable reaction to news that a black felt-tip marker can be used to defeat the copy-protection on some new music “CD”s: Sony Music Lobbies for Ban on Markers.

Washington DC – Ralph Hughes of Sony Music testified in the Senate today urging lawmakers to enact legislation which would ban felt tip markers. “These innocuous looking writing instruments are the scourge of our society,” he said holding up a Sharpie. “Not only can this black stick of death be used to violate the DMCA, but it could also be used to write the instructions to incubate the anthrax virus.”

(Via InstaPundit)

You think Al Qa’eda is all you have to worry about?

Scientists have found a nearby star that, very soon, could explode into a supernova, and which is close enough that the explosion would wipe out all life on Earth. Of…

Scientists have found a nearby star that, very soon, could explode into a supernova, and which is close enough that the explosion would wipe out all life on Earth.

Of course, in this context, “very soon” is estimated at around 100 million years, by which time it may be far enough away to be safe.

Don’t start digging that bomb shelter yet …

(Via NextDraft)

Water, water everywhere

Everyone know you’re supposed to drink eight ounces of water eight times a day, right? Wrong. There’s evidently no sound science behind that nutritionist’s mantra, which is loudly extolled (if…

In fact, after much thought, nutritionists have come up with this guideline for determining hydration needs: Drink enough so you don’t get thirsty.

The Case for Cocktails

Here’s a nice article about cocktails, a fine, civilized tradition that is sadly going the way of home cooking. If we don’t cultivate the demand for complex drinks – cocktails…

Here’s a nice article about cocktails, a fine, civilized tradition that is sadly going the way of home cooking.

If we don’t cultivate the demand for complex drinks – cocktails that require a commitment to acquiring certain tastes – we must prepare to relinquish gambling, prostitution, and perhaps even sex.
When we cast aside even our vices, how can we hope to preserve the very fiber of our society? Without morals, we are still a decadent and exuberant people. Without vices, we are troglogdytic hunches, scraping at the earth and mewling at the sky.

Growing up, my folks regularly had cocktails each evening when my Dad got home. Gin martinis, usually, though occasionally a Manhattan. They’ve migrated by and large to wine over the years, but I still have a fondness, myself, for a very dry (Tom Lehrer proportions) gin martini, with a twist.

Margie’s folks will also partake of mixed drinks, though they are more likely just to go for Scotch on the rocks. My brother-in-law provided me with a Mr. Boston’s at my bachelor party. Margie, carrying on with the theme, enjoys my making her a Scotch Old Fashioned after a particularly hard day, and her drink of choice at a bar is a Rusty Nail (both of which are mentioned in the article).

And, of course, there are the infamous Hill Thanksgiving Margaritas, though those are being threatened as a tradition by Mojitos.

In case it sounds like we do nothing but guzzle booze, these are more special occasion imbibements than regular occurances in our house. But it feels nice to know that we’re carrying on a long tradition, in moderation, and with pleasure.

(Hmmmm. One post on caffeine, another on booze. Maybe I do have a problem …)

A third explanation?

Researchers claim that people are unable to taste the difference between caffeinated and uncaffeinated soft drinks. This means, they conclude, that soft drink manufacturers are intentionally trying to addict their…

Nonsense, huffs and puffs the National Soft Drink Association. It’s all about flavor. Besides, a bunch of people in the test were smokers, and we know how ~~addiction-prone~~ poor they are at tasting things.
As a dedicated caffeinated soft drink drinker (Coke, Pepsi, and Barqs, primarily), the assertion by the manufacturers is just goofy. It’s not a detectable taste.

On the other hand, I’m not a big conspiracy theorist. And caffeine, while mildly addictive, is not addictive enough to make me think that’s wht’s going on here.

No, the bottom line here is that people like to drink caffeinated drinks because they enjoy the caffeine buzz. It is, if you will, America’s dirty little mood-altering secret. Caffeine gives you a buzz. It perks you up.

What, you think folks drink coffee because it tastes good? You think people really like the taste of black tea that much more than green tea? Same diff.

But the manufacturers can admit that, because it makes them sound like drug pushers. They are, of course, but I, for one, am eagerly lining up for my fix.

No more teacher’s dirty looks

There’s a new variation on the old “person makes an off-hand comment not realizing that the microphone is on.” In Britain, a teacher proctoring (or, as the BBC puts it,…

There’s a new variation on the old “person makes an off-hand comment not realizing that the microphone is on.” In Britain, a teacher proctoring (or, as the BBC puts it, “invigilating”) an exam sat at the front of the room and browsed porn on his PC. What he didn’t realize was that the PC was still hooked to the classroom projector. Hilarity and much harrumphing from the school administration ensued.

We get comments …

I’ve tweaked my templates a bit, so that adding a comment takes you to the Individual Archive for that post (which has the comment fields), rather than opening a special…

I’ve tweaked my templates a bit, so that adding a comment takes you to the Individual Archive for that post (which has the comment fields), rather than opening a special pop-up window (which was causing some people some grief, not to mention being wasteful).

That means the little comment icon () functions pretty much the same as the link icon (), except that it drops you down to the comment section of the archive.

This seems to me to be a bit more intuitive, but let me know what you think.

You like?

You care?