Image of the Morning*

*Could actually end up Image of the Day.. or even the Week. We shall see....

You Know That Old Joke About Oceanfront Property In Arizona?

May not be a joke in a few decades.

From Discovery News comes this wonderful news:

Locked away in the frozen soils of the Arctic tundra, there lies a ticking time bomb.

Nothing more than accumulated leaves, roots and other plant matter, the unassuming detritus is rich in carbon, giving it the power to dramatically enhance the effects of global warming should it ever get into the atmosphere. But for now it mostly lies dormant, in cold storage in the permafrosts of Siberia, Alaska, and Canada.

[...]

In a study published this week in the journal Nature Geoscience, [the team of researchers at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks] estimate there may be almost 100 billion tons of carbon in the first meter of soil alone.
(emphasis mine)

In the permafrost.

Which is starting to thaw.

That's equivalent to about a quarter of the amount currently in Earth's atmosphere, or 10 years' worth of global emissions from human activity.

Read the whole article here.

Sunday Place Holder

About 2 years ago I was watching Public TV out of Tennessee with my antenna, and this video played between programs. The picture wasn't quite clear enough for me to tell if it was and actual instrument, or if it was computer generated, but it really didn't matter because, as I watched, I noticed that every placement on every string was correct for the music.

In other words, it was fucking awesome.

Enjoy.

Animusic 2 - 03 - Resonant Chamber

And here's another one that ... just rawks.

ANIMUSIC "Starship Groove"

Saturday Video

The Moody Blues:

Quote of the Day*

I predict that by the time the Republican National Convention rolls around, the GOP's entire platform will have degenerated into a series of grunting sounds and vaguely threatening snorts.

Found here.

* don't even expect this to become a regular feature.

My Inner Nerd Just Creamed

Let's just hope - for the sake of the whole world - that John McCain fails his savings throw.

(found at +2 for hope... h/t to C&L)

Thursday Pythonica

I forgot to post the final part of the Science Fiction skit last week, so here it is:

Genre Bending Music

And I like it...

Pheaux Phyre Phorum: The Is There Some Sort of Sporting Event Going On? Edition

Greetings, Sports Fans!

And the rest of you, as well!

So I hear there's some dude swimming really fast... not sure if I've heard his name... and that lesbians are taking over (and giving away toasters).

Thoughts? Predictions? Predilections?

By All Means, Let's Give Big Oil More Places To Drill

Cause the poor, beleaguered soulless oness just don't have anyplace to do so now!


(click to embiggen)

Maps are based on 2008 data from the Interior Department's Minerals Management Service and 2004 EWG analysis of BLM land and minerals records.

What a Great Idea!

McCain: Man of the People?

Latest from The Real McCain:

"Most working families today do not have homes that have anywhere near ten rooms. John McCain has ten houses. Many working people in America have to work two and three jobs to provide for their families and pay their car loans. John McCain hops on a private jet. Is it any wonder why McCain champions a George Bush agenda of cutting taxes for corporations and the wealthy, helping oil companies turn record profits, and leaving working families to fend for themselves? McCain's velvet world leaves him utterly unprepared to make the tough choices we need to restore the middle class and ensure that everyone in America has quality, affordable health insurance." - Andy Stern, President, Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

But, as we all know, it's Barack Obama who is an elitist.

This is Not Monday's Post

For Jen

UPDATED: Extra credit to Jen for recognizing the singer, when I got it wrong.

Question

How can you not like music with the following lyrics:

DARCY’S DONKEY Twas up the Bluestack mountains, D’arcy kept a bit of a still We were sneaking home a bottle, when the guards came up the hill “Lose the booze” cried D’arcy! And before we could reply, He’d poured it in the nosebag of his donkey standing by. The donkey had a ganky leg, and only one good eye. When he got a lick of the whiskey, well you’d swear that he could fly He rocketed through the roundabout, and down by jamsie’s bar, Then he vaulted through the hedges at the track at ballintra Here’s to you, to me and one and all To the garda, and the gargle, and the trophy on the wall Here’s to you, to me and one and all the day that D’arcy’s drunken donkey won the race at Donegal The gardai chased the donkey, and we followed in pursuit, For fear they’d spill the whiskey, we begged them not to shoot We barreled through the turnstiles we got there just in time, To place our bets before the lot of ‘em reached the starting line. The flag was up the race was on, the donkey looked behind He saw the guards were after him but sure he didn’t mind He had himself another sip and a second one as well, Then bucked and kicked and knocked the competition all to hell. Here’s to you, to me and one and all To the garda, and the gargle, and the trophy on the wall Here’s to you, to me and one and all the day that D’arcy’s drunken donkey won the race at Donegal The donkey past the post about a lap or two ahead He finished off the whiskey and then toppled over dead We went to check the bets and found when everything was done The garda came in second and paid 35 to one! So we dragged the donkey’s carcass down to jamesies for a pint To drink up all our winnings, and to celebrate the night We missed the poor old Donkey, but still we had to laugh When Jamesie made a trophy of the Donkey’s better half So raise a beer in the air, to that famous derriere Everybody raise a glass to D’arcy’s ass! D’arcy’s ass! CHORUS

Gaelic Storm, who first gained notoriety as the "Steerage Band" in the movie Titanic. If you're not familiar, check out some of their YouTube goodness.

I Am A Font of.... Something

You Are Comic Sans

You are a nothing but a big goofball. You're quite playful and fun! You're widely known for your zany personality and your vivacious attitude. To say that you stand out in a crowd would be a definite understatement. Remember that you are overwhelming at times and that people appreciate you best in small doses.

What Font Are You?

(h/t to Samurai Frog)

Morning Funny

On Thursday, over at Shakesville, Space Cowboy posted a funny SPAM subject line. I've been getting these same "CNN" and "msnbc" updates in my SPAM folder - and I've heard they contain some nasty virii, so don't click if you get one.

Anyway, I open my email this morning and find the following in the SPAM folder...

J'acuse!*

I have been viciously accused.

This post is to rectify any misunderstanding.

That is all.



*sorry if that's spelled wrong. I don't parlez the Francais.

There's Still Hope....

Wandering Around an Albuquerque Airport Terminal By Naomi Shihab Nye After learning my flight was detained 4 hours, I heard the announcement: If anyone in the vicinity of gate 4-A understands any Arabic, Please come to the gate immediately. Well—one pauses these days. Gate 4-A was my own gate. I went there. An older woman in full traditional Palestinian dress, Just like my grandma wore, was crumpled to the floor, wailing loudly. Help, said the flight service person. Talk to her. What is her Problem? We told her the flight was going to be 4 hours late and she Did this. I put my arm around her and spoke to her haltingly. Shu dow-a, shu-beduck habibti, stani stani schway, min fadlick, Sho bit se-wee? The minute she heard any words she knew—however poorly used— She stopped crying. She thought our flight had been canceled entirely. She needed to be in El Paso for some major medical treatment the Following day. I said no, no, we’re fine, you’ll get there, just late. Who is picking you up? Let’s call him and tell him. We called her son and I spoke with him in English. I told him I would stay with his mother till we got on the plane and Would ride next to her—Southwest. She talked to him. Then we called her other sons just for the fun of It. Then we called my dad and he and she spoke for a while in Arabic and Found out of course they had ten shared friends. Then I thought just for the heck of it why not call some Palestinian Poets I know and let them chat with her. This all took up about 2 hours. She was laughing a lot by then. Telling about her life. Answering Questions. She had pulled a sack of homemade mamool cookies—little powdered Sugar crumbly mounds stuffed with dates and nuts—out of her bag— And was offering them to all the women at the gate. To my amazement, not a single woman declined one. It was like a Sacrament. The traveler from Argentina, the traveler from California, The lovely woman from Laredo—we were all covered with the same Powdered sugar. And smiling. There is no better cookies. And I noticed my new best friend—by now we were holding hands— Had a potted plant poking out of her bag, some medicinal thing, With green furry leaves. Such an old country traveling tradition. Always Carry a plant. Always stay rooted to somewhere. And I looked around that gate of late and weary ones and thought, This is the world I want to live in. The shared world. Not a single person in this gate—once the crying of confusion stopped —has seemed apprehensive about any other person. They took the cookies. I wanted to hug all those other women too. This can still happen anywhere. Not everything is lost.

(h/t to The General)

Thursday Random Pythonimity

The Crimsom Permanent Assurance






Because Christina didn't remember seeing it, that's why*.

( *stolen from DCup)

Pheaux Phyre Phorum: The I Can't Think of a Good Name for This Edition Edition

So, when there's a warm spell after the first frost, it's called "Indian Summer". What about a gloriously cool spell in August? Does that have a name other than "Wonderful"? The high temperature here in Teh Mountainz, NC today was 75° - and that was at the airport down in the valley, which generally is 5-8 degrees warmer than here in Teh Lair Woods.

Discuss.

HERE'S A SHOCK!!!

Haloscan is acting up. Won't let me comment for 18145 more seconds, so I'll see y'all in 300 hours. That's 12½ days. Jeebus.

Tuesday Request Post...

Is up over at ShakesQuill.

You know what to do.

Speaking of the Environment...

Go here for more info.

Unclear On The Concept?

A couple weeks ago I was doing some research for an article I was working on for another venue, and I came across a an article linked from E: The Environmental Magazine. I clicked on the link, and was told that to read it I would have to sign up for a free trial issue. Sure, no prob. It stated right there that I could opt out of the 1 year subscription, blah, blah, blah.

Problem #1: After filling out the form for the free issue, I was given access to the first issue of the magazine, not the article I was wanting to read for my research.

Problem #2: The bill for the one year subscription arrived in the mail a couple days ago - before the free issue ever arrived.

Problem #3: The envelope? From E: The Environmental Magazine? Came stuffed with about 30 pieces of paper, with all kinds of BS offers from I don't know what-all. WHAT!?!?

All hail capitalism!

Best. Cover. Evah.

"With a little help from my friends" | Funny Jokes at JibJab

(thanks to Jen for finding that for me when my Google Fu proved to not be up to the task)

((and, for those who didn't see it when it was going around a few weeks ago, here's a captioned version of Cocker singing the song at Woodstock. WARNING: Set down all drinks to protect your keyboard!!))

Sunday Fiction....

has moved to its new home! So head on over and read it.

While you're there? Read some (all) of the wonderful posts my co-contributors have up.

This week's request post will be up over there on Tuesday,... but I'll prolly remind you of that on Tuesday.

Can't Put It Any Better...

This Could Be My Last Post

Since I'm about to say something bad about the owners of the platform upon which I blog.

Have you been to the Google mainpage today?




Is anyone surprised that Google is touting the Beijing Olympics? They have, after all, bent over backward to give the Chinese government what they wanted infowise about users, in order to reap more profits.

I think it was a horrible decision on the part of the IOC to give the games to Beijing in the first place, and... anyway. I just don't want to think about it, really.

Thursday Bonus Video

One of the best movies ever:



"As you wish"

Thursday Pythonica: Sci-Fi Sketch, Part II

Part I here.

Pheaux Phyre Phorum: The I Can't Think of a Good Name Edition

Pheaux Phyre Phorum: The Hot & Bothered Edition

It's been in the mid/upper ninety's the past couple days, which - for these mountains - is above normal. Added to that is the approximate 165% humidity, and not having A/C - because it's not supposed to be this freakin' hot up on the side of the mountain - and viola. Hot & bothered.

Thank Ceiling Cat this is a virtual phyre.

So, what is on the minds of my phriends this summer night?

Paris For Prez?

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

"I'll see you at the debates, bitchez!"

(h/t to SAP, Mustang Bobby - who says "[Paris] proves she's more than just a hotel in the capital of France", and prolly a bunch of other people, but it's early)

Important Breaking News Message Thingy

From the office of ... ummm, me:

♫ All in favor of banning weekdays entirely (and henceforth generating automatic income for all without need of doing such boring things as "going to work") signify by saying Aye

Replies so far are 5 (sorta) aye, and 3 n/v, and 1 "wants something sweet"


so it looks like everybody needs must stock up on beer and such, cause we're moving to the Socialist's Paradise.

Down with The Man!

Free Tibet!

Free Mumia!

Free Radicals!... oh, wait.

Creative Writing Announcement

Hey there!

Some of you may be wondering where the request post was that would normally be put up on Monday...

Well, there's been a change of plans. Beginning this week, I'll be posting the requests and the story chapters over at ShakesQuill, which is the sister site of Shakesville, and concentrates on literary matters - and yet, they've agreed to let me post my doggerel there anyway. ;)

So, head on over there to leave a snippet for this week's chapter!

Screw Alliteration... Wordless Monday!

Sunday Fiction - Part IX

It had been a very quiet week in the city in the mountains. I was still recovering from my abortive attempt at camping, and the head wound that resulted. The antibiotics were doing their job, but I had been experiencing a headache and so had unplugged my phone. Which wasn't doing my bank account any good. Of course, clients had been few and far between for some time, so maybe I wasn't missing anything. No way to know. Another aftereffect of my wound - or at least I thought it was an aftereffect - was that I was cold a lot of the time, so I began to think that a warmer, more arid climate was becoming vastly appealing. I spent several days holed up in my office with the lights low and the curtains drawn, and then, as I began to feel a bit better, I ventured online to check my email and such. Imagine my surprise and joy when I saw that I had a message from Arianne! I clicked on it and read eagerly. She had received the package, and decided that it was time to be back in touch with me, and, according to her message, talk about us getting back together. And there at the very end was her Skype name and "call me!" After my eagerness to be in touch with her, I was somewhat surprised by my hesitancy to do so now that she had requested it, and so I dithered for a day or so, then logged into Skype and entered her name. Almost immediately, I received confirmation that she had added me as a contact. I clicked on her name, and the computer dialed. "Hi, Guy." "Hi, Arianne." After a brief silence, we continued for a while with some small talk... "Yeah it's been awhile... Not much, how 'bout you...I'm not sure why I called... I guess I really just wanted to talk to you... And I was thinking maybe later on... We could get together for awhile... It's been such a long time... And I really do miss your smile" I paused for a moment, then said "Well, either you need to tell me where you are or you can come here." Arianne replied, "I'm over in Dandridge. Living on Rossi Street, down near the --" and the call dropped. Then my computer went crazy.... The virus had appeared out of nowhere, and so they found themselves cut off. I looked around the office, but there was no one else - I had no idea where the voice came from. Arianne looked at her computer in a daze as window after window opened. She couldn't get it to stop, so she shut the computer off, laid down on her bed and stared at the ceiling. It was nice to hear Guy's voice again, but she wasn't sure what to do next. She continued thinking as she drifted off to sleep.... The howling of the coyotes woke her up. They seemed to be just outside her bedroom window, they were that loud. And it was very odd, because she had, up to now, had no inkling that there were coyotes in the area. She got up and looked out the window and saw Geneva in the yard, struggling against a strong wind, picking up fallen branches. There had apparently been a storm come through while Arianne slept. Arianne pulled on a jacket and went outside to help, as it was obvious that Geneva was having a hard time of it. The two women worked silently for a few minutes, cleaning up the storm damage, and, just as they collected all the debris, a powerful gust of wind came along and scattered the pile. Arianne looked around disgustedly, and she sighed and began rearranging the tree branches. Again. When they had regathered all the mess, they went back into the house and discovered that mayhem had taken place in the kitchen. Geneva had baked a pie before the storm came through, and had forgotten that it was sitting on the window sill. Feathers were everywhere, and apple pie was out of the question. Geneva had a crazed look in her eyes as she said, "I can't seem to rid my house of these dots." Arianne stared at her landlady, not knowing what to say - or do. It took me a couple of days, and a visit from Jimmy the Bartender - who was a bit of a computer whiz - to get the virus out of my computer, and when I tried to get in touch with Arianne, I had no luck. So, I decided to go "old school" and send her a letter. I spent some time carefully composing a letter that I hoped would be well received and addressed the envelope as best I could. It was impossible to know if her letter was going to get to its destination, so vague was the address she provided. By now my head wound was pretty much healed, and the headaches were gone, so I decided to venture out. I waited until evening, and walked down the street toward the Five Spot. The sun was bright and the size of a quarter, yet the moon appeared as a silvery dollar. The street was more crowded than usual, and I had to push my way through folks and to the door of the pub. I entered and found myself looking at a standoff. The regular patrons were all crowded into one corner of the room, and Dirk Easley was standing in front of the bar, his hands held out from his sides. A large man was standing a few feet away, a gun in his hands, his eyes darting back and forth from Dirk to the folk in the corner. He saw me and spun around to point the gun at me and said, "Where would the plane land now? Can you tell me that?!?" Dirk took advantage of my entry and lunged at the man, who reacted fast and fired the gun at Dirk. Jimmy and I moved at the same time and wrestled the man to the floor and disarmed him. Jimmy held the man down as I went to check on Dirk. "Damn slugs," Dirk said, clutching at the wound in his gut. He looked up at me as his eyes began to glaze over and quietly said, "But how did my pants get wet?"

Oh, My, That's Some Muppety Goodness

Hmmmm

At the suggestion of a blog maven who shall remain nameless, I was checking my visitor logs to see if I could find a "trigger" for the bo-o-o-gus spam charge against me, and found this:



UPDATE: I don't really think there's a conspiracy going on, but the above visit? Was on the date of this post.

This Video Can't Be Posted Too Often

I love this song.

Whew!

So, yesterday evening I got an email from Blogger, which said, in part:

Your blog at: http://phydeauxpseaks.blogspot.com/ has been identified as a potential spam blog. To correct this, please request a review by filling out the form at http://............

Your blog will be deleted within 20 days if it isn't reviewed, and you'll be unable to publish posts during this time.
[...]
Thank you for your understanding and for your help with our spam-fighting efforts.

Sincerely,

The Blogger Team

¿Que? Spam blog? Moi??? Nuh-uh! Nichevo!! I may be a phydeauxp, but I'm not spam!!!

So I go to my dashboard and see this message:


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! I have to be able to post! I am a blogger, I must blog!!

As it turns out, I wasn't the only one who got locked out of my own blog. All I can figure is that Blogger did an "upgrade" of their spam search code and it... FAILED. It couldn't possibly have been the installation of some sort of Gummint spyware - "persons of interest"/"subversive element"/"free thinker"/"this will go down on your permanent record" - thingy that didn't work quite like they wanted it to.... Or did it?

Hmmmm, I wonder if those FEMA concentration camps are finished yet?

Oh, by the way, as you can see from the screen cap above, this is my 601^st post. Not bad for 17 months of blogging.

Neighborly Neighbor Update

It appears that he is fine... but that his Saab has gone to that Great Car Park In The Sky.

For those who don't know, he was in a collision yesterday. The car in front of him was slowing down to turn, he slowed down, but the car behind him ... didn't. The driver of the car behind admitted to not paying attention, and there was no doubt as to the fault in the accident.

Neighbor went to the hospital and was checked out fully, and sent home. He's pretty much okay, just some soreness (as is normal after any accident), especially in his right leg, which was tensed on the brake pedal and therefore absorbed a good deal of the shock. His insurance is providing a rental car.

So, except for the loss of the Saab (which was a very nice car, btw)... all is good.

Thanks to everyone for your expressed concern!!

Thursday Pythonica... With Bonus Infernal Bagpipes!

Please to be noting the name of the first victim.

(also, I'm saving parts II and III for later)

Pheaux Phyre Phorum: The My Neighbor Was In A Car Wreck, So I've Been Busy Edition

Discuss.



HALOSCAN BLEW UP. NITE EVERYBODY!!!!!

Breaking News: Republican Operatives Are Made of Fail

The RNC attempted to set up a FaceBook parody site, called BarackBook, with predictable results. From the NYTimes article:

Republicans were forced to strip the comment wall and discussion board from the page attached to its new Facebook parody, BarackBook.com, which just went online early this morning, because of comment posts that were racist and anti-Muslim … and some that were anti-Republican too.

What. A. Shock. Racist and anti-Muslim comments on a Republican website!?!? Next thing you know, we'll find out that water is wet and fire is hot!!!

Typical comments on the NYT article - from both sides of the aisle - but then I saw this one:

July 29th,
2008
8:31 pm

As a non-US citizen I see this stuff and question the right of America to claim moral leadership in the world. My American friends ask “why are foreigners so interested in Obama and the election… they don’t get to vote and it’s none of their business!” The answer is simple, the greed and consumption of America is a global problem. It is American greed that has caused many global recessions whether its S&L, junk bonds, dot-com, or the recent sub-prime event. It is obvious that unregulated greed hurts not only Americans, but people in other countries. Jefferson was always decrying the greed of the “stockjobbers” in NY. Think America! It’s not all about you - your actions and Presidential choices have global consequences beyond your parochial national view. Choose well.

— Posted by Citizen of the World

Spot. Fuckin'. On.

(h/t to Petulant, via Shakesville)

Revenge of the Nerds, Part ie

(h/t to BlueGal)

Image of the Day

(Thanks Jen, for forwarding it)

Creative Writing - the Request Post, Part IX

Yo!

It's Monday, so you must - must, I say* - leave me a snippet to weave into a story that I shall write on Sunday. Previous installments are linked in the sidebar. Give me something like...

The virus had appeared out of nowhere, and so they found themselves cut off.

*participation is totally voluntary, offer void in Puerto Rico and The Cayman Islands, not affiliated with the McCain2008 campaign.

The Wayback Machine

It's not often that I can remember what I was doing at an exact moment in time in the past, but some moments? Yep.

F'r instance, a year ago tonight, I was doing this.

Hard to believe that just one year ago, Jen was "only" a name and a gravatar. I'm glad that's not the case any more. Very glad.

Sunday Fiction - Part VIII

Previous chapters in the sidebar ---->

It was anything but a quiet week in the city in the mountains, what with the 30th Annual Bele Chere Festival going on, so I had taken myself out of town, and up into the hills in search of a quiet campsite where I could pitch my tent and just relax. I had sent the package to Arianne's sister, hoping that - even if she wouldn't talk to me, and tell me where Arianne was - she would still forward it. But I had no way of knowing. And no way of knowing what Arianne's reaction would be. So I hoped that spending a few days away from everything, and communing with Nature, would help me get my mind settled so I could get back to working on some cases and making some money. I got a friend to drop me off at my favorite trailhead, agreed on a time to meet him to take me back to town, shouldered my pack and headed into the woods. I had a spot in mind along the creek where an old rail line had once been laid for logging, so it was flat and well above the water - in case of a sudden storm - and I knew it would take me about two hours of hiking to get there. As I moved along the trail, I could feel the concerns of my life slipping away. The sounds and scents of Nature gently pushed away thoughts of bills, and rent ... and Arianne. About 3/4 of a mile in, the trail began to parallel Lynne's Creek, and the sound of the water rushing over the rocks as it headed down the mountain caused the last vestiges of concern to drop away. "I should do this more often," I said to myself as I followed upstream, toward the first of three waterfalls I knew lay between here and my destination. As I got closer to the waterfall, I could hear the crash of the water as it cascaded down the face of the falls. But there was another, clashing sound that was beginning to tug at me. I slowed my stride as I tried to figure out this dissonance, but was totally unprepared for the realization that was about to come. As I made my way around the last bend of the trail below the falls, I realized that I was hearing music... a marching band. What The Poop?, I thought as I walked into the small glade around the pool at the bottom of the falls. There, spread out all around the pool, was the Saint Francis School for Girls Marching Band, playing John Philip Sousa music and having a picnic. The music ground to a halt as the girls noticed that I had entered the glade. I stood there with a dumbstruck look on my face, wondering how - and why - an entire marching band had come all the way out here into the forest to have lunch and rehearse. It certainly wasn't because they weren't good. They sounded quite good, not to mention looking very fetching in their blue and white uniforms. It was then that I noticed that not all the girls had been busy playing music. There were several of them in the pool, staring at me with only their heads above the water, and I noticed piles of clothes on the bank nearby. I looked around nervously, trying to figure the quickest way through the group and on up the trail, as one of the girls in the water moved towards me. "Hey, mister, would you care to join us? We've got lots of food, and the water is fine!" she said as she reached the bank and pulled herself out of the water. Her shoulders were scorched, and no one seemed to care. I turned away quickly and busied myself looking at the trees up on the hillside as the girl laughed and put on her uniform. More laughter rippled through the group as they noticed that my face was red. I heard a sigh behind me, as the girl said "Sometimes the only way to get these things started is to grease them up a bit. My name is Mary Catherine, and I'm the drum major. Won't you please join us? Dean Michaels would never forgive us if we weren't hospitable." As several of the girls around me offered food, Mary Catherine jumped up on a rock and motioned for the band to begin playing again - a jaunty tune that sounded somewhat familiar. I accepted some fruit and cheeses as I listened and enjoyed. Although the cheese was moldy, the glockenspiel stayed in tune, and I began to really enjoy myself. One of the girls helped me off with my pack, and I sat down to eat. The band members were taking turns swimming, never enough at one time to detract from the music, although there were moments of discord in the brass section. The trumpets and trombones were doing all right, but the Sousaphone, again, was uncooperative. Despite this minor fracas, I was feeling extremely giddy, and even began to dance around a bit. I continued eating the moldy cheese until suddenly a moose came crashing out of the woods, while the band was playing a rousing version of Amazing Grace. By this point I was acting as a music stand for Mary Catherine, and as the gangly animal careened through the panicked band - bellowing the whole time - its antlers snagged on a picnic basket and hurled the contents through the air. The condiments in the basket spewed everywhere, including on the me and the sheet music I was holding. Amazing Grace was doused in ketchup, but the moose was loud and clear. It was then that I slipped on some mayonnaise and hit my head on a rock. When I came to, the paramedics were loading me onto a stretcher. I had laid in the woods for two days, unconscious, before my friend found me, and the head wound had become infected. The antibiotics cost half again as much as the doctor's appointment. So much for socialized medicine. And there was no sign of a Girl's School Marching Band anywhere.

This is merely a test post.


Trying to figure out how to use Google Docs to publish a post... but it doesn't seem to bring the title with it when it publishes.....

Friday Saturday Cat Blogging

Puff says, "Ooh! Pick me! Pick meeee!!!!"

Yes, she's asleep... and, since she does this often, I assume she's comfy. Kittehs, ya know.

This post brought to you by the letter K and this post at Shakesville.

I Got A Coupon In The Mail

For one FREE GALLON* of gasoline!!!




*Okay, it's actually 1.296 gallons worth - the price actually dropped this week. It's that immediate result of Dumbya voiding the Executive Order banning offshore drilling. Imagine, if we clearcut ANWR and plant wells every 10', the gas companies might pay us to take their product!!!

Just What It Says It Is

What?!?

I was told that a Bold Bob sounded good!!

Thursday Python Randomity

There was light at the end of the tunnel... then this!

24 July Is a Good Day

I'm feelin' it, are you?

Beethoven's Ode to Joy, as interpreted by....




(h/t to Brian)

Pheaux Phyre Phorum: TheEdition Edition

Hey all!

I'm prolly not gonna be around much this evening, but y'all go right ahead and hang out!

Straight Talk Express

Corrected McCain ad:



The original McCain campaign ad is here.

(h/t Crooks & Liars)

Awesomely Awesome!!!

(h/t to Manila Ryce)

On Being Connected...

To Teh InterWebs Tubes, that is.

Those of you who are in contact with me offblog on any kind of a regular basis know that my connection fails quite often, and has been doing so for months. Most of you also know that I am on my neighbor's wifi net. I've mentioned this problem to the neighbors several times, and they have noticed it, but not nearly so often, as they use the internet pretty much only to check email and download a recipe now and then.

Over the last couple of weeks the problem had gotten worse. Before, it mainly happened only when it was raining, but it got to the point where it was happening all the time. But the latest "escalation" meant that the neighbors could no longer receive calls on their phones.

So, Neighbor Prime (the owner of the house) called BellSouth AT&T last Tuesday to come fix. "We'll have someone there Friday," he was told. On Friday, I was asked to keep an eye out, and let the repair dude into the house. "No prob," I said... and waited... and waited.

Anyway, no show on Friday, but they came yesterday evening and found the problem!!! One of the phone jacks was highly corroded, and was causing a short.

Ahhh, Teh InterWebs Tubes are channeling information fast as bunnies now! I'm so happy! So, who wants to chat?

Creative Writing - the Request Post, Part VIII

It's Monday, pholks, and that means it's time to gimme some snippets to weave into a story come Sunday!

Something like:

Although the cheese was moldy, the glockenspiel stayed in tune.

Sunday Fiction - Part VII

Previous installments available in sidebar --->

It had been a rough month for Bill. The fight with Teresa that led to him agreeing to go to Vegas with Jerry, the disastrous experiment with peyote in the desert, getting kicked out of the casino at the Bellagio for card counting, the escape from the Luxor, and finally being snatched by the two goons and staked out naked in the desert. But, just in the nick of time, Teresa had shown up and saved him - and Jerry - from boiling and/or desiccating to death in the hot desert sun. They put Jerry on a bus headed back home, and Teresa set out to make it up to Bill, spending lavishly from the earnings of her book tour. She seemed willing to do whatever he asked of her, and even offered things he'd never felt comfortable asking for. Their days were full of travel from city to city and book signings - as her novel had made it to the top ten on the New York Times bestseller list - and their nights were filled with an animal passion unlike anything either had experienced before. They simply couldn't get enough of each other... and neither one was complaining in the least. Another benefit of their new situation was that Teresa's creative juices were flowing at above flood stage, sweeping Bill along as well. They began collaborating on a new book and the pages flew by. Even with her 100+ words per minute typing she could hardly keep up with the story they were weaving together. As the hectic pace of the book tour began to slow, Teresa decided that they should be seeing more of the country than what passed by outside the airliner windows as they flew from city to city, so she suggested they lease an RV and spend some time traveling. Bill had fond memories of camping as a child, so he had no objections. They planned their itinerary around Teresa's speaking engagements, visiting national parks and historic sites in and around the cities where Teresa's agent sent them. From the Great Smokies to Denali, they drove and wrote and ... played ... across the continent until, one evening at a campground in the Grant Tetons, punch drunk on fumes and horny as all get out, Bill looked at Teresa playfully and said, "Where did I put that spatula?" as they returned to the camper from a presentation on animal wildlife in the park at the small amphitheater. "Spatula?" Teresa giggled as she climbed the steps into the RV. "Is that what's protruding from your elephant's poopchute?" She pointed at the giant stuffed GOP icon that they had stolen from the Republican Convention a week earlier - and had since been using as the butt of a series of visual jokes that they would email to all their friends - that was strapped to the ceiling above the foldout couch. "No, that's a ... personal item, as you well know," Bill growled at her as he reached out to tickle her, but she sidestepped him and ran for the bedroom at the back of the RV, dropping articles of clothing as she went. _____________________ Arianne paused in her writing and thought of Guy, who was probably sitting in his office... and most likely, if the information she had gotten was correct, thinking about her. She sighed and, not for the first time, regretted her hasty decision to sell the bakery and leave the city in the mountains. But what was done was done, and couldn't be undone. "Ellen, honey, you've got a package down here," Geneva called up the stairs. Arianne had given the false name back when she didn't want to be found, and now couldn't bear the thought of confessing her deception to the sweet lady who had become more like a mother than a landlady to her. "I'll be right down," she called out as she clicked on save and then reached for her silk robe. The favored gift from Guy was the only concession to decency that she could muster, as the heat of the non air-conditioned apartment was nearly unbearable - but she couldn't very well go downstairs in only her skivvies. "Here, sweetie, have a glass of iced tea," Geneva said as Arianne walked into the kitchen. "The package is on the table." Arianne took the offered glass gratefully and sat at the table. She sipped at the refreshing drink for a moment and then set it down and picked up the medium sized box. It was forwarded from her sister (who knew about the false name - and why she was using it), but the original return address was still visible: G. Noir 1242-A Acme Building A thrill passed through her body as she set the box back down. She forced herself to engage in some small talk with Geneva, who was always interested in her writing. "Are you having any luck getting the story back on track?" Geneva finally asked, after talking about the flower garden they had been working on the evening before. "No, not really. My organizational skills are such right now that I can't seem to find my ass with both hands!" Arianne replied as she finished her glass of tea. Geneva smiled and said, "Well, maybe whatever's in that box will help you out." "I hope so," Arianne said, then excused herself and took the box back upstairs which, no doubt, disappointed Geneva, but not knowing what was in the box, Arianne didn't dare open it in front of the older woman. As soon as she shut the door to her room, she ripped the wrapping off the box and opened it. Her excitement mounting, she flung scraps of newspaper out of the box as if her very life depended on it. Finally, she got through all the packing material and saw what lay in bottom of the box. And then the emotional damn burst. First it was a spork. Then the knife ran off with the spoon. When would the abandonment end? What did she do to deserve this kind of cutlery treatment? As she sat there on the bed, crying and cradling the calfskin wrapped, long handled spatula, she couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she knew he was trying to tell her something. She did know, without a doubt, that she had to get in touch with Guy. Some things were just too incredible for coincidence.

Uh. Muh. Guh.

I come across The Really QUICK Reassuringly EASY Test, right? Go ahead and click to take the test if you want, but there's really no reason to. It has questions like:



so it's like ... the Stupid Answers category on Jeopardy!, only even easier.

I go through the ten questions and get my result (I'm a "Freakin' Genius!" - duh), and then I notice, over to the right....


27% of people who took a test that asked questions like "What shape is the penny? Round or Square?" missed at least one question.

Oy.

But It Would Be Good For Me, I'm Sure

Found over at SAP's place, A walkability score for any address. Not surprisingly, it tells me I need transportation.


So, any of you who wish to stop by, there I am. Being car-dependent.


Also? I was asked to "Hold this.", so I did:

The "It's 10:15PM and I just realized I haven't posted" Post

So, ummm... oh!

Have you seen/read yesterday's Al Gore speech on energy independence?

If not, go watch and/or read it now.

The man makes a lot of sense.

See ya tomorrow!

Thursday! Python! Random!

It's a man's life in the British Dental Association!

Pheaux Phyre Phorum: The Chocolatey Goodness Edition

S'mores, anyone? It's supposed to be a relatively cool night here in Teh Mountainz, NC, so the heat of the Phyre will feel good.

What's on everybody's mind this fine summer night?

This is NOT What I Want to See

Temporary Error (502)


We’re sorry, but your Gmail account is currently experiencing errors. You won’t be able to use your account while these errors last, but don’t worry, your account data and messages are safe. Our engineers are working to resolve this issue.

Please try accessing your account again in a few minutes.

C'mon, Gmail, get your shite together, kay?

Video For Tuesday

Excellent cover of an excellent song...



Jamie Cullum.

Creative Writing - the Request Post

It's Monday, pholks, and that means it's time to gimme some snippets to weave into a story come Sunday!

Something like:

Where did I put that spatula?

Saturday Sunday Fiction

"Why don't those birds ever stop circling!?", Bill said to Jerry. "Jerry? You still with me, man?" Bill craned his neck around as far as the bindings that had him staked to the desert floor allowed, trying to see his friend, who was staked out a couple dozen yards away. "Jerry!" "Where the hell else would I be," Jerry croaked. "I'm staked to the ground just like you are! Besides, it's better for them to be circling than for them to land - cause then it's lunchtime!!" he finished with a hoarse laugh. Bill sighed and went back to watching the buzzards circling. The hot sun had long since drawn all the sweat of him, and he could feel the dried, salty remains of the rivulets that hours before had run down the side of his face. And he thought he could feel his skin blistering in ... well, places that didn't normally get much exposure to the sun. He closed his eyes against the brightness of the sun as his mind drifted. Suddenly, he found himself standing in a grocery store, looking at the peanut butter displays. He reached for a jar and thought, Smooth or creamy? The other shoppers would never comprehend just how much was riding on the decision. Wait. Smooth or creamy? He looked down and realized he was holding a bottle of sunscreen. He looked around as he felt a tap on his shoulder and saw his old college flame, Linda, the redhead that had started his fascination with that hair color. I hadn't talked to her in so long that I wasn't sure any communication from me would be well received, he thought out loud in a film-noir non sequitur. "Oh, my God, Linda! I haven't seen you in forever!" She was wearing purple lizard shorts and a sequined leotard, and had a marmoset on her shoulder. He reached out to hug her and she looked at him quizzically, "But Grandpa", she said, "I don't want hair on my chest. I want BOOBS." Bill shook his head to try and make sense of her statement and found himself back in the desert, naked and staked to the ground, with Linda kneeling beside him, bottle of sunscreen in her hand. "Step right up, step right up!! Try your skill!!" A voice drew Bill's attention, and he looked over to see Danny DeVito in a Ringmaster outfit, like in the movie Big Fish. "Hey, Linda," DeVito whispered, "his winkie looks a bit burned. Maybe you should put somea that sunscreen on it." Linda looked over at the Ringmaster and she couldn't help but be envious of the idea. She opened the bottle and began applying the lotion eagerly and liberally. "Who will be the first to try their luck," the Ringmaster cried. "Three shots, and you only have to hit once to win!!" Jerry stood up, his bonds shredding, handed the Ringmaster a dollar, and took the rifle from his hands. First? How could he be first? And if he was first was it fair to take the first shot at the drunken birds? Bill thought as Linda's ministrations began to both soothe and excite him. While he tried to make sense of these conflicting sensations, Jerry fired the rifle at the circling birds. Suddenly, a shadow fell on Bill's face, and cool, refreshing water hit him. He blinked the water out of his eyes, looked up, and saw Teresa standing over him. "Oh, Bill. I'm so sorry. Thank God I found you before it was too late!" She knelt down and began untying the ropes that held Bill spread-eagle on the ground, and then handed him the canteen and moved over to Jerry.....

Links to previous chapters can be found in the sidebar. ---->

Important News

The pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle
That chalice from the palace has the brew that is true.


Don't forget that.

(I think the Saturday Fiction post is going to move permanently to Sunday, btw)

Happy Me!!!

Guess what happened at 2:08pm on 11 July, 1963 in the small mountain hamlet of Burnsville, NC?

I was born.




Feel free to shower me with gifts.

You Klingon Bastard, You Killed My Son! Khhhaaaaaaaannnnnnn!!!!!!

Your results:
You are James T. Kirk (Captain)

James T. Kirk (Captain) 70% Mr. Scott 65% Chekov 65% Geordi LaForge 65% Will Riker 60% Worf 55% Deanna Troi 55% Uhura 50% Data 46% Jean-Luc Picard 45% Beverly Crusher 45% Spock 35% Mr. Sulu 35% An Expendable Character (Redshirt) 35% Leonard McCoy (Bones) 30%

You are often exaggerated and over-the-top in your speech and expressions. You are a romantic at heart and a natural leader.

Click here to take the Star Trek Personality Quiz


(h/t to MathMan)

Breaking News: Congresscritters Are Spineless Toadies Who Kowtow To Their Corporate Masters

Okay, we all knew that, but yesterday's vote on the FISA bill.... /sigh/ I guess that whole Democracy and Freedom thing was a cool idea while it lasted.

And now it's time for....

Pydeo Ranthon (Viday) Thursty Mondom

Say no more.

Pheaux Phyre Phorum: The What A Beautiful Evening Edition

Howdy, Campers!

Today has been a beautiful day - if you're like me and like being in the clouds. We've had low clouds, which, up here on the mountain means fog most of the afternoon, with periods of rain and thunder off in the distance. Call me weird (please), but I love weather like that. And, I just got back from a walk, and ... well, it's beautiful. I didn't have me camera to hand, and couldn't have matched these pics that my Siamese Cousin The Cunning Runt posted, but the look was similar. As the man says:

Thank You, Mother Earth,
Thank You, Father Sky.

Now. What'ch'all got on yer minds this bee-yoo-ti-ful evening?

Speak up, don't be shy!

Literally Speaking

I swear, you teach them kids to think, and then they go and do it!

The sign on Lot 38 near the University Center reads “This Lot Will Become Faculty/Staff Only On July 7, 2008,” so microbiology senior Parinati Kharel parked there July 8 instead. She returned from class to find a $20 ticket underneath her windshield wiper. “It said ‘only on July 7’,” she said.

Bless her literal-minded heart. Read the rest here.

Flip-Flopping Away, Flip-Flopping Away, You Know the Nearer His Destination, The More McCain Flip-flops Away

Steve Benen at The Carpetbagger Report has categorized Teh Maverick^TM's multiple positions (eeew, I need brain bleach for thinking of McCain in any positions.... ick).

National Security Policy 1. McCain thought Bush’s warrantless-wiretap program circumvented the law; now he believes the opposite. 2. McCain insisted that everyone, even “terrible killers,” “the worst kind of scum of humanity,” and detainees at Guantanamo Bay, “deserve to have some adjudication of their cases,” even if that means “releasing some of them.” McCain now believes the opposite. 3. He opposed indefinite detention of terrorist suspects. When the Supreme Court reached the same conclusion, he called it “one of the worst decisions in the history of this country.” 4. In February 2008, McCain reversed course on prohibiting waterboarding. 5. McCain was for closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay before he was against it. 6. When Barack Obama talked about going after terrorists in Pakistani mountains with predators, McCain criticized him for it. He’s since come to the opposite conclusion. Foreign Policy 7. McCain was for kicking Russia out of the G8 before he was against it. 8. McCain supported moving “towards normalization of relations” with Cuba. Now he believes the opposite. 9. McCain believed the U.S. should engage in diplomacy with Hamas. Now he believes the opposite. 10. McCain believed the U.S. should engage in diplomacy with Syria. Now he believes the opposite. 11. McCain is both for and against a “rogue state rollback” as a focus of his foreign policy vision. 12. McCain used to champion the Law of the Sea convention, even volunteering to testify on the treaty’s behalf before a Senate committee. Now he opposes it. 13. McCain was against divestment from South Africa before he was for it. Military Policy 14. McCain recently claimed that he was the “greatest critic” of Rumsfeld’s failed Iraq policy. In December 2003, McCain praised the same strategy as “a mission accomplished.” In March 2004, he said, “I’m confident we’re on the right course.” In December 2005, he said, “Overall, I think a year from now, we will have made a fair amount of progress if we stay the course.” 15. McCain has changed his mind about a long-term U.S. military presence in Iraq on multiple occasions, concluding, on multiple occasions, that a Korea-like presence is both a good and a bad idea. 16. McCain said before the war in Iraq, “We will win this conflict. We will win it easily.” Four years later, McCain said he knew all along that the war in Iraq war was “probably going to be long and hard and tough.” 17. McCain has repeatedly said it’s a dangerous mistake to tell the “enemy” when U.S. troops would be out of Iraq. In May, McCain announced that most American troops would be home from Iraq by 2013. 18. McCain was against expanding the GI Bill before he was for it. Domestic Policy 19. McCain defended “privatizing” Social Security. Now he says he’s against privatization (though he actually still supports it.) 20. McCain wanted to change the Republican Party platform to protect abortion rights in cases of rape and incest. Now he doesn’t. 21. McCain supported storing spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. Now he believes the opposite. 22. He argued the NRA should not have a role in the Republican Party’s policy making. Now he believes the opposite. 23. In 1998, he championed raising cigarette taxes to fund programs to cut underage smoking, insisting that it would prevent illnesses and provide resources for public health programs. Now, McCain opposes a $0.61-per-pack tax increase, won’t commit to supporting a regulation bill he’s co-sponsoring, and has hired Philip Morris’ former lobbyist as his senior campaign adviser. 24. McCain is both for and against earmarks for Arizona. 25. McCain’s first mortgage plan was premised on the notion that homeowners facing foreclosure shouldn’t be “rewarded” for acting “irresponsibly.” His second mortgage plan took largely the opposite position. 26. McCain went from saying gay marriage should be allowed, to saying gay marriage shouldn’t be allowed. 27. McCain opposed a holiday to honor Martin Luther King, Jr., before he supported it. 28. McCain was anti-ethanol. Now he’s pro-ethanol. 29. McCain was both for and against state promotion of the Confederate flag. 30. In 2005, McCain endorsed intelligent design creationism, a year later he said the opposite, and a few months after that, he was both for and against creationism at the same time. Economic Policy 31. McCain was against Bush’s tax cuts for the very wealthy before he was for them. 32. John McCain initially argued that economics is not an area of expertise for him, saying, “I’m going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues; I still need to be educated,” and “The issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should.” He now falsely denies ever having made these remarks and insists that he has a “very strong” understanding of economics. 33. McCain vowed, if elected, to balance the federal budget by the end of his first term. Soon after, he decided he would no longer even try to reach that goal. And soon after that, McCain abandoned his second position and went back to his first. 34. McCain said in 2005 that he opposed the tax cuts because they were “too tilted to the wealthy.” By 2007, he denied ever having said this, and falsely argued that he opposed the cuts because of increased government spending. 35. McCain thought the estate tax was perfectly fair. Now he believes the opposite. 36. McCain pledged in February 2008 that he would not, under any circumstances, raise taxes. Specifically, McCain was asked if he is a “‘read my lips’ candidate, no new taxes, no matter what?” referring to George H.W. Bush’s 1988 pledge. “No new taxes,” McCain responded. Two weeks later, McCain said, “I’m not making a ‘read my lips’ statement, in that I will not raise taxes.” 37. McCain has changed his entire economic worldview on multiple occasions. 38. McCain believes Americans are both better and worse off economically than they were before Bush took office. Energy Policy 39. McCain supported the moratorium on coastal drilling ; now he’s against it. 40. McCain recently announced his strong opposition to a windfall-tax on oil company profits. Three weeks earlier, he was perfectly comfortable with the idea. 41. McCain endorsed a cap-and-trade policy with a mandatory emissions cap. In mid-June, McCain announced he wants the caps to voluntary. 42. McCain explained his belief that a temporary suspension of the federal gas tax would provide an immediate economic stimulus. Shortly thereafter, he argued the exact opposite. 43. McCain supported the Lieberman/Warner legislation to combat global warming. Now he doesn’t. Immigration Policy 44. McCain was a co-sponsor of the DREAM Act, which would grant legal status to illegal immigrants’ kids who graduate from high school. Now he’s against it. 45. On immigration policy in general, McCain announced in February 2008 that he would vote against his own bill. 46. In April, McCain promised voters that he would secure the borders “before proceeding to other reform measures.” Two months later, he abandoned his public pledge, pretended that he’d never made the promise in the first place, and vowed that a comprehensive immigration reform policy has always been, and would always be, his “top priority.” Judicial Policy and the Rule of Law 47. McCain said he would “not impose a litmus test on any nominee.” He used to promise the opposite. 48. McCain believes the telecoms should be forced to explain their role in the administration’s warrantless surveillance program as a condition for retroactive immunity. He used to believe the opposite. 49. McCain went from saying he would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade to saying the exact opposite. Campaign, Ethics, and Lobbying Reform 50. McCain supported his own lobbying-reform legislation from 1997. Now he doesn’t. 51. In 2006, McCain sponsored legislation to require grassroots lobbying coalitions to reveal their financial donors. In 2007, after receiving “feedback” on the proposal, McCain told far-right activist groups that he opposes his own measure. 52. McCain supported a campaign-finance bill, which bore his name, on strengthening the public-financing system. In June 2007, he abandoned his own legislation. Politics and Associations 53. McCain wanted political support from radical televangelist John Hagee. Now he doesn’t. (He also believes his endorsement from Hagee was both a good and bad idea.) 54. McCain wanted political support from radical televangelist Rod Parsley. Now he doesn’t. 55. McCain says he considered and did not consider joining John Kerry’s Democratic ticket in 2004. 56. McCain is both for and against attacking Barack Obama over his former pastor at his former church. 57. McCain criticized TV preacher Jerry Falwell as “an agent of intolerance” in 2002, but then decided to cozy up to the man who said Americans “deserved” the 9/11 attacks. 58. In 2000, McCain accused Texas businessmen Sam and Charles Wyly of being corrupt, spending “dirty money” to help finance Bush’s presidential campaign. McCain not only filed a complaint against the Wylys for allegedly violating campaign finance law, he also lashed out at them publicly. In April, McCain reached out to the Wylys for support. 59. McCain was against presidential candidates campaigning at Bob Jones University before he was for it. 60. McCain decided in 2000 that he didn’t want anything to do with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, believing he “would taint the image of the ‘Straight Talk Express.’” Kissinger is now the Honorary Co-Chair for his presidential campaign in New York. 61. McCain believed powerful right-wing activist/lobbyist Grover Norquist was “corrupt, a shill for dictators, and (with just a dose of sarcasm) Jack Abramoff’s gay lover.” McCain now considers Norquist a key political ally.

With the above interminable list, McCain and his spokespersons still have the gall to say that Barack Obama is willing to say and do anything to be elected. And the MSM nods and wipes their chins after servicing them.

Wasn't there something in the ....ummm, what was that old paper called? Wait, I think I can remember..... oh, right the Constitution! Something about a free press?

(h/t to Mustang Bobby)

Kitteh Oddity

(not a new photo)

That's Callie, the younger of muh two kittehs.

She's weird.

I feed teh kittehs in a large dish (actually the lid of a store-bought pie), that holds about four and a half days worth o' food. I generally keep it about half full, at least. This has worked just fine for years. Recently, though, Callie discovered that the big bag next to the dish has lots and lots and lots of food in it.

She now uses her paws and teeth to unroll the top of the bag, and climbs in to get her food.

I guess that she feels like a hunter, catching her own food, rather than a mooch who is totally dependent on me for sustenance.

As I said, weird.

Creative Writing - the Request Post

It's Monday, pholks, and that means it's time to gimme some snippets to weave into a story come Saturday (or so)!!!

Something like:

Why don't those birds ever stop circling!?

One request, please. When you leave a comment, do so before reading the previous comments.