Excellent Birds

Goddamn, the essay is due in 50 minutes, and I just sent the fifth round of edits off to the kid!

My mother reminded me that on New Year's Day, my senior year, we drove to my former English teacher's HOUSE so she could give me a letter of recommendation, so I guess this is paying it forward.

Good photo, though I never feel entirely comfortable standing underneath seagulls. I'm always worried they'll crap on me.

A Flock of Seagulls:

re: #3 Dark_Falcon

Upding for FoS. I Ran is one of my favorite songs to do in karaoke :D

re: #3 Dark_Falcon

Good photo, though I never feel entirely comfortable standing underneath seagulls. I'm always worried they'll crap on me.

A Flock of Seagulls:

[Video]

Could you imagine showing up to an interview with the hairdo of the lead singer!

re: #2 SanFranciscoZionist

Goddamn, the essay is due in 50 minutes, and I just sent the fifth round of edits off to the kid!

My mother reminded me that on New Year's Day, my senior year, we drove to my former English teacher's HOUSE so she could give me a letter of recommendation, so I guess this is paying it forward.

An essay for...?

Clavin, with beer.

re: #5 BryanS

Could you imagine showing up to an interview with the hairdo of the lead singer!

No.

re: #5 BryanS

Could you imagine showing up to an interview with the hairdo of the lead singer!

If it's an interview at a record store or an indie bookstore? yes. :D

re: #8 Dark_Falcon

No.

Just depends on the job!

re: #9 WindUpBird

If it's an interview at a record store or an indie bookstore? yes. :D

Yeah. That fits :)

Oh shit, Windupbird made creepy art: Image: ?action=view&current=redangel.jpg

(okay, this is a couple years old)

re: #10 WindUpBird

Just depends on the job!

Good point. But a job requiring that sort of hair is not a job I'd be likely to what.

re: #9 WindUpBird

If it's an interview at a record store or an indie bookstore? yes. :D

Or Guitar Center for that matter.

re: #5 BryanS

Could you imagine showing up to an interview with the hairdo of the lead singer!

That's just old, dude.

A young woman I know just got her tongue split.

All her older friends were, like, think of all the jobs you'll never get.

I was all, girl, split tongue is soooo last millennium. You wanna shock me? Get it fanned.

re: #12 WindUpBird

Oh shit, Windupbird made creepy art: [Link: s933.photobucket.com...]

(okay, this is a couple years old)

Freaky.

re: #13 Dark_Falcon

Good point. But a job requiring that sort of hair is not a job I'd be likely to what.

Not requiring, but it's a plus. When I was a teenager, I always wanted to work in a record store. My local one when I was growing up was evenly split between the 80's new-wave/stoner metal employees, and the two dudes who looked very clean cut and were very knowledgeable about classical music...and skatepunk.

re: #15 Cato the Elder

That's just old, dude.

A young woman I know just got her tongue split.

All her older friends were, like, think of all the jobs you'll never get.

I was all, girl, split tongue is sooo last millennium. You wanna shock me? Get it fanned.

LOL!

re: #12 WindUpBird

Oh shit, Windupbird made creepy art: [Link: s933.photobucket.com...]

(okay, this is a couple years old)

Quite good really, I don't find that creepy.

re: #12 WindUpBird

Oh shit, Windupbird made creepy art: [Link: s933.photobucket.com...]

(okay, this is a couple years old)

Don't see creepy--'dark', maybe.

re: #14 Bagua

Or Guitar Center for that matter.

Yes. Though I haven't stepped into a Guitar Center in years, I just buy all my gear off eBay now. It was fun to go into their soundproofed drum room at the GC in Seattle (Or was it Musician's Friend? Don't even remember) and go nuts on their double kick Tama Artstar.

re: #19 Bagua

Quite good really, I don't find that creepy.

My mother finds it creepy, but she always wanted me to become a Disney animator!

re: #15 Cato the Elder

I was all, girl, split tongue is sooo last millennium. You wanna shock me? Get it fanned.

I'm a traditionalist. Just get tattoos! And pretty ones, designed by artists who aren't JUST flash artists. None of this tribal jagged zigzag crap or skulls with eyeballs in them.

re: #21 WindUpBird

Yes. Though I haven't stepped into a Guitar Center in years, I just buy all my gear off eBay now. It was fun to go into their soundproofed drum room at the GC in Seattle (Or was it Musician's Friend? Don't even remember) and go nuts on their double kick Tama Artstar.

I still need to go in their for the misleading advice, and I enjoy fondling the Acoustic guitars.

But online purchase is better for devices I'm more familiar with, though I just never cottoned on to Ebay. I think I have some 'learned helplessness' around Ebay.

re: #22 WindUpBird

My mother finds it creepy, but she always wanted me to become a Disney animator!

Well my mother would agree, as would my friends mother.

re: #24 Bagua

I still need to go in their for the misleading advice, and I enjoy fondling the Acoustic guitars.

But online purchase is better for devices I'm more familiar with, though I just never cottoned on to Ebay. I think I have some 'learned helplessness' around Ebay.

I've sold a few grand worth of stuff on eBay (including a pinball machine!) and bought a few grand worth of stuff off eBay. Probably 75% of my computer equipment is from ebay, and all my drum gear at the moment. I am sort of a impulsive purchaser skinflint. :D I buy everything refurbished or used, but that just means I buy more stuff. Currently researching how to buy a car off eBay, when the time is right.

re: #23 WindUpBird

I'm a traditionalist. Just get tattoos! And pretty ones, designed by artists who aren't JUST flash artists. None of this tribal jagged zigzag crap or skulls with eyeballs in them.

This guy looks a little sore, doesn't he?

(The site says he split his own tongue with dental floss.)

re: #27 Cato the Elder

This guy looks a little sore, doesn't he?

(The site says he split his own tongue with dental floss.)

Words fail to express my feelings about that photo.

re: #27 Cato the Elder

This guy looks a little sore, doesn't he?

(The site says he split his own tongue with dental floss.)

OW OW OW OW :( Aaaagh, those under-the-skin horn things just make me wince. I dig tattoos, I like nose rings, I like a little of the urban primitive stuff (but not on me, I'm a wuss) but a little of that goes a very long way. I like it stylish and pretty and less of the I AM TRYING TO HORRIFY YOU

Speaking which: oh look it's Stalking Cat! I see this guy at all the cons I go to. He scares the crap out of me.

re: #29 WindUpBird

Are the teeth filed I presume?

re: #27 Cato the Elder

This guy looks a little sore, doesn't he?

(The site says he split his own tongue with dental floss.)

Looks like he just did the one smack dab in the middle of his forehead before the pose.

re: #29 WindUpBird

OW OW OW OW :( Aaaagh, those under-the-skin horn things just make me wince. I dig tattoos, I like nose rings, I like a little of the urban primitive stuff (but not on me, I'm a wuss) but a little of that goes a very long way. I like it stylish and pretty and less of the I AM TRYING TO HORRIFY YOU

Speaking which: oh look it's Stalking Cat! I see this guy at all the cons I go to. He scares the crap out of me.

I was thinking of the cat guy as well--he's on those Discovery channel extreme body modification shows.

re: #29 WindUpBird

OW OW OW OW :( Aaaagh, those under-the-skin horn things just make me wince. I dig tattoos, I like nose rings, I like a little of the urban primitive stuff (but not on me, I'm a wuss) but a little of that goes a very long way. I like it stylish and pretty and less of the I AM TRYING TO HORRIFY YOU

Speaking which: oh look it's Stalking Cat! I see this guy at all the cons I go to. He scares the crap out of me.

I can't imagine what would motivate someone to want to be a freak like that.

re: #32 Dark_Falcon

I can't imagine what would motivate someone to want to be a freak like that.

Serious mommy and daddy issues.

re: #32 Dark_Falcon

I can't imagine what would motivate someone to want to be a freak like that.

In general my impression is the more out of the ordinary one attempts in shocking appearance the more ordinary a person I expect to find underneath.

re: #30 Bagua

Are the teeth filed I presume?

I think they're implants!

re: #34 Bagua

In general my impression is the more out of the ordinary one attempts in shocking appearance the more ordinary a person I expect to find underneath.

Good point.

re: #6 BryanS

An essay for...?

College applications.

re: #31 BryanS

I was thinking of the cat guy as well--he's on those Discovery channel extreme body modification shows.

He once bought a bunch of stuff at a con from friends of mine! Very soft spoken dude, but hard to talk to.

Getting late around here. Goodnight, all.

re: #32 Dark_Falcon

I can't imagine what would motivate someone to want to be a freak like that.

Back to South Park....hehe :
Mr Broflovski :I may be a dolphin, but I'm also a lawyer.
Other Character:You're a Lawfin?

re: #37 SanFranciscoZionist

College applications.

Nothing like last minute I guess.

re: #38 WindUpBird

He once bought a bunch of stuff at a con from friends of mine! Very soft spoken dude, but hard to talk to.

It's weird to think that he is like that even when he is not at a fancy dress party.

re: #27 Cato the Elder

This guy looks a little sore, doesn't he?

(The site says he split his own tongue with dental floss.)

He has a remarkable eye color.

re: #38 WindUpBird

He once bought a bunch of stuff at a con from friends of mine! Very soft spoken dude, but hard to talk to.

Would be hard not to get distracted talking to the guy.

re: #44 BryanS

Would be hard not to get distracted talking to the guy.

"Man, whatever you do, don't stare."

"Look, I'm not gonna stare, come on."

"None of us would. But you get there, and you feel yourself not staring. Then you think, "it's obvious I'm not staring." So you look, and you think, "I'm staring." So you say, "this is ridiculous," and you take a GOOD LOOK. And you think, "I'm looking at a man who, when he washes his face, loses the bar of soap.""

night allre: #45 SanFranciscoZionist

"Man, whatever you do, don't stare."

"Look, I'm not gonna stare, come on."

"None of us would. But you get there, and you feel yourself not staring. Then you think, "it's obvious I'm not staring." So you look, and you think, "I'm staring." So you say, "this is ridiculous," and you take a GOOD LOOK. And you think, "I'm looking at a man who, when he washes his face, loses the bar of soap.""

Never saw the film--googled the "when he washes his face, loses the bar of soap" phrase to find the reference. Figured that was pretty specific :)

Well, I'm calling it an evening...2am is gettin pretty late for a 9to5er.

So, I just saw a new OxiClean commercial, with some woman taking the place of Billy Mays. And I gotta say - I didn't believe a word she said, and had no desire to buy OxiClean. I felt like she was lying to me the whole time.

Not that I felt much different when Mays was pitching their product, but at least he was entertaining, and came across as sincerely convinced that whatever he was pitching was the greatest thing, ever.

Tough act to follow.

When it comes to screwin' around with body mods, nobody tops Matthew Barney.

Of course, his are mostly reversible.

'Cept for his girlfriend and her missing legs.

His videos will cost you 2.5k a pop.

re: #46 BryanS

night all

Never saw the film--googled the "when he washes his face, loses the bar of soap" phrase to find the reference. Figured that was pretty specific :)

Well, I'm calling it an evening...2am is gettin pretty late for a 9to5er.

It's a good movie, stands up much better than the average 80s romantic comedy.

OK, going to bed. Night all.

re: #50 SanFranciscoZionist

Goodnight SFZ.

re: #42 Bagua

It's weird to think that he is like that even when he is not at a fancy dress party.

Now I'm imagining Stalking Cat wearing a tuxedo, at the symphony, looking at his gold pocketwatch, a 40-something blonde in a nice cocktail dress hanging off him. :D

Nick Griffin: Ejection shows BNP not gone 'soft'

[Link: news.bbc.co.uk...]

BNP roughs up journalist it invited to cover it's meeting;

"Although I had been invited, one prominent BNP politician had taken exception to an article in Saturday's edition of The Times. After he lost his temper with me I was quickly shoved and lifted out of the building, hit in the back and had my face squashed."

Mr Kennedy, who was not seriously hurt in the incident, ends the piece by saying: "I never thought I would actually get my nose bloodied trying to cover a press conference for a political party - but that is the true face of Nick Griffin and his BNP."

Leader expresses pride in his party's actions :

Mr Griffin said: "That's not the actions of a snivelling PC party, but of an organisation that has had enough of being lied about."

re: #52 WindUpBird

Now I'm imagining Stalking Cat wearing a tuxedo, at the symphony, looking at his gold pocketwatch, a 40-something blonde in a nice cocktail dress hanging off him. :D

That still qualifies as fancy dress in my book.

A Clash of Titans: Leonidas of Sparta vs. Viking of Techno... Who ya got?

Verily, her milkshakes bringeth all the lads to the public square.
Forsooth, they are far superior to thine.
Milady may educate thee, yet only upon requiring due compensation.

Truck Driver

The Dirty Old One Man Band From Texas.

Morning!

Man, I woke up and thought the clock said 6:15. Not so much.

My food handlers license expired a few months ago and I need to retest. I haven't studied for this test in 24 years, but every time I take it my score gets higher. Weird. A restaurant is not allowed to be open unless at least 1 person has this certification. Nice to have.

So my mom showed me her credit card bill.

Apparently the amount she cleaned out my savings for is no longer enough to make the minimum payment.

Hurr.

re: #61 laZardo

So my mom showed me her credit card bill.

Apparently the amount she cleaned out my savings for is no longer enough to make the minimum payment.

Hurr.

Ouch.

re: #61 laZardo

So my mom showed me her credit card bill.

Apparently the amount she cleaned out my savings for is no longer enough to make the minimum payment.

Hurr.

Ow. Sorry to hear that.

Some people need to not have credit cards.

re: #62 Cannadian Club Akbar

Oh yeah.

My dad's waiting on getting his visa to Oman processed, an expense-paid ticket should be issued sometime this or next week. Office work there for this big regional sports event (previous experience with our National Olympic Committee helped.) But apparently he's going to have a final medical exam over there first before they can clear him for the job.

My mother has effectively told me that if he doesn't get the job I can expect the family to sell the house.

re: #60 Cannadian Club Akbar

Here in the U.S., the only things that have changed since I took mine ~16 years ago are the safe temperature ranges for certain foods.

Man the paczkis this year are excellent. And the polish bakery I get them at was way more jammed even than usual, which I take as a good sign.

re: #64 laZardo

I hope the best for dad passing.

re: #65 Slumbering Behemoth

Here in the U.S., the only things that have changed since I took mine ~16 years ago are the safe temperature ranges for certain foods.

Yea, I saw that last time I took the test. Not a drastic change, so common sense was applied on my part.

re: #61 laZardo

re: #64 laZardo

Wow. Best of luck with all that, seriously.

G'nite Lizards.

re: #67 Cannadian Club Akbar

I'm not one for prayer but in recognition of the chain-effects of positive encouragement I'd like to have him added to the LGF prayer list.

re: #61 laZardo

So my mom showed me her credit card bill.

Apparently the amount she cleaned out my savings for is no longer enough to make the minimum payment.

Hurr.

So so sorry

BUT,, unless you're a cosigner on the account, she has options where you're credit rating isn't at risk

re: #70 laZardo

I'm not one for prayer but in recognition of the chain-effects of positive encouragement I'd like to have him added to the LGF prayer list.

Between all of us we can get the word to Hoops.

re: #71 sattv4u2

I should be fortunate for that. Though I would at least like to have a very-small-limit credit card of my own so I can start getting my own credit rating up.

Problem is I need to start a time-deposit account that's at least a good portion of the money she owes me.

re: #73 laZardo

I should be fortunate for that. Though I would at least like to have a very-small-limit credit card of my own so I can start getting my own credit rating up.

Problem is I need to start a time-deposit account that's at least a good portion of the money she owes me.

I hate to sound ignorant but what is a time-deposit account?

re: #70 laZardo

I'm not one for prayer but in recognition of the chain-effects of positive encouragement I'd like to have him added to the LGF prayer list.

Just emailed Hoops for you, lazardo. Best of luck to you and your family.

re: #74 Cannadian Club Akbar

I hate to sound ignorant but what is a time-deposit account?

From Wiki...

At the bank I normally use, the credit limit will be 80% of that account's balance.

re: #72 Cannadian Club Akbar

Between all of us we can get the word to Hoops.

re: #75 iceweasel

Just emailed Hoops for you, lazardo. Best of luck to you and your family.

Well, that didn't take long. Thanks Ice.:)

re: #77 Cannadian Club Akbar

Well, that didn't take long. Thanks Ice.:)

Hoops gets something like 1000 emails a day for work; I popped 'prayer list' in the subject heading so hopefully he'll see it. Also he'll see it here, I bet. :)

re: #75 iceweasel

Thanks. Though I do have my own little plans should things not turn out the way they should.

re: #79 laZardo

Thanks. Though I do have my own little plans should things not turn out the way they should.

Wise. Prepare for the worst -- which almost never happens -- good strategy though.
Will be hoping for the best for you in any case.

re: #76 laZardo

I think that is about the same as a secured credit card from an American bank. I actually paid $100 for my first credit card and worked my way up to Amex Platinum.

re: #80 iceweasel

Wise. Prepare for the worst -- which almost never happens -- good strategy though.
Will be hoping for the best for you in any case.

How can I put it this way...I am effectively convinced that my family's financial troubles are my fault. I suffered a nervous breakdown in 2005 that got me locked in a mental facility for some time and caused them to bring me back here to finish college for fear of my safety.

Only thing is I'd taken that California 'civil service' keyboarding exam a month after I got out, and my relatives Stateside were notified a couple weeks after I left that they wanted to hire me. Not to mention I'd had to pay back all the scholarship money I'd managed to earn.

The short term emotional effects my plans are likely to cause will very likely be outweighed by the long-term economic benefits of having to raise one less dependent in the house.

re: #82 laZardo

Are you able to work there legally? Plus, are you able to work with your school load?

re: #83 Cannadian Club Akbar

I could if I were more fluent in Tagalog than I am now. My school load is relatively light because I have to take the on-the-job training (i.e. internship) program, unfortunately it's mandated by my school that all OJT programs have to be unpaid.

re: #84 laZardo

Living in Florida, we have alot of Hispanics. I don't speak Spanish, but I know enough "workplace Spanish" to communicate with those who know no english. Can you learn just enough to get you through a day of work?

re: #85 Cannadian Club Akbar

Unless I decide to go nocturnal for a call center, no. Since the 90s English has been quietly discouraged as a national language so the only jobs available, primarily in food service would require me to converse almost entirely in Tagalog if I don't want to 'stick out.'

re: #86 laZardo

Are there any military bases nearby where you might be able to work?

re: #87 Cannadian Club Akbar

The US hasn't "officially" been stationed here since the 90s. I'm still looking up positions at the Embassy though.

re: #88 laZardo

The US hasn't "officially" been stationed here since the 90s. I'm still looking up positions at the Embassy though.

Best plan. Good luck, my man.

re: #89 Cannadian Club Akbar

I'll have to give that another week for the new positions to come out though, most are either expired or require quite a bit of previous experience from what I'm reading.

But thanks anyway.

Morning all.
Maybe Evan Bayh has a gig lined up as university president (or chancellor or provost--I don't know the difference) while he waits around to run for US President. What a tough life. I wish I traveled in those circles.

Cliff?

NORM!

In 1984 a man took a flashlight from a female Wildlife Officer. He hit her with it at least 20 times, knocking her out. He then took her service weapon and shot and killed her. Tonight, he meets his maker.

NORM!

re: #92 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

Cliff?

NORM!

How's life treating you, Norm?

Like I slept with its wife.

re: #93 Cannadian Club Akbar

In 1984 a man took a flashlight from a female Wildlife Officer. He hit her with it at least 20 times, knocking her out. He then took her service weapon and shot and killed her. Tonight, he meets his maker.

I wonder if he'll show up on the Dead Men Eating blog, which I confess I have a morbid obsession with.

Some UK artist has done a series based on last meals. Slideshow here.

re: #95 Cannadian Club Akbar

How's life treating you, Norm?

Like I slept with its wife.

What's shakin' Norm!

Four cheeks and two chins.

re: #96 iceweasel

I would have baked, dark meat chicken, mashed taters with gravy, corn, a couple tacos and a pizza with pepperoni and jalapenos. And BTW, I have the same morbid obsession.

re: #97 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

What's shakin' Norm!

Four cheeks and two chins.

How's it goin', Norm??

It's a dog eat dog world and I'm wearing milk bone underwear.

re: #96 iceweasel

Somehow, the Texas last meal makes sense.

re: #96 iceweasel

So, how long after the last meal are the men put to death...

I imagine the clean up is... uh... well... challenging?

re: #101 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

So, how long after the last meal are the men put to death...

I imagine the clean up is... uh... well... challenging?

But done by inmates. So....

re: #96 iceweasel

Ooh! Now I'm fascinated....

TEXAS LAST MEAL--YOSVANIS VALLE

TEXAS LAST MEAL
YOSVANIS VALLE
November 10, 2009

Last Meal: Valle had a final meal request of four hamburgers (almosted burned), potato fries (almost burned), mexican rice (almost burned), fresh onion, jalapenos, tomato, cheese, and salad dressing.

If he got the chair, is that irony?

re: #101 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

So, how long after the last meal are the men put to death...

I imagine the clean up is... uh... well... challenging?

Good question. I don't know. This article says it varies by state:

Prisoners usually submit their final meal request a couple of days before their execution date. The request is passed along to the prison's chef—often a prisoner himself—who then prepares the meal. When the food is ready, it's covered and brought to the prisoner's cell a few hours before the execution. (In Virginia, the food has to be served at least four hours beforehand.)

More info at link.

Top Afgan Al Queda leader captured. Not sure if anyone posted that. One step below Mullah Omar. Now we need the one-eyed fuck.

re: #105 Cannadian Club Akbar

Posted last night. Still good to see.

re: #103 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

Ooh! Now I'm fascinated...

The site is morbidly fascinating, that's for sure. IIRC the guy who runs it recently got engaged or married (NO, it isn't Jimmah, heh) and so doesn't have time to update it or write a lot. If you poke through the archives, in the past he gave a lot of detail about the person and why there were on death row, last words, and the victims.

I forgot to put chocolate cake on my last meal list. Is it to late?

Morning Lizards. Why on Earth are we talking about last meals? I for one certainly plan on continuing to live to enjoy my food.

re: #105 Cannadian Club Akbar

Top Afgan Al Queda leader captured. Not sure if anyone posted that. One step below Mullah Omar. Now we need the one-eyed fuck.

Eh. I imagine he'll wind up with a Predator drone shooting him in his other eye. It's too good for him, but it seems to be the favored method of removing top terrorist officials these days.

re: #109 thedopefishlives

Morning Lizards. Why on Earth are we talking about last meals? I for one certainly plan on continuing to live to enjoy my food.

I kinda started it, sorry. Execution night in Florida.

re: #111 Cannadian Club Akbar

Why'd it take so dang long? Do you know?

re: #3 Dark_Falcon

Good photo, though I never feel entirely comfortable standing underneath seagulls. I'm always worried they'll crap on me.

Better to throw rocks at them and leave no tern unstoned.

Morning everybody!

re: #112 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

Why'd it take so dang long? Do you know?

The wheels of justice are slow, I guess. Unlike Texas. Like Ron White says, they have an express lane.

re: #111 Cannadian Club Akbar

I kinda started it, sorry. Execution night in Florida.

Two guys are on death row and the warden comes by to take any last requests.

The first guy says "You know I've always been a great fan of 80's music, so I want you to pipe "Come On Eileen" and "We Built This City" through the sound system."

The warden asks the second guy what he wants, and he replies "Kill me first!"

Oh and BTW, the 2 couples figure skaters that train near my house finished 10th and 13th.

re: #115 PT Barnum

Nice.:)

re: #112 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

Why'd it take so dang long? Do you know?

Multiple appeals, looks like.

Courts have rejected multiple appeals based on claims including ineffective assistance of counsel during the penalty phase, and diminished mental capacity. Katz said Grossman was young, drunk and on drugs when he committed the murder and doesn't believe the facts of the case warrant the death penalty.

[Link: www.miamiherald.com...]

He was 19 when he committed the murder and has spent 24 years on death row now.

re: #118 iceweasel

I'm pretty sure they all go through the same appeals process. Just different arguments, I suppose. But I'd rather be sure.

re: #114 Cannadian Club Akbar

The wheels of justice are slow, I guess. Unlike Texas. Like Ron White says, they have an express lane.

Yeah, but TX appears to have executed at least one innocent person:

[Link: littlegreenfootballs.com...]

[Link: littlegreenfootballs.com...]

re: #117 Cannadian Club Akbar

Nice.:)

spoken as someone who played those songs over and over and over and over again (I was a part time radio DJ in the 80s) I can say without prejudice that I want to hear neither of them ever again. Or "Rock Me Amadeus" for that matter.

80's music could be really fucking peurile...although I believe Queen released "
Under Pressure" during that time as well, so it wasn't all bad.

re: #120 iceweasel

See my #119. Also remember that the gubner of Illinois suspended executions years ago for the same reason, IIRC.

re: #119 Cannadian Club Akbar

I'm pretty sure they all go through the same appeals process. Just different arguments, I suppose. But I'd rather be sure.

Appeals on death-penalty cases are usually (but not always) on technicalities of the case that have no actual bearing on the evidence in play. Things like, as mentioned below, appealing the effectiveness of your lawyer in defending your case. These can be viable points, but for most laypeople, they read like silly minutiae designed to just drag out the convict's life as long as possible.

re: #121 PT Barnum

I'm still a '70's disco geek. There, I admitted I have a problem. Next step?

re: #119 Cannadian Club Akbar

I'm pretty sure they all go through the same appeals process. Just different arguments, I suppose. But I'd rather be sure.

It varies significantly by state. Death Row in CA, and you'll die in prison. FL, it takes a while. TX, as you said, has an express lane. I think they have a clock that runs out at 8 years (poss 12?), regardless of what legal issues are pending.

re: #123 thedopefishlives

Ice posted a Miami Hearld link. Lawyer said he was drunk and on drugs. I wonder if that was brought up during the penalty phase.

re: #124 Cannadian Club Akbar

I'm still a '70's disco geek. There, I admitted I have a problem. Next step?

I have a secret fetish for Philly soul.

However there is treatment for your ailment. I would proscribe "Never mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols", "Rocket to Russia", and as much Dead Kennedys and Black Flag as you can listen to in a 24 hour period.

re: #125 iceweasel

It varies significantly by state. Death Row in CA, and you'll die in prison. FL, it takes a while. TX, as you said, has an express lane. I think they have a clock that runs out at 8 years (poss 12?), regardless of what legal issues are pending.

Texas wanted to have street executions when they arrest you, but they decided that might give the state a bad image.
\

re: #127 PT Barnum

I have a secret fetish for Philly soul.

However there is treatment for your ailment. I would proscribe "Never mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols", "Rocket to Russia", and as much Dead Kennedys and Black Flag as you can listen to in a 24 hour period.

Can I get a hell yea!! I saw the Ramones at a large bar in Ft. Lauderdale back in '95. Very cool.

re: #128 PT Barnum

Texas wanted to have street executions when they arrest you, but they decided that might give the state a bad image.

Nowadays they just employ temporal reverse engineering to make sure you die of a freak accident before the crime you committed takes place.

/Just finished re-reading Douglas Adams, don't mind me

re: #129 Cannadian Club Akbar

Sorry. I hate hate hate hate hate The Ramones.

re: #130 thedopefishlives

Nowadays they just employ temporal reverse engineering to make sure you die of a freak accident before the crime you committed takes place.

/Just finished re-reading Douglas Adams, don't mind me

I thought they used drug addicts experiencing deliberately-engineered hallucinations to send out a SWAT Team to have you cryo-frozen before the murder takes place.

/Scientology aside, Minority Report was a good movie.

re: #131 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

Sorry. I hate hate hate hate hate The Ramones.

It's an acquired taste, but as long as you embrace the idea that they're really not trying to "say" anything and are just making kick ass 3 minute songs...you can lay back and enjoy it.

I love this video...

Good morning Lizards!

Overcast, freezing, and light snow here in "sunny" Philadelphia.

I see the open thread seems to be running in a somewhat morbid pattern this morning. Just remember that if you go for street justice you eventually end up getting judged by Sylvester Stallone and Max von Sydow.

I was at a bar one night with friends. Pat Travers was suppose to be playing down the road, but the bar fucked eveything up. So he came to the bar I was at and played. That was cool.

re: #132 laZardo

I thought they used drug addicts experiencing deliberately-engineered hallucinations to send out a SWAT Team to have you cryo-frozen before the murder takes place.

/Scientology aside, Minority Report was a good movie.

There's a really excellent scifi novel from the 50's called the Demolished Man. I think they made that into a (bad) movie. Not so much time travel as people being locked up by psychic detectives before they could even commit the crime. (It's a much better book than I just made it sound.)

re: #137 iceweasel

The book is always better than the movie.

re: #137 iceweasel

There's a really excellent scifi novel from the 50's called the Demolished Man. I think they made that into a (bad) movie. Not so much time travel as people being locked up by psychic detectives before they could even commit the crime. (It's a much better book than I just made it sound.)

Raises some serious questions about causality, though.

I hope to live long enough to have my mind downloaded to a computer so i can terrorize my descendents forever. I believe my job as a parent is to help make a therapist's boat payment some day. :)

re: #129 Cannadian Club Akbar

Can I get a hell yea!! I saw the Ramones at a large bar in Ft. Lauderdale back in '95. Very cool.

I saw the Ramones at Toads Place in New Haven back in 1988. What a great night!

Off to do the LAWDS work.

See y'all later.

re: #137 iceweasel

Concur. That and _The Stars My Destination_ are SF masterpieces. And both written by Alfred Bester.

re: #142 oaktree

Concur. That and _The Stars My Destination_ are SF masterpieces. And both written by Alfred Bester.

Alfred Bester was magnificent.

I also liked Fredric Brown, but mostly for his short short stories.

re: #124 Cannadian Club Akbar

I'm still a '70's disco geek. There, I admitted I have a problem. Next step?

Not necessarily a problem. There's a lot of great 70's disco music...

re: #144 Jimmah

When I had season tickets for the Buccaneers they would play "We Are Family" whenever we scored a touchdown. Didn't hear the song alot, though.:(

Any Mac users around? I have a quick question.

Can you burn a set of restore disks from a Mac? I bought my wife a used one and it didn't come with the OS disks. I can order them from Apple, but I suspect they're pricey and I'm trying to save a buck.

re: #144 Jimmah

Not necessarily a problem. There's a lot of great 70's disco music...

Just don't play "I Love the Night Life" by Alicia Bridges...

One of the most insipid, vapid, boring songs ever made.

And the woman's voice could peel paint.

re: #147 PT Barnum

Just don't play "I Love the Night Life" by Alicia Bridges...

One of the most insipid, vapid, boring songs ever made.

And the woman's voice could peel paint.

Oh yes - that's one of those horrible tunes that loops in your head when you are trying to sleep.

re: #143 PT Barnum

For some odd reason the public library I started reading SF at in my misspent youth had a lot of Keith Laumer in it (besides Asimov and the other "A" list SF authors of the 50s or so.) So I ended up buying/reading Laumer up through the 80s when it became obvious the Brain Eater had gotten him.

I didn't start coming across Fredric Brown until I was reading short story anthologies. So what I read of his was probably mainly the better known stories.

Oddly enough I did not read most of Heinlein's output until I was in my 30s. How I missed some of the classics is beyond me.

Morning all.

It's overcast here with a temperature somewhere below zero.

Dogs have been fed and the coffee is going.

I'm either going to paint a wall today or work on a business plan. Haven't decided which yet.

Lazardo, if you're still here, I just got an email from Hoops-- added to the prayer list. :)

re: #150 Jadespring

Morning all.

It's overcast here with a temperature somewhere below zero.

Dogs have been fed and the coffee is going.

I'm either going to paint a wall today or work on a business plan. Haven't decided which yet.

Paint the buisness plan on the wall, copy to paper, then cover it up.

re: #152 Cannadian Club Akbar

Ha!

Obama gets kudos from me this morning. Building two nuclear reactors is a positive step for energy independence as well as a realistic move to actual do something that will help AGW. As opposed to transferring wealth, and cap and trade.

snip

On Tuesday, President Obama will announce plans to break ground on two new nuclear reactors at a Southern Company plant in Burke, Georgia -- the first new U.S. nuclear reactors since the incident at Three Mile Island in 1979.

re: #149 oaktree

For some odd reason the public library I started reading SF at in my misspent youth had a lot of Keith Laumer in it (besides Asimov and the other "A" list SF authors of the 50s or so.) So I ended up buying/reading Laumer up through the 80s when it became obvious the Brain Eater had gotten him.

I didn't start coming across Fredric Brown until I was reading short story anthologies. So what I read of his was probably mainly the better known stories.

Oddly enough I did not read most of Heinlein's output until I was in my 30s. How I missed some of the classics is beyond me.

I really liked Heinein's juveniles..still do. I kept reading him up through Stranger in a Strange Land at which point he just got too damned weird for me. I like good escapist sf. I don't want to have to think all that damned hard. I liked Laumer's Reteif series really well (Or am I confusing him with someone else)

I also like Spider Robinson (although the Callahan's franchise has seemed to jump the shark IMHO).

Lately, as I am reading aloud to my son at night, I'm finishing off the current set of series books, Percy Jackson, et al.

re: #152 Cannadian Club Akbar

I've seen one of those. When renovating the bathroom in the fraternity house I lived in during the mid-80s we pulled down some wall board and found a "document" written on the drywall by the fraternity brothers who had worked on the bathroom during the last renovation in the 70s. We added a codicil, signed it, dated it, and covered up the drywall with the new wall board.

re: #151 iceweasel

Lazardo, if you're still here, I just got an email from Hoops-- added to the prayer list. :)

Oh cool, thanks.

re: #144 Jimmah

Technically from 1982, but still groovy.

re: #156 oaktree

Let's hope the next batch of guys can keep it going.

Are there any Lizards from North Carolina or might know North Carolina?

re: #160 Jadespring

Are there any Lizards from North Carolina or might know North Carolina?

My uncle lives there and my parents are moving there. Question?

re: #155 PT Barnum

Retief series is Laumer. It's a decent chunk of his output. A lot of that is riffing/satire on his experiences working for the State Department. A fellow Retief fan I met in college actually works for the State Department now. I should ask him if reading Laumer helped prepare him for that. :)

_Retief and the Warlords_ was the kind of stuff that would have an effect on impressionable teenage minds. Color patterns and sounds as torture items for aliens...

I missed most of the Heinlein juveniles until later as well (other than _Have Spacesuit, Will Travel_). I think the second or third Heinlein novel I read was _Stranger In A Strange Land_, perhaps that's why I skipped reading him more a number of years...

I did read Asimov voraciously. Might have been because the first stuff I read was the _Nightfall, and other stories_ collection. I even recall when and where I was reading it. (That's sort of spooky.)

re: #156 oaktree

I've seen one of those. When renovating the bathroom in the fraternity house I lived in during the mid-80s we pulled down some wall board and found a "document" written on the drywall by the fraternity brothers who had worked on the bathroom during the last renovation in the 70s. We added a codicil, signed it, dated it, and covered up the drywall with the new wall board.

When I helped build a new church back in the old fish country, we would pencil in the mistakes that each worker made on the wall next to where the mistake was made. Somewhere behind the drywall of that church are a bunch of pencil-scrawled names that constitute our record of shame as amateur builders.

re: #160 Jadespring

Are there any Lizards from North Carolina or might know North Carolina?

I go to the Outer Banks fairly often.

re: #163 thedopefishlives

It's a church. I'm sure you are forgiven.

re: #159 Cannadian Club Akbar

I'm afraid not. That house was sold in 2000 and has since been razed to make room for a parking lot. One of the scrapbooks does have before/after pictures of the uncovered wall in any case.

re: #164 NJDhockeyfan

I go to the Outer Banks fairly often.

Do you eat at Tortuga's Lie? We LOVE that restaurant.

re: #166 oaktree

Still a great story.:)

re: #161 Cannadian Club Akbar

My uncle lives there and my parents are moving there. Question?

It looks like I might be going on a road trip to there this summer. I don't know much about it and just wanted to get some insight on good places to go or things to see beyond tourist propaganda. :D

re: #128 PT Barnum

Texas wanted to have street executions when they arrest you, but they decided that might give the state a bad image.

In defense of Texas, a lot of people associated with the Innocence Project have routinely pointed out the Dallas DA as one of the best. He's done the right thing multiple times in making sure the people they have incarcerated are actually guilty.

2008 Story out of reason:
[Link: reason.com...]

re: #169 Jadespring

It looks like I might be going on a road trip to there this summer. I don't know much about it and just wanted to get some insight on good places to go or things to see beyond tourist propaganda. :D

You have 2 lizards here to help you.

Congressman says US should break Gaza blockadere: #167 gymmom

Do you eat at Tortuga's Lie? We LOVE that restaurant.

I may have eaten there over the years. We love trying different restaurants every time we go.

re: #169 Jadespring

It looks like I might be going on a road trip to there this summer. I don't know much about it and just wanted to get some insight on good places to go or things to see beyond tourist propaganda. :D

The BBQ is great.

re: #159 Cannadian Club Akbar

Let's hope the next batch of guys can keep it going.

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, stayin' alive, stayin' alive...

re: #162 oaktree

I did read Asimov voraciously. Might have been because the first stuff I read was the _Nightfall, and other stories_ collection. I even recall when and where I was reading it. (That's sort of spooky.)

Me too! Asimov was good stuff. I liked Gordon Dickson and L Sprague De Camp as well.

I just picked up a collection of Robert E Howard short stories at the Dollar store yesterday.. Looking forward to reading that.

Nice thing is that a lot of the stuff I remember reading as a kid is now in the public domain. I'm working on a stage adaptation of 4 short horror stories and two original stories I'm writing to use as a Halloween show. Minimal props and set pieces, letting the audience's imagination do most of the work.

re: #154 filetandrelease

Obama gets kudos from me this morning. Building two nuclear reactors is a positive step for energy independence as well as a realistic move to actual do something that will help AGW. As opposed to transferring wealth, and cap and trade.

snip

Prediction: With the inevitable multiple lawsuits it will eventually break ground approx. 2022....maybe.//

re: #176 RogueOne

Prediction: With the inevitable multiple lawsuits it will eventually break ground approx. 2022...maybe.//

Optimist.
/

Oh, brother...

Congressman Calls on Obama to Halt Israel's Anti-Hamas Moves

Democratic Congressman Brian Baird has called on President Barack Obama to force Israel to allow open borders for the de facto Hamas rule in Gaza. Baird, visiting in Gaza, told students there, "We ought to bring roll-on, roll-off ships and roll them right to the beach and bring the relief supplies in, in our version of the Berlin airlift."

Rep. Baird, from the State of Washington, referred to Israel's partial ban on the flow of goods and merchandise to Gaza as a "blockade." He previously has called for cutting aid to Israel unless it opens up the border crossings, which it has closed because of repeated attempts to smuggle weapons into the Gaza region.

Baird, who recently announced he will not run for re-election, also has supported the Goldstone Report that alleged Israel committed war crimes in the war against Hamas terrorists last year. Arguing against a Congressional resolution that called for rejecting the Goldstone Report, Baird noted he had visited rocket-battered Sderot but that Israel violated human rights of Arabs in Gaza.

re: #178 NJDhockeyfan

Oh, brother...

Congressman Calls on Obama to Halt Israel's Anti-Hamas Moves

Last time I checked sovereign nations were olbliged to control their own borders...uhh...errr...ummm...never mind.

Good morning, all - how is everything in Lizard Land this morning?

(Hi, Jadespring - how is your resolve holding?)

Mornin' folks...flying over Detroit again, so wave! I will say I had a wonderful weekend on the east coast. Weather was nice, if cold. Hair was fantastic. Ate at some really great restaurants. Mother-in-law was truly surprised to see us at her party (also a surprise) and we had a great visit. Leafy, their cat, got even more attention than he normally does, so he too seemed to enjoy our presence.

But what's this I hear about Not Joe the Not Plumber going after the man who lifted him from obscure blue-collar failure working part-time as a handy-man to national 'face of middle America'? Hell, he even got a free trip to Israel out of his newfound fame as a 'reporter person' who got to 'see stuff' that the mainstream media ignores all the time, before eventually shitting his pants and running for the border the second it looked like there might actually be some actual warrin' hostilities in a war zone. Please tell me there's video of McCain and his mavericky sidekick and Fox commentator responding to this outrageous charge.

Hi, Ann Arbor!

re: #175 PT Barnum

Which will work for the stage. I think too many folk used to explicit via TV or video just seem to not understand how well their imagination can be used to supply the necessary feelings of dread or horror. The implication of something unknown (or undefined) is the real key for triggering fear.

re: #181 darthstar

Don't make me take out my wide brush. (;

re: #176 RogueOne

Prediction: With the inevitable multiple lawsuits it will eventually break ground approx. 2022...maybe.//

And those screaming "we are all going to die because the planet is going to roast!" the loudest, will be the one's piling on the law suites.

re: #182 oaktree

The most effective horror is that which is created in one's own imagination. Sounds like a great show, PT - would love to catch it.

re: #182 oaktree

Which will work for the stage. I think too many folk used to explicit via TV or video just seem to not understand how well their imagination can be used to supply the necessary feelings of dread or horror. The implication of something unknown (or undefined) is the real key for triggering fear.

I think it's always better to make the audience afraid of what they might see rather than to actually show it to them. I think sound is also underappreciated as a source of fright.

One of the stories I'm adapting is "The Tell Tale Heart" but with family dynamics and emphysema thrown in as a replacement for the heart beat. I want to put speakers in some hidden places so that the audience can hear the rasping breath but not be sure where it's coming from.

Hey, did Walter post his AGW stuff yesterday? How did that go?

re: #186 PT Barnum

oooh - creepy! I like it!

re: #188 SasyMomaCat

oooh - creepy! I like it!

and to be clear...Abi Word rocks for writing!

re: #180 SasyMomaCat

Good morning, all - how is everything in Lizard Land this morning?

(Hi, Jadespring - how is your resolve holding?)

Pretty good. I'm over the hump. I only think about it half the time now.

re: #190 Jadespring

Great! Glad to hear it. You can do it - writing/painting should help, yes?

re: #189 PT Barnum

Other than being shareware, what is it that you like most about it?

re: #180 SasyMomaCat

Oh and I think I'm going to end up quite a bit more healthy. I've eaten more raw veggies in the last few days then I think I have in a few months. :D

re: #193 Jadespring

That should help you be . . . um . . . regular, at the very least, eh? Good purge for the system. ;-)

re: #192 SasyMomaCat

Other than being shareware, what is it that you like most about it?

few distractions. I don't need all the features of Word, but it has just enough to let me focus on the writing and not worrying about how to make it look pretty.

re: #183 laZardo

Heh...Sorry about that. Trying to make up for missing out on only the BIGGEST POLITICAL STORY IN JOHN MCCAIN'S CAREER...or so I think /

By the way, if you're in New York...go to the bar Modern (at the MoMA), and have the foie gras and liverwurst - both. Such a lovely combination of tastes.

re: #195 PT Barnum

I can see that being a plus. When I'm writing, I tend to ignore aesthetics until after I've finished writes, re-writes, and edits, so I hadn't thought of features being distracting.

re: #191 SasyMomaCat

Great! Glad to hear it. You can do it - writing/painting should help, yes?

Yep it should. Though writing on the computer is a trigger. That's one of the reasons I've avoided working on it this week.

re: #198 Jadespring

Time to get a legal pad and a good pen with a smooth flow. Not as fast and will make your hand cramp, but maybe less likely to trigger.

re: #175 PT Barnum

Hey...drove by your house in Bethel, CT this weekend. You know you have a town square as well, right?

How did Walters presentation go last night? I see there are almost 1300 posts and I'm too busy to scroll through, plus I'm lazy.

Yaay! I've been looking for this fucker for decades - didn't know the title or artist other than it has "the crown" somewhere in it. Thanks youtube!

re: #197 SasyMomaCat

I can see that being a plus. When I'm writing, I tend to ignore aesthetics until after I've finished writes, re-writes, and edits, so I hadn't thought of features being distracting.

This is the first time I've attempted anything this long. I usually write poetry because once I get the topic and the punchline, i can usually write it in one sitting.

Longer prose is more difficult for me, as I tend to write in spurts and then put it away when I get stuck and pick it up much later.

I need to get serious about it again, though, as I have ideas for how to approach all the stories. My own two are more humorous..one is about a couple who haunts their marriage counselor's office, and the other is about a poor college student with a haunted refrigerator.

re: #201 RogueOne

I was wondering, too - hoping for the dumbed-down, cliff-notes version.

re: #200 darthstar

Hey...drove by your house in Bethel, CT this weekend. You know you have a town square as well, right?

noone ever went broke underestimating the gullibility of the american public.

re: #196 darthstar

By the way, if you're in New York...go to the bar Modern (at the MoMA), and have the foie gras and liverwurst - both. Such a lovely combination of tastes.

Sorry, I don't care for that type of food. You want some real authentic classic NY food?

Try Katz Deli.

re: #203 PT Barnum

I agree, longer pieces are definitely more difficult. I've got two longer pieces that I've mapped out and started. One is stalled on Chapter 5 and the other on Chapter 3. I get side-tracked.

I LOVE the concept of the couple haunting the marriage counselor's office - that's just got all kinds of humor potential!

re: #199 SasyMomaCat

Time to get a legal pad and a good pen with a smooth flow. Not as fast and will make your hand cramp, but maybe less likely to trigger.

Good idea.

re: #207 SasyMomaCat

I agree, longer pieces are definitely more difficult. I've got two longer pieces that I've mapped out and started. One is stalled on Chapter 5 and the other on Chapter 3. I get side-tracked.

I LOVE the concept of the couple haunting the marriage counselor's office - that's just got all kinds of humor potential!

I have a couple of jokes worked out already...one is something my wife actually said.

"You never hear what I mean to say!"

re: #207 SasyMomaCat

Oh, and, I'll bet you'll get a good bit of mileage out of the haunted fridge, too!

re: #208 Jadespring

Good idea.

I think I missed something Jade..trying to quit smoking, or eating or something else...If I'm being nosy, just tell me to butt out.

re: #204 SasyMomaCat

re: #201 RogueOne

As predicted. Cliffnotes:
[Link: littlegreenfootballs.com...]

re: #205 PT Barnum

noone ever went broke underestimating the gullibility of the american public.

Wouldn't that be "overestimating"?

re: #209 PT Barnum

I probably won't get an opportunity to see the play, unless there is some really wild fluke in my life/schedule/travels - mind if I read it when you're done? (or, let me know if you will be putting a video on line?)

re: #211 PT Barnum

I think I missed something Jade..trying to quit smoking, or eating or something else...If I'm being nosy, just tell me to butt out.

Quitting smoking.

re: #211 PT Barnum

quitting smoking - posted on it the other morning

re: #210 SasyMomaCat

Oh, and, I'll bet you'll get a good bit of mileage out of the haunted fridge, too!

The apartment is over an ethnic restaurant of unknown origin...the haunter of the refrigerator was killed by leftovers.

As he says "If Mrs. V tells you something is to go! Better believe her!"

re: #212 iceweasel

Thanks, ice - that sums it up sufficiently for me. :)

re: #217 PT Barnum

That's just funny!

re: #215 Jadespring

Quitting smoking.

good luck with that..I've been smoke free for 8 years, other than a couple of puffs at particularly stressful times.

Oddly enough after smoking for almost 25 years, I can't stand the smell of it now.

re: #218 SasyMomaCat

Thanks, ice - that sums it up sufficiently for me. :)

I suggest you read Walter's work for yourself - he put a lot of effort into it and it's actually quite interesting.

re: #213 Spare O'Lake

Wouldn't that be "overestimating"?

I couldn't remember the exact quote and was too lazy to look it up on Google.

re: #220 PT Barnum

good luck with that..I've been smoke free for 8 years, other than a couple of puffs at particularly stressful times.

Oddly enough after smoking for almost 25 years, I can't stand the smell of it now.

Hating the smell is fine. I just hate the Quit Smoking Nazis. Ya know, the holier than thou type.

re: #214 SasyMomaCat

I probably won't get an opportunity to see the play, unless there is some really wild fluke in my life/schedule/travels - mind if I read it when you're done? (or, let me know if you will be putting a video on line?)

I would love to have someone else read it, once I finish. I have the Edgar Allen Poe piece done and am working on an adaptation of "Cool Air" by HP Lovecraft, "The Monkey's Paw" and "The Hand"

I'm modifying them as I need to to make them more contemporary or so they'll work better in the format I'm using.

re: #220 PT Barnum

good luck with that..I've been smoke free for 8 years, other than a couple of puffs at particularly stressful times.

Oddly enough after smoking for almost 25 years, I can't stand the smell of it now.

Thanks. I'm looking forward to when I can't stand the smell of it again.

It really is a dumb habit. I do so much else for my health, I eat well, exercise and generally take care of myself except for this. It's a total contradiction to the rest of my life. I guess that's very human though, full of contradictions.

re: #221 Spare O'Lake

I suggest you read Walter's work for yourself - he put a lot of effort into it and it's actually quite interesting.

Sure, that's true too. Extended Cliffnotes version. :)

[Link: littlegreenfootballs.com...]

[Link: littlegreenfootballs.com...]

re: #216 SasyMomaCat

quitting smoking - posted on it the other morning

Good luck. I quit in 1983 and haven't had one cigarette since. Obviously for me, cold turkey is the only way.

re: #223 Cannadian Club Akbar

Hating the smell is fine. I just hate the Quit Smoking Nazis. Ya know, the holier than thou type.

I just tell people not to light that smelly crap up around me...too agressive?

re: #221 Spare O'Lake

Knowing what he's covering (programming, etc.) it would be (for me) like trying to read and understand a foreign language. Given that I am already posting in multi-tasking mode, I doubt I've got the mental resources to do anything with it today.

Are there some key things that you think I should know about his efforts? I'm certainly all ears (or, in this case, I guess, all eyes)

re: #228 PT Barnum

I just tell people not to light that smelly crap up around me...too agressive?

As long as you're not in the smoking area, you're fine. Or at someone elses house.

re: #206 NJDhockeyfan

Sorry, I don't care for that type of food. You want some real authentic classic NY food?

Try Katz Deli.

I had some good deli in Westport...my wife's stepfather is an 87 year old Brooklyn Jew...loves to have his family come over for deli brunch on the weekends. Went to a place called "Gold's Deli" in Westport. Good stuff.

I also got to eat some real NY Pizza this weekend...that too was nice.

But dinner last night was fantastic...from the appetizers above to the tagliatelle & braised rabbit to the braised pork belly we had as a main...everything was just mouth-watering delicious.

re: #227 Spare O'Lake

Good luck. I quit in 1983 and haven't had one cigarette since. Obviously for me, cold turkey is the only way.

I had to get down to 1 or 2 a week before I could finally go completely cold turkey. By then the turkey was barely breathing and the vultures were circling so it didn't take much to kill him.

re: #224 PT Barnum

sounds great!

My business partner has apparently just quit smoking. However, I do *not* recommend following the steps he ended up taking.

He fell ill about two weeks ago, running a fever and with abdominal pain. A few days later he was bad enough he ended up in a hospital. The diagnosis came out as diverticulitis with a perforation. (Layman's terms, a piece of his colon got out of wack, inflamed, and started leaking.) So he was operated on a week ago and ended up having about a foot of his colon removed.

He talked himself out of the hospital yesterday and is home. Can't really move and needs help to do almost anything. But he also has zero desire to take up smoking again after two plus weeks without a weed.

[The interim period was pretty nebulous. We're three states away from each other, and it took me a few days to track down the right hospital to try to call him at. Plus, given the pain-killers he was on, our conversations were not very productive given that he was pretty much incoherent and his long-term memory of our discussion was nil.]

I'm glad he has quit in any case. Will save him money, and he'll probably appreciate food better as well. We have also come to the mutual conclusion that we need to sit down and set things up so that the business will run/survive if something else crops up that puts him out of action.

re: #230 Cannadian Club Akbar

As long as you're not in the smoking area, you're fine. Or at someone elses house.

I don't go around people who smoke..I've developed an allergy to it, and now my sinuses swell shut when I'm around it.

re: #229 SasyMomaCat

Knowing what he's covering (programming, etc.) it would be (for me) like trying to read and understand a foreign language. Given that I am already posting in multi-tasking mode, I doubt I've got the mental resources to do anything with it today.

Are there some key things that you think I should know about his efforts? I'm certainly all ears (or, in this case, I guess, all eyes)

Long story short: Walter researched the code and found that the original programs in use during the beginning days of the research project had some nasty bugs that were documented to produce corrupt data sets. However, Walter failed to prove that this data was used in any reporting of significance, with the result that Charles was left unimpressed, although pleased that at least Walter went to the effort to do the research.

re: #234 oaktree

I'm glad he has quit in any case. Will save him money, and he'll probably appreciate food better as well. We have also come to the mutual conclusion that we need to sit down and set things up so that the business will run/survive if something else crops up that puts him out of action.

Man that sounds really rough. Nicotine apparently works on receptors in the colon which means that someone with a nicotine addiction can even become dependent on it to even go..

[Link: www.straightdope.com...]

re: #235 PT Barnum

I personally won't smoke inside a non smokers house even if they say it's OK. I'll go outside away from the house. And I never throw my butts on the ground. People do that shit in my yard and I point to it and tell them to pick it up.

re: #234 oaktree

Glad to hear that (at least it sounds like) he's going to be okay. That had to be a little scary for him and his family.

re: #238 Cannadian Club Akbar

I personally won't smoke inside a non smokers house even if they say it's OK.

Thats good, as I keep a super soaker around for dousing fires like that. :)

re: #231 darthstar

I really want to go to NY on this road trip though I don't think it will happen. The hubby doesn't really want to. He was there and helped in search after 9/11 and still is pretty emotional about.

re: #236 thedopefishlives

Gotcha.

I have to say, I respect his ability to sort through, understand, and explain all of that programming code - just thinking about it makes my eyes glaze over! LOL

re: #240 PT Barnum

Thats good, as I keep a super soaker around for dousing fires like that. :)

That's a plan I agree with.:)

A couple weeks ago I saw some great video on the goings on in Liberia put together by a group called "Vice". It might have been here that I originally found the link but I can't recall. The NY Times has a nice piece about their work:

[Link: www.nytimes.com...]

If you haven't seen the Liberia piece, here's the link to part 1/8:
[Link: www.vbs.tv...]

A German snowboarder, stranded on a ski lift for six hours, saved himself by burning all his cash to attract attention in the icy darkness. He was burning his last 20 euro note when he was spotted.

re: #232 PT Barnum

I had to get down to 1 or 2 a week before I could finally go completely cold turkey. By then the turkey was barely breathing and the vultures were circling so it didn't take much to kill him.

Everyone is different and whatever worked for you was obviously great. I had tried to quit gradually at least 10 times before I finally went cold turkey. Even now after 26 years I am still afraid that if I have even one good drag I will start smoking again. For me it is like being an alcoholic or a drug addict.

see you all later gotta go

re: #245 NJDhockeyfan

Now, that's money well spent!~

re: #247 PT Barnum

Have a good one!

re: #248 SasyMomaCat

Now, that's money well spent!~

I would make sure to get reimbursed by the ski lift operators.

Arlington woman arrested on Loop 820 known to terrorism investigators

Kimberly "Asma" Al-Homsi, who has repeatedly been the subject of interest by federal anti-terrorism authorities, is expected to face a federal explosives charge after the latest incident in Arlington on Saturday.

She and a man were arrested after authorities found an incendiary device in their vehicle following a police pursuit Saturday evening.

Al-Homsi, 45, and Yasinul Alan Ansari, 18, both remain in the Arlington city jail. Bail has been set at $210,000 for Al-Homsi and $100,000 for Ansari.

ATF Dallas spokesman Thomas Crowley said Sunday that officials plan to file a complaint on the pair in federal court in Fort Worth on Tuesday. "It's an ongoing federal investigation," he said. "We can't put out any description [of the device] until after the complaint is filed."

Al-Homsi also faces one count of evading arrest, two counts of making a terroristic threat and one count of possessing a prohibited weapon. Ansari faces one count of possessing a prohibited weapon.

Arlington police, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI are investigating.

re: #241 Jadespring

I really want to go to NY on this road trip though I don't think it will happen. The hubby doesn't really want to. He was there and helped in search after 9/11 and still is pretty emotional about.

It could be good for him to go then. The city's recovered, though ground zero is still a bit of a scar in the ground (they could have rebuilt the same towers in the last nine years...that would have been the best 'fuck you, Osama' we could have had).

Seriously, though. going back might be just the thing.

re: #245 NJDhockeyfan

A German snowboarder, stranded on a ski lift for six hours, saved himself by burning all his cash to attract attention in the icy darkness. He was burning his last 20 euro note when he was spotted.

Interesting. He had to have snuck on the lift after the operators called up the last chair. Chairs are numbered. Bottom of the mountain calls the top and says, "Chair 145 is the last chair " or some other number...and it's an empty chair. When that chair reaches the top, the lift op at the top can shut the lift down. Then we sweep the mountain (and the lifts) to look for stragglers or people who might have snuck on after last chair.

Lesson learned, I suspect.

Gotta run, guys - have a great day! (might get to check back in later)

Morning everyone. I'm back to work after 6 days off (5 from snow 1 from a holiday.) I almost feel like I shouldn't be here today.