I was really surprised to learn that the All-Star game was last night (not that I really pay much attention to baseball; for some reason, it never really piqued my interest). Then I looked at the date, and it seems we’re already halfway through July. Too bad; I hate the thought of the nights getting longer again, though autumn is my favorite season, what with the leaves changing, cool, crisp nights, and football. Speaking of cool nights, I hope the rest of the summer stays as cool as this one has been so far (apologies to those of you in those good God-fearing Kristian parts of the country where it’s been really hot; I guess that’s the good lord’s way of giving you a little hell on earth so you’ll know what those of us in the godless northeast have in store for us come judgment day). Anyhow, unlike yesterday, there seems to be lots going on in the world today. First, the good news.
Back in January, a boxer named Flower wandered out of her back yard in El Paso, TX. Well, Flower turned up 1,800 miles away, in Ohio. Continental Airlines is flying the pooch to Albuquerque to be reunited with her mommy. Too bad she isn’t flying Southwest; she could stick her head out the roof.
More good news (I think) in that our beloved NY State Senate gets back to work today, now that prodigal son Pedro Espada has returned to the Democratic side of the aisle, having bravely forced “reform” on the esteemed (and well-respected) legislative body. Hopefully Pedro is up for a little personal reform courtesy of the NYS penal system, after he goes to prison for his campaign contribution shenanigans. But I don’t really reckon that’ll ever happen. He’ll probably wind up as Governor.
Less than good news may be in store for New Zealand, unfortunately. A 7.8 magnitude earthquake has triggered a Tsunami alert for the island from the USGS. Hopefully nothing major will come of it, but they may want to ask Gandalf if he can do a protection spell or something. Hopefully Bret, Jemaine, and Murray are all on high ground.
A major plane crash in Iran this morning, with all 168 aboard believed to be dead. Even given that way more people die in car accidents in the US alone, I still have no desire to fly anywhere. It’s not just the potential for death or the roof ripping off, but the whole goddamn hassle factor, and getting to the airport early to ensure you have a long wait. Plus they always seem to search all my shit.
Another day of listening to a bunch of old white men tell her that “you people” are a bunch of racists (unlike us good Christian white guys) is in store for Sonia today. I really shouldn’t be amazed at the extent of their hypocrisy, but, by golly, I’m in awe of the depths to which they dive. I hope the job is worth all the bullshit.
The CBO says they House version of health care reform will cost a trillion dollars and insure 97% of Americans. Half the uninsured will be “unauthorized immigrants” (who will also be legally proscribed from getting sick, I guess), with the other half either being too rich to be bothered with such nonsense, or too poor or “out of the loop” (like, living in a refrigerator box) to sign up for the program. This is apparently the best we can do, though Rep. Anthony Weiner of NY is supposedly going to introduce a Single-Payer amendment in the House, and Bernie Sanders a similar amendment in the Senate. If you’re so inclined, you can go here to urge your congress critter to vote for the amendment, and/or here to contact your US Senator.
Well, time to make the donuts (or, in my case, the turkey burgers).
I’ve been thinking about microchipping Lola, but in my usual lazy way that’s all I’ve done…think. I have to email the vet today, anyway, so I think I’ll ask her.
My old dog, Emily, who has had many unusual problems, now has a pancreatic insufficiency that means she doesn’t produce the enzymes which allow her to digest her food. So far all of Emily’s problems can be managed with some expensive potion and this is no different. So, we’ve added yet another one to her tab. She gets the enzymes mixed into her food and we get to pay $150 for a jar of the stuff which lasts about 4 weeks.
I looked online and found Allivet which charged $99. and I got the stuff in the mail 2 days later. I’d be interested to know if anyone has found another good, reliable online source of pet medications. I have yet to find a source for her incipient diabetes medication other than my neighborhood drugstore.
Interest in sports follows a pattern. For me, I was interested in baseball first in grade school, then football, and basketball in college. Soccer in there somewhere when it was the fad. Nothing interests me much anymore except I still have all this knowledge buried in my skull from my formative years. :doh:
Sadly, chip implants have been linked to subcutaneous sarcomas in mice and rats (as high as 10% in one US study in 1998, 4% in a 2006 French study, and 1% in a German study). There haven’t been widespread reports of tumors in dogs, but I don’t think anybody’s done any studies, either.
So, while “they” say it’s a great thing, who really knows? I guess you have to weigh the odds of developing cancer with the odds of your critter getting lost, then found, then scanned for a chip and returned to you.
When Siggy was out on his big adventure, would they have scanned him for a chip? Supposedly they do. But he was wearing a tag with his name and phone number on it, and they neglected to look at that, so who knows?
One big proponent of microchips is failed Republican Presidential candidate and former HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson. The fact that he was – until he ran for President – director of VeriChip Corp. is merely a coincidence.
VeriChip is the maker of the first FDA-approved human-implantable RFID microchip. It got its FDA approval in 2004 (guess who was HHS Secretary at the time), and they’re pushing to get one installed in every human being.
No doubt touching tales of lost children being reunited with their parents and stories of people being found unconscious, lives saved only because their medical history was stored on a microchip implanted in their arms, will be used to show us how negligent we’d be for not having chips installed in ourselves and – especially – our children.
After all, if it wasn’t safe, they’d never allow it.
From the twittering classes…
and this from Maron
I’m watching BRL. Marc and Sam are both in studio, and confirmed that today is the last show.
AAR, this is for you.
:fu:
Can’t say as I’m surprised, but I’ll miss watching the vidcasts every morning. It was great while it lasted.
Marc with Lewis Black in SF
Marc with Lewis Black in SF Part 2
See Marc and Sam’s last show. See Sam and Marc’s legs. Hear Dan Pashman laugh one more time.
The last BRL.
A shame Myla had to step all over it.Thank goodness Myla was there to be so gosh darn adorable and not in any way annoying.You’d think I’d be accustomed to AAR’s idiocy, but I’m not. :tap:
It was so damn hot here yesterday – 106 – and they say August is worse. Okay, I didn’t know it was THIS bad. :fire: Cooler weather is moving in as I type. I can hear the thunder in the distance. Oh wait, maybe it’s the Conoco refinery.
So I found a place to hang our hat. Decided not to buy just yet. The market here is squirrelie. Not the dramatic fluctuations as in other areas, but a slow descent. Some sellers are in denial so I’m a waitin’ & watchn’. Got a completely redone house to lease since the seller can’t sell it. At least it’s clean, eh?
Sorry to hear about Emily, SP. SouSou was in the hospital recently at OSU and, my, was it expensive. My pooches are micro-chipped but I was traveling doing the show thing for awhile so found it necessary. My girls don’t wear collars at home. Whenever I find a dog, I make sure the Vet or pound scans their back.
Of course Sotomayor is careful – who would want to be Borked? People are surprised??
The boyz had a cool story on pj’s Goebbels network tonight. I’ll see if I can track it down for you all later.
There sure are a lot of disabled folks to help out there. I’ve been mighty busy.
I have to say, after you’d escaped Georgia intact, I was mighty surprised to hear you’d gone to OK. All due respect to Mr. FK, but I really have no desire to dwell in the Southwestern part of these United States, not climatically, politically, or any other ically.
I reckon it’s mostly a matter of where you get used to living. I grew up where it’s green and hilly and wet, the leaves change in the fall, the snow flies in the winter (when it gets cold enough to kill all the goddamn bugs so they don’t grow too big), and hope springs eternal come April or so.
I love hills and trees and water and green things. Must be my Irish genetics.
Goddammit, here we go again. I guess I’m used to it and pretty much expected it. BUT I LIKE BEING ABLE TO WATCH MARC AND SAM EVERY MORNING! But mostly Marc. Love Sam too and have missed his regular presence but……stupid aar.
106 in Ok, huh. Cripes! I didn’t think it got that hot there. We’re in the dog days. It’s all I can do to put in a full day of work. I gotta get out to the field by 5am to avoid an hour or two of sweating. GADS! :hot:
I expected AAR to cancel BRL as they have canceled every other AAR show I liked, but I didn’t expect it today.
It sucks as it has every time Marc or Sam or Marc and Sam get fired.
Well, we both got great jobs here, but the heat was part of the deal. Just didn’t expect quite this much heat. I really do love what I’m doing, work wise. Haven’t been able to say that for a long time.
Not sure if you caught this blog post, but it made me tear up.
The story tonight is at about the -1:50 mark here.
P.S. I really enjoyed hearing both of the Senators from Minnesota during the confirmation hearings. Klobuchar was outstanding and Franken brought up new and different topics for a change – refreshing both of them.
😡 :fu: :smack: :reaper:
Just found out :growl:
:fustrate: wtf man