Well, I survived the Christmas party, and other than having it duly noted many, many times, that I was not eating the pizza and wings and having to declare a like number of times that, no, I didn’t even want to have “just one,” I had a very nice time. Of course, I was looking at the near white-out conditions outside the whole time I was there, and wondering how quickly I could extricate myself and get home. Turned out, it took me until almost quarter to four (and then when scraping my car, I knocked the wiper blade off). But I made it home before traffic got too bad, and with a little bit of what I will call “daylight” (though there wasn’t much light – except for the snow) left.
Right now, it seems the snow gods have given us a reprieve at my house, as the lake effect bands have shifted north and east. Hopefully I won’t have the foot (or more) of snow I had yesterday morning (way more than I estimated). Since I know you care, I’ll report that, officially, after 10 inches of snow yesterday by about 10PM, and with what we’ve gotten overnight, this is the second snowiest December in Syracuse history with about 67″ and counting. Another three and a half (give or take) and we’ll set a new record.
With half a month to go, I think we’ve got that one in the bag (the real question is, will we break it by the end of the day today; oh, I think so). They also say it’s a new “pre-winter” snowfall record. So, naturally, the Good Morning America weather dude will be broadcasting live from here this morning because, um, well, I dunno why exactly. For the same reason they send these idiots out in the hurricane so you can watch them get rained on and blown around, I guess.
But where’s Al Roker? He should be here. After all, he went to school at Oswego and was the lo-cal weather dude here for quite a while. He was “Big Al” Roker back then.
So the House passed a repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (again), and now the Senate needs to pass it (and the new SALT, and a bunch of other things), except there’s no time because Harry Reid hates both Jesus and Christmas. Or something. He wants the Senate to go back to work after Christmas, but Jon Kyl and Jim Demint say that’s an attack on Christmas and Christians, and that Xmas is the most important holiday on the Christian calendar.
Apparently, they’ve never heard of Easter, and, by the way, I have to go to work the week after Christmas (in fact, I get screwed this year, ‘cuz Christmas – and New Year’s; funny how that works – is on a Saturday, so I’m off anyway – though I do earn a day to use later). So unless you’re proposing that nobody should have to work (which would be bad for the economy, as we all know), then shut up and do the people’s business. Hypocrite bastards.
Anyhow, as for DADT, it’s apparently one vote away from passage in the Senate, as Olympia Snowe (who is the Paris Hilton of the Senate – willing to do anything to get some attention, but, fercrissakes, please no three-way sex tapes with Joe Lieberman and Susan Collins) says she’ll vote for it. We’ll see.
Oh well, I reckon it’s getting to be about time to bundle up and see just how much snow we got last night.
‘Tis cold in Red Hook and cold in the house because the words old house and drafty go together. Having a nice warm cat under the covers is a great way to warm up.
PJ, I would try going to a camping store to see what they have for those nuts who like to hike and climb in the cold. I assume they like to do so with warm feet.
Today I have to go to a conference in Manhattan. Not only will I be bored, but I will have to fight traffic to do so. Manhattan at this time of year is a mess of people shopping. And, it is Christmas party time which means drunk drivers. I always hate these conferences but I hate the December one more than all the others.
The on-location weatherman also has to stick a ruler into the snow to convince the viewer of the depth. The definition of inane and pointing out the obvious. They should also lick a mailbox with their tongue to show us how cold it is.
Latest inanity concerning the Florida kook is that “they can’t confirm any link between the circled V and the movie (V for Vendetta)”, courtesy again of the Today Show.
Gail Collins:
We’ve had to adjust to so many strange developments lately. I’m sure we’ll get used to having a speaker of the House who weeps a lot.
Earl Wilson/The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/16/opinion/16collins.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
When I worked for a record label once, the owner tried to make everyone use their vacation during the year-end holidays because it was not very busy and everyone sort of cruised after busting their arse all year. I refused because since I actually had a work ethic, I always could be doing something, catching up, setting up the next year, etc.
I always suspect that the bosses who are most suspicious that their employees are a bunch of slackers are that way because they are one.
Blake Edwards, Prolific Comedy Director, Dies at 88
🙁 :gate:
88 isn’t a bad age to bite the dust
The closer you get to 88, the younger it seems.
Matti Taibbi: Bernie Sanders Puts Barack Obama to Shame
According to The Weather Channel, Boonville NY, somewhere north of Syracuse, is the 2nd snowiest place in the US with an annual average of 220 inches. #1 goes to someplace in Alaska.
Yep, Boonville gets a lot of snow. It’s about, oh, maybe 30 miles north of Utica, which is about 40 miles east of Syracuse. Which, if I remember my high school geometry, would make it about 50 miles northeast of Syracuse (the old 3-4-5 right triangle thing). But I think the weather channel is wrong, there, because I’m pretty sure there are places in NY State alone that get more snow than they do. I think Valdez Alaska gets the most.
Paradise, Washington