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Rove: Palin's resignation lacks clear strategy
"...Bush dubbed "The Architect" for managing his two victorious campaigns in 2000 and 2004."
If you call successfully suing your way into the White House a "victory."
"How sad that Washington and the media will never understand; it's about country," Palin said in a statement attributed to her on her Facebook page. "And though it's honorable for countless others to leave their positions for a higher calling and without finishing a term, of course we know by now, for some reason a different standard applies for the decisions I make. But every American understands what it takes to make a decision because it's right for all, including your family."
TRANSLATION: I'm side-stepping some scandals before they bite me in the ass.
Palin attourney warns media over "defamatory" charges
The attorney delivered a withering critique of the media. "Just as power abhors a vacuum, modern journalism apparently abhors any type of due diligence and fact checking before scurrilous allegations are repeated as fact," he wrote.
While he may have a point about the nature of the media, it just further convinces me that she's stepping down to dodge something she fucked up.
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Marilyn ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) mistressmarilyn and I had a GREAT day. The yard is nearly finished (close), we had a nice drive up the Gorge and we ate tons of good food.
We also watched TV, napped, read and played games. Fun, fun!
In the evening we watched fireworks on TV in Washington, D.C. and New York.
A really lovely Fourth of July!
I hope all my American friends had a good holiday, too!
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Time for a (very sad) Wimbledon update... (sigh)
Roddick won.
Marilyn mistressmarilyn and I feel so sorry for the Brits...
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Time for a Wimbledon update!
Murray and Roddick are in the fourth set. I would soooooooooooo love to see Murray win and get to the finals. (Actually, I'm pulling for Andy Murray to win this tournament!)
Marilyn mistressmarilyn and I are listening to Radio Wimbledon and today it's driving me crazy. This main guy today just screws up so frequently. (yikes) Can he PLEASE keep the two Andys straight??? (sigh)
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LessCSS.Org
"Less is Leaner css. Less extends css by adding: variables, mixins, operations and nested rules.
Less uses existing css syntax. This means you can migrate your current .css files to .less in seconds, with virtually no learning curve."
I've got to check this out for sure!
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It appears my dumbass forgot to put in the question box. Hey, it's my day off. Put your questions in the comments, please.
Poll #1424665 Friday! Friday!! Friday!!!
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All popespydie -- Why haven't I left for work yet? pooplord -- Upsides/downsides of Michael Jackson (and Farrah Fawcett, I suppose) dying on my birthday? eideteker -- How would I go about hiking the Appalachian Trail? Is leporacy a racier version of leprosy? Okay, you get two. You should know by now picking on spelling isn't getting you anywhere. eideteker -- Flames, radiation warnings, biohazard symbols, barbed wire... what's the next symbol of badassedness? renob423 -- what is the grossest household chore you just let go because doing it sucks? what is the grossest household chore you've ever seen someone else just let go and been totally discusted by? did you mention it to them or just tell others about it behind their When my dad used to clean out the sink drain, he thought it was funny to wave handfuls of the slop at me. He'd say "it's only soap scum" but I knew it was soap scum, spit, pflegm, hair and god knows what else goes down a bathroom sink drain. Back when I was in the apartment, I bought a cheap baby bottle brush to try to clean out my drain, which contained at minimum my 7 years of crud, plus likely whoever else's since the sink was installed. I love wandering around Target, Wal-Mart, Dollar Stores, etc. just looking at stuff. Chick thing? Just when we thought they hit bottom, Hollywood digs: the 1979 Atari video game hit Asteroids is going to be a Disney movie. If it stays true to the game at all, it should be about as interesting to watch as a ceiling fan. How about forcing plots into some other old games?
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Today was a busy, productive vacation day for us! But actually, today was the first of five unpaid furlough days where the festival office will be closed during the next five pay periods. (The other days are: Friday, July 31; Friday, August 7; Friday, August 21; and Friday, September 4.) Our office is also be closed tomorrow (Friday, July 3) for the 4th of July holiday. So today and tomorrow don't count against Marilyn's mistressmarilyn actual vacation days (if that makes sense).
I guess a lot of businesses are having unpaid furlough days in order to keep going, so it's no surprise that the festival needs to do it, too. It comes to around a 10% pay cut for the Staff, which is nothing to sneeze at, but it's better than not having a job at all.
Anyway, that aside, Marilyn and I did get our impatiens (mentioned HERE -- in the entry that didn't post correctly!) -- and then we planted many of them tonight when it had cooled down a bit. We have a TON of work to do in the yard tomorrow, as we want things looking nice for the Fourth (which is obviously Saturday). But we did get a start on it today, anyway!
It was 96° here today! (whew) That may not sound hot to many of you, but for Portland that's really up there.
We're so very thankful for our air conditioning, I have to tell you. We realize how very blessed we are to have it!
I'm sitting here in shorts and an American tank top (the American flag in the shape of a map of the country -- it was $3 brand new!), sweating like a pig. I need a shower after being out working in the dirt planting. (ugh) Marilyn is showering now as we were both a mess.
One of our unusual tasks was trying to poke holes in the bottom of one of our large pots. It looks like pottery, but it's that formed plastic. These are terrific, easy to clean, can be left out in the winter and won't crack -- and they look great! But why-oh-why don't they have an easy way to make drainage holes??? I'd had a fern in this pot, but it got too much water during our water-logged winter, which killed it. The same is true for this really huge pot we've got. I don't know what we'll do about that one, as we can't lift it (we have to drag it to move it at all) -- so we can't dump it upside down like we did the smaller pot. (sigh) I hate killing plants with too much water, which is something I've been known to do in the house, over-watering my plants.
Anyway, we're going to have a late dinner once I've showered, so I think I'll get to it!
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I made an entry this morning and (supposedly) Saved it. But when I came to do another entry now (almost 12 hours later), the entry wasn't displaying!
It did offer to 'Restore from draft?' (as if I'd never posted it!!!), so it was there. And I edited the time to the correct hour from this morning -- but I'm still annoyed!
I wonder what happened???
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We went to see "Public Enemies" last night, and it's FABULOUS. I love Michael Mann, I really do. This is such an incredible piece of work. You really feel like you've fallen into the 1930's...
(Apologies if you follow the above 'official movie website' link and find it DIFFICULT. I really hate the Flash sites created for movies -- and this appears to be an especially bad one... sigh...)
All of the acting was excellent in the movie -- and the constant closeups work quite well. I'd recommend it to anyone, whether you're a Depp and/or Bale fan, or not.
We didn't get home until around 12:30 a.m. -- then I still needed to do the garbage and recycling (!!!). One of my bags of soda cans got blown over and Marilyn mistressmarilyn kindly went out and picked them all up out of the street. Then my garbage bag with the used kitty litter got a hole as I was putting it in the garbage can, spewing litter all over the grass. Plus we were picking up cushion stuffing that the squirrels had turned into a nest. This week they suddenly started throwing it all over the ground! Marilyn suggested the two squirrels had 'split the sheets' (broken up), as they were both there and chattering unpleasantly for ages. What a mess they made! The stuffing was EVERYWHERE. (From them ruining the cushions on our swing.)
Bo and Earle finished up the job yesterday. I need to take photos and share them.
Marilyn got up and started cleaning our lawn furniture this morning. I planted begonias in the front bed (she helped, of course) -- and we have many left to plant in pots in the back. Now we want to go get our impatiens for the big flower boxes out back (near the deck). It's late to be planting them, so we really need to get them in!
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Welcome to The Metro Underground - a fundamental gateway for the entire spectrum of the alternative, adult, & underground scene, striving to provide a synergistic tool to help lift the fog for what's going on in & around the area, assist in the promotion of the scene as a whole, & ultimately to provide a forum through which that bridges can be built - from one culture to another, & from one group to the next. For more information on these & a bunch of other cool stuff, check out our main site at www.TheMetroUnderground.com - our Calendar covers full details on all events, while Clubs & Groups offer a rundown of each host organization in & around the area. Further sections include Regional & National Resources, Local Mainstream Organizations, Music & Fashion, & more! We hope you check it out…
Rick (RichardAD)...
The Metro Underground.
Online: www.TheMetroUnderground.com
We can also be found on Fet-Life: http://Fetlife.com/Groups/4756
And LiveJournal: http://MetroUndergrnd.LiveJournal.com/
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I purloined this from dulcevoxbecause her sense of humor is way too much like my own...
( Cut for size )
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Changing the fishbowl water, and a bread muppet.
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"witness the power of this fully functional - er, um, power shower"
This week I have been really impressed by the amount of spares available for our aged power shower - obviously not a throw away electrical item.
As usual, it was working fine when H last used it, then suddenly refused to work when next tried (by me) I think she tells porkies. Anyway, new brushes found on the t'internet and installed.
Also repaired this week: H's bike. Mysterious spoke breakage at the back wheel. Probably related to the off she had during the last freeze of the winter. Halfords don't sell spokes of course, so had to visit my nearest specialist. 90p and 90 minutes later, all sorted. Thank goodness I kept all my tools from my bike building days. This is the second repair in a month - the crank on the chain side broke in half a couple of weeks ago. This is really unusual, and must have been damaged during the aforementioned off. Maybe the bike is hinting that it's time for retirement.
Lastly, new facia boards and guttering installed on the front of the house. This means you can now open the front door without getting soaked. Definitely much more dangerous renewing the facia boards than climbing - no belay, just himself up the ladder with 2.5m of heavy board, a cordless drill and a pocket full of screws.
On the fun side of things, we had great weather for the Beenkeeragh horseshoe walk last Wed - this was the third time I've been to Killarney and the first time I've even caught a glimpse of the mountains (it's usually chucking it down). In fact, the weather was fab the whole time, and my 2.5 litres of water was just enough for the 8 hours.
Yesterday was back to normal - walking in low cloud/poor vis. Good for my navigation training I suppose. I was in the Mournes scouting out climbs on the Annalong buttress and Hares Castle. I reckon I had the hills to myself, although given the visibility there could have been an Ulsterbus 50m away.
Photos on http://www.flickr/zeaphod
5 days in a row at Cotswold coming up - feh. 'er indoors is going to the van for the weekend, leaving me home alone. Must try not to spend too much time in the pub after work.
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Time for a Wimbledon update!
Hewitt and Roddick are in the fifth set. I like both players, but am actually pulling for Hewitt to win...
I love listening to Radio Wimbledon, to tell you the truth. Very entertaining stuff!
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| charliemc |
| 2009-07-01 10:43 |
| Firefox 3.5 |
| Public |
 cheerful |
| 2009, exercise, firefox, july-2009, marilyn, ron-computers, sister-sue, starbucks, tennis, walking, wimbledon |
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For those who might not know it, Firefox released version 3.5 yesterday.
I like that some of the features I was getting via addons (plugins) are now STANDARD to the browser (as they should be). And happily most of my essential addons are available for the new version.
I still think the browser loads really slowly (???), but it's FAST once it has!
Anyway, I continue to love Firefox. I did try Google's Chrome (Ron loves it), but I found it far to minimalist for me, personally.
Other 'fast' things today include Andy Murray at Wimbledon, who won his match against Juan Carlos Ferrero in straight sets, 7/5, 6/3, 6/2 (which took an hour and 41 minutes). Yes, I am so very much pulling for Andy to win Wimbledon!
Plus Marilyn mistressmarilyn and I went to the track (at Roosevelt), meeting sister Sue suzyqp there. We walked 3 miles (12 laps), while Sue did 2 miles (3 laps). Our fastest time yet (listening to music on our iPods really helps with speed).
After that we went dutch to Starbucks.
Bo is here working on the fence and deck -- his goal is to finish up today (fingers crossed).
I think I'll go have some Cheerios now (I love Yogurt Burst)!
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Prohibition On Texting By Drivers Starts in Va.
THANK GOD!
DC area drivers are bad enough and they really don't need any distractions! I got stuck behind three drivers this morning, all texting away, all over the damn road, all driving 5 to 10 miles below the speed limit. This could not have come soon enough!
Palin confident she can outrun Obama
Unfortunately for her, that's probably the only race she can beat him in.
Meghan McCain: I Want Hilary Duff to Play Me on Screen
I really want to like Meghan McCain. I've read some of her articles and seen her in interviews and on Bill Maher's show. On one hand, she seems to have a good idea with her "progressive Republican" movement. But the fact is, she strikes me as a bit of a ditz and if there was anyone riding off someone's coat tails (i.e., John McCain), it's her. Plus, she's barely in her 20s and already has her memoir coming out? I associate memoirs with people who have had a lifetime of experiences and/or accomplished something really great, but being the next generation party girl of the GOP doesn't seem like a whole lot to write about.
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In the past year, my experience with "winery hopping" is that threesomes really are the best. Well, for wine anyway (I'll keep my own counsel about other instances). If you plan to go to just one winery, you run the risk of spending time at a place that isn't that great. Two wineries offers a slightly better chance at someplace you like, but it doesn't give you a broad enough spectrum of wines to compare. Three definitely gets you the most bang in one day.
On the other hand, four results in an upset stomach and slight hangover...
Oddly enough, we hit one AMAZINGLY GOOD winery, two decent and one horrendously bad one.
La Grange
I've been to La Grange several times, but never had a chance to get my notes down until now. This winery's location is one of my favorites because of the old plantation house it's in. It's one place I'd consider for a wedding (and if anyone romantically interested in me is reading this, then yes, I just admitted I'd like to marry someone someday).
Highlighted Whites
Pinot Grigio - This is a very clean, refreshing wine with some citrus tones. Great for summer.
Viognier - They ferment this in stainless steel and then age for six months in oak, making for a subtle, interesting and fruity flavor. It's not as sweet as other Viogniers, which works well here.
Riesling - For some reason, most Rieslings are way too sweet for my taste (and it doesn't help that I don't like sweet wines), but this one is just sweet enough without being overpowering.
Highlighted Reds
Tannat - This one has a dark, spicy, earthy flavor that I strangely like.
Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - As usual, I'm a sucker for a good Cab Sauv, and they don't get much smoother than this one.
Final Assessment: La Grange, is a good, solid winery with a broad range of wines to appeal to many pallets.
Pearmund
I've heard about Pearmund for some time since it's the sister winery to La Grange, but now having been there, I wish I had gone sooner!
Highlighted Whites
Sauvignon Blanc - Light, citrus taste, clean finish and definitely good with seafood.
Estate Chardonnay - Thanks to the oak aging, this one has a smooth, buttery flavor that isn't too heavy.
Viognier - Not only good for just being a Viognier, but it also has a vanilla finish that makes me smile.
Highlighted Reds
Lisa's Merlot - This one has a floral, herb quality that I can easily picture having with several Italian dishes.
Cabernet Franc - A pleasant "dark horse" wine with unusually welcome tobacco hints.
Ameritage - This is a Bordeaux blend that's big, full, round and bold. A good heavy wine for a heavy meal. the reserve blend is even more amazing.
Cabernet Sauvignon - Immaculately smooth.
Petit Verdot - Earthy with berry tones that I'd drink by itself.
Final Assessment: Go there as soon as possible.
Marterella
Marterella is one of two that were "impulses" to check out (i.e., they were en route to Pearmund and this one is literally across the street from the last one below). Two big hooks to this place - they have an outdoor brick oven that you can smell fresh pizza baking in from the parking lot and they have the most attractive wine hostesses I've come across so far (and yes, I shamelessly flirted with some of them).
Highlighted Whites
Pinot Grigio - Clean and crisp.
Viognier - I'm disappointed to say that this is the first Viognier that I don't like - it's mainly just plain.
Highlighted Reds
Cabernet Franc - Smooth with cherry flavors.
Meritage - There's something about Bordeauxes aged for two years in French and American oak that just makes for a wine you can't wait to have with a steak.
Grace - Stop everything and mark the date and time - I've had a dessert wine that actually like! It's not syrupy sweet!
Final Assessment: A few, solid wines that I'd consider going back for.
Mediterranean Cellars
Unlike some, I'm not saving the best for last. In fact, Mediterranean probably ranks as one of the worst Virginia wineries I've been to yet (sadly, Loudon Valley is still the standing champion for that award). It really pains me to say that, too. We met the owner, a very nice Greek grandfather who has some oddly similar mannerisms to my Italian grandpa. He explained how his idea was to make wines in a more traditional, Greek way, which unfortunately doesn't seem to be a great idea (i.e., the Greeks aren't known for their great wines). Probably the one major turn off is the high sulfur content in every one of the wines they have, offering a smell that just wasn't pleasant. Only one of the wines really stood out but still not enough to validate the others.
Rechina - This is a traditional, Greek wine that's aged with a heavy influences of herbs and spices (I tasted thyme, rosemary and basil). It's defintely a departure from anything I've had yet. I'm not sure I'd ever buy it though.
Final Assessment: I got the impression that this winery has a unique niche that apparently some peple like given the fine state of the winery, but I have no plans to head back there. I'm also blaming this place's wines for my giving praise to the porcelain god the following day.
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About two months ago I posted about Barrel Oak Winery (BOW), but a bunch of us went there again not too long ago and they both had new vintages and more wines to try.
Highlighted Whites
Cava Don Conde Reserve - This is one they're marketing, it's a Spanish sparkling wine that was very tart.
BowHaus White 2008 - Just as good as the 2007.
Seyval Blanc 2008 - Also still very good and I think the citris/lemon tones are even more pleasant than the 2007.
Highlighted Reds
BowHaus Red - I'm not sure why, but they decided to alter the mix on this one and added Syrah (I think it's 60%), which ruins it for me since I'm not a big fan of Syrahs.
Norton 2008 - A good, solid Norton (Virginia's only native grape).
Traminette 2008 - I believe this is one of the new wines, and has a surprisingly flowery quality to it. Definitely worth trying (and it's limited)!
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i love gloomy cloudy cold days. i also love teaching, but i freaking hate passive aggresive-ity and people who can take grace but not extend it to others. if this is you, please exit my life, stage left.
i am trying to hold out until august. trying to be strong and good. I am trying to resist the temptation to judge.
but, dammit. This is my boom stick! and i'm trying not to use it on you in your sleep.
ha. that was kind of unintentionally funny.
katie and i are discovering more and more that work is usually less stressful than house life. lucky for us it's summer and being outside is a viable option. I love work, personally. We're three weeks deep into summer camp and with a few ups and downs, I can't get enough of it. There have been some instances where i want to slap certain other aquatics members across the face for doing stupid shit, but by and large, we all get a long.
I got a bunch of requests for me personally, by name, to teach certain classes and it inflated my withered self-esteem like you wouldn't believe.
on the other hand, while this trip coming up in august is a ton of excitement (and sometimes what gets us through the day with out killing our roommate) certain things that should be materializing are stalling for time instead. maybe i'm just being impatient, which is probably the case.
I don't want to rely to heavily on craigslist, but i do love perusing rabidly for cars and potential housing. anybody has any suggestions for anything at all, related or not, please holler. I miss my friends and extended family.
cheers!
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I went out and got new lawn chairs. And the slacker stoner jerk guys at Lowes (two of them) loaded the giant box onto the cart for me (that they'd crashed into a fancy grill display as they dragged it down the aisle and just laughed) and then laughed and laughed while I tried to push it to the cash register all by myself. I was huffing and puffing and teetering and careening all over and said "I can't even SEE over it!" and they said "You should maybe try and PULL it." and I was like "Oh yeah, right" so I turned it around and did and it wasn't until I got home 'til I was like "WTF!?" They were even like "Be sure to ask someone to help you with that when you check out." Dicks.
Anyways, I thought it was going to fit in my car, and of course the box is like an inch too big, so the next guy is like "SIIIIIGH" and has to cut the box open and we have to unload all the chair pieces into the car and I'm wedgeing all these things under the seats and what-all and I'm sweating like a pig and by the time I get home I just pull into the garage and walk in and close the door and sit down. I'm about to head off to work with a bunch of unassembled lawn chairs in my car because I'm sorry but it was just too hot to bother with this afternoon. My project for the day was to buy lawn chairs and now I can cross it off the list. Assembling lawn chairs will have to wait.
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Guess what came today???
That's RIGHT! Here's a photo of my very own CorningWare 'Spice of Life' casserole dish:
It looks just like NEW, seriously. You'd swear it just came off the shelf. I can't believe I didn't think of eBay MONTHS ago.
And now I think I've also located some casserole carriers (totes) that are like the one Mom gave me (just different patterns). So guess what I'll probably be buying next? (smile)
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Ex-con: Bernie won't be too popular behind bars
This guy's last line says it all:
I had Madoff’s reps get a hold of me before he went into custody and I turned them down. I wouldn’t help the guy out because I view him as an economic terrorist. If you rip off a bank and insurance company, an institution, that’s an acceptable crime. Bernie hurt people. He hurt people individually and I refuse to help people like that. Let him rot in hell.
You know you've really fucked up when even a hardened criminal tells you to go to Hell.
When hammering, women nail it
I feel like there should be some sordid jokes made about the findings in this article...
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A few folks I know have posted this. It made me smile...
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHWESTERN DISTRICT OF ARIZONA
Tempe, Arizona
Judge Joan Kujava, Presiding
________________________________
WILE E. COYOTE, §
Plaintiff §
v. § CIVIL ACTION NO. B19294
§
ACME COMPANY, §
Defendant §
________________________________
OPENING STATEMENT OF HAROLD SCHOFF,
COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFF
By Mr. Schoff:
My client, Mr. Wile E. Coyote, a resident of Arizona and contiguous states, does hearby bring suit for damages against the Acme Company, manufacturer and retail distributor of assorted merchandise, incorporated in Delaware and doing business in every state, district, and territory. Mr. Coyote seeks compensation for personal injuries, loss of business income, and mental suffering caused as a direct result of the actions and/or gross negligence of said company, under Title 15 of the United States Code Chapter 47, section 2072, subsection (a), relating to product liability.
Mr. Coyote states that on eighty-five separate occasions, he has purchased of the Acme Company (hereinafter, ‘Defendant’), through that company’s mail order department, certain products which did cause him bodily injury due to defects in manufacture or improper cautionary labeling. Sales slips made out to Mr. Coyote as proof of purchase are at present in the possession of the Court, marked Exhibit A. Such injuries sustained by Mr. Coyote have temporarily restricted his ability to make a living in the profession of predator. Mr. Coyote is self-employed and thus not eligible for Workmen’s Compensation.
Mr. Coyote states that on December 13th, he received of Defendant via parcel post one Acme Rocket Sled. The intention of Mr. Coyote was to use the Rocket sled to aid him in pursuit of his prey. Upon receipt of the Rocket Sled, Mr. Coyote removed it from its wooden shipping crate and sighting his prey in the distance, activated the ignition. As Mr. Coyote gripped the handlebars, the Rocket Sled accelerated with such sudden and precipitate force as to stretch Mr. Coyote’s forelimbs to a length of fifteen feet. Subsequently, the rest of Mr. Coyote’s body shot forward with a violent jolt, causing severe strain to his back and neck and placing him unexpectedly astride the Rocket Sled. Disappearing over the horizon at such speed as to leave a diminishing jet trail along its path, the Rocket Sled soon brought Mr. Coyote abreast of his prey. At that moment, the animal he was pursuing veered sharply to the right. Mr. Coyote vigorously attempted to follow this maneuver but was unable to, due to poor design and engineering on the Rocket Sled and a faulty or non-existent steering system. Shortly thereafter, the unchecked progress of the Rocket Sled led it and Mr. Coyote into collision with the side of a mesa.
Paragraph One of the Report of Attending Physician (Exhibit B), prepared by Dr. Ernst Grosscup, M.D., D.O., details the multiple fractures, contusions, and tissue damage suffered by Mr. Coyote as a result of this collision. Repair of the injuries required a full bandage around the head (excluding the ears), a neck brace, and full or partial casts on all four legs. Hampered by these injuries, Mr. Coyote was nevertheless obliged to support himself. With this in mind, he purchased of Defendant as an aid to mobility one pair of Acme Rocket Skates. When he attempted to use this product, however, he became involved in an accident remarkably similar to that which occurred with the Rocket Sled. Again, Defendant sold over the counter, without caveat, a product which attached powerful jet engines (in this case, two) to inadequate vehicles, with little or no provision for passenger safety. Encumbered by his heavy casts, Mr. Coyote lost control of the Rocket Skates soon after strapping them on, and collided with a roadside billboard so violently as to leave a hole in the shape of his full silhouette.
Mr. Coyote states that on occasions too numerous to list in this document he has suffered mishaps with explosives purchased of Defendant: the Acme ‘Little Giant’ Firecracker, the Acme Self-Guided Aerial Bomb, etc. (For a full listing see the Acme Mail Order Explosives Catalogue and attached deposition, entered in evidence as Exhibit C.) Indeed, it is safe to say that not once has an explosive purchased of Defendant by Mr. Coyote performed in an expected manner. To cite just one example: At the expense of much time and personal effort, Mr. Coyote constructed around the outer rim of a butte a wooden trough beginning at the top of the butte and spiraling downward around it to some few feet above a black X painted on the desert floor. The trough was designed in such a way that a spherical explosive of the type sold by Defendant would roll easily and swiftly down to the point of detonation indicated by the X. Mr. Coyote placed a generous pile of birdseed directly on the X, and then, carrying the spherical Acme Bomb (Catalogue #78) climbed to the top of the butte. Mr. Coyote’s prey, seeing the birdseed, approached, and Mr. Coyote proceeded to light the fuse. In an instant, the fuse burned down to the stem, causing the bomb to detonate.
In addition to reducing all Mr. Coyote’s careful preparations to naught, the premature detonation of Defendant’s product resulted in the following disfigurements to Mr. Coyote:
1. Severe singeing of the hair on the head, neck, and muzzle.
2. Sooty discoloration.
3. Fracture of the left ear at the stem, causing the ear to dangle in the aftershock with a creaking noise.
4. Full or partial combustion of whiskers, producing kinking, frazzling, and ashy disintegration.
5. Radical widening of the eyes, due to brow and lid charring.
We come now to the Acme Spring-Powered Shoes. The remains of a pair of these purchased by Mr. Coyote on June 23rd are Plaintiff’s Exhibit D. Selected fragments have been shipped to the metallurgical laboratories of the University of California at Santa Barbara for analysis, but to date, no explanation has been found for this product’s sudden and extreme malfunction. As advertised by Defendant, this product is simplicity itself: two wood-and-metal sandals, each attached to milled-steel springs of high tensile strength and compressed in a tightly coiled position by a cocking device with a lanyard release. Mr. Coyote believed that this product would enable him to pounce upon his prey in the initial moments of the chase, when swift reflexes are at a premium.
To increase the shoes’ thrusting power still further, Mr. Coyote affixed them by their bottoms to the side of a large boulder. Adjacent to the boulder was a path which Mr. Coyote’s prey was known to frequent. Mr. Coyote put his hind feet in the wood-and-metal sandals and crouched in readiness, his right forepaw holding firmly to the lanyard release. Within a short time, Mr. Coyote’s prey did indeed appear on the path coming toward him. Unsuspecting, the prey stopped near Mr. Coyote, well within range of the springs at full extension. Mr. Coyote gauged the distance with care and proceeded to pull the lanyard release. At this point, Defendant’s product should have thrust Mr. Coyote forward and away from the boulder. Instead, for reasons yet unknown, the Acme Spring-Powered Shoes thrust the boulder away from Mr. Coyote. As the intended prey looked on unharmed, Mr. Coyote hung suspended in the air. Then the twin springs recoiled, bringing Mr. Coyote to a violent feet-first collision with the boulder, the full weight of his head and forequarters falling upon his lower extremities. The force of this impact then caused the springs to rebound, where upon Mr. Coyote was thrust skyward. A second recoil and collision followed. The boulder, meanwhile, which was roughly ovoid in shape, had begun to bounce down a hillside, the coiling and recoiling of the springs adding to its velocity. At each bounce, Mr. Coyote came into contact with the boulder, or the boulder came into contact with Mr. Coyote, or both came into contact with the ground. As the grade was a long one, this process continued for some time. The sequence of collisions resulted in systemic physical damage to Mr. Coyote, viz., flattening of the cranium, sideways displacement of the tongue, reduction of length of legs and upper body, and compression of vertebrae from base of tail to head. Repetition of blows along a vertical axis produced a series of regular horizontal folds in Mr. Coyote’s body tissues, a rare and painful condition which caused Mr. Coyote to expand upward and contract downward alternately as he walked, and to emit an off-key, accordion-like wheezing with every step. The distracting and embarrassing nature of this symptom has been a major impediment to Mr. Coyote’s pursuit of a normal social life.
As the court is no doubt aware, Defendant has a virtual monopoly of manufacture and the sale of goods required by Mr. Coyote’s work. It is our contention that Defendant has used its market advantage to the detriment of the consumer of such specialized products as itching powder, giant kites, Burmese tiger traps, anvils, and two-hundred-foot-long rubber bands. Much as he has come to mistrust Defendant’s products, Mr. Coyote has no other domestic source of supply to which to turn. One can only wonder what our trading partners in Western Europe and Japan would make of such a situation, where a giant company is allowed to victimize the consumer in the most reckless and wrongful manner over and over again. Mr. Coyote respectfully requests that the Court regard these larger economic implications and assess punitive damages in the amount of seventeen million dollars. In addition, Mr. Coyote seeks actual damages (missed meals, medical expenses, days lost from professional occupation) of one million dollars; general damages (mental suffering, injury to reputation) of twenty million dollars; and attorney’s fees of seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars. By awarding Mr. Coyote the full amount, this Court will censure Defendant, its directors, officers, shareholders, successors, and assigns, in the only language they understand, and reaffirm the right of the individual predator to equal protection under the law.
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I'm sitting at home with all the windows open, hunting a breeze; sofa surfing while watching House.
I've realised that I'm not posting as much here recently. It's a mixture of post-holiday catch-up at home and work being so busy that there's little headspace left at the end of the day. I've been reading books and vegging about online forums that don't require too much brain power. Having spent all day writing emails, reports and how-to notes for myself and the newer newbies means I'm mostly keyboarded out at after work.
I don't like it when this state goes on for more than a week, but I'm guessing it's a side-effect of being in the new job and spending all day in the office actually having to think. Hopefully it'll calm down a bit soon.
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| charliemc |
| 2009-06-29 11:32 |
| Walking? Yep! |
| Public |
| cheerful |
| 2009, bo, christian-bale, earle, exercise, flowers, food, house, ipod, june-2009, marilyn, movie, painting, vacation, walking, weight |
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I slept in again this morning until 9:00 (!!!). Marilyn mistressmarilyn didn't head to the track until around 10:00. Wow, it was beautiful there, with clear, blue skies. A guy was setting up the sprinklers to run while we were there, and one is right near the edge of the track (they sprinkle the center football area) -- so the inside lane was wet and we got misted every time we passed that spot.
We were both listening to our iPods today. Marilyn has a new Gold iPod Shuffle that she got through Avon (and we've been calling 'Goldie'). It holds up to 240 songs (but she'd never load that many on it), and has a cool clip that makes it really convenient to use for working out. I was using my old nano that has the sport cord that makes it so easy to wear and use. The music helps you keep a steady pace and we were probably going just a tad faster. Anyway, in order to go our 45 minutes, we had to do an extra lap -- so we decided to just do three miles. That was good.
In weight loss related news, I tried on three pairs of pants this morning that I wanted to wear to the track -- and all three were too big on me (literally falling off me), so I couldn't wear them. I finally found a pair that almost fit and wore those. I certainly don't want to get new clothes while I'm losing weight, so I plan to wear my belt with some of my jeans and other pants for now. It was annoying this morning, but I guess it's a good problem to have.
Bo and his cousin Earle are here again today and power washing (pressure washing?) the fence and deck. I never mentioned this yesterday, but they had a broken part so they couldn't do anything as planned yesterday. Being Sunday, there was no place they could go to get it fixed until today.
We did tan yesterday, but we didn't get our manicures and pedicures. We decided we'd go today, but we haven't discussed it so far, so I don't know if we're still going to do that or not.
We went to see "Terminator Salvation" again last night. It's not playing too many places now, so we wanted to go again before it was gone. Afterward I told Marilyn that I really enjoyed it. I was wide awake and comfortable and in the right place to see it, if that makes sense. I still think it's a good movie, personally. I like the story and I love the various actors. It's all good by me.
It's funny, but so far our vacation days have been like festival days -- really stretched! This is hard to explain, but during the festival you'll have ONE DAY, and it will be so packed with stuff that when you talk about it the next day it will seem like it was days ago! Anyway, we've been doing so much that last night it felt like we'd been on vaca for days, not just the weekend. That may partly be the fact that we've been getting up in the morning, when often we don't do that while on vacation. We've been known to stay up into the wee hours during vaca, then sleep really late (like noon) to make up for it. Often we stay up all night long, because we can -- unlike when we're working. (We keep weird hours even when we're working, so I guess that's not all that strange...)
We want to keep up the walking in the mornings, so that should keep us going to bed earlier than normal.
Well, it's around noon now -- and we're starting to think about having a chicken sandwich (our little bun sandwiches that we make). We got chicken at the grocery store last night -- and stopped to get the tomatoes we forgot (!!!) after we left the track this morning.
We also got two flats of begonias, so we can at least plant our front bed by the porch. We're dying to our flowers in, but we can't do the back yard until after the fence and deck are done.
Well, Marilyn had a shower and washed her hair, and I'm thinking I'll go do the same.
Summer! Gotta love it! Vacation! It's GREAT.
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Madoff sentenced to 150 years
Not that I have any personal reasons to dislike the man, but I'm loving the fact that Madoff - effectively the "poster child" for all the greedy, self-servicing assholes who pillaged the financial markets - got the maximum sentence.
I will say this much for him, he definitely stepped up to face the music without flinching.
Not that it buys him any points in my book...he's complete scum.
And that might be an insult to scum...
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'Quit spending' Pawlenty tells Obama
Since Obama came to office, I've heard the same complaint over and over from conservatives, Republicans and otherwise anti-"big government" types out there - "quit spending all of our money!" while placing the blame squarely on Obama.
What I don't understand is did these folks miss the last eight years?
First, there were the tragic events of 9/11, which caused its own share of economic issues just by itself (to say nothing of the loss of human life). Then the two wars (only one was even remotely justifiable - and I don't mean Iraq) which at least helped/spurn on higher oil prices. Finally there was the rampant abuse and rape of the financial sector.
And what do all of these things have in common? They happened on a conservative President's watch.
Granted, I don't blame the entire economy on the White House (for that matter, it always irked me that Clinton took a lot of credit for a booming economy that wasn't exactly/entirely his doing), but obviously any administration and its policies can affect things - for better or worse. Whether the Bush Administration can be directly connected/blamed the housing and loan/banking crisis is a bigger debate for another time and place, but thanks to two wars without exit strategies (ranking up billions or trillions in spending) and the "stimulus package" (again, that's Republicanese for "spending bill") adds up to the Bush Administration beginning the massive spending spree that is now blamed on Obama.
On top of all of this, there's this near paranoia that we're on the verge of being completely socialized due to all of this spending. I've seen the numbers and do you know how much of the finicial sector the government owns at the moment? It's less than three percent (3%). All that money funneled into the financial sector makes up for barely a small fraction of the entire economic base.
I hate all the spending that's been done by both administrations during this crisis, I just wish the GOP would think first before yelling "it's all Obama's fault!" He's been in office six months, and even he warned that 1. change and recovery won't be overnight, and 2. we will have to make some hard choices to get through these times. I just wish the Republicans and conservatives would remember recent history before going apeshit about wasteful government spending.
Because frankly, they're in no position to point fingers.
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It was gruesome hot today. It was in like the hundreds and stuff in some places. Luckily the A/C was blasting at work, you know, on account of the trying to keep people alive thing we're about. I got home and it was still really warm and there were all sorts of teenagers and crap weirdly milling around in the streets. One of the neighbors put a washing machine out with the trash last week, except for like, you can't put a washing machine out with the trash (DUMBASS) you have to call and arrange for it to be picked up or take it to the dump or something; so, this washing machine is still sitting in the street like we live in Tonapah or something. And there's a creepy barefoot kid sitting on the washing machine giving me the willies. All he's missing is the banjo. I press the clicker to open the garage door and: nothing. Press press press. My eyes dart dart dart to the scary teenagers and I drive back around the block and I go to the corner and call Bruce from my cellphone to open the door. No answer; I get the machine. I drive around the next block thinking he might be in the bathroom and call again; no answer. I think "Is the POWER out? No the streetlights are on and the machine came on..." I drive back to the garage and try the clicker again: nothing. I yank it off the visor and point it RIGHT AT THE DOOR AND **SQUEEEEEZE** and the door FINALLY opens. Praise Jebus! There's a note from Bruce on the counter: he's at the movies. Fine!
Earlier today I was at the Jack in the Box (naughty!) and a blind guy came in with his friend. You could tell he was blind because he had a big white cane and his friend was leading him around and he was staring off into space and he just looked really really really blind. I tell you this because it's pertinent to the story. The blind guy and his friend get their food and sit down and I'm only half paying attention but I become aware of some sort of HUBBUB at their table. Apparently they weren't given their food on two trays. You see because now they can't tell their food apart. Because he's blind. "Ma'am" (he says to the JITB employee who's been flagged down by the friend who can SEE PERFECTLY FINE) "I asked to have my food on a separate tray BECAUSE I'M BLIND! You know I'M BLIND! Now we can't tell whose food is whose! I ordered an Ultimate Cheeseburger and he ordered a Jumbo Jack! I ordered a Large Fries! Now I can't tell because I'm BLIND!!!" And started slamming his hands all over the food. Then. THEN! He starts yelling "I'm BLIND! I'm BLIND! HELP HELP! Somebody HELP!" And I'm sitting there frozen with my mouth full of food mid-chew like "SERIOUSLY?! Help!: MY HAMBURGER???" It reminded me of the Smothers Brothers skit where the guy yelled "Fire!" when he fell in the vat of chocolate because he knew no one would come save him if he yelled "CHOCOLATE!" He eventually just grabbed the one closest to him and unwrapped it and started eating. The first thing he said was "Oh it's big!" which made me almost shoot all my food out my mouth, and then he started snarffing it down with no complaints, which was surprising because it wasn't an Ultimate Cheeseburger. Neither of them was from what I could see: they both had lettuce. They were probably both Jumbo Jacks, haw haw. Nutty.
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Hey guys, I am moving all future cooking/recipe posts to my new cooking blog at http://kitchendancer.blogspot.com/. Join me there if you'd like! I have had so many people interested in my cooking posts that aren't on lj and who I don't necessarily want to know about my personal journal, I thought it might be a good idea. Let me know if any of you object or if you'd like me to continue cross-posting.
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Ugh, how do you kill caffeine addiction? Mine is so bad that I get a debilitating headache whenever I go without coffee in a day. I suppose I need to suffer through it and go cold turkey, but I have no idea how to go caffeine free permanently!
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Here are the planned meals for this week. I am going to take it a little easy since the last couple of weeks have been so stressful. I am trying three new recipes, though, all of them seem pretty basic. Thank you to jd from Veggie Terrain for the recipes. The post about smoothies got me thinking too. I made a smoothie this morning with fresh fruit and Maddie LOVED it. This could be an easy and delicious way to get her to eat some more fruit/vegetables.
Sunday: Spicoli Burgers with sweet potato fries
Monday: Cuban Black Beans and Rice
Tuesday: Crunchy Blue Corn Chickpea Tacos with corn on the cob
Wednesday: Gnocchi with Poor Man's Pesto (from The Mediteranean Vegan Kitchen by Donna Klein)
Thursday: Sichuan Broccoli w/ Tofu (from Cook's Illustrated)
Friday: Pizza (from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison)
A few words about the older recipes I included this week.
Poor Man's Pesto from The Mediteranean Vegan Kitchen is one of my favorite old standbys. It is easily prepared in under 5 minutes with just my trusty food processor. The flavor is intense but G and I love it. Maddie is starting to come around too, though it takes her a long time to learn to like strong flavors.
Sichuan Broccoli is also one of my favorite easy stand-bys. It is very easy to prepare (I use frozen broccoli to cut down on cooking time). It is a nice, spicy stir-fry.
Pizza is something we consider our Friday night tradition. The crust recipe from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone is outstanding. It cooks up nice and crisp on our pizza stone. If you like making pizza, I highly recommend buying a really nice pizza stone. The $10 pizza stones from Target are not the same as a good, heavy stone. Our pizza stone will cook up a beautiful pizza in 7 mins. It's also fun for kids because you can have them help you put the toppings on. One night we even had a pizza night at my brother's house where we cooked four very different pizzas customized for everyone. Everyone present was happy. :)
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When I went to the DOCTOR back on June 10, I'd lost 15 pounds (since my previous visit). That's not really a big deal, as it had been ages since I'd been. I'm thinking the last time was November, so that's months.
But I just randomly decided to weigh myself this morning, and I'm down another six pounds. It's been two weeks since I saw the doctor, so that's three pounds a week (!!!).
Considering Marilyn mistressmarilyn and I just started walking yesterday -- and I haven't even biked during that time -- it's a bit of a surprise, to say the least! I don't focus on weight loss much as a rule, but I am trying to drop some pounds and get healthier. It's all about being able to do things for me.
We went to the track again this morning and did another 45 minutes. Go, us! (heh)
Bo and his cousin (didn't really catch his name) where here at the house to start work at right around 8:00 a.m. -- a full hour earlier than he'd told me. But when we got back from the track their rig was gone and so were they. I guess they've gone after supplies, I don't know. They've moved tons of stuff into the middle of the yard in preparation, so it's all good...
We're going to shower, then go get our manicures and pedicures. After that we need to go tan. (Day of beauty? Starting with overall physical beauty, clearly, getting in that walk!)
Actually, we have a bunch of chores we need to do, which is a good thing, considering Bo wants to sand today -- and our allergies wouldn't deal well with that!
Well, I'd better go jump in the shower now!
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| charliemc |
| 2009-06-27 19:29 |
| Vacation! |
| Public |
 happy |
| 2009, books, exercise, food, fried-tomatoes, june-2009, marilyn, reading, tennis, vacation, walking, wimbledon, zuma |
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I slept in until 9:00 a.m. (but Marilyn mistressmarilyn was up far earlier -- partly that's wrapped up in watching Wimbledon tennis).
We actually went to the track (Roosevelt high school's track) and walked for 45 minutes! It was great, and I hope we keep that up all during vacation.
We had 'bun' chicken sandwiches when we got home. Then a lovely nap. First I read my BOOK (which I'm loving, by the way), then I drifted off to sleep. Perfect!
We got up and played our current computer game ("Escape Rosecliff Island") -- we love these HOGs (hidden object games)!!! The review I've linked reads: "Gamers will have about 20 minutes to complete each of the 25 locations and can ask for a hint or two if stuck..." Our personal goal is to go as fast as we can -- and always try to stay under 10 minutes per level (well under 20 minutes, in other words). We play as a team (Marilyn and I). One person uses the mouse to control things, while the other player will use a pointer to help find things. We've purchased several of them in the past, but this one has lovely graphics and is great FUN!
We just finished eating fried red tomatoes (we each cooked a couple of pans full for ourselves) for dinner, and we've been watching Wimbledon on the Tennis Channel. 17-year-old American, Melanie Oudin, beat Jelena Jankovic, 6-7 (6-8), 7-5, 6-2. Oudin seems like a lovely young woman.
Now Marilyn is playing Zuma while I do this blog entry. When I'm done, I'll probably play Zuma, too! (heh)
Both of us did tidy up the kitchen (and I loaded the dishwasher) -- and we need to go grocery shopping later on. But that's okay! Basically we've had a lazy, lovely vacation day -- and it feels great!
We need to get manicures (ouch) and pedicures, but I was rather resistant to the idea today. (If it sounds relaxing, then I'm sorry to tell you that it isn't!)
It got up to 81° today, and we're so grateful for our air conditioning -- it's such a blessing!
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“The human heart has hidden treasures, In secret kept, in silence sealed; The thoughts, the hopes, the dreams, the pleasures, Whose charms were broken if revealed”
-Charlotte Bronte
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I wanted to KILL my poor computer today. Seriously.
Of course, as it kept crashing, I wasn't thinking the fault was actually with my computer! Surprise, surprise, Charlie -- you needed to be looking closer to home for fault...
I was trying to Remote to the office and do some work as the Administrator (IT-related junk, as always), but I had nothing but issues!
Not fair to blame my poor (old) computer, because I had the C: drive (the system drive in my dual hard-drive computer) so FULL it couldn't do anything. So actually this was MY problem -- and I'm to blame!
I had to take off a ton of applications (Dreamweaver and Flash, which I never use anyway -- to name only two) before it started to behave! And I stupidly dumped all my Favorites in Deepnet Explorer (my Internet Explorer clone) and had a bear of a time getting them back again. This is no small thing, considering I have hundreds of Favorites (Bookmarks)!
I have around 4 gigs free now -- but that's NOT going to cut it. (But I was FULL before, so it's all relative, of course.)
I've wanted Ron to work on my computer for ages, so I asked him to look into a new (larger) hard drive. In fact, I might have him beef up BOTH drives, depending on the cost. He can ghost the contents, so we wouldn't need to do a new install of the OS, which would be awesome. (I don't want to lost my email, that's for sure!)
At least I'm able to Remote again. I can't function for doing festival work without it, frankly.
I'm sitting here yawning. I guess I'm hitting the wall. Marilyn mistressmarilyn is still at work (it's close to 5:30), and she had another brutal day -- getting ready to go on vaca for two weeks! It's going to be a pain to have work being done during that first week, but it will be GREAT to get it over with. Plus we'll be happy to have it all looking good this summer, I'm sure!
Right now I'd love to curl up with my book and then have a long nap. It sounds like the perfect start to vacation to me!
Anyway, depending on how much the improvements to my desktop cost, I'm still thinking about finally getting a laptop. I could really use one, if the price is right...
I was talking about it as a luxury item recently, but Marilyn reminded me that it's really a tool for work. So I guess it is justified to get it.
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Looks like we found our painter today! I had Bo by at 10:30. He measured and started the bid process and gave me a rough estimate before he left. He had the full estimate emailed to me (in detail) within another hour.
He seems totally ethical and very friendly -- I liked him immensely! He's tall and black (an attractive guy) and looks really strong!
It looks like Bo and his cousin will start the job with power-washing this Sunday (!!!). We might even have the work done before the Fourth of July. Wouldn't that be cool???
Now I need to call (clueless) Dennis and let him know we found another guy...
That was a pretty painless process. And I might help Bo set up his website (and some other things), which I'd enjoy. It's all good!
And Marilyn mistressmarilyn is already talking about using his carpentry skills...
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Michael Jackson's passing made me think about some of the major historical events and where I was when they happened...
Elvis Presley’s death – August 16, 1977
I vaguely recall hearing about this on the news while sitting at the dinner table. I wasn’t sure who he was at such a young age, so the memory isn’t as vivid as it is for others.
Ronald Reagan shot – March 30, 1981
I was in my third grade classroom when the vice principal got on the PA and announced that the President had been shot. We all thought he was dead until school let out and heard on the school bus driver’s radio that he was wounded, but still alive.
Space Shuttle Challenger explosion – January 28, 1986
I was home sick with a bad case of the flu watching a Doctor Who episode I recorded the previous weekend (all I remember was it was one with Tom Baker) when my mom called and asked if I had the news on. I switched back to the cable and the first thing I saw was a still picture of the explosion and Tom Brokaw’s voice in mid-sentence about the disaster.
Berlin Wall falling – November 9, 1989
I realize that’s only an “official” date despite the fact that things had been happening for some time before, but I remember sitting in the kitchen watching the news (again, Tom Brokaw). Less than a year later I was in one of the last tour groups to see Checkpoint Charlie before it was demolished (in fact, it was beginning to be demolished when we arrived).
U.S. bombing Baghdad – January 16, 1991
At 6:30 that evening, I left my college dorm room for my evening Life Drawing I class. Three hours later, after a lovely evening of sketching two absolutely gorgeous models, I walked back into my dorm hearing CNN on every TV, and since I was in Va Tech’s then all-male Pritchard Hall at the time, all the guys on the phone with their folks asking if the draft was going to be reinstated.
Federal Agents storm the Branch Davidian compound – February 28, 1993
I think I was in Va Tech’s Owens dining hall watching the news with my then ex-girlfriend’s sister and another friend or two.
Police chase O.J. Simpson in his white Bronco – June 17, 1994
My parents and I were out at the now closed Sam & Harry’s steakhouse in Tysons Corner, VA to celebrate my graduating from college. It was fairly quiet and there came a point where we noticed that the waitress hadn’t been by in a while. I stepped away to go to the bathroom and passing by the bar, I saw almost the entire staff in there watching the TV, including the waitress. That’s when I saw CNN’s coverage of the pursuit.
O.J. Simpson verdict – October 3, 1995
I was glued to the TV set with at least one of my room mates. Then we went out to run some errands.
September 11, 2001
I was working at Human Technology at the time and fighting rush hour traffic on Route 123 when R. Edward Lopez (who I still fondly miss) on Baltimore’s 98 Rock broke the news that the first WTC tower had been hit. Since details were sketchy, I thought he meant a small plane until he reported that a large part of the building was on fire. By the time I got out of my car and to my desk, I had DC 101 on the radio (the only station I could get at the time and the company’s sometime-working TV wasn’t hooked up to cable) and Elliot of Elliot in the Morning was babbling about the other tower being struck. Then I remember him going hysterical when the news woman announced that the Pentagon had been hit, too. While we were all sitting there stunned, I couldn’t get over the news woman yelling at Elliot to shut up (by this point his wasn't keeping it together and in violation of several FCC regs regarding language use) and then we heard a “smack” as she slapped him to get a hold of himself (which he did). While on a commercial, one of my co-workers ran through the office in tears telling everyone how both towers had just collapsed. Since the TV was no use, we were trying to get to CNN.com without success since the internet was “jammed” from other users, so we switched over to WJFK on the radio and listened to the Don and Mike Show, who did an amazing job delivering news about the events. After things settled down, we had nothing to do (the government had shut down), so another co-worker and I hopped in my truck to go get a picnic table we ordered for eating outside. He and I were in awe at driving up the Dulles Toll Road and seeing no plans in the air. I didn’t get to see any of the news coverage until I got home that night. My then room mate at the time and I split a huge bottle of wine and watched the news until midnight.
Space Shuttle Columbia breaks up over Texas – February 1, 2003
My then girlfriend at the time and I were in a dead sleep when my cell phone rang around 8:15 or so. It was my friend Mike (mphtower) calling, which I thought was odd since he usually doesn’t call that early in the morning. When I answered, all he’d say is “turn on your TV.” Just like the Challenger disaster, the first thing I saw was a still picture of the wreckage trailing across the sky.
People vs. Michael Jackson - June 13, 2005
I was working at Omega World Travel. We ended work early that day and about 30 of us gathered in the huge conference to have wine, beer and snacks while watching the news coverage. I think we were working on a betting pool when the coverage began and the jury read the verdict.
Michael Jackson’s death – June 25, 2009
My friend Magen and I were really in the mood for a good meal, so we went to a nearby Outback. We had no sooner sat down when she checked Facebook on her Blackberry and saw someone’s status say “RIP MJ.” We had no clue what that was about until we looked up at CNN on the bar TV and saw the headline.
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