Drive-By Thinking.

i think he has a point.

But that's just me thinking. Here. Judge for yourself.

Kind of a pity, though, that this letter will never reach its intended recipient. Or even if it does, said recipient won't "get it." Or that it hitting the MSM will further demonize this guy within his own demo. You know, because racism only goes one way, right?

(Hat tip to my comrade at Fun with Unemployment. Also, a hearty thanks for saying what needs to be said to LaShawn Barber.)

Also: an excellent essay by Doctor Zero at Hot Air. Reminds of our civic duty, and why we should actually START DOING IT.

reloading.

It's time for another round of mindless subject changing. Pass the ammunition.

Let's see… I taught my first class. Either I really can't teach or this is a tougher technique to get across than I thought, because four out of the five students got confused right after we finished the cast on. I'm talking about the "split the stitches between the two halves of the cable" step.

*headdesk*

I added a sixth student after the class. Why? Well, a) I need the money; and b) this woman's only been knitting for two months but has completed a king-size bedspread and a cardigan with set-in sleeves and a cabled portrait collar, all without assistance. I daresay she can figure out what I'm getting across in my handout and excellent (well, so I thought) step-by-step photography. And if she can't, she's smart enough to ask.

I don't enjoy teaching.

It's been thundering/lightning/raining off and on all afternoon. The garden is happy. The dog, not so much. When last we spotted our furry comrade, she was staring morosely through the screen door at the flooded remains of her favorite outside napping spot. There'll be no squirrel chasing this afternoon. Mañana, perrito.

_________

Late edit: I think this guy could run against Claire McCaskill and beat her flat out right now. Go get 'em, soldier.

_________

Perusing the Google headlines:

Red, Lite & Blue: The Beers for Obama, Gates, Crowley.
Why is this a headline? WHY? Who the @#$% cares what kind of beer they're having at this fabricated kiss-and-make-up photo opportunity, where a whiny racist academe can lord it over a cop who just did his job that "the President loves me best. Nyah." Besides, according to the story he prefers Red Stripe. [/retch] This just proves that regardless of all that book-learnin' Gates is so proud of, he still knows diddly/squat about beer. Whiny-ass race-card playing spineless bastard.

Who Gets Swine Flu Vaccine Before You Do
From the "Get Used to It" file, elderly people will be left off the priority list for any forthcoming vaccine. This should surprise no one, as Obamacare will do the same thing. After all -- you're old. You've outlived your usefulness. Turn in your shovel and die already. (Don't believe me? Read the whole bill.)

House Dems Report Major Progress on Healthcare Bill.
Will you call your damn representative already? This is NOT the answer. And even if it were, slamming it through without more thorough research as to cost and implementation is effing irresponsible. If you don't call, don't care, don't try to stop this baloney or for some unfathomable reason do support this, do NOT come crying to me afterward about the aftermath. 

How to Rewrite the Cash for Clunkers Bill
I dunno… like, REPEALING IT? What bull. You have to practically be dancing blindfolded on an end table while wearing a toga and defeathering a chicken on the third Tuesday of a month with an "R" in it to qualify for the bare minimum "rebate." NOT to mention that although SOME of us (*ahem*) can't afford to buy a new (-ish) car for ourselves right now, we're still expected to ante up tax dollars to do so for everyone else. Yeah. That makes sense.

Phelps Rebounds Amid Swimsuit Controversy
I like the first line of the story: "The suit had to go." I agree. Totally. Take it off, Mr. Phelps. No … no not to put on another one… well, damn.

Tanning Beds Blamed for Cancer and Other Health News
YA THINK? Maybe? No… say it ain't so! How anyone could ever think that lying nekkid sandwiched between stacks of intense light emitters designed to radically alter the melatonin levels in your skin was healthy is beyond me in the FIRST place! I missed my calling. I should have been a researcher….

Conservatives Are Blocking Health Care Reform
 A column by that media maven and first-class White House ass licker, Helen Thomas. I like the typo in the subtitle: "Many Americas Believe Law Would Improve Medical Care." Subliminal. "Many Americas," Helen? Izzat so? Yes, I believe that was meant as published. She is one of those class-warfare types who likes to push the idea that there are several "Americas." 

The Bachelorette's Jillian Is Writing a Hot Dog Book
I bet she is. 

little bit of this… a little bit of that…

no, not a Michelle Branch song… just me throwing things out there again.

oh, for pete's sake.

Just because I haven't been able to thread together a coherent thought for a one-subject post doesn't mean I still don't have something worth writing. I mean, I can go for days without an original thought. I expect there's those of you out there who wish it would stay that way.

kind of like 'speak now or forever hold your peace.'

Kind of.

well–

No.

dang.

Sorry.

It was a good work day. Went fast. I solved a great number of problems, some of which were genuine and some of which were people who can't think for themselves without someone holding their hand. Whatever, I guess. Keeps me in a job. I discovered that I don't like crocheting with linen, that a dog fits comfortably in a Lawre's Laine Big Bag, and that when all else fails, rip it out.

And I've really got to finish the handout for my Magic Loop class. I now have five people signed up. I've written copy for up to the gussets, and have photo illustrations for up until the heel construction. I'm still dreading this.

and still belaboring the point.

I'm sorry. Call it performance anxiety. I don't do well in these situations.

how did you sing in front of people all those years?

That's different. It's easier to relax when you're one of 20 or one of 80. And then you're learning something, rehearsing it ad nauseam, and regurgitating it to people who honestly don't know good from bad half the time. This time it's 1 vs. 5 to people who are sure going to notice if the finished product doesn't look like a sock.

anyway…

Hey, you brought it up. Have you tried a Taco Bell piña colada fruitista freeze?

speaking of denver…

No, really. It's good. Only wanting for the rum. Tasted really good on a hot day like today.

Hey, can I ask something of those of you with children? How is it that a normal child can go outside with reasonably clean feet, wear shoes all afternoon, but come in from their own backyard with an inch of dirt caked up to their ankles? It hasn't rained recently… I know I don't have a Southern Living landscaping job back there but it isn't exactly the Grapes of Wrath, either. I don't get it. I stand her in the bathtub and watch the water run black with the dirt.

pave the backyard.

I've thought about it. Truly. Hey, this just in from the sibling factor: Jumping the Shark. He thought it was worth reading, and as usual with my brother, I think there's something to it. In a soundbite society, it's easy to overdo the message and miss the goals entirely. I can only hope that in fact, much of what's passing for news reporting and ideology is in fact being filed in "the virtual trash bin."

Of course, there's also a part of me that's enjoying the comparison of liberal ideology to an episode of South Park. Heh.

daytrippin'.

So Wednesday morning, we all got up early, got in the car and headed south. I had proposed a trip down to Manteo to see the North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island, which I had last visited eons ago. Like 1992-ish.

Whereas it's not as big as some aquariums, it was very nicely done, and visitors are led through the exhibits in an orderly manner. HSH got to see alligators, pufferfish, turtles, otters, nurse sharks, and other animals close up and personal. There was also a good exhibit on hurricanes and nor'easters, focusing on local destruction due to Hurricane Isabel in 2003. HSH is still hooked on meterology, so this was something she reveled in for a while.

After leaving the aquarium, we headed for lunch and a visit to the Christmas shop on Manteo's main drag. I remember it as more Christmassy and less antique- and tchotchke-oriented, but there was still plenty to see and admire. Except…

Well, anyway, we drove home the opposite way we came (Hizzoner thought he was taking a shortcut on the way down. Instead we ended up taking a wrong turn at Albuquerque Elizabeth City, adding nearly an hour to the trip.), up NC 12 et al. And as I took in the passing scenery (yes, I let him drive home anyway), I got depressed.

No, not because the day was over and thus our mini-vacation. Just because there's little chance of us taking a real vacation anytime in the near – or not so near – future doesn't mean I wax melancholy over the situation. No, that's not the case. I rather like staying near home. I've become rather the homebody since January, and I don't honestly mind that. The change of mood came from other things.

When you go "to the beach," it conjures up certain images. Sand. Dunes. Seagrasses waving in the breeze. Water and waves. A salty breeze. Granted, we didn't head down on our trip with any intention of beachcombing or lounging in the sun – I can go to the Virginia oceanfront and do that – but it would have been nice to see something vaguely resembling that.

Instead, the view from route 12 is a sea of endless buildings. Block after block of oversized rental houses line either side of the highway. Most of them look alike, sporting impossible decks and widow's walks that can't possibly give you a view of anything except the house next door. Where there aren't any houses, there's strip malls, oversized tourist traps advertising t-shirts and beach gear, and fast-food restaurant after fast-food restaurant. Oh, and the occasional Brew-Thru. The only time you see anything vaguely natural is when you pass the few miles bordering Jockey's Ridge and the Wright Brothers' Memorial. 

I'm not anti-development, just anti-stupidity. There's nothing scenic about the Outer Banks anymore. There's nothing natural. You can't see the beach at all unless you're standing on it. You can't enjoy a natural setting because there doesn't seem to be any left. All you can do is rent some ridiculously overpriced house for a week (no exceptions) or book into one of the few oceanfront hotels down there ($$$$ in season), and hope that it isn't too far a walk from your perch to the water. I pity the fools who book rentals on the west side of Highway 12. Trying to cross four lanes of hyperactive traffic in order to go enjoy the water… I can't imagine it. Especially if you have kids.

Look, it's no secret that renting a house, cleaning it, cooking my own meals, schlepping my own gear back and forth and having to tend to general domesticity is far from my idea of a vacation. When I go on holiday, I want to be tended to. I want my sheets and towels changed and my bed made while I'm frolicking. I want to have people wait on me and bring me plates full of delicacies I'm not likely to cook myself. The whole beach house/summer cottage allure escapes me, and so I'm far from a fan of most of the OBX accommodations anyway. But things are out of hand in the Kitty Hawk/Kill Devil Hills/Nags Head corridor.

I know that a lot of people will disagree with my assessment, but I'm calling it as I see it.

Surely there's a way to mix people into the oceanfront experience without creating such a mess of it. Just my $.03.

dragging people kicking and screaming…

into the modern era.

This little tidbit is from Roll Call. Apparently, the Democrat majority in the House is keeping Republicans from mailing out a review of the healthcare legislation to their constituency.

Not altogether unsurprising to me that this kind of BS is playing out, or that all of a sudden the Dems are insisting on enforcing rules within the House. Fine. I don't want anyone spending anymore money up there anyway.

But someone really ought to tell the GOP that there's cheap, easy, and effective ways to get the word out that DON'T involve the franking rules.

You know, like… um… email blasts… (ahem) bloggers… social networking sites… 

I'm just sayin'.

I'm only concerned now because I just mashed my freaking toe against the leg of the computer table and I might actually have to invoke my own insurance…. @#$%.

other random thoughts:

I like this yogurt. Cherry cobbler flavor. Not bad for a midnightish snack.

I think it's time HSH got paid. She has been working her behind off at the store. No, nothing to violate child labor laws, just little things that she can do to keep her from going stark raving bonkers from boredom. She's been labeling new stock (some new Misti Alpaca Chunky, including three colorways of the Tonos alpaca/merino mix we're testing out. More books. Also, Knit Kits are back in white AND black.), taking out the trash (supervised, of course, since she's too short to open the dumpster), and putting back chairs from the knit night. Stuff like that. She's a great helper. Tonight, I took her for ice cream after the store closed. It was a perfect night to sit outside, eating chocolate (HSH) and black raspberry (me), watching the faraway lightning from storms over the Eastern Shore. Humid, but not suffocating; hot, but not uncomfortably so; windy, but not ferociously. 

@#$%. I just banged my sore toe again. Stupid effing table leg.

I'm engaged in a mini-war with the city. More specifically, with the deputy city manager, who makes boxes of rocks look intellectually monufriggingmental next to his own visage. The issue at hand is minor -- just voiced my opinion -- but the war ensuing due to the toady's condescending attitude has only JUST begun. More details as events warrant.

I still have to come up with some sort of handout for my magic loop class. I suppose I could use Jen's -- she said I could -- but her way and my way are somewhat different and I'm more comfortable teaching my way. Actually, that's a misnomer. I'm not comfortable with the idea of teaching anyone how to do anything. Quite frankly, I suck at it. HSH only knows how to do things, I'm convinced, because she's smart enough to figure them out for herself. But there are four people signed up for this class and I suppose it'd be bad form for me to suddenly come down with a six-week case of appendicitis or something. @#$%.

I seem to be saying that a lot tonight. Well, @#$% that. I'm going to bed. I have some other things to say, mostly regarding our little daytrip on Wednesday, but that will wait until I'm a tad more organized. G'night.

hee hee hee… snort… bwahahahahaha…

a face only a mother could love:

This is one ugly-ass tomato. But looks aren't everything. Especially when aided by a little basil and olive oil.

…oh… this is rich…

"The time for talking is over," sez the Anointed One.

"…a blogger from Maine said he kept running into an Investors Business Daily article that claimed Section 102 of the House health legislation would outlaw private insurance. He asked, 'Is this true? Will people be able to keep their insurance and will insurers be able to write new policies even though HR3200 is passed?' President Obama replied, 'You know, I have to say that I am not familiar with the provision you are talking about.' "

Say what?

Dude. If you're going to executive-order people around, at least know what the f**k you're talking about.

(I like the bit at the end about how Congress will communicate now that "talk is through." I did snort.)

also, please enjoy:

Comic relief from the VPOTUS. At least he didn't… er… who knows, with Joe. Gravitas be damned, I guess. And people still think Sarah's stupid.

for thought…

I'm going to post a link NOT (for once) to be inflammatory, but just to share and generate some thought.

The article you'll find at this site is an opinion piece, written from a perspective I can never have. The author and I would likely agree on very little in real life. Doesn't stop me from applauding her writing in this case, for sure. I wish it would have gotten wider distribution. 

While the article itself is interesting, please do read on through the comments that follow. They illustrate the whole ideological gap perfectly. They demonstrate in a neat little nutshell how little people actually listen and comprehend what they hear and read. Fortunately, the blog's owner is perfectly able to defend himself and the points of view expressed in the column. So do read on to the end; it's very enlightening.

___

Okay, I'm not too thrilled with his comments about Ayn Rand, but that's neither here nor there.

flatlining

That's essentially what will happen on many, many levels if this gets passed. Read for yourself the newest monstrosity to grace the halls of Congress:

HR3200: America's Affordable Health Choices Act.

I've read the 4-page PDF summary, and I plan to re-read it again later in order to better digest it. (Pepto® at hand just in case, of course.) I'm… well, I'm depressed.

Taking its cues from MassCare (thanks, Karen, for the details on that one) amongst other bad ideas, this bill would "cover" everyone in the country whether they want it or not. It will penalize you if you don't want coverage of some kind -- either private or public. It will penalize small businesses, forcing them to do what formerly was optional in providing plans, and only allowing an out for the very smallest of businesses. It will punish achievers, even those relatively modest of "the rich," by making them fork out even more of their hard-earned money in order to cover those who refuse to pay for themselves. It will eventually quash private sector competition. It will expand the deficit by increasing spending on Medicare and Medicaid. It will reduce the availability of specialized medical practitioners by forcing medical students into general practice programs. It will base available and sanctioned care on the fallacy that's broken the back of private insurance companies -- well-care and health maintenance in order to lower the risk of more serious disease.

Oh, and it promises to prevent waste, fraud and abuse and simplify the administrative end.

BWAHAHAHAHAHA…

It will also cost $1 trillion (that's "trillion" with a "T").

I fail to understand how anyone can truly think this is a good idea.

It's time to rattle the cage and make those phones ring. Your congressman needs to hear from you now.

Late Edit: Even the Washington Post is reporting on this, begging for a bit of common sense in this matter. Now I've seen everything.

____

Hat tip to the boyz at the 1776 Project.

you know you want some.

Here's to eating locally. It don't get any closer than your own backyard.

 

Pulled from the ground and turned into this:

Oh yeah. You know you want some.

back to stitching.

I know many of you are relieved by this development.

you don't know the half of it.

Look, I'm not thrilled by it, either. I just got the blood pressure to come back down; I don't need a bunch of professional shysters to drive it back up. Anyway, enough of that for a while, okay?

okay.

Good. I've been trying to work down the UFOs around here. The trouble is that I have so little time to actually work on anything. Add to that the recent history of dips in the frog pond for at least two of those projects, and you can see how things have backed up. 

So let's review what we do have going on:

Project #1: The hooded sweater.

This was supposed to be Terra. It was frogged when I measured it and found that it would fit my nine-year old niece. I still think the pattern is flawed. Progress is not advancing as fast as it previously had been, and I'm not sure why, except that temperatures in the high 80s really don't make knitting with wool all that appealing.

Project #2: The summer tank top.

Originally using a different yarn and ending up in this Cascade Cotton Rich, I've started and scrapped at least seven different patterns and figured that I'd stick with what I know works: Sahara. I plan to adapt this to a v-neck versus the fancy trim that the pattern calls for. I think.

Project #3: Swallowtail Shawl.

Still pretty much in the ramenesque state, although I have finally figured out what I didn't get about the first lily-of-the-valley chart and am now headed for home. It'll get done soon enough now.

Project #4: Cachoeira.

Still can't pronounce it, which makes it interesting when people ask you what pattern this is. I'm also thinking that I will not have enough yarn to complete the pair for myself. Maggie? Like what you see?

It is a lovely stitch pattern.

Project #5: Hedgerows.

It's hard to prove in this picture, but this sock design was made for this yarn. This is the first time I've actually knit with Cascade Heritage and I'm loving it. The sock is also practically knitting itself. I don't remember the last pair going quite so fast.

Project #6: The Project to Be Named Later.

I still haven't figured out what the hell to do with this yarn. I'm leaning toward Beverly's suggestion of RPMs, but I'm still open to suggestions.

so you've just been sitting at home, knitting.

No, I haven't. I've been working. I've also been taking HSH out and about.

all the way to the grocery store and back, eh? what fun.

Just because you don't get out very often….

Despite the fact that I've become slightly agoraphobic as of late, I do get the urge to go places. Finding ourselves all with the same day off, we climbed into the Cruiser and headed for the Botanical Garden. 

woo. what a fun place for a five-year old. yahoo. plants.

Obviously you've never been. There's a lot of things to see at the gardens. Fountains, flowers, tree, statues, and the World of Wonders exhibit. That's great. Kid-sized gardens built with themes to teach about different climate zones. Dirt boxes free for the digging. A "garden shed" to play in. And water fountains that are MEANT to be run through. HSH was a little worried about getting her dress wet, but we just told her to go play and get drenched. She's dry out soon on such a sunny day. Let's just say that she got over the initial misgivings.

The Botanical Gardens butt up right to the airport, and there's an observation "deck" on the berm separating the two properties. We stayed up there for quite a while, listening to the ATC chatter and watching the planes taxi around and take off. (I find this fascinating. Of course, that may have something to do with the fact that I took the air traffic controller test twice. I really was interested in the job.) We listened to the chatter between a departing Southwest jet and the tower, and watched the jetway pull back from the plane. The plane turned to taxi by us and for some reason, I looked in the cockpit as it drove past. The pilot was waving to us. With all the things that the pilot has to worry about in the departure sequence, he still took the time to greet a little girl, even from a distance. That was cool. And yes, I did write to customer service to commend the pilot.

And y'all should be proud of HSH. We went to a Japanese restaurant for dinner tonight and she tried a little bit of everything without protest and of her own choice. Okay, she wasn't overly keen on the tuna sashimi, but the California roll, miso soup and shrimp tempura were quite the hit. Next stop, dim sum.

you'll have to leave the house for that.

Nope. Got a great cookbook from the library. If the shumai recipe passes muster, I shall cook up a bunch of dumplings and get her totally hooked. Heh.