first?

That's a great point, Joel. If there were nothing more to his success than steroids, the place would be lousy with players breaking hitting records.

Still, what a shame that Bonds sacrificed his reputation and the opportunity to truly inspire for numerical records. Because my son thinks Bonds is a joke. You know who he really admires? Ryan Zimmerman.

Slate has an interesting article on the way baseball recalibrates itself.

http://www.slate.com/id/2171729/

It also references the famous Stephen Jay Gould, who singe-handedly made me appreciate baseball.

May Barry Bonds*' name be grouped with the likes of Karen Konig* and Catherine Menschner*. Of course, these East German athletes were deliberately misled into thinking they were swallowing vitamins. May Bonds* be forgotten decades from now--or remembered as a disgace to the sport of baseball.

SCC "single handedly." "Singe-handedly" sounds real painful.

As Martooni said, Barry Bonds must have attended the Dick Cheney school of fan relations. But, he did outperform the other cheaters so * or not he should be a hall of famer.

It does make me think of Mr. F's childhood collection of baseball cards and other sports ephemera. The 9 year old Mr. F wrote to many hall of fame players and for his trouble received autographs on their hall of fame cards. They sent him these cards at no charge, not even a SASE, and he never thought of how much they might one day be worth. He has them still.

On the culinary front. Chez Frostbitten North has a new coffee maker. This "brew station deluxe" brews and holds coffee so that it may be dispensed one handed, thus giving me what I've always wanted- GAS STATION COFFEE AT HOME!

From the last kit-If the rewilders want to put their creatures in depopulating areas they better consult Starbucks first. Yes! Even better than the brew station deluxe, as of August 20 we will have a Starbucks just 42 miles away in "town."

Frostbitten - we also own a "brew station deluxe." Keep an eye on the little washer inside the tank, or you will end up with gas station coffee all over your kitchen floor.

To me the criticism that Bonds has not been good to the fans is especially damming.
These guys aren't curing cancer or saving the environment. They play a game. The only value they have to society, beyond that whole bread and circuses thing, is to inspire. And to fail to be good to the fans undercuts that - perhaps even more than the steroids.

frostbitten, I have one of those coffee machines as well, I really enjoy it.

When I was young I was a huge sports fan, and until my early twenties I wanted to be involved in sports journalism. The years between my youth and my early twenties we a long process of losing my love of watching a wide variety of sports.

I clearly remember the 1976 Olympics and telling my friends I would not see them for 3 weeks as I would be watching the Olympics - that year one of our club mates from swimming was on the Canadian team. I was 9 and that was one of the most exciting times I recall from that period. I also recall our girls being dwarfed by the E. German swimmers and the comments about the east germans using drugs.

Strikes, drugs, and attitudes of athletes all took their toll and I have lost much of the joy of watching sports. I still love international competitions and the odd sporting events but the passion has faded.

SCC I am in denial I was 13 in 1976.

The Dave Sheinin piece is some great writing. Makes me realize one of the things I miss about my mom is talking about the articles in the Post sports section.

Pacifica... were you at the game? Very cool.

Speaking of great writing.. already going off topic here, what a surprise... I'm finally reading Middlesex. Wow. Great book. Some of the sentences and paragraphs I read again just because the writing is so good.

CP, from last boodle - Northern Ireland was colonized by lowland Scots in the first half of the 17th century. See James G. Leyburn, The Scotch Irish A Social History:

http://www.amazon.com/Scotch-Irish-History-James-G-Leyburn/dp/0807842591/ref=sr_1_1/103-6984280-5767035?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186582293&sr=8-1

It says a lot about this book, published in 1962, that it's still in print. Excellent telling of the history. I'm interested because this is the story of my mother's family.

I got home too late to see the homerun live, but it was a shot. I think it went 435 ft. and it was a good game. I saw the giants take the lead against a drawn in infield and then the Nats got 4 to retake the lead. And hold on for the win.

Despite the steroids era, I still love the game. Nothing finer then listening to a game on the radio though.

I am glad Bonds got his dinger, now we can get along with the pennant races and the playoffs. Somebody just needs to slow down the Damn Yankees.

RD-thanks for the heads up. This coffee maker is a replacement for another manufacturer's "grind and brew" we retired for leaking. (It was time, a plastic latch broke 2 years ago so I had engineered a work around just to get it to brew.)

dmd-a couple years of taking weekend box scores for the Grand Forks Herald disabused me of my sports journalism desires. But wasn't it grand to love it so much once?

But wasn't it grand to love it so much once? writes Frosti.

Yes. But look what the young 'ems are asked to love....sigh.

Slyness: weren't you the "poster" of the Sean Connery pic? Either way, you have revealed yourself, perhaps, as a lover of the kilt.

RD -- JA's new kit obscured the kilt challenge before you. Will you or won't you? Answer and then pass the caber to BC or EF or GWE or any of the fine gents here.

Rocco Forte, the Minneapolis disaster management coordinator is on MPR right now describing how/why the city was able to respond so quickly and effectively to the bridge collapse.

From the Minneapolis Star Tribune:

"Rybak said Forte has been dogged in pushing training for all involved in potential disasters. Forte concedes that his insistence on repeated run-throughs of varying scenarios griped some people in the emergency responder ranks.

Weakness found, then fixed

A key point in upgrading the ability to respond to a major disaster in the city was several days of training at a federal emergency operations center in Virginia in 2002. Some 70 people from multiple jurisdictions attended.

Coincidentally, one weakness identified there was how the city would deal with a collapsed structure. So Forte led the effort to add $3 million worth of equipment that paid off last week. Those responding to the bridge disaster had cameras to peer into crevices, listening devices, saws to rip through concrete and metal, and hydraulic equipment."

I think you'll have to register to read it all:

http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1349906.html

I agree, Bonds would have been a Hall of Fame player without the juice. But I'd say he did more to harm baseball, long-term, than Pete Rose did.

Good morning, all.

I wonder if Bonds *really* understands why people aren't making as much of a fuss over his #756 as we did over Aaron's hitting #715?

Joel and others have hit some of those reasons on the head over the past few days, but I think that Bonds will wear his suspiciously large Home Run King crown without a lot of satisfaction. Perhaps he'll have time to become philisophical about it after he retires, and hand over a much smaller crown to A-Rod or whoever breaks his record...

bc

CP - here is a repost of my now embarrassingly off-topic comment:

If I were to show up wearing a tie of any kind my coworkers would throw me to the ground and physically remove it. (I'm not gonna make that mistake again.)

I don't know about the kilt, but given the reaction to the tie, I'm not gonna risk it.

That's the way it is with men. Anyone who seeks to look different in any way from the other men in the group invites suspicion. If all the guys wear suits and ties, you wear a suit and tie. If all the men wear jeans and polo shirts, it behooves one to do likewise.

When it comes to expressing individuality through clothing, women have far, far more freedom than do men.

CP, I wouldn't rule out wearing a kilt where it's appropriate.

RD gets first crack, though.

bc

Gas station coffee has a more technical name: Hot brown water.

dmd, I turned 14 in 76 and remember those Olympic games well. That was the year I fell in love with woman's gymnastics.

I grew up loving football, but then sometime in the late 80's just grew bored with it. I can still get excited now and then when the Eagles are having a good year but that's it. For the rest I like sports that only occur once every four years: Olympics and World Cup Soccer.

Ties? A decade ago, the one time I wore a tie to work was a giveaway that I was interviewing for a promotion.

Good dress shirts were abundant (Nordstrom was just a block away), but the only regular tie-wearer was a young IT guy who always had his shirt tails out.

Wore my kilt at my wedding, and other weddings I've participated in. I've always been fond of them.

But it was a little uncomfortable when my best friend's future mother-in-law spent a lot of time wondering why my sporran was furry rather than leather.

I'm sure it just comes from a lifetime of being associated with the military but men in suits have that "expensive and useless" look that Julia Roberts said of Richard Gere in Pretty Woman. I mean, the shoes alone are enough to crack me up. I should say that here in the frozen north where plaid flannel rules 9 months of the year the only people wearing ties are "from the government and here to help."

i'm a giants fan and a bonds fan. do i think he took steroids? yeah, probably did. do i think it diminishes his greatness as a player? a little. do i think he should be in the hall of fame? definitely, and without a * or other notation. breaking the record doesn't take away from the awesome accomplishment of aaron nor does it take away from who aaron was or what he had to deal with because of the times he played in. it's a shame that it's only in light of the controversies around bonds that you now hear so much about aaron. he deserved the respect and accolades before bonds started the chase, he deserves them now. but so does bonds.

Barry Bonds is a fraud and, as he continues to prove, a jerk. I'm not sure this will work, but it's a good idea...

http://www.letsbuytheball.org

I'm assuming we need a Front Page Alert...

:-)

Good for you, Dooley. I think CPBro#3 wore this at his stealth wedding recently. I will ask.

Frosti-- that contrived useless look! Laughing! We ladies are familiar with that impulse.

RD -- men patrol the borders of style-conformity zealously. You do not have many choices, really. Women experience much for latitude; HOWEVER, in the sniping (and snipping) that occurs across packs, one problem is our "rules" are much more subtle and open to interpretation.

Frosti -- have you and others laughed about the Chicos' adverts to us all? Women of a certain age who shun suits are supposed to adopt the Chicos-look. Mandatory is a set of chunky bead necklaces and earrings for each bright color outfit. The elastic waistbands are cleverly concealed....

On kit, at least once per day, like a vitamin:

steroid-use does not strenthen the eye-to-ball-follow-with-the-arms-extended-by-bat.

BUT, steroid-use adds the power surge once contact is made.

I cannot tell which variable drives homers more. I can say, that even on steroids, I would likely NEVER hit a ML home run. Recall that my mark of D in basketball reflects Fs at layup, dribble, passing, and free throws.

>Answer and then pass the caber to BC or EF or GWE or any of the fine gents here.

CP, I may have the legs for it but I don't think anyone's in danger of catching me wearing a kilt. Considering I have some background from every part of the old isles EXCEPT Scotland, it really wouldn't be proper.

What a shame!? How can people call this an acheivement? This is absolutely a national embarassment to baseball and the world. It just sends another message to the international community that Americans would do ANYTHING to win. Shame on you Barry Bonds and thank you so much for your example to our kids, our future leaders!

"...the fact of the matter is that Bonds has been at the center of the steroid controversy not because he abused them in any special way. It's because he's a lot better than everyone else."

Well, if he's a lot better than anyone else, why did he take performance-enhancing steroids?? He certainly didn't need to!

No one mentions Barry's many Golden Glove awards. He has been wonderful to watch for many years.

*inching towards the bunker with my peanuts and Cracker Jack*

:-)

Maybe he cheated, maybe not (he probably did). Only a few know for sure, and the rest is speculation until he makes an admission. And what is really the worst part of all this is that he would have been great without "performance enhancement." Unless the bottom falls out (conviction/jail/etc.), he will be in the Hall of Fame a few years from now. Baseball is a children's game loved by many adults. And our own children will often pick their heros from the ranks of men who play this children's game. We as parents can place in front of our kids those we see as examples of true greatness in the sport. Tom Glavine won number 300 and Alex Rodriguez hit number 500 a couple days ago. Craig Biggio got hit number 3023 yesterday. Do not forget, do not let our kids forget, that in sports there are still true heroes who deserve our admiration for the work they do.

I, for one, am profoundly disturbed by the deep implications of Gene Wojciechowski's dark insinuation that the bat was made of Canadian maple.

A little research reveal that the East German women's swim team did in fact take testosterone injections.

Another trivia bit: Princess Anne of the United Kingdom was the only female competitor not to have to submit to a sex test. She was a member of her country's equestrian team.

Which means she may have been the only virgin, oh wait, not the kind of test...

RD, we certainly are an ingenious breed :-)

Bonds and his Canadian maple bats.

http://www.baseball-bats.net/baseball-bats/maple/index.html

CP no kilt for me either,I don't have the legs for it and people are always saying I need to wear suspenders. So I don't think a kilt would be any better. But ya never know, I have been known to do some crazy things just for the fun of it.

Canadian Maple (syrup) Bats! Can I get a physicist here? Tell us the forces and motions and frictions in hitting.

Okay, crybabies. Listen up. It does not matter whether Barry Bonds might have taken steroids or not. People who talk about the "integrity" of baseball know absolutely nothing about the game. Since the 1920s, when the livelier ball was introduced, the office of the commissioner and the owners have been tampering with the game, from bringing in the outfield fences, to creating "pennant porches," to lowering the pitchers mound to sculpting baselines to keep balls that might go foul in fair territory. If the owners can "juice" the game to create more offense and fill more seats, why oh why can't ball players do the same thing -- and I'm not saying that Barry did, though others have admitted to steroid use. Basebal is entertainment, no matter what George Will or Boz say, a "pass time" as my father used to call it. It is a way to sit in a seat and enjoy yourself for a couple of hours on a hot summer day. Its players are not worthy of veneration, no matter what records they set or break, and it's time for people to grow up already. It's just a game!

CP, here is the story of Sam the man behind the Sam Bats (Maple), indeed physics was research in the process of designing the bats.

http://www.hitrunscore.com/sam-bat-maple-baseball-bat-biography.html

Bonds. Feh. That's all I have to say.

I think I have to do a wee bit of nit-picking on something Bertooch wrote in the previous kit: "we don't recognize sports superstars like Sadaharu Oh, just because he's not American."

It isn't that Oh isn't American; in fact, there are several Japanese and Korean players in the major leagues, and about a third of all our players are Hispanic, though I couldn't swear on their passport nationalities. So it isn't a question of Oh's nationality, but rather that he didn't play in the American major leagues. There no question whatsoever that Oh is a great player, and no question in my mind that he'd have had a great career here. That said, there's one thing we do know: Oh didn't get those home runs batting against the likes of Greg Maddox, Roger Clemens, Tom Glavine, Randy Johnson or Nolan Ryan. Would Oh have had 800-something homers here? No.

(Wikipedia lists players by nationality but I didn't actually count them, at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_Major_League_Baseball_Players_by_Nationality. But there are 16 countries represented besides the U.S. There are 15 Japanese players. I think these are 2005 numbers, but they do give an approximate idea. And anyway, with trades and injuries, any "current" number is going to flucuate somewhat no matter what.)

I can't think of any other American sport thatis as "foreign friendly" as modern baseball.

It a shame. Bonds would have made it into the HoF even without the steroids, just with lesser numbers.

From what I understand of steroid, if he wants to clear his name, he could submit to a blood test.

Scotty, I've got the A.C. turned on in the bunker, and the Gatorade on ice.

CP, I'm conflicted. Can one wear a kilt AND a thong at the same time? (Fashion-wise, I mean.) Or is going commando a requirement? Decisions, decisions...

I know one thing for d@mn sure: as a 17-year umpire as well as former player (and worse, a sometime catcher at that), I'm eternally grateful baseball players don't wear kilts. *shudders just thinking about it*

'Mudge, I think you've just hit on a sure-fire way to increase baseball's female viewing demographic.

:-)

Scotty, did you ever slide into a base or home plate and get a "raspberry" maybe 15 inches long? Now imagine the same slide in a skirt.

I didn't say it was practical, now did I???

Here is a look at Barry's career stats

http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/bondsba01.shtml

If he averaged just 25 HR over 22 years that would be? Plus 500 stolen bases,gold gloves, 7 MVP awards and all the flippin walks. He is a shoe-in for the HoF.

But I doubt 75,000 fans will show up for his induction as they did for Cal and Tony a couple of weeks ago. Those two guys just showed up for work everyday and did their jobs and did them well.

Oh, Mudge, thanks for the mental image of a face-first slide in a kilt.

I'm told by a reliable source that good Scots may indeed undergarment themselves in a kilt--boxers, tighty-whities, long underwear (as the season dictates)--you name it.

"Baseball is a beautifully designed game (sorry to sound like Boz or George Will) in which the dimensions of the diamond and the ballpark are carefully calibrated."

Um, all of the ballpark's have different dimensions; that's how you have "hitter's parks" and "pitcher's parks".

tee hee--bc said "crack" in the kilt context.

The notion that he should be in HoF because he's the best of the cheaters by a mile doesn't go down very easily. He probably would have made it the normal way, but he decided not to try. How about a Cheaters' HoF.

Excellent idea, LTL-CA!! Barry and Pete can be the founding members. *L*

can we go off topic now. all this bonds talk is boring me to tears. Maybe I'll just have to work instead...

Dooley,
How furry? Is your sporran made of horsehair?

http://kiltstore.net/browse/mens-wear/kilt-accessories/sporrans/pipers-sporrans.html?id=AC3KIBfs

Of course, the Persian lambswool sporran would be a lot softer to the touch.

It begs the question, "What's in your wallet?'

Canadian maple comes pre-corked.

Thanks for the Rhino Party link, dmd.

We could always switch to Garry "U.S." Bonda, omni...

:-)

Mudge, I've never worn my kilt commando--I find wool to be rather scratchy.

And I'll make no further comment on the furry sporran, except to say that it's big enough for a whiskey flask.

Hello all, I am having so much fun thinking about all the male boodlers in kilts playing baseball. This image is helping me get through my unusually heavily burdened workweek. Thanks :-)

SCC: Garry "U.S." Bonds, of course...

Mikem, the distances to the fences is the ONLY variable in a baseball field's dimensions; otherwise every other dimension is idential. The statement of "careful calibration" is overhwelming accurate in any regard other than fence distance. What it usually refers to is distance to the pitching rubber (60 feet 6 inches, which originally was a misprint, from Doubleday's sloppy handwritten, which said 60 feet 0 inches), and 90 feet between bases. These are the controlling dimensions that matter. And not only are they ironbound, they are also repeatedly checked and rechecked. If you mess with these distances you change the game far, far more dramatically than messing with the fences ever would.

No one should EVER be sorry to sound like Boz (Tom Boswell). Best pure baseball writer ever. And Will (when he pulls his head out of his butt and writes about baseball) isn't that bad.

Second Mudge's emotion/opine that Boswell is a great writer. And Will on B-ball is reasonable and I would sit next to him at a ball game.

Onmi -- are you a suspenders man as is GWE or are you a kilt guy? BC paints himself in blue woad and drums in the woods.....

I was wondering what that noise was, CP...

:-)

And, you Snuke, are you a pocket-protector man? Do tell.

Well, we know what's in Barry Bonds' sporran- not much, if the rumors about the side effects of steroids are true.

My pockets are totally unprotected, CP.

Loomis, the sporran page pretty much sunk any hope of keeping my lunch down after Mudge's 12:24.

Just when I was getting over the whole notion of Mrs Thatcher, and Mrs. Clinton having cleavages...

Which explains why I never play quarterback, I guess...

Serious business, for a moment...

Breaking news that a third British cattle herd will have to be culled (euphemism for killed) because of spreading foot and mouth disease south of London.

Investigators have not been able to pinpoint if the virus escaped from the British lab Pirbright or the private vaccine manufacturer Merial's facility--adjacent to Pirbright.

Tossed out overnight were the theories that the virus may have been spread on the wind or by water, given Britain's recent flooding rains.

In now are two new theories --a lab employee working his allotment, or garden, or possibly an act of sabotage.

The following link below has good, breaking-news coverage--with a hard-to-look-at photo of the cull and an EXCELLENT map showing all the hotspots. NYT had an op-ed this morning on the outbreak, as well as continuing prominent dot.com coverage. Reporter Jane Perlez is doing an outstanding job. The WaPo zippo. Our local paper featured the story at the beginning of the week on page A3, but provided only two grafs on A11 this morning.

Brian Williams said last week that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown had been tested in his first weeks in office by fire (Glasgow-terrorism) and water (floods). Now apparently by virus, since he's has five meetings with his COBRA emergency team since last Saturday over this foot and mouth outbreak--a far better handling of the situation than Tony Blair ever mustered in 2001.

Interesting, too, in my reading this morning, I learned that Plum Island got its foot and mouth strains for research from Pirbright, brought to the Plum Island from England on a Navy ship. The author noted early on that Plum Island's cause celebre is FMD. Interesting, too, that Merial in Britain is half-owned by Merck. Chemist George Merck had quite a hand in setting up Fort Detrick, Md. I also learned that the type O strain that they're dealing with in Britain is quite virulent.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23407349-details/Foot+and+mouth+outbreak+at+third+farm+raises+new+fears/article.do

Cp It has been suggested that I wear suspenders, I do not, but maybe I should to hide my plumbers aura that seems to plague so many men.

As a follow up to yesterdays discussion, just saw this article, Police in Niagara Falls, Ontario are attempting to locate a 700 lbs Grizzley that got loose (OOPs).

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070808/grizzly_bear_080807/20070808?hub=Canada&s_name=

no suspenders here. no kilt, no sporran, no thong, briefs not boxers, never commando, belt only when I need to, no tie of any kind. I think that covers it...

Pretty good coverage, omni, except you left off your pants and shirt.

Raysmom, thanks for your 12:40, I was wondering if anyone was going to shag fly balls like that.

bc

Oddly, no matter how much foot-in-mouth shows up among the presidential candidates, no one seems able to cull that particular herd.

" I think that covers it..."

omni... doesn't sound like much is covered at all!

Amen to that K-guy, though is a group of presidential candidates a herd . . .
based on their "mascots" the democrats could be a herd or a pace or a drove, I guess and I do so like a memory of elephants for the republicans (the more distant the better), though they could also be a parade or a herd.

I am sure others more creative than I, can come up with more interesting names for groups of presidential candidates though.

Hey, CP, I *do* love the kilt. I actually own one I bought on High Street in Edinburgh in 1972. It's a Black Watch, and floor length. IIRC, I paid the equivalent of $20US for it.

Hey, lurkgineer, how about a "sirocco" of presidential candidates? (A hot, dry irritating wind.) I was working on "a Santa Ana of presidential candidates," but I think the syntax could be difficult. (Same basic meaning.)

For Republicans, "elephanta" works two ways: "A strong southerly or southeasterly wind which blows ... during the months of September and October and marks the end of the southwest monsoon. "Mistral" might also work for them: "A cold, dry wind blowing from the north over the northwest..." blah blah. I could go with "white squall," too.

I suspect the Hilary controversy re: decolletage and Robin Givhan might be considered a "haboob": "A strong wind and sandstorm (or duststorm) .... The name come from the Arabic word, "habb", meaning wind."

Or maybe that's a poor choice, I dunno.

from http://ggweather.com/winds.html

I have a brother who wears a kilt on all formal occasions -- Royal Stuart, by way of clan Forbes, to which we have some allegiance. He took to it originally when he refused to wear a suit for any reason. He will now occasionally wear a suit, but still prefers the kilt. And I must say, he looks magnificent in it. He's one of those big black Scots, not the pear-shaped red ones.

...although I understand they call the rain Tess, and the fire is Jo, and they call the wind Maria. Never quite figured that one out.

I fell like such an idiot, sitting here all alone giggling over "haboob." Which I presume is pronounced "HA! Boob!"

Nellie, you weren't giggling alone.

Thanks Mudge, definitely laughing about those, though I could probably do without additional Hilary cleavage images in my mind.

Just read an email alert asking all on campus to reduce energy use NOW, until further notice. The risk of a Pepco rolling black or brown out over east and north of the city is a real possibility.

Yoki -- loved reading this from you:

"...one of those big black Scots, not the pear-shaped red ones."

My darling (departed) mother descends from a long line of extremely tall and dark (illegally so) Wexford families. Nearly all sport gaelicized French or Breton names. So, tis partly Froggie in there too. NONE of my sibs inherited this look. We are all gingery-red; not pear-shaped in our middle-to-dotage, but tend to resemble the apple.

However, all the gents have calves befitting the kilt. And, unlike the tall, dark, and devlish cousins, we tend to keep the hair, taking it to the grave. The others, look like Sean Connery. Not that there is anything wrong with tha.

Good stuff here about winds, from the novel The English Patient:

http://library.thinkquest.org/C001323/data/extracts.html

There is a whirlwind in wouthern Morocco, the aajej, against which the fellahin defend themselves with knives. There is the africo, which has at times reached into the city of Rome. The alm, a fall wind out of Yugoslavia. The arifi, also christened aeref or rifi, which scorches with numerous tongues. These are permanent winds that live in the present tense.

There are other, less constant winds that change direction, that can knock down horse and rider and realign themselves anticlockwise. The bist roz leaps into Afghanistan for 170 days - burying villages. There is the hot, dry ghibli from Tunis, which rolls nd rolls and produces a nervous condition. The haboob - a Sudan dist storm that dresses in bright yellow walls a thousand metres high and is followed by rain. The harmattan, which blows and eventually drowns itself into the Atlantic. Imbat, a seabreeze in North Africa. Some winds that just sigh towards the sky. Night dust storms that come with the cold. The khamsin, a dust in Egupt from March to May, named after the Arabic word for "fifty", blooming for fifty days - the ninth plague of Egypt. The datooi out of Gibraltar, which carries fragrance.

There is also the secret wind of the desert, whose name was erased by a king after his son died within it. And the nafhat - a blast out of Arabia. The mezzar-ifoullousen - a violent and cold southwesterly known to Berbers as "that which plucks the fowls." The beshabar, a black and dry northeasterly out of the Caucasus, "black wind." The Samiel from Turkey, "poison and wind," used often in battle. As well as the other "poison winds," the simoom, of North Africa, and the solano, whose dust plucks off rare petals, causing giddiness.

Other, private winds.

Travelling along the ground like a flood. Blasting off paint, throwing down telephone poles, transporting stones and statue heads. The harmattan blows across the Sahara filled with red dust, dust as fire, as flour, entering and coagulating in the locks of rifles. Mariners called this red wind the "sea of darkness". Red sand fogs out of the Sahara were deposited as far north as Cronwall and Devon, producing showers of mud so great this was also mistaken for blood. "Blood rains were widely reported in Portugal and Spain in 1901."

There are always millions of tons of dust in the air, just as there are millions of cubes of air in the earth and more living flesh in the soil (worms, beetles, underground creatures) than there is grazing and existing on it. Herodotus records the death of various armies engulfed in the simoom who were never seen again. One nation was "so enraged by this evil wind that they declared war on it and marched out in full battle array, only to be rapidly and completely interred."

That must be some "whirlwind in wouthern Morocco"!

And also the Alpine föhn, which is blamed for everything from crankiness to migraine to psychotic episodes. When I was a kid in Switzerland, there was a court case in which a murderer's defense amounted to "the föhn made me do it."

Datooi - a fragrant wind? We talking methane again?

:-)

CP-As I near 50 I've decided to make my style mark by not wearing bright colors. Chicos just makes me more militant about it.

Thanks CP. The men in my mother's line who took after her Scots grandfather are all ginger and pear-shaped (though quite good-looking) and those who resemble her grandmother, tall and massive and dark (perfect for a kilt). It becomes complicated by my father's black Irish (willowy and dangerous-looking) heritage. I, sadly, got the pudgy-pear shape but the Irish dark hair, blue eyes and white skin (love the colouring, the shape not so much). I expect, when I arrive in Dublin in November, to see a lot of people who look like me.

'the solano, whose dust plucks off rare petals, causing giddiness.'

Maybe that's what happens to the boodle some days!

Then there's the "kamikazi," the "divine wind," so named for a typhoon that destroyed an invading Mongol fleet before it got to Japan in 1281 A.D.

Me, I'm goin' back to "Maria."* I love the way Bob Shane sings it on the Kingston Trio "Live From the hungry i"** album.***

*A.k.a. "They Call the Wind Maria."****
** Lowercase "hungry i" is correct.
***Album: Archaic. Similar to 8-track, also archaic. See CD-ROM. Refers to a vinyl disc turning at 33 1/3 r.p.m. on a device with a photo of a dog with his ear turned to a megaphonic device.
**** Lyrics by Alan J. Lerner, music by Frederick Loewe; also the source of Mariah [sic] Carey's first name

Datooi, the wind that dare not speak its name. Is this breaking news of a startling wind, or startling news of breaking wind? And as an aside, those of you wishing to see flatus ignited on screen, check out Werner Hertzog's "Stroszek." The flamethrower scene is early in the film which is by turns funny and tragic, but has one of the best closing lines in the history of film. "We have a 10-80 (police code for an explosion) out here, a truck on fire, we have a man on the lift. We are unable to find the switch to turn the lift off and we can't stop the dancing chicken. Send an electrician. We're standing by..."

Yoki -- loved reading this from you:

"...one of those big black Scots, not the pear-shaped red ones."

My darling (departed) mother descends from a long line of extremely tall and dark (illegally so) Wexford families. Nearly all sport gaelicized French or Breton names. So, tis partly Froggie in there too. NONE of my sibs inherited this look. We are all gingery-red; not pear-shaped in our middle-to-dotage, but tend to resemble the apple.

However, all the gents have calves befitting the kilt. And, unlike the tall, dark, and devlish cousins, we tend to keep the hair, taking it to the grave. The others, look like Sean Connery. Not that there is anything wrong with tha.

Yoki -- you can pass as Dublin-born, easily. Just don't open your mouth and no one will know that you are not native.

Colm Toibin comes also of that dark line, however, he is only average hieght. His hair has been MIA for a long time.

Those black Irish -- illegally handsome! And the women so winsome, you too, with that buttermilk and ebony look. My gingery brothers are powerless for that combination. Aha! They would be looking for their mother. Freud was right!

Frosti -- another woman who says fie on Chicos....I was given a gift certificate two years ago, and had hard time giving it away to anyone who wanted the stuff.

All this talk about Paint Your Wagon! Let us recall with suitable incredulity that Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood played roles in that musical. Lee Marvin sings "I Was Born Under a Wandring Star."

Only in America (or Western Canada!).

Where did that repeat post come from? Shall we blame the heat?

"Paint Your Wagon" AAAAAAAAUUGH! The Horror! The Horror!

Then there is the Yellow Wind:

http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/6316/newsDate/10-Apr-2000/story.htm

SOUTH KOREA: April 10, 2000

SEOUL - South Korea, battling outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease, warned farmers on Friday to protect their herds from "yellow wind" from China which it said may be a culprit in spreading the infection.

The wind comes every spring, bringing desert sand and industrial pollutants from China across the Yellow Sea to Korea and Japan, environmentalists say.
"Yellow wind is among the causes we are investigating," the agriculture ministry said in a statement. "With forecasts of yellow wind, we thought it best to advise farmers to be careful."

Don't think I've ever seen a double-posting 44 minutes apart before. Interesting.

I'm rather fascinated with the fact that Joel, wherever he is (presumably at home), can quickly lay his hands on "The English Patient" and knows it well enough that he can draw out of it that long quote on winds. (I assume he's at home, unless he has a copy of it in the office, which, having seen his desk, is both possible but unlikely he could actually put his hands on it.)

I'd have quoted Raymond Chandler: "Those hot dry winds that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks. Anything can happen."

I'm not a Chico's fan either, CP, though I do like jersey and cotton knit. Too expensive and they don't carry petites. If I have to alter it, forget it. Though I did by a tee in there today, half price.

Awwwww, CP and K-guy, didn't you guys notice I carefully avoided all mention of "Paint Your Wagon"? I did, on purpose, you know. I'm not a sadist, after all. I like the song--not the whole &^%$#&^% musical.

Sheesh.

Tribute video to Lee Marvin. Stay with it to hear Lee Marvin's astonishing effective untrained basso-profoundo voice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqjSgMZ_CSo&mode=related&search=

Better than I remember. Really. Could do with out the cheesy backup vocals that sound like they rented a section of the Morman Tabernacle Choir.

BTW, the temp hit 102 at Washington National today. Seems to be 101 here now according to my desktop icon thingee. Wind chill factor makes it feel like the char-broil setting on my new grill.

We lost power (presumably a brownout) last night in Waldorf until 8 p.m.

Good grief! Next you'll be linking to Clint Eastwood singing "I Talk to the Trees", otherwise known as "the cinephile's Kryptonite."

President Bush was managing general partner of the Texas Rangers from 1989 until he was elected Executioner of Texas in 1994. Several former Rangers -- Ivan Rodriguez, Juan Gonzalez, Rafael Palmiero, and Jose Canseco -- are all alleged to have used, or have admitted to using, steroids while playing for Bush.

Old El Arbusto made a delayed phone call to Bonds today. Canseco authored a book about the prevalence of steroids in baseball during the early 90s and pointed out that Bush must have known about the drug use in the clubhouse. George Junior, born with a silver coke spoon in his mouth, has denied that Fredo covered up his drinking and driving.

Slyness, in our spare time -- with Frosti -- we would develop a clothing line based on jersey, with subtle patterns that flatter as needed; conceal as needed, etc. (the comfort and forgiveness of knit!)....fire retardant, to boot!

The sad part of this is that Bonds was so talented, but I suppose that ego got caught up in the Sosa/McGuire/home run record races. Without juice he'd have still probably been around 650, but he reduced himself to Big Pappa Pump or Hulk Hogan of professional wrestling by taking steroids; in other words, the record now belongs to a circus freak.

For two weeks now "the Koreans" have been on my schedule at the insistence of a colleague who is basically my mayoral counterpart in tribal circles. The group's arrival was deemed so important that a messenger was dispatched this morning to stop by my house and make sure I was still available. I arrived at the appointed place and time only to be greeted as if meeting the mayor was as much an honor as the president himself granting an audience. Before I knew what was happening I was whisked away to receive a manicure and a very gentle "sharing of Christ's love." Still recovering from the blinding camera flashes and hand shaking. The Koreans have departed for a softball game and a tour of an historic logging camp and I'm left thinking about their brethren in Afghanistan.

Mudge... thanks to iTunes, the word "album" is being used again. Which makes sense, since it has nothing to do with the physical being of the collection. It's an album of songs.

Remember the Simpsons' version of Paint Your Wagon?

Paint Your Wagon {nh}

Gonna paint our wagon,
Gonna paint it good,
We ain't braggin',
We're gonna coat the wood.

Chorus:
They're gonna paint their wagon,
gonna paint it good,
they ain't braggin',
they're gonna coat the wood.

[pause]

I'm gonna paint this wagon,
I'm gonna paint it fine,
I'm going to use oil-based paint
because this wood is pine.
Ponderosa Pine!

*giggling again* bc, you said "shag" in your 1:48.

We're at 90 with a heat index of 97. 52% humidity is much better than the 93% we had this morning, but it's still miserable.

Needless to say, not much work being done in the shop right now. It's kinda hard to stain and lacquer something when you're dripping sweat all over it. I also discovered that under these conditions, lacquer has a tendency to pool instead of leveling off.

btw... I'm back to zero on the sobriety counter and probably going to stay there for a while. I'm also not planning on mentioning it again because I'm tired of sounding like a broken record and giving recovery and AA a bad name. I'd *like* to quit drinking, but I really don't *want* to, so I'm just going to shut up about it.

So how about them Nats?

3 red line Metro stations are closed (DuPont Circle, Woodley Park & Cleveland Park) due to a suspicious package.

Looks to be a fun commute home.

101 degrees currently, feels like 104.

CP, I love the idea! We could make fabulous clothes...

NOT running to the bus. Walking, slowly, staying in shadows wherever possible.

Just remember, Martooni, my prior posts about "controlled alcoholics." Those of us to just don't want to stop, but know enough to keep in under control.

Mudge writes, 'I'm rather fascinated with the fact that Joel, wherever he is (presumably at home), can quickly lay his hands on "The English Patient"...'

Yeah, it's a remarkable thing I've invented, Mudge, called Google.

And "who" become prepositionally challenged after a few beers.

Joel will next be stalking the Gore claim to invention of the internet.

Yeah, my dad was one of those controlled alcoholics. He spent years gradually destroying his brain. It was so much fun to observe. He used to wander outside in the middle of the night stark naked to take potshots at the birds. Finally he became so disoriented that wandered out in front of a speeding car. They had to remove half his skull to let the brain swelling go down. Of course, there is a bright side. He finally stopped drinking.

Ad hominen object lessons, RD, are a stock in trade of rehabilitation programs. My favorite story is about the transactional analysis of AA groups that feast on lapsed members. It is when all have been dry that they all again begin to drink because that becomes the only basis for retaining the group dynamic.

martooni;

Just keep talking, dude. 'Cuz we care no matter what. *hugs*

:-)

Hey Shiloh,

Several kinds of hell-on-earth. At least two involve addiction.
Case A: The suffering of a person who struggles with addiction.
Case B: The suffering of people who are related to a beloved with a drinking problem. And, to think that they are related, these cases of suffering.

RD is not speaking as a AA person to another. He tells a true story about how drinking devasted his father and -- I expect his -- family. He is entitled to his irony. I expect it stings. It should.

Martooni: The day of drinking does not undo the days not drinking. The dry days stand. I hope that, eventually, the dry days will be something you like and want. Take care.

One uncle stopped drinking in his late sixties. Never too late. He missed out on lots. And many hearts were bruised, other than just his.

Mudge--if doing a baseball slide, dark plaid boxer briefs (and jockstraps) would definitely be a must under a kilt. Thongs wouldn't hold up under the friction, I would think.

Error Flynn, like your namesake, you should wear the appropriate manly Anglo-Saxon gear-- a tunic.

Brecs/ hose might be optional, and a suitable cloak goes well with tuxes, too
http://www.housebarra.com/EP/ep06/09anglodress.html

Frostbitten, while I agree on the lack of utility of those necknooses up north...

You're forgetting about the "Canadian tie"-- aka a scarf, cravat etc.

And I can't believe I'm actually writing about male "fashion." I have been infected with the givhanvirus, or was that the haboobvirus?

I have proposed, CP, RD, and Scotty, a "middle way." Nuke is the most supportive of the reactionaries, RD has imposed his personal angst, and you, CP, have failed to consider Case C.

Is Case C the moderate drinking path? That is a fine road to be on. That is my highway.

Shiloh, I don't want to ruffle feathers or be sanctimonious.

The middle path, a strategy valued in many codes, often works wonders. I think we agree on that.

I hear buddhism helps with the middle way. Taoism, (balance), epicurism, etc. also are good philosophies to embrace.

But if at heart, one likes to go from extremes to extremes, the middle path may be hard to walk.

Shiloh, how to put this?

For some of us who grew up with controlled or functional alcoholics, personal angst about liquor reverberates in our souls. It can strike us hard and deep and bring forth feelings which may be impossible to express without years of therapy, if then. Sometimes it takes you back to seemingly what you felt then, when you had no escape. I don't know that that's where RDP is coming from, but I think *imposed* is a word you might want to reconsider.

What do you really think Option C offers the family of a controlled alcoholic?

Can you actually impose angst? Look, my little story was just to remind people that one need not be a classic fall-down-and-drive-the-porcelain-bus alcoholic to do grave damage to both your body and your life.

Case C, CP, is indeed the moderate or (self) Controlled path. And we agree. I expected no less from you in understanding, and my expctation of Scotty was on target. RDs object lesson is not unwelcome, but there should be some sense of understanding of the human condition inherent in our personal experience.

I'm going to the gym to cool down from this, but I agree with RDP.

'Tis not for me to judge, nor to ask someone to do what they have said they are not willing to.

All I can do is listen and then try to understand.

This far too serious a disscussion for the heat wave you seem to be under.

Yesterday on my commute home, I passed a half ton truck with a heaping truck box full of buns. Hot dog buns, hamburger buns, submarine buns.

I'm fairly certain by the way they were tossed on the load that they were not for human consumption in their original form. What in heavens name would anyone do with that much bread?

Considering yesterdays mega fauna, my first thought was someone was stuffing a really really big bird.

Option C. dBG, offers the family of the acknowledged alcoholic an avenue for understanding that neither supports nor demonizes the disease, but proves that love conquers all.

The baseball topic reminded me of this treasure in "American Memory" at the Library of Congress:
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/bbhtml/bbhome.html

If you search on players, you will find one Dude Esterbrook, who played first base for the Indianapolis Hoosiers. Take a look at his uniform and moustache. Enjoy.

Off to water the flowers, again, and watch yet another moonflower unfold.

The other danger about "controlled alcoholism" is that chronic low-level drinking can also be used to both mask and self-medicate an underlying emotional problem.

In later years we figured out that my Dad was mildly bipolar, but his drinking made these cycles far, far worse.

So before one settles in to a life as a comfortable well-managed functional alcoholic, it might be prudent to make sure that demon rum is the only demon one has around.

My moonflowers are being coy. I have spoken softly to them, and tried to be a good listener, but so far they refuse to reward me with any blooms.

Of course, my moonflowers are adopted, and they might still be pinin' for their childhood home.

CP my garden desperately needs help drought and heat have taken their toll, as an eternal optimist I am holding out hope they will recover next year, in the mean time my neighbours have a lovely view of some dried up plants and a few that have been shorn of this years growth hoping the roots take hold. Not a pretty sight.

Shiloh, I was taught to love the person, hate the sin.

My friends have spoken to me somewhat of the pain incurred by being raised by alcoholics, functional or dysfunctional.

One in fact seemed to be heading down the same path herself despite knowing and hating alcoholism... she said alcohol was the only thing that killed the pain. She also had multiple suicide attempts and likely suffered from bipolar depression.

Think about it. She hated it, but she was drawn to it anyway-- not just the genetics, but also the daily message she got that alcohol somehow changes things.

Likewise, I had a friend start smoking at 13 because she lived with heavy smokers. She finally quit in her 20's.

My friends, being deaf, did not have the option of Al-Anon or Alteen or whatever support programs are out there for families of alcoholics, smokers, even parents dying of cancer.

Sure, the parents could "hide" those problems, but it takes a toll anyway.

All I can say is that I am everlastingly grateful I did not have to deal with those issues growing up, support groups or no.

I saw a program about the Lin family on TV last night on Recreating Eden.

http://www.everspringorchids.ca/index.htm

I thought of the gardeners among us. You cannot believe the flowers they develop. (also kind of megafaun-ish)

Familial dlagnostics, RD, are a popular anodyne for coping. Better, in my estimation, to directly address the issues, to not look for fault, but to deal with the condition at hand.

Maybe it is time to get back to the frivolity of the blog, but some see humor in the realities that a community of invisible friends may enounter as they address issues as friends.

dr - aren't orchids fascinating? I used to work with a guy whose wife raised them. When they went for vacation I would water the flowers and try, desperately, not to kill the orchids by my mere presence.

The orchids are indeed beautiful dr, indoor orchids have always intimidated me, I believe they need more care and attention than I generally provide my plants. My garden works only because I try to buy hardy plants that will survive my neglect, baring that I generally do a lot of replacing of "weaker" varieties. As such roses, orchids and anything to tempermental are not found in my garden - I just admire others.

Martooni, you know perfectly well that there is no such thing as controlled alcoholism. Why are you deluding yourself yet again?

You know what the answer is. Why are you running away from it? Why are you so afraid of changing in a positive way? What is so important about your little ego that you can't put it aside and acknowledge the truth? Every day that you keeping running and hiding, you make the damage greater and more difficult to repair. You know that.

I have always liked M. Scott Peck's definition of love: the will to nurture one's own or another's spiritual growth. He says it takes two forms: work, the act of listening, and courage, the act of changing to ensure that positive growth can occur. Does that make sense? Why aren't you loving yourself and your family? Do you understand the pain and hurt and damage you're doing?

Why are your little problems more important that loving your family?

Adults find the courage to acknowledge their problems and then find the help they need to solve them. When are you going to grow up and do that? Can you live with the consequences of being too cowardly not to?

I care enough to say this: Get up off your GD lazy, selfish a$$ and do what you have to do.

Just a thought for you, Martooni -- consider using us as a mirror, allowing you to see yourself -- however you see yourself at any period in time -- in the thoughts you write, in the quite possible anguish and disappointment you feel, in the exultation of triumph, one day at a time. And I understand that a mirror reflects what you give it, with no mask, and to that extent it may be something that, from time to time, you might want to throw a quilt over to hide it (and you, perhaps).

While, for myself, I would like you to continue to write about your struggles with alcohol, I understand why you don't want to. And, for myself, but presumably for others here, I don't want you to feel as if you're disappointing *us* along with yourself. We still have your back, and we will always be here lofting support right back at you. You have been telling us your stories for a reason, and we haven't abandoned you and we haven't thrown up our hands in disgust. We haven't lost sight of the value you bring, whether clouded by liquor or cloaked in your unrequited hopes and dreams. It ain't over yet, Martooni. Not for any of us.

Maybe in some respects, those of us who come from families which put the "fun" in dysfunctional, can relate to your struggles, whether we come from families with alcoholics or not. We have become the family we picked, and not the family we're stuck with -- and guess what? In that way, we don't have to deal with the family politics (that's the best part).

Do what you feel that you need to do. We're still here. And we'll still probably nudge you from time to time to let us know what number you're on. Because we're like that.

*hugs*

firsttimeblogger, that was so beautifully said.

Martooni I hope you can find the strength to love yourself enough to look after your health, you are a person with so much to give. I also wish for you the ability to see what we see in you, an amazingly bright, talented, creative and caring person. Those qualities are inherit in you not the alcohol.

Shiloh, it doesn't always.

Wow. This is a boodle full of heart. Amazing place, isn't it?

Martooni... ftb's right that we don't want you to feel like you're disappointing us. You're not. You're probably disappointing yourself more than anything.

We're offering you many things: a helping hand, a kick in the butt, a friendly ear... whichever one works is the one that works for you. How profound is that?

Stick around and keep us posted. The bottom line: we care about you.

Dmd, indoors orchid are indeed fincky creatures, I believe. However, every year around February there's an orchid show (at the U.S. botanical conservatory) in DC that I simply love... it's a refuge from the dry brittle winter.

The best of orchids, without the care or fuss. What could be better?

Roses may need some time to establish themselves, but many roses are far from being "coddled". All you need to do is prune them back so they don't take over the garden and fail to flower as they should.

I grew up with a wild-seed rambler rose-- a cross between a white and a red or pink rose that had a pink blush (and no really strong odor). That rosebush was over 8 feet long, nearly as wide, and as high. I believe one year it got 11 feet wide before I pruned it well back.

I used to prune it lightly, rake under it to remove thorns and branches, then put straw down and read under the rosebush.

I believe that rosebush helped to kill 3 trees in its proximity-- a japanese cherry, a dogwood, and a silk tree all died over 20 years but it lasted and thrived dark green and strong. Yeah, we had our japanese beetles, but some years seemed worse than others, and it always had hundreds if not thousands of roses ready for the picking.

Not all beauties are high-maintenance.

Wilbrod, you just reminded me of the roses that grew up our house when I was young - thank you. Beautiful climbers. In all honesty I am not a big fan of roses, I do like lavender roses though and bought a climber once that was ment to be very fragrant and lavender - it turned out to be red, single and not a showy bloomer - it did not last long in my garden. Like Rain Forest's sister I can be very impatient with plants.

"Not all beauties are high-maintenance."

Maybe not all, but most of us are.

TBG-- really, we could do with less, but why, when we deserve so much more?

And that is so true of the two of you! :-)

I on the other hand subscribe to the method taught to me by the mother of a childhood friend, no matter how you look, look in the mirror and say I am beautiful - even better do this with others around especially strangers.

That is another in my long list of rationalization for being a no fuss, low maitenance person. :-)

SCC no rationalization for spelling maintenance incorrectly however.

This whole conversation is making me crazy.

I just wrote a really long angry interventionist post, which I have deleted.

I won't post what I want to, but I will say that I think that Martooni and Shiloh are lying to themselves and others. There is a choice to be made.

There are consequences to be, and which will be, suffered no matter which choice you make.

Don't try to fool us, or rationalize the choice. There are too many of us who have been *exactly* there for you to believe that you can lie to us.

I have to vent on one of my peeves. It is NEVER, EVER 90 degrees and 90% relative humidity at the same time. Relative humidity is useless as a measure of mugginess because it means nothing without knowing the dry bulb temperature. Relative humidity is highest in the morning and late at night when the temperature is coolest (which is when most people are watching the weather on TV). It gets lowest mid-afternoon when the temperature is highest, but that is when the heat (and humidity) is worst.

If you are going to measure humidity, use dew point. It is currently a dew point of 73 degrees which is pretty durn humid. We don't need all these phony heat indexes and misery factors when we already have a perfectly valid well-reported number to measure humidity. If we really need a silly number that combines temperature and humidity, we should report enthalpy.

And thanks to Wilbrod, I have had random unwanted mental images of Hillary in an off-the-shoulder peasant blouse all evening.

I am thinking you would not be a fan of our "humidex" up here yello. Current temp 25c, dewpoint 17c, humidex 30c, humidity 63%. I must admit the only numbers that mean anything to me are the temp and humidex - sorry.

yellojkt, the one that cracks me up is when it's winter in Florida and they report something like, it's 69 degrees, but with the WIND CHILL FACTOR, it feels like 66. And they are totally serious.

dmd, I'm with you. But you can't argue with yello on the engineered "humidex" or "sundex" or "feeldex" or "forddex". He caught me out whilst you were on vacation, and I had to grovel.

I would remind our Murkin friends that us Canajans really aren't used to hot humid weather (except for Eastern Ontario residents in August), and so most any number sounds credible to us, after 28.

kbert, that is probably done for all the Canadian Snowbirds.

Last night was a good example here, it was not to hot yesterday as it rained for quite a while, but in the evening after the rain I went outside thinking it would be a pleasant 23c, only to find the humidity was around 90 something percent, not being used to using the dewpoint as a marker I can only relate to the fact that it was unpleasant and felt like 32c, or so Environment Canada told me.

Yoki I did happen to see that post of yours, 53 or 58 that is not a nice day. Highest recorded Humidex here was 50, I remember it well as I was pregnant that summer, I was not amused.

Barry Bonds just hit 757 into the cove - out of the park into the slough behind the park. Tons of kayaks and other small craft wait for out of the park balls.

TGB - I wasn't at the game - I'd heard there were no available tickets - I guess "got the ball dude" proved that report erroneous. Lots of folks from my office had gone to the park for a game last week, hoping that they would see history made. No history - lots of fun.

ORCHIDS - now this is a topic I can relate. I grow some lovely Cymbidiums. March/April is gorgeous blooming plants everywhere. I am attempting to grow/re-bloom some Masdevallias.

I am able to grow these outdoors - My climate cool - The ten day forecast has a high of 67 and a low of 53. Winter is slightly cooler with lows in the 40s.

I can't grow tomatoes here except the Italian plum or cherry variety. Not enough constant heat.

The discussion tonight made me think of Tom Waits:

The piano has been drinking, my necktie is asleep
And the combo went back to New York, the jukebox has to take a leak
And the carpet needs a haircut, and the spotlight looks like a prison break
And the telephone's out of cigarettes, and the balcony is on the make
And the piano has been drinking, the piano has been drinking...

And the menus are all freezing, and the light man's blind in one eye
And he can't see out of the other
And the piano-tuner's got a hearing aid, and he showed up with his mother
And the piano has been drinking, the piano has been drinking
As the bouncer is a Sumo wrestler cream-puff casper milktoast
And the owner is a mental midget with the I.Q. of a fence post
'Cause the piano has been drinking, the piano has been drinking...

And you can't find your waitress with a Geiger counter
And she hates you and your friends and you just can't get served without her
And the box-office is drooling, and the bar stools are on fire
And the newspapers were fooling, and the ash-trays have retired
'Cause the piano has been drinking, the piano has been drinking
The piano has been drinking, not me, not me, not me, not me, not me

Martooni, forgive yourself and talk openly with the ones you love.

bill everything, I read that song, and I think it might be the most heartbreaking true thing ever.

Post hoc ergo propter hoc, I just broke Wordpress.

Sometimes I wonder if there's a better way here than discussing an issue and quickly turning away if there's conflict.

Maybe that's because I'm not as well-bred as some of my imaginary friends. Or maybe it's just the inevitable consequence of being the only person in my family who would say the emperor has no clothes. Not a popular position in an alcohol-hazed family, but apparently I was individuated even at 5. I almost never care what anyone else thinks about what I'm doing, and as an adult, that's a big blessing and sometimes a strong curse. You never know what this does to your kids, I guess. :-)

Martooni, love 'ya man. As Yoki said, though, there are consequences. Your consequences don't belong to me or any other Boodler, just to you and your family. That's why I haven't said a lot. But, again, as Yoki & Slyness said let's not pretend. We're here, we're supportive, but let's not pretend the stakes are insignificant.

Shiloh, controlled may work for you, and I hope it does. We all have a right to our own opinion, and in mine, your using words like *imposed*, *reactionary*, *ad hominum*, and *familial diagnostics* is judgemental even as you chide someone for what you imply as judgement to Martooni. Every opinion written here is worth no less than yours. Period.

Slyness & Yoki, thanks, tigers. You both stood up and spoke from your big hearts and the world needs more of that. And to the peacemakers, thank you too.

Yoki, Tom Waits, simply, rules.

shiloh, with all due respect, i'd have to hear the private opinions of your family member before i could believe you.

martooni, based on some things you've said, your health won't let you keep going down this road. take care of yourself.

Your inference, dbg, may not be what I imply, and I will agree that you are judgmental and opinionated, but that is your right. As attributed to Arouet (Voltaire) "I may not agree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it."

Snide words speak for themselves, Shiloh.

Interestingly, lurker, it is the love and support of family that keeps me to the "middle way."

But then, the exasperation and inability to suffer fools lightly pulls from the other side of the "middle way."

Yoki, to perfectly understand it, you gotta hear the vocal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91s9eUcFU7g

The video, not so much.

I can only confine my opinion to what I know, not what I think.

What I do know is that alcoholism killed my cousin, and he had tried to quit and went into denial but kept going back, so my heart is with what Slyness and Yoki are saying.

I remember dancing with my cousin at his sister's wedding, beer on his breath; I didn't think anything of it although I did joke he had a beer or two in order to want to dance with me. He later came back that evening and insisted that he had only one beer-- again and again. I hadn't even thought he was drunk, you know, it was just a joke.

I guess I should have suspected then what was common knowledge in his family-- that he was an alcoholic. Later, he was a drunk driving accident-- his girlfriend was hospitalized and he was fearful of jail time as he had already had his license yanked for DWI.

He was down, he started drinking because he was down, and he had a gun at hand and decided to take the "easy way out."

As it happened he shot himself 12 hours before I was scheduled to arrive at my uncle's house for a holiday visit. You can imagine the expressions that greeted us when I arrived, and how quickly that holiday turned into a funeral planning.

He left behind 3 children.

Yes, there was the post-mortem analysis of what made his drinking spiral out of control. Grief and depression were involved.

My heart is also with the concept that quitting is much easier said than done, but said it must be, again and again. "No" is a word that has to be practiced.

Dbg, you'll know about deconditioning from working with your rescue dogs.

The key is to turn away when a conflict arises; not to reward excuses or aggression by any means, let things settle down and be ready to come back later.

How this works with the wily, complicated world of humans is something I'm still figuring out, of course.

I wouldn't say my cousin was stupid. He was bright enough, made a life for himself. But alcohol made him do very, very stupid things.

Why he surrendered to letting alcohol do his thinking for him is truly the mystery of addiction that others cannot fathom. For those others, "Option C" makes no sense.

On the good side of this issue, I'm glad that alcoholism is finally out of the closet and in peoples' minds more than it ever was. It's interesting that martooni and others are willing to share their battles with addiction. I wonder if any boodler would dare to tell us, "I keep cheating on my spouse and I can't stop."

I am a man of simple desires. All I desire from baseball is this: to know how to pronounce "Svrluga" and "Wojciechowski".

TBG, Maybe if Bill Clinton boodled... ;)

Sex addiction is an interesting issue. I think they'd be using the internet for other purposes rather than boodling.

And Yellojkt? Sowwy. *Evil cackle*.

Keeping on the off topic, Tim, Svrluga and Wojciechowski and probably more easily pronounced with the assistance of Aquavit and Polish Vodka.

and=are

I think if the truth were known sex addiction would be commonplace.

TBG, good question. I can tell you that both my Mum and Dad had hopelessly lost addicts in their immediate families, but at no time did they tell us five kids about it. We had to *winkle* it out of them.

I have been upfront with #1 and #2 about the danger to their health. #2 had me laughing out loud, when she was something around 9 years old, and parodied her grandparents by winking and hiding her mouth behind her hand and stage-whispering, "It is something we are not very proud of!"

According to the Nationals Journal, the blogger's name is pronounced

sverr-LOO-ga, just like it's spelled: the SV is the same sound as in RSVP.

Doesn't sound that hard to me.

Wojciechowski is pronounced wo-jo-CHOW-ski

http://www.nationalchamps.net/2004/pronunciation/minnesota.htm

That sounds like something Wilbrodog could pronounce.

I think if I get another chow-chow mix, I'll call him Who-joe-chow-ski too.

It's just the perfect name for a Vizla-chow mix.

I've deleted a couple of comments already, but just want to say that I think the alcoholism discussion has been heartfelt and well-intentioned, even if there is disagreement and possibly hurt feelings. I think I can speak for the boodle in saying that we want you to beat this, Martooni. I hope you find a way that works for you.

Wilbrod, you make me laugh. Thank you.

Tonight's off topic discussion has been brought to you by the W.C.Fields Memorial Foundation and the Lady's Christian Temperance Union. Your support of this non-profit panel discussion can be enhanced by making a contribution to your favorite candidate in the current presidential race. Good night.

Yesterday for treats I figured I'd teach Wilbrodog how to help me make the bed. It's just grab and drag to indicated spots, and putting pillows on, right?

Well, I had to encourage him to lie down and keep his balance to pull pillows up, and we had a minor disagreement on where to place the pillows, and frequent stops for the treats.

In all, he did do the tasks I outlined for him, and he didn't shed on the bed TOO much, but I'd have to have an arm in a cast and a bad back to WANT to have him help make beds on a routine basis. So it was successful, unlike the vacuuming lesson (dang, he shed it, he should vacuum it, right?)

Dog maids are just a bad idea.

It is sort of like giving 3-year-olds the job of setting the table. What is your goal? To have place mats (or tablecloths) on the table, with a counted number of cutlery-items, and some napkins? Or to have all those items properly placed?

It is instructive for us, I think, to examine our own motivations and intentions.

Wilbrod - can I take it that you have a chow mix? Is there anything you can recommend to help me train my lab-chow mix? I'd like for him to be more friendly around other dogs. The trainer we went to said that it could just be the chow breed that makes him cranky around other dogs.

BTW - I'm still sniffling reading this.

If anyone is interested in tonight's wildlife report. I saw some type of big cat down by the river. It may have been the mountain lion I saw earlier this spring. Unfortunately just before I saw the big cat I saw a fawn and it seemed to be alone.

There was also a strong smell of skunk along my commute, really strong like it just sprayed.

That's all back to the normal boodle.

Good analogy with the 3 year old-- when you teach, you don't expect perfect results immediately.

My motivation was mostly to review some old training in a new application and see whether he could understand my directions and do a gentle hold and not rip cloth (well trained)-- and in that it was a success, and also to see what tasks he might need training on.

He didn't do apple-pie, nor did I expect it, but he was able to pull the cloth to where I wanted it to be and I could finish out smoothing myself.

I finally got him to place the pillow correctly on the bed, by showing that while he couldn't jump on the bed with the pillow, he COULD jump on the bed and then drag the pillow up.

He may put that lesson to good use in a different situation later, such as retrieving something from a ditch.

You never know when you may have to improvise, so I try and give him unusual multi-step tasks now and then, telling him when he has gotten one step right and then going to the next step.

Examples were when I needed him to take and bring to me the strap of a backpack to my hand, not the backpack itself (too heavy for him) so I could pull it out. It took 3 tries for him to get what I needed.

But above all, it was a chance for him to earn some treats ;). The shedding is the top reason why I wouldn't have him make my bed, though.

I really don't know what to say, other than I really don't want to say anything. But I suppose I have to, considering I started it.

I chose to share my "condition" -- with all its ups and downs -- but I never intended it to become either a pity party or a soapbox platform. I'm sick. If I can't get a grip on it, I'll more than likely die from it. So it goes.

And that's where I'd like to leave it -- so it goes.

There are way too many people (a certain Boodler comes to mind) who are in worse straits than me health-wise for no reason other than bad luck. They are the ones who deserve your prayers and well wishing. Not me.

I'm not saying that addiction should be ignored or belittled. It's a real disease. It may be a disease with an easy cure -- just stop -- but as they say in AA, it's cunning, baffling, and powerful. Abstinence is the obvious solution, but when you're a miserable wretch who only finds peace at the bottom of a bottle of hootch, what the he11 are you supposed to do? Pills don't work. Love only goes so far. When your brain is on fire and your body is shaking itself apart -- and you know a shot of whiskey will make it all better -- what would you do? Tough it out? Been there, done that. But even after months of "being good", it creeps up on you. It twists your brain around. It whispers like the lover you always wish you had. It promises you paradise. It plays on your guilt, your pride, your strengths, your weaknesses, your fears and hopes.

Basically, addiction is a parasite that never rests until its host is dead.

I know that I'll never win against my parasite. My only hope at this point is a draw. I like to drink and nothing will ever change that. On the other hand, I can't drink like I used to, which is also an undeniable fact.

Abstinence hasn't solved this conundrum (nor has God, a Higher Power, Me, or AA), so enforced moderation is the only alternative.

A