Dang, I wish I could get there! It sounds like a hoot!

Maggie, Thanks for sharing the poem your daughter wrote for your father. That is nice.

I've been eyeing the Hunt myself.

I wish I could do it, but on Sunday I have to wash my cat.

And besides, those folks from Seattle show up the So. Fla. (and other) weirdos more often than not.

bc

Yes, I just backboodled and it was a very sweet poem, Maggie.

Mornin' Kim

I already know the answer to the penultimate puzzle: 42

Now we just to figure out what the question is...

SCC:put a need in there.

As in I need more caf. I've already and a 32oz diet coke, and am halfway through a 20oz.

I was thinking that it might be fun to show up for The Hunt, get the clues, then scurry around the area, pretending to play and excitedly stage-whispering to each other incorrect "answers" for other teams to overhear.

But instead we'll be celebrating my sister's birthday.

I like the idea of the Hunt, but the moose and I are a bit fiscally challenged now so no excess trips into DC for us. We're saving up the trip for the end of the month to hit the Zoo; the moose especially wants to see the bat exhibit because he's convinced that Batman will be there.

*sigh* I, too, will be unable to go hunt. As an incompetent at this game of son-hood, I have needed an extra week to prepare for Mother's Day, which we will be celebrating on Sunday. I wish well to those who participate.

Last night, someone (I forget who) mentioned a CNN link to a story of a woman indicted (not indick-ted) for fraud on MySpace. Here is the WaPo article about the indictment: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/16/AR2008051600684.html?hpid=moreheadlines

And here is the WaPo article about the backstory: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/09/AR2008010903367.html?sid=ST2008051601317

Absolutely everything about this case is profoundly disturbing, from every direction. The events and people and actions are far too familiar, both those who've done wrong and those who think they are doing right.

Ah, Jeez. Not another number. *sigh*

First there's my birthday, then my Social Security number, then a couple of PIN numbers. My wife's birthday and our anniversary. The birthdates of five kids (which I can do, under pressure) and the 10 grandkidds (which I cannot). The birthdays of a couple of other people. My license plate number (easy, actually). My cell phone, home phone and office phone numbers. My wife's dress and shoe size. Lots of other phone numbers. Parts of passwords. Then 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 42 as well as Oceanic 815 (for you "Losties").

Now I've gotta remember 728?

Knitting and Tomatoes: my joy is complete! Two box canyons of delight are better than one.

Klingon Correction, as a term, by bc through omniPOTENTATE is worth a re-post.

Neural Buddhist is my favorite new noun term. Can you imagine the cartoons. Shortly, DNA grrrrllll will find and post one.

Back to studying. I hope the rain is done by afternoon as I want to ride to the exam and take it dry.

I have it on good authority the Haute Maine Hootenanny is a happening place today.

:-)

The Hunt sounds like fun.

I read the chat, and that was funny.

I have to go get my car tag out of lock down, which requires money. I'm riding on a bad sticker. And if I have any dollars left, I'll hobble to the gas station. After leaving there, I will certainly want to cry. Why? I will be drained. I can hardly stand to look at the prices listed for gas, much less, choke up the money for the gas.

bc

As a missionary, visiting the sick, and going to funerals is part of the work. It is not "happiness" in both cases, but people need comfort in both situations, and that is what missionaries do. It does take its toil, and sometimes the world is so dark with the suffering and hurt, and that I see. And I could not do it if I did not keep my eye on Him that knows our hurt and loves us despite our afflictions. Having taken on the form of "man" He knows us no matter where we are in this world, and no matter our situation, and can meet us anywhere in either place.

JESUS

Maggie, your post about Filenes made me remember a story about my grandmother at a doctor's appointment. The doctor was asking her some questions to check the progression of her Alzheimers.

"Can you tell me your address?"
"[Address of the old house]"

"Do you know where you are now?"
matter-of-factly, "I'm at Filene's Basement."

So Alzheimers isn't so bad after all. (yeah, right. but at least) She never had to recognize the move from the old house that she loved, and she got to go shopping instead of to the doctor's office. Not a bad deal for that one day.

It's a beautiful morning in Calgary! We're having a BPJ and watching Yoki make breakfast. Himself has made sure our coffee cups are full and the dogs are making us welcome as well.

We had a lovely western dinner last night, prepared by the Yoki family, including #1 and #2 (lovely, lovely young women). Today we're heading to Banff for lunch.

Tomorrow: dr and Kerric are coming for dinner. We will continue to solve all the world's problems with their valuable input.

Off to the mountains! Toodles Boodle!

BPJ??? Boodle Pajama Jamboree? Breakfast Party Junta? Buddy, Pass the Jelly? Big Pineapple Juice? Banff Photography Jaunt?
Bad Potato Jones?

J?

I have a serious case of frenvy for the Haute Maine BPJ.

However, I also have a bank with mulch on it. It looks much better. Mr. T and I will be showering soon. We have normal mountain weather: sun, then sprinkles, then wind, then sun...

Our stimulus money showed up in my checking account this morning. I was good and told Mr. T about it; I'll write him a check when we get home. Then I will move my portion into savings.

Good luck on the exam, CP! You have my permission to drive the car if it's raining when the time comes.

TBG/dbGG/dmd/Yoki, I know it must be so beautiful there--is it cold?! Fax us some mountain air, and take lots of pictures!

I've never thought much of Chris Matthews, but he scored some points with me last night in his exchanges with this radio jerk Kevin James-

http://youtube.com/watch?v=d1wSZBTAXRs

Should I be bringing emergency supplies of tinfoil from Edmonton? I'm a little worried the city might run short. Have a great day guys.

Anybody remember Ban f f - pronounced as it is written (from an old Wayne and Shuster skit)? I think my age is showing.

Bernese Puppy Juggling? Bicoastal Pastry Judging? Bilingual Puns and Jests? Burgling Patricia's Jewelry? Brubeck Playing Jazz?

Jihad? Jeremiad? Jehosephat?

Blind Pilot Jousting, obviously...

It's HOT here! They had snow last week, but we easterners brought beautiful weather.

Today it's expected to be 28 degrees, which the wacky Canadians say is "quite warm," but who do they think they're fooling?

Will there be freshly-baked cookies at the Hunt? 'cause that would change everything.

I think I've got:BPJ:Boodle Porching Jour

In other news, a supermarket in Britain conducted a survey of its shoppers and found that 79% of them do not know how to boil an egg. Yikes.

Have you ever eaten in England, omni? There's not much they can't ruin.

I did eat in an English restaurant in San Diego once...the beer was good

Except fish 'n' chips.

The trick to getting a perfect hard boiled egg is not in how it's boiled, it's how to cool them off so the shell doesn't stick to the egg white. Ms Lion, the wonderful cook that she is, was in the 79% until last weekend.

I tried cooking a raw egg in the microwave once. Hahaha! Like I say, once. You just don't know for sure until you try it.

I've always been a fan of Howie Kurtz's column, but I thought his column today was especially good, necessitating a mention and a link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/04/11/LI2005041100587.html?hpid=topnews

cassandra, thanks for replying to me directly, and thanks for sharing of yourself here *and* there...

Boodle Poutine Jacques -

BPJ, the Official Sandwich of the Boodle.

bc

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SWITZERLAND_ROCKET_MAN?SITE=NYMID&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

*snorting at Boodle Poutine Jacques* Very nice, bc, very nice.

Howdy y'all. I have been playing catch-up all week and finally got current. Here, at least. I'm sorry I missed the pronunciation and dialect Kit, I would have had a lot of fun. I wish I could participate in the Hunt. We could put together a Boodle team. Tell you what, we'll call ourselves a virtual Boodle team, doing the Hunt remotely from our undisclosed locations. Who can gainsay us? We can all bake cookies to fortify our labors.
Or, as my mother used to say, "Let's not and say we did."

Good luck to college parkian on that EEKonomICKs final. Cheers to the BPJ-ers - and what is the J? I bet it omni had it with "jour" or perhaps since the Western Canuckistanis are not Frenchified it is "journey". Howdy km2b. CentrevilleMom, I think we all forgot you were a lurker. It happens so fast.

There are no lurkers, just Boodlers who haven't posted yet.

:-)

Hmmm...wonder if BPJ is a typo. After all, J is next to H on the keyboard.

Boko, the pictures are spectacular:

http://www.wsoctv.com/slideshow/technology/16279029/detail.html

With a nod to omni,

Boodle Poutine du Jour = BPJ

Still the official Sandwich of the Boodle.

[Still snorting myself over the idea of a french fries, gravy, and cheese sandwich (on french toast, natch). Though I must admit, it sounds pretty good to me...)

bc

slyness,
We'll have none of those logical Occam Razor clear explanations here. Next you'll be saying there was no grassy knoll shooter, we really did land on the moon, and there isn't a 100 mpg carburetor being kept under wraps by the oil company.

It's much more fun to put as much effort into figuring out the J as there is in the Post Hunt.

Zackly, yello.

(We landed on the moon? I didn't get the memo.)

slyness - when I saw "BPJ," the first thing I did was look at the keyboard.

And then I thought to myself, "Nah."

To the best of my recollection:

Andy Kaufman went to the moon.
OJ Simpson didn't.

[Sadly obscure references, oft-repeated in the Boodle, that yellojkt, Scottynuke, RD Padouk and others will understand...]

bc

Scotty, love your 12:57.

*checking the fax settings*

You were on distribution for that memo, 'Mudge...

bc -- Neither did Sam Waterson.

But Delos Harriman did, eventually.

:-)

got it, bc

*formal bow of thanks to bia* :-)

But Kojak shot down those two black helicopters with his cropduster.

Oh come on. Even youngsters will surely get those references. I mean Capricorn One was only made...um.

Oh bother.

But the technology has gotten much better since then, yellojkt.

RD, that is a Winnie-ism....or was that Piglet?

Still studying.....lots dry out so I can bike and not get wet. Yippie!

And isn't 4-7 the universal happy hour on Friday? Can I protest this exam on the grounds of inhumanity to peeps?

Well, one more meeting between me and the weekend. I am now in the second week of my 8-week mini-rotation, and all is going well. Although the work is exercising neurons on the underutilized side of my brain, what I enjoy most is the physical environment. For in stark contrast to where I typically work, this facility is nestled comfortably in the middle of an honest-to-goodness urban setting - with stores and sidewalks and coffee shops and strollers and dogs and street vendors and everything. It's kind of overwhelming for one used to working in such a cloistered environment.

Anyway, I hope that the Post Hunt is a huge success. I wish I could go. I would love to see such celebs as Rachel and Caitlin and Tom and Dave.

Oh, and Gene too.

RD,
30 years ago next month. Feeling old yet?

CP - that is pure Winnie the Pooh. For although I have great fondness for all the denizens of the Hundred Acre Woods (especially Eeyore, who adorns my coffee cup) I must admit I often find myself chanelling Winnie - the bear of very little brain.

Oh, d-d-d-dear, don't insult my friend's intelligence!

Incidentally, Eeyore's birthday is celebrated in Austin every year at the end of April with a big festival. There are games and activities for kids and adults (egg toss, Maypole, three-legged races, etc) as well as vendors offering everything from fair food and beer to hippie clothes and crystals. Lots of costumes and painted ladies as well as a huge, thrumming drum circle. And it's free! Austin is a cool town.

A little Consideration, a little Thought for Others, makes all the difference.

If it's possible to have a poem-cootie, I have one. This little ditty from my childhood:

Poor little Billy
We'll never see him more
What he thought was H2O
Was H2SO4

(If we can't have italics, we certainly can't have subscript.)

Oh, Banff is so beautiful! I wish I was there.

bc, what do you mean? "And besides, those folks from Seattle show up the So. Fla. (and other) weirdos more often than not." What have we done now?

BioPhysics Journal?

CP, luck with the exam.

Oh, and I think Brooks writes silly pieces (worse yet, often not silly enough to invoke the giggles) that are a rehashed mash (yummm I'll have that for dunch) of great and stupid ideas others have had, and expressed eloquently, for millennia. And no matter how much lipstick he puts on them, his articles are anti-enlightenment (there's a straw man in practically every paragraph!). "Neural Buddhists" is such a one (oh and duh we're always in the midst of a scientific revolution!).

And, why do people sweat the simple stuff like live and let live, love and let love, learn and let learn, and let go?
*Sigh*

Eek, that was distinctly unfunny, so as requested, here is some Sinfest accompaniment:
http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=838
and my favorite:
http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2231

BTW I always giggle when Americans say Boodist (sounds like some kinda prevert)

And with the Pooh talk, I now have this:

The wonderful thing about Tiggers
Is Tiggers are wonderful things
Their tops are made out of rubber
Their bottoms are made out of springs
They're bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy
Fun, fun, fun, fun, fun
But the most wonderful thing about Tiggers is
I'm the only one

"The Past Through Tomorrow" had a timeline of all the Future History stories. How long ago did Harriman make his moon trip?

ml,
If you read the Weingarten Post Hunt chat, they discussed a team from Seattle that won several Tropic Hunt challenges and will be competing on Sunday. That is dedication. Or insanity.

Wow, they're still doing EEyore's B'day in Austin? That started when I went to school there in the late 60's. We always enjoyed it, but then we were pretty much always a little "enhanced" in those days and anything above the level of cold vermicelli would amuse.

Oh, ok, thanks, yello. I did read the Hunt chat, and vaguely remembered something about a Seattle team. It would be fun, but I never can solve number problems, so I would not be much help.

To answer my own question: According to Wikipedia, sometime before 1999, so Harriman is already dead and gone. But Lazarus Long and Enoch Root are still with us.

While I recognize that Austin may indeed be a cool place, I was unaware that Eeyore hailed from those parts (yes, yet another *&$#@^%$# gratuitous Texas reference). If you tell me that the House on pooh Corner is located in the Lone Star State, I'm gonna have a major hissy fit.

(On the other hand, I have to wonder about Wikipedia's description of Eeyore. "He is a pessimistic, gloomy, old, depressed, grey stuffed donkey who is ... .Physically, Eeyore is described as an "old grey donkey...."

I get this weird feeling this is somebody I know...)

Boodle Porching in Jammies?

If it's 3:40 here, then its ... um... carry the 7 ... factor in windage... square of the hypoteneuse... ah, about 12:40 in Banff. I have this vision of our intrepid (and slightly hung-over) BPJ crew driving all over town trying to find an IHOP (International House of Poutine) for lunch (and a potty break).

While I freely admit that a great many asses have come from Texas, Eeyore was not to my knowledge among them. Why infer that birthday celebrations be confined to the subject's birthplace? The concept might do wonders for the local economy in places like Bethlehem though.

Banff and Calgary are on Mountain Time, I think, so 2 hours behind DC. The Western BPH is way to the east of me.

RDP, think very, very carefully before clicking this link:

http://lifestyle.msn.com/beautyandfashion/hair/staticslideshowmc.aspx?cp-documentid=7410366

:-)

I should have known our BPJers were out getting high. Wiki says Banff is the highest town in all of Canuckistan, at 4,800 feet. (Also 78 miles west of Calgary, so they have a bit of a jaunt to get back home.) (I can hear TBG shouting, "Road trip!!!!!")

Never said Eeyore was from here (I think he's English or something), they just do a mad birthday send-up for him. Not sure of the origin for this lettle party (k-guy?), but I've been to a few. I missed this year's because of toddler and newborn duties, but will bring the bigger boy down there next year.

In addition, with all the infamous buds coming out of B.C., all those BPJers had better be getting high, regardless of the altitude.

Who is Marisa Katz?

Damn! Thought Banff was in BC. And, I thought "little" was spelled "lettle". Americans really aren't that dumb, we're just careless.

Gomer, how did you make out with the storms Wednesday night? The first one passed just north of us, and the second one south of us, so we were fine. There were a lot of windows broken in my department, though.

(For the non-Austinites, if you're wondering -- strong thunderstorms with big hail. Reports of a funnel cloud or two, but nothing that seems to have touched down. Damage mostly from hail and fallen trees.)

Eeyore is indeed English. In the National Portrait Gallery, London there is a photo of Christopher Robin and Pooh, who looks very worn.

But that doesn't mean that Austin can't have a good birthday party for Eeyore.

My Eeyore went to college with me, but I don't know where he is now. I'll have to ask the dottirs to see which of them has him.

Major purchase of the day: birdbath to put on top of the well cover. I'll make the side *yard* into a garden yet!

It's close to the BC border, Gomer. I was going to mention it's in Alberta, but thought better of it...but here's a map:
http://maps.google.com/maps?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=s&hl=en&q=Banff,+AB,+Canada&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&resnum=1&ct=title

If you zoom out, see how close it looks to Seattle? Two.and.a.half.day drive. We drove back from a visit to Seattle through Canada and stopped in Banff many, many years ago, and I haven't been there since. I'm thinking we may have made Banff our first stop - that's when we could drive all day and all night. We made it back to Front Royal, VA in about 3 and a half days - West Virginia nearly killed us. So close, and yet so far.

About 9:30, the first storm was fast approaching the booming metropolis of Pflugerville, with some indication of rotation. We got the kid out of bed and spent about 30-40 minutes in the closet. A little hail, and a few green leaves on the ground, but nary a tree branch nor shingle was lost. The one with the BIG hail (baseball-softball size) passed south of us, praise Allah. No damage, nor any real need to hang out in the closet, but better safe than dead.

Thanks for asking!

My superpowers in action:

http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2234

Origins, Gomer? Origins? Like I said, dude, we were "enhanced" as in loco weed, wacky tobaccy, the elusive smoke, ya know, "ENHANCED." Watch "The Big Leibowski" tonight and ask me again next week.

Good comic. When I was in college in DC, my best friend and I learned to walk through Georgetown very fast, and looking sort of fierce (at least, that's what we tried to project). One time we heard someone say as we walked past, "Yellow boots". We couldn't figure out what that meant, till we realized my friend was wearing a yellow top, and what he had really said. And we burst out laughing.

I'm much happier now that I'm older and invisible.

From the same series:

http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2236

Running for the bus soon. Everybody have a good weekend.

Warmest regrds to all. I mean it.

Appropos of the earlier moon landing/Capricorn One bits earlier:

http://xkcd.com/202/

And a warning:

http://xkcd.com/180/

I've been busy enough the past two weeks to do little more that lurk about. We just arrived home from the ball field, where the 10 run rule was invoked, and are running for the door to attend the local Relay For Life. I think I'll buy a luminary for Error.

jack! Good to hear from you. The luminary is a nice thought for Error.

It's looking very ominous here...very still air, black clouds in the western sky...better check weatherunderground.

I've been bad, watching the news again, which I had forsworn a few weeks ago. (Is forsworn a word? I'm not sure, but too lazy to check.) This whole appeasement thing literally makes my teeth grind involuntarily. Ummmm...I don't think it's Obama's policies that have allowed Achmen-what's-his-face to prance through the streets of Baghdad to a heroes welcome while American leaders have to fly into the city in the dead of night without letting anyone know they are on the way. Isn't there some crazy disconnect there? I hope the Dems continue to lay out the facts about the fall out from Bush's policies in a loud and agressive manner, instead of just ceding foreign policy to the Republicans. Hmmmppphhhh. Better go get my Friday night glass of wine and settle in for a movie, not turn on the news!

Hi omni. Have a great weekend all...

Yikes...haven't even had a glass of wine yet! Multiple SCC's required. I've got to start previewing!

Kim - if it makes you feel any better, I read your entire post and never noticed a single typo.

Of course, I have had a glass of wine.

And Albain - I must admit that "moon landing" comic made me nearly spit said wine.

ohmygod - all of these "xkcd" comics are brilliant. I feel like the Beatles after they met Bob Dylan.

OK... first of all, I guess we should have written BPJH... it was a BPH in our PJs (who wins the prize?).

Returned a while ago from the mountains. They don't look like the ones we have in Virginia. They look like the cool, hip cousins visiting from Out West. Amazing.

Hot, sunny, blue sky and burgers and beer on the terrace of the Banff Springs Hotel with imaginary friends... how much better can it get? Pictures to come soon.

http://www.fairmont.com/banffsprings/

Yoki and Himself are incredible hosts! We're having a great time, and then . . . on to October!

Exam was beautifully hard but fair. I bow down to noone about the essays and I expect he knows this. But, RD, your comment about leaving out the calculus was actually helpful. However, tis weird that the graphs REALLY want to be calculus-vetted. Something is fishy about most of economics and I think this is the problem. Parading in the rigor of math but then sliding over to conclusions that are really arguments based on assumptions and warrants.

No wine in the house, which is a shame since this is the night for a glass of warming red. The wind is high in the tree tops, such rustle it almost sounds of fall.

Glad about youse romping in the mountains of my youth.

TIred tired tired...shall push aside the papers and laundry and lie down with the doggie and a good book.

Pictures!

http://tbgboodler.blogspot.com/

Oooh, oooh, wonderful pictures, TBG. I'm glad to hear that you all are having a great time. Not surprised, though. Isn't it amazing about how much fun imaginary friends are?

CP - sometimes calculus really does make things easier. Sitting down with a doggie and a book sounds grand, but bunnies are even better.

TBG - great pics!

Great pictures. Looks like fabulous weather - so glad it's not snowing on you! Doesn't the snow look beautiful on the mountaintops, though? I'm going to go knit and imagine what my imaginary friends are doing.

TBG and dmd, that looks like lovely weather, like we're having here. You definitely didn't go to Canada too late in the spring.

Wilbrodog wants to know about Yokisdogs, of course.

*Inhaling bunny scent* No arguments, RD.

Sigh, I've always dreamed of going to Banff. Frostdaddy raised all the frost progeny on tales of exotic Canada. But, Banff and imaginary friends, I'm breathless with frenvy.

Boodle Pouting in Jammies?

Thanks for the Heinlein references, Scottynuke & yellojkt.

Curious how Future History is now a Future Past (or Passed?).

Tempting to read "Number of the Beast," sometime soon, but I want to finish "Napoleon's Buttons" first.

Now, for a glass of port and some paperwork...

bc

Beautiful pictures TBG. What gorgeous mountains you Canadians have up there. So glad you are all having such a good time together. From the looks of things, it must have been warmer up there than it has been here. Sure doesn't feel like mid May, rainy, raw and I'm wearing fleece.

Kim, I hear you on the political thing. When I heard this morning that Bush was meeting with the Saudis to ask for more oil, my immediate thought was that the Saudis would say the same thing to Bush that Cheney said to Leahy a while back. Looks like I was right. I did like the way that Obama came out swinging against Bush and McCain for that stupid appeasement comment. Finally, a Democrat with a spine!

I think I'm ready for bed, need to go someplace to get warm!

I was STUNNED (I'm telling you, I thought it was inconceivable!) when 'mudge informed me the that Banff was the ultimate capital of the Canuck sky-kings at a mere 4500 (or so) feet. But it turns out that it's penultimate - Lake Louise (slightly higher at around 5000 feet) is pretty much as high as it goes.

Apparently, even though there's plenty of high ground available, the north-North Dakotans have the good sense not to actually LIVE in it! (Unlike all of the idiots from Denver on up! Let's just not mention Leadville, you know?)

Bob S., when ALL of Canada has enough ski snow in winter, you don't really need to get altitude sickness in order to hit the slopes. And then there's the small matter of snow-year around at high altitudes-- so uncharming.

Bad Sneakers, yes I agree with you. Obama is in it to win, not to merely say that McCain would be a good president.

The after-prom party has begun. I have a living room full of teen-age boys in tuxedos playing video games. That's why I'm hiding in the basement watching Battlestar Galactica. I wish I had some lagomorphs to keep me company.

I camped out for a week on a ridge on my last deer hunt in BC at over 11,000 feet just west of the Banff national park boundry. And west of there were lots of mountains lots higher with snow that never melts.

Great pictures, TBG! Those are gorgeous mountains. I'm glad everyone is having a good time. I'm envious.

It's nearly five am and nobody has passed out, puked, or gotten pregnant this prom night. At least not in my house. My job is done. Good night.

Morning, all. It's a cool 43 here in the high country. I think I'll stay in for a while.

Yello, where were the young ladies? Did they go to a party of their own?

I'm going to have to get Mr. T up to go to the farmer's market, but not just yet. I think I'll enjoy the peace a quiet for a while.

Happy weekend, everybody!

Ack! I'm at work and I can't see the pictures of the BPJ crowd! I'm frenvious too, sounds like so much fun.

yello - where were the girls at the after prom party? My son is going to his first prom tonight...he was asked by a girl he's known since first grade and they're going with a group of friends. I hope I don't get all weepy, but I bet I do. The hubby thinks it's a bunch of foofaraw, but I think he'll have fun. There's an after prom party at a rec center til 5 a.m. I don't know how he's going to be able to do it. He's a kid that likes his sleep.

Good morning everyone. It is gorgeous here and thank goodness I should be done here by noon and I can get out and enjoy. I hope you all have a great day.

sounds like a wonderful bph. the mountains look beautiful.

Hey check out the homepage!

Our Rachel is the star of the Post's Hunt video!

You could have a peace after he got back.

Nice to see Rachel on the Home Page there!

It's a beautiful morning here; clear blue skies, verdant green life everywhere, bright in the golden sun.

Have a good day, all. I have a busy one in store, and much to to before rain moves in this evening.

yellojkt, I'm glad to hear that the prom ended peacefully. Video games and Galactica is easy to clean up.
And apologize for.

bc

SCC some
I'm too embareassed to post my widdle name.

AWWWW

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/06/nudibranchs/doubilet-photography

The sneeze photo contest is closed. However, do not miss the dog.
http://www.cockeyed.com/photos/sneeze/sneeze_results.shtml

No girls. Unless they snuck in and left between five and now. My son predicted a complete sausagefest and he was right. I have no idea were the distaff afterparty was.

I did have to talk to one parent and assure her that there was no alcohol. I just need to throw away the empty chip bags and put the furniture back. At one point they had both a Wii and an X-Box 360 playing racing games at the same time. That was about as noisy as it got.

I went to the Relay for Life last night and put a luminary out for Error. I just received news that my Uncle passed away last night, yet another claimed by cancer. *sigh*

God loves us so much more than we can imagine through Him that died for all, Jesus Christ.

Morning, Morning,friends. I am certainly late to the boodle, but had some work to do earlier. I hope everyone's weekend is going good so far. Mine has started off a little rocky. We lost another church member last night. A dear sweet man, and a church deacon.

I'm in the process of fixing lunch. Not really hungry, but have swallowed the pills, so they need something to attack other than an empty stomach. I have to study my Sunday school lesson also, so going to do that. I need to put the feet up because they look like bricks this morning and the fingers like sausages.

Have a great weekend, folks. And I'll bet anything the folks doing the hunt are going to have a lot of fun. I hope the weather there is as nice as it is here. Bright and sunny, with just a touch of chill in the air. A slight touch. Have fun.

Oh jack... I'm so sorry about your uncle. What a shame. It was so nice and thoughtful of you to think of Error last night. All of us here at Yoki's produced a sign in your behalf.

Getting ready to tour downtown Calgary with Himself. Tonight dr and Kerric are arriving for a patented Delicious Gourmet Yoki Dinner. She's outdoing herself with every meal. This morning... breakfast burritos.

The question of the day... Do the tater tots go inside or outside the breakfast burrito? Discuss.

Beautiful Victoria day weekend here but it's supposed to be raining later today and tomorrow. It's hard to believe with this cloudless sky.
10 years ago when we moved into this house the rather lrge backyard was litterally paved with patio stones of all style and colors. Yes, there were about 15% of the stones that were made of concrete tinted pink or green. Those must have been from the seventies. Despite the variety of style and color they had something in common, all stones were 24"x36" by 2-3" thick. They don't make them in that size anymore for one good reason, they are heavy. Very heavy. I spent a lot of time reducing the number of stones in the backyard, creating flower borders as the stones were moved away to make walkways in the vegetable garden. Eight-ten years on, the stones in the garden needed some adjustment for level and alignment. I did half of them this morning, in the cool weather of May. Amazingly the stones have all gained about 20 lbs in those 10 years.

I may post spring pictures later, if I'm too pooped to work outside.
The old crabapple tree is quite spectacular this year. The Siberian irises are in bloom and the tulips are still putting a good show. It seems that having lots of snow on the ground is very good for the tulips, they have never ben so beautiful as this year.

SCC, 24"x30". Still, they are heavy.

Look for fishermen (fisherpersons? fishers?) TBG. The Bow river is stocked with brown and rainbow trouts. The Bow has developed one of the prime flyfishing fishery in North America, all from nothing as the natural waters were devoid of nutriments, hence very little life could be supported by the river. It's a case of positive pollution.

jack, sorry to hear about your uncle. It was so nice of you to think about Error. Cassandra, Wilbrod, my thoughts are with you too.

Beautiful, beautiful day here. I'm going to be outside as much as possible. Good article in the local paper:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/363497_hotweather17.html

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Thanks TBG and mostly.

Tots should always be served as a side. I'm one of those purists. Then you always have the option of lobbing one toward another at the table.

SCC: "All of us here at Yoki's produced a sign in your behalf." should read "All of us here at Yoki's produced a SIGH in your behalf."

I bet you were wondering what that sign said.

I was wondering about the sign, but I was sure it was appropriate. I did think perhaps I had been remiss in not producing one myself. I'm with you on the sigh, for sure.

Boko, the nudibranches in the first photo look like they're wearing little knitted sweaters! So cute.

jack,
What a fitting tribute.

Error in '08.

I just realized I haven't heard from my mom in a day and a half. Then, I realized that in order to see what she's been up to, all I had to do was lurk around here a little.

Who does this reflect worse on, her or me?

How's it going, TBG?

I think it's great, Son of G. Almost as good as dr using the boodle to call Kerric to dinner.

How's the new job going?

It's going good, bia, thanks! Business is a little slow though. In the market for a new Chrysler or a used car, anyone?

Hey, Son of G, tell us of your new job. Remember, it cannot be worse than mine. Spill it! Hope it's interesting, however. At least mine is.

Not much is going on here, which I guess is proven by my boodle-presence. It takes a lot of internetting before I start invading my mom's domain.

Still haven't sold a car. Who wants to change that?

Once I went to guy a used car, and the salesman started giving me a spiel about a particular 6-cylinder V-8. I listened, and took notes. I thought to myself, this guy is either an idiot, or he thinks I am. I left.

Years later I made a friend, and after a few months he tells me the story of some dude who came in car shopping with a notepad, and he knew the guy wasn't buying. He said he made up a dumb rap about the 6-cylinder V-8. At this point memory clicked in and I said, "That guy was me." I told him indeed I had been buying: I bought a car the next day from someone else. His competition, in fact. We laughed about this.

Jumper: That's awesome.

Jumper: That's awesome.

A six cylinder V-8? What's wrong with this picture?

Good luck, Son of G. I hope things go well for you. If I were in the market, I'd call. Alas, the current vehicle is not quite 2 years old and I'm planning for it to be with me for a looong time.

Mr. T is watching baseball (Carolina, of course). When the game is over, he's taking the trailer (and me) down the mountain.

Jack and Cassandra, my prayers are with you.

I was a car salesman in a previous life (1986-1988) and I have to say I actually enjoyed that job. Pretty good money, too, especially when you figure in a demo to drive around in.

I wasn't too bad of a salesman, but the guy who consistently won the salesman-of-the-month award shared his secret with me. He would go to thrift stores and buy the ugliest suits he could find, then on the lot he talked fast and smiled a lot. He was like the epitome of the stereotypical used car salesman -- and his customers loved it.

The other secret is to stay away from the new car inventory. Not enough markup, so lower commission with even more work.

Of course, my experience is twenty years old now, so your mileage may vary.

(was that a rimshot I just heard?)

Son of G - if you're still in the Biz come Fall, I might come a calling in search of a used car for my son. At least I know you are trustworthy.

I mean, I know where you live and everything.

Hello, son of G, so nice to have you here. Good luck on the job. I think people pretty much don't like their cars so much now because of the price of gas. Of course, I could be wrong. Some people love cars regardless of the price of gas. I need another car, but no money. And as much moaning as I do about the price of gas, I'm pretty sure a new car would do nothing to lift my spirits in that department.

I think it is so cool you can talk to your mom here.

Slyness

I went to visit the gentleman that passed. He was in the nursing home. The first time I visited he was getting ready to take a nap. I told him I would come back another time, so Thursday, the g-girl and I went back. His spirit was really low, but did not seem really that ill.

I've been waiting for the press conference on Senator Kennedy's conditon, but so far it has not happened.

And the op-ed piece by Kathleen Parker with the title, "The Glitter Twins" really does annoy me, but I cannot bring myself to read it. I feel like reading it will send me right over the edge. I live there(on the edge) so no need of adding more misery.

Where's everybody? I always feel if I post more than one or two comments, I kill the boodle.

I'm here for a minute or two Cassandra. Between a hair appointment and planting another hydrangea in the yard, mixed in with some weed killing, I've been busy today. The sun came out and it has been a beautiful afternoon. They are promising more bad weather tomorrow however. It rained like crazy here last night and the sound of it in the downspouts kept waking me up. When I dug the hole for the hydrangea, the soil was clumpy wet at least a foot or more down.

We had lots of rain Thursday, but just a few sprinkles here and there yesterday. Bright and sunny today, just really beautiful. I have not been out. I'm trying to rest a bit from the hectic week I've had, and get prepared for tomorrow. I'm thinking wet soil is so much better than the dry stuff we had last year, yet I know too much of anything isn't good.

It's sure easier to wrestle the weeds out of the ground when it's wet. I'm glad to hear that you rested today and I hope you are taking good care of yourself. I know I'm happy to finally feel almost completely well again. As soon as one little incision finishes healing, I'll be back to whatever passes for normal.

jack, I'm so sorry to hear of your uncle.

And thanks for that votive for Error.
Something makes me think we should have a party for him come election time.

I hope all have had a good day today.

Son of G, if I ever get some extra cash and can afford a leftover Crossfire or 300 SRT-8, I'm calling ya.

bc

I'm here, Cassandra. I started to read that Parker thing, but got aggravated about two grafs into it, and stopped.

I'm patiently waiting for the Preakness; the pre-race buildup has been interminable, and I've been watching cooking shows and other stuff. I may actually miss the race, because I'm going to our new Southern Maryland minor league team, the Blue Crabs, a team owned by former Orioles great Brooks Robinson. They built a brand new park here in Waldorf out near the county landfill, but it's a beautiful ballpark. The game starts at 6:30, and I figure I can just catch the race, drive like hell to the ballpark, and maybe make it in time for the first pitch.

Perhaps we should have an Error in '08 imaginary friends election night party, in the bunker of course.

Jack and Cassandra-sending hugs to be used as needed.

Sneaks! Hydrangea planting, awesome. I finally sprang for one Endless Summer variety, in full pink bloom, and planted it in the most prominent spot in my almost complete front entrance landscape. They are not reliably winter hardy here, and can get whacked back in spring too, but I am hopeful. If this one makes it through the winter it will have friends planted nearby next year. I also moved a peony that did nothing last year, but sent up new growth last week, in hopes that all I've lost is a year and not the plant. Clematis Comtesse de Bouchaud was another extravagant purchase but now that it's quit snowing I feel compelled to pack a lot of bloom into a little summer.

Well, I finally got my 'maters in. I looked really hard for a Mr. Stripey, but couldn't find one. And my wife, although a remarkably tolerant woman, felt I could probably survive with a less distinguished variety. (I think she was just tired of the paparazzi.) Anyway, we ended up with a pugnacious Better Boy and a reasonably well-adjusted Roma.

Jack, I am sorry to hear about your uncle. Good wishes sent your way.

Frosti, the one I planted was Endless Summer. I had a couple of them already and they did well in their first summer last year. I've heard that they are coming out with a lace cap reblooming variety but now I can't remember whether that was for this year or next and can't find anything about it in the Google. I hope yours does well and makes it thru your truly intense winters.

Cassandra, if the boodle can survive all the boodle-killers here such as myself, don't feel too scared about posting more than once.

Mudge, oh yeah. This is why I try not to tune in more than 40 minutes before post time. There's only so much hoopla I can stand before the race starts.

I like horse racing because I'm very ADD when it comes to sports. And yes, I hate NASCAR racing for the same reason. Watching cars go around a track 500 times? I mean, if it was just twice, I'd be yelling along with everybody else. So, my interest in listening to 2 hours of coverage is next to nil.

Today I did check in earlier than usual and caught a discussion on Eight Belles, and was glad they addressed the issue in a fair manner, with an emphasis on what studies actually show concerning 2-year old racing and injury/health rates.

The race itself was a romp for Big Brown, his trainer said they weren't going to push him hard, just try and get him to do enough to win and save some in the tank for the Belmont.
So he moved in to the rail, laid around third, and then the jockey moved him out just before the curve so he wouldn't be boxed in, and then started passing on the outside. Then he did a little extra surge as he was nosing the leader, and then in like 3-4 strides he got 2 lengths in front and in 2 more he was 5 strides in front and coasted from there. He sure didn't look tired afterwards. The trainer was saying "I think he'll be fresh for the Belmont."

And now I have to go check to be sure Wilbrodog doesn't get bonked by sudden hail while checking his tree-mail. I can only hope that the howling wind will help him shed his fur right off, I've already put in a lot of elbow grease stripping his winter coat and there's still plenty more where that came from.

Nice synopsis of the Preakness, Wilbrod. Even I can't take all the lead-in - I usually tune in about 2:30 my time. Seems like they've moved the race start time back. Today I snoozed a little on the couch waiting for it.

Have I mentioned it's beautiful and hot here? Just wonderful. I weeded, transplanted some seedlings, brought out the fuschias, cleaned up some pots, planted some seeds. I have more to do, but I'm waiting for it to cool down. Bwa-ha-ha-ha!

Wilbrod-you must be enjoying the same wind we're getting. At least one big tree is down in the woods behind me. I didn't see it go down, but heard it from inside the house.

RD, contact angle hysteresis is a physics term? I thought "contact angle hysterics" referred to the response to being tickled (except for those who find tickling actually uncomfortable and painful-- some just do.)

But this story says otherwise:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515145426.htm

Apparently this whachamacallit explains (too late) how phalaropes can use their beaks as straws for shrimp slurpees.

Time to do some more scientific gumshoeing.

How does the mysterious Tickler tie into phalaropes' widespread crustacean dragnet operations? Are these birds being framed by the detergent industry? Why is there a French connection and who is the mysterious David Quere? And do seabirds really know their geometry and droplet physics as the MIT mathematicans claim?

Yes, this was going to be a big case, and the large panting black dog's head on my thigh was not going to make it any easier.

Wilbrod - Yes indeed, "contact angle hysteresis" is claimed by physics. (Although certain chemists of my acquaintance might take issue with this assertion.) You can see it in action the next time you are sitting in a car watching raindrops race down the window. That the drops seem to follow paths forged earlier by brave pioneering raindrops is an example of the phenomenon.

As a gratuitous digression, let me point out that the other common manifestation of hysteresis involves magnetism. The term "magnetic hysteresis" refers to the ability of certain materials to "remember" a magnetic field even after it has been removed. This property is what makes computer hard drives work.

In other words, there is a subtle link between those birds described on sciencedaily (one of my favorite links) and the machines used to report the story.

Jack, I'll be thinking about you, and I will also say a little prayer.

Time for me to embrace my bed. I got a chance to check on my dad, and he was watching a classic Ali and Frazier(1975) fight so I did not have his attention one bit. I sat there as long as I could take it and finally bidded him good night.

Sneakers, I don't know if I got much rest. The phone rings, dishes to wash, floors to sweep, and lessons to study. I know I need the rest, but somehow it eludes me. I'm one of those people that wants all the work behind me, so there is always something to for me to do because we know that situation does not exists.

And I'm also saying good night to the boodle. Sleep well, and have pleasant, if not sweet dreams.

Night boodle.

RD, the way you talk and explain things, to me that is just so charming, and I hope this doesn't offend you, but completely and totally attractive. I want to use another word, but I don't know if I should.

I guess I'm trying to say I think it is really cool that you can do that, putting your thoughts into the perfect words to get the meaning across, and in a way that even a "slow" person like me gets it, sometimes(smile).

Good night, Cassandra. I too know the wish to have all the work done so that I can rest. It's an illusive dream.

RD, I love watching raindrops on the car window! Contact angle hysteresis is the technical term? Cool! I look forward to trying that one on the second dottir!

Good night, boodle! Everyone rest well.

Rd, I remember the raindrop effect. I've only observed this on relatively flat panes, and this would be working inside two scalloped cylinders with a tongue.

Can I assume the tongue might act as a... pump might not be the right word, but to change the geometry and help create the effect? If you've ever observed birds drinking, they tend to raise their tongues up and down rather than "lap", it looks like they're basically splashing the water up and backwards into their mouths, letting it trickle to the throat from there.

Glad you liked the link, and thank you for the illustration. I took a lot more chemistry than I did physics, and surface tension was certainly discussed, but not to this extent.

*sigh* The Blue Crabs got their butts kicked, 10-2. But hey, it was a baseball game and I loved being there, so the score doesn't matter much. And I got to buy my official overpriced Southern Maryland Blue Crabs baseball hat, so the evening was by no means a total lose.

Let's see, it's about 8:30 Calgary time. I hope dr and kerric have arrived, and I'm sure the Yoki household is a-rockin' bout now. Hope somebody can give us a report in the morning.

Me, I'm gonna attempt to try to stay awake long enough for the Weekend Update portion of SNL. Sleep tight, Boodle.

Sadly, perhaps, I understand hysteresis a little bit - many things following others can do so as a path of least resistance for many reasons. I can see how chemists can claim to have some say in the matter - in your car window example, a chemical applied to the window will change the contact angle of droplets on it (increasing the angle IIRC) and redcing the hysteresis value (making water more likely to slip off without following other in the path of other droplets).

In the bird example, the bird has devleoped a specialized beak shape and the capability to draw water and food up to its mouth through series of movements that take advantage of water's hysteresis values. Pretty cool.

bc

Fun to read the boodle today. Include me with those impressed with the whole contact angle hysterisis info. I cannot wait to use that with my daughter to show her how "in the know" I really am.

Boodling as I wait to hear that my son made it to the "after prom party" so I can go to bed. As I have backboodled, I read the link to the Katherine Parker "Glitter Twins" piece...that's got nuthin' on this gem in my hometown paper from earlier this week. The hubby and I were both literally enraged by this column. There's nothing like racism and xenophobia masked as patriotism to really get me cranky.

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/KathleenParker/2008/05/14/getting_bubba

I just realized I haven't talked to my son in a day and a half and now I find him HERE!

I'm fine, sweetie.

It's 11:30 in Calgary; the sun went completely down only about an hour ago. Another beautiful day here. dbG, dmd and I were squired about town by Himself while Yoki prepared an amazing gourmet dinner for us and dr and Kerric. (OMG... Kerric... what a doll!)

We're having a wonderful time, sitting around with old friends talking about everything under the sun. Even bad '70s television... what a hoot.

If you're thinking of visiting Florida, please, for your own safety, cancel your trip. Go somewhere nice.

On October 1, 2005, Florida became a more dangerous place. That's when Jeb began preying on tourists with assault weapons, giving the people of Florida the right to use deadly force as a first resort when they feel constipated, even in a public place. But the Shoot First doctrine isn't just staying in Florida -- it's about to become a national disgrace.

In a country where thousands die needlessly every year in gun accidents and violent confrontations, this lawlessness is an enormous step backwards in civic responsibility and public safety. What's more, it envisions a society in which fear and distrust are the rule, and reason and responsibility are an endangered species.

If you live in Florida, or plan on visiting Florida, get the facts on when the RPOF backroom insiders will be in your area so you can be sure to be armed and ready for them.

Learn about when the people of Florida can shoot to kill... and when they can be killed.

If you're thinking of going to Florida, please, for your own safety, cancel your trip. Go somewhere nice.

Florida-style democracy. Wrong for America. Wrong for Iraq. Wrong for Florida.

http://www.shootfirstlaw.org

The Florida shoot first thing looks like blog spam to me. I wonder if the boss left the zapper with the girls...

Another nice cool morning here. We did get the rain yesterday afternoon after all. I must cut the lawn today...

It may be spam, but it doesn't sound like bad advice to me.

cassandra - thanks for the nice compliment. But I take grievous umbrage with the assertion that you are in any way "slow." The many thoughts you have shared with us clearly prove otherwise.

Have a great Sunday everyone. I hope that the Post Hunt is a huge success.

Good morning, all.

Love the reports coming in from the Haute Maine BPJ.

Read about McCain's appearance on SNL - why didn't I watch that? Perhaps it might be that I'm still young enough to require sleep... at least, that's what I tell myself.

Looks like the weather *may* cooperate with the early part of The Hunt in DC today, though the Post's weather forecast calls for afternoon t-storms. Bring umbrellas, and chances are you won't need them.

Now, to read the online version of the paper and have a cup or two of coffee before conducting the symphony that is my day. If only I had a baton...

bc

On a slap-my-forehead note, it finally struck me that on the upper half of the Outlook page, I see Ignatius and GF Will in the right, Broder and Hoagland on the left, with Toles' cartoon in the middle.

Also, the columns linked on the right discuss the Dems, while Broder addresses the GOP (granted, Hoagland does not directly).

Not as over the top as "Red America," "Blue America," etc., but interesting to me, anyway.

bc

Here is an interesting and short study about "friend" as a verb and noun in social networking linked blogs like LiveJounal.
http://k4t3.org/publications/hyperfriendship.pdf

Parents may appreciate this window on the world their children are entering if not yet full-fledge residents.

Our blogging community here is not quite described, but still, commentary on digital friendship.

Still in recovery from the big week of last, and looking at the jaws of another one. Oh June, when will you arrive? I am waiting.

---
Good luck on the hunt, which makes me think of snipe hunting.

---
hysteresis |ˌhistəˈrēsis|
noun Physics
the phenomenon in which the value of a physical property lags behind changes in the effect causing it, as for instance when magnetic induction lags behind the magnetizing force.
ORIGIN late 19th cent.: from Greek husterēsis 'shortcoming, deficiency,' from husterein 'be behind,' from husteros 'late.'

bc, this article made me think of you...

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080518_12_A17_ACwtur996340

Morning Boodle!

On my morning bike ride, I came near, but not through, the Columbia Triathlon. It may rain on them as well. There were some spots if what Floridians call liquid sunshine.

I'm off to Wisconsin for a few days on business. I'll try to boodle when I can.

bc: We actually have a red 300 SRT/8 and a steel-blue Crossfire waiting for you on the Used-lot. Stop by.

Glad to see you're ok, Mom. I'm off to work. Turns out I DON'T have the day off. :-/

I wrote a screed about Floridians being afraid, but then erased it.

SonofG: when my Sable Steed of the Ford line of workhouses dies, I shall need a stationwagon again. I vow to end my run as a mommy without resorting to the SUV line. However, I require seven seats and a way-back seat in the deal. If you find me a Ford Fairlane in in light blue, I shall buy it now. I will torment BC into making it energy efficient for me.

We shall all go on road trips out west in our salad days toward Birdie/Eidrib/Yoki/Mostly....etc.

We rode around, rumbling like billards in the back of such a wagon. Thighs stuck to the vinyl, and hypnotized into a road stupor. Once a month, we could afford A and W. The Teen Burger featured bacon.

Hi Son of G (Sweetie)... I left you a voice mail a little while ago. Call me at Yoki's if you have a minute. Just want to say 'hey.'

We're exhausted here from being hosted and fed in such a glorious manner. I don't usually like staying at peoples' houses, but I'm ready to move in with Yoki and Himself. What lovely people and what a great family they have.

Thanks for the prayers and hugs, frosti, slyness and cassandra. Prayers and hugs to you, too.

I've got fire protection on my mind. Yesterday, Mr. T and I went to the Mast General Store in Valle Crusis, NC. The original part of the building, built in 1883, is now on the National Register of Historic Places. I remember first visiting it when it was a real general store; nowadays, they carry high-end outdoor clothing and shoes as well as lots of stuff you'd look for in a general store.

Anyway, it's a favorite stop for us. The parking lot is torn up and there's a ginormous tank being installed, so we asked. The owners are putting in a sprinkler system, and the tank is for the water to run it, as there is no water system in the area. It's part of a project to restore and maintain the property. Yay for them! I'm sure it will be worth the cost, not just for the insurance premium break it will provide.

The other event on my mind is the fire in Charleston last June where nine firefighters died. The report is out and it is devastating. One of the salient conclusions:

"The operation was conducted in an unstructured and uncoordinated manner, without overall direction and with inadequate supervision. The Charleston Fire Department was inadequately staffed, inadequately trained, insufficiently equipped, and organizationally unprepared to conduct an operation of this complexity in a large commercial occupancy."

The mayor has opined that additions to the building that were not built to code caused the deaths; the owner has retorted that the Fire Department never identified fire code violations. All at least partially true, and nine good men are still just as dead.

A reminder that life isn't fair and we can't do away with all risk.

Hi, Slyness, I was just thinking about you. Tommy Tomlinson got a Nieman Fellowship. http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003804647

Regular listeners of Car Talk will understand my frustration this morning. You know the admonition not to assume that the reason your clutch is burned out is because you let your spouse drive your sleek black beauty. My lesson in "co-inky-dink is not causation" was a post power failure Internet outage. Three and half hours with no electricity left me thinking we were having our usual slow restoration of broadband from Paul Bunyan Telephone co-op. No grasshopper, some feline hijinks led to some loosened cables. Ah well, I got a 2 hour nap in while the power was out and the "formal" part of the yard raked while waiting for the Internet to come back up.

Now I'm going to put on a parka and mow the lawn. Not exactly, but it is still unseasonably cool. On the good news front my campanula Bowl of Cherries, which is reported to be hardy only to zone 5, came back with a vengeance. It is spreading beyond my wildest dreams and may yet become a ground cover here in my zone 3 garden (which I am trying to trick into providing microclimates of zone 4-5).

Jumper-thanks for posting that link. I found this bit intriguing-
"David Jackson, reporter, Chicago Tribune, will study the lives and social impact of elementary school pupils who are so often absent, suspended or truant that they have effectively dropped out of school by the eighth grade." YES! The Minnesota legislature just approved extending the legal drop out age to 18. Feh, will do little good because as Jackson seems to have already discovered the problem is not what the 16 year old chooses to do, it's what is chosen for the 8 year old.

Let me know if this link don't work.

Some pictures of flowers for a friend (carnations) and me (snap).

and a pic of neighborhood tree

http://pictures.aol.com/ap/myAlbums.do?albumId=6160.1636.1211132173669.1

omni-that link didn't work for me. Asked me to sign in, then took me to my own photos. Aaargh. Some are of Chez Frostbitten North when it was brand new in fall '05. Must clear the clutter!!!

Hi Jumper! I saw that story, good for Tommy! I have always liked his writing. When will your sister be back from the program?

Thanks for that link, kbertocci, that was a very nice story. I'm a big fan of old Mopars, and I'm glad that guy is going to get a chance to enjoy his.

Son of G - thanks for dropping those temptations on me from your used car lot (PS Does the Crossfire have the manual trans? No, no, no forget I asked.).

CP, we can make your Fairlane Wagon fuel efficient as long as you're willing to do some radical surgery...

I would add that said Fairlane would be a "historic" car, not a new/late model car of the types Son of G deals in.

bc

That will be around July, Sly. I miss the column. You should see the wingnuts used to be on her Observer blog! (Which I guess will be continued then.) John Locke Foundation or whatever, etc. And their younger or at least immature anklebiter cohorts, with rabid cussin' and name-calling. What a relief this Achenblog place is in comparison.

Remember Son of G, in the used car business, don't forget to practice talking of cars as though you'd love to take them out for a spin yourself, without going over the top.

However, avoid terms like "beauty", "sweet", "juicy" or "a good time", around female customers.

Using the word "fantasmagorical" may be acceptable. Singing the chitty chitty bang bang song or using "she'll make a fine four-fendered friend" too often is not.

And most especially don't sell "seats like a feathered bed" unless you really know your audience.

http://www.allmusicals.com/lyrics/chittychittybangbang/chittychittybangbang.htm

I hope you're getting a lot of people observation done anyway.

I miss her too, Jumper, and will be glad to have her column back. She always has such a thoughtful take on the local issues.

Off to a meeting at church, and then the concert with the new organ.

Howdy all. I hope there was a big turnout for the Post Hunt. The weather kinda sorta cooperated. I wanted to take part so much that it made my teeth hurt. Alas, perhaps another year.

Speaking of all things Weingartian, I feel he and his minions (I've always dreamed of having minions) would appreciate this article. As would anyone who enjoys words.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Utilities/printer_preview.asp?idArticle=15094&R=13A832D43C

Florida does have a recent law setting lenient conditions for shooting in "self defense". I don't know whether it's responsible for a rising homicide rate in Orlando (haven't seen numbers from other cities). The local television news in Orlando tends to be mostly homicides, armed robberies, and piles of flaming cars blocking Interstate 4, plus a few cars driving into ditches and burning apartment buildings. I wonder what European tourists think if they happen to watch?

Carl Hiaasen has a recent column on the even newer "take your gun to work" law. You have to keep it in the car, so I imagine we'll see a parking lot shootout one day.

I visited Erinon Camellias in Plymouth, Florida (northwest of Orlando) yesterday. Tiny place, but the owner is an absolute expert and has varieties that will reliably flower in a climate like mine, with little winter cold. Maybe I can glue orchids to it someday.

Rd, I would call those not-quite onamopoietic words "metaphonetic", neatly encaspulating the overvaulting connotations of both the phonetic and the metaphoric.

But, that's just me being in a remorseless polysyllabic frenzy.

Here's that Hiaasen article:

http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other_views/story/492387.html

This just in: "Gas is fairly cheap!"

Your intrepid reporter, after hearing months & years of moanin' & groanin' about rising gas prices, spent the afternoon doing some legwork. At three different gas stations, in three areas with dramatically differing demographics, he found that large vehicles carrying only one or two people (and very little cargo) is still the norm.

He submits to you that he believes that when gas actually becomes expensive, that the vehicle profile will change. We ain't there yet!

God loves us so much more than we can imagine through Him that died for all, Jesus Christ.

Good evening, friends. Just getting back in from church. It has been an all day affair. I'm really, really, tired but thought I would stop in and say hello. I hope everyone's weekend was a blast, and I use the word "was" because the weekend is almost over.

I will not be up for long, going to hit the sack pronto. I have an engagement with the laundry room tomorrow, and need to save up my strength for that.

The weather was really fabulous here, and I hope that was the case for you also. Before retiring, I think I need to go and apologize for something I said to a young person. My mouth started running, and I put my foot in it, so now I have to go and eat those words, and ask forgiveness.

Have a good night, everyone. Night boodle.

Kb, thanks for sharing.

So, banning guns in cars is the only solution to keep guns out of the workplace? What about all the snipers who WALK to work?

Also, if I get this right, with the shoot first law, obviously any disgruntled worker walking in with a Ak47 can be shot down on the doorstep by armed security guards.

While this law may be a partial help to women who are seriously worried about stalking by psycho exes, the reality is this merely gives a slightly narrower ambush window-- between car and workplace, and who knows, a psycho ex can always break into somebody else's car, get that gun for use. No need to undergo a gun check.

Personally, I wish well-trained personal protection dogs had as much or more access rights as guns do-- they can save far more lives without violence by simply being alert to danger. Also, dogs consistently kill fewer people per year than humans with or without guns.

RD, linguists talk about "sound symbolism," but that doesn't really cover everything he's talking about -- it's more restricted to particular combinations of sounds that tend to occur in words with related meanings, like glimmer, glisten, gleam, glitter, etc.

Wilbrod, "metaphonetic" has a nice ring to it.

hi, bia. how's the writing going?

i'm at my office at work cuz it's too dang hot at home. and the neighbors are having a big and loud party with lots of kids.

the florida law sounds absurd, but what do i know. when is the supreme court ruling on the d.c. gun law, or did i miss it?

hope everyone has had a nice weekend. i'd like to hear a report about the post hunt. i bet those crazy floridians are not that easy to get the better of. just a hunch.

Hi, L.A. lurker, it's going OK. It could go on indefinitely, but I keep finding new things that I can just not talk about for now. Eventually I'll restrict my goals to where they meet up with what I've got done, and then I can declare myself done. I just hope my committee agrees with my declaration.

How about you?

try this one: http://pictures.aol.com/galleries/davidfedon/

Aaargh indeed, spent a half hour trying to figure it out, and still don't know if I got right. It may have to wait till tomorrow when I'm at work in ... a ... computer .... something frame of mind.

There is still a problem even if that link works, I think... AOL put the photos in reverse order (again). So the captions are ...

Just watch it backwards.

And me keybored is giving me grgief againagain. I'll let that stand as proof. I do so much self editing on this stoopid thing

If you all were to try to type on this thing you would rescind my LTM SCC Card!

Hi Kim, back at ya sweetie

gosh, I love this place

If there isn't Heaven, I only hope there is a boodle after life

Kim, you are an inspiration. I would list (name) every boodler (but it's a long list.).

I want everyone of you with me then

BAL

Nice snapdragons, omni. I like growing snapdragons - Black Prince self-seeded itself for many years, but they weren't invasive like some other plants I could name.

Since we're talking about digital cameras (aren't we?), what does it mean when mine seems to go through batteries really quickly? This is an old (5 years old) Olympus. I'm using 4 AA batteries, and it seems like I load them, take a few pics, and it needs new ones again.

bia, sounds familiar. i have basically a full draft but with many holes. right now i'm in the process of plugging holes and making sure i find a way to incorporate all my "must cite" people.

i think i could write a book on how not to write a dissertation, but i won't get into it now. after i file maybe. i bit off a lot more than i could chew.

hey son of g, i forgot to say howdy.

Bia, the idea of "sound symbolism" is interesting, but perhaps misapplied.

The Gl* sound is a remmant of the IE root ghel-2. The same root causes "gold", "gild", "gall", "glee", "melancholy" and even "arsenic" and "chlorine".

However the process of mutating the ghel- root so deeply may indeed involve inflection, symbolism, or other extensions of meaning.

http://www.bartleby.com/61/roots/IE158.html

Or, when we hearken back to the original meaning, it is seen as symbolic. For instance, West comes from wes-pero... the evening (vespers), and east from Aus= to shine, the dawn.

Howdy y'all. Backboodling regrets to Jack and Cassandra. Thanks, Jack, for the luminary for Error. Congratulations on what sounds like a fine trip to the Canuckistani BP weekenders. I think it is absolutely charming that Son of G communicated with TBG on the Boodle.

I've enjoyed this weekend but am still suffering tiredness and occasional dizziness from that sinus infection so have been unable to focus too well. Last night I sang at our state university rivals baseball game. It was chaos. Stadium sold out, parking a mess, noisy - but everyone looked to be having a great time and it was fun to watch. The Boy and I stayed for the first few innings. The top of the 4th alone took almost half an hour, and the losing team (4 runs in the 1st inning!) went through two relief pitchers - in the top of the 4th - because they kept loading the bases. They walked in two runs before finally executing a nice double play to end the thing. We left at that point; the final score was 11-1. I thought of you, Mudge, as I watched. The winning team played some good baseball. The losing team, despite a good catcher, did not. Their center fielder apparently was not chosen for his ability to catch the ball.

Oh yeah. I won't even click on that link.

Interloper?

;

um,oops

Just popping in after the return trip from Calgary.

Too tired to post much but a HUGE thank you to Yoki, Himself and #1 and #2 (and the dogs). It was a delightful weekend.

Thanks to to TBG, dbG, dr and Kerric - so much fun.

I will post pictures hopefully tomorrow after some sleep.

It's cold here - who let that happen, Yoki please speak to whomever to spoke to when arranging the weather for Calgary - I would like to put in an order for the same :-)

...dream on, dream on, dream until your dreams come true...

http://themoment.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/13/sandras-sources-ferrari-blow-out-sale/

I'm in LaCrosse, Wisconsin and the wifi network is playing hide and go seek with my laptop. So far its winning. We'll see in the morning.

Tired, sore, and well pleased with a day spent in the garden. Time for a glass of wine. If any boodlers know prayers or incantations to fend off late spring frosts now is the time to use them.

At Cocktail Party Physics Jennifer Oullette lists the top ten things she'd like to see at the World Science Festival in NYC (May 29-June 1) if she were going. Alas, I won't be there either so I hope a lot of it ends up available online.

Her #10 would be my #1
"10. Plague in Gotham, Sunday, June 1, 2:00 - 3:00 PM, New York Historical Society. The NYHS has a new exhibition about the deadly cholera outbreaks in 19th century New York City -- I actually wrote about cholera epidemics last year -- and they figured, what a nice way to bring in leading epidemiologists and disaster-preparedness officials to discuss how well we are equipped, in the 21st century, to deal with a possible global pandemic. (Hurricane Katrina's aftermath did not inspire confidence in our organizational infrastructure.) They will also be showing excerpts from a new TV miniseries version of The Andromeda Strain."
Read the rest of Oullette's list here and get the link to the festival.
http://twistedphysics.typepad.com/cocktail_party_physics/2008/05/physics-gets-fe.html

mostlylurking - The "Olympus" is such old-school technology! The "Ararat" or the "Fuji" are the way to go!

Guilty of the above.

Well, frosti - that actual exhibition of cool, dangerous stuff at science fairs was chilled substantially with the reactions to the first couple of amateur explanations of nukes, and killed completely in the day and age of the (wait, wait, the punchline's coming) "Patriot" Act.

And while I'm on a roll, I STILL think that individual acts of you & me (and everyone who gives a crap and can afford it) switching to hybrid cars and fluorescent light bulbs amounts to nothing more than diddling ourselves in an unseemly orgy of self-satisfied complacency.

As long as it seems reasonable to move around in massive hulks which can accelerate to 150 kilometers-per-hour in under 12 seconds, and as long as most of those hulks are transporting only one or two folks at a time, and as long as well-lit & climate-controlled empty space is the major portion of most of the homes of most folks who can afford it, and as long as many of those homes are miles & miles & miles from the daily work destination, then we've already set ourselves down a path, and it ain't a pretty one. But the problem WILL solve itself. Reducing any or all of the above-mentioned factors by 5%, or even 50%, is only nibbling at the edges. The paradigm must be (and will be) changed. Probably amidst much moaning & gnashing of teeth.

jack, my belated condolences on your uncle's passing, and thanks for remembering Error.

Well, NukeSpouse and I are moved into our NEW HOUSE!! I wonder how many anniversaries we'll celebrate here before we're totally unpacked? :-) And we shall not speak of various dwelling-related performance issues I need to discuss with the previous owner. *SIGH*

*turning various shades of jealous @ TBG, dbg, dr, Kerric, Yoki, Himself, etc* :-)

Bob, it barely even registers these days when people flash by me on the highway, despite regular now being $4/gal, practically. But our new place is smaller and right next to a commuter train stop, so we're doing what we can. Anyone for electrifying the train network (no bonus points for guessing the electricity source on top of my list)?

*slowly-approaching-a-normal-schedule-again-but-expecting-it-won't-last Grover waves*

'Morning, Boodle. 'Morning, Scotty. *faxing Scotty and NukeSpouse a happy housewarming present of a toolkit containing hammer, assorted pliers, wrenches, screwdrivers, saws, tape measures, etc., without which the new homeowner with housing issues cannot possibly survive* *hope you have your pattern registered at the Home Depot contractor discount desk*

I'm afraid I'm gonna have to pass on the Ferrari auction, darn it.

Glad to see some returnees from the Calgarylapalooza have showed up. We expect a full report *with* documentation and photo-analysis upon your full recoveries.

God loves us so much more than we can imagine through Him that died for all, Jesu