Informative interview with Amanda Ripley, author of:
The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes—and Why
http://www.motherjones.com/interview/2008/06/five-ways-to-survive-disaster.html
Disaster survival tips:
1. Learn how to text message. Oftentimes, as in Katrina, text messages will go through when cell phone calls won't.
2. Expect smoke. If you're in an airplane, know how many rows are between you and the exits. If you're at home, know your way to the door without the lights on. Most fire deaths are due to smoke.
3. Get to know your neighbors. They may be your key to survival. The stronger your community is, the better equipped you will be to survive a disaster.
4. Practice. Many people who survived the WTC attacks knew where the staircases were because they did lots of fire drills. Children especially should know where to go in case of emergency, and walk that route until they are familiar with it.
5. Lose weight. Overweight people often are less able to move quickly in escape situations that call for speed.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Memorial Day
In the Oregon State University Daily Barometer for 29 May 2008, columnist Dan Fitzpatrick complains that "the mainstream media has [sic] been paying less...attention to American...wars in the Middle East", and proposes to "provide a brief dedication" to recent Medal of Honor recipients.
Unfortunately, Fitzpatrick is unable to follow through on his lofty goals, and instead uses American heroes as cheap props in a feeble attempt to dress up the abject failures of his beloved President Bush, talking wishfully about "the success of last year's troop surge".
Let me tell you about honoring the service of brave and capable Americans in war, without regard for the politics and personalities which sent them off to war.
When I was serving in the United States Navy, I was stationed at a medical center which had been in continuous use for over a hundred years. Although most of the base was modern and up-to-date, there were a few reminders of older times, most notably a military cemetery behind the enlisted men's quarters. I walked past that cemetery almost every day, and frequently paused to read the stones and contemplate their meaning: "Unknown USN...Unknown CSN...LCpl. R. Jones, USMC...Ens. M. Richards, CSN...."
The stones were identical, and no effort was made to separate the Union from the Confederate dead. This in spite of the fact that, no matter what the Confederate sailors' personal motivations might have been, the judgment of history is that the Confederacy was founded on "treason in defense of slavery".
But there's something more: the graves were dug (and filled) right in the midst of that terrible war, by Union sailors who were burying their own comrades -- and the men who had killed them.
That is what I call setting aside politics in order to honor the dead.
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "Rest in peace, one and all."\\
Unfortunately, Fitzpatrick is unable to follow through on his lofty goals, and instead uses American heroes as cheap props in a feeble attempt to dress up the abject failures of his beloved President Bush, talking wishfully about "the success of last year's troop surge".
Let me tell you about honoring the service of brave and capable Americans in war, without regard for the politics and personalities which sent them off to war.
When I was serving in the United States Navy, I was stationed at a medical center which had been in continuous use for over a hundred years. Although most of the base was modern and up-to-date, there were a few reminders of older times, most notably a military cemetery behind the enlisted men's quarters. I walked past that cemetery almost every day, and frequently paused to read the stones and contemplate their meaning: "Unknown USN...Unknown CSN...LCpl. R. Jones, USMC...Ens. M. Richards, CSN...."
The stones were identical, and no effort was made to separate the Union from the Confederate dead. This in spite of the fact that, no matter what the Confederate sailors' personal motivations might have been, the judgment of history is that the Confederacy was founded on "treason in defense of slavery".
But there's something more: the graves were dug (and filled) right in the midst of that terrible war, by Union sailors who were burying their own comrades -- and the men who had killed them.
That is what I call setting aside politics in order to honor the dead.
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "Rest in peace, one and all."\\
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Library Books, 24 May 2008
Ex machina. Book 04, March to war / Brian K. Vaughan, writer ; Tony Harris, pencils ; Tom Feister, inks.
6/3/2008
*
A distant soil. Vol. IV, Coda / Colleen Doran.
6/3/2008
*
RG Veda. Vol. 10 / by Clamp.
6/3/2008
*
Rhode Island blues [sound recording] / by Fay Weldon.
6/3/2008
*
The 9/11 report : a graphic adaptation / by Sid Jacobsen and Ernie Colón ; [with a foreword by Thomas H. Kean and Lee H. Hamilton].
6/3/2008
*
Torchwood, the complete first season [DVD] / British Broadcasting Corporation ; executive producers, Russell T. Davies, Julie Gardner ; producer, Richard Stokes ; written by Russell T. Davies ... [et al.] ; directed by Brian Kelly ... [et al.].
6/4/2008
*
World of warcraft : the art of the trading card game / forewords by Samwise Didier and Glenn Rane ; introduction by Jeremy Cranford.
6/4/2008
*
Superman vs. Hollywood : how fiendish producers, devious directors, and warring writers grounded an American icon / Jake Rossen.
6/4/2008
*
A book is born : 24 authors tell all / created by Nancy C. Cleary with co-authors Christine Louise Hohlbaum ... [et al.] ; illustrations by Kelley Cunningham ; editing by Kim Pearson.
6/4/2008
*
Boldly live as you've never lived before : (unauthorized and unexpected) life lessons from Star trek / Richard Raben and Hiyaguha Cohen.
6/5/2008
*
A woman's self-esteem : stories of struggle, stories of triumph / Nathaniel Branden.
6/5/2008
*
Sublime spaces & visionary worlds : built environments of vernacular artists / Leslie Umberger ; with contributions by Erika Doss ... [et al.].
6/6/2008
*
Your perfect right : assertiveness and equality in your life and relationships / Robert Alberti, Michael Emmons.
6/7/2008
*
Overstreet comic book price guide / Robert M. Overstreet.
6/11/2008
*
Batman. The long Halloween / writer, Jeph Loeb ; artist, Tim Sale ; colors, Gregory Wright ; created by Bob Kane.
6/18/2008
*
Antique bakery Vol. 3 / Fumi Yoshinaga.
6/18/2008
*
Imadoki! Nowadays. Vol. 01, Dandelion / Yû Watase.
6/18/2008
*
Maxwell Strangewell / story and art by the Fillbach Brothers.
6/18/2008
*
Perfect example / by John Porcellino.
6/18/2008
*
Scott Pilgrim. Vol. 04, Scott Pilgrim gets it together / [Bryan Lee O'Malley].
6/18/2008
*
Sorcerers & secretaries. Vol. 02 / by Amy Kim Ganter.
6/18/2008
*
Spent / Joe Matt.
6/18/2008
*
Bizarro comics / [writers, Jessica Abel ... [et al.].
6/20/2008
*
The rejection collection vol. 2 : the cream of the crap / edited by Matthew Diffee.
6/20/2008
*
All I need to know I learned from my cat (and then some) / Suzy Becker.
6/20/2008
*
Einstein simplified : cartoons on science / by Sidney Harris.
6/20/2008
*
Great lies to tell small kids / Andy Riley.
6/20/2008
*
Schulz's youth / by Charles M. Schulz ; foreword by Jerry Scott.
6/20/2008
*
Walt & Skeezix. 1923 & 1924 / by Frank O. King.
6/20/2008
*
The Bakers. "Do these toys belong somewhere?" / Kyle Baker.
6/20/2008
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "Read 'em and weep."\\
6/3/2008
*
A distant soil. Vol. IV, Coda / Colleen Doran.
6/3/2008
*
RG Veda. Vol. 10 / by Clamp.
6/3/2008
*
Rhode Island blues [sound recording] / by Fay Weldon.
6/3/2008
*
The 9/11 report : a graphic adaptation / by Sid Jacobsen and Ernie Colón ; [with a foreword by Thomas H. Kean and Lee H. Hamilton].
6/3/2008
*
Torchwood, the complete first season [DVD] / British Broadcasting Corporation ; executive producers, Russell T. Davies, Julie Gardner ; producer, Richard Stokes ; written by Russell T. Davies ... [et al.] ; directed by Brian Kelly ... [et al.].
6/4/2008
*
World of warcraft : the art of the trading card game / forewords by Samwise Didier and Glenn Rane ; introduction by Jeremy Cranford.
6/4/2008
*
Superman vs. Hollywood : how fiendish producers, devious directors, and warring writers grounded an American icon / Jake Rossen.
6/4/2008
*
A book is born : 24 authors tell all / created by Nancy C. Cleary with co-authors Christine Louise Hohlbaum ... [et al.] ; illustrations by Kelley Cunningham ; editing by Kim Pearson.
6/4/2008
*
Boldly live as you've never lived before : (unauthorized and unexpected) life lessons from Star trek / Richard Raben and Hiyaguha Cohen.
6/5/2008
*
A woman's self-esteem : stories of struggle, stories of triumph / Nathaniel Branden.
6/5/2008
*
Sublime spaces & visionary worlds : built environments of vernacular artists / Leslie Umberger ; with contributions by Erika Doss ... [et al.].
6/6/2008
*
Your perfect right : assertiveness and equality in your life and relationships / Robert Alberti, Michael Emmons.
6/7/2008
*
Overstreet comic book price guide / Robert M. Overstreet.
6/11/2008
*
Batman. The long Halloween / writer, Jeph Loeb ; artist, Tim Sale ; colors, Gregory Wright ; created by Bob Kane.
6/18/2008
*
Antique bakery Vol. 3 / Fumi Yoshinaga.
6/18/2008
*
Imadoki! Nowadays. Vol. 01, Dandelion / Yû Watase.
6/18/2008
*
Maxwell Strangewell / story and art by the Fillbach Brothers.
6/18/2008
*
Perfect example / by John Porcellino.
6/18/2008
*
Scott Pilgrim. Vol. 04, Scott Pilgrim gets it together / [Bryan Lee O'Malley].
6/18/2008
*
Sorcerers & secretaries. Vol. 02 / by Amy Kim Ganter.
6/18/2008
*
Spent / Joe Matt.
6/18/2008
*
Bizarro comics / [writers, Jessica Abel ... [et al.].
6/20/2008
*
The rejection collection vol. 2 : the cream of the crap / edited by Matthew Diffee.
6/20/2008
*
All I need to know I learned from my cat (and then some) / Suzy Becker.
6/20/2008
*
Einstein simplified : cartoons on science / by Sidney Harris.
6/20/2008
*
Great lies to tell small kids / Andy Riley.
6/20/2008
*
Schulz's youth / by Charles M. Schulz ; foreword by Jerry Scott.
6/20/2008
*
Walt & Skeezix. 1923 & 1924 / by Frank O. King.
6/20/2008
*
The Bakers. "Do these toys belong somewhere?" / Kyle Baker.
6/20/2008
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "Read 'em and weep."\\
Monday, May 19, 2008
McCain Video
Here's your straight-talking maverick, America: http://video.tagged.com/?v=GEtZlR3zp4c&ect=dxaxxuk&al=1
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "Next question."\\
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "Next question."\\
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Junking the Tercel
Kathe and I have owned three Tercel station wagons over the years. Overall, they've been the most reliable vehicles we've owned since original-series Beetles became too expensive to maintain.
Our most recent Tercel, a 1984, recently started making funny noises, which turned out to be very extensive wear that would have required about $1,200 worth of work. We could probably buy two equivalent cars for that much money, so sentimental and frugal as we are, the Tercel will be junked.
It's parked in front of the house right now. We've already stripped it of small items like the ice scrapers and the jack. Monday or Tuesday, we will v-e-e-e-r-y carefully drive it down to B&R Auto Wrecking and be done with it.
We also saved the owner's manual -- anybody need one?
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "Life goes on."\\
Our most recent Tercel, a 1984, recently started making funny noises, which turned out to be very extensive wear that would have required about $1,200 worth of work. We could probably buy two equivalent cars for that much money, so sentimental and frugal as we are, the Tercel will be junked.
It's parked in front of the house right now. We've already stripped it of small items like the ice scrapers and the jack. Monday or Tuesday, we will v-e-e-e-r-y carefully drive it down to B&R Auto Wrecking and be done with it.
We also saved the owner's manual -- anybody need one?
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "Life goes on."\\
Saturday, May 17, 2008
My Father is Better
Actually, his recovery has been so rapid that his care team aren't trying to set goals for him, they're just monitoring his progress and waiting to see how much he recovers and how fast.
Kathe and I went to Eugene for his care conference, and for his first time out of the facility since his arrival. We went out to a Red Robin (more my parents' sort of place than mine, but not bad), hoping to be joined by my cousin Jean and her husband, but they were delayed.
Afterward, we went back to Dad's room at Riverpark to wait for the others to arrive, but the night shift I worked the night before caught up to me, and Kathe persuaded me to leave for home. I slept in the car for most of the trip.
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "So far, so good."\\
Kathe and I went to Eugene for his care conference, and for his first time out of the facility since his arrival. We went out to a Red Robin (more my parents' sort of place than mine, but not bad), hoping to be joined by my cousin Jean and her husband, but they were delayed.
Afterward, we went back to Dad's room at Riverpark to wait for the others to arrive, but the night shift I worked the night before caught up to me, and Kathe persuaded me to leave for home. I slept in the car for most of the trip.
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "So far, so good."\\
Friday, May 16, 2008
All Those Kids, What to Do?
The authorities are hard-pressed to know what to do with all the kids they carried away from the FLDS compound: where to house them, who should care for them, how to deal with culture shock.
Hey, guys, here's a thought: Why didn't you just leave the women and children in place and just run the menfolk out? Jail them or rent motel rooms or whatever, let the DA's people and the social workers interview everyone in good order, and decide in some reasonable period of time who can go home before the trials and who can't?
A lot less trouble and disruption than spiriting the kids away and scattering them on the winds, seems like. Probably less expensive, too.
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "Never attribute to malice what can be explained by stupidity. And never attribute to individual stupidity what can be explained by institutional culture."\\
Hey, guys, here's a thought: Why didn't you just leave the women and children in place and just run the menfolk out? Jail them or rent motel rooms or whatever, let the DA's people and the social workers interview everyone in good order, and decide in some reasonable period of time who can go home before the trials and who can't?
A lot less trouble and disruption than spiriting the kids away and scattering them on the winds, seems like. Probably less expensive, too.
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "Never attribute to malice what can be explained by stupidity. And never attribute to individual stupidity what can be explained by institutional culture."\\
Monday, May 12, 2008
My Father is Very Sick
He had to go off the coumadin in order to have oral surgery, and while he was off it, a blood clot formed and he had a stroke.
He's improving rapidly, but is still going to be in "skilled nursing facility" in Eugene fo awhile.
It's a nice one....
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "Be brave."\\
He's improving rapidly, but is still going to be in "skilled nursing facility" in Eugene fo awhile.
It's a nice one....
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "Be brave."\\
Friday, May 09, 2008
365 New Superheroes -- Honest!
A couple of years ago, I grandly announced at a purpose-built blog that I was going to create 365 new superheroes over the course of a year.
Considering that time was I tossed off a dozen or more in a single letter composed in an idle afternoon, I thought I could keep to an average of one a day without a lot of trouble.
Well, quite possibly I could have, but I didn't. I posted in fits and spurts, and eventually stopped posting at all.
So, I'm starting over again, as of today, 8 May 2008. Go to my blog and see how I'm doing.
//The Magic Eight Ball says, "So far, so good."\\
Considering that time was I tossed off a dozen or more in a single letter composed in an idle afternoon, I thought I could keep to an average of one a day without a lot of trouble.
Well, quite possibly I could have, but I didn't. I posted in fits and spurts, and eventually stopped posting at all.
So, I'm starting over again, as of today, 8 May 2008. Go to my blog and see how I'm doing.
//The Magic Eight Ball says, "So far, so good."\\
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Spring Planting
I helped plant flags at the Iraq Memorial at the Valley Library today.
Each red flag represents five dead Americans. Each white flag represents five dead Iraqis. Takes awhile to plant that many flags.
I don't know what the other people planting flags were thinking about as they carried out the task, but I kept flashing back to occasions when I have had to handle actual dead people.
So many flags....
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "Remember the dead".\\
Each red flag represents five dead Americans. Each white flag represents five dead Iraqis. Takes awhile to plant that many flags.
I don't know what the other people planting flags were thinking about as they carried out the task, but I kept flashing back to occasions when I have had to handle actual dead people.
So many flags....
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "Remember the dead".\\
Monday, April 28, 2008
The Bush Memorial
News item sent to me by Kathe's son Jake, from his Flotsam web site: The Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco, filed paperwork at San Francisco City Hall April 25 to put an initiative on the November ballot. Leaders are optimistic that they'll collect at least 7,200 valid signatures to put the measure before voters. The measure would change thethe name of the Oceanside Wastewater Treatment Facility to the George W. Bush Sewage Plant on Jan. 20, 2009, inauguration day.
Well, all right, but no President of recent memory will ever have a more appropriate one than Ronald Reagan has in the Ben Linder Room at the University of Oregon.
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "Remember."\\
Well, all right, but no President of recent memory will ever have a more appropriate one than Ronald Reagan has in the Ben Linder Room at the University of Oregon.
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "Remember."\\
Saturday, April 26, 2008
More Dead Gophers
The gophers are still coming back, must not have killed enough of them last time. More Giant Destroyer cartridges....
My father had a bad fall this morning (ahem, before I arrived to help him with his PT), so I got to practice my wound care, washing and bandaging a skin tear on his arm and washing the blood out of his shirt sleeve.
Whether you are frail or vigorous, at age 77 your skin is liable to be fragile and easily torn. They call them skin tears in the trade, and they are almost as feared as broken bones.
Oh, well. Hydrogen peroxide does a good job of cleaning both skin tears and stained cotton.
My father had a bad fall this morning (ahem, before I arrived to help him with his PT), so I got to practice my wound care, washing and bandaging a skin tear on his arm and washing the blood out of his shirt sleeve.
Whether you are frail or vigorous, at age 77 your skin is liable to be fragile and easily torn. They call them skin tears in the trade, and they are almost as feared as broken bones.
Oh, well. Hydrogen peroxide does a good job of cleaning both skin tears and stained cotton.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Baptizing Chu
Kathe and I went to Portland over the weekend to attend the baptism of Chu Taylor, the second Asian child to be adopted by my longtime friend Francine deGrood Taylor and her husband Calvin Taylor.
By accident, at first we walked into the wrong church in a neighborhood impressively thick with them, and saw a poster with one of my favorite quotations, "Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words." When we finally found the right church, we got to hear Calvin playing the tune commonly known as "Morning Has Broken". I was struck by the coincidence: both the quote and the song are attributed to Francis of Assisi. So okay, he's still big, that's no surprise.
We also dropped off some comics to be assessed at Karen's Comics, and found it to be a very enjoyable experience. Karen and her husband are good people, and I was glad to have made their acquaintance and glad to have found a "good home" for the comics.
And we found a coffee shack to add to our collection. I'll post a report about it on the coffee shack blog as soon as I can figure out how to download the photos from my new phone.
By accident, at first we walked into the wrong church in a neighborhood impressively thick with them, and saw a poster with one of my favorite quotations, "Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words." When we finally found the right church, we got to hear Calvin playing the tune commonly known as "Morning Has Broken". I was struck by the coincidence: both the quote and the song are attributed to Francis of Assisi. So okay, he's still big, that's no surprise.
We also dropped off some comics to be assessed at Karen's Comics, and found it to be a very enjoyable experience. Karen and her husband are good people, and I was glad to have made their acquaintance and glad to have found a "good home" for the comics.
And we found a coffee shack to add to our collection. I'll post a report about it on the coffee shack blog as soon as I can figure out how to download the photos from my new phone.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Library Books, 11 April 2008
Children of the storm [cass/book] / by Elizabeth Peters. Title April 14, 2008
Doctor Who, the complete third series [DVD] / a British Broadcasting Corporation production ; Canadian Broadcasting Corporation ; CBC Television ; produced by Phil Collinson. Title April 15, 2008
Inside straight / edited by George R. R. Martin ; assisted by Melinda M. Snodgrass and written by Daniel Abraham ... [et al.]. Title April 15, 2008
Monsters / Charlie White ; introduction by Sally O'Reilly ; interview by Benjamin Weissman. Title April 15, 2008
Graphic classics. Vol. 14, Gothic classics / edited by Tom Pomplun. Title April 18, 2008
Wormwood, gentleman corpse. Vol. 01, Birds, bees, blood & beer / created, written and drawn by Ben Templesmith. Title April 18, 2008
Confessions of a blabbermouth / written by Mike Carey & Louise Carey ; illustrated by Aaron Alexovich. Title April 18, 2008 8. Dead@17. 01 / written & illustrated by Josh Howard. Title April 18, 2008
Earthian. Vol. 03 / art and story by Yun Kouga. Title April 18, 2008
Ads to icons : how advertising succeeds in a multimedia age / Paul Springer. Title April 25, 2008
Fell. Vol. 01, Feral City / written by Warren Ellis ; illustrated by Ben Templesmith. Title April 29, 2008
Powers. Vol. 05, Anarchy / created and produced by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Avon Oeming ; color art by Peter Pentazis. Title April 29, 2008
Blue pills : a positive love story / Frederick Peeters ; translated from the French by Anjali Singh. Title April 29, 2008
Welcome to Tranquility. Vol. 01 / Gail Simone : writer ; Neil Googe : artist. Title April 29, 2008
The books of magic. Vol. 07, Death after death / created by Neil Gaiman ; writer, ; illustrators, Title May 08, 2008
James Sturm's America : God, gold and golems. Title May 08, 2008
Shiny beasts / Rick Veitch with Alan Moore and S.R. Bissette. Title May 08, 2008
Storeyville / [Frank Santoro]. Title May 08, 2008
Tellos. Vol. 1, Reluctant heroes / story Todd Dezago and Mike Wieringo. Title May 08, 2008
Tellos. Vol. 2, Kindred Spirits / story Todd Dezago and Mike Wieringo. Title May 08, 2008
With the light. 01 : raising an autistic child / Keiko Tobe. Title May 08, 2008
The saga of the bloody Benders : the infamous homicidal family of Labette County, Kansas / written and illustrated by Rick Geary. Title May 08, 2008
Note: Just because I choose to make this information public doesn't mean I approve of anyone snooping in other people's library information.
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "Create no easements at this time."\\
Doctor Who, the complete third series [DVD] / a British Broadcasting Corporation production ; Canadian Broadcasting Corporation ; CBC Television ; produced by Phil Collinson. Title April 15, 2008
Inside straight / edited by George R. R. Martin ; assisted by Melinda M. Snodgrass and written by Daniel Abraham ... [et al.]. Title April 15, 2008
Monsters / Charlie White ; introduction by Sally O'Reilly ; interview by Benjamin Weissman. Title April 15, 2008
Graphic classics. Vol. 14, Gothic classics / edited by Tom Pomplun. Title April 18, 2008
Wormwood, gentleman corpse. Vol. 01, Birds, bees, blood & beer / created, written and drawn by Ben Templesmith. Title April 18, 2008
Confessions of a blabbermouth / written by Mike Carey & Louise Carey ; illustrated by Aaron Alexovich. Title April 18, 2008 8. Dead@17. 01 / written & illustrated by Josh Howard. Title April 18, 2008
Earthian. Vol. 03 / art and story by Yun Kouga. Title April 18, 2008
Ads to icons : how advertising succeeds in a multimedia age / Paul Springer. Title April 25, 2008
Fell. Vol. 01, Feral City / written by Warren Ellis ; illustrated by Ben Templesmith. Title April 29, 2008
Powers. Vol. 05, Anarchy / created and produced by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Avon Oeming ; color art by Peter Pentazis. Title April 29, 2008
Blue pills : a positive love story / Frederick Peeters ; translated from the French by Anjali Singh. Title April 29, 2008
Welcome to Tranquility. Vol. 01 / Gail Simone : writer ; Neil Googe : artist. Title April 29, 2008
The books of magic. Vol. 07, Death after death / created by Neil Gaiman ; writer, ; illustrators, Title May 08, 2008
James Sturm's America : God, gold and golems. Title May 08, 2008
Shiny beasts / Rick Veitch with Alan Moore and S.R. Bissette. Title May 08, 2008
Storeyville / [Frank Santoro]. Title May 08, 2008
Tellos. Vol. 1, Reluctant heroes / story Todd Dezago and Mike Wieringo. Title May 08, 2008
Tellos. Vol. 2, Kindred Spirits / story Todd Dezago and Mike Wieringo. Title May 08, 2008
With the light. 01 : raising an autistic child / Keiko Tobe. Title May 08, 2008
The saga of the bloody Benders : the infamous homicidal family of Labette County, Kansas / written and illustrated by Rick Geary. Title May 08, 2008
Note: Just because I choose to make this information public doesn't mean I approve of anyone snooping in other people's library information.
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "Create no easements at this time."\\
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Poisoning Gophers in the Yard
I went to my parents' house today, as I do on Wednesdays lately, to help my father with his physical therapy. Mostly, I walk alongside him while he goes up and down on his property, and do small things around the house in between walks, so he can rest.
Today, I dug up gopher mounds while he rested after our first walk, and buried burning Giant Destroyer cartridges in them, so that their noxious outpourings of oxides of sulphur and carbon could have their chance to kill the critters.
Dig, poke around, find the gopher run, light a cartridge, stick it in, bury the whole mess, repeat. I repeated eight times altogether.
There was a book published awhile back, the von Hoffman Brothers' Big Damn Book of Sheer Manliness, which asserted that Corry's Slug and Snail Death was by fare the yard-care product with the manliest name. I have to contend that Giant Destroyer exceeds even Slug and Snail Death for sheer manliness, although admittedly Corry's has the spiffier package.
So, we'll see whether I got all the gophers with those eight sticks, or whether we'll need to go after them again. Personally, I'd rather just persuade gophers to only come up alongside fences and garden walls -- if they would just do that, we could probably live in peace with them.
And my father's health continues to improve, as evidenced by how much longer the walks we're taking are getting.
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "Try not to take too much pleasure in killing animals in their homes with poison gas -- it's no more good karma than it is good taste."\\
Today, I dug up gopher mounds while he rested after our first walk, and buried burning Giant Destroyer cartridges in them, so that their noxious outpourings of oxides of sulphur and carbon could have their chance to kill the critters.
Dig, poke around, find the gopher run, light a cartridge, stick it in, bury the whole mess, repeat. I repeated eight times altogether.
There was a book published awhile back, the von Hoffman Brothers' Big Damn Book of Sheer Manliness, which asserted that Corry's Slug and Snail Death was by fare the yard-care product with the manliest name. I have to contend that Giant Destroyer exceeds even Slug and Snail Death for sheer manliness, although admittedly Corry's has the spiffier package.
So, we'll see whether I got all the gophers with those eight sticks, or whether we'll need to go after them again. Personally, I'd rather just persuade gophers to only come up alongside fences and garden walls -- if they would just do that, we could probably live in peace with them.
And my father's health continues to improve, as evidenced by how much longer the walks we're taking are getting.
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "Try not to take too much pleasure in killing animals in their homes with poison gas -- it's no more good karma than it is good taste."\\
Thursday, March 27, 2008
New Coffee Shack Blog
Kathe and I have started a new blog, devoted to the coffee shacks of the Pacific Northwest, or anyway of the mid-Willamette Valley.
Every time we stop at a new coffee shack, with the owner's permission we photograph the building. We also collect any punchcards or other memorabilia. And we have a mocha, and review it for quality.
One day, we might just do the coffee table book we've been talking about for years, but in the meantime we've got the blog, and some digital pictures to put on it.
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "Be kind in your reviews."\\
Every time we stop at a new coffee shack, with the owner's permission we photograph the building. We also collect any punchcards or other memorabilia. And we have a mocha, and review it for quality.
One day, we might just do the coffee table book we've been talking about for years, but in the meantime we've got the blog, and some digital pictures to put on it.
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "Be kind in your reviews."\\
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Now It Can Be Told
At this late date, I suppose there's no harm in revealing that in the Spring of 2001, I was flown to Washington DC to consult with President George W. Bush on Middle Eastern policy.
I don't know why they asked me -- I'm not in any sense an expert on the subject -- but then the Bush Administration hasn't been especially noted for its good sense.
Still, they asked, so I did my best.
So there I was, sitting across the Oval Office desk from George W. Bush, and he told me what he had in mind.
"We're going to transform the entire Middle East with a bold initiative, starting in one country and then moving on, domino after domino. But first we have to establish a beachhead."
I nodded, beginning to get excited.
"That's a bold move, all right. Well, the obvious choice is Israel, which is practically a U.S. client state. Persuading them to grant meaningful sovereignty to the Palestinians, and providing the Palestinians with the support they will need to build up a viable country, will be quite a challenge, but --"
"We weren't thinking of Israel, actually."
"Oh. Well, the obvious second choice is Egypt, where the government is closer to a functioning republic than any of the other Arab countries...."
I stopped as I saw him shaking his head.
"Oh. Well then you must be thinking of Saudi Arabia, where the U.S. has almost as much influence. They're a long way from democracy, but I suppose it could be possible.... But that's not what you had in mind, either, is it?"
So he told me: it was going to be Iraq.
I didn't bother to tell him that was about my seventeenth choice.
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "That was unkind, John."\\
I don't know why they asked me -- I'm not in any sense an expert on the subject -- but then the Bush Administration hasn't been especially noted for its good sense.
Still, they asked, so I did my best.
So there I was, sitting across the Oval Office desk from George W. Bush, and he told me what he had in mind.
"We're going to transform the entire Middle East with a bold initiative, starting in one country and then moving on, domino after domino. But first we have to establish a beachhead."
I nodded, beginning to get excited.
"That's a bold move, all right. Well, the obvious choice is Israel, which is practically a U.S. client state. Persuading them to grant meaningful sovereignty to the Palestinians, and providing the Palestinians with the support they will need to build up a viable country, will be quite a challenge, but --"
"We weren't thinking of Israel, actually."
"Oh. Well, the obvious second choice is Egypt, where the government is closer to a functioning republic than any of the other Arab countries...."
I stopped as I saw him shaking his head.
"Oh. Well then you must be thinking of Saudi Arabia, where the U.S. has almost as much influence. They're a long way from democracy, but I suppose it could be possible.... But that's not what you had in mind, either, is it?"
So he told me: it was going to be Iraq.
I didn't bother to tell him that was about my seventeenth choice.
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "That was unkind, John."\\
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Out From The Library, as of 21 March 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
Now We're Getting Somewhere
Awhile back I suggested that once we have either an African American or a woman as President, the real 21st Century can begin, and this Godawful mess we've had since 2001 will shrivel up and blow away.
Now comes this headline: SPACEWALKERS ASSEMBLING GIANT ROBOT.
Hey, all right! Now, about those rocket packs....
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "John, I thought that initial remark was just a joke."\\
Now comes this headline: SPACEWALKERS ASSEMBLING GIANT ROBOT.
Hey, all right! Now, about those rocket packs....
//The Magic Eight-Ball says, "John, I thought that initial remark was just a joke."\\
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Hypochondria
The other day, I noticed that the place where the neurosurgeon opened my skull is decidedly flat under the scar.
Is it hypochondria that makes me think that today it's actually indented, or did I just not notice it before?
Is it hypochondria to think that the recent extreme stress in my life is causing me to develop hypochondria?
Is it hypochondria that makes me think that today it's actually indented, or did I just not notice it before?
Is it hypochondria to think that the recent extreme stress in my life is causing me to develop hypochondria?
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