I have a dream that someday I will be able to afford to hire movers. Alternately, I dream of never having to move again.

Today I saw that it was still there, and the lure was in the water. I picked it up, thinking to set it somewhere more visible. Just as the lure started to move, there was a flash in the water and a tug...I'd caught a fish! I pulled it out, and there was a medium sized fish, a bit longer than the length of my hand. I chuckled, unooked it, threw it back in, and headed back to work to wash the fish smell off my hands.

Update: Apparently, my disbelief was justified. I went back to look at it again, and most evidence of its existence has vanished. Check here if you want the scoop.

Update #2: Well, it's back, and funny as ever. I've heard there is a version with music, too. (YMCA.)

Isn't too expensive.

Provides decent service....that is to say, at least is not a complete dick.

Moderate storage space. Somewhere between 5-100MB.

Some of you have your own domains. Any recommendations/warnings?

Shortly after blogging about the thunder and lightening, I was finishing up the "sexy voices" post, which I planned to save in Simple Text, and blog on the half hour. I was then going to shut the computer down for a bit, just in case. Just before I'd reached the end of assembling the list, everything died. No radio, no computer, no lights (no motor car, not a single luxury....). The was no warning flicker, just *boom* to black. (OK, not total black...I had my last four votive candles burning.) I waited a bit to see if the lights would come on. (Thank goodness I was out of the shower by that time!) Brian came up from downstairs with a flashlight. He'd been in the middle of packing. He said that everything was off all up and down our block, but that across the street all was well. We live at the border of our power grid, apparently.

I set my timer to 30 minutes, and sat by the window, watching the storm and eating some ice cream. The light show was quite impressive, to be sure. The timer went off, but no lights. I set it again, and again no lights. I was begining to dispair that I would ever finish that Thon, when there was a knock at the door.

There stood Lukifer, Powerbook in hand. He had read my last post about the storm, and when no new posts appeared, he figured something was up. With nothing to see by but a few candles, we got his laptop configured to my connection, dug out a phone cable (no Airport with no electricity), and gotten everything plugged in from behind a pile of boxes and furniture. Fifteen minutes after he'd arrived, I was back online.

Typing on the floor, in the mostly dark was fun, but we muddled through until the lights came back on. The computer gods were kind. Other than the "not properly shut down" error message, everything was just fine on the iMac. Big relief. It certainly was an adventure.

Thank you to all who pledged.

Thank you to the organizers, for doing such a great job getting this all going.

Thanks to all who stopped by left helpful comments.

And a big thanks to Lukifer for providing chinese take-out, an emergency laptop during the blackout, and mega moral support.

I realized that if I slept all day, my sleep schedule would be off, and I wouldn't be able to get to sleep tonight. So, I may be sleepy, but I am still packing boxes and hauling stuff downstairs and to the garage. After all, I have to have *all* of my things down in the garage by Tuesday night soI can clean and be out by noon Wednesday.

<reaches for an Oreo>

<stares at Oreo>

<reaches for an toothbrush>

Please contact the server administrator, dev@pyra.com and inform them of the time the error occurred, and anything you might have done that may have caused the error.

More information about this error may be available in the server error log.

Apache/1.3.22 Server at blogspot.com Port 80"

Ah poop.

Getting lucky with Google*

Birth control

Condom

STD

Sex ed

Mamogram

Vagina

Penis

*Going directly to the first hit for these words.

I'll have to see about getting up there before the summer is over.

Why donate to PPWI? Because they need the money to continue doing the good work they do, but there are always those who are ready to pressure lawmakers to cut or deny funding. Recently, a rider on the budget made it through the Assembly that would have eliminated funding to "all options" care providers such as PP. Fortunately, it died in the State Senate. They will keep on trying, and so must we.

I've often wondered about the standard interpretations ofdream symbols. Some of them are so off beat that it seems downright silly. I think a lot of it is bunk. A lawn = blood or circulatory system. Why? Who came up with this stuff and how?

<Note period outside of quotation marks, British-style.>

Last summer, at the age of 25, I finaly realized that I didn't have to ask my dad anymore. I went out and bought my own damn skateboard. I've learned to skate in a straight line, how steer a bit. No tricks. I highly doubt I will ever be doing an ollie like that.

John Mayer

Beth Orton

David Gray

Norah Jones

Rufus Wainwright

Lauryn Hill

Chris Isaak

Erykah Badu

Harry Connick Jr.

India Arie

Ok, time to surf and see what I've missed.

So, we dug out a phone cable, crawled behind boxes and furniture to plug it in, and now we're back in business.

(If it makes a difference, the standard amount that helps NPO's get matching funds, etc. is $35. That tends to be the magic number for pledges that help bring in other grants.)

Buy new chair for computer desk.

Lesson learned: good things can come from bad photos.

I hope when I refresh the page, everything is still there. I'll cry if it isn't.

Wish me luck....

Blog Naked. (webcams *not* required).

Yup, just take it all off, grab a glass of lemonade and keep posting. Maybe start with a cold shower or something. Brrrrrrrrrrrr.

My Bloginality is INTJ.

*Giggle!*

Ok, it's not personal. Its from a story that Monochromatic Girl is writing in sections for the Thon. Check it out.

What is it all about?

"Do You Want To Know A Simple,

Two Minute Hypnotic Technique Which

Lets YOU Secretly Put Any Woman Into

An Instant Trance

And Persuades Her To Ask YOU Out???"

Really? Tell me more:

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Dr. Robert Jacobs, Certified Hypnotist. I would like to take a moment of your time to tell you about a phenomenal technique I discovered which allowed me to meet, date, and seduce literally hundreds of women by hypnotizing them.

As a hypnotist, I realized that I could use my skills to
easily hypnotize and seduce any woman that I chose!

I wanted a fast, easy way to make women surrender to my will, so I could quickly attract and seduce the women I wanted. Finally, through relentless research, I've discovered an absolutely amazing method that allows Anyone to easily Secretly Hypnotize any woman, Instantly, without them even realizing it!"

"Look...simply imagine the incredible feelings You'll have after you possess this absolute, sheer raw power over women! "

Get...a....clue...pathetic...losers. Is it the sex? Or is the power thing?

Forty-nine Steps to the Outhouse, written by Willy Makit, pictures by Betty Wont.

Also, the first pledge of $100 or more gets a framed copy of "Queen of Pentacles", the b/w photo featured above the archives.

It's for a good cause.

Is that not one of the neatest, eeriest things you've ever seen?

Seriously, if I were the sort of person who could drop a huge amount of money on art (I mean someone else's art) I would so want to purchase this piece.

At the moment, however, I drive a 12 year old Cougar and am happy if I only have to fill up once a week.

Yes, that's right. The entrance to Narnia is in my bedroom closet. You see, instead of ending at about door width like most closets, this one goes back and back and up and up. There are three levels extending back behind the wall, with a crawl space entrance in the ceiling at the far back. A fun place to go sit and hide out, though mostly used for storage. How prosaic, hey? However, the wardrobe was used to store old fur coats, after all.

Someday, it will happen.

Funny thing, I actually perfer to be barefoot wheneverI can. However, living in Wisconsin means you wear shoes a lot. I do believe that if you have to wear shoes, you might as well wear shoes that are appropriate for the occasion, task at hand, and outfit. Combat boots or sandals? Tennis shoes or dress shoes? I also have a number of shoes that go with costumes, and can't be worn with much else. (Like my Sound of Music, Frau Schmidt "bowling shoes".)

Just an observation.

"Commas and full stops (periods) at the end of quotations should be placed inside the end inverted comma (quotation mark)."

And...

"Use quotation marks [ “ ” ] to set off material that represents quoted or spoken language. Quotation marks also set off the titles of things that do not normally stand by themselves: short stories, poems, and articles. Usually, a quotation is set off from the rest of the sentence by a comma; however, the typography of quoted material can become quite complicated. Here is one simple rule to remember: In the United States, periods and commas go inside quotation marks regardless of logic. Click HERE for an explanation (sort of).

In the United Kingdom, Canada, and islands under the influence of British education, punctuation around quotation marks is more apt to follow logic. In American style, then, you would write: My favorite poem is Robert Frost's "Design." But in England you would write: My favorite poem is Robert Frost's "Design". The placement of marks other than periods and commas follows the logic that quotation marks should accompany (be right next to) the text being quoted or set apart as a title. Thus, you would write (on either side of the Atlantic):

* What do you think of Robert Frost's "Design"? and
* I love "Design"; however, my favorite poem was written by Emily Dickinson."

And...

"Now, keep in mind that this comma and period inside the quotation marks business is strictly American usage. The British don't do it that way. They are inclined to place commas and periods logically rather than conventionally, depending on whether the punctuation belongs to the quotation or to the sentence that contains the quotation, just as we do with question marks and exclamation points."

Well then, there you go.

Before they discontinued it (am I sensing a theme?) I was very fond of Agfa Ultra 50, a color print film. I once shot a roll of Kodachrome 25. Again, discontinued. Thank goodness Fuji is still making Velvia 50 slide film.

I guess amatuers tends towards fast films, and professionals are going digital. *sigh* I'm not a Luddite, but man, I'm going to hang on to film as long asI can.

2 "anonymous"

Luke Arthur

Leann

Amy Westra

Thanks guys. See? All the cool people are doing it. Only $20 to go before the annoying ad goes away.

Also, the current pledge total is $130. When it goes over $200, I will make the ad at the top of the page go away.

My view are my own. I do not necessarily speak *for* PPWI. Go to their for their official stands.

Why should you pledge? Because they need the money and it is the right thing to do. Pro-life? Well, Planned Parenthood provides more than just abortions....in fact that is just a teeny-tiny minority of what they do. Their mission is to provide education and reproductive health care for all people. Ideally, the education and contraception they provide will prevent unplanned pregnancies in the first place, before they even happen. (Hence the name.) No pregancy=no abortion.

For some women, Planned Parenthood actually provides the only health care they ever receive. They charge for services on a need-based sliding scale. Sometimes, they will even provide service for free. Poor people and students, those who are without insurance, can actually afford care that they wouldn't be able to get elsewhere. Breast and pelvic exams and pap shmears can save lives, but only if you can get them.

How about the sex ed? Shouldn't that be left to parents? I think that ideally, parents *would* be able to teach their kids everything there was to know about sex and sexuality. However, that isn't always the case. For one thing, some parents just don't do it. Should their kids be denied basic information? Should a teenager end up pregnant or with an STD because mom and dad were squeamish? Should someone reach adulthood and go out into the world only knowing what they picked up "on the streets" or from TV? It isn't just teens that need this info. Another thing with parents is that they may not have all the facts. When I was taking the volunteer educators class, we were all suprised at how much we didn't know. We were all grown, educated women, yet we had a good deal of misinformation about contraception, biology, and STD's. Planned Parenthood teaches classes for all ages and social groups. Classes can be for teenagers or classes can be for parents looking to talk to their kids.

You might not agree with every single thing that Planned Parenthood does, but I believe that the net outcome is worthwhile. Thanks.

I've Photoshopped a number of versions of this thing, so expect the image to change as my mood changes.

(I am also going to try to stay in my pajamas as long a possible.)

I don't like smoking. (I also dislike Big, Corporate Tobacco.) Smoke makes me uncomfortable. I'm allergic, so I sneeze. I have asthma, so I cough. The smell of tobacco smoke gets very sour, and clings ot my hair and clothes until they are washed. The smell of someone who has just been smoking is totally obnoxious. Basically, secondhand tobacco smoke makes me ill.

I think people should be allowed to do what they want, so long as they aren't hurting anyone else. Second hand smoke does hurt me. I don't want to deal with it. I'd love to go out dancing or see a show at a bar without having to bring my inhaler and planning to wash my hair immeadiately upon returning home. Unfortunately, I don't have that choice in Wisconsin. Not everybody here smokes, but since it is allowed in bars, the people who do smoke light up constantly. I haven't been in a bar that wasn't hazy with smoke...even fancy expensive bars. (I hear that California doesn't have smokng in bars. I've gotta go see that.) This means that my choices are:

A. Put up with harmful smoke in order to attend and event that I enjoy.

-or-

B. Stay home or go elsewhere.

Smokers get to choose:

A. Go out and smoke.

-or-

B. Go out and don't smoke for a few hours.

-or-

C. Go out and go outside or elsewhere for a cigarette.

-or-

D. Quit smoking.

Does this seem fair? Not really. Someone else's life style choice and addiction is directly effecting whatI can do and whereI can go. Yes, I am aware that quitting is difficult. Yes, I am aware that having a nicotine fit and not being able to smoke for a few hours is uncomfortable. Boo-hoo. I didn't make you start smoking. You made your choice and I made mine. Quit whining.

I went home and Googled Heyday bars, wondering if I could order them from somewhere, only to discover the awful truth: they had been discontinued. NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! They were the best cookies ever! *sniffle* I'll have to add them to Pudding Pops in my campaign to bring them back.

Hometown.favorites.com provides a long list of food products that are no longer made. Some make me sad (Keebler Grasshopper Chocolate Mint Sandwich) but others make me wonder why it was ever made in the first place (Pepsi Crystal).

Does anyone remember Royal's candy? I miss those, too.

I was scheduled to work Saturdays, so I put in a half day and then headed across the parking lot to socialize and eat. I didn't mind the rain, as I had a big umbrella. However, I didn't realize how deep the puddles in the parking lot had gotten, and suddenly found myself hip-deep in water. Icky. I slogged around the party for afew minutes in dripping jeans and squishy sneakers, then headed back through the rain for my car, where I was lucky enough to have a pair of shorts and sandals to change into. Not quite warm enough for the day, but it was dry.

It was my first real socialization with co-workers, and I was still pretty nervous around them. Now I hang out with some of them so much that I look back on that day with amazement. What a shy little goof I was.

I cantell you why I'm so cranky right this minute: it Friday night and there is nothing to do besides pack. I'm hot and I'm bored and no one else is home. I'm still on the bloody west side. None of the utility bills have been paid, even though I wrote my checks for them weeks ago. Work sucked for the most part today. I'm so crabby that I'm even annoying myself right now. AAAAAAARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*pant*pant*

I promise I will try to be cheerier and upbeat tomorrow.

On a side note, you may have noticed that I sometimes put the comma or period outside the punctuation marks, rather than inside as is customary. I was taught to put it on the inside, but I find that it looks weird on the computer. Then I read somewhere (can't find the link!) that the convention was starting to change, for that very reason. I still do the old way by habit much of the time. I am trying to work out a consistent method, but it will take time.

Yeah, whatever. Subtlety and irony have gone bye-bye.

On the other hand, I did win admission to the upcoming Josh Joplin solo show at Luther's Blues. Not a big Josh Joplin fan or anything, but I do love winning radio contests.

If you are really morbidly curious, you'll have to go to MeFi yourself and look for it. Neener.

On the upside, only a week until I'm done whining about moving. That's always a bonus.

Any other Blogger/Blogspot users having similar problems?

<Huh?>

Ok, some explanation. I save stuff. Sentimental stuff. I have a huge box full of old letters and notes. I save ticket stubs. For years I have saved dried flowers. At first I saved every flower I ever got, as they were a rarity. Most of them were carnations, with one or two roses mixed in. Eventually, I weeded out all the non-rose flowers, and had a large vase full of dried roses.

It sat high up on a shelf.I can no longer remember which came from friends and family, which were from lovers, and which I bought myself. The pinks and reds grew browner and browner in time.

As I am moving in one week, I am sorting through my stuff: packing, tossing, donating. I came across the vase of dried buds and thought, "Oh Cripes, how the hell do I pack this?" The truth be told, I didn't want to. It was starting to look dusty and morbid in a Miss Havisham sort of way. Out they go.

The trash can didn't seem right. Neither did the compost heap. Then it occurred to me that I still have a fireplace, and it is a rather cool night. Dried stuff is flamable, I like burning stuff (with in reason), and roses would smell like inscence, right? Well, a pile of dried roses might look flamable, but getting them to catch is a bit of a trick. Not much of an inscence smell either. Mostly just a general smoke smell. Ah well.

One less bit of stuff to clutter up my life and my space.

At the moment, however, I only have a headache.

"Love and attraction are not logical.

You cannot approach it with logic (and expect it to work).

Think of logic as the Cryptonite of Love."

Barefoot, dust-covered khaki shorts, bikini top (too hot for a shirt today), raggedy red bandana, and a doubled-up pony tail. I look like a cross between Aunt Jemima and a beach party refugee.

I'd have to agree with The Onion's review

Update: Ack! Where did the rest of my post go? I had another three whole paragraphs here. Cripes, I soooo don't feel like redoing it.

1. Go to the farewell send off for two of my co-workers.

2. Hang out at the Terrace and eat ice cream.

3. Hit the Dane County Farmer's Market for shopping and people watching.

4. Saw The Bourne Identity. (Review to follow.)

5. Sushi.

6. More people watching on State Street.

7. More ice cream. (Yum.)

8. Watched the DVD of Heat, as Lukifer had never seen it, and what better movie to watch in this weather.

I had been thinking of going for a bike ride when I got to a breaking point in my packing this afternoon, but the heat index has put the kibosh on that. I may go swimming instead. Definately time for some lemonade.

<crossing fingers>

Here goes.

Please, here are the rest of my civil liberties. Take them, please. I am sure that the government can take care of all my interests better thanI can. Here are all my medical records. Here is a list of all the library books I've ever checked out. Would you like a copy of my church attendance? Excuse me, I must go iron my burqua.....

1. Go to my mom's family reunion.

2. See Aretha Franklin at the Madison Blues Festival.

However, I can't go to the reunion due to the fact that I have so little time left before I have to move, and so much to do in that time. Leaving ton for two days won't help.

I also found out this morning that Aretha Franklin has canceled her Blues Fest appearance. I guess that will save me some money. Probably couldn't afford a ticket anyway.

I guess that will teach me not to read the news before going to bed.

Why?

Why?

Five-year-old girls should not be missing for over a year with no one noticing. Five-year-old girls should not be delibrately driven into the ocean. Five-year-old girls should not be stolen, raped, killed and dumped like a pile of trash.

Five-year-old girls should be given love and attention and space and hugs and finger paints and allowed to grow up to become little old women with blue hair who talk about how safe things were back in their day.

(And might I add, my that's some Big Hair.)

The unmanagable bookmarks are still a pain, but I am totally loving the navigator tabs. It makes it very easy to go back and forth between pages. Mozilla also seems to be a very fast loading browser, and doesn't crash all the time like some programs I could mention. <cough>

"07/13/02

Dear Katherine,

You recently applied for employment at Lands' End........"

Recently? Um, 9 months ago? Yes, they've been calling me this week, trying to set up and interview for a crappy part-time job I applied for during my unemployment last year. Since I never called them back, they sent me a letter as well. All I can say is that I am so glad I *don't* need to get in touch with them anymore.

"Mommy! Daddy! Watch me do this!" *splash*

Needless to say, this came at a time when I was pondering the ability to climb out of the credit debt hole. Nope, not gonna happen. I should accept the fact that while I am a responsible person, while I work hard, full time, while I budget carefull and don't spend extravagantly, I will always be in the hole, barely scraping by. Everything on my credit card bill at this point is from medical bills (what the insurance didn't cover), dental bills (ditto....gotta love the US insurance system), and car repairs. No jet-setting trips to the Bahamas, no Prada bags, no Gucci shoes, no fine wine or four star meals...just big, unavoidable expenses. (Hmmm, should I start aSave Katherine page? Nah, I guess it's been done.)

It got me thinking...I am a responsible, hard worker destined for a life of scraping by. One among the millions. And, as far a scraping by goes, I've got it easy. Then there are hereditary rich-boys with little sense of ethics like George W. Bush, DickCheney, so many others in the current admin, and all those cheating CEO's that have driven company after company into bankruptcy while collecting their huge severance packages. They are scoundrels and thieves, but not only do they thrive, they get to claim the moral high road. (Well, Dubya does.)

It is kinda discouraging.

This is the time of year when I am reminded of my annual pet peeve....I can't take off my shirt in public, no matter how hot it gets. Oh sure, technically it may be legal in the city of Madison for a woman to remove her shirt any where that a man is permitted to. That doesn't mean she *can* though. A woman (especially a large breasted woman) takes off her shirt in public and all hell breaks loose. Stares, whistles, lewd comments, rude comments, sermons from the (self) righteous. Any harrassment or attacks....well, she was certainly asking for it, wasn't she?

Our culture has over fetishized the female breast. Toddlers are about the only females totally allowed to go shirtless. (Though I do remember being allowed to run about without a shirt in the yard, at least, until I was about 5 or 6.) Men desired them, therefore women must cover them, for the public good. What was the first thing Western missionaries would do when reaching a new tribe in a tropical local? Make the women cover themselves.

Unfortunately, the only way to disarm this stupidity is to for women to start going topless, for the cultural desensitization to occur. Pioneers in this movement won't have it easy. I know I don't have the courage to be one of them. I also won't be opening a car wash any time soon.

We're having trouble with a template server. Some Pro blogs are publishable right now. Others aren't. Non-Pro is not publishing. We're working hard on it. Thanks.
posted by Ev. | 3:38 PM

Well, I guess that is why my comments, counters, and the Blogger button are gone. I went into the template to fix the code by hand, as bits of it seem to have disappeared or gone screwy. I fixed the blogger button first, as that is part of the user agreement. Got it up and working, then went back in to check on the rest of it. When I went into the template, it was back to being screwed up.....none of my fixes to bring back the blogger button remained, even though I'd saved them. I guess I am going to have to wait until they get the problem fixed. I hope it is soon. Till then, patience will have to do.

(Suddenly nervous about Blogathon. By the way, you can still sponsor this blog until July 20th. Please do!)

....Yup, the roll was finished, but hadn't rewound. Fortunately, I don't remember what was on that roll, so I might be okay. (Oh wait, was that my cute little cousin pics from my Uncle's B-day? Ouch.)

When I was in college, I went grocery shopping once a week. I only bought what would fill one carry basket (ie one paper sack worth) because I had to carry everything home on foot, several blocks. I also limited my food budget to $15 a week. Ramen noodles were 6/$1. Bananas and baking potatoes were pretty cheap per pound. Canned fruit and veggies were another staple. I bought a lot of generic, and shopped with coupons. Meat was usually put of the question. It wasn't a very exciting diet, or probably very well-rounded, but it kept me going.

Now I have a car, a full time job, and access to an entire city's worth of grocery stores and markets. My grocery budget has gone up to about $25 a week. Still not much, but the extra $10 means that I buy no ramen and have a little more variety in my diet.

The hard part is buying food to make myself real meals. Anyone who has had to shop and cook for one will know this. Smaller portions mean higher cost. Perishables such as produce, meat, and dairy need to be used quickly, to prevent spoilage. Meals cooked for one result in leftovers galore. I refuse to buy much on the way of convenience food. Most microwave meals don't appeal to me. I end up eating a lot of pasta and rice, with calcium enriched orange juice as my main beverage choice.

Even having roommates hasn't helped this dilemma. Try as I might, I can rarely get my apartment mates to the table, or to the fridge for the leftovers. I really miss family dinners. As of August, I won't even have roommates to cajole into eating with me. Anyone wanna come over for dinner?

Any Mozilla users out there with suggestions on bookmark management?

Error 503:Unable to load template file: /home/Templates2/3272702_a.html (server:page)

huh?

I am attempting to de-Microsoft my life. Part of this involves switching my e-mail program from Outlook Express to Eudora Lite. Can anyone out there tell me if it is possible (and how) to transfer my old messages, address book, and signature file from one to the other? (My platform is MacOS9)

(can't I just be moved already?)

Please save and preserve this nation from your "followers".

Antonin Scalia,as a Supreme Court Justice, makes me rather queasy.

How is it the the right-wingers are able to deride the Muslim theocracies and jihad, yet be so willing to build a Christian one here?

(Click here to read a full transcript of Scalia's remarks.)

This article sums up the dangers of tight-laced corsetry. Some of them bring to mind the consequences of footbinding. Moderation in everything, people! Moderation!

The US Postal Service has love letters.

More love letters...

Also: Love letters of the Civil War

And finally, How to write love letters.

Are love letters a lost art? Can e-mail do the same thing? I have a huge collection of notes and letters from high school, some of them lingering on the edges of love-letterhood, but no little bundles wrapped in ribbons.
My parents' love letters used to be kept in a pretty pink paper cigar box, until a flooded basement storage area reduced them to muck.

Will I ever write a love letter? (Especially now that postage has gone up again?) E-mail is something of a different medium, though it seems close on the surface. It seems more casual, and harder to preserve. Part of love letters' mystique is the fact that they are an object, a token.

C'mon people. 24 hours of blogging for a good cause. I'd think a few more of you could pony up. There will be a bit of a site redesign, and if I get at least $200, I will make that annoying ad at the top of the page go away.

(via Metafilter)

In that note, I subbed with a fourth grade class who were learning to use...and abuse PowerPoint in their computer class. Sound effects, animations, the whole shebang....it really appeals to young kids. *sigh* Setting them on the road to bad design habits early.

I am pleased that people I don't always agree with (ie. conservatives) are with me on the pledge issue. Of course, these are conservatives who think with their intellect, not their automatic nervous systems.

Of course, we in Madison have already through this controversy before.

And, as far as "In God We Trust" goes, I'm quite happy with "E Pluribus Unum", thank you very much.

Here's another well reasoned essay on the subject.)

After eating we hit the Memorial Union for ice cream and the Natty Nation show. The band was in fine form, stirrin' it up on a pleasantly sultry Madison night. As usual, the Terrace was jumpin' with a mix of everybody you could think of. We ran into a friend of my dad's, who we hadn't seen in years (until the other week at my uncle's birthday party, that is....). He sat with us for a while, and tried to convince us to work for the Barrett for Governor campaign.

We followed the show with a walk down State Street, listening to street buskers and running into more people we knew.

All in all, a good night.

Blogging. The 24-7 opinion sites that offer free speech at its straightest, truest, wildest, most uncensored, most thoughtful, most strange. Thousands of independent information entrepreneurs are informing, arguing, adding information. Imagine if we'd had them in 1776: "As I wrote in yesterday's lead item on SamAdams.com, my well meaning cousin John continues his grammatical nitpicking with Jefferson (link requires registration) 'Inalienable,' 'unalienable,' whatever. Boys, let's fight. Start the war." Blogs may one hard day become clearinghouses for civil support and information when other lines, under new pressure, break down.

(via DPM)

(And just in case Americans try to act self-righteous.)

The Virtual Corkscrew Museum.

(I especially love the bit on "How to collect.")

(Yes, I've been reading Metafilter this morning.

Excerpt:

"DES MOINES, Iowa -- Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa is fighting a judge's order to hand over the names of women who took pregnancy tests in Buena Vista County.

Storm Lake, Iowa, investigators are searching for the mother of a newborn baby whose body was found at a recycling center in May.

The legal battle is the first of its kind for Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa. The case questions where to draw the line between patient privacy and investigating crimes."

This begs the question of whether the woman who dumped her infant even necessarily *took* a pregancy test, at Planned Parenthood or anywhere. If she did take a test, it was most likely over the counter. Women who dump their newborns have usually hidden their pregnancy. Taking a pregnancy test at a clinic would not seem like the action of someone who is going to put her newborn with the recycling.

50 Random Facts About Me

1. I am four going on forty.

2. I dislike making telephone calls, yet I get absurdly excited and hopeful when the phone rings.

3. Trains make me nervous.

4. I like spiders (in moderation).

5.I can get veeeeeery shy and awkward with people I don't know very well.

6. I am very much a night person, yet I love sunshine.

7. I usually remember my dreams.

8. I am not a lucid dreamer.

9. I love dogs.

10. Not so much a fan of cats. They are ok at a distance, though.

11. Table saws make me nervous.

12.I can roll my tongue (and my "r"s), raise on eyebrow, and cross my eyes.

13. I can't do a handstand, a cartwheel, or walk on my hands, but I wish I could.

14. My two front teeth are partially plastic, as a result of #13.

15. I have had the chickenpox.

16. I use a Mac.

17. I don't understand the big deal about diamonds....yeah they're sparkley but there's no color.

18. Lillies of the Valley are my favorite flower.

19. My favorite colors are red, green, and blue (depending on hue and context).

20. I tend to be running late or very early.

21. I think the Beatles are still the greatest rock and roll band of all time.

22. I play piano, violin, and tin whistle....badly.

23. I sing alto....so long as I don't have to sing by myself. (Keep my in the choir.)

24. I am a decent, though rusty and mostly self-taught, percussionist.

25. I like my whole name Katherine Johnna, and miss hearing my middle name.

26. Variations on my name, such as Kathy, and misspellings make me cringe.

27. My first real concert was They Might Be Giants.

28. I like naps.

29. I love sushi. (Tuna or salmon rolls with avacado, cucumber and sesame seed rock my world.)

30. I like the idea of coffee, but not the beverage itself.

31. I like tea.

32. I love to read, and have a weakness for sci-fi/fantasy. I also love to read out of the children's and young adults' sections.

33. Sesame Street is one of the greatest shows ever.

34. I wish Muppets were real, especially Grover.

35. Where the Wild Things Are was my favorite childhood book.

36. I love photography.

37. I like to swim, and prefer to use an oddly done backstroke.

38. I am a good baker.

39. I believe in magic.

40. I am a Christian and raised Lutheran, but no longer claim any particular sect.

41. Popsicles are fun.

42. I have never left the country.

43. I share a birthday with Laura Ingalls Wilder, and read the Little House books over and over as a child.

44. I believe in ghosts.

45. I have a tattoo.

46. I am right handed.

47. I am left eyed. (It's an archery thing.)

48. I have green eyes.

49. I love red shoe lace licorice.

50. I am an Aquarius sun/ Taurus moon, and was born in the year of the dragon.

Tired of hearing about the 2000 election? Well, you should still be outraged. Seriously, the next time I hear someone blame the Nader voters, I might just start screaming. The Republicans were out to steal the thing, no matter what it took.