What was I thinking?


Friday, February 09, 2007

Enough Is ENOUGH!

I've had all the fun I can take with blogger. I spent most of the day today migrating ALL of my blog content over to another site.

I can now be found HERE!

Thursday, February 08, 2007

HOLY SHIT!

I just got a newsflash that Anna Nicole Smith collapsed and died. Check your news...

I feel sorry for the legal battle that's going to occur over that little baby girl born in September....


Remember that SUV driven into the lake that I blogged about yesterday?

Well, it's been sitting in that lake, with sub-zero wind chills and surface temperatures in the single digits for about 2 days. They finally got it out last night. It went in a whole SUV, this is what it looked like when it came out last night.

It is estimated, so far, that the cost of removing the vehicle from the lake is around $5,000, not counting the anticipated fines from the DEC for the oil and gas leaking into the lake. It was almost double it's original weight (from 4500 lbs. to 9000 lbs.) from the frozen stuff inside it. It apparently kept falling through the ice every time they got it above the ice.

Lake-effect snows are wreaking havoc around here these days. As I type this, I can barely make out the building across the quad, the snow is coming down so hard -- whiteout. A bit more north of where we are, they've already had about 5 feet fall since Monday, and are expecting more still. Simply put, lake-effect snow happens when cold, dry air moves in from Canada and crosses the warm(er) lake water, where the front picks up vapor and turns it to snow/ice.

Just as a matter of interest, these lake-effect bands (or snowbelts) have a large population of people who suffer from "seasonal affective disorder"(commonly called Winter Depression) because these areas are often overcast. Rochester's average sunny day count for the year is only 58 days. Now, that doesn't mean that we don't see the sun for the other 307 days of the year, only that, on average, it's not cloudy in any way for 58 days.

A state senator has introduced legislation that would make talking on the phone while a pedestrian (presumably around traffic) illegal and subject to a $100 fine. Hmmm....not sure how I feel about this. From one side, I can see the safety issue but heck, at what point is cell phone use NOT going to be illegal? I don't know, I think this might be going a bit far...

It's about time to blow this pop stand, and hey, ony one more day in the work week!

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Random thoughts and stuff

So, here's a bunch of us on Go Red Friday. I'm all the way in the back, right side (as you look at the picture), second from the right (dark hair, white turtleneck, between a black woman and a woman with red/black on). Note the men in the picture -- I think it was pretty cool that they participated.



Today is little Brandon's 4th birthday. His blanket was delivered to their house (in the pirate's chest) yesterday, so we're anxiously awaiting that phone call tonight.

I finished a hat I made for Lisa last night, too. Now she's got a hat to go with her scarf. She's good for my knitting self-esteem, claiming that she feels honored/privileged to be the "guinea pig" for anything I make. And she wears that stuff proudly! Gosh how I love that little dork-o-mine!

I've also been working on a three color project -- white background, green leaves, red rose flowers. It's really very pretty and I'm quite taken with my ability to incorporate multi-colors into a project.

I'm staying small for the time being -- no big projects, just little ones that are easy and quickly completed. I've done cloths with motifs -- yellow duckie, fish, sailboat, pear, apple, cat paw.

I have patterns for every letter in the alphabet, as well as several animals and other child items (planes, etc.) I have a pattern for awareness ribbons, too. I'm considering taking orders for them, as well as making up a whole bunch of them to sell at the Fall Foliage Festival in October (along with our other wares that we'll have at our booth).

SmileyCentral.com

The memorial service for my uncle is Saturday at 1:00. I figure to go down earlier in the day, hang with my aunt and uncle for a bit, then go with them. Lisa will likely stay home, which is fine.


Then I have to turn around and go back down there next Wednesday to go to traffic court. First ticket I've gotten in more than 20 years, and it was for doing a U-turn in one of those turnarounds on the highway -- you know the ones, they're built to turn around in, but they have a sign that says No U-Turn. Well, I was trying for more than 2 miles to get over to the right lane to exit, but I apparently offended the car that was in the right lane because, if I slowed, so did she, if I sped up, so did she -- she just wouldn't let me in. As my exit approached, I briefly considered a quick acceleration and shooting across the two lanes to exit, but people who do that piss me off and, it's not a very safe thing to do anyway. Just as I made the decision to stay on the highway and not shoot across the two lanes, I saw a state trooper in the median -- thankfully, I made the right decision. A mile or so down the road, I turned around and backtracked to my exit. Unbeknownst to me, there was another state trooper following me in an SUV. So, I got a ticket. I'm not going to fight it, just show up at court in the hopes that it'll be reduced to something that's not a moving violation.

The SuperBowl sure was a yawner, wasn't it? I mean, other than the first five minutes, that is. High points of the game was the Colts' offense racking up 190 rushing yards against what normally is a very stingy Bears defense -- the team of Addai and Rhodes just tore up the field.

Tony Dungy, in my opinion, should have been named MVP of that game. Oh, sure, he's not a player, per se, but he's a player in the bigger pictures. And here is a guy that got Tampa Bay just shy of the SuperBowl, and left an excellent team for John Gruden to take to the SuperBowl, and win.

I was glad to see Peyton Manning get that ring, but wasn't at all sure that the MVP selection was right.

I'm off the Provera now, and actually have my energy back. I spent the last ten days in such a fatigued funk that all I could think of all day long was a nap. Thankfully I only have to be on that crap for ten days out of every three months.

Almost every school in the area was closed yesterday. With wind chills reaching the -20 mark, the problem of child safety was a factor for most level-headed school administrators but, for those districts that typically don't close until AFTER the allotted time for federal monies, they were forced to close because the frigid temperatures caused jelling of the diesel fuel in the buses, and the buses just wouldn't run. Almost two dozen buses broke down and had to be repaired on the side of the road, while students waited in the frigid temperatures inside the buses.

As it turns out, the problems with the fuel jelling comes from a state mandate which requires the use of a low-sulfur fuel additive. I guess we'd better go back to the drawing board on that state mandate, eh?

Ever notice how severe weather brings out the excessively stupid? Here's a moron who saw other tracks on the ice at the local bay, and decided to drive his SUV on it. Now, keep in mind that, up until about 3 weeks ago, we had temperatures in the 50s and 60s since the onset of winter. Sure, we've had some pretty low temperatures, but not for a long enough time to completely freeze one of the GREAT LAKES. According to police, the tracks he saw were most likely from MUCH LIGHTER four-wheelers. What a stupid, stupid, stupid putz. Wouldn't you love to know how much it's going to cost him to get it out of the bay? They said he has to get it out, and very soon -- they're not going to let him leave it there until the spring thaw or anything like that. One tow truck operator estimates it'll run about $3,000. I hope it costs him his right nut, too. Idiot.

Miracles upon miracles, the Rev. Ted Haggard has been counseled out of his homosexuality, and after only three short weeks! I'm sure that his conviction of his heterosexuality doesn't have anything to do with any wants, needs or desires to head up another big-budget organization like the one he had before, right?

SmileyCentral.com

Friday, February 02, 2007

February 2, 2007

Well, Phil says there'll be an early spring. I'll believe that when I see it. Here in Western New York, the weather typically defies all rules and odds. Oh, sure, we've had a mild winter thus far (except for the past two weeks) but around here, that just means that winter will last until August or so.

Here's an interesting site with great historical information on the whole groundhog day thing, as well as a chart of "readings" going back to 1900. Interestingly enough, only 15 times in the past 107 years has the groundhog NOT seen his shadow, and predicted an early spring.

In addition to Groundhog Day, today is National Wear Red Day to raise awareness of women's heart and stroke health. There was a woman on the radio this morning (apparently also in Women's Day) who, at the age of 32, had a heart transplant. Apparently she had a virus attach to her heart when she was 28. But, because she was young and female, they didn't believe there was anything wrong with her heart. It took four years before anyone seriously took a look at her heart and, by the time they did, her heart was functioning at only 15%. On the day of the surgery for the transplant, her husband flew up to be with her, via helicopter. The chopper crashed, and her husband died nine days later. Left to raise three kids alone, and recuperate from the heart transplant as well, this is truly an inspirational story.
Only a bit more than 55 hours until the SuperBowl.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about this game and, while Indianapolis is a great team, they lack in defense what Chicago excels in. Rex Grossman lacks what Peyton Manning exudes but, like my son's Pop Warner football coach used to tell the boys, "If they can't score, they can't win." I'd like to see Peyton Manning get this ring, but I think the reality is that, even though they are the odds-on favorites, I think they've got a better chance at losing than they do at winning -- unless their defense shows up with a vengeance. Time will tell.
Apparently the state police have found more remains, which we assume are those of my missing uncle. They have also determined that the skull was fractured, although they are unable to determine if it was pre- or post-mortem.

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Thursday, February 01, 2007

Rants

OK, so someone give me a quick lesson on the United States Constitution, specifically

Article IV, which begins: Full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state. And the Congress may by general laws prescribe the manner in which such acts, records, and proceedings shall be proved, and the effect there of.

The 14th Amendment, which begins: All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction equal protection of the laws.

With this in mind, I wonder how individual states and the lawmakers in them can do this sort of thing WITHOUT someone taking it up with the Supreme Court -- and who advises these so-called "lawmakers?"

Wyoming Senate Passes Ban On Out-Of-State Gay Marriages
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

Posted: January 31, 2007 - 7:00 pm ET

(Cheyenne, Wyoming) The Wyoming State Senate passed legislation Wednesday that would ban the state from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states or countries where they are legal.

The bill passed 21-8 generally along party lines, with most Democrats opposed and most Republicans in favor of the bill.

If the bill passes the House and signed into law by the governor it would mean Wyoming gays could not travel to Canada or any of the European countries where same-sex couples can marry and have their marriages recognized when they return home.

It also would mean if a same-sex couple moved to Wyoming because of work or even visited the state their marriages would be considered void in Wyoming.

One of the few Republicans to vote against the measure, Sen. Cale Case, said Wyoming already has a poor reputation for its treatment of gays as a result of the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard.

Wyoming already has a so-called Defense of Marriage law that mandates marriages conducted in the state must be between a man and woman. The new measure would strengthen that act.

But opponents say the new provisions will make it harder for companies and universities to attract the most qualified people.

Supporters of the bill say they only want to strengthen traditional marriage.

Wyoming calls itself 'The Equality State'.

You really have to laugh at the irony of that last sentence, don't you?


On the flip side of the coin, Connecticut lawmakers have introduced a bill that would legalize same sex marriage in that state.

Oppponents, naturally, claim that the concept of marriage goes all the way back to Christ (who never married -- not sure how that fits into their logic). While it may be true that the CONCEPT of marriage goes back to Biblical days, the practice of marriage in front of a priest, or in a church, only dates back to the 1500s -- which makes the argument of marriage being a "sacred institution, blessed by God" nothing more than wishful thinking.

In ancient times, women were either "captured" or "purchased" into marriage -- that act of capture or purchase actually being the "marriage ceremony." In some cultures, a large celebratory dinner was the ceremony. And interestingly enough, the Catholic Church recognizes that "...yet among many uncivilized peoples marriage has taken place, and still takes place, without any formal ceremony whatever. " The Catholic Church herself did not classify marriage as a sacrament until 1563.

So much for the argument of "sacred institution."

Anyway, the leading oponents of this legislation, The Family Institute, makes the same old tired argument that these marriages are a threat to the institution of marriages (and these folks NEVER EVER EVER explain HOW it's a threat to the institution, just that it is).

Love Makes a Family head Anne Stanback argues "Divorce is a threat to marriage. Infidelity, domestic violence and losing your job (are) a threat to marriage, marriage is not a threat to marriage."

Right on, sister!