Funiculi, Funicula

It's the end of the year.

Sorry for the dearth of posts, though I can see that my audience is rather smaller recently, too.

The computer's been acting a bit hinky lately, and as such, we've been wanting for internet access for a while. I've just (sort of) fixed the wireless, though it's unsecured now.

For the Rest of Us

Happy Festivus!

I got a lot of problems with you people*




(* in this context, "you people" refers to the discourse/level of maturity in this country)

What is it about mornings

that make my kids not want to get ready? I think it has something to do with their not being happy until I'm sufficiently angry.

Kudos to Bill

I'm not a big fan of Bill O'Reilly, but he deserves credit for dressing down Laura Ingraham here for being unable to accept a compliment directed at the First Lady:

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/12/yglesias-award-nominee-3.html#more

Random Biblical Trivia

Noah invented wine.

Friday Afternoon

So we got the afternoon off of work today - it was nice. We didn't get bonuses this year - that wasn't so nice. Still, we work for the paycheck and the internal reward, not the bonuses, right? After all, I don't have benefits or insurance or profit sharing or any semblance of job security...

I sometimes wonder if being a school teacher would somehow be less stressful, but I think it's more the grass is greener syndrome. I'm generally in a bit more of a cantankerous mood in the Christmastime, anyway...

Like having a Kidney Returned

For the 3 of you who still occasionally view this blog, you'll be happy to know that I have gotten my computer back, which means that I have the ability to waste a few moments of your time with my drivel from time to time again!

The holidays are wearing on me. I'm tired, I'm irritable, and I am ready for time off. How are you?

Fomenting Fear And Loathing - The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan

I think appalling is the right word. Fomenting Fear And Loathing - The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan

Nearing Christmas

We had brunch yesterday with the Photogs. It was rather fun, and a habit that needs to happen more often. I've still not got my computer back - not that I'm having withdrawals or anything.
Oh, and I still hate CSI Miami.

Face Of The Day - The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan

Just a little creepy. Face Of The Day - The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan

I Wonder

What is the rate of developmental defects in IVF births in relation to natural births.

As Glad As I Am to Have a Smartphone

I am really starting to miss my computer.

From the Urban Dictionary

Misogynist. - a man who wins an argument with a feminist.

Friday

So, my first day off since returning from Rome and I start the day by working. I only put in a couple hours, though so it wasn't too bad. Then off to run errands. Had to drop off the laptop for a diagnostic and see if we can get it up and running again. Then to the Korean market to buy some bulgoki fixings for the party tomorrow. After that, I had to run to the mall to get some books for the kids to take to school, a couple gifts, and then to Kroger for some groceries. I also bought a new desktop computer today, which should be delivered by mid January.
It'll be nice to have. What a day off.

Busy week

Discovery is due on our case tomorrow. As such, we have been quite busy with discovery. Depo cuts took a lot longer than the powers that be anticipated. I have worked no less than 12 hours per day for the last 8days, and really have been worn down. The wife has been phenomenal with watching the kids and holding down the fort.
Our laptop died this week, which made work somewhat more difficult, and puts us in the market for a new desktop. I'm looking to upgrade - it's been nearly six years, we're due.

Sorry for the Absence

But discovery's due on Friday and we've been cranking in the overtime to try to get it all done.

I should have more time next week.

And while I have nothing against Time Tebow as an individual (he seems like a class act and carries himself well, and really, who wouldn't want him as a captain on their team?), I'm so tired of hearing about Florida and Urban Meyer that I'm glad to see them lose. Even to a Nick Saban team.

Afghan Surge

The parts of President Obama's speech that I heard last night (I was working and helping deal with kids) sounded much like President Bush's surge speech. I'd considered copying and pasting my post on his surge here, but instead decided I'd just echo my thoughts then - I referred to it as "hopeful pessimism."

I do hope the surge works to create some stability in Afghanistan, and I hope that it will give us the space to be able to withdraw safely and with some dignity - a la Nixon. But I'm unconvinced because we're dealing with a country that does not appreciate foreign influence and who has no stable centralized government.

I believe the invasion of Afghanistan was justified - more so than the invasion of Iraq (which the President had the authority to do based on the 1991 AUMF and subsequent cease-fire), and I think it's important to do our best to create some stability out of the mess we've helped make through several years of neglect and half-hearted commitment. For that, I am hopeful.

We'll see how it goes.

The Last Episode of Monk

Will be playing this Friday. It saddens me to think that this show will be over, as I think it's one of my favorite shows on television. Clever writing, good characters who you like (though I'm not terribly fond of Natalie's new boyfriend - I'd kind of hoped that she and Monk would end up together, though that was always a long shot), and stories that more often than not required a little thought to figure out.

Fortunately, I have several seasons on DVD and we also have Psych to keep us occupied, so while there will be a void, it won't be quite as big as it could have been.

Also available in Rome

At the Castel Sant'Angelo - Nutella Pizza. We did not partake.

At Least One Republican Has the Guts to Tell it Straight

One GOP Senator has openly called for the Health Care Reform issue to be delayed. Senator Luger of Indiana has said that it's more important to figure out how to pay for Barack Obama's plans for Afghanistan and thus we should consider shelving health care reform.

For anyone who's been paying attention, it's clear that this has been one of the GOP's central plans with regard to health care from the beginning. After announcing over and over during the previous election cycle that health care was in "crisis," they decided to delay, bitch and moan. and shout vitriolic rhetoric over the past year to avoid giving any honest debate on the matter or allow health care reform to come to an up or down vote - the very same thing that they hoped the farce of a Supreme Court candidate Harriet Miers deserved (I agree that she deserved a vote, but truly believe that any serious politician would vote no on her candidacy, though given the number of Republicans in Senate at the time, that doesn't mean that she wouldn't have been approved). Not that Republicans would be hypocritical about something (and yes, I know Democrats are hypocrites as well - they're politicians - but there's something about the holier-than-thou approach to governing that Republicans took during the Bush administration that is in opposition to how they act in the minority.

Anyone looking for a serious political party to follow needs to look away from the GOP.