Happy May Day, comrades.

 A Vermont man is being held hostage by Somali pirates. Underhill resident, Richard Phillips, is the captain of a shipping vessel that was on its way to Africa with food and other aid when the pirates attacked.


He secured the safety of the rest of the crew of his ship, the Maersk Alabama, by offering himself as hostage in the lifeboat.

The American sailor being held hostage by Somali pirates managed to jump off the lifeboat where he is being held but was quickly recaptured, US military officials said today amid reports that the pirates have demanded a ransom for his release.

Hopefully people will understand better why adults masquerading as the "pirates" taken from a Disneyworld ride then transferred to a film is at least somewhat insulting.

Vermont was the first state to pass civil union legislation, and now Vermont's is the first state legislature to vote for same sex marriage.

A few years ago, I attended a civil union.  We joked about them being civilized and unionized, but to all gathered, it was obvious that these women were married... just not legally. I generally dislike weddings because they are boring. Too heavy on convention, not enough feeling. Their civil union, however, was the best ceremony-not-quite-wedding I'd ever attended... including the handful of weddings I've attended.  Now I wonder if they'll have a second ceremony. If so, I'd be happy to bring a potluck dish.

Now, if only I can get people to understand that bisexuals will also be taking advantage of their new civil right, not just gays and lesbians.

Today the Southern Poverty Law Center is holding a live webcast at 2 PM EDT. Registration is required.

Evidently the economy and election of President Barack Obama has given hate groups fuel for their fire. The Southern Poverty Law Center's annual report documented 926 hate groups operating in the United States, representing a 54 percent increase since 2000.

...I'd be getting some sort of customer loyalty perks on LJ. But... no. I forgot to renew paid membership, so all the photos I had in Scrapbook are now gone! This isn't encouraging me to become a paid member again.

I just don't have the energy right now to fix all the broken links, or try to find where I have the jpgs stored on the computer, etc... I'm thinking that maybe I ought to just find a better place to host them, somewhere I might have the option of selling prints/copies.

...but not now. My back aches, and I'm on the edge of winter blahs. Another downside is that all my userpics (yes, I have finally succumbed to using the dreaded word "pic") are now listed as "inactive", so I can't use the appropriate image for this post.

Still, life is good. As I was on the couch tonight, nursing my back, my sweet patootie brought me some pasta with pesto.

P.S.  Well, II'll be damned!  I just "upgraded" to Plus, and all my photos were still stored on Scrapbook.

Thanks to Samurai_Cindy for the link that led me to this.

"The WMST-L is a large, international email forum or 'list' for discussion of Women's Studies teaching, research, and program administration."

Mostly here for future reference, but I'd be interested in feedback on any of the books/films listed, or if there are any notable books/film that ought to have been listed.

The WMST-L file collection on various topics, including books and film.

What can I say? Well, it would have been good if I'd known that the Paradise didn't have enough seats to go around. Other than that... I had an excellent time.

I can't wait until the first of May.



P.S. The above video may not be worksafe unless you work at a store that sells marital aids.

 ..on my 49th birthday would be for the US to elect its first ever black president, Barack Obama.

...Republicans praise Eve L.

A tip of the hat to my pal atropa777 on OKCupid.

Image copyright Ban t-shirts.


Columbus Day is coming up, and I thought... for once, I'm going to be prepared. In my search for current events, etc... protesting the celebration of Columbus Day or celebrating Indigenous People's Day, I found the above image of Custer, which made me laugh out loud.

P.S. You can have your very own "Custer pwned!!!" t-shirt by visiting the Ban t-shirt website.

The day before yesterday, I languished two hours in my dentist's office. Only about five minutes of the total did I wait in the waiting room. That's not nearly enough time to look through all the magazines and rue that I had not brought a book. Dentist Pink and Yellow Rorschach Shirt is good about not keeping his victims clients waiting. The downside is that he has a rabbit warren of small rooms with a variety of hygienists and other assistants hopping busily about. I miss the days of one dentist, one receptionist, and one assistant.

Anyhow, about two weeks ago I had a temporary crown installed. Two weeks without crunchy crisped rice in velvety smooth chocolate, sweet, cold ice cream with sticky chunks and melty lumps, and chewy dried mango slices…. I salivated at the prospect of wrapping my tongue around something sticky and gooey after the permanent crown was affixed upon my worthy tooth.

Last visit for prep work and temporary crown, I learned that about 10% of the population has auxiliary nerves in their teeth. That was cold comfort as a third needle of anesthetic jabbed into my gum. At least now I know the people who told me that I was "overreacting" were full of it. If only they could truly walk a mile in one’s shoes, or maybe temporarily have auxiliary nerves in their teeth as they sit in a dentist’s chair while not enough painkiller has been administered and the drill drills and drills, and OW!

My tooth ached, on and off, for the entire two weeks. Assistant Dolphin Shirt assured this was normal as long as the pain didn't intensify. That was a relief, as I’d envisioned some horror from “Alien” bursting forth from my mouth to wreak further havoc.

After removal of the temp. crown and excavation of temp. crown cement, much adjusting and fidgeting with the new crown, and Moar Drugs!!! Assistant Dolphin Shirt called Dentist Pink and Yellow Rorschach Shirt in for back-up. He’s good at what he does, but much rougher than the Assistant Shirts, so my knuckles went a whiter shade of pale.

After more anesthetic, drilling, and him bracing his feet against the armrests of the chair whilst looming above me for better leverage (all the while with the little sucky thing sucking from the edge of my mouth), my new crown was pronounced an epic fail. Evidently someone in the faraway lab slipped up.

So… Assistant Dolphin Shirt wedged another gob of dental impression cement into my mouth. I was to sit still for 5 minutes. No problem, as my limits of physical endurance loomed on the horizon. I was not about to leap out of the chair to Charleston my way around the rabbit warren.

At the end of five minutes, Assistant Dolphin Shirt removed the impressed gob, and… something in my dental replica had torn. She appeared crestfallen. Almost two hours on, despite the Super Duper Industrial Strength Pain Killer, my jaws were beginning to ache. I was given the option to return for further torture in a few weeks, or to stay and become a candidate for sainthood.

Not being a masochist, I opted for respite. I now have one visit scheduled for another sculpture of my tooth, and then will schedule another installation of the (hopefully) rightful crown.

Bring on the laughing gas!

I come from Alabama
With my banjo on my knee
I'm going to Louisiana,
My true love for to see

It rained all night
The day I left
The weather it was dry
The sun so hot,
I froze to death
Susanna, don't you cry

Oh, Susanna,
Oh don't you cry for me
For I come from Alabama
With my banjo on my knee

I had a dream the other night
When everything was still
I thought I saw Susanna
A-coming down the hill

The buckwheat cake
Was in her mouth
The tear was
In her eye
Says I, I'm coming from the south
Susanna, don't you cry

Oh, Susanna,
Oh don't you cry for me
For I come from Alabama
With my banjo on my knee

lyrics - Stephen Foster

Actual original lyrics.

I've been joking with someone near and dear about coming back from Alabama with a banjo on his knee, so thought I'd look up additional lyrics.  I learned this song as a kid, of course, with the above sanitized lyrics.  Little did I know it was actually a minstrel song.

It's pernicious to strip something of its original intent and then present it as being harmless.  Many of those songs I sang with my grandfather on his  back porch, years ago, were "cleaned up" minstrel songs.  It would have been better if they'd been left with their racist lyrics, and I'd learned other songs.

Mah fellow aMurkans, do please outrage your Puritan neighbors by erecting a Maypole. I'd be sneaking through a neighboring village's outskirts to have my purely secular way with their Maypole, but alas... none have been erected.

Today is my labor day. Unfortunately, former president Grover Cleveland didn't agree. You'd think he wouldn't have had a problem with riots, considering the Stamp Act.

Rather than offering me a sprig of Lily-of-the-Valley, I'd prefer the whole plant. If you can't manage a plant, a few pips would do.

...weather permitting.

I'm sure everyone's already heard, but for those who might have forgotten and would like a reminder: Don't forget about the lunar eclipse tonight. It'll be visible from the Americas, Africa, Europe, and the Central Pacific.

It starts around 8:43 p.m. ET (that's 7:43 p.m. Central, 6:43 p.m. Mountain and 5:43 p.m. Pacific). Sorry such Americas-and-English-language-centric time. Google is your friend if you don't know the adjustment for your time zone.

I've heard varying reports about when the eclipse will be full, but I'm going to take NASA's word for it that 10:01 PM ET is when the total eclipse begins.

NASA's page about this eclipse.

Good luck hitting the above linked page, as I suspect the server is being hit hard.

Some info. on how to photograph an eclipse.

As much as I'd love to take my own photos, I'm not taking my camera outside, as it's bloody cold.

A Thanksgiving Prayer
by William S. Burroughs

To John Dillinger, in hope he is still alive.
Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1986.

Thanks for the wild turkey and the passenger pigeons, destined to be shit out through wholesome American guts.

Thanks for a continent to despoil and poison.

Thanks for Indians to provide a modicum of challenge and danger.

Thanks for vast herds of bison to kill and skin leaving the carcasses to rot.

Thanks for bounties on wolves and coyotes.

Thanks for the American dream, to vulgarize and to falsify until the bare lies shine through.

Thanks for the KKK.

For nigger-killin' lawmen, feelin' their notches.

For decent church-goin' women, with their mean, pinched, bitter, evil faces.

Thanks for "Kill a Queer for Christ" stickers.

Thanks for laboratory AIDS.

Thanks for Prohibition and the war against drugs.

Thanks for a country where nobody's allowed to mind their own business.

Thanks for a nation of finks.

Yes, thanks for all the memories-- all right let's see your arms!

You always were a headache and you always were a bore.

Thanks for the last and greatest betrayal of the last and greatest of human dreams.

I've decided, once again, to celebrate through December 4th. It gives all those people who say things like "Oh, if I'd known it was your birthday, I'd have given you  _______________.", or "Oh, if I'd known it was your birthday, I'd have wished you a happy one".   It's never too late.

Unfortunately, erasmushad to leave early in the morning for a work related training conference. He'll be gone through next Friday. Since most of my old Vermont friends magically vanished during the nine years I lived in Vermont, I went it alone in Burlington.  My new atheist friend (some day I'll go on about why I mention she's an atheist), lives too far away for me to drive to Burlington, then down to her place.  I'm sure she had her kids for the weekend, which would limit how far she could drive.  Anyhow, it was my birthday, and I didn't want to have to cater to the two finickiest eaters I know (her kids).

 

erasmus was having ankle problems, so we stayed home. Since we live on a rural road, everyone takes their kids into Rutland for the parade and candy, or Brandon just for candy. I miss handing out candy bribes to kids. The last place we lived, we actually got door-to-door traffic and saw some great costumes.

The Rutland Halloween Parade has ties with the comic world. Once upon a time, various superhero comic book writers showed up as guests of honor and/or sporting costumes. The Rutland Herald posted some photos of this year's parade. From my cable access channel viewpoint, I didn't see one comicbook superhero or heroine.

It's been said and written that the parade is the longest running and largest Halloween parade in the US.   Of course, other areas with Halloween parades think that they have the largest parade.   I suppose I'll let the Guinness Book sort them out.

I ventured out briefly to pick up some last minute candy, just in case some Trick or Treaters actually did show up. We had some Hershey's minis that came free with purchase of printer ink, but all that was left were dregs. I'd procrastinated carefully timed my departure to allow enough time to return home and meet beggars with candy in hand, and a couple of  bakery treats for Mr. Bad Ankle and myself.

Of course, my old alter ego horned in on errands. Most people didn't bat an eye, especially not the kids darting door to door in costume. However, I did get a couple of dirty looks.   At least no one came on to me, as has happened in the past.  I mean... I just wanted to buy some candy and a couple of fruit tarts. 

The following was posted on an OKCupid journal by a young woman as "Dictionary for decoding personal ads". I find it interesting that a woman posted this, and that she took out "women's" from the title. She got it from Craig's List, and found the last entry particularly clever.



Ø 40-ish..................................49.
Ø Adventurous..........................Slept with everyone.
Ø Athletic................................No breasts.
Ø Average looking.....................Moooo.
Ø Beautiful..............................Pathological liar.
Ø Emotionally Secure..................On medication.
Ø Feminist...............................Fat.
Ø Free Spirit.................................Junkie.
Ø Friendship first.......................Former Slut.
Ø New-Age.........................Body hair in the wrong places.
Ø Old-fashioned........................No B.J.'s
Ø Open-minded.........................Desperate.
Ø Outgoing..............................Loud and embarrassing.
Ø Professional................. ..........Bitch.
Ø Voluptuous...........................Very fat.
Ø Large frame...........................Hugely fat.
Ø Wants soul mate.....................Stalker.

Here's where it appeared originally:

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/all/

I must say, the two times I was literally stalked by men were just a laugh riot.

Would someone who has a bit more time than I do at the moment please explain why this is misogynistic? I'm behind on Halloween preparations, and someone needs to offset the usual cluelessness like "Yes, but if I posted a list aimed at men, would that still make this one misogynistic?"

Fiends on MyDisgrace and OKStupid, please to be forgiving of redundancy.

Voting ends July 9th at 11:59 PT. Please don't wait to vote!

Fourteen Springfields across the US are vying to host the hometown premiere of The Simpsons Movie. To cast your vote for Springfield, Vermont click the star located under Springfield, Vermont on the USA today website. You can only vote once in this contest. D'oh!

To view the video, (or the videos the 13 other Springfields submitted), you need a broadband Internet connection and the latest Flash plug-in (version 8 or higher).

P.S. I don't live in Springfield, Vermont, but I think it is worthy.

According to About.com: Geography, the Summer Solstice is 2:06 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (18:06 UTC).

I suspect the Southern Hemispher's Winter Solstice is around the same time.

Our power was out from about 7:30 AM on Monday until some time yesterday. Thirty-three hours, according to He Who Keeps Better Tabs On Such Things than me. That Nor'easter that screeched through here almost knocked-out our entire county.

After the initial "Wah!", I went into "our power could be out for quite some time" mode. I ate the ice cream before it melted. One must have priorities.

Then, I moved the most perishables into a cooler with the ice units from the freezer. I did not, alas, make it into the shower before we lost water pressure upstairs, nor before the water in the hot water heater cooled down. Thankfully, we have a propane-run stove, so I was able to boil water.

More than 50,000 CVPS customers lost power in Monday's storm, as winds gusted up to 70 mph.