"Renting Out the House"

Let me just say the NukeAbode is waaaaaaaaay outside D.C.

And I consider that a good thing in this case.

Perhaps I don't need to repost this for 'Mudge, who's probably still back there posting magna opera...

dna dot girl477 at gmail dot com

Hm. There are other girls made from dna.

Posted by: DNA_Girl | January 7, 2009 11:17 AM

Hey, DNA girl, sorry for the delay in getting back to you (just had the weekly staff meeting. Or perhaps staph meeting is more like it).

We need to get you wired into the Backboodle, ASAP. Lemme work on it.

Thinking of Dupont Circle, there seems to be more stuff crammed into that little area than around New York's Columbus Circle. Why isn't there a bunch of 70-story skyscrapers at Dupont? How else to accomodate a university, its med school, assorted places of entertainment, think tanks, whatever?

Kevin Bacon in the basement sounds good for the degree-of-separation thing. All your friends and relatives would get degree boosts.

Joel, as I have said before, you have some of the coolest friends.

I was discussing this very topic with my wife yesterday. As residents of Fairfax, we are probably on the edge of commercial viability as an ad hoc B&B, but I wonder. I mean, we have the guest bedroom, of course. And then there is the pull-out couch in the living room. Further, we could probably haul a few army cots into the bunny bunker. I'm sure the bunnies won't mind. After all, times is tough.

Am I wrong, or is there a Tom Tom club theme to their body of work?

Poop, I can't watch the video at work. Is it as good as Saralicious?

My hotel is in Hagerstown MD and we have been sold out since election day,at a higher rate. My plan was to take my Mom down to the inauguration,but I convinced her that we can see Obama in Baltimore when he passes through. we can take the bus from her house.

Yikes it just got windy here and things are crashing down everywhere, just heard a couple of big crashes on the roof .....Yikes......

CqP ...

I am sorry. I guess I either have to seek help or publish a libretto with my posts.

Yes Yoki, I do declare that it is.

GWE,

That's going to be quite a hike for the ceremony. Word is being spread that it may take a couple of hours to get down to DC from Bethesda by Metro...

"Burning Down the House" is from the fevered brain of David Byrne and "Talking Heads."

This is not my beautiful house...

This is not my beautiful wife!!

BDtH is also the first song I ever heard on CD. My suite-mate in college had just taken the digital plunge, and had purchased a new stereo system. With amps that made the lights dim in greater LA. I remember clearly the crazed panic I felt when the relatively quiet "thump" near the beginning of the song rattled the windows.

This experience is why people now have to speak loudly to me.

Yes we are about 80 miles away from downtown DC,some of us are thinking about running a shuttle from Hagerstown down to shady grove,a fellow employee has enterprise rent a car connections......power flickering now...only a matter of time i would think before it is gone.....

Scottynuke, the other phrase from "Once in a Lifetime" that I always recall is the following:

"My God. How did I get here?"

Oh, wait, I'm still at work...

*wipin' brow*

WHEW!!!

Actually, that's not the exact line. But close enuff for govmn't work.

Hey RD, Tom Tom is an off-shoot and Chris and Tina of Tom Tom make up the rhythm section of the The Talking Heads. There is a local connection to them and even to the masthead of this electronic paper (and it's paper cousin).

The two ladies in the video did another send-up that sounded a bit like Wordy Rappinghood from the 80s which was dubbed a couple of years back.

Thanks for that insight russianthistle. I'm not familiar with Tom Tom club, but "Talking Heads" and I have always been pretty tight. It falls within my very narrow window of musical awareness. Which I am trying to widen.

Hey, has anyone else ever heard of this "Magic Flute" thingie by this feller "Mozart?" I started listening to it yesterday, and you know what -

'taint bad.

I sent you a reply e-mail, DNA.

For some reason the WaPo home page has removed it's time stamp. It still has the day, but now time stasmp showing last update. Strange.

And where'd everybody go? Where's virtual lunch today? dbG has those crab legs and the key lime pie (yum); I'll bring artisanal bread, and a spinach, walnut and strawberry salad with raspberry vinaigrette dressing. So where are we lunching? Someplace warm and dry, mehopes.

Not quite as good as 'Saralicious' but I'm happy these two talented ladies have found new targets since the retreat of Caribou Barbie. It made me laugh and just a little envious that I have yet to buy my dream condo on Connecticut.

I'm a big TH fan, was since I first heard "Psycho Killer" back in '77 or so, courtesy of Weasel on WHFS IIRC.

"Same as it ever was

same as it ever was..."

Oh, don't get me started - I'll even sing bits from "True Stories" ("Hey Now" and "Love for Sale" being a couple of faves from that album/movie...)

bc

I think we should picnic in front of my fireplce; there's room for everybody if we don't need chairs.

I've got a gorgeous vegetable potage on the go.

I have some passing acquaintance with this work, RD, and more by that self-same feller. He sure knew a thing or two about spinning a tune.

Ah, the Weymouth connection -- indeed, Russki (if I may call you that).

bc

Sounds great Yoki! It's such a dreadful day outside that something warm sounds delightful.

Reposting for the end of the last kit.

Sun, glorious sun peeking over the ridge across the way. And no frost this morning. Maybe I will go outside today and enlarge the bird feeder.

Over on the 'Times' the most e-mailed article is on refreshing one's pantry. Five ahead of the return of Dowd.

Rats, I just had refried beans and salsa, sitting at my desk and looking at the snowstorm outside. My homemade frioles are pretty darn good but they provide for some musical and olfactory ambiance in a few hours.

The commute back home will be brutal and my snowblower is on the fritz. So I know what I'll do tonight, push snow.

There might be a country song in there, even though the dogs are still alive.

bc - every once and a while Weasel still plays "Psycho Killer" at his new gig. Of course, whenever he does he feels compelled to play "Psycho Chicken" as well.

No need to thank me for the toon cootie.

In yesterday's chat, Weingarten linked to his 25th anniversary compilation of the Best of Style. In it was included this piece:

////Blown Away

When the winds died, the people found themselves in a state of nature, side by side with beasts. They moved among the roofless ruins of their homes. There were no rules anymore, no laws, and time itself had reverted to an elemental rhythm: the suffocating pre-dawn humidity, the pitiless midday sun, the soaking cloudbursts, the night that brought a darkness blacker than anyone could have imagined. The people had to learn everything all over again, the basic procedures of human existence -- how to eat, how to sleep, how to go to the bathroom when you no longer have a bathroom, how to find fuel, how to protect the tribe from invaders. The reinvention of civilization would not be easy.

On the road that leads to the Everglades there are three families living under a single large tent, waiting for the looters to come. So far there have only been baboons. The baboons escaped from a research facility destroyed by Hurricane Andrew. When the first ape showed up, the men got out their guns and fired warning shots. They threw trash cans and made loud noises. The creature wouldn't leave. It looked nasty, hungry, hideous. In the contest of man vs. ape, the smaller-brained primate had no chance.

"It was the Chinese assault rifle, wasn't it, that Mikey was carrying around?" says one of the Debbies.

"It was the shotgun," says another one of the Debbies.

There are four women here, and they are all named Debbie. There are no rules anymore.

-- JOEL ACHENBACH, 1992 ///

I so want to read the rest of that.

Link to the complete "Best of" for the Weingarten impaired.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/06/AR2009010602227.html

bc! prefer weed, but no biggy. russki's a bit much for my Polish blood. ... RD, you are going to laugh, but recently ... last day or two, been comparing the Faure and Mozart Req. Masses.

Popping them on UTube. (have Faure on iPod)

Agnus Dei is a fun look into the composers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWMmolrId_4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKW9o_5jw6U

RD, I would be very interested in your observations!

Scottynuke, what surgeon general was a killer? I'm coming up blank.

Next Obscure Cabinet Trivia: Which Secretary of Commerce focused on eliminating government waste and promoting single-home ownership, traffic safety...

..and then after he left office, forced 500,000 mexicans to migrate back to Mexico, saw the failure of over 5,000 banks, wrote 16 books, a few on fishing, promoted a "Fortess America" policy, supported the biggest tax increase ever, among other accomplishments.

Weed! Just last night I loaded the Mozart Requiem onto my Ipod. Weird.

Wilbrod, it was Carmona. Killed a perp in the line of duty.

Before he became SG, of course. IIRC, he was a deputy sheriff.

Surgeon General O.J. Simpson?

Yoki, that's great. I am more of a Faure kind of guy, but I love the order of Mozart and Bach. I found, for some reason with my dyslexia that I was able to concentrate and absorb much more when I studied during high school and college while listening to by Bach or Mozart... composers of that time.

I particularly enjoyed Bach Organ performances. Here is one of my favorites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkQxrdOk8Us

I am sure that my parents believed that their son was really disturbed.

I'll have to see if I can locate a 1959 recording of E. Power Biggs playing Bach organ (I think the Christchurch organ in Oxford, but am hazy on that): massive sound, very satisfying.

I think the near-mathematical orderliness of High Baroque probably does induce some sort of relaxation state in which it is easy to concentrate; you can trust that all things are as they should be.

I could use some of that right now.

No groceries at ALL. Off to buy some. Food not processed food stuffs.

Here is what I got on the Surgeon General. Wind up a coupla admins to circa 1986 or so. My dad is a dead ringer for C.E. Koop, but my dad is 5' 8" and Koop tops 6'. Two cases; my dad was upgraded to first class on a flight and only realized toward the end that they had feted the wrong doc.

CPDot1 saw an image of Koop on the cover of the WaPo mag. "Grampy." Picture was on on fridge for about four years, I think. A neighbor asked me why, I laughed and explained about the grey Linconescue beard that CPDot1 was fond of. Because it did not cover the lips, 'twas a scratch-free beard zone.

What can I say, RT. Both pieces are very beautiful. It is hard for me to make any intelligent comments (Not that this has ever prevented me from doing so before) as I am still, and will doubtless always remain, a neophyte when it comes to music like this.

The voice of the young boy is so pure. When I listen to this it truly is like an angel singing.

But I must admit I like the Mozart better. I hear such youthful energy in it. As if he were feeling profoundly powerful emotions that could only be expressed in this manner.

Thank you for sharing these with me.

Thanks for that link-- I loved this one... " a greasy cormorant staggered around on CNN until it seemed like a network logo, along the lines of the NBC peacock. "

And "Boola Boola Bill?"

Er... "Airheads are human Muzak."

(If only I found them half as soothing...)

And in the mind bleach category:

"You think only strange people get body piercings," says Kristen Blauvelt. "But a lot of people are weird under their clothes."

Good crop. And yes, I want to know what he was doing with 4 women named Debbie in a land without rules.

Timothy Ferris once referred to the discovery of Kepler's laws of planetary motion as the uncovering of a Fugue in the sky. And I understand why. Both Bach and the motions of planetary bodies are glorious homages to mathematical order.

Me too, Yoki.

Just finished my running around and now trying to warm up before hitting the workshop. What I need is a big pot of chili. Or beef stew. Or another Irish coffee or three. Since I don't have the stuff to make chili or stew I guess it'll be O'Java.

I somehow made it through two mega craft stores today and only bought the supplies I needed. I should probably invest in a pair of blinders because I don't always have the willpower and I'm easily distracted by -- oh! lookit! shiny!

Mudge, thanks for the name. He also was a combat-decorated Vietnam vet before he went on to study medicine, too.

For Dolphin
http://hackedgadgets.com/2007/02/17/ontario-science-centre-hydraulophone-musical-keyboard-water-fountain/

*transferring misplaced thanks to Scotty*

RD, thanks for sharing your impressions...

Speaking of old Washington Post connections, I found this video the other day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgK4SzL4sl0

This is Eric Brace who used to do such a great job with the Nightwatch (I think) column for the Post. He was Mister Weedend. Great guy and a fantastic song writer and performer with his band Last Train Home. This recorded live show is really well done and a welcome change of video on You Tube shot on a cellphone. From a show at IOTA (little plug). Always a fun show and a good crowd.

(BTW, this is a Karl Straub song, since I mentioned great song writers).

mudge... I seem to have misplaced my key to the back boodle. Any chance you could email me a replacement?

Jumper, thanks!

Jumper, through work, we deal with the creator of the hydrolophone and will have one on display later this year - Small world.

That is wicked cool, dmd.

What is used in the hydrolophone during the winter, vodka or ethylene glycol (prestone)?

I urge everyone to take a look at today's (January 7, 2009, for you archival readers) "Day in Photos", especially pictures #24 and 27. #24 is the summit of Mauna Kea; #27 is a model Tyrannosaurus and a budding dino-veterinarian.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2009/01/07/GA2009010701793.html?hpid=multimedia1&hpv=local

I was quoted in an Eric Brace column once. Cool. Loved Eve Zibart's take on night live, locavore-style.

Iota,very nice. Reminds me of sessions at Nanny O'Briens, back in the day.

And, sigh. Missing Twist and Shout.

Have I dated myself. Yes. Shall swath myself in pink polkadots, because Mudge gave me a pass on my uniform comportment.

Neat to see the mountain, Tim, but didn't you find the caption a bit oddly phrased? Made you'all sound like troglodytes.

Adorable. Just adorable. What more can I say?

For your listening enjoyment

http://oddstrument.com/2008/05/02/hydraulophones-amazing-woodwater-instruments/

Also, Talking Heads and Mozart - study staples when I was in university, justed seemed to concentrate better when music was on.

DMD the justa-positioning of Talking Heads and Mozart is worth three good grins.

Now, how about Devo and Debussy? One helps you study, the other helps you sleep.

Yeah, I thought the caption made it sound like we live up there all the time. Hardly anybody does that. Hardly. Anybody. Especially when all our observing proposals are turned down, like the ones we submitted for the spring. We will have to content ourselves with analyzing the data we already have.

You scientists, always looking for new data, never satisfied with the data you have. Sheesh.

Since we've institituted viertual lunches at pleasant places around here, whaddya think about starting up virtual naps? 'Cuz I'm having trouble keeping my head up, here.

CqP,

If I didn't post this before, Devo was my alltime favorite show (against what I expected). I think their equipment had a 12, though. I guess I have no musical taste.

Important Devo trivia: what television/movie franchise currently employs members of Devo to compose and score music?

Hint: It's not Danny Elfman. He was in Oingo-Boingo (formerly: Mystic Knights of Oingo-Boingo).

Can you imagine? There would be a large pile of snoozing Boodlers (rather like puppies in a basket); why, the US Gov't would practically shut down for an hour or so every afternoon. The consequences don't really bear thinking about.

CP it is that very juxtaposition that has kept me from ever finding a radio station I like outside of the campus radio station at university - it had a huge range of music styles they played. My car has about 30 presets, which I am constantly flipping through - I have a wide range of types of music I like but cannot listen to more than one style for very long - Music ADD :-)

Tim, I was enjoying the caps, myself, and thanks for the pointer. Ski Hawaii. BTW, that would be a long hike to the 7 11.

RT do you mean 12 string guitar (I really need a nap or a confusion-adjustment).

DMD -- try the Pandora radio station or playlist.com; you can customize the playlist particularly to do this:

Devo
Debussy
Bach
Beachboys
John Fahey
Tiny Tim

etc.

Pandora is different; and I am bit irritated by the modest commercial aspect of this but actually, tis very reasonable. Each "station" at Pandora, however, will produce similar stuff. Your inner ADD creature won't cotton to that.

SciTim - That would be the highly esteemed "Rugrats."

And I never nap in the afternoon. I just meditate sitting up at my desk. With my eyes slightly closed. So as to, you know, achieve higher efficiency for the remainder of the day.

Tim, I refuse to Google. Drawing blank. First saw Elfman's in movie Hot Tomorrows.

SciTim, that would be the Nickelodeon mainstay, "Rugrats," yes?

And I always thought that Mark Mothersbaugh, the former Devo musician, bears a suspicious resemblance to RugRat character Chuckie.

Darn you, RD_P, and your high-powered, fast-posting PCs!!! *shaking fist* :-)

Russianthistle, I also had an album of Back Organ music that I would listen to when I was in university - my roomates barred me from playing it while they were home though.

The cathedral in Hamilton has a large pipe organ - it was the only thing I enjoyed about church services there, well that and the padded cushions on the pews.

Mark Mothersbaugh and "Rugrats" it is. If you read your "Rugrats" credits carefully, you can see that music for the TV show has been done by Mark's younger brother for the last many years. I forget his name, but I believe he, also, was in Devo.

The most ironic aspect of this trivia: I can't stand Devo.

Scottynuke. When you have done as much Hard Time watching Nickelodeon with the offspring as have I, you just pick up a thing or two.

Go ahead. Ask me about SpongeBob Square Pants.

Yet more Inauguration Fun...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/07/AR2009010702396.html

"a large pile of snoozing Boodlers rather like puppies in a basket"

Precisely. And I was rather enjoying that image, and imagining myself as one of the puppies (probably the one who makes noises, and dreams he's chasing rabbits).

*sigh*

This may seem a silly question to DC locals but is inauguration day a holiday? It would seem that it would need to be.

Also forgot to thank you all for the mojo for by BIL - cross your fingers - he is now in surgery they found fluid on the brain - all the info I know at this point.

Yes dmd. It will be a holiday for local schools and the local federal government. Excepting, of course, critical staff. Of which I am blissfully not.

fingers are crossed, dmd... *HUGS*

I'm willing to wager that the Boodle will be fully staffed come I-Day.

Best wishes to you dmd!

I was a snoozboodlr until my puppy woke me up.

I will not put lemon juice in mac&cheez again. It did taste brighter. But not better.

Okay, which one is Lauri and which is Linda? I've been trying all afternoon to determine which Calhoun sister is cuter and the name figures heavily into the tiebreaker.

Funny you should mention that, dmd; we were just discussing it in the office. For the record, here is chapter and verse from the OPM Web site: "NOTE: Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009, falls on a Tuesday. An employee [meaning Federal] who works in the District of Columbia, Montgomery or Prince George's Counties in Maryland, Arlington or Fairfax Counties in Virginia, or the cities of Alexandria or Falls Church in Virginia, and who is regularly scheduled to perform nonovertime work on Inauguration Day, is entitled to a holiday. (See 5 U.S.C. 6103(c).) There is no in-lieu-of-holiday for employees who are not regularly scheduled to work on Inauguration Day."

Also, since the day before is Martin Luther Kind Day, also a federal holiday, it's a federal four-day weekend.

(The purpose of the Inaug holiday is NOT to celebrate or honor the inauguration; it is to clear bodies out of the city and not make the parking and travel situation worse than it already will be. Which will basically be somewhere along the "Nightmare on Elm Street" spectrum.)

We had Bush's second inauguration off four years ago, too.

The rest of the gummint outside Ground Zero here still has to work. And of course every state, local and fed security and police person for miles around will be working that day.

Gonna be a nightmare here, methinks. And we haven't even heard what Mother Nature has planned. Talk about yer Wildcard playa.

Am thinking about biking toward the Inaug. Events. Looking at the planning for that. Unless 'tis rainy or they plan to frisk and hold bikers, well, that might be my strategy.

Ya think a blizzard would gum up the works, Mudge? Might make some people stay home.

You so craaaaaaaaazy, CquaP... :-)

I am not the only CRAAAAAAAAzy person, SN:http://www.waba.org/events/inauguralbikevalet.php

I waiting to see what valet bike lot works for me.

The other idea is to bike around and get a flavor for the event. I don't care if I miss anything, really. Just want a sense of the vibe. Y'know, girl from Montana here; still easily impressed.

I mean that in the best possible way, CquaP, ya know dat! I just hope they have decent valet sites, and that cyclists will count as pedestrians in case you want to cross the Potomac... :-)

A blizzard might be the best thing that could happen, slyness.

What worries me most is having a gazillion people outside and exposed to harsh weather for long periods of time-- six, eight, ten hours, maybe. A lot of people will prepare well -- but a lot won't, because a lot of people are idiots. A young woman got on my bus this morning, wearing a only light sweater (as outerware). It was 34 degrees and raining. What the hell is she thinking? I see hundreds of people (usually younger) who don't seem to know how to dress appropriately (for the weather, nevermind fashion and aesthetics).

Oh (not funny)...

A bit of advice into the ether: if you have a telephone number of someone who knows what they are doing or configured your internet routers AND you also know how to reset a LINKSYS router to factory settings, select call the person who knows how to do networking.

Got a call from an ultra-busy store where a guy decided to try approach #2. Couldn't get his laptop online and I guess thought he was at home. RESET. Didn't know the password ... RESET.

HINT: pick up the router and look at the bottom, as, maybe someone who didn't think that the folks in the store could figure out anything might need some help (as well as putting notes on the bulletin board about the router).

WOW. I just hit factory reset button = I just spent $100 for the store.

DOH.

Mudge, now you understand why public safety services have job security. If people didn't do stupid sh!t, police officers, firefighters, and medics would be unemployed.

One consideration is this: they are allowing cameras on the mall to photograph whatever--but no tripods, and here it comes: no camera bags (or any other kinds of bags). Which actually makes sense from a security point of view. But it also means a lot of those people are NOT going to allowed to carry bags and backpacks, etc., that might otherwise contain additional clothing, gloves, water or sodas, etc.

I went to the Bicentennial event in New York in 1976, and was one of 3 million people in Lower Manhattan on the night of July 4th. I now know what it is like to have a few million people gathered in essentially one spot-- and this was on July 4th, and the weather was warm and perfect, and the mood was very mellow and fun. If you think a crowd like that is the same as just a huge rock concert or rally, or whatever...it is isn't. A million or two or three million people is simply NOT just Woodstock multiplied by five or ten. A crowd of a couple million people isn't just mathematically larger than a crowd of a hundred thousand -- it is algebraicly larger in many ways. It is a beast unto itself, in many ways inconceivable and unimaginable unless you've been in one.

I actually think the projection numbers are inflated--I don't think we'll get three million people. But a million--yes. And a million is a staggering number. I remember Manhattan in '76, and I don't think you can even put three million people in downtown Washington. They'd be standing shoulder to shoulder as far away as Georgetown, RFK, and down here by the Anacostia.

With the Bicentennial, the two events where the Tall Ships parade coming up the harbor during the morning, and the fireworks that night. In both cases, the vantage points for viewers were tremendous, along both sides of the river for miles, with great sightlines. With the fireworks, the view was overhead, and as long as you could see the sky, you could see the big show.

The inaugural will be different: the sightlines will be extremely short. If you aren't within, say, 500 yards of the podium, you're not going to see anything. Even under ideal conditions, I don't think most of the howerver many million are going to see anything.

The unpleasant truth is that this inaugural will be like a football game-- much better to watch on TV.

Sleepless in Tanka...

Puppies in basket--
HEY! Freeloaders on MY bed?!
Scram and take your fleas.
Man, nobody has respect
For private nap property...

-Wilbrodog-

If they don't set up big screens around, I'm sure you're right. I for one plan to stay far away and enjoy in comfort.

I agree, Mudge. Even if I lived in the DC vicinity, as much as I'd love to be present for the inauguration, I don't handle pressing crowds and close quarters very well and would opt for a couch-eye seat.

When Obama was in town here I really wanted to go, but knew I'd maybe get a glimpse at best if I was lucky. My view from the couch was excellent and there were no cops around to take my beer away or give me a hard time for being too furry and raggedy.

It's nearly impossible in this post-9/11 world to attend public gatherings without attracting undue attention from the authorities when you look like the vertically-challenged love child of Hagrid and Charles Manson.

Being coated with sawdust doesn't help much either.

Mudge writes: "A crowd of a couple million people isn't just mathematically larger than a crowd of a hundred thousand -- it is algebraicly larger in many ways."

A telling comment that is the final piece of the puzzle. We can now reveal the answer to a question that has confounded people for hundreds of years:

x = Curmudgeon

Mudge's power of suggestion was too much. The puppy and I just awoke.

Never been a big event guy myself. Don't see the attraction of being mizzuerable fighting traffic to and fro, jammed with thousands one doesn't know and not seeing the big attraction. Do disagree with Mudge on good football games though. Had season tickets to the 49ers for twelve years during the Young-Rice hayday. We would get up early and get to parking lot when the gates opened- 40 miles. Walk the dogs by the bay and commune with fellow tailgaters until game time. Fire up the barbee after the game and mellow while the traffic cleared. Stop off in SF or Mill Valley on the way home for a restruant dinner. Good memories. The attraction ended with the demise of the team.

There's a third Calhoun sisters video. It's Illinois Gov. Blago-whatever singing a Christmas song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mdv-qEFbwD0&feature=channel_page

The lyrics are very, very, not safe for work or households with small children. As it should be for anything mocking Blago.

The MoDo column is up to number three, but it's still behind the article on how to properly prepare squirrel.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/dining/07squirrel.html?_r=1&em

Squirrel: It's what's for dinner.

I wonder what that tells us? That pantries and country-food beat out Dowd?

People are burned out on politics and bad economic news and the holidays, and just want to nest?

Nobody can afford groceries?

At least the Brunswick Stew will be authentic, once we all learn how to clean a squirrel.

Just caught a disturbing piece on the local 6pm news.

Ohio's automated unemployment claims system crashed today. Apparently the 800# normally handles about 8K calls a day on average. Today it got whacked with 80K calls and was wiped out. Their website crashed, too... over 200K people attempted to file claims online today and melted the servers. They're back up, but barely.

I sure hope Obama's crack economic team comes up with something that works -- and quick.

Squirrel & dandelion wine: the only way to live off the wilds of NYC.

The Google blogs search seems to be fruitful in learning how to skin squirrels. This one seemed more concerned with the skin than the meat, however. This one amused me for several reasons.
http://boysalmanac.com/2008/12/17/squirrel-skinning-101-graphic-material/

Well, without resorting to cannibalism or stray pets... (I'm looking at ya, Brag).

Aren't squirrel brains associated, or possibly associated, with some variant of Creuzfeld-Jacob? I think I saw something on this a couple of years back.

The original Joy of Cooking is quite specific on how to dress out a squirrel, among other tasty wild things.

Poochie, help us sneak
a good time on boss' dime?
Cold desks make poor beds :-(

Oh my, Jumper. That link is not for the squeamish, is it?

Yes, Fur therapy
May warm up your cubicle
Per diem: one hot dog.

-Wilbrodog-

No more gross than dissection labs, really, especially as it ain't me doing it.

NOW this is gross:

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Four-reasons-Americas-drive-longer/story.aspx?guid={1FE4B90E-4DDA-438F-92D1-D3B1FE0468C3}&siteid=yhoofront

... Bush, proudly leading us into the 21st century and the Third World.

Those were pretty decent step by step pictures for skinning small animals, though most of my experience is with weasels and I use borax instead of salt for curing. Must be very sure to scrape the hide of all viscera or it will be quite stiff-and watch those glands.

Even if we still lived in NoVA we'd probably be watching the inauguration on TV. The Memorial Day concert crowds were about all I could handle, and the July 4th fireworks looked great on PBS. But, is it too late to enter that essay contest?

Back at work for the first full day since Dec. 19th. Blech. Spent an hour taking groups of 5 kids on a "tour" of the under-construction parts of the building. Plenty of oohs and aahs over the old fuel oil boiler (almost 2 stories tall, and originally burned coal) and its much smaller propane replacement (which will also be replaced with an electric storage system). So nice to see kids genuinely excited about energy efficiency. Of course it doesn't hurt that this old school building hasn't seen any significant changes in 50 years and the new youth program spaces will be gorgeous (if I say so myself as I browse through paint colors).

Ummmm, snuggle, snuggle
no toil nor trouble, eyes close
while hot dogs bubble

Sorry about that.
Chili on hot dogs gives me
gas. Just plain next time?

-Wilbrodog-

I like my poochy
funky, punky, and chunky
but plain IS healthy...

meatloaf in winter
wild winds forgotten for now
by the three dog stove

(hey... yinz started it)

Oh dear boodlers, which of you dear people sent the Science Fair Fairy to my house? Thanks for the MoJo!

The Fairy is building a styrofoam borg-head to receive a microphone and speaker wires and input from an iPod; another borg-hole will stabilize the decibel meter.

Oh Frabjuos Joy

Sounds more like a gnome--
Cussing instead of lilting
Would be final proof...

-Wilbrodog-

Oh, CP! I do love you so, my beamish friend. You said frabjous.

Ah, Calloo! Callay!
Let's go snickersnack on snacks
before borogoves come.

-Wilbrodog-

'tis the slithy toves you really need to look out for, Wilbrodog, and the Bandersnatch. The teeth that bite, the claws that catch!

five seven and five
bestow an air of wisdom
even to SpongeBob

Ah, the Bandersnatch
I see him everyday
in my own mirror.

-Wilbrodog-

Gosh darn doggone it!
midday sleep makes work for eve
to jabber or work?
When slithy tove bosses gyre
long breaks must await dog days

I think I may have mentioned this before, but you, DNA_Girl, totally rock. Hard-core. Gangsta (compliment in the world of Yoki and #2!)

'tis a portmanteau
this boodle of gnomes, cowgirls,
dogs, et al...poetsall

five seven and five
bestow an air of wisdom
even to SpongeBob

Posted by: martooni | January 7, 2009 8:43 PM
----------------
my favorite.

I'm just a wee bit excited.

I had an extra roll of insulation laying around and have been plugging holes in the walls and ceiling of my workshop off and on throughout the day (there were some biggins) and had enough left over to cover the bottom third of the garage door. The shop temp (with space heater running) is now a full 12F higher than the outside temp -- and holding! Woohoo!

I hope all that luxurious warmth (40F) doesn't spoil me. It's just so nice to not have my fingers and toes go numb every fifteen minutes.

Back to sawdust land...

hehehe... thank you, nellie

;-)

hot cinnamon rolls
soon to emerge from oven
pop 'n fresh: my friend

Just makes me weep.
"Over a third of American millionaire households said they lost at least 30% of their net worth since September"

http://www.economist.com/daily/chartgallery/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12884313&fsrc=rss

When you ain't got nothin'
You got nothin' to lose

But yeah, I figure a lot of rich folks have their "money" tied up in stocks (or real estate) which are now not worth so much...But we'll all pay in the long run for their misfortune, I'm afraid.

The wind is still blowing in off the mountain, strong enough this afternoon to take out a tower just south of town. The hospital has a generator, but close to a fifth of the county is without power. Black throated wind keeps on blowin' in...

Guess you still have power, jack, that's good. A Pineapple Express has arrived here - heavy rain and flooding, major roads closed. This is when I'm glad I live on a hill. Sounds like terrible weather over most of the country.

Apparently there are riots in Oakland tonight over the cop shooting a cuffed man on the BART. He resigned today.

(Friend in CA mentioned it... not seeing any offical news here yet).

God loves us so much more than we can imagine through Him that died for all, Jesus Christ.

Morning, my friends. I'm up, and it is so early. It is cold in here, I forgot to turn the heat back on. It has been really warm here for the past couple of days. After all the wind and rain yesterday, the temps are where they should be.

Martooni(I cooked a big pot of chilli yesterday) Mudge, Slyness, Scotty, Yoki, and all the gang, good morning.*waving*

I missed checking in yesterday. As always Wednesdays are busy, but I was up really early yesterday, still trying to get ready for today. Inspections.

I haven't been able to walk for the past couple of days because of rain, but will strike out this morning. I do hope your day is good.

As for the inauguration, if I could, I would not attend. I'm not good in crowds, and the ears can pose some very difficult problems because of their malfunction. I hope to watch it on television. I hope there won't be problems, serious problems that is. It is a historic event, and a cause for celebration, and I mean that in a good way.

Time to try and sleep.

If I'm have to wait around I'll have my batman put a hot brick under the seat of the ol' SE.

Who do I see about requisitioning a batman?

Or do we just use the signal?

G'morning, all. I see I wasn't the only one who overslept. The ready room is mighty empty this morning!

Cassandra, I'll take your inspection and raise you a family visit. That's when I do the most house cleaning. Between that and putting away the Christmas decorations, the old homestead looks pretty good, better than it has in months. It won't last, though, I know that for a fact.

Onward into the day! I don't have an excuse not to walk this morning, so I have to get my act together.

Boko!

Just lay out a few bats and one is sure to show up.

I just put my Dawn Patrol seat next to the heater overnight. Works fine.

*wondering-how-people-manage-to-work-5-days-in-a-row Grover waves* :-)

Aren't batmen reserved for Upper Class Twits? Tell me you aren't one of them.

Marseille and Ottawa, both covered in snow.

http://www.liberation.fr/societe/0101310366-le-sud-reprend-des-couleurs

Good morning Boodle, Cassandra, Boko!!, slyness, all.

EYE am in the ready room, I think Cassandra should plot our course this morning. We certainly cannot go astray with such guidance.

Work will be sheer madness today, indicating that things are back to normal in my shop.

Have a good day, everyone.

Good morning all!

Well, I had to scrape the ice of my car, not to mention the ice of my brain, to get here this morning, but am now half way through a steamin' mug of nice hot coffee.

I likes coffee.

Busy day here as I need to get much work done this morning before heading out to meet with educational professionals with regards to my daughter. This is seldom a pleasant task. Afterwards I might need something more than coffee.

Sort of funny. Republicans are warning that we shouldn't spend money on saving the economy without first "fixing" social security and medicare.

Talk about being on top of the "plight" of the common man in America, today.

Cute article about a fish thief on Cape Cod.

http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090107/NEWS/901070328/-1/NEWS01

Heaven knows I needed the laugh. #2 has been moved to the rehab wing of the hospital. Both #1 and I have spoken with her and she is miserable. Still not accepting, and now just angry at everyone. Oh joy. Haven’t spoken with the doctor yet but hope to soon.

Scotty, your comment about five days of work made me smile. Although this week is flying for me as it is invoicing time again. Cold and very windy here but at least the sun is shining. Have a good day all.

Good morning, all.

A rotten ride to work this morning, and directly into the fray of meetings, made more tension-filled by events of late.

A wise HR department would have free Chcololate Coffee Frappe Pepto-Bismolchinos in the cafeteria and the gawdaful Flavia coffee dispensing machines on in the break rooms.

More later.

bc

bc for Coffee Commish!!

I woke up as usual, but retreated into a bonus nap.

Good morning, Boodle.

'Morning, Boodle. Yes, I missed Dawn Patrol muster, too. I'll have to send my batman out for cruellers and coffee, methinks. (Yes, batman are standard issue to Dawn Patrol pilots, whether upperclass twits or mere hoi polloi. Although I suppose "batperson" is the more politically correct phrase, come to think on it. Batpersons have many legitimate chores to accomplish, such as shining the pilots boots overnight and making sure they are ready in the morning; laying out jodphurs and the rest of the uniform, choosing the scarf-of-the-day [lime green with pink polkadots for some of us, standard white silk for me, a handsome dark gray cashmere trimmed with ermine for Brag, a paisley for Scotty, etc. bc wanted a flowing 20-foot Isadora Duncan model, but I had to put my foot down and say "No!" for safety reasons. He was in a snit all day about it, poor lamb. Well, that's the burden of command, what?]

Today's lead story positing a power struggle between future West Wingers and the future cabinet is a major piece of nonsense and a thumbsucker of the first order. Jeez, people, get a grip. Let the *&%$# admin take office before you start this navel-gazing crap, wouldja?

Morning all...

At home waiting for the Big Expensive Plumbers to dig up the front yard to find where the water line is leaking into the basement. Sigh. I see Miss Utility now marking all the power lines and such in the yard. I guess work will begin soon. At least I got my shower before they turn off the water.

You know you love your job when you're disappointed that you have to stay home and wait for plumbers. Dr G may come home early so I can make it into the office for a bit.

We know it's that free lunch, TBG!

Hey! We had rain this week: .19 inches. That makes the total for the past five months 1.17 inches. I think some desert areas in the United States do better than this as far as precip.

Diving for the shorts and tank top today since it'll be about 80 degrees. Who needs a scarf in weather like this?

LOts of local chatter about changing the numbers upward for the aquifer level as an indicator or marker for when to have water restrictions kick in. Local hydrologists and meteorologists simply don't know if the drought will last months, possibly years. Sounds like the current recession or depression, doesn't it?

Morning boodle! Tough getting my head back into work, especially with my office heated to barely above freezing. I'd set up temporary digs in the gym with everyone else but I refuse to move twice.

Martooni-isn't insulation wonderful stuff?

TBG-can't believe the mention of Miss Utility makes me miss NoVA.

I hadn't heard the most alarming news that Homeland Security wants to locate a new HQ at St. Elizabeth's in DC. I'll admit a bias, I think DHS should be dismantled, but even if it must continue to exist this is a bad, bad, bad idea. Read more about it here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/07/AR2009010702977.html

I think St. Elizabeth's is an ideal place for the DHS, Frosti: it's a mental hospital.

We are 55 degrees and very dry, which means that yesterday's harvest of tropical heliconia flowers was justified and timely. They truly don't like cool, dry weather. It's fun to have these Amazonian plants in the yard.

Plans to build a modern-day castle for Homeland Security at St. Elizabeth's have been underway for quite a while. You'd think they would be put in an underground bunker somewhere outside of the District. I assume the facility will hide behind Baghdad -style blast walls.

Dave, there are already big walls all around St. Elizabeth's (my bus goes by it every day).

I believe it is still the residence of Mark Chapman, the guy who shot John Lennon.

Is this castle enough for ya?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Center_building_at_Saint_Elizabeths,_August_23,_2006.jpg

It's snowing... big fat flakes! Whoa!

Just checking in quickly to say hi and thank Joel for the tune cootie:

People coming to D.C.
Need a place to sleep and pee

This is Hannibal Lecter's old abode, no?

New Kit!

New Kit, folks.