Ah, such sweet, sweet justice. (Tip o’ hat to Karen.) London Olympics. Tax dollars at work. Double dosage of cuteness: “50 Toddlers Who Are Best Friends with Their Dogs.” (Actually, in a couple of cases, I doubt that would be the dog’s opinion. But gosh darn, they’re still so cuuuuuuuute.) The electronic medical records being pushed so hard by the Obama administration (and previous) distance doctors from their patients — and their patients’ real condition. Drone attacks from victims’ point of view. TSA removes 18-month-old terrorist from plane. Finally (via Radley Balko), we have an explanation for why so many…
Category: Mind and Spirit
Spirituality, moods, feelings, and thinking free to live free.
How many federal laws are there? Let us (try to) count the ways. A rarity in the rare book room. While I doubt that many readers of this blog want to walk down the street looking like this, it’s a brilliant thing that young fashionistas are thinking of avoiding facial-recognition cams. I could picture Jeremy and Cedra got up like that. I know your heart’s in the right place, Downsize DC. But if congressthingies have become so irresponsible and depraved that they don’t bother to read the bills they vote for, what makes you think that writing to the culprits…
Deadlining has been a bitch the last few weeks. Oh, don’t get me wrong; I’m thrilled to have the work and the people I’m doing it for couldn’t be better. But every time I’ve seen that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, it really has turned out to be an oncoming train — or at least another assignment. Just one more to go now, so I thought I’d take today off, put my feet up, relax, and (once my brain cleared) catch up on blogging. The weatherperson said today would be pleasant and instead it turned out downright…
I went to a tea yesterday. Yes, an actual tea. For charity. With big flowery hats on the ladies. And cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off (which, for the record, turn out to be absolutely delicious). One woman wore a wildly purple Central American native dress and a red thrift-store hat with bangles all around that looked like a lampshade. A young acquaintance of hers died last week and she’s aware that our mutual friend J. has pancreatic cancer. To hell with it, says the lady in the bangled hat and floral-toned muumuu, who last I saw her was…
… ya don’t. I’ve been deadlining the past couple of weeks and have about a week and a half to go. The work is going well, but doing a number of small projects at once crowds my brain. I’m also going gangbusters on house projects in my spare time. (Ah, spring! It brings out the constructive insanity in a body.) All that’s to the good, and life is dandy fine. Don’t get me wrong. But the last few days have also brought a steady stream of itty-bitty time-wasters and irritations. Not one is of the slightest importance by itself, but…
Saturday I learned that one of my dearest friends has inoperable pancreatic cancer. Even in this day of improving cancer treatments, the odds on that particular type are … well, better than the odds of winning MegaMillions, but worse than almost every other type of cancer. On the good side, she’s got a partner who loves her and is capable of taking care of her. She’s also got one of the world’s great daughters, who flew thousands of miles to be here as soon as she heard. But all things considered, that’s not much of a good side. It occurs…
Your hilarious dog story of the day, courtesy of naturegirl. (Which probably would have ended up much less hilarious had American cops been the ones doing the window smashing.) And so I don’t neglect you cat people, here. It’s not funny or even particularly dramatic. Just cuuuuuuuuute. Not so cute: The U.S. standard of living has fallen more than 50 percent. Depending on how you look at it. I hope I don’t ever have to do that. Especially when I’m 80. A big hurtful, annoying EFF-U to Arizona, spoken as only Ken from Popehat can speak write. Two for the…
Legally blind and a successful photographer. Now here’s a growing profession for you: consultants who coach white-collar criminals on how to get along in prison. The sagebrush rebellion rises again. Brothels. They’re now legal in Ontario, Canada. And for some pretty good reasons. “When we were making V we thought the mask might be popular at parties.” And yet another intriguing trailer for Silver Circle. The coins are real; you can buy them from the movie’s store and Ron Paul was photographed last month using one to make a point.
Have you seen the wonderful animated feature Bolt? It’s about a dog who has no idea he isn’t the superdog he plays on TV. He dearly loves his girl Penny who stars in the show with him. But because he views himself as her sole protection against ever-threatening evil, he’s forever tense, forever on guard. Never, but ever, does he relax, play, and just enjoy life. Only when fate leaves him lost on the streets (far from Penny and without his special-effects superpowers) does he learn to be himself, love life — and become a real hero. Yeah, it’s just…
The movie The Hunger Games comes out this Friday. If you’ve read the books(s) you know this isn’t going to be the Twilight-style teen flick that’s being marketed. Can’t blame Lionsgate for the marketing; they want to make money and the Katniss-Peeta-Gale triangle offers a hook to the silly-but-moneymaking Bella-Edward-Jacob triangle that no marketer could resist. At least they’ve been doing their marketing very, very well; it’s been an elegantly teasing campaign. Have you noticed that, never once during all the buildup, have they actually showed the Hunger Games part of The Hunger Games? Marketing aside, it looks like Lionsgate…