08:39 – As Barbara and I raked leaves yesterday, we didn’t realize that we were risking attack by predatory insects. According to the entomologist interviewed for the article, these insects “feed on caterpillars and people raking leaves.”
While she labels bottles, Barbara watches stuff on Netflix streaming that I don’t watch, things like Grey’s Anatomy. While she was doing that yesterday, FedEx showed up with the balance of the order from Amazon that I’d placed Thursday. As I was opening the box, the doctors on Grey’s Anatomy were talking with a young patient and her husband, one of whom commented that they thought they were prepared for anything. When the doctors asked what they meant, the patient and her husband explained that they were preppers but they didn’t make a point of telling people because everyone would think they were nuts. Then they started talking about bug-out bags and suggesting that the doctors should prepare several of them for themselves and keep them at home and in their vehicles.
So, of course Barbara asked me what was in the box. I told her there were several USB 3 flash drives and some other items that we’d use in kits. And then I pulled out the final item, a 10-pack of aluminized Mylar space blankets. For our bug-out bags.
Just finishing up exorcising FCC bad words from Kathleen Madigan’s latest comedy CD entry. I know that comedy does not sell many copies, but leaving that stuff in, makes sure that no radio station in the US will play it. Radio airplay was once crucial to any performer’s success; in this era, I am sure that is not as true, but the fact is that record companies have completely abandoned promotional distribution of music these days. My kids do not listen to the radio at all, so who contemporary artists are, and what they are doing, is actually of no interest to them. They hear from others their age about artists in genres they like, and explore them on YouTube. They do possess real CD’s, so obviously they do buy CD’s; not all their music is from Internet sources.
It is disappointing that there is not more work put into helping performers out. The Madigan CD was filled with places where she stuttered, repeated a word, paused oddly, or had some other flaw. Obviously, whoever put this CD together spent little or no time fixing those. I corrected as many as I could—definitely more than 2 dozen.
“Shit” and “fuck” are really the only words we have to look out for. My modus operandi is to just reverse those words. The brain knows what they were, by the context, but at least we have not broadcast the naughty word. All of us at the radio project just hate the bleep tones a lot of stations use. It really interrupts the flow.
I do have one “shit” in the first track that sounds like “shit” whether I have it in frontward or backwards. Have not yet figured out how to handle that one—or how she managed to say it so it sounds the same either way.
Bob, a warning about space blankets, just in case anyone uses them:
In my youth, I bush-walked as a hobby. Synonyms would be backpacking, trekking, words like that.
My club had a group that ended up including my accursed (then future) wife and her sister. Sister had newly married and she and her husband with other club members were out over one weekend. They were sitting round campfire doing a sing-song, and she used a space blanket wrapped round her for extra warmth on her back. Apparently the space blanket got quite warm outside, while she stayed cooler inside it and didn’t notice heat. It spontaneously and near-explosively combusted. Thankfully she was wearing thick warm clothes – natural fibres – so was only burnt on one exposed arm.
It’s probably a problem that’s been solved now, but I guess the warning is to check any space blankets, particularly old ones, to see if they are non-flammable; then in any case to be careful using them.
We don’t have bug-out bags here; we ain’t going anywhere. I am building emergency bags for the vehicles, however, based on wintuh conditions. If we ever do leave temporarily for, say, our seaside cottage way up in northern Noveau Brunswick, we should be OK with what we have in the vehicles.
40 here now on the bay, and windy again. Mrs. OFD was back from Phoenix yesterday, where in her free time Friday afternoon got to do some trail-riding on a Belgian; she just left today for El Paso and plans next Friday to visit a rock and gem site north of there. Following week will be in Denver.
Daughter will be coming home for Thanksgiving and is evidently slowly coming off the uber-vegan diet thang she’s been on since middle school; will now eat salmon. So I’ll be doing some nice fresh grilled cedar-planked salmon that day in addition to the turkey, which is really the only meat on the menu then for us; rest is veggies anyway.
And hope to hear about the new gig this coming week, just can’t wait to dive into Windows servers again.
Oh, and what a country!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2498471/MTV-Europe-Music-Awards-2013-Miley-Cyrus-twerks-latex-clad-dwarf.html
OK, lets say that you are the editor for “Guns and Ammo” magazine. “Guns and Ammo” magazine is fairly good gun mag that actually talks about guns. And ammo. Your back page columnist brings you a column that is pro gun control.
http://t.co/xBNX0CMV3K (I have verified the link for the PDF of the column)
The following items immediately run through your mind:
a. nice column that I will bet that my 1.5 million readers will appreciate and comment on in a gentlemanly fashion
b. I am sure that my readers would to talk about “reasonable” gun control
c. my columnist’s job is not on the line
d. my job is not on the line
e. all of the above
Here is the resignation of the editor of “Guns and Ammo” after the columnist resigned:
http://www.gunsandammo.com/2013/11/06/response-december-2013-backpage-column/
where in her free time Friday afternoon got to do some trail-riding on a Belgian
Um, as a person of German-Belgium descent (one of my grandmothers was Flemish with the maiden name of Pysson), I am wondering if I should resent somebody riding a trail on one of my countrymen?
“I thought it would generate a healthy exchange of ideas on gun rights.”
Anyone there who’s more than, say, twenty years old or so, ought to have known by now that giving an inch to any sort of compromise whatsoever is giving the anti-gun rights people a country mile. The old-school Bolshevik strategy is to think in long-term goals and win in increments; this was done successfully in the past with firearms legislation in this country and it sure as hell has worked out nicely for them on gay rights; from “civil unions,” to “marriage,” and next we can expect incest, polygamy, bestiality and necrophilia. From the Civil Rights Act to “affirmative action” across the board in every conceivable enterprise and issue to worship of the Goddess Diversity. So that now we have a burgeoning race war in parts of the country and most assuredly in our major cities.
Cavil at any of this and one is de facto a homicidal, racist homophobe, etc., etc. and is thus rightfully denied a voice now. What has all of our giving, and giving, and giving, of legislation, financial aid, and groveling kow-towing got us?
“I am wondering if I should resent somebody riding a trail on one of my countrymen?”
Your countrymen are here not in Flanders.
It was a big old Belgian hoss, sixteen hands, and like all giants, a gentle and easy-going bugger; Mrs. OFD used to do dressage stuff and once had a Westphalian who was seventeen hands, all white, and loved bananas.
What has all of our giving, and giving, and giving, of legislation, financial aid, and groveling kow-towing got us?
Not gonna touch that one with a ten foot pole.
Your countrymen are here not in Flanders.
True. I am related to most, if not all, Pyssons here in South Texas. We are a prolific bunch along with the McGuires, Harshbargars and Micks.
Seventeen hands is a BIG horse! That dude / dudette had better be gentle. I rode a sixteen hand horse across Colorado back in 1975. Every time he smelled water we went that-away. My little brother also rode a sixteen hand horse who liked low hanging tree limbs.
I would love to own a couple of horses if they were not so high maintenance. I’ve always had the opinion that horses go feral if you don’t talk to them for an hour each day.
“I’ve always had the opinion that horses go feral if you don’t talk to them for an hour each day.”
Not feral, exactly, but very pissy and annoyed. They will let you know, too. And the low-hanging tree limb riding hoss does that on purpose, of course.
Lynn – have you been to any of the Belgian restaurants here in H-town. I’m a big fan of moules and frites. With a Duvel, Kwak, or Corsendonk of course.
Nope. Mostly Indian, Texan (beef, duck or chicken), seafood, Greek, Louisianan (Pappas), Mexican (too many to count), Japanese sushi and American (burgers). Even some Brazilian (Fogo de Chao) and Argentinean. All my Flemish cousins like fried seafood (they have gotten me lost on Oyster Creek more than once).
This would be perfect for someone who has a couple of horses:
http://search.har.com/engine/13310-Lakeview-Meadow-Dr-Richmond-TX-77469_HAR35920497.htm
“just can’t wait to dive into Windows servers again.”
Riiiiight. Anyway, here’s hoping the gig comes through…
Regarding the article in “Guns and Ammo”, seems to me it’s fair enough to present “the other side” once in a while. We all have the tendency to hang around in our personal little bubble, surrounded by people who think like we do, reading blogs that we agree with, etc.. It does a body good to occasionally hear something we disagree with, and the article was written in a pretty non-confrontational way.
If the readers of the mag don’t even want to hear the other side, they didn’t have to read the article. To get so upset that the other side even exists that they force people to resign, well, that’s kind of sad…
Regarding the article in “Guns and Ammo”, seems to me it’s fair enough to present “the other side” once in a while.
Wrong forum. Go write an article for a paper or a blog if needful.
I don’t understand why all the to-do. I’ve always considered G&A to be anti-gun. They’ve never campaigned for repeal of GCA68, let alone the NFA.
Better publications for those interested are Gun Digest, Shotgun News, and Gun Tests.