Over the last week or so, we’ve finally been getting slammed by comment spam, the scourge of Movable Type-powered ‘blogs, that we’ve been hearing about. We had been lucky so far, but it got so bad today that I had to install a copy of Jay Allen’s MT Blacklist plug-in, which is a powerful tool which should reduce comment spamming...
Traffic Nightmare
I get homesick for the Bay Area every now and then, but not on days like this: Officials are continuing their negotiations with a man who has been standing on a railing on the westbound side of the Bay Bridge near Treasure Island since about 11 a.m. today, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Virgil Aguilar. Westbound traffic is backed...
Scheduling Nightmare
Next term doesn’t begin for almost five months but registration is already under way. I’ve registered for most of my classes already, but nobody has been able to explain why SI has decided that it’s not a problem to have at least three (if not more) high-demand courses scheduled on the same day (Thursday) and in some cases in the...
Is That a Spine I Spy Underneath That Pink Tutu?!
Well, for goodness’ sake! « Has Dashle FINALLY grown a spine?! »: ‘Mr. President, last week I spoke about the White House’s reaction to Richard Clarke’s testimony before the 9-11 Commission. I am compelled to rise again today, because the people around the President are systematically abusing the powers and prerogatives of government. We all need to reflect seriously on what’s going...
The Unclothed Emperor and His Flip-Flopping
Even as the mighty rightwing fascist talking points organizations try to paint John Kerry as a ‘flip-flopper,’ « CNN takes note (amazingly) of the Boy Emperor’s notable flip flops »: ‘Some previous Bush reversals in the face of criticism: » He argued a federal Department of Homeland Security wasn’t needed, then devised a plan to create one. » He resisted a commission to investigate...
Institutionalized Bigotry
« Here’s why it’s a matter of civil rights »: ‘Prudential Financial has been accused of discrimination after refusing to provide benefits to the legally married spouse of lesbian retiree. After her marriage in Canada, Laurel Awishus, a retired Prudential Financial employee who worked for the company for 20 years, sought to enroll her spouse of nearly 22 years, Kathy Adelsheim, in...
Air America Radio
Listening to the debut this afternoon of « Air America Radio » (the only alternative to the massive fascist domination of the airwaves) on XM167. So far, mildly entertaining. My first listen to Ed Schultz, who strikes me as an exact mirror-image opposite of Rush Limbaugh. At first I thought it was the hillbilly heroin pill-popper himself, in fact, and I almost...
Oozing From Every Pore
Many people noticed yesterday a report on a « Houston man who was injured in a crash and lay paralyzed on a freeway for 36 hours before he was found »: ‘A motorist injured in a crash lay paralyzed in the middle of a freeway with a broken neck for 36 hours before he was rescued. Ed Theisen’s body was blocked from...
First They Came For Our Cocks …
Meanwhile, just down the road from Muskogee in Henryetta, an Okie ‘democrat’ (in the same vein that Zell Miller is a ‘democrat’) is spitting mad because the « Oklahoma Supreme Court unanimously upheld the ban on cockfighting »: ‘The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the constitutionality of the cockfighting ban approved by Oklahoma voters in 2002. The ruling ends a battle,...
Under Pressure
I’m struggling valiantly to get back in the swim of things here. Between « substitute teaching and preparing for grad school » and working for « clients » and dealing with the increasing bugginess I’m feeling as spring inches ever so slowly forward (this is the first week that I’ve begun to really be creeped a bit by the lack...
GrUncle Again
Found out today I’ll be a great-uncle for the second time. Kid is due sometime around Nov. 22. I need a rocker, cane and front porch.
Try Looking in the White House
‘Those Weapons of Mass Destruction Gotta Be Somewhere’
First Day of Spring
It was a little chilly and blustery, but not bad. The best part was all the bright sunshine, which came after early morning thunderstorms which woke me up around 4:30 a.m. with two big loud thunderclaps. We took the dog to check out Bird Hill Park, which is supposedly the largest in AA, but parking areas were muddy and trails...
11-Marzo-04
Because I was in the middle of a bunch of things, I’m belatedly posting this: «We are all Madrileños» …
Redesign Pretty Much Done
The site redesign, which took me two laborious weeks, is for all intents and purposes finished. How I’m gonna keep up all these ‘blogs, I dunno, but it’s a nice concept and let’s me do some different creative things, especially writing for writing’s sake. It’s cold and snowy. I woke up with a sinus headache and having to face the...
Redesigned Rants
The redesign is finally pretty much finished, with just minor tweaking to go. Like it? Let’s see what’s happening in our glorious empire today, shall we? Looks like the assault on the last minority it is acceptable to hate continues apace in the federal bureaucracy «as the Special Fascist Counsel strips gay and lesbian federal workers of job protections»: ‘Gay...
Artemis Comes Home
Artemis is to be cremated today and finally gets to come home to rest. Hard to believe she’s gone. I still get kinda weepy whenever I think about her and I know the pain that Don and Jean and Linda must be feeling today. I wish I could do something. Because I’ve been there before. Sugar, my little adorable mutt,...
Cough Getting Better
The cough is finally better today. I think the key must be the inhaler. Is my asthma actually going to be this much worse up here? If so, gonna be a long year-and-a-half. Also helping is Actifed and cough syrup. But geez. This is the third round of this mess I’ve had since we moved here. There must some native...
Dreamworld
I had a vivid dream this morning. We lived in Palm Springs and so did my parents. Frank and I went out for our anniversary dinner and I asked him if he was having fun. He said, ‘Eh,’ and I got upset and left. We drove over to my parents, who we thought weren’t home. I began making coffee, and...
Farewell, Artemis the Sweet
The rainy weather here in Ann Arbor is appropriately weepy this morning. It is with a very heavy heart that I have to note the passing of Artemis, the sweetest, most wonderful black lab in the world. Artemis’ dad, Don, called me this morning from Oklahoma City with the news that she left us Friday after an exhausting battle against...
Christmas Day 2003
« Our Life in Michigan – Christmas Day 2003 »
Some Sad News
Just got an extremely sad e-mail from Donpy … Artie-moose isn’t doing well. Sudden tumor growth, bad cancer. Should know on Wednesday whether she’s going to make it. But since she’s approaching 13, it doesn’t look good. I just burst out bawling tonight and am still kinda crying. It’s extremely sad. She was the best puppy dog in the whole...
Your Travel Guide to Baghdad-By-The-Bay (2002)
‘I sat in the Delhi airport and watched the big electric clock in the departure hall that tells passengers when to board. I thought I imagined that time was moving in fits and starts: 1:12 a.m. for fifteen minutes, then 1:27 for another twenty, 1:47 … Closer inspection revealed that the clock was not plugged in, and its digits were...
A Eulogy for Brooksie Belle Ketchum Booth, My Grandmother (2001)
I wrote the following passages in two separate sections over two separate days. Part I – 2:00 a.m. San Francisco Time, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2001 The call I was dreading came just ten minutes ago – an unhappy, middle-of-the-night call – word from my exhausted and grief-stricken mother that her mother’s long battle was over and that she was at...
The Mark Morford and The Morning Fix Saga (2001)
1-Apr-01 (but no, it’s no April Fool’s joke) The Article That Set Me Off: « SFGate.com Suspends Three Staffers Over Column » My E-Mail to the offender and many other Bay Area Media staffers: An open letter: “I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend to the death your right to say it.” – Voltaire “They that...
A Memory of My Grandfather (2001)
I am inordinately proud of all my grandparents, proud of their heritage and what they did and gave to us. All of them worked extremely hard under difficult circumstances to bring, in their own way, the basics of life, love and happiness to their families. We enjoy the blessed lives we have in no small part due to their sacrifice,...
Post-2000-Election Rant (Dec. 2000)
Original Message From: Doe, John Sent: Friday, December 01, 2000 6:54 AM To: airbeagle Subject: Palm Beach Video Funny, slightly mean: « Confused Palm Beach Voters » AirBeagle’s Rant: Says Steve, in his typically verbose manner showing that he’s fiddling while his company burns down around him (NorthPoint is 50 cents a share today!): Yes, John, the cartoon is funny. Yup, repeatedly...
A Rant on the 2000 Election Season (Nov. 2000)
In the current election season, and following revelations of Shrub’s DUI in Maine, here’s the latest rant. The following is an e-mail that is currently circulating around the internet. Following this is AirBeagle’s ranting response. This is all very long, but stick with it. Subject: Dear Mr. President I recently saw a bumper sticker that said, “Thank me, I voted...
Letter to Santa (1981)
Dear Kris, As you may or may not be aware of, that wonderful time of year is upon us, or rather, you. Yes, that’s right, dear Claus, the time for you to finally earn your keep and work off some of those extra pounds Mrs. Claus has so cruelly heaped upon your lean-in-spirit frame over the last 11 months, has...
The Energy Crisis and Its Effect on America (1981)
The American Energy Crisis has had profound effects on us all. Past, present, and, most assuredly, future American presidents have shaped, and will continue to shape, the energy policies of this nation in a direction so as to increase production of domestic energy and to exploit alternate energy sources to decrease our dependence on foreign oil resources. The American public,...
Tomorrow Today Yesterday (c. 1978)
Dreams, trials, memories Hopes, fears, memories Desires, defeats, memories Isn’t yesterday anything but memories? No, tomorrow is always a memory a scent a taste a touch Why then is tomorrow nothing but dreams? Why then is today always realizations? God only knows, only He knows among everyone Futile dreams, frustrating realities, bitter memories. Is that ALL? —Undated; probably 1978