tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122196582011-12-18T11:27:00.101-06:00Menoreply@blogger.comBlogger20961100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-73052750078243365422011-12-18T11:10:00.001-06:002011-12-18T11:27:00.109-06:00

"He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes." Proverbs 13:24 Now that I have small children, and in particular male children, I have been quoted this passage more than once as a sort of pre-emptory strike by well-meaning persons who wish to ensure that I keep my boys in line using physical punishment. What they fail to see is that the passage is

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-75825972982963012102011-10-14T22:37:00.002-05:002011-10-14T22:37:53.787-05:00

I Am A: True Neutral Half-Elf Bard (5th Level) Ability Scores: Strength-12 Dexterity-12 Constitution-13 Intelligence-14 Wisdom-13 Charisma-15 Alignment:True Neutral A true neutral character does what seems to be a good idea. He doesn't feel strongly one way or the other when it comes to good vs. evil or law vs. chaos. Most true neutral characters exhibit a lack of conviction or bias rather than a

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-55553394437531872082011-08-05T09:04:00.001-05:002011-08-05T09:11:35.022-05:00

The Iowa Supreme Court has a couple of new cases up today. IOWA SUPREME COURT ATTORNEY DISCIPLINARY BOARD vs. ERIC K. PARRISH is a typical "don't steal money from your clients by paying yourself out of the retainer before you've earned the money" case. But VAJGRT v. ERNST is an interesting debate on whether punitive damages should survive the death of the tortfeasor. The basic facts are that

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-64446581565977246122011-08-01T21:52:00.000-05:002011-08-01T21:52:04.839-05:00

Toldja so.

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-75553924698736634822011-07-27T11:12:00.007-05:002011-07-27T12:13:03.444-05:00

Read this article today: Researchers at the University of Florida have found that dogs have the intelligence of a 2-year-old. They are capable of understanding the meaning of up to 165 words and gestures, can count to 5, and can perform simple mathematical calculations. It's further expanded here: While dogs ranked with the 2-year-olds in language, they would trump a 3- or 4-year-old in basic

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-34028423539288147402011-07-26T10:36:00.003-05:002011-07-26T18:00:02.696-05:00

For a time in my career, I worked in-house for an insurance company. One part of my job was to supervise cases in litigation against our insureds, and decide which should be settled for what amount and which should be taken to trial. So, for example, if Sally hit Joe in a car accident and caused some serious injuries, what should we pay Joe to make it go away? If Fred's defective ductwork

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-55116795798619962272011-07-25T14:51:00.003-05:002011-07-25T21:18:02.844-05:00

I notice I said "boys" but hadn't introduced the younger. Here's Nicholas:

Menoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-76286601113474188782011-07-25T13:04:00.002-05:002011-07-25T14:44:09.033-05:00

A flippin' headset for my cell. Will it work with a Samsung Android? Amazon seems to think so.

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-41722954343427624212011-07-25T10:12:00.002-05:002011-07-25T14:54:29.525-05:00

Bravo to this article: STIs are not different than other diseases; the only difference is political, not biological. HPV in particular is ridiculous to politicize, since it's so common that it's wise to treat getting it as an inevitability if you don't get the vaccination. Indeed, the most important difference between the HPV vaccination and other vaccination isn't the sex stuff, but the fact

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-77481522861088611602011-07-22T12:33:00.002-05:002011-07-22T12:41:04.839-05:00

Being an attorney in Iowa, I have a bit of a vested interest in how our state legal system is run.  I've been both criminal prosecutor and defense counsel.  I've been in-house defending tortfeasors, and out helping plaintiffs make injury demands.  Right now, most of my cases are family law.  And I can tell you, in general, Iowa's court system is one of the best around. We really don't need damage

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-91573193076115345822011-01-10T16:58:00.009-06:002011-07-26T10:55:31.621-05:00

Point #1: There is no evidence that the rabid, violent, political speech of any party caused the Arizona shootings, even if the shooter did listen/read/subscribe to the rhetoric. Correlation does not equal causality. Point #2: There is no evidence that the rabid political rhetoric of any party didn't cause the shootings, either. Correlation certainly doesn't negate causality. Point #3: Any

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-18016262335837655272010-10-15T07:51:00.000-05:002010-10-15T07:51:16.547-05:00

Awesomeness via XKCD. 

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-83636888164886108002010-10-12T14:45:00.000-05:002010-10-12T14:45:00.594-05:00

Target is making fun of homemade Halloween costumes. Way to alienate your customer base! We're not going out trick-or-treating, since Christopher's not old enough to eat candy. But we're going to dress up to hand the candy out! He might be going as a biker - I'd have an excuse to buy him a teeny-tiny leather jacket for winter and to try to do his curls into a duck's ass. Or, more likely,

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-75990595882478138862010-10-05T09:06:00.000-05:002010-10-05T09:06:27.715-05:00

I was going to embed the very humorous ad Christine O'Donnell put out denying her alleged witchery. But hell with it, I'm skipping straight to the Holy Grail.

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-91942285457304580572010-10-05T08:43:00.000-05:002010-10-05T08:43:28.243-05:00

Yesterday we got another political flyer on our door, this time "comparing" the Republican and Democratic candidates for the state house in a way totally skewed in favor of the sender (go figure):  D:  Jesus, they both look young. Me:  I'm sorry, honey.  You want me to tell those kids to stay out of our yard?

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-49122402801012124662010-10-04T17:47:00.000-05:002010-10-04T17:47:19.631-05:00

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-21242459970578248712010-10-04T11:43:00.001-05:002010-10-04T11:45:44.478-05:00

Why, oh why, do people believe that their religious views have any bearing whatsoever on what our civil code should encompass? Why do they fail to comprehend that any sort of theocracy is a very bad idea, particularly to those citizens who don't practice your faith? Do they not understand that if we codify one faith, we can also codify another? How about the idea that another religion might

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-15763926126150506302010-10-01T12:07:00.001-05:002010-10-01T12:09:19.473-05:00

Yard signs cropping up everywhere, politicians dominating the news cycle - it's that time again.  While I haven't actually been posting all that much here, I have been commenting on news sites and driving myself crazy keeping up with the latest political madness. But there's a new trend that I find by far the most annoying:  facebook proselytizing.  See, I use facebook mostly to keep up with old

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-64225053378512226792010-06-23T21:16:00.000-05:002010-06-23T21:16:04.065-05:00

Somebody is six months old today. We celebrated by going to our very first Kindermusik class and having his very first popsicle for dessert.  One happy little boy, though he was too absorbed in the popsicle to smile at the time:

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-19433796532306275352010-06-03T09:08:00.000-05:002010-06-03T09:08:14.007-05:00

via XKCD.  I'm thinking it's a hint.

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-12065875391147066402010-05-25T11:54:00.000-05:002010-05-25T11:57:09.566-05:00

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-69416137054460884922010-02-04T10:46:00.002-06:002010-02-04T10:50:31.676-06:00

Kris is busy and their new baby needs rocking. Oh my!Kris' baby was born just 6 weeks ago. He is crying, crabby, and will get very loud soon without any rocking. Baby wants to grow up big and strong some day and just needs a little help getting started. Kris would love to rock him but must get dressed for her hearing at 1:30, write her report to the court for tomorrow, clean the house for guests

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-56885259862675130412010-01-13T11:00:00.005-06:002010-01-13T11:08:09.706-06:00

Just for fun, I entered Christopher in the America's Cutest Last-Minute Tax Deduction contest.He is now apparently a finalist (one of ten), and will win a $5000 savings bond if he gets the most votes. So . . . anyone who happens to think our child is the cutest, please go vote for him!

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-29301861796525196272009-12-25T09:45:00.000-06:002009-12-25T09:46:36.297-06:00

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-29865398581260513392009-12-25T09:34:00.002-06:002009-12-25T09:37:07.718-06:00

Here's my latest project - a collaboration that took many month's work - enjoying his first visit from Santa yesterday. Christopher James arrived on the 23rd - Christmas eve eve.

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-80926877387570366992009-12-08T16:13:00.003-06:002009-12-08T16:22:23.702-06:00

Last night in our final baby class, they passed out these Cabbage Patch Kids while we watched a video on swaddling. It came time for the break. Instructor: "You can use the restroom, but be sure to take your doll with you and to hold it safely." Me: (Raising an eyebrow) "Okay, if this is supposed to be 'Baby Think It Over' . . . you're a little late."

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-10832869434219203422009-11-24T16:07:00.001-06:002009-11-24T16:07:48.861-06:00

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-7957921739916481572009-11-24T13:32:00.001-06:002009-11-24T13:35:00.614-06:00

Instructor (for the umpteen gagillionth time): Okay! Here comes another contraction!Me (not very quietly): Shoot it!!

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-35350208114792467292009-11-17T08:16:00.002-06:002009-11-17T08:23:48.672-06:00

I understand that pregnancy can make you tired. I understand that pregnancy can make you frenetically wired to get the house in order. What I don't understand is how it can simultaneously make your mind race so badly that you feel you need to get up and do something at 3 am, and so tired that you nearly fall back asleep before you can open the bedroom door, so you say f*ck it and get back in

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-6904197764857946812009-11-10T09:16:00.002-06:002009-11-10T09:23:06.683-06:00

The instructor is summarizing the relaxation and massage techniques we've reviewed during the session, and how they apply to labor and delivery. "Think of the contractions like waves on the sea. You CAN ride above them, almost like riding on a surfboard. These techniques will help you on that board . . . if you believe." I look over at D to see how he's taking this, and notice him

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-8484136136289354342009-11-03T16:51:00.003-06:002009-11-03T17:08:48.177-06:00

The pre-birth class I've had to sign up for has us doing this "baby dance" thing, which supposedly helps shake the kid down (?!). Anyways, you’re to stand with your feet hip-width apart, hands on hips and rotate your hips in a circle. Naturally, as soon as I saw it I started doing the Time Warp. Nobody got it. I also asked Don if I could have a Hippety-Hop instead of just sitting on a birthing

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-10044121389539755222009-10-09T00:32:00.003-05:002009-10-09T00:37:57.571-05:00

While I'm sitting at home with this stupid bug, I thought I'd be productive and work up a tentative birth plan. Then I found a better idea from Let's Panic: a mad lib birth plan.

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-9837762751721563482009-09-17T12:18:00.004-05:002009-09-17T13:15:58.349-05:00

So, I've done a bunch of research on flu vaccines recommended for pregnancy, since I definitely want to get one. I already feel like I can't freakin' breathe and don't want the flu - swine or regular - on top of it. After looking through the CDC and the FDA as well as the anti- vaccine sites and the anti-conspiracy sites debunking them, I come to the personal conclusions that: 1) Concerns

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-66156147951718883992009-08-14T17:26:00.006-05:002009-08-14T17:36:35.733-05:00

(Blog Post) According to the website Think Progress, Chuck Grassley has stated that "I base my decisions not on polls but on town meetings and mail” when it comes to allowing a public option in health care. So I went to his website to see when he's holding a meeting in my neck of the woods, so I can put my two cents in. Huh. Apparently there are no meetings in Eastern Iowa during this session

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-58903396345919713882009-08-14T12:16:00.003-05:002009-08-14T12:19:15.611-05:00

(Blog Post) Going Vegan causes women to lose their bellybuttons!!Geez, guys, couldya lay off the Photoshop? There's gotta be a support group.

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-44213738375395490082009-08-12T10:54:00.006-05:002010-10-05T08:47:53.197-05:00

"Investors Business Daily", ran an editorial, on July 31, 2009, regurgitating several erroneous statements regarding the supposedly abysmal state of the UK healthcare system, and how the public option will mimic it by compelling seniors to submit to a counseling session every five years about alternatives for end-of-life care. The best part? This quote: People such as scientist Stephen Hawking

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-65181559534683692632009-08-11T12:10:00.001-05:002009-08-11T19:46:02.519-05:00

I've really been trying not to politi-blog. Basically, being preggo means that whenever I get tense, I get an incredible stomach ache. So my "side notes" have mostly been focused on the alien in my stomach, or other daily trivia.But . . . I hate misinformation. I hate blind sloganing - Two legs good, four legs baaaad! And I truly despise people of any political persuasion who knowingly spread

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-82605219969738624402009-08-04T12:31:00.002-05:002009-08-04T12:36:56.103-05:00

My cat disappeared last Friday, then casually came back last night - just when I'd finished notifying the shelters. She eats, purrs a bit, then tries to sneak right back out again. Now she's all like: "What? I just want to go hang with my friends! You never let me do anything! I hate you!" Then the dog looks at me like: "WTF? I get punished for just barking at the mailman! She gets away

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-77940105872147730352009-07-27T21:36:00.005-05:002009-07-27T22:07:21.871-05:00

I was tagged on this by my niece . . . I think I read too much.BBC believes most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here. How do your reading habits stack up?Instructions:Copy this into your NOTES. Look at the list and put an 'x' after those you have read. Tag other" Book Nerds".1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen X2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien X3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-28180743218023328592009-07-16T13:05:00.002-05:002009-07-16T13:11:08.518-05:00

According to the technician, it's a boy. I think it looks like Skeletor, myself. Or perhaps a Rorschach test. But they kept pointing at blobs and telling me what organs they were, so apparently they did find all the bits they were looking for.

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-84682727982119230992009-07-04T11:46:00.001-05:002009-07-04T11:46:54.577-05:00

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-8909990681087447782009-06-25T11:40:00.004-05:002009-06-25T11:55:48.304-05:00

Strip searching a 13-year-old girl without "any indication of danger posed by drugs or their quantity, and any reason to suppose" the child was carrying the drugs in her underwear is a violation of the girl's constitutional rights.

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-990578999793074222009-05-19T16:41:00.000-05:002009-05-19T16:42:22.146-05:00

Your directions suck:

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-82782749098274584522009-04-22T14:22:00.002-05:002009-04-22T14:41:12.329-05:00

Dalia Lathwick has an awesome article regarding the oral arguments in Safford School v. Redding, the "let's strip-search a 13-year-old girl, 'cause another 13-year-old we just caught with contraband said she might have ibuprofen" case. Apparently the old dudes on the bench have completely forgotten what it's like to be in junior high, with Justice Breyer saying stuff like "I'm trying to work out

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-91513304034711114852009-04-12T07:49:00.001-05:002009-04-12T07:49:37.772-05:00

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-23192620602804052092009-04-11T20:44:00.001-05:002009-04-11T20:44:44.235-05:00

It's soo freaking cool

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-40125394059404016402009-04-07T07:41:00.008-05:002009-04-11T20:33:51.040-05:00

So here's the scenario: Not a day passes from the decision in Varnum v. O'Brien before I'm getting emails from relatives in other states urging me to write my legislators in support of an amendment to block gay marriage. Annoying, but not unexpected. Thing is, this email contained a link to a site designed to send an email for you. How handy. (Insert sarcasm here). Here's the text pulled from the

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-69653055591072540192009-04-03T13:12:00.001-05:002009-04-03T13:14:37.237-05:00

In the first reported case of the Supreme Court of the Territory of Iowa, In re Ralph, 1 Morris 1 (Iowa 1839), we refused to treat a human being as property to enforce a contract for slavery and held our laws must extend equal protection to persons of all races and conditions. 1 Morris at 9. This decision was seventeen years before the United States Supreme Court infamously decided Dred Scott v.

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-11452962218179188042009-04-03T12:13:00.002-05:002009-04-03T12:17:28.893-05:00

The story barely ranks the top ten in CNN, and is ranked lower than "Villagers chase away Google car." There's a thesis in that somewhere.

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-7228104266854255752009-04-03T10:03:00.005-05:002009-04-03T10:35:49.881-05:00

The Supreme Court website is finally operational, albeit slow.Also, Scribd has a copy:Iowa Supreme Court Ruling legalizing gay marriage in Iowa Iowa Supreme Court Ruling legalizing gay marriage in Iowa GazetteOnline So now the only question is whether procedendo (I translate it in my brain as "an order to proceed as

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-43795760005016741692009-04-03T08:47:00.002-05:002009-04-03T08:51:36.108-05:00

So the Supreme Court is supposed to publish the gay marriage opinion this morning by 8:30. It's twenty minutes later and the site is still not loading? Come on, people. Download the .pdf and move on so others can read.The Gazette says gay marriage is now legal in Iowa, but I can't get at the opinion to find out what it says.

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-26518312495483827382009-04-01T07:45:00.002-05:002009-04-01T14:56:04.525-05:00

Top 100 April Fool's Hoaxes of all time.

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-81640410330543713302009-03-21T09:50:00.003-05:002009-03-21T09:58:05.677-05:00

Going to see The Foreigner tonight. From the ICCT website:directed by Gerry RoeMarch 13-15, 20-22 (Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30pm, Sunday matinees at 2pm)Sponsored by Rene Lenochwith Tim DeMuth, Lane Hanon, Scot Hughes, Erin Mills, Glenn Singer, Evie Stanske and Ken Van EgdonAn inspired comic romp, The Foreigner enjoyed a sold-out premiere in Milwaukee before moving on to a long run

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-5964203508367144242009-03-21T00:57:00.004-05:002009-03-21T01:04:00.085-05:00

A snippet from a movie commercial during Battlestar: "One bright day in the middle of the night." Suddenly I'm chanting this in my brain:One bright day in the middle of the night, Two dead boys got up to fight. Back to back they faced each other, drew their swords and shot each other. A deaf policeman heard the noise And came and shot those two dead boys. If you don't believe it's true, Ask the

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-8940074354339855902009-03-20T06:51:00.004-05:002009-03-20T07:10:58.547-05:00

Too funny: a Dear Prudence letter about a wife doing (horrors) FOUR SHOWS A YEAR with her local theater. To be fair, she's also considering summer stock which would be a tad much for most people. But what I find freaking hilarious are the comments: A hobby? No, she is married to the community theatre. She is a bigamist, only the real husband is clearly the less important of her two husbands. i

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-12394656295585333572009-03-17T07:14:00.001-05:002009-03-20T07:41:12.954-05:00

'Star Wars' scientists create laser gun to kill mosquitoes

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-53122719124921991482009-03-14T16:48:00.002-05:002009-03-14T17:07:49.378-05:00

A homemade cake, decorated by Yoda.What the inscription on the Lent fish keychain thingy (IXOYE) technically means. I can never keep this one and INRI straight for some reason. I need to study more Greek.But instead, I'm studying Irish for free! It's a special offer for St. Pat's day.Just about every culture has a version of motherf*cker as a swear word. In case you were wondering. You've

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-73384871566947166592009-03-07T00:19:00.003-06:002009-03-20T07:42:41.740-05:00

I know I've been busy, but come on. I turn my back for a second, and you people are bringing back the Members Only jacket?

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-50256708633842967312009-02-23T14:40:00.002-06:002009-02-23T14:41:50.960-06:00

I'll just let this speak for itself: An Iowa City police sergeant has been charged with drunken driving and interference with official acts.Police say that Sgt. Sid Jackson was arrested early Saturday by University of Iowa police after an officer saw him sitting in his car with the door open.

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-57238587337264027332009-02-11T09:39:00.002-06:002009-02-11T09:56:16.385-06:00

Apparently it's time for a bunch of Sesame trivia, 'cause there are a pair of articles on CNN entitled 'How do you get to 'Sesame Street' and 'Surprising stories behind 20 Muppet characters.'When I was three, I was convinced Sesame Street was right down the road, only the 'other way' as I called it then. See, our house sat about two blocks off a main road. So naturally, all the 'grown ups' took

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-10246403263531557172009-02-09T22:09:00.002-06:002009-02-09T22:11:33.118-06:00

Fox stops in mid-fight. Comedy ensues. "Hey! What is this, then? Bouncy!!! Bouncy!!!!" Is it just me, or is the other fox kind of hanging back, saying: "Oh, grow up!"

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-81249890475494608372009-02-06T14:59:00.003-06:002009-02-06T15:13:16.492-06:00

I'm sure you've all heard the audio of the crash of US Airways Flight 1549 by now, but I still have to link it. I'm absolultely amazed at how steady and calm that pilot was in the middle of a huge crisis. Embedded video from CNN VideoKinda makes the whole Christian Bale thing look even worse, no? Pilot facing mortal peril with hundreds of lives at stake = James Bond cool. Actor distracted from

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-83892517926185294802009-02-04T09:44:00.002-06:002009-02-04T09:51:55.279-06:00

A Consumer Reports telephone survey of 1,000 adults apparently shows that we're all living on the edge:It found nearly 3 of every 4 Americans put cotton swabs inside their ears, risking a perforated eardrum. Nearly 4 in 10 admit eating raw cookie dough, which can carry salmonella.Only half the respondents have a carbon monoxide detector at home and 61 percent don't have a rubber mat in the shower

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-2644640883258721542009-02-03T09:13:00.006-06:002009-02-04T11:02:47.514-06:00

Here's how I see it: The companies at the top have lost in their speculations, which has left them strapped for cash. Only no one wants to loan to them anymore due to the speculations. So they want cash to avoid going belly-up, throwing thousands of workers out of work. Meanwhile, the lack of cash flow has led smaller companies to have to cut down. Thousands Over a million workers have

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-58906595803398785002009-02-02T07:47:00.003-06:002009-02-02T11:31:52.758-06:00

Okay, it is Monday morning and I'm undercaffienated, but please explain to me this logic:[U]nder new procedures coming this year, Iowa drivers will wait up to 10 days after renewal to receive a new license card in the mail.The new renewal process, expected to start as soon as this summer, is aimed at improving security, Iowa transportation officials say."It's a mechanism we're using to help

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-7924205090129904452009-01-06T05:21:00.002-06:002009-01-06T05:33:39.442-06:00

I keep track of Snopes' New Urban Legends, primarily because I have a bunch of people forward me conspiracy crap and I like to do my part in stopping it in its tracks. But every now and again, I get a good lesson myself. This morning's addition was true, and one to contemplate:A Most Interesting StoryA man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-72340977335013753912009-01-03T09:27:00.004-06:002009-01-05T06:24:27.719-06:00

Bill was there for my first ICCT show, back when I was 18, playing the doctor in Blithe Spirit. He was in my first show back when I returned in my thirties, as the cab driver in Harvey. Geez, we were talking about him at Vicki's on New Year's Eve, when the subject of ICCT came up. Like Dweeze, I wonder if anyone will mention at the memorial his half-joking idea of being stuffed and set in

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-87643390194758306762008-12-31T09:19:00.002-06:002008-12-31T10:17:48.528-06:00

Despite the depression recession and that whole women's liberation thing, they still have debutante balls. Seriously?! And why is it this photo resonates less of "Eighteenth-century glamour" than "Anne Boleyn putting her head on the chopping block"? Color me cynical.Apparently, you shouldn't regift, but if you're gonna, there's rules. Here's a question: why not? I mean, if I'm not enamored

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-21623760478553115072008-12-24T18:52:00.000-06:002008-12-24T18:53:34.821-06:00

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-28724734097095586052008-12-18T07:07:00.002-06:002008-12-18T07:15:19.108-06:00

Maybe they do have the evidence of an actual pay to play on Blago after all:[T]wo sources close to Jackson told CNN that, in 2002, Blagojevich -- then running for governor of Illinois -- solicited a $25,000 campaign donation from Jackson, which he did not get.At the time, Jackson's wife, Sandi, was a candidate for the job of director of the state's Lottery Commission, a post she did not win, the

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-13767560414885703392008-12-16T14:53:00.003-06:002008-12-16T15:08:03.216-06:00

Two legal articles are making me scratch my head during my lunch break.First, CNN has announced that the Adam Walsh case is finally closed. Cool. But on what basis? I've read the article three times, and the closest I get is this: When he took over last year as police, Wagner vowed to close the Walsh case. He reviewed the entire case file and assigned a retired detective, Joe Matthews, to

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-91166809878323881642008-12-11T18:21:00.003-06:002008-12-11T18:29:13.575-06:00

The d*mn thing's staying up!!! Satan puppy is guarding the tree. She's evil. Just ask the cat.

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-65566823012924148132008-12-11T11:44:00.004-06:002008-12-11T11:52:44.254-06:00

Actor slits his own throat as knife switch turns fiction into reality. D's comment: "Good thing they weren't doing Sweeney." No sh*t.Perfect fodder for the "always check your props before the house opens" lecture.

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-38343120349330148132008-12-09T15:13:00.004-06:002008-12-13T09:09:41.187-06:00

I was given a vintage nativity set by an aunt, one I'd admired in her home. She has her own rules on religion, including following the old Protestant precept that it's bad to show pictures of God. So I wasn't surprised when she had displayed it without the actual manger. But I was rather surprised when she gave it to me sans child, and when I asked she said she'd thrown it away. So its more

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-72715327545979031972008-12-09T13:03:00.004-06:002008-12-11T11:55:06.559-06:00

A few changes on the sidebar required some tweaks, let me know if they're not working. Merry Christmas, Illinois.It's been suggested that the Coleman/Franken election recount is close enough that they should have a coin toss:Luckily, Minnesota’s electoral law has a provision for ties. After all the counting and recounting, if the vote is statistically tied, the state should invoke the section of

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-9493823108065783512008-11-26T08:45:00.002-06:002008-11-26T08:54:21.028-06:00

We're into transition time and the left is mystified as to why Obama isn't picking liberal progressives, and the right is saying that the Dem establishment is the liberal/progressive pick is claiming he's just another Washington politician.*Sigh*He's doing exactly what he said he'd do, keeping centrist. Despite the campaign hype, he's not a communist and not going to impose every left-wing

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-16772116848746498522008-11-26T07:49:00.005-06:002008-11-26T08:40:22.996-06:00

AmericanCivicsLiteracy.org has a decent civics test up on its site. Unfortunately, the public doesn't do so well:ISI crafted a study to measure the independent impact of college on the acquisition and maintenance of civic literacy over a lifetime. First, a random sample of 2,508 American adults of all backgrounds was surveyed, allowing comparisons to be made between the college and non-college

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-37748472644238266222008-11-13T08:40:00.003-06:002008-11-13T09:00:36.298-06:00

I'm experimenting with acquiring a cat. The dog seems happy, something else to play with. The cat. . . well, it's getting better. She misses the other cats in the barn where she lived until I rudely took her home in her very first car ride. She still hides much of the day. But she uses her litterbox - 100% yesterday - and is becoming a little more bold. As for the dog, she's not liking it.

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-13660280670960783562008-11-12T06:56:00.002-06:002008-11-12T07:04:15.980-06:00

The computer thing? That's turning out to be a hardware problem. Either memory or the motherboard, the jury's still out. Greeeaaat. I'm borrowing D's old laptop and trying to cobble together my stuff on it enough to function.I hadn't posted Monday about running out of gas, 'cause a) it's embarassing, and b) it's not important. Unless you find out Tuesday that your car dies even with a full

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-72364930382741939112008-11-10T06:36:00.007-06:002008-11-10T13:15:49.046-06:00

So I went out and bought an external cd/dvd drive so I could use my XP startup disc to fix the boot problems, meanwhile I got the computer running enough (every now and again it booted instead of going into an eternal start/shutdown loop) to backup my documents and the programs file to an external hard drive. I'd had to reinstall the software to run that hard drive, since I hadn't used it in a

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-29001347457433724902008-11-08T07:22:00.006-06:002008-11-09T09:41:47.368-06:00

As I've said before, one of the things that drove me nuts about this election was that many sites went beyond advocating positions and issues to create a religious movement of sorts - any disagreement with the party was considered heresy, any critique of party leaders was considered grounds for expulsion. At the time, I called it out more on the right than the left, because they had this whole

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-53374327373633250792008-11-07T11:08:00.002-06:002008-11-07T11:17:28.577-06:00

So in the middle of cruising news when I woke up, the HP printer discovers an updated driver. Sure, I'll let it install. Then I go to write a letter and print it. Spooling error. I try to cancel the print - it won't let me. Error message, follow the link. Need to install the latest HP drivers. So I let it test the computer for the latest drivers. Results page blank. So now I think I'll

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-34524176297241640312008-11-06T07:07:00.003-06:002008-11-06T07:09:16.720-06:00

Apparently I know everything. . . . There Are 0 Gaps in Your KnowledgeWhere you have gaps in your knowledge:No Gaps!Where you don't have gaps in your knowledge:PhilosophyReligionEconomicsLiteratureHistoryScienceArtDo You Have Gaps in Your Knowledge?

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-67033883093918043322008-11-05T16:21:00.003-06:002008-11-05T17:21:06.171-06:00

After that list this morning, and a day in the car going to visits and flipping back and forth between talk radio channels, I'd been immersed with the idea that not much had changed. Oh, there were some shimmers of light - listening to Maya Angelou discuss her reaction to the election (can't find a link, sorry), hearing Republican Congressman Mickey Edwards discuss thoughts about how the

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-83937404196945820422008-11-05T06:33:00.006-06:002008-11-05T07:55:44.337-06:00

Barack Obama is the next president. The vote was not close, he has twice the electoral college votes and is the first president to have won a majority of the popular vote in thirty years.While the Dems are celebrating, the Reps are wondering what the hell happened, and the post-mortem begins. I was over on Pajamas Media this morning and saw a list of the Top Thirty Errors That Doomed McCain.

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-85992281954925278772008-11-02T07:48:00.003-06:002008-11-02T08:20:09.606-06:00

According to this NYTimes article, there are still a bunch of people who don't know how they want to vote on Tuesday. There's the guy who's fiscally conservative and socially liberal. The woman who says the more she talks about them, the more confused she gets.*Sigh*Okay, here's an idea. It may take an hour or two, but it should solve the issue. First, take out a sheet of paper. Write down all

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-67272511720634801102008-10-29T09:07:00.002-05:002008-10-29T09:10:36.074-05:00

The Iowa Court of Appeals has new opinions up. I'm still skimming the summaries, but so far I've noted that they've apparently ruled Shawn Bentler didn't have a reasonable expectation of privacy in is socks.

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-65669888091148176032008-10-29T08:53:00.001-05:002008-10-29T08:53:46.264-05:00

OMG I so need one of these.

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-62851914177240537022008-10-27T14:34:00.004-05:002008-10-27T14:46:35.970-05:00

According to this, someone with a British car has decided to screw with the tiny electronic minds in German speed-cam land:An Audi TT with British registration plates has been repeatedly caught speeding on roads in the Bavarian city of Bayreuth. But because continental speed cameras are set up for left-hand drive vehicles, the cameras keep missing the driver’s face.Instead, they keep capturing

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-26234518055139545932008-10-22T16:53:00.003-05:002008-10-22T19:47:17.986-05:00

And am I ever glad to have crossed that off my list. Flipping through talk radio and the websites, everyone's talking about: How the polls should be interpreted - Beware the Democrat/Republican landslide!Palin's clothesWho's calling who a terroristHow the other side is the real terroristNot an issue in sight, and there hasn't been in weeks. In the rare moments when an actual position on the

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-521161824548246312008-10-21T15:48:00.004-05:002008-10-21T16:12:15.632-05:00

There should be a rule, like that for doctors, prohibiting attorneys for practicing for family members. I'm convinced of it. I'm involved in an family thingy that's been dragging on for nearly a year, and it's not getting better and I'm not getting paid. Instant replies are demanded, hours of research wasted to prove the most simple things, because they won't simply take my legal advice

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-82247479737285235982008-10-17T08:58:00.002-05:002008-10-17T09:11:23.910-05:00

The Iowa Supreme Court has new decisions up, and one of them - HEIDI ANN ANFINSON vs. STATE OF IOWA (.pdf) is going to make news. This is the case a while back in which a woman claimed her child accidentally drowned in the bathtub, and she freaked when she saw the dead body and went and submerged it in Saylorville lake. The jury didn't buy it and convicted her of second-degree murder. Well,

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-38722170236933963802008-10-17T06:23:00.005-05:002008-10-30T07:19:11.547-05:00

Leave the plumber guy alone already. He is a conservative who asked Obama a question. He didn't ask McCain to be poster child for the Republican campaign. Yes, he's pro-McCain. No, the Q&A with Obama wasn't going to get him to change his mind. Yes, some of his ideas are really bad ones; he isn't a foreign policy or tax expert, he's just a guy. But he has the right to ask legitimate policy

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-11362346643797091102008-10-16T23:16:00.003-05:002008-10-16T23:50:34.612-05:00

Next time, let's make one of the debates this format:I liked them both better after that than after any of the debates or campaign speeches.

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-44460031884115495362008-10-14T18:44:00.003-05:002008-10-14T18:47:37.981-05:00

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-46091997302708876192008-10-14T18:26:00.000-05:002008-10-14T18:57:26.859-05:00

Go. Read.

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-18812882619255008612008-10-14T07:04:00.003-05:002008-10-14T07:13:47.155-05:00

I've finally gotten around to cleaning my side bar. Ya know all those linky things on the that lead to blogs that have their last post date on 2005? I'm cleaning them out and putting them into Now Defunct. That way if, say, Danny or Brian ever want to blog again, I've got the link. I've also finally added Vicki's blog, and a new one called Creative Dubuque, thanks to a very nice comment left

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-24741545850850602292008-10-13T15:11:00.002-05:002008-10-13T15:29:02.051-05:00

An interesting discussion going on at the Volokh Conspiracy:You've probably noticed that with the election around the corner, a lot of people are saying some very extreme things about politicians. Politicians they don't support are not just weak, or poor choices for office. Instead, those politicians are dangerous, illegitimate, and maybe even criminal. Anyone who supports them must be

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-48284897591311307692008-10-13T07:31:00.004-05:002008-10-14T06:16:55.302-05:00

I saw a lot of articles this weekend about "what McCain needs to do" this weekend. (I'll add links later, I'm firing this off quickly before getting to work. ) Unfortunately, I disagree with many of them, which involve the "Hit Ayers and Wright harder" angle. Reason? I'm still somewhat optimistic, despite all evidence to the contrary, that while we have a lunatic fringe who simply won't vote

Menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12219658.post-35354729021007872862008-10-11T13:54:00.002-05:002008-10-11T14:08:27.200-05:00

Royce recently commented:Modest proposal:At the voting booth a voter has to answer 5 questions from the Citizenship Test. Don't get 'em all right, and voter's vote doesn't count.And the voter would not be given their quiz results, so the ignorant will be blisfully unaware that they are not actually casting a vote.Would also be fun to compile results for those who did not pass the quiz!Next up -

Menoreply@blogger.com0