Tag: Cynical

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Shameless Self Promotion

Gion Matsuri - Kyoto

Shameless self promo – This little image won a modest contest.

Well, I just reinstalled Xmarks on this computer. I was really sad when they announced they were going out of business. But, they  seem to have been revived. Its a miracle. Who says I ain’t religious?

I have a two prong plan to keep be from sinking into depression about the “state of the union”.

  1. I will ignore all persons named Palin and any reference to said persons. Sorry Michael. You gotta go too.
  2. And, I’ll stop reading Paul Krugman’s column in the Times.

Life is good out in the middle of the Pacific. As long as I adhere to the aforementioned plan.

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Just Hanging Out

Coffee Festival Bon Parade

Kailua-Kona is a small village out in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. And, they have parades all the time. The “Coffee Festival” is this week. It begins and ends with a parade.

Speaking of Kona – the so called “news” paper cost 50 cents. It isn’t worth 5 cents. But, buying the paper seems like “the right thing”.

To make the paper seem like less of a waste of money – I search for something amusing.

I am amused by the placement of these three ads. Carlton thinks that the UFO one should be first. I agree. But it is still pretty funny.

Just want everyone to know that we are staying in really up market digs here. On the 3rd of the month – when the welfare checks arrived – several of our homeless friends checked in for a few nights of gracious living. They are all well behaved by Kona Seaside standards.

I didn’t think W and I agreed on anything. If he really believes that then we agree on this. And, who better than W to know what happens when you aren’t up to the task of President.

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Day 26 – fall is coming to an end

Coming of Fall, Masonic Memorial

About maximum fall goodness outside our apartment. Rather than getting ready to go, I lounged on my terrace this afternoon. Soaking up rays. Listening to the iPod.

The teapotheads keep saying they want to “take back our country”. Exactly who do they want to take it from? Me, I guess. Well – they can not have it. And, if they do take it away from me – and do what ever it is they want to do – I am guessing they wont like the results one bit.

I keep telling myself that the republic survived Warren Harding and Richard Nixon in the last century – as well as the “Contract on America”… I guess we can survive a temporary infestation of teapotheads – the political version of bedbugs.

And, this must not be forgotten.

A Florida woman who killed her baby when his crying interrupted work on her virtual farm on Facebook has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Alexandra Tobias, 22, told investigators that she shook her 3-month-old baby boy because he was crying as she played Farmville. She may have hit his head on the computer during the shaking, she told the court. Tobias shook him once, had a cigarette, then shook him again, she recounted. Jacksonville  Times-Union October 27.

How 21st century –  Kill your real live baby because he interrupted you while playing with your virtual sheep.

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Fall Day – Day 3

Coming of Fall, Masonic Memorial

Day 3 doesn’t look much different from Day 1, does it?

What does look different is this year’s political campaign. Can not recall any candidate ever saying “I am not a witch”. Rumors to the contrary notwithstanding I was not in Salem in 1692. Someone might have said it then – but I don’t think the residents of Salem had elections. And they sure wouldn’t have let Christine O’Donnell run for anything – being neither male nor land owner.

Carlton had the tooth pulled today. He seems to be doing pretty good. So far.

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Last 24 Hours of Summer

Gotta Love Japan's Cartoon Trains and Subways

Last day of summer. I was going to go for a nice long walk – but – while walking to the grocery store I tripped over one of Arlington’s lovely sidewalk bricks. Scraped up my knee and hand. Nothing busted – so – not a problem. But, I spent the rest of the day lounging around with my knee on ice.

The accident was on the way to the grocery. Harris Teeter gave me a couple of band-aids – so I patched myself up and did my shopping.

Starting to think about becoming an Ex-Pat again. Carlton favors Vancouver. This is one of the good things about being a renter. You can seriously entertain just saying “F- It”. And leave. I have stopped being amused by Christine, Newt, Rand, Joe etc…

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What did I click on to deserve this?

Ok, you all know  my “old woman wardrobe rules”:

  1. No elastic waists – ever.
  2. Nothing from  Talbots
  3. Only one thing at a time that a teenager would wear.

Well, the four of the last five websites that I visited had a Talbots ad for my viewing pleasure.

Do they know about my rules? Do they think I have any influence?

If I do have any influence – I hope it is not in the Fashion Arena.

If  I have any influence and you are rich or even “comfortable” – read this:  The Angry Rich

And everyone should go outside within the next couple of nights and look up. Even those of us who live in the city and can not see a single star. Jupiter – best viewing since JFK was President. Check it out. Speaking of JFK, those Talbot’s ads remind me of Jackie O. They must be trying to remind us old crones of when we were young and Camelot was live on the Potomac.

In case anyone is slightly interested in all things solar – but not too seriously – the ever popular: Spaceweather

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Evil Eye From Georgetown Cat

Georgetown Fat Cat

Went hiking in the wilds of Georgetown today. Nothing ever changes in Georgetown. Everyone is always rich. Tourist buses always drive by the house where JFK lived. And I always like walking around Georgetown.

I am getting less and less amused by the political scene. But whats not to love about Jon Stewart and Stephan Colbert having “political” rallies in DC right before the election. (Also right before Halloween.) Should that not be a wake up call to any American with a brain? And what about you, Bill Maher? What are you going to do?

Carlton is watching  wrestling on TV. Is that a sign of Alzheimer’s? Or is that a political statement? Since Linda McMahon, who made her money in the WWE is trying to self-finance her way into the US Senate.

But, as a country we have gone down some bad roads before … we always corrected course before any last damage was done. Maybe we be lucky again.

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Leftovers… from the last sunrise.

Saturday Sunrise - Looking East
Looking West
Saturday Sunrise - Enjoying the Sun

All you good folk in Delaware – Get out tomorrow and vote early and often for Christine O’Donnell. I think it is a closed primary. Pity.

Yesterday, I mentioned that I destroy earbuds. Well, I just checked my Amazon “Order History”. Turns out the pair that I have about demolished is 25 months old and the cost per day amounts to 9 cents per day. So, I am not as bad as I thought. New earbuds on order.

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OOPS

Image Stablization Failure

That was not what I planned. It was an OOPS. Didn’t go check out the theater at the Beck/Palin circus today. I was too lazy and too afraid that I’d be mistaken for one of “them”. There were lots of “them” getting on the subway. They looked like me. White and aging fast. The good news – I didn’t see many young people.

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Tuesday

Gray Hairstreak Butterfly

Nice cool cloudy today. Went butterfly hunting. Found the gray hairstreak.

Made some progress on the Japan image culling project. Down to 1,662.

Spent too much time thinking about the economy today. I think that Carlton and I will be OK. After all, we don’t have that long to go. 20 years max.  We’ll survive deflation better than inflation. Our biggest risk would be massive defaults in the bond market. If I were middle aged, I would be very worried. And, if I were young – I’d come up with Plan B. Maybe, select a nice 25 acres of land and learn how to be self sufficient. In my youth, we figured that the right 10 acres could support you nicely.

While I am at it, why don’t we worry about that great right wing boogieman, an EMP or my favorite worst case – a solar storm like the one in the late summer of 1859. Make a Faraday cage. But, what would you do with what you saved?

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Adopt a Portapotty…

Montgomery County’s parks department is moving ahead with plans to seek private donors to endow portable toilets in the county’s public parks, complete with a laminated plaque identifying the sponsor.

Parks chief Mary Bradford said Friday that she needs about $150,000 annually to keep the toilets, or about $65 a month per toilet, which covers rental, maintenance and other costs. Otherwise, when the fiscal year begins Thursday, the agency will begin to jettison 80 portable toilets.

Now will this not be a suitable memorial for your friends and loved ones. In honor of my current husband’s first wife, I could endow a portapotty. What’s not to love?

Did my trip clothing “final” edit today. 1 bra, 1 cami, 4 panty, 5 shirts, 1 jeans skirt, 1 crop pants, 1 belt, 2 pair shoes, 1 ball cap (so american). That would be all the clothes. might add big scarf or pareau. Don’t see what else I can cut. Maybe one of the shirts.

Tomorrow – the rest of the stuff.

Monday or Tuesday will be time for the “pack test”.

I guess I’ll do a Field Test. Say a 2 mile hike with all my stuff. And, I am hoping that my load will be less than 20 pounds. I can hike my stuff to the hospital and weigh it on a baby scale. That should do it.