July 13, 2007
The Good News Is, My Mom's Okay.
The bad news:
1) Urgent Care was closed last night, and we couldn't get an appointment with her regular doctor until after 2:00 p.m. today. I went ahead and crashed there last night, not knowing when she'd be able to go—and wanting to make sure she got a ride there.
2) Because she's unable to host our out-of-town cousins due to this illness, I'm doing it;
3) I have the messiest, dirtiest house in the history of cluttered houses, and only had about an hour today to try to fix that;
4) I only slept 2-3 hours last night, and got in maybe a 45-minute nap today;
5) Did I mention that our house is dirty and messy?
The adrenaline is wearing off (or maybe the tranqs are kicking in). And yet I'm almost afraid to go to sleep: there's this fear that I won't wake up for days.
Also, I need to go clean some spoons off; what if everyone wants cereal for breakfast this morning? Jeez; I must be insane.
Posted by: Attila Girl at
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My prayers are with you. And your mom.
I have been going through a similar situation for the last two weeks--the illness part with my mom. If I had visitors, I would tell them that it's customary to forage for food in California. And never mind the house--dust and such is to be expected with the constant earthquakes.
Posted by: Darrell at July 13, 2007 05:34 AM (V50PL)
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July 11, 2007
Oh, Those Brits.
Iowahawk:
Initially police had specifically asked the public for information relating to doctors driving automobiles, but that initial warning brought angry denunciations from the British Medical Association and the UK Automobile Association.
"This directive unfairly singles out and targets British medical professionals, a great many of whom are loyal and patriotic citizens," complained Dr. Hamish Meldrum, chairman of the BMA. "The fact that some of the people involved in the recent unfortunate events may have been doctors is totally coincidental, just as if they had been accountants, plumbers, or random members of a deranged apocalyptic religious cult."
Sir Trevor Chinn, Chairman of the UKAA, warned that the earlier directive would "spark a backlash against the British motoring community and promote a climate of fear and carophobia."
On Tuesday, new British Prime Minister Gordon Brown met with representatives of the medical and car communities and announced that the government would henceforth prohibit occupational and transportational profiling by public officials. Brown said further government communications would prohibit the use of certain prejudicial words like "doctor," "Vauxhall," "podiatrist," "propane," "Asia," "drive," "ticking noises," "panic," and "the."
Posted by: Attila Girl at
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Britian relased a list of approved words today;
A
And
How
The
To
What
When
Why
France approved this list and added two words;
Surrender
Retreat
Posted by: Darkman at July 12, 2007 08:00 PM (RLqlB)
2
And back here in the land of freedom, only some words have power.
Victory in Iraq. Win at whatever the cost. Even though we do not know what winning means.
Posted by: azmat hussain at July 13, 2007 04:36 PM (mdszq)
3
Winning means a serious reduction in the number of people at risk, should those ticking noises get, um, consummated.
Posted by: Attila Girl at July 13, 2007 11:24 PM (VgDLl)
4
azmat;
I did notice that you admitted that this is the land of "freedom". There must be a reason that this is a land of freedom, maybe you should find out why.
I suppose you would change it to "Retreat in Iraq", "Quit if it starts to cost" and then argue at what winning is.
Posted by: Darkman at July 14, 2007 06:47 AM (RLqlB)
5
I should? I thought I had the freedom to be ignorant in a democracy?
I didn't say retreat ever, from the very beginning of mission accomplished I said declare victory and leave.
And attila do you mean the risk to 150K soldiers?
Cause the rest really don't count do they or do you have a count for them?
It is interesting to note that none of your readers have a clue as to what victory would look like.
Posted by: Azmat Hussain at July 24, 2007 11:02 PM (mdszq)
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Come On, Now. Chrysler Still Rulz.
Every brand that wants to survive this decade has to produce at least one
econo-box. The question is, what will the American variant of this one do? My Cotillion sisters tell me that even a Neon—provided it was made by Chrysler, rather than a distant-cousin manufacturer—had that same immediate power I've become addicted to in the Cruiser: everything the car had available was right there, right now. She was able to out-accelerate much more expensive cars, such as Porsches.
And, of course, so am I. I can hold my own against a beamer these days, unless he or she is an awfully good driver.
But I really like fucking with the college-age youts—I let the kids in their souped up Jap imports show me up on the interchanges, and then when we hit the open freeway, I sort of ignore them, move left, and slide by. Their tattoos and whatnot don't help them. They still get to watch the girl spurt off to their left with in a 2.4 four-banger that seems to perform like a V-6 on speed. The driver—invariably a 22-year-old with an oversized black earring in his left ear—generally seems chagrined.
I still think the Daimler thing was a bad fit, so I have high hopes for the new owners. After all, they might just let a MoPar be a MoPar. What could be better than that?
I'm trying to move A the H in the direction of the Chrysler 300, rather than the Lexus he's flirting with. I'm really terrifically subtle, though, so I doubt that he's noticed the working of my gentle mind-rays . . .
My ex used to tell me that "Subtlety" was my "first, last, and middle name." You can see immediately that it would take terrific mental discipline to resist my benificent, yet persistent, will.
Aw, come on, Honey: I'm right about this one. It had to happen sometime, you know.
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yep. MWAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA
Posted by: caltechgirl at July 11, 2007 10:16 AM (/vgMZ)
2
So... what color is the 300? The man never had a chance did he?
Posted by: RWB at July 11, 2007 03:45 PM (4j8Ry)
3
Aren't cars more than transportation in the Hollywood entertainment industry? Remember the people making decisions wouldn't know "good" and "quality" if they bit them on the ass.
The Lexus is already the "entry level" luxury car with the Hollywood crowd. Owning one says you might have a restrained, practical side. A Lexus means you may be down to Earth. The 300 means you're down and out. People that can't recognize quality rely on other "tells." They hire who they think are already successful-- less explaining to do if the project falls flat. In a 'bidness' where $200/week waiters/actor-wannabees lease a Mercedes or BMW, I'd give this a lot of consideration. Perceived success begets more success.
Posted by: Darrell at July 11, 2007 06:01 PM (wjaCy)
4
"Entry-level" and "luxury" go together like "budget" and "caviar." Maybe it's important in Hollywood to pay $40k for what is essentially a Camry with a better stereo; I continue to believe that an ounce of performance is worth a kilogram of image.
Posted by: CGHill at July 12, 2007 03:26 PM (3UA1B)
5
The 300C AWD does have adjustable pedals and pedal memory...Bet that would benefit somebody.
Posted by: Darrell at July 12, 2007 06:07 PM (e1yGp)
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I'm shocked at the implication, here.
Posted by: Attila Girl at July 12, 2007 11:49 PM (VgDLl)
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:-) Just saying. . .
That does benefit BOTH of you, after all. I'm sure Suze Orman recommends using somebody else's car as a coping mechanism for those pesky high-gas prices.
Posted by: Darrell at July 13, 2007 05:48 AM (V50PL)
8
Or to get even with punks that can deliver in those freeway competitions.
Posted by: Darrell at July 13, 2007 05:51 AM (V50PL)
9
At this exact moment, I think we're even in terms of overpaying for gas--or we would be, if I didn't make a point of driving the Saturn once or twice a week in order to keep it running well enough to sell.
In terms of performance, I seem to hold the winning hand, though the husband's car SHOULD win. I've decided it isn't a question of the time it takes to access the power in a V6; I think that the first round of engineering on the Saturn LS was performed by dorks who had just finished working on Tauruses, or whatever. That is, they targeted the car to a different demographic.
The trick is to remedy that when the husband trades up. He's likely to still go for a sedan, and he'll probably want a large-ish one. And since he doesn't care what his cohorts in the entertainment industry think, he won't be getting a Prius or an SUV (unless we get a cabin in the woods this year or something).
So it's a balance of safety, reliability, reasonable fuel economy, and a bit of actual, you know—power.
I'm going to handle this. All he has to do is write brilliant scripts, and I'll do the rest. Then I'll decide what he wants, and go through the tedious process of persuading him that it was all his idea to begin with.
The burdens we
bear on the distaff side . . .!
Posted by: Attila Girl at July 13, 2007 11:35 PM (VgDLl)
10
I hope all that is in the State of the Patriarchy Report for 2007. And women wonder why men rent exotic cars when they are on the road. . .
Posted by: Darrell at July 14, 2007 12:52 PM (sNg02)
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July 10, 2007
Are You Trying To Tell Me . . .
that some high schools
don't feature an open-air ampitheater? Well, then—where are the double-size steps that sadistic gym teachers make you run up and down, until you switch over to dance class, or "Run for Fun" (also known as "Walk for the Hell of It)?
It isn't that we were spoiled at Samohi; keep in mind that there was only one building on the entire campus that featured a decent view of the ocean. (Santa Monica High is built on a hill, and it's only from the top of that hill that one gets a full-on seascape.)
Also, Samohi was right in the middle of Dogtown, quite near Venice. On the South Side of Santa Monica, I'll have you know. There were students there who were neither blond nor Jewish. Really. Oodles of them.
Hat tip: Harry in the Night.
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I Dunno, Ace.
I adore you—you know that. You're, like, my primary blog-crush and all, and I'm not just telling you that because that's why I say to all the boy-bloggers.
However, my dear sweet Master of Spadeossitude . . .
don't you think you might be getting a little black helicoptor, here?
Sometimes landscape architects work with the site, and use universal design elements (they call them "thingies," in AIA literature). Therefore, we have an obelisk commemorating George Washington in the National Mall. Did you hear that? We have a thingie at the National Mall, that is of Egyptian origin, and probably casts a shadow when the sun is shining. It casts a shadow. What could be more unpatriotic than that?
And arcs can look like crescents, and they are partial circles.
And there are pre-WWII houses of worship that feature swastikas, and the Iron Cross has been used in our military.
And some people regard the Confederate Flag as a symbol of rebellion, rather than being emblematic of racism.
Can't we all just calm down and let the landscape architects do their jobs? When the memorial is completed, I want to go there to pray, and thank the citizens who stepped up to the plate on 9/11, rather than contemplating how the Trilateralist Commission probably screwed things up.
Come on, Sweetie. Have some gin or something: it's good for you. At least, it's good for me, and that's the next best thing.
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I respectfully disagree. I thought we stopped this twice before. The terrorists are NOT to be memorialized. Period. Previous versions had their names listed. And why is that SOB architect stuck on that crescent idea anyway? He wants a crescent? How about a snake curved like a crescent, and a woman stepping on the head of the snake. But that would be rejected, wouldn't it? Religious symbolism. Exactly. I would also have the world's largest hologram duplicating that scene for night viewing. Something visible for miles.
Everyone involved with that memorial project should be fired. Then given to the snake-handling Christians. How did the Left get in charge of this anyway? Let them put the crescent in Berkley.
How many rising sun memorials do you see in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii? It wouldn't even be an issue for the greatest generation. God pity us all. . .
Posted by: Darrell at July 10, 2007 08:16 PM (YiSuu)
2
The arc--or "crescent"--is dictated by the shape of the site.
I mean, everything can be read as a symbol of something else.
And I'll bet the sun does, in fact, rise over Pearl Harbor.
Posted by: Attila Girl at July 10, 2007 08:23 PM (4JvnU)
3
Enough with these crummy park memorials. I want sculpture. I want an actual monument honoring the heroes. If any inspiration is needed tell the designers to drive to Gettysburg. There's plenty of ideas there.
Posted by: Sean Hackbarth at July 10, 2007 10:02 PM (8lL1c)
4
And two points determine a line. Every site is a blank page to an architect. The site was a strip mine afterall. And that gives me a hint that the topography had been altered already.
Let another architect have a go at it. Someone that is a little less sensitive to the needs of the terrorists.
Posted by: Darrell at July 11, 2007 05:58 AM (q7mtj)
5
I'm with you. As I wrote back when the "Crescent of Embrace" controversy was in its first flush:
"We're used to seeing identity-politics leftists (the Larry Summers affair) and jihad-happy Islamicists (Allah in the ice cream logo) using hysteria to cow their enemies.
"But it was a rude awakening . . . to see respected opinion shapers from the right side of the aisle resorting to the same tactics without bothering to get their facts straight."
Where some see crescents, others see apple pie
Posted by: Sissy Willis at July 13, 2007 11:48 AM (Q6JEL)
6
The crescent has been put to rest--the final design will be a circular bowl. Only 40 people will be honored--not 44.
https://www.communicationsmgr.com/projects/Flight93_bulibmgr/docs/Newsletter%204%20--%20November%202005%20full%20size.pdf
Posted by: Darrell at July 13, 2007 06:50 PM (Oo6PA)
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July 09, 2007
"I've Never Rejected Sullivan."
So it looks like Glenn and Andrew are still
an item.
Good for Andrew; not so good for Glenn (or Helen, for that matter) . . .
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Glenn should reject Andrew. It's starting to look like battered spouse syndrome. We don't want this weblogging "couple" to go the way of the Chris Benoit family.
Posted by: Sean Hackbarth at July 09, 2007 10:38 PM (8lL1c)
Posted by: I R A Darth Aggie at July 10, 2007 04:57 AM (1hM1d)
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Led Zepp?
One more, and then I'll leave you guys alone. The younger nephews are into Green Day, and I've been told that L.Z. is the name of the game. But of course, I'd rather sneak in some Queen, because . . . because it's better music.
My primary musical advisor recommends that I send them LZ IV. But SURELY a person coud do better . . .?
Okay. I have prejudices: I'd rather pay homage to Freddie vs. get the Led out.
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No, no--thy are Green Day fans. The idea is to get them some Old Fart music that will flickl their respective Bics.
Stupid teenagers. I should just get them what I consider essential, and be done with it.
Posted by: Attila Girl at July 09, 2007 05:19 AM (VgDLl)
2
Lay some of the older Yes on them. I recommend Close to the Edge or Relayer.
Posted by: John at July 09, 2007 07:29 AM (FdIo+)
3
Since Green Day is a three-piece band let them hear RUSH and see what a power trio sounds like.
Posted by: Robert D. Young at July 09, 2007 08:02 AM (YGBMw)
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Play what you like when they're around, and let them tell you what they like. And when they're playing some of their favorites, give it a listen and tell them what you like.
I'm now off to put on some Moody Blues.
Posted by: Alan Kellogg at July 09, 2007 11:39 AM (RobY9)
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I don't wish old Yes on anyone of any age. Now, Trevor Rabin Yes go for it, although it sounds nothing like Green Day.
If you want punk go with the Ramones or Husker Du and Bad Brains for something edgier.
For the mighty Zeppelin Zoso is rock heaven on earth. "Stairway" is beautiful with "Rock and Roll" being unadulterated energy. For Zep in its rawest form go with LZI.
Rush is an acquired taste, but it's so satisfying when that time comes.
Posted by: Sean Hackbarth at July 09, 2007 10:33 PM (8lL1c)
6
At this point, I'm thinking of
Houses of the Holy for the nine-year-old, and early Queen (first album, or
Sheer Heart Attack) for the 14-year-old.
Posted by: Attila Girl at July 10, 2007 08:46 AM (VgDLl)
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Try The Prophets Song (off of A Night at the Opera) through headphones.
Posted by: Robert D. Young at July 10, 2007 10:24 AM (YGBMw)
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Led Zeppelin lV was perhaps their most acclaimed album, although in my opinion When The Levee Breaks ranks higher than Stairway To Heaven. My personal favorite album is Physical Graffiti, and Kashmir as favorite song. You really can't go wrong with Zeppelin. Their music will surely stand the test of time.
Posted by: Dave at July 11, 2007 07:40 AM (L4Cke)
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Somehow, I Don't Think Darleen Is in Love with Mr. Jerry Brown.
Now, as a former hard-core liberal, I find
this rather difficult to accept.
After all, didn't Linda Ronstadt's Livin' in the USA persuade us that Governor Moonbean was, um, sort of—part of—the zeitgeist? I mean, I didn't really go to high school, but I remember them both being discussed in rather hallowed tones in the coffee shop across the street, and "Blue Bayou" getting rather heavy play on the jukebox, along with the Bowie version of "Knock on Wood, and "Fight the Power," by the Isley Brothers.
How about we lay it on the line: no urban denizen has the right to tell us what the capabilities of our fireplaces ought to be—particularly here in California, wherein we are subject to rather extreme seismic activity, and may want to stay warm when a Big One—or even a medium-size one—hits?
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I'm Thinking of Adding a Belfry to the House.
It used to be that if I were late in making a grilled meal, we might resort to dining by candlelight, or end up dodging moths and various insects—some of them larger than I am.
But I was late with dinner a week ago, when my mom was over to enjoy grilled kabobs, and we lingered well into the dusk. As a matter of fact, A the H turned on the patio lights (all of them white—he hadn't gotten around to switching them to yelllow/bug-rsistant) for the summer.
We were kind of wondering why everything was going so swimmingly, and then I remembered (or maybe my husband did) that over the past two years we've been acquiring a lot of bats. Even the painting of the exterior didn't really unseat them: they merely went away, and then came back.
Bats are much better than lizards, for a whole bunch of reason, including (1) the fact that lizards don't fly. They just don't. They sort of whirl around on the pavement, suddenly, as if trying to induce cardiac arrest in human beings, but to no good avail, and (2) bats are great. Sure: they do sort of fly by at dusk, in a manner vaguely reminiscent of mice with wings. But they aren't startling in the way that lizards are, and they make balcony dining about a gaziliion times more pleasant.
So: Lizard are inept. Bats rawk. And owls positively rule, but that's a story for another day.
By the way, Baby—whose idea was this Green Acres lifestyle, anyway? It must have been yours: "Darling, I love you, but give me Park Avenue."
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I bought a bat house and put it up, in the hope of making a dent in the mosquito problem. No tenants so far, though.
Posted by: david foster at July 09, 2007 10:57 AM (gguM0)
Posted by: louise at July 12, 2007 12:55 AM (SUIJI)
Posted by: louise at July 12, 2007 12:58 AM (Cu/Ah)
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Thnx for the nice site,
Posted by: louise at July 12, 2007 01:00 AM (3jS2u)
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I think, this is the best!
Posted by: louise at July 12, 2007 01:03 AM (3Ckxt)
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Posted by: louise at July 12, 2007 02:44 AM (SUIJI)
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Posted by: louise at July 12, 2007 04:48 AM (FsKOE)
12
I want to tell you about
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Posted by: louise at July 12, 2007 08:22 AM (6jho2)
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Ahahaha! Nothing more amusing than a damn spammer having a bad url day.
Posted by: Desert Cat at July 12, 2007 10:12 PM (ogl5V)
Posted by: Attila Girl at July 12, 2007 11:51 PM (VgDLl)
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Am I Wrong?
Or does Chris somehow manage to make pregnant women look
just as sexy as unpregnant ones?
It almost makes me want to go out and do something high-tech. Almost.
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Pregnant women are dead sexy. Period. Thought you knew that?
Posted by: I R A Darth Aggie at July 09, 2007 04:15 AM (1hM1d)
Posted by: Chris Muir at July 09, 2007 04:59 AM (+CRDT)
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Bill cosby didn't quite see it that way. Though possibly he was a product of his times.
Posted by: Attila Girl at July 09, 2007 05:29 AM (VgDLl)
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I remember-he congratulated his wife on giving birth to a 'lizard', because it changed colors like 3 times. That standup routine he did was fantastic.
Posted by: Chris Muir at July 09, 2007 06:31 AM (+CRDT)
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So, I'm 45 Years Old Now.
I find that it does not make me want to acquire a 1911. Although, of course, there is that Commander that I've had my eye on for a decade and a half . . . but I'll get it myself this fall after the Big Gig for the Important Client.
I feel that most of my problems over the past decade relate to the fact that I haven't gone shooting quite enough. I shall fix that over the next 12 months.
Mostly, of course, I need to learn to use that sweet little scattergun I acquired seven years ago. One illustrious personage in the shotgun industry insists that if I learn conventional methods, it will spoil me for good old-fashioned Native American "point-and-shoot" techniques, which he is certain I ought to employ.
Hard to argue with that: instinct shooting sounds right on a scattergun.
This one is a Franchi. A nice little shotgun. Advice, my SoCal friends? Desert Cat: Does Daisy have any any thoughts? She's a one-woman Chick Shooting Bible, that one. Hold onto her.
I feel old. And dangerous. And wicked. Can any of you relate?
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"I feel old. And dangerous. And wicked. Can any of you relate?"
Well, for two out of three.
Happy Birthday!!!
Posted by: Darrell at July 09, 2007 05:51 AM (KpVU1)
Posted by: Attila Girl at July 09, 2007 06:39 AM (VgDLl)
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Is your birthday July 7? So is mine. You are 45?
Ha! Just a kid!
Posted by: Chuck at July 09, 2007 09:48 PM (H4W1a)
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July 9th is the big day. See June 12th posting "Twenty-Seven Days." See also
http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/1ZCUM0M0A8NRE/002-5527877-9283209?reveal=unpurchased&filter=all&sort=priority&layout=standard&x=10&y=9
Posted by: Darrell at July 10, 2007 05:35 AM (LLAym)
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I can relate to not shooting enough, years ago I would load shells deep into fri. night just to empty them downrange sat.
nowadays I'm not sure I can remember which end of the gun to point downrange.
Posted by: Mark Krauss at July 10, 2007 07:06 AM (NmIDu)
Posted by: Attila Girl at July 10, 2007 10:20 AM (VgDLl)
7
Frankly I'm not sure I, or she, knows the difference there. She would love to learn to shoot trap or skeet, but for a dearth of places around here to practice. Our shotgunning is pretty much limited to the few times a year that a three-gun match is held at our favorite local range. And then it's tactical shotgunning in a not especially realistic setting. I'd love to see someone set up a more realistic set of stages using shotgun, similar to the fairly realistic setups we use at
ACTS matches. Unfortunately the ACTS people are pretty testy about their sport getting turned into just another 3-gun format.
I haven't been hunting with a shotgun in decades, and I don't think she ever has.
Posted by: Desert Cat at July 10, 2007 04:58 PM (B2X7i)
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July 07, 2007
So You Think You're Having
. . . a bad day? Think
again.
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July 06, 2007
The Evangelical Mafia
. . . is arguing about what their favorite Beatles albums are.
That's a tough one, but what can't figure out is what Bowie album tops my own personal list. I'm thinking of Ziggy Stardust, or Aladdin Sane, but it's a very, very tough question. I even like Young Americans, but that's mostly top-up music. A sort of guilty pleasure, like when there are Tull fans in the house and you find yourself hidden in a tiny room, listening to "Bungle in the Jungle" via that boombox you keep hidden under the bed. (Favorite Tull: Whatever I'm listening to at that moment, or Minstrel in the Gallery.)
One cannot, however, argue with the Young Americans album art. Can one? The cigarette, the flash of red in the hair—it's Bowie at his most glamorous. (Oh, heck—he's British. Let's make that "glamourous.")
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Best Beatles: British version of A Hard Day's Night
Best Bowie: Ziggy
Best Tull, and it is no contest: Stand Up
Posted by: Jack at July 08, 2007 03:06 PM (D1Tmd)
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I will never forget the "Ziggy" show at the Hollywood Paladium - early 70's. The opening was nothing short of stunning - just before Bowie came on there was this bright flash of light...then complete darkness for what seemed an eternity. Then, Bowie appears at the center of the stage with with this beam of light from the ceiling washing over him. I know I was probably stoned out of my mind at the time, but at that moment, that evening of March 12, 1973 - I was convinced that I was watching a Martian singing rock and roll on a stage 30 feet in front of me. Best concert I ever attended. Procol Harum, a few months later, same year, at the Hollywood Bowl, September 21, 1973 was a close second.
Oh...almost forgot...favorite Bowie...Hunky Dory.
Posted by: Ralph at July 08, 2007 03:17 PM (2Kx95)
3
best bowie: young american
best beatles: here comes the sun
tull: errr aqualung
yes i realize these are songs not albums butr im a non-conformist you know
Posted by: Jane at July 08, 2007 07:28 PM (h/YdH)
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Actually, Aqualung is also the name of a Tull album.
Posted by: SDN at July 08, 2007 08:58 PM (nzCS0)
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Clearly, however, Jane was referring to the title track.
A friend of mine taped one of the recent "Best of" Tull compilations for me--it went right from the beginning up through "Steel Monkey," which I love (actually I adore
Crest of a Knave, from start to finish).
I also have a real soft spot for Heavy Horses; I could keep that one in the CD player all day. (And have.)
I'm surprised no one's come in to vote for Diamond Dogs in the Bowie contest.
Posted by: Attila Girl at July 08, 2007 09:11 PM (VgDLl)
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Best Beatles: Sgt. Pep (probably the most gimmicky of all their albums, but pulled off with panache)
Best Bowie: no opinion
Best Tull: Broadsword and the Beast
Posted by: HipNerd at July 14, 2007 09:08 PM (XmFK6)
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On the Third, When I "Encouraged" My Employee To Take a Leave of Absence
. . . until some of her housing and mental health challenges had been met, I gave her $80 out of my own pocket that I didn't really have. But I was fairly sure that she had slept at the office the previous night, and it was late in the evening, so I wanted to make sure that if worse came to worst, she could get a hotel room that night, and go to an emergency shelter the next day. (We printed her out a list of the local ones.)
I told my husband what I'd done. The next day&msash;Independence Day—when I opened my laptop there were two twenty-dollar bills resting on the keyboard.
A the H denies all responsibility: He suggests that perhaps the "Liberty Fairy" dropped in. Supposedly every fourth of July, the Liberty Fairy distributes money onto the keyboards of those who promote responsible capitalistic development and free-market solutions to global and regional problems.
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Good for you both. And tell your friend that this victim of clinical depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and social phobia says to be persistent when it comes to getting help.
(If it takes being a royal bitch, then be a royal bitch.)
Posted by: Alan Kellogg at July 09, 2007 11:49 AM (RobY9)
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July 05, 2007
Saying What Needs to Be Said.
Agreed, Sean.
The conservatives who are getting a bunch of schadenfreude out of Al Gore III's arrest should grow the fuck up.
When A the H was working at a Large Production Company in Southern California as a television writer/producer, a memo came down from the Division Head specificying that although the writers and story editors made fun of public figures from time to time, they should avoid making fun of Chelsea Clinton. He wasn't especially happy about it.
"What about all the things that people said about Amy Carter?" he asked.
"Yeah," I replied. "And the ripping on Reagan's family, too. But here's the Big Question: if Hillary hadn't handled it in such a high-handed fashion [calling all the industry bigwigs to tell them 'hands off of Chelsea, or else] wouldn't you have considered it a good policy?"
I'd love to see a "hands off the kids" custom instituted in the press. And if it has to start lopsidedly, then maybe it will expand eventually to cover Republicans as well as Democrats. In any event, I'm not going to get my hands dirty. Who among us wants to be held for the weird things our parents (or our kids, or our nieces and nephews) have done, or did?
Al Gore III is just a guy trying to make his way in the world, in a rather pathetic industry (last I knew, he was involved in print publishing, may G-d have mercy on his soul). And he may or may not have a problem with drugs—one can never tell with the young: they're always doing weird, awkward things in any event.
Now can we all, please, shut up? Please?
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This is meaningless, but I have the dubious distinction of being AG3's fifth cousin (AG1 and my grandmother were third cousins).
Anyhoo, our nation's history of presidential and vice-presidential children being involved with drugs goes back to Ford (at least).
Up until now I had chalked up Chelsea not being in the news as a result of her seeing what a big f***ing mess her father made of things with his personal-life choices, and learning better. Sigh.
Posted by: John at July 06, 2007 03:46 AM (0JPr+)
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The conservatives who are getting a bunch of schadenfreude out of Al Gore III's arrest should grow the fuck up.
Keep that in mind the next time some...
progressive bring up any of the younger Bushes indiscretions, or maybe Mary Chenney's sexual orientation...
On the other hand, who knew a Prius could do 100 MPH?
Posted by: I R A Darth Aggie at July 06, 2007 04:48 AM (1hM1d)
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Keep that in mind the next time some...progressive bring up any of the younger Bushes indiscretions, or maybe Mary Chenney's sexual orientation...
If I paid that much attention on the foibles of the Left I'd never get anything done.
Posted by: Sean Hackbarth at July 06, 2007 05:33 AM (HxQb8)
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AGIII got in the cross hairs when the Gore people leaked W's 1976 DUI arrest(after it was expunged) and used it as an example of someone who got preferential treatment because of his daddy. We all know he had the book thrown at him and the leaker that committed a felony by passing around an expunged file was never even charged with a crime. AGIII was arrested for reckless driving, driving under the influence and driving at an excessive rate of speed(40mph over the limit) in Aug. 2000, and when the case was processed, conveniently after the election, he DID get preferential treatment with the serious charges dropped($125 fine). AGIII repeated the pattern with 2002 and 2003 arrests. Funny how the media can't even get that straight. ABC does manage to go on about W's daughters in the story of AGIII's current arrest though, and I suspect they're not the only ones. Forgive the Right if they have no choice but to rage against the machine of Leftist media domination and bias.
That said, AGIII's problems are his own. And AGII's life, words, and actions are sufficient to generate all the negative copy ever needed. And then some.
I must go purchase a carbon credit now to atone for my cigarette which is the principal cause of Global Warming, you know.
Posted by: Darrell at July 06, 2007 07:45 AM (Xi9mX)
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If I paid that much attention on the foibles of the Left I'd never get anything done.
It never hurts to point out the foibles of those who claim
not to have such foibles. They're hypocritical, elitist snobs and it should be pointed out.
Posted by: I R A Darth Aggie at July 06, 2007 01:59 PM (1hM1d)
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The correct response to those who point to any advantages G.W. Bush enjoyed due to his father's position is to point to the advantages Al Gore, Jr. enjoyed by virtue of being Al Gore, Sr.'s son—and there were plenty of them.
The correct response to publicizing the hijinks of the the Bush twins is eye-rolling. Or, perhaps (in extreme circumstances) muttering the term "Kennedy clan" under one's breath.
Posted by: Attila Girl at July 06, 2007 10:24 PM (VgDLl)
Posted by: Chuck at July 06, 2007 11:11 PM (H4W1a)
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Review: Mine Your Own Business
What an amazing film.
This begins as an intensely personal story: Mine Your Own Business starts with a mini-autobiography on the part of former Financial Times reporter Phelim McAleer, who discusses why he originally went into journalism. Growing up Roman Catholic in Northern Ireland, he saw enough of man's inhumanity to man that he wanted to write, to serve as a witness, to speak for human rights. (He doesn't put it quite that way, of course, but that's how I interpreted his statements.)
While he was working for the FT in Romania, McAleer was approached by a beleaguered Canadian company that wanted to bring modern, environmentally responsible mining techniques to the Transylvanian town of Rosia Montanâ—which has been in the mining business for approximately 2000 years (yes, since Roman times). The company,Gabriel Resources, wanted him to do a promotional piece on their planned mine in Rosia Montanâ. McAleer had a better idea: Why don't you help me make a documentary? he asked. He had one proviso: The company would have zero editorial control. Zero.
Either they felt lucky, or they were very secure in their thinking that someone who looked at the actual environmental impact of the project—and spoke with the townspeople in Rosia Montanâ—would come to the conclusion that the mining project was a good idea, or at least the least-bad idea for saving the town. Perhaps, however, the company just likes writing checks to no particular end, which is unusual among big businesses. In any event, they agreed: No editorial control. And they forked over the cash.
They backed McAleer through some very unorthodox filmmaking methods: Not only does McAleer speak with a lot of the actual residents of Rosia Montanâ about the proposed mine, but he develops a bond with one of the locals, an unemployed young miner named George Lucian, who speaks some English (his linguistic skills gets better as the film progresses) and takes on an unexpectedly huge role in the documentary.
Lucian takes McAleer on a tour of the less picturesque parts of Rosia Montanâ, such as the rusty-looking hyper-polluted river that now runs on the outskirts of town, and the rather, um, geometrical piles of dirt that adorn the surrounding landscape as a result of old-fashioned mining techniques (in fact, it looks like strip mining). Eventually, the two begin researching other controversial mining projects that have also been in environmentalist extremists' cross-hairs.
Then McAleer talks George Lucian—who has never even travelled to Bucharest, much less boarded a plane—into visiting towns on other continents where mining projects are desired by the citizenry, but opposed by environmentalist activists.
They look at a project in Fort Dauphin, Madagascar, and together get to know one of the "local" opponents, who lives quite far away from the town, and is in the process of building a seaside villa on the far coast of the island. The most hilarious part of the whole movie takes place on the grounds of his estate-in-progress, where he shows his visitors his $35,000 yacht, and then explains that the villagers in Fort Dauphin are rich in things other than trifles such as material possession and "nutrition" (I kid you not: he really said that—and with the camera rolling!). In any event, he assures his guests, if any of the locals in Madagascar ever came into money, they'd squander it on beer; they certainly won't use it to educate their children. (Ever-thorough, McAleer asks Ft. Daupin residents what they would do with any money they might make by working in the mine. With few exceptions, they express a desire to send their kids to school.)
During the hilarious-but-scary discussion with the high-roller watermelon, the camera pans to the horrified look on George's face as he listens to the rich guy who opposes development and claims that he doesn't think money is really that important. We have already been told that many of the villagers in Rosia Montanâ don't have indoor plumbing, and we've seen pictures of the outhouses its denizens must use in sub-zero weather. For the first-time viewer of Mine Your Own Business, poverty has lost any allure it might once have had—and for good.
I found myself wondering why the unemployed Transylvanian miner didn't go after the rich, self-satisfied environmentalist with a knife, but young George is better-bred than I am, and it shows.
Next, Phelim McAleer heads to London, to discuss the history of ecosystems with a few of the academics there. One points out that Kew Gardens wouldn't exist if the forest that preceeded it had been "saved" by the forbears of those who now want to save poor Africans and Eastern Europeans from the horrors of human progress; another asks who, exactly, we are to tell them that development will create long-range problems for them, and that we consider them incapable of solving such problems? After all, the industrialized world has managed to mitigate a lot of the side-effects of development, while enjoying its unarguable benefits. (Back to that indoor toilet issue. I feel that an outhouse would be inconvenient here, in Southern California—much less in an environment that plunges 20 degrees below zero every winter. And just several generations ago, I'd be at the end of the average human life expectancy.)
Finally, George and Phelim head off to Chile, where a mining project is being planned high in the Andes, on the border with Argentina. The locals desperately want this project, and the money it will bring into the community, but this one, also, is opposed by environmentalists and some NGOs (non-governmental organizations). The enviros and the NGOs are also allied with local agribusiness, which has grown accustomed to using the locals as sources of cheap labor who are willing to work under unsafe conditions (for example, wearing no protective gear when they spray with pesticides) because the big landowners are, right now, the only game in town. With a mine nearby, the landowners would have to improve working conditions—and possibly raise pay—to attract labor. It seems they prefer having serfs—and, really, who wouldn't?
The altitude in Chile kicks McAleer's ass; he ends up in a clinic breathing oxygen out of a mask. It is left to his young Romanian friend George—the guy who knows high-altitude mining—to visit the site of the proposed mine, and interview the developer about what this might do for the community, and what is being done to preserve the glaciers in the area, and relocate them to neighboring mountaintops (these are not glaciers like those that live in Alaska's water: the looked small, as if they were each the size of furniture, or a fraction of a "calf" of an Alaskan glacier).
Then we get to listen to the enviros again, and it's the same old story: Those who are financially comfortable would like the world's poor to remain that way, as if they were exhibits in a sort of global zoo. All humans are equal, sure. But some are more equal than others. And tiny glaciers, of course, are more equal than people. But you knew that too, right?
If there were a real hierarchy among politically independent filmmakers, I'd be afraid that Phelim McAleer would topple the mighty Even Coyne Maloney right off his throne. (Though it may get interesting this fall at the Liberty Film Festival's main extravaganza in West Hollywood, with Indoctrinate U having to compete with Mine Your Own Business. I'm just glad I'm not on the voting panel; it would be hard to choose between those two.)
* * * * Here Beginneth the Serious Snark * * * *
[UPDATE 2: I'm not editing, exactly, but the participants in my Writers' Group suggested to me rather gently that at this point I begin to, um, preach to the choir. Ethics forbid that I cut the offending section this late in the day, but my lefty friends might want to wander off right around now. Didn't you leave something boiling on the stove? Or oughtn't you to pluck your eyebrows? You know, it's earthquake weather; go find that flashlight!]
Oh, and by the way—there's been some opposition to MYOB by environmental groups and NGOs. What a sir-prize! But I didn't see a rebuttal to the allegations in MYOB; just mushy indignation. The images of environmental damage from the existing mining operation in Rosia Montanâ (put in place under the environmentally aware Soviets) were awfully hard for me to ignore—as were the pictures from a neighboring town, where mining has been abandoned entirely, and the villagers who remain are reduced to picking through the rubble, looking for scrap metal they can sell in order to survive.
Poverty is not picturesque. It is time for us to get out of the way, and let developing countries . . . you know: develop.
UPDATE 1: And here's a bonus! A discussion of the film by environmental extremists who clearly haven't seen it, and think the filmmaker is "British," and the Romanian woman quoted therein must be "Russian."
Can we at least pool our resources and get some of these far-left greenies a few atlases? Just a thought.
Posted by: Attila Girl at
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Roşia Montană for you purists(virgula and breve added) Not to be diacritical, of course.
Gabriel should have the EU pay them for NOT mining, and the townspeople as well. Maybe a lawsuit against the Romans in the World Court as well. Thats where and when it all started...except for those stone-age fellows. Gabriel has been involved, what, 5-12 years?
Sure, keep the people poor and happy whether they like it or not. Then find a five-star hotel for the night.
Posted by: Darrell at July 05, 2007 08:59 PM (mq790)
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D-
I was going to look up the html for the correct marks. I'll try a cut-and-paste, and if it doesn't work I'll have to hit you up for the code.
--J
Posted by: Attila Girl at July 05, 2007 10:21 PM (VgDLl)
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try
here. Lots of useful international symbols.
Posted by: caltechgirl at July 05, 2007 11:08 PM (hQNjm)
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And . . . you're so diacritical. Have you considered therapy?
Posted by: Attila Girl at July 05, 2007 11:09 PM (VgDLl)
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You've inspired me to find what box in the garage I put that DVD into and start passing it around. One of the parts I do recall is when they show how much pollution the State-run mine caused mostly due to the fact they are accountable to no one.
Posted by: the Pirate at July 06, 2007 06:03 AM (tM0AO)
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"Have you considered therapy?"
No. I would have to realize that I am insane first.
My mind just got stuck in Montana, USA when I was reading. Sorry to make you goof up the town's spelling with that faulty code in the second paragraph of UpdateII.
Posted by: Darrell at July 06, 2007 07:51 AM (Xi9mX)
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Please go back to the way you had it. Does it work if you copy and paste my version?
Posted by: Darrell at July 06, 2007 07:13 PM (H7a1p)
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Nope. Copying-and-pasting your version gave us the question marks. And now I've got nothing on that "s," and the wrong mark on the "a." I swear--I'm tempted to put a tilde over the n, just so the pronunciation will be clear, but I think I just need to crack open my html book.
Posted by: Attila Girl at July 07, 2007 07:31 AM (VgDLl)
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Please Buy This Movie: Mine Your Own Business.
If you're conservative,
buy it for your liberal friends. If you're liberal, buy it for your libertarian friends. If you're libertarian, buy it for your social-conservative friends. If you're a social-conservative, buy it for your environmentalist friends.
If you're an environmentalist, buy it for yourself.
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July 04, 2007
A Chance to Help Returning Vets!
A friend of a friend has developed an idea for making sure men and women who return from Iraq and Afghanistan after serving their country don't fall into abject poverty. If you're an American Express cardholder, you can go
here to register and vote for Rachel's project. Here's her personal message about this brainstorm, and how to help secure funding for it via AmEx's contest:
FROM: Rachel Feldstein
RE: American Express Members Project
I want to alert all of you about a wonderful project that I have submitted to the American Express Members' Project. It is called Homeless Prevention for Vets from Iraq/Afghanistan. My personal project, it needs all cardmembers' help. If we win, I will be able to work with New Directions, a local nonprofit agency with a proven track record working with homeless veterans in Los Angeles, to develop a new program (and they will give us between $2 million and $5 million) to create a new program that will prevent homelessness among men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
If you have an American Express card, go to the Members' Project (link above), and register. Each registration puts one more dollar in the purse that they will donate to the winning cause. But more importantly, it allows you to vote. Please cast your vote for this project (number 1850) BEFORE July 13th, when the initial voting closes. Once we make the final 25, voting will again open up, and I will ask you to vote once more, so we can enter the top five. Eventually, you'll want to vote one last time so Homeless Prevention for Vets can win.
I need your help. PLEASE register and vote for my project, and pass this email along to everyone you know; ask them to do the same. Log on and vote for Project 1850, Homelessness Prevention for Vets from Iraq and Afghanistan. Your voice can help us keep veterans from "falling through the cracks" of society and becoming vulnerable to poverty.
Thank you for helping me make a difference.
—Rachel
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Happy Birthday, America.
Tonight I'll be lifting a glass of premium gin to those madmen, those geniuses, who thought they could build a new set of States based on Enlightenment thinking. Jefferson, Washington, Paine, Revere, Arnold [for a few years, until things went terribly wrong with him], Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Morgan, Adams [both of 'em], Henry, and Hancock.
It was absurd. It was ridiculous. It was clear for years that this silly effort—so costly in terms of treasure, and human lives—would fail, and fail miserably.
And yet, it didn't.
I'm sure there's a lesson in there somewhere, if one cared to look for it.
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What would be wackier is trying the same thing in Iraq. I'm glad someone had the vision.
Posted by: Sean Hackbarth at July 04, 2007 11:58 PM (8lL1c)
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Oh, but the Iraqis didn't
want democracy; we're forcing it down their throats/at the barrel of a gun. I read that in
The Guardian, and the Londoner who wrote the article was quite convinced that the Iraqis preferred things under Saddam.
Don't you Americans
read?
Posted by: Attila Girl at July 05, 2007 12:30 AM (VgDLl)
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July 03, 2007
Nothing Like Disciplining an Employee
. . . on the eve of Independence Day. Especially when part of the deal is an involuntary suspension for 30 days.
And since we're a nonprofit corporation directly linked to a 12-step group, the people I had there as witnesses saw it more as an intervention than an HR issue. But that was part of the point, too: it was a good cop, bad cop routine.
I was the bad cop.
I do not like being the bad cop. On the way home I wished that I could cry; I was sure I would feel better if I could only do that. But my eyes were dry, and there was no release to be found.
On the other hand, every advisor I had—personal, spiritual, and business-related—told me I was doing the right thing.
"Wow," one person remarked as we left the interview. "That was a tough intervention. I could really use a drink."
"Yeah, me too," I told her. I'm having it now.
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Disciplining employees is the most difficult part of the job.
Posted by: Chuck at July 04, 2007 08:24 AM (H4W1a)
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And it sucks more when they are homeless and suffering from mental illness.
I would so like to see this person get back on her feet, but she's going to have to make some changes in order for that to happen.
Posted by: Attila Girl at July 04, 2007 02:59 PM (VgDLl)
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If it was fair and just, your conscience should be clear. It you follow up and make sure she is getting the help she needs, that is even better.
Posted by: Darrell at July 04, 2007 08:11 PM (m5FHd)
Posted by: chuck at July 06, 2007 11:13 PM (H4W1a)
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