Picnic 12-31-2005

Items I found while perusing my blogroll:

• ScrappleFace finds Dubya's New Year's resolutions


• Riehl World View looks at military medal awards this year


• SondraK muses on the treatment of animals


• B-Cack (Dr Phat Tony's) solves the illegal immigration issue with Mexico


• Once More Into The Breach looks at Virginia's handling of illegals


• The Florida Masochist hands out the year end Knucklehead award


• Macker looks at #21's son


• The Nose On Your Face names the Person of the Year


• Bloodspite (Techography) goes hunting


• Hooah Wife has two words for Kathleen Parker

Tiffany of Blown Fuse

This weekend, we have only one interview. The good news is ... it's with Tiffany of Blown Fuse...


She's ready. And it looks like the interview panel is ready...


Now for the first question...

Headlines News 12-30-2005

From Reuters:
CIA couple outed by 5-year-old son
Karl Rove blamed

From ABC News:
Angry Chihuahuas Attack Cop
Taco Bell riot quelled

From ABC News:
Ankle Device Monitors Alcohol Consumption
Urine detector a hot seller

From ABC News:
Yellow Underwear, Broken China
Drunken New Year's Party highlights White House celebration

From ABC News:
Male Domination of the Internet Is Over, Study Finds
Women discover porn

From ABC News:
PETA Staffer Changes Name to Protest KFC
Wife changes name to "Finger-Lickin' Good"

From ABC News:
Students Accused of Tampering With Milk
Charges reduced from sexual harassment

From ABC News:
Mich. Man Bowls 3rd 300 Game, Then Dies
Satan collects on debt

From Editor & Publisher:
Horse Sex Story Tops 'Seattle Times' Most Popular List for 2005
More horses to vacation in Washington in 2006

From ABC News:
TVA Scientists Test Strobe Lights on Fish
Fish still can't dance to Bee Gees music

Interview with Life-Of-Rubin

This week, we're a few days late, but we now present the Blog Interview with Life-of-Rubin...


The interviewers are ready to go...


We're ready to go...

Picnic: 12-30-2005

Items I found while perusing my blogroll:

• Sigmund, Carl and Alfred get Raskolnikov of Dust My Broom on the couch.


• Motopolitico hosts the Carnival of Comedy [via IMAO]


• Jo (Jo's Cafe) finds you should always check the label


• SeanS (Shoot a Liberal) has an idea for handling the ACLU


• MacStansbury (MY VRWC) explains conservatism


• Cory (CORE|BLOG) heads north*


• ScrappleFace discovers another ACLU lawsuit


• The Nose On Your Face reviews Brokeback Mountain


• Michelle Malkin finds moonbats loose in the UK


• Don Surber follows the story of Baby Maxwell

Close Enough For Government Work

No, I still got some more stuff to do. But I've got the bulk of everything finished. At least to my satisfaction.

Still, there'll be some impact to things. Because this whole week was wasted on silly stuff like removing my customized ... but inefficient ... PHP code so that Dreamhost wouldn't get their panties in a wad, I didn't get some other stuff done. Like moving a blog from TypePad. I still need to get It'sAPundit off that service.

So, probably no Breakfast, Dinner, and Supper posts for a bit. Just one post for the time being, although I might be updating it during the day. But then again, I might not.

Also, inline TrackBacks are currently on every post, not just the "Open TrackBacks" or "Articles of Interest" posts.

I'll still be tinkering with things, but I hope I'm past the point of breaking stuff.

Thanks for your patience.

Longer Than I Expected

Yes, it's taking longer than I expected to make the code changes. Perhaps I shouldn't have upgraded to WordPress 2.0, but I'm so far into it that I'm not going back.

No, if you're looking to upgrade to WordPress 2.0, you shouldn't worry about having such issues. But if you notice all the stuff in the sidebar, you'll see that there's lots of stuff that I added (BlogRolls, etc). And I'm looking to have "skins" or "themes" available, so I'm having to add the stuff to different themes. And something that works in one theme doesn't necessary work (or look) the same in another theme.

Anyway, don't let this discourage you from upgrading to WordPress 2.0 if your plug-ins are compatible. Oh, yeah, that's the other issue. Plug-ins I was using aren't compatible with 2.0 and I'm having to find replacement plug-ins.

Bottom line is, I really hope to finish soon. It's late. Or early. I've been up for hours and have watched way too much television. They got some odd stuff on Adult Swim, by the way.

So, I'm going to stay at this for as long as I can, crawl in bed when I'm too tired to stay at it, then jump back at it. That's been some of what has caused problems: getting tired and messing stuff up and having to step back and try stuff again when I wake up.

Gosh, I hope I get this finished soon.

UPDATE: I found the problem that had taken so long. WordPress 2.0 has a preview box on the post create/edit page. It's different from the one on the previous version. The new version actually shows the post inside an IFRAME tag. That's not a problem, unless you do something like I was doing.

I'm one of those that don't like my pages appearing in a frame on another page. Not that I expect that to happen, but there are some sites that "steal" content by actually including a page inside their pages via frames. It's just something I don't like. So, I used a piece of JavaScript to "break out" of frames.

Well, since the post displays inside an IFRAME, the "breakout" code was kicking in and causing the post to move to the top. Which meant that I couldn't edit pages. And it took me several hours to find that's what I was running into.

So, if you're looking to upgrade to WordPress 2.0, don't have "breakout" code in your pages. Or you'll waste many hours figuring out why you can create a post, but can't edit it.

UPDATE: 3:08 AM - Close to being finished. Still a couple of more features to implement. But I'm exhausted. So, I'll be finishing up in a few hours, I expect.

Still Working

We've reverted to one of WordPress' simple themes while we re-work the code. We're also upgrading to WordPress 2.0 in order to use the latest, most efficient version of the blogging software.

TrackBacks and Comments may be off during the upgrade. Once the upgrade to 2.0 is complete, we'll do some verification before we are back to normal.

Thanks for your patience.

UPDATE: WordPress 2.0 is installed! Yay! And we're slowly enabling TrackBacks and Comments, to make sure the new spam filter is working. Still more work to do. Gosh, it's been a heckuva day.

UPDATE2: Getting closer. We're not done with the plug-ins, but we've remove the incompatible ones. We're working on the Themes also, you may have noticed.

Pardon Our Dust

Recently, we were notified by Dreamhost (the hosting service we're using) that this little blog is using more server resources than it should.

The reason it's an issue is that, well, I'm cheap. I'm not making money on this little blog (yes, we've sold a few Blog Ads, but not many; and no repeat business). Which means I've gone with a shared hosting plan.

Shared hosting means that the server that this little blog is running on is also the server that other blogs and Web sites are using. Shared hosting means just that. Many sites share a server. It's cheaper than having a dedicated server. Lots cheaper. So, we're sharing a server with others.

Each site that's running uses server resources. That's processing power. You ever noticed on your computer that if you have several browser windows open, your e-mail program running, your word processor (or Works) running, and lots of other stuff running that your computer may sometimes take longer to complete an action? If not, you're lucky. If so, that's probably because your computer's having a time trying to run all those applications at the same time. Its resources are being strained. Same thing with servers.

So, in order to keep that from happening on Web sites, each site (this little blog included) is allocated certain resources. Or actually, seconds of processing. And this little blog exceeds that total.

Now, if all the sites on the server did that, the server would bog down and nobody's site would be up. So, it's a problem. And I've got to work on it.

What that means to you? Maybe nothing. Maybe a lot.

The "inline TrackBacks" feature used on the mealtime posts is code I wrote. And I suspect that's where the problem is. There are plugins that others wrote that do the same thing. I suspect that, since they're actually programmers that do that stuff, their stuff is a lot more efficient.

So, I'm going to have to remove lots of that stuff. And start putting stuff back a little at a time. Until I find the problem. It's part of troubleshooting and it's a pain.

That means that until I get this problem fixed, the "inline TrackBacks" won't be working. And maybe some other stuff.

And I don't know how long this will take. So, if stuff looks funny, it's because I'm working on the site. I'll still be posting stuff, but I don't know how much. Once a day, to be sure. Maybe more often. But mealtime posts? I don't know. Headline News? If possible.

But, if the problem with server resources is what I think it is, I'm either going to have to find a more efficient method of using "inline TrackBacks" or I'm going to have to abandon that feature. And I don't want to do that.

But just like in real life, sometimes hard decisions have to be made.

Loyal Opposition

I read an article by Sigmund, Carl and Alfred yesterday where the topic was about the "loyal opposition."

I've seen and heard that phrase used a lot regarding Democrats and the Bush administration. But I don't care for that phrase.

Oh, it's a proper phrase when used in proper context. But I don't see, with few examples, many Democrats who would be considered "loyal opposition." Joe Lieberman would be "loyal opposition."

But Lieberman is on the outs with the Democrats because he isn't in lock-step with the leadership of the Democratic party.

Now, I know some Democrats. My father is one. And I've voted for Democrats. And, I expect, I'll vote for more. But not on the national level. And doubtful on the state level.

There's a difference between the local Democratic party and the national Democratic party. At least, around here it is. And it's pretty much that way in the South. And in pockets of other areas of the country, but I expect more so in the South.

And on many of the local levels, the Democrats might be considered the "loyal opposition." Because, particularly in the South, many are loyal to their country.

But I really wonder about Democrats at the state level. And I don't wonder, I'm convinced that most Democrats at the national level aren't.

What I see in the leadership of the Democratic party is George McGovern. Cut and run. America is always wrong.

"Surrender monkeys" is the best description I've seen in a while.

While I think the Clintons are some of the worst people in politics today, I don't think that Bill Clinton is a surrender monkey. Nor do I think that Hillary is a surrender monkey. They're just monkeys, but not surrender monkeys. Maybe it's Bill's Arkansas upbringing that keeps him that much in line. Maybe it's Hillary's days as a Goldwater Girl that keeps her in line on this topic.

Like I said, I don't care for the Clintons. I really don't care for the Clintons. But they're a darn sight better than most other Democrats at the national level.

I don't think most national Democrats are "loyal opposition." They're opposition, to be sure. But they darn sure aren't loyal Americans.

Headlines News 12-27-2005

From ABC News:
Bears Plague Calif. Wineries
NFC North champs continue celebration

From ABC News:
Cell Phone Swallowing May Have Been Assault
Man promised he wouldn't dial in her mouth

From ABC News:
Man Accused of Lobbing Urine Into Yards
Homeowners pissed

From ABC News:
Fake Money Stolen From Thai Bank
Robbers serve time in fake jail

From ABC News:
Tourists Lacking in Bethlehem at Christmas
No room at inns cited as reason

From ABC News:
Poland to keep troops in Iraq until end 2006
Now we know how many it takes

From ABC News:
Britney Spears' Husband Launches Web Site
Was disappointed that ididitwithbritneyspears.com was already taken

From Arizona Central:
Scientists train wasps for war on terror
Easier than training Democrats

From ABC News:
Senator Says Bush Is Acting Like 'King George'
Bush denies charges, throws Feingold in The Tower

From Arizona Central:
Bad dogs may have mug shots posted on Web site
Attorney for dogs opposes: "Ruff ruff. Ru-ruff ruff. Ruff ruff ruff ruff. Ruff. Grrrrr."

Supper 12-27-2005

Try one of these specials with your supper:

• Mudville Gazette looks at Info Ops


• Hog On Ice muses on trolls and ads


• Ace of Spades looks questions we really don't want the answer to


• Sigmund, Carl and Alfred warns the lynch mob


• The Politburo Diktat looks at Intelligent Design


• Jack Grant loses his father


• Sean Gleeson hosts the second Carnival of Nothing


• Pirate's Cove looks at the science of global warming


• Hooah Wife is interviewing me

Uday, You Say?

I debated whether or not to write about this. But what the heck. We're all friends, right?

This morning, I saw Beth's link dump post, and one of the items was a link to a face recognition site. And I tried it.

Now, I wasn't overly impressed with it.

I uploaded a picture of Ralph Waite (the dad from The Waltons). It found no matches in its celebrity database. Okay, he's not a big enough celebrity. So I uploaded a picture I took of Garret Wang (Harry Kim from Star Trek: Voyager). It said he looked like Jason Biggs, Nicolas Cage, and Ed Gein.

Still not impressed, I uploaded a picture of my Big Sister (who's 5'4"). It found some hits, but I'll let her tell about that, should she be so inclined.

But it found hits for me. It couldn't figure out if I'm male or female, apparently. I'm male. I've checked and confirmed that.

Anyway, the darn thing said I look like (in order):

1. Tina Turner (54%)


2. Michael Jackson (from the Jackson Five era) (45%)


3. Judy Garland (circa Wizard of Oz) (43%)


4. Nicole Kidman (42%)


5. Eddie Murphy (40%)


6. Harry Belafonte (39%)


7. John Wilkes Booth (38%)


8. Uday Hussein (38%)


9. Jennifer Connelly (37%)


10. Drew Barrymore (36%)

I'm at a loss for words.

Lunch 12-27-2005

Try one of these specials with your lunch:

• Newsalert finds that Kos can't put his money where his mouth is [via GM's Corner, via Public Eye]


• Macker's World finds Kennedy, et al, proving their point with lies


• Erin O'Brien wakes up next to the man of her dreams


• TMH Bacon Bits looks at the Modern Prometheus


• Seawitch remembers ... and understands


• Harvey (Bad Example version) explains guy talk


• Confederate Yankee finds another Google search that just ain't right


• Phin says lighten up


• Hooah Wife is interviewing me

Remember Them, Help Them

Quick question for you: Where did Hurricane Katrina do its damage?

Okay, how many of you said "New Orleans?"

More than should have.

Sure, New Orleans was impacted by Hurricane Katrina and the floods afterwards. But it wasn't the only place hit by the storm or by the aftereffects of the storm.

You ever heard of Mississippi? Or Alabama?

I recently read an editorial from the Biloxi Sun-Herald about their situation. It's worth a read.

Breakfast 12-27-2005

Try one of these specials with your breakfast:

• La Shawn Barber comments on Kwanzaa


• Harvey (Bad Example version) has the Truth About Iran


• Jo's Cafe has information on a skier fighting more than the elements


• Moehawk (Oystersnout) makes it through Christmas


• Beth (MY VRWC) leaves links


• Bloodspite (Technography) has tears


• Hooah Wife is interviewing me

Big Sister's Birthday Party. Be There. Aloha.

My Big Sister (who's 5'4") is celebrating a birthday today. Although I would never tell her age, being the good little brother I am, I do have a little birthday present for her:


[Direct link]

---

Music - The Ventures
Hawaii Five-O - The Complete First Season

All-Day Picnic 12-26-2005

The wife's new job actually has her off work today, as does mine. Since it's been a while since we've both had a weekday off together, we're going to do ... something. Whatever she tells me we're doing, I expect.

I do want to remind you of the two bloggers that are coming up soon on the Blog Interviews. While we're taking questions for all upcoming bloggers, this week, we're focusing on the two whose questions are closing this week.

That means it's time to get your questions in for:

• Bloodspite from Techography


• Greta from Hooah Wife, who, by the way, is interviewing me

Best. Christmas. Eve. Ever.

In years past, Christmas Eve has been spent at different locations. For my first couple of decades, it meant spending that evening with my mother's parents, Grandma and Papa.

But, as the family grew and changed, holiday celebrations changed.

Divorce happens, children grow, new marriage happens, grandchildren arrive ... Things change.

Now, on Christmas Eve, the grandchildren come here (to Mee-mee and Papa's) at noon for dinner and opening presents. Then to Wife's mother for supper and more presents.

The grandchildren arrived a little early on Christmas Eve and played while they waited on eating dinner. I had to finish wrapping Wife's Christmas present (digital video camera) after it was fully charged. So I headed to the "room in the back" that the grandchildren aren't supposed to go into.

While I was trying to find a box that would hold the camera and accessories, Wife came to the door and I ran her out. But she insisted that I come out for something. So I did.

I followed her down the hall and there were the grandchildren sitting on the couch and their mothers standing there with an s***-eating grin on their faces. Then the wife continued talking about who knows what. Best as I could tell, she was talking just to talk.

She was.

For when she finally finished, I was standing in the living room and everyone was quiet and looking at me. I almost checked my fly, but then noticed someone sitting in the rocking chair at my elbow. It was my daughter.

She had spent the last couple of days in Atlanta with her boyfriend and his family, attending events and eating dinner with Saxby Chambliss and other folks, I found out. And here she was to spend Christmas Eve with us.

We all visited for a bit then ate dinner. Lasagna. Then sat and visited for a bit afterwards. It was wonderful.

The grandchildren wanted to open presents, but Wife kept putting them off. I found out why.

After a bit, another vehicle pulled into the yard and my son stepped out.

Not only had Wife arranged for my daughter to come visit, she had arranged for my son to come visit also.

After he ate, we opened presents and watched the grandchildren play.

Stayed until after supper, having to get to their mother's before midnight. But they seemed to have a good time while they were here.

I know I did.

Christmas 2005

1. And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.


2. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)


3. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.


4. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David


5. To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.


6. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.


7. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.


8. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.


9. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.


10. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.


11. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.


12. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.


13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,


14. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.


15. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.


16. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.


17. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.


18. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

A Visit From St. Nicholas

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads; And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap, had just settled down for a long winter's nap, When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow gave the luster of mid-day to objects below, When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer, With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name: "Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! On Cupid! On, Donder and Blitzen! To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall! Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky, so up to the house-top the coursers they flew, With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too. And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof the prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my hand, and was turning around, down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound. He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, and his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot; A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, and he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes — how they twinkled! His dimples how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, and the beard of his chin was as white as the snow; The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, and the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly, that shook, when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, and I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself; A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, and filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk, Laying his finger aside of his nose, And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, and away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

Brunch 12-24-2005

Try one of these specials with your weekend brunch:

• Smash (The Military Outpost) has the story on a MilBlogger killed by his wife (also a blogger) [via The Indepundit]


• Conservative Cat explains Mary Katherine Gallagher


• Sean Gleeson says "Hi, Bob"


• Beth hands out presents


• bRight & Early finds the NSA isn't the only one spying


• Jeff H. (Think Sink) has the story of a soldier in the War on Christmas


• Laura (Just Another Day in the USA) rides with the Repo Man


• 7 Deadly Sins wants help with Chinese


• Cathy Knits ... and muses on the irony of Wal-mart


• Phin (Alliance version) reviews Performancing for Firefox


• Public Eye says Jesus Christ doesn't approve


• Tiffany (Blown Fuse) has a rough week


• Hooah Wife is interviewing me

Life-Of-Rubin

E-mail issues have delayed the answers from Life-of-Rubin. As soon as we are able to receive them, we'll have the interview posted.

UPDATE: The interview is posted here.

Headlines News 12-23-2005

From The Telegraph:
Deaf girl hears Jingle Bells for the first time
Asks parents to shut those dogs up

From ABC News:
R.I. Couple Finds Rare Pearl in Clam
Peter Griffin tells Lois "Merry Freakin' Christmas"

From ABC News:
Christmas Tree Opossum Surprises Pa. Teen
Pogo sang: "Deck us all with Boston Charlie,
Walla Walla, Wash., an' Kalamazoo!
Nora's freezin' on the trolley,
Swaller dollar cauliflower alley-garoo!"*

From ABC News:
Sex Toy Company Gets N.C. Business Award
Gives new meaning to Research Triangle

From ABC News:
Flame Retardant Kills R.I. Statehouse Tree
Won't be used as firewood

From ABC News:
Immigrants find opportunity in ruined New Orleans
Immigrants Gone Wild released on DVD

From ABC News:
More Rings Are Found Around Uranus
Scientists attempt to remove rings with Extra Absorbent Charmin

From ABC News:
Footprints Reveal Ancient Outback Life
Chocolate Thunder From Down Under, Bloomin' Onion have long history

From ABC News:
Breast-Feeding Moms Take Action
Group milks story for attention

From ABC News:
Mike Myers and Wife Decide to End Marriage
Meyers asks wife: "Do I make you angry, baby. Yeah!"

From ABC News:
Ledger 'Surprised'
Really enjoyed kissing Jake Gyllenhaal

It's Official: I'm A Douche

According to Douchebrity, I'm a douche. Only a B-List douche, but a douche nonetheless.

Just so you know.

Supper 12-22-2005

Try one of these specials with your supper:

• Euphoric Reality talks with PFC Joshua Sparling


• Cake Eater Chronicles says you can't please everyone


• aTypical Joe says being gay is a choice


• Cowboy Blob says guess what gun he got


• All Things Beautiful says prayer helps


• RightWingDuck (IMAO version) has the UN FAQ


• Cao's Blog compares quagmires


• The Nose On Your Face knows how to get banned by the DU


• Curmudgeonisms says Santa got shot down


• Baseballs Musings considers "less is more"


• Camp Katrina looks at Hillary's priorities


• Tiffany (Blown Fuse) is coming up soon on the Blog Interviews


• Hooah Wife is interviewing me

Lunch 12-23-2005

Try one of these specials with your lunch:

• The Carnival of the Mundate is coming soon [via Blogebrity]


• The Storyblogging Carnival is up [via Aaffkkaacckk]


• Merri Musings is a year old


• Pirate's Cove says the ACLU needs a copy of the Constitution


• Bookofjoe rates the gold-foil chocolate coins. Really.


• Brain Droppings says the Iran music ban may already be a failure


• Baseball Crank promotes a line item budget approval


• ArmyWifeToddlerMom learns lessons


• Vince Aut Morire has Saddam's next ploy


• Anti-Racist Losers look at banning traditional dress at school events


• Tiffany (Blown Fuse) is coming up soon on the Blog Interviews


• Hooah Wife is interviewing me

Breakfast 12-23-2005

Try one of these specials with your breakfast:

• Douchebrity - A satire on Blogebrity


• Alicia (Woman on the Run) has a Charlie Brown tree


• Velociworld has taste [Alert]


• Tisha Sharp plays the Kevin Bacon game


• Hans Mast has the Quote of the Day


• Cry Freedom gets the message


• The Museum of Left Wing Lunacy looks at a pirate [Alert: Noise]


• The Art of the Blog says Newsweek is wrong [Alert: IE only]


• ScrappleFace says Korea is on to a cure


• Wil Wheaton finds the War on Christmas is sometimes at home


• Tiffany (Blown Fuse) is coming up soon on the Blog Interviews


• Hooah Wife is interviewing me

Walking In A Winter Wonderland

Earlier, I mentioned that I didn't agree with the idea that Winter begins with the solstice. Some thought I was just being cranky. Others said I didn't have any reason to complain about winter. And others thought about what qualifies as Winter.

Some of the responses and other posts about Winter got me to thinking about weather and snow.

Growing up in southeast Georgia, I didn't see much snow. In fact, it has snowed three times in my home town. By "snowed" I don't mean flakes in the air. I mean snow accumulating on the ground. We had flakes in the air. They didn't stay long. Except for three times.

On February 10, 1973, it snowed. And we built a snowman. Really. And a snowwoman. She didn't have boobs or anything. But it was a snowwoman because we said so. There once was a Polaroid picture of them, but it's long gone. Oh, and a snowball was kept in the freezer for a while. Someone eventually threw it out. Or at someone. I forget which.

On December 23, 1989, it snowed. And I had to work overnight. I was at the radio station and we stayed on overnight to issue weather bulletins and keep the transmitters from freezing. You see, we're not used to snow and we're certainly not used to driving in it. So when the roads freeze, it's a big deal. And snow makes driving difficult, especially for people unfamiliar with it. And consider, the fact that I can tell you all the dates it snowed means that snow is rare.

In March, 1993, it snowed. A big storm came through. But I can't tell you the exact date, but I'm thinking it was around the 13th of March. You see, I wasn't there. I was in Korea.

I got to Korea on January 15th, 1993. One never forgets the date. I had left on the 13th, but it's a long trip and there's an International Date Line to cross and such, so I didn't get there until the 15th.

And it was cold when I got there. But it got colder.

I was sent to Camp Casey, which is near Dongducheon (it was spelled Tong Du Chon when I was there), north of Seoul. Near the DMZ.

Camp Casey's reception station is called the "Turtle Farm" and newly arrived soldiers called "Turtles." I was sent from the Turtle Farm to Camp Hovey, a short run from Casey. Hovey is near Dokori (spelled Toko Ri when I was there).

Arriving at Camp Hovey, I was sent to B Co, 102d MI Battalion (they've since moved). And they were getting ready to roll to the field. Lucky me.

So, we went on a field exercise. The stitches on my Indianhead patch were still warm when we rolled out. And there were the only warm things around.

We got to the hills on the DMZ where we set up camp. And I had nothing to do. They weren't expecting me. So, I spent my time cleaning stoves and moving rocks around. And walking guard duty.

Guard duty on the snow-covered hills in Korea isn't the most fun thing in the world for a boy from southeast Georgia. Oh, I had seen snow before. Twice. In 1973 and again in 1989. But I hadn't walked around in the snow at 2:00 AM. I'm smarter than that.

Or I was until I got to Korea. And had to pull guard duty. In the snow.

Now, having trained at Ft. Stewart (my first duty station), I was used to blackout conditions. So having the entire perimeter lit up with as many lights as we could find took some getting used to. Turns out that the feeling was that it was more important to see anyone approaching than it was to not be seen by them.

So there I am, walking in the snow with more lights than a Tim Allen Christmas Special. And what's going through my mind? The lyrics to a song.

I bet you can guess the title of the song that went through my mind as I walked through this Winter wonderland, can't you? No, I don't guess you can. No, it's not the song you think. It was Manfred Mann's Earth Band's version of "Blinded By The Light."

Why that song? The cold and the snow can really get to you.

Interviews and the Holidays

We're continuing the Blog Interviews throughout the holidays. But we're changing the schedule somewhat.

This weekend, we have Life-Of-Rubin on Saturday, as scheduled. But you may have noticed that Tiffany from Blown Fuse has agreed to move back a week.

You see, we normally have a guy's interview on a Saturday and a girl's on a Sunday. But this Sunday is Christmas. And we don't want to be unfair to Tiffany by running her interview then. And we don't want to double-up on Saturday, because we're wanting each interview to have its own day.

That's why we asked and Tiffany agreed to moved back a week. Her interview will appear Saturday, December 31, and no inteview will appear Sunday, January 1st.

We'll be back to the regular schedule (guy on Saturday, girl on Sunday) the next weekend.

But, Tiffany's moving to the following weekend gives you the chance to ask more questions of her. If you haven't already, click the link to visit her site, and click the link to ask her some questions.

Headlines News 12-22-2005

From CNN:
L.A. cops set cache of dynamite on fire
First said "Hey, y'all! Watch this!"

From CNN:
Hussein: 'White House lies'
Cindy Sheehan, Michael Moore called as witnesses

From CNN:
Police 'fear worst' for penguin
Glenn Reynolds questioned

From WPTZ:
Released sex offender hunts place to stay
Parole board members refuse to take him in

From WRTV:
Police: Three shot in overnight shooting
None shot in stabbing

From KSAT:
Cooler culprits sought
Authorities tired of un-cool criminals

From CNN:
Insult costs Blake lawyer $18,950
Judge tells Mesereau "And that's the name of that tune"

From CNN:
Katrina is most talked-about story
Latest proof that everyone talks about the weather but no one does anything about it

From CNN:
Government issues salmon saving plan
Fish get Individual Retirement Accounts

From The Evening Standard:
Broadcaster's bones are 'stolen'
Larry King's posture explained

Supper 12-22-2005

Try one of these specials with your supper:

• Soldier's Angel looks at a Project Valour-IT soldier


• Kevin Basil (no relation) has Christmas memories


• The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns concludes we are being stalked


• Palmetto Pundit finds a group on the naughty list


• Stop the ACLU! says the ACLU isn't interested in this nation's security


• Michelle Malkin looks at the stories of the year and other lists


• Farmhunk (The View From the Bunker) gets stood up


• AmyEAllen (Obiter Dictum) begs to be ridiculed


• The Astutue Blogger says the left isn't fit to lead


• The Buzz Blog looks at a Congressman's view of taxes


• Tiffany (Blown Fuse) is coming up soon on the Blog Interviews


• Hooah Wife is interviewing me

Lunch 12-22-2005

Try one of these specials with your lunch:

• CalTechGirl (Not Exactly Rocket Science) hosted the Carnival of the Recipes: Holiday Edition
• Adam's Blog says the deadline for the Carnival of Christmas is tonight
• Frank J. is experiencing problems on his honeymoon
• SarahK (mountaineer musings) is enjoying her honeymoon, though
• Cathouse Chat finds an unfamiliar carol
• Sin City says don't forget about the ChiComs
• Once More Into The Breach says Arab states are squandering their resources
• Sharp As A Marble wonders about kids and photos
• Pamibe can hardly wait for Lassie to come home
• Myopic Zeal looks at the wiretaps
• Right Hand Of God looks at unions
• Tiffany (Blown Fuse) is coming up soon on the Blog Interviews
• Hooah Wife is interviewing me

Breakfast 12-22-2005

Try one of these specials with your breakfast:

• Nickie Goomba has a cartoon


• La Shawn Barber looks at white liberals


• Common Sense Runs Wild found the perfect Christmas gift for your Aunt Flo


• EckerNet finds that Saddam has been tortured


• Mr Snitch is looking for the Best Post of 2005


• Jo's Cafe looks at the strike in the Big Apple


• BatesLine looks at the transit strike


• WuzzaDem presents the Mary Mapes Christmas Special


• Hyscience looks at the dealings on the Patriot Act


• Tiffany (Blown Fuse) is coming up soon on the Blog Interviews


• Hooah Wife is interviewing me

Winter

So, when's the first day of Winter?

December 21st?

Why do you say that?

Oh, because everyone else says so. Well, I don't.

First, who says it's the day of the solstice? Who says it's December 21st?

Your calendar? Are they the same clowns that call the third Monday in February "Presidents Day?" Well, there you go. That's actually Washington's Birthday, not Presidents Day. So that silly little calendar isn't reliable. So, throw that out. Now, what's your authority for December 21st as the first day of Winter?

The guy on the news said so? He's a talking head. He'll say whatever's written down.

There is no Department of Seasons or a Weather Czar or anything like that. Winter is defined when people say it is, to a large degree. So, if everyone decided Winter started on July 4th, that's when it starts. But that's silly.

Let's think serious about it for a minute.

What is Winter? Can we agree that it's the season of the year when the days are the shortest and the temperature is the coldest?

Well, that doesn't correspond to December 21-March 21. The period of shortest days are about 45 days on either side of December 21st. Think about it. December 21st is the shortest day of the year. So the 45 days on either side are the days of least daylight.

But what about temperature? Now, the earth warms up and cools off slowly. Which means that, while the period of least daylight begins about November 5 or 6, the coolest days are the 90 day period that start about 3-4 weeks later. Roughly, the first part of December is the first day of Winter. And it runs for, say, three months. One quarter of the year. So Winter runs December, January, and February.

It starts December 1. Not the 21st.

And let's go one step further. Winter is a period of a type of weather, isn't it? I mean, shorter days and colder temperatures, right? Weather.

So, what to the weather gurus say? NOAA says Winter starts December 1 and runs all of December, January, and February.

But that's meteorological weather, you say? Well, is there any other kind?

So I say again. Today isn't the first full day of Winter. It's the 22nd.

Unless, of course, you live in temperate climate areas. Or the Southern Hemisphere.

In that case, never mind.

Headlines News 12-21-2005

From CNN:
Police officers fired for New Orleans beating
Jobs waiting on them in Los Angeles

From CNN:
Saddam Hussein: We were beaten by the Americans
Former dictator held in Los Angeles

From CNN:
African countries look for tourism boost
Approaching the Dutch "for old time's sake"

From KPRC:
Women use sex appeal to steal
No men have yet complained

From CNN:
Hundreds gather for Williams' funeral
None honor his victims

From CNN:
Study: Gorillas go through menopause
Any time they want to

From CNN:
Letterman subject of restraining order
Complainant gives top ten reasons Letterman must stay away

From CNN:
Gifford, Meredith join ABC's final 'MNF'
Cosell did not return ABC's calls

From CBS News:
Iran Expects Birth of Cloned Sheep in February
Iran sex industry to experience boom

From ABC News:
Santa Gets Government OK to Fly
FISA court bypassed again

Supper 12-21-2005

Try one of these specials with your supper:

• TMH's Bacon Bits uncovers the buried facts in the WaPo NSA story


• The Nose On Your Face has part two of the Guide To Dealing With Your Family During Christmas


• Sigmund, Carl and Alfred present the Iranian view of the Holocaust


• Thus spracht ME wants responses


• The Boiling Point finally has holiday wishes for the GOP ... and for the Dems


• The Wide Awake Cafe tells the judge "Don't let the door hit you..."


• ScrappleFace finds the GOP's latest move on ANWR


• Seawitch says downgrading Katrina didn't downgrade the damage


• Tinkerty Tonk says some are overthinking the real story of Munich


• Fistful of Fortnights signs off


• Tiffany (Blown Fuse) is taking interview questions

Breakfast 12-21-2005

Try one of these specials with your breakfast:

• Frank J. (IMAO) got called everything but a Christian
• La Shawn Barber says even in DC, the spy story isn't everyone's top story
• aTypical Joe changes his mind on pornography
• Scared Monkeys says profiling might be a good idea
• A Knight's Blog looks at the music ban in Iran
• SobekPundit says parents can correct what public schools teach
• Disaffiliates finds an artist that made monkeys out of the critics
• Radioactive Liberty says Dems really do support the troops
• Six Meat Buffet presents Twelve Days: Day Nine
• Kimmy Ramblestrip liked the monkey movie
• Tiffany (Blown Fuse) finds Gap pants are properly named

Lunch 12-21-2005

Try one of these specials with your lunch:

• Texican Tattler has a Jack Anderson obituary


• Politechnical sums up the NSA flap


• SactoDan knows why the NSA story is so big to Dems


• The Meatriarchy compares news to propoganda


• The Conservative Voice looks at "Christmas" and "Holidays"


• Point Five says next season's "24" will be different


• Sun Comprehending Glass debates recruiters on campus


• The Ebb & Flow Institute looks at the Dems' past War on Terror


• The Gunn Nutt says thank a vet


• The Right Place thanks other blogs


• Tiffany (Blown Fuse) is taking interview questions

Cleaning Up For Church

Gettin' ready for Christmas, its' that time of year when you make your regular trip to church. 'Round here, they got Baptist, Methodist, Pentacostal, Whiskeypalian, and the such. But some of the most interesting and fun ones are those that call themselves Orthodox. It don't matter if you're talking Jewish Orthodox or Greek Orthodox, they are all fun. But since the Jewish Orthodox aint' too keen on Christmas for some reason, me and that woman I'm living with decided to go to a service at one of them Orthodox churches.

And, naturally, before we go to church, we got to get all cleaned up. Which brings me to what I want to talk about today:

The different ways men and women get cleaned up.

How To Shower Like a Woman

1. Take off clothing and place it in sectioned laundry hamper according to lights and darks. Walk to bathroom wearing long dressing gown.


2. If you see husband along the way, cover up any exposed areas.


3. Look at your womanly physique in the mirror - make mental note to do more sit-ups/leg-lifts, etc.


4. Get in the shower. Use face cloth, arm cloth, leg cloth, long loofah, wide loofah and pumice stone.


5. Wash your hair once with cucumber and sage shampoo with 43 added vitamins.


6. Wash your hair again to make sure it's clean.


7. Condition your hair with grapefruit mint conditioner enhanced with real passion fruit.


8. Wash your face with crushed apricot facial scrub for 10 minutes until red.


9. Wash entire rest of body with ginger nut and jaffa cake body wash.


10. Rinse conditioner off hair.


11. Shave armpits and legs.


12. Turn off shower.


13. Squeegee off all wet surfaces in shower.


14. Spray mold spots with Tilex.


15. Get out of shower and stand on bathmat.


16. Dry with towel the size of a small country.


17. Wrap hair in super absorbent towel.


18. Return to bedroom wearing long dressing gown and towel on head. If you see husband along the way, cover up any exposed areas.

How To Shower Like a Man

1. Take off clothes while sitting on the edge of the bed and leave them in a pile. Walk naked to the bathroom.


2. If you see wife along the way, shake wiener at her making the 'woo-woo' sound.


3. Look at your manly physique in the mirror.


4. Admire the size of your wiener and scratch your ass.


5. Get in the shower. Wash your face. Wash your armpits.


6. Blow your nose in your hands and let the water rinse them off.


7. Fart and laugh at how loud it sounds in the shower.


8. Spend majority of time washing privates and surrounding area.


9. Wash your butt, leaving those coarse butt hairs stuck on the soap.


10. Wash your hair. Make a Shampoo Mohawk. Pee.


11. Rinse off and get out of shower. Avoid bathmat.


12. Dry off forearms and butt only.


13. Fail to notice water on floor because curtain was hanging out of tub the whole time.


14. Admire wiener size in mirror again. Shake it to watch water fly off.


15. Leave shower curtain open, wet mat on floor, light and fan on.


16. Return to bedroom with towel around waist.


17. If you pass wife, pull off towel, shake wiener at her and make the 'woo-woo' sound again.


18. Throw wet towel on bed.

More Whtie Trash Wednesdays

Agent Bedhead
Alabama Improper
And Rightly So!
BOBO BLOGGER
Dangerous Logic
Feisty Republican Whore
HECTOR VEX
It Is What It Is
Lost In Lima Ohio
Mean Ol' Meany
Merri Musings
MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
Pennsylvanian in exile
Pirate's Cove
Public Figures
Riehl World View
Right Truth
Rightwingsparkle
Six Meat Buffet
Sortapundit
Stupid Random Thoughts
The Jawa Report
The Nose On Your Face
The Therapist
Vince Aut Morire

Impeachment?

Looks like impeachment calls have started over the spying controversy. Heh.

Area 51

As we noted on the most recent Lunchtime post, the Commisar of The Politburo Diktat has updated the map of the Empire of Blog. Of course, it's broken down into the Kingdoms of Kostria and Wingery.

I also noted that this little blog didn't appear on the map. Some thought I was whining about that. But that's incorrect. I was merely pointing out that fact.

Why, then, was this little blog left off? Easy. We are the secret weapon of the Kingdom of Wingery. Naturally, we officially "don't exist" and are not on any map. Just like Area 51.

But rest assured, we are a part of the battle ... and we contribute to the cause when hostilities flare.

This little blog may or may not appear on future revisions of the map. Regardless, our presence, like the Dreamland secret weapons, will be felt.

UPDATE: The latest version of the map does indeed show us. And we're where the blogs on the Left will never see us! Heh.

Headlines News 12-20-2005

From CNN:
What's heaven like, Barbara Walters?
Good Lord, I hope not!

From WKMG:
Accidental 'cowboy' shooting kills man
First 'Brokeback Mountain' murder reported

From WRTV:
Police merger, gay rights measures pass
Gay cops celebrate

From KPRC:
Earthquakes moving to Houston
Hurricanes, tornadoes call in reinforcements

From CNN:
Bush: Secret wiretaps will continue
Adds: "They're not so secret anymore"

From CNN:
Stem cells proving popular gift
'Late-term Abortion Elmo' flying off shelves

From CNN:
Judge: No 'intelligent design' in Pennsylvania classes
No intelligent judge in court

From CNN:
Bush: Wiretaps disrupt the enemy
Al-Qaeda: Thank Allah the Democrats are on our side

From CNN:
Cheney cuts short Asia-Mideast trip
Must get back to running country

From Fox News:
Senators Want to Know Bush Wiretap Authority
Reid: "What is this 'Constitution' I keep hearing about? Never heard of it."

Supper 12-20-2005

Try one of these specials with your supper:

• Dizzy Girl gets her first golden shower


• Llano Estacado identifies the Al-Qaeda spy network


• Dane Bramage hosts the New Blog Showcase


• Euphoric Reality says Heidi's away but Kit's still around


• Partisan Pundit uncovers evidence of American soldiers terrorizing Iraqi children


• Pros and Cons knows why FISA was bypassed


• Bloggin' Outloud finds why people are visiting


• Ogre reports another Star Chamber in Mass


• Part-Time Pundit says go ahead and surrender


• NIF is back


• Tiffany (Blown Fuse) shows a family photo

Lunch 12-20-2005

Try one of these specials with your lunch:

• A Bama Blog finds a liberal paper sounding upbeat


• Politburo Diktat updates the map ... and we're still left off!


• Hog On Ice says he has the real scanda


• Pirate's Cove says the Dems prove they can't be trusted


• Phin has a phairy tale


• The Bullwinkle Blog has been thinking too hard


• WuzzaDem goes Inside The Actor's Studio


• Harvey offers a Bad Example of a Christmas song


• Michelle Malkin looks at what the NYTimes didn't find fit to print


• Sean Gleeson is working the issue


• Worst Job Ever [via Drumwaster's Rants, via Hog On Ice]


• GOP and the City strike blogs


• The Weblog Awards winners are certified


• Tiffany (Blown Fuse) is taking interview questions

What The Polls Mean

From CNN:
Poll: Iraq speeches, election don't help Bush

From ABC News:
Poll: Bush's Approval Ratings Climb

No, this isn't an early episode of Headline News. But these contradicting stories from two different news services make me wonder about things.

Why would different polls about the same topic give such different results?

Easy. Polls aren't all that reliable. Which brings us to this inescapable conclusion:
We need to scrap the BCS and institute a playoff system.

How To Waste A Day Off

How evil are you?

Found at blonde sagacity

There are people that might disagree with this assessment.

Breakfast 12-20-2005

Try one of these specials with your breakfast:

• Riehl World View says media bias is more than many think


• Hello Iraq says it's worth repeating...


• Down for Repairs says Winter's here already, but other stuff is coming


• Public Eye (Bachman) finds common ground with Iran


• SondraK has a new crush


• Firepower Forward says it's been a long year


• Freedom Folks says the Minutemen are being smeared


• Nehring The Edge reviews The Island


• Oystersnout does headlines. Oh, and made the six-month mark


• Confederate Yankee says the Times is getting Roved


• Tiffany (Blown Fuse) is taking interview questions

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year … Not!

It's not that I don't like Christmas. But there are certain things about Christmas I don't like.

Traffic, for instance.

Okay, those of you that live in places where bad traffic is a day-to-day occurance don't want to hear about my little whine. But I got to wonder about living in that kind of traffic every day. I don't. And I don't like that kind of traffic at all.

Around here, traffic is really bad around Christmas. It's because so many people are out shopping. And that's another thing I don't like about Christmas.

For years it's been that Christmas is all about buying stuff. You got to buy stuff. Or you're a bad guy.

Not that I don't want to give special people special gifts. But what makes them special is when they aren't expected. But at Christmas, it's expected. And I don't like that.

Now, the look in a child's eyes when he sees something special ... that's wonderful. But does that make it all worthwhile?

That depends. Can you achieve the same thing without all that commercialization of the holiday? I think it can be done. But we're lazy people. So it's easier to go along with putting up with hearing "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" on the radio and bumper-to-bumper traffic than it is to make something really special.

No, I don't like lots of things about Christmas.

Check that.

I don't like lots of what's happened to Christmas.

Headlines News 12-19-2005

From CNN:
Final passage of torture ban nears in Congress
Senators' heads held under water until they agree

From CNN:
Official: Terror head mistakenly released
Unfortunately, his body was released with it

From WGAL:
Black ice surprises drivers
Rev. Jesse Jackson calls report 'racist'

From WCVB:
Snoop Dogg's mom pleads for peace
Hopes Christmas dinner goes better than Thanksgiving

From WEWS:
Plunge from highway bridge was 'a sign'
Driver: Bill Engvall was right*

From KMGH:
Affidavit: Stylist stole Kevin Costner's laptop
Collector of bad movie scripts

From CNN:
Author of Roswell 'flying saucer' news release dies
Bright light he saw on deathbed was just a weather balloon

From CNN:
Cell phone driving on the rise
How cell phones obtained driver's licence still unclear

From CNN:
Groups sue to protect polar bears
Coca-Cola to appeal ruling, continue filming commercials

From CNN:
Weezer singer staying celibate
Rivers Cuomo wants to get laid, but just too ugly

Supper 12-19-2005

Try one of these specials with your supper:

• Oddybobo says last year's Christmas list did no good


• Dr Phat Tony looks at what some e-cards say about us


• Lost In Lima Ohio looks at the Florida sex offender registry


• Maggie loves her newspaper


• Mean Ol' Meany looks at the 4th Amendment


• Miriam's Ideas are on the wiretap issue


• MrsSatan isn't exactly wild about Harry


• Naked Villainy says the air marshalls did their job


• Neddy's Palavar has Longfellow's poem set to music


• Julie with a B has a pun. Oh, and we missed her blogiversary.

Lunch 12-19-2005

Try one of these specials with your lunch:

• SondraK picks a winner


• The Goober Queen has her to-do list


• Grandma's House thinks the Bold New City of the South has students that are too bold


• Hector Vex reports the Man with the Yellow Hat is losing his patience


• Jack Army says stuff needs doing


• GOP and the City is preparing for a strike


• In The Bullpen looks at Dubya's speech


• ScrappleFace has the original draft of Dubya's speech


• HundredPercenter News says the Iraqi Stock Exchange has potential


• Life-of-Rubin has more on Jew Da Maccabi


• Kerfuffles looks at the Trojan Donkey

Breakfast 12-19-2005

Try one of these specials with your breakfast:

• Ann Althouse looks at Brokeback Mountain


• Sortapundit presents Brokeback Mountain ... in pictures


• Riehl World View has a promo pic for the movie


• joe-6-pack (geosciblog) broke the law


• bRight & Early finds a headline that gives pause


• aTypical Joe is making his shopping list


• Dagney's Rant is about wingnuts


• Daisy Cutter continues the Iraq War Debate


• California Conservative looks at Dubya's speech ... and the spin


• Gina's Rantings are about children


• Sean Gleeson remembers the day


• Tiffany (Blown Fuse) likes naps

Blame Sean Gleeson II

No, Sean Gleeson didn't beat me to the punch on a clever idea like he did once before.

No, this time, I'm blaming Sean for getting Dreamhost all riled up.

Way to go, Sean.

No, in all seriousness, it's not Sean's fault. Not even a little bit. But the other day, I read a post he wrote about Dreamhost writing him a nasty-gram. Seems Sean has been taking up system resources:

Specifically your CPU minute usage for today is 108.52

Now, Sean is a programmer. He does programming stuff for a living. And programmers are notorious for doing programming stuff. They can't help it.

Now, I'm not a programmer. I've tinkered with some BASIC (not Visual BASIC, but 1970-era Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code). Which shows you just how long ago that was. I wrote a "2001" game where you worked your way through the ship to shut down HAL. And, of course, a blackjack game. Everybody wrote blackjack games. That was 1978.

I've tinkered with ASP, ColdFusion, PHP, JavaScript. But I don't consider myself a programmer.

So, while I felt bad for Sean when he got the letter from Dreamhost, I felt good that I didn't have to worry about that.

Until late Sunday. An email arrived:

Unfortunately it appears that your site is using more than your fair share of system resources on your shared hosting machine alvarado. Our system has flagged your account because it is using a large number of CPU minutes per day on alvarado. We need you to trim down your resource consumption considerably. Should you ignore this or subsequent warnings your account may be moved to an evaluation server which could cause downtime.

Specifically basilsblog's CPU minute usage for today is 55.10.

What the... ???

They let Sean go till 108 and they're fussing about 55 with me? What's up with that?

Okay. So I have to check the logs later today to "understand exactly which of (the) scripts is using what resources".

Which means I'll be working on two projects.

One project is to replace the scripts that are resource hogs with better-behaved scripts.

The other project? Watching to see how long before they shut Sean down. So I'll know just how long I have to get it done!

Brunch 12-18-2005

Try one of these specials with your weekend brunch:

• 45-Caliber Justice is looking for the ten stupidest blogs


• OrthoDixie defines a religion


• Paradosis looks at Kwanzaa [via OrthoDixie]


• 21st Century Paladin looks around the Web


• A Blog For All finds the New York Times with a story bad for the ChiComs


• A Short Course In Chaos looks at the NY Times story on wiretaps


• Raven (And Rightly So!) looks at the same story


• Baldilocks gives her take on that story


• Steve Donohue (A Republic, Madam...) says finals are finally over


• Skipper (BMEWS) muses

Sissy of And What Next

Today, we have another interview schedule. Sissy of "And What Next"...


Everyone's ready with their questions...


So here we go...

Brunch 12-17-2005

Try one of these specials with your weekend brunch:

• Mensa Barbie gets a battery-powered toy for the pussy


• Chip Mathis isn't going to see Brokeback Mountain


• Conservative Thinking looks at the rights of terrorists


• Choose Life updates the Silent Night song controversy


• Jack Yoest looks at jobs and Christmas


• Stop the ACLU! looks at the domestic spying story


• Gribbit's World considers the left


• Musing Minds has no Christmas ornaments


• Pirates Cove: 12 Days of Christmas, Day 5


• Shoot a Liberal asks what next


• Hooah Wife (who is interviewing me!) hands out awards

Adam Gurri from Sophistpundit

This weekend, we've got two more great interviews lined up. Today, it's Adam Gurri from Sophistpundit...


Our interview panel is set...


And now our first question...

TypePad Down

In case you haven't noticed, TypePad is having major problems.

See this for further details.[<<UPDATED!] Or this.

Essentially, the sites are up, but with old posts. They say two days old, but I see some sites that are nearly a week old. Regardless, they're down (current content-wise) and are trying to get back up. They may be back up in five minutes. Or next week. Who knows? It's been all day, and they're not back up yet. And that's a problem for many, many blogs.

Anyway, some months ago, Mu.Nu blogs experienced a similar outage. Now, mu.nu blogs are more of a community ... or cult, I'm not sure which. Regardless, a lot of good blogs were down, and several bloggers joined together to post links to "temporary" homes.

Today, it's TypePad with issues. And this post says "Open TrackBacks," but it's not really.

If you have a TypePad site, but are operating at a temporary location (such as Blogger or some other service), leave a TrackBack from your temporary site so others will be able to find it. Yes, you'll need to link to this post so that the Spam Karma filter will let it through. Plus, it will allow others that find you to get here to find others.

I don't care if you're left-wing, right-wing, or wing-less. If you're impacted by the TypePad outage and are running a temporary site, you're welcome to list it here.

Oh, don't forget, you're also welcome to register at Pyjamas Media (not Pajamas Media) and post there for as long as you like. It's open registration. Anyone can get an author account and publish what they want. Really.

One last thing: If you're looking for the normal Supper post to list your stuff, sorry. Use today's Breakfast or Lunch. The TrackBacks on this post are reserved for TypePad temporary sites or those linking for that topic.

TypePad sites with and their Temporary Solution:

• Here in the Bonny Glen: at LiveJournal
• The Heretik: at TypePad Refugees (Blogger)
• Agitprop: at TypePad Refugees (Blogger)

UPDATE: TypePad is back up. Republishing is happening.