Almost Done!

Saturday, February 28, 2009
I only have two weeks left in my last required course from the "leadership" catalog in my degree program. I'm glad, of course. Aside from the presence of the champion asshat in this class, the entire thing was just supremely boring. I've had to force myself to do the work in order to maintain my GPA, and the SmartMan is pretty fucking tired of hearing me complain about it, bless his heart.

I still have the final project to complete and turn in, but that little piece of dumbassery will require its own blog entry.

In the meantime, registration for the Spring quarter is open, and I've decided to take Social Services in America. From the catalog:
Societies organize to provide essential social services. This course focuses on the arrangements for basic social services in American society: education, healthcare, income, transportation, and housing. The role of government and private providers is explored in the context of the public policy that supports and maintains these services. Various methods and criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of these services will be introduced, such as who will be served, access to services, and satisfaction of the people being served.
I'm looking forward to this class, as I've enjoyed all of the courses I've taken from the Public Policy and Social Services catalog thus far. I know the study of public policy and social services is incredibly boring to many people, but I find it endlessly fascinating.

I only have one more class in my degree program that I'm really not interested in, and then everything else will be a pleasure. I could have taken the "chore" class this quarter and gotten it over with, but I feel like I needed a treat after slogging through yet another course on "Leadership." And Social Services in America is a treat. At least for me.

More Room, Please - and a Snack


My current PC has a 144GB hard drive, with a 232GB external drive for back-up activities.

Up until now, this has worked out just fine, since I don't play many games. The majority of my space is taken up by my music and audio book library.

But now I'm running out of space. Mostly because I keep finding more and more audio books that I want to listen to, even though I delete them from the drive after I'm done listening to them. My "to listen" list is now almost as long as my "to read" list.

So I'll be moving to a 1TB hard drive this month, to give me some growing room for my audio books. And more pictures of the Incomparable Boogie™, of course. Here he is, waiting patiently for another snack.*


*Boogie is always waiting for another snack, regardless of what he's had to eat that day. The fact that I'm a soft, soft Dog-Mom may have something to do with that.

The Moon and Venus

Friday, February 27, 2009

Ths is a very poor quality picture of the moon and Venus as seen from our back patio. Trust me, it was much cooler in person.

The Bad Astronomer Bump

As has happened before, I am apparently the recipient of "The Bad Astronomer Bump" due to a link I sent to Dr. Phil Plait via Twitter.

Welcome, Bad Astronomer fans! If this is your first time here, feel free to look around, and comment if you feel so inclined. Or lurk. Either way is fine, and the regulars around here are pretty good about welcoming new folks who don't subscribe to Nathan's categories of wackadoos on the Internet.*

My contact information is on the sidebar if you'd like to reach me.


*These are described as "a large subset of people just looking for something to be upset about. They can be divided into further subsets, consisting of the bat-shit crazy, the frothy, the poo-flinging monkeys, the hideous arse-candles, the unhinged, and possibly worst of all...MENSA MEMBERS!"**

**
I have nothing against Mensa members per se - I know very few personally, as Mensa is not an organization that interests me. But the subset described above does seem to contain a disproportionate number of people who belong to Mensa. Just sayin'.

Who Cares? Magazine, Volume 3, Issue 9


Did Beyoncé lip sync her number with Hugh Jackman during the Academy Awards? Is Etta James having the last laugh? What other deceptions has she wrought? Who Cares!

'Tards of the Week - Scott Renfroe and Dave Schultheis

Thursday, February 26, 2009
It's a first here at Hot Chicks Dig Smart Men - we not only have two 'tards this week, but they'll be featured in the same entry.

Why, you may ask - why is Janiece reformatting the beloved 'Tard of the Week feature this week?

Because, as embarrassed as I am to admit it, both of these fucknuts are Colorado State Senators. That's right, Hot Chicks and Smart Men - I live in a state that elects not one irritating, ignorant dumbass to the Senate, but two! Lucky, lucky me.

Senator Scott Renfroe was commenting on a bill on Monday that would allow same-sex health care benefits to state employees. Not content to simply vote his so-called conscience and cast a "no" ballot for the initiative, he felt compelled to testify, brother!



That's right, folks - here in Colorado, we don't need to attend to that pesky, pesky 1st Amendment! The 1st Amendment is for sinners and suckers! After all, we have Leviticus to guide our law-making activities!

Okay, I just threw up in my mouth a little.

Really, Senator Renfroe? Really? What the hell is wrong with you, you ignorant fuckwad? Aside from being a Levitican, I mean. Leaving aside for the moment the obvious fact that my Smart Boy is a more polished, coherent and articulate speaker than you are, how can you possibly believe that quoting the Old Testament is an appropriate reference for a secular debate about law? Law that must be in compliance with that pesky, pesky 1st Amendment, incidentally?

Christ on a crutch - have you considered acting like, you know, a Christian? Fucking 'tard.

Next on our hit parade is Zippy the Pin-Head, otherwise known as Senator Dave Schultheis. Zippy, being the font of compassion and wisdom that he is, believes that pregnant women should not be required to have HIV screening, because the disease "stems from sexual promiscuity" and he didn’t think the Legislature should "remove the negative consequences that take place from poor behavior and unacceptable behavior."

Because everybody knows that only skank-ho's contract HIV, and Zippy is the only one who's qualified to judge the behavior of these women, since he's such a paragon of conservative virtue and all. Scarlet Letter, anyone?

And tell me, Zippy, how the hell does staying ignorant of your medical condition equal "negative consequences?" The negative consequence here would be to the baby, you 'tard, who might contract the virus without preventative treatment being started. I guess "true conservatives" like our buddy Zippy believe the babies of HIV positive mothers should share their mother's disease as a lesson to all those uppity sluts out there. That'll teach 'em!

My Colorado Senators, ladies and gentlemen. I'm so proud.


H/T to Hot Lurker Jan.

Born-Again Heathen

My moral compass may be askew, but at least it's not guided by the Bible. Via Jim:

Your morality is 0% in line with that of the bible.

Damn you heathen! Your book learnin' has done warped your mind. You shall not be invited next time I sacrifice a goat.

Do You Have Biblical Morals?
Take More Quizzes

My Moral Compass is Askew

Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Via Lance, I have become aware of a woman in Spain who set fire to her daughter's rapist.

Yes, you read that correctly. She doused her daughter's rapist in petrol, lit a match, watched long enough to ensure he was burning briskly, then walked away.

Which inspired this internal monologue:

Janiece the Mom: Serves that fucker right! Good for her!

Janiece the Liberal: What? She set that man on fire! What is wrong with you?

JTM: Get over yourself. That man raped her baby girl. Who was 13 years old.

JTL: He was found guilty by the Spanish legal system and given an appropriate sentence. It's not up to citizens to punish the guilty. That way lies anarchy.

JTM: Anarchy-Smanrachy. He raped her baby girl. I'd to the same if some reprobate raped my Smart Daughter.

JTL: You might think you would, but you wouldn't. You wouldn't be able to live with the guilt of having tortured another human being to death.

JTM: Maybe the guilt would kill me, but the fucker who hurt my baby girl would also be dead. Dead as a doornail. Which is what he deserves.

JTL: But that makes you no better than the rapist!

JTM: Whatever. I'm a mother, and revenge would be mine.

JTL: Your moral compass is askew. Bad behavior on someone else's part doesn't justify it on yours, and you know that. You've tried to teach your kids that.

JTM: I've also tried to teach them that I would walk through the fires of hell for them. Or in this case, I'd force the degenerate to walk through the fires of hell. Don't mess with my kids.

JTL: So your hypocrisy is justified as long as you can hurt the person who hurt your child?

JTM: Damn skippy. Don't mess with my kids.

JTL: You're a barbarian, you know that?

JTM: Now you understand.

I'm so confused...

DonorsChoose - Science Rules!

Today I got a notification from DonorsChoose that my donation to Ms. M's fourth grade class has been put to good use. You can see the little whipper-snappers using their cool science gear here.

Congratulations to Ms. M for taking the initiative in getting her kids what they need to prosper, and congratulations to her kids for having a chance to do some science.

Science Rules!

Speaking of Having the Snot Scared Out of You...

Tuesday, February 24, 2009
I was walking the Boogie-Dog this morning, and he scared the snot out of me.

I let him off his leash, as I often do when there's no one else on the path. Well, he decided he needed to run for a bit, and took off at full-on Boogie speed, ears back, mouth open, tongue lolling.

Until he tripped over a cable of some kind and went ass-end over teakettle, hard.

He scrambled to his feet pretty quickly, and appears to be unhurt, but his heart was pounding, and he went back on his leash for the remainder of his walk. Now he's fine, and indulging in his new favorite pastime - begging for more Milk Bone Combo Snacks, his new favorite.

Of course, I'm still a bit wiggy, but I guess that's the danger of having an intellect that remembers more than 15 seconds into the past.

Poor Boogie. Poor doggie-Mom.

Now Here's A Shocker

Via Konstantine, I took the personality defect test, and I've discovered I'm a Smartass. Yeah, hard to believe, I know.

Your result for The Personality Defect Test...

Smartass

You are 71% Rational, 57% Extroverted, 71% Brutal, and 57% Arrogant.


You are the Smartass! You are rational, extroverted, brutal, and arrogant. In fact, you could very well be the anti-Christ, as you are almost the exact opposite of everything Jesus was supposed to be. While Jesus says love your enemy, you say love beating the crap out of your enemy. While Jesus raises the dead, you raise hell. While Jesus walks on water, you tend to sink. You probably consider people who are emotional and gentle to be big pussies who are obviously in lesser stature than you. You have many flaws, despite your seeming intelligence and cool-headedness. For instance, you aren't very nice. In fact, you're probably an asshole. And you are conceited and self-centered. Not only that, but you are very loud and vocal about all this, seeing as how you are extroverted. There is no better way to describe you than as a "smartass", I'm afraid. Perhaps just "ass" would do, too. But that's a little less literary and descriptive. At any rate, your main personality defect is the fact that you are self-centered, mean, uncaring, and brutally logical.

To put it less negatively:

1. You are more RATIONAL than intuitive.

2. You are more EXTROVERTED than introverted.

3. You are more BRUTAL than gentle.

4. You are more ARROGANT than humble.

Compatibility:

Your exact opposite is the Emo Kid.

Other personalities you would probably get along with are the Capitalist Pig, the Braggart, and the Sociopath.

If you scored near fifty percent for a certain trait (42%-58%), you could very well go either way. For example, someone with 42% Extroversion is slightly leaning towards being an introvert, but is close enough to being an extrovert to be classified that way as well. Below is a list of the other personality types so that you can determine which other possible categories you may fill if you scored near fifty percent for certain traits.

The other personality types:

The Emo Kid: Intuitive, Introverted, Gentle, Humble.

The Starving Artist: Intuitive, Introverted, Gentle, Arrogant.

The Bitch-Slap: Intuitive, Introverted, Brutal, Humble.

The Brute: Intuitive, Introverted, Brutal, Arrogant.

The Hippie: Intuitive, Extroverted, Gentle, Humble.

The Televangelist: Intuitive, Extroverted, Gentle, Arrogant.

The Schoolyard Bully: Intuitive, Extroverted, Brutal, Humble.

The Class Clown: Intuitive, Extroverted, Brutal, Arrogant.

The Robot: Rational, Introverted, Gentle, Humble.

The Haughty Intellectual: Rational, Introverted, Gentle, Arrogant.

The Spiteful Loner: Rational, Introverted, Brutal, Humble.

The Sociopath: Rational, Introverted, Brutal, Arrogant.

The Hand-Raiser: Rational, Extroverted, Gentle, Humble.

The Braggart: Rational, Extroverted, Gentle, Arrogant.

The Capitalist Pig: Rational, Extroverted, Brutal, Humble.

The Smartass: Rational, Extroverted, Brutal, Arrogant.

Be sure to take my Sublime Philosophical Crap Test if you are interested in taking a slightly more intellectual test that has just as many insane ramblings as this one does!

About Saint_Gasoline

I am a self-proclaimed pseudo-intellectual who loves dashes. I enjoy science, philosophy, and fart jokes and water balloons, not necessarily in that order. I spend 95% of my time online, and the other 5% of my time in the bathroom, longing to get back on the computer. If, God forbid, you somehow find me amusing instead of crass and annoying, be sure to check out my blog and my webcomic at SaintGasoline.com.

Take The Personality Defect Test at HelloQuizzy

Jindal/Palin in 2012? Run! Run for Your LIVES!

It seems Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is giving the Republican response to President Obama's Congressional address this evening.

Touted as the Republicans' up and coming star, it seems pretty clear that Governor Jindal is positioning himself to run against Obama in 2012.

And that scares the shit out of me.

Not because he's posturing and strutting around like a bantam rooster in terms of his response to the President's stimulus bill - that's just partisan politics and business as usual. His hypocrisy on this issue makes him no worse than most of the blowhards who make up those who govern (on both sides of the aisle).

What scares me about Jindal is that he thinks exorcism is a really swell idea for those among us who are, you know, possessed. And he signed a bill into law in Louisiana that gives Intelligent Design an inroad into public school science education.

Here's a guy who's obviously extremely bright (Rhodes scholar, governor at 37), whose intellect not only accepts but embraces the ideas of demonic possession and creationism.

And it appears he wants to run for president.

I just realized we could be looking at a Jindal/Palin ticket for 2012. Or a Palin/Jindal ticket.

Either one makes my liberal self want to run screaming into the night.


Of course, the fact that Governors Jindal and Palin are so extreme in their beliefs may mean that middle-of-the-road America may take a good long look at them and curl their lip in disgust. The last eight years notwithstanding, we do tend to elect (and reelect) centrist leaders.

IhopeIhopeIhope.


H/T to my celebrity boyfriend The Bad Astronomer for the graphic.

Do Wackadoos Evolve?

Monday, February 23, 2009
I feel like The Metatron this morning - It never ends.

It seems that a young woman in Washington state named Kim Struiksma has decided that teaching evolution is Teh EEEvil, and is attempting to get an initiative on the state ballot that would ban this bit of blasphemy.

Specifically, the initiative would prohibit "state use of public money or lands for anything that denies or attempts to refute the existence of a supreme ruler of the universe, including textbooks, instruction or research."

Wow. Just...wow.

Even Ms. Struiksma's muse, the Reverend Tom Hoyle, who operates Bible and Sciences Ministries* out of Tacoma, thinks this is a crappy idea. Not because it violates the establishment clause, but because evolution is a legitimate scientific theory. Like most ID proponents, he thinks it's incomplete, but at least he has the sense to recognize that the idea some merit.**

As opposed to Ms. Struiksma, whose grasp of biology is apparently equalled only by her familiarity with the 1st Amendment.

Luckily, these wackadoos have some work to do before this piece of crap ends up on the ballot. The group requires 241,153 valid voter signatures by July 3rd to qualify the initiative. Here's hoping the registered voters of Washington state can see this for what it is, and laugh Ms. Struiksma and her retarded little initiative right off the public scene.

_______________

*Yes, I did giggle like a school girl when I wrote "Bible and Science Ministries."

**Or he could be disavowing Ms. Struiksma's ideas to make his IDiocy look more mainstream by comparison. There's nothing like a freeze-dried wackaloon to make your wackadoo tendencies look less crazy, and preachers are typically second only to politicians when it comes to pandering.


H/T to Skepchick

Still Here

Sunday, February 22, 2009

So SmartFriend got delayed in the midwest due to weather, so Demento Dog spent another night here in the Yellow House. He has a special fondness for Boogie's favorite puppy toy, the "Soggy Hog."

Boogie is not amused.

NPR - WTF?

Saturday, February 21, 2009
For those of you who don't read WWdN, please follow this link to an entry Wil made on how NPR used the music of a young experimental musician called Zoë Keating without her permission or giving her credit.

I really, really like NPR - I listen to their podcasts, I give them money.

And I'm very disappointed in them for this turn of events.

I can only hope it was oversight by an inexperienced associate, rather than a future trend, and that they'll make the situation right. I left a comment on the ATC website, and I hope you do the same if this offends you.

I'm Such a Nerd

Thanks to Matt, I have discovered that I am a "Pure Nerd."

Your result for The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test...

Pure Nerd

70 % Nerd, 30% Geek, 35% Dork


For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.

A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.

A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.

You scored better than half in Nerd, earning you the title of: Pure Nerd.

The times, they are a-changing. It used to be that being exceptionally smart led to being unpopular, which would ultimately lead to picking up all of the traits and tendencies associated with the "dork." No-longer. Being smart isn't as socially crippling as it once was, and even more so as you get older: eventually being a Pure Nerd will likely be replaced with the following label: Purely Successful.

Congratulations!

And while I was at it, I had to find out which Buffy character I am. Surpise!

Your result for The 4-Variable Buffy Personality Test...

Willow Rosenberg

45% amorality, 64% passion, 73% spirituality, 45% selflessness


Likely you're stronger on the inside than most people would give you credit for: like Willow, you're a decent person with both passions and a spiritual side, sometimes struggling for control.

Willow is one of the most beloved characters in the Buffy universe;

Congratulations!


Now I really have to go and complete some homework...

I'm Not the Demento Dog You're Looking For

Friday, February 20, 2009

Click o' the PhotoShop to Lance.

Ridiculousy Excited

I've been registered to vote since I was 18. I've voted in every national election since then, and the local ones where I've actually been currently living in the city where I was registered (see: Military, Overseas Duty Assignment).

But in all those years, I've never been summoned for jury duty. Not once. Until now!

Yes, I've been summoned to perform my duty as a citizen, and (perhaps) sit in judgment of my fellow citizens.

Of course, they usually summon three times as many people as they may need, and I won't know until the night before if I even have to go in on the day I'm summoned. And once there, I may not get called. And if I'm called, I may be eliminated during voir dire, seeing as how I'm such a dirty liberal and all.*

But this is a duty of citizenship that I've never been called upon to fulfill. And while I realize that often this duty is boring and a big time waster, I'm still ridiculously excited. Because the alternative is oh-so-much worse.

I love the Constitution.
_____________

*My county is overwhelmingly conservative. A liberal like me is somewhat of a statistical outlier, which means I may be eliminated in favor of a juror who more closely resembles the general population.

Boogie Blogging Friday Featuring Demento Dog

Here are the results of today's photo shoot with Boogie and Demento Dog.

They don't like to be next to each other, so I finally gave up and took separate shots.

Boogie's used to being the subject of my photos, but I had to bribe Demento Dog into holding still for the camera with a snack. The clicking of the "shutter" makes him bark. He's really quite a weird little dog.

SmartFriend will be back tomorrow, and Demento Dog will go back to his previous existence of non-Internet celebrity.

^O.O^

Who Cares? Magazine, Volume 3, Issue 8


Real Housewives of Orange County star Gretchen Rossi had a secret boyfriend when she was nursing her millionaire fiance! The boyfriend claimed her devotion was an act! Will Gretchen snag another millionaire? Who Cares!

Doggie Chats

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Boogie: So, are you glad I'm back?

Demento Dog: ^O.O^

Boogie: Mom said you were acting like a real bitch while I was enjoying my bath and haircut.

Demento Dog: ^O.O^

Boogie: She said you spent the whole time either whining or running all over the house like a speed freak.

Demento Dog: ^O.O^

Boogie: You really shouldn't stare like that - it's kind of impolite.

Demento Dog: ^O.O^

Boogie: I'm a good, good boy. You should learn to act more like me.

Demento Dog: ^O.O^

Boogie: There's just no talking to you. I'm going to pee now.

Adventures with Demento Dog - Day 2

Boogie-Dog is at the groomer's this morning, enjoying his monthly bath and haircut.

And Demento Dog is beside himself.

Instead of just staring at me with that vacuous, creepy intensity, he's staring at me while oscillating and whining. And then he freaks out, running laps around the pool table while chasing a squeaky toy. Schizophrenic Demento Dog - he can't decide if he's freaking out because of Baron's absence, or if he's thrilled beyond measure because of Baron's absence.

It's going to be a long morning.

^O.O^

If You Want a Laugh...

Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Then read this talk about atheism and freethought given by The Onion's Scott Dikkers, recorded on the Freedom From Religion website.

Warning: People of faith may take offense at some of Mr. Dikker's commentary. Or not. I guess it depends on how seriously you take yourself. I laughed my ass off.

Demento Dog II - The Staredown


Demento Dog has joined us again this week. His human had to leave town unexpectedly due to a death in the family, so I'm being treated to Demento Dog II -The Staredown.

Poor Jakey. He's the butt of everyone's jokes.

'Tard of the Week - "America Forever"

This week's 'tard is a group who identifies themselves as "America Forever."* These bastions of tolerance and love are responsible for the ad featured at right, which ran in the Salt Lake Tribune. Go ahead and read the tripe these folks are spouting, if you dare. I'll wait.

All done? Nauseous now? Yeah. Me, too.

Here are my favorite parts:
  • "This is not about hate or civil rights." Really? Are you sure about that? Because your rhetoric sounds awfully hateful to me. And please save me from your canard that gays and lesbians have the same rights you do because they're allowed to marry other gays and lesbians of the opposite gender. Disingenuous at best, that's really just spiteful. The real hypocrisy there is that in the next breath, they say that by allowing gay and lesbian couples to openly "display" their relationship, they're "forcing the acceptance of homosexuality as a relationship equal to a man and woman relationship." Yeah, you're right. No civil rights violation there.
  • "This is the reality of the gay movement." And then they go on to quote something called "The Homosexual Declaration of War" from 1987, where teh gayz evidently descended upon Washington to decry American values, family and straight people everywhere. Since the majority of gay activism today is geared towards allowing gay and lesbian people into the mainstream, I guess it's appropriate that that this wack-a-doo organization should be battling a gay and lesbian wack-a-doo organization.
  • "Shame on Utah gays for using the LDS Church." Because really, we all know that the LDS church is really secretly supporting the gay agenda. Because that's who they are.
  • "Gays should be forced to not display their sexual conduct." I guess it's okay to be gay as long as you stay firmly and irrevocably in the closet so as not to offend "America Forever's" tender sensibilities.
  • "Anti-Species behavior, as in homosexuality, promotes the use of these natural instincts against its own nature, and should not be endorsed by the law." Because teh gayz are just unnatural. Sort of like them black folk governing themselves is just unnatural. But we're not bigoted! Oh, no!
This particular piece of poo is so offensive, I'm not sure I can come up with an appropriate piece of vitriol to respond.

What I can say, however, is that this ad, all by itself, has encouraged me to support "The Common Ground Initiative," which is evidently a movement in Utah dedicated to fighting for the rights of gay and lesbians to health care, fair housing and employment, wrongful death legal rights, adult joint support, and Amendment 3 clarification. Before I saw this ad, I didn't even know what the Common Ground Initiative was, but the fact that "America Forever" thinks they're so poisonous means I'm probably on the same page. I doubt very much that was what "America Forever" had in mind, but them's the breaks when you're so busy frothing at the mouth you can't see two feet in front of you.

So you, "America Forever," are 'tards. Of the first order. Your ignorance of the culture you detest is only surpassed by your unreasoned bigotry and hatred. Fuck off, won't you?


*Why, yes, linking that website did make me throw up in my mouth a little. Thanks for asking.

An Embarrassment of Riches

Tuesday, February 17, 2009
So my Hot Mom came down on Saturday so we could go to lunch and visit for a bit. She also brought me an embarrassment of riches in discarded yarn from the Longmont Senior Center.

Hot Mom is a member of their knitting group, and evidently yarn gets donated to the group on a fairly regular basis, usually from homes of seniors that have passed on. Since I donate so many pieces to the group's charitable tally, they periodically try to replenish my yarn stock so it's not quite so expensive.

And while I do appreciate them thinking of me, the poor pool table is groaning under the weight of their contributions. I guess I better get to knitting.

Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History, Volume XIX

Meet Elizabeth Wanamaker Peratrovich. Yesterday, Alaskans celebrated her day, February 16th, in honor of her civil rights work.

A native Alaskan, her Tlingit name was Kaaxgal.aat, and she was of the Lukaax.adi clan of the Raven moiety.

An educated woman, she attended the Western College of Education in Bellingham, Washington, where she met and married her husband, Roy Peratrovich in December, 1931.

The moved to Juneau in 1941 when Roy became Grand President of the Alaska Native Brotherhood, and at the at the same time Elizabeth served as Grand President of the allied Alaska Native Sisterhood. Once there, they began to complain and lobby for the removal of signs in business establishments revealing blatant discrimination against Alaska's Native people such as "No Natives Allowed." She and her husband also experienced housing discrimination during their move.

After years of working with Governor Ernest Gruening and Congressional Representative Anthony J. Dimond, the bill was finally passed in 1945, after Elizabeth's testimony provided the key impetus for the legislators.

In 1988, February 16th became "Elizabeth Peratrovich Day," in honor of the anniversary of the signing of the Anti-Discrimination Act in 1945. This law was the first equal rights law in the United States, and Mrs. Peratrovich was the driving force behind it.

Mrs. Peratrovich died in 1958 of cancer.

One wonders what Mrs. Peratrovich would have thought about the election of President Obama. Based on her testimony before the legislature, I can only believe she would be very, very pleased.

Thank you for your work, Mrs. Peratrovich, on behalf not only of your brothers and sisters, but of all oppressed people. Ill-behaved, indeed.


H/T to Alaskan Hot Chick Tania.

Sesame Street Rocks the House

Monday, February 16, 2009


I'm a busy human today, working on a short fuse project. So in my absence, enjoy this "who's who" of Sesame Street cameo's from that classic, "Put Down the Duckie."

Cranberry Walnut Jam

Sunday, February 15, 2009
I'll be making cranberry walnut jam this afternoon. I have several friends and family members who really enjoy this flavor, since it's not too sweet, and also makes a good choice for jam-related cookies.

I bought the cranberries during the holidays, because finding whole, fresh cranberries at any time of year except Thanksgiving and Christmas is problematic.

Plus it makes the house smell really good. What are you doing today?

Colorado Voices

I need some help, Hot Chicks and Smart Mean.

I'm considering submitting an entry into the Denver Post's "Colorado Voices" contest for guest columnists, but since I've never written a column in my life, I'm a bit at a loss as to what I should write, or if I should recycle some particularly good blog entries (sans profanity) for the contest.

According to the website, any entry should reflect a particularly "Colorado" point of view, rather than commenting on national issues.

I'm open to suggestions - if there was something I wrote that you particularly liked, I'd appreciate your input, or if you have a topic that you think would be appropriate, let me know that, too.

Thanks!

Hot Chicks, Smart Men and Good Music

Saturday, February 14, 2009
Last night, Hot Chick Anne, the Smart Men and I went to see Government Mule at the historic Fillmore Auditorium.

First we had dinner at the Buenos Aires Pizzeria, a local Argentine restaurant recommended by Anne. We tried some local dishes, and had gelato for dessert. Hmm...gelato!

The concert was opened by some local DJ who (apparently) used his iTunes account to mix music in a way that made us want to use our dentist-approved toothpicks to either permanently damage our hearing or perform on-the-spot lobotomies. It was bad. Especially since the crowd that would enjoy Gov't Mule, who has a very unique blues-inspired southern fried rock guitar-pr0n sort of sound, is typically not interested in the "creative" things you can do to the bass line of Santana's version of Black Magic Woman. Yuck. I wanted to pinch that D.J. Hard.

Gov't Mule was quite good. They played for two and a half hours, with a short intermission featuring a dance routine performed by their roadies. They're all consummate musicians, and they were obviously thoroughly enjoying themselves.

A good time was had by all, which means I'm even less interested than normal in spending time on my homework this morning.

*yawn*

To My Smart Man on Valentine's Day

Boogie Blogging Friday

Friday, February 13, 2009

Hmmm...snackies!

Who Cares? Magazine, Volume 3, Issue 7


Pre-Grammy 911 call reveals R&B singer Chris Brown beat girlfriend Rihanna! She fled the country! Will Chris be sent to prison, or will he be forced to wear her Leather Gloves of Shame? Who Cares!

The Court Gets It Right

Thursday, February 12, 2009
Via Dr. Joe Albietz on Twitter, this breaking news:
A special court ruled Thursday that parents of autistic children are not entitled to compensation in their contention that certain vaccines caused autism in their children.

"I must decide this case not on sentiment, but by analyzing the evidence," one of the "special masters" hearing the case said in denying the families' claims, ruling that the families had not presented sufficient evidence to prove their allegations.
The science is in, people. Instead of wasting your time and money (and the government's time and money, actually) continuously insisting that your child's autism was caused by vaccination, why don't you expend that energy in finding out what really causes autism? Or perhaps lobbying for the support and treatment programs that gives you and your family the support you so desperately need?

IT'S OVER. VACCINATION DOES NOT CAUSE AUTISM.

Move on, for everyone's sake. Please.

Darwin Day - A Celebration of Humanity


I'm a fangirl of science. While my own genetic gifts lie more in the area of the Liberal Arts, I still love science, and many of my Nerd Loves are scientists.

At the top of that historical list would have to be Charles Darwin. Eric has already done an admirable job of explaining why Mr. Darwin was not only a good human being, but a scientist of incomparable worth, so I'll skip that part, other than to comment on how very tickled I am that The Origin of Species is currently sold out at Amazon.

My own thoughts on this day pertain to how Darwin's work allowed humanity to look at ourselves in a new light. Instead of relying on supernatural explanations for our consciousness, for our intelligence, for our search for meaning, Darwin allowed us, as a species, to shift our focus to the natural.

How incredible - how awe inspiring - this is. That humanity has evolved into the species we are today, with all our foibles and all our glory, is the most amazing thing I've ever heard. It humbles me, it makes me proud, it fills me with hope for our future.

And I don't think Darwin's ideas and science are incompatible with the spiritual life that so many human beings believe in. Like Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite, I think people who live a spiritual life can reconcile their beliefs in a creator god with the science of evolution without compromising themselves. I also think people who believe the existence of a creator god is an open question can recognize the desire for grace in other human beings, and attempt to meet them half-way.

Because for me, this is what it means to be human. We're animals, evolved from less complex life forms, attempting to survive - or even thrive - in an inimical world. We're conscious, and sentient, and search for meaning in our lives. Whether we find that meaning in spiritual quests, in service to others, in discovery - we all want to feel that our presence in this world made a difference. Evolution gives us the choice to embrace our animal natures, or to rail against them, or to seek the spark of the divine in our animal selves. Prior to evolution, we had only the creation stories of the cultures in which we were born. Now we can write our own stories, based on our own conscience, belief or education.

This was Darwin's gift to humanity. The freedom to write our own stories. And to act on them.

Happy Birthday, Charles Darwin.

Get Off My Lawn While You Text

Wednesday, February 11, 2009
The Smart Boy recently decided he wanted to use the texting function on his cell phone, which he had previously been uninterested in.

Wisely, he chose to pay for the "unlimited texting" option for his line.

Wise, because last month he sent and received over 6,000 messages, averaging over 200 messages a day.

This is in addition to hours-long conversations with various and sundry.

200 messages a day. Really? When does he have time to do anything else?

I don't get it. And get off my lawn while you text.

Doggie!


You know I'm a dog person. In fact, I'm positively soft when it comes to my Boogie-Dog, who keeps me company throughout the day.

So this year I'll be sponsoring my friend John and his two Golden Retrievers, Jordan and Campbell, in the Annual Denver Dumb Friends League Furry Scurry. All proceeds will be going to support the DDFL mission:
Founded in 1910, the Dumb Friends League is a national leader in providing humane care to lost and abandoned animals, rescuing sick, injured and abused animals, adopting pets to new homes, helping pets stay in homes, and educating pet owners and the public about the needs of companion animals.

The Dumb Friends League is the largest animal welfare organization in the Rocky Mountain region, welcoming tens of thousands animals to our two shelters. We turn no animals away.

I know economic times are tough, but if you feel so inclined, please donate as much (or as little) as you can to this endeavor. You can find John's page here.

Thanks, Hot Chicks and Smart Men! And as Matt says, Doggie!

A-Rod on Steroids? I Find I'm Shocked

Yawn.

Turns out New York's darling, Alex Rodriguez, used performance enhancing drugs (PEDs).

Really? I find I'm shocked. Shocked, I say!

Okay, not really.

Baseball is the only sport that I follow on any kind of a regular basis, but I'm not a fanatical fan. We enjoy going to games several times a year, and if the Rockies (or the Reds) do well, we enjoy watching their success.

But the steroid/HGH/PED thing? I'm not at all surprised to learn that top players are doing this. In fact, I'm surprised when it's determined that top players aren't doing PEDs.

And while I'm not going to join the pitchforked mob in demanding the head of Bud Selig (although I do think his response has been a bit...cavalier), I think there's a group deserving of my loathing. Yes, player's union, I'm looking at you. While I can understand a desire to protect your members, your behavior has been nothing less than shameful. Cheating should simply be unacceptable, and you essentially actively defend the practice.

There's a reason many Americans look upon Unions with fear and loathing. They don't all suck, but enough of them do that suspicion seems to be the wise course of action.

The Joys of Parenthood, Part 684

Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The body shop called. Not surprisingly, the Hooptie's a total loss.

Next up: Calling the scrap business to come and get it from the body shop.

Sigh.

The International Internet Bacon-Abatement Coalition

Because all the cool kids are doing it, I've decided to join "The International Internet Bacon-Abatement Coalition."

This is an ad hoc organization dedicated to the idea that Bacon on the Internet is just tired and so yesterday.

And in keeping with the spirit of the organization, here's my poster contribution:

'Tard of the Week - Danny Nalliah

You know those brush fires in Australia? The ones that have killed over 100 people and caused millions in property damage? Those fires?

Well, apparently they're the result of god removing his conditional protection from the nation of Australia, in particular Victoria. The devil hisownself is starting those fires, and god is allowing all those folks to die because Victoria has decriminalized abortion.

This incredible claim is brought to you courtesy of this week's 'tard, Pastor Danny Nalliah, who knows all this is true because god told him so in a dream last October.

Setting a new standard in classlessness and poor taste, ole Danny decided that his visions from the almighty should be shared with the afflicted, and did a press release blaming the natural disaster on those godless heathens that would kill the unborn. Pastor Nalliah also apparently believes the financial crisis and Australia's drought were direct consequences of human sin.

Which just goes to show that the fundamentalist nutjobs are not limited to the North American continent, mores the pity.

Thanks, Pastor Danny, for providing me with "'Tard of the Week" fodder. And if I could make a suggestion, you might want to do a little reality check with a lesson in logical fallacy and the scientific method. "God did it" isn't really a precise or provable statement, and making such claims only demonstrates your status as an epic 'tard. Not to mention a complete tool.

The Joys of Parenthood, Part 683

So I get a call from the Smart Boy yesterday afternoon - he's had another accident. This time he rear-ended another student's car on the major thoroughfare near our home. The reason? She screeched to a halt to avoid hitting the car in front of her, who was...wait for it...stopped in the middle of the road because he wanted to change lanes.

I don't think anyone was hurt, although the driver of the vehicle he rear-ended said on the accident report that her neck hurt. She was able to drive away.

He got a ticket for following too close (of course), and his poor little Honda is in bad shape. We had it towed to a body shop, then we took his girlfriend home, and went to sign the paperwork for the repair.

This is going to cost lots and lots (and lots) of money to repair. Once the estimate comes in (sometime later this afternoon), I'll need to decide if we'll repair the car or scrap it.

Oh, and the asshat that stopped his vehicle in the middle of a major thoroughfare and caused the trouble? Yeah. He drove off. Classy.

This incident is making me cranky for a variety of reasons:
  • The economy's in the crapper;
  • And this repair is going to be very expensive;
  • At a time when I'm trying to bolster our emergency fund, rather than deplete it;
  • And my job is not very secure;
  • And did I mention the economy's in the crapper?
Sigh.

The 2012 Pelosi GTxi SS/RT Sport Edition

Monday, February 9, 2009
You know, I'm a liberal. But this is just funny.

More neocons should attempt to make their points with humor instead of Poo Flinging (*cough*Ann Coulter*Rush Limbaugh*cough).



Spin o' the Wheel to my Hot Mom.

The Stupidest Movie Evah

So yesterday the Smart Man and I were watching Liam Neeson kick some serious ass at our local theater. Hmm...Liam Neeson.

But I digress. This post isn't about Liam Neeson, in spite of his long-term presence on my celebrity boyfriend list. This is about what is quite possibly the Stupidest Movie Evah.

The Smart Man and I were treated to the previews of a movie called Crank 2: High Voltage, starring Jason Statham (rowr) and GFY favorite Bai Ling.

The premise is that Jason Statham's character, Chev Chelios, has his heart "stolen" from his chest and replaced with an artificial construct. The bad guy wants Chev's heart because it's nearly indestructible, presumably due to the poisoning it endured in that cinematic triumph, Crank.

The catch in this story is that the artificial heart must be "charged" periodically in order to keep beating. This, of course, leads to Chev electrocuting himself in various ways as he attempts to track down his own heart.

Really, Lionsgate? Really? You brought us Dogma. And Monster's Ball. And Hotel Rwanda. And Akeelah and the Bee.

This is the kind of drek you choose to distribute when funny talented folks like Elana Frink are still struggling? Shots of Jason Statham electrocuting his nipple and tongue with a car battery?

I may sink into despair. Won't you join me by watching this trailer?

Taken

Sunday, February 8, 2009
Just returned from watching Taken with the Smart Man.

Liam Neeson's character was a total badass - almost as badass as Rob Roy.

Of course, I'm pretty much willing to watch Liam Neeson read the phone book, but I thought the movie was a decent action flick.

Hmm...Liam Neeson!

Why Jon Stewart Should be the President's Advisor




His bailout plan, i.e., "Trickle Up Economics," starts at about 5.23.

Good Citizenship

Saturday, February 7, 2009

I believe the message here is "Good Citizenship."

And it matters.

Hot Chicks and Smart Men - Worldwide!

One of the do-dads that I have on the side bar is the visitor's map from ClustrMaps:

Locations of visitors to this page

I check the larger version periodically, and recently noticed that they have a country-counter feature. I cannot believe how many countries have visited HCDSM:

United States (US)24,363
Canada (CA)1,836
United Kingdom (GB)1,250
Australia (AU)488
Germany (DE)444
India (IN)420
Netherlands (NL)192
South Africa (ZA)188
France (FR)155
Italy (IT)142
New Zealand (NZ)102
Turkey (TR)101
Mexico (MX)99
Europe (EU)96
Norway (NO)94
Pakistan (PK)94
Brazil (BR)83
Malaysia (MY)82
Greece (GR)82
Spain (ES)81
Philippines (PH)81
Belgium (BE)80
Switzerland (CH)80
Saudi Arabia (SA)76
Denmark (DK)75
Sweden (SE)71
Poland (PL)70
Finland (FI)69
United Arab Emirates (AE)68
Ireland (IE)68
Egypt (EG)63
Singapore (SG)57
Japan (JP)52
Romania (RO)51
Indonesia (ID)50
Portugal (PT)41
Thailand (TH)38
Austria (AT)36
Israel (IL)36
Argentina (AR)30
Russian Federation (RU)29
China (CN)28
Croatia (HR)27
Vietnam (VN)26
Czech Republic (CZ)24
Hungary (HU)24
Chile (CL)24
Korea, Republic of (KR)23
Puerto Rico (PR)23
Qatar (QA)23
Bulgaria (BG)22
Serbia (RS)22
Venezuela (VE)20
Hong Kong (HK)16
Slovakia (SK)16
Kuwait (KW)14
Sri Lanka (LK)13
Kenya (KE)13
Colombia (CO)12
Jordan (JO)12
Lithuania (LT)12
Cyprus (CY)11
Trinidad and Tobago (TT)11
Lebanon (LB)10
Malta (MT)10
Bangladesh (BD)10
Nigeria (NG)10
Slovenia (SI)10
Estonia (EE)10
Ukraine (UA)10
Peru (PE)9
Oman (OM)9
Iran, Islamic Republic of (IR)9
Algeria (DZ)8
Macedonia (MK)8
Morocco (MA)8
Costa Rica (CR)8
Sudan (SD)8
Jamaica (JM)8
Taiwan (TW)8
Tunisia (TN)7
Iceland (IS)6
Yemen (YE)6
Barbados (BB)6
Mauritius (MU)6
Luxembourg (LU)6
Latvia (LV)6
Guam (GU)6
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (LY)5
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BA)5
Bahrain (BH)5
Fiji (FJ)4
Panama (PA)4
Bolivia (BO)3
Ecuador (EC)3
Maldives (MV)3
Moldova, Republic of (MD)3
Iraq (IQ)3
Nepal (NP)3
Cayman Islands (KY)3
Bermuda (BM)3
Nicaragua (NI)3
Kazakstan (KZ)2
Ghana (GH)2
Aruba (AW)2
Honduras (HN)2
Saint Lucia (LC)2
Uganda (UG)2
Guatemala (GT)2
El Salvador (SV)2
Dominican Republic (DO)2
Cote D'Ivoire (CI)2
Asia/Pacific Region (AP)2
Palestinian Territory (PS)2
Grenada (GD)2
Afghanistan (AF)2
Georgia (GE)2
Brunei Darussalam (BN)2
Reunion (RE)1
Gibraltar (GI)1
Zimbabwe (ZW)1
Northern Mariana Islands (MP)1
Botswana (BW)1
Senegal (SN)1
Paraguay (PY)1
Faroe Islands (FO)1
Netherlands Antilles (AN)1
Lesotho (LS)1
Mongolia (MN)1
New Caledonia (NC)1
Belarus (BY)1
Antigua and Barbuda (AG)1
Guyana (GY)1
Macau (MO)1
Turks and Caicos Islands (TC)1
Bhutan (BT)1
Uzbekistan (UZ)1
Armenia (AM)1
Suriname (SR)1
Cameroon (CM)1
Haiti (HT)1
Zambia (ZM)1
Lao People's Democratic Republic (LA)1
Holy See (Vatican City State) (VA)1
American Samoa (AS)1
Anguilla (AI)1
Syrian Arab Republic (SY)1
Virgin Islands, U.S. (VI)1
Myanmar (MM)1

Myanmar? Seriously? And where the hell are "Reunion" and "Brunei Darussalam?"

Of course the one that made me laugh and laugh is the visitor from the Holy See, heretic that I am.

Where do your visitors come from?

Dodging the Bullet

Friday, February 6, 2009
The plumber has come and gone, and the issue was apparently a leaky seal around the Smart Boy's bathtub drain that was leaking down the outside of the pipes and collecting above the ceiling in the laundry room.

The entire visit cost less than $150.00, and the plumber was punctual, courteous and helpful.

Yay, Crown Plumbing! If you're a South Metro Denver resident and you need a plumber, I'll recommend these guys any time.

Who Cares? Magazine, Volume 3, Issue 6


Was Christian Bale's outburst justified bacause Cinematographer Shane Hurlbut is an ass? Will they ever reconcile? Who Cares!

The Joys of Home Ownership - Not

Thursday, February 5, 2009
This is the ceiling in our bathroom/laundry room, which is located below the two upstairs bathrooms.

Notice anything?

Yeah. It totally sucks to be our laundry room ceiling.

It is with great fear and trepidation that I have called...a plumber.

He will be here tomorrow morning.

Wish me luck...