Just pics

I have spent a lot of time today debating the great issues of the day- and for my trouble I was called a liberal, skinhead, jew-hating, ignorant bigot by a guy who I was agreeing with on about 80% of the things being discussed!  And I have been shaking my head at the bullets that flew at College Station today.  A FB friend put it this way when he bowed out today- its all a bunch of "mental masturbation" in which everyone gets hurt.  So I'm just going to show you some pictures that will bring smiles and not debates.

Sunday, Mr. Woodpecker made a return visit.



I got Laurie to come for a walk with us that afternoon.  Of course, you almost can't get through the woods these days without running into deer.

This one- the younger doe, not mama- jumped across the back road.  Laurie spotted her in the woods.



When me and Scrappy got up, a Jenny Wren was on the feeder.  After we got up there was a different customer.

Yep, Mr. Chipmunk, just chillin'.

We ran into the one fawn just before entering the back road from the south.  Scrappy even tried to chase him, for a change.  But the rest of the crew were in the tall stuff, as usual.

The other day on a blog I follow, a commenter mentioned a "pushme-pullyou" and the blogger said she didn't know what one was.  This is a good simulation.

I thought this was interesting- black bees with yellow saddlebags!  Then came a bug about the size of a bumblebee, but all green like a katydid.  It cruised by slowly, like a teeny tiny balloon in the wind.  Soon later, I saw this...

Looked just like a frickin' sponge!





By the way, the conversation (or what passed for one) on FB?  The guy ended up saying at the end, "I get defensive about things sometimes.  I am forgiving, it just takes time".

My reply?  "Apparently."  Mark Souder really throws a good party!

January junk

Or, an alliterative way of saying Bits and Pisses. Well, I got to go back to work today, not so Laurie. I got to be a guest packer in the blow-fill dept., which consisted of blowing bits of fuzz off just filled pillows and throwing each flavor in one box; once these boxes were filled, put them in the actual display packages with the right side of the law label up, all upcs facing one direction, doing bits of building the boxes and labelling them when needed, and trimming unruly strings. The main bright spot was I got my chance to see how well the new car does in winter slop (answer, quite well) as well as how it does going home on good road (answer, going 80 feels just as smooth as going 45- a good thing within caution).



My sister Jen Schible turns 59 today!!! Happy birthday, Pete!!!



The continuing story of the facebook page shows us with 3 count 'em three likers so far! Thank you very much. I'll try to make it as rewarding an experience as ... as... well, as rewarding as reading a nitwit like me can be.



I had a comment by anonymous on the first fb post "another retarded idea". They ask,

"retarded doesn't mean stupid. I don't get why you used it here."

Well, anon, it's like this. First off, unlike other cultural buzzwords such as "gay" and the "n" word, it can be used in a non-derogatory sense. It means in essence to be held back to a lower level by some means or for some reason. Unconvinced of its wisdom, I held it to a lower level of esteem than other far better ideas. Therefore, it is perfectly acceptable to use in this sense; where "gay" I would not use on this site because of its derogatory nature (though I will and do use it in informal conversation because of my opinion of not so much the sin of homosexuality but the activists that want to flaunt it as if there going to gain "converts" to something they claim is "not a choice"); nor would I use the "n" word here, even though to me its definition is "not ambitious enough to work, ambitious enough to commit crimes" As you can see, this can and should apply to people of any race, but is too tied to one (whether from history or from example) to divorce it from race. Once again though, I am wont to use it in private conversations when discussing those who fit the definition.

Secondly, if you look under the windmill on the blog home you see the phrase, "and pc be hanged." If anyone needs to feel offended by my use of this word, be offended because you are a true believer of pc and I am a heretic.

So, Jim Harbaugh is happily ensconced in San Fran, leaving the UM alumni "Jim or bust" clique out in the cold and the rest of them happy to have in Brady Hoke an alumnus, at any rate. The winner in this whole situation, though, is Les Miles. His flirtation with the job was more than enough to scare LSU into giving him that BIIIIG new contract. And Pitt , who took Miami of Ohio's coach when they decided to give Dave Wannestadt the bum's rush (can't argue with that move) and then fired him when he celebrated by smacking his baby-momma around, have ripped off their second mid-major of the off season by stealing Tulsa's coach. Not that I wish bad on anyone, but it would be amusing to see them stumble onto a reason to fire this guy without a game played too, and watch 'em go crawling back to that bum Dave. Speaking of bums, that's pro'ly how Miami coach Tony Sparano felt after owner Stephen Ross and GM Jeff Ireland (remember him? He's the one who during last years draft interview asked Dez Bryant how his mom liked being a ho) fell all over themselves to apologize for "how they handled" their flirtation with the aforementioned Mr. Harbaugh. When original owner of the Dolphins Joe Robbie died in 1990, organizational class died with him.

Oh, and I guess my thought about not giving nutbags air time isn't a worldwide thought. From T6news:

After receiving an offer to be on a nationally syndicated radio talk show, Topeka's Westboro Baptist Church won't picket the funerals of any of the six victims of Saturday's shooting rampage in Tucson, Ariz., after all, a church spokeswoman said Wednesday afternoon.
Shirley Phelps-Roper, a church spokeswoman, said the pickets had been called off after radio talk show host Mike Gallagher offered to have her on his radio program Monday.
Phelps-Roper said the decision boiled down to the church being able to communicate its message with as wide an audience as possible. She said Gallagher's radio audience is estimated to be about 10 million people.

Gallagher, from what I hear, is to the right of Rush Limbaugh, and I'm sure that broadcast will be a real knee-slapper.

The church had sparked outrage earlier this week when it announced it would protest the Thursday funeral of 9-year-old Christina Taylor Green, who was one of six people killed during Saturday's shooting spree that also wounded U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz.
However, that protest was called off in exchange for the church being given airtime on two radio stations -- KXXT-AM, a 50,000-watt station in the Phoenix suburb of Tolleson, Ariz., and Canadian station CFNY-FM, 102.1 "The Edge" in Toronto.
Phelps-Roper was interviewed on the Dean Blundell Show on the Canadian station on Tuesday and is to be interviewed again on the show Thursday.

Blundell, from what I can determine, is like a "Bob and Tom" show with even less good taste. Shirley will either be highly insulted or feel right at home, depending on how warped a sense of humour she has.

She also is to be a guest on "The Steve Sanchez Show" on Saturday morning on KXXT-AM.
Upon hearing of the church's plans to protest at the funerals of the Tucson shooting victims, some residents of the Arizona city began to organize efforts to shield mourners from the picketers.
As for trading picketing at funerals for radio airtime, Phelps-Roper said, "It's always a question of where can you put the words in the most ears."
This isn't the first time Westboro Baptist Church has traded picketing at a funeral for radio airtime.
In October 2006, the church cancelled plans to protest at the funerals of five Amish girls who were executed in their Pennsylvania school in exchange for an hour of airtime on Gallagher's radio show.
Phelps-Roper said the church also cancelled plans to protest at Virginia Tech after a gunman killed 32 people in a massacre in April 2007 for airtime on Gallagher's show.

When does being "all things to all men" bleed into prostituting your message, Shirley?

Phelps-Roper will be a guest on "The Steve Sanchez Show," a live call-in program that airs from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturdays Topeka time on KXXT-AM radio, which serves Phoenix and the surrounding area.
On Wednesday, Sanchez said he had Phelps-Roper on his program in October before she hung up on him after he challenged her views from a scriptural viewpoint during their chat.
For Saturday's show, he said, he would avoid going "down that road" again and would allow Phelps-Roper to have a "platform" for her viewpoints during 30 minutes of airtime, though he said there would be plenty of "disclaimers" and that he would "moderate" the discussion.
Calls from listeners also may be included during the half-hour segment, which is to run from 9:15 to 9:45 a.m. Topeka time.

That would be 11:15-11:45 our time here in beautiful Fort Wayne, dudes.

Sanchez said the show is heard in several major U.S. cities in addition to Phoenix, and also can be heard live online by logging onto his website, www.thestevesanchezshow.com.
Sanchez said he came up with the idea to offer Phelps-Roper the airtime in exchange for not protesting at the girl's funeral on Tuesday night.
He said he called Phelps-Roper and initially requested that the Westboro church not picket at any of the funerals from Saturday's shooting. However, Sanchez said, Phelps-Roper refused to stay completely away and the two sides agreed that the church wouldn't protest the girl's funeral.
Sanchez said he called Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer on Tuesday night to inform her the church had agreed to stay away from Thursday's funeral.
Sanchez said that as a Christian, he disagreed with Phelps-Roper's viewpoints, but was willing to give her 30 minutes of airtime to keep the Westboro church away from the girl's funeral.
"Of course she wants her platform," Sanchez said. "I looked at it this way: I'm a grown man, and I can stand 30 minutes of her."

You sure? I've seen grown men puke from just drinking beer.

Meanwhile, a team of four other Westboro Baptist Church members on Friday will be in Washington, D.C., to picket the memorial service for Richard Holbrooke, who was special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan before his death in December.
Margie Phelps said she and three other church members would picket Holbrooke's memorial service at the Kennedy Center , as well as protest at American University and an Islamic center in Washington, D.C.
"It never takes but three or four people to handle one of these things," Phelps said. "There's always people available if we need them. It's just managing the resources the Lord gave us."
Another group of Westboro picketers are to go this weekend to Los Angeles, where they will picket the Golden Globes Awards ceremony.

The Golden Globes? WTF???

Okay, I think I'm done offending and informing for one evening. Gottsa go ta work tomorrow, y'know? (note to Bob G's neighbors- that's what the neighbors you don't like do during the day).

The latest retarded idea

I am trying to set up a TAW page on facebook. This is only a test.

And it is a test which apparently worked. I say apparently because we had one of those "internet explorer has encountered a problem and needs to shut down" moments when I think I sent out invitations to our facebook friends. When I attempted to try again, the faces of those I sent to are "grayed out", but I won't know for sure unless one of these lovely people did get it, did come to TAW, and will puh-lease send a comment saying so.

Anyhow, I'd be taking a nap by now but when I called work and got the bad news of "don't come in tomorrow", I asked if Madame Plant Mgr. would call and let us know if dipping into next summer's vacation week money might be possible and am waiting approximately 22 more minutes for a response. On the bright side, I'll be able to stay up and watch Oregon gaily stampede all over Auburn tonight without worry of that "stayed up too late" feeling.

Speaking of Football, here's an update on the NHFFL's Commissioner's cup race. For those not up to speed, this is just keeping track of our fantasy leagues' point totals through the Super Bowl- aka something to do once our fantasy season is over. Each of us- myself, Laurie, KC, and Shenan, has 3 teams in the league. For those now up to speed and don't want to be, I think I'm done for the day- scroll past the numbers to make sure. For those still with me: the B2s are done (as in all their players are out) with 28 points. The Clock BBQs have 4 left and 37; Rhinos, 2 left and 43; Buzz, 3 left and 47; the world champion KCAs, one left and 48 (I won last year so why be a pig); Rangers, 5 left and 49; T-Cubs, 4 left and 51; SVA, seven count em left and 55; Beagles, 3 left and 58; Angels, 3 left and 60; in second, the Elks, 6 left and 80; and still in the lead with 5 left and 96, the State Ducks.

Okay, fooey on Lisa, I'm going to bed.