Explosion

I had a television/computer free Sunday so it wasn't until this morning I heard about the Middletown Explosion. The footage of the damage was just horrifying to see. I feel so badly for the families affected by this.

It was strange to see the DC metroplex on the news trying to dig out of the snow this morning. They're just not ready for that much snow. I guess the weather gurus were right for a change. Late Friday afternoon I was online teasing friends in the DC area about the "snowpocalypse" and how they were wussies for leaving work early. They reminded me of my harrowing trip home last week and cried "pot, kettle, black"... all in good fun. Then I saw what they were dealing with today and see they're still offline. I hope they're warm and at least having some fun with the snow at this point.

More snow and possibly a blizzard for Tuesday into Wednesday - and southern New England might get hit this time. Think warm thoughts people.

For the love of the game

I spotted this story on Yahoo! this morning and thought I'd share:

Soldiers find time for hockey in Afghanistan.

My first love is baseball (go Yankees!) but my second is hockey (go Rangers!). I'm used to seeing stories about the armed services playing baseball but this is a first for hockey. Well, for me anyway. Leave it to the Canadians. I love how the soldiers have adapted the game for their environment and their attitude:

In fact, the teams don't even leave the rink. As the warning siren wails, they hit the floor and press themselves against the wooden sidings. Goalies aren't very mobile anyway, Stark said.

"It would be a bit of a challenge to run to a bunker with all that gear," he said. "As soon as the 'all clear,' the game picks up again and away we go."

Go Canada!

And speaking of Canada and hockey... is it me or does it seem the Olympics are late this year? I thought the winter games took place in January, not February. Seems Obama isn't going for security reasons - which must make everyone's life a bit easier.

Wolf Moon

Biggest and Brightest Full Moon of 2010 Tonight

A Wolf Moon. I noticed this morning (I'm up long before the sun) that the moonshine seemed incredibly bright but I thought it was just the reflection of the snow and ice on top of the greenhouses. Apparently not.

Driving home last night was Not!Fun! I left Stratford around 5:15 pm, headed for Easton. There were very dark clouds in the west but I didn't think much of it until, on the 8/25, I drove into a snow squall. Clear and perfect visiblity and then WHAM!Blizzard! That was a first. I couldn't see beyond the front end of my car. The roads froze over fast and by the time I hit the Merritt Parkway people were slip-slidin' away. I am an accomplished and confident foul-weather driver but that mini-blizzard scared the crap outta me. When I finally made it to Sport Hill Road the local roads were a sheet of ice and there was a huge crash/multi-car pileup on the Sport Hill. I got stuck twice trying to get up the hills and finally made it to the Farm an hour and a half after leaving Stratford -- door-to-door is usually 20 minutes. It was a nightmare of a trip home.

Driving in extreme rain, snow, wind, fog... not an issue for me. I'm pretty damn good at it, if I do say so myself. Ice? shudders Had I known what was ahead of me I would have thought twice about going home.

I could have used a shot of something when I finally reached my tranquil litle bungalow... tequila, scotch, bourbon, vodka. Sadly the house is free of alcohol. I will have to rememdy that deficiency post-haste!

Scream and Cry

My new Shock and Awe (remember that from the last decade?).

The Guantánamo “Suicides”: A Camp Delta sergeant blows the whistle

I just have no words.

Christmas gifts

Edited to add an LOL!


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When I handed out my wishlist for Christmas to family it included Dunkin' Donuts coffee, suggestions from the Nordic Needle (or just a gift certificate), a gift card for iTunes and gift certificates to Knitting Central in Westport, CT. My family, being generous and kind, filled my list to bursting. A week ago Saturday Mom called to say she saw a sign saying Knitting Central was going out of business - damn! I was going to use the gift certificate for more advanced classes in knitting but I think I'll use it for shopping this weekend.

Normally I hunt down yarn for crocheting and knitting projects as cheaply as I can (see Noble knits) because I'm cheap, but I'll be getting some really nice (and expensive, no doubt) yarn on Saturday. Knitting Central will continue its online store but the bricks'n mortar store will be closing in March. It's always sad to see those small businesses close and there are so few in southern Fairfield county it just makes it doubly sad to see. People like me are a small part of the problem. I just cannot afford the higher prices for yarn or stitching projects the small stores have to charge. Shopping online means I get more bang for the buck but it also means the small specialty stores cannot compete with the lower prices. Vicious circle. Economics sucks.

le sigh

~ ~ ~

For Haiti

Google Critical Response has a list of well known charities accepting donations for Haiti relief. Please give what you can.

And, if inclined, wish hangnails on Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh. Edjits.

In case you haven't seen these

and you probably have, because I'm usually six months out of date...

Yarn Find, kinda like eBay for yarn

and

Woot, which describes itself thusly:

Woot.com is an online store and community that focuses on selling cool stuff cheap. It started as an employee-store slash market-testing type of place for an electronics distributor, but it's taken on a life of its own. We anticipate profitability by 2043 – by then we should be retired; someone smarter might take over and jack up the prices. Until then, we're still the lovable scamps we've always been. But don't take our word for it: see what the online community has to say at this Wikipedia article.

I like their sense of humor. My sister wondered if our youngest brother was behind the site but he denies all responsibility. As his wife concurs... it must be true.

~ ~ ~

In other news, we have more snow in CT. Thanks so much Canada! And I still have the never-ending-cold-from-hell thing going on.

Happy New Year

3 Democrats — 2 senators, 1 governor — to retire

I'm happy to see Dodd go. He's pretty much useless. Would that he could take the other totally useless Senator, Lieberman, with him.

Longtime Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal told The Associated Press on Wednesday morning that he will run for Dodd's seat. Blumenthal, a Democrat, is seen as one of the state's most popular politicians. He planned to publicly announce his candidacy later Wednesday.

Considered by many insiders to be the most endangered Senate Democrat, Dodd planned to announce his retirement Wednesday, according to Democratic officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to publicly pre-empt the senator's remarks. Dodd told Democrats of his plans late Tuesday and scheduled an announcement on Wednesday.

I'm not sure what I think about Blumenthal. I think it's been a given for years he'd be after a bigger stage, and frankly I've been surprised he hasn't done more movement before this. My guess is CT will send him to DC. I'm not sure that's a good thing.

2010 is going to be an ugly year.

Merry Christmas

and Happy New Year! I hope it's a wonderful week ahead for everyone.

A Christmas Carol

Top Ten and a Rant

Time is out with its Top Ten Everything of 2009. My favorite is the Top Ten Under-reported Stories because I learned a few things. Here is the entire list, some of which is just... odd.

I spotted a sad story on Yahoo this morning: Pop culture main reason Calif has Chihuahua crisis

Chihuahuas make up 30 percent or more of the dog populations at many California shelters. And experts say pop culture is to blame, with fans immitating Chihuahua-toting celebrities like Paris Hilton and Miley Cyrus, then abandoning the dogs.

Pop culture and stupid, selfish people who think it's okay to take an animal in then just dump it off on someone else when it becomes inconvenient. This sort of stupidity just pisses me off. A member of the family pulled this stunt recently and my sister and I went ballistic on that person. Sadly neither of us can take in the animal in question so we're hunting for a home.

For the California Chihuahua problem there is something of a bright side:

"We never have enough supply for the huge consumer demand for small dogs," she said. One of Webb's biggest problems is a lack of money to fly the dogs to other states. Buchwald said she would be happy to help. "Nothing is outside the realm of possibility here. We have a supply-demand isssue," she said.

But it is no solution. Of course there is no solution for stupid, selfish, thought-less people. We just have to put up with them and correct their mistakes.

You can make donations of money or supplies at your local shelter. Petfinder.com (and other sites) can give you a list of shelters in your area. Please, people, don't adopt now - the holidays are the worst time to adopt pets - just go visit them, take some food and think about whether or not you can take on a new family member in the coming year.

Just sharing

an article I spotted:

The Afghanistan War Through a Marine Mother's Eyes

In other news, I had three or four inches of snow at the Farm overnight. It's howling like mad outside right now. The ride back home tonight should be "interesting" if this all freezes up.

First Snow

We got a tiny bit of snow at the Farm on Saturday. It looked like a blizzard out there but very little stuck. What little did stick is now frozen solid to the ground. More snow is predicted for Tuesday night and then rain. So... winter has finally arrived.

Even though very little of the white stuff stuck to the ground I thought I'd take a picture and post it. I have unearthed the camera but it needs to be charged and I can't find the charger. Ah, the joys of moving. I'll come across it eventually I guess.

On my wish list this year is a large embroidery stand with scoll frames. My hands keep cramping up holding onto the hoops so it's time to move up to the big time and have a standing frame. As if I need one more thing...

But no books this year! Seriously, Santa, I've appreciated the books you've given me over the past forty something years but I just don't have any more room for them. Of course this means I'll go on some crazy book-buying binge at my birthday, but for right now no.more.books!

Oh, and for what it's worth, I have not had sex with Tiger Woods.

DONE!

I finally moved.

Yesterday.

It has been a long, strange saga... complete with getting mauled by a cat.

Now comes the unpacking.

Are you kidding me?

I couldn't believe it when I heard this announcement on the radio this morning: In a surprise, Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize. He has done nothing to deserve this. What the hell was the Committee thinking? The award to President Wilson made far more sense than this does - it was for starting the League of Nations. Even though the League failed and was replaced by the United Nations, Wilson had actually accomplished something. Obama made some nice speeches but he hasn't done anything.

Someone else, much nicer than I am, said:

"So soon? Too early. He has no contribution so far. He is still at an early stage. He is only beginning to act," said former Polish President Lech Walesa, a 1983 Nobel Peace laureate.

"This is probably an encouragement for him to act. Let's see if he perseveres. Let's give him time to act," Walesa said.

The Peace prize wasn't created to encourage actions but to reward extra-ordinary actions taken by a person to bring about peace. From the Nobel Peace Prize site:

According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize is to go to whoever "shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses". The prize includes a medal, a personal diploma, and a large sum of prize money (currently 10 million Swedish crowns).

Awarding the Peace Prize to Obama at this time actually cheapens it. This is just ludicrous and I'd like to know what the hell the Nobel Committee was thinking when they decided to do this.

If you haven't seen it

read a fascinating article in the New York Times by Sara Corbett entitled The Holy Grail of the Unconscious.

It was this last part — the idea that a person might move beneficially between the poles of the rational and irrational, the light and the dark, the conscious and the unconscious — that provided the germ for his later work and for what analytical psychology would become.

1st woman takes charge of Army's drill sergeants

I liked this story:

1st woman takes charge of Army's drill sergeants by Susanne M. Schafer and AP. The article states that Command Sgt Major Teresa King is 48 and unmarried. If the Sgt Major were male, would that be stated?

I do like the story but I also noticed it had a bit of a Donna Reed undercurrent:

Command Sgt. Maj. Teresa King can dress down a burly, battle-hardened sergeant in seconds with a sharp phrase and a withering look, then turn around and tell trainee soldiers to be sure they get seven hours of sleep.

It this were about CSM Tom King, would they write that, even if true? Or this:

"She's got this unique way of dealing with soldiers where she can be correcting them, but it's in a manner that they're wanting to please her and wanting to do the right thing," he said. "It's not degrading to them."

That statement is by her battalion commander, Lt Col Dave Wood. I'm not criticizing Wood, you can tell he means that as a compliment, but would he say the same thing about a male CSM?

And what does this matter?:

A touch of bright red lipstick and kohl-dark eyeliner doesn't soften her stern gaze when she spots a sheet corner not properly tucked or a young soldier with a uniform askew.

Overall the article is positive and I enjoyed it. I'm not much of a feminist but the above strikes me as condescending and pointless.

~ ~ ~

Still in the process of moving. New date is October 3.

Dead Dreams

Senator Edward Kennedy dies at age 77

Not overly surprising as most victims of brain cancer (as the article points out) die within a year. I am saddened for his family but I'm not going to be one of those lionizing him. I had serious issues with most of his political views and there was just something about the man that irked me.

I saw Camelot at Goodspeed Opera House earlier this summer. I've been listening to the musical on my ipod and thinking alot about that era - the 1960's - and the mythology surrounding the Kennedy's. Many point to the lies of the Nixon administration as when ordinary, middle-of-the-road Americans started losing faith in their government but I wonder if they knew, sensed, the lies of Camelot. It would explain the explosion of rage that was the late 1960's. People just knew they were being lied to all along and with the murder of the dreams they just... exploded.

It's true! It's true! The crown has made it clear.
The climate must be perfect all the year.

A law was made a distant moon ago here:
July and August cannot be too hot.
And there's a legal limit to the snow here
In Camelot.
The winter is forbidden till December
And exits March the second on the dot.
By order, summer lingers through September
In Camelot.
Camelot! Camelot!
I know it sounds a bit bizarre,
But in Camelot, Camelot
That's how conditions are.
The rain may never fall till after sundown.
By eight, the morning fog must disappear.
In short, there's simply not
A more congenial spot
For happily-ever-aftering than here
In Camelot.

Camelot! Camelot!
I know it gives a person pause,
But in Camelot, Camelot
Those are the legal laws.
The snow may never slush upon the hillside.
By nine p.m. the moonlight must appear.
In short, there's simply not
A more congenial spot
For happily-ever-aftering than here
In Camelot.

It's the reprise that is most haunting:

ARTHUR:
Each evening, from December to December,
Before you drift to sleep upon your cot,
Think back on all the tales that you remember
Of Camelot.
Ask ev'ry person if he's heard the story,
And tell it strong and clear if he has not,
That once there was a fleeting wisp of glory
Called Camelot.

Camelot! Camelot!

Now say it out with pride and joy!

TOM:

Camelot! Camelot!

ARTHUR:

Yes, Camelot, my boy!
Where once it never rained till after sundown,
By eight a.m. the morning fog had flown...
Don't let it be forgot
That once there was a spot
For one brief shining moment that was known
As Camelot.

Richard Burton, who could not sing, does a brilliant job of conveying the pain, the anguish, the soul-crushing weariness of Arthur before he dies. You are almost happy for him that it is over and he can find peace. I would imagine that being a myth, or being part of one, must be a burden almost impossible to bear.

"The disadvantage of my position," he told an interviewer, "is being constantly compared with two brothers of such superior ability."

May you find peace in the Summerland Edward.

Odd, wandering thoughts day

Google has a new doodle which led me to the information that this is the 400th anniversary of Galileo's telescope.

400 hundred years. My mind started wandering down a path of thought about all that has happened in the past 400 years, all that human beings have accomplished - the good, the bad, the ugly. Take a look at wiki's list of events for this day in history.

I found a new place to live. Not a house, but it's a nice place. I'm probably moving the weekend of September 12. I've sicced a lawyer on the condo's owners to get out of the lease and get the security back. Nothing is ever simple, is it?

Your government at work or why I keep avoiding the news

C.I.A. Sought Blackwater’s Help in Plan to Kill Jihadists.

“It’s wrong to think this counterterrorism program was confined to briefing slides or doodles on a cafeteria napkin,” the official said. “It went well beyond that.”

I'm moving on to less stress-inducing topics. It's too damn hot and life is too damned short to be this angry.

~ ~ ~

Rick Bayless FOR THE WIN!

I had a hard time getting into Top Chef Masters even though some of my favorite chefs were showcased. It was... meh... to me, for some reason. But I'm tickled beyond belief by the Bayless win. Love!Him! and I'm really happy he won.

Top Chef Vegas... well, we'll see. There are always so many of them in the beginning I have a hard time keeping track. Bacon donut? Gross. Just!Gross! Also, I wasn't thrilled with the chef (Mike? I think) who whinged about losing to a girl. Jackass. Pack your knives and go chef. See TWOP later in the day (or tomorrow) for the re-cap.

Not paying attention

Dad got me hooked on NCIS earlier this year. He's the typical older parent in that he doesn't want anything for birthday's, Father's Day or Christmas and he doesn't want anyone spending any money - especially on him (for what it's worth Mom is just as bad). He is a typical male in that whatever he "needs" he just up and buys - which can be annoying. A few years ago sister Gretchen came up with the plan that we (the five chillun) would provide Dad with one seaon of JAG for each birthday, Father's Day and Christmas. Sadly, the show was only on for ten years so that only got us through three years of the afore-mentioned gift-giving occassions. Thankfully, JAG had a spin-off in NCIS. Sadly, it's just starting season seven (and the five of us are awaiting his season six Christmas present to be released at the end of the month) so we've already run out of options for his birthday next March. Dad loves all things Navy, John Wayne, Navy, The Quiet Man, MASH, Navy... and we've run out of options having provided vhs's, and now dvd's, of all his favorite movies and shows already. There might have to be a road trip to Annapolis in March. Not that that is a bad thing. Hm... Navy men...

In any event, Dad's gotten me hooked NCIS. Mom mentioned that USA network was running marathons of the program and guess who is glued to the show most nights? Other than Dad? Yeah, me. In addition to enjoying the fun and banter of the early years of the show (which seems to missing in seasons five and six), I'm loving me some Mark Harmon. Damn! If I'm not careful I might turn into fangurl at the rate this is going. Because of my latest obsession I haven't been paying attention to the world at large. I heard something about some fool woman accussing President Obama of being Hitler, the health care policy being a "Nazi" policy, and Barney Franks giving her a "smack down" and I was WTF?

"Do you really think that's thoughtful conversation? Do you really think that advances your arguments? I mean I thought you were thoughtful people who were here to have a conversation. I guess I don't understand. Is it because you don't like what I'm saying? What's the matter with you all? I don't understand your mentality. What do you think you accomplish by yelling?"

Representative Frank frequently annoys me. Grates, really, and he's no stranger to shouting down people he doesn't like, but I agree with him this time. What am I missing by not paying attention to the news these days? How did this fool woman come to the conclusion that the health care plan is a Nazi policy? Do I want to know?

Probably not.

While watching Mark Harmon each evening I've been stitching Daisy Collage by Laura J. Perin. It has been taxing because of my limited ability and it distracts me from Mark. Or Mark distracts me from Daisy. It could go either way. I might finish this project by next August at the rate I'm going.

I'm going to have to give up on Daisy for a couple of weeks - I'm moving again. Serious water leakage in the condo that management is doing nothing about has me looking at houses. Small, 1,000 sq ft or less, and I am hoping to move by September 12. I've had nothing but water problems for the last seven years and when Mom mentioned that to Dad on Sunday he said:

What do you expect, she's a Pisces

Hm.

Silence Is The Enemy

Silence Is The Enemy

Silence Is The Enemy was born–so named because we will not be. All through June, I’ll continue posting information, details, benchmarks, and let everyone know about progress made, new initiatives, and stories from the region. I encourage others to do so as possible. The Intersection, On Becoming A Laboratory And Domestic Goddess, Aetiology, Bioephemera, Neurotopia, The Questionable Authority, DrugMonkey, and Adventure In Ethics And Science will be donating all revenue this month to Doctors Without Borders. The goal is two-fold: Raising funds and–arguably more importantly–awareness. Since blogging revenue increases with traffic, we hope to get people to keep coming back for more information about what’s going on and thinking about how to make a difference. Do not feel obligated to donate, but it’s one idea. There are many ways to contribute: Write and email Members of Congress (Congressional Directory here), speak at community meetings, encourage others to get involved, or donate to our chosen charity (Doctors Without Borders). Help us maximize our donations by visiting Isis, Jessica, Tara, Neurotopia, Mike, DrugMonkey, Janet and returning here often because every click will help raise money. Spread the word. We want to make sure elected officials at multiple levels realize this is a global issue that matters to a large voting constituency!

After Wars, Mass Rapes Persist

In Liberia, sexual predation during the civil war was “normal.” One major survey found that 75 percent of women had been raped — mostly gang-raped, with many suffering internal injuries.

The incidence of rape has dropped since then but is still numbingly high. An International Rescue Committee survey in 2007 found that about 12 percent of girls aged 17 and under acknowledged having been sexually abused in some way in the previous 18 months.

Then there is the age of the victims. Of the 275 new sexual violence cases treated between January and April by Doctors Without Borders in Liberia, 28 percent involve children aged 4 or younger, and 33 percent involve children aged 5 through 12.

“The rape of little children is common,” said Oretha Brooks, a social worker at the excellent Duport Road Clinic in Monrovia. “It happens on a daily basis.” She introduced me to Wynnie, a 9-year-old girl in her waiting room who had been raped twice.

Silence Is The Enemy on Facebook.