rustle

blech

Living in Texas, Barack Obama's election and re-election galvanized racism in some. There's been a backlash, but it's mostly among people older than I am. One stripe of society still believes that the best black man is still less than the least of white men. For some time, these attitudes had lain below the surface, out of sight, or hidden behind polite smiles. It's going to take another generation for this sort of thing to go away down here. Maybe longer. Same as gay rights.

I'm sorry, Wen. They are with us for so short a time, and become such a huge part of our lives. I hope your memory of him never fades. We've lost two of ours in the last three years, after ten years of golden times and auto-pilot. It's never easy. I'll be keeping you and Lucky in my thoughts.

I got a thank you note from a teenager a few months ago, and a post card last month. When's the last time you WROTE a handwritten letter?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gaWuadgL3g

I just assume it's nobody else's business. If I were back on the prowl, though, I'd assume the same thing. Hey, gay or straight, you can still get turned down. And since attitudes have changed so much, you're less likely to get the crap kicked out of you for asking a straight guy out for a beer now. Besides, I know a lot of folks who define their sexuality by who they're in bed with right now. Today, a guy, tomorrow, two girls and a burro.

I'm really glad you enjoyed it, Joann. It's funny, but either folks don't notice tags, or they don't believe them. It really happened. Every dang bit of it. Labor Day weekend, 1999.

Umm, unless I miss my guess, this is a woman. The shape of the pelvic structure indicates it. The man in the background, though, doesn't look much better. And Zombie, don't be dissin' Bowie. He was a product of the 70's. Put him in context with Alice Cooper and Elton John, and he fit right in, defining edgy performance fashion. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihaWTank4RQ

The first time I read this chapter, it wasn't much more than a sketch. You've turned it into so mcuh more. The pacing is great, and you've developed the characters well, giving us a glimpse into Michael Waters as he makes his own personal journey, discovering that love might actually trump fear, as he learns there's more to Asher than meets the eye. And Asher begins to understand the depth of a love he couldn't begin to hope for, from a very unlikely source. Something I love about this story is that it portrays same-sex love as not so different. It's full of just as much doubt, fear, and self-consciousness as any. It also illustrates a point - to truly understand someone is to learn to love that person, heart and soul. As always, , . rusty

I prefer the sound quality of old equipment. Most lower-end systems now go for the "thump." That takes raw power, but it's usually attained through higher THD (total harmonic distortion). Mid-end standard back in the day was <.01% THD; now it's quite common to see <.1% THD, although the raw power has jumped. Something I find really funny is the power spec used in manuals. When I was a kid, it was reported in watts RMS per channel, all channels driven, but now I only see total power. A Marantz 2230 stereo receiver back then would be billed as 30 watts RMS per channel, all channels driven. Today, they'd call the same power output 120 watts total power. I guess a bigger number is more impressive. (shrug)

some additions and a harbinger of the 90s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrcTsxs-anU

Barton Springs Pool is having a full moon howl Sunday night. College boy crowd watching, topless women, and howling in the moonlight. I have a plastic flask around here somewhere. What more could you ask?

Yep, for our viewing pleasure.

uhhhh

I'd rather eat a cockroach. Oh, wait...

We have a significant homeless population year-round. Several of them have dogs, but I've never seen a cat with any of them. To me, it makes no difference. Those with a pet take comfort in the pet, but it takes more resources. I help when I can. Never seen a homeless person with a fat pet, but they appear healthy, and happy to have somebody to hang out with, smelly or not. Dogs are like that.

Twilight neuters the horror and wonder of the creatures of the night, legends of fear and loathing, and turns them into something cute and cuddly. Anne Rice captured the amorality, the loneliness, and tragedy of the creatures. The twilight series changed the legend into something to appeal to most young girls - clothing the white knight in glitter and pallor. Rowling's books did the same with wizardry, yet I still enjoy them. Not sure I can say why.

1. Business is business, and if your firm doesn't make a profit, it cannot stay in business to service people's needs in the future. 2. You agree with the need. 3. Other jobs are being created. More than those you're terminating. It sounds to me as if you are not without feeling for these folks, but you're in finance. That's the occupational hazard. Think of the jobs you're saving, too, by keeping the company profitable, and the benefits to the economy of keeping others employed. Nothing comes without a cost. You may not recognize it in yourself at the moment, but you're a good man with a good heart. If you weren't, you wouldn't have questioned yourself, or checked the numbers.

James, thanks for the historical perspective. Most reasoning people probably assumed a program such as this existed. Few people would say oversight isn't needed. I take issue with Clapper's denial under oath before Congress, but maybe some Q&A should occur behind closed doors, instead, beyond the periodic briefings currently provided. Far too much of the work of Congress is taking an opportunity to be shown conducting the nation's business, instead of simply conducting that business w/o fanfare or photo ops. We're now told that a vast amount of data is collected - far too much to process. What happens to the collected data which is not processed? Is it discarded, or stored for possible future use, like surplus produce from the garden? If it's stored, is it guarded by Cerberus, or stuck on a flash drive and kept in a shoebox? Can it be used to someone's detriment? These seem greater concerns.

No, I can leave any time I like. Uh-huh. Any. Time.

Is this a new appreciation growing? It seems a good thing.

No mystery to me. "Do I buy the Magnums, or be honest, and get the ones that'll fit?"

The more normal we're permitted to be, the more normal we become.

A friend turned fifty last year. A couple of friends staked 50 dolls' severed heads in her front yard. Her neighbors were alarmed.

Grandma sounds sharp. Betcha don't have to. She'll see it.