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25 November 2009 @ 07:46 pm
My dear, lovely family helped us move two gargantuan loads of stuff today, so we're going to go sleep in our new house. We had to come back here and get the kitties and groceries for tomorrow.

The 'net doesn't get hooked up until Friday afternoon at new house, so my online-ing will be even more intermitent than normal.

Happy Thanksgiving! I have SO MUCH to be grateful for.
 
 
Current Mood: tired but good
 
 
26 November 2009 @ 12:03 am
As predicted in today's Globe, Steve Pagliuca released an ad today that is probably the most aggressive of the campaign thus far.  It's on health care, calling out Capuano and Coakley by name over their stated intention not to support a bill that includes Stupitts on final passage.  And it has the telltale "ominous voice" reading it, instead of Pags himself, whose voice appears only at the end when he "approves this message."  And in other advertising news, Alan Khazei explained his ad with the kids by saying "I don't want to run political ads during the holidays ... I don't think people care about that. Let's do something different."  Interesting -- maybe there will be a new one after Thanksgiving weekend?  We shall see, I guess!

Here's Pags' new ad.

 
 
25 November 2009 @ 04:45 pm
( You are about to view content that may only be appropriate for adults. )
 
 
Current Music: Feeling Good - Michael Bublé
 
 
 
Here's the Game Day post for discussions regarding tonight's game featuring the San Jose Sharks at HP Pavillion playing the Chicago Blackhawks.

Game starts at 7:30pm PST and will be available in the SF Bay Area on CSN-CA and CSN-CA (HD), the usual radio stations, or online at SJSharks.com or NHL.com's Game Radio page (audio).

It's another battle of Western Conference titans as the Blackhawks, on a seven game win streak, welcome Marian Hossa to their roster for his first game of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery in the offseason after signing a mega-contract with them as a free agent.

Great.

Dan Boyle says he won't miss such an important game, despite missing the last two days of practice due to an undisclosed injury suffered while blocking a shot in Anaheim; Setoguchi, Blake, Mitchell, and Shelley remain on IR, and Staubitz on the shelf with a broken face. Ferriero continues to rack up the frequent flier miles with yet another recall, Callahan and Zalewski makes their second trips up this season to join Couture, McGinn, McLaren, and Joslin as the "call-ups" from Worcester.

Expect Nabokov to be in nets for a game that most of the national hockey pundits have been touting all week as "must see TV" tonight, before they depart (again) on a road trip.

Let's go Sharks!

(For more information on the Game Day Posts rule, please see the community info)
 
 
 
25 November 2009 @ 07:38 pm
after 30 years, my older brother Richard contacted my aunt over the weekend to get my phone number. This, after being told 6 months ago, that he wanted nothing to do with me (my aunt & nephew told him to contact me first if he wished to re-establish connections with the family). She wisely told him no, she would give me his number and leave it up to me if I wanted to contact him.

Fearing that he was only reaching out for financial reasons, I delayed calling him until today. It went surprisingly well, he says that he wants nothing more than to reconnect. He sounds terribly old (he's 2 years older than me). But I don't know this person, he's a stranger to me. So I am very ambivalent about it all. He has not had an easy life, and he broke his hip 2 years ago, is in constant pain, and doesn't have the insurance/money to get the hip replacement he needs. He lives less than 2 hours from me now.

We chatted for a while, about our childhood, places we lived, school ... stuff. He wants to know the circumstances of my mother's death. I can't help him with that, she cut us out of her life, and Richard cut me out of his life. I know no more than he does.

I don't know how to feel, what to think. For 30 years I had a set profile of my family. Now that is changing. I'm Gemini, I don't like change. But only time will tell. We exchanged email addresses, and talked about getting together. I've never even met his 4 children. And I'm rambling, so ...

Dinner is ready, pizza yum yum. Will let you all know how this turns out.
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Current Location: Philly
Current Mood: blank
Current Music: TV
 
 
25 November 2009 @ 11:00 pm

(Lord's day). Up, and with Sir J. Minnes by coach to White Hall, and there coming late, I to rights to the chapel, where in my usual place I heard one of the King's chaplains, one Mr. Floyd, preach. He was out two or three times in his prayer, and as many in his sermon, but yet he made a most excellent good sermon, of our duty to imitate the lives and practice of Christ and the saints departed, and did it very handsomely and excellent stile; but was a little overlarge in magnifying the graces of the nobility and prelates, that we have seen in our memorys in the world, whom God hath taken from us. At the end of the sermon an excellent anthem; but it was a pleasant thing, an idle companion in our pew, a prating, bold counsellor that hath been heretofore at the Navy Office, and noted for a great eater and drinker, not for quantity, but of the best, his name Tom Bales, said, "I know a fitter anthem for this sermon," speaking only of our duty of following the saints, and I know not what. "Cooke should have sung, 'Come, follow, follow me.'" I After sermon up into the gallery, and then to Sir G. Carteret's to dinner; where much company. Among others, Mr. Carteret and my Lady Jemimah, and here was also Mr. [John] Ashburnham [L&M suggest it was William. P.G.], the great man, who is a pleasant man, and that hath seen much of the world, and more of the Court. After dinner Sir G. Carteret and I to another room, and he tells me more and more of our want of money and in how ill condition we are likely to be soon in, and that he believes we shall not have a fleete at sea the next year. So do I believe; but he seems to speak it as a thing expected by the King and as if their matters were laid accordingly. Thence into the Court and there delivered copies of my report to my Lord Treasurer, to the Duke of York, Sir W. Coventry, and others, and attended there till the Council met, and then was called in, and I read my letter. My Lord Treasurer declared that the King had nothing to give till the Parliament did give him some money. So the King did of himself bid me to declare to all that would take our tallys for payment, that he should, soon as the Parliament's money do come in, take back their tallys, and give them money: which I giving him occasion to repeat to me, it coming from him against the 'gre'1 I perceive, of my Lord Treasurer, I was content therewith, and went out, and glad that I have got so much. Here staid till the Council rose, walking in the gallery. All the talke being of Scotland, where the highest report, I perceive, runs but upon three or four hundred in armes; but they believe that it will grow more, and do seem to apprehend it much, as if the King of France had a hand in it. My Lord Lauderdale do make nothing of it, it seems, and people do censure him for it, he from the beginning saying that there was nothing in it, whereas it do appear to be a pure rebellion; but no persons of quality being in it, all do hope that it cannot amount to much. Here I saw Mrs. Stewart this afternoon, methought the beautifullest creature that ever I saw in my life, more than ever I thought her so, often as I have seen her; and I begin to think do exceed my Lady Castlemayne, at least now. This being St. Catherine's day, the Queene was at masse by seven o'clock this morning; and. Mr. Ashburnham do say that he never saw any one have so much zeale in his life as she hath: and, the question being asked by my Lady Carteret, much beyond the bigotry that ever the old Queen-mother had. I spoke with Mr. Maya who tells me that the design of building the City do go on apace, and by his description it will be mighty handsome, and to the satisfaction of the people; but I pray God it come not out too late. The Council up, after speaking with Sir W. Coventry a little, away home with Captain Cocke in his coach, discourse about the forming of his contract he made with us lately for hempe, and so home, where we parted, and I find my uncle Wight and Mrs. Wight and Woolly, who staid and supped, and mighty merry together, and then I to my chamber to even my journal, and then to bed. I will remember that Mr. Ashburnham to-day at dinner told how the rich fortune Mrs. Mallett reports of her servants; that my Lord Herbert would have had her; my Lord Hinchingbroke was indifferent to have her;2 my Lord John Butler might not have her; my Lord of Rochester would have forced her;3 and Sir ------ Popham, who nevertheless is likely to have her, would kiss her breach to have her.

  1. Apparently a translation of the French 'contre le gre', and presumably an expression in common use. "Against the grain" is generally supposed to have its origin in the use of a plane against the grain of the wood.
  2. They had quarrelled (see August 26th). She, perhaps, was piqued at Lord Hinchingbroke's refusal "to compass the thing without consent of friends" (see February 25th), whence her expression, "indifferent" to have her. It is worthy of remark that their children intermarried; Lord Hinchingbroke's son married Lady Rochester's daughter. -- B.
  3. Of the lady thus sought after, whom Pepys calls "a beauty" as well as a fortune, and who shortly afterwards, about the 4th February, 1667, became the wife of the Earl of Rochester, then not twenty years old, no authentic portrait is known to exist. When Mr. Miller, of Albemarle Street, in 1811, proposed to publish an edition of the "Memoires de Grammont," he sent an artist to Windsor to copy there the portraits which he could find of those who figure in that work. In the list given to him for this purpose was the name of Lady Rochester. Not finding amongst the "Beauties," or elsewhere, any genuine portrait of her, but seeing that by Hamilton she is absurdly styled "une triste heritiere," the, artist made a drawing from some unknown portrait at Windsor of a lady of a sorrowful countenance, and palmed it off upon the bookseller. In the edition of "Grammont" it is not actually called Lady Rochester, but "La Triste Heritiere." A similar falsification had been practised in Edwards's edition of 1793, but a different portrait had been copied. It is needless, almost, to remark how ill applied is Hamilton's epithet. -- B.
 
 
25 November 2009 @ 04:29 pm
But did they... BLOW YOUR MIIIIIND? With a MINDFREAAAK? [SFW, 4min]




You're watching four custom Super Mario World levels being played back simultaneously. This is beyond elaborate and time consuming.
 
 
25 November 2009 @ 06:27 pm
Ganked from the ever marvelous [info]vintage_ads



Which, of course, makes me think of this. )
 
 
 
25 November 2009 @ 07:14 pm
Dog finds baby squirrel. Mother squirrel sees this:



Mother squirrel *understands* what you do to dogs who want to "play" with your babies:





Mother and child retreat, unharmed. Dog is confused.

 
 
 
 
25 November 2009 @ 04:07 pm
Dear lady,

When you call at 8am asking if we have Challah - and I inform you that we have ONE LOAF LEFT - don't decline my offer to hold it for you, say you want to check elsewhere... Then show up 6 hours later and try to tell me that "the lady on the phone this morning said she would hold it" because we now have none and you are SOL.

Also, the other breads I suggested would make great bread pudding as well. Just because Martha Stewart said Challah, doesn't mean something the world will end if you use something else. She is not God.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Me
 
 
 
25 November 2009 @ 03:55 pm
My friends Lisa and Caine are having a baby! A beautiful woman. Undoubtedly a beautiful baby. What the hell happened to the man?!? (hey, if you're not going to let me take photos of you, I'm gonna have to get my shots in where I can!)

The Waiting

So Sunday I get over to Caine and Lisa's place to take photos and she pulls out a giant 5-foot reflective umbrella that she has in her kit and says I can use it. That's a dangerous thing, see... cause it might grow legs and follow me home! I'm just sayin'.
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Current Mood: amused
Current Music: Iggy Pop / Lust For Life
 
 
 
 
 
25 November 2009 @ 03:39 pm
2.5 hours left to go. Traded shifts with a coworker, not getting out till 6pm. Going to stop at the hospital to visit my F.H. Jeannie. She had some back surgery done.

Taking off for San Diego tomorrow to have dinner at moms. My siblings are coming over and will probably stay a few days. I usually just go home the same day back to LA, but things are not going warm and fuzzy at home, so I think I'll just hang out in SD for a bit.

In case I don't post this weekend, I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.




Hal