...Steve has decided to waste

...Steve has decided to waste his precious time fisking Michael Moore
again.
Go read.

When you're done, I'll start taking bets on the time, date and place Moore's gonads will come out of hiding.

Winner takes all.

Posted by: Kathy at 01:34 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Cake Eater Etiquette Lesson #1:

Cake Eater Etiquette Lesson #1:

When someone proffers an invitation it is considered good form for the recipient to reply to said invitation.

Even if you don't want to attend because you just got a shipment of DVD's from Amazon/would rather have fiery toothpicks shoved under your fingernails than associate with the other guests/can't because of previous social commitments.

It's simply good manners.

That is all.

And, no, for once I'm not going to elaborate on what prompted this post.

Posted by: Kathy at 01:25 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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One of my sisters lives

One of my sisters lives near to Dan Rather's vacation home.

I wonder if I should send her over with a twelve-pack of charmin and instructions to tee-pee the hell out of the place.

You know, just for the fun of it.

Posted by: Kathy at 01:19 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Just got an email from

Just got an email from seldom sober. Apparently, he'd just received a Google Click Through for this.
And apparently it's all my fault. Tee hee! Why someone would choose to
pair "Jane Austen" and "Aunt Jemima" is beyond me. Yet, I'll take my
amusement wherever I can get it. I'm thinking about declaring a new
motto: The Cake Eater Chronicles: Confusing Even The Most Efficient of Search Engines Since 2003.

Catchy, no?

Posted by: Kathy at 01:17 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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This goes a little above

This goes a little above and beyond, "take two aspirin and call me in the morning", doesn't it?

Yet another sign that some would like for America, again, to be a dry country.

Posted by: Kathy at 01:11 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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must edit manuscript must edit

must edit manuscript
must edit manuscript
must edit manuscript
must call mom and dad and see if they drove to florida today,
hurricanes notwithstanding
must edit manuscript
must call sister and talk about her children
must figure out what to have for dinner in time to defrost needed meat
must edit manuscript
must edit manuscript
must paint toenails
must take nap as am sleepy from lunch
must edit manuscript
Question for the Day: Is it really bad to want a real life refugee
situation to clear itself up so I don't have to hack away at the
manuscript like a Colombian coke producer hacks his way through the
jungle to get to his coca factories? Yeah. I thought so too. Sigh. I
hate editing. I hate revision. Grrr. It sucks.

Posted by: Kathy at 01:08 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Bad news. Which, of course,

Bad news. Which, of course, was compounded by this*.

Sigh.

Now, I may read comics, but I'm no aficianado. Well, that's not right. I am an aficianado, but not as much as the husband is. He loves comics and he's really embraced a lot of web comics, such as PVP and Penny Arcade.
These comics are directed at him---a member of that insane gaming
community---and he digs them. While I get the occasional chuckle out of
Penny Arcade, generally it's above my head as I have not been
surgically connected to an X-Box/Playstation 2/Ninetendo/Whatever new
gaming console has come out and I have no idea about. I, on the other
hand, have a stack of Calvin and Hobbes and Bloom County
books. So, I'm somewhat of an aficianado. But not really of the
web-based-comic variety. Noting that Jantze was backing out because of
syndication hassles, the husband made a comment that Scott Kurtz of PVP
and Gabe and Tycho of Penny Arcade had all been at Comic Con earlier
this summer and had some unflattering things to say about Jantze, with
whom they'd participated in a panel about---wait for it---syndication. Well, the husband was wrong.

Partly.

Gabe and Tycho,
being the uber-cool dudes that they are, did have some unflattering
things to say about Jantze, because it appears, to me at least, that
since they reject the arguments for syndication outright they couldn't
be bothered to listen to an opposing point of view. Kurtz, however, had some really interesting things to say about syndication and laid out his plan for funny pages world domination,
and in the meantime wasn't a jerk to Jantze, but instead respected his
opinion while disagreeing with it.
Ultimately, what it comes down to is the bigger battle the internet has
brought to the forefront---the battle over rights and creative control.
It came as somewhat of a shock that cartoonists have as many rights
regarding the copyrights of their work as does Britney Spears, but it
shouldn't have. I don't know why I thought it would be different, but
it's not. And, much like those of us who would rather not choke down
Britney Spears's music with our morning coffee, this is yet another way
content is being dumbed down for the masses. The syndicates publish
those comics they want to publish, and while the situation is akin to
that of the recording industry, the syndicates are in the position of
really being screwed over sometime in the near future when papers
decide not to pay for the privelege of publishing funny pages any
longer. The paradigm is shifting. Kurtz is positioning himself well for
the shift. Whether Jantze will do the same is anyone's guess. One can
only hope that Jantze will realize that he's got a huge opportunity
right now with web-only syndication, his bribery-cum-pledge-drive
notwithstanding. *Good luck, Chris! Keeping the fingers and toes
crossed for you and your family that all turns out well.

Posted by: Kathy at 01:06 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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On both Tuesday and yesterday

On both Tuesday and yesterday the Llamabutchers
linked a couple of posts of mine. And guess what? My traffic went
through the roof.
Now, I've been linked by the Llamas before. Many times, in fact.
They've been exceedingly good to me. But I've never had anything like
the surge of traffic I've experienced the past couple of days. I would
hereby like to get some more linkage by coining the phrase
"Llamalanche" to describe this interesting phenomenon. Providing no one
else has come up with this. I'm not bothering to Google, so if I'm not
the first, well, I'll take credit where credit is not due.
See kids, I can link whore with the best of them. If I choose to. Most of the time I'm just too freakin' lazy to bother.

While not as potent as the Vodkalanche I experienced earlier this summer, the Llamalanche was almost up there, in terms of traffic, with the weekend Instalanche
I received. And the Vodkalanche was skewed because Martini Boy linked
to me and didn't post for another two or three days. Not like I put too
much credence in either: traffic increased temporarily and then weasled
its way back down to normal levels, with a few people sticking around
for what appears was the hell of it. We'll see if the Llamalanche has
staying power, unlike the Instalanche and the Vodkalanche. I've been
observing their success levels since they moved over to MT, and it
seems as if the move off Blogspot has done wonders for their
reputation. Which, of course, appears to destroy what I thought (read hoped)
was an urban myth: that unless you're paying for a domain and
bandwidth, no one will take you seriously. Now, how you could take guys
like Steve and Rob seriously, I don't know, but hey, the proof's in the
stats, baby, and apparently they're a force unto, er, themselves.
Anyway, shoving the snarkiness aside for a brief moment, congrats for
all the success, guys. You deserve it. And I get credit for the phrase
"Llamalanche." Damnit.
UPDATE: 09/01/2004 I've got CREDIT! Hot damn!

UPDATE II: Damn.

Posted by: Kathy at 01:05 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I have to admit, I'm

I have to admit, I'm really enjoying these fox hunting ban protests.
Now, I honestly couldn't care less about fox hunting. While I respect
the traditional aspects of it, it's not likely something I'll ever do.
Because a. horses scare the crap out of me, hence I'll probably never
go riding and b. because I don't get my jollies by hunting. My friend,
M., who lives in rural England has gone on a few, but that's more
because she's a horse nut, rather than she gets a kick out of hunting
foxes. I get the distinct feeling that this whole deal is more about
objecting to whatever landed gentry is left in this day and age
galloping about the countryside on horses, rather than the abject
cruelty of killing foxes. The foxes seem to be a convenient cover for
banning behavior that only the wealthy can afford to partake in. But
that's neither here nor there. What I do find interesting, and more
than a bit amusing, is how the ban is being protested. Here you have
wealthy, rural, Englishmen and women---with a capital, bold-printed E---who
have something to protest. And by what means do they do it? Well,
they've followed the lead of all those nasty
globalization/meatismurder/
i'myoungandhavenothingbettertodowithmytimethanwhineabout
alltheinjusticeintheworldbesidesigetlaidalotbecausetheseprotestchicksareeasy
protestors. They've coopted the ways of the people who want to bring
them down. It's as if the Romans suddenly adopted the ways of the Huns
and scored a few victories as a result. The irony of it all is
particularly delicious.

Posted by: Kathy at 12:59 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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A few weeks ago the

A few weeks ago the husband appropriated this CD and I have to tell you, damn, I just really like George Thorogood.

As my sister pointed out when she listened to a copy we'd burned for her: "You just can't go wrong with George Thorogood."

And she's right.

I'm generally loath to pick out a certain type of music and declare it to be my favorite. I like all
types of music. I'm an MTV kid: during my formative years I was exposed
to a lot of different music and I see no reason why I should have to
choose a certain genre to be my favorite!. That said, I really
do have a soft-spot for bluesy rock and roll, and George Thorogood fits
into this category quite nicely. Besides, how can you not like a guy who plays songs like One Bourbon, One Scotch, and One Beer, Move It On Over and Reelin' and Rockin'.
His music is fun. It's not overindulgent, whiny crap. George refuses to
take himself too seriously and that's a welcome relief. There are times
when you just want to be reminded of what rock and roll used to be
about, and George takes you to that place.

Posted by: Kathy at 12:49 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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It's not suicide. It's blackberry

It's not suicide. It's blackberry picking!

Posted by: Kathy at 12:43 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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It's Wednesday, so there must

It's Wednesday, so there must be a story or two about SILLY GERMANS!

Here's one.

What will they think of next?

The mind boggles.

Posted by: Kathy at 12:40 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I wish I had something

I wish I had something more interesting to report about last night's
dinner, but I don't.
Nothing untoward happened. Grandpa toed the line. He made one crack
about all the "slant eyes"---His words, not mine. Don't direct your
politically correct ramblings at me---at the hotel, but that was as far
as he came toward dipping his toes in the Rude Rubicon. He never
crossed over, nor did he even get his calves wet.
Hmmph. All that angst for nothing. The husband was more than relieved,
but added that it "could have easily gone the other way," hinting that
it was just as well that our fight over serving jelly with the bread
was ultimately decided in his favor. (And, it should be said that he
snuck the jelly out onto the table while I wasn't looking...so he won
by sneaky means.)
Dinner was nice. I have a boatload of mashed potatoes leftover, but
I'll just pass them off on seldom sober when he arrives tomorrow.

Note to self: MUST GO TO LIQUOR STORE TODAY!

Posted by: Kathy at 12:31 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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(clickie for biggie) While

(clickie for biggie)

While I would rather it was Rather who would commit seppuku, the sentiment is apt.

Posted by: Kathy at 12:29 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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(click on image for

(click on image for supah-size)

Amen!

See also: Michele

{tip off: enlightened cynic}

Posted by: Kathy at 12:24 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Dan Rather: "After extensive additional

Dan Rather:

"After extensive additional interviews, I no longer have
the confidence in these documents that would allow us to continue
vouching for them journalistically," the network's top news anchor, Dan
Rather, said in a statement. "I find we have been misled on the key question of how our source for the documents came into possession of these papers."

What Dan really means:

I'm a partisan hack and I got called on it.

So what?

I was misled. There's someone else to blame. It ain't my fault. I'm still slicker than shit through a goose. This won't stick and I'll still have my job a the end of the day.

Neener, neener, neener.

Posted by: Kathy at 12:17 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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It's sad that this has

It's sad that this has turned into a pissing contest between the Florida judiciary and the state legislature.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday
struck down a law that was rushed through the Legislature last fall to
keep a severely brain-damaged woman hooked up to a feeding tube against
her husband's wishes. The unanimous court said the law that kept Terri
Schiavo alive violated the separation of powers between the judicial
branch and the legislative and executive branches. Lower courts had
ruled that Michael Schiavo could have the tube removed, but the
Legislature passed the law to overrule the courts. Gov. Jeb Bush then
used the law to order the tube reinserted. The court's decision came
just weeks after oral arguments. It was not immediately known if the
ruling would clear the way for the tube's final removal. An attorney
for Terri Schiavo's parents, who want her kept alive, would not
speculate. Michael Schiavo's attorneys did not immediately return calls
seeking comment. "It is without question an invasion of the authority of the
judicial branch for the Legislature to pass a law that allows the
executive branch to interfere with the final judicial determination in
a case," Chief Justice Barbara Pariente wrote for the court. "That is
precisely what occurred here."

{my emphasis}
That's just sad. Granted it was an emergency measure, and it shouldn't
have held up under scrutiny, but it's really quite sad that Terri
Schiavo, it now appears, has wound up on the wrong end of a pissing
contest. If there was ever a case where a fresh judicial review was
required simply as to the merits of the case, this is the one. Is that
what happened? Nope. It was all about whether the legislative
overstepped its bounds by giving the executive the power to do
something to trump the judiciary. This woman's husband seeks to gain financially
from her death. (On the timeline, check out the malpractice awards that
he can't gain access to unless she's dead). It's apparent, to me at
least, her "wish to die" wasn't invoked until after the malpractice
cases were successful. This guy wants to remarry and has two children
with his girlfriend. He wants to move on. Her parents are more than
willing to take over her care, and if this guy was a reasonable
individual you'd think he agree to that. He'd be free to do as he
wished. But, no. He claims she wanted to die if something like this
ever befell her and he's just honoring her wishes. I'm not buying it.
And it's very, very sad.
If nothing else, this is a good time to remind everyone to get your wishes put down in writing.
It's a scary thing to think about. I know. Been there, done that with
the husband. It's horrifying to be handed a raft of paperwork that
demands you list out all the juicy legal information about who has
power of attorney, if there's a living will, what are the stated wishes
of the patient? And all sorts of other things, like hospice care if its deemed necessary, because you never thought you'd have to think about it until much, much later
in life. And all of this is occurring while your spouse is under the
knife for an operation the surgeon has taken delicate pains to inform
you might not work out. It's even scarier if you don't have any
paperwork to back up what you know to be the true wishes of your loved
one. Fortunately, all worked out in the husband's case, but we all know
not every case has a happy ending. What would you do in such a
situation? No one wants to face their own mortality, but think of the
favor you'll be doing your loved ones if you a. find out what's
required in the state you reside in and b. do something about it.

Posted by: Kathy at 12:15 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Martha wants to get her

Martha wants to get her jail time over and done with.

NEW YORK - Martha Stewart (news - web sites) said Wednesday
she has decided to surrender for prison as soon as possible, citing the
need to "put this nightmare behind me and get on with my life." The
millionaire businesswoman was sentenced in July to five months in
prison and five months of house arrest after she was convicted of lying
about a stock sale. The 63-year-old Stewart will do five months in a
federal prison — likely getting out early next year — followed by
five months of house arrest. A federal judge allowed her to stay out of
prison while she pursued an appeal, but Stewart asked to serve her time
anyway. She said she wanted to get the matter behind her and her
company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. "I must reclaim my good
life," she said.
{...}Stewart, who had promised immediately after her conviction to
battle to prove her innocence. had recently appeared resigned to
swapping her expansive suburban home for a jail cell. After her July
sentencing, Stewart said she would have no problem doing the time. "I could do it," she said in an interview with ABC. "I'm a really
good camper. ... There are many, many good people who have gone to
prison. Look at Nelson Mandela."

Um, Martha. You traded stock on insider information. You're going to
spend five months in the pokey, with another five months of ankle
bracelet treatment. Nelson Mandela spent almost thirty years in prison, breaking rocks on Robben Island as a victim of political repression.

Not exactly the same thing, is it? Hmmmm?

Nelson didn't belong in prison. You, on the other hand, do belong in prison.

Think about that before you go declaring yourself to be a "good person."

Posted by: Kathy at 12:05 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Oh, My. That Certainly Doesn't

Oh,
My. That Certainly Doesn't Look Good.
This is the pier at Destin, FL. Which is about ten miles and one
causeway from where my folks stay in Ft. Walton. I have to say, it's
impressive, because this is not an area that's known for massive
quantities of surf. It's pretty calm most of the time. Which makes this
all the more amazing because---ahem---the hurricane hasn't hit yet.
This is just a workup.
Keep all the folks down there in your thoughts and prayers. This is
going to be ugly.
And here's a little memo to my cousin if he happens to be reading: if
you haven't evacuated yet, GET THE HELL OUT OF DODGE!

Posted by: Kathy at 11:53 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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...because you just might get

...because you just might get it.

Posted by: Kathy at 11:53 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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