Feisty Christina has a new home! Right here at Moo Knew!

Woohoo!

Make sure you go over and welcome her to our little home!

Posted by: Kathy at 08:48 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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I'm not extraordinarily fussy with language. While I like playing with it as much as the next writer, more often than not I have a tendency to stick with plain language to drive my point home. So, really, I'm the least likely candidate to pick on someone's use of language, but, on Fox News Channel over the past couple of days there have been a few linguistic follies repeated ad nauseam that have driven me to the point of distraction.

Just to get them off my chest, and to entertain and enlighten you all, I shall list them out here.

1. "Shot Dead." As in, "So and so was shot dead on an L.A. freeway and it was broadcast on live television." I cannot tell you how much I hate these two words when they are thrown together. I will not quibble that "shot dead" is efficient language. Two words are used to get a message across, instead of five or ten or fifteen, which is handy when you have a word count to pay heed to and there are other things to focus on because their death is not the real story, but rather an unfortunate by-product. Yet, I cannot help but feel it's callous language. That its usage alone denies a victim of their dignity. I hate this phrase. It knocks someone's death down to two words. How cruel is that? Particularly when the rest of the story is nothing but hot air or bloated speculation meant to fill air-time, rather than to inform? The repeated usage of this phrase irks me to no end.

2. Filibustering. As in, "Senate Democrats are filibustering Republican judicial nominees." I did a doubletake on this one last night. It was so blatantly wrong that it stuck out like a sore thumb. This, to put it mildly, is inaccurate language. This is lazy language. If you took this literally, you would be well within your rights to believe Teddy Kennedy is out there on the Senate floor right now, a coffee cup full of scotch at the ready, reading the collected works of William Shakespeare into the Senate record. He's not. Neither is Hilary Clinton warming up her vocal chords by singing scales at a piano bar in Georgetown. They're not filibustering anything. Yet. The Democrats have threatened to filibuster Republican judical nominees; they have not, however, followed through. There is a difference. The threat of the filibuster is not the same thing as the actual filibuster itself. Yet, as far as the media is concerned, it is. Hence the liberal usage of the word "filibustering" to describe something that hasn't happened yet. In the process of using this lazy language they are misleading people. They skip over procedural steps that the public should be informed about; they are creating a foregone conclusion where there is none.

Since the Republican leadership is threatening to get rid of the filibuster altogether, it might behoove this news channel (and all the other ones) to describe the filibuster correctly, so as not to mislead their audience on this very important bit of news.

Ok, I feel better now. Throw your own lingustic pet peeves into the comments section. You'll feel better, too. I promise.

Posted by: Kathy at 10:25 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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That's how the line goes, right? I can't remember my Hamlet this morning, but the sentiment fits.

What the hell does this mean? How can the Cake Eater Chronicles be #445 in the Ecosystem?

Does not compute. Does not compute. Does not compute.

Just in case you're thinking I believe this blog should be higher, think again. I believe it should be lower in the rankings. A few weeks ago I was in the seven hundreds. Now I'm in the mid-400's? Something's really wrong.

All I can think is that the Ecosystem must have been consuming large quantities of beer (hey, maybe it's been hanging out with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?) is drunk and is about to let loose with one heck of a belch.

UPDATE: Title fixed.

Posted by: Kathy at 09:26 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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You know, I always had this idea that France, and Paris in particular, appreciated art. After all, they've got the Louvre. Impressionism, the Grunge Movement of the late 19th Century, started there as a backlash to the overstylized manuevers of the Romantic period and the Salon that appreciated them. Van Gogh whacked off his ear in Provence. Picasso did some of his best work in France. I could go on, but I think you're getting what I'm saying: France, and again Paris in particular, has always been associated with art and the appreciation thereof in the minds of many people.

Not so anymore. Courtesy of Fausta, we have this lovely tidbit:

The French art world is reeling after this week's announcement by the billionaire businessman Francois Pinault that he is pulling the plug on what was to be a major new gallery of contemporary art in Paris.

The 69-year-old tycoon, who is a close friend of President Jacques Chirac, was planning to put on display his 2,500-strong collection of late 20th century works in a futuristic museum to be built on an island in the river Seine.

But on Monday Pinault said that he was so fed up with planning delays and other bureaucratic obstacles that he had decided to stop the whole project.

Instead, his collection - including pieces by Miro, Jackson Pollock and Jeff Koons as well as British artists Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin - will be housed in the magnificent 18th century Palazzo Grassi on the Grand Canal in Venice, which Pinault bought last month.{...}

Gallery-owner Emmanuel Perrotin said that "once again it holds up to ridicule the sluggishness of the whole French system".

"Here was someone who wanted to build a museum as big as the Pompidou centre... Seen from abroad, Paris keeps its image as a small town in the provinces."

Francois Pinault has been buying modern art for more than 30 years
Even the left-leaning Le Monde newspaper agreed: "The fiasco has sent a clear message, discouraging anyone tempted by a similar adventure.

"It underlines the supreme difficulty of launching an initiative in the field of the arts outside the path of public aid. This situation is untenable. The state cannot do everything.{...}

Fausta shows her shrewdness yet again when she says:

"I have the distinct impression that the Boulogne-Billancourt bureaucrats assumed that the Pinault project was "a done deal"(*) and that Pinault wouldn't dare locate the collection anywhere but in France.

Clearly, they were wrong."

What have we here? A France that was so unenthusiastic about the fact a private entrepreneur wanted to set up an art gallery that would be good for the economy that the entrepreneur in question became completely frustrated and set up shop in Venice. I'm not a business world junkie, by any stretch of the imagination, but even I know who Pinault is and he has a reputation as a shark. The article mentioned that he owned Gucci, and this should tell you something very important. Gucci was the subject of a hostile takeover by LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy), another French luxury goods maker a few years back. Bernard Arnault, the head of LVMH, tried for a very long period of time to get Gucci under the LVMH umbrella and ultimately failed. Pinault was the man who benefitted from Arnault's battle: he was patient and let Arnault do all the heavy lifting, then swooped in as a white knight on Gucci's behalf and snaked the company out from under his competitors nose. This shows that the man is canny and has plenty of patience. That he lost patience with the French government in all its local and national flavors should tell you something is not quite right here.

For all their moaning and whining about the assault on French culture, it doesn't even seem as if the French appreciate it enough these days.

Posted by: Kathy at 12:13 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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This is just a friendly, Friday-ish reminder from me that when you think you're life is shit, and you're weeping and wailing about it, and in general feeling sorry for yourself about nothing serious, well, just remember there is somebody out there who's life definitely is shit.

As the wise man once said, "Perspective matters."

The new landlord moved into the Cake Eater Pad on May 1st, and we're pretty happy with the guy. So far, so good. He's a little loud when watching the NBA playoffs, but that's forgivable. I get a little loud when I watch the news. It's all good. The only issue I have with him is that he keeps putting off calling the plumber to see what needs to be done about my dishwasher that has been on the fritz since last fall. No worries, though. He'll get to it eventually; he's not ignoring me out of spite or cheapness like the Great White Hunter and Tweedledumb would have done. He's young, too. As in his middle-twenties. Neither is he married. Hence, he has a roommate, who is yet another really nice, unmarried young man in his mid-twenties.

Well, the husband was chatting with the roommate last night and during the course of the conversation the husband learned that the roommate is going into the hospital today for surgery. He told the husband because he wanted to let us know that no one was going to be around this weekend, as the landlord is out of town on business. You see, the reason for the surgery is that he has testicular cancer and he has to have something (I think you can probably guess what) removed. The husband didn't give me many details about the conversation, because I think he was a bit stunned and didn't ask. The offer of "if you need anything at all, please let us know," was proffered, but I don't know that the guy feels comfortable enough with us to take us up on it. And that's fine: we've only known him for thirteen days.

I just saw him walking to his car to go to the hospital. His girlfriend was with him and he looked determined. He was carrying his suitcase, swinging it mildly, like he knew he wasn't going to be able to do that when he came home, so he was going to get in as much of that activity while he could. He was walking with a distinct purpose, like the time had finally arrived for him to go off to war, and there was no need to dither about like a sentimental fool. It was inevitable. The thought, "let's get it over with" was written all over his young face. His girlfriend looked resigned, maybe even a little tired, and her lips were puckered with worry. She was dressed comfortably in a polar fleece, basketball pants and cross-trainers for what will undoubtedly be a long day of sitting around a hospital, waiting for doctors to come and tell her what the scoop is.

Life, at this particular point in time, is sucking pretty badly for these two people. But it's obvious that they've acquired helmets and have put them on, to protect their noggins from whatever might come flying at them in the next few days.

I suppose this should serve as a friendly reminder that no matter what you're going through, it could always be worse. Sometimes we need a reminder every now and again of this fact. If you're feeling sorry for yourself this morning, and are weeping and wailing about your own problems, well, take a lesson from these two people: get your own helmet and batter through your own problems, because, after all, it could be worse.

Posted by: Kathy at 10:49 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Man, you really gotta wonder about the Smithsonian's standards nowadays.

It seems they'll let just anyone speak in authoritative tones nowadays.

Posted by: Kathy at 02:58 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Dennis Miller is going off the air!

Waaaaaaaaaah!

I'm bummed. As is Jonathan, who was actually a guest a few times.

I liked Dennis' show, not simply because I'm a Miller Junkie and have been since I was in high school when he did the news on SNL (Tina Fey? Who the hell is that?), but rather because he made a conscientious effort to have guests who would not turn into a pack of screaming mimis. That was one thing you never had to deal with on his show---people screaming at and over each other to the point where no one got heard. I know that quality apparently makes for great tee vee, but it's not appealing to some of us. I enjoy a good catfight as much as the next person, but political news shows nowadays, like Hardball are a waste of time, in my humble opinion. I have no idea how someone can sit through an hour of that crap. No one listens, people flog books relentlessly, they spout the most inane opinions. Ugh. Who needs it? Dennis, while still the biggest wise-ass known to mankind, nonetheless respected reason and civil discourse. What exactly does it say about television viewers nowadays that a show where people were actually allowed to state an argument that--ahem---could be heard wasn't watched?

Fare thee well, Dennis. Good luck and if you ever get another talk show and need a guest who can crack wise, I am so there.

Provided I don't get that deer-caught-in-the-headlights thing going on.

Posted by: Kathy at 02:20 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Something is really, really wrong with the internet right now.

It seems like some dot com addresses are down. That's bad when its yahoo dot com that you're trying to reach. Some dot org's are down, too. This is really weird.

I don't know what got hacked or who hacked it--- and of course, this is presuming the problem was caused by hackers---but wow. I haven't seen anything like this in a while. The husband is wondering if a big patch of DNS servers are down somewhere.

I dunno, but whatever it was, it's really screwing the pooch.

UPDATE: Google's down. I can get to Blogspot blogs, but I can't get to their parent company's site. What the heck is going on here?

What's weird is that my site is still up and running, while I can't get to other moo knew sites. WTF?

UPDATE DEUX: But I have to say, WOW, what's left of the internet is really freakin' speedy. It's taking no time at all to post this stuff. A few seconds, at most. Which doesn't usually happen.

UPDATE THREE: Do you think a few people are now realizing how addicted to the Internet they really are right about now? Heheheheh.

UPDATE FOUR: And we're back up and running.

Posted by: Kathy at 12:13 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Apparently, the fact that The Huffington Post is a one-stop-shop for all your mockery needs wasn't good enough for some people. They had to go one step further.

Heh.

(Make sure to check out the blogroll. You'll get a chuckle.)

(Hat Tip: Hog On Ice)

Posted by: Kathy at 10:02 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Moo Knew has been having some issues today. Hell if I know what the problem was, but it was acting suspiciously like that red headed stepchild of the blogosphere that is Blogspot. It even double posted once. Hmmph. That's a first.

Anyway, now that it's working again, well, I don't really feel like writing a damn thing, but rather have decided to take a bubble bath.

Pfft. I'm fickle that way. Sue me.

Posted by: Kathy at 09:31 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Ok, is this scaring the heck out of anyone else? I need to know that I'm not alone here, folks. Back me up.

Makes one wonder if one should pay their taxes if this is the best the goverment can come up with.

{ducking and running}

Posted by: Kathy at 01:26 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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A dude in Kentucky was arrested for riding his horse while drunk.

@#$#!!@#@ MADD!

I hate OMVI laws. For the uninitiated, OMVI means "Operating a Moving Vehicle While Intoxicated." That doesn't necessarily exclude a car or a motorcycle, but could also include riding mowers, bicycles, and yes, horses. A horse, it seems, is a "moving vehicle." Don't tell the horse; he'll probably be insulted.

I would really like to know how many people were killed in the past five years by a drunk lawn mower driver. Same with drunk cyclists. Do we really need to protect the citizenry of this country from these people? Is there such a dire need for protection from these people that the police really need to be arresting drunken equestrians? I don't think so. I think this is about money and the raising thereof for shiny new cop cars and cop shops. And God only knows anyone charged with an intoxication offense of any kind gets milked for all they're worth.

It's just like speeding tickets; it's easy money, baby. Why the heck not charge someone?

Nanny state, we greet thee.

Posted by: Kathy at 12:30 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Alrighty then. Are you ready for Day Eleven's Questions in THE FIRST (AND LAST) STAR WARS TRIVIA CONTEST?

Of course you are, being the good little geeks that you invariably are.

Far be it from me to keep you in suspense...so away we go.

• What Rebel snowspeeder pilot had the callsign Rogue Two?
• Who reactivated the hyperdrive on the Falcon during its escape from Cloud City?
• What was Han Solo's first line in The Empire Strikes Back?
• What, according to Han, was the destination of the stolen Imperial shuttle?
• What creature is the typical meal for a wampa?
• Who went full-throttle during his Death Star trench run to keep TIE fighters at bay?

Go to it. As always, either throw your answers in the comments section or send a secret transmission to the Evil Cake Eater Empire's mailbox.

Posted by: Kathy at 01:51 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Our winners in Day Ten of THE FIRST (AND LAST) CAKE EATER STAR WARS TRIVIA CONTEST are...

Doug (of course) and Ith!

Congratulations to you both!

You can find the answers after the jump. more...

Posted by: Kathy at 01:42 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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As in I think I may have competition for my Goddess of Snark title.

Heh.

As far as Arianna Huffington's new group blog is concerned, well...

I suppose it's going to be good to have a potential one-stop-shop for all your mockery needs, eh? I mean, come on. It's not everyday you get to link directly to the puffed-up pontifications of Mike Nichols, David Mamet and John Cusack.

Should be good fun, no?

UPDATE: OOOOOOOOH, OOOOOOH, MISTAH KOTTAH!

Check out the Terms of Service

{...}(a) Unless expressly permitted, you may not copy, reproduce, distribute, publish, enter into a database, display, perform, modify, create derivative works, transmit, or in any way exploit any part of this Service, except as permitted under the last sentence of this Section 4(a) and except that you may make one print copy that is limited to occasional articles of personal interest only. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing (but subject to the last sentence of this Section 4(a)), you may not distribute any part of this Service over any network, including, without limitation, a local area network, nor sell or offer it for sale. In addition, these files may not be used to construct any kind of database. Just as THP from time to time excerpts materials from other sources in order to support the various commentaries and writings contained herein, we respect the right of others to make "fair use" of the materials contained on THP; accordingly, you may from time to time excerpt and use materials set forth on this site, provided, that you must give the original author credit and such use must be for a non-commercial purpose only and not, for example, for re-sale.{...}

If the party of the first part decides to rob the party of the second part blind, well, the party of the second part is completely entitled to fuck the party of the first part up the ass with a particularly pointy broom handle.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph. This blog is a dream come true!

Posted by: Kathy at 02:06 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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We have reached Day Ten in FIRST (AND LAST) CAKE EATER STAR WARS TRIVIA CONTEST.

You're probably scratching your head and wondering why this is important. Well, it's not really...but you should know that it means there are only TEN DAYS left until Episode III is released.

wOOt!

Anyway, we're halfway done here. Are you having fun yet, kids? I sincerely hope so. Here are your questions for today. There's a definite theme going on here.

• Who grabbed his blaster rifle for protection when he saw Sand People approaching?
• What spearlike weapons do Sand People wield?
• Who frightened away a group of Sand people?
• What planet are Sand People native to?
• What creatures do Sand People ride?
• What order do Sand People ride their mounts in?

Throw your answers in the comments or send them to the Cake Eater inbox.

Posted by: Kathy at 11:48 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Ok, somebody answered the Day Nine Questions in THE FIRST (AND LAST) CAKE EATER STAR WARS TRIVIA CONTEST

The only problem is that it's Doug. Again.

Congratulations to him. To the rest of you, get with the program here and have some fun! You can only have said fun by answering the questions!

You can find the answers after the jump. more...

Posted by: Kathy at 11:42 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Here are your questions for Day Nine of THE FIRST (AND LAST) CAKE EATER STAR WARS TRIVIA CONTEST!

We'll see if anyone answers them this time around.

Hmmmph.

• What two characters are each described at various times as the "only hope"?
• What type of vehicles were used to fly Attack Pattern Delta?
• Who summed up Vader's revelation that he was Luke's father as "unexpected" and "unfortunate"?
• What planet's moon were many ancient stone temples erected on?
• What creatures have two legs, curving horns and stubborn temperaments?
• Whose last words in The Empire Strikes Back are, "I promise"?

As always, either drop your answers in the email box or into the comments.

Posted by: Kathy at 09:32 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Well, then.

No winners in Day Eight of THE FIRST (AND LAST) CAKE EATER STAR WARS TRIVIA CONTEST.

Why, you ask, are there no winners?

Well, I'll tell ya. Because no one bothered to answer them.

Hmmmph. more...

Posted by: Kathy at 09:27 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Ms. Sadie graduated from law school this evening.

And I am positively sure she will kill me for this, but I can't quite help myself...

CONGRATULATIONS, GIRL!

She'll be billing $300 an hour at a law firm not anywhere near you soon!

Just so she has other targets on whom to vent her spleen at being congratulated, I'm going to be cheeky and say these good wishes are from all of us.

And by that I mean her and her and him and him and him and him. Oh, and just because I love to pick on them (and I know Sadie does, too) we'll throw these gentlemen in the mix too.

{insert ducking and running en masse here}

Posted by: Kathy at 11:28 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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1 Amen, Kathy! Congratulations, Sadie!! She ROCKS! As do you! ; )

Posted by: Christina at May 07, 2005 11:32 PM (zJsUT)

2 And Happy Mother's Day to you, Kathy!

Posted by: Mark Alexander at May 08, 2005 10:27 AM (OF1DQ)

3 Thanks Mark. That's really sweet of you to say that, and while I appreciate the sentiment, I'm nonetheless not a mom. Thanks anyway, darling

Posted by: Kathy at May 08, 2005 11:55 AM (cTptB)

4 $300 an hour for... oh, law stuff, that's right Ahem, bygones! WOOOOHOOOOOOOOO! I'm so chuffed for our lil Sadiepops!

Posted by: Puffy at May 08, 2005 12:33 PM (ddzYA)

5 Just wanted to sign Sadie's graduation card. ;-) And happy Mother's Day! (to Kathy's mom)

Posted by: zonker at May 08, 2005 01:07 PM (/y7q3)

6 Awwwwwwwwww. Sniff sniff. You're getting me all misty-eyed like I was last night. Who woulda thought that Scottish bagpipes would have turned me into a softy?

Posted by: sadie at May 08, 2005 01:40 PM (2xn/2)

7 Nice to see that there's a lady billing $299 for an honest profession. Not that I've participated in .. oh never mind. The $299? Because as usual I'm a day late and a dollar short. Not that youÂ’d expect any less of me.

Posted by: phin at May 09, 2005 08:34 AM (Xvpen)

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