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Tuesday Evening Open Thread

How's everybody tonight?

Open Thread.

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    Baked like a cake (5.00 / 2) (#1)
    by Dadler on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 08:06:21 PM EST
    You?

    BTW, my fantasy baseball team is swooning at the wrong time.  It's the dog days and my team are a bunch of fire hydrants.  Somehow, as a new bay area resident committed to reamining neutral, I have ended up with 7, count 'em 7, Giants on my roster.

    I get what I deserve.

    One more, barkeep.  For all my frieeeennnnds. (LINK)

    Not (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 08:19:07 PM EST
    Staying out of trouble.

    Parent
    Wife home in 10 (none / 0) (#3)
    by Dadler on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 08:25:56 PM EST
    Then I'm in trouble.  

    Parent
    Dadler I'm so jealous.... (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by samsguy18 on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 08:27:57 PM EST
    I loved the years I spent in the bay area...

    Parent
    hey, Dadler (5.00 / 1) (#69)
    by The Addams Family on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:49:28 PM EST
    no room in the other thread to reply to your "i'm busted" comment

    if i had known that "Government Salami" was yours, i would not have shared my (ahem) "review"

    & it was only because i thought it was not yours that i did not share this part: it was really well written - yeah, small of me not to say that

    tell you what though - if you like it, that's all that matters - that, & the work that went into it in the first place

    no effort of creative attention is ever wasted

    Parent

    If you (5.00 / 1) (#90)
    by CoralGables on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 01:58:53 AM EST
    are going to go down with the dog days of summer, at least stick with a long held tradition and trade your seven Giants for seven Cubbies.

    Parent
    Sad, but true, CoralGables, (5.00 / 1) (#91)
    by caseyOR on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 02:00:46 AM EST
    says this sad sad Cubbies fan.

    Parent
    For years, I lived down the street... (none / 0) (#122)
    by Dadler on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 03:52:24 PM EST
    ...from Claremont High School in San Diego, which is where Cameron Crowe went undercover to research the story.  Friends of mine were there at the time and know the guy who Spicoli was based on.  They tell me he would incur the wrath of football players by purposefully tossing his frisbee into the middle of their practice, then run onto the field to retrieve it, doing this over and over until it was at the point that they were about to kick his ace.  Only then would he stop and leave.

    Parent
    What a stupid fricken showdown (5.00 / 2) (#7)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 08:35:26 PM EST
    that finally came to a halt at barreling at blazing speed toward a stupid fricken contraction that can only really give birth to economic depression.  How am I tonight? Compared to what?  Compared to someone in Somalia?  I'm golden

    Wow. Can't wait to read your diary! (none / 0) (#12)
    by oculus on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 08:51:24 PM EST
    It's from the heart (none / 0) (#25)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 09:17:21 PM EST
    The most dangerous organ in my body :)  I don't even want to begin to research the rest of the business board that came up with "the study".  One industrial military complex scumbag parasite was enough.  The Dow took that plunge though, that was what happened to the Bush idea about privatizing Social Security.  I wonder if another Wall Street crash will kill this "study".

    Parent
    Always. (That's a good thing.) (none / 0) (#60)
    by oculus on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:32:45 PM EST
    I have a diary going up tomorrow (5.00 / 4) (#9)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 08:39:43 PM EST
    morning at Orange addressing the "study" spearheader for the revamping of military retirements.  Please everyone check it out tomorrow if you get a chance, give it a rec if you think it deserves one.

    Haven't gone there in ages (5.00 / 2) (#19)
    by Yman on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 08:59:21 PM EST
    Will be happy to check out your diary, though.

    Parent
    Thank you Yman (none / 0) (#23)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 09:12:23 PM EST
    Same here. (5.00 / 3) (#27)
    by jeffinalabama on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 09:28:41 PM EST
    recommended. (none / 0) (#101)
    by jeffinalabama on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 09:18:22 AM EST
    What a slimeball. Willing to bet he was grounded for some reason having to do with either limited skills or an IG complaint.  He probably finished his time as deputy Public Affairs Officer.

    Real PAOs make a choice to spend a tour in public affairs. They actually go to school for it. More often than not, deputies get sent there so they can't do any more damage.

    This supposed Marine represents the scratch-and-sniff underbelly of the Military-Industrial Complex.

    Parent

    jeffinalabama has a new diary up. (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by oculus on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 08:51:56 PM EST


    Here: (5.00 / 2) (#16)
    by oculus on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 08:55:09 PM EST
    Went for a swim tonight (5.00 / 1) (#14)
    by Yman on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 08:53:11 PM EST
    Ocean was really warm and flat-as-a-lake - has been for a couple of days.  It was a perfect night, but all I had going through my mind the entire time were the commercials for "Shark Week".

    Thanks, Discovery Channel.

    Jaws really did a number (5.00 / 1) (#35)
    by lilburro on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 09:45:26 PM EST
    on American culture.  Imagine if it had been about mountain lions, I might never have walked in the woods again.

    Still, I do love Shark Week.  "Oh, there's the tiger shark, let's dive."  Oh, yes let's.  That's rational.  That's the right decision to make.

    Maybe Tom Tomorrow can do a Shark Week themed comic this week...

    Parent

    Unfortunately for us humans (none / 0) (#70)
    by brodie on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:50:32 PM EST
    who like to take the occasional salt-water dip or who like to ride the waves, apparently some of the more aggressive sharks like the great whites are hanging out more often now in shallow coastal waters where people swim.  The number of attacks on humans in the past decade -- according to one of their shows -- is about half the amount recorded in the previous century (or so I recall the stats).  That's sobering.

    Yes there's a lot of scare-porn going on with these Shark Week programs, but it appears increasingly that the sharks are not disappointing with their suddenly aggressive behavior.  Dunno what's causing this, and it looks like the scientists don't either, just a bunch of shallow theories that need plenty of testing.

    Parent

    All those baby Great Whites (none / 0) (#30)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 09:37:57 PM EST
    in our warm water coastal nurseries :)

    Parent
    Must say that I love DC's use of (none / 0) (#61)
    by Joan in VA on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:32:51 PM EST
    Gaga's "Teeth" in those promos. Perfect!

    Parent
    you're telling me (none / 0) (#99)
    by CST on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 09:07:08 AM EST
    I've seen two seals this summer.  One was right on the edge of the beach, about 2 feet into the ocean, and the other was following me around a bay.

    Seals are adorable, and they have faces that make you want to take them home to mom.  But all I could think was SHARRRRKS!!!!!!

    Parent

    Saw a pod of dolphins ... (5.00 / 1) (#106)
    by Yman on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 10:07:46 AM EST
    ... a couple weeks ago.  They were only @ 100 ft. away before I spotted them, and the first thought that goes through your mind when you see a fin is "Shark!".  I'm not particularly phobic about sharks, but it still gets your heart racing.

    Maybe watching Jaws when I was a kid really wasn't the best idea ...

    Parent

    I've never actually seen Jaws (none / 0) (#118)
    by CST on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 12:18:12 PM EST
    But there have actually been a number of great white sharks spotted in the area, to the point where it's almost becomming a tourist thing on the cape to come watch sharks feed.  And seals are shark bait.

    The one thing the people "in the know" (coast guard, biologists, etc...) keep saying - is that you are fine to swim, as long as you stay away from seals.  But they really are too cute!  And one of them just kept following me around, there was no avoiding it.

    Parent

    Nothing to be proud of. (5.00 / 2) (#15)
    by Addison on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 08:54:49 PM EST
    Study: Tea Partiers Outworked Democrats In Debt Fight

    http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/08/study-tea-partiers-outworked-democrats-in-debt-fight.php? ref=fpa

    A telephone poll by the Pew Research Center for People and Press found that Republicans and Tea Party-affiliated respondents both paid more attention to the debt negotiations and were more likely to take action to influence the outcome.

    Some 66% of the two groups followed news on the issue closely versus only 34% of those who had different views or did not offer a political opinion. Nor were they passive observers: some 66% of Republicans and Tea Partiers contacted an elected official during the standoff while only 5% of the rest did the same.



    Can I get extra survey points (5.00 / 3) (#20)
    by MO Blue on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 09:00:04 PM EST
    if I wasted my time contacting all of my elected officials several times during this whole manufactured crisis?

    Survey points would at least mean I got something out of my time and effort.

    Parent

    Trying to discern if more Dems. of (none / 0) (#21)
    by oculus on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 09:03:02 PM EST
    the far left had peppered their elected federal representatives with e-mails and phone calls (and tweets????), would they have insisted on a "clean" bill?  Brian Bilbray:  not a chance.  Feinstein and Boxer:  didn't hear a whimper from either of them.  

    Parent
    Listening to Barney Frank tonight (5.00 / 3) (#29)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 09:36:17 PM EST
    Sounds like nobody knew exactly what they were going to be getting until the last minute.  Frank was going to vote for it until at the last minute he found out how bad it was going to be and then suddenly it was No for him.

    Parent
    "Far left?" (5.00 / 4) (#62)
    by MO Blue on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:33:20 PM EST
    That animal is almost extinct here in the U.S. The number of people who could actually be classified as "far left" here in the U.S. probably is less than a fraction of one percent.

    The concept of a "far left" is IMO just propaganda that both the Republicans and the Democrats use to discount the positions of people who do not support a government by the corporation and for the corporations. The label is used to indicate that any position not center right is an extreme position.  

    Sorry, you are the recipient of my rant but this is a pet peeve with me.

    Parent

    Oops. Forgot the quotation marks! (5.00 / 1) (#75)
    by oculus on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 11:01:21 PM EST
    AMEN!!!! (none / 0) (#86)
    by gyrfalcon on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 01:25:45 AM EST
    I think. (none / 0) (#89)
    by CoralGables on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 01:56:30 AM EST
    it happens to be where you are at the time. At work I'm considered the local Far Left Commie Pinko Bleeding Heart Liberal that will defend and fight for anyone to be able to keep their job at anytime.  Here at TL I'm probably much closer to a SOB Fiscal Conservative.

    Parent
    That is because of propaganda (5.00 / 1) (#97)
    by MO Blue on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 07:33:04 AM EST
    that too often Democratic pundits and voters repeat until it is accepted as a true description.

    Parent
    Cynicism about proven solutions is weird (none / 0) (#24)
    by Addison on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 09:13:48 PM EST
    If Democrats have nothing to fear from their base they have no reason to alter their behavior on this vote or any other. If they aren't getting pressure, they won't feel pressure. If they are ignored by a cynical, cocooned base -- they'll ignore right back. How many times is all this said in reference to President Obama. But for some reason it's not true of Congressmen? That's bizarre. If you look at moderate Republicans of even 5-6 years ago versus now you'll see the effect of a mobilize wing of radicals coupling constant constituent pressure with credible primary threats. It's not a hard formula to crack -- we've just witnessed a case study firsthand and STILL there's this hardheaded resistance. It is, apparently, a hard formula for the left to not cynically dismiss out of hand. Pretty tragic considering the reality of the current situation is that there's going to be an incredibly powerful commission that the left can conceivably control half of. Oh well. Maybe there will be a fringe constitutional option no one will ever use that we can clamor for once it's too late, or a big rally with giant puppets, to really change things...

    Parent
    That said... (none / 0) (#26)
    by Addison on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 09:17:52 PM EST
    ...even the puppets would be better than the status quo, I guess. The Tea Party used puppets and rallies, too. Although when the left does rallies they always turn into grab bags of Black Bloc folks, A.N.S.W.E.R. Maoists, and Free Mumia people.

    Parent
    Observed, Re: Pittsburgh... (5.00 / 1) (#28)
    by jeffinalabama on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 09:32:39 PM EST
    there's some sort of tall hill or mountain with a train to the top...steel city folks, help me out! Also, Primanti's for a sandwich you'll never forget. I don't know if it's good or bad, but you'll never forget it!

    I think you are talking about (none / 0) (#32)
    by caseyOR on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 09:41:20 PM EST
    the Incline, the vertical people moving climbing device.

    Parent
    Otherwise known as a funicular? (5.00 / 1) (#34)
    by oculus on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 09:43:47 PM EST
    Thank you both. (none / 0) (#37)
    by jeffinalabama on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 09:47:16 PM EST
    To get to Fallingwater, (5.00 / 2) (#38)
    by oculus on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 09:53:27 PM EST
    we fly into Pittsburgh.  was not planning to sightsee there  but who can resist a funicular?

    Parent
    Makes me want to sing (none / 0) (#40)
    by jeffinalabama on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 09:57:27 PM EST
    Listening to this song... (none / 0) (#42)
    by jeffinalabama on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:09:35 PM EST
    Do you know what a Volksmarch in Germany that turns East is called?

    Fall Weiss! (Rimshot)

    Geez, tough crowd tonight.

    Hello, is this thing on?

    A great show in store for you tonight...

    Parent

    Sometimes I get the impression (5.00 / 1) (#52)
    by oculus on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:25:46 PM EST
    I am talking to myself on TL, but this is ridiculous.  Don't you know the Dodgers are in S.D.?  

    Parent
    Sorry, oculus. It is just too (5.00 / 2) (#65)
    by caseyOR on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:37:37 PM EST
    painful for me to pay much attention to baseball this year.

    Why, you ask? Well, this year the Cubs are so bad, so very consistently bad, that even a quick morning glance at the box scores brings tears to my eyes and a knifelike pain in my heart.

    The only thing that could make the Cubs' season worse would be if the Astros start winning.

    Parent

    YOu have my empathy, Casey, (none / 0) (#67)
    by jeffinalabama on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:43:34 PM EST
    I rooted for the braves throughout the 70's and 80's.

    Usually the Braves were mathematically eliminated about three days into June.

    Parent

    I had tickets for last night and tonight (none / 0) (#68)
    by oculus on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:45:29 PM EST
    to see Dodgers/Pads, always interesting as soooo many Dodgers fans show up, as does security.  But I skipped both games.  Pads are really unable to get runs in this year.  

    Parent
    For baseball therapy (none / 0) (#117)
    by CoralGables on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 12:11:41 PM EST
    May I suggest you take a field trip next Tuesday night, August 9, to see the Eugene Emeralds vs the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes to be played at Volcanoes Stadium on Field of Dreams Way in Salem. It's Don Larsen Night (with a possible autograph from the only pitcher ever to throw a Perfect Game in a World Series) and as an added bonus you get 2 for 1 tickets with Kraft Singles wrapper.

    You'll never find such joy of the game therapy with the Cubbies.

    Parent

    Might be surprising to Californians (5.00 / 1) (#73)
    by Joan in VA on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:54:34 PM EST
    but most denizens of the rest of the US do not give a fig about the Padres. Or the Dodgers. Or all the other teams you have too many of, while many of us have none. I don't even have the A Braves farm team any more. Yes, I'm a little bitter-so sue me. :(

    Parent
    How do you feel about chickens? (5.00 / 6) (#76)
    by oculus on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 11:02:25 PM EST
    That Tersano Lotus thingy (none / 0) (#80)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 11:15:18 PM EST
    that I love so much for cleaning pesticides off of vegetables and cleaning the floor and all sorts of things says that you can soak a chicken in the ozone water too.  Not that I ever have....bleh, but it says you can do it and it will kill the nasties.  Many of us feed our dogs raw chicken once a week now because the nasties in the chicken are actually good for a dog's digestion and because we took all the bacteria out of their diets they think that that might be a link to a something called bloat that kills them very swiftly when it happens.

    Parent
    Interesting. I'll check the label for (5.00 / 1) (#81)
    by oculus on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 11:27:56 PM EST
    Simple Green.  

    Parent
    Going yo be San Diego's (none / 0) (#54)
    by jeffinalabama on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:27:11 PM EST
    night, I think.

    Parent
    Not so far. 1 to zip. (none / 0) (#57)
    by oculus on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:31:03 PM EST
    C'mon folks, (5.00 / 1) (#53)
    by jeffinalabama on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:26:10 PM EST
    this is good material here...

    Parent
    Hmm (5.00 / 1) (#82)
    by lilburro on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 11:45:37 PM EST
    my brother is trying to reapply to the college he took a break from this past year.  His GPA is MUCH lower than I realized which presents some (not insurmountable) problems.

    My mom says on the phone if he can't get into this school he can "start at the bottom somewhere, and work his way up."

    I say are you kidding me?  Where is he going to do that???  Most people I know are going back to school to avoid the hellishness/hamster wheelishness of the current employment scenario.  I have a BA and I can't work my way up, I'm getting laid off end of this month.  Lord.  (I do get unemployment, which is a wonderful thing).

    Not to mention that our area doesn't offer a lot of ladder scaling opportunities, now or a few years ago.

    Tomorrow, I must try to teach the child to negotiate with college deans...we will be taking a multipronged, well-dressed but aggressive approach :P

    He did not do me any favors today by telling the dean "this is bullsh*t!"  That kind of statement comes off quite differently depending on what your GPA is...

    The (5.00 / 3) (#85)
    by CoralGables on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 12:52:43 AM EST
    "this is bullsh*t" line is best played when you are sporting a 4.0 (and sometimes not even then unless you have a backup plan already in play).

    Parent
    Hahah yeah... (none / 0) (#102)
    by lilburro on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 09:23:52 AM EST
    it is tempting as most deans (in my experience) make you feel like you're at the principal's office.  I have gotten into it with a dean before, but it wasn't while I was trying to gain (re)admittance!  Plus, my grades were good, so I came off as "highly opinionated" as opposed to "potential liability."

    Parent
    If he can't get back in (none / 0) (#83)
    by nycstray on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 12:44:02 AM EST
    can he swing over to a JR/Community college and work his way back to his original?

    Parent
    He did that (none / 0) (#103)
    by lilburro on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 09:28:29 AM EST
    and did very well at the local community college.  The school he is trying to get back into it just hung up over the 1.0 (!) GPA he earned there.  

    He's capable of the work, but he's had issues with depression and lack of focus that he needs to show the college he can handle.

    Parent

    Any suggestions/advice/ I can offer (none / 0) (#98)
    by jeffinalabama on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 09:05:24 AM EST
    to him when dealing with a college or university bureaucracy begins with

    I Don't use the term 'Bullsh^t' or any derivatives
    II Grovel.
    III Take some interesting sociology, anthropology, criminal justice, and speech communications classes that require group work (sometimes accounting, also).
    IV Make a written (not email) apology to the dean, hand-deliver it, then make an oral apology.
    V Don't roll your eyes or sigh as the dean patronizes you.
    VI Beg more
    VII Ask dean to help you find a student mentor to help change evil ways
    VIII Admit to dean you've always admired the dean's pattern of organization and would like to be able to come in the future to ask for additional help organizing your time.

    It's called 'playing the game.' The dean has the union card. Your brother doesn't and needs to kowtow to the power of the Dark Lord of the Sith in whose presence he stands or sits or kowtows.

    Parent

    Thanks jeff (none / 0) (#104)
    by lilburro on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 09:31:43 AM EST
    I will keep these points in mind when we have our come to Jesus meeting later today!  

    I knew it was a good idea to post about this at TL :)

    Parent

    Remember that administrators (none / 0) (#108)
    by jeffinalabama on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 10:37:02 AM EST
    above dept. head level (and some department heads, also) have sold their souls. They speak in platitudes, but suffer begging well.

    If there's some appeals process but the dean isn't on the appeals committee, tell him to pucker up and kiss it, passionately, to get a letter of even nominal support from the dean.

    Also, do any professors remember your brother? Since professors and admin mix like water and sodium, maybe a few letters from professors.

    But be careful there... I wrote a letter of rec once that said "so and so took my class and earned a B. Sincerely..." This was after telling the person that I didn't feel comfortable writing a letter for them. What more?

    Heck, tell yr bro to email me, and we can try to IM beforehand.

    Oh, dress... try not to be himself. Dress in at least a collared shirt, long pants, and shoes-- not sandals, crocks, or sneakers (unless that's all he has). A shirt and tie would not be inappropriate. Bring in a file with any letters, including the apology. Put statements in the file from the brother concerning the issues with anxiety and depression he had after his pet goldfish died/penis fell off/got turned down by the French Foreign Legion/ whatever can be said that would indicate a reason for under-performance.  Furthermore, have him write a 500-750 word essay about the change in his level of maturity, understanding of the discipline needed, etc. etc. ( some copies may not hurt if there is an appeals committee).

    Tell him also to be willing to accept either conditional admission or academic probation. If he gets one of those, to earnestly thank the dean for the opportunity to prove his mettle. He should also offer to be a peer tutor in any area he's capable of doing. Free labor? that's cost containment, school admins love it.

    --and call the office to schedule an appointment! Show up 10-15 minutes early! and with deodorant, freshly-shaven, and in pressed-- yes pressed-- clothes. This meeting may be more important than any job interview he'll have in the future.

    It might sound lame, but it isn't if he's sincere. Also, by saying those and writing those, he might decide he owns those sentiments. shoot me an email, and I'll send my phone number. I have a protoge who's in grad school after a stint in federal prison for drug trafficking. He turned his life around, was able to get a city job as a garbage collector, and the city paid for his B.A., and currently pays for his master's program.

    That's a more difficult a starting position than low grades, unless bro pisses off the dean.

    Parent

    AWESOME (none / 0) (#113)
    by lilburro on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 11:17:30 AM EST
    advice Jeff.  Thank you so much for your generous offers to help.  Part of the problem is that my brother's adviser made it seem like everything would be really simple.  Which is really irresponsible of said adviser but...ugh.  Time to move on instead of going to his office and screaming at him I guess.

    I feel the same way you do about college admins.  They're all about the college benjamins.

    Parent

    Seriously, email me (none / 0) (#114)
    by jeffinalabama on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 11:35:33 AM EST
    and I'll give my telly no. I'll help talk to the boy. I'm used to laying out the program of kiss butt to get back in then get off of your dead butt and actually go to class and do something and become a part of the university community.

    In person, it's kind of scary. I interrupt, I'm rude, and I use language not found on TL, hehehehe.

    Of course, I give a couple of chances, usually, but there comes a point when a student comes to the office and I say, "I don't want to hear it. You blew it. Find someone else to tell your sob story to. The world needs ditch diggers and chief Whopper floppers, too."

    Usually after they have done half of the program, then stopped attending classes. Professors put up with a lot from students who attend, ask questions, go to office hours, but still struggle.  

    And the eye rolls

    Parent

    Oh, and remind him (5.00 / 1) (#115)
    by jeffinalabama on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 11:53:29 AM EST
    drama queens belong in the drama department, not a meeting about his potential future. Make eye contact, use the word "sir," and allow himself to be humiliated, if that happens. It's going to happen in the real world, and happen a lot worse than in a private meeting.

    30 minutes of humiliation to get a chance at a future? pretty good trade.

    Other rules-- be forthcoming, but DON'T INTERRUPT pontificatons or homilies.

    DON'T act like an equal. He isn't.

    DON'T take a seat unless offered.

    Don't eat, chew gum, or have ipod cords where they can be seen.

    DO NOT MULTITASK. Turn off the cell phone before entering the secretary's office to wait for the appointment.

    Don't think this is a done deal. These methods may not work after yesterday's outburst.

    If the dean says no, calmly ask if there are any other avenues of appeal, because he wishes to be thorough, although he knows the dean's input carries tremendous weight. But ask the dean to examine his appeal again, please.

    DON'T EXPECT IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION. Make sure the Dean has his address so that he can send an official pronouncement after due deliberation.

    --Perhaps after reading his statement, looking at his letters, the Dean may be more willing to give a thumbs up.

    Irrespective of the outcome, shake hands, say thank you, dean wormer, or whatever the name is. There are other levels of appeal and other universities.

    Make sure to visit the head (the loo) 30 minutes prior to evacuate any gases or waste.

    I try to be as specific as possible, because people of his generation have not been exposed to or taught these things.

    DO make eye contact, but give in to the dean's power and break eye contact first, if necessary.

    Do be earnest. Do be polysyllabic.

    DO be clear and concise.

    Do speak in complete sentences.

    Do answer with yes sir and no sir, or "Yes Dr. or Dean Wormer," or "No, Dean Wormer," to direct questions.

    Do sit straight, if asked to sit.

    BEgin with Hello sir, I was here yesterday, and I left after acting extremely immature. First and foremost I want to apologize. Make the apology, then hand the letter of apology, in an envelope with the dean's name SPELLED CORRECTLY, to the dean.

    Do ask to present your case again, this time with documentation. Be willing to say with maturity, also.

    Parent

    Yeah (none / 0) (#116)
    by lilburro on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 12:04:38 PM EST
    I try to be as specific as possible, because people of his generation have not been exposed to or taught these things.

    He's a good kid but this is just stuff that he does not get.  I guess he figured he could just waltz in more or less, but they are hung up over his GPA during his time at the school, as opposed to the good marks he's earned since (in community college).

    I still have to find out exactly what the dean said from him - I'll let you know.  Thanks Jeff.

    Parent

    You are a terrific sister (none / 0) (#125)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Aug 04, 2011 at 08:48:44 AM EST
    And get my Sister of the Year award.

    Parent
    kdog (5.00 / 2) (#84)
    by CoralGables on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 12:48:36 AM EST
    I'm not a doctor nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn last night, but I read bits of your medical issue and was thinking any type of scratches from the landscaping project could be a real possibility that lead to what you are seeing. If you see any lines generating from any of the spots, get thee to the emergency room. Staff infections can land you in your nearest medical bed and breakfast. You don't want a date with something like streptococcus cellulitis.

    No lines... (none / 0) (#93)
    by kdog on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 06:23:12 AM EST
    off the welts, the three of them are in a line up my calf, which made me think spider.  I'm hoping the doc would have been able to identify possible staph...yikes!

    I hope I haven't worried anybody too much, I love you all you lot of fine human beings! Off to the dermotologist in a bit.  Moms is taking me over, wouldn't take no for an answer:)  This time I'm grateful though, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a wee bit freaked out.

    I'll touch base later on...wish me luck.

    Parent

    good luck kdog! (none / 0) (#94)
    by ruffian on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 06:53:55 AM EST
    Hoping for the best!!  You're in good hands with mom!

    Parent
    Looks like a case of... (5.00 / 2) (#100)
    by kdog on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 09:10:48 AM EST
    looks much worse than it is.  Dermatologist says it is some kind of infected bites, hard to say what due to the inflammation, thinking mosquito more so than spider though, could have been scratching in my sleep...sending a culture to the lab.  I'm a lousy web md I guess, I'll keep my day job:)

    Augmentin will be my anti-biotic, and a steroid cream to get the welts down, see him again in two weeks.  Doc doesn't seem concerned, no fever is a huge positive sign.  "I know it looks bad, but you'll be allright" is the money quote.

    I feel a lot better about it now, I'm taking the whole day and vegging, walking is a bit of a chore.

    Sorry for spreading my worry needlessly, I feel especially terrible for worrying poor Jeff, with the real deal on his plate.  But as we know, thats the kinda guy he is.


    Parent

    This is good news, kdog. (5.00 / 1) (#105)
    by caseyOR on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 10:01:14 AM EST
    No need to apologize, matey. If you hadn't told us, and then been urged by others here to see a doctor, you wouldn't have the antibiotics and the cream. And your leg might have gotten worse.

    It's all good, my friend.

    Parent

    Outstanding news, K. (none / 0) (#110)
    by jeffinalabama on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 10:45:12 AM EST
    We're concerned because we're your friends. Doesn't matter what's going on in our lives, that's gonna happen any way... but welts and red lines and swelling is acute. And we know you well enough to know you want to 'tough it out.' Some day you might think you jumped the gun, but a person can get blood poisoning from a cat's nail puncture. No telling what was in that lot.

    Besides, I'd rather worry about that than my every 15 minute bathroom break ;-).

    You have time to plant zucchini, patty-pan squash, cucumbers and already-established tomatoes. Remember, transients need fresh fruit and veggies also, and I imagine you're a fairly soft touch for a fin.

    Parent

    Glad to hear things are looking up, dog (none / 0) (#111)
    by Anne on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 10:46:50 AM EST
    One word of caution: Augmentin can be really hard on your GI system - my daughter took it for something - don't remember what, now - and had to stop after a couple days, as she could hardly get off the toilet.

    Nothing like the side effects of what's supposed to cure you making you feel worse than what you're taking it for...if this happens to you, don't hesitate to call your doc and ask for something else.

    Parent

    Dude, be sure it's not the dreaded bed bug (none / 0) (#120)
    by vicndabx on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 02:47:49 PM EST
    they do the pattern thing also.....

    Parent
    huge painful raised welts, like 3"-4" across. Big, nasty, open, leaky, puss-y, bloody, sores right in the middle of the welts. Thank god for modern medicine.

    Parent
    I pimped your story on ... (none / 0) (#5)
    by Demi Moaned on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 08:33:10 PM EST
    the composition of the Super Congress over at DailyKos.

    Steer clear of coconut almond soft serve (none / 0) (#6)
    by andgarden on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 08:34:20 PM EST
    The version I had was gritty and pasty. Not at all what I want in an ice cream. Maybe it would have been better if frozen solid. I love pistachio.

    I love pistachio too (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 08:36:39 PM EST
    Mmmmmmmmmmm

    Parent
    I don't keep ice cream in the house anymore (5.00 / 2) (#10)
    by andgarden on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 08:41:38 PM EST
    It is too certain that I will eat all of it.

    Parent
    UK bans ice cream containing (none / 0) (#11)
    by oculus on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 08:50:25 PM EST
    human breast milk.

    Meanwhile, ground turkey is source of salmonella in U.S., including Sacramento.  What is safe to eat?

    Parent

    Who knew ... (5.00 / 2) (#17)
    by Yman on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 08:56:15 PM EST
    ... that was even an option?

    Parent
    I watched a rerun of Julia Child's (none / 0) (#18)
    by andgarden on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 08:57:11 PM EST
    70s cooking show recently. The want she handled a chicken made me want to clutch a can of Lysol. Some of her advice was downright terrible. Rinsing the raw bird in the sink? Patting it down with paper towels and putting the used towels on the counter? :-(

    I think there was always this stuff in food, and it was worse in the past. We've just finally decided not to accept it anymore.

    Parent

    Not sure Julia's advice was all that (5.00 / 2) (#36)
    by caseyOR on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 09:46:05 PM EST
    terrible. I rinse chickens in the sink. Where else would you rinse a chicken?  And I pat them dry with paper towels. What else would you use? I also immediately put the paper towels in the trash can. And I scrub the sink after.

    I doubt that Julia was some sort of dirty heathen chef. I suspect some TV assistant tossed the paper towels and washed the sink after for her.

    Parent

    Basically, it is an awful idea to rinse a chicken (none / 0) (#39)
    by andgarden on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 09:53:50 PM EST
    Who knows where you might splash raw chicken water.

    Parent
    You do understand ... (5.00 / 2) (#41)
    by Robot Porter on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:03:58 PM EST
    times change.  Salmonella's a much bigger problem now that it was in the seventies, and trichinosis much less of a problem.

    So in the seventies there was much more concern over the handling of raw pork than raw chicken.

    Parent

    Then every cookbook author I have (5.00 / 2) (#43)
    by caseyOR on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:10:02 PM EST
    ever read is propagating the spread of chicken bacteria. I just checked a few: Mark Bittman says rinse, Lidia Bastianich says rinse,  Sara Jenkins says rinse. Can all these food people be wrong?

    I do think that one needs to be careful, and one needs to thoroughly scrub the sink and counter after. Not unlike the need to thoroughly scrub the cutting board after using it.

    Parent

    Yes, I think they are all wrong (none / 0) (#44)
    by andgarden on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:13:08 PM EST
    FWIW, Jacques Pépin fought with Julia about this one one of their excellent joint shows.  

    Parent
    Yes, he did fight with her. (none / 0) (#47)
    by caseyOR on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:17:20 PM EST
    I have seen that episode many times. I don't recall that Jacques made the argument that rinsing was unsanitary, though. It seemed he just thought it was a waste of time.

    Nonetheless, andgarden, I am willing to agree to a Grand Chicken Prep Bargain. Under the terms of this bargain, you will not be required to rinse chickens before cooking, and I will continue to rinse the birds and scrub up after.  

    Parent

    Casey (5.00 / 2) (#77)
    by lilburro on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 11:03:26 PM EST
    Grand Bargains are about shared sacrifice.  That means I have to prep a chicken for dinner for dinner tomorrow and I didn't even feel like having chicken this week :( :(

    Parent
    Whatever it takes so that we (5.00 / 2) (#78)
    by caseyOR on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 11:07:12 PM EST
    can pivot to jobs and the economy.

    Parent
    And I hope you weren't planning (5.00 / 4) (#79)
    by caseyOR on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 11:09:32 PM EST
    to purchase that chicken with food stamps because, well, we had to cut food stamps to pay for tax cuts for bacteria growers.

    Parent
    Yeah, his POV was that it was (none / 0) (#49)
    by andgarden on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:22:05 PM EST
    just unnecessary (I think he said something like "if the germs can survive the oven, they deserve to live.") Raw chicken has a very high probability of having pathogens. Consumer Reports tested last year and found that "[t]wo-thirds of the chickens tested harbored salmonella and/or campylobacter[.]"

    From my point of view, if you're splattering raw chicken water all of the kitchen counter, you have the potential for a real health risk.

    Parent

    BTW, you also shouldn't put salt (none / 0) (#45)
    by andgarden on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:14:03 PM EST
    in scrambled eggs before you cook them ;-p .

    Parent
    Well, you are right about not (5.00 / 1) (#48)
    by caseyOR on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:19:12 PM EST
    adding salt to eggs before scrambling. I do add fresh ground pepper.

    And to Jeff's hot sauce query-- add hot sauce after the eggs are cooked.

    Parent

    I think you can basically get away (none / 0) (#50)
    by andgarden on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:24:16 PM EST
    with a very small amount of liquid (preferably heavy cream). Anything else has the potential to make your eggs weep.

    Parent
    I did not know that. (5.00 / 2) (#51)
    by jeffinalabama on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:25:31 PM EST
    But I usually overcook my scrambled eggs, according to most folks.

    Parent
    I actually like big American curds (none / 0) (#56)
    by andgarden on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:30:03 PM EST
    in my scrambled eggs. They feel more substantial, and I don't like runny (frankly, raw) scrambled eggs.* There's little more disappointing to me than an "omelet" from a diner that's been scorched to death on a flat-top.

    *But I do very much like my fried eggs over medium. Go figure!

    Parent

    Scrambled until done (none / 0) (#74)
    by cal1942 on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:56:44 PM EST
    and hot sauce.

    Great.

    The world can do without eggs scrambled 'rare.'

    Parent

    I don't add any liquid to the eggs (5.00 / 1) (#55)
    by caseyOR on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:28:24 PM EST
    before scrambling. Not a bit of milk or water or hot sauce, for that very reason. It makes the eggs weepy, and not in a poignant touching sort of way. They become weepy in a "Eww, why is there all this water in my eggs?" sort of way

    Parent
    Yup (5.00 / 1) (#58)
    by andgarden on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:31:04 PM EST
    The safest thing is to add nothing. If you really want to be careful, you can actually beat the eggs in the pan with your spatula over a very low flame.

    Parent
    Never expected to read a thread devoted (5.00 / 7) (#59)
    by oculus on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:32:14 PM EST
    to whether or not to wash a chicken  

    Parent
    Better than another thread devoted (5.00 / 5) (#66)
    by caseyOR on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:40:47 PM EST
    to discussing the making of sausage.

    Parent
    My mother used to make them (none / 0) (#63)
    by jeffinalabama on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:33:30 PM EST
    that way. She'd let the albumin whiten before scrambling.

    Parent
    Weird (none / 0) (#88)
    by sj on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 01:53:03 AM EST
    I have never had a problem with weepy eggs when I add milk or cream.  Oh, maybe if I didn't whip them enough before putting them into the skillet.

    Parent
    A bit of milk or cream (none / 0) (#87)
    by sj on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 01:45:28 AM EST
    makes scrambled eggs light and fluffy.  When my son was little I started also adding a bit of dried parsley flakes.  He liked the way it looked and he ate it more readily.  It doesn't really change the taste, and so I still do it.

    Parent
    How about hot sauce? (none / 0) (#46)
    by jeffinalabama on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:15:59 PM EST
    But, but... (5.00 / 1) (#64)
    by jeffinalabama on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:34:58 PM EST
    brining poultry? I always change the water a few times with new salty water.

    Parent
    We had a brined turkey. Which was then (none / 0) (#72)
    by oculus on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:52:05 PM EST
    transferred into an oven bag.  No rinsing.  Really salty.

    Parent
    You do realize (none / 0) (#109)
    by TeresaInSnow2 on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 10:42:37 AM EST
    that your kitchen counter and sink are already the most bacteria-laden areas of your house.....no chicken-washing needed.  It's all there.

    People with normal immune systems can fend off a great deal of these and other bacteria.  And even if you get sick?  Unless you're immune compromised, elderly or very young, you don't even need antibiotics to get over a salmonella infection.  Some docs won't even give them, because antibiotics may prolong the infected state.  In fact, scientists believe that even our "friendly" intestinal bacteria would not be so friendly if we didn't have our immune system to keep them in check.  Our bodies are constantly keeping bacteria, including small levels of ingested salmonella, from harming us.

    I'm not saying it's okay to drink chicken water or make salad dressing out of it ;-).  I am saying that we ingest many kinds of harmful bacteria all of the time without getting sick so a tiny bit of exposure by an otherwise prudent person is not worth worrying about.  Washing the excess salmonella load off the chicken and down your kitchen drain is probably a good idea.

    Dry surfaces cannont harbor salmonella.  They die.  Keeping your kitchen surfaces dry is a great way to combat many (not all) bacteria.

    Parent

    Doctors and moms (none / 0) (#112)
    by jeffinalabama on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 10:47:40 AM EST
    keep children too clean nowadays also. LEt them get dirty and eat bologna sandwiches that fell to the floor or ground! Not true in all cases, but in most.

    Children need exposure to more than they get.

    Parent

    You got me curious (none / 0) (#107)
    by Yman on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 10:18:36 AM EST
    Couldn't find much from the USDA, other than rinsing a chicken is "not necessary".  Britain's Food Standards Agency did a study that concluded that rinsing a turkey greatly increased the risk of cross-contamination.

    Parent
    Amused (none / 0) (#22)
    by chrisvee on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 09:09:29 PM EST
    myself reading a transcript of Keith O's exhortation for the people to hit the streets in displays of civil disobedience and then ran for two miles to de-stress.  Now I'm pleasantly numb.

    Watched 'The Town' (none / 0) (#71)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:50:57 PM EST
    on HBO yesterday, really liked it.  Got 'Limitless' from Netflix, the whole family liked it and my daughter and my husand both told me that if there was such a drug they'd be taking it.  Who knew I was living with so many potential druggies :)

    'the Town' was pretty good. Have not seen (5.00 / 2) (#95)
    by ruffian on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 07:01:16 AM EST
    'limitless' yet, but it is on my list.

    I've been marathon Netflix streaming all the seasons of 'Mad Men', which I have not watched up till now. I think I was hooked on too many other shows when it came out, so I resisted. Wow, what a great show. Im about to start season 4, so no spoilers please!   I am about the age of Don Draper's kids in  the show, and just seeing those clothes and set designs rings a bell deep inside. I see those seersucker kids clothes and the swiss dots, etc, and I know exactly how those fabrics feel - back when clothes were really made of cloth.

    also I enjoy the different perspective the writers use on the Kennedy election and other events, and the episode with the assassination was outstanding. The end of the world, in many ways.

    Anyway, if your family has not watched Mad Men yet I highly recommend.

    Parent

    Damages used to be (none / 0) (#124)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Aug 04, 2011 at 08:44:45 AM EST
    something that everyone around here loved.  I never checked it out until there was a lull in between seasons and nothing that I watched was on.  I only got about four hours of sleep one night when I started doing the Netflix thing streaming Damages.  When my husband watched one episode with me he then went on to not sleep at all one night watching Netflix streaming....and he had to give a lecture the next morning :)  He was a mess, he had to come home in the afternoon and take a nap and he blamed me :)

    Then we couldn't get season 3 for like forever without buying and I was too stubborn to buy.  I have all this cable and pay for Netflix, I wasn't buying it damn it :)  I should not have done what I'm going to tell you that I did, and I want you to know that as I was doing it I knew I shouldn't do it.  Someone was offering me the opportunity to see it for free online before I could see it any place else.  I know that such an opportunity is only given by someone trying to give my computer a Trojan or something, and for days I tried to ignore that they were making me the offer.  And then I started watching season 3.  My computer crashed 75% of the way through the 2nd episode.  Infected as hell....took me days and money to get the viruses off my computer.

    Now you think the Mad Women with the Mad Husband should try Mad Men?

    Parent

    Jeralyn (none / 0) (#92)
    by CoralGables on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 02:30:37 AM EST
    the registered commenter, or should I say Site Violator xiaobao is hitting up your threads from 7 years ago with a host of spam. At last count they were at 15 posts.

    Once again I must praise Martin Short (none / 0) (#96)
    by ruffian on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 07:04:37 AM EST
    in 'Weeds" this season. He was only in one scene last night, but he absolutely kills those lines. Funnier than the rest of the cast pt together.

    Hey, is anyone watching 'Damages' on DirectTV?  I am missing it! Bummer.

    Inside Match.com (none / 0) (#119)
    by jbindc on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 02:43:28 PM EST
    and the algorithms they use to hook people up.

    Very interesting.

    The most interesting part, IMO:

    It is a subtle shift, but one with profound implications. "Before, matches were based on the criteria you set. You meet her criteria, and she meets yours, so you're a good match," Thombre explained. "But when we researched the data the whole idea of dissonance came into focus. People were doing something very different from the things they said they wanted on their profile."

    As a result, Match began "weighting" variables differently, according to how users behaved. For example, if conservative users were actually looking at profiles of liberals, the algorithm would learn from that and recommend more liberal users to them. Indeed, says Thombre, "the politics one is quite interesting. Conservatives are far more open to reaching out to someone with a different point of view than a liberal is." That is, when it comes to looking for love, conservatives are more open-minded than liberals.

    So, at least in matters of love, conservatives are actually more liberal than liberals are.  Go figure.


    Happy Ramadan (none / 0) (#123)
    by CST on Wed Aug 03, 2011 at 04:59:21 PM EST
    I went to my second annual sibling iftar last night.  And I even passed my "what is Ramadan about" quiz at the end of the night with flying colors.

    Whether or not I believed in it was not on the quiz.  But the food was good.  And any meal that starts with a traditional date (that would be the fruit not the event) to break a fast is more than okay in my book.

    New Diary posted... (none / 0) (#127)
    by jeffinalabama on Thu Aug 04, 2011 at 06:50:13 PM EST
    titled "I Plan to Live."

    Please give it a read and a comment or two.