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9 May 2008 | Link this

The only damage in out little corner of suburbia was from all the water that rushed into the laundry/storage room through a small gap in our garage door. It's not a big thing; it's just taking time that I desperately needed for other things this weekend, and sort of guaranteeing that I'll be a big, streeed-out exhausted gob of goo by Monday.

But at least I'll still have a house, even if it is one where the laundry room carpet is a little damp.

Side note: I'm inclined never to do business with this company. When I was a little more concerned about the water in the basement, I called to see how much they charged to come out and assess the damage. I was told that not only would they not give me a charge for the service call over the phone, they also (a) would not provide me with an estimate before they started work, and (b) would make me sign a form in advance saying that I would pay whatever the charges turned out to be.

I asked them how many people were stupid enough to fall for that. They couldn't provide me an estimate on that either.

8 May 2008 Later | Link this

Apparently, we've had four inches of rain in the past two hours. That would explain the street...

8 May 2008 | Link this

I was just thinking this afternoon about how long it's been since I've hung out in the basement. So tonight, I did. Mainly because I was surrounded by tornadoes and assorted funnel clouds. Really close ones.

I think it's over now, but this is one of the biggest (and longest) storms I remember in a long time. It's been going on really intensely for an hour or more. My street is completely flooded, and the gutters have just sort of given up. It just keeps coming. And now they've extended the tornado warning. Maybe I should just sleep downstairs tonight.

What a creepy night.

5 May 2008 | Link this

What exactly does it say about me that when I recently stumbled upon a dirty picture of a boy impaled on a water bottle, I paid very little attention to the boy himself, nor to the slightly disturbing fact that he had a water bottle shoved up his ass, but immediately noticed that the bottle itself was from Publix, a Florida supermarket chain?

No, I’m not going to link to the picture here.

Other random thoughts during this brief break on a very busy Monday:

• The hubby and I had lots of fun at the big Shepherd Center book sale last week, although I didn’t find any mislabeled pornography like I did last year.
• After two semesters in grad school, I can safely say the idea that younger people are more "wired" and tech savvy than people in my age group is something of a false generalization. I think commentators are mistaking "nimble fingers capable of sending text messages really fast" or "familiarity with MySpace" for actual technological knowledge (like the ability to use a computer or put together a website).
• This is a surprisingly useful service. I've recently used it to convert DOCX files to something I can use and to convert PDF files to Word or RTF format. It handles a variety of video and graphics formats too, but I already have most of these covered.
• No, the photo above has nothing to do with anything else in the post. Thanks for asking.

23 April 2008 | Link this

Looks like Bev Perdue has brought out the big guns.

21 April 2008 | Link this

Did you get threatened with a frivolous lawsuit this weekend?

I did.

I also took a much-needed day off on Saturday and drove to Lynchburg, Virginia. Mainly because it was there. I don't envision a repeat performance anytime in the near future, though, exciting as it may be to visit the place where Jerry Falwell died.

14 April 2008 | Link this

Random thoughts for a Monday evening:

• In case you thought Winston-Salem was some southern backwater, I offer the photo above as proof that it's not. We've gotsyphillis prevention ads in Spansih on the backs our buses just like they have in the big city.
• Now that I'm a member of the American Library Association, I get email advertising things like discounts on microfilm scanners. And I find that vaguely exciting.

I'm sorry. I usually try for a minimum of three, but two's all I've got tonight.

13 April 2008 | Link this

Surprising but true: having your Sunday dinner at a mediocre, overpriced Chinese buffet across from the Wal-Mart in Mocksville NC is not the surefire cure for a shitty mood you might expect it would be.

Oh well. At least the weather's getting chilly again. That's a bonus.

11 April 2008 | Link this

Springtime in my front yard:

Springtime in my neighborhood:

See more...

9 April 2008 | Link this

San Francisco Olympic torch preparations spokesman David Perry on the likelihood of protests agains the event:

"I'm concerned when anyone would fear that here in San Francisco that someone who might disagree with them might cause them harm," Perry said. "That makes me sad."

...

"I like to think in San Francisco we know how to do a protest," Perry said. "Here in San Francisco, we're not the type to jump on people in a wheelchair to try to snuff out the flame."

No, they're just the type to block streets so emergency vehicles can't pass and people can't get to work, in the name of anything from stopping war to defending the rights of cyclists to take over the streets. If there's jumping to be done, it will be on cars rather than on wheelchairs.

I don't really have a strong opinion on the Beijing Olympics and the related protests; I find human reights violations as revolting as the next guy, and an Olympic boycott may or may not make an effective statement. I find it notewothy, though, that the only US appearance of the Olympic torch was scheduled for a place where a major protest was almost guaranteed. In San Francisco, protest is a way of life, almost a profession, which is why I contemplated starting that consulting business several years ago.

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