Flaming Chords

http://www.cartoonlabs.com/comics/index.php?date=2009-12-02&show=sinfest

Sinfest
Tatsuya Ishida

I didn't get up quite as early as I meant to this morning. I did get up early enough to go get the rent money order, but I didn't quite have enough time to actually drop it off, so I guess I will have to do that part tomorrow. Shortly after arriving at work after the bank, I got a call from a number I didn't recognize. I called the number back, and my bank answered the phone. Apparently, somebody from there chose me as a random quality assurance test, and I was asked a bunch of questions about my banking experience today.

Work wasn't too slow or too busy today. I spent all of my downtime and breaks trying to set up my purple Christmas lights along the perimeter of my desk, but one of the strands somehow burnt halfway out. It isn't even the kind of strand where one dead light makes the others go out. This was a full half of the lights blowing at once. I've decided I just need to bite the bullet and buy the purple LED Christmas lights, even if they are almost three times the cost of the lights I normally get. I reckon they will last more than three times as long, too.

In other work news, I shared that Surprised Kitty video with a few coworkers, strategically seeding it for maximum social impact. Today, I got my first two messages from people I didn't send the kitty to, sending me back the kitty. My work is done. ♥

We were supposed to get a tree tonight, but I made a detour leaving work to try and find some LED lights at CostCo. They had pretty much every color in rainbow sets, but no single color sets other than white. Sad. By the time I got home, it was so cold outside, neither of us could face the prospect of lugging a tree home. This did give us a crazy idea, though! We're going to try and get up early and get the tree before I go to work, when it should be warmer. The idea is just insane enough to work, I think. Anyway, even without a tree, it was a good evening. The roommate made a belated Tofurkey dinner as a belated Thanksgiving dinner. ♥

Question for people who've attended any kind of group/club/meeting-type-thing for atheists: On a scale of one to ten, one being not at all and ten being HOLY #%^@ HUMANITY IS DOOMED WE CAN NEVER REPOPULATE, how much of a sausage fest would you say those gatherings have generally been? Did it make you uncomfortable?

Why do you think it is that such a large percentage of the 'out' atheists are male and white, anyway?

I didn't know him, but you all have my sympathies for your loss.

http://theinternetisterrible.com/2002/no-exceptions/

http://theinternetisterrible.com/?p=2002

No related posts.

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http://xkcd.com/670/

The continuing ( Read more... )

( Up on lj, but link inside to comic page... )

Obama is sending US troops to Afghanistan - what a total FAIL, We handed that responsibility over to NATO,and the fact that the threatened European nations can't find 30,000 soldiers to "fight terror in their backyard" ought to have been a clue.

Over the weekend we attended Darkover 32 in Timonium MD. This year there were a number of Steampunk themed panels, and I heard a rumor that there would be even more next year.

After the Con, Guests-of-Honor Emma Bull and Will Shetterly went up to Gettysburg to the studio of Rob Gibson and had a steampunk-themed portrait made with equipment from the 1860's using techniques of the period. coffeeem posted her version of the day, including the resulting picture, over on her LJ page. Worth checking out, in my somewhat biased opinion.

http://waytosuckthatdick.wordpress.com/2009/12/02/shameless-self-promotion/

http://waytosuckthatdick.wordpress.com/?p=1408

Is it just me, or does it annoy anyone else when a character racks the slide back on an automatic weapon when, by rights, they should already have one in the chamber? Right after a re-load, okay, yes, absolutely, but any other time?

I'm just sayin'.

Not that Ben is armed and dangerous right now or anything. My brain goes to strange places when Ben is stressed.

Please help spread the word!

Our good friends Elspeth and Dana, who adopted two of the rescue kittens I cared for a while back, have to move out of state in January, and due to the lack of warning they aren't going to be able to take their cats. They need to find a home for Viktor and Emelia ASAP. This is unavoidable, non-negotiable, and sucky.

These are the kittens brought to me at a week old.

The kittens of such adorability that it came with a warning label and made it on Cute Overload.



The kittens you all helped me take care of so generously, and who owe a lot to you through me.



They are no longer tiny little things. They are full-grown cats. These are the most recent pictures of them I can find on my Flickr.





I still love them, even though I don't see them that often. I really can't, however, take them in right now. We are having behavior/litter box problems as it is. This is not for lack of love, it's just me knowing the limits of my household, and hating those limits.

This is all very sudden, we only found out about the move on Thursday. I am heartbroken; in addition to having two good friends move, I am worried sick about my babies.

The kitties are in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We would prefer they go out together. They have made it so far together, and I have no wish to separate them now.



Viktor and Emelia are now Sardine and Anchovy (long story). They live with a beagle, so they can probably cope with dogs. They are not rated for small children, so I don't know how they would perform. They are neutered. They are indoor-only cats, and must remain so.

Please, please spread the word and help us find someone who can adopt both of them. Even if you don't know anyone who lives in Oklahoma, spread the word and ask others to spread it, because you really don't ever know who is watching or where they live or who they might know. That is how we found a home for Gracie, with a person who is not even on LJ.

You helped me with these babies once. I hate to ask again, but nobody was expecting this, and there just isn't another way.

If you can take them in or want more information, you can reach their current mother at elspeth@gmail.com or their daddy at dr.omed.gmail.com. I will be forwarding all enquiries that come to me to them, since I personally really can't do anything.

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dancingshaman

I have two kitty halp signals tonight.

First, a friend's kitteh is really ill, and as for all of us, money is scarce for her owner. I am going to cut and paste this pretty much as I received it, because it's about as straight-up as it gets, and because this was delayed and I don't want to hold it up any further.

Paypal payments for this go to jessalyn.alany@gmail.com. Contact info for the vets involved is below, so you can verify this if you like.

***

Hi Naamah,

I'm not sure you remember me, but you helped me and my mom about a
year ago by posting the story about Leeloo the kitty (who is huge and
doing well, though she does have some developmental problems as well
as eyesight issues) who got tossed out a car. Your help was amazing
and my mom still sounds unbelieving when she recalls the generosity of
your friends.

I have two cats myself. One of them has suddenly taken really ill. She
won't stop vomiting, even water, and it's been 5 days. I've taken her
to the vet and the emergency vet both, even though right now I don't
have enough money for rent. There was no diagnosis, and I'm just
supposed to keep an eye on her and provide her with bowel rest for 24
hours.

I did apply for Care Credit at the ER and spent about $400 with it.
I'm looking for any sort of help paying that back. I also spent $60 at
the original vet and about $40 using a cab to get to these places (no
car).

Momo is tiny and she's never been well, she used to have seizures and
thanks to whatever this is, she's dropped to under 6lbs. I'm
terrified. I don't know if this exactly falls under your kind of HALP
posts, but I'd really appreciate anything that could be done. I work
full-time but my job is poor-paying and I never have enough for bills,
let alone emergencies. My student loans are about to default.

The first vet was at Jewell Animal Hospital, in Chicago. I think I saw
a Dr. Mitchell. Their number is 773.271.1901.

I also went to Chicago Veterinary Emergency, their number is 773.281.7110.

I don't know what else. I could give you. My name is Jessalyn Alany
and my paypal is jessalyn.alany@gmail.com. I can try and offer things
in return for donations, but it might have to wait until Momo is
better... I can draw and bake, and also offer coffee or teas from
Starbucks.

Here are some pictures:


( Moar! )

You know, if I could keep my own frakking characterization in mind for this thing, I'd be a lot better off.

Ben is pissed right now. (Also, afraid.) And when he gets pissed, he doesn't run on the way Alex does. He chops. And thus this:

Ben found a tall rock and sat on top of it, flipping the safety on and off his Glock with his thumb, which he knew violated all sorts of rules, but he was at the point where he didn't care.

Becomes this:

Ben found a tall rock and sat on top of it, flipping the safety on and off his Glock Smith with his thumb. That violated all sorts of rules. He didn't care.

Gee, that's better. *snarl*

Because, yeah, that first sentence would be fine if it was in Alex's POV. But it's not. And I know I should just be writing it and leave the editing for later, but it bugs. And if it bugs, then I'm blocked.

ETA: And, as the handsome and talented speakr2customrs points out, the Glock does not have a safety you can play with, with your thumb and I'm an idiot. The Hubby or my Writing Buddy probably would have caught that, but I'm glad someone around here is paying attention. Thanks, speakr2customrs!

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I think that was about as close as a sitting President can come to saying "Afghanistan is good for tossing the Quaffle, but remember that the Golden Snitch is still in play".

He mostly said what I expected, which wasn't precisely what I wanted, but he is at least making an effort to adopt a medium-length view of where the US should go, and reminding us that in the long run what happens in Afghanistan may not be that important. Also he said some very good things about the fact that primarily this will end up being an Afghan problem, but I don't know how exactly he intends to handle this. I need to think about this for a while.