Fight the Amoral Fight 

LC - ouch. Oh, I already said that on the pic. Makes me grateful to have a garage!
Hey, my cat can give your dogs lessons on how to freak out over wrong-way winds, if you like ;) AFAIK, he spent the whole of Tuesday night behind the dryer, poor little dude.

I didn't see any damage nearby - just the usual rain of palm fronds - and the only fire I know of still burning is in a commercial compost heap in Port Hueneme.

Karen - I did enjoy the relative warmth but every time I went outside I got covered in grit, lol. Also, I had managed to think ahead with regards to a few chores on Tuesday but neglected to bring my little garden in out of the wind. I got them inside in the morning but oh, boy, they do not look good!
Maybe rain will help ... but now I'm worried about the cold. Oh, well. What will be, will be.
Doris Day? Where'd that come from? LOL

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I was up at a ridiculous hour this morning, and did what I could to make it worthwhile by doing some pre-dawn skygazing. A rare event, for me. I think I saw Tiangong 1, too, which is neat.
Now, though, I can hardly keep my eyes open, or I'd, you know, write more ;)
Instead, I may have to try to nap!

OMGITSCOLD!!!!
'k. Got that out of my system. Onward ...

calpoppy - I kind of like the nasty santa anas ;) They often bring interesting bugs, for one thing, though I only saw a yellow jacket and an odd, reddish beetle (briefly, before the cat ate it) this time.
We got less than an inch of rain yesterday and I'm thinking you missed out on snow :( But, it is visible on the rgb sat on the mountains, which is cool. Hope you are enjoying using the wood stove :)

Bogon - she went to Europe without you?! How mean! Oh, wait - she goes on business, right? Guess that's okay.
It is hard to sleep alone when one is used to another warm body nearby. I noticed that after my dog died. harhar
Not looking forward to the time change. I am often out in the evenings and I'd much rather it was light. Oh, well. Only five months until Spring!

bf!!! I'm so happy to see you and so happy that made you laugh! Never sure about recommending MrD until after someone watches, lol
That one, though, cracks me up every time I watch it - and is one of a few that I can watch repeatedly.
For about a week after I first saw it, I had an answer for every problem ;)
As for you - get yourself into a production meeting and tear it up! :)

BC - that's a SoCal Autumn in a nutshell :) We never get to put away summer clothes, or winter clothes, because temps can change pretty dramatically. Who says we don't have seasons? They just happen weekly. Except when they don't, LOL

You probably needed the sleep, hard as you've been working outside. I almost wish your weather would settle on "too cold and wet" so you can get a rest!

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Today's commentary ...
I guess the Occupy folks are calling for switching banks today, from for-profit banks to non-profit credit unions. I would do that but, I already did so back in January.

I switched all my money into my credit union when the bank that used bailout money to buy the bank that bought the bank that I switched to when BofA bought the bank that I chose when I first moved back to Cali, because my CU was hundreds of miles away, decided that they needed regular funding from me to increase their investment profits without adding any benefit to me.
Luckily, my CU had opened a branch about 30 miles away several years ago. It's still not convenient, but I do most of my banking online, anyway, and they've improved enough on that front that it is worth it to me to give them all of my personal business. My CU is members-only (I got in through a parent when I was a teen and kept my savings account open in case I ever wanted to go back or use their services, which I have done even while the nearest branch was so far away and my main account was with another bank) and not open to the public, but, most are, these days, so folks might want to consider whether such a move would be of value to them.
I like getting that dividend each month, instead of paying for the privilege of letting the bank use my money to screw over my fellow citizens.

Now, you might not think it would be a big deal to the banks. They are so huge that your money doesn't matter to them, right? But, in an article I read this morning I learned that the local CUs had seen four times as many new account openings this year over average years. That amounts to a lot of money being moved just locally, and if that's happening across the country you bet they'll notice. The banks pool our relatively small amounts of money and use it to make investments*. That pool counts as an asset that can be borrowed against when they deal with other banks. Shrink that pool and it impacts their ability to make investments. If they can't make investments, they can't make a profit, and stockholders take note and move their money elsewhere. It could create quite a domino effect and this one would be caused by The People instead of corporations. It might, just might, move Congress to change the rules back to something sensible.
At the very least, it is a lot more noticable to the powers that be than any street protest. Remember: money and votes are power.

* The accounting rules and investment practices of banks have changed, obviously (hence the mess we're in), to limit how this is done and the effects thereof. However, it still exists, and they do need your money more than they let on - and more than you need them.

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That could probably use some editing but now I'm hungry, lol.
seewu :)

Thank you, LC.
Good thing, too, since I have lost interest in editing and it'd be kinda pointless, now, anyway ;)
Did you get much rain? We got about a quarter inch.

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Today I saw a RAINBOW! Then, a partial double rainbow.
Bad football day. Bad.
Has anyone seen the movie Cave of Forgotten Dreams? I think that's the title.
Urbane Cafe's portobello mushroom sandwich is really good.
I have not been drinking. I am happily tired.


Happy Monday!

So, last night I was researching stand mixers. I saw one at Target this weekend and wanted to know if it was any good. I don't really want a KitchenAid - I don't want to spend that much money, it does more than I need, and I don't like the functional design. I'd prefer an offset bowl, where the bowl spins instead of the beater head thingy. Basically, I want my mom's old mixmaster, which was a wedding gift to her in 1958 and still runs (after I took it to a guy who refurbished it) but gets hot quickly, and the replacement bowls I bought for her are garbage.
I read through a gazillion reviews. There is a mixmaster that I might get. But, in every review thread, there are people who complain that there is no true "low" setting and that, in fact, there are only a few speed settings even when the description says "12-speed", or whatever. There doesn't seem to be the ability to get from a low speed to a high speed in increments.
This reminds me of my hand-held mixer. It has a sliding switch which implies a variable speed setting from off to low to medium to high. What it actually has is two settings - "Off" and "Splatter All Over the Kitchen Unless the Bowl is At Least Half-Full". It does whipped cream really well.
I don't want the moon, here. I just want to make cookies and muffins and such without shredding my shoulder and need a mixer to that part of the job for me. I want a brand-new stand mixer that is made with 50-YEAR-OLD technology. Is that too much to ask?
I'd pay 200 bucks for it, too.

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At Whatever, Scalzi is doing a Thanksgiving Advent thing. Couple days ago he wrote about being thankful for people who do things he doesn't, speaking mainly in the context of publishing, since he is a writer, after all.
Anyway, it applies across the board, and I liked this bit ...
"
Being a grown-up not only means recognizing that you can%u2019t do everything, but also recognizing that the people who do everything else you do not are awesome, especially when what they do helps you do what you want to do.
"

I saw a city truck on a road nearby this morning. I was hoping they'd come to fill (again) the potholes in that road, which I frequently travel and which requires Olympic-level slalom skills to traverse without jarring a few teeth loose, popping a tire, snapping the suspension, or ramming another vehicle.
Alas, they did not fill the potholes today. I cannot fill those potholes. I promise to be ever so grateful to the City of Santa Paula if they do what I cannot do for myself.

.....

Okay, I wandered off and better post this now or I'll lose it, or it'll be 5 hours again ...

You know those potholes I mentioned yesterday? The ones that could be used to pit-trap a tiger?
Today they were filled.

I
am
THE MOST POWERFUL BLOGGER
IN THE WORRRRRRRRRLLLLLLLD!!!!!

I promise to use my powers only for good.
[That's right, right? "Good", not "evil"? Yeah, I think that's right ... ]

I am ever so grateful to the glorious City of Santa Paula for doing what I cannot do for myself :)

Nevermind it's going to rain on Friday and they'll all be washed out again, LOL

Okay, that was uncalled for ;)
It really is nice to not run an obstacle course getting from here to there.

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calpoppy - I saw the mixmaster at Target only because I stopped to pine for the Kitchenaid, as I always do if I spot it, and daydream about all the things I would do if I had one, only to have reality sneak in as I remembered what it takes just to get dinner on the table these days. Ah well. Someday I will have every gadget I ever wanted, if only in my head. I hope the keepers at the home won't mind me wandering the halls taking pastry orders from the other senile old folks.

A juniper, huh? Not bad.
People do have a sense of belonging to a place and that place belonging to them, even if they don't seem to have any place at all. I hope he likes the house as much as his juniper :) Also hope he stays warm tonight - I believe it's going to be literally freezing up your way.

I'm glad you found your pics and posted :)
Can't wait until you make the drive to AK - I'm looking forward to the travelogue, already!

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As noted, it's cold in some places - calpoppy's Llano will freeze and I guess SP is under a frost advisory. In early November! Currently the temp is just 2 degrees above last night's low. Wah. I may be about to lose my herb garden.

Rain Friday/Saturday, possibly inches worth, but we'll wait another day or two before we get too excited, won't we?

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I must now go and revel in my newfound power over potholes ;)
seewu

Heya!
Last night the Santa Paula High School football team won the Big Game against their long-time rivals, the Fillmore Flash. "We" keep the leather helmet :)
This was only the second win (the first was last Friday) of the season for the Cardinals and, if you're going to have such a crappy season, nice to at least BEAT FILLMORE!

By the way, this was a home game, and is the real reason that the potholes were filled, lol

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It's raining, off and on, not too cold. Pretty swirly on wvtv.

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From:
Imagining the Post-Industrial Economy:

Let us remind ourselves that the informal economy is, in fact, the larger part of the world's total economy. When you add in the domestic and household economy of the world's households, the subsistence economy, the barter economy, the volunteer economy, the "under the table" economy, the criminal economy and a few other smaller players, you get something that adds up to 3/4 of the world's total economic activity. The formal economy - the territory of professional and paid work, of tax statements and GDP - is only 1/4 of the world's total economic activity.

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Gottarun! Happy weekend, WU :)

Hello! People! :)

Weather is fine. From the rain I think we got, um, altogether about an inch? I think? Very dark clouds one of those dreary days - spooky, in fact.

I haven't been paying much attention, lol

…..

I tried to reply to bf this morning. I got called away and, when I had come back, LC had kindly left a comment. Away again and back again and, hurray, BC was here! I was coming right back to add to my replies … just a minute (or a couple hundred)… okay, I'm here, and oh how nice! Bogon dropped by … what a wonderful reason to run out of time to write – too many people to write to! ... busy again and now it's midnight … I'm never going to get this comment done, am I? … let's see … ;)

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Hi bf! Thanks so much for laughing - though that one almost wrote itself ;)

You can get a turquoise KitchenAid now, I think. They have many colors to match your decor. Apparently that's the only reason people buy them - or KitchenAid thinks so, anyway.

There are at least four mixmaster styles available right now. One looks okay and may be the one I'll buy, if I buy one at all. None are meant for kneading bread dough but that isn't what I need, so that's fine.

Thanks for your input. I'm hoping someone will have a great tip for me, at some point, lol

Oh, here's the video I've been trying mightily (and successfully!) to not post in your wonderful "Ode to Nome" blog:




LC - but the supernatural explanation is a fun place to start, LOL

What you say is in line with what I've been reading about KitchenAid. Some say it's a simple matter of the new proprietors replacing metal gears with plastic gears that break easily. Dunno.
Sorry MrsC has to deal with that annoyance :(

The Bosch ultra-expensive mixer gets good reviews but is waaaay overkill for me so that, even if I had money to spend on such a thing, I wouldn't. Otherwise, yeah, they all seem to be counting on brand loyalty rather than producing a useful product. Like too many items.

The hunt goes on, lol

BC - you are not hogging - you are making valuable contributions! As always :)

I think The House That Jack Built must have helped inspire my mini-rant, lol
I do remember S&L's because I worked in one! Briefly. I learned some of the differences between the various places one can put one's money. I think many of those differences are gone now, leading to greater shareholder value, no doubt, and more risk for them and consumers.

If you want your mom's mixer, make sure she takes care of her bowls. Replacements that fit can be hard to find and the ones I found were so poorly made as to be dangerous.

Sounds like we all need to keep our eyes and ears open for a decent basic mixer - do tell if you find one!

Bogon -
The world is changed.
I feel it in the water.
I feel it in the earth.
I smell it in the air.
Much that once was
is lost,
for none now live who remember it.
It began with the forging of the Great Rings. Three were given to the Elves, immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings...

Yeah, I don't know why that seemed an appropriate response to your comment, LOL
Note that I am not directly responding to your query “What the heck happened?” which is totally out of character for me, LOL, and an indication of the late hour. That is the question, though.
Very glad to see you :)

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So I was bound and determined to post a comment in my own blog today and now it is tomorrow. Ah, well. It is done. I think it again reads like a drunk typing, LOL

Happy Tuesday! :)

calpoppy - are you going to tell which model? If there's one that works, I might have to consider it.

Oh, those crazy Republicans! I still can't tell if they really are that clueless or if it's calculated. It sure is disrespectful of voters and our country, imo. That's the GOP for you, these days.
I did read an interesting article yesterday that isn't really related but had maybe something to say about how we think about each other. Be warned: the authors are talking about philosophy, not politics or even sociology.
Every conception of toleration identifies limits to what deserves toleration; and every conception of open-mindedness draws a distinction between possibilities that are worth being open to and those which are not. No advocate of toleration recommends that we tolerate real-world bands of armed fascists bent on world domination; no proponent of open-mindedness would suggest that we give closed-minded dogmatic bigotry a try. Every conception of toleration and open-mindedness identifies limits to what must be tolerated and seriously considered.
[...]
Even the most dogmatic among us takes himself to be tolerant and open-minded; on his view, he tolerates everything that deserves toleration and openly considers all positions worthy of consideration. As it turns out, the dogmatist simply has far more circumscribed conceptions of what deserves toleration and serious consideration.

Back to the "candidates" - entertainment does seem to be part of the goal and appreciated by their audience. Maybe they should just do a reality show - put 'em all in a house and see who survives. My money is on Paul - Huntsman is smarter but Paul is ruthless!

bf - glad you like the video :) I love that song! And those gals were adorable.
Thanks for the story - I loaded it last night but didn't get to watching, yet.
I see you've returned to OK from the frozen north - hope you're right about continuing pleasant weather :)

Bogon - oh, the airport! I am one of those weirdos who loved taking people to the airport or picking them up. I would drive any time I could manage it to go hang out in the boarding area or to wander around while awaiting arrivals. That's no longer allowed, of course, and there's no payoff for me to go, so I don't.
I miss that.

That said, the one time my luggage was lost was in 1981 so, from my perspective, that has gotten better, lol

I can't get started on the Post Office - another victim of Congressional thievery and malfeasance >:(

LOL at ycd's comment. So true ;)

.....

I've got other random stuff around here, somewhere ... I put it all someplace, you know, random ... well, there's this -



... and their youtube channel has some good stuff - I'll listen to Hightower, next. Bill Moyers was pretty good, though I have trouble following what he's saying (probably just me - I've always had that trouble with him, lol). Nader, of course, is well-spoken and can't help but get serious, even at a celebration.

Anyway, I've plugged PublicCitizen here before but hadn't linked to their channel, I don't think, so there it is. Amazing, all they've done.

By the by, Nader has a new book out and, not surprisingly, it relates directly to what the 99% are up to (since he's been doing it all his life). You can get a signed copy plus two other books by donating to PublicCitizen.
Just saying, not advocating.

.....

In case you're wondering, yes, I am procrastinating ;)

Happy Whatever Day Of The Week It Is When You Read This Wish For You To Have A Happy Day!

Among other funny things, Hightower says:
"tinkle-down economics"
heehee

Yeah, procrastinating ... but the vid's only 8 minutes!
Gone now :)

Oh, thanks, LC! That should help. He is an amazing resource and I wish I could listen to him, lol

It is always difficult to spot one's own bigotry. It takes effort and a willingness to hear another's take. Just hard (for me, anyway ;) ).
People can always justify beliefs and behaviours, including those that hurt others, or even ourselves - we're good like that.
I watched an hour-long youtube video of a speech by the author of White Like Me awhile back and he does a good job of pointing out how Liberals are just as likely as anyone to make assumptions based on race, gender, religion, etc. I'll dig it up if you're interested.

.....

On the banking front - you've all probably seen this - a judge smacks down U.S. Bank with awesome sarcasm and humor (and Arlo Guthrie!).

.....

Here's a pretty interesting explanation of allergies and how they work. Turns out, if you have something like pollen allergies, it may be because your body thinks it has worms! I did not know that.
Part 2 can be found on the left side under "Recent Posts". Can't wait for Part 3!

.....

'k. I think I'm all randomed out, now.

Oh, wait. Knitting update: I finished my sis' scarf, it's lovely but very short. Hoping she appreciates that it won't get tangled in things and focuses on the pretty color, lol
Now back to crochet for a nifty hat for my niece, which I hope to finish tonight or tomorrow, and then on to knitting a hat for ME, dangit.

'k. Now I'm done :)

I think that may be the issue with Moyers, LOL
Though, too, I feel that he speaks in incomplete sentences. Or, that's how I hear him, and I am constantly trying to reconstruct what he's saying, thus losing track of what he's saying. That doesn't make sense.
Haven't read the transcript, yet, but I will.

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Who ordered up these thick, puffy clouds for the valleys yesterday and today? You're fired, whoever you are ;)

Supposed to rainrainrain tomorrow so out (and back already and out again soon) today to run errands.

That's right. I have nothing to say but felt I should make an appearance while I'm here checking the weather :)

That low is impressive and was spinning off little swirlies yesterday - looked like three spinners dancing around the center spin, at one point, on wvtv - which was pretty.
We're at about o.7" so far and I'm hoping for t-storms behind the front. Gutters are full of water but it's been steady and not too heavy.
Also, it's cold.

Hi bf - thanks for the news!
Hi LC!

I'm having connectivity issues again today :(
Thus, must conserve the magic electrons for use in radar-watching and save links for another time. Guess I'll have to find some other way to spend this rainy Sunday. Whatever will I do ...

Howdy! My wireless connection is playing nice again (what the heck is going on?) and so I'm happy that I don't have to use the other computer as I have been doing (as little as possible so no fun time!) for the last few days.

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Sad news from the scifi/fantasy world %u2013 Anne McCaffrey has died. I haven't been a huge fan but she did make dragons fun and made fantasy respectable.

Also gone is Lynn Margulis, a biologist with some really weird ideas, and some really wrong ideas, who nevertheless did groundbreaking work that altered our view of cellular life. She was very outspoken and controversial and I am glad I got interested in biology in time to watch some of the back-and-forth arguments between her and other biologists in real time.
Her wiki page is a good read.

.....

bf %u2013 thanks, again, for that. Really cool stuff and amazingly strong, too. The video of the compression test is fascinating to watch :)

LC - we received about 0.9%u201D of rain, which isn't too bad. Your poor pups probably wanted to play in the puddles and you didn't let them, did you? ;)
Thanks for the additional linkage re: materials.

calpoppy - can I have my rollies with pecans? :) I will be making a pumpkin pie today. Sometime today. I'm supposed to take two desserts but I have no idea what else I'm going to do. Usually I have it all planned out well in advance but I'm not really into it. T-Day has come too soon!

I met another KA lover the other day who says he makes bread at least 3 times a week, so I know that it is possible to get a good one, and I'm glad you did. I sure can't fault anyone for liking them %u2013 they not only look cool but promise to do wonderful things for the serious cook. As you realized previously, that Pro 600 is way beyond my ambitions!
The hunt goes on and I must continually remind myself that I am not a serious cook/baker and that even the bestest gadget isn't going to change that.

Did you learn anything about your worms? ;) I thought of you and your shots when I read that. I wish they'd find a better solution and maybe they're getting close.

Bogon - aerogel is waaay cool and useful. That's a great link - now I want to make some.

gg - OMGoodness that's adorable! Roxie's little face and huge personality were made for the internet :) Thanks so much for bringing her by!

WTS - no problem ;) I had an ulterior motive, anyway %u2013 hoping to goad you into a travelogue entry - and it worked! LOL
I've been in to see but only briefly so will go back and linger.

BC - Thank you! WUfriends are the best :)

.....

I don't have much trouble finding things to be grateful for. Life is good, and I know enough of the world's troubles to be be aware of just how good my life is, and how fragile is my personal peace.

For instance, I have a nice, warm home, with electricity and water readily available, and plenty of food to eat and, therefore, no excuse to not go make that dang pumpkin pie :)

Happy Thanksgiving, everyWUn!

[..]

I've done it again. Answered the phone and then onto the balcony to put an end to the lettuce experiment and then went into the kitchen to see what I needed to do before making the pie and then, eventually, after a few more distractions were done away with, mixed up the pie which is now in the oven. Yea, me.
Hours later and I will click "Post Comment". Yes, I will. *sigh*
I have a whiner in my family (besides me) who spends a lot of time complaining about the littlest things and I often say, "I hope that's the worst thing that happens to you today" and someone should say that to me, from time to time. Not you, though ;)

Happy Thanksgiving, again!

Howdy!
Had a great Turkey Day and weekend.
Weather is warm, dry, and windy, Saturday being the windiest with gusts to 35 mph. Just the way I like it - for a few days, anyway.

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SPLbeater - in this blog the solution to that is to skip the blog author's comments and read only the visitor's posts :)

shore - thanks so much :)

bf - thank you, too! :)

LC - luckily, you don't have to duck, as I had nothing to whine about ;)
I read the article you brought a few days ago and thought of many things to say ... but didn't get to it. That's probably best.
Hope you two (+ dogs) had a great TDay and weekend!

Bogon - never too late for good wishes :)
Did you enjoy your multiple dinners?

BC - So happy you saw some sun! I'm thinking that it's hidden again, by now, though I saw on the weather report this morning that this system is pretty dry.

Here's the source of that news on news, if you haven't seen it: Some News Leaves People Knowing Less
I don't think there is enough info there to determine causality but it suggests ideas on where to look for such.

.....

WU will be thrilled to know that I have ordered a mixer. I spent several days trying to decide between two, including one that I had originally seen on Amazon, then went back to Amazon and looked in my wishlist and saw that there was a third contender. I had completely forgotten about it! I expect that's because it isn't as fancy, lol.
That one had dropped in price, in the meantime, and there were only 12 left on Wednesday. 9 available on Friday morning and another couple bucks drop in price. 7 left by that afternoon. I ordered it. None there by Saturday morning (except through other sellers). Should show up today! Hope I like it.

Thanks to all who provided input on mixers, here and in wumail - it was really helpful! It was also fun to read so many fond memories of "mom's old mixer" :)

Still haven't bought a car, though, lol
Prices are way down on all the models I was considering over the summer so it's hard not to jump in. Spring, maybe.
Out of the blue, someone offered to buy my old car and we'll talk again this week. I should sell it, if he still wants it.
But, I like my car.
Must. Let. Go.
;)

Out to play/work in the warmth for a bit.
Happy Monday!