When I read this the other day, my first thought was ... other than that Pat is insane ... during what hurricane season hasn't the coasts of America been lashed by storms?
My husband and I have just endured two years of near constant separation due to his job. At first, we called all the time. Then it settled into a regular daily thing right after dinner or before bed. I finally had to tell him that unless either of us really had something to say other than the usual "I miss you" and "I love you" that calling every day was just getting more and more depressing and that we should only call when we have things to actually tell or ask each other. When we sat down and thought about it, we often had long evenings at home together where we really didn't say too much, and it seemed silly to sit on the phone and just listen to each other breath or try to make conversation when nothing much had been going on with either of us. Also, then when we did talk on the phone (about every two or three days) we had things to say and the calls were less depressing and quiet.
For me, I found it better to get/make fewer calls and not always at the same time than to expect a call every night and not have anything at all to say except a retelling on mundane stuff like "I went grocery shopping." So maybe start out with the advice someone else gave to call whenever you feel like it (because we did that a lot of first), and then not plan to talk every day unless there's actually something to say. And good luck ... long distance relationships are hard, but as someone else said, planning to get back into the same area and setting some sort of date to do that does give you something to look forward to. Visiting is a good idea. I couldn't do that, because my husband was all over the place in hotels, but I would have had it been possible (and of course, he snuck home whenever he could).
What I really love about that page is how the site owner wants you to click his ads to pay for his bandwidth while he's sucking bandwidth away from every person whose photos he grabs without any concern at all.
It's an apartment? I'd complain to the management. The last apartment complex I lived in had a rule about people scooping the poop when they walked their dogs, so if it's someone else who lives there and not just "wild" dogs, that might be a start of a solution.
You know, some of the comments in this thread (and in others like it) are the very reason I don't visit or take part in Monkeyfilter as much as I would like to. Maybe you're joking. Maybe not. Either way, as a Metafilter member, I almost always leave here after reading a "Metafilter" thread feeling I'm not welcome to be here.
For those of you as confused as I was, because in any other state in the USA, the idea of picking up ballots sounds outrageously strange ... here's a news story that explains Oregon's unusual system of voting.
It is the only state that relies solely on mail ballots and critics have long questioned whether it is more open to fraud.
It just gets better from there.
Under state law, the county offices are allowed to remove the ballots from their secrecy envelopes before the Nov. 2 election to begin preparing them for counting.Workers stack the ballots and examine them to make sure the voting marks can be read by the counting machines. Elections workers add marks to ballots where the voter intent is clear but the vote won't be picked up by the machine.After the ballots are prepared for counting ... they are stored in a specially locked room until Election Day.
Ian, if I were you ... and I wanted to be involved politically, I'd start protesting the strange voting system you guys have. And to think I was griping about our new paperless electronic voting (which I hate) ...
I thought it was more than a little sad that only 89% of Americans could locate America on the world map. You'd think 100% of a countries residents should be able to point it out on a map.
Both the post link and the one provided by Raoul are, well, I don't know what word to use ... I guess, depressing. Frightening might be another good word for them. They make me glad that the one time in my life I was so depressed I thought I should go to a mental health institution to get help, that I stayed in bed for a month and drank heavily. It did me as much good as checking into one of these places would have done, and didn't harm me as much as doing so might have. I'd have gone nuts in circumstances like the ones described here.
I'm sure if legal minds worked on it, they could come up with some sort of waiver people could sign saying "We know it's dangerous and there's the potential we could be killed. The cops warned us, but we don't care. We swear not to sue if we get screwed up in any way." :D I'd sign a waver to return to my house after a disaster, but then like I said, they'd have a hard time getting me out in the first place.
Ah, what you all see as cute, I see as a dog raising up his own dinner. He'd hardly want to eat it now. It's much too scrawny. In a few weeks/months though, it'll be a hearty meal!
I'm sorry. That was bad. I just couldn't resist.
As quonsor said, once a taser shock is applied, there's not a whole lot of struggling with the "perp" required.
I've never understood the concept of keeping people away from their property because it might be dangerous for them to be there. If people are willing to accept the danger/risk to return to their homes, they should be allowed to do so. If there's ever a natural disaster in North Austin that requires evacuation, you'll probably see me on the news being tasered for either being unwilling to leave in the first place or for jumping a barricade and going to my house when I want to afterward.
I like the idea immensely. It's at least a good step in the right direction to make everyone's vote count for something other than lost time voting. I say that as someone living in a "red" state who doesn't tend to vote "red". Every time I vote for president, I wonder why I am going through the hassle, as the Republican candidate is sure to get more than enough of the percentage to take all the electoral votes anyway. Doesn't stop me from voting, but I know some folks who don't bother anymore for this very reason.
As to lessening the clout of the state, I'd think it would make all the states suddenly very important to all the candidates, if all the states went to this system (which they should). Suddenly, instead of being able to sit back and ignore states that they have historically won, parties and candidates would have to work a little harder to get as many votes as they could.
Staff will also be on the lookout for T-shirts, hats and bags displaying the unwelcome logos of non-sponsors.
I was thinking about this last night, and obviously, the only way to make sure that no competing logos are worn by anyone, and thus getting shown on the TV screen, is for the attending masses to be naked. Sort of a reversal of the way it used to be. Would make watching the Olympics on TV almost interesting again.
If you are able to accept the idea that aliens might exist and would want to bother contacting us at all, it isn't all that far fetched. We share 98.5% of our DNA with chimps, 97.5% with mice, 60% with fruit flies, and about 50% with the lowly banana, so it's possible there is some base DNA that is shared exactly by all things which have DNA. Or, you know, implanted by a virus sent by aliens. Interesting idea, but until I see some proof that aliens even exist, I'm not going to go get all excited about it. :D
Why then is selling used records illegal? (It is, isn't it?)
It isn't in the US either ... or if it is, there are a LOT of stores here in Austin breaking the law by selling used CDs and vinyl (as well as DVD and VHS movies).
Does no one have tattoos? Or tattoos and a camera? :D OK, I've got both, but the photo quality is a little lacking (think cheap web cam). Good thing the tattoo isn't all that much to look at either. LOL!
So here you have ... Orb's tattoo.
If they had the animation set for any of the software I use, I'd enter one of my "girls" in it, but ... there's little chance of me both acquiring and then learning how to use new software before the deadline. I think it's a cool idea! But then, I spend a lot of time working with female "models" of this sort. LOL!
When I read this the other day, my first thought was ... other than that Pat is insane ... during what hurricane season hasn't the coasts of America been lashed by storms?
posted by Orb 18 years ago
In "Anonymous, George: Distance Makes The Heart Grow Fungus"
My husband and I have just endured two years of near constant separation due to his job. At first, we called all the time. Then it settled into a regular daily thing right after dinner or before bed. I finally had to tell him that unless either of us really had something to say other than the usual "I miss you" and "I love you" that calling every day was just getting more and more depressing and that we should only call when we have things to actually tell or ask each other. When we sat down and thought about it, we often had long evenings at home together where we really didn't say too much, and it seemed silly to sit on the phone and just listen to each other breath or try to make conversation when nothing much had been going on with either of us. Also, then when we did talk on the phone (about every two or three days) we had things to say and the calls were less depressing and quiet. For me, I found it better to get/make fewer calls and not always at the same time than to expect a call every night and not have anything at all to say except a retelling on mundane stuff like "I went grocery shopping." So maybe start out with the advice someone else gave to call whenever you feel like it (because we did that a lot of first), and then not plan to talk every day unless there's actually something to say. And good luck ... long distance relationships are hard, but as someone else said, planning to get back into the same area and setting some sort of date to do that does give you something to look forward to. Visiting is a good idea. I couldn't do that, because my husband was all over the place in hotels, but I would have had it been possible (and of course, he snuck home whenever he could).
posted by Orb 19 years ago
In "Live Journal: The Latest 50 images uploaded & refreshed every minute."
What I really love about that page is how the site owner wants you to click his ads to pay for his bandwidth while he's sucking bandwidth away from every person whose photos he grabs without any concern at all.
posted by Orb 19 years ago
In "keeping dogs away"
It's an apartment? I'd complain to the management. The last apartment complex I lived in had a rule about people scooping the poop when they walked their dogs, so if it's someone else who lives there and not just "wild" dogs, that might be a start of a solution.
posted by Orb 19 years ago
In "Prepare for Deluge..."
You know, some of the comments in this thread (and in others like it) are the very reason I don't visit or take part in Monkeyfilter as much as I would like to. Maybe you're joking. Maybe not. Either way, as a Metafilter member, I almost always leave here after reading a "Metafilter" thread feeling I'm not welcome to be here.
posted by Orb 20 years ago
In "Curious George"
For those of you as confused as I was, because in any other state in the USA, the idea of picking up ballots sounds outrageously strange ... here's a news story that explains Oregon's unusual system of voting. It is the only state that relies solely on mail ballots and critics have long questioned whether it is more open to fraud. It just gets better from there. Under state law, the county offices are allowed to remove the ballots from their secrecy envelopes before the Nov. 2 election to begin preparing them for counting. Workers stack the ballots and examine them to make sure the voting marks can be read by the counting machines. Elections workers add marks to ballots where the voter intent is clear but the vote won't be picked up by the machine. After the ballots are prepared for counting ... they are stored in a specially locked room until Election Day. Ian, if I were you ... and I wanted to be involved politically, I'd start protesting the strange voting system you guys have. And to think I was griping about our new paperless electronic voting (which I hate) ...
posted by Orb 20 years ago
In "An unusual letter from the Vatican says that Kerry has already excommunicated himself "
The original story from somewhere other than WND, but as it turns out ... it's not really all that true anyway.
posted by Orb 20 years ago
In "Americans--surprise--do abysmally in geography. "
I thought it was more than a little sad that only 89% of Americans could locate America on the world map. You'd think 100% of a countries residents should be able to point it out on a map.
posted by Orb 20 years ago
In "7 1/2 Days:"
Both the post link and the one provided by Raoul are, well, I don't know what word to use ... I guess, depressing. Frightening might be another good word for them. They make me glad that the one time in my life I was so depressed I thought I should go to a mental health institution to get help, that I stayed in bed for a month and drank heavily. It did me as much good as checking into one of these places would have done, and didn't harm me as much as doing so might have. I'd have gone nuts in circumstances like the ones described here.
posted by Orb 20 years ago
In "Cops Use Taser on Charley victim"
I'm sure if legal minds worked on it, they could come up with some sort of waiver people could sign saying "We know it's dangerous and there's the potential we could be killed. The cops warned us, but we don't care. We swear not to sue if we get screwed up in any way." :D I'd sign a waver to return to my house after a disaster, but then like I said, they'd have a hard time getting me out in the first place.
posted by Orb 20 years ago
In "Dog adopts baby fawn."
Ah, what you all see as cute, I see as a dog raising up his own dinner. He'd hardly want to eat it now. It's much too scrawny. In a few weeks/months though, it'll be a hearty meal! I'm sorry. That was bad. I just couldn't resist.
posted by Orb 20 years ago
In "Cops Use Taser on Charley victim"
As quonsor said, once a taser shock is applied, there's not a whole lot of struggling with the "perp" required. I've never understood the concept of keeping people away from their property because it might be dangerous for them to be there. If people are willing to accept the danger/risk to return to their homes, they should be allowed to do so. If there's ever a natural disaster in North Austin that requires evacuation, you'll probably see me on the news being tasered for either being unwilling to leave in the first place or for jumping a barricade and going to my house when I want to afterward.
posted by Orb 20 years ago
In "Colorado to decide whether to end "winner take all" electoral vote distribution."
I like the idea immensely. It's at least a good step in the right direction to make everyone's vote count for something other than lost time voting. I say that as someone living in a "red" state who doesn't tend to vote "red". Every time I vote for president, I wonder why I am going through the hassle, as the Republican candidate is sure to get more than enough of the percentage to take all the electoral votes anyway. Doesn't stop me from voting, but I know some folks who don't bother anymore for this very reason. As to lessening the clout of the state, I'd think it would make all the states suddenly very important to all the candidates, if all the states went to this system (which they should). Suddenly, instead of being able to sit back and ignore states that they have historically won, parties and candidates would have to work a little harder to get as many votes as they could.
posted by Orb 20 years ago
In "Clean Venue Olympics"
Staff will also be on the lookout for T-shirts, hats and bags displaying the unwelcome logos of non-sponsors. I was thinking about this last night, and obviously, the only way to make sure that no competing logos are worn by anyone, and thus getting shown on the TV screen, is for the attending masses to be naked. Sort of a reversal of the way it used to be. Would make watching the Olympics on TV almost interesting again.
posted by Orb 20 years ago
In "DNA may contain the message we're looking for."
If you are able to accept the idea that aliens might exist and would want to bother contacting us at all, it isn't all that far fetched. We share 98.5% of our DNA with chimps, 97.5% with mice, 60% with fruit flies, and about 50% with the lowly banana, so it's possible there is some base DNA that is shared exactly by all things which have DNA. Or, you know, implanted by a virus sent by aliens. Interesting idea, but until I see some proof that aliens even exist, I'm not going to go get all excited about it. :D
posted by Orb 20 years ago
In ""This telephone can be used to transport to other places."
Wow, that was a cool and fun break from the monotony of my day! Thanks! :D
posted by Orb 20 years ago
In "<b>Curious George</b> Used book stores"
Why then is selling used records illegal? (It is, isn't it?) It isn't in the US either ... or if it is, there are a LOT of stores here in Austin breaking the law by selling used CDs and vinyl (as well as DVD and VHS movies).
posted by Orb 20 years ago
In ""
Thanks, danapiper. I designed it myself. Love yours, especially the kitty ... too cute and what a great location for it!
posted by Orb 20 years ago
Does no one have tattoos? Or tattoos and a camera? :D OK, I've got both, but the photo quality is a little lacking (think cheap web cam). Good thing the tattoo isn't all that much to look at either. LOL! So here you have ... Orb's tattoo.
posted by Orb 20 years ago
In "Miss Digital World:"
If they had the animation set for any of the software I use, I'd enter one of my "girls" in it, but ... there's little chance of me both acquiring and then learning how to use new software before the deadline. I think it's a cool idea! But then, I spend a lot of time working with female "models" of this sort. LOL!
posted by Orb 20 years ago
(limited to the most recent 20 comments)