Sure, go ahead, decide at the last minute that you're not going to participate in the debate. Imagine the enormous amount of work by a large group of people, and the money involved, at the university where it's going to be held. Imagine that they have gone to a tremendous amount of trouble - think of all that goes into putting on an event like this. And then, oh no, polls slipping, maybe we can stop all these debates from happening, I won't have to look like a putz and maybe no VP debate too, so that my lousy choice for veep won't have to ever show her face, or her grasp on any issue, ever.
Apparently, if Mr. McCain is confronted with a situation where he might look bad, he's not going to show up. And his puppet-veep can't take the heat, even remotely. They're a terrific pair to handle this country in crisis.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Bailout? Epic fail!
Jason Linkins of the Huffington Post has a very interesting article about the bailout. Specifically, pay attention to the wording in the Bush admin's bailout package:
Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency.
Yeah, sure, let's give 'em all the money we can borrow from China ('cause I don't think we have any left thanks to the wars) with absolutely no oversight, no regulation, and no REVIEW by ANYONE.
If we pass this thing, we are SO much more screwed than we already are. Boy, I hope Congress finally grows a pair.
Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency.
Yeah, sure, let's give 'em all the money we can borrow from China ('cause I don't think we have any left thanks to the wars) with absolutely no oversight, no regulation, and no REVIEW by ANYONE.
If we pass this thing, we are SO much more screwed than we already are. Boy, I hope Congress finally grows a pair.
Palin Will Meet With Kissinger and Foreign Leaders
This was a headline in today's New York Times. Made me snort coffee out my nose.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Bailing Out the Banks
I think I have the solution. I'm sending it to the Times. If they don't go with it, I'll post it here so that two or three people can see it, if they care to. But I've got it all figgered out, man.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
I found this, by chance, in the OED
Who says that the OED is too stuffy!?
3. nudge, nudge (wink, wink)[a catchphrase from the British television comedy programme Monty Python's Flying Circus: see
Saturday, August 30, 2008
OK, what *really* bugs me ...
I know I've been missing for awhile. Crazy busy, computer at home busted. But, for this, I come in on a Saturday to post.
OK. It's not that McCain offered Palin the post. I don't expect anything much from him except outrageous insults to our collective intelligence, and this is certainly no exception: Somehow he and his people (for want of a better word) believe that Sarah Palin is a perfectly legitimate stand-in for Hillary Clinton 'cause of that double-X thing, and that Hillary supporters would absolutely vote for him now that there's a chance for a a female-type human a malignant melanoma from the presidency. Oh, yeah, that international experience 'cause she lives near the Bering Strait. Great googly moogly.
OK. So we expect nothing less than a completely tone-deaf response to disaffected Hillary supporters and the religious Right. But, of all the things you can say about why Sarah Palin is not right for the job, which are apparently legion (20 months, minus -- I have to assume -- some maternity leave time, governing one of the country's least populous states; being for the Bridge to Nowhere before she was against it; having an ongoing investigation into possibly illegal use of her power; having, before this job, been a part-time major of a teeny weeny town; being pro-ANWR drilling and anti-polar bear; disregarding the environment she seems to enjoy so much; having ties -- however tenuous -- to oil corporations; anti-choice and pro-gun -- don't kill the babies until they grow up, so morally tenuous on that point as well; and who knows what else because that's just the information gleaned over a single day) ... this is what REALLY bugs me:
Because she ACCEPTED this steadfastly absurd notion. She ACCEPTED the job offer. She said she didn't know exactly what a vice president of the United States of America does for a living, but she seems to feel that she is qualified for the post. She seems to actually think that her experience and skills are up to the task. And that people are comparing Obama's experience in grassroots organizing to her part-time gig as mayor of 9000 people. And that his law degree from Harvard somehow is comparable to her BA in journalism from who-knows-what college. That her desire to be a sportscaster for ESPN until she found out that she'd have to move away from Alaska to have the job is somehow comparable to his work on the south side of Chicago, his time in the Illinois state house, and his clear and forceful view of how to improve life for all Americans. And/or people are comparing her as a candidate to Hillary Clinton based strictly -- STRICTLY -- on her XX chromosomes. That is exactly and completely where the comparison to Clinton ends.
She accepted the job of possible Vice President. She has the absurd confidence to believe that she could run the United States of America if John McCain kicks the bucket suddenly, given a ridiculous lack of education, experience, and -- obviously -- common sense. In other words, she is both utterly delusional and dangerously egocentric.
What in the world will happen to this country -- really, to this world -- if this tag team of idiots gets elected? Oh my stars, we are lost.
Obama's speech was electifying, extraordinary, amazing. The vast stadium, the incredible family walking to the front of the stage, the brilliant minds, the moment of utter belief in a change of course ... I don't expect that all the changes hoped for can or will be made. I don't hold any human being to that kind of set of expectations, knowing how rough the road will be, knowing that it takes a concerted effort by a vast number of people (imperfect, flawed as we are all), but that the momentum to change is there and the willingness to try is there in hearts all across the country. But this I know, and I know full well, I do not trust McCain or anyone on his side to do anything but screw us up even further, and his insulting pander simply increases the volume on what Mr. Obama said Thursday night: He just doesn't get it.
OK. It's not that McCain offered Palin the post. I don't expect anything much from him except outrageous insults to our collective intelligence, and this is certainly no exception: Somehow he and his people (for want of a better word) believe that Sarah Palin is a perfectly legitimate stand-in for Hillary Clinton 'cause of that double-X thing, and that Hillary supporters would absolutely vote for him now that there's a chance for a a female-type human a malignant melanoma from the presidency. Oh, yeah, that international experience 'cause she lives near the Bering Strait. Great googly moogly.
OK. So we expect nothing less than a completely tone-deaf response to disaffected Hillary supporters and the religious Right. But, of all the things you can say about why Sarah Palin is not right for the job, which are apparently legion (20 months, minus -- I have to assume -- some maternity leave time, governing one of the country's least populous states; being for the Bridge to Nowhere before she was against it; having an ongoing investigation into possibly illegal use of her power; having, before this job, been a part-time major of a teeny weeny town; being pro-ANWR drilling and anti-polar bear; disregarding the environment she seems to enjoy so much; having ties -- however tenuous -- to oil corporations; anti-choice and pro-gun -- don't kill the babies until they grow up, so morally tenuous on that point as well; and who knows what else because that's just the information gleaned over a single day) ... this is what REALLY bugs me:
Because she ACCEPTED this steadfastly absurd notion. She ACCEPTED the job offer. She said she didn't know exactly what a vice president of the United States of America does for a living, but she seems to feel that she is qualified for the post. She seems to actually think that her experience and skills are up to the task. And that people are comparing Obama's experience in grassroots organizing to her part-time gig as mayor of 9000 people. And that his law degree from Harvard somehow is comparable to her BA in journalism from who-knows-what college. That her desire to be a sportscaster for ESPN until she found out that she'd have to move away from Alaska to have the job is somehow comparable to his work on the south side of Chicago, his time in the Illinois state house, and his clear and forceful view of how to improve life for all Americans. And/or people are comparing her as a candidate to Hillary Clinton based strictly -- STRICTLY -- on her XX chromosomes. That is exactly and completely where the comparison to Clinton ends.
She accepted the job of possible Vice President. She has the absurd confidence to believe that she could run the United States of America if John McCain kicks the bucket suddenly, given a ridiculous lack of education, experience, and -- obviously -- common sense. In other words, she is both utterly delusional and dangerously egocentric.
What in the world will happen to this country -- really, to this world -- if this tag team of idiots gets elected? Oh my stars, we are lost.
Obama's speech was electifying, extraordinary, amazing. The vast stadium, the incredible family walking to the front of the stage, the brilliant minds, the moment of utter belief in a change of course ... I don't expect that all the changes hoped for can or will be made. I don't hold any human being to that kind of set of expectations, knowing how rough the road will be, knowing that it takes a concerted effort by a vast number of people (imperfect, flawed as we are all), but that the momentum to change is there and the willingness to try is there in hearts all across the country. But this I know, and I know full well, I do not trust McCain or anyone on his side to do anything but screw us up even further, and his insulting pander simply increases the volume on what Mr. Obama said Thursday night: He just doesn't get it.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Golf?! GOLF??!!!?!?!@*!#
I almost posted about this yesterday when I first heard what Bush said about golf, but I was too flabbergasted to get it into words. Leave it to Olbermann to do the job for me. This is an impressive rant, to say the least. I'll let him speak for himself.
Also, btw, kudos to MSNBC for encouraging people to embed their video in their blogs, as opposed to suing people for doing the same. Someone, somewhere, got his/her head out of his/her ass about that kind of thing and realized that it was good advertising to put out video vignettes to a wide audience. (Duh.)
Friday, May 9, 2008
New feature you'd probably never notice
I added a Bushisms widgit to the bottom of the page, 'cause it didn't fit on the side. And, for some reason, I still get some startle value out of some of this stuff.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Those wacky Dutch!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The Semi-Myth of High Thread Count
The part of me that is FiberGeek must address the question of High Thread Count.
First, I don't know why this is, but I hear fellas talk about high thread count more than I hear women talk about it. Usually I think it's in the context of "impressing the ladies" (or whoever) by providing classy sheets. At times, it's been a question: "Should I get satin sheets? Or should I go with some High Thread Count? What would impress a new girlfriend more?" First of all, NEVER go with the satin sheets. Why? Two reasons: (1) They're usually polyester, which means they won't breathe, and that means unpleasant sweating -- not the good kind. (2) Someone will slide right out of bed, and that's never good. Oh, a third reason: (3) Icky, and trying too hard to look suave. Never works. Or backfires altogether.
But here's the point of this post: High thread count is one marker of a soft sheet, but it's not the only one. HTC alone is not the be-all and end-all of sheetness. It's better than those burlap sheets you have now, of course. And if the HTC sheets are all-cotton (and not a cotton-poly blend, which defeats the idea anyway), then you're doing reasonably well.
But there is another essential factor to excellent sheets, and that is staple length. Whuzza?, you may well ask. You see, there are various species of cotton. Some have short fibers and others have long fibers ... that is, their staple length varies. As an example, take a cotton ball in one hand and pull just a few fibers partly away from the ball and twist them between your thumb and forefinger. As they twist together, pull slightly further away from the ball, trying to pick up some more fibers into the twist as you go. This is essentially how threads (and yarn) are made. A cotton ball is made (I assume) from waste fibers, so they're varying lengths and mostly they are very, very short.
Most fibers, animal and plant alike, have microscopic little barbs on them that catch onto other fibers, which is how the twist holds in threads and yarn. (This is why your pet hairs stick to your clothes, furniture, and carpets too.) Short staple cotton will hold together all right (when twisted with more oomph than your fingers can provide), but, as you can imagine, they might break more often when they are very, very thin threads. If you get HTC sheets with short staple cotton, you will find after a few washings that they start to pill or feel slightly rough to the touch. This is because the short staples are starting to break apart and pull away from each other. The sheets will still feel great compared to other sheets, generally, but they are likely to wear out and tear in a relatively short period of time (depending on how you treat them, of course).
So, what do you use instead? Long staple cotton, of course. Egyptian cotton is the standard bearer for long staple cotton, and sheets (or clothing, or towels) made from Egyptian cotton are likely to be very expensive. An American version of Egyptian cotton is pima cotton (be aware that fiber content can say "pima" but not be 100% pima -- look for "Supima," which is required to be 100% pima). However, durability is exceptional, and the hand of the fabric (the way it feels to your skin) is out of this world. Towels made from Egyptian or pima cotton are tremendously absorbent and luxurious feeling. Sheets and clothing drape well and last for ages.
Another option in the sheet department is linen -- long-stapled by nature, a HTC linen sheet will also be very expensive, should last a lifetime if treated properly, and feel amazing.
Personally, I can't afford to buy fancy sheets and stuff. However, if you can afford it and want to really impress your sweetheart, think about going for the long-stapled stuff.
First, I don't know why this is, but I hear fellas talk about high thread count more than I hear women talk about it. Usually I think it's in the context of "impressing the ladies" (or whoever) by providing classy sheets. At times, it's been a question: "Should I get satin sheets? Or should I go with some High Thread Count? What would impress a new girlfriend more?" First of all, NEVER go with the satin sheets. Why? Two reasons: (1) They're usually polyester, which means they won't breathe, and that means unpleasant sweating -- not the good kind. (2) Someone will slide right out of bed, and that's never good. Oh, a third reason: (3) Icky, and trying too hard to look suave. Never works. Or backfires altogether.
But here's the point of this post: High thread count is one marker of a soft sheet, but it's not the only one. HTC alone is not the be-all and end-all of sheetness. It's better than those burlap sheets you have now, of course. And if the HTC sheets are all-cotton (and not a cotton-poly blend, which defeats the idea anyway), then you're doing reasonably well.
But there is another essential factor to excellent sheets, and that is staple length. Whuzza?, you may well ask. You see, there are various species of cotton. Some have short fibers and others have long fibers ... that is, their staple length varies. As an example, take a cotton ball in one hand and pull just a few fibers partly away from the ball and twist them between your thumb and forefinger. As they twist together, pull slightly further away from the ball, trying to pick up some more fibers into the twist as you go. This is essentially how threads (and yarn) are made. A cotton ball is made (I assume) from waste fibers, so they're varying lengths and mostly they are very, very short.
Most fibers, animal and plant alike, have microscopic little barbs on them that catch onto other fibers, which is how the twist holds in threads and yarn. (This is why your pet hairs stick to your clothes, furniture, and carpets too.) Short staple cotton will hold together all right (when twisted with more oomph than your fingers can provide), but, as you can imagine, they might break more often when they are very, very thin threads. If you get HTC sheets with short staple cotton, you will find after a few washings that they start to pill or feel slightly rough to the touch. This is because the short staples are starting to break apart and pull away from each other. The sheets will still feel great compared to other sheets, generally, but they are likely to wear out and tear in a relatively short period of time (depending on how you treat them, of course).
So, what do you use instead? Long staple cotton, of course. Egyptian cotton is the standard bearer for long staple cotton, and sheets (or clothing, or towels) made from Egyptian cotton are likely to be very expensive. An American version of Egyptian cotton is pima cotton (be aware that fiber content can say "pima" but not be 100% pima -- look for "Supima," which is required to be 100% pima). However, durability is exceptional, and the hand of the fabric (the way it feels to your skin) is out of this world. Towels made from Egyptian or pima cotton are tremendously absorbent and luxurious feeling. Sheets and clothing drape well and last for ages.
Another option in the sheet department is linen -- long-stapled by nature, a HTC linen sheet will also be very expensive, should last a lifetime if treated properly, and feel amazing.
Personally, I can't afford to buy fancy sheets and stuff. However, if you can afford it and want to really impress your sweetheart, think about going for the long-stapled stuff.
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