numbersnut

Fantastic Christmas song:


That big red nose is just asking for an electrode:


Also, have you burned your goat yet?

Outside my window, the whole world is covered in snow.

The trees are lit, the cats are snoozing.

This afternoon, Raven got me out of bed (where I was about to drop off) to let me know that it was 53 degrees in the kid's room. We've fastened up covers over the windows, which should help some (a couple of degrees, even in the howling wind) and covered the bottom of the door so at least the rest of the house can stay warm.

So, I'm in bed, perfectly toasty under two blankets. Today has not been perfect but it has been wonderful. Everyone I miss, I'll get to see soon enough: next week, next year, or in the fullness of time.

In just a few minutes, it'll be Christmas.

To my Christian friends, I hope your Christmas is as merry as mine.

And to my non-Christian friends-- I wish you bliss. I don't know where or when you'll get it, but I wish it for you.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/24/senate-passes-health-care_n_402802.html

Health care reform has passed the Senate.

What does this mean, practically speaking?

The public option--unless there's some great maneuvering--will be dropped. As Democrats incur losses in the Senate and House due to the economic situation, the filibuster-proof majority that got this bill passed will disappear. Republicans will steadily work to block any and all attempts to expand it, and when they become the majority again they'll probably undo most of the regulations. For the next 15 years, the Senate's bill will be the best American health care has to offer.

Those of us in the know will understand that conservatives and corporate lobbyists effectively screwed over millions of Americans solely for political purposes, but of course that will be quickly forgotten, as voters have increasingly short memories (It's been said that the greatest achievement of the Right Wing is their ability to get voters to vote against their own self-interest. That couldn't be more apparent here). The rest will assume Obama dropped the ball, which is exactly what the Right wants us to think.

All in all, I'm glad progressives were finally able to make an impact, but this entire process has left me feeling slightly dirty. To be honest, it's been miserable to watch.

Why?

Because it makes her and her ignorant war-mongering opinions look bad: http://hotair.com/archives/2009/12/11/review-avatar-super-mega-ultra-left-wing/

If that wasn't snicker-worthy, some of the comments on the post ar just glorious:

"After Titanic I lost all interest in Cameron. Pure lefty crap."

"Hey, let’s not forget this is the same guy who tried to destroy the basis of Christianity last year when he and some fraud claimed they found the tomb of Jesus. He’s not getting a dime from me."

"I only want to see Avatar if the human beings win. I can’t side with the opposition, WT-frickkin-F?"

AAAAHAHAHAHA!

In the bed:

Me.
2 ginger white chocolate bar cookies.
1 bowl homemade tortilla-esque soup (chicken, Ro-Tel tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, black beans, sprinkle of salt).
1 laptop playing WoW.

Under the tree:

Cats.

On the table:

The presents that would go under the tree if we didn't have a rampaging S.K.W.I.R.L.

On the ground outside:

Sleet.

In the forecast:

SNOW. White Christmas!! My mother informs me that there was one in 1975 that I don't remember, but otherwise not in my lifetime.

Root, being his dainty self

From the National Weather Service:

"THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT."

Damn!

"WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM CST THURSDAY"

Ooooh!

"MAIN IMPACT: NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WITH SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW AND ACCUMULATION UP TO 5 INCHES IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA AND 8 INCHES IN NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA."

For those of you who live in states where "the white stuff" doesn't refer to off-brand Cool Whip for the pie, this link here contains the sum total of all winter weather preparations engaged in by the City of Oklahoma City.

If you click through to the PDF, each of those little squares is a square mile. Note that in some areas there are three mile gaps between plowing.

Anyways, on the average, 1 year in 33 has snow on the ground on Christmas; this may be our year.

My basic review of Avatar: 2 and-a-half out of 5 stars. Like most overly-hyped big-budget movies these days, Avatar pushes the limits of what special effects can do, but has little in the form of staying power or heart. Unless you're in the mood to be visually wowed, I'd pass.

( Full review cut for spoilers )

Also, watching people act like utter jackasses to others who felt similarly makes me wonder if I should keep my opinion to myself on this one.

I shot that at 8:30PM. Long-exposure rules :-D

I have a few gripes with the Rebel so far, most of which are fixable but some are just annoying. I can't figure out how to use the LCD as a viewfinder_{(wow, that was fucking simple)}, and the interface system is downright confusing. There are so many buttons and options on this thing, thought it's hard to consider that a fault. In my defense, I am reading the manual, but there are 200 pages to pick over. It also seems to ignore the "take the fucking picture" command when it doesn't like the conditions it's in (lighting, namely).

The biggest one - it's not Mac-friendly at all: plugging it in over USB does not mount the SD card. You either need an SD card reader (which no Mac before 2009 has built in), or you need a 3rd party memory card reader. Another option is to use software Canon included with the camera, yet my Mac will not read it despite being labeled as a Macintosh disc. This really baffles me, since there are several "Mac" logos plastered all over the box along with assertions that it really is OSX compatible, which is only a half-truth. Seriously, when I spend $400 on a camera I take little shit like this for granted, especially when the $20 Canon Digital ELPH sitting next to it will mount SD cards on my Mac just fine. iPhoto will automagically see the camera and import the photos - ALL of the photos, one at a time. Fortunately for me, I have a copy of Adobe Bridge to throw at it, so all hope is not lost. I am just really annoyed at having to jump through these extra hoops with a professional camera that every point-and-shoot does without a problem.

I'm hoping the weather cooperates tomorrow night - I'm going to be driving through the middle of nowhere and I really want to grab a shot of the Milky Way. *crosses fingers*

I has a new toy :D

Funniest thing I've read this week:

from here

From when I ran an auto parts store:
[Mechanic on phone]: How much for a clutch for a [insert make, model and year here]
Me: $26 for the disc, $62 for the pressure plate, $12 for the To bearing.
MOP: Thanks
--20 minutes later--
MOP: I'll take the disc, but your competitor sells the pressure plate for $50.
Me: Buy it from them, that is below my cost
MOP: I would but they are back ordered.
Me: Why didn't you say so? When I don't have any they are only $19.95, but when I have them they are $62. Now do you want it or are we just screwing around here?
MOP: send it.

Ferrofluids:

...make batshit lemonade!





"Les Miserables: the game of the book is the first time that the story of Les Miserables has been adapted into a game. Notice the careful wording. It's the first time the story has been adapted, not the first time the characters have appeared in a game."



"Above: Javert versus Thenardier... I think. Javert is about to hurl fire bolts from his fingers. Did you know he could do that? I didn't either. It probably only shows up in the original French translation."

Click the image to read more.

(Also, the story of the world's worst film opening. Damn, that's bad.)

Last Minutes with Oden

It's a video documentary by a guy who's taking his beloved dog to be put to sleep.

Grown men who can not only cry, honestly and in front of everyone, but make a video about it, and not be ashamed because they just love their dog that much? It just touches my heart.

Two Christmas cards came in the mail today. Thank you, skyria and sakuya_masaki! You guys totally made my day. *has a huge spot in his heart for snail mail*

What Tina Wants

Tina Fey has rules. They’ve guided the 38-year-old writer-comedian through marriage, motherhood, and a career that went into hyperdrive this fall, when her Sarah Palin impression convulsed the nation, boosting the ratings of both Saturday Night Live and her own NBC show, 30 Rock. Backstage at S.N.L., where “Palin” met Palin, and at the home Fey shares with her husband and daughter, the author reports on how a tweezer, cream rinse, a diet, and a Teutonic will transformed a mousy brain into a brainy glamour-puss.
by MAUREEN DOWD

Full interview here.

From this article on Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert and their early Second City days. Read more about the 50th anniversary of Second City.

Some good stuff.

"Taking on Christianity, Atheism, Islam, fundamentalism and the war on terror, Christopher Hitchens and Dinesh D’Souza draw intellectual swords in an impassioned debate. From opposite sides of the spectrum they present cases for and against organized religion, its influence on world history and impact on current events. Together they explore the social, political and historical foundations of faith."

Christopher Hitchens and Dinesh D'Souza at CU Boulder from Justin Leddick on Vimeo.

I love debates where both sides are allowed to freely square off. Well worth the time to watch.

The results from the survey.

Yesterday was not so good.

Today I got a present!! I got a picture of Chisa from kaichi_satake and it's very nice! I am going to go get a frame for it.

I have been otherwise generally reminded that I have friends who want me to be happy and people who care about me.

So, I am going to go out for hot chocolate and a few last-minute gifts. I also need a couple of new cookie sheets, because today is for cooking!