To get the full story (not that you want it) you'll have to be on my friends list. If you add me, please be polite and introduce yourself. It's only manners, yes?

I definitely agree with the direction this is going.

In other--just barely related--news, I've been listening to Marva Wright's version of "A Change is Gonna Come" (from the "When the Levies Broke" Katrina benefit album) all day and getting more and more stoked about the next four years.

Vote early, vote often.

I'm registered permanent absentee, but I'm bringing my ballot to the polling place, because I want to be there on November 4th. We're in the middle of history right now, my friends. I wanted to document it with a photo.

CA folks; I'm so confused and torn about Prop 7. The more I research, the more confused I get. Is the 30MW minimum true or false? I can't seem to find a reliable answer. If you have any viewpoints, air them! All other items are marked in ink!

Seven days!!

Photoshopped for pornotron, but I figure everyone should benefit.



The bag says "Real Women Hunt Moose", and I'm delighted to inform you that HASN'T been photoshopped!

Angel Island fire last night from my bedroom window. They think it was caused by campers.




If there's any bright side to this, it might have quelled the invasive non-native eucalyptus that's been taking over... unless it's also the quickest to grow back.

This is gorgeous. And I want it bad.. But it's too expensive, so I will not be having it.

I would love to see the day when good designers start charging based on a standard business model (i.e. MARGIN), rather than how cool their design is. Sure the darn thing is built by "by the hands of experienced craftsmen who have forgotten more about fine metal work than you will ever know," but quite honestly, it's a very simple design that could be made via automation with probably very little noticeable difference in quality, and whether "handmade" or not, the cost of materials for this thing is way off from the price point.

This isn't a very extreme example ($650 is quite reasonable compared to a lot of the modern designs out there), but I really hope there comes a day when design is "democratic." I do believe that it's elitism that keeps the price point up. Designers and fans of those designers are afraid that if just anyone can afford good design, then they won't have anything to feel "special" about anymore. I actual have a friend who alluded to being of this mindset.

I don't want to feel special (or shall I use the buzzword "elite")? I just want to be surrounded by things that make me feel serene and happy to be in my environment. And if they don't cost more to make, I just don't get why I should have to be rich to afford them

This is so astoundingly horrifying. Seriously. The photos are most definitely not gross, and that's exactly what's so gross about them.

Want. Can actually Afford. Need? No. Buy? Not sure.

Also, I am prepared to unequivocally prove that they without a doubt put crack in nesquik.
I'm been off nesquik for years and years. Now, again, it's all I crave all day long.

Nesquik is whack.

I can't express to you how much joy I glean from this site. If more was needed to confirm my geekiness, I'm sure that just did it.

So pretty much everything I've seen and heard from Palin has offended my senses and my political views. There's plenty she's done in her short, geographically limited history that's worth getting up in arms about (and I'm not talking about the arms required to shoot wolves from helicopters), but now I've found out that she's even offending me when it comes to my pet issue: farms and food.

Oh, and incidentally, since this article does happen to mention it: If you believe for a moment that Palin's against earmarks, you might want to take a look at the $27 million in earmarks she received as mayor there (easily verifiable elsewhere if you're not satisfied with that source). (Not to mention the $198 million in earmarks that she requested for Alaska this year.*

Seriously, do they really believe that if they say something over and over again that it becomes true? Palin's had very few opportunities so far to deliver very few, pre-written, words to the American public, and they've been riddled with lies. Not subtly misleading statements, or fudges, but outright lies. How does this fly?

I've been an Obama supporter from the beginning, but there was a time where I wouldn't have lost much sleep if McCain ended up winning. I disagree with a lot of (most) his policy, but what can you do I believe he's a generally decent man, and, at the very least, wouldn't do more harm to the country, though he'd probably do very little to fix what's been done. Now that Palin's joined the ticket, everything's changed. I'm seriously developing low level anxiety around this, and around seeing people fall for it.

And I'm seriously afraid. I think they really have a chance, and it baffles me.

*I actually don't even have a problem with earmarks... there are a lot of ridiculous ones out there of course, but often, they do a lot of good and are sometimes the only ways that beneficial programs will ever get funded. It's the LYING that drives me nuts.

Here's my favorite quote (word for word, thanks to DVR) from an NBC talking head at the national convention so far:
In reference to Biden's upcoming speech:

He has the capability of really delivering a stem-winder. He's regularly can light up a union hall. Guys with a burly... with those jack... those right... sort of glossy jackets... burley can get really excited when a Joe Biden speaks.

Whaaa????? Glossy jackets???

I'm in a 98-99% agreement percentile of Obama's veep pic.

... but this is really bugging me: Dumbass people alread call him "Osama". So, now I'm seeing all the Obama/Biden visuals everywhere, and often, they're arranged vertically like this:
OBAMA
BIDEN

... and every time I look at it, I see "Obama Bin Laden".
Is it just me?

This is brilliant beyond brilliant!

So much better than the rolling/walking alarm clocks that about a dozen hipster industrial designers came up with at the same time.

In other news: I am so tan right now!*



*(Which still means that I'm about three shades lighter than your average Brit in the dead of winter.)

This recent tidbit from OverheadInTheOffice.com inspired me enough to make a sign for my cubicle:



In other semi-work related nonsense:
There are about 2-3 of us in on the second floor of our office that actually use ice cubes from the freezer. There are about a dozen ice cube per tray, and four trays. Performing some basic math allows you to find that there are about 48 ice cube slots in the freezer at any given time. Subsequent short division shows that that's 16-24 ice cubes for each person. I observe the usage of possible 5-10 ice cubes total per day. Plenty for a day at the office. Yet somebody in our compulsively refills each ice cube tray as soon as any ice cubes go missing, rendering an 80% full tray completely useless as it's been filled with water. And of course the unnecessarily water-filled tray is always on the top, making access to usable ice cubes even more difficult. Really, is there any reason to refill one of many tray until it's empty?

These are the important things in life.

Whole Foods' "Two Bite" mini chocolate chip cookies are totally one-bite.

It's already even purtier! These are from last week, but already the "decorative" plants have about doubled in size.

I haven't updated in a while. Here's the latest, presented efficiently in lists:

• Garden
  
  
  
  • Expanded our front yard (doubled its tiny size)
  
  
  • Obtained six half wine barrels for $20/ea (good to live by Napa)
  • Planted little plants (mostly native, but some others were so tempting). Got them on the cheap at an amazing nursery in the worst part of Richmond (didn't help that the address I had was wrong so I was driving around and even worse part of the worst part). Everything was in 4" pots and mostly unidentifiable at that size, so this garden is a practice in patience while everything grows.
  
  
  • Heat wave #1 quickly followed and killed about 1/4 of 'em
  
  
  • Beans and peas grew quickly, produced one harvest and shriveled up as they always do (no help from the heat wave)
  
  
  • To date I have these edibles planted: Lemons, limes, cucumbers, bell peppers, thai peppers, some other unknown hot pepper, strawberries, artichokes, italian parsley, dill, fennel (accidentally--it grew from transplanted flower soil) sage, marjoram, oregano, thyme, rosemary, lavender, green onions, chives and cilantro. About 1/2 from seed, including the artichokes, which have their first buds now! I think I'm going to plant some more beans and peas; it's late in the season, but they grow so quickly I think I'll have a chance.
  
  
  • Built a fountain out of a wine barrel, galvanized bucket, solar pump, rock, dirt and plants. The solar pump doesn't store power, so it's only on when the sun's on, which kind of sucks.
  
  
  • Installed a drip system. Did it totally wrong first (used the skinny hosing for the whole thing, even though I knew while I was doing it that it made no logical sense). Redid. Now I will not starve my plants of water.
  
  
  
  


• Food
  
  
  
  • God, I love it.
  
  
  • I'm soaking salt cod.
  
  
  • I now always have fresh homemade aoili and creme fraiche on hand
  
  
  • I break my local meat rules whenever I see cured meats labeled "Black Forest"
  
  
  • I'm becoming better and better at cooking, and I sure wasn't bad to begin with
  
  
  • I'm spending way too much money on groceries but can't figure out how to cut back without sacrificing the good stuff
  
  
  
  


• Vacation
  
  
  
  • I need one.
  
  
  • At least I have a spa day with H coming up. (We both have Aveda gift certificates to redeem)
  
  
  • I have a strange desire to go to Patagonia. Not the sort of place that's usually top on my list. If they had a dude ranch in Patagonia, that'd be perfect.
  
  
  
  


• Music
  
  
  
  • My third generation iPod finally kicked it, and now I have a brand new 80gig iPod classic. I am mesmerized by Cover Flow.
  
  
  • I can't get enough Wolf Parade/Sunset Rubdown this summer
  
  
  • (Not music related, but iPod related) I know NBC has it in for iTunes, but why do you have to make it so damn difficult to put an episode of 30 Rock on my iPod?
  
  
  
  


• Work
  
  
  
  • No comment.
  
  
  • I've been suckered into redoing my HOA's website. The good news in, it gives my a chance to have a real project, without time constraints of a paid gig, to learn Wordpress. Or Joomla. But probably Wordpress. Opinions?
  
  
  • I missed an opportunity to apply for a job at my favorite non-profit because I'm a procrastinating, excuse-ridden ass.
  
  
  • I think I like writing pretty code better than I like making the actual front end pretty. It's much more objective.
  
  
  
  

Poll #1211117 my ethics dilemma
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Premise: I am adimantly and vehemently and zealously opposed to Walmart; both morally, ethically and aesthetically. Dilemma: If I can get my prescription there for $4, when my insurance would charge me over $60, I would be...

(* This was from the lj sample poll, but I like it, so I'm keeping it).

Also: Word to the uninitiated:
DO NOT take your company's HSA option if they have a standard PPO or HMO available, no matter how nifty it sounds to a young, healthy person, UNLESS:
1) The company is contributing all (or nearly all) of the plan's deductible
2) The company has hired an organization to manage HSA accounts