| Recent Photoshop |
[Jul. 24th, 2009|10:13 pm] |
Sorry, Livejournal, I've been cheating on you with facebook.
Here's a little love with some shit I been doin' in Photoshop of late, and some upcoming events.
That's in two weeks.
That's in two days. And yes, I'm serious. |
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| Bureaucracy |
[May. 22nd, 2009|07:31 am] |
The bureaucracy of divorce is insane. I can completely understand why people hire lawyers to deal with it for them.
I actually met with a lawyer, briefly. I've got a pre-paid legal plan through work, which basically means that I can pay $5/paycheck and get access to lawyers for consultation, although not representation. He explained the processes in rough, but on the whole seemed disappointed he would not be able to represent me during the process. I can't afford representation, and people do it all the time without.
He also implied that I ought to treat the Lemur as if she's after me lucky charms and to list out everything that I wanted to make sure I got out of the divorce. This will be an uncontested affair - we've got everything we want out of the deal already. We worked that out.
But the first time I showed up at the domestic relations division, I arrived 5 minutes late. My phone at work would not stop ringing, and I have this problem where I answer the damned thing reflexively. In true red-tape fashion their hours are not helpfully listed on their website, so I had to guess, and I guessed wrong. And so I was turned away by a snippy clerk.
After having screwed up my courage and resolve to get this done, to be turned away for 5 minutes? I acknowledge it wasn't their fault, it was mine, but I was still frustrated, annoyed, and sad. What was left to do, other than to go have a beer? Or five?
The next day, I took the day off work and went back, only to be told that the lawyer had steered me wrong. I did not have the proper forms filled out in the right way, not enough copies, the packet wasn't stapled together (apparently this is crucial), etc, etc, etc. He, only marginally helpful, gave me a packet of stuff and directed me to the law library on one the top floors.
Shockingly, up there, they were quite helpful. They gave me a thick, old book, that had typewritten examples of how to fill out the various forms (and they are legion), hand-drawn flowcharts of how the process works when you're acting pro se (means "representing yourself," one of the may new things I've learned.) I sat down to take notes and ten minutes later:
High-rise fire drill.
Srsly?
That day, I figured, bureaucracy 3, me 0. But a week later, I managed to go back and actually got it all filed with minimal fuss.
This morning, in a little over an hour, is my appearance before the judge. I can't imagine that this will be a good day. I've very sad about this whole thing, but it's for the best. We've been separated for just under two years now and we're not making progress. We've got intractable problems and legally speaking, "irreconcilable differences." It's time, finally, to move on.
Please, wish me luck. |
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| Yeah, I did it. |
[Apr. 5th, 2009|09:38 am] |
I know I'm not posting here all that much, but I wanted to share this. When this story was run in the New York Times earlier this year, no fewer than 8 different people sent it to me. I'd heard about it previously, and dismissed it as being, well, dangerous. But peer pressure is a bitch, and it seems as if it was expected of me.
Yes, friends: last night, I cooked the Bacon Explosion.
I did it with equal parts bratwurst and sweet Italian sausage. It was utterly delicious. In the future, though, if I do it again (and I might have to get advice on whether or not I can possible do it ever again from a qualified cardiologist), I would make the following changes:
1.) a low-to-no salt barbecue rub. The bacon is salty enough.
2.) Sausage with more character. Perhaps mixing in one part andouille sausage to two parts something else. The recipe calls for just italian sausage, but I think you could do interesting things with it.
3.) A very sweet barbecue sauce, to contrast the salty, salty bacon.
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| Jeebus Keerist! |
[Jan. 6th, 2009|08:57 pm] |
Check, Please is a local public television show that sits down 3-4 random people, and asks them about their favorite restaurants. Each person goes to all the restaurants thus recommended and shares reviews of them.
Well now. Who could THAT be in a previously unaired episode from 2001?
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| From justified cynicism to absurdity |
[Dec. 10th, 2008|08:20 am] |
I've said in the past that I read the Chicago Tribune every morning because the righteous indignation it engenders in me does more to restore me to full workday readiness than coffee or even loud Ministry songs. Granted, they're bankrupt now, but I'll keep reading them. I disagree with their viewpoints constantly, some of their op-ed columnists espouse views and use rhetoric that appall me, and, well, the comics section is worse than their rival, the Sun Times.
They also own the hated Cubs (@#$! the cubs). More on that later.
But I keep reading. Why? Because I like being exposed to opposing points of view. It makes me smarter, and better equipped to argue my own point of view. They have turned around a bit of late, with the shocking endorsement of Barack Obama that must have had Colonel McCormick, their founder, spinning in his grave with enough dynamo speed to power downtown for the next fifty years. On the whole, though -- John Kass is still a conservative blowhard, Jonah Goldberg is still using cheap rhetorical tricks and out of context quotations to make his points, and the editorial page is generally more in favor of big business than it is in favor of me.
Today's issue was wonderful. An excerpt from Clarence Page, one of their columnists with whom I frequently agree, and an occasional contributor to my cable-news-boyfriend's show, "Countdown":
"A network news producer based in New York wanted to get my reaction to the arrest of Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Except she had a problem. She was reading the criminal complaint as she was talking to me. She couldn't stop gasping. "I'm sorry," she said. "This is . . . unbelievable!"
That's OK, I assured her. "Take your time. I'm a Chicago journalist. I am accustomed to the unbelievable."
I'm from New York. Now, Spitzer had the good grace to at least make it a juicy sex scandal. But Blagojevich has completely, and unabashedly abused his powers of office, if the allegations are true (I am a firm believer in the "innocent until proven guilty" principle of our legal system.) He's been under investigation for a while now, and so I didn't think I'd be quite as shocked as I was at the arrest and subsequent revelations.
There are two counts. The first is the attempt to sell President-Elect Obama's senate seat, or at least, get something of value for it, whether that be a post in Obama's cabinet (Health and Human Services was apparently what he was looking for), money for an upcoming campaign, a cushy board position for his wife, or a nice fat paycheck in the private sector.
This does not surprise me all that much. Our governor (full disclosure: I voted for him the first time) has shown us that he's a grandstander with nearly limitless ambition, schooled well in the "vote early, vote often, twice as often if you're dead" world of Chicago Politics. He's doing very poorly in the polls, with approval ratings hovering at a dismal 13% -- even President Bush's lowest rating, from a recent CBS poll, was higher, at 20%. So naturally, if he'd like to continue his political career, he'll need to figure out a way to do it that doesn't involve inconvenient voters.
The second -- and more appalling to me -- count involved the sale of the (@#$!ing) Cubs, and their (ivy-covered burial ground) stadium, Wrigley Field. The Governor has been caught on tape saying that if any state financing is to assist with the sale, certain members of the Tribune Editorial Board that have been critical of him must be fired.
Ohhhh no. Do not fuck with my first amendment. I have a right to hear voices that dissent with mine, or yours. If this proves to be true, I hope very much that you are impeached, disgraced, and sent to jail for a longer period than your predecessor.
First George Ryan's corruption leads to the tragic death of a family, and other deaths besides, and now this. Can we pick 'em or what?
Other news: I was recently interviewed for a fluff marketing piece for a software vendor whose package I implemented in June. If it hits the web, I'll link to it.
(aside: "package implementation" sounds terrifically dirty.)
I've also succumb to the siren call of the Facebook. If you know my real name, feel free to look me up there. If you know my real name and also work with me, sorry, you don't get to see the photos my friends take of me when I'm good an hammered. The paranoia surrounding the increase of my internet footprint is still strong.
Finally, I'm still unclear on whether or not I'm going to stay married, but it's looking more and more likely that I'll soon be in a position to be a homeowner. |
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| Saddened |
[Nov. 4th, 2008|11:19 am] |
But, I suppose, not surprised.
The level of discourse in this country has reached ridiculous lows. While debating some conservatives regarding Obama, I keep hearing the following line of reasoning:
Obama = "Spread the Wealth Around" = Socialism = Hitler.
First of all, it's called Godwin's Law, motherfucker, do you speak it?
Second of all, there's a HUGE gap between points two and three. But it's been linked together so many times in so many places you can't get away from it. And the notion that a slightly -- SLIGHTLY -- more progressive income tax equates to state control of the means of production and the distribution of goods is ridiculous.
I'd really, really like to have a reasonable, measured debate with someone about why they think Obama's so bad without this nonsense coming up.
I'd really, really like a good educational system, a well-informed electorate, and the opportunity for nuance and subtlety.
I'd really, really like for all the news outlets and blogs that actively make us dumber to go out of business (mind you: not be shut down. I support their right to be stupid, but cringe at their ability to inflict the dumb on others.)
With just a little luck, I'll have 4, maybe 8 years of having people explain to me, with nuance and subtlety, why they thing the guy I voted for this morning is the antichrist. I won't hold my breath, though. |
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| Holy @#$! |
[Oct. 28th, 2008|02:39 pm] |
I was just invited to the Obama event in grant park on Tuesday. Via e-mail, so god knows how many people got them.
Oh, you bet your ASS I'm going, if I actually get the ticket they say is coming. This is history. |
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| Political Arguments |
[Oct. 27th, 2008|03:51 pm] |
Are fun!
I've gotten into it of late with a conservative friend from Ohio. Apparently the big things the right is up in arms about are out-of-context quotes from Obama's sessions with Chicago Public Radio (WBEZ) on the program Odyssey in 2001.
"…The Supreme Court never entered into the issues of redistribution of wealth, and sort of more basic issues of political and economic justice in this society. And uh, to that extent, as radical as I think people tried to characterize the Warren Court, it wasn’t that radical..."
and
"I think we can say that the Constitution reflected an enormous blind spot in this culture that carries on until this day, and that the framers had that same blind spot. […The Constitution] reflected the fundamental flaw of this country that continues to this day."
Which, taken out of context, both seem pretty damning, and incendiary. Which is why I'll be spending a portion of this evening listening to the actual interviews, which WBEZ has helpfully published for us on their web site.
It's actually getting pretty big -- it was on the front page of the Drudge report this morning. One bit that worries me a little is that this is the October surprise, that they've been holding this well-edited clip in their back pockets for a while, and they release it with only days left in the campaign. |
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| The Pickens Plan |
[Oct. 9th, 2008|03:34 pm] |
Thanks to ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) roadriverrail for bringing this to my attention a while ago. I had to do a bit more searching on him, and found some decent primary sources about T. Boone Pickens, who he is, and why you may want to view his plan with some skepticism.
First off, he's got a ranch sitting atop an aquifer in Texas. He'd like to force Dallas to buy that water from him, and make a lot of money doing it.
In Roberts County there would be real economic benefits from the wind farm. "The wind is meant to sweeten the deal," says Representative Chisum. "The big money for Pickens is in the water.
...
It was contained in an amendment to a major piece of water legislation. The amendment, one of more than 100 added after the bill had been reviewed in the House, allowed a water-supply district to transmit alternative energy and transport water in a single corridor, or right-of-way.
...
The new legislation loosened the requirements for creating a water district. Previously, a district's five elected supervisors needed to be registered voters living within the boundaries of the district. Now, they only had to own land in the district; they could live and vote wherever.
...
On Nov. 6, Roberts County held an election to decide whether to form the new district. Only two people were qualified to take part: Alton and Lu Boone. The vote was unanimous. With that, Pickens won the right to issue tax-free bonds for his pipeline and electrical lines as well as the extraordinary power to claim land across swaths of the state.[via eminent domain.]
Business Week, "There Will be Water," 6/12/08.
DC Examiner, "T. Boone Pickens Wants Your Water," 8/21/08
But beyond that: did you know Pickens was a damned Swift Boater? He even went so far as to offer $1 million to anyone who could disprove one of their claims (as he was under the impression, defending them, that it couldn't be done.) When John Kerry himself and a group of veterans did just that, he reneged.
New York Times Caucus Blog, "T. Boone Pickens Says No Deal on Swift Boat Bounty," 6/25/08
Boston Globe/Associated Press, "Kerry takes oilman Pickens up on $1 million Swift Boat challenge," 11/16/07"
Knew there was something I didn't trust about that guy... |
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| dear god |
[Oct. 5th, 2008|03:21 pm] |
my brain is missing, there are beer cans everywhere, and the coffee table is shattered.
I think it was a happy birthday. |
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| Debate, and validation |
[Oct. 3rd, 2008|03:37 pm] |
I was watching a bit of the debate today, after arranging for the day off after the late-night cubs-trouncing I witnessed last night (seriously, an error by each infielder? Is this minor leagues and not the goddamned playoffs?), and saw that BOTH vice-presidential candidates, to an extent, agree with me on the highly divisive and contentious issue of gay marriage.
Biden, of course, said it more clearly and agreed with me more specifically.
"...Barack Obama nor I support redefining from a civil side what constitutes marriage. We do not support that. That is basically the decision to be able to be able to be left to faiths and people who practice their faiths the determination what you call it.
The bottom line though is, and I'm glad to hear the governor, I take her at her word, obviously, that she think there should be no civil rights distinction, none whatsoever, between a committed gay couple and a committed heterosexual couple. If that's the case, we really don't have a difference."
(emphasis mine.)
It's what I've been saying for a while now.
Marriage is a sacrament. You want gay marriage, take it up with the church. You want equal rights (and I'm all for it), then your fight is with the government, and it looks as if both candidates are with you -- although McCain/Palin to a more reluctant and half-assed degree than Obama/Biden.
I'm pleased to see this expressed by the candidates. |
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| That's fuckin' baseball. |
[Sep. 30th, 2008|09:07 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  ecstatic | ] |
<Ahem.>
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO cough cough OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
GO White Sox, GO!
It couldn't have BEEN more of a nailbiter. But we did it.
First time for both chicago teams in the playoffs in 102 years. God DAMN. I feel guilty that I've got tickets for Thursday at WRIGLEY, but hey, I got offered 'em last week and back then I didn't even know if the Sox would be in it.
Danks did a fantastic job, and Thome, sweet, sweet Thome, got that solo shot. 53% of our runs are off home runs, and he's a big part of the reason why (to say nothing of Alexi's grand slam on Monday.)
Fuckin' brilliant baseball. Just beautiful. |
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| Recession may not be a strong enough word |
[Sep. 29th, 2008|03:55 pm] |
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But just in case anyone tries to say it's the democrats that killed the bailout bill in the house, bear in mind that the republicans voted 133 to 65 against the bill while the democrats voted 140 to 95 in favor of it. |
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| Sent from Mom: |
[Sep. 18th, 2008|08:26 am] |
It's a little creepy that mom is hip to image macros, but this one made me laugh. |
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| An auspicious omen? |
[Aug. 28th, 2008|08:39 am] |
This morning, as I walked into work, there was a goddamned zorb on our south steps. Turns out, no, they were not giving rides, they were doing a promo shoot for a new disney movie this fall, in which one of the characters is a hamster in a ball, so it makes sense.
My brother got to try it on his honeymoon in New Zealand. I told him I'd never forgive him if he didn't. No, he didn't hurl -- apparently no one ever has.
Do I even need to tell you how awesome these goddamned things are? It was a very exciting way to begin my morning. "Welcome to work! Here's a little awesome to start your day." |
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| Vacation! |
[Aug. 6th, 2008|06:17 am] |
Leaving for Kentucky with Wife and Dog this morning. We'll be going to sample the best barbecue in Kentucky, go shootin', and generally have an adventurous road trip down south a ways. We'll also be headed down to Nashville to see her sister and brother-in-law and nephew, and I almost certainly will be bringing back a Lunchbox full of Bacon.
Given the current state of things between she and I, this could be interesting, but I'm hoping that it will mostly be just fun.
In other news: I found an apartment of my own, and will be moving there 9/1. Never lived without roommates before, and I thought it might be time to give it a shot. |
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| geekgasm |
[Jun. 30th, 2008|09:11 am] |
My new computer just arrived.
It's a Tablet PC.
The hope is that this helps me crank out comics faster.
I don't want to be at work! I want to go home and play with my new toy! |
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| it's ben a long slog |
[Jun. 8th, 2008|09:41 pm] |
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But at the end of the day tomorrow, the toughest challenge of my professional career will very likely come to a close, knock wood. This is why I haven't been very posty. |
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