BEST RAP VIDEO EVER!?

OMG! You can't go wrong with Doc Proctor in the house!

What a nice surprise seeing Phil.

Here's Babie keeping tabs on Guide & Scout. Not the best picture of the two new houseguests, but you get the idea of how things are around here.

Have a good weekend!

I forgot to post the picture I took of Babie watching Guide & Scout, but will try to do so in the next few days. She is still fascinated by her two new roommates, but has never tried to get at them. The birds have become pretty used to their new home and can be heard arguing a good part of the day over who gets the swing. It's quite a lively household.

My beloved will be celebrating her birthday tomorrow, but we have no plans. She was offered dinner, but she declined so we'll be staying home. I might get take-out, and we'll catch the Oscar telecast. Not that we have seen more than one or two movies and only one that has any nominations. Still it should be fun seeing how Hugh Jackman handles the hosting job. He has performed that function at the Tony's, but this is a slightly less sophisticated crowd, so I'm sure we'll get Wolverine/X-Men references and a joke or two about Australia.

On the political front I'm not going to say a word. Everybody else has bashed or praised the decisions of the Obama adminstration thus far, so I doubt there is much I can add either way. I'm almost at the point where I'm thinking of taking a break from watching anything but the local news and weather, plus sports again once actual exhibition games start.

Hope you all are doing well and staying out of trouble! I do have an e-mail address so feel free to drop me a line.

Obama Girl Stimulates (New Mike Gregory Song!!)

Full of awesomeness!

Our Representatives Just Stabbed Us In The Back

This is why I find The Young Turks one fo the best sites for analysis and kick ass commentary.

I joined the effort to get them onto MSNBC in the 10:00pm slot.

Check out http://www.theyoungturks.com

Scout & Guide, our two new parakeets, are settling in quite well. Babie is absolutely entranced by them and is spending hours sitting on the arm of the love seat or Donna's recliner (even when Donna is in it) staring at her new roommates. In the morning you'll find Babie sitting near the table waiting for one of us to uncover her new friends. Honestly, she hasn't tried to get at them or bother the cage, which was my initial fear. It's actually kind of cute! (In case, you're wondering that IS NOT Babie or our two birds. I found it on the web and it perfectly captures what we experience. I'll try to grab the camera and get a couple of photos of the real thing to share.)

The weather here the past couple of days has been a bit chilly (SoCal wise, not the below freezing stuff you folks deal with. Brrr!) and rainy. We do need the rain, so I really should not complain. I just hate driving in bad weather, but I guess nobody does!

Donna and I are checking cruise lines, airlines and Las Vegas websites trying to figure out what we want to do this year. The only definite plans we have so far actually involve the Rose Parade next January, but we like to do something between then and now. We both love cruising and might have a three-nighter in May, depending on several factors. Donna and Kristina were in Las Vegas last year, but I haven't been in a few years and would love to go back. I have loved the place since my first visit and have enjoyed every visit since. I'll keep you posted.

As you can tell, from the lack of posts, there continues to be a block on Blogger and MySpace at work. Personally, I'm just happy that I can continue to visit Shelfari and the Tony Isabella messageboard each day. We'll see how my blogging goes for the rest of the year. (By the way, for those of you who check both I've also posted a comics review over at SHOT'S SHACK.)

Take care, be well and write if you get work!

Well, overall I'm pretty happy with the first four days of the Obama administration. Of course, being one of those 'liberal/leftist' bloggers I'm never going to be completely in agreement with everything done by a moderate like Barack. Still after eight years of the Bush crime family all this feels like a breath of fresh air.

I'm willing to wait for the next few months (giving Obama/Biden their 100 days) to see where we are at that point. Things seem headed in a much better direction and we can't expect miracles. (An old agnostic like me never does!)

We are having some badly needed rain here in SoCal, but it still doesn't make me happy to have to drive in it. Those who know me already know how uneasy I am in this kind of weather. Hell, I'm even nervous driving in bright sunshine!

Donna and I are going back and forth on how to celebrate our 10th anniversary this year. I know it won't be until late November, but if we want to take a cruise or head off somewhere we want to make plans and get reservations. We might take a another weekend cruise for Memorial Day, but it's not 100% set yet. I'd also love to hit Las Vegas sometime this year, even for a few days. Been several years since our last trip (not counting a few hours spent in the LV airport playing slots during a plane change) and I love the place.

That wraps it up for now. Just wanted to let you all know I'm still around and will be trying to post updates at least every other Saturday.

Barack Announces Organizing for America

I am very, excited about tomorrow. Maybe this country still has a chance to be great again.

Peace!

Has G.W. gone yet? Can't we get an amendment stating that the new President can toss out the current resident of the Oval Office if his poll ratings are lower than the President-elects? Just a thought next time around!

Can we get a show of hands on how many of you believe that nothing will be done about the 'war crimes' committed by the out-going gang of thugs? I don't see the current Democratic leadership suddenly gaining the courage to do anything. I expect it to duplicate the Clinton administration in regards to the Iran-Contra affair, allowing Bush I to remain at large.

Oh, in case you were wondering. Donna and I felt the 4.5 quake the other night. Just annoying enough to get me out of my recliner and check out our cars.

A very, happy belated New Year's to all of you. (Pardon any typos since, Babie, has now decided it's time to check out the keyboard.)

If anybody is still reading this blog (and I don't know more than a few), I want to apologize for not being here. As I mentioned a couple of months ago, my employer has changed the filtering system at work, making it impossible for me to write on a break. This leaves only weekends, since I never go online at home after work. I spend enough time doing research and reference, along with my reports, in the library and don't feel like typing when I get home.

I don't expect things to change, so the coming year will see even fewer posts here and on SHOT'S SHACK. Many of those will be when I upload YouTube videos and add comments. This is a way to get around the filter, until I find another way or set up another web page somewhere. It's a thought, believe me!

Donna and I had a nice holiday, spending Christmas with The Child and a few friends. Then, since I had a couple of weeks off, we took a four-night cruise for New Year's Eve. Unfortunately, I got sick and ended up quarantined in our cabin for 24-hours and watched the ball drop and shipboard activities from my sickbed.

*sigh*

Any of you who have known me for a while (and this would be most of you reading this) are aware that I have a short-attention span and my interests come and go. When I started blogging, I had so much to say that I began a second blog to spread things out and separate the political from the pop culture stuff. I seem to have hit a point where my interest in posting is in decline. As it was when I gave up on apa-hacking, I have come to a time when it seems more a chore to blog than fun. When that happens it time to step back.

Time for an admission (unless I've mentioned it before and forgotten). Another reason I am delinquent in posting and reading others is that I have a new addiction.

For the past month I have started playing the online RBG game KINGDOM OF LOATHING . Check it out, if you don't know it, or you can wait for me to write it up and post some of my experiences over on SHOT'S SHACK in the next week or so.

Take care and I'll try to stay in touch!

A California Carol

I only wish something like this would happen! Things look bad here and I don't expect them to get any better.

We already have a 10% cut in the Library budget and we are supposed to plan for further cutbacks. Fingers crossed!

Well, Happy Holidays anyway.

Books = Gifts

They really do, you know!

Of course, my "Fra-gee-lee" (it's Italian)leg lamp Christmas ornament was an amazing birthday present. Thanks, sweetheart!

Down Goes Gov. Blagojevich! Does This Help Obama?

Is this going to allow the GOP to start pushing for investigations like we saw throughout the Clinton administration? At least it is going to give the Right something to talk about for months, using it to get contributions from the base.

By the way, Donna is back home and the doctor told her the biopsies were negative. They found no trace of cancer in her thyroid. Whew!

Also, my doctor tells me that the stress test was good and my heart will keep beating for a while. Just have to watch that cholesterol. hehe

Take care and easy on the eggnog!

Star Wars Vs. Star Trek - DMP Edition HQ

Passing this along for fans of both series. Nicely done!

Dedicated to The Child. :-)

We had a very, nice Thanksgiving out here. Donna's BFF, Fran, is visting so the three of us had a great dinner, that Donna really went out of way to cook. Fran was good enough to bring us some Italian bread & pastries, which we're still enjoying.

On the positive front, the specialist has told me that I DO NOT have glaucoma, but will have to have my eyes checked again since I do have cataracts beginning in both eyes. My mother had them, as did her mom, so I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise. I'm still awaiting the results of a stress test of my heart, which I'm hoping will show good news as well.

Donna will be going in on Dec. 8th for a thyroidectomy. I'll be taking the day off to be with her that day, but she may have to stay in for up to two days. We have our fingers crossed that all will go well.

Like most folks, we have been watching the ongoing drama in Mumbai the past few days. Interesting to find out who may have been behind it, with the Indian press & public believing it to be 'official' sanctioned by the Pakistani government, despite their denials. Naturally, with the crisis still going and little actual information it didn't take long for U.S. "terrorism experts" to announce that it was obviously the work of Al Qaeda or of individuals with ties to them. I saw one such 'expert' who looked barely old enough to be in grad school. How do you get that kind of gig? Shouldn't you have done something besides attend a few classes taught by somebody else who never did anything of note?

Sorry, this sort of thing just pisses me off. Of course, it's all because of Obama anyway!

We're still working with my blogs filtered here at work, but for some odd reason they are not during the weekends.

Have a busy month ahead of us out here. We're going to be watching somebody's cat for a week around Thanksgiving and Donna's BFF, Fran, will be coming out to stay with us for a few days. Saying much about either will just get me in trouble, so I'll leave it at that. :-)

Don't have much to say about it, but Donna will be having some surgery in early December. You never know about things like that, as it depends on other tests and how her general health will be at that time. I'll keep you all updated and appreciate the nice, e-mails folks have sent asking about her.

Unfortunately, the fire season seems to be off to a start, with hundreds of acres and dozens of homes already burned. Odd that one of the big fires up Santa Barbara way happened the very, day after the state-wide disaster drill. We are all hoping that we won't see a repeat of last year's dozens of fires, which cost billions that we certainly don't have.

I'm currently taking part in an online class on legal research for librarians. Pretty interesting stuff! Not sure now much use I will get from it in my daily work, but it's good to know that I'll have a list of great sites & resources if I do.

That seems to be it for now! Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Alone - Veteran Support - IAVA

I wanted to share this with you, if you haven't had the chance to see it yet. I believe it was on the Rachel Maddow program that I first saw it. Then a link was sent via the IAVA newsletter, to which I subscribe.

Donna and I both had doctors appointments on Tuesday, so we didn't have the opportunity to attend any Veteran's Day events. I did watch some of the ceremonies on television.

Donna is doing a bit better, with her foot healing. It looks as if she may be taking a leave of absence from work, so that she can take care of some other health issues. That includes a possible surgery in early December. I'll have more on that when I know more.

Still miss reading and posting on Blogger, but it's still blocked on my office computer. Posting these videos gives me a chance to sort of work around that.

For the next two days, here in SoCal there will be a disaster drill taking place, called the Big Shakeout. All city agencies and many state departments will be taking part in a simulated response to a massive quake. You'll probably see something about it on some of the national news shows.

Take care! I'm thinking of you all.

No on 8 PSA: CONSTITUTION

Donna and I spent a couple of hours yesterday holding up signs and waving to traffic in Mission Viejo. Along with The Child and dozens of other folks we were hoping to bring attention to Prop. 8 here in California.

No on 8! Equality for all!!

Think about the issues and the candidates you are going to support. If you haven't already please get out tomorrow and vote!

It actually does, no matter what some in the Blogosphere would have you believe. Is the Democratic candidate my first choice of those who initially ran? No, he actually came in fourth, but he was the best choice I had by the time the primaries came around to California. I've grown to have more respect for Obama and certainly feel that he will actually try to make things a little better for the average American.

The McCain campaign has been going downhill from the beginning. Any respect I had for the Old Man is completely gone at this point. The Palin choice certainly didn't help matters in my mind, or apparently in the mind of a great number of his fellow Republicans.

Wow, I can't ever remember so many people publically declaring themselves for the candidate of the other party. Sure, you'd get somebody like Zell Miller (back in 2004) or Joe Lieberman (this year), who unhappy with the Democratic nominee would turncoat and speak before the Republican Convention. This year, especially in the past month, it seems that every news cycle has another well known conservative/Republican politician coming out for Obama.

In case you're wondering, the new filter system at the library appears to allow me to post only on weekends. Don't ask why? I'll continue to try and get here during the week, either by posting videos with commentary or jump on a public terminal during lunch. Still unsure if I want to create a seperate website or see if another posting service can get around the filter.

Anyway, have a nice weekend and be sure to vote this Tuesday, if you haven't already!

Elvira - Haunted House music video

Since I might not have a chance to blog tomorrow...Happy Halloween!!