February 17, 2006
Ok, here's my creepy map
Some of you may find yourselves on here already. Thanks for signing up ahead of time.
Go here to sign the map!
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Should I sign it for Guam (I'm moving in 3 weeks) or my new home of Illinois? Or both? lol
Posted by: Angela at February 17, 2006 02:33 PM (qK7B5)
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Hmmm. I just created a group... do you need to sign up again?
Posted by: vw bug at February 17, 2006 05:37 PM (xLfaI)
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I must be doing something wrong - every time I try to zoom in & add my pin, it zooms me out west! I created an account for myself -- is there a way to add myself to your group so that I'll just appear?
Posted by: Marie at February 18, 2006 06:17 AM (ZNESr)
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Friday Glorious Friday!
Three day weekend, here I come.
While not actually a real vacation, we are off to Fresburg for the nonce, to hang out with the 'Rents, do some shopping, and just get the heck out of dodge for a few days.
Here's your weekly dose of Friday good news:
Elizabeth has finally left Mega and is making the transition from Corporate Mommy to Stay at Home Mommy. Hooray! Drop by and give her some encouragement, or maybe just a hug.
Jay and Deb's little Valerie got the A-OK to put in her entrance as appointed on Tuesday. Can't wait to meet her!
Speaking of babies, on the still pregnant front we have Dana (who could use a hug and some labor pains) and Mrs. Phin
Mikey's skull surgery went well, and he is back on the road to recovery
Darling Helen and her boy are finally about to move into their dream house
Olivia's ear tube surgery went well, even if she did have some anesthesia issues
Peanut is having an Official Growth Spurt
Michael suffers through presents his final doctoral dissertation defense today
Have a lovely President's Day, y'all, and for those of you going Howling and Prowling, think of me while you're out in the snow. I am so jealous.
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I'll wave as you go by
Posted by: Ith at February 17, 2006 11:58 AM (2EfyX)
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We're not going that far north.... And we take 99 and stay in the valley. Wish we were headed out your way. Maybe this spring.....
Posted by: caltechgirl at February 17, 2006 12:08 PM (/vgMZ)
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February 16, 2006
Tartan Day is Coming!
Get ready for
it.
If it's not Scottish, it's crap!
Even us (part)Scots-Irish, dammit.
If you're interested in joining the Gathering of the Blogs, you can get more info here.
For the clan-challenged, here's a great Tartan Generator so you can pretend you're not crap.
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05:01 PM
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Which clan are you? I'm Cameron.
Posted by: Cardinal Martini at February 16, 2006 05:20 PM (xjDUr)
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YAY! I'm Scots-Irish as well and will be joining up!
Posted by: ktreva at February 16, 2006 06:51 PM (e8b4J)
Posted by: the Pirate at February 17, 2006 12:05 PM (0ZKi5)
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After much research, we are evidently MacDuff. Rightfully so, not just adopted because we have no other clan.
Posted by: caltechgirl at February 17, 2006 12:09 PM (/vgMZ)
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I'm from Clan Not-Scottish-and-Slightly-MacJealous. But I am having a great time making up tartans!
Posted by: Jami Castaldo at February 20, 2006 01:52 PM (0gPLe)
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Clan Stewart and Clan Hamilton and proud of it !
Party on !
Mission Viejo, Califonia
Posted by: Tina Ramage at March 16, 2006 02:13 PM (o/504)
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Clan Stewart here, Can't wait for Tartan Day, let's party !
Posted by: Tina Ramage at March 21, 2006 02:26 PM (o/504)
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Plumbing update (Updated!)
El Plomero has returned and is currently ensconced in the POS master bath (which is the most ridiculously designed, inconvenient space in this house... e.g. you can't shut the door if you are already seated upon the throne), and is banging away merrily at the
old-ass fixtures.
Seems the problem was that the fixtures themselves are old and leaky and that's what's been causing the problem, drip by drip, for years.
Now perhaps I will be able to enjoy a tub bath without accompanying rain shower during the fill period, as until today (and the new fixtures) I could never switch the diverter completely to tub.
Yay!
Update: Done! Ceiling downstairs to be fixed next week sometime....
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02:36 PM
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Sound like our older pre-1940 bath in the back of the house. My grandson just took his nightly "shower & bath." He spends an hour in there with some contraption making whirlpools. He has it now perfected that he can have a small boat ride the sides of water as it rides to the bottom. Oh, to be a kid again!
Posted by: Edd at February 16, 2006 04:26 PM (xCxbb)
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Glad to be in my new home... hmmm... maybe I ought to head over and run a bath now.
Posted by: vw bug at February 16, 2006 05:25 PM (fVzZG)
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Roses really smell like...
Yeah, you know
the song.
In Iran, evidently one can no longer purchase a Danish Pastry, but now, for a limited time only, you can get a fresh "Rose of the Prophet Muhammad" for the same price.
Sheesh. First they hate us, then they steal from us. Get it straight people, you can't have your cakedanish and eat it too!
h/t Flap, and apologies to OutKast.
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01:42 PM
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Hugh vs. Helen
Maybe I should start listening to Hugh Hewitt.
The other H-dawg takes on the grand dame of the WH press corps, Helen Thomas, in a sometimes barely-coherent conversation on Dick Cheney, media bias, and why Hugh Hewitt is completely forgettable.... Hilarity ensues. Here's a quick clip (FYI: this is at least halfway through the conversation, HH is Hugh, HT is Ms. Thomas):
HT: Who are you?
HH: I...
HT: Who am I talking to?
HH: Hugh Hewitt.
HT: Am I talking to a journalist?
HH: Yes. Yes, for a long time. I'm just curious about what's gone wrong...
HT: Tell me about your career. What have you really done?
HH: Well, it's not nearly as impressive as you.
HT: Where did...yes, it's...it's very important to me. Where did you work?
HH: PBS for ten years.
HT: PBS?
HH: Yes.
HT: Well, that's a good credential.
HH: There you have it. See? I'm...
HT: But then you decided to switch over?
HH: To switch over to what?
HT: God knows what you are.
There you have it. Hewitt is officially an unknown lifeform. And God officially exists. At least according to
la belle Helene. Before she
HUNG UP ON HIM.
Running away like all her ilk, I suppose.
Read the rest at Radio Blogger. Or hear it here.
h/t Rusty and the Jawa band
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Hilarious. I'm listening to him right now talking about this interview. I'll have to listen to the mp3 of it later.
Posted by: Cardinal Martini at February 16, 2006 05:23 PM (xjDUr)
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All bets are off!
El Plomero was 25 minutes
EARLY this morning.
Yes, I was still in bed. Why do you ask?
He's supposed to be back this afternoon with the parts to fix it. We'll see.
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11:23 AM
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February 15, 2006
Playlist
Winamp loves me today. The randomizer matches my foul mood.
Posted by: caltechgirl at
02:42 PM
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Wanna know what my Hubby did for me for Valentine's Day?
His pathetic loser ass got his iPod stolen.
Which, if you know him, is par for the course.
So lovely and romantic, don't you think?
Posted by: caltechgirl at
12:34 PM
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How is your husband a pathetic loser if his Ipod ws stolen? It's not his fault that the world is filled with criminals.
Posted by: Contagion at February 15, 2006 01:15 PM (Q5WxB)
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He left it in PLAIN SIGHT in front of 35 12 year olds and turned his back. Trust me, it is his fault. He could have put it in his desk or in his pocket as easily as he left it there.
He does things like this, believe me. Ben, how many times has he had his wallet and/or keys stolen?
Posted by: caltechgirl at February 15, 2006 01:27 PM (/vgMZ)
Posted by: Marie at February 16, 2006 08:22 AM (ZNESr)
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ps -- one of my sisters doesn't take great care of her stuff.... After buying her some very nice jewelry, which she lost, I now buy her only very cheap jewelry for gifts now! And she likes it!
Posted by: Marie at February 16, 2006 08:23 AM (ZNESr)
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PS in case you're wondering, I have now forgiven him for being his usual forgetful self.
Posted by: caltechgirl at February 16, 2006 11:08 AM (uI/79)
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House: finally worth blogging about!
Despite one of the worst traffic snarls of my life (Thanks
Clippers), I managed to get home in time for House last night.
Which was a good thing. With the Stacy plot out of the way, I guess the writers thought it was time to bring the H-man back in full force. A great ep, especially the subplot with the sleazy researcher.
It's widely known in the medical research community that doctors and scientists who want to take shortcuts or outstep the FDA take their work overseas. Usually, that means India because the medico-legal system hasn't caught up with technology. India is unique in that it is a chaotic third world country, but it is also home to a wide array of state-of-the-art medical technology. Doctors like Weber and sleazy pharmaceutical companies can test their drugs on people you've never heard of who would otherwise suffer in silence without having to go through the normal procedures, including long periods of expensive animal testing (which usually is done to verify that 1) the drug isn't lethal at normal dosage, and 2) it actually has some worthwhile effect)
Furthermore, India (and other small countries) is home to a number of questionable medical science journals. Like most other professions that utilize the written word to communicate, biomedical science has a number of trade publications, commonly called medical journals, in which doctors and researchers publish their findings. These journals, however, are not equal. The top journals are the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, and for more preclinical work, the journals Science and Nature. There are also many specialty journals such as the Archives of General Psychiatry, or Alcoholism in Clinical and Experimental Research. Both types of journals, general and specific, have their strata. At the top are journals that most researchers strive to get published in. At the bottom are journals that will take ANYTHING, as long as you pay for the pages you submit and it looks vaguely scientific. Sometimes good researchers who feel they are on to something important will use these journals to get their ideas published ahead of someone else, but most commonly these crappy journals are used to publish work that no one else will touch, because after all, the university administration only looks at the number of paper you put out, not the quality of your publications, although that is slowly changing.
When House accuses Weber of publishing in the New Dehli Journal of Medicine, what he's really saying is that Weber's work isn't strong enough to be published in the US and that the drug isn't good enough to be FDA approved. And he proves it, if only to himself.... though that was a pretty damn bad migrane, I must say.
Best line of the night: "House, you can't keep doing this. Get a hobby. Get a Hooker."--Wilson.
Anyone else notice the confirmation of House's address at the end of the show? He indeed lives at 221 B Baker St.
Posted by: caltechgirl at
11:03 AM
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so, were they right on the brain stuff?
Just curious, because one of my favorite hobbies on the legal shows is to find spots where they're wrong on the law or make some lame strategic move in court...
Posted by: KG at February 15, 2006 01:35 PM (7SapW)
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Interesting! Thanks for that.
Posted by: chanhay at February 15, 2006 08:30 PM (N8KEv)
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221 B Baker st, eh?
Well, Holmes was based on a doctor Arthur Doyle knew, so it all fits together.
Wilson is Watson, and Weber is Moriarty... where do our other irregulars fit?
Posted by: Bill at February 15, 2006 09:00 PM (PKTtY)
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That's very interesting. Thanks for the run-down.
Although if Weber's drug company wanted to get the drug FDA approved (and they must, that's where the real money is and a drug like this has the potential for some really big bucks) wouldn't they also want it tested in clinical trials in the US or another major country? I could see doing initial trials and publications in India but they would have to know that it needed to be legit before they can make money from it. I thought the bit where a single e-mail from one doctor shutting down a whole line of research rather unbelievable too.
Some universities do look at which journals the articles are published in before assigning merit pay, not just how many publications there are. Mine does anyway.
Just as a footnote, in Canada you know have to register a drug trial when you start it if you want to publish the results later. That's to prevent a company doing 10 studies, 9 of which are negative and one shows an effect and only publishing the one that shows it works.
Posted by: Ariadne at February 15, 2006 09:04 PM (TylwK)
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Yes, they would still have to go through the FDA, but as the one Glaxo commercial points out, one in a million compounds turns out to be a testable drug. So where can they test the other 999,999? India and other countries similarly situated.
This is also a way to get around the study registration. Studies done outside the country don't always require registration, and the company can tweak the demographics of the study group until they know EXACTLY what will give them the results they are looking for in a registered study.
The single email might have been the straw that broke the camel's back, or House might have presented them with the info from the New Dehli study. The FDA moves slow, but they are pretty good at protecting patients from harmful drugs, hence all the meta-analysis that most IRBs require from clinical studies.
If this was a US study, run through a University hospital, say, then a single email directed at the right person (IRB chair, for example) could halt the study.
BTW, the IRB is the Institutional Review Board, the committee charged by the institution with overseeing the ethical implications of every human research study, including HIIPA concerns, harmfulness of the protocol, inclusion of diverse subjects, etc. The IRB chair usually has broad powers to stop a study in progress or demand justification for questionable practices.
Posted by: caltechgirl at February 16, 2006 11:15 AM (uI/79)
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Oh, and Bill, While Wilson is definitely Watson, Vogler was Moriarty. Weber is just a silly villain....
Cuddy is Inspector Lestrade.
Stacy is Irene Adler (see
A Scandal in Bohemia)
The residents (Foreman, Chase, Cameron) are the Baker St. Irregulars...
and he needs a Mrs. Hudson to clean up after him. Cameron, maybe?
Posted by: caltechgirl at February 16, 2006 11:20 AM (uI/79)
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February 14, 2006
Tom and Katie: Best News I've Heard in a While!
Happy Valentine's day indeed, Tommy Couch-Jumper.
What does Xenu think of you now?
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They're publicly denying it now, but so were Nick and Jessica minutes before their divorce papers were being drafted.
And "Esther" and Guy Ritchie are as tight as ever, too. ;P
Posted by: Emily at February 14, 2006 03:42 PM (zmhJM)
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I'd split with the freak just to be able to have an epidural for the birth of the baby!
Posted by: ktreva at February 14, 2006 04:07 PM (e8b4J)
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What's wrong with Tom? You all just need to give him a chance. I'm sure he's a nice guy.
Okay, so he's a flaming goofball, but that doesn't mean he should be ridiculed and laughed at.
Oh hell, who am I trying to kid.
Posted by: Contagion at February 14, 2006 05:04 PM (e8b4J)
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i'm just hoping this true and that katie finally is using the brains god gave her. tom cruise ack!
Posted by: sagacitas lerin at February 14, 2006 06:49 PM (+7kJa)
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Sweet....I still got a chance!
Posted by: the Pirate at February 14, 2006 08:31 PM (Rg0+S)
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Yes!
There is still hope...
Posted by: KG at February 14, 2006 08:57 PM (7SapW)
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tom rocks
)
Posted by: posters at February 14, 2006 09:51 PM (z8Nsb)
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Good news indeed (though I kinda feel bad for Katie -- but at least she is getting away from Mr. Crazy.) The eeew ick factor was off the charts with these two...
Posted by: Richmond at February 15, 2006 03:07 AM (e8QFP)
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oh please dear lord let it be true!
Posted by: oddybobo at February 15, 2006 07:43 AM (6Gm0j)
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WooHoo! Obscurity!
You Are Curling
|
What you lack in athleticism, you make up for in concentration.
And while curling isn't much more of a sport than bowling, you *can* win a gold medal for it!
|
from Bobsledder
Jay
Posted by: caltechgirl at
02:38 PM
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I've actually curled. Took it in school because my mum was a competitive curler in her youth. It's bleedin' exhausting! I think I would have enjoyed it, but I quit due to a nasty teacher and nasty classmates.
There's some useless trivia about me
Posted by: Ith at February 14, 2006 03:32 PM (2EfyX)
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I came up skiing..considering I picked not at all athletic and I don't like to get more than a twisted ankle, can't figure this one out!
"Graceful, athletic, and gusty - you're willing to put it all on the line.
You're willing to take big risks for big rewards."
Posted by: ktreva at February 14, 2006 04:11 PM (e8b4J)
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Hockey...What a suprise. Atleast its a sport.
Curling, invented by the Scots right? Probably under similar circumstances that led to the invention of golf.
Posted by: the Pirate at February 14, 2006 08:36 PM (Rg0+S)
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Bobsledder: You're not a world class athlete, but you are a world class maniac.
Your need for speed could have you blazing past the finish line!
Bet I don't match Bou on this one. ;-)
Posted by: vw bug at February 15, 2006 12:35 PM (NyrfU)
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Taking Bets
El Plomero (the plumber) is supposed to arrive between 10 and 12. I have a meeting at 12:30. I KNOW (for a fact) that I won't make it to the meeting, and I've already dealt with that.
So, when do you think the plumber will arrive? It is 10:07 now.
BTW if the problem turns out to be as nasty as we suspect, I'll post pictures of him ripping out the wall of my closet!
Update: 11:15, still no dude....
Update II: Dude never showed. Landlady called at 12:05. wondering why I hadn't called her yet. Long story short, dude is supposedly coming Thursday AM. I'll let you know.....
Posted by: caltechgirl at
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What is the name of the plumber? If it's something like Joe the Plumber, then he should be there around 11:00. If it is something like National Plumbing Company, then sometimes around tomorrow.
Posted by: Contagion at February 14, 2006 10:19 AM (Q5WxB)
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Mmm . . .my bet is 2 pm.
Posted by: Anita at February 14, 2006 10:20 AM (oCT3A)
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response time by a plumber is usually is direct ratio with how bad you need a plumber. Now if is just a leak that could wait a day or so, the plumber will show up within a couple of hours. But if you have toilet paper floating the bowl brush down the stairway and the basement smells like a sewer it will parobably be a couple of days before he shows up and then only to give you an estimate that you can figure on tripling when the final bill comes in. It will take another couple f days to get the repair materials ordered and another day at least to do the repair--and that is if it doesn't rain. Good luck and remeber, all it takes to be a plumber is to realize that shit flows downhill and payday is on Friday.
Posted by: GUYK at February 14, 2006 10:51 AM (iAhlK)
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Hope he got there and is fixing the problem! Oh, and Happy VD to you too!
Posted by: oddybobo at February 14, 2006 11:26 AM (6Gm0j)
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Ran across your profile and couldn't resist. I would like to say that the plumber probably is a bit more dependable than the cable guy...but then again... I was floored when my cable guy showed up 10 minutes early and I was late! I'd probably lose on this bet... but hope your problem is fixed by now or in the process of.
Posted by: Mexpsychan Princess at February 14, 2006 12:06 PM (wcNc2)
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February 13, 2006
Duh. What else would I be?
You scored as Star Wars: A New Hope.
You are the film score to Star Wars: A New Hope. You accompany a multi-movie story of a rebellion lead by Jedi knights against a mighty, yet ultimately vulnerable, empire. Your stirring orchestration set a new standard for movie scores and transformed your creator John Williams into a household name and taught people to admire a muppet.
Star Wars: A New Hope | | 79% |
Star Trek: The Doomsday Machine | | 63% |
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow | | 63% |
Beneath the Planet of the Apes | | 46% |
Forbidden Planet | | 38% |
2001: A Space Odyssey | | 33% |
What Sci-Fi Film Score Are You?
created with QuizFarm.com |
found
here.
Posted by: caltechgirl at
10:01 AM
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Hmmm .... I'm a cheesy crappy sci fi flick
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.
Posted by: Amanda at February 13, 2006 02:13 PM (L4Sch)
2
I got the same thing as Amanda...what a crappy movie.
Posted by: ktreva at February 14, 2006 04:14 PM (e8b4J)
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February 12, 2006
80K!
Visitor #80,000, according to the official SiteMeter was referred by
Vinegar Bee! Yay!
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Congrats! (And I thought I was cool when I hit 35,000. Yeah, I am humbled.)
Posted by: Dana at February 13, 2006 06:12 AM (euBkS)
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just over 12000... guess I'm lucky that way. ;-)
Posted by: vw bug at February 13, 2006 08:15 AM (NyrfU)
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February 10, 2006
40 more!
The Site Meter says 79,960 at 8:53 pm PST.
See below, on the sidebar
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Posted by: Christina at February 11, 2006 05:19 AM (nGukS)
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hey... looks like I am #80000!!!! yippee!!!
Posted by: jude at February 11, 2006 07:06 AM (VwrKF)
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I'm 80,003. Do I get some sort of consolation prize? LOL
Posted by: Amanda at February 11, 2006 07:24 AM (WPdfY)
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