Love the Weather, hate the Idiots (plus Zimmy goodness)

It took me over an HOUR to go the 21 miles from work to home. Arrgh.

I love the gray skies and the rain, but sheesh people, get a grip.  Stop and go isn't any more dangerous just because the road is wet.

Oh wait.  They're all looking up at this freak occurrence!  What is this RAIN?  Perhaps we should ask Invader Zim (link opens classic Zim episode "The Wettening")

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Speaking of better things to talk about....

Just found out that the reason I haven't seen one of my students in two weeks is because her soon-to-be-Ex took off suddenly, and absconded with the kids....

She knows where he is and is getting together the resources to go after him and get her babies back.  But she's had to take a leave from her job and drop out of school for the semester.

If you're the praying type, put in a good word to whatever benevolent deity you worship for Michelle S. and her babies, will you?  Thanks.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 04:14 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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Don't we have better things to talk about?

I mean honestly.

I guess Volokh is more of a B-ball fan than I gave him credit for.  But what else can you expect from the bruins....

Fight on Trojans (or Methodists or Wesleyans, whichever you prefer).

Oh yeah, and while we're on the subject (from Volokh's comments):

Way up in the hills of Westwood
So offensive to the eye
Stands a Cal extension campus
Known as Westwood High

Home to all the Bruin bearcubs
UGLY is it's name
The student body's vile
The campus is a pile
And the football team's a shame

U
G
L
Y

U-G-L-Y EAT MY SHORTS!

which reminds me that I don't even know the real words to MY alma mater. Lyrics we used to sing in the extended.... more...

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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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Tom and Katie: Best News I've Heard in a While!

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The bleg which could turn into a meme

As some of you know I recently purchased for myself what some people might refer to as a "very expensive clothes hanger".  Yes, the dreaded home exercise equipment.  My elliptical machine (damn my thighs hurt....)

In order to use said equipment efficiently, I'm planning on stealingborrowing DH's iPod and jamming while I work out instead of just watching TV, as I have been doing.

Hence the bleg. What are your favorite songs to work out/ run to? I know lots of you do this everyday, so SOMEBODY's gotta have some good advice....

Posted by: caltechgirl at 01:26 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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It's a f*cking FUNERAL for Cripes sake!

Do you do honor to one of the classiest women this nation has ever known by attacking the sitting President of the United States in your remarks at her funeral?

I know you wish it was HIS funeral, but some things are simply beyond trashy, classless, and rude.  Rot in Hell you selfish, pathetic bastards. 

You disrespected not only a strong and well-loved woman, but her husband, and everything he stood for by your remarks today.  He would never have done such a thing, and I bet you wouldn't have dared to do it if he was still alive.

RIP Martin and Coretta.  What you did will always be remembered, long after these jackasses are forgotten.

I heard some of this at work today, and Pam has the links here.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 05:22 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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You're Kelo-ing me!

The Weekly Standard updates on the progress of  Logan Clements, the dot-com-millionaire cum documentarist who seeks to expose the absurdity of the Kelo decision by "eminent domaining" Justice David Souter's family homestead in Weare, NH to turn the property into a bed and breakfast that will be known as the "Lost Liberty Hotel".  From the article:

"Clements likens himself to firefighters who, to combat a raging blaze in the forest, will sometimes set small fires in its path to starve the original fire of fuel before it can become an all-consuming wildfire, thus "fighting fire with fire." His numerous critics suggest that he's engaging in vigilantism, and that this is tantamount to protesting capital punishment by killing the guy who throws the switch on the electric chair. But that's a hard sell. Vigilantes operate outside the law, and it's illegal to kill the executioner. By contrast, Clements is operating inside the law, illustrating its absurdity by using the law against itself. "Why," he asks, "should the law be beyond its own reach?""

Sounded like a prank at first, right? But this guy is serious, and he seems to have the citizens of Weare coming around to his side.... Only time will tell if Souter loses his house to Kelo, or Kelo loses itself to the courts.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:48 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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The Terrorist's Thesaurus

My goodness, I had no idea there were really THAT MANY words for "mass death" in the English Language... 

Just keep scrolling down, starting with the 4th photo.  Anyone else notice a pattern?

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Oh the Irony

Journalist and Blogger Michael Yon has consistently been one of the most strident voices in support of our Troops and the marvelous things they do in Iraq that don't get reported elsewhere.

You know the old saying don't sh*t where you eat?  Well, it looks like the Army is doing just that.

You may remember that Michael took this picture of a US soldier cradling a young Iraqi girl in his arms.  This picture was even nominated as one of Time Magazine's Best Pictures of 2005.  However, the Army released the photo on its own initially, without Michael's permission and under the false attribution "AP/US Army".

Since last fall, Michael has been trying to claim the rights to his own photograph, including any compensation the Army recieved for its publication, and has been denied.

According to the Boston Herald, the Army is denying his claim based on their assertion that the

""hold harmless" waiver that [he signed at the ouset of his trip] absolved the government of responsibility for any "injury" Yon might suffer as an embedded blogger.
    The army also said that Yon uploaded his photo onto government computer servers, creating an "implied license" agreement for the Army to distribute the photo.
     Yon, who's become something of an online celebrity because of his vivid battle dispatches from Iraq, said the Army's arguments are "preposterous". The injury waiver applies to physical wounds, not copyright infringements, he said.
    He added he gave the Army permission to use the photo for purely internal purposes."

Michael Yon has consistently supported our troops and brought their stories to light out of his own pocket, having recieved no compensation for his time in Iraq, funding his trips to the Middle East on his own.  By denying Michael his due compensation for this photograph, the Army is, ironically enough, shooting themselves in the foot by preventing one of their best weapons in the battle of public opinion from reloading.

If you support Michael and his mission, link this post or these posts, and tell his story.  Write your congresspeople and senators, too.  Especially if you are a Massachussetts resident, like Michael.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 01:55 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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In honor of the day...

©2006, King Features Syndicate

Six more weeks of winter is great, as long as it's six more weeks like this

Although I do miss the snow.....

Oh, and Happy Birthday to my B-I-L M, as opposed to DH's other brother (in-law) M.

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For the record, I was in Ruddock House

Page House is known for two things:
1.  Being very Frat like and jock filled
2.  Having a Beer Room instead of a Library.

Also, it's a Fine House (rotation rules and the honor code require I point this out, even as an alum).

For those of you not in the know, Caltech requires each Freshman to live on campus during their first year, and they must stay in one of 7 on campus houses (Hovses).  Rather than assigning students randomly, Caltech uses a "rotation" process similar to frat/sorority rush week on other campuses.  Each hovse has its own character and traditions, and the Freshman choose/are chosen into the Hovse they fit with best (usually).

After students choose/are chosen by their hovses, each hovse has its own initiation ritual. Page House's ritual involves elaborate costumes and a hike back to campus from the top of Mount Wilson.

This year, it didn't work out too well.... but regardless of the headline, nothing that goes on at Caltech is anything like hazing.  First, saying no is ALWAYS an option.  Second, it's always in fun.  It's  not about making the frosh hurt.

Also, the school in the video, DEFINITELY NOT Caltech.  Get it right, morons.

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