Not nearly so cold last night. Plus I exchanged one the the fluffies (a summer fluffy) for a fluffier fluffy. Slept well, but not long: Beau got me up early. About to go back to bed.
My apologies for my extended absence. Busy week--Miyoko and her old friend from Japan visited Las Vegas, and had a reasonably good time. The Grand Canyon flight was cancelled on account of thunderstorms, but Miyoko had been there before. (With me and her mom, in 1983. Shortly before we were married.) The cat and I got along OK at home. I got my new reading glasses--using them now, they will take a bit of getting used to but are definitely better for close work. Off to court in Hayward early Friday morning after dropping Miyoko's friend at the airport, and we managed to have lunch with Naomi at a seafood restaurant. "Lobster Shack" in Redwood city. Very good chowder (albeit at Bay Area prices), with oyster crackers from Vermont no less. http://www.zagat.com/r/old-port-lobster-shack-redwood-city One thing that seemed odd--in addition to various lobster and seafood dishes, they seemed to specialize in BBQ ribs.
Had an external hard drive croak again (defective design) and ordered a house-brand replacement from the same distributor, will presumably get adjustment after the fact; their customer service and their house-brand products have been excellent.
For them as want to snipe with ease on Ebay, I have found a reasonably priced and seemingly effective automated solution: http://auctionsniper.com You still have to set your maximum bid high enough...
The grape harvest seems to be running late this year; raisins have only begun to be set out to dry in the past week or two, two or three weeks later than usual. The sugar content, size of the crop, and prices are evidently really good. Weekend after next we plan to go gleaning and make our own raisins, which we haven't done for some years.
I should try to look busy after squandering half the morning. TTFN
Did get back to bed and finished up on the night's sleep. Then got up, dressed, and to my country store. He didn't have NO birthday cakes, and laughed and said he had *never* had birthday cakes. . . So I got a double cheeseburger instead, and heated it up in his microwave (since I don't have one). Day early, but I'm not leaving home tomorrow fer nuttin.
Warmer than I expected today. When I left for my book discussion I would have turned back and taken off the windbreaker if I hadn't been running late. But when we went out afterward we sat outside, and at 5 pm I was happy to have a windbreaker and heavy shirt.
Just emailed this, in response to yet one more donation request (I get about 3 per week)...
Dear Folks at barackobama.com,
I am unable to send money for any campaigns because our home business is running at about 5% of its normal capacity and my husband has had to take on a second job, in addition to my job, and we’re still not making ends meet. Moreover, we pay 100% of our own healthcare costs, and these rise about 17% each year. ‘Though we are Independents, we voted for Barack Obama for President last time because he is a bright and thoughtful person with deep faith and we believed he had the wisdom and backbone to carry this country forward after the disasters wrought by the previous administration.
So I am sorry to have to tell you that we are disappointed and so far President Obama has not earned a second vote from us. We need him to show more backbone with the Republicans, recognising at last that they are never going to compromise in favour of what is best for this country. We would greatly appreciate something as simple as extending Medicare to persons over 55 years old, and would prefer that all Americans be offered something similar. I could go on, but I don’t want to give an impossible laundry list. As Vermonters, it would have helped had he simply shown a bit of respect to our former Governor, Howard Dean, and had come to visit Vermont, at least to witness the worst devastation our state has experienced in a hundred years.
Please do not send me any more cheerful requests for money I cannot afford to send and could not yet bring myself to send if I had it. I still like Barack Obama as a person. I work in a public library and I work at the polls in my community. I would like to be working for change, not working to support more acquiescence to the Republican agenda.
Bill, that sounds similar to here today, except shave off a few degrees. I didn't really need a windbreaker, but one still would have been nice on the ferry we took across Lake Champlain at sunset. Yes, I brought my camera and you will see at some point the fruit thereof. :-)
My impression is that, more than anything else, the LHC is looking for the Higgs boson. And I'm not particularly aware that the Higgs boson has anything to do with cold dark matter.
But I really don't feel I have an option. I'll prolly have to work at least twice as hard because so many feel like you do.
It's just that I've been watching what's coming down the rePublican pipe, and it's so bad, so evil, so anti-life. I'm past believing that if the nudnicks get their way, the people will wake up. Reagan didn't wake them up; BushBaby didn't wake them up. I truly cannot morally sit back and let the TeaBaggers take over my country without a fight. And without a fight they will. And these guys *want* to destroy the safety net. Every one we have.
Obama had a"super majority" in the Senate for a 134 days. *WE* didn't give him more to work with. Even that 134 days, plenty of that number were not and are not remotely liberal/progressive.
I suspect most people who talk about extending Medicare to everyone have totally unrealistic views of what it's like. Penny and I pay $630 a month for our healthcare coverage. Yes, we would pay much more without the federal subsidy. And, most importantly, we cannot be refused coverage. But it's not as great as people seem to believe.
I think the major problem is that the most important provisions of the Affordable Care Act won't kick in for another 2-1/3 years. At that point, I seriously doubt if people will be clamoring for Medicare coverage.
I'm with Puddle. Obama is what we have, and he is immeasurably preferable to the alternative. The lunatics in the Tea Party make Reagan look good, and that takes some doing. I am very frightened by them. We must present a united front against them.
Miss Bianca is sick again. All day she has been throwing up liquid and white foam. That's how it started with Fluffy. Everybody's terribly worried. Please send prayers and good vibes.
Ours has been as high as $1130 per month for two. Now we have a HUGE deductible (basically we have only major medical and one check up per year; the rest is out of pocket).
That's for two people. As I said, there's a major federal subsidy involved. But remember I'm comparing this to the situation in 2014, when I a large fraction of the American people will also have the government subsidizing their healthcare coverage.
Howard Dean is First!
ReplyDelete(How do you like them apples?)
8-)
For you, Cat!
ReplyDeleteDwarf galaxies suggest dark matter theory may be wrong
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14948730
Not nearly so cold last night. Plus I exchanged one the the fluffies (a summer fluffy) for a fluffier fluffy. Slept well, but not long: Beau got me up early. About to go back to bed.
ReplyDeleteThree cheers for Warm Dark Matter!
ReplyDeleteMy apologies for my extended absence. Busy week--Miyoko and her old friend from Japan visited Las Vegas, and had a reasonably good time. The Grand Canyon flight was cancelled on account of thunderstorms, but Miyoko had been there before. (With me and her mom, in 1983. Shortly before we were married.) The cat and I got along OK at home. I got my new reading glasses--using them now, they will take a bit of getting used to but are definitely better for close work. Off to court in Hayward early Friday morning after dropping Miyoko's friend at the airport, and we managed to have lunch with Naomi at a seafood restaurant. "Lobster Shack" in Redwood city. Very good chowder (albeit at Bay Area prices), with oyster crackers from Vermont no less. http://www.zagat.com/r/old-port-lobster-shack-redwood-city
ReplyDeleteOne thing that seemed odd--in addition to various lobster and seafood dishes, they seemed to specialize in BBQ ribs.
Had an external hard drive croak again (defective design) and ordered a house-brand replacement from the same distributor, will presumably get adjustment after the fact; their customer service and their house-brand products have been excellent.
For them as want to snipe with ease on Ebay, I have found a reasonably priced and seemingly effective automated solution:
http://auctionsniper.com
You still have to set your maximum bid high enough...
The grape harvest seems to be running late this year; raisins have only begun to be set out to dry in the past week or two, two or three weeks later than usual. The sugar content, size of the crop, and prices are evidently really good. Weekend after next we plan to go gleaning and make our own raisins, which we haven't done for some years.
I should try to look busy after squandering half the morning. TTFN
Did get back to bed and finished up on the night's sleep. Then got up, dressed, and to my country store. He didn't have NO birthday cakes, and laughed and said he had *never* had birthday cakes. . . So I got a double cheeseburger instead, and heated it up in his microwave (since I don't have one). Day early, but I'm not leaving home tomorrow fer nuttin.
ReplyDeleteThanks, listener. That was fascinating! Rough luck on the LHC folks.
ReplyDeleteWarmer than I expected today. When I left for my book discussion I would have turned back and taken off the windbreaker if I hadn't been running late. But when we went out afterward we sat outside, and at 5 pm I was happy to have a windbreaker and heavy shirt.
ReplyDeleteJust emailed this, in response to yet one more donation request (I get about 3 per week)...
ReplyDeleteDear Folks at barackobama.com,
I am unable to send money for any campaigns because our home business is running at about 5% of its normal capacity and my husband has had to take on a second job, in addition to my job, and we’re still not making ends meet. Moreover, we pay 100% of our own healthcare costs, and these rise about 17% each year. ‘Though we are Independents, we voted for Barack Obama for President last time because he is a bright and thoughtful person with deep faith and we believed he had the wisdom and backbone to carry this country forward after the disasters wrought by the previous administration.
So I am sorry to have to tell you that we are disappointed and so far President Obama has not earned a second vote from us. We need him to show more backbone with the Republicans, recognising at last that they are never going to compromise in favour of what is best for this country. We would greatly appreciate something as simple as extending Medicare to persons over 55 years old, and would prefer that all Americans be offered something similar. I could go on, but I don’t want to give an impossible laundry list. As Vermonters, it would have helped had he simply shown a bit of respect to our former Governor, Howard Dean, and had come to visit Vermont, at least to witness the worst devastation our state has experienced in a hundred years.
Please do not send me any more cheerful requests for money I cannot afford to send and could not yet bring myself to send if I had it. I still like Barack Obama as a person. I work in a public library and I work at the polls in my community. I would like to be working for change, not working to support more acquiescence to the Republican agenda.
Sincerely, and still bearing Hope,
Oh man. I'm this close to calling up Sheriff Chuck and sending him on up to Harrisonburg to fetch you a proper cake and deliver it pronto!
ReplyDeletewith oyster crackers from Vermont no less
ReplyDeleteVery nice! We do bake well here. :-)
By what process does one make raisins? Are the sort one finds in supermarkets all right to use for that, if organic?
How about making a little yummy cake or having some chocolate?
ReplyDeleteBill, that sounds similar to here today, except shave off a few degrees. I didn't really need a windbreaker, but one still would have been nice on the ferry we took across Lake Champlain at sunset. Yes, I brought my camera and you will see at some point the fruit thereof. :-)
ReplyDeleteNo flour in the house. Admit to thinking about making some vanilla fudge (already looked up a recipe). . . .
ReplyDeleteI kinda *like* free form (me) sniping as opposed to machine sniping. Prolly lost a few that way, but it's so much *fun*!
ReplyDeleteMy impression is that, more than anything else, the LHC is looking for the Higgs boson. And I'm not particularly aware that the Higgs boson has anything to do with cold dark matter.
ReplyDeleteNice letter, and I'm glad you sent it.
ReplyDeleteBut I really don't feel I have an option. I'll prolly have to work at least twice as hard because so many feel like you do.
It's just that I've been watching what's coming down the rePublican pipe, and it's so bad, so evil, so anti-life. I'm past believing that if the nudnicks get their way, the people will wake up. Reagan didn't wake them up; BushBaby didn't wake them up. I truly cannot morally sit back and let the TeaBaggers take over my country without a fight. And without a fight they will. And these guys *want* to destroy the safety net. Every one we have.
Obama had a"super majority" in the Senate for a 134 days. *WE* didn't give him more to work with. Even that 134 days, plenty of that number were not and are not remotely liberal/progressive.
I suspect most people who talk about extending Medicare to everyone have totally unrealistic views of what it's like. Penny and I pay $630 a month for our healthcare coverage. Yes, we would pay much more without the federal subsidy. And, most importantly, we cannot be refused coverage. But it's not as great as people seem to believe.
ReplyDeleteI think the major problem is that the most important provisions of the Affordable Care Act won't kick in for another 2-1/3 years. At that point, I seriously doubt if people will be clamoring for Medicare coverage.
Bill, my Social Security check - $501 a month. I think you are in a much better financial position than many of us here.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Puddle. Obama is what we have, and he is immeasurably preferable to the alternative. The lunatics in the Tea Party make Reagan look good, and that takes some doing. I am very frightened by them. We must present a united front against them.
ReplyDeleteMiss Bianca is sick again. All day she has been throwing up liquid and white foam. That's how it started with Fluffy. Everybody's terribly worried. Please send prayers and good vibes.
ReplyDeletePrayers. ♥s
ReplyDelete♥ {{{{ =^. .^= You KNOW Miss Bianca has my prayers!!! =^. .^= }}} ♥
ReplyDelete$630 for two people or one?
ReplyDeleteOurs has been as high as $1130 per month for two. Now we have a HUGE deductible (basically we have only major medical and one check up per year; the rest is out of pocket).
That's for two people. As I said, there's a major federal subsidy involved. But remember I'm comparing this to the situation in 2014, when I a large fraction of the American people will also have the government subsidizing their healthcare coverage.
ReplyDeleteYes. I'm amazed at a Social Security check that small. Penny and I together draw $3000 a month in Social Security alone. After 15% witholding.
ReplyDeleteWe are overall much better off in what's usually considered our "retirement years" than we were for most of our so-called "working years."
My very best wishes for Miss Bianca's recovery!
ReplyDelete