ayeamspartacus

We have no power, so no heat. Neither do the inlaws. Wee! Fun.

We may not have power this weekend, so I'll catch up with everyone Monday when go to work.

(Which is where I am now, even though I'm off today. We had to do our banking.)

"So, ladies and gentlemen, as soon as tomorrow's edition of The Las Vegas Journal Review hits the stands, our company image will have taken a serious hit," Michael Inger told Disney's Board of Directors. "And the particular brand in question will be immediately over."

( very short story under here  )

Here are a couple of cell phone pics of the pooch that we are currently sheltering in our backyard. He was starving. When I came outside with a small bag of dogfood, he knew exactly what it was, and tried frantically to get at the bag, while wagging his tail.

Big guy hasn't eaten for a day or two, I'd wager. I finally got some poured in a bowl, but he kept trying to eat it while I was pouring.

At least he has food, water, and a safe place to sleep tonight.

Tomorrow we start looking for his people. Hopefully, someone left a gate or door open and is missing this poor puppy.

So is there an invisible sign over our home, or what?

A dog was waiting for my wife when she got home today. A beautiful, friendly Spaniel mix (?) with a red-gold coat, a collar with no identification, and a hurt hind leg.

We gave her a bit of water, and some leftover turkey. Both of which she clearly needed. I have no intention of adopting a dog, but I also won't turn her over to the pound to be killed.

She is clearly someone's pet, and I want to find her people. We may end up letting her stay in our backyard for a few days until we can sort things out.

EDIT: "She" is a he. He rolled over for me a little while ago.

" Ego amo magnus glutei maximi quod ego can non dico infidus..."

EDIT: a friend of mine who actually studied Latin at an honest-to-goodness university pointed out that I used the wrong "lie" originally. I've changed it and hopefully it no longer translates as "I like big butts, I cannot recline..."

Except for the good looks part, very accurate. I am a lot like Riker. Full of Win!

Your results:
You are Will Riker

Will Riker 65% Worf 65% James T. Kirk (Captain) 60% Jean-Luc Picard 55% Spock 47% Leonard McCoy (Bones) 45% Mr. Sulu 45% Deanna Troi 45% An Expendable Character (Redshirt) 45% Mr. Scott 35% Chekov 35% Geordi LaForge 30% Data 24% Uhura 20% Beverly Crusher 10%

At times you are self-centered but you have many friends. You love many women, but the right woman could get you to settle down.

Click here to take the "Which Star Trek character am I?" quiz...

As we await the rebirth of the unconquered sun!

I realized earlier that I am wearing a t-shirt (souvenir from a long-ago tour of "Cats" ) that I couldn't even squeeze over my upper body when we bought it, maybe 14 years ago.

For years, I wore it as a tight undershirt after losing some weight.

Now, I could wear it as outerwear during the summer, if I wanted!

I'm still a fat hog of a man, but that's definitely progress.

I'm at work and just heard over the scanner an EMS dispatch to an apartment where a 1-year-old child just drank bleach.

Everyone please raise this child's welfare up in whatever way you practice. There's strength in numbers.

Unfortunately, I'll probably never know the outcome.

To my favorite member of the medical profession, mztasia !!!

Life may be crazy, but you're seriously blessed. Keep plugging away at the new degree and enjoy a celebration with your family!

To that resident of the Shire, a computer geek extraordinaire, who loves her grandson and doesn't hesitate to get nekkid for a good cause ...

be4u !!!!!

May your next year of life bring you happiness and blessings.

Mythology:

The young Earth was visited by her lover, the Sky. After their lovemaking, Earth became pregnant. Soon, she gave birth to a lovely daughter, the Moon.

Science:

Early in our planet's history, when much of the Earth's surface was molten, a planet-sized asteroid hit the surface, creating a powerful explosion that sent about 70 percent of the Earth's molten surface into orbit, where gravity caused it to coalesce into a single large mass, our moon, locked in orbit around the planet.

How an event is seen depends on what knowledge and experience we  bring to the witnessing of it.

To my beautiful bride, mrs_spart !

She's the most wonderful woman in the world, and I am privileged to be her husband.

I went  to Wright's Donuts this morning (I'm a fat guy, I do that sometimes) for a couple of glazed chocolate numbers.

The baker, apparently psychically determining I have an English degree, offers that something witty he said that I don't remember (my mind was in Homer Simpson mode, not blind bard Homer mode) was a palindrome. Then he expands on that theme.

Baker: Do you know what the world's oldest palindrome is?

Spart: Huh?

Baker:  "Madam, I'm Adam!"

Spart: No, that was my answer, "huh. H-U-H."

Baker: Oooh!

Teh Intrawebs is up and down like a teeter-totter at Trailer de Spart. So we will be posting only sporadically for a week or so, probably.

1. Being a man is about living honorably, fulfilling your obligations and controlling your own destiny as much as possible.

2. Relationships with women are complicated in the modern world. You must always strive to find a balance between respecting them as different but equal and obeying the expectations of tradition and chivalry. Always let the individual woman set the tone for your interactions so you can learn how she wishes you to treat her. Sometimes you will fail at this and have to ask for forgiveness.

3. Never prejudge a person's intelligence or abilities based on his/her job or financial status. I've met janitors who were intellectuals and college professors and elected officials who were idiots.

4. Balls, brains, and bullshit (in that order) will take you far in life.

5. Be wary of bowing down to gods or governments, but show them due respect.

6. Avoid machismo. It's fake masculinity for those who wouldn't know the real thing if it bit them on the ass. A real man is humble, open to new things, and knows that boasting is for drunks and children.

7. Never stop learning new things, even when they are out of your areas of expertise. No one ever failed at something because he knew too much, but a lot of people fail because they are ignorant.

8. Treat everyone with basic respect, until they have earned your disrespect.

9. Violence should always be your last resort. But if it's called for, do your damnedest and don't hesitate.

10.  A sense of humor and the ability to communicate effectively with anyone can be two of your most valuable tools in life.

11. Everyone is afraid, they just hide it. Courage is acting in spite of fear.

12. Find a good partner to share your life - someone who is not only a lover, but a friend, confidant, advisor and companion.

I have a lot of sympathy for people who suffer from autism. You can feel them trapped inside themselves, unable to connect properly with the outside world, like they have some kind of faulty interface mechanism.

Today I did a story about a special education class making American Flags to commemorate 9/11. Pretty standard feel-good stuff.

But, like all special ed classes, this was very mixed group.  Among them was an autistic girl - a senior - who is not quite to the level of functional, but obviously bright, with an excellent vocabulary.

Unlike the two autistic boys in the group, she wasn't too nervous to be interviewed. It was a chore to interview her. Getting past the twists and roadblocks an autistic person has is difficult, but not always impossible. Especially when dealing with someone trying as hard as she was. And she was so happy, so eager to win approval.

I felt so bad for her, because I could almost glimpse the young woman she might have been without this thing blocking her every attempt to deal with anything or anyone outside herself.

She's a Katrina refugee. She told me about how she used to take private painting lessons when she lived in New Orleans and she loves any chance to paint, even something simple like a flag.

After everything she's been through, all I could do was silently wish this kid the best. From various clues, I can deduce she has a decent family. I just hope they are there to protect her and care for her next year, when she's no longer in the public school system.

As always when I deal with special ed, it bothers me that kids like her get lumped in with everything from victims of mental retardation to juvenile delinquents who have emotional problems to those poor kids who are practically vegetables.

There has to be a better way, but damned if I know how we can accomplish it in the public school system.