10:12 RT @StephenAtHome: it's only the sixth night of hanukkah and joe lieberman has already returned the gift of expanded medicare #
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The Cylon tester is now operational and Adama and Roslin each want the other to get tested first. Adama thinks it's a good idea for people to have confidence in the president and Roslin remembers that the captured Cylon told her that Adama was another Cylon.
It's hard for her to doubt that when he starts acting very strangely. He's distracted a great deal of the time, and he's been making mysterious phone calls and takes a ship, leaving no flight plan.
Turns out he isn't doing Cylon business--he's picking up Col. Tigh's estranged wife, Ellen.
Ellen's pretty awful. She drinks a lot (she was drunk in almost all of her scenes) and she's manipulative and just wretched.
Adama canceled his test and had Baltar test Ellen first (only one test can be done at a time and the results take 11 hours to come in). Ellen is not a Cylon, just an awful person.
(Except, of course, the "Cylon detector" is a joke and all the results will come back human. So I guess technically, she could be a Cylon after all.)
Here's Bekki's take. She didn't like Ellen Tigh, either.
It's been freezing cold, I went running at the Lake today and it's already covered in ice. Lovely, though. Downed conifer limbs, blue jays singing.
Now I'm drinking my third hot beverage (hot chocolate) and hoping to hear back from employers. Oh, did I mention, the school hasn't sent me my diploma yet? But the Registrar confirmed that I'm officially graduated. I'm not celebrating until I get the diploma in hand.
We've been consuming good movies and hot cider for Solstice. No fancy celebrations this year, til we get to my sister's. SyFy channel has 2 great holiday specials. One is a remake of Alice in Wonderland. We haven't seen it yet. The other is a really dark, modern remake of Wizard of Oz.
The second one is called Tin Man and I never thought I'd say this, but Alan Cumming is adorable as the Scarecrow. The plot is completely different and you wouldn't even recognize the characters from the original. I love, love love creative remakes, or just simple, creative films. They're in low supply these days.
Another fun plug is the new Sony Ericsson "eco phones", Hazel and Elm. (Cute, right)? They look nice and I used to love my old Ericsson before the *ahem* screen ribbon broke.
Does anyone have other fun film ideas for Solstice? I don't especially like fantasy unless it's mixed with a good plot. Harry Potter is pretty fun for this time of year. I thought the sci fi was a stretch but as long as it's not overly dramatic vampire movies or something, it's an okay medium.
This is so adorable, I wish I had seen this a month ago! These are alternative Christmas trees from Treehugger. The photo at the end of this post is a ladder. No extra purchases, no tree cut down. Someone remind me of this a year from now.
We have a norfolk pine. I like the idea of a living holiday tree - but after Solstice we can't plant it because it's an invasive species. I'm not crazy about tree farms because it creates a monoculture where a diverse forest could otherwise be. Then there's all the energy used to mulch them (again monoculture). These Treehugger ideas are genius. Oh well, I did a few things right this holiday. Hmm, let's see....(tries to alleviate guilt)...
1. I'm using newspapers and paper bags for gift wrapping. Decor on top includes ribbons from last year's gifts, dried leaves, stamps and beads. I'll post photos.
2. Saved glass milk jugs to fill with candy, instead of elaborate, plastic wrapped truffle boxes
3. Used rechargeable candles instead of wax ones (I suppose the ecological benefit of this is debatable, but at least our house won't burn down)!
4. Collected fallen branch pines for wreaths, instead of buying material (at my Lake I saw many people doing the same, dragging huge branches behind them and one woman even had an armful of toxic berries - how fun)!
5. Shopped locally and all in one town so we didn't have to drive far.
It's a decent start, anyway! Feel free to share your ideas for the holiday too. And check out this Christmas tree!
Chorister Choir performing in church this last Sunday. Lily is the last solo. I couldn't figure out why she was being so fidgetey but I guess her nose wouldn't quit running.
FEUDALISM
You have two cows. Your lord takes some of the milk.
PURE SOCIALISM
You have two cows. The government takes them and puts them in a barn with
everyone else's cows. You have to take care of all the cows. The government
gives you as much milk as you need.
BUREAUCRATIC SOCIALISM
You have two cows. The government takes them and puts them in a barn with
everyone else's cows. They are cared for by ex-chicken farmers. You have to take
care of the chickens the government took from the chicken farmers. The
government gives you as much milk and eggs as the regulations say you should
need.
FASCISM
You have two cows. The government takes them both, hires you to take care of
them and sells you the milk.
PURE COMMUNISM
You have two cows. Your neighbors help you take care of them, and you all share
the milk.
RUSSIAN COMMUNISM
You have two cows. You have to take care of them, but the government takes all
the milk.
CAMBODIAN COMMUNISM
You have two cows. The government takes both and shoots you.
DICTATORSHIP
You have two cows. The government takes both and drafts you.
PURE DEMOCRACY
You have two cows. Your neighbors decide who gets the milk.
REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY
You have two cows. Yours neighbors pick somone to tell you who gets the milk.
BUREAUCRACY
You have two cows. At first the government regulates what you can feed them and
when you can milk them. Then it pays you not to milk them. Then it takes both,
shoots one, milks the other one and pours the milk down the drain. Then it
requires you to fill out forms accounting for the missing cows. In triplicate.
ANARCHY
You have two cows. Either you sell the milk at a fair price or your neighbors
take the cows and kill you.
CAPITALISM
You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull.
SURREALISM
You have two giraffes. The government requires you to take harmonica lessons.
WELFARE CADILLAC
Recorded by Guy Drake
Words and music by Guy Drake
[C] I've never worked much, In [C7] fact
[F] I've been poor [Dm] all my life
I [G7] guess all I really own
Is [C] ten kids and a wife
This house I live in is [C7] mine
But [F] it's really a [Dm] shack
But [G7] I've always managed to somehow
[C] drive me a brand new Cadillac.
[C] The back door steps [C7] ...
[F] They done fell [Dm] plumb down
The [G7] front screen door is off and
Laying [C] somewhere out there on the ground
The wind just now [C7] whooped
Up [F] another piece of that [Dm] tar
Roofing [G7] off the back; I sure hope it don't
[C] skin up that new Cadillac.
[C] The front porch post [C7] fell
[F] loose at the [Dm] bottom
It [G7] don't make no sense to fix 'em
'Cause that [C] floor's just too darn rotten
In Winter time we sometimes have [C7] some snow
That [F] blows in through the [Dm] cracks
If it [G7] gets too bad we all just pile up
And [C] sleep out there in that new Cadillac.
I know the place ain't much
But I sure don't pay no rent
I get a check the first of every month
From this here Federal Goverment
Every Wednesday I get commodities
Sometimes four or five sacks
Pick 'em up down at the Welfare Office
Driving that new Cadillac.
Some folks say I'm crazy
And I've even been called a fool
But my kids get free books and
All them there free lunches at school
We get peanut butter and cheese
And man, they give us flour by the sack
'Course them Welfare Checks
They meet the payments on this new Cadillac.
Now the way that I see it
These other folk are the fools
They're working and paying taxes
Just to send my young'uns through school
The Salvation Army cuts their hair and
Gives them clothes to wear on their backs
So we can dress up and ride around
And show off this new Cadillac.
But things are still gonna get better yet
At least that's what I understand
They tell me this new President
Has put in a whole new poverty plan
He's gonna send us poor folks money
They say we're gonna get it out here in sacks
In fact, my wife's already shopping around
For her new Cadillac.
11:12 RT @colinmeloy: All hail President Lieberman. #
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After a full day at the wrestling tournament, we returned just in time for Lily's birthday party. My mom was a real sweetie and had everything set up and my brother's girlfriend made a yummy baked macaroni and cheese.
There were 11 little girls that came to her kittie themed party.
She wanted the cake to look like Butterscotch and I think it turned out great! (I did not make it).
After supper, it was time to go swimming. I had 2 parents tell me their daughters didn't swim well and needed to stay in the shallow end, one of the girls tell me themselves, and one parent stay (I would be one of those at a swim party). As soon as we opened the door to the pool room, they all ran and jumped in. Right away one of the girls was paddling frantically and not getting her head above the water (nobody mentioned her not being able to swim). This is when it occured to me that it probably would've been smart to at least have my swimsuit on in case of emergency. She was too far from the edge to reach or throw anything to so I was left with no choice but to jump in wearing a long-sleeved sweatshirt, jeans, and socks. It's a good thing the deep end is only 5 ft. so I can hop with my tippy toes and keep my own head above water or it would've been very difficult with my clothes weighing me down. I was able to hand the girl off (who wasn't phased by the whole incident) to the other mom who had stayed while I quickly went to change. I got smart and put my swimsuit on just in case I needed to make another rescue. Ray found the whole thing quite entertaining.
The girls had a blast in the pool. It seemed weird having a pool party when it was -10 outside.
This girl is in my choir and her family just bought a house by our new one. I think they'll be the best of friends! (We like the parents, too). They also have a daughter in Jace's class and a baby due this spring.
They swam for around 45 minutes and then got out for cake and presents.
After 2 hours, I was very happy to have it over!
Finished Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl.
This book is a mix of two of my recent favorite genres--paranormal YA and gothic fiction.
It's set in the south, a town called Gatlin. (There are not corn children and He Who Walks Behind the Rows does not appear.)
Ethan has been having a lot of weird dreams lately--he's trying to save a girl he loves (who he has only seen in these dreams) and failing. When he wakes up, there's generally a ton of dirt in his bed.
A new girl shows up on the first day of his sophomore year and it's the girl from his dreams. And things get weirder from there.
Such a fantastic book.
