America turns off the snooze alarm

Good morning, America. This is a new day. The long, dark night of the Bush misadministration ended yesterday, and today the sun rose on something that promises to be very different. It is my fervent hope that the tone set by President Obama in his speech yesterday indeed heralds a positive change in this nation: not only in how we treat our citizens here at home, but in how we relate to the rest of the world. And you will note that I have personalized that. The United States is not an it; the United States is a we. From the White House to the State house, to your house and my house, we're all in this together. And so we have to work together if we want to rebuild the American Dream, if we want to ensure that every man, woman and child in this nation has not only hope for the future, but also has what we need today. Because this is the future we looked forward to, and it is time to roll up our sleeves, forget about who is red or blue, black or white, and focus on the fact that we are all Americans, and we stand or fall together.

Here's a somewhat humorous take on this change, author unfortunately unknown, that's making the rounds today:

Dear World:

We, the United States of America , your top quality
supplier of the ideals of liberty and democracy,
would like to apologize for our 2001-2008 interruption
in service. The technical fault that led to this eight-
year service outage has been located, and the software
responsible was replaced November 4. Early tests of
the newly installed program indicate that we are now
operating correctly, and we expect it to be fully
functional on January 20. We apologize for any
inconvenience caused by the outage. We look forward
to resuming full service and hope to improve in
years to come. We thank you for your patience and
understanding.

Sincerely,
The United States of America

We're all on the tech support team, though, so look sharp and let's keep this thing running properly.

Heartwarming story

Coast Guard rescues black swan trapped by river ice. More info with update and closeup photo of the swan, safe after rescue, here.

You think Cleveland has snow?

It's nothing compared to what came down recently in western New York, where I grew up. (For those playing along at home, I grew up in Chautauqua County, just a couple of miles from the Lakewood mentioned in the article.)

My name is Summer, and I'm a geek... or is that nerd? Which meeting am I at, again?

Apparently, some creative soul has rendered the Star Wars theme music in Japanese pop style, complete with lyrics.

Sponsor an executive today!

I love Canadian comedy.

This is just wrong

Is it just me, or does it seem that favoring a former head of foreign government over the President-elect of the United States when it comes to the use of the Presidential guesthouse just might be a major breach of protocol?

Especially when the President-elect was denied use of the guesthouse before said former head of said foreign government was booked into said guesthouse? (Or so said Margaret Carlson to Rachel Maddow on MSNBC. I have yet to find other sources backing this up, but let's just say I wouldn't put it past Bush & Co. to do this and then juggle people and things in an attempt to make the denial look legit.)

Blair House is HUGE - 119 rooms, 35 bathrooms. Howard and the Obamas couldn't have shared? Howard couldn't have stayed in a hotel? The Australian Embassy? The freakin' White House? But no, Bush and his cronies had to snub the incoming President and his family, including two little girls about to start out in a new school.

Fourteen more days to go, people. Only fourteen more days.

Januaryish

Cold, but no precipitation. Ground and sidewalks mostly clear and dry. Am eagerly awaiting spring. Also, this postnasal drip and tickling cough can go away now, kthnx.

Cold updatery

So my head cold decided to do what head colds usually do in my case, which is travel south and attempt to set up housekeeping in my lungs. I hate that. So I curled up in bed last night and sent DH out to Nature's Bin to get me some Elderberry extract. It's been shown to have antiviral properties, and man, the stuff works! I spent the rest of last night - I mean basically ALL night - dosing myself with it at about 3 hour intervals, and this morning as well. By mid-afternoon, I felt pretty much normal, except for a somewhat stuffy nose. I can live with that. What's more, it means I get to go to the Christmas caroling party I've been looking forward to after all. Yay!

Five things make a post

I have:

1. an annoying winter bug, fortunately now reduced to "mild", confined to my head/nose/sinuses, and hopefully on its way back to the outer darkness from whence it came;

2. nearly four yards of 43" uncut (wale-less) cotton corduroy in forest green, and nearly two yards of the same in a beautiful cranberry-crimson, both obtained for $2.79 a yard at JoAnn (yay for 60% off clearance pricing!);

3. an itch to make some pretty garb for myself using them (though it needs to be fairly simple);

4. discovered that I have all day tomorrow to sew, and

5. no idea what type of outfit I should make.

*sigh* Maybe it's time to try some Italian Ren.

With apologies to Bill Gates... on second thought, NOT

I'm currently on IM with my friend Steve. To wit:

Summer: lol @ the Microsux commercial on tv
Summer: it's talking about Vista and Mojave, focusing on photos, and says, "you can even blow it up and frame it, to give as a gift"
Summer: quoth DH: Blow up Vista and give it as a gift? LOL
Steve Mann: xD
Summer: That would be a gift. "Here, I blew up Vista for you and got you a real OS."

Welcome to December... already?!

Seriously, where has this year gone???

I should be working on my final portfolio for English, but my brain decided I need to take a break. Good idea, brain. Now just be sure to make with the other good ideas that need to go on paper this afternoon...

I have houseguests: There are two young men sleeping in my living room, and I'm being quiet so as not to disturb them. My online friend Steve and his roommate Andy, on their way back to Notre Dame from Thanksgiving break, drove in from Philadelphia and arrived here around 2:30 AM. After some chatting and whatnot, they crashed out on the futons around 3 or 3:30, while DH and I went to bed. DH got up at 6 AM to go to work, and I slept in until around 11 AM, when my friend Jeff called me. Steve and Andy are still asleep, however. Long drives are tiring!

So I'm sitting at the dining room table, drinking my second cup of coffee and trying to get my brain back into academic mode. I think I'll take Latin next semester so I can concentrate most of my personal creativity on the writing I choose to do, and have something more cut-and-dried on the academic front for a change. No, I don't technically need it for my degree, but I've always wanted to study it, and although part of me balks at spending money on a course I don't completely need, the other part of me justifies it by pointing out that 1) I can probably make it fit some elective requirement I still haven't filled, and 2) it is one of the few courses remotely connected with my academic goals that is offered in a format that won't require me to either be in class until 8PM or 10PM two nights a week next semester or else have to try to arrange with an employer (I really need a job) to allow me to work nonstandard hours in order to take a day class at least two days a week. Flex Latin is something I can do mostly on my own, with only a one-hour tutoring session each week with my prof, so that makes it extremely attractive to me right now. I think I can probably get an employer to agree to my taking a long lunch one day per week, provided I make up the time. (ETA: Or, I could take an Urban Studies course online to get one of those pesky Social Diversity requirements out of the way. Of course, what I really want is to do an Independent Study course on some aspect of writing in my chosen genre. Sigh... I wonder if I can make that happen?)

One thing I've definitely noticed is that going back to school, even part-time as I have done, is turning out to be more of an adjustment than I expected. I think I started with the wrong course to some extent, but on the plus side, I have made some great new friends in this class (including my friend Tim whom you Cleftlanders reading this may remember for his Katharine Hepburn impressions at Muldoon's), and some of us are starting our own writers' group together. So the frustration I've been feeling is worth it, I think. Now if I can just get a decent grade for this course.

Say what?

So I looked at my gas bill today, online. Dominion East Ohio's website had the following "advice" on its homepage:

"Energy Saving Tip #59
When you’ll be away from home for more than four hours, raise the thermostat 5-10 degrees or more."

Umm, say what? You're the GAS company. This is CLEVELAND. Where it is NOVEMBER, and temperatures are in the 30's. It's been SNOWING.

Profit, profit, uber alles.

I can has Roomba ride?

I can almost picture Moey doing what this cat does, but Mina would hide under the bed for days, I think!

Dare we hope for at least some of this?

Apparently, a group of pranksters put together a rather elaborate spoof of a special edition of the New York Times dated July 4th, 2009. They not only put it online, but also printed out over a million copies and handed them out.

See the spoof website. And yes, the links on it work. This thing is good!

And here is the actual New York Times coverage of the story.

Political humor goodness

OMG, another piece of priceless stuff here. Just read the entry. I cannot even begin to describe the awesomeness that is this post on John Scalzi's blog, so go and see for yourself. Make sure you don't have any beverages in your mouth while you read it, if you value your keyboard.

What's Really Going On With Joe Lieberman

The Bard's Hokey Pokey

(snurched from a friend in an online discussion forum I visit)

First, the original version:

The Hokey Pokey

Put your left foot in,
Your left foot out,
Your left foot in,
And shake it all about.
You do the hokey pokey
And turn yourself around
That’s what it’s all about.

And now, Shakespearean Style:

The Hokey Pokey

O proud left foot, that ventures quick within
Then soon upon a backward journey lithe.
Anon, once more the gesture, then begin:
Command sinistral pedestal to writhe.
Commence thou then the fervid Hokey-Poke.
A mad gyration, hips in wanton swirl.
To spin! A wilde release from heaven’s yoke.
Blessed dervish! Surely canst go, girl.
The Hoke, the poke -- banish now thy doubt.
Verily, I say, ’tis what 'tis all about.

I have cool friends, don't I?

Aaaand the winner is.... OBAMA!!!!

*does happydance*

Because sometimes words aren't enough.

Get out and VOTE

I did.

Very punny

Groannn...

Sunday's "Pearls Before Swine"

Meme for a Thursday morning

As seen everywhere, here's the “7 Random and/or Weird Things About Me” meme:

1. I built toad cities in my sandpile when I was a child. The toads were less than amused.

2. I grew up thinking it was perfectly normal to mix Swedish phrases into everyday speech.

3. I saw a UFO when I was about ten years old.

4. I have hyperextensible thumbs, both of them green. ;-)

5. I once turned down a chance to study in France for a year, when I was not quite seventeen. No, really - I used to be an idiot. But I got better.

6. I don't like roller coasters. In fact, the only amusement park "rides" I really like are water slides.

7. I wanted to go into space from about the age of three. Not surprisingly, this coincides with my father introducing me to Star Trek.

Share your own list in comments if you feel inspired. :-)