Charlotte’s Neighbors

Brother, can you spare a dime?

nobody@vox.com(Street Vein) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:57:13 -0700

For those unfamiliar with the famous quote, it was a popular phrase and song from the Great Depression. Things are not that bad at the moment, but they are not good. Unemployment is at a 5 year high. For the eighth straight month, job cuts have increased. Bush said, and I quote: "the economy is fundamentally sound." He balked at the idea that any stimulus to the economy was needed. Herbert Hoover, another Republican, held the same opinion from 1929-1933. Remember how that worked out? Sing along with me folks... "Brother, can you spare a dime?"

Full of Shit

Can you imagine anyone having a sense of historical perspective, and yet wanting the same political party in office that brought us 2001-2008? Can you imagine anyone who realizes we were deceived into a "war" with Iraq, fueled by corruption and incompetence, wanting a candidate that sides with Bush's commitment to it, even though respected Republicans, military generals and Alan Greenspan (R) support a cause against it? Who are these people who blindly support War and Failure as long as an American flag waves behind it? Are we lacking that many neutral minds capable of saying, "The economy sucks, this war sucks, and the conservatives need to step down for a while so the other side can swing the insane balance towards reason."

FDR

I ask these silly questions on moot points because it's amusing. The Republicans have a chance to continue this Reign of Crap because their loyal followers will stoop to siding with the Devil if he backed the GOP platform. Can any decent Republican stand up and say their party would have nominated a woman for VP if Hillary and Barack hadn't been part of the picture? Indeed. Where was this diversity during the Republican primary? Exactly, and shame on you for picking your brain for a response other than, "Yep, we're pretty desperate and transparent." Either way, we will have a black president or a female vice-president when this is over, and you can thank the Democrats for the progress. So, looking forward, who is the more likely candidate to pull us out of this depressed economy like Franklin Delano Roosevelt did all those years ago?

Him?

or Him?

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Looking into the Mirror

nobody@vox.com(Street Vein) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:21:54 -0700

Downtown Reflections by Street Vein

A Self Assessment: Good & Bad

THE BAD

I am selfish. Not always, but enough to be a flaw. I will sometimes do things that I know are wrong, yet they benefit me, so I do them. Eating the last of the ice cream without considering others comes to mind. This happens a lot. :)

I am lazy. I got off my ass and helped bury my neighbor’s dog last month when I saw the poor kid trying to dig the hole by himself in the Tennessee rocky hardpan, but I don’t normally stop to help people. And I am a procrastinator. I try to do as little as possible. I put in my 40 hours at work and I’m gone like clockwork. I am not one of these people constantly running around and checking things off a To-Do list. There are several projects around the house that should have been completed months ago, and they will likely still be undone in 2009.

I hold a grudge. If you screw me over, you are dead to me. I’m forgiving of mistakes, but show me a fatal character flaw and I am cold and ruthless.

I am arrogant. I balance things out carefully and over analyze each of my beliefs, and I am supremely confident in my sensibilities, but can be swayed by a better argument. As a result of this, I am often convinced that my philosophies are superior to others. For example, I believe that raping children is wrong [duh]. But I also believe in abortion rights for women, though I understand the other side wanting to protect the innocent… I just happen to side with the woman and her right to control her body. Unfortunately, I look down on those who would force a woman to complete a pregnancy. I believe in the 2nd Amendment, though I understand those who oppose it with idealistic hopes of preventing murder. So, you see, I understand both sides of an opinion, but once I’ve heard all arguments and come to my conclusion, those with different opinions are often viewed as less intelligent. This is arrogance.

THE GOOD

I am a good father. I was reluctantly forced into parenthood, but I accepted responsibility for my actions. I never miss my child support payments and I’ve raised my son’s half-sister as my own – with the initial motive of never separating the children, though I soon came to love K.D. as if she was my own biological daughter. Their happiness is my main goal in life, which is why I live in Tennessee and not with my family in Florida. I am devoted to helping raise them to adulthood with as much happiness and love as possible. I’m certain when they are grown, they will remember our household being one of constant laughter.

I am a good friend. Reliable, supportive, fun and accommodating – these are the principles I apply to friendship. If you are in need, I will be there. If you try something new, I will support you. If you want to get drunk and fall down, I will join you.

I am responsible. I am never late paying a bill. I always have money in the bank and I’ve held steady jobs in various roles at the same company for 15 years. If I say I am going to do something I do it. I wish more people were like this. My handshake means something to me, and a deal is a deal.

I am upbeat & positive. This will surprise many, unless you already know me. My Vox journal allows me to vent my cynical side, but in life with friends and family, I tend to look on the bright side. My music collection and artistic tastes may be dark and morbid, but I like to keep my interactions with people very positive. Life is too short to bitch and moan all the time.

-------------------------

Well, I have many other flaws and strengths, but that’s all for now. I am home sick today, so I thought I’d do something constructive by evaluating my sins. I will try to be less arrogant, selfish and lazy, but I’m not promising a damn thing.

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10 Rules for Life - by George Carlin

nobody@vox.com(Street Vein) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:47:08 -0700

We miss you George.

Someone sent this to me the other day. You've probably seen it before. Because this is so positive, I find it hard to believe that ultra-cynical Carlin wrote it, but even a cynic can have a soft touch once in a while.

HOW TO STAY YOUNG – by George Carlin

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay them.

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning! Learn more about computers, crafts, gardening, whatever, even ham radio. Never let the brain idle. An idle mind is the devil's workshop. And the devil's family name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. Tears happen. Endure, grieve, and MOVE ON.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge. Make it a happy place.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them at every opportunity.

Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "Holy shit ...what a ride!" [contradicts #8 but what the hell]

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Do You Want Fries With That?

nobody@vox.com(Ross) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 05:57:09 -0700

Hungry now?

I forgot to recount an actual conversation I had with a McDonald's ~~serf~~ employee a few weeks back while I was on an inspection trip. I walked up to the counter where she stood attentively, awaiting my order. Then the following mind-bender occurred:

Me: Yes, hello, this is a to-go order. May I please have a bottle of water and one apple pie?

Employee: Do you want two pies? It's cheaper...

Me: Two pies is cheaper than one pie?

Employee: Well, you get two for a dollar.

Me: And just how much is one pie?

Employee: Um, ninety cents.

Me: [Pauses to wonder how two pies are "cheaper"] I think I'll go with just the one pie I wanted, and save the ten cents, thank you very much.

Employee: OK. And is this for here or to-go?

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Sputtering Spurrier: Vandy 24 - 'Cocks 17

nobody@vox.com(Street Vein) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:09:10 -0700

Priceless

On getting beaten AGAIN by Vanderbilt:

"Last year's was just as stunning, and it sort of irritated me that our players tried to say we weren't ready. We were ready to play, we just got our tails kicked. I'm sure those Vanderbilt players are wondering what kind of excuse the South Carolina guys have now. We don't have excuses, they just beat us," Spurrier said. [Sep. 4, 2008]

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Korean BBQ aftermath

nobody@vox.com(Yod) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:18:04 -0700

Korean BBQ aftermath, originally uploaded by Yod!.

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School -_-

nobody@vox.com(Serena) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:47:32 -0700

So High School started for me on Tuesday. It's OK. I've only been at school 3 days so I can't really make any serious judgements on anything 'cause we haven't been learning anything yet. I'm still figuring out who I want to hang out with and stuff but there are SO, MANY, PEOPLE @_@ And I'm uber, uber shy... There are so many preps there to. Which kind of sucks. I don't mind people that wear Hollister of Abercrombie or whatever, I'm not going to judge someone based on the clothes they wear but there are SO many fake people, it's ridiculous.

So if anyone has advice on making friends, please tell me.

I know this is only like half a blog post but I'm tired so gute nacht :)

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Spencer's official diagnosis: CRF

nobody@vox.com(YF) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:16:44 -0700

the spinster

I got the call yesterday from the vet and Spencer has kidney disease. I am pretty sad because he's my little buddy, but at 14, things are bound to start going wrong.

He's pretty dehydrated and it's impossible for him to go back to the vet for IV fluids - I have to drug him to even get him through the door. That's hard on little old guys and we want to minimize vet visits. I may have to have the home vet come to take blood and etc. in the future.

I've been doing some internet research (sometimes that's good, sometimes not) One thing that I learned is that this has been coming on for at least the past year - I just didn't know the symptoms. He's been drinking and peeing a lot, not eating as much, hard time jumping (this is apparently from potassium deficiency)... I mean how on earth would I ever have guessed that he was sick from this? Those are all general signs of getting old too. He was his happy little self - that is till this past weekend... he was almost crippled and just slept the weekend away.

Here are the basics that I've found...

Chronic Renal Failure (CRF) is a progressive, irreversible deterioration of kidney function. Because cats hide their illnesses and the very early signs of CRF are subtle, this disease may only be recognized when the patient reaches the 70% deterioration level and more dramatic symptoms are observable. The seemingly sudden onset may appear to be an acute condition but is most often a crisis point of CRF. CRF is apparently a very common disease of older cats.
CRF is one of the leading causes of illness and death in older cats. If your cat is age seven or older, it's a good idea to check for CRF during each annual exam, with a blood test, urinalysis and blood pressure measurement. With early detection, proper diet, and hydration, cats may remain happy and active for quite some time before the inevitable decline.
Treatment: There is no cure for CRF but the condition may be managed for a time. The cornerstone of CRF management is to control the amount of waste products that are sent through the kidneys. Since the remaining nephrons are limited in their ability to process waste, the idea is to reduce the amount of waste to a level that the nephrons can accommodate. This is done through a combination of diet, medication, and hydration therapy (diuresis).
Prognosis: CRF is a terminal disease. The only questions are how long and how well the patient will live until the end. With proper treatment, the cat may have from months to years of relatively high-quality life. As the cat's caregiver(s), it is up to you to determine when the quality of life has decreased to a point at which prolonging life no longer has value.

There a zillions of websites about CRF, I even found a Yahoo! Group with over 10,000 members. Who knew!

spencer soaking up the sun

So here we are...

The good news is we think that he's in the early stages - on the mild end of the spectrum. That he's curled up on the sofa with me (didn't want to leave his 'safe spot' under the chair for two days now). That he is eating and finally drinking some water!! I was super happy to see that today. I worked from home so I could watch him today. I bought a multi-feeder so that I can set the timer to give him small bits of food throughout the day. He took to that immediately. Unfortunately so has Lucy. It will be interesting to see what happens with her through this whole ordeal.

I also bought yet another water fountain - he took a few sips out of it but none too interested. Lucy has no idea what to make of it. I'm hoping it will grow on them. As for Spencer, I am slipping water into his food bowl to try to help hydrate him.

The vet wants me to keep a very close eye on him and if all is going well, we'll check levels again in 2-3 months.
That's all for now.

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Report: Chalmers, Arthur caught with marijuana at NBA camp

nobody@vox.com(YF) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:09:28 -0700

This is the perfect example of why they should require FOUR YEARS of college before entering the NBA. These guys need time to grow up before they are allowed the excess of the NBA. Chalmers was "THE" guy with "THE" shot that won the national championship and he has to go and be an idiot?? AT NBA CAMP ... that's about as dumb as it gets!! Sheesh!

KUsports.com - Report: Chalmers, Arthur caught with marijuana at NBA camp

http://www2.kusports.com/news/2008/se...

Arthur, Chalmers sent home after violationsChris Broussard of ESPN.com is reporting Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur have been kicked out of the NBA's Rookie Transition Program for violating program rules. Watch video »

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EPIC INTERNATIONAL FAIL!!!!

nobody@vox.com(CupCate) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:16:53 -0700

EPIC FAILURE!!!!

Yes, but The Daily Show over here is a day behind! It's not the same!!!!!

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