Joe Shlabotnik Is Their Hero, Too
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Below are the 44 most recent friends journal entries:
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08:00 am
wondermark
[Link] |
#574; There Must be Rules
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wondermark/~3/FExpe-TzI64/ http://wondermark.com/?p=4652 
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07:56 am
wondermark
[Link] |
Turctopus
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wondermark/~3/lE8PUAejg3Y/ http://wondermark.com/?p=4649 
My wife Nikki came up with this slogan.
Happy Thanksgiving, Americans! Do all your holiday shopping online this year.
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01:02 am
lady_i
![[User Picture]](http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/44021175/8905391) [Link] |
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01:02 am
lady_i
[Link] |
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03:00 am
tracied
![[User Picture]](http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/90981388/5552703) [Link] |
Twins ‘n Puddles
This past weekend we had the privilege of photographing twin toddlers, who I had photographed at the wee age of 6 weeks. They are now giant running, laughing bundles of energy. And cuteness! North Vancouver’s Lonsdale Quay was taken by storm on Sunday.
 Spunky little T, with her bright blue eyes. ( cuteness! )Originally published at Your Life. Your Style.. Please leave any comments there.
Tags: lifeinstills, nikon d200, north vancouver, north vancouver children's photographers, north vancouver photographers, professional photographers, sessions, toddlers, twins, vancouver photographers
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02:07 pm
news
[theljstaff]
![[User Picture]](http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/77207032/13549668) [Link] |
LiveJournal Major Notes: Security, Mobile, Facebook, Writer's Block, and Notes
Tweaks and enhancements
- In order to improve site security, we've temporarily suspended the ability to change passwords for old email addresses that haven't been used for over six months. For further information and support, please visit our customer care page.
- We've launched a new mobile site with an enhanced UI at m.livejournal.com. View spotlights, post to your journal, read and post to friends pages, and more, no matter where you roam! Please let us know what you think, since this will eventually replace our existing mobile interface. You can update your mobile preferences on your account page.
- We've upgraded from Beacon to Facebook Connect to improve dual posting. If you've already signed up for Facebook Beacon, you're good to go. If you wish to update your Facebook Connect setting, visit Account Privacy settings and scroll down to the option labeled: "Send information about my updates to Facebook." You can choose Always or Ask each time. Remember to save (on the bottom left corner of the page). To learn more, check out FAQ 249. While we're on the subject, if you happen to be visiting that side of town, please join our Facebook fan page for a touch of home away from home.
- You'll now receive the Writer's Block Question of the Day in the body of email notifications. To sign up for Writer's Block notifications, visit
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) writersblock and choose the Watch Community option. Next, update your Writer's Block notification settings by checking the box to the right of "Someone posts a new entry to writersblock."
- Paid and permanent users can now view, add, and edit Notes of commenters. Notes will appear beside the username of comment posters (instead of stars) on S1-themed comment pages.
Send some lovin' thanks to your friends with our holiday vgifts!
Photos of the weekWe're so delighted with the immense talent of our growing, global lj_photophile community that we've decided to introduce a poll. Each week, we'll choose a half-dozen photos (based on user comments and staff feedback) and ask you to select a photo of the week. The winning photo will be announced in the next newsletter. If possible, please limit photo size to 350x350 to ensure that images display properly on friends pages. We want to thank you again (and again!) for sharing your passion.
Check out this week's photo poll and more fantastic user content after the jump!
( Read more... ) CurtainsThanks for joining us. To our American friends, have a fantastic Thanksgiving. To all of our international neighbors, we'll eat a little extra for you!
Tags: facebook connect, lj_photophile, m.livejournal, mobile, notes, security patch, writer's block
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01:01 am
lady_i
[Link] |
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10:28 pm
nanonicole
![[User Picture]](http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/37766147/5226378) [Link] | And people are fighting over the change in breast cancer screening guidelines here.
In the UK: http://www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/breastscreen/
The upshot: In the UK, women are "invited" for a mammography once every three years, starting at the age of 50.
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08:00 am
wondermark
[Link] |
#573; One Too Few
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wondermark/~3/3mXivTYvbHM/ http://wondermark.com/?p=4646 
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01:02 am
lady_i
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08:49 pm
nanonicole
[Link] | Is it still sausage and peppers if you use sun dried tomato chicken sausage?
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04:52 pm
mister_f
![[User Picture]](http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/93355870/1447549) [Link] |
Quick thought
Even though the fact of the matter of much my life really sucks, I can at least drown my sorrows in the worst way, eating the artery-clogging combination of orzo pasta mixed with butter, parmesan cheese and pesto sauce. And maybe some beers later.
Current Mood:  weird
Current Music: Xx/xY 01 - This World Full Of You (Wish) | Powered by Last.fm
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11:07 pm
greenexecutive
![[User Picture]](http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/20675840/4753215) [Link] |
It's like health care, but with smaller wheels
My old train set was packed in its original boxes, more or less. The ones that didn't come out of the original big-box set had price tags on them.
The smallest coal tender I have was $1.50 at Target in 1981. In inflation-adjusted dollars, that's about $5.70, which is a little less than a 4x inflation. It's not an expensive piece---the parts are simple plastic, the paint job screen-printed, but it's perfectly fine to haul around.
The cheapest equivalent I could find is $19.99 list, although you can get significant discounts online. Non-digital trains have increased at least twice as fast as inflation, possibly almost 4x as fast, and digital sets are sky-high. I suspect Lionel and Marklin have figured out that the profit on a few thousand obsessives is worth more than broad, cheap market penetration.
Several classic hobbies have done this---baseball cards and comic books. Decade after decade chasing the collector and the specialist and ignoring the mass market, and then suddenly the market crashes.
Lo and behold Marklin went bankrupt in March of this year.
Whoops.
OK, that's the last of the train posts for a while. I have to get back to my first love, collecting Beanie Babies.
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01:02 am
lady_i
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01:01 am
lady_i
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09:31 pm
greenexecutive
[Link] |
Train?
A trip to the train store in Redwood City did nothing to ease the train madness. We didn't get anything, but I left with my head spinning. Man, it's gotten so complicated. And expensive.
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01:02 am
lady_i
[Link] |
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08:00 am
wondermark
[Link] |
#572; In which it Moves even now
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wondermark/~3/r1Bifz30_6w/ http://wondermark.com/?p=4615 
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07:52 am
wondermark
[Link] |
The Thanksgiving Project: for bloggers & libraries
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wondermark/~3/1WqUXRYrkn0/ http://wondermark.com/?p=4623 
It’s nearly Thanksgiving again, which for me means reflecting on and being grateful for you, the wonderful people who allow me to make ridiculous things for a living. Thank you all so much! And this year, I would like to extend a particular thanks to two groups who’ve meant a lot to me: bloggers and libraries.
Bloggers are the lifeblood of my business. You folks who mention Wondermark on your blogs, Twitters, LiveJournals, Facebooks, CraniumDumps, or even just email a favorite strip to a friend, are what keep this enterprise growing and running on all cylinders. So here’s my offer:
I will give away ten free copies — not just copies, Artist Editions! — of Clever Tricks to Stave Off Death to folks who blog about Wondermark between now and the end of November.
Stated another way: Blog about Wondermark, send me the link to what you wrote using this handy form, and I’ll enter you in a contest for one of ten free sketched-in copies of my latest book. You can write about anything Wondermark-related — a favorite episode, a particular product I offer, or just the strip in general — and you can enter as many times as you like (as long as each entry is for a separate post, on any platform). I’ll choose and award the winners in the first week of December, and the books will be absolutely free. I’ll pay the shipping, anywhere in the world! And even if you already own the book: a second copy could make a great gift for someone you love.
The second institution I’m indebted to is libraries. The Los Angeles library system has been of tremendous aid to me over the years of Wondermark, and I regularly patronize my local branch for all types of materials. I got super-inspired in a library in Charlotte once, and I’ve even browsed the Library of Congress in Washington for Wondermark-related material!
I know many libraries are chronically under-funded, so here’s my offer for libraries: send me a note explaining a little about your library (or similar institution that could use more books), and I will choose ten to receive a copy of Clever Tricks, absolutely free. I wish I could afford to give away more, but I am pleased to award these ten. One request per institution, please — and I’d like to also ask that the requests come from library staff, or at least from someone acquainted with the library’s donation policy. I don’t really want to send books to someplace that won’t know what it is or why it’s being sent! A staff member is a good point of contact.
All requests — bloggers and libraries — must come through the forms on this page; emailed or other requests will not be considered.
Finally, an opportunity for everyone else: If you would like to buy an extra copy of Clever Tricks, or Beards of our Forefathers, to be awarded to a library — you can do that here. Simply buy the books and write “Library donation” in the Special Instructions box at checkout. I’ll donate these copies to libraries above and beyond the ten I’ll already be sending out. If you’ve been enjoying my comics for free, but don’t necessarily want a book or a shirt or anything for yourself, this is a great way to help out a worthy institution. If you don’t want me to thank you publicly, please also write “Anonymous” in the Special Instructions box.
The deadline for both contests is November 30. Go to it!
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01:02 am
lady_i
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03:39 pm
news
[theljstaff]
[Link] |
LiveJournal Major Notes: Postcard winners, Tweaks, LJ_Cares
Postcard winners!We wish to extend our heartfelt gratitude for sending so much joy our way. Frank is still blushing with excitement over the love notes, proposals, propositions, and occasional intimate photos sent from his admirers around the world (China, Norway, Japan, and Poland just this week)! At his request, we blindfolded Justin, one of Frank's BFFs, spun him around in five dozen counterclockwise circles, and asked him to point to ten random postcards/envelopes pasted to the wall. After a brief trip to the bathroom, he chose the following lucky winners, to whom we will give a six-month paid account token (for paid, basic, and plus users) or, for our permanent account holders, a $15 voucher for the LiveJournal gift shop.
So, without further ado, the winners are: ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) seraphene- fotog
- boykitten
- seshat_6
- anti_aol
- lisalees
- katrinkacat
- mistyboston
- _woody_lein
- another_slender
Bugs, Tweaks, and Enhancements- We fixed a bug from the last release that was causing screened comments to become unscreened if they were edited
- If you happen to be gaming around the corner, check us out on Facebook and be sure to spread the word!
- We've added new vgifts to celebrate Thanksgiving! Check out our feathered friend, below!
Give more with charitable vgiftsIn honor of national adoption month, we're offering a charitable vgift (priced at $2.99) to support Love Without Boundaries, an organization that provides healthcare and adoption to orphans suffering from life-threatening diseases. LiveJournal will donate 100% of gross proceeds from the sale (we'll cover the cost of credit card transaction fees). To learn more about Love Without Boundaries, please visit lj_cares. You can purchase your Love Without Boundaries vgifts in the Virtual Gift shop. We'll keep you posted on how much we raise!
Photos of the weekWe're delighted to showcase yet more incredible photos from some of our brilliant LiveJournal photographers around the world. Keep posting (and tagging). And be sure to show some love by commenting on the awesome view at lj_photophile.
Check out this week's photos and more amazing user content after the jump!
( Read more... )CurtainsThanks, again, for joining us. See you next week!
Tags: comments, facebook, lj_cares, photos, postcards winners, writer's block
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01:24 pm
rebbyribs
![[User Picture]](http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/69685548/1207600) [Link] | Sick babies aren't much fun. These two are both so snotty right now that they have a really hard time breathing while nursing, and I don't think they're eating as much at once. So they wake up more often for snuffly-nursing. Zinnia screamed for 2 hours straight the other night, until about 10 minutes after I decided to give her Tylenol despite the lack of a fever. I don't know if she just conked out anyhow, or if something had been hurting her and the Tylenol helped with that. It's interesting to see how much of a difference our ages make in how sick everyone is. The twins have been so much snottier than Iris, and Ben and I have been less badly off.
Neil was being very fussy during dinner last night. I kept trying to nurse him, and he wanted none of it. It turned out that what calmed him down was sitting on my lap facing the food. I hadn't realized that he was old enough to be so interested in the outside world yet, although maybe I should've guessed based on how he's grabbing everything he can reach and stuffing it in his mouth. The food, by the way, was the very ugly but delicious birthday cake I made Ben yesterday. There will be no pictures of it.
The microwave I bought while hugely pregnant has broken already. Boo. I wonder whether Target will let me return it.
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08:07 am
wondermark
[Link] |
The Adventures of Jack Bulletproof
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wondermark/~3/1c9LpsWDL-A/ http://wondermark.com/?p=4603 The Cop Who Plays By All The Rules
The night pecked spotty rain against Officer Jack “Bulletproof” Bulletproof’s patrol-car windshield. Through the dappled glass, a Jeep sat idling on the highway shoulder, its blinker still flashing at the black cornfield beyond. In the seat next to Bulletproof, Officer Daytona Follies frowned at the cruiser’s computer. “Looks bad, Jack,” she said, glancing up at the Jeep. “One prior, time served, for petty theft. Could be a runner.”
Bulletproof eased his door handle open, taking in the situation. “Let’s proceed,” he finally said. “With caution.”
Follies nodded. Affixing his cap smartly, Bulletproof stepped out into the sprinkling night, his flashlight tracing a line through the Jeep’s side windows, illuminating a mound of blankets, a couple fast-food bags, a book. When the light reached the driver, Bulletproof tensed — the man was a scarecrow, folded behind the wheel like a coat hanger in a shoebox, his limbs lean and ropy. Still, best to take it by the book. “License and registration,” Bulletproof said, and the man complied.
The license told them nothing they didn’t know, and the tags were in order. Bulletproof handed the cards back to the driver (one Wenslow Ramplewaithe of 418 Oakwood), who squinted in the glare of Bulletproof’s Maglite. “Do you know why I pulled you over?” Bulletproof asked, careful not to let his tone betray any irritation. The man was a human being, after all, and it wasn’t his fault it had been a long shift for the cops.
“Dunno,” Ramplewaithe mumbled. Then his eyes lit — “Oh, if it’s that headlight, I’ve got a fix-it ticket already. I’m planning on getting it sorted tomorrow morning first thing.”
“You were going twenty-five miles per hour,” Bulletproof said. “On the highway.”
“The rain makes me nervous,” Ramplewaithe said, as Bulletproof watched a bead of sweat roll down his jawbone and disappear into his collar.
Bulletproof narrowed his eyes. “Step out of the car, please,” he said, as nicely as he could.
Ramplewaithe’s gaze darted from Bulletproof to Follies, standing by the passenger’s door with a hand on her gun, and back. Bulletproof could almost see the man’s brain tick through his possible options, and settle on the only logical one. He pried himself out of the Jeep.
Follies rounded the front of the car and leaned close to Bulletproof. “I don’t like this, Jack,” she murmured. “I say we take him downtown.”
“He hasn’t done anything,” Bulletproof whispered back. “He’s innocent until proven guilty.”
Follies spat on the ground. “He’s nervous,” she sneered. “Something’s up. I say we torture him. He must have done something.”
“Now, now,” Bulletproof said. “Let’s see where this goes.”
Ramplewaithe took off running, headed for the inky darkness of the cornfield.
“I got him, Jack!” Follies shouted, bolting after the man and whipping her Taser from its holster. “He’s coming down!”
“No!” Bulletproof called out, lunging into a sprint and grabbing Follies’ extended arm. The Taser fired into the ground, its prongs bouncing harmlessly against asphalt. Bulletproof reached the edge of the road as Ramplewaithe began sliding down the incline toward the field.
“Jack, are you crazy?” Follies cried, running up behind Bulletproof while struggling to fit another cartridge into her Taser. “I had him!”
“He wasn’t threatening lethal force,” Bulletproof said, squinting at the retreating form, gauging the distance. He plucked his baton from his belt and weighed it gently in his hand. “At his body weight, the shock might have killed him.”
“Well, if you’re not going to shoot him, you might as well run after him!” Follies shrieked, sliding partway down the incline, stumbling for her footing on the muddy slope. Bulletproof cocked his head into the wind.
Ramplewaithe reached the bottom of the slope, only a few short yards from the swaying, shadowed cornstalks. Bulletproof counted to three, hurled the baton, and pegged Ramplewaithe right between the shoulder blades. The man crumpled like a bag of baseball bats.
Follies slid to a stop. “Nice shot,” she said, and whistled appreciatively.
“The Department mandates we attend elective extracurricular training seminars twice a month,” Bulletproof shrugged. “I’ve been to the Baton Hurling one thirty times. It’s my favorite.”
Follies reached Ramplewaithe and turned the man onto his back. “Now listen here, you lowlife,” she growled. “Do we need to get rough here? I can dance all night.”
“Go to heck, copper,” Ramplewaithe spat.
“No! Ramplewaithe!” Bulletproof shouted, making his way down the slippery incline. “You have the right to remain silent! Anything you say may be used against you in a court of law! You have the right to an attorney! If you cannot afford one, one will be provided!”
Ramplewaithe parted his cracked lips to curse, then closed them again. “You’re right,” he breathed. “It’s over. Lissen. In the Jeep. Behind the back seat. Fifteen, thirty-two, ten.”
“Jack!” Follies cried. “Jeep! Back seat!”
“I’m not leaving your sight until he’s handcuffed,” Bulletproof said, reaching the bottom of the slope, picking up his baton and sliding it back into his belt. Ramplewaithe offered up no resistance, considering how easily he could be overpowered by the both of them.
They dragged the cuffed Ramplewaithe back and set him stiffly into the patrol car, Bulletproof directing the man’s head safely past the doorframe. The perp contained, they turned to the Jeep.
Behind the back seat, beneath all the blankets, was a safe. “Fifteen, thirty-two, ten,” Follies said. Bulletproof quickly turned the dial.
Inside was little Sarah Waterbury, reported missing the day before and the subject of a statewide Amber Alert. Gasping for air, she tumbled into the Jeep’s cargo compartment on hands and knees. Follies scooped up the girl, who seemed to be all right, save for a scare.
“If I’d Tased him, and he’d died or passed out — I don’t know what we would have done, Jack,” Follies said sheepishly. “This little girl could have died in there.”
“Ah, ah — save it for the statement,” Bulletproof smiled, reaching for his radio to call in the paramedics. “We’ll be up all night doing paperwork for this one.”
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11:12 pm
greenexecutive
![[User Picture]](http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/27025819/4753215) [Link] |
The little train that almost didn't
It's train time.
(Yes, the engine is backwards.)
"Your old stuff is cool," said Kate, playing with the little green car that, when wound, shot across the driveway. We were excavating the boxes my parents sent me, looking for the missing track to my electric train that dates back to 1980 or so. She had already cuddled Robert and Teddy, my ratty old stuffed animals, and wanted to take them to bed with her (no), and set my plastic day-of-the-week desk calendar to her birthday. I fished out my Irish 2nd grade math book too, to see if Kate could do some of the problems.
We never found enough track to form a circle, but Kate loved pulling the train around on a short shoofly track and loading the car-carrier with big American cars.
At lunch today, I hit the hobby store and picked up some new turns, railers, and a track with terminals to connect it to my transformer. After Kate went to bed (we played TransAmerica, of course), I replaced rusty track, oiled wheels, and rewired the terminals until my Burlington Northern engine was zooming around the dining room table.
I have Burlington Northernn stock that my father bought be. They model the train that ran through Ames, and it was important to him that I had the "right" train. Dad has his own O-gauge trains from when he was a kid, all Santa Fe trains (including the famous yellow-and-red liveried engines). I'm sure setting up his trains and seeing my eyes light up was just like seeing Kate's. And so now the circle of train track continues.
I don't know why trains are so satisfying. Is it because you are in control of something that's normally huge and unstoppable? Is it that trains and tracks are composable, so you can create something that feels like your own, unlike toy cars? Is it that, like robots and pets and children, something that moves by itself is immediately interesting?
I love trains. Going full-on train guy is scary---you end up with a garage that looks like It's A Small World, or a basement that's lined floor to ceiling with miniature rolling stock. I've seen both, and it's...it's not good. It's not quite as bad as collecting Lladro figurines, but close.
But, oh, it's fun. Maybe I need to hit the store again tomorrow and pick up some proper Union Pacific cars and a new engine.
What do you guys think? More train? Or does that road lead to crazy?
Tags: trains
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01:02 am
lady_i
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07:26 pm
mister_f
![[User Picture]](http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/95094508/1447549) [Link] |
Goings on.
First off, icon goodness from zaleyamaryllis. I love you dearly!
*countrycanid has been liking this CD, so I checked it out, and it is now my favorite new album.
Kind like the Smashing Pumpkins meet Muse, in the best way possible. Progressive electro rock, as it were.
*crusader_cat doesn't like me apparently. BAWWWWWWWWWWW
Frankly, I haven't responded because I think there's no talking to him. Aint hiding from him, like he keeps saying I am. I'd tell him the same things to him, that I said in the post right to his face. He keeps going in circles, with his arguments. The strips and the macro that was inspired by the strip, that was requested by a fan aren't going ANYWHERE, CC. :
As kitefeathers quoted in one of the thread's in CC's now deleted FA account (which actually came from House, MD): "If you could reason with religious people, there would be no religious people." Also, bonus white knighter for CC on my FA post of the above macro.
*Hopefully later this week, I will be hearing back from Trader Joe's. I am going to be working the day before and after Thanksgiving at a Wal-Mart. WHEEE. At least the pay is nice enough. It's Black Friday at midnight to 9am, but it isn't dealing with non-stop boxes from UPS. If I were a younger person of 10-15 years, I might have taken them up on that sort of thing. But tomorrow, I hafta get a drug test, LOL. They'll probably get the cleanest samples from me.
*Having a BIT of a creative flow lately, let's see if I can keep it going. Hopefully I haven't jinxed it yet.
*Speaking of Wal-Mart, gonna go heat up one of those Take N Bake pizzas, not NYC/LI pizza, but pretty good.
Current Music: Calamity Menagerie - Spin | Powered by Last.fm
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10:38 am
nanonicole
[Link] |
Agh.
My parents were born three days apart in December 1949. You know what this means? It means my dad's 60th birthday is coming up. My brother wanted to do something really nice for him, so we bought him a guitar - some Les Paul awesomeness (my brother picked it out).
You know what this also means? It's my mom's 60th birthday as well and we have no idea what to get her. And we have to get her something because we just bought my dad a freaking Les Paul. My mom really likes to sew, but she just bought herself a $3000 sewing machine (I'm not making this up - it even has a USB port). She doesn't have expensive tastes in anything. So then I suggested a trip somewhere. My mom has wanted to go to Ireland for awhile. But then my brother wants to send my dad as well and I don't think that's very fair. It's not like my mom is going to play my dad's new guitar. So I thought it should be a trip for the girls. But I can't really make my mom stay in hostels because, I mean, she's 60 and she's earned the right to not share a room with 20 other people.
Also, somehow my brother doesn't understand that I'm operating on a grad student salary and that dropping a few thousand dollars per parent isn't really in the budget.
I just suggested that we wait and get her a 65th birthday present and then I can take her to Ireland. Tom suggested we get her a digital camera.
Oh yes, it's also their 35th wedding anniversary in the spring and I'd like to throw them a party for that.
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10:26 pm
tracied
![[User Picture]](http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/60392492/5552703) [Link] |
First Snow Day!
Well up here anyway:
That to the left, is our ski hill.
( come with me )
After that, we used our season's passes to get us 20% off at the starbucks for hot cocoa, came home to turkey enchilada soup. Next time? We ski!
Current Mood:  accomplished
Current Music: Rude Boy Don't Cry - Bedouin Soundclash
Tags: fun, grouse mountain, kids, pictures
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01:02 am
lady_i
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07:01 pm
blaneyphoto
![[User Picture]](http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/89577794/779164) [Link] |
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08:00 am
wondermark
[Link] |
#571; The Battle of Birdy Wills
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wondermark/~3/kprFokYA6cU/ http://wondermark.com/?p=4599 
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10:09 am
wondermark
[Link] |
My steampunk illustration for Tor.com
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wondermark/~3/UF-3vPeB3Yw/ http://wondermark.com/?p=4596 
October was Steampunk Month at Tor.com! The (primarily science-fiction) publisher Tor Books maintains Tor.com as an online magazine featuring articles, essays, short fiction, and other entertaining material, and I was honored to be asked to create an illustration for a story entitled “The Strange Case of Mr. Salad Monday”, by GD Falksen. You can read the story, and check out my illustration, right on over here!
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01:03 am
lady_i
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01:02 am
lady_i
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03:05 pm
rebbyribs
[Link] |
Grrr... IRS
Ben had open enrollment for his work the past couple of weeks, and one of his benefits that we were thinking of taking advantage of was the dependent-care FSA. We wanted to use it towards Iris's preschool that she goes to while Ben is working and I'm taking care of the twins and working part-time (currently a nominal 7 hours per week, but it takes me longer than that). It turns out though that we're not eligible for that benefit because my work is as a self-employed independent contractor, rather than as an employee.
So what I'm making right now by working isn't enough to offset the cost of Iris's preschool. That's okay since the current arrangement is probably better for all 3 children than if Iris were home full-time, the money works out to be fairly close, and eventually it may be good that I did the editing rather than having a total gap in my resume. (I'm still not very good at taking care of all 3 kids by myself. It's not terrible, but I don't do much more than keep everyone fed and not sitting in pee. They all seem to like singing songs and for me to read books aloud. And we can take a brief trip to the playground.)
From what other parents have said at the twins club meetings, having a nanny to take care of two infants runs about $18-$20 per hour, so with that and full-time preschool for Iris, we'd be looking at over $4000 per month in childcare expenses if I were working a full-time job. Totally nuts. Not that child care providers shouldn't be paid well, but it would be hard for me to make enough to cover child care and have any money left over after taxes.
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09:38 am
blaneyphoto
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05:54 am
greenexecutive
[Link] |
Brief note
Sara and I had been planning to make the smartphone move at some point; we'd hit enough moments where we were like, wow, I wish there were WiFi here that it seemed like it was time.
I visited the Verizon store twice, once with Kate to scout out whether the Droid was awesome or not (she loved it), and once to purchase. The first time, on Veterans Day in a nearly-empty store, required a half-hour wait to see a salesperson. The second time, on a moderately-busy Saturday afternoon, had us with a 45 min wait until we gave up.
We went down the street three blocks, walked into the Apple Store. We had an activated iPhone in less than ten minutes.
On the way back from the store, I said, "Hey, Sara, is Adam's phone number in my old phone? I need to call him and see if he ever wrote me back... Oh, hell, I can just check my email, can't I?"
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01:09 am
queensnyc
[filthy_lily]
![[User Picture]](http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/11132934/974559) [Link] |
This site is cool.
http://www.ediblecommunities.com/queens/
Love sites that focus on Queens!
Current Mood:  good
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01:02 am
lady_i
[Link] |
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05:44 pm
mister_f
![[User Picture]](http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/90036479/1447549) [Link] |
Furreh Nuuz TeeVee Episode 15!
( You are about to view content that may not be appropriate for minors. )
Tags: comics, furreh nuuz teevee
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11:47 am
mister_f
[Link] |
Furreh Nuuz TeeVee Episode 14!
( You are about to view content that may not be appropriate for minors. )
Tags: comics, furreh nuuz teevee
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01:03 am
lady_i
[Link] |
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08:13 pm
blaneyphoto
[Link] |  </p>
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03:49 pm
rebbyribs
[Link] |
More things Iris says...
B: I'm going to the bathroom.
I: Oh, I have to come with you.
B: Do you need to pee too?
I: No, I just want to watch you.
B: Why do you want to watch me?
I: Because I really like to see you and not be by yourself.
Sweet and frustrating all at once, which is a pretty good summary of life with a 2-year-old.
Also naive:
"The internet just means working."
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