Sandy Aftermath

It wouldn't be a real storm if we didn't lose at least one tree. So here it is. The obligatory tree that was sacrificed.

Seriously, is there something wrong with our dirt that these trees can't stay in the ground? And don't give me that crap about how the ground was saturated with 6 inches of rainfall. Only one other tree in the neighborhood fell. I'm a little tired of storm cleanup. That's the second time this year.

We moved to Maryland and got hit by 2 hurricanes, 2 snowpocalypses,  1 derecho, and 1 earthquake. WTF, world.

At least this tree fell on the neighbor's fence and did very little damage. We just have to figure out who's going to get it off the fence. We already offered to help them chainsaw the branches and get them out of their yard, but our residential chainsaw isn't powerful enough for the main trunk.

Other than that, we had a window leaking and some dripping in the basement, but neither was real serious. There was period Monday evening where we looked outside at the wind and decided it was best to stay away from the windows. We set up the air mattress in the front room downstairs that was farthest from the trees.

That was a horrible night. I can't believe we make our guests sleep on that thing.

The only thing on TV was CNN or The Weather Channel. DirectTV stopped all other programming to the other stations. We saw a LOT of coverage of idiot reporters standing in flood waters. I started hoping for a shark attack.

The nicest thing about being stuck inside for 2 days was the dog. He was a little scared and slept for 23.5 hours on Monday. He didn't want water or food, and definitely did not want outside for any reason. So we built him a hurricane bunker out of pillows and he stayed there all day long. And the next day too.

Question 7 in Maryland

( Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun / September 29, 2012 )

Question 7 in Maryland is about adding a new casino to increase state revenue. It's a big battle of who has the deeper pockets. The casino interests are paying for heavy advertisements and the opponents are matching ad-for-ad. The governor has strong ads for it, even the mayor of Baltimore has an ad alongside Jonathon Ogden.

Supposedly, the ads against it are being financed by casinos in West Virginia, but who cares. That's part of the game.

After talking with some friends and coworkers about it, the real reason people are annoyed is because of the lies.

The problem is the governor has promised "hundreds of millions of dollars for our schools" as well as thousands of jobs.


 That's actually not true. As the state comptroller explained publicly, funding for Maryland schools is decided by the Bridge to Excellence Act. It's a state law that pre-determines the level of funding for schools and sets aside money for that.

So, in Maryland, schools are paid for. The state comptroller said the only thing additional revenues can do is free up spending for something else.

Like what?

Who knows. The governor keeps talking about schools. Taxpayers don't know what the money will be spent on.

Another thing is the tax rate the casino owners will pay. The state is only collecting 25% of the gambling revenue. Seriously, that's the best deal you can negotiate? Even 34% would be better. Honestly, it would have to be over 50% to make up for the lies about school funding.

Even so, it's hard to pass up any source of new revenue and jobs. Except that the existing casinos haven't delivered on any of the campaign promises. Maryland Live! casino was supposed to lower our taxes. That's why I voted for it a few years ago. Instead, the governor raised taxes in May from 4.75% to 5% to avoid cuts in education and public safety.

I feel like I've already been mislead once on casino gambling. I won't let it happen again. That's why I'm voting no on Question 7, to demand more honesty from the state government.

Writing Clearly

I discovered Reddit's page of reddiquette....how to behave yourself among the Reddit forums. There's a line here that I'd like to share with you, since I've never seen it said so succinctly before.

Intelligent discourse requires a standard system of communication.

Kinda a beautiful sentence if you think about it. It's both the reason why language exists at all, and why you should follow proper grammar, punctuation, and structure rules. To make yourself clear and understandable, you need to follow the expected system of communication. Capitalize letters when applicable, use punctuation in the correct place, spell words correctly, and structure your sentences with subjects, verbs, and objects.

It explains why we need writing classes in schools. With forums, emails, texts, comments, blogs, etc all over the internet, people need to know the standard rules of writing. What you write is potentially captured forever, or as long as your computer memory holds out. The standard system of communication is particularly true when you are conversing with someone you have never met. They don't know you, don't know your inflections of speech; you must follow the expected rules to make yourself clear.

Think of it this way. Common language is a way to unify us, to share ideas and opinions. If you don't conform to the system, you can't be a part of the conversation.

Planes

It's been a while since I flew United (4 years actually) and I can't believe how small the seats got.

And haha, no, I didn't get larger.I'm not talking about the cushions, but the leg room. Holy hell, I'm five foot nothing and my knees were pressed up against the seat in front of me. Does that make any sense to you?

Because of overhead space, I had to shove one of our carry-ons under my seat. I had nowhere to put my knees or my feet.

I also sat in the middle seat because I'm significantly smaller than my husband and it seemed fair to take that seat. I flew the whole way there with some guy's elbow in my side. I flew the whole way back with another guy reclining into my already diminished area.

I could barely move. For hours. I used to like traveling too. Airplanes were an adventure and took you somewhere cool. Now they feel like misery you overcome, with the lack of movement, noise, people, and motion sickness.

And if someone is reclining into your area, forget getting to that bag under the seat. Need another book? Chapstick? Contact solution? Hell no, because there is no angle of approach that will let you 1) pull out that bag, 2) have enough room to sift through it, and 3) place it back underneath. I messed my shins up just getting it under there in the first place.


For the record, I have never reclined my seat on an airplane. I never will. I don't like it when people do it to me, therefore, I will not do it to others. It's the same as bumping your grocery cart into someone at the checkout line and leaving it shoved up against their ass for a few hours. Don't invade my space and I won't invade yours.

It's pretty much the equivalent of shackling you to that seat. You can't move much, getting out is too much trouble, and everything starts to hurt. The jailers do come around with a small cup of refreshments, and they let you choose that beverage just to keep you quiet.

Forget prisons. We should make inmates sit in airplanes.

Shut up it's free

I belong to the online bookswapping community, Bookmooch. You earn points for listing your books and mailing them to someone else; you spend those points by requesting a book from another user. The only cost is postage.

Lately, there's been a trend to add condition notes about the book. Whether it's torn, smelly, old, or whatever.

I refuse.

One, I'm too lazy to bother. Two, the book is free. If you don't like the condition it arrives in, it cost you nothing. No one is forcing you to read it. You can give it to another person, donate it, or simply recycle it. I don't care.

I mean, okay, when the book is really bad, like if it's missing a cover, I will type that into bookmooch. Generally though, all of my paperbacks are in the same condition as you'd find in a used book store. I find no point in describing what "like new, slightly used" means, or that there's a coffee stain on page 34.

I've actually had people email me to say, "I'd like to get this book, but I need to know the condition first."

Do you? Here's the condition: it's free so shut the heck up. I don't even bother to write back because eventually the person will decide how much they want it. It's not my job to convince you to get it; I'm the one who has to fork over $3 to mail it to you. I do not care if you request the book or not.

People need to get perspective and say, "hey thanks for the book!" Those ungrateful bibliophiles.

Time Management

I get a lot of questions about time management. It makes me feel kinda stupid because I'm not an expert on the subject. I don't even think I have that busy of a life.

I work 9 hour days.

I walk, feed, play with the dog.

I have an online business selling dog collars.

I hike on the weekends with friends.

I read as many books as I can, as often as I can.

I watch TV shows.
I'm pursuing a masters online.

I do projects around the house.

I go to the gym and/or yoga classes 3x a week.

My typical day is really normal. I get up (5:45am), make lunch, go to work, go to the gym, walk the dog, make a collar or two, eat dinner, do dishes, make 3-4 collars or do homework, play with dog, watch TV, read book, fall asleep (10:45pm).

There's really no secret to it. I get plenty of sleep and get everything done. So I'm not sure how to answer people when they ask how I manage it all. I don't think it's an unusual amount.

Notice I don't make time for cleaning, chores, and laundry. I try to do those as I'm doing something else. If I'm walking around the house, I'll try to clean up a bit. Wipe something, or throw something out. Maybe toss a towel in the wash and set the timer. It takes seconds though.

Playing with the dog is hide-and-seek. I hide his toy somewhere in the room. While he's searching for it, I can brush my teeth or pack my gym clothes. I make my phone calls to family while on walks. I guess it's multi-tasking but I don't really see it that way.

I also don't try to be perfect. If the homework is half-assed, then it's half-assed. I just need to get an A or B. It's the diploma that matters.

I don't give TV shows my full attention, unless they are awesome like the Good Wife or Walking Dead. You only need 10% of your brain to watch 2 Broke Girls. The other 90% can be spent sending invoices to customers or playing Cityville on Facebook.

Plus, I have help. My husband makes me look lazy. He does all the cooking and all the house projects. If I sweep the floor, he mops it. He plays with the dog every morning and night. And he's supportive of my collar business, yoga classes, and master's degree.

Sometimes I get overwhelmed and tired, but who doesn't? My days may be full but they aren't insane. I think they are pretty typical actually. So that's why I don't understand why people ask me about time management. If you want to, you have time.

Book Review - City of Pearl

This book sat on my bookshelf for years. I think I even have the sequel. I finally got around to read it, and all I can say is I'm glad it's past me. Now I can get the book out of the house.

It didn't have a quest. If there were goals for the protagonist, Shan, to accomplish, I don't know what they were. Or they changed too frequently for me to keep up.

On the verge of retiring, a senator convinces her to take one more job - leading a team of scientists to a planet to explore. But there's a hidden quest that even Shan can't know until she gets there. So the senator erases her memory of the conversation but leaves triggers in place so it'll come back.

Okay, great. Reader is on board, ready to find out what the quest is.

Get to the planet, discover evidence of intelligent alien life. The quest must be to make friends with them because they can annihilate us.

Nope, then Shan finds a whole database of unpatented seeds and other crops. The universe is saved! The agriculture monopoly on Earth is broken!

Nope. Too much time has passed since the senator dispatched Shan to the planet. Now there's a new government that likes the agriculture monopoly.

Found evidence of a parasite that grants eternal life. Quest must be to keep it secret!

The new government sends an invasion force against the aliens. Quest must be to save the planet inhabitants!

The book changed gears so many times, the author didn't even know what it was about. The characters were written well, but the plot sucked. If there was a plot.

Book Review - Crown Duel

I did not want to read this book. Which  makes it all more surprising that I liked it. A lot.

My ebook selection at the library was thin, so I browsed through what YA they had available. I settled on Crown Duel because the Goodreads reviews were positive.

I really liked it. I stayed awake until midnight, then spent most of Sunday finishing the book.

Meliara, the protagonist, can be annoying sometimes. The good thing is she knows that. She is flawed - tiny, skinny, just learned to read last year. She and her brother pick up the revolution started by her father against a tyrant king, and proceed to lose every single battle afterward. But she does it with such bravery, pride, and principles that it's hard not to like.

She's also damn tough. After getting her ankle caught in a bear trap, she escapes her captors (with help) and uses her wits to evade pursuers halfway through the kingdom while on foot. It hurts like hell and she's starving and you know she's going to get caught, but you kept reading to see how she gets caught.

The romance kept me reading as well. It wasn't perfect; at one point, the only thing keeping them separate was Meliara's pride and her embarrassment to go talk to him. He also could've told her how he felt. It was two people not being adults about it. That got irritating, but the author gave you enough to keep the pages turning.

It's been awhile since I was so enamored with a book that I didn't want to put it down. It's a good one for the airplane or a cold, rainy day. You won't get bored!

Revolution Review

I love hating this show. Hubby and I scream at the TV after nearly every line of dialogue.

"Cities wouldn't be overgrown in 15 years!"

"Where'd you get skin-tight leather pants?"

"After 15 years, you are just now questioning the nature of the blackout?"

Which is really why the show annoys us so much. Electricity doesn't just stop. If you have fire and gunpowder, why can't you burn coal? It's only been said a couple of times that "physics went whacky", but 3 episodes in, I would like a demonstration of why windmills or waterwheels cease to produce power.

Also, who's the blacksmith that makes all those swords? And who trained everyone to sword fight?

As for the lady with the secret internet connection in her attic....dude. That means the infrastructure is fine and still getting power. That means there is a power plant somewhere with live wires into her house. I doubt she has a generator because that requires diesel fuel and "physics is whacky". Anyway, try hiding a working power plant, live infrastructure, and working internet. Not gonna happen.

There's also wayyyyy too many people running around. Hubby and I disagree on this point, but the human population would be absolutely, mother-bleeping decimated. Most people wouldn't know to get out of the cities right away and would be waiting for the power until they starved or were killed by the neighbors. If you were within walking distance of a city (like Chicago), you wouldn't have made it the first month.

If you did manage to get out to the farmland or mountains, you probably wouldn't survive the first year. Sickness and disease and weakness from malnutrition would claim you. The only people that would survive are ones living in extremely remote locations with a calm climate and protections from raiders.

Right, so 99% of us wouldn't make it.

Last point, if the father had an idea the blackout would be possible, how the FUCK do you not build a bunker full of supplies? Or move your family out to the country? I'm thinking of the scene where the father comes home and tells the mother to start getting water because they don't have a lot of time. You didn't do this before?? Even if the chance was remote, maybe 10% likelihood of occurring, I would buy farmland in the middle of nowhere, move my family out there, and tell them to stockpile seeds, weapons, ammo, matches, medicine, and toilet paper. Anything they can get their hands on. Buy horses and livestock too. After all, if the blackout does happen, money won't matter. Might as well spend it.

If the blackout doesn't happen, well, you blew your life's savings. But at least you have a farm.

Yard Visitors

 Last Sunday, we had some visitors in the yard. I have no idea how they got in, but suddenly at 10:30am, they were there, hanging around the patio and on the deck.

Our dog, Colby, actually did his job to let us know they were there. Out of the 12,683 times he barked out the window, this time was for real.

It was pretty surprising to see two beautiful blue pitties chilling on the deck looking in the windows at us.

 Hubby went out first to check for tags. No tags. They were in great shape, very muscular. Not overfed, not skinny. Extremely friendly, happy dogs. We gave them some water, which they drank in a few seconds. I just kept refilling the bowl from the hose.

At this point, we started to think someone put them in our yard. They weren't very tall dogs; just under my knee. Sure they were muscled, but they didn't strike me as jumpers. Hubby searched the perimeter of the fence looking for holes or notes or any clues at all.

 The dogs played some ball and seemed to settle down in the yard. I started making phone calls to see what we were supposed to do now - the vet, animal control, rescues, etc. No one would answer the phone on a Sunday morning. I was starting to get real mad because it looked like we'd have the dogs for a few days and have to take them somewhere and give a donation to do it.

And I was getting real pissed at the people who lost or abandoned these sweet dogs. We didn't even know their names.

After about 12 phone calls and no luck, we went back outside to check on them.

Gone.

It was only about 30 minutes, and I just don't see these dogs as capable of jumping the fence. Hubby checked the fence again for holes, and I looked down the block to see if they were hanging around.

Nope, just gone. I didn't see them again all day long.

Maybe one day we'll figure out what happened to our yard visitors. Until then, I hope I did right by them.

Resource Guarding

This is my dog, Colby. About 30 minutes before I took this picture, he had stolen another dog's food off the kitchen counter. A dog we were watching for friend, who needed to eat.

I was lucky enough to catch Colby right away before he could rip the plastic. I got the leash on him, preventing the never ending game of chase.

So there I was with the leash. And there he was with the food.

Neither of us were going to budge.

You think in a test of wills with a dog, a human would always win. Well, about an hour into it, I was ready to let him have it. I even called hubby and asked him to come straight home instead of getting a haircut after work. You see, when it comes to my dog, stubborn takes a new definition.

My dog is stubborn. He doesn't want to get off the couch, or go outside in the rain. But if you put a leash on him, he'll get up without grumbling. That's what most people think when I say stubborn.

No, that's not stubborn. He has a whole level beyond that. I call it his Asshole Phase. (coined by my brother). This is where the dog does something just because he can and there ain't a damn thing you can do. He'll walk by your shoes 10 times, but the 11th time, he'll decide to steal it. Then he'll either run around the house with it, or turn into a growling beast with a look that says Puny human. I have taken what you prize the most. I will destroy it now and make you watch because I am more muscular and I have these teeth.

That's Asshole Phase. Experts call it resource guarding.

I have tried every training method suggested to me and bought books on the subject. Nothing has worked. He just wants to be an asshole. Why did he steal the food? Because he could.Because it was unlikely I would put my hand near it and risk getting bit, so therefore, he thought he was going to get away with it.

He was almost correct, that asshole.

I tried making him sit and stay for 20 minutes. I played with the other dog, had a great time playing tug and fetch. No reaction. I wouldn't let him greet hubby when he came home. Gave the other dog big pepperoni slices straight from the refrigerator. Nada. Nothing was going to make him drop the food.

Eventually the plastic bag got a hole in it and food was slowly coming out. The other dog followed Colby around the house like a personal feeder.

He held this bag for an hour and a half.

Finally, I put him on the treadmill. We only use that to supplement walks when it's real cold out or pouring rain. This time though, it was to make him pant so that he couldn't hold the bag anymore. It occurred to me this was borderline abuse, so I kept the treadmill to a slower pace than if we walked around the neighborhood.

It worked. Twelve minutes on the treadmill and he started to pant. The food bag came out and the other dog had dinner.

I know better than to call that a success, even though I did get the food and didn't get bitten. I wish I knew how to stop him from stealing in the first place. Ever since then, when he steals something, he gets put on the leash and tied to my waist. Then I ignore him. That's what you are supposed to do with human assholes, right? I go about my business through the house and eventually he drops whatever it is he stole. When he does, he gets praised and released from his human harness.

I'm hoping he eventually sees there is no point to steal. Keep your fingers crossed this works. 

Book Review - Touch the Dark

I couldn't even get to page 10 of this book. The author's writing was atrocious. Long sentence after long sentence after long sentence. Paragraphs were half the page or more. It was a monotonous structure and felt like I was reading a stream of consciousness rather than an actual story.

It started off fine, with the protagonist getting an note on her computer of her own obituary. Time, place, and method of death.

Then pages went by and she's talking about her boots and Atlanta. She's going to some club near the place where the note said she'd die, and I have no clue why. Ever hear of 911?

She could even barricade herself in her office with a handgun. Anything but strap on a pair of boots that are over your knee and stroll to a club, taking in the sights of Atlanta as you go.

Dammit. I hate it when these books gets published.