Modesty Personified

I don't know if you've noticed, but I've been trying to curb (most of) my political posts.  Though I could pretend that I do this in an attempt to not run off my few remaining readers ;o) the real reason is that thinking about it so much was probably not good for my stress levels.  So while I still try to keep up with the news-- and may occasionally blog about it (as I'm doing now)-- I'm also trying to not obsess over it or let it occupy too much of my conscious thought.  (Especially since it seems there's not much I can do about it, at the moment.)

That said, I still "follow" Drudge Report on Twitter, and one tweet this afternoon ran as follows:

"Obama leaves WH clutching GQ mag -- featuring himself..."

I clicked the link that was provided and saw this:

I'm sure there's a perfectly good reason for him to be toting around a copy of a magazine with himself on the cover-- I mean, other than the fact that it's such a totally awesome ego-boost to read articles about yourself.  Especially those in which you are touted as the Leader of the Year (woo hoo!) and one of your former (?) polticial oponents-- in this case Sarah Palin-- is denigrated as (and I quote) "dangerous" and "poisonous".

Yes, I'm sure he has a perfectly good reason for his choice of reading material-- just as I'm certain he has a logical explanation for why he's wearing something alarmingly similar to those hideous sandals* that come with Sugar Daddy Ken.

*To any men who might wear sandals like these-- and to the women who love them-- I don't intend to be mean here.  By all means, if you like those ugly sandals, wear them with pride.  For all I know, they could be the most comfortable shoes ever.  In any caes, Heaven knows I'm not the one to give fashion advice.  I tend to wear what feels good to me, whether it's fashionable or not.  I just think they're kind of ugly shoes. . . But again, I own a pair of the ugliest slip-ons known to mankind, and I still wear them around the house and yard, because they're convenient and comfortable (and because they were dirt cheap).  I wouldn't wear them if the Prince invited me to the Royal Ball-- or on a quick shopping trip to Wal-Mart ;o)-- but the mail lady and UPS guy have seen them many times.  So far, neither have turned me in to the Fashion Police or stared at my feet in disbelief, for which fact I owe them a debt of gratitude.

Music, via YouTube :o)

I find myself in the mood to share a few songs I've been enjoying lately.
(I haven't done this for a while, have I?)

The featured artist today ;o) is Anna Ternheim, a Swedish singer/songwriter.  

First, here's her version of "Come Fly with Me":

Then here's "Quiet Night", which is the theme song for a series of Swedish crime/mystery films:

I'm not sure what motivated the choice for some of the photos in that video. Obviously a couple of them are of Anna Ternheim herself, and I thought maybe the rest were Swedish scenery-- but then there's that sci-fi/fantasy-looking one. Your guess is as good as mine. (g) Just something pretty to look at while you listen, I guess.

Next-- "Lovers Dream". (Or maybe "Lover's Dream"? I'm not sure...)

I think I prefer the version where she sings solo, but I can't find a video of it. . . It's very similar to this one in sound-- but she sings all the lyrics herself. (. . .Because that's what people do in solos. . . (g))

I love the musical saw in that last video. It's such a unique instrument.

This man manages to make it sound incredibly like a violin:

. . .But most of the time, I think it has a more unusual, distinctive sound with more vibrato (as in "Lovers Dream"). I'm having a hard time finding a good video of that, right now. . . plus I'm getting bored with the search. . . and this suddenly seems very familiar.  Might I have written about the musical saw before? Oh well. If I don't remember, maybe you won't, either. . .

I know what *I* want for Christmas. . . ;o)

Unfortunately, he won't be "out" (ahem-- take that as you will. . .) until April, so I'll just have to wait 'til then-- wait and save my pennies, because from the sound of it, he's going to be one expensive piece of plastic.

Here he is, in all his fabulosity-- It's the "Palm Beach Sugar Daddy" Ken doll!

*sigh*
Isn't he dreamy? ;o)

I don't know about you, but I just love a guy who can pull off this frou-frou girly-man look!
 Admit it, gals, you're drooling over your keyboards, right?

 . . . Have you finished staring in disbelief yet?  If not, I can wait another minute or two.

Done now?  Ok!  :o)

The expression on "Sugar Daddy's" face gives me the creeps, and those sandals are. . . Well, let's just say I don't like 'em.  As for the floral swimming trunks, the less said, the better.   And the rest of his wardrobe. . . Is it just me, or does it look like Maria from The Sound of Music whipped up his jacket from the remnants of her bedroom curtains, while she was making play clothes for the children?

. . .Only she saved the mismatched, ugly neon lime curtain for Sugar Daddy Ken.  (I can't blame her.  He certainly deserves no better than neon lime.)  

Apparently this is old news, but it was new to me.  The people behind the doll say he's called "Sugar Daddy" because he is "daddy" to a dog named "Sugar".

. . . Yeah.  Sure.  Whatever you say.

Oh, but they also mention that he's really intended for adult collectors (hence the outrageous price of $70-$82).

So which is it?  You can either play wide-eyed innocent and name the puppy "Sugar" or you can say he's designed for a strange bunch of adults who really, really need a metrosexual sugar daddy Ken to complete their collection.  You can't have it both ways. 

Well, this has been pointless, but just consider yourself lucky that it's not a political post.  ;o)

Tropical Storm Ida

Looks like we'll be getting a visit from Tropical Storm Ida. 

This shouldn't be too bad for us, since we're not right on the beach or in a flood zone, but we still might get some wind and rain out of it.  The main worry (to me, at least) is that this type of weather can produce isolated tornadoes.  It's not all that likely, but it's something to be aware of.  On the other hand, maybe Ida will have fizzled away to practically nothing by the time she gets here.  It's certainly possible.  We've had tropical weather before that was nowhere near as bad as some of our summertime afternoon thunderstorms.   

Some local schools are closed today, as is the county courthouse.  I'm glad I checked their juror information message again last night.  It would've been seriously annoying to drive all the way there, only to find the courthouse locked up and empty!

New Glasses

If you read my Twitter tweets or my Project 365 blog or keep up with my Flickr photostream, you probably already know that our new glasses came on Saturday.  I thought I'd write a little about our experience with Zenni Optical for future reference and in case any of you might be interested in how it worked out. 

We were surprised to get them on Saturday, because the last update I'd read online placed them in California.  Even so, they were still a few days later than I'd expected.  I thought the website said they usually arrived within two weeks.  Now I think I may have misunderstood.  Maybe they usually ship in two weeks-- in which case they were almost exactly right on schedule.  They currently charge a flat rate of $4.95 for shipping & handling, which isn't bad-- especially when you're ordering more than one pair of glasses at a time. 

Our glasses came by USPS.  Each pair was individually packed in frosted translucent plastic cases-- nothing fancy, but good enough to get them here in one piece.  Each pair was also wrapped in a little grey cleaning cloth printed with the company name-- "Zenni". 



Now, we haven't taken them to be tested for accuracy, but so far as we can tell, they're perfectly good glasses.  They certainly seem to have gotten the prescriptions right, and they sent the exact frames we selected, too.  (g) 

These days, I've gotten more daring than I once was, when it comes to ordering trhings online-- mostly because you can get such good deals that way.  (Not to mention that sometimes it's the only way to get something that you can't find locally.)  However, choosing glasses frames online still seemed like a bit of a risk.  The website provides all the dimensions of the frames, so we were able to compare them against our old frames and try to visualize how the new ones might compare, but of course there's nothing like being able to try them on and see how they look on you.  It is a little risky, but considering the price of many of the glasses, it might be worth it.  Even if they turn out to look not quite like you'd hoped, you can use them as a back-up pair for emergencies, if nothing else. 

I think we're mostly satisfied with how our choices look "in real life".  It takes a little getting used to seeing myself in new frames, and I'm still adjusting to the fact that the lenses in these frames are smaller than the ones I had before (so the frames are more visible to me as I wear them), but I knew that would be an issue when I made my selections. 

One of my pair-- one of the molded plastic type-- needs a little adjusting.  They sit slightly crooked.  I think it's just a matter of warming them in water and very gently bending them (one of the arms, maybe).  (At least I think I've read online about that before...)  All things considered, though, that's a minor issue. 

The next time we need glasses, I'll definitely be looking online.  If they still have deals as good as the ones we got, I'll order online.

Note:  These were single vision glasses. (I imagine Zenni is just as good at producing bifocals, etc., but I don't have any personal experience ordering those online.  Bifocals and progressives do cost more than single vision glasses, of course, but I'm sure that's true no matter where you buy them.)  Though we got the anti-reflective coating, we decided not to spend more for the thinner (higher index) lenses.   Donald found a site that, based on your individual prescription, translates the difference into actual millimeters.  For both of us, the difference was miniscule-- certainly not worth an extra $17 or $37 per pair!

P.S.  If you want to see more photos of the glasses we ordered, check my Flickr photostream.

Jury Duty

An unforeseen side effect of the Project 365 blog seems to be that I don't post as often on this blog-- but maybe there have been some other contributing factors, as well.  I'll try to write more often so that I don't fall completely out of the habit.

- - - - - - -

I went Monday to my first day of jury duty.  It took longer than usual for them to get down to business, apparently because they're implementing some new system and learning its ins and outs.  For one thing, more jurors came than were needed, which seems strange, given that they are the ones sending out the summonses.  (That word just looks wrong...)  Maybe they usually expect a certain number of no-shows, and this group just happened to be more law-abiding than most.  In any case, they asked multiple times for anyone who'd rather defer their jury duty to a later date to come forward.  It seems that most people felt just as I did-- I'm already here now, so let's just get this over with.-- because it took several tries to finally get enough volunteers.  Now, if they'd offered to simply excuse some of us, there'd have been a stampede.  ;o) 

After we were finally divided into panels (and after a grand jury was selected-- just like last time), my panel and a few others were sent to sit outside a courtroom.  (It just happened to be the courtroom of the judge I remember from my last time as a juror.)  So, then we were left to wait some more, all the while looking forward to being asked questions about ourselves.  (Last time, at least two of the cases involved alcohol, so the questions seemed to revolve around whether or not we drank-- why or why not-- whether or not we had a problem with people who drink-- etc.  Honestly, that process of answering questions about myself in front of a room full of strangers was something I wasn't looking forward to.)  However, it turned out that we never even got inside the courtroom, as a plea deal was struck.

The clerk (or whatever the proper term is) explained that this situation was not unusual and that our being there was still important, because it helps get things moving by inducing people to plead, etc., etc.  It sounded very familiar, because I heard it once last time (only that time, I think it was after we'd gone through the striking process and I'd been selected as a juror), and I found myself wondering if that's just something they say to make us feel better about the fact that we've just wasted a half hour of our day by sitting silently in a hallway.  (g)  I guess it's true, but you wonder if those people were planning to plead all along and were just waiting until the last possible moment.  Procrastinating.  Darn lazy criminals!  ;o)

Anyway, we were released for the rest of the day after that, and for Tuesday and Wednesday, my panel has not been required to show up.  I'm sure it's only a matter of time, though, and we have to keep checking every evening for a period of two weeks (though of course they don't hold court on weekends or holidays).  At least now I've refamiliarized myself with the area around the courthouse, so it'll be less stressful getting there next time, and that first day is the worst, as far as waiting in lines goes. 

- - - - - - -

One more thing about jury duty-- something I remembered from last time and which still strikes me as odd. . .  Before swearing in the jurors, the judge asks if anyone feels that they can't serve on a jury for reasons of religious or personal conviction.  (I suppose these would be people who feel that they are incapable of judging another person or finding him/her guilty.  I can understand it, I guess, but I think it's a good thing for society that most of us don't feel that's a luxury we can afford.  Someone has to be willing to pass judgment or there'd be absolute chaos.)  Four people stepped forward and had to have semi-private discussions with the judge and a few other officials (away from the rest of us, but at the front of the room, in clear view).

Next, the judge lists a number of other reasons why we might be unable to serve.  Some of the reasons are as innocent as failing to meet a minimum age or the requirement of having lived in the county for the past six months.  Then there are things like felonies or having been convicted of crimes of moral turpitude.  You're instructed not to rise or raise your hand until after the judge has finished the list-- obviously in an effort to protect privacy-- but I can't help but look a little differently at those who go to the front of the courtroom after that. . . 

There's no real reason for mentioning this-- just that it feels so strange.  I couldn't help but feel that I should avert my eyes and not look at those people.  Partly out of sympathy, considering how embarrassed I would be to have to go up before all these people and have them stare and wonder about me.  Partly because if any of them are convicted felons, I don't want them mad at me.  ;o)

Also, I wonder why they decided to separate the religious/personal conviction people from the rest. . . Maybe to make it somehow easier for the first group. . .

Well, enough about jury duty.  Next post will probably be about our new glasses. 

Oh, wow. . .

I think I've figured out my next crochet project!  I can hardly wait to begin!!  

Now, which lucky person on my Christmas gift list is going to get this little gem. . .?  ;o)

Isn't that just incredible?

What were you supposed to do with this "Giant Floor Ball"?  (No, seriously, that's what it's called.  Look closely at the bottom right-hand corner.)  Is it for sitting on?  Decoration only?  Could it be a toy for the children?  Or is it strictly for leaning against, as the model demonstrates?  Don't you just love the look on her face?  There's nowhere she'd rather be than cozied up with her Giant Floor Ball.  It's her favorite place for romantic daydreams.  (Maybe this woman just has odd taste in home decor.  See that figurine on the table behind her?  Well, it's not my taste, at least...)

There are more yarn atrocities from the same source (a book) on this page.  

Privacy in Europe

This story ("Ever-Present Surveillance Rankles the British Public", New York Times) does make RIPA (the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act) sound pretty creepy.
I can understand using this level of surveillance in cases of national security (i.e. suspected terrorists), but does a woman suspected of falsifying her address so that her daughter can attend one school over another really merit that kind of scrutiny?

...Under a law enacted in 2000 to regulate surveillance powers, it is legal for localities to follow residents secretly. Local governments regularly use these surveillance powers — which they “self-authorize,” without oversight from judges or law enforcement officers — to investigate malfeasance like illegally dumping industrial waste, loan-sharking and falsely claiming welfare benefits.

But they also use them to investigate reports of noise pollution and people who do not clean up their dogs’ waste. Local governments use them to catch people who fail to recycle, people who put their trash out too early, people who sell fireworks without licenses, people whose dogs bark too loudly and people who illegally operate taxicabs.

. . .

One of the biggest criticisms of the law is that the targets of surveillance are usually unaware that they have been spied on.

. . .

“They promptly ushered us out of the room,” she said. “As I stood outside the door, they said, ‘You go and tell your friends that these are the powers we have.’ ”

Soon afterward, their daughter was admitted to the school. Ms. Paton began pressing local officials on their surveillance tactics.

“I said, ‘I want to come in and talk to you,’ ” she said. “ ‘How many people were in the car? Were they men or women? Did they take any photos? Does this mean I have a criminal record?’”

No one would answer her questions, Ms. Paton said.

And in a related story from the Associated Press ("Lutefisk and loot: Tax records open in Norway"), we read about a different type of invasion of privacy.

In a move that would be unthinkable elsewhere, tax authorities in Norway have issued the "skatteliste," or "tax list," for 2008 to the media under a law designed to uphold the country's tradition of transparency.

The article goes on to share the (non-tax-sheltered) wealth of a few high-profile Norwegians-- but this "tax list" isn't just for the rich and/or famous. Everyone's on it.

Many media outlets use the tax records to produce their own searchable online databases. In the database of national broadcaster NRK, you can type a subject's name, hit search and within moments get information on what that person made last year, what was paid in taxes and total wealth. It also compares those figures with Norway's national averages for men and women, and that person's city of residence.

Defenders of the system say it enhances transparency, deemed essential for an open democracy.

"Isn't this how a social democracy ought to work, with openness, transparency and social equality as ideals?" columnist Jan Omdahl wrote in the tabloid Dagbladet. He acknowledged, however, that many treat the list like "tax porno" — furtively checking the income of neighbors or co-workers.

Critics say the list is actually a threat to society.

"What each Norwegian earns and what you have in wealth is a private matter between the taxpayer and the government," said Jon Stordrange, director of the Norwegian Taxpayer's Association.

Besides providing criminals with a useful tool to find prime targets, he said the list generates playground taunts of my-dad-is-richer-than-your-dad.

"The children of people with low wages are being teased about it in the schools," Stordrange said Thursday. "People with low salaries are being met with comments at the grocery store, 'How can you live on these low wages?'"

The information had been available to media until 2004, when a more conservative government banned the publication of tax records. Three years later, a new, more liberal government reversed the legislation and also made it possible for media to obtain tax information digitally and disseminate it online.

. . .

Most other Europeans, including residents of Britain, Italy and the Netherlands, have very different attitudes toward transparency and privacy and would be horrified at such a setup. Last week, the Spanish government for the first time released information on how much each Cabinet member is worth, but data on ordinary citizens is still private.

In neighboring Sweden, anyone can order a printed edition of the Taxation Calendar, which lists the earnings of people in mid- to upper-income brackets. The information is also available online, although Swedes whose financial information has been searched are notified by mail of who checked their details.

Christine Ingebritsen, a professor at the University of Washington, said the Norwegian tax list exemplifies a time-tested, distinctly Scandinavian custom of egalitarianism.

"This is how you make sure that you're being legitimate in the eyes of the community — you show that the wealth of a CEO isn't off the charts," she said, adding that unlike the U.S., Norway "places the wealth and health of all as a priority above the individual success stories."

Still, there are plenty of opponents of the list in Norway. A 2007 survey by research group Synovate revealed that only 32 percent of the Norwegian public wanted the tax list published, and 46 percent were against it.

Georg Apnes, director of Norway's Data Inspectorate and a member of the Conservative Party, called publishing and combing through the tax list "repulsive" and "disgusting."

"It reflects very poorly on our culture and on our society," he said on an NRK morning news program.

So, any bets on how long it'll be before the U.S. has its own versions of RIPA and the "Tax List"?

To Anyone Considering an Eskie for an Indoor Pet

The Eskie.

As a puppy, adorable. . .

As a grown dog, beautiful. . .

A (mostly) loyal and (sometimes) obedient companion. . .

Energetic. . .  Intelligent. . . Athletic. . .

And a constant source of amusement and company. . .

They are also little fur-shedding machines.

If you have an indoor Eskie, you can expect long, frizzledy white hairs on the sofa, rugs/carpet, and your clothes*.  Dog-hair "tumbleweeds" will mysteriously appear in corners (particularly in hard-floored rooms).  Your belongings will seem to generate not only a layer of dust, but also of dog hair.  And your vacuum cleaner will fill up faster than you ever thought possible.

(A word of warning:  If you're squeamish about hair and/or fur, it may be best if you just skip the next photo. . .)

This is our vacuum cleaner's canister after I vacuumed one room.  (I know because I emptied it before I started.)   

Admittedly it is a decent-sized room-- the room we use most-- the room Trixie spends 95% of her time in-- and a carpeted room.  But still.  I think you'll agree that this is. . . impressive (?)-- especially considering that it's been only a week since the last time I vacuumed this room-- and this time I didn't bother to hook up the attachments to vacuum the sofa and all the little nooks and crannies.

I guess I can't blame it all on Trixie, but she's responsible for the majority of it.  It's just part of what you have to expect when you keep this kind of dog inside the house.

And yes, she's worth it.

*When dressing to go out, you have a few options.  Don't wear dark colors, change at the last minute-- and don't you dare sit down or handle the dog after changing-- or have someone de-fur you on your way out the door.  Well, there's one other option-- decide that you don't care if people know that you have a sheddy dog at home.  Wear your dog-hair-covered clothes with pride!

"Whatever you do, don't look down!"

I've switched over to Blogger's new editing whatever-you-call-it. . . (Interface?)  Anyway, everything looks different!  (Surprise, surprise.)  Most of the icons are different, and there's this handy-dandy "strikethrough" button so that now I no longer have to type in the html code.  This may might could possibly will definitely lead to overuse (as if I didn't already have my hands full with parentheses and dashes!).  I'm not sure whether or not I like this new system. . .  Guess I'll give it a few posts before reverting to the old one.

So, on to the real reason for this post. . .

It's a really important subject, of course.  Otherwise, I wouldn't even be writing about it, because I only ever write about big, important, deep subjects.  Like the weather, and puppy dog pictures, and-- oh, ok, it's just a puppy dog picture.  But it's not Trixie this time, so it's a palate-cleansing photo, for those of you who were getting a wee bit tired of Eskie photos.  (Seriously, though, if you don't like Eskie photos, you're not welcome here.  Go now, and never return.  We don't want your kind 'round these parts.)

Mainly I'm writing because I wanted something else at the top of my blog instead of that "Illegal Alien" costume.  So here it is-- something else!

It's a photo of a calendar we have in the kitchen.  The photo for October is this brown puppy sitting on a pile of (what appear to be) chocolate bars. 

I get the "joke"-- it's a "chocolate" (chocolate-colored... brown) cocker spaniel sitting on chocolate bars.  (I'll wait a moment while you finish laughing merrily at the cleverness of it all. ;o))  Maybe I'm just being difficult, but it seems like an odd set-up for a canine portrait, considering that chocolate is poisonous to dogs-- even potentially deadly.  It's kind of like if Anne Geddes were to pose an infant amidst an arrangement of bottles marked with skulls and crossbones-- or delicately nestled into a big ol' pile of cyanide pills.  (Kind of, but not quite.)  It's just weird.

. . .Well, that's it, I guess.

I thought about regaling you all with an amusing anecdote about how, as a child, I thought that little decorative pieces-- you know, ceramic figurines, trinket boxes and the like-- were called "white nots" (or maybe "white knots"-- I wasn't completely clear on the spelling).  Mom must've told me they were "what-nots", but I misunderstood. . .

Yeah, I thought about sharing that story, but then I realized that it wasn't actually a story, per se, and that bringing it up would be pointless (though only marginally less interesting than a photo of a puppy sitting on candy bars).  And that being the case, it's time to bring this entry to a close.  (g)

(Yes, I'm in that goofy mood again.  It comes, from time to time.)