Not Helpful

The IBook completely crashed for the second time now, so I gotta get to the Apple Store after work today and either hope they fix it for free or just buy a new rig. Last year, the logic board failed, wiping out everything. This time around, we have a relatively recent backup (and all of our music on an external drive), but the computer was sounding as if it were crushing ice inside, so that's probably not a good sign. Maybe we oughta have an actual desktop as our desktop computer, you know?

Meanwhile, I had just bought Mac OS 10.3 Panther upgrade software off of EBay for the IBook, so if anyone would like to buy it off me, let me know. Retail $129, I'd take $60.

How helpful is that?!

Okay, okay, so I should be leaving work by now, but I just found Flickr, which let me send that picture of Benson from the phone directly to the blog. No middle man, no fooling with uploading the photos onto the webhosting server. Wow.

And Scott, that means that next time I have a night of epic drinking, there will be photo evidence I'll have to erase, not just jumbled syntax and misplaced "[" keys. Oooooo, dangerous!!

Point being, the whole reason I wanted a picture phone was so I could post to the blog. Now I can be anywhere and post a picture for the world to see in 30 seconds. Goddamn that's outta control.

So hey, in the interest of being interactive, what kind of pictures would you like to see?

cat blogging!

Very Interesting: PostSecret

What's your secret?

Interesting: Flashback

You disturb me to the point of insanity. There. I am insane now.

Interesting: The Mendelbaum's are back

"I like running in the snow! Now watch me lift this baby crib up over my head!"

Jimmy's Mom...has got it goin' on

The Smoking Gun strikes again.

Interesting and Tasty: Sushi Recipe

This one's especially for the vegetarians out there.

Interesting: I stink at poker

Had a good time tonight. There were a dozen players in the league game tonight. Some good players were there, but then again, I'm terrible, so everyone seems good. The first 4 all-in bets were guys coming over the top of my bet. Three times I folded; one of those, someone else called and I had woulda had them both beat. The one time I called, I got smoked.

So, especially when playing for fake money, I really oughta be more aggressive.

Monday nights at John Barleycorn on Lincoln, if you're interested.

Helpful: Go back to school

So Josh says I should get my master's in public policy. Fine. I'll go to MIT.

Interesting: Take to the streets

Man, those
inauguration protesters sure were tough.

Interesting: Poet's Corner

I was reminded of this poem today. If you were in my 9th grade English class, feel free to join in...

William Wordsworth (1770–1850)
The Rainbow

My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man;
I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.

Chicago in winter...

...is very snowy and cold. Eight inches of snow last night, six more today. I took some good camera phone pics last night after the David Mead and HEM concert. I'll post those when I get a chance, but for now, I'd like to post a picture from my favorite tourist attraction in the city: The Bean. It helps me think warm thoughts. A friend took it with her camera phone and e-mailed it to me. There should be a word for the process of doing that, but I can't think of anything good yet.

David Mead was okay last night -- he's still plugging away at his songs from Indiana, a mellow record with lots of ballads. Schuba's is a fine venue and all, but the chatter just gets so loud when the opening act is one guy and a guitar and a falsetto.

HEM, on the other hand, was fantastic, I thought. Slide guitar, keyboard, 2 guitars, string bass, drums, and glockenspiel. I don't know how they all fit onstage, but they had a great country/bluegrass thing going on. The lead singer isn't quite Jair's type, but she has an olde tyme voice and is easy on the eyes. As Scott G. said last night, the rest of the band seemed to be competing for the title of "Other Guy on Stage Who Appears to Be Most into the Song." Lots of closed eyes and singing along, Stevie Wonder style. I bought their CD off ITunes this morning, and it's very comforting.

Finally, a shout out to Pops, whose band from church is cutting a record this afternoon. That makes 2 Kuzma's with CD's. This family sets a high bar!

Interesting: Here comes the judge!

Totally sick and twisted, courtesy of the
Smoking Gun.

Last night I went to a Deaniac lovefest Democracy for America fundraiser and saw a lot of the people I got to know in the Howard Dean campaign. A conference call with the Guv, snackies, overpriced gin and tonic...it was like old days. I do miss the energy at those meetings. "You have the power" is a pretty great message to organize people around, ya know?

So which office to run for...

Oh, and by the way, Go Steelers.

SpongeBob Update

James Wolcott has a good idea for what to call James Dobson, the creepy "family values" specialist who loves to fantasize about homosexual cartoon characters: SpongeDob StickyPants.

Interesting -- Homospongical?

I know that some conservative wingnuts have a problem with gays, but SpongeBob? Really?

Interesting -- Yourmusic.com

Yet more proof that record companies have been ripping us off by making us pay $20 for a CD.

Interesting Review -- Garden State

Great flick. It's kind of disappointing though when you love a soundtrack long before you see the movie. The song you think has such huge significance is cut down to just one phrase, or cut up so there's one line from the bridge, then the chorus. Annoying. In the future, maybe I'll suck up the 10 bucks and see the movie in the theater instead.

The story was pretty sad (a guy in his 20's going home to deal with the death of his mother and a mess of mental issues) but smart and warm and funny in that movie-that-Kuz-always-seems-to-like way.
Zach Braff was cool, and as Cindy pointed out last night, quite a lookalike for Ray Romano. Maybe it's just the Jersey thing, but it was kinda creepy. As for Natalie P, she is cute as can be. And she can sure play crazy. When does Closer come out on DVD?....And yeah, the ending is way cheesy, but it was true, so deal with it.

Okay, so I just read that, and it's obvious that this review sucked, but I haven't written in a while, and it's what I got. It's just been too long. I've been stuck in that rut of just reading and reading and thinking and not doing a damn thing about it.

Meanwhile, I'm still looking for suggestions for sermon topics, even though I've decided what I'm speaking about already. And Scott, "ninjas" ain't gonna cut it, my friend.

Interesting -- Pimp this ride

Coutesy of Jalopnik, I give you the Badonkadonk.

Huh?

Has it really been 4 months since my last poker game? That is ridiculous.

I+H -- Science Thursday

I have no idea how I stumbled onto this, but dammit if it isn't brilliant science.

Interesting -- Faith and Politics

Yeah, I know, I know, I resolved to start commenting on these things more, but I'm busy at work so I just wanted to bookmark this so I would read it later. Including Faith Without Imposing It - Center for American Progress

Preach it

So it looks like I'll actually be preaching in church on January 30th. The pastor will be out of town, and the guest speaker fell through, so it's up to me to find the good news, oops, Good News and bring it to the good people of Chicago. What on earth to say?

I + H -- Still in Iraq

This update was sent out on Sunday:

From: "Porter Maj Donald A"
Subject: Family Update

Happy New Year everybody! I hope you all enjoyed plenty of sauerkraut, eggnog, and sparklers. The Marines brought in the new year with quiet steadfast devotion to each other. I'm absolutely honored to be the CO of these outstanding men. They still continue to impress me everyday and every moment I talk with them. They are doing magnificent things.

click "read and comment" to continue...

The weather continues to be very nice. Highs are in the mid 60's and lows in the 40's. Not bad at all considering the amount of cold evening spent at Ft. McCoy and the snow reports we have received from back home. Better you all shoveling the snow than us. I personally have not missed that part of home at all.

Our AO has been relatively quiet since the last update. The Marines of the Mobile Strike Teams are forward deployed constantly putting the enemy farther and farther away, in jail, or dead. They create an absolute dilemma for the enemy by being mobile and everywhere. The amount of time these Marines spend working is phenomenal. They do a rotation between both forward deployed companies and duties for the Battalion here at Mahmudiyah. They spend less than a week in each role and it is a roller coaster cycle for them. It is not unusual for the teams to spend 18-20 hours a day for several days hunting the enemy. By the time they rotate back FOB Mahmudiyah, they are spent and ready to recover which usually happens. Then they get extremely anxious to get back on the hunt after a couple of days. Very impressive. Their attitude is what the legend's of the Marine Corps are made of.

The 81mm mortars continue to provide the ability to deliver rapid response indirect fires when needed. They continue to hone their gunnery skills with drill after drill. Their card games continue to improve daily. They have a good time the only way Marines can.

Congratulation to our newest Corporal and Lance Corporal. Today I had the honor of promoting Cpl Lebron and LCpl Pineda. I cannot think of a better way to start the new year. Both are very deserving of their new responsibility.

We have had a new member added to the Weapons Company Family. Marie Cogley delivered a healthy 7 pound baby girl (Ellie) on the 30th. I know Sgt Cogley has been floating on a cloud. I'm happy to report that both mom and daughter are doing well and have returned home to bring in the new year. Congratulation from Scooter. Since there is no finer way to conclude a letter than with the miracle of life coming into this world, I wish everyone a prosperous New Year.

Don Porter
CO Wpns Co

I hate being sick

Just thought I should say that. Iraq updates and more blogging after work on Thursday. Until then, toodles.