So, what is everyone doing over the long weekend?
About The Author

BooMan
Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
Stay cool, watch the parade, watch the fireworks.
Well, as usual, I am on call and will stay inside the house to stay cool. Hope I do not get called out to work. On the 4th, I have to work. Patients still get sick no matter what the day or holiday is. Will try to catch a nap if I can. On Sunday, I turn the big 60. I was born within 15 minutes of the 4th. So I am a contankerous/emotional cancer.
are having a block party /pig roast. These are the people who turned their house into a Hooters-at-Home- complete with 4 mounted TVs in the garage/bar. This is lined with pictures of bikini-babes bending over while holding 8 inch tools, so you’ll understand when I tell you they voted Republican because of family values. Oh- the mom also runs an unlicensed daycare. (I really don’t live in the slums!)
Anyways, I’m going to bring a collection jar to the party so we can buy some soldier decent armor.
Go see War of the Worlds tomorrow (have already seen Batman Begins and loved it), then see that movie about the Emperor Penguins on the 4th. But mostly work, to make up for the holidays I took this week when I should have been working.
gods, I have so many freakin’ projects.
we are also in the middle of our biggest issue of the year at the mag — and I am about to collapse under the load of work I’ve been given. so I’ll probably quietly sob into my beer at least once this weekend, too.
Welllllll
we were going to my wife’s hometown – but mother-in-law called this morning – they were hit with tornados and straight line winds and have no power (likely until next week), trees down all over – and the steeple is missing from the big Catholic church one town over – and they haven’t found the steeple yet! Lot of damaged houses, roofs, etc. Thankfully no major injuries (other than one horse that escaped and was hit by a car).
So we’re in a holding pattern. We want to go help clean up but there’s questions about access to food and water so might stay in town.
ah life on the plains.
So I’ll probably spend way too much time obsessing on SCOTUS instead… (ah life on the blogs)
to your wife’s family, ISIYFTC (couldn’t you have come up with a shorter name for BooMan??? 😉 ).
but that would preclude me from wondering what the F in the abbreviation is for 🙂
I do answer to “it’sBob” among some circles. thanks for the thoughts.
“fypo” — which is “typo” to those who ensure that brain and fingertips are simultaneously operational…
Bring food. Bring water. Bring ICE! Battery operated lanterns and media devices. Be a relief mission, you’ll be welcomed with open arms. You’ll be demi-gods forever.
I know; I was rescued by friends after Hurricane Andrew.
We went – really pretty mundane – power crews from all over the area did an incredible job – had it back on Saturday afternoon (on and off a few times as they fixed the grid, etc – but great job)
tons of trees down – at one point late Saturday I think ever chain saw in 4 counties was running (along with my ripsaw!)
can barely see the houses for the limbs piled along the edges of the road
but the area is recovering nicely.
I’m going over to my brother’s place. My parents will be there, my cousins, and so my nieces. Yay!!! A mini family reunion.
I’ll probably hug them tighter than normal. They won’t mind because I’m not only the best aunt…I’m the cool one. Damn straight. :<D<p>
When we leave, however, I plan to drink. I won’t get stupid drunk, but I will drink. I’ll enjoy the temporary contentment. Then I shall steel myself, for I am not optimistic for what lies ahead.
BTW–and some of you may appreciate this–but I just got an e-mail from my state NARAL. They’re having a meeting in about 20 minutes. No rest for the weary.
I’m taking my daughter and her friend to the one and only Santa Cruz Boardwalk! They can run around off-leash and make themselves sick on the rides while I lounge around at the beach. We’ll take in the fireworks over Monterey Bay and spend the night in the Santa Cruz Hostel, driving back to San Francisco on Tuesday morning to avoid the traffic.
Does anyone have a link to some nice topical kid-friendly black-and-white text or images that would make good holiday handouts? Renee in Ohio posted a good one the other day but the colors would come out all muddy on my printer.
Ride the roller coaster there for me, will you? It’s an old favorite of mine.
CabinGirl, I’ll think of you when I’m holding on for dear life screaming my head off!
My compadres are getting married tomorrow so I’ll be there as a witness, then I’m dj’ing a reception for them. I’m also determined to get Susan/CCR’s campaign exposed to as many blogs as possible. I want to see that bloglist doubled by Monday! Other than that, I’m going to relax and enjoy my Independence.
</TORTURE>
Well, of a sort . . . instead of going to Paris or Disneyland we’re going to scenic Everett, Washington, which, while it’s not exactly exotic, it’s out of town and the hotel has a swimming poll that my granddaughter can swim in to her heart’s content.
Plus, their baseball team is doing better than the Mariners. OK, so like the Mariners they’re in last place in their division, but that’s only two games behind the division leader (Vancouver) who they’re playing the next two nights when we’ll be there.
Well, trying to get some rest the next couple of days. curly is hosting tomorrow’s garden diary – so I’ll be around in case assistance is needed.
Monday, I expect to be here (thanks Susan, for the heads up & Man Eegee for keeping pushing the story elsewhere):
Forgot;
Any other Tribbers in the NY-metro area planning to go?
It would be nice to hook up.
Well, now that I’m finally healthy the spouse and I can finish the apartment cleaning; once it’s done it’ll just be a matter of minor maintenance with an occasional big job.
Tonight and tomorrow I’ll be working on my substitute “Sisters and Brothers” diary for PastorDan who’s going to be out of town for the weekend (a task I volunteered for in a “What the f*ck was I thinking???” moment). I also finished downloading the rest of the Beethoven Symphonies that the BBC made available for free download (I think it was TeresainPA who gave me the heads up on that — bless you, dear!), so I’ll put those on CD (though I’m not sure about #9 — it’s over an hour long!).
We may get together for a barbecue with the in-laws, but since nothing’s been discussed yet, that’s up in the air. I’d kind of like to have three days alone with the spouse…we’re still working on recharging the marital batteries. We’ve got a lot of DVDs, so maybe stay in, pop some popcorn, and watch our backlog. And Great America has their fireworks scheduled for July 3rd, so we could drive over (or take light rail) and watch those instead of coping with the madhouse scene on Monday in San Jose. (So glad he’s got enough seniority for holidays off!)
Anyway, not too much exciting…
satirical jab at the absurdity of the “creationist” mumbo-jumbo here.
I just read it and it is indeed pretty funny, I rec. it.
I will no doubt be blogging on the 4th unless someone can drag me outta here…
thread to appear on one of my favorite blogs so I could post the previous link which goes to a very funny piece. In my haste, in all the excitement of seeing the phrase open thread, I completely missed the; “So what are you going to do for the long weekend?” question.
So, in the interest of being properly responsive, I’ll work tomorrow, make a couple gallons of homemade chicken stock and several spinach pies on Sunday. Monday I’ll eat a bunch of spinach pie after I’ve given away the rest, and Tuesday, (on the off chance anyone’s still reading this), I go to the dentist for several root canals.
What a thrill. For a laugh though, read the story I linked to just above.
I’d like to flog a diary I just put up in honor of the holiday: Does This Sound Familiar?
I’ve said before that we stumbled into a dream rental deal in an upper class Puget Sound development. Coming from central Ohio, the idea of living in a Destination was beyond inconceivable to us; nevertheless, one lucky connection and timing just before the bubble started pushing up prices, and here we sit for the time being.
We’ll watch the part-timers arrive, soothe our spooky Toto dog over the sporadic fireworks, so some chicken and seafood grilling and get in a little dinghy sailing. It’s hell time for ferries however. Unless you walk on, lineups for car ferries around the Sound can run into hours.
Here’s a few nights ago:
Lots of things:
A friend here who lives elsewhere rents her house out in July, her cleaning lady quit without notice, so I did a walk-through to see if the winter tenant left it OK, bought fancy soaps and toilet paper this afternoon, did some minor tidying for her. Not that I tidy my own house, you understand.
There’s that nice feeling when all the neighbors have gone away and nothing is happening, the energy clears out, and I feel as if I have been given extra time. Planning to spend some of it reading library books (including one by Kansas), writing some of my own.
Last year, I sent the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights to my list as a Fourth of July message. This year, I’d like to send the redacted version, showing what’s left after the so-called patriot act and neocons have worked it over. Anyone know if there’s anything like that already done? I haven’t followed enough line by line to know for sure what’s gone, other than much of First and Fourth Amendments.
Weather: 50s, fog, and what must be a large share of Seattle’s usual rain.
Long weekend? What long weekend? It’s back to business as usual for me on Monday.
But I intend to relax this weekend. I’ve been stressed the past couple of weeks and I need the time to recover my equilibrium.
I’m busy but if this hasn’t been covered then maybe it should be: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4641821.stm
Go to the parade, watch the fireworks, go visit my mom and my brother.
I read the review of “War of the Worlds” in the NYTimes today, and they liked it. Darcy and I have made a pact that we will not give any money to that wacko Tom Cruise. But Darcy hit on the idea of buying two tickets for Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Brad and Angelina’s money goes to orphans!), and then sneaking into ‘War of the Worlds.”
Oh, and I’m meetin’ Alohaleezy at midnight in the parking lot… with stickers.
Are you really serious about Cruise….I could care less what he says publically, he’s just an actor you know…<smile> anyway I am bored and will soon go to lay down again, and I may be up in time to meet you in the parking lot, if invited…hugs susan and have a good weekend and not so much work, you hear!!!!
I’m serious because what he says could influence young people, especially since it’s already tough enough for a lot of people to go to a doctor for help with depression and other mental health issues.
Just for you … a friend sent this … from the astrologer for Vanity Fair:
president george bush has just has his second saturn return
in the twelfth house
as saturn moves into leo
everything that has been hidden
will be leaking out
and if he has acted with honor and integrity
he has nothing to fear
because if he has acted with honor and integrity
and been truthful and sincere
he doesn’t have to worry about what people will think
whether they agree with his policies or not.
if, however,
hee has been deceitful or been led astray or has been underhanded or
done anything illegal, immoral or untoward
he will have to aanswer for it
because that’s just what happens when saturn comes out of the twelfth hosue
this is true for everybody who has leo rising
and frankly
all leos as well
Not that I want to really continue this about cruise, but the young people I know that are in the 13 year range do not have the slightest idea what he said and if they heard him they would laugh just like I did..+ he is just not an icon to the youngsters. Really I can say young people are smarter than that in MHO and aren’t/won’t buy into what someone who is an actor is saying. Sure there could be some strays that might, but then they would no doubt buy into a lot of things.
Also he did make some good points about ritalin, and opens up the dialogue about some of the issues, even tho he is far out there in some areas.
Thanks for the astro. about bush, and I have 2 Leo children, wonder what it means for them…
You are CORRECT about Ritalin…. it’s insane how much it’s be prescribed.
The real problem that fidgety kids have is that they’re not wired neurologically wired to sit fucking still all day in a classroom. (I always had lots of trouble sitting still in classrooms and workplaces, but it’s not because something’s WRONG with that.)
Thank goodness Brooke Shield is so eloquent.
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Dutch government to send 3 F-16 fighter planes with reconnaissance infra-red high-speed cameras, to Aruba this weekend in support of continued search for the body of missing Alabama teenager. These teams have been successful in locating fresh dug graves on several occasions in The Netherlands.
International media follow volunteer members of Texas EquuSearch, Jim Green of Rico CO, and Darryl Philips (left) of Houston TX, as they point over Hooiberg, Aruba. Photo was taken June 29, 2005, before searching for missing Alabama teen Natalee Holloway, in the area of the home of two suspects detained in the case. Holloway disappeared on this Dutch Caribbean Island on May 30. (AP Photo/Leslie Mazoch)
ORANJESTAD, Aruba – Aruba’s chief government spokesman said Friday that three young men detained in the disappearance of an Alabama teenager have not been formally charged but could be as soon as Monday.
Aruba’s attorney general, Karin Janssen said the prosecution was centering its case around an e-mail and cell phone text messages written between the suspects the night Holloway disappeared. Janssen declined to offer further details about the messages, but said not having a body would make getting a murder conviction “more difficult but not impossible.”
Deepak Kalpoe (21), Satish Kalpoe (18) and Joran van der Sloot (17) were the last ones seen with Natalee Holloway the night she disappeared. Four other people — including van der Sloot’s father Paul, a high-ranking island judicial official — were detained and released.
The three young men initially told police, that after a night of eating, drinking and dancing, they took Holloway to a northern beach, before dropping her off at her hotel around 02:00 AM. Satish Kalpoe’s lawyer has since said his client now claims that he and his brother dropped Holloway and Joran van der Sloot off together at a beach near the Marriott hotel, then went home.
Video
Aruba Can Prosecute Holloway Case Without Body AP Video
Natalee Holloway, center, stands with high school friends Frances Bird, left, and Claire Fierman at their Mountain Brook High School senior banquet in Mountain Brook, Alabama in May 2005.
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This girl is still getting MORE coverage on MSNBC, etc. than the missing soldiers.
Oh — they found those missing sibilings in Idaho alive — the ones whose mother and stepdad and brother were bound and killed. The girl was found at an Idaho Denny’s restaurant. A No. Dakota man has been arrested.
Did they find the brother too? Thanks for the update, I would have missed it otherwise.
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No Problem – Dutch Pilots Can Help There Too!
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No Problem – Dutch Pilots Can Help There Too!
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to participate in trouble.
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BooMan – 17 hours earlier –
ORANJESTAD, Aruba – Holland will send three F-16 warplanes rigged with search equipment to find Natalee Holloway, Aruban authorities said Saturday, as U.S. lawmakers increased pressure on the Aruban government to do more to find the Alabama teenager nearly five weeks since she disappeared.
The three planes, equipped with infrared and sonar-scanning capacity, were expected to arrive Sunday afternoon, said Aruban government spokesman Ruben Trapenberg.
This week both Sen. Richard Shelby, a Republican from Alabama, and Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, wrote letters to Aruban Prime Minister Nelson Oduber urging the government to do more and let the FBI play a larger role in the investigation.
AP – Natalee Holloway, left, is seen posing with friends from left to right Lee Broughton, Madison Whatley, and Ruth McVay, in a photograph taken with Natalee’s disposable camera on the beach in Aruba, Sunday, May 29, 2005, hours before she disappeard the next day May 30, the last day of her high school graduation trip to this Dutch Caribbean island.
The Royal Netherlands Navy is responsible for the defense of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. Accordingly, more
than one thousand personnel of the Royal Netherlands Navy are stationed permanently in this part of the kingdom.
Among them are some 400 marines.
Aruba Island
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Yet it is always cases such as Holloway’s that win the headlines. She joins a list of American obsessions like Laci Peterson, Elizabeth Smart, Chandra Levy and Lori Hacking. All obsessed the media in recent years. All are pretty, middle-class and white. ‘To be blunt, blonde white chicks who go missing get covered, and poor, black, Hispanic or other people of colour who go missing do not get covered,’ said Tom Rosenstiel, director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism.
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