I just found out I have endzone tickets to the Eagles-Giants game this weekend. What are you doing with your time off?
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.
Oh. Sorry.
Class on Saturday AM, maybe a movie later, and FOOTBALL on Sunday. Okay, so I like football. My secret shame…
And I root for anybody that beats a Manning.
Then let us share our mutual admiration for this fellow!
And this one!
Oh, and Boo, to answer your question : What’s ‘time off’?
And these guys!
And one more…
“Eli, meet Steve.”
No shame to my game.
If I had time I’d spend all weekend zoned out on football. Beer & chips, optional.
Do you have longjohns?
P.S. Close the bathroom door before you leave.
to Capital Grille on Saturday evening, on the Plaza in Kansas City, Mo. for an early anniversary dinner, to celebrate our fourth year of marriage.
I will be spending the rest of the weekend with my two children, playing in the cold wet snow and having a ball.
to you and yours… 🙂
hey ghost..I’ll gladly second that wish. Have a great time and a wonderful weekend.
Happy Anniversary GDW!! You and your wife sound like a perfect match. Congratulations.
to stop at the jewelers’ before the dinner. 😉
Happy anniversary!
Does anyone know the traditional gift for the fouth anniversary?
Traditional 4th wedding anniversary presents have a theme of Books, Flowers and Fruit.
A contemporary or modern 4th anniversary present has a theme of Electrical Appliance. (Sure! If you want to get smacked upside the head AND no nookies for a month…)
The flowers associated with the 4th anniversary are Geranium
The Gemstone list shows Amethyst and Topaz associated with this Wedding Anniversary
Electrical Appliances…and then there are Electrical Appliances… 😉
I will be digging out the 8 or so inches of snow we got here this morning in NY.
6″ in S.E. MI, but fortunately the fluffy kind. Still, some guy 3 years younger than me had a heart attack while shoveling today. Be careful out there.
are playing, not sure that’s a good thing… 😉
Weekend plans:
Tonight: going out to dinner and do holiday lights viewing
Tomorrow: more cleaning, do laundry, perhaps go see a movie
Sunday: Raiders on TV (got to see if Tuiasosopo has what it takes), possibly do some holiday decorating.
(As you can see, I don’t plan too much in advance, we’re spur of the moment types around here…)
Writing a paper Martin Luther, Calvin, and the Reformation. Bleh. Had to read and use Hillerbrand’s “The Reformation” as a source. Will probably also have to cite Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and sections from the Bible. I’m not looking forward to this….
Oh yeah, snow shoveling, house cleaning, and laundry too. Whatever happened to “weekends”?!?!?!?!
You have my sympathies.
My paper’s on cardiac toxicity and chemotherapy…blech. Is it Monday yet?
Whoa. That sounds significantly harder than what I’m tasked with. I don’t know how old you are, but I’m 37. I’ve got to say that while my ability to concentrate has certainly increased since youth, my ability for rote memorization has decreased significantly. Guess it’s age related. Don’t know how you deal with all that medical terminology…. –M
We’re almost exactly the same age! I’m finding that I have absolutely no patience for rote memorization any more…thank heavens I’ll be done with the didactics in June.
Are you in med school? I can’t imagine going through residency/internship at this age. Up 36 hours straight? Are you kidding me?!?!?!?! 🙂 –M
I’m crazy, but not that crazy! I’m doing a post-bac doctorate in pharmacy.
of the professorial desk . . .
Making exams. Four exams, two lab practicals. Only part of my job I really don’t like – making exams and grading them.
Getting the house together for my sisters coming for my daughter’s college graduation next Saturday <beaming of proud mama>
No snow to shovel though.
Heh. That’s a good Burke quote. I especially enjoy the irony of citing a conservative luminary for the liberal cause. 🙂 –M
just remember Luther’s “Three ‘Solas'”:
Sola Fide (Faith Alone)
Sola Gratia (Grace Alone)
Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)
Grew up in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod — the phrases were on three of the stained glass windows and I had to have something to look at while staying awake during the sermons…
I grew up in a family that wasn’t particularly religious. So having to read this material really opened up my eyes to how bat-shit crazy people became after Constantine handed the Roman Empire over to the Christians. What a mistake. Over a thousand years of religious lunacy was the result. Thank God *cough!* for the Enlightenment. *shakes head*
I’m glad to have read large sections of the bible now. It’s critically important for an understanding of western civilization and history. But I’m especially glad to have read this material as an adult rather than as a child. To be taught to believe scripture as abject truth from the hand of God is a pernicious assault on a child’s sense of rationality. No wonder we’re still a fucked up society…. –M
(hope this didn’t offend)
I did learn the Bible as a child…but I was always encouraged to think for myself, so as I grew older I didn’t limit myself to just that. 🙂
I still consider myself a Christian, but one with an adult relationship with God rather than a childish relationship; I rely on my own good judgement rather than depending on a bunch of stupid rules, while accepting the adult responsibility to care for the least of my brothers and sisters (Matthew 25). 🙂
Best of luck to you and your studies…
From a Connections episode by James Burke, remembering crudely:
Plague -> need for linen body bags
-> skepticism about faith alone, leading to increased reliance on reason
End of Plague -> collapse of body bag market
Greedy linen merchants -> create fashion craze for underwear
Linen -> no longer being burned with bodies, piles up in dumps
Paper -> linen fiber from dumps helps make boom in cheap, available paper
Press -> once invented, has ready supplies of paper for disseminating print information
Luther -> comes along during a new information age
Thus: Underpants are key to creating the Reformation.
back to the Underpants Gnomes…
but I hope your Eagles play better than they did against the Seahawks.
I’ve actually never been to a pro football game — more of a baseball guy myself. Even so, I hope you have a good time!
i hope the Giants win 49-0. And I hope I don’t get killed or spray-painted green while I celebrate.
Giants’ blue in Philly can be as dangerous as wearing an American flag in Baghdad.
I hope you get spray painted but not killed. Go Eagles! 🙂
I hope your Giants play better against the Eagles than they did against the Seahawks. 🙂
Although the Giants did better than the Eagles did.
You’re gloating, aren’t you, Omir!
(Me too.)
Naaaaaah. Just enjoying the moment. 🙂
Been to a pro football game, I mean (though I certainly wouldn’t mind going!). Football is much more of a TV game, I think…
But baseball…I don’t know if you can truly appreciate baseball until you’ve been to the ballpark.
Which is not to say I don’t watch baseball on TV, listen on the radio, etc. But nothing beats the ballpark!
Oh, Lisa, you must. I took Darcy to a few when she was small … we saw some great players, including John Elway and Joe Montana (grrrrrrr) … and I couldn’t believe how exciting it was. I’m woefully ignorant about football, so I’d tape the game at the same time I was AT the game so I could study it later, and learn more :):) But, in the last few years, I have lost interest, but the Seahawks current record might make me tune in again!
I don’t pay a lot of attention to pro football, because by and large it happens on Sundays and I have other things to do on Sundays. But when the local team is 10-2 and headed for the playoffs, you kind of get sucked into it.
(tap, tap – is this thing on?)
Could we have a morning open thread on a regular basis, something like the European Breakfast? Some days – not every day, but some days, I wake up and read the paper and find something I’m just dying to share here . . . and there’s no place to put it. Usually the last FP story is up from the night before, or someone has posted a new (and usually very good one) and whatever it is I want to share would be OT. And the FBC isn’t quite the right place for it (I know, nothing is off-topic in the FBC, but you know what I mean.)
It would have to be an East Coast FPer, I think, or maybe one of you could post one as you turn out the lights the night before? (That would, of course, be a metaphorical light turning out, of course.)
</italics, parentheses, and request>
it’s a good idea. I’m not sure quite how to pull it off with our current crew. I do hope more Tribbers join Fran for Breakfast though, and I’ll keep your suggestion in mind. It might be best handled by the members and in the diaries…
Fran’s amazing, but the European Breakfast is so . . . European.
How could it be done with a diary? I’d be willing to put one up that just says “Open Thread” (when I remember) but I wouldn’t be around to participate for the rest of the day, most days, anyway. Would it need someone to stick around?
it depends on what you envision. Obviously the European Breakfast wouldn’t work if Fran didn’t stick around. Maybe the Cafe crew could help you come up with the right solution?
It’s a neat idea, Janet!
Poor Boo .. he used to be able to count on me to be up early (5-6am PT), but for the past couple weeks, I’ve been oversleeping, and ashamed of it! I need that alarm clock that Raw Story headlined yesterday — it flies around in the air making a horrible noise until you get up and catch it.
btw, Steven D is around early AMs now, which helps so much.
a “Morning News Roundup”? Whoever starts the diary would post a few tidbits (with links) from their news perusals (here’s where a great RSS reader comes in handy), then people can add their own news bits, comment on ones that have been posted, etc. Once it gets full (say 100 comments or so), someone can continue with the “Late Morning News Roundup” or “Afternoon News Roundup” depending on the time of day. And of course if any of the topics bite someone as being worthy of a full diary, they can diary it if they give credit to whomever posted the link. (Oh, and whoever wakes up first can always promote it to the front page…)
Just a thought…
Agreed 1000%.
Like you, Janet – some days I too run across a news item or issue of interest I’d love to share and discuss. I’ve found that the FBC isn’t really designed for that (and btw, who the heck came up with the . . . um . . . “creative” idea to post an open thread diary? (WTH?) ;^)
I’d really like to kick off the day with an open thread. (Heck – I’ll even offer to call Susan and wake her up. Or HEY! If Susan would like to sleep in, I can certainly be trusted with all the BT admin codes and such. ;^)
Thanks for your consideration of Janet’s idea, dear site proprietor!
Have to go to a political meeting, finish holiday shopping and decorating, and thought I would go over to Union Square in SF and pass out leaflets with a group from BuyBlue.
But I have to admit that my pets have a much better plan for the weekend! In the winter, you’ll always find them arrayed in that patch of sun on the south side of the house.
… We have been taking advantage of having a live in baby sitter! lol
Since last night was my wife’s payday… That makes tonight “date night”… We have been using this night to discover some of the local restaurants in the area and getting a bit of “us” time.
I guess that would make today “shave n’ shower day”? (lol jk)
Let’s hear it for 13 year olds! Have fun tonight!
It is nice to finally have a bit of “freedom” once in a while. If by fun, you mean a few hours of quiet conversation and some good food… Then, you betcha we will! lol
Would that be someplace in city-center Danbury?
Any suggestions?
We still haven’t even hit all of the restaurants in New Milford area yet. I usually let my wife pick.
I know the Connecticut area about as well as I know my way around Timbuktu…
In other words: I have seen it on a map. lol
I’ve heard that this place is good:
Two Steps Downtown Grille, 5 Ives Street (794-0032)
Have fun!
The Two Steps Dowtown Grille looks interesting…
I’ll run it by the wife. The snow seems to have stopped around here so the drive shouldn’t be too bad.
Good afternoon! Enjoy the game – it sounds like a much-needed diversion. (I won’t be attending any games – I’ll just be listening to my husband yelling profanities at the Vikings)
As for me, I’m boxing up care packages for the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq after spending the week collecting donated items. (Although, at the moment, I wish my dentist hadn’t been quite so generous in contributing so many boxes of toothbrushes, toothpaste and dental floss. With six packages to mail, the postage alone is going to cause me quite the financial set-back.) But the troops are so darn appreciative of any words of encouragement, or receiving any items in need, that it truly makes it all worthwhile.
Realizing there are individuals out there who are opposed to anything related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (including the troops themselves) I’m somewhat hesitant to mention the program through which I participate. On the other hand, for those who are interested in learning more about sending packages (or simply a card or letter) to support the troops – I’d like to recommend: http://www.anysoldier.com
The needs of the troops are quite diverse – depending on their current locations, their current assignments and their current housing arrangements. The Any Soldier website provides contact information for individual units, along with the specific items needed by the troops within those units. I’ve participated in this program for about a year and a 1/2, and I’ve had nothing but the most positive experiences.
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend filled with peace, joy and tolerance.
Ok – you guys get to hear this cause I’m home alone and need to bitch.
Three and a half years ago I put in a new furnace. The old one was 40 years old and still worked, but couldn’t accomodate the new air conditioner.
Last night I came home to a house that was about 50 degrees. This morning I found out that the circuit board on the (relatively new) furnace had to be replaced. The parts were still covered under warranty – but labor cost just under $400.00.
No thats just how I wanted to spend all that money right now when I have done NO holiday shopping and I’m trying to save $ for a vacation in March.
Changing my sig to PissedOffinStPaul.
then — just got a call from IKEA; the delivery guys got stuck at the last place so will be here about 12:15pm or so, when they were supposed to be here by noon. Any chance of me getting some of that 69 bucks I paid for delivery charge? NOOOOoooooo….
(I shouldn’t bitch too much; at least I got a call, and the woman who called was very nice, though probably young enough to be my daughter, considering my advanced age…)
Well, at least I can run out to the store this afternoon; just need to be home by 5 so the spouse and I can go out and play… 🙂
So once my “guilty pleasure” TV Show is over (Starting Over), I can get out of here… 🙂
A couple of years ago we had exactly the same problem. The furnace was only about a year old and went belly-up one very cold night. We called a guy who’d been servicing our previous furnace for years and he had never even seen one with a circuit board. He called the manufacturer and was told that was were the problem was.
Must be they’re still working out the bugs.
It happened to my folks too – furnace about 4 years old, in a house that they had just purchased. My husband can fix a regular furnace, but these new electronic ones are beyond the old technologies. It’s like cars – I’m hanging onto an 18 year old car because it doesn’t have any circuit boards or chips in it. Surface mount technology may have improved, but it’s still not perfect and it’s impossible to fix when you’re dealing with components with 32 mil leads.
Maybe I’ve missed it but I haven’t seen anything on the orange or green blogs about the scandal reported last night on the evening news about JAMA’s discovery that an early Vioxx study omitted 3 heart attacks known to the authors.
From the TV commentary they said this changes the results of the original study. Between the lines I inferred concern for the entire system of research. This has all kinds of implications for politics.
I used to run an international arts oriented forum and my sad experience was that the American free speechers eventually drove away enough of the talent that the forum became moot. I find that a great many bright and talented people aren’t either gifted or enthusiastic about a combative style of discourse. Logical debate and argument are not the same as combative discourse. It’s a hard fact of human nature that combat regularly drives away reasoned discussion and the kinds people who prefer it.
Of course, this is a founding principle of the Republican Revolution.
I hope that after several months of behavior-wars in the blogosphere that I’m not seeing a flight of non-combative intellectual talent. But I wouldn’t be surprised if I were.
I may just have to wear a brand-new-funky froggy shirt on my “date night” tonight… lol
My daughter asked me “How come you get a new shirt?” and my son wanted to know if he could wear it for a while. I guess that they are either kid friendly OR my kids are politically aware and somewhat reality based?
I also have a bumper sticker that I may stick on the bumper of a local republican mayor’s SUV. heh (LOL JK)
Hmmm…and to think I had to steal my kid’s froggy shirt to wear it…obviously, something is wrong with this picture!
LOL
:<)
Of course, the Eagles are gonna get creamed, though I’ll root for them. Of course, I LOVE Donovan McNabb! ((sigh)) He’s had it tough for a bit, which of course, makes me love him more. I have such respect for him.
Go Philly!
the OTHER football that the rest of the world recognizes, that is:
WC ’06 seedings are out. Being in the same group as Italy and the Czech Republic does not bode well for our chances to advance to the second round, I suspect.
.
Put your questions on Iraq and the War on Terror to Noam Chomsky in this week’s forum.
“Treason doth never prosper: what’s the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason.”
▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
At 4pm PT today on C-SPAN:
Forum
The Realities of War
Close Up Foundation
Chris Hedges , Princeton University
— Hedges is so good on what war is really like, and his former addiction to war reporting.
And there was a great seminar that I only caught the end of — at the National Security Archives, with Seymour Hersh and others — I hope C-Span shows it again. Their Web site TV schedule isn’t usually up to date, so i’ll just have to keep checking.
Dude…WTF
I can’t believe you didn’t call me…..
Sheesh