GOT SHOT TODAY AND OTHER STUFF

I diligently set my cellphone to go off at 04:45 and actually got to sleep early. I woke up after 07:00 and got to hear the last 45 minutes of Dark Matters. Not a good start to the week!
Yup, I got shot today! Teadrinker and I have been talking about our flu and pneumonia shots lately. There has been much speculation as to when I'm due to have my anti "ammonia" shot. She says next year as in '06, I said this year as in '05. I was right! I'm due in August '05. We've also been wondering why the US doesn't buy it's flu shots from us. So......off I went to the clinic, and after a much fun confrontation with a Russian immigrant, who stood up and came to tower over me in a bad attempt at intimidation, I had my flu shot! Safe for another winter. What was the deal with the Russian? Well....there's an unwritten law that crips don't wait in line, and as a long time member of my clinic AND as a crip, I don't even have to make an appointment to get on the list of who goes in to the doc when. The Russian wandered in and started interrogating everyone who was waiting for the doc as to what time they appear on the list. Not being on the list, all he got from me was my *drop dead* look and told that, 'she' is next, and I'm after 'her. He went on with his list crap, got up and came over. I told him to sit down and shut up and wait his turn because I can get up too, and unless he wants a complaint filed with the cops, he'd best start behaving according to Israeli norms. One of the clerks was working in an office with an open door and saw/heard the whole thing. She came out and told the jerk how things work and that unless he is close to being in need of trauma treatment, the crip goes first. Sooooo, he sat back down muttering under his breath in Russian, and I got my shot! I got sent home to rest for a couple of days in case of side effects, and hadn't been in for 5 minutes when the phone rang. It was the cable tech. He told me that there's a problem with one of my boxes and can he come check it out? Huhn? Of course I agreed, and he arrived, and started checking out the box on the new TV. He couldn't get it to behave and brought in a new one which also didn't behave, so yet another new one! Third time lucky. The new TV had the annoying habit of flashing the TV's name on the set up screen at odd times. It's stopped doing that and every now and then parts of the screen *break up* I'm assuming those break ups are from the satellite feed to the cable. Teadrinker, who gets satellite, has periodic "black blinks" where she loses the picture for a split nano second but can still see the translation strip. We figure it's a satellite thing, most likely caused by a raghead martyr getting to wherever it is they get to and not finding any virgins waiting for him, crashes into the comm birds on his way back down. Makes as much sense as anything else. So, cable and I are even. I called them a couple of weeks ago and they said the tech would be here at a certain time and he never came! Today, he came without me calling!
Regressing to before I went to get shot; I called STL and told him yet again, that time is up and I'm sick and tired of his fairy tales and that he is a pathological liar and that I don't believe a word he says. He whined and tried to convince me that he's honest and that some of his friends think that I'm unreasonable. Fine, I said. I don't care what your pals think of me. I want my money back NOW. Now being by the end of the week. I'll update the site tomorrow, then send the whole thing to his brother, and some people in Bangor. and a few others from the old phone bills.
What is it with talented entertainers dying suddenly at a relatively young age? We lost Uzi Chitman today to a heart attack at 52. Add him to Richard Biggs, and a whole long list of others I can't think of at the moment and there almost seems to be a pattern. Elvis is on the list too. I don't get it. Recruits for a heavenly choir? I don't know, it just struck me today, that there seems to be an inordinate number of musically and otherwise talented people who are popping off way too soon.
Teadrinker keeps asking me if I've written about her f**king freezer here yet. I keep threatening to, then forget what it was I wanted to write about. Last night I tricked her into telling me! Ah, yes, the freezer. She bought a freezer that has to be defrosted every year or so and it comes with an interesting arrangement for draining the water. The first time she described it to me she couldn't find the correct terminology, so said that one piece had a 'female' part, and the other a 'male' part. My comment should be obvious at this point; along the lines of oh.........so that's how you defrost your f**cking freezer. How exciting! There! Now I can tell her I posted it. I keep telling her that the only way to get her side heard is get a computer and start her own blog! That day is closer than she thinks.

SOMEONE MISSED THE POINT

It is absolutely unbelievable that so many Americans just can't grasp the fact if the terrorists were not blowing up stuff in Iraq now, they'd be blowing stuff up in the good old US of A. Ok,so maybe Saddamn didn't have stockpiles of WMD sitting in his palace courtyards, ( I still firmly believe that all those fun toys for the raghead freedom fighters are in Lebanon by now.) but the Al Qaida guys were already training in Iraq at the time of 9/11. Iraq is a terror magnet these days because there are so many Americans and other Westerners there, and it's easier to kidnap and behead them over there than it is to pull off a major hit in America or Europe. Why can't those foolish Yanks get it through their thick heads that the war is here(Israel) and in Iraq, not in their neighborhood schools, parks, and shopping centers! They should all be down on their knees thanking G-d that Bush took the game to their court. But no, the Toilet Kerry crowd is yammering about wrong war, wrong time and wrong place. How can he not realize that if the battle had not been taken over there, it would be in America? It's breathtakingly frightening. I'm really scared at the possible result of the election.......at the very thought that Kerry might win. It would certainly serve America right if he did. I rather doubt there'll be a last minute save from Above this time. I'll just keep up my little chats with G-d and hope and pray that Bush wins again. The "free" world can't afford otherwise.

TGC STRIKES AGAIN,AND OTHER STUFF

I had two flashes of genius yesterday. The first was the answer to the question all the talking heads were asking yesterday about what Kerry said about Cheney's gay daughter. It was mentioned a few times that Edwards slipped in a reference to her during the VP debates and Cheney let it slide. It's pretty obvious to me that Edward's mention was a trial balloon and when no reaction was forthcoming, Kerry took it to the next level, and since then his spinners have been attacking Mrs. Cheney for calling what Kerry said tawdry, which was exactly the word that came to mind when he first said it. The connection is between Edward's trial balloon and Kerry's comments is so obvious.
My other flash of brilliance was the realization that our border up here has been relatively quiet and will stay that way until things get quiet in Gaza, THEN, we'll get it. Nassralla and his merry band of Hezbollah goons are just waiting and watching. It's just a matter of time.
I'm still upset about how Aurelia left here last night. She came over to get away from the insanity at home and walked right into the middle of a storm here. As she can't do much about the situation with David and his Parkinsons, she decided to try and fix the situation between me and her highness. While I appreciate the thought behind it, she really should have stayed out it. Irit called this morning at 08:00 and I'd only had 2 hours of sleep. I'm back on Night Owl Time and was in no mood to listen to Ms. Know It All. I wrote her this e mail:
Irit, you seem to have all the answers about how to behave and talk, then, you call me at 08:00 on a Saturday morning and call a friend of mine (yes, I *do* have friends) סטומה
She just happens to have a masters degree in Design from the best School of Design in the world and she peaks 6 languages fluently. She's about as far from being סטומה
as one can get. I wonder if Romi could hear that? This after making such an issue of me asking Romi if her mommy was being mean to her after she squealed, then telling me never to call her father ugly-I have never done that......you do it. Child, get your act together.You are not the center of the known universe I am 52, almost 53 years old and believe it or not, actually like myself. It is not your job to try and change me. I would rather have the peace and quiet of the past month than the stress of worrying about every word that comes out of my mouth. In other words, either, grow up, and accept me as I am, or leave me alone. And don't EVER call me at 08:00 as I am fighting night owl syndrome yet again. I love both you and Romi, and adore Guy, but I will not allow anyone to treat me the way you do.
I decided not to send it. She thinks it's just fine to lay down the law about when to call her, and has no trouble calling when it suits her, and using insulting language. That word in Hebrew means stupid, very stupid.
Last night was a great TV night and I've gotten hooked on Dark Angel. It has elements that remind me of the two books James Patterson wrote about the genetically engineered *bird children* The showed both pilot episodes and two after that. I'll have to check when it's on and try to keep up. After that, there were two episodes og Jag and that took me to about 06:00, when I finally fell asleep only to be awakened by my rude daughter.
Just to make the morning even more fun, Ragamuffin started a fight with Pegasus and I caught my finger in the space between the keyboard and table top. There's a trail of blood drops from here to my room, where the spray bandage is. Raggy and Peg calmed down the minute I got up so I just continued on to the spray bandage.
Oh, joy. HERSELF just called, I was somewhat civil, but if she thinks it's over, she has another think coming.
Tomorrow morning will be another Dark Matters nightmare. At least there are only two more times after that when I'll have to get up at 04:45..........assuming I fall asleep before then. I can't wait for them to go back to standard time!

Purple Gimp on Wheelbroom 

WELL, THAT CERTAINLY SUCKED

But it was the easiest 100 shekels I ever made. Poor Aurelia, she 'ran away' from home for an hour of peace and quiet. Her husband is home from the hospital on a weekend pass. He has Parkinson's and is going through a meds crisis, and she's going nuts. She asked me about Queen Irit, and I told her.......after a heated discussion, she bet me 100 sheks that she could get us talking again, and called Her Highness. Things got a bit messy when Aurelia said that I'm in distress. I'm not. But I *am* super pissed off that Aurelia left here in tears. She only wanted to help and refused to listen when I tried to tell her to leave it alone. We'll get over it our own time or not. I'm perfectly happy without the stress of measuring every word and worrying about it all. Like I said, the easiest 100 I ever made. I'll call Aurelia tomorrow and try to calm her down about it. She's taking it harder than I did. It is never a good idea to get in the middle of the two us. It's just like me and my father. We are too much alike and strike sparks off each other. I've gotten over it with Dad, and as long as we are on different sides of the world all is fine. But Irit is only an hour away and she hasn't figured it out yet. I realize that she is the way she is and that's just fine, until she tries to make me act the way she thinks I should. It will stay this way until figures out that she just has to accept her mother as she is and stop trying to dictate my behavior. No one else has succeeded, not that many have tried, most just take me the way I am and those who don't like me stay away. I'm perfectly happy gimping along on my own and when I want company, have no trouble finding it.
I don't know many people who are satisfied enough with themselves to live alone and not suffer from loneliness. I am, and I know who my friends are and am happy with the way things are.

Immortality in a wall mural 

RAGE continued

Some half brained woman from a corner office at Netvision just called(bet she wears a suit), and after a satisfying scream up at her after she had the unmitigated gall, not to say, chutzpa to say that they succeeded in recovering 308 shekels from me, as if *I* am not the one who keeps calling them about payment.......I made her look up the records, and she used that wording again, at which I really went ballistic. She finally agreed to my proposal after I explained to her that in the event that they disconnect me, I'll just hook back up with Barak who I am still paying........she agreed to call back on Nov. 3 and we'll put it on the credit card. My blood pressure is coming back down to normal and I'm almost ready to try and post my wall picture! I'm the one on the motorcycle!

IN A RAGE: so what's new there?

It drives me absolutely wild that Netvision can not do anything to sort out the mess they themselves made with my account. I just spent an hour raging at the poor gal who had the misfortune of catching my call. The whole mess is their own fault. When I signed up with them (mistake #1) they managed to dig out the old auto pay order I had with them for Striar The Liars internet. So far, so good, then, they never sent it to my bank for payment. That was in March. Then in July they sent me an e mail demanding payment in full. After a few very unpleasant phone calls they agreed to send in the auto pay and if that bounced, I'd call in my credit card number and they could charge it. A few more months went by and all of a sudden the amount was a lot higher. Again the unpleasant phone call-the auto pay bounced and I called and let them charge 308 to my credit card. Last month they were supposed to send the auto pay again. They didn't. I just checked my bank account. I called them and had a fine yell up. The poor gal has to collect all of the current arrears in one go and can't wait until the 2nd of next month when my credit card clears. It has to be NOW and she has no record of my auto pay thingy. She says I pay by invoice. Nice. How can I pay by something I never get? She's got to talk to a suit in a corner office to find out what she can do. These corporate systems are so rigid that even if someone wants to be flexible they can't. I guess I should have been better about keeping track of them, but in the end, they should have done something sooner. I intend to play out the "It's their fault" bit to the bitter end.
Looking at my bank account put me in an even worse mood. STL is still playing around and if he doesn't come up with what he owes me PDQ I'll have to go and personally put him in the ICU. His excuses are getting less and less entertaining. Now he's claiming that one of his pals ie: victims, is going to set up a tax exempt charity for him. Like I can wait that long or even believe him. It's just a lie to buy more time. I don't have any more time. I've got to think of something that will shake him up enough to send some money immediately. If he doesn't, I'll start next month already over my limit and that is just not on.
Did I say in my last post that there are signs of winter? Well, there were, but the forecast for the weekend is for super hot.
The local newspaper store where I've always bought my cigarettes has a wall poster that I only noticed yesterday. I asked the owner about it and he told me that I'm the biker! He had the artist give me a ponytail so everyone would know it's a female, thusly, me, as I am the only female in town who had a proper unlimited bike license! Yay! I've been immortalized in a wall painting! I'll download the picture I took of it in a minute, then post it. Ok, I'll post this, then do the pic. I'm really not in that bad a mood. Just letting off steam.

A TASTE OF WINTER

Oh, yes, winter is on it's way. We got a few minutes rain yesterday afternoon. Not even enough to bring out that wonderful first rain of the season smell from the newly wet ground, but just enough to hear. It was supposed to be cooler today, but I'm sitting here arguing with myself about turning on the a/c. Right now the thought of the electric bill is winning and it's not on yet.
Today started with something that only happen here. I smoke and have no inclination to stop. I buy my own cigarettes and NEVER ever bum them from others. Israeli smokers have absolutely no quams about walking up to a complete stranger and asking for one, and sometimes some. I was probably one of the first to experience the next level. The dogs were outside for their morning business, I was right here at the computer, with the door open. A complete stranger braved Peg and Raggy to get to doorway and took a few steps inside. Thinking it was someone for the medical/crip supply place next door; I get a lot of those; I told her that this is a private house. She said that she knew that, then asked me for a few cigarettes. The answer was a resounding NO! What have we come to that someone who is out of fags can waltz right into someone's home and expect to get?
That was fun, not. Ok, I'm sitting next to the months supply, but it won't last long if I start handing out to every Jane, Sarah and Jill who come in asking.
I've had a life long yearning for a canopy or brass bed. There's one advertised in the Visa booklet for 990 shekels. Being my father's daughter-for once *I* actually agree with this Philmoreism- I went to my local furniture store to see what they have. The closest is twice the price. A quick www search solved the problem. I can do a faux thing with curtain rods on the ceiling and some material and a staple gun. I'll go find someone to help put it all together as I'm not exactly able to reach the ceiling from my wheelchair!
I woke up to a mail from Alice. She sounds fine, but busy. I can't imagine her any other way. She's the only person I know who still is, was and always be even more hyper active than I was. These days I'm downright lazy. There are so many things I want to do, but just can't find the energy to get off my big butt and do them. Ah, well, this has been happening in cycles since I cripped out. I'll get to things when I get to them. Until then, I'll just coast and hope for a lot of really rainy stormy days that will force me to stay in a lot this winter.

OUCH

It must be fall and there's a low pressure system in the area. I've had a low pressure headache for 2 days now and they always make me nervous. In addition, my right leg is acting up again......every time I stand up there's a shooting pain from the top down the thigh and it buckles. Good thing I have my collection of wheelchairs. I quite like my new black one. It has solid tyres and is easier to propel than BBC. BBC's advantage is that he is completely take apartable! They both have advantages, it's just a matter of deciding which suits at the moment.
I was up bright and early; 04:50 and just in time for Dark Matters. It *was* worth getting up for even if nothing else got done today. At 08:00 when it was over, I went back to bed for more sleep, woke up at 12:25 for Charmed, accidentally figured out how to use the TV Guide feature on the remote-hey! I've only had digital cable since 2000! It's about time I figured it out! I finished the second half of the Kellerman double header and started the North Patterson, and that's about it except for the usual 3-4 calls from Teaddrinker, then my old pal The Kraut called. We're meeting at the mall for coffee tomorrow. She's bringing Aliza and I'm assuming that by now Aliza is calmer. If not, I can just turn around and leave. I do not need the agro along with the headache, leg pain and a very mild case of the squits.Something is not right with me. I think maybe I need a mood adjustment, but not much hope of that in the near future. I MUST remember to get on STL's case tomorrow. He should be out on the street by now. He says he promised the owner of the flat that he would leave right after the holidays.......wanna buy a bridge? I don't care, I want my money. I'm trying to figure out where I want to go and when. I'm pretty sure Moscow is out now, and it's time for someplace else. Maybe Maine? In winter with a wheelchair? Maybe. I'll just keep thinking and one day it will just come to me. Maybe in Kiri's direction? Nothing over there really appeals, but maybe. I wonder if she could stand a resorty type place? Ok, now, there's an idea. I'll write and ask her! I'd better get on......I have about 20 e mails to write. I'm so lazy.......now that I have a computer, after all the years Alice was after me to get one, and I don't write. Bad gimp, bad, bad.
Ok, I'll go write all those mails and then take my headache back to bed. It's going to be hot tomorrow-high pressure? So maybe no headache. I hope.

TOP LISTING!

Just for the fun of it, I put Gimp House in the Yahoo IM search.......and guess what came up number one on the list? That's kind of fun......I opened the next few sites and then found one that I'd run into ages ago. It's the ongoing story of a very active, into everything guy who got himself cripped while fighting a wild fire in Kentucky. I cracked up laughing a few times. I can imagine non crips being horrified by what he's written...but us crips and wheelchair occupants know exactly what he's talking about. His site seems to taper off in 2002 and I wonder how he's doing now. I'll see what I can find later. I'm off to bed for a rest. My knees do not like sitting for hours on end-or should that be -no end? I'll be back later; I want to see what happens why I post another one today. Two posts got posted in the wrong order on Thursday and I want to check it out.

AND AWAY WE GO.......

Leave it to our lot to blame getting blown to smithereens in Sinai (in spite of security alerts) on every one except themselves for going in spite of the alerts. So now we can look forward to a long period of mutual blame of everyone by everyone and on and on.
Both governments are playing nicey towards each other. The Egyptians were pretty lame at first about letting our rescue crews in, it turned out that no one wanted to wake Mubarak up to tell him that Taba went boom. Now he and Sharon are being all buddy buddy and the recriminations can wait. Lots of our civilians are bitching about the delays in getting across the border crossing.
I left the TV on Israel 10 and woke up to the exact same thing that was on when I drifted off.......and they had hourly updates alll day long. I went over to Fox at some point, and they made the Israeli connection. Our newsies had been complaining that the foriegn press were all saying it was an Egyptian thing.......not Fox. They had their Israeli producer on from the scene and there was no doubt that they got it right. Teadrinker said Sky also got it right!
The next debate is on tonight and I'm thinking of staying up for it. I just hope Bush gets it together. Of course it will cause difficulties for Sunday morning....I still don't have the time figured and if it's unchanged, I'll have to get up at 04:40 on Sunday, and I don't think that's going to work.
The weather is changing and getting cooler, but they are predicting a gradual increase next week. With any luck it won't get too hot again, and rain won't be far behind, I hope. Rain never stops me from going out, but it will be a good excuse to stay in and get things done that should have been done ages ago.
I've got the 'gotta get out of here itch' again and no place to go. I've pretty much gone off Moscow and am looking for another place.......need a break from the day to day.
Time to get a bottle of water and get into bed for the Friday might CSI marathon and debate.......also must disconnect Teadrinker from my ear.

END OF ENDLESS HOLIDAYS

Sometimes it feels like our holidays will never come to an end. This year they were all over weekends-Friday AND Saturday. This one was a Wednesday and Thursday and tomorrow is a 'bridge' for lots of people. Then all is back to the usual insanity on Monday, and no more holidays until Hannukah in December. School is out then but it's not one of the *not allowed to do anything* holidays so businesses and offices work pretty much as usual.
Can't say I got much done today.....the nature of holidays, no?......just e mails and listened to all my new CDs which was nice and read a bit. Tomorrow I have to go pay the butcher bill and pick up a few things. It's going to be a looooong Shabbat coming so soon after Simchat Torah, but at least I have the new books- Er,uh, I wrote that one was a James North Patterson-oops, it's not. It's Richard North Patterson. I should know better. The first few books of his that I read were in Hebrew, not English. I got them in English and reread them. From that little adventure, I learned to not read English writers in Hebrew and vice versa. I am going to reread Irit Linur's books.......yes, in Hebrew. I still remember the night I was reading her first book at work and got to laughing so hard I almost couldn't answer the phone. I rarely laugh out loud when reading, but there's something about 'designer zayin' (designer dick) that works in Hebrew but not in English. She indeed has a way with words and of course, I'm half in love with her husband, the country's number 1 military reporter, who stayed many times at the hotel where I worked. Ok, today is Thursday; Times Record day. Must go check in on the old home town!

THEY WERE WARNED

The Israeli press has been full of security alerts about possible terror attacks against Israelis in Sinai. The press interviewed lots of Israelis who poopooed the warnings and said they felt perfectly safe. I sat here and watched in total disbelief. I KNEW there was going to be an attack there and sure enough there was. The Taba Hilton and two other places (apparently-according to unconfirmed reports) had massive explosions tonight. They are talking about hundreds of casualties, but no firm numbers yet. Many dead. The border between Eilat and Egypt is open and many Israelis went out of Sinai on their own. We have rescue crews on the way, and there's confusion as to whether the Egyptians are cooperating or not. We only have the best disaster rescue crews in the world.......it's a mess. Why oh why can't Israelis listen? There were alerts all during the holiday period about possible attacks, and arrogant,spoiled,haughty, Israelis ignored them and went there anyway with their families. The police are talking about 30 dead Israelis at the Taba Hilton, including children. ZAKA is on the way. Bless them. They have the horrifying job of picking up the pieces of the bodies and making sure that absolutely nothing is left behind-not a drop of blood or bone fragment. What a mess.
It's very spooky sitting here listening to the reports, having known it was going to happen. I can't explain the feeling. It defies words.
It seems the Egyptians are being difficult about letting Israelis cross the border, and that their border police are trying to impose order in the midst of the chaos. No one knows about casualties from the other two places that had explosions. A few Israelis managed to call out and report. If the Egyptians don't get their asses in gear, it could get ugly. Helicopters and ambulances from all over the south of the country are evacuating people to the hospital in Eilat and Beer Sheva. Preliminary reports say it was the Muslim Brotherhood, who have ties with Al Qaida. Ok, Alon, Irit from my previous post reports that the Egyptians are now cooperating fully with our rescue crews. Or not. Someone else just reported that the border is closed.......like I said, chaos. Now they are looking for returning Israelis to interview. Oooooh, one the places is called Ras al Satan-Satan's head. They say that our rescue helicopters are being allowed to go directly there. Good, Alon says the Egyptians are letting our rescue crews in, even those in Army uniforms. Oh, great, there are some Israelis-you know- those brave tourists who said nothing would happen are sitting in the water of the Red Sea too scared to come out.
And I thought I'd be going to sleep early tonight. All I did was go over to Israel 1 to get the end of holiday update and this was already on. This one is BAD. Obviously an attack against the Israelis who go to Sinai, but in an Arab country.......ok, ok, Egyptians aren't technically Arabs, but it sure is a Muslim country. I guess the Hilton Taba won't be a good place for a vacation any time soon. The whole west side is gone. A ZAKA ambulance is already down there. They are mostly in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv-Bnei Brak. Bet they broke a few speed limits to get there that fast. Bless them and their sacred mission.

THERE OUGHTTA BE A LAW

Children under the age of 30 should not be allowed in grocery stores even if accompanied by 'responsible' adults. Shopping today was a nightmare like I haven't suffered in several years. I usually plan holiday shopping a bit better than I did today. I was up for most of the V.P. debate, granted I was pretty much dozing on and off through it, so woke up pretty late and by the time I was ready to go out it was time for Charmed so I waited until it was over, completely forgetting that it was a holiday eve. I went into Steimatztky first and bought 3 books at 30% off! There's a new Kellerman & Kellerman double header, and a Dale Brown and James North Patterson. I can't find the new Cornwell any where in the country, not at Steimatzky and not on the www here. Grrr. I guess it will show up one these days.
Then into the grocery store. It was fairly busy, but not too bad unless you thing 1 family with 6 whiny snot nosed genetic freakazoids blocking 4 aisles at one time bad, and all the kids were misbehaving. Every place I went kids and their jerk parents were blocking my way. I finally got just about everything I wanted and got out of there.
Of course when I got home there was some jerk parked ON my bump-(ramp from the street) and he was annoyed that I expected him to get the hells out of my way so I could home. Is it any wonder I detest people, generic people, that is. Aside from STL, there are very few that I know and can't stand. Of course one of them arrived today with her mother, who has yet to call, and I still haven't found a good excuse not to meet them. Oh, well, I have until tomorrow or whenever she calls to come up with something. I actually like Yehudit.......she has an original way of looking at things, and her ditzyness isn't off putting. It's just who she is.
I think I'll take the dogs out for a quick run, then get into bed. I just might get to sleep at a decent time tonight.
Oh, yeah, Billy popped up on Yahoo after an absence of several months and I sent a "Hi remember me?" to which I got no reply. Ok, I can take a hint, but a get lost is more polite an unambiguous. I won't be repeating that mistake any time soon.
I'm enjoying the CDs I bought the other day too much to pack up now. I've got the Beach Boys on now and there's a huge goof in the order of the tracks listed on the insert. It's not even close, but who cares? I love them and they can come on in any order! As a kid growing up on the ocean, their songs bring those great days back even if it's West Coast. The East Coast ocean isn't all that different at the end of the day even if they had that whole So. Cal surfer culture thing going. We had our East Coast version too. I need an ocean........gotta do something about that real soon. Maybe a week or two with Alice. Actually, I can just close my eyes and the Beach Boys take me right back to Mere Point.

Purplegimp on wheelbroom 

GOOD CITIZEN, I AM!

I mailed my ballot today! Yeah, me! I voted FOR Bush, which in mind is as good as vote AGAINST Kerry. I giggle every time they ask on Fox if the debates will have any effect on who you vote for. Nope! Not a bit........already voted, with pride for Bush! I just can't see how anyone with half a functioning brain can even consider voting for Latrine Kerry. I pray all day and night that Bush gets elected. Please, Lord, don't let Kerry win. It might be a good lesson, but way too harsh even for all those idiot liberals. They don't deserve the consequences.

The cable guy is supposed to come by 17:00 to change the remote for the new TV's box. The remote went flying and crash landed. Not much left of it. I was using the other remote and got the channel stuck on 2. It will not move, not with the remote and not from the box. Am I talented, or what?
I am super pissed off at myself.......fell asleep and am probably back on Owl Night Time. Bad me. Bad, bad bad. I think it's time for a coffee. Must be awake when the techie gets here.
Oh, got lucky this week vis a vis Dark Matters. They reran an old show, so unless it's one I missed, it's no big deal that I missed it!Of course I would have missed it if I've been England, but I wasn't... How lucky is that? I won't miss the coming one.Also very pleased that the sudden death post posted in the correct order!

SUDDEN DEATH

This new computer stopped dead in it's tracks right in the middle of the last post, which, as a result hasn't been posted yet. The keyboard stopped typing in the middle of a letter and a disastrous investigation revealed that plug had fallen out. While trying to plug it back in, I was attacked by the side panel of the tower and then it just stopped working, and rather than mess things up further, I called Computer's creator, Gerald, who showed up last evening and sorted things more or less. It *is* working now, even if the connection is playing silly buggers again. I told him that after the last check clears (he's not concerned in the least) that we will talk about a possible upgrade to 2000 pro with maybe Linux too. In any event, he'll take -C- away and try to get to bottom of the troubles. He thinks there's a virus in here someplace. I'm not sure and we've agreed to disagree about anti virus progs. He swears by Norton, I swear at it and love AVG which is a bit off it's game at the mo. I'm going to investigate when I get back from mailing Bush ballot!
I finally got my hands on STL and told him that if he doesn't check in every other day at least, a delegation will be on it's way to Bangor (his mother lives there) and another to Safad (he lives there) He called yesterday and again today. He wants me to look up phone numbers for potential victims on the WWW. Yesterday I couldn't and today I intend to tell him I won't! The nasty level is about to go way up. It will be fun to see what happens next week. He committed to leaving *his* apartment after the holidays. That gives him until Friday or next Monday.
The poor folks in Sderot just can't get a handle on the way to act with the press. They had Dumb and Dumber on over the weekend. Dumber explained why she wanted to pick up and move out. Dumb was supposed to explain why she should stay. Neither of them got it right even though there were lots of references to Kiryat Shmonah. If only one of them has said that you do not run in the face of terror, that giving in is not the answer because that's exactly what the terrorists want......you stay and announce with head held high that no terrorist is going make you change your life one little bit. That's how you talk to them. But I guess they just aren't as smart as the people up here, who lived with katyushas for 30 years. I still think that Sharon should do one of two things; don't much care which: announce that for every kassam that comes close to our population will be answered in kind to one of their population centers in the Strip, or that he is starting a major settlement program in the Strip and any and all attemps at terror will be answered tenfold on them and if their civilians get hurt or dead, tough luck.
If only the few who understand that root of all their troubles is their leadership (an ex(?) terrorist as PM should tell them all they need to know about that, they could maybe get a grassroots movement going with a view to kicking out the current leadership (?) The Iraqis never did and the PA ragheads have Syrian and Iranian backing and I bet any such effort would be met immediately with armed resistance by those thugs. Ok. Enough, it's time to bring the dogs in, finish my ballot and take it to the post office to airmail it in! I'll post the previous post after this posts. It will be interesting to see where it ends up; before or after this one!

NOT A BAD START

So far so good. I missed Dark Matters as I thought I might. Screwed up the cell phone alarm again! After a short argument with the computer, I went out to get this months meds and fags. Mission accomplished, then to the big mall to look for another black keyboard, no joy and to see if Discovery had the CDs I want. Yeah! All of them. The Alannis Morisette with Ironic, Dirty Dancing-like I don't have them all in here, Revolver, which never made it over here with the rest of my records, Die Fledermaus and that Beach Boys album that Irit took while trying to convince me that I never had it! Not a bad haul for 300 shecks...charged home for Charmed and then took off again for grocery shopping at Zol Poh. They may be cheap, but they don't have much of the stuff I eat. To HyperNetto in a day or two. I have more than enough for the week.
The UN is having cats and trying to say that the kassam launchers pictured going into the UN ambulance were really stretchers. Excuuuuse me. Those videos can be easily be refined to show exactly what they are. Bet it can even be done on my computer!

TOTAL FAILURE

My valiant attempt to get on Standard Gimp Day Time can be termed nothing but a total failure. I was up ALL night for absolutely no reason at all. I dozed off at around 06:00 and was rudely jolted out of a deep sleep by a phone call from Yehudit in Berlin. Her ex husband and the father of two her children, ate his gun last week. (I wondered if maybe it *had* been Yoram when I saw the piece in the local paper, but as they never publish names, there was no way to know. Yehudit and Aliza are coming in on Wednesday and coming north the next day. She wants to see me. She can be so exhausting, and Aliza is best left unmentioned. I can but hope that she's grown into a less insane teen version of herself. They can't come here because I will not have Aliza in the house. The computer is acting up and the last thing I need is for her to so much as look at it. Sooo we'll have to meet up somewhere, but it's a holiday weekend and EVERYTHING in town is closed except Mc Donny's and Bugger King. Maybe the latter. It's closer and, well, we'll see. I'm assuming that Aliza inherited the Metula house, probably jointly with that horror Daniel, and that's why they are coming over. That house must be worth a freaking fortune now. I hope they keep it and use it to generate income instead of selling it. But you can never tell with that lot. I guess I'll find out at the end of the week.
Ok, the great debate is over and everyone is going on that Latrine Kerry won it, but inspite of that Bush is still ahead in the polls. That little bit of insanity keeps sending me back in mind to try to dig out that definition of a liberal that I read back in early 90s in one of Mark's gun magazines. It went something like: A liberal is someone who thinks that everyone else's opinions should be identical to the way he likes to think his are. I have trouble remembering the precise wording of the last part......but it basically means that the liberal thinks he is on the side of "right" even when he isn't really and everyone else should agree with his delusional views. The correct quote makes it so clear, and it exactly describes the Kerry supporters.
Kerry still drives me wild. He could put an end to the whole flip flop issue with one simple sentence instead of trying to re explain everything over and over ad nauseum. He could just say....."That was what I though then.....after thought and study.....I think this" I hope he never does! That's ok, the talking heads are doing a pretty good job of spin against him. Then, there's the whole terror issue, which he has absolutely no understanding of. As much as one side might want peace, it takes both sides to make it and make it work. As long as the Jihadists want their own way, there's only one thing to do, and that is to eradicate them by any means available. Libya's dictator figured it out and caved. The Iranians and other Jihadi's want to push the envelope and are praying like mad to Allah to have Kerry elected, because he's a pushover and doesn't have a clue and they know this. It's the reason they are stepping up the attacks in Iraq. I don't think they've given up on the idea of doing something outrageous in the hope of scaring US voters into voting Kerry because Bush couldn't protect the homeland. I'm not as sure about that boomeranging as I was. If Bush plays the attacks in Iraq right, it could easily help him.
Then there's the UN, and the oil for food scandal that is coming out. Not only that, but the Hamas is using UN ambulances to move kassam rockets, launchers and shooters. For some reason That did not surprise me at all even though the brazeness of it left me breathless. I'm waiting for them to accuse us of blowing up innocent ambulances when there are irrefutable pictures showing the whole thing. Of course they are also capable of saying *we staged it and 'cooked' the tapes* I would so love to see us, and the US, leave the UN with a firmly slammed door. I *can* dream, right? I haven't forgotten the incidents in the security zone in S. Lebanon when the hezbolla guy held a gun on the UN officer outside a refugee shelter who was asking them to shoot from a different place because shooting from there would sure as anything bring Israeli artillery fire on the refugees. Well, guess what happened? Just that. The great part was that the guys on the cannon were Kiryat Shmonah boys, my son's crew! That bit got shown on CNN exactly twice. The Hezzbolla threatened the report's lives if CNN continued showing it. Who are they going threaten on the UN ambulance thing? The Israeli air force, whose unmanned planes filmed it? Oh, yeah...Hooooo-Rahhhhh. I would love it if Sharon woke up from his delusions and announced a new program to increase settlements in Gaza and the West Bank, thereby abandoning his unilateral withdrawal insanity. That will only increase the raghead's bloodthirst.
I think I'll go cut up some veggies and figure out a nice new threat for STL. Then, maybe read a bit and/or find something to watch on TV. Fox gets old after a while. I WILL not sleep. Must get back off Night Owl Time.