IMAGE VIA maratguelman 

So, I'm learning myself amateur astronomy. Recently I discovered that amateurs 'scopes can be used to see the rings of Saturn. I have to say, I never knew that, and had I known that, I'd have been a lot more excited about telescopes sooner. I'm trying, therefore, to get an idea of how small my 'scope can be. So far I've discovered that people with 9 inch apertures have been able to see Saturn (with rings). I want to be able to get a decent image of Saturn, but I don't want to spend a thousand dollars on a reflector (correction: I want to spend 1000 dollars on a refractor, I just can't).

Anyway - thoughts, admonitions, advice, abuse? Keep (whispering) watching the skies.

"... I make this look good." - Will Smith in "Men in Black"

Michelle wearing a mantilla (correct protocol for meeting the Pope).



Laura Bush doing the same (but she does look very nice, too).

When I plug my cellphone in to charge it, I stack on the (almost never used) iPod, cause I am short on space, and they stack so nicely.

Well, just now I picked up my phone (which really needed charging because it had been days since I did that and it was just about out of juice) and boy was it hot! I don't think it's supposed to get that warm while charging, but I don't know if it the phone's battery about to die horribly, or the iPod (also rather too warm).

Dammit. I don't want to go phone shopping.

Er, I guess if it's just the battery, I could replace that and life would be fine again, right?

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ICanHasCheezburger/~3/yKCFVSFCqUU/

http://icanhascheezburger.com/?p=166384

I seem to have a second job!

The MBTA wants more of your money — $2.50 to ride the Green Line and and $2 for the bus if you’re paying cash, $2 and $1.50 if you have a Charlie Card. As the Patriot Ledger reminds us, the increase is coming after the T just got millions of dollars from the sales tax hike.

The Russian blogosphere conveniently, if bafflingly, revolves around LJ. Each week, RUSSIA! scans the chatter and brings you the top five topics.

• An LJ-spreading VIDEO news story from St Petersburg warns of Russia's new drug epidemic—binaural wave-based music abuse. It's like heroin and cocaine, apparently. Developed in foreign war labs, apparently. The smug, scraggly fellow tinkering with his Windows program and then blissfully spinning for the camera is the self-proclaimed specialist-pusher, apparently. Medical experts shake concerned heads. Commenters call bullshit. [АУДИО-НАРКОТИКИ]

• Blogger vaziani posts a spread of borrowed photos on Obama's visit to Moscow along with his amusing commentary plus this actual description of the presidential breakfast: smoked sturgeon with Russian pancake patties and currant marmalade, boiled egg with black caviar and sour cream, quail dumplings, and farm-fresh sour cream-based ice cream with cherry kisel for desert. Commenters compliment commentary, drool. [Обама в России в фотографиях]

• Actor Stanislav Sadalsky picture-blogs about Moscow's thirteen most famous ghosts and where to find them. Ivan Grozny's ghost meanders around the Kremlin, the headless Hovanskys executed by Czarina Sofia in 1682 now scare drivers on the Yaroslavkoye Highway, and empty train rumored to carry catastrophe victims' souls appears monthly on the Circle Line. Commenters recall sightings, surprisingly sarcasm-free appreciation of the fictive. [13 призраков самых известных МОСКВЫ... чур меня ,чур и вас тоже...-Садальский]

• Blogger Kira discovers a file on the desktop of her boyfriends computer containing many cell phone photos of female passerby butts and avenges her pride by posting them all on her LJ. The gallery is followed by the couple's comment exchange, mainly his treatises of explanations: "This has nothing to do with my feelings for you! I came up with this art project while bored on the subway. I was going to make a collage!" "Bla bla bla. You show me one professional artist who goes around sneaking cellphone pictures of asses! Good luck with your artistic career!" "....I love you, sunshine!" Aw, young love in public technological plight... [О находках]

• Blogger serpoff warns of the latest group of charlatans to swindle old people—the latest expensive medical cure-all marketed on Radio Russia isn't made of anything useful, mostly beet juice. Commenters offer their wisdom: "Every society has this element in commerce: stupid people's extra money funnels to the trickiest" and "Holy Icons don't cost $612 and give old people a hope for the afterlife." [Внимание! Шарлатаны!]

At the strange intersection onto Highland (near Kickass cupcakes) a T bus (I think the 87) has stalled.

This is, not surprisingly, screwing up traffic. Highland itself is backed up to Willow. Dunno how Russell is doing.

8:30 Wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Excited!

9:30 See my photo on Lens blog. Proud!

10:30 Drop $300 on Zumanity tickets for littlehoudini and me for 10:30 tonight. Anticipatory!

12:15 Set off for subway. Happy!

12:30 Exchange enthusiastic waves with fennel. Joyful!

12:45 Come out of tunnel at Kendall to see mail from United. Flight cancelled; rebooked on flight that lands at 10:25. Anxious!

1:00 Get off at Park to call United. Spend 20 min talking to rep and on hold. Explain that I have to get to Vegas by 9:30 or I'm out $300. He ends up telling me same info I got in email -- that I'm rebooked to get in at 10:30. Suggests I speak to counter reps if that's not good enough. Panic!

1:20 Ask to speak to rep's supervisor. Angry!

1:50 Supervisor tells me I'm confirmed on direct flight leaving at 6, landing at 8:40. Relieved!

2 - 3:30 Wander downtown Boston aimlessly, looking for decent but reasonably-priced food. End up at South Station food court, where I eat food that is neither. Exhausted!

4:15 Check in for flight. Rep is pleasantly surprised that I know my destination. Srsly?

4:30 Post to LJ. Hi!

So, today I am 42 weeks pregnant, which makes me 2 weeks "overdue".

Yesterday I had a routine pre-natal checkup with my midwife, and the baby sounded good and everything. I weighed myself and was holding steady at 176/177 lbs (awesome!), little to no swelling in my extremities, and I felt sleepy but good. Drinking lots of water with a healthy appetite. Baby obviously dropping lower every day, and more cramping too. No bloody show or anything like that, just more cramping. Earlier in the week I'd gone for a pedicure, as well as having had acupuncture, which brought on some contractions, but did not kick start labor. Felt good though and I had a very nice nap after.

Anyway, Cara (my midwife) and I discussed it, and we agreed that she should do a membrane sweep, as this morning I was going to go in for a routine biophysical and sonogram to make sure all was well with the baby. So, she did the sweep and I had some mild cramping all night. Usually membrane sweeps - if they work - will cause labor to start around the 48 hour mark. The idea was that I'd go in for the biophysical today, and if I wasn't in labor by Saturday, she'd do a second sweep, and maybe I would take castor oil on Sunday.

Most castor oil inductions are rough affairs but my midwife does not have you take 2 oz of castor oil at one go. Instead of 8 tablespoons of castor oil, you take ONE tablespoon of castor oil, and a second tablespoon 6 hours later. Perhaps a third tablespoon 6 hours after that. In her (long) experience she has found that this can kickstart labor without the detriments of the traditional dosage.

So, I went and got my biophysical done. Baby's heartrate was great, tone was great, placenta was great, movement was great.... but my fluid levels were low. Very very low. As in almost zero. Hm. Weird. Doctor asked me if I'd been leaking to which I replied I hadn't to the best of my knowledge - which is true. I think I would have noticed if I was leaking.... Anyway, I had predicted in the car on the way over that my fluid levels would be low, siince every single person I have interacted with in late stage pregnancy has had "low amnio levels". Almost every single one! Which says to me that maybe it's totally regular, but whatever.

The doctor who looked at my sonogram was not concerned, but part of my tests was the fetal monitor. No biggie, thinks I.

Now, we got there at 9:30 a.m. I finally got to the fetal monitoring part at 11:45. At that point I'd finished my water/juice mixture, and eaten all my Fig Newtons (the Newman's wheatfree/dairy free ones :) and I'm starting to get tired and hungry. Nurse asks me when my due date is. I tell her it was 2 weeks ago, and she says, "Why are you here? You should be in Labor and Delivery."

( This gets long. And detailed. )

So this is what the end result is: We left the hospital and went to lunch. At lunch I took a tablespoon of castor oil and then we went to Cara's office where she did a second membrane sweep. She said my bag was totally intact. I was 1 cm dialated yesterday with a stretchy soft cervix. Today I was 2 cm dialated with partial effacement *anyway* outside of the sweeps and castor oil. In other words - I'm already moving towards labor. We're just going to try and push it along a little bit.

During yesterday's sweep, there was NO blood on the glove after. After today's? Lots of bloody show. Enough that I am wearing a pad that Cara gave me after the sweep. I am cramping like a mofo too which is great. I am hungry again too :)

So, hopefully tonight sometime I'll go into labor. Maybe in the early morning tomorrow. I'm going to call and check in with Cara tonight around 9 and just let her know how I am doing. If I am not in labor by the morning we'll do another acupuncture treatment, and possibly some other stuff too. Now it's all about wait and see.

I'm seriously cramping though. I just hope they get regular :)

It'd be nice to have a baby tomorrow. So wish me luck.

N.

Happy Birthday hey_its_dave

Happy Birthday jaborwhalky

May you both have wonderful and exciting days today with friends and loved ones.

I watched the new Wonder Woman animated movie recently. Not bad, a surprisingly violent version of the story (PG-13, Amazon warrior women and all...). I'd say it's better than Batman: Gotham Knight but not as good as JL: New Frontier.

Also, Steve Trevor is voiced by Nathan Fillion, which is all sorts of cool. And some of the dialogue is very good.

You do have to forgive a couple of plot points..(the invisible jet comes out of nowhere and never even gets a hand wave explanation).
But if you're willing to look past that it's well worth seeing.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ICanHasCheezburger/~3/TLxOFeYDrTI/

http://icanhascheezburger.com/?p=166258

First ever royalty check for rights to a play written by me.

Spent on dentistry.

hey everyone,

YARD SALE TOMORROW AT 94 PEARSON AVE (2 min walk from the bike path) FROM 10-3. NO EARLY BIRDS PLEASE
among the items we will have for sale are:

WOMEN'S CLOTHING (SIZE S,2,4)
WOMEN'S SHOES SIZE 7-7.5
MEN'S CLOTHING (SIZE M)
MEN'S SHOES (SIZE 9)
2 148 CM FORUM SNOWBOARDS WITH BINDINGS , BARELY USED
RECORDS, LPS, 7"S (INDIE ROCK, HARDCORE, SCREAMO)
VHS
DVDS
CDS
BOOKS (MAINLY CONTEMPORARY FICTION)
MUSICAL EQUIPMENT (PEDAL BOARD, ROLAND KC500 KEYBOARD AMP)
CANON ELPH 3 MP DIGITAL CAMERA
HTC DREAM G1 GOOGLE PHONE (WATER DAMAGED, AS IS)
PYREX
"QUIRKY" "ART"
MISC JUNK THAT MAYBE YOU WANT
WACOM 12 X 12 ARTZ II DRAWING TABLET (W/ USB ADAPTER)
TI - 83 GRAPHING CALCULATOR

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

this is right around the corner from a 7-11. stop by and then get a FREE SLURPEE

Noah (dirtnap13) is trying to locate his nearly 70-year-old father. His name is Robert Korda, and he never showed up for a job the other day. This was in California, but realistically could have traveled almost anywhere if he's operating under his own free will.

This post contains a photo of Robert and other vital information. Any help is appreciated.

I'm interrupting this series for a special announcement which, although it interrupts the series, does fit with the theme:

I quit my job.

Those of you who know me personally also know that I've been here for a healthy stretch of time, and during that healthy stretch of time, I've talked constantly about quitting this job, but it hasn't happened. And since it hadn't happened, the notion of it actually happening became comedic material for my friends, the hidden meaning of which was "He'll never actually do it, he loves to carry on about it, but secretly, he LOVES it there!" Meanwhile, I tried to get jobs other places, but to no avail, and here I remained. Finally, some time last year, I resolved to stop even talking about quitting, because the remarks had ceased to hold any more credibility than those of the Boy Who Cried Wolf. Nothing short of actually doing it would demonstrate that I ever seriously wanted to do it.

But now I have done it, so there you go! I've accepted a better paying position, doing something similar to what I do now, but absent a lot of the bullshit that dangles like vile baubles from the noxious Christmas Tree that this job has bloomed into. I turned in my formal resignation on Monday, after giving the director the opportunity to match an inflated version of the salary that I had actually been offered. I didn't expect her to do it, and I wasn't surprised when she didn't. Truthfully, I think that I could have asked for a bag of wooden nickles a year and she would have said the same thing. "You know, if the budget were better..."

After I formally submitted my resignation letter, which was this past Monday, and the news found it's way out to the staff, I think I've been taken a bit by surprise by how stunned everyone seems to be. From the very top on down, and out into the realms of the county government itself, people can not believe that I'm leaving. On one hand, I really like some of them, and am friends with more than a few, and the fact that they're sad to see me go makes me sad. But on the other hand, and this struck me this morning, the fact that they're shocked sort of pisses me off. I'm reminded of the scene in "Videodrome" where Peter Dvorsky says to James Woods's character, Max Wrenn, "You've been very useful to us Max. We'd like to keep using you, until you're all gone." How long could they have possibly thought I was planning on sticking around? Until retirement, in another seventeen years? With annual apologies substituting for the annual pay increases that normal employers provide? And migration from a private office to a noisy box to a cubicle where I have no privacy at all? Next stop the fucking roof? Holy fucking shit! And me with a four year college degree? I'd have to be crazy not to look for another job!

And yet, when it did come time to actually do it, I found myself agonizing over the decision, as I imagine people who have been in prison for a long time agonize over their release into the free world. But imagining a future conversation between two friends at my funeral, many years from now, was all the motivation I needed.

"He stayed there for thirty years, making about the same salary the whole time. Actually, when he retired, he was making a little less than when he was first hired."

"Wow! He must have really loved it there!"

"No, he didn't really care for it much."

"If he didn't care for it much, well, then why didn't he leave?"

"He didn't have the balls to quit!"

"Why not?"

"Because he'd been there for so long!"

Yeah. So anyway, I'm halfway through a two week notice, and then I'm gone, man, solid gone.

Long live the new flesh.

So I got a parking ticket about a month ago in Davis Square. I was about to pay it online, but I  see they have a $3 convenience fee (yikes!). I was going to pay by phone but the number that they give is (617) 625-1951 is out of service. Is there a number that anyone knows about that I  can call. Perusing the Somerville site hasn't been terribly productive and I'm out of state, so I can't go in person or anything.

I know it may seem like I'm being cheap, but I'm a student, unemployed, and 3 bucks for a 20 dollar ticket seems a bit...excessive. I may just suck it up and do it, but I'd rather send a check and pay about forty cents for it due to postage than to pay 3 bucks for a convenience fee (the highest I've seen out of the 3 cities I've gotten parking tickets in).

Technical help people who don't have the faintest idea what they're talking about and feel the need to just make shit up to cover this should go die in a fire. I'm looking at you, Motorola, and the thalidomide abortions you hire for all levels of technical help.

(Problem was finally solved with no help from the individuals referenced above.)

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ICanHasCheezburger/~3/kweKeFgnt7o/

http://icanhascheezburger.com/?p=165464

"United Breaks Guitars". This is awesome. Also, I like his voice.