oodles of doodles

Category: dribblings

but first, Roxy.


aw, isnt’ she just a sweet girl?

so anyway, i’ve doodles all over the place, especially around my computer. they’re on index cards, bill stubs, bank statements, business cards, they’re everywhere.
i share mit you.


right, so on this one, here’s the whole thing.


and this is a detail of the upper right part.


and this is the middle bit. it reminds of an ’80s Trapper Keeper i never had.


and here’s how big it is in real life. it’s on the bottom of a medical bill.


this is on an index card that i’ve not thrown away because on the side it has my iTunes password.


this one is also on an idex card, but this card contains notes or a confirmation number of some sort.


same doodle. i just stacked these together. i liked the look.

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music! in my head!

Category: dribblings

i mentioned the other day, either on here or facebook, i think, that Radiohead’s Creep and the Hollies’ All I Need is the Air That I Breathe sound very similar. likewise is the intro to Springsteen’s Jungleland and Ben Folds Five’s Brick.

look ’em up on www.skreemr.com and see if i’m crazy.

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slacker

Category: dribblings

by this time last year? i was on my 33rd book. yikes.

lucy, you got some reading to do.

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21. Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake-Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia by Dennis Covington

Category: 50 Books

21. Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake-Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia by Dennis Covington

I thought this book was going to be a true crime book about Glen Summerford, a preacher at a snake handling church in Scotsboro, AL who went to prison for trying to murder his wife using, you guessed it, rattlesnake bites. The book sort of starts out that way, but then it turns into the author’s story about how he gets caught up in the snake-handling church. It was a very interesting book.

Mr. Covington does a good job of not making fun of the country/mountain folk, and you can see that, after hanging out with those people for so long, he has a real love for them. I especially enjoyed the parts where he was talking about the Holy Spirit, he did an excellent job with that.

Reading about country/mountain people you can’t help but be all, “aw, aren’t they sweet and simple.” but also, those are some of the most judging judge-holes. I mean, to them? Only snake handling people are going to heaven.

This was a quick and easy read, and I couldn’t put it down. It was one of those where I’d be sitting on the couch reading and I’d say, “Jimmy, listen to this….” and I’d read a paragraph or two to him. and then we’d be all, “Those people are crazy!”

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BOOSH. here’s some pictures.

Category: dribblings

i needed a new digital camera (my old digital camera is 9 years old. it was time.) for to take some pictures of roxy rockstar and her summertime hair cut. she looks like a hound dog now!

here’s a few shots from the new camera. it’s a canon powershot SD1200 IS. to be honest, it’s not that much of an improvement from my old powershot. i shouldn’t say that, it does have more settings, but it feels kinda dinky to hold. also? it’s noisy. i’m going to give it a week and if it doesn’t grow on me i’m going to take it back.

here’s the most non-blurry pic of roxy. every time i try to take her picture she’s gotta be all moving.

 


and here’s ben talking to a stuffed kitty.

 


sniffin’!

 


mister fleegan looking cool in the pool.

oh my gosh, have i mentioned the Killer Hastas From Outer Space? well, they’re still doing GREAT. despite the fact they get no rain and are out in the sun all day.


i’m pretty sure they’re eating the neighborhood children.

i was messing with the macro setting. and i took pictures of several of my doodles. that was really cool. i think i’ve got a new hobby there. it was hilarious to see my little doodles blown up huge on the computer.

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Paranoia Jones and the Curse of July

Category: dribblings

so the other day i leave for work and notice a slightly huge puddle under the red jeep. did it rain or something? but i couldn’t remember getting any rain. and specifically i couldn’t remember it raining under my jeep in such a way that there could be no other rain around the other cars i park between. there couldn’t possibly be anything leaking could it? from this jeep? nah, i mean, she’s so young! like new! a mere 18 years old.

so i parked the jeep in front of the puddle to do an experiment, right? see if it makes a new puddle.

it did.

i figured it was oil because that’s what jeeps do, and while yes, there is an oil leak (and has been for 12 years) this was coming from a different thing, and it’s a different color, and i don’t know what it is, and what’s worse, neither does dad.

we added some antifreeze because that’s most like what seems to be leaking, although we can’t find from whence the leaking.

dad was all, “have you thought about trading it in?”

“what?”

“trading in your car. get something new?”

“have you thought about cutting out your tongue?”

“what?”

“look, she’s fine! it’s just a leak. SOMEone can fix it, i’m sure.”

“…”

“i can’t do a car payment right now. or ever. because i’m not getting rid of her! she’s mostly fine!”

“oh sure.”

“it’s not like-”

“how much money are you going to drop on it before you finally break down and buy something new?”

“first of all, don’t say “break down”. second of all, everything’s going to be fine, it’s not like it’s Ju- ohmygodwhatdayisit?!”

“huh?”

“*GASP* it’s the last week of June isn’t it?!”

“wh- yes?”

“oh my god, it’s every year! every year like fucking clockwork! the last week of June comes along and breaks something, then i’m pummeled by July with broken shit until August finally shows up all stoned, “i’m here, what did i miss? oh, hai…””

“are you okay?”

“of COURSE i’m not okay! it’s the last week of June and July has already started!”

“are you on drugs?”

“so this year it’s the jeep, huh, July? usually you just explode some plumbing or kill one of my dogs or attempt to kill my other dog, but this year you’re gonna start with the jeep, AGAIN. you are some kind of asshole.”

“you’re not talking to me, right?”

“Roxy has a vet appointment tomorrow, maybe i should just board her for the month. she’ll be safer there.”

“what? hey, where are you going?”

“i’m going home, to bed, and i’m not coming out until August!”

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‘brary blog part XXIISSIPPI

Category: dribblings

yesterday at work the phone rang and i was closest to it and i answered it and 20 minutes later i hung up exhausted. things to explain: our liberry has two genealogical internet whatsits, Heritage Quest Online and Ancestry.com Library edition. to use Ancestry.com you have to use one of our computers at the library. Heritage Quest has an in library link and also a remote access link you can use at your home computer if you have a library card with us.

the caller is female and approximately 4,000 years old.

“this is Jaimie, how my i help you?”

“hi. i called yesterday.”

“okay.”

“and someone helped me.”

“… right.”

“i’m trying to find a page of the 1880 census.”

of course. “all right.”

“and yesterday they told me i needed my library number.”

“do you have that number?”

“yes, but today the computer isn’t asking me for my number.”

“it’s not?”

“no. and i can’t find anything.”

“okay. first, you are a patron of our library? you have one of our cards?”

i have to ask this because you’d be surprised at how many calls we get from people in Wisconsin and Arizona and all over who try to use the the link and call us telling up it doesn’t work and after 8 minutes of walking them through something they finally say, “oh i’m not a member of your library. i live in Racine.” and the like.

“oh yes. i have my card right here.”

“okay. are you on the library’s website?”

“no i’m at double u, double u, double u, dot heritage underline quest dot….”

“okay, let’s go back to the library website.”

“but that means i’ll have to start all over.”

“i know, but it’s the only way i can see what you’re seeing.”

“okay. hold on.”

then she spells out the whole library address to me as she types it. “…. dot o r g. is that right?”

“yes ma’am. you’ve got it.”

“there it is again.”

“great. see the blue box on the left? and the Heritage quest link?”

“yes. i’m not very good at this.”

“just click the Heritage quest link.”

“okay. now it says heritage quest at the top? it’s says, “what is heritage quest?””

“that’s right. you’ll need to click the big link that says Heritage Quest Remote Access.”

she doesn’t click remote access. she clicks the the “in library” link. it doesn’t work. because she’s NOT IN THE LIBRARY. there was much discussion here that i’m omitting. if you can believe it.

“okay, can you go back to the library page?”

“yes. i can. hold on though i’m not good at this.”

“you’re doing fine.”

“okay. i’m at the library page.”

“okay. click the Heritage Quest link on the left…”

“okay now i’m back to that page.”

“great! THIS time i want you to be sure to ONLY click the big link that says remote access okay?”

“okay, but i still don’t know why. i’m not IN the library.”

“trust me. you click that and it’s going to ask you for your library number. i promise.”

“it worked! it’s asking for my number!”

“great!”

“but you hold on, i want you to make sure i get the 1880 census.”

“okay. has the site loaded?”

“yes. i see it.”

“good. click the search census link.”

“okay. i did.”

“fantastic. now you can type in the name and date of the person you’re looking for.”

“okay. the surname is Ledbetter. and the given name is William Cane- there’s a box in the corner telling me that this computer is scanned and that it’s safe to download from ProQuest.”

“… okay, just ignore that box.”

“should i download ProQuest?”

“what? no. ignore that box.”

“but what does that mean?”

i don’t know!   “it just means that your computer has scanned the Heritage Quest site and it didn’t find any viruses. and it’s letting you know it’s a safe site to visit.”

“do i download it?”

“no! no downloading. just ignore that box and maybe it’ll go away.”

“well, all right.”

“have you typed in the name and chosen the census date?”

“yes. Ledbetter is the surname.”

now, i’ve already typed in the name (leaving out Cane) and i’ve found a list of william ledbetters. she has looked up the name and found zero results. i spend approx. 8 lightyears explaining that she needs to leave out the middle name. i ask her what county he lived it, she tells me and i find the guy. or so i thought.

“okay, ma’am. i’ve found him, would he have been about 9 years old?”

“what?! no no no! he would have been in his eighties. he died when he was 84.”

“oh.” dammit. we were so close. so i go back and try the 1860 census. and i find him. it lists him as 64 years old. apparently he died before the census taker got to his house in 1880, right?

“okay. ma’am. i’ve found him in the 1860 census.”

“you have! are you sure?”

“yes. it says he’s 64 years old. doesn’t that sound right?”

“oh yes! are you sure it’s him?”

“um, well, what’s his wife’s name?”

“her name was Dorcus.”

okay, now look. i’ve changed the names to protect the innocent, and myself mostly, but she said Dorcus and i’m not changing that because THAT is priceless.

“then this is the guy, his wife is listed as Dorcus.”

“really! oh really!?  you’ve found him?!”

“yes ma’am.”

“and you’re looking at the census page? the actual census page?”

“yes. well, it’s more like a picture of the actual census page. and it’s actually very readable.” a lot of times i can’t read those pages because the people had bad handwriting or the ink has faded. but this one was clear.

“oh! how can i see it?”

“okay, type in the surname but DON’T put his middle name, okay?”

“but how can i get back to that page with the surname?”

“just click the back arrow at the lefthand corner of the screen.”

“i don’t have that.”

“… at the top? where it says file, edit, view… the two arrows above that?”

“i know what you mean, but i only have the forward arrow. i’ve done somthing. oh i’m not very good at this computer. and i don’t have a back arrow anymore.”

ARE YOU KIDDING ME, LORD? SRSLY?

“okay. that’s fine. don’t panic yet.”

“oh this is terrible! i can’t believe you’ve found him! and i can’t see it!”

“calm down. here’s what i need you to do.”

“okay.”

“look down at your key board. do you see the space bar?”

“yes.”

“great. do you see the key next to it that has ALT on it?”

“yes, i see it.”

“good. now, do you see the arrow keys on the right…. the up, down, left, right?”

“yes.”

“okay. all you need to do is press the ALT key and hold it down and then press the left arrow key once. that should take you back one screen.”

“okay. hold on.” she sets down the phone. and then she comes back on, “oh no! it just threw me completely out!”

“what? what do you mean?”

“it closed out the internet!”

JESUS H. MCGILLICUTTY. FOR REAL? IS THIS HOW THIS IS GOING DOWN? WE’RE GOING THIS WAY? NAW. NOT THIS WAY. THIS IS NOT THE WAY THAT THIS WAY IS GOING. NO WAY BITCHES, NOT ON MY WATCH. BEFORE I LEAVE TODAY THIS HAG IS GOING TO SEE HER RELATIVE’S NAME ON A “REAL” DAMN PAGE OF A “REAL” DAMN CENSUS BOOK IF I HAVE TO PRINT IT OUT AND CANDYGRAM SNAIL MAIL IT TO HER SWEET LITTLE HOUSE ON RANDOM STREET, SMALLTOWN NOWHERE, ALABAMA 359-OH JUST DIE ALREADY.

“i’m just so sorry! i’m not good at this. i should just let you go.”

“no, no. you are going to see this page.”

“oh i really want to!”

“i know. i want you to. i need you to type in the library site.”

“okay.” 20 seconds. “i’m there.”

“right. then the heritage quest.”

“yes.”

“and make SURE you click REMOTE ACCESS.”

10 seconds. “oh, it’s asking me for my number!” 15 seconds.

“right. then you’ll click search census, remember?”

“yes.”

“let me know when you get to the surname search.” seconds pass.

“okay!”

“great. now remember DO NOT put his middle name okay? you’re just searching for william ledbetter, got it?”

“okay. but his middle name-”

“is not on the census sheet.”

“okay let’s see. oh! there’s lots of results!”

“i know, you want to scroll down and click on the right county.”

“there’s only one in that county.”

“i know. that’s your guy. click on him.”

“oh! i see it! it says he’s 64 years old.”

“that’s right but-”

“but this isn’t the census page!”

” …i know, you see how his last name is a link? click on his last name and that will take you to the page.”

“really? the real census page?”

“yes, it will take a moment to download, but it will. and when you scroll down he’s number 30, and his wife is number 31.”

“i don’t see a number 30. mine doesn’t go to 30.”

“just give it a second to finish downloading-”

“there’s number 30! oh look! it’s his name! and his wife’s name! oh this is wonderful! a real census page!”

“yes ma’am.”

“oh thank you! thank you so much! this is so wonderful!”

“you’re welcome. you have a good day, okay?”

“oh i will! thank you again! good bye!”

i hung up, announced to my coworkers that i got the gold star for that call and then collapsed in a heap of drool and brain leakage that had pooled around my chair.

i’m not a geneaologist. i’m not tech support. i’m not even a sharp dresser. i’m merely a library monkey working a circ. desk at a small town library. and i’m a FUCKING SUPER HERO AT THAT SHIT.

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20. Patty’s Got a Gun: Patricia Hearst in 1970s America by William Graebner

Category: 50 Books

20. Patty’s Got a Gun: Patricia Hearst in 1970s America by William Graebner

This was some fascinating reading. It wasn’t just another book about the Patty Hearst debacle. It was way more than that. It was more like a cultural history of the ’70s using P.H. as a catalyst, (is that the right word?) for the ’80s and it’s New Conservatism and it’s Ronald Reagan.

Like I said, this isn’t just a book about P.H. and her life and times with the SLA. The author does a good job of giving the reader an overview of what happened, but the main point of the book is to take that situation and explain how it happened (mostly the outcome of the trial) and compare/contrast it to everything else that was going on at the time, things like: Korean/Vietnam POWs, Dr. Spock’s child rearing books, cults, religion, 1960s revolutions, loads of psychology… there are a ton of things discussed in this book and none of them are boring.

He spends most of the book (or maybe half?) on the trial itself. I was glad of that because it seems like the trial is glossed over a lot, or that it gets overlooked or something, but not here.

The only negative thing I can say about the book is that it’s written a bit academically, so it seems that maybe the author’s personality isn’t expressed? I’m not explaining that very well. The book was filled with cultural references but also it was a little dry. I would have appreciated some humor. Maybe not humor, but snark. And not snark for snark’s sake (I mean, gee, how hard is it to make fun of the ’70s?), because I think with this author the snark would be awesome and well-informed. Or maybe there was some in there and I missed it because the book was too busy making me think.

It took me a bit longer to read this book (and it’s not a large book) because it was just jam full of facts and notes. At times it was difficult for me to take it all in. I’d have to set the book down and do something else. And I can’t even say that’s a bad thing, because I’d find myself at work thinking about book all, “How on earth could any jury not have gotten stuck on reasonable doubt?!” or “I’ve never thought about it before but, YES, America DOES love escapees!” And we do! I thought about that all day at work yesterday.

I went from thinking about how many movies about prison breakouts we have (there’s even a show called Prison Break, right?), and how we even make the good guys out to be the bad guys so that we can cheer the bad guys who are trying to escape from prison, to thinking about Arkham Asylum in the Batman comics/movies/universe and how if the bad guys didn’t escape from Arkham then there’d be little point in Batman. And not only those senarios, but what about car chases? And then to try to break it down into it’s simplest form, you have one individual break out of the authority of another individual.

So while it’s not a simple read, I’d still say it’s a great read. By far one of the most interesting books I’ve read in a long time. Thank you, Mr. Graebner, for writing such a thought-provoking book.

 

My coworkers have been making fun of me for reading this. They like to give me a hard time about my true crime and P.H. obsession. But yesterday when I finished the book I put it on the new release shelf (even though it came out last year) to see if anyone else would check it out. Within 5 minutes a lady came up and checked it out. BOOSH. I did a little gloating.

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did someone say musical?

Category: dribblings

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria, which is totally an Idol show me (and my inner-gay) can get behind, was on BBC Amercia last night. how fun is that? Mr. Fleegan was not around so i was actually able to watch it. trust me, if he had been home he would have never let me watch it in peace.

check the promo:

i know the show is over in the UK, and i also know that i will never watch any other episodes because i’ll never remember to watch and also because Andrew Lloyd Weber is on it, and if you know me you’ll know my feelings on that overrated broadway entity.

but isn’t this opener just really cute?!

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little bro update:

Category: Uncategorized

so the surgery was, i don’t know. they found some leaks and some infection and it must look really bad because they are going to do another major surgery. they cleaned the wound and irrigated it, and now he’s on some pain meds. the docs haven’t scheduled the surgery yet. so i don’t know how soon that will be.

he’s home, the surgery today was outpatient.

anyway, the news isn’t what we expected. we were really hoping for some awesome news.

i talked to justin this afternoon and he was pretty stoned on whatever they gave him at the hospital.

it’s disappointing. i want to punch a cat in the face.

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