Jack Is Back, Baby

She's Gonna Blow!

Cool! (Mom knew I'd say this.)

Check it out: Scientists unlock secret of small Mount St. Helens earthquakes.

The Christmas Tree

My roommates and I are all gunho about Christmas this year. We hadn't even finished Thanksgiving's pumpkin pie before we had the tree up and the front of our place decorated.

Tree-hugging was the last thing on our mind Saturday.

The Cemetary House roommates

Our friend Lawrence picking out a tree for his place

Let the Northwesterner cut the tree down.

"Don't you love the high you get from fresh sap?"

Lawrence dragging the tree for us

Our tree

*By the way, Kateri is absolutely obsessed competing with our gay neighbors for the best decorated townhouse in the development. It's a riot, but seriously, they have the leg up on us.

Happy Morning!

I know I've shared this video before, but, you've got to admit, it is worth sharing again. However, this will scare you back into bed!

Just a Thought

Certain vehicles have absolutely no right to cut people off and drive as if they're back in Mexico City or Mogadishu, especially trucks carrying hazardous and infectious medical waste. Just thought I'd share.

Music for Nomads Like Me

"What is this life that pulls me far away? What is that home where we cannot reside? What is that quest that pulls me onward? My heart is full when you are by my side." ~ "Caravanserai", An Ancient Muse

"It Rains Nine Months Out of the Year in Seattle!"

It's Northwest weather today with the rain and the wind pounding against the windows. *sigh* Maybe I'll be back there sooner than I had planned.


A view of my hometown.




The view from the beach near my parents' place.

Currently

I am unemployed in Greenland. By the way, did you know that it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and is three times the size of Texas?

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night

Uprising by Ex-DeLay Staff
November 15, 2006
By Mary Ann Akers,
Roll Call Staff

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The woman who was sworn in this week as the interim Republican successor to ex-Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) was, shall we say, not a hit with holdover DeLay aides. In fact, they showed their feelings about their new boss Tuesday by walking out of the office en masse and resigning, effective immediately. The DeLay refugees, who included DeLay's personal chief of staff, David James, walked out of the office, Von Trapp family-style (though without the singing) and huddled at Starbucks to get their wits about them.

The interim Member, Shelley Sekula-Gibbs (R), who won the special election to replace DeLay but lost a write-in campaign for a full two-year term, only will be serving in Congress until Jan. 3, when Democrat Nick Lampson, who won the general election, takes over. But even just for these few weeks, it appears, Sekula-Gibbs wants things just so.

She showed up to take over DeLay's old office on Thursday and, according to sources familiar the office dynamics, was "mean" to the staff. On Tuesday, at her new Member's open-house reception in the office, sources charged that she was less than pleased that neither President Bush nor Vice President Cheney showed up with the rest of the welcome wagon, despite the fact that others who stopped by included Texas GOP Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn and Texas GOP Reps. Kevin Brady and Michael Burgess. (Apparently, according to sources, she was under the impression that the president of the United States would be there to greet the seven-week Congresswoman.)

One source said, "This is a highly professional and well-seasoned staff who has worked with the best, and worst, of Members, but you'll need to promise a Congressional Medal to anyone willing to take this one on."

Carl Thorsen, who is now a lobbyist, hired most of the DeLay aides who stormed out of the new Congresswoman's office when he was DeLay's general counsel and in charge of staffing the Hammer's personal office. He said he couldn't imagine what it must have taken to provoke the staff to quit all at once.

"I know them. They're exceptional and talented," he said. "They've been loyal to that district and they've worked really hard. They're just not a group of loose cannons.

Sekula-Gibbs' chief of staff, Lisa Diamond, told HOH that the DeLay aides were only there "for transitional purposes," not for the mini-Congresswoman's full seven-week tenure, which surely will be hectic given the number of days the lame duck is scheduled to be in session.

Asked about the aides storming out of the office she said, "Ooh, oh ... I don't know what we can say about that." Diamond said she would not comment on personnel issues.

But she said she has worked for Sekula-Gibbs for many years and said, "I think she is wonderful to work for."

Now This Is What I Have In Mind

My car has been hit five times this year (knock on wood), all with minimal damage to none to the car that did the hitting. So this has caused me to think - I need a truck that will inflict the most damage possible, bar injuring driver and passengers. I want a truck that, when you see it on the road, you steer clear off it. You'll see it coming up in your rear view mirror and change lanes. You'll go south when it's going north. A truck that gets the immediate right off way. And, while we're at it, a truck that'll turn heads. I think I need something along these lines:















Actually, this is what I really want. Next year, next job. Beautiful, eh?

The Day After Elections

The Wednesday after Election Day Kateri brought me home copies of Roll Call and The Hill so I could see what the buzz around Capitol Hill was. They were dated November 7, and one article caught my eye, What Will Happen On Election Day. Several of the Democrats predicted the wins we saw that night, but one conservative pundit, more optimistic than most (including me), thought "Republicans will hold on to the House by three seats and will control the Senate 52-48 next year." What a gross underestimate of the actual results!