Happy Halloween

Meet the Cameroonian Jack-o-Lanterns. The larger one wears a foulard and has a pierced nose; the smaller one drank the Castel all by himself.

In Dallas, I'm getting a few trick-or-treaters, all of whom look really cute in their costumes. I'm giving out Snickers, Milky Way, and York Peppermint Patties, all of which I like in case there are any leftovers.

These Jack-o-Lanterns were featured at my birthday party/housewarming 2 weeks ago. They have since gone to the happy pumpkin patch in the sky, which happens to be located in the compost pile behind my garage. I have a new pumpkin, but I forgot to carve it for tonight. Oh well. It will last longer.

Bar Exam Rumors

State judges get a list on Monday of who passed the bar, so try to get in touch with someone you know so you can find out whether you failed or passed 4 days early.

"Reliable sources" say that the results will be posted on Thursday.

Two of the property or contract essay questions were thrown out, so the MBE will count for 65% instead of 40%.

The passing score in TX was raised this year from 675 to 700 to cull the number of licensed attorneys.


On a related note, the movie yesterday was good, although one of the details about the male lead was a bit troubling from a personal standpoint: he failed the bar - twice - and was so despondent that he couldn’t bring himself to study for attempt #3. When the big day came, he skipped out for a weekend away in furtherance of his affair.

On politics and junk mail

Stating the obvious: I really hope the Democrats take control of one of the houses of Congress on Election Day. Not that they have a plan for anything, but at least a power shift would force Bush and the Republicans to talk to the other half of the country.

Even if the D's pull it off in the House, they are going to hold the gavels by a very slim majority. In my past life I was a congressional aide, and I saw first hand how Democrats just don't have their shit together. Maybe things have changed in the past 4 years, but I'm not holding my breath. Basically, I want to see gridlock return and the excesses of each party constrained by the other.

In local races, there isn't a whole lot going on and the sad status quo will reign. I live in a contested state house race where a crappy Republican incumbent faces a remarkably sensible Democratic opponent. So there is some excitement there.

On an unrelated note, I've received several pieces of religious junk mail lately. A few weeks ago I got handwritten postcards addressed to someone who doesn't live here thanking me for going to their church and telling me that they'd pray for me. Last week I received some publication called "Truth," which was addressed to the Youth Pastor living at my home. "Truth" is a catalog of motivational speakers and lists all kinds of exciting people I've never heard of who can come and share their inspirational stories with my flock of impressionable youth in these troubled times - people like Austin Carty (??) from Survivor: Panama and some group called the Skate Ministry.

"Truth" is now covered in coffee grounds, and I'm off to see a movie about moral decay in suburbia.

Appliance Joy, II

Perhaps this was an irresponsible purchase given this month's credit card statement, but you know what? It's my birthday.

Well, it was, and I got some money last week that I quickly blew on this baby. I have been wanting one for years (seriously). And what better way to ring in a new decade than with a state of the art mixer?

Besides, all the talk of my new gas range led to some promises at work, and I now have two federal judges asking me "so... where are the cookies? You said you would bring baked goods" at least once a week. Apparently there is more to the junior law clerk description than pre-trial management and deciphering pro se complaints from crazy people.

I think I got a pretty good deal on the mixer through acehardwareoutlet.com. It was at least $75 cheaper than retail, AND I found a mail in offer for either a food grinder or a citrus juicer attachment. I'm leaning towards the juicer.

Two machines talk to one another

I'm sitting here farting around on the internet and my phone just rang. The caller ID listed "unknown name" and an 800 number, so I assumed it was a telemarketer and didn't pick up. The default greeting on the phone answered in an electronic voice, telling the caller that we're not here right now and to please leave a name and number. The "caller" was an automated message from AT&T advising me that I just requested paperless billing.

I just thought that was a little weird, two automated voices having a conversation.

Morte d'iPod

My iPod has been having issues. It hasn't been downloading podcasts from the iTunes on my computer, and then it froze up last week on the way to work when I was trying to blot out annoying chatter on the train. It unfroze after I plugged it in and left it alone for a while.

The same thing happened this morning, except that it didn't unfreeze when I tried to reboot it. Instead, I got this unsettling icon:



NOT a good sign. The support website isn't very encouraging and states that this indicates a hardware issue unless I am able to "force the iPod into disk mode." I was not able to do so.

In other words, my iPod is dead. I could send it in, but repairs would cost $249 plus $6.95 shipping and handling, which is the same price as a new model iPod with even more storage minus $6.95 shipping and handling. Whatever the extended warranty I was offered at the time of purchase a year and a half ago seemed like too much, and I still feel that extended warranties are rip-offs. If a product doesn't last for more than a year, it isn't well-made and large-scale boycotts and sit-ins should be organized.

I'm pissed, although I also saw this coming since I heard complaints of dying/dead iPods from others. They are the superior digital music players, but I'm not about to spend another $300 on a new one. I'm thinking about a different MP3 player, maybe one like this that also gets FM stations so I can listen to NPR.

This is cooler, but I wonder if that would make me a sucker.

On politics

I'm listening to the candidates for Texas Governor debate on KERA. Now, I am biased, but despite being boring, Chris Bell is kicking butt with coherent responses and carefully crafted answers that fall within the time limits. He has my vote, but I tend to vote for the losers. Rick Perry isn't doing bad, but I really don't think he has a record of which he can be proud. Too bad that he will win, and how sad is it that the next Governor of Texas will be lucky to win with 40% of the electorate? Carole Many Names and Kinky are bigger morons than I thought. Total idiots. If only their supporters would vote for Bell...

And of course, the Foley scandal that has slimed out of DC this past week is absolutely fantastic. Yes, Mr. Foley is a total creep and yes what he did was wrong. And those poor pages, who just want to be left alone to run their errands.

But - the openly closeted gay Republican chair of the Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, caught in kinky, sexually explicit internet exchanges with underage male pages? And the Republican House leadership covered up for him, and deny knowing anything about it and blame each other? It could only get better if a stained pair of boxers surfaced.

The blame game is pathetic. Foley says I'm gay (we homos can't stay away from kids), and I'm an alcoholic (gay people drink a lot), and I was molested (therefore I was recruited to be gay). The Republican leadership and Fox News bobbleheads say that Clinton did it, or maybe it was the Democrats, no the liberal media did it, no George Soros did it.

Why can't the party of personal responsibility and morality accept the consequences of their actions? Maybe because they would be accused of gay bashing. I'm sorry, but this claim makes me choke back vomit given that the Republican party is the one that repeatedly rallies religious conservatives with anti-gay legislation like the Federal Marriage Amendment and similar unnecessary state-level measures.

At least some of the liberal media has been standing up for us homos.

Appliance Joy

Out with the old...


...and in with the new

The arrival of my new range was the highlight of my weekend. I know that is extremely sad, but it is true. If I were artsy, I would find a way to convert the 1960's electric range with 3 burners and a broken stove into some kind of yard sculpture incorporating a fountain and flowers. But I'm not, so in two weeks it will go out to the curb for bulk trash pick up.

The new one is a big improvement. All four burners and the stove work. And it is gas. And as you can see it has a big window so I can watch the cookies and breads I'll be baking rise. I hope I'm done appliance shopping for a while. Except that I also want/need one of these.

Last night I was social and had dinner Teenymeany. This morning I watered my lawn and cleaned and then went to the Farmer's Market for some plants and produce. I always like playing the bargain/regular price/rip-off game while shopping at farmer's markets. Big bag of green beans for $2? Bargain. 5 plums for $2? Bargain. 5 tangerines for $3? Regular price. 5 pluots for $5 or 10 for $9? Rip-off.