You should check out Beerlicious.net (also syndicated on LJ for ease of reading!). I feel obliged to mention that I know 2 of the current contributors - indeed, am married to one - but still find it interesting reading. These guys think of pairings I never would.

The following warning just popped up in my browser. How wonderful.

The National Weather Service in Birmingham has issued a heat advisory...which is in effect from 7 am Wednesday to 7 pm CDT Thursday.

The combination of high humidity values and hot temperatures will produce heat index values around 110 degrees across much of central Alabama Wednesday and Thursday afternoon.

If this pattern continues...the heat advisory could be extended through Friday and possibly Saturday.

A heat advisory means that a period of hot temperatures is expected. The combination of hot temperatures and high humidity will combine to create a situation in which heat illnesses are possible.


I guess we'll leave mowing the lawn till next week, again.

Just in case people don't realize...

We ordered our copy from the UK to get a proper copy. It will not arrive for a few days, so we do not wish any spoilers of any sort (emailed, comments, spoken, written, etc.).

I'm not sure I'd go so far as to defriend people (either online or in real life) but it would be very tempting.

SO DON'T SAY ANYTHING.

Jazz is lying on his back, watching and chattering at the birds by the feeder. They've just emerged from hiding now the thunderstorm has passed (over 2" of rain in 30 minutes, yay!) and are now flocking back to the feeder.

We just finished watching.

2 minutes before the end, Captain Jack's talking.

Hilary and Stuart: "What???!"

Theme music.

Hilary and Stuart: "You... you can't just slip that in there!!! NOT NOW!!!"

When you see this post, quote from Doctor Who on your LJ.

"What about me? I saw the Fall of Troy, World War V, and now I'm gonna die in a dungeon. In Cardiff!"

This past weekend was the first anniversary of the tower bells, so we had a little "birthday" party on Monday. The lady who donated the bells, Anna Catherine Grace, and her sister Alice, also joined us. We had a very short practice, though we managed to get some good plain hunt in on 4 bells (I'll try them on 5 next week) and I think people were satisfied.

We had punch and cake, while Steve regaled us with tales of historical bells, and then went upstairs to watch a video about Neil Thomas of Whitechapel and another tower (East Ravesham?) which bought 5 bells to give them a ring of 5, and how they fundraised and taught their ringers. I heard distinct snickers as people got a glimpse of new ringers making the same mistakes they did, and looking just as panicked and flustered!

It was a fun evening.

... this is what it's about.




And we're now one of three states.


You can read more about it here, here and here.

Fire alarm just went off. Loud buzzer ("loud" because it's actually in our office) and flashing lights. So, getting our priorities straight, we refill our coffees before wandering out the door.

People are asking what set it off, but no-one knows yet. Something to break up Friday morning anyway.

onelargecat pointed me to this article on children's development and education. Quite thought-provoking.

Stuart is eating a lollipop. Tails is currently trying to "get" the stick. There is loud purring and intense concentration as he tries to "catch" the stick.

:)

Seriously. I'm aware that this article has some obvious limitations, but the author's experience (and that of the military people he talked to) brings up some very pointed issues.

Underlines mine.
( Videogames: good clean fun? (warning: long) )
------------------------------------------

All I can say is, wow. Sure, they need some more studies, but even this (and it's hardly anecdotal if you take military training sims into account) has got to make people think more seriously.

In thinking about friendship, and a few other things, I've come to realize that there are 3 basic needs for a friendship (as far as I'm concerned):

1. Some form of communication, whether that's in-person, over the phone, through email or IM
   
2. Shared memories and activities
   
3. Trust
   

Without all three, a friendship will die.

You can try to keep it going, but once the first two are no more it's almost impossible to maintain. When the third goes, it will take a major effort on both sides to rebuild.

Our squirrel-proof bird feeder is indeed squirrel-proof! I just watched a squirrel hang by its back paws from the supporting branch, then clamber all the way around the feeder, sniffing at each hole, but unable to get at the bird food. It finally leaped off in disgust to scour the ground underneath for leftovers.

Yesterday - 62F. Tornado warnings.
Today - 28F. Our first flurry of snow all winter.

What gives??!

Yoshi seems to like homework. At least, she likes it when *I'm* doing it - she's taken to walking over and behind me repeatedly for petting, and crawling into my lap to purr at me for a while. Very cute.

A sad story, but maybe it'll change the minds of others like her.

18 year-old killed in crash 6 hours after police told her to wear a seatbelt.

While randomly browsing other blogs I found this. Makes you think, hmm?


(Oh - and I'm screening comments just to stop the war spreading here too. I will unscreen, I promise!)