SSDD

I saw that Congress extended the PATRIOT Act.

No substantive changes. No added protections or checks against abuse.

Nada.

I have to admit I'm a bit surprised. I really thought the Dems might step up and show some kind of moral compass. I really hoped the "Yes, we can" administration might not buy into the paranoid, fascist bullshit that is at the root of legislation like this.

I guess I wasn't as cynical as I thought I was.

Thanks so much, Democratic Party, for showing how much better you are than the Repugnican Party. At least they step up and stand by their ideals, as abhorrent as many of their stances are.

Glad I voted for you jackasses. Makes me feel real good about the future.

Assholes.

WANT!!!

Aaaah!!!

The Master's ring!

Chameleon Arch Pocket Watch

What's 210 pounds come to in U.S. currency? A kidney, a lung, and both the first and second born child?

Hm. Google says 1 British pound = 1.5224 U.S. dollars (today).

So just shy of $320.

Ouch.

Creepy

Okay, crap like these so-called "oath keepers" terrify me.

I get the general idea. I really do. I'm an ACLU member and I see stuff in the news about illegal surveillance and indefinite detention that scare the hell out of me.

However, when soldiers, cops, etc. start stashing weapons and talking like revolutionaries, that's when bad things happen.

And these guys read like characters from David Brin's "The Postman". And not in a good way.

February takes a bow

Wow. This month just blazed by. I guess it helps that I spent a week of it in a hammock on a tropical island.

I'm still a bit off thanks to the time change. Made the week blur by quickly.

March should be a kick in the trousers. I've already got long meetings, car service, and jury duty on the horizon for that month.

Oh well. At least St. Patrick's Day is in the mix. I've got some new bottle openers I need to experiment with. Hee-hee-hee.

Every day I fall a little more in love with the Kinekt ring I got. My preciousssss... it spinses! And the Hobbitsess can't haves it!

Okay... maybe it's not a good influence on me.

Though, to be fair, I've always rooted for Sauron. He's all about equal-opportunity employment. His environmental policies were a bit iffy, but the dude was a burning eyeball. That probably tweaked his judgement a bit.

Oh this post got off-topic quickly.

In other news, Cybermen. We're done here.

AAAH!!!

THIS is how to accept an award!!

Luggage

Some time ago, I got the Patagonia MLC (Maximum Legal Carry-On) bag in anticipation of resuming travels from here to there.

It took up dust for about six months and then was put into use with my recent trip to a lovely tropical environment.

This may well have been one of the best purchases I've ever made.

The MLC is a sturdy, water-resistant construction with ample room for several changes of clothes as well as various other sundries. It's got a shoulder strap and can convert into a backpack, as needed. I was able to squeeze the following into mine:
- two changes of clothes
- a toiletries kit
- a 17" laptop
- various cables for said laptop and other electronic devices
- two paperback books
- a sweatshirt
- a first aid kit (I'm obsessive...)

And I think I had a few other things stuffed in there. I can't exactly recall what they were (they must've been TSA safe so I doubt they were exciting).

The bag fit comfortably in overhead bins in airplanes and could squeeze under the seat in front of me in the one instance where I didn't have overhead bin space closeby.

The zippers were well-constructed and all the straps seemed very sturdy. The bag has a separate compartment for laptops and it fit mine with room to spare.

I'd recommend it, for what that's worth.

Disclaimer: I don't work for Patagonia or any kind of travel or luggage company. Nobody's paying me to review this product. I'm just offering an opinion, for what that's worth. I lifted the .jpeg of the bag from the Patagonia site.

Schoolin' n stuff

Last night was my first class in about two weeks. I'm not as sore as I expected, but then it was an earlier, shorter class.

I got schooled too. We covered stuff that I'm especially bad at and am just not picking up for some reason. Oh well. I remain undaunted. I'll figure it all out eventually.

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I'm caught up on "Lost" now. This show just gets weirder and weirder. Thank god.

I'm about two eps back on "Burn Notice". Time to fire up Hulu, I guess.

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I must really be relaxed from my vacation. I've been in a strangely-good mood all week long. Maybe someone's spiked my food?