mischievous_t ... If you're unaware of the deets, you can read PJ's post here.Like everyone else, I have fingers crossed for the outcome of her surgery. Hufflepuffs are tougher than they look. Not for nothing is our mascot a badger!
(Honey badger doesn't give a shit!)
Another aspect of my first project will be a short, simple poll on the elections Texas will hold in 2010.
If you live in Texas (whether or not you're a registered voter), I would really appreciate your responses to the seven questions below. My project is due the beginning of March, so I will close the poll on Sunday, 28 Feb. Thank you so much!!
Poll #1525234
Texas Elections of 2010
This poll is closed.
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 7
This poll is closed.
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 7
How likely are you to vote in the Texas primary elections on 2 March 2010?
View Answers
| Very Likely |
   5 (71.4%) |
| Somewhat Likely |
| 0 (0.0%) |
| Unlikely |
| 1 (14.3%) |
| There are elections in March? |
| 0 (0.0%) |
| N/A - Did not register to vote in time |
| 1 (14.3%) |
How many candidates (Democratic, Republican, and Libertarian) can you name for the gubernatorial primaries? (And Kinky doesn't count this time!)
Who do you think will win the Republican nomination for Governor of Texas? (Not whom you'd vote for or whom you'd like to win ... just your best guess.)
Who do you think will win the Democratic nomination for Governor of Texas? (Again, just your best guess.)
View Answers
| Farouk Shami |
| 0 (0.0%) |
| Bill White |
| 6 (85.7%) |
| One of the many other candidate of whom no one has ever heard |
| 1 (14.3%) |
Will you vote in a run-off election if one is required in April?
View Answers
| Probably |
| 4 (57.1%) |
| Only if the run-off involves the party with which I'm registered |
| 3 (42.9%) |
| Depends on what's showing on TV that night |
| 0 (0.0%) |
| Not a chance |
| 0 (0.0%) |
Will you vote in the uniform election on 2 Nov 2010?
View Answers
| Absolutely |
| 6 (85.7%) |
| Maybe |
| 1 (14.3%) |
| Only if there will be more ticky boxes |
| 0 (0.0%) |
| Doubtful |
| 0 (0.0%) |
In your opinion, what is the single most important political issue facing Texans?
- Current Location:Within 5 paces of a coffeepot
- Current Mood:
productive - Current Music:Emi bouncing off the walls
Okay, not really. But Deb's hubby has just been diagnosed with whatever is one step below diabetes. He was borderline at the DoT physical our boys had to take (part of the requirements for the new company that bought out Wheeler, where both our hubbies work). He was given a temporary pass only, and if it isn't better when he has to retake his physical, he will lose his Commercial Driver's License. Which means he will also lose his job.
That cannot happen, for a number of reasons. Not only does the economy suck, but thanks to a case of rheumatic fever that almost killed him as a child, he has a learning disability and cannot read well. He doesn't have a diploma or a GED; he never finished school and still struggles to read and write (Debby has a number of cards addressed to "Deddy.") He's plenty smart—this guy can learn anything he sets his mind to. I'm sure most school systems would have recognized his problems early on, but we're talking rural Mississippi schools and a family full of hicks. Not a good combination. (Seriously - these people believe if you hang upside down your liver will flip over and kill ya dead! I'm not making this up!!)
Anyway, if you have any diabetic-friendly recipes you'd like to share, we'd really appreciate them. Also if you know of any good web sites for appropriate meals and such. We know sugars and sweeteners are out, but we're also trying to limit anything that spikes his glucose. So we're talking very little starches and fruits here. No bread, pasta, potatoes, corn, etc.
Any ideas are welcome! Thanks, f-list!
Aries Mar 21 - Apr 19 The suit jacket and tie might make you look more professional, but at the end of the day, you're still not wearing any pants.
Taurus Apr 20 - May 20 Try as you might, you'll find yourself completely unable to escape this week's M.C. Escher Museum fire.
Gemini May 21 - Jun 21 While it's natural for human beings to be resistant to change, after losing your family, job, and home, it's probably time you start accepting some from passersby.
Cancer Jun 22 - Jul 22 What begins this week as a hilarious balls-copying prank will end minutes later with the discovery of a rather large testicular tumor.
Leo Jul 23 - Aug 22 In many ways, you're still a child. None of them, however, will prevent you from being tried this week as an adult.
Virgo Aug 23 - Sep 22 For the third time this week, you'll be forced to open up that same old tupperware container of leftover whupass.
Libra Sep 23 - Oct 23 A man is defined by the decisions he makes. Not listening to this piece of trite advice is probably a good start.
Scorpio Oct 24 - Nov 21 Long, gray beards have for centuries been linked to wisdom and shrewdness. Sadly, you get yours caught in the fax machine far too often for that to be the case.
Sagittarius Nov 22 - Dec 21 When it comes to race relations, you're colorblind. Also when it comes to sofas, desk chairs, and traffic lights.
Capricorn Dec 22 - Jan 19 Farm animals can often sense an earthquake seconds before it hits, which explains why they're all looking at you with that huge grin on their face.
Aquarius Jan 20 - Feb 18 They say you can't judge a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes, but after 3,000 feet, you're beginning to suspect he'd like to have his sneakers back.
Pisces Feb 19 - Mar 20 After years of intense searching, you'll finally find yourself this week—naked, alone, and with a six foot gash across your forehead.
Having big thighs, hips, and bum is healthy!
Article on high school exit exams ...
And special kudos to you, Arkansas, for lowering your standards so severely that a passing math grade is awarded as long as a student scores 24 out of 100 on their exam. On ONE of their three attempts. Since when is 24% considered a passing grade?? Since states cannot deal with the embarrassment of true test results, apparently. What's that you say? Twenty-four percent is still too tough for the little darlings? No problem ... They can take a computer tutorial with a built-in quiz to earn their diploma. It's not as if they'll ever need math skills in the real world, after all.
Nice to know just how worthless a diploma will be. Heaven forbid we repair what is broken. No, no ... That would require far too much effort. Better to manipulate the numbers until it appears as if a problem never existed. No one gets hurt that way, right? Okay, maybe the student who graduates without fundamental skills, but no one who matters, right? Right?
Grrr.
All my stories qualify as Fire and Ice. That's a highly competitive category, though, so I've listed some alternate suggestions below:
And The Stars Never Rise
Summary: Why is Severus Snape such a bitter man? The answer is revealed through an annual ritual.
Category: BEST TEARJERKER. Break out the hankies. :-)
All You Need is Love
Summary: Hermione despises flight. Severus excels at it. A silly little tale about learning to fly ... and then some.
Category: HUMOUR
It Takes Two to Tango
Summary: Hermione is convinced Snape didn't die in the Shrieking Shack, so she sets out to prove her theory—twenty years, two children, and one questionable marriage later.
Category: NINETEEN YEARS LATER (I think it will work for this category ... Depends on whether we're allowed to account for/explain away Snape's death. If not, then it's just Fire & Ice, I suppose.)
The Best Laid Plans
Summary: Hermione has a bold plan. Snape's is a bit more subtle. Plotting can be fun!
Category: BEST SNOG.
I also must recommend a story by the lovely
melenka . She wrote Beyond the Veil to a kick-ass prompt of mine and produced an even more kick-ass story. It features a smoking-hot Sirius Black and a perfectly characterized Luna Lovegood, and it definitely qualifies for the BEST RARE PAIR category. Read it. Love it. Nom it!- Current Mood:
hungry
She named him Tater. (We're from New Jersey, so we have to give funny, Southern-sounding names to any pet born south of the Mason-Dixon line. It's how I ended up with a cat named Junior.) He's only six months old, so he's still in 'tot' form, but he'll grow into his name eventually.
Anyway, a few months and several hundred dollars later, Tater is free from worms and fleas, has been neutered, and has even gained a little weight. His early malnourishment means he will always remain a very small cat, but I know Deb will spoil him every chance she gets.
And now for the plea: Tater is nominated for "Pet of the Week" on one of our local TV stations. So I'm begging my f-list to vote for the little kitten whose humble beginnings were easily overlooked by my generous, loving, and amazing sister. I love her so much, and this is but one of the many reasons I wish I could be more like her.
Thanks, f-list! You can click this link to go to the page and vote for Tater (isn't that a gorgeous pic she took of him?) on the right-hand side.
Hurry! Voting ends today!
- Current Mood:
thankful
It seems I cannot reminisce lately without the words demanding to be recorded. Below the cut is the tiny story of our first kiss.
( Nineteen Years AgoCollapse )
*sighs* Ah, l'amour!
I hope everyone is well. Emi and I were down all weekend with a stomach flu—she is still home sick from school today. Poor tyke.
- Current Mood: thankful
1. The Deep Blue Goodbye by John D. MacDonald (first in his Travis McGee series), as answered by
melenka 2. The Time of The Hunter's Moon by Victoria Holt. (Ms Holt is a pseudonym for Eleanor Hibbert, who also wrote under the names Jean Plaidy, Phillipa Carr, Kathleen Kellow, Anne Percival, and Eleanor Burford.)
3. The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove by Christopher Moore. Moore is amazing! If you've never read his work, I highly recommend Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. Irreverent and side-splittingly funny!
4. The Lost World by Michael Crichton. I bet if I'd used the name Ian Malcolm rather than blanks, someone would have recognized that one!
5. Midnight Brunch by Marta Acosta. Part of the 'Casa Dracula' series, wherein a snarky young Latina chica becomes involved with a family of vampires. Very funny read!
6. The Mango Season by Amulya Malladi. Reading Ms Malladi's books makes me want to go to India. Or make pickle. I also highly recommend her novel Serving Crazy with Curry.
7. A Cook's Tour by Anthony Bourdain. Awesome book by an awesome guy.
8. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, easily recognized by
ariadne1 and missfloraposte 9. A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle, spotted by
keladry_lupin 10. The Lion's Game by Nelson Demille. I love all of Demille's book where the main character is John Corey. That guy takes sarcasm to wonderful new levels.
Did I mention my tastes were eclectic? *grins*
