Open Thread – Mudstock Mania!
13 10 2009
The States List has now been updated. For those who don’t know what the states list is – it is an easy way to find Mudflatters near you. Not long after the forums opened, the moderators and admins thought it would be a great idea to compile a list of members by what state (or country) we live in. You can see the states list HERE.
It is easy to get put on the states list – all you have to do is post an introduction in the “Introduce Yourself” area. Not sure how to do that? Just click HERE for a tutorial.
Here are links to the discussions, and all the current potential areas for upcoming Mudstock meetups!
Alaska – Anchorage Mudstock
Alaska – Juneau Mudstock
California Mudstock
Florida Mudstock
Illinois Mudstock (and surrounding states maybe?)
North Carolina Mudstock
Oregon Mudstock?
Washington State Mudstock
Just Added!
Kentucky Mudstock
Vermont Mudstock
Another Addition!
Western New York area – Buffalo, Rochester and all parts in between
Don’t forget to bookmark the link and check back to see how planning develops.
There is already planning under way for a Texas Dallas/Fort Worth Mudstock.
If your state is not on the above list – you can start your own thread to begin planning a Mudstock near you. We have created a thread with all the information you may need and ways to get help with the planning if you need assistance – Want A Mudstock Near You?
October 14th, 2009 at 11:23 AM
46 Irishgirl Says: October 14th, 2009 at 11:07 AM
I must ask one question, when I was in NYC, I took the kids to TGI Fridays for a meal. We have them here too. But I was astounded having ordered a beer with the meal, a senior-looking waitress approached me and asked me for identification. I joked with her that I was flattered, but seriously…I am pushing 50. Is this the norm?
Yes, especially given you lively Irish accent! Not uncommon for us northerners living in southern belle-villes to be asked, even if you are a known/regular customer at some places, and are having the same servers time after time to boot!
It’s called CYA…there are mega-problems here in Atlanta area with under-aged drinkers getting access to liquor/beer, then heading off in the car and killing not only themselves, but friends in the car and folks in other cars as well.
Just hit that “nifty” numbered birthday 2 weeks ago. Was in New Orleans/Harrah’s casino, and got proofed at 1) one of the bars and 2) at the blackjack table (dealer wasn’t sure if I was over 18! Gotta say, the bar was not unexpected, but at the table?!?!?!?!?!
PS: in my family, we rarely use the “B-day” word. We usually refer to those days as “that danged annual renewal date of our lifelong credit card”!!!!!
October 14th, 2009 at 11:26 AM
Here in Kali the law is that everyone who is drinking has to have picture ID irregardless of age. If the ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Control police) are after a place for serving underage then they can use the ID part to bust the bar for even serving obviously older drinkers. Back in the day, this was a problem when I had an out of state visitor with a drivers license without the pic, like NY used to be.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:37 AM
Chomp, chomp, chomp…burpppppppp!
The cannibalism of the GOP continues:
Larry Klayman, Conservative Attack Dog, Slams Fox News And Bush
Excerpts:
Both conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats can agree on one thing: When Larry Klayman calls, start sweating.
The fastest trigger finger in D.C. when it comes to filing legal briefs, the founder of Judicial Watch is best known for playing an instrumental role in fueling the Whitewater crisis that drowned President Clinton in multiple scandals.
But in the decade since the Lewinsky scandal, Klayman has outraged Republicans with his attacks on Bush administration and former Vice President Dick Cheney’s secretive energy task force.
- – - – - – -
Klayman proudly recalls the night the “vast right-wing conspiracy… was born.” He and fellow conservatives — including Paul Weyrich, Phyllis Schafly and the NRA’s Wayne LaPierre — met in a room near the Council for National Policy conference in Charleston, South Carolina in 1998. “We voted to remove the 42nd president of the United States by whatever legal and ethical means were necessary,” he said.
But Klayman disparages Republicans who attacked Clinton for demonstrating a double standard when it came to the Bush administration. Calling the leaking of outed CIA agent Valerie Plame’s name “indefensible,” Klayman says of the GOP: “Their hypocritical silence was deafening. For both Democrats and Republicans, politics too often trumps national security and the best interests of the American people.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/14/larry-klayman-conservativ_n_321080.html
- – - – - – - – - – - – - -
Add in the fact that at least 4 Bush admin staffer’s + Bush/wife have books coming out in the next 12-14 months, and yikes! Cannibalisim will be front & center. Link to this at HP: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/14/bush-memoirs-coming-out-i_n_320372.html
Me? I’m avoiding the 2010 indigestion as much as possible, just as with SP and her follies bergere type book coming out next month.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:42 AM
Oops…had a thread with 2 web links in it…it must be stuck in Mudflat purgatory!
October 14th, 2009 at 11:42 AM
Guess not!
October 14th, 2009 at 11:51 AM
I’m going with Mona Lisa….I look eighteen!
October 14th, 2009 at 12:11 PM
N.C. Church Plans Bible Burning on Halloween. They will be burning other
books that they consider Satanical; like Billy Grahams’ books
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FkbgeR8LKs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FkbgeR8LKs&feature=related
October 14th, 2009 at 12:32 PM
aaaaaaaarrrrrrrrggggggggg!!!!!!!!
As if it isn’t bad enough that there’s a cold rain with sleet today….
DH was within a mile of home after running around town getting supplies when a whitetail deer jumped out of the woods and RIGHT IN FRONT of my truck!
The deer is dead.
There are pieces of my truck’s grill and other assorted bits scattered all over the road. We can’t get the truck hood open.
DH is is devastated.
The deer has been given to an elder couple a little ways down the holler; they are delighted to have meat in the freezer for winter.
October 14th, 2009 at 12:33 PM
Interesting read from the Beast.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-10-14/texas-republican-smackdown/
“But Texas has open primaries, meaning that Hutchison’s personal appeal outside the party could bring in votes from independents and Democrats who normally don’t participate in GOP contests to put her over the edge.
The latest polling from Rasmussen, conducted in September, shows Hutchison narrowly leading Perry 40 percent to 38 percent.
So, Texas has an OPEN primary…meaning anyone in Texas can vote in them, even across party lines. Maybe secessionist/”oops” executioner! Perry can be toppled in the primary…
TX mudpups…ready, aim, fire!
October 14th, 2009 at 12:35 PM
Sorry to hear about that
October 14th, 2009 at 12:49 PM
I’m so sorry justafarmer!. For the deer too, but I know what hitting an animal can do to a car- I had a pickup nearly totaled from hitting a German shepherd. aaaarrrrrgggg!!
October 14th, 2009 at 12:53 PM
justafarmer…
Ouch! That’s definitely in the realm of “on the one hand, it’s great, but on the other, it sucks”! reality.
Great: needed meat for some folks.
Sucks: your bottom line/bank account/insurer, not to mention mommy/daddy not coming home to the little ones!
Glad that most importantly…you/family are ok-dokey, at least health-wise.
October 14th, 2009 at 12:53 PM
I had posted a comment earlier about Sen. Nelson from Florida about health care reform and did get the first name wrong.( Bill ) Huffpo has a story up about it. The video clip in their story is only about 2:50 long. PBS has the whole thing posted. It won’t play at the moment ” Currently unavailable ” but that might be a temporary thing.
I will post the PBS link after this. No double links and all.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/13/bill-nelson-on-itavis-smi_n_319889.html
October 14th, 2009 at 12:56 PM
The PBS link to my comment above with Sen. Bill Nelson.( health care reform)
The whole interview… 12:00 long.
http://video.pbs.org/video/1294782181/subject/957383727
October 14th, 2009 at 12:57 PM
Incredible! There’s some SC teabagger on Hardball at the moment and he is absolutely convinced that Palin should be president and Jim DeMint should be her VP. He says she straightened out things in that state and turned it around!
Justa – {{{{{{Hugs to you and DH}}}}}}} Thank goodness he wasn’t hurt and that’s very good of you to pass the venison along.
October 14th, 2009 at 1:19 PM
Lots of interesting quotes in this story. Many topics discussed.
————————————
“Larry Klayman, Conservative Attack Dog, Slams Fox News And Bush”
About allegations of illegal fund-raising back in 1997 ( John McCain)…..
“Asked why the congressional hearings into the matter had ended in failure, McCain admitted that it was because both political parties had checkmated each other, telling Klayman: “Yes, my party is involved as well in the illegal fund raising. It’s a disgrace.” ”
( About Fox news )
“And Klayman reserves some of his harshest words for Fox News, expressing his increasing disappointment with the network, which “should really change its motto ‘We report, you decide’ to ‘We brainwash, you decide.’”
He accuses Fox News and host Sean Hannity of not being straight with him by tricking his clients to coming on the air: “I came to perceive Hannity as a shallow and insincere Rush Limbaugh wannabe. In contrast, his television co-host, Alan Colmes, a Jewish liberal, was actually a mensch, even though I rarely agreed with him politically.” ”
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/14/larry-klayman-conservativ_n_321080.html
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/14/larry-klayman-conservativ_n_321080.html
October 14th, 2009 at 1:22 PM
I’ll try to find a replacement grill and whatever other parts at one of the area junkyards (at least none of the front lights were destroyed). Hopefully, the hood latch post is just bent and be hammered out. Finger’s crossed that the radiator is ok. Fenders look ok — it was a direct head-on hit — which means the frame should be ok.
No comprehensive insurance…the truck is a 1999 Ford Ranger with almost 200,000 miles on it. It was still a pretty truck this morning, now it looks like a typical backwoods eastern Kentucky truck (but still pretty if ya squint and look at its profile
!
It was a very young buck, a couple hundred pounds or so. DH called me (wonder of wonders! he had cellphone service!) right when it happened…the deer wasn’t dead yet and I brought a rifle to the scene, but by the time I got there, the deer has passed on, and our mail carrier was on the scene keeping DH company and giving comfort whilst waiting for my arrival.
The elders were really happy to get the deer. They’re getting up there in years and don’t hunt anymore. I just hope that most of the meat is ok, direct hits usually result in severe bone splintering that invades the usable meat. But I’m sure that they can deal with that.
Still…my truck…my truck…wah!!!!
October 14th, 2009 at 1:37 PM
Some dozen or more years ago, our daughter hit a deer in our truck. Fortunately, the meat wasn’t ruined by the bone splinters, etc. It was some of the best meat and hubby would joke that it was his good bumper that tenderized the meat for us. To this day, the daughter will not eat venison. I say it was my cooking ability.
Justa – we’ve got lots of those backwood trucks here in the western part as well. Best wishes on finding the parts and getting it back up and running okay.
October 14th, 2009 at 1:41 PM
Just wanted to remind everyone to go to the Forum and Introduce Yourself, if you have not already done so. Using the Introduce Yourself thread in the Forum, will ensure that you will be included in the states list.
October 14th, 2009 at 2:02 PM
HonestyinGov wrote –
And this sort of goes back the comment that AKM pointed out last week where a certain Site was claiming Mudflats was loosing Members or readership because this Site had somehow tracked Internet Explorer users ( on Mudflats ) and used this as a basis for their results.
I can confirm that we are not losing traffic – traffic is growing steadily for this site. I have access to the direct server stats which is the most reliable way to measure traffic.
Internet Explorer no longer appears *at all* in the top 15 browsers to visit this site. We have about 8 different versions of Firefox, a few versions of Safari and Opera, and one version of Google Chrome.
This means the majority of our traffic does not get measured via “Alexa” which is what they are talking about, I believe. Alexa is an extremely flawed way to measure traffic. In fact most ways to measure traffic are unreliable and the only true way to get an accurate reading is directly from the server that is serving the people at the site.
Of course, if it is the site I think, they are on Google Blogspot and do not have access to server stats at all, so they really have NO CLUE what is going on with their traffic. Also they can’t seem to run a decent comments system from what I have been told – I don’t visit that site myself.
October 14th, 2009 at 2:09 PM
Hey Flatters-
Will be happy to assist in Lubbock TX-
Check Mate
There was a day long time ago in the middle of confusion when I was able to sit and just mind my dogs. They were brothers those two, picked up off the street in down town Detroit at 2:00 a.m. or so. Less than 6 months old- two less than identical twins, Labs- one black with a diamond on the forehead, the other a spotted mix of brown, mostly brown. Yeah mostly brown was the morning delivery as I brought them home to a friend’s I was staying at- and promptly got summoned to clean up last night’s energy.
It sucked. But that’s what dogs do.
Next it was ride in my Jeep to the dog store. All the stuff was bought. Food dishes, collars, leashes, and treats. From Detroit to a suburban Lake House outside of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Packed and racked- a new family was moving in.
Rangy and tan, that was Charley- just out going like a Walt Disney dog. Black and needful was Mercedes- almost scared. The two never separated, as if they were destined to live together for life.
Those were needy times, a Christmas coming up- newly divorced, a tall tree nailed to the ceiling because I didn’t know any better, a really messed up kitchen, some barely frozen ice on the lake outside, most of my house raped away by a bad decision of a marriage prior. A divorce can do that to you.
A separation from something you promised yourself as a child- would stand forever- you would stand forever- Us was “US” against all odds was us. Never to be realized that separation can be a consequence of fate rather than the choices I had made. Yeah the times were bad, but I had two puppies to run the lake with. I had just been astonished with a new computer, the possibilities seemed endless- and all of a sudden my life became digitalized.
So that is how I marched into the New Year. Alive. Not one to forget failed effort, dreams, or the overwhelming snow that falls when one is weakest. The Christmas day of last year was spent walking the lake ice, watching those canine twins revel in the snow, languish in the openness of it all as they ran, and ran, and run they did.
I don’t think anybody could have escaped the fresh gust of those two, as they unharnessed all that is sculpted to song and wind, and ran for the moon in a silhouette of white ice and snow. Yeah, the wind followed them as well, graced by the courage and fearlessness of youth. It was a courtship between the three.
So as all storms break, there is a moment of silence, clarity, when a young man is foolish and content enough to relax from the edge, take a moment to casually lap at the beauty that is nature and life.
It was that moment, a rare respite in tolerance and undelivered pain, that I spoke to God and thanked him for the beauty that I was witnessing as I watched the twins, Charley and Mercedes, race the edge of the yard, and consume the rare green patches of undelivered ice at the edge of the lake. The wind was so warm, wet, and suggestive, for the first day of February on Michigan lake. It was such a moment of calm and graciousness, that I shall never forget nor invite back. It was the moment when the crispness of life stabs you- and it was grand. To see them race with such lack of care- and so completely within one another. It was a song. A true dance of life and why we live it. It was the last song, the last dance.
And a second later Charlie died.
He crossed the road, Mercedes with him.
There is a corner on Coon Lake Road, right before what was my home. It is a fast road, and the second Charley crossed it and ran into the woods on the other side, I knew they were in trouble.
I ran and called to them- light had fallen so now it was all about headlights. And that slow motion thing happened- as reality hits the storm cloud, and all things terrible become real, I saw Mercedes running in the brush and called him, at the same time a car’s headlights beat down the mist of a warm fog, and it was pretty obvious that the truck was coming fast.
As I cried out to Mercedes, and he crossed over- that is when the chess match ended. The second before you are mated, you realize all of your miscalculations- and the fact that Mercedes was in my hands blasted away in my head- as I realized Charley was sure to follow. To come to his brother. To run without care as he had been accustomed to from the day earlier. To run free. Charley ran to me.
What is it about collisions that are so horrible? There is no CSI movie, any sort of cinematic replay, that can revive the absolute horror of watching death become an inescapable moment. There are moments to that painting that are not teaching tools. You can never learn from them. There is the second you realize you have one dog in hand. Barely escaping the headlights- but in hand. The eclipsed second after that is the one you regret forever. As you watch those lights continue and the animal becomes mated to them.
Check Mate!
Slow motion damage- the stuff you see in movies, as you watch the headlight blast the spit from the mouth of your dog. A spot light nothing more. A split second like a football game- where a head gets nailed, but there is only one shot- no replays. He was blown away to the side, a splatter of hope was just wasted by a driver that slowed down- but was too much of a coward to stop.
So that’s how it went. A 4 month old dog carried and laid to the floor of a stupidly unfinished kitchen. Laid to rest so that his brother could come to grips with it- Mercedes was now scared forever. Charlie didn’t bleed much- so there weren’t boards I would have to rip up to manage a statement of respect.
The ground that night was too frozen to dig, so I got a lot of dirt and built a mound. Collar and all.
The next day I had to drive to Port Huron (180 miles) in the middle of a northern Michigan snow storm) to cover a hospital. That was 6 hours of flashbacks. The kind that make you snap your head back- a tornado of reminder and denial. You can’t really shake your head enough.
Mercedes never recovered. He always cried, was an amazingly affectionate companion dog to my daughter, and in 2001 died from a tumor that had grown on his left shoulder.
That was back in the day that I smoked, his tumor had split his skin, I took him to the vet, people saw him and couldn’t look at him he looked that tragic. I walked him after I knew what the Vet said, there were no options. And just smoked a stupid cigarette with Mercedes on a curb. I then brought him in and held his paw as he was injected and died right there before my eyes- Like Charlie. Like Charlie he died in front of me.
So those are two Detroit dogs that no one will ever know. I have to put it on paper to at least make their lives real.
October 14th, 2009 at 2:17 PM
{{{teutonic}}}
as an aside, was it you (a personal story) that I read about elsewhere on the web recently in regards to healthcare reform?
October 14th, 2009 at 2:40 PM
teutonic, I am so sorry. Thanks for letting us know them.
October 14th, 2009 at 2:49 PM
Teutonic – it is therapeutic to put things like this down on paper. In less than a year, I lost two of my very old Chihuahuas and the ache never totally leaves us, but I can look at photos now and actually smile through the tears.
October 14th, 2009 at 2:58 PM
# 68 Snoskred Says:
October 14th, 2009 at 2:02 PM
—————————————
Thanks Snoskred for making that point about the fact that they are uninformed. I didn’t want to ‘ imply ‘ they knew anything or it was based on facts or some knowledge they have. { I don’t visit there either }
As I had mentioned… they probably think 8-track tapes and AOL polls are relevant and up-to-date.
For many of us… Explorer is like an extinct dinosaur.
October 14th, 2009 at 3:07 PM
There’s a comment posted by “Jesse Cornish” over on Gryphen’s site. He basically trashes Gryphen and also mentions AKM and Shannyn. When one clicks on his name and brings up his profile, he is obviously a Palin fan that follows her various sites.
The fact that Gryphen has allowed the controversial posting to stay, speaks highly for Gryphen that he allows dissenting views, although this one could have been a bit more polite.
October 14th, 2009 at 3:45 PM
There is a very funny–although a bit raunchy–mention of Sarah Palin over at the blog Toy with me.
http://toywithme.com/dear-redhead/red6/
Dear Redhead: Sarah Palin is a Waste of a Good Set of Tits
I agree COMPLETELY.
October 14th, 2009 at 3:49 PM
OMG! KO is having a segment about Monty Python’s Flyong Circus’ 40th anniversary…
I feel sooooo old!
October 14th, 2009 at 3:49 PM
Floying=Flying
I AM old…
October 14th, 2009 at 3:53 PM
Right up there with you Justa! Where do the years go?
Keith’s publicizing of Free Clinics has now had over 10,000 people donate over $817,000 – just a week ago tonight that he ran his special. This is superb. It will cover the cost of 3 separate clinics if they can find the places to hold them at for free or low-rate.
October 14th, 2009 at 3:56 PM
Illinois Teacher To Students: How would you like your tax dollars going to pay “Black Fags”
http://crooksandliars.com/logan-murphy/illinois-teacher-students-how-would-y
If you go to the story, there is a link to click on to encourage the teacher be dismissed.
“The man who reported Burk to the school administration is calling for his firing, and rightfully so. The best lesson the children in his class could learn would be that racism and bigotry are unacceptable and that there are consequences for our actions. If you would like to contact the school and give your thoughts on Burk’s comments, here is their contact information. As always, please be nice.”
October 14th, 2009 at 4:05 PM
links to Geneva, Illinois newspapers:
The Chronicle:
http://www.kcchronicle.com/
October 14th, 2009 at 4:06 PM
The Geneva Sun:
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/genevasun/index.html
October 14th, 2009 at 4:07 PM
and a story at the Geneva Sun about what GG2B mentioned:
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/1821189,Geneva-teacher-gay-student_au101309.article
October 14th, 2009 at 4:09 PM
as a former long-time Illinois resident, I’m writing a letter to the editor.
this is beyond outrageous
October 14th, 2009 at 5:10 PM
Justafarmer
you have a pm from lexky
October 14th, 2009 at 5:31 PM
utah?
October 14th, 2009 at 6:14 PM
Justa – I looked at that last link you sent and read some of the comments. There is no doubt that the majority who posted are bigoted and racist. Sad, is it not?
October 14th, 2009 at 6:18 PM
GG, it is indeed sad
October 14th, 2009 at 7:05 PM
teutonic13 – I caught the 2001 date towards the end of your post but wanted to extend my condolences nevertheless. It’s tough to lose a good friend. Even if that friend is just a dog (or cat). Been there, done that and am doomed to do it as long as I continue to adopt rescue critters.
October 14th, 2009 at 7:06 PM
justa – some teachers just beg for a good swift kick betwixt the ears. and sometimes a bit lower down, too.
October 14th, 2009 at 7:09 PM
sauerkruat, that teacher is a complete asshat.
His apology was along the lines “I’m sorry if I offended anyone…”
yow! who did he NOT offend???
October 14th, 2009 at 7:14 PM
I’m in the treehouse/chat all by meself…
October 14th, 2009 at 8:22 PM
Mudbug@85 are you in Utah? I thought I was the only Mudpup in Utah.
DD
October 14th, 2009 at 8:49 PM
GG2B thanks for the links to Max I have been touting his bookin the states were republican governors or congressonal people are running along with the rape vote by the repubs.
One of these days I guess I will get over to the forums just haven’t had time yet.So many good articles up every day .
October 14th, 2009 at 9:23 PM
Teutonic Your story was so moving it bought me to tears as i had to put my cat scruffy down a year ago.He was 19 years old and diabetic and went into a coma and they didn’t think he would be ok.We also had another cat we had to put down,she had leukemia and the vet did not think she would make it but he said he had seen miracles and we should at least try. She lived 18 years after her diagnosis but she lost control of everything and was losing weight rapidly,we even had n IV at home for her but to no avail in the end.Right now my friend has two Border collies from rescue,One is maybe 20 years old and she is now almost completely blind,The other is only about 5 years old.Both are search and rescue dogs.I know the time will come for Molly to go over to rainbow ridge.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:00 PM
Thanks to you Snoskred, I am back, but I lost my old email, trying to play a game. The game was malfunctioning and I contacted them and they gave me directions to make the game work and in the process I lost my originally email, that has years of things I need. When I moved, I never changed my email address from the old company, because I did not want to lose anything. When I accidently lost my email recently , I could not get it back because my user name and password were set in and I didnt have to put them in and I no longer know them and the older company does not have them. So, I know I am still getting emails at that address but I do not know how to get to it. My computer is slowing down because I do not know how to retrieve it and I lost Mudflats at the same time and probably some other things too, also. Much like I lost memory. I can only go through Google to get on Mudflats. Sigh!!!! If anybody knows how I can retrueve my email and other things, please tell me how on the open thread for Thursday. But again, Snoksred, thanks for reinstating me. I so appreciate it.