Open Thread – Mudstock Mania!
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?
Woo Hoo..!!
I see someone has a Mudstock in the works for CA.
And it’s right there in my neck of the woods as well.
My password to the forum is not working right now so I’ll have to ask snoskred how to reset it or make a new one so I can do a Profile.
These look like fun. I see that there aren’t very many of us mudpuppies in Vermont. I’ll get myself added to the list soon, I really will.
Justa, we gotta work on the Ky Mudstock…..
honestyinGov – check your email, I have reset your password and sent it to you.
If anyone else has password issues, feel free to post here letting me know, and I will fix it for you and send you email. Alternatively, you can message me via my contact page -
http://www.snoskred.org/contact
Lemonfair – there has been a mudstock in Vermont, one of our Admins and one of our mods live there, I’ve now added a thread especially for you.
http://www.themudflats.net/forum/index.php/topic,8536.0.html
Lexky – I’ve created a thread for you too
http://www.themudflats.net/forum/index.php/topic,8537.0.html
I’ll be around for a few more hours then off to bed, so anyone with forum issues if you don’t hear from me within a fairly short time after posting your comment, you’ll probably hear from me tomorrow.
Just a little heads up on the health care reform issue.
I saw Tavis Smiley tonight ( from PBS ) interviewing Sen.Ben Nelson ( D-Fl ) about the vote today on the Bill.
He talked real positive about the fact that they really want to get reform. He smiled a lot and said all the right things on camera. He talked about how hard they were working on it and they really want to get something done. The attitude was there…but ‘ His’ idea of reform is not what most people want.
He said we will get reform, but did not commit to saying the Public Option was part of that reform. He was rather wishy-washy. He even seemed to stress that maybe we may have to settle for a ‘ tri.g.ger ‘ at this point and make further changes down the road. ( Somebody straighten him out on this)
If He thinks we were going to have to tri.gger the Public Option in the future
( He seems to concede the point that IT will be needed down the road for REAL reform ) put in in NOW so we can start to effect that change now.
Delaying the inevitable…?…. makes NO sense. He talked like he wanted to give the Insurance Co’s a chance to change on their own. ( They won’t)
If you live in Florida, call his Office and give Him ‘ your ‘ opinion. Maybe call your own Senators as well and tell them to straighten out Sen. Nelson.
I don’t trust him. He needs to get on board with the program.
This interview may be archived with PBS or through Tavis Smiley if you want to see it.
Tavis tried to
Thanks Snoskred
Another addition – Western New York area – Buffalo, Rochester and all parts in between
http://www.themudflats.net/forum/index.php/topic,8538.0.html
Excellent article by Max Blumenthal – Glad to know he managed to rile Morning Joe! He also talks about a professional/paid agitator at a seminar in California – worth reading.
http://www.alternet.org/story/143262/how_my_dispute_with_joe_scarborough_sheds_light_on_the_civil_war_within_the_gop?page=entire
A Western New York mudstock in the spring would be nice. First snow flew in the Southern Tier and we’re forecast to see flakes in my neck of the woods in the next few days. Will have to check in again with the almanac to see what we might be in for this year.
Re: yesterday’s mention of odd things happening in this house and to those who responded – I’m not sure what label I’d put on the things that happen but there’s no doubt that something outside the norm goes on. When family members die they seem to treat this place like a train depot before heading over to the other side. Usually they’ll show up in my dreams the day before they die. Then, clocks stop at the time of death, the china cabinet door likes to open, lights turn on and off and my very favorite (not!) is the music box that plays “memories” will sometimes play. (that one nearly gives me a heart attack) This house has been in my Mom’s family since the turn of the century and, no foolin’, it’s built on Indian burial ground. I guess it figures that those that have passed on might want to stop at their childhood home on their way from the 3-D. Maybe for WNY Mudstock we should do a ouija board session in my attic! ( nooo! Lord only knows some unholy vortex wold probably open up and a dozen mudpups would be sucked out in to gawd knows where. Perhaps to be spit out again as Palinbots. now that’s scary!)
Oh, and Drew Carey is on Twitter and has a challenge going out. If he reaches 550K followers he’s donating some major chunk of money to a charity. If you’d like to follow, go to : http://www.twitter.com/DrewFromTv
Enjoy the day !
Sen “Ben Nelson” is a Dem Sen. from Nebraska. Sen “Bill Nelson” is the Dem Sen from Florida I believe.
FireDogLake has a link for a “BirtherCruise” with Alan Keyes and a few others of that ilk. They do a comical write-up and some of the comments are quite funny.
http://firedoglake.com/2009/10/14/death-of-a-vacaton/
http://www.sovereigncruises.org/liberty/cdfe/index.htm
BuffaloGal – Oh no – NO Ouija Board – those scare the pee out of me! Otherwise, having a gathering in your attic could prove very interesting – wish I could be there.
Any German Mudpups? Come on over to the Forum.
#5 honestyinGov-
I hadn’t heard about that particular Bill Nelson interview, glad you mentioned it, I’ll check it out. Nelson is one of mine (FL) and I’ve written, called etc. He’s been waffling on this for a while. He’s been a “trigger” guy most recently with no public option and as you said, he wants to give the insurance companies time to make things “right?” for lack of a better term. (Sure, that will happen.) Have taken out some frustration by posting about him a few times recently. It may not do much good, but I figure it can’t hurt. I think his MO now is: “It’s Bill Nelson’s prerogative to change his mind.”
(Sorry to unload; I’m a long time lurker but new at commenting here.)
I shall check out the states list too, thanks!
I had seen previous articles on HuffPo regarding that private security firm connected to Blackwater/Xe that is taking over the mega-prison in Harden Montana that sits empty.
Now there is more on it at Leah’s blog and well worth reading.
http://godsownparty.com/blog/
Paranoid Patriots
There is a video link from one of the white supremacist websites and it discusses ways of eliminating Obama. I’ve asked the question so often and there are no answers – aren’t there laws against some of this stuff and how the heck do we stop it? (or at least slow down a few).
Yinzers fergotten pennsyltucky. No scrapple for you!
Snoskred and NC Mudstock planners,
I got the email about the lists, tried to get onto the forum, but am having “cookie” issues. I won’t say it’s because I’m at work, but…. (sheepish look). Anyway, my computers at home are down for the time being, and I wanted to weigh in on the Carolinas idea.
I saw that several of you are in the Raleigh-Durham area, but someone mentioned an all-Carolinas Mudstock. If it was held in Charlotte, those of us in SC and WNC could get there fairly easily, as Charlotte’s pretty much in the center. If there are any Mudpups in Southwest VA, they could also get to Charlotte. I would love to attend, and will keep trying to get into the Forum.
Party on, Pups!!
I know you were all waiting with bated (baited?) breath to hear what’s up with the Iron Dog now that Tesoro is no longer the sponsor.
Wait no longer:
http://www.adn.com/sports/snowmachining/irondog/story/972557.html
Apparently, it’s to “boost recruitment”.
16
Melangell Mudpuppy
My work computer says the same thing. We have super filters on ours and cant access much. I have no idea how to fix it so i just pack my laptop to work
Any mudpuppies from PA, NJ, or DE who are close enough to Philly or thereabouts? We might try for a Tri-state event. If you’re interested please head over to http://www.themudflats.net/forum/index.php/topic,8530.0.html
Melangell, if you like I can paste your comment into the thread on the forum so at least people may start thinking about Charlotte?
Thanks for the link GreatGranny2B. It is an excellent article by Max Blumenthal. I don’t understand how paid organizers can be allowed to disrupt a campus lecture series. That connection needs to be publicized a whole lot more.
In today’s New York Times (10/14/09), an editorial, “A Clearer Look at Drilling,” praises Ken Salazar’s decision to freeze drilling in Utah and segues from there into a discussion of Arctic drilling. The editorial warns against Alaskan offshore drilling and drilling in Bristol Bay. And, BTW, Governor Parnell was in Washington last week lobbying Mr. Salazar to open up Alaskan waters to drilling.
Here’s a link to a good article on clearing “cookies”
http://www.wikihow.com/Clear-Your-Browser%27s-Cookies
Also, too, look on the left side for more info on cookies. And don’t forget that if your internet browsing has really slowed down it time to “clear the cache”.
PS. If you have a lot of stored logins and passwords then they are in a cookie, so you will want to clear individually.
PPS. On firefox I can get to each sites cookies by clicking on the icon left of the address bar (like Brian for this site) and choosing more information. Then under security tab select view cookies. You get the cookies for a site. I can come in handy when you want to give your opinion more than once for a poll.
Speaking of polls, our local TV station in this conservative area of CA asked last night “Are you in favor of a public option?”. Now most of these polls show very conservative results, so I was shocked and pleasantly surprised when Mr Fair and Balanced (NOT) anchor had to report that 68% favor the Public Option.
LettersfromEurope, I would LOVE to go to you mudstock! Maybe next time…
Go to your- not you. oops
Is anyone thinking of going on the Air America cruise? It is March 6 to 13, 2010 and leaves and returns to San Diego, CA.
Perhaps a San Diego mudstock on March 13 would be a good date for SoCal. The ship arrives at 7 am and the dock is right by downtown.
Here’s a link to the web site for the cruise:
http://airamericacruise.com/index.html
@23 A fan from CA
Thanks for the great link! This computer had been running terribly slow, did what the site said, and it is running double time now!
Irishgirl, thanks so much! I would really appreciate it.
Just a personal note to you: I followed your visit to the States recently, with your kids, and was so glad to see you had a good time. I took my kids to live in Belfast in ’97-’98 (we were there for 13 months), and had a wonderful experience. We were limited in our time and money to get around the Republic extensively, but managed to get to Sligo and Clew Bay, as well as Dublin, Newgrange, and Dun Laoghaire (for the ferry to Holyhead, mainly).
We got to see quite a lot of the north, but again, I was working and they were in school. It was amazing, and we all yearn to return for more. My heritage is about 50% (or better) pan-Celtic, and my husband is 50% Irish. His dad’s family was from Cork. If we ever get back to Dublin, I’ll give you a call and buy you a pint!
To lexky and A fan from CA:
Thanks to both of you for the suggestions. I’m in the same boat as lexky, cookie-wise, but I’ll be sure to hang onto the info for my home computers – whenever they return to the land of the living…… :-/
lettersineurope…i left a pm for you over on the forum
I’m going to try this again. Is anyone thinking of going on the Air America cruise? I got sent to moderation so I thought I’d ask since we could have a mudstock at the end on Sat., March 13 in San Diego, CA.
I used to live in Germany but we’re moving to Indianapolis in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, I’m not able to even plan to attend any events. Maybe come first of the year?
Cheers.
Melangell, I moved that for you.
Wow, it is a small world. Imagine that, you lived in Ireland! What a pity we didn’t know each other then, we could have enjoyed a couple of pints. Both my family and my husband’s family are from Cork and I lived there for a number of years.
I also visited North Carolina 21 years ago. I stayed in Raleigh and visited the “Research Triangle” area. It was beautiful.
If you are ever back in Ireland you will have to come and visit me. I’m in Dublin and I can see Dun Laoghaire from my house (well from 200 yards up the road I can).
Irishgirl – Are you a Maeve Binchy fan or is it just us Americans who love her?
Hey Mudpups – in the spirit of Mudstock (peace, love, harmony & Palin jokes) – I just wanted to share that the Huffpo Help the Stein Family charity drive has raised over $19,000!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/13/help-the-steins-saddled-w_n_318192.html
This makes me feel so awesome – if our elected officials won’t do the right thing and help us pay for healthcare, we gotta help ourselves and each other!
Huffpo has extended the fundraising for the Steins and the goal now is $25,000. Please give a little if you can – it helps the Steins a LOT!
@boodog and fawnskin – I hear you.
I wouldn´t mind trying Wales and Ireland and all of the US myself….. Grass is always greener. Well in Ireland it definitely is very, very green.
GreatGranny2B, I’m a fan too.
Sheesh! You pups are getting my wanderlust all revved up! If I ever remember to buy a ticket for the SC lottery (I’m seriously challenged that way), and then actually win, I’ll come to all those places for a Mudstock!
I lived in Berlin for almost 5 years, back in the late ’70s, and loooooove Wales!!
Remember those posters of the earth surrounded by people holding hands? That’s what Mudflats is like to me – even if I go for months and just lurk. You people rock!
Irishgirl, it’s a date!
Me also,too. Maeve Binchey ROCKS!
San Diego in March? I’m there.
On another note, has everyone seen this?
[url]http://video.telegraph.co.uk/services/player/bcpid1137883380?bctid=17075685001[/url]
Take some creative sheep farmers with waaay tooooo much time on their hands, some talented border collies, some sheep, some blankets embedded with digital lights wrapped around sheets under computer control, some radio communications, a large hillside, a dark night and voilá, an interesting exercise in epic sheep herding.
Good Geoffrey Dunn article up on Huff Post re: keeping McCain’s feet to the fire over his decision to go with Palin.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/geoffrey-dunn/mccains-latest-palin-lie_b_319877.html
ok…i’m not going to get to meet lettersfromeurope on my trip tomorrow.
sad am i.
but…BRIAN IS HANGING OUT WITH US!!!!
he made his way down to socal last week and was having quite the time in the sun until the rain storms hit yesterday.
we’re all on our way over to germany, switzerland,italy,greece, and turkey and i’m having quite the time of it to keep MR B calm enough to get on the plane.
it would appear that he was quite taken with europe when travelling with samper to greece and can’t wait to get back.
that is one party-time moose, i tell ya.
(samper…MR B keeps mentioning “adult beverages”. is there something i should know?)
Looks like I’m caught in the spam filter.
I’m up for San Diego in March.
And if you haven’t seen this, you need to check it out:
http://video.telegraph.co.uk/services/player/bcpid1137883380?bctid=17075685001
#23 A fan from CA Says:
October 14th, 2009 at 6:53 AM
Here’s a link to a good article on clearing “cookies”
http://www.wikihow.com/Clear-Your-Browser%27s-Cookies
Also, too, look on the left side for more info on cookies. And don’t forget that if your internet browsing has really slowed down it time to “clear the cache”.
————————————————–
Within that link that ‘ A fan from CA ‘ posted there was also a section ” Sources and Citations ” which gave you a link so that you can download FireFox if you choose to. Many of us have found FireFox to be a vast improvement over Explorer as a Browser. I’d like to think of it as an Upgrade… but the choices is yours. Ask others what they think…. or browse some internet stories with Google for more info.
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’m sure they immediately posted this info to their viewers in an AOL Poll as well. Because afterall…AOL is the most current up-to-date format out there when it comes to technology. After reading the Poll results….They then went back to listening to their 8-track tapes.
Fawnskin, have a lovely time! Mr B was a fantastic traveller to Ireland. I think that poor old moose is worn out from travelling.
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?
OOOOH! I want to go on the AirAmerica cruise! I must run out and get a winning lottery ticket….
41 ChicagoMom Says: October 14th, 2009 at 10:35 AM
Good Geoffrey Dunn article up on Huff Post re: keeping McCain’s feet to the fire over his decision to go with Palin.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/geoffrey-dunn/mccains-latest-palin-lie_b_319877.html
Yup…loved the McCain/Palin campaign button!
Oh, you KNOW you don’t look 50, Irish!
Here, they ‘card’ you if you look under 30, just to be safe.
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”!!!!!
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.
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.
Oops…had a thread with 2 web links in it…it must be stuck in Mudflat purgatory!
Guess not!
I’m going with Mona Lisa….I look eighteen!
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
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.
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!
Sorry to hear about that
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!!
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.
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
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
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.
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
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!!!!
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.
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.
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.
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.
{{{teutonic}}}
as an aside, was it you (a personal story) that I read about elsewhere on the web recently in regards to healthcare reform?
teutonic, I am so sorry. Thanks for letting us know them.
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.
# 68 Snoskred Says:
October 14th, 2009 at 2:02 PM
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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.
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.
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.
OMG! KO is having a segment about Monty Python’s Flyong Circus’ 40th anniversary…
I feel sooooo old!
Floying=Flying
I AM old…
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.
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.”
links to Geneva, Illinois newspapers:
The Chronicle:
http://www.kcchronicle.com/
The Geneva Sun:
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/genevasun/index.html
and a story at the Geneva Sun about what GG2B mentioned:
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/1821189,Geneva-teacher-gay-student_au101309.article
as a former long-time Illinois resident, I’m writing a letter to the editor.
this is beyond outrageous
Justafarmer
you have a pm from lexky
utah?
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?
GG, it is indeed sad
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.
justa – some teachers just beg for a good swift kick betwixt the ears. and sometimes a bit lower down, too.
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???
I’m in the treehouse/chat all by meself…
Mudbug@85 are you in Utah? I thought I was the only Mudpup in Utah.
DD
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 .
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.
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.