Open Thread – Service with a Smile!
You may have wondered why The Mudflats went dark for a few minutes this evening. You may not have even noticed. And you may not notice now what is shiny and new here. (You look around, slightly befuddled) “Everything looks the same,” you think to yourself as you stroke your chin. Well, things may look the same, but they are not.
I’ll stop making you guess.
Thanks to Snoskred, and the fabulous web team in the land down under…. we have a new server! What that means is that the times when big news breaks here and the site gets bogged down under the weight of zillions of Mudflatters tromping over to see what’s going on will now become less frequent. We are bigger, better, and faster.
(Insert theme from The Six Million Dollar Man here)
It didn’t take six million dollars, but it did take some extra coinage to make this upgrade, but I think it’s worth it and hopefully all of you do too.
Things have been a little slow content-wise on the blog, but what that usually means is not that nothing is going on, but that there’s actually a lot going on – so much so, that there is little time to post. So hang in there, and bear with us during this little down time.
The only good thing about when the site went down, was the rendezvous at the old site. Makes me nostalgic when I see those snow flakes. Does it still exist?
Hi all, just a quick note –
The sites (blog & forum) will be down for around 10 mins at approx 2am AK time (6am EST) so they can install a card into the server.
So do not panic. All is well, just an upgrade to higher levels of awesomeness.
Cheers!
Snos
Higher levels of awesomeness? You talking about me again, Snos?
Interesting news all around – 🙂
AKM – your last paragraph is quite titillating (just looking for a reason to use that word!) I have visions of a way to order and pay online for The Book and get it delivered right to one’s computer,
bypassing conventional publishing traditions. If I’m close, please leave a lantern under the bridge on the first Wednesday that starts with an uneven number. Or just reply to this with those cute yellow boots and a smiley face.
I love the smell of progress in the morning!
I lifted this from PG commenter Austinxx – seemed a bit appropriate in light of the Wisconsin scenerio created by the Republicans..
Here’s Ronnie Raygun:
“These are the values inspiring those brave workers in Poland … They remind us that where free unions and collective bargaining are forbidden, freedom is lost.” — Ronald Reagan, Labor Day Address, 1980
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…
good one. thanks BenLomond
I just watched Michael Moore’s speech at Madison. It was great!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-moore/america-is-not-broke_b_832006.html
My favourite comment from Huffpo was:
We’re all Wisconsin Egyptians now! Let the REVOLUTION CONTINUE!
From a sign in Egypt supporting Wisconsin: “One world. One pain.”
Peace, my brothers and sisters on our “little blue marble”
We are the change.
Interesting piece in Daily Kos today about how the efforts by Wisconsin’s governor to strip power from the unions may also be aimed specifically at hurting women, a premise entirely possible given Walker’s legislative history.
The police and firefighter unions he has exempted from this legislation are mostly made up of men (70% and 96% respectively). The other public sector unions he has targeted, however, include professions like teachers and nurses, which are mostly filled by women (80% and 95%). Now, it is widely accepted that the police and firefighters were exempt because they supported him, but not all of those unions actually did.
Walker has a history of proposing and supporting radical legislation that seeks to outlaw abortion and eliminate women’s health services and sex education. It certainly may be a coincidence that this proposed bill hurts women far more than men. However, if he can disproportionately strip the rights of women in the process of decimating the rights of unions, that would probably seem like a happy little bonus for him.
The story in Daily Kos:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/03/06/952531/-Wisconsins-war-on-women
Some Walker legislative history:
http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/02/wisconsin-scott-walker-abortion
You know, the real problem I see with Scott Walker is that his name is now becoming more widely known outside Wisconsin. Before he started the war on women and unions, most of us in the other 49 states didn’t have a clue who he was. And the problem with name recognition is that, negative or postive, people listen to those whose names they know. Recognize the name? Oh, he must have something important to say. I worry that Scott Walker will be around longer than any of us want and on a more national stage. He may be the next Sarah Palin, as her star will hopefully burn out soon.
So, what’s his problem with women any way? He obviously hates them, but why? Same reason Sarah hates men? Was he abused as a kid? There’s gotta be a reason.
This is not original to me, but I find it a chillingly accurate: What did the Taliban do whenever they got into power? Seize the radio & TV stations, then oppress women.
And what did the Republicans do? Go on Fox and start proposing legislation to oppress women.
Republican = American Taliban.
Disgusting.
AND defund any public broadcasting. I’ve thought the same thing. They are strangely like the people they yell about the most – except when they are yelling about liberals.
Why is that Republicans–both men and women– seem to hate women? I know that’s a sweeping generalization and that not all do, but it sure seems like a awful lot do. This is a serious question. I really don’t get it.
Palin, however, is an exception. She seems to hate everyone. Yes, I’m including Todd and the kids in this. Her only use for all of them seems to be if she can use them to get ahead. I think she likes Todd’s good looks, his rugged outdoor public persona, his ability to help her when she’s bored with the work she’s doing–which is frequent–and for being a man. She resents the power that that represents. I think she manipulates him with s%x and is finding that waning, and she only married for the status that it gives her. It’s the closest she can get to being a man (welllll, there are other ways, but, . . . .) If she could be a Rill Man, she would be. As she can’t, she just hates them for who they are and what they represent. Maybe the only person she doesn’t hate is her dad . . .
Aha. So now, when we come here for our daily (sometimes hourly, when there are enough hot topics) kaffeeklatch (yes, I’m speaking as a drinker of organic jasmine white tea), there will be a new server, bringing us fresh napkins and topping off our cups. How grand.
“After all, her looks will last another few years”
Not necessarily. Remember what happens to every President during their terms in office – they age several times faster than the rest of us. God forbid she was elected Pres… (sorry, I can’t even bring myself to type the word!), she would look like hell within a few months. And that’s assuming she wouldn’t look like an old crone by the end of the campaign.
On the other hand, she’s likely quit after a short time anyway, so this phenomenon may not apply to her after all!
(As for the rest of your description…spot on!)
I agree but we think like rational humans…Palin belongs to a different species. In many of her Fox closeups (I don’t watch them but I do look at the stills) she’s already looking older and angrier, highlighting the 6itchiness that is eeking out.
I watched this segment on CNN this morning and noticed that Senator Lamar Alexander referred to Palin only after highlighting the qualifications of a number of other GOP presidential hopefuls then cited her personalty as her only qualification:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/06/sen-alexander-donald-trump-has-no-chance-of-winning/
So, if I’m interpreting his comments correctly, America is looking for someone with a nasty, mean girl, vindictive disposition, with no in-depth knowledge, no intellectual curiosity, no proven ability on the international stage and no ability to understand the complexities of just about anything. After all, her looks will last another few years (unless the ugliness from within seeps out) and she can still gee-whiz and wink her way through any debate while making sure that her opponents are called on their “sexism” every time they disagree with or criticize her.
I think Palin will end up splitting the Republican party and then splitting the Tea Party. She is trying to be the TP head, but some don’t want her as the leader. By 2012, she will have left a heaping, steaming mess—and she’ll be fine because she has her millions.
🙂 TP head! 🙂
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
I’m thinkin’ used catalog pages from a filled-up out house!
Hear, hear, OMG & Sally.
$P + Brewer + Haley + O’Donnell + Angle + Bachmann = women declaring war on women and children. Chiclets of chicanery.
I’m convinced we need a law similar to Canada’s Radio Act that requires “a licenser may not broadcast … any false or misleading news.”
“Chiclets of chicanery” Brava!! Joins Whores of Babbleon in the annals of ways to describe the Mean Girl’s of Fox Party. or are they the Pretty Little Liars Club now?
Case in point of WoW!(War on Women): NASCAR = good Head Start = Bad
“Something GOP Doesn’t Want to Cut: Funding for NASCAR”
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/02/26-0
“Republican Officials Cut Head Start Funding, Saying Women Should Be Married And Home With Kids”
http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2011/02/16/gop-head-start-marry/
also too, a ?, How much money does the DoD spend on office space rentals for recruiting offices for all of it’s branches? Who owns the strip malls that receive those taxpayer funded rental dollars?
Although there are sane, decent people in AZ, I suspect there are enough gun-toting, anti-immigrant, gullible folks there to make it seem to Palin that she has a shot at —- hmm, the Presidency, the Senate, the Governorship (she’s not above pushing Brewer under the bus (isn’t that one of Sarah’s MOs – cozy up to someone, get them to back her, then stab them in the back?). Decisions, decisions, decisions, what is an aging teenager to do?
I don’t think even Arizona would consider her for a Governor spot; she never lasted the first term out in the state she claims to love so much. Oh, that’s right, she loved it enough to leave office (i.e. QUIT).
Probably anything else goes, though. Gads.
The other AZ Senate seat will be up, as the incumbent has annouinded he will not run for re-election.
Jon Kyle is retiring.
There ya go…but I have to wonder how popular the Palin brand is after the Tucson shooting and Palin’s “I’m the real victim here” video.
How long does she have to be a resident to run in Arizona? Or is Bristol thinking that might be a good thing for her to do. Bleah – that’s a disgusting thought.
Thank Ipthar that Bristol isn’t old enough to run for Senator!
Uh Oh…now princess Palin has slammed a conservative favored by the likes of Ann Coulter: Governor Christie. I hope that this will start to show her fan club that nobody who crosses HRH is safe.
http://www.thestatecolumn.com/articles/sarah-palin-slams-gov-chris-christie/
The story also appear on Fox Nation:
http://nation.foxnews.com/sarah-palin/2011/03/05/palin-jabs-christie
And here too ( I didn’t realize that her Christie slam was on the same night that she told O’Reilly not to interrupt). It’s not surprising that she also dissed the President since she can not talk for more than 10 seconds on any occasion before doing so.
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2011/03/05/sarah-palins-triple-whammy-chris-christie-barack-obama-and-bi/
I couldn’t listen to the video of SP explaining economics or whatever. I think we’ve already heard it before anyway. She is so full of herself. And it just amazes me that she continues to criticize Obama for his lack of experience. As compared to her experience of running up a debt from a surplus for Wasilla and then quitting as gov? Private sector experience? What – it counts that she follows Todd around his fishing business? Please!
I’m no fan of Gov. Christie, but at least he seems to have a few more brain cells and grasp on reality than Miss Loony Toons.
There is a little slip in that article,
“Ms. Palin, who is considering a run for governor, is the latest potential Republican presidential candidate to take a verbal swipe at another potential candidate.”
I haven’t had my coffee yet, so it took me a minute to unscramble it in my head – 🙂
the above misprint is from OMG’s State Column link-
Does this portend an anticipated flood of traffic to our Mudflats? Hmmmm…..
Good work Snos and AKM.
Congratulations on the upgrade. I know we will all appreciate it.
Just might mention another item over at IM’s current post: Sarah is rumored to be taking shooting lessons from a guide and a film crew is with her.
If that turns out to be fact, why do you think she is doing that? I joined others in speculating that she is shooting either a campaign ad or a NRA ad (because the NRA says its membership has spiked due to more females taking up guns after Sarah’s joke of a show).
This could be just a rumor, but it sounds feasible enough to be true considering SP’s ego and her inability to let criticism pass. Perhaps she just feels she must vindicate herself (as if any of us really care). My only hope is that it is not another reality show or a continuation of the one before. Alaska has suffered enough.
Annie Oakley of the Yukon needs lessons on how to use a gun??? Imagine that.
Thanks for the photo, AKM. Now I know what my son sees every night. He is an administrator at a web hosting company.
god, I love a woman that likes to tease(up to a point)
Gryphen at IM notes that Jan Brewer is in Alaska. What do you get if you take two portions of evil and mix them together?
This Arizonan suspects that she is in Alaska to cool off. We are trying to make things as hot as we can for her down here!
These women share more than crazy…why else would Bristol move to Arizona? I think that they’re plotting something…a Congressional run or perhaps Senate (when McCain leaves his office).
Maybe mixing the two volatile, mindless and heartless substances together could render them both inert???
Make them disappear into a giant puff of nasty, smelly smoke?
We can always hope!
My best guess would be a Koch Bros.funded brewery producing their new niche market suds called”What’s Alin’ Palin” an unsophisticated pale ale that is all foam and no substance and can’t hit its target demographics,but that’s not SP’s fault. It will promise much,not in so many words,and its flavor quits halfway through the taste test. It will be packaged smartly and cost a bundle and fail to deliver anything. Then it cleverly disappears and re-appears at whim with anew marketing campaign.
ha – ! witty 🙂
… tap, tap, tap… patiently waiting, knowing you are preparing “stuff” for us to drool over.
Take all the time you need to get it all “just right”. We’ll be here.
Glad to learn of the new server. I was hoping all was well and you were just busy. Are you going to do a post about the Iditarod again this year? I hope so.
All is well here. I made it to the home and garden show on my day off for a big dose of springtime. Bought a bunch of seeds at the show that were on sale and even got some poppy seeds planted this past week. Woke up this morning to snow on the ground and some ice on the roads. Well isn’t that just ducky?
If I may be so bold,alright nosy, what’cha gonna plant. I am looking forward to new spuds about the middle of June. Yummy.
I have plans for a pretty full vegetable garden. I’m still harvesting last years carrots right now. I also picked up someone flower seeds and bulbs to put in the flower beds. I put in some poppy seeds just last week. Soon I’ll be starting the “merrygold” seeds I received from thatcrowwoman. Stay tuned to the mudflats as I will be checking in and reporting on the open threads as I get stuff in the ground.
Gardenscape, the big garden show here in Rochester, is coming up in two weeks and I cannot wait to walk in and inhale the scent of all those spring flowers! It’s one of my favorite events of the year (and Rochester has festivals of some sort almost every weekend during the warmer weather, so that’s saying a lot!) and it comes at a time when we’re all getting a touch weary of the white stuff.
The past few days were warm and rainy but I woke up this morning to about 3 inches of snow on the ground and no end in sight. Fortunately, I listened to the weather report yesterday and decided to drag my sorry bee-hind to the grocery store last night instead of waiting until this morning like I had planned. I will very shortly be putting all the ingredients for a nice beef stew in the crockpot and settling down with a good mystery to while away the day. In the meantime, I just came back in from filling the bird feeders so my feathered friends have something to snack on as well.
Hmmm…maybe I’ll pull out my veggie garden plans and start making a list of plants and seeds I’ll need for this year, too.
Gardening weather may still be a while off but I must admit – the snow DOES look awfully pretty out there!
My little sister used to live in Rochester. She loved it there.
happy to hear of the new server, looking forward to following your “chrash-less future