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Heard in the big programming room this morning:

"Some of the [flight] simulators have headsets, vibrators and pedals."

Multi-person double-take. "What are they simulating?" "That's not a simulator, it's a stimulator."

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It's just one of those internet forwards, but it's a good one. I laughed so hard that tears came to my eyes. ( Pilot gripe sheets )

A message for Auntie Jen from Rosa on her birthday

7890-=;;llkkjujyhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhm,,,///////,,,,,,,,,.,l/.///
///./qssxsaaasfdvxzxsdxx

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For the last ten minutes or so Rosa's been repeating "I am the power!" over and over, complete with one raised fist. I think it's a cartoon slogan, though I have no idea which one, and not toddler activism.

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Damn I miss Monday night gaming and "Amber Nights".

More Rosa

She suddenly said to me, "Polkadot bikini!" I asked her where she learned that, she said "Daddy sang it to me." I tried to get her to sing the rest but she didn't know all the words.I myself don't know all the words, but I've been teaching her what I know ("She wore an itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny yellow polkadot bikini"). As of this moment, she's got "She wore an itsy-bitsy bikini."

Election Eve

For once I ignored the telephone when I had just gotten into the bath. I thought about answering it, thinking it might have been Jen, but remembered that it's Election Eve and decided it was probably phone spam. Sure enough, when I got out half an hour later and checked the messages, it was Shrubya asking me to vote. Hehe. He's not going to be pleased with my choice of candidates, though, I'll guarantee it. He was here this morning, not five miles from where I work, stumping for the Other Guy.

Had a conversation about politics with Eric, the guy I sit next to in the Room of Programming d00m today. I was pleased to find another rabid Democrat at work: I always feel like I'm the only one. We decided the problem was that the Republicans are louder. Fact of the matter is, there are quite a few of us around the place, but somehow the general atmosphere of Christian Conservatism is as thick and cloying as sausage gravy. When people bring fundraisers for their kids' trip to Washington for prolife marches, and others are heard talking at lunch about how their children are not allowed to participate in Halloween, when the previous CEO began all meetings with a prayer...the rest of us keep our opinions to ourselves. That's one of the things Eric said to me, actually: that he's voting Democrat exactly because he wants religion and the state kept separate. Then we each had sort of a non-rant on several issues: "Don't get me started on health care," "Don't get me started on the new imperialism..." He's pretty cool. He's a senior consultant who's written several O'Reilly books, and still chooses to brainstorm Java ideas with me of all people. That really makes me feel good about my progress in the language.

So...first order of business tomorrow morning: VOTE!

Just now when I was writing "new imperialism", it came out new imperial order. The Imperial Order is a group of people from Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series. They're nasty. The Imperial Order, I mean, although I've got highly mixed feelings about the books, as well.

Actually, one of the reasons for my ambivalence toward the books is the portrayal of the Imperial Order itself. I got the very strong feeling after reading Faith of the Fallen in particular, that the whole series was a polemic against Communism, as represented by the Imperial Order. The rugged individuals Richard and Kahlan struggle for freedom against the evil oppressors who seek to turn everyone into a mindless automaton exactly like everyone else, doing evil but calling it good. Bleah. Another reason I dislike them is that I find them to be full of excessively detailed torture, particularly directed against women. It's always the bad guys doing it, but the author just seems to relish it far too much. It feels misogynistic and cruel for no reason.

But all the same I keep reading them, because the overall plot hasn't reached its conclusion yet and I can't stand not knowing what happens. However, I have managed to refrain from buying them. I get them from the library, read each one exactly once, and never go back.

( Hello Kitty quiz )

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Oh, and corwin77? Thank you! It arrived today. I'll be listening tomorrow on the way to work (can't disturb the sleeping Ochi by playing it now).