I’m starting out on a new project. I’m going to learn Ruby on Rails. No, it doesn’t have anything to do with trains or geology. It’s the latest greatest programming language for the web. Rails is quickly replacing Perl and PHP has the go-to web language and I need to get on board. Frankly, I’m several years behind the trend, so I’ve got catching up to do.

Speaking of Perl (the first “web” language I learned) here’s a great white board quip from RandyPants.

Perl is a funky language.  It’s like duct tape and velcro had a baby.
– RandyPants

I complain a lot. I mean, I’m generally a happy person. I wouldn’t say I’m crabby or overly contrary. But I do complain more than I should.

One of the things I complain about too much is the weather. I grew up in Amarillo with, very likely the worst weather in the world. In Amarillo you get scorching Texas summers; well above 100 with hot, dry, hair-dryer-in-your-face wind. You get bone-chilling winters; wind chills well below zero with dry, stinging, blowing snow drifting in feet, not inches. And in between you don’t get spring or fall. You get tornadoes and hail. Oh yeah, and wind. Seriously, the trees grow leaning north east. Honest.

From Amarillo, I moved to Colorado Springs. Now, the Springs has unusual weather for Colorado. It’s tucked right up against the mountains, so it doesn’t get all that much snow. Actually the weather in the Springs is very much like Amarillo. The big difference is the scenery!

Colorado Springs does at least have Spring. Spring is when you scrape the ice off your windows before you drive to work, and turn your A/C on high on your way home. When the spring rains come to Colorado Springs you can see them coming down the slopes of Pike’s Peak. It’s gorgeous!

Now I live in “North Texas” which, if you look at a map, is actually East Texas, but  you can’t call it that for some reason. *shrug* The weather here is really not as bad as I make it out to be. It’s hot, yes. Ugly hot. Nasty, sticky hot. From April through September. I could survive in Amarillo driving without A/C because it was so dry. I never really sweat in Amarillo, even toiling on the horse ranch, shoveling mountains of poo in the hot sun. But here, I sweat sitting in the car. Blech!

And North Texas doesn’t really get winter as I know it. I complain (too much) about not getting real snow. Yes, it gets kind of cold, but it just doesn’t snow. So you get all the misery with none of the fun.

If we do get anything, it’s ice. Ice is no fun. You can’t go out and play in the ice. But even when we get an ice storm here, it’s over in a couple of days. The sun comes out and it’s gone.

But then, last year, we got real snow! Eleven inches of perfect snow. Just wet enough to make massive snowmen. And in a couple of days it was gone, the streets were clear and it was back to life as usual. It was great!

Now, in 2011, it seemed like the whole country was getting snow except us. So much snow that they were all sick of it, a notion that is very foreign to me. I love snow!! I love to play in it. I love to drive in it. (Driving in good, wet snow is a lot like racing dirt track, which I also loved.)

Then, it happened. The big one. THE storm. We got our usual, big, nasty ice storm. Freezing rain and sleet that packed down into a deadly ice pack. But this time it’s different. It iced late Monday night. And Tuesday afternoon the sun came out and melted it all, right? WRONG!! Tuesday: highs in the 20’s, single-digit lows. Wednesday: highs in the 20’s, single-digit lows. Thursday: highs in the 20’s, single-digit lows. Friday… Finally something different. Friday: high in the 20’s and snow! Wait, what? Snow?! Yes! Lovely, fluffy, beautify snow. Great! Let’s go play!! Noooo. Because that lovely snow is covering that same inch of deadly ice, only now, you can’t see the dry spots. You can’t weave your way through and avoid the slips and slides. BAH!!

Four days. Four days with no school, no work, just sit in the house watching TV and trying to stay warm. And the big warm up, the promised 50 degree, sunny weekend to clear away the ice and snow? LIES! ALL LIES!! Now they’re saying we’ll finally get above freezing, but only a little and only in the afternoons, for the next several days, maybe a week. Will this madness ever end?!

So, remember all those times I scoffed at the North Texas weather? Remember all those times I said, “I miss real winter. I miss real snow.” I take it back. I take it all back. Please please let me get out of this house!!

Click for full size.

Lest you fall for the lie that the Planned Murderhood exposure is an isolated incident, here’s another. This one is not nearly as dramatic or sensational, but it is quite plain that the counselor is quietly overlooking underage sex slaves and giving advice to their pimp to circumvent the law.

The money shot, as far as I’m concerned is, “We do ’em once or twice a month here.” That is, performing abortions on minors without parental consent, avoiding VA law and potentially covering up sex crimes.

You may find this video shocking. You shouldn’t.

You should know (especially since I’ve told you before over and over and over and over) that Planned Murderhood is a despicable organization staffed with the lowest forms of life that God allows to exist. And here’s the kicker: You’re paying for it. Over $300 million dollars a year of your money keeps Planned Murderhood in business. Contact your U.S. Representative today and demand that Planned Murderhood be federally defunded… that is, unless you want to continue spending your tax dollars to give business advice to pimps with 13-year-old sex slaves.

There are a couple of silver linings on this story.

First, Planned Murderhood fired this manager in a cloud of feigned shock.

Second, the Lamestream Media has finally been forced to come out against their longtime ally (also in a cloud of feigned shock). Maybe we can finally get enough traction to pull their funding for good.

This week’s white board quip is particularly apropos*, considering all that’s going on in the world this week. Funny thing is it was chosen completely at random. (Thanks Arron!)

Diplomacy is the art of saying ‘Nice doggie’ until you can find a rock.
-Will Rogers

* I had a heck of a time finding this one in spell check because it has a silent “s,” stupid French.

This is for the folks who say that illegal immigration is not a problem. That we should show compassion and quit picking on those poor “undocumented workers.” That we should quit making such a fuss and stop spending so much money. This is for them. As for the rest of you, read this story and remember it so you can share it with the next bleeding heart you meet.

“Controversial Muslim cleric caught being smuggled into U.S. over Mexico border”

U.S. border guards got a surprise when they searched a Mexican BMW and found a hardline Muslim cleric – banned from France and Canada – curled up in the [trunk].

Said Jaziri, who called for the death of a Danish cartoonist that drew pictures of the prophet Mohammed, was being smuggled into California when he was arrested, along with his driver Kenneth Robert Lawler.

The 43-year-old was deported from Canada to his homeland Tunisia in 2007 after it emerged he had lied on his refugee application about having served jail time in France.

According to the court documents, a Mexican guide led Jaziri and a Mexican immigrant over the border fence near Tecate.

No one is saying Jaziri is a terrorist (although he talks like one). But how many more violent men with the same beliefs have strolled into our country? Cabbage pickers and lawn mowers are not the only people pouring through our porous borders. Mark my words: When (not if) we suffer our next major terrorist attack, don’t be surprised if the attackers arrived here on foot from the south.

Clicky clicky for the full story.

And now for something completely different. Everyone sing along!

Anything goes in. Anything goes out!
Fish, bananas, old pajamas,
Mutton! Beef! and Trout!

…

Sorry. I’ve been working pretty hard lately. Maybe a bit too hard. I shall endeavor to improve.

…

SPAM!

Once I saw this guy on a bridge about to jump. I said, “Don’t do it!”
He said, “Nobody loves me.”
I said, “God loves you. Do you believe in God?”
He said, “Yes.”
I said, “Are you a Christian or a Jew?”
He said, “A Christian.”
I said, “Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?”
He said, “Protestant.”
I said, “Me, too! What franchise?”
He said, “Baptist.”
I said, “Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?”
He said, “Northern Baptist.”
I said, “Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?”
He said, “Northern Conservative Baptist.”
I said, “Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?”
He said, “Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region.”
I said, “Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?”
He said, “Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912.”
I said, “Die, heretic!” And I pushed him over.

[ed. Long live Emo Phillips!]

It is now 1/11/11 11:11:11. Thank you. Carry on.

Once again, things have changed for my mom. Remember last time that there was blood in her brain and that the consensus among the doctors was that this mysterious blood clot was 1) shrinking and 2) hiding a small tumor that couldn’t be seen in CAT scans. Unfortunately, due to her previous car accident, she’s got too much metal in her body to do an MRI, which would show much more detail.

Since then, mom’s symptoms (slurred speech, lack of dexterity, physical weakness and lethargy) have gotten better and then worse again. A new doctor with a new CAT scan now says that this blood clot is not a blood clot, but, in fact, a type of tumor and it is growing.

Today (1/11/11), Mom goes in for her first of five focused radiation treatments to try and kill this tumor. The prognosis is that, if the radiation works, the tumor will shrink over the next few months or few years and Mom will gradually improve. However, the treatment is not a cure. The tumor could resist, reform, or more tumors could form later in other parts of her brain.  In other words, the radiation will buy us time, but not change the end of the story.

The best news is that, while there are frustrations a plenty, mom is not in any pain.

As usual, please pray for my mom (healing and comfort), dad and sister (peace and rest) as well as the doctors involved (wisdom and accuracy).