N/T: Huh. Given the state they left everyone in, any of it could have been imagined or real. Still, it was nice to see Quentin dumpage. He's my pick for Carver, if we are playing with the regular deck.

tommy, it's a crappy Ford Focus that was supposed to be a short timer car after I crashed my blazer. Two years ago. Anyway, I'm not sure how automatic the temp control is.

I'm not allowed to heat my back, mostly.

That's really kind of sad.

Nicole, you live in a cold place. You should look into the heater thing. t /stating the obvious.

Fred Pete, where are you going on a cruise?

tommy, it's a crappy Ford Focus that was supposed to be a short timer car after I crashed my blazer. Two years ago. Anyway, I'm not sure how automatic the temp control is.

Hmm. My Focus didn't have an automatic temp control. But I have no idea what sits between the temperature control dial and the heat duct baffle. (On older cars there was usually a direct mechanical connection, so it was easy to tell if the baffle was moving, and easy to fix if it wasn't.)

Cass, I agree with your choice.

Nicole -- reupload of the Eureka promo.

Perkins, since heating it makes it hurt worse and longer, I don't mind it so much.

msbelle, try one or all of these things: dip your hands into dry catfood and pet both cats, maximizing catfood crumb spread. OR wipe both down with catnip, unless that makes them paranoid little terrorists. OR wipe mentholatum under their noses. OR tuna water spritzers for both. The last will stink, but if it gets them washing each others ears, that's good. Tomorrow, I will find the Two Lumps series on the vet visit for you. Sounds an awful lot like your situation.

I taped all my tv tonight. My back was flipping out and I just didn't want to watch tv. One dose of tivo, and now I'm envious. Not right.

Did manage to roast a chicken, with lemon and rosemary. Sadly, not for tonight's dinner, as it takes too long.

I should go to bed.

Fair point ita, but still kind of sad that that is true.

I don't get why it's sad, though--heating my back is only attractive when it makes me feel better. When it makes me feel worse, it's a bad thing.

Any localistas want to do trivia in Santa Monica next week?

I totally want to go and chant FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!

[link]

LONDON, Dec. 7 - The playwright Harold Pinter turned his Nobel Prize acceptance speech on Wednesday into a furious howl of outrage against American foreign policy, saying that the United States had not only lied to justify waging war against Iraq but had also "supported and in many cases engendered every right-wing military dictatorship" in the last 50 years.

"The crimes of the United States have been systematic, constant, vicious, remorseless, but very few people have actually talked about them," Mr. Pinter said. "You have to hand it to America. It has exercised a quite clinical manipulation of power worldwide while masquerading as a force for universal good. It's a brilliant, even witty, highly successful act of hypnosis."

Hmm, I don't know if we've supported every right-wing military dictatorship in the last 50 years - I mean, there must be a few we haven't supported....