And a TV update for Sara: Ellen Degeneres opened her show today crying uncontrollably about a dog that she adopted from a rescue organization, got fixed etc., and then gave to her hairdresser. But then the rescue organization called to check up on the dog, she told them she had given it away to a good home, and they came and took the dog, since apparently she had signed a thing saying she'd either keep the dog herself or give it back to the rescue organization. So she feels really bad that the dog is out of a home again and the hairdresser's kids are out of a dog. She was really crying a lot.

Oh, man, I've been on the getting your dog taken away end of that and it sucks.

One of my co-workers is coming back from maternity leave on Monday, which is good, because that means I won't have to do the early-morning load from the laptop at home any more (getting up at 6:45 to get it done by 7:30 is very tiring). I have to wait until she returns before I can find out if I can go out to NJ for Thanksgiving, but I'm hoping that I can do so, because then I can drive out and save myself some money. If I have to wait until Christmas to head out there, I'll have to fly (in case of snow in the Allegheny Mts. on the PA turnpike), which I hate doing at Christmas.

I've got ten days of vacation yet unscheduled--I can take five at Thanksgiving, be gone for 10 days total (leave the Friday before, drive back the Sunday and Monday after), and still have five days to blow in December.

ETA: which has nothing to do with adopting dogs being taken away from homes. Why would they do that to the poor pooch?

Why would they do that to the poor pooch?

Them's the rules! Which is why poor Ellen was so upset.

Yesterday I made a GIANT food faux pas and ate half a pineapple. My mouth regrets it still.

Ow. My mouth stings in sympathy.

I understand rescue places are trying to make sure the animals are well cared for and all that, but geez! How bout going to visit the other home and making sure all's well there?

This is what makes people think it's just easier to buy from *other* places! This is what leads ND and Kristin to be rejected as kitty parents! (Still bitter about that) It must stop!

x-posted with Bitches

The monkey suit has arrived! [link]

Why would they do that to the poor pooch?

Them's the rules! Which is why poor Ellen was so upset.

Yeah, but....you gotta know that if you're enforcing a rule like that on someone who can go TALK ABOUT IT ON HER OWN TV SHOW, that you're going to get bad PR. (Even though, yes, that was the rule and Ellen should have known it was the rule since she signed a damn paper, etc. -- she still HAS HER OWN TV SHOW. And can therefore turn her breakage of the rules into a Thing. You know?)

That happens here in Austin, too. Drivers also believe that turn signals are a sign of weakness, the speed limit for minivans is 15 mph under the speed limit for the rest of us, merging is a game not unlike Russian Roulette, and it is perfectly acceptable to drive about a foot back from my bumper at 75 mph.

Hee. I was a tad worried about the prospect of driving in Philly, as all the wacky was happening on the wrong side of the road, but I figured if our real estate agent could reach the age he did driving like that, I'd be a shoe-in.

OK, I'm researching how one goes about emigrating to New Zealand.

For some of us, surprisingly easily. Of course, given the number of Kiwis who've come to Australia, I'm not sure if there's any need.

My brother appears to operate on the premise that the most promiscuous women in the world are the ones in his immediate vicinity.

Are women that far outnumbered by men? Or, who are they sleeping with?

Australians. By which, of course, I mean my brother.

At first, sex with robots might be considered geeky, "but once you have a story like 'I had sex with a robot, and it was great!' appear someplace like Cosmo magazine, I'd expect many people to jump on the bandwagon," Levy said.

I think he means to say 'the Bandwagon 3000'.

Monkey!!!

Yeah, but....you gotta know that if you're enforcing a rule like that on someone who can go TALK ABOUT IT ON HER OWN TV SHOW, that you're going to get bad PR.

Well, yeah. I'm pretty sure she didn't name the actual rescue organization, but still.