Not so important that I need to say it twice.

(I'm only update through season 4 of Spooks.)

Starbucks is handing out free coffee on November 4th to voters.

Starbucks is handing out free coffee on November 4th to voters.

If my precinct doesn't give out stickers, how will they know??

[edit: Apparently they're going on the honor system:

the coffee chain says customers just need to come in and say that they voted in order to redeem their brew on Nov. 4 at any of its U.S. locations.]

Apparently, it's more AU/scifi than regular spy stuff.

Yeah, I just noticed it's set in 2013, post-drama. Cool. I'm grabbing the entire season. Should get me through a sleepless night or two.

Just remembered I have a shitload of EOBs to print out for reimbursement, but my insurance website refuses to let me log in, and I've tried 4 ways so far. Bites. I want my money back.

Re 10 most expensive accidents:

I wonder how high Bhopal would rate if Union Carbide had actually paid the damages it should have.

The Chernobyl account says, "The accident was officially attributed to power plant operators who violated plant procedures and were ignorant of the safety requirements needed." Uh, no. Mechanical engineers who knew nothing about nuclear physics were testing to see if residual turbine spin could supply enough power to fill what they knew was an unacceptable gap between loss of power and when the backup diesels kicked in. The plant management lied about the existence of this safety problem so they could declare the plant finished. The operators objected, but they were faced with a culture in which orders were not questioned. Most died, some after heroically trying to reduce the consequences or fight the fire in areas they knew were lethal.

(Sorry. Knee-jerk reaction to blaming the operators.)

Re: Typo Boy's post in Press

The Election Protection coalition has put together a free hotline and a web site dedicated to tracking voting irregularities.

1-866-OUR-VOTE

I'm volunteering for them on election day. So psyched.

I wonder how high Bhopal would rate if Union Carbide had actually paid the damages it should have.

Yeah, that's a good question/point. I think the only reason the recent LA commuter train crash made the list is it occurred in a wealthy, litigious country.

That's interesting about Chernobly - I had only heard that the operators conducted a dangerous safety test.

eta: I'm not saying it's bad for people to sue over the LA train crash....

Obama's people really know how to put together inspirational videos.

I love the term nerd-adjacent.

I think my HS experience just doesn't fit into the standard nerdometrics. My school had no athletic teams, the cool kids either surfed, skated, or sailed boats. The school bullies were the D&D playing, Renn faire attending nerds of normal schools. No really, I mean it--their "gang" called themselves the Wraiths.

Turns out the motel I'll be staying at is a quarter block from a Waffle House. Guess I know where I'll be eating breakfast in Chico. Some Buffistas have expressed enthusiasm for this chain. Any recs? (No points for just saying "Waffles".)

Edit: And Trudy, so cool.