I had a friend whose parents tried to bring a cat back home with them from Saudi Arabia. They had to go to the passport office and get the cat photographed for his Visa. When they realized that the visa would cost them $3K, they ended up finding a new home for their cat with another ex-pat family.

We're having the snow now1

3-5" today and another 2-4" tonight.

However, I think my town is on the outside edge of the storm and we didn't get much snow last night.

I had to open the other (main office) so am only now getting settled in at my own desk.

Been feeling ooky all week. Not sick enough to be sick but not actually well.

I just made it to work. More snow. We're supposed to get a total of 8". Whatever. We've had so much snow so far I just don't care anymore. At least my new boots are waterproof and have good traction. And not having to drive and scrape ice and snow off a car is nice.

Also, Fuck You, Penguin is awesome!

ION, people in Texas have such weird sayings. A client just said, "I feel fine as frog's hair."

Amusing stories of red tape incidents: [link]

My heart just ached for the international banker who, in order to maintain his permanant US residency of 35 years, has to actually be in the US ever six months.

This picture may have been posted before, but it is just so awesome: Friday Cephalopod: Some pig

Eight Reasons You Should Keep Coke Away From Your Vagina

Just because people in the 1950s and 1960s reached for a Coke bottle after sex to use as a spermicide dispenser doesn't mean soft drink douches are an effective method of birth control.

From researcher Deborah J Anderson [yes, she really put a mix of sperm and soda under the microscope and studied it], here are the top eight reasons why, after sex, the soda goes po (you drink it), not pv (you don't spray it into your vagina)

Nilly, Eureka and Veronica Mars might fill the bill. I assume you've already mentioned Firefly. West Wing is another fast-talking show, although for her it might be kind of a crash course in U.S. politics. The Stargates are fun if you can temporarily turn off some of the logic centers in the brain. In older shows, I've found that M*A*S*H and WKRP in Cincinnati hold up pretty well. She could also look at some of the greater U.S. artistic contributions, Looney Toons and Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends.

I would also add Wonderfalls and Pushing Daisies to the mix.

has to actually be in the US ever six months.

If I understand correctly it's six months per year.

Somali Pirates Free Saudi Tanker

A Saudi super-tanker that was captured by Somali pirates in November carrying two million barrels of oil has been released, unconfirmed reports say.

The Sirius Star was reportedly seen moving south-east away from the Somali coast. A pirate spokesman was quoted as saying the pirates had left the vessel.

It would be such an awesome job to be a pirate spokesman. I wonder if just any pirate can be a pirate spokesman? Or maybe they save it for the pirates who can no longer participate in actual piracy? Like maybe there's a rule that if you have a total of three or more peg legs and hooks, or if you have two eye patches, or if you're allergic to parrots, you can't board ships anymore but you can be the pirate spokesman if you want.