I feel you, smonster. I have two tasks sitting open in Open Office right now, because I kinda believe there is surely an easier way to do it. But if I'd just done it, I'd have been done yonks ago.

Also, a nap sounds very good.

Also, I suspect the whole not eating thing is contributing to my lethargy.

Okay! New plan! Dinner, dishes, spreadsheet, and then I can watch the Tivo and sort receipts.

The Oatmeal on dogs.

[link]

some cussing.

licking of balls.

Ok, this is a little weird. Our Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer has released a speech he's giving today. [link] In it, he likens China's economy to Usain Bolt, which, ok; but here's the end quote:

"Let's be blunt and acknowledge the biggest threat to the world's biggest economy are the cranks and crazies that have taken over the Republican Party."

I... actually agree with him entirely, and have pontificated on this to my workmates on occasion, but I'm still somewhat uncomfortable with my government dissing yours so openly. I don't see it making diplomatic relations any easier.

I have been doing a lot of spreadsheet customization and wholesale creation lately and I get ideas on how to make bits of it work at really unfortunate times. I had a big epiphany driving home from dancing last week. And today I was just shutting down for the day when another idea clicked into place - 3 hours later I've finally logged off work. Luckily I like doing this stuff.

My workday blew up at the end, and I kinda started the ball rolling. Well, I noticed it'd been rolling for almost 24 hours and no one else had seen fit to mention it (and I spent all day in test and install on a different system.) Next thing you know, the system is frelled, the developer investigating has one of those cut&paste oopsies and kills off all the processes on part of the system that was ok, and I ended up leaving 90 later than I intended with things still unresolved, but OHMYGOD, there was nothing more I could do tonight.

I should just learn not to look too closely 20 minutes before I want to leave....

I'm thinking of switching one of my long swims to Thursday, since there are fewer swimmers then. Though maybe tomorrow will be quiet too.

An American woman I went to college with who lives in Aus just posted on Facebook that she got a safety warning from the US Embassy about anti-American protests today. She was kinda bemused.

I... actually agree with him entirely, and have pontificated on this to my workmates on occasion, but I'm still somewhat uncomfortable with my government dissing yours so openly. I don't see it making diplomatic relations any easier.

(shrug). when the GOP thought it was in everyone's best interest to fuck our economy rather than have a real compromise, I think we likely deserve just about anything another government can hurl at us. It doesn't make me feel proud, that's for sure.

What's ironic is that Romney said in the infamous donor video that the markets will probably go up if it is likely he will win the Presidency, and down if it looks likely in the Fall that Obama will be re-elected. The polls are way up now and have been up since after the DNC. Not quite certain how to interpret that.

Especially in light of Australia's assessment.

I... actually agree with him entirely, and have pontificated on this to my workmates on occasion, but I'm still somewhat uncomfortable with my government dissing yours so openly. I don't see it making diplomatic relations any easier.

Yeah, just wait until we invade you. Provided we can actually find Australia.

Yeah, just wait until we invade you. Provided we can actually find Australia.

Pfft. I figure we'll be safe for a while, I'm pretty sure your government's first step will be trying to negotiate permission to use Germany's airspace for the invasion.

An American woman I went to college with who lives in Aus just posted on Facebook that she got a safety warning from the US Embassy about anti-American protests today. She was kinda bemused.

Yes, we had some protests in Sydney against the "Innocence of Muslims" film that turned violent. Not impressed. (Happy to live in Melbourne too.)

What's ironic is that Romney said in the infamous donor video that the markets will probably go up if it is likely he will win the Presidency, and down if it looks likely in the Fall that Obama will be re-elected. The polls are way up now and have been up since after the DNC. Not quite certain how to interpret that.

Eh, Romney's a goose. I really don't think the President has such a hefty influence on the stock markets, not unless he's trying to pull something really odd. I don't think Obama is that popular in the business community - they seem happy to vote with their wallets in Romney's direction - but he hasn't run around nationalising industries or provoking trade wars with China (that's Romney's stated policy). The market will cope just fine with an Obama second term.

What it may not cope with is another Republican-dominated Congress. Let me qualify that - a Congress dominated by a Republican Party dominated by the Tea Party. IIRC, Boehner was actually able to agree to a compromise on the debt ceiling, until the Tea Party caucus threw sand in the gears. In that regard, I agree entirely with our Treasurer.

Provided we can actually find Australia.

Since Australia isn't in the Bible, the cranks and crazies probably think it's a theory.