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Dear Senators and Congressmen

So, you’ve apparently done some tea leaf reading, and decided that Scott Brown’s victory in MA means that we all hated the health-care bill, Coakley, and the “progressive agenda”.

You’re 1 for 3.

We’re not going to say any more about Coakley-the-disappearing-candidate. But we really were unhappy with the health care bill. Not because it goes too far, but because it SPENDS A BUNCH OF MONEY without actually providing quality health care for all. It’s not really progressive at all.

Obama and the Democratic party captured independents across the country by promising *CHANGE*. Think about that for a second,
and then understand that the way to recapture the independents is not to do less. Also, some fiscal responsibility would be nice.

Thanks!
-Massachusetts “unenrolled” (aka independent) voters

2010 01 28 Kat politics Comments (1) Permalink

Science Cookies: Containment Suit

I love this cookie! The concept is awesome, and the eyes totally make it:

Not So Humble Pie: Science Cookies: Containment Suit.

2010 01 19 Kat Uncategorized Comments Off Permalink

Shopping is hard, let’s do math!

Shopping for clothing is frustrating. Honestly, it always is, for me, but I just got reminded of why maternity clothes are going to add extra complications without removing any constraints. An example follows:

As I go from “kinda chubby” to “where did that belly come from”, I’m running out of clothes to wear. I have two pairs of pants, a handful of solid-color t-shirts, and 5 sweaters/fleeces that are large enough to fit over the shirts, at least for now, but only 3 of which are appropriate for work. In addition, I have one or two jumper-style dresses that still fit, and a few lovely new shirts from my mother-in-law. Not quite enough for a work wardrobe, so I used some gift cards from my mother and grandmother and went shopping online. I found two beautiful sweaters, a cute skirt and two nice shirts that looked work-appropriate on Motherhood Maternity’swebsite. They were shipped to me last week, so they were here when I got back from a trip to LA. Five new things, sounds great, right?

Unfortunately, two of the five were not exactly what I’d expected. Amusingly, they are the two that are no longer on the website: a brown billowy top and a grey empire-waist sweater. The top is wearable: it’s a very thin fabric, but if I can layer underneath it I might even be able to wear it to work, and I could certainly wear it on weekends (with layers. It really doesn’t stand alone). So that’s okay.

The sweater is actually *nicer* than I thought I was getting—heavier weight, if a little scratchy. The scratchy is what tipped me off, though, to the fact that it’s not cotton/nylon/acrylic as I’d thought. It’s wool/nylon/acrylic, as my now itchy, pink-spotted hands can attest. I am *terribly* disappointed, especially since their return policy is not that great.
( I should be able to walk into a store and exchange it, as long as I can find something else. Maybe I can find the undershirts I need to go with the other one!)

Looking through their website, they do list fabric content most of the time, so I suspect I screwed it up… but that doesn’t make me any less disappointed.

2010 01 16 Kat clothing
griping Comments Off Permalink

Google beanbags at BOS




Google beanbags at BOS

Originally uploaded by katsniffen

I’m amused by these bean bags. They look way more comfortable than airline seats!

2010 01 11 Kat Uncategorized Comments Off Permalink

Gmail Gone Stormy

I have gmail set up to change the background based on Boston weather. It’s kind of like having a window, if my window displayed my email in the middle.
This has me worried:

Gmail background - stormy skies over Boston?

Gmail background - stormy skies over Boston?

2009 12 21 Kat Uncategorized Comments (3) Permalink

Would you eat a doughnut hanging on a wall?

Seriously? I don’t think I would, but I know people who would in a heartbeat. If I were going to, though, the highest-up ones would be my choice… those ones on the bottom are too likely to have gotten licked by people’s dogs or children. (And if you don’t think people would let their children lick food items for others’ consumption, hang out near the peanut-butter machines at Whole Foods sometime. Eeeeew!!!)

Eat Me Daily has the pictures:

Edible Doughnut Installation: Jennifer Rubell’s ‘Old-Fashioned’ at Art Basel Miami Beach – Eat Me Daily.

2009 12 04 Kat art
food
silly Comments Off Permalink

If Earth had rings

Emily of The Planetary Society posted a beautiful video showing what it would look like if the Earth had rings like Saturn. Absolutely beautiful!

2009 12 04 Kat art
astronomy
pretty
space Comments Off Permalink

Crater Bread




Crater Bread

Originally uploaded by katsniffen

A common disappointment with the bread machine: the bread rises too fast (too much water or yeast is often the cause-this time I fear I contaminated the yeast-pocket with maple syrup during the pre-heating period) and then collapses in on itself. Usually still tasty, though, so I’m looking forward to trying this one.

2009 12 03 Kat Uncategorized Comments Off Permalink

“We Can Find You”?

A new variation on the standard disclaimer, at the bottom of an email I received:

The information contained in this communication and its attachment(s) is intended only for the use of the individual to whom it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential, or exempt from disclosure. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited.

If you have received this communication in error, please notify us and delete the communication without retaining any copies. We can find you. Thank you.

2009 12 01 Kat Uncategorized Comments (1) Permalink

Watching Wall-E with the confirmation class

Wally meets a girl. She’s initially hostile—paradoxically so. How do we defeat our own ends before we start? They spend one night together during which she does something crazy and ends up with a fragile young life inside her. After this she shuts down—unresponsive, uninterested. He takes her on dates, kills himself trying to awaken her interest or interaction, but fails. She’s taken away to be divested of that life in a strange place where he doesn’t speak the language, but there are lots of girls *just like her*.

Then we enter the anti-Walmart plot for a bit.

Tagged ,
2009 11 14 Brian Uncategorized Comments Off Permalink