MAYBE WE SHOULD TAKE UP A COLLECTION

(Thanks to Justin Barber)

Comments

[Kristie]

Davcat -

We have that whole area on our minds too, as I have several in-laws and friends in the area.

We'll keep you and your family in our prayers.

(((SoCal Bloglits)))

[Siouxie]

DavCat,

I've been too busy at work today to blog but I've now caught up....I think. I've had all my friends out on the left coast in my thoughts and prayers, and that will include your family as well. When one of my co-workers mentioned that the fire was only affecting the rich, I was very quick to mention that there are many many MANY more "regular" folks affected too. Regardless of your status, losing your home is a horrible thing.

[Alfred Simon Fyodorovich]

goldfish walks into a bar and looks at the bartender. The bartender asks, "What can I get you?" The goldfish says, "Water."

[Siouxie]

foggi, check your email.

Posted by: CJrun | 08:36 PM on October 24, 2007

-----------------

foggie?? make sure you're drinking. You'll understand CJ a WHOLE lot better...I know I did! ;-)

[Edgar Greenberg]

I can't under

[Edgar Greenberg]

I can't understand any of these bar jokes. Maybe I have no sense of humor.

[igloo]

ASF,
I think he was Navajo or Ute; But My memory if truly foggy afer close to 40 years. I guess what stuck with me was the primitive context: meaning where we were and the people around us were, in many respects, as primitive in their daily live as his ancestors were.
We had been through three Vils, and he noted some similarities to their arrangement and talked about how his ancestors had built communities that adhered to a theme. I don't recall his name; he was an E-5 and we, in our insenstive, anglo-saxon way, called him Chief.

[CJrun]

Edgar, it all goes back to an old joke Dave likes to twist:

A horse walks into a bar. The bartender says, "Why the long face?"

[CJrun]

And THBTBTBT @ Sio!

I'll bet foggi has the desktop straightened out, now (maybe). Proving you don't have to be drunk to understand me, although a couple of Teqilla shots help....

[crossgirl]

someone say tequila?

annie, el, scott, everyone, i'm doing my part by collecting firemen for you.

[Afkat™]

Davcat:

By now, one of our Martin Mars aircraft(from British Columbia) is on-site and working. This plane is the largest flying boat in the world...it picks up 7200 gallons of water in less than 30 seconds and can drop that amount of water onto fires every 7 minutes. I've seen them work on the horrible forest fires we had here in BC two years ago (the entire province was seemingly on fire).

Hopefully it will help the devastating situation in CA.

[Eleanor]

We definitely need them, crossgirl. Thank you. ;)

[CJrun]

Afkat, Thanks Neighbor!

[igloo]

forEl, Annie

[igloo]

And Scott

[igloo]

I MEAN SCOTT

[CJrun]

*snorks*@ igloo's second link! *pretends he's never goofed*

[igloo]

CJ,
Igloo never goofs; he scr3ws up constantly. But goof. Never

[Eleanor]

Excellent, igloo. Which one is you? ;)

[igloo]

El,
Modesty prevents me from saying, but I do have a hose...
just saying

[Afkat™]

CJ:

You're welcome. One of the things that never seems to surface is how close we Canadians are to our American cousins (I'll eliminate the looney-left's attitude here...they're vocal, but irrelevant, just like those in the US).

Although we have some differences, we are more alike than we are dissimilar. Together, we form the largest trading bloc in the world. Canada, because of our oil & gas industry (at this point it appears that we have the largest reserves of oil on the planet), is the largest supplier of oil & gas to the US, and the largest supplier of electricity to the US.

We both benefit enormously because of our proximity and because of our friendship.

And personally, I don't think that I have ever met an American that I didn't like...

[NotSoShyJan]

I am going down there next Friday, to Santa Paula. My niece is in the path of the Witch fire, and evacuated on Monday. Everyone else is good, as of the last update. Annie, I won't have time to come visit, as I will have Mom with me, and my girlfriend from Seattle is coming too. Next time. Hmm. Mom is coming tomorrow, and I haven't heard from her yet.

[foggiest notion]

I give up. CJ- I can't even write you an e-mail now. My computer has taken over and refuses to even try to respond, etc. My apologies to all you folks who are able to see and participate in the blog. Like I told cj, unless I shoot this darn thing, I'll be BAAAACCCCK.

[CJrun]

Afkat, I'm aware of those things as are many. That's what makes it tough to hear "War For Oil" nonsense from our loonies. I suspect the U.S. gets less than 10% of it's oil from the Mid-East.

Canada's a good neighbor and would be a great neighbor if they'd just take back Celine Dion.

Sorry, foggi. If it was XP, I could help more.

[Afkat™]

CJ:

Taking back Celine Dion is where we draw the line...you have her...you keep her....

Otherwise, it's war... :-)

[Prairie Dog]

Hey, I'm in Northern California, I'll thank you to stop smoking down there!

OTOH, I was hearing good news that they contained a few of the fires, but there are quite alot left. Anyone hear about the possible arsonists?

[CJrun]

Hmmm, you West Coasters need to send some of that fire to the Rockies...in their pants.

[Alfred Simon Fyodorovich]

igloo- Most tribes around the world have certain customs.

As just a story. While in Phoenix I knew a great family called the "Keiths" I was greatly impressed by them. My biggest problem was I could never talk to the Dad. He was distant, and I had nothing to compare my life to his.
He grew up on the rez and served in the 101st airborne. I did nothing like that.
Eventually a guy that served in the Vietnam war came along. He grew up in the Louisiana bayou.
They ended up talking for hours, and becoming good friends. Which meant my job was much easier.

It also meant that I ended up asking to go to the Rez to understand what it was like to live in such a place.

[Kristie]

Afkat,

I am so looking forward to introducing my husband to the CBC broadcast of the Olympics.

When I moved to LA, I was SORELY disappointed that they did not have the CBC as a choice, even for the premium packages!

Worse yet, there was no Red Green, no Royal Canadian Air Farce, and no one seemed to know why This Hour has 22 Minutes!

[Annie Where-but-here]

iggy - thanks for the firemen.
Crossgirl, they had a hottie on the news the other night and I thought of you.
NotSoShy - Santa Paula is fine - Fillmore & Piru were close but no cigar, so to speak. But you will smell it and see it.
Kristie - I know, it's a jungle down here, isn't it.
Afkat - we're sneaking Celine on that big Canuck flying boat. Shhh...

[Alfred Simon Fyodorovich]

i love Red Green.

[Alfred Simon Fyodorovich]

I might be getting it because of my proximity to Canada. On the other hand I also get Univision.

[Wyo Cowboy]

so the Rockies show sux.

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the show?

[Siouxie]

*slidessssssssss into first*

GO SOXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX!!! 13 to friggin 1!!!!!

*gets up and rubs her butt*

owww...

*back to the game*

[Annie Where-but-here]

For Afkat. This guy was doing circles over my house Sunday, along with another plane and at least one helicopter. Seeing his wings flex in the air was freaking me out. There's another shot of it on #65.

[diverdowndoc]

Annie- Re: your request for more ice. Here is your governor to the rescue!

Y'all are in our thoughts and prayers. Atlanta was in the smoke plume when South Georgia was on fire earlier this year- I can't imagine how bad it must be there.

[DeskDiva]

ddd - excellent choice of links! I do love that movie. Total camp.

I'm still praying for all of you out there. Our pastoral assistant has family that hasn't been in contact with anyone and she is extremely anxious.

[Wyo Cowboy]

Sioux, this series could be very hard on our friendship.

just sayin'.

[DeskDiva]

I'm really stuck on this one, Wyo. On one hand we have Siouxie, Punkin and Clean Hands...on the other I got you and Doc Rick. What to do, what to do!

*decides not to pick sides*

[Annie Where-but-here]

ddd - when your fire map is taken from a satellite, it's bad.

[Wyo Cowboy]

Diva, just root for the 'fins. they need all the help they can get.

[Annie Where-but-here]

Hey, Eleanor might let her Chargers play in LA this weekend. Since Katie Couric has taken over Qualcomm. Finally a decent pro football team in LA.

[DeskDiva]

Not on your life, Wyo. It's the Bears or nothin'.

[Wyo Cowboy]

*has to admit that Gayle Sayers is a long-time hero*

[diverdowndoc]

Ain't that the truth, Annie! This would be better.

**Warning- bad word**

[Eleanor]

Prairie, I heard about the arsonist. It's in Orange County, not here in San Diego, but still terrible.

Here's the latest. You know it's still serious when they close the outlet mall - ack!

*zips out*

[Just Ducky]

Wyo, yes! And also Walter Peyton.

[DeskDiva]

OK. Sweetness is the all-time great. And Wyo - I KNEW I liked you. :)

[ScottMGS]

cg, you're not distracting those firemen, are you?

Igloo, thanks but I already read that article. Nice pic on the second try. She's hot and needs to take a swim to cool down.

At this point, the San Diego fires have started advancing east and are now burning - mostly - away from densely populated areas. Still, there are lots of people in the way and a lot more who can't return home, yet. Siouxie, the two biggest areas of lost houses are, indeed, in the richer neighborhoods but houses have been lost by people in all walks of life.

There's been a bit of hype about how this is was the worst fire, the biggest evacuation, the worst conditions, etc. but I have not heard how they're measuring that. They've been proudly saying that more people have been evacuated here than in New Orleans during Katrina. I'm thinking that's very misleading because:

1) Most people evacuated here will not have damaged or destroyed homes. That was not true in New Orleans.

2) For legitimate safety concerns (the hurricane with fire instead of water was a good analogy) they evacuated more people that - it turns out - was necessary. In New Orleans, they didn't evacuate nearly enough people. I'm not sure that it's a fair comparison.

3) (You know.)

4) The maps that show the extent of the burned area are misleading because fire, unlike flooding, skips around a lot. There are large areas that are not burned in those perimiters. (DRINK!)

To be fair, the organization has apparently been awesome at all levels. No doubt some of those lessons were learned from Katrina two years ago and the Cedar fires four years ago. To my knowledge, only one person has died directly from the fire and he died on the first day. The number of injuries appears to be amazingly low, too. Undoubtedly, unfortunately, those numbers will rise.

[Doc Rick]

Apparently since San Diego isn't going to be viable, the rumors down here have the Chargers playing my beloved Texans in of all places...Dallas. I heard that and just about had a heart attack. The good thing is that it will still be an away game technically since San Diego will be considered the home team. Oh, and BOOOOOO RED SOX!!!!! I don't think I can live with Boston fans blowing smoke out their asses because the Sawx won the Series. I hope Ortiz's knee comes flying off trying to play 1st base in Colorado. *remains bitter, drinks another beer*

[diverdowndoc]

Scott- I'm getting my Emergnecy Medicine updates that are noting that ERs are setting up tents to help take care of all of the respiratory problems.

[DeskDiva]

*passes Doc a BIG bowl o' gumballs*

[DeskDiva]

OK. That was a HUGE point spread for the Sox.

[ScottMGS]

Oh, yeah, ddd. Four years ago the sky was brown with blowing ash for weeks. The air quality is very bad and will be bad for quite a while.

Doc, I heard the Chargers might play in Arizona this Sunday. (Not that I care either way.) Actually, it might be nice to play here and let all the evacuees in for free.

[Meditrina]

Man, Kansas City seems like an ideal place to live right now... no fires, hurricanes, superbowls or world series. But awesome BBQ!

[diverdowndoc]

How was work, Med?

Didja get my frustrated email?

[Meditrina]

Uh, yeah, GF. ((((DDD))))) Me too, btw. Aren't you glad today is over? I am.

[ScottMGS]

Just remembered: This morning I turned down the street going toward my local Vons mall and saw a brown cloud a block away. Two guys with air brooms (funny, I used to think they were called leaf blowers) are working toward each other about 10 meters (two minutes) apart. I think they were blowing it into the gutter but since it's not being picked up and disposed of it'll be right back on their lovely sidewalks tomorrow. Sheesh! Where's that bowl of bumgalls gumballs, DD?

[Just Ducky]

Scott, that sounds like a good idea, except wouldn't the air quality be a problem?

Med, I know what you mean. Austin's looking really good right now.

Doc, that Texan game on Sunday was a heartbreaker.

[Doc Rick]

We heard Arizona as well Scott, but apparently the Cardinals stadium is being used and the NFL doesn't want to play in Tempe because of logistical problems with television. I agree that they should still play in S.D. The people there deserve a break from the stress. Would be the 1st time I wouldn't mind if the Texans lost if it made everyone there forget their problems for 3 hours.

[ScottMGS]

That's right, Med. Rub it in. ;-)

[Alfred Simon Fyodorovich]

Ok I think I made the best pictures for the So Cal Girls. But I can't tell what I can make for the guys.

Except Llamas.

[Doc Rick]

Ducky, it wouldn't be a Houston professional football team if they didn't find some new and unheard of way to rip the hearts from their fans. BTW, SOX STILL SUCK! Ok, I'm done for tonight.

[Meditrina]

I will admit that the stone crab claws I ate in Florida are tempting......

[Afkat™]

Annie WBH:

That pic is a baby airplane compared to the Martin Mars aircraft..the MM has a wingspan of approx. 240 ft...these are huge airplanes.

But I can identify with you...where I live we have a large forested park (about 2 blocks away) comprising about 2000 acres...I'm in there with my beloved golden retriever every day. But...10 blocks away, we have what's known as the Burns Bog...supposedly it is the largest protected bog in North America. Problem is, every once in a while, some idiot discards a cigarette or something, the peat catches fire, starts to burn underground, and then it takes weeks or months to put the fire out. Last year, we had about 20 aircraft buzzing over our house waiting to drop fire retardant over the fire area...it was as though our house was on a runway at LAX.

Kristie:

CBC got out-bidded by CTV for the 2010 Olympics...

[DeskDiva]

*passes bumgalls gumballs to Scott* Sheesh. You'd think they'd figure that with seriously high winds....well, guess you never said they were geniuses.

[Alfred Simon Fyodorovich]

Scott

Here are your gumballs. And boy are they happy to see you.

[DeskDiva]

Now, Alfred. Was that nice? ;-)

[diverdowndoc]

(((Med))) sorry about your night, too. But we are safe now on the blog.

Alfred- I never get tired of looking at that half-naked firemen picture.

[Alfred Simon Fyodorovich]

DD- Would you prefer that they beg for there lives?

[Doc Rick]

One last World Series note, a reminder that Fox will be airing the 1st promo for the new season of "24" during tomorrow night's game. If you can't wait that long, this is the place to be tomorrow afternoon @1pm ET...
http://www.24trailer.com/

They will be showing the full trailer online. I've set a perimeter *drink* of Miller High Life in anticipation.

[DeskDiva]

LOL, Alfred!

ddd, Med - what was up with your day/night - if you don't mind my asking?

[DeskDiva]

I'll be there at 1:00 Blog Standard Time, Doc!

[Meditrina]

CYE, Doc. Is it a full moon? and LOL at safe on the blog... I come here NOT to be safe!

[diverdowndoc]

DD- some days patients are WAY more needy than others. More than half of my patients come to the ER with problems that are weeks to months old and want me to magically fix them when fourteen specialists couldn't diagnose the mysterious problem. Pain medication is my current pet peeve, as is folks who think that they can bully me into giving them pain medication when their own doctor won't. Gimme one o' them gumballs.

Ahhhhh.

And Med, yes.

[Meditrina]

Could you email me a script for xanax and vicodin? just askin'. ;-)

[ScottMGS]

ASF: Thanks, I needed that.

[Meditrina]

Okay, call it in.

[DeskDiva]

ddd - I think you need the extra strength gumball, Doc.

[diverdowndoc]

Sure, Med!! Want a side of demerol (always popular)? How about Soma (basically qualuudes, but who's gonna complain?)?

Nah- I can't even joke about that without getting annoyed. See what they are doing to me? I'm losing my naivete!

Dang! I can't even say that without cracking up.

[Meditrina]

Nah, demerol makes me ralph. That Soma thing sounds interesting... lets experiment. I'm sure CJ is up for statistical analysis and documenting.

[Meditrina]

My friends want to buy my son's old concerta. Ick! I am so appalled by what it did to him, that I can't even pass it along for cash. I'm hopeless.

[diverdowndoc]

*snork*- His lab notebook with the numbered steps?
1) Wash hands
2) Open bottle
3) See ScottMGS' comment above
4) Put pill in mouth
5) Sip of beer
6) Count pretty crabs

[Meditrina]

My Republican, Capitalist Card has been revoked.

[DeskDiva]

You're not hopeless, you're keeping yourself from a major lawsuit if anything should happen as a result of it. Smart girl.

[diverdowndoc]

Did you forget to make the payments?

[DeskDiva]

*snork* @ ddd

[Meditrina]

Snork @ DDD... that must be it.

[Alfred Simon Fyodorovich]

Med

And DDD

[diverdowndoc]

good one, Alfred. Bears a striking similarity to someone I saw today.

[Meditrina]

Yikes! My chariot just turned into a punkin'. Niters. And it is a new day... Thank Gawd.

[Alfred Simon Fyodorovich]

One last Joke

[DeskDiva]

That dementia one is great, Alfred. :)

[Afkat™]

DDD:

When I was on drug squad, I encountered (usually) older doctors who appearently didn't quite appreciate the nature of what they were prescribing.

My personal favorite was an elderly dr. who issued an rx for 1000 Dilaudid (I can't remember if it was 5 mg or 10 mg), repeatable 6x, for a heroin addict who fixed his office sink.

My second fave was a dr. who prescribed huge quantities of methadone for a patient who complained of migraines.

Needless to say, we had both (and others) denied prescription proviliges...

[diverdowndoc]

'night Med! Have a better one!

Good one, Alfred.

One last heartbreaking scene: Reporter reports on his own house burning here

I gotta go to bed too. Hope you left-coasters sleep peacefully.

Good night, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are.

[ScottMGS]

Hey, Alfred, you forgot "fire in the sky!"

[DeskDiva]

Night, ddd. Sleep well, so you can go fight Darwin another day.

[diverdowndoc]

Oooh, Afkat! Say it ain't so!

I still can't believe the folks put on those meds. Then they come to me for refills when theirs mysteriously disappears.

One of out docs calls it 'narcotics inflation'. dilaudid used to be reserved for cancer pain, but now it is our first line iv drug. I don't give demerol because of the risks.

Grrrrr!

[ScottMGS]

Yeah, I watched that one live, ddd. Larry Himmel's been a radio and TV personality for as long as I can remember.

[diverdowndoc]

I just hadda get my last rant in.

Thanks DD

I'm really going now.

'night!