fidlmath

Diana the Spider Wrangler

amazing,wonderful army kite

I put the link for this on Clubmotime - couldn't embed, I guess, so decided to put it on here - be sure to turn on you speakers:

posted by: mafidl at June 25, 2009 05:17 | link | comments |
music

Cat on Porsche

How 'bout that disrespectful cat?  Not my car, of course, but reeeaallly pretty.

posted by: mafidl at June 14, 2009 23:13 | link | comments (2) |

M'otime

In case you've missed the Motimes, please note that as of June 19, our blogs will not be M'otime, but Splinder.[I called it Splender in a message to Howard]  So our new blog addresses will be:
http://nameblog.us.splinder.com/  instead of http://nameblog.motime.com
As I understand it it's basically the same outfit - but the Italian parent.  Also, if you haven't checked it out, look at Club Motime  http://clubmotime.ning.com/ a new way to keep in contact - created by - wait for it - THE BIG H!
Thanx H - great idea.
Just to keep up, Voodoo is still with me and seems to be doing pretty well.  All 5 have the tiniest fleas I've seen - so tiny that I couldn't find one until today, having tried several times!  So tomorrow, will apply Revolution, suggested by my vet.
I'm still teaching my online class until their final exam next Thursday.  Then I'm going to start preparing my 4 classes for August 24 - redoing my notes to  try and put them in readable condition an put on my webpage.  Wish me luck - I'm going to try printing them, but might have to use computer, which will take longer, but it needs to be done.  I'm not thrilled about teaching 4 classes, but once I get into it, I usually love it - it's the prep that gets me.
OK - all for now - TTFN
D

posted by: mafidl at June 12, 2009 23:30 | link | comments (1) |
teaching, kitties

Only in Seattle?

This was in the Miami Herald afternoon online version today:

posted by: mafidl at June 12, 2009 00:19 | link | comments |
critters

John Stewart on Cheney

OK - I couldn't resist:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Dick (Uncut)
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Economic Crisis

posted by: mafidl at June 05, 2009 20:05 | link | comments |
politics, humor, satire

RIP David Carradine

Believe it or not I used to love to watch Kung Fu - and believe that, at his advanced age [slightly older than your truly] he was still pretty hot.
OK
I'm still here!  Still here in Miami.  Had minor surgery to remove a giant cell tumor on my right pinky.  Was having physical therapy on my left ankle/foot.  Seems that I'm one of the 7% of people that have what's known as an accessory navicular - a separate bone extending from the navicular  - don't look on WebMD, however, it doesn't seem to know/acknowledge it exists.  The tendon that is supposed to be attached to the navicular is attached to the accessory one, has gotten weak, along with some other leg muscles, so my ankle/foot became swollen and sore.  However, the physical therapists that I was going to were only treating pain and not trying to strengthen anything.  So it seems that I wasted the majority of PT visits that my insurance will pay for, but one of my doctors has ordered PT for both my ankle and knees, saying they are medically necessary, so there is a chance that I may get some extras   In any case I'm going to continue with my new/old PT group, since in one visit today, my knees are feeling better than they have in awhile, and I have home exercises to strength ankles and knees. 
If anyone wants any kitties, we have some beautiful strays in my complex.  I had intended to join the Cat Network, that has capture cages a member can rent - and in the past they've gotten a very good deal on neutering, but with my problems, I haven't managed it.  Since I'm only teaching one class online for the first short Summer term, I might be able to still do it before Fall term starts at the end of August.
Aside from this, my only other news is that daughter J has a ring, which earlier she called a combined birthday, commitment and ? ring.  It's really pretty - her boyfriend, G, sent a picture of it to me before she'd seen it, supposedly.  BTW I'm using friend M's laptop while he announces an under 18 baseball game.  Unfortunately, so far our team is losing.  Oh well - we'll see.
OK enuf for now.

posted by: mafidl at June 04, 2009 20:08 | link | comments (1) |

Hi

It's been awhile and I'm not out from under yet - but in a week or 2, look out. 
Uncharastically briefly, I had a great time in Salt Lake City for my Spring Break, which I managed to extend a bit [March13-March23] to the amazement/disgust/? of a couple of my colleagues - but I didn't fail to cover everything needed in the only class that I had on Fridays and Mondays, so there!!!
Both of my daughters had recently decided to move in with boyfriends - a pretty serious decision, but seems wise.  I hadn't met either boyfriend and had neglected to check J's blog for awhile and hadn't known of her trials and tribulations until Christmas time when both "girls" came for a visit.  Needless to say, problems for J and friend resolved, or she wouldn't have moved in with him.  Her great little house is rented out, which seems to be working pretty well.  Let me go on record to say that both boyfriends are super - I even got to meet the family [5 brothers, 1 sister, various and sundry inlaws and children and 1 mother] somewhat daunting all at once - and they're all very nice. 
I am in the throes of end of term, have to give 4 final exams next week, including a couple of extras for students who can't make the set times. 
Question:  how is it possible that adding a 5th cat seems to have doubled the litter accumulation of the previous 4?  and no one seems ill.  Hmmmmm.  Maybe just seems that way?  Also, it has finally occured to me that it is probably necessary to replace one litterbox - that has been around forever - it's getting harder to keep clean.  So I priced litter boxes one day a week or so ago.  Ye Gods and little catfish!  The prices are very offputting.  I went to 2 large pet shops, then either Walmart of K-mart - and I'll swear they're 4-5 times as expensive as the last one I bought [which wasn't all that long ago - well, maybe 5 years or so].
OK - later. TTFN

posted by: mafidl at April 16, 2009 09:43 | link | comments |
teaching, knitting, family, w&$k

Sigh!!!

There's a picture that is, I believe, in a TV Guide with JDM as the villain in Watchmen - and if I can find it, I'll post it.
I'm back from Salt Lake City  - wouldn't you believe it, a coupleof hours after I left it had snowed for a couple of hours and was, according to daughter L, a winter wonderland - AND I MISSED IT! SOB!!
Of course we had gone to Solitude Ski Resort, where I saw snow - but not the fresh, magical kind.  Spent a couple days in Moab and visited Canyonlands and Arches [I'll add a couple of pics when I get over my jet lag and get back into my teaching routine.]  How beautiful!  Saw a quail in daughter L's front yard! , 2 antelope down south and a small cattle drive along the highway.  Also met both daughters' boyfriends - liked them a lot and I stayed at L's house - actually boyfriend's house, but when I thanked him and said how much I'd enjoyed staying at his house, he added "our house" as he put his arm around L - left me with a warm feeling.  Daughter J is living with her boyfriend, who is sweet, too.  I also met a bunch of daughter J's boyfriend's family in Moab - very nice and had a great time.
OK - it's only 10PM in Utah, but I'm getting up at 8 tomorrow, so to bed.  Later.

posted by: mafidl at March 24, 2009 23:09 | link | comments (3) |
family

Oh Florida, my Florida

This morning's Miami Herald [or the web version] has a column by Carl Hiassen, one of my favorite columnists.  It deals with the fact that all the companies that bottle water [also cola, etc?] do not have to pay for or even ration the amount of water they take from Florida's fresh springs and aquifers.  "Even by Florida standards, the scale of this public rip-off is mind-bending."  [This despite the fact that homeowners here can only water their grass once or twice a week due to the "shortage" or anticipated shortage.] 
Governor Crist is considering asking for a slight, very slight, increase in the ridiculously low amount that these companies already pay.  "Crist predicts the tax would raise $56 million the first year, much-needed funds that could be used for projects like desalinization plants." Ye Gods and little catfish as my father used to say!  No wonder Hiassen refers to "that dreary annual IQ test otherwise known as the meeting of the Florida Legislature" which is currently considering this issue.  And to think that I had begun to respect Crist for his recent support of Obama's stimulus plan.  
In an earlier column, Hiaasen refers to the fact that "Florida basically hasn't got an economy." since we have no industry and depend on tourists and "double-digit population growth" that has disappeared and that "Developers have controlled state and county governments for so long that no Plan B exists. Lost and clueless, lawmakers desperately hack away at public budgets while clinging to the hope that boom times will return." 

posted by: mafidl at March 09, 2009 08:43 | link | comments (3) |
politics

NOT IDIOCY!!

Contrary to my expectations, I had fun! We stayed at the Westin Casuarina - which is smaller and less intimidating than, say Bally or Caesar's Palace [which my colleague Anna and I walked through]. Wasted $3 on slot machines, Wiley had a nice coctail and more party Friday night, had interesting sessions Saturday and great meal at Paris [hotel and casino - forgot name of restaurant], walked at least a mile to the restaurant and followed 2 male power walkers back since I am directionally challenged and was afraid I'd never find the Westin.  All in all the 14 hours [7 each way with 1 stopover] was worth it - and I was no worse for the wear when I got home.  Seriously, Caesar's Palace and Bally are immence!  Anna had not been to LV before, so I wanted to show her the shops in CP - took us probably 30 minutes to find them. 
Next, to Salt Lake City, leaving next Friday.  Daughter L has promised lots of snow - I'm really "psyched" - I wish this damned economy would straighten out so I could sell my condo and move out there.  
I'm in the process of writing a test to give Tuesday, have 2 sets of earlier test corrections to grade, and will be at the Zoo all day tomorrow, so need to get some of this done today.
Friend NN heard that Congress has received a request [? if that's the way to put it] from Obama for a bill making it illegal for anyone to not have health insurance.  That seems pretty extreme, but hope it works out.  I also heard that his approval rating is 72%- so even if he may be making some mistakes [not sure about that] he is definitely doing his best to follow through on what he's promised.
On the other side of things, since my desktop computer crashed, I not only lost previous tests, but hundreds of pictures, SOB!
Other great news:  friend, NN, decided to quit drinking, has been depressed for too long, went to a therapist [mine] who, very sensibly, told him not to go cold turkey on the drinking, but gradually phase out, put him on Prozac, and not only is he no longer depressed, but is gradually decreasing drinking and thinks he will have quit by next Sunday and probably able to eventually just have a drink or 2 for dinner or in the evening.  Whew - I'm really getting to be a master of runon sentences!  He doesn't even mind cutting down on the alcohol - and seems to be finding that he gets as much gratification from less. 
OK - now to finish my test and start grading.
Later, TTFN.

posted by: mafidl at March 07, 2009 13:41 | link | comments |
politics, friends, family, computers, mathematics, zoo, condos, excitement

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