I don't have a cat but this is kind of cool. Instead of declawing your cat or letting him/her tear up your furniture and walls, you can put these little things on their nails called soft paws. I don't know how vets' declaw cats nowadays but when I worked for a vet back in high school, when he declawed the cat he simply cut the nails below a certain point and they didn't grow back. The cat didn't experience much pain except they hate the bandages the vet puts on their paws after the procedure. When they wake up, they stand in their cages shaking their paws trying to get the bandages off.

http://www.softpaws.com/

Yesterday, Charles Brown, of Locus Magazine died.  I can't really form any coherent words or thoughts right now.  So, at this point I will simply say that Charles was always very kind and generous, to me personally, and to Night Shade proffessioanlly.  I will always be greatful for this.

But, from the Locus online obituary, he died on his way home from Readercon.  A true fan, and member of the science fiction community to the end. 

So I discovered this game called Bioshock. You run around in a steampunky setting, killing mutant Libertarians. It is fucking awesome! I mean.... It's basically Wolfenstien, but instead of Nazis, its Libertarians. What a concept!! I only hope Alan Greenspan is the big bad guy at the end.


Of course, Tor beat me to the Media Tie in front.... They are doing a bioshock novel this fall. Sign me up! A novel about killing mutant Libertarians! fuck yeah!

-jl

Little Tommy Edison wishes he were as awesome as you.

The Gossip: Live in Liverpool. The Track Coal to Diamonds is a fave, but the whole album is amazing... I first heard this off of local college radio station KUSF, on carolyn Keddy's show, I believe.

Chumbawamba (Yes, that Chumbawamba) has a new album called The Boy Bands have won... Well Okay. It was new to me about 6 months ago, and was old then, but whatever. Also heard this on KUSF.

Battlehooch: A Local band that performed an impromptu live on the corner of 16th and Valencia in June, one night when I was getting a schwerma from Truly Med. Fucking awesome live show, and somehow their self Produced EP OOF OWF manages to capture their live energy, and also convey an amazing sense of musicianship. Looking forward to their first full length album, which was released a week or so ago while I was out of town.


Another local band that kicks ass is the Jugtown Pirates. I've seen em around town a bunch of times... and their track "easy come easy go" is quite awesome. added bonus. Their myspace pic was snapped by me. :)

Also... Punk (Semi Legends) Sean Wheeler (throw Rag) and Zander Schloss (Circle Jerks) teamed up for some Old-timey goodness with "Schloss and Wheeler," doing some covers and original material, like the instant classic "Good Pussy is like Heroin..." Isotope James turned me on to this project. Fucking awuesome stuff. They are touring the west coast in August. Don't miss em. Pick up their EP if you can find it. Otherwise just enjoy the two tracks on their myspace page


And this track has been at the forefront of my mind... and dedicated to Liza...

In June, Robert Gibbs was repeatedly asked by ABC News' Jake Tapper whether accused Terrorists who were given a trial and were acquitted would be released as a result of the acquittal, but Gibbs -- amazingly -- refused to make that commitment.  But this is the first time an Obama official has affirmatively stated that they have the "post-acquittal detention" power

There is no 3d chess game aimed at working around national security institutions. Obama has now walked completely away from any kind of civil liberties standards which he advocated for in his campaign. He is grasping at and aiming to keep every piece of power that Bush and crew carved out of the 9/11 hysteria. In fact, he seems to be grabbing for more.

I don't have the words to describe how sick at heart and frustrated I am.

From misfitina  and mr_dean_show  :
 
ANSWER ME!
 
If I had a _____________ I would ___________________.
If I wrote a grocery list, ______________ would be at the top.
If I met ____________________ I would ______________________.
If no one could see me, I would ______________________________.
If no one would judge me, I would _____________________________.
If I knew I could not fail, I would ___________________________.
If life gives you lemons, __________________________________.
 
Comments are for answering these questions only! (I'm going to be okay. Really, I am.)
 

D and I are no longer a couple. Things are not good right now, but I know it will get better.
 

I've been on vacation, and have been pretty mellow. But this managed to raise my eybrows, and blood pressure.

For $25,000 to $250,000, The Washington Post is offering lobbyists and association executives off-the-record, nonconfrontational access to "those powerful few" — Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and the paper’s own reporters and editors.

The astonishing offer is detailed in a flier circulated Wednesday to a health care lobbyist, who provided it to a reporter because the lobbyist said he feels it’s a conflict for the paper to charge for access to, as the flier says, its “health care reporting and editorial staff."

The offer — which essentially turns a news organization into a facilitator for private lobbyist-official encounters — is a new sign of the lengths to which news organizations will go to find revenue at a time when most newspapers are struggling for survival.

So... The Washington post is losing money hand over fist because its product is no longer valued by the marketplace. Instead of making their product somehow more appealing to the marketplace, they are now sticking their hands into the medical industry lobbying pot, trying to get some... because... well... they've been good Washington DC villagers for years, so why shouldn't they get money for all the ass kissing, and propaganda they've spouted. Its just their turn to feed at the trough.

I don't know who thought this was a good idea... but the mere IDEA that they are circulating handouts to the medical insurance lobby, asking for money is such a blow to any credibility that organization might have had in this debate about public policy, or any other, for that matter.

The sooner the Washington Post gives up pretending to be an impartial news organization, the better. They should register as a lobbying firm, and stop pretending.