This is an Unhosted Cafe.
Caution: Froggies may vanish without notice.
Caution: Froggies may vanish without notice.
Self-serve food and drinks.
|
Rude, crude and lewd behavior encouraged
|
Please recommend (and unrecommend the Cafe/Lounge from earlier)
|
May the 4’s be with you
Yep, here I am once again in the parallel universe.
I was saying in the last Cafe that my school system sucks. I live in Oakland, CA which is to San Francisco as the Bronx is to NYC. Basically, we are their ghetto. Nobody likes to spend money educating black and/or poor kids.
late 60s. Stopped at a gas station to ask for directions. Very pleasant folks… asked them how to get to whereever, and listened for the response… never understood so much as an, “a”, “and” or a “the”, but I thanked them kindly for the help, and drove a couple more blocks and tried again… ha! Some of my first big city experiences.
ROFLMAO! I love Oakland. It is a great town with mostly great people. But, I so know what you mean. I’m getting better, but I still have a long ways to go. Truth be told, my kid is learning much faster than I and she is teaching me the slang, but she can’t help me with the accent.
tells me that in recent years the public schools have been run down pretty badly… all the $ going to support the private ones… so much for NCLB, actually it should be called NWCLB
Don’t even get me started on NCLB! What a fiasco. They mandate all these things and then give no funding for the schools to carry them out. All the rich and/or white kids are flocking to private schools and the public schools have been reduced to “teaching to the test”. There is virtually no art, no sports, no counselors, no libraries, etc. left. It is all just math and english and a smattering of science.
Since I couldn’t afford $18,000 a year, I opted out of the public schools and put my daughter in a charter school. But, charters have their own set of problems and 50% of them in Oakland are horrid. It’s a real crap shoot here.
between 1/3 and 1/2 of our teachers would have been disqualified since in the smaller rural schools much of the time they teach subjects outside their univ degrees.
We’re talking schools with 50-60 students in grades 9-12. My graduating class was a grand total of 9, that grade school and high school system croaked in ’83.
Didn’t take the congress critters long to make some sort of amends… not sure now what they did, but no news stories on it lately.
I grew up in a good school district, but I got into a lot of trouble. My parents, in a desperate attempt to set me right, put me in boarding school. I went to a rural working dairy farm in Vermont. My class was tiny as well. A very different thing from a large public school indeed.
They are closing schools left and right here as well and it is hard on the parents and the kids. I can only imagine what it would mean to a rural community when the only alternative school is 30 miles away.
Not to be outdone by NDD’s dandelion pic I saw briefly a bit ago… here’s some color for folks like me who are connoisseurs of purple prose…
Not the greatest macro I’ve done, but it does capture some fun stuff. Taken on 5/18 after work.
That is fabulous! I love purple and I love flowers, and those big poofy flowers are just too cool.
Since you’re on Firefox, do the right click on image, view image, blow it up thingie if you want a closer look. I hope that works on everyone’s Firefox, if not… never mind!
Oh cool…I didn’t know I could do that!
The detail is splendid.
I didn’t know that either, Firefox is cool!!!
I discovered it real quick, because I’m an obsessive “right click, hmm, what does that do?” kinda guy. I really like it a lot. Sometimes I can pass on something useful from this HTML challenged dirt devil.
I always seem to come in on the tail end of these cafes. Ha, now I’m in the beginning!
Too bad it is too late for most of y’all. :>)
Never misunderestimate the likes of this crowd of loons and assorted riff raff … (are you still there, dada?)
can’t do a real late one…gotta be somewhere @ 9AM…reaaal early for me. :{)
Me neither, I have to be at the 9:00 per usual myself. Today was not a fun day (notice I wasn’t here at all, lol?) and way too busy and tired from all the carousing I did last night in here. Sometimes I think these virtual hangovers are worse than the real thing!
… for keeping you up. You said you were only going to last for 20 minutes and 2 hours later … LOL. I’m sorry.
If it’s any cosolation, I have to work tomorrow myself.
I spent a good chunk of time this aft in the garden while the sun peeked out. I got the entire front garden done, plus the two sides, and started in on the back (didn’t get far on that though). All sorts of stuff is up — clematis is growing, columbine, iris! is budding, chives, we still have tulips all over too … and I noticed a couple of buds on the rose bushes which is not right.
What? There’s nerds in here? I thought we only gave those out on Halloween!
How’s tricky weather up there, my dear? We’re supposed to get (and hoping for!) rain here tomorrow night. Start doing your reverse (FM style) fanning if it’s still too soggy up there.
Wed, I think. I watched the news tonight, and all the local farmers are having a helluva time w/ their fields — full of standing pools of water. All the sports playing fields in the area have been closed. I don’t know. Things are nice and green though.
You folks do need a break there… I can remember rainy springs here the last few years where it never seemed like we could do anything due to water. Remember, the skeeters are gonna come out in droves…
Glad you got out and did so much in your gardent today. Since I got home at about 6:30 and did the dinner thing, I didn’t get anything done. C did plant 3 new hellebores and 2 Trilliums today though. And we’re finding more and more lupines every day!
If I have the energy tomorrow after work, and it’s not raining yet, I think I’ll plug some more moss rose in around the place. We bought a whole flat of it and it’s easy and quick to plant.
Oh, and the False Indigo has started to bloom… will have pics of it soon this week.
only one in the left coast time zone 🙂
Manny! So good to see you here. :>)
How are you doing?
Hey Dada. If it makes you feel better, I have to drop my kid off at school by 7:45 every morning!
doing good here, I made dinner for my cousin and her husband tonight (chilequillas and spanish rice) then watched the Alias finale :0
Sorry to hear that the school troubles are continuing, I remember you mentioning it in Del Mar. FWIW, I work within the charter school realm so if there’s anything I can do to help you navigate their weird system, drop me a note.
Dinner sounds fun. I sometimes miss not having much of an extended family, but then I remember the fights my own brothers and I have and I don’t worry so much! ;>)
What is a Chilequilla and how does one make one?
School is actually getting better, even though there are many unresolved problems. We are getting closer to getting the Board of Directors to accepting a parent representative with full voting rights, so that is good.
one of those kooky mexican dishes that probably derived by accident. They are basically enchiladas but instead of rolling up the corn tortillas, you cut them into quarters and layer like a lasagna, with cheese in between each layer (onions too if you like them). I topped mine off with black olives, they were gooood.
That sounds so good. It kinds reminds me of an “enchilada casserole”, sort of a layered, cheesy, saucy kind of thing that tastes divine.
it’s probably the same thing. I use the canned sauce but of course add a ton of garlic so it’ll taste acceptable, and thicken it up with an old family recipe using flour and warm water. yum!
How’d your Monday go? Get some sleep last night?
I woke up before the alarm which is a rarity. I think my brain was done from working so hard as I searched for rusty spoons all night…
(curse you and your flash videos IVG!) 😉
are wondering, here is the horror that was simply named “Salad” in last night’s cafe. Click at your own risk…
🙂
Oh dear goddess, I clicked on the link, saw the title and weird green alien and knew I wanted nothing to do with it.
Wish I had of done that last night … creepy is an understatement! 🙂
WEll, truth be told, I probably woulda watched it if I wasn’t on this stupid dial-up. I’m a glutton for punishment. :>)
I had no idea that would be such a shocker for you folks! That gives me a big ole belly laugh right about now. Apologies to anyone who was traumatized in the least.
I am a bit of a fan of odd humour.
have ya seen this one? The Way of the Exploding Cow…DO push the red button…:{)
That’s some funny stuff, dada. Thx for passing it along. I especially liked the “cow abducted” one, hehe.
Sorry that my good friend Salad Fingers freaked you out… he does that to me too. I do highly recommend the Angry Alien Bunny Theatre Site for all your bunny-parodic movie thingies. Odd, but not as disturbing as the previous one you mentioned.
Was all your silverware intact today when you checked?
the Shining is my favorite of the bunny performances.
The silverware was intact although I noticed a missing kettle… [shudder] 🙂
I like that one a lot too… but they all have their charms. I’ll spare you folks any of the other weirdo flash cartoon sites I have tucked away. Oh, and the Titanic one is kinda fun too… and check out the other non movie parody ones with the little girl. This woman is quite talented, I think.
Ya gotta admit it’s a tad twisted…I liked it BTW.
it’s driving me nuts…I’m clueless…:{)
here
Shouldn’t you be using this version:
:{)} or :{P}
LOL. I agree w/ ya though on the :{) — it’s your signature emoticon now. 🙂
and I sometimes shave the beard…never the ‘stache, so it’s always apropos…:{)
Glad to see there’s still some froggies kickin out there in the desert at this hour. How far gone is Bud? Been out for hours?
How was your day, my friend?
and with it goes the compadre, unfortunately he wakes up at the sunrise so there’s not much of a compromise on the scheduling.
The day was good, just relaxing and enjoying the 20 degree drop from yesterday, apparently the fires of hell will resume tomorrow after the Low Pressure System moves through. Enjoyin it while it lasts.
never said anything about the name thing. Hi Olivia of the Vibrant Petal Pr0n.
Uh oh…now I’m wondering. Should I have said Hey Man Eegee!? Would ME work? ;>0
in my drunken stupor on Saturday night I was musing when my real name became commonplace usage around here. It doesn’t bother me, I was just expressing my curiosity. Now I get “Hi Man Eegee’s” from olivia along with a subtle wink 😉
LOL…that’s funny. I never remember anyone’s real name, even when I meet them. It comes from long time protections from some not so scrupulous people. I still get a little weird if people use my birth name on-line. In my old crowd, that was a real sign of aggression and dissing.
I’ll behave … So Manny it is? 😉
I’ve been trying to lay low … especially after reading Duct’s comment about mittens … <humiliated groan>
now it’s my turn to admit that I’m clueless as to what yer talkin’ about.
… here. It’s the last paragraphs of Duct’s comment.
I was expecting one his low-vision interpretations of the Predator flower gone awry. You should take a comment like that as a compliment, you have truly shown us the beauty of flowers in a way that I, personally, never imagined existed. Each post is even more mindblowing than the last, tis the truth!
No doubt DTF was showing his appreciation in his usual roundabout way.
against those recently exhibited here… all I can say is that I’m feeling much better about myself, and my association with the cosmos!!!
LOL … 😛
and ya for sure wouldn’t take it as an insult if you were better acquainted with the subject matter on this end of the cosmos… ha ha
Probably more the latter than the former…
Hi Olivia! I never have told you that I love your photos. I’ve never been good at taking photos or taking care of plants, but I love the fruits of both labors.
computer generated mandala of a Mondrian:
clik image to enlarge
Trippy, eh…check out the site Mrs. P’s Corner
d, you’re the master! 🙂
which we discoverd walking through the park the other day.
larger
It’s pre-pre facial hair era I guess … back in his younger days LOL!
Have you been off scouring the net for more salad fingers … LOL.
Nah, I won’t torture anyone any more with those. You’ve got the essentials if you need them. I was off chuckling at dada’s link to exploding cow.
So there… take this!
From a few days ago, and more impressive ones are starting to bloom now… cool variety called Tiger Eyes.
I’ve never seen, nor heard, of those before. I love the veining.
They’re a fairly easy one to find these days… introduced a few years ago, and each flower has different veining… I took some pics of an even more intense one, but they didn’t turn out because I got too close. I’ll take more and better ones as they grow. I like em a lot… go well with the other purple ones planted nearby.
My great bearded iris – purple and yellow – is budding. The buds look almost black right now, and they’re coming out of their sheaths. Really cool. I’m going to have to get some pix …
Oh, I forgot to mention that our yellow Iris are blooming now… one more thing I have to get good pix of, though I doubt I can go down so close as you, but I’ll try! And the Foxglove out front opened one flower today. Something to look forward to!
… on the Fuji? It might be a little flower icon. If so, you should try it out IVG! The world is your oyster, so-to-speak … 🙂
And I don’t have Foxglove, so I’d love to see yours. They would be way cool up close! 😉
ya got any of the yellow and black ones?
but I was just thinking I need to get a pack of the black pansy seeds to plant so they’ll be ready by fall. I’ll get some more pics of this planting… I also have a very purple/black one called Purple Haze that I like a lot.
But talking about the plain yellow ones, here’s an example…
that reminds me my alltime favorite e-card I ever received. A Day in the Life of a Screaming Banshee (audio required)
And I’m thinking that’ll be me tomorrow trying to get back to work mode. LOL
can hardly wait to send that one to my brother as his birthday is halloween.
a tearful fit of laughter every time, I think it work on a subconscious level of stress relief.
going for simple walk in the woods… it’s obviously been abandoned…so it will be interesting to see how long it hangs out there.
all this time I thought this was dada’s shrine here in Tucson.
That’s funny Manny! LOL.
Way back in the early Windows but still DOS daze, I had a great fractals program that could keep a stoner mesmerized for hours. Not that I know any of those folks, but I heard it would…
Twas very cool though, and entertaining for hours on end.
I had a friend who did a master’s thesis on chaos theory … He was big into fractals too. 🙂
I can one up y’all, and if it wasn’t for the couple of beers, I never would say anything, but not only did I have fractal generating program (which was way cool, BTW), but I started up an international organization for Chaos Magicians, that is a cult for people who use chaos theory in occult magic. That was 15 years ago and what is even more amazing is it still attracts new members. :>)
are ya gonna just tease us or ya got links to that generating progam, etc.
The things we learn in the late night cafe!(Thanks be to beer! 😉
While I may embellish on the truth sometimes, I never lie. :>)
And since no one is likely to see this message, and I’ve had a few beers, you can check out our site at:
http://www.autonomatrix.org
Sorry, I forget how to make links and I’m a bit too tired to figure out how to do it now.
On the front page, is, of course, a fractal. :>)
Hey me too.
that.
LOL
That’d be “stoner food” all right!!! HA!
this is all anecdotal evidence, reported as received. But they are very cool things.
I prefer the spore martix genus. dial up warning on this one
hadn’t seen anything quite like them before either!
Watching tonight’s “Countdown” before hitting the sack for the night…looks like Richard Armitage is flipping Scooter Libby for Fitz, Hurricane Alberto Gonzalez is talkiing about prosecuting journalists who reveal “state secrets”, Barry Bonds hits home run 714 and no one cares (including yours truly — I’m just barely out of hockey mode)…a full day in the news world…
Hope everyone has a peaceful night…I just hope I can sleep a full night without waking up feeling like I’m roasting (not sure if I’m going through perimenopause, but whatever it is, it sucks)…
Oh, and got a Long-Distance Dedication for the Bush misAdministration, courtesy of Jim’s Big Ego:
LINKY-DINK (scroll down about halfway, find the song “Asshole”, and click “Play” to hear it)
I’ve been bashed and battered
and bruised and beaten
I’ve been abused, misused
and I’ve been mistreated
I’ve been up and down
and still I feel
you’re an asshole.
And I’ve looked at it from your side
and I’ve looked at it from mine
and I know you had a hard time
when you were only 9
but that was long ago
and now there’s just now denying
that you’re an asshole…
and You’re an asshole
you’re an asshole
yeah yeah yeah yeah
you’re an asshole.
na na na na na
na na na na na
na na na na na na
na na na na na
na na na
na na na na na
you’re an asshole
Yeah You’re an asshole
you’re an asshole
yeah yeah yeah yeah
you’re an asshole.
and I know there are those people
who say they never are to blame
and that’s not my modus operandi
I don’t play that game
and then there are some people
who claim the sun shines out their behind
and it’s oh so hard
to get them to change their mind
and I’ve given up trying
It’s a valuable muscle
near the base of the spine
and I know I’d be sorry if I ever lost mine
but it stinks when you’re always full of shit
all the time
cause you’re an asshole
and You’re an asshole
you’re an asshole
yeah yeah yeah yeah
yeah yeah yeah yeah
yeah yeah yeah yeah
you’re an asshole.
Night folks… 🙂
gonna open up a new cafe.
the fire is lit, come on out to the patio.