Axis Mundi X discussion

I buy the NY Times and Wall St. Journal on Fridays...and today I discovered the WSJ now costs 2 bucks a day. What the hell?

I get the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel every day...but four bucks and twenty-five cents on Friday for the two additional papers may break a longheld Friday tradition of snagging extra papers.

So many people get their news free from the internet that the print media are having to raise prices to compete.

Like the post office and email.

I don't know if this thread is really asking for this kind of seriousness, but here it is anyway: My best friend's little brother succumbed to lukemia late last night. He'd been fighting it for nearly a year, he was barely 20 years old. He was in remission a few months ago. It was a horrible shock, he went downhill incredibly quickly. They just kept him alive long enough for the family to reach him and see him before he passed way. He was a young, bright, energetic kid whose future was just coming together for him, I'd known him since I was 12 years old. We weren't that close, but I'd known her and her family for so long, I was so close to his sister, I still feel it. Its been... terrible to say the least. I've been trying to help by calling people, spreading the word about the services, getting myself home, etc, but I wish I could do more. It's so incredibly unfair.

He's the first person I've known to die.

I'm sorry, Kelly. That's awful.

I guess I won't complain about having to work on a sunny Friday, then. Dang that perspective thing.

Oh, Kelly, I'm so sorry. ((hugs))

Thank you both, I really appreciate the support. I just really do not know how to go about this. I've never been to a funeral before. It's.. I suppose I'm still shell shocked.

And it still sucks to work on a sunny Friday, Jackie. I don't want to feel like I killed this thread with this, I'm sorry.

I'm so, so, sorry, Kelly. Not much words can say in this scenario.

On a completely different level, I know you've been looking forward to the sun, Jacks...sorry you're inside:) Go ride your bike later!

Kelly, I could have sworn there was a great thread about dealing with the death of a loved one recently. I just can't find it. But, just be there for your friend, and don't worry about thinking of something profound to say.



I think I will go for a bike ride after work. Chris will be at his piano salon (which I loathe - too recitally, ugh), so I'll be on my own after dinner.
It's supposed to be in the 90's today! I had trouble keeping up with my melting popsicle last night when it was 85 degrees upstairs in my house.

Kelly, I'm so sorry to hear this. Good luck dealing with the situation. I can imagine it must have been quite a shock.

*big hug*

My oldest childhood friend died at age 29. She was six days older than I am. Made me very aware of mortality.

On a less serious note, what mildly upset me today was the number of Americans who are still bitching about the Chinese gymnasts who beat the American team being under age. They're now claiming that the whole world is outraged and demanding an investigation, when in reality, it is only the Americans who give a damn. Talk about sore losers. Honestly, how hard is it to acknowledge defeat?

(No offence to the Americans in the audience. Honestly. And for what it's worth, I'm glad Nastia Liukin won the all-around final. She's the real deal. America can be proud of her.)

Holy fuck, King. I'm sorry to hear that too. I know those anxiety attacks. In fact, I know of at least other GR people besides you and me who have had anxiety attacks off the top of my head and I'm sure they're a lot more. Tom Petty is great, too. He'll tour again.

Sorry, KD. That sucks! But RA's right, Petty will be back.

Yeah, cancer's in my Mom's family, too. My grandmother, and all her sisters, died of it.

Thank goodness for modern medicine. My mom had a lump detected, and they did a lumpectomy and she's fine. Whew!

I'm bummed that the Nick Cave concerts coming up next month are SOLD OUT, both shows in Seattle and the one in Portland.
See, this is what I get for liking someone POPULAR! Humph.

Misery loves company, King. It's good to know you're as bummed about it as I am.

Reading that Russia has threatened to nuke Poland over the missile shield deal that was signed. Looks like we're heading back to the days of "duck and cover".

....where's that CDF helmet?

I haven't seen Mr. Cave in a while, since the greatest hits tour, but his new record is great, so I was considering a drive down to Chicago for the gig...I doubt I'll go, though, it's a Sunday night and I imagine it's sold out as well.

I think Donna has the helmets stored with her frozen airplane pee hats.

Varmint, I thought the same thing after the Russia/Poland issue...I didn't know what the hell was going on until I listened to NPR today. And, uh, I'm still not entirely clear. But it sounded very cold-warry.

The scoop is we're setting up missile shield agreements...Poland and Czeck seem to be aboard. The idea is defense against rogue nations (Iran). Russia feels it's actually aimed at them. (I'm not sure how one should feel threatened by a shield). However, the agreement does come with mutual defense agreeements. Bottom line, Russia can't bully those countries like they did Georgia, and the Russkies feel that's just not cricket.

..and yeah, you can't much more cold warry than explicitly threatening to nuke someone.

...whoa I missed that..."frozen airplane pee hats"?

Oops, misquote. It was "airplane toilet ice hats"
mentioned in this thread, post 62, and other places in THC, I believe:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show_g...

LOL... Koe I just knew that was it!

Thanks Jackie - now I'm in the know.

Kelly that is so sad, a few months ago my friends brother died, he was 19yrs old and was very altheltic and was hoping to try out to play cricket for England. He went to bed on the friday night and his mum went to take his breakfast up to him, she found him dead. No illness and he hadn't killed himself and they still haven't worked out what killed him.

Knowing I've got a meeting with one of most annoying clients on Monday morning, I can handle it during the week and I can handle it on a friday but not a monday morning and to make it worse they are trying to get money out of us.

two pence? tuppence?

The meeting wasn't too bad but it's definitely not what you need on a Monday morning. We only accepted 4 claims out of 33, we rejected the rest woo hoo!!!!

Kelly, I came across this passage from a letter by Henry James and thought of you:

Before the sufferings of others I am always utterly powerless...Sorrow comes in great waves - no one can know that better than you - but it rolls over us, and though it may almost smother us it leaves us on the spot and we know that if it is strong we are stronger, inasmuch as it passes and we remain. It wears us, uses us, but we wear it and use it in return; and it is blind, whereas we after a manner see.

On a lighter note

Cyril, thank you much. Both for the James, and for the kitten. Though I don't know how good for me a cookie made by a cat with those whiskers would have been... :)

Sherri, similar to your eye poking (and, stop doing that, by the way) whenever I bite my tongue, or the inside of my mouth, I always end up doing it again soon after. Why IS that?

Tornados, yikes! I just read your post in True North, and wonder if there's a neighbor with a basement you could visit today?

First off, Tornados are not good. Hide now.

Second, I would like to protest any mention of Taco Bell in the "things that did not cheer you up" thread. Taco Bell makes life brighter.

That's a great silver lining on that story, Ko. It still makes me furious to think about.

Can we send THEM to Guantanamo?

Ahem, Ahem. Taco bell is not universally joyful. It does make you think of those really annoying dog related commericals.

And: I had the same thoughts as Sherri on that article. Oh, go try to rob a conveinence store and lock your keys in the car by accident, why don't you? That's about what I feel you guys are capable of.

Things that did not cheer me up today: Waking to the financial reality that I will have to stay in my job a little while longer, though I had planned to leave soon to seek something I'm actually interested in. Sigh.

Having my sleep broken by my cranky old cat attacking the other cat (how DARE he ALSO sleep on the bed!) many times, and by snoring husband many other times.

The new Tess of the D'Urberbilles.

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/50...

*disgruntled*

Me too! I'm sick...I think I've pushed too hard at work and on the elliptical lately. I had to hold onto the railing the entire way down the stairs or else I felt like my legs would collapse beneath me.

I used to think getting older would be cool. Now I'm not so sure.

I would have been perfectly happy staying 35. Unfortunately lying about one's age doesn't stop the effects of aging from happening. Bloody hell.

I stayed up too late editing GoodReads author entries. How lame is that?

I cut my bangs again last night! I promised myself I wouldn't do it, but I looked like a Pound Puppy. They are short and choppy and look ridiculous.

Im not to thrilled that its labor day weekend we have a festival called Hog Days where I live a the town is a fucking madhouse and I swear that the town is full of freaks every year I have no idea where the weirdo's come from!lol

I have two Pits a 6 year old thats the sweetest and laziest dog in the world! I should have named her Eyeore and a 10 week old thats got entirely to much energy!lol may i ask why your pup is skanky?

sorry to hear that Sherri. Knees... that's a lousy place to have pain. My mom has bad knees. She's too stubborn to have knee replacement surgery just yet. She excercizes them as best she can, and just powers herself along with willpower. Right now she is in Africa. Crazy woman. Bad knees, monkey pox, and machetes. She's nuts!!!

fuckadoodledo

banana fana fo lovely.

borrow at will. I'm pretty sure I lifted it from Hugh Grant in some random film. : )

Taco Bell, worked there through high school and first two years of college. My husband, a Frenchy, makes me repeat the greeting and the Cinnamon Crispas dessert suggestion just for laughs because I've got down such a good fake "happy to serve you" attitude.

In light of reading some of the sadder news here, it wasn't such a bad day...but I'll put in my two cents anyway. It's been dark and raining all day, all week for that matter, all month mostly. I painted all day only to find at the end of the day it was all wrong and wiped most of it off. Forgot to bring the bulbs that I drove all the way to my husbands work to give him. In general feeling lousy and think that today would have better been spent in bed. DH came home in a bad mood and has to work all weekend. And finally, I have an overwhelming bad feeling that the American people will vote for McCain/Palin despite my hope for intelligent life out there.

I was hit in the face by sprinkler water while running before it was light out. There is no need to water the sidewalks, people.

Ha...I'm sorry, Cyril, but if I were driving by and saw you get nailed by the sprinkler I would have laughed...I can't help it. Your pain would have brightened my morning.

Yeah, I frequently laugh at others' misfortune.

Here's another story: On my way home I called my wife and told her I was getting a movie from Blockbuster. She said that they had tried calling while she was already on the line (we have caller ID) and so didn't know what it was about. I didn't think I had any overdue movies, and so I went to the place and asked the young lady at the counter if she called me. She had this look of utter surprise and said, "Me? I didn't call you."
"Are you sure?" I said, wondering why she wasn't checking the computer or something to make sure.
"Well someone called from here," I said. "My wife said someone called while she was on another line."
"I didn't call you; maybe it was a message from Blockbuster." She said this as I was looking at the "Blockbuster" on her name tag. At this point I realized she thought I was asking if she personally had called me, like to go out on a date or something.
"Yes, the Blockbuster store called me," I said. She simply nodded. Matter settled for her.
"Do you think you can find out what it was about?" I asked. Finally at this point she checks my account to find out what the call was for.

I was a just a little annoyed by this, but my wife thought it was hilarious later.

I did not have time to do my laundry this week. I had to use my last pair of underwear - an XL size (the largest) that I had bought in Singapore some time ago. There must be a size difference with the Singaporean species because I AM NOT HAPPY.

Holy shit...that made me laugh. Poor Cyril. I will try not to laugh at your underwear travails.

I will fail.

Sarah Palin. As usual. Today its about her hiding her emails from the state: http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/10/p...

And not knowing anything about international affairs. At all.

(Yes, I already posted that on the True North thread about Sarah Palin, but I think it should be spread about.)

PDS alert, isle 76.