Hope eternal

From new installment by David Thorne:

Kevin: (account manager):

[...] I guess having some kind of system in this place is too much to hope for.

David (graphic designer):

We do have some kind of system and it is entirely hope based. Standard operating procedures consist of hoping nobody notices, hoping someone else gets blamed, and hoping account managers make promises only after checking the availability of sources to fulfill those promises.

Happened not infrequently before the collapse of A+D industry 3 yrs ago, but now the arrangement became a routine. Those few that are hanging on full-time work like racehorses, only difference being the designer-horse never wins and runs in carousel fashion.

Last supper

What is your comfort food? If you were given a chance to choose what you will be eating for the last time in your life, what dish will you ask for? For many post-Soviets, I suspect, that would be salad Olivier (in various personal interpretations), wherever they happen to live now.

For several years already I would have to answer that question with bigos. I can never have enough of it. Yes, I’m forced  to admit: my tastes are rather plebeian. And you?

Какое блюдо вы предпочтёте в качестве утешительной/привычной еды? Блюдо, которое никогда не надоедает, которое “надежда и опора в дни тягостных раздумий”. Которое, если б могли выбирать, заказали бы для своего последнего в жизни обеда. Для многих пост-Советских, где бы они не жили, я думаю, это будет Оливье. Для меня -вот уже несколько лет – это бигос. Да, вот такая я барышня-крестьянка. А вы?

Sage

Ah, if only I could meet the life blows with same cool indifference…

[Tank, an Akita puppy. See full version at Atomic Nerds]

More dangerous to morals than to liberties of the country

…he laughed at and ridiculed all notions of Publick virtue, and the love of one’s Country, calling them the Chimerical school boy flights of Classical learning.

…he was an easy and profuse dupe of women, and in some instances indecently so.

Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield, of Robert Walpole, the first British Prime Minister, who ruled England for 20 years of prosperity.

[no, this quote is not directly related to story of "open marriage proposal" of Newt Gingrich. Just an FYI and a propos  to an age-old issue of principles declared vs.acted upon ]

Blogspot blood clot

Jeffro, why can’t I leave a comment @your place? It has always been not easy (what with the Captcha and entering my OpenID every time – Blogger does not remember it like WordPress does, and more often than not having to do it twice or get an “error” message).

But now I couldn’t get through even after 6 attempts. Wazzz-up?

Libertarians debate

Follow Gerard Perry to Manhattan Libertarian party convention as he live tweets the event. [G, why didn't you alert me?!] Fascinating.

While I was writing this he posted 9 new tweets…Gotta run and read!

Snow day!

Зимы ждала, ждала природа.

Снег выпал только в январе

Noble gentlemen vs. “brainless nazi bitches”*

Catastrophe with the cruiser Costa Concordia and indecent behavior of it senior crew triggered series of flame wars in surrounding blogosphere on the topic of …”feminism”.

- Huh? – But don’t you see?  It’s the feminists’ fault that some of the men-passengers and a big part of senior members of the crew ran to save themselves – and didn’t care for women, children and the weak.  Those nasty feminists destroyed traditions of chivalry and gentlemanly manners by demanding equality in the face of the Law. Apparently, they destroyed professional responsibilities and work ethics and general principle of helping the weak, wounded and underage, too.

As usual, our “conservative” allies showed themselves in their customary charming form, winning friends and extending courtesy to strangers [ /sarcasm, to those with malfunctioning sarc. sensor]. Some of them actually claim to be libertarians… Ahem.

After scanning all the illogical insults, wild accusations, every fallacy in the book and altogether positively foaming in the mouth diatribes of model boors (“sour grapes” come to mind…) I ended in the oasis of reason, calm and clarity – in the post by Celia Hayes @Chicagoboyz.net.

Webstrike spam

Received yesterday,  among usual garbage:

insert liberty here

Web strike

If I knew how to  make my page look like that, I’d do it. [agree with sentiment. unable to follow directions]