PeterDavid.net

Just in the off chance that Republicans should have the opportunity to think for themselves, the GOP has issued a list of ten items, a purity test, that defines whether you are an acceptable Republican and thus eligible for campaign funds. Check to see how many of them you’re in line with (hint: if you disagree with more than three, you’re out.)
(more…)

Ken Krueger, one of the co-founders of the San Diego Comic Con, has passed away. Between losing him and Shel Dorf just a few weeks ago, the reading of the list of people in the industry who have passed away that’s typically read by Maggie Thompson at the Eisner awards is going to be particularly melancholy last year.

Ken, I knew far better than Shel because of his involvement in comic distribution back when I was Marvel’s direct sales manager. He was a great guy, always professional, friendly, outgoing and helpful. I saw him at the last San Diego Con and he looked in very poor health, and I had a really bad feeling that we were going to lose him. He will be sorely missed.

PAD

Ariel is back home from college and we’re having a small, simple family gathering.

PAD

It’s not that I’m not thankful; it’s that in two series now, people gathered around a table for Thanksgiving decide to go around the table and tell what they have to be thankful for, and it just all goes horribly awry.

Which leaves us with the burning question: Who would you rather have dinner with? The family of Arthur Mitchell, a.k.a. Trinity on “Dexter,” or the fun loving Petrelli family on “Heroes.” Either way, the carving is not going to go smoothly.

Spoiler comments after the break: (more…)

Whad’ja get?

PAD

Are you smarter than a Fifth Grader? Well, if the fifth grader in question is ten year old Will Phillips of Arkansas, and the “you” is me, then I’m not. Because he focused on an objection to the Pledge of Allegiance that I had not thought about and really should have. Even better, he did something about it. (more…)

You missed the first minute of my episode because Cartoon Network started it at 8:29.

If you are on the West Coast, there’s still time to adjust it.

Feel free to post comments here.

PAD

….did he have his own camera rigged that was taking pictures of himself?

copyright Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times / November 11, 2009

(thanks to Harris Miller for bring this to my attention)

PAD

The medication that her doctor prescribed, Tamiflu, seems to be doing the job.  She’s been fever-free for 24 hours, and since this is Veteran’s Day, school is closed so she gets an extra day of recovery “free.”  Our own doctors have started both Kath and I on the same medication as a preventative, since our prolonged exposure to Caroline puts us greatly at risk and vaccine is nowhere to be had.  Starting on it now, theoretically it should prevent the disease from getting any traction on us and keep us healthy.  That’s the theory, at least.

PAD

My episode of “Ben 10: Alien Force” is scheduled to air this Friday at 8:30 PM EST on Cartoon Network.  It rebroadcasts Saturday at 8 AM.

There WILL be a quiz.

PAD

Caroline’s fever began Sunday morning.  Just started out of nowhere, really, reaching around 102 and accompanied by a cough and sniffles.  We figured it was a cold.  Nevertheless I stayed up the night with her, with her on the living room couch and me sitting nearby and working and monitoring her fluctuating temperature and trying to keep it low.  Slept maybe an hour until Kath came down to relieve me at 6:30 AM.

By Monday morning it was no better.  We made a doctor’s appointment for 4:15.  By noon her fever spiked to 104 and wasn’t coming down.  I called the doctor and told her we were coming in right then and not waiting.

Some weeks ago we had Caroline get the standard flu shot and made an appointment some weeks later to get the H1N1 vaccination due to the Doctor not having the vaccination yet in the office and not having it much before thanksgiving from what they were told at the office also the two vaccinations had to be separated by a couple of weeks. So she got the one and was scheduled to get the other at the beginning of December.

She’s been diagnosed with swine flu so we canceled the December appointment.

To make things even more exciting, drug stores are running out of the medicine that’s prescribed for it.  Two CVSs were out of it completely; the third is prepping it but they’re backordered so far that even though I went in at 3:30 PM, it won’t be ready until after 8 PM.  So I’m working with the medications at hand to keep her fever down (plus a few other tricks I know) and waiting for the pharmacy to call and say the medicine’s ready for pick up.

PAD

UPDATED 12:58 AM Tuesday:  Finally got my hands on the medicine.  Caroline took the first dose of the medicine at 8:30 PM.  Rapid results.  Temperature is now at normal levels and her skin is cool to the touch.  She is sleeping soundly and  breathing normally.  Will stay up with her through the night, though, and monitor her condition through the night.  Too worried that her condition could change on a dime; want to make sure her fever doesn’t start to spike or that her breathing becomes labored.  She’s sleeping on the living room couch and I’m sitting nearby.  Good time to catch up on stuff on the DVR.

UPDATED 5:33 AM Tuesday:  Brain fried by fourth hour of “Brothers and Sisters.”  Check her temperature.  100.2.  Dammit.  She was normal an hour ago.

UPDATED 5:55 AM Tuesday:  She woke up.  I gave her Motrin and rubbed her limbs, back and front with Isopropyl rubbing alcohol.  As the alcohol evaporates it takes some of the excessive temperature with it.  It’s less invasive and uncomfortable than damp towels.  Put “Brothers and Sisters” back on.   Kitty (Calista Flockhart) is watching brother-in-law, the guy who’s married to her gay brother, ogling the body of a swimming visiting Frenchman who is the lover of her sister.  Earlier she was undergoing kemo to battle her lymphoma.  Trying to find the point to all this.  Ah: Found it.  It put Caroline back to sleep.

From the Halloween episode of Castle:

One day late, but here it is.

PAD

And we’re gonna be there.

On February 25, 2010, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush are going to square off at Radio City Music Hall in a debate about the issues of the day. And I just bought tickets for Kath and me.

Absolutely cannot wait. Clinton’ll will swat Bush like the intellectual gnat that he is. This will be the Splattin’ in Manhattan.

UPDATED 8:54 PM:  * sigh * Yeah, okay, I just called Ticketmaster and they confirmed it was canceled.  Of course it was; I got tickets for it.

PAD

Perhaps hoping to build upon some of the recycled-SF-series mojo of “Battlestar Galactica,” ABC yesterday launched a remake of the old series about lizard-like beings who show up pretending to be friends but in reality…aren’t so much.

(more…)