talbotlucas.org: a word to the wise is sufficient

"lisa weakening over the open atlantic"

000
WTNT33 KNHC 301431
TCPAT3
BULLETIN
TROPICAL STORM LISA ADVISORY NUMBER 45
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
11 AM AST THU SEP 30 2004

...LISA WEAKENING OVER THE OPEN ATLANTIC...

AT 11 AM AST...1500Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM LISA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 32.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 47.7 WEST OR ABOUT 1215 MILES...1960 KM...WEST OF THE AZORES.

LISA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH...19 KM/HR...AND A GRADUAL TURN TO THE NORTH IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 65 MPH...100 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME WEAKENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230 MILES...370 KM FROM THE CENTER.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 994 MB...29.35 INCHES.

REPEATING THE 11 AM AST POSITION...32.8 N... 47.7 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 65 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 994 MB.

THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 5 PM AST.

a day that will live in infamy?

Probably not, but I couldn't resist the tagline after Terrence mentioned it upon hearing the news. What news is that, you ask?

Oral arguments in the three "wine wars" cases have been scheduled for 7 December 2004. Looks like I won't be going to DC to try to get to hear them in person--I have my Evidence final bright and early on the morning the 8 December, and it would be very unpleasant if I found myself stranded by an early snowstorm in our nation's capital. I'll console myself with a transcript of the arguments and perhaps we'll raise our glasses and hold a good thought.

the little guy turns three!

We're celebrating Wallace's third birthday today with a few extra special rawhide chew toys and other goodies. Our little guy has grown quite a bit this last year--he now has his adult corgi barrel chest and the face of an adult, but sometimes--around certain toys and Terrence's socks, for example--he still pounces like he did as a pup.

Mostly, though, he's become our watchdog, alert to any not-quite-right noises and always on patrol for impertinent crows, pigeons, squirrels, and the little creatures of the night that visit our garden. He tries to tell our neighbors when they're making too much noise, or when there are deliverymen at their door, and when he sees J'ai and Josephine leave for an outing, he lets us know that we, too, should be doing something fun.

And then there are the times, more frequent now than during his puppyhood, when he stretches out next to one of us and relaxes while we work. He's happiest when we're all together in the same room where he can keep an eye on us and doze for a little while. Not a bad life.

(Click on the photos to open a larger window; last year's birthday photos are still here. Don't mind the formatting of our archive entries, by the way; we've upgraded our blogging software and need to make a few more adjustments. They'll be back to normal soon.)

listening to: Brad Mehldau, Live in Tokyo

We're big fans of Mr. Mehldau here, and so I was delighted to learn not only of his new solo album, Live in Tokyo, but also that a special version was available from iTunes. Additional tracks (including his take on "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover") and it was $1.00 less than amazon.com (and no shipping costs). This means I don't get the jewel case and printed CD insert, but getting more, for less, and without waiting (for a through-the-mail shipment or to find time to drive somewhere to pick it up) is hard to pass up.

So far it's a nice treat, and with any luck it will make my editing time more productive this weekend. Wallace seems to like it, too.

wallace and the blanket

I heard a lot of muffled movement as I was preparing the last post, and found Wallace in the bedroom, on top of our bed, resting his head on the comforter that he had managed to completely reconfigure. When he finds a way to make himself comfortable, and has made such an effort, I can't bear to shoo him from his spot.

Wallace also met a new friend today--a twelve-year-old poodle (or poodle mix?) named Dumpling. Very sweet, and aptly named: He looked a lot like the dumplings my father used to make to accompany chicken soup. Dumpling and his owner accompanied us on a long, slow walk around the block, and much to her delight Dumpling kept up with us the whole way. He's not been in the best of health and is on some heavy-duty medication, but once he realized that my jacket pocket contained treats (ones with which he was already familiar, no less), he was more than happy to go for a hike.

a machine gun is not an assault weapon

I've been confused this week, reading criticisms of op-eds and other news items in the wake of the expiration of the assault weapons ban. Many who support fewer restrictions on gun ownership seemed to be making a big deal when the phrase "machine guns" was used in connection with or as synonymous with "assault weapons." I thought they referred to the same thing, or that machine guns were a subset of assault weapons, but it seems they are not. There is a difference, and Slate explains it.

I know very well what the Second Amendment says, but quite honestly, I'm not sure why anyone should be able to own one of these. I'm with Fran Lebowitz on this point: "No one gets to have a gun." Several years ago, in an interview with Mirabella magazine, she noted:

No one gets to have a gun. Of course you can't have a gun. If you would think about it for one second, it's a ridiculous question. You can't have a nuclear bomb. You can't have a scud missile. You can't have a gun. It's like when you were a kid, and you asked your father "Can I have a horse?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because we're not rich enough." Same thing. "Can I have a gun?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because it's insane. That's why."And all those questions about what kind of bullets should be legal. The whole discussion is from the inside of a deranged mind.

There are a few guns that I think are quite beautiful--the .50-caliber Magnum by Smith & Wesson comes to mind--but I really don't feel comfortable with the ease with which one can acquire a gun, and I'm not sure I would trust most people with one.

Here's an article about the .50-caliber one I mentioned. I love the line about its release being "an opportunity for backpackers."

numbers people vs paragraph people

First there were red states and blue states, and now David Brooks is suggesting another divide: numbers people and paragraph people, and how/why that distinction suggests support of Bush or Kerry. Amusing. On the Times site and here, if the link's expired.

Historically, I test higher (on standardarized tests) in math than verbal, but I have experienced horrible math anxiety (despite being reminded that I test high enough to be placed into mid-level calculus without having taken a calculus class), dislike classic economics with its indifference curves and life-in-a-vacuum scenarios, and still cringe at the sign of an integral. But I am getting better, and to prove it:

∫ ∫ ∫ ∫

There. Almost no cringing, but then again, I wasn't typing those as part of a response to a problem set.

Despite what the test results tell me, I'm far happier surrounded by my books or books generally--in fact, Rizzoli's on 57th Street in NYC is one of the happiest places I can think of, and I could hide there for several hours, quite content. I'm finishing my third year of law school, and excel at contract drafting. Often I'm more comfortable with "it depends" or "maybe" than the binary yes/no, on/off way of thinking. And yet...I've been told I can be very judgmental (=binary?) on some issues.

This also brings to mind something from my younger years--people I knew (both of my age group and older) who would vote Democratic locally, but Republican nationally. Does that say more about the Chicago/Cook County Democratic party, or just that this type of number/paragraph split-personality is an indicator of something more? Nature, or nurture? Or simply going with the flow, since voting for the local Democratic ticket is a no-brainer when there are very few local Republican candidates. Perhaps this isn't an analysis one can apply to Chicago/Cook County voting. Perhaps I should get back to questions I can answer...

you will be trained...resistance is futile

I realized this morning how well Wallace has trained me: After finishing his Kong (translation: after fifteen minutes of fishing out a treat that's been wedged in his vulcanized rubber toy by throwing it around the second floor and coaxing it out of the just-too-small hole by nibbling on the edges), Wallace walks into the bathroom. Without any chuntering on his part I find that I'm getting up from my desk chair and walking to the bathroom, where he waits, sitting patiently on the rug, for me to get him a cup of water. All that bouncing and nibbling makes a dog thirsty, you know. If I don't notice that he's waiting he'll let out a few low barks to call for me or Terrence as a reminder that we're needed. (It's hard to turn on the faucet when it's a few feet above your head and you don't have opposable thumbs.)

I've just noticed that the Kong Company don't include Pembroke Welsh Corgis on their size chart which is unusual given the delight corgis take in their Kongs. Wallace can tire himself out with the extra large model, so perhaps an email (with photos) is in order.

Eighth Annual Southern California Corgi Picnic

We all made our way to Johnny Carson Park in sunny Burbank for the eighth annual Southern California Corgi Picnic. Corgis and their owners came from near and far to meet, greet, and eat. Wallace had a great time among his distant cousins, and made some new friends, including Buster from Pasadena and several handsome Cardigans.

In addition to eating, visiting, and game-playing, the organizers of the picnic arrange for a silent auction of corgi-related items, and the proceeds benefit Corgi Aid. Although some people laugh at the idea that purebred dogs require "rescue," it's still too often the case that the actions of unreputable breeders (and/or uninformed or uncaring owners) result in dogs who are improperly placed in homes where they are neglected or abused. Those people who work with the Corgi Aid network try to make the best of often bad situations by taking in unwanted corgis, retraining them (or sometimes being the first to train them), and finding appropriate homes.

This year's group (and this is only a partial shot--we couldn't get everyone in) was a good one, with many familiar faces from past years and several new faces, including a few honorary corgis (or as one owner put it, "corgis-by-association"). Terrence and Wallace participated in this year's portrait; if you can't spot them toward the back row, you can also click here. For a really impressive assortment of corgi picnic photos (sans Wallace), check out the photo site for the 2004 Pacific Northwest Corgi Picnic. At least 350 photos, but some of my favorties are here, here, and here. (Also note that clicking on the photos at right and above will open them in a larger pop-up window.)

Now...it's time to cool off! Wallace is already sleeping soundly on the bathroom floor, having saved just enough energy to find his spot and stretch out.

making statements

Peter Northrup over at Crescat Sententia posts on the subject "you don't have to raise your voice to make a statement." His observations are encouraging, although the interaction he describes (with photos) is, I fear, all too rare.