Althouse: At the Parakeet Café...

July 19, 2012

At the Parakeet Café...

... just whistle.

39 comments:

Christopher in MA said...: You do know how to whistle, don't you? Just put your lips together and blow.

wv - 'sunnoqu.' A former chief of staff's gas station.; 7/19/12, 12:16 PM
chickelit said...: The woman giggling sounds adorbs!; 7/19/12, 12:28 PM
john said...: This is a video I took a couple years back of an elegant trogon. It was in Cave Creek of the Chiricahua Mountains in SE AZ. Fortunately, this canyon escaped the devastating forest fire that burnt most of the range a couple years ago.
"I should have brought a tripod.".; 7/19/12, 12:28 PM
Anonymous said...: No bird brain there, that's one smart and talented bird. No Michele Bachmann. They are both very pretty but have crazy eyes.; 7/19/12, 12:46 PM
Carnifex said...: For those following along my medical trevails...more drama!

The doctor removed my staples tuesday afternoon. He prescribed some anti biotics and I went home and went to bed. Woke up about 4 hours later, sat up, and the wound opened up on me, the entire length. Blood squirted out like spilling a coke down your shirt front.

I immediately grabbed and applied direct pressure while hollering for my wife. She had left to go to the phatmacy. So I called her and told her to get back home quick.

When she got here, we pulled the bandage away to see how bad it was..it was bad. We called 911 and I got to ride in an ambulance! :-)

To make a long story short, they can't sew me up again, so I have a 5"x2"x3"deep trench in my stomach mid-line that will take at least 2 months to heal. I have to pack it 2 times a day with damp gauze.

The only good thing is that the wound doesn't have pain cells or something because it never hurt, even while shoving gauze into it. The bad news is the nerves are starting to heal, and it's starting to burn

I can use all the prayers you can give, it'd gonna be bleak around here.

Thanks guys.; 7/19/12, 12:49 PM
chickelit said...: AllieOop memorialized:
No bird brain there, that's one smart and talented bird. No Michele Bachmann. They are both very pretty but have crazy eyes.; 7/19/12, 12:50 PM
bagoh20 said...: Geeze Carnifex, take it easy! You gotta heal before you start doing the P90 workout.

After my liver transplant (for cancer, so don't judge me), I had a gash in the center of my chest that didn't heal for months after the rest of it. I had to stuff old socks and whatever in there till it closed up, but it did, eventually. I got through it by watching endless episodes of The Rockford Files, and Scrubs. Just sit still, dammit.; 7/19/12, 12:59 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: I can use all the prayers you can give

Sending healing power

<VOOOOOOOOOOMP>

Feel that?; 7/19/12, 1:02 PM
bagoh20 said...: Chickelit, whats up with that avitar? Like Allies, it slowly evolves. Her's goes left and right with her political mood, but yours looks like you're about vote Democrat.; 7/19/12, 1:02 PM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/19/12, 1:03 PM
Carnifex said...: @Allie Oop

Yeah Bachmans eyes are pretty wild...reminded me of a rabid rabbit. They do lack the fevered gleam of Moochie talking about how we should eat cake though.; 7/19/12, 1:03 PM
Anonymous said...: Carnifex, what the hell!? So you are now packing the wound, are they using a wound vac on it? That so sucks, sending you nursey vibes to help with the healing. Got good drugs for pain I hope.; 7/19/12, 1:04 PM
Anonymous said...: Bagoh, I will say this is one of a few elections that I'm truly undecided.; 7/19/12, 1:07 PM
Carnifex said...: Iwas really hoping for some chicken soup Chip. :-)

And I was doing a brisk sit(no h) Bagoh. Believe me, I'm as sedentary as a turtle. Old socks huh? That's the secret to your manliness? I was thinking of using the wifes old tampons.; 7/19/12, 1:08 PM
chickelit said...: @BagoH20: I tried to explain my avatar here. It's a metaphor for ourosboros, baby boomers, and wealth transfer.

I'm not sure I get your remark about voting Democrat.; 7/19/12, 1:17 PM
sane_voter said...: Carnifex,

I read that as "old wife's tampon" instead of wife's old tampon and had a chuckle before re-reading it. Although I guess that might be more of a literal than meaningful difference.; 7/19/12, 1:18 PM
bagoh20 said...: "Bagoh, I will say this is one of a few elections that I'm truly undecided"

I'm sure we both agree that the nation has some big problems, that have not gotten much better in the last 3-1/2 years. That failure to recover after recession is pretty unusual - we should be well into a strong recovery by now.

I'm exactly the kind person that needs to be confident to hire and help fire up the economy, and Obama scares the crap out of me, and most business people I know. I didn't vote for him, but I wasn't really worried until I saw what he chose to do, and how he thinks.

As I've brought up before, would it have made sense to call Barack Obama to fix the Olympics, and would it makes sense even today compared to Romney, or any business man for that matter?

Do you really just want to hear how bad everybody else screwed things up for him for four more years, or do you want things done? I don't think we can spare four more years, and why would we waste it again?; 7/19/12, 1:20 PM
bagoh20 said...: "I'm not sure I get your remark about voting Democrat."

It looks like the thing is about to re-ingest the undigested mistakes of four years.; 7/19/12, 1:22 PM
chickelit said...: That's a provocative interpretation, bagoH20. I hope it does come to pass.; 7/19/12, 1:26 PM
chickelit said...: That's a provocative interpretation, bagoH20. I hope it doesn't come to pass.; 7/19/12, 1:26 PM
chickelit said...: Which one should I delete as a typo?; 7/19/12, 1:27 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: I have two language related anecdotes. Skip them both if language is boring.

I was out there being watering boy for a few minutes and down below someone began yelling.

We don't like like yelling around here. He's trying to get into the building. Ha. It's a fortress. He is here to help someone move in. Their phone in not hooked up to the entry yet. No cell. So close and so far.

The yelling is not working loud but unclear. He does not understand me as I try to explain how we will break the rules, and anyone who's home can hear us yelling.

So I switch to sign. Exaggerated stage pantomime sign. The episode reminded me of my dogs always up for a new game. He stopped yelling immediately got into the game of figuring out what that guy up there is doing. That's what was so funny to me. And when comprehension hit him *ding* the reading of his face was so comical it had me laughing all the way to the elevator.; 7/19/12, 1:27 PM
wyo sis said...: Carnefex
I also send prayers for you. That is a horrifying story. One you really don't want to tell the grand kids. Hope you don't mind newly minted Mormon prayers.; 7/19/12, 1:41 PM
edutcher said...: Carn, that's a Hell of a story.

Reminiscent of George C Scott's line in "The Hospital", "Where did you train? Dachau?".

AllieOop said...

No bird brain there, that's one smart and talented bird. No Michele Bachmann.

Yes, so dumb she's one of the major figures in the Republican Party, unlike Oop, who's just another troll.; 7/19/12, 1:48 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: The second anecdote involves a person I see rarely.

The individual knows as much sign as a mutual friend of ours taught him a decade ago.

I sent him a pop up card awhile ago, and a thing about that I've learned as time goes by is that people honestly do not know how to reciprocate so they tend to keep an eye out during the year for unusual doodads or geegaws along those lines for something they could use. It forces them to think of me at times they would ordinarily not. Subversive, eh?

The fellow said he was in Thailand and outside the hotel the vendors set up stalls as they do. He drinks a bit heavily. Inclined to walk right past the sort of vending spot a child would be attracted to bright colors and interesting doodads. Something caught his eye. He says, he doesn't know what but something caught his eye. Movement, something shiny, something did.

He discovered a group of deaf Thais vending hand made pop-up greeting cards. His sign did avail him. He did stop and communicate with them. Lingered for well over an hour. He reported their amazement, their shock, that an American showed any interest at all much less compassion. He told me he is eager to discuss this incident because of all the things that happened on that trip, that incident had the most impact on him. The pop-up cards, and the deaf Thais connected the experience to me in his mind and he bought all they had and sent me the whole lot.

They're stupid. Frankly. The cards are dumb. They are all the same mechanical device elaborated different ways according to patterns. Not laser cut, but they sort of look it. The mechanism is the same mechanism that separates bottles in a case. You notice how the notches in the cardboard planks are opposed and match half way. The whole thing collapses flatly. That's what is going on with the mechanisms, all of them. So, now what do I do with a boat load of Thai pop up cards that I could have made myself, in fact did make more elaborate versions myself? Give them away of course. Care to see them?; 7/19/12, 1:50 PM
Anonymous said...: Edutcher is seeing Trolls again. But does he hear them in his head, do they speak to him telling him to say bat shit crazy things?; 7/19/12, 2:11 PM
wyo sis said...: Chip I think the cards are charming, and the story as well.; 7/19/12, 2:11 PM
Anonymous said...: Edutcher about Michele Bachmann,

"Yes, so dumb she's one of the major figures in the Republican Party, unlike Oop, who's just another troll."

7/19/12 1:48 PM

I wouldn't brag about that if I were a Republican. o_O; 7/19/12, 2:14 PM
Ann Althouse said...: Carnifex, take care.

That was quite a description!; 7/19/12, 2:18 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Yikes, Carnifex! This has been quite an ordeal for you.

I'll pray for you. If I knew a rain dance, I wouldn't do it because what do you need rain for?; 7/19/12, 2:22 PM
wyo sis said...: leslyn
I know what you mean about Chip. He's just so adorably challenging to figure out.
My mother's golden retriever was a lot like your dog. He finally had to have a muzzle to keep him from licking his right front paw down to the skin. It must have itched.; 7/19/12, 2:48 PM
Anonymous said...: I like Chip's food, he tortures me with those pictures late at night when I can't sleep and since I refuse to eat at bedtime, I just drool.; 7/19/12, 2:51 PM
Paddy O said...: Carnifex, Aack!!! I mean that with all the sincere sympathy I can muster. All the prayers I can give are definitely given towards your getting better quickly!!; 7/19/12, 5:28 PM
Paddy O said...: So my alma mater jumped into the health care contraception mandate debate the other day. We got a long email about it, then later that day I saw Instapundit link to a story about it.

Interesting to me because Wheaton has a new president this year, and I suspect the former president would not have made such an issue about it. The former president got in the news for firing a professor who went and turned Catholic. So, it's also interesting to see Wheaton stand arm in arm with the Catholics on this issue.

It's interesting because Evangelicals don't actually have a problem with birth control pills or condoms or the like--though there are some forms, like the morning after pill that are considered wrong.

I've never heard it called the "Notre Dame" of Protestant higher education though. "Harvard of Evangelical schools," sure, but never Notre Dame.; 7/19/12, 5:38 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: I keep +1ing things I am trying to click into. Who knows what crazy set of posts I've +1ed, whatever that is.; 7/19/12, 5:38 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Paddy, you went to Wheaton? What did you think of it?; 7/19/12, 5:40 PM
Paddy O said...: Freeman, the education was amazing--intellectually and spiritually. I was a history major, and ended up focusing on church history. My masters degree was much easier than my undergraduate.

Socially, it was awkward. Which is interesting because that awkwardness becomes a topic of conversation between other alums. The first conversation I had with my now wife (who was there overlapping years but we met later) was about how awkward the social life is.

Definitely not the typical college experience, though I think it absolutely helped reshape and hone my thinking in a profound way.

Very glad I went there, wouldn't want to do that again.; 7/19/12, 5:48 PM
Paddy O said...: One more thing about it. Wheaton was very good about being open in discussion of various views. We studied all sorts of positions on topics, so it wasn't a narrowly confessional school in what it taught.

Made for a great place to sort out all sorts of topics--especially helpful for the study of the Bible and theology.; 7/19/12, 5:50 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Paddy, you represent it well. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about it.; 7/19/12, 10:04 PM