Small Talk: Out of Genoa

[peacheslatour]

40 minutes ago, AngelKitty said:

I was born at Loring AFB in Presque Isle, Maine. My dad was stationed at Iceland and pulled red tape to get transferred so I could be born in the USA. My mom said it was colder in Maine than Iceland.

Lol, my mom said the cockroaches in Texas were the size of Buicks.

[valleycliffe]

i was wondering how many knew this.  i just found it out...

on jeopardy, it was asked, how many steps does the soldier guarding the tomb of the unknown soldier take..

on jeopardy their answers were incorrect.

apparently, the correct answer is 21.  this is to signify a 21 gun salute.

they take their 21 steps with their rifle on the outside shoulder...they stand for 21 seconds then do an about face, place their rifle on the outside shoulder and then take 21 steps again...

the tomb is guarded 24/7 365 days a yr...

the guard is changed on the hour from oct. 1 to  mar. 31 in an elaborate ritual

from april 1 to sept. 30, the guard is changed every half hour.

Edited November 11, 2018 by valleycliffe
added

[boes]

3 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

I was born at Lackland Air Force base, Texas and my dad was in Air Force Intelligence. What a generation!

Ahhh, Texas!

When my Dad was in basic training down in Texas for WWII, my mom went down to visit him.  They were both very young, hadn't been married very long, and they were looking to have a VERY good time.  Finding a room near the camp was really hard, since so many people were down to see their guys before they shipped out, and the only room my Dad could find was at a boarding house run by a very strict, teetotal Baptist church lady.  Now being good catholics, my folks liked a drink every now and then but that was one thing the landlady would not abide, and knowing soldiers, she would search the bags of the guys and their wives when they checked in.  So my mom, with her mother's connivance, baked a loaf of bread, hollowed it out and put in a bottle of whiskey.  The landlady didn't give it a second thought, approved of my mom doing something so wholesome as bringing my dad a loaf of homemade bread.

When my mom left, she stashed the empty bottle in the radio cabinet, and my oldest brother was born nine months later.

Quote

 

Eileen Davidson✔@eileen_davidson

After living for 24 hours thinking we lost our house completely we found out yesterday that we only lost the yard around our house. Sweating it out for the next 48 hours and praying for everybody involved in this devastating and horrific fire. Love to all of you. #woolseyfires

6,336

6:31 AM - Nov 11, 2018

 

[peacheslatour]

Quote

Ahhh, Texas!

When my Dad was in basic training down in Texas for WWII, my mom went down to visit him.  They were both very young, hadn't been married very long, and they were looking to have a VERY good time.  Finding a room near the camp was really hard, since so many people were down to see their guys before they shipped out, and the only room my Dad could find was at a boarding house run by a very strict, teetotal Baptist church lady.  Now being good catholics, my folks liked a drink every now and then but that was one thing the landlady would not abide, and knowing soldiers, she would search the bags of the guys and their wives when they checked in.  So my mom, with her mother's connivance, baked a loaf of bread, hollowed it out and put in a bottle of whiskey.  The landlady didn't give it a second thought, approved of my mom doing something so wholesome as bringing my dad a loaf of homemade bread.

When my mom left, she stashed the empty bottle in the radio cabinet, and my oldest brother was born nine months later.

What a fantastic story! Good ol' grandma. The only thing my grandma ever did that could remotely touch it was she coated a circle of flannel in pancake batter, fried it up and served it to my grandpa one April fools day. 

[OhioSongbird]

I've teased my Mom about me being born 9 mos 2 wks to the day after they got married.

I love your Mom's ingenuity......where there's a will there's a way!

[PatsyandEddie]

pearlite , there is a special Bomber Command bar from the Federal Gov. that family members can apply for. It’s to finally honour their sacrifices be it going on missions or facing public rebuke upon return. I applied for it while my mother and oldest brother were still living so that they would know. IIRC, the preference is eldest child of the vet or widow(er)if the vet is no longer living. My brother was living with the final stages of  leukaemia and my mother had dementia. As the youngest I applied for them . Though my father was no longer with us to enjoy the award, at least his widow and children were. I showed it to my Mom and she did twig in to what I was saying. She expressed her pleasure at this recognition for my father’s service. Lest We Forget

Infomercial over ?

[boes]

42 minutes ago, PatsyandEddie said:

pearlite , there is a special Bomber Command bar from the Federal Gov. that family members can apply for. It’s to finally honour their sacrifices be it going on missions or facing public rebuke upon return. I applied for it while my mother and oldest brother were still living so that they would know. IIRC, the preference is eldest child of the vet or widow(er)if the vet is no longer living. My brother was living with the final stages of  leukaemia and my mother had dementia. As the youngest I applied for them . Though my father was no longer with us to enjoy the award, at least his widow and children were. I showed it to my Mom and she did twig in to what I was saying. She expressed her pleasure at this recognition for my father’s service. Lest We Forget

Infomercial over ?

 

What a completely lovely and honoring thing to do!

Well done, PatsyandEddie!!

[PatsyandEddie]

Thank you boes ! ??

I know my Dad struggled over B.C. reputation. I felt it was something that I just had to do for him. 

[valleycliffe]

my dad was a sapper in the cdn armed forces..........

i remember he had a medal, don' know what it was but then my bil had it in his possession, then he died and i don't know what happened to it after that..

[Capricasix]

Stan Lee has died ?

Excelsior!

[peacheslatour]

Excelsior!

[Cupid Stunt]

AP News California Wildfires -- And it's not good news

 

Stan Lee, creator of a galaxy of Marvel superheroes, dies

By ANDREW DALTON and DAVE ZELIO

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Stan Lee, the creative dynamo who revolutionized the comic book and helped make billions for Hollywood by introducing human frailties in Marvel superheroes such as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the Incredible Hulk, died Monday. He was 95. Lee was declared dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, according to Kirk Schenck, an attorney for Lee’s daughter, J.C. Lee.

As the top writer at Marvel Comics and later as its publisher, Lee was widely considered the architect of the contemporary comic book. He revived the industry in the 1960s by offering the costumes and action craved by younger readers while insisting on sophisticated plots, college-level dialogue, satire, science fiction, even philosophy. Millions responded to the unlikely mix of realistic fantasy, and many of his characters, including Spider-Man, the Hulk and X-Men went on to become stars of blockbuster films. He won the National Medal of Arts in 2008.

Recent projects Lee helped make possible range from the films “Avengers: Infinity War,” ″Black Panther” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” to such TV series as “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” and “Daredevil.” Lee was recognizable to his fans, having had cameos in many Marvel films and TV projects, often delivering his trademark motto, “Excelsior!”

“Captain America” actor Chris Evans mourned the loss on Twitter: “There will never be another Stan Lee. For decades he provided both young and old with adventure, escape, comfort, confidence, inspiration, strength, friendship and joy. He exuded love and kindness and will leave an indelible mark on so, so, so many lives. Excelsior!!”

Lee considered the comic-book medium an art form and he was prolific: By some accounts, he came up with a new comic book every day for 10 years. “I wrote so many I don’t even know. I wrote either hundreds or thousands of them,” he told The Associated Press in 2006.

He hit his stride in the 1960s when he brought the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Spider-Man, Iron Man and numerous others to life. “It was like there was something in the air. I couldn’t do anything wrong,” he said. His heroes, meanwhile, were a far cry from virtuous do-gooders such as rival DC Comics’ Superman. The Fantastic Four fought with each other. Spider-Man was goaded into superhero work by his alter ego, Peter Parker, who suffered from unrequited crushes, money problems and dandruff. The Silver Surfer, an alien doomed to wander Earth’s atmosphere, waxed about the woeful nature of man. The Hulk was marked by self-loathing. Daredevil was blind and Iron Man had a weak heart.

“The beauty of Stan Lee’s characters is that they were characters first and superheroes next,” Jeff Kline, executive producer of the “Men in Black” animated television series, told The Blade of Toledo, Ohio, in 1998.

Some of Lee’s creations became symbols of social change — the inner turmoil of Spider-Man represented ’60s America, for example, while The Black Panther and The Savage She-Hulk mirrored the travails of minorities and women. “I think of them as fairy tales for grown-ups,” he told The AP in 2006. “We all grew up with giants and ogres and witches. Well, you get a little bit older and you’re too old to read fairy tales. But I don’t think you ever outgrow your love for those kind of things, things that are bigger than life and magical and very imaginative.”

Lee scripted most of Marvel’s superhero comics himself during the ’60s, including the Avengers and the X-Men, two of the most enduring. In 1972, he became Marvel’s publisher and editorial director; four years later, 72 million copies of Spider-Man were sold. “He’s become our Mickey Mouse,” he once said of the masked, web-crawling crusader.

Lee also published several books, including “The Superhero Women” in 1977 and “How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way” the following year, when he was named publisher of the year by the Periodical and Book Association of America.

CBS turned the Hulk into a successful TV series, with Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno portraying the doomed scientist from 1978-82. A Spider-Man series ran briefly in 1978. Both characters were featured in animated TV series as well.

The first big-budget movie based on Lee’s characters, “X-Men,” was a smash in 2000, earning more than $130 million at North American theaters. “Spider-Man” did even better, taking in more than $400 million in 2002. A Marvel movie empire would emerge after that, one of the most lucrative mega-franchises in cinema history, with the recent “Avengers: Infinity War” grossing more than $2 billion worldwide. In 10 years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe film shave netted over $17.6 billion in worldwide grosses. “Black Panther” actor Winston Duke took to Twitter to pay his respects to Lee: “You gave us characters that continue to stand the test of time and evolve with our consciousness. You taught us that there are no limits to our future as long as we have access to our imagination. Rest in power!”

Stanley Martin Lieber was born Dec. 28, 1922, in New York. He grew up a fan of “Hardy Boys” adventure books and Errol Flynn movies, and got a job at Timely Comics after graduating from high school. Within a few months, the editor and art director quit, leaving the 17-year-old Lee with creative control over the company, which grew and was renamed Atlas Comics and, finally, Marvel. Lieber changed his name, thinking Lee would be used for “silly little comics” and his real name would be reserved for novels. His early work largely reflected popular movies — westerns, crime dramas, romance, whatever was the rage at the time. He worked for about 50 cents per page.

After a stint in the Army during World War II, writing for training films, he was back at Marvel to begin a long and admittedly boring run of assembly line comic book production. Comics in the 1950s were the subject of Senate hearings pushed by the Comics Code Authority, which frowned on gore and characters that questioned authority. Major comic book companies adopted the code as a form of self-regulation to avoid sanctions. Lee said he was also working for a publisher who considered comics as fare only for children. “One day I said, ‘This is insane,’” Lee told the Guardian in 1979. “I’m just doing the same type of stories as everybody else. I wasn’t taking pride in my work and I wanted to quit. But my wife said, ‘Look, why don’t you do the kind of comics you want for a change?’” The result was the first issue of “The Fantastic Four,” in 1960, with the characters, plot and text from Lee and the illustrations by famed Marvel artist Jack Kirby. The characters were normal people changed into reluctant superheroes through no fault of their own.

Writing in “Origins of Marvel Comics,” Lee described the quartet this way: “The characters would be the kind of characters I could personally relate to; they’d be flesh and blood, they’d have their faults and foibles, they’d be fallible and feisty and — most important of all — inside their colorful, costumed booties they’d still have feet of clay.” “The Amazing Spider-Man” followed in 1962 and before long, Marvel Comics was an industry behemoth. Lee knew his work was different, proudly noting that stories were drawn out over several issues not to make money but to better develop characters, situations and themes. He didn’t neglect his villains, either. One, the Moleman, went bad when he was ostracized because of his appearance, Lee wrote, adding it was “almost unheard of in a comic book” to explain why a character was what he was. Lee’s direct influence faded in the 1970s as he gave up some of his editorial duties at Marvel. But with his trademark white mustache and tinted sunglasses, he was the industry’s most recognizable figure. He lectured widely on popular culture.

Lee moved to Los Angeles in 1981 to head Marvel Productions, an animation studio that was later purchased, along with Marvel Comics, for $50 million by New World Entertainment. As sales of comics declined, Marvel was forced into bankruptcy proceedings that meant it had to void a lifetime contract prohibiting Lee from working for anyone else. Lee later sued Marvel for $10 million, saying the company cheated him out of millions in profits from movies based on his characters. In 2000, Lee agreed to write stories for DC Comics, reinventing Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and other signature characters for Marvel’s one-time rival. DC Vice President and Publisher Paul Levitz had nothing but praise when the agreement was made. “With his artistic collaborators at Marvel, Stan co-created the richest imaginary universe a single comics writer has ever built,” he said. The dapper, friendly comic book genius continued to work into his 90s on numerous projects, including comics, films and DVDs.

In the late 1990s, he looked to capitalize on the Internet craze, offering animated “Webisodes” of comic-like action. Stan Lee Media also sought to reach out to Web-savvy youth through deals with pop artists the Backstreet Boys and Mary J. Blige. The company went bankrupt, and three men were indicted for allegedly defrauding the business in a check kiting scam. Lee wasn’t implicated. After that initial failure, Lee formed the successful Pow! Entertainment company to launch animated Internet-based projects.

Lee’s wife and partner in nearly everything, Joan Lee, died on July 6, 2017, leaving a void that made her husband, by then in mental and physical decline, vulnerable to hangers-on who began to surround him. Lawsuits, court fights and an elder abuse investigation all emerged in the fight over who spoke for the elderly Lee.

Lee is survived by his daughter, Joanie, and a younger brother who also worked in comics, Larry Lieber.

 

[Cupid Stunt]

When it came to racism, the pen was Stan Lee’s superpower

[Cupid Stunt]

Paradise lost -- Camp Fire in Paradise, California

[valleycliffe]

apparently corey hart who is pink's husband ( they live in malibu) stated that any looters will be shot on sight....lots of homes are still intact but owners had to evacuate...not quite sure how legal that would be tho.

[Cupid Stunt]

It's not, but why let that get in the way of antagonistic statements for the press from the faux nobility in Malibu.

[Cupid Stunt]

One of the legends of country music, guitarist and singer Roy Clark, has died. Clark, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry, was beloved by generations of fans for his work on the TV show Hee Haw, which he joined in 1969, acting as joyful co-host for nearly a quarter century.

He was 85 years old and died Thursday at his home in Tulsa, Okla., of complications from pneumonia. His death was announced in a statement from his publicists.

Clark became something of an ambassador for country music, not just in the U.S. but internationally, appearing in locales as far-flung as the Soviet Union, where he did a groundbreaking tour in 1976. He also helped turn the Ozark town of Branson, Mo., into an entertainment hot spot for Americans after opening the Roy Clark Celebrity Theatre there in 1983.

Born Roy Linwood Clark on April 15, 1933, in Meherrin, Va., he grew up mostly in Washington, D.C., and gained a love of all kinds of music early on. His father, who played in a square dance band, took him to see the National Symphony Orchestra and military bands.

A remarkably talented multi-instrumentalist, Clark started out on the banjo and mandolin; when he was 14, he received his first guitar as a Christmas present — and made his first television appearance that same year. First performing alongside his father, he began playing in D.C. bars and clubs, ignoring his schoolwork to the point of dropping out at age 15 and soon going on tour with the likes of Hank Williams.

He was first invited to the Grand Ole Opry as a teenager, after winning a national banjo competition in 1950. While he was first and foremost a country artist, Clark was something of a polymath, with facility in rock, jazz and pop; he became the first country artist to play at the Montreux Jazz Festival and recorded an album with jazz artist Joe Pass in 1994. In the mid-'50s, Clark honed his television chops as a regular on Country Style, the D.C.-based television show hosted by Jimmy Dean, eventually taking over as host after Dean relocated to New York.

But Clark hit his big break in 1960, when he was invited to Las Vegas to open for country artist Wanda Jackson. After the dissolution of Jackson's band, Clark savvily hired her old manager, who secured him appearances on The Tonight Show and Beverly Hillbillies. His first album, 1962's The Lightning Fingers of Roy Clark, was soon followed by his first hit single, "The Tips of My Fingers," the next year. In 1969, his song "Yesterday, When I Was Young" became a hit on both the pop and country music charts; other major hits included "Come Live with Me" in 1973 and "Somewhere Between Love and Tomorrow." With seven nominations throughout his career, Clark's recording of "Alabama Jubilee" won a Grammy Award in 1982.

Clark said that Hee Haw was something that many Americans could relate to, regardless of local culture — and even as network executives and critics derided the show. "I was just in New York City," he said, "I was walking down the street and the guy yells across and says, 'Hey, Roy, I'm a-picking.' Well, I'm obligated to say, 'Well, I'm a-grinning.' " And the show helped make pop culture stars out of the likes of Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette.

Moreover, the show helped make country music into a mainstream phenomenon, as Clark wrote for the Huffington Post in 2015: "First and foremost, I am most proud of how Hee Haw did its part to help pave the way for country music to burst from its regional roots to remarkable worldwide popularity."

In his 1994 autobiography, "My Life in Spite of Myself," he said "Yesterday, When I Was Young" had "opened a lot of people's eyes not only to what I could do but to the whole fertile and still largely untapped field of country music, from the Glen Campbells and the Kenny Rogerses, right on through to the Garth Brookses and Vince Gills."

Clark was guest host on "The Tonight Show" several times in the 1960s and 1970s when it was rare for a country performer to land such a role. His fans included not just musicians, but baseball great Mickey Mantle. The Yankees outfielder was moved to tears by "Yesterday When I Was Young" and for years made Clark promise to sing it at his memorial — a request granted after Mantle died in 1995.

Beginning in 1983, Clark operated the Roy Clark Celebrity Theatre in Branson, Missouri, and was one of the first country entertainers to open a theater there. Dozens followed him.

He was a touring artist as late as the 2000s. Over the years, he played at venues around the world: Carnegie Hall in New York, the Sporting Club in Monte Carlo, the Grand Palace in Brussels and the Rossiya Theatre in Moscow.

He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2009, and emotionally told the crowd how moving it was "just to be associated yourself with the members of the Country Music Hall of Fame and imagine that your name will be said right along with all the list."

[OhioSongbird]

He's a'pickin' and Buck Owens is a'grinnin' up there somewhere.....

RIP Roy.....

[OhioSongbird]

'It was a dark and stormy night....'

The worst ice storm we've seen in a good long while.  Lost power (and we're all electric so no heat) at 7:30 am, finally came back on at 1:30, lost it again at 2:30, didn't come back till after 5.  It looked like dusk all day as the rain/snow/sleet fell all day.  No TV, etc so I hunkered down with my blankie and cat, lit some candles and since my laptop has battery power I watched "The Old Dark House"....thanks peaches!  I thoroughly enjoyed that.  Perfect day for it and I love old movies.  Had to laugh that the dress the wife chose to change into in that cold, damp mansion was a fabu satin evening gown.

Hubby made it to work (20 miles) but it was an adventure.  Tree limbs down everywhere, cars off the road and all day I could hear limbs falling back in our woods as there was a thick layer of ice on everything.  Sounded like gun shots.  Definitely one for the memory book.

[peacheslatour]

Quote

Had to laugh that the dress the wife chose to change into in that cold, damp mansion was a fabu satin evening gown.

That always killed me too. "Potato?"

I'm sorry you're having such shitty weather, losing power when you have electric heat is the worst. We have the same deal and no fire place. I liked it when we had oil heat but the cost became prohibitive. :-(

[valleycliffe]

i've been watching a marathon of curse of oak island on history channel...love that show

[peacheslatour]

4 minutes ago, valleycliffe said:

i've been watching a marathon of curse of oak island on history channel...love that show

What's it about?

[Capricasix]

OhioSongbird, I have friends who live just south of Youngstown (almost at the PA state line); they also lost power and don’t expect it back before Sunday!

[OhioSongbird]

Damn...that sucks....now I feel lucky.  

Mother Earth is trying to tell us something.

Edited November 16, 2018 by OhioSongbird

[Capricasix]

Well, they must have lucked out, because they just posted on FB that their power is back ?

[OhioSongbird]

Yay!

[valleycliffe]

2 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

What's it about?

oak island is an island off the coast of nova scotia.  it is believed a treasure is buried there by maybe pirates..  it has been ongoing for about 2 hundred years...theories rise from ark of the covenant,  knights of the templar, british soldiers.....nobody knows yet.  

[AngelKitty]

14 hours ago, OhioSongbird said:

Lost power (and we're all electric so no heat)

Oh boy, I remember those days living in Maine. One time my ex brought in a construction salamander heater. It's a wonder it didn't kill us.

Yesterday, in south Florida, I did have to wear jeans and a sweater. ??

[pearlite]

13 hours ago, valleycliffe said:

oak island is an island off the coast of nova scotia.  it is believed a treasure is buried there by maybe pirates..  it has been ongoing for about 2 hundred years...theories rise from ark of the covenant,  knights of the templar, british soldiers.....nobody knows yet.  

Some relative of my ex is involved in that, and has been for years.

[boes]

The streets of SF were empty yesterday due to the smoke from the Camp Fire that destroyed the town of Paradise and surrounding villages.  Schools were closed in 6 counties, virtually all outdoor events were cancelled and you couldn't find a face mask for any amount of money.  Out where I live, visibility is so bad that we can't see more than 4 blocks away and in Oakland it's even less.  The smell is acrid, irritates the eyes and you can feel it in your throat.  But all of that is nothing compared to those people who've survived the fire and are now stuck living in tents, surrounded by air much worse than ours and temperatures that are getting down to freezing at night.  The death toll continues to rise and there's rain on the horizon.  Good news for the fires but I don't know where all those displaced people are going to go, even for temporary shelter.  Vacancy rates, apartments or houses are non-existent in the area where they live, they've lost everything and so many of them are now waiting and dreading the news they'll be getting about missing family and friends. 

It's not a unique story, we see it and hear it with every hurricane, tornado, fire, etc., but it sure seems like hell is refreshed on a far too frequent basis. 

[OhioSongbird]

Amen.

It gets worse every year.  Fire, ice, flood, pestilence.......haven't seen any locusts yet but....

Can the Four Horsemen be far behind?  We already have a false prophet....

[pearlite]

38 minutes ago, boes said:

The streets of SF were empty yesterday due to the smoke from the Camp Fire that destroyed the town of Paradise and surrounding villages.  Schools were closed in 6 counties, virtually all outdoor events were cancelled and you couldn't find a face mask for any amount of money.  Out where I live, visibility is so bad that we can't see more than 4 blocks away and in Oakland it's even less.  The smell is acrid, irritates the eyes and you can feel it in your throat.  But all of that is nothing compared to those people who've survived the fire and are now stuck living in tents, surrounded by air much worse than ours and temperatures that are getting down to freezing at night.  The death toll continues to rise and there's rain on the horizon.  Good news for the fires but I don't know where all those displaced people are going to go, even for temporary shelter.  Vacancy rates, apartments or houses are non-existent in the area where they live, they've lost everything and so many of them are now waiting and dreading the news they'll be getting about missing family and friends. 

It's not a unique story, we see it and hear it with every hurricane, tornado, fire, etc., but it sure seems like hell is refreshed on a far too frequent basis. 

Oh, my heart goes out to you, and all those suffering.

And there I was bitching to myself about wet snow yesterday--so easy to be self-concerned.

[valleycliffe]

1 hour ago, pearlite said:

Some relative of my ex is involved in that, and has been for years.

cool....they will be showing the 2 hour season finale on sunday i think...

it's amazing what they have found so far..

[valleycliffe]

@boes, are there any covered stadiums they could use as a shelter?  like they did in houston after katrina? lol  at least i think it was katrina..

[boes]

1 hour ago, valleycliffe said:

@boes, are there any covered stadiums they could use as a shelter?  like they did in houston after katrina? lol  at least i think it was katrina..

No, not really.  Chico State University is very close and they can use some of that space, and churches and schools are being used right now but long term housing is in very short supply.  For most of these people there isn't anything to even return to - the towns are virtually leveled.  FEMA trailers, maybe?  Plus, the median age is 50, lots of retirees, now left with nothing.

Edited November 17, 2018 by boes

[Cupid Stunt]

3 hours ago, boes said:

The streets of SF were empty yesterday due to the smoke from the Camp Fire that destroyed the town of Paradise and surrounding villages.  Schools were closed in 6 counties, virtually all outdoor events were cancelled and you couldn't find a face mask for any amount of money.  Out where I live, visibility is so bad that we can't see more than 4 blocks away and in Oakland it's even less.  The smell is acrid, irritates the eyes and you can feel it in your throat.  But all of that is nothing compared to those people who've survived the fire and are now stuck living in tents, surrounded by air much worse than ours and temperatures that are getting down to freezing at night.  The death toll continues to rise and there's rain on the horizon.  Good news for the fires but I don't know where all those displaced people are going to go, even for temporary shelter.  Vacancy rates, apartments or houses are non-existent in the area where they live, they've lost everything and so many of them are now waiting and dreading the news they'll be getting about missing family and friends. 

It's not a unique story, we see it and hear it with every hurricane, tornado, fire, etc., but it sure seems like hell is refreshed on a far too frequent basis. 

Thing1 went to an auto parts store and bought a 3M spray painting respirator mask and all the filter cartridges they had left on the shelf. Walking the Stanford campus is pretty grim, and many students are taking available lectures online. You can't get away from the haze and smoke.

Nana Stunt and her housekeeper (Alice) are still staying with us. The air quality in Pacific Palisades is terrible. We went to check on her house this morning and everything was fine, except for the Woolsey Fire still ravaging Malibu.  

Alice and I got all the Christmas decorations up, the Christmas dishes out and the boxes put away. Nana supervised. Melvin is sulking and sedated in his kennel in the laundry room today; the whole Halloween leaving/Christmas descending upon his domain/Strangers in the House has him off his pins. Normally he would be hiding from the decorating on the patio, but he can't stay outside with the sickening air quality.

We start the holidays by hosting the Stunt's for ThanksChristmas; the in-law's fly to Hawaii for the winter. Father-in-law Stunt sent two Turdukens for ThanksChristmas. Oh boy! I have Stunt Christmas gifts to wrap today.  

My parent's host a Thanksgiving dinner with the whole family, remaining ranch workers and their families. We'll drive to visit my parents that Friday afternoon with Thing1 and 2, Nana and Alice.

 

1 hour ago, valleycliffe said:

@boes, are there any covered stadiums they could use as a shelter?  like they did in houston after katrina? lol  at least i think it was katrina..

California’s newly homeless fire victims face the state’s severe housing shortage

[boes]

15 minutes ago, Cupid Stunt said:

Thing1 went to an auto parts store and bought a 3M spray painting respirator mask and all the filter cartridges they had left on the shelf. Walking the Stanford campus is pretty grim, and many students are taking available lectures online. You can't get away from the haze and smoke.

Nana Stunt and her housekeeper (Alice) are still staying with us. The air quality in Pacific Palisades is terrible. We went to check on her house this morning and everything was fine, except for the Woolsey Fire still ravaging Malibu.  

Alice and I got all the Christmas decorations up, the Christmas dishes out and the boxes put away. Nana supervised. Melvin is sulking and sedated in his kennel in the laundry room today; the whole Halloween leaving/Christmas descending upon his domain/Strangers in the House has him off his pins. Normally he would be hiding from the decorating on the patio, but he can't stay outside with the sickening air quality.

We start the holidays by hosting the Stunt's for ThanksChristmas; the in-law's fly to Hawaii for the winter. Father-in-law Stunt sent two Turdukens for ThanksChristmas. Oh boy! I have Stunt Christmas gifts to wrap today.  

My parent's host a Thanksgiving dinner with the whole family, remaining ranch workers and their families. We'll drive to visit my parents that Friday afternoon with Thing1 and 2, Nana and Alice.

 

California’s newly homeless fire victims face the state’s severe housing shortage

Thank God that Nana's house is safe!  And that she has you and Mr. Stunt to give her care and shelter.

Where do your parents have their ranch, if you don't mind me asking?

[peacheslatour]

CS, I'm so glad Nana is safe and her house is ok. I remember last summer and the wild fires in Eastern WA. The smoke was gawdawful and everybody was walking around coughing, red eyed with scratchy throats. And FSM help you if you already have respiratory problems. Stay safe!

[Capricasix]

Is there any kind of federal or state disaster relief on the ground?

[boes]

1 hour ago, Capricasix said:

Is there any kind of federal or state disaster relief on the ground?

There is, and what there is of it is good but they were late getting started.  Luckily, the volunteer response was immediate, well-done, and sustained.  They can put a roof over everyone's head but that shelter is temporary, at best.

Nobody expected the number of fatalities and were overwhelmed at first by the need for trained rescue and retrieval teams, as well as coroners and cadaver teams.  The number of dead continues to climb exponentially and with the intensity and rapid spread of the fires some bodies may never be found.

[OhioSongbird]

Just one major disaster after another.  I always feel for the first responders, having to leave home & family behind.  Those folks are risking their lives and I send them a prayer every night.

[boes]

1 hour ago, OhioSongbird said:

Just one major disaster after another.  I always feel for the first responders, having to leave home & family behind.  Those folks are risking their lives and I send them a prayer every night.

Aren't they amazing?  And they never stop.

[Cupid Stunt]

7 hours ago, boes said:

Thank God that Nana's house is safe!  And that she has you and Mr. Stunt to give her care and shelter.

She's a maven for CalFire studies and National Weather Service. She went around her to her neighbors with charts and graphs convincing them to have their property sprayed with fire retardant. She's a 88 year old force of nature. "No" means keep talking, and turn the Sweet Little Old Lady Shtick to 10.

Nana's been having a great time. I handed over the housekeeping and meal prep to Alice; it was a bloodless coup and we gave up without a fight. She and Nana chat and bicker about the menu, politics, crossword puzzle answers, fashion magazines, TV shows. Mr.Stunt has lunch with them every afternoon, and Thing2 comes home every evening for dinner to visit Nana. 

I'm glad Nana's here, and she wanted to stay with us. I want to keep Alice.

Everything that's happening around us is terrifying and outside of our control. It's a great comfort to have family show up at the door, to find an hour of peace at the dinner table. 

Quote

Where do your parents have their ranch, if you don't mind me asking?

My parents are in Lone Pine, CA. 

 

3 hours ago, Capricasix said:

Is there any kind of federal or state disaster relief on the ground?

It's as if FEMA never left California. The state hasn't recovered from the last three fire seasons.

 

1 hour ago, OhioSongbird said:

Just one major disaster after another.  I always feel for the first responders, having to leave home & family behind.  Those folks are risking their lives and I send them a prayer every night.

56 minutes ago, boes said:

Aren't they amazing?  And they never stop.

 

Amen.

[pearlite]

If you feel like a little humour this morning, PearliteLite sent me this from The New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/im-a-nineteenth-century-novel-and-i-have-a-lot-to-say-about-these-drapes

[radishcake]

Guys I’m super sympathetic re: the fires and other natural disasters but please make sure you don’t bring politics into Small Talk. Thanks!

[AngelKitty]

I want to share some good news with my fellow preverts and at the same time thank you all for your kind thoughts and prayers and encouragement over the years. It's been a year since my last chemo and I had a PET scan on Friday. I just looked up the results that showed no cancer. So, yay, me!

[OhioSongbird]

I'm doing the happy dance for you!

Great News!!!

[valleycliffe]

awesome news angelkitty....congrats.

[Cupid Stunt]

3 hours ago, AngelKitty said:

I want to share some good news with my fellow preverts and at the same time thank you all for your kind thoughts and prayers and encouragement over the years. It's been a year since my last chemo and I had a PET scan on Friday. I just looked up the results that showed no cancer. So, yay, me!

This is wonderful news AngelKitty!

[peacheslatour]

Great news! I am ecstatic for you, AngelKitty.