Ticking Clock
“Got the random number generator heating up?” says Spence.
“Can’t you hear it?” says Admin. “Today’s the last day to get eligible for August’s Friend of the Month drawing.”
“How come it’s so noisy?”
“Hole in the catalytic converter.”
“The random number generator has a catalytic converter?”
“New EPA regulations,” says Admin. “Soon they’ll be cap-and-trading our lungs.”
Spence gives Admin a look. “Maybe you should go for a quick swim.”
“Grump.”
Welcome Simba, Bella, Pickles, Reading dude, Zeena.
Sunday reading recommendation: Buried Secrets by Joseph Finder.
And an interesting (to us, anyway) piece in Salon.
http://www.salon.com/books/writing/?story=/books/feature/2011/07/30/the_thrill_of_maturity
Tags: Friend of the Month, Friends of Chet, Joseph Finder, random number generator, Salon
This entry was posted on Sunday, July 31st, 2011 at 7:51 am and is filed under Chet The Dog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
8:39 am on July 31st, 2011
Morning, y’all! I didn’t get on the blog last night because Mom had to go to a wedding shower. Strange habits these two-leggeds have. Everyone gets together to take a shower because someone is getting married? And the wedding isn’t even until September — I think they’d get pretty stinky by then!
Mom said the girl who’s getting married was telling a story about her dog. She has a husky pup (who apparently isn’t much of a pup anymore!) who got out of their yard one day. They couldn’t find her anywhere. Then they got a call from one of their neighbors. Seems the neighbor mom was walking down the upstairs hall with a laundry basket and happened to look into her 7-year-old son’s room as she passed. Then she stopped and backed up. “Where did you get that dog?” she asked her son. “It’s OK, Mom. It’s our mascot!” he replied. It seems the kids at the elementary school he goes to call themselves the “Huskies.” So he thought it was perfectly natural that a husky would suddenly appear in his bedroom to play with him! The dog had come in their pet door and gone exploring!
9:15 am on July 31st, 2011
I’m laughing too hard to drink my coffee. Now I have to go check out Buried Secrets on Amazon.
Good morning all.
9:17 am on July 31st, 2011
Hi Kirby. That’s a great story!
9:32 am on July 31st, 2011
Good morning.
Lots of new friends for Chet the last few days as doggies line up to win the prize. Welcome to you all but I still hope Dawson gets picked for August.
I enjoyed the link this morning. I liked Oblivion the best of all Peter Abrahams novels that I have read so far. Admittedly I have not read very many. 🙂 I could relate to the memory loss issues.
Kirby T: Funny Husky story. No sign of your package yet. 🙁
TMG: After a good night’s sleep I realize you are taking advantage of the fact that it takes forever to get a package up here. You don’t have my ARC. You are messing with me. Probably be a ransom demand today. But no, I will not succumb to despair or your demands. I’ve received too many notices of meetings that happened last week or offers that have already expired to start worrying yet. One more week. Sob, sob, sob.
10:03 am on July 31st, 2011
I really enjoyed the article in Salon. And PA was the mentor of Will Lavender without, I assume, knowing it.
One thing I’ve always found frustrating is the human tendency to categorize things as “highbrow” or “lowbrow.” I also can’t understand being intimidated by a book…to be honest. As long as one is fair to the context of the story, there are no right or wrong answers. All reading can be transcendent but it’s up to the reader to respond. (End of English teacher lecture.)
10:11 am on July 31st, 2011
Yankees 8, orioles 3
Yankees 17, orioles 3
Long day for the Yankees, longer day for the Orioles. Ha ha.
10:13 am on July 31st, 2011
B.
All I can add to your comment is a big AMEN!
10:13 am on July 31st, 2011
Sam: Heh, heh.
B.Stover: I’m not intimidated by your list of books to read but Yikes!
10:25 am on July 31st, 2011
Oblivion is a masterpiece.
‘Buried Secrets’ is now on my knindle. It looks good.
Has anyone read ‘Hunger Games’?
10:26 am on July 31st, 2011
Hi Tyb!
10:27 am on July 31st, 2011
I hope Melanie wins for August.
10:30 am on July 31st, 2011
Dawson: Define “yikes!”
10:38 am on July 31st, 2011
Wolfie: I’ve never read Hunger Games (apparently it’s a trilogy). On Amazon there are 2,652 customer reviews, 2,033 of which a five stars.
10:40 am on July 31st, 2011
Hi Tyb!
11:19 am on July 31st, 2011
I don’t know what Dawson means by’Yikes but I AM intimidated by Bee’s list of books.
You are all so smart!
11:38 am on July 31st, 2011
Here’s an interesting article, “The Jargon of the Novel, Computed,” in today’s NYTimes Book Review.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/31/books/review/the-mechanic-muse-the-jargon-of-the-novel-computed.html?pagewanted=1&ref=review
11:42 am on July 31st, 2011
Wolfie: Blast!!!!! My book list is not intimidating. It’s simply that the titles carry the reputation of “literature.” My students are in their twenties and they will be reading them. Come on….you guys have more life experiences than they do and those always help add to the reading experience. (Frustrated, frustrated, frustrated…..)
11:49 am on July 31st, 2011
Love the story Kirby. That’s why the nation is so cool.
Mom has been banging around all morning. I’m worn out just following her all over the apartment. She made chicken and rice soup which is simmering away right now. She used the chicken and the broth from the whole chicken she cooked last week, chopped up some carrot, celery and onion. In a different pot she boiled 2 cups of water, added 1 cup of basmati rice and then let it set. After 10-15 minutes she put the rice in the big pot with all the other yummmy stuff and that’s it.
Now she is watching the Cooking Channel. Have I told you that I love Sundays?
She put some stuff up on the walls ’cause this place echoes when you bark, and made some lists of stuff to do and stuff to buy, but she wouldn’t pick me up and set me on top of the table so I could see what was on the lists. (She does that just to bug me I think.) I told her that she should buy a sturdy shelving unit so she could organize the storage room where she keeps my bed and kibble and water. I think that shelf waaaaayy above my head looks like it’s sagging a bit in the middle with all the laundry stuff sitting on it. (Jeez, if you were holding 3 bottles of bleach, soap, downey, Oxiclean and an iron, plus a blender and trash bags you’d bend a little too!)
11:58 am on July 31st, 2011
Just read the blog from yesterday and had to come back and say that I am so sorry about the boys, Wolfie. I am sending you siber snuggles and tummies.
12:44 pm on July 31st, 2011
Sundays!… I love Sundays where Spencer and Admin
arguetalk about things….snort!…It’s so very interesting. Just like that article in Salon. The Charming Mr. Abrahams deserves every bit of recognition for his hard work and amazing talent…sniff!…Although, Oblivion was one of my favorites, I still had a problem with the ending, but I can’t rememeber why right now…sniff!Quote!… From the article, “…. the writer looks to unmoor the very literary style he has invoked. Abrahams’ novel is a detective novel, but it is one that slowly becomes unhinged; it is Raymond Chandler held up to a fogged, cracked glass.”…heh! I don’t know about the fogged cracked glass bit but the other parts are dead-on….snort!
Buried!… I read a synopsis of Buried Secrets – it is definitely on our list of “To Buy Today”…heh!… Yes! We are actually going to put in an order for some books today. One on the list is a recommendation from Staff. The old ladies who drink beer, was it by Laswell??…snort!… More Alexander McCall Smith please!…snorkel!
Wolfie!…It’s good to see Wolfie posting today…sniff!…Maybe he is feeling a bit better?…wuffle!
Lastly!… Admin “grumped!” ….wheeze!… We all know imitation is the sincerest form of flattery….heh!snort!heh!… Admin is a classic though, an entitiy unto himself….Woooooo!
1:08 pm on July 31st, 2011
That is a funny post this morning, Chet and a good article about books. Oblivion is one of my favorites.
I really, really like the reading recommendations. Please keep them coming our way. I looked up Buried Secrets on Amazon. It looks to be the kind of book you hold your breath while reading it.
Stover, I agree with your English teacher lecture.
Mom has just started a new book, “The Last Werewolf”. It has gotten rave reviews and they are calling it “literature” and comparing it to Dracula. Mom has no idea where the line between popular fiction ends and literature begins.
The book she just finished was a history of the Yukon Gold Rush…very interesting and it read like a novel.
1:14 pm on July 31st, 2011
Kirby, We really enjoyed the Husky story!
Jasper, It is good to have you back with us and I appreciate the fact that you know how to spell siberspace.
1:16 pm on July 31st, 2011
A friend and I once gave a talk on Dracula–the novel and film versions–at an academic conference. It was fun.
2:06 pm on July 31st, 2011
Bee, I want to audit your class too.
So does mom. We both get intimidated by the word literature, although we love to read books. We think that literature is for the smart folks.
2:14 pm on July 31st, 2011
Mom says she is pissed off at life. This last accident did her in. It closed the entire freeway because the semi poured diesel out all over the road. The bus was stranded in the fast lane during rush hour traffic. It was scary. She says she is going back home today and is pulling the covers over her head forever. Me too.
Life sucks. Especially now that Patsy is sick. Which is another thing that really pisses mom off. Plus we think that we are going to assist Teddie across the Rainbow Bridge this week.
Grump.
Grump.
And triple grump.
2:23 pm on July 31st, 2011
Wolfie: I don’t blame you or your mom at all. There’s just too much going on in your lives right now. So take a day to hide under the covers. Tomorrow’s soon enough to take another whack at life — unfair as it is. And we’re so sorry about Teddie.
2:39 pm on July 31st, 2011
Poor Teddie. We’re so sorry. That decision is so hard to make and then so hard to follow through. The only good thing about us 4-leggeds have a shorter life span than our people, is that when they leave, we are usually already waiting for them in the Happy Place.
B., to us, the “intimidating” part of your list is when to find the time to read the list. Mom works over 40 hours a week, takes care of us and all the other rescues, keeps the house relatively clean and of course, watches some TV and read. She doesn’t have to fit gardening, kids or sports into her schedule, but if she did wouldn’t know when to do it. Being a “woman of a certain age”, she gets tired by the end of the day. She often doesn’t get to catch up on all the blog doings until after 10:00 at night. She used to be able to keep up at various times at work by just checking in for a minute or 2, but others at work took advantage of internet use, so they are all banned now. She tries to check in using the Iphone, but that isn’t guaranteed.
ANYHOO, all that said, don’t know if she will be auditing your class, but she will still enjoy reading the discussions about it. Just like she enjoys the discussions about baseball and poetry.
2:47 pm on July 31st, 2011
Wolfie: I am so glad you were not seriously injured in that accident. Will be thinking of you this week as you recover from your physical soreness and the mental soreness from dealing with the boys and the loss of your dear Teddie.
Stover: Yikes! I’m not afraid of reading the books you have listed…it’s the questions you ask that give me the willies. Because I so seldom have an answer, any answer. Still, I’m in. Free education is not to be scoffed at or run from.
Rio: Congratulations for being imitated by Admin. Of course, all of us Plunderers have imitated you a whole bunch (that’s more than a lot, I think)
2:51 pm on July 31st, 2011
Dawson. Too late for the ARC but if you want your other winnings bring 10 pounds of Wolfie’s Mom’s toffee ( no substitutes made by Liz – hers doesn’t come out right) Bring the toffee to the tallest building on Main St at 3am This Wdnesday. Or you’ll never see your needlepoint again!
Signed
The Marauding Goats
2:52 pm on July 31st, 2011
Bee: If there are no right or wrong answers, how do you grade your students?
And to touch on something you said last night about Frankenstein being a mystery, Mom once had to write an essay to get into a writing class. She theorized that every well-written book is a mystery, because the reader has to/wants to keep reading to find out what will happen next. She used The Scarlet Letter as a classic example, because you want to keep reading to find out “whodunnit” — who’s the father of the baby? Of course, being a regular mystery reader, Mom figured it out well before the writer revealed the culprit!
3:36 pm on July 31st, 2011
Hey you Goats! You better give Dawson that needlepoint – or else!
3:47 pm on July 31st, 2011
I’m smiling at all the posts. There really are no right or wrong answers. My students generally don’t believe me when I say that at the beginning of the semester but they do by the end of the semester. You have to support your “answers,” or interpretations or conclusions by explaining how you reached them. That is, in part, what the grade is based on.
Kirby: I really like your mom’s theory. And to comment on something Natasha wrote last night: Frankenstein does, in fact, contain a murder mystery. William, Victor’s young brother, is murdered. There is a trial and a conviction. That is one example of Victor’s unconscionable non-actions (I’m not going into detail here)that makes me describe him as a villain–my answer to one of the questions that I posed. It has to be defended because other interpretations are possible. (No right or wrong answer; what is needed is a logical argument defending the answer.)
3:47 pm on July 31st, 2011
Goats! Just you wait until my Fellow Siberians get back from vacation. There will be 4 of us then to deal with. Meashka might count as 4 extra Sibers. WOO WOO That is 8 Sibers in all!
Rocky is hopeless and drunk at the Red Dog Saloon.
3:48 pm on July 31st, 2011
Wolfie: Please take life one day at a time. We’re all here for you.
3:52 pm on July 31st, 2011
Dawson: What is the tallest building on Main Street? Since the “pick up” is at 3AM, I think you need to bring backup. TMG apparently has a sweet tooth…and very good taste!
4:04 pm on July 31st, 2011
Woooo!… Since she can never find anyone to play chess with my friend bought some chess software when she was out buying the shipping material for The Spanish Fan….snort!…She loaded the software and just now played the first game….snort!….She beat the Computer!….Woooooo!…heh!heh!
4:06 pm on July 31st, 2011
Hmmmm!… Now the Marauding Goats are making demands, just as Dawson suspected they would…grunt!… I thought they were a lot funnier when they didn’t say too much…snuffle!
4:13 pm on July 31st, 2011
Bee: Mom just looked up the books on your class list and the library has all but one, so we’re pretty good there. But the Maus books she’s familiar with are graphic novels. Are there actual books, too? Or are the graphic novels the right ones?
4:28 pm on July 31st, 2011
Rio- snort
Signed
The Marauding Goats
4:31 pm on July 31st, 2011
Kirby: The graphic novels are the correct ones. They are excellent and poignant. See, nothing to be intimidated about.
Rio: I think that your friend must be an extremely good chess player. I play but I’m not any good.
4:36 pm on July 31st, 2011
Wolife: I am at a loss of anything to say so I will echo Macy’s post last night and just offer hugs.
Siber-H: Snowhook can provide back up to you had the rest of the siberians if you’re open to huskies of the alaskan variety.
B: I’m interested in auditing Professor Stover’s class especially as I understand the rules of engagements: there are no wrong answers, just provide warranting and grounding to support your perspective. There is that finding the time hurdle I need to overcome, but I’m game.
AJ arrived home last night. We stayed up until 3am talking about our week. He told stories of the camp he oversaw and I caught him up on the dogs, Chet’s blog and life in general. It is good to have him home.
4:39 pm on July 31st, 2011
Rebecca: The more readers, the more fun it will be! Welcome home AJ.
4:40 pm on July 31st, 2011
I wonder if the random number generator is the reason most of the avatars are broken right now?
4:40 pm on July 31st, 2011
Well now they are back so it must have been my NEW computer?
4:53 pm on July 31st, 2011
Staff: I too, had the avatars go missing for a bit; I blame TMG.
4:56 pm on July 31st, 2011
Thank you Rebecca, I am glad it is not my computer. Whew!
5:04 pm on July 31st, 2011
Wow! Professor Stover’s class is reading comic books! Maybe Mom can handle this after all!
5:06 pm on July 31st, 2011
B. – When does our class start and what is the first book?
5:18 pm on July 31st, 2011
Checking again to see:
Marauding Goats?
Dawson, Oh, No!!!
Say it isn’t so!
Wolfie! This is too much! More than enough on one’s plate. Our best thoughts are coming your way. Stay Strong!
As my time in the high place of honor draws to a close,
I pass the crown on to the next Dog or Kat to take my place.
Reign Well and Prosper in the month of August!
Greetings and Salutations from Bear.
5:35 pm on July 31st, 2011
Bear!…Thanks! I will do my best…heh!snort!
5:39 pm on July 31st, 2011
Rebecca, Alaskan huskies are always welcome. They are fellow travelers of the cold. Those goats won’t stand a chance, but, alas, we may be too late to save Dawson’s auction items.
Rio, I’m watching this baseball game, but I still haven’t gotten over last night yet.
5:54 pm on July 31st, 2011
Staff: I posted the reading lists for my two classes on my blog, giving editions and translators where applicable.
Mollypop: Classes begin September 7. I have two reading lists. Do you want to do both of them? (Look at my blog entry today.) The first novel will be Frankenstein for one class (World Masterpieces–Sophomore level). I haven’t yet chosen the Victorian texts for the Senior-level elective class but will list them on my blog also.
I think what I’ll do is post the questions that I ask each class on my blog and then discussions can follow. This is fun!
6:14 pm on July 31st, 2011
Trading! What can the Rockies be thinking?!
Siber: The Last Werewolf. You have my attention now.
Wolfie: Love is never stupid. Have no regrets. Adding our prayers to make thing easier for you & your family. Keep mom close.
B: looking forward to auditing your class! Yes!
6:35 pm on July 31st, 2011
B. – I didn’t see anything in your list on string theory. Some reading in particle physics that attempts to reconcile quantum mechanics and general relativity would be good.
6:49 pm on July 31st, 2011
And we didn’t see anything on tin futures either.
I hope our Melamie is having a blast!
6:49 pm on July 31st, 2011
Wolfie:
I just read yesterday’s blogs, and my heart hurts for you. I hope you know I send hugs and kisses to you. Remember, we are always here for you.
XOXOXO
6:54 pm on July 31st, 2011
Mollypop: I have a good friend who is a physics prof. I think you should audit his class also.
I’ll leave tin futures to Bernie.
6:59 pm on July 31st, 2011
Siber: You can count on Snowhook Kennel although I do have to warn you that Luna and her dog Belle Starr don’t consider themsleves to be dogs.
6:59 pm on July 31st, 2011
Chess!… I have this very bad feeling that the chess software was a huge mistake…grump!… I have not BEEN FED YET!…snort!… She is still playing chess on my lap-top…sniff!… Its like that old machine has suddenly come to life. It talks to her and taunts her about her moves then she cusses it out….wheeze!…This is all freakin’ me out!…yeeep! yeeep!
Baseball!… SiberH, I am watching the game and I too am still numb and in Trade Shock…wheeze! sob!sob!sob! wheeze!
7:04 pm on July 31st, 2011
Meatloaf!….Earlier she took a short break from Chess to whip up a huge meatloat….sniff!…Last time she made it her mother said it didn’t have any flavor…heh!…This time she added a can of chopped hot jalapenos…snorkel!…We’ll see if it has no flavor tonight by golly…sneeze!
7:14 pm on July 31st, 2011
TMG: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahah and HA!
#1. There is no Main Street in this town. Our main street is the Alaska Highway.
#2. We don’t have a ladder fire truck in this town so no buildings are allowed with more than 2 stories…and there are
a lota whole bunch of them.#3. I’m more scared of that needlework than I am of B.Stover’s reading lists.
#4. What time zone are you in?
#5. My reading during my breaks today has been, Northern Goat Hunt. Just so you know.
7:33 pm on July 31st, 2011
Resigned!…My old computer just “Resigned”…heh!… At first I thought it had bit the dust, but it was talking about the chess game…snort!…Okay she is finally putting away the game…sniff!…FEED ME NOW!…grunt!
7:38 pm on July 31st, 2011
Dawson: I can’t believe Ruby Jo hasn’t gotten her package yet! My boy sent it for Mom a week ago Saturday! Priority mail! Where in the world is it???!!!
7:41 pm on July 31st, 2011
Rebecca, Can Luna and Belle Starr cook? That would be most helpful.
7:47 pm on July 31st, 2011
Dawson!…Those wiley goats are not going to tell you what time zone they live in…heh!…As if they would even know..sniff!
8:10 pm on July 31st, 2011
We sent the needlepoint to Dawson on July 22nd, priority mail. If the marauding goats are Canadian marauding goats, lets get the RCMP on the case.
8:16 pm on July 31st, 2011
Mollypop: We are also very interested in string theory and quantum physics…
8:24 pm on July 31st, 2011
Maskers!…You are such a Cool Kat!…heh!snort!..I didn’t think Jazz Musicians were into all that scientific stuff..snuffle!
8:25 pm on July 31st, 2011
The RCMP are definitely needed on the case. And, Pronto! Priority Mail has proved to be of no avail. Hurry, please! Dawson is standing by…
8:34 pm on July 31st, 2011
Yes, Rio, our interests are many. Although cool jazz is at the top of the list. Which reminds me – where is Mr. Redbone? There was talk a while back about a little get-together…
8:40 pm on July 31st, 2011
Supper!…We are going to go partake of some kick-ass meatloaf!…heh!…It might even be too spicy for her…sniff!…Smells good!!!
Redbone! …He has been missing for quite some time now…sniff!sniff!…Hope he is okay and hasn’t fallen off his porch after drinking too much Shine!…snort!
8:53 pm on July 31st, 2011
Just a quick hi-bye so you know we are ok. Barb had some surpirse hitchhikers yesterday after the Lobster Boil. Grandkiddies! Anyway, we are non-stop busy today, cuz ole Barb is not used to all this activity.
Will check in later tomorrow after they leave.
9:19 pm on July 31st, 2011
YEEP!…A great big storm broke out over my house right in the middle of supper….yeep!yeep!….Last thing I heard was “This is really good!” ….grunt!….Then I heard a big KABOOM! And found myself in the bedroom comforting my friend…sniff!…More lightning and thunder and a then a down pour of rain…sniff!snuffle!yeep!
9:33 pm on July 31st, 2011
Good night all.
9:45 pm on July 31st, 2011
Hey you TMGs, that wasn’t very nice!!! My toffee comes out not-too-bad sometimes…
Wolfie, sorry to hear about what’s happening to you. I have to go back and read yesterday’s so I don’t know the details yet but it sounds pretty grim. You deserve better.
9:45 pm on July 31st, 2011
Wilfred!… Hey, Wilfred has been on and nobody told me…grunt!…So now we have missed the first two episodes…crap!
10:35 pm on July 31st, 2011
I am not shipping the toffee to A.J.’s cousin until the MGs have been apprehended.
So there!
11:03 pm on July 31st, 2011
Good for you, Wolfie! (I read yesterday’s posts – you shouldn’t reflect this situation negatively back onto yourself. You totally acted out of love. And hope. That’s never stupid. Just human.)
Feel free to send AJ’s toffee via me to avoid the goats, it’ll be safe and sound, no worries!
11:29 pm on July 31st, 2011
Yaaaawwwn – hi everyone. Just a quick note to say Mama is home from her show. Exhausted and heat weary, but home safe and sound and with a lot less to pack on the way home than on the way out. So that part was good. She says she will catch up on the blog tomorrow, but has Melanie checked in? The show location was beautiful but NOT internet friendly. Even cell phones were iffy, depending on provider, so Mama just wanted to know if anyone has heard about her Great Trip to the Parking Lot Play.
12:11 am on August 1st, 2011
Things I have learned about the Canadian Postal Service:
1. Never send air mail, always send surface mail. It gets there just as fast.
2.Never write “Fragile” on the package. It’s just an invitation for them to find out how “fragile” it really is…and it will be broken when you get it. If you just pack it well and send it surface mail it will get there intact.
3. The value of the item is $20.00. I don’t care what it is, if it is $20.00 it will get delivered.
Tomorrow is B.C. Day, a holiday, so nothing will be delivered.
12:29 am on August 1st, 2011
T&G: Leaving with a lighter load than when you arrived sounds like a good problem. Melanie hasn’t visited Chet’s which I take as a sign that she is have a great time.
Liz: I bet AJ’s cousin will appreciate your kind offer to keep the toffee, ahem, safe.
1:08 am on August 1st, 2011
Thanks Rebecca, I thought it was a nice gesture on my part!
8:28 pm on August 14th, 2014
deathly hallows necklaces…
Chet The Dog : Ticking Clock…
10:22 pm on August 16th, 2014
Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it
seems as though you relied on the video to make your
point. You obviously know what youre talking about, why waste your intelligence on just posting videos to your weblog when you
could be giving us something informative to read?
7:05 pm on September 2nd, 2014
It’s fantastic that you are getting ideas from this paragraph as well as from our argument made at this place.