Watson

“Say something that won’t make me feel so gloomy about this,” says Admin.

“Well,” says Spence, “Watson can’t fall in love.”

“Or out.”

“No, or out. Also he can’t have one too many.”

“There’ll be an add-on for that. And maybe they’ll design a program that replicates falling in love so closely that you won’t be able to tell the difference. That’s what they’ve done now – they’ve elevated computing power to a level where it looks just like thinking and soon it will be better than thinking.”

Those guys! What are they worried about? Nothing can top Bernie’s thinking. Take his thinking in The Dog Who Knew Too Much: some of his very best. And did we need it or what?

Welcome to Nick the therapy dog.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, February 17th, 2011 at 8:54 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.

103 Responses to “Watson”

  1. dawson
    9:07 am on February 17th, 2011

    Admin: Watson might know a lot but Watson doesn’t know that Toronto is in Canada. He does have a weakness.

  2. bluecat
    9:11 am on February 17th, 2011

    Anybody remember Colossus: The Forbin Project – movie from the early 70s? Scary then and Watson reminded me of it.

    Nothing will ever replace our fur buddies.

  3. dawson
    9:21 am on February 17th, 2011

    Welcome Nick: You make me smile.
    Moses: Shotgun is the seat that doesn’t have a wheel in front of it.

  4. dawson
    9:24 am on February 17th, 2011

    Good morning Bluecat. I don’t remember that movie. I’m off to work.

  5. Barb & Maggie
    9:28 am on February 17th, 2011

    We sort of fell off the grid last night. Have to go back and catch up, see who Nick and Moses are. BBL

  6. B.Stover
    9:28 am on February 17th, 2011

    Chet is correct and Admin has nothing to worry about. Computers are man-made and will always be limited in comparison to the human brain. Remember, even Hal in 2001 was disassembled.

  7. dawson
    9:37 am on February 17th, 2011

    Barb and Maggie: Look in Friends of Chet. Had to warm up the car today -15 (F).

  8. Barb & Maggie
    9:46 am on February 17th, 2011

    Thanks Dawson, we went back and read all of the posts from last night, and were pondering about what we missed. Didn’t think about friends!

  9. B.Stover
    10:06 am on February 17th, 2011

    Here’s a NYTimes article (blog) about the contest. I especailly like what Prof. Lieberman writes.

    http://www.nytimes.com/external/readwriteweb/2011/02/15/15readwriteweb-a-watson-victory-this-is-about-a-contest-no-38455.html?ref=technology

  10. Mollypop
    10:15 am on February 17th, 2011

    B. – Thanks for the article on dog warming last night. Now I understand why Siber-H puts all the leaves in the holes he digs:

    “Straw bedding is almost universally utilized by Iditarod mushers, which serves as an effective insulator from the snow surface, thus reducing conduction. I have seen the occasional dog that will create an insulated “bed” of its own from broken off spruce twigs!”

  11. B.Stover
    10:21 am on February 17th, 2011

    On Facebook Spence wrote that the last chapter of Dog Who starts today.

  12. B.Stover
    10:23 am on February 17th, 2011

    Mollypop: It is fascinating isn’t it.

  13. Riö - The Evil Pug
    10:25 am on February 17th, 2011

    D-Who!…. It’s The Beginning of the End!…snort!snort!… I am so excited! Dog Who is almost done and Quacky Baseball is only days away!…wheeze!….Life can’t get much better than this!….Wooooo!

  14. Mollypop
    10:29 am on February 17th, 2011

    When Mom first started in computers it was 1969 and “powerful” was truly relative. It was impressive for its time.

    The CPU is like a mouse going around a maze, doing only one thing at a time. Now they have thousands of mice running in thousands of mazes and the mice all run much faster than they used to.

    Watson’s Power7 CPU runs 32 mice in 32 mazes and they run on a server that has 4 CPUs. The Watson setup has 90 of these Speedy Gonzalez servers. Of course the mice all have to have their high-tech accessories too.

    That’s just the hardware!

  15. C. Harris
    10:38 am on February 17th, 2011

    Staff: thanks for sending warmer weather. -20 this morning.

    B. Stover: how long did you have pneumonia?

  16. B.Stover
    10:39 am on February 17th, 2011

    Mollypop: What does it (the computer) look like. The blog article said that it would take a studio room.

  17. B.Stover
    10:43 am on February 17th, 2011

    CHarris: I would say I had pneumonia for two weeks. However, it’s difficult to know because my lungs partially collapsed after I was over pneumonia. I think all of these problems were caused by an allergy to sulfides. (I’m sobbing because this means I can’t drink red wine.)

    Are you still having problems?

  18. Riö - The Evil Pug
    10:48 am on February 17th, 2011

    Sulfides!… Can you drink white wine?…snort!…. You might have to move on to hard liquor….gasp!

  19. Mollypop
    11:04 am on February 17th, 2011

    B. – I’m sure all that equipment would take a studio room. There would be big boxes and lots of stuff in racks. The mice have a lot of accessories.

  20. Mollypop
    11:17 am on February 17th, 2011

    B. – Here’s a picture of the Watson Power7 servers:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/ibm_media/5352477801/in/photostream/

  21. Barb & Maggie
    11:20 am on February 17th, 2011

    Bee, Barb says that sometimes when she drank red wine she would get all stuffy. Wonder if that was an allergy?

    She no longer consumes any alcohol (over 3 months) and no longer has foot and leg cramps at night, and no more indigestion. She thinks there is a connection, but does sometimes miss the red wine or cocktails.

  22. B.Stover
    11:40 am on February 17th, 2011

    I’m going to stop drinking alcohol period. Barb: I think the “stuffy” feeling you had after drinking red wine was an allergy. I’ve probably had a slight allergy to it all my life but recently the allergies have gotten worse (to the point that my lungs partially collapsed because of fluid).

    Since I belong to Four Seasons wine club (which I will also have to give up….sob), I have 61 bottles of red wine in my “cellar.” Mollypop: Two of those are Hatterus Red which I could send to you but need your address. I’d send the rest to Spence (four of the bottles are Cahors)if he wanted them but how do I ship them? Any ideas?

    Now I have to look at Mollypop’s link.

  23. Mollypop
    11:46 am on February 17th, 2011

    B. – Don’t get rid of your wine yet. It won’t spoil. You might regret it if you act too quickly and it turns out to be some other problem. Also, you will have some nice wine to serve to guests.

  24. B.Stover
    11:46 am on February 17th, 2011

    Wow! Watson is big. Thank you Mollypop.

  25. Riö - The Evil Pug
    12:00 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Molly!….That photo doesn’t really give me any sense of how big the computer is….snort!…It just looks like a black box. Maybe in the near future it will look like the black monolith in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey…grunt!

  26. B.Stover
    12:03 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Rio: Look at Watson compared to the lights in the ceiling (that might be the blue picture that you have to click on).

  27. Barb & Maggie
    12:04 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Bee, Mollypop is right, hold on for a little bit. Also, wine does make a great gift. Barb’s brother has shipped her wine before, and the bottles came in a box with these big cardboard things that look like 2 oversized egg cartons stuck together. UPS or Fedex delivered it, and shipping was not too bad. Maybe they supply those shipping containers too.

  28. Riö - The Evil Pug
    12:12 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Refreshing!…. My friend is drinking low sodium V-8 juice with lime and hot sauce….snort!…She learned this from Melanie. Apparently it’s Delish!….sniff!

  29. Tupper and Gilly
    12:17 pm on February 17th, 2011

    We thought of some things to say about Watson that ought to make folks feel better –
    Watson will never understand a joke, or enjoy a good laugh.
    Watson can’t smell the wonderful aroma of a fresh pizza baking or a wet doggie who has just rolled in some fabulous stink.
    Watson doesn’t have a lap for a dog, or even a kat to snuggle in.
    Watson can never appreciate a gorgeous rainbow arched across a rainswept, slate grey sky.
    And Watson can never understand curling up in a snuggly bed with a blankie, or a bunch of baseball toys!
    So there, you snotty computer you!

  30. Wookie of Chevy Chase
    12:20 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Stover — the advice to keep it for a while is a good idea, and there may even be ways of treating the allergy that could still allow you to enjoy an occasional glass of your more favorite wines. Also, at the risk of being overly legalistic (I get that from my dad), regulation of shipment of wines (or alcoholic beverages of any type) is left entirely up to the states, and while many states do not regulate this at all, in some states it would be illegal to send or receive wine via the mail (or other courier services). For example, Maryland is one state that is still very restrictive in that regard, although the state legislature is now considering a more liberal law dealing with this. Wookie

  31. Basil and Sage
    12:43 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Yeah, yeah, yeah…so we saw the big dawg show. So what..a bunch of high class purebreds, a bunch of them with really silly haircuts, strutting around a big circle with fake grass. So what! We would much rather see what puppies might show up in a couple of months after a big mixer like that. Just imagine what some of those cross-breds could be…
    A Collie and a Briard = a Coll-ard
    A Bluetick and a Bloodhound = a BlueBlood
    A Bulldog and a Spitz = BullSpitz
    A Dogue de Bordeaux and a ChowChow = DogueChow
    And
    A Brussels Griffon, a Spaniel and a Rottwieler = A Brussels SpRot!
    giggle

  32. Mollypop
    12:51 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Oh you silly Kats!

  33. B.Stover
    12:56 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Thanks Barb. I know what containers you mean because that’s the way wine is delivered from Four Seasons.

    Wookie: Thank you. I know about some state restrictions. I’d have to check that out.

  34. B.Stover
    12:58 pm on February 17th, 2011

    I’m laughing at Basil and Sage.

  35. Mollie (a black poodle)
    1:20 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Rio: Justified..It is on here on Wednesdays at 10 PM (Ca. time)on FX.
    It is not on my Comcast On Demand either. Have you looked at Comcast Search for TV listings where you click on the letters of the show? I googled it & it said Justice will be on in Denver on FX channel 27 Comcast in Feb. 2011. Maybe they are wrong if you can’t get it.

    I tried the V8 juice thing and it is good.

  36. B.Stover
    1:23 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Where is Melanie?

  37. OleyHowlers
    1:30 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Mom asked us to ask B.Stover if we can send our address for that wine he needs to ditch. We get more pizza if she gets more wine.

  38. Melanie
    2:29 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Melanie is back from PT. I now have my knee up and iced again.

    PT Ted is pleased with the last three days progress. As am I! I go again next Thursday. I’m up to 5 different exercises now.

  39. Melanie
    2:32 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Tell your friend, Riö, that I will have to try the lime. I’ve been using lemon. It is my “cocktail” drink.

    The Pack is shaking their heads at Basil and Sage. (I’m snickering)

    I know someone wanted the name of that herb which is now downstairs and I’m upstairs, so the next time I go down I’ll get it.

  40. Melanie
    2:34 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Oh yeah, so dry powder snow sucks up the water. That’s pretty cool.

    C.Harris: I hope you feel better soon.

    Moses is a VERY big dog. And Nick’s coat looks just right for a therapy dog. All soft and fluffy for people to hug.

  41. Siber-H
    2:36 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Woo Woo The last chapter of Dog Who is being written!
    I’m ordering Quacky Baseball today. Mom says I can get it with regular shipping instead of having to go with the sloooow free shipping.

    Melanie, I found your posts on yesterday’s blog that were in moderation…very interesting about the sled Newfs.
    Where is Melanie?

  42. Siber-H
    2:38 pm on February 17th, 2011

    There is Melanie and her knee is improving!

  43. Riö - The Evil Pug
    2:54 pm on February 17th, 2011

    SiberH!….Refresh – Read – Post!….grunt! ….Then you won’t look so foolish…grump!

  44. B.Stover
    2:59 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Melanie: I’m the one who asked for the name of the herb.

    OleyHowlers: Pizza isn’t good for you.

  45. Siber-H
    3:00 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Rio, I don’t mind looking foolish.

  46. B.Stover
    3:02 pm on February 17th, 2011

    The last three times I’ve gone on rice.com (hosted by the United Nations World Food Organization…or something like that), I’ve had Norton security show a dialog box that said it had blocked an attack on my computer. I want to go to the site because I enjoy the word game and I want to help send food to people but I’m afraid to now. Any ideas?

  47. Melanie
    3:30 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Doing my daily looking at different blogs, it turns out there is some book banning going on in Bedford, NH.

    A couple were upset with Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America. They felt there was too much foul language, descriptions of drug use and that didn’t like who Christianity was shown. This book was being used in a personal finance class.

    They also didn’t like Gruen’s Water For Elephants in a course that was to show there was more to the world than what the kids are used to.

    The father said he only wanted “youth versions” of particular books OR a parental committee to check every book. They also want everyone who approved of the latter book to be fired.

    Now I haven’t read either book, but I’m thinking of downloading them into the Kindle soon. The school had told the children and the parents about the book, it was an OPTION that they did not have to read, and a permission slip was necessary.

    Even so the school has taken both books out of their curriculum. This parents want to not only say their child can’t read this, but to control the entire curriculum themselves.

    (My eyebrow goes up even as I write that!)

    He complains mightily about laws and common sense, but obviously has not heard of the 1st Amendment.

    Getting off my soap box now, taking a bow.

    (Oh, I also wrote that school system telling them they were giving in to tantrums and they should support their teachers!)

  48. B.Stover
    3:48 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Melanie: He probably belongs to the Tea Party and he probably voted for Bush….twice. Good for you for writing the school.

  49. Riö - The Evil Pug
    4:18 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Melanie!…So you don’t think parents should have a say in what their children are taught in school…snort!…If I had pups I would be very wary of any of the crap that is force fed to kids these days…grump!….I’d advise you to read the books before you judge the parents….gruffle!

  50. BARB & MAGGIE
    4:21 pm on February 17th, 2011

    We second that, Melanie and Bee. Good for you Melanie, for writing that letter.

    Oley, Bee is a she not a he.

    B & S, You are really good at that designer dog stuff. We will see if we can come up with anything creative (probably not).

  51. B.Stover
    4:33 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Rio: So you believe in censorship?

  52. Melanie
    4:44 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Riö, the school was very clear that these books were choices NOT mandatory. The children did NOT have to read them. The parents had to sign a permission slip for their child even to get the book.

    It is not what is in the books that disturbs me (though looking on Amazon, the Nickle and Dimed book got average reviews and the Water for Elephants had mega good reviews), it is the thought that someone is threatening the school system because books, that they do not approve of, have been a CHOICE for students.

    You’re right I haven’t read them. But think of the many books that people have tried to Ban over the years.
    The Harry Potter Series, Rowling
    The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain
    The Color Purple, Walker
    Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck
    The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger
    To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee
    Lord of the Flies, Golding
    The Merriam WEbster and American Heritage Dictionaries
    Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck
    Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Martin/Carle
    James and the Giant Peach, Dahl
    Anne Frank
    Little Women, Alcott
    For Whom the Bell Tolls, Hemingway
    A Farewell to Arms, Hemingway
    A Wrinkle in Time, L’Engle
    Frankenstein, Shelley
    Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Lawrence
    Silas Marner, Eliot
    The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Twain
    Ulysses, Joyce

    Now granted not all of these are my cup of tea. But I feel anyone should be able to read them.

    I did read all the books my guys were assigned. Any parts that were shocking we talked about how it fit into the book and in to life.

    Some parents chose not to let their children read them. That is also okay with me.

  53. Riö - The Evil Pug
    4:51 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Censorship!… I believe in the censorship of all KATS….snort!…I also believe if the parents had an Option of reading the books before the classes started, they should have done so…..grunt!….They should NOT have signed the permission slip when they had the chance – if I understand Melanie’s bad grammer correctly….grump!….But, why on earth are the teachers, the so-called knowledgeable ones, using books with foul language, drug use, and bias against Christianity in a class for Personal Finance?….snort!… I would have to support the parents on this one, by all means…..sniff!….The teacher is probably a Liberal and voted for Obama….grump!

  54. B.Stover
    4:53 pm on February 17th, 2011

    I agree with Melanie. What we have here is one parent who is dictating to the school what should and should not be read. What makes him superior?

  55. B.Stover
    4:57 pm on February 17th, 2011

    If children are shielded from reality, what happens when they have to make decisions? (And Obama is great considering what we had before.)

  56. Mollypop
    5:04 pm on February 17th, 2011

    B. – since the freerice web site gives an error and may have a virus, send them an email to let them know that.

  57. C.Harris
    5:11 pm on February 17th, 2011

    B. Stover: I just got on freerice.com with no problem. But I am using a school computer which is heavily protected and behind a firewall. I will try it when I get home tonight. It is a great site; there is also a Spanish version if someone wants to practice learning Spanish.

  58. Riö - The Evil Pug
    5:23 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Politics!…Oh please! I am not going to get into a political debate here on Chet’s blog….grump!…Why do you suppose the “Reality” is so damned bad. Because the morality of this country is going down the crapper, that’s why! Teach kids the correct way to behave not the Drugged out, foul mouthed world that shouldn’t even exist. Don’t keep rubbing their nose in the filth for dog’s sake!….grump!

  59. B.Stover
    5:31 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Rio: Grump yourself.

    Mollypop: Okay I will send an email.

    CHarris: Could you let me know about rice.com on your pc…thanks.

  60. B.Stover
    5:44 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Rio: Justified is now On Demand. I have Comcast also. There is one episode showing.

  61. Riö - The Evil Pug
    5:47 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Stover!…What is that supposed to mean?… cough!

  62. Mollie (a black poodle)
    5:51 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Rio: Yes, B. is right. Justified is now On Demand. They are showing the first episode (the one from last week).

  63. Riö - The Evil Pug
    5:53 pm on February 17th, 2011

    YES! YES! YES!…. I will get to see Boyd say, “Fire in the Hole!”….snort!

  64. Mollie (a black poodle)
    6:10 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Rio: Yes, you will. The good thing is, they show the last few minutes of the last show in case we forgot how it ended!

    Baseball: At spring training a reporter asked Lincecum what happened to his attempt at growing a mustache and Lincecum said “My dog licked it off”.

  65. Melanie
    6:28 pm on February 17th, 2011

    I did not mean for a “Politics” thing to start. I just don’t like censorship.

    Sorry about the bad grammar, Riö. You know I love your grumpy self.

    Anyhoo, I just went out in the full moon, near to the garden as I could get, and did a little bunny dance (without hopping) and let the moon dust land on me.

    I think I’ll get one more dose for good luck!

  66. Mollypop
    6:30 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Well I’m at Sam’s so I have no clue how much posting I can do. The little diva is very fluffy and cute but she hogs the computer.

  67. Mollypop
    6:34 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Melanie the full moon is tomorrow and a good thing because we are completely clouded over.

  68. Melanie
    6:38 pm on February 17th, 2011

    LIZF:::: Are you okay?

  69. Melanie
    6:39 pm on February 17th, 2011

    MollyPop: Google is telling me that the moon is 100% full. I have trouble doing the bunny dance tomorrow as well.

    It is pretty though.

  70. Melanie
    6:39 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Duh: Hitting back of head . . . “I have NO trouble . . .”

  71. Barb & Maggie
    6:51 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Melanie, I was just going to tell you that you are a day early, but Mollypop beat me to it. It looks full, but the calendar says tomorrow. Maybe you will just get a little extra dusting this month! Couldn’t hurt.

  72. Siber-H
    6:56 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Watson is going to med school. He will need fine turning before he can help patients.

  73. Melanie
    7:01 pm on February 17th, 2011

    B.Stover: the herb is called Curamin. Zoë ordered it from Amazon.

    Third day. Dan doesn’t like it and has stopped taking it. Zoë is finding a lot of relief from pain. I am getting rid of old pain in joints. Knee is a different story. But the swelling continues to go down.

  74. B.Stover
    7:25 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Thanks Melanie. I’ll check it out. I hope it keeps working for you and Zoe.

    The moon is covered with clouds here also.

    Is Justified in its second season? I don’t know any of the characters so it’s a bit difficult to follow. Perhaps one shouldn’t start it in the middle.

  75. Melanie
    7:28 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Busy Bucky Beaver:
    This is from yesterday.
    The branches to the left are about 3 inches in diameter. The downed tree is about 6.

  76. Melanie
    7:30 pm on February 17th, 2011

    This is from today.
    Bucky Beaver’s small pond is bigger and he can now swim in it. The branches and the small tree are now part of the dam he’s building below the snow bank on the right.

  77. Melanie
    7:52 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Okay, someone sent me a picture and if you stare at it long enough you are supposed to see a giraffe. I’ve been staring at this freaking thing for 10 minutes, can’t see a THING. It just looks like an out of focused tree to me.

    So I thought I’d bother you guys with it. (snicker)

  78. C. Harris
    7:54 pm on February 17th, 2011

    B. Stover: I have been playing freerice.com on my home computer the last 10 minutes with no problem. Have you tried other educational game sites to see if there is a problem in general with games?

  79. Jasper the Poodle
    7:54 pm on February 17th, 2011

    I have read Water for Elephants and it is GREAT!!! It is the story of a young man in vet school almost ready to pass the vet test and graduate when he gets word that his parents have been killed. He leaves school and winds up on a circus train and he becomes the vet for the circus. There is some animal abuse in the book, which is hard to read and really not appropriate for young children. This book has been made into a film with Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz. Filming has just been completed.

  80. B.Stover
    8:18 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Thank you CHarris. I haven’t tried other sites yet.

    Melanie: I don’t see a giraffe.

  81. Riö - The Evil Pug
    8:23 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Justified!… It is in season two. If any newcomers to the show can get past the first 20 minutes or so of the first episode while they are wrapping up some of the loose ends from the last season, the new story is starting to form…snort!….Of course Boyd and his weirdness will still continue through this season…heh!heh!

  82. B.Stover
    8:34 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Which one is Boyd? Maybe I should try to find it on Netflix.

  83. Barb & Maggie
    8:34 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Melanie, I didn’t see a single giraffe either.

    We may check out the Water for Elephants book. Just a little concerned about the animal abuse part. We find that hard to read. Did anyone else read it?

  84. dawson
    8:42 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Oh no!
    Not a fan of censorship.
    I read Water for Elephants. I would have no problem with an older teenager of mine reading it. I would compare it to me reading the Grapes of Wrath when I was 16 or 17.

    I am also familiar with Barbara Ehrenreich. She is a progressive writer of non-fiction who really makes you think. I haven’t read Nickle and Dimed but in it Barbara E. actually gets minimum wage jobs and then tries to live within her means. Which you really cannot do. It would be good for high-schoolers to read to inspire them to stay in school, get educated and get a non-minimum wage job.

  85. dawson
    8:47 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Melanie: I googled “stare at this and see a giraffe” and got the same picture…but a giraffe did show up! I think you have to use the original picture though…
    There was also a “stare at this picture and see Jesus”, but I didn’t go there.

  86. Melanie
    8:49 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Whew, I’ve been staring at that picture for way too long. I’ve tried it with my glasses off, with them on, and my eyes crossed. Nothing.

    I guess I could try it while doing a head stand, but that is not happening!

  87. Riö - The Evil Pug
    8:50 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Fed-Up!…Good night!…grunt!

  88. Melanie
    8:51 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Thank you Dawson. I tried that. Now I feel like a complete idiot! Laughing here.

  89. LizF
    9:12 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Thank you for checking Melanie, luckily I’m on the far right of that picture! I tell ya, that global warming theory is starting to catch on……. In Darwin (top and middle, hidden by cloud) they had 25 inches of rain, in 24 hours or so.

    I like those beaver pics! 🙂

  90. B.Stover
    9:14 pm on February 17th, 2011

    I wonder how far Spence got on the final chapter today.

  91. Melanie
    9:16 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Goodnight, sweet Riö, well, it’s time to go,
    Goodnight, sweet Riö, well, it’s time to go,
    I hate to leave you, but I really must say,
    Goodnight, sweet Riö, goodnight.

    Well, it’s nine fifteen in the evening,
    Riö, I just can’t treat you right,
    Well, I hate to leave you, Riö,
    Don’t mean maybe, because I love you so.

    Goodnight, sweet Riö, well, it’s time to go,
    Goodnight, sweet Riö, well, it’s time to go,
    I hate to leave you, but I really must say,
    Goodnight, sweet Riö, goodnight.

    Apologies to the Spaniels
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCnAjel02lM

  92. Melanie
    9:22 pm on February 17th, 2011

    LizF: I’m glad you are not under all that stuff.
    B.Stover: I hope he was able to finish the book!!
    Dawson: I had Zoë staring at the picture too. I’ll have to show her tomorrow morning.

    Off to sleep! TTFN

  93. Basil and Sage
    9:30 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Hey Melanie – here’s something just for you….giggle

    Wash beaver thoroughly with saltwater.
    Soak it overnight in water to cover plus the vinegar and 1 Tbs. salt.
    Next day, drain the meat, wash again and cover with 2 quarts fresh water plus the soda.
    Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
    Drain again, pat dry and place beaver in roasting pan. Salt & pepper the meat.
    Cover with sliced onions and bacon or salt pork.
    Place lid on roaster pan and bake at 375 degrees until tender

  94. B.Stover
    10:08 pm on February 17th, 2011

    B&S: Yuck!

  95. dawson
    10:15 pm on February 17th, 2011

    B.Stover: I was waiting for that. 🙂
    Basil and Sage: The blog has discussed recipes for beaver and beaver tail before…heh.
    Siber H: Mike Ellis and his Siberians are due to cross the Yukon Quest finish line very soon.

  96. Barb & Maggie
    10:25 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Very nice singing, Melanie.

    Agree with Bee, YUCK on the beaver!

    Good night all. Off early tomorrow morning. Barb is going to have fun with the Grands. I guess I will be having fun of sorts at the famous, five star Bed and Busicuit. They even have ice cream cones for my kind! May not be posting till later on Saturday.

    Don’t forget about the moon dust!!!

  97. B.Stover
    10:28 pm on February 17th, 2011

    B&M: Have fun with the grands…..and the ice cream cones.

  98. dawson
    10:32 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Barb and Maggie: Enjoy…

  99. Siber-H
    10:37 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Yep, Thanks, Dawson…I know that. I’ve been here gripping the keyboard for their entire journey. Then there is Hank Debruin and his team of Siberians that will be in last. I think they’re gonna make it!! They really haven’t been racing…it has been more of an expensive vacation for Hank and his team, but I think they have had fun.
    Dawson, Seb’s team looked the best of any team that I saw crossing the finish line in Fairbanks.

  100. B.Stover
    10:40 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Good night all.

  101. Siber-H
    11:03 pm on February 17th, 2011

    nighty night

  102. Basil and Sage
    11:11 pm on February 17th, 2011

    Oh well, if you all don’t appreciate our gastronomic expertise, we’ll just say goodnight. Its time for us to take up all the leg room in Mama’s bed anyway.

  103. Staff
    11:23 pm on February 17th, 2011

    You Kats are funny, but it reminds me too much of the creep who was marinating a kat in his car trunk. Not good memories.

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