Zo - Mike Gravel is pulling a Lieberman.

He's STILL running for President.

But in this case it's OK...

He's on the ballot in: : Michigan, Utah, Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Iowa, Missouri, New Hampshire, California, Connecticut, Arizona, Maryland, Massachusetts, Arkansas, Tennessee, Washington State, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Mississippi and Alaska.

Remember this classic?

Happy Leap Day!

And it's Friday, so we'll be having tea. Unfortunately the only Leap Day concoction we found on the web sounded pretty vile - so it'll be Cape Codders, and if NR gets her way, Myers and Cokes. The Cheese Plate will make its triumphant return, as well.

OH, the weigh-in was this morning for the biggest loser contest. Breaking tradition, AO didn't win - JT is the winner/loser! Congrats, JT!

UPDATE: LM has generously donated some 10 year old Madeira for today's festivities, and JT is sponsoring the cheese plate.

...and: It's International Sword Swallower's Day

The President of the Sword Swallowers Association International (SSAI) proclaimed it so!

We don't think that counts.

Yellow Fever Outbreak in Paraguay

U.N. Eyes Yellow Fever

AP, February 28

Geneva - The United Nations health agency said Wednesday that it was monitoring vaccine supplies for yellow fever as it confirmed the first cases of the disease in a Latin American urban area in six decades. The World Health Organization said that there had been nine confirmed cases in the suburbs of Paraguay’s capital, Asunción, and that three people had died.

Dr. William Perea, the W.H.O.’s yellow fever chief, said the disease, carried by mosquitoes, could spread quickly in built-up areas with poor sanitation.

We're glad that AZ was up to date with her shots - Peru is kinda near Paraguay, you know.

Yes, there is a Bridge of Sighs

Several, in fact.

The original is in Venice, and connects the old prisons to the interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace. It's enclosed, and has windows with stone bars.

Another is in Oxford, England. It's real name is Hertford Bridge, and actually is more reminiscent of the Rialto Bridge in Venice. This bridge connects the new and old quadrangles of Hertford college.

We wonder what was in that new quadrangle that caused so much anguish.

Oh, to live in Amsterdam!

Rumor has it that Amsterdam Police have attended a "Koe knuffelen" (cow cuddling) workshop to combat stress.

This seems like a temporary fix. It's probably better to just keep a cat or two at home.

Friday Cat Blogging

OK, so it's Tuesday, but we couldn't wait to post this fantastic news about cat ownership.

Cat owners live longer! (Dog owners might - we just don't know).

Something to purr about: cats reduce heart attack risk

The Canadian Press, February 22

A U.S. study suggests having a cat at home could cut your risk of a heart attack by almost a third.

The finding suggests that the stress relief pets provide to humans is heart-healthy.

Researchers analyzed data on more than 4,400 Americans, age 30 to 75, who took part in the U.S. government's second National Health and Nutrition Examination Study, which ran from 1976 to 1980.

A little more than half of the study participants either owned a cat or had owned a cat in the past while the rest had never done so.

Researchers tracked the rates of death in the entire group from all causes, including heart and stroke.

The cat owners had a 30 per cent reduction in heart attack risk than participants who didn't own cats, said the study's lead author, Dr. Adnan Qureshi of the Minnesota Stroke Institute.

But dog lovers shouldn't feel left out, he stressed.

Dogs would probably bring people the same kind of benefit, Qureshi said, but the numbers of dog owners in the study wasn't big enough to count statistically.

HD must be feeling sheepish about his cat genocide proposals now!

Board Meeting!

Today (any second now, actually) the board will be convening for its monthly meeting. Let's all be on our best behavior...

Upcoming events?

February 28th: International Sword Swallowing Day.

March 4th: Ohio and Texas Primaries!

March 8th: The Rewind Band returns to Marlborough!

More details as they become salient!

Tonight!

Tonight, weather permitting, we'll be able to see a total lunar eclipse!

The great wiki has details, but it will start at 8:43 PM EST and totality will be reached at 10:01 PM EST.

Nothing much to say

But AZ and RV are back from their Galapagos trip. The pictured crab wishes they hadn't had to leave.

Friday Tea

Today's Tea will be a melange.

NR has some honey-flavored concoction, AO as purchased beer (presumably for this afternoon), as well as some other things, and there will be the usual cape codders to round out the offering.

Also, onion dip.

JFK Love Child?

Mr. Jack Worthington may be just that:

Alleged JFK love child says he's key to U.S. history

By Denise Ryan, The Vancouver Sun, February 14

VANCOUVER - Jack Worthington, the alleged love child of former United States president John F. Kennedy, believes there is more at stake around revelations of his existence than mere biology or voyeuristic interest.

"My existence is a potential Rosetta Stone for a confusing period of American history, and not the main story itself," he said yesterday.

The idea that Mr. Worthington -- who was born on Nov. 22, 1961, two years to the day before the assassination of JFK in Dallas -- may be the placeholder of a missing piece of the puzzle around Mr. Kennedy's life and death will no doubt galvanize the world.

Since the New York Post published an item last week revealing that Vanity Fair had killed a politically controversial story on an unnamed B.C. man who is said to be an unknown son of JFK, the world media has descended on the Lower Mainland.

It has been a nerve-racking week, said Mr. Worthington, who praised Canadian news outlets for their discretion.

"Britney (Spears) should be so lucky," he added with a rueful laugh. "If it had happened in another place, the media response might not have been so civilized."

See also: JFK's 'love child' alleged to be living in Vancouver

Did you know?

That Chiho Aoshima was born in 1974 in Tokyo, Japan, where she currently lives and works? That she received a degree in economics from Hosei University in Tokyo? That she's a member of Takashi Murakami's Kaikai Kiki Collective?

It's true!

RV has checked in...

They're in Peru.

CP goes home with SPAM 4-Pack and other stories from the Winter Social!

Special to the HSI Blog

RS pulled off another very fun and successful Winter Social Friday Night. Helping out this year was "Jimmy Jazz and the Sound Machine" (our very own JT wearing some real cool suspenders) with Tunes for both cocktail hour and DANCING till almost midnight. In a sad twist of fate, both LL - dancing promoter and RA - MP3 tune provider were both on injured reserve (flu) and unable to attend. Their contributions were noted throughout the evening as many of their songs were enjoyed.

The event was well attended (except a notable complete "no show" from our Software Department). The youngest attendee was 8 month old BD who showed up and entertained the cocktail hour crowd until after 'hitting the bottle' early passed out for the rest of the evening. VS was a first timer this year. CC and JT's date (both their spouses were unavailable) started off slow but picked up when the dancing got going in earnest. We missed perennial favorite MAS who did not attend we assume because RA was ill. Our own MS had the Best Tie of the night (but please don't tell the landlord he had snow men on his tie). Rumors that LL did not show because she was worried sick over having her boyfriend meet us are much overrated. A group photo on the stairwell was attempted. JM and RD delivered inspirational toasts during the dinner hour.

Food was great this year from appetizers (mini potato pancakes, egg rolls, spinach triangles, chicken quesadillas, and crab Rangoon) to dinner (choice of beef, seafood, or veggie). Desert was a bit rich (to this reviewers taste) chocolate cake.

Yankee Swap:
In a controversial move, RD started the Yankee Swap with the highest number (rookie GB) and worked back to #1 (CL). Wine and wine paraphernalia dominated the gifts this year, and two helicopters and a George Foreman grill were sought after items. Trading was frequent throughout this traditional event. XN was so happy to get red wine in honor of New Years that it prompted NR to take a gift from MS (bottle opener) instead. WL was happy to grab an OBAMA book from T for his political junkie son. Of course "can't have too many toys" NT went home with one of the helicopters.

Rookie GB started off weak by picking first and selecting a four pack of SPAM as the opening gift. This deluxe kit was not taken away from him by all comers despite coming complete with recipes for great favorites like SPAMtacular Party Dip, SPAMtastic Breakfast Burritos, SPAMsational Torpedo Subs, SPAMarific Macaroni Casserole and now having 25% less sodium. GB had the last laugh though as he swapped CP (2007 recipient of Metamucil) on the last trade. BP (wife of CP) was not amused about back to back loser gifts. Since the SPAM is best used before late 2010 CP may bring it back for another appearance next year (if he is allowed to attend by BP after receiving such rough treatment). GB's reward for this great move from CP was a nice wine bottle opener that CP had stolen earlier in the evening from JT in exchange for a Tea for One set.

CL did fine picking up a Red Sox hat despite her #1 draw going from first to last pick by that previously mentioned controversial move (TB on the hot seat for choosing start high but don't worry TB, WL has your back.....)

Dancing:
There was plenty of dancing going on by the Dancing Queens from everything from an eclectic mix of big band tunes to the B52's to Beatles and great dance moves (the lawn sprinkler, the mower, air guitar, fancy footwork) with Jimmy Jazz keeping a hand on the fast forward button to keep the crowd going. We finally had to shut it down just before midnight and call it a night.

The Go-Go's are still around!

Let's get ourselves down to Miami!

Friday Cat Blogging

It's Friday, Spring is almost here, and we're just about 5 hours from the Winter Social.

It doesn't get much better than this.

AZ Says Hi!

New Addition to the Art Gallery

Does anything more need to be said?

(Except of course, to note the resemblance to Warhol's Mao).

Super Fat Tuesday

It's Super Fat Tuesday!

You know what that means - Vote for Pedro, then party like it's 2099, for tomorrow (they remind us that) we die!

We hope that AZ voted absentee!

Conventionals

This election's conventions will be held:

Republican: In Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN (September 1-4)

Democratic: In Boulder, CO (August 25-28)

Primary Information

In Massachusetts - the Democratic delegates will be apportioned proportionally. The Republican delegates will be awarded on a winner-take-all basis.

Here are the other states' Methode Primoise.

UPDATE: Apparently the Republican party has dropped the winner-take-all aspect of the primary. Get at least 15% of the vote - and you'll get a proportional number of delegates. Go Huck!

Grateful Dead Endorse Obama

The Grateful Dead has decided to endorse Obama

"DEADHEADS FOR OBAMA"...
All those rock stars and celebrities backing Barack Obama are not only targeting the youth vote. In a bid for a decidedly older demographic, The Grateful Dead's Phil Lesh says the band is reuniting for a "one-time-only event in order to lend support to Senator Obama leading into the crucial 'Super-Tuesday' series of primaries."

The Washington Post's Garance Franke-Ruta explains "the Obama campaign's boldest cultural outreach effort to date":

Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir will be joined by Jackie Greene, John Molo and Steve Molitz at the concert, which will be simulcast live onto the internet on iclips.net. This will be the first time that the members of the band have performed together since 2004...

The concert poster lifts a line from the Dead's patriotic hit, "U.S. Blues." (Wave that flag, wave it wide and high. Summertime done, come and gone, my, oh, my.) If you have an idea for Dead lyrics that could be repurposed for Obama or Clinton's campaign, go ahead and post them in the comments.

Carnivale Tea!

Well, this is it. AZ is off for two weeks to the Southern Hemisphere.

To celebrate, we'll be serving Cape Codders, and if JM allows it, perhaps some Caipirinhas. Sounds a bit heavy on the lime and the sugar, though.

Veja-o em 4:00!