Zephaniah W Nash

Thanks to all for the compliments. Her next project was going to be some clothing (plus, once she learns what she's doing, she's to teach me). Once we can work through the ever-popular Jack Sparrow costume pattern that is on the market, we'll feel better about investing in some real patterns, like Kass'.

We got a used sewing maching (rescued from one of my parent's closets) and my wife has been teaching herself to sew. And as a friend just had a child, we thought we should give a gift that just couldn't be mistaken for anyone else's. They're not quite the pyratical-types that we are, but they're not that far off (more Ren-faire bums). Maybe not the best quality out there, but we're still learning...

Well, not to shoot myself in the foot, but if we're talking about people on TV or in the movies, they're all gonna be pretty, so someone saying they're more interested in personality than looks really ain't saying much. Even though, I'm usually at least as interested in personality as looks. No, really. It's true...

Adam Baldwin is, however, a Republican. Just putting things into perspective, and making a cheap political joke all at the same time. My wife met him at a convention, and that revelation apparently left a lot of people cold. For maybe a minute...

Well, with the characters, it would be Kaylee all the way. River is too whimsical in the brainpan, Zoe could kill me with her pinky, and Inara is just too darned refined for my rough tastes. Now, actor-wise, that's a whole other question. I certainly wouldn't kick Jewel out of the hammock (and she apparently has some pyratical-fetish thing going, so groovy), would probably avoid Gina 'cuz her husband is Lawrence Fishburne, and you just can't do bad to Lawrence -- it would just be wrong. Now, Morena... Yeah...

Good to see you made your way here, Captain Helena... More'n happy to hoist a few with you.

I quit smoking two weeks ago today. Not so much because they're bad for me, but because Texas just added another dollar a pack tax, and frankly, I think I can come up with something better to do with the money. In fact, I'm setting aside the amount of money I would've spent on cigs, and in a couple of months, going shopping for a pistol. Yes, I'm bribing myself. Right now, being around other smokers only really makes me want one, I certainly don't want to preach to those that smoke. The closest thing I've come to that, so far, is occaisionally really complaining that I can't have one...

So far, I haven't really needed to do much exercise for the sake of exercise, been staying pretty physically active with the working, and the general day-to-day stuff. More errands to do with a house than an apartment. Plus, with a chance of ice coming up over the weekend, had plenty to do to get ready for that (setting out extra feed, moving hay bales, wrapping water lines, etc.). I'll have to come up with something if we get iced in for a couple of days, though...

Can't join in on any part of cutting back on food right now. I'm in the process of quitting smoking -- food is pretty much required, though I'm trying to stick to raw vegetables when I get the craving. I'm with you on the working out, though. If I don't do that, I won't be able to wear much of anything that I own soon, either...

A bit slow so far, but folks here are still recovering from the holidays, the flu, the weather, and the cattle prices (which are actually working well for us, right now -- we're expanding, rather than selling off). One of our possibles backed out, which we can live with, just hate to lose an option. Lots of houses for sale, but they all want you to buy the land they're on, instead of just the house to move -- which isn't at all surprising, of course. Plus, I'm trying to kick the coffin-nail habit, so a bit more down time wouldn't hurt too much... Except for the chewing on the drywall habit I'm cultivating to replace the cigs... I'll just need more swordplay and such to keep me from going nuts, I reckon.

A quick update -- we have our very own internet access again, and it's faster'n dial-up! Don't let anyone tell you that it isn't possible to hook up one of those laptop wireless cell-phone cards to a desktop. It just takes a special order and five minutes of work, and you too can have reasonably fast internet access out in the country!

Well, we're pretty well into the rental place -- though not even close to being unpacked and what you might really call "moved in" just yet. And with semi-regular access to a whopping 26.4 Kbs internet connection, I might only be able to check, say, one Pub room per day, I'll try to keep up and say hello as possible... Hope all have happy holidays!

Shipping, customs, etc. may make this more trouble than it's worth, but my in-laws live in the UK and do business on both sides of the pond. I could see if they'd be willing to take care of the actual financial part of things (transferring money from someone to us to avoid the exchange taxes). If you can't find anything over there, but like something over here, likely we could work out a deal where we'd send to you, you'd send money to them that they would send to us, etc. Plus, of course, I've still got a couple of hand-made leather baldrics available -- shameless self-plug, I know. But apart from that, if just nothing you can find there will suit, send me a PM and we'll see if something can be worked out, if you can find something online from a US company that would suit you...

We've found a small rental property less than a mile from where our eventual house will be, so we're moving out of the city to the country, which should make it much easier for house- and job-hunting. May not have our own internet access for a while, but with my parents living across the road, we'll be able to check in on things with theirs until we have our own. That'll let me keep my regular e-mail address, for them what have it (or want it), as well as being able to at least check in at the Pub. When we find a house to have moved on-site, there will, of course, be a housewarming party. As Pub-members are scattered all about, we figure to have an extended party for six months or so -- anyone who finds themselves in Texas will be welcome to come, and we'll start their own personal installment of the festivities. Will keep in touch as we're able -- it just may be sporadic for a while. It's worth it to get into the country, I'm thinking. And while pyracy up and down the Brazos River may not be all that financially rewarding, it should be much more spiritually rewarding... Cheers!

I'm a-fallin' behind with the recipe-ing... For the rue itself, bacon grease and flour. Real whole-wheat brown flour, of course. None o' that store-bought mix for me. Held back a wee bit more on the spice than I normally would have, 'cuz part of the mixings was some pretty spicy venison sausage that didn't carry over quite as far as I figured it would. Next time, cayanne and a couple of jalapenos. I like it a bit thicker than soup myself, but this batch came out even on the thicker side. Might make one more meal out of it, at this rate. Well, not a meal, maybe a snack...

May need a wee bit of advice on that aforementioned gumbo. Actually, Wednesday, it was gumbo. Yesterday it was... um... is congealed the right word...? Still right tasty (though could be a bit more spicy for me) but it turned very, very stew-like, rather than being that more liquid consistency that I generally think of with gumbo. Too much or too thick rue, perhaps...?

Calling for snow and ice hereabouts -- and us Texicans don't know how to drive in that stuff. Good thing I made that two gallons of gumbo yesterday...

You are, Matt, you are... Just keep a-tellin' yerself that, mate. Pyrate Doctor Phil says that self-affirmation is the way to go...

We could actually use a bit of rain here, as well. Chance later in the week, but getting right cold, as well...

Oohh. I'm yours...

I'm with them that like some curves to a woman. If she looks like I'm a-gonna rupture myself on her protruding hipbones, I tend to lose interest -- that, of course, all changes on the amount I've had to drink, of course. And for anything more than some idle girl-watching, I much prefer women to have... questionable judgement. Otherwise, she'll be running off with one o' them actual attractive men, before I can turn her head with my shining wit and sparkling personality. In other words, iffen I can't baffle 'em with my BS, I'm typically out o' luck. Seriously, though, if a woman can't carry on something resembling an intelligent conversation, I'm going to look for the exit pretty quick. And it certainly helps if there are at least one or two common points -- any woman who can talk guns or at least knows how to hold a sword, or that realizes Geoffrey Rush makes a more believable pirate than Johnny Depp, will go much further to turning my head than does one who can only talk about whoever was on American Idol last night.

I know some of you folks get to wake up to this sort of thing every morning, but 'twas a treat for us...

We've made it back from the Island -- and wishing we hadn't had to come back. Hope all had a loverly time as we did. After I've recovered from the drive, I'll post some purty pictures of the Gulf for all... Happy recovery from the Turkey day to all!

I know those across the Pond don't celebrate Thanksgiving -- and why should they? -- but for those that do, have a safe and happy one. We're heading down to Galveston tomorrow morning to eat 'til we can't eat no more.

About twenty minutes of work here, regarding Sterling's post entitled "Evidence for Creation." Pardon the roughness of it, please... By no means am I saying my own post must necessarily be correct, and Sterling's citation must necessarily be wrong -- just pointing out the alternative view. I chose this one because it was a straight, point-by-point list -- easiest to tackle. I'm also liberally snipping, to save time and space. Actually, evolutionists constructed the Geologic Column in order to illustrate what they have observed, not what they think it should be. Simply mistaken. There are many, many, many examples of transitional fossils. The only way this argument can even come close to holding up is by moving the goalposts, and claiming that every transitional fossil that comes along is not a transitional fossil, and is a distinct subset of its’ own. A concept that has been debunked many times.Here... ...and here... ...and here... To point out just a few... There are hundreds of Flood traditions through many cultures because many cultures are based near bodies of water, which tend to flood from time to time. Completely off-point. World population growth rates in modern times are very dissimilar to population growth rates in other times. Or, the rocks studied came from one of a number of geologic locations which, due to understood principles of physics, have a variant reaction to the tests used, as shown by N.K. Chaudhuri and R.H. Iyer, "Origin of Unusual Radioactive Halos," Radiation Effects, 1980, vol. 53, pp. 1-6. and N. Feather, "The unsolved problem of the Po-halos in Precambrian biotite and other old minerals," Comm. to the Royal Soc. of Edinburgh, no. 11, 1978. Or, alternatively, natural artifacts that appear quite similar to man-made artifacts. Similarly, footprints or handprints have been shown to have been created by living animals of the time, and through weathering or misinterpretation, appear similar to human footprints and handprints. Helium also escapes our atmosphere, at very similar rates to the rates that it enters. Or, if we don’t arbitrarily accept that time dilates in distant space, we would have no need to resort to a recent creation with great distances to the stars. A basic misunderstanding of both evolution and statistical analysis. The cell did no occur by chance, but through natural selection. If size is equal to complication (reference to the number of cells, neurons, etc. seem to imply this) then the brains of certain whales are much more complex than our own -- dismissing the author’s own contention. And whether or not the processing power of the brain can or ever will be exhausted seems to have no bearing on anything else. As I expected, it took much longer to actually put this into a posting here, utilizing the quote feature to make it less confusing. These are old arguments, often taken completely apart. And yes, I know I said I was gonna avoid this thread, just couldn't help meself...