commenting

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once again I think I fixed the regular vs spam comment issues.
Many regular, real, non-spam comments were getting junked because I put the raised the Junk Score Threshold too high. Amusingly, all my real comments were junked and still quite a lot of spam was getting published.
Today I installed the Comment Challenge plugin. It is similar to most CAPTCHA programs but instead of the swirly letters on loopy backgrounds, I set up a challenge/response scenario.
Currently, I am just asking you to type a specific word before you post your comment. if you type it correctly, your comment gets posted. If you type it incorrectly or do not type it at all (as in the case of the automatic spam) you get an error. The comment does not even get to the system unless the word is typed correctly.
I went with this instead of the crazy swirly word options because I’m one of those people who has a hell of a time deciphering those. Half the time I type stuff in incorrectly because I can’t tell if that’s a “7” or an “R” or if it is case-sensitive or what. since I figure I’m not all that terribly unique, others probably have that problem as well.
I had previously tried to use TypeKey authentication but none of you got a TypeKey account and that meant that I had to approve every damned comment anyway making more work. This way you are self-authenticating.
So, please test it out, see if it works.
Also, in updating the site with this I accidentally reverted to the default templates. Damn. I went to go see if the plugin was working and damned if you know it, my site was all grey and blue. Not awesome.
Well, my dinghos, it’s the weekend. There’ll be some dog park fun, perhaps some kite flying and maybe magic.

Celebrate

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Last night David taught his last class for the semester (he teaches English to Latino immigrants) and when he got home he wanted to celebrate. We trundled ourselves into the car car and headed out. He wanted to go to the Town Talk since we had not had a chance to go there since it opened. I had him scope it out, all was well and I headed in.
My feelings are mixed.
The layout is lovely with the bar sectioned off from the dining room allowing the dining room to be calmer and the bar to be rowdier. The menu had a wide range of offerings from mid-priced to unconscionably priced. Seriously, there is not a risotto on the planet worth $18 unless it has gold plated moon scallops on it and naked ladies spoon feed it to you. I know overhead has to be high in a place like that, but that was absurd. on the other hand the wine list was all reasonably priced, nothing toity, a few selections that I buy regularly at home.
They misspelled “protocolo” in two places on the wine list, but I ordered it anyway.
We started with the Frickles, fried pickles. Wonderful, light, crispy fried pickles. So vinegary! They appealed to everything I love in food! Vinegar! Fried! Something to dip in! I could have eaten two baskets on my own and wept for more.
David ordered the grains and greens salad and I got the chopped salad. The menu on the site is not current and my salad was different than the one described. I give the kitchen high marks for well thought out and balanced food. Every ingredient in my salad worked together in flavor and texture, some things working in concert, others as counterpoints. I would very much like to try some of the other bits on the menu.
The service was outstanding, everyone was pleasant and attentive. The bill was brought with a couple of chocolates, a nice way to end.
On the whole if I were to create my perfect restaurant it would be this place, only quieter, and just slightly less pricey. I really did love the food, but I think we will not go regularly.

I want to touch your hot dog

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I will share with you now 2 Chester stories.
1) Last night at class we had our mid term test. Each person and dog team had to make the dog follow certain commands for certain distances or time periods. We all know what’s coming so we all practice. I am pleased, Chester can hold eye contact for 10 seconds (we need 5 seconds), he looks at you when you say his name, he sits, waits, lays down and stays on command. I know we will have issues with the loose leash walking but otherwise he’s paying attention. I was worried about his ability to pay attention since he’d apparently eaten some treats, half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and dog food all in the hour between when David gets home and I get home. He’s supposed to be really hungry during class so that he will actually want the treats I am trying to give him. No matter, he’s following directions and I am feeling confident. The test starts okay. He comes when called, sits when commanded. When we come to the test where he is supposed to hold my gaze I decide to reward him right away during the test. Damn, he always looks down to chew so he kept breaking eye contact. I should have just held the treat.
He did okay with the loose leash walking and letting me poke in his ears and feet and stuff. Finally we get to the part where he has to lay down and stay for one minute. I’m happy because he does this well. He’s a pretty unambitious dog so he kind of digs the laying down thing. Except now he won’t. He will not lay down for love or money. I use the command, the hand signal, the treat. Nothing works. He will not lay down at all. We fail this portion of the test.
Joan, the teacher, gives me my grade and moves on to the next student. I take Chester to one side to practice things and there it is, a full lay down with back feet out to one side (as he was taught) and chin on the floor! And he’s holding it! He’s laying down and he’s staying and I call the teacher over to prove he can do it. But it’s just not enough that the dog CAN do it, he’s supposed to do it every time he is told to do it. Oh well Chester, we have the whole summer.
2) Chester is laying next to me in bed and I am petting him. David is laying behind me. Chester decides he wants pets from David and steps over my head but stops halfway, sits down, and rests his furry wiener on my cheek. Asshole.

The best parenting advice ever.

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I’ve decided to start taking parenting advice from insane religious fundamentalist Jack Chick.
A couple years ago I ordered the monster pack All Tract Assortment as a gift for my firend Ethan because what says “I cherish our friendship” more than comic books detailing all the gay sex in the public schools and the actual witches who play D&D? Sometimes people need to be told how the Jews are the Chosen People and yet are still going to hell. These things are important. Also, the assortment was only $15 and you really can’t beat that price.
Cheap crazy is the best crazy there is.
Expensive crazy is when your HMO changes the formulary every few months.
Having placed an order with Chick Publications I am on thier mailing lists for both email and snail mail and try as I might, I cannot get off these lists. I think it has something to do with the word of god being unerasable and also the database of god being unmodifiable. I don’t know. They won’t take me off their lists. It’s fine, they send me all the new tracts and they also send me awesomely insane emails.
Today my personal note from Jack Chick was a note of grief regarding the Virginia Tech massacre. A lovely sentiment to be sure, until you realize that his grief is not about senseless violence and murder, but that many of those who died were not saved and now going straight to hell. Amazing.
To be fair, though, Fred Phelps is a bigger cockbite than Jack Chick, but just barely.
Anyway, in addition to this pondering of eternal damnation for innocent victims he sent me a link to his latest tract. It’s amazing. It’s Awesome. It’s the most concise system of cause and effect in child rearing that I have ever seen. If you let your kids believe in Santa, The Tooth Fairy or The Easter Bunny he will be so angry when he discovers your lie he will refuse to believe in Jesus AND become a mass murderer!
Now that’s a stunning one-two punch if I’ve ever seen one. Every dollar the toothfairy leaves under a pillow is another bullet in the back of an innocent victim! And the thing is, I think the statistics carry this one for him! Think about all the kids told about Santa and the Easter Bunny, there are only a few and they all grew up to be insane killers…John Wayne Gacy, Hitler, GWB, that creepy guy who runs the impact gun at the slaughterhouse, Vlad Tepes, Ghengis Khan, Gary Coleman, Ariel Sharon, Lizzy Borden, and the list goes on and on. Seriously, all the people who grow up to not become mass murderers are the same people who were not led to believe in Santa.
Read for yourself and learn how to save your kids.